FoodBlogs: The Magazine

TOP 50 FOOD BLOG INSTAGRAMMERS REVEALED!

80+

BLOGGER Behind

the scenes

OF GRATEFUL’S HIT SHOW, SPRINKLED HOSTED BY SALLY MCKENNEY

RECIPES

INSTANT POT

comfort foods

HOW O TO BAKE

Perfect tPie Crus

SECRET

TO CHEWY CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Exclusive

KETO PIZZA PARTY

INSTAGRAM & PINTEREST TIPS PUBLISHED BY

SPECIAL SECTION: THE business of blogging

Get more love on Pinterest and Instagram

On average Tailwind members get:

6.9x more Repins on Pinterest 1.8x more Likes on Instagram tailwindapp.com/typical-results

Get your free month:

tailwindapp.com/free

Tailwind is a proud marketing partner of Pinterest and Instagram.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS Follow these Foodies 18 IN THE KITCHEN

18

16

MEET THE ROBINSONS Your new favorite food blogging couple

IN EVERY ISSUE

6 16 93 94

22 ON THE COVER

NEWS AND NOTES

FOLLOW THESE FOODIES

BLOGGER RESOURCES

VISUAL RECIPE INDEX

22

SALLY MCKENNEY Behind the scenes of Sprinkled with Sally McKenney of Sally’s Baking Addiction

40 52 90

COOK FOR A KETO-FRIENDLY PIZZA NIGHT

INSTANT POT COMFORT FOODS

THE TOP 50 FOOD BLOG INSTAGRAMMERS

2

HOLIDAY 2018

FOOD

38 46

STORE-BOUGHT SHORTCUTS

THE SOUP SCALE From skinny to indulgent

58

TAILGATING Tailgating recipes for overachievers

TABLE OF CONTENTS

M AGAZ I NE

Pinterest Tips!

8 HOLIDAY

8

COOKIE SWAP SHOWSTOPPERS

30 42

GRAZING TABLES

A NEW LIFE FOR YOUR LEFTOVERS

62

HOLIDAY SIDES YOU CAN MAKE AHEAD OF TIME

66

EASY-PEASY POTLUCK RECIPES

70

3 NO-OVEN WAYS TO COOK YOUR BIRD

75

32 ENTERTAINING

26

TOOL TLC How to make sure your kitchen tools survive the season

28

84

BLOGGING AS A BUSINESS

WINE PAIRING Tips for the hostess who knows nothing about wine

32 34

BIG-BATCH COCKTAILS

HOSTESS GIFT IDEAS

82 84 86

DON’T MAKE THESE PHOTOGRAPHY MISTAKES PINNING AIN’T EASY: WHAT WORKS AND WHAT DOESN’T SOCIAL MEDIA TRENDS BLOGGERS CAN’T IGNORE

HOW TO MAKE THE PERFECT PIE CRUST

FOODBLOGS MAGAZINE

3

The Magazine Editorial

Advertising

PUBLISHER

NATIONAL SALES

GENERAL MANAGER, PRINT

SALES STRATEGY

Kyle Cox

Amy Nichols

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Betsy Bailey

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Stronz Vanderploeg

ART DIRECTOR

Ashley Scott

EXECUTIVE EDITOR Nancy J. Price

MANAGING EDITOR

Catherine Conelly

PRODUCER

Lauren Joskowitz

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Christine McDow

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Jessica Hickam

Copyeditors: Jennifer Klein, Rita Loiacono, Denise Long, Vanessa Sands Writers: Dawn Allcot, Ali Maclean, Annie Peterson, Colleen Stinchcombe Designers: Karen Cox, Luis Espinosa, Tiffany Egbert Contributors: Lauren Allen, Ani Arambula, Lacey Baier, Wanda Baker, Lynda Balslev, Megha Barot, Jessica Beacom, Kristy Bernardo, Amanda Biddle, Ashley Brownell, Nancy Buchanan, Jeanette Chen, Craig Clarke, Caroline Cope, Shannon Dufresne, David Flores, Amanda Formaro, Shea Goldstein, Michelle Goth, Stacie Hassing, Dani Ingrosso, Josh Johnson, Lindsey Johnson, Melissa Johnson, Lynsey Jones Kmetz, Jessica Lampe, Blair Lonergan, Kevin Lynch, Stacey Megs, Ashley Melillo, Erika Meredith, Arlene Mobley, Sue Moran, Julia Mueller, Karen Paczkowski, Lane Patten, Lori Peterson, Amanda Plott, Amanda Powell, Tristin Reiken, Sierra Sanchez, Holly Schrupp Berg, Kasey Schwartz, Molly Shapiro, Linda Spiker, Steve Spiker Meriem Suleiman, Lisa Summers, Gary White, Leigh Anne Wilkes, Kate Wood

4

HOLIDAY 2018

Ilana Levin

Erin Nielsen

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Heather Candelaria

INFLUENCER MANAGER Katie Morgart

INFLUENCER SALES Devon Snooks-Cox

MARKETING Fraser Laveay

CONTACT US:

sales@grateful.co marketing@grateful.co

CONTENT SUBMISSION TO FOODBLOGS: THE MAGAZINE

Content creators and influencers can submit pitches to content@foodblogs.com

SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION:

To subscribe to FoodBlogs: The Magazine, visit foodblogs.com/subscribe and get 6 issues (1 year) for $19.99 USD. FoodBlogs: The Magazine and FoodBlogs.com are productions of Grateful Ink, a subsidiary of Grateful Ventures, in partnership with USA TODAY and Gannett.

Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved herein, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or reproduced in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the written consent of Grateful Ventures. The editors and publisher are not responsible for any unsolicited materials.

Printed in the USA

FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM @topfoodblogs FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK @FoodBlogs FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @FoodBlogs FOLLOW US ON PINTEREST @FoodBlogs Visit us online at foodblogs.com

Modern family, meet the modern holiday cookbook With more than 250 recipes, gifts and hosting tips, there’s something here for everyone. We’ve got you covered with helpful ideas throughout this cookbook to simplify your holiday prep. Our dietary index makes it easy to prepare a menu with recipes that are low-carb friendly, glutenfree, dairy-free, vegetarian, vegan and more.

Whether you’re cooking for two or planning a meal for many, in Homemade for the Holidays, you’ll find

PRICE:

recipes for every course,

2995 95

$

24

ONLY

including appetizers, soups

$

and salads all the way through dessert, cocktails

Enter Code:

and next-day leftovers.

FOODBLOGS

at thanksgiving.com/cookbook

FOLLOW US: thanksgiving_com

TheOriginalThanksgiving

thanksgiving_

@ThanksgivingCom

NEWS AND NOTES

Reading list Sally’s Baking Addiction

by Sally McKenney The first of Sally’s three cookbooks, Sally’s Baking Addiction includes her take on all the classics: cookies, pies, cupcakes and more.

Available on Amazon in paperback, $16

Easy Culinary Science For Better Cooking

by Jessica Gavin Ever wondered if there was some secret to cooking that everyone was in on but you? Turns out, science has a lot of secrets, and Gavin’s book breaks it down recipe by recipe.

One Pot Comfort

Budget Bytes

by Meredith Laurence

by Beth Moncel

Whether it’s a pan, pot, slow cooker or a trendy appliance like an Instant Pot, Laurence’s book features 180 recipes that get it done in just one dish.

Moncel learned to create recipes for small budgets when she was barely making ends meet trying to pay off student loans. Her book offers over 100 recipes that don’t run up the grocery bill.

Available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Books-A-Million, $17

Chocolate Covered Katie

by Katie Higgins Higgins' cookbook was motivated by one key factor: she didn’t want to feel bad about about eating chocolate every day. Enter over 200 pages of dessert recipes with a healthy spin.

Available on Amazon, $16

Available at Barnes and Noble, $17

Available on Amazon in paperback, $16

let's talk about...

GIVING BACK THIS HOLIDAY SEASON

DIRECT RELIEF

SOLDIER’S ANGELS soldiersangels.org

christmasspiritfoundation.org

Help this organization provide humanitarian medical aid for people affected by emergencies and poverty in over 80 countries. To date, they’ve provided almost 125 million doses of medicine.

Adopt a military family and provide presents for children as well as grocery store gift cards so they can purchase goods to make holiday meals.

Made possible through the Christmas Spirit Foundation, your contribution helps deliver thousands of trees to troops and their families overseas.

directrelief.org

6

HOLIDAY 2018

TREES FOR TROOPS

NEWS AND NOTES

In the SPOTLIGHT ingredient MORINGA Coming from a tree native to India, moringa is packed with a long list of vitamins and minerals, including multiple B vitamins, vitamin A, calcium, potassium and magnesium. It tastes distinctly green (much like you'd expect), bitter and slightly sweet. People have started adding it to everything from breads and oatmeal to grilled cheese and guacamole. Look for it in powder form or buy the seeds.

Seasoning TIMUT PEPPER Timut pepper comes from a zesty, spicy peppercorn — known to taste like a grapefruit — that produces a tingling sensation on your tongue. It’s commonly used in Asian dishes and Indian cuisine, but you can experiment with adding it to meats and even to cocktails.

See pages 52-57 for Instant Pot comfort food recipes.

Appliance INSTANT POT Get ready to see Instant Pot recipes everywhere. It’s everyone’s favorite multicooker, speeding up cooking times and making dish duty easier.

From pressure cooker to slow cooker, steamer and rice cooker, it does it all.

Gadget SOUS VIDE It sounds fancy. It looks fancy. But simply put, it’s a cooking gadget that controls water temperature so you can perfectly cook food in vacuum-sealed bags so that it never comes in contact with heated surfaces. If you tend to overcook meat, this might be the perfect tool for you.

FOODBLOGS MAGAZINE

7

HOLIDAYS

COOKIE SwAP SHOWSTOPPERS

So what if you haven’t been invited to a cookie swap party? Option one: Get festive and throw your own. Option two: Bake these for you, yourself and you. Either way, consider it a good excuse to clear your Sunday, watch cheesy holiday movies and drink mimosas.

MAKES 18–20 COOKIES

Peppermint melting moments

By Sue Moran of The View From Great Island, theviewfromgreatisland.com

INGREDIENTS • 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature • Heaping 1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted • 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract • 3/4 cup cornstarch • 1 cup all-purpose flour • 2 candy canes, crushed

DIRECTIONS Frosting: • 1-1/3 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted • 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract • Milk or cream to thin

1. Beat softened butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in extract.

5. Cool on pan for 10 minutes and then carefully transfer to rack. They’re delicate.

2. Add cornstarch and flour, and mix until everything is well-combined and dough rolls together without any dry crumbles. Put plastic wrap over dough and chill for at least 2 hours.

6. Whisk sugar and extract with enough milk or cream to make spreadable frosting. Keep whisking until all sugar lumps are gone and frosting is smooth.

3. Preheat oven to 350F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone mat.

7. When cookies are completely cool, top each with dab of frosting and sprinkle of candy canes.

4. Use small 1-inch scoop to place dough 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Bake for 12 minutes. They will still look pale.

8

HOLIDAY 2018

HOLIDAYS

›

Peppermint melting moments

FOODBLOGS MAGAZINE

9

HOLIDAYS

TIP

USE A SMALL 1-1/4 INCH COOKIE SCOOP FOR PERFECT BITE-SIZE PIECES.

MAKES 18–20 COOKIES

Lady’s Kiss Cookies

By Sue Moran of The View From Great Island, theviewfromgreatisland.com

INGREDIENTS For rhubarb filling • 1 stalk rhubarb, trimmed and sliced into 1-inch slices • 1-1/2 tablespoons soft unsalted butter • Squeeze of lemon juice • 2-3 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar

Cookies • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature • 2/3 cup granulated sugar • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract • 2/3 cup almond flour • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

DIRECTIONS 1. Set oven to 350F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper and put rhubarb pieces on single layer. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes until rhubarb is soft. Let fruit cool, and then scrape into food processor along with butter and lemon juice. Process until smooth, scraping down sides as necessary.

2. Add sugar one cup at a time until mixture is thick and glossy.

Scrape down sides of bowl occasionally, and let machine go for a couple of minutes. If your frosting is too thick, add a touch of milk or more lemon juice. If it's too thin, add a touch more sugar. Cover and chill. Frosting will thicken as it chills. You can do this a day ahead.

3. To make cookies, beat soft butter and sugar on medium-high for 3 minutes, scraping down sides as necessary. Beat in extracts.

4. Add flours and mix until dough forms. On flat surface, knead into soft dough.

• Pinch of salt

Q&A: What are you grateful for?

I’m grateful for my family; without them I’d be lost. All my happiness, success, hopes and dreams begin and end with them.

— BY SUE MORAN OF THE VIEW FROM GREAT ISLAND

10

HOLIDAY 2018

5. Use a small 1-1/4-inch cookie scoop. Roll into balls and put in freezer until hard, about 15 to 20 minutes.

6. Put frozen dough on parchment-lined baking sheet and bake cookies until risen and just beginning to turn golden, about 14 to 15 minutes. Don't wait until they are brown or they will be overbaked. Let cool on rack before filling.

7. To fill, put dollop of frosting on flat side of one cookie, and top with another.

HOLIDAYS

MAKES 18 COOKIES

Chocolate peppermint sugar cookies

By Ani Arambula of Confessions of a Foodie, confessionsofafoodie.me

INGREDIENTS

By Ani Arambula of Confessions of a Foodie confessionsofafoodie.com

@afotogirl

• 1-1/2 cups powdered sugar • 8 ounces (2 sticks) butter, room temperature • 1 large egg, room temperature • 1 tablespoon peppermint extract • 1/4 cup cocoa powder • 1/4 cup Dutch process cocoa powder • 1/4 cup black cocoa powder • 1 tablespoon espresso powder, optional • 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt For the icing: • 1 cup powdered sugar • 2 teaspoons light corn syrup • 2 teaspoons ice cold whole milk (for a whiter icing) or ice cold water

DIRECTIONS 1. Preheat oven to 375F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

2. Use fine mesh sieve to sift sugar into mixing bowl.

Add butter, egg and extract. Beat on low for 15 seconds, then on high for 30 to 45 seconds, just until the sugar is incorporated. Remove bowl from mixer.

3. Sift cocoa powders, espresso powder (if using), flour and salt directly into bowl. Return to mixer, beating on low for 15 seconds, then on medium for 15 seconds, and finally on high for 30 seconds.

4. Dump dough on large sheet of parchment paper and knead into a ball. Cut ball in half, returning half to bowl. Cover other half with second sheet of parchment paper. Roll between parchment sheets to roughly 1/4-inch thickness.

5. Use 3-inch cookie cutter and pinch cutter together as you lift up. Then carefully push dough directly onto cookie sheet. Repeat and re-roll dough as needed. Leave an inch between cookies.

6. Bake for 8 to 9 minutes. Let cookies cool for 2 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

7. To make icing, sift powdered sugar into small bowl.

Whisk in corn syrup and milk until smooth. Transfer to piping bag and decorate completely cooled cookies. Icing will take about 2 hours to harden.

FOODBLOGS MAGAZINE

11

HOLIDAYS

MAKES 48 COOKIES

Cranberry orange cookies

By Molly Shapiro of The Preppy Hostess, thepreppyhostess.com

INGREDIENTS • 1 cup butter, softened • 1 cup white sugar • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar • 1 egg • 1 teaspoon grated orange zest • 2 tablespoons orange juice • 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda • 1/2 teaspoon salt • 2 cups chopped cranberries • 1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest • 3 tablespoons orange juice • 1-1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar

DIRECTIONS 1. Preheat the oven to 375F. 2. In a large bowl, cream together butter, white sugar and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg until well-blended.

3. Add in 1 teaspoon orange zest and 2 tablespoons orange juice. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. Stir into the orange mixture. Mix in cranberries until evenly distributed.

4. Drop tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets at least 2 inches apart.

5. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes until the edges are golden. Remove from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks.

6. In a small bowl, mix 1/2 teaspoon orange zest, 3 tablespoons orange juice and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Spread over cooled cookies. Let stand until set.

MAKES 24 COOKIES

Raspberry lemon cookies

By Stacey Mebs of Bake.Eat.Repeat, bake-eat-repeat.com

INGREDIENTS • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• 1/8 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 large egg

• 3/4 cup frozen raspberries, coarsely chopped

• 1/2 lemon, zest and juice • 1/4 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS 1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.

2. Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add vanilla, egg, lemon zest and juice. Mix well, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add salt, baking powder, baking soda and flour, and mix until combined. Add raspberries and mix briefly to incorporate them.

3. Drop dough by tablespoonful (a cookie scoop works best here; the dough is extremely sticky) onto cookie sheet. Bake for 14 to 16 minutes or until edges are just starting to brown and are no longer shiny. Put second half of cookie dough in fridge while first sheet is baking.

4. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes before moving to wire rack to cool completely.

12

HOLIDAY 2018

HOLIDAYS

INGREDIENTS For the cookies: • 1 teaspoon dried culinary lavender • 3 cups all-purpose flour • 2 teaspoons baking powder • 1 cup sugar • 2 sticks unsalted butter, cold and cut into small pieces • 1/4 teaspoon salt • 1 egg • 2 teaspoons vanilla bean extract For the icing: • 3 cups powdered sugar • 3–6 tablespoons milk • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract For the gold splatter: • Food-grade gold lustre dust • Clear extract or liquor (I use clear vanilla or vodka) • A silicone basting brush

Decorate!

To splatter your cookies: 1. Lay dry, frosted cookies out on parchment or wax paper.

2. Scoop 1/4 teaspoon lustre dust into a small dish and add 1/8 teaspoon of extract or liquor.

Stir until dissolved.

You can add an additional 1/8 teaspoon of liquor if needed, but take care not to add too much, as this can cause icing to dissolve and bubble up.

3. Dip silicone basting brush in liquid gold and dab any excess off on side of bowl. To splatter, hold silicone brush parallel to work surface, draw wrist back slightly, and fling brush downward like you’re hitting a drum.

MAKES 36 COOKIES

Gold-splattered lavender vanilla bean sugar cookies

By Kate Wood of Wood and Spoon, woodandspoon.com

DIRECTIONS For the cookies: 1. Preheat oven to 350F. 2. Grind lavender slightly using a food processor, coffee grinder or mortar and pestle. Combine with remaining dry ingredients and set aside.

3. In bowl of stand mixer, cream butter and sugar until smooth and well-combined, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add egg and extract. Cream until combined. Add dry ingredients and stir on low until combined.

4. Dump dough crumbles onto lightly floured surface and work into a ball with your hands.

Roll dough to just over 1/4-inch thickness and use medium-sized cookie cutter to cut shapes. If dough ever gets too soft, refrigerate briefly.

5. Place shapes on baking sheet and freeze for 5 minutes.

6. Once chilled, bake for 10 to 12 minutes and let cookies cool completely on rack.

For the icing: 1. Sift or whisk powdered sugar to remove lumps.

2. Add 3 tablespoons of milk and extract, whisking until combined. Continue to add milk until it is the right viscosity. You want thicker frosting for piping. To test viscosity, run whisk through frosting. It should slowly (about 6 to 8 seconds) move back together until you can’t see any trace of the whisk.

3. Add more milk for a thinner icing and more powdered sugar if your icing becomes too thin.

4. Cover with wet paper towel if you’re not using it immediately, as frosting will dry out and become clumpy. Whisk occasionally and add more milk if it becomes too thick.

5. When ready to frost cookies, cover work space in wax paper. To frost, hold each cookie by its rim and dip its face directly into icing. Allow any excess to drip off sides.

Place on rack. Add more milk or sugar, if desired, to modify the consistency.

FOODBLOGS MAGAZINE

13

HOLIDAYS

MAKES 11–13 COOKIES

Sugar cookies stuffed with chocolate hazelnut spread

By Katie Higgins of Chocolate Covered Katie, chocolatecoveredkatie.com

INGREDIENTS

DIRECTIONS

• 3/4 cup spelt, white or glutenfree flour

1. Grease cookie tray and set aside.

• 1/4 teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon baking soda • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder • 1/4 teaspoon salt • 1/4 cup sugar • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract • 2–4 teaspoons milk of choice • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil or melted coconut oil • 1/4 cup chocolate hazelnut spread of choice

2. In large mixing bowl, combine first five ingredients and stir well. Add all remaining ingredients except chocolate spread, and stir to form dough. Especially if using gluten-free flour, you may need to add a little extra milk of choice very slowly to form noncrumbly dough.

3. Transfer dough to large plastic bag and smush into ball from inside bag. Break off pieces of dough into 22 to 26 mini balls. Flatten.

4. On half of flattened cookies, place blob of chocolate spread in middle. Place other flattened disks on top, cinch sides, then roll back up into balls.

5. Chill in fridge for at least 1 hour, or freeze for at least 20 minutes.

6. Preheat oven to 325F. Bake for 11 minutes. They will still look underdone when you remove from oven. Allow cookies to cool at least 10 minutes before touching, during which time they will firm up.

MAKES 36 COOKIES

Death by chocolate chip cookies

By Meriem Suleiman of Confessions of a Confectionista, confessionsofaconfectionista.com

INGREDIENTS • 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, melted • 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder • 1 teaspoon baking powder • 1/2 teaspoon salt • 1 cup (16 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature • 1-1/4 cups granulated sugar • 2 large eggs • pinch of vanilla powder (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ) • 4 ounces milk chocolate chips • 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips • 4 ounces white chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS 1. In medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

2. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

3. Using your mixer’s paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar until fluffy and smooth. Pour in melted chocolate and beat until well-incorporated. Beat in eggs and vanilla.

