For those of you that might include Rome, Italy as a destination for a future vacation, I highly recommend reading this post. It's a quick synopsis of my wife and I's recent trip to Italy. There are suggestions for food, housing and transportation. Ciao!

I need to recommend to everyone 2 of my favorite recipes of all time! And since this is the holiday season, I'm in the mood for sharing! First, there's a rice casserole dish that is extraordinary! It's perfect for a family meal or for a potluck dinner party. The second is one of the best tasting muffins I have ever had made from home. They are delicious raisin brain muffins. Plus, the batter lasts for 6 whole weeks! So enjoy!

For the Rice Casserole recipe and pictures, click here.

For the 6-week Raisin Brain Muffins recipe and pictures, click here.

Enjoy and Happy Holidays!

For those that crave German food, you're in luck! Thanks to a city like New York, there's plenty of ethnic food choices to come by. This past weekend, my wife and I tried Lederhosen in the Village. Although it didn't have the "wow" factor, I do recommend it for an enjoyable time of beer drinking and wurst eating! Read the full review with pictures here.

For those of you here in New York City who are into good, healthy food but don't have the time to cook for yourself or occasionally hosts a dinner party or two, I know of a perfect service for you! Chef Tracy at TLC Culinary Productions can provide you with wonderfully cooked meals for yourself or your guests. In addition to those services, she can also provide instruction on how to cook your favorite meals or how to pair wine with your food. Whether it's a personal class or a group class with friends, Chef Tracy will provide a comfortable environment in which to learn the culinary arts in the comfort of your own home.

If you're in New York City and would like more information or to inquire about her services, please contact her directly at tracy@tracychin.com or visit her website at www.tracychin.com or her blog at www.pinotandpineapple.com.

Happy eating!

Now back to the burger. When someone says "good burger", I'm thinking two things. One, it tastes good and two, it's size. PJ Clarke's struck out on both counts. I've had better tasting burgers at Johnny Rockets and have had bigger burgers at McDonald's. But that's not it. Because the burgers are small, you'll have to order a side; but do yourself a favor, skip the fries and the onion strings. The fries look like they came from McDonald's (just more expensive) while the onion strings are hard to eat, too thin to stab with a fork and too small and messy to be finger food. I think you'll need a spoon for them.

My wife and I enjoyed some nice southern cooking this evening at Amy Ruth's in Harlem after attending the 35th Annual Skyscraper Harlem Cycling Classic. I'll have a review of the race shortly on the main page but please go here to read a quick review of our experience as well as some picture's.

My wife and I recently visited a great restaurant in Tribeca called Nam. It's a relatively locals only place that serves great Vietnamese cuisine in a very warm setting. Please check out the review here.

Are you ready for the warmth of summer? If so, you probably would want to pass the time with some bone chill'n good sangria. Well here's a great recipe you can prepare for your next party or just for yourself!