The French Press – For the Perfect Cup of Coffee
I use an automatic drip coffee maker to make my morning brew because it's quick and convenient. But yesterday afternoon I wanted a special treat as I was writing, so I dug around in the back of my pantry and found my French Press.
I ground some fresh coffee beans, poured filtered water into a pan and heated it, then spooned the ground coffee into the French Press (also called a press pot). When the water was the perfect temperature (it should be around 190 to 200 degrees F.), I carefully poured it into the French Press and let the coffee ...
Divine Dill Dip Mix – My Favorite Serving Suggestions
Click here to order Divine Dill Dip Mix
As owner of the Three Angels Gourmet Co, people always ask me, "What's YOUR favorite way to serve Divine Dill Dip Mix?"I have several favorite ways to serve this versatile dip mix, depending on the season.In spring, my favorite way to serve Divine Dill Dip Mix is to combine it with cream cheese, crushed pineapple, and chopped pecans and spread it on thin slices of white bread to make deliciously delicate tea sandwiches.Of course, you can also combine it with those same ingredients and form it into an impressive cheeseball and serve with ...
Try Seasoned Skewers for Flavor from the Inside Out!
Flavorful grilling has never been easier now that seasoned skewers are around. These skewers are made from untreated birch wood from Maine and steeped in all-natural oils.
All you have to do is skewer your food, and it gets infused with flavor. The skewers do the work and your food tastes delicious-inside and out. It’s fast. It’s convenient. And, yes, it really works.
Click here to find out more about seasoned skewers!
Presto! It’s Pesto!
Pasta with a basic pesto sauce is a casual dinner to enjoy any time. But it’s particularly nice eaten outside on a warm summer evening. The beauty of pesto is you don’t have to cook it. Just pop a few ingredients into your blender or food processor and - Presto! It’s pesto!For a delicious pasta and pesto dinner, simply cook some of your favorite pasta and drain it (but save some of the water for making the pesto – see recipe, below). Make the pesto, then pour some of it onto the pasta and mix the two items together. Grate ...
Corn Butter Holder – Another “Gotta-Have” Gadget
from Judy, Ferril, Local Food Connections
"Summertime and the living is easy" as the famous song goes and that means it is time for grilling and great summertime food.
A favorite in our family is grilled corn on the cob. There is nothing like bringing home that paper sack of fresh picked sweet corn and getting it ready for the grill. Since the kids liked to help, we prepared it the easy way...
1. Pull of the husks and remove the silk. You can get off any excess strands of corn silk by running a damp paper towel down the cob. They should ...
Food with a Sense of History
As an author myself, I love reading (and writing) historical fiction. I find it particularly delightful when a novel includes a recipe that reflects the times of the book.
Signora da Vinci is a new historical novel from Robin Maxwell. It takes the reader back to the Italian Renaissance as seen through the eyes of Leonardo da Vinci's mother, Catrina. Throughout the book, Catrina serves guests this Grape and Olive Compote. I finished reading the book last night and I was delighted to see the recipe in the back pages.
I already had all the ingredients in my kitchen, so ...
Spinach Souffle Delight
Here's an easy, yet delicious and impressive way to serve spinach.
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp flour
1 c. milk
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. grated sharp cheese
3 eggs, separated
1 c. cooked spinach
Make white sauce of first 4 ingredients. Add cheese: stir until blended. Add unbeaten egg yolks, 1 at a time. Add spinach; mix well. Beat egg whites until stiff; fold into mixture. Place in 1 1/2-quart casserole. Bake at 325 degrees for 40 minutes. Yield: 4 servings.
Invest in a Good Scone Pan!
Nordic Ware Scottish Scone & Cornbread Pan
When I do product samplings at area stores, customers always ask me how I manage to create scones that are such perfect triangles.
There’s no magic trick to this. I just use a scone pan.
Nordic Ware Scottish Scone & Cornbread Pan
Sampling Scones and Selling Scone Pans at Cockrell’s Mercantile
In the Kansas City area you’ll find scone pans at Pryde’s of Westport and Cockrell’s Mercantile.
You can also order scone pans by clicking here:
Nordic Ware Scottish Scone & Cornbread Pan
Award-winning chef, enterpreneur, mom, and cookbook author, Debra Ponzek, talks about her cookbook - 
Ponzek also gives great tips to make cooking a fun activity the whole family can enjoy together.