Blade's 18th Anniversary Party at The Anaheim Whitehouse

Last Sunday, March 28th Blade Magazine celebrated their 18 years in existence ! The celebration was held at the luxurious Anaheim Whitehouse in Anaheim, CA.






















This restaurant provided elegant dining experience. Blade publisher, Bill LaPointe couldn't have picked a more decent location. There was music, champagne and the menu was as follows,

The Patricia Nixon Contemporary Salad
Baby Mesclun greens with a passion fruit-ginger vinaigrette served in rice paper basket








Entree
Fresh whitefish and braised beef
Fresh whitefish filet presented in fresh herb sauce paired with braised beef in a cabernet demi glaze with a touch of horseradish.








Dessert
Nancy Reagan Chocolate Profiteroles
Decadent puff pastries filled with vanilla creme Anglaise, topped with chocolate ganache and powdered sugar








For more information, please visit Anaheim Whitehouse

Yes, you read correctly ! Baked Kale! I was doubtful myself, until Tanya baked a whole batch of kale one night. It was absolutely delicious ! I couldn't believe it. I devoured it. Kale is rich in Vitamin B6 and Vitamin C, carotenes, and manganese. It also contains anti-cancer properties.

Recipe : Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
lightly oil Kale with olive oil
and sprinkle salt & pepper to taste
Bake until Kale is crispy ( roughly 10-15 minutes)
Just monitor. Voila ! A quick tasty & healthy snack!
Photo by Denise Rosser

Uses For Coffee Filters

USES FOR COFFEE FILTERS
(forwarded from my cousin Grace)


1. Better than paper towels and a lot less expensive...
(Who knew! And you can buy 1,000 at the Dollar Tree for almost nothing even the large ones.

2. Cover bowls or dishes when cooking in the microwave.

3. Clean windows, mirrors, and chrome. (They are lint-free, leaving windows sparkling)

4. Separating china dishes to protect from breakage.

5. Filters broken cork from wine if cork breaks when opening a wine bottle.

6. Protects cast-iron skillets from absorbing moisture and prevent rust by placing in the skillet.

7. Applies shoe polish.

8. Recycles frying oil by straining through a lined sieve.

9. Weigh chopped foods by place ingredients in on a kitchen scale.

10. Convenient wrappers for messy foods, like Tacos.

11. Stops soil from leaking out of plant pots by placing at drainage holes.

12. Prevents Popsicle and ice cream cone drips by poking holes as needed.

13. Do you think we used expensive strips to wax eyebrows? Use strips of coffee filters.

14. Soaks up fat from bacon, sausage, chicken and greasy foods.

15. Keep in bathroom for great razor nick fixers.

16. Use to embroider or appliqué soft fabrics as an easy-to-tear backing.

17. Put baking soda in and insert into shoes or a closet to absorb or prevent odors.

18. Strains soup stock and to tie fresh herbs in to put in soups and stews.

19. Prevents spills when adding fluids in car engine.

20. Great spoon rest while cooking and clean up small counter spills.

21. Saves from washing extra dishes when baking by holding dry ingredients, cutting fruit or veggies.

22. Wraps Christmas ornaments for storage.

23. Removes fingernail polish.

24. Sprouts seeds by dampening, placing seeds in, fold and place into a plastic baggie until it sprouts.

25. Blotting paper for pressed flowers by placing flowers between two filters then put in book to press.

26. Disposable 'snack bowl' for popcorn, chips, etc.

Cooking With Rain Water by Kola Boof

One of the "oldest" traditions in BLACK CULTURAL COOKING is the
saving of "rainwater" for later use in cooking.

The world has changed...skies are Polluted. But we still carry out
this ancient tradition:

(1) Get you a good clean bucket or a Pot or whatever you want
to catch the rain in. I usually have 10 to 12 pots scattered about
when it's raining.

(2) Let the rain collect in your pots/buckets. Take it in the house.

(4) Using a CHEESE CLOTH STRAINER---pour the fresh rainwater
into another pot/container "straining it" through the CHEESE CLOTH.

(5) Pray over the rain water. Tell God what your hopes are for your
family's "health", "blessings you need"--the nourishment that you
are hoping God will place inside every meal you cook. Most of all,
tell God that you see this freshly fallen rain...as LOVE from up above.
You want God's love inside you and your family. You are THANKFUL
for this wonderful rain.

(6) Take all your "strained" rain water and BOIL IT until it's seething,
bubbling hot in the pot. This is because we're in America with man's
pollution--in some areas, we have to CLEANSE the rain.

(7) Transfer water to a plastic container and FREEZE. You now have
"rain water" for cooking certain African dishes or making Greens...you
can also simply Refrigerate some rainwater if you know that you'll be
using it soon.

This is closeness to GOD...the using of rain water in cooking. It is
ancient practice of the Black Woman, since Alpha.


