Home-made Vegetable Stock

Posted by Lizzy on Nov 12, 2012 in Food, Recipes | 1 comment

This home-made stock recipe is seriously amazing…. you wouldn’t believe the extra flavor it can add to foods compared to the cans and cartons you get from the store.  I have never made a home-made stock before or even thought it was worth all the time, but trust me, after you make this you will be spending Sundays sitting beside a simmering pot basking in the success of your amazing broth!

Loche, France

Posted by Lizzy on Nov 9, 2012 in Photography | 0 comments

Church in Tours, France

Posted by Lizzy on Nov 9, 2012 in Photography | 0 comments

Love this picture in HDR… Saint Gatien’s Cathedral  in Tours, France.  It was first built from 337 to 371, burnt in 561 then restored by Gregory of Tours and rededicated in 590.  The cathedral was then rebuilt during the second quarter of the 12th century and again burnt in 1166 during the conflict between Louis VII of France and Henry II of England.  From the 12th – 16th century it was rebuilt and received its new name of Saint Gatien…. what a history!!!

Ken’s Seared Yellowfin Tuna

Posted by Lizzy on Nov 8, 2012 in Food, Recipes | 3 comments

A few times a year, I am lucky enough to receive some of the most unbelievable Yellowfin tuna you could possibly imagine.  Ken, who works in my office, goes deep sea fishing with some of his buddies about 200 miles south of Freeport and brings the tuna they catch in FRESH on Mondays for us.  Actually, this was the first tuna I ever tasted and now I am seriously spoiled…. it doesn’t get fresher than a day off the boat… my mouth is watering just writing about it

Pretty flowers

Posted by Lizzy on Oct 27, 2012 in Photography | 0 comments

My week at Le Calabash Cooking School

Posted by Lizzy on Oct 27, 2012 in Food, Foodie Finds, Travel, Uncategorized | 4 comments

This post has taken me a while to write because it is very hard for me to find the right words to express how unbelievable my week was at Le Calabash, it feels very bittersweet.  To be able to go to France and spend an entire week at cooking school has been a dream of mine for a very long time and I could not have found a better school than this one.  I was very nervous to go there alone, not knowing a single other person signed up for the week or what they would be like, but I made a promise to myself to stop passing up opportunities, because life is just too short… and I have never made a better decision!  Alison and Sidney Bond, who run the school, are the kindest, most hospitable people I have ever met, and not to mention EXTREMELY talented.  They are both award winning chefs who have cooked for some very big names including Queen Elizabeth II, Prince William, Mick Jager, Madonna, Cher, Sylvester Stallone, U2, Elizabeth Taylor, and many more.

Eiffel Tower

Posted by Lizzy on Oct 27, 2012 in Photography | 0 comments

Cooking Live with Chef Ming Tsai, Matt Damon & Friends For a Good Cause

Posted by Lizzy on Sep 20, 2012 in Food, Foodie Finds | 1 comment

I don’t know if you are familiar with Family Reach Foundation, but they are an amazing charity created to provide financial relief and support to families fighting cancer.  The majority of their funds go to help out families with children or young adults that are battling cancer.  It is an amazing charity – unlike any other I have ever heard of.

I had the honor of attending this incredible fundraising event in NYC, Cooking live with Chef Ming Tsai and Friends, which went to raise over half a million dollars for this heart wrenching cause.  In attendance were Chef Ming Tsai, Chef Mario Batali, Chef Floyd Cardoz, Chef James Dangler, Chef Marc Forgione, Chef Mashaharu Morimoto, Chef Laurent Richard, and “sous chef” Matt Damon. 

Houston Metro Cooking & Enertaining Show!

Posted by Lizzy on Sep 16, 2012 in Food, Foodie Finds | 0 comments

The Houston Metro Cooking & Entertaining Show was definitely NOT lacking in entertainment!  With general admission tickets starting at $24.50 a piece, this affordable event is perfect for any food lover.  It was jam packed with vendors (offering GREAT discounts), ranging from chocolates and pralines, to Cajun spices and BBQ rubs, to women’s handbags and home improvement.  I personally enjoyed the cooking demonstrations, including Martie Duncan (finalist from Next Food Network Star – LOVE HER) and Jamie Zelco (from Zelco Bistro here in Houston) – they were fun and had great tips.

Food Finds: Classe Ouvrière Honey and White Seashore Honey

Posted by Lizzy on Sep 9, 2012 in Food, Foodie Finds | 2 comments

Thanks to my friends over at Solex Fine Foods in New York, I was able to come across a few jars of each of these honeys.  The moment I opened the first jar to try one, I knew I stumbled upon something really special.  Trust me when I tell you, you will never taste honey like this, EVER.