Gluten and Dairy Free Christmas Cookies: Recipe for Italian Amaretti
Filed Under Food History, Recipes, Special Occasions Italy
Almond-flavored cookies are popular in Italy in general, and even more so around the holiday season. This super easy recipe for Italian amaretti is naturally gluten and dairy free, making it a go-to around the holidays for those with dietary restrictions without sacrificing the flavor! Amaretti Cookies in Italy There are many different types of almond cookies in Italy. These amaretti are slightly crunchier than ricciarelli, a popular Tuscan almond… Read
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Russian Tea Cake Recipe for National Cookie Day
Filed Under Food History, Kitchen Tips, Recipes, Special Occasions
December 3 is National Cookie Day, so why not dedicate a blog to everyone's favorite sweet treat and a fabulous Russian tea cake cookie recipe? The word "cookie" originally comes from the Dutch word "koekje," meaning cake. Of course, much of the English-speaking world calls them "biscuits," but that just shows how influential Dutch immigrants were on the development of American English. Cookies were originally made as a way to… Read
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Happy World Chocolate Day & A Recipe for Easy Chocolate Mousse
Filed Under Food History, Recipes, Special Occasions
Happy World Chocolate Day! Surely one of the best food days of the year, World Chocolate Day celebrates this wonderful product. Whether you like yours hot or cold, liquid or solid, bittersweet or milk, chocolate remains one of the most beloved of foods. We're feting it ourselves with a delicious chocolate mouse recipe, below, but first, let's talk about chocolate! A History of Chocolate What exactly is chocolate? Chocolate is… Read
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The Best Labor Day Menu
Filed Under Kitchen Tips, Recipes, Special Occasions, What's Up at TIK, Wines & Spirits USA
Labor Day marks the unofficial end of summer. Kids start back to school, the weather starts to turn, and fall is just around the corner. Every year Labor Day is one of my favorite holidays. Sure, my garden by this point looks horrid, as I've invariably let the weeds take over. And my kids are usually as unruly as the garden at this point, and I am ready to send… Read
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5 Great Things to Do with Watermelon: The Ultimate Summer Food
Filed Under Food History, Kitchen Tips, Recipes, Special Occasions USA
Today is National Watermelon Day, and in honor of one of our favorite summer foods we're featuring five amazing ways to use this summer staple. Of course, the best way to enjoy watermelon might just be the old fashioned way - slice by slice - but we've found a number of ways to jazz it up on a hot summer day. #1 Watermelon Salsa Ingredients: 2 cups watermelon, cut into… Read
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Fourth of July Dessert: "Red, White, & Blue" Ricotta with Lavender Syrup and Berries
Filed Under Kitchen Tips, Recipes, Special Occasions
Fourth of July is one of our favorite holidays. For us, it's the kickoff to deep summer, to pool days, barbecues, and get togethers at the lake. We've written before about amazing recipes and ideas for this classic American holiday, but today we have a new recipe especially for the Fourth of July. Growing up, we had a lot of flag cakes on July 4th. This was because it's my… Read
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