The Best Cocktails To Make For Your New Year’s Parties

Posted on 29/12/2023 by Boris Clair

The holidays traditionally are for getting together with the people you love most. Tradition also holds that it’s the season of office parties and other semi-mandatory affairs. Whether you’re attending the next cocktail (or ugly sweater) party excitedly or begrudgingly, a good cocktail is likely to improve the evening.

While there’s nothing wrong with hot toddies or spiked eggnog (actually — I take it back, there’s plenty wrong with eggnog), an expert-designed seasonal cocktail could be a nice change of pace. Warm your bones with one of these recipes, shared by some of New York’s most impressive bars and restaurants, and give your guests the gift of a good, stiff drink.

You may have to make a trip to a bar specialty store, or, you know, the internet, to pick up some of the requisite ingredients, but we’ve included tips for substitution whenever possible. You’ll want a basic bartending set with a cocktail shaker, strainer and muddler to make these. We’ve also suggested glassware and garnishes for each cocktail, if you’re going all out. Also, flavoured syrups aren’t a bad investment — they’ll taste great in your coffee on Christmas morning.

When Smokey Sings

Not into eggnog? Good news: You can offer your guests something comfortingly creamy that isn’t glorified boozy custard. Ivo Diaz, the co-owner, beverage director, and chef at Casa Ora, a stylish Venezuelan restaurant in Brooklyn’s East Williamsburg, shared this recipe for a rich and delicately spiced drink that’s sure to warm up your insides.

There is some prep involved, but you can make the chicha de arroz and cinnamon syrup hours or even days before guests arrive. To make things even easier, you can grab a bottle of premade cinnamon simple syrup online or at a kitchen specialty store.

Once you have your syrup and chicha on hand, you’re really only working with three ingredients, so it should be easy enough to shake these up for guests and still enjoy your party. For a really professional look, invest in a jumbo ice tray to make cocktail bar-ready ice blocks.

To make your own cinnamon simple syrup:

In a pot, muddle about 3/4 ounce (by weight) of cinnamon bark, and add 2 cups of water and 2 cups of Domino superfine sugar. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, then cover and reduce heat to a simmer for 15 minutes. Strain with a fine strainer before storing.

To make the chicha de arroz:

Combine 16 ounces rice milk, 1 can sweetened condensed milk, 1 can evaporated milk, and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder in a blender until smooth. Store in a container and keep refrigerated.

To make the cocktail

Combine cinnamon simple syrup, chicha de arroz and mezcal in a shaker with ice. Double strain into a rocks glass over a jumbo rock block and garnish with mint leaves.

Nashi Sour

Treat your loved ones to a partridge in a nashi pear tree — or at least a creative and pear-flavored take on a classic whiskey sour. The Nashi Sour, by bar director Amir Babayoff of Ophelia in Manhattan’s Midtown East, features spiced winter fruit flavours frothed up with egg white.

We suggest you buy liquid egg whites rather than having to deal with cracking eggs and separating yolks while you’re trying to entertain company. For the most faithful version of this drink, try to stick to Babayoff’s suggested liquors as much as possible. Again, you can find ginger and cinnamon syrups online, if not at your local HomeGoods; or, you could go full elf and make your own.

Add all ingredients, dry shake, add ice, shake and double strain into a Nick and Nora glass. To garnish like the restaurant does, cover half of the top of the glass with a square white paper and spray or sprinkle chai powder on just half of the foam.

Cranberry Cup

If you haven’t yet had your fill of cranberry sauce (I know I haven’t), this vodka-wine spritzer by Gary Wallach, beverage director at Lindens, could be your new party signature. The bar, newly opened at the Arlo Soho in New York, serves theirs in a highball glass, dressed with an elaborate garnish of fresh thyme, lemon zest and a roll of dried cranberry leather.

If you can’t find thyme and apple liqueurs at your local liquor store, snag them online. Same goes for the spiced cranberry shrub — a traditional mixer made with sugar and vinegar for a tangy-sweet taste. You can make your own if you’re feeling ambitious. But if you’re normal, you can find inexpensive craft shrub online — here are a couple of options we found.

