"Fuel your body...Delight your senses"
Stephanie Brina-Herres, MS, RD, CDN
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Nov
30
2011
As part of our Holiday Baking series of blog posts, today the focus will be on ways to develop more flavor notes in cookies to increase your sensory enjoyment of them.
A variation of a sugar cookie that so many people enjoy is some version of a chocolate chip cookie. Everyone has their favorite variation of the classic recipe, however, not everyone may be making the dough 1-2 days ahead of time before baking it off.
Why make and refrigerate dough 1-2 days in advance then of when you plan to bake the cookies? Read on to find out the answer!
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Nov
28
2011
In the culinary arts, there are “formulas” or “ratios” for preparing baked goods that are the basis for any category of product.
To create different varieties of cookies, for example, the basic formula of ingredients is tweaked.
This series on holiday baking will focus on some of those ingredients and how they affect your sensory perception of the finished baked good product, starting with cookies.
Today’s blog post will look at one key ingredient: flour. With so many flour options on the market, you may wonder if your choice of flour really might matter when it comes to baked goods in general and cookies in particular? Read on to find out the answer!
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Nov
28
2011
Who doesn’t love the smell of something yummy baking in the oven?
The sensory impact of cookies baking is one many of us can remember fondly from childhood if anyone in our families baked regularly or if we just walked by an open bakery door.
Today’s blog post will kick the work week off by focusing on an overview of cookies and their ingredients and mention where to find a wonderful sugar cookie recipe worth making.
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Nov
25
2011
When it comes to spices & also herbs, potency is everything! As a rule, the higher the potency of the spice, the higher the price it can command in the marketplace among knowledgeable commodity buyers.
Think of aromatherapy and how you can have an immediate change of mood when affected positively by soothing aromatherapy. Well, potency of spices can also provide an element of satisfaction with a much smaller ingestion of an actual food item–thus you get more bang for your calorie buck. Another way in which good-for-you qualities of spices & herbs can be measured might actually be something you are not yet familiar with.
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Nov
23
2011
The key purpose of pairing wine with food is to increase your enjoyment of both.
Demystify all the mystique surrounding wine pairing with food choices by simplifying it all down to one simple concept of balance.
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Nov
18
2011A blog reader sent in an email and asked, “How can I tell if I need to replace any herbs and spices before I start doing more cooking and baking during the holidays?”So I thought just in case anyone else would like to do an herb and spice “holiday check-up” of their collection, I’d offer some suggestions to help anyone do just that to make the most of any holiday cooking and baking efforts. Time to especially use your senses of sight, smell and taste!
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Nov
17
2011Smucker’s CHUNKY Peanut Butter 16 oz size RECALLDetails were posted this afternoon on my Facebook page:
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Nov
15
2011
Since we are about to head into the Holiday season, it is quite likely that you might be considering food and wine pairing when planning any holiday meal(s). It seemed like this might be a good time to share some thoughts about sensory perception and wine evaluation as you start thinking ahead to any Thanksgiving Celebration and beyond.Local wine stores or perhaps actual wineries (if you happen, like me, to live in or near a wine growing region) may feature special holiday tastings and celebrations. You can taste a variety of wines and make notes about any tastings and then decide what you might like to buy to have available to go with your Holiday meals.
I’ll go into actual wine pairing with food per se in another post, but today let’s focus on first appreciating the sensory qualities of wine and let’s go over some of the basics involved in wine evaluation.
I do not pretend to be a highly trained wine connoisseur or sommelier, however, if you want to see a “Fine Wine” tasting sheet developed in conjunction with input from wine experts, I do know where you might possibly find one available as of the date this article was first published.
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Nov
11
2011Pumpkin Pie or pumpkin custard is a classic ending to a holiday meal. The perceived textures of the pumpkin pie or custard as well as its perceived flavor profile can vary enormously from recipe to recipe.Several factors beyond whether the pie or pumpkin custard is served warm or cold will influence those sensory perceptions. The actual pumpkin source used, whether or not there is any grated carrot, etc. in the recipe, the ingredient choices creating the custard filling, as well as the specific spice choices made including the age and pungency of any ground spices used will all affect the flavor profile of the pie or custard cups. Even the crust choice can make a real difference. Make your choices wisely.
If time is going to be tight for you at Thanksgiving, this pie or pumpkin custard cups is quick and easy and can be made ahead and served either at room temperature or warmed up a bit as you desire. One of my family members likes custard pies or custard cups to be silky smooth and to have a milder flavor profile, thus the name and choice of this pie or custard cups recipe.
You can often “tweak” holiday recipes a little by making simple substitutions to lower their fat content if you wish.
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Nov
11
2011This recipe dates back in time to before I was married and is proof that moderation is key and a little bit of a treat is sometimes worth having–the key is a little bit!At the time, I had just completed my M.S. degree elsewhere and was working as the assistant to the State Extension Specialist in Food and Nutrition in the State of PA and we had received inquiries for some new recipes featuring sweet potatoes and/or yams. One of the other Extension Specialists actually loved to cook, whereas my boss did not really enjoy spending time in the kitchen, so I brainstormed instead with her colleague, Carolyn Schrock.
I happen to like souffle recipes that work every time. I’ve made this side dish many times in a ceramic casserole dish and actually, it is delicious even when left over, so I use that dish because it has a cover to boot. Honestly, this souffle could even be served at the end of a meal as a dessert!
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