4. Fold in dry ingredients with spatula until well-combined.

5. Refrigerate dough for 1 hour.

6. Preheat oven to 350F. 7. Scoop out balls of dough with medium scoop and place on baking sheets. Bake for 8 minutes. Let cool for 1 minute.

Transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

14

HOLIDAY 2018

HOLIDAYS

MAKES 24 COOKIES

Gluten-free gingerbread cookies

By Erika Meredith of A Little Insanity, a littleinsanity.com

INGREDIENTS • 1/2 cup regular or vegan butter • 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar • 1/3 cup molasses • 2 tablespoons applesauce (or 1 egg) • 2 tablespoons water • 2-2/3 cups gluten-free flour mix

• 1-1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (or 1/2 teaspoon each ground cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice) • Extra tapioca, potato or corn starch for rolling out dough For frosting: • 1/2 cup powdered sugar

• 2 teaspoons ground ginger powder

• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/4–1 teaspoon milk alternative (or milk)

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 2 cups quick cooking oats

DIRECTIONS

2. In small bowl, whisk together glutenfree flour, ginger, baking soda, baking powder, salt and pumpkin pie spice.

Add to creamed mixture and mix well, stopping to scrape sides if necessary.

3. Cover dough and refrigerate for 30 minutes. This makes it easier to handle.

4. Preheat oven to 350F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or silpat liner.

5. Use tapioca starch (or other starch of choice) to lightly dust surface and rolling pin. Take about 1/4 of dough from fridge and roll into 1/8–1/4 inch

By Lisa Summers of Creole Contessa, creolecontessa.com

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

1. In bowl of stand mixer, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.

Beat in molasses, applesauce and water until smooth.

MAKES 30–40 COOKIES

chocolate hazelnut oatmeal pecan chocolate chip cookies

• 2 cups flour thickness. Use gingerbread man cookie cutter. Place cookies at least 1 inch apart on cookie sheets.

6. Re-roll dough scraps to make as many cookies as possible.

7. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are firm. Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool completely. Decorate with icing as desired.

For the icing 1. For a basic sugar icing, combine powdered sugar with vanilla and 1/4 teaspoon of milk alternative and mix well. Add in 1/4 teaspoon additional liquid at a time until desired consistency is reached. You want it just thick enough to keep its shape as it dries.

• 2 sticks butter, unsalted, room temperature • 2 eggs, room temperature • 1-1/2 cups chocolate chips • 1-1/2 cups pecans, diced • 1 cup chocolate hazelnut spread • 1 cup brown sugar • 1 cup white sugar • 1 tablespoon vanilla • 1 teaspoon baking powder • 1 teaspoon cinnamon • 1/4 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS 1. Preheat oven to 350F. 2. Beat butter and sugars together in mixer until creamy.

3. Add eggs one at a time, beating about 20 seconds between each addition.

4. Add chocolate hazelnut spread and vanilla. Beat well.

5. Mix flour, salt, baking powder and cinnamon in bowl. Reserve 1 tablespoon to toss chocolate chips in prior to adding.

6. Add flour mixture to butter mixture in 3 batches, beating 20 seconds between each batch. Scrape down sides of mixer.

7. Add oats and beat for 20 seconds.

8. Toss chocolate chips and pecans with reserved flour and add to mixer.

Beat about 20 seconds.

9. Chill dough in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

10. Using rounded tablespoon, form dough into balls. Use fork to flatten.

11. Bake cookies at 350F for 12 to 13 minutes.

FOODBLOGS MAGAZINE

15

BLOGGER PROFILE

WANT MORE FLAVOR IN YOUR INSTAGRAM FEED? HERE ARE FIVE FOODIES POSTING RECIPES WE’RE DEVOURING.

FOLLOW THESE FOODIES

DAMN DELICIOUS

WOOD AND SPOON

JESSICA IN THE KITCHEN

THE ROASTED ROOT

WHISK AFFAIR

Follow for: Easy recipes that pack a lot of flavor (and cute pictures of her corgi, named Butters).

Follow for: Desserts that look so pretty, you’ll think twice before eating them — but will do it anyway.

Follow for: Vegan and vegetarian recipes, or if you want to add more whole foods to your diet.

Follow for: Pictures that will make you crave Paleo bowls.

Follow for: Learning what it takes to cook Indian cuisine that will melt your taste buds.

Her gold-splattered sugar cookie recipe is on page 13.

16

HOLIDAY 2018

Check out her recipe for ginger maple cranberry sauce on page 65.

Modern family, meet the modern holiday cookbook With more than 250 recipes, gifts and hosting tips, there’s something here for everyone. We’ve got you covered with helpful ideas throughout this cookbook to simplify your holiday prep. Our dietary index makes it easy to prepare a menu with recipes that are low-carb friendly, glutenfree, dairy-free, vegetarian, vegan and more.

Whether you’re cooking for two or planning a meal for many, in Homemade for the Holidays, you’ll find

PRICE:

recipes for every course,

2995 95

$

24

ONLY

including appetizers, soups

$

and salads all the way through dessert, cocktails

Enter Code:

and next-day leftovers.

FOODBLOGS

at thanksgiving.com/cookbook

SOURCE

FOLLOW US: thanksgiving_com

TheOriginalThanksgiving

thanksgiving_

@ThanksgivingCom

BLOGGER PROFILE

Meet the

Robinsons THEY HAVE THREE KIDS, TWO BLOGS AND LOTS OF LOVE — THIS HUSBAND AND WIFE DUO IS THE SUCCESSFUL PAIR BEHIND BAKER’S ROYALE AND REAL FOOD BY DAD.

By Catherine Conelly

Naomi and Matt Robinson never thought they’d be blogging for a living. “I worked as an executive assistant for many years and did a horrible job at it,” Naomi jokes. As for Matt? He worked in finance.

“I was always terrified of food,” he says, chalking his prior training up to cooking microwave-friendly meals only. Now, they’re the fulltime foodies behind Baker’s Royale and Real Food by Dad.

PG.21 CHILI-STUFFED MINI MEATLOAF Chili-filled center and topped with homemade potato chips for added crunch. www.realfoodbydad.com

18

HOLIDAY 2018

BLOGGER PROFILE

Family Photo

Matt, Naomi and their three boys

Naomi took the plunge first when her company at the time was relocating. She decided to stay behind and finally give blogging a try full time. She told herself if it wasn’t working out in six months, she’d go find an office job. “I never had to,” she says. Like most of us, she liked a steady paycheck and the comfort of consistent cash flow.

“I was afraid to leave that.” So her company relocating was just the push she needed to give it a fair shot.

“

For the first year, I hit social media so hard. I set aside two hours in the morning, two hours at night, and I did that religiously”

Eventually Matt, frustrated with the corporate world of finance, followed in her footsteps. “One night I said to her, ‘What do you think of me doing a blog from a dad's perspective?’” An hour later, he bought a domain.

The next day, he designed the first version of Real Food by Dad. “It was decent — cost me 50 bucks. I thought, you know, if this works out, I'll design it eventually.” Spoiler: He eventually did.

Now that they’re both rocking the title professional blogger, they want people to know, yes it’s a cool job, but it’s still a job.

“It's not just putting food on a

plate and taking a picture of it,” says Naomi. “We run our blogs like a business. When people say you can make six figures being a blogger, you can, but it also takes a lot of work.”

“We don't shut down at 5 p.m.,” Matt adds. “We may shut down at 5 p.m. for an hour and a half to see the kids, talk about the day and get them showered, but then they go to bed and we're up writing. We're editing.

Sometimes we're shooting in the garage.”

As Naomi explains, “You may work for yourself. You may work at home. You may get to be creative. But once you

decide, ‘I'm going to make this a business rather than a hobby,’ you look at it as a job, thinking, ‘What are my deadlines? What's my editorial calendar? Can I take this on while still balancing my life?’” But if it’s your passion, you make it work, just like any other career path. “We're always paranoid it can stop tomorrow,” says Matt.

They both credit social media for a large part of their success as bloggers. “For the first year, I hit social media so hard.

I set aside two hours in the morning, two hours at night, and I did that religiously,” says Matt. He pinned. He posted.

He commented.

FOODBLOGS MAGAZINE

19

BLOGGER PROFILE

“I remember telling him if you start a blog and you don't hit social media hard, it's like putting a billboard out in the middle of the desert,” Naomi recalls. And Matt credits Naomi’s advice for much of his success.

“I learned everything from her, you know, so that helped me more than anything. I got off to a running start,” he says.

love it and stay persistent. “The first year is the hardest. You’re working 24/7. You're putting everything into it. You're seeing very little return.” But, according to them, if you can make it through the first year with even some small successes under your belt, just keep at it.

They may have built solid careers as bloggers, but being selftaught at their crafts, they keep experimenting and learning to stay ahead. They still experience pull-your-hair-out moments trying to get a recipe just right.

“There are some days I tell Matt, ‘This recipe is killing me’ and I want to give up on it,” says Naomi. “But I've always been kind of stubborn, so those things drive me.”

Tens of thousands of followers later, they both still manage their own social media pages. And one of their favorite ways to engage with their followers is through a healthy dose of spouse-versusspouse competition. Their son picks a food or meal, and they duke it out trying to make the better version, asking their followers to vote on their WE CAN ALL Instagram “She's a baker.

COME TOGETHER It's a lot more Stories.

OVER FOOD, RIGHT?” Naomi is work than reigning what I do. But — MATT ROBINSON champ. she'll fail and she'll fail three times more. I hear Overall, their motto for social lots of F bombs, but then fifth media and for their blogs is to time it's perfect and that's the keep it relatable. “What I make, rewarding part,” says Matt. for the most part, is simple. I want it to be so anyone can make The couple also loves getting my recipes,” says Matt. “Go buy their kids involved whenever a rotisserie chicken and tear it they can. “For my boys to apart. That's truly how we live.” understand that guys can get in the kitchen and be creative and And while you might think a have fun, I love it,” he says. couple of food bloggers eat like royalty on the regular, Matt And it just so happens, it’s the and Naomi argue the opposite. perfect time of year to grab your “Because we cook all day and kids, grab a friend or a relative, sometimes [our kids] don't want and get cooking. Try something to eat what we eat, we order new. In Matt’s words, “We can all takeout more than most people come together over food, right?” would think,” Naomi confesses.

“

As for their advice to aspiring food bloggers, make sure you

20

HOLIDAY 2018

BLOGGER PROFILE

MAKES 12

Chili-stuffed mini meatloaves

By Matt Robinson of Real Food by Dad, realfoodbydad.com

INGREDIENTS

DIRECTIONS

• 1 cup dried bread crumbs

1. Heat oven to 350F.

• 2 tablespoons onion powder

2. In a large bowl, mix bread crumbs, onion powder, garlic powder, kosher salt, black pepper, celery seed, parsley and cheddar cheese.

• 2 tablespoons garlic powder • 2 teaspoons kosher salt • 2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper • 1 teaspoon celery seed • 1/2 cup finely chopped parsley • 3/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese • 1 egg • 1 cup ketchup, divided use • 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard • 1 red pepper, finely chopped • 2 pounds ground sirloin • 12 ounces chunky chili

3. In a small bowl, stir egg, 1/2 cup of ketchup, Worcestershire sauce and Dijon mustard. Add to large bowl and stir until blended. Add meat and stir to combine.

4. Fill muffin tin 3/4 of the way up with meat mixture. Create a well in each and fill with chili. With the remaining meat mixture, create small thin patties. Place on top.

Press down, pinching together any open seams. Top each mini meatloaf with remaining ketchup.

5. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until ready. Remove from oven. Transfer to wire rack to cool for 5 minutes before removing from tin. Let sit for 5 minutes and top with potato chip.

MAKES 18

Peppermint hot chocolate pops

By Naomi Robinson of Baker's Royale, bakersroyale.com

INGREDIENTS

DIRECTIONS

• 4 tablespoons butter

1. Line 8x8 pan with a sling foil.

• 5 cups mini marshmallows

2. Place marshmallows, butter, and hot chocolate in a non-stick pan and melt over low heat. Stir to combine. Add Rice Krispies and stir to combine. Stir in 1/4 cup crushed peppermint candy.

• 4 tablespoons hot chocolate mix • 5 cups of cocoa Rice Krispies • 1/4 cup crushed peppermint candy, plus another 4 tablespoons Chocolate glaze • 2/3 cups dark chocolate • 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon heavy cream • 4 tablespoons powdered sugar, sifted • 4–5 tablespoons water, warm White chocolate glaze • 1/2 cup white chocolate • 2 teaspoons shortening

3. Press mixture into pan and allow to cool for 30 to 40 minutes. Stamp out rounds with a sturdy 1-inch round cutter or roll into 1-inch balls.

To make chocolate glaze 1. Place chocolate and heavy cream in a bowl over simmering water.

Let chocolate and cream sit for 2 to 3 minutes to melt without stirring. Then, slowly stir mixture to combine.

2. Add powdered sugar and mix (mixture will appear lumpy). Add water 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing after each addition until a dipping consistency is reached and chocolate glaze is free of lumps.

To make white chocolate glaze 1. Place white chocolate and shortening in microwave safe bowl and heat in ten second bursts, removing every ten seconds to stir.

Repeat as needed until chocolate is melted.

To assemble 1. Dip popsicle stick into chocolate and then insert it into edge of cocoa Rice Krispie round (if needed, secure stick by pressing Rice Krispies against the stick).

2. Dip in chocolate and allow to set. Drizzle with white chocolate and sprinkle remaining crushed peppermint on top.

FOODBLOGS MAGAZINE

21

BLOGGER PROFILE

Behind the scenes with Sally

By Catherine Conelly

SALLY MCKENNEY, THE BLOGGER AND COOKBOOK AUTHOR BEHIND SALLY’S BAKING ADDICTION, IS BREAKING DOWN HER FAVORITE RECIPES IN THE FIRST SEASON OF SPRINKLED, A NEW VIDEO SERIES FOR THOSE WHO LIKE IT SWEET.

S

horter than the cooking shows you see on TV but longer than the one-minute Tasty clips in your Facebook feed, Sprinkled is a show for people who think they can’t bake. “I want them to see that baking from scratch is approachable. And not only that, it's fun, too,” says Sally. “Each episode is about 10 minutes, and I talk you through the recipe from start to finish.” Achieving the perfect texture and what to do when something goes wrong — it’s all on the table.

And she’s no stranger to

22

HOLIDAY 2018

making mistakes. “I still make mistakes all the time,” she says, describing a recent ganache gone wrong.

“I wanted to top [a black forest cake] with chocolate ganache. I was just kind of eyeballing it, and I didn't put in enough cream,” she says. In a hurry, she spread it on the cake anyway. “It was too thick and the cake was cold because I chilled it, so that thickened the ganache even more. It looked atrocious.” The only solution? Scrape it off and start over.

Yeasted bread was another recent lesson for Sally. “I love baking yeasted breads, but I mean, they can be complicated and they can be scary,” says Sally. On a recent trip, fellow blogger Zoë François of ZoëBakes gave her some advice that stuck — forget the rules.

“She wasn’t proofing the yeast or using a dough hook.

She just gets right in there.

She was breaking the rules, and so many light bulbs were going off in my head.

BLOGGER PROFILE

FOODBLOGS MAGAZINE

23

BLOGGER PROFILE

I feel like I've always followed the rules [accurately] when it comes to baking bread.

And she was like, ‘Just get messy with it.

Making bread dough is just adding a bunch of ingredients to a bowl.’”

And just as Zoë inspired Sally, Sally wants to inspire you. “Baking is therapeutic for me.

It's just so satisfying. And that's what I want readers to do to after watching episodes of Sprinkled. I want them to have confidence they can do it completely from scratch,” she says.

In the first episode, Sally walks through the quirks of baking a natural strawberry cake, and in the most recent episode, she bakes the perfect pumpkin chocolate chip cookie. For that, it was all about texture. “I feel like it's really easy to have a cookie come out crisp and crumbly, and that's delicious, but I really prefer a chewy cookie,” she says. Lucky for us, she’s put in the hours to discover what creates that perfect texture.

“It takes long hours, a lot of concentration, a lot of focus, but at the heart of it, if there's passion there, if you really love what you're doing, none of that will feel like work,” says Sally. “It's easy to compare yourself to others.” But her advice is to be confident in what you're creating and focus on that the most. Hopefully, Sprinkled can get you one step closer.

CATCH THE FULL SERIES AT GRATEFUL.CO/ SPRINKLED

Sally Says 3 secrets to perfect, chewy cookies

24

HOLIDAY 2018

+ Use melted butter instead of softened butter. + Add an extra egg yolk. + Use more brown sugar and less white sugar.

BLOGGER PROFILE

MAKES 16 LARGE COOKIES

Chewy chocolate chip cookies

By Sally McKenney of Sally's Baking Addiction, sallysbakingaddiction.com

INGREDIENTS

DIRECTIONS

• 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour (spoon and leveled)

1. Whisk flour, baking soda, cornstarch and salt in large bowl. Set aside.

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

2. In medium bowl, whisk melted butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar together until no brown sugar lumps remain. Whisk in egg and then extra yolk. Finally, whisk in vanilla extract. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix with large spoon or rubber spatula. The dough will be very soft, yet thick.

• 1-1/2 teaspoons cornstarch • 1/2 teaspoon salt • 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted • 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar • 1/2 cup granulated sugar • 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk, at room temperature • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips or chocolate chunks

3. Fold in chocolate chunks. Cover dough and chill in refrigerator for 3 hours or up to 3 to 4 days. Chilling is mandatory. Chill overnight if possible.

4. Take dough out of refrigerator.

Allow it to slightly soften at room temperature for 10 minutes.

5. Preheat oven to 325F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.

6. Roll the dough into balls, about 3 tablespoons each. The dough will be crumbly, but the warmth of your hands will help. Roll the dough balls taller rather than wide to ensure cookies bake thick.

7. Place 8 balls of dough onto each cookie sheet. Top with a few more chocolate chips if desired.

8. Bake for 12 to 13 minutes. The cookies will look very soft and underbaked but will continue to bake on the sheet. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool completely.

FOODBLOGS MAGAZINE

25

ENTERTAINING

Tool TLC:

How to make sure your kitchen tools survive the season FOR THOSE OF US WHO LOVE TO COOK, THE HOLIDAYS CAN MEAN SPENDING A LOT OF EXTRA TIME IN THE KITCHEN, AND OUR TOOLS HAVE TO WEATHER THE STORM. USE THESE TIPS TO KEEP THEM IN THEIR PRIME.

By Annie Peterson

KNIFE KNOW-HOW Keep your blades keen.

TO SHARPEN Hold the sharpening steel pointed away from you. Hold the knife so the blade side is down, with the tip pointed slightly upward. Place the blade at a 15-degree angle against the rod. Gently sweep the knife against the rod, working from the back of the knife to the tip, maintaining the 15-degree angle. Repeat about five times on each side, alternating sides between each stroke.

TO CLEAN Always wash knives by hand in warm, soapy water with the blade facing away from you.

The dishwasher can cause blades to dull quickly and the handles to warp. Dry carbon steel knives immediately after washing to avoid rusting.

TO STORE Place knives in a drawer side by side, lying flat. If drawer space is limited, store in a knife block with horizontal slits so they don’t rest on the blade's edge, or on a magnetic knife strip.

26

HOLIDAY 2018

CUTTING BOARD CARE

All that chopping and mincing can take a toll on this essential.

TO CHOOSE Use plastic or resin cutting boards for meat because they’re nonporous and won’t absorb moisture. Wood or bamboo cutting boards, which can absorb moisture, are best for table-ready foods such as vegetables, fruits, cheese and bread. Only use specialty cutting boards (those made of glass, Himalayan salt or marble) for serving, as they can damage knife blades when used regularly.

TO CLEAN Plastic and resin cutting boards can be washed by hand or in the dishwasher but avoid running wood cutting boards through the dishwasher. They’re likely to warp and crack. For everyday cleaning, wash wood cutting boards by hand with soap and water.

TO DISINFECT Rub boards with vinegar or lemon juice and rinse with water.

TO OIL Rub wood cutting boards once a month with food-grade mineral oil or butcher block oil to keep them from drying out.

ENTERTAINING

COOKWARE CLEANING

Not all cookware materials are created equal.

ENAMELED CAST IRON Avoid using super-high heat as well as preheating without any oil. This could cause the surface to shatter or crack. To remove stubborn food residue, bring 4 cups water plus 1/2 cup baking soda to a boil in the pot. Boil for several minutes, drain, then use a plastic pan scraper to remove the residue.

NON-ENAMELED CAST IRON For everyday cleaning, wash using a plastic scrub brush and water (no soap!). Once completely dry, lightly rub the inside with vegetable oil.

If the surface is dull or cloudy, it needs to be reseasoned. Rub a thin layer of vegetable oil over the pan inside and out. Use a dry paper towel to rub away excess oil. Bake upside down in a 350F oven for 1 hour. Turn oven off and let skillet cool completely in the oven.

ALUMINUM NONSTICK Don’t use metal utensils to avoid scratching. Even if they’re labeled dishwasher-safe, running them through the dishwasher can lessen the nonstick qualities of the pan.