Once you’ve shaken all the other ingredients together, top it off with Lambrusco, a sparkling and often sweet red wine, to taste.

1 dash angostura bitters
1 teaspoon thyme liqueur
1/2 ounce spiced cranberry shrub
3/4 ounce lemon juice
1/4 ounce apple liqueur
1.5 ounces vodka (Belvedere is suggested)
Lambrusco, free pour
Optional: thyme sprig, lemon twist, cranberry fruit leather, and/or grated nutmeg, to garnish

Add all ingredients except for Lambrusco into a small cocktail shaker. Add ice and shake vigorously. Strain into a highball glass over fresh ice, top with Lambrusco and garnish. Lindens uses a thyme sprig, lemon twist, cranberry fruit roll-up and grated nutmeg.

Raspberry Mint White Chocolate Holiday Cocktail

From Christmas cookies to candy canes, December is the time when your sweet tooth is likely to reign supreme. If you’re hoping for a cocktail that will fulfill your candy cravings, Irene Li of New York’s MáLà Project restaurants has one that combines chocolate, peppermint — and some raspberry for good measure. You’ll probably have to buy a few new liqueurs for your stash, so consider getting nice ones that you’ll be excited to experiment with all winter.

Combine white chocolate liqueur, peppermint schnapps, raspberry liqueur, vanilla extract and vodka in a shaker. Fill the shaker with ice and shake until all ingredients are well incorporated.

Pour into a chilled rocks glass. Top off with crushed candy cane pieces and a peppermint stick or two (or three … we’re not counting).

Holiday Manzarita

This light and fruity drink comes from the Kartrite Resort located in the Catskills in New York state, and it’s a great way to use up the last apples of the season.

Your first step is to muddle your fresh apple chunks, so if you don’t already have a muddler on your bar cart, now’s the time to pick one up. Or, you can simplify that step by just using your favourite store-bought apple cider.

And if you don’t already have St-Germain on hand, you won’t regret picking up a bottle. The herbal, elderflower-flavoured liqueur is a great cocktail staple that you’ll find uses for well into the spring. As for the garnish, Kartrite serves the Manzarita with a flaming cinnamon stick — but you can feel free to leave yours unsinged.

1 1/2 ounces blanco tequila
1/2 ounce St-Germain
1/2 ounce cinnamon syrup
3/4 ounce fresh-squeezed lime juice
3-4 small cubed apple pieces (or 3/4 ounce of apple cider)
Cinnamon stick, to garnish

In your cocktail shaker, muddle the apple. Add all remaining ingredients to the shaker with ice. Shake for 6-8 seconds. Double strain into a rocks glass over ice. Garnish with cinnamon stick and serve.

When To Use Aluminium Foil, Parchment Paper, Wax Paper And Freezer Paper

Posted on 29/12/2023 by Boris Clair

Whether you’re new to cooking or you’ve been doing it for decades, it’s entirely possible you have no idea what you’re doing in certain areas. One particular topic that home cooks struggle with is understanding the differences between parchment paper, wax paper, aluminium foil and freezer paper, and when to use which one.

And trust us, mixing them up could legitimately ruin your recipe in some cases.

What’s the difference, and which materials are interchangeable? We talked to the experts to clear up any confusion you might have. Read on for the inside scoop on exactly when to use parchment paper, aluminium foil, wax paper and freezer paper — and exactly when you shouldn’t.

Parchment Paper

Thanks to its versatility, parchment paper is the shining star of the kitchen. It’s an odourless paper made from cotton fibre and pure chemical wood pulps that’s been coated with silicone. In addition to being nonstick, it’s heat- and moisture-resistant.

Parchment can be used for many kitchen tasks, but it’s best known for acting as a liner for baking sheets and pans, helping to promote even cooking and food not sticking. And according to Laura Ritterman, the cook behind the food blog Recipe Fairy, it also makes cleanup a whole lot easier. Think: being able to slide roasted veggies, cookies, fish and more right off the baking sheet with no mess.

