Piquant

London: spend less, see more

Pauline Frommer's London: Spend Less, See More, 2nd Edition

Wiley, Paperback

384 pages

February 2009

$16.99

Cosmopolitan, diverse, historic - and among the costliest cities in the world - London is now yours to enjoy for less.

With this revised edition of the "budget guide for a new generation", travelers not only benefit from the reputable Frommer's budget-minded sensibility, but also gain insights in to technology-driven travel.  The mix of high and low tech suits the way we live and travel in the 21st century. 

The London guide appeals to a growing desire to experience the authenticity of a locale while catering to a need for speed and ease in booking and arranging the travel experience. The guide gives website information for everything from hotels and museums to restaurants and cathedrals.

Along with the expected details - explanations of currency, local and regional transportation, health and safety tips, etc. - the revised guide provides an intricate account of the maze which is London. 

The guide provides information for travelers that locals take for granted like the money-saving Oyster card for the Tube and bus or which neighborhood is a best bet for shopping - from the marquee department stores of Oxford Street to vintage market Sundays on Brick Lane.  Handy glossaries and information boxes break down language barriers and cultural differences as well as impart necessary insider information like where one might catch a glimpse of the infamous outsider art of Banksy.

Organized into 12 chapters spanning the basic city overview to thorough chapters detailing accommodations, dining, sightseeing, shopping, nightlife and day trips, the guide also delves into what its like to live the life of a Londoner.

A whole chapter is devoted to how "real" Londoners live, work and play. With 45 distinct ethnic communities and some 300 languages spoken in the city, there's plenty of diversity to observe and absorb.

From joining in on a Sunday Roast, a spread of meat and potatoes comfort foods, at the local pub to touring local breweries, catching a talk at a Shakespeare's Globe or a lunchtime concert at a centuries old church, there are plenty of opportunities to experience the Londoners' London. Warm weather visitors can cool off in one of the city's lidos, or outdoor swimming pools while cold weather travelers can find ice skating in the noble courtyard at Somerset House.

What's to love about the guide

• No deal is left unturned - air & hotel packages, value eats & drinks, free art & self-guided tours
• Where not to go - changing the Guard at Buckingham Palace, The London Dungeon, The Sherlock Holmes Museum, ditto the famous zebra crossing at Abbey Road
• Where to party - museum nights, cocktail bars with a view, 15 favorite pubs to explore

Small enough to slip into a day bag, the guide is easily portable. But for those who like to travel even lighter, one can make pull out pages for the day's itinerary and leave the book at the hotel.

Sandal season over but feet still need pampering

There's no reason to ignore your feet just because the weather is growing colder.

In fact, you should pamper your tootsies all the more since they'll be subjected to bitter cold and packed into boots and sensible pumps. 

Your beloved will appreciate smooth feet when you snuggle up to stay warm on long winter nights, too.

This home scrub is great for smoothing out the rough patches on your tired dogs. The cornmeal in this scrub exfoliates while the banana, honey and almond oil soften and moisturize.

Adapted from Fitness magazine.

Banana-Cornmeal Foot Scrub

1/2 banana, mashed

1 tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon almond oil

3 tablespoons corn meal, coarsely ground

Mix the banana, honey, almond oil and corn meal into a thick paste.  Massage paste onto the feet, concentrating on calluses and rough spots. Leave on feet for at least one to two minutes. Rinse feet with warm water, then pat dry with a soft towel.

Fancy Food Show to donate 100,000 pounds of food to Bay area needy

Exhibitors at the 35th Winter Fancy Food Show in San Francisco plan to donate more than 100,000 pounds of specialty foods and beverages to Bay Area residents in need.

The donation was announced today by the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade, the show’s organizer.

The Winter Fancy Food Show will take place from January 17 – 19, 2010, at Moscone Center, where more than 1,400 exhibitors will present 80,000 products from 50 countries. The donation will be made at the close of the trade event, the largest marketplace for specialty food on the West Coast.

For the second year, the NASFT will work with Feed the Hungry to collect and distribute specialty products to a network of community programs. Last year, hundreds of volunteers collected and dispersed more than three tractor-trailer loads of food, including top-quality chocolate, cheese, pasta sauces and beverages.

