For respite from the harshest
Winter days, turn to the simple yet satiating Northeastern staple known as
clam chowder. Not only will this soup provide you with warmth in the most bone-chilling weather, but its shellfish base will remind you that balmy Summer days at the beach aren't but several months away. This balanced, nutritious, one-pot meal can be made with shortcuts like bottled clam juice; or, for an extra-special
soup, make the seafood base from scratch.
Martha Stewart may be one of my idols, but a health tip she included in the January issue of her namesake magazine,
Martha Stewart Living, has me disagreeing with her pretty profusely.
Here's what she says:
"Alongside every one of my computers, I have a pitcher of mineral water infused with lemon, lime, orange, or cucumber and mint. I find that I drink more if the pitcher is there as a reminder and I can freely pour a glass, rather than opening bottle after bottle of water during the day."
Instead of hosting a crazy party on New Year's Eve, invite friends and family over for a decadent lunch on Jan. 1. Begin the soirée in the early afternoon (around 2:30) to allow late-night partygoers plenty of time to recover.
For New Year's Eve, my friend Jenny is hosting a party with
appetizers, and she's asked me to bring something. I know that she's already going to have
buffalo wings,
nachos, and virtually every
chip and dip combination. To be different, I'm going to bring these goat cheese and dill endive boats.
This year instead of hosting a formal
Hanukkah dinner, invite friends over for a festive happy hour. Serve guests a selection of vegetable latkes with a buffet of traditional toppings like applesauce, sour cream, and smoked salmon.
Classic potato latkes are delicious alongside cauliflower curry latkes.
I've been longing to make my friends baked goods in some form other than
Christmas cookies, and decided this stout spiced bread was different yet delicious.
I love the idea of individually sized breads, as well as the
eco-friendly concept of reusing something disposable. To prevent sticking, remember to butter the canisters and let them cool slightly but not entirely before removing them from their cans.
Although I found
last night's episode of
Top Chef to be disappointing, I paid pretty close attention to the details. How well were you watching the Christmas-themed show? Find out now when you take my quiz.
Every week before I watch
Top Chef, I head to
Bravo.com to find out who won. Since I'm on the West Coast, the episode has already aired and the recaps, photos, and losing contestant can be found on the website. However, this week when I went to check out the exit interview, I couldn't find one.
This
holiday, I wanted to make homemade
candy as one of my
edible gifts for friends, and I concluded that candied citrus fruit would be the perfect choice. The recipe only calls for fruit, which I always have on hand, and sugar. Candy making doesn't get more basic than that!
