Braided Tapenade Bread Recipe

Braiding is a fancy way to present stuffed bread. To get this recipe started, I prepared the dough and let it rest for a few hours. Once it's ready to roll, the sides of the resulting long rectangle are cut into long strands, filled with tapenade (or your favorite filling) then the bread is tied into a two-strand braid. 

I used homemade tapenade made with kalamata olives, mustard and capers. I love the way the deep-purple color contrasts with the bread. The bread would also work well with hummus, guacamole, salsa or roasted bell pepper spread.

Valentine's Day Recipe Round Up

Valentine's Day is this Thursday, and I've been brainstorming ideas of how to celebrate it. I put up some recipe suggestions in case you're planning to cook as well. Naturally you'll want to pick the dishes that your sweetie likes. Here are some recipes that are sure to help get you in a romantic mood.  Joyeuse Saint-Valentin!