1. Mix 1.5 cups milk, 2 heaping teaspoons of top quality cocoa powder, 1/4 cup of ground dark chocolate with 60% or higher cacao content (chop and grind a good dark chocolate bar in a spice mill or a food processor) and ground nutmeg and/or cinnamon (fresh-grind using a microplane grater for great flavor).
2. Heat the milk to just below boiling.
3. Whisk in the cocoa powder and ground chocolate.
4. Add nutmeg and cinnamon to taste—we like a lot of each.
5. If you like “Aztec” spice, add some chili powder, too.

• Read our review of Burdick’s hot chocolate, a NIBBLE Top Pick Of The Week.
• Also check out Burdick’s delicious bonbons, another Top Pick.

Rich and spicy! Photo by Melody Lan | THE NIBBLE.

• What’s the difference between cocoa and hot chocolate? Find out at the top of our Hot Chocolate Section.
• Take our hot chocolate trivia quiz.

The Sterno Buffet Kit is ready to party!

Each kit contains a water pan to keep the food temperatures and textures uniform, and Sterno’s gel fuel, which is a safe and reliable heating solution. The kits also include a newly designed folding rack for easy storage along with standard-sized pans so the rack can be used over and over again. Using the buffet kits will ensure you have everything needed to easily and conveniently warm and serve food so you’ll have more time to simply enjoy entertaining. Lasagna, anyone? Chili? Meatballs? Gosh, we’re hungry already!

• To Enter This Gourmet Giveaway: See THE NIBBLE’S Entertaining Guide section and click on the link at the bottom of the page. Enter your email address for the prize drawing by Monday, November 9th at noon Eastern Time. Good luck!

Try this technique for easy-to-peel eggs with beautiful yellow centers: Place eggs in a pot of cold water, add a teaspoon of salt and bring to a boil. Cover the pot and remove from heat; let sit for 13 minutes. Drain and immediately place eggs in an ice water bath until completely cooled. They should be perfect, and you can proceed with your favorite deviled egg recipe.

• See our favorite deviled egg recipe, with caps of flavored caviars.
• Discover all the different types of eggs in our Egg Glossary.

Deviled eggs topped with a piece of Smokra,
pickled okra from Rick’s Picks. Photo courtesy Rick’s Picks.

For a better Bloody Mary or turkey chili, try
Blue Crab Bay Co.’s Sting Ray. Photo by Hannah Kaminsky | THE NIBBLE.

For gift giving, pay an extra dollar to have the 25 fl. oz. bottle “dressed” with weathered fishnet and a nautically tied cord.

Jim’s Bloody Mary Chili

Ingredients:
– 1 lb. ground turkey
– 2 cups Sting Ray Bloody Mary Mixer
– 2 cans (15 ounces) chili beans, drained
– 1 jar (12 ounces) roasted red peppers
– 1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
– 1 large yellow onion, diced
– 3 cloves garlic, minced
– 2 tablespoons olive oil
– 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
– Salt and pepper to taste

Get ready for some fine turkey chili and Bloody Marys. While it may seem early to plan ahead for Super Bowl chow, it’s the right time for a pre-pre-game Fall Harvest party.

• Get your Sting Ray Spicy Bloody Mary Mixer at BlueCrabBay.com for $7.99.
• See our favorite Bloody Mary recipes.

Ayala’s infuses organic garden herbs, blended with spices and citrus peel, into purified water to create innovative flavor profiles. We love this line; it complements food so much better than other flavored waters. The rest of the line includes Cinnamon Orange Peel, Clove Cardamom Cinnamon, Ginger Lemon Peel, Lavender Mint Lemongrass Thyme and Lemongrass Mint Vanilla. The first three are wonderful Thanksgiving flavors, especially welcomed by guests who don’t drink.

Ayala’s Herbal Water has zero calories and is certified USDA Organic and OU kosher. It is available at HerbalWater.com and at retailers nationwide, including Central Market, Food Emporium, Giant, HEB, Raley’s, Safeway, Wegmans, Whole Foods Market and many natural food and specialty food stores.

• Read our review of Ayala’s Herbal Water, a NIBBLE Top Pick Of The Week.

It’s different and it’s delicious! Photo courtesy of Ayala’s.