Quote of the Day

via Pixdaus

Of all the world's enjoyments

That ever valued were,

There's none of our employments

With fishing can compare.

Thomas D'Urfey

The Heat is On

(Yes-that is a beer can chicken

and it was crazy delicious)

Bar b Que Season

 is Here! 

I think I mentioned last week,  that both

of my kids love to cook, both are very 

accomplished and comfortable in the kitchen.

I don't know about your house, but ours is obsessed

 with the food channel- competitions- check,

ultimate cook offs- check-

wet bbq or dry rub- we're on it.

My son has an affinity for BBQ and he is in to it.

This last weekend, while home from school,

 he indoctrinated our new grill with ... his ribs

and they were excellent.

Addressing  his task and taking his passion very seriously,

he deliberates over the rub and the sauce, always considering 

his cut and method of cooking -

(direct / indirect/gas/coals) duh!

Being a college student (and my child) 

he is never afraid (like his sister) to experiment 

and trust his instincts,

With that said, I offer his dry rub

for baby back pork ribs...

the rest is up to you- for now.

So simple bbq rub

2 tbs paprika
2 tbs brown sugar (or white if you don't have brown)
1 tbs chili powder
1 tbs fresh ground black pepper
1 tbs kosher salt 
2 tsp each garlic and onion powder
2 tsp cayenne or chipotle powder
1/2 tsp celery seeds (ground)

(optional)
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dry mustard

All measurements are approximate, adjust to taste

All ground evenly w/mortar and pestle or coffee/spice grinder for more even texture.

And just for kicks-

here are a few blogs to wet your...

The Eater Path

Jeff @ Culinary Disasters

Patio Daddy

Note: these bbq blogs- 

 were selected at random-

never be a judge, just an enjoyer.

xo

Cookin Great & Lookin Good

Be sure to join Phillip and all the 
foodies around town TONIGHT
at Bloomingdales- 6:00pm
Phillip will have us hooked up
from tons of tips,
 to putting down on the plate.


Looking forward to seeing you there!
Cheers!

Quote of the Day

One has to only grow older

 to become more tolerant.

I see no fault that I might not have

committed myself. 

Goethe

A Day in The Life

"In case you haven't heard, i.e. if you're not on Twitter, the concept of a working weekend was taken to new levels over the past few days by the 48 Hour Magazine team, who came up with what they described as "a raucous experiment in using new tools to erase media's old limits." Which is to say that they decided to push all previously understood publishing boundaries and attempted to "write, photograph, illustrate, design, edit, and ship a magazine in two days."

This until now was unheard of.

In the 10 days before kick off, over 6,000 people signed up to take part the 48 Hour Magazine experiment and during the production time the editorial team received 1,502 submissions. That's a lot of people crafting and creating for this unpredictable and unprecedented concept of a 48 hour magazine.

"48 Hour Magazine's greatest triumph is that it motivated thousands of people to create something original, without knowing whether or not it would be used, just for the pure unbridled sense of joy, fun and pumping adrenalin that comes from being under a tight deadline and in the race."

For more  info and to find out how to receive a copy, 

visit the article on Cool Hunting  By Leonora Oppenheim.

On a similar but different note

consider ...

Pictory.

Photo by Cody Austin

"Spring Swimmers"

"I promised myself that this time, on my third visit to the UK, I would brave the chilly waters of the English Channel. The local swimmers went first and I..."

Pictory is about true, personal stories, 

and documentation of our lives and cultures.

It is a showcase for people around the world 

to document their lives and cultures
by submitting one large,
captioned photo .

Photo Mary-Alice Thompson

" A Life Less Ordinary"

"Stealing mopeds in Greece. Waking up in mansions dressed in Muppet costumes. Jumping into the back of moving cars, only to discover that the driver owns the biggest nightclub in Spain. Whatever the unbelievable..."

Photo Stuart Bowness

"The World's Most Dangerous Road"

"Upon arriving in La Paz, Bolivia a few years back, I overheard tales of what the locals call “The Death Road.” I learned that it ran 38 miles from La Paz to a small town on the edge of the Amazon jungle called Coroico, and drops an estimated 3000 feet from the top of the pass to the city. It is estimated that The Death Road..." 

This is such a awesome project, don't you think?

For the four simple steps and other info 

on how to participate visit how it works.

Cheers!

Quote of the Day

via Pixdaus

The only things we ever keep

Are what we give away.

Louis Ginsberg

Handsome Hot and Cookin!

Two Days and counting!

Kick off this weekend with my friend Phillip Gums

who will be at Bloomingdale's  on

Thursday May 13, 2010 at 6:00pm.

Phillip (as in JE Model ) is not only good looking

but he is a very talented chef who has appeared and cooked 

at events all around town.
 For one night only, he's all yours, 
 hmm.. well, we may have to share...
but that's ok...
Be sure to come down, 
join in the fun... good food, beverages,
lots to learn and... always a good time.

See you there!
xo

Wholesome Gifts

After a fabulous weekend filled with fun drinks 

and outrageous food (more about that later in the week!),

I thought I would gift my family with  a dinner dish that is

full of whole grains, lentils, vegetables and lot's of flavor.

The dish, called 'Warm Asparagus Salad'

is from one of my favorite food blogs-

Sprouted Kitchen by Sara Morris, who, by her own account,

is "a food loving, health craving, veggie fiend, 

who enjoys the culture of enjoying a meal with friends and family. 

