New in “Cocktail Hour Buzz,” July 22-July 28, 2022

New Salon every Friday – and you’re invited

C’mon in and help yourself to tasty resources

Hosted by Barbara J Nosek

 Cocktail Hour Buzz 

sundowner snacks, drinks, chat, and . . .

whenever I can, related resources & goodies on Amazon

whether for a crew, or for two, or just for you

{links within my items go to the sources shown in red – any links underneath items take you to Amazon unless otherwise indicated, and then only ones with the lock icon}

♦♦♦  Don’t be frightened when I suggest as a great party dish . . . sushi. First, as you can see, no wrapping and rolling here. Second, while the prep does call for raw fish, pretty sure the sushi police won’t be showing up if you use only cooked. Like I did – and no knocks on my door! We’ll call it sushi-esque. The style of this particular prep is called Chirashi Sushi, with all the pretty goodies served on a bed of sushi rice.

Also in the good column, this one comes from legendary chef, Jacques Pepin, who I recently saw prepare the dish on his “Heart & Soul” show on PBS/Create. Finding a direct source for the recipe proved elusive, but you can access it on the Pinterest page linked above, and then once there clicking on the recipe name. Meanwhile you’ll find other possibilities just below.  PBS member tv station KQED

Jacques Pepin’s “Heart & Soul” show on PBS/Create

Jacques Pepin’s cookbooks    Jacques Pepin’s DVDs

Youtube video of Jacques Pepin making Chirashi Sushi from PBS/KLRN

Chirashi sushi recipes on Google

21 Recipes for sushi without raw fish on Spoon University

Hmmm, can order online? Not sure how that works but here it is . . .

Chirashi sushi on Amazon

♦♦♦  Wine in the glass . . . and on the plate? Well, not all by itself but rather as a flavor-enhancer in these 17 Simply Delicious Red Wine Recipes. Watch it go to work as a marinade for short ribs, poaching liquid for eggs, cooking liquid for pasta, sauce for veal chops, glaze for lamb chops, secret ingredient for chocolate snack cake, and on and on. As a bonus, many of the recipe pages have links to even more goodies.  Food & Wine

♦♦♦  So, in conjunction with an item on the our 06.10.22 Salon on the beer cocktail Shandy, we included a bonus link for Beer & Food Matching. Now we’ve taken a closer look at this chart and it is quite interesting. The left hand column lists the major types of beers and then the next three columns gives the ideal kinds of companion foods in the categories of savories, cheese, and dessert.  Rounding out the helpful information, recommended glassware and serving temp.

As just one example, Imperial Stout 1} Easily overpowers most main dishes, but stands up to foie gras, smoked goose, 2} Long-aged cheese: Gouda, Parmesan or cheddar, 3} Dark chocolate truffles, chocolate raspberry mousse cake. Then an image of a goblet style glass, and 10–13 °C/50–55 °F.  Brewers Association

BrewersAssociation.org

Some classy, some fun, one even beer-can-shaped, assortments too . . .

Beer glassware, 4 stars and up

♦♦♦  However much we may like to bake, in summer not so much. Which makes all the more welcome these 35 No-Bake Desserts. Citrus, seasonal fruit, ice cream, chocolate, caramel, nuts, even no-bake cheesecake all come to the party. One has a touch of spirits, and some are quite portable, including the Mamie Eisenhower fudge, peach buttermilk popsicles and triple chocolate milkshake.  Southern Living

No-bake cookbooks {including some for kids}

Want to join the Buzz? Enter “Buzz” in the Subject line – sign whatever way you want to be identified

Click here to email your comments, questions, links to fave recipes, or?

STUFF FOR COOKS

Find t-shirts, mugs, dvds, gift collections, plus top chef items, cookbooks

CS Marketplace Directory

♦  ♦  ♦

Appreciate anytime you can visit affiliate partners, linked below or in features above

Amazon

Click link above for Amazon homepage, Below for Echo Show, Echo Dots, Echo Studio, Especially for Kids – 

Browse Amazon Echo styles right here – all a foodster’s dream resource 

Zazzle

Click link above for Zazzle homepage, Below for CS-Designed, Zazzle-Crafted Items {direct Zazzle links on these pages}

Food Lovers T-Shirts page here on CS   Food Lover Mug page here on CS

ETC

Want to be among the first to know about new Salons?

Easy! Just put “Preview List”  in the Subject line, and email me at the link shown above for comments & questions

Looking for something in CS?

Use Search, Archives, Categories OR email me at the same link above with “CooksSalon” in the Subject line

Note

All transactions are solely between the buyer and linked supplier

Cook with passion and a party spirit, whether for a crew, or for two, or just for you

All pages ©2022 CooksSalon.com

FacebooktwitterlinkedinFacebooktwitterlinkedin

New in “Cocktail Hour Buzz,” July 1-July 7, 2022

New Salon every Friday – and you’re invited

C’mon in and help yourself to tasty resources

Hosted by Barbara J Nosek

 Cocktail Hour Buzz 

🎈🎈  Brunch Edition  🎉 🎉

When Happy Hour goes early with snacks, drinks and chat

and maybe related resources & goodies on Amazon

whether for a crew, or for two, or just for you

{links within my items go to the sources shown in red – any links underneath items take you to Amazon unless otherwise indicated, and then only ones with the lock icon}

