Souped up Canned Chicken Noodle

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

It never fails that whenever you add the word, “holiday,” on top of your usual activities, a cold or worse seems to be lurking around the corner. I've heard that the flu season is well under way and that this is a very virulent strain…oh great, just what we need!

Some of us think we are super human and can juggle everything without any reckoning. But when your body starts to talk to you, listen. It’s saying, slow down. And if that doesn't work, your body will just take control and put on the brakes… possibly rendering you bedridden with an ailment.

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What to do with Broccolini

By Katie Barreira
For Cooking Newbie, a blog for beginner cooks

While picking up a bunch of broccolini at the farmers’ market, a fellow shopper asked me how to go about preparing the bright green veg. She had seen a recipe that called for par-cooking the slender stalks in a pot of boiling, salted water before plunging them into an ice bath – a culinary technique known as blanching and shocking. It seemed like a big production for a little vegetable. Was it really necessary? My answer: not necessarily.

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A Party in your Pantry

Special Fork celebrates Entertaining Week. Stay tuned for party tips and recipes from our Special Fork bloggers all week long. This week also kicks off our annual holiday kitchen tools sweepstakes. Please check our Facebook page to learn about the tools we've selected for the sweepstakes and how you can enter to win our prize package (estimated retail value: $122).

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

Over the years I’ve learned a lesson: you don’t always have to make everything from scratch. Yes, that would be nice in a perfect world where we are all kings and queens of our domain and life is a bit less hectic. Let’s face it …it’s a rare moment these days.

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Roasted Herb Chicken with Pistachio Salsa

By Zoe McLaughlin
A new video for Video Friday

Roasted chicken thighs are easy to make, but ordinary. Dress them up by rubbing an herb paste under the skin to season the meat and create a ton of flavor without a lot of work. It’s important to use fresh herbs when making the paste because fresh herbs have a brighter, cleaner flavor than dried ones.

Use a mortar and pestle or finely chop the herbs together to release the oils, intensifying the fragrance. This recipe uses chicken thighs but you could use skin-on chicken breast or even a whole chicken. The key is to separate the chicken skin from the flesh, leaving the sides of the skin attached, creating a pocket for the herbs, to seal in the flavor.

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A Good Date Meal

By Jess Ziman
A new video for Video Friday

A few months ago, a friend of mine told me a story of a near disastrous first date she went on. The whole date sounded dreamy – a dashing man had invited her to his home to cook her a romantic candlelit meal for two. She was all smiles and ready to be swept away by his gesture.

However, her face quickly fell when she found out what the meal was: boiled vegetables (from a frozen packet) and quinoa. His humdrum fare frankly muffled any mojo that may have been between them that night.

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