6 of the Best Italian Wedding Desserts To Try for Your Next Celebration

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2021-06-19

tiramisu in glass Italian wedding desserts — Taken by Chinh Le Duc via unsplash.com. [Public Domain].

For a genuinely lavish Italian wedding, an array of desserts can make your reception feel decadent. Italian tradition focuses on bringing family together through food, and a special occasion calls for all the favorite foods to be present.

Check out these top Italian wedding desserts to try for your special day!

Tiramisu

Tiramisu is a distinctly Italian dessert that translates to “cheer me up.” Somewhere between a cake and parfait, tiramisu is a creamy, layered dish with an intense coffee flavor. The base is shortbread cookies, called ladyfingers or Savoiardi, soaked in espresso. The dish then layers the ladyfingers with a heavenly cream made from egg yolks, sugar, and mascarpone cheese.

Even though this sounds like a heavy dessert, a well-made tiramisu is light and airy. You can serve it in slices or individual servings for a smaller bite. Some local bakers may even offer a tiramisu wedding cake.

Related Read: 4 Common Mistakes That Ruin Moscow Mules

Millefoglie Wedding Cake

If you’re searching for a traditional Italian wedding cake, a millefoglie consists of layered pastry dough and cream. Millefoglie translates to “a thousand leaves,” referring to the piped cream on each of the three layers. The top layer is typically adorned with a chocolate drizzle, berries, and even sliced almonds. Millefoglie is a popular cake for weddings and will be the centerpiece of your dessert table.

Jordan Almonds

Even though Jordan almonds are often party favors, they are a mainstay of any traditional Italian wedding and shouldn’t be absent from an Italian dessert table. Packaged in decorative bags or boxes, Jordan almonds are covered in a sweet outer shell; the sweetness symbolizes the couple’s hope of a beautiful life to counteract the bitterness of life, represented by the almonds.

They come in sets of five, representing five wishes for the newlyweds: wealth, happiness, health, fertility, and longevity.

Torta Della Nonna

Translated as “grandmother’s cake,” torta della nonna is from Tuscany and is one of the most famous Italian desserts. Like a tart, this is a sweet pastry filled with lemon and vanilla custard filling and then topped with pine nuts and sugar.

Torta della nonna is a classic dessert that will appeal to every guest. Again, you can serve it in slices or as tiny tarts.

Gelato

Gelato is a welcome sweet treat on any occasion! A gelato station can allow you to pick flavors that complement your wedding colors or are the couple’s favorites. Originating in Florence, gelato differs from ice cream for several reasons: the fat content is lower, and gelato is served several degrees warmer—making the flavors more intense and memorable.

When you’re looking for a gelato supplier with the best quality, check if their product is labeled ”artigianale” to ensure they use traditional recipes and methods. To stay traditional, make sure to include Stracciatella and hazelnut among your gelato flavors.

Cannoli

Cannoli is a popular Italian dessert that comes from Sicily, Italy. Pastry dough is shaped into shells. Only minutes before serving, the shell is filled with a cream made from sheep ricotta cheese and sugar. The dessert is then topped with chocolate shavings. An authentic cannoli is only filled right before serving to ensure the shell remains crisp to contrast the soft cream.

Your wedding is sure to be a memorable experience with any of these top Italian wedding desserts!

4 Common Mistakes That Ruin Moscow Mules

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Becca Polk

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2021-06-10

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Moscow mule in cold mug — Taken by W. Dharma via unsplash.com. [Public Domain].

Many believe there isn’t an alcoholic beverage out there that’s quite as refreshing as a cold Moscow mule. But while the Moscow mule is delicious, it’s especially specific in its recipe. Fans of the Moscow mule also tend to be very unforgiving when bartenders can’t seem to get it right. It’s a relatively simple cocktail in nature, but a few wrong moves ensure it’ll taste less than pleasant.

