Late hours, scandalous hangouts and cheap liquor, oh my! New York City may never sleep, but there are probably nights when you’ve rivaled its partying prowess.

If you have a wild side, you’ll love to descend on the following cities, which each have a rowdy personality of their own. Some are known for having a bad reputation, and some just might make you discover the inner bad boy or girl inside of you.

Las Vegas

The city whose nicknames include Sin City and the Entertainment Capital of the World just begs you to be bad. Choose from late-night clubs such as Tabu, TAO or Drais, or have a cocktail in the wee hours of the morning at Dino’s Lounge, a neighborhood bar where the drinks aren’t overpriced. Indulge in sultry shows such as Ooh La La at the Paris or the Peep Show at Planet Hollywood. Discover your darker sense of humor at Improv at Harrah’s or Second City, the comedy precursor to Saturday Night Live. Of course, one can’t mention Vegas without the word “gambling,” and there’s plenty of opportunity for games of risk in the city, with 197,144 slot machines in one of the 1,701 licensed gambling establishments. If gambling on love is your thing, you could always be a part of the 315 Las Vegas weddings per day.

New Orleans

With an entire street named for a syrupy southern whiskey, New Orleans is a bad girl or boy’s playground. Meander down Bourbon Street for endless bars, nightclubs, strip clubs and drag shows, or toss beads at exhibitionist tourists during Mardi Gras. At Jazz Fest, party with thousands in wide-open fields where everyone’s feeling the love. Epitomize gluttony at one of New Orleans’ multiple restaurants, as you gorge on red beans and rice, crawfish etouffee, beignets, jambalaya and oh-so-dirty rice. If you have any money left, visit Harrah’s Casino, where the blacked-out windows will keep you guessing how long you’ve really been there.

Miami

Hot temperatures, skimpy swimsuits, fast beats and never-ending beaches collide in the coastal city of Miami, where dancing is almost a requirement and partying doesn’t seem to stop. Miami nightlife is considered to be the among the best in the world, in places such as The Vagabond, with multiple rooms of different music, and the more laidback Automatic Slim’s, which has no velvet rope or cover charge and is open until late at night. If the devil on your shoulder encourages you to impress others, Miami’s multiple VIP spots – Mansion, Prive, Opium Garden and BED – will be glad to take your money for line passes, for fast entry into the hottest night clubs.

Atlantic City, N.J.

Aside from conjuring up images of “The Sopranos” and “Jersey Shore,” Atlantic City has a lot to offer those who want to be bad. Monopoly, a game that exudes excess, was inspired by Atlantic City, though the multiple casinos, including Donald Trump’s three entertainment resorts, are not mentioned in the board game. The city is also a shopping Mecca, with several malls, resort shopping centers and outlet malls, for those who just have to spend. If you want to indulge your inner dangerous side, watch a boxing match at one of the resorts, which are steadily making Atlantic City a competitor to Las Vegas for attracting big fights.

Panama City Beach, Fla.

For those whose idea of being bad is reliving the good ole’ college days, Panama City Beach is the place for you. Known as the Spring Break Capital of the World, Panama City Beach welcomes nearly 100,000 high school and college students per year, who descend on the area’s cheap, off-the-beach hotels, novelty stores and beachfront clubs. Delight yourself with awesomely bad redneck fashion at local Alvin’s Island Stores, in the form of airbrushed anything and Big Johnson T-shirts. If you need your PC Beach fix in a hurry, don’t worry: soon you’ll be able to fly directly into the area at the Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport, the first international airport designed and constructed after Sept. 11, 2001.

Washington, D.C.

What – you can be bad in a city full of politicos and Secret Service agents? Oh yes. Washington, D.C. works hard during the daytime, but at night is a city full of dark bars and powerful people, which some may consider to be incredibly bad (or fun, depending on who you ask). Strong drinks abound at Rumba Café, which has live Brazilian music and strong caipirinhas. For dirty dancing, visit Nation, Velvet and 9:30 Club.  If you dare, try to find Eighteenth Street Lounge (but wear something sexy), and then try to convince the bouncer to let you in. Watch political humor unfold at The Capitol Steps and The Improv, and hope that a certain well-ranked politician being made fun of isn’t sitting next to you. For tips on how to be sneaky, visit the International Spy Museum, the only museum solely focused on espionage.

State College, Penn.

Though it’s often ranked as one of the safest and least stressful places to live, State College has a rowdy side. But who ever said being naughty had to cause anxiety? State College is home to Pennsylvania State University, the top party school in the nation according to a Princeton Review survey based on the use of alcohol, study hours each day and the popularity of the Greek system. Imagine 36,000 college students in a place that normally has about 38,000 residents, where everyone eats, sleeps and breathes Nittany Lions football. Have a beer at a pub or restaurant along College Avenue, Beaver Avenue and their cross streets, or catch a live music show at one of the multiple venues in the city. You’ll have no trouble finding a party, and alcohol is in abundance.

California’s El Nino weather means heavier than usual wild flower blooms on the backside of San Diego County in the Anza Borrego State Park.  Long known for surreal landscapes, home to the timid Desert Bighorn Sheep and a place for a quiet get-away that rivals nearby Palm Springs, Borrego Springs and the surrounding 600,000-acre state park explodes with color in March as sandy hills and washes come alive when everything from small “belly flowers” to towering red tipped ocotillo erupt in bloom.

