Most recipes call for thawed frozen spinach. The least favorite part of the preparation is squeezing out all the water.

Most people just take the cold, wet spinach in their hands and squeeze it, bit by bit.

There’s a neater way: Use your potato ricer.

To keep the spinach from falling through the perforations in the ricer, line the container with a thin, clean kitchen towel.

There’s an easier way to squeeze it
dry. Photo courtesy Birds-Eye.

 
Find more tips like this in the handy book, Tips Cooks Love.

If you want to show off your creative flair at the Super Bowl party, make these deconstructed chicken wings:

Instead of using chicken wings, the deconstruction consists of chicken meatballs fried in crispy panko bread crumbs, topped with a delicious dab of Roquefort dip and served with a crunchy celery spear.

 
MORE BUFFALO CHICKEN RECIPES

The fruits are dried, moisturized and packed in foil-fresh, 7-ounce zipper bags.

The variety and the natural sweetness of the fruits actually topped our addiction to candy and cookies. Unlike our favorite sugary snacks, they’re just as sweet—naturally—and are packed with fiber.

That’s why Sun-Maid Mixed Fruit made our Tip Of The Day instead of a conventional product recommendation. The line also includes Tropical Trio (mango, papaya, pineapple) and Goldens & Cherries (golden raisins and tart cherries).

If you want to make a healthy switch that’s also perfect for grab-and-go (or grab and stash in desk or glove compartment), pick up some bags of Sun-Maid mixed fruit.

Our new favorite snack. Photo by
River Soma | THE NIBBLE.

The line is certified kosher by Triangle K.

One of the lovely gems from Gem
Chocolates. Photo courtesy Gem Chocolates.

We’re thrilled that Gem Chocolates lives up to its name. A delight to look at and to taste, chocolatier Glenn Knowles has also created a selection of flavors that excite.

Whether you want classic ganaches (lavender, praline, vanilla bean) or modern ones (blueberry rooibos, habanero, masala, lychee), every flavor in the ample collection is a hit.

In addition to ganaches, there are boxes of chocolate domes filled with seductive caramel. Don’t miss them.

Needless to say, we hope our admirers—known and secret—rush over to GemChocolates.ca to send us boxes for Valentine’s Day. If you’re looking for something special, go for Gem.

• Read the full review.
• Buy Gem Chocolates online.
• Don’t know ganache from gianduja? Learn your chocolate terms in our Chocolate Glossary.
• Find more of our favorite chocolates in our Gourmet Chocolate Section.

Originating in Italy, latte art first appeared in America’s coffee capital, Seattle, around 1989. The creative flourish was pioneered by Espresso Vivace coffee bar owner David Schomer.

The heart pattern became a signature at Schomer’s coffee bar. He then added the rosetta pattern, and shared his knowledge by teaching a course, “Caffe Latte Art.”

You can be a creative barista at home. Ideally, you need to create a pitcher of microfoam made with the steam wand of an espresso machine. If you have a separate foaming device, give it a try.

Barista Jessica Kelly demonstrates how to:

• Make a circle of five hearts
• Make one large heart
• Make a rosetta design
• Make a star design with chocolate syrup
• Make a daisy design with chocolate syrup

Make a foam heart for your Valentine.
Photo by Vinicio Capossela | SXC.