Whole, clean cooking that is about the food at hand."  

I love the fact that she sees food and cooking as an art,

not a science. Her dishes are always healthy and  flavorful

while  nurturing body and soul. 

The photography by her 'love' Hugh always leaves you craving more.

 The beauty to this salad is that it incorporates both lentils

 and brown rice- which when used together creates a complete protein.

She combines these with asparagus (I roasted mine)

and a divine pesto made with basil, mint and walnuts.

Please visit Sprouted Kitchen for this and other 

wholesome gifts for your self and those you love.

A Passionate Collaboration

Having been blessed a lovely and fun filled

3 day weekend, 

I thought this would be a perfect time 

to share the beautiful show taking place at

New York Botanical Garden

It is called, Emily Dickinson's Garden:

The Poetry of Flowers.

Emily Dickinson was a passionate gardener

and this ambitious show  considers

Ms. Dickinson equally as a horticulturalist 

and a poet and forges the link between the two.

Along with the garden which was meticulously researched

and recreated from her home in Amherst, MA

there is a gallery exhibition in the Botanical Library

featuring botanical prints and autographed writings

along with readings and lectures.

Through out the garden, along the paths you can stop and 

read some of Ms. Dickinson's most famous works

near the flowers that inspired them.
Flowers, poetry and history a beautiful combination
to be enjoyed through June 13th.

On a similar but different note
here in our own backyard we have
Filoli,

 Recognized as one of the finest remaining country estates of the early 20th century,
Filoli is truly remarable 654 acre property, including
the 36,000 sq foot Georgian country house and a spectacular 16 acre Renaissance garden.
It is just 30 miles south of San Francisco
yet offers so many outdoor
opportunities to explore, cherish and
envelope the senses.
Here a some of the plants you will find in bloom over the next couple of months...
May:

Roses, Old Roses, Hawthorns, Lavender, knot Gardens, Columbine, Sweet peas, Delphiniums, Foxglove, Herbaceous Peony, Queen Anne's Lace, the cutting garden, Sunburst Honey Locust, Clematis ' Jackmanii', the Perennial Border, Catmint, Campanula, Acanthus, Violas, Chinese Forget-Me-Not, Larkspur

June:
Roses, Delphiniums, Knot gardens, Perennial Border, Japanese Snowbell Tree, Chinese Fringe Tree, Lavender hedges, Campanula, Clematis hybrids, Balloon Flower, Leptospermum, Gladiolus, Annual beds of Begonias, Phlox, Petunias, Geraniums, Flowering Tobacco, Zinnias, Sunflowers, Coreopsis, Salvias, Acanthus, Cotoneaster Border

Filoli is located about 30 miles south of San Francisco in Woodside, California, just south of the junction of Highways 92 and 280. Our address is 86 Cañada Road, Woodside, California 94062.

Phone (650) 364-8300, 

Quote of the Day

via Pixdaus

Knowledge is a treasure, 

but practice is the key to it.

Thomas Fuller

Don"t Panic- it's Under Control...

XO

Cherish The Love

Relish... the laughter,the tears, the joy, the sparkle.

Share... the gifts, the life

and the lives we've been blessed with. 

Celebrate... with mothers, daughters, sons

fathers, partners, husbands and wives, friends-

We are all touched in one way or another

by a mother or being a mother

 in past, present or future.

Enjoy.

Martha Stewart

Me? I'll be doing all the above
with family and friends nearby
and in my heart.

To... all of us!

Cheers!

Quote of the Day

The mother's heart

is the child's schoolroom.

Henry Ward Beecher

Tasty Is and Tasty Does

One week and counting!

Kick off next weekend with my friend Phillip Gums

who will be at Bloomingdale's  on

Thursday May 13, 2010 at 6:00pm.

Phillip (as in JE Model ) is not only good looking

but he is a very talented chef who has appeared and cooked 

at events all around town.
 For one night only, he's all yours, 
 hmm.. well, we may have to share...
but that's ok...
Be sure to come down, 
join in the fun... good food, beverages,
lots to learn and... always a good time.

See you there!
xo

The Best Pizza...via You

I recently just came across this great new idea from 

Marc Bello...DIY pizza at his place called

Pizza Casa. 

Super clever, right? So many people love pizza but are intimidated

with the concept of making it themselves. 

 During his  four hour long classes he "equips pizza lovers with the knowledge and tools necessary to make fantastic thin crust pizzas at home. We feature the finest in pizza making gear for the home pizza chef and weekly classes sharing the secrets of pizza making perfection in a home oven." 

Very commendable.

However...

we've been putting out flatbread  pizzas with great ingredients

from our kitchen for a long time, you know the ingredients,

artisan cheeses, arugala, grilled onions, prosciutto, kalamata olives, etc etc.

and I've made tons of dough using my cuisinart, although 

not an authentic process,

 always, delicious, if I do say so myself.

But the other evening, we decided we needed a fix of our favorite pizza

from Pizzeria Delfina.

Well I happen to have two can do kids who love to cook

and are not afraid to take anything on at the drop of a hat.

So my daughter, Alycia,
 does some sleuthing, finds the

 Delfina recipe and whips up a

batch of  dough by hand.

And before we know it, eating fabulously thin

home version of lusciousness.

Trust Me...


Here is the recipe for the easiest

and best pizza dough -ever.

Just add your own touch and
wine, right?

Cheers!