Chocolate and heat: perfect for Valentine’s
Day. Photo courtesy Wisdairy.com.

An easy option is chocolate fudge. This recipe, from the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, has spicy heat, thanks to the addition of cinnamon and ground ancho chile.

This recipe makes 64 pieces—enough to give 12 pieces to five different people and keep four pieces for yourself.

If you save gift boxes, line them with wax paper and tie the boxes with red ribbon; no wrapping paper needed.

CHOCOLATE CHILE FUDGE RECIPE

Ingredients

 
*Use more or less ancho depending on desired spice level.

Preparation

1. Line an 8-inch square pan with foil, allowing edges to extend beyond pan. Butter the foil.

2. In a large bowl, combine chopped chocolate, cinnamon and ground ancho chili.

3. In a medium saucepan, combine sweetened condensed milk, sugar and butter. Heat over medium flame, stirring constantly, until sugar and butter are melted and mixture begins to boil. Add marshmallows and stir for 1 minute until melted.

4. Remove from heat and immediately pour over chopped chocolate mixture. Let stand 2 minutes or until chocolate is softened. Add vanilla; stir until smooth.

5. Pour mixture into pan and refrigerate 4 hours or until firm. To cut fudge, pull on foil edges to remove foil and fudge from pan. Remove foil, place fudge on cutting board; cut into 64 pieces, using knife dipped in hot water. Store in airtight container in refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.
Our favorite fudge and recipes.

The history of fudge—an American accidental invention!

One of last year’s Tips Of The Day suggested trying a new fruit and vegetable each month.

Have you tried uniq fruit?

Uniq fruit, which has been sold under the brand name Ugli fruit since 1934, was discovered as an accidental seedling in Jamaica.

Ranging in size from a large orange to a large grapefruit, is a variety of tangelo, a citrus fruit created by hybridizing a grapefruit (or pomelo, the parent of the grapefruit, another accidental hybrid).

Ugly it is: wrinkled and rough with splotchy coloring and surface scarring, its skin is wrapped very loosely over the pulp.

It’s the shar-pei of fruit. Yet for a fruit called Ugli, it has a refreshing citrus taste and is very juicy.

The flavor is representative of its parents, somewhere between a mandarin and a grapefruit.

 
Generally available from December through April, uniq fruit is usually sold ripe and ready to eat.

Choose fruit that is richly colored and fragrant and store at room temperature for up to one week (two weeks in the fridge).

Uniq fruit can be enjoyed in much the same way as other citrus fruit. As a grab-and-go fruit (hand fruit*), it can be eaten out of hand on whatever spot you happen to be perched.

Find more of our favorite fruits in our Gourmet Fruit Section.

________________
*Hand fruit is the industry term for fruit that can be eaten from the hand: apples, bananas, oranges, pears, etc. Fruits that are not hand fruit: coconuts, cranberries, melons, pineapples, quinces, etc.

[2] Selective breeding has resulted in a more attractive skin (photo courtesy Kedem).

[3] The inside of an Ugli/uniq fruit looks very similar to a grapefruit (photo courtesy Melissa’s).

Staub grill pan available at Williams-Sonoma.

Here are three very simple and handy tricks to prevent meat from sticking to your pan or grill.

 
These prevent burning and make cleanup much easier. Go forth and grill.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE MEAT?

How many different cuts have you had of:

Homemade soup is not only superior to prepared varieties; it enables you to add the freshest flavor with herbs and to minimize the often enormous sodium content of processed soups.

If you want a thicker soup, there are different ways to thicken (that also are used for sauces and stews).

In today’s tip, chef Johnny Gnall shares what every culinary student is taught—how to thicken with:

 
Head to the article.

Tomorrow, February 4th, is National Stuffed Mushroom Day, so plan ahead to enjoy a plateful.

While stuffed mushrooms have long been a popular hors d’oeuvre, typically stuffed with seasoned breadcrumbs, the availability of large portobello* mushrooms have turned stuffed mushrooms into a main course or an ample first course.

Portobello mushrooms can be stuffed with breadcrumbs, rice or other grains and vegetables, dried fruits, nuts and herbs for a vegetarian meal.

Or, as Giada di Laurentiis does in this video, a stuffing of turkey sausage and cheese makes for a hearty meal.

What’s your favorite mushroom stuffing?
*Variously spelled portabello, portobella and portabella.

How Many Types Of Mushrooms Have You Had?

Check out the different fabulous fungi in our Mushroom Glossary.