New in “Cocktail Hour Buzz,” June 24-June 30, 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}

♦♦♦  I was recently reminded of a childhood favorite and though I may not have thought of it in years, in the Southern states it’s been a staple for what is apparently forever. And while my experience came out of a jar, that would be a NO if you want to truly as they say, “Put some south in your mouth.” Talking here about pimento cheese, and having now made Kardea Brown’s prep, let me say Wowsie. Thick and rich, it works in so many tasty ways – a great spread  for Happy Hour, but it can also go all melty for an omelet or open quesadilla, also cut-able to snack size – or as she used it, to stuff big burgers on the grill {recipe at link above}. Thanks Kardea!  Food Network

Note – if you’re not planning to use the cheese as burger stuffing, you can skip step 2 under Method. Also, while it doesn’t show in the recipe, I’m pretty sure she said if she weren’t stuffing burgers with the mix, she would also have added some of the pimento juice, which I did.

Kardea’s “Delicious Miss Brown” show

Kardea’s “The Way Home: A Celebration of Sea Island Food and Family with over 100 Recipes”

♦♦♦  Another round of popsicles for everyone! How appealing is this? Combines a tasty dessert and an after dinner drink in one juicy bite. Icy-perfect for summer. Flavors galore. Talking Boozy Popsicles. Some examples – cucumber lime with gin, mojito watermelon, strawberries and cream with Grand Marnier, and a couple more. The rest are non-alcoholic, but nothing wrong with improvising.  Food & Wine

Popsicle molds

♦♦♦  What a fun way to add a touch of whimsey, a touch of class, or both, to the table. Napkin designs! On plates or not. Some stand up, some lie down, some make pockets for flatware, some hold place cards – one actually looks like an envelope. And some look like something else entirely – fans, flowers, containers, a tie, tree, heart, placemat, centerpiece. All 27 become easy peasy with this demo, with mine here taking about a minute.  5-Minute Crafts

Their napkin folding video on youtube

Martha Stewart has her own ways with this fabric-y origami. I made this fan design from her Thanksgiving turkey napkin fold, securing the top with a yellow paper clip, the bottom with a key chain, and pulled the bottom folds back a bit to stabilize the fan {guessing Martha didn’t need these props but just in case like me, you do . . .}

Stewart’s “How to Fold a Napkin in 10 Beautiful Ways”

Napkin folding design books, 4 stars & up    Napkin rings, 4 stars & up {some awesome designs}

♦♦♦  Cocktail chat. “I hope this is to your liking,” the chef said as he set the dishes on the floor. Floor? Well that is a distinct possibility, though maybe they have their own little dining table and chairs. “They” would be Queen Elizabeth’s dogs, Corgis and others, who -yes!- have their own chef. Heard on ABC during the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

The rest of the story – This U.S. Sun article further reveals not just a chef, but a team of chefs, and not just any chefs but Michelin chefs

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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

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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

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

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April 1-April 7, 2022, Cocktail Hour Buzz,” CooksSalon

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}

♦♦♦  In a recent episode of The Kitchen, Broadway actor Daniel Breaker prepared a Baked Egg Bar. What an easy way to make multiple servings that are also fun and colorful. On the show, and in the linked recipe, delectable toppings are added to eggs and cream in ramekins before the whole panful is baked. The recipe notes that you can also have guests add their own to the unbaked dishes. Just thinking, what if you added, say, just some colorful chives and cheddar before baking, and then after baking have the guests top off as they wish from a “bar.” Whichever way, just a great idea.  Food Network

So many great looking ramekins on Amazon

♦♦♦  Wow, was I happy to find this recipe for Baked Pancake with Pancake Mix. I used to buy the store brand that had a good version on the box, but that is no longer available. Even better, this prep shows a preference for the brand sitting right on my pantry shelf. So much good going on here. First, and as usual foremost, the taste is phenomenal, and would be even without the chocolate chips I added. Now just look at the photo and you can see how tender this is, the way it curves onto its platemate. And because it bakes in a 9×13, you can feed a lot or freeze a lot.  The Seasoned Mom

Also to note in the photo – the top of the pancake {left} does not brown in the oven. but the bottom does. So just flip over and you’ll be serving the golden one on the right.

For another oven-to table brunch dish, go back right here to our March 18, 2022, Salon for Cheesy Bacon Bread Pudding

♦♦♦  One of the great things about brunch is the option to set out little bites of good stuff, often with a breakfast vibe. Sort of like an early cocktail hour. And wowsie does this dish fit the bill. Mini Cinnamon Roll Bites. Easy! Starts with a refrigerated pie crust. Butter it up, sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon, roll it up and bake. A simple glaze prep in also included, which is presented as a dip but seems it could also be a drizzle. Demo too. Add a cup of coffee and it’s the perfect brunch finale.  Tasty

I haven’t made this yet, but would be inclined to use the whole crust, even if a few of the rolls ended up less than uniform. My mom used to create a few of these from the dough scraps whenever she made a pie. Just one of the ways she was my role model in finding ways to not waste food.

