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.

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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?

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How to Make (Better) Breakfast Sandwiches

By David Hu
A new video for Video Friday

I find weekday breakfast to be the trickiest of all meals. I always go through this little calculation in my head: Is a good breakfast ≥ loss of sleep to prepare said breakfast?

Usually the answer is a resounding “no,” so a well-stocked pantry of breakfast cereals is a must. However, there are some very simple breakfasts that are quick to fix that won’t dramatically cut into your morning sleep. One of the easiest is the breakfast sandwich.

You can buy these sandwiches at any fast food chain, but by the time you order and get yours, you could have made one yourself. The added benefit to making your own is that you can control the quality of the ingredients or try variations on the basic recipe and “have it your way,” as they say.

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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.

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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.

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