Vanilla Salted Caramels are a classic candy, perfect for gift giving, and sneaking from the cupboard! Salted caramel started as a food trend. Something fancy chefs devised in restaurant kitchens. It made its way into fine chocolate shops, magazines, cookbooks, regular awesome restaurants and … [Read more...]
Gingerbread Caramel Sauce and Apple Dip
Gingerbread caramel sauce tastes like all the wonderful spices of the holidays in molten sugar heaven. Use this as a dessert sauce, for ice cream or just as a dip for apples or cookies. Gingerbread caramel sauce is in my top ten. Really! My list of favorite recipes changes all the time. I get … [Read more...]
Coconut Cherry Balls
Coconut snowball cookies are a buttery, delicious shortbread with sweet maraschino cherries. Rolled in confectioners' sugar they are tasty anytime of year. It's time to make coconut snowball cookies. I know this because New York City is decorated for the season! The Rockefeller Christmas … [Read more...]
Speedy Turkey Tetrazzini -- For Thanksgiving Leftovers!
Thanksgiving Day Leftovers are the bomb! And no need to settle for the same old sandwich. This creamy, comforting casserole will make your head spin with joy. Do any of you remember the Turkey Tetrazzini of your childhood? There's a chance it was loaded with the good stuff, turkey, peas, … [Read more...]
Spiced Cheesecake With Chocolate-Ginger Crust
Cheesecake is the new pie. If you don't believe it, just make this Spiced Cheesecake for Thanksgiving dessert and see who pays attention to the pie! Just look at that impressive situation! It begged to be shot with velvet, like a fancy painting. There's fresh ginger in the chocolaty crust … [Read more...]
10 Simple & Chic Thanksgiving Place Card Ideas
Try one of these 10 simple & chic Thanksgiving place card ideas on your holiday table this year. I love entertaining and most especially bringing people together around food. In all honesty I rarely set a table in my tiny New York apartment, but given the opportunity, I also love to set a … [Read more...]
Creamy Chicken Mushroom Pasta
Creamy Chicken Mushroom Pasta touts plenty of flavor, sweet peas and can be made in minutes. Use a rotisserie chicken to make this quick meal. I usually don't call out "30-minute" recipes. Those weeknight meals so many publications and sites advertise. Most recipes take more than 30 minutes … [Read more...]
Monster Halloween Cookies
Black and white chocolate chip cookies get a Halloween candy twist with leftover loot from Trick or Treating. Listen friends. I have a solution to a problem you didn't know you had.What to do with all that Halloween candy! (other than eat it that is.) Chop it up and stuff in into black … [Read more...]
Shriveled Ogre-Nose Pizza
Making little kids laugh has got to be one of the best things on the planet. I love when they lose it! Just toss their heads back laughing. It's so gratifying to know that they are laughing, not out of courtesy, but because they genuinely think it's funny. (Well at least most kids haven't … [Read more...]
Almond Joy In A Jar
If you like the classic candy bar, you'll go nuts for this creamy, spoonable dessert. It's a delectable Almond joy parfait, perfect for leftover Halloween candy. When Halloween comes around, the stores seem to fill with nothing but candy! It is almost impossible to avoid all of that … [Read more...]
Crazy For Candy Cupcakes
These are impressive bombs. You put them on the table and BOOM! Everyone is instantly impressed. With piles of delicious buttercream, and loads of Halloween candy, you can't go wrong. Make them ahead too! This meringue buttercream holds really well. *One little hint: if you're not a huge … [Read more...]
Mozzarella Stick Mummy Bowls
Cute craft alert!!!! Who doesn't love to eat a crispy mozzarella stick out of the top of a mummy head? Mozzarella sticks have got to be one of the best, quick, crowd-pleasing snacks around. (Seriously, I made some for my friends on a beach trip this summer and I almost didn't even get one, … [Read more...]
Easy Pumpkin Milkshakes in Spooky Glasses
These easy Pumpkin Milkshakes in spooky glasses just take a few chocolate chips and some handy work to make Halloween so much sweeter! I love pumpkin milkshakes. Shoot, I love pretty much any milkshake! But when pumpkin season comes along, I'm ready with my excuses for why I need a milkshake … [Read more...]
Broken Bones Graveyard Cake
If you're having a classy, spiders-and-witches Halloween party this year, how great would this cake be as the centerpiece of the dessert table?!?! The meringue bones are easy to prepare. It just takes one or two before you are a pro at piping the simple shape. Then make your favorite … [Read more...]
