You've Got To Taste This

I took this picture at an upscale grocery store in New York City last month.  These meats were so beautifully prepped that it was easy to see how folks might be inclined to pick them up for dinner.  However appealing they look, though, it is good to remember just how easy it is to give meat great flavor yourself.  Fifteen minutes of active prep time and a dollar or two of seasonings can make $2/lb chicken breasts taste every bit as good as chicken sold in the meat case for quadruple that price.

There is one thing on this planet that most women I know can't live without: chocolate.So when a box of Green & Black's Organic Chocolate showed up at the MyRecipes door last Friday, there was no waiting to sample the bars after lunch...we had to hold a mid-morning tasting! Our editors gathered like a bunch of school girls in one office, swapping bars and reviews with one another. And after doing a little research (we're editors, of course we're going to look into it!), we found this chocolate had more to offer than just the delicious flavor.

Top 5 Reasons To Buy Green & Black's Chocolate
5. Organic: The term in thrown around quite frequently, but this chocolate is certifiably organic ("grown using natural, sustainable farming methods with no pesticides").
4. Price: We were shocked to find out these bars are only $3-$4 each!
3. Location: We were even more surprised that they're available in local grocery and pharmacy chains.

2. Fair Trade:This is truly a gift that gives back!
1. Flavor: Multiple editors commited that the hints of fruit and other flavors were "fresh" and "spicy." Favorites among the group included White Chocolate, Maya Gold, and Peanut.

And to all you chocoholics out there, let us know what your favorites are. After all, it makes the perfect Valentine's Day gift!

When Valentine’s Day rolls around, most people think candy, but I think cake. I would gladly trade any box of bons-bons for one truly delicious cake. And my new favorite spot is Los Angeles-based Cake Monkey, which specializes in hand-crafted, individual-sized, light-as-air layer cakes topped with creamy buttercreams and frostings as well as Snack Treats, more elegant forms of traditional snack cakes like Ho-Ho’s. (If you love Lil’ Debbies, you’ll swoon with one bite of a Lil’ Merri – an oatmeal sandwich cookie filled with maple vanilla buttercream.)

Lisa Olin and Elizabeth Belkind are the duo behind the bakery. Lisa, a former TV and film producer, comes up with her dream desserts while Elizabeth, a former restaurant pastry chef, executes them. Choose from 10 cakes plus seasonal and holiday offerings (although don’t be afraid to ask for customized flavors; they’re happy to create personalized cakes). This isn’t just any cake: devil’s food chocolate cake is turned on its head with dark chocolate frosting and handmade honeycomb on top, and the carrot cake is layered with caramel cream cheese frosting and topped with pistachios. If you really want to impress your sweetie, don’t miss the Valentine’s Day red velvet cake with fresh raspberry vanilla buttercream, the Must Love Chocolate Gift Box, or the Red Velvet Cake Sandwich filled with Raspberry Swirled Vanilla Frosting and coated in bittersweet chocolate.

Los Angeles locals can pick up a box of cakes at the bakery with 48 hours notice (local delivery is available, too). Otherwise, just hop online or call 877.640.CAKE (2253) and order up some treats for overnight delivery – they ship nationwide. 

If you’re a passionate home baker and want to try your hand at a Valentine’s sweet, Elizabeth and Lisa were sweet enough to share a cookie recipe inspired by the flavors of rocky road. As Elizabeth says, she created it “because sometimes love is a rocky road!” See the chef's recipes.

Awhile back I didn’t know what to make for dinner. A friend's mention of Mexican crab cakes, intrigued me and sent me off to google a recipe.  I adapted what I found to be more affordable-- imitation crab works wonderfully and costs $2.50/lb-- and to use vegetables I had on hand.  Here is what I came up with.  My family agreed it was the best thing I’ve cooked in quite awhile.  These were great for dinner served alongside rice, but I'm sure they'd be wonderful Super Bowl nibbles as well.

Mexican Crab Cakes

Makes: 12- 15 patties
Preparation Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

1 pound imitation crab meat
2 large eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1-2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
2 carrots, grated
2 cups coarsely chopped fresh spinach
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup dried bread crumbs
1/2 cup oil, for frying
1 tablespoon butter, for frying

Sour cream and salsa (optional)

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs lightly. Add the sour cream, crushed red pepper, grated carrot, chopped spinach, salt, and pepper. Toss together until well mixed. Add bread crumbs.  Add the crab, shredding it into approximately 3/4 inch chunks. Mix until well combined — mixture will start to stick together.  Divide the mixture into 12-15 cakes, shaping them into patties about 3/4 inch thick and 2-3 inches in diameter.

