SousChef Community

If you love cakes, July 4th, or Americana, Warren Brown's United Cakes of America: Recipes Celebrating Every State (Stewart, Tabori & Chang) may be the perfect book for you. Brown, founder of CakeLove Bakery in D.C., is passionate about cakes and his enthusiasm translates well into the book that's organized by region and state. Cake recipes are ...

Yesterday was the Feast of the Epiphany, also known as Twelfth Night or Three Kings, the end of the Twelve Days of Christmas and the celebration of the visit of the three wise men (kings) to the baby Jesus. On the culinary front, this means it's now King Cake season. The tradition of the King Cake originated in Europe and followed French settlers ...

1. Goose was the traditional principle dish for Christmas in Europe for a long time, but from the 16th century, wealthier European families began indulging in a new holiday meal. What was it? a. ham b. turkey c. beef d. veal 2. Why is it tradition for everyone to get up from the Christmas dinner table at same time in the Czech Republic? a. It ...

How cool are these mini gingerbread houses perched on mugs of hot chocolate?! Think I'll have to make some of these. Thanks, NotMartha! Got the Christmas baking bug? Check out our easy videos and recipes for a Yule Log cake and delicious edible gifts. We've even got kid-friendly versions to cut down on time and angst. Oh, and of course you'll need ...

With Thanksgiving just days away and Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and New Year's fast approaching, we're deep into the holiday baking season. If you're not a regular baker and the thought of rolling out dough, whipping cream, or decorating cookies sends you into a pastry anxiety tailspin, relax. I have a recommendation: Lauren Chattman's new ...

I am lucky that my husband didn't follow my instructions as delineated in my 5 Things I Want for Mother's Day post. While I could have used more sleep (I was on Fox & Friends this morning doing a taste test of store-bought coffee) I did get two very cool things I wasn't anticipating: Mini cupcakes from Baked by Melissa--the tie-dye and peanut ...

1. One hundred and twenty-three years ago on Sunday, Dr. John Pemberton first brewed something he called ''Esteemed Brain Tonic and Intellectual Beverage,'' to be sold to ''scientists, scholars, poets, divines, lawyers, physicians, and others devoted to extreme mental exertion.'' What is it called now? a. Angostura Bitters b. Bromo-Seltzer c. ...

What is it with Irish rockers and charitable causes? Brian Crosby of the band Bell X1 decided to grab some musician friends (from outfits such as Snow Patrol, The Frames/ONCE, Crowded House, and The Cardigans) and record tracks for a CD to benefit Oxfam's Fair Trade campaign. ''We wanted to make an album that benefited this great cause but also ...

Filed under: Dessert, Recipes, Holidays Cakes aren't just for birthdays. That's something I sometimes forget. I'm not a big baker anyway, but I do likes me some good cake (chocolate, with vanilla frosting...mmmmm) so I really should make them more often. I thought someone in my family would have made one for Thanksgiving, but although we had a ...