DECK THE HOLIDAY'S

   This whimsical bread is traditionally served at Italian and Greek Easter celebrations, though many Eastern European countries also claim it as their own. Dye the eggs for a more festive look. Ingredients 6–7 large eggs Food coloring (optional) Master Sweet Dough (click for recipe) All-purpose flour (for dusting) Preparation Place 5 or 6 eggs in a medium pot. Pour in cold water to cover by 1 inch and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove from heat, cover pot, and let stand for 10 minutes. Transfer eggs to a medium bowl of ice water; let cool completely. If desired, color eggs according to food-coloring package directions, or check out our recipes for dying your eggs naturally . Transfer eggs to paper towels to dry. DO AHEAD: Eggs can be dyed up to 1 week ahead. Cover and chill. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Punch down dough. Divide into 3 equal pieces. With lightly floured hands, roll each piece on a lightly floured surface...

    There may not be an official registry (or even an unofficial one), but that doesn't stop towns, states and countries across the globe from declaring themselves the "Capital of the World" for thing or another.     Some self-proclaimed titles are pretty well justified. Hawaii, for instance, is called the "Macadamia Nut Capital of the World." Considering the Aloha State is said to grow 90% of the world's supply, we think it's an apt description.     Other claims are not so black and white. Biloxi, Mississippi is often referred to as the "Seafood Capital of the World," but so is Calabash, North Carolina and Crisfield, Maryland. Which place deserves the nickname most? We'll leave that up to seafood lovers to hash out. We take a look at 12 towns in the good ol' U.S.A. that have found a way to differentiate themselves by "capitalizing" on what makes them unique, and well, a little unusual. The Lost Luggage Capital of t...

    There is a holiday for every day in April. For some days, there are even two. Here is how you can celebrate at least one every day in the month of April. April 1st, National Fun Day -It's also April Fools Day, which is why it is such a fun day. April 2nd, Reconciliation Day -This day doesn't sound like much fun, but who knows...you could end up with a new-old friend. April 3rd, Tangible Karma Day -Have you ever watched "My Name is Earl ?" Make a list of all the bad things you have done and fix them or Karma will make bad things happen to you. April 4th, Victims of Violence Wholly Day -Befriend a victim of violence and do something nice for that person. April 5th, National Deep Dish Pizza Day -Sounds like a delicious holiday. I bet Domino's will be busy on this day. April 6th, Drowsy Driver Awareness Day -If you are a drowsy driver, make everyone aware of the fact. You wouldn't want to hurt anyone. April 7th, No Housew...

    Depending on the year. Easter may or may not fall in April, if it doesn't, that doesn't mean there aren't other holidays to celebrate. In fact, there is a food holiday for every day in April. National Sourdough Bread Day, April 1st - Sourdough bread makes a wonderful patty melt. ON this national food holiday, try making a patty melt with sourdough, your favorite meat and a cheese that you love. National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day, April 2nd - Every kid, and kid at heart, will love this food holiday. Grab your some peanut butter and your jelly or jam of choice and make yourself a couple. National Chocolate Mousse Day, April 3rd - This is one of the best national food holidays of the month. Try making your own or purchase one of the many different brands available at your local store. National Cordon Bleu Day, April 4th - Celebrate this food holiday by heading to Arby's for a Cordon Bleu sandwich and some curly fries. National Carame...

   There's chocolate cake—and then there's this chocolate cake. Four layers of cake. Chocolate ganache. Salted caramel. Toasted almonds. It's a decadent combination that has become a big seller at Santa Monica's Vanilla Bake Shop—and a new favorite for weddings. Ingredients CARAMEL FILLING 1 cup sugar 1/4 cup water 2 tablespoons light corn syrup 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, diced 1/4 cup crème fraîche or sour cream 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice Large pinch of fine fleur de sel* plus additional for assembly GANACHE FILLING AND FROSTING 1 1/2 pounds bittersweet chocolate, chopped 3 cups heavy whipping cream CAKE 2 cups sugar 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup whole milk 2 large eggs 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted 1 cup hot water 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder or instant co...

    The first of April isn't just another ordinary day. Also known as April Fool's Day or All Fool's Day . It is celebrated in a number of countries including America, the United Kingdom, France and Germany.     The origin of April Fool's Day is actually any body's guess, but it is known that it came to England from France or Germany in the mid 17th century. At one time April 1st coincided with the New Year and was celebrated as such until 1582, when Pope Gregory XIII ordered the new Gregorian Calendar to replace the Julian Calendar. With there being no computers, telephones and other speedy forms of communicating, word did not travel very fast in those days and therefore many people continued to celebrate New Years Day on April 1st, while some rebelled against this change in their old traditions.     With some embracing a new system and others fighting progress it is thought that those following the new system mocked the others...

April Fool's Day is rapidly approaching, and April Fool's celebrations will be occurring all around the world. But not all April Fool's Day celebrations will be the same; April Fool's Day in one country is often quite different than in another. April Fool's Day in the U.S. is usually a day of trickery, pranks and outrageous stunts. The media becomes involved, running bogus news stories or promoting false products. The April Fool's Day celebrations can occur any time of the day and can be as simple or complex as the trickster wishes. The victim of the prank is supposed to maintain good humor about it, and traditionally he or she will attract bad luck by getting upset about he prank. April Fool's Day in France is traditionally call Poisson d'Avril , which translates to "April Fish". The term refers to the fish that are recently hatches and therefore naive and easy to catch. The traditional April Fish prank in France is to tape a fis...

    April Fool's Day is the one day of the year that serious minded people can go crazy without criticism. Over the years there have been many great hoaxes that have occurred on or around this day of the year. The Museum of Hoaxes put together a list of 100, this is a list of the top 15. In 1982, the Daily Mail reported that a local manufacturer had sold 10,000 "rogue bras" that were causing a unique and unprecedented problem, not to the wearers but to the public at large. Apparently the support wire in these bras had been made out of a kind of copper originally designed for use in fire alarms. When this copper came into contact with nylon and body heat, it produced static electricity which, in turn, was interfering with local television and radio broadcasts. The chief engineer of British Telecom, upon reading the article, immediately ordered that all his female laboratory employees disclose what type of bra they were wearing. In 1974 residents of...