Turkey White Chili

If you have leftover turkey from Thanksgiving, make this White Turkey Chili! It's made with white beans, green chilis, garlic, and of course, turkey. A winning combination that's sure to warm you up on a chilly winter night.

Continue reading "Turkey White Chili" »

from Simply Recipes https://ift.tt/2E3if43
via IFTTT

The History of Bubble Tea

No other caffeine fix is quite as aesthetically satiating as bubble tea, the Taiwanese sweet-milk-and-tea-based drink. Served in a plastic cup over ice with a straw big enough to suck up the black tapioca balls jostling around the bottom, bubble tea is part dessert, part iced caffeinated tonic—a stunner of a to-go beverage that has the photogenic alchemy of a cronut. (It’s not surprising it’s a dessert star on Instagram with #boba and #bubbletea racking up nearly a million posts each). Which is exactly why the sweetened tea has gone beyond the niche drink category. According to a report published by Allied Market Research, the global market for bubble tea was valued at nearly $2 billion in 2016, and is projected to grow by at least another billion by 2023.

The exact origin of bubble tea is still a gray area, but Chun Shui Tang Teahouse in Taichung, a city in Taiwan, is generally accepted as its birthplace. In the 1980s, the teahouse was an early purveyor of iced milk tea, which the owner added to the menu after trying iced coffee in Japan. Shortly after, as the story goes, a young teahouse employee named Lin Hsui Hui mixed the tapioca balls from a popular Taiwanese pudding dessert called fen yuan, into her glass of iced milk tea.

Because the drink was never patented, Lin Hsui Hui’s story might just be a bit of clever marketing. However, food historians and bubble tea makers all agree that bubble tea first cropped up in the late 1980s among Taiwan’s thriving cosmopolitan street food culture. Night market-style cuisine also caters to sweet tooths—think desserts made out of flavored jellies, shaved ice, and blended fruits. Taiwanese drink stands offer bubble tea alongside slushies, cream floats, and flavored teas far sweeter than those found at traditional teahouses.

Coconut Boba/Bubble Tea Powder By Buddha Bubbles, $13.95 on Amazon

Make bubble tea at home

See it

During the 1990s, bubble tea spread throughout East Asia, eventually following Taiwanese migrants around the world. At first, bubble tea could only be found in the drink section of menus at Taiwanese restaurants, but by the late 1990s, the first dedicated bubble tea shops had opened in Los Angeles, eventually spreading to East and Southeast Asian immigrant enclaves on the West Coast (where it is almost exclusively known by the colloquial name “boba”) and in New York City. Bubble tea became an integral part of Asian-American culture—in LA Weekly, writer Clarissa Wei recalls drinking bubble tea as a kid in the San Gabriel Valley with her friends, whom she deems “the boba generation.”

Super Nummy

Today specialty shops have opened all over the country, including the wildly popular chain Boba Guys, co-owned by first-generation Asian-American entrepreneur Andrew Chau. The Boba Guys menu speaks volumes of bubble tea’s evolution over the years, seizing on customers love of everything small-batch and artisanal. The health-conscious flock to their airy, all-white-and-warm-wood shops because they use real fruit, opt for high-quality milks instead of non-dairy creamers and powders, and make their own grass jelly, brown sugar and almond jelly in-house.

But bubble tea pivoting isn’t just about remaking it for the oat-milk only set. Some versions are playing up the sweetness factor like the Salted Caramel Cookie Dough Black Milk Tea at Tpumps in San Mateo, California. Meanwhile the Lychee Gin Tea (yes, a boozy bubble tea!) at The Local Box in Singapore is more of a cocktail reinterpretation. Cheese tea, bubble tea topped with a foamy cream cheese and condensed milk blend, is the most recent Instagrammable trend to hit the States (after blowing up at China’s Heytea, where waiting in line to order the drink topped off at seven hours). Not surprisingly this new budding trend in bubble tea was first introduced at street stalls in Taiwan where it all began.