In a large heavy skillet, heat butter and oil over medium high heat, until a drop of water added to the oil sizzles and pops.  Fry crab cake five or six at a time, for 2-3 minutes on each side, until golden brown on both sides.  Turn carefully so that they don’t fall apart.   Remove to a paper towel to drain after cooking.  You may need to turn down the heat a notch after the first batch if cakes start cooking too fast.

Serve with sour cream and salsa.   Good side dishes include rice, baked potatoes, or polenta.

Enjoy!

I know you're wondering how these 2 words go together, but once I found this cool Senior Fondue Set from IKEA ($49.99), it all made sense. My search for having a nice evening at home with my boys (my hubby and our 41/2-month-old) on Valentine's Day was over! But of course, being a fondue rookie, I had to put the product to the test first. So a few friends at work and I snuck into our studio for an afternoon treat!

Enter the chocolate. YES, IKEA sells chocolate, too! And because any extra dough we have these days is going toward diapers and formula, the smaller 99-cent bars shown here are perfect! For our taste-testing, we used the Chocolate Bar Fondue recipe from Real Simple. All it called for was chocolate bars and heavy cream...now that's my kind of cooking!

Although I'd be more than happy just to stick my face in a warm bowl of chocolate, there were other people present, so we had to have some fruits and angel food cake to dip into the chocolate. The fondue set came with 6 fondue forks, so it made it easy for all of us to enjoy! And the cast-iron pot kept the fondue warm for longer than I expected.

The ladies and I truly enjoyed this sweet treat, and now I feel more confident about using ithe set on V-Day. So confident, that I think the hubby and I are going to try cheese fondue. And if you have any tips or tricks for fondue, we'd love to hear them! In the meantime, I'm going to go enjoy the extra chocolate left over from our taste testing!

More on Fondue

What's better than chocolate? Possibly champagne? How about the two together? What a pair! The dry, crisp bubbles bring out the sweet chocolate. It still gets better. Imagine receiving an invitation to a Valentine's Day party wholly dedicated to chocolate and champagne. If you're prudish mind can't conceive of such edible delectable sinning, check out the menu. 

The mouthwatering, indulgent, over-the-top offerings: two-bite chocolate cream pies, brownie ice cream mini-wiches, molten chocolate mousse cups, chocolate candied almonds, and sugared chocolate beignets paired with roby port sparklers or chocolate and port sippers....delicious. Invite friend to sink their teeth into this party for Valentine's Day.

Though many people consider Valentine’s Day just another marketing scheme to make Americans spend money, I’ll be the first to admit that I am a sucker for a heart-shaped box of chocolates. And if I’m going to go there, I might as well go all the way and indulge my wallet and my taste buds with Vosges Haut-Chocolat collections.

When I discovered this Chicago-based chocolatier three years ago at Neiman Marcus in San Francisco, it was love at first sight. Not only is the packaging gorgeous, but the flavors are so unique and adventurous that I wanted to try them all. Who would have thought Budapest sweet Hungarian paprika or rose water could make quality dark chocolate taste even better?

And with every new flavor combination, Vosges continues to trump itself. This year, the Sweet Coquette Collection, “a dossier of aphrodisiac truffles and folklore,” is something worth trying at least once. With truffles like Absinthe made with Chinese star anise, fennel, pastis and dark chocolate, this Victorian-inspired set will have your palette working outside of the box. My favorite is the Edith – Piper Heidsieck Rosé Sauvage Champagne, crushed rosebud tea and dark chocolate. If you really want to get outside of your comfort zone, try the Kumamoto – pearl dust and Kumamoto oysters with white chocolate. You can taste a combination of salty and sweet with a subtle hint of the oyster towards the finish.

The Gatsby and Daisy collection, inspired by F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby,” also makes a great Valentine's Day gift. The Rosé and Brut Cuvée truffles hinted with rose petals are divine but the packaging is also a fun gift idea. Each box comes with inscribed notes from the lovers and a magnifying glass to read the letters and inspect the intricate details of the truffles. The whole set is thoughtful, delicious and a wonderful compliment to champagne.

We've all had the standard Super Bowl party food: sandwiches, chili, and buffalo wings (or some variation of the three). But this year, I'm shaking it up a bit and making Lamb Sliders instead. These spicy mini lamb burgers are packed with garlic and spices and topped with a Middle Eastern yogurt sauce - a tasty change from ketchup and mayonnaise. (You can find ground lamb in almost every supermarket.)

And we can't forget the beer. I'm a microbrew girl, and my go-to brew is Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA. Dogfish Head, a brewery in Delaware, makes this rich, malty, hoppy brew. (The "90 Minute" refers to a brewing process that is much too beer-geeky to explain here.) And it's the perfect pairing to the spicy, tangy lamb burgers. Check out the Dogfish Head website to see if it's available in your area, or order online from Internet Wines & Spirits.

