We all like food, food is essential to our survival, of course, but more importantly, it acts as a universal language.  Some of us like food more than others and so called “foodies”. Foodies are amateur gourmets who simply love food — eating it, talking about it, preparing it, and learning about it. And for foodies, the social web is an amazing playground.

There are thousands of great sites for foodies on the Internet, so I prepared my list of  10 the best sites for you  my dears foodies. I divided on tow categories : Buying Food and Cooking Food.

Buying Food:

1) www.leshop.ch – For Swiss Foodies only. This is most practical home food ordering sits in Switzerland. I shop there almost every week and I love it! It’s a life saver. Now there also available iPhone application.

2) Locavore iPhone App - Free Locavore app for the iPhone not only finds local farmers’ markets, but it also lets you know what foods are in season and which foods are coming in season soon.

Cooking Food

 3) AllRecipes - AllRecipes is on of the bigest recipe sites and the web’s most visited food site. It has over 40,000 recipes, most submitted by users, with ratings and discussions.

 4)  Foodista - You can’t cook great food until you learn the basics, and Foodista is a great place to turn when something stumps you in the kitchen. Foodista is a wiki-based food encyclopedia (meaning anyone can edit it) that includes entries for foods, tools, techniques, and even recipes (so you can apply your newfound food knowledge).

5) Rouxbe - Rouxbe is an online cooking school and video recipe library, offering a large collection of how-to videos covering both basic and advanced cooking techniques and entire recipes.

6) Nibbledish -  The Nibbledish  is easily the most beautiful recipe site on the web. It’s also home to over 2,000 Creative Commons licensed recipes with photos. It’s that liberal license and the site’s mouthwatering photography that really make Nibbledish special.

7)  Epicurious -  By combining recipes and articles from Gourmet and Bon Appétit magazines, Epicurious is one of the web’s best resources for recipes and cooking tips from some of the world’s top culinary minds.

8 ) FoodBuzz – The bhiges food blog community. FoodBuz aggregate, organize and curate nearly 2 Million blog posts from 10,000 food blogs worldwide, bringing high-quality, real-time food content into the spotlight.

9)  Bakespace -Perfec to share recipes, build new friendships, learn from one another and express their passion for all things food-related.

10) Plumpepper - I love everything food and wine, and there’s actually a  new site, that incorporates buying food, cooking food, and eating food into one easy-to-use and remarkably beautiful design.

tada! 2nd bouquet of blue roses from SSD.

this one came yesterday as an absolute surprise cos he asked them to deliver to my office instead. was abit half-asleep in the morning when they delivered, and i initially thought it was for Hel. i remember i saw that they were blue roses and i was like, ‘huh, don’t tell me she also like blue roses. copy me!’

and then i saw my name on the delivery order. *stunned* until the delivery guy also impatient liao. haha. thankfully kolics didn’t make a big fuss over it and more thankfully, bosses weren’t in. otherwise will be super paiseh. =\

undeniably it put me in a good mood the whole day.

then had dinner at kyomomoyama. the restaurant was rather empty and we got a window table. view was pretty good i guess. ambience was warm and romantic and they were playing those classic love songs. i likee!

menu items are a little on the pricey side, but promotions are quite affordable.

salmon – raw or cooked – is loves. sitting by the riverside is very loves. walking to esplanade is super loves. SSD is most loves. =]

2332

Yep, I love food, and not in the I’m-addicted-to-it-and-can’t-help-myself way. Rather, I love food and the process of eating. I love fresh fruit, produce, poultry, and seafood. I love spices, curries, and sauces. I love creative pairings and unexpected ingredients. I love the presentation of food. I love the excitement of waiting for a favorite dish and the surprise of exploring a new one. I love the first two bites of my entrée and the bite off of my company’s plate. I love food. I am a foodie.

Yesterday over panninis and a view of the Bay, a friend asked me what my favorite food memory was. Just one, I asked, I have so many!

In no particular order, here are a few restaurants at the top of my list. Should you find yourself in Madison, WI, then make your way to the eclectic Willy Street neighborhood and the Weary Traveler Freehouse. The Bob’s Bad Breath Burger is amazing and lives up to its name. Lots of garlic, green goddess dressing, cream cheese, free-range local beef, carmelized onions, and a side of roasted potatoes . . . my mouth is watering already! The Weary Traveler also offers a fine selection of local microbrews, including New Glarus and Central Waters.

Back on the West Coast, a local favorite of mine is the Fork. Technically, I think the name is “The Fork at Agate Bay;” however since the restaurant is at the fork in the road at Agate Bay, the shortened name will suffice. The only way that I ever would have found the Fork is through urbanspoon, and it was well worth it. Some favorites include the butternut squash lobster pasta, the mushroom-stuffed chicken, and any of the fish of the day specials. Tucked away in the woods by Lake Whatcom, the Fork is a delicious retreat from the more urban(?!) downtown.

