Call For Submissions for The Culinary Coquette

The Culinary Coquette
(Women Writers On Food )

The Culinary Coquette is seeking salacious and spicy prose, essays, recipes, poetry and short stories by women writers that explore, celebrate, analyze all things food. Some topics you might consider when submitting your work for review; food and the erotic, food and ritual, Food Not Bombs, Veganism, gender roles and food, food for gods and goddesses, Biblical foods, sexual symbolism and food, ethnic foods, communal gardening, communal gatherings, feasts, organic food, GMO (genetically modified) food, seductive foods, aphrodisiacs, magical cooking( food spells, healing foods), Kosher foods, food politics,  addiction to food, why we are obsessed with cooking shows, exotic foods, potlucks, ode to a certain food, and the old adage “the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach” These are just examples of what to consider when submitting to The Culinary Coquette. Be creative and send what you think might be ideal for the anthology.

Essays and prose should be between 500 to 2000 words.
Short Stories 1500-3000 words
Send submissions to jackiejoice@yahoo.com
Please send document in an attached file and in the body of email in .doc or .rtf  format

Include your first and last name, email, daytime phone number, and mailing address in upper right hand corner of your submission.

Deadline for submissions October 1, 2010



Jackie Joice is an essayist, CNC (certified nutritional consultant), spoken word poet, photographer, and mom. Her work has been published in Shout Out: Women of Color Respond To Violence ( Sealpress 2008) Joice contributed to The Women’s Movement: An Encyclopedia of Thirdwave Feminism ( Greenwood Press 2005). Joice was selected as a 2004 participant in the Hurston/Wright Writer’s Week at Howard University. She currently writes for Blade Magazine and maintains the blog theculinarycoquette.blogspot.com

Lance's Celebrity Chef Challenge

Lance's Celebrity Chef Challenge
Date: Saturday, July 17, 2010
Time: NOON - 1 pm
Location: The Great Park in Irvine, CA (off the 5 frwy. at Sand Canyon)

...http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=138993686114596


Description

All of Orange County will be “totally” rockin’ out at Lance Perkins' second "Celebrity Chef Challenge" at The Giant Orange Festival! The inaugural celebration kicks off at NOON on Saturday, July 17th at The Great Park in Irvine, featuring The English Beat, Annabella Lwin of Bow Wow Wow, Nico Adams, a DJ set by Lil Jon, Wyland's Clean Water Mobile Learning Center and many more.

Hosted by celebrities including; "The Love Goddess" Judy Tenuta, the "Messiah of Makeover" Daniel DiCriscio and Food Network star, Chef Adam Gertler, they will be sure to bring love, celebrity style and loads of delicious fun to the challenge.

But the stars of THIS show will be the chef challengers that will compete to be The “Giant Orange Festival Chef” for all of Orange County.

To turn up the heat, five-star chefs including; chef Helene An (AnQi Bistro / Crustacean), Bruno Serato (The Anaheim White House), chef Mark Kearney (Sabor International) and Chef Pascal Olhats (Pascal) will be judging the challenge and picking the top-rated chef.

If you want to experience this savoury action and more, ARRIVE EARLY! The Celebrity Chef Challenge takes place Saturday, July 17th, at NOON on the main stage. We will be giving out raffle prizes during the show and have a special star appearance at the end!! Be sure to head on over afterwards to the meet and greet to chat in person, get autographs and take photos with your favorite stars and Celebrity Chefs!

This is a high-end culinary event that you wont want to miss!

PLEASE CLICK THE LINKS BELOW FOR BIOS, PHOTOS AND WEBSITES...
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=186773&id=530957152&l=fb48854bad

TO START OFF WE ARE PROUDLY INTRODUCING;
OUR ALL STAR CELEBRITY CHEF JUDGING PANEL... (with many more to be announced)


OUR JUDGES...

Chef, Helene An
AnQi Bistro / Crusteacean
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4635878&l=7f5336cc0c&id=530957152
http://www.ancatering.com/our_story_philosophy

Chef Mark Kearney
Sabor International / Mark Kearney Group
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4635877&l=4594299a4e&id=530957152
http://www.MarkKearneyGroup.com/
http://www.saborinternational.com/mark_kearney/

Ed Lee
Wahoo's
http://blogs.ocweekly.com/navelgazing/a-clockwork-orange/wahoos-someone-cares-soup-kitc/

Chef Pascal Olhats
Pascal
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4635876&l=fc3dff560a&id=530957152
http://pascalnpb.com/about_us.htm

Bruno Serato
Anaheim White House
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4635872&l=18c5d824ef&id=530957152
http://www.anaheimwhitehouse.com/about/bruno.php



OUR CHALLENGERS...

