Haute Goat Creamery - Outstanding US Artisan Goat Cheeses !

Food is all about passion. Some of the best products come always from producers that are head over heels into the subject of their passions. One of them is Gourmet Sister Nancy Patton from Lubbock, Texas. She runs a micro goat cheese production; Just herself, her husband, and 18 goats. With milk from her Alpine, Nubian, Saanen, and La Mancha goats, Patton makes extraordinary cheeses under the lable Haute Goat Creamery. These wonderful goat cheeses can be purchased in a half-dozen stores in Texas or ordered directly from her web site. Her selections include Tequila Abby, a chevrotin-type cheese that is washed twice weekly for 14 weeks with tequila and chipotle, and Lockki’s Truffles, cheese-and-chocolate balls rolled in espresso, cocoa, cinnamon, and chipotle. These are outstanding artisan goat cheeses that you must try.

Moreton - A Delicious Bug !

I personally love Lobsters. In the US the Maine Lobster above and beyond but I also love the Spiny Lobster (Langoustine), the Norwegian Lobster (Scampi), the Australian Horse Lobster and last but not least a crustacean known as the Moreton Bay Bug. The "Thenus Orientalis" better known as the Moreton Bay Bug or simply Bay Lobster, is a species of slipper lobster found throughout the waters of Australia's north coast, the Indian Ocean and western parts of the Pacific Ocean. The distribution stretches from the east coast of Africa to the Red Sea, southern Asia, China and Japan as well as the Philippines, Indonesia including Australia's Moreton Bay, from which it derives its common name. The Moreton Bug is unusually versatile, and can be prepared in a variety of ways. The meat of the Moreton is found only in the tail and has a sweet and succulent flavour. I personally like to turn them around, simply cut out the belly shell then put a nice amount of herb butter or garlic butter or Cafe De Paris butter directly on the meat, sprinkle a little salt and a few breadcrumbs over the top and just put it under the broiler in the oven under high heat for about 6 minutes. I promise you that you will be blown away and you wont be able to stop eating. To prevent discolouration of the flesh, sprinkle with a little lemon or lime. These, like all the special type of crustaceans are hard to find, but the good fishmongers know how to get it for you. You might order these and give the fish guy a little time to get them in. Anybody that you serve these too will be wowed!

When In Venice - Fritto Misto Al Gatto Nero Di Ruggero

There are certain things that one should only eat or drink in the place of their origin. Terrine De Foie Grass tastes nowhere better than in the Alsace region of France. A Rose De Provence is only great when drunk in the South of France etc. Seafood Fritto Misto is nowhere better than in Venice. To be more precise, on the island of Burano, which is part of what is commonly know as Venice. Once you find that jewel amongst the Venice islands you will understand right away that even the cats on Burano know that this restaurant is dedicated to offer the best Seafood Fritto Misto anywhere on this planet. The "Gatto Nero di Ruggero" (Black Cat) with its vivid blue facade stands out among the low, brightly colored buildings animating the picturesque Fondamenta della Giudecca. Chef and owner Ruggero's Fritto Misto is outstanding for its lightness and the incerdible variety of fresh fish. When next time in Venice, you must make a stop on Burano!

Your Business Cards - Gianni Basso Stampatore Venice !

Gianni Basso is one of these mad genius' and the oldest and most sought after printer in Venice. From business cards, stationary to personal diaries - he produces some of the most beautiful printings in the world. He operates a handset custom printing facility that offers discounts to aspiring writers in the Cannaregio area. Gianni hand prints on a old Gutenberg press using hand mixed paint. He takes no orders by phone, fax or Internet. He has no website and does not use computers at all. The only way to place an order with him, is in person. He has many celebrity clients such as Susan Sontag, Hugh Grant, Gael Greene, Toni Blair which use their stays in Venice to take care of business with Gianni Basso. Come with cash, as it's the only form of payment Gianni Basso accepts.

Calle del Fumo, 5306

Venice 30131 Italy

+39 41 523 4681

Open Hours 8:30a-12:30p & 2p-7p M-Sa

79th Oscar - Worst Award Show Ever !

