Coconut Shrimp with Sweet Chili Mayo

Coconut Shrimp with Sweet Chili Mayo

from Simply Recipes

Please welcome guest author Jaden Hair of Steamy Kitchen as she treats us to fabulous shrimp coated with panko and coconut flakes. ~Elise
In my kitchen, there are a handful of Asian ingredients that I’m never out of. There’s the usual like soy sauce, oyster sauce and ginger, of course. But, there’s the other category of foods that are so versatile, they can be used in any style of cooking, whether Asian, Italian or Greek.
And at the top of that list is panko bread crumbs. Panko is a Japanese breadcrumb that really shouldn’t be named “crumb” but rather bread “flakes.” It’s incredibly light, airy and crisp/crunchy when fried.
What I like about panko is that it doesn’t absorb as much oil or grease as regular breadcrumbs and its super-thin flakes create an airy, lacey coating that you can’t achieve with regular breadcrumbs.
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You want what?! Excessive hotel-guest requests

You want what?! Excessive hotel-guest requests

from World's most romantic hotels - Luxury Travel - MSNBC.com
Although their service is not often heralded, concierges can make a hotel stay an experience to remember, whether the guest is a celebrity or a mere mortal.

Brewers Tap Into the Holidays With Christmas Beers

Brewers Tap Into the Holidays With Christmas Beers

from washingtonpost.com - Food and Dining by Greg Kitsock
Twenty years ago, you would have been hard-pressed to find enough Christmas beers to fill a six-pack. Today, sighs Larry Robinson of Chevy Chase Wine & Spirits, "I don't have room for them; the number is increasing astronomically." Every year about this time, his beer inventory swells from 1,000...

Is 2009 the year of the apartment?

Is 2009 the year of the apartment?

from Upgrade: Travel Better by Mark Ashley
Renting an apartment in lieu of a hotel room is hardly new, but the idea is starting to take off, especially with businesses. Take this report from India’s Economic Times:
Already on a cost-cutting mode, a number of corporates have preferred tying up with operators of service apartments which are 20-40% cheaper compared to hotels. According to global real estate consultant, Jones Lang LaSalle Meghraj (JLLM), there has been a 7% increase in such tie-ups in the last six months, when recession took root in the country. Eyeing the future potential, some of the organised players in this segment like Royal Orchid and Signature Crest have also chalked out expansion plans.[...]“There can be between 20-40% saving, especially with corporate discounts. Moreover, service apartments offer business travellers facilities such as fully-equipped kitchen with self-catering facilities, various bedroom choices, lounge and relaxation areas, etc. Another cost-effective factor is that in service apartments, occupants save on the bar bills, inflated internet and telephone charges as well as restaurant bills that typify most hotels in the 4-5 star category,” [JLLM managing director (west) Pawan] Swamy remarked.
Few chain hotels have made this a top priority yet. Sure, there’s the Residence Inn and the Extended StayAmerica family, and on the classier end of the spectrum, Starwood’s Element.
But the majority of apartments are still small operations, unaffiliated with major chains. And the problem, if we can call it that, is that quality of apartments can vary greatly, and that the majority of rental apartments are targeted to tourists, not business. The market still focuses on “vacation rentals,” instead of business rentals. And what’s good for a tourist isn’t necessarily business-friendly. If you scan the offerings at websites devoted to apartment rentals — such as VRBO.com, Zonder.com, HomeAway.com, VRBO.com, Zonder.com, VacationHomeRentals.com,EVRentals.com, and Rentalo.com, to name just a few — you’ll be hard-pressed to find business-centric properties.
Instead, the short term business-oriented apartment rental market remains highly localized, with small operators working out arrangements with large firms’ local offices. But perhaps a confluence of factors will lead to consolidation of apartments designed for business travelers: Combine an increase in recession-era demand from companies hoping to lower lodging expenses with a decline in hotel investment, and 2009 could be the year of the business apartment.

Ten Best Cookbooks to Give or Get

Ten Best Cookbooks to Give or Get

from Gourmet Food - Cooking, Recipes, Reviews, Entertaining & Travel
Cookbooks make the perfect holiday gift. You don't have to love cooking to love cookbooks. Many modern cookbooks have beautiful photography and/or fascinating stories or essays making the recipes almost...

18 Foods and Drinks That Will Improve Your Mood Tomorrow

18 Foods and Drinks That Will Improve Your Mood Tomorrow
from Chocolate: See what people are saying right now on Technorati
I had to trade in my man card for these. When I had the fresh pico de gallo that I posted yesterday, I felt invigorated the next day. No doubt I was more productive the following day because of that meal. And I don’t think it was the chicken. I think it was the pico. Besides that pico, here are 17 other foods and drinks that will make you feel great the next day. Cucumber water - This was new to me but apparently it is popular in spas. I love cucumbers so I gave it a try. The idea is simple.