Related Video: Low Calorie Coconut Milk Iced Coffee

All featured products are curated independently by our editors. When you buy something through our retail links, we may receive a commission. For more great hand-picked products, check out the Chowhound Shop.

from Food News – Chowhound https://ift.tt/2KFathd
via IFTTT

An Ode to 5 Holiday Foods That Are Better from the Package

There’s something to be said for rolling up your sleeves and making a meal from scratch. All that hard work, patience, and attention to detail leading to the perfect mouthwatering meal? Amazing. On the other hand, getting to eat something drool-worthy without the hard work? Well, that’s even better. When it comes to the holidays in particular, there are certain foods that evoke homey memories (the good old days before butter was a curse word and kale was on every menu) that just taste delicious right out of the package. I’m not saying you have to throw away your cookbooks, but no judgment if you reach for the packaged stuff when it comes to these foods.

Stuffing

Sometimes it’s worth the extra work to create just the right unique blend of spices for your dish. This is not one of those times. I mean, is there anything that spells Thanksgiving more than a big old serving of Stove Top stuffing? I think not. (I mean, they even say it in their tagline.)  The fact that it takes a grand total of two additional ingredients and less than 10 minutes to make it means that your energy can be spent elsewhere, like making sure the turkey isn’t dry or that your relatives don’t start fighting over politics at the table.

Cranberry Sauce

You’ve probably already heard many of the reasons that this canned creation is better than its gussied up counterparts, but it bears repeating: If it doesn’t have ridges, get it off my table. The weird texture (is the Ocean Spray stuff a solid or a jelly?), and mix of sweet and tart somehow just…works. Especially on Thanksgiving, when savory foods dominate the menu, something sugary but not saccharine just balances out the main event. Just don’t forget the can opener!

Frosted Cookies

There has been tons of controversy over whether these cookies are good or gross, and I’m here to end the debate right here and now. They’re freaken’ delicious; I’ll take them all. Whether you go for the classics made by Create a Treat, or one of the knockoffs, finding them in your supermarket is sure to make you do an internal happy dance. The best part? They mix up their colors and sprinkles throughout the year to correspond with the nearest holiday, so you’re covered for everything from Flag Day to first Christmases.

Green Bean Casserole

Okay, so this one isn’t entirely packaged (hello, green beans!), but it just wouldn’t be the same without that creamy mushroom soup and fried onions on top. And getting some greens in in the midst of chowing down is enough to make up for skipping the turkey trot. Promise.

Biscuits

I grew up watching TV shows and commercials that basically told me it wasn’t a holiday meal if there weren’t biscuits on the table, and I hold strongly to that belief years later. But why bother slaving away to make your own when you can have golden biscuits in less time than it takes to watch a sitcom? It’s a no brainer. Plus, fighting with your sibling over who gets the last flaky, salty biscuit from a can means the holidays have officially started.

Related video: 25 Pantry Essentials for Holiday Dinners and Entertaining

from Food News – Chowhound https://ift.tt/2y7Zvtu
via IFTTT

Cranberry Brie Canapés with Rosemary Garnish

With creamy brie, tart cranberries, and a crisp phyllo shell, our Cranberry Brie Canapés are the perfect addition to your next holiday party!

Continue reading "Cranberry Brie Canapés with Rosemary Garnish" »

from Simply Recipes https://ift.tt/2FW5WIq
via IFTTT

The 7 Best Food Scenes in Classic Holiday Movies with Recipes to Match

You simply can’t do the holidays without a few favorite holiday films and you definitely can’t do holidays without mountains of food. Naturally the two intersect, often in hilarious, heartfelt, and cringeworthy on-screen moments. The best holiday movies capture the drama of it all; be it familial skirmishes that erupt when stuck around the table with our nearest, but not necessarily dearest of kin and unlimited booze. On the flip side, food can be THE thing that brings it all back together: A shared experience or gaffe that breaks the tension and unearths the spirit of the day.

No matter what, these funny/sad/crazy/warm moments around the holiday table resonate for one simple reason. We’ve all SOOO been there, you guys! We dusted off our Blockbuster cards to compile the quintessential food moments from holiday films throughout the years. What’s more, we paired them with perfect recipes, so you can create your own happy or horrifying holiday food memories this year.

