tastily touring: visiting morocco with a beef and carrot tajine recipe and moroccan mint tea

There is no more dramatic a condition than that of war. War is the antithesis to love which makes war the most extreme backdrop for a love story. We are in awe of the struggle for the very thing that keeps us human and sane during a time that pushes humans to their breaking point. Sometimes love prevails and cushions the harsh realities of war and at other times it succumbs. In either instance, when we read a book or watch a movie, we will cry. We cry when love succeeds through the strength of the individuals and we cry when it cannot endure, when the price of love is too high. After a small survey of coworkers and friends we found that some of the most popular love stories set during wartime are: Atonement, From Hear to Eternity, Gone with the Wind, Dr. Zhivago, The English Patient, Pearl Harbor,... Read the Rest →

 

contests: casting call: guest bloggers for oscar week wanted plus a recipe

Casting Call: Guest Bloggers for Oscar Week Wanted MyFudo™ Presentations is casting for immediate guest bloggers for Oscar Week. Do you see yourself tripping the light fantastic up the myFudo red carpet? If you do then submit your post (see requirements below).   Contact us at info (AT) myfudo (dot) (com) to submit your photos and recipes, to inquire more information about this contest, please by contact us through our contact us page. At the end of Oscar Week, February 26, 2012, myFudo will select winners in the following categories: 1. Creative Writing 2. Photography 3. Recipe 4. Best Post (Combined superiority in writing, photography and recipe) The Prizes: Essential Pepin Jacque Pepin’s latest cookbook will go to Best Photo, Best Creative Writing, and Best Recipe. For Best post, the contest winner gets a $50 Gift Card to Crate and Barrel. The winners will be featured on our site. Shoot... Read the Rest →

 

kitchen gadgets & recipes: the potato ricer and baked potato salad with pancetta

Over the holidays I received a few gift cards. I tend to stash these gift cards away until mid February, when I’ve got the winter blues. The best cure for the winter blues is a trip to a lush tropical paradise. If I am unable to lounge under a palm tree on the sandy beach of a tropical island while sipping on a delightful frozen beverage that is accessorized with little umbrellas and sculpted fruit then the next best thing is shopping therapy. Amen. I usually adhere to my rule about waiting until February for good reason, other than curing the winter blues. I have found that when I’ve used my gift cards sooner rather than later I am more inclined to make impulse purchases. Today, a day that is sunny and 60 degrees, I broke my rule. I used one of my gift cards. My brother gave me a... Read the Rest →

 

kitchen gadgets & recipes: the potato ricer and baked potato salad with pancetta

Over the holidays I received a few gift cards. I tend to stash these gift cards away until mid February, when I’ve got the winter blues. The best cure for the winter blues is a trip to a lush tropical paradise. If I am unable to lounge under a palm tree on the sandy beach of a tropical island while sipping on a delightful frozen beverage that is accessorized with little umbrellas and sculpted fruit then the next best thing is shopping therapy. Amen. I usually adhere to my rule about waiting until February for good reason, other than curing the winter blues. I have found that when I’ve used my gift cards sooner rather than later I am more inclined to make impulse purchases. Today, a day that is sunny and 60 degrees, I broke my rule. I used one of my gift cards. My brother gave me a... Read the Rest →

 

appetizers & recipes: grilled cheese sandwich and chili

Last week, while in Manhattan, we had the opportunity to visit the JWT office on Lexington Avenue. It was an amazing opportunity to have a peek at the world’s most well known marketing agency. JWT has more than 200 offices worldwide. The Lexington Avenue office in Manhattan was five floors of open, creative workspace designed by Clive Wilkinson Architects. The workspace is unique, fun and bright. It is designed as a sign of homage to story-telling. This would be such a foreign concept to the 1864 founders of Carlton and Smith, the original name of the advertising brokerage firm that specialized in selling space in religious journals. In 1878 Carlton and Smith was sold and renamed James Walter Thompson. James Walter Thompson built a strong marketing agency by not only placing advertisements in woman’s magazines and expanding operations to Boston, Chicago and London, but by creating the actual advertisements and... Read the Rest →

