Good Press

I got myself a copy of "The Comfort Table" by Mrs. Billy Joel, Katie Lee, as she was known growing up in West Virginia. I plan to review it here later. The first recipe I tried after a quick flip-through is the Polar Bear, which she describes as a grown-up coffee milkshake that will warm you up in the winter and cool you down in summer. Well... it's kind of a glorified White Russian. Or maybe a watered-down cousin of a White Russian. It was OK. And my husband, who doesn't drink alcohol at all, said "I've had better shakes." Hey, it got us to take the 2-year-old hand blender that I *had to have* on its maiden voyage. Polar Bear From "The Comfort Table" by Katie Lee Joel (2008, Simon Spotlight Entertainment) 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream 1 tablespoon confectioners sugar 1 pint vanilla ice cream 1 1/2 cups milk 1/2 cup coffee-flavored liqueur Cocoa powder Put four dessert glasses in the freezer. Whip the cream with the sugar until soft peaks form. ...

On Christmas morning at my house, I want some easy but special nibbles to enjoy while we open presents. This is probably the most relaxed I'll be all day. As soon as we clean up wrapping paper, we change out of our PJs and start packing the car to go to my mom's house across the county for lunch. Not only do I take presents, I find myself taking more and more of the meal -- either dishes I've made ahead or the ingredients, recipes and kitchen equipment to prepare them. This year I'll be doing everything at her house. But that's another post. I make these easy rolls to treat myself and others throughout the year. They are just different fillings for crescent roll dough. CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT BRUNCH ROLLS 3 tubes of crescent rolls dough (If it's the traditional triangle cut, you'll have to push the perforations together. For this recipe, try to get the new variation where the dough is in strips or one big sheet.) Jar of Nutella chocolate-hazelnut spread (look f...

If you need something to fill in your Christmas Eve dinner party buffet or if you were asked ot attend a holiday potluck at the last minute, try these elegant and supremely easy little wonders. Buy some whole pitted dates, some goat cheese and some walnuts. I'm assuming you have powdered sugar and orange juice on hand. Split one side of the whole date. Grab a little piece of goat cheese and stuff it in the date. Plop a walnut half or piece (depending on the size of the date) on top. Drizzle the whole batch with some icing you whip up by mixing a little orange juice into some powdered sugar.