And then there is NorCal. So many places and such variety: the Mexican lunch cart, cheap sushi, deep-dish pizza, In ‘N Out burger, the dives from undergrad days . . . I will go with places that we frequent when we return home for visits. Any foodie knows that Berkeley is a great place to start. We have spent many hours in the year-round patio at Jupiter on Shattuck Avenue. Jupiter offers a handful of house brews, including the flagship Red Spot ale. I highly recommend the Galileo and the Io! Half of the fun of the Io is trying to pronounce it for the waitstaff.

Mmmmm, good food. Yum. I should also say that much of my love of food is intimately tied to spending time with those in my company. Not surprisingly, many of my friends are foodies too. Oh, the friendship of food!! Love, love, love . . .

I’ve been asked to lead 6 tasting events at The Tasting Room, owned by Boxwood Winery of Middleburg, and located in Reston & Chevy Chase. So this is what I’ll be up to on Tuesday & Thursday evenings for the next 6 weeks!

The wine menus are finalized, and here are the details, details.  Hope to see you there.

THE TASTING ROOM

With locations in Reston Town Center, Chevy Chase and Middleburg

Announce a series of Tasting Events

Presented by Anita LeGault, Sommelier

Tuesday, February 16th

 Reston Town Center

1816 Library Street

Presents “Winter Whites  & Reds”

6pm – 8pm

Call (703) 435-3553 to make reservations.

$65/person

Tasting Menu Paired with Cheeses and Charcuterie

Whites

2007 Domaine Robiln, Sancerre

2007 Zind-Humbrecht Pinot Blanc, Alsace

2008 Domaine Picho Chenin Blanc, Vouvray, Loire Valley

2007 Domaine de Triennes Viognier, Provence

Reds

2006 Chupacabra, Paso Robles, California

2004 Chateau Corbin Despagne, St. Emilion, Bordeaux

2007 Boxwood Winery, Middleburg, Virginia

2005 Clos du Marquis, St. Julien, Bordeaux

Tuesday, February 25th

 Chevy Chase

The Shops at Wisconsin Place

5330A Western Avenue

Presents “Winter Whites  & Reds”

6pm – 8pm

Call (301) 664-9494 to make reservations.

$65/person

Tasting Menu Paired with Cheeses and Charcuterie

Winter Whites

2008 Maude Otago Pinot Gris, New Zealand

2006 Chateau Pique-Caillou Pessac-Leognan, Sauvignon Blanc, Bordeaux

2008 Qupé ‘Y’ Block Chardonnay, Santa Maria Valley

2006 Brooks Willamette Valley Riesling

Winter Reds

2007 Topiary, Boxwood Winery, Middleburg, Va

2005 Chateau La Bienfaissance, St. Emilion

2000 Chateau La Vieille Cure, Fronsac

2003 Chateau Prieure-Lichine Margaux

SAVE THESE DATES FOR MORE UPCOMING TASTINGS!!

Tasting Menus to be confirmed.

TUESDAY, MARCH 2^nd

THE TASTING ROOM IN RESTON TOWN CENTER

THURSDAY, MARCH 11^TH

THE TASTING ROOM IN CHEVY CHASE

TUESDAY, MARCH 16^TH

THE TASTING ROOM IN RESTON TOWN CENTER

THURSDAY, MARCH 25^TH

THE TASTING ROOM IN CHEVY CHASE

Started at Quivera – what a view and nice wine. I bought three bottles, Savanung Blanc their very reasonable Zin.

Next to Raymond Burr – yes the actors emmy are on site. The reds were the best their.

Preston was third. I have never been there before but I will go back. Family run. Small at the top of Dry Creek. Focus on Syrah and Sirah. Say the Austrailans are producing tons of cheep Petite Sirah, flooding the market so they are discontinuing their production. Bought a jug of their barrel wine.

Lunch at Hanna

Rosenblumbs was open for some red tasting. They are under new ownership and the charge now.

Last was Selby. Only five of the party that at one time was at 14 made it to Selby.

We had great weather again this year at Hanna.

Our “reserved” table was there. The spread was fantastic. Too many good breads, cheeses, salads and dips. The wine was refreshing to match the great day and view.

Gary, Katherine, Mark S, Daisy, John, Lorraine, Mark L, Elena, Cathy and Tom. New this year was Jerry and Melanie.

When a “date night” doesn’t quite fit into the weeks agenda, or when it’s obviously necessary that we need some together-time (stat!); we sneak in a little last minute “table for two”. Simple to set up, quick to cook, and easy to execute! Yes, I know we only have a 15 month old at home, and I know we have only been married for a few years… Yes, I know it gets harder and harder to make these things happen, but everyone agrees that the harder it gets to set aside time together – the more desperately it’s needed! So, here’s a little scheme that works for us. After the kids are asleep, set up a little wine ‘n dine table for two – and savor some “dating” action right at your own kitchen table! There’s something beautiful about a meal that serves only two, and something magical about gazing at each other through glowing candlelight (even if the baby monitor is right next to you). With some extra effort you can jazz up the family dinner for you romantic evening later, or you can cook up some special (keep it easy!) recipes ahead of time. My dinner-for-two menu of choice is: soup, salad, and steak (the soup and salad you can borrow from dinnertime, and the steaks I defrost the night before, stick in a ziploc bag to marinate all day, and throw in on broil for all of 10 min)!! I pick up a bottle of wine from Trader Joe’s during my afternoon walk with Freida, and my husband and I have a beautiful last-minute dinner to be enjoyed à deux. So when you can’t fit in the time to go out – sneak in some time to stay in!

