Nothing says, “It’s party time” like beverages with fancy looking decorated rims! Dip, dunk and swirl your way to a festive holiday celebration with my 10 ideas for decking out your glassware for the holidays. The melting hard candy drink rim pictured uses the same technique as candy apples. It pairs well with whisky, bourbon or tequila cocktails. You can see more of my ideas and photographs at FoodNetwork.com.
A salty, spicy spice blend made with Vegetarian bacon bits line the rims of a Bloody Mary.
Toasted Marshmallow fluff rimming a mug of hot chocolate and topped with whipped cream and chocolate chips.
Refinery29 asked me to develop and photograph 10 recipes for comfort foods made with just two ingredients. Pictured above are crispy little appetizers made with only Parmesan cheese and pepperoni. You can see the rest here.
My two-ingredient beer and cheddar dip for quick and easy snacking. Serve it with pretzels.
The only ingredients you need to make pancakes.
My marvelous microwave mug meals in mere minutes. For Refinery29. Pictured above is my photo of a bacon cheeseburger made in a mug in less than 5 minutes! It’s a miracle!
Easy microwave chicken pot pie you can make in a mug in minutes.
black pasta carbonara with exotic beech mushrooms.
To help us carbo-load for the long trek through the neighborhood every Halloween, my mother would prepare her standard pre-trick-or-treating meal of Kraft’s boxed spaghetti dinner. We loved it.
These days, I’ve upgraded the tradition with a homemade pasta recipe. This spaghetti carbonara recipe is almost as easy to throw together as a boxed mix. And while the black pasta is much spookier looking, it’s still elegant enough to serve at a Halloween-themed adult dinner party.
Get the recipe at Random House’s Tastebook Blog.
black on black food photography of a stack of black bean pasta.
Exotic beech mushrooms
This non-alcoholic version of sangria incorporates grilled fruit for a smoky/spicy summer quencher. The contrast of the grill marks on the colorful fruit make for a stunning visual display, so be sure to serve this in a large glass pitchers or several smaller glass carafes.
Sprinkles elevate an everyday dessert like this simple chocolate mousse into something special. Glittery red cinnamon sugar and vanilla mini marshmallow bits add a kick of flavor, while the subtle color of these pretty blue jimmies comes from natural dyes. So sprinkle without abandon and make even everyday celebrations sparkle like it’s the 4th of July.
Store bought pound-cake was a weeknight dessert staple when I was growing up, and it’s still got a strong presence in the grocery store’s freezer section. What I like best about it is that it’s sturdy, but not too sweet, making it a good base for creative elaboration. I came up with 10 ways to fancy-up store bought pound cake for my latest FoodNetwork.com article. I ate a couple of slices plain along the way, for old time’s sake.
Frozen Yogurt Donut Popsicles
Are you standing in the middle of a convent store in the middle of the night, or are you perhaps gazing at the leftover remnants of a box of Krispy Creams from your latest work-related breakfast meeting and wondering to yourself, “What else can I do with these donuts other than just stuff them into my gaping pie-hole?” Well, I came up with three super easy ideas for you. Take those donuts home and get cooking. Get the recipes At Refinery29.
Boozy Doughnuts & Coffee Chocolate Bread Pudding
It’s breakfast for dessert — or maybe it’s booze for breakfast. You decide.
Donut Custard Cream Pie
“The most creative and inventive snacks are the result of mastering the art of improv” – me quoting me! Read the article I wrote for The Kitchn. The improv snack pictured is a bagel sundae topped with hot fudge, caramel sauce, popcorn, Raisinettes, whipped cream, cherries and of course sprinkles. There are also links to two original recipes I developed for The Kitchn’s Snack Week.
12 Unexpected Ways To Top Hot Dogs | By Jackie Alpers for Food Network.com
Summer party spreads like picnics and pot lucks are an excellent opportunity to put your creative snacking skills to use and experiment with inventing new and exciting hot dog combinations, or host a summer soirée with a pre-loaded DIY hot dog bar to get your guests’ juices flowing.
It’s time to “get hot doggin’ it” and accelerate your imagination with the fun and creative combo ideas I came up with (and photographed of course) for the FoodNetwork.com.
Pimento Cheese Dog on a Pretzel Roll
Chip & Dip Dog
Mexican Street Corn Hot Dog