♦♦♦  What a tasty, colorful, and refreshing brunch dish. Dining room or patio. Thanks go to Sunny Anderson for this pineapple dish – where the pineapple is the dish – filled to the brim with seasoned rice mixed with the reserved fruit, and then bbq-d shrimp. You want to go deep when hollowing out because this is quite the good load. Sunny says these Shrimp and Rice Pineapple Boats are easy and, yes they are. Thinking some crusty bread and some crisp green raw veggies would be great plate mates.  Food Network

Sunny’s show on Food Network

5 Ways to Tell if a Pineapple is Ripe, from AllRecipes

Other Pineapple Boat recipes on Google

♦♦♦  Make it easy, take it easy. As sundown arrives, the coffeemaker can take a break and make counter space for the Bartesian. The what? Well that becomes clearer when we look at its full name, the Bartesian Premium Cocktail and Margarita Machine for the Home Bar. Just insert, select, press and voila, here comes a “craft cocktail.” If you add a carousel you can store the cocktail pods much like Keurig. You’ll see other versions too on the same page.  Amazon

Bartesian capsules & carousels

♦♦♦  Wait! Before you dispense that Bartesian-made cocktail, how about gussying up the glass. And for some new ways to do exactly that look no further than Ritzy Rims, all about salty preps that are spicy, flavorful and some, ummm, pretty unusual. You can perhaps emulate the mixes but for the full experience, probably want to go with the real things from your market or or links in the story or from Amazon {or similar}.

As a heads up, chapulÍn is grasshopper powder, Red Clay is a brand not an ingredient, for black lime see youtube video, and the Hatch one interestingly uses unrefined salt. As a bonus, the article notes, these salts can also snuggy up to roasted vegetables, fish and salads {and I’d think probably etc}.  Food & Wine

Chapulin salt with chili    Red Clay Spicy Margarita Salt    Burlap & Barrel Black Lime

Desert Provisions Hatch Green Chili Salt   Youtube, how black lime is made

♦♦♦   Make it easy, take it easy, again. Serving up such tasty/fun/elegant dishes as Bacon-Green Chile Dutch Baby, Mixed Vegetable Shakshuka, Spinach Goat Cheese Quiche, Baked Eggs in Bread Bowls, Salsa Roasted Potatoes, doesn’t have to take a toll on party day. Nope. They join others in these crowd-feeding “21 Sheet Pan Brunch Dishes.” You’ll also find preps for pancakes, pizza, filled biscuits, and other goodies.  MyRecipes

Sheet pan cookbooks, 4 stars and up

How to clean a sheet pan

Want to join the Buzz? Enter “Buzz” in the Subject line – sign whatever way you want to be identified

Click here to email your comments, questions, links to fave recipes, or?

STUFF FOR COOKS

Find t-shirts, mugs, dvds, gift collections, plus top chef items, cookbooks

CS Marketplace Directory

♦  ♦  ♦

Appreciate anytime you can visit affiliate partners, linked below or in features above

Amazon

Click link above for Amazon homepage, Below for Echo Show, Echo Dots, Echo Studio, Especially for Kids – 

Browse Amazon Echo styles right here – all a foodster’s dream resource 

Zazzle

Click link above for Zazzle homepage, Below for CS-Designed, Zazzle-Crafted Items {direct Zazzle links on these pages}

Food Lovers T-Shirts page here on CS    Food Lover Mug page here on CS

ETC

Want to be among the first to know about new Salons?

Easy! Just put “Preview List”  in the Subject line, and email me at the link shown above for comments & questions

Looking for something in CS?

Use Search, Archives, Categories OR email me at the same link above with “CooksSalon” in the Subject line

Note

All transactions are solely between the buyer and linked supplier

Cook with passion and a party spirit, whether for a crew, or for two, or just for you

All pages ©2022 CooksSalon.com

FacebooktwitterlinkedinFacebooktwitterlinkedin

New in “Cocktail Hour Buzz,” May 20-May 26, 2022

Continue reading »

FacebooktwitterlinkedinFacebooktwitterlinkedin

This week’s Cocktail Hour Buzz in CooksSalon, Jan 21-Jan 27, 2022

New Salon every Friday – and you’re invited

C’mon in and help yourself to tasty resources

Hosted by Barbara J Nosek

 C’mon in right here for . . . 

sundowner snacks, drinks, chat, and . . .

whenever I can, related resources & goodies on Amazon

whether for a crew, or for two, or just for you

  Usually when I see a title with “healthy & snack” my first instinct is “pass.” A snack has to make up for limited quantity with maximum comfort. But curiosity won out when the subtitle promised “Smart-choice snacks that will fill you up with goodness.” Some nice stuff here – baked herbed parsnip {love parsnip!} fries with roasted garlic lemon aioli, everything bagel chick peas, blueberry yogurt bark, and dark chocolate almond granola, 11 in all. Worth a look.  From FoodTalkDaily

Don’t want to make your own? – Healthy Snacks on Amazon

 Have you heard of the Adonis cocktail? Vintage indeed, first poured in the mid 1880s. It’s basically sherry and sweet vermouth, with some preps adding in orange bitters or an orange garnish. And some, somewhat roguishly, adding club soda, turning it into an Adonis Spritz. The link takes you to a full page of possibilities, where among the selections you’ll see a youtube entry calling it “a must-try cocktail.” Linked page above on Google

