On Sunday night I was invited to a singles cooking class at Sur La Table. The event was put on by Parties That Cook, a company that promotes team building partnerships through cooking. After a quick lesson, where the chef taught us basic cooking skills, we broke into 7 groups, each one assigned to a different portion of the meal. My group was evenly paired, two boys and two gals - one of the boys later confessed that he had determined he would be in whatever group I was in - and we were in charge of making dessert: banana and mango spring rolls with caramel-rum dipping sauce. Sound difficult? It's not! You can put this divine, tropical dessert together in no time. Look at the recipe, and a gallery of pics from the event, just read more

Guess who was hanging out with Tim Roth and Dennis Hopper? To find out, read more

A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to try a drink called a Rum Crusta. I usually shy away from rum, but for some reason - I think it may have been the lovely sugar coated rim - this one was calling my name. It's a sweet, but sour drink, containing triple sec and lime juice, that slides down real nice. To make one for yourself, or to impress your friends with a new drink, get the recipe, read more

I was checking out all the great recipes over on TeamSugar and came across this gorgeous roasted salmon with cucumber, tomato & dill salad posted by friedwonton. It looks perfect for a light summer meal, and I love how all the color jumps off the plate. Speaking of plate, she's even included plating directions in her recipe! To check it out, read more

• Don't settle for any old salad, this summer's ingredients are inviting you to try something new. Something like a grilled vegetable chopped salad with parmesan vinaigrette. - SF Chronicle
• My waistline sure doesn't need this, but my tastebuds love the fact that restaurants are abandoning small plates in favor of heaping platters of fatty meats. Plus the rats in the new Pixar film Ratatouille, really know how to cook, they even took lessons from famed chef Thomas Keller. - NY Times
• Out with the kebabs, it's time for yakitori! Be sure to check out this recipe for chicken thighs with yakitori sauce. - LA Times
• Seattle is home to one of my favorite markets. Learn more about it from the Pike Place Market pioneers. - Seattle Times
• This Father's Day, treat dad to a grilled meal that sizzles. - Houston Chronicle
• If your dad's idea of Father's Day is doing his favorite activities away from the house, then send him packing with a fabulous picnic meal. - The Oregonian
• In honor of Father's Day, there's a great batch of stories about what happened when dads take over cooking duties. - Sacramento Bee

Every afternoon my father goes to have a drink at one of his local hangouts. "Getting liquored up" is a daily ritual for him, and it's not so much about the booze, but about his buddies. If your dad likes to drink and entertain, surprise him with one of these drinker-friendly items. For the wine connoisseur, give a wine cellar or wine preservation kit to trap the air in opened bottles. Does your dad drink whiskey? How about a leather and crystal decanter. If he's more of a beer buff, show your love and gratitude with new glasses. Have a lot of siblings? Rally the family together to all pitch in and splurge on an outdoor portable bar. Browse these finds below by scrolling to the right.

I found this scoop & release cookie dropper the other day and immediately balked. While it might seem like a genius idea, I've got a great tip that works just as well. Instead of investing $9 on a cookie dropper, why not spend the same amount on an ice cream scooper instead? I use mine every time I make cookies. It's a great way to come up with uniform drops for even baking, and the perfectly round scoop creates perfectly round cookies, making your cookies look like they came from a professional bakery! Just remember, that a larger scoop size will create a larger cookie, meaning longer baking time. And conversely a smaller scoop will create smaller cookies, meaning a shorter baking time.

Source: Kitchen Contraptions

When it's the middle of the week and I am tired, cranky, and busy, I like to make myself a delicious strata - something between an omelette and a crustless quiche. There is virtually no cooking involved in this strata recipe - all you have to do is assemble the pieces and throw them into the oven for a little less than an hour. While it bakes you can unwind in the bath or read a magazine. Use a store-made basil pesto and purchase a bag of pre-grated cheese to cut prep time in half. For a heartier strata, toss sun-dried tomatoes and prosciutto into the dish before baking. Don't ask yourself what's for dinner tonight - simply make this dish - trust me you'll be satisfied, just read more

Yesterday, to kick off New York's Restaurant Week, Bravo TV hosted a cook-off pitting season 2 crowd-favorite Sam Talbot against season 2 winner Ilan Hall. I was really hoping that Sam would show everyone that the wrong winner was chosen, but as it turns out, Ilan won the cook-off with a softshell crab dish. His winning dish, which beat out a quail entrée from Sam, will be tentatively added to some of the top restaurants' menu during restaurant week.

Also present at the event were Top Chef judges Tom Colicchio, Padma Lakshmi and the cast of Season 3 (which starts tonight!).

Source: TV Cocktail

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