PRODUCT: Tahitian Vanilla

The United States is the largest consumer of vanilla beans, using around 1,200 tons per year. Most of them are made into vanilla extract. Most of the real vanilla extract* used in the U.S. is Bourbon† vanilla, also called Madagascar vanilla. As a Mother’s Day gift for someone who loves to make desserts, how about…
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TIP OF THE DAY: Make Dobladas

Today is National Empanada Day, and were celebrating with dobladas: folded, stuffed tortillas from Guatemala (the name means “folded”*) that can also be made in the form of a classic empanada. They can be served as an appetizer (cut into wedges), lunch, light supper or snack. Like tortillas, dobladas are made from nixtamalized masa (maize…
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CINCO DE MAYO: Know Your Mexican Cheeses

Can you name these Mexican cheeses* (photo by Claire Freiermann | The Nibble).   Do you know the difference between queso blanco and queso fresco? Queso de papa and queso quesadilla? Learn the cheeses of Mexico, also known as Hispanic or Latin cheeses. Take a tour of fresh Hispanic cheeses, Hispanic melting cheeses, and aged…
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CONTEST: The 2009 Avocado Video Bowl

If you have time on your hands over the holidays, you might want to pit your skills against other avocado lovers and create a short video that demonstrates your favorite way to enjoy the luscious green fruit (yes, avocados are a stone fruit—they grow on a tree, like peaches, plums and nectarines). You can create…
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