Gifts/4 recipes

Almond Rocca: This is not for Almond Roca, yet it is close enough and it is real easy. In fact my 14 year old daughter has been making it by herself at christmas for the past 4 years. Hope this will meet your needs.

Long and slow simmer beef shank soup extracts every bit of flavor down to the bone.

This chewy, fruity, nutty bread is delicious on its own or toasted and slathered with butter.

Empanadas are Brazil's national appetizer, tiny pies filled with chicken olives, and peas.

If you're treating your loved one to a romantic dinner, try this succulent beef dish that is sure to please them!

1 3/4 cups flour 2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp cinnamon 3/4 cup orange juice 1/2 cup vegetable oil 1 egg Mix all the ingredient and bake at 375F for 10 to 15 mins

A hearty healthy barley risotto is cooked with winter vegetables and fresh greens, definitely will bring some refreshing taste into your Thanksgiving dinner and a good appetizer for a start.

*When you buy carambola, also called star fruit, look for ones that are uniformly yellow to orange and have a subtle perfume. If they are green, they aren't ripe and won't yield a great deal of flavor. At their ripest, their flavor is an unmistakably tropical combination of apple, banana and lychee.

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A tasty and nutritious teething cracker, far superior to anything you will find for sale at the supermarket. These make thoughtful gifts for babies and their parents.