China Wins Miss World Beauty Pageant

Miss China, 23-year-old Wenxia Yu, took the title of Miss World 2012 on Saturday.
The 5 foot 8 beauty queen beat out 115 other contestants, including Sophie Elizabeth Moulds of Wales and Jessica Michelle Kahawaty of Australia, who were first and second runners-up, respectively.

"When I was young I felt very lucky because so many people helped me and I hope in the future, I can help more children to feel lucky," Yu said after her win was announced.

Yu, a music student who says she aspires to be a teacher, brought the win home to China, which hosted the event at Dongsheng Stadium in the northeastern city of Ordos. China has hosted the competition, which has been held annually since 1951, five times, and last took the crown in 2007. While the pageant isn’t as well known in the U.S. as Miss Universe, it’s highly regarded internationally. Last year’s winner was Ivian Sarcos Colmenares of Venezuela, which has produced six Miss World title holders, the most of any country.

Mario Batali $5.25 Million Settlement

Mario Batali $5.25 Million Settlement - The celebrity chef and restaurateur Mario Batali and a business partner have agreed to pay $5.25 million to resolve a lawsuit filed on behalf of waiters, captains and other employees who claimed that his restaurants had illegally confiscated part of their tips to supplement their profits, court papers show.

The proposed class-action settlement, which must be approved by a judge, could cover about 1,100 employees, including servers, busboys, runners and bartenders who worked at the restaurants, in some cases as far back as 2004, according to a filing made Monday in Federal District Court in Manhattan. The suit is similar to others that have been brought in the past few years claiming labor violations by high-profile chefs and restaurants in New York and elsewhere.

The lawsuit against Mr. Batali, filed in 2010, said that he and a partner, Joseph Bastianich, and their restaurants had a policy of deducting an amount equivalent to 4 to 5 percent of total wine sales at the end of each night from the tip pool and keeping the money.

One bartender was told that “it was a policy across the Batali restaurant group” and that the money “went to the house,” a judge, Richard J. Holwell, wrote in a ruling last May. At Tarry Lodge, in Port Chester, N.Y., a spreadsheet divided a night’s tips among waiters and documented a 4 percent deduction, Judge Holwell noted. At one staff meeting, an executive “refused to justify the policy and said it was not going to change,” the judge wrote.

Employees were told the money was to cover expenses related to wine research and to cover broken glassware, the judge added. He made no findings on the merits of the case.

Other Batali restaurants named in the suit included Babbo, Del Posto, Casa Mono, Bar Jamَn, Esca, Lupa and Otto, all in Manhattan.

Rachel Bien, a lawyer for the employees, and Carolyn D. Richmond, a lawyer for Mr. Batali, issued identical statements Wednesday, saying, “The matter has been resolved to the satisfaction of all parties.” A spokeswoman for Mr. Batali did not respond to a message seeking comment.

The lawyers for the plaintiffs may receive up to one-third of the settlement as legal fees, if the court approves, the papers show. The defendants admit no wrongdoing.

Judge Holwell resigned last month to enter private practice, but another judge is expected to hold a hearing on the settlement proposal and then decide whether to approve it.

Bobby Flay Recipes

Bobby Flay Recipes - Red chile-tangerine glazed turkey

Ingredients
Red chile-tangerine glaze
3 cups tangerine juice
2 cups red wine vinegar
2 cups sugar
1/4 – 3/4 teaspoon chile de arbol powder (depending on how spicy you like it)
Turkey
1 22 pound whole fresh turkey, rinsed well and patted dry
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, slightly softened
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 onion, diced
Flat leaf parsley
Cilantro
8 cups homemade chicken stock or low sodium canned broth
Turkey stock
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
Turkey neck
Wing tips
2 carrots, peeled and cut into medium dice
2 stalks celery, cut into medium dice
1 medium onion, cut into medium dice
3 cloves garlic, chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
5 tablespoons flour
Pan drippings plus enough chicken stock to make 8 cups
1/2 cup reserved tangerine-red chile glaze, from above
Fresh thyme
Flat leaf parsley
Finely grated tangerine zest
Preparation
For red chile-tangerine glaze: Combine juice, vinegar and sugar in a large saucepan, bring to a boil and cook over high heat, whisking occasionally, until reduced to about 2 cups and thickened to a glaze, about 30 minutes; season with salt and pepper; let cool slightly. Remove ½ cup of the glaze and reserve it for the gravy.

For the turkey: Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Remove the turkey from the refrigerator 1 hour before roasting. Rub the entire turkey with the butter and season with salt and pepper. Fill the cavity with the vegetables and herbs. Put the stock in a saucepan over low heat.

Put a roasting rack inside of a large roasting pan and add 3 cups of the stock to the bottom. Roast the turkey for 30 minutes then turn the heat down to 375. Continue roasting until a thermometer inserted into the thigh registers 170 degrees F and the breast is at least 160 degrees F, about 3 to 3 ½ hours. During the first 2 hours, baste the turkey every 15 minutes with some of the remaining stock. During the last 30 minutes of cooking, brush the turkey with some of the tangerine glaze every 10 minutes. Remove from the oven to a cutting board, brush with more of the glaze and let rest for at least 20 minutes before carving. Strain any of the drippings into a measuring cup.

For turkey stock: Melt the butter in a large high sided sauté pan or saucepan over high heat. Add the turkey neck and wing tips and cook until golden brown. Add the carrots, celery and onion season with salt and pepper and cook until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook for a minute.

Add the flour and stir constantly until a golden brown color. Slowly whisk in some of the hot stock and continue whisking and adding more stock until smooth. Reduce the heat and cook until thickened and the flour taste has cooked out, about 10 minutes. Add the tangerine glaze to taste. Add chopped thyme, parsley, tangerine zest and season with salt and pepper to taste. Keep warm.

Serving Size
Serves 8

Recipe: Chorizo-cornbread dressing

Ingredients
Cornbread
1 1/2 cups stone ground yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups well-shaken buttermilk
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
Dressing
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 pound chorizo sausage, cut into small dice
1 large Spanish onion, cut into small dice
2 large stalks celery, cut into small dice
2 large carrots, peeled and cut into small dice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 x Cornbread recipe, above, cubed (about 8 cups), staled
4 to 6 cups homemade turkey or chicken stock or low sodium canned chicken broth
3 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Preparation
For the cornbread: Heat a cast iron dry skillet in the lower third of the oven while preheating oven to 425 degrees F. Whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Whisk together the eggs, and milk in a small bowl. Add the wet ingredients and the melted butter to the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined.

Carefully remove the hot pan from the oven and spray the bottom and sides with cooking spray. Scrape the mixture into the pan and bake until lightly golden brown and a tester inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs, about 18 minutes. Let cool slightly on a baking rack.

For the dressing: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the chorizo and cook until golden brown, remove the chorizo to a plate lined with paper towels. Add the onions, celery and carrot to the pan with the fat, season with salt and pepper and cook until soft then stir in the chorizo. Place the cornbread in a large bowl; add the onion mixture and 2 to 3 cups of the stock. The mixture should be quite wet, if it appears too dry, begin adding the remaining stock, a half cup at a time. Stir in the sage, thyme and parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste. Scrape the dressing evenly into a buttered large baking dish (12 x 12 or larger) and bake in a 375 degrees F oven until set and golden brown on top, about 30-40 minutes.

Serving Size
Serves 8; Cornbread yields 1 9-inch round

Alex Guarnaschelli I Love Cool Ranch Doritos And Oreos

Alex Guarnaschelli I Love Cool Ranch Doritos And Oreos - Do you think everybody has this fantasy that chefs are at home eating foie gras and caviar sandwiches all the time. And I’ve had my share, but I like junk food too. I really love texture and crunch. I’m pretty much obsessed with barbecue potato chips, salt and vinegar potato chips, and I love sour cream and onion chips, too. And I love Cool Ranch Doritos, and I’m not ashamed to admit it.

Alex Guarnaschelli is a chef, mother and Food Network personality who has appeared as either a host or judge on countless programs including, The Cooking Loft, Alex’s Day Off, Iron Chef America, The Best Thing I Ever Ate, Chopped, and most recently, Chopped All-Stars, which premiered last night.

Guarnaschelli took time away from commanding the kitchens as executive chef at New York City’s Butter and The Darby restaurants to talk to Gourmet Live about her love of Doritos, her biggest kitchen mistake and the worst thing she ever ate.

Thomas Keller Loves Peanut Butter

Thomas Keller Loves Peanut Butter - Chefs of a certain caliber are often very unlike the rest of us in their food cravings, more inclined to prefer acquired-taste delicacies like sea urchin and caviar above milder, everyday fare.

So it’s refreshing to hear that culinary icon Thomas Keller counts among his favorite foods some everyman staples like peanut butter (the creamy variety) and roast chicken.

In an interview with Bloomberg, shown above, Keller also cops to loving In-N-Out. Just a plain old cheeseburger, none of that off-the-menu, Animal Style nonsense. That’s fine by me.

2012 Olympics: Reed Kessler’s Guilty Pleasures Chocolate Addiction

Reed Kessler is only 17, but she’s No. 1 on the U.S. Olympic Show Jumping Team Long List, hoping to soon hear whether she will be headed to the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London as an Olympic Show Jumper.

Watch Reed talk about how she balances school and her sport, what she does for fun when she’s not riding, and her guilty pleasure when it comes to food: “I have a chocolate addiction – I have a big chocolate addiction,” Reed says.