We had our own private circle of tables for our party of 11.

Two bottles of wine, a Savignoun Blanc fromHidden Valley Vineyards in Santa Yanez and a mixed red wine from Acorn.

The oysters to start off were excellent.

Salad’s, excellent

Lamb chops, excellent

Riblites, excellent

Brussel sprouts, excellent.

Did I say it was excellent?

Melonie, Jerry, Jeff, Ginny, Daisy, Mark, John, Loraine, Alaina, Cathy and Tom!

The Saturday warm up wineries:

Rodney Strong was the free tasting for the visa signature card.

Foppiano was the old style winery – reds were good.

The last winery was Deux Amis, a small winery. I bought three bottles of Zin wine there.

We are sure that many of you have noticed the sign for the new Tio Joe’s off 121 in Grapevine, TX. Nestled between Hooters and Carabas with its neon lights beckoning you near, it occupies the building formally inhabited by Don Pablos. I guess we assumed that since we loved Uncle Julio’s and tio means uncle in Spanish (free Spanish lesson) that it would have to be good. Plus we figured Joe and Julio could possibly be family members. We should have known it wasn’t going to be a great experience when we had to wait over fifteen minutes for someone to come by our table to take our drink order. Strike one. We were literally about to get up and leave when our waitress finally graced us with her presence. To top that off, our chips and salsa were also held hostage in the kitchen. When they finally reached our table we were underwhelmed by their lack of genuine flavor. While we waited for our food, we took the time to take in the general ambiance of the restaurant. It definitely had potential, but the obvious lack of customers made the vast space seem even emptier.

When our order arrived it was incorrect. Strike two. A few minutes later, however, the problem was solved. The plates themselves were average at best but definitely nothing to write home about. The cheese enchiladas were decent, but when you are as hungry as we were anything will taste good. It’s hard to go wrong with crispy beef tacos but we have to say they were a bit bland. The beans were a bit watery and the rice was devoid of flavor. Our experience was further tainted by the lack of service that was provided throughout the meal. It’s not surprising that our order was incorrect, as our waitress changed midway through our meal. This seemed to lead to an all out boycott on refilling our drinks. Strike three. How appropriate it seems that we had to wait another ten minutes after we were finished to get our bill.

Overall we would say to steer clear of Tio Joe’s if you are looking for a good Mexican meal. We wouldn’t say the food was horrible but it definitely lacked in ambiance and service. After eating at Uncle Julio’s the other night we realized the vast difference between these two places. They are definitely not related. There goes that theory.

By Rachel Ramsey and Raul Alanis

If you saw our February event calendar, we overlooked one important event that has just been brought to our attention. Josie and I often proclaim that we are women of charity, but the truth of the matter is that we always have the feeling that we want to do more and that we can’t do enough. This event that we heard of is called Stir It 28 and it is alliance of food bloggers trying to bring relief to Haiti. I got several pleads from my Jewish mother to adopt a Haitian baby but helping in this way seems far more logical and realistic. Here are all of the fantastic details and simple way that you can help:

STIR IT 28 is 3-part fund-raising effort to help in the relief of Haiti’s devastating earthquake, leaving thousands dead. 3 food bloggers have come together to bring awareness and raise money for the island! On Feb. 21st, 4 cities will host an evening of culinary adventures, featuring food from chefs, restaurants and food bloggers in each city!

100% of money raised goes directly to YELE & Share Our Strength. They have accepted our campaign & are helping us get the word out!

Part I. Feb. 21st Culinary Evening Celebrating Life & Hope

Atlanta: Space Atlanta – Eat Drink Enjoy
1310 White Street, Atlanta, GA 30310. 4-7 pm. DJ Rev Lee spins music and special surprise guest appearance by local performer that will electrify you! Complimentary wine by Montaluce Winery. Cash bar. $30 in advance; $40 at the door.

LA: Private LA Residence located at
6602 Cahuenga Terrace, Los Angeles, CA, 90068. 4-7 pm. Complimentary Valet parking to 1st 50 guests. $30 in advance; $35 at the door.

Chicago: Three Peas Art Lounge
75 E. 16th Street (Between Michigan and Wabash)
Chicago, IL 60616. 4-7 pm. $30 in advance; $35 at the door.
*cash bar & delicious cupcakes for sale

Houston: Private Residence in Walden on Lake Houston
8810 Rolling Rapids Road, Humble, Texas 77346. 4-7pm. $30 in advance. No tickets sold at the door.
Houston Artist Shae will drop in to sing a song and other surprise guest performances, including Bound 4 Glory Records Recording Artists

Wash. DC: Event details coming soon!

Part II. Month-Long Donations!

