The walnut chocolate circles cookie recipe has a great rich flavor that is great for dunking in a tall glass of milk or hot cup of coffee!

Ingredients

2 sticks (1 cup) salted butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

pinch of salt

1 cup walnuts, toasted and finely ground

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

Vanilla Icing:

1 cup powdered sugar

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1-2 tablespoons milk

Hardware

Large bowl

Small bowl

Cookie sheets

Plastic wrap

Mixer

Step 1: In a large bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer set on medium-high for 30 seconds.

Step 2: Add sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Beat until combined.

Step 3: Beat in ground nuts.

Step 4: Beat in as much flour as you can with the electric mixer, then stir in remaining flour with spoon.

Step 5: Shape dough into a 2-inch-diameter log. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4-24 hours or until firm enough to slice.

Step 6: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Step 7: Lightly grease cookie sheets.

Step 8: Cut log into 1/4-inch slices. Place slices 1 inch apart on prepared cookie sheets.

Step 9: Bake for 8-10 minutes or until cookies look dry. Transfer cookies to cooling surface.

Vanilla Icing:

Step 1: In a small bowl, stir together 1 cup powdered sugar, 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract, and enough milk (1-2 tablespoons) to make drizzling consistency.

Step 2: Drizzle each cookie with icing, let dry.

Makes 40 cookies.

For more information on baking procedures and hardware used in this recipe see our Baking Tips section.

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Parties are fun times and no party is complete without arrangements for special food to be served. It is the gourmet food fare offered at parties that takes our hearts away. Caviar can be a suitable delicacy to be served at parties. This is principally consumed as a garnish or as a spread. Serving of caviar on lightly toasted bread or crackers along with butter is acclaimed as a fine hors d’oeuvre. It is also common to find caviar being served with beverages like champagne or vodka. The caviar may be obtained from various fish species- the most commonly used fish species being the sturgeon.

Delicacy caviar obtained from various fish species

It is the eggs or roe obtained from the female sturgeon, a primitive fish species of the Northern Hemisphere that usually constitute caviar. These fishes are found in coastal waters, rivers and lakes. It is from the inland Caspian Sea- lying between Russia and Iran that most of the world’s caviar supplies is procured.

Among the sturgeon species it is the beluga sturgeon that produces the beluga caviar and the Russian sturgeon that produces the osetra caviar. Again, the stellate sturgeon produces the sevruga caviar. All these are varieties of fine caviar. The American paddlefish caviar- roe of a special fresh water sturgeon comes in many shades and ranges from pale grey to dark steel and has a smooth and silky texture and rich, complex flavor.

The Royal Osetra caviar is low-salt caviar obtained from the sturgeon fished in the Caspian Sea- Russian waters. The characteristic dark and rich color and incredible flavor and subtle sweetness make it so very special. Featuring among the rarest and the most magnificent of all caviar is the Tzar Imperial Beluga. This is near-translucent pale grey caviar. The large perfect pearls and delicate buttery flavor makes this stand apart.

Serving caviar secured from around the world

Caviar as secured from the world over is a highly esteemed delicacy. How best to serve it is the issue which concerns hosts offering the delicacy the most. The fine caviar obtained from various parts of the world and from various species of fishes are to be desirably served on lightly toasted bread or crackers together with butter. The bread or crackers are not to be made too hard by toasting in order to avoid losing of the taste. Utensils made of horn, wood or gold are traditionally considered as the best utensils to serve the caviar on. Mother-of-pearl and plastic utensils may also be suitable. However, utensils made of silver and steel- both carbon and stainless types need to be avoided as they have been known to alter taste and color of caviar.

***You may use this article on your website as long as the two URLs are hyperlinked.

Tania Penwell provides information on

Ingredients:

1/2 (1 pound) loaf French bread, cut diagonally in 1 inch slices
4 eggs
1 cup milk
3/4 cup half-and-half cream
1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons butter
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon and 1-1/2 teaspoons light corn syrup

Directions:

Butter a 9×13 inch baking dish. Arrange the slices of bread in the bottom. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, milk, cream, vanilla and cinnamon. Pour over bread slices, cover, and refrigerate overnight.

The following morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small saucepan, combine butter, brown sugar and corn syrup; heat until bubbling. Pour over bread and egg mixture.

Bake in preheated oven, uncovered, for 40 minutes.

Christmas is a time for family and friends. The traditions you create or pass down to your children now will create lasting memories for years to come. This recipe for French Toast can become one of your family traditions everyone looks forward to year after year.

Here are a few Christmas Eve traditions for your family.

