Want a quick gift idea that’s easy to prepare and just happens to be a perfect holiday project with kids? Head Pastry Chef Pierre  Gatel from  Wynn Resort Las Vegas shares his secret Peppermint Bark Recipe with The Gourmet Review. It’s great for New Year’s celebrations or any time you can’t live another minute without a chocolate […]

  Every year I need to rerun this post for “Party Mix,” “Nuts N Bolts” or “Doo Dads.” My family expects bowls of this addictive snack for Christmas.  I start making the mix mid November and put in the freezer before adding the liquid ingredients. Each bowl is labeled for a particular family member. This solves the […]

Homemade croissants. Who doesn’t love the smell of croissants and breads emanating from ovens in a French bakery? Let me share the secret for bringing these intoxicating aromas of freshly baked, French style croissants into your kitchen without the slightest fuss. Williams Sonoma has the answer. Hand made by Master Pastry French Chef, Jean-Yves Charon, […]

Love this Cranberry Mojito cocktail recipe. Holidays at Wynn Resort Las Vegas are celebrated with shimmering displays of lights and holiday themed cuisine, as well as festive inspired libations from the Wynn’s master mixologist, Patricia Richards. The green mint and red cranberries are a color themed bonus for those who love their mojitos. Pick your night. Whether […]

  Everything about the Four Season’s Georges V  hotel is luxurious, spectacular and simply over the top. So why not take a peek and get inspiration for the holidays? The George Fizz cocktail is the original recipe (see below) and is guaranteed to inspire romantic thoughts of Paris. Why not be the talk of your next party.? […]

Looking for an easy, decadent holiday present? Try Donna Hay’s mouth watering Candy Cane Brownies with chocolate ganache. Find a red holiday box and top with white ribbon and a candy cane. This is easy and fabulously delicious – perfect for a hostess gift or a grand dessert that can be prepared in advance. SERVES: […]

Who doesn’t associate colorful, healthy and festive red cranberries with the holidays? The Barefoot Contessa features this Cranberry and Apple Cake recipe in her new cookbook,“How Easy Is That.” Ina’s newest cookbook is the essence of fabulous entertaining without a lot of fuss. Nothing beats this crowd pleasing dessert during an otherwise hectic time of  year!   […]

So, does it drive you crazy trying to keep gravy hot during Thanksgiving, Christmas or any holiday turkey dinner? Nothing worse than cold gravy on stuffing, right? I finally decided I would put away all my fancy gravy boats and get a couple of inexpensive thermal ones seen in the photo below – one for […]

Can it be time for Thanksgiving already? Whether it’s a holiday meal with friends and family, food culminating with a turkey dinner is a colossal undertaking. Try some of my shortcuts to make this day a little easier. Anything I can do to simplify the day works for me. Since the meal is traditional and […]

Every year, the “Blue Baker” and I decorate cupcakes for Halloween. It’s been a tradition watching my granddaughter become more accomplished in her pastry decorative skills. I have a drawer full of pastry tubes, tips, sprinkles and tubes of food coloring in my kitchen that I can no longer close, because we’ve crammed so much […]