When I
think about chili, I think of cold weather comfort food, Sunday
afternoon football, tailgate parties, après-ski, sledding, or skating, and
if you need a little chili recipe inspiration, Seriously Good Chili Cookbook - 177 of the Best Recipes in
the World by New York Times Best-Selling Author Brian Baumgartner is sure to inspire. For his cookbook, Brian Baumgartner,
who many know from his role as "Kevin Malone" on the NBC Emmy-winning
TV series, The Office, compiled his recipes along with contributions
from award-winning chefs, celebrity chefs, and cooks from across the country. I
was delighted when my recipe, Righteous Three-Bean Vegetarian Chili
was included in his cookbook. Bon Appetit!
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Did you
ever wish that you could learn to cook like an Italian grandmother (nonna)?
With the cookbook, Tuscan Women Cook, Nonnas.
Memories. Recipes by Coleen Kirnan with Rhonda Vilardo you can! With tasty recipes that range from Antipasti (hors
d'oeuvre) to Zuppe (soup), Carne (meat), Dolci (dessert),
Bevande (drinks), and more, the cookbook is filled with recipes that are
easy-to-follow and include beautiful photographs of the food along with a great
story for each of them, that will have you cooking like a nonna in no
time at all. Mangia Bene!
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We recently
went to a wine tasting party at a friend's house, where we blind tasted five different
types of wine. What was interesting was that we learned many of the guests regularly
only drink one type of wine. That got us thinking; are you "stuck" in a wine
groove? Sandra's Wine Life: Find Your Wine Identity written by Sandra Guibord is fun, informational, approachable, and gets you to think
differently about your wine selections; by type, by region, by taste, and by
season. She also has great recipes to pair with the wine to make you a star at
your next gathering no matter what the season or occasion. Cheers!
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With
longevity on the rise, we were intrigued by the cookbook title, Anti-Aging Dishes from Around the World written by Grace O published by Skyhorse Publishing, Inc. and released in August
2022 and decided to give it a read. The cookbook features a collection of 250 great
recipes along with nutritional information, guides, and resources. It is the
perfect manual for healthy living, and while the recipes are certainly healthy,
they are also mouth-watering delicious, which is a great combination. With
recipes designed to: "boost immunity, improve skin, promote longevity, lower
inflammation, and detoxify," it is easy to start the journey to healthier
eating.
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America's Test Kitchen: Modern Bistro, Home Cooking
Inspired by French Classics is a
treasure trove of wonderful recipes that will have you cooking
like a French chef in no time. The recipes are detailed enough to
encourage less experienced home cooks, as well as inspire more experienced
ones. The cookbook has a wonderful "Welcome to America's Test Kitchen"
section, followed by "Getting Started" which is a handy reference for
ingredients commonly used in Bistro cooking. Chapters cover everything from
Sauces to Appetizers, Mains, Vegetables, and Desserts, and everything in
between. Bon Appetit!
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With the growing culinary trend
towards more plant-based, vegan, and gluten free recipes, we
wanted to learn more and read Easy Vegan Home Cooking by
Celebrity PBS Vegan Chef Laura Theodore. Chef Theodore is an
award-winning cookbook author, the host of the Jazzy
Vegetarian on National Public Television, as well as the host of
radio shows and podcasts. Her new cookbook, Easy Vegan Home Cooking
features over 125 delicious plant-based and gluten-free recipes.
Published by Hatherleigh Press and distributed by Penguin
Random House, this cookbook is a great introduction to vegan and
gluten-free cooking and baking.
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Luxury Experience readers know
that we are huge music fans; we love listening to our enormous collection of music,
writing about music and about music performances, and when it comes to buying gifts,
we love to give the gift of music. When we "discovered" Jooki (pronounced "jukey" like jukebox), a music
system designed for children to use and operate, we were instantly
smitten. Designed in Belgian by three dads in 2014 with toy and technology
experience, Jooki is a screen-free WIFI streaming and Bluetooth player
for children ages 3 and up. How exciting is that! We cannot wait to see
our little nephew Asher's face light up as he discovers music - his way, with
his Jooki.
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The Merriam-Webster dictionary
defines "picnic" as "a meal that is eaten outdoors especially during a trip
away from home; a trip or party that includes a meal eaten outdoors; something
that is pleasant or easy." Professional photographer, designer, and home
cook Alanna O'Neill's debut cookbook, The Art of
Picnics - Seasonal Outdoor Entertaining published by Yellow Pear
Press a division of Mango Publishing, beautifully captures that
feeling with inspiring recipes and stunning photography. Let the picnicking
begin!
