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Preparation They’re in every classic French cookbook from Larousse to Julia Child and are often mentioned on the menus of high end restaurants, but how much do you really know about the five mother sauces? What are these essentials of French cuisine, and how did they come to be so important? “The five mother sauces are the foundation sauces from which other sauces are derived. They are the starting-point for many classic sauces,” says Jerrod Zifchak, executive chef of Café Boulud in New York City....

Ingredients 1 cup packed brown sugar 1/3 cup shortening 1 1/2 cups dark molasses 2/3 cup cold water 7 cups Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking soda 2 teaspoons ground ginger 1 teaspoon ground allspice 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground cloves 1/2 teaspoon salt 4 cups powdered sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla About 5 tablespoons half-and-half Preparation In large bowl, stir together brown sugar, shortening, molasses and water. Stir in remaining cookie ingredients....

Ingredients 1 box (16.3 oz) Betty Crocker™ Gluten Free Cinnamon Muffin Mix Water, vegetable oil and eggs called for on muffin mix box 2 teaspoons ground ginger 1/2 cup dried cranberries 1/2 cup chopped walnuts Preparation Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Line 9x5x3-inch loaf pan with cooking parchment paper; spray bottom and sides with gluten-free cooking spray. Set aside. In medium bowl, stir muffin mix, water, oil, eggs and ginger until blended....

Ingredients 1 tablespoon finely chopped onion 2 teaspoons water 1/4 cup barbecue sauce 2 tablespoons apricot preserves 1 teaspoon chopped chipotle chile in adobo sauce (from 7-oz can) 1/8 teaspoon salt 2 turkey drumsticks (8 oz each) Preparation Heat gas or charcoal grill. In 1-quart saucepan, cook onion and water over medium heat 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onion is tender. Stir in barbecue sauce, preserves, chile and salt....

Preparation We know, we know. You’ve been socialized to appreciate the wonders of modern refrigeration-so much so that you get nervous leaving your lunch leftovers on your desk for a few hours. But when it comes to enjoying breads, pies, cakes, and cookies in their freshest possible state, it might be time to pull the plug on your appliance reliance. Here’s where (and how) to stash the (baked) goods for optimal freshness....

Ingredients 1 lb bulk chorizo sausage 1 small yellow onion, diced 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1 can (15 oz) Progresso™ black beans, drained, rinsed 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese (8 oz) 3/4 cup Original Bisquick™ mix 1 1/2 cups milk 3 eggs 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro Sliced fresh avocado, chopped fresh tomato, salsa, hot sauce, lime wedges, if desired Preparation Heat oven to 400°F. In 10-inch cast-iron skillet, cook chorizo, onion and garlic over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until chorizo is no longer pink and onion is tender; drain....

Ingredients 1 1/2 cups finely crushed vanilla wafer cookies (40 cookies) 2 teaspoons grated lemon peel 1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted 3 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened 3/4 cup sugar 3/4 cup lemon curd 3 eggs Frozen raspberries, if desired Preparation Heat oven to 325°F. Mix cookie crumbs, 1 teaspoon of the lemon peel and the butter. Press evenly in bottom and up side of springform pan, 9x3 inches....

Preparation 8 1/2"-by-11" clear sticker paperScissors or guillotine trimmerSquare corked bottlesStrike-anywhere matches Download our free match jar label clip art. Open file using Adobe Reader, type in your information, and print onto sticker paper.Use scissors or guillotine trimmer to cut along guides. Adhere to jars. Square corked bottle, $5.25; ebottles.com. Diamond strike-anywhere matches, $.25/box; beprepared.com. Clear sticker paper, $13.60 for 10 sheets; avery.com. Tip: For a fun extra touch, attach a flame-starting strip of fine sandpaper below the label with multi-surface glue....

Ingredients 1/4 cup vegetable oil 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 lb small new potatoes, quartered 1 box (3.9 oz) Betty Crocker™ Mediterranean Style Balsamic Sheet Pan Dinner Starter 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (6 to 8 oz each) 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes 1/2 cup mini (1/2-inch) mozzarella balls (4 oz) 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion 2 tablespoons sliced fresh basil leaves, if desired Preparation Heat oven to 400°F. Line 18x13-inch rimmed sheet pan with cooking parchment paper....

We often get asked by friends and readers on Japan travel tips and itineraries so we try our best to share our Japan experiences on the blog. However, one city we didn’t have much travel content on was Tokyo. Why? Since Nami’s family only lives 7 miles (15 km) from Tokyo and 15 miles (23 km) to Shibuya, it never seemed like a “Japan travel destination” for us. As we get repeated request for Tokyo travel guide, we spent 6 days this past summer in Tokyo exploring different wards, activities to do, places to visit and eat....

