Join the Greater Cincinnati Independents (GCI) group as they hold their kick off the third annual Octoberfeast event on Thursday, October 30, 2008 from 6:30 to 10:30 PM at Currents Ballroom at Newport Aquarium and throughout the exhibit space (www.newportaquarium.com).  The city’s top chefs will be on hand to tantalize your taste buds [Read more →]

Luchador is described as “lifted and intense ripe jammy blackcurrant and blackberry fruits, with a hint of spicy anise and oak mocha lifted. Unctuous creamy mid palate is supported by textural grainy tannins”

A Luchador  is a wrestler in Mexico. The label is designed by a design team called Morning Breath, who are well known for their CD designs. Why a wrestler?  As it says on the label, “This wine will body-slam your tongue.” 

Cheers!

Today I spoke with Tanya Steel, co-author of Real Food for Healthy Kids. Tanya is editor in chief of the award-winning food website Epicurious.com. Winner of a prestigious James Beard Foundation Journalism Award, she is a regular guest on Today, has written extensively for the New York Times, and been an editor at Bon Appetit and Food & Wine magazines. She lives in New York with her husband and twin sons. Check out the Real Food for Healthy Kids site for lots of great recipes and info.

Tanya’s trick-free rules for feeding children:
·     Don’t feed kids something you wouldn’t eat yourself.
·    At lunch and dinner, start everyone off with a little appetizer of raw veggies. At breakfast, start them off with fresh fruit.
·    Don’t use food as a punishment or a bribe.
·     Encourage slow eating. Eating slowly is best for both digestion and preventing overeating. It takes 20 minutes for your brain to tell your stomach that it’s full.
·    Don’t insist that kids “clean their plates.” Kids should eat until they feel full and not a bite more.
·    Implement a “No-Thank-You Bite” rule — if they don’t like how a new food looks, be sure they take at least one bite, but don’t force them to eat all of it.
 

Amanda Ripley shared what she experienced while researching her book, The Unthinkable, plus tips to help you survive when the unthinkable happens.

Check out this video- it’s a pretty cool way to peel a hard boiled egg.

I had breakfast at Mokka in Newport, KY  today with Jay and Grover, two of my team from EQ at The Party Source. Both of the guys told me they almost never eat breakfast. If you’re nodding your head in agreement, let me just say “enough of this craziness- eat breakfast” ! Whether you’re too rushed, trying to save calories or just don’t have a morning appetite, you need to get past all that and start your day off right.  What should you do? Here are some quick tips to get you back on track:

1. Start with something simple, convenient and useful. Energy bars that have at least 3 grams of fiber, 8 grams of protein and are less than 250 calories are a great start. You can keep a box in your car, a couple in your purse or briefcase and in your office drawer.

2. Expand breakfast into a real meal. Once you’ve gotten in the habit of eating an energy bar, try to branch out into a real breakfast. Keep instant oatmeal and granola in your cupboard and serve it with milk or yogurt.

3. Keep eating. Mini meals throughout the day, about every 4 hours, will keep hunger at bay and your energy level up.

You’re going to feel better, I promise!

Recently, I taught a class called “Chicken Dance” at EQ at the Party Source. We discussed the differences between “natural” and organic, free range , cruelty free and more. Bonnie Bray asked me about Amish chicken. I said I thought it was just a pretty name but that I’d research it for her. Well Bonnie, my money’s still on organic for the best choice in chicken. Here’s the scoop on Amish chicken from  the NY Times…

What exactly does ”Amish” mean, in a culinary context?
”It’s a marketing ploy,” said Ariane Daguin, co-owner of D’Artagnan, a Newark-based supplier of Amish chicken to New York restaurants and markets. ”It doesn’t mean anything.”
The mystique of the Amish label, Ms. Daguin said, comes from [Read more →]

Here’s the  Beef Bruschetta recipe from the folks at Certified Angus Beef Brand. Make sure to stop by their kitchen stage at The Greater Cincinnati Kitchen, Bath and Design Show next weekend. I’ll be there Sunday, September 28th at 2pm.

Hope to see you there! Amy

Beef Bruschetta
Ingredients
· 1 pound Certified Angus Beef ® top sirloin steak
· 1 French baguette, thinly sliced on an angle
· 1/2 cup melted butter, clarified preferred [Read more →]

Pam Anderson is coming to EQ at The Party Source October 13th to demonstrate recipes from her latest book, The Perfect Recipe for Losing Weight and Eating Great!

Check out these tips from this morning’s guest, Charla Krupp, author of How Not to Look Old.
Here’s to looking our very best!
Amy