Crowds, of course, follow published reports that direct flower seekers to where the bloom seems most profuse, in Coyote Canyon northwest of Borrego Springs.  Heavily travelled Di Giorgio Rd., where it morphs from a paved thoroughfare to an unpaved bumpy lane zig-zagging across a desert wash, accesses one of the most profuse flowering areas in the state park.

But, if scores of people tramping through flower fields appall, the state park has enough room to roam while scoping out the annual explosion of red, white, yellow and purple blooms and still enjoy spectacular scenery.

To ramble among blooming flowers on a smaller scale but no less rich a spectrum of seasonal colors, try the remote trail that leads to the Elephant Trees about 25 miles south of Borrego Springs.  To get there, go east on Calif. 78 to Ocotillo Wells and then south on Split Mountain Road six miles.  A state park sign indicates where to cross the desert for just under a mile on a poorly maintained road that ends at a broad parking area.

The short hike along the discovery trail that meanders in and out of a wash to and from the near-extinct Elephant Trees is well worth the slow but navigable drive to the parking area.  Arriving in the area just past the peak of the bloom provides the visitor with a two-fer: still plentiful flowers and an excellent opportunity to catch the start of cactus blooming.  Yellow green flowers on hedgehogs, red tipped ocotillo and even the multiple pink hues on barrel cactus often occur as the flower season begins to wane.

Either en route to or from the Elephant Tree trail, check out another off-the-beaten path site in Anza Borrego State Park.  The Slot sets up as an exotic hike through a narrow canyon carved by seasonal rains out of the sand, sandstone and mud.  Though less than a mile in length, the close walls and ever higher rim in the narrow little gorge offer a cool respite from the heat of the surrounding desert.

So narrow in spots that hikers must turn sideways to take a few steps, this short hike often provides even amateur photographers with great opportunities to capture exotic shapes of mud and rock walls in filtered light.  The Slot widens into a broad wash and eventually that wash, in turn, opens up as the surrounding hills flatten.  A trail leads to the left and up to a rutted road that takes those interested in a loop hike back to the parking area.

A more interesting and shorter hike retraces steps back through The Slot.

To get to The Slot, take a sandy single lane road that starts a mile and a quarter east of Borrego Springs Rd. off California 78 at a sign indicating “Buttes Pass’.  Bear left toward Borrego Mountains Wash another mile to a wide parking area.  Don’t expect to see many vehicles there, either.  And, while thin on blooming flowers, the rare and lovely white desert lily can be found in the area along with extensive stands of flowering ocotillo.

To learn about the region and chat with knowledgeable rangers and park volunteers, start your day or end it at the Anza Borrego State Park visitor center west of downtown Borrego  Springs.  The staff regularly provides updates on areas where the bloom shows best at any particular moment.  Most often they direct visitors to nearby Palm Canyon, which offers the opportunity to glimpse Desert Big Horn Sheep and hike along a rushing creek en route 1.5 miles to an oasis crammed with blue palms.

Call the visitor center at (760) 767- 5311 or check out the state parks website: http://oarks.ca.gov.  Desert USA hosts one of the best web sites for getting more desert wildflower reports, taking user input on a regular basis: http://www.desertusa.com/wildflo/ca_abdsp.html.

Jerry Kalman, who specializes in stories about places away from the madding crowd,  lives in Bonsall, a wide-spot on Calif. 76 in North San Diego County where crowds almost never congregate and he maintains an office and studio. 

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Of course, truth is sometimes stranger than fiction and the origins of these peculiar rock formations tell a story much older than that provided by the locals.  Far from being the horrific remnant of a Bulgarian folk tale, however, these bizarre rock formations are the result of millennia of weathering.  Although a natural occurrence – and nothing to do with mushrooms either – the severed heads of the sisters are made all the more remarkable by human imagination.  Their own story is, however, just as remarkable.

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The stone mushrooms of Beli Plast are just a little larger than your average shroom.  The biggest is over three meters in height and they were formed thousands of years ago.  They are made from lime stone which can be eroded by water.  Over many centuries the water of a lake or a river can undercut limestone – and sometimes it can have bizarre results, especially when the water responsible for the erosion has disappeared.  Alone like mushroom shaped islands it is little wonder that supernatural tales spring up around them.

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It was not until the nineteenth century that the science behind the mushroom stones – or wave stones as they are sometimes called – was verified.  Then it was discovered that this strange natural phenomenon was the result of huge limestone boulders which have been exposed to water for frequent and prolonged intervals.  It was also discovered at that time that they were what are now known as glacial erratic.  That is they are huge boulders that have been pushed downwards (geographically) by the sheer force of a glacier and so may not even have any similarity to the stone where they eventually remained.

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Where the mushroom head is visible is the actual point of where the water of a lake once reached.  The water never went higher than this point and below it, as the water retreated and flooded over the millennia the strange ‘stalk’ of the mushroom formed.  Once the water had receded completely the mushroom stones are left as a permanent – if odd – reminder of the water that was once there.   Stones like these in Bulgaria are found in many places, with a number of them near to lakes.  These stones in Beli Plast mark a lake which has, however, long since gone.

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Limestone has a very long history – it goes back three hundred and fifty million years to a period of Earth’s history known as the Devonian.  At this point huge swathes of land in Europe were covered by a warm but shallow sea.  Over vast periods of time a thick layer of lime rich sediment was deposited at the bottom of this sea – it was this carbonate which gives the Lower Carboniferous era its name.  The thick layer of sediment would have started out like a mushy liquid but then over millions of years it was compacted by additional layers of material on top of it and it became hard – rock hard.  So it was that it eventually became limestone.