The producers of this years Oscar award show have decided to wait with the big ticket Oscars until the end of the show to make us all stick around the TV set. Very considered of them for everybody on the East Coast, to have to sit there Sunday midnight, still waiting for the real deal. Well, it did not work out this time around anyway. This award show was so poorly produced, bland and outright boring, that even the oldest producer trick on the books did not keep the audience around. Although the viewer numbers wont be out till later Monday afternoon, I will predict that these numbers stink and more progressively so towards the end of the show. This was supposed to be the annual Super Bowl of the most powerful entertainment industry entity in the world - Hollywood! By comparison, Ellen DeGeneres' daytime show is more entertaining, and Ellen herself most definitely is more funny on one of her afternoon TV shows. No jokes about anything current, Al Gore being the bad actor that he always was, a bland and uneventful stage and shadow puppets (!) that's all these guys can come up with? The Academy has all the money in the world and access to all the talent in the world and ABC was paying a fortune for this show. Where did that money go? Certainly not into Ellen's wardrobe. Different color pyjama style tuxes a la Hugh Hefner, a smile and a pair of cheap sneakers is all she needed to do this gig. The stage was the worst Oscar stage that I can remember. There was just nothing there and maybe that did not really matter either - after all there where no real acts to put on it, with maybe the exception of the "Dreamgirls" medley. That brings me to the awards itself. It was most definitely an off-year. The line-up of stars and movies was still more than capable to top the show, which really is not a compliment towards the quality of the nominees and movies! And what is up with that "Babel" pushing? The movie did not sell in the US. Nobody wanted to see it and Brad Pitt and Miss Jolie did not even bother to show up for the event. And my two personal favorite Latinas, Miss JLo and Penelope Cruz where there to count how many nominations were Hispanics - Viva la razza! By JLo's standard the Oscars getting better every year by the mere fact that more and more Hispanic movies, actors and performances are nominated. I did not know that Hispanics had this sure fire hold on good movies, music and acting. Al Gore invented the Internet, he is just about to cure cancer and since 30 years he is trying to make us aware of the global warming problem. This despite the fact that the popular believe amongst scientist in the 70's (about 30 years ago) still was that there might be a global cooling coming our way. And apparently he was driven to the Shrine in a hybrid limo, after arriving in L.A. in his private jet. Don't you just love it when the rich and all VIP Hollywierdo's tell you to be more careful with our planet and not to use too much gas, whilst being driven around in over sized limo's and flying in on private jets. This years 79th Academy Award show was a low point and most probably the worst Oscar presentation I ever saw. The movie and talents to go with it, wasn't much better. At one point you couldn't even tell the difference between the actual show and the commercials. The "Apple" comercial for the iPhone was done with movie snippets of different characters of different movies picking up a phone and saying hello. That was done better than the presentations of the movies inside the actual award show. Which - last but not least - brings me to the one and only bright spot about tonight; It can only get better from here on out! Next years Oscar cannot be possibly worst then this years. And I have a prediction to make; Next years host will not be Ellen DeGeneres but Jerry Seinfeld. If anybody ever successfully auditioned for the job during the tenure of his predecessor, then Jerry did tonight. His 2 minutes as a presenter where a little teaser of what this show and its presentation ought to be like. Look forward to see him getting that job and if I'm right, I will also tell you that he will do that for many years to come. Always remember; You heard it here first!

Breakfast - Great Places Around The World !

There is something about breakfast joints. Somehow I always find myself thinking of that elusive, kind of romantic breakfast joint with the great freshly baked breads and pastries and that Old World feeling. Not the standard hotel breakfast buffets or the stuff they serve at Denny's or McD's. No real breakfast in that little great joint. Most cities on this planet have this great breakfast and or brunch spot. I made the effort to summarize the few great spots that I have found, whilst traveling around. Try some of these joints when having the chance. You just may enjoy it the way I did.

Le Fumoir (Paris) This handsome bar and restaurant has a definite 'smoking room' feel. Conveniently close to the Louvre you can reward yourself for soaking up some culture with a must Sunday Champagne Brunch. The leather chairs are great to unwind in and there’s also a selection of international newspapers. You can always do the Laduree, the Deaux Magots and the Cafe De Paris, but there is no place like Le Fumoir in all of Paris. Specifically on a Sunday morning!

The Wolseley (London) At 160 Picaddilly in London The Wolseley dishes up a breakfast menu mainlines on classics-with-a-twist, so the fried eggs that come with Ayrshire bacon are duck rather than chicken, and hash is made with crab instead of corned beef. It's also one of the few places you can order waffles, which come with a choice of maple syrup, or creme fraiche and berries.

