Tag: Chocolate

Arrested Development Frozen Bananas

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Arrested Development Frozen Bananas

If you’re anything like me, then you’ve been waiting with bated breath for the rebooted fourth season of Arrested Development, seven years after it was canceled. I’m a little late to the viewing party game since it aired earlier this week, but watching the show left me wanting one of their signature snacks – chocolate covered frozen bananas, a la the Banana Stand run by the Bluth family (“There’s always money in the banana stand!”). And it occurred to me that not only would they be easy to make, but they’d be a delicious (and fairly healthy!) summertime treat.

 

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A Valentine’s Day Round-Up and Blog Hop

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Tropical Valentine's Day Cocktail

It’s that time of year! I’m not a fan of how commercial Valentine’s Day feels, but I also can’t really hate on any holiday that celebrates love. Growing up my dad would get my sister and I each a small, heart-shaped box of truffles from our favorite local chocolate shop, Lilac (it’s still in business, thanks goodness, and even has a location in Grand Central). My mom got the large box. All of us would savor the candies, sometimes taking only half a bite and returning the other half of the box for later. We showed a remarkable amount of self-control for children, but really we just had the foresight to spread out the enjoyment over a period of one or two weeks.

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Homemade Peanut Butter Cups and a Halloween Blog Hop

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Peanut Butter Cup ingredients

It’s hard to believe that it’s already the end of October. Living in a country that doesn’t celebrate Halloween, it’s easy to forget that it’s approaching without the sensory overload of decorations, costumes, scary music and candy. The leaves here aren’t changing color and it’s still a balmy 83F outside. But ever the consummate expat, I refuse to let go of the traditions of home and so got myself in the trick-or-treating spirit by doing something that’s been on my cooking bucket list for a while – I made peanut butter cups. That’s right. Today I’ve got a recipe for peanut butter cups for you. As in Reese’s peanut butter cups, but homemade.

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Pistachio, Cherry, and Dark Chocolate Bark

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Chocolate Cherry Pistachio Bark

I love Secret Recipe Club time! Each month I am assigned a blog and I get to pick any recipe I like and post about it on the 5th of the month. It’s been a wonderful way to meet other bloggers and to discover inspiring recipes. This month I was lucky enough to have Sustainable Cooking for One. Stephanie, the author of the blog, works in nutritional research and is passionate about food and sustainability. Besides wonderful recipes, Stephanie also writes thought-provoking posts like Ethical Eating: Raw Milk and Goats, Urban Ag, and Evidence-Based Supplements. And she should know – she has adorable goats! As the title of her blog suggests she focuses on cooking for one and even has a cookbook called One Bowl with even more recipes plus nutritional information and more. Continue reading “Pistachio, Cherry, and Dark Chocolate Bark” →

Chocolate Covered Strawberries and a Valentine’s Day Blog Hop

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Chocolate Covered Strawberries Recipe

It’s that time of year. If I were in the States right now I’m sure I would be inundated with chocolates packaged in red hearts, balloons shaped like hearts, and stuffed animals holding hearts. I am not against anything that celebrates love, but I do think people get a little carried away on Valentine’s Day. My husband and I have never once celebrated it. Rather than acknowledging our love on a random day that Hallmark has chosen with millions of other couples, we opt to love and appreciate each other every day and have an especially nice meal on our anniversary. In high school and college my girlfriends and I (even when we had boyfriends) would go out for a nice Valentine’s Day dinner. Now that’s my idea of V-Day. Continue reading “Chocolate Covered Strawberries and a Valentine’s Day Blog Hop” →

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

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chocolate peanut butter cookies recipe

After a month-long hiatus, I’m happy to report that the Secret Recipe Club is back up and running! I have to say, I missed it! If you have no idea what I’m talking about here’s the short version: the Secret Recipe Club is a wonderful group of bloggers organized by Amanda of Amanda’s Cookin’. Each month we are assigned another blog and get to choose any recipe, prepare it (with any adaptations we like), and blog about it on the big reveal day. In case you haven’t guessed, today is the reveal day. This month I was excited to be assigned to Everyday Mom. Kim, the lovely lady behind the blog, is a mother of three who is always whipping up amazing concoctions in her kitchen. I love that she gets the kids involved, like in this recent post. (On a semi-related note did you see the article in the NY Times last week about the mom who has her teenage sons cook dinner for the family twice a week? Love it.) Continue reading “Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies” →

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chances are you’ve seen these cookies. I am, in fact, a full two years behind the buzz. See, when Kim Boyce came out with her Good to the Grain cookbook in 2010 the blogosphere went nuts for these whole wheat chocolate chip cookies. Orangette was sold. Marisa of Food in Jars raved about them. Sweet Amandine called them home. And me? I kept making my old Martha Stewart standbys like a sucker. Typically baked goods that call for whole wheat flour still use half all purpose flour to keep the texture in check. But these little daredevils use 100% whole wheat flour. Would that really be good? Wouldn’t they be dense little pucks? Continue reading “Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies” →

Guest Post: Gingerbread Cake

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Gingerbread Cake
Gingerbread Cake with Chocolate Glaze

I was so thrilled when Shannon from the wonderful Malaysian food blog Just as Delish asked me to do a guest post for her. I adore her healthy, internationally inspired recipes for everything from Green Curry Chicken to Beef Tagine, and from ginger tea to homemade sweetened condensed milk. She specifically asked for an American Christmas recipe, since Malaysians do not typically celebrate the holiday. Unlike Thanksgiving, with its traditional menu of turkey and pumpkin pie, Christmas is a little more personal and each family has their own traditions, especially for the savory course. My family eats sausage and peppers and a filet mignon roast, but we’re the only ones I know who do. Dessert, however, has more common flavors to draw on. Continue reading “Guest Post: Gingerbread Cake” →

Chocolate-Cherry Babka

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When my editor at the Jew and the Carrot (the food blog of the Jewish Daily Forward) asked me if I’d be interested in writing an article about babka, there was only one answer – YES. Babka, for those who have been sadly deprived, is a yeasty bread that is rolled around a filling (typically cinnamon or chocolate), stuffed in a loaf pan, and baked. It’s decadent and yet as appropriate for breakfast as for dessert. Yet somehow it seemed beyond my reach to make it at home. And in New York, when you have Zabar’s why bother? I was thrilled to learn it’s incredibly easy to prepare. Even better, most recipes make two to three loaves, which you can freeze and enjoy later. Continue reading “Chocolate-Cherry Babka” →

Guest Post: The Secret of the Hungarian “Surprise” Cake

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When Jayne from the lovely food blog Chocolate and Figs approached me about doing a guest post, I didn’t need much time to consider. Her blog is stunning, her recipes mouth-watering, and her photos simply sensational (seriously, go check it out right now!). Since I tend to lean towards the savory, a guest dessert post was an enticing option. And we have a lot in common: she spent a number of years living in Israel and is originally from Hungary. Having recently been to Budapest to reconnect with my own Hungarian roots, I was particularly thrilled when Jayne said she wanted to do a special dessert from there. And so, for so many reasons I am honored to have Jayne leading the way with my very first guest post! I learned a lot from reading her post on Rakott Palacsinta and I hope you enjoy as much as I did.
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