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Posts for December 16th 2011

Good Fruitcake Recipe
recipes

This Is Not Your Neighbor's Fruitcake

Yes, I know how terrible it can be to receive the dreaded brick of a fruitcake from your neighbor down the street.
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Yes, I know how terrible it can be to receive the dreaded brick of a fruitcake from your neighbor down the street. With indistinguishable fruit and boozy odor, the fruitcake has earned the reputation of being the worst confection to receive during Christmas . . . until now! This particular recipe is filled with dried fruit favorites like mango, apricots, cranberries, and cherries. Butter, rum, and sugar melt together to create a dense, moist cake with a crispy top.

But wait, there's more. In England and around Europe, fruitcake is traditionally served with a blue cheese like Stilton. The creamy, salty, and sharp flavor of blue cheese slathered on top balances perfectly with the sweet, sticky, and spicy flavors of the fruitcake. Serve them on a cutting board together at a holiday party or as an after-dinner dessert or cheese course. Are you prepared to change your mind about this dreaded holiday dessert?

See recipe and more pictures.

Best Christmas Beers
beer

6 Christmas Beers We're Digging Right Now

Baby, it may be cold outside, but in spite of that nippy Winter weather, we can't help but crave the Christmas cheer that comes with sipping on the frosty lip of a seasonal beer.
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Brasserie Dupont Avec Les Bons Vœux

Baby, it may be cold outside, but in spite of that nippy Winter weather, we can't help but crave the Christmas cheer that comes with sipping on the frosty lip of a seasonal beer.

'Tis the season for deeper, richer ales that go with the holidays, and it seems impossible to walk by the liquor section of the grocery store without spotting a bevy of limited-edition, yuletide-themed bottles, calling out to us with names such as Santa's Butt and Rude Elf's Reserve. Who wouldn't be intrigued?

This week, we stocked the icebox with a bunch of different beers we think Saint Nick would certainly approve of. Here are five festive Christmas beers we're totally into right now.

Grand Teton Brewing Co. Coming Home 2011 Brasserie Dupont Avec Les Bons Vœux Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales Noel De Calabaza Mikkeller Santa's Little Helper 2011 Lakefront Brewery Holiday Spice Lager Ale Ninkasi Brewing Company Sleigh'r Dark Doüble Alt Ale
View 6 Photos
Fruitcake Recipe
party planning

Holiday Fruitcake

Feel free to use whatever dried fruits you have in your house.
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Feel free to use whatever dried fruits you have in your house. If you would like to gift your friends with fruitcake, divide the batter into smaller bread pans. To complete the gift, pair the loaf with a small block of Stilton blue cheese.

From Anna Monette Roberts, YumSugar

Holiday Fruitcake

Fruitcake Recipe

Ingredients

1/4 cup candied ginger, chopped
1 cup dried mango, chopped
1/2 cup dried blueberries
3/4 cup dried currants
3/4 cup dried apricots, chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup dried cherries
Zest of one lemon
Zest of one orange
3/4 cup gold rum
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 stick unsalted butter
1/2 cup apple juice
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/4 cup unbleached white flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup pecans, toasted and chopped

Directions

  1. In a large bowl, combine candied ginger, dried fruits, orange and lemon zests, and rum. Macerate overnight or for 8 hours.
  2. In a heavy bottom pot, pour in dried fruit mixture with rum, and add both sugars, butter, apple juice, milk, and spices. Turn stove on medium high heat and, stirring often, bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and allow to cool for at least 15 minutes.
  3. Heat oven to 325ºF. Sift dry ingredients, pour into fruit mixture, and stir until well combined. Whisk eggs together in a small bowl, pour eggs into fruit mixture, and stir until well combined. Fold in toasted pecans.
  4. Line a 10-inch nonstick loaf pan with parchment paper. Spoon mixture into the pan, and bake for 1-1 1/2 hours. Use a toothpick to check for doneness. If toothpick comes out clean, remove cake from oven. Otherwise, bake in 10-minute increments until cake passes toothpick test. Allow cake to cool completely (about two hours), before turning out from pan. The cake will last for two weeks in an airtight container.

Makes 10 1-inch slices.

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Top Dining Destinations 2011
Best of 2011

Which City Was Your Favorite Dining Destination This Year?

Hopefully, for you, 2011 was a year of eating well.
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Hopefully, for you, 2011 was a year of eating well. It certainly was for me: I returned to Los Angeles after a hiatus to discover a burgeoning restaurant scene downtown and made my first visit to the town of Boulder, CO, where I discovered there was much more to devour than late-night college food. What American city, in your opinion, took the title of tastiest this year?

Roasted Red Peppers With Garlic
recipes

12 Days of Edible Gifts: Roasted Red Peppers With Garlic

While I do appreciate sugary gifts during the holiday season, I tend to prefer savory provisions filled with flavor.
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While I do appreciate sugary gifts during the holiday season, I tend to prefer savory provisions filled with flavor. Things like marinated feta cheese get me all excited, which is why roasted red peppers with garlic make a wonderful present.

This edible gift is incredible easy to make, lasts up to a week in the refrigerator, and is a colorful and flavorful way to show somebody that you appreciate them. Roasted red peppers can be enjoyed on a fresh, crunchy baguette, in a sandwich, on a pizza — the possibilities are endless! Stuff your peppers into a pretty jar, label it, and decorate with raffia and sweet Christmas decorations. For the simple, savory recipe, keep on reading.

Rachael vs. Guy: Celebrity Cook-Off
Food News

Link Time: Watch the Trailer For Rachael vs. Guy

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Holiday Cheese Pairing Tips
party planning

4 Pointers For Perfecting That Holiday Cheese Platter

Pulling together a cheese platter for your next holiday soiree seems like an übereasy task — and it should be, if you know the few basic fundamentals of cheese pairing.
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Pulling together a cheese platter for your next holiday soiree seems like an übereasy task — and it should be, if you know the few basic fundamentals of cheese pairing.

Take a few tips from Cathy Strange, cheese buyer from Whole Foods Market, before you stock up your party pantry, and you'll be sure to have a cheese plate that's as dynamic as your Christmas party conversation.

  1. Your platter's only as solid as your cheese is delicious. "If you pick up mass-produced cheese that's more focused on low price than quality, that will be reflected in the tasting process," Strange says. If you're on a budget, she recommends chatting with your local cheese monger instead and asking to see what they're excited about this holiday season given the budget you have in mind.

Keep reading for a few more basic cheese pairing bytes.

How to Make Sparkling Rose Punch
party planning

Party Punch Recipe: Sparkling Rosé

If you need a quick serving idea for your next holiday party, here’s a delicious drink that is good for large groups: sparkling rosé punch!
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If you need a quick serving idea for your next holiday party, here’s a delicious drink that is good for large groups: sparkling rosé punch! Besides a your favorite bubbly, you’ll need elderflower liqueur, club soda, lemon juice, sugar, and egg whites. Watch our video to learn how to make this total crowd-pleaser — plus, find out the secret ingredient we like to add as a garnish to this party drink recipe.