We want you to get a fat tip or endless compliments instead of an awkward stare the next time you make one. So, that’s why we wanted to compile the most common mistakes that ruin Moscow mules.

Mistake #1: Not Using an Authentic Copper Mug

The copper mug is synonymous with the Moscow mule, and it’s the only glass you can use. If you fail to put a Moscow Mule in a copper mug, you can expect it to come right back to you. There are a few reasons why the proper copper drinkware is essential. While it won’t necessarily affect the taste—although some drinkers would swear otherwise—it will:

Greatly enhance the presentation.
Provides copper intake for the body, which has health benefits.
Keep the Moscow mule nice and cool longer than other glasses can.

Because of these reasons, it’s imperative that you put every Moscow mule in a good copper mug.

Mistake #2: Not Using Enough Ice

If you’re a bartender, you’re probably used to customers complaining about too much ice in their drink. It’s a common complaint due to the belief that you’re using ice in place of more alcohol. However, the one drink you won’t receive that complaint with is the Moscow mule.

In fact, you’re likely to receive more sass if you don’t include enough ice. Moscow mules are best-served ice cold; the temperature is part of the appeal and the refreshing nature of the drink. The ice also serves to slightly dilute the drink to make it smoother and easier to drink.

Mistake #3: Making The Moscow Mule Too Strong

Of course, you also don’t want the liquor to overpower the other ingredients in the drink. Moscow mules are the most appetizing when they’re perfectly balanced. A strong alcohol taste will catch people off guard and keep them from finishing their beverage. It’s always better to add the liquor one shot at a time instead of pouring a ton in all at once. This technique will undoubtedly keep you from accidentally including too much alcohol.

Mistake #4: Not Using the Right Garnish

Just like the copper mug, the garnish is critical when whipping up a Moscow mule. Devoted fans of the drink won’t even consider consuming it without the proper garnish. For Moscow mules, you should garnish every drink with a lime and a mint leaf. These two ingredients are critical for delivering the right flavor for the Moscow mule. The drink should have a nice bite from the ginger beer followed by the lime and mint flavor.

So, there you have it—those are by far the most common mistakes that ruin Moscow mules. Remember, always use a copper mug, use plenty of ice, and garnish each drink with lime and mint leaf. As long as you follow these crucial steps, you’ll please even the pickiest Moscow Mule drinker.

7+ Top Techniques to Spice up Your Cooking & Bring That Flavor Up

By

Becca Polk

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2021-05-02

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spices and seasoning to flavor food — Taken by Pratiksha Mohanty via unsplash.com. [Public Domain].

If your meals are impeccably healthy but lack taste, level up your spice game!

Eating right doesn’t have to mean being boring.

Check your spice cabinet for different routes to deliciousness, and don’t be afraid to experiment!

To help you bring some extra taste, tang, piquancy, and more to your meals, we provide several clever techniques to spice up your cooking.

It’s the Time of the Seasoning

For most people, the two main spices are salt and black pepper, and that’s that. They’re certainly integral to many different dishes, and sometimes a single dash of salt brings out the best in a meal.

But you should also move beyond salt and pepper and explore the rest of the spice world.

Let’s start by assessing whether you have a well-equipped cabinet of spices and herbs. Whether they’re freshly cut or dried herbs, seeds, powders, or leaves, certain seasonings are indispensable.

No chef would go without the following:

Ginger adds a mildly spicy and sweet vitality to so many meals. Fresh, ground, or crystallized, ginger is useful in desserts, sauces, main courses, and more.
Cumin has a distinctively pungent and peppery taste and a slightly earthy scent. It turns up in multiple regions known for flavorful foods, such as Mexico, the Mediterranean, and India.
Oregano is a traditional component of Mediterranean cuisine. The oregano that’s popular in Italian cooking is the Greek type, and it’s delicious when you use it in conjunction with tomatoes. But keep Mexican oregano in mind as well, as it has its own strong and flavorful taste.
Cinnamon is the Renaissance man of the spice cabinet. Available in powdered or stick forms, people tend to think of it as a mere flavoring for hot drinks and cinnamon toast. In fact, it appears in diverse recipes from around the world, including desserts, soups, and meat dishes.
Turmeric is, on its own, a bit earthy and bitter. But you can introduce a dash to soups, smoothies, and scrambles to add flavor, bright color, and a smattering of nutrition to them.
Curry powders contain some of the above spices alongside other spices and can deliver a pleasant, savory burst of flavor to rice dishes, soups, stews, and other foods.

