Two good things about fall: Sweaters and Stews. Put on a cardigan and make this for dinner! It’s from my cookbook, Amy’s Table: Food for Family and Friends.

Seafood Stew
Serves 6
Wine Suggestion: Spanish Albarino

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes
Make ahead: Seafood Stew can be made, up to the point of adding the seafood, one day ahead. Gently re-heat and add seafood as directed.
Tip: To chiffonade the basil, stack the leaves and roll them up like a cigar. Slice, across the roll, into thin strips.

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 red skin potatoes, diced
1 each red and yellow bell peppers, seeded and chopped
1 zucchini, chopped
1 cup white wine
1 8-ounce bottle clam juice
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 bay leaf
1 pound sea bass (or any other firm mild fish) cut into 2-inch chunks [Read more →]

It’s  National Coffee Day Today.  There’s only one thing I  love  as much as my coffee, and that’s cookies, so you can imagine how happy I am to let you know that  all Cincinnati Busken Bakery locations (and their Highland Heights bakery in Northern Kentucky) will give every customer that comes through the door today a free small coffee and a free signature smile-face cookie. That’s it- no strings attached, and no purchase is necessary. You’re looking a bit like that cookie right now, aren’t you?

Busken will also be introducing a new premium coffee blend called Villa Rey in select stores today, too.  Villa Rey is  carries the Rainforest Alliance seal of approval, which verifies that the coffee is grown and harvested in an eco-friendly manner while protecting the  rights of workers and local communities.  

If you’re looking for cookie seal of approval, you’ve got mine! Or  ask your parents, your grandparents, or your kids! After all Busken Bakery  was founded in 1928 by Joseph and Daisie Busken, and is now operated by the 4th generation of the Busken family. Happy Coffee (and cookie) Day!

Lauren Niemes shares all the reasons why we CAN indulge, just a little, in good things like red wine and chocolate.

There is nothing I like better than cooking- when I have time! The hard cold reality is that life is busy and it can be difficult to get a great meal on the table every night. But here’s a tip- whenever possible, cook with more than one meal in mind. This practice can radically cut down your meal prep time – and dramatically  improve the quality of what you  and your family eat! Today’s recipes are a perfect example. Tonight’s Seasoned Flat Iron becomes tomorrow’s American Beef Dip. Many thanks to Certified Angus Beef Brand for these terrific recipes!
Seasoned Flat Iron
Serves 4 plus makes enough leftovers to serve 4
Chef’s suggestion: use leftover steak and dipping sauce for the American Beef Dip recipe.


2-1/2 pound Certified Angus Beef ® flat iron (optional tri-tip steak)
 [Read more →]

We gave away seats in  Certified Angus Beef Brand Chef Michael Ollier’s class  at EQ at The Party Source to a couple of lucky listeners today. If you weren’t a winner, you can still join us. Click here for more information or to enroll.

Listen to the interview.

Don Goewey is the author of Mystic Cool.  To learn more about Don and the stress reducing exercise, the “Clear Button”  that he talked about on Amy’s Table, visit his site.

Some great information from Don:

When it comes to school, some kids are excited, but others feel a  sinking sensation in the pit of their stomachs. Children- and adults- are facing increasing levels of stress. Backpacks now contain so many books they have to have wheels to avoid doing permanent damage to children’s backs and shoulders. There are kindergartens and preschools whose students were put on the waiting list in utero with visions of Harvard dancing in parents’ heads. Barely out of diapers, these kids are being taught to read and write and do basic math. A good academic record isn’t to get into a good college. Extracurricular activities are hardly seen as extracurricular anymore. Some kids are so busy they have detailed calendars and beeping reminders to remember where they are supposed to be. For the ones that pay attention to the news, the stress of a nation at war can be added to the list, particularly for those who are thinking about college and are unsure how to pay for it. Advances in technology seem to make the world spin faster, and kids are keeping up with Facebook, Twitter, text messages, and chat rooms that come rapidly. When do they get to play?

All parents want their children to succeed, and that is ultimately what drives them to push their kids. That is the job of the parent, right? To make sure the kids leave the nest and live happily ever after. The question begging to be asked, though, is what really brings success. It is so easy to get caught up in the drama of grades and awards and honors.

According to stress and brain performance expert Don Goewey, the child with a peaceful and positive attitude is much more likely to succeed than the one who is stressed to the max, even if that child has higher grades and more accomplishments. People, young and old, who are peaceful, positive, empathic, good communicators, balanced, and thoughtful perform better. It is a neurological fact. These attributes are like an immunization from stress. It creates a situation in the body that facilitates optimal health, and it develops the neural networks for creative intelligence. Living in fear and stress shuts all this down, leaving brain and body weakened.

So what can parents do to help their kids stay positive and dynamically peaceful and avoid fear and stress during the school year?

The Question That Puts an End to Stress: Help your kids process what it is they are afraid of. Have them [Read more →]

Listen to the interview.

Many thanks to David Miller for sharing “His n Her’s Cocktails” made with Hendrick’s Gin!

Hendricks pear and lavender infused simple syrup:
1 1/4 oz Hendricks Gin
2 oz Pear juice
1/2 oz Lavender infused simple syrup

Scottish Pear:
1 oz Hendricks Gin
1/2 oz Glenfiddich 12 year Scotch
2 oz pear juice
1/2 oz Agave nector
1/2 Lemon juice

Listen to the interview.

The fall theater season is officially underway and of course the best place for theater is Broadway. Did you know 65% of theater goers in New York City are out-of-towners? We could all use a little insider information to make the most of a trip to the Big Apple and Ken Davenport  gave us The Prodcuers Perspective, including the scoop on the newest shows hitting Broadway this season, how to score and save on hard to get tickets and where to go after the show for a chance to mingle with cast members!

Ken is considered one of the most innovative and entrepreneurial Off- and On- Broadway producers today with a production slate including TONY award winner Blithe Spirit, Speed the Plow, Will Ferrell’s You’re Welcome America, Altar Boyz, The Awesome 80s Prom, My First Time and Oleanna coming next month.

Ken suggests these websites for reviews, deals and more:

broadwayspace.com (A social networking site where memnosts discounts for shows

Didhelikeit.com (A compilation of all the theater reviews and an overview of what the

Theproducersperspective.com (Ken Davenport’s blog)

To mix  and mingle with the stars, head to these industry hot spots:

Joe Allen Restaurant

Angus

To learn more about Ken, visit his site

Many thanks to Pam Walling for these fabulous recipes featuring Beer.  How many ways can you cook with beer? Start with Beer and Poppy Seed Soup, Roasted Pork Loin with Beer Sauce, Baked Beer Beans, Beer Cheese Puffs and finally….Guinness Ice Cream Floats!

Beer and Poppy Seed Soup
4-6 Servings

Soup
1 quart beer [Read more →]

Listen to the interview.

John Baines shared some great tips-and beer- on Amy’s Table. He’s teaching a Home Brew class at EQ in January but until then, here’s John’s “Homebrewing in a nutshell”

Beginner equipment kits cost about $100 and ingredients for a typical batch of beer cost around $40 for a five-gallon batch. The brewing process takes two to three hours, and can be done right on your kitchen stove. The fermentation process typically takes two to three weeks. After fermentation, the beer is ready to bottle. Once the beer is bottled, another two to three weeks are needed to allow the beer to carbonate in the bottles. At that point it will be ready to chill and enjoy.

Want to learn more? Here are some sites John recommends:

The New Complete Joy of Home Brewing

Homebrewer’s Association

NorthernBrewer.com