Bon Vivant: One Woman's Exploration of the Culinary Landscape

Still water runs deep...but what about black water?

2012-02-16T21:04:00.000-05:00

One day my husband came home from a business trip to Palo Alto with a rather curious take-away. He was quite proud of his latest acquisition and handed it to me as if he were the one to create, manufacture and bottle it up himself. It was a bottle of water. A bottle of black water. What? Really? Black water? I don’t know about you, but when I think of black water (which, until that day, I

The Healing Powers of Food

2012-02-07T13:00:00.000-05:00

One year ago, Super Bowl preparations were underway. My master plan, which ultimately came to fruition, was to celebrate the festivities in a big way…minus the actual Super Bowl. My shindig was called “Super Bowl Without the Super Bowl,” and as nine women gathered in my living room—no men were allowed—we dined on a cornucopia of foods, some store bought, but most of homemade dishes meant to

Gadgets 'n Stuff: Rubik's Cube Salt and Pepper Mills

2012-01-24T18:46:00.000-05:00

Rubik's Cube Salt and Pepper Mills Remember Rubik's Cube? That wildly popular yet maddeningly frustrating 1980's white-red-blue-orange-green-yellow puzzle box that left all but the genius few stuck for hours trying to figure that darn contraption out? While I never personally owned one, I did break a couple in my day (temper tantrums fueled by my inability to make even one row of colors line

Out with the old (food) and in with the new...

2011-12-31T06:53:00.000-05:00

The last meal of 2011 This past year has been one of a varied, if not a tremendous, culinary voyage for me. I’ve experienced delicious fare at pubs and restaurants throughout England, and, most notably, at the home of my friend Karen in Rawdon where sweet and savory baked chicken was on the menu. My dining proclivities led me to Dallas where, despite the sumptuous and pricey meal at a toney

Yes, There's a Bit of Food Thrown in For Good Measure

2011-12-13T10:44:00.000-05:00

Click cover to order! Followers of this blog know that my little place in cyberspace is principally about food. You see, I have an undying affection, dare I say a love affair, with cuisine. And why shouldn't I? Like air and water, food is a life sustaining force. Without it, we would perish. So for the things in life that are necessities, I reasoned that I may as well go all out and love 'em

America, it's time to celebrate OUR cuisine!

2011-11-20T13:41:00.001-05:00

Although America’s origins sort of began under the auspices of European colonization (notwithstanding the indigenous peoples in the form of Native Americans who were here long before the migration of Europeans to the Americas), the United States of America is American personified. And while there are many varied and wonderful races, colors, creeds and nationalities that make up these United

Second Time's a Charm at Madonia Restaurant

2011-11-17T19:55:00.001-05:00

Endive Alla Pastria Photo Credit: Tom McGovern It's not often that I return to a restaurant that I formerly deemed not the greatest from a culinary point of view. Usually I write it off as a bad experience and I'm hard pressed to return to the scene of the crime twice. However, I had the opportunity to revisit a restaurant that I first encountered almost two years ago. My experience there was

Don’t You Just Hate it When . . .

2011-11-17T19:14:00.001-05:00

I HATE it when . . . . . . graham crackers don’t break on the perforated line? . . . you order your steak, burger, salmon, etc. “well done” and when it arrives at the table, it’s burnt beyond recognition? Well-done does not need to equate to desiccated. (Read my take on well-done food HERE) . . . you bite into a scallop and you taste more grit than scallop? . . . people double dip? . .

Me . . . a Restaurant Critic? Really? Pffttth.

2011-11-06T14:20:00.002-05:00

Last night my husband and I had dinner with my friend Rosemary and her beau Scott at a tony restaurant in the Uptown section of Dallas. The food was delicious and the ambience was chic with a trendy vibe. An integral component of the dining experience was the service we received from our waiter, which was slightly above average. He went out of his way to engage us in conversation, spoke to us

Time and Time Again, Zaza Never Ceases to Amaze

2011-10-30T17:58:00.000-04:00

Everyone has a place that they have dubbed their favorite. It could be their favorite hair salon, movie theater or clothing store. I too have a list of favorites, and my most beloved of all would have to be anything that has to do with the lovely world of cuisine. Whether it’s a particular type of restaurant, a certain type of food or the hottest dining trend, if it involves food it’s on one

Yeah Yeah, I Know....As A Food Writer I Should Know This; But Should I Care? Really?

2011-10-23T19:34:00.001-04:00

My husband has a bone to pick with me. To be more precise, he has a knife and fork to pick with me. He loves me, really he does. But the silliest thing irks him to the point of near-madness. In fact, I’m almost inclined to keep my shenanigans going just to see how far I can push him over the edge and straight into a rubber room. But I digress. This thing of which I speak is simple enough and

Could YOU be the Next Great Memoir Cookbook Author?

