TIP OF THE DAY: Toasty Panettone

Panettone photo by Gabriel T. / SXC. Did you get a panettone for Christmas? Panettone, a medieval Italian Christmas yeast bread dotted with candied lemon peel, orange peel and raisins, is the Italian version of fruitcake—a popular Christmas gift. Panettone is tall, dome-shaped and airy (some say fluffy), in contrast to the other famous Christmas…
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RECIPE: And A Partridge In A Cheese Tree

Perhaps there’s still time to rearrange your cheese tray into a Christmas tree. All you need are cubes of cheese (the tree in the photo uses different flavors of Cabot Cheddar), grape tomatoes and some fresh thyme. The star on the top of the tree is a carved mushroom cap. If you don’t have the…
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TIP OF THE DAY: “Great Wall” Alcohol-Free Cocktail

It can look great and taste great without any alcohol. Instead of relegating non-drinking guests to an evening of mineral water, create a special alcohol-free cocktail menu to make their evening more festive. One option is a “Great Wall,” a combination of brewed jasmine tea and ginger ale. 1. Brew a pot of jasmine tea…
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RESTAURANTS: Best Restaurant Meals Of 2009

Where did some of the nation’s top chefs and restaurateurs have their best meals of 2009? Participants in a survey conducted by Opinionated About included Dan Barber (Blue Hill, New York), “No Reservations” host Anthony Bourdain, Sean Brock (McCrady’s Charleston, SC), Michael Carlson (Schwa, Chicago), David Chang (Momofuku, New York), Daniel Humm (Eleven Madison Park,…
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TIP OF THE DAY: Holiday Shortcake

Copper cookie cutter from Amazon. Use your cookie cutters to make a special holiday “shortcake” or ice cream sandwich. 1. For an ice cream “shortcake,” slice regular or chocolate pound cake into 1/2″-3/4″ slices and use large cookie cutters to cut shapes into the cake—use a tree- or star-shaped cutter for Christmas. If the cake…
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