Attend Church - Many churches hold special services on Christmas Eve to celebrate the birth of Christ. Bring your family to church to the special Christmas Eve service. Take this time to remember and celebrate the true meaning of Christmas or go on Christmas morning to really feel the true meaning of the holiday.

A Festive Home - Is your home in the Christmas spirit? Light cinnamon- or cookie-scented candles throughout your home. Decorate with ribbons and bows. Make simple swags and table centerpieces with baskets of cinnamon-scented, wax-dipped pinecones. Add single strands of clear bulb lights to your mantle. Simple touches create a warm, holiday environment for your family.

Visit Family - If you have family to visit, plan your trips for Christmas Eve. Bring your gifts to deliver to friends along the way. Many families travel during the holiday season, so remember to drive with caution.

Christmas Cooking - Get your family involved in the Christmas cooking. Make candy and cookies with your children. Have them roll the dough, or cut out the cookies, even young children can help. Christmas cooking is always a fun thing to do on Christmas Eve.

Christmas Walk – Bundle everyone up and go for a walk or drive around the neighborhood to look at the lights. Children love looking at Christmas lights and this will really set the festive mood for the holiday… and don’t forget the hot chocolate when you get back home!

Tell a Story – Set the mood for Christmas on Christmas Eve, gather everyone around your cozy living room, light the tree, serve some hot chocolate or eggnog with a few Christmas treats and tell a special Christmas story. You can tell the story of the meaning of Christmas or a story about Santa for younger children. You can even sit around and talk about the meaning of Christmas, the upcoming year or everything you have to be thankful for.

Enjoy this special time with your family and remember that you’re creating life-long memories for your children… make it special.

Visit Christmas-Holiday-Traditions.com Christmas-Holiday-Traditions.com for more crafts and family traditions for the holidays.

In order to get the best benefits out of good wines, they first need to sufficiently mature. Wines only get better with time. They must be stored properly during this period of maturing, as factors such as humidity, temperature, and proper lighting play an imperative role. The easiest and most effective way to store wine is to use a wine rack. Wine racks are to be selected carefully, keeping in mind which size of rack that you will require.

There are many choices of wine racks. However, the horizontal types of racks are normally preferred to those that are vertical, especially for wines that will be stored for a long period of time. Vertical racks do tend to dry the cork, which will end up spoiling the wine, just as many tilted racks do. Horizontal racks won’t dry up the cork and allow any unnecessary air contact, leaving your wine which is stored in a horizontal rack to be totally absent of sediment when it is poured. Another benefit is that it is also inexpensive to maintain.

The very wide range of wine racks are normally made of either wood or metal, that can be kept sitting on the floor, or they can be suspended from the ceiling.

A wooden wine rack has an advantage over a metal rack, as it can provide much needed extra storage space. They are strong and hard, and are aesthetically pleasing, mainly because they are made of cedar, maple, and mahogany. The wide range of these wine racks includes Diamond Bin, Rectangular Bin, and the Curved Corner Rack. If none of these are appealing to your creative nature, then you can purchase your own wooden kit which is all ready to make up with all the tools needed, making it very easy to install. This will allow you to create your own design for a rack that you want.

Wine racks which are smaller in size are suitable for homes and personal collections, but larger businesses will usually require larger racks to store larger quantities and varieties. Wine racks are very affordable, with prices that can range anywhere from $20 to $1000. For most home uses of racks, you can look to spend in the neighborhood of $35-$300, which all depends on the style and size of what you are looking for. There is a wine rack for all your needs, it is up to you to find that rack and begin storage.

To read more about the different kinds of wine racks and accessories, including wood-wine-racks.info wood wine racks visit guideto-wine-racks.info Wine Racks Guide

Coffee, along with tea and soft drinks is the most widely consumed beverage in the world. The popularity and liking for coffee as a beverage can be gauged by the fact that its consumption is approximately one third of the volume of water consumed in the United States and Europe. The coffee that we drink is actually prepared from seeds, normally referred to as beans, of the coffee plant.

Coffee beans usually grow in pairs in the coffee cherry. In some rare cases, a single bean can also be found growing in the plant. Such single beans are known as pea-berry or carcoli beans. Pea-berry has a more prominent flavor than other Arabica beans are high on demand and are more expensive.

