TIP OF THE DAY: American Bruschetta & Beet Swath

This beautiful plate from Gardenia restaurant in New York’s Greenwich Village is a composition of grilled mackerel, butternut squash and endive, garnished with baby greens dressed in vinaigrette and a dollop of pesto. But what really stood out to us is what we’ve named “American bruschetta,” a square of crustless white toast, topped with pickled…
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FOOD FUN: Corn Custard & Popcorn

Before the summer corn fades away, make corn custard—and for fun, serve it with a side of popcorn. It’s not just for Thanksgiving, a traditional time for corn custard (also called corn pudding and corn casserole, even corn soufflé; but the latter should be an airy soufflé, not a custard dish). But by Thanksgiving, fresh…
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TIP OF THE DAY: Grilled Portabella Salad

Whether you’re planning for meatless Monday or looking for something tasty to grill on any other day, how about a meaty grilled portabella salad? Grill not only the mushrooms, but red and yellow bell peppers and anything else you’d like to add to it, including polenta (see photo below). Place the grilled veggies atop your…
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FOOD FUN: Summer Caprese Salad With Flowers

We saw this photo on GourmetAttitude.com and thought: We must make this! It’s a miniaturized Caprese Salad, with these substitutions: Bite-size mozzarella balls instead of sliced mozzarella Cherry and/or grape tomatoes instead of sliced beefsteak tomatoes Baby basil leaves instead of large leaves A garnish of edible, summery flowers   It’s a beautiful summer salad;…
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TIP OF THE DAY: Oven-Dried Tomatoes

Sun-dried tomatoes are delicious year-round; but according to the USDA, few if any store-bought sun-dried tomatoes are dried in the sun. The original technique, indeed, was to dry the tomatoes in the sun over the course of several days. These days, most “sun-dried” tomatoes are oven-dried. However, they taste the same, or even better, when…
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