“With so many Americans experiencing food insecurity today, our exhibitors are especially eager to help alleviate hunger. We are pleased they can supply products that typically don’t flow into food pantries,” said Ann Daw, president of the NASFT.

Stefan Radelich, executive director of Feed the Hungry, an international hunger relief organization, said the food from the Fancy Food Show will be “a beacon of hope and encouragement.”

Last year exhibitors provided enough food to help more than 5,400 area residents. “When they open their grocery bags at home or in a shelter and find foods of the highest quality mixed in, it takes ‘somebody cares’ to a whole new level,” Radelich said.

The NASFT, a not-for-profit trade association based in New York City, has a long commitment to food-related charities.

This year marks the 20th year that the NASFT has worked with City Harvest, one of New York City’s largest anti-hunger organizations. Following its Summer Fancy Food Show, exhibitors donated more than 200,000 pounds of food last June and helped keep one food pantry from shutting down.

Halloween: No tricks, just treats at Bouchon Bakery NYC

Bouchon Bakery New York (10 Columbus Circle, NY, NY, 212.823-9364) is serious when it comes to dessert.  

But the busy bakers know how to have fun too and they're dreaming up  new holiday goodies to add to their delicious favorites.

Inspired by the boulangeries and patisseries of Paris, restaurateur Thomas Keller created his Bouchon bakeries to provide bread for his restaurants and add a "layer of cafe life" to the communities they serve. The bakeries are perfect for a relaxed cafe lunch, to pick up a sumptuous dessert for your next celebration or simply to soothe a sweet craving.

Doughnuts are their newest delight to bite on weekends - a best kept secret no more - and, of course, the bakers have taken the tricks out of trick or treat.

With Halloween just around the corner, we're sure you'll be 'batty' about at least one of these whimsical treats!

Bat TKOs – A Bouchon Bakery Halloween favorite; crisp, bat-shaped chocolate cookies filled with sweet white chocolate ganache   

Spider Cookies – Homemade shortbread cookies festively decorated with fondant

Pumpkin Brittle – This classic brittle is fused  with pumpkin seeds to highlight the flavors of the season

Hours: 

Retail

Monday - Saturday, 8am to 9pm

Sunday, 8am to 7pm

Cafe

Monday - Saturday,
11:30am to 9pm

Sunday, 11:30am to 7pm

Create your own Christmas Carol with London vacation

The Royal Horseguards, London's newest five-star hotel, is offering guests a truly Dickensian vacation with a tribute worthy of Ebenezer Scrooge himself.

Every visitor to the hotel who mentions the famous novel and movie, A Christmas Carol, when booking a room will be given a complimentary copy of the festive tale plus a walking tour guide of local Dickensian landmarks. The movie opens November 6 worldwide.

Travelers coming to London in search of the Ghost of Christmas, Past, Present and Yet to Come can visit St Dunstan-in-the-West, the church whose bells awaken Scrooge; wander through the maze of alleyways in the City of London where his counting house is located and see the inspiration for the Cratchits' home in Camden Town.

A Christmas Carol is one of the most popular and enduring holiday stories of all time and the new version starring Jim Carrey, Gary Oldman and Colin Firth promises not to disappoint. Moviegoers everywhere will experience the allure and magic of London in the winter.

As well as following in the footsteps of Tiny Tim, Oliver Twist and David Copperfield, The Royal Horseguards' guests can get ahead with purchasing uniquely English holiday gifts and enjoy the novelty of shopping on the City's famous Oxford Street, nearby Covent Garden and gloriously, quirky Soho.

To top off a truly Dickensian Holiday, those in luck may be able to get hold of much coveted tickets to see not only the new Dickens' movie, but also the show Oliver! at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. In fact, if you want to get your hands on tickets to Oliver! or any other show, The Royal Horseguards' award-winning concierge is always on hand to help.

Unlike the orphans in so many Dickens novels, guests at The Royal Horseguards are able to relax and unwind in luxury. The hotel is beautifully appointed, featuring glistening marble, ornate design and towering ceilings. Despite being 125 years old, the hotel's rooms offer state-of-the-art facilities such as built-in iPod docking stations, free Wi-Fi access, international plug sockets and plasma TVs. The sumptuous soft furnishings and the finest Egyptian cotton bed linen provide a perfect environment in which to unwind after a day of sightseeing and shopping.

