The Other Woman Cooks

Just the word lemon causes my taste buds to perk up. There are all kinds of lemons... Lisbon lemons are small and seedless. Eureka lemons are the most common. Meyer lemons are a sweeter variety and have a hint of orange flavor. There are even pink lemons and thanks to a good friend with a yard full of tropical fruit trees, I've been lucky enough to try one!   Lemons are the most common flavor enhancer after salt and pepper. Lemons yield more juice at room temp than a lemon that is cold. However, since lemons are susceptible to mold it’s best to store them in the refrigerator crisper drawers. To maximize your juicing, leave your lemon out for a couple of hours before juicing. Roll the room-temperature lemon on the counter and apply light pressure with your hand as you roll it. Then cut and squeeze. The zest is also an amazing flavor enhancer. But for  today’s recipe all you need is the juice. So if you're jonesing  for a lemony rich appetizer or super tasty...

There’s only one real chowda according to old New Englanders. New England clam chowder is cream-based, and traditionally thickened with oyster crackers. Modern chowder uses flour or cornstarch as a thickener and most restaurants serve oyster crackers as a garnish. No tomatoes allowed. Here's a little known fact: in 1939 a bill that made putting tomatoes in clam chowder illegal was introduced in the Maine legislature.  While cream or milk based clam chowders have been around since the mid-18th century, no mention of any tomato based chowder has been found that predates the late 1890s.  Rumor has it that the addition of tomatoes in place of milk originated within the Portugese immigrant community in Rhode Island, where tomato-based stews were already a traditional part of Portuguese cuisine.  Everyone knows about the Yankees-Red Sox feud, for over 100 years known an one of the fiercest rivalries in sports and often a subject of heated conversations. So it shou...

Too busy to bake? Think again.  These little gems will rock your taste buds. Go ahead, volunteer to donate a bake sale item; bring a treat for your book club; make the best picnic brownies ever; or just be the coolest mom in the neighborhood. All it takes is three ingredients and 25 minutes. That's it. Done. Today was World Nutella Day.  NUTELLA BROWNIE BITES 1 small jar (1 cup) Nutella  10 tablespoons flour 2 eggs.  Mix it up and divide batter evenly into 10 lined muffin cups. Bake at 350 for 20-22 minutes. Chopped hazelnuts baked on top optional.  Absolutely fabulous.