Happy Belated New Year!  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 »

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 »

 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 »

Normally I don't even try to go to popular new restaurants on the Upper West Side, considering it an exercise in futility. I could never get a table at 'Cesca when Tom Valenti was cooking, and by the time I got to Aix, it could have been called "eh." It might be the Upper West Sider's uncanny ability to plan ahead - all that booking of Met and Carnegie Hall tickets - but here's another theory why, with apologies to Jessica Hagy of Indexed.  read more »

While flipping through this month's Cuisine at Home magazine, a recipe caught my eye. Mexican Braised Pork Shoulder. Ever since our cruise in November, anything Mexican has been catching our eyes lately. I read through the ingredients and sent Jim to the market this morning to get what we needed.  read more »

Kirk still has tales of Southeast Asia. Cathy is roaming about looking for food in San Diego, but today ed (from Yuma) finishes his discussion about the best Salvadoran restaurant in Yuma. When I walked into Cabaas for my second visit, my idea of Salvadoran food was pupusas and tamales. Okay, I'd also eaten some fried plantains at a couple of other Salvadoran places, but I didn't find those interesting enough to consider going out of my way to eat them again. On that second visit, I was hoping to try some tamales, but it seems that the restaurant only has tamales on the weekend. After some linguistic misunderstandings, I ended up ordering soup - though I wasn't sure what kind of sopa it was going to be.  read more »

Id been hoarding mashed up rotten bananas in my freezer for weeks. When the bananas in the fruit bowl start to get all spotty and soft, I let them sit for a little while longer until theyre a mushy goo, transfer them to an airtight container, mash quickly with a fork, and freeze until required. With a stock of banana mash on hand, and an upcoming picnic with friends, there was no thought but banana cake when deciding what to bake for dessert.  read more »

*Come Mr Tally Man telling me Banana . . . daylight come and we want to go home.*

What do you get when you cross bananas . . .

with chocolate???

You get the most scrumpdidlyumptious banana bread on the face of the earth, that's what!!!

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 The sun of my Cuba
Salutes me good morning
I take breakfast and come out
The whole world is already up
Hey chico turn the volume up
Coz I love this bolero
And this line to buy the bread, goes around the entire world anyway
Now picture La Habana
The old streets with colonel air
Problems can’t be hidden
But you’ll find sweetness at you [...]