Backstory from Liqour.com    Youtube demo

   For many of us, a snack table just isn’t complete without cheese. But what a bummer when it goes bad in the fridge. Here’s an idea – move it to the freezer. Whaaaaat? This story on freezing cheese tells us which kinds do best and in what form. It also radically suggests still-frozen cheese is a boon for salads. Btw, when it talks about how to do this, note that the guidelines actually apply to all freeze-able cheeses.   From MyRecipes

Cheesekeepers on Amazon

  Is this a slam dunk {sorry, and it’s just gets worse below}. You may well know that basketball great Scottie Pippin already has a prize-winning bourbon on the market But here’s the news. He’s now debuting a limited-release Bourbon Barrel Aged Tea. And yes along with a blend of three black teas, there is a whisper of bourbon, low enough though for the sip to still qualify as non-alcoholic. Both bear the name DIGITS. The full story, linked here, about production, flavors and uses is quite interesting.   From Food & Wine

The difference between bourbon & whiskey, also from F&W

Bourbon flavored items on Amazon

  When do bakers share their secrets? “On a knead the dough basis” {blame Alexa!!!}

Want to join the Buzz? Enter CooksSalon in the subject line – sign whatever way you want to be identified

Click here to email your comments, questions, links to fave recipes, or?

STUFF FOR COOKS

Find t-shirts, mugs, dvds, gift collections, plus top chef items including cookbooks    CS Marketplace Directory

♦  ♦  ♦

Appreciate anytime you can visit affiliate partners, linked below or in features above

 Click Logo  For Homepage, and . . .

Browse all the fun Amazon Echo styles right here – Echo Show, Echo Dots, Echo Studio, Especially for Kids

CS-Designed, Zazzle-Crafted Items {direct Zazzle links on pages below}

Food Lovers T-Shirts page here on CS    Food Lover Mug page here on CS

ETC

Want to be among the first to know about new Salons?

Put “Preview list”  in the Subject line, and Email me here

Looking for something in CS?

Use Search, Archives, Categories OR contact me at the link above with CooksSalon in the subject line

Note

All transactions are solely between the buyer and linked supplier

Cook with passion and a party spirit, whether for a crew, or for two, or just for you

All pages ©2022 CooksSalon.com

 

FacebooktwitterlinkedinFacebooktwitterlinkedin

Jan 7-Jan 13, 2022, Favorite Recipes from a Year of CS

Join us next week as we temporarily skinny down to a weekly Cocktail Hour Buzz while we explore an exciting new CooksSalon project

Hosted by Barbara J Nosek

 

Deconstructed Tamales – Pulled Pork  Cheese Grit Cake   Leave it to Trisha Yearwood to turn grits into a funfest. The dish starts with fried cheesy grits cakes. Then Mexi-seasoned pulled pork. And then on with the corn salsa, sour cream, green onions and cilantro. I did use the thick and creamy grits right from the pot rather than chilling and frying. Avocados make a great accompaniment. And, any leftover pulled pork makes a mighty fine sandwich or tortilla wrap.   Recipe    Trisha Yearwood Cookbooks    From 01.15.21 Salon

          

Cherry Cream Cheese Coffeecake   The base of this cake s a buttery marvel. Add the rich cream cheese layer and the flavor bombs that are cherries, and it’s destined to be a crowd pleaser. And, yep, it’s big enough to serve a crowd too. As you can see, I used a rectangular pan instead of the springform, though. Great for breakfast of course, but add a big scoop of ice cream and it transforms right into dessert. You really do want to let it cool completely before removing it from the pan.   Recipe    From 05.14.21 Salon

Loaded Mashed Potato Cups   This is such a perfect fit with all we love here at CS and it’s easy to see why. First, mashed potatoes just on their own qualify for the comfort food hall of fame. But here they’re joined by more good stuff – bacon, chives, parm and seasonings, cheese stuffing, sour cream topping. And it’s an easy prep. Ingredients that are few, familiar, likely already at hand. No complicated techniques. And a pan probably pretty much all of us already own. And by varying its platemates it can move from breakfast/brunch to lunch to dinner. Btw, also a great opp to use up leftover mashed.   Recipe  ♦  Top potato cookbooks on Amazon  ♦  From 01.29.21 Salon

Artsy Confections   For these Tie Dye Cookies, Molly Yeh divides sugar cookie dough into three pieces, each blended with food color, then formed into “balls” that are slightly flattened and baked. The finishing touch is a sprinkling of sanding sugar. “Fessing up, I did use refrigerated dough.  Then, this Painted White Chocolate Bark comes not surprisingly from Trisha Yearwood who just excels at making food fun. The chocolate mingles with different colors of candy melting wafers, all merrily swirled together into these edible works of art.    Cookie Recipe from 02.05.21 Salon    Candy Recipe from 02.12.21 Salon  ♦  Food color on Amazon    Decorating sugar on Amazon

Loaded Vegetarian Nachos   Yes, indeedy, veggies can be tasty and fun and appetizing, here even a bit of a showpiece. In fact we vote for renaming them Fiesta Nachos because, as you can see it’s just such a celebration of colors and textures. It’s more ingredients than we usually feature but so worth it and you actually could if you want limit the toppings. And, yes, there actually are chips in there, and then all topped off sour a scoop of sour cream. One shortcut that I used was canned lentils, still stirring in though  all the seasonings.  Recipe    From 09.24.21 Salon