17 yr old Reed Kessler Shares Victory with legendary show jumping veteran Margie Engle in USEF National Show Jumping Championship, Lauren Fisher and Shona Rosenblum for Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.: The 2012 USEF National Show Jumping Championships and Selection Trials for the U.S. Show Jumping Team for the 2012 Olympic Games concluded on Saturday evening with an exciting fourth and final round under the lights at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. It was a full house of over 7,000 spectators as veteran competitor Margie Engle and young rider Reed Kessler tied for the championship title and shared the victory gallop. The competition this week was held as both the national championship and the selection trials for this summer’s Olympic Games concurrently. For the national championship, riders scores carried over through each of the four rounds of competition and $200,000 was awarded to the top twelve competitors overall. Those standings will also help to determine the long list for the riders that will compete in the Olympic Games in London this summer. The long list will be announced on Sunday.Alan Wade of Ireland set the courses for all four rounds of competition held throughout the week and finished out with another great course tonight. Twenty competitors returned for the final round, and just three were able to clear the course without fault. The final two horse and rider combinations on course tonight were Margie Engle and Indigo and Reed Kessler and Cylana. Each came into the last round carrying cumulative scores of eight from the previous three rounds. Both pairs then had a score of four over tonight’s course to finish with twelve fault totals. The riders agreed to jump their horses no further in a jump-off and share the championship honors. In addition to her ride aboard Cylana, Kessler was the first rider to clear the course without fault tonight with her horse Mika. Kessler and Mika carried 13 faults into the final round and kept their final score at just that. The pair finished in a three-way tie for third place overall with Mario Deslauriers and Jane F. Clark’s Urico and Rich Fellers and Harry & Mollie Chapman’s Flexible. Kent Farrington and RCG Farm’s Uceko also jumped a clear round over tonight’s course and finished on an 18 fault total to earn the fourth place prize overall. Beezie Madden and Abigail Wexner’s Cortes ‘C’ were the only other pair to clear the course. Madden and Cortes ‘C’ carried 20 faults into tonight’s round and remained at that score for the overall standings. She ended up tied for the fifth place prize with Laura Kraut and Stars and Stripes’ Teirra.

Reed Kessler 17

Reed Kessler 17 - 17 yr old Reed Kessler Shares Victory with legendary show jumping veteran Margie Engle in USEF National Show Jumping Championship, Lauren Fisher and Shona Rosenblum for Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.: The 2012 USEF National Show Jumping Championships and Selection Trials for the U.S. Show Jumping Team for the 2012 Olympic Games concluded on Saturday evening with an exciting fourth and final round under the lights at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. It was a full house of over 7,000 spectators as veteran competitor Margie Engle and young rider Reed Kessler tied for the championship title and shared the victory gallop.

The competition this week was held as both the national championship and the selection trials for this summer’s Olympic Games concurrently. For the national championship, riders scores carried over through each of the four rounds of competition and $200,000 was awarded to the top twelve competitors overall. Those standings will also help to determine the long list for the riders that will compete in the Olympic Games in London this summer. The long list will be announced on Sunday.Alan Wade of Ireland set the courses for all four rounds of competition held throughout the week and finished out with another great course tonight. Twenty competitors returned for the final round, and just three were able to clear the course without fault.

The final two horse and rider combinations on course tonight were Margie Engle and Indigo and Reed Kessler and Cylana. Each came into the last round carrying cumulative scores of eight from the previous three rounds. Both pairs then had a score of four over tonight’s course to finish with twelve fault totals. The riders agreed to jump their horses no further in a jump-off and share the championship honors.

In addition to her ride aboard Cylana, Kessler was the first rider to clear the course without fault tonight with her horse Mika. Kessler and Mika carried 13 faults into the final round and kept their final score at just that. The pair finished in a three-way tie for third place overall with Mario Deslauriers and Jane F. Clark’s Urico and Rich Fellers and Harry & Mollie Chapman’s Flexible.

Kent Farrington and RCG Farm’s Uceko also jumped a clear round over tonight’s course and finished on an 18 fault total to earn the fourth place prize overall.

Beezie Madden and Abigail Wexner’s Cortes ‘C’ were the only other pair to clear the course. Madden and Cortes ‘C’ carried 20 faults into tonight’s round and remained at that score for the overall standings. She ended up tied for the fifth place prize with Laura Kraut and Stars and Stripes’ Teirra.

Commenting on the decision to share the title and not jump another round, Engle explained, “I actually thought beforehand that it was a lot of jumping that the horses had done and it has been really hot all week. Four rounds in basically three days is a lot. My horse had plenty of energy, but it is a lot of jumping big jumps and you want to have a little bit left, have something left at the end. We still have two more observation trials and an Olympics. I went to Reed, and for the welfare of the horses, it was the best idea to save them and not do anymore pounding. They jumped their hearts out and I think it was best to try and save them for what’s really important for what’s ahead. It was a quick decision for me. This way there are no losers. Both of us are happy this way.”

Kessler agreed with the decision, but left the ultimate choice up to her trainer, Katie Prudent. “I don’t make those big decisions; Katie does. But for Katie, it immediately made sense,” Kessler stated. “I agree with Margie. We have the jog first thing in the morning and these horses have been jumping huge tracks all week. I would hate to be greedy and make them do one more round and god forbid something went wrong for the jog tomorrow. I’d hate to be greedy just for the money or the title. I thought that was a great idea and Katie made the decision. I said it was awesome because she (Margie) was 99% probably going to beat me.”

US Olympic Show Jumping Team

US Olympic Show Jumping Team - Hard luck continued for the U.S. Olympic Show Jumping Team as they rallied for a sixth place finish in the Team Championship at Greenwich Park. American anchor rider Rich Fellers said “Clear rounds win medals” and today that proved true as Great Britain won Team Gold for the first time since 1952. They did it in classic style in front of a home crowd of 20,000 fans, jumping off with Holland for the Gold medal. It was a masterful effort by the home team. Saudi Arabia won Bronze.

Bob Ellis’ track proved incredibly tough and scopey and only eight of the 51 starters managed clear rounds. The water line, from fences three to five proved very influential. The best American effort was turned in by Beezie Madden (Cazenovia, NY) who rebounded back from a rough start to the Olympic Games on Via Volo to fault at the third to last fence, a massive oxer.

“For sure its harder without saying,” said Madden. “And more technical. The water is more difficult and the double to the vertical is quite difficult… and the last three jumps are just plain old big.”

Madden and Coral Reef Ranch’s 14-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare jumped a confident effort up to that point and were in good company on four faults.

“I don’t think she was so much tired as just a little aggressive,” said Madden of her rail. “Instead of backing up there she went at it.”

Madden feels like her mare is back on track after being eliminated in the First Individual Qualifier.

“She felt great,” said Madden. “It felt like a normal round out there for us today.”

Fellers (Wilsonville, OR) on Flexible and McLain Ward (Brewster, NY) on Antares F both go forward to the Individual final on Wednesday despite the fact that they each had eight-fault efforts in the second round of the Nations Cup. They bookended the team and Ward and Grant Road Partners 12-year-old Baden Wurtenburger gelding were unlucky to have the second fence down, followed by a mistake in the triple combination.

“I think you have to assume the horses are fatigued,” said Fellers. “But mine felt ok.”

Fellers and Flexible hadn’t had a first-round fault since March so their two rails were a surprise. But Fellers is still looking for an Individual medal – they had a cheap rail at fence six and then Fellers overrode Harry and Mollie Chapman’s 16-year-old Irish Sport Horse stallion at the front rail of the massive oxer at fence eight.

“It was quite a wide fence, probably the widest on the course, and I stepped on the gas pedal a little hard off the ground, thinking about the back rail and disregarding the front rail and ran him into it a little bit. I felt like he finished up great,” said Fellers. “It will be nice to have a day of rest and then come back really good on Wednesday.”

Everyone who starts the Individual Final starts on a score of zero.

Rookie Reed Kessler (Lexington, KY) was the youngest competitor in the entire field at age 18 (and the youngest ever on the U.S. Equestrian Team). She rode beyond her years and despite a 12-fault effort on Cylana she proudly represented her country along side two double Gold medalists (Madden and Ward) and the reigning Rolex/FEI World Cup Champion (Fellers).

“It gets bigger and bigger each day,” said Kessler. “It’s been a real test. I wish I could have turned in a clear for my team but this is my first major championship. I think she got little tired by the last line and I think the five (to the last fence) was a little far and reachy. But she jumped great and I couldn’t ask for a better horse. For her to take someone of my age with my experience to the Games is more than anyone could ask.”

The Individual Final is Wednesday – the top 35 (a maximum of three riders from each country) advance to the final.

Ashton Kutcher Two And A Half Men

Ashton Kutcher Two And A Half Men - Charlie is already dead. Ashton Kutcher’s Walden Schmidt has already bought his house. Heck, we’ve already met Ashton Kutcher’s Walden Schmidt’s nether regions — in fact, a grand total of 27.7 million viewers met his nether regions. Of course, huge ratings for Two and a Half Men‘s ninth season premiere were expected — following Charlie Sheen’s firing and subsequent media implosion, curiosity drove many to tune into CBS to see what would come of Charlie Harper and his youthful replacement. But now that we’ve gotten answers — and an opportunity to snap judge Kutcher in the role as hapless and hopelessly-in-love billionaire Walden — will TV viewers continue to tune in? When it comes to Two and a Half Men‘s headline-making ninth season, do we still care?
As expected, the second episode was far less buzzy than its predecessor. Following its water cooler premiere, it was back to basics for the CBS sitcom: Same sex jokes, same laugh track. (On second thought, those were in the premiere too.) But we still learned plenty about new guy Walden. Essentially, thanks to his mere presence, the show should be retitled Two Men. As his ex Bridget (Judy Greer) said during the episode, Walden “has the emotional maturity of a 12-year-old.” The billionaire may be able to buy a fancy car and a new beachside villa, but he can’t remember which shampoo or toilet paper he uses without his ex-wife. Walden is so immature, you might as well call him Kelso. (Who else saw shades of the That ’70s Show character when Walden told Bridget, “If loving you is wrong, then I am… wrong”?)
Of course, we can expect this emotional immaturity to lead to Walden getting a new roommate — Cryer’s Alan Harper, who, until he asked to be Walden’s roommate for “a month tops” (yeah, right), was stuck under his mom’s kinky umbrella. But, interestingly enough, Two and a Half Men doesn’t seem to be moving forward quite yet — there was still mention of Charlie’s death when a babe dropped by the house in search of him. She, naturally, moved on at the mere sight of Walden — something CBS is hoping us viewers do too.