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When shifted by a glacier, a boulder of limestone can end up many miles away from where it formed.  Then, when exposed to the air at last it can find itself at the edge of a lake and covered up to a certain height by water.  As limestone corrodes in water that part of the boulder underneath the lapping waves (abrasively, persistently and tenaciously wearing away the limestone) will remain and become what is known as undercut.  That is the stone beneath it is worn away and eventually the boulder will look like a mushroom.  Think of eating an apple around the middle but not at the top and bottom and what is the resulting shape?  You get the idea.

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Many people, though, prefer the story that the Bulgarian locals tell.  They call them ìmantarnayaî which translates as stone mushrooms but the legend, although frightful has resonated for centuries when told to travellers.  At dawn the four daughters of the local charcoal burner, by name of Radoun, left the protection of the fortress of Perpericon.  They were water carriers and their daily task was to go the local river to collect the water needed for their father’s livelihood.

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One of the four daughters, Gyusha, spotted an invading army and the girls were able to run back and give their fortress warning.  However, after a week of siege, traitors opened the gate and let the army of the enemy in.  The four sisters were captured but managed to escape and tried to flee to a local monastery.  However, one of the invading army, Omur, pursued them and with a vicious blow, severed Gyusha’s head.  The miracle happened and she turned in to a beautiful stone mushroom.  Omur killed the remaining three who then, successively, turned to stone as well.

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Convinced the place was cursed, Omur tried to flee.  However he was at the precise moment turned in to rock himself.  Perhaps it could be the morning dew, but older residents of Beli Plast swear that in the mornings, tears can be seen dripping from the stones.  The tears of the four sisters.

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Overview

Kenya lies across the equator in eastern Africa, on the coast of the Indian Ocean. Kenya borders Somalia to the east, Ethiopia to the north, Tanzania to the south, Uganda to the west, and Sudan to the northwest. It was a British colony and attains its independence in 1963. Its official name is republic of Kenya. The population has grown rapidly in recent decades to nearly 40 million.  Chapati is a favorite food for most Kenya, although in rural areas it is mainly made during special occasions.

Country Information

Geographic Facts 

Here are three geographic facts about Kenya:

1.  Kenya has an area totaling 582,650 sq km, a land which is nearly the size of Texas and 13400 sq km water: Lake Victoria is the largest lake shared by Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania.  

2.    Kenya has two seasons – wet season (April to October) and dry season (November to February).

3. Kenya has many beautiful sceneries, including the Great Rift Valley which has many features like the escapements, waterfalls, the plateau, fertile low lands. It has also many mountains like Mt. Kenya, Mt Elgon, and Hills.

3 “Serious” Facts 

Here are three serious facts about Kenya:

1.80% of the population lives in rural areas and farming is the main economic activity. Crops grown include Maize (corn) which is the major source of food. Wheat, Tea and coffee are also the major crops grown in plantations. A pastoralist is also common.

2.  The tourist industry in Kenya is the second largest source of foreign exchange revenue after agriculture. The main tourist attractions are safaris there 19 national parks and game preserve, There are many species of animals including the big five Lions, Leopards, Elephants, Buffaloes and Rhinos. There are also thousands of small animals antelopes, Giraffe, Zebras, There are millions of Flamingos in Lake Nakuru.

3.            Kenya is known for many sports including Athletics (track and cross country), football (soccer), Rugby, Volleyball, Hockey among others.  Kenya is known as one of the major producer of Distance runners in the world.

3 “Fun” Facts

Here are three fun facts about Kenya:

1.     The currency of Kenya is the Kenyan Shilling.  One U.S. Dollar is worth approximately 73 Kenyan Shilling.

2.     English is the official language, and Kiswahili is the National language.  Apart from this, there are a number of indigenous languages spoken (52 indigenous languages).

3.     Kenya is has two major political parties PNU (Party of National Unity) which is currently in Government and ODM (Orange Democratic Movement).  There are also many other third parties. Election is done after every fives.

A “Potpourri” Item 

Here is an unusual fact (or two or three) about Kenya:

Polygamy is still common. A woman may cost up to 20 cows.  The price is decided by the parents of the bride. Although due to the education and raise in economic, polygamy has decrease in recent years. 

Food Information

Recipe for Chapati

Chapatis are normally used to accompany stews.

• • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • 4 teaspoon sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • Oil
  • Warm water to make a dough
  • 2 Tablespoon softened butter or ghee 

Mix Sugar, eggs and warm water in a bow. Add flour to make stiff dough. Knead for 5-8 minutes until satiny and elastic. Add 2 Table softening butter and continue kneading. Leave to cool for 20-40 minutes. Knead again and divide into balls, about 3-4 cm in diameter. Roll into flat pancakes with oil, butter or ghee. Place chapati in pan and cook until it until golden.  Press them down with a wide pancake turner to cook evenly. Serve hot. 

My Kitchen Story

 It was easy making chapati because I have made it several times. I like making Chapati (Chapo) it is one of my favorite dishes.

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Contact Info: To contact the author of “A Taste of Kenya: A Recipe for Chapati,” please email Dorcas.kapkiai@selu.edu for more information.

