Let’s face it — sometimes the side dishes are just better. Yes, chicken is great, and we’ll never say no to a burger, but really aren’t we just here for the buttery mashed potatoes, perfectly crunchy slaw, and crispy fries?
Today we’re celebrating the supporting cast of the dinner table with our 24 favorite scene-stealing side dishes.
Julia Child famously said that a party without cake is just a meeting. Preach it, Julia. If you were to take one thing away from our story this week about layer cakes, it is that there is always a good reason to make and eat cake. From elaborate dinner parties to bridal brunches to afternoon tea with a close friend, layer cakes make any occasion better.
This week we have five gorgeous cake recipes, each studded with little tips and intelligence on baking better layer cakes. Which is yours? The towering strawberry shortcake? The honey-apple rustic number? Take a look and choose your magic.
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To me, there’s nothing better than a beautiful layered cake to mark an occasion, whether that’s a birthday or just a Saturday dinner at home with friends. Baking one can often seem a bit intimidating, but it’s not if you know the right tips and tricks.
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Do you love pasta carbonara, but get a little intimidated by the step that calls for thickening — not scrambling! — the pasta with eggs? Love risotto, but don’t want to spend all that time stirring at the stove?
Here’s a much easier riff on both carbonara and risotto, made possible with the help of that teeny, tiny, rather magical orzo pasta. This is your 30-minute dinner tonight!
Dividing cake batter between multiple pans can be a make-or-break situation. Pour a whole lot into one pan and whatever is left into the otherm and you may be left with two baked cakes with two very different heights, which will lead to a layer cake that tastes great, but looks uneven. Friends, there’s a better way.
I began my tea-drinking habit early. At age 10, it was a handy excuse to linger at the dinner table and listen in on adult conversations. I drank Red Rose tea with milk and as much sugar as I could manage to toss in without my mom noticing.
As I’ve gotten older, tea has continued to be a reason to idle; I’ve visited more than 70 countries, and I’m sure I’ve had a cup of tea in every one. I’ve sampled and sipped my way through a wide and wacky assortment of brews around the world. Here are a few of my favorite tea times.
We’re pretty sure the phrase “save the best for last” became popular because we eat dessert at the end of the meal. When you’re the host, you want to wow your guests at every course, but especially during dessert. The good news is that impressive doesn’t have to mean impossible. These showstopping desserts won’t take all day to make, but they will guarantee that your dinner guests talk about them for days.
This Riesling rhubarb crisp cake has it all: tender white cake, rhubarb-strawberry compote and matching buttercream, a crispy oat crumble, and a fanciful, ruffled finish. It’s the perfect cake to bake when you’re feeling like showing off your cake-baking skills or looking for a weekend project to tackle when you want to spend the day in the kitchen.
