http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2012/03/the-food-lab-how-to-make-veggie-vegan-burgers-that-dont-suck.html

 The Perfect Veggie Burger

There are a few key characteristics that I look for in a great veggie patty.

• The burger must be structurally sound. I want a veggie burger that holds its shape and doesn’t have the texture of mashed potatoes, squishing out the back of the bun as I bite down.
• The burger must have good textural contrast. All lumps or all smooth is no good. I want the patty to be soft and tender, but have little bits and bites of crunch and chew.
• The burger’s flavor must be good, but not overly assertive. I want my burger to have a good balance of savory flavors. What I don’t is for a single flavor—say a spice or an herb—to dominate, restricting my topping choices.
• The burger must hold together on a griddle or grill. A veggie burger that cracks or crumbles and falls into the grill grates when you cook it may as well not ever have existed int he first place.
• The burger must not suck.*

I saw these cute cupcakes on Pinterest (yes, I’m addicted) and knew I wanted to make them. After great success with my snowman cupcakes, I knew I wanted to make them with Greek yogurt again.  ….read more at skinnytaste.com

This is by far one of my favorite cookies of the year, but I’m especially partial to shortbread recipes. I used Chai honey from Beekind to spice up my glazed nuts. You’ll be the hit of the party if you make a few extra nuts for snacking on  ….read more at bite club eats….

I’ve been writing about this wreath on the site since 2008, each year updating the story, because I think it’s worth reminding you how perfect this bread is to start a holiday morning. …read more at the kitchn

The cardiovascular benefits of moderate red wine drinking have been touted for years, but new research suggests the same positive health effects can be offered from beer

Read more: http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/90065212?Italian%20scientists%20find%20beer%20offers%20same%20cardiovascular%20benefits%20as%20wine#ixzz1gXRqmX8Z

It’s boom time for hot dogs in L.A. Pink’s and Tommy’s are going strong, with newcomers Dog Haus, Federal Bar, Slaw Dogs, Coney Dog and Papaya King raising the stakes.  From the Los Angles Times … more

My mother is usually the one who makes poached pears. I have a photo of her in an old family album, holding a platter of them. By the length of her hair, I’m guessing that the year was 1982. My father must have snapped the picture as they were leaving for a holiday party. That was the kind of thing he liked to do. She’s standing in the wood-paneled den of the house we lived in until I was 13, wearing what appears to be a sand-colored fur jacket. She must have curled her hair with hot rollers, because it sits on her shoulders in soft loops, and where she’s pinned it back above her left ear, you can see the sparkle of her earring. Her eyes are lined in dark pencil, and her lipstick is as red and glossy as a Robert Palmer girl’s. She’s staring at something just beyond the camera, probably waiting for the flash to go off. The platter is in front of her chest, tilted slightly downward, so you can see the pears in neat rows. For her, that’s clearly what the photo is about: a dozen pears standing upright, each carefully peeled, poached, painted in dark chocolate, and topped with a sprig of fresh holly leaves. I like that for my father, the photo is clearly about her.

I must say, I have a strong aversion for yellows and oranges. It’s visceral. When Thanksgiving comes around, I always try to break out of the traditional yellow and orange center pieces. As far as I know, there is no rule that says you can’t do purple to celebrate. The table set I created this year to solve that issue not only takes care of the usual Thanksgiving colors but also works perfectly for a different kind of Christmas.