TIP OF THE DAY: Bake A Quince Tart

Quince are pear-green when unripe. When ripe, they turn gold. Photo courtesy Wikimedia.   The tree of knowledge in the Garden of Eden may have been quince, not apple. The book of Genesis does not name the specific type of fruit that Eve picked and shared with Adam. Cultivation of quince may have preceded apple…
Continue reading “TIP OF THE DAY: Bake A Quince Tart”

ENTERTAINING: Wine And Cookies From Cookies & Corks

As much as we’re fans of casual entertaining—stop by after work for some wine, or at 4:30 p.m. for tea time—we love to plan special entertainments. If the planning is effortless, so much the better. That’s why we were so pleased to discover Cookies & Corks—a young business founded by two young moms who met…
Continue reading “ENTERTAINING: Wine And Cookies From Cookies & Corks”

TIP OF THE DAY: Baking Cookies, One Sheet At A Time

Photo by Molly Little | SXC.   Here’s our first baking tip of the 2011 “baking season”: cookies. With a lot of holiday baking to do, it’s tempting to put two cookie sheets into the oven at once. But unless you have a convection oven, you need to place just one sheet dead center for…
Continue reading “TIP OF THE DAY: Baking Cookies, One Sheet At A Time”

TIP OF THE DAY: Make A Bento Box, American-Style

If you dine at Japanese restaurants, you’ve probably seen a bento box. Bentos provide a selection of smaller bites. A traditional bento consists of fish and/or meat, pickled and/or cooked vegetables and rice. In the U.S., dumplings, sushi and fruit are often included. The bento comprises a box-shaped container with compartments. The boxes range from…
Continue reading “TIP OF THE DAY: Make A Bento Box, American-Style”

PRODUCT: Wodka Vodka ~ Low Cost, Premium Taste

This inexpensive, “generic” vodka scores big with us. Photo courtesy Wódka Vodka.   Some people in the spirits business are amused by the lengths to which consumers fall for the marketing of premium vodka. Premium, super-premium and ultra-premium are marketing terms, not industry standards. There isn’t much quality difference between high-priced and lesser-priced vodka. Mid-priced…
Continue reading “PRODUCT: Wodka Vodka ~ Low Cost, Premium Taste”