Congratulatons Deb! Great choice.
- Thread starter judy-mass
- Start date
sandi-in-hawaii
Well-known member
Wow Traca! I wanna be you in my next life!!
You guys are so sweet! Although I'm practically sleeping in my soup every night...
it's worth it. While there hasn't been much time for cooking or maintaining my blog lately, I'm definitely keeping up with my journal. Who knows? Maybe I'll get stranded on a desert island and be able to get it all documented properly.
While I'm not commnenting much these days, it's nice to pop in and see all the good stuff you guys are cooking up. My "to try" file is growing rapidly!
it's worth it. While there hasn't been much time for cooking or maintaining my blog lately, I'm definitely keeping up with my journal. Who knows? Maybe I'll get stranded on a desert island and be able to get it all documented properly.
While I'm not commnenting much these days, it's nice to pop in and see all the good stuff you guys are cooking up. My "to try" file is growing rapidly!
Hey Ang...nice to hear from YOU. I loved the midnight sun photo. As for me, I've been drinking out
of a fire hose lately. I've been so busy, tonight I came home from work and literally fell asleep sitting up! Yowza.
I have to admit, I've been up to some really cool stuff. In the last 6 weeks, I went to Vermont to hang out with my friend & author Crescent Dragonwagon. While I was there, we paid a visit to her pal & fellow James Beard Award-winner Deborah Krasner. We had dinner at Deborah's lovely home and I heard about the kitchen she just designed for Giada DeLaurentis...and she's got an interesting new book in the works.
Back at home, I was invited to an event with one of my favorite people, Lynne Kaspar-Rossetto from the Splendid Table radio show. (She's just as lovely in person!) We slurped briny oysters and chatted about how the food biz has changed over the years.
And a couple weeks ago, I was invited to a small tasting of Kopi Luwak, the world's most expensive coffee. There were only about 15 people in attendance--including the Associated Press and chef Jerry Traunfeld (when Jerry was at the Herbfarm, National Geographic Traveler named it the #1 dining destination in the United States.) Apparently an Indonesian marsupial called a civet eats the fruit from a coffee plant. He passes the actual bean and marks his territory with the scat. Folks harvest the scat. The beans are extracted, washed, and then roasted. The gastric juices in the civet's intestine, it's said, helps neutralize the acid in the coffee bean and it produces a mild, yet flavorful cuppa joe. Slurping and comparing notes with the pros (including the roaster who was sweating bullets over this coffee that sells for $1,000 a pound) was amazing. And then it was paired with a deep Venezuelan chocolate created just for pairing with this coffee by Theo chocolates. It was stunning to try the two together. Some days, I just can't believe my dumb luck.
Ah, and I've got a new writing gig for the Examiner.com, writing about the Seattle Food Scene.
What else? The chef I did PR for won Food & Wine's Top 10 new chefs award and was nominated for a James Beard Award (he didn't get it, but it's an honor to be nominated.) Maybe you saw the F&W edition last month? Ethan Stowell with the mussel dish.
And, interestingly, my friend was on a flight down to Mexico and the in-flight magazine threw a spotlight on my blog!
Finally, this weekend...Taste TV is hosting the Seattle Luxury Chocolate Salon. The gods have smiled on me...and I've been asked to be a judge for the competition!
I'm nervous and excited...and frantically trying to figure out how I'm going to tackle this competition. I had the chance to interview Alice Medrich--the queen of chocolate--for some tips. She's delightful and lovely, and we had a fabulous chat. Her biggest tip--other than trying to figure out a way to focus when being surrounded by all the hooplah--was to cleanse your palate with wine tasting crackers and WARM water. Warm water? Yes, warm water melts the fat on your tongue and the crackers help clear the way....
The event organizers have warned me...there's no cure for chocolate-induced comas! LOL! I wonder if I'll have to sign a waiver. smileys/wink.gif
There's tons of other stuff going on but there's the big highlights. Sheesh, any one of these things would have made my year. Pile them all up into a 6 week period and I'm too busy to freak out! It's gone by in a blur, but luckily I've been taking tons of notes, photos, and I've even recorded my interview with Alice on an MP3 recorder. Now if I can just figure out how to edit it...LOL!
of a fire hose lately. I've been so busy, tonight I came home from work and literally fell asleep sitting up! Yowza.