Cafe Central (Vienna) No breakfast in Vienna tastes better than one in the legendary Cafe Central, the most famous coffeehouse in a city that invented the coffeehouses. Opened in 1860 in a high-vaulted Palais Fertsel, its wood tables, tiled floors, street front windows and golden glow have attracted intellectuals, artists, writers and revolutionaries for 150 years. Amongst them Goethe, Zweig, Mahler, Beethoven, Friedell, Polgar, Kraus, Trotsky, Lenin and many more. The coffee remains the best in town and all the pastries are baked fresh on the premises.

Antico Caffee Greco (Rome) Since 1760, this is Rome's poshest coffeehouse. It is one of the three most ancient coffeehouses in the world. Casanova, Stendhal, Goethe, Keats and D'Annunzio have sipped coffee here. It was Giorgio De Chirico who suggested that this is the cafe where you sit and await the end. This the place in Rome to sit in the morning and have a breakfast in a incredible surrounding.

Gran Cafe de Gijon (Madrid) Each of the old European capitals has a coffeehouse that traditionally attracts the literati. In Madrid it's the Gijón, which opened in 1888 in the heyday of the Belle Epoque. Artists and writers still patronize this venerated old cafe for breakfast or just good old cup of coffee. Open windows look out onto the wide paseo and a large terrace is perfect for sun worshippers. When in Madrid, this is the place I hang out for breakfast.

De Bakkers Winkel (Amsterdam) Breakfast, in my opinion, demands a little something sweet and/or freshly baked. You will do well when visiting this quaint Dutch bakery. Within its walls, you'll discover a wealth of treats, including cakes, tortes, turnovers, croissants, Dutch style pancakes (I call them "the phunk" in my house) and the greatest apple cakes on God's earth. All of the goods are homemade, and they frequently feature a few things you didn't even know you'd find so tempting. The greatest morning pick-me-up in all of Amsterdam.

Kaffee Extrablatt (Munich) Owned by a prominent Munich newspaper columnist, Michael Grater, this cafe epitomizes the nocturnal essence of Schwabing. The sprawling, sometimes smoky room is adorned with photographs of celebrities and features a spacious well-designed bar, but the sidewalk tables are preferable during warm weather. The cafe attracts many of Munich's writers, artists, and counterculture fans. Regulars convene here over breakfast to converse and keep tabs on who's doing what, where. This is the place for a true Bavarian breakfast, which consist of Weisswurst, Brezel and Weissbeer.

The Verandah (Hong Kong) This wonderful, veranda-like restaurant is the only reason to venture to this destination on Hong Kong Island's south side. A throwback to Hong Kong's colonial days in a setting reminiscent of an exclusive private club, it boasts a stylish yet relaxed atmosphere, with tall ceilings and whirling fans, starched tablecloths and flowers, and windows open wide toward manicured lawns and the sea. If you can, book a table more than a week in advance and arrive starving at its famous Sunday brunch. There is no other place to be in Hong Kong on a Sunday morning. Also you will be seeing some of Hong Kong's most beautiful and also most influential people. In any case, with its excellent service, great food, and wonderful ambiance, this is a very beautiful place; you'll want to linger.

Balthazar (New York) When Keith McNally's fin de siecle bistro opened in 1997, the scrum for reservations was about as well-mannered as the Oklahoma land rush. Now it's possible for an ordinary citizen to request a table without calling 3 months in advance. The space - brass fixtures, red banquettes, distressed tile floor - is handsome and welcoming. The Balthazar may be a good restaurant but you need to stop in for a particularly spectacular breakfast. You need to make it early if you want to snag a seat.

Katz Deli (New York) Simply put, a New York meal without Katz's is like a corned beef sandwich without the corned beef. Arguably the classic of all classic New York Jewish-style delicatessens, Katz's has remained virtually unchanged since its inception in 1888. The vintage joint is one massive tin and aluminum space, sort of a immigrant-grunge-chic in what used to be the quintessentially ethnic Lower East Side. Leave your pretension at the door, grab a paper counter ticket and head straight for the cafeteria-style servers. The food is traditional kosher-style, and anyone who's anyone (including former presidents, movie stars, foreign diplomats and neighborhood natives) usually orders a piled-high deli sandwich. Lean pastrami, brisket and hot dogs are of the highest order, and the corned beef - cured, slow-dried over 30 days and hand-sliced - is so luscious it'll make you convert religion.

