Bacon IS a trail snack.

Today I posted a comment on a friend's Facebook wall reminding her that y ou have to treat yourself every once in a while. It makes all the hard work you do every day actually seem worth the effort.   We all work millions of hours a day, 7 days a week and rarely take the time to do something just for ourselves.  Of course I may be speaking only of me on this point but, you get caught up in the daily grind... Alarm goes off (or in my case a 100lb. Chow/ Husky mix jumps on me, grabs the  duvet and pulls it into the living room.  It's her way of saying "HEY, TIME TO GET UP!" Then you go through your daily routine... feed this, clean that, put on clothes, find your shoes, where are your keys, making mental notes along the way of all the things you have to leave to be done until you arrive home 10 or 12 hours later.  You come home, feed this, clean that, put on comfy clothes THEN start to do all the things you had to leave to be done until AFTER your ...

Everyone has heard the warning, "fish shouldn't have a smell if it's fresh".  It's true.           A good friend was out last weekend and as a good Pescitarian she ordered halibut.  The next day...         ...yep, wasn't feeling so great.  "It smelled fishy.  I should have ordered something else."  Hell yah she should have!  Food for thought ;o) That said, there really is some deeeeeelish ocean and stream swimmers out there (I know, I know, as my Brother says all the time, "do you know what fish do in water?") Okay, whatever... moving on.  I'm extremely particular about fish or seafood for that matter.  I think it goes back to when we were kids and Dad would go on these three week long fishing trips with his buddies every year and insist that we enjoy "the most delicious, fresh stream trout you could ever wish to have on the table."             ...

Way back when, in 1998 or so I had the very good fortune to cook and bake for a film legend, Mr. Robert Altman.   He had several films going through the audio post facility I was working at and popped into the kitchen one day to ask "what that wonderful aroma was? I was baking my now famous "Super Wicked Chocolate Brownies" and the smell was wafting through the building and onto the dub stages.  "Why hello Mr. Altman," I said, "I call these Super Wicked Chocolate Brownies".  He promptly took several from the tray, smiled and said, "You are a Chef Goddess."  Yep, that's right. I'll never forget that day.  Every time I make these brownies or any of the other 9 Super Wicked Chocolate Brownie flavors that currently exist and can be delivered to you overnight (if you so desire a dozen or so!) Super Wicked Caramel, Super Wicked Peanut Butter, Super Wicked Spiced Orange, Super Wicked Chocolate Chunk, Supe...

As I'm to understand it, there are two schools of thought when it comes to February 14th... the first is that it's a day to celebrate love and that special someone in your life.  The second, is a total 180 degree swing the other way and poo-poo the whole made up "holiday" as an evil trick turned tradition by the greeting card companies and florists. However you plan on spending February 14th this year may I remind you that everybody's gotta eat, right?  I pulled out the big guns for this occasion... yep the BIG GUNS!  Here are three fool proof recipes that you will surely fall in love with! Creme Brûlée: Here's what you'll need: 1 extra-large egg   4 extra-large egg yolks   1/2 cup sugar, plus 1 tablespoon for each serving   3 cups heavy cream   1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract   1 tablespoon Grand Marnier   Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.   In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle...

I was flipping through the 9000 available channels that I have on Direct TV and finally landed on a rerun of Nigela Lawson's cooking show. Although it's shot and edited very well, the content itself is deceiving to me.   Now, don't get me wrong, I love watching cooking shows as much as the next person and heck if I had a dime for every time I've been asked to do my own cooking show, well, I'd have a  lot of dimes!  I think it's a fairly big stretch to ask people to "try this recipe" when it involves appliances they do not or ever would own; ingredients they've not only never heard of but there's a snowball's chance in Hell that they will find them at the local market... ...and let's be serious, who has 4 hours to marinate anything let along remember to do it as you are running out the door with your toothbrush still in your hand, hoping that you put on underpants! I think, what folks need is a solid...

At least twice a month I'm asked, approached, emailed or texted this question, "What is your favorite dish to make? You have to have a favorite right?" Not once have I hesitated to reply, "Everything.  Everything is my favorite." It's true.  Even dishes I haven't tried yet, made yet or heck, even heard of, those are all my favorite.  For me it's all about the process.  What kind of mood am I in that day? Before I leave for work I take a couple of minutes and make a mental note of what is in the fridge/freezer/garage beer fridge (which really only exists for party platters, let's be honest about that).  But of course the thing I've been craving all day could very easily go along the wayside if I read an article that immediately piques my interest in something else.  Nine times out of ten I have everything I need already in the house however, there may be a certain wine pairing to investigate or that one very special ingredien...