Oreo Cake Balls {or just cake as shown here}  Oh my. Oreo crumbs and cream cheese packed like little snow balls, quick freeze, dip in melted chocolate, refrigerate, done.  They are so, so, easy to make and that might be the bad news because, mercy, they are rich and even luxurious. And they’re fun, the round shape ready to become sports balls, funny heads, bling, and in fact star pastry chef Buddy Valastro turned them into pretty eyeballs. As an alternative, you can just pat the mixture into a pan and use the chocolate chips to make a ganache frosting, as seen here.  Like the richest ever brownie.   Recipe from 06.25.21 Salon    Redo in 08.06.21 Salon    Cake ball books on Amazon

Ham & Beef Tavern Chili   My great uncles owned taverns in the Chicago suburbs, and served cups of this chili gratis to their patrons. I don’t know the dates of operation for those establishments. The family was sort of vague about that. So, this was passed down to me by my Aunty Peggy who actually won a recipe contest with it conducted by the Chicago Tribune. I do like a bit more chili powder and a couple of tablespoons of cumin. And depending on the heat level in the chili beans, I may add some hot sauce. It’s even better with such toppings as cheddar, sour cream and a bit of green onion. Recipe    Chili cookbooks, 4 stars & up    From 02.26.21 Salon

Snacks for Dinner   This is not so much a recipe you’d cook or bake, but rather one for putting together a pretty plate. It all began when I cam across this magnetic headline :“Why Snack Dinner is the Best Thing You Can Make for Yourself Tonight”  Wow, there are some fine looking assemblies here. And in fact we were pretty much already on board with this array, shown, even though it was actually representing our cheese board featured in a previous Salon and, btw, this plateful indeed added up to to dinner.    The full article    From our 02.12.21 Salon   Cheese board story in our 01.22.21 Salon

Lasagna Bites   Yikes, these are good, and very lasagna-y even though there’s no pasta in sight. Rather, they’re made with wonton wrappers that are fitted into your muffin tin. The filling holds to tradition though with pretty much classic lasagna ingredients. It calls for ground turkey, but notes the original used ground beef, and so did I. As you can see, its versatility carries it all over the hours. A great appetizer for sure. But also, send it morningside with a poached egg, so satisfying for breakfast or brunch. Add some sides and it moves right on in for lunch or dinner.    Recipe  ♦  From 05.28.21 Salon  ♦  Italian appetizer cookbooks

Chocolate Peanut Butter No-Bake Cheesecake   Rich cheesecake goes even richer with one layer that blends in melted chocolate chips & a second one of sweetened peanut butter, each separately whirled in the food processor till silky smooth. I did add a drizzle of melted chips, also cut the prep in half and used a deep dish pie plate. FYI, Amazon offers a ready-made chocolate peanut butter cheesecake, quite showy but also quite pricey. What you might find surprising though are all the other choc/pb items on the page including even coffee.   Recipe   Chocolate peanut butter goodies on Amazon

Be the first to know about new Salons – Email here with “Invite Me” in the Subject line

Appreciate anytime you can visit affiliate partners, either below or in features above

      

Click above for Amazon home page, below for Amazon Echo {Alexa}

Echo Show styles      Echo Dots      Echo Studio      Especially for Kids

Or browse all the fun Echo styles right here

CS-Designed, Zazzle-Crafted Items

Food Lovers T-Shirts page here on CS    Food Lover Mug page here on CS

All transactions are solely between the buyer and linked supplier

Cook with passion and a party spirit, whether for a crew, or for two, or just for you

All pages ©2022 CooksSalon.com

FacebooktwitterlinkedinFacebooktwitterlinkedin

December 17-23, 2021, Lots of Cook-Loving Gifts

See you right back here Jan 7, 2022

with our great recipe roundup from 2021

Hosted by  Barbara J Nosek

Happiest Holidays! From Thanksgiving Eve to New Year’s Day

The first links go to the full Salon posts, the final ones right to the items

The photos are also linked       Check for delivery times in item listings

Selected gift won’t arrive in time? You can always email or text an

Amazon gift card      And Kindle books can be delivered in a flash

01.29.21  Pantry Cooking Cookbooks   While this may have risen in popularity during the pandemic, there certainly are ongoing reasons to love a guide to using up what’s already on hand. Saving time, saving money, making space, avoiding waste. While the book shown snagged the definitive title you can find others to browse at the link, some including suggestions for the best staples to keep in your pantry or fridge to play a supporting role for whatever creative dish your making with the foods you want to use up whatever main ingredients you’re working with.   Amazon

🎄  🧧  ✨   🎵  🎁  🎄  🎅  💖  🤶  🍗  🎄 🥂  🎵  🍰 🎄

07.23.21  Herb savers {or savors}   Yes indeed, you can drop them in a glass of water, wrap them in damp paper towels and plastic, stick them in the freezer, make a paste, a compound butter, or flavored oil out of them. But only a couple of those preserve the herb’s freshness. And none of them can do it in style like these designer herb keepers.  Shown are just two of the many possibilities. On the page you’ll also see an avocado version and companion storage containers.  Amazon

