A few weeks ago, I shared 26 entries for our love of ice cream challenge. All 26 of these were wonderful, but apparently it wasn't the end. I was going through my junk mailbox and somehow not one, not two, not three or four, but FIVE entries had been marked as spam! I knew I wouldn't feel right until these five entries were shared with you guys, so I've decided to do a follow-up roundup. Here are the five missing entries, making it a total of 31 folks who love ice cream. Thanks again to everyone who participated! To check out the missing entries (you know the mint chocolate chunk is screaming your name!), read more

Something about the color of this beetroot pesto makes me smile. I can't wait to give this recipe a try at home. - Nami-Nami

You've probably been here before: you're cleaning out the fridge and you get to that open jar of mayonnaise. You wonder how long it's been there, and when you opened it. Then you realize that even if you could remember when you opened it, you wouldn't know if it was still any good. The labels, if they're even there, are often confusing. So what do you do? Well luckily I've got the tip and the answer to help you out. To find out read more

When I first started hosting parties back in 2002, the glossy themed party planning book, Be My Guest: Theme Party Savoir-Faire by Rena Sindi was on my Christmas list. Luckily my mom always shops by my lists and on December 25th the shiny new book full of fabulous ideas was waiting for me under the tree. In the book, Rena invites readers to come party with her as she chronicles 14 of New York's high society themed parties - ones that she actually staged and planned herself. Not only are the photos of socialites - yes, that is a pre-famous Paris Hilton on the cover - and celebrities gorgeous to look at, but Sindi has plenty of amazing ideas. Similar to my party plans, she provides the details on all the major pieces of a theme party: the dress, invitations, venue, decor, menu, drinks, entertainment, and music. The food recipes - caviar on potato crisps with creme fraiche or goat cheese bundles with spring salad and yellow lentil vinaigrette - are not for novice cooks, but the cocktail recipes - white chocolate martinis or strawberry mojitos - are varied and exciting. Her musical selections are easy to enjoy and pair perfectly with each theme. This book has honestly inspired my career as a party planner!

Have you had a chance to flip through the pages? If so, what did you think?

Last night's Top Chef took us from nine cheftestants to eight. But before there was an elimination, there was a quickfire challenge and some more can't-get-along gang action.

The episode starts off with some behind the scenes action. Joey's departure has made people sad, and Dale and Sara N. have built a new friendship. After a few minutes of watching them behave like real people, we're whisked off to the kitchen for an elimination challenge. This time the guest judge is Chef Govind Armstrong and the product they're hawking is Coldstone Creamery. To find out what happened next, read more

In a recent study performed by Stanford University, young children were given identical snacks in two distinct packages. Some of it was in an unmarked wrapper and the rest was wrapped in a McDonald's label. In each and every test, the youngsters concluded that the food in McDonald's wrappers tasted better than the blank labels.

Study author Dr. Tom Robinson said the kids' perception of taste was "physically altered by the branding."

The study included McDonald's chicken nuggets, hamburgers, and fries, as well as grocery store carrots, milk, and juice. Children were asked whether one tasted better or if they tasted the same. Knowing that the ones in McDonald's wrappers were the clear favorites, I have to wonder if establishing controls on products marketed to children is a good idea after all. What do you guys think?

Source: CNN and Chow Grinder
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Do you love blue cheese? Do you love chocolate? How about blue cheese and chocolate truffles? Personally I can't wait to try them! - Bay Area Bites

A great way to put a bounty of fresh summer zucchini to use is in the form of a tasty dinner frittata. Similar to a crustless quiche, frittatas are splendid quick fix dinners. I always have eggs in the kitchen and just combine them with whatever vegetables, herbs, and cheeses are leftover from previous meals or farmer's market trips. Prefer something more hearty than this vegetarian one pan meal? Add bacon, cubed ham, or proscuitto to the egg mixture before pouring over the veggies. Sound delicious? To see the super simple recipe, read more