Ashton Kutcher Reveals Guilty Pleasure Jersey Shore

Ashton Kutcher Reveals Guilty Pleasure Jersey Shore - After last week’s whopping premiere of Jersey Shore which netted 8.45 million viewers, the most watched series ever on MTV, Ashton Kutcher admits he’s among one of the countless fans. Better yet, he’s never missed an episode!

Ashton tells MTV, “I was on the Jersey Shore bandwagon really early….A good friend of mine started showing me all these pictures of all these guidos online, and then she was like, ‘Oh my God, you have to see this show,’ and so I started watching.” And that he did! “I’m a huge fan of the show. I haven’t missed an episode.”

Although Ashton admits he doesn’t have a favorite catchphrase like “GTL,” he would totally own it if he hung out with Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino, Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi and the crew and adds, “I can fist-pump with the best of ‘em.”

Ashton Kutcher Plays Steve Jobs

Ashton Kutcher Plays Steve Jobs - He’s had one foot in Hollywood and the other in Silicon Valley for years now, so it makes sense that Ashton Kutcher has been tapped to play Steve Jobs in an upcoming bio-pic of the late Apple co-founder.

On Sunday, Variety reported that Kutcher will star in “Jobs,” which is expected to chronicle Jobs’s life from his decidedly un-corporate youth to his hand in creating Apple. Variety said the film, to be directed by Joshua Michael Stern (“Swing Vote”) is slated to start production in May while Kutcher is on a hiatus from “Two and a Half Men.”

Kutcher, who put on yet another hat at Sunday’s Country Music Awards, singing a stanza from George Strait’s ”I Cross My Heart,” has been involved in multiple Internet start ups, including Ooma and Katalyst Media. While much of his film work has been critically underwhelming — like 2011?s “No Strings Attached” and “New Year’s Eve” — he was praised for his work in 2005?s “Bobby,” about the assassination of Robert Kennedy.

Nigella Lawson Kill A Bear Wear It

Nigella Lawson Kill A Bear Wear It - Her comments – made on BBC1′s The One Show – were criticised by animal rights’ groups. The television cook also made a stabbing motion with her hands as she said that she would quite happily wear bear fur if she could kill the beast herself. The One Show episode, shown at 7pm on Tuesday evening, included a feature on whether fur should be banned in fashion.

Responding to a viewer’s e-mail, Chiles said: “For celebrities who do wear fur, if they started skinning little dogs and strapping those on their backs, would they feel any differently? Lawson, 48, replied: “I’d love a dog or a cat.” before trailing off. She then went on: “I would have to go into battle myself.

“I feel going into a shop and buying a fur coat would be an act of weakness but if I could go out into the woods and kill a bear myself, I would then wear it proudly as a trophy.”

A clearly surprised Chiles said: “You wouldn’t want to do that, you’re a nice lady who makes chocolate puddings, why would you want to go out killing bears for something to wear?”

But the ‘Domestic Goddess’ replied: “If you’re in nature and it’s either you go or the bear goes…”

Asked again if she would explicitly kill an animal to wear its fur for warmth and fashion, she backtracked but said: “I might if I lived in Alaska.”

Her comments were widely condemned by animal welfare groups.

A spokesman for Respect for Animals, which has campaigned for an end to the international fur trade, said: “Her comments were callous and lacked any compassion and human decency.

“It was an astonishing thing to say on live television and it has certainly not done her any favours at all.

“If she could see the way in which bears and other animals are killed in the wild, then she wouldn’t have been so flippant and so glib as she was on TV.”

Viva! deputy director, Justin Kerswell, said: “Nigella should stick to making double-entedres about puddings.

“Most fur comes from animals farmed in the most appalling conditions. Much of it from China where there are no animal welfare laws, and horrific cruelty is an everyday occurrence.”

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists six bear species as vulnerable or endangered with even “least concern” species such as the brown bear facing the risk of extinction in certain countries.

Lawson’s spokesman was unavailable for comment.

Nigella Lawson Likes To Eat In Bed Guilty Pleasure

Nigella Lawson Likes To Eat In Bed Guilty Pleasure - Nigella Lawson: Dinner in bed, Domestic goddess Nigella Lawson is not really onboard with the notion of guilt, feeling that pleasure shouldn’t engender any remorse. But she acknowledges one habit that raises a disapproving eyebrow in more fastidious types.

“My chief sin in their eyes,” she says, “is that I do not always practice what I preach and sit down to eat with all my family, but rather feed them and then sneak upstairs to eat my supper in bed.

I compound this sin, but also my pleasure somehow, by not having a tray: I love beautiful linens and adore my bed, but I am uncaring about the spillage and drips and crumbs I leave in my lazy, greedy wake.”

E! True Hollywood Story: Biggest Scandals Ever

E! True Hollywood Story: Biggest Scandals Ever - In Hollywood, scandals are like headshots - everybody's got one. However, some are so startling that they generate a media frenzy that dominates the news for weeks at a time. With more than 500 episodes in the vaults, E! selected seven of the most shocking scandals ever for a brand new E! True Hollywood Story, premiering Monday, March 19th at 10:00 pm on E! The one-hour episode examines those moments when things went wrong for pop-culture fixtures such as Tiger Woods, Kate Gosselin, Charlie Sheen and Mel Gibson. This edition of THS also reveals what has transpired for each of these icons since their dramatic falls from grace.

Steamy Affairs: "What we were hearing was a man who was desperate to hide an affair from his wife." - Steve Helling, People Magazine

Shocking Rants: "Jaw-dropping is the reaction that I've heard from most Hollywood insiders... that even by Hollywood standards; this is one of the 'Hall of Fame' scandals of all time." - Michael Levine, Reporter, Author

Cheating Hearts: "When you look at what happened, this is a classic example of somebody who the public really liked turning out to be something really different than they thought." -Tamara Taylor, PR Strategist

Public Betrayals: "It was a shock not only to the public - she found out just like the rest of us. She had no idea. It was really the first time in her life that she had a major personal Scandal on her hands." - E!'s Ken Baker

Be sure to tune-in for one of the juiciest hours on television with E! True Hollywood Story: Biggest Scandals Ever premieres on March 19th at 10 PM only on E!

Richard Nixon Watergate

Richard Nixon Watergate - The Watergate scandal was a political scandal that occurred in the United States in the 1970s as a result of the June 1972 break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office complex in Washington, D.C., and the Nixon administration’s attempted cover-up of its involvement.

The scandal eventually led to the resignation of Richard Nixon, the President of the United States, on August 9, 1974, the only resignation of a U.S. President. The scandal also resulted in the indictment, trial, conviction and incarceration of 43 people, including dozens of top Nixon administration officials.

The affair began with the arrest of five men for breaking and entering into the Democratic National Committee (DNC) headquarters at the Watergate complex on June 17, 1972. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) connected cash found on the burglars to a slush fund used by the Committee for the Re-Election of the President, a fundraising group for the Nixon campaign.

In July 1973, as evidence mounted against the president’s staff, including testimony provided by former staff members in an investigation conducted by the Senate Watergate Committee, it was revealed that President Nixon had a tape-recording system in his offices and he had recorded many conversations. Recordings from these tapes implicated the president, revealing he had attempted to cover up the break-in.

After a protracted series of bitter court battles, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the president had to hand over the tapes to government investigators; he ultimately complied.

Richard Nixon Presidential Cocktail Rum & Coke

Richard Nixon Presidential Cocktail Rum & Coke - Now that he’s safely on vacation on Martha’s Vineyard, what is President Obama imbibing?

Beer probably. Maybe Sam Adams from Boston or Goose Island, a Chicago favorite that he served at his election party.

But what did other presidents prefer? LBJ (Lyndon Baines Johnson) loved Fresca. He is said to have had a Fresca fountain installed in the White House.

Too bad Ken Basin in the video below didn’t know his presidential beverage trivia. Truth be told, there was also some harder stuff around LBJ to help grease political agreements.
Richard Nixon liked rum and Coke. Gerald Ford preferred gin and tonic (same as Queen Elizabeth II).

Harry Truman was a bourbon guy. Bill Clinton likes tequila and Tabasco sauce. George W. Bush liked too many things in his younger days and now drinks O’Doul’s.

The other presidential GW, George Washington, liked homemade beer. (But he had slaves to make it for him.) The first prez also liked bread in warm milk.

David Maraniss Obama Pot

David Maraniss Obama Pot - Veteran presidential biographer David Maraniss-whose Clinton tome First In His Class is considered the definitive account of young Bubba-turns his eye to the current commander in chief in Barack Obama: The Story. And though the book-compiled through interviews with Obama’s old friends and lovers-won’t hit shelves for a few more weeks, juicy revelations about Barry Obama’s pot-smoking youth have been lighting up the blogosphere.

But there’s more! A lengthy Vanity Fair excerpt has already detailed the collegiate future president’s love life. From the good times with the “Choom Gang” to his first visit to Kenya, take a look at other interesting tidbits much-anticipated book.

