Reflections

Okay, it's been a little over a month since I started actively blogging as The Diva and with this little work project coming to a close, I feel like it's time to take a pause from the food and reflect on what I've learned. What started as a somewhat mandatory project for work has morphed into something I look forward to doing. Let's just say I've graduated into the wonderful world of social media...

...and feel much like my hilarious friends Jim & Vieve felt after getting their diplomas in '05 (photo).

Enough hamming, onto reflection! First and foremost, blogging is fun. I read things and want to post them for other people to read and pass along. It makes my day when someone comments on my blog (go. now. comment.) and I like reading other people's blogs (hell, my fabulous new recipe for Oreos came from someone else's blog!). I figured out that Twitter is useful, fun and informative (for those of you who don't know, Twitter is like a public instant message that people can see and respond to). For a long time, I figured that I was an some whacked out foodie that got blank stares from all my friends when I complained about my pie crust not being flakey. With blogging and Twitter, I've found my own kind!!! Food writers, enthusiasts, culinary geniuses and people just like me. Hooray!

Bottom line? Don't go anywhere. Stay tuned, there's more of The Diva to come.

Fabulous Feasting,
The Diva.

Skyrocketing food prices

An interesting article on CNN today about the rising cost of food. Many wonder if it's truly a necessity (trickling down from rising gas prices, etc.) or whether its a case of over-zealous media trying to find drama where there is none (and retailers capitalizing on the hype). Regardless, it's an interesting phenomenon.

It begs some tough questions, dear readers. Are you changing your eating habits in order to fatten your wallet? Have you changed where you shop? Maximizing your pantry? Hitting up the 99 cent menu at Micky D's or BK a little more? Planting a garden?

Fabulous Feasting,
The Diva.

Gadgets: All things KitchenAid

I'm one of those women who has wanted a KitchenAid Stand Mixer since I knew how to first bake cookies. But I don't own one. Why, you ask? It's not like the gift of one has not been offered at Christmastime or during Birthday-ness. For me, it's a right of passage: find man, get engaged, get $500 mixer, get married. Simple as that. And it's for that reason that I keep the model and color I desire a closely guarded secret until I'm fully armed with the bridal registry gun.

For those of you who aren't in the know, a KitchenAid Stand Mixer is like a Porsche for your kitchen. It's sexy. It's made of steel, comes in more than a dozen colors, purrs and is chock full of horsepower.

Did I mention the accessories? Yeah, there's 52 of them from KitchenAid, ranging from meat grinders to ice cream makers to pasta machines. God knows how many of them are out there and made from other companies as well.

Take, for example, this (cue operatic "Hallelujah!"):

It's a mixing blade with a spatula, so you don't have to stop, scrape the bowl, and start mixing again (cue "Hallelujah!" encore). Made by SideSwipe, it's the brain child of an Ohio mechanical engineer who noticed his wife's frequent scraping pit stops while using her KitchenAid Stand Mixer.

Scrape-free efficiency for the bargain price of $24.95. Look for it online...on my registry, and eventually in my kitchen.

Fabulous Feasting,

The Diva.

Fun Foods: Batter Blaster!

Time to make your Saturday's even more lazy than they already are. Leave it up to those organic peeps to come up with Batter Blaster, i.e., aerosol pancake/waffle batter. It's not available nationwide yet (blast!) but you if

For kicks, check out the Web commercial:



Since I'm not lucky enough to try it yet...if you're geographically lucky and can find it, let me know how it is! Or, if you're feeling particularly generous, ship me some!

Fabulous Feasting,
The Diva.

Mad Skills: Knife Skills 101

In an effort to provide continuing education (or maybe primary education) to you culinarians out there, today marks the first of many "Mad Skills" lessons to keep you safe and efficient in the kitchen.

Today's lesson: Knife Skills 101

One of the golden keys to cooking is the proper handling of a knife. Lets face it, nobody wants to lose a finger and a bloody marinade over your vegetables just isn't going to wet my appetite. Find yourself a knife (a chef's knife is a good place to start) that you feel comfortable using and take time to learn the proper way to hold and position both your knife hand and the hand that braces whatever you are cutting. The following video should give you a basic idea of the proper grip and motion of a chef's knife:



Once you're comfortable with your chef's knife, cut up some stuff! Check out this video from Men's Health (yes, Men's Health) with some basic cutting techniques:




Just remember: slow and steady wins the race. If you rush things, you'll just end up lopping off your index finger. Get the technique down first, then start hacking away at things like Martin Yan:



Yan can cook! So can you!

