Welcome... The Casual Gourmet is more than just food, wine, and travel; it’s a lifestyle, your resource for looking at the beautiful world around us, and enjoying it bounty. The Casual Gourmet is your personal shopper and virtual guide for the journey. "Wine makes daily living easier, less hurried, with fewer tensions and more tolerance" - Benjamin Franklin
January 31, 2007
Mazatlán's Mardi Gras is a Carnaval Fit for Families
from Frommer's Travel Guides: The Best Trips Start Here! by Melinda Quintero
This Mexican coastal city plays host to the third oldest Carnival celebration in the world -- after Rio and New Orleans, of course. Families and vacationers come from all over the nation to join in the fun, while food vendors from as far away as the Yucatán set up makeshift shop to feed the hungry midnight masses.
January 30, 2007
Unseasonal Eating: Vietnamese Pork Chops
from The Food Section: Press Sighting: New York Times by Josh Friedland

The recent descent from our unseasonably balmy winter into the current bone-chilling weather inspired an almost instinctual craving for soup -- namely, pho. After searching the boards of Chowhound, we ended up at Pho Bang, opposite Pho Bac in the Elmhurst strip mall formerly home to Joe's Shanghai (there's a healthy debate online over which restaurant is better: Pho Bang or Pho Bac. In the end, the consensus seemed to lean towards Pho Bang).
The pho didn't disappoint. The humongous bowl of broth and rice noodles draped with thin slices of beef was the warm and soothing antidote to the deep-freeze I was looking for. But, something else caught my eye (and palate): the pork chops my wife ordered. Though they were a little fatty, the sweet and tangy flavor was irresistable. And, soon enough, I had a new craving the next day to make them at home.
January 29, 2007
Over 200,000 Recipes
from Recipezaar News by site admin
A Recipezaar milestone was reached in late January! The 200,000th recipe was posted!
January 28, 2007
Championship Chow
from Recipezaar News by site admin
Kick off your football party with winning appetizers, followed by hearty half-time dishes...
January 27, 2007
See More and More of America for Less and Less
from Frommer's Travel Guides: The Best Trips Start Here! by Jason Sheftell
Whether it's a last-minute travel deal or a mid-week or long weekend specials, travelers can take advantage of plenty of money-saving options for touring within the United States
January 26, 2007
Every Day with Rachael Ray - Wolflgang Puck's Curried Chicken Satay
from Every Day with Rachael Ray
This recipe is featured in the February issue of Every Day with Rachael Ray.
January 25, 2007
Slow Cooker Smoky Chipotle Soft Tacos
from Betty Crocker Recipe of the Day
Feeding a crowd? Make taco filling in a slow cooker and let guests line up for the tasty taco filling.
January 24, 2007
A Vacation in a Day
from GoArticles Travel Category by default@goarticles.com (Darlene Berkel)
A spa vacation package doesn't have to last a full week, three days, or even a complete weekend. Some spa packages can revitalize a person in just under a day, though longer spa vacation packages can ...
January 23, 2007
Important Emergency Information to Leave at Home when Vacationing
from GoArticles Travel Category by default@goarticles.com (Tim Evans)
We love to take mini, spur of the moment vacations. We are famous to our friends and family to take a vacation day at the last minute and go away for a long weekend. Sometimes we don't even know whe...
January 22, 2007
30 Second Wine Advisor: Pinot from Tasmania
from WineLoversPage.com
This little-known island off Australia's southeastern shore is poised to make a bigger footprint on the world's wine roads.
January 21, 2007
Vino 101: Wine with dessert
from WineLoversPage.com
For many people, dessert is the culmination of a great dinner, and it's an anticipated event that deserves as much attention as all of the preceding courses. In his "Server's Perspective" column, Jorge Edouardo Castillo talks about matching dessert with wine.
January 20, 2007
3 Tips for Easy Meal Planning
from GoArticles Food Category by default@goarticles.com (Thomas Andrew)
Where has the family dinner hour gone? There once was a time when we would all come home from a long day and sit down with our family for a nice home-cooked meal. In today's fast paced world, we ...