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With the growing trend towards plant-based
food, vegetarian and vegan diets,
we were excited to "discover" The Complete Quinoa Cookbook by Catherine Gill
published by Hatherleigh
Press, as a great motivator to learn more about this highly
nutritious whole-grain that is rich in protein, dietary fiber,
minerals and vitamins. Who knew quinoa (pronounced KEEN-waa) was
so fabulous? Catherine Gill's book is filled with valuable information and over
100 recipes that cover the gamut from Breakfast to Desserts. Now that is
something to cheer about.
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Cooler weather tends to bring out
the inner cook in all of us when we want to spend more time in the kitchen
creating special meals for ourselves, as well as for family and friends. Always
on the lookout for inspiration, we fell in love with The Complete
Autumn & Winter Cookbook by America's Test Kitchen, which has
over 550 recipes that will dazzle the senses and provide plenty of inspiration
for everyday meals, holiday meals, breads, brunches, festive drinks, desserts,
lovely food gifts, and much more. Beautiful photographs and easy to follow
recipes make this cookbook a showstopper. Happy cooking!
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Whether you are looking for a bit of
culinary inspiration, wisdom, or humor, A Chef's Book of Favorite
Culinary Quotations - An Inspired Collection For Those Who Love To Cook
And Those Who Love To Eat compiled by Susi Gott
Séguret and published by Hatherleigh
Press, Ltd Is a perfect read for yourself, or for your favorite foodie. The
book features over 200 memorable quotations from Auguste Escoffier,
Irma S. Rombauer, James Beard, Julia Child,
Jacques Pepin, Alton Brown, Virginia Wolf,
and many more.
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We do lots of cooking and baking
that require very precise, exact temperatures where a degree or two higher or
lower can mean the difference between success or failure. Throughout the years
we have used many cooking thermometers to ensure accuracy, and
recently "discovered" the ThermoWorks
Thermapen® ONE, which has the added benefit of producing
fast one-second digital readings! Cooking and baking just got a lot easier. With
holiday shopping just around the corner, the ThermoWorks Thermapen®
ONE is a perfect gift for your favorite chef or foodie or to gift yourself as
well. Bon Appetit!
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Whenever I think of memorable dinners that Edward and I have
enjoyed throughout the years, truffles are always involved.
Decadent, earthy, exotic, and expensive, a little goes a long way to add
flavor. Cooking
With Truffles: A Chef's Guide written by Susi Gott
Séguret and published by Hatherleigh Press, Ltd. delves
into the intriguing world of truffles and provides both insight and 150
delectable truffle recipes designed for the professional chef
as well as the home cook. Bon Appetit!
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We recently "discovered" a
fabulous Brazilian gourmet confectionary named Soul Sweet
Boutique located in Newark and Elizabeth, New
Jersey, which also sells online and ships throughout
the United States. Owned by Thatiana Rangel, Soul
Sweet Boutique carries a wide selection of traditional Brazilian
desserts along with modern sweets to tempt your palate. Since the
pandemic curtailed our annual trips to Brazil, in addition to
missing our "family" and friends, we missed the sweets of Brazil
and were thrilled to find Soul Sweet Boutique.
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The SAMBA Montclair
Cookbook by Chef Ilson Gonçalves is a glorious celebration of authentic
Brazilian homestyle cooking. Originally from the state of Santa Catarina in the
south of Brazil, Chef Ilson Gonçalves makes his home in Montclair, New Jersey
where his creative cuisine has dazzled patrons with restaurant, SAMBA Montclair,
since it opened in December 2010. His cookbook takes the reader on a visual and
taste bud tour of Brazil with his delectable recipes ranging from appetizers to
desserts. It is the perfect "souvenir" to remember past trips to Brazil, for
lovers of Brazilian cuisine, and for foodies looking to experience other
cuisines.
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Cold and rainy weather will soon
be here making it the perfect time to stay inside and play family board games. I
grew up playing epic, marathon games of Monopoly with my sister Joanne
and brother David. As young children we spent many countless happy hours
playing this game of skill, luck, and strategy, which was permanently installed
on the games table in the family room of our home. When I learned that Top Trumps USA Inc. was
introducing a new Monopoly
Greenwich (Connecticut) edition, it brought a smile to face and my
heart raced with anticipation of playing their new game. For the Greenwich
edition, Monopoly has replaced the famous properties of my youth with Greenwich
landmarks.
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If you love wine, history,
and formal dinners, you are going to love the book Wine and the White House: A History by Frederick J. Ryan,
Jr. I fell in love with this stunning book filled with
interesting anecdotes about the Presidents of the United States of
America from President George Washington through President
Donald Trump, and provides an in-depth look at the history of wine
served at the White House through the years. For gastronomy
lovers, the book is also interesting as it includes menus from the dinners and
the wines that accompanied each of the courses. More than a gorgeous coffee
table book, it is also a wonderful reference book for yourself or to give as a
gift.
