Elle Republic

At this time of year, the holidays are the perfect time to host a little get together with friends. Whether you are serving beer by the bottle, mulled wine or champagne, it’s nice to serve up a few snacks for guests. Yes, of course you could open a bag of chips or pretzels (honestly, what could be easier?), but how about showing off a little? Sophisticated has never been...

Homemade chocolate bark is a super easy (and gorgeous looking) holiday gift. There is no recipe required, you don’t need to measure anything AND the hands on time is maybe ten minutes. It’s a great last minute gift for practically anyone. Oh, and here's the best part -- there’s no baking either! Hallelujah! For chocolate lovers it really is the easiest make-at-home chocolatey sweet treat, ever! And The best part...

On my last trip to Barcelona, I had one of the most amazing zucchini salads. A zucchini salad with truffle oil to be exact. Imagine this: thin ribbons of fresh zucchini carefully tossed with sweet sun-dried tomatoes, toasted sliced almonds, a hint of garlic, shaved parmesan, AND truffle oil. Simply amazing! First of all, ribbons of anything instantly transform a salad into something special. Adding truffle oil to the mix...and...

Here’s a wild rice with oyster mushrooms dish that won’t bore you to death. One inspired from a trip with friends to Istanbul where we experienced some of the most amazing meals -- modern Turkish ones, resembling the “Ottolenghi way”. My friend Anna has been there about a zillion times so knows all the best spots. We had so many amazing meals it was hard to keep track. Two of...

What could be more reminiscent of autumn than chestnuts? There is so more to them than just the familiar small paper cone of hot, sweet roasted chestnuts you get from street vendors. Chestnuts are terrific in savory dishes, as they add a rich, earthy flavor and nutty sweetness. Roasted together with Brussels sprouts and garlic they make a flavorful holiday side dish that is terrific served alongside roast turkey...

If there is a "Hall of Fame" for cookies, then my Aunt Heather’s 30-year-old recipe for soft chocolate chippers would have definitely found a place there. Praise be to her for delivering this recipe to me. They are irresistible. Okay, admittedly, I adapted the recipe just a little. But I'll tell you how a little later on. You can decide whether to stick with the original or the "...