Ingredients 1 lb lean (at least 80%) ground beef 1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup) 1 clove garlic, finely chopped 1 box Hamburger Helper™ lasagna 1 cup water 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning 2 medium stalks celery, sliced (1 cup) 1 can (15.25 oz) whole kernel corn, undrained 1 can (14.5 oz) Muir Glen™ organic diced tomatoes, undrained Grated Parmesan cheese, if desired Preparation Heat oven to 400°F. In 12-inch skillet, cook beef, onion and garlic over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until beef is brown; drain....

Ingredients 12 fully cooked turkey sausage links 2 cups Fiber One™ Complete pancake mix (from 28.3-oz box) 1 1/2 cups cold water Powdered sugar, if desired 1 cup maple-flavored syrup Preparation Cook sausages as directed on package. Cover to keep warm. Meanwhile, make pancakes as directed on box, using 2 cups pancake mix and 1 1/2 cups water. Wrap each pancake around a sausage; place seam side down on serving platter....

Ingredients 2 1/2 cups Original Bisquick™ mix 1 3/4 teaspoons dried sage leaves 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder 1 1/4 cups shredded provolone cheese (5 oz) 1 cup buttermilk Preparation Heat oven to 450°F. Spray 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray. In medium bowl, stir Bisquick mix, sage, garlic powder and 1 cup of the cheese until well blended. Add buttermilk; stir until soft dough forms. Place dough on surface sprinkled with Bisquick mix; knead 8 to 10 times....

Ingredients 1 1/2 cups chopped cooked seafood, such as crabmeat, shrimp or lobster 1/2 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1 medium celery stalk, chopped (1/2 cup) 1 small onion, chopped (1/4 cup) 4 hot dog buns, split Preparation Mix all ingredients except buns. Fill buns with seafood mixture. Tuna Salad Filling: Substitute 1 can (9 ounces) tuna, drained, for the seafood. Stir in 1 teaspoon lemon juice....

Ingredients 2 egg whites 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (4 oz each) 1/2 cup Progresso™ plain panko crispy bread crumbs 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 1/8 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 1 teaspoon sugar 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 1/8 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon olive oil 1/2 cup red onion, thinly sliced 4 cups baby arugula, from 5-oz container 1 1/2 cups quartered cherry tomatoes...

Ingredients 3 tablespoons packed brown sugar 1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons chipotle chili powder 2 teaspoons ground cumin 1 teaspoon celery salt 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 4 to 5 lb fresh beef brisket (not corned beef) 1 1/2 cups ketchup 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar 1/4 cup finely chopped yellow onion 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 3/4 cup low-sodium beef, chicken or vegetable broth or water...

Ingredients 1 pouch (17.5 oz) Betty Crocker™ sugar cookie mix Butter and egg called for on cookie mix pouch for drop cookies 1/4 cup Great Value™ pastel-colored sprinkle mix 1 cup Betty Crocker™ Rich & Creamy vanilla frosting (from 16-oz container) 1 tube (0.67 oz) Great Value™ pastel pink gel food color (about 2 1/2 teaspoons) 1/2 teaspoon Great Value™ pastel blue gel food color Preparation Heat oven to 375°F. In medium bowl, stir cookie mix, butter and egg until soft dough forms....

There are so many different ways to prepare potatoes such as this recipe to the classic mashed potato to French fries, you cannot go wrong with potatoes as a side dish. TWICE-BAKED POTATO RECIPE- Twice-baked potatoes get their name from just that, being baked twice! You start off with the classic Baked Potato, then you hollow out the potatoes and make a creamy and tender mashed potato filling which you then stuff back into the potato shells and bake again!...

Ingredients 1 package (17.3 oz) frozen puff pastry sheets (2 sheets), thawed 1 package (6-serving size) vanilla instant pudding and pie filling mix 2 cups milk 1 teaspoon vanilla 1/2 cup sour cream 1 cup powdered sugar 3 to 4 teaspoons milk 1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips Preparation Heat oven to 400°F. Lightly spray 2 cookie sheets with cooking spray. On lightly floured surface, unfold pastry sheets. Cut each sheet into 3 strips along fold marks....

Preparation Whether you prefer them roasted or mashed, baked or fried, potatoes are one of the most universally beloved vegetables. They’re delicious as a stand-alone side dish but also work well when used in chowders, pot pies, and more. Most recipes that use potatoes call for them to be peeled and diced—a task that can take at least five minutes, but sometimes much longer depending on the number of potatoes needed for the recipe....