♦♦♦   What can make a classic brunch beverage take on such additional traits as fun, festive, tasty, colorful, clever. Answer – the easy technique for making these Rainbow Mimosas. What’s so appealing about these glassfuls is their multiple flavors since they’re created mostly with natural juices – cranberry, carrot, mango, matcha lemonade, blue curacao, butterfly pea flower tea – topped off with Prosecco or Champagne. Wondering if  blueberry juice instead of curacao and grape juice instead of pea flower could work. There’s always of course food coloring, and as well you certainly don’t have to make all 6 colors.  Food Network

Other mimosa recipes on Google

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Amazon

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

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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

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

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March 18-March 24, 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

{any links under these items take you right to Amazon unless otherwise indicated – and then only ones with the lock icon}

♦♦♦  Call up the Bloody Marys, Mimosa, and/or Champagne. Because have we got a brunch dish for you. Cheesy Bacon Bread Pudding. And once you’ve cubed the bread, the rest is a breeze. Two things to note. The prep calls for 45 minutes of baking, but you’re going to want to start checking it at 35. Second, those dark elements in my pudding may look like sausage, but actually some rye bread I folded in. Though sausage would be good as would ham.  I did use extra cheese in the mix and on top.  FramedCooks

This is 9″ x 13″ of goodness that may well have leftovers and that lets me segue to sharing my favorite container storage system. I’ve had mine for years, and it’s held up beautifully – compact, easy to access, three sizes and the lids, hooray, fit all of them. Four stars, Prime eligible . . .

Kitchen Organization Carousel

Other storage container organizers

♦♦♦  Intrigue! Did you know the kitchenware in your cabinets and drawers can lead a secret life as artist’s tools, with food as the medium? But it’s all good because this is pure fun. Call up the baking rack, hand mixer, rolling pin, melon baller, slotted spoon, even a fork, and move on to the pans and bowls and, yep, even bubble wrap. The Kitchen Utensil Decorating Hacks video shows all.  Tastemade

Find more inspiring utensils right here

♦♦♦   Fried chicken that isn’t fried? Well, more specifically it’s Oven Fried Chicken. And it’s darn good, lots of flavor going on. For my treatment, I cut thick slices of skinless, boneless chicken breast – perfect for Happy Hour. I didn’t have corn flakes at the time, so crushed up the corn snack, Bugles, and that worked out just fine. This Mary Berg prep features an accompanying recipe for spicy honey slaw.  Food Network

“Mary Makes It Easy” on Food Network

Mary Berg’s cookbooks

♦♦♦  Finally, we can just about stand on tippytoes and see Spring. And Bobby Flay has a fabulous way to toast its arrival – with his Mojito Limeade. And as if that’s not already season-perfect, there’s also mint, plus club soda adding tingle, and white rum supplying the spirit. All poured over crushed ice. Cheers!  Food Network

Teacher: “When water becomes ice, what great change takes place?” Pupil: “The price” – The Old Farmer’s Almanac, Almanac.com

Bobby Flay on Food Network

Flay’s cookbooks    Flay’s DVDs

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

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Zazzle

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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

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

Note

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

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New “Cocktail Hour Buzz,” CooksSalon, Feb 18-Feb 24, 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

♦♦♦  Does it make you kind of want to head for the kitchen just hearing about a recipe for Pizza Tots??? This one starts with 3 1/2 cups hash browns, seasoned, and eggy-ed up to create a moldable consistency. Small handfuls are then shaped around mozzarella and pepperoni, briefly frozen, then fried and served with marinara of your choice. Yum. Demo too.  Tasty

I found online that 3 1/2 c = 1 lb hash browns, but all the packages I saw were larger than that. No worries about leftover taters though . . .

Recipes using hash browns as an ingredient on AllRecipes

♦♦♦  Here’s another dessert bar that’s sturdy enough to be cut to candy-size, especially if right out of the fridge. These Apple & Brown Butter Blondies can add a nice, sweet touch to the Happy Hour table. The mixer does most of the work, with the apple cutting being the only part that needs a bit of time – may experiment next time with apple pie filling or something else I found called fried apples. Meanwhile, may I add, these are really good.  AllRecipes

So, the recipe I used was is the AR magazine, but the link shown on their page {and now above} went to a slightly different title, and slightly different prep, with the most notable changes being the handling of the butter & the number of apples. I’ve posted the mag version on our Recipe Page.

CS Recipe Page

♦♦♦  The good news – cocktail kits abound. The bad news – cocktail kits abound. There are soooooo many of them available, but good news checks in again because you can filter the results by price, rating, discounts and more. Btw, the link above takes you to just the 4-star and up selections. Meanwhile, the kits variously include prep items, glasses, recipe books, mixes, plus some designed for drinks on the go, and two things new to me, whiskey stones and smoking tools.  Amazon

See all the their cocktail kits

♦♦♦  Lots of folks want their bourbon straight, some possibly inviting in a few ice cubes. But it can also be neat {sorry} to mix that spirit into tasty cocktails. Let’s not though take seriously “26 Bourbon Cocktails to Make Tonight” starting instead perhaps with one or two. Maybe the Maple bourbon smash, Banana Rum Old Fashioned {interloper!}, or the fun-named one with ginger oil & baking spices, Hello Friday.  Food & Wine

What a co-ink-a-dink, one of those bourbon cocktails is the Bizzy Izzy {new to me}

