TIP OF THE DAY: Baking Cookies, One Sheet At A Time

Photo by Molly Little | SXC.   Here’s our first baking tip of the 2011 “baking season”: cookies. With a lot of holiday baking to do, it’s tempting to put two cookie sheets into the oven at once. But unless you have a convection oven, you need to place just one sheet dead center for…
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TIP OF THE DAY: Make A Bento Box, American-Style

If you dine at Japanese restaurants, you’ve probably seen a bento box. Bentos provide a selection of smaller bites. A traditional bento consists of fish and/or meat, pickled and/or cooked vegetables and rice. In the U.S., dumplings, sushi and fruit are often included. The bento comprises a box-shaped container with compartments. The boxes range from…
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PRODUCT: Wodka Vodka ~ Low Cost, Premium Taste

This inexpensive, “generic” vodka scores big with us. Photo courtesy Wódka Vodka.   Some people in the spirits business are amused by the lengths to which consumers fall for the marketing of premium vodka. Premium, super-premium and ultra-premium are marketing terms, not industry standards. There isn’t much quality difference between high-priced and lesser-priced vodka. Mid-priced…
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TIP OF THE DAY: How To Prevent Stale Nuts

Nuts are healthful and flavorful additions to baked goods and other recipes. But if you don’t use them, they go stale. First, they’ll loose their crispness and get soft. Then, the oils in the nuts will go rancid. Factory-sealed bags have an expiration date, but that only promises that nuts in the unsealed bag will…
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PRODUCT: The Best Pumpkin Pie Crust

Fall pie crust cutters. Photo courtesy William-Sonoma.   Want to make the most talked-about pumpkin pie, pecan pie or sweet potato pie crust ever? These pie crust cutters are an easy way to create a dazzling crust. Just press the spring-loaded cutters into dough and release delicate shapes—acorn, leaf, pumpkin and turkey—embossed with fine detail.…
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