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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BE Chocolat, named for Master
Chocolatier BEnoit, opened in January 2021 in the historic
district of Fairfield,
Connecticut, and if you thought
"Willy Wonka" had fun creating chocolates, wait until you see and
taste what BEnoit is creating at their gorgeous atelier. Mouthwatering,
high-quality Callebaut fair trade finest Belgian chocolate is the base for BEnoit's
amazing creations with inspired flavors that tempt and tantalize the palate and
are as beautiful to look at as they are tasty to eat.
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We
love excellent quality coffee to start our day, an espresso or iced coffee in
the afternoon, as well as used in cocktail and culinary recipes. We recently
"discovered" Java
Love Coffee Roasting Co., and while new to us, they celebrated
their 10-year anniversary on May 1, 2021. With their widely diverse selection
of high-quality coffees, you can break out from your usual coffee routine and
take your palate on a trip around the world with their exotic coffees from Brazil,
Columbia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Ethiopia, Papua New Guinea, and Sumatra,
as well as enjoy one of their domestic blends. In addition to their coffee,
they also carry an extensive line of teas available online and at their 4
locations in New York and New Jersey.
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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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Always on the lookout for
interesting products to incorporate in our recipes, we tried and loved Marabissi Il Panforte Torta Amerene e Peperoncino (Sour
Cherries and Chili "Cake") imported
by Italian
Products & Beyond. The Sour Cherries and Chili Cake is like a
fruit and nut pâté, that also has cocoa, almonds, and honey is a delectable
accompaniment to serve with cheese as well as incorporate in baking and savory
culinary recipes. We used it to create our recipe for Luxury Experience -
Grappa Sour Cherry Almond Chicken. Buon Appetito!
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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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As professional
chefs and home cooks know, a great source
for high-quality culinary ingredients is worth its weight in gold. We
recently found and fell in love with the company Italian Products
& Beyond that is an incredible resource for high-quality
culinary ingredients. Their extensive collection of EVOOs,
vinegars, truffle products, pates, pesto,
tomatoes, coffee, fish, salts,
nuts, sweets, and so much more, are the stuff of
culinary dreams! We especially love the Italian Extra Virgin Olive
Oils (EVOOs) from Gonnelli 1585, Frantoio Di Santa Téa Olio Extra Vergine Di Oliva. Happy
Cooking!
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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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 The book, The Statues of Central Park by Catarina Astrom and June Eding published by Hatherleigh Press is a perfect gift to remember a special trip to New York City or for those planning a trip to the Big Apple, the book will be a delightful guide to the famous statues of Central Park. When I read the book, I thought it would be great fun to bring it with me on my next visit to Central Park and use it to learn more about its famous statues; a mini-adventure and a history lesson all rolled up into one book. Happy exploring! |
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 The Cocktail Companion: A Guide to Cocktail History, Culture, Trivia and Favorite Drinks by Cheryl Charming is the perfect gift for you or for your favorite cocktailian. Published by Mango Publishing, the book is part educational, part reference book, part fun and games, has great recipes,and is all around fabulously entertaining. |
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 Tis The Season New York by Betsy Pinnover Schiff, published by Schiffer Publishing, Ltd is an iconic book of photographic images celebrating the vibrant and colorful holiday season in New York City. This beautiful book is a love letter to New York City with its series of stunning photographs that together with short captions capture the New York festive spirit. Tis The Season New York by Betsy Pinnover Schiff makes a delightful book for your favorite New Yorker or as a gift to remember a special vacation in the "Big Apple." Happy Holidays! |
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 Afternoon tea has always been a time-honored and cherished ritual in my family, so I loved reading, Tea & Taste, The Visual Language of Tea, by Tania M. Buckrell Pos, published by Schiffer Publishing, Ltd. The book is beautifully written and is a treasure of information into the history and etiquette of tea along with stunning photographs, gorgeous artwork, and even recipes to stimulate your appetite. The book makes a perfect gift for your favorite tea afficionado. |
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