I have to admit, I've been up to some really cool stuff. In the last 6 weeks, I went to Vermont to hang out with my friend & author Crescent Dragonwagon. While I was there, we paid a visit to her pal & fellow James Beard Award-winner Deborah Krasner. We had dinner at Deborah's lovely home and I heard about the kitchen she just designed for Giada DeLaurentis...and she's got an interesting new book in the works.
Back at home, I was invited to an event with one of my favorite people, Lynne Kaspar-Rossetto from the Splendid Table radio show. (She's just as lovely in person!) We slurped briny oysters and chatted about how the food biz has changed over the years.
And a couple weeks ago, I was invited to a small tasting of Kopi Luwak, the world's most expensive coffee. There were only about 15 people in attendance--including the Associated Press and chef Jerry Traunfeld (when Jerry was at the Herbfarm, National Geographic Traveler named it the #1 dining destination in the United States.) Apparently an Indonesian marsupial called a civet eats the fruit from a coffee plant. He passes the actual bean and marks his territory with the scat. Folks harvest the scat. The beans are extracted, washed, and then roasted. The gastric juices in the civet's intestine, it's said, helps neutralize the acid in the coffee bean and it produces a mild, yet flavorful cuppa joe. Slurping and comparing notes with the pros (including the roaster who was sweating bullets over this coffee that sells for $1,000 a pound) was amazing. And then it was paired with a deep Venezuelan chocolate created just for pairing with this coffee by Theo chocolates. It was stunning to try the two together. Some days, I just can't believe my dumb luck.
Ah, and I've got a new writing gig for the Examiner.com, writing about the Seattle Food Scene.
What else? The chef I did PR for won Food & Wine's Top 10 new chefs award and was nominated for a James Beard Award (he didn't get it, but it's an honor to be nominated.) Maybe you saw the F&W edition last month? Ethan Stowell with the mussel dish.
And, interestingly, my friend was on a flight down to Mexico and the in-flight magazine threw a spotlight on my blog!
Finally, this weekend...Taste TV is hosting the Seattle Luxury Chocolate Salon. The gods have smiled on me...and I've been asked to be a judge for the competition!
I'm nervous and excited...and frantically trying to figure out how I'm going to tackle this competition. I had the chance to interview Alice Medrich--the queen of chocolate--for some tips. She's delightful and lovely, and we had a fabulous chat. Her biggest tip--other than trying to figure out a way to focus when being surrounded by all the hooplah--was to cleanse your palate with wine tasting crackers and WARM water. Warm water? Yes, warm water melts the fat on your tongue and the crackers help clear the way....
The event organizers have warned me...there's no cure for chocolate-induced comas! LOL! I wonder if I'll have to sign a waiver. smileys/wink.gif
There's tons of other stuff going on but there's the big highlights. Sheesh, any one of these things would have made my year. Pile them all up into a 6 week period and I'm too busy to freak out! It's gone by in a blur, but luckily I've been taking tons of notes, photos, and I've even recorded my interview with Alice on an MP3 recorder. Now if I can just figure out how to edit it...LOL!
A 'big ol' grin' on her face! which was definitely worth it!....
although upon telling DH about it he gently (NOT) reminded me that it was actually his idea...that if we ever went into some sort of foodie business (that'll NEVER happen
to name it "decadence".
Anyway - wishing great success and satifaction with Decadence Cakes. I'm glad he had the motivation to follow his dream.
Deb
although upon telling DH about it he gently (NOT) reminded me that it was actually his idea...that if we ever went into some sort of foodie business (that'll NEVER happen
to name it "decadence".Anyway - wishing great success and satifaction with Decadence Cakes. I'm glad he had the motivation to follow his dream.
Deb
Holy Moly, I'm exhausted just reading about it. Be sure to make some time just for you!
I posted a fishing picture up at 11269, with a furry fishing companion. Tell Lynn that I enjoy the splendid table email I get every week. So many interesting and talented people in your life. Enjoy!
I posted a fishing picture up at 11269, with a furry fishing companion. Tell Lynn that I enjoy the splendid table email I get every week. So many interesting and talented people in your life. Enjoy!
richard-in-cincy
Well-known member
LOL! - Hence their name, 'Decadence' !! How often could we indulge in this fabulous delicacy??
Perhaps once a year....??
Perhaps once a year....??
barbara-in-va
Well-known member
Amazing cake...he is obviously an artist as well as a baker. And CONGRATS to Deb for a great name!
richard-in-cincy
Well-known member
Congratulations to you deb for submitting the winning name!