Easter Food Memories

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

Even though Easter was two days ago, the food memories I have at this time of year always inspire my cooking. March and April are strange months because they’re straddling the line of the last dying winter produce and the new spring arrivals.

When I think back to Easter meals as a child, the ingredients and dishes I remember are the best options for inspiration. Coconut and carrot cake were always staple desserts on our holiday table, so I always incorporate those ingredients into desserts or baked goods that I’m wanting to develop this particular time of year.

For an easy breakfast or afternoon snack, I love muffins. Rarely will I ever admit to liking anything in miniature form, however, these muffins do just the trick. They’re not too sweet and stay remarkably crunchy, thanks to the dried coconut in them.

Click to read more ...

Introducing…Hoisin Sauce

By Sandy Hu
The latest from Inside Special Fork

Some years ago, when I was judging the James Beard Cookbook Awards, I ended up buying spices and sauces for a one-time use. I needed them to test the recipes to evaluate the cookbooks, but I never used the ingredients again. What a waste.

It was my fault, really. If I’d taken the time to cook more recipes from those particular books or to learn more about the ingredients, I might have used up the remainder. But I was busy and having fulfilled my responsibilities as a judge, I’d moved on.

I think the same might be true with some of Special Fork’s Asian recipes. They are quick and easy to make, but may require some ingredients that aren’t on your everyday shopping list. It may leave you to wonder, why should I take the time to source the ingredient and spend the money, all for a single recipe?

Click to read more ...

Quiche, Baskets and Bunnies

By Marilyn Hunter
For The Family Table, a blog for busy families

There’s an old adage about men and quiche, which I don’t subscribe to because the men in my house love this custardy concoction. In fact, custard is one of the culinary basics Andrew considers essential to competency in the kitchen. He says, if you understand the milk to egg ratio, then you can make any flavor quiche you want – from savory to sweet.

The boys are in the stage of uncertainty about whether they believe in life’s guardians…Santa, the Tooth Fairy, Cupid and the Easter Bunny. Of course they’re smart enough to know that regardless of their suspicions, believing brings presents, treats and even cold hard cash.

Click to read more ...

Rich Chocolate Cherry Chip Brownies

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

We are in the first days of spring but winter has not let go… quite yet. Just yesterday, the snow was falling and the roads were slick and I had a hankering for some dark, rich, chocolaty brownies.

It didn’t hurt that I had a huge block of organic 72% cacao dark chocolate from Endangered Species left over from a cooking demo I did for the magazine where I work. That was inspiration enough to get baking.

The resulting brownie is super rich and is studded with dried tart cherries that have been imbibed with a sour cherry cordial liqueur I had purchased in the Hudson Valley. American Fruits Distillery in Warwick, New York, produces a Bartlett pear, blackcurrant, aged apple and a grappa grape brandy, and an apple and pear eau de vie.

Click to read more ...

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.

Click to read more ...