. . . and the current issue of Food Network Magazine features it too with this recipe

More on this next week, interesting stuff

The 9 Best Bourbons to Start Your Collection, also from F&W

♦♦♦   What a nice surprise this would be at Happy Hour for folks that need to avoid gluten. Not just snacks they can have, but ones that sound every bit as tasty as their gluten-y cousins. Among the recipes in this listing of Gluten Free Snacks – Caramel & carrot snack cake, Spicy cheese crackers, No-bake honey peanut butter bars, Blooming onion with bacon chipotle dip {shown}, Cinnamon twists with vanilla glaze, and Italian Chex mix, and in fact a number of them offer the flavorful head start of g/f Chex Mix. Even, btw, stuff for puppyBetty Crocker

{Pic from Betty Crocker site}

Rather buy them? – Check out these tasty g/f treats on Amazon

Are you a doggie mom or dad? – might like to see our special tees & mugs

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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

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C’mon in to our Alexa Room, Dec 3-Dec 9, 2021

New Salon every Friday – and you’re invited

C’mon in and help yourself to tasty resources

Hosted by Barbara J Nosek

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

Next week – Kitchen Talk, Shopping Finds, Featured Recipes & Cocktail Hour Buzz

Let’s wine & dine with Alexa   

Tap into some of this culinary bounty that is an everyday part of Amazon Echo’s offerings – always CS-style recipes, sometimes tips and tidbits too

     Love a big breakfast? Hate big preps when your eyelids are still at half mast? Solved! And in a mighty tasty way. These Reheat-able Breakfast Calzones are hearty too, plump with chorizo, potatoes, onions, peppers & seasonings. The prep list may look scary long, but it’s basically cook the chorizo, then the veggies, stir in seasonings. Roll out store bought dough {or make from recipe provided}, fill and freeze. They reheat right from the freezer. Thinking, to make it even more of an eye opener, swap out the bells for jalapenos or habaneros.  From Food Network

    Have you heard of Banoffee Pie? It’s sort of like banana cream gone wild. In the original English version there’s usually a biscuit base, but this prep calls for a graham cracker crust. Then it goes all caramel-y with a layer of dulce de leche that you make from sweetened condensed milk {or, guess you could just buy a comparable amount of dulce de leche}. Along with some cooling steps, then bananas, whipped cream and chocolate shavings. Btw, here’s another place where you would thank an offset spatula {mine from Amazon}.  From Tasty

     Move over potatoes, there’s a new chick in town. More specifically, Hasselback Chicken. The classic technique delivers a mouthful of flavor, as the slots are filled with spinach & ricotta, topped with cheddar and paprika. One thing, you may want to add the cheese later in the process. A tip I learned for anything hasselback is to lay wooden spoons or chopsticks on each side to insure you don’t cut all the way through.  From Tasty

     Promise you won’t run when I mention . . . Chocolate Salami. This confection by Giada is a clever sendup on the deli fave, with buttery chocolate supplying the background and then nuts and crushed biscotti playing the “fat” roles. As a final touch, the whole shebang is rolled in powdered sugar. Yet one more dessert that also serves as a conversation piece.  From Food Network Kitchen

    When Ixipixie, who posted this prep, calls it Hot Corn, you can believe that’s just what it is. And well beyond the warmth of being baked golden in the oven. That other kind of heat is contributed by a full 12 oz jar of jalapenos. Coming to the rescue, somewhat at least, is a lot of cream cheese and cheddar. The descrip says for this family it’s become “a must have for all holidays and special occasions.”  From AllRecipes

Would you like your own Echo Show?

Boundless finds –  music, movies, tv shows, videos, health tips & news, entertainment news, national news, local news, sports news & recaps, jokes, weather, time, timer, alarm, reminders, shopping lists, Amazon delivery notifications, alerts, security camera connection, Skills . . .  and food, food, food, including step by step demos for most recipes, all on an interactive screen. Some connect to Amazon Prime.

Find the Show or other Echo style that’s just right for you on the Amazon pages below

Some are sweet & simple OR others have voice control, 3D audio, BlueTooth, HiFi speakers, Color bulbs, Smart home hub, alarms, clocks, also separate smart clocks & accessories too

Echo Show styles      Echo Dots      Echo Studio      Especially for Kids

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

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And for your consideration

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

Looking for something in CS?

Use Search, Archives, Categories 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

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Recipes Galore & More, Oct 29-Nov 4, 2021

New Salon every Friday – and you’re invited

C’mon in and help yourself to tasty resources

Hosted by Barbara J Nosek

Next week – use our links as we Wine & Dine with Alexa

      Let’s Chat    

Kitchen Talk – Pssssst, Pistou. What a wonderful little find in the NYT Bread & Soup Cookbook we mentioned in the 10.01.21 Salon. It says a tablespoon of this distinctive paste will enliven almost any soup {and more, as with pesto}. To make it, boil 4 slices of bacon in a cup of water for 3 min, drain, chop. Blend with 2 egg yolks, 2 cloves garlic & 1 t dried basil until all ingredients are pureed. Pour into a bowl, stir in 6T on Parmesan & 1 t olive oil. Done.     So looking at the tasty stuff in Pistou, I started thinking it could morph into other apps. Here, I used already-fried bacon, left out the eggs, added enough extra oil until it to started to hold together, and pressed it onto hot toast.    Fancy some fancy butter? Take a look at this taste test from MyRecipes.