David C. Wyld (dwyld@selu.edu) is the Robert Maurin Professor of Management at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, Louisiana. He is a management consultant, researcher/writer, and executive educator. His blog, Wyld About Business, can be viewed at http://wyld-business.blogspot.com/.

The Philippines, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines, is a country in Southeast Asia in the Western Pacific Ocean. Due to its location it has became a cultural crossroads, a place where Malays, Spaniards, Americans, and others have interacted to forge that unique cultural and racial blend known to the world as Filipino. Beef Mechado is the recipe I chose to present fromThePhilippines.

Country Information

· Geographic Facts

Here are three geographic facts about Philippines:

1. The Philippines is an archipelago of 7,107 islands with a total land area of approximately 300,000 square kilometers. Only approximately 1,000 of its islands are populated, and less than one-half of these are larger than 2.5 square kilometers. Eleven islands make up 94 percent of the Philippine landmass.

2. Its 36,289 kilometers of coastline makes it the country with the 5th longest coastline in the world. The Philippines is the only Southeast Asian country that shares no land borders with its neighbors.

3. Philippines has an estimated population of about 92 million people, the Philippines is the world’s 12th most populous country. It is estimated that there are an additional 11 million overseas Filipinos worldwide.

· 3 “Serious” Facts

Here are three serious facts about Philippines:

1. The history of the Philippines can be divided into four distinct phases: the pre-Spanish period (before 1521), the Spanish period (1521-1898), the American period (1898-1946), and the years since independence (1946-present). Attained full independence from United States July 4, 1946.

2. The capital of The Philippines is Manila. Filipino (based on Tagalog) and English are the official languages.

3. The Philippines is no stranger to earthquakes. The worst earthquake in the recent past occurred in 1990. With an intensity of 7.7 on the Richter scale, it damaged thousands of buildings and resulted in widespread casualties.

· 3 “Fun” Facts

Here are three fun facts about Philippines:

1. The karaoke is a Filipino invention, not Japanese. Karaoke meaning “singing without accompaniment” in Japanese was invented by Roberto del Rosario. He called his invention “Sing-Along-System”, which was later called karaoke.

2. Sipa is considered the national sport of the Philippines and is played by two to four people passing a small rattan ball back and forth. It is typically controlled by the feet, but every part of the body except the hands and arms may be used. Both the footbag and the sports that use it are sometimes referred to as “hacky sack.”

3. The next general elections: presidential, legislative and local elections will be held on May 10, 2010. President Arroyo is barred from running for re-election due to the 2-term limit for presidents. This is the first computerized national elections in the Philippines.

· A “Potpourri” Item

Here is an unusual fact about Philippines:

1. The Philippine flag is the only flag in the world that is displayed upside-down when the country is in war (red on top and blue at the bottom when in war).

Food Information

· Beef Mechado Recipe

- Estimated cooking time: 1 hour

Mechado Ingredients:

· 1 kilo of beef cut into chunks

· 1/8 kilo of pork fat cut into strips

· 4 onions, peeled and quartered

· 5 medium potatoes, quartered (optional: fried)

· 1 medium sized carrot, sliced in 1/2″ sections

· 2 red bell pepper, sliced

· 2 cups beef stock or 2 bouillon cubes dissolved in water

· 3 bay leaves (laurel leaves)

· 1/4 -cup vinegar

· 2 cups tomato sauce or 1/2 cup tomato paste

· 1 cup soy sauce

· salt & pepper to taste

Mechado Cooking Instructions:

· Cut an incision on the beef chunks and insert a pork strip in the middle (mitsa)

· In a casserole, combine the beef (with the fat), tomato sauce, soy sauce, bay leaves and beef stock. Bring to a boil and simmer until the beef is almost tender

· Add the vinegar and let boil for a minute or two

· Add the potatoes, onions, carrot, and bell pepper

· Let simmer until potatoes and carrots are cooked – occasionally stir to thicken sauce

· Serve hot with white rice

Source: http://www.filipinofoodrecipes.net/mechado.htm

· My Kitchen Story

Thisactually was not a difficult recipe. The most time consuming part was stuffing the beef cubes with the pork fat. I had never heard of doing such a thing in cooking, but the fat gave the meat a totally different taste.

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Contact Info: To contact the author of “A Taste of The Philippines: A Recipe for Beef Mechado,” please email brittany.shockley@selu.edu.

David C. Wyld (dwyld@selu.edu) is the Robert Maurin Professor of Management at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, Louisiana. He is a management consultant, researcher/writer, and executive educator. His blog, Wyld About Business, can be viewed at http://wyld-business.blogspot.com/.

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Introduction

The history of Mexico revolves around the mixing of numerous cultural, ethnic, and political influences. These include contributions from several major native civilizations such as the Mayans, Spanish influences from the period of colonial rule, and a significant African heritage resulting from the slave trade of the early colonial era.  Over 95% of the population speaks Spanish, which is the official national language and is the world’s most populous Spanish speaking country. There is no official religion in Mexico but over 95% of the people practice Roman Catholicism. Mexico has also evolved into one of the most popular tourist destinations on the planet. 

 Mexican cuisine reflects the country.  The Mexican cuisine ranks as one of the greatest cuisines in the world.  I found many recipes in my research and actually decided on two recipes I would try for this project.  I chose a breakfast related item, Fruit and Cinnamon Quesadillas and a snack related item, Fruit Rolls.  