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (Special Edition DVD), $18.99 on Amazon

Watch this holiday classic all year long!

See it

Check out our favorites below and tell us yours in the comments!

“The Family Stone”: Strata Spill

No holiday movie captures the searing tension of bringing a new love interest home for Christmas quite like the 2005 dramedy, “The Family Stone”. In it, Sarah Jessica Parker’s character, Meredith, foibles her way through meeting, and subsequently insulting, every member of the Stones (her boyfriend’s family). In her defense, they’re not the most affable group (looking at you Rachel McAdams and your drag queen levels of shade), and pearl-clasping tension quickly ensues.

We watch, horrified and through fingers, as Meredith caps a run of epic blunders by dumping two trays of uncooked strata on herself and the kitchen floor. Diane Keaton (Meredith’s boyfriend’s mother) and McAdams (his sister) come tumbling in with mouths agape. Having nothing left to lose, she takes the opening to air her grievances with the family (loudly) as they all slide across the floor through the gloppy mixture of beaten eggs and cream. Bad as it seems, Meredith and the Stones finally come to an understanding and the conflicts begin to resolve. Communication, people!

Strata is the perfect “wow em’” breakfast for a big group. Use some leftover ham for this holiday version, but for the love of god, handle with care!

Chowhound

Get our Ham, Cheese, and Mushrom Strata recipe.

“National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation”: Aunt Katherine’s Dry Turkey (Jerky)

Who can forget world champion knucklehead, Clark Griswold, after screwing up every single other thing, cutting into the turkey, prepared by Uncle Eddie’s wife Katherine, and watching the air simultaneously poof out of it (and the room). “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” goes down as one of the all-time greats, but as the disgruntled group gnaws on that audibly dry turkey meat, we remind ourselves of the importance of a good brine and meticulous attention to time/weight when cooking those big birds.

Chowhound

Get our Easy Brined Turkey with Creamed Gravy recipe.

Chowhound

If it’s really dry turkey you’re after, do it right like with our Spicy Turkey Jerky recipe.

“Home Alone/Home Alone 2”: Cheese Pizza

Let’s face facts. Kevin McCallister is kind of a jerk. Sure he’s a child being stalked by two adult criminals but seems to have more sophisticated methods of inflicting pain and torture than the KGB. Perhaps he learned all this from Buzz, who tortures Kevin at any given moment; like in the opening scene of the first movie. All Kevin wants is a slice of classic cheese pizza but that godawful Buzz, played by perennial 90’s bully Devin Ratray, taunts the younger, smaller Kevin with the very last bites, even offering to “barf” some back up for Kevin. Really, Buzz?

Kevin does eventually get his cheese pizza and no time more lavishly than in “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York”, where it’s served, as any pizza should, in a stretch limo with white glove service, washed down with soda, cold and bubbling, en champagne flute.

Kevin would surely approve of this four-cheese pizza:

I Am a Food Blog

Get the recipe.

“Elf”: All Maple Syrup Everything!

Buddy does a lot of strange things over the course of the 2003 instant Christmas classic, “Elf”. His North Pole upbringing makes for some questionable practices but none more so than an insistence on putting maple syrup on, well, everything.

While we admit that the sweet stuff is the best part of many things, like pancakes and Vermont, pouring it directly over spaghetti is perhaps a bridge too far. We thought this pumpkin maple gnocchi with brown butter and sage would be a better choice for the serious home chef. Cinnamon and nutmeg provide a surprising warmth and depth to the hearty fall dish.

Spry Living

Get the recipe.

“How the Grinch Stole Christmas”: Holiday Roast Beast

The Grinch surely needs no introduction. A bad dude, dreamt up by the iconic child author, Dr. Seuss, who schemes to ruin Christmas for the innocent people of Whoville. He and a highly coerced dog steal everything from the adorable townsfolk, right down to the last can of Who Hash and the Roast Beast! A true monster.

The good people of Whoville troll him hard, though, by living their best life, despite his nefarious acts, and eventually he comes to his senses. Upon returning all the loot, a newly woke Grinch even volunteers to carve the roast beast, as tiny Cindy Lou Who watches in delight!

