TIP OF THE DAY: 20+ Uses For Pesto

The Italian word pesto means paste; the verb pestare means to pound or bruise. Classic pesto sauce, which originated in the basil-rich Italian province of Liguria, consists of basil, garlic, olive oil, pine nuts, Parmesan and Pecorino cheeses plus a touch of salt for seasoning. It is traditionally made by pounding the ingredients with a…
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RECIPE: Strawberry Egg Cream

There is tuna in tuna noodle casserole. There are strawberries in strawberry shortcake. There’s ice cream in an ice cream soda. But there’s no egg in an egg cream—and there’s no cream, either. The ingredients are milk, seltzer and chocolate syrup. In other words, it’s a carbonated chocolate soda made creamy with milk, or carbonated…
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TIP OF THE DAY: Fruit Sushi Rolls

Mango-tuna is one of the three mango sushi rolls at Whole Foods Markets. Photo courtesy Genjiweb.com.   If you patronize a more creative sushi bar, you’ve probably seen mango in a couple of orientations: within a roll or as a wrap. While most sweet fruits don’t pair seamlessly with sushi, mango is an exception. Pineapple,…
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FOOD FUN: Strawberry Footballs

Go team! Jumbo strawberries dress up as footballs. Photo courtesy Godiva.   It takes time and expertise to pipe decorations, so these chocolate-dipped jumbo strawberries from Godiva are priced at $7.50 each. If that’s too rich for your pocket, try making your own, and buy icing in an easy-squeeze tube instead of trying to pipe…
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COCKTAIL: Cucumber & Vodka

Cucumber vodka may not be a big trend, but it deserves more attention. It’s crisp and refreshing whether drunk neat, with a squeeze of lime, with ice and/or soda or in a Bloody Mary or Martini. A quick look of what’s available shows artisan American and European distillationns: Badcock from Oregon, Blackwood’s from Scotland, Crop…
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