| Creating food fusion confusion
I CAN appreciate good food. Indeed, I think if more did there would be fewer fatties in the world at the McDonald's drive-through claiming that genetics made them do it. But there comes a time when a line must be drawn, when food goes from gourmet to gour-maybenot. Such a moment occurred this week with the news that London's Fat Duck restaurant, voted the world's best, is to launch a new dish to be eaten while listening to "surf sounds'' on an iPod. Described as a blend of seafood on a bed of seaweed and "sand-like'' tapioca, the dish is the latest from a restaurant that brought us such classics as snail porridge and sardine sorbet. There are a few obvious points I wish to raise here; but when you have this much material it is difficult to know where to start. For starters, the words "sand-like'' belong in geology classes, not menus; and seaweed is a favoured food of fish, the Japanese and desert castaways, and as such should be avoided by anyone without gills, a Hello Kitty handbag or a house made of palm leaves.
Vacation Homes Redefine Destination Weddings with Intimate Venues ...
AUSTIN, TX (PRWeb) April 10, 2007 -- Combine the panoramic views and crystal clear waters of top wedding destinations with a single home to tie the knot, hold the reception and honeymoon, and couples have the newest formula for a picture-perfect destination wedding.
According to the Condé Nast Bridal Group, destination weddings have seen a 400 percent increase in the last 10 years. For the most private and intimate destination weddings, brides and grooms increasingly turn to vacation homes instead of hotels. .
Things to do: April's best bets
Indian Wells Arts Festival, featuring outdoor artisan village with 200 participating artists offering one-of-a kind pieces of fine art and quality craft. Also, sidewalk chalk drawing, exhibits, special events, children's activities, gourmet market place, live entertainment, food and drink, and more. 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Indian Wells Tennis Garden, 78200 Miles Ave., Indian Wells. 346-0042 Virginia Waring International Piano Competition Concerto finals, featuring finalist performing with the California State University, Northridge orchestra, 3 p.m. McCallum Theatre, 73000 Fred Waring Drive, Palm Desert. $20 adults, $10 children. 773-2575 Dinah Shore Weekend 2007:
Lesbian-oriented event features poolside parties, DJ dance parties, comedy shows and more hosted by different promoters at various hotels in downtown Palm Springs.
Jazz up muffins from the store
Sure, you could make your own blueberry muffins from scratch. But sometimes you want a special occasion breakfast without the trouble. Likewise, it would be nice to have that fresh-from-the-oven taste without traipsing to the bakery that morning.Use a few simple ingredients to give store-bought muffins a gourmet makeover.The muffins (they need not be blueberry) can be bought a day or two ahead; the toasting will revive any life lost during that time.If muffins aren’t your style, caramelized fruit also is a great topping for waffles, pancakes and crepes.A lower fat version of this dish can be had by using cooking spray (such as canola oil) instead of butter. The taste won’t be quite as rich, but the browning and toasting will be fine.Blueberry Muffinswith Caramelized Bananas4 tablespoons butter2 large blueberry muffins, cut in half down the center1 large banana3 tablespoons brown sugar1/2 teaspoon cinnamonPreheat oven to 200 degrees F.In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter.
Rough Diamond With A Heart Of Gold
Piet acknowledges that it's been a steep learning curve getting to grips with the complex world of wine. 'In my younger days I could not afford good wine, but it seems as if the fun we had was better then, even if the wine was bad! Can you imagine fixing a windmill in the Karoo in the middle of summer with only Hanepoot as consolation? That was memorable!' he says merrily.
'I may not be the winemaker, but I know planning is very important and one must always be prepared for the unexpected,' advises Piet. 'My taste in wine has developed considerably. It's a far cry from the attitude of 'anything goes' from my younger years. Now, I just can't bear to drink bad wine. So I'm forced to make good wine, and I think Raka qualifies!' he says proudly.
The Raka wines speak for themselves he maintains, and it appears the critics are sitting up to listen.
Fresh or Frozen, Italian Foods to Top $13.8 Billion in 2011!
(PRLEAP.COM) New York, April 3, 2007 Americas increasing consumption of mass quantities of pizza and pasta is expected to take the retail market for Italian Foods from nearly $12 billion in 2006 to more than $13.8 billion in 2011, according to Italian Foods in the U.S., a new report from market research firm Packaged Facts. Recent market growth has been driven by the pizza and pizza products category which brings in more than 45% of total Italian food sales at retail. Sales in this category topped $5.3 billion in 2006, a jump of 2% over 2005 figures. Pasta sauce and pasta each make up slightly more than 21% of the market. The smallest category, Italian cheeses, experienced significant gains over the last two years due in part to increased demand for natural and gourmet varieties. Capitalizing on the current health and wellness trend, Italian food marketers have been consciously positioning the health and nutritional benefits of their products.
Mount Dora targets gourmet appetites
A smorgasbord of restaurant specialties and wines will be the main attraction at the sixth annual Taste of Mount Dora from 5 to 9 p.m. May 6.
Booths and tables and chairs will be set up outside the Mount Dora Area Chamber of Commerce and Child's Park downtown for the culinary event. Organizers will block off Alexander Street and Fourth Avenue so patrons can go from one booth to another tasting small portions of foods prepared by restaurants and wine purveyors.
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