Country Information

·      Geographic Facts

Here are three geographic facts about Mexico:

1.                  Location: Mexico is located in Middle America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, between Belize and the United States and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Guatemala and the United States.  Mexico consists of 31 states and 1 Federal District.

2.                  Climate and Terrain: The climate in Mexico varied from tropical to desert. The terrain in Mexico consists of high rugged mountains, low coastal plains, high plateaus and desert.

3.                  Natural Resources: Mexico has quite a few of the earth’s natural resources, including: petroleum, silver, copper, gold, lead, zinc, natural gas, and timber.

·      3 “Serious” Facts

Here are three serious facts about Mexico:

1.                  Government: The 1917 constitution provides for Mexico a federal republic with powers separated into independent executive, legislative, and judicial branches.  The president is elected by universal adult suffrage for a 6-year term and may not hold office a second time. There is no vice president.

2.                  Economy: Mexico has a free market economy. It contains a mixture of modern and outmoded industry and agriculture, increasingly dominated by the private sector. Mexico is one of the world’s most trade dependent countries, and it is particularly dependent on trade with the United States, which buys approximately 88% of its exports.

3.                  Drugs: Mexico is a major drug-producing nation; some of the drugs include: heroin, marijuana, cocaine, ecstasy and methamphetamine.  Mexico is a significant money-laundering center, as well as a major supplier of heroin and largest foreign supplier of marijuana and methamphetamine to the US market.

·      3 “Fun” Facts

Here are three fun facts about Mexico:

1.                  Mexico introduced chocolate, corn and chilies to the world.

2.                  The red poinsettia originated in Mexico and is named after Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first United States ambassador to Mexico (in the 1820s).

3.                  The average Mexican only finishes grade 6.

·      “Potpourri” Items

Here are two unusual facts about Mexico:

1.                  Mexico City is believed to be built over a river. Every year, it is sinking at a rate of 6 to 8 inches because pumps are incessantly drawing out water for the city’s growing population.

2.                  When children are born in Mexico, they take on the last names of both of their parents so that ancestry is maintained.

Food Information 

·      Recipes

Fruit and Cinnamon Quesadillas

Ingredients:

• 1 Mission Light or Fat Free Tortilla
• 2 Tbsp. fat free Cream Cheese
• 1/3 cup strawberries thinly sliced
• 1 Tbsp. Sugar
• A dash of Cinnamon

Recipe Instructions:

1. Spread cream cheese over tortilla; top with strawberries and sugar. 2. Sprinkle with a dash of cinnamon; fold in half. Cook in a nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray for 2 minutes on each side.

Fruit Rolls

Ingredients:

• 4 Mission Soft Taco Size Flour Tortillas
• 2 bananas thinly sliced 
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 2 Tbsp. Honey
• ¼ Tsp. Cinnamon
• ½ cup Peanut Butter
• ¼ cup Chopped Peanuts or other Nuts (optional)

                  Recipe Instructions:

1. Combine fruit, honey and cinnamon in a bowl. Spread each tortilla with 1 tablespoon peanut butter, leaving a 1-inch border. Spoon fruit filling down the center of each tortilla. Sprinkle with nuts, if desired.  Fold in 2 sides of tortilla to meet in center, then roll up, bottom to top.  Place seam-side down.  Halve each tortilla on a sharp diagonal.

Sources

1. “Mex Grocer.” Fruit and Cinnamon Castillo.  2010. MexGrocer.com LLC. 3 March 2010. http://www.mexgrocer.com/353-afterschool-fruitrolls.html. 
2. “Mex Grocer.” After School Fruit Rolls.  2010. MexGrocer.com LLC. 3 March 2010. http://www.mexgrocer.com/116-fruitcinnamonquesa.html.

·      My Kitchen Story

The two things I made from were fairly easy to make; kind of messy!  The Fruit and Cinnamon Quesadillas are considered a breakfast type of recipe.  In my recipe research, I was looking for a breakfast related item. I usually don’t eat breakfast and if I do it is something on the light side, such as yogurt or fruit.  I assume this is why I was attracted to this recipe and found it was a refreshing way to start off the morning!  The other thing I made was a fruit roll, which is considered a snack type of recipe-called the After School Fruit Roll.  In my research I came across this recipe as well and thought it was a great snack idea!  So, I made the fruit rolls and thought they tasted good too!  My fiancé took a bite and his immediate response was, “I need milk with this!”  So, I hope at least some of you enjoy “A little taste of Mexico!” 

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Contact Info: To contact the author of “A Taste of Mexico: A Recipe for Fruit and Cinnamon Quesadillas and Fruit Roll,” please email Nicole.walters@selu.edu.

David C. Wyld (dwyld@selu.edu) is the Robert Maurin Professor of Management at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, Louisiana. He is a management consultant, researcher/writer, and executive educator. His blog, Wyld About Business, can be viewed at http://wyld-business.blogspot.com/.

Rice has been cultivated for more than 3,000 years on the Korean peninsula. It is the staple grain of Koreans, which has shaped their culture. A lot of Korean food is made of rice. I am going to introduce the simple, but delicious pearl peanut sweet soup. The pearl is made of sweet rice powder. It got its name due to the shape and color of cooked sweet rice powder ball.

Country Information 

·       Geographic Facts

Here are three geographic facts about Korea:

1.                  The original border between North Korea and South Korea was the thirty-eight parallel of latitude. After the Korean War, the Korean Demilitarized Zone formed the boundary between the two. The DMZ line has a distance of 241 kilometers from east to west coasts.

