Mars just unveiled its new Coconut Twix.  It keeps the familiar caramel coated cookie dipped in chocolate but adds a hint of coconut.

Whether the weather outside is cold and wet or hot and dry it seems like there are those days when all you want is comfort food.  At the top of that list is good old macaroni and cheese.  Of course the recipe below isn't the one that I grew up with, but it is one of the ones that made Macbar, a Manhattan restaurant that serves a dozen mac and cheese variations, famous.  Its ooey, gooey and delicious.

Photo: Todd Coleman

Kosher salt, to taste 

12 oz. hollow pasta, preferably elbow macaroni

4 tbsp. unsalted butter

1⁄4 cup flour

4 cups milk

11 oz. grated fontina (about 4 cups)

8 oz. mascarpone (about 1 cup)

3 tbsp. lobster or fish broth

3 tbsp. brandy or cognac

1 tsp. Tabasco

1⁄4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

8 oz. cooked lobster meat, cut into 1" chunks

1⁄3 cup minced chives

2 scallions, thinly sliced crosswise

2 oz. grated sharp aged white cheddar (about 1 cup)

1. Heat oven to 375°. Bring a 4-qt. saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until cooked halfway through, about 3 minutes. Drain pasta, transfer to a bowl, and set aside. 

2. Melt butter in a 4-qt. saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and cook, whisking constantly, until smooth, about 1 minute. Whisk in milk and cook, continuing to whisk often, until sauce has thickened and coats the back of a spoon, about 10 minutes. Remove pan from heat and stir in 2 cups fontina, along with the mascarpone, broth, brandy, Tabasco, and nutmeg; season with salt and pepper. Add reserved pasta to cheese sauce. Stir in half each of the lobster, chives, and scallions.

3. Transfer mixture to a 9" x 13" baking dish and sprinkle with remaining fontina and the cheddar. Bake until golden brown and bubbly, about 30 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes. Garnish with remaining lobster, scallions, and chives.

Self Magazine posted a great article on tasty snacks with less than 200 calories.  The list below has been adapted.

Craving salty?

• 5 olives (any kind) (45 calories)
• 1 small pretzel (50 calories)
• 2 oz Turkey Breast wrapped around 2 bread-and-butter pickles (80 calories)
• 1/4 cup hummus, 3 carrot sticks (80 calories)
• 1 Laughing Cow Light Swiss Original wedge, 3 pieces Kavli Crispy Thin (85 calories)
• One 1-oz package tuna jerky (90 calories)
• 1 oz buffalo mozzarella, 1/2 cup cherry or grape tomatoes (94 calories)
• 1 bag Baked! Cheetos 100 Calorie Mini Bites (100 calories)
• 15 Nori Maki Crackers rice crackers (110 calories)
• 1 cup unshelled edamame (120 calories)
• 50 Vegetable Chips (130 calories)
• One 1-oz package of almonds (130 calories)
• 1/4 cup Chili con Queso, 18 baked tortilla chips (140 calories)
• 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds in shell (143 calories)
• 2 pieces (30 grams) prosciutto, 4 dried figs (154 calories)

Craving sweet?

• 1 package Fruit Crisps (50 calories)
• 1 Jelly Belly 100-calorie pack (100 calories)
• 1 package Honey Graham Sticks (120 calories)
• 1/2 banana rolled in 1 tbsp frozen semisweet chocolate chips (123 calories)
• 2 tbsp Peanut Butter, 4 stalks celery (124 calories)
• 24 Graham cookies (140 calories)
• Half of a 1.08-oz container of M&M's Minis mixed with 1/3 cup lowfat granola (145 calories)
• 1 container Greek Total 2% fat yogurt, 2 tsp honey (173 calories)

Last week U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers made a huge bust at the US Mexico border - bologna.  According to the Associated Press, the sausages -- 385 pounds of them -- were seized near Santa Teresa, N.M., after they were discovered behind the seat of a pickup.  Apparently, some people who come to the United States from Mexico prefer the flavor of their native bologna to the comparatively bland varieties found in American supermarkets.

However, it's illegal to transport bologna across the border because it's made of pork, and U.S. officials worry that the foreign product could introduce new animal diseases.

This isn't news you read about everyday!

Nabisco's newest creation is the Triple Double Oreo with three chocolatey cookie layers and two layers of cream, one chocolate and one vanilla.

After the blog world and Twittersphere started buzzing, the snack company confirmed the new cookie sandwich with Today.com. Nabisco admitted that "while we tried our best to safeguard this news, we couldn't hold back the buzz."

Yum!

I came across this easy recipe for chorizo nachos and it is absolutely delicious. The Mexican-style chorizo sausage gives the nachos an extra spicy kick that goes so well with the pepper jack queso cheese sauce.  Everything about it screams Cinco de Mayo!

