These gems make for an unexpected holiday gift. They’re excellent as is or added onto a cheese plate near some sharp white cheddar. Their delight only transcends when spread into a sandwich or dabbed onto some roast pork. And the sweet, tart liquid that results can be served at the bottom of a flute — topped with Champagne, of course — at any holiday party. Float a few cranberries in the glass, for sure.
Once upon a time, convection ovens were the coveted white whale for home cooks with a passion for baking — always talked about in hushed, reverent tones and rarely seen outside professional kitchens. These days, every newly renovated kitchen seems to have one, but having one doesn’t automatically mean we know how to use them. Need some tips? Here are five things that will help you feel confident baking in your convection oven.
From Apartment Therapy → Win Your Office Holiday Gift Exchange: Boozy Baileys Chocolate Mug Cake Kit
Fads are fun to reminisce about, right? I look back fondly on things like slap bracelets, hammer pants, and wildly permed mullets. I spent a lot of time in the late ’80s making fun of my mom’s need to wear shoulder pads in everything.
But fads shift and change along with the cultural conversation, and presently, the way I eat is largely perceived as a fad diet. Every week there is a new article about how gluten-free eaters are really just big babies who should put on their big-girl, wheat-eating pants and just order some pancakes already. Okay, maybe I paraphrased that heavily, but the opinion is out there. My serious food allergy is being seen, and often treated, as a fad.
What do you get the friend who spent three hours listening to you vent after a particularly hard day? What about your neighbor who not only watered all your plants while you were on vacation, but fertilized them, too? And don’t forget about your aunt, who came to town just to clean your house when you were so sick you could barely get out of bed. (And in fact, you didn’t. For days.)
It’s alarming to think where we’d be without the small, surprising, and often unfailingly generous help given to us by friends and loved ones. Here are 10 little ways you can thank them this season — and add something pretty or fun to their kitchen in the process!
The Kitchn’s teamed up with Clean Plates, Greensbury Market, Quip, Soma, Mouth, House Beautiful and the NYT Wine Club to bring you a great prize package that will have you full, fresh and clean this holiday season. CLICK HERE to enter for a chance to win!
After coming to our senses about our dream of a Friendsgiving dinner party last month versus the reality of life with two kids, two full-time jobs, a small oven and a worrisomely low inventory of forks (seriously, where do they go?) we decided instead to have a Taco Dinner Party last weekend. Among our friends, in a tacos vs. turkey throwdown, tacos will always win. This might be why we get along so well.
The menu* is one of my favorites and it’s incredibly simple: A big brisket goes in the slow-cooker the night before and in the morning is transferred to the fridge where it can rest for the day so it can be easily de-fatted and gently rewarmed and shredded before dinner. [Recipe here.] A pot of black beans, which can also be handed off to the slow-cooker, is essential. [I use the Black Bean Ragout from the Smitten Kitchen Cookbook, but this soup with less liquid isn’t a bad place to start.] I make a giant batch of Lazy Taco Slaw and Pickled Red Onions [recipes outlined at the bottom of this post]. My friend Ang brought over tomatillo salsa from her deck garden [but this one is a great place to start]. I raided the Mexican bodega in my neighborhood for corn tortillas, extra hot sauce, pickled jalapenos and crema, although the grocery store varieties of each work just as well. We juice a lot of limes and make a pitcher or two my go-to 3:2:1 margarita (3 parts tequila, 2 parts lime juice and 1 part Cointreau) [but if you can get blood oranges where you are, do yourself a favor and make these]. And then we made a lot of queso, because I sometimes delight in making food snobs clutch their pearls.
… Read the rest of tres leches cake + a taco party on smittenkitchen.com
© smitten kitchen 2006-2012. |
permalink to tres leches cake + a taco party | 23 comments to date | see more: Cake, Celebration Cakes, Everyday Cakes, Photo, Tex-Mex
Campbell’s new “Real Real Life” ad campaign got people talking with its commercial featuring two gay dads feeding soup to their son, but to me, there is nothing complicated about that particular spot. It just makes me feel good.
No, there is a Campbell’s commercial that brings up feelings that are much more complex and uncomfortable. It’s called “Phones” — have you seen it?
Apples and chai spices are a likely combination and work gloriously, especially when enjoyed in front of a fire. Add 2 tablespoons to a cup of boiled water for a drink that warms you. Add 1 tablespoon whiskey for a makeshift hot toddy that also warms you — perhaps even a bit more. Process these jars in a water bath to preserve the goodness for gifting all year.
While electric stovetops certainly have their share of frustrations, electric ovens generally get a thumbs-up all around when it comes to baking. They provide steady heat for even cooking and a dry environment that helps turn the tops of our Saturday morning muffins a lovely golden-brown. Even so, there are a few important tricks you might like to know to get the most from your electric oven.