The meticulous biographer David Maraniss revealed President Barack Obama’s early girlfriends in an excerpt of his forthcoming biography, and now the Internet is seizing upon new details of the president smoking marijuana with his buddies at the Punahou School in Hawaii.

Politico’s Playbook teased the following excerpt from “Barack Obama: The Story,” which will be published in June but is already viewable on Google Books. “When a joint was making the rounds, he often elbowed his way in, out of turn, shouted ‘Intercepted!’ and took an extra hit,” Maraniss writes. But Obama’s buddies, who called themselves the “Choom Gang,” didn’t mind him messing up the rotation. (After all, this was Hawaii.)

That’s not all. Maraniss writes that Obama was known for starting a trend called “TA,” short for “total absorption.”

“When you were with Barry and his pals, if you exhaled precious pakalolo (Hawaiian slang for marijuana, meaning “numbing tobacco”) instead of absorbing it fully into your lungs, you were assessed a penalty and your turn was skipped the next time the joint came around.
Maraniss also describes Obama’s technique of “roof hits” while hot-boxing cars. “When the pot was gone, they tilted their heads back and sucked in the last bit of smoke from the ceiling,” he writes.

The fate of their dealer, Ray, was far more tragic than those of Obama and his largely privileged pals. In a scene that could’ve been in a Quentin Tarantino movie, a “scorned gay lover” later killed Ray with a ball-peen hammer.

The Huffington Post can’t independently verify the claims of Maraniss, who won a Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting in 1993.

Obama has been less than shy about his drug use in the past, writing about the topic in “Dreams from My Father.” “Pot had helped, and booze; maybe a little blow when you could afford it,” he writes in the memoir.

Obama’s tone grows darker, and drugs are an escape for the young Obama, who is facing questions about his own identity:

Junkie. Pothead. That’s where I’d been headed: the final, fatal role of the young would-be black man. Except the highs hadn’t been about that, me trying to prove what a down brother I was. Not by them, anyway. I got high for just the opposite effect, something that could push questions of who I was out of my mind, something that could flatten out the landscape of my heart, blur the edges of my memory. I had discovered that it didn’t make any difference whether you smoked reefer in the white classmate’s sparkling new van, or in the dorm room of some brother you’d met down at the gym, or on the beach with a couple of Hawaiian kids who had dropped out of school and now spent most of their time looking for an excuse to brawl.
As Obama moved to higher stage, he’s also been forthcoming about drug use. On Bill Clinton’s personal triangulation that he had tried marijuana but “didn’t inhale,” Obama said smiling in 2006, “That was the point, wasn’t it?”

Later in “Dreams from My Father,” one of Obama’s friends was arrested for drug possession and his mother, home from Indonesia, confronted him about it in his room, and he walked out.

The fun continued for Obama at Occidental College in Los Angeles, but he became much more serious after transferring to Columbia University after his sophomore year, when he lived, in his words, “like a monk.”

Elvis Presley + Peanut Butter, Banana And Bacon Sandwich

Elvis Presley + Peanut Butter, Banana And Bacon Sandwich - This sandwich is, of course, in very dubious taste. But exercising dubious taste is all part of the whimsical hungover experience. And, anyway, this post-modern hymn to American excess between two slices of bread, this portion of rock and roll history, this hearty helping of artery-clogging flimflam, is far more than a mere sandwich — it is a legend.

INGREDIENTS
4 thick slices good-quality white bread
2 tablespoons crunchy peanut butter
1 banana, mashed with the back of a fork
1 tablespoon honey
8 slices free-range streaky bacon
Butter, for frying (optional)

DIRECTIONS
Thickly spread each slice of bread with the peanut butter. Cover the peanut butter with the mashed banana and drizzle with honey.

Grill the bacon until crispy then place atop the sandwiches, 4 slices on each piece of bread. Top each sandwich with a second slice of bread. For extra calorific value (and authenticity), carefully fry each sandwich in butter, if desired.

If this sandwich becomes a habit, get friendly with a cardiac surgeon. You may need one.

kings Of Music Genres

kings Of Music Genres - To coincide with the re-release of The Lion King, Walt Disney Records will be releasing Best of The Lion King album, including music from all the different The Lion King-related projects including the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, The Lion King Broadway Musical, as well as The Lion King and The Lion King: Simba's Pride.

Track Listing
Disc 1:
Circle Of Life
I Just Can't Wait To Be King
Can You Feel The Love Tonight
Warthog Rhapsody
Lea Halalela
Hakuna Matata
Digga Tunnah Dance
Upendi
One Of Us
The Lion Sleeps Tonight
Be Prepared
They Live In You

Gordon Ramsay Recipes

Gordon Ramsay Recipes - Rack of lamb with warm salad of mixed beans & slow-roast tomatoes, Tender, lean lamb and a selection of the finest vegetables makes this a romantic dish you won’t forget,

Difficulty and servings
Serves 2

Preparation and cooking times
Prep 40 mins

Cook 30 mins

Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. For the tomatoes heat the oil in an ovenproof frying pan (if you don’t have an ovenproof pan, use a standard frying pan then transfer to a roasting tray before putting in the oven) and fry cut-side down. Add the thyme and garlic and cook for 3 mins until coloured. Turn over the tomatoes, drizzle with vinegar, then roast in the oven for 20 mins until soft and caramelised. Leave to rest.
While the tomatoes are roasting, cook the lamb. Season the meat generously and heat the oil and butter in another ovenproof frying pan. Place the lamb, fat-side down, in the pan and scatter round the garlic and thyme. Brown the lamb really well, then turn over.
Baste the lamb with the pan juices, then transfer to the oven for 10 mins for lamb that is pink. If you prefer it more well done, give it 5 mins more. Leave the lamb somewhere warm to rest.
While the lamb is cooking, prepare the bean salad. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the broad beans for a few mins. Scoop them out with a slotted spoon straight into a bowl of ice water, then slip them from their skins into a bowl. Boil the fine beans for 2 mins, then add the mangetout and cook both for 1 min longer. Drain, plunge into iced water (this keeps their bright green colour), leave for 1 min to cool down, then drain again.
Heat the oil in a frying pan, quickly cook the shallots for 1 min until starting to soften and colour, then add the fine beans and mangetout. Cook for about 1 min to heat through, then toss in the almonds and finally toss through the broad beans.
Scatter the basil over the tomatoes, saving a few of the very small leaves for garnishing. Make the dressing by simply whisking the oil and vinegar together. Carve the lamb into cutlets on a board with a very sharp knife (see tip, below). You are now ready to plate up.
Place the salad to one side of each plate. Line up three tomato halves down the other side of the plate. Lay three chops on top of the salad, slightly overlapping, with the bones pointing in the same direction. Drizzle the dressing around the plate and scatter the small basil leaves over the tomatoes.
Trimming the lamb

To keep the lamb neat, I trim the rack right down to the eye of the meat. Your butcher should be able to do this – just ask him to trim away all the fat, leaving the fillet attached to the bone. For a more traditional option that will give you more meat, ask your butcher for a rack that is French trimmed and roast as stated in the recipe, giving it 10 mins longer in the oven.

Carving the lamb

For even-size plump lamb cutlets when carving: starting at one end, cut between the bones and discard the fourth bone, then continue and again discard the fourth bone – make sure it’s just the bone, leave all the meat on.

Per serving
892 kcalories, protein 48g, carbohydrate 25g, fat 68 g, saturated fat 21g, fibre 13g, sugar 15g, salt 0.41 g

Recipe from Good Food magazine, August 2010.

Gordon Ramsay Can’t Get Enough Gummy Sweets

Gordon Ramsay Can’t Get Enough Gummy Sweets - Gordon Ramsay: Chocolate and Gummy Candy: As the hot-tempered chef told the London Times, “I’d never touch a Pot Noodle and although I love a good burger, it wouldn’t be from McDonald’s.

That said, I’m a sucker for some unhealthy treats – I love chocolate and can’t get enough of gummy sweets.”

Gordon Ramsay Just Can't Get Enough Gummy Sweets. Gordon Ramsay was interviewed recently and here were some of his answers.

What's your idea of food heaven and hell?

"Sea bass is the king of fish so my idea of food heaven would be a beautiful fillet, pan-fried with a light sorrel sauce; or served roasted with artichokes and a chive crème fraîche. My food hell is any ready meal. It's so easy to prepare a quick meal using fresh produce, such as a simple stirfry, but people still resort to ready meals that all taste exactly the same.'

Amy Sedaris Collects Shoes And Shoe Boxes Guilty Pleasure

Amy Sedaris Collects Shoes And Shoe Boxes Guilty Pleasure - Amy Sedaris attributes her modest capacity for guilt to the fact that she couldn’t understand what the priest was saying in the Greek Orthodox church of her childhood. Although entertaining is the theme of her book “I Like You,” her New York City apartment kitchen doesn’t have room for gadgets, so she indulges somewhat guiltily in packages of julienned carrots — for both herself and her pet rabbit.

Most of her guilt is reserved for the shoes she buys with every $600 paycheck for an appearance on the “Late Show with David Letterman.”

“That’s a lot of money for a pair of shoes,” she says, “even though I’ll wear them just stomping around on cobblestones.”

She stores them, a bit fetishistically, in boxes stacked over her bed that she loves almost more than the shoes.

“I can’t believe when people rip open gift boxes,” she says. “They’re like gold to me. There’s a girl on my floor who throws out her shoeboxes. She wears size 8. My feet are 5, and my boxes are small, so you can imagine the hyperventilation when I get hers.”

By the way, the shoes are rarely open-toe. “I’ve probably had three pedicures in my life,” she says. “My brother says my toes look like lacquered corn chips.”