You can and should keep some other spices in your kitchen as well, but those we’ve discussed here act as nice cornerstones to many delicious recipes.

Tips and Tricks

The internet is packed with rules of thumb that you can refer to when you want to learn some techniques to spice up your cooking.

Here are a few:

Store spices in a cool, dry place and keep track of how long you’ve had them. After a year or two, they can lose flavor.
Want to make spice flavors really pop in your stir-fry? When sautéing veggies, melt the butter or heat the oil first, then sauté the onions, garlic, carrots, potatoes, or whatever else you have. Then, when you’ve almost fully cooked your ingredients, add the seasoning.

Unlock the flavor and smell of herbal spices by rubbing them between your palms before sprinkling them onto the other ingredients.

Related Read: 5 Common Steak Myths That Are Untrue

4 Best Midwest Foodie Road Trips & Destinations in the United States

By

Becca Polk

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2021-04-13

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best midwest foodie road trips for hot dogs, burgers, and other midwestern food — Taken by Ball Park Brand via unsplash.com. [Public Domain].

Sometimes referred to as “flyover country” by coastal folks, most people imaging the Midwest as an endless expanse of farmland and small towns.

That’s fair, but it’s also not the whole story.

Some of the smallest Midwest towns offer the biggest flavors for the largest appetites.

If you’re looking for something new to nosh on and want to combine it with a road-based adventure, get the car ready to roll and prepare for a few days of feasting on the road after checking out this selection of tasty destinations for the best Midwest foodie road trips.

Fitz’s

Looking for a terrific, juicy burger and want to wash it down with an ice-cold bottle of pop? Check out Fitz’s in St. Louis, MO. The food is great (besides burgers, you can get sandwiches, wraps, and various house specials), and they bottle their own soft drinks on the premises.

Enjoy your meal in Willy Wonka surroundings. Sample every pop—Midwesterners never call it soda—from the root beer to berry pom to key lime to Cardinal Cream, an original to honor the hometown baseball team. Finish it off with an ice cream soda as big as your head!

Related Read: 5 Common Steak Myths That Are Untrue

Ishnala Supper Club

What is a supper club? It’s a Midwest phenomenon of the last century that combined a restaurant with a social club. Such places were often on the outskirts of town in states like Illinois, Wisconsin, Ohio, Michigan, and Iowa, offering tasty, high-class meals and a tasteful atmosphere at affordable prices.

Ishnala Supper Club in Lake Delton, WI, has been serving thousands of customers since 1953, offering cocktails, steaks, seafood, and more. Call to check if they’re open before stopping in; they’re only open seasonally from spring through fall!

Bobkat’s Purple Pie Place

Going to see Mount Rushmore? Then plan a stop in Custer, SD. The food at the Purple Pie Place is pretty darn good—sandwiches, chili, paninis, pot pies, and barbecue—but it’s the fruit and other pies that bring in the locals and tourists.

The Pie Place presents a rotating gallery of pies with flaky crusts and tasty fillings, accompanied by the various ice cream confections the restaurant serves, including the purple cow and orange who who. And no, that’s not a typo.

Paradise Pup

Skipping the Chicago area while considering the best Midwest foodie road trips? Forget it! While the city is known for many kinds of food, Chicagoans especially love their hot dogs—and if you don’t know it by now, you should never, ever ask for ketchup on a Chicago dog. Don’t worry; you’re not missing out if you skip the red stuff.

