Add These Truffle Recipes to Your Holiday Treats

The last 4 months of the year, September through December, are my favorite months of the year because of the weather, because of the holidays, and because it's the only time I allow myself to indulge in sweet treats. When I hear the word “truffle”, I think chocolate. I don't think about the truffle that is some sort of fungi, called Tuber. Even though that type of truffle is highly prized as food and is used in French cooking and numerous national haute cuisines and is very expensive.

Nope! Instead I think of the chocolate truffle which is “a type of chocolate confectionery, traditionally made with a chocolate ganache centre coated in chocolate, cocoa powder, coconut, or chopped and toasted nuts (typically hazel nuts or almonds), usually in a spherical, conical, or curved shape.” (Description per Wikipedia.)

The name for this confectionery or delightful sweet treat is actually derived from the fungi for the simple reason that the confectionery and the edible fungi LOOK very similar. Even though the really expensive truffle that is used in French cooking is considered gourmet cuisine, … eh! I'd rather eat the chocolate truffle.

Did You Know? There are different types of chocolate truffles: French, Spanish, Swiss, typical European truffle, American, Belgian, and Californian. There is even a pot truffle (the recipe includes cannabis). The recipe varies slightly for each type, but they are all made with chocolate (or cocoa powder).

So happy to share this link published via the Tasty Newsletter, which is a BuzzFeed publication.

5 Delicious Truffles to Lift Your Mood

1. Custard Cream Truffles

2. White Chocolate Chip Truffle

3. Salted S'mores Truffles

4. Magic Fizzy Truffles

5. Cookies ‘n’ Cream Truffle

(P.S. If you were hoping these truffles would lift your mood because they contained cannabis … sorry! But I guess you could add it to the recipe when nobody's looking. As long as it's legal. LOL. 😊 Me personally, I get a buzz out of chocolate. 😊)

Add these truffles to your holiday treats.  Go ahead and indulge in this guilty pleasure.  You could also make them as food gifts.  

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Original source

World Cuisine : The India-Africa Cooking Connection

For me, a hearty stew has always been the ultimate family-style comfort food. Prepare a big pot, fill the bowls for family, friends, and honored guests, break bread, and chow down!! (Keep reading and you'll get the "bread" and "chow" references.)  Such a meal can unite family and friends, make strangers feel welcome, and dare I say ... connect countries?  Hey!  Nothing wrong with wishful thinking and dreams of world peace.

Indians love curry; in fact that's where it originated. Africans like peanuts; it was a food used to feed the slaves because it was an excellent source of protein. These tidbits of info gleaned from researching world cuisine, global flavors, and food history.  When the Indians and the Africans combined their food loves ... the "mix" was WOW!  Let the links shared below explain the impact.  They lead to recipes that introduce your palette to the blending of the cultures of  India and Africa in every delicious mouthful.  Not just dishes that use curry and peanuts but meals with other flavorful cultural ingredients.  It's family food, it's comfort food, it's "all kinds of deliciousness" food!! ☺

Let's Go to South Africa for Some Indian Food

Experience the flavors of Indian food in South Africa.

Indian cuisine South Africa style blends Indian and African foods

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African cuisine reflects the amalgamation of hundreds of different cultures and groups that inhabit the continent. The local culinary traditions are a fusion and it can be seen in the choice of ingredients, method of preparation and cooking techniques.

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Food Blurb: Japanese Fun Food

JAPANESE FOOD

Links to cooking videos that teach you how to make 2 kinds of Japanese pancakes; considered as snacks or dessert. 

Taiyaki is a warm fish-shaped cake with red bean filling.

* How to Make Taiyaki (Recipe) 鯛焼きの作り方（レシピ）

Dorayaki is made of honey pancake sandwich with sweet red bean filling.

