Can you believe it's already February?! It's a short month that's jam packed with activities and celebrations: the Super Bowl, Valentine's Day, Chinese New Year, Mardi Gras, the Winter Olympics, the South Beach Food and Wine Festival — we're overwhelmed just thinking of all the cooking, eating, and partying that's to come! Luckily there are a few treats that will help us get through the next 28 days. Here are the items we can't live without.
I think you should stop whatever it is you're doing right now and call up some friends. We're in the middle of Hanukkah, it's almost Christmas, and the Winter solstice is Saturday night. There's no better time to host a holiday happy hour! Invite your loved ones over for some savory bites by the tree.
I've got the perfect party menu for you — it covers the meat, cheese, veggie, and seafood basics. Serve classic spinach-and-feta-filled spanakopita, soy-glazed chicken yakitori, spicy cheese fondue with bacon for dipping, and crab salad canapes. For these delectable recipes, keep reading.
Recently I received a personal message from a reader asking for advice on what to cook her boyfriend for Valentine's Day. They've been working out together and eating healthy, so she was looking for a menu that wouldn't ruin their diet. Here, I've come up with a decadent dinner menu that won't pack on pounds. To start, serve an appetizer of the freshest raw oysters (if you dislike oysters, opt for shrimp cocktail) with a glass of sparkling wine. For the main course, pair a huge green salad alongside classic cheese fondue. Select dippers that are diet-friendly like crudités, wheat bread croutons, and lean proteins. Instead of indulging in a calorie-packed dessert, splurge on a high-quality bar of dark chocolate and enjoy with a bottle of port.
What menu would you advise for a health-conscious couple? To check out these recipes, read more
On Friday, I caught a quick glimpse of Nigella Lawson on the Today show. She featured a Fall fruit fondue recipe so delicious looking I had to try it! Seasonal fruit (apples and pears) served with a delectable caramel fondue make for a simple but stunning dessert. This unconventional caramel sauce is quick, easy, and doesn't require sugar chemistry knowledge or a candy thermometer! 
All of the ingredients are kitchen staples except for the golden syrup. Since I was unable to find this common British product, I substituted a mixture of corn syrup and molasses.
Don't be disappointed if initially the cooked sugar and butter have a grainy consistency. Once the cream is added the caramel's texture will become smooth, rich, and sheeny. To try something new with fondue, read more
Even though Aimee's St. Patrick Day party starts after dinner, she's planning on providing guests with a small selection of Irish inspired snacks. It's always nice to have some food on hand, especially when heavy drinking is involved. This menu twists classic Irish flavors – cheddar cheese, dark beer, corned beef, and smoked salmon — into modern favorites.
An Irish cheddar and stout fondue is gooey and decadent. Smoked salmon puffs are easy to make in advance and divinely addicting. Reuben roll ups are the perfect drunk food because they taste like an Irish pizza pocket. For all of these wonderful recipes, read more
While it may seem incredibly easy to throw a bunch of cheese into a pot and melt it, crafting a super-creamy fondue takes a little skill. In the February issue of Vogue, Jeffrey Steingarten acknowledges that the perfect fondue is hard to find. He said:
Fondues as smooth and suave as this are rare; more often the cheese separates and settles on the bottom of the pan in stringy clumps and lonely curds whose flavor is as fine as the cheese they're made from, but that congeal in the mouth into tough and chewy balls not unlike chaws of bubble gum.
No one would want to serve a chunky fondue like the one Steingarten describes. To ensure that you never make a bad fondue again, check out my tips for creating silky fondue, just read more
All week I've been helping my sister and her BFF plan a girls-only Valentine's Day party. Fondue is on the menu, but we don't have a fondue pot, so I asked you to help us find one. You searched for both chocolate and cheese fondue pots that are festive, colorful, and easy to transport. You saved the pots in the Yum Market on TeamSugar with the keyword tag, Fondue Pot.
Several people bookmarked an adorable heart-shaped pink and chocolate brown fondue pot, but it isn't really something that can be used year round.
However this blue Le Creuset fondue pot that Twinkle discovered is perfect! Le Creuset is a trustworthy brand and this pot will last a lifetime. Thanks Twink! To see all of the fondue pots, browse below.
Don't know how to use the bookmarking feature of TeamSugar? Have no fear, geeksugar has created an easy how to.