 

appetizers & recipes: grilled cheese sandwich and chili

Last week, while in Manhattan, we had the opportunity to visit the JWT office on Lexington Avenue. It was an amazing opportunity to have a peek at the world’s most well known marketing agency. JWT has more than 200 offices worldwide. The Lexington Avenue office in Manhattan was five floors of open, creative workspace designed by Clive Wilkinson Architects. The workspace is unique, fun and bright. It is designed as a sign of homage to story-telling. This would be such a foreign concept to the 1864 founders of Carlton and Smith, the original name of the advertising brokerage firm that specialized in selling space in religious journals. In 1878 Carlton and Smith was sold and renamed James Walter Thompson. James Walter Thompson built a strong marketing agency by not only placing advertisements in woman’s magazines and expanding operations to Boston, Chicago and London, but by creating the actual advertisements and... Read the Rest →

 

tartlicious tuesday's: corn and shitake tart with cornmeal pâte brisée

This gorgeous tart is an essential. It makes a flavorful main dish at breakfast, lunch or dinner. It can be served as an appetizer or a side. It is visually pleasing and looks particularly handsome on a Thanksgiving Day table. The recipe comes from Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook. We made two minor adjustments to the tart. First, the original tart is a corn and shitake tart. However, we felt that a mushroom mix tastes superb, adding more depth to the tart. Secondly, the amount of corn was adjusted from two cups to one and a half. There was just too much corn in the original recipe. The dough for this tart is a cornmeal pâte brisée . This dough is a flavorful complement to this and many other savory tarts. One of the fun aspects of this dough is using the trimmed scraps after the tart pan is fitted with... Read the Rest →

 

tartlicious tuesday’s: corn and shitake tart with cornmeal pâte brisée

This gorgeous tart is an essential. It makes a flavorful main dish at breakfast, lunch or dinner. It can be served as an appetizer or a side. It is visually pleasing and looks particularly handsome on a Thanksgiving Day table. The recipe comes from Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook. We made two minor adjustments to the tart. First, the original tart is a corn and shitake tart. However, we felt that a mushroom mix tastes superb, adding more depth to the tart. Secondly, the amount of corn was adjusted from two cups to one and a half. There was just too much corn in the original recipe. The dough for this tart is a cornmeal pâte brisée . This dough is a flavorful complement to this and many other savory tarts. One of the fun aspects of this dough is using the trimmed scraps after the tart pan is fitted with... Read the Rest →

 

worldly wednesdays: albania a perpeq recipe

Bordered by Montenegro, Kosovo, Macedonia and Greece the Republic of Albania enjoys a rich food history with Mediterranean and Balkan influences. The foods of Albania are pleasantly spiced comfort foods. How could it not be with the many influences of the Ancient Greeks, Romans, Byzantine Empire and Ottoman Empire? When searching for a recipe we stumbled upon a site called Retro Housewife. A recipe spoke out to us that might not be a reflection of the above paragraph. What we found was a dish that whispered of grandmothers in kitchens that may not have had the fortune to use expensive spices and ingredients. An image of older women, simple kitchens, vegetable gardens, pens with goats and a coop with egg laying hens played in our heads. All that these Albanian women needed were the wonderfully fresh ingredients that they had at their fingertips. Perpeq. It is considered a dessert, but... Read the Rest →

 

recipes: japanese potato salad with crab

I have often loved side dishes more than the meal itself, this Japanese inspired potato salad is no exception. Potato salad is one of those sides which are so versatile, every family has their own version. What’s not to love more than a cool, refreshing, and filling side dish during the summer months. What I love the most is that Japanese potato salad doesn’t have any acidic overtones. Potato salad for me is synonymous with cookouts, picnics, and lounging around on the beach with your coleman cooler snuggled between the sandwiches and beer. While living abroad, I had the opportunity to try Japanese potato salad, and while each family’s version differs, this is the one I love the best. Japanese Potato Salad with Crab Fresh, caned or frozen corn Thinly sliced cucumbers Thinly sliced onions (they should be soaked in water, and drained so they are less potent. A few... Read the Rest →