Jessica Simpson Cleavage Photo

Jessica Simpson Cleavage Photo - It’s times like this where one thanks God for creating Jessica Simpson, as well as Twitter. In this day and age, she can Tweet photos of her insane post-pregnancy cleavage for the populace to admire without any paparazzi needing to stalk her! If you’re still reading this, you have issues.

The singer-actress-fashion person has been working out so hard, she’s busting out of her athletic gear as part of her post-pregnancy weight-loss plan.

One that will reportedly pay her $4 million, thanks to Weight Watchers. “Just taking a walk around the block,” Jessica wrote. “Street legal???”

Jessica Simpson Addicted To Nicorette

Jessica Simpson Addicted To Nicorette - Jessica Simpson has developed an addiction to nicotine chewing gum, even though she has never smoked a cigarette. The singer started using the product, which is designed to help smokers quit, by accident – but now relies on it for energy.

She says: “I am addicted to Nicorette gum… Never in my life have I smoked. The first time I ever chewed a piece of Nicorette gum one of my close friends’ mother gave it to me. I think she thought she was giving me a piece of regular gum. I was chewing it and it was like a party in my mouth. It was like fireworks and ‘Oh my God, I’m talking a million miles per hour and I love this gum and what kind of gum is this? I have to have this gum!’”

“It’s Nicorette and it gives me energy – it’s like drinking three Red Bulls (energy drinks).”

Harry S. Truman Tuna Casserole

Harry S. Truman Tuna Casserole - On October 5, 1947, Harry Truman made the first televised presidential address from the White House. In it, he asked Americans to reduce their use of grain in order to help feed starving people overseas.

At the time of his “Food Conservation Speech,” Europe was still recovering from the devastation of World War II and suffering from widespread famine. Truman asked farmers to reduce their use of grain and asked the public to avoid meat on Mondays, eggs and poultry on Thursdays, and to “save a slice of bread each day.”

Within days, restaurants all over the country had pledged their support while the New York Times invited readers to write in for a free pamphlet of meatless recipes, including a “canned salmon bake topped with crushed potato chips.” Truman, for his part, lunched on a “symbolic cheese soufflé.”

Tuna Noodle Casserole was another popular “Meatless Monday” dish. If you’d like to whip up a batch, here is a quick and easy, no-nonsense recipe that has been adapted from Bess Truman’s handwritten recipe which is on file at the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library in Independence, Missouri.

12 ounces elbow macaroni
1 can white albacore tuna, drained
1 can cream of celery soup
1/3 cup milk
¾ cup cheddar cheese
½ cup bread crumbs
2 tablespoons butter
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 2 ½ to 3-quart casserole dish.

In a medium saucepan, cook the noodles until tender, about 10-12 minutes. Remove and drain well. In a medium bowl, combine the noodles, tuna, soup, and milk. Pour mixture into the prepared baking dish.

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Mix together bread crumbs and butter in a small bowl, then sprinkle bread crumb mixture and cheese over the top. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until the bread crumbs are slightly browned. Serve warm and enjoy!

Herschel Walker Guilty Pleasure My Life As Dinosaur Dental Floss Time

Herschel Walker Guilty Pleasure My Life As Dinosaur Dental Floss Time - My son Christian’s school requires him to read a lot even in the summer. And that means I have a good reason to spend more time with him and get back into reading again. I discovered My Life as Crocodile Junk Food by Bill Myers about three months ago at a bookstore, and I thought it would be a great book we could read together. The book is about a kid named Wally who, like me when I was young, is a bit geeky and insecure.

Wally goes on a trip to South America with his dad, who’s a missionary. At the beginning, Wally is unsure of his Christian beliefs and himself, but he meets people who teach him to have faith. I picked it because I wanted my little boy to know he should never be ashamed of his beliefs, and always love himself. It also reminded me a little about my own book, which talks about how, like Wally, I didn’t always like who I was either.

We’ve finished Crocodile, but I’ve already bought another one for us to look forward to: My Life as Dinosaur Dental Floss. NFL running back and Heisman Trophy winner Walker, released his memoir, Breaking Free: My Life with Dissociative Identity Disorder, in April

Celebrity Apprentice Herschel Walker

Celebrity Apprentice Herschel Walker - Anyway, Black chose his wife’s ginger soy chicken recipe but it was way too salty so Joan Rivers saved it by adding orange flavor. But then Walker made his ultimately fatal mistake: he wanted to do a parfait. Black had concerns about the yogurt freezing and thawing properly. Walker got annoyed with him (”You argue about everything!” Walker said to Black.) and chose to keep doing the parfait. The company execs did like the chicken but found the dessert too complicated to pack.

The opponents, led by Jesse James, won with a gluten-free pasta and meatballs, courtesy of poker player Annie Duke. He acted a bit odd, doing most of the (minimalistic) marketing himself, minus Melissa, but it didn’t matter in the end. A win’s a win.

Overall, the Heisman Trophy winner comported himself like a champ. He occasionally lashed out at the likes of Black and earlier, Tom Green, but he played the game with class 99% of the time. Joan Rivers at one point even said she wished Melissa and Herschel would hook up, she liked him so much. Now – that would be one strange couple, eh?

He did lose twice, though, as project manager, so his charity Alternative Community Development Services, got nothing.

In the earlier challenge, Trump fired golfer Natalie Gulbes for an auction of Ivanka Trump’s jewelry. Her errors: not pulling in her buds to give money and picking jewelry that wasn’t showy enough for a live auction.

But what made that first hour fascinating was the interplay among Joan Rivers, Melissa Rivers and Annie Duke.

To Annie’s credit, she did a brilliant job as an auctioneer shaking money down from her friends salted in the audience. (My girlfriend dubbed her a “nutcracker.”)

“She really knows how to take money from people,” Brande Roderick said admirably.

Team Kotu’s Black had a lot more trouble wrangling money. He couldn’t get people into it the way Duke did. Why wasn’t Joan Rivers doing it in the first place? The room was leaden. Nobody was spending.

“Utterly embarrassing,” said season one “Celebrity Apprentice” winner Piers Morgan, who was a guest observer.

Rivers finally came out during the big item to help poor Black. She helped them sell jewelry.

During the Trump panel discussion, “I like my team to all participate,” Joan said, rationalizing why Clint led the auction instead of her. Natalie’s pieces didn’t stand out from the back.

Ivanka was insulted that Joan Rivers’ strategy was to get the most money, by pooling the donor money for one item. In fact, they didn’t even sell all five pieces of jewelry.

Trump and Morgan wondered why Joan Rivers’ couldn’t get many big names. Melissa started defending her mom, noting that many big names turned him down.

Annie Duke criticized the strategy and Rivers did not take it well.

“You’re a despicable human being, a perfect poker player,” Joan Rivers said.

“She’s a crazy bitch and she better never talk to me again,” Duke said with venom later on.

In the end, Duke totally beat up on Rivers as team leaders, $153,000 to $92,000. So she got $245,000 for her charity Refugees International.

Previews show more fireworks between the two next week.

Kim Glass Volleyball Vixon

Kim Glass Volleyball Vixon - Kim Marie Glass is an American indoor volleyball player. She was born on August 18th, 1984 and has played for the U.S. National Team on May 23rd, 2007.

Kim Glass made her first Olympic appearance at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, helping Team USA to a silver medal. Glass was born in Los Angeles, California, In 2001, Kim was the Pennsylvania State Gatorade Player of the Year.


Career: Holds Arizona's single season records in kills (556), 20+ kill matches (14) and kills per game (4.96) ... Is already fourth on Arizona's career list in 20+ kill matches ... Holds Arizona freshman records in matches played (32), kills (556), attempts (1,257), service aces (44) and kills per game (4.96).

2002: Honors: American Volleyball Coaches Association National Freshman of the Year ... Second team AVCA All-American ...
AVCA All-Pacific Region ... AVCA Pacific Region Freshman of the Year ... Pac-10 Freshman of the Year ... All-Pac-10 ... Earned NCAA Tournament All-Pacific Region accolades ... Postseason: Had a team-high 92 kills for an average of 6.20 kpg in Arizona's four postseason matches ... Finished in double figure kills in all four postseason matches ... Led all players with 28 kills on a personal best .558 hitting in Arizona's first round win over UT-Arlington (12/5) ... Broke her own three-game-match school record with the 28 kills against UT-Arlington ... Finished with a match-high 26 kills and eight digs in Arizona's five-game win over Texas (12/6) in the second round ... Posted her third straight 20+ kill match of the postseason with 29 and also had 13 digs against Minnesota (12/12) in the regional semifinals at Stanford. Broke Terry Lauchner's school single season record for kills in the match ... Led all Arizona players with 10 kills in UA's regional final loss at Stanford (12/13) ... Season: Posted double digit kills in 23 of Arizona's 28 regular season matches... Set a school record with five straight matches with 20 or more kills (10/3-10/17) ... Posted 17 kills and a match-high 15 digs in Arizona's four-game loss at Utah (11/30) ... Finished with 21 kills and 11 digs in Arizona's win at BYU (11/29) ... Recorded a match-high 23 kills to break Barb Bell's freshman kills record of 417 and also had 18 digs at No. 21 UCLA (11/22) ... Played sparingly against Oregon State (11/16) due to a sore calf muscle, but still managed to snap off nine kills on 11 swings in limited action ... Did not play against Oregon (11/15) to rest sore calf muscle ... Finished with 21 kills on .421 hitting in Arizona's 3-0 sweep at Cal (11/8) ... Sparked Arizona's come-from-behind win over #17 Washington State (11/2) with 28 kills, including 11 in the momentum swinging third game ... Finished with a team-high 16 kills on .542 hitting in Arizona's sweep over ASU (10/25) ... Had a team-high 12 kills and six digs in Arizona's sweep at Oregon State (10/18) ... Tallied a match-high 20 kills on .410 hitting in Arizona's 3-0 win at Oregon (10/17) ... Was named the Oct. 14 Pac-10 Player of the Week after averaging 6.62 kpg in Arizona's split with Cal and Stanford ... Set a then-three-game school record for kills with 25 in UA's loss to Cal (10/12) ... Helped Arizona comeback from an 0-2 deficit to defeat #4 Stanford 3-2 (10/11) with a match-high 28 kills ... Finished Arizona's trip to Washington with 56 kills in two matches against Washington and Washington State (10/3-4) ... Racked up 26 kills and a team-high 14 digs in Arizona's five-game win over Washington (10/4) ... Recorded a career-high 30 kills on .423 hitting at Washington State (10/3) ... Had a team-high 15 kills and 12 digs in Arizona's loss at Arizona State (9/27) ... Led the Arizona offense for the fourth consecutive week with 31 kills on .333 against #11 UCLA (9/20) and #1 USC (9/21) ... Garnered Pac-10 Player-of-the-Week honors after her Nike Invitational MVP performance in Stockton where she recorded 50 kills, 28 digs and 11 total blocks against British Columbia, St. Mary's and #21 Pacific ... Posted a career-high 21 kills and 15 digs at #21 Pacific (9/14) ... Finished with 11 kills and eight digs against St. Mary's (9/14) .. Tallied 20 kills on .356 hitting in Arizona's loss to #14 Pepperdine (9/7) ... Was one of three freshman in the starting lineup in Arizona's season opening match against UT-Arlington (8/30) ... Played well at the Louisville Labor Day Invite (8/30-31) posting double-digit kills against UT-Arlington (18), American (12) and Louisville (14) ... Recorded a team-season-high six service aces and added six digs and six block assists against UT-Arlington (8/30).

