FOOD FUN: Cheese Omakase, A Cheese Tasting Dinner

Like sushi? Like cheese? In honor of National Cheese Day, June 4th, combine them both. We don’t mean the Philadelphia roll, the only mainstream sushi with cheese (Philadelphia cream cheese and smoked salmon, to be precise. But last year, Rachel Freier, a cheese monger at Murray’s Cheese Bar in Greenwich Village, created a whimsical yet…
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TIP OF THE DAY: Champagne Jell-O Shots…Or Maybe Beer

How old can you be and still enjoy Jell-O shots? Erica of Erica’s Sweet Tooth adapted this recipe from Bakers Royale. Point of accuracy: This recipe is made with plain gelatin, not flavored Jell-O, so it’s not really a Jell-O shot. Another point: Everyone responds to the word “champagne,” but pricey champagne at $30 and…
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RECIPE: Hazelnut Crunch Cake Layer Cake

June 1st National Hazelnut Cake Day (see all of the food holidays). We used to make one every year with a delicious, but alas discontinued, white chocolate hazelnut cake mix from The King’s Cupboard (which still makes some of the best chocolate and caramel sauces, including organic and sugar-free varieties). So we had to search…
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TIP OF THE DAY: Mashed Potato Bar

[1] Who can resist a mashed potato bar (photo courtesy Betty Crocker)? [2] Use whatever dishes you have for the toppings. They don’t have to match (photo courtesy Hormel Foods).[3] If your guests can cope with glass, use your Margarita and Martini glasses (photo courtesy Hormel Foods). [4] Keep the potatoes warm in a slow…
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RECIPE: Chocolate-Dipped Coconut Macaroons

May 31st is National Macaroon Day. Here, David Lebovitz, renowned pastry chef, blogger and author of cookbooks, shares his recipes for chewy, chocolaty macaroons. First, some macaroon history: MAC-A-ROON is the English-language name for the Italian almond meringue cookies (maccarone, mah-cah-ROW-nay) first made by monks, possibly in the 13th century. They most resemble today’s amaretti…
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