This Easter I decided to experiment with a couple of panna cotta recipes. If you are not familiar with panna cotta, it is a light Italian pudding commonly found at Italian restaurants. The basic panna cotta is made with milk or cream, sugar, gelatin and vanilla. Fruit toppings are then added to enhance the flavor […]

Recipe courtesy of Old Edwards Inn and Spa 2# pork shoulder 1 cup green salt (3/4 cup kosher1/4cup herbs processed in robocoupe) Portion pork shoulder into 4 -8 oz portions. Liberally season with green salt. Leave to rest overnight. Rinse next day cover with pork fat and place in oven at 180F and cook until […]

Located off Main Street in downtown Highlands, is a restaurant you will make sure not to miss. A tiny doorway leads you to a staircase to the first floor of Oak Street Cafe where a casual dining room playing Gypsy King music awaits you. A cheerful server greets you and seats you to your table […]

Saint Patrick’s day seems to be a big holiday here in the US. The grocery stores are stacked with green cupcakes, decorations of shamrocks hang everywhere and parades are held in downtown’s around the country. Children are told traditional Irish fairy tales while adults go out on beer drinking binges. But do we really know what this day […]

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 […]

I have been getting many requests on restaurant recommendations in Roatan, so here you are. The food served at most restaurants in Roatan tends to have both Western and Caribbean influences, catering more to the tourists visiting from North America and Europe. They charge in USD at comparable US prices. However, if you venture out […]

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 […]

A sold out event for breast cancer awareness and the love of all Atlanta foodies, the Atlanta Chef Expo hit the high note in it’s very first year. Located at the Foundry at Puritan Mill, the exhibit hall was bustling with restaurant chefs, caterers and bakers. The sweet and smoky smells attracted visitors from all […]

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 […]

What do you do when you have guests coming over, the big game is starting and you are left with only a few minutes to prepare something? Here is my two-minute recipe for a really delicious and healthy finger food. It’s perfect for gathering, big or small. Salmon-Avocado bites (makes 15 pieces) 1 box Athens […]

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 […]

This past weekend I taught a cooking class on how to make hearty soups and salads that can be eaten as full meals. They are nutritious, filling and make wholesome entrees. Out of all the dishes we prepared, the class unanimously voted for the Brazilian shrimp soup as the most delicious and their favorite. I […]