🎄  🧧  ✨   🎵  🎁  🎄  🎅  💖  🤶  🍗  🎄 🥂  🎵  🍰 🎄

04.09.21  Sparkly Syrup, and now more  We featured sparkly maple syrup back then. And in the past we’ve also played with sparkly sugar and salt to be sprinkled on this and that. But we found on Amazon – edible glitter – that can go in or on just about anything. And how holiday-perfect is that for  a foodie friend or a blingy addition to your own kitchen. The one shown includes flakes and stars in so many pretty colors,  and the link takes you to even more sources. Maple Sparkle Syrup   Edible glitter

🎄  🧧  ✨   🎵  🎁  🎄  🎅  💖  🤶  🍗  🎄 🥂  🎵  🍰 🎄

10.29.21  Offset Spatula & 02.26.21 Supoon  They may look like cousins, but their zig zags have quite different roles. The spatula is one of my best cooking & baking helpers ever, inexpensive too. With it you can easily smooth out, e.g., tomato sauce, cheese mixtures, cake batter, pie fillings, etc, edge to edge. Then, the Suppoon Sit-Up Scraping Spoon, and what a fun gift for any cooking friend.  It’s helpful x 3 – “sits up” on the counter, no spoon rest needed. It scrapes bowls and pans clean. And it’s a measuring spoon with t & T lines. Both may be  at your market, or otherwise the links take you to Amazon. Offset Spatula   Supoon

🎄  🧧  ✨   🎵  🎁  🎄  🎅  💖  🤶  🍗  🎄 🥂  🎵  🍰 🎄

04.30.21  The Big Fun Kids Baking Book  Know any budding chefs, maybe even still in grammar school? Thinking they would just love this cookbook. If you’ve seen the kids’ baking competitions you know these munchkins turn out some pretty awesome confections. Recipes here for muffins, quick breads, brownies, bars, cookies, cupcakes & cakes, and there’s one extra fun chapter on Fake-Out Cakes, designed to look like other foods. Darn good creds too, created by the editors of Food Network Magazine, and a New York Times Bestseller.  Amazon

🎄  🧧  ✨   🎵  🎁  🎄  🎅  💖  🤶  🍗  🎄 🥂  🎵  🍰 🎄

11.12.21  Food Themed Candles  What a perfect hostess gift for a food-focused friend, or even a festive touch for your own holiday get-togethers. Vanilla you might expect. But how about salted caramel, warm buttered bread, lemon pound cake, blueberry muffins, pecan Belgium waffles, fresh strawberries, chocolate {shown},  marshmallow – and this too-fun cereal bowl. You can of course also search for a specific food.  Amazon

🎄  🧧  ✨   🎵  🎁  🎄  🎅  💖  🤶  🍗  🎄 🥂  🎵  🍰 🎄

06.04.21  Dried Fruit Gift Packs  There are so many ways this is a great gift. First, of course, it’s tasty, sweet and varied. Second, it’s such a colorful present, so festive. Third, there are so many choices of assortments, some also including nuts. And fourth, some even come in reusable containers, or on reusable platforms, boxes, platters, trays, boards – and the one we see here that pulls up accordion style and pops up a handle to become a fruit basket. The link takes you to all the beautiful possibilities.  Amazon

🎄  🧧  ✨   🎵  🎁  🎄  🎅  💖  🤶  🍗  🎄 🥂  🎵  🍰 🎄

05.14.21  Bento boxes  For your party-giving friends, here’s a fun way to serve snacks individually rather than communally. When I’ve had a bento box in Asian restaurants it was a little box of drawers, but these are mostly compartmented trays, or stacked boxes, both disposables and reusables. During the year we featured another way for personalized snacking – “jarcuterie” – little jars to be filled with “sticks” of say carrots, celery, cuke, green onions, deli meat, cheese, bread sticks, pretzel rods, etc. – the link takes you to a nice array of possibilities. All on Amazon.  Disposable Bentos   Reusable Bentos   Mini jars

🎄  🧧  ✨   🎵  🎁  🎄  🎅  💖  🤶  🍗  🎄 🥂  🎵  🍰 🎄

04.30.21  Decorative Wine Decanters  Want to wow friends with a touch of class for their cocktail scene –  or even your own. How about a decanter or decanters, instead of the just bottles. Amazon has lots of the traditional squat-bottomed ones, but also some interesting different forms, some swan-like, some elegant crystal, some seeming to have emerged from a first class art studio. Many quite reasonable including the very pretty Dublin design shown here.  Decanters   Dublin Decanter

🎄  🧧  ✨   🎵  🎁  🎄  🎅  💖  🤶  🍗  🎄 🥂  🎵  🍰 🎄

07.23.21  “How to Cocktail”  &  11.12.21  “The Food & Wine Guide to Perfect Pairings”  Now there’s a how-to book with a lot to like. It’s from America’s Test Kitchen and  promises, “After rigorous recipe testing, we’re able to reveal not only the ideal ingredient proportions and best mixing technique for each drink” – but also how to make big batches, plus your own tonic, liqueurs, vermouths, and cocktail cherries, wrapping up with a snack section.  What I especially like about the pairing guide is the page after page of ready-made duos, with the bonus that it’s from the pros at Food & Wine. The subtitle tells all: “150+ Delicious Recipes Matched with the World’s Most Popular Wines.” Both, Kindle & hardcover, Prime eligible, 4 1/2 stars on Amazon. “How to Cocktail”   “The Food & Wine Guide to Perfect Pairings”

