My dad is a late night closet chocoholic: after both my mom and I have gone to bed, he sneaks up to the kitchen for ice cream, chocolate candies, or his recent favorite chocolate pudding. Last week when I woke up, I noticed three empty plastic jello-pudding containers and a used spoon next to the sink! I decided I was going to do something nice for him last weekend and make him homemade chocolate pudding. I had watched the Barefoot Contessa make it on her show and it was beyond easy, just like making homemade ice cream without the hassle of rock salt and ice. The pudding was delicious, but according to my father, "great chocolate-y flavor but too thick, I would consider this more chocolate mousse than pudding." Now I've become obsessed with making the best chocolate pudding ever and will try recipe after recipe until he gives me the stamp of approval. I found this recipe which doesn't call for eggs so I am hoping that it's going to be more liquid-y. To make this all American, classic can't go-wrong dessert for your father, read more

Okay, since we're sort of on the topic of beers, I thought this story would be interesting to share. A new study by Leonard Lee (of Columbia University) had 388 people taste-test two different beers: one regular and one doctored with a few drops of balsamic vinegar. The participants were then divided into three different groups:

1. Those who knew nothing about the balsamic
2. Those who were told about the balsamic ahead of time
3. Those who were told about the balsamic, but after they drank it and before they voted

To see the surprising results of the taste test, read more

I used to live in England for a little while, and let me just say, it's pretty different from the US. For example cookies are called biscuits, dessert is called pudding and their bartenders mix beer with lemonade. Yes, beer with lemonade, and surprisingly, it's really good. If you ask most Americans what a shandy is they wouldn't be able to tell you, but it's essentially just a mix of lemonade and beer. I found it to be a great refresher on a sunny afternoon or after a round of badminton (which, in case you're wondering, I'm terrible at).

You can mix up your own, or go for a very low-alcohol version by Fentimans. I tasted this product the other day and it had a great flavor, definitely a good alternative for the designated driver.

To learn how to mix up your own shandy (you could just take beer and sparkling lemonade and pour them together, but this recipe is more fun), read more

• Did you know that Paula Deen used to suffer from agoraphobia (fear of people & public places)? - Image by Stephen Kroninger. New York Times
• Beware, if you enter that food competition, you may be entering into a whole new world of passion and culture that belongs to cooking contestants. - Chicago Tribune
• Just what you've been waiting for, Crisco with zero trans fat has arrived. - Seattle Times
• What does your fridge say about you? Here's a fridge breakdown from several different households. - Boston Globe
• Ten years after the ban on wild abalone, eco-friendly aqua farmers are bringing it back to menus in the Bay Area. - San Francisco Chronicle



• Introducing verrines, the hottest food trend from Paris. It's basically a well constructed/laid out appetizer or desert whose components are artfully layered in a small glass. Photo courtesy Pierre Herme. - Los Angeles Times
• Take a minute and learn all about the foods that shaped Texas. Outside of bbq, chili and chicken-fried steak, what is there? - Houston Chronicle

A few weeks back, I told you about my poor hard working friend Kathleen. She is amazingly fabulous, but has a super long work day so we don't get to hang out much. She commutes and catches the bus at the way-too-early time of 6:52 am and she doesn't make it home until 7pm! Thats a twelve hour day folks and lots of times Kathleen skips breakfast because she is in a hurry and afraid of missing the bus. She asked me and I asked you(!) to find good ideas for a healthy, rapid commuter's breakfast. Ones that would give her the energy she needs to make it through her hectic days. The breakfast had to be fast and must be transportable. You saved your discoveries in the Yum Market and recipe database with the tag, Commuter's Breakfast. Listen up Kathleen, here's my advice (based on your awesome suggestions) on how to get your day started off right:

Lindakins recommends purchasing a plastic Cereal-on-the-Go container. This is an ingenious idea: a small tupperware that includes a 12-oz cereal bowl, 5.7 oz spill proof milk bowl, complete with a detachable spoon. Kathleen can fill it with the cereal of her choice and lowfat milk and it's so small she is sure to have room in one of her gigantic oversized handbags.

Two more, including a healthy muffin recipe so read more

A few weeks ago I received a "Dear Party" from DearSugar! Apparently one of her readers, a certain Wino Wendy had written to her inquiring about the shelf life of an opened bottle of wine. Here's what I told her: first consider the type of wine. White wines you store in lower temperature (max of 13c.), whereas red ones you should keep in room temperature (max 18c.). However once opened, all wine begins to change. The oxygen in the air starts this process of change that can only be slowed down if the wine is chilled (it is advised to put even a bottle of opened red wine in the fridge). When you want to drink it, take it out about a half an hour before to allow the wine to come to room temperature. Red will stay drinkable for up to 3 days and white will for another day or so. Whichever wine it is, you need to make sure you seal the bottle tightly, leaving no air inside. There are special corks for it, which should be available at your local wine shop. How long they last will depend on who tastes them - the longer you keep a wine open, the stronger the alcoholic flavor. My best tip - once you've opened a bottle of wine - is to simply drink it all, that way you don't have to worry about leaving it open. To check out my at home science experiment, in which I sample one super old bottle of white wine compared to a just uncorked one, read more

I was pleasantly surprised to see that in a recent poll, the majority of you guys said you enjoyed eating fish. We all have heard how fish is really important to incorporate into our weekly diets, due to its myriad of health benefits, and I'm glad to see that most of you have turned this information into action. Tonight I propose we have fish and vegetables for dinner, seriously could it get any healthier? The vegetables are sautéed until tender, the fish is placed on top and the dish gets baked quickly in the oven. This is a great everyday dish and an easy entertaining meal for a small impromptu crowd. To make your grocery list, read more

During the South Beach Wine & Food Festival, many celebrity chefs were on hand to chat with fans while signing copies of their books. On hand were the usuals (like Rachael and Giada), however there was one particular Food Network bashing chef on hand as well. Yep that's right, our favorite celebrity chef bad-boy, Anthony Bourdain, was there too. On one hand I'm sort of surprised, I thought he hated these guys, but on the other I'm not surprised at all. I mean he is a celebrity chef, so why wouldn't he be there?

Here's what Charles Passy of the Palm Beach Post had to say about the "Howard Stern of the food world":

Of course, in the process of espousing such a philosophy, Bourdain made note of everything from Giada de Laurentiis’ oversized head to Al Roker’s stomach stapling (Bourdain’s point with the latter: Do you really want to bask in the culinary wisdom of a guy who can’t eat?). I laughed so hard, it almost made up for the five numbingly dull hours I spent at the Food Network Awards the night earlier.

But here’s the thing: Just an hour or so before the talk, Bourdain was doing a book-signing session, sitting in the same seat that Giada had occupied moments earlier. Can he have it both ways — mock the famous and bask in fame at the same time?

So what do you guys think, can he have it both ways or is it hypocritical?

Source: Palm Beach Post

For more pictures of celebrity chefs signing books, read more

I've invited a group of friends to my house to taste and learn about wine once a month and the club's first meeting is coming up! I'm very excited to take an educational experience and translate it into a party. Together, in a non-threatening environment, we will discover and discuss, sip by sip, new varietals of red, white, or sparkling wine. After all the best way to become an expert on wine is by drinking it! Although the wine is the focal point, I will be offering a few small savory and sweet bites to cleanse our palettes between tastings and to fully appreciate the flavor of the wine. I encourage you to come party with me by starting your very own wine club! To see what wine I'll be tasting at the first meeting and for essential wine club tips, read more