Muffins are the perfect breakfast, especially when made with whole-grain flours, oats, and plenty of eggs. Toss in some crème fraîche and some apples, and you’ll have a delicious reason to get up! But the best part about these muffins — aside from the taste, of course — is that they’re so satisfying that they [...]
Here in North America, we should pay more attention to pecans. After all, they’re our most prolific native nut! (Other native nuts include the nearly vanished chestnut and the fairly uncommon beechnut and hickory nut.) And since pecans are rich in monounsatured fat, they can handle some light frying and under-400F-degree baking. That means you [...]
If you’ve ever been to one of my culinary/health talks or have spent much time hanging out in my online kitchen, you know I’m forever singing the praises of plain whole-milk Greek yogurt. Why? For many reasons. It has one-quarter the sugar of low-fat flavored yogurt, for one thing. The ingredient list on Fage plain [...]
Continue reading about DIY Cream Cheese Makes the Freshest Cheesecakes!
Not too many fruits come into full bloom during the winter months, but members of the citrus family do. And the least-known (but possibly the most delicious and definitely the cutest!) member of the citrus family can only be found during the winter months. Enter kumquats! They’re tiny, oval-shaped orange citrus fruits that are curiously [...]
Continue reading about On the Scrabble Board or in Muffins, Kumquats Are Fun!
Although pumpkin has become our default winter squash for the holidays, from buttercup to butternut, plenty of other winter squash make great pies. My favorite is acorn because they’re so conveniently small and easy to deal with. And all those ridges mean that the squash won’t try to roll away while you’re cutting into it with [...]
I’ve written about crème fraîche in the past — it’s far too lovely not to write about! — but usually within the context of serving a dollop of the velvety cultured cream with fruit or using it with savory dishes the same way you’d use sour cream. (In effect, crème fraîche is a VERY-MUCH upgraded, European [...]
Continue reading about Turning Milkshakes into Health Food, One Glass at a Time
It’s cranberry time! Although fresh cranberries are ultra-tart, they pair beautifully with sweeter fruits in desserts, jams, and ice cream. (Note: 100% cranberry juice is also incredibly tart. It’s a safe bet that any cranberry drink you order at a bar or restaurant is mostly high-fructose corn syrup with a hint of cranberry juice. If [...]
It’s hotter than heck again today, so I thought I’d whip up a batch of “instant” ice cream to beat the heat. You could think of it as a milkshake latte — adding several ice cubes gives you a frothy drink that you can either swirl smooth with a spoon or let sit for a [...]
While all nuts have their place in my nut bowl, my favorite all-purpose nut has to be an almond. Whole almonds are tasty to sautée in a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil — just ask the Spaniards, who love to do exactly that with those flattish, rounded marcona almonds that have lately started creeping into [...]
Continue reading about Almonds: How Many Ways Do We Love Thee?
