TIP OF THE DAY: Make Ketchup For Your Cookout

[1] Homemade ketchup [2] with burgers (photos courtesy GoodEggs) and [3] on franks (photo courtesy Applegate).   If you’re considering making something for a cookout, how about homemade ketchup? You can make your own ketchup in just ten minutes of prep time, plus 45 minutes of cooking. You can choose a better sweetener, avoiding high…
Continue reading “TIP OF THE DAY: Make Ketchup For Your Cookout”

TIP OF THE DAY: Hibiscus Salt & Ways To Use It

Top: Margarita rim. Second: Cupcake garnish. Third: Salad garnish. Third: Eggs. Photos courtesy Hibiscus-Salt.com. Bottom: Hibiscus flower. Photo courtesy TypesOfFlower.com.   A number of years ago, hibiscus flowers became a trendy ingredient for mixologists and pastry chefs, with the import of Wild Hibiscus Flowers in Syrup from Australia’s Wild Hibiscus Flower Company. It took us…
Continue reading “TIP OF THE DAY: Hibiscus Salt & Ways To Use It”

TIP OF THE DAY: Herb & Spice Grinders

Some recipes instruct you to grind herbs or spices. In our grandmother’s day, that meant using a mortar and pestle. In our mother’s day, it meant using the coffee grinder for herbs and spices. Mom, a purist, had a second grinder for that purpose. Other folks had to first grind uncooked rice in their coffee…
Continue reading “TIP OF THE DAY: Herb & Spice Grinders”

TIP OF THE DAY: The Best Oven Mitts

When you’re working with hot oven pans, stove pot handles, steaming pasta pots and the like, you need more protection than a cloth oven mitt. Otherwise, be prepared to say “Ouch!” We tossed our cloth oven mitts 15 years ago when the first Orka silicone oven mitts debuted. No matter pleasing the design—or the ability…
Continue reading “TIP OF THE DAY: The Best Oven Mitts”

TIP OF THE DAY: Cheese Spreads, Cheese Condiments

Top: Crostini with Brie, Serrano ham and Fig Spread (photo courtesy Favor The Moments). Bottom: Enjoy trying the different spreads with different cheeses (photo courtesy Bonne Maman).   What’s a cheese condiment? What’s a cheese spread? you may ask. Here’s the food nerd explanation: Cheese spread is one of the sweet cheese condiments. A condiment…
Continue reading “TIP OF THE DAY: Cheese Spreads, Cheese Condiments”