* How To Make Dorayaki (Recipe) どら焼きの作り方 （レシピ）

(Images credit: justonecookbook.com ) 

6 Best Japanese Sauces You Need To KnowBy Heart
• Just One Cookbook

1. Homemade Ponzu Sauce

2. Teriyaki Sauce

3. All-Purpose Miso Sauce

4. Tonkatsu Sauce

5. Yakiniku Sauce

6. Unagi Sauce

Food Blog Spotlight: Honey Chai Cake Recipe | Arabic Food (Reblog)

Are you curious about global flavors?  You have wanderlust but can't wander too far because your travel budget is extremely limited?  Describing myself, of course.  My travel adventures are accomplished mainly through the Internet and television.  Was watching a TV cooking show and the host asked one of his guests who was a world traveler, which part of the world had the "best food" (in his opinion).  He said he enjoyed food prepared in the Middle East.  

Image credit:  Arabic Food I, photo by Victor Maia, found at Flickr.com



Connecting the dots.  

Several months back, began using the Google+ collections feature to maintain a collection of posts and links related to World Cuisine.  In the process, stumbled across the Arabic Food Recipes blog.  My husband and kids are turned on to chai tea. Even though I am a coffee fiend, having been encouraged by them to try a cup, it's very easy to understand why they are chai tea lovers.  At the aforementioned food blog found a cake recipe and thought to myself:

• 'Chai tea is delicious. Why not chai cake?'  

(See link shared below.)

Here is another thing to note about this blog.  When many of us are enjoying the holiday season, we say "Happy Holidays" to others.  Why?  It's not to be anti-Christmas.  America is a diverse nation.  Some folks do not celebrate Christmas.  But they do celebrate a holiday!  This blog has holiday recipes for Christmas, EID, and Ramadan.  Cool huh?

Honey Chai Cake Recipe

Honey Chai Cake Recipe

A delicious honey cake with tea, covered with vanilla and white chocolate icing, no one can resist it! Shaikha - founder of "When Shaikha Cooks" blog - prepared for you this unique recipe, to prepare it easily, especially for when you're expecting friends.

Slow-roasted lamb shoulder with flavours of shawarma recipe

“There’s nothing worse than being stuck in the kitchen on Christmas day while all your guests are enjoying themselves outside, so this DIY lamb shawarma recipe is the perfect solution. ...”

Slow-roasted lamb shoulder with flavours of shawarma recipe

The Arabic Food Recipes Kitchen (The home of Delicious Arabic Food) invites you to try Slow-roasted lamb shoulder with flavours of shawarma recipe. Enjoy the Arabic cuisine and learn how to make Slow-roasted lamb shoulder with flavours of shawarma.

Eid Kaak with Dates Recipe

Eid Kaak with Dates Recipe

Cooking time: 20 minutes servings: 100 Ingredients Dough: 2 cups very hot margarine7 cups flour2 tsp smell of kaak (special kaak spices)2 tbsp toasted sesame1/2 cup warm water1 tbsp yeast 1 tsp sugar1/2 cup milk Stuffing: 500 grams Ajwa (dates)1 tsp cinnamon For garnish: Fine powder sugar Directions 1.

Eggplant With Lamb, Tomato and Pine Nuts Recipe

“ … this traditional Lebanese dish is made for celebratory meals and gatherings.

Eggplant With Lamb, Tomato and Pine Nuts Recipe

With its layers of golden eggplant, cinnamon-scented lamb, and sweet tomato sauce topped with melted cheese, this traditional Lebanese dish is made for celebratory meals and gatherings. Even better, it's just as good served warm or room temperature as it is hot from the oven.

Related articles

How To Promote Diversity And Inclusion During A Month Of Multicultural Holidays

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Exotic Fruit: Do You Heart Persimmons?

Fuyu Persimmon Diospyros kaki 'Fuyu'
~ Other Common Name(s): Fuyu Kaki

Fuyu persimmon is a fruit that ripens in the fall season and should be included in the American cornucopia or “horn of plenty”. It is sweet and has a beautiful color! It makes for a beautiful ornamental plant. It attracts birds so you might want to put a cage around it.

There are two other varieties of the persimmon that I know of: Cinnamon Persimmons (also called Percinnamons); and Hachiya Persimmons. This fruits is native to China and Japan.  But there is also an American persimmon.