No-Carve Fall Pumpkin Crafts
Let me count the ways I love no-carve pumpkin crafts. You can leave the pumpkins in the house and on the porch from October through Thanksgiving! Then after two weeks I don't end up with wilty jack-o-lanterns that look like angry old men. The no-carve option gives you a full Fall season … [Read more...]
Spooky Spiral Halloween Cookies
Spooky Spiral Halloween Cookies are the ultimate psychedelic treat! Their swirly design and sweet flavor are sure to wow everyone who tries them. Every fall I have a contest with myself to see how much I can bake, and every year I seem to beat my record. Each fall I find myself coming back to … [Read more...]
Pumpkin Planters
Turn faux pumpkins into chic planters. Just do it! They are so dang fancy!! (Mostly I love that you can put little succulents in them and I just dig succulents.) The cutest gal Bre, at Bre Purposed blog came up with this great Fall idea.Metallic colors are the coolest and green plants and … [Read more...]
Monogram Letter "Wreath"
Monogrammed anything is so on trend--and why not replace the same old front door wreath with a family letter?! The Crafting Chicks featured this awesome idea on their blog. I featured it on Fox and Friends as a Fall season idea, and that's what I love about it. You can change the ribbon or … [Read more...]
Apple Stamps Craft
GREAT IDEAS! Remember potato stamps!? This crafty situation updates the edible stamp process to a cute fall shape! And even more fun--little hands can get in on the process. Check out CraftStylish blog for the details and create darling art projects, or fun totes for the season by stamping … [Read more...]
Why is it suggested that mushrooms be cleaned off with a wet paper towel instead of rinsing them off under running water?
Mushrooms are like little sponges! Rinsing them in water, or worse, soaking them in a bowl of water, just gives them a chance to drink up excess water like a dry dish sponge would. Because mushrooms already have a lot of water in their makeup, you typically give the moisture time to cook off, or add … [Read more...]
Dear Tara, I love kitchen gadgets, but I'm skeptical to buy them because they often end up in my graveyard of unused kitchen tools. Should I buy an Instant Pot? What about one of those sous-vide cookers? I feel like they're good tools, but maybe I'd use them once or twice and then set them aside only to collect dust. Are there any gadgets you consider must-haves?
I do too! And I'm like you and live in a small apartment with a small kitchen. In fact in my last apartment I stored my must-have salad spinner in my bedroom closet! Now it has a home in my slightly bigger space, but I feel your pain. Buying new kitchen gadgets or small appliances depends completely … [Read more...]
How long does cooked rice last in the fridge?
It would be fine up to a week. I love freezing my leftover rice, especially sticky rice. Once it's cooled I put it in zip top freezer bags, press the air out and seal. The little bags are ready to dump into a bowl or pan to re-heat later. These bags are fine in the freezer up to 6 weeks. … [Read more...]
How did you come up with your name, "Tara Teaspoon"?
I had a friend a long time ago that said, because I cook, she was going to call me Tara Teaspoon, because I was too small to be called Tara Tablespoon. It didn't stick until years later when I was trying to come up with a name for my company. Now people call me that all the time! Feel free to do the … [Read more...]
Some recipes say to bake squash facing up, others say to bake squash facing down. Does it really make a difference in the end result?
It depends on what you are using the squash for and the needs of your recipe. If you slice a squash like butternut, acorn or spaghetti squash in half and then place it face down on a baking sheet to roast, you will essentially be steaming the insides. The steam is trapped in the cavity of the … [Read more...]
Why do some recipes call for eggs to be room temperature before using them when baking?
When baking you want all of your ingredients at the same temperature. This allows them all to mix evenly and distribute well. For example if you were making a cake with butter, eggs and maybe some milk or buttermilk, you'd cream the butter then add the eggs. If your butter had been perfectly … [Read more...]
What is your favorite brand of kitchen knives and why?
Kitchen knives should feel good in your hand. Test them out and hold various brands in your hand before buying. I like my Wusthof knives as well as Global. They fit my hand well and the weight is good. … [Read more...]
Which kitchen gadgets can you not live without?
I have 4 main kitchen gadgets that I can not live without. My small offset spatulas. My silicone rubber spatulas. A Chef'n citrus juicer and my Oxo garlic press. https://amzn.to/2sM7eMu … [Read more...]
What is something you would rather eat in a restaurant than make at home?
Anything deep fried! Also fish. Oh my goodness I love fish but I use a full bottle of Fabreeze in the house when I cook it at home. I love grilling fish on the bbq outside though. Bring on summer! … [Read more...]
