Homemade chocolate hearts
I'm sure you've all heard of "milk chocolate", but did you know that there's milk in so many chocolates that don't have the word "milk" in the title? In order to find milk-free chocolate, you need to look at chocolates that have a cacao content of over 85%. And unless you're in a specialty store, once you find some nice dark chocolate, there probably won't be a lot of variety.
Another thing that some people have to think about are nut allergies, specifically peanuts. As most chocol...
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Semla (Shrove Tuesday) wraps
The semla takes its name from semolina, the finest wheat flour, and is (normally) a bun, flavored with cardamom and filled with whipped cream and almond paste. You’re hooked already, aren’t you?
Another name for this cream-filled treat is “Shrove Tuesday Bun” which doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, does it? Way back when, semlas were only eaten today – the final day before fasting during Lent. But the semla was too irresistible and the Swedes, not known for being ...
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Peking (not really) Duck
So, I promised to continue my Chinese story that I started a few posts ago.
For a good 8 years, from my late teens to my mid 20s I think I ate Chinese food and drank Chinese beer most days of the week. Often, it would be my 4th meal of the day (or my first, depending on where your day starts) sitting in the back room of my Chinese friend’s restaurant around a large round table, after closing hours, with the workers. It’s often the custom that all the food goes in the middle and its ...
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Planticized jalapeño poppers with smoked tofu
When some people hear the word "vegan" or "plant-based" they think, "What is there to eat, grass?" But nothing could be further from the truth, especially these days. And while a spicy, little, green vegetable is at the center of this recipe, all the things around it are going to make you go, "Ohh and Ahhh..."
Not only are there great-tasting, 100% plant-based cheeses available nowadays, there is an ever-growing variety of them. For these poppers I used a cheddar-style cheese (which ...
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Vegan Powerhouse cookies
I guess another, slightly less catchy name for these would be "everything but the kitchen sink" cookies. These cookies are not for the fainthearted. They are not for anyone looking to lose weight. They are packed with energy. The kind of energy you might need on a winter hike, in-between periods when you’re playing a game of ice hockey, before a cross-fit workout, when you’re chopping wood for the fireplace or if you’re a bear waking up from hibernation. None of them applies to you? ...
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I used to be nuts, but now I’m butter.
When I first got my super blender, I could have the best time just finding stuff to throw in there and blending it to smithereens! Ok, truth is, that's still all it takes to amuse me. Really. It's that easy. So this isn't a recipe - it's just me having fun.
One day soon I'm going to write a little US / Metric measurement cheat sheet and add it to the resources page, but today 's simple lesson is this: 454 grams = 1 pound. See, you learn something new every day!
I've seen different ...
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Fried tofu with bok choy and baby corn
I grew up in a small town of about 50,000 people – ok, not TOO small, but small enough. According to the 2000 US census, there were 0.26% Chinese people living in the city then. So, I’m guessing that number was even smaller in the mid 70s when my family became friends with maybe the only Chinese family in town.
I wasn’t much more than 6 the first time we all went to their first restaurant, located in what was then the Meriden Mall.
I can remember thinking how special and ...
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Buffalo cauliflower bites with blue cheese dip
The Super Bowl and Chinese New Year's Eve, both fall on Sunday, February 7th. These very different events, call for very different foods. So, in preparation for these two festivities, my next few recipes will be a fun assortment of all-American appetizers and Chinese favorites. First up - Buffalo bites!
For some reason, when I think of Buffalo wings, I think of American football. While these massive guys are running around working hard on the field, we’re drinking beer and soda, ...
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Grilled cheese sandwich with caramelized onions and pineapple
It seems that the majority of the time you read or hear about plant-based food, the focus is on health – how it’s good for you, good for your heart or low in saturated fat, etc. Unless of course we’re talking about dessert recipes, then all bets are off. Well, no, not really, even these recipes lean towards being healthier variants. And yes, overall, that's positive.
However, there are a growing number of people who aren’t making the move to a plant-based diet for health ...
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The ultimate muesli
When I say I've always been a cereal guy, I mean I started out as a cereal kid. And when I say cereal, I'm talkin’ Fruit Loops, Frankenberry, Lucky Charms, Cap'n Crunch… you know, all those wholesome, low sugar, best-way-to-start-your-day kids’ cereals. Ha! Almost got your there, didn't I? Wholesome, low sugar - who am I kiddin'?! It’s truly amazing the stuff that’s actually in these “foods”. First off, sugar. When you think about it, it's no wonder there are so many kids ...
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