CERAMIC NONSTICK To avoid scratches and chips, don’t use metal utensils. Allow the pan to cool completely before washing to prevent the ceramic finish from cracking.

COPPER To keep copper looking its best, only use moderate heat and avoid putting these pots in the dishwasher. Dry thoroughly to slow down any tarnishing caused by the water. Rub away discolorations and tarnishes using equal parts lemon juice and baking soda.

CONTAINER SMARTS

Keep your storage containers fresh for leftovers.

AFTER USING Rinse ASAP. A quick rinse with hot water immediately after use can keep odors from absorbing and stains from setting.

WHILE WASHING Place plastic containers on the top rack of your dishwasher. The bottom rack can cause the plastic to warp or melt.

TO DEODORIZE Rub the inside of the container and lid with a halved lemon. Let sit for about 3 minutes. Rinse and dry.

UTENSIL UPKEEP STAINLESS STEEL To remove burnt-on residue or scorch marks, mix equal parts baking soda and warm water and rub into the surface to gently release the marks.

Stainless steel pans are most resistant to scratches and dents. They’re also safe to use over high heat and in the dishwasher.

Stirrers and scrapers are workhorses all year long but especially during the holidays. Give them the love they deserve.

WOODEN SPOONS Avoid air-drying or placing wooden utensils in the dishwasher. The wood will absorb moisture, causing swelling and cracking over time and potential bacteria growth. About once a month, rub the wood surface with food-grade mineral oil or butcher block oil.

RUBBER SPATULAS When washing, separate the scraper and the handle if possible. If stains are present, soak the rubber part in hydrogen peroxide until the stain is removed (up to 1 day).

FOODBLOGS MAGAZINE

27

ENTERTAINING

HOLIDAY WINE PAIRING TIPS for

THE HOSTESS WHO KNOWS NOTHING ABOUT WINE WE CAN’T ALL BE WINE SNOBS. SO, YOU WORRY ABOUT THE FOOD, AND USE THIS CHEAT SHEET TO FAKE IT AS A SOMMELIER THIS SEASON.

By Annie Peterson

For a foodie, figuring out what to serve for a holiday meal is no problem.

But the wine? That doesn’t always come as naturally. However, you may be surprised at how intuitive you become just by knowing a few basics.

First, consider the body or richness of the food and the wine separately.

The fattiness, salt, acid, and sugar in foods should be balanced—but not outweighed—by the fruit, sugar, acid, alcohol, and tannins in your wine selection. Wine should be both a balancing agent and an enhancement to the flavors in your meal.

“Think about the wine as a seasoning in your food,” says Adam Bartow, who’s the wine director at a specialty food and wine store in Des Moines, Iowa. He explains that thinking about wine as if it were going to be an ingredient in your dish can help you make a great pairing for sipping as well. As a general rule, lighter foods team up best with crisp, acidic wines while richer, heavier foods pair well with robust, intense wines. Feeling like an expert yet?

USE THE REGION AS A CUE Think about where the dish you're serving originated. “The wines from a specific region are built to pair with the foods from that region,” says Bartow. “If it’s a meaty sauce from Bologna, lean towards super Tuscans and hearty reds from the same region.” If you’re serving French food, veer towards French wine selections, and so on.

IF YOU’D DRINK IT, SERVE IT. Regardless of what kind of food you are serving, always opt for wines you would enjoy. In the end, it all comes down to preference, so let your own tastes be a guide. There are no hard and fast rules. Just have fun.

28

HOLIDAY 2018

SOURCE

COMPLEMENT THE STRONGEST FLAVOR Identify the most prominent, flavorful part of your food. This element—often a sauce or seasoning component—will stand out the most on your palate, so that’s the part of the dish you should focus on when choosing a wine.

ENTERTAINING

CHARCUTERIE OR PÂTÉ Go for a sweet white wine with these classic holiday appetizers.

“The classic accompaniment of a sweet Sauterne can add hints of apple and honeysuckle to the rustic backbone of charcuterie,” says Bartow.

CHEESE PLATES Strong-flavored blue and aged cheeses pair well with full-bodied reds.

Fresh and semi-soft cheeses are best with crisp white wines. But what do you do if you’re serving several types of cheese? “Try a light-bodied red, such as a Côtes du Rhône,” says Bartow. This type of red blend is well-balanced and can work with a variety of flavors.

ROAST BEEF OR LAMB Cabernet sauvignon is a go-to for this rich main dish. High tannins cut through the fattiness of the meat, and the boldness complements the meat's richness.

ROASTED TURKEY OR OTHER POULTRY Rosé is a classic accompaniment to roasted turkey. Bartow suggests looking for one from Tavel, France, if possible. “The bright

fruit and orange peel can play as an adult alternative to cranberry sauce.” Yum! CREAMY OR CHEESY DISHES Select a lighter red wine, such as pinot noir or a dry rosé, for au gratins and other creamy dishes. Any wine with a higher acidity will help cut through the richness without overpowering the subtle flavors in the dish.

LIGHT SEAFOOD DISHES Pinot grigio is a natural pairing for most light fish dishes. But keep in mind that wine from the region where it originated is often the best option. “If it’s a more acidic and lighter fish dish of Sicily, seek out the light and versatile reds and whites of Mount Etna,” says Bartow.

RICH SEAFOOD DISHES Fattier seafood dishes pair best with a rich, dry white wine or a light red wine. If you’re serving salmon, try a chardonnay or pinot grigio from the U.S. northwest where salmon is a large part of the food culture.

HOLIDAY PIES The fruit in pies makes all the difference when choosing the perfect wine to serve it with. Bartow recommends pairing cherry pie with a pinot noir from Willamette Valley, apple pie with Alsatian gewürztraminer, and pumpkin pie with a slightly nutty lugana from Northern Italy.

CHOCOLATE DESSERTS Port or malbec wine are natural pairings with all chocolate desserts. “Malbec actually has elements of chocolate in it,” says Bartow. If the dessert is darker chocolate, Zinfandel or Shiraz wines are also good options.

For less intense, creamy chocolate desserts, try a light- to medium-body pinot noir.

FOODBLOGS MAGAZINE

29

ENTERTAINING

Grazing Tables YOU’RE GONNA WANNA GET IN ON THIS

By Colleen Stinchcombe

Charcuterie feast

A spread created by Shari Ivler of Graze New York

They turn heads, they taste great, and they’re much easier than cooking your tush off before entertaining guests.

“

Grazing tables are an upgrade from a cheese board and a step below a full-on buffet. The spreads themselves have turned into an art form, with all the makings of Instagram food porn: bright colors, herbaceous flourishes, and thoughtful tableware accents. They might be symmetrical masterpieces,

tastefully disheveled, or so perfectly proportioned that you hesitate to fill your plate.

“It’s an assortment of meats, cheeses, crackers, bread, chocolate, veggies, fruit, dip, desserts, all arranged in no particular order,” says Heather White, owner and operator of Roam, a mobile bar company based in Oregon and just one of several event companies familiar with creating these spreads for clients.

For a small gathering where you don’t intend to add more food, just let it be messy”

30

HOLIDAY 2018

If you’re thinking about trying the trend for holiday entertaining, the good news is there are very few rules to follow.

“I don’t think there’s really a right way to do it,” says Shari Ivler, owner of Graze New York. “Use it like an art canvas.” Sounds fun, right? But there are a few basics to consider.

THE SETUP With grazing tables, you want to worry less about head count and more about table area. “You want the food to be as close as possible without being cramped, so it looks bountiful,” says Andrea Correale, president of Elegant Affairs. Start the spread by laying

ENTERTAINING

out your planned surface without food to give yourself a sense of how much space you need to fill — that might even mean using a smaller table so your space is more condensed.

Flat arrangements can be perfectly appetizing, or you can add different platforms and risers that create height and dimension, Correale says. From there, you can put down a layer of parchment paper or tin foil to give yourself an easier cleanup and please the germ-averse, or place the snacks directly on the table. It’s your party, after all.

THE NOSH When it comes to your assortment of food, Ivler starts with in-season fruits and vegetables, and always includes three or four cheeses (including a hard cheese, a soft cheese and a blue cheese), a few different types of meat (usually at least a salami and a prosciutto), olives, cornichons and an assortment of fresh spreads like fig jam, mustard and honey. A couple types of bread or crackers give your guests something to pair these items with.

Put messier, less solid items like brie or dips onto small serving plates to help prevent them from soaking through your parchment layer, White says. She also recommends trying to avoid putting the same types of items — crackers and bread, for example, or two types of cheese — right next to each other, so it keeps your guests’ eyes moving. This can also help keep the color of your layout interesting.

THE FINISHING TOUCHES Edible arrangements make for an excellent garnish. Ivler likes to use rosemary in winter spreads because they look like pine needles, and pomegranates make a striking color statement. Cut into quarters or spread

the vibrant red seeds across the table.

Alternatively, other natural elements can be useful as both garnishes and barriers for your grazing display, such as seasonal gourds or decorative corn, White says. Placing these at the edge of the table helps keep the more unwieldy pieces of your arrangement, like blueberries or nuts, from rolling onto the floor.

All the nosh you need for

A WINTER CHARCUTERIE BAR

Because you’re trying to make the table look full, items that don’t necessarily go together are going to be touching. That’s just par for the course with grazing tables. “Don’t overthink it,” White says. “People take the first bite with their eyes.” So if the carrots look gorgeous next to a melted chocolate dip, don’t worry about it.

Another thing you’ll probably need to let go? Keeping the table looking perfect. As people nosh away at your spread, it’s going to start looking spare. For a small gathering where you don’t intend to add more food, just let it be messy, White says. Or, if it’s really bothering you, you can gently push all of the items together again to hide any holes where parchment is poking through.

You don’t need to provide plates or utensils, depending on the spread and the crowd of people you’re bringing together. But if you or your friends get a little squirmy over the idea of double-dipping or using fingers to serve yourself, a few cheese knives, spoons, small tongs and napkins or plates can go a long way.

DON'T FORGET...

Goat milk brie cheese

A little earthier and sweeter than cow’s milk cheese, it’s a great way to stay simple but add a little bit of wow factor.

Spicy sopressata

Your best choices will always be what your local meat purveyor recommends, but if you can find a spicy sausage and drizzle a little honey over the top, you won’t regret it.

Red pepper jelly

Lane and Holly of the With Two Spoons blog say, “It adds just the right amount of sweet heat when paired with cheese, crackers, meats and veggies."

Pomegranates

These add a pop of color to the table and a sweettart flavor to anything they touch.

Cranberry nut bread

Cranberries are a holiday classic, but steer away from canned sauce and add fresh or dried berries to your bread instead.

Candied cashews These are great as a garnish across the table or as a sweet treat guests can pick up by the handful.

The Fig jam

Better than figgy pudding, still sweet, seasonal, and it’s easy to add to cheese, meats and breads.

FOODBLOGS MAGAZINE

31

ENTERTAINING

COCKTAILS CROWD for a

Ready to stock your home bar for fall and winter?

Get inspired by these big-batch recipes—and serve your guests a little something that tastes just as festive as it looks.

MAKES 20 SERVINGS

Cranberry citrus paloma punch

By Tristin Rieken of One Armed Mama onearmedmama.com/

INGREDIENTS • 1/2 cup cranberry puree or 1 cup 100% cranberry juice, unsweetened • 2 cups grapefruit juice, fresh squeezed or unsweetened • 1/2 cup orange juice, fresh squeezed from 2 medium navel oranges • 1 cup lime juice, fresh squeezed from 6–8 limes • 2 cups tequila blanco

• 2 liters Squirt • 4 cups ice For fresh cranberry puree • 3/4 cup fresh cranberries • 2 tablespoons water For sweet cranberry salt • 3 fresh cranberries • 1/4 cup salt • 1/4 cup sugar

DIRECTIONS 1. Prepare cranberry puree by blending cranberries until smooth, adding water as needed to get mixture moving.

2. Pulse salt, sugar and a few cranberries in food processor or blender about five times until it's the texture of wet sand to make sweet cranberry salt. Set aside.

3. Build punch in your serving dish. Fill with citrus and cranberry ice cubes, then add cranberry puree and citrus juices.

4. Serve with salt rimmer (dish of sweet cranberry salt) and halved grapefruits on the side.

5. Punch can be made ahead of time by combining citrus juice and cranberry puree, and storing all ingredients separately. Add tequila, ice and Squirt before serving.

MAKES 12–13 SERVINGS

Cranberry old fashioned

By Josh Johnson of The Kentucky Gent, thekentuckygent.com

INGREDIENTS • 1 (750ml) bottle bourbon

• 4 ounces cranberry juice

• 1 ounce simple syrup

• Candied cranberries

• 12 dashes Angostura bitters

• Orange twists

DIRECTIONS 1. Combine bourbon, simple syrup, bitters and cranberries in serving pitcher.

2. Stir vigorously for at least 1 minute to ensure proper mixing.

32

HOLIDAY 2018

3. Serve in rocks glasses filled with ice, and garnish with orange twist and candied cranberries.

ENTERTAINING

MAKES 8–10 SERVINGS

Mulled wine

By Lynda Balslev of TasteFood blog, tastefoodblog.com

INGREDIENTS For the garnish: • 1 cup raisins • 1/3 cup Cointreau, Grand Marnier or rum • 1/2 cup whole almonds (optional) For the glogg: • 1-1/2 cups port wine • 1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice • 1/2 cup Cointreau or Grand Marnier • 1/3 cup brown sugar • Zest of 2 untreated or organic oranges, shaved in strips with a vegetable peeler • 10 cloves • 2 cinnamon sticks • 2 bottles full-bodied red wine • Fresh orange slices as garnish

DIRECTIONS 1. For the garnish, combine raisins and Cointreau in small bowl. Let stand at room temperature for at least 2 hours.

(The raisins may be prepared up to one week in advance.

Cover and refrigerate until use). Toast almonds in a dry skillet on stove. Remove from heat and coarsely chop into large pieces.

2. Combine all glogg ingredients, except 2 bottles of red wine, in heavy large pot with lid. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered until liquid reduces to about 2 cups (12 to 15 minutes).

3. Add red wine, cover pot, and reduce heat to low. Heat glogg without letting it come to a boil (or the spirits will evaporate!).

4. To serve, add spoonful each of raisins and almonds, if using, to glass or mug. Strain glogg into glass. Garnish with fresh orange slices and serve with spoon for scooping up raisins and almonds.

MAKES 8–10 SERVINGS

Apple cider mimosa

By Amanda Powell of A Cookie Named Desire, cookienameddesire.com

INGREDIENTS • 9 cups orange juice • 6-pack hard apple cider • dashes of orange bitters to taste

INSTRUCTIONS 1. Add orange juice to pitcher.

2. Top with apple cider.

3. Stir in orange bitters.

Enjoy cold.

Tip: Pronounced "gluhg," gløgg indicates the recipe is from Denmark or Norway, while glögg indicates Swedish or Icelandic descent.

enjoy!

FOODBLOGS MAGAZINE

33

ENTERTAINING

For the host who has everything WHETHER YOUR HOST IS A GRILLER, COFFEE LOVER OR SOMEONE WHO JUST LOVES TO COOK, THERE’S A TRENDY TOOL THAT CAN MAKE THEIR LIVES EASIER (AND TASTIER).

By Annie Peterson

5 1

3

7 2

6

4

1) 8-IN-1 KITCHEN TOOL

Perfect for the cook with limited space, this set by Butefo includes a funnel, shredder, measuring cup, can opener and more. The colorful parts stack up into a fun wine bottle shape that’s easy to store.

Available at Amazon, $9.99

2) CHEMEX 3-CUP COFFEE MAKER

This pour-over coffee system — the secret to coffee with less bitterness — is simple but genius. The polished wood collar and leather tie strap can be removed for easy cleaning.

It can also be used for teas and other flavor infusions.

Available at crateandbarrel.com, $36.95

3) HAND-CARVED

5) HOMEMADE HOT

Made from solid rosewood, this stand is carved by artisans from an Indian collective. The easel-style back can be adjusted to three different positions to keep books or tablets at the perfect angle on the counter.

The ideal gift for a DIYer who loves extra spice, this fun kit includes two secret blends of dried chilis and all the tools needed to make and bottle hot sauce.

COOKBOOK STAND

Available at uncommongoods.com, $75

4) CORKSICLE 3-IN-1 WINE CHILLER

This tool makes it easy to get that perfect cellar temperature for red wine and keep white wine cold on even the hottest days. The built-in aerator oxygenates the wine as it pours for ideal flavor, and the removable cap keeps it fresh between pours.

Available at surlatable.com, $24.95

34

HOLIDAY 2018

8

SAUCE KIT

Available at shop.tastemade.com, $38

6) STEEPING CUP AND INFUSER

Simply fill this stainless steel infuser basket by Tea Forté with a tea bag, pop it into the cup and brew away. The double wall construction of the cup and lid keep the tea hot as it steeps.

Available at teaforte.com, $20

7) KNOB SPICE GRINDER Made from beechwood with a ceramic crushing mechanism, this spice grinder easily crushes anything from peppercorns to dried herbs.

The attractive pinch pot base can also be used for serving homemade seasoning mixtures.

Available at umbrashift.com, $40

8) 3-IN-1 BBQ TOOL

Grill enthusiasts will love this convenient tool that is a spatula, tongs and scraper all in one. The non-slip textured handles, dual spatula system and long length make it easy to grab just about anything off the grill — from veggies to chops to a whole chicken.

Available at thegrommet.com, $17.95

FOOD BLOGS LLC & .COM

Dinner doesn’t have to be boring!

Turn to today’s top food bloggers to find your new favorite recipes now.

foodblogs.com

SPONSORED

How I attracted 195,000 more followers to my Pinterest party in 6 months Jillian Leslie loves her job. She comes alive when she talks about it. Every day her website CatchMyParty.com is the destination for thousands of people sharing and planning parties — from recipes to DIY decor — and she gets to help them do it.

Her big marketing secret is Pinterest, which is the source of about 70 percent of her traffic. She’s spent a lot of time thinking about how she can be more successful on Pinterest, and we have some of her best tips.

Follow the trends “We can see trends bubbling up,” she says. For example, when giant paper flowers started trending, she knew that would do well on her site. The source of so much of her inspiration is analytics — data about which Pins are getting repinned and driving traffic to her site.

“I look at [my audience’s] behavior, and I glean so much information from that.”

Don’t be afraid to get creative with trends and make them your own. “Our best ideas come from paying attention to what’s already happening. Take a Pin that went viral and build content that’s similar, because there’s something about it that worked. So try it with a twist.”

A simple Pinterest strategy “We Pin somewhere between 50 and 60 Pins a day, which sounds like a lot; however we use Tailwind to schedule our Pins, and without Tailwind we would be lost.” She had only managed to Pin about 15 times a day until she discovered the time-saving potential of the Tailwind scheduling tool. “What we found was the more we Pinned and the more consistently we Pinned, the faster our followers grew.”

Jillian makes a point of following new users and Pinning from other websites

Get your free month:

as well, not only to get the best content in front of her audience, but also to discover content she’s not producing that she should be.

Adopt Pinterest’s new features She also watches out for innovations on the Pinterest platform. She was an early adopter of Promoted Pins, which she uses to increase the success of sponsored posts, and has had a lot of success with Rich Pins.

“You get less than half a second to get somebody’s attention on Pinterest, so any way that you can make something pop, any way that you can get somebody’s eyeballs on your Pin, you want it.”

Keywords, Keywords, Keywords Jillian recommends thinking carefully about the keywords you use to describe your boards. “We stopped naming boards ‘Cool stuff’ or 'Things I love’ and we started naming them more useful names like ‘Superhero Party Ideas.’”

Keep those board names literal. Then in the board descriptions and Pin descriptions, continue to add useful keywords, so people can easily find your Pins. tailwindapp.com/typical-results

tailwindapp.com/free Tailwind is a proud marketing partner of Pinterest and Instagram.

HOW CAN THESE DECADENT DELIGHTS ACTUALLY BE GOOD FOR YOU!?

Abs are cool, but have you tried fudge? In Grateful's new series What the Fudge, you can have both. We’ve put healthy twists on your favorite desserts—and we're not fudging kidding!

HOSTED BY KATIE HIGGINS OF CHOCOLATE COVERED KATIE

COMING SOON! GRATEFUL.CO

SNACKING

store-bought

shortcuts

Beth Moncel of Budget Bytes

Go easy on yourself.

Just because a dish is homemade, doesn’t mean it can’t have roots in the frozen aisle.

By Catherine Conelly

Your kitchen really has a way of opening up to you once you welcome the idea of frozen snacks, fruits and vegetables. They are especially helpful for cooking shortcuts when you blink and realize — somehow — it’s November already.

“I love using frozen fruit and vegetables because I can keep them on hand without worrying they'll spoil, and they're already chopped and prepped, so I can just add them straight to my food,” says food blogger Beth Moncel of Budget Bytes. “They shave a lot of time off cooking.”

Broccoli, spinach, peas and corn are a few frozen items she has on hand at all times, but we asked her to share some saucy recipes she’d use to elevate two other common frozen items.

