Flowers are pretty and candles are chic, but foodies know that the most fun centerpieces are made of more food! Check out these ideas for making beautiful food centerpieces for your Thanksgiving table.
Posts with tag nuts
Make Food Your Centerpiece - Tip of the Day
Continue reading Make Food Your Centerpiece - Tip of the Day
The Ball of Shame
But it's just a humble cheeseball, you say, why call it "the ball of shame?" Well, because shame is what you feel when, in mid-manufacture, you say you'll just take one swipe with a cracker to see how it tastes and wind up scarfing down a half-dozen. Shame is what you feel when you find yourself standing in front of the refrigerator at night, licking off the Saran wrap. However, pride is what you'll feel when you bring it to a party and watch people fall on it like starved hyenas.
Ingredient Spotlight: Chestnuts
Chestnuts, their glossy shells a reddish-brown shade that launched a thousand hair dyes, look like the acorn's voluptuous, glammed-up cousin. The starchy nut of the Castanea sativa tree, they're often viewed as a Christmas-only food in America ("chestnuts roasting on an open fire" and all that). But back in the day, chestnuts were so prevalent they were considered a poor man's food, a staple of everyday early American cooking. The nut, which matures in fall, is still used in all kinds of dishes around the world, but has become much rarer and more expensive in America due to a blight that killed off most of the country's chestnut trees in the early 20th century.
In Italy, chestnuts are ground into flour to make breads and cakes, and fermented into beer. In New England., they're sometimes still used in stuffing (check out this recipe for chestnut and mushroom stuffing).
In France, marrons glacés, or candied chestnuts are a popular winter treat, often wrapped up in frilly layers of gold and silver paper to be given as presents. In China, they're eaten roasted and salted as snacks, or used in stir-fries (see The New York Times' The Minimalist's recipe for shrimp and chestnut stir-fry).
Slashfood 8 (Ate): Parfait?
Parfaits are truly the anytime dish -- breakfast, lunch, snack, dessert. Dinner? Maybe even that. Here are some ideas for both usual and unusual (and hopefully, unusually delicious) takes on this yummy yogurt-based delight.1. Apple and Walnut parfait with maple syrup
2. Greek yogurt parfait with mangoes and honey
3. Classic fresh raspberry parfait with granola
4. Parfait with yogurt, granola, and cooked cherries
5. Trail mix parfait with yogurt, mixed nuts, and dried fruit
6. Cereal parfait with yogurt, dried cereal, and fresh strawberries
7. Frozen yogurt parfait with frozen or fresh berries
8. Pina Colada parfait with dried pineapple, dried coconut, and vanilla yogurt
Anyone have favorite combos for beautiful layered parfaits? Share!
Slashfood Ate (8): Top eight food allergens listed on packaging
I've always been thankful that I'm not allergic to anything. I breathe a sigh of relief every time I get to say "not that I know of" when the doctor asks if I'm allergic to anything. At the same time, I've always felt really bad for people who do suffer from food allergies. Lactose intolerance? You poor thing! What? You can't eat wheat/bread? I just don't think I could make it.
I realize that if you are one of the people who can't eat certain foods you get used to it and take it in stride. And of course, food labels are enormously useful in helping people avoid those dangerous foods. Even though there are more, manufacturers are required to list the top eight, which are responsible for 90% of allergic reactions. I'm sure all of these look familiar to any careful label reader!
1. wheat
2. soy
3. peanuts
4. tree nuts (almonds, walnuts, etc)
5, milk
6. eggs
7. fish
8. shellfish
March is National Peanut Month
We already mentioned that we (wouldn't) be celebrating March as National Flour Month, but we certainly don't want the wrath of peanut lovers everywhere falling upon us for not recognizing it as National Peanut Month (not to be confused with November as National Peanut Butter Lovers Month). On this last day of the month, let's take a moment to identify some of this special legume's nutritional benefits: high-quality plant protein, unsaturated fat, vitamin E, minerals such as magnesium, copper, phosphorous, and zinc, B vitamins (including folate), and zero cholesterol.
We highly recommend the easiest way to commemorate this day: with a simple peanut butter sandwich, but don't let us stop you from something more elaborate like a peanut soup.
Breakfast Cookies
I'm not sure what makes these cookies something you have for breakfast. They do have dried fruit (cranberries, apricots, cherries, raisins) and nuts in them, which is great, but there are probably healthier options for you. But hey, any breakfast that includes fruit and nuts and oats is a good start to a busy day (wow, I sound like a commercial).
These Breakfast Cookies look rather tasty, even if you have them later in the day.
Ultimate Game Day Menu: Nuts
Roasted nuts (along with chips/dips and vegetables/dip) are a good thing to set out at a Super Bowl Party just before the event starts. That way, if guests show up early, or you happened to have underestimated how long you would need in the kitchen, your guests will have something to snack on while you run around the kitchen like a chicken with its Buffalo wings cut off. I like to put out little trios on different tables around my house of roasted peanuts (a standard), roasted pistachios in shells (with a small bowl for the discarded shells), and these ridiculously, deliciously addictive Rosemary Marcona Almonds from Trader Joe's that I ate by the bagful over the Holidays. You can also make these yourself, using a recipe that Bob posted a few weeks, substituting Marcona almonds for the cashews.
What's in your freezer?
Last night I had some people over for dinner. Despite the fact that I got a late start on the main dishes, everything turned out perfectly and a good time was had by all. The only slightly-embarrassing moment in the entire evening came when, before I could stop him, my friend's husband opened my freezer in pursuit of ice for his drink (I had forgotten to put any out).