Greek Salad Pita Sandwiches

Greek Salad Pita Sandwiches
from New: Epicurious & NutritionData's Healthy Dinner Tonight by Monica Reinagel
brought to you by epicurious.com and NutritionData.com
Calories 397; Total Fat 20g; Carbohydrates 45g
Pair these flavorful pita pockets with a bowl of soup for a light evening meal—then pack the leftovers for a quick and easy brown-bag lunch. Fresh tomatoes and peppers offer a welcome winter burst of vitamins C and A, while the Feta cheese helps you meet your daily calcium needs. For extra protein, toss sliced grilled chicken in with the veggies. You can save time by making the filling up to two days ahead of time, but assemble the sandwiches immediately before eating to keep the bread from getting soggy. For dessert, have a cup of Mexican Hot Chocolate.
Go to the healthy recipe on epicurious.com
Nutritional Information
Amounts per serving plus the % Daily Value (DV) based on a 2,000 calorie diet:
397 Calories (20%)
20g Total fat (31%)
7g Saturated Fat (37%)
33mg Cholesterol (11%)
775mg Sodium (32%)
45g Carbohydrate (15%)
7g Fiber (29%)
13g Protein (26%)
See the full nutritional analysis from NutritionData.com

My Great Grandma's Cheesecake

My Great Grandma's Cheesecake
from Recipezaar: Newest recipes
This is a cheese-pie really, that my grandmother and mother both make perfectly. This was handed down from 4 generations in my family, and I've seen other people's variations, but so far, mom's and grandma's are my favorites. -- posted by Le fromage de cuisine

Chipotle Turkey Salad

Chipotle Turkey Salad
from Simply Recipes

I don't know about you, but our family typically roasts a turkey that provides at least twice as much meat, if not more, as we actually need for our Thanksgiving meal, leaving us with many meals to plan using turkey leftovers. Here is a quick turkey salad I whipped up today (and turned into a sandwich) that uses chipotle powder, jalapeños, and cilantro for a Southwestern touch. Chipotle is just smoked, dried jalapeños; the chili gives the turkey salad a slightly smokey, spicy kick. Great in a sandwich with avocados and sliced tomatoes.

Spicy Bacon-Cheddar Butterflies recipe

Spicy Bacon-Cheddar Butterflies recipe - Every Day with Rachael RAy
from Every Day with Rachael Ray
These light-as-air apps will make guests think you can walk on water.

Cajun Baked Rice Dressing

Cajun Baked Rice Dressing
from Recipezaar: Newest recipes
Delicious and easy to cook recipe that my mom found in the Houston Chronicle in the mid-1970's. So good that it's a family tradition in my house. You can play around with the ingredients some, but try not to deviate too much. Sometimes I might add about 1/4 pound of hot Italian turkey sausage to the ground beef, but the ground beef is normally the best. you will immediately want to cook another batch, it's so good. Use as much salt and pepper as you need, but don't exceed 1/2 tbsp. -- posted by Robstercraw

Interested In Taking a Vacation

Interested In Taking a Vacation
from GoArticles Travel Category by default@goarticles.com (Ronald Firquain)
Holidays or summer break is a vacation in the summertime between school years in which students are off school typically between 6 weeks and 3 months, depending on the country and district. Fun at ski...

Deep Fried: Down Home Chicken

Deep Fried: Down Home Chicken Submitted By: Kevin Ryan
from Allrecipes Dinner Recipes
A buttermilk marinade precedes dredging in a spicy flour mixture. Then chicken is fried in shortening and bacon drippings for down home goodness.

Beef Pasta and Mushroom Soup

Beef Pasta and Mushroom Soup
from Betty Crocker Recipe of the Day
Welcome family to dinner with a pot of bubbling, flavor-packed soup. It?s made easy with Hamburger Helper® dinner mix

Dutch-Oven Strawberry Cobbler

Featured Recipe: Dutch-Oven Strawberry Cobbler
from For Food and Wine Lovers - Epicurean.com
Here's another great use for your Dutch oven. If you don't have one, a favorite casserole dish or deep baking pan will do fine. Just be sure to use fresh, ripe strawberries for the best flavor.

Boiled White Rice recipe - Every Day with Rachael Ray

Boiled White Rice recipe - Every Day with Rachael Ray
from Every Day with Rachael Ray
Search recipes from Every Day with Rachael Ray magazine, and you'll find 30-Minute Meals, quick and easy recipes, kids recipes, pet recipes and much more. Search by food category or by recipe name.

Main Dish Fish and Shellfish: Shrimp and Portobello Mushroom Fettuccine

Main Dish Fish and Shellfish: Shrimp and Portobello Mushroom Fettuccine Submitted By: BONNIET310
from Allrecipes Dinner Recipes
This versatile dish features shrimp with sauteed portobello mushrooms, onions, and garlic in a cream cheese and whipping cream sauce jazzed up with Cajun seasoning.

