TIP OF THE DAY: Hot Chocolate With Chocolate Leaves

There are numerous ways to garnish hot chocolate. The latest to catch our eye is this beauty from La Rose Noire. You can approximate it at home. Unfortunately, consumers can’t purchase from La Rose Noire: It is a wholesaler to professional pastry chefs. But if you like beautiful chocolate embellishments, pastries and other desserts, there’s…
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Types Of Champagne & Champagne To Pair With Thanksgiving Dinner

[1] This turkey is actually basted with Champagne as well. Here’s the recipe from Taste of Home. It takes two cups of Champagne or other sparkling wine. [2] Start the dinner with bubbly, starting with the hors d’oeuvres. Here’s more from Good Food (photo © Good Food | Marina Oliphant). [3] A popular appetizer, Baked…
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TIP OF THE DAY: Spain’s Great Red Grape For National Tempranillo Day

November 8th is International Tempranillo Day—the best known grape and red wine varietal in Spain (the holiday is celebrated on the second Sunday in November). Its name is the diminutive form of the Spanish word temprano, which means early. It was so named because the Tempranillo (temp-rah-NEE-yo) grape ripens, and is harvested, several weeks earlier…
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TIP OF THE DAY: Brown Butter, Black Butter & How To Use Them

[1] Chocolate chip cookies are even better with brown butter (photo © Bella Baker). [2] Brown Butter Parmesan Pasta. Here’s the recipe (photo Joe Lingeman | © The Kitchn). [3] Brown butter can be used as an ingredient, for sautéeing, or as a sauce (photos #3 and #4 © Go Bold With Butter). The photos…
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TIP OF THE DAY: Ham Sandwich Recipes With New & Novel Variations

October is National Country Ham Month, which inspired us to contemplate a good ham sandwich—the kind you only get by baking a ham and slicing it yourself. Country ham is one made by rubbing the raw meat with salt and hang-drying it in a controlled environment of 75°-80°F or higher. The results are a firm…
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