When we first met, my would be wife and I lived on the East Coast.  We travelled frequently to Myrtle Beach for fun in the sun.  There is a terrific boardwalk there and plenty of stuff to do.  As has always been the case, our adventures circled around food.  There is certainly no shortage of food or restaurants in Myrtle Beach and, in fact, I had what I believe to be the best service in a restaurant EVER at Rossi’s Italian Restaurant… but that’s another story.

One of our very favorite things to take away from the beach, like so many others, is Saltwater Taffy.  Not only does this scream beach trip, but also summer.  As we approach the season and celebrate National Taffy Day, we thought it might be a good time to offer up our favorite saltwater taffy recipe.  Our recipe is, and will remain, soft.  Not all recipes will call for glycerin, but we use it because taffy making without it can result in a big, hard, albeit tasty, lump.

savour… summer sweetness

We hope you are enjoying the look and feel of our newly improved site.  We have been cleaning up some of our older posts over the last week or two to make the look consistent.  Also, quite a few of these posts were written long before so many of you began visiting our site.

This post, The Right Tools: Baking Cookies, was written within our first week blogging, but I feel so strongly about it that I knew it would have to be re-posted to get the attention it deserves.  It is vital information for anyone who loves to bake cookies.  I added one or two things I left out the first go around and updated the photos just a bit.  Enjoy...

by Andrew Yenne, photos by Sam Henderson

Oh Me!  Oh Mai! It’s May, which means it’s almost summertime. Time to kick back, relax and enjoy the warm days and cool nights.  This month we’re featuring one of 'Mai' favorite summer drinks (and fall and winter and spring, really anytime I want to pretend I’m somewhere tropical).  It’s the drink that launched a national craze, and a decade of kitsch. Of course, we’re talking about the Mai Tai.

Unfortunately, much like the Margarita, this drink has been tampered with so much over the years in chain restaurants and hotel bars that it is almost unrecognizable.  We’re getting back to basics, and the heart of this delicious drink the Trader himself concocted back in the 40’s.  Exotic dark rum from Jamaica, the citrus punch of fresh lime and the exotic flavors of orgeat (a sweet almond syrup) make the Mai Tai exotic, dangerous, and delicious.

savour… a mental vacation

Today we are taking another look back at an old post that needs a little 'dusting off'.  Our site is newly designed, but some of our older posts aren't up to par.  We are re-shooting some of the pics, updating some of the articles and re-releasing them.

The original post was done within our first month blogging.  The original photos were bad... really bad.  At the time, I thought they were good, but they weren't.  What is good, on the other hand, is the recipe.  This recipe is tried and true and one of the most requested cookies I bake.  They are impossibly easy, but the taste is very unique.  The cardamom adds a twist that will surprise your usual cookie snackers. Click the link for Cardamom Wedding Cookies.

savour... unexpected flavor

Happy Friday!  You may have noticed we haven’t been around much lately.  Sorry for the absence, but we have been hard at work finalizing a few jobs, a few posts, and getting ready for our revamped site right here.  I can’t give you any specifics just yet, but it won’t be long until we get our new improved look.  Don’t worry! Lola isn’t going anywhere.

In order to make the new site even more fantastic we are cleaning up some older posts (many of which have not been seen by many of you) and giving them new life.  Today we are dusting off one of our very first posts just in time for Cinco de Mayo.

You picked the perfect day to visit.  Today I am going to share the secret to making someone happy. Ready? Here it is: find out what they like and make it.  Make it well and make it often.  I learned a long time ago that my wife LOVES cashews.  She loves cashews with caramel and chocolate.  I bought them for years, but then decided to make them instead.  You can make a lot of cashew clusters for very little money.

Several years ago we were able to find some clusters that were just the tiniest bit spicy.  The heat added a nice element to the treat so I have replicated that here.  I often make homemade caramel, but this is so easy to make with pre-made caramels it seems silly not to use them.  This little bite is the perfect amount of salty, sweet, crunchy, and chewy all at once.

savour… giving ‘em what they want

You know what’s good? …warm, chewy, pull-apart soft pretzels.  The texture is so wonderful and the occasional slight crunch of the coarse salt makes it even better.  You may be surprised to learn how incredibly easy they are to make.  It takes some time, but it’s well worth it.

Pretzels are delicious with mustard.  However, we paired ours up today with some homemade roasted garlic dip.  The dip is great for this pretzel, but would be equally good for chips or even dolloped on a baked potato.

savour… mall food