It's The Cookie Issue

 Nothing says Chhristmas like homemade cookies. It's the season for dough and decorations. The New York Times knows this and out out a fantastic cookie insert in tomorrow's Sunday papers. There are seven recipes sure to be the crowd pleasure of any dessert table or cookie swap

This issue is a keeper .The front cover features  Melissa' Clark's peppermint shortcakes with an icing that's a riff on the classic New York black and white cookie. This one is definitely on my will bake list It's basic shortbread recipe with peppermint extract added. The icing is also peppermint. I can;t help thinking that these would be good with a dark chocolate ganache icing so it gives a Junior MInt or York Peppermint Patty vibe.Another must bake isthe ginger cheesecake cookie, Imagine a gingersnap filled with cheesecake. This is Samantha'Senerevrtine's recipe that has  home bakers  freezing the filling and then wrapping the dough around a hard ball of it,For a spicy and bright flavor bake  Eric' Kim's  lemon- turmeric crinkle cookie. It a different take on a the classic holiday crinkle cookie.

 

A fun snap to make is the rum buttered almond. cookies by new comer Vaugh Vreeland.Imagine Italian pignoli cookies with almonds instead of pine nuts and a shot of rum added to the dough.Melted rum butter is then brushed on the cookies before they're popped into the  oven. Buche de Noel is a holiday classic and famed baker Claire Saffrritz give us it s in the form of cookies.These are rolled chocolate cookies with a cocoa butter cream frosting and a coating not unlike  rough bark. This is made with cocoa nibs Demamara sugar and salt. Another take on shortbread is  Su Li's matcha and  black sesame shortbread with the finished product having  a lovely green tint/ Sohla El-Wally whips up everyone;s favorite Rocky Road using cookie butter, chocolate chips and a host of candies  like spice drops and nuts such as pecans., This is a no bake one and only has to set in the fridge for one hour.

Whatever you make from  this issue will surely be the hit of any holiday dessert table or cookie swap. They are fun to make and fun to eat. Try a recipe or two for delightful and flavorful bites.

Otea Teas A New Kind Of Comfort

 if you're looking for a new tea to sip this winter look no further than Oteas. This brand has some unusual blends as well as comforting versions of what we all love. It's the perfect hot drink for sitting in a comfy chair and enjoying a warm cup/

The company is located in Revelstoke, British Columbia and has a healthy good for the planet pacific Northwest vibe about it. They have a variety of teas, both in bags and loose leaf with tea leaves coming from allover the world. There are  spicy chais' and  good for you  creamy matcha  teas , great for a relaxing sip. The company also sells accessories such as mgs, a glass tea pot and jars for storing the loose leaf. There are also  Stainless steel tea infuser and a wooden spoon for pouring in the leaves

I have so many favorites with this brand. One of my favorites is the chocolate chai  made with cacao bean peels and blackberry leaves.Their Organic Rejunvenate Tea is the perfect cup for waking up in the morning.It's made with organic ginger  lemon grass and yerba mate   . Another favorite and right for these hectic days is Serenitea, a tasty blend of lemongrass, orange peel and sunflower  and lime tree blossoms. the strawberries and cream is a delicious drink hot or cold.It's a mix of strawberry and apple pieces along with  hibiscus and rose hip peels. My night time tea is their Organic Sleepwell  with a mix of green rooibos tea , granulated ginger, organic peppermint and chamomile  to soothe and relax.

Discover Oteas Teas for a hot sip on a cold night. ANy flavor is perfect . Brew a cup, sit back and enjoy their  rich flavor

The New York Times Food Section Predicts

A new year means new predictions. The  New York Times food section has theirs today for the year ahead. Will they be right? Do they have a thumb on the pulse of what America and New Yorkers want to eat?

My predictions yesterday were off compared to the ones Food section regular contributor , Kim Severson , had. She predicts that Japanese food will be the hot cuisine of choice. This is due to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and a rise in travel to Japan. Japanese toast is already , made from pan de mie,becoming popular. India also will be on the culinary radar too, namely the spicy Keralan cuisine from southwest India. This is a cuisine heavy on the spices along with being rich with coconut, rice and fish. West Africa, Laos and Vietnam will also be popular too. I thought for sure it would be more Middle Eastern, but maybe that's been played out already. However Ms. Severson also predicts generational cooking where young chefs will be influenced by their immigrant parents and grandparents. New dishes and family recipes, which may include some Middle Eastern recipes and spices.

There is even a predicted color of the year : blue and its' deeper variation indigo.Butterfly pea powder, which could be the new matcha is showing up in moon milk, a sleep remedy based on Ayurvedic recipes.Ube, a purple root vegetable and orach, mountain spinach , a purply cabbage like veggie will also be the stars of this year's tables.. Ms. Severson and I do agree on sustainability. She predicts that restaurants and food producers are and will be doubling down on earth friendly ingredients and practices. Vegan dishes and meat alternatives will show up on more menus. It's what I wrote yesterday about more home chefs will be offering their families Beyond Burgers and other plant based "meats". Also I think more fast food chains such as Wendy's Taco Bell and possibly Chipotle may switch over to Beyond Beef. Ms. Severson also foretells that finer dining places will also offer faux bouef. There will also be a rise in regenerative plants such as chickpeas and buckwheat which farmers use to regain soil between harvests. Also look for more biodegradable utensils from fast food places.

These are just some of the predictions for the upcoming year. There may be something new that arises that wasn't on the culinary radar. Guaranteed this year will be  a year full of interesting tastes .

CBD Teas The Latest Trend

CBD or cannabidiol is everywhere these days. It can be found in lotions, shampoos, edibles and now potables. CBD Living has added three flavorful loose leaf teas to its' long list of CBD products. Are they any special than regular loose leaf brands? Not really? Are they flavorful? Absolutely.

CBD Living manufactures a wide variety of CBD products. There the edibles which include milk and dark chocolate bars, tinctures, soaps, lotions and even suppositories. Their teas are loose leaf and , popular right now. They come in an array of flavors, from matcha to blackberry. I love tea so I had to try three flavors that appealed to me.

Their chai tumeric tea is the best chai I've had in a long while. The mix contains 150 mg of CBD (a cup has only seven All CBD Living's teas have this amount added) but also has turmeric along with organic ginger and cinnamon chips plus orange peel for a nice citrus aftertaste.

Another favorite is the coconut which is loaded with coconut shred and extract.It is blended with green Rooibis Tea and full spectrum hemp extract - which is the pure oil extracted from the hemp plant. It has a lovely tropical taste and the tea would be good iced on a hot summer's day

Another fruity flavor that not only soothing but delicious is the mango herbal tea. This drink has mango extract as its' top note flavor and organic dried peach as the bottom note which give the tea a bright, fruity flavor. As with the coconut there is also full spectrum hemp extract. Again this would be a great iced tea during the warmer months.Next on my list are their other teas - matcha , Berry Black and Passion Green.

CBD Living Loose Leaf Teas are the perfect antidote to today's super busy world. Brew them, and enjoy the rich flavor and the calming effect they have. It's like a vacation in a cup.