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For chorizo and pinto bean topping
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 large onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 jalapeño, seeded and chopped
2/3 pound ground Mexican-style chorizo
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
For habanero queso sauce
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups grated pepper jack cheese
For serving
1 bag of salted tortilla chips
3 green onions, dark greens removed, minced
Salsa, optional for serving
Sour cream, optional for serving
Guacamole, optional for serving

Directions

1. Make the topping: In a large skillet or soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, and jalapeño. Sauté until the vegetables are soft and fragrant, but not browned, about 7 minutes.
2. Add the chorizo, chili powder, cumin, and break up into small crumbles with a wooden spoon. Season generously with salt and pepper. Sauté until the chorizo is browned and almost cooked through, about 8 minutes.
3. Add the beans and stir to combine. Continue cooking to blend the flavors, 5 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, make the cheese sauce: melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Once it starts to foam and is completely melted, whisk in the flour, whisking for 1 minute.
5. Slowly whisk in the milk. Bring the mixture to a boil, whisking occasionally. Once it starts to boil, immediately remove from the heat and whisk in the shredded cheese by the handful. Keep warm.
6. To assemble the nachos: spread the tortilla chips in an even layer on a large serving platter or across four plates. Generously pour the cheese sauce over the chips taking care to cover as many chips as possible.
7. Top with the meat and bean mixture, once again covering all the chips. Drizzle with the remaining cheese sauce and sprinkle with green onions.
8. Drizzle with salsa and dollop with sour cream and guacamole, if using. Enjoy immediately.

Who doesn't love getting something for free - especially when it involves food and wine. Yum!  I recently received an email from Food & Wine Magazine with a website to go to for a free download of their e-book entitled FOOD & WINE’s Favorite Healthy Recipes.  Why not check it out? I know I will.  Click here for your free recipes.

In an effort to keep programming fresh and exciting, the Food Network and the Cooking Channel have several new and exciting series premiering in the next few months.  I'm very excited about a few of them.  Do any of you have a favorite new show you are particularly excited about?

Food Network Primetime

• Have Cake, Will Travel: Go on the road with cake decorator Ashley Vicos. Premieres April 26, 9 p.m.
• Best in Smoke: America's barbecue masters go head-to-head in New York for $50,000. Premieres May 8, 10 p.m.
• Crave: Food writer Troy Johnson examines the history and appeal popular dishes and trends. Premieres June 20, 10 p.m.
• Heat Seekers: Aarón Sánchez and Roger Mooking are on a quest to find the best spicy foods countrywide. Premieres July 2011.
• Tough Cookies: A look at the squabbling, multigenerational family behind Crazy Susan's cookie shop. Premieres July 2011.
• Chef Hunter: Chef recruiter Carrie McCully puts rising star chefs on the line for an executive chef position at a prestigious restaurant. Premieres August 2011.
• Sugar High: Duff Goldman's back, and on a road trip to find the best desserts in America. Premieres August 8, 10:30 p.m.
• Halloween Wars: Five teams of cake decorators, candy makers, and pumpkin carvers compete to prove they're best in Halloween treats. Premieres October 2011.
• Supersizers: Two food adventurers step back in time to see what it's really like to live and eat in a bygone era. Premieres January 2012.

Food Network Daytime

• Pioneer Woman: Blogger and author Ree Drummond invites viewers into her home on the range, and shares her special brand of home cooking. Premieres August 2011.
• Food Network Star Winner Series: A new series from the season seven winner of Food Network Star. Premieres August 2011.
• Trisha Yearwood Series: This yet-to-be-titled series takes viewers into the kitchen of country star and cookbook author Trisha Yearwood. Premieres September 2011.

Cooking Channel Primetime

• Eat St.: Comedian James Cunningham travels across the country seeking out the best curbside eats. Premieres April 12, 8 p.m.
• Unique Sweets: An inside look at the most innovative desserts across the US. Premieres April 24, 10:30 p.m.
• The Originals With Emeril: Emeril Lagasse pays tribute to iconic establishments that have shaped America's culinary heritage. Premieres May 5, 10:30 p.m.
• From Spain with Love: Annie Sibonney uncovers the rich history behind Spain's food culture. Premieres May 27, 9 p.m.
• Hook, Line, & Dinner: Expert fisherman Ben Sargent is on the ultimate coastal road trip to discover the best shore food in the country. Premieres June 7, 10:30 p.m.

Cooking Channel Daytime:

• Ching-He Huang's New Series: In this still-unnamed San Francisco series, Ching-He Huang of Chinese Food Made Easy explores the recipes and ingredients behind Chinese cooking. Premieres July 2011.
• The Perfect 3: Cooking Channel spotlights three standout dishes in 13 classic categories, including burgers, brownies, sandwiches, and salads. Premieres July 2011.
• Baking Made Easy: UK baker Lorraine Pascale shares her knowledge of baking sweet and savory recipes. Premieres Fall 2011.

I've always been a bit nervous buying scallops from the store and I think that part of the reason is because I never knew what to look for.  So, sometimes I would take a few home and they would turn out perfect while other times they would end up turning into a disintegrated mess.  Well, I finally found out what to look for when buying scallops to ensure that you will have the best possible luck in the kitchen.

1. Always buy fresh scallops.
2. Look for scallops that have been packed in dry ice.  When they are packed in ordinary ice or water the scallops absorb the water. Then later when you cook them the water is released into the pan and you end up steaming them more than searing. So, you don't get that delicious sear.
3. Only buy bright white scallops! If they are grayish or have pink spots just walk away.

Angry Birds are everywhere lately and with this great tutorial by lizzomarek on Instructables you will be able to make them for your next themed party!