♦  ♦  ♦

Shopping Finds – One of the best toys/tools ever, and yay inexpensive too. As you can see here, an offset spatula is just what is sounds like, zagged down from the handle so you can easily smooth out, e.g., tomato sauce, cheese mixtures, cake batter, pie fillings, and more and more. At your market or on Amazon.      So, I have an 8 oz pkg of xanthan gum to make King Arthur flour’s recipe for gluten free bread, but that needs only 1 1/4 t. What to do with the rest? Google has some great ideas regarding thickening gravy, sauces, salad dressings and more. The bread recipe is on that page too. Amazon just in case you can’t find it in the store. I bought the Amazon’s Choice one, shown.

This week’s featured CS-designed, Zazzle-crafted item – You know, it’s a sad state of affairs when it seems every year the interactions across the aisle in DC become ever more coarse. It doesn’t have to be this way, does it? Yes, it is my stuff, but more than the sale I hope in some small way we can send the message that we’d like better manners, more civility. You can see seven different ways to say “Make America Decent Again” right here on this CS page.

  Featured Recipes 

Best Grilled Cheese Ever

If you look on Google you’ll see that others also stake this claim to fame. This one may be among those that deliver. Ree Drummond includes roasted peppers, red onion, tomato and two kinds of cheese, all sparked up with Dijon. The recipe calls for just rye but the pic shows the more interesting marble rye {am I the only one picturing a white haired lady running like the dickens}.  From Food Network

Chicken-Tortilla Casserole

Love chicken tortilla soup? This prep promises to simulate that taste, but put it on a plate . . . with lots of cheese. With an ingredient list that also includes diced tomatoes & chilies, beans & corn, and Mexi flavors, it sure does sound tasty. And you know what – it is! Easy too, as you simply combine, cover with jack cheese {we added cheddar too}, and bake until the top is golden brown, and then garnish each serving.  From Southern Living

Caramelized Banana Bourbon Bread Pudding

Every word in that title is a winner. But wait, there’s more. Chocolate, cream, spices, and not one but two kinds of bread. The last line of the directions reads like a promise: “The bread pudding should have a nice caramelized crust and a moist (not wet or dry) interior.”  From Tastemade

Sunny’s Red Beans & Rice

This is almost always a full flavored dish, but the one Sunny Anderson made on tv just looked so extra appealing, I had to try it myself. May have been influenced by Katie Lee’s reaction, clearly smitten with the New Orleans treat that she called so comforting. What may well be the ruling ingredient here is the smoked ham hock. Now this may be a culinary violation but I piled some of the leftovers on cheese grits. Southern meets Southern!  On Food Network

Best Cookie Recipes

Well likely makes you wanna look. Once you look, likely wanna make. And maybe more than once, or as the title on the page says, cookies to “put on repeat.” Here are a few that caught my eye – butter cookies with clove sugar, candy cookies, butterscotch chocolate sandwich cookies, chocolate chip cookie in a mug, peanut butter breakfast cookies.  From Food & Wine

   Cocktail Hour Buzz   

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

   Nice to see that Food & Wine doesn’t mind crashing through its titular walls. Well, to be fair, there is food involved – pickles to be exact. What makes a headline is that these pickles seem to be even more definitively pickled. And that’s because they are gin-flavored. No real gin, but all the botanicals of Hendrick’s Gin is right there in the jar. This ginny pickle would be a great conversation piece for the snack table {but maybe stop short of plopping it in the tini}.

  Truth be told I’m pretty much a purist when it comes to deviled eggs, but the gussied up ones that we featured in last week’s Salon looked pretty darn good. And you know what, they are!. Given the number of eggs, I decided a bit more bacon wouldn’t hurt, with even more for garnish. These cheddar bacon deviled eggs are from AllRecipes.

  Want to use fresh coconut water in your drinks? Want to serve your drinks in coconut shells? The first trick is getting the darn thing open. It was actually Alexa {see you next week!} who directed us to Wikihow for these 3 ways to open a coconut.

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CS Marketplace Directory

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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

♦  ♦  ♦

And for your consideration

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

Looking for something in CS?

Use Search, Archives, Categories 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

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So fun, Hasselback Pizza Chicken, April 9-April 15, 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 – Have you heard of this? Tea latte, officially dubbed London Fog. The basics are tea and steamed milk and then customization sets in. What’s your pleasure? Perhaps vanilla syrup or brown sugar, other sweeteners, maybe a touch of lavender. Thanks to Google see it all here, how to make or where to buy.      Love Oreos but hate the gluten? Rejoice! Yep, there are now gluten-free Oreos. Regular and Double Stuf. See them on the Oreo site.      Burger lovers love burgers anytime of the year, but as the weather turns balmy, there just seems to be something extra special about those tasty patties, in the pan or on the grill. For folks who might like to change up the current faves will want to take a look at the Best 33 Burger Recipes from Food & Wine.