“You can also line parchment paper on your kitchen counter to aid in cleanup,” said Christina Musgrave, a professional recipe developer. Because it’s nonstick and moisture-repellent, you can do all of your chopping, mixing, kneading and rolling on top of a layer of parchment, then toss it when you’re done, saving you the trouble of scrubbing down your countertops later.

Despite being super-versatile, parchment paper can only be used up to a certain temperature. “You can normally use parchment paper up to around 420 degrees Fahrenheit,” Musgrave said. “Heating it over that temperature can risk it catching on fire.” For safety purposes, always know the heat limit of the brand of parchment paper you’re using while cooking.

As for what to use as a substitute if you find yourself out of parchment paper, that depends on what you’re planning to use it for.

“Foil can be used to help prevent food from sticking, so long as it’s well-greased,” Ritterman said. (Or, if you’re specifically using a nonstick foil.) “It’s not as good as parchment paper, but can be used in a pinch if you don’t have any.” For easier cleanup, wax paper is a good choice for covering countertops.

Aluminium Foil

Runner-up in the versatility department is aluminium foil, which is made of over 98% aluminum ― the balance of which consists mainly of iron and silicon for added strength and puncture resistance. During the final rolling, two layers of foil are passed through the mill at the same time. The side that comes into contact with the polished steel rollers becomes shiny, the other side dull.

This is why, despite popular belief, it doesn’t matter which side of the foil contacts your food. (The only exception to this is nonstick foil, which does have a dull side that’s nonstick ― perfect for cooking foods that are cheesy or sticky.)

Where aluminum foil really shines (pun totally intended) is with high-heat cooking, like grilling and broiling. Any recipes that require cooking foods at a higher temperature than your parchment paper can hack, that’s where foil comes in.

Another handy skill? “Aluminium foil helps with even cooking or baking in the oven, mitigating the burning of food before it has finished cooking,” Ritterman said. “This is great for things like casseroles, roasts or pies.”

Say you don’t want your turkey or casserole to over-brown ― make a foil tent by placing a sheet of foil over your roasting pan or casserole dish, leaving a 1-inch gap between the top of your food and the foil tent for heat circulation, then crimp the foil onto the long sides of the pan so it stays put.

To keep your pie crust from burning while the centre bakes, foil to the rescue: Take a 12-inch foil square and fold it into quarters. Cut out the centre and round off the edges so you’re left with a ring that’s two inches wide. Unfold the ring and place it over your pie, removing it for the final 20 minutes of baking time.

“Because foil easily holds its shape, you can also wrap foods (meat, potatoes) to prevent them from losing moisture as they cook, as well as make foil packs of food to pop in the oven or on the grill,” Kyrie Luke, recipe developer and blogger at Healthfully Rooted Home, told HuffPost. (It’s an especially effective strategy for more delicate foods, like veggies and fish.)

But you should never use aluminium foil in the microwave. “Since aluminium foil is metal, it can heat so quickly that it can cause a spark and catch on fire,” Musgrave warned.

The best replacement for foil is parchment paper — specifically, for oven cooking and making food packs. For high-heat cooking, however, aluminium foil is difficult to replace, with the closest options being grilling papers and oven and barbecue bags.

If you’re not sure whether to go with aluminum foil or parchment paper, just remember: Grill or broil, go with foil.

Wax Paper

Wax paper is tissue paper that’s triple-waxed with a food-safe paraffin coating. It’s best known for covering countertops ― you can measure dry ingredients, such as flour, over wax paper and avoid a messy countertop during baking and cooking.

“It’s similar to parchment paper in that it can be used to keep food from sticking to surfaces, such as allowing chocolate-covered strawberries to harden or delicate artwork for cakes and pastries,” Ritterman said. It can even line pans for non-baked items, such as fudge or no-bake desserts to make cleanup easier.

Unlike parchment, wax paper shouldn’t be used in cooking situations that require heat. “Never use wax paper in the oven, microwave, grill or anything that conducts heat,” Luke said. “The wax will melt and it may cause a fire.”

The only exception to this rule is that wax paper can be used for lining cake pans for baking cakes. Because the cake batter completely covers the wax paper and absorbs much of the heat, the wax paper won’t smoke or melt.

