Celebrating Cinco de Mayo

In the United States, Cinco de Mayo celebrates Mexican heritage and pride. Celebrating Cinco de Mayo is fun because it allows you to cook all your favorite Mexican specialties and mix up some special margaritas. Contrary to popular belief, Cinco de Mayo is not Mexican Independence Day (that's on Sept. 16th), instead it marks the Mexican army's unlikely victory over French forces in 1862.

This year, Cinco de Mayo falls on a Saturday, so it'll be even easier to whip up some tasty treats and have fun with family and friends. For this party we've decided to focus on our all-time favorite Mexican dishes from start to finish- a refreshing margarita, expertly made chips and guacamole, flavorful enchiladas and finally a tres leches cake.

Watermelon Cilantro Margaritas (Food52)
Start your party with a refreshing margarita.
Ingredients: Tequila, Triple Sec, Watermelon Juice, Lime Sour Mix, Cilantro, Ice

Guacamole with Fresh Corn & Chipotle (Epicurious)
This is the perfect dip for fresh tortilla chips.
Ingredients: Ripe Avocados, Canned Chipotle Chile, Fresh Corn, Tomato, Lime Juice, Sour Cream, Green Onion

Chicken Enchiladas Suizas (Food Network)
Enchiladas are our all-time favorite Mexican entree.
Ingredients: Serrano Chiles, Sour Cream, Tortillas, Onion, Garlic, Chicken Broth, Tomato, Chicken, Oil, Cilantro, Queso Fresco, Salt

Tres Leches Cake (MyRecipes)
This delicious cake is  made with three different types of milk.
Ingredients: Milk (Evaporated, Sweetened Condensed, Regular), Sugar, Vanilla Extract, Baking Powder, Butter, Salt, Flour, Cream, Eggs
 

Time to get excited for Cinco de Mayo!

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Our Favorite Sandwiches: Po Boys in New Orleans

What is this spectacularly messy sandwich? It's the world-renowned Roast Beef Po' Boy from Parasol's in New Orleans. After nearly everyone we asked raved about the place, we decided it was worth the 2.2 mile walk from the French Quarter in 80+ degree heat. And we're happy to report it was well worth it!

To take down a sandwich like this you're going to need a fistful of napkins and a small bottle of Louisiana hot sauce. Po' Boys are to New Orleans what Cheese Steaks are to Philly - they're most dominant and delicious sandwiches in town. A Po' Boy is not a dainty sandwich - it's a giant submarine packed with fried seafood or roast beef on a soft French baguette. When "dressed" it's served with lettuce, tomato, pickles and mayo. Most people add hot sauce as well. Though we're still full from Parasol's, we've gotten expert advice to head to Dooky Chase, Mahony's and Domilise if we have time.

Now that we've had our fare share of Po' Boys, we're excited to recreate them at home. In particular, we like these recipes:

Shrimp Po' Boy with Creole Mayo (Food Network)
Fried shrimp is a classic New Orleans filling.
Ingredients: Lettuce, Creole Seasoning, Mayo, Sun-dried Tomatoes, Sandwich Rolls, Cooked Shrimp

Bay Scallop Po' Boy with Spicy Mayo (Martha Stewart)
Bay scallops are easy to find and always tasty.
Ingredients: Bay Scallops, Garlic, Flour, Lemon, Oil, Mayo, Breadcrumbs, Paprika, Rolls, Lettuce, Salt & Pepper

 
Time to eat some Po Boy Sandwiches!

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Seasonal Spotlight: Spring Strawberries

Strawberries reach their peak flavor and freshness every spring and we couldn't be more excited. We love those red, juicy fruits as much as any other. While we happily eat them plain, there are plenty of great ways to incorporate strawberries into your next meal.

Naturally, strawberries are great for dessert. You can have them simply dressed with a bit of cream or bake them into all kinds of confections from pies to cupcakes. It's also a lot of fun to make your own strawberry jam or jelly.