38

HOLIDAY 2018

SNACKING

frozen item: Brussels Sprouts Pair with: Easy homemade nacho cheese

By Beth Moncel of Budget Bytes, budgetbytes.com

• 1 cup whole milk

MAKES 3/4 CUP

• 1/2 cup olive oil

• 3 cloves garlic

• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• 6 ounces medium cheddar, shredded (about 1-1/2 cups)

• 1 cup Italian (flat leaf) parsley, packed

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, packed

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons flour

By Beth Moncel of Budget Bytes, budgetbytes.com

INGREDIENTS

MAKES 1-1/2 CUPS

• 2 tablespoons butter

frozen item: Sweet potato puffs Pair with: Homemade chimichurri

• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder

DIRECTIONS 1. Heat butter and flour in a small saucepot. Whisk until it becomes bubbly and foamy. Continue to cook and whisk for about 60 seconds. Whisk the milk in. Turn heat up slightly and allow the milk to come to a simmer while whisking.

2. Once it's thick enough to coat a spoon, turn off heat. Stir in the shredded cheddar one handful at a time until melted into the sauce. Once all the cheese is melted, stir in salt and chili powder to taste.

• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes • 1/2 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS 1. Rinse parsley and cilantro well. Shake as much water off the leaves as possible. Add to a food processor with the rest of the ingredients. Pulse until combined to your desired texture. If you don't own a food processor, simply whisk olive oil, vinegar, oregano, cumin, red pepper and salt in a bowl.

2. Mince the parsley, cilantro and garlic. Pour the whisked dressing over the parsley, cilantro and garlic, and stir to combine.

FOODBLOGS MAGAZINE

39

SNACKING

PIZZA NIGHT Keto goes

The terms “diet” and “pizza night” don’t usually play nice, but you may be surprised to find your mouth watering for these keto-friendly recipes.

MAKES 24 BREADSTICKS

Keto PIZZA breadsticks 3 ways

By Craig Clarke of Ruled.Me, ruled.me

INGREDIENTS

DIRECTIONS

• 2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

For extra cheese • 1 teaspoon garlic powder

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Mix egg and cream cheese until slightly combined. Set aside.

• 3/4 cup almond flour

• 1 teaspoon onion powder

• 1 tablespoon psyllium husk powder

• 3 ounces cheddar cheese

2. In bowl, combine all dry ingredients: almond flour, psyllium husk and baking powder.

• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

3. Measure out mozzarella cheese and microwave in 20-second intervals. Stir cheese each time you take it out of microwave, and continue microwaving until sizzling.

• 1 large egg

Bonus: Dessert breadsticks

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 3 tablespoons butter

4. Add egg, cream cheese and dry ingredients to mozzarella cheese and mix together.

• 3 tablespoons cream cheese

Italian-style seasoning • 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning • 1 teaspoon salt • 1 teaspoon pepper

• 6 tablespoons Swerve sweetener • 2 tablespoons cinnamon

5. Using hands, knead dough. Once combined, set on silpat or parchment paper.

6. Press dough flat until you have full baking sheet of dough.

Transfer dough to some foil so you can use a pizza cutter on it.

Knives and sharp objects should never be used on a silpat.

7. Cut dough and prep breadsticks with one or more of your preferred seasoning option(s).

8. Bake 13 to 15 minutes on top rack until crisp. Serve while warm with marinara.

40

HOLIDAY 2018

SNACKING

MAKES 8 SERVINGS

PIZZA DIP

By Megha Barot of Keto Connect, ketoconnect.com

INGREDIENTS • 8 ounces cream cheese • 1/2 cup sour cream • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder • 1 teaspoon oregano • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder • 1/2 cup tomato sauce • 2 ounces pepperoni • 2 ounces mozzarella cheese • 1/4 teaspoon pink salt • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper

DIRECTIONS 1. Preheat oven to 350F. 2. Combine first six ingredients in bowl and spread onto bottom of 9-inch baking pan.

3. Top with pizza sauce and season with salt and pepper.

MAKES 14 CHIPS

Pizza chips

By Lynsey Jones Kmetz of Moscato Mom, moscatomom.com

INGREDIENTS • 1 ounce pepperoni

4. Layer pepperoni on top of sauce, whole or chopped up in pieces.

Both work great!

• 1/8 cup fresh grated Parmesan

5. Bake for 15 minutes.

• Mini muffin tin

6. Pull out of oven and top with mozzarella cheese.

Bake for another 10 minutes or until cheese is fully melted.

• 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

DIRECTIONS 1. Preheat oven to 400F. 2. Blot some of excess oil off pepperoni; there will still be plenty of oil left.

3. Place 1 piece of pepperoni in bottom of each muffin cup.

4. Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella cheese, grated Parmesan and tiny bit of Italian seasoning.

5. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.

6. Remove from oven and allow to cool until crispy.

7. Using paper towel, blot off excess oil on both sides.

Serve with

By Megha Barot of Keto Connect

marinara or ranch for dipping

ketoconnect.com

FOODBLOGS MAGAZINE

41

FEASTING

A

NEW LIFE LEFTOVERS for your

Sure, turkey sandwiches are the gold standard of holiday leftovers.

But these bloggers have some ideas that give your turkey cranberry on whole wheat a run for its money. And it’s not just turkey — one blogger is reinventing leftover spaghetti.

MAKES 4–6 SERVINGS

Aunt Bee’s leftover turkey casserole

By Blair Lonergan of The Seasoned Mom, theseasonedmom.com

INGREDIENTS • 1/2 cup uncooked rotini pasta (about 2 cups cooked pasta)

DIRECTIONS • 1/2 can (5.25 ounces) cream of chicken soup (undiluted)

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Spray 2-quart or 11x7-inch dish with cooking spray and set aside.

• 2 tablespoons butter

• 1/2 can (5.25 ounces) cream of celery soup (undiluted)

• 1-1/2 cups cooked diced turkey

• 4 tablespoons Parmesan cheese

2. Cook pasta in boiling water until just al dente (about 9 minutes).

Drain, toss with butter until butter melts, and stir in turkey, peas and soups.

• 10 ounces frozen peas

• Paprika

42

HOLIDAY 2018

3. Transfer pasta mixture to prepared dish. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and paprika.

4. Bake uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes, or until heated through.

FEASTING

MAKES 8–10 SERVINGS

Turkey nachos

By Amanda Formaro of Amanda’s Cookin’, amandascookin.com

INGREDIENTS • 4 pounds leftover turkey • 1 bag restaurant-style tortilla chips

Amanda Formaro of Amanda’s Cookin amandascookin.com

• One 15-ounce can refried black beans (or regular refried beans) • 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar • 2 cups shredded pepper jack cheese • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, garnish • 2 tablespoons diced red onion, garnish For the salsa: • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil • 1 cup diced onion • 1 large fresh jalapeno, stemmed, seeded and minced • 1 tablespoon minced garlic • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro • One 15-ounce can diced tomatoes with juice • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin • 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder

DIRECTIONS 1. Preheat oven to 450F and fill large oven-safe skillet with tortilla chips.

2. Prepare salsa by sautéing jalapeno and diced onion in olive oil for several minutes until tender.

Add garlic and sauté another minute or two.

Add remaining salsa ingredients and bring to boil. Simmer over low heat, uncovered, for 5 to 10 minutes.

3. Heat refried beans in microwave. Shred turkey and warm in microwave.

4. Drop dollops of refried beans over top of tortilla chips in pan.

5. Layer warm salsa over refried beans.

6. Layer turkey over salsa.

7. Layer both cheeses over turkey and bake in preheated oven for 5 to 7 minutes until cheese is melted.

8. Sprinkle with cilantro and red onion for garnish.

FOODBLOGS MAGAZINE

43

FEASTING

Pumpkin Ale Turkey Chili

MAKES 6–8 SERVINGS

Pumpkin ale turkey chili

By Josh Johnson of The Kentucky Gent, thekentuckygent.com

INGREDIENTS • 2 tablespoons olive oil • 1 medium yellow onion, diced • 1 jalapeno, diced • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder • 1/2 teaspoon ancho chili powder • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

DIRECTIONS 1. Heat oil in large pot over medium-high heat. Add diced onion, jalapeno and spices to pot, and cook until onions are translucent. Then add tomato paste and cook for 1 to 2 minutes longer.

2. Combine all remaining ingredients in pot, stir to combine, bring to boil, and then reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.

3. Top with sour cream, cheese, cilantro and any other desired toppings.

• 2 teaspoons salt • 1 tablespoon tomato paste • One 4.5-ounce can green chiles • One 28-ounce can diced tomatoes • One 15-ounce can pumpkin puree • One 15.5-ounce can black beans • 1 cup beef stock • Leftover turkey, shredded or diced

BONUS RECIPE! Turkey pot pie

By Amanda Formaro of Amanda’s Cookin’, amandascookin.com

Find the link to this recipe online at kitchen.foodblogs.com/magazine-recipes

44

HOLIDAY 2018

FEASTING

MAKES 6–8 SERVINGS

LEFTOVER SPAGHETTI FRITTATA BAKE

By Nancy Buchanan of A Communal Table, acommunaltable.com

INGREDIENTS • 3 eggs • 1 cup half and half

• 1 red bell pepper cut into 1/2-inch dice

• 1-1/4 cups shredded ParmigianoReggiano cheese

• 1/4 cup sliced green onions • 4 slices bacon, diced and cooked

• 3 cups cooked and drained spaghetti pasta

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• Large pinch cayenne pepper

• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

brown. Transfer skillet to oven and cook for 12 to 15 minutes until frittata is set.

2. Add bell pepper and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.

5. Remove from oven and let cool for 2 to 3 minutes.

3. In large bowl, combine eggs, half and half, salt, pepper and cayenne. Whisk mixture until thoroughly combined.

Add spaghetti, cooked bell pepper, green onions, bacon and shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Toss to combine.

6. Run knife along edge of frittata to loosen. Top skillet with plate and, using oven mitts, flip skillet over.

4. Add mixture to skillet and cook over medium-high heat for 3 to 4 minutes, or until bottom of frittata is golden

leftovers!

Thanksgiving potato skins

By Shea Goldstein of Dixie Chik Cooks, dixiechikcooks.com

DIRECTIONS 1. Preheat oven to 400F. In 8-inch, ovensafe nonstick skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat.

Love your

7. Remove skillet and slice frittata.

8. Can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.

INGREDIENTS • Baking potatoes (number depends on how many you want to make and amount of leftovers!)

• Melted butter • Leftover dressing • Leftover gravy • Leftover turkey • Pico de gallo • Cranberries

DIRECTIONS 1. Preheat oven to 400F. 2. Wash and scrub potatoes, pierce with fork, rub with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.

3. Bake for one hour, remove and let cool for about 15 minutes.

4. Slice potatoes in half and let cool another 5 minutes. Scoop out most of potato. Reserve for something else like potato salad.

5. Brush each potato skin with melted butter.

6. Layer turkey, dressing and gravy in each skin.

7. Heat on low broil for 5 to 7 minutes.

8. Mix pico with cranberries and serve.

FOODBLOGS MAGAZINE

45

FEASTING

THE SOUP SCALE

healthy & hearty indulgent & decadent From

Cold weather isn’t the same without a soup night or 10.

Cook these recipes for a crowd, or make in batches to freeze and reheat for easy weeknight meals.

to

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

Roasted red pepper tomato soup

By Beth Moncel of Budget Bytes, budgetbytes.com

INGREDIENTS • 2 tablespoons butter

• 2 cups vegetable broth

• 1 yellow onion

• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil

• 4 cloves garlic

• 1/8 teaspoon dried thyme

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• Freshly cracked pepper

• Two 15-ounce cans crushed tomatoes

• 1 cup whole milk (optional)

• 12-ounce jar roasted red peppers

DIRECTIONS 1. Dice onion and mince garlic. Add onion, garlic and butter to large soup pot. Sauté over medium flame until onions are soft and transparent (about 5 minutes).

2. Add flour to pot and continue to stir and cook for 1 to 2 minutes.

Flour will form a paste with butter and onions and begin to coat bottom of the pot. As soon as the flour stuck to the pot begins to turn slightly golden, remove from heat.

3. Add crushed tomatoes (with juices), roasted red peppers (without juices) and flour paste from soup pot to food processor or blender.

Blend until smooth, then return contents to soup pot.

4. Add vegetable broth, basil, thyme and some freshly-cracked pepper (10–15 cranks of a pepper mill) to soup and stir to combine.

Heat and stir over medium flame until soup begins to simmer.

Use spoon to help dissolve any residual flour stuck to bottom of pot as you stir.

5. Once soup begins to simmer, turn off heat. Add milk, if using, and stir to combine. Taste and add salt if needed (this will depend on salt content of your broth).

46

HOLIDAY 2018

FEASTING

Asiago and roasted garlic cauliflower soup

›

FOODBLOGS MAGAZINE

47

FEASTING

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

Asiago AND roasted garlic cauliflower soup

By Kevin Lynch of Closet Cooking, closetcooking.com

INGREDIENTS For the soup: • 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets • 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons oil • Salt and pepper, to taste • 2–4 heads garlic

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

• 1 onion, diced • 2 teaspoons thyme, chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme) • 4 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth • 1 tablespoon white miso paste (optional)

By Lindsey Johnson of Cafe Johnsonia, cafejohnsonia.com

• 1/2 cup Asiago, grated • 1 tablespoon lemon juice

For the crunchy topping: • 1 tablespoon quinoa (raw) • 2 tablespoons panko breadcrumbs

Hearty kale butternut squash barley soup INGREDIENTS

AS SEEN ON PG. 47

• 1/2 tablespoon white sesame seeds • 1/2 tablespoon black sesame seeds • 1/2 tablespoon chia seeds • 1/4 cup Asiago, grated • Salt and pepper, to taste • 2 teaspoons lemon zest • 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped

DIRECTIONS For the soup: 1. Toss cauliflower in tablespoon of oil and salt and pepper.

Arrange in single layer on baking sheet.

2. Cut top quarter off heads of garlic and drizzle with oil. Wrap in foil and place on baking sheet along with cauliflower.

3. Roast in 425F oven until cauliflower is tender and lightly golden brown to a little charred, about 20–30 minutes, mixing cauliflower halfway through.

• 1 tablespoon olive oil • 1 onion, diced • 1/2 cup pearl barley • 6-8 cups vegetable or chicken stock • 2 cups cubed butternut squash (about 1/2 inch) • 3-4 large kale leaves, ribs removed and roughly chopped • Salt and pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS 1. Heat oil in a 3-quart pot.

2. Add onion and cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until onions soften and start to turn golden.

3. Add barley, stir constantly and cook until golden brown. Add stock. Cover and lower heat to low simmer. Cook for about 20 to 25 minutes.

4. Remove lid and add butternut squash. Continue simmering for another 10 to 15 minutes or until squash is just barely tender. Add kale and cook for a few minutes more. Ladle into bowls and serve piping hot.

4. Heat remaining tablespoon of oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat, add onion and cook until tender, about 3 to 5 minutes.

5. Add thyme and cook until fragrant, about a minute.

6. Add broth, roasted cauliflower and garlic squeezed from skins.

Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes before pureeing with stick blender, in blender or in food processor.

7. Mix in miso and Asiago, and heat until cheese melts into soup (about a minute).

For the crunchy topping: 1. Heat quinoa in pan over medium heat. The quinoa will start popping. Turn off heat once there is more than a second between pops, mixing continuously to prevent burning.

2. Mix in breadcrumbs, seeds and Asiago, and toast for a minute or two.

3. Mix in the lemon zest and parsley before serving as garnish on soup.

48

HOLIDAY 2018

Make it gluten-free by swapping barley for buckwheat or quinoa.

FEASTING

INGREDIENTS For the bisque: • One 3-pound sugar pumpkin • 1 medium yellow onion, ends trimmed and peeled • 1 large green apple, peeled, cored and quartered • 1-1/4 to 1-3/4 cups full-fat canned coconut milk, to taste, plus more for garnishing (vigorously shake can before measuring) • 1-1/4 cups boiling water • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar • 2-1/2 teaspoons peeled and finely diced fresh ginger, about 1-inch knob of ginger • 1-1/2 to 2 teaspoons sea salt, or to taste • 1/2 to 1 teaspoon curry powder to taste (optional) • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste • 1 dash ground nutmeg

For the pecan crumble: • 1/3 cup raw pecans • 1/3 cup old-fashioned rolled oats • 2 tablespoons coconut sugar • 2 tablespoons unsalted natural almond butter • 1/4 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt

Coconut milk keeps this creamy soup on the lighter side while the other ingredients add healthy doses of vitamin A, vitamin C, manganese and fiber.

MAKES 6 SERVINGS

Roasted pumpkin and apple bisque with pecan crumble

By Ashley Melillo of Blissful Basil, blissfulbasil.com

DIRECTIONS For the bisque: 1. Preheat oven to 425F. Line large baking pan with parchment paper.

remaining 1/2 cup coconut milk to thin soup.

Taste and season with more sea salt and black pepper, if desired.

2. Use sharp knife to carefully slice pumpkin in half. Scoop out seeds and discard. Slice each half into thirds, creating 6 total pieces, and place cut-side-down on lined pan.

6. To serve, drizzle a bit of coconut milk over each bowl and top with a generous spoonful of pecan crumble. Serve immediately.

3. Slice yellow onion in half or in thirds widthwise, creating 2 to 3 round pieces.

Transfer to lined pan along with quartered green apple.

4. Bake in oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until flesh of pumpkin is tender and easily pierced with fork, as are onion and apple pieces. Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes.

5. Use spoon to carefully scoop out flesh of pumpkin (discarding skin) and transfer to high-speed blender along with roasted onion, green apple and 1-1/4 cups coconut milk, water, apple cider vinegar, ginger, sea salt, curry powder (if using), cinnamon, black pepper and nutmeg. Blend on high for 2 minutes, or until silky smooth. If desired, add

7. Refrigerate leftovers in separate airtight containers for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 1 month.

For the pecan crumble: 1. Prepare crumble topping while pumpkin, onion and apple are roasting. Add pecans to food processor and process for 20 seconds, or until ground into fine meal.

2. Transfer to medium mixing bowl and add rolled oats, coconut sugar, almond butter and sea salt. Use back of spoon to mash almond butter into other ingredients until thoroughly combined into pea-size crumbles.

FOODBLOGS MAGAZINE

49

FEASTING

MAKES 8 SERVINGS

Creamy pumpkin and peanut soup

By Nancy Buchanan of A Communal Table, acommunaltable.com

INGREDIENTS • 2 red-skinned sweet potatoes • One 30-ounce can pumpkin puree • 1 cup natural-style smooth peanut butter • 1 tablespoon garam masala powder* • 6 cups vegetable or chicken stock • Salt • White pepper • 6 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt (optional) • 6 tablespoons chopped peanuts (optional)

DIRECTIONS 1. Pierce sweet potatoes with fork and cook in microwave until very soft. You can also place pierced sweet potatoes on foil-lined sheet pan and cook in 400F oven for 45 to 60 minutes until very soft. Let cool.

2. Scoop sweet potato flesh into bowl of food processor and add 1 cup stock. Puree.

3. In large soup pot, combine pumpkin puree, sweet potato puree, garam masala and stock. Stir to combine. Bring to boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to simmer and add peanut butter. Stir until well-combined. Taste and season with salt and white pepper. Ladle into bowls and garnish with dollop of Greek yogurt and chopped peanuts, if desired.

* If you don’t have garam masala on hand, you can make your own!

Mix 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander, 1/4 teaspoon ground black Tellicherry pepper, 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground caraway seeds, 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves, 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger and 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg.

Mexican street corn soup

By Kevin Lynch of Closet Cooking, closetcooking.com

Slow-cooker roasted garlic baked potato soup

more recipes 50

By Lisa Summers of Creole Contessa, creolecontessa.com

French lentil soup

By Amanda Biddle of Striped Spatula, stripedspatula.com

Crockpot turkey taco soup

By Amanda Plot of The Skinny Fork, theskinnyfork.com

Slow-cooker chicken pot pie soup

By Leigh Anne Wilkes of Your Homebased Mom, yourhomebasedmom.com

Spinach tortellini soup

By Carolyn Cope of Umami Girl, umamigirl.com

Roasted butternut squash soup

By Samar Hu of Ahead of Thyme, aheadofthyme.com

Turkey Pho

By Wanda Baker of Bakersbeans, bakersbeans.com

HOLIDAY 2018

Find the links to these recipes online at kitchen.foodblogs.com/magazine-recipes

Stop guessing and start growing Tailwind suggests the best Instagram hashtags for your posts

Tailwind is a proud marketing partner of Pinterest and Instagram.

Get your free month: tailwindapp.com/free

FEASTING

Comfort

food the

Instant Pot way Instant Pot: It’s like cheating on your oven, but it tastes so good — and these recipes that put an instant spin on classic comfort foods are ready to prove it.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

LASAGNA

By Kristy Bernardo of The Wicked Noodle thewickednoodle.com

INGREDIENTS • 1 pound ground Italian sausage • 1 cup ricotta cheese • 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese • 1 egg • 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper • 1/3 package oven-ready lasagna noodles • One 25-ounce jar high-quality marinara or spaghetti sauce • 2 cups shredded whole milk mozzarella cheese • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

DIRECTIONS 1. Press sauté to preheat Instant Pot. When hot, add sausage until browned and crumbled. Turn off Instant Pot and remove sausage with slotted spoon (discard grease).

2. In small bowl, mix ricotta cheese, egg and Parmesan until smooth.

3. Grease round 7-inch baking pan. Place thin layer of sauce onto bottom of pan. Top with one layer each of lasagna noodles, ricotta mixture, sausage and then shredded cheese. Every time you add a layer of noodles, gently press down so lasagna compresses slightly. Continue layering twice more, ending with final layer of just sauce and cheese.