If you can’t participate or attend the Feb. 21st event, consider donating in any denomination. Donations are being accepted all month long, beginning Feb. 21st. Paypal donation to stirit28@gmail.com.

Part III. One. Comment. One Eats.

If you’re a food blogger, we’re inviting you to participate in Bren’s hunger campaign called “Hunger Lives No More: One Comment. One Eats.” For each comment left on the 1st post of February, we ask that you donate ONE food item to Share Our Strength. We are coordinating with SOS on getting all donated food to Haiti. If you participate, email bren at flanboyanteats dot com and you will receive a badge to place on your blog indicating that “You Gave.”

Let’s STIR IT!!!

We will be participating in the event and if you are interested in helping out, our L.A. contact person is Chrystal of Duo Dishes. If you would like to purchase tickets in advance  (highly recommended)  visit either Flanboyant Eats or Coco Cooks and click the Stir It 28 logo at the top of their pages.  It will take you straight to the Paypal site to purchase the $30 space.

I want to give a huge shout out to Greg of SippitySup for offering his house for the event. The devastion in Haiti is massive but this is a small, easy, and tasty way that you can help. I am not a big Bob Marley fan, probably because I am from Santa Cruz and it seems like everyone I grew up with idolizes him with the initiation of their first joint. Anyway, I love Wyclef and if he loves Bob Marley, well then Bob is good enough for me…Plus I love the Stir It Up message.

4 feb was an okay day for me. except for the paper cuts and last minute 1.5-hr meeting which started at 645pm and robbed me of the shopping trip with mum. tsk.

but the good stuff made up for it. like, the relationship between me and D went back to the way it was before. previously for a period of time, it felt like he was avoiding me. i think it was because he thought i was getting too close to vict. but it’s getting quite obvious recently that we are pretty much against CH, and vict is his man….so yeah. boycott! but undeniably D is a better engineer to work with. so…ya lor. =]

and was having sushi craving that day, so i kinda convinced kolics to go singpost suki for dinner. abit surprised that they were so sporting and agreed almost immediately. i think we kinda made a nuisance of ourselves by laughing so loudly. but at times like this, we don’t really care. too much fun. hehx.

so overall, not too bad. not that i’m taking any chances. lol.

… …

SSD’s turn to have sushi craving. so we went nihon mura.

i don’t know why i bother to take sushi pics, since they’re all the same. lol.

… …

super into this song now. nice~

0105

每晚回到家里 带半残废身躯
入睡床没法睡 杂念来又去
往往仍记起你 过去共你一起
所经过多得可以 编写几次传记

分享我的兴趣 分担我各样顾虑
在绝处一刻拥抱 等於给我圣水
你去后令我发现 笑声有罪 踏步也失据

剩下自己 怎可走到尾
遇挫折孤身撑起 好东西独自回味
最极刑是 剩下自己 彷佛单脚企
任我再努力逃避 终须一跌没余地
假使我昨日 单身走过去
没有经历和你 一起的壮举
今天要我独居应不会 难受到想死去

惯了共你一半 吃喝共你一碗
是幕僚是友伴 幸运和自满
这晚上再想你 记挂共你一起
所经过的多麽美多麽回肠荡气

分享我的兴趣 分担我各样顾虑
在绝处一刻拥抱 等於给我圣水
你去后令我发现 笑声有罪 踏步也失据

剩下自己 怎可走到尾
遇挫折孤身撑起 好东西独自回味
最极刑是 剩下自己 彷佛单脚企
任我再努力逃避 终须一跌没余地
假使我昨日 单身走过去
没有经历和你 一起的壮举
今天要我独居应不会 难受到想死去

实在是世事难料 剩下自己怎可走到尾
遇挫折孤身撑起 好东西独自回味
最极刑是 剩下自己 彷佛单脚企
任我再努力逃避 终须一跌没余地

最绝情是剩下自己 怎可走到尾 (Ah多麽多麽的想你)
遇挫折孤身撑起 好东西独自回味 (极痛恨遗憾美)
最极刑是 剩下自己 彷佛单脚企 (我会试试今天起)
任我再努力逃避 终须一跌没余地 (习惯剩下自己)
假使我昨日 单身走过去
没有经历和你 一起的壮举
今天要我独居应不会 难受到想死去

$$
(780) 930-1828
16336 – 111 Ave
7/10

Before writing this review, it needs to be said that reviews of Chinese restaurants are rated with their own criteria because they can’t be compared to any other restaurant. These aren’t fine dining cuisine restaurants. So here we go.

Yet another Shanghai cuisine restaurant in Edmonton. We’ll see how long this one stays alive. In west Edmonton, Shanghai Grill is located in an almost industrial area near the mall. Big, typical, Chinese restaurant. There are lots of tables and generally looks pretty clean. One thing that did shock me was the friendly service; I think many will agree that you lower your expectations on customer service when you eat at a Chinese restaurant. I tried this restaurant out with my girl who has been here before and she had wanted a particular thing off the menu. She wanted the chive pizza pop shown below, but of course, it was on the special, only written in Chinese menu. Both of us could not read it and after deciding on the rest of our choices, we had asked the server to assist us. We explained it to her in English, telling her that it’s some kind of bread that is filled with vegetables with a crispy outside. She drew pictures to help us determine this dish. So after she tells us the name of it in Chinese, we order. She had then finished by pointing to the very last item on the menu (the one that also has English): Turnip Cake. We say its not and she completes our order and goes. A few minutes after she walks back with these fried balls and we knew that was Turnip Cake, but she wanted to confirm anyways! Thanks lady!

