Is Your Cooking Fused?

Fusion cooking is a culinary technique that combines regional and ethnic techniques and ingredients in order to create new and innovative tastes. Tex Mex, Shish Kabobs, and California Rolls are all examples of fusion cooking. I have to be honest and say I’m not (or rather I wasn’t) sure what all the fuss is about. It seems to me that this has been going on for centuries. People move from homeland to new land. People cannot find same spices and/or ingredients. Ingenious, aforementioned people improvise creating a new dish that is similar but uses slightly different ingredients. Oh. . .but … Continue reading →

Trans Fat, Fast Foods, Truth in Advertising and Responsibility

I have been avoiding this topic like the plague. However, I love food and I love to write about it. The ban on trans fat in New York City as well as other proposed legislation is hot button issue in food right now. Frankly, I long for a simpler time when food was just there for eating but such is the case no longer. You may have heard that New York City banned trans fat in all its restaurants. Eateries have until July of 2008 to get rid of the artery clogging substance. My opinion? This is a good move. … Continue reading →

What $1,000 Will Buy You for Valentine’s Day

Are you looking for the perfect food related gift for Valentine’s Day? Well, if you’re especially. . .well endowed with funds. . .you can use that $1000 to buy any one of these scrumptious desserts. The Golden Opulence Sundae at Serendipity3 in New York City I’m not sure opulence is the right word. I think maybe it should be renamed the super duper overly, excessively and abundantly extravagant ice cream sundae. But this is Serendipity3 (most people just call it Serendipity’s) and they are, dare I say, the most well known ice cream shop of their kind in Manhattan. They … Continue reading →

Three Easy Microwavable Lunches

In previous posts I’ve written about Three Easy Lunches and Three More Easy Lunches which contain ideas for simple yet yummy lunches. Well, here are three more easy lunches that you can microwave. They all stay in the freezer until you need them. Lunch #1: Boca Burgers If you’re an American, you probably for sure love a good burger. Burgers are great, but how about substituting a soy Boca burger instead of a meat patty? One Boca burger takes only a minute in the microwave to be ready to go on a bun or even without one. And it has … Continue reading →

Starbucks Treats

Perhaps different from many Americans, my husband and I have never spent oodles of money on regular Starbucks “treats.” We’ve been married 4 1/2 years now, and until a year or so ago we had gone to Starbucks for a special treat only 3 or 4 times since getting married. When we would go there, it was a major treat for me, mostly, since I like coffee and tea so much. Starbucks was a treat for really only me until my husband realized Starbucks had other non-coffee or tea-related beverages, like Caramel Apple Cider and Strawberry Frappuccinos®. When he found … Continue reading →

Chick-fil-A Calendars

For many years now my husband and I have either bought or received current Chick-fil-A calendars. The calendars cost $5 each and contain one coupon per month (sometimes even two coupons per month). Sometimes the month’s coupon is for a free product without the purchase of anything else, and this month’s coupon was just that. This month’s coupon (Jan ’07) is for a free chicken sandwich; the regular cost of that sandwich is somewhere under $3. Last night my husband, our daughter, and I went to a Chick-fil-A and claimed our yummy and free sandwiches. This was the first year … Continue reading →

Fancy Baby Food

Call it haute baby cuisine or gourmet meals for babies… whatever you call it, it’s not your average jar of strained carrots and green beans. Baby food manufacturers are answering the call for better baby cuisine. And they say the requests aren’t only coming in from celebrity moms and dads. Studies show that parents of all socio-economic classes want fancier fare for their precious bundles of joys. One of the most popular “gourmet” baby foods on the market comes from a company called “Homemade Baby.” The company says it caters to parents who don’t cut corners when it comes to … Continue reading →

Kentucky Fried Chicken Going Healthy?

Stop the presses… I just heard that KFC is going healthy. Well, healthier anyway. No, they aren’t introducing chicken shaped tofu and ditching the macaroni-and-cheese for grilled asparagus; rather the company announced today it is phasing out trans fats in cooking its Original Recipe and Extra Crispy fried chicken, Potato Wedges and other menu items, though it admits it hasn’t found a good alternative yet for their yummy biscuits. At today’s news conference the restaurant chain said it would start using zero trans fat soybean oil system wide in the United States. The switch is estimated to be complete by … Continue reading →

No More Foie Gras For Chicago

Animal rights activists have convinced the City Council of Chicago to put a ban on foie gras. In case you do not know what foie gras is, it is a delicacy made of duck and goose liver. The ban is due to take effect on August 22, 2006, but until then, many Chicago restaurants are racing to offer special foie gras menu items to restaurant patrons. Why did the animal rights activist want to see foie gras banned? They consider it cruel treatment to the animals because the ducks and geese are force fed to increase the size of their … Continue reading →

Do-It-Yourself Dinner Franchises: Worth It?

Today I stopped by a new Dinner My Way franchise. It seems these do-it-yourself dinner shops are popping up all over. Entrepreneur magazine named these franchises, such as Dinner My Way, Dinner by Design, and Dream Dinners, one of the fastest-growing food trends. So I wanted to see what all the fuss was about, and to see if this is something I want to participate in. I’d like your comments if you’ve tried on of these places. Which one did you go to? Was the food good? Is it economical? Will you return? The helpful lady behind the reception desk … Continue reading →