I’m on a hunt for the best cupcakes in Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky. Have any suggestions?

Asian Peanut Broccoli Salad

Gingered Chicken and Almond Stir-Fry

Thai Shrimp Burgers on Garlic Noodles

Asian Honey Sesame Chicken

Cooking authentic Asian food at home is easy as long as you have the right ingredients on hand.

Soy sauce is a familiar Asian ingredient. It’s dark and salty and made from fermented soybeans and roasted wheat or barley. While we tend to use a single, multi-purpose soy sauce in the US, in China and Japan there are a wide variety of soy sauces available- from light and runny to dark and thick. The lighter soy sauces are usually saltier than the darker ones. If salt content concerns you, you can find low sodium soy sauces, too.
Sesame oil is an important ingredient in Asian cuisine. You can find both light and dark Sesame oil. Asian sesame oil is the darker variety and it’s used to flavor lots of dishes. You’ll be impressed by what even a small amount does to make your dish taste authentic.
If you’re not familiar with Fish sauce , it may sound a little strange but once you try it you’ll see it adds great depth of flavor to Asian dishes. It’s made from salted, fermented fish and has, as you can imagine, a strong, salty flavor. It’s sometimes flavored with chiles or sugar, too. Fish sauce is used a lot like soy sauce.
Chili Paste is made from fermented Fava Beans, chiles and sometimes garlic, which is called Chili Paste with Garlic.
If you keep these items in your pantry, it’s easy to make dishes like Asian Peanut Broccoli Salad, Gingered Chicken and Almond Stir Fry, Thai Shrimp Burgers on Garlic Noodles and Asian Honey Sesame Chicken. You can find lots more Asian recipes and cooking tips atCrisco.com

How do you make simple foods sensational? Great presentation creates a sense of excitement and expectation, creating balance and contrast without overwhelming the food.

Combine color, texture, shape, simplicity and height.   Crispy, crunchy, creamy– combine these elements for exciting texture. Add it with Dole Salads, fruits and vegetables.

Make sure the garnish “belongs” to the dish, like a sprig of rosemary on lamb or lemon slices on fish.

Think of the plate as picture frame and present food artfully inside it.  Don’t overcrowd – try to leave some empty spaces.

As a rule of thumb, the more complicated the dish, the simpler the garnish.

These elements come together to make even a humble  cheeseburger a work of art.

Baby Mushroom Bacon Cheese Burgers with Field Greens
Prep: 20 min.
Cook: 10 min.
Makes: 12 servings

1-1/4 pounds ground beef
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
12 small (silver dollar size) soft buns, cut in half, toasted
Mayonnaise to taste
3/4 cup DOLE® Field Greens [Read more →]

Dr. Jan Hoistad, author of ROMANCE REHAB 10 Steps to Rescue Your Relationship shared tips for improving and strengthening relationships. “No one is born knowing how to have a great relationship, yet 90% of the population seeks committedlove at least once,” says Dr. Jan Hoistad,  “It is evident that role modeling and serendipity are not enough to create a long lasting and vibrant relationship. Chemistry, timing, and common interests may bring couples together, but they do not guarantee long-term success. At some point all couples stumble upon differences that lead to conflict. A mutually accepted vision of partnering and a clear set of tools empower a couple to work in sync with one another and help them to navigate any change or turbulent time in their relationship. The Big Picture Partnering style and the 10 Steps provide just such guidance.”

For more information about Dr Hoistad, visit her site.

Erin Chase, author of The $5 Dinner Mom Cookbook: 200 Recipes for Quick, Delicious, and Nourishing Meals That Are Easy on the Budget and a Snap to Prepare is the founder of 5dollardinners.com, where she has become a go-to source for families who want to eat well, stay within a budget and not spend hours at the stove. Born out of her own need to feed a family of two adults and two young children, she challenged herself to create dinners that cost no more than $5.

Kate MacMurray takes the long view of life among the vineyards of MacMurray Ranch. “Life at the ranch still follows the cadences of the changing seasons,” she says, “as it has for as long as I can remember. There is a wonderful sense of timelessness here,” Kate says. “The seasons in the vineyard mark the gentle turning of the earth. I tell time by the vines.” Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris grapes were planted in the mid-1990s, and the first vintage of MacMurray Ranch wines arrived with the new millennium.

Kate sees parallels between her life today on MacMurray Ranch and her former life as an actor and writer in Hollywood. “One of the techniques actors use is called ‘sense memory’, reaching for remembered aromas or flavors to evoke a time and place and emotion. Tasting our Pinot Noir wines is like that…one sip reminds you of wild berries; the next sip is earthy and warm like a summer afternoon; the next carries the sense of cool ocean fog. You really get a whole movie in every glass.” [Read more →]

Grilled Crimini Mushroom and Roasted Squash Skewers
(Makes 12)

Ingredients
1c. Squash in 1/2inch cubes
12 ea. Crimini Mushrooms
2T. vegetable oil [Read more →]

Tortilla Lasagna

Dinner time is an important time to bond as a family and build memories that will last a lifetime. Certified Angus Beef brand ground beef is a great ingredient for family meals- it’s nutritious, versatile and kid -friendly.

Here’s a delicious lasagna recipe with a Mexican twist. Make a hearty filling using ground beef, taco seasoning and salsa. Instead of lasagna noodles, use corn tortillas. Instead of pasta sauce, pour over some enchilada sauce kicked up with the zing of green chiles. Top it all off with pepper Jack cheese. Your family will love this familiar dish- and you’ll feel great about serving it. You can find more family friendly beef recipes, and cooking tips at Certified Angus Beef.com

I’m showing Rob and Sheila how to make adorable little mushroom potatoes on Fox 19 this morning. They’re from my book, Amy’s Table: Food for Family and Friends. I’ll also review a little “Potato 101″ with them:

Russet or Idaho potatoes are the ones with rough brown skin and lots of eyes. They’re a low moisture high starch potato and that makes them great for baking and frying.

Round white or round red potatoes. Aside from the color of their skin, they’re nearly [Read more →]