Instead of using a conventional ice bucket or Rapid Ice to keep bottles chilled at the table, you can earn oohs and aahs with a cooler made of molded ice.

Ice coolers can be used plain (just pour water in the mold and freeze). But part of the fun is creating your own custom design. Add fruits, flowers, leaves, holiday ornaments or other thematic decor.

The ice cooler can be used to keep vodka, mineral water and other beverages cold.

• Check out the Exaco Ice Chiller. It comes gift-boxed for your favorite party hosts.

Create elegant ice coolers for special
events. Photo courtesy Exaco.

With matcha tea, it is easy being green (photo © l’’Âge de Thé)

Matcha is a powder of finely ground green tea leaves. It has a vibrant green color due to the high concentration of chlorophyll and contains ten times as many antioxidants as regular green tea. Matcha is the tea used in the acclaimed Japanese tea ceremony, cha no yu.

Matcha powder is not steeped the way tea leaves are, but is whisked into a froth. Some think the beverage resembles warm tea ice cream.

Matcha is also used to flavor other foods, from smoothies and baked goods (cupcakes, tea cakes) to pots de creme.

• Get the recipe for green tea latte.
• Find out more about tea in our Gourmet Tea Section.

Using thin-sliced whole wheat bread, build your favorite sandwich. Center the ingredients away from the edges so that you don’t waste much when cutting the shape. Then use jumbo cookie cutters—flowers, hearts, gingerbread men, stars or any theme—to cut out sandwiches.

If you’re using salad fillings (egg, tuna, etc.), cut the bread and lettuce first, then add the fillings—or else they’ll squirt out when the sandwich is cut.

For an added touch, garnish the top of the sandwich with a pickle slice or other pickled vegetable (we love the pickled smoked okra from Rick’s Picks), or an olive.

Serve a ham sandwich that looks like a hog
with this pig cookie cutter. Photo courtesy
Old River Road.