God, the ancestors and all who will be born meet up with us when
we eat delicious meals blessed with the sacrament of Rain Water.
You can check out more of Kola Boof's work Kola Boof

I'm Baaaaaaack ! Stay tuned for more tasty posts !

Cucumber Water @ The Blue Rose Kitchen

There's a new restaurant in town. It's called Blue Rose Kitchen and it's located @ 204 Orange Ave in Long Beach, Ca( Between Broadway & 2nd St.) . I've only eaten there once and the food was good. I was impressed when I was offered a complimentary glass of cucumber water. Usually restaurants serve a glass of water with a slice of lemon but Blue Rose offers cucumber water ! How cool is that ? Not only is it cool but it's extremely healthy. Here's some health benefits of cucumbers:

Health Benefits
The flesh of cucumbers is primarily composed of water but also contains ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and caffeic acid, both of which help soothe skin irritations and reduce swelling. Cucumbers'hard skin is rich in fiber and contains a variety of beneficial minerals including silica, potassium and magnesium.

A Radiant Complexion

The silica in cucumber is an essential component of healthy connective tissue, which includes muscles, tendons, ligaments, cartilage, and bone. Cucumber juice is often recommended as a source of silica to improve the complexion and health of the skin, plus cucumber's high water content makes it naturally hydrating—a must for glowing skin. Cucumbers are also used topically for various types of skin problems, including swelling under the eyes and sunburn. Two compounds in cucumbers, ascorbic acid and caffeic acid, prevent water retention, which may explain why cucumbers applied topically are often helpful for swollen eyes, burns and dermatitis.

An Easy Way to Increase Your Consumption of Both Fiber and Water

Trying to get adequate dietary fiber on a daily basis is a challenge for many Americans. Adding a crunchy cool cucumber to your salads is an especially good way to increase your fiber intake because cucumber comes naturally prepackaged with the extra fluid you need when consuming more fiber. Plus, you get the added bonus of vitamin C, silica, potassium and magnesium.

High Blood Pressure? Cucumber Can Help You Cool Down

When people who participated in the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) Study added foods high in potassium, magnesium and fiber, their blood pressure dropped to healthier levels. Those people in the study who ate a diet rich in these compounds in addition to the other foods on this diet (low fat dairy foods, seafood, lean meat and poultry) lowered their blood pressure by 5.5 points (systolic) over 3.0 points (diastolic).

Blue Rose Kitchen is open Tues thru Sunday 11:30am to 8:00pm. Enjoy fine cuisine, from Sandwiches to Lasagna. Prices are reasonable and the customer service was acceptable for The Culinary Coquette. (wink )Try the owner's specialty ; Smoked Macoroni & Cheese.

Homemade Peach Cobbler

On Labor Day weekend I was in Hanford and Selma, CA for my paternal family reunion. I stayed with one of my coolest cousin's named Shari in Hanford. I watched her as she made homemade peach cobbler from scratch. There are some steps missing because I had to head off to Selma for my family reunion activities. Check out these peaches. The end result was absolutely scrumptious ! Unfortunately, at the time I had to lay off the sugar. Anyway, Hanford and Selma are located in Central California. Oh yeah and Shari has a parakeet named J.R (Jackie Robinson) a female parakeet

Too Much For Togos!

Earlier this month I had lunch at a Togos( in the Long Beach area) with my mom. I ordered my usual, a regular sized albacore tuna sandwich on honeywheat. Cheddar cheese and light lettuce. My mother ordered soup. The employees were pleasant. Well, I didn't finish my entire sandwich and this is where it gets WEIRD. I take the second half of my sandwich to the front and place it on the counter with a warm and fuzzy smile. Suddenly, the employees backed up as if I had a bomb disguised as an albacore tuna sandwich ! "Oh no, we can't wrap that" In bewilderment, I ask "why?" "Sorry, we just can't do it." One of the employees behind the counter handed me a piece of wrapping paper. I stated that the employees at the Togos near 7th and Bellflower wrap my sandwich all the time. "Sorry, we can't wrap it". So I sheepishly take my half eaten albacore tuna sandwich on honeywheat with cheddar cheese and light lettuce and ball it up into the wrapping tissue. I couldn't wrap it as neatly as they do. That's what I wanted .Why wouldn't they wrap it ? I was the only one at the counter. I thought to myself maybe it's some kind of weird health department issue...then I thought THEY HAVE DISPOSABLE PLASTIC GLOVES !! What the heck ??? I DUMPED SUBWAY FOR TOGOS AND THIS IS HOW THE CULINARY COQUETTE GETS TREATED ??? If anyone knows me well I am a loyal customer and something really drastic has to occur for me to stop patronizing a business. I exited the Togos calmly without incident and headed home .When I arrived home I looked on the internet for a Togos website customer feed back form. There wasn't one...but there was a customer service number. I connected with this nice lady who listened to my CRISIS. According to the customer service agent they were supposed to wrap my sandwich. So she takes my address down to send out a formal letter thanking me for providing feedback. LOL ! I also received a $5.00 gift certificate towards any purchase @ Togos. Thanks Togos ! I still love ya !