High School: Graduated from Conestoga Valley High School where she earned three varsity letters for head coach Alan Kofroth ... 2001 Gatorade State Player of the Year for Pennsylvania ... Ranked second in Volleyball Magazine's Fab 50 for 2002 ... Was named all-state three times (1999-2001) ... Three-time All-Lebanon League selection (1999-2001) ... Was twice honored as the Lebanon League MVP (2000-01) ... Twice helped Conestoga to District III titles (2001, 00) and a runner-up finish in 1999 ... 2000 All-District III first team member ... Was member of three league title winning teams (1999-2001) ... Played for the 2002 US Junior National Team in Puerto Rico ... Was a member of the 2001 US Junior National Team along with current Arizona teammates Bre Ladd and Jennifer Abernathy that competed at the Women's Junior World Championships in Santo Domingo and Santiago, Dominican Republic.

Club: Played four seasons with Synergy in Philadelphia, Pa.

Personal: Full name: Kim Glass ... Born: 8/18/84 ... Daughter of Sherman and Kathy Glass ... Undecided in area of academic interest.

Kim Glass Career Stats


Season GP-MP K K/G E TA Pct A A/G SA SA/G SE
2002................ 112-32 556 4.96 196 1257 .286 32 0.29 44 0.39 77
TOTAL............... 112-32 556 4.96 196 1257 .286 32 0.29 44 0.39 77


Season GP RE DIG D/G BS BA TB B/G BE BHE
2002................ 112 46 280 2.50 14 51 65 0.58 15 7
TOTAL............... 112 46 280 2.50 14 51 65 0.58 15 7

Kim Glass Her Guilty Pleasure: Pancakes + Olympic Athletes

Kim Glass Her Guilty Pleasure: Pancakes + Olympic Athletes - It’s easy to be distracted by the wonders of Kim Glass’s body-those long, muscular legs, that perfectly toned stomach. But behind this 6’2″ athlete’s rocking body is a hell of a lot of hard work.

She’s an outside hitter for the U.S. Women’s National Volleyball Team-that means she hits the court 5 days a week from 9 a.m. to noon during training, and often follows up with afternoon strength or agility sessions.

No doubt, it’s this dedication that helped earn her a silver medal at the 2008 Olympics. But Glass, 26, also knows how to relax and reward herself. Her guilty pleasure: pancakes.

How To Be A Good Wife

How To Be A Good Wife - You want to be a wonderful wife, but what does that mean? Well, ultimately, it's up to you and your husband to determine the needs of your relationship and how each partner can do their part to fulfill those needs--and here are some special guidelines to start off. However, remember that a marriage is a partnership, so your husband needs to make an effort too!

Be secure in yourself. Putting yourself down in front of him is another way of insulting his taste in women. If he is with you, it's because he wants to be. He will find you beautiful even if you don't feel like it, if you act the part. Remember that attitude and willingness are large parts of being sexy. Poor self-esteem and a "void" in your life is terrible for marriage. Make sure you still have a fun and interesting life. If your husband left tomorrow, would you still have girlfriends you see at least once a month, hobby clubs you go to, sports you play? If not, your husband will always be working to fill a void he cannot fill, and will feel inadequate and unhappy.

Express your feelings and needs, Except in the rare event that your husband happens to be psychic, don't expect mind-reading powers. If you want something, ask. If something is wrong, say so--but don't accuse your husband of things. Don't drop hints or figure he'll "come around". Communicate calmly, clearly and directly to discuss your needs and goals: including discussing familial considerations, about having children and how each member lives his or her faith and beliefs. Relationships work best when each partner calmly expresses their current emotions. Frequently, an "I feel attacked" or "I feel sad" is all it takes for him to step back and ask, "Why?" Then simply say, "When you slammed the door, I felt ignored." Let "I feel" be your guide.

Don't expect the moon. He needs to keep trying, you need to keep trying, but neither of you is perfect. Unmet expectations tend to frustrate everyone. However, if you both keep working on your marriage, you will always be covered, even when one of you comes up a little short. If your expectations are truly too high or unrealistic, then set standards that are obtainable. For example, it is unfair to expect to be lavished with possessions and have the love of your life home for every meal. Should you want more together time, be prepared to have that desire fulfilled at some expense.

Pick your battles. Like many battles, you need not be the combatant, nor the only combatant. Many better tools are available: subtle manipulation of the site of battle, the timing, the physical presence of allies, secret or subtle negotiators, "physical" or other types of gifts (including tape or video-recordings). You have a wide choice before intervening directly, on a secret, solitary confrontation.
Criticism can destroy a relationship. As long as the dishes are clean and unbroken, for instance, don't nag about how to load the dishwasher "the right way". Let him do things his own way. Don't sweat the small stuff. Focus on what is important.
Sometimes YOU WILL BE WRONG. You need to learn to respond to arguments and remain rational so you can recognise and apologise for these occasions.
Sometimes your husband will treat you badly, just as you may to him. Human beings often take things out on those closest to them. The important thing is recognise these occasions afterwards and resolve them.
Some issues you may never agree on. No-one has an identical set of morals and beliefs - both you and your husband will need to learn to cope with occasions where you just can't resolve your opinions.

Have an active sex life.(if appropriate; There are many causes which may warrant caution on shared, mutually experienced sexuality: illness, age, disability, cultural or religious clashes.)
To most men, this is the most crucial area of their marriage and defines the tone of their relationship with their wife. If you doubt this or are not sure if this applies to your man, try reading the next 3 paragraphs to him and watch is head nod, his eyes light up and his entire face smile.
Most men have deep emotional (and physical) desires and needs associated with sex, and your willingness to approach him is often crucial to his happiness and your marital success. Many men would like to have sex every day; for some men, once a week is enough. Most normal, healthy men are pleased with 2 to 4 times a week. (this of course varies with every man, ask yours what he likes!)
Consider trying especially interesting lovemaking at least once a week, including taking the time to push him for a second (or third) round. Normal, healthy men do require a “recovery time” before they can achieve erection and climax again, but with the right kind of stimulation, this can usually be done.
Without the frequent intimate acceptance and love that comes from your lovemaking, a man can and will become dissatisfied, grumpy, and ultimately suffer from feelings of rejection and even anger. Remember lovemaking gives an intimacy and physical release that is vital for both of you.
Imagine the power of speech were taken from you - how would you show the strength and depth of your love to your husband? Lovemaking is often how husbands express their feelings in a way that is "more than words". Don't hold back on communicating your love and devotion to him in the same way.

Keep your sex life interesting. Be sure to discuss your sex life with him. Also, don't be afraid to discuss anything you might be interested in. Physical intimacy is as important to a marriage as emotional intimacy. Nurture them both. Skin contact is our largest sensual organ (erogenous zone), so "physical" is not necessarily sexual.

Accept him. Only by accepting him as he is, do you have such deep respect and gratitude for him that you would never want him to change in any way for you. He has so much to offer you if only you give him the space to be himself. He is a growing individual, just like you are. Help him grow in the direction that he chooses, and give him the chance to help you.

Manage stress. Men and women deal with stress all day and every day. Do what you can to help each other deal with the stress of every day life. Making sure that you are able to cope with your own stresses will take pressure off of your marriage.

Give what he needs. If he needs sex, give sex to him in a way he wants it. If he needs his space, give him space. If he needs time to be with you, give him your time. If he needs you to listen, listen to every word he speaks including his unspoken words. If he needs respect, give him your respect. The key is to learn about your husband's needs. Ask him what his needs are. Then, give without condition. You give him because you love him and he deserves to be loved by you.

Gerald Ford Michigan Jersey

Gerald Ford Michigan Jersey - The Michigan football program’s plan to honor its legends by having current players wear their jerseys apparently will continue this season with former President Gerald Ford’s retired No. 48. Michigan coach Brady Hoke made the announcement while answering a fan’s question about the storied No. 1 jersey on Birmingham, Ala., radio stations WJOX-FM and WJOX-AM.