And some good stuff from CS

CS Marketplace Directory

Fine Chefs Book & Gift Shop

Chef, Food, Cooking DVDs

CS Food Books & Cookbook Links

CS Food Themed T-Shirts & More

CS Food Themed Mugs & Others

Food-Filled Gifts for All Occasions

Make America DECENT Again Collection

BJN’s Eclectic Mall

Appreciate anytime you can visit affiliate partners, either below or in features above

      

Click above for Amazon home page, below for Amazon Echo {Alexa}

Echo Show styles      Echo Dots      Echo Studio      Especially for Kids

Or browse all the fun Echo styles right here

CS-Designed, Zazzle-Crafted Items

Food Lovers T-Shirts page here on CS    Food Lover Mug page here on CS

All transactions are solely between the buyer and linked supplier

FacebooktwitterlinkedinFacebooktwitterlinkedin

Recipes Galore & More, July 9-July 22, 2021

New Salon every Friday – c’mon in

CS friends, and help yourself to tasty resources

Hosted by Barbara J Nosek

  Let’s chat   

Kitchen Talk –  I was intrigued by the potato sauce that replaced Hollandaise for the eggs benedict that we featured in our 06.25.21 SalonMurder, She Baked: Complete Collection and wondered if it could be a blueprint for a tasty potato soup. Yep! Just as flavorful as it seemed it would be.       So, I started reading a food-themed novel and not too many pages in realized it sounded somewhat familiar. Aha! The author Joanne Fluke’s books had to be the basis for the “Murder She Baked” dvd mystery series on Amazon we featured last October. They provided nice light entertainment and thinking the books will too. See just below.      Want a tasty way to send your bottled salad dressing into somewhat healthier territory? Use half as much and then add a good splash of fresh lemon juice. So far have done this with Ranch and Avocado Ranch.

♦  ♦  ♦

Shopping Finds – Fluke’s fictional baker Hannah Swenson has a penchant for stumbling upon dead bodies which seem to pop up with unfortunate regularity in this small Minnesota town. Happenings at her Cookie Jar Cafe & Bakery, a meddling mom, frustrating sister, sometimes a boyfriend, sometimes two, and a fat cat add up to some nice light entertainment {except for the dead body thing}. You can find the books on Amazon. Shown is the first one in the series.     I need to note something about Goldbelly who we’ve mentioned here a couple of times. Make no mistake, the stuff looks fabulous, sourced from famous chefs, great restaurants, ethnic favorites – but, ummmm, $$$ – though should also add that even as you browse you’ll see orders flying in one after the other.

This week’s featured CS-designed, Zazzle-crafted item – For those who are ready for a party anytime – could be most of us, hmmm? – have we got a mug for you {or who}. Balloons, beverages, and the beat of the tunes fill the letters in a most colorful way. Find it here on our fun foodie mug page. And T-shirt too!

   On the Table  

Featured Recipes 

Cherry Plum Slab Pie with Walnut Streusel

Nice, the recipe gives a nod to making your own recipe for the pastry or using store-bought. The topping sounds wonderful with the noted nuts, two kinds of sugar, cinnamon, salt and of course butter. Easy way to make a big dessert, though thinking it would also be welcome on the breakfast table. From Taste of Home.

Fresh Corn Salad

Robert Irvine puts summer in a bowl where freshly shucked corn is joined by cukes, tomatoes, red and green onions, dressed with a vinaigrette cooled with a touch of sour cream, greened with cilantro. From Food Network.

Strawberries & Cream Pops

Refreshing meets indulgence in these sweet treats. Fresh strawberry sauce is swirled with vanilla frozen yogurt, then into freezer pop molds. You’ll want to allow at least six hours in the freezer. From Eating Well.

Make ahead spinach & feta egg casserole

Aka, Make Ahead Baked Greek Omelet, and with its onion, bell pepper, fresh dill, and seasonings it also calls to mind the best of a Greek salad. Easy too, since it can all be assembled the night before, some of it even days before. From The Kitchn

Peanut Butter Silk Pie

This is sort of like cheesecake and frosting and peanut butter all got together, turned silky smooth, and jumped into a graham cracker crust. Says chocolate topping optional {hahaha}. Also from Taste of Home.

Cheddar Rilettes

No fear here. Traditional rilettes involve cooking seasoned meat slowly in meat fat in a low oven until it can quite literally be mashed and spread on bread. In this easy prep, though, seasoned cheese stands in for meat and – here’s the really good part – the fat comes from rendered bacon, and then the bacon is sprinkled on top. From Food & Wine.

♦  ♦  ♦

Have a cuppa in Alexa’s room – recipes & more

You don’t have to have an Amazon Echo Show to tap into the particular tidbits we’ve linked below, drawn from its vast culinary bounty.

Just pour a cup and let’s talk food with Alexa. Below are recipes recently displayed on the screen. Echo owners, also note that in many cases she guides you step by step through the prep . . .

Peanut Butter Cheesecake Bars  With its butter cracker crust and rich filling, this is one special treat. Ummm, I won’t be using the sprinkles though. Maybe chocolate chips!  From Food Network.

Ice Cream in a Bag  Well sonovagun. When she popped this up on the screen from Food Network Kitchen and I googled to get the link, made a discovery. This is a thing, with several others offering their own versions of this fun prep. All of them say, in effect, who needs an ice cream maker. The link takes you to the FN original and the other sources.