Strawberries also work well in salads and main dishes. Here are our 4 favorite strawberry dishes for springtime:

Spinach Salad with Strawberry Vinaigrette (Epicurious)
This tasty salad has fresh strawberries and a strawberry vinaigrette.
Ingredients: Strawberry Vinegar, Olive Oil, Baby Spinach, Strawberries, Toasted Pecans

Strawberry-Turkey-Brie Panini (MyRecipes)
This sandwich uses strawberries to elevate the classic panini.
Ingredients: Brie, Butter, Red Pepper Jelly, Basil, Italian Bread, Smoked Turkey, Strawberries

Grilled Peanut Butter and Banana Split Sandwich (MyRecipes)
A Banana Split Sandwich? Yes, Please!
Ingredients: Strawberry, Peanut Butter, Pineapple Jam, Butter, Banana, Chocolate Chips, White Bread, Honey

Berry Tart (Simply Recipes)
This tart is a great way to highlight fresh berries.
Ingredients: Flour, Ground Almonds, Sugar, Salt, Butter, Almond Extract, Mascarpone, Cream, Fresh Berries
 

Those are the recipes, now all you need are the strawberries!

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Easy Picnic Ideas

When springtime weather arrives, we're always excited to spend more time outside with friends and family. We especially love getting a group together for a fun and delicious picnic in a nearby park. With a couple smart choices you can put together a delicious picnic in no time.

First, don't forget some blankets for sitting and toys for the kids. For everyone else, you'll need a cooler filled with cold drinks and plenty of napkins, paper plates and disposable utensils.

For food, we like dishes that are easy to make and keep well in any kind of weather. For this trip, we've picked a fresh salad, tasty sandwich and hand-held dessert. One great trick for the salad is to bring the dressing separately and only use it at the last second to keep all your veggies crisp. As always, you should customize your menu to feature your favorite dishes.

Watermelon and Arugula Salad (Food52)
Great salad- add the watermelon and dressing at the last second.
Ingredients: Parsley, Lime, Red Onion, Watermelon, Arugula, Feta Cheese, Kalamata Olives, Olive Oil

Turkey Sandwich with Herbed Farmer Cheese (Martha Stewart)
This sandwich is packed with delicious ingredients.
Ingredients: Turkey, Whole-Grain Bread, Thyme, Greek Yogurt, Farmer Cheese, Tomato, Sprouts

Shortbread Caramel Brownie Bars (MyRecipes)
These shortbread bars are the perfect outdoor dessert.
Ingredients: Butter, Sugar, Baking Powder, Milk, Salt, Chocolate, Caramels, Flour, Eggs, Cornstarch


Now it's time to pack that picnic!

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Delicious Dishes for Meatless Mondays

Meatless Mondays have been gaining popularity over the last couple months. Why? Because skipping meat, even just once a week, has significant health and environmental benefits.

On the health side, eating less meat can limit cancer risk, reduce heart disease, fight diabetes, curb obesity and help you live longer. A recent study by Harvard University showed that replacing foods high in saturated fats (like meat) with foods high in polyunsaturated fat (like vegetable oils, nuts and seeds) reduces the risk of heart disease by 19%.

On the environmental front, eating less meat will reduce your carbon footprint, minimize water usage and help reduce fossil fuel dependence. For instance, it takes nearly 2,000 gallons of water to produce one pound of beef whereas a pound of wheat requires only 25 gallons.

We've found it easy to eat less meat when we search for vegetarian recipes with our favorite ingredients (like arugula and mushrooms) in our favorite dishes (like pizza and tacos). So, without further ado here are 3 tasty recipes for this Meatless Monday:

Gourmet Pizza: The Waldorf (Food52)
Quick tip: you can always buy fresh dough from your favorite pizzeria.
Ingredients: Bleu Cheese, Red Grapes, Walnuts, Olive Oil, Gala Apple, Cream, Celery, Thin Pizza Crust

Arugula and Ricotta Calzones (Epicurious)
Serve these with a little marinara sauce for dipping.
Ingredients: Egg, Garlic, Pizza Dough, Salt & Pepper, Olive Oil, Parmesan, Arugula, Ricotta

Mushroom, Rajas, and Corn Tacos (Cookstr)
Rajas are sliced poblano peppers, and they're delicious!
Ingredients: Corn, Garlic, Poblanos, Queso Fresco, Onion, Anaheim Chiles, Roma Tomatoes, Epazote Leaves, Creminis, Tortillas, Cilantro, Salsa


Now it's time to start cooking!

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People are Frying Pizzas!

A recent New York Times article turned us on to a hot new pizza trend, the Montanara Pizza, and it's fried! (Slideshow here.)

But, unlike the wacky fried pizza at the state fair, this isn't a whole pizza that's battered and then fried, just the crust. Once the dough has been fried to a golden brown, the sauce, cheese and toppings are added and the pizza hits the oven for a quick bake. The result is delicious, but definitely heavier than a typical Neapolitan-style pie.

