The chocolates and confections are made by hand in small batches, using the finest ingredients. When we first saw Byrne & Carlson’s wares at a trade show, we were enchanted by the beauty of their chocolate bars, decorated with edible flowers. It was the first time we’d ever seen such creative garnishing, and the chocolatiers set the standard for all others to come.

Made from the finest chocolate couverture, the chocolate bars a delectable and beautiful Valentine’s Day gift.
TO PLACE AN ORDER

There is no e-commerce, but it’s easy to order:

From top to bottom: Violet Bar with candied violets and mint leaves, Venezuelan Bar with crushed cacao nibs, Mendiant Bar with almonds, orange peel, pansy and candied violet petals. Photo courtesy Byrne & Carlson.

Those who don’t like broccoli and cauliflower
might like it better with Parmesan. Photo
courtesy McCormick.com.

Nutrition experts want you to eat more cruciferous vegetables: two to three times per week, with a serving size of at least 1-1/2 cups.

But too many people say they don’t like widely-available members of the group, such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower. That could be a result of being served over-cooked vegetables. When cooked too long, chemical breakdowns in the vegetables yield a rather unpleasant aroma and flavor from the sulfur in the compounds.

To nudge the naysayers, try this creamy Broccoli Cauliflower Casserole from McCormick.com. It has two not-so-secret weapons: cream cheese and Parmesan cheese.

In fact, a sprinkle of grated or shredded cheese can give almost any snubbed food more appeal. You’ll get plenty of compliments on this recipe, and probably requests for seconds. We wouldn’t be surprised if it became part of your holiday dinner repertoire. Move over, green bean casserole!

The recipe has 179 calories per serving, 11g fat, 13g carbohydrates, 31mg cholesterol, 432mg sodium, 3g fiber and 7g protein.

*The cruciferous group includes arugula, bok choy, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage, collard greens, cress, horseradish, kale, kohlrabi, mizuna, radish, rapini (broccoli rabe), rutabaga, tatsoi, turnip and wasabi. Mizuna (a variety of mustard green) and tatsoi have become “designer greens” in salads at America’s finest restaurants.

BROCCOLI CAULIFLOWER CASSEROLE RECIPE

Makes 10 servings. Prep Time: 20 minutes. Cook Time: 40 minutes.

Ingredients

 
†You can make your own Italian seasoning by combining equal parts basil, marjoram, oregano, rosemary and thyme. Store in an airtight jar.

1. PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Mix bread crumbs, 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan cheese, 2 tablespoons melted butter and 1/2 teaspoon of the Italian seasoning in small bowl. Set aside.

2. CUT any large broccoli or cauliflower florets into bite-size pieces.

3. MELT 2 tablespoons butter in large skillet on medium heat. Add onion; cook and stir about 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in flour, remaining 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, garlic salt and pepper. Add milk; cook and stir until thickened and bubbly.

4. ADD cream cheese and remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese; cook and stir until cream cheese is melted. Add vegetables; toss gently to coat. Spoon into 2-quart baking dish. Sprinkle top evenly with crumb mixture.
5. BAKE for 40 minutes or until heated through with top lightly browned.

 
FIND MORE OF OUR FAVORITE VEGETABLE RECIPES.

Add herbs to your mashed potatoes. Photo
courtesy McCormick.com.

It’s been way below freezing for days in our part of the country. That’s as good an excuse as any to have some primo comfort food—luscious mashed potatoes—with tonight’s grilled chicken.

Basic mashed potatoes with butter, salt and pepper become even more delicious with the addition of some herbs, fresh or dried. This recipe from McCormick.com adds garlic, rosemary and parsley. You can also use thyme, tarragon or sage.

HERBED MASHED POTATOES RECIPE

Makes 8 (1/2-cup) servings. Prep Time: 15 minutes. Cook Time: 15 minutes.

 
Preparation

1. PLACE potatoes and 2 teaspoons salt in a medium saucepan. Cover with water. Bring to a boil.

2. REDUCE heat to low; cover and simmer 10 to 15 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender. Drain and return potatoes to saucepan.

3. SPRINKLE with garlic powder, rosemary and pepper. Mash with potato masher, gradually adding milk, then butter. Stir in parsley. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.

4. PULSE in food processor (optional) for extra-creamy mashed potatoes.

Find more recipes at McCormick.com.

DO YOU KNOW THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF POTATOES?

Check out our Potato Glossary. It also explains why different types of potatoes are used for baking, mashing and fries (starchy potatoes) and others for boiling and potato salad and (waxy potatoes).

The exquisite-tasting, hand-painted love bugs (ladybugs) and bee chocolates will delight the most demanding chocophile.

 
Both lovebugs and bees are made with Valrhona 64% cacao chocolate. They arrive beautifully packaged in a reusable red boutique box finished with an old-fashioned letter-pressed card.

Treat your Valentine to:

 
Everything made by John & Kira’s is top-drawer delicious, beautifully crafted and a very special treat.

FIND MORE OF THE BEST CHOCOLATE: THE NIBBLE’S FAVORITES.

In the kitchen, that restriction covers numerous gadgets and appliances. For example, we’d love a rice cooker to prepare healthy grains more easily; rice cookers can also be used to steam other foods. But we have more than one steaming solution already. So if we’re not going to use a rice cooker several times a week (as with the toaster, microwave, coffee maker and food processor), we can’t justify squeezing it in.

Along the same lines, we resisted special plastic microwave dishes, opting to use our everyday dishes, which can be microwaved. But conventional plates and mugs can get overly hot-to-the-touch.

One day, we were given a Sistema microwavable plastic mug at a trade show. We heated soup in it and—epiphany—the plastic remained cool to the touch while the soup got super hot. It was a solution worth making space for.

Unlike ceramic, porcelain or other plastic containers—Tupperware or take-out containers—Sistema pieces, made of virgin polypropylene, do not get hot in the microwave.

The soup mug is $8.00 on Amazon; the noodle bowl is $8.49. The microwavable plate, $11.00, can double as a steamer.

The products are available nationally; we just picked up a second mug at Bed, Bath & Beyond.
ABOUT SISTEMA MICROWAVABLE CONTAINERS

Sistema Plastics makes “dedicated microwave cooking products to make life easier.” We concur!

Designed and made in New Zealand, the line includes steamers that make it easy to steam meals, covered plates to store and reheat leftovers, the soup mug that is perfect for soup or hot drinks, and a larger noodle bowl for ramen, pasta, or in our case, matzoh ball soup.

See the whole line at SistemaPlastics.com.