Chocolate Fridge Roll  Food Network strikes again, this time with a sweet prep from Ree Drummond. And wowsie, chocolate x 2, butter, crushed biscotti, orange zest, plus nuts, dried fruits, and a touch of rum roll into a log that’s chilled, sliced and . . . totally enjoyed.

Would you like your own Echo Show?

Boundless information, music, movies, tv shows, videos, health tips & news, entertainment news, national news, local news, sports news & recaps, weather, timer, alarm, reminders, shopping lists, Amazon delivery notifications, alerts, security camera connection . . .  and food, food, food, all on an interactive screen. Some connect to Amazon Prime.

You can browse all the Echo styles here on this Amazon page

   Cocktail Hour Buzz   

Sundowner snack, drinks, talk – whether for a crew, or for two, or just for you

♦  EatingWell always bring us such good and interesting information, both in the magazine and on their site. This chat with Curtis Stone, appearing on both, is certainly no exception as the chef talks food, wine, pantry cooking, kitchen gadgets and his work at counteracting childhood hunger.

  Thank you Southern Living for giving us such a seasonally perfect lineup of 70 No-Cook Appetizers. Some tasty salads too. Shown, ham salad snack {tweaked a little and topped with tomato}

   OK, I’m all for avoiding waste, re-purposing resources. But . . . ahhhh . . . this one by a Finnish brewery really tests our limits. I can’t bring myself to identify the ingredient used in the process, and even though I really couldn’t tell if it actually ended up in the beer, I will say the writer of the story noted that even after previously seeing so many oddities going into beer-making, a new beer like this could still catch his eye – “or make them pop out of their sockets.” So, your choice, can see it here. Thanks, I think, Food & Wine.

Want to join the Buzz? Enter CooksSalon in the subject line – sign the way you want to be identified

Click here to email your comments, questions, links to fave recipes, or?

Find t-shirts, mugs, dvds, gift collections, plus top chef items including cookbooks

CS Marketplace Directory

♦  ♦  ♦

CooksSalon is free to everybody – appreciate anytime you click through to my only affiliate partners

Zazzle food-themed items             Ninja Grill on Amazon             Amazon Echo Show

♦  ♦  ♦

And for your consideration

No Kid Hungry – discover, donate    K9s For Warriors – discover, donate

Looking for something in CS?

Use Search OR contact me at bjnosek@gmail.com, subject line -> CooksSalon

Note

All transactions are solely between the buyer and linked supplier

Cook with passion and a party spirit, whether for a crew, or for two, or just for you

All pages ©2021 CooksSalon.com

FacebooktwitterlinkedinFacebooktwitterlinkedin

Boffo Bean Dip that comes with 4 News Flashes, May 21-May 27, 2021

New Salon every Friday – c’mon in

CS friends, and help yourself to tasty resources

Hosted by Barbara J Nosek

  Let’s chat   

Kitchen Talk – Southern Living shares great ways to start the day with their Breakfast Casseroles Worth Waking Up For. Scroll down on their page for such casserole versions as Cheesy Sausage Croissant, Banana Bread French Toast, Bacon & Cheddar Grits Quiche, Cinnamon Roll, Huevos Ranchero, and Breakfast Enchiladas.        When is an egg carton not an egg carton? When it transforms into a holder to portion and preserve rice. Here’s what I did – treated the compartments with non stick spray, filled all 24 with rice, covered the top tray with a cut-to-fit piece of plastic wrap, holding the wrap in place turned top over bottom, closed up and into the freezer. As you can see, when you subsequently open the carton, most of the top portions pop out on their own {you can just close the top back over them after removing what you want}, and if they don’t just push on the bottom of the sections. Where the two have been removed you can see the shininess of the plastic wrap.       Chocolate in, chocolate on, and a pistachio chaser in this Chocolate Pistachio Wreath Bread that the description calls ooey gooey. From Midwest Living, a Meredith Corporation publication.

♦  ♦  ♦

Shopping Finds – Have you heard of goldbelly.com? I hadn’t until recently when I started coming across it as the ordering source for various food items. What it does is connect you to restaurant food via mail order. That means you can set your table with specialties from, e.g., Marcus Samuelsson, Daniel Boulud, Stephanie Izard, Guy Fieri, Carla Hall, as well as from steakhouses, ethnic places, bbq joints, and more, more, more. They also show you the reviews behind their 4.7 star rating.        So, I’ve now excavated a KitchenAid stand mixer from the back of a cabinet. I’d inherited it, never used, but now ready to give it a go. If you have one in hiding or are thinking of buying one, their cookbook can be a BIG help, with not just preps but also tips and techniques. And if you’d like to check out the various mixer models on Amazon, just click here.

This week’s featured CS-designed, Zazzle-crafted item – “Golden” moms and dads, this mug’s for you. You can find three mugs styles and lots of shirt choices too, all right here on our CS Eclectic Mall page.

   On the Table  

Feature – Super tasty dip – and the flashes?

First surprise or did you already know this? Until it was revealed actually in a commercial I had no idea that Amy in Big Bang Theory not only plays a neuroscientist – she is one! With a phd from UCLA.

Second, in addition to that and Emmy nominated, award winning actress, Mayim Bialik’s resume includes this – she’s also a cookbook author, capturing her culinary passion in “Mayim’s Vegan Kitchen.”