These chive and vermicelli filled pizza pops essentially (left) were delicious! If you like the taste of chives and garlic, this ones for you! It was a little oily, but the outside was indeed crispy with a chewy texture. Jam packed with garlicky goodness!
Beside the pizza pops are the fried beef soup dumplings. I have never tried this before but the shell of the dumpling was not too thick but had the right amount of chewyness. The au jus of the beef inside is delicious as always and with the perfect amount of Chiang King ginger vinegar, this is a great alternative to Little Dragon Buns aka Sieu Long Bau.

Little Dragon Buns (shown below), or as some people call Soup Dumplings, are a trademark of Shanghainese cuisine. If you have never eaten one, they are basically dumplings usually with pork and some suey choy with au jus steamed to perfection eaten with vinegar.To me, the quality aka deliciousness of these buns is one of the key components to a great Shanghainese restaurant. Theirs were pretty good, but the soup a bit thick and they did not come out hot enough. You should be scared to bite into the dumpling for you don’t want to burn your tongue with the broth if you don’t eat it “correctly”. Judging the dumplings alone, out of 10, they get a 7. Shortly after these arrived on our table, an observant waitress had taken notice that they had not been touched and came by to remind us that they are best while piping hot. They were hot, but not hot enough.

Overall, food is pretty good; I only got to try a few items, but I would go back, but not soon. It will definitely do the trick if you are craving for some good dumplings.

Sticky rice roll with a sweet filling. You can get both savoury or sweet. I like to compare the sweet one to a Japanese style sticky rice roll for seaweed in there.

Spicy chillies and onions porkchops.

In the spirit of the Puj Baby Folding Infant Bath post (which got lots of great feedback), I wanted to share some kitchen utensils in the same vein. Sleek, modern, colorful, and functional – Joseph Joseph Kitchenwares delivers the ultimate food prep experience. I’m sure you have seen some of their products (you’ve definitely come across the colorful nesting bowls!), as their unique ability to match form and function has earned them global recognition for their multi-award-winning designs. Here’s a few of my favorites:

1. Folding Colander $20.00

my kitchen version of the Puj Baby : )

2. Nesting Bowls (8) $50.00

my favorite prep/mixing/(even) serving bowls – oh-so-cheerful!

3. Compact Herb Chopper $25.00

makes gourmet garnishes a (teeny-tiny) breeze!

4. Cutting Board Index $65.00

cross-contamination obliteration.

5. Square Colander $11.00

stop wishing you had a third hand – just use one!

6. Fold Flat Grater $20.00

space saving grace.

New York’s iconic downtown restaurant, INDOCHINE celebrates its 25th anniversary. With its stylish ambience, tropical décor, exotic French-Vietnamese cuisine, and yummy cocktails, INDOCHINE is one of these few, time less, restaurant that manages to stay a hip destination after all these years.

INDOCHINE, the book, celebrates twenty-five years of being an important legacy in New York’s downtown social swirl. It gathers Vintage photographs from the 1980s and ’90s mixed with collages and Polaroids taken during the restaurant’s most notorious private parties.  Stories by Moby, Julianne Moore and Bob Colacello are combined with photographs by Roxanne Lowit and Patrick Demarchelier, along with artworks by Francesco Clemente, Helmut Lang, Narciso Rodriguez, and Julian Schnabel and many more…

The restaurant is a must-see and the book is a must-have!

I know the Super Bowl is coming up and normally my feminist response to that is always, “Oh, you mean the day with the highest rate of domestic violence.” Sure, I am a buzz kill but I just don’t get football, what I do understand is being a food baller. I believe this whole concept began on New Years Eve when A.K. told her hubby, Chuck, that we were carb-loading in preparation for the last night of 2009. He was puzzled and said, “What do you guys think you are a football team?” It was at that point when we decided we are a food balling team. We have eating marathon and can drink enormous quantities due to our properly padded tummies. Anyway, to continue on with the metaphor, last Thursday was a big game day. The line-up was insane there were many plays to be had. Okay, I really don’t know any more sports terminology or references to keep this up, sorry. First on the list, I had lunch with Minty at Church & State. This meal was then to be followed by dinner and drinks at Oinkster and last on the list was a Yelp Elite event at Little Cave. I am a strong believer that if you want strong bones than you must eat bone marrow.