The easiest way to remember whether to go with parchment or wax paper is to picture a burning candle as a reminder that wax melts. “The last thing you want is waxy food ― or a kitchen fire,” Luke said.

Freezer Paper

Freezer paper is a thicker paper that’s used for, you guessed it, freezing food. “It’s best known for wrapping meats and seafood for freezing to seal in juices and protect them from freezer burn,” Musgrave said.

One side of the paper is coated with either wax or plastic and provides a barrier to air and moisture that helps prolong the freshness, flavor and nutrition of your food while frozen, helping it last in your freezer for up to one year. Because the other side of the paper isn’t coated, it can be used to mark down the contents and pack date of the wrapped food.

Since freezer paper has a wax or plastic coating, it shouldn’t be heated ― otherwise, the wax or plastic will melt and ruin your food.

In a pinch, you can use heavy duty aluminium foil as freezer wrap, but because it can be torn and punctured easily, it’s best to use an overwrap, too.

“Wax paper can also replace freezer paper if you plan on eating the stored food in a short period of time,” Ritterman said. It’s not moisture-vapour resistant the way freezer paper is, though, so for longer storage times, freezer paper all the way.

Here’s Why You Should NEVER Roast Potatoes In Olive Oil

Posted on 12/12/2023 by Boris Clair

I hate to sound arrogant, but I was pretty sure I’d landed on the perfect roast potato recipe until about an hour ago.

The steps seemed so simple. Par-boil the spuds (I love roosters) for about ten minutes; put a shameful amount of olive oil in a tray to warm in a hot oven; chuff and season the spuds with semolina and herbs, and then roast. Right?

Wrong, it seems. Because while every other step might be legit (like, Mary Berry-approved legit), I’m making a serious mistake with my oil.

Beef tallow isn’t just a delicious, decadent addition to spuds, it turns out ― olive oil is among the worst oils you can roast your potatoes in, apparently. Specifically, extra-virgin olive oil.

What? Why?

It’s all to do with something called a smoke point.

The smoke point of extra-virgin olive oil is around 165-190°C, which pales in comparison to duck fat’s 190°C and rice bran oil’s 260°C.

Light or refined olive oil has a more impressive smoke point of 260°C, but it’s not as good as safflower oil’s 265°C.

In fact, Serious Eats puts extra-virgin olive oil right at the bottom of its smoke point chart ― meaning it’s better used as a dressing or dip than a cooking aid.

That’s because once you heat oil past its smoke point, its fats start to break down, releasing free radicals and a substance called acrolein.

Acrolein is responsible for that burned, acrid, bitter flavour we’re all trying to avoid ― so while flash-frying a quick meal in shallow levels of oil might be OK, leaving your veggies to essentially stew in split fats for an hour or more probably isn’t.

And given that most roast potato recipes call for a 200°C-ish (or 180°C fan) roasting temp for potatoes, it doesn’t seem likely that your 65-190°C-smoke-point extra-virgin olive oil will cut it.

I mean, even if you can stand the taste, a smoky oven is nobody’s idea of fun, right?

What should I use instead?

Duck fat, which has a smoke point of 190°C, could be suitable (and delicious) if you’re cooking on the slightly lower fan-assisted heat.

But good ol’ sunflower and vegetable oil, which can withstand temps of around 225°C, might be a cheaper (and perfectly tasty) option.

Avoid coconut oil and butter, which both have low smoke points of around 175°C. ― and if you’re craving that extra-rich taste, beef tallow has a high smoke point of 205°C.

Refined or light olive oil has a high smoke point of 260°C, so this should be fine to use too ― it’s just the extra-virgin type you need to worry about.

Ah, the joys of cooking…

Here’s Why You Should Never Boil Chopped Broccoli

Posted on 11/12/2023 by Boris Clair

Can I do nothing fright? First, comes the news that I’m boiling my potatoes wrong for mashing; then, it turned out I’ve been using my colander wrong this entire time.

And recently, I spotted an Instagram reel that changed how I view boiling broccoli.

If you’re anything like me, you’re used to chopping your broccoli into florets and adding it either to a steamer or boiling water. But it turns out you don’t need to face those green crumbles all over your chopping board to begin with, and you might not even need to whip the board out at all.