“I think (the No. 1 will be brought out) in the near future, but I can’t tell you it will be this season,” Hoke said. “That’s something that we’re doing a lot of thinking about. We’re honoring Desmond Howard now with one of our players who really deserves it, and that’s (receiver) Roy Roundtree wearing No. 21. We’re going to do the same with Gerald Ford’s jersey this year. We’re looking at doing it.”

Michigan did not reveal any other details about the releasing of Ford’s No. 48, which was retired at a game Oct. 8, 1994, and is believed to be the first of Michigan’s five retired numbers (honoring different seven players) to re-enter circulation.

If Hoke has ruled out a Wolverines player wearing the No. 1 jersey this year, that means senior quarterback Denard Robinson won’t get the chance to wear it. Former Michigan receiver Braylon Edwards suggested to the Free Press in the spring that Robinson could be the first nonreceiver to wear the number in modern times.

Ford is the only U.S. president to graduate from Michigan. He was the Wolverines’ MVP in 1934, his third season on the varsity squad. That earned him a spot in Jan. 1, 1935, Shrine game and another all-star game against the Chicago Bears later in 1935.

Ford, from Grand Rapids and a member of the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame, later earned a law degree from Yale, became the minority leader of the House of Representatives, ascended to vice president after Spiro Agnew’s resignation and became the president when Richard Nixon resigned in August 1974. He served until Jimmy Carter was sworn in as his successor in 1977.

Gerald Ford Presidential Cocktail Gin And Tonic

Gerald Ford Presidential Cocktail Gin And Tonic - Gin started life in the early 17th century in Holland, although claims have been made that it was produced prior to this in Italy. WC Fields would start the day with two double martinis, enjoyedeither side of his breakfast. He drank about two quarts of gin a day.Every Gin brand has its own unique fragrance; most consumers haveprobably only tasted a small number of the gin brands available.

Inours there are more than 140 different Gin brands, from 15different countries; offering a wide spectrum of fragrances, usingdifferent botanicals and infusion methods in all shapes and sizes.Gin is distilled differently. Premium Gins are distilled 3 to 5 times toremove impurities; each brand has a unique formula that providesits special characteristics.The favorite drink of former President Gerald Ford is Gin and Tonic.

Not to mention the rather famous line “shaken, not stirred”Gin is the only alcohol liquor that was first developed as a medicineremedy before it became popular as a social drink.”Mother’s Ruin” a term that came from British soldiers taste for Ginwhen home on leave from the World War II, and the maternal stateit induced in the women who shared their off-duty conviviality.William of Orange prohibited the importing of alcohol to England inthe early 18th Century encouraging the production andconsumption of English Gin.

The excessive consumption thatfollowed gave rise to the name Gin Craze.In Holland Gin was produced as a medicine and sold in chemistshops to treat stomach complaints, gout and gallstones.

Bobby Flay Wins 2010 Breeders Cup

Bobby Flay Wins 2010 Breeders Cup - Celebrity chef Bobby Flay was absolutely sure where More Than Real’s victory in the $1 million Grade II Juvenile Fillies Turf ranked on his personal racing hit parade.

“Obviously, this is the biggest win I’ve ever had in horse racing by a magnitude of a thousand,” Flay said Friday after his filly beat odds-on favorite Winter Memories by two lengths. “It’s just an amazing feeling.”

Flay had to take the word of other people, though, that More Than Real actually reached the finish line before the other 13 fillies.

Bobby Flay Guilty Pleasure Is Pistachio Gelato

Bobby Flay Guilty Pleasure Is Pistachio Gelato - What do chefs eat when they need a palate cleanser after so much fancy restaurant fare? When they take off their aprons, they reach for the same indulgences we do — perhaps just with an upgrade. Slashfood asked celebrity chefs to share their favorite cravings.

What food can’t Bobby Flay resist? The Foot Network superstar and best-selling author confesses: “My guilty indulgence is pistachio gelato. I think I might love ice cream more than just about anything else.

I like it served alongside cakes and pies, in banana splits, in sundaes, straight out of the carton. My first job was at Baskin Robbins.”

Junot Diaz Criticizes Obama

Junot Diaz Criticizes Obama - As Republican Scott Brown beat Democrat Martha Coakley in a Massachusetts race for a U.S. Senate seat this week, many are looking to Barack Obama for a response. In a New Yorker essay, the Pulitzer Prize-winning Junot D?az (pictured, via) criticized President Obama’s lack of presidential narrative–a problem that thinks will be “death-knell” of the administration.

Here’s more from the essay: “What I’ve been aware of is how much better storytellers the members of the opposition are. Tea Parties and death panels–you might hate these bursts of craziness but these are, above all else, stories, narratives… It is ironic–no it’s actually tragic–that the man who proved himself to be a fantastic storyteller on the campaign trail, who vaulted into office by fashioning his life, his promise into a great story (‘Dreams from My Father,’ anyone?) has been unable to locate an equally engaging narrative for his presidency. Sometimes I wonder if he’s even trying.”

What do you think? Has Obama lost his storytelling powers since his inauguration one year ago? Follow this link to see GalleyCat’s coverage of the historic celebration for reference.

Junot Diaz Guilty Pleasure Monster Manga

Junot Diaz Guilty Pleasure Monster Manga - I was flipping through a recent issue of Time Magazine (July 14th) that was lying around the house and saw a feature called “Famous Authors’ Guilty Pleasures”. What struck me was that Pulitzer Prize winner Junot Diaz chose the Monster manga as his, although I probably shouldn’t have been surprised after reading the front flap of his immigrant-family novel, The Brief Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao:

Things have never been easy for Oscar, a sweet but disastrously overweight ghetto nerd, a New Jersey romantic who dreams of becoming the Dominican J.R.R. Tolkien, and, most of all, of finding love. But he may never get what he wants, thanks to the fukْ — the ancient curse that has haunted Oscar’s family for generations, dooming them to prison, torture, tragic accidents, and, above all, ill-starred love. Oscar, still dreaming of his first kiss, is only its most recent victim — until the fateful summer that he decides to be its last.

Diaz described Monster‘s Johan as “one of the weirdest, most attractive psychotic masterminds in literature” and mentioned other characters like Nina, Inspector Runge and Eva as components of Tenma’s “epic quest”. I am idly interested to see how US sales of the manga are affected by this mention in a mainstream magazine and I might have to take a peek at Oscar Wao because it seems interesting…and because it won an award, like Monster won the 2001 General Shogakukan Manga Award. (I also want to check out The Black Lizard Big Book of Pulps for a different reason.)

And yes, I did discover that ANN wrote about this two weeks ago during this post’s composition but it was news to me so I’m posting about it anyway.

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao - The hero of Junot Díaz’s first novel is an overweight Dominican-American man named Oscar, a “ghetto nerd” from Paterson, N.J., and a devotee of what he somewhat grandly calls “the more speculative genres.” He means comic books, sword-and-sorcery novels, science fiction, role-playing games — the pop-literary storehouse of myths and fantasies that sexually frustrated, socially maladjusted guys like him are widely believed to inhabit.

But of course an awful lot of serious young-to-middle-aged novelists (Jonathan Lethem, Dave Eggers, Michael Chabon) hang around there as well, lingering over the narratives that fed their childhood imaginations in order to infuse their ambitious, difficult stories with some of the allegorical pixie dust and epic grandiloquence the genres offer. In “The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao,” Díaz, the author of a book of sexy, diamond-sharp stories called “Drown,” shows impressive high-low dexterity, flashing his geek credentials, his street wisdom and his literary learning with equal panache. A short epigraph from the Fantastic Four is balanced by a longer one from Derek Walcott; allusions to “Dune,” “The Matrix” and (especially) “The Lord of the Rings” rub up against references to Melville and García Márquez. Oscar’s nickname is a Spanglish pronunciation of Oscar Wilde, whom he is said to resemble when dressed up in his Doctor Who costume for Halloween.

“What more sci-fi than Santo Domingo? What more fantasy than the Antilles?” Oscar wonders. And the question of how to take account of his ancestral homeland — its folklore, its politics, the diaspora that brought so many of its inhabitants to North Jersey and Upper Manhattan — is one that explicitly preoccupies Oscar’s creator. The way Díaz tells it, the Dominican Republic, which occupies the Spanish-speaking half of the island where Columbus made landfall, is the kind of small country that suffers from a surfeit of history. From the start, it has been a breeding ground for outsize destinies and monstrous passions.

Díaz’s novel also has a wild, capacious spirit, making it feel much larger than it is. Within its relatively compact span, “The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao” contains an unruly multitude of styles and genres. The tale of Oscar’s coming-of-age is in some ways the book’s thinnest layer, a young-adult melodrama draped over a multigenerational immigrant family chronicle that dabbles in tropical magic realism, punk-rock feminism, hip-hop machismo, post-postmodern pyrotechnics and enough polymorphous multiculturalism to fill up an Introduction to Cultural Studies syllabus.

Holding all this together — just barely, but in the end effectively — is a voice that is profane, lyrical, learned and tireless, a riot of accents and idioms coexisting within a single personality. The voice belongs, for the most part, to Yunior, who only gradually slides from behind the curtain of apparently omniscient narration to reveal himself as a character. He’s Oscar’s sometime roommate at Rutgers, the would-be boyfriend of Oscar’s sister, Lola, and in just about every imaginable way Oscar’s opposite. While Oscar favors the stilted, thesaurus-fed diction of the fantasy-nerd autodidact (“I think she’s orchidaceous”), Yunior affects a bilingual b-boy flow, punctuated by bouts of didacticism. And while Oscar falls madly and chastely in love with a succession of not-quite-attainable women, Yunior is a chronic womanizer. Though Yunior is, like Oscar, an aspiring writer, his preferred genres are more hard-boiled, “all robberies and drug deals and ... BLAU! BLAU! BLAU!”