• "Putchamin is the Algonquin Indian word from which we get persimmon, and it appears from a report by Hernando de Soto in 1541 that Indians in the Mississippi region made it into “bread”. The variety of persimmon enjoyed by these intrepid explorers and early settlers is what we now call Diospyros virginiana." (Source: Pioneers and Persimmons | The Old Foodie)

• According to folklore, if you crack open a persimmon seed from a ripe fruit and the shape inside (called a cotyledon) looks like a fork, winter will be mild; if you see a spoon, there will be a lot of snow, and if there is a knife, winter will be bitingly cold and “cut like a knife.” (Source: Farmer's Almanac)

• In the Buddhist religion, persimmons are a symbol of transformation. In China, they are an auspicious gift to newlyweds to celebrate eternal love. (Source: Real Food Encyclopedia | Persimmons | FoodPrint)

You can make cookies, pies, breads, and jam with it. Slice or dice tme like apples and you can put them in salads, if you like fruit in your salad. Instead of apples with your roasted pork, substitute persimmons. You can dehydrate them and eat them like chips!

• FUN FOOD FACT: You can freeze persimmons whole. Then when ready to eat, take them out of the freezer, let stand for 20 minutes to soften up, cut off the the top, take a spoon and DIVE IN!

Here are some wonderful recipes collected by Yummy Mummy Kitchen and Martha Stewart.

20 Persimmon Recipes  

12 Persimmon Recipes Everyone Should Make This Fall ~ 

Original source

Foodie Friday : Little Things Shares Delightful Recipes and Cooking Tips

LittleThings is a website/platform that serves as home to a myriad group of content creators. The publishers don't just share info about food, but that's where my interests lie. Celebrate your inner chef!

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Some people make a meal just eating appetizers.  Try these bruschetta recipes.  I could eat a plate full.

3 Delicious Bruschetta Recipes Everyone Will Love | @LittleThingsUSA ~ https://t.co/pPEJ1wrI8m #appetizers #Partyfood #funfood pic.twitter.com/xOjkyk4dnw

— Everyday Exotic Spices Presents Food Ways (@EverydaySpices) August 21, 2021

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When the season changes to fall or winter, do you always look for pumpkin and squash recipes?  I do!

Tasty Squash Soup And #Pumpkin Roll #Recipes | @LittleThingsUSA ~ https://t.co/7jFTjoaVu2 #soups #Autumn #fallrecipes

— Everyday Exotic Spices Presents Food Ways (@EverydaySpices) August 21, 2021

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Bought my son a waffle iron for Christmas once.  He used it at first and then became bored.  These recipes are proof that he simply lacked creativity and cooking inspiration.

I Tried 5 #Recipes In A Waffle Iron And Here's What Worked | @LittleThingsUSA ~ https://t.co/nK6AbI1f0P #breakfast #Cooking #creativity

— Everyday Exotic Spices Presents Food Ways (@EverydaySpices) August 21, 2021

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We all know pasta is comfort food.  But isn't a pasta dish quick to make?  Sure!  Some are.  But some pasta meals can be cooked in the slow cooker and you'll be glad you took the time.

Slow Cooker #Pasta 3 Ways: #ComfortFood Worth The Wait | @LittleThingsUSA ~ https://t.co/EajhVIvyVt #crockpot #slowcookerrecipes #meals

— Everyday Exotic Spices Presents Food Ways (@EverydaySpices) August 21, 2021

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Most of my friends say they don't bake bread because they don't have time.  Wonder if they ever tried baking bread in a jar?

How To Bake #Bread In A Jar: 3 Ways To Put A Delightful Twist On #Classic #Recipes | @LittleThingsUSA ~ https://t.co/LiSug4pNrl #baking

— Everyday Exotic Spices Presents Food Ways (@EverydaySpices) August 21, 2021

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You can use this dessert recipe to celebrate Easter and if you don't celebrate that holiday, then celebrate Spring!  It's dessert!  Surely you can come up with an excuse to eat cake!

