TIP OF THE DAY: Kitchen Torch

The kitchen torch, culinary torch, cooking torch or [less poetically] butane torch is used by chefs and sophisticated home cooks. Today’s handy culinary torch descends from the heavy duty blowtorches, long used by gold and silversmiths (the first patent dates to 1791). While its most famous kitchen use is to caramelize the sugar on the…
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TIP OF THE DAY: Make Fondue For National Fondue Month (& Other Fondue Holidays)

February is National Fondue Month, February 5th is National Chocolate Fondue Day, November is National Fun with Fondue Month, and April 11th is National Cheese Fondue Day. You’ve got multiple opportunities to celebrate with luscious fondue—as a family dinner, at a dinner party, or even on a party buffet.     THE HISTORY OF FONDUE…
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How To Use Key Limes & Key Lime History

Darker green Persian/Tahitian limes and the smaller, yellower Key limes (photo by Evan Dempsey | © THE NIBBLE).   We love the filling of Key lime pie. Not especially a crust fan, we often make the filling alone, to serve crustless in pots de crème or ramekins. If you’ve had Key lime pie made with…
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RECIPE: Eggnog Panna Cotta

Eggnog panna cotta. Photo courtesy Driscoll’s.   Panna cotta is an Italian dessert whose name means “cooked cream.” The heavy cream and eggs form one of the different types of custard. This recipe, from Driscoll’s Berries, adds rum and brandy, ingredients of eggnog; and creates individual portions in ramekins. The puddings get a festive finish…
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TIP OF THE DAY: Christmas Fondue

In supermarkets, displays are currently piled high with panettone and pandoro, Italian holiday breads that are traditionally served and gifted during the Christmas and New Year season. The origins of sweet leavened breads date back to Roman times. By Medieval times, different regions of Italy had created signature holiday breads. Best-known, and available in the…
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