RECIPE: Saké Hot Toddy For National Hot Toddy Day

[1] A Saké Hot Toddy (photo © Saké One). [2] A Cider Hot Toddy (photo © Hella Cocktail Co.). [3] A Whiskey Hot Toddy (photo © Ruth’s Chris Steak House). [4] A close up on shichi hon yari label, an earthy, rustic style of saké (photo © Englewood Wine Merchants).   January 11th is National…
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TIP OF THE DAY: 20 Ways To Enjoy Dried Apricots

[1] The large pit in the center is why apricots, cherries, peaches and plums are called stone fruits (photo © Washington State Fruit Commission). [2] Cut in half, remove the stone and dry in the heat, and you have bowl of dried apricots (photo Olha Afanasieva | iStock Photo. [3] As appetizers, sweet-and-salty roll-ups of…
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TIP OF THE DAY: 25 Ways To Use Bell Peppers

One of our favorite snacks and colorful ingredients is bell peppers, also called sweet peppers. Bell peppers are easy to find year-round, available in green, red, yellow and orange (and at some markets, lavender, purple and white), making it easy to add color to your plate (raw, they also add crunch). But they don’t add…
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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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