Tausi Insider

Photo : Allie Chanthorn Reinmann There’s something to be said about pre-portioned appetizers. They’re easy for your guests to chow down on, low on mess, and really rather attractive. With a little extra preparation from the host (or any helpers milling about), this meat and cheese wreath can be a winning party nosh before the big meal that doesn’t obliterate the appetite of your guests. This charcuterie wreath takes a cue from bite-sized salad preparations, like this hand-held endive salad . Essentially you’re pre-assembling your guest’s tasty snack, so they merely have to reach out and shuttle it over to their face. No miniature cheese knives; all easy eating, and easy clean- up. There’s also a bit of strategy involved. Portioning out appetizers makes you less likely to throw four wheels of cheese on a cutting board and call it a day. This seems lavish, but with no end in sight, your hungry guests are likely to fill themselves up before dinner. Building small bites for your guests...

Photo : EkaterinaSid ( Shutterstock ) Nothing beats the scent of a real Christmas tree in the living room. But what those pine tree needles could be used as a general cleaner? Pine disinfectant is a popular, old-timey DIY that’s perfect for the season. Here are a few ways to make it. The traditional method of making pine tree cleaner There are a couple of recipe recommendations out there, so we’ll start with the one that has the shortest prep time, but they all require those precious bits of pine. For the first recipe, you’ll need: Pine needles and/or sprigs 1 ½ cups of white distilled vinegar 1 ¼ cups of water ¼ cup of rubbing alcohol A big jar A spray bottle Per Gather and Grow , pack your needles into the glass jar, then pour the vinegar in there and put it in a sunny window for a week. When the week is up, strain out the plant material, put the remaining vinegar in your spray bottle, add the ¼ cup of rubbing alcohol, and fill the remainder with water. Other methods ask that y...

Photo : Claire Lower I love ham and roasts and all of the potatoes and pies, but December is, to me, Snack Season. It’s the time for texturally pleasing, salty bites, and the more you have, the merrier you’ll be. In addition to salt, there are two flavors that turn a good snack into a great one: Umami and tang. Worcestershire sauce has both. “Umami & Tang” may sound like an insufferable natural wine bar, but they are important flavors that can do important things to your party spread. I’m sure I could think of a party snack that isn’t improved by Worcestershire sauce, but it would take a long time, and it’s not a particularly fun thought experiment. All of my favorites are made better by its presence, provided you get the real deal stuff with fermented anchovies and tamarind. Anchovies bring the deep savoriness and a little bit of funk, while tangy, fruity tamarind brightens and balances. Start by adding it to a bottle of Heinz cocktail sauce ( along with prepared horseradi...

Photo : travelarium.ph ( Shutterstock ) You may have seen some of the online chatter about the “salad dressing” cleaning method lately as a trick for removing built-up grease and gunk from kitchen surfaces. Some cleaning hacks are solid and others are less useful ; this one falls into that second category. Still, you might see it around and be struck by the curiosity of it all , so let’s talk about it— and a similar method that is far superior . What is the “salad dressing cleaning hack”? So named because it uses the base ingredients for a simple vinaigrette, the “hack” suggests removing built-up grease and grime from surfaces first by working in a fat (like olive or vegetable oil) onto the area, and then using an acid (vinegar) to wipe up the mess . The oil, it is said, will pull up grease and then the vinegar, per House Digest , “cuts through dirt and kills bacteria.” So what’s the issue? Although vinegar is known for being a go-to cleaning hero, it isn’t the liquid to reac...

Photo : Iryna Tolmachova ( Shutterstock ) Salt is great for dealing with ice outside—but s alt is terrible for your floors for the same reason. Even if you’re very much on top of making people remove their shoes when they enter your home, salty dust can still find a way onto your hardwood and other floor surfaces and could lead to permanent damage if you don’t remove it. Here’s what you need to do to get rid of it the right way. According to SFGate , salt deposits don’t emulsify with soap and water, so don’t waste your time there. What you really need is a weak acid of some kind. You need vinegar. Before moving on to the vinegar, you first need to get rid of any salt crystals. You can do this by vacuuming or sweeping. You also need to wipe up any melted snow or wetness you spot, so grab an old towel and dab it up. Don’t push it around, as any big crystals inside could scratch the floor and you could even push the water into the cracks in the floorboards, which could result in ...

Photo : Nina Firsova ( Shutterstock ) Maybe I’ve sent you to this page already, but that’s because our senior food editor, Claire, is a boss and put a trio of killer recipes in one post. They’re each so different and beautiful in their own way, they deservedly get their own descriptions. This hot honey goat cheese dip is a one-bowl wonder, quick to assemble and, as she so concisely describes, it’s “the perfect combination of creamy, spicy and sweet…” https://www.tausiinsider.com/11-of-our-best-dips-for-any-dip-worthy-event/?feed_id=323414&_unique_id=63e17df946071

Photo : Claire Lower I love ham and roasts and all of the potatoes and pies, but December is, to me, Snack Season. It’s the time for texturally pleasing, salty bites, and the more you have, the merrier you’ll be. In addition to salt, there are two flavors that turn a good snack into a great one: Umami and tang. Worcestershire sauce has both. “Umami & Tang” may sound like an insufferable natural wine bar, but they are important flavors that can do important things to your party spread. I’m sure I could think of a party snack that isn’t improved by Worcestershire sauce, but it would take a long time, and it’s not a particularly fun thought experiment. All of my favorites are made better by its presence, provided you get the real deal stuff with fermented anchovies and tamarind. Anchovies bring the deep savoriness and a little bit of funk, while tangy, fruity tamarind brightens and balances. Start by adding it to a bottle of Heinz cocktail sauce ( along with prepared horseradi...