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Shopping Finds – So, we’ve played a lot recently with sparkly and colored sugar. But here comes a whole different take – sparkly syrup! Found Strawberry Sparkle on Amazon – I couldn’t really see glittering in the pix but one of the reviewers who had poured it into sparkling waters said, loved watching the sparkles swirl around the bubbles. And a company called Runamok {not familiar with them but shows the lock icon} offers a Maple Sparkle Syrup. Btw, on the Amazon page you can also find jars of mica, the stuff that creates the blingy magic.    For you, for someone just setting up housekeeping, for your cookster friend? Wowsie, 24-pc kitchen utensil set, #1 Amazon Best Seller, Prime eligible, $24.99.

This week’s featured CS-designed, Zazzle-crafted item Who’s rescued a dog from a shelter and given it a loving forever home. You? Someone you know? This mug not only showcases that good deed in a kind of whimsical way, but also just may encourage others to go forth and do likewise. “I’m being trained by a sweetie I adopted from the shelter.” Find it right here on our CS mug page. Or choose a tee instead on our CS T-shirt page.

   On the Table 

Feature – Hasselback Pizza Chicken, easy fun

Once again Alexa popped up a recipe where resistance was fu-tile. And so here it is, “upstairs,” in the Featured Recipe spotlight.

This is so fun. Like chicken parm meets pizza meets a technique usually confined to the potato province.

I did take a couple of CS-liberties here. Marinara instead of puree. Pepperoni instead of salami. But you know what, it sure seems the original would be great too.

I also experimented with cooked chicken breasts from the deli counter, baked until heated through and the cheese was all melty. Worked just fine.

I opted for fries and slaw as platemates, but think pasta or even risotto could work well. Some kind of salad is almost always a good counterpoint.

Thanks, Tasty!

Next week – Creamy topped caramelized pineapple, quick and easy

Recipe  ♦  Chicken Cookbooks, 4 stars & up

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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 perfect spinach salad? So, when that popped up on the screen sort of had to see how it might live up the hype. Here’s what backs up the hype for a perfect spinach salad – peppered bacon, onions caramelized in the bacon fat, mushrooms also sautéed in the fat {with license to add more fat if needed}, baby spinach, and – look out – more bacon fat in the dressing  {cardiologists, look away}. From Ree Drummond.

Alexa says request: How so I make potato cannolis? As the description says, Think of this as two potatoes for the price of one. That’s because the shell is rolled and crisped potato slices, and the filling is creamy mashed potatoes, mixed with Gruyere and little hits of nutmeg and salt. A sprinkle of chives adds a touch of color to the fun. This recipe comes from Tastemade.

My request: Show me some Nutella recipes Of the bunch that she pulled up, I think the one going on the to-make list is the Easy No Bake Nutella Pie from AllRecipes. Btw, the results also included a couple of ways to make your own version of Nutella.

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

  Eately offers up some wine suggestions for the snack table and the sweet table. The page also includes a link for their wine & cheese guide.

  Our CS Tasting Panel judged this a hit. Chicken Parm Dip! Starts with a store-bought rotisserie chicken {yay!}, then gets saucy and also adds in seasonings and cheese. Serve piping hot from the oven with crostini & veggies as dippers. And be prepared – it makes a lot. The good news, so many tasty ways to use the leftovers.

  Who loves margaritas {hand raised}? If you can still find the April/May issue of Taste of Home you’ll find 10 ways to gussy up the classic. Can’t find. Well then, double down instead with this page on their site, “20 of Our Best Margarita Recipes.”

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

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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

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Oh my, Chocolate Fudge Party Pie, April 2-April 8, 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 – Remember our fast, easy way to color eggs with food color pens. See our 07.26.19 Salon for tips & details.      They’re not just for people anymore. What? The recipes on MyRecipes. Here are their 13 preps for pets. If you have any concerns about these preps, please check with your vet.      Sometimes the headline just pulls you in and then the opening line seals the deal – like this one, “What if I told you that I could guarantee perfectly cooked, perfectly tender pork chops, every time?” It turns out How to Cook Tender Juicy Pork Chops Every Time from the kitchn is a matter of cut, brine and oven.

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Shopping Finds – You don’t have to be too many pages in to “Open Kitchen” to realize that all of the preps a re just so pretty, so party-ready. And that’s all the more notable because tons of work is definitely not part of the equation here. Both aspects are pretty well covered in the claim that this cookbook is “full of contemporary, stylish, and accessible dishes that will delight and impress with less effort.” By Susan Spungen, 4 1/2 stars on Amazon, hardcover and kindle, Prime eligible.       What would we do without whisks??? But does your inventory include this French design? Here’s where it shines – anytime you’re prepping say a sauce right in the pan, this is the one that incorporates those ingredients that try to hide all around the bottom edges, often missed by the pointy guys. Set of two mini French whisks, $5.90 on Amazon, 4 1/2 stars, Prime Eligible.

This week’s featured CS-designed, Zazzle-crafted item – Stake you claim right on your mug. “In This House I’M the Celebrity Chef” On our Food-Themed Mugs page right here on CS. Also says it loud and clear on our Food-Themed T-Shirts page. This same saying is also available on an Apron on our Zazzle page.

 

   On the Table 

Feature – Chocolate Fudge Party Pie, a festive delight in every bite

Party? Well that can be, as our CS watchwords say, for a crew, or for two, or just for you. The festive spirit knows no limitations.

