Merry Christmas from The Culinary Capers! And if you don’t celebrate Christmas, then I hope you’re having a fabulous December 24th and 25th off of work, and with family and friends!
My gift to you this year: simplicity in the kitchen. You have stressed yourself out with holiday shopping, unexpected visits, and multiple trips to the grocery store.
But this chocolate pretzel candy couldn’t be any easier. Continue reading
Baked brie is sort of an obsession of mine. Gooey, melted cheese topped with something sweet, wrapped up in puff pasty? Where do I sign?!
It’s an awesome dish to bring to a holiday party, and it looks gorgeous until people start digging in. Then it gets tricky.
As tasty as it is, baked brie usually ends up becoming a mess. Slicing through the puff pastry layer, and attempting to get the ideal ratio of brie to pastry to sweet topping can be tough to wrangle.
And then you put it all on a cracker. That part always baffled me a little. As I sat there putting pastry on a cracker, I found myself thinking…why? Why am I putting pastry filled with cheese and sweet goodness on a cracker? It’s like putting bread on more bread and putting stuff on top of your double bread.
So, being the plucky problem solver that I am (not that bread on bread is a problem…if you’re into that) I devised a solution. Continue reading
I don’t know about you, but I was always a fan of cranberry sauce from a can. Maybe it was the shape. Maybe it was the texture. Maybe it was the fact it was sort of (in my younger brain) like apple sauce, and therefore better than the vegetables, but for whatever reason, I have always loved cranberry sauce.
I was first introduced to fresh cranberry sauce while visiting friends in Oxford. Their mom made an amazing traditional roast, and had fresh cranberry sauce as one of the sides. Continue reading
Sorry Ghostbusters. I know times are tough, but I think I’ll keep these ghosts around. A ghostly Oreo haunting is right up my alley.
Seriously, these Oreo truffle bites are SO good. Like, lick the bowl out good. And their chocolatey goodness comes from only 2 ingredients. So, delicious, easy, what more could you ask for?
Oh, they’re also freakin’ adorable. Continue reading
Happy almost-Halloween everyone! I love love LOVE this time of year. The time of year when my slightly (Ok, more than slightly.) odd love for all things strange can grab the reigns, and I can gobble up candy while scaring myself silly watching the commercials for horror films coming out soon. Yes, it’s true, I am not enough of a big girl to watch the actual movies, the commercials are frightening enough.
It’s also the time of year I get to post my Halloween series! This year there are treats both sweet and savory, time-consuming and quick, and those for the crafty and for the first-timer. Enjoy!
Sometimes you get that last minute Halloween invite. The one you didn’t see coming. So you pull your old Halloween costume out of the closet, and try to figure out what the heck you can bring that looks like you put effort in, but in reality took you less time than it did to throw together your disco-pirate costume. Sure, you say, like that’s possible.
This, my friends, is where the bat brownies come in. Continue reading
Mmm…butternut squash. So tasty, but so funny looking. And have you tried to peel and chop those things? Not an easy task.
Too awkwardly shaped to peel in a coherent way, and slowly oozing sticky juices, it can become a kitchen disaster pretty quickly. Not to mention the arm workout you’ll get trying to slice that thing!
So why bother?
Because butternut squash is like vegetable candy. Bake it, roast it, and you’ve got a magical little veggie that brings Autumn to your table. Continue reading
Have I mentioned how much I adore Cooking Light? They have a great selection of delicious and healthy recipes, and every time I try something new from their cookbooks or magazines I end up with a winner.
Why? Because (and I truly do believe this despite previous posts like these Big Butt Bars) healthy options can be just as scrumptious as those loaded with oil and salt.
Case in point: polenta with black beans, tomatoes and spinach.
Since I first tried out this fast and easy recipe, it’s become my go-to for Summer cooking. It’s light, filling, and doesn’t require you to heat up the house.
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