Chef Bert S. Agor Jr.
Ruths Chris Steakhouse Irvine
Orange County Celebrity Chefs
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4636001&l=290209908f&id=530957152
http://www.orangecoastmagazine.com/march_of_dimes/article.aspx?id=17155

Chef Ken Cruz
Riptide Rockin' Sushi & Teppan Grill
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4635868&l=c80a807284&id=530957152
http://www.riptidesushi.com/

Chef Jill Davie
Sunkist official spokesperson. "The Sunkist Lemon Lady"
co-host of “Shopping with Chefs” on Fine Living Channel
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=186773&id=530957152&l=fb48854bad#!/photo.php?pid=4706045&id=530957152
http://www.sunkist.com/recipes/featured_chef.aspx

Chef Eddy Rocq
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4635867&l=ddf5052002&id=530957152
http://www.rocqcatering.com/about.html



OUR CELEBRITY EMCEES...

Judy Tenuta
"The Love Goddess"
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4635881&l=0855e731fb&id=530957152
http://www.judytenuta.com/bio.php

Chef Adam Gertler
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4652284&l=a8da8b9f6f&id=530957152
http://www.foodnetwork.com/kid-in-a-candy-store/index.html
http://www.foodnetwork.com/adam-gertler/bio/index.html

Daniel DiCriscio
a.k.a. "The Messiah of Makeover"
Star of: "Bruno" (Da Ali G Show), Vh1's "Home James" & "Greenhouse", "Baywatch Hawaiian Wedding" (worked with Pamela Anderson), and the upcoming movie "Bettie Page Reveals All". Celeb clients include Pamela Anderson, Cher, Anna Nicole Smith, etc.
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4635880&l=f4b5ef2605&id=530957152
http://www.myspace.com/danieldicriscio



OUR HOSTS / REPORTERS...

Leo Buck
Entertainment Correspondent / Lance Magazine
With nearly a dozen years reporting in the Entertainment and Lifestyle fields, Leo's feature stories and interviews have appeared in publications on both sides of the Atlantic. For two years, he was the Entertainment Correspondent for Village TV as well as serving as Restaurant Reviewer for "Rage Magazine"--a role he now performs for the new "Lance Magazine". In addition, he the creative force behind "Buck-ing Trends"--a theatre-oriented blog located at: http://buckingtrends.wordpress.com/
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4636439&l=da0f46ca2b&id=530957152


Chef Susan Irby
"The Bikini Chef"
Television Host / Guest Star
http://www.susanirby.com/
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4635873&l=9b14c4c294&id=530957152



OUR MASCOT...

Chef ROCK Tastealot!
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4635874&l=807cdbee09&id=530957152



OUR SPONSORS...

The Derby Deli & Dueling Piano Bar
http://www.derbymv.com/

Riptide Rockin' Sushi & Teppan Grill
http://www.riptidesushi.com/

Bristol Farms
http://www.bristolfarms.com/

Carolyn's Kitchen
http://www.carolynskitchenonline.com/



OUR MEDIA SPONSORS...

Lance Magazine
http://www.LancePerkins.com/

OC Foodies
http://www.ocfoodies.com/

OC Restaurant Association
http://www.ocrestaurantassociation.org/

Easy OC
http://www.easyoc.com/celebrity-chef-challege-july-17-2010-saturday

Live OC
http://liveoc.livemagazines.net/



The Giant Orange Festival is Orange County’s signature charity event that features the best in local food, entertainment and brings the community together, all for a good cause. A portion of the proceeds will go to help education, environmental charities and over 20 charities in the community. The Giant Orange Festival is produced by Event Complete.

