Mr. Bijoy Writes

I had some cheese straws in Alabama during the holidays once. It's cheese. In a snack. Come on. Make these. (Got this recipe from my friend Mrs. L) What ya need: 1 pound extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated and softened 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 teaspoon salt Ok, so: Heat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. In a food processor, pulse together cheese and butter until well combined. Add the rest of the ingredients and pulse and pulse until you have a paste-like dough. Now get a icing bag with a star tip and put the dough into the bag. Pipe the dough into even strips on a non-stick baking sheet. Bake these for about 10-15 minutes until the cheese stops sizzling. At that point, remove the straws from the oven and let them cool completely. Store them in an airtight container. Tasty stuff right here.

I was at the zoo with my girlfriend the other day and Nutella came up in conversation. However brief the aside, it got me thinking about a Nutella-based recipe to share with you all. So I spent a tasty couple of hours experimenting with an idea to make Nutella better, if that's even possible. So I have just this for you. A simple, easy mousse recipe. What ya need: 1 15oz jar of Nutella 4 cups reduced-fat ricotta cheese (you can use whole milk if it's on hand) 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder (hot chocolate mix works as well) Ok, so: Get a big bowl and put all of the Nutella in said bowl. Fold 1/2 cup of the ricotta into the Nutella. Now add in the ricotta, in about two more additions, folding until nice and smooth. Now refrigerate this for about two hours before serving. Garnish the mousse with the cocoa powder right before serving. It's pretty good.

I love me some mashes potatoes. However, I've found it a bit difficult to make them creamy and happy for my vegan friends. Try this recipe for a vegan-friendly mashed potato recipe that is great for the holidays! What ya need: 5 large potatoes, cut into small cubes 1 cup liquid nondairy creamer (I'm a fan of 'Silk') 2 tablespoons margarine 1/4 cup fresh chives, chopped 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon pepper Ok, so: Get a big pot. Put the potatoes in the pot and cover with water. Bring the water to a boil. Cook the potatoes at a rolling boil for about twenty minutes. Now strain the potatoes out of the water and put them in a big bowl. Throw the "creamer", margarine, chives, salt and pepper in to the bowl and mix this all together until smooth.

I was at brunch today with my brother Amit and two of his friends. One of which, let's call her S, is a pretty big foodie. In turn, our conversation was rather food-centric throughout the meal. Since it was brunch, bacon made its way onto the table. That got me thinking about bacon and bacon-based recipes. Now I don't think bacon goes well with EVERYTHING. But, if you want a great way to put bacon on almost anything, make this bacon butter. It's easy and it's really quite good. What ya need: 1 stick (1/4 lb) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature 1/2 cup crisp bacon, finely crushed or crumbled (Serrano ham works as well) 1/4 Tbsp kosher salt (If you're using a specialty salt such as Himalayan, use a little less) 1/2 Tbsp freshly ground white pepper Ok, so: Grab a big bowl and throw in the butter and bacon. Mix these together until well-blended. Now throw in the salt and pepper, a little at a time, mixing as you go. Taste the butter between adding more salt an

If you've been following along here, you know that I have mild love-affair with cigars. Ok, it's more than a "mild" love-affair. I love those sticks of fermented tobacco. Now, among my circle of friends, I'm the guy everyone goes to when they need a cigar suggestion for their dads, brothers, cousins, bosses, crushes, etc. In light of this, this year I'm writing a separate, cigar-based gift guide for all of those who may need such help. My "rare" suggestions: Fonseca CXX - A great mix of spicy and smooth with a nutty finish. Get the Corona size. Davidoff 100 Years Geneva - I can't do justice in explaining this complex cigar. It's great. My general suggestions: Rocky Patel Zen - A really smooth, almost creamy cigar. A great price-point here as well. Le Bijou 1922 Box Pressed Torpedo - Just make sure to get the torpedo here. Worth it. Hammer & Sickle Moscow City - It's a bitch to keep lit, but it's tasty. My loves: Arturo Fuente Hemi