Imagine this, you're a monk whose community is "wholly ordered to contemplation," you don't listen to the radio, you don't watch television, and yet you sell bread in your high-tech internet store! I'm not 100% sure how this works out with the monks' way of life, but in a few weeks, their bread will be available online. For more than the last 50 years, the monks at the Abbey of Genesee (in upstate New York) have been baking thousands of loaves each week and selling them to the local supermarkets. Has anyone tried their bread? I hear it's popular in the region and is wonderfully tasty. I guess I'll have to order a loaf when the store opens up.

Source: CBS 4

Yesterday afternoon, a few of us went out for a fancy lunch feast at Campton Place (it was part of the Dine About Town going on here in San Francisco). Traditionally, it's supposed to be a 3 course meal for lunch, but lucky us, we managed to swing a 5 course meal plus a little tidbit to see us on our way.

So how was the lunch, what was the decor like, and most importantly how tasty were our SEVEN AND A HALF desserts? To find out, read more

The other day I had the luxury of watching paint dry (literally, our backdoor was being replaced and painted and therefore I couldn't close it for several hours). Usually, watching paint dry is a terrible task, but in this case it meant I got to work from home! Whenever I work from home I try to keep myself at the desk and off the couch, but towards the end of the day, I couldn't help it. Around 5 (which means the work day could have been over, right?), I clicked on the TV and to my surprise Ina Garten (aka The Barefoot Contessa, who I had just been writing about) was pulling a scrumptious brownie tart out of the oven. Now, I probably should hold on to this recipe because a bunch of you might have seen this episode also, but a) it looked amazing and b) I think it would make a great Super Bowl dessert, so I have to share.

To check out the recipe for Ina Garten's delicious brownie tart, read more

Yesterday afternoon I was fortunate enough to have a lovely leisurely lunch with the always effervescent YumSugar and equally intriguing geeksugar. After we were seated at a sophisticated round table our waitress, Diane, rolled out a champagne cart. Now if you've never had a champagne tray rolled to your table here is how it feels: lusciously luxurious. I mean I wasn't even thinking about ordering champagne, but the moment I saw the bottles on ice I knew it was exactly what I needed and wanted. I listened intently as Diane described the first bottle and then the second. I was instantly mesmerized by the sound of the second bottle's name, Blanc de Blancs and knew I had to have it. The white sparkling wine made with all white grapes conjured up a pristine image of myself in an alternate universe sitting at an incredibly chic Parisian bistro while wearing a wildly stylish Chanel suit, with a gorgeous young French vintner kissing my neck, and what's that in my hands? A long skinny glass of Pierre Peters, Cuvee de Reserve Blanc de Blancs. I was ripped from my daydream when I realized Diane was staring at me, waiting for an answer: I'll have the Blanc de Blancs please. I may not have Paris, a Chanel suit, or a handsome Frenchman, but I can have the champagne. The bubbly has the softest nude color and was crisp, light, floral and dry. A very elegant non-vintage blend, this champagne slid down my throat like liquid diamonds and was almost too sexy for its flute. It's definitely perfect for your romantic Valentine's Dinner date for two. To find a bottle of the bubbly near you, do a local wine search.

I love making cakes especially for birthdays, parties, and special events. I'm not talking easy cakes from a Duncan Hines box, I'm talking about four layer cakes with multiple fillings, glazes, ganaches, frostings, and garnishes. I know when I've made a great cake when the final product takes the breath away from my guests, my mother says, WOW, and my father goes back for late night seconds and thirds. An epic cake of these proportions needs beautiful, mouth-watering presentation. Unfortunately I don't own a single cake platter or cake stand! This problem must be remedied by the time I'm in the mood to make my next cake. I can't be a well respected hostess/cook/food blogger without at least two cool cake plates. It's off to market time! Please scour the web for the most glamorous cake plates/stands/platters around and save them in the Yum Market on TeamSugar. Tag your platters with the keywords, Cake Plate. I am looking forward to seeing what you discover!

Wondering what exactly is the Yum Market? geeksugar has written a quick, easy to read guide to bookmarking on TeamSugar.

Looks like 2007 is the year of the superfruits. Over the last few years, the solid pomegranate and his pals blueberry and cranberry have done a lot of the groundwork (now almost everyone knows what antioxidants are). With their help, the world is ready for more. While I was at the Fancy Food Show, I noticed that everyone who didn't have a pomegranate flavor, now has one, and those that already did, now have something new. Ladies and gentlemen, meet the superfruits. read more

• Hot guy in aisle 3. Looks like more and more cooking schools and supermarkets are catering to singles (photo by Jessica Oyanagi). - Seattle Times
• San Francisco restaurant scores are public, but are they working? - San Francisco Chronicle
• When was the last time you used your broiler? It's probably been a while, but why? The broiler is an underappreciated appliance that can produce some great results. - New York Times
• A great soup is actually a layered soups where the flavor builds one after another. - Chicago Tribune



• Cuban sandwiches and Mojitos will add some tropical flair to your Super Bowl party (photo by Wendy Maeda). - Boston Globe
• Tired of the same old sandwich? Take a break from your regular mix and try unusual sandwich fixings like yogurt cheese, duck and peppers. - Houston Chronicle
• Need an alternative to beer and dips this Super Bowl weekend? Why not take a tip from the wine bars and serve up wine, cheese and classy cold cuts?- Los Angeles Times

Tuna melts are one of my all time favorite comfort foods. It's like a grilled cheese, there is something about melted cheese and warmed bread that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Tuna melts are a great go to meal when you have no time and no fresh food in the fridge. I always have canned tuna, bread, and cheese in my kitchen. Tonight's recipe is a jazzed up version with a Mediterranean twist: garbanzos, capers, and green olives. I've made this open faced sandwich many times and it's absolutely delicious. To make it for dinner, read more

Super Bowl Sunday is just a few days away and slowly but surely I'm putting together my blowout bash. In order for me not to get overwhelmed when planning a party, I like to do it in little increments. The invitations one day, the menu the next, and so on and so forth until the entire fete is prepared. After the game and the food, the next essential piece of any Super Bowl party puzzle is the drinks. I went all out in the menu and will do the same with the drinks that I pair with my food. (Random side note that has nothing to do with drinks at all: maybe I'm a little excited from FabSugar's sexy week but isn't this pic of a football player's body HOT?) To see what I will be serving my guests while I cheer on the Chicago Bears, read more