If guests want more of the hardscrabble Dickensian experience, they can also see, within minutes from The Royal Horseguards, the shoe blacking factory where Charles Dickens worked as a 12-year-old boy; Westminster Abbey where he is buried; and the Red Lion Pub where a young Dickens went to drink.

Availability and rate information may be found on the hotel's official website, www.theroyalhorseguards.co.uk.

Thanks to Wii GIVEAWAY Participants

Thanks to all the wonderful participants in our Wii Game Party 3 Giveaway!

We'll be reviewing the entries this week and choosing a winner from all the interesting recipes posted. 

Good luck and look for the winner to be announced here next week!

Creepy crawl: floating Halloween dinner party

Entertaining can be a ghastly chore.

We recommend enlisting a few good-natured ghouls to transform the typical Halloween party  into a frightfully fun floating costume and dinner party.

Plot each stop on your creepy crawl to cover the evening's menu from cocktails to dessert.  Everyone is happy because the grim work is distributed so all have a chance to enjoy treats minus the tricks.

Allow at least an hour at each location.

Creepy Cocktails and Horrific hors d'oeuvres

Jump start the evening with Jello Jigglers laced with gummy body parts and vodka.  Hostess with the Mostess shows you how and even shares a recipe for the teetotalers and the kids.

Like your refreshments liquid? Try this tart and tangy Italian Halloween Punch made with orange juice, limoncello and maraschino cherry liqueur.  The traditional Italian liqueurs make this punch perfectly bewitching.

Finger foods (and eerie eyeballs) make for some mighty interesting munchies.  The hauntingly healthy and deliciously decadent Halloween snacks at FamilyFun.com are scary and satisfying.

These may be a little kitschy, but Betty Crocker's Cheese Pumpkins make the classic cheeseball cute as can be.

Awfully eerie appetizers

Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories throws a new twist on an old fav with Eyeball Caprese.   Taste of Home has tons of appetizer recipes but what grabbed us were the Cajun inspired Crunchy Monsters' Claws.

A monstrous main course

Epicurious makes your meal monstrous with a saucy Yummy Mummy Meatloaf. For more ghoulish grub, try these Baked Bones chocked full of ricotta cheese and tomato sauce. For something savory and very unscary, try Pumpkin Stew with a recipe from Taste of Home.

Devilish dessert and after dinner drinks

The great pumpkin wouldn't mind winding up in this rich dessert, Pumpkin Sour Cream Cheesecake, garnished with crystallized ginger strips. Bubble, bubble toil and trouble no more with these Witches Hats in the guise of old fashioned brownie a la mode.

Finish the evening with a sweet and silky Garish Ghostini from Celebrations.com or toast the Headless Horseman with an Apocalypse, a warm and toasty hot  chocolate laced with Southern Comfort.

Great new cookbooks for the holidays

The upcoming holiday season means loads of family dinners, entertaining and parties.  Home cooks - neophyte and expert alike - need inspiration and guidance to create memorable menus that will become holiday traditions for years to come.

We've compiled a list of new cookbooks from culinary experts that are great references for any occasion. 

These new essentials belong on your kitchen shelf.

Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade: Cocktail  Time by Sandra Lee

Wiley, Paperback

192 pages

October 2009

$17.95

Just about any fan of Sandra Lee's long-time hit Food Network show Semi-Homemade Cooking will tell you their favorite part of the show is "cocktail time."  Yet until now, Sandra has never written a book devoted to cocktail recipes and tasty and easy appetizers to serve with them.  The tall, narrow format is also new to for Sandra Lee, a slim volume perfect for keeping handy at the bar or kitchen island for mixing up drinks for friends. Cocktail Time is an entertaining guide for real homemakers who enjoy the company of family and friends.

 New American Table

by Marcus Samuelsson

Wiley, Hardcover

October 2009

$40.00

Marcus Samuelsson is celebrated and adored for his innovative, distinctive cuisine. This promises to be his best book yet with 300+ recipes inspired by the American melting pot accompanied by enticing food and sweeping travel photography from his journeys across America.