We haven't had the chance to try one yet, but it should be easy to replicate since you just have to fry the dough in a pan or deep fryer. After that, since the crust will be packed with more fat than your average pie, we recommend topping it with lighter, healthier toppings. After searching for recipes to complement the Montanara, we found three that will add flavor without weighing you down:

Spring Pizza with Blood Orange, Arugula & Almonds (Food52)
Welcome spring with a host of creative ingredients.
Ingredients: Blood Orange, Arugula, Asparagus, Ricotta Cheese, Toasted Almond Slivers, Shredded Mozzarella

Heirloom Tomato & Basil Pizza (Williams-Sonoma)
This flavorful pizza highlights fresh tomatoes and fresh basil.
Ingredients: Mozzarella Cheese, Heirloom Tomatoes, Fresh Basil, Salt, Pepper

West Coast Grilled Vegetable Pizza (Martha Stewart)
The West Coast knows their fresh veggies.
Ingredients: Avocado, Baby Spinach, Goat Cheese, Plum Tomatoes, Scallions, Red-Wine Vinegar


Now it's pizza-making time!

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How to Make Simple Chocolate Desserts

A delicious chocolate dessert is a thing of beauty. Unfortunately, most home cooks shy away from making desserts because they're worried about the results. Luckily, we've found a number of chocolate dessert recipes that are both simple to make and delicious.

In addition to being tasty, chocolate is actually good for you (in moderation). Chocolate starts with the cocoa bean, the seeds of the cocoa tree which are high in antioxidants. These antioxidants protect the body from the damage and aging caused by free radicals, which would otherwise lead to heart disease. Dark chocolate has nearly 8 times the amount of antioxidants found in strawberries. They also help relax blood pressure and dark chocolate has been shown to decrease LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) by up to 10 percent.

Without further ado, here are 3 easy-to-prepare chocolate desserts that'll impress your guests.

Molten Chocolate Cake (Martha Stewart)
We're huge fans of cakes with a molten or creamy center.
Ingredients: All-Purpose Flour, Sugar, Salt, Eggs, Butter, Bittersweet Chocolate, Whipped Cream

Chocolate Mousse (Simply Recipes)
Mousse is velvety and always hits the spot.
Ingredients: Bittersweet Chocolate, Butter, Coffee, Heavy Cream, Eggs, Sugar, Raspberries, Whipped Cream

Caramelized Pineapple with Hot Chocolate Sauce (Cookstr)
Caramelization adds a great depth of flavor to the pineapple.
Ingredients: Pineapple, Brown Sugar, Bittersweet Chocolate, Rum, Cream


Well, now it's time to buy some chocolate and start making delicious desserts!

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Our Tax Day Diet

Tax Day - not the most upbeat holiday on the calendar (unless you're getting a massive refund check and need some caviar recipes!) - but we've found some food-focused ways to make it fun.

To make up for all the tax prep work, you'll want to cook up something simple, yet delicious. It's also nice to have something comforting to make up for the sticker shock of seeing your tax bill. Along those lines, we're always big fans of Italian comfort food dishes like Chicken Parmesan over linguine simply dressed in olive oil and garlic. You could also layer it up with a Vegetarian Lasagna alongside a simple side salad. Finish it off with a creamy dessert like Chocolate Mousse served in a martini glass.

Chicken Parmesan (Martha Stewart)
This is a great dish that's easy to prepare.
Ingredients: Mozzarella, Tomato, Butter, Breadcrumbs, Olive Oil, Pepper, Garlic, Salt, Chicken Breast, Parmesan, Crushed Red Pepper

Swiss Chard Lasagna with Ricotta (Epicurious)
It's always fun to layer up some lasagna.
Ingredients: Ricotta, Fontina, Parmesan, Criminis, Swiss Chard, Bay Leaf, Nutmeg, Flour, Milk, Garlic, Olive Oil, Lasagna Noodles

Chocolate-Almond Zabaglione (Food Network)
This creamy Italian dessert is perfect after a long day.
Ingredients: Amaretti Cookies, Sugar, Almond-Flavored Liqueur, Unsweetened Cocoa Powder, Eggs, Chocolate Shavings


We're sure these comforting Italian dishes will make Tax Day fade into the distance.

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How to Use Overripe Fruits & Veggies

When fruits and veggies have been lying around a day or two past their prime you can still put them to good use. How? Bake them into a cake.

Some of our favorite snacks and desserts are best with over-ripe produce, especially banana bread. You can also bake delicious cakes and muffins with aging strawberries, peaches or nectarines. Another one of our favorites is to use overripe blueberries in blueberry pancakes.