And with that in mind we put the spotlight on a big bunch of decadence. Borrowing a line from Reese’s, not sorry!

The original {shown in CHB, 11.06.20 Salon} on a somewhat ancient newspaper clipping, calls for a cooked filling. This re-do takes a clue from our Bailey’s chocolate pots {03.05.21 Salon} and replaces the egg with cream cheese for no-cook, no-bake {except for the crust} prep that’s still pretty faithful to the original.

Here’s what I used: 8 oz cream cheese, 1 c milk, 1/4 cup heavy cream, 2 T softened butter, 3.5 pkg chocolate fudge instant pudding mix, 2 T ea cocoa and brown sugar, all in the food processor. Into the baked crust, covered in the fridge for a few hours or till completely set. Easy!

Serve with whipped topping. Or our new friend, colored sugar. Or both!

Recipe Notes – You probably could use a ready-made graham cracker crust but I really think that could send the sweetness over the edge. Why a party pie? Thinking because with so many rich ingredients would probably be for a special occasion . . . and because it would likely be the star of any get-together.

Next week – Hasselback Pizza Chicken, as tasty as it is fun

Recipe  ♦  Pie cookbooks on Amazon, 4 stars & up

♦  ♦  ♦

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 you make donut bread pudding? So, what actually comes up is even better, Cider Donut Bread Pudding. And if the picture tells the true tale, it is beyond moist. I’m guessing the large apple and cup and a half of cream help in that regard. This is 5 stars, from AllRecipes.

Alexa says request: How do you make Shepherd’s Pie Potato Bowls? What an interesting dish. And quite rich, with the major culprit being butter – brushed onto the potato skins, mashed into the potatoes, mixed into the shepherd’s pie ingredients, and then crowning the finished “bowl.” The recipe comes from Food Network.

My request: Do you have recipes for leftover ham? And up came preps for soups, salads, sandwiches and casseroles. This one was kind of an unusual application, Ham, Bean and Kale Slaw by Serious Eats. But I was drawn most of all to the Sheet Pan Cubanos by the easy method, and the interesting option of using chicken or turkey instead of pork.

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

  Campari fan? You’ll probably want to take a look at these 18 Delicious Campari Cocktails to Make at Home from Food & Wine. If you’re new to this Italian aperitivo note that F&W calls it herby, citrusy and pleasantly bitter. It’s also an essential in the popular drink Negroni, starring in recipes all over google.

   Foodtalkdaily seems to favor the sweet side of the prep spectrum {not that’s there’s anything wrong with that!}, but here it gives us a delectable appetizer, baba ganoush. While you may already be familiar with this smoky eggplant dip, what you may like to know as well is that it satisfies a lot of diets – being keto, gluten-free and vegan. The site suggests serving with pita, crackers or sliced veggies, and the next day I’ve discovered it’s a quite nice spread on morning toast.

  There’ll be no just sitting around a table for these folks. Nope. Sipping meets adventure in these Most Extreme Wine Tastings Around the World. Think undersea to high in the sky to deep in a cave and more.

   “Unquiet meals make ill  digestions” – Shakespeare {pic from Wikimedia}

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 these 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

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Aunty Peggy’s Ham & Beef Tavern Chili, Feb 26-March 4, 2021

New Salon every Friday – c’mon in

CS friends, and help yourself to tasty resources

Hosted by Barbara J Nosek

  Let’s chat   

Quick Bites – How about this? Homemade edible cookie dough! Food Network tells us exactly how to go about it, offering peanut butter, chocolate chip, and birthday cake versions. The latter mixes white chocolate chips and sprinkles into the cookie dough. Be sure to note the essential flour toasting step in the Cook’s Note shown for each recipe.    In listing ways to boost your immunity, Clean Plates notes these foods: elderberry, garlic, colorful fruits and vegetables, black and green tea. Here’s the full story  Prefer to drink one of these boosters? See below in our Cocktail Hour Buzz.

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Shopping Finds – When a condiment, despite its origins in a single small food stall, has chef and celeb enthusiasts, logo clothing, a fanzine, an appreciation society, and now a presence in 30 countries – it’s probably worth a taste, huh? Called Lao Gan Ma, it’s an amped up chilli oil in several varieties and be forewarned, it really is a little addictive. Here’s a story about it. And if you can’t find it locally, you can order from Amazon  This would be useful for any of us, but also what a fun gift for any cooking friend. Called a Supoon – Silicon Sit-up Scraping Spoon, those few words telegraph its two main functions. One, the “squeegee” edge to scrape a bowl or pan clean. Second, the off the counter design “to keep it clean.” It also nicely has measuring lines. And I would add one more perk – if the pic is accurate, it lets you measure “hands free.” On Amazon, other colors too, though some may not always be available.

This week’s featured CS-designed, Zazzle-crafted item – Pug mug! Are these just about the cutest, most lovable little guys??? T-shirt available too. See both, plus other breeds and our Shelter Dog design right here on CS on our Eclectic Mall page.