Species and Origins:
The Genus, Coffea, to which the coffee plant belongs, contains about 25 species out of which the most prominent are:
- The older species Coffea Arabica, was called the Kaffa, originated in Ethiopia.
- The newer species, Coffea canephora (Robusta), probably originated in Uganda.
- Coffea liberica, which is indigenous to Liberia
- Coffea esliaca, that is believed to be indigenous to Sudan

Whereas Coffea Robusta is a shrub type plant, Coffea Arabica grows more like a tree. Some varieties of the coffee plant grow up to 30 feet but for easy picking of the coffee berry they are seldom allowed to grow beyond 15 feet. The coffee plant grows best under the shade of natural vegetation classified as Tropical Semi-deciduous Forest and in warm humid isothermal climate with annual precipitation of 1800-2000 mm and a mean annual temperature of 21-21.9°C

The best soils for coffee plants are deep sandy loam soils with coarse makeup perspective, having good aeration, moderate infiltration, and pH from 5.0 to 6.0. Nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorous are the most important elements though physical conditions can limit growth to a great extent.

Initially, Arabica coffees were named after the ports that they were exported from - for example, Java, from Indonesia and Mocha, from Yemen. Arabica is considered by many to be better in taste than Robusta, but the species is more susceptible to disease and therefore not as profitable to grow.
The flavor of the Arabica beans depends upon the region they are grown in. Arabica beans are now grown in three main regions - Latin America, East Africa/Arabia and Asia/Pacific, and have distinctive characteristics of flavor, aroma, body, and acidity levels. Apart from the region, processing, genetic subspecies or varieties of beans also have a great impact on the coffee flavor and taste. For example, washed or wet processed beans tend to be more acidic in taste. Some regions even produce coffee beans that have a citrus-like or earthy flavor and aroma which can be best described as berry-like or flowery.

Robusta coffees are cultivated in environments where Arabica cannot blossom and have approximately 45% more caffeine than Arabica coffees. Robusta has little taste and tends to be bitter and has a typical “burnt rubber” and “wet cardboard” aroma and flavor. Robusta beans are cost effective but their peculiar taste is not liked by a many. To make Robusta beans more palatable and suitable for coffee blends the undesirable flavors are removed through a steaming process. Some espresso blends use good quality Robusta to decrease costs and get a better “crema” or foamy head.

Modern coffee, however, is more origin specific, and is known by country, region, varietals and even the estate it is grown and processed in.

Some coffees are made from particular varietals. Varietal, a botanical term that refers to a taxonomic category rank below species and are not related to origin are more specific than Arabica and Robusta. Coffees made of beans from single varietals are generally referred as such and in certain cases. The name of the region is added for distinctive branding. Rwanda Blue Bourbon is one such example of a coffee made from single varietals and made in Rwanda.

Brazil remains the world’s largest producer and exporter of coffee. In recent years, however, there has been a flood of Robusta beans from Vietnam. The preference of the large industrial houses, multinational roasters and instant coffee producers, for the Robusta variety, due to its cheaper cost, was instrumental in the huge influx, precipitating a crisis of sorts in the prices of coffee the world over.

I always try to keep on hand several things that I use for fresh made salad dressings and sauces. Salads taste so much better with a fresh dressing instead of that bottled stuff from the supermarket. I must admit that some, not all bottled dressings are fine, but the ones you make yourself are customized to suit your taste.

I use apple cider vinegar. Now when I say apple cider vinegar, I DO NOT mean that stuff that is flavored and distilled and colored brown. I mean ORGANIC NATURALLY FERMENTED FROM REAL APPLES VINEGAR. That vinegar has a totally different taste. I keep a decanter of organic vinegar on my counter all the time. I also mix up a decanter of equal parts honey and cider vinegar. It does not spoil. I take 2-tablespoons of the mixture and put it in 8-ounces of cold water and drink it every day. It is good for you.

To make dressings I use 1-cup of the vinegar honey mixture and 1/3-cup oil. I shake it in a jar and add whatever kind herbs and spices I want. If I do not want a sweet dressing I use the plain vinegar. but usually the honey mixture is tastier. I can add fresh chopped garlic, oregano, pepper, a little salt, paprika or anything. I just put and taste until I get what I like. Everybody has a different preference, so I usually have the liquid portion separate from the spices and herbs and every one can mix it to their own specific taste.

To make a creamy dressing I use yogurt. sour cream and buttermilk. Again the herbs and spices are on the side so the personal dressing can be made to taste. Experiment and come up with your own house dressing. We have fun tasting each other’s concoctions. There are only winner’s at my salad affairs!

Everything I write about is from personal observation and life experiences. I love to cook and prepare foods in different ways. I like sharing my experiences about food and cooking. My website pothaven.com www.pothaven.com was created because of my interest in quality cookware and cooking.