2.                  The geography of North Korea is mountainous with the highest mountains of 9003 feet.

3.                     South Korea is mostly surrounded by water and has 2,413km of coast line.

·       3 “Serious” Facts

Here are three serious facts about Korea:

1.                  Until the end of WWII, Korea was a single political entity whose territory roughly coincided with the Korean Peninsula. Since the Korean War in 1953, the northern half has been occupied by North Korea, while the southern half has been occupied by South Korea.

2.                  North Korea is considered as the last old-style Communist dictatorship.

3.                  In 1910, Korea becomes a Japanese colony, under Japan’s rule for 35 years.

·       3 “Fun” Facts

Here are three serious facts about Korea:

1.                  The Summer Olympic Games was held in Seoul in 1988.

2.                  The martial art “Tae kwon do” originated in Korea.

3.                  The Korean language is related to the Mongolian and Japanese languages. Around 1300 Chinese characters are used in modern Korean.

·       A “Potpourri” Item

Here is an unusual fact (or two or three) about Korea:

1.                  When you enter a South Korean home, the first thing you do is remove your shoes

2.                  The eldest in the house is considered the most wise, and therefore makes most of the important decisions.

Food Information

·       Recipe

This recipe is from one of the ladies I met at church.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb of no skin peanut
• 1 lb of Sweet rice powder
• 2 cups of sugar

                  Directions:

1.      Cook 1 lb of peanut with 3 lb of water for three hours or longer until the peanut is soft and tender

2.      Put 1lb of sweet rice powder in a big bowl.  Gradually add water, stirring with a large spoon, finishing mixing with hands. Knead until soft and pliable. Divide the dough into small pieces and roll to small balls with hands, put rice ball into the peanut soup cook for 2 minutes

3.      Add 2 cups of sugar 

·       My Kitchen Story

I had this soup in the church before. I like it and it seems very easy to make. I still called my neighbor and asked her about the whole procedure. I am glad that I called, otherwise I would have mixed the sweet rice powder with flour. Actually, it is just the sweet rice powder. And the water needs to be added little by little in case the dough is too soft and it won’t be round. The rice ball needs to be put into the boiling peanut soup; otherwise it won’t float. I tested last night and I think it was good, or maybe I am just not a picky eater.

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Contact Info: To contact the author of “A Taste of Korea: A Recipe for Pearl Peanut Sweet Soup,” please email Tao.Zhang@selu.edu.

David C. Wyld (dwyld@selu.edu) is the Robert Maurin Professor of Management at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, Louisiana. He is a management consultant, researcher/writer, and executive educator. His blog, Wyld About Business, can be viewed at http://wyld-business.blogspot.com/. 

Introduction

The country of Chad is run by its president Idriss De’by (since 1990) and their prime minister is Youssouf Saleh Abdas (since 2008). The area around Lake Chad has been inhabited since at least 500 BC. This land eventually became a colony of France, and under Tombalbaye, achieved independence on August 11, 1960. The population of Chad is 10,329,208, and its growth rate is 2%. Listed below are some facts about Chad and a recipe for Beignets soufflés, which Chadian women cook to bring in extra money for their families. That is if the family doesn’t get to them first! 

Country Information

·       Geographic Facts

Here are three geographic facts about Chad:

1.                  Chad is located in north central Africa and is 85% the size of Alaska.

2.                  Chad is a landlocked country surrounded by Niger, Libya, North Central African Republic, the Sudan, Cameroon, and Nigeria.

3.                  Lake Chad, which is where the country gets its name, flows on the western border and on the north side is the dessert that runs into Sahara.

·       3 “Serious” Facts

Here are three serious facts about Chad:

1.                  Arabic and French are the official languages. Islam is the most widely practiced religion.

2.                  The capital is N’Djamena and is also the largest city in the country, with a population of 609,600, per a 2003 estimate.

3.                  Chad is a low-income, food-deficit country, the United Nations’ Human Development Index ranks Chad as the fifth poorest country in the world, with 80% of the population living below the poverty line. There food production consists of Sorghum, millet, peanuts, rice, potatoes, manioc; cattle, sheep, goats, camels. Around eighty percent of the population depends on subsistence farming and herding for their livelihoods. Cereal production is heavily affected by erratic rains, droughts and locust infestations.

·       3 “Fun” Facts

Here are three fun facts about Chad:

1.                  Due to its distance from the sea and its largely desert climate, the country is sometimes referred to as the “Dead Heart of Africa”

2.                  Regarding music, Chadians play instruments such as the kinde, a type of bow harp; the kakaki, a long tin horn; and the hu hu, a stringed instrument that uses calabashes as loudspeakers.

3.                  Football(soccer) is Chad’s most popular sport. The country’s national team is much followed during international competitions, and Chadian footballers have played for French teams.

·       A “Potpourri” Item

Here is an unusual fact about Chad:

1.                  Polygamy (the practice of multiple marriage)is common, with 39% of women living in such unions. This is sanctioned by law, which automatically permits polygamy unless spouses specify that this is unacceptable upon marriage.

