Family Matters

By Sandy Hu

I’m going to ask Chris to find Special Fork when he comes home for Christmas this year. Chris is a freelance photographer’s assistant in New York City. And Special Fork is his own invention.

If you follow my blog, you know the story. A child of few words, Chris would swap out his dinner fork for the one mismatched fork in the utensil drawer to signify a meal he especially liked. This was a quiet compliment to mom or dad – whoever happened to make the meal that night. In time, he – or we – named the utensil, “Special Fork.” Chris continued to signal his approval via Special Fork through high school, until he went away to college.

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It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

By Marilyn Hunter

Nothing compares to the sights, sounds and smells of Christmas. This season is truly magical… from the moment we carry in the tree to the moment we climb out of bed on Christmas morning.

In our house, the season begins the day after Thanksgiving. I try to recreate that warm, wonderful feeling of going home…the magic, sparkle and spirit of the season that delights and inspires. We set aside a weekend to trim the tree, decorate and bake gingerbread.

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Easy Stuffed Peppers

By Lori Powell

I was shopping yesterday for a food shoot and while in the produce aisle, I could not stop looking at the towering stacks of beautiful bell peppers of all colors. While bell peppers are a bit overused to add color to dishes in a saute, chili, stir-fry and such, I love to stuff them with an assortment of healthy ingredients.

When used whole, peppers are a perfect sweet vessel – yes, a little retro, but great to make for one or two all year round.
My easy take on the stuffing is to use the pre-cooked rice that you can buy now in all varieties in supermarkets from shelf-stable to the frozen organic kind. They are available in brown rice, wild rice mix, jasmine and white, to name a few. I especially like the frozen organic brown and jasmine varieties.

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Raising the Ice Bar

By Karie Barreira

While my cravings for winter ice cream may be a bit unconventional, it’s clear I’m not the only one who likes to embrace the cold weather. Seasonal watering holes have been popping up all over the country; like Igloo Bar, a temporal Eskimo den situated rinkside at Rockefeller Center and serving “ice melter” cocktails to skaters and spectators.

On a recent visit to Toronto, Canada, I visited the Drake Hotel’s “climate-defiant” rooftop bar, complete with live campfire and cozy blankets to snuggle while sipping your Scorched Marshmallow and Frangelico Hot Chocolate.

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Crab Cheese Fondue Comes out of the Closet

By Sandy Hu

I have a secret. My always-popular holiday dip is made with products I’d like to keep hidden from my guests. I’ve been known to hurriedly shove the containers in the trash as that first doorbell rings.

It’s not that there’s anything really wrong with the ingredients. It’s just that people have high expectations. Freshly grated Cheddar…fresh-caught crab? Nope.

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