Andrei Emelianov’s Instagram page andre_lifehack, which is filled with (you guessed it) life hacks, revealed in a video that a better way to boil broccoli is to impale the stem with a chopstick or skewer, turn the broccoli upside down so the head is submerged in your pot’s water, and then lay either side of the implement on the rim.

This keeps the veg in place as it cooks ― and when it’s done, you don’t need to drain it. Simply remove the entire head and chop off the florets you want, mess-free.

Huh!

Yep! Lots of commenters mentioned that it’s wasteful to discard the delicious (and fibre-rich) stem, but you don’t have to ― save it and chop it for a pasta bake or grate it for tasty fritters.

Of course, nutritionists say boiling broccoli means you lose a lot of nutrients in the water, so if you choose to steam it instead, simply trim the stem of the entire head so the whole veg can fit in your lidded steamer basked.
You can save the trimmed stem for later. And even if you’re not boiling or steaming your broccoli, you can use one of Andre’s other food tricks shown in the video; turn the broccoli head upside down and run the water through the florets that way when washing it, rather than using the less-effective floret-side-up approach.

Any other tips?

Yep! The reel is brimming with wisdom.

For instance, you’re better off chopping a large veg (like squash) by placing a knife along the side of the gourd and rolling the whole vegetables. It makes the cut much easier.

Also, you’re probably cracking pistachios open wrong ― rather than pulling two sides of the shell apart, try pushing them together until they snap for a simple release.

Loosen grapes from their stalk by placing the whole bunch in a tea towel and gently rubbing the top half of the terrycloth parcel ― they’ll gradually evict themselves from their woody homes.

And solidified, cakey spices that are stuck in a jar can be loosened by circling the base of another spice jar over the inverted bottom of the affected container.

Lastly, you can cleanly remove flour from the bag by spinning a balloon whisk in the bag and lifting the filled utensil from the bag ― it’s amazingly mess-free.

You can see the tricks for yourself here:

Hoard Gu Pots? Oh, Do We Have Excellent News For You

Posted on 11/12/2023 by Boris Clair

I didn’t realise until I moved to the UK that the glass ramekins used to hold Gu desserts are basically a second currency here.

People hoard them like dragons with gold coins, stacking them high in the cupboards under their sinks; and just as a giant winged reptile can’t actually spend any of the treasures it guards, I’ve never seen a glass-gathering Brit use one of their coveted cocottes.

Well, no more. Recently, I discovered something that’ll finally render your ramekin collection useable; it turns out that Pringles lids fit perfectly onto the containers, turning them into endlessly useful little storage pots.

That’s pretty handy, actually

Yep! One user commenting on Gardener’s World says that they make a “sterilisable, re-usable, airtight seed soaking/stratifying jar” that “stands up to boiling water well, does fine in the fridge and microwave too.“

You can write whatever you like on the lid with a marker before wiping it off when you want to reuse it, they add. The commenter had created holes in the lid of her food package waste hybrid container and used it for seeds.

You can see how perfect the combo is on this Reddit post, which led some commenters to say “Came downstairs to discover this in the kitchen holding cloves of garlic. Mum’s the real snackrchtiect [snack architect].”

I’ve just used to hack to store some leftover garlic mayo from my takeaway pizza ― you could also use it for bacon grease, or even spilled spices.

There’s more!

Looking for a sustainable (read: cheap) DIY Christmas pressie? You could fill the pots with your DIY spice mixes or tiny microwave mug brownie ingredients (bar the wet ingredients, of course).

I’m also obsessed with these easy Gu pot candles (though they don’t require a lid, necessarily).

Perhaps you could share a giant tin of loose-leaf tea with friends in their own individual lidded Gu pots ― and hey, who am I to stop you from wrapping some twine around the neck of the pot and creating a little herbal tea-style label with their name on it to add to the end of the string?

Or, you could simply stuff them with snacks like pretzels and send ’em on their merry way. One thing’s for sure, though ― ’tis the season to clear the Gu pot graveyard in your cupboard.