Food Information

·       Recipe

Beignets soufflés

Ingredients

·       1/8th of a litre (2/3 cup) of water

·       1 pinch of salt

·       7.5 grams (1/4 oz.) of powdered sugar

·       50 grams (1.75 oz.) of butter

·       62 1/2 grams (2.2 oz.) of flour

·       2 eggs

·       2 tablespoons of fine sugar

·       A frying pan or frying appliance with palm or peanut oil if available. Otherwise, use vegetable oil. The oil temperature should be around 150° C (302°F).

1.     Boil the water with the salt, the sugar and the butter.

2.     When the water begins to boil, throw the flour in all at once. Actively knead it with a spatula and let it cook for two minutes while incessantly kneading it, until the dough detaches itself from the bottom of the pot.

3.     Remove from flame and let it cool, then add the eggs one by one. Work the dough energetically after adding the first egg, to cause a little air to enter into the dough.

4.     Beat the second egg and add slowly, until the dough is ready. The dough should not be too soft, or too liquid. Let it cool.

5.     Warm up the frying pan. It should not be very hot at the beginning.

6.     Form small balls of dough of about 4-5 cm in diameter. Drop them in the oil and let them cook while slowly adding heat to the fryer, in such a way that it is up to 150° C when the Beignets have been cooked.

7.     Pull them out when golden brown and serve hot, dipped in fine sugar.

Source: from La cuisine aux pays du soleil, Author unknown. 1976. Imprimerie Saint-Paul: 55001 Bar le Duc. ISBN 2-85049-038-5 http://www.tchad.org/research/cook.html#beignets.

·       My Kitchen Story

Okay, honestly I thought my kitchen story was not going to be interesting. First off, I used the mix for the dough to get me started. Well, thanks to my forgetfulness, I was wrong. I went to the store this past weekend to get all of my supplies, minus the flour. I thought I had flour at my house already, so I didn’t pick any up. So, I start to make the beignets and get all my ingredients out and realize I do not have any flour. It was late being I have a night class that night and I did not go to the store. Have you ever messed with dough without flour?? Not Fun!!! Take it from me; the dough was sticking to my fingers and even to the palm of my hand, as I tried to make the beignets into the shape of a donut. Very messy! Needless to say, they are not in the shape of a donut. They are beignet drops!! But that doesn’t change the taste of them, so enjoy!

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Contact Info: To contact the author of “A Taste of Chad: A Recipe for Beignets soufflés,” please email Nicole.Richard@selu.edu.

David C. Wyld (dwyld@selu.edu) is the Robert Maurin Professor of Management at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, Louisiana. He is a management consultant, researcher/writer, and executive educator. His blog, Wyld About Business, can be viewed at http://wyld-business.blogspot.com/.

Introduction

            Sweden is a country located in Northern Europe. While known mainly for their meatballs, the recipe that I chose is Rosenmunnar, also known as Swedish thumbprint cookies.

Country Information

Here are three geographic facts about Sweden:

1.            Sweden is located in Northern Europe between Finland and Norway.

2.            Sweden is 449,964 total square kilometers

3.            Sweden is made up of mostly flat or gently rolling low lands.

Here are three serious facts about Sweden:

1.            Sweden’s political system is a parliamentary democracy.

2.            Sweden has a population of 9 million.

3.            Swedish is the official language of Sweden.

Here are three fun facts about Sweden:

1.            The Nobel Prize Ceremonies are held in Sweden and Norway every year on December 10th. The Nobel Prizes were founded by the Swedish inventor and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel, who invented dynamite in 1866

2.            Swedish Inventions include:
– The perfected the design of the zipper (Gideon Sundbäck).
– The marine propeller (John Ericsson).
– The refrigerator (Carl Munters and Baltzar von Platen).
– The computer mouse (Håkan Lans).
– The pace-maker (Rune Elmqvist).

3.            IKEA and H&M are both modern Swedish retail shops.

Here is an unusual fact about Sweden:

1.            Every year, Swedes celebrate Midsummer on the twenty-third of June, which is the longest day of the year. In many parts of Sweden the sun never sets on this day.

Image by Let Ideas Compete via Flickr

Food Information

·       Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup any flavor fruit jam

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add sifted flour, and mix well. Shape dough into 1 inch diameter balls and place on cookie sheets. Imprint your thumb in the center to make a 1/2 inch indentation. Fill with your favorite preserves.

Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown at the edges.

·       My Kitchen Story

My kitchen story is not very interesting. I made two separate batches of dough for the cookies. I’m now fairly sure that I put a little too much flour in the first batch, because the second batch came out lot prettier and fluffier, if you will. My roommates tried the cookies and both liked them (and the way that they made our house smell. Overall I would say that the recipe, which I obtained from allrecipes.com, was fairly easy to follow, although I took the cookies out of the oven after ten minutes instead of fifteen and found that the recipe didn’t make as much as the website claimed. The most tedious part was getting the thumbprint just right to place the jam in for 60 cookies.

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Contact Info: To contact the author of “A Taste of Sweden: A Recipe for Rosenmunnar,” please email Leslie.Daniels@selu.edu.  

David C. Wyld (dwyld@selu.edu) is the Robert Maurin Professor of Management at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, Louisiana. He is a management consultant, researcher/writer, and executive educator. His blog, Wyld About Business, can be viewed at http://wyld-business.blogspot.com/.

