Have you ever seen or tried those crisp cinnamon twists at the market? We used to buy them years ago, but they got pretty expensive and we stopped buying them. Those were the first thing that popped into our minds when we took a bite of these Cinnamon Sticks I made for the Weekly Wednesday Treat Day.  read more »

Of all the memorials on the National Mall, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial is perhaps the most controversial of all. Just might as well … as the US suffered it’s only defeat in a war with pulled out from it’s involvement in Vietnam without achieving its objectives. The US got involved in Vietnam to stop the march of communism from China down to South East Asia. However, the country used the wrong strategy to fight the communist north and thought that sheer firepower will ultimately win the war. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is actually made up of three sections … the Three Soldiers sculpture, the Vietnam Women’s memorial and the most famous of all the Memorial Wall. The Memorial Wall is made up of two walls gradually sunken to the ground from one side and rising from the other. Believe it or not, the Vietnam Memorial is designed by a 21 year old Arts student. You see, when they organized a competition for the design of the memorial, they made one decision … and that is all designs are to be identified by a number and the artist name is not revealed. It so happened that the design of the young artist was chosen over many other big names. Many believe that this design would not have been chosen if the artist name was made known.  read more »

Today's vegetable soup recipe: A cold summer soup, tomatoes paired with cherries for a slightly sweet gazpacho. Adapted from the Spanish chef Dani Garcia known for whimsical and delicious interpretations of Spanish cuisine. Beautiful color, yes?!  read more »

If youre anything like me, you probably think that cupcakes do deserve their disputable standing. I mean, just a quick look around you, and the only thing youll see are colourful, sprinkle-packed, prettily piped buttercream topping tasteless (or even worse, awful-tasting) cakes baked in cups. So yes, thats what you think. However, if youre anything like me, you might also have the inner feeling that you can change that . Make delicious cupcakes, baked with flair, sophistication and novelty. And well, this is totally what I want you to do for this September edition of Sugar High Friday aka, SHF; the terrific event created many months ago by the no-less terrific Jennifer, the Domestic Goddess . Please, help me prove the world that cupcakes can be as tasty as they look . Prove that they arent dead. I heart them. For their size; for their cuteness; for they practical-ness; for how fun they are to make. And to look at. And to eat. Today is your chance to show that you heart them too. 1. Make cupcakes. But make them original, with a twist. There is so much more to explore than box-cake and plain buttercream. Think chiffon cake, chocolate fondant cake or flourless nut cake. Think meringue, ganache or French fondant. Go off the usual - and boring - path. And most importantly have fun. Its just flour and sugar after all. 2. Take pictures of your cupcakes, and write down the recipe on your blog (if you dont have a blog, please email me with both pictures and the recipe). Do this before the 26th of September , and youll make me happy. If you happen to miss the deadline - which you dont want to, trust me - do not hesitate to email with your details during the week end. 3. Send me an email - fanny[at]foodbeam.com - with SHF as a subject line, containing the following info: - your name - your blogs name and url - a link to your SHF post - a picture of your choice, at least 205×205px 4. Enjoy the cupcakes youve just made with the people you love. Et en franais?  read more »

Big Daddys House with Aaron McCargo Keep me in Bed Super-Stuffed French Toast Eggscellent Bean and Beef Burrito Big Daddy Parfait Getcha Goin' Grits Aarons making breakfast, something special for his wife. Hes making a bean and beef burrito. (Thats a rather substantial start to the day. If he brings her all that food in bed, he may need a crane to get her out of there.) He puts refried bean into a bowl with a bit of sour cream and then zaps it for 2 minutes in the microwave. He shows us 6 eggs in a big bowl. He chops a small onion and a poblano pepper finely along with some garlic. Aaron opens up one pound of hamburger meat. He heats oil in a pan and adds the meat. It hits the pan with a big sizzle. He stirs it around and adds the vegetables with a lot of seasoning.  read more »

A little trivia here. What makes a bisque a bisque and not a chowder?  read more »

Savoury Muffins are the best way to kick-start a day, especially when they are loaded with Cheese and veggies, providing enough protein and other nutrition that will make you fresh and fit early in the morning! I had some left-over Pizza sauce and as I'm going to be leaving for a vacation in a couple of days, I wanted to clear my pantry of the cheese and veggies that needed attention! So, what better way to use these than throw it all together in muffin moulds?!! - the result, these easy and...



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 Who doesn't love a warm heaping bowl of lovely creamy risotto?  This was dinner tonight (and lunch tomorrow)....all cooking times and measures are approximate, except for liquid (4 cups) and rice (1 1/2 cups)
Boil 4 cups stock.  I used chicken with a touch of filtered water.  
Prep veggies - loose large cuts - 1 small red onion, 1/2 Vidalia onion, celery (basic mirepoix but without carrots [add if you want]).
Smash a couple of garlic cloves and roughly chop. Add to the mix.
In a large skillet over medium heat add approx. 2 Tbl unsalted butter and a touch of olive oil, warm and add mirepoix.

Sweat mirepoix approx 5 minutes.  read more »

T his chutney is LONG overdue. On my last chutney post , way back in May, my sweet Greek friend Ivy @ Kopiaste had asked for a fruit chutney.  read more »

You can find the recipe for this simple Spinach Tuna, Tomato, and Radish Salad at The Cooking Adventures of Chef Paz, where I was a guest poster yesterday. The lovely Ms. Paz is recuperating from surgery, so be sure to leave some get well wishes for her when you stop by to see the recipe.
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