4. Pour 1-1/2 cups water into bottom of Instant Pot, then place trivet inside. Make sling out of tinfoil (a long piece of tinfoil

52

HOLIDAY 2018

folded twice lengthwise) and place baking pan on top. Cover baking pan with additional foil (spray it with cooking spray so cheese doesn't stick). Using sling, carefully set pan onto trivet, folding down any tinfoil so you can close lid.

5. Close lid, press manual and adjust timer to 20 minutes. Make sure cooking pressure is set to high and release valve is set to sealing.

6. When time is up, allow Instant Pot to naturally release pressure for 10 minutes, then open it using quick pressure release feature.

Using foil sling as handles, carefully remove lasagna. Remove foil, and pop under broiler for a few minutes to brown cheese. Allow to rest for 10 minutes. Top with freshly chopped basil, if desired.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

Honey mustard chicken

By Rasa Malaysia, rasamalaysia.com

INGREDIENTS

DIRECTIONS

• 1-1/2–2 pounds chicken thighs (5 chicken thighs)

1. Season both sides of chicken thighs with salt and ground black pepper.

• Salt

2. Mix honey, Dijon mustard, soy sauce and chicken broth together. Stir to combine well.

• Ground black pepper

3. Turn on Instant Pot and set to sauté. Add olive oil when Instant Pot is fully heated so chicken won’t stick to pot. Pan sear both sides of chicken thighs, skin-side-down first, until skin is golden brown.

• 3 tablespoons honey • 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard • 1 tablespoon soy sauce

4. Add garlic to pot, followed by honey mustard mixture. Cover lid and select manual, and set to high pressure for 10 minutes. When it beeps, turn to quick release.

• 1/2 cup chicken broth • 1 teaspoon olive oil • 5 cloves garlic • 1 tablespoon chopped parsley

5. When valve drops, remove lid carefully and add chopped parsley. Change to sauté mode and reduce sauce for 1 to 2 minutes, if you like a thicker sauce. Serve with plain spaghetti or steamed rice.

MAKES 12 SERVINGS

Baked beans

By Lauren Allen of Tastes Better From Scratch, tastesbetterfromscratch.com

INGREDIENTS • 16 ounces dry navy or pinto beans

• 2/3 cup barbecue sauce

• 8 cups water

• 1/2 cup ketchup

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard

• 8 slices bacon

• 1/4 cup cider vinegar

• 1 yellow onion, finely chopped

• 1 teaspoon liquid smoke

• 1/2 red or green bell pepper, cored, seeded and finely chopped

• 1/2 cup light brown sugar • 1/2 cup water

DIRECTIONS 1. Add beans, water and salt to Instant Pot. Cook on manual (high pressure) for 25 minutes. Once done, allow pressure to naturally release.

2. Remove lid and pour beans into strainer. Rinse with cold water. Set aside.

3. Set Instant Pot to sauté. Add bacon and sauté for a few minutes until it starts to get golden brown, tossing and scraping down side of pot often. Drain some of grease.

4. Add bell pepper and onion, and cook until tender.

5. Turn off Instant Pot. Add barbecue sauce, ketchup, mustard, vinegar and liquid smoke.

Stir well to combine. Add brown sugar, water and beans, and stir to combine.

6. Secure lid, close steam valve and cook on manual (high pressure) for 15 minutes.

Natural release pressure.

7. Carefully open lid, and gently stir mixture to combine.

Q&A: What is your favorite holiday and why?

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday! It's an amazing feeling each year to come together with family and friends to show gratitude and appreciation for each other and the things in life that are most important.

— LAUREN ALLEN OF TASTES BETTER FROM SCRATCH

FOODBLOGS MAGAZINE

53

FEASTING

MAKES 20 SERVINGS

Mexican tamales

By Lauren Allen of Tastes Better From Scratch, tastesbetterfromscratch.com

INGREDIENTS For the dough: • 2 cups Maseca (aka masa harina) • 1-1/2 cups low-sodium beef broth (or chicken broth) • 1 teaspoon baking powder • 1/2 teaspoon salt • 1/2 teaspoon cumin • 2/3 cup lard • 8-ounce package dried corn husks Filling options: • Shredded chicken with green sauce (recipe below) • Shredded pork with red sauce (find the recipe on Lauren's blog) • Refried beans with shredded cheese • Authentic Mexican rice for serving, optional

DIRECTIONS 1. Soak corn husks in bowl of very hot or boiling water for at least 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in large bowl, beat lard and 1 tablespoon of broth with electric mixer until fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes.

3. Combine masa harina, baking powder, salt and cumin. Stir into lard mixture and beat well. Add more broth as necessary to form very soft dough.

4. To test if dough is ready, place tiny ball into glass of water. If it floats, it’s ready. If it sinks, beat it longer and add a little more broth. It should spread like creamy peanut butter and be slightly sticky.

5. Lay a husk, glossy-side-up, on counter with wide end at top.

Scoop big tablespoon of masa toward top half of husk.

6. Lay piece of plastic wrap over dough and use hands to press and spread masa into thin layer, about 1/4-inch thick, along top half of husk.

7. Spoon tablespoon of filling in line down center of dough.

8. Longways, fold husk like business letter. Then fold bottom of husk up.

9. Add enough water to bottom of Instant Pot to cover bottom but not go above wire rack. Place tamales on rack upright with folded end down and open end up. Don’t overpack.

10. Cook on manual for 18 to 20 minutes. Allow pressure to naturally release for 10 minutes and then quick release. To test if done, remove one and try to pull husk off. If it comes off easily and cleanly, they're done.

tamale FILLING Shredded Chicken with Green Sauce Tamale Filling INGREDIENTS INGREDIENTS • 4 cups cooked chicken, shredded • 16 ounces salsa verde • 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (or string cheese)

DIRECTIONS 1. Combine shredded chicken and salsa.

2. Spoon filling onto tamale dough. Top with cheese.

Roll and cook.

3. Top cooked tamales with extra green salsa, and pico de gallo.

54

HOLIDAY 2018

FEASTING

MAKES 8–12 SERVINGS

Corn on the cob

By Arlene Mobley of Flour On My Face, flouronmyface.com

INGREDIENTS • 8 to 12 ears fresh corn on cob, husked and silk removed • 1 cup water • 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper • Seasoned salt (optional)

DIRECTIONS 1. Place rack or steamer basket in bottom of Instant Pot. Pour 1 cup water in bottom.

2. Add husked and cleaned corn, placing widest end at bottom. If corn is too big, trim narrow end or break each ear of corn in half.

3. Season corn with ground black pepper, garlic salt and seasoned salt.

4. Check rubber sealing ring on lid to make sure it’s in proper place.

5. Make sure valve is in sealing position and lid is locked. Press steam button and set time to 2 minutes.

6. Once done, let steam self-release for 1 minute.

With wooden spoon, carefully push pressure valve open to allow steam to escape, and open lid away from your face.

7. Transfer to serving platter and sprinkle with more seasoning, if desired. Serve with butter.

Tip: Don’t be afraid to add a lot of seasoning!

With the amount of liquid it takes to cook under pressure, food can come out very bland tasting if you don’t use enough seasoning.

— FROM ASHLEY BROWNELL OF I DON’T HAVE TIME FOR THAT

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

Beef stroganoff

By Ashley Brownell of I Don’t Have Time For That, idonthavetimeforthat.com

INGREDIENTS • 2 tablespoons butter • 2 pounds beef stew meat sliced into bite-sized pieces • 1/4 cup of flour

DIRECTIONS 1. In large ziplock bag, toss flour, salt, pepper and meat until evenly coated.

2. Set Instant Pot to sauté and add butter. Add beef and cook for about 3 to 5 minutes until browned on each side.

• Salt and black pepper, to taste

3. Add onion and garlic, and cook for about 2 more minutes. Scoop out beef with slotted spoon and set aside.

• 1 small onion, chopped

4. Add beef broth and Worcestershire sauce. Deglaze pan. Add beef back in.

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

5. Place lid on Instant Pot. Select "Meat/Stew" setting and set timer for 35 minutes. Make sure pressure release valve is in sealing position.

• 1 cup beef broth • 3 cups sliced fresh mushrooms • 8 ounces sour cream • 1 tablespoon spicy mustard • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce • One 16-ounce package egg noodles, cooked

6. When done, quick release pressure valve, open lid carefully and add sour cream, spicy mustard and mushrooms.

7. Stir and let simmer for about 10 minutes or until mushrooms are cooked through. Add more salt and pepper, to taste. If desired, thicken sauce with a little cornstarch slurry or flour mixed with water.

8. Serve over prepared noodles or potatoes.

FOODBLOGS MAGAZINE

55

FEASTING

MAKES 8 SERVINGS

Thai butternut squash soup

By Lane Patten and Holly Schrupp Berg of With Two Spoons, withtwospoons.com

INGREDIENTS

DIRECTIONS

• 2 teaspoons olive oil • 1 onion (approximately 1 cup), diced • 1 apple (approximately 1 cup), peeled and diced • 2 cloves garlic, minced • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated • 2 tablespoons red curry paste • 1 large butternut squash (approximately 3–4 cups), peeled and cubed • 1 can coconut milk • 2 cups vegetable stock

1. Turn Instant Pot to sauté. Add olive oil to pot and heat until shimmering.

2. Add onion and apple, and sauté for 2 minutes. Add ginger and garlic, and sauté an additional minute. Stir in red curry paste and salt. Cook for 1 minute.

3. Add squash, coconut milk and vegetable stock. Bring to simmer for 5 minutes.

4. Secure lid on Instant Pot and cook on manual for 20 minutes.

5. Allow natural pressure to release.

6. Use immersion blender to puree soup into desired consistency.

7. Scoop into bowls and garnish each with squeeze of lime juice, tablespoon of cilantro and chopped peanuts.

8. If you prefer more spice, drizzle soup with Sriracha.

• 1 teaspoon salt • 1 lime, cut into 8 sections • 1/2 cup peanuts, chopped

Q&A:

• Sriracha, for garnish (optional)

What are you grateful for?

• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped for garnish

We are especially grateful for our readers who are interested in learning more about food!

— HOLLY AND LANE OF WITH TWO SPOONS

MAKES 6 SERVINGS

Scalloped potatoes

By Leigh Anne Wilkes of Your Homebased Mom, yourhomebasedmom.com

DIRECTIONS

INGREDIENTS • 5–6 Yukon Gold potatoes, skin on

1. Slice potatoes thinly, about 1/8–1/4 inch thick.

• 1 teaspoon salt

2. Spray 7x3 cake pan with cooking spray.

• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

3. Layer half the potatoes into pan and sprinkle with half the seasonings. Cover with half of cheese and half of bacon.

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder • 1 teaspoon oregano • 2 teaspoons dried minced onion

4. Repeat. Save a little bacon to garnish the top. Pour half and half over potatoes.

• 2 cups cheese, blend of cheddar and Monterey Jack

5. Add 1-1/2 cups water into Instant Pot. Place potatoes on rack that comes with Instant Pot.

• 1 cup half and half

6. Put lid on and set to manual, high pressure for 25 to 30 minutes.

• 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese, freshly grated • 4 slices bacon, cooked crisp

7. Be sure knob is set to sealing position. When cycle ends, do a quick release and open lid. If potatoes are not done to your liking, put lid back on and reset for another 2 to 5 minutes.

• Green onion for garnish

8. Garnish with Parmesan cheese, remaining bacon and green onion.

more recipes 56

CORNBREAD

Butternut squash chili

BREAKFAST CASSEROLE

Pulled pork

By Gary White of The Foodie Eats, thefoodieeats.com

By Meghan Hensley, megseverydayindulgence.com

By Lacey Baier of A Sweet Pea Chef, asweetpeachef.com

By Arlene Mobley of Flour On My Face, flouronmyface.com

Spicy chicken soup

By Lauren Allen of Tastes Better From Scratch, tastesbetterfromscratch.com

HOLIDAY 2018

Find the links to these recipes online at kitchen.foodblogs.com/magazine-recipes

FEASTING

MAKES 8 SERVINGS

TOMATO BASIL SOUP

By Lauren Allen of Tastes Better From Scratch, tastesbetterfromscratch.com

INGREDIENTS • 1 tablespoon olive oil • 1 cup carrot, chopped • 1 cup onion, chopped • 1 cup celery, chopped • Two 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes, undrained • 2 tablespoons tomato paste • 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth • 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped (or 1 tablespoon dried) • 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves • 1/2 cup butter • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour • 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese • 1-1/2 cups half and half • 1 teaspoon salt • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS 1. Add oil to Instant Pot and turn to sauté.

Add carrots, onions and celery, and sauté for 2 minutes. Add diced tomatoes, tomato paste, chicken broth, oregano and basil. Stir to combine.

2. Turn Instant Pot off. Secure lid and set valve to sealing.

3. Cook on manual high pressure for 5 minutes. When done, allow pressure to naturally release for 5 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, make roux. Add butter to large saucepan over medium-low heat.

Once butter has melted, stir in flour. Cook, stirring constantly for about 10 minutes or until roux is golden brown.

5. Pour soup into blender and blend until smooth (do in two batches if needed).

6. Add one cup pureed soup to roux. Stir to combine. Mixture will start to form thick paste. Slowly add another 3 cups of soup to roux. Add roux mixture back into Instant Pot and stir until smooth.

7. Stir in Parmesan cheese, half and half, salt and pepper. Add additional oregano and basil, to taste.

By Lauren Allen of Tastes Better From Scratch,

tastesbetterfromscratch.com

FOODBLOGS MAGAZINE

57

FEASTING

Tailgating

recipes for

overachievers When fan meets foodie, these recipes are for the ones who stick it out sunshine or snowfall.

MAKES 4 HOTDOGS

Black bean chili cheese dogs with carrot fries

By Linda and Steve Spiker of Cook With Me Darling, cookwithmedarling.com

INGREDIENTS For carrots: • 1 pound rainbow carrots, peeled and cut into 3-inch pieces (reserve one large carrot for chili) • 1 tablespoon olive oil • Sea salt and pepper, to taste For hotdogs and chili: • 4 grass-fed beef hotdogs • 4 buns (I use gluten-free) • 4 tablespoons olive oil (divided) • 1/3 cup onions, diced • 1/3 cup carrots, diced • 1/3 cup celery, diced • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

58

HOLIDAY 2018

• 2 or 3 cloves fresh garlic, peeled • Chili spice blend: 2-1/2 teaspoons chili powder, 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 3/4 teaspoon granulated garlic (mixed together) • 1 chipotle chili in gluten-free adobo (these come canned and are easily found in most grocery stores) • 2 cups cooked black beans • 1 cup diced tomatoes • 1 cup cheddar cheese, grated • Chives, chopped for garnish

DIRECTIONS 1. Preheat oven to 400F and place oven rack in upper third of oven. Place parchment paper on rimmed cookie sheet and set aside. Prep all ingredients.

2. After all food is prepped, roast carrots. Place prepared carrots on parchment-covered cookie sheet and drizzle with enough olive oil so all carrots are glistening with oil when tossed.

Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper, toss again. Place in oven and cook for 40 minutes.

3. While carrots roast, make chili. Place medium-sized sauce pot on medium-high heat, and add 2 tablespoons olive oil. When oil is hot, add diced onions, carrots and celery. Season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until veggies start to soften, 5 to 6 minutes.

4. Stir in garlic, spices and 1 chile in adobo (or less if you are sensitive to heat) and cook for about 1 minute, stirring well.

Add black beans, tomatoes and 1/3 cup water.

5. Bring to boil. Reduce to simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 4 to 5 minutes.

6. While chili cooks, heat hotdogs. If grilling on barbecue or grill pan, heat hotdogs for 5 minutes, turning until grill marks are established and hotdogs are warm.

FEASTING

MAKES 4–6 SERVINGS

Gluten-free onion rings with pumpkin sage aioli

By Lindsey Johnson of Cafe Johnsonia, cafejohnsonia.com

INGREDIENTS For onion rings: • 2 quarts oil, for frying • 2 cups pancake mix • 3/4 to 1 cup hard apple cider or water (start with less) • 2 eggs, lightly beaten • 2–3 large sweet onions, cut into 1/2-inch slices • 1/4 teaspoon paprika • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder • 1/4 teaspoon ground black or white pepper For aioli: • 1 large whole egg, at room temperature • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard • 1 garlic clove • 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt, to taste • 1/2 cup flavorless oil, such as avocado or grapeseed oil

By Lindsey Johnson of Cafe Johnsonia

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

cafejohnsonia.com

• 4 tablespoons pure pumpkin puree • 1 tablespoon dried, crumbled sage • Pinch ground nutmeg

DIRECTIONS 1. For onion rings, pour oil into heavyduty pan with tall sides and begin preheating oil to 350F to 375F. (Clip candy thermometer to side of pan.)

2. Whisk spices into baking mix. Add hard cider (or water) and eggs.

Whisk until smooth. If batter seems too thick, add a little more cider or water. It should be thick enough to cling to onions, but not too thick.

3. Lay brown paper or paper towels on cooling rack set inside rimmed baking sheet.

4. Separate onion slices into individual rings. Place 5 to 6 onion rings into

batter. Use fork to submerge them in batter. Remove, letting any excess drip back down into bowl.

5. Carefully lower battered rings into hot oil. Let cook for 30 to 60 seconds, or until golden brown. Then turn each one over and let cook on other side until golden. Transfer to baking rack to drain. Repeat with remaining onion rings.

in a slow drizzle. Mayonnaise will start to thicken and you'll hear the sound change. That's when you'll know it's time to turn off the blender or food processor.

7. Transfer to bowl and whisk in pumpkin puree, sage and nutmeg.

Taste and add more salt, if needed.

Cover and chill until ready to serve.

Makes about 1 cup.

6. In blender or food processor, place whole egg, apple cider vinegar, mustard, garlic and a little salt. Pulse until well-combined. With motor running, pour oils through feed hole

FOODBLOGS MAGAZINE

59

FEASTING

MAKE 4 SERVINGS

Apricot Sriracha wings

By Shea Goldstein of Dixie Chik Cooks, dixiechikcooks.com

INGREDIENTS

DIRECTIONS

• 2 tablespoons apricot preserves

1. Combine preserves through butter in mason jar and shake to combine.

• 3 tablespoons Stubbs Texas Sriracha

2. Heat oil to 375F.

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce

3. Dip wings in egg, then dredge in flour.

• 2 tablespoons Sriracha

4. Fry until golden brown and place on paper towels to drain.

• 2 tablespoons butter, melted • 2 pounds chicken wings

5. Roll or drizzle wings in sauce.

• 1 egg, whisked • 3 cups coconut flour (or allpurpose flour) • 3 to 4 cups canola oil for frying

MAKES 8 SERVINGS

Buffalo Chicken Dip

By Kasey Schwartz of All Things Mamma, allthingsmamma.com

INGREDIENTS

DIRECTIONS

• Two 10-ounce cans chunk chicken, drained

1. Heat chicken and hot sauce in skillet over medium heat until heated through.

• Two 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened

2. Stir in cream cheese and ranch dressing.

Cook, stirring until well-blended and warm. Mix in half of shredded cheese and transfer mixture to slow cooker.

• 1 cup ranch dressing • 3/4 cup pepper sauce • 1-1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese • 1 bunch celery, cleaned and cut into 4-inch pieces

3. Sprinkle remaining cheese over top, cover and cook on low setting until hot and bubbly. Serve with celery sticks and crackers.

• One 8-ounce box chickenflavored crackers

Q&A: What is the one kitchen item you never entertain guests without?

My platters. I love platters of all shapes, sizes, and colors. I mostly use white but will go with pops of color mixed in.

— KASEY SCHWARTZ OF ALL THINGS MAMA

more recipes 60

Vegan cheesy broccoli quinoa bites

Rosemary yogurt meatballs

Baked mac n’ cheese bites

Gluten-free corn dogs

By Ashley Melillo of Blissful Basil, blissfulbasil.com

By Karen Paczkowski of 2Teaspoons, 2teaspoons.com

By Dani Ingrosso of The Fit Mediterranean, thefitmediterranean.com

By Erika Meredith of A Little Insanity, alittleinsanity.com

HOLIDAY 2018

Find the links to these recipes online at kitchen.foodblogs.com/magazine-recipes

Focus on the places that matter to you.

Download our free app.

My Topics lets you choose the news you want to know about, when you want to know about it.

FEASTING

Make-ahead holiday sides The more holiday meal prep you can do in advance, the better. Here are a few ideas for sides and sauces you can knock out the day before guests arrive. Bonus: An Instant Pot recipe for candied sweet potatoes that’s so easy, you don’t even need to make it ahead of time.

MAKES 6–8 SERVINGS

Butternut squash, cranberry and apple bake

By Lindsey Johnson of Cafe Johnsonia, cafejohnsonia.com

INGREDIENTS • 1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cubed • 2 cups (about 1/2 bag) fresh or frozen cranberries, rinsed (don’t thaw if frozen) • 3–4 apples, peeled and cored, cut into cubes • Juice and zest of 1 orange • 2 tablespoons maple syrup • 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil plus more for baking dish • 1–2 tablespoons fresh herbs, finely minced (sage, thyme, rosemary) • Pinch of cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg • Salt and pepper

62

HOLIDAY 2018

DIRECTIONS 1. In very large bowl, whisk orange zest and juice, maple syrup, olive oil, herbs and spices. Add butternut squash, cranberries and apples. Toss to coat.

