Around The Culinary World

Good evening everyone! I hope everyone had an enjoyable Christmas holiday - it seems like only yesterday that Maggie and I departed on icy roads to head back home. Now we're back to reality (boo!) and still a little weary from all of the festivities. A new week, however, means new recipes, and new adventures! Starting off with our weekly look at the news 'Around The Culinary World'. There isn't a whole lot of big, breaking stories this week - but the few I've found are worth a read. (Quality over quantity right?) So, here's what's happening in the culinary world this week:

Amazing, intricate and overly embellished cakes have become all the rage of late. Some of the more eccentric cake designers have earned their own TV series over the phenomenon. Shows like 'Ace Of Cakes' (now cancelled) and the 'Cake Boss' shine a light on the world of overly creative and unique bakery delights. Disney has begun taking steps to 'one-up' even the mighty cake boss. How does one top a cake that looks like a bucket of popcorn? By making your cake interactive of course! While it's only in the early stages - it sure looks like creative cakes are going to be getting more creative in the future! Check out the full story HERE

One of the biggest complaints leveled at fresh, homemade cooking is the cost. I won't deny it - eating healthy has the potential to be extremely more costly than simply filling your plate with Cheetos and frozen pizza. Eatingwell.com has 6 tips to help you save at the grocery store this year. While you may not try them all (after all, everyone has a 'I won't cut out that!' line) it is worth a read. Check out the interesting ideas HERE

For our, "Wow - that's...odd" story of the week - an artist in Brooklyn has recreated a whole collection of death row inmate's final meals (complete with pictures). Why? Well... she's making a book - titled 'Today's Special' - get a sneak peek at the book (and the sort of creepy photos) HERE

This story is for the lazier readers out there. Every year, chefs create, recreate and perfect recipes - constantly striving for culinary perfection. If you are an amateur chef (like myself) you are eager to follow along and try these recipes for yourself. If you're not as enthusiastic - or just plain lazy - you wait until Eatingwell.com puts out their 'Best Recipes Of 2010' list and simply make the dishes deemed to be the cream of the crop. Check out the best recipes of 2010 HERE ...cheater

A couple of weeks ago - we touched on the Food Safety Modernization Act that was recently passed in Congress. While it is understood that the bill is much needed - given the global nature of produce and food products (and the lack of 'global' vision in the current standards) - some may not understand what exactly the new bill does. The Huffington Post broke down the act into 18 simple to digest parts. To get a summary of what the new bill will change on you dinner table - check out the full story HERE

Finally tonight, we come full circle. We shared the best recipes of 2010 - now here's the worst. The Stir (Blog) has created a list of the 10 worst culinary creations unleashed on the world this year. Not surprisingly - they are all fast food menu items. (Also not surprising - the KFC Double Down makes the list)

Aaaaah! It's a heart attack waiting to happen! RUN AWAY!! 

Check out the 10 items you should be sure to avoid HERE


And that's what's new in the culinary world for Monday, December 27th 2010. We've got an exciting week lined up - tomorrow we finally reveal what our big announcement (teased a few weeks ago) will be - we will be dedicating the entire blog tomorrow to this particular announcement (so be sure to watch our Facebook page for the blog post). Wednesday, I'll be tackling a recipe revisit (of sorts) and Thursday, Maggie is getting creative with some typical kitchen standbys. It's all shaping up to be an exciting week - starting off with tomorrow's big announcement. Be sure to stop back tomorrow night! Until then,

~Cheers