Instead of serving seared steak over the classic mashed potatoes, opt for a healthier variation in this simple salad.
The steak is placed atop a bed of peppery watercress, fresh oranges, and red onions sauteed until soft in balsamic vinegar. The final dish is balanced in both texture and flavor. Check out the recipe and read more
Create an icy cool look for an Italian Christmas Eve by using silver, clear, and diamond accents.
Cover the table with a damask, sage green tablecloth. Set your nice china on silver chargers. Roll sage green napkins into logs and slide into snowflake napkin rings.
Fill pitchers with sgroppino and pour into elegant triangular Champagne flutes. Set placecards in diamond studded place card holders.
Group green pillar candles together around the room and hang a crystal garland festively from the wall or ceiling. A vibrant red bouquet in a matching vase adds a much-needed punch of color.
No contestant was eliminated on this week's episode of Top Chef, so I didn't get to interview the losing chef. Thus, I've decided it's a great time to take a look back at what happened on the show this year.
2008 was an exciting time for the reality competition: viewers got to indulge in two exciting seasons in two important cities — Chicago and New York.
For the world's largest café chain, 2008 has been a bumpy roller coaster ride. This year, Starbucks made more than its share of headlines. Click on the slideshow to see more.
Everyone from health experts to Rachael Ray has touted the benefits of olive oil. As demand for expensive, higher-quality olive oil has grown, however, so has the problem of fraud. Last year, Connecticut officials discovered that some of that state's olive oil was a little too slick. As a result, beginning next month, the state will be the first in the country to set quality standards for olive oil. The state's new regulations prohibit additives and define virgin olive oil as "obtained from the fruit of the olive tree solely by mechanical or other physical means . . . which have not undergone any treatment other than washing, decanting, centrifuging and filtration." California and New York have expressed interest in enacting similar standards because counterfeit olive oil poses a potential health risk to consumers. Some people experience adverse reactions from unscrupulous olive oil, possibly as a result of food allergies to soybeans, tree nuts, and peanuts.
Often, when I'm buying cooking olive oil, I look for bargain prices. Now I'll take more interest in the brands that I choose. Will you do the same? Does this type of criminal activity surprise you?
This colossal red king crab was being sold this week at a Welsh market for £75 ($113). The unusually large crustacean measured 3-x-1 feet and was caught by Norwegian fishermen. While its meat is being described as naturally sweet, the crab also looks strikingly like a spider. Could you stomach it?
Vivienne Westwood
2two
3suisses