As my regular readers know, when I discover a new ingredient or a new way to use a tried-and-true ingredient, I go on a [fill in the blank] kick. This time, it’s macadamia nut butter. I started out dipping 90% dark chocolate squares into it (UNbelievable!), then made salad dressings out of it, and now [...]
Continue reading about Coconut, Banana & Macadamia All in One Glass
Now that herb gardens are in full swing and so is the hot weather, take advantage of both! Most leafy green herbs make a refreshing herbal “tea.” (I say “tea” because true teas by definition contain leaves from the tea plant, camellia sinensis. If it doesn’t have tea in it, it can’t really be tea…but [...]
One day, I hope to live in the Chocolate Belt: that narrow strip around the equator where cocoa trees grow. How great would it be to have your very own cocoa pods dangling outside your front door? The process of transforming the raw bean into a chocolate bar is a very long and complicated one, [...]
Continue reading about Making Modern Chocolate Beverages in an Ancient Way
In the world of natural sweeteners — i.e., unrefined sweeteners like maple syrup and molasses — there aren’t as many solid sweeteners as there are liquid ones. Normally, this works out fine when baking, because most baked goods include liquids (which allows you to tinker with the overall total amount of liquids), but some baked [...]
Continue reading about Creating Tasty & Healthy Chiffon Cakes (Amongst Other Things)
In the tradition of memorable beverages like the Harvey Wallbanger and the Arnold Palmer, I’m going to name my most recent smoothie/cocktail creation after my friend Jill. Why? Because she’s nuts about watermelons — she’s capable of consuming an entire melon in one sitting. (I wish I could do the same with my beloved pineapples, [...]
Continue reading about Refreshing Your Smoothies with Watermelons
Upfront disclosure to the mousse die-hards out there: this is not a true mousse. True mousses are made with eggs — they’re the key ingredient, in fact — whereas this one is made with macadamia nut butter. Still, the nutty richness of the macadamia butter is very reminiscent of an eggy richness, and both the [...]
Here’s some fruit trivia for the day: what’s the difference between a Hawaiian papaya and a maradol papaya? The latter is from Mexico and is visually very different than the vaguely-pear-shaped Hawaiian variety — maradols are almost a foot long and have much darker flesh. Both, however, have a wonderfully smooth tropical flavor; both blend [...]
Seems like hibiscus is all the rage: hibiscus tea, hibiscus punch, even sparkling hibiscus beverages in the form of Ooba, the latest smartly-packaged and fizzy “health” drink to hit the shelves. (It’s a far better option than Coke, true, but I hesitate to call anything that contains mostly sugared water a great beverage choice.) Seeing [...]
Who doesn’t like a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup? Peanut butter and chocolate just go together. But I guarantee that once you make your own PB&C in solid form or smoothie/shake form, you won’t ever want to go back to the prepackaged kind. The homemade variety tastes better, it’s a whole lot better for your health, [...]
Who cares about palm trees and sunny beaches when you’ve got wintery-white landscapes spread out before you and a mug of hot chocolate in your hand? (Though I admit it would be interesting to see snow-covered palm trees…okay, and I admit that it might be nicer to be on a sunny beach with a daiquiri…)
Here’s [...]