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Kitchen Talk – I love fresh garlic, but sometimes garlic powder can be so convenient. Even Cook’s Country says don’t “dis” it as it “works well alongside other spices in everything from dry rubs to chili, mashed potatoes, and garlic bread.” They add, just use it right by first hydrating it with a bit of water. OK, from now on then.    KitchenAid has announced that its 2021 color of the year is Honey, calling it “a reminder of the sweetness of coming together in the kitchen.” Well we’ll second that, and in fact their rendition really is a nice warm, cozy color.    Need to thin a tomato based sauce? Instead of water add extra flavor with a bit of vegetable juice.

   On the Table  

Feature – Aunty Peggy’s Ham & Beef Tavern Chili

She was one of my dad’s three sisters. Their uncles, 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.

Decades ago, Aunty Peggy’s tavern chili won a recipe contest conducted by the Chicago Tribune. I don’t know which was the greater thrill for her, the win itself or seeing her picture in this prestigious paper.

Much as I love this stuff, a friend in Chicago probably makes it even more than I do. She likes it in its pure form but recently discovered it’s even better with smoked ham.

I use that too now. I also like a bit more chili powder and a couple of tablespoons of cumin. Depending on the heat level in the chili beans, I may add some hot sauce.

It’s tasty and satisfying just as is, but toppings are good too. Here I used cheddar, sour cream and a bit of green onion.

Next week – Bailey’s Chocolate Cheesecake Pots, hello St. Pat’s Day

Recipe  ♦  Chili cookbooks, 4 stars & up

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 chicken pot pie by Wolfgang Puck? The first part of that title tells you we’re talking comfort food and the second part says it’s going to be something special. And it is, because here classic meets upgrade. As a bonus Chef Puck himself delivers the demo. And as another perk, there’s a tip on checking sauce consistency that can be applied well beyond this dish. Thanks, Tasty, for giving us this recipe.

Alexa says request: How do I make chocolate dipped cannoli cupcakes? Is there any part of that title that isn’t a winner. And what I like even further is that it’s based on a cake mix, and that instead of hollowing out the cupcakes they’re just kind of smooshed down to make room for the filling inside and then also piled up to then be dipped in chocolate. Then looking back at the promise in the title, yep, that filling is classic cannoli including the mini chocolate chips. Thanks again! Tasty, for this boffo recipe and demo too.

My request: What’s the best way to store cookies ? At room temperature in an airtight container, then should be good for 2 weeks. If you want, put plastic wrap between the cookies to preserve their moisture. But if the cookies are made with dairy products in the frosting or filling then store in the fridge. Cookies can also be stored in the freezer, though not recommended for frosted ones.

And this week’s unexpected thing we found that Alexa can do – recommend a recipe – when you request this she will ask if you want to search by dish or ingredient.

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

   Elderberry and as well elderflower are popular ingredients for drinks, both alcoholic and non, usually added as a syrup. Both of these gifts from the elder tree are often credited with boosting immunity. Here’s a google link to cocktail recipes for both. These Amazon pages feature the syrup and a lot more.  Elderberry  Elderflower  Cheers!

   Does your grocery store have these? Crafted of wild caught salmon swirled around cream cheese with shallots and capers, they’re tailor made for the snack table. Cut a bagel in half, then each half in 4 or 6, top each piece with a pinwheel and voila – appetizers! Can sprinkle with dill weed as shown here, or tuck a cuke slice underneath, e.g. Would also taste good on crackers, pretzel rolls, rye bread I think.

   Have teetotalers in your circle? Or should I say “teatotalers”??? A recent find may have the adult beverage crowd setting aside their glasses for a cup of what I recently found – tea that tastes like birthday cake. First the bad news – the found is lost. Now the good news – google has actually multiple sources for this treat. And these are on Amazon.

   Amy Reily’s newsletter this month features an article that is perfect for the times, perfect for lovers of wine. Titled, “How to Host a Zoom Wine Tasting,” it actually covers both joining an existing Zoom wine tasting as well as hosting a virtual tasting of your own.

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 these affiliate partners

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

           

Looking for something in CS?

Scroll & check previews  OR use Search OR contact me at bjnosek@gmail.com, subject=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

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No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake, Jan 22-Jan 28, 2021

New Salon every Friday – c’mon in

CS friends, and help yourself to tasty resources

Hosted by Barbara J Nosek

 Let’s chat   

Quick Bites – What’s better than a celebrity chef recipe for cornbread? Five celeb chef recipes for cornbread. What’s even better yet? Someone on insider.com willing to test all five, take us through each process, and give us the results. You have to search a bit, but there are links in each description that will send you to the recipe.    A slide show from USA Today lifted the curtain on how pickle juice can elevate fried chicken, calling it a magical combination. Quite intriguing, but didn’t say exactly say how to go about that {amount, timing, other ingredients}. But AllRecipes does with its Pickle Brine Chicken recipe.    Thinking ginger root must have hired a pr agent since I’m seeing more and more about its health benefits and flavor perks. Food & Wine brings us no fewer than 29 ginger recipes in this slide show {or scroll for full list}, including an intriguing one for ginger-roasted acorn squash that adds greens for a very pretty platter. {Hey, could put these three together for a mighty fine dinner}

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Shopping Finds – Did you know this? Panera Bread offers a decent variety of pantry items for contactless delivery or curbside ordering or pickup. See the details.     And did you know about this kitchen tool? You hold it kind of like a knife, run it over certain fruits or vegetables or even pastry or say slices of Swiss cheese for salad and end up with perfect uniform shreds. Many variations here on Amazon, all quite reasonably priced.