Strawberries, or any other fruit for that matter, can make great jams and cobblers. Once you cook it all down, all the soft spots are irrelevant. A couple other great options include using it for a sauce or salad dressing.

Banana Bread with Walnuts and Flaxseed
Banana bread is at its best when you use overripe ones.
Ingredients: Overripe Bananas, Butter, Whole-Wheat & AP Flour, Flaxseed, Salt, Baking Powder, Baking Soda, Egg, Brown Sugar, Vanilla Extract, Walnuts

Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes
When you keep blueberries a bit too long, make some pancakes!
Ingredients: Egg, Butter, Buttermilk, Salt, Baking Soda, Baking Powder, Salad Oil, All Purpose Flour

Apricot Mustard Sauce with Pork Chops
Turn those apricots into a delicious sauce for pork chops.
Ingredients: Sour Cream, Dijon Mustard, Whole-Grain Mustard, Apricots, Sauteed Pork Chops


Time to turn those overripe fruits and veggies into delicious dishes.

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Happy National Grilled Cheese Day!

We just got some great news: today is National Grilled Cheese Day! Grilled Cheese is one of our favorite sandwiches of all time. Even though it only has 3 key ingredients - bread, cheese and butter - there's something magical about the combination that always makes us happy.

For this big day we've selected our favorite 3 Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, but with FoodPair you can always keep searching to find a recipe customized to your tastes. A good place to start is our Grilled Cheese Recipe Collection. For even more choices, use the FoodPair Recipe Search Engine to browse nearly a million recipes from all the top food sites.

Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Bacon & Pear
A great pairing of crispy bacon, sweet pears & sharp Cheddar.
Ingredients: Butter, French or Italian Bread, Bacon, Bartlett Pear, Sharp White Cheddar Cheese

Spanish Grilled Cheese with Manchego & Jamon Serrano
Try this recipe with Spanish flair from Manchego and Jamon Serrano.
Ingredients: Butter, White Bread, Manchego Cheese, Jamon Serrano (or Prosciutto), Medjool Dates

Spicy Grilled Cheese Sandwich
When you need to keep it spicy, jalapenos are the way to go.
Ingredients: Butter, White Bread, American Cheese, Plum Tomato, Onion, Jalapeno Peppers


Time to make a delicious Grilled Cheese Sandwich!

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Pretzel Crisps: our delicious discovery

While on an intense hunt for new snack ideas, a friend recommended we try Pretzel Crisps, mini pretzel-crackers available in a variety of flavors. Apparently it was time for us to rethink the pretzel.

We still love large, doughy, salt-covered pretzels, but Pretzel Crisps let us focus on the best part - the crunchy and flavorful pretzel exterior. It always reminds us of the Seinfeld episode where Elaine has a million dollar idea to sell only the best part of the muffin, the top! Their business failed because they couldn't figure out where to ditch the bottoms. Luckily, Pretzel Crisps solved this riddle by figuring out how to capture that that great pretzel flavor in a crisp (instead of painstakingly peeling pretzels just to sell the crust).

Over the past couple weeks we've tried nearly every flavor of Pretzel Crisps on the market and come up with a lot of great pairing ideas. In fact, we've had so many pairing ideas that we're making this a series, so stay tuned! For our first installment, we're breaking open bags of deli style crisps - Original, Sesame and Everything.

Below are our first 4 pairing ideas for Pretzel Crisps, but feel free to fire up the the FoodPair Recipe Search Engine and enter your favorite ingredients to get recipes customized to your tastes.

The New York Breakfast
Turn the Sesame Pretzel Crisp into a Smoked Salmon appetizer.
Ingredients: Smoked Salmon, Cream Cheese, Tomato, Red Onion, English Cucumber, Caper, Lemon Juice

Hot Pastrami, Swiss and Mustard
Turn the Plain Crisp into a Reuben with pastrami, swiss and mustard.
Ingredients: Swiss Cheese, Dijon Mustard, Corned Beef

Open-Face Ham and Brie Sandwiches
Pair the Everything Crisp with brie, ham and a touch of cranberry.
Ingredients: Ham, Brie, Baby Spinach, Cranberry Sauce

Turkey with Apple and Walnut-Herb Mayo
Top any Crisp with fresh turkey, sliced apple and a compound mayo.
Ingredients: Turkey, Mayo, Walnuts, Fresh or Dried Herbs, Green Apple, Dijon Mustard


All this talk of Pretzel Crisps with unique toppings is making us hungry. Good thing it's snack time somewhere!

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