TIP OF THE DAY: Valentine’s Day Cocktails

If you don’t have romantic plans for Valentine’s Day, how about inviting friends for cocktails? You can set up a bar buffet with pitchers of three or four red or rosy cocktails: Bloody Mary Cranberry Mimosa Cosmopolitan Crantini   Other options: Mulled wine, perfect for February. Kir, white wine poured atop crème de cassis (blackcurrant…
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RECIPE: Gourmet Onion Dip, With Caramelized Onions

Fine food lovers: The days of mixing sour cream with Lipton Onion Soup mix are behind you. Herewith, a better recipe for Game Day or any party. It uses caramelized onions, crème fraîche and fromage blanc, making it more “French” than a dip made with onion soup mix. The recipe comes to us from Bellwether…
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FOOD HISTORY: Galette Des Rois, Epiphany Cake (The Original King Cake)

Epiphany, a Christian holiday celebrated on January 6th, marks the end of the Christmas season and the beginning of Carnival (which concludes with the beginning Lent). January 6th, which is 12 days after Christmas in the Gregorian calendar, is also known as Twelfth Night. It can get confusing to those not schooled in the tradition.…
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FOOD HISTORY: The History Of Toasting To Your Health

  Do you toast to the New Year? If you’ve wondered how the practice originated: It began in pre-history and evolved over the millennia. And for many centuries, a piece of toast was floated in the punch bowl. The scoop:     AN ANCIENT PRACTICE The practice of toasting to someone’s health goes back to…
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TIP OF THE DAY: Bloody Mary Garnishes

[1] Surf & Turf Bloody Mary with bacon and shrimp from The Wayfarer in New York City. They call it “Fully Loaded,” with a celery stalk and a cocktail pick with cheese, olive and cocktail onion (photo © The Wayfarer). [2] The Hanako San Bloody Mary features an octopus tentacle and a skewer of raw…
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