Irish soda bread might be one of Ireland's most famous foods, but the technique -- leavening bread with soda instead of yeast -- is probably even more American than apple pie. Native Americans prepared the first quick breads with pearl ash, a potash-derived natural soda that reacted with mild acids like sour milk or honey to release carbon dioxide bubbles.Irish soda bread … [Read more...] about Classic Irish soda bread comforts the soul
Recipes
Make Valentine’s Day dinner special with homemade red sauce
Transform basic pasta and red sauce into a thoughtful and hearty dish that your sweetie will love.This classic Italian-American red sauce uses canned tomatoes (whole canned tomatoes provide better flavor than crushed canned tomatoes) and is ready in under an hour. For a spicier sauce, add red pepper flakes to taste. To transform it into a cream sauce, stir about 1-1/2 cups of … [Read more...] about Make Valentine’s Day dinner special with homemade red sauce
Brighten up January with black bottom lemon pie
Sweet, tart and colorful lemon in this unique pie provides a splash of color and flavor on gray January days, with a layer of slightly bitter chocolate ganache to balance it out. Meyer lemons create an especially brilliant flavor, but regular lemons are also delicious. Ingredients1 pre-baked pie shell3/4 cup heavy cream4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped into small … [Read more...] about Brighten up January with black bottom lemon pie
Butter boards add interest and flavor to holiday tables
Butter boards -- softened butter swirled onto a wooden board and flavored with honey, sea salt, herbs, dried fruit and more -- are all over social media. Home cooks can flex a little creative muscle with this endlessly customizable option to make bread and butter a little more interesting. As a bonus, a thoughtfully crafted butter board looks great on a holiday table. … [Read more...] about Butter boards add interest and flavor to holiday tables
Turkish delight: A timeless treat
The Haci Bekir sweet shop in Istanbul has been selling Turkish delight -- known as lokum in Turkish -- since 1777, when the shop's founder invented the sweet treat. If you can't make it to Istanbul to pick up their version, you can try it yourself at home and impress your holiday guests with Turkey's favorite candy. You may want a second set of hands to help you with this … [Read more...] about Turkish delight: A timeless treat