iPhone Recipes

Didn't have the time to camp out overnight to be the first to own one of those dishy new Apple phones, and still looking for another excuse to buy one? (Jeez, camping out overnight for a phone. What could possibly be next? People camping out overnight to be the first one, perhaps...to vote for our country's leaders? Hmmm... Just imagine that.)

In any case, Heidi Swanson, whose 101 Cookbooks is one of my favorite sites on the Web, has launched an iPhone-friendly version of her site for viewing recipes on-the-go.

Check out what she's done here

Bill & Hill At The Soprano's Diner

With raspberries still being blown at producer David Chase for allegedly "outsmarting" viewers in the now infamous Sopranos ending, this week's spoof of that alleged "Gotcha" moment has got to be the best one yet --along with a hilarious sixty-second fantasy segment. Again, it stars presidential hopeful Hilary Clinton and her former presidential hubby, Bill. (Okay...so for a few minutes more, let's just "imagine" those two really sitting in a local diner and munching on carrot stick appetizers -- instead of a basket of onion rings.)

Different Take On Reality

Chef Jacques Pépin and Sunburst Trout in Smoky Mountain, NC

Just as the third seasons of the Bravo network's Top Chef and Fox’s Hell’s Kitchen burst back on the scene for more backstabbing, tantrum-throwing Reality TV kitchen drama, the highly anticipated third season of the award-winning PBS series, Chefs A' Field offers a new batch of culinary adventures for all ages.

America's best chefs - and their kids - venture out to farms, fishing boats and ranches for a look at where great food comes from. Together, the chefs and their children go in search of fresh ingredients for unique local specialties, interacting with farmers, fishermen, foragers and ranchers in Chefs A' Field: Kids on the Farm.

From shrimping in a Louisiana bayou to sampling tomatoes in Taos to cheese-making in Wisconsin, the chefs and their children explore the many faces and places of America's diverse food landscape.

Read more here

Hey, Bartender...

The Pomegranate Smack, created by Matt Skeel at Serafina Restaurant, Seattle, Washington

This week NPR asks: What is it about new summer cookbooks?

Well, according to this week's article on the subject, maybe it's the way they come out in such feverish, lush abundance -- like mushrooms after a rain -- at a time when the world and all its folly are slowly grinding to a halt.

"Summer cookbooks tend to fall into four categories: outside dining, fresh seafood, exotic dishes from warm-weather climates such as Mexico or South Asia, and icy treats. Taken together, they paint a picture of the good life, snatched from between the jaws of the workweek and the winter."

And for me, leading the pack over at NPR is The Backyard Bartender: 55 Cool Summer Cocktails by Nicloe Aloni

When the mercury climbs, there’s no better way to unwind than with an ice-cold cocktail. And with more than fifty recipes for stylish martinis and fizzy libations that celebrate summer’s laid-back attitude, The Backyard Bartender brings out your inner mixologist and turns your yard into summer’s coolest hangout. Enough said.

And shaken or stirred, my personal favorite has got to be the recipe for the Lawn Mower, a minty, melony summer drink that sure to quench the throats of all your backyard barbeque guests on one of those three-H (hazy, hot, and humid) summer afternoons.

Classic Julia

Who could whip up a sumptuous Steak Diane dinner from scratch with chocolate mousse cake for dessert -- better than Julia Child? Here she is doing it all (with just a few extra dashes of Red Bourdeaux wine thrown in for good measure) in a vintage 1978 Julia Child & Company episode.

Fresh mashed potatoes and freshly-shelled peas... God, how I miss her!

Watch and ENJOY.