The Secret To Perfect Apple Pie Is Hiding In Your Recycling

Posted on 27/11/2023 by Boris Clair

As an outsider, there are some things I have to hand to the UK. Crumpets? Delicious. A good roast? The words alone set me drooling. But when it comes to sweet pies, my Irish eyes have landed on a firm winner; those are best done by Americans.

If (like me) you’ve always wondered at cherry pies and craved a pecan tart, I reckon you’ll want to soak up all the cross-Atlantic pie wisdom you can get.

But recently, advice from a friend almost left me to question her knowledge; to bake the perfect double-crust apple pie, try placing it in a paper bag before lobbing it in the oven.

What?

I know! I was confused too. But it turns out the science is sound ― the bag keeps the air in a pie parcel, ensuring the filling stays tender.

On top of that, the bag provides a sort of cover to ensure your pie isn’t exposed directly to the heat of the oven; expect a more even golden colour, and a beautifully-consistent bite.

Of course, the method has its pitfalls. For instance, you’ll want to make sure your paper bag has no glue or plastic in it, as this can provide a horrible taste or, in the worst-case scenario, toxic fumes.

If you can’t be definite about how your paper bag was made, try making your own parchment envelope for your pie out of folded baking paper.

Secondly, make sure your paper doesn’t touch any of the heating elements in the oven directly ― this could cause it to singe and even burn. Keep a safe distance between your paper and the top or bottom of the oven, and the rack above it.

You’re also advised not to let the bag, or parchment, touch the top of the pie. Paperclip, or staple, the sides down; they risk burning if left to flap loose in the fan of your oven.

I know it sounds like a lot, but I promise it’s worth it ― I haven’t had a dessert that good, before or since.

Here’s TikToker and baking enthusiast sherry_skinner showing us how it’s done:

So THAT’s How To Introduce Your Kids To Spicy Foods

Posted on 25/11/2023 by Boris Clair

Anyone who spends time around young children can attest to the fact that picky palates are common. Bold flavours ― especially those that involve heat ― often take little kids by surprise, and many react to the unfamiliarity with loud and adamant refusal. My almost-2-year-old niece, for example, is a mini foodie who loves just about every dish she tries … unless hot peppers are involved. One bite of salsa or guacamole, and she’s in full meltdown mode.

I, on the other hand, have loved spicy foods since I was a toddler (at least, according to my mom), and my adoration for peppers, chilli powder, cayenne, hot sauces and all other capsaicin-loaded eats has persisted into adulthood. That makes me wonder: Can spice tolerance be learned? Can kids develop a taste for spicy foods, even if they’re not immediate fans? And if so, how can a parent go about facilitating this while respecting their child’s preferences?

To answer these questions, we asked licensed nutritionists and dieticians who work with children to provide some guidance on the best ways to introduce young kids to spicy foods — and how to give them the space and the support to decide whether they like these dishes.

Children can begin to encounter seasoned foods at 7 to 12 months.

Most babies begin their foray into solid foods with soft and easy-to-eat items like warm cereal and pureed fruits and vegetables. Generally speaking, these intro foods feature gentle flavours and aren’t seasoned with salt or spices. At around the 7-month mark, though, Los Angeles-based registered dietician Blanca Garcia says that “most families with spicy foods in their cultures start giving infants foods with flavours. [Examples include] beans cooked with onions, garlic or black pepper, ginger, ginger tea and turmeric. For other cultures, spices can also include [mild] curries and garam masala. These foods are not spicy, but they do have flavours that can give the palate the foundation for what is to come.”

Begin by exposing kids to aromatic spices without heat.

As Garcia said, spices that deliver big flavours but don’t include capsaicin (the active component that causes the burning sensation prompted by hot peppers) can whet a child’s palate for more intense spices down the line.

Dawn Kane, a certified food scientist and the regulatory affairs manager for Little Spoon, advises first introducing aromatic spices without heat — think cinnamon, basil, mint or cumin — to kids.

“Start with a small amount to get your little one familiar with the ingredient and gradually incorporate it into more and more meal occasions,” she said. “Adding these spices can help expose your little one to a range of flavours and ingredients, helping to mitigate a future picky eater.”

