Yesterday, I was greeted with seductive kisses on my neck. And then a casual, "mmm… you smell like pork tenderloin." Not exactly my perfume of choice. However, with this dish, it’s hard to escape its enticing scent. I love making this because it soaks up the flavors. It’s very versatile. I tend to [...]

Whenever I smell vanilla, I am transported back to the island of Moorea. 16 years old, the deepest darkest tan on a virginal little body, licking an ice cream cone and channeling Lolita . The sweet nature of Tahitian vanilla beans changed plain ice cream into royal decadence. When I returned home, imitation [...]

This weekend we had the wedding to attend and drama to unfold. After all, it wouldn’t be a wedding without wasted characters grabbing your ass and sticking their tongues down the throats of non-willing participants. As my friend would say, people have gone to jail for less.
Sunday — we grilled. Simple pleasures, simple [...]

Ever attempt to sear scallops and find no matter what you do, can’t make them look golden brown like your favorite restaurant. A white liquid oozing in the pan? It’s not you, it’s them. Unfortunately, you’ve purchased a wet scallop, and not the good kind of wet — think of them as the girl [...]

I had seared scallops in a saffron sauce the other night and its intensity of flavor still resonates in my mind. I’ve wondered if I could somehow recreate the dish, simply by taste, and a little background on the mysterious spice.
The most expensive of the spices, saffron, can be a bit of enigma [...]

I remember quite clearly the first time I made stuffed artichokes. It was Christmas time, I was in love and had the kitchen all to myself. My boyfriend painted my ornament upstairs, ‘the brain’ from Pinky and the Brain (best-cartoon-ever). Etta James was playing, the wine was flowing… I was staring at the pointy massive [...]

I’ve always wanted to wake up super early in the morning and make bread while sipping on espresso. Like most things, I think the dream of making bread is much better than the reality. I can run down to the bakery and buy a baguette for $2.50 or I could spend hours making it myself [...]

I’ve always been impressed by those who can tell if their meat is medium rare simply by touching it. The sexual innuendos are grand and vast, but we’ll move on. Usually I have to slice into my steak to do this, and naturally I feel inferior.
Apparently, it’s a lot easier than I thought. Science [...]

Barbara Walters had a special on aging last night. She discussed the advancements in cryogenics and stem cell research, technologies that one day could make our average life span reach hundreds if not thousands of years. Beyond this incredible new research were basic, every day things that we can do to improve upon our future [...]

Lasagna may seem like a daunting task, but you can handle it. Trust me. There are endless combinations of flavors and styles all dripping with mozzarella cheesy goodness. You can do no wrong. It does, however, take time. So put on some tunes and open you’re favorite bottle of wine, imagine for a moment [...]