Food Minia

This is another post that started with a picture on Instagram.  I saw Sarah Jampel's picture of kubaneh from the Breaking Breads cookbook and was utterly transfixed.  Then it showed up again on the Food52 feed in a picture for their store's twine holder , but all anyone wanted to know was what the beautiful, crazy, swirly bread was on the right.  I managed to track down the recipe from my library's copy of Breaking Breads and tried it without even knowing what it was supposed to taste like. The original was a bit too salty for my liking, but the picture above garnered the most likes I've ever gotten for an Instagram post!  I decided to take a cue from Molly Yeh's scallion pancake challah bread and try a hua juan version of kubaneh by brushing a mixture of scallions and sesame oil on the dough before rolling it up.  I also used a fresher yeast this time, and the results are pretty spectacular if I do say so myself. The bread itself reminds me a lot of milk bre...

Puppy chow, muddy buddies, whatever you call them this is a classic! Everyone seems to make their recipe slightly differently but this is how I make it! 1 (12 oz) box Crispix 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips 1 cup smooth peanut butter 5 tbsp butter 1 lb powdered sugar In a sauce pan melt together the chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter.  Stir together over low heat until it is completely melted. Pour the cereal into the chocolate mixture and stir until it is covered. Place half of the powdered sugar into a 2 gallon ziplock bag. Add the coated cereal then pour in the remaining powdered sugar and carefully shake to coat.  Place in an airtight container to store.

Make your holidays sweeter with these mini pecan pies Deliciously small and perfectly unshareable! This post is sponsored by Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry. All opinions are mine.Thank you for your support! Who says that dessert should be shared?!? Oh no. Sometimes it's nice to selfishly enjoy every last, tiny little crumb of it. Especially when it's as yummy and cute as these mini pecan pies.

When I first saw NYT Food's Instagram post featuring a cranberry curd tart I knew I needed to make it if only because of how gorgeous it was.  But each time I made it I couldn't figure out how to photograph it so that the picture would do it justice.  Which meant I just kept making it over and over again.  Awful, I know.  Then this last time I got a pomegranate in my Boston Organics delivery and decided to try sprinkling some on top of the tart for some contrast, and it finally looked as good as it tasted!  They also give the tart a little crunch and freshness to cut all the richness. For the crust, instead of the using the hazelnut crust in the original recipe, I used Smitten Kitchen's " great unshrinkable sweet tart shell " because hazelnuts are expensive and it's pretty much a no-fail recipe.  To save time and effort, I usually end up just pressing the dough into the tart pan right after making it (starting with the edges), docking it, and then freezing...

If you've ever been to a Christmas eve or Christmas day feast at the home of Italians or Italian-Americans who hail from Southern Italy, struffoli - fried dough balls bathed in honey and covered with sprinkles - are sure to appear at dessert time. They'd also be perfect for the Jewish celebration of Hanukkah, which features fried foods and whose first night coincides with Christmas eve this year. I didn't grow up eating these, but my friend Lily, who is from Salerno (near Naples), introduced me to this Neapolitan treat years ago. Last year, my father brought them for dessert following our fish extravaganza on Christmas eve. He followed a recipe from Lidia Bastianich's book, "Lidia's Italy in America." What's on your dessert table this holiday? Want more Ciao Chow Linda? C heck out my Instagram page  here  to see more of what I'm cooking up each day.  You can also connect with Ciao Chow Linda  here  on Facebook,  here  for Pinterest or  ...

Start your dinner party with this irresistible appetizer Your guests will absolutely love these savory bundles filled with creamy radicchio This post is sponsored by Cavit Wines in collaboration with Honest Cooking. Thank you for your support! Want to outshine every other appetizer this year at your holiday party? Now you can, with this beautiful and scrumptious vegetarian dish. It will

It's that time of year when clementines are in season.  I love these little cuties just as they are but they make a perfect snack or a quick dessert.  I use a container of Baker's Dipping *Dark Chocolate.  This container works great with left over chocolate, just pop on the plastic lid and refrigerate until you make these again.  The chocolate won't stay in the fridge long because you'll make these often! Directions: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, wax paper or a Silpat (non stick baking mat). Peel and segment clementines, set aside.  Be careful not to break the skin as the juice will seize the chocolate.  Gently melt chocolate in  the microwave.  Dip segments in chocolate and transfer to parchment-lined sheet. Once all pieces have been dipped, set the sheet aside until chocolate hardens (takes about an hour). To quickly harden chocolate, transfer baking sheet to the refrigerator for 10 minutes. Serve at room temperature. *You can use mi...