The Biltmore (Coral Gables) There are many breakfast options in Miami and a lot of them involve great South American and Cuban fare. But there is only one Sunday Brunch option in the whole greater Miami area. The grand American Sunday Brunch tradition takes on its own signature twist at the Biltmore, combining European elegance, Latin exuberance and Miami’s very own tropical style. There is many things about this brunch but let just say this; If you have not been at a Biltmore Sunday Brunch you have not been in Miami!

Dish (L.A. / La Canada) La Canada's Dish restaurant fully lives up to the American ideal, doling out plates of cornmeal Johnnycakes and apple wood smoked sausage etc.. The breakfast here is all American literally. Dish's atmosphere is kept remarkably comfortable, with the staff dressed in khakis and painted wood tables filling the joint. If you're in the mood for a taste of pure Americana, keep Dish in mind, because nobody dishes out home-style breakfast treats, like Dish does.

Bill's (Darlinghurst/Sydney) Enjoy the best Australian breakfast as you sit at the large communal table and read the newspaper in this restaurant owned by my Gourmet Brother Bill Granger. The bright, spacious interior is the best start for your day in all of Sydney. Popular with locals and famous actors such as Nicole Kidman. Try dishes like the famous ricotta pancakes, banana, and honey or corn fritters with bacon. Expect a line most mornings.

Tau Sar Peahs - Food For The Gods !

If you ever get to visit Malaysia, which is a great place to experience, you need to see the world famous Island of Penang, which goes by the nick name "Pearl of the Orient". Besides the fact that it is a beautiful place, it is also the home of the Tau Sar Peahs. These are little dumpling-shaped morsels of goodness that represent a cross between a biscuit and a pastry. They are so outrageously good that people call them ‘Food For The Gods'. The delicious Tau SarPeah's are made by baking mung bean paste in sugar and lard. The paste is then rolled into a mould with thin layer of flour. A skin forms that way, that becomes flaky when the Tau Sar Peah's are baked to a crispy golden brown. Although these cookies retain their freshness for several days without refrigeration, it is when they are still warm that eating them becomes an incomparable experience. The best way to get fresh tau sar peah is to pre-order, sometimes even days before your arrival in Penang.For Penangites who work outside the state (and even those who live overseas) and return for periodic sojourns to their beloved hometown, the Tau Sar Peah's is invariably among the items that line their bags when they depart.
Xiang Phing Bakery
04-890 2128

Xiao Long Baos - Only In Shanghai !

Xiao Long Baos literally means "little basket bun". These are the famous soup dumpling from the Southern provinces of China, namely Shanghai. It is very important to understand that the real deal here are not called soup dumpling because you would serve these in a soup bowl, emerged in some sort of a soup or broth. Xiao Long Baos are traditionally served in a over sized, decorative spoon and the liquid of the soup is supposed to be inside the dumpling. That is what makes these dumplings so special and different. Xiao Long Bao are traditionally steamed in bamboo baskets. They are usually filled with soup and meat fillings. The fillings are wrapped in a very thin Jiaozi rapper that turns almost translucent after being steamed. These steamed buns can be recognised by their unique design, as the filled wrapper is gathered up into fine folds at the top, prior to steaming. In Chinese culture they are eaten at any meal and are often served as part of dim sum service. The liquid of the soup inside the dumpling is created by placing some meat gelatin inside the dumpling before steaming. The heat of the steam will melt the gelatin inside the dumpling. These things are just delightful. Anytime I'm in a Chinese restaurant that offers these delights I try them, but I need to warn you - I have never had them outside of China in a way they are supposed to be. Usually the wrappers are way to thick and tough and the liquid does not really stay inside the dumplings. You will have to try them, on your next trip to Shanghai. When in Shanghai go visit the Nanxiang Mantou Dian restaurant for the most delicious Xiao Long Baos on this planet. Maybe this is a challenge to Chinese Chefs outside of China to make this dumpling sensation available in the rest of the world in the way they are supposed to be made.

The Burano Bedding Set - Too Precious To Lie On It !

