Here we go.

Ingredients:

• 2 or three scoops organic vanilla bean ice cream
• 1 sprig of mint
• 6 large strawberries cut into bite sized pieces
• 1/4 cup of Chardonnay
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• Your chocolate cookie of choice crumbled

Preparation:
1. Prior to serving, I like to add the sugar, strawberries and chardonnay into a zippered sandwich bag and give them a good toss. Allow the flavors to merry for 15 minutes or so. This step isn’t necessary, but it really allows the wine to get the berries good and drunk.
2. Crumble your cookies with a chef’s knife. (We used bite sized oreos with the cream removed for this particular evening).
3. Scoop out your ice cream and drizzle it with the berries. Omit the wine, unless you feel like drunken vanilla bean strawberry soup.
4. Top with the cookies and add a fresh sprig of mint to help marry everything nicely.

That’s all she wrote. Sorry this post was so short and sweet, but even yours truly can get a sweet tooth every now and again.

For the sake of owning up, this photo was taken when I was spending a Saturday evening with my wife and my sister-in-law Jenna. Now, I’ve never been shy about trying things, but when Jenna and Vita tried to get me to put on a “detoxifying mask” from LUSH (makers of fresh handmade cosmetics), I was admittedly adverse to the idea.

After Jenna forced me into it, I started smelling a lot of things I recognized. Here’s all the natural goodies that go into this crazy little mask. I’m not positive as to which mask this was exactly, but I believe it was this one.

Kaolin, Talc, Lime Juice, Sageleaf Water, Rosemary Leaf Water, Juniparis Fruit Extract, Eggs, Honey, Glycerin, Fennel, Sweet Almond Shell Powder, Parsley, Coriander, Tumaric Root Powder, Clove Flower Extracts, Ginger Root Oil and a whole bunch of other natural crap.

Basically, I thought it smelled like an oversweetened cup of English Breakfast tea. I felt no special effects from this expensive blend of herbs, spices and oils, but Vita and Jenna both raved about it. I’m sure I was glowing.

But what it did do, was leave me curious as to just how often food stuffs are being used in beauty and health products. Since organic and all natural are fast becoming the rage, it’s something I’ll try and keep my eye on.

If you want to see more funny pictures of me, my sister in-law and my wife in all our LUSH glory, visit this Flickr set.

Let the commenting begin.

According to Greek mythology the Olive tree was Athena’s gift to the people of Attica and it won her patronage of the city of Athens over Poseidon. And if it was, thanks be to Athena – because in my opinion, there is no more perfect food. I love the texture, the complexity, its versatility in a variety of cooking and packing styles, its saltiness, the variety of colors and its ability to totally transform a bland dish into a powerhouse of flavor.

My favorite kinds of Olives are Greek or or the young Italian variety. I find olives grown, cultivated and fermented in these climates to be the most flavorful and that they offer the best consistency for cooking in pastas and eating with antipasto.

I value Kalamata Olives for their saltiness and frequently add them to spicy pastas in lieu of salt or anchovy paste. I also tend to pop small handfuls into my mouth when i pass by the refrigerator (don’t tell Vita!).

Since Vita and I have been talking about one last really great trip before she starts her surgical residency, we’re leaning heavily towards Greece. I think with the availability of fantastic bread, tangy feta cheese, olives and a Mediterranean breeze, I may never come home.

So, with all those thoughts of olives and Greece running through my brain this morning, I made a very simple Greek salad for lunch. I won’t bother posting the recipe, as I’m sure my version is nothing to write home about. But I am curious my dear readers… what food items do you go absolutely crazy for? I plan on compiling some of your thoughts and doing a post at the beginning of October “foodie triggers,” which I’ll explain later. If you want to be included, post a comment and I’ll follow up with you through your blogs or e-mail and give you four or five quick interview questions. They’ll be painless and fun – I promise!

Traditional antipasto includes cured meats, marinated vegetables, olives, pepperoni (marinated small peppers, not to be confused with the sausage, pepperoni), and various cheeses, such as provolone or fresh mozzarella. I always toss a little extra virgin olive oil over mine and have gotten in the habit of really indulging in it over the cured meats.

I’ll be back to regular posting tonight. Absolute promise guys. Sorry for the absence. Life got in the way .

After my wife left this morning for 30 hours of surgical call, I had trouble falling back asleep. Our dog, Rafiki, wasn’t ready to climb out of my bed at that particular hour, so at 5 a.m. I hit the kitchen by my lonesome.

Determined to make a sans egg breakfast, I searched our fridge for things I could whip together. My eyes lit up when I noticed the three fillets of Tilapia, the cardboard fish. I also spied some cilantro, pickled jalepeno pepper, red onion and tortillas. Yes, Fish Tacos would be my breakfast.

Ingredients:

• 1 fillet of Tilapia (think 6 to 8 oz per serving if you’re increasing the recipe)
• 1 teaspoon of ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon of lime juice
• 1 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil
• 1/8 cup of diced red onion
• 1/8 cup chopped cilantro
• 1/8 cup shredded lettuce or greens
• Diced jalepeno to taste
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• 1 small Roma tomato, seeded and chopped

Preparation:
1. Preheat a grill pan or indoor grill to high heat or if you’re not crazy enough to want to eat fish tacos for breakfast at 5 a.m. you can prepare your outdoor grill. Drizzle fish with extra-virgin olive oil to prevent it from sticking to the grill pan or grill. Season fish with salt and pepper, cayenne and cumin (which adds a really nice smoky richness to the fish) to your taste.

2. As your grill preheats (if you’re indoors) heat a small pan and season two tortillas with salt, pepper and cayenne. Don’t add oil to your pan, but season it and rub tortillas into pan, allowing them to brown and crisp.

2. Grill fish 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until opaque. Squeeze the juice of 1 lime down over the fish and remove from the grill pan or grill. Be sure you’ve rolled the lime on your counter to get the juices flowing.

3.Flake fish into large chunks with a fork and spread on fried tortillas. Add cilantro, salsa, sour cream and your veggies and you’ve got a really quick, really different breakfast.

Another variation would be to simmer the fish in enchilada sauce and then serve it with the tortillas. Either way, it’s a fairly quick and nutritious meal that breaks the normal breakfast molds.

Happy eating.

Here’s How You Do It
1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Optional extra: Post a comment at www.verygoodtaste.co.uk linking to your results.

The Would Be Chef’s Omnivore’s 100

(I scored 70 out of 100)

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill (i’d eat it, you bet i would.)
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Edible Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

He was athletic, clever and sensitive. The boy enjoyed writing, fishing, playing outside and generally didn’t get himself into too much trouble.

The boy’s mother spent a great deal of time with him – teaching, nourishing and providing a very stable upbringing. The boy shared his dreams with his mother, often over tea, animal crackers and the smell of that night’s dinner cooking in the kitchen. It was in these early days a seed was planted deep within the boy’s heart. That seed blossomed and grew into a love for home cooking. And from the love for home cooking grew appreciation for fine food, fast food and the process of creating it.

The boy always held this passion for food and contemplated becoming a chef. But somewhere along his journey though life, the boy became a writer instead of a chef. That boy – now a man late in his 20s – is again yearning to cook, create and share. This is a newly planted seed; a seed planted out of desperation to recapture the passion the boy felt so many years ago. Come along for the journey, and feel free to share your thoughts with me.

d.e.