Who remembers that jump rope ditty? "First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes momma with the baby carriage." So too goes the nutritional lexicon for plant-based foods, where first comes fruit, then come vegetables. But think, who ever talks about 'vegetables and fruits'? It's always 'fruits and vegetables', 'fruits and veggies'. But if we want to improve our health through our diets, vegetables must come first. So first off --

Drop dead gorgeousI'm dying to knowI nearly died of embarrassmentTo die forI'm dying to go on holiday, give up work, move house, get married, whatever.I don't think so.No one ever died because they were attractive.No one died because they didn't know the latest gossip.No one ever died of embarrassment.Did you die when you ate that creme brulee, chocolate cake or drank vintage champagne?.............and no one ever, ever died because they didn't go on holiday, continued to work, stayed in the same house, didn't get married, or whatever.People die from accidents, heart attacks, any number of diseases like liver disease or kidney disease. Some people die because they are born into poverty in a third world country and some people die in war. Then there are those who die from cancer.  read more »

Drop dead gorgeousI'm dying to knowI nearly died of embarrassmentTo die forI'm dying to go on holiday, give up work, move house, get married, whatever.I don't think so.No one ever died because they were attractive.No one died because they didn't know the latest gossip.No one ever died of embarrassment.Did you die when you ate that creme brulee, chocolate cake or drank vintage champagne?.............and no one ever, ever died because they didn't go on holiday, continued to work, stayed in the same house, didn't get married, or whatever.People die from accidents, heart attacks, any number of diseases like liver disease or kidney disease. Some people die because they are born into poverty in a third world country and some people die in war. Then there are those who die from cancer.  read more »

Eric Akis' Skillet Mac and Cheese (yes, I know, I used penne and I served it in ramekins; I am quirky like that). It is interesting how the world works sometimes. Just before our household grew from three to four , I was offered the opportunity to review not one, but two books on the subject of quick meals for busy cooks. Everyone seems to be talking about how hard it is to find the time to cook.  read more »

The Kitchen Detective

Pasta Primavera is an easy, any-night-of-the-week dish that uses the season's freshest ingredients.

Why not create a healthy polymeal feast this Thanksgiving?  read more »

 Theres nothing wrong with entertainment, of course, but perhaps our celebrity chefs should learn the first rule of good dining: even the finest food leaves a sour taste if you eat it every day. So move away from the camera, go back to your kitchens, and come back when we can stomach you again. It might take a while.” - Hugh Wilson, Why we’ve had enough of celebrity chefs Mendoza, Argentina - So, on to the plates, the food, the meat of the matter. Where’s the beef?  read more »

The day: 29 th February 2008, Dinner. The place: Hotel Victoria, Poststrae 2-4, 97980 Bad Mergentheim tel +49(0)7931 593607 The venue: Zirbelstube Closest airports: Munich The food: Modern German (if this makes sense) The drinks: The list focusses on selected areas, not too long but interesting and strong on locals And here we come, with some excitement and anticipation, to our main dining experience in pretty Bad Mergentheim: German cuisine may not have a great reputation but there are some bloody good German chefs around. After entering Hotel Victoria we walk along the cellar-style corridor past the Vinotheke tried with success the previous week, to enter the Michelin starred (for many years) Hubert Retzbachs venue that shares the kitchen and part of the staff with its less formal sibling. The atmosphere is soft, comfortable, elegant yet warm, with large and sometimes immensely spaced tables with alcoves.  read more »

There are some places, people and things with which we are inextricably linked. Childhood homes seem to have a hold on people. Even when youve lived away for longer than you lived there, something still binds you to the place where you grew up. Memories of that place are often tinged with gold. But when you go back, its not the same. There are new houses, new signs, new people. The landscape has changed, the trees have grown up and so have you. When I visit the place where I grew up, I cant help but feel nostalgic. Its as though Madonnas This Used To Be My Playground is always playing in the background. But even though the place has changed, the magic still remains. If I close my eyes I can still see the sparkling water as the last rays of sunlight sink below the horizon, the sky ablaze in reds and purples. I can still feel the sand between my toes or a warm summer breeze on my skin. I can still taste strawberries from the garden or penny candy from the Beach Memory general store. I can still hear kids playing baseball at the end of the road or the gentle baaaahhh of a baby lamb looking for its bottle. And if I take a deep breath I can still smell the earthy scent of a fresh morel.  read more »