Introduction

            If you are a connoisseur of art and culture, than Holland may very well be your Graceland.  Holland prides itself on having more art and culture per square mile than any other country on Earth.  With a surface area of only 41,528 square kilometers and a population of sixteen and a half million people, it is one of the most densely populated countries in the world.  While Dutch is the national language of Holland, English is spoken by nearly everyone.  Additional spoken languages include German and French.  Holland is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system.  Its government consists of the Queen and ministers.  I had the opportunity to visit Europe shortly after graduating high school, but our trip did not take us to Holland.  I would still like to one day visit this cultural jewel of Europe, but for now I will settle for making a traditional Dutch dish, boterkoek!

Country Information

·      Geographic Facts

Here are three geographic facts about Holland:

1.            The Netherlands is often called Holland, because of the role the two Western provinces North and South Holland played in its history.  This region encompasses Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and other well-known Dutch cities such as Delft, Leiden and Haarlem.  Officially, it is the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

2.            Holland is protected from the sea by a long line of coastal dunes.  Most of the land area behind the dunes consists of swamp landscape lying well below sea level.  Continuous drainage is necessary to keep Holland from flooding. In earlier centuries windmills were used for this task. The landscape is scattered with windmills, which have become a symbol of Holland.

3.            The main cities in Holland are Amsterdam, Rotterdam and The Hague.  Amsterdam is the capital of the Netherlands and its most important city.  The Port of Rotterdam is Europe’s largest and most important harbor and port.

·      3 “Serious” Facts

Here are three serious facts about Holland:

1.            Titles are not used after an introduction.  Many foreigners who come to Holland to work find it surprising that even the managing director of the company is called by his or her first name.

2.            Until the ninth century, the inhabitants of the area that became Holland were Frisians.  The area was part of Frisia.  The people in the northern province of Friesland speak Fries, in addition to Dutch, but the Dutch outside this province do not understand this language.

3.            In 1942, after the Battle of the Netherlands, the Germans transferred the islands of Vlieland and Terschelling to the province of Friesland.  This was not changed back after World War II.

·      3 “Fun” Facts

Here are three fun facts about Holland:

1.            At the Heineken Experience, located in the former brewery of Heineken, you can experience the history of Heineken and enjoy a tour where you can see the process of making beer, test your knowledge and even taste some!

2.            Many famous diamonds have been cut in Amsterdam, such as the Cullinan.  This is the largest diamond ever found.  King Edward VII commissioned Amsterdam polishers to work on the colossal 3,106-carat stone. The expert cutters created the Cullinan I, which adorns the British royal scepter.

3.            The Boijmans is the only museum in Holland that covers the 14th century to the present in its art collection.  It is also the only museum with works by the Dutch master Hieronymus Bosch.

·      A “Potpourri” Item

Here is an unusual fact (or two or three) about Holland:

1.            When Dutch schoolchildren pass their exams, they hang a Dutch flag and a school bag outside their homes.

2.            The Dutch are the tallest people in Europe.

Food Information

·      Recipe

The following recipe for Boterkoek was found at www.recipezaar.com, (http://www.recipezaar.com/Omas-Boterkoek-Dutch-Buttercake-132488).

Serves 12

Ingredients:

-       2/3 cup butter or margarine or half-and-half

-       1 cup sugar

-       1 ½ teaspoons almond extract

-       1 egg beaten (reserve 1 tsp)

-       1 ½ cups flour

-       1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

-       Sliced almonds, for garnish (optional)

Preparation:

1. In medium bowl, mix together butter, sugar and almond extract
2. Add beaten egg except for 1 teaspoon
3. Sift flour and baking powder, and add to bowl, mixing with wet ingredients
4. Put dough in greased 9 inch pie plate
5. Mix the reserved 1 teaspoon of beaten egg with 1 teaspoon of water, and brush over dough
6. Sprinkle with sliced almonds, if desired
7. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 25-30 minutes or until done (firm to the touch)
8. This is a dense cake, but should be soft on the inside and hard on the outside, but not too hard

·      My Kitchen Story

Although Holland would not have been one of my initial choices for cooking a traditional dish from a foreign country, the experience was fun and rejuvenated my passion for European culture.  My first thought was, “what in the heck is a traditional Dutch cuisine?”  I decided to ask my friend John because I thought I remembered him saying something about his dad being Dutch.  After contacting John, it turned out his dad was Danish and not Dutch which left me back at square one.  He did have one suggestion about a certain brownie made strictly in Amsterdam, but my logic guided me to pursue other more appropriate ideas for dishes.  With no relationships to anyone Dutch, I did what most college students would have done and searched the Internet for both a recipe that was Dutch and cheap!  I came across this recipe for Boterkoek and found that it was perfect. 

The actual process of making the cake was not too difficult at all.  Cooking is as much an inherent trait in my family as it is a way of life.  I followed the recipe as an outline, but I made a few tweaks here and there including adding a bit more almond extract and thinning the dough to resemble cake more than cookie.  The only trouble I would say I encountered was tripling the recipe, although I am used to cooking for large numbers of people as I have for cookouts and in a fraternity.  I feel this is a very simple dish almost anyone can make.  If you’re in the mood for something sweet and foreign but don’t want to go too far out of your comfort zone, than this is a perfect recipe for you!

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Contact Info: To contact the author of “A Taste of Holland: A Recipe for Boterkoek (Dutch Buttercake),” please email W0449274@selu.edu.

David C. Wyld (dwyld@selu.edu) is the Robert Maurin Professor of Management at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, Louisiana. He is a management consultant, researcher/writer, and executive educator. His blog, Wyld About Business, can be viewed at http://wyld-business.blogspot.com/.