Charcuterie Boards

Nov. 30, 2021, noon


The following information is from an article in Better Homes and Gardens.


The Platter
First, choose a board, tray, or platter to be your foundation.  Wood and marble are popular charcuterie board material choices because they are sturdy and beautiful. The shape is simply a matter of preference, though you should take the elements of your board into account when making your selections. For example, a rectangular board may better accommodate long, leafy vegetable stems or cheese wedges than a square-shape one. Bear in mind: the larger the board, the more money you'll spend to fill it up. If you want to keep your budget in check, fill large boards out with more produce or opt for a smaller one.
The Dishes
Dishes create structure on the board. Use little bowls and cups to anchor the arrangement and help contain loose items like dips, nuts, and olives. Raid your kitchen cabinets for sal...


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Manicotti

Nov. 20, 2021, 2:50 p.m.


Stuffed pastas are a one-dish dinner that everyone loves. Here is a recipe that you can make ahead of time – you can even freeze it and take it out and bake it when you don't feel like cooking!
Manicotti is the Italian-American version of Cannelloni. Both are pasta tubes, but the difference between the two is fairly minimal: Manicotti tubes are ridged, larger and slightly thicker. Cannelloni tubes are smooth, a touch smaller and slightly thinner.
Usually when you make manicotti you use shells, but they have a tendency to break when you fill them. This takes all the hard work out of it.
BAKED MANICOTTI WITH MEAT SAUCE
You will need 16 no-boil noodles for this recipe. Some brands only have 12 so check the box for the number included.
2 jars of good marinara sauce
1 pound ground beef – optional (will be very good even meatless)
red pepper flakes – optional
3 cups ricotta cheese
2 ½ cups Mozzarella cheese, shredd...


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Cream Puffs with Leah and Kyle

Nov. 20, 2021, 2:47 p.m.


Choux pastry (pate a choux) is a simple to make, classic French pastry batter that has many uses, including cream puffs, eclairs, profiteroles, beignets, cheese puffs, and much more. Today we will make cream puffs.
These recipes come from bakerbettie.com. This is a fabulous website for those who like to bake. Please check out her website for all the variations for this dough.


TIPS, TRICKS, AND TECHNIQUES
For best results, after making the choux pastry batter, transfer the batter into a pastry bag and let is rest for about an hour. The batter can be used immediately, but this will produce more consistent pastry with more puff.

Make sure your oven is preheated well before the shells go into the oven so that it is truly very hot. Do not skip the step of increasing the heat once the shells are in the oven. The active heating cycle will really help the shells puff up.
Be very patient and do not open the oven until the last few minutes of bak...


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Fresh Herb Sauces

Nov. 20, 2021, 1:02 p.m.


These recipes all use fresh herbs which are going to be in season in the spring and summer.  Enjoy!

GREEN CHILI ADOBO SAUCE

This recipe is from Rick Bayless and is very versatile to use as a sauce or a dip.

Here is the recipe:

½ head of garlic, separated into unpeeled cloves
4 to 5 fresh serrano chiles, stems removed
1 large bunch cilantro, (thick bottom stems cut off), roughly chopped (about 2 cups loosely-packed)
1 large bunch flat leaf parsley, (thick bottom stems cut off), roughly chopped (about 2 cups loosely-packed)
1cup extra virgin olive oil
2 generous teaspoons sea salt


Set a large (10-inch) skillet over medium heat.  Lay in the garlic and chiles and roast, turning regularly, until soft and browned in spots, about 10 minutes for the chiles and 15 for the garlic.
If you’re really short on time, you can soften them in a m...


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