August 2014

Did you know you can make a decadent whipped cream by using a can of coconut milk? Not only is it simple to make, but it’s easily the best-tasting whipped cream I’ve tried.

I know whipped coconut cream isn’t new to many of you – people have been making coconut whipped cream for years and years. I first read about it a couple years ago on Vegan Joy’s website and have seen it popping up everywhere.

If you've somehow missed that kale chips are a "thing," with recipes flooding cooking sites and packages of commercially made chips now turning up even in ordinary supermarkets, trust us: Tossing torn leaves of kale with oil and salt and baking them until crispy is a worthwhile endeavor. The slightly browned leaves take on a nutty, sweet taste and a pleasing, brittle texture.

Graham crackers get their distinct wheat flavor from graham flour, a coarsely ground whole-wheat flour. However, many store-bought graham crackers these days contain far more white flour than wheat.

For our version, we wanted a graham-forward cracker with hearty texture, so we used twice as much graham as all-purpose. Granulated sugar complements the wheat's sweetness and helps the crackers crisp. We also add a little toasty, caramel-like sweetness with a few tablespoons of molasses.

For a robust, sweet-tart sangria recipe, we started with cheap wine, which actually makes a better sangria than the expensive stuff. We experimented with untold varieties of fruit to put in our sangria recipe and finally concluded that simpler is better. We preferred the straightforward tang of citrus in the form of oranges and lemons and we discovered that the zest and pith as well as the fruit itself make an important contribution to flavor.

For a robust, sweet-tart sangria recipe, we started with cheap red wine, which actually makes a better sangria than the expensive stuff. We experimented with untold varieties of fruit to put in our sangria recipe and finally concluded that simpler is better. We preferred the straightforward tang of citrus in the form of oranges and lemons and we discovered that the zest and pith as well as the fruit itself make an important contribution to flavor.

 As most of you know, I have been experimenting with cheese bread for quite a few years and after much adjusting and testing, the attached recipe seems to work best of all. At least it does for us. So I thought I would pass it along. The Kitchen Aid is not mandatory, you can also make it by hand, or even in a bread machine if you wish.

I know some of you will never use it but feel free to pass it along to a friend who might be interested. Who knows, they might even give you a loaf!