My mom has always enjoyed unique foods. As a kid I remember her chowing down on plates full of things that I couldn't — at the time — enjoy. One of her fave weird treats happened to be pigs' feet. I always thought she was crazy, why on earth would anyone want to eat feet? Well, turns out she might not be so crazy after all.

In Tokyo, pigs' feet and other collagen rich foods are the latest craze. So much that restaurants are now serving more pigs' feet, jelly drinks, and turtle meat and blood. Soft-shell turtle used to be served mainly to men — it was thought to boost sexual performance — but lately the women are the ones chowing down. Sosuke Myagawa, owner of a soft-shell turtle restaurant said:

There is a lot of collagen in [soft-shell turtle] meals. All our female customers that come to eat collagen say their skins are doing much better the next morning, when they put on makeup.

So there you have it, customers say collagen-loaded foods help their skin. Unfortunately there's no quote from the experts; however, the fact that my mom has amazing skin is proof enough, right?

Now tell me, would you eat turtles or pigs' feet in order to get better skin?

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Take advantage of the lingering Winter citrus by whipping up this lovely orange cake. Oh, I can smell it already. — What's For Lunch, Honey?

Recently, I was lucky enough to sit down with one of my idols: the extraordinary event planner Colin Cowie. We met for coffee on a sunny California afternoon and discussed his new book Chic, the dos and don'ts of being a fabulous hostess, and the formula for a successful and memorable party. Colin oozes chicness in everything he does, whether it's working as creative director of a yet-to-be-opened hotel in Hong Kong, planning a wedding for Middle Eastern royalty, or simply making dinner for a few friends in his stylish home.

To see what Colin had to say when we sat down together and to watch a video of our conversation, read more

If you are sick of heavy chocolate desserts, consider making a trifle for your next dinner party. A cold dish that is best when made in advance, a trifle consists of layers of cake, custard, fruits, whipped cream, and syrup. While the variations are endless, most trifles are served in a large, clear glass dish. I've found two recipes for you to experiment with — one uses help from the grocery store and the other is one hundred percent homemade — give both a try or combine elements from each recipe to make your own special trifle. To get started, read more