2011-10-14T17:56:00.001-04:00

While scouring the internet searching for fun things to do with one of my sisters when she comes for a visit from Maryland during the Veterans Day weekend, I came across a fascinating workshop. This workshop is designed for those with a fondness for reminiscing and who are interested in pooling their memories of family life, along with taking their favorite recipes from childhood to the

When Dining Dilemmas Happen to Good People (Or: How to Keep Your Wits When Things Go Wrong)

2011-10-14T11:32:00.003-04:00

Perhaps this is where I should have dined for solitude... Credit: Danni Simmonds/MorgueFile This past Wednesday I had lunch at Bertucci’s Italian Restaurant in Darien, CT. However, this post isn’t so much about the food but rather about the set of circumstances surrounding my visit. It didn’t begin as a destination, per se, but rather it turned into a target of convenience purely because of

My Brief But All-Consuming Fling With Pork Bacon

2011-10-04T21:11:00.001-04:00

Ahhh....bacon! Bacon. To some, simply uttering that one word elicits goofy grins, licking of lips and rubbing of bellies. I’ve come to learn that people love bacon. Now, while I’m a turkey bacon aficionado, some may consider this particular strip of poultry to be an affront as it dares bare the same moniker as bacon. I, however, don’t indulge in pork so the substitution of the gobbling

The Curse of Thoroughly Cooked Cuisine

2011-10-02T19:08:00.000-04:00

Does my thoroughly cooked food have to suffer the same fate? It’s finally time for me to get this off of my ample yet well-proportioned chest. I have a bone to pick with cooks, chefs, sous chefs, culinary artists, hash slingers and anyone else who steps foot in a kitchen, wields a spatula like a Samurai sword and fawns over their own gastronomic creations. This has been weighing heavy on my

The Quest For Food Porn Greatness

2011-09-21T18:40:00.000-04:00

Aahhh . . . the beauty of food I. Love. Food. It’s a simple enough statement yet it holds such profound meaning. At least for me anyway. I love everything about food. The nutritional value that it provides. The alluring aromas it possesses. The varied sounds of food: crackling, bubbling, sizzling, fizzy, sputtering. The way it feels in your hands, in your mouth, in your stomach. And

A Return to Greatness: Eclisse Italian Resturant

2011-09-18T17:52:00.004-04:00

Eclisse's fabulous Melanzane Rollatini Last night, my husband and I revisited an Italian restaurant that, while I am very fond of it, we haven’t been to in a while. However, it was my vivid mouth-watering memories of their divine Melanzane Rollatini that made me dock on Eclisse’s doorstep once again. While we didn’t have reservations, the hostess was happy to seat us. The only problem was

Meatless Monday: A Marvel in the Making

2011-09-12T13:53:00.000-04:00

So many veggies...so many options Are you a fan of the Meatless Monday movement that is sweeping the country, growing in popularity with each successive plate of food? It’s not too late to jump on the meat-free bandwagon. The Meatless Monday campaign, launched in 2003, has gone global. Its healthy choice tentacles have reached an international level and show no signs of slowing down.

When All Else Fails, There's Pizza . . . Sometimes

2011-09-10T18:03:00.000-04:00

Pizza. Yum. 'Nuff said. Today, my husband and I made a valiant attempt to have lunch at a small European-styled café not far from our house. This café—whose proprietor is currently featured in local news spots because, as a survivor of the World Trade Center attack, she has a story to tell—has seen its fair share of goofy mishaps as of late when in early August a 92-year old man drove his car

The Cure for The Culinary Comatose Syndrome

2011-09-09T14:29:00.000-04:00

Boring food have you . . . bored? Have you ever been so incredibly bored with the repetitive nature of the food that you cook—you know, the same old same old chicken, pork, turkey or beef—that you morph into a mad scientist in the kitchen, begin mixing spices & seasonings, condiments, sauces and everything else you can get your grubby little hands on until you come up with a concoction worthy

Gadgets 'n Stuff: Menu Winebreather Carafe

2011-09-07T16:05:00.003-04:00

Take a deep breath. Go ahead, just do it. Now take another one . . . deeper this time. Ahhhh. Doesn’t that feel refreshing? Now just think how that lovely bottle of wine feels when it gets to takes a breather. Aerate. And that’s just what your precious bottle of wine will do when you use Menu’s Winebreather Carafe. This ingenious creation aerates an entire bottle of wine in two minutes.

The Shame Is Over and the Affliction has a Name!

2011-08-25T12:10:00.006-04:00

It’s confession time. For years, I’ve been afflicted with a disorder that I’m certain others also fall victim to. This malady, while not overtly serious, can cause others around you to stare in wonderment, become perplexed and feel cheated out of time spent with you. Let me start, as all stories should—from the beginning. I have always had a love of food. However, as a youngster, my palate

Grand Burger: Gourmet Hamburgers to Tempt the Palate

2011-07-31T11:44:00.002-04:00

Grand Burger's "Pueblo Burger" Photo: Hayden Lassiter Courtesy Linda Kavanagh Summer is in full swing, which means that cookouts abound all over the neighborhood. And with cookouts come the perennial American favorite—hamburgers! However, for as much as we are a nation of championship grillers, sometimes you just don’t have the time, strength or motivation to scrape and clean the grill,

Gadgets 'n Stuff: Pint Lock

2011-07-06T11:14:00.001-04:00

Picture it: It’s a warm summer evening. You’ve been busy all day . . . working; gardening; taking care of the kids; cooking, or whatever. The mercury seems to be soaring and all you can think about is that refreshing pint of ice cream waiting for you in the freezer. You can almost taste the goodness of your favorite flavor. What is it? Cherry Garcia? Chunky Monkey? Peanut Brittle? Oh, there are

The Delta Dichotomy: Good Food, Bad Food

2011-07-05T20:51:00.004-04:00

There are two sides to Delta Airlines. I utter these words not lightly, not with sarcasm and not without some thought, but definitely with a ring of truth and experience behind it. On the one side, Delta presents a beautifully Pollyanna-like quality where their world is an outcrop of optimistic thoughts, happy people, delectable fare and splendid comfort. Domestically, this is known as First