The door open, he stood and gaped for a moment and said, " Who eats all this food?" I quickly tried to explain that I like to keep a fairly stocked freezer so that I can pull meals together easily. I also tend to have three or four varieties of nuts, some summer fruit and homemade chicken broth stashed away as well. He shrugged and said, "Often when you open our freezer, all you see in there is a bottle of Skyy Vodka."
The picture above is my very own freezer, complete with half a bag of Trader Joe's string beans, a pound of chicken legs from Whole Foods and more frozen chicken broth than you can shake a stick at. In return, I want to know, what do the rest of you have in your freezer? Please share the mundane the quirks as inquiring minds want to know (and be assured that they aren't all that strange).
Pecan tassies for the holidays
I was 18 years the first time I had a Pecan Tassie. I had just finished my freshman year of college and was spending a couple of days with my mom's cousin, Amy, and her partner, Jean, at their house in the Columbia Gorge (White Salmon, WA to be exact). While I was there Jean did some of her holiday baking and I watched with fascination as she got out a stack of miniature muffin tins and started packing pastry crusts into each cup. She topped each crust with a batter of sugar, spices and finely chopped pecans. Soon after they were out of the oven, she offered me one to try and in one bite, I fell hard.
Ten years later, my love had not diminished. The pecan tassie and I are tight, and knowing of my affection, Jean makes an entire batch just for me each season. She and Amy are now living out here in Philly and I got an email from them just recently reminding me that I can't go back to Oregon for the holidays without a tin of tassies to take along with me.
If you have never had a pecan tassie, I implore you to give them a shot. You can find them in some bakeries, but as with other holiday delicacies, they are best when you make them yourself. They are a bit labor intensive, but the results are well worth it. Check out the recipe after the jump...
Happy National Nut Day!
Nuts have been my "go-to" snack lately. I'm trying to stop eating stuff like chocolate and cookies and cake while still satisfying my snack food cravings, and nuts can actually be very good with you (within reason - watch the amount you eat). Now, if I could just stop eating the chocolate-covered cashews...
Today is National Nut Day. Grab a bag or can of your favorites, whether its cashews, pistachios, walnuts, or peanuts (which, as you may know, aren't a nut at all but a legume, in the bean family). Here's an easy recipe for Roasted Almonds, and here's one for Recipe Goldmine has a ton of nut recipes, including Cajun Cocktail Nuts, Glazed Pecans, Chili Walnuts, and Citrus Nuts.
Storing nuts in the freezer extends their life
I like nuts. I like them toasted in salads, baked into muffins and tossed with roasted vegetables (toasted walnuts with oven-roasted brussel sprouts is heavenly). What I don't like about nuts is how easily they go bad if you don't store them correctly. After a big bite into a rancid almond once, I have taken to only keeping my nuts in the freezer (the middle schooler deep inside of me giggles at that sentence). The cold keeps the oils in the nuts more stable so that they don't go bad nearly so quickly (especially important for really oily ones like pinenuts). You don't have to be like me and store them in jars (although it looks so pretty) plastic containers or bags work just as well. The important thing is to make sure that whatever vessel you use is air tight to prevent the nuts from acquiring that yucky freezer-y taste.
Back to School: Brown bag* lunches for the high school set
By the time I got to high school, I was totally responsible for my own lunch. I got $20 a week for allowance and any movies, outings with friends, cafeteria lunches and after school treats had to come from that twenty. I brought my lunch a lot to save my pennies for the other, more fun, activities. Because I didn't want to eat the same thing, day after day, I learned to think creatively when it came to packing my lunch. Here were some of my favorites.
We almost always had tortillas in the fridge. I'd squirt a strip of honey mustard down the center and lay down a couple of slices of turkey and a lettuce leaf. Rolled up and cut in half, it made a quick sandwich that was tasty and fairly squish-resistant.
I'd throw together an assortment of baby carrots, sliced cucumber and cherry tomatoes to dip into a container of hummus (we typically had the large container from Trader Joe's in the fridge, and I'd put some in a smaller tupperware to take along).
Continue reading Back to School: Brown bag* lunches for the high school set
A granola recipe from my mom's hippie youth
Back in the early 1970's, my mom had a friend named Melinda who had a small business making homemade granola. One day, on her way home from shopping for several weeks worth of ingredients in her VW Beetle, she was rear ended. She was not hurt, but the force of the impact sent oats, nuts, raisins, oil and honey flying all over the interior of the car. Even after the body work was completed, the car was never the same. She stopped making granola sometime soon after that. Customers all over the Bay Area mourned her choice, as it was very, very good granola. Thankfully, before she closed up shop, she shared the recipe with a few fortunate people. I thank my lucky stars that my mom happened to be among that number.
This much-coveted recipe is after the jump. It is delicious eaten with yogurt, given away as gifts and eaten as a before-bed snack, right out of the jar or bag in which you are storing it.
photo by Marisa McClellan
Continue reading A granola recipe from my mom's hippie youth
You have to EAT to get flatter abs
We want to believe that there is a magic pill that will melt the fat off our bodies. We even hope there's some secret formula that nobody else knows. In the end, however, in our heart of hearts, we always know that "the formula" for staying trim is no formula at all. Quite simply, we have to exercise more and eat less.
Right?
Well, not exactly. According to various bits of research done here and there and compiled by AOL Diet & Fitness, it seems that for one particular trouble spot for a lot us, abs, eating more might be key.
Hold your horses, Soon-to-be-Taut Tonto. You can't just go eating everything in sight, thinking that the more potato chips and bacon you cram down your throat, the tighter your abs will be. There are specific nutrients in foods that seem t help fight ab fat. Unfortunately, potato chips isn't one of them. What are they? There are five things, and the matrix above is just a few suggestions for ways you can incorporate these into your diet that will get you to flatter abs:
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