January 19, 2007
A History of Chocolate.
from GoArticles Food Category by default@goarticles.com (Michael Haydon)
I find the best way to consider the history of chocolate is to actually eat some while I'm reading! We can thank the Mayan Indians for discovering and planting the first cocoa plants in 1500 BC, when ...
January 18, 2007
Absolutely the Best Nacho Dip Ever
from Allrecipes Healthy Recipes Daily Feed
This attractive layered dip for tortilla chips is filled with fresh ingredients. The addition of cocktail sauce is a nice, spicy twist.
January 17, 2007
Every Day with Rachael Ray - Topolo Margaritas
from Every Day with Rachael Ray
This recipe is featured in the February issue of Every Day with Rachael Ray
January 16, 2007
Roasted Chicken with Cherry Tomatoes

from The Food Section: Press Sighting: New York Times by Josh Friedland
As much as I may try to resist the Rachael Ray-ificatio of the Dining In category of this site, I'm afraid that fatherhood has wrought a rapid and (seemingly) permanent reduction in the window of time for weeknight cooking.
The great thing about this recipe for chicken breasts roasted with cherry tomatoes, herbs, and garlic (from Bon Appétit via The Wednesday Chef) is that while the dish only takes five minutes (or less) to get ready and cooks for just 35 minutes, it doesn't taste like a quick-cook meal. In such a brief time in the oven, the skin develops a salty, garlicky crunch; meanwhile, as the tomatoes cook and collapse, their juice melds with the chicken drippings and olive oil to form a sauce that constitutes almost a shallow braise, infusing the chicken from below. The result is chicken that is extremely juicy and flavorful.
Kitchen Notes: Cooking the chicken on a baking sheet (with a rim to contain the juices) seems critical, as it allows you to keep everything on one layer. I could not find marjoram, so I ended up substituting fresh oregano, which worked (Luisa from The Wednesday Chef also had success with dried rosemary) [Update: It works nicely with fresh rosemary, too]. Because the pieces of chicken were huge, I cut each breast into two sections to make the dish more manageable. Finally (and reluctantly), I skipped the (crucial) addition of adding crushed red pepper: my wife is not keen on spicy food, and I didn't want to add insult to injury to the teething gums of our baby daughter. Molars are upon us (well, her).
January 15, 2007
What to Drink with What You Eat
from For Food and Wine Lovers - Epicurean.com
Mexican and other Latin American culinary influences are numerous in the Northwest, especially in eastern Oregon and Washington, where entrepreneurial immigrants have brought the bold flavors of their foods to taquerias, restaurants, and bakeries. This dish is also a primo appetizer: coarsely chop the cooked pork, pan-sear, then pile it on crisped mini tortillas. Try it with the Sunset Sage Margarita.
January 14, 2007
Ten Great Reasons to Go to Santa Fe, New Mexico
from Frommer's Travel Guides: The Best Trips Start Here! by Amy Zavatto
My last visit to Santa Fe was an amazing trip. So when the opportunity arose to head to New Mexico for a few days with my husband, we jumped at the chance.
January 13, 2007
Sukiyaki Beef
from Allrecipes Dinner Recipes
Strips of beef are stir-fried with onions, celery and mushrooms
January 12, 2007
The Best Cookbooks of 2006
from Gourmet Food - Cooking, Recipes, Reviews, Entertaining & Travel
2006 was a fantastic year for great cookbooks! There were books by some of the world's greatest chefs like Daniel Boulud, Marcus Samuelsson, and Michel Roux. We saw some wonderful...
Cookbooks|offered at Amazon.com
January 11, 2007
11 Ports That Your Kids Will Love
from Frommer's Travel Guides: The Best Trips Start Here! by Heidi Sarna
We parents like to pretend we're in charge. But let?s come clean already: Our kids rule the roost. Here are eleven of the world's best ports for keeping them happy.
January 10, 2007
Researchers found fibers knocked off a cloth act as bubble-formation in flutes
from Megnut by meg@megnut.com (Meg Hourihan)
Researchers found that hollow cellulose fibers knocked off a cloth or paper towel used to dry a Champagne flute act as bubble-formation, or "nucleation," sites. "Glasses wiped with a towel show 'an excess of effervescence,'" so your bubbly will be even more bubbly.
