Category: Special Occasions

Posted

December 20, 2023

By Peg Kern

Gluten and Dairy Free Christmas Cookies: Recipe for Italian Amaretti

Filed Under  Food History, Recipes, Special Occasions Italy

Almond-flavored cookies are popular in Italy in general, and even more so around the holiday season. This super easy recipe for Italian amaretti is naturally gluten and dairy free, making it a go-to around the holidays for those with dietary restrictions without sacrificing the flavor! Amaretti Cookies in Italy There are many different types of almond cookies in Italy. These amaretti are slightly crunchier than ricciarelli, a popular Tuscan almond… Read
Post

Posted

December 3, 2021

By Peg Kern

Russian Tea Cake Recipe for National Cookie Day

Filed Under  Food History, Kitchen Tips, Recipes, Special Occasions

December 3 is National Cookie Day, so why not dedicate a blog to everyone's favorite sweet treat and a fabulous Russian tea cake cookie recipe? The word "cookie" originally comes from the Dutch word "koekje," meaning cake. Of course, much of the English-speaking world calls them "biscuits," but that just shows how influential Dutch immigrants were on the development of American English. Cookies were originally made as a way to… Read
Post

Posted

October 28, 2021

By Peg Kern

Happy National Chocolate Day & A Recipe for Easy Chocolate Mousse

Filed Under  Food History, Recipes, Special Occasions

Happy National Chocolate Day! Surely one of the best food days of the year, National Chocolate Day celebrates this wonderful product. Whether you like yours hot or cold, liquid or solid, bittersweet or milk, chocolate remains one of the most beloved of foods. We're feting it ourselves with a delicious chocolate mouse recipe, below, but first, let's talk about chocolate! A History of Chocolate What exactly is chocolate? Chocolate is… Read
Post

Posted

September 2, 2021

By Peg Kern

The Best Labor Day Menu

Filed Under  Kitchen Tips, Recipes, Special Occasions, What's Up at TIK, Wines & Spirits USA

Labor Day marks the unofficial end of summer. Kids start back to school, the weather starts to turn, and fall is just around the corner. Every year Labor Day is one of my favorite holidays. Sure, my garden by this point looks horrid, as I've invariably let the weeds take over. And my kids are usually as unruly as the garden at this point, and I am ready to send… Read
Post

Posted

August 3, 2021

By Peg Kern

5 Great Things to Do with Watermelon: The Ultimate Summer Food

Filed Under  Food History, Kitchen Tips, Recipes, Special Occasions USA

Today is National Watermelon Day, and in honor of one of our favorite summer foods we're featuring five amazing ways to use this summer staple. Of course, the best way to enjoy watermelon might just be the old fashioned way - slice by slice - but we've found a number of ways to jazz it up on a hot summer day. #1 Watermelon Salsa Ingredients: 2 cups watermelon, cut into… Read
Post

Posted

July 1, 2021

By Peg Kern

Fourth of July Dessert: "Red, White, & Blue" Ricotta with Lavender Syrup and Berries

Filed Under  Kitchen Tips, Recipes, Special Occasions

Fourth of July is one of our favorite holidays. For us, it's the kickoff to deep summer, to pool days, barbecues, and get togethers at the lake. We've written before about amazing recipes and ideas for this classic American holiday, but today we have a new recipe especially for the Fourth of July. Growing up, we had a lot of flag cakes on July 4th. This was because it's my… Read
Post