We began with more than just bone marrow, we also had the brussel spouts with dates, and the mac n cheese. Now, let me start by saying, I have been to Church & State several times but normally sit at the bar and have a few cocktails and order a couple of plates. This was my first time to have a whole actual meal and also there were three of us at the table just so you know that the Minty and I weren’t the only ones throwing down. The bone marrow was fatty deliciousness. Had I been more uncouth and not sharing with two other ladies, I would  have grabbed it with my hands and gnawed the rest off with my teeth. I have had the mac n cheese several times before and it was as good (read: buttery) as I remembered. However, it was the brussel sprouts that stole the show. I feel like I say it in every post but I love fruit in almost every dish and the dates added so much to the dish (that’s what people say about me. Relax, I kid). On Thursday is when I started my seafood weekend by ordering the Loup de Mer, which was Sea Bass, chanterelle mushrooms, red flame and Thompson seedless grapes. I ordered the full order, which was good because in this small serving I needed both pieces of fish. Anyone knowing me and seeing grapes on the menu, would know this is what I’d order. It was delicious and a total Carina dish. Minty had the Bouillabaisse (full order, of course, she was on game day) and the other lady in our party had the small order of Steak Frites.

It was nice to have my first real meal at C & S. The lunch crowd rush was massive and loud but the whole time I felt like I was in New York. Things then mellowed out and I remembered I was in LA when we realized that the guy next to us was Duff from Ace of Cakes and he later was talking to Chef Walter. By the way, Josie proclaims that every time she is at C & S she sees someone famous. I am not sure I believe her but I know we did once see Mrs. Elvis (Priscilla Presley) at the bar next to us. Oh and the best part of the meal was Minty had a 30% off coupon from BBE. After lunch, I headed back to Pasadena and disgustingly grabbed a cupcake, because I was already so stuffed, and ended up detouring to my house for a nap. It was now 3:30 and I had dinner at 6:30 at the Oinkster, so appropriate I know. We were planning on doing a pitcher of Solidarity from our boys at Eagle Rock Brewery but they were sold out. I was “good” and instead got a burger, chili cheese fries, and a Telegraph White. I had a few bites of ClimbinChiro piggy fries (their version of In-n-Out’s animal fries) and the pastrami. I also had the most uncouth moment by shaking the bbq sauce, which turned out to be the thinner Carolina BBQ sauce that then flew out and landed all over the seat and table of our lounge neighbors. I called it the lounge because it is the low square Ikea tables as opposed to the normal height tables on the other side. The food was really good and I sure felt like a piggy.

Our last stop of the night was the Yelp Elite party. The theme for the night was B.Y.O.S. (Bring Your Own Sombrero). You may have heard I am sad that I don’t have Elite status in 2010. I know the solution, I must write more reviews, but it seems exhausting. Minty knows I am sad with my new position (or lack there of) so she let me be her +1. Why are Yelp Elite Events great? Free food, free booze, and you get to see somewhat awkward foodies and internet creepers get wasted. That is like all of my favorite things. We got to Little Cave on time, you have to for these events because food always go fast. I was sombrero-less for the night but don’t worry I kept myself busy. Jarritos was one of their sponsors so I had several drinks of that mixed with tequila. I ran into a ton of old friends, people I’ve dated, and one guy I just walked up to and  said, “I’ve been to a party at your house in Echo Park.” Since Dawson is no longer with Yelp LA I have been kind of anti, but the truth of the matter is that I really like Yelpers. I love the drama, I love food talkin, and I love the events. There were perfect Mexican chocolate cupcakes from Cakified and tacos from Ricos Tacos that serve every Thursday at Little Cave. I met the new CM Katie B., got my Yelp lunch box, took way too many lollipops, and had a great time. Mark my words, I will be back to my Elite Status sometime in 2010 so I can be a stronger Food Baller….I am first string material…you saw how much I just ate.

Since relocating to the country, there have been many cooking and baking adventures in a real - insert reference to my 2 x 3 half kitchen in my old  studio - kitchen. Here is a sampling of the edible goodness from the last few months… from holidays to birthdays to just because, the end product was gobbled up by the people around me. It is amazing the ability to do something becomes clearer when you have the time and attention span to make deliciousness happen. And it’s not to say that I didn’t create quality food goodness before, it’s just that I’ve noticed a difference in the choices and care given to creating…

“Some people like to paint pictures, or do gardening, or build a boat in the basement. Other people get a tremendous pleasure out of the kitchen, because cooking is just as creative and imaginative an activity as drawing, or wood carving, or music.” ~ Julia Child

Well folksies … another 6 weeks of winter headed our way … thanks to that old arse punk Punx-Phil!  Apparently the decidedly paranoid and delusional groundhog saw his shadow … I personally believe it was all in his head, the little bugger got scared and fled.  Maybe there’s something to this PETA inspired mechanical groundhog? Naww … but really, Phil should consider handing over the throne to one of his (certainly) numerous offspring.  It’s about time Phil … take some time to retire, relax, hit Tiger up for a game of golf already!