Scientopia

Chowhound

Get our Slow-Roasted Prime Rib au Jus recipe.

“A Christmas Story”: Chinese Turkey (a.k.a Duck)

There are moments throughout the course of the beloved “A Christmas Story” where we truly wonder if the Parkers will pull it together. The father paints a portrait of 1950s military-style parenting, while the rest of the family tiptoes about in an effort to avoid his wrath. Cut to Christmas morning when things seem like they can’t get worse, neighborhood dogs burst through the kitchen doors and devour the glorious turkey that old man Parker has been fawning over. With no stores open, a true doomsday scenario unfolds.

Their turkey loss quickly becomes our LOL gain, as the Parkers pile into an otherwise empty Chinese restaurant. Waiters dutifully (and terribly) sing Christmas carols to the chuckling family. A whole roasted duck appears (or “Chinese Turkey” as Ralphie refers to it) but the head staring up at them is cause for concern. With one ferocious clever hack, the head is gone and all erupt into a mix of horror and laughter.

See clip below or catch the movie in full on TBS all damn Christmas day long!!

Chowhound

Get our Marmalade-Glazed Roast Duck recipe.

And finally…

“The Polar Express”: Hot Chocolate Song

“Here we’ve only got one rule. Never ever let it cool!” Just try to watch this toe-tapping scene from 2004’s magical “The Polar Express” without smiling. In this clip, an animated Tom Hanks leads a troupe of high-kicking waiters as they deliver song, dance, and steaming cups of hot chocolate to a train car of bafflingly unamused children.

Chowhound

Don’t skimp on the hot stuff this holiday; get our Real Deal Hot Chocolate recipe.

Related Video: This is How Christmas Is Done in Cuba

All featured products are curated independently by our editors. When you buy something through our retail links, we may receive a commission. For more great hand-picked products, check out the Chowhound Shop.

from Food News – Chowhound https://ift.tt/2AkFrIH
via IFTTT

Ginger-Soy Steamed Salmon with Spicy Maple Sauce

In this installment of Eat Your Food! from our writer Nick Evans, he feeds his kids sGinger-Soy Steamed Salmon with Spicy Maple Sauce. Regardless of whether you have tiny mouths to feed, this cooks quickly in a steamer basket and makes for a well-rounded, flavorful dinner.

Continue reading "Ginger-Soy Steamed Salmon with Spicy Maple Sauce" »

from Simply Recipes https://ift.tt/2RmasBh
via IFTTT

Chowhound Gift Guide 2018: Best Food and Drink Advent Calendars

‘Tis the season for lots of things: gift-getting, cookie baking, festive decorating, saying “’tis the season'”—and advent calendars, of course. What better way to mark each day of the month leading up to Christmas than revealing a little treat behind a numbered door? Food and drink advent calendars—full of everything from cheese and chocolate to wine and beer (and even—no joke—pork rinds) are extra-special, so we’ve rounded up the best selection.

While you’ll have to rush to get some of these 24-day advent calendars in time to start opening them on December 1, others celebrate the 12 Days of Christmas with half the number of surprises, so you still have a couple weeks to get yours and crack them open right on schedule. In any case, these edible advent calendars make lovely early gifts for your favorite people, or a sweet advance present to yourself.

Editor’s Note: Prices shown do not include shipping and handling.

Twelve Nights of Wine, $129 on Vinebox

Vinebox

Get 12 glasses of wine (a mix of red and white) expertly curated from around the world, all in a sleek, sophisticated package. Ten lucky people will find a golden bottle inside their box—in which case, they’ll win a year-long complimentary Vinebox subscription! Almost as good as inheriting a chocolate factory, with way less responsibility.See It

Cheese Advent Calendar, $20 at select Target stores

So Wrong It’s Nom

Savory advent calendars are fairly rare, but this one would be special even if they weren’t—because it’s full of five varieties of fine cheese (like smoky Applewood British cheddar and creamy Ilchester Wensleydale, studded with sweet-tart cranberries), all suitable for vegetarians. In the U.S., it’s available at select Target stores—but if there isn’t one near you, no need to cancel Christmas! Just buy your own reusable advent calendar and put whatever cheeses you want inside it (and be sure to keep it in the fridge).See It

What On Earth LED-Lighted Santa's Workshop 24-Day Wooden Advent Calendar, $59.99

This darling wooden advent calendar lights up thanks to two AA batteries, and is sure to become a cherished heirloom, whether you put cheese in it or not.

