Pomegranate molasses is just the juice from the fruit, minus all the seeds and whatnot. Mix in a little to improve ketchup, or use it any kind of glaze, or just mix it with juice and drink it. It's not expensive, really tasty AND good for you.

Another thing I can't live without is mustard oil. it's a strong flavor, so mix it with a lighter oil. You can saute any kind of greens with garlic, and it's good. I basically use it every time I fry anything, it's so delicious. The label says "for external use only," and the guy in the store said "oh, they just to have to say that or they can't bring it into the country!" but you can eat it. I guess people use it in massages.

They can be found in Middle Eastern or Indian grocers, maybe some "Asian" stores (they're both from western Asia), or maybe in really big supermarkets.
[Submitted by djny10003]

We’ve all made French toast – you blend some milk and eggs, add some seasonings, dunk your bread, then sauté.

Pretty universal… You can mix up the spices, of course – I’ve even heard of people adding a liqueur (most prevalent – Grand Marnier) – but here’s a new twist.

Claire Thomas makes her French toast with a crushed corn flakes coating! After you dip your bread in the milk mixture, you press it into the corn flakes

So add some crunch, and a new level of flavor next time your in the mood for a nice brunch – I will.

I keep meaning to try this one, but tapioca starch keeps getting left off my shopping list?! No excuse. But in the meantime, this is too good not to share.

Ironically, I first heard about these cheese and garlic buns on a site talking about Brazilian cuisine – the fact that they are gluten-free I didn’t discover until I found the recipe.


Now, wouldn’t you want to make these extraordinary light and airy puffs of delicious flavor? I thought so…

Tapioca flour (a.k.a. tapioca starch, cassava flour, manioc flour; all the same thing) isn’t hard to find. Whether you are trying to limit your carbs, or have a physical need to eliminate gluten, this is sure to be a tasty treat.

Enjoy!

When I was an early teen, my girlfriend Cindy spent the night. Mom was working, so we decided to make dinner.

I have no recollection of what the main course was – but we did something absolutely amazing with a bag of frozen peas! We started off with bacon, and added who knows how many spices and seasonings… To this day, they were truly the best peas I’ve ever had. We each tried to replicate it a couple times, with no luck.

Years later I had a bag of split peas I had bought on a whim. I had the ingredients it called for on the bag’s recipe, including the ham hock… but it was kind of bland. I dug around, looking for a solution. No bacon, surprisingly! But I did have a jar of ‘dried beef strips’ – beef jerky. I chopped those up, let them simmer for a while to soften… It was better, but still not what I craved. Next time I tried it with bacon – AWESOME!

So when I saw Michael Symon’s recipe for Split Pea Soup with his signature amounts of pork, it was kind of like a homecoming.

It’s no secret to anyone who has visited this site before that I think of bacon as a food group unto itself Split Pea soup is a great comfort food, so why not enjoy the passion of pork as well? Puts a smile on MY face…

Next time you simply nuke or boil a bag of peas, why not toss with some bacon bits and just a touch of bacon fat? Even the pickiest of eaters will ask for more.

Picture, recipe, and technique from EatWell 101.

Quite dramatic, and easier than you think! Seriously – all those beautiful ridges are created simply by rolling and making a single cut. Now, you can do that…

The recipe for a basic sweet yeast dough is straightforward, and of course, you can choose your own fillings – theirs is simply butter and sugar and cinnamon – but you can add nuts, use a jam (heat it for easier spreading), nutella… whatever you know Mom would like.

Come on – show off for Mom. You know you want to

My friend and our contributor, Jerri, sent me this note on Facebook on a day she knew I really needed a hug – “Try the shortcake recipe I just posted, slather with strawberries and whipped cream....I think that is pretty close to a hug.”

“This is from the Better Homes and Garden Cookbook that Mom gave me when we got married. It makes a great Shortcake for Strawberry Season....Ryan called yesterday asking for the recipe so I thought I would share it with you! Easy and Fast! Perfect!”

Busy Day Cake - great name!

I grew up on that cookbook – my Mom had also received it when SHE got married. Memories AND a hug – you’re a good friend, Jerri.

After an extremely mild winter, late April has been cold and bitter weather-wise. Even both my dogs are cuddling close at night…

So what to make? Well, I decided based on a little mishap a while ago. I had forgotten to buy clam juice back when I was making the stuffed shrimp. Asked a friend who was going to the store to pick some up for me (I was thinking the small bottle) - they came back with a huge can of clams in juice!

Got the three tablespoons of juice I needed, and froze the rest. I looked into other recipes – found a bunch at Wise Bread, but with the weather…

It’s got to be Clam Chowder! Creamy, rich... perfect comfort food

A loaf of crusty Tuscan bread… Ah… my world is almost complete!

But I think it’s a fun idea for Mother’s Day as well. And the kids can help!

How about an edible bouquet? No, I’m not talking about fruit, although those are beautiful and delicious – let’s make a bouquet full of one of my obsessions – BACON

Yup, Bacon Roses are a real thing, and not at all difficult to make. Using both thin and thick sliced bacon, you roll them up into a bud shape; plop them in muffin tins, bake, and then gently insert the stems you picked up at a dollar store. While you’re at the store, pick up an appropriately sized vase as well?

Now, the original instructions say to drill holes in the bottom of your muffin pan – not my idea of frugal for a “novelty” gift. The purpose of the hole is to let the fat drain, but in reading the comments, I found a much better proposal. Using muffin tin LINERS, preferably the metallic kind, you poke a large hole in the bottom (a chopstick would be a good tool for this!). Place a cooling rack inside a baking pan with sides to contain the drippings, and then just make sure that you place your filled liners close enough together that they support each other. If you don’t quite fill the pan, use another oven-safe object to hold them in place.

Fragrant, fun, unique, and delicious – sure to bring a smile to Mom’s face!

A local elementary school recently taught two great lessons – how to make bread, and how to give back. How kewl!

With a representative from King Arthur Flour on hand, students were taught the “basics”, with a couple brave kids demonstrating all the while. When they returned to their classrooms, they found the supplies for a couple loaves of bread, or a bunch of cinnamon rolls. Their assignment? Make some for themselves, some to share.

I caught part of the demonstration on the news, and even I learned something! If you’re at all nervous about shaping your dough into an even layer, use the bottom of a lightly oiled bowl. Gently stretch it over the sides until it’s the right size. Great way to get the kids involved in “pizza night” as well.

Sometimes the simplest things are the best.

The opening scene in the pilot of “Desperate Housewives” was at a wake. Everyone was coming in carrying some dish that they had prepared. The narrative said something about how it was instinctive, universal… it stuck with me.

I’ve been thinking about that, and now have a theory as to why – it is nurturing in the most tangible manner. While the intent is not to feed the body – well, maybe a little - it is more about feeding the soul.

You bake a cake for a birthday to show someone that they’re important to you. You cook all day on Thanksgiving to celebrate family and gratitude. And in the worst of times, we hope to fill a little of the hole that has been left behind with our shared sorrow, memories of joy, and a need to comfort. Somehow food is a language of the heart.

I’m making Food for the Angels today. If not the cake, at least these thoughts can be delivered.

Prayers to you and yours