You can have a memorable Thanksgiving meal with delicious food, a beautiful table and appreciative guests, but with a fraction of the usual work. If you pare your to-do list to emphasize the season’s bounty and at the same time streamline food preparation, you’ll enjoy the celebration as much as your guests do. “For Thanksgiving […]
Bev Bennett, CTW Features
Posted inArts & Culture
Pass the gluten-free /Paleo/vegan/diabetic-friendly stuffing
You’re hosting a holiday feast and anticipate preparing a mouthwatering spread. But along with your special bread stuffing and your fabulous apple pie, you’re concerned with making appropriate dishes for your aunt with diabetes, your cousin who cannot tolerate gluten, your best friend who follows a vegan diet or her Paleo-diet spouse. Guests who must […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Spread it thin
If you still reach for a box of buttery-tasting crackers for the party cheese to rest on, you can find more appealing alternatives. Thanks to the cracker revival, you’re in for exciting new taste and texture sensations. “It keeps getting more interesting. I see more shapes and more flavors [of crackers],” says Kara Nielsen, trendologist […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Get back to basics
A peek inside the typical kitchen cupboard will give you a short history of American weight-loss fads. Every promise for a skinnier life, from fat-free to high-protein to reduced-carbohydrate foods, is reflected in a product tucked in the back of the shelves gathering dust. “People are spinning, they’re latching onto gimmicks and many aren’t getting […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Let’s go slow
The assortment of counter-clogging cookware you need to braise, bake or warm a holiday menu can be replaced by this year’s one must-have appliance: the slow cooker. This trusty tool, which cooks weeknight chili or sloppy joes when time can’t be spared, works magic on elegant cuisine. The slow cooker’s makeover as a gourmet […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Dynamic Duo
A hint of peppercorns; the sweet-tart tang of a Meyer lemon. That’s right. The before-dinner drinks are headed to the dining room table. Pairing food with mixed drinks is this season’s holiday trend, according to Colin Cowie, expert on wedding and event planning. Why cocktails and courses? “It’s fun, different and can be creative,” says […]
