TIP OF THE DAY: Ice Cream With Balsamic Vinegar

What can you do to turn a scoop of vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt into a sophisticated dessert? Drizzle it with balsamic glaze and add some strawberries. And if you prefer, use strawberry ice cream or yogurt. Plain strawberries with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar or a balsamic glaze is a classic Italian dessert.…
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TIP OF THE DAY: The Restaurant Cheese Plate

Fine cheese is sophisticated, luscious…and full of cholesterol and calories. That’s why passing a cheese board at the dinner table is an invitation to over-indulgence. So take a tip from top restaurants that offer a cheese plate: Serve small bites of several cheeses, plus fruit and nut condiments. Cut half-ounce servings of four different cheeses—a…
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RECIPE: Cognac Cocktail–Strip The Lemon Wedge, Save The Strips

We love food garnishing, making each dish or drink special with tasty, edible decor (here’s a basic book to start with). A lemon or lime wedge, for example, is nothing special. But you can make it so by cutting small grooves, or channels, in the rind. To do this, you need a small tool call…
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TIP OF THE DAY: How To Dry Salad

Dry salad in the serving bowl, atop a paper towel. Photo by Elvira Kalviste | THE NIBBLE.   Here’s a helpful tip for drying salad greens. Some people have the luxury of space for a salad spinner or a colander, two favorite salad-drying techniques. Others don’t have the space, or simply don’t own these utensils.…
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TIP OF THE DAY: How To Ice A Cake

Frosting a cake seems easy enough, but anyone who’s tried knows just how difficult it is to create a clean and smooth surface. Pastry chef and cake artist Marina Sousa of JustCake.com creates exquisite party cakes (check out the portfolio on the website). She shares this trick of the trade: simple steps to a seamlessly…
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