How long can I freeze cookie dough?
Who has leftover cookie dough? LOL! I freeze mine for up to a month. That being said, some freezers are better (or worse) than mine. If you're freezer is a super star and has no tendency to freezer-burn things, it can be frozen up to 3 months. Also wrap it well so it doesn't take on other flavors … [Read more...]
I waste so much food after buying specific ingredients for a recipe, but don’t use everything. Any tips on how to make a meal come together with random ingredients?
Don't be scared to experiment! I also like to start my clean-out-the-fridge dinners with pasta or a healthy grain. Could those ingredients be tossed with pasta, roasted and stirred into a grain salad? This covers a lot of herbs and seasonings too! You don't have to use all your leftover ingredients … [Read more...]
What is your best tip for a beginner cook?
My best tip for a beginner cook is to learn and practice knife skills. That's all. When you have great knife skills you enjoy cooking more. When you enjoy cooking more you become confident and successful in the kitchen. … [Read more...]
Is there a food you can't bring yourself to eat?
Ohhh a can of worms! I mean, I wouldn't eat a can of worms, that's for sure, but that is to say I'm a very picky eater, so that is quite a question! Have been since childhood! How I made my career in food is beyond me. Yes, I can't, not just won't, eat shellfish (especially mussels, oysters and … [Read more...]
Do you prefer stainless steel or nonstick cookware?
I use both, and prefer one kind over the other only when it's needed for the recipe. Stainless cookware (and I prefer tri-ply or clad, heavy duty pans) is great for sautéing when I want to make a sauce out of the little caramelized bits on the bottom of the pan, or transfer the entire pan to the … [Read more...]
What food is your guilty pleasure?
Croissants. Plain or chocolate, I'm not picky when it comes to my guilty pleasure. … [Read more...]
What is your favorite go-to ingredient?
Cheese! I had to think about that, but I find I consider what kind of cheese is in the fridge when I start a meal, or snack for that matter. So, definitely a go-to ingredient. Sometimes I'll start a recipe with it, sometimes I finish it with a dash of Parmesan. If you know me, you know I have nachos … [Read more...]
Huevos With Black Bean Hash Browns
Huevos with Black Bean Hash Browns is one of my favorite breakfast and brunch recipes. Seasoned hash browns get mashed black beans, onion and jalapeño mixed in for the perfect side to your morning eggs. Some folks are all about tacos, burritos and nachos for Cinco de Mayo. You know, the … [Read more...]
22 Things To Do With Silverware!
Simple projects to spruce up your game day table. You can make your buffet table the MVP with serving ideas and even crafts with plastic silverware. I had the most fun on The Today Show before the Super Bowl! I demonstrated all sorts of game day crafts for entertaining with ideas off of … [Read more...]
Tapenade Toasts With Roasted Vegetables + Prep Tip
I'm no vegetarian, but I sure do like veggies. Any kind.Even better is when they're roasted. Golden, tender, sometimes just a little charred! (I'll be completely honest, I have to force down broccoli, but when it's roasted--delish!) Here I've roasted an Italian medley of veggies and topped … [Read more...]
Barbecue Popcorn With An Easy BBQ Seasoning Mix
Barbecue Popcorn with an easy BBQ seasoning mix is a simple recipe with a tangy twist. You'll love this easy buttered-popcorn snack that tastes just like your favorite food! Popcorn in any of its variations is delicious. Sweet or salty, popcorn is always a tasty snack. But have you ever tried … [Read more...]
Tomato Chutney Toast With Ricotta And Honey
I wouldn't complain if this was all I had to eat for a month. Actually that is not true. I would complain about not having bacon, and chocolate chip cookies. I felt I needed to make a blanket statement there. To get the point across that I really like eating this delicious toast. There's a … [Read more...]
Apple Cinnamon Popcorn - Easy Snack
Apple cinnamon popcorn is a take on the classic flavor combination. Just a little cinnamon spice and lots of fruity apple flavor covers this easy buttered-popcorn snack. How to get apple flavor on popcorn: Just how do you get tangy, sweet apple flavor on popcorn? I was determined to find … [Read more...]
Toasts With Sweet Potato Spread
Tahini, a smooth sesame seed butter, adds richness and mild flavor to this sweet, savory spread. Depending on the mood of your local grocer, you'll find the tahini near the peanut butter, in the health food section, or in the international foods aisle. Oh my! No matter where you find it, it … [Read more...]