Robin's Egg #Cake Is Gorgeous, Delicious, And Easy To Make | @LittleThingsUSA ~ https://t.co/4h5JcYem0k #cakelovers #desserts

— Everyday Exotic Spices Presents Food Ways (@EverydaySpices) August 21, 2021

Hope you enjoy these recipes.

Veggie Spotlight: Scallions

Do you see the image below? What do you call these veggies? Scallions? Green onions? Spring onions?

I am confused because some say scallions are not the same as spring onions. Yet the chefs on TV call them green onions or spring onions ... they call them everything but scallions. Have you noticed that?

The first time I tried them was in a salad. A friend took me to a salad bar at a restaurant. I couldn't believe how those little green and white bits and pieces completely changed the flavor of the salad! Then I went to a Chinese restaurant and ordered the won ton soup with my meal. They had a bowl of chopped scallion on the table, with a bowl of crispy fried noodles and some other garnishes. I didn't know what to do, so I just took a spoonful of the scallions and the crispy noodles and sprinkled it in the soup. It was fantastic! First food experiences can be so wonderful!

But back to the questions.

Scallions? Green onions? Spring onions?

Of course, I decided to ask the experts.
Here is one answer.

Difference Between Scallions and Green & Spring Onions | Kitchn

• "Green onions and scallions are actually the same thing!"

• "Spring onions, on the other hand, look similar to scallions, but you’ll notice that they have small onion bulbs at the base."

Well whatever they are called, I love them! They add a wonderful layer of flavor to a green salad. I also love them chopped and sprinkled on top of a soup made with a clear broth, like won ton soup.

They are super easy to grow. I only mention this because they may not be cheap where you live. At our local grocery store we can get a bunch for about 35 cents. However, a friend in Europe says they are not cheap. But it's OK because they're easy to grow.

• Scallions: Plant Care & Growing Guide

I don't really know many recipes that list them as an ingredient during the cooking. Most of the time, people sprinkle them on the dish after the cooking is done. I'm still learning how to use the scallion as it was not a common cooking ingredient in my mom's dishes.

Anybody else love this flavorful member of the onion family?

Original source

Foodie Friday : Falooda, An Indian Dessert

Shining my foodie Friday spotlight on Falooda. 

It's an Indian dessert. Friends in a forum introduced me to this dessert. Ingredients (for the picture below): Mango, Jelly, Basil Seed, Vermicelli, Tapioca Pearls, Condensed Milk, Rose Syrup and Vanilla Ice Cream. There are, of course, recipe variations (see below). Most ingredients you can probably get from your local grocery stores like mango, jelly, condensed milk, and vanilla ice cream. But you may want to shop online for Tapioca Pearls, Basil Seed, and Rose Syrup.

Ever try this dessert?

By Kanchana Bose [CC BY-SA 4.0], from Wikimedia Commons

       

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More #FoodieFriday Posts Improve Boxed Mac-n-Cheese. Is that possible?  Little Things Shares Delightful Recipes and Cooking Tips  Raw Milk Cheese (Americans are Missing Out!)  Happy Holidays! Who Wants Egg Nog?  YACR ( Yet Another Chili Recipe )  Purple is the Color of Royalty and of Glorious Vegetables  Sampling Fast Food World Cuisine is a Fun Do!  Name Your Favorite Instant Noodle  YAPAS (Yet Another Post About Spinach)  Immune-boosting Smoothie ~ Order at Starbucks  Recipes | Desserts | Pineapple Stuffing and More!  Japan’s 10 weirdest ice cream flavors  The Right Blend of Spices for Cajun Food Lovers  Indian Food: Hot n Spicy Samosas (Reblog)  Candied Jalapeño Peppers  Chinese New Year Recipes and Dishes  Pesto Around the World  Experiencing the Joy of Salsa   Spice Spotlight: Cinnamon  It's Flipping Foodie Friday!  Raw Coconut Fig Slice (Reblog)  Winter Salad Binging  Banana Brownies - Back for Seconds