Hmmm...Neiman- Marcus Cookies

NEIMAN-MARCUS COOKIES (Recipe may be halved)
2 cups butter
24 oz. chocolate chips
4 cups flour
2 cups brown sugar
2 tsp. soda
1 tsp. salt
2 cups sugar
1 8 oz. Hershey Bar (grated)
5 cups blended oatmeal
4 eggs
2 tsp . baking powder
2 tsp. vanilla
3 cups chopped nuts (your choice)

Measure oatmeal, and blend in a blender to a fine powder. Cream the butter
and both sugars. Add eggs and vanilla, mix together with flour, oatmeal,
salt, baking powder, and soda. Add chocolate chips, Hershey Bar, and nuts.
Roll into balls, and place two inches apart on a cookie sheet.

Bake for 10 minutes at 375 degrees. Makes 112 cookies.

Breaking News !

The Poetic Coffee and Sotelo's Cafe made the top 6 best coffee/coffeehouses in Long Beach printed in today's Long Beach Press Telegram ! Thanks for all your votes !

From My Friend Sieu- United Cheesecake Holiday

It's that time of the year again...
Time to give a big FU to exmass in all it's sickening glory.
Please join me for United Cheesecake Holiday - the time of year where
vegan and nonvegan cheesecakes come together and are honored by you and
yours.
UCH denotes no gifts, unless they are food or handmade, with focus on
eating cheesecake. It is a simple time of year...
To get you in the mood, here is a recipe that will be in my new
cookbook, which is all vegan chocolate and candy and out by summer.

Double Decker Chocolate Mint Cheesecake

1/2 c chocolate chips
1 8oz tub vegan cream cheese
3/4 c soy yogurt
1 c firm tofu
3/4 c sugar
egg replacer equivalent to 2 eggs
1/4 c flour
1 tsp vanilla
pinch salt
2 tb crushed candy cane
1/4 tsp mint extract
chocolate cookie crust (see page *)

1. Preheat oven to 325 d. Melt chocolate.
2. Blend all ingredients except candy cane, mint extract and chocolate.
3. Take out 1/3 of this mix. For the 2/3 still in the blender add the
melted chocolate and blend well.
4. Pour the chocolate into the pie crust. Mix the candy cane and mint
extract into the remaining 1/3 mixture and pour this on top of the
chocolate. Bake for 50 min.

chocolate cookie crust: 1 1/4 cup chocolate cookie crumbs, 3 tb oil -
press that into a pie pan.

Long live United Cheesecake Holiday!

Find out more about Sieu's second upcoming Vegan Desserts Recipe Book

Glogg, Pickled Herring, and a Peppermint Candy Cane Cake

Well I didn't get drunk from the Glogg this year like I did last year. My friend Berit's Birthday/pre-Christtmas party was this past Saturday. It was a blast ! It started raining as well. I stood outside on the porch and watched the storm roll in. The party was in San Pedro, CA. Anyhow,I only had one cup of Glogg this year. What's Glogg ? Well it has Scandinavian origins. Its base is hot red wine ! Here's a recipe for you:

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups red wine
1 1/2 cups ruby port wine
1 cup vodka
6 pods green cardamom
5 whole cloves
2 tablespoons grated orange zest
2 cinnamon sticks
2 ounces slivered almonds
1/2 tablespoon raisins
DIRECTIONS
Combine wine, port, and vodka in a nonreactive pot. Add cardamom, cloves, orange peel, and cinnamon, and gently warm (do not boil) over low heat. Allow to steep for at least 20 minutes (longer is better). Serve in heatproof glasses, sprinkled with almonds and raisins.

So my friend Berit saw a picture of a Peppermint Cake and well she tried to duplicate it...here's the pic on the magazine:

Here's Berit's version:

Well not exactly...but the whip cream melted...she swears upon it. I gave her an A for effort though.

Plenty of wine to go around !

Here's the birthday girl !

I found this man in red sitting by himself, so I decided to take a picture with him. Aren't we festive ?

Yeah, this is among the types of books I read at the age of 19

Some people have read books like " I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou, The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin, The Autobiography of Malcolm X, Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison, Native Son by Richard Wright, Beloved by Toni Morrison, and expressed that these books changed their lives. Well, this is one of the books that changed my life...well sort of. Although I am a big fan of D.H Lawrence's short stories and novels like Women In Love and Sons and Lovers. I can't help it by being moved by a well written book about advertising, marketing or religion. Originally Confessions of an Advertising Man was written in 1963 and then reprinted in 1988. What's really funny about this book is that its target is the housewife. Ogilvy continually writes "if you don't do this or that in advertising....the housewife will not be satisfied." LOL !