Page after page delivers the third news flash – vegan doesn’t have to mean bland or boring. Classic dishes are all over these pages and what’s so interesting is how they’re bombarded with intense flavors that boot out the non-plant components in such a way that we’ll never miss them.

And then the actual recipe, Mexican Bean Dip, {below in Notes} showcases the fourth revelation. Look at the ingredients – all familiar, all likely already in your kitchen. Whether a whole meal or just some of its parts, we’ve all likely been cooking vegan stuff for years. It’s just plant-based, not scary at all. And of course it would make a great cocktail snack, a worthy addition to CHB below.

Recipe Notes – You may want to add a bit more soy or some salt, and I did add more cumin, then served with vegs and three kinds of corn chips {no guarantee they were vegan though}. One other thing, I didn’t go full frijoles on this, but rather left it a little chunky.

The prep is so simple, we’re just going to run it right here: saute 1/4 c chopped onion, 1 minced garlic clove, and 2 T finely chopped celery in 1 T olive oil until soft, about 5 min; add 1 1/2 c or a 14-oz can kidney or pinto beans, drained and rinsed plus 1/4 t ea soy sauce & ground cumin and 1/8 t cayenne {opt}; puree in a blender or processor until smooth; serve with veggies and warm tortillas.

A few additional bio notes from her Wiki page. Most folks first came to know Bialik in her starring role in the tv series Blossom. Along the way she’s also written books for kids and parents {and become a mom herself}. She’s as well a founding member of a Jewish organization that advocates for the ethical treatment for animals. 

Next week – Lasagna Bites, a flavor blast morning, noon, or night

“Mayim’s Vegan Cookbook”   Vegan cookbooks on Amazon, 4 stars & up    Bialik on Wiki

♦  ♦  ♦

Have a cuppa in Alexa’s room – recipes & more

You don’t have to have an Amazon Echo Show to tap into the particular tidbits we’ve linked below, drawn from its vast culinary bounty.

Just pour a cup and let’s talk food with Alexa. We also show the actual requests for those who are Echo owners, who should also note that in many cases she guides you step by step through the recipes.

Alexa says request: How do I make pineapple upside down pancakes? So, the fave cake for dessert becomes a new pancake for breakfast. And just like the classic there’s butter, brown sugar, sweet cherries, of course the pineapple rings, even rum if you want {another round of breakfast for everyone}, and pineapple syrup to top it all off. This morning treat is from Tasty.

Alexa says request: How do you make cheeseburger pie? Even better, AllRecipes serves up a Quick Cheeseburger Pie. The flavor vibe starts with seasoned beef and the sharper taste of Swiss cheese, and then gets kicked up with dill pickle and dill pickle juice. The crust goes a little faster than one that’s rolled out and fitted as it’s just patted into place. Of course a store-bought one would be faster yet.

Alexa says request: How do I make a cake bomb? Oh Tastemade, you are baaaaaaad. Exhibit A? This No-Bake Cookies & Milk Cake Bomb. Yikes, wait till you see it and you’ll know exactly what I mean. Btw, if the instructions don’t paint a clear picture of the prep, no worries, the demo does. One other thing, you’ll see how to make cookie milk, which just may have a promising future in your kitchen all on its own.

Would you like your own Echo Show?

Boundless information, music, movies, tv shows, videos, health tips & news, entertainment news, national news, local news, sports news & recaps, weather, timer, alarm, reminders, shopping lists, Amazon delivery notifications, alerts, security camera connection . . .  and food, food, food, all on an interactive screen. Some connect to Amazon Prime.

You can browse all the Echo styles here on this Amazon page

   Cocktail Hour Buzz   

Sundowner snacks, drinks, talk – whether for a crew, or for two, or just for you

   I found this on the editor’s page in Food & Wne, part of a piece on “getting out of a rut,” March 2021 issue. And it’s a pretty cool idea, sort of an upgrade on cocktail hour snacks. Or as Editor Lewis says, “Snack-ify dinner,” by setting out hearty snacks on a platter or sheet pan. He adds, “It’s fun, easy, and cleanup is a cinch.”

   Pretty much by definition, a heavy appetizer usually has meat in a starring role, with cheese not far behind. If those appetizers come from deli fave Boarshead, both often come to play. Case in point, this beautiful board from their appetizer recipe page which is filled with fabulous ideas that just could quite easily add up to a dinner party.

  Thinking about traveling again? This could be just the final nudge you need. “5 Amazing Wine Destinations in Africa for Delicious Drinks and Beautiful Views.” Uncorked for us by Food & Wine.

Want to join the Buzz? Enter CooksSalon in the subject line – sign the way you want to be identified

Click here to email your comments, questions, links to fave recipes, or?

Find t-shirts, mugs, dvds, gift collections, plus top chef items including cookbooks

CS Marketplace Directory

♦  ♦  ♦

CooksSalon is free to everybody – appreciate anytime you click through to my only affiliate partners

Zazzle food-themed items             Ninja Grill on Amazon             Amazon Echo Show

♦  ♦  ♦

And for your consideration

No Kid Hungry – discover, donate    K9s For Warriors – discover, donate

Looking for something in CS?

Use Search OR contact me at bjnosek@gmail.com, subject line -> CooksSalon

Note

All transactions are solely between the buyer and linked supplier

Cook with passion and a party spirit, whether for a crew, or for two, or just for you

All pages ©2021 CooksSalon.com

FacebooktwitterlinkedinFacebooktwitterlinkedin