On a personal note … I have a VERY VERY good friend, my BFF from nearly the first week I moved to New York City, who has recently set up her own foodie blog.  Now ‘E’, as I’ll call her for our purposes, has a tremendous talent in all things kitchenesque … I can’t even describe the decadance of her Cheesecakes let alone the amazing taste of anything she prepares.  Okay … the closest I can get to how incredible it is, is by referring to orgasmic delight.  Really … her food is THAT good.  Honestly … the girl could cater to the stars! (not that the stars deserve her, really the little people need this kind of good grubbin’ more than they do!!!)  Now … I want you ALL to take a moment and head on over to her site … take a look … add it to your reader, tell your friends, you’re GONNA want to make some of this stuff!!! I’m not a big ‘baker’ type foodie … but even I want to try out those brownies! So … head on over to A Seat In The Kitchen and let us know what you think! I’d be much obliged, and you’ll come out on top too!

On the TV front … I watched the season premier of LOST … and it was AMAZING!!! I think this is truly going to rival the first season! What did you all think of it?

Some of my new favorite shows of the season are White Collar (USA) and Human Target (FOX) both are well done and have excellent well rounded characters.  One of the things I love about Human Target is that it reminds a bit of the shows from the 80’s like Knight Rider and A-Team, it’s sort of predictable … but it’s still action packed and fun!  White Collar has an interesting premise as a top thief partners up with a top FBI agent (and no that doesn’t stand for Female Body Inspector) to catch the bad guys.  White Collar also has an arch-line running through the season … so it’s two-fold.  If you have some time … check them out … now I’m out and on to the rest of the stuff!

ஜ~§Quote Of The Day§~ஜ

History is more or less bunk.
Henry Ford

ஜ~§The Question Of The Day§~ஜ

If the world were going to end on December 21, 2012, how would you spend the last of your days on earth and why?

ஜ~§The Word Of The Day§~ஜ

Conduce

PRONUNCIATION:
(kuhn-DOOS, -DYOOS) 

MEANING:
verb intr.: To lead to or contribute to a particular result.

ETYMOLOGY:
From Latin conducere (to lead, bring together), from com- (together) + ducere (to lead). Ultimately from the Indo-European root deuk- (to lead) that led to other words such as duke, conduct, educate, duct, wanton, and tug.

USAGE:
“We find ourselves under the government of a system of political institutions, conducing more essentially to the ends of civil and religious liberty, than any of which the history of former times tells us.”

ஜ~§Poem Of The Day§~ஜ

Upon A Wasp Chilled With Cold

The bear that breathes the northern blast
Did numb, torpedo-like, a wasp
Whose stiffened limbs encramped, lay bathing
In Sol’s warm breath and shine as saving,
Which with her hands she chafes and stands
Rubbing her legs, shanks, thighs, and hands.
Her pretty toes, and fingers’ ends
Nipped with this breath, she out extends
Unto the sun, in great desire
To warm her digits at that fire.
Doth hold her temples in this state
Where pulse doth beat, and head doth ache.
Doth turn, and stretch her body small,
Doth comb her velvet capital.
As if her little brain pan were
A volume of choice precepts clear.
As if her satin jacket hot
Contained apothecary’s shop
Of nature’s receipts, that prevails
To remedy all her sad ails,
As if her velvet helmet high
Did turret rationality.
She fans her wing up to the wind
As if her pettycoat were lined,
With reason’s fleece, and hoists sails
And humming flies in thankful gales
Unto her dun curled palace hall
Her warm thanks offering for all.

Lord, clear my misted sight that I
May hence view Thy divinity,
Some sparks whereof thou up dost hasp
Within this little downy wasp
In whose small corporation we
A school and a schoolmaster see,
Where we may learn, and easily find
A nimble spirit bravely mind
Her work in every limb: and lace
It up neat with a vital grace,
Acting each part though ne’er so small
Here of this fustian animal.
Till I enravished climb into
The Godhead on this ladder do,
Where all my pipes inspired upraise
An heavenly music furred with praise.

Edward Taylor

ஜ~§Recipe Of The Day§~ஜ

Chicken Piccata w/ Pasta and Mushrooms

Ingredients

• 6 ounces whole-wheat angel hair pasta
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour, divided
• 2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 4 chicken cutlets, (3/4-1 pound total), trimmed
• 3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 10-ounce package mushrooms, sliced
• 3 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons capers, rinsed
• 2 teaspoons butter

Preparation

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until just tender, 4 to 6 minutes or according to package directions. Drain and rinse.
2. Meanwhile, whisk 5 teaspoons flour and broth in a small bowl until smooth. Place the remaining flour in a shallow dish. Season chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper and dredge both sides in the flour. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook until browned and no longer pink in the middle, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate; cover and keep warm.
3. Heat the remaining 1 teaspoon oil in the pan over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring, until they release their juices and begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Add garlic and wine to the pan and cook until reduced by half, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the reserved broth-flour mixture, lemon juice and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring, until the sauce is thickened, about 5 minutes.
4. Stir in parsley, capers, butter and the reserved mushrooms. Measure out 1/2 cup of the mushroom sauce. Toss the pasta in the pan with the remaining sauce. Serve the pasta topped with the chicken and the reserved sauce.

