Weekly Bits: Mother's Day Treats

Armando Rafael
This Sunday, surprise Mom with a day of homemade decadence. Start with the day with a deliciously low-fat quiche. Flavor up her kitchen with custom infused oils and vinegars. And toast her with a fresh fruit margarita -- use her favorite berries for an extra taste of summer.
"I like to add lots of flavor to my quiche by cooking mushrooms over a medium-low flame until they release their juices and are almost dry; then I add some chicken stock and reduce that until there's a nice glaze on the mushrooms. The rich flavor compensates for less fat -- I use that great trick of using half whole eggs and the remainder just egg whites. No one ever notices the difference." --Amy
"For flavored vinegar I use the same method: Heat the vinegar and to the bottle add whatever herbs, etc., you want to flavor the vinegar. I then let the bottle set for 3-4 days then strain vinegar and remove the herbs. I like white wine or white champagne vinegar for infusing. I have done several different herb vinegars and last year added blackberries to a basil, rosemary and chive mix. I use the vinegars not only on tomatoes and salad but also add them to potato salad, spaghetti sauce, grilled veggies, etc." --Ethel
"My sister-in-law uses all whole fresh fruit in hers, whipped up in her Vitamix. Wow, they are the best margaritas I've ever had!" --Kim
"Don't forget to wear gloves when handling chilies! After cutting up a jalapeno or hotter, that spice will get into your skin and stay there even after washing. I shudder at remembering the feeling of touching my eyes with spicy fingers. Good but dangerous." --Sarah
The FDA began to gather comments this week about updating front-of-package labeling rules. On our Facebook page, we asked readers what they'd change:
"I would like the FDA to require that all products manufactured on the same equipment as foods containing the top 7-8 allergens be labeled as such." --Allison
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