2. Preheat oven to 400F. Generously grease a 9x13-inch baking dish (or two smaller baking dishes) with olive oil. Spread squash, cranberries and apples evenly in bottom. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper.

3. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes or more until squash is tender and cranberries have split open to release their juice. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Tip: Use leftovers over mixed greens with your favorite vinaigrette and toasted pecans.

FEASTING

MAKES 10 SERVINGS

Instant Pot candied sweet potatoes

By Arlene Mobley of Flour On My Face, flouronmyface.com

INGREDIENTS • 3-4 pounds fresh sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into thick wedges

• 1 cup light corn syrup

• 1 stick unsalted butter

• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

• 1-1/2 cups brown sugar

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon • 2-3 cups mini marshmallows

DIRECTIONS 1. Wash, peel and cut sweet potatoes into thick wedges. Soak in bowl of cool water to prevent browning while you’re making candied syrup.

2. Melt butter in microwave. Add brown sugar, corn syrup, cinnamon and nutmeg to melted butter and mix well.

3. Drain sweet potato wedges.

4. Remove basket from Instant Pot and add sweet potato wedges to aluminum pot.

5. Pour syrup over sweet potatoes.

8. Once timer goes off, immediately vent steam using quick release method.

9. Once all steam is released, carefully open lid, making sure steam is escaping away from your face. Turn Instant Pot off.

10. Sprinkle 2 or 3 cups of mini marshmallows over top of cooked candied sweet potatoes. Set lid back on just to melt marshmallows, but do not turn and lock lid.

11. Sprinkle more mini marshmallows over the top before serving.

SOURCE

6. Make sure lid is locked on and venting seal is pointed to closed setting.

7. Press steam button and set temperature to normal. Adjust time to 5 minutes.

FOODBLOGS MAGAZINE

63

FEASTING

MAKES 6 SERVINGS

Baked butternut squash and wild rice pilaf

By Nancy Buchanan of A Communal Table, acommunaltable.com

INGREDIENTS

For citrus dressing:

• 1 cup wild rice mix

• 1/2 teaspoon cumin

• 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock

• 1/4 teaspoon cardamom

• 1-1/2 cups butternut squash cut into 1/2inch cubes

• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1 large onion cut into 1/2-inch dice

• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

• 1 cup dried cranberries or dried cherries • 1 cup chopped pecans • 3 tablespoons canola oil • 1/4 cup minced Italian parsley

• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice • 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger • 1 tablespoon honey • 1/4 lemon olive oil or 1/4 cup olive oil with zest from 1 lemon

• 1 cup citrus dressing

DIRECTIONS

Tip:

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Spray sheet pan with cooking spray. Add butternut squash and toss with 1 tablespoon canola oil.

Season with salt and pepper.

5. Reduce heat and continue to cook onions until slightly caramelized. Add cooked rice, butternut squash and dried cranberries.

2. Roast squash for 20 to 25 minutes until softened and slightly caramelized.

6. When reheating dish, toast pecans in pan over medium heat. Watch closely so they don't burn.

3. While squash is roasting, combine stock and rice in large saucepan. Cover and bring mixture to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender.

When peeling squash, a good peeler is essential. Cut the squash in half lengthwise and use a spoon to scoop out the seeds. As for cubing the squash, cut it lengthwise again into three sections and then cut each section into cubes.

4. While rice is cooking, heat large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add remaining canola oil. Sauté chopped onions for about 6 minutes until translucent.

7. Before serving, drizzle with 1/4 cup of citrus dressing. Garnish with minced parsley, if desired.

8. CIRTUS DRESSING: Combine all ingredients except olive oil in a small bowl. Whisk to combine.

9. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

MAKES 1 JAR

Pickled radishes

By Melissa Johnson of Best Friends For Frosting, bestfriendsforfrosting.com

• 3 cups sliced radishes • 2 cups unseasoned rice vinegar • 1/4 cup water • 1/2 cup sugar • 1 tablespoon kosher salt

64

DIRECTIONS 1. Bring vinegar, sugar, and 1/4 cup water to a boil together in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir to dissolve sugar.

• 1 garlic clove diced

2. Allow ingredients to cool for 15 minutes.

• 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns (optional)

3. Place radishes in a mason jar.

Add the pickling liquid.

• 1/2 teaspoon mustard seed (optional)

4. Cover and chill at least 4 hours before serving.

HOLIDAY 2018

SOURCE

INGREDIENTS

FEASTING

MAKES 2 CUPS

Ginger maple cranberry sauce

By Julia Mueller of The Roasted Root, theroastedroot.com

INGREDIENTS

DIRECTIONS

• Two 10-ounce bags frozen cranberries

1. Add all ingredients to large saucepan and bring to full boil.

• Zest and juice of 1 lime • Zest and juice of 1 lemon • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger peeled and grated • 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom • 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon • 1-1/5 cups pure maple syrup • 1-1/4 cups water

2. Reduce heat to gentle boil and allow sauce to cook uncovered until thickened, about 30 minutes.

3. Allow sauce to cool before transferring to large jars. Store in refrigerator, or freeze for later use.

MAKES 1 CUP

Thick and creamy apple butter

By Monique Kilgore of Divas Can Cook, divascancook.com

INGREDIENTS • 4 pounds Gala apples

• Pinch of nutmeg

• 1/4 cup brown sugar

• Pinch of cloves

• 1/2 cup white sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1-1/4 teaspoons cinnamon

DIRECTIONS 1. Peel, core and dice apples into bits. Add to slow cooker.

2. Cover and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours until apples are soft enough to mash.

3. Mash with potato masher to create the consistency of applesauce.

4. Stir in sugars (you may not need all of it, depending on how sweet your apples are).

5. Stir in cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Taste and adjust to your liking.

6. Cover and cook on low for 3 to 4 hours, stirring occasionally.

7. Remove lid a little and stir so steam can escape. Cook on high for another 2 to 3 hours until liquid is absorbed. Spoon out some of apple butter and turn spoon upside down. Apple butter should cling to spoon without falling off right away. If it does fall off, continue cooking to remove more of liquid.

8. Cool and then store in airtight container.

BONUS RECIPE! Roasted butternut squash, kale, and fennel salad

By Dani Ingrosso of The Fit Mediterranean, thefitmediterranean.com Find the links to these recipes online at kitchen.foodblogs.com/magazine-recipes

FOODBLOGS MAGAZINE

65

FEASTING

Easy-peasy

potluck recipes The idea of a potluck always sounds fun — until you realize you don’t have a clue what to make. Here’s some actual food for thought when you’re in a pinch.

MAKES 24 BITES

MAKES 4–6 SERVINGS

By Jessica Lampe of Golden Brown and Delicious, goldenbrownanddelicious.com

By Shea Goldstein of Dixie Chik Cooks, dixiechickcooks.com

Pepperoni pizza bites INGREDIENTS • 3/4 cup flour

INGREDIENTS

• 1 teaspoon dried basil

• 3-4 ounces pepperoni, diced finely

• 12–16 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese

• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder

• 3/4 cup milk • 1 egg, beaten

• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

• Marinara sauce, for serving

• One 15-ounce can petite diced tomatoes (or pint of grape tomatoes)

• 4 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded

DIRECTIONS 1. Preheat oven to 375F. Grease 24-cup mini muffin tin with no-stick spray. Set aside.

2. In medium bowl, whisk flour, dried basil, baking powder and garlic to combine. Stir in cheese and pepperoni until well-coated with flour. Stir in milk and egg. Mix to combine.

3. Spoon batter into mini muffin tins. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until pizza bites are puffed and golden.

Serve warm with marinara sauce.

66

Caprese dip

HOLIDAY 2018

• 1 bunch fresh basil leaves, chopped • Crackers, fresh bread or pita chips for dipping

DIRECTIONS 1. Preheat oven to 375F. 2. Spray glass baking dish with nonstick spray and add cheese, tomatoes and basil.

3. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until bubbly.

This is one of the best (not to mention easiest) things you’ll make this season. It’s just four ingredients!

FEASTING

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

Spiralized apple pecan salad

By Jessica Gavin, jessicagavin.com

INGREDIENTS For dressing: • 6 tablespoons olive oil • 2 tablespoons lemon juice plus zest • 2 tablespoons orange juice plus zest • 1-1/2 teaspoons honey or maple syrup • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt • Black pepper, as needed For salad: • 1 large red apple (Honeycrisp, Pink Lady or Gala) • 1 large Granny Smith apple • 1 large orange, peeled and segments removed • 2 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese, cut into 1/4-inch cubes (1/2 cup diced) • 1/3 cup pecans • 1/4 cup dried cranberries, chopped • 1 tablespoon sunflower seeds • 1 teaspoon chia seeds (optional)

DIRECTIONS 1. Add all citrus dressing ingredients together in jar or blender. Shake until well-combined, or blend for about 10 seconds. Taste and add pepper as needed. Set aside.

2. Spiralize all apples. It should yield about 6 cups.

3. Add to large bowl.

4. Top apples with orange segments, cheese, pecans, dried cranberries, sunflower seeds and chia seeds.

SOURCE

5. Shake and then drizzle citrus dressing on top just before serving.

FOODBLOGS MAGAZINE

67

FEASTING

MAKES 6–8 SERVINGS

Fried potato salad

By Josh Johnson of The Kentucky Gent, thekentuckygent.com

INGREDIENTS • Peanut oil

• Salt

• 5-6 red potatoes, largely cubed

• Pepper

• 2 cups tartar sauce

• Chives, diced

DIRECTIONS 1. Wash and dry potatoes.

2. Cut potatoes into large cubes. Pat dry with paper towels.

3. Heat peanut oil to 350F. 4. Fry potatoes in batches for 5 to 7 minutes until brown and crisp.

5. Transfer potatoes to baking sheet lined with paper towels using slotted spoon. Season with salt and pepper, allow to cool.

6. While potatoes are cooling, add tartar sauce to large mixing bowl.

Add potatoes once cool and slowly fold them into tartar sauce until evenly distributed.

7. Cover and place in refrigerator until serving.

MAKES 4–6 SERVINGS

Curried chickpea yogurt dip

By Dani Ingrosso of The Fit Mediterranean, thefitmediterranean.com

INGREDIENTS • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 1 tablespoon curry powder

• 1 clove garlic

• 1/2 cup Greek yogurt or goat Greek yogurt

• 1-1/2 cups cooked chickpeas • 2 tablespoons lime juice

• 2-3 shallots, sliced • Salt and ground pepper

DIRECTIONS 1. Heat oil in skillet, add shallots and cook until soft. Add minced garlic and curry powder, and cook until fragrant, about 2 to 3 minutes.

2. Add 1/4 cup water and keep cooking for a few minutes.

3. In blender or food processor, combine chickpeas, curried onion and garlic, salt and pepper, lemon juice and yogurt. Pulse until creamy.

4. Serve with flatbreads and crackers or as a sauce for zoodles.

68

By Lory Parson of To Have + To Host, tohavetohost.com

Roasted jalapeno hummus

By Wanda Baker of Bakersbeans, bakersbeans.ca

Gluten-free veggie pizza

By Stacie Hassing and Jessica Beacom of The Real Food Dietitians, therealfoodrds.com

Southwest vegan pasta salad

By Ashley Melillo of Blissful Basil, bissfulbasil.com HOLIDAY 2018

Find the links to these recipes online at kitchen.foodblogs.com/magazine-recipes

SOURCE

more recipes

8-row chopped salad

FEASTING

MAKES 4–6 SERVINGS

Browned cauliflower and kumquats

By Sarah Yates Mora of A House in the Hills, ahouseinthehills.com

INGREDIENTS • 1 large head cauliflower • 1/2 cup kumquats, sliced • 1/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice • 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon champagne vinegar • 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt • 3 tablespoons coconut oil or ghee

DIRECTIONS 1. Remove stems and leaves from cauliflower and cut into small, evenlysized florets.

2. Combine half the florets and 1-1/2 tablespoons coconut oil in skillet.

Toss to coat florets, and cook over medium heat for a few minutes. Once florets start to brown, toss to brown other sides. Repeat until cauliflower is cooked through, brown and a little crispy. Repeat with other half of cauliflower florets.

3. To make dressing, combine orange juice, olive oil, champagne vinegar and sea salt in small mixing bowl.

SOURCE

4. Dress cauliflower as desired. Sprinkle with salt. Garnish with poppy seeds, if desired, and sliced kumquats.

FOODBLOGS MAGAZINE

69

FEASTING

No-Oven ways cook your bird to

TRUTH: OVEN SPACE GETS TIGHT WHEN COOKING A HOLIDAY FEAST. SO, WE HAD AN IDEA: LET THE OVEN HANDLE YOUR SIDE DISHES AND TRY ONE OF THESE ALTERNATIVE METHODS FOR A PERFECT, TENDER TURKEY.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

SLOW-COOKER turkey breast

By Jessica Gavin, jessicagavin.com

INGREDIENTS • 2 pounds turkey breast, boneless and skin on • 3/4 teaspoon paprika • 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme • 1-1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper • 1-1/4 teaspoon garlic powder • 4 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil • 6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped • 1 cup yellow onion, 1-inch dice • 3 sprigs rosemary • 1 cup unsalted chicken stock • 2 tablespoons butter • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

DIRECTIONS 1. Place turkey breast on sheet pan and dry with paper towels.

2. In small bowl, combine paprika, thyme, salt, pepper, garlic powder and olive oil. Spread spice mixture evenly over both sides of turkey breast.

3. Sprinkle garlic cloves, onions and rosemary evenly in bottom of 6-quart slow cooker. Place turkey breast on top.

4. Cover and cook on low for 3 hours. Check at 2-1/2 hours and continue to cook as needed until it reaches an internal temperature of 165F. OK, so we cheated to use the oven just this once.

5. Remove from slow cooker and put turkey on sheet pan lined with foil.

6. Set oven to broil. Place turkey in oven about 12 inches away from top. Broil until skin is golden brown and crispy, 5 to 7 minutes.

Keep a close eye that skin doesn’t burn, as it cooks quickly. Allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Meanwhile, make gravy.

7. Strain contents of slow cooker into bowl, reserving only juices. It should yield about 1/2 cup of liquid.

9. Gradually whisk in reserved turkey juices and 1/2 cup chicken stock. Continuously stir until thickened and add more chicken stock as needed until desired consistency is reached. Season gravy with salt and pepper.

10. Slice turkey and serve with gravy.

70

HOLIDAY 2018

SOURCE

8. Heat medium-sized pan over medium heat. Melt butter in pan and then whisk in flour. Once pale roux is formed, turn heat up to medium-high.

SOURCE

FEASTING

FOODBLOGS MAGAZINE

71

FEASTING

MAKES 15 SERVINGS

Smoked whole turkey

By Michelle Goth of Blackberry Babe, blackberrybabe.com

INGREDIENTS

DIRECTIONS

• One 17-pound fresh whole turkey, neck and giblets removed

1. Rinse turkey under cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Place on baking sheet.

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 1/2 tablespoon paprika

2. Combine dry brine ingredients in small bowl and rub on exterior and internal cavity of turkey. Place in refrigerator for two hours.

• 1/4 cup butter, softened

3. Preheat smoker to 300F.

For dry brine

4. Loosen skin around turkey breast by inserting your hand. Rub softened butter under skin.

• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper • 1 tablespoon garlic powder

• 1/3 cup kosher salt • 1 tablespoon cracked black pepper • 1 tablespoon brown sugar

5. Then, use paper towel to wipe most of dry brine from turkey skin.

Brush with olive oil. Lightly sprinkle with black pepper, garlic powder and paprika.

6. Smoke at 275–300F for about 4 hours or until internal temperature reaches 165F in thickest part of breast. Baste bird every hour with juices from drip pan.

72

HOLIDAY 2018

What is

Sous Vide?

Sous vide (pronounced “sue-veed”) literally translates to "under vacuum" in French. It's the process of cooking food in vacuum-sealed bags that are placed in a temperature-controlled water bath.

Temperature is kept lower compared to other cooking methods while cooking duration is typically longer.

FEASTING

MAKES 4–6 SERVINGS

Brined sous vide turkey

By Jeanette Chen of Jeanette’s Healthy Living, jeanetteshealthyliving.com

INGREDIENTS • 1 whole turkey breast, boneless with skin For brine • 1/4 cup kosher salt • 2 tablespoons light brown sugar • 1 teaspoon black peppercorns • 1/2 teaspoon allspice berries • 8 cups water (use 1/2 vegetable stock or white wine if you like) For sage spice rub • 2 tablespoons fresh sage leaves • 2 cloves garlic • 1-1/2 teaspoons fennel seeds • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

DIRECTIONS 1. Mix brine ingredients in large bowl until salt dissolves. Place turkey breast in brine.

Cover and refrigerate 6 to 8 hours.

2. Mix spice rub ingredients.

3. Remove turkey breast from brine and pat dry with paper towel. Lay breast flat and spread spice rub all over. Roll up breast into cylinder and tie with kitchen string at 1-inch intervals to hold shape.

4. Seal in sous vide bag and cook at 133F for 4 hours. Remove from bag.

SOURCE

5. Heat oil in skillet and brown turkey, skin-side-down. Slice and serve.

FOODBLOGS MAGAZINE

73

Get more website traffic Tailwind automatically posts when your audience is most engaged

Tailwind is a proud marketing partner of Pinterest and Instagram.

Get your free month: tailwindapp.com/free

SAVORING

HOW O E K A B O T ie

P t c e f Per t Crus

If you’re kicking store-bought pies to the curb this year, we have just the person to help you master homemade crust.

By Catherine Conelly with Jessica Gavin

T

here’s a reason stores started packing and selling premade pie crust. It’s just easier. Heck, it’s why many of us just buy our whole pie from Costco or our local grocery store. Leave it to the pros, right? But sometimes you get the baking itch and decide it has to be homemade.

That’s where Jessica Gavin comes in. As a certified culinary and food scientist, she’s got a thing or two to say about pie crust — the first one being, it takes practice. And if that means extending pie season past the holidays to keep practicing, well, it could be worse. Luckily, her explanation makes pie crust seem like a cinch.

ABOUT THE FLOUR

the starch of the crust, yes, but the proteins in the flour also help give it structure. Once the proteins glutenin and gliadin are hydrated, they stick together and the gluten bonding begins. That helps give your crust form.

And here lies the secret to pie crust — controlling the gluten formation. The more gluten, the tougher the pie crust. “You want some. That’s going to hold the structure together,” says Gavin. But too much, and kiss your perfect, flaky crust goodbye. That’s why it’s so important not to overwork your dough.

“The more that you mix and roll, and the more you work with it, the more gluten bonds will form,” she says. And that means — you guessed it — no more flaky pie crust.

You probably already know you need flour to make pie crust, but do you know why? It’s

FOODBLOGS MAGAZINE

75

SAVORING

PICK YOUR FAT

THE SECRET INGREDIENT

Here’s the fun part where we get to talk about butter. “That’s your tenderizer,” says Gavin. “That’s going to coat those proteins and starches in the flour so there’s very minimal binding. However, butter does add moisture to the dough, so it also leads to some of the gluten formation. That’s why it’s a good idea to use a mixture of butter and shortening, which lacks moisture. (Side note: shortening also lacks flavor, which is why you still want the butter working its magic). Gavin recommends a 2-to3 ratio of butter to shortening.

Believe it or not, vodka can do wonders for a pie crust. “Gluten bonding doesn’t happen in the presence of alcohol,” says Gavin. So if you substitute half of the water with vodka, you can reduce gluten formation even more. You’re still hydrating the dough, but you run less risk of overworking and toughening it.

So, naturally, my next question was, “What about bourbon?”

Unfortunately, the alcohol cooks off and doesn’t add flavor. But there’s hope. “There might be something subtle,” says Gavin.

But the fat wears many hats in the She recommends adding a tiny pie-making process. “The size of bit more sugar to try enhancing the butter that you break down, or the bourbon flavor and create a whatever fat smoky, sweet you’re using, pie crust. “That BELIEVE IT OR the size that might help, NOT, VODKA CAN but I wouldn’t you make those pieces DO WONDERS FOR A say it will be a will affect strong note.”

PIE CRUST." the overall texture of As far as other the dough,” says Gavin. If you ingredients go, if you want to want flaky crust, aim for pea-sized add to the texture of your crust, pieces as you cut in the butter. If you can add crushed graham you want a sturdier crust — say, crackers or nuts. Maybe even try for a tart or cream-filled pie — some cocoa powder if chocolate aim for what Gavin describes as a pairs well with the filling. Salt wet-sand texture. is essential. “It helps tenderize the gluten so it won’t toughen The final job of the butter is to too much,” says Gavin. It’s also leaven. “What happens is when a natural flavor enhancer, so the the proteins in the pie crust are crust won’t taste as bland. cooking in the oven, the butter starts to melt and the proteins While you can also add sugar to kind of seize up and set. And what your dough for taste and to bring is created is this pocket where the out a caramelized color in your butter was,” explains Gavin. This crust, it’s optional. But really, if lightens the dough, allows it to rise you’ve gone through the work of and lets steam escape. making homemade pie crust, toss it in. You deserve the sugar.

