It takes a lot of courage to show your dreams to someone else

Just a typical Jewish law student who returned to New York to study playwriting, Roberts forsook torts and all things dramaturgical for tarts and all things culinary. In order to better share his discoveries and enthusiasms, he eventually launched a Web site—amateurgourmet.com—replete with recipes, marketing and cooking tips, restaurant reviews and overall winsomeness.

Now he shares his experience with us how to write a book.

I wish one day my dream will come true.

A Turkish monarch...

Eggplant holds an esteemed place in many Mediterranean cuisines. I think that the Turkish kitchen has exploited its versatility to the fullest. Turks use eggplant in hot and cold dishes, cubed, sliced, layered, puréed, stuffed, wrapped around meat, and wrapped in pastry. For me, the smell of eggplant cooking in olive oil on a summer evening is one of the most evocative memories of my homeland. The absence of eggplant from any summer meal would be unthinkable.

Full Article

More info: Learning to love Eggplant"

Cinnamon Nut Twists

Cinnamon Nut Twists (Крученые булочки с корицей и орехами из готового теста


Yield: 16 servings.

2 tubes (8 ounces each) refrigerated reduced-fat crescent rolls, 2 tablespoons reduced-fat stick margarine, 1/4 cup packed brown sugar, 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, 1/3 cup finely chopped walnuts




Unroll both tubes of dough; press perforations and seams together to form two rectangles. Spread with margarine. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over dough. Sprinkle with walnuts. Fold each rectangle in half, starting from a short side. Cut each into eight strips. Twist each strip and tie into knot. Place on non-greased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Universal Lemon drizzle: 1 tbsp margarine, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 c icing sugar. Mix together completely softened margarine with 1 tbsp of lemon juice and the icing sugar.Make a thick paste, add more lemon juice to make a thick but pourable drizzle. Pour over completely cooled twists.

Recipe from "Taste of Home"

Look and Feel YOUNGER....

Definetely, no matter of age every woman wants to be attractive. There is only ONE problem is to find a reputable source of advices.
Here're some of them.

By surpise, one of them is a president of Technology Conceps, a Web design and e-marketing company, professor of e-business for the University of Phoenix Online; and the author of more than a dozen computer books. So, Dr.Eileen Buckholtz recommends

www.smartskincare.com
www.realage.com
www.surgery.org
www.worldhealth.org
www.aafprs.org
www.neutrogena.com/antioxidant

Second is Dr. Leslie Baumann, chief of the Division of Cosmetic Dermatology and a professor at the University of Miami School of Medicine. and her famous blog

Holishkes (stuffed cabbage) with mexican twist

Holishkes (stuffed cabbage) with Mexican twist

Makes 8 pieces.

Stuffing
1 pound chopped meat, 3/4 cup precooked white rice, 1/3 cup finely chopped onion, 1 eggs, beaten, 2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

Sauce
1 (1 lb) can medium salsa, 5 tbsp barbeque sauce, 2 medium size carrots, 1/4 cup vegetable oil, hot water1 medium green cabbage.

In a large bowl, combine all the stuffing ingredients. Stir them with a fork, then mix thoroughly with your hands. Cover and refrigerate.

Peel the carrots and cut into 1/2 inch pieces. In a bowl, thoroughly mix all sauce ingredients, add carrots.

Remove about 8 large leaves from the cabbage; cut off very thick part of each leaf. Pour boiling water over the cabbage to wilt the leaves. Drain the water and set leaves on a plate. Stuff with 3/4 cup of the meat-rice mixture each leave, roll very tightly along the spine, and close both sides by tucking them in with your fingers.

Pour sauce into a large, wide-bottomed stockpot. Arrange the cabbage rolls carefully on top of the sauce, and pour the hot water over. Place a couple chunks of fresh apples on a top (hint from Martha Stewart). Cover pot and simmer for 1 hour and 45 minutes. Adjust salt and pepper.

Government ENTERS the BLOGOSPHERE

"It might be more worthwhile if we stopped wringing our hands and started ringing our congressmen."

5 Federal blogs worth reading ("Federal Computer Week")

1. The Impact of IT on Businesses and Their Leaders By Andrew McAfee, associate professor of business administration at the Harvard Business School
blog.hbs.edu/faculty/amcafee

2. Department of Health and Human Services blog
secretarysblog.hhs.gov

3. Congressional Budget Office Director’s Blog
cboblog.cbo.gov

4. DipNote, the State Department’s public blog, started in September 2007 and offers a different take on U.S. foreign policy information.
blogs.state.gov

5. Navy Department CIO blog. Robert Carey, the Navy’s chief information officer, is the first federal CIO to regularly write a publicly posted blog
www.doncio.navy.mil/Blog.aspx

Remember, democracy is a government where you can say what you think even if you don't think.