Lance Perkins is the producer of The Celebrity Chef Challenge, an editor and creative director in the media for over 23 years and reviews many five star restaurants. Lance Perkins proudly announces Lance Magazine, to be launched this summer!
http://www.LancePerkins.com/

For more information, sponsorship or booth space, please contact Lance Perkins at 949-606-5151

ARTICLES...

http://ocmusicmagazine.com/taste-of-ladera-celebrity-chef-food-challenge/

http://content.yudu.com/Library/A1gr97/RageOctober09OCLA/resources/72.htm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0BkKQtOLyU

Love Thy Neighbor

I’ve finally investigated my neighbors. We’ve been in close quarters and occupying the same space since 2007. I started investigating and observing them mainly in the morning and some times in the afternoon. I know they know that I’ve been watching their every move. Finally, it was time to take action.

I took my camera, walked right up to them, and snapped their photos without warning. Surprisingly, my neighbors didn’t protest or object to my Kodakian intrusion. In fact, I thought they reveled at the notion that they’d be showcased in my portfolio with descriptions of their reproductive parts, sexual habits, names of their family members and locations. I’m sure they have been watching me as well. I’m sure as I squatted down in my ripped blue jeans, sandals, and cleavage grasping t-shirts that they wanted me to be a part of their sexual future. Well, I couldn’t, because my other neighbors indiscreetly peeked out their windows and thought that I hadn’t saw them watching me…but I did. I’m not into orgies with green individuals, not now not ever. However, I did want to engage in preserving their legacies. I’ve been documenting individuals like this in other states during my travels for years. Now it was time to start in my own back yard, literally.

My front and backyard are populated with invasive Star Trek looking plants and weeds. On cool crisp mornings or muggy afternoons, I zoomed in on spiny veins and thick stamens, vulvas, and ovaries with my camera. I kneeled on dirt and concrete and gently with my fingers lifted or turned over prickly or fuzzy leaves to record its vascular structure, color, texture, and pattern embedded in oftentimes dry hard soil.

I discovered that CVS and Walgreen’s ain’t got nothing on me! Nor does the local street pharmacist. The fence that surrounds my garage and encloses the parking space is laced with Morning Glory ( Ipomoea Violacea). Morning Glory is a vine that produces beautiful purple flowers and apparently it produces some pretty good trips! The seeds of Morning Glory contain the alkaloidal substance lysergic acid amide, the original source of LSD. Yes, acid. LSD is the synthetic version of the drug. The garden bed in the front has Black Nightshade or Horse Nettle, a toxic hallucinogenic plant with little purplelish berries and tiny star-shaped yellow and white flowers. In the back yard, there’s nut grass ( cyperus rotundus) and Mexican Tea or skunkweed (chenopodium ambroisiodes). The two plants/weeds in the back yard have several medicinal properties.

I wonder if these “weeds” were always viewed as “invasive” or troublesome by ancient native and indigenous peoples, because these plants all have some type of medicinal purpose(s). What makes us (man) deem something that has been here for thousands and thousands of years and a part of nature invasive? Our relationship with plants is symbiotic. Besides, they are our neighbors and without them, we die not the other way around.

Berry Delicious

Well, I know Independence Day has come and gone. So I'm a little late with this post. But better late than ever! On the fourth of July, my friend Sylvia invited my family and I over her house for a barbecue. Sylvia carved a basket out of a  watermelon and filled it with high octane berries. By high octane I mean, berries extremely high in antioxidants and nutrients! The berry salad was berry good !

Delicious Lotus Root via my friend Tanya

Here's another unusual, lovely tasty food I was given by my new friend Lynn recently. She made them for a solstic party and brought us some to sample too :-).

Alas, I have never even seen a whole lotus root, nor do I know where to get them or prepare this dish~ but if anyone is interested I will ask her. Just thought they were neat n wanted to share. I’d offer ya a bite but we ate them all lol! TnZ

Summer Sweet Strawberry Smoothie w/Uber Fiber !! Mmmmm....

Strawberries are high in fiber, folic acid, an antioxidant and so much more !
Use about 10 fresh strawberries
1 or 2 cups of almond milk
1 packet of Stevia ( don't use the fake sugar like Equal, Nutrasweet, etc)
1 or 2 cups of ice

Add all ingredients in blender and puree ! Deliciously healthy ! Good for the colon too !

Hmmmmm...

Mark Brecke's Amazing Sesame Seed Dressing 1 tbsp of fresh ginger root 1 clove of garlic zest and juice of 1 orange 1/2 cup of lemon juice 1/2 cup of tamari 6 tbsp of rice wine vinegar Blend all the above with 3 cups of canola oil or sunflower seed oil.

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 ?