“

76

HOLIDAY 2018

SAVORING

Classic pumpkin pie

By Jessica Gavin, jessicagavin.com

INGREDIENTS For the crust: • 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour • 1 teaspoon kosher salt • 2 tablespoons sugar • 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, (cold) cut into 1/4-inch cubes • 1/2 cup vegetable shortening, (ice cold) • 1/4 cup vodka, cold • 1/4 cup water, cold

For the filling: • 15 ounces pumpkin puree • 3 large eggs • 1-1/4 cups dark brown sugar, packed • 1 tablespoon cornstarch • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt • 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground, to taste • 1 cup heavy cream • 1/4 cup whole milk • 1 large egg, beaten, plus 1 teaspoon milk for brushing

DIRECTIONS For the crust: 1. In a large bowl add flour, salt and sugar. Mix to combine.

2. Add cold cut pieces of butter and shortening to flour. Toss to coat. Use your fingers or pastry cutter to cut in the shortening and butter to pea-sized pieces into the flour mixture.

3. Sprinkle vodka over dough mixture. With a rubber spatula, use folding motions to mix, pressing down on dough until slightly tacky and sticks together. If mixture feels dry, sprinkle in 1 tablespoon of water at a time and fold until it forms a dough (up to 1/4 cup water).

4. Divide dough into two balls, one double the size of the other (bottom crust), with the smaller for decorations.

5. Place dough balls on two separate plastic pieces and flatten into 4-inch disks. Wrap and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes until chilled, or up to 2 days.

6. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out larger dough ball to a 12-inch round, or about 1/4-inch thick. Ease dough into a deep 9-inch pie plate.

7. Trim the overhanging dough to 1 inch and fold it under itself. Decorate edges as desired and chill crust until firm, about 30 minutes.

8. You can use the smaller dough ball to create decorations for the top of the pie. Brush those pieces with beaten egg and milk mixture, and bake at 350F for 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden brown.

9. Preheat oven to 375F. 10. Remove crust from the refrigerator and brush edges with beaten egg and milk mixture. Using pie weights, prebake crust for 10 minutes. Once done, remove and transfer to a cooling rack. In the meantime, make the pumpkin filling.

For the filling: 1. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, three eggs and brown sugar.

2. Add cornstarch, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, pepper, heavy cream and milk. Whisk vigorously until everything is combined; the filling will be slightly thick.

3. Pour filling into prebaked crust. Fill about half way, about 3-1/2 to 4 cups of filling.

4. Bake pie for 20 minutes, then cover edges of crust with aluminum foil or pie shield to prevent edges from getting too brown.

5. Return pie to oven and bake for an additional 35 to 40 minutes, until center is almost set and may still move slightly. When a knife inserted near center comes out clean, the pie is ready.

PieTips Always chill the dough and keep ingredients cold Use a mixture of butter and shortening Add vodka Don’t over-handle Brush the crust with milk or an egg wash for extra sheen

TROUBLESHOOTING If your crust is: Shrinking after it bakes You may have overmixed or over-rolled the dough, or you didn’t add enough fat.

Soggy Either the oven temperature is too low or you didn’t bake it long enough. Your filling may also lack cornmeal, which reduces the moisture soaking into the crust.

Too crumbly You may not have added enough liquid or fat to help gluten form and create structure.

Too tough This is a classic case over overmixing.

6. Transfer pie to wire rack and cool for 3 hours.

Serve immediately with decorations and whipped cream, if desired. Pie can be covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days.

FOODBLOGS MAGAZINE

77

Beth Moncel Food blogger — BudgetBytes.com “Working with Grateful has been a total game changer, and I honestly don't know where I'd be without them... I've been able to spend time with the Grateful team, face to face, which really creates a strong business relationship and results in incredible customer service."

At Grateful, we specialize in turning our bloggers into brands.

Thanks to the strength of our many strategic partnerships, we can promote you to the world in a way that no other company can match. Contact us today so we can show you how we can take your brand beyond the blog! grateful.ventures/contact

grateful.ventures

gratefulventures

@GratefulVenture

BLOGGING

THE BUSINESS BLOGGING

of

80 DON'T MAKE THESE PG. 82 PHOTOGRAPHY MISTAKES PINNING AIN'T EASY PG. 84 8 SOCIAL MEDIA TRENDS PG. 86 BLOGGERS CAN'T IGNORE KEEPING UP WITH SEO PG. 88 Food blogs PG. 90 magazine awards PG.

THE ART OF INSTAGRAM STORIES

FOODBLOGS MAGAZINE

79

BLOGGING

THE ART INSTAGRAM STORIES of

Just when you think you’re a social media ninja, people switch to a new tool and you have to learn all over again. It can be frustrating, but it’s also an opportunity to get more eyes on your blog. And right now, all eyes are on Instagram Stories.

By Lauren Joskowitz

It seems like social media platforms are constantly rolling out new must-use tools. And sometimes it can make or break your blogging business. No pressure, right?

Enter Instagram’s Stories feature, which has been increasing in popularity and giving Snapchat serious competition.

80

HOLIDAY 2018

If you’re not using Instagram Stories yet, you should be. A March 2018 report on social media trends found that 250 million people use Instagram Stories daily, and 20 percent of Stories posted by businesses result in a direct message.

All that said, you can’t just post a picture of your breakfast and expect to see results.

These best practices will help you keep up with your ‘grammin'.

BLOGGING

Hashtag game strong Make it a highlight — it’ll last longer Hashtags improve engagement by up to 12 percent and take little effort, so it’s a missed opportunity if you don’t use them.

Find hashtags that are specific to your business — for example, #TopFoodBlogs.

Additionally, use popular generic hashtags related to each post itself without overdoing it: #sweettreats, #tacotuesday, #yummy — you get the idea. This throws your post into that hashtag’s story ring, helping land you more exposure with your target audience.

Gone are the days of crafting the perfect post only to have it disappear 24 hours later. Instagram allows you to group expired stories into a themed highlight that lives indefinitely under your profile bio (or until you delete it). For example, you could create highlights for dessert, game day, a day in the life, and answers to reader questions.

Tag your location Always analyze insights

Using a geotag location sticker when you’re on the road or out experiencing the food scene in your local area is a good way to show readers what you’re up to beyond what they see on your blog. It can also help you develop a local audience. Another fun idea is to name your studio location (even if it’s just in your garage), giving your readers a behind-the-scenes look.

Hit the polls

Poll stickers, whether multiple choice or sliding scale, are awesome for gathering information about what your followers are interested in. The better you know them, the better you can tailor your blog content around the cooking conundrums they face and what they’re itching to create in their own kitchens.

Tip:

HOOK VIEWERS QUICKLY Considering the short attention spans of social media users, if you don’t hook your viewers in the first four seconds of your post, they’re as good as gone. Always make the most of those first few seconds.

If your Instagram handle is a business account, you can view free insights within the app beyond who’s viewed your post. It will break down your reach and impressions for each post, as well as how many people tapped back or tapped forward, the number of exits and the number of people who skipped to the next story in their feed. Analyzing these metics is critical for understanding what performs and what doesn’t.

Post during peak times

Different studies have discovered different stats about the best time to post, and some even break it down by industry.

Do your research and experiment with posting at various times during the day.

Keep analyzing your metrics to learn more about your audience’s activity. It will take some trial and error, but it’s well worth the trouble.

Go live

4 ways to use

INSTAGRAM STORIES With Naomi Robinson of Baker’s Royale

Share behind-the-scenes, step-by-step clips as you make recipes.

Ask readers for advice when your recipe isn’t working out as planned.

Poll readers on which recipe they want you to post about next.

Give followers a glimpse into your life beyond the food. Keep things casual.

Catch more from Naomi starting on page 18.

Live broadcasts don’t have to be scripted or staged out. Users expect to get a behind-the-scenes feel of what your dayto-day really looks like, so keep it real and relatable. But why go live instead of posting a regular story clip? Well, it allows you to talk much longer than 15 seconds. Plus, you can interact with your followers in the moment and bring more attention to your profile (Instagram notifies your followers when you go live). It’s also a great way to host other blogger friends and experts to talk food.

Swipe up

Promoting links is trickier on Instagram than, say, on Facebook or Twitter. But it’s possible in Stories thanks to the swipe-up feature (caveat: You need at least 10,000 followers or you need to be a verified user to use this feature). But if your goal is to translate Instagram views into blog traffic, this is the way to do it. If you don’t have this tool yet, you can use the hashtag #LinkInBio and, well, add the link in your bio.

FOODBLOGS MAGAZINE

81

BLOGGING

DON't MAKE THESE PHOTOGRAPHY MISTAKES If you want to make mouths water just by moving a mouse, avoid these cardinal food photo mistakes.

By Ali MacLean with David Flores

82

HOLIDAY 2018

BLOGGING

F

ood photography must speak a thousand words — and convey aromas, too. There’s no room for double vision or crowded frames. We talked to Grateful Ventures' director of photography David Flores — who has spent 10 years photographing everything from food and products to people and nature — for some pointers.

PROBLEM: BLURRY PHOTOS

PROBLEM: BAD ANGLES

SOLUTION: Plan on using a tripod if

SOLUTION: If you want to show off the

you want your photos sharp and crisp. “If you don’t have access to a tripod, 1/200 is the minimum reasonable shutter speed you can use without the images coming back blurry,” says Flores. “A slow shutter speed will not capture an image without also capturing the movement of the camera operator.”

PROBLEM: FLATLINING FOOD SOLUTION: Sprinkling herbs or greens on

your dish can improve the color contrast.

Adding garnishes such as greens, seeds or sea salt introduces a layer of texture.

“Presentation and styling are the most difficult aspect of food photography, but if you can make a dish look delicious, you are 90 percent there when it comes to grabbing someone’s attention,” says Flores.

PROBLEM: BUSY BACKDROPS SOLUTION: Styling shouldn’t be

unnecessarily complicated. “The main thing to keep in mind is the food. If you focus on the appearance of the food, you’ll walk away with a killer photo every time, regardless of staging,” says Flores. Also, consider the mood you want to convey.

Cakes and baked goods can be neat and gilded, whereas salads and organic dishes might be more wild.

Bonus Tip:

juices, textures and crunch of your meal, you’re going to have to get down and roll around with it, or be willing to climb up and give it some reverence. Instead of the normal photo that you’d get sitting at a table, get a bird’s-eye shot, or get down and shoot at table level to give a real sense of how appetizing it is up close and personal.

“Understand what you want to emphasize,” says Flores. As he explains, you wouldn’t photograph soup from the side because you would only see the bowl, and you wouldn’t photograph a sandwich from overhead because you’d miss the layers.

Going camera shopping?

SmartPhone The CAMERA PHONE Photographers will tell you that the best camera is the one you have on you. For most people, that means your smartphone and with today’s ever-advancing technology, your pocket camera is an extremely viable option when it comes to any genre of photography.

PROBLEM: CHAOTIC CLUTTER SOLUTION: Only use props that accent

the food. Vases, salt and pepper mills, and other props can be cool, but don’t use anything that will draw focus away from the dish. “If the food is absolutely stunning, it can sit in an empty white void and it will look better than an average meal placed on a textured tabletop with props around it,” says Flores.

PROBLEM: LIGHTS OUT

The Canon Rebel series The Rebel series by Canon are some of the best cameras to get started with. A complete camera kit will be around $300 to $800, depending on which model you choose. The current model is T7i with 18-55mm lens.

SOLUTION: Get away from the harsh

glare of bulbs and let the sun shine in.

You can ditch the flash and use natural lighting, even if that means moving your food out of the kitchen. If you’re ready to invest in lighting kits, there are affordable options. “You can achieve soft side lighting by purchasing a powerful light and diffusing it through something opaque, such as a diffusion panel,” explains Flores.

But always avoid using frontal lighting if you don’t want your food to appear flat.

Light bulb temperatures can range from around 2700K (very warm incandescent) to around 5500K (cooler, daylight-like color). Set your camera to the corresponding color temperature to produce an accurate color representation of your subject.

FullFrame Canon EOS 6D If you really want to elevate your photography and start experimenting with shallow depth of field, you’ll need to grab yourself a full-frame camera.

This is the least expensive, around $900.

You’ll have to purchase comparable lenses; lenses from a smaller sensor camera will not work with this camera’s larger sensor.

FOODBLOGS MAGAZINE

83

BLOGGING

P NNING ain’t easy What works and what doesn’t when it comes to growing your blog

By Catherine Conelly

Pinterest is a beast — a beautiful, complicated beast. What worked circa 2010 may not be the best strategy heading into 2019. “Pinterest is constantly changing,” says Anna Bennett, a Pinterest connoisseur and owner of White Glove Social Media where she helps bloggers manage their Pinterest marketing.

Sierra Sanchez Social Media Editor, Grateful Ventures

84

HOLIDAY 2018

“Food and drink is the number one category on Pinterest,” she says.

And while that’s great news for food bloggers, it’s also a testament to how fierce the competition is. Your job?

Find a way to stand out. Here are a few pointers from Bennett and Grateful Ventures’ social media editor Sierra Sanchez.

BLOGGING

THE DO'S Pin way ahead Bonus Tip: of time CHECK YOUR

According to Bennett, Pinterest users are big-time planners. “You need to publish your content three months ahead of a holiday,” she says. “Give your content time to simmer.” And when it comes to Christmas content, let it simmer even longer, posting up to six months ahead of time. “It’s said that it takes three and half months for a pin to reach 50 percent of its engagement lifespan, so when it comes to Christmas content, don’t be shy about pinning in July,” adds Sanchez.

SITE SPEED

You can check your site speed at https://developers. google.com/speed/ pagespeed/insights/

Leverage SEO Post on nights and weekends

While Pinterest is considered a social media platform to most, it’s actually more like a search engine because you’re using keywords to discover content. With that in mind, make the pin descriptions count.

They should align with the keywords you’re targeting in your blog post, and you should leverage rich pins as much as possible — a feature that allows you to add more context to your pins.

Think about people’s lives; they’re more likely to be browsing Pinterest during their downtime on weeknights and on weekends than during rush hour. “Think about when your audience is planning their meals — not cooking them — planning them,” says Bennett.

Update old content Post during peak times

“Pinterest has said they prefer new content,” says Bennett. “You gotta work even harder now.” If you want to repin an old blog post, revisit the content itself first.

Add new images, insert recipe variations and update the copy. Think about any additional information that might be valuable to readers.

Different studies have discovered different stats about the best time to post, and some even break it down by industry.

Do your research and experiment with posting at various times during the day.

Keep analyzing your metrics to learn more about your audience’s activity. It will take some trial and error, but it’s well worth the trouble.

Make your site Post single recipes, mobile-friendly not roundups

Mobile-friendly design is more important than ever, and not just because Google said so. According to both Sanchez and Bennett, 80 percent of Pinterest users are on their mobile device. So if your objective is to drive traffic to your blog and users can’t navigate your site from their device once they arrive, they’ll lose interest pretty quickly. “Getting users to your site is only the first step. Make them want to stay,” says Sanchez.

It may not be true for all categories on Pinterest, but Bennett says you might be able to skip the roundup pins. “I find when it comes to recipes, it's best to do single recipe posts,” she says.

But play around with what works for your followers.

“While individual recipes might draw pinners in with specific keywords, roundups might be more clickthrough worthy,” says Sanchez. Just make sure your post delivers what the pin promised. No one likes clickbait.

THE DONT'S DON'T prioritize ads over user experience

Your website functionality plays a key role in converting Pinterest users to loyal readers. Say a user lands on your blog via Pinterest but is overwhelmed with ads and your page is slow. They won’t stick around. While you need ads to monetize your blog, there’s a line and you don’t want to cross it. As Bennett says, “Your page is no longer aesthetic.

It's just mishmash.”

DON'T forget about your aesthetic It pays to be consistent with your pins.

“That means making sure that the look, the feel, the colors, the font, even where you place the fonts [are all consistent],” says Bennett. “When you're consistent with your branding, people will remember you more than your competition.”

DON'T be inconsistent with post frequency

It may be less about how many images you pin overall (though that plays a role, too) and more about how consistently you pin. According to Bennett, Pinterest would rather you publish five pins every day then 25 pins every other day. “They’re really looking for consistency,” she says.

DON'T post subpar photos

“If you're not great at food photography, hire somebody,” says Bennett. “Images are the first point of contact with a potential reader on Pinterest.”

You gotta make it count.

Mastering a few basics will have you sitting much prettier in people’s feeds.

DON'T be self-centered

What’s true in life is true in blogging — at least in this case. It’s important to always be thinking about how you can help others (AKA your readers). “Of course we all want to write about what we like, right? But if you don't think about what people want, they're not going to engage with you,” explains Bennett. What you promote on Pinterest should cater to the trends and problems your readers are interested in.

DON'T be blinded by impressions “People make such a big deal out of impressions, but I will tell you it's just a vanity metric,” says Bennett.

“Impressions are simply views. That's it. It doesn't mean people took action.”

Ultimately, you want to look at traffic referrals and saves (repins).

FOODBLOGS MAGAZINE

85

BLOGGING

8 Social Media Trends

BLOGGERS

CAN’T

IGNORE

By Dawn Allcot

If you’re already using social media to drive traffic to your blog, you’re not alone.

More than 95 percent of bloggers are. But are you doing it right?

FROM THE INTRODUCTION OF 280 CHARACTERS FOR TWITTER POSTS IN LATE 2017, TO FACEBOOK COMPLETELY REVAMPING ITS ALGORITHM (AGAIN!), STAYING ON TOP OF SOCIAL TRENDS ISN’T EASY. BUT IT’S ALSO NOT IMPOSSIBLE. Knowledge of these eight social media trends, combined with cutting-edge tactics, can help keep you ahead of the curve when it comes to social media marketing.

86

HOLIDAY 2018

01

VIDEO CONTINUES TO SPREAD FASTER THAN PUMPKIN SPICE RECIPES IN THE FALL You may have had an idea video is hot just by observing how much of it you — and those around you — consume. But did you realize that nearly 40 percent of marketers still aren’t using video content on social media? That’s right. And that gives you an opportunity to stand out from the crowd.

Increase the number of people who see your video on Facebook by hosting the video natively on the platform, rather than linking to content that lives on YouTube or your blog. Also, be sure to keep videos under two minutes to hold your audience’s attention.

You can direct viewers to your blog if they want more information.

02

LIVE VIDEO HELPS VIEWERS EMBRACE YOUR MOST EXCITING MOMENTS If video is one of the fastest-growing trends, Live videos on Facebook and Instagram represent the future of interaction. And you can get in on it now. Live videos have several advantages, including their running time.

Stretch out a Facebook Live post for more than 15 minutes and keep people captivated for the duration. Promote your Live video in advance on your blog, on Facebook and on your other social media channels.

On the day of the video, perform a quick test run 15 minutes before, which you can also use as a promo to let people know what’s coming up. Try not to make your Facebook Live video seem too scripted — an off-thecuff performance is part of the appeal.

03

EPHEMERAL CONTENT REPRESENTS THE LATEST “IN-THEMOMENT” VIEWING Facebook Live blends the immediacy of Snapchat with a place to archive your best videos for later viewing. But on-trend bloggers are also making the most of ephemeral content, or content that lasts anywhere from a few minutes to 24 hours.

Viewers love the authenticity of ephemeral platforms like Snapchat, and the “fear of missing out” on an exciting moment helps drive engagement. With the growing popularity of Instagram and Facebook Stories, which stay live for 24 hours, you can entertain your audience with easy-to-generate, fresh content daily.

04

THE BEST BLOGGERS ARE LISTENING TO THEIR NETWORKS IN A NUMBER OF WAYS Recent trends are putting the “social” back in social media, with the top bloggers and brands employing tools that help them listen to the conversations around them. Use social media software to find out what people are saying about you, your blog, or the topics and trends you’re covering, and take every opportunity to respond. Twitter is the perfect platform for real-time social monitoring because it’s fast-paced and it’s easy to reply to your followers on the fly.

05

AUDIENCE INTERACTION IS THE NEWEST WAY TO FIND FRESH CONTENT Blend the biggest trends of live, ephemeral video content, audience interaction and strategically chosen hashtags to leverage user-generated content (UGC) to spice up your feed. Spotify, for instance, asked users to share their weirdest playlist titles, resulting in many laughs and lots of consumer engagement. Software manufacturer Adobe celebrated Pride Month last year with the #Adobe_InColor campaign.

Even if you don’t have the marketing power of these brands, you can build UGC by finding a topic your audience cares about, creating or leveraging a few pertinent hashtags, and asking your audience to share their thoughts on the topic. It’s not hard to get people to talk about what they love, and it’s OK if you have to reach out to a few influencers, colleagues, friends and loyal followers personally to get the ball rolling.

06

BLOGGING

SHORT POSTS STILL GENERATE ATTENTION Just because Twitter now allows for 280 characters of content, that doesn’t mean you should use it all. Instead of composing longer tweets, spend the time responding to your followers and finding or creating visually compelling content. Likewise, Facebook posts with too much text won’t reach as many people as those that skillfully — and concisely — combine words and images.

07

CLICKBAIT MAY BE FADING FAST Facebook’s algorithm continues to reward high-quality content. You won’t achieve reach with clickbait — hyperbolic or ridiculously vague titles designed to garner attention — or even quality content that looks too much like clickbait. In fact, even including a link in your main post may (or may not) hurt your viewership. Experiment with posts of different lengths, different types of photos, and where you place the link (in the post or in the comments) to see what works best for your audience.