Mushroom challah pudding

Mushroom challah pudding

Servings: Makes 8 servings

4 cups (1/2-inch) fresh challah cubes (about 5 ounces), 1 1/2 pounds mixed fresh wild mushrooms such as chanterelle, cremini, and oyster, trimmed, 1/2 cup finely chopped shallot, 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1/2 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley, 2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped, 2 cups half-and-half, 4 large eggs, 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.
Bake bread cubes in 1 layer in a large shallow baking pan until golden-brown, about 10 minutes.

Tear or cut mushrooms lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick pieces.
Cook shallot in butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until beginning to soften, about 3 minutes. Add mushrooms, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook until liquid mushrooms give off has evaporated, about 15 minutes. Add parsley and garlic and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

Whisk together half-and-half, eggs, cheese, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl. Stir in mushrooms and bread cubes until coated well and let stand 10 minutes for bread to absorb some of egg mixture.
Mushroom bread pudding can be baked in a buttered 2-quart shallow baking dish (not lined with parchment).Spoon mixture into dish and bake on a baking sheet until firm to the touch, 30 to 35 minutes.

Грибная запеканка
На 8 порций.

4 чашки свеже нарезанных хлебных кубиков, 750 грамм свежих грибов, 1/2 чашки мелко нарезанного лука, 2 столовые ложки сливочного масла, 1/2 чашки мелко нарезанной петрушки (по желанию), 2 зубца чеснока, 2 чашки сливок, 4 яйца, 1/2 чашки натертого сыра "Parmigiano-Reggiano", соль и перец по вкусу.
Нагреть духовку до 350Ф.

Выложить хлебные кубики на деко и подсушить в духовке в течении 10 минут. Тем временем нарезать грибы.
Нагреть сковороду на огне, предварительно добавив сливочное масло. Домавить лук и грибы. Жарить на среднем огне 15 минут. Посолить, поперчить. В конце добавить чеснок.
В небольшой посуде смешать сливки, сыр, соль, перец, яйца. Добавить пожаренные с луком грибы и подсушенные хлебные кубики. Дать постоять этой смеси около 10 минут.
Приготовить деко. Выложить смесь и запечь в духовке в течении 30-35 минут. Остудить и в теплом виде подавать со сметаной.

Recipe from GourmetDecember 2007

Pear Cake with Pine Nuts

Pear Cake with Pine Nuts

Many bakers believe, that pears are an underutilized fruit when it comes to baking and dessert. So, I decided to try something new and light.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 wedge)

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, 3/4 cup sugar, 1/8 teaspoon salt, 1/4 cup chilled butter, cut into small pieces, 2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted, 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/3 cup fat-free sour cream, 1/4 cup 1% low-fat milk, 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, 1 large egg, cooking spray, 2 cups thinly sliced peeled pear.Preheat oven to 350°.
Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl; stir well with a whisk. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Remove 1/3 cup flour mixture; place in a small bowl. Stir in pine nuts and cinnamon; set aside.
Combine the remaining flour mixture, sour cream, and the next 6 ingredients (sour cream through egg) in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Pour the batter into a 9-inch round cake pan coated with cooking spray.

Arrange the pear slices evenly over the batter. Sprinkle with pine nut mixture. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean; cool completely on a wire rack.

Летняя шарлотка с грушами.
На 8 порций.

1 1/4 чашки муки, 3/4 чашки сахара, 1/8 чайной ложки соли, 1/4 чашки холодного сливочного масла, порезанного на маленькие кусочки, 2 столовые ложки мелко нарезанных орех, 1/4 чайной ложки корицы (по женланию), 1/3 чашки сметаны, 1/4 чашки молока, 1 чайная ложка свеже молотой лимонной цедры, 1 чайная ложка ванильной эссенции, 1/4 чайной ложки соды, 1/2 чайной ложки разрыхлителя, 1 яйцо, 2 чашки мелко нарезанной груши.
Нагреть духовку до 350Ф. Приготовить круглую 9-дюймовую формочку для выпечку тортов.
Смешать муку, сахар и соль. Добавить кусочку масла и растереть. Отделить 1/3 чашки смеси в отдельную посуду.
Остальную мучную смесь смешать со сметаной, молоком, цедрой, ванилью, разрыхлителем, содой и яйцом. Все хорошо взбить миксером. Былить тесто в приготовленную форму. Выложить кусочки грушы на поверхность торта, посыпать мучной смесью и орехами.
Запекать в духовке 45 минут. Вынуть и остудить полностью.

Recipe from Cooking Light, SEPTEMBER 2001