TULUM
GREAT BEACHES? CHECK. GREAT FOOD? CHECK. GREAT SHOPPING? CHECK. AMAZING HOTELS, AMAZING ACTIVITIES ... THE LIST GOES ON. TULUM JUST MIGHT BE THE MOST PERFECT PLACE ON EARTH. HAVE A LOOK AT OUR FAVORITE PLACES TO EAT, SLEEP, SHOP AND THE BEST THINGS TO DO. AND THEN GET READY TO BOOK YOUR TRIP, BECAUSE IT REALLY IS THAT GOOD.
TASTE: SLOW COOKER LAMB SHANKS WITH LEMON, DILL + FETA
this is a perfect winter recipe: hearty, warming and incredibly easy to make thanks to the use of a slow cooker. we love the all clad deluxe slow cooker (read more about it here), which is perfect for this dish as you can brown the shanks right in the insert on the stovetop so you don't lose all of the yummy bits in the transfer. plus, you only have one pot to clean at the end.
TASTE: THE YULE LOG
Christmas means many things to many people. For us, one of the most important traditions is the Büche de Noel (Yule Log). It's like a yodel for grownups and it's surprisingly easier to make than you might think. We happen to love this one from Food 52 which is flourless, rich and includes mascarpone. Who can resisit?
48 HOURS
We all know people who have gift closets. Overacheivers who start stocking weeks, months, even years in advance of the holidays, with the perfect gift for everyone on their lists. We also know people who, 48 hours before Christmas morning, are still scrambling. I admit to being a two-day tarrier and have thankfully found quite a few great gift options that will deliver on time, directly to your recipient's inbox, and promise not to disappoint.
The 2015 HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE
The countdown is on and the gift guides are here.
Below are some of our favorite Selects for this holiday season for everyone on
your list from tweens to techies, foodies to travelers.
Happy Shopping!
TASTE: YOU GOT YOUR CHOCOLATE IN MY ALMOND BUTTER
Who doesn't love a dessert that's free of refined sugar, dairy and gluten and doesn't require any baking at all? I know I do, and these Dark Chocolate Almond Butter Cups from Aloha really deliver on taste as well as some pretty decent nutrition. They do require that you purchase some of the Aloha products, but I promise they are worth it, and you can have a look at Glow: Wellness for some more info. Check out their website as well as they're always posting greta recipes as well as tips on wellness.
TASTE: THIS LITTLE PIGGY ...
The holidays are mostly just an excuse to overindulge in every way, which is awesome, unless you’re the one in charge of food prep. This recipe for porchetta, from Marc Murphy’s Season with Authority: Confident Home Cooking is a true crowd pleaser and looks like you did much more work than you actually did. Serve it with a simple green salad and some roasted potatoes and sit back and prepare to accept enormous praise.
TASTE: MAD SKILLS
Every chef, professional or otherwise, will tell you that the only thing you really need in order to be a great cook is some kick ass knife skills. And it’s true. It’s as if the seas part and all becomes clear once you can slice an onion, mince garlic or chop herbs. The world of cooking opens up and things that once seemed impossible, are suddenly possible, maybe even easy. I learned this lesson last year when I received the gift of a course at the Institute of Culinary Education (ICE) for Christmas and was amazed at what a HUGE difference even just one class made. If you can’t get out to a cooking school or class, I find these videos from Serious Eats to be incredibly helpful and it’s great to set yourself up in the kitchen and test them out in real time.
QUILTY AS CHARGED
OK, bad pun, I know (I specialize in those), but I am sort of obsessed with quilted everything right now. It's just so damn cozy, and it reminds me of the Chanel bag I've always wanted. Here, some of my favorite quilted finds.
TASTE: SPAGHETTI SQUASH LATKES WITH SRIRACHA “MAYO”
'Tis the season for latke-making, and while this recipe is far from traditional, it's one that I am so in love with I don't even know what to say. It combines two of my very favorite things: spaghetti squash and sriracha and it's gluten free, high in protein and fiber, dairy free and there's SRIRACHA involved. I vow to make these a regular part of my rotation.
STOCKINGS WITH CARE
It seems only fitting that we highlight a holiday-based organization at this time of year, and Stockings with Care is one that we feel strongly about. The premise is simple: to make sure that families in need can create the magic of Christmas morning for their kids. For SWC, it’s about “opening hearts, inspiring dreams and preserving the dignity of parents and their families.”
TASTE: BLACK BEAN BROWNIES. YUP.
WHEN I FIRST CAME ACROSS THIS RECIPE ON SKINNYTASTE ABOUT A YEAR AGO, I WAS SORT OF INTRIGUED AND SORT OF DISGUSTED. BUT I'M ALL FOR TRYING ANYTHING THAT GETS ME LESS SUGAR AND CARBS AND STILL CLAIMS TO BE DESSERT, SO I GAVE IT A WHIRL. AND ALL I CAN SAY IS WOW. THESE BROWNIES ARE INCREDIBLY RICH, DECADENT AND CHOCOLATE-Y. THEY ARE ALSO SUPER EASY TO MAKE. AND THEY'RE GOOD FOR YOU. ISH.
THERE'S AN APP FOR THAT
I LOVE APPS. I REALLY DO. I ESPECIALLY LOVE APPS THAT MAKE IT EASY TO SHOP. SO HERE, A FEW OF MY ABSOLUTE FAVES FOR THOSE TIMES WHEN YOU NEED TO MAKE AN IMPULSE PURCHASE OR HAVE TO SHOP FROM YOUR HANDHELD.
THE BEST HOTELS ON EARTH
As you can probably tell by now, I'm a huge fan of under the radar, slightly off the beaten path travel secrets. One of my favorite hotel sites in the world is Mr & Mrs Smith, a perfectly curated collection of boutique hotels around the globe. What I love about the site is that not only are the hotels they represent stylish and unique, but the research they've done is bar none. They put you on the inside track with information on anything and everything - from which rooms are worth asking for to where you can go for a picnic nearby, all so well written and accessible. And while the name, Mr & Mrs Smith, is meant to represent the romantic getaways they are best known for, they also have a division that's perfect for families called Smith & Family.
TASTE: ANNE BURRELL'S AWESOME SAUCE
One of the perks of having Chef friends is a sauce like this. To say this tomato sauce is the best sauce on the planet doesn't even begin to do it justice. You can use it for almost anything, but my fave is over avocado and poached eggs, which Anne has labeled my "bipolar breakfast" due to the fact that I ride such an incredible high when she hands me the bowl, and I sink into a deep depression when I finish it. There is no link to this recipe, because it exists nowhere but on my computer, and exclusively here on The Select 7.
GIVING THANKS
Thanksgiving is the time of year when we all give thanks for our families, our friends, our blessings. When we look at our lives and the world around us and appreciate what we have, what we've worked for, been given. We hope for peace, for things to quiet down - for everyone to be grateful. It's also the time of year when we all feel a little helpless, a little ashamed at the incredible imbalances in the world and we feel desperate to help, to at least make the holidays a little more joyous for all of us. And for most of us, that inclination to be a part of a solution falls squarely on the shoulders of the hunger issue.
TASTE: Thanksgiving? Already?
Thanksgiving. Wow - how did that happen already? This is the only holiday that I am 100% responsible for. I'm not quite sure how it happened, but the Chef in Marc shuts down one day a year, and this is it. So, 13 years ago I was forced to come up with my own Thanksgiving menu, and this turkey recipe from Bon Appetit has never, ever disappointed. The trick is the maple butter that gets rubbed all over the turkey in between the skin and the meat. It's a messy, fairly disgusting job, but I promise the end result is worth it.