Cuisinart Corporation prides themselves in making innovative culinary tools. They were brought into the limelight through world renowned chefs like Julia Childs and James Beard and who used the Cuisinart food processor and hailed it to be the future of cooking. This started a worldwide interest in food processors and Cuisinart was there from the beginning. They make a repertoire of cooking gadgets like Citrus Juicers, cutlery, food processors, Toasters, Waffle makers and the Cuisinart Coffee Makers. Cuisinart collections are available in four basically different styles. There is the brushed stainless steel collection for the sleeker contemporary décor. The Matte Black Metals collection can blend into almost any interior décor style. The Red Collection is reminiscent of the 50s and can be used as the focal point in your Retro décor style. Finally the White and Stainless steel collection is perfect for your Country style kitchen. No matter what your décor style there is a Cuisinart collection to suit your need.

The Cuisinart coffee bar collection is an impressive collection of more than 15 different types and styles of coffee makers. They range from four cup to twelve cup Cuisinart coffee brewing machine, cuisinart thermal coffee makers and the popular cuisinart grind and brew thermal coffee maker. The Cuisinart coffee maker has a stylish design making it attractive; it is also very durable and most importantly brews an excellent cup of coffee. With a stainless steel exterior the Cuisinart coffee makers are a welcome addition to any kitchen décor.

Cuisinart’s latest product is a twelve cup coffee percolator. This coffee maker is very versatile and mobile allowing it to be moved around the kitchen and plugged into different outlets. The attractive stainless steel percolator has a detachable chord which allows it to be used as a coffee decanter as well. The Coffee Percolator has a no drip sprout with a transparent knob that allows you to monitor the progress of the coffee percolation. The stay-cool bottom of the Cuisinart percolator allows it to stand on any surface without causing any damage. Although the suggested retail price tag of $90 may be more than you are willing to spend, Cuisinart products come with a three year warranty and their quality and reliability justify the price.

Cuisinart coffee maker parts are easy to procure. Simple visit the company’s website and find the Cuisinart retailer closest to you and contact them to find your replacement parts. Cuisinart Corporation prides itself in producing proven superior quality products and offering superior customer service. On the company website you will find links to retailers that sell their products. They also have an online catalogue that allows you to shop easily.

Cuisinart products can be found in fine and upmarket department stores and specialty stores all over the world. If you are in the market for a Cuisinart Coffee Maker visit the Cuisinart website and find the closest retailer. There are also many different retailers online offering a variety of Cuisinart Coffee Makers. Online auctions sites also have a collection of the Coffee makers at deeply discounted prices.

Eric Comforth is a consultant who writes on many consumer topics. Learn more about coffee

makers at coffee-maker-central.com Coffee Maker Central

Haitian Cuisine

The cuisine of Haiti is influenced in a large part by French cuisine as well as some native staples such as cassava (kasav), yam, and maize (mayi). Haitian food, though unique in its own right, shares much in common with the rest of Latin America. The French cuisine is good and the Creole specialties combine French, tropical and African influences. Dishes include Guinea hen with sour orange sauce, tassot de dinde (dried turkey), grillot (fried island pork), diri et djondjon (rice and black mushrooms), riz et pois (rice and peas), langouste flambé (local lobster), ti malice (sauce of onions and herbs), piment oiseau (hot sauce) and grillot et banane pese (pork chops and island bananas). Sweets include sweet potato pudding, mango pie, fresh coconut ice cream, cashew nuts and island fruits. French wine is also popular. The island drink is rum and the best is probably ‘Barbancourt’, made by a branch of Haiti’s oldest family of rum and brandy distillers.
Caribbean Island Cuisine

Griots

Ingredients

1 packaged tempeh, thawed and cubed
1 cup onions, chopped
¼ cup chives, chopped
½ cup lime juice
½ cup water
Pinch of thyme
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper

Method

Marinate all ingredients in a shallow bowl for several hours.

Heat some oil and brown the tempeh, then add the marinade and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes, covered.

Remove the lid and cook to eliminate any leftover liquid. Serve hot.

Chef’s Note: This dish, often sold along the roads of Haiti, is traditionally made with pork, but we have substituted tempeh to make it vegetarian.

If you are making a Haitian meal out of the above, try ending it with tropical fruit such as mangos, bananas, oranges, and pineapple for dessert.
Caribbean Island Cuisine

Lemon Rosemary Rice
Ingredients

1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 cloves chopped garlic
1 tablespoon of chopped rosemary
Juice of 1 lemon
2 ounces butter
2 cups long rice
3 cups light vegetable stock
1 sprig of fresh rosemary

Method

In a sauté pan, melt butter on medium heat and cook without browning the chopped onion and chopped garlic for a minute, add the rice and coat with butter.