LAMB SLIDERS WITH CUCUMBER YOGURT SAUCE

• 1 1/4 pounds ground lamb
• 1 egg yolk
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons salt
• A few grindings freshly ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or more to taste)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon turmeric (see Note)
  
• About 15 slider (mini hamburger) buns, for serving
  
• Crumbled Feta cheese (optional, for serving)
• Olive tapenade (optional, for serving)
• Roasted red peppers, sliced (optional, for serving)

Cucumber Yogurt Sauce:

• ½ cup peeled, seeded, coarsely grated English cucumber
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup whole-milk Greek yogurt
• 2 tablespoons roughly chopped mint
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

For the sliders: In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground lamb, egg yolk, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and spices and mix gently. (Overmixing will make the burgers tough.) Form the meat into golf-ball-sized balls, and then gently flatten them and place them on a platter. (You can make the lamb patties up to 8 hours in advance; just keep them in the refrigerator.)

For the sauce: Combine the cucumber, garlic, yogurt, mint, and lemon juice in a large bowl and mix thoroughly. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Makes about 15 sliders 

Note: Turmeric, a bright yellow spice from the ginger family, stains clothes and countertops so be careful!

Click here for more tasty Super Bowl Recipes.

Preparation Time: 60 minutes

Makes: 40-50

Is winter getting you down?  How about trying your hand at marshmallows?  Kids love this project:  there's something almost magical about turning few simple ingredients into wonderful fluff. Marshmallows take less than an hour. And-- bonus-- if you're like most people who've tried them, you'll probably decide that homemade marshmallows are much better than store bought.  You can even make them in different colors if you want.

INGREDIENTS

3 packets (about 3 tablespoons) unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup cold water
1 -1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup water
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
powdered sugar, for dusting

Directions:
Combine gelatin and 1/2 cup cold water in a medium sized heat-proof bowl. Let it sit for 20 minutes.
Combine granulated sugar, corn syrup, salt, and 1/3 cup of water in a small heavy saucepan. Stir over low heat until sugar has dissolved. Turn stove to high and heat until mixture comes to a very brisk boil, stirring occasionally. Let boil for about 2 minutes. If you have a candy thermometer, the temperature should reach about 240 degrees.

Take pan off heat and very carefully pour contents into the bowl containing gelatin. Add vanilla extract. Set timer for 10 minutes. Using an electric mixer, beat mixture on high speed for at least 10 minutes. When the mixture becomes very thick and white and has at least doubled in size, it is done.

Using a rubber spatula, scoop mixture into a 9×12 casserole dish that has been generously dusted with powdered sugar. Let marshmallows sit at room temperature, uncovered, for at least 4 hours, or overnight. Don’t panic if they look incredibly sticky at first. They will thicken up as they cool. Cut into squares. They’ll still feel quite sticky as you cut them, but cut them as cleanly as possible with a wet knife. Then dust cut edges with additional powdered sugar, and they will feel like ‘real’ marshmallows.

Note: For marshmallows with different colors and flavors, add a small amount of unsweetened kool-aid powder to the mixture on the stove as you are heating it.

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Click her for other recipes from FAMILY FEASTS FOR $75 A WEEK

Our weight loss contributor, dietitian and author Tammy Beasley, just did a piece for MyRecipes about Danish scientists making bacon from pigs' stem cells in an effort to create a more environmentally-friendly way of producing pork products. Clearly we need to be developing ways of livestock production that are not harmful to the environment, but come on, bacon in a petri dish?  I say, "None for me, thanks".

I prefer the real thing and I prefer it often.  As far as I'm concerned, most dishes are a little better with some bacon added. And it's not really that bad for you.  One strip of bacon ranges from 35-55 calories and 2-4 grams of fat, depending on the brand. And the sodium content ranges from 146 to 220 milligrams per slice.  In the January/February 2010 issue of Cooking Light, they rated the best bacons and selected the Top Pick (Dakin Farm Cob-Smoked Bacon), Best for Breakfast (Niman Ranch Uncured Applewood Smoked Bacon) and  Best for Recipes (Benton's Hickory Smoked Country Bacon).  Cooking Light's stance on including bacon in a heatlhy diet is to use it as flavor enhancer rather than as the main ingredient and to "buy-best, use less".

OK, so it's not one of the top most nutritious foods, but what could be more satisfying than a BLT or a bacon cheeseburger or bacon-wrapped scallops, or just scrambled eggs and grits with two stips of bacon?   I don't intend to open the door for arugments about stem cell research, but surely there are better things to use pig stem cells for than making bacon.    I'm sticking with the real stuff. What about you?   I'd love to hear about your favorite ways to use bacon.  Real bacon, please.