On June 24th, I will begin a 6 day climb to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Africa. The purpose of my climb is to raise money for the O’Brien School for the Maasai, and a women’s group that operates out of a room in the school. The O’Brien School for the Maasai is […]
The snow capital of the world, Quebec City hosts the annual Quebec Winter Carnival from Jan-Feb. During those three weeks, the festival grounds turn into a giant open air ice museum with an ice castle surrounded by ice sculptures created by artists who come from around the world. In 1973, the International Snow Sculpture Competition […]
Located in the heart of Buckhead is a cozy neighborhood cafe that I happened to discover this week while filming for HGTV’s House Hunters International with my friend Gina. (Now that’s a long story on how I got on the show). It is one of Gina’s favorite lunch places in Atlanta so we decided it […]
The snow bath was an essential party during the 58th Winter Carnival in Quebec this February. Eighty-some participants volunteered to shed their clothes down to their bathing suits to bathe in the snow, while it was -20C outside! A little bit of preparation was needed in order to be on stage while hundreds of people watched. Participants had […]
The cuisine of Honduras has influences of it’s neighboring Central American countries. Honduras was also a Spanish colony that included African and British settlers, so combines elements of foreign lands. It’s location makes it rich in vegetation with thick forests, vast farmlands and opening to the seas. Therefore, the food contains a variety of fresh […]
The island of Roatan off the coast of Central America is a green and blue paradise as seen from the sky. It is 35 miles of thick vegetation surrounded by turquoise blue waters. While most people come from around the world to dive and snorkel at the hundreds of dive sites around the island, there are also […]
It is not a well-known fact but the secret is out. Roatan, Honduras is home to the second largest coral reef in the world. The entire 33-mile wide island is surrounded by a shallow reef with thousands of marine life that divers and snorkelers can enjoy. The reefs begin in as little as 20 to 40 […]
Oak Grover neighborhood restaurant, Sprig Atlanta gets my vote for delicious food with a sense of purpose. During all my travels, I look out for restaurant that have a unique concept or differentiate themselves in some way or the other. With a strong emphasis on nutrition and sustainability, many of them are using locally sourced and farm to table […]
Eric Villain and Steve McCandless, chief owners of Bistrot le Clocher Penché in Quebec City say “We are constantly working to provide a table that reflects the human qualities inspired by our craftsmen suppliers: rigor, simplicity, generosity and love of the profession. This desire to pass through exquisite food and unpretentious values we hold dear defines the […]
Overlooking the St Lawrence River and Dufferin Terrace, in the heart of Quebec City, Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac is a landmark of elegance and history. The hotel was built in 1893 to promote luxury tourism and named after Louis de Buade, count of Frontenac. Having dinner at one of the Chateau’s restaurant, La Cafe de la […]
There are lots of unique destinations and beautiful places around the world to spend Valentine’s day, an anniversary or a romantic getaway. But none of them come close to the Hotel de Glace in Quebec City, Canada. I am saying that because I woke up there this morning and felt like I have been transported […]
Join me at the the first ever Atlanta Chef Expo 2012 on Sunday, February 19 at The Foundry at Puritan Mill. It is going to be one big food village where local chefs will demonstrate and serve their favorite recipes to the public. Just as a well designer village is broken into avenues, the expo has […]
My dear friend Gina wrote on her blog today to just get out there and do it because “none of us is guaranteed a next time.” That made me think about my own philosophy of life. I hardly ever talk about religion publicly, but here’s my story. My great-grand mother was a Hindu, she converted to Christianity […]
On a crisp Sunday morning, Atlantans wait in line at the Atlantic Station so they can go inside the former Pier 1 showroom and taste creations by local food artisans. It’s $5 fee to get in and then you pay $2-5 per sample. Atlanta Underground Market (AUM) is based upon the same concept of San Francisco’s […]
My Momma Throws Down is a new comedic cooking competition that will be airing on TV One starting in April 2012. It is hosted by Ralph Harris (as seen on Last Comic Standing) and produced by Triage Entertainment (who produced Iron Chef America). Yesterday, I went to the filming of the show at Turner […]
Rev. Jessy Togbadoya is from a village in Liberia called Balama. He was the first individual from his village to receive an education. He now lives in Atlanta and runs a non profit organization called Balama Development Alliance (BDA). His mission through BDA is to enable transformational development by investing in the dreams of the […]
Since there was no way I was going to even try to climb up Mount Everest, or even Base Camp, I decided to take the easy way out. Several airlines offer mountain flights that take you over Everest and other mountains in the Himalayas. In one and a half hours, you get up close to […]
Did you know that the name hamburger originally derives from Hamburg, Germany‘s second largest city, from where many people emigrated to the United States? In High German, Burg means fortified settlement or fortified refuge; and is a widespread component of place names. Originally what started out in the 15th century as a piece of meat between two slices of bread, has now taken […]
December was National pear month and my friends at Harvest PR and Marketing sent me a pear sampler box to mark the occasion. There are over 3,000 known pear varieties grown around the world, but only a handful of heirloom varieties have been cultivated. Up until recently, I didn’t even know there were so many varieties of […]
Kids grow up quick in Nepal. They have to support their parents, raise younger siblings, and help out in the fields before and after school. When in school there’s often a lack of teachers and many of the children sit in the class unsupervised. Poverty and hardship breed creativity and resourcefulness, whether it’s a kite made […]
