Food provides nourishment and is central to our lives. But the people who grow, cook and share food are those who give it context and relevance for our sustenance and our celebrations. During 2009, the stories of “Culinary Types” reinforced how important individuals are to our understanding, enjoyment and collective appreciation of food.We started the year shopping for the Perfect Pantry item at
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Merry Christmas – Wishing you Holly and Red Velvet Cake!
What could be merrier for the celebration of Christmas than a bright red layer cake decked out in snowy white icing? Red Velvet Cake is a classic Southern Retro Cake – equal parts gentility and bodacious attitude. It’s a fine finish to a day of Southern-style holiday feasting. Oddly enough, despite its popularity in the South, some sources trace the origin of the Red Velvet Cake to New
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Classic Hershey Kiss Cookies and the Perils of Dreaming of a White Christmas
What happens when too many people are dreaming of a White Christmas? We get the Big One – the Nor’easter that dumps nearly 20 inches of snow across the region, cancelling flights, postponing parties and shopping plans and generally creating a frosty mess. Winter doesn’t even arrive until the 21st. Maybe we should all be dreaming of an end to climate change or the fulfillment of peace on
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Christmas Time in the City
Well, I’m not doing much cooking, and at times, not even doing much eating. Things are moving faster than a sleigh drawn by eight reindeer. And, the signs of the season are everywhere in Manhattan…Walk carefully to dodge the giant Toy Soliders from outer space... As the temperature plunges, there's time for a little tapas with an old friend at Meson Sevilla on West 46th Street. The garlic shrimp
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Merry, Merry Wafflemas!
What kind of chef would buy a waffle maker at an office supply store?Well, uh, that would be me …I’ve been inclined towards impulse purchases this season. After six sweaters, three DVD collections, four pairs of sox and a partridge in a pear tree, how bad is one little waffle maker, really? The price is great and one must be ready to deck the halls for that most festive season of
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Remembering Nana's Apple Sour Cream Kuchen
A while back I picked up some pristine, perfectly-rounded small apples at the farmers market -- Ginger Gold, if memory serves. They shimmered with flecks of green and gold, and just a dab of pink blush.For some reason, I immediately thought of Nana's Sour Cream Apple Kuchen. I hadn't tasted it in years, but the sweet memory was still vivid - buttery apples, dusted with cinnamon and arranged in
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Braising Season Opens - Braised Red Cabbage, Apples and Smoked Sausage
Forget Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. For me, the most lyrical of the seasons is the braising season. Each year, I can’t wait to start using the Dutch oven. From the first hint of a chill in the air, until the summer temperature is absolutely unbearable, the fire engine red pot holds an honored place on top of my stove.This year, the opening of braising season is marked with brilliant color and
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