“To say I’d never in my life met a Dominican like him would be to put it mildly,” Yunior explains, and in creating Oscar, Díaz has used one stereotype to subvert another. Not all Dominican men are macho peacocks, and not all sci-fi, anime and Dungeons & Dragons fanatics are white boys. That this may be an obvious point doesn’t diminish the skill and flair with which Díaz brings it home.

But “The Brief Wondrous Life” isn’t Oscar’s story alone. Indeed, he often seems like a bit of an exile in the book that bears his name. The recounting of his thwarted romances, his suicide attempt, his friendships and his literary projects is interrupted — and overshadowed — by episodes of family history that reverse the migratory path from the D.R. to the U.S.A. and concentrate on the women in Oscar’s family. His sister, a punk rocker, runaway and track star, is in many ways a more vivid and magnetic character than her brother, as is their mother, Beli, whose remarkable biography forms the novel’s true narrative backbone. In Baní, the provincial Dominican city where she was raised, Beli was a dark-skinned beauty, a scholarship girl at a fancy private school and eventually the lover of a notorious criminal. Her son’s painful, familiar passage into adulthood is set against her own transformation, shown in reverse. When we first see her, she is an angry, borderline-

abusive immigrant matriarch, fighting with her daughter and furiously wearing herself out with work and worry. But later chapters show Beli as a rebellious daughter in her own right, struggling with La Inca, the poor yet respectable relative in whose home she was raised. Beli’s parents — a doctor and a nurse, as La Inca never tires of reminding her — were members of the bourgeoisie who fell afoul of Rafael Trujillo, an impressively brutal dictator, even by mid-20th-century Latin American standards. As Díaz puts it in a footnote: “At first glance, he was just your typical Latin American caudillo, but his power was terminal in ways that few historians or writers have ever truly captured or, I would argue, imagined. He was our Sauron, our Arawn, our Darkseid, our Once and Future Dictator.”

And for just this reason Trujillo proves to be a great boon for Díaz, who washes the cities and villages of his country in the 1940s and ’50s in a period ambience that’s violent as well as sensual and exotic. The island may be cursed and haunted, but it’s also enchanted; even the bitterest memories seem softened by nostalgia. The evil spirits that are periodically invoked to explain Oscar’s family’s bad luck are also, for the novelist if not for his characters, lucky charms.

Without the horrors and superstitions of the old country, without the tropical sweetness that inflects Díaz’s prose even at moments of great cruelty, Oscar Wao would be just another geek with an Akira poster on his dorm-room wall and a long string of desperate, unconsummated sexual obsessions. The incongruity between Oscar’s circumstances and his background — a disjunction Díaz solves violently and unconvincingly in the book’s final section — is the real subject of “The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao.” This is, almost in spite of itself, a novel of assimilation, a fractured chronicle of the ambivalent, inexorable movement of the children of immigrants toward the American middle class, where the terrible, incredible stories of what parents and grandparents endured in the old country have become a genre in their own right.

Our Dumb World The Onion's Atlas Of The Planet Earth

Our Dumb World The Onion's Atlas Of The Planet Earth - The Onion's Atlas of the Planet Earth, 73rd Edition features incorrect statistics on all of the Earth's 168, 182, or 196 independent nations. It also features maps, including a fold-out world map at actual size. Readers will learn about every country from Afghanistan, "Allah's Cat Box," to the Ukraine, "The Bridebasket of Europe."

Today's news-parody consumer cannot possibly understand made-up current events without the context of fake world history and geography. That is why The Onion is publishing a world atlas: to help us. Our Dumb World is an invaluable tool for any reader interested in overthrowing a weakened government in East Asia, exploiting a developing nation in Africa, or for directions to tonight's party at Erica's. It is a reference guide to 250,000 of the world's most important places, such as North Korea's Trench of Victory, the Great Human Pyramid of Egypt, and Saudi Arabia's superhighway, the Mohammedobahn.

About The Onion
Every week, three million readers turn to the world's most popular news organization for a much-needed dose of Onion news and entertainment coverage. In a history spanning 15 years, six popular books, and 10 Webby Awards, The Onion has attracted legions of loyal fans drawn to its fearless reporting and scathing commentary on world events, human behavior, and journalistic convention.

Around The World In 80 Plates

Around The World In 80 Plates - Quenelles in Lyon, tagine in Marrakesh, tortellini in Bologna: it sounds like a dream itinerary for food lovers. Moving from place to place to taste the best that the local cuisine has to offer has strong appeal. It is also the premise of a new reality show, Around The World in 80 Plates, which began airing in May on Bravo.

A group of young chefs is almost literally parachuted into different cities every week with the task of getting to know the native culinary tradition and mastering it enough to pull off a dinner for locals. Since it's a reality show, chefs first have to complete assignments to get an "extraordinary ingredient" that is supposed to give them an advantage on their rivals: the possibility of using potatoes to cook pub food in London, the help of an Arab-speaking guide when shopping in the Marrakesh souk, or just time to make labor-intensive tortellini. The completion of the tasks usually includes rushing through markets at a neck-breaking pace looking for stuff, lots of breathlessness, and healthy amounts of catty one-liners.

Revealing the recent lack of originality in reality TV, the show combines two popular food TV genres: the travelogue and the chef competition. The first category features hits like Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations and Andrew Zimmern's Bizarre Food, where a host (often male) explores the culinary marvels of an unfamiliar place, displaying either his expertise or his fearlessness in trying stuff that most viewers would find unpalatable.

The genre has expanded to include less exotic fare like Guy Fieri's Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, where the object of interest is the comfort that can be found in what some could consider the low end of the American culinary spectrum, and Man v. Food, where Adam Richman participates in eating challenges all over the U.S.A.

The other genre, the chef competition, exploded with the Japanese extravaganza of Iron Chefs, and developed into Top Chef, Master Chef, Gordon Ramsay's Hell's Kitchen and the short-lived Chopping Block with Marco Pierre White, among many others. By straddling the two genres, Around The World in 80 Plates manages to achieve an acceptable modicum of entertainment value, as viewers get to vicariously explore far-away places while enjoying the drama of the rivalry among the contestants.

The show offers great examples of what can be called "culinary tourism," which in the words of folklorist Lucy Long refers to "intentional, exploratory participation in the foodways of an other." Viewers are offered digestible portions of cosmopolitanism and culinary knowledge, two essential components for any self-respecting food lover (or "foodie," a word that, just like "hipster," appears to offend those it is used to define).

However, as chefs frantically devour their way through exotic locales, they involuntarily embody subtle colonial attitudes: the culinary treasures of the place they are exploring are there for the grubbing and for the enjoyment of the viewers. The fact that the contestants include individuals of different ethnic background feels like a conscious attempt to dampen any accusation of Eurocentrism. A contestant whose skills and training focused on Thai cuisine was soon eliminated as the other chefs felt that her expertise was too limited, as having a French- or Western-based culinary skills is a surefire recipe for success when trying to cook Moroccan food...

As a matter of fact, the show works on the assumption that professional experience in American restaurants gives the participants enough competence to quickly absorb knowledge about strange ingredients and unknown cooking techniques. At times the chefs come across as arrogant, like when the "secret ingredient" is an elderly lady who can teach them how to make the Tuscan soup ribollita; when they realize that she does not speak English, they do not even ask her to make the soup to learn from her actions.

The way the chefs are evaluated is also dubious. The "locals" that the show trumpets as the real judges of the chefs' work are often food critics, well-known restaurateurs and their patrons. And the authenticity they seem to embrace comes across at times as vaguely elitist, like in the London episode that presents gastropubs, a relatively recent addition to the local scene, as British authentic cuisine.

The most questionable message that transpires from the show that it is enough to get acquainted with a few ingredients and to cook a few recipes to boast command over a culinary tradition. I am sure many chefs would have their doubts about this approach. But it is exhilarating to assume that a few mouthfuls can make you a culinary expert, and that's the fantasy the show is selling.

Cat Cora Peanut Butter Reese’s Cups Are My Weakness

Cat Cora Peanut Butter Reese’s Cups Are My Weakness - Chef Cat Cora is a one-woman culinary force. The first and only female “Iron Chef,” who was mentored by Julia Child, she was named Bon Appetit‘s teacher of the year in 2006 and now acts as the magazine’s executive chef as well as a Food Network staple. This fall she is also opening a signature restaurant in Costa Mesa, Calif. And did we mention she’s pulling all this off while raising two young sons and taking time to give us a peek into her tasty world? Read on to find out what makes this chef purr, get fabulous recipes, and learn which everyday candy makes her melt. —Erika Lenkert

What’s always in your refrigerator?
Cheeses, pepperoncini, yogurt.

What’s your house wine or
other beverage?
Trapiche Malbec, pinot noirs from Beringer and La Crema, Fresca, soy milk, Fat Tire beer, Crysal Light, and lots of bottles of water.

Favorite cocktail?
Mango margarita:
1 1/4 ounces silver tequila
1 ounce triple sec
2 ounces freshly squeezed lime juice
2 ounces simple syrup
3/4 cup partially frozen mango, unsweetened (prefer individual quick-frozen or fresh)
1 sprig mint

Place the tequila, triple sec, lime juice, simple syrup, and mango in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a chilled glass and add a sprig of mint.

Favorite olive oil?
Great Greeks.

Your guiltiest food pleasure?
Anything with peanut butter. Reese’s Cups are my weakness.

Is there anything that ensures a guest won’t be invited to your
next party?
A downer, anyone who’s negative—it’s bad for digestion.

What traits do you look for in a dining companion?
Easy conversation and down-to-earth.