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High-quality extra virgin
olive oil, affectionately known as EVOO, is like liquid
gold for professional chefs and dedicated home cooks. With a rise in the
organic farm movement we were thrilled to find The Trentasette Collection Organic EVOO,
which is USDA Organic certification, OU Kosher certified,
and is Non-GMO imported from Italy by the company, Italian Products & Beyond that is the perfect complement to your organic farmers
markets finds. Used for dipping, drizzling, cooking, sauteing or finishing, we
loved the results using this very tasty EVOO.
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Chocolate is one of
life's delectable sweet little pleasures, and New York-based Chocolatier
Maribel Lieberman owner of MarieBelle New York
shares her passion with her luxurious chocolate offerings. Whether your chocolate preference is dark
chocolate, milk chocolate, or white chocolate, MarieBelle New York has the
perfect chocolate to appeal to diverse palates. We loved sampling our way
through the tasty offerings.
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During a
visit to Southampton, New York, we discovered Plain-T and The T Loft, a
company dedicated to the art of exceptional tea, founded by Tathiana Teixeira and her husband Alessandro Teixeira. As avid tea drinkers, we always appreciate learning about nature's special bounty
and meeting with Tathiana Teixeira was like getting a PhD in tea! Passionate about her exceptional line of high-quality whole leaf tea products, she shared
her vast tea knowledge with us and told us about their diverse product line of
85 teas. There is a tea for every palate and Tathiana is a perfect tea
sommelier to find the right tea for you as we discovered during our tea
experience.
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Love spending
time in the Hamptons and wish you could bring its essence home with you? Hamptons
Handpoured, founded by Hamptons native Brittany Torres,
deftly captures of the spirit of the towns that comprise The Hamptons of Long
Island, New York with her beautiful hand-poured candles. Made with
love in small batches, Hamptons Handpoured candles are made with 100% American
grown natural soy and high-quality, plant-based fragrance oils, with cotton
wicks, zero additives, that are phthalate free, vegan, and have a 40-hour burn
time. While you may not be able to spend as much time in The Hamptons as you
would like, you can enjoy the experience anytime you like with these beautiful
candles.
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 Looking for a great gift for your favorite wine lover or wine enthusiast? As wine lovers know air is the nemesis of wine. Once a bottle of wine is opened and is exposed to air, it must be drunk immediately. Air will spoil the wine, so in the past people tried to recork the bottle or used systems to pump the air out. Now, along comes Savino Wine Saving Carafes and a new and stylish way of preserving wine is born. Made in the USA, Savino Wine Saving Carafes elevate style with function. The best part is that they actually work and keep wine stored in the carafe fresh for up to a week. |
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 Food has the power to transport our senses, first visually, then through the sounds of cooking, to its fragrant aromas wafting in the air, and then finally delivering the much-anticipated flavors and textures on our palates. The cookbook, Hong Kong Food City by Tony Tan published by Murdoch Books takes the reader on an incredibly beautiful and flavorful journey of the senses to Hong Kong. This cookbook is a perfect gift for your favorite cook or for the armchair traveler. |
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 I just read the most amazing book, How ALS Saved My Life until it didn't by Dr. Jenni Kleinman Berebitsky, Joyce Kleinman, and Elizabeth Flynn. I came to "know" Jenni when I saw the documentary short film Grateful - the Jenni Berebitsky Story, during the Greenwich International Film Festival 2019 (GIFF) held in Greenwich, Connecticut. Intrigued after speaking with her mother, Joyce Kleinman, Director Paul Nethercott, and Producer Amy Pauszek, I wanted to learn more about this incredible woman, and read Jenni's book. It was inspirational, at times humorous and sad, with lots of wonderful tips, tools, and techniques for people coping with ALS, and a great resource. |
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 Casa do Vidro in Bonito, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil is a creative initiative that reuses discarded glass and repurposes them into objects of beauty, all of which are for sale. The brainchild of founder Carlos Cardinal, the focus of Casa do Vidro is to reuse, recreate, and repurpose everyday discarded glass bottles, jars, and other glass objects into new, usable and attractive decorative and functional designs. In an area renowned for sustainable ecotourism, Casa do Vidro is a shining example of what can be achieved with inspiration and initiative. |
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 Thirsty®Towels is a family owned business and is more than a towel company. In addition to their line of Turkish Towels made in Turkey, they carry a gorgeous line of Bathrobes and Plus Size Robes, Shower Wraps, Beach and Resort Wear, Throws and Blankets, Spa and Hammam Accessories, Shower Curtains, Slippers, and artisan crafted Soap. They also have a Children's line of robes, towels, and blankets, so the whole family can experience Thirsty®Towels. Enjoy luxury, celebrate life. |
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