When it comes to ‘hot’ foods, wait until your child has the ability to clearly say yes or no.

Adding foods with capsaicin to your child’s diet should wait until the child in question can clearly articulate their reaction to these dishes.

Registered dietician and certified nutritionist Reda Elmardi recommends waiting until after the age of 2 to try giving your kids spicy foods, both because of their physical development — she said kids’ taste buds become fully developed around that age — and because children deserve the agency to determine their own comfort levels with hot spices, which can be painful for some people to eat.

Gradually add spice to dishes that your child already enjoys.

Carefully easing your child into the experience of eating spicy food is a smart move.

“Start with a small amount of spice and serve with foods your child already enjoys,” advised registered dietician Johna Burdeos. “For instance, this might be in the form of a spicy dip to go with favourite finger foods, or a spicy sauce or gravy served with noodles, pasta, rice or potatoes. Increase the spiciness gradually, as your child’s tolerance evolves.”

Be careful with the amount of salt you use.

To mitigate the intensity of the spices and/or peppers you use in your recipe — which is always advisable, but especially when you’re cooking for kids who haven’t gotten used to spicy foods yet — keep a close eye on the amount of salt that you’re adding to the dish. Salt can heighten the perception of heat and make a spicy dish feel especially fiery.

Paediatric dietician Cathy Monaghan of Weaning.ie in Ireland urges you to “ensure there is no salt in the spice blends that you are using, and avoid added salt.”

Don’t force your kid to eat spicy foods, but make these dishes available to them if they want to try again.

If you introduce a spicy dish to your child and learn that they dislike it, you may assume that you missed your chance to instil a love of heat in your kid’s tastebuds. Luckily, registered dietician and nutritionist Allison Tallman of SportingSmiles.com assures us that all is not lost — as long as you let your child dictate the pace of future spicy food encounters.

“If your kid continues to disapprove of spicy foods, you can continue to offer them in small quantities, and again, one at a time,” Tallman said. “Do not push your child to eat it, though, as it may build up resentment. Give your child the choice to consume the food when and if desired.”

If your children help you prepare spicy dishes, take proper precautions.

Inviting your children to participate in the cooking process can help develop their overall interest in food, and letting them help as you prep a spicy meal could encourage them to give the completed dish a try. That said, special precautions need to be observed when you and your kids handle hot peppers or seasonings. Kids tend to rub their eyes and faces a lot, which can be very painful if their fingers have touched capsaicin.

“Safety measures for cooking with spicy peppers include being mindful of knives and the hot stove/pans so they don’t get cut or burned. It would also be very helpful to use gloves so they don’t get the capsaicin on their skin or in their eyes and feel those burns,” explains paediatric dietitian Courtney Bliss of Feeding Bliss in Phoenix.

Is It Safe To Eat Berries If Some Are Mouldy?

Posted on 21/11/2023 by Boris Clair

Raspberries would be the perfect food if they didn’t go off more or less as soon as you bring them home. Most fresh berries are the same way; the average shelf life of a fresh punnet is three to five days.

So, if you (like me) are buying for one, that causes furry problems. White specks and blue fur overtake your plastic punnet; sometimes, one berry will weaken and rot, ruining the other berries in a matter of hours.

Of course, in an ideal scenario, we’d all have access to a bounty of fresh berries close by. But say for instance you’d just checked your fridge only to realise that half of your raspberries are already gone over to the spore overlords, and can’t be bothered to make it to the shop (asking for a friend, of course). What then?

None other than the Mayo Clinic have weighed in on the topic. Dr. Nipunie Rajapakse, a paediatric infectious diseases expert, said that the safe point is around a quarter of the soft fruit population: “If more than about a quarter of the berries are mouldy, you’re probably best off getting rid of all of those berries,” she says.

“But, if the rest are looking healthy, they’re not bruised, they’re not soft and there’s no visible mould on them, they’re probably OK to eat after you’ve washed them well,” the doctor adds.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is a little more cautious, advising that the high water content of the berries means spores can spread more easily between the fruits without being noticed.