I don't know about you, but the older I get the more I appreciate my bed and all the bedding that goes with it. At the end of the day, that one fine moment when you get ready to lay down in your bed and get comfortable becomes more and more an event that I truly enjoy. That leads to the fact that I'm more aware of all the choices and materials that go in and on a bed. Sferra Fine Linens has created bedding so precious that you might hesitate to lie on it. The Burano sets - each comprising one ivory fitted sheet, one ivory flat sheet, and two pillowcases - are made from 1,020-thread-count, Italian-woven Egyptian cotton. They incorporate Point de Venice lace, a centuries-old style of embroidery that the company used in its earliest products, when it was based in Venice, Italy. The bedding is named for the island near Venice, where women have been making this type of lace since the 16th century. It takes about four months to make enough lace for one whole bedding ensemble. Sferra does not really know how many sets they will be able to make. Hooker and his brother-in-law, George Matouk, bought Sferra in 1977 from the Sferra family, making Point de Venice lace their art. They went back to Burano and found four elderly women who agreed to make the lace exclusively for Sferra. That heritage began in 1891 in Venice, where Gennaro Sferra created elaborate cuffs and collars, some of which included the Point de Venice lace. By the early 1900s, Sferra had a factory in Venice and, owing to his transatlantic travels, a wealthy clientele in the eastern United States. When his sons, Albert and Enrico, took over the family business in the 1940s, they added table and bed linens to its offerings. Today Sferra Fine Linens is introducing the Burano bedding as it celebrates its 115th anniversary. With proper care, including laundering by hand, a Burano set could last as long as the company has. It’s made to be passed down from one generation to the next. As always; If you need to ask for the price, you can't afford it!
Sferra Fine Linens
800.336.1891

$ 6.8 Million - Wanna Play Elephant Polo ?

If you have about $ 6.8 million to spare and want to do something good with it and at the same time indulge into something truly eccentric - well than this one is for you. Get your entry for one team - you and five other players - in the next King’s Cup Elephant Polo Tournament, to be held in 2007 in the Golden Triangle region of Thailand. Three weeks’ accommodations for six at Four Seasons resorts in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, and the brand new super Four Seasons Koh Samui. A private viewing of King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s white elephants, hosted by a royal escort in Bangkok. Adoption of six elephants and the provision of homes for them in Thailand, where you can visit them annually. If you acquire this gig you will aid the elephants’ cause, in part, by training for and playing in the King’s Cup. You and five team members of your choosing will receive mahout training through the elephant camp at the Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle resort “Animal Rites,” where you will stay in tent-style accommodations for a total of 10 nights before and during the tournament. While enabling you to become sufficiently prepared for your elephant-polo debut, the arrangements also ensure that you enjoy yourself in Thailand regardless of how you perform in the tournament. The outbound leg of a round-trip, first-class flight from the United States will land you and your crew in Bangkok, where suites at the city’s Four Seasons will be home base. Excursions including a round of golf at an exclusive club, a dinner cruise on the Chao Phraya River, and a private viewing of King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s white elephants—hosted by a royal escort—will be on the agenda. Next, you and your guests will travel by private jet to Chiang Mai for a three-night stay in two three-bedroom residences at the Four Seasons. There you will study privately with Thai master chefs in the cooking school, preparing curries and other traditional dishes with herbs from the resort’s garden. Outings on this leg will include a sunrise breakfast at a mountaintop temple, a round of golf at the nearby Green Valley course, and an early-morning ceremony where you will present offerings to monks and receive their blessings. Then you are off - again by private jet - to the Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle for mahout training - and Mahout Recovery spa treatments daily - in advance of the King’s Cup. Souvenirs from this portion of the trip will include one customized howdah decorated in gold leaf and one antique opium bed, similar to those you will see at the Hall of Opium museum in nearby Golden Triangle Park. You can take home the two souvenirs, but the six elephants you adopt will remain in Thailand. The cost of caring for one for its 70-year lifetime is about $630,000, and sponsorship of all six costs nearly $3.8 million of the gig’s total $6.8 million price. You may, however, visit the animals yearly at the Four Seasons elephant camp and witness them in the care of their mahouts, whose housing and salary are covered in the adoption. After the King’s Cup, before returning to Bangkok for your departing flight home, you will unwind for five nights at the new Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui, which at press time is scheduled to open in February 2007.