A Chicago hot dog is “dragged through the garden,” which means sport peppers, a pickle spear, diced white onions, tomato, sweet relish, celery salt, and yellow mustard. There are plenty of places to get a great Chicago-style hot dog in and around the Windy City, but Paradise Pup in Des Plaines, IL, keeps it real. It’s cash-only and features a walk-up counter. You’ll have to eat your meal at the picnic tables or in your car, but every bite is absolutely worth it.

5 Common Steak Myths That Are Untrue

By

Becca Polk

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2021-04-08

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steak myths that are untrue — Taken by Emerson Vieira via unsplash.com. [Public Domain].

No matter the time of year, there is always a wannabe grill master preparing to throw steaks on the grill for the first time.

Unfortunately for them, grilling is a very heuristic endeavor, requiring each person to earn their knowledge through experience rather than simply hearing about it. To find proof, one has to look no further than all of the falsehoods and misconceptions about grilling, all claiming to impact the meat’s flavor.

Here is a closer look at some of the most common steak myths that are untrue, no matter how you slice it.

Don’t Salt Before Cooking

The theory goes that you shouldn’t salt your steak before grilling because it can dry the meat out. The reality is that salt will add extra flavor to your meal and reduce surface moisture, giving you a better cook.

Depending on the steak’s thickness, the ideal time to add salt is between 40 minutes and two hours before the cooking time, leaving them uncovered in the refrigerator. Salts and seasoning are just a few of the many ways to improve your meat’s flavor.

Cook Steak at Room Temperature

Another common precooking myth that has no scientific basis is the belief that steak should reach room temperature before grilling. People believe that this helps remove the moisture from the outside of the meat that prevents it from searing correctly.

The best reason to set meat out in advance is to allow the meat to thaw more to reduce cook time, but you still should remain cautious. The truth is that it is more important to keep the temperature out of the danger zone to avoid the possibility of food-borne illnesses.

Searing Locks Juices Inside

The goal of searing your steak for most people is to lock in the moisture in the meat. Searing helps reduce the moisture from the steak’s outside and adds the unique flavors most commonly associated with the meat. Dabbing your steaks with paper towels before putting them on the grill can help this process.

Only Flip Your Steak Once

The myth that never seems to die about steaks is that you only should flip them once. But by flipping your steak, you actually promote a more even cook. Flipping your steaks regularly will prevent the steak from drying out while adding to the sear, while also reducing the required cooking time.

The “Poke Test”

The last of the common steak myths that are untrue and need to go away is the belief you can judge a steak’s “doneness” simply by poking it with your finger and basing it on what part of your hand it feels like.

The absolute absurdity of this is how this myth persists when simply shaking somebody else’s hand proves that everybody’s hand feels different, and there is no possible way to base your meal on how your dry your hands happen to feel today. The only real way to know when the meat is ready to head to the table is with a meat thermometer.

Everywhere Fare: Authentic Recipes from Countries Around the World

6 of the Best Italian Wedding Desserts To Try for Your Next Celebration

Tiramisu

Millefoglie Wedding Cake

Jordan Almonds

Torta Della Nonna

Gelato

Cannoli

4 Common Mistakes That Ruin Moscow Mules

Mistake #1: Not Using an Authentic Copper Mug

Mistake #2: Not Using Enough Ice

Mistake #3: Making The Moscow Mule Too Strong

Mistake #4: Not Using the Right Garnish

7+ Top Techniques to Spice up Your Cooking & Bring That Flavor Up

It’s the Time of the Seasoning

Tips and Tricks

4 Best Midwest Foodie Road Trips & Destinations in the United States

Fitz’s

Ishnala Supper Club

Bobkat’s Purple Pie Place

Paradise Pup

5 Common Steak Myths That Are Untrue

Don’t Salt Before Cooking

Cook Steak at Room Temperature

Searing Locks Juices Inside

Only Flip Your Steak Once

The “Poke Test”