TIP OF THE DAY: Uses For Dried Figs, For National Fig Week

The first week in November is National Fig Week. We were sanguine about the opportunity to buy dried figs, for snacking and recipes. But taking an informal survey among friends and family over the last couple of weeks, we found that none of them buys dried figs. They’ll eat them when they find them on…
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TIP OF THE DAY: How To Make The Best Roasted Vegetables

Roasting vegetables is easy. You can toss pretty much any vegetable with olive oil and seasoning and roast it in the oven. The happy result: a low-calorie, nutritious and delicious side (or a vegetarian main with some protein). But sometimes the results are less than perfect. There are a few guidelines to guarantee your veggies…
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TIP OF THE DAY: Know Your Balsamic Vinegar (It’s Balsamic Vinegar Of Modena Day)

[1] Two types of Balsamic Vinegar of Modena you should know: regular and invecchiato, which is aged in barrels for three years or more (all photos © Balsamic Vinegar Of Modena). [2] There are several uses for balsamic below, but one you might not have thought of is on ice cream! [3] The EU’s Protected…
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Guacamole Garnishes & International Guacamole Recipes

[1] Start with plain guacamole, chunky or smooth; then mix in your favorites from a long list of choices (photo © McCormick). [2] DIY guacamole provides a variety of mix-ins; here at Cocina 214 in Winter Park, Florida (photo © Cocina 214). [3] You can go fusion-style, too. Here, Argentinian-style guacamole, with grilled beef (photos…
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Try Real Parmigiano (Not Parmesan!) For National Parmigiano-Reggiano Day

[1] An aged wedge of authentic Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese: boldly flavored and aromatic (photo © Murray’s Cheese). [2] Wedges, curls and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (photo © Parmigiano-Reggiano Consorzio). [3] If you want grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, buy a wedge and grate it yourself. You can see the crunchy white tyrosines in the paste (body) of the cheese (photo…
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