But even they say that after you’ve thrown the offending food out, checkered the rest for mushiness and other signs of rot, and washed the remains, you should be good to go, they say.

You’ll likely be fine ― as Elizabeth Mitcham, a professor and director of the Postharvest Technology Center at the University of California, Davis told The New York Times, berry moulds “are actually not known to produce toxins, like some fungi do, and so there’s less risk.”

Plus, she adds, the taste will likely warn you of the presence of foul spores quickly enough to help you spit the berry out in time.

Well, that’s good news for my lunch…

The 1 Key Upgrade To My Ice Cream Was Hiding In My Kitchen Cupboard

Posted on 18/11/2023 by Boris Clair

Winter schminter – ice cream is completely acceptable to scoff 365 days of the year in our opinion.

But before you tuck into that scoop of ice cream fresh outta the freezer, you’ve got one more thing to drizzle on it.

Strawberry sauce? Melted chocolate? No, what we’ve been recommended isn’t anything sweet.

Instead, it’s time to dive into that kitchen cupboard and reach for the… olive oil.

Yup, the very same olive oil you’ve been pouring on salads and using to fry stuff in – according to fans of the pairing, the richness of olive oil is a perfect pairing for the texture of ice cream.

Savoury and sweet are best friends, and olive oil complements the ice cream’s richness, resulting in a decadent dessert.

Don’t believe us? Well, First for Women writes that “A drizzle of olive oil over your scoop of ice cream may sound strange, but it adds a surprisingly rich, buttery note that perfectly complements the sweetness.”

Meanwhile, Serious Eats boasts that the flavour can also be fruity and peppery, depending on what type of olive oil you choose.

Then there’s the fact that it’s rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties, meaning that extra virgin olive oil is one helluva healthier topping for your ice cream than chocolate or sweets.

Olive oil is in fact a very common topping for ice cream in Italian restaurants and olive oil ice cream (as in ice cream made with olive oil), is a popular dessert in Italy itself. Apparently making ice cream with olive oil makes it a lot smoother – which when you really think about it does make sense.

Want to take things even further? A good pinch of sea salt on your olive oil covered ice cream is the next step to a savoury/sweet dessert of dreams.

Move over hundreds and thousands.

Sorry But You Need To Stop Eating This 1 Thing Before Exercise

Posted on 15/11/2023 by Boris Clair

Exercise seems so simple, but it can feel like there’s a lot of prep behind-the-scenes to hit those fitness goals. Whether it’s sourcing the right equipment, finding the right time to do it or even whether the exercise you’re doing is actually beneficial for you, it feels like half the work is simply… getting ready to exercise.

Thankfully, it turns out choosing what to eat before you get started and what to refuel with is a lot less complicated.

What you shouldn’t eat before a workout

According to Kerry Beeson, a nutritional therapist at Prep Kitchen, the focus of eating before a workout is to provide you with heightened energy, prevent fatigue, and support muscle maintenance and growth.

“As a general rule, you should aim to eat between one and three hours before your session,” she says.

Beeson adds that if you’re eating between one and two hours before your workout, you should keep the quantity small to avoid indigestion.

As for what not to eat, the nutritional therapist recommends steering away from nuts. This is because they are too slow to digest which could lead to discomfort and bloating. She also advises against tucking into cheese and fatty meats.

Instead, it’s recommended that people eat complex carbohydrates which release energy gradually such as sweet potato and brown rice.

Surprisingly, Beeson also advises against high-fibre foods saying: ”Foods which are too high in fibre can cause gas and bloating which isn’t ideal before a high intensity workout. Interestingly, we don’t actually digest fibre, it’s indigestible which can lead to bloating and stomach discomfort if you exercise too soon after.”

What to eat after a workout

While it may be tempting to reach for a sugary snack after a workout (guilty), your body will refuel more effectively with nutritious foods. Beeson recommends tucking into spinach, eggs, lean meats or wholegrain pasta.

Sadly, after a workout still isn’t the greatest time to tuck into nuts and cheese – so it might be worth giving those a miss for now.

As Beeson says: “Try to avoid high fat foods for the first couple of hours following a workout as this can put unnecessary strain on your digestion while your body recovers.”

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