Fabulous Feasting,
The Diva.

The first grilled pizza of the season!

It was just too nice not to give it a whirl. Tonight's fare was grilled pizzas -- some freshly grilled tomatoes and roasted red peppers on the bottom with kalamata olives, grilled chicken and an asiago cheese blend all melted together on top. Did I mention the crispy wafer thin crust? DELISH.

Really people, what are you waiting for!?!?

Fabulous Feasting,
The Diva.

What are you in the mood for?

Ever have one of those days where your stomach is growling for something in particular but you can't put your finger (or tastebuds) on it? Or, you've defrosted chicken once again tonight, but just don't want to cook it the same old way? Maybe, you know you want to grill, but want to give it an Indian flare!

Regardless of the situation, this new little site may hold the key to solving your munchie mysteries: http://www.cookthink.com/.

Cookthink lets you input ingredients, types of dishes, cusines and even what type of mood you're in and spits out out some options to consider.

It practically takes the guesswork out of deciding what to eat!

Take a gander, foodies, and be sure to pass along any delish recipes that you enjoyed!

Fabulous Feasting,
The Diva.

Grand Poobah of Pie

Just mere moments ago, your Diva took home top honors (champagne!) at the first annual company pie competition! Frozen Key Lime Pie, courtesy of Ina Garten, was a big hit. Of course, I added my own little twist to the recipe, but you can find the originalversion on the Food Network web site.

Off to drink (and enjoy) my winnings!

Fabulous Feasting,
The Diva.

Happy Tax Day!

Hopefully by this point your taxes are done and you're not scrambling to file before the deadline. Reward yourself for completing your annual fiscal responsibilities by stopping at Dunkin' Donuts today for a free donut with purchase of a hot coffee. Woo!

I'll take a chocolate stick, thank you.

Fabulous Feasting,
The Diva.

Spring has sprung

The nice weather planned for this week and a recent Cooking Light article on three plants for every cook have me believing that Spring has sprung, which for me means that it's time to clean out the flowerbeds and get ready to plant a new season of herbs and vegetables.

This year's plan is for a variety of herbs (parsley, basil, mint, chives, rosemary, sage and thyme), the old staples (tomatoes and cucumbers) plus some new additions to the mix (lettuces, zucchini, broccoli and spinach).

Now, while I have a large yard (15x15 lawn in front, 90 foot driveway, 15x30 patio/backyard), my planting space is actually quite limited. I currently plant in a half wine barrel (the greatest thing ever) and 2 flowerbeds that are about 3 feet wide and 12 feet long, which, when things get to growing, can be a little tight.

The key to a successful garden is planning. Planning planning planning. How long does it take for crops to grow? How big do they get? Can one crop be harvested and another planted in it's place?

For those of you starting off, do your research: iVillage has a good beginner's guide to planning a a garden. Definitely heed the advice on creating a healthy soil environment and on using mulch to keep weeds down (unless you're weird and like weeding all day in the hot summer sun). One note on the mulch -- don't use cocoa bean hulls. Been there, tried that -- the dog kept trying to eat the mulch. Also, timing the planting to occur at different times (or once faster-growing crops are harvested) is also a good idea, if you want to sustain the availability of home-grown goodies all season long.

If you're like me and have limited space, consider a container garden -- even if it's just some herbs and a tomato plant. GardenGuides.com has a good how-to if you want to take the plunge. Basil and parsley are easy starters, and certain varieties of tomatoes are quite hearty. I typically plant my herbs in a half wine-barrel, and make sure to replace the soil each season to maintain it's health. Despite what many say about rot, I haven't had this problem with my barrels. It helps, though, if you fill the barrel halfway with packing peanuts and a plastic shopping bag before adding the soil (you don't need all that weight or depth for shallow-rooted plants) and then keep the barrel off the ground using some small bricks.

Get ambitious and plant a garden this spring. Your wallet and taste buds will thank you!

Fabulous Feasting,
The Diva.