Pulp, There It Is

Pulp, There It Is
from The Amateur Gourmet by Adam Roberts

Does anyone else think it's strange when you buy orange juice now you're given a choice between lots of pulp, some pulp and no pulp?
Normally I'm an orange juice snob, coming from Florida as I do, and in Florida when you get fresh-squeezed orange juice you just know it has pulp. Oranges have pulp and therefore the juice has pulp.
But when you buy a factory packaged O.J. like Tropicana, as I do now and again when I'm sick or when I'm getting a bagel, I'm flummoxed with pulp choices. Do I want some pulp or lots of pulp? I certainly don't want no pulp though I know there are people who hate pulp and I'm sure I'll hear from them in the comments.
I just want the proper amount of pulp for the amount of orange juice I'm about to drink. How much pulp came out when you squeezed those oranges, Tropicana? Lots or some? Well put that amount in the container and I'll drink it. You know since it's 100% pure and natural I figure the amount of pulp should be pure and natural too.
What's next, choose the tint of the orange juice color? The viscosity, the acidity? I'll take what comes out of the orange and leave those choices to Mother Nature not Mother Industry, thank you.

WBW #41: the exciting wines of Friuli-Venezia Giulia region

WBW #41: the exciting wines of Friuli-Venezia Giulia region
from Purple Liquid: a wine and food diary by Catherine Granger
I can't believe today is already Wine Blogging Wednesday, the first of 2008! Time flies! This is the 41st edition of this popular event and it is hosted this month by Jack and Joanne of Fork & Bottle. They believe that Friuli, this month's theme, has become the most exciting wine region in the world. I almost agree: I think it is one of the most exciting wine producing regions and I really love the Friulian white wines.The problem is that it is not easy to buy a white wine from Friuli that is not from the ubiquitous Pinot Grigio but I did find one that looked interesting: the 2005 Marco Felluga Collio Bianco Molamatta. It is a blend of local grapes — Tocai Friulano, Ribolla Gialla , and Pinot Bianco — from the Collio DOC. Collio is naturally protected by the Alps on the North and open to the Adriatic Sea on the South, and it is generally considered Friuli's finest wine producing area. The Marco Felluga estate has been making wines since the 19th century and Marco Felluga is today one of the leading producers in the region.The wine kept its promises. It had a bright golden yellow color and a rich nose of white blossom, honey, and pear. On the palate, it was full-bodied with mouth-coating flavors and a sappy mineral finish. Superb with baked spice-rubbed salmon fillets.Joanne and Jack, I am sure you'll get many fine wines for your round-up but this one is highly recommended!Previous WBW posts:• WBW #39: a wine from Silver Burgundy, the 2005 Viré-Clessé Maison Chanson• WBW #38: 2001 Periquita Classico• WBW #37: Hello Teroldego!Technorati tags:: wine food & drinkwine blogging wednesday wbw wbw41

Chicken With Tomato Rice Pilaf

Chicken With Tomato Rice Pilaf
from Chef Michele's Adventures: Celebrity Chef Cookbook Reviews by Michele
I recently got a few new cookbooks that contain some really amazing recipes. I'm hoping to try several over the next few weeks and will post the recipes here.Tonight I made a dish called Chicken With Tomato Rice Pilaf from Claudia Roden's Arabesque. This cookbook contains recipes from Morocco, Lebanon and Turkey. There are many beautiful photographs throughout the book as well. It would make a beautiful coffee table book because the cover is so pretty. I really enjoyed reading this book because not only is it a cook book, it also contains a wealth of information about the countries from which the recipes hail. This is the first recipe I have tried from this book and it is wonderful! We had it with buttered peas, homemade pitas and hummus.Chicken With Tomato Rice Pilaf(Adapted from Arabesque by Cladia Roden)(for the rice)1 1/2 c. long grain rice1 (15 oz.) diced tomatoes1 tsp. chicken bullion powder2 tsp. sugarsalt and pepper1/2 stick butter, diced(for the chicken)4 boneless, skinless chicken pieces1 Tbsp. light olive oil2 Tbsp. butter1/2 tsp ground coriandersalt and pepperdried parsleyStart by making the rice. Blend tomatoes in blender then add enough water to make 2 2/3 cups. Pour the tomato puree into a pot along with the bullion, sugar and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and let cook for 20 minutes or until rice is fluffy. Add more water if needed towards the end of cooking and simmer a few more minutes. Stir in butter and set aside. For the chicken, cut chicken into bite sized pieces. Heat oil and butter in a skillet then add chicken and cook 6 - 8 minutes or until lightly browned. Turn pieces over once during cooking. Serve chicken over the rice sprinkled with parsley.

New Cookbooks!

New Cookbooks!
from Chef Michele's Adventures: Celebrity Chef Cookbook Reviews by Michele
Over the past few months I have been adding slowly to my cookbook collection. I recently purchased Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook after borrowing it from our church library and falling in love with it. I used to always use the "Fix It And Forget It" books quite a bit when I was seeking a great slow cooker recipe but this is now my "go-to" book for all things crock pot. This book is great because it uses a lot of really nutritious ingredients and there are not a lot of processed foods used. I also bought the King Arthur Whole Grain Baking Cookbook. This one is awesome if you are trying to incorporate more whole grains into your diet. There are plenty of recipes for things you would normally make like pancakes, oatmeal, breads and pizza crust. The only difference is these recipes use whole grains and they taste great! You can check all the new additions to my collection over on the right sidebar ... just scroll down a bit to see them all.