As you may have heard, Katie Holmes loves to treat her fellow cast and crew members to scrumptious tidbits. Over the last few weeks, she's brought ice cream, cupcakes and pizza (which was even flown in from Chicago!) to the cast and crew of her new film, Mad Money. I think it's pretty sweet, and I wonder how she decided what to bring. If money wasn't an object, I'd fly in fresh sushi from Japan and kleiners from Iceland. How about you? What would you feed your pals?

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One of my new favorite past-times is to head down to the farmer's market grab a bunch of tasty produce and relax in the sun at the Hog Island Oyster Company for a few oysters and a cool glass of bubbly. However, this weekend I had to get home to whip up some snacks for a friend's potluck birthday picnic, so there was no time for the bubbly. Not wanting to break my new tradition, I decided to have a glass that afternoon instead. While at the market I picked up a bunch of delicious kumquats and figured they'd make a great addition to the bubbly. While looking for a bit of inspiration, I came across this recipe for a Kumquat Champagne cocktail and knew it was the right recipe for me. To check it out, read more

For some reason the entire concept surrounding a bachelorette party totally freaks me out. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for the girl's getting together and going out for a rowdy night on the town, but all the tacky extras that normally go hand and hand with bachelorette anything seriously creep me out. Dildo headbands? Veils sprinkled with condoms? Male strippers in banana shaped penis covers? Gross! Luckily the ladies over at the Bachelorette Superstore are all about hosting a classy, elegant bash. If you don't have time to get crafty and make your own personalized invitation, I would recommend ordering a set of their invitations. They have a wide variety of options and are reasonably priced.

I've got news for you Starburst fans, there's a new limited edition package (doesn't it seem like there's a new limited edition flavor every week?) called "Retro Starburst Fruit Chews" and it comes with four flavors: Psychideli-melon, Optimus Lime, Hey Mango-rena! and Disco Berry. - Candyblog

The last few cakes I've made have been totally heavy on chocolate, peanut butter, and ganache. Therefore I'm totally in the mood to make a light, fluffy, creamy white cake - with coconut! It's a little early for piña colada, but in a cake it's perfect for the middle of May. The flavor of coconut always makes me think of summer and I can't refuse a smooth cream cheese frosting (it's my favorite kind of frosting). If you don't like pecans, simply omit them from both the cake and the icing. If you're in the mood for coconut cake - like I am - then please, read more

Soy sauce is soy sauce, right? Wrong. There's actually a bit of a feud brewing (or should I make that fermenting?) between the Japanese and the US Codex Alimentarius Commission. Right now there's no labeling distinction between traditional soy sauce (which is brewed and fermented from soybeans) and the American "knock-offs" (extract of soybean and some other protein, flavor enhancer and artificial colorings). The committees in the Codex Commissions have "harmonized hundreds of food standards since the 1960s" and the Japanese want them to set a standard for soy sauce similar to the one used in Japan.

The Japanese manufacturing process, used by companies such as Kikkoman Corp., dates to the 17th century. This so-called "natural brewing" process involves blending wheat, soybeans and a mold, and letting the culture ferment for several months before refining and bottling the sauce.

Food snobs and consumer groups here and in Japan consider non-brewed soy sauce an impostor since it contains caramel color, corn syrup, salt and what is called hydrolyzed soy (or some other protein), in which the protein is reduced to an amino acid to create what is essentially a flavor enhancer.

There's currently a proposal in place that would continue to call both products "soy sauce" in which one would be labeled "Naturally Brewed" and the other "non-brewed."

However, not everyone's pleased with this compromise. The International Hydrolyzed Protein Council, whose members make the "non-brewed" soy sauce, are arguing against the labeling proposal. Martin J. Hahn, an executive director of the trade group stated:

"These products have been manufactured here and around the world for decades and sold as soy sauce, and there have been no complaints from consumers."

What do you guys think? Should they have to label themselves, or does it not bother you?

Source: Washington Post

Welcome back to the extended wedding coverage here on the Sugar Network. I've already planned an engagement and wedding and now it's on to more important matters: the bachelorette party! This week I'll be racking my brain for the best bachelorette party ideas to help you plan your girlfriend's, sister's, and soon to be sister-in-law's final fling before she faces the ring. You know I'm not a fan of anything over the top tacky and cheesy so there will be no dildo headbands in sight. Instead I'm planning an entire afternoon for Julie and her gang of gal pals to have a fabulous and memorable time. The fete gets kicked off at 5 with a stripper (who will teach Julie a few moves to use on her wedding night), followed by dinner, drinks, and dancing until dawn. Oh and it's also a lingerie shower so only gifts in the form of lingerie will be accepted. I'm really excited about planning this one so let's get the party started by making the invitations and read more

Have you ever wished you had a kitchen conversion chart at your fingertips? How about a wine pairing guide, or a herb cheat sheet? Well stop your wishing and start ordering. The folks over at Simple Memory Art (aka Smart) have come up with a smart set of kitchen towels. There are three sets to choose from (two different towels in each set): herbs & spices, wine and cooking tips. I love the way that they look (clean and simple) and I love the fact that they're informative and practical (they're meant to get dirty, they're towels!). Available in sets of 2 for $18, or as a full set of 6 for $50. Thanks Stacey for the tip!

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I'm a really big fan of salads, in fact I once went through this 9-month phase where I ate one everyday. There's something about them that is just nice and refreshing, and even though they usually consist of veggies only, they're often quite filling. However sometimes you just need something more than veggies. When that time comes along, I love to top my salads with some leftover chicken or steak. If you have any of yesterday's Shiraz-Soy Tri-Tip left, I suggest you give this recipe for steak salad a try. To check out the recipe, read more