Also, CS Designed, Zazzle-crafted“I’m Being Trained by a Sweetie I Adopted from the Shelter” – see MUG on Zazzle page, TEE on Zazzle page OR preview BOTH here on CS page

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Kitchen Talk – All my previous ice cream breads have to move over, because there’s a new fave in this kitchen. Peppermint! Yes, peppermint stick ice cream bread, a semi-sweet treat that just dances in the mouth. See the original recipe in our 07.17.20 Salon, and remember, just three ingredients. Could be quite nice on the Valentine’s table.    Hot news! Yahoo Life reports that research presented at the recent AMA Scientific Sessions cited a wide-ranging chile pepper study that shows consuming these palate igniters could be instrumental in avoiding major diseases and increasing lifespan. The favorite spicy cookbook in this kitchen is The Fiery Cuisines, 5 stars on Amazon and notable for balancing flavor and heat in dishes from across the food groups and around the world.

   On the Table 

Feature – No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake

This might border on illegal {if so, blame Tasty.co & Alexa}. Or at least something you might not want to mention to your dentist.

Rich cheesecake goes a big step richer with melted chocolate chips blended in. Then cozies up to a thick layer of peanut butter that’s gone all sweet with powdered sugar.

Would certainly be good as is. But looked sort of plain, so melted another 1/4 cup of chips to drizzle overall.

While a number of desserts taste better after sitting out of the fridge for a while, this is best nice and chilled. Probably don’t need to add that small slices will suffice.

So, just for the heck of it thought I would see if Amazon offers a ready-made chocolate peanut butter cheesecake and yep they do, and quite showy but also quite pricey. What you might find surprising though are the other choc/pb items on the page including even coffee.

Recipe Notes – I cut this recipe in half and made it in a deep dish pie plate. It calls for just chocolate chips, but I opted for semi sweet and wondering if even bittersweet might work. Also, ran both layers through the food processor so they would turn out silky smooth. Note that it needs fridge time in the process and afterward.

Next week – Loaded Mashed Potato Cups, 3 ways, all fun

Recipe  ♦  Chocolate peanut butter goodies on Amazon

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 tater tot breakfast pizza? Tater tots + egg = a crispy, tasty crust, especially if you heed some of the commenters who seasoned both the potatoes and the eggs. Then, the toppings, yum. Two cheeses, bacon, the eggs, pepper, not in the list but looks like parsley in the demo, and then avocados. Check other comments too for different topping suggestions. However it came together, these folks love this recipe from Tasty.

Alexa says request: How do you make cinnamon roll pancakes? AllRecipes wins this delectable derby with their 4 1/2 star recipe. Let the description on the page tell the rest of the story – “Sweet and delicious buttermilk pancakes with a butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon swirl filling. These are great any time of the day and less time consuming than making real cinnamon rolls!” Wow, add the above prep and we’re talking a 5-star brunch.

My request: Most of the time Alexa is quite amazing in putting together the parts of your request to deliver exactly what you’re looking for. In this case though, it took some “negotiating.” What I really wanted was a 5-star recipe for New Orleans style barbecued shrimp which as you all know is a whole different category of bbq. After trying this and that I finally decided to name drop and asked for a barbecued shrimp recipe by Emeril. Voop up it came and Voila! 5 stars. On Food Network and actually called Emerilized Barbecued Shrimp, it has more ingredients than maybe most others but oh my each one just layers on more flavor.

And this week’s unexpected thing we found that Alexa can do – play dinner party music, such as classic jazz or classic rock

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

♦  Well look who dropped down out of her room. Alexa! That’s because she popped up some party food on her screen. S’Mores Popcorn. It comes to us from Giada on Food Network, and indeed has all the right stuff. You’ll see that she gives it a bit of a Valentine’s look, and woohoo it starts with store-bought popped corn.

  Well I’d say definitely soothing, but Food & Wine goes all in and declares, “Hot Cocktails Are Like Heating Lamps for the Soul,” and then goes on to describe some toddy siblings found in restaurants around the country. And fear not, there’s a link to another F&W story with actual recipes.

   Here’s how Ashe Cayne in “The Unspoken” dresses up a charcuterie plate: cured meats, hard and soft cheeses, olives, grilled artichoke hearts, pepper & fig spread, bruschetta, crackers, fresh & dried fruit, strawberry jam. There are just a couple of pages in this Amazon 4-star book where you wouldn’t want to be eating at the time, but it’s otherwise a relentlessly unfolding mystery in the toughened hands of Cayne, a Shakespeare-quoting, Food Network-watching Chicago detective, hard boiled and soft boiled. Here’s my recent plateful.

  Heard on Food Paradise, Food Network, “You season both sides because you eat both sides.” Kind of a cousin to Emeril’s oft-said “I hate one-sided tasting food.”

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 these affiliate partners

     Zazzle                   

           

Looking for something in CS?

Scroll & check previews  OR use Search OR contact me at bjnosek@gmail.com, subject=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 ©2020 CooksSalon.com

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