ThumbnailValentine’s Day Food Gifts

ThumbnailWinter Salad, Miso & Ginger Dressing

ThumbnailSparkling Jam Cocktail

ThumbnailFig and Vanilla Vodka

ThumbnailGinger Bars

ThumbnailHoney Saffron Ginger Cocktail

holiday

Homemade Cordials

by Maggie Battista
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One of my favorite treats to shower upon friends and family (besides my holiday giftbox, of course) is a teeny bottle of my homemade cordials. I’m no cordial expert and, in fact, I’m not quite sure that I’m using the term correctly for these concoctions I scheme up. But I do feel quite cordial after

Graham Cracker Toffee

by Maggie Battista
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A fabulously crafty friend shared this recipe with me last year and, after a few adjustments, it’s now my go-to toffee recipe. It’s ridiculously easy and ridiculously loaded with butter, both in a good way. I submitted the original recipe to this Bon Appetit contest last week. I’d be so pleased if you wanted to

Thanksgiving 2009 Photos

by Maggie Battista
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Woke to a foggy Thanksgiving morning, a great misty view from our back porch. (Brief update: This photo collection won the Thanksgiving Photo Challenge on Food52 last week! The collections were so awesome so I was surprised and excited to win. Thank you for voting for these photos!) Filled old mason jars with tea lights…

Peace Before Thanksgiving

by Maggie Battista
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My girlfriend Lise snapped this photo of the hubby, the dog and me last weekend. Every time I peek at it, I remember that walk along Singing Beach in Manchester, MA. Remnants of a hurricane had created rocky seas and the mist in the air was otherworldly and peaceful. Really. The hubby grabbed my hand

Oktoberfest

by Maggie Battista
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Oktoberfest in America is typically only good for one thing, and it ain’t sausages. I was very much looking forward to a few hours nesting in a beer garden yesterday. Harvard Square held its annual Oktoberfest extravaganza, shutting down several blocks for beer gardens, food stands and local music. Alas, the beer gardens were loaded

Nigella’s Easter Nests

by Maggie Battista
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I am on a Nigella “How to be a Domestic Goddess” kick these days, and quickly mashed together this recipe for a friend’s little boy. All I can say is that these little treats are adorable and little Henri loved them. I put a big slice of Nigella’s Gooey Chocolate Stack in front of him

Old-Fashioned Valentine’s Day

by Maggie Battista

I’m having an old fashioned Valentine’s Day this year. We won’t be solo, but will enjoy the otherwise silly holiday with some great friends who know what Valentine’s Day is all about – showing off how much you love your partner and your friends. We’re going to shower the love on our friends this year

Giada’s Side Car Martini

by Maggie Battista

The other night, we had a virtual cocktail party. It was the perfect sort of party, one attended by only two couples. On a whim, we called a couple of our best friends in the entire world and, wow, they weren’t busy working or traveling or catering or being Ohioans. Dan and Cass were in

Graham Cracker Toffee

by Maggie Battista
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Of all the homemade food treats I gave to friends and family this season, the one that got rave reviews and disappeared all too quickly was this easy Graham Cracker Toffee. Many of you may be familiar with this recipe; it feels like something your great aunt might whip up any time of year. I

Dressed Up, Smoked Hummus

by Maggie Battista

I needed some nourishment while planning holiday menus. The first two glasses of champagne helped, nourishing my soul but not my belly. I had a tub of hummus in the fridge but thought better of simply eating it straight from the tub. No fancy glass of champagne would permit eating directly from a plastic container.

Apricot Glazed Sriracha Chicken Wings

by Maggie Battista
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I found this recipe via The Splendid Table recipe box last year and now make them for every cocktail party. I’ve switched out the original tabasco sauce for Sriracha, a thai-style hot sauce. These wings always disappear before any other dish. Ingredients 2-3 tablespoons soy sauce 1 generous cup apricot jam 1/3 to 1/2 cup

Ambrosia Macaroons

by Maggie Battista

Tis the season that I do a lot of baking. I’ve been baking cookies now for a couple of weeks, cookies for gifts, cookies for parties, cookies for my husband to bring to his colleagues and cookies just to munch on. I always bake my classic Christmas cookies and more recently, I’ve added Maggie’s fantastic

Blackberry and Raspberry Bambury Tarts

by Maggie Battista

Tammy from Food on the Food introduced me to these cookies last December. I must have made them about 10 times that month because they’re so festive and I love coconut. (The husband hates coconut but seems to get over that hurdle every time a hot batch emerge from the oven.) Alas, I over-mixed the

Sweet Potato Pie

by Maggie Battista

I posted a photo of my Sweet Potato Pie on Facebook yesterday and received no fewer than 10 messages asking for the recipe. Ask and you shall receive, my friends. I’ve only made this pie a few times, and adding the coconut was inspired by my father-in-law, who used to make a similar pie each

Thanksgiving Dinner Menu & Recipes

by Maggie Battista

Thanksgiving is next week and I’m frantic finalizing my menu, shopping lists and plan of attack. Twenty people will converge on Chez Maggie, with many staying over night, so there’s no time for silliness; each night this week has a set purpose and task. As for my dinner table, it will be piled high with

Smoked Pork Butt, Pulled, Shredded, Whatever

by Maggie Battista

I set to cook on the morning of July 4th with so many meals in mind. So. Many. Meals. While I knew I was serving blue cheese filled all-natural burgers for the holiday barbecue, I had a two-pound piece of pork from the rear of the piggy that I wanted to smoke. It was a

Lemon Cilantro Potato Salad

by Maggie Battista

My husband loves potatoes. It’s a true love that began when he was a wee one fed piles of the mashed kind by his grandmother and mother at every meal. Every. Single. Meal. I’ve always been wary of attempting his family’s mashed recipe. I’m equally shy of his family’s potato salad recipe, a dish his

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