Add chopped rosemary, lemon juice, stock, salt and pepper to taste. Mix well and bring to a boil on high heat.

Cover with a lid and bake at 450ºF until the rice is tender and has absorbed all the liquid, for about 16-20 minutes.

When cooked, fork the rice to separate grains, and serve hot the lemon rosemary rice pilaf with your favorite fish or meat stew. Caribbean Island Cuisine

Edmund Jarvis writes on Cooking, Internet and Affiliate Marketing. Learn more by visiting my blog caribbeanislandcuisine.blogspot.com/ caribbeanislandcuisine.blogspot.com/

There are many version of this, several similar with different names. We grew up eating Chicken Cordon Blue, which is chicken with ham and cheese. The traditional way of cooking this is to sauté it. Because of our desire to reduce fat, we oven bake it, although it is very good not breaded and grilled.
The recipe is for 4 breasts, although it is very easy to make for a large crowd. One other note: one breast per person is too much for our appetites. If you slice it prior to serving, you can probably serve at least 6 people with four breasts.

4 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless

4 slices of proscuitto

4-8 sage leaves

4-6 slice provolone (or Fontina, grated)

Salt and pepper to taste

About 1 cup flour (more if needed)

2 eggs mixed with 2 T water

1 cup bread crumbs mixed with 1 cup parmesan cheese, finely grated and 2 T finely minced parsley

Cooking spray

Pound chicken breasts until about 1/8 inch thick. You can do this between 2 sheets of waxed paper or in a large zip lock bag. For each breast, salt and pepper to taste. Place one or two whole sage leaves in the center of the chicken breast. Top with proscuitto and cheese, leaving a border of about 1/2-1″ around the edges. Tuck in long ends and roll up length-wise; making sure all of the cheese and proscuitto is covered.

Roll in flour, then in egg, then in mixture of bread crumbs, parmesan and parsley. Place in baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray, seam side down. Bake at 400 for 25-30 minutes, until lightly browned or internal temperature is 170. Usually you will get some oozing of cheese. Let cool about 5 minutes before slicing to serve.

Alternatively, after rolling up you can skewer them well to hold them together and brush with olive oil and grill, browning lightly on all sides.

These look beautiful and are great to serve at parties or for guests. You can add a sauce, if you like.

Peggy Bloodworth is left a high tech sales executive job to cook, create and entertain. She started a catering company: swankcatering.com/ swankcatering.com where she, along with her business partner plans and executes parties and wedding. She is a personal chef and cooking teacher and maintains a large garden and vineyard where she grows herbs, fruits and vegetable and puts them up for consuming year around. Check out her website for recipes.

Many people who love a given subject want to know more about it. What its origin is, how it came about, who discovered it, etc. Human curiosity is a remarkable thing and without it everything we know today would not have been possible. Without asking questions and wanting to know more, nothing would have ever been invented, nothing would have been created. This goes for anything: electricity, fire, and one of the most primitive great finds, cooking and all the varying types of cooking that have been created. Given this logic, it makes sense that people who love Italian cooking would want to learn the history of Italian cooking!

The history of Italian cooking dates back to ancient Greek times where it was first invented. If one wants to learn specific details of this long enduring cooking style they can be easily and readily found on the internet. The internet these days seems to be the number go to source for information on just about anything and everything on can think of. The results that come up for the history of Italian cooking will have you reading for days, months, and even years depending on how serious you are about the subject.

Or maybe you like to learn from books. Your local bookstore or library will definitely have plenty of resources for you to choose from when looking up the history of Italian cooking. These resources will often give you titles of other books and publications that can offer you more information and insight on this interesting subject.

Some people enjoy talking with others when it comes to learning rather than sitting with a book or a blinking internet page. Why not ask someone you know who is of Italian descent and see what they might know about the subject. This endeavor might lead you on an interesting new adventure in your life. They might know more about the history of Italian cooking than you could have ever imagined. Maybe someone in their birth heritage was one of the first Italian chefs in history! You never know! Your simple investigatory search might open up a world of new ideas you never thought possible! You might even find yourself writing a book on what you have discovered. Or maybe you find yourself taking a trip to see some of the places where the first Italian meals were prepared! Or it might it even make you realize that studying history is your passion. Maybe now suddenly you want to teach the history of Italian cooking to others. The possibilities are endless!

Whether cooking delicious meals for your family or tantalizing dishes for guests, preparing and cooking meals is easy and fun when you know the basic principles of cooking. For more cooking tips and recipes please visit us at yourcookingnow.com/italian/ yourcookingnow.com/italian/