See It

Bonne Maman Preserves Advent Calendar, $24.95 on La Fine Bouche

Bonne Maman

With 24 adorably petite jars of different limited-edition jams and jellies, all of which are free of high fructose corn syrup and totally all-natural, this is perfect for any toast lover on your list (or, you know, yourself). There’s a mix of both new and classic flavors, including apricot-peach, blueberry-blackcurrant, mirabelle plum, orange-cinnamon, raspberry-lychee, and even grapefruit-dragonfruit. It’s sold out in most places already, so nab one at this great price (plus shipping) before it’s too late!See It

12 Days of Christmas Gift Tower, $89.99 at Harry & David

Harry & David

This delightful wooden gift box contains milk and dark chocolate Moose Munch, milk chocolate mini melts, milk chocolate covered cherries, raspberry linzer cookies, coconut macaroons, milk chocolate malt balls, dark chocolate truffles, milk chocolate peppermint truffles, and milk chocolate coins, and the little house can be reused for years to come.See It

Sugarfina Neiman Marcus 2018 Holiday Trunk, $225 at Neiman Marcus

Sugarfina/Neiman Marcus

Okay, so the actual official Sugarfina advent calendar is already sold out, but this holiday trunk happens to have 20 different high-quality candies inside (like Champagne Bears, Sugarfina Pearls, and Birthday Cake Caramels, just to name a few), making it a pretty perfect choice for the person with a sweet tooth in your life—as long as you have deep pockets, anyway. Slap some numbered stickers on each cube and you’ve got yourself a mod take on a classic advent calendar, and a serious sugar rush.See It

24 Days of Vegan Candy, $39 at Squish

This one ships from Canada and won't arrive until after December 1, but that just means you'll get to open multiple doors at once when it does show up!

See It

Angelina Chocolate Advent Calendar, $50 at Neiman Marcus

Angelina/Neiman Marcus

This beautifully designed advent calendar emulates the Parisian tearoom, The Angelina Cafe, from which the gourmet chocolates inside originate. (See the interior at the top of this post.) With an assortment of sweets including chocolate-covered crisp crepes, chocolate-hazelnut giandujas, white and dark chocolate pralines, and milk chocolate almonds, this is an elegant and delicious option.See It

Charbonnel et Walker Paper Theater Collection Advent Calendar, $75 at Neiman Marcus

Charbonnel et Walker

Open the double doors of this theater-inspired advent calendar to reveal a grand assortment of rich truffles and bonbons from the English chocolatier Charbonnel et Walker, known for their couverture dark chocolate since 1875.See It

Haut-Chocolat Calendar of Advent, $140 at Vosges

Vosges Haut Chocolat

If you want to go all-out, this high-end advent calendar is filled with 24 different varieties of Vosges chocolate, including caramels (like maple sugar-walnut and cardamom-rose), mini exotic chocolate bars (like matcha-mint and guajillo-chipotle), and a few whimsical figures like hedgehogs and gnomes. It’s also an interactive art piece of sorts: you flip each drawer when you replace it after grabbing your snack, and gradually reveal a hidden design.See It

Milk Chocolate Advent Calendar, $16.95 at Williams Sonoma

Williams-Sonoma

At a much gentler price point, this cute-as-a-button snowman-bedecked advent calendar is filled with classic milk chocolates in festive foil wrappers. You can pick it up in stores; check online for availability.See It

Vegan Chocolate Advent Calendar, $22.95 at No Whey! Foods

No Whey! Foods

Clearly, chocolate advent calendars are the most prevalent example of the edible form, but sadly, most aren’t an option for vegans. Well, this one is—and it’s also gluten-free and allergy-friendly! It contains vegan chocolates, cookies, brownies, and cake bites, as well as holiday figurines.See It