Mediterranean Clay Pot Cooking: Traditional and Modern Recipes to Savor and Share by Paula Wolfert

Wiley, Hardcover

424 pages

October 2009

$34.95

A one-of-a-kind cookbook showcasing modern and authentic clay pot cooking from the premier expert on Mediterranean cuisines. Paula Wolfert is legendary for her expertise on and explorations of Mediterranean cooking. Now, Wolfert shares her inimitable passion for detail and insatiable curiosity about cultural traditions and innovations, with Mediterranean Clay Pot Cooking. She shares 150 recipes featuring soups, fish and shellfish, poultry, meats, pasta and grains, vegetables and beans, pies and breads, eggs and dairy, and desserts.

New Classic Family Dinners: More Than 200 Everyday Recipes and Menus from the Award-Winning Campanile Restaurant by Mark Peel with Martha Rose Shulman

Wiley, Hardcover

288 pages

September 2009

$34.95

Award-winning chef Mark Peel has made "Family Dinner Night" a favorite at his Los Angeles restaurant, Campanile. Culled from more than ten years of these menus, New Classic Family Dinners features upscale twists on everyone’s favorite classic comfort food dishes. For more than ten years, acclaimed chef Mark Peel has used Campanile's Monday night dinner menus to present his own special takes on popular comfort food dishes like eggplant parmesan and beef goulash. In New Classic Family Dinners, he shares recipes for more than 200 of his best-ever versions of family favorites such as Macaroni and Cheese with Wild Mushrooms, Steak with Anchovy Butter, and Monkfish Osso Bucco.

Pasta Sfoglia: From Our Table to Yours, More than 100 Fresh, Seasonal Pasta Dishes by Ron Suhanosky and Colleen Suhanosky

Wiley, Hardcover

224 pages

October 2009

$29.95

The appeal of pasta extends far beyond the restaurant world, and Pasta Sfoglia is full of exciting new ways to cook with this beloved ingredient. Innovative recipes draw on the authors' philosophy of seasonal, local cooking, and their fresh new take on pasta dishes is backed by the strong reputation of their restaurant.

Anyone Can Cook: Step-by-Step Recipes Just for You

by Better Homes and Gardens

480 pages

Wiley Hardcover, Spiral bound

September 2009

$24.95

A new kind of cookbook for a new generation of cooks, this book's highly visual and interactive elements literally show consumers step by step how to cook. There's everything from comfort food to world flavors in the more than 550 recipes. Although tailored for the novice, the seasoned cook will enjoy and appreciate it too.  This new edition now contains a bonus DVD with instructional how-to videos and step-by-step demonstrations.

Unforgettable Desserts: More than 140 Memorable Dessert Recipes for All Year Round by Dede Wilson

Wiley, Hardcover

304 pages

November 2009

$29.95

For bakers and home cooks of all skill levels, Unforgettable Desserts shows how to create grand finales that look and taste as if they were bought at a posh patisserie. Many of the recipes are deceptively simple, such as the gorgeous Matcha Tea Leaf Shortbread and the amazing Hot Chocolate Truffle Bombs, made with just three ingredients. Others are more adventurous, such as the Chocolate-Glazed Marzipan Cake with Cognac-Soaked Apricots. Filled with surprises for the eye as well as the palate, the desserts you make from this book will be sure to keep guests talking long after the party is over. An ideal resource for holidays, birthdays, or any special occasion, Unforgettable Desserts

Rose’s Heavenly Cakes

by Rose Levy Beranbaum

Wiley, Hardcover

512 pages

September 2009

$39.95

Rose Levy Beranbaum, "most meticulous cook who ever lived," follows up her definitive IACP cookbook of the year, The Cake Bible, one of the bestselling cookbooks of all time, with a simplified approach to cakes and lighter results for contemporary tastes.  Nearly 200 fresh and easy cake recipes appear for today's baker, and a stunning package features 4-color photography throughout the book.  Rose shows you how to create everything from Heavenly Coconut Seduction Cake, Golden Lemon Almond Cake, and Devil's Food Cake with Midnight Ganache to Orange-Glow Chiffon Layer Cake, Mud Turtle Cupcakes, and Deep Chocolate Passion Wedding Cake.

