We've all been in crazy situations, and I want to know how you handle entertaining fiascoes and bad restaurant behavior. I'll present a situation and you tell me what you would do. Here's this week's scenario:
You're at a nice, chic restaurant where your table is next to an unlit fireplace. Instead of setting your purse and shawl on the ground, you place them on a shelf next to the fireplace. You have a lovely dinner with good food and great company. After paying the bill, you reach for your purse, and your shawl falls into a crack. You quickly pick it up but realize it's much heavier. Something is stuck to your shawl. Upon closer examination, you realize it's a sticky mouse trap with a furry dead mouse attached! What would you do?
To see what I would do in this situation — true story, it happened to BabySugar! — read more
My Moroccan dinner would not be complete without sweet mint tea. This hot concoction is a common commodity on the streets of the North African country. Although alcohol is not traditionally consumed in Islamic culture, at my party I'll offer guests an alcoholic variation of the tea in the form of a green-tea cocktail. Water — both sparkling and still — local beers, and a couple bottles of wine will round out the drink menu.
For the recipes to both the hot and spiked teas, read more
Dunkin Donuts has pulled an advertisement featuring Rachael Ray because some people believe she is wearing what could be construed as a terrorist symbol. Apparently, the black and white scarf she wears in the ad resembles a traditional headdress, known as a keffiyeh, worn by Arab men.
The criticism of the scarf was spearheaded by Michelle Malkin, a conservative Fox News commentator. On her blog, she complains about the trendiness of such a powerful symbol:
Popularized by Yasser Arafat and a regular adornment of Muslim terrorists appearing in beheading and hostage-taking videos, the apparel has been mainstreamed by both ignorant and not-so-ignorant fashion designers, celebrities, and left-wing icons.
At first Dunkin Donuts dismissed the complaints but later pulled the ad and released the following statement:
In a recent online ad, Rachael Ray is wearing a black-and-white silk scarf with a paisley design. It was selected by her stylist for the advertising shoot. Absolutely no symbolism was intended. However, given the possibility of misperception, we are no longer using the commercial.
I think the whole thing was blown out of proportion. How about you? Do you think anyone could mistake Rachael Ray for a terrorist?
The latest episode of Top Chef has brought us down to the final four. Yet before that happened there was one final challenge and a lot of steaks. Were you paying close attention? Find out when you take our quiz.
Photo courtesy of Bravo
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This week I found an interesting recipe on MyRecipes.com and it inspired me to create these bite-sized, creamy nachos. The baked chipotle chips are topped with a creamy goat cheese mixture and a cilantro salsa. Avocados were finally ripe at my grocery store, so I was able to blitz up a quick, easy guacamole. These make for a playful presentation and would look lovely on a graduation party menu. To see how I made these incredibly scrumptious nachos — once you pop, you can't stop — read more
On this week's Hell's Kitchen, Louross — the self proclaimed "little Filipino kid who no listens to" — was asked to hang his chef's coat and leave the competition. I was bummed to see Louross go, but looked forward to speaking with the quick chef. Yesterday morning we chatted about Ramsay, Jen, and everything in between. To take a look at our conversation, read more
Refrigerated pizza dough is a great item to always have on hand. You can make instant pies with leftovers or even use the dough to make an entirely different dish. This recipe takes pizza dough and turns it into a tart crust. The crust is filled with a mashed potato, leek, and cheese mixture before being baked in a hot oven. The final result is a tart that is quick, scrumptious, and filling. This dish would also make a delicious addition to an informal brunch. To check out the vegetarian recipe from MyRecipes.com, please read more
After spending the long weekend running around planning the Sex and the City screening after party, I decided to treat myself to a delicious dinner at one of my favorite restaurants. Most of my friends were out of town, so I went alone. I have no problem with eating dinner by myself, but was wondering how you feel about it, do you ever dine alone?
Earlier this week we paid tribute to the food trends established by the series Sex and the City. Before the show, brunch had never seemed so glamorous and the only thing served in a martini glass was a martini. Like the series, the movie will most likely change the way we eat and drink. To see what I mean — I've got a sneak peek of food moments from the film — just click the "Start" button.