24 Days of Tea, $49 at David’s Tea

David’s Tea

Tea lovers, look no further. In this advent calendar, you get 24 different teas (from bestselling blends and throwback favorites to web exclusives and sneak peeks of new varieties), and you get two servings of each one, so you can share a sip with someone you love (or just double up your own cup). It also comes with a limited-edition “Perfect Spoon.”See It

Yawn Coffee Advent Calendar, $29.17 on Etsy

Yawn Coffee/Etsy

If you or your lucky gift recipient prefers java to tea, this compact package holds 24 different craft coffees (ground or whole bean) to jolt you into a jolly mood.See It

2018 Spirits Advent Calendar, $59 at Heritage Distilling Co.

Heritage Distilling Co.

For those who like good cheer in stronger liquid form, this calendar conceals a variety of bourbons (including a brown sugar bourbon), rye whiskey, gin, and a few flavored vodkas (coffee, vanilla, and blood orange). Due to state laws, they can’t ship to several places, but check their list; you might be in luck.See It

DIY Booze Advent Calendar, $14.99 on Amazon

If you're in a state where the above calendar can't be shipped, consider buying one of these and adding your own mini bottles (and maybe some cocktail snacks and accessories) to the empty spaces inside.

See It

Gourmet Popcorn Advent Calendar, $31.86 at Joe & Seph’s

Joe&Seph’s/Facebook

This charming advent calendar’s snowy Victorian storefront conceals 12 different flavors of popcorn (including salted caramel, toffee apple and cinnamon, banoffee pie, raspberry cheesecake, double chocolate, and cookies and cream)—none of which contain artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives, and all of which are suitable for vegetarians. It comes from the UK, but they ship to the U.S. and Canada.See It

Krampus Chocolate Advent Calendar, $39.99 on Etsy

PTdesignstore/Etsy

If you’re into the darker side of Christmas, this awesomely illustrated Krampus advent calendar is perfect—but there’s a very limited supply, as they’re handmade. (They’re also filled with handmade chocolates to sweeten the deal.) If you’re in New York, you may be able to arrange free pick-up to bypass delivery fees.See It

The Snaffling Pig Pork Crackling Advent Calendar, $22.09 at British Corner Shop

Snaffling Pig/British Corner Shop

If your cravings are more carnivorous, check out this amazing pork crackling advent calendar, which is filled with 24 mini bags of crunchy pig skin snacks in 6 different flavors (Pigs in Blankets, Low & Slow BBQ, Maple, Black Pepper, Salt ‘N’ Vinegar, and Perfectly Salted).See It

The 25 Sauces of Christmas Hot Sauce Advent Calendar, $74.95 on Amazon

BYOBHotSauce/Amazon

Have a hot-head in your life? Or maybe that’s you? Then this advent calendar packed with 25 different mini bottles of hot sauce is likely to kindle a warm glow of happiness (and capsaicin).See It

Reber Mozart Advent Calendar, $44.95 at The Vermont Country Store

The Vermont Country Store

Marzipan can be divisive, but if you know someone who loves it, or at least compulsively eats it around Christmastime (ahem), this is the perfect pick for them. The German-made chocolate-covered marzipan candies within the lavishly illustrated box come in various configurations of the standard almond marzipan and pistachio marzipan, with hazelnut nougat and milk and dark chocolate.See It

DIY (or BYOB) Beer Advent Calendar, $12 – $24 at Total Wine

Total Wine

If you have a Costco near you, they’re selling a German beer advent calendar at many of their stores for $60, but barring that, you can pick up a 12- or 24-pack DIY beer advent calendar box at Total Wine, then fill it with your own hand-picked bottles and cans. Or, get crafty and build your own beer advent calendar from scratch!See It

Related Video: Trader Joe’s New Edible Advent Calendar Is a Must-Buy for Dog Owners

All featured products are curated independently by our editors. When you buy something through our retail links, we may receive a commission. For more great hand-picked products, check out the Chowhound Shop.

from Food News – Chowhound https://ift.tt/2Q1jrvi
via IFTTT