This statement is what summarized Confessions of an Advertising Man for me, Ogilvy writes " If for example it is a gasoline account, read text books, on the chemistry, geology and distribution of petroluem products. Read all the trade journals in the field. Read all the research reports and marketing plans that your agency has ever written on the product. Spend Saturday mornings in service stations, pumping gasoline and talking to motorists. Visit your clients refineries and research libraries. Study the advertising of his competitiors. At the end of your second year, you will know more about gasoline than your boss; you will then be ready to succeed him." No, I'm not going to be at gas stations pumping people's gas for them...it's the principle in this statement that applies to the overall marketing and advertising paradigm. You get it ?

My Cover Blown ! My vampire status revealed !

As I waited for my friend to cook me breakfast @ her coffee shop I sipped on a cup of coffee and surfed the net. As she cooked I noticed my eyes were a bit irritated but I overlooked it. She handed her friend and I a plate. We sat and chowed down. The food looked and smelled fabulous...warmed corn tortillas, beans, machaca made with chicken, and Spanish rice. I ate my Spanish rice last. Less than five minutes, my throat and the inside of my ears began to itch. My throat itched so bad I wanted to stick my fork down to scratch it. I got some ice water but it didn't help. Soon these black veiny wings sprouted from my back and two fangs emerged from my mouth...just kidding. I asked my friend what was in the Spanish rice and she held up garlic cloves. That's it ! I'm allergic to fresh garlic cloves. I don't think I'm allergic to garlic salt. Garlic salt is in many sauces like alfredo, tomato, and soups. Yeah I know I could have went to the doctor and taken an allergy test. Anyhow, there you have it...I'm a vampire living in Long Beach...better watch your back or should I say neck ? I took some Benadryl because the sneezing, watery eyes, itchy throat was too overwhelming

Coffee in my great grandfather's dream

I have the privilege of possessing one of my great grandfather's handwritten dreams. The dream was written in pencil on small pieces of lined paper. I made copies of the 4 page dream because the paper is yellowing and crumbling. From the ending of the dream, I gathered that the dream was a spiritual one. In the middle of the dream, my great grandfather ran across a coffee mill and took some coffee. Some of the coffee was grounded and some was whole. Coffee mills were invented in the early 19th century.I suspect that my great grandfather wrote this dream in 1925. Here's some pics of antique coffee grinders/mills. I always thought that a coffee mill was an actual place where coffee was processed ?

Queres cafe ?

Queres cafe ?
Yes, I want coffee. I want to get lost in the pages of my favorite book while sipping on coffee. Yes, I want coffee. I want coffee con mi pan dulce and share thoughts and dreams with my friends and family. Yes, I want coffee. I want coffee that cultivates community and that brews ideas. Yes, I want coffee because coffee is ritual.

A Refreshing Glass of White Wine-Hmmmmm

I took this photo at my cousin's home in Aliso Viejo on Sunday. It was a beautiful and warm summer day in November. We all had a nice time. Their daughter ( my little cousin) is visiting from Westpoint.

The Poetic Coffee Take Out

Just more packaging ideas. What do you think about this one ? I need a freakin studio or office space or artist's loft. I have so much stuff to make so much stuff I'm running out of space. LOL! Well in the meantime I'll deal with what I have. Anyone have any suggestions on how I can turn off my brain ? I can't stop thinking about ideas on how to market the coffee. My mind is just racing like I'm on some type of stimulant or something...oh wait I am on a stimulant...maybe I should stop drinking so many cups of the coffee.

Poetic Coffee Receiving great reviews!

We've been serving samples of Poetic Coffee and it has been receiving positive feedback from our customers ! They like it because it's light, there's no after taste, and it's not bitter although it's strong. One of our customers also purchased a single bultito to drink with her dinner tonight! Plus she also liked the packaging...eerrrr uh uhm.

Turning "The Poetic Coffee" into Bultitos

Did I tell ya'll my latest project ? It's marketing organic Honduran Coffee! So Honduras here I come! I'll use any xcuse to travel. But they're always good xcuses. So don't be a HATER! I definitely will be visiting Honduras in 2007.
I'm actually having a blast as I brainstorm on how to get the word out about the coffee"DIY" style. Since it's not in the budget to hire an advertising or marketing agency. I'll utilize my "DIY" skills to get the word out. My partners and I agreed upon referring to the coffee as "The Poetic Coffee." Between all the crafty supplies that I possess and a few trips to Michael's and Walmart. I came up with this cool idea to package the coffee into these tiny bundles (los bultitos). The reception has been great. Customers think they're really cute too. So stay tuned.