TIP OF THE DAY: Uses For Cardamom

Green cardamom. Photo courtesy Suvir Saran | Indian Home Cooking.   Cardamom, a member of the ginger family (Zingiberaceae), is a highly aromatic and flavorful spice from from a plant native to India and its northern neighbors, Bhutan and Nepal. The name derives from the Latin cardamomum and the Greek kardamon, which referred to a…
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RECIPE: Mistletoe Margarita, A Christmas & New Year’s Margarita Cocktail

The mistletoe plant has ovoid green leaves with small white berries. Why is it associated with Christmas? Here’s one explanation: The Druids of Britain (think Stonehenge), circa 100 C.E., thought that mistletoe had magic properties: a cure for disease, a fertility aid, protection from witches and so forth. In a special ceremony held in late…
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Holiday Cocktails To Use Up Spirits & A Cranberry Caipirinha Recipe

Do you find yourself with bottles of spirits you don’t use often: the Limoncello you bought on impulse, the cachaça you used once to make Caipirinhas, the saké you never get around to drinking with take-out sushi? Could you use the space they take up to store something else? Look for holiday cocktail recipes that…
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TIP OF THE DAY: Whip Up A Wassail Recipe

Yesterday we discussed that cup of good cheer, mulled wine, as a traditional Christmas drink. Today we present the other drink of holiday song, the wassail bowl (pronounced WOSS-ul). Wassail is an Anglo-Saxon term meaning “good health.” During the holiday season in merrie olde [medieval] England, a host would invite friends over for a celebratory…
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TIP OF THE DAY: Make Hot Mulled Wine For The Holidays

You can serve mulled wine in a mug, brandy snifter, wine glass or other vessel of choice. Photo courtesy Spice Islands.   Mulled wine, a traditional winter drink in northern Europe, is hearty red wine that’s warmed, sweetened and spiced. It’s a popular holiday drink. The word mulled means heated, sweetened and spiced. The expression…
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