Get in the spirit of Halloween with Crystal Head Vodka

This year use your head and embrace the spirit of Halloween with Crystal Head Vodka for your witch’s brew.

Inspired by his long-time fascination with ghosts, spirits, and other unworldly presences, as well as his interest in the legend of the 13 Crystal Skulls, screen legend Dan Aykroyd has created Crystal Head Vodka. This super-premium vodka is quadruple distilled and then triple crystal-filtered through Herkimer diamonds, which are said to emit positive energy.

Try Dan Aykroyd’s favorite cocktail for Halloween - The Cranium. 

Yield one serving

Ingredients

1 ½ oz. Crystal Head Vodka

4 ounces Cranberry juice

1 splash Grenadine

Preparation

Pour Crystal Head Vodka and cranberry juice over ice in a tall glass.

Add a splash of grenadine (unstirred) on the top. -

Garnish with blood orange slice.

The Republic of Tea serves dessert in a teacup

I've heard there are people who don't like dessert.  I am not one of them.

The thought of ending a meal without something sweet makes me sad.  But then I remind myself that dark chocolate is chock full of anti-oxidants and no more blues.

When I heard The Republic of Tea was introducing a new dessert tea - specifically chocolate - I was ready to give it a taste test.

The Republic's Minister of Enlightenment was kind enough to send me the new Coconut Cocoa Dessert Tea and a recipe for Chocolate Coconut Iced Latte.

The low caffeine dessert tea is an herbal blend of roasted carob, caramel malted barley, roasted chicory, dates, coconut flavor, cocoa powder and chocolate flavor. 

Since my only experience with barley is in soup and my acquaintance with chicory is limited to its use as a coffee substitute, I wasn't sure what to expect when I opened the canister. 

A little research demonstrated that both barley and chicory are good, good, good for you as a brew. Barley is reported to aid digestion and ease congestion and bronchitis symptoms while chicory is said to cleanse the blood and improve the health of the liver.

Chocolate and coconut added to the mix could only be a bonus.

Opening the canister, I got a whiff of the wonderful pleasures to come.  The aromas of coconut and coconut were rich and dark, like a delicious cordial.

I put the kettle on and got the teapot ready.  My mother and I watched the kettle impatiently.  After rinsing the pot, we poured the hot water over two tea bags and waited for the tea to steep sufficiently.

The tea's color was a deep, nut brown and the aroma was lovely and tropical. I was happy just smelling my cup. 

Normally, I take milk and sugar in my tea, but since The Republic promised this tea was naturally sweet (and therefore a low calorie treat), I took my first indulgence without the usual suspects.  It is naturally sweet and could certainly be consumed without any addition.

But I am a creature of habit and nothing says tea cozy like a milky-sweet cup. I added my sweet addictions and finished the last drop.

My mother is a tea purist. She takes her tea with a teaspoon of sugar, no more, and no lemon, no milk. Nothing fancy for her. Black tea or green tea keeps it simple.  She found the coconut overwhelming. It was not her cup of tea.

Of course, I loved it. Coconut Cocoa Dessert Tea lends itself to lingering after dinner and I'm pretty sure it would pair quite nicely with a mango mousse or pumpkin cheesecake.

Coconut Cocoa Dessert Tea is packaged in a recyclable tin containing 36 unbleached, round tea bags free of unnecessary strings, tags and staples. Available now, the dessert tea has a suggested retail price of $9.50.

Also available from The Republic of Tea is Double Dark Chocolate Mate, an organic roasted yerba mate from Brazil generously dusted with all-natural dark organic cocoa powder. Available now, the dessert tea has a suggested retail price of $15 for a tin containing 36 unbleached round tea bags.

Chocolate Coconut Iced Latte

Yields one serving.

Ingredients

2 tea bags, Coconut Cocoa Dessert Tea

6 ounces filtered water, heated to boiling

3 ounces milk or milk substitute

Sweetener, if preferred

Brew two tea bags in 6 ounces of filtered water for five minutes. Remove tea bags and allow tea to cool.

Add 3 ounces of milk or milk substitute. Blend milk and tea. Serve in a tall glass over crushed ice. Sweeten as desired.