January 9, 2007
Crème Brûlée Recipes - 5 Versions
from Gourmet Food - Cooking, Recipes, Reviews, Entertaining & Travel
Crème brûlée is a classic French dessert that has become very popular in recent years, showing up on the menu of most fine dining restaurants. The creamy custard contrasts nicely...
January 8, 2007
Tandoori Cooking Without the Tandoor
from GoArticles Food Category (Laliey Singh)
The use of a tandoor oven is very important in traditional North Indian cooking, and many breads and dishes were designed especially for these clay ovens. This includes many famous Punjabi and North I...
January 7, 2007
Basic Tomato Sauce

from Simply Recipes by Elise
A good tomato sauce is the foundation for so many wonderful dishes - pizza, pasta, chicken, and fish. Here is a recipe for a basic tomato sauce that starts with a soffritto of onions, carrots, and celery cooked in a little olive oil, to which garlic, tomatoes and seasonings are added. Simple and delicious. The sauce can be dressed up with mushrooms, sausage, olives, wine, and all manner of vegetables. For a tantalizing version of a tomato-based sauce check out Sean's sauce over at Hedonia. What's your favorite tomato sauce recipe?
Carli Olive Oil( )In Italy, Carli Olive Oil has always only been sold direct from the factory to the consumer. A fleet of over 100 trucks assures prompt direct delivery to more than 700,000 families, over 120,000 of which have been loyal customers for two or more generations. Why are Italians so religious about their....
Carli Olive Oil from igourmet.com
January 6, 2007
Wine Advisor FoodLetter: Bean soup
from WineLoversPage.com
If you've got some cooked beans around, you can do the rest in an hour and get a filling soup that tastes like you worked on it all day.
January 5, 2007
Happy New Year!
from Chef Michele's Adventures: Celebrity Chef Cookbook Reviews by Michele
I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and New Years! We were quite busy with out of town guests and then my huband and all three kids got sick so I haven't been on-line much lately. We were truly blessed this Christmas and as always enjoyed celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior.I got a new cook book yesterday and wanted to share a review with you.
Years ago I had picked up an old copy of The Joy of Cooking at a second hand bookstore. It was (and still is) my very favorite cookbook. Dispite the lack of color photographs that all the new cookbooks seem to have in abundance, the wealth of knowledge contained in this book is beyond measure. If I could choose only one cookbook to own it would be this one. In it you will find recipes for everything from simple things like boiled eggs to very elaborate dishes, menues, cooking techniques and ingredient and nutrition information.My original copy was ruined when a storage closet in our old apartment was flooded by the hot water heater. So I was very excited to see this new 75th Anniversary Edition available. It is just as good as my old copy... in fact better! It contains over 4500 recipes and is an invaluable tool for anyone who enjoys cooking.
January 4, 2007
Vacations That Click: Zooming in on Photography Tours
from Frommer's Travel Guides: The Best Trips Start Here! by Charis Atlas Heelan
With the new year here, a new raft of tours has been announced and while you ponder which destination sounds the most appealing, imagine yourself standing on top of that mountain, or next to that rare animal, with your camera well-positioned and ready to shoot.
January 3, 2007
Caramelized Onion Quiche

from Simply Recipes by Elise
Ever wake up in the morning with a craving for a specific food? This morning it was quiche, specifically an onion quiche. To my dear father who turned up his nose at this masterpiece, mumbling something about real men, I say, "phooey". Kudos to my brother Ed, who almost made up for dad's transgression, by saying just "damn good" after inhaling a piece at dinner.
January 2, 2007
What Wine Goes With What Food?
(Morgan Slater)
We've all heard the rules: red wine with meat, white with fish or fowl. But just as with all rules, this one was made to be broken. There's a growing recognition that there's both more and less to...
January 1, 2007
All To Keep You Drinking
(Alison White)
Ensuring the necessary quantity of water to keep your organism working properly should be every person's strong preoccupation, for it is hydrati...