May Your Breakfast Be Cherry & Bright… A Bit of History Amarena cherries grow in Modena and Bologna Italy and have a beautiful dark color. Due to its sour taste, Amarena cherries are cooked in sugar and bottled in syrup. Around the turn of the century in 1905, the Fabbri company began selling and producing…
100 Horses, a Queen, & a Tree…. A Bit of History Personally, chestnuts always evoke memories of Florence, Italy for me. In the winter time, the aroma of roasted chestnuts lingers in the air from the many street vendors’ carts. It is by far my favorite Italian street food. In my recipe for Smoked Chestnut…
All You Can Beet… A Bit of History The Guinness world record for the largest serving of hummus, held by Chef Ramzi Choueiri and the students of Al-Kafaat University in Beirut, is 10,452 kg (23,042 lbs. 12 oz). That is definitely enough hummus to stock an all you can eat mezze platter! Hopefully, you won’t…
All Quiet in Cologne… A Bit of History I always know the holidays are fast approaching when the supermarkets stack boxes of candy canes in the entryways and Starbucks whips out their red cups. It is a time when my family and I long for the combination of peppermint and chocolate. These No-Bake Peppermint Mocha…
Stalk of Fire… A Bit of History Currently, my girls love The Last of the Olympians series by Rick Riordan and the Greeking Out podcast by National Geographic Kids. Coincidentally, this recipe for Orange Ginger Pomegranate Vinaigrette over a fennel salad relates to the Promethium Greek myth. According to Greek mythology, Zeus, in a moment…
Monkey Heads & Lion’s Manes…Vegan Mushroom Paella with Chorizo A Bit of History When it comes to naming vegetables, mushroom species definitely take the win for creativity and variation. Common mushroom names conjure up great visual images! In this version of vegan mushroom paella with chorizo, I chose Lion’s Mane mushrooms. Due to their strange…
From the Neolithic Revolution to Meal Prep… A Bit of History Approximately 12,000 years ago, humans began to shift from a mainly hunter-gather existence to early farming. Historians refer to this transitional era as the Neolithic Revolution or the first Agricultural Revolution. Even though history books will not record this recipe, my ancient grain Greek…
When in Doubt Bounce it Out… A Bit of History My kids and I really enjoyed bouncing in the kitchen this week before crafting my easy homemade cranberry sauce. Apparently, your cranberries are uber fresh if they bounce when dropped to the floor. And really, who doesn’t love bouncing food on purpose? I highly recommend…
“For Mom and Apple Pie” A Bit of History As a child I loved to create pies with my Grandma Joan, but quite frankly I don’t have the patience anymore for the nuances of dough. On the contrary, I enjoy experimenting with cookies and biscotti, especially this version of Apple Pie Biscotti with Ginger Orange…
Pikes Place Market vs Beantown… A Bit of History Sometimes I need both a sweet treat and some caffeine! Crafting a blended iced coffee at home satisfies both of these requirements. Plus it is really easy and it beats paying $5 for one at a coffee shop. I wondered about the origins of these tasty…