Jamming on Jamaretti Cookies

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A play on the classic thumbprint cookie.
A play on the classic thumbprint cookie.

As a kid, life sure seemed to move at a languid pace. Summer vacation seemed never-ending. Our favorite holidays seemed to take forever to come around.

Not so as an adult.

Life now seems to whoosh by at Millennium Falcon hyper speed, making us ever grateful for all the shortcuts and time-saving tips we can get.

Enter “Jamaretti” cookies from Martha Stewart.

You know those classic jam-filled thumbprint cookies you made as a kid, rolling balls of dough one by one, then pressing your thumb into each one before spooning jam into every single crevice? Yeah, those ones.

Well, this recipe streamlines that process by making these cookies more like biscotti.

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Hawaiian-Style Lemongrass Adobo Grilled Chicken With Pineapple

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Savor a taste of Hawaii -- in the comfort of your own backyard.
Savor a taste of Hawaii — in the comfort of your own backyard.

If you’re braving the record-setting crowds to fly off to some tropical paradise this Fourth of July, more power to you.

Me? I’ll be mellowing out at home instead, and creating my own sunny island feast with “Lemongrass Adobo Grilled Chicken With Pineapple.”

Marinate the chicken overnight with plenty of fresh ginger, garlic, lemongrass, and adobo seasoning. When ready to eat, fire up the grill to cook the flavorful chicken plus juicy sweet rings of pineapple. Then, sit back and enjoy.

This easy recipe is from “Islas” (Chronicle Books, 2023), of which I received a review copy.

It was written by Von Diaz, an Emmy Award-winning documentarian, food historian and food writer who was born in Puerto Rico and raised in Atlanta, GA.

A celebration of tropical cuisines, this cookbook is all about summer cooking from beginning to end. It’s a collection of 125 recipes from the Indian, Atlantic, and Pacific Ocean Islands.

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Sensational Sips, Part II

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The 2021 Band of Vintners Cab.
The 2021 Band of Vintners Cab.

2021 Band of Vintners Cabernet Sauvignon

First off, you have to love the playful name of this winery.

Second, it boasts an impressive pedigree: It’s owned by a Master Sommelier, who worked at the French Laundry.

Third, it’s a Napa Cabernet Sauvignon that sells for a relatively bargain price — $39.

That’s what you get with the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon from Band of Vintners, owned by Desmond Echavarrie. He is the founder of St. Helena’s Scale Wine Group, a portfolio of 26 boutique wine brands, including Band of Vintners.

This rich and robust Napa Valley wine, of which I received a sample, is 78 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 16 percent Cabernet Franc, 3 percent Petit Verdot, 2 percent Merlot, and 1 percent Malbec.

It tastes deeply of raspberries and blackberries, with a backbone of leather, cedar, and even a touch of black tea.

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Easier-To-Eat Elotes

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All the deliciousness of elotes, but off the cob.
All the deliciousness of elotes, but off the cob.

Elotes is decidedly not pinkies-in-the-air kind of food.

The grilled Mexican street corn on the cob slathered with mayo, rolled in crumbly cotija cheese, sprinkled with chili powder and chopped cilantro, and finished with a squeeze of fresh lime juice, is one of the most eagerly awaited noshes of summer.

It’s also a two-napkin affair. If not more.

“Tossed Elotes,” though, gives you everything you love about that Mexican dish — but off the cob to eat more neatly with a fork.

Not only that, there’s no mayo, just a generous amount of olive oil instead that forms the base of a voluptuous sauce that the kernels get tossed with.

This easy recipe is from “Asada” (Abrams, 2023), of which I received a review copy.

The cookbook, which is all about the joys of Mexican-style grilling, was written by Bricia Lopez, whose family owns the James Beard Award-winning Oaxacan restaurant, Guelaguetza, in Los Angeles’ Koreatown. She’s also the founder of the blog, Mole and More; and co-founder of the “Super Mamas” podcast with her sister Paulina. The book was written with Javier Cabral, a Los Angeles food writer who is the editor-in-chief of the local news site, L.A. Taco and was the associate producer for Netflix’s “The Taco Chronicles.”

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Red Boat Introduces New Simmer Sauces

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Chicken thighs, red bell pepper, and summer squash cooked in Red Boat's Vietnamese Lemongrass Curry jarred simmer sauce.
Chicken thighs, red bell pepper, and summer squash cooked in Red Boat’s Vietnamese Lemongrass Curry jarred simmer sauce.

Hayward’s artisan Vietnamese fish sauce maker, Red Boat, has introduced new simmer sauces to make cooking dinner easier and faster.

Red Boat’s Vietnamese Lemongrass Curry, Spicy Vietnamese Lemongrass Curry, and Vietnamese Simmer Sauce are made with chile peppers, ginger, cinnamon and a host of other spices, plus Red Boat Fish Sauce, of course.

I had a chance to try samples of each recently.

The three new simmer sauces.
The three new simmer sauces.

Each 12-ounce jar is designed to be used with about 1 1/2 to 2 pounds of vegetables and/or protein of your choice, such as tofu, beef, pork, chicken, or seafood. Simply saute your ingredients briefly, making sure to half-cook or fully-cook the protein, before adding the jar of sauce.

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