Gluten-Free Blood Orange Cakes

By Ben Mims
For Cooking Newbie, a blog for beginner cooks

These days, we all face the issue of making foods for every diet when inviting friends over for a party. While in New York City this week, my partner and I threw a brunch party for over 20 of his friends, and while only one had a special diet, we decided to make a gluten-free dish for her that didn’t take much effort at all, and actually tastes great to those who don’t have an issue with gluten.

With so many natural and flavorful gluten-free cake mixes on the market now, it was easy to find one to use for the blood orange upside-down cakes we were already planning to make. Ripe rings of blood orange, sprinkled with brown sugar, make anything taste great, but especially a gluten-free cake that everyone thinks is not.

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How to Cook Japanese Rice

By Sandy Hu
A new video for Video Friday

My friend Kay remembers going home from school and having to scrub potatoes and put them on to boil for dinner. I had a similar experience with the Asian version: making rice.

It’s been years since I’ve made rice in a pot – I always use my electric rice cooker, where it’s as simple as measuring out rice and water, pressing a button and walking away until the rice is done.

But recently, in trying to help out people on Twitter wanting to know how to make rice, I thought of the technique my mom taught me years ago. This is not the definitive way to cook rice and I’ve only tried it for white, short-grain rice – the sticky rice you get in Japanese restaurants. But for this type of rice, the method works like a charm.

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A Last Hurrah for Apples

By Ben Mims
For Cooking Newbie, a blog for beginner cooks

Now that winter is finally on its way out, and spring is almost upon us (quite literally, both in calendar time and with daylight savings time in effect), I wanted to make a last-ditch effort to save the last load of apples I’d gotten from the market and kept around all winter. Because while it’s getting warmer, we’ve still got plenty of cold days and nights ahead, as mother nature likes to remind us this time of year.

My favorite thing to make with apples, and there are many, is a simple apple butter. Although it’s name says so, there is actually no butter in this sweet preserve, best served on biscuits or scones, spread across hot pancakes and waffles, or eaten as a complement to peanut butter on a sandwich.

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St. Patty’s Shamrock Shortbread Cookies

By Lori Powell
For One or Two Bites, a blog for singles and couples

St. Patty’s Day makes me think of all things Irish, such as corned beef and cabbage, champ and brown bread. But let’s not forget some sweet treats that are so simple and simply delicious.

A friend of mine, Carole E., who lives in the Hudson Valley, made batches of these cookies in the form of small heart shapes for Valentine’s Day. I was lucky enough to be able to get a couple sent my way…they are the BEST shortbread cookies I have ever tasted!

That says a lot, as I have had my fair share of shortbread cookies over the years. These have the best short-like texture with the perfect balance of sweet with a touch of salt. I only wished that I had more of them so I asked Carole for her recipe and, low and behold, she was gracious enough to pass it along to me and now to you…of course with appropriate credit to Carole.

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How to Cut a Mango

By Sandy Hu
A new video for Video Friday

During the summer months, driving home after a weekend in Kona visiting relatives, we would pass roadside stands selling mangos. Mom would always make dad stop – she adored mangos – and soon our car would be filled with their heady, tropical fragrance.

In those days, very few Americans had tasted mangos outside of those of us living in tropical climates. But today, not only are they readily available in mainstream supermarkets, you’ll find them at smoothie shops and on restaurant menus, from casual to upscale.

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