Brightest blessings,

Surry

My husband and I finished putting  away Christmas this week-end.  We were reluctant to do so, as it had all looked so pretty and frankly, we knew it would be a big project.  It is much more fun decorating and getting ready for good times, than locking away bright glittery things for a whole year.  As we pack up boxes and trees (this year we had five, and I don’t count anything under two feet)  The removal leaves a bald space in the home, as well as a serious collection of dust bunnies, and hidden cat food the cats had squirreled away as if hiding nuts for winter. 

 I too have squirreled treats that people on diets should not have.  Yes, it is all leftover from the holidays…  so what I have still in the house are some pastries, chips, candy bars, nuts.  Indeed kept on board for our “guests”, and now Superbowl is fast upon us, lots of excuses!  Have I lost any weight yet?  I don’t think so.  And for this, I need no scale.  You can feel the difference.  Am I exercising?  Well, yes, a few times but not consistently.  Have I dipped in the G.M.?  Yes.  Not to the extent prior to the diet, but I must still admit, yes. 

In my finale thoughts of Christmas, I think of one of my favorite Christmas stories, A Christmas Carol.  You know the one, Christmas past, present and future, the three ghosts, Tiny Tim?  It’s a great tale.  It is also a great transformation for Scrooge.  His change not only impacts him, but we see a positive “domino effect”, as others are touched by his metamorphosis. 

What on God’s earth do I need to push me into positive habits for my life?  Do I need a ghost from weight loss past, showing me how good I felt and how pretty I looked when I was at a healthy weight?  Weight loss present…here I am still able to function somewhat, but still too heavy for many activities I used to enjoy.  Weight loss future?  Will I become bed ridden?  Unable to bath or wipe myself?  Will a fireman have to cut down a wall in my house so I can go to a hospital?  Will people look at my husband, then me and mumble “poor Man” ?  I don’t want that!  No!  No cruel ghost of weight to come!  The finale view?  A vision of my grave site, my loved ones asking each other “why didn’t she just lose weight?  Oh say it is not so!   Please, please, I don’t want that for me, for my husband.

New York is obviously full of great burger joints but NY Butterfly has a special little something for the one hidden in the Parker Meridien hotel.

When visiting the city, everyone craves for a good burger… This one should definitely be your pick! Not only are the burgers exceptionally juicy and tasty, the place itself is quite surprising. Located Midtown West, inside a fancy hotel, you would never expect such an authentic decor- It takes you straight on a road trip across America with Jack Kerouac by your side…

Ideal after a walk in Central Park or a visit to the MOMA.

During the recent changes in digital television broadcasting, our cable company added a bunch of channels to our line-up. I’m not a huge TV-aholic, but there are a few shows I like to watch (or DVR and watch) with regularity, such as Good Eats. Flipping through the section of “new” channels the other day, I stumbled upon what might just be my greatest discovery of the year to date: Food Jammers.

Food Jammers is a Canadian-produced show in which three foodie-type dudes design and create all kinds of crazy culinary contraptions using junkyard and recycled materials. Three seasons of the show are in the can, so I’m astonished that I’m just now finding out about it. That’s why I couldn’t resist sharing this find with all of you!

So far, I’ve caught about half a dozen episodes and highlights have included: a centrifugal force pancake cooker, an edible art show, and making bagels from scratch without electricity (including a wind-powered wheat grinder and baked in a wood oven).

The hosts/co-creators of the show are Chris, Micah, and Nobu (L to R in the photo). Together, they have a loft in Toronto in which they build all these contraptions and create many an interesting meal. Chris describes it as, “a MacGyver meets Bob and Doug McKenzie food show” and that assessment sounds right on to me. Although these guys aren’t vegan, they are focused on quality, sustainability and health. The food they make is also very diverse and often includes ingredients from a range of culinary cultures–something that appeals to me a great deal.

And, being the artsy kinds of guys they are, almost every episode includes some kind of art project. A common theme is for one of them to start a piece (say, a drawing) and cover up their work before passing it along to the next dude. Dude #2 starts where the first drawing ends, adds his share, and covers it before it goes to the last guy. After the third dude makes his mark, they uncover the rest of the paper to reveal a crazy and truly unique piece of art. This method comes into practice for the edible art show episode (Season 2: Gallery Eats).

Best of all? Although the contraptions are designed in advance of filming, the show doesn’t feel contrived. The guys are laid-back, socially-conscious, whip-smart and hungry for creative adventures. The show is also beautifully edited for time without sacrificing continuity. They’re also pretty funny.

Better than that? These dudes post the recipes from their shows on their website.

If you live in Canada, it’s probably easy to catch this show on one of the 5 networks that carry it. In the States, I discovered it on the Halogen TV network and I haven’t been able to determine if it’s aired on any others. I highly recommend that you all check your local listings, or give your cable company a holler and ask for the show!

You can even become their fan on Facebook.

Photo: Mary Louise Penaz

FOOD

It is always there,

Man’s real best friend.

It never bites back;

it is already dead.

It never tells us we are lousy lovers

or asks us for an interview.

It simply begs, Take me;

it cries out, I’m yours.

Mush me all up, it says;

Whatever is you, is pure.

—John Updike