08

MORE AND MORE BLOGGERS ARE WILLING TO PAY FOR A HIGHLY-QUALIFIED AUDIENCE It’s virtually impossible to get any significant reach without using paid social tactics on Facebook. Boost a few posts to your targeted demographic for $10 or $20 and watch your number of followers grow. The same goes for Twitter and LinkedIn. Social media is changing rapidly, but a few things remain the same. High-quality content, authenticity and visually enticing posts will continue to win out. Staying on top of the latest trends can keep you ahead of the competition and help drive traffic to your blog while building your brand.

FOODBLOGS MAGAZINE

87

BLOGGING

KEEPING UP WITH

SEO

Adapting to search engine changes

By Dawn Allcot

JUST LIKE SPOTTING THE SEASON’S HOTTEST COLORS OR TARGETING THE TRENDIEST FOODS IN YOUR RECIPES, SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION TENDS TO BE A MOVING TARGET. AND MANY OF THE RECENT SEARCH ENGINE ALGORITHM CHANGES MAY ALTER SEO BEST PRACTICES FOR BLOGGERS IN THE COMING YEAR.

88

HOLIDAY 2018

BLOGGING

LET’S THINK BACK to the early ages of SEO, before avocado toast was a thing and health-conscious foodies were cooking up kale chips with wild abandon. Back then, the search engines tracked how often you used a specific word or phrase, and this “keyword frequency” was a huge factor in search rankings.

With the introduction of artificial intelligence and machine learning, search engine algorithms have gotten more sophisticated. As a result, SEO has gotten more complicated. Effective SEO today requires research, savvy and a little bit of luck to get it right. If you want to keep your blog at the top of search engines, it’s important to keep pace with the search algorithms by learning about these upcoming trends.

ANSWER QUESTIONS AND SOLVE PROBLEMS

By 2020, half of all searches will be done using voice through devices such as Alexa or Google Home.

Today, half of all mobile searches use voice commands, where mobile users communicate with entities such as Siri or Cortana.

As a result, search queries have gotten more conversational. To reach Google’s first page, you’ll want to use your blog posts to answer your readers’ commonly asked questions.

Your blog posts should solve readers’ common problems, whether they are looking for ways to reuse old wine corks or wondering how to plan the perfect brunch. Research the most commonly asked questions, provide unique and precise solutions for your readers, and the search engines will reward you with high rankings.

INSERT SEMANTICALLY RELATED KEYWORDS

Let’s be real here — using questions as search terms can lead to awkward and unwieldy sentence structures if you had to use these key phrases more than a few times in an article.

Luckily for us, Google’s intelligent algorithms can now detect when you’re using words and phrases that mean the same thing as your primary keywords.

Sprinkle in words that are related to or are synonymous with your primary keyword to ensure Google recognizes the topic of your article. If your article is on topic, you should be using your primary

keyword and semantically related keywords naturally, especially within the title, subheads and the first paragraph of your post. For instance, if you were answering the question, “How do I plan the perfect brunch?” you may use the phrase “planning the perfect brunch” in your first sentence, and you might use subheads that include phrases like “best brunch foods” or “easy brunch recipes.”

WRITE EASY-TO-READ CONTENT

The average American reads at an eighth grade level. When reading for recreation, most adults like to read a few levels below their maximum comprehension. Keeping your articles easy to read will make sure people enjoy them and continue to click on your content, driving up your search engine rankings.

To keep your stories simple to comprehend, choose shorter words rather than longer, complex ones.

Break long sentences into a few short ones. And employ “thought spacing,” or frequent paragraph breaks, to make your text easy to read.

FOCUS ON YOUR META DESCRIPTION

Your meta description, the short description that Google displays when your article appears in search results, is important for both real-life readers and the search engines. Take some time to craft a meta description that uses your keyword and entices readers to click the link. Your title tag — the clickable headline that appears in your search engine results — is equally important.

MAKE YOUR SITE MOBILE-FRIENDLY

We all know how hard it is to put down our phones nowadays. It shouldn’t be surprising that 60 percent of online searches take place on mobile devices. In addition to making sure your website is optimized for all platforms and operating systems, make sure each article is mobile-friendly. Use lots of subheads, lists, bullet points and short paragraphs to ensure that your content is easy to comprehend on a screen that’s 5–8 inches.

REAL-LIFE READERS MATTER MORE THAN EVER

When it comes to SEO, things have changed for the better. There is no longer a great divide between the type of writing that attracts readers and articles that work for search engine algorithms. As a result of search engine changes, the number of people who read and share your article now factors into your rankings.

Write clearly and concisely. Make sure your article solves a problem or answers a common question that resonates with your readership, and your audience will be sure to share your content. You’ll be rewarded with high search rankings and a following who loves your blog.

In 2018 and beyond, quality content is more important than ever before. As search engine algorithms get smarter, it becomes easier to create content that meets the needs of your readers and garners high points for SEO. Creating the content your blog visitors want to read and share will pay off in expanded readership and revenue.

FOODBLOGS MAGAZINE

89

BLOGGING

MAGAZINE AWARDS logs Magaz dB in o o

TOP

10

Maybe it's a large, loyal following, best photography or awesome breakfast ideas, but there's something that makes every blogger great. In each issue, we'll rank food bloggers based on different skills and niches.

This month, it's all about those who’ve attracted the largest followings on Instagram* — no mean feat.

e

F

Top 50 food bloggers by Instagram following

1

FOOD BLOG INSTAGRAMMER

AW ARDS

2

SHE HAS SIMPLE, PLANT-BASED RECIPES DOWN TO A SCIENCE.

5 Minimalist Baker:

675,000

@minimalistbaker

3

FOR ALL THE READERS WITH TINY KITCHENS, DEB IS PROOF THEY CAN STILL PRODUCE BIG FLAVOR.

836,000

831,000 @skinnytaste

FOODBLOGS MAGAZINE

PSST: A SECTION OF HER BLOG IS DEDICATED TO THE NEW ORLEANS FOOD SCENE.

DID YOU KNOW HER COOKBOOK WAS NOMINATED FOR A JAMES BEARD AWARD?

Joy The Baker:

435,000 @joythebaker

9 Cafe Delites:

What's Gaby Cooking:

@cafedelites

@whatsgabycooking

514,000

7

Skinny Taste:

90

LOOKING FOR RECIPES LOW IN CARBS AND FAT? SHE’S YOUR GIRL.

@smittenkitchen

4

@thepioneerwoman

@pinchofyum

6

Smitten Kitchen:

2,400,000

8

Pinch of Yum:

1,200,000

The Pioneer Woman:

397,000

10

HEALTHY DESSERTS ARE HER THING. SEE PAGE 14 FOR HER NUTELLA-STUFFED COOKIES.

Nom Nom Paleo:

Chocolate Covered Katie:

@nomnompaleo

@chocolatecoveredkatie

442,000

362,000

logs Maga zin dB oo

25

TOP

e

F

BLOGGING

FOOD BLOG INSTAGRAMMER

AW ARDS

11

16

22

Sally's Baking Addiction: 245,000 @sallysbakeblog

David Lebovitz: 184,000 @davidlebovitz

FOOD BLOG INSTAGRAMMER

A W 18Pinoy: Panlasang ARDS

23

13

17 50

o

RecipeTin Eats: 211,000 @recipe_tin

e

284,000 @iambaker

12

LEARN ALL ABOUT HER NEW COOKING SHOW ON PAGE 22.

TOP

311,000 @superhealthykids

I Am Baker:

21

Cooking Classy: Blogs Magaz 249,000 in od @cookingclassy

F

Super Healthy Kids:

24

Damn Delicious:

20 25

in

25

Serious Eats: FOOD BLOG 214,000 @seriouseats INSTAGRAMMER

AW

ARDS

Gimme Some Oven: 176,000 @gimmesomeoven

logs Maga zin dB oo

TOP

50

e

F

249,000 @damn_delicious

oo

Two Peas & Their Pod: 178,000 @twopeasandpod

e

15

257,000 @loveandlemons

19

The Big Man's World: logs Maga 217,000 @thebigmansworld z dB

TOP

14

Love and Lemons:

240,000 @panlasangpinoy

F

How Sweet Eats: 261,000 @howsweeteats

Ambitious Kitchen: 181,000 @ambitiouskitchen

CHECK OUT HER INSTANT POT HONEY MUSTARD CHICKEN RECIPE ON PAGE 53.

FOOD BLOG INSTAGRAMMER

AW ARDS

26 Six Sisters Stuff: 167,000 @sixsistersstuff 27 Gimme Delicious: 166,000 @gimmedelicious 28

Natasha's Kitchen Recipes: 159,000 @natashaskitchen

29 Cookie and Kate: 152,000 @cookieandkate 30 Immaculate Bites: 149,000 @immaculatebites 31 Just a Taste: 146,000 @justataste 32 Healthful Pursuit: 141,000 @healthfulpursuit 33 A Sweet Pea Chef: 131,000 @laceybaier 34 Jo Cooks: 124,000 @jocooks 35 Maangchi: 116,000 @maangchi 36 Foodie Crush: 108,000 @foodiecrush 37 Eating Bird Food: 107,000 @eatingbirdfood 38 The Recipe Critic: 105,000 @alyssa_therecipecritic

39 Rasa Malaysia: 103,000 @rasamalaysia 40 Budget Bytes: 101,000 @budgetbytes {WANNA COOK AWESOME MEALS AND SAVE MONEY? FOLLOW BETH!}

41

Oh Sweet Basil: 89,400 @ohsweetbasil

42 Omnivore's Cookbook: 87,400 @omnivorescookbook 43 Wholesome Yum: 84,500 @wholesomeyumblog 44 Simply Recipes: 74,800 @simplyrecipes 45 Gemma's Bigger Bolder Baking: 73,800 @gemma_stafford 46 Creme de la Crumb: 72,700 @cremedelacrumb1 47 The Mediterranean Dish: 68,600 @themediterraneandish 48 Diethood: 66,900 @diethood 49 Detoxinista: 66,400 @detoxinista 50 Well Plated: 64,700 @wellplated

*Rankings as of publication deadline. We sought the top 100 food bloggers by Alexa global rank, and, of those, ranked and awarded the 50 with the largest Instagram followings

HOLIDAY 2018

91

BLOGGER DIRECTORY

BLOGGER DIRECTORY 2 teaspoons

Cafe Johnsonia

Jessica Gavin

The roasted root

A communal table

Chocolate Covered Katie

Keto Connect

The seasoned mom

A house in the hills

Closet Cooking

Moscato Mom

The Skinny Fork

A Little Insanity

Confessions of a Foodie

One Armed Mama

The View From Great Island

A sweet pea chef

Confessions of Confectionista

Real Food by Dad

The wicked noodle

Ruled.me

The Foodie Eats

Striped Spatula

To Have + To Host

Taste Food Blog

Umami Girl

Tastes better from Scratch

With Two Spoons

Karen Paczkowski instagram @2teaspoons

Nancy Buchanan instagram @ acommunaltable

Sarah Yates Mora instagram @sarahyatesmora

Erika Meredith instagram @aLittleInsanity

Lacey Baier instagram @laceybaier

All Things Mama

Kasey Schwartz instagram @kasey_allthingsmamma

Amanda’s cookin

Amanda Formaro instagram @amandaformaro

Bake. Eat. Repeat.

Stacey Mebs instagram @bake.eat.repeat

Baker's Royale

Naomi Robinson instagram @bakersroyale_naomi

Bakersbeans

Wanda Baker instagram @wandabaker_

Best Friends For Frosting

Melissa Johnson instagram @BestFriendsForFrosting

Blackberry Babe

Michelle Goth instagram @blackberrycooks

Blissful basil

Ashley Melillo instagram @blissfulbasil

Budget Bytes

Beth Moncel instagram @budgetbytes

Lindsey Johnson instagram @cafe_ johnsonia

Katie Higgins instagram @chocolatecoveredkatie

Kevin Lynch instagram @closetcooking

Ani Arambula instagram @afotogirl

Meriem Suleiman instagram @confessionsofa confectionista

Cook With Me Darling

Linda Spiker instagram @cookwithmedarling

Cookie Named Desire

Amanda Powell instagram @acookienameddesire

Creole contessa

Lisa Summers instagram @creolecontessa

Divas Can Cook

Monique Kilgore instagram @divascancook

Dixie Chik Cooks

Shea Goldstein instagram @dixiechikcooks

Flour on my face

Arlene Mobley instagram @flouronmyface2

Golden Brown and Delicious Jessica Lampe instagram @goldenbrownblog

I Don’t Have Time For That Ashley Brownell instagram idht4t

Jeanette's Healthy Living

Jeanette Chen instagram @jeanetteshealthyliving

92

HOLIDAY 2018

Jessica Gavin instagram @jessica_gavin

Megha Barot instagram @keto.connect

Lynsey Jones Kmetz instagram @MoscatoMom

Tristin Rieken instagram @onearmedmama_tristin

Matt Robinson instagram @realfoodbydad

Craig Clarke instagram @ruledme

Amanda Biddle instagram @stripedspatula

Lynda Balslev instagram @tastefoodtravel

Lauren Allen instagram @tastesbetterfromscratch

The Fit Mediterranean

Dani Ingrosso instagram @The_Fit_Mediterranean

The Kentucky Gent

Josh Johnson instagram @thekentuckygent

The Organic Kitchen

Linda and Steve Spiker instagram @the_organickitchen

The Preppy Hostess

Molly Shapiro instagram @ThePreppyHostess

The Real Food Dietitians Jessica Beacom instagram @therealfoodrds

Julia Mueller instagram @TheRoastedRoot

Blair Lonergan instagram @theseasonedmom

Amanda Plott instagram @TheSkinnyFork

Sue Moran instagram @theviewfromgreatisland

Kristy Bernardo instagram @thewickednoodle

Gary White instagram @the.foodie.eats

Lory Parsons instagram @tohavetohost

Caroline Cope instagram @umamigirl

Lane Patten and Holly Schrupp Berg instagram @withtwospoons

Wood and Spoon Kate Wood instagram @Katie_clova

Your Homebased Mom

Leigh Anne Wilkes instagram @leighanne_yourhome basedmom

BLOGGER RESOURCES

BLOGGER RESOURCES PIE ART TUTORIALS Learn how to create elaborate pie designs worthy of a reality show. piesareawesome.com

PROTECTIVE TABLET SLEEVES Like to make digital recipe notes? Guard your tablet from sauce and splashes when you’re recipe testing. Made by Ultra Pro. Available on Amazon.

SNAP N’ STRAIN An easy cooking task gets even easier with this strainer by Kitchen Gizmo USA. Available on Amazon.

BLOG VAULT A real blog saver in a time of need, this plugin has a 99.9 percent recovery rate if your blog ever crashes.

FUSION BRANDS MEAT SHREDDER Skip the forks and knives and use this meat shredder to save yourself time when making dishes that call for pulled pork and shredded chicken or beef.

Available at Walmart and on Amazon.

TEA DROPS Wind down after a long day of testing and photographing recipes or entertain guests with these cute, dissolvable tea drops. Available at uncommongoods.com

1,000 FOOD ART AND STYLING IDEAS Trying to improve your photography? This book by Ari Bendersky has 1,000 tips to help you make your dishes look as delicious as they actually are. Available on Amazon.

CAMERA TRIPOD Using a tripod is one easy way to take better photos with minimal effort and investment.

AmazonBasics makes an affordable model at $24.

PINCH OF YUM! TASTY FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY E-BOOK Lindsay of Pinch of Yum put all her best photography tips into one e-book, the same ones that helped her increase her own readership. Available at pinchofyum.com/shop.

PLATING TWEEZERS Perfect plating helps your food photos stand out in social media feeds, and plating tweezers can help you execute the little details that make a big difference. Available at modernistpantry.com

EASYBOARD Made from 100 percent recycled paper and resin, EasyBoards are durable and sanitary, and they don’t hate the environment. Available at easyboardusa.com

FOODBLOGS MAGAZINE

93

RECIPE INDEX

RECIPE INDEX INSTANT POT RECIPES CORNBREAD

BEEF STROGANOFF

LASAGNA

56 THAI BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

55 TOMATO BASIL SOUP

BUTTERNUT SQUASH CHILI

52 MEXICAN TAMALES

56

57

SCALLOPED POTATOES

56 BAKED BEANS

CORN ON THE COB

56 SPICY CHICKEN SOUP

54

53

PULLED PORK

55

56

HONEY MUSTARD CHICKEN

CANDIED SWEET POTATOES

53

63

56

BREAKFAST CASSEROLE

SOUPS ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

ROASTED RED PEPPER TOMATO SOUP

SPINACH TORTELLINI SOUP

SLOW-COOKER CHICKEN POT PIE SOUP

ROASTED PUMPKIN AND APPLE BISQUE WITH PECAN CRUMBLE

TURKEY PHO

56 50 CROCK-POT TURKEY TACO SOUP

46 ASIAGO AND ROASTED GARLIC CAULIFLOWER SOUP

50

50 MEXICAN STREET CORN SOUP

48

FRENCH LENTIL SOUP

50

TURKEY

49 SLOW-COOKER R ROASTED GARLIC BAKED POTATO SOUP

50

50 HEARTY KALE BUTTERNUT SQUASH BARLEY SOUP

50

CREAMY PUMPKIN AND PEANUT SOUP

48

50

DRINKS

SLOW-COOKER TURKEY BREAST

SMOKED WHOLE TURKEY

70

Leftover ideas!

94

50

HOLIDAY 2018

BRINED SOUS VIDE TURKEY

72

AUNT BEE'S LEFTOVER TURKEY CASSEROLE

73

TURKEY NACHOS

42

CRANBERRY CITRUS PALOMA PUNCH

CRANBERRY OLD FASHIONED

32

PUMPKIN ALE TURKEY CHILI

43

44

32

TURKEY POT PIE

APPLE CIDER MIMOSA

MULLED WINE

33

LEFTOVER FRITTATA BAKE

44

45

33

THANKSGIVING POTATO SKINS

45

RECIPE INDEX

SNACKS AND SIDES KETO PIZZA BREADSTICKS 3 WAYS

PIZZA CHIPS

40 BLACK BEAN CHILI CHEESE DOGS WITH CARROT FRIES

41 GLUTEN-FREE CORN DOGS

58 PEPPERONI PIZZA BITES

VEGAN CHEESY BROCCOLI QUINOA BITES

GLUTEN-FREE VEGGIE PIZZA

PICKLED RASDISHES

62 APRICOT SRIRACHA WINGS

59 SOUTHWEST VEGAN PASTA SALAD

68

ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH, KALE AND FENNEL SALAD

65 ROSEMARY YOGURT MEATBALLS

60 CAPRESE DIP

68

BUFFALO CHICKEN DIP

60 BAKED MAC AND CHEESE BITES

60 BROWNED CAULIFLOWER AND KUMQUATS

66

60 CURRIED CHICKPEA YOGURT DIP

69

68

FRIED POTATO SALAD

64

SALADS SPIRALIZED APPLE PECAN SALAD

GLUTEN-FREE ONION RINGS WITH PUMPKIN SAGE AIOLI

ROASTED JALAPENO HUMMUS

BUTTERNUT SQUASH, CRANBERRY AND APPLE BAKE

64

60

68

21

BAKED BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND WILD RICE PILAF

41

60

66 MINI MEATLOAVES

PIZZA DIP

68

SAUCES 8-ROW CHOPPED SALAD

67

THICK AND CREAMY APPLE BUTTER

68

65

GINGER MAPLE CRANBERRY SAUCE

EASY HOMEMADE NACHO CHEESE

65

HOMEMADE CHIMICHURRI

39

39

SWEETS CLASSIC PUMPKIN PIE

DEATH BY CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

CRANBERRY ORANGE COOKIES

77 SUGAR COOKIES STUFFED WITH CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT SPREAD

14

14 GLUTEN-FREE GINGERBREAD COOKIES

15

CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT SUGAR COOKIES

12 LADY’S KISS COOKIES

11 CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT OATMEAL PECAN COOKIES

10

GOLD-SPLATTERED LAVENDER VANILLA BEAN SUGAR COOKIES

15

RASPBERRY LEMON COOKIES

13 CHEWY CHOCOLATE CHUNK COOKIES

PEPPERMINT MELTING MOMENTS

12

8

PEPPERMINT HOT CHOCOLATE POPS

25

21

FOODBLOGS MAGAZINE

95

THE PERFECT TURKEY IS WITHIN YOUR REACH. This holiday season, don't settle for a basic bird.

Get everything you need to know to make the kind of main dish that will get everyone talking (in a good way).

No matter how you want your turkey — deep-fried, oven-roasted, spicerubbed, air-fried, slathered with BBQ sauce, blanketed in bacon, or served up the next day in a creative new way — there's just one place you need to go.

America's home for the holidays

thanksgiving_com

TheOriginalThanksgiving

thanksgiving_

@ThanksgivingCom

“Tailwind takes care of my Pinterest marketing so I can focus on creating!�

- Lindsay Cotter cottercrunch.com

Lindsay doubled her Pinterest traffic in the past year with help from Tailwind and Simple Pin Media. tailwindapp.com/typical-results

Get your free month:

tailwindapp.com/free

Tailwind is a proud marketing partner of Pinterest and Instagram.

“Marketing through Tailwind is the core of my business growth strategy.�

- Lucy Mathieson

bakeplaysmile.com

With the help of Tailwind, Lucy now gets 60% of her social media traffic from Pinterest. tailwindapp.com/typical-results

Get your free month:

tailwindapp.com/free

Tailwind is a proud marketing partner of Pinterest and Instagram.