All posts filed under: brandy and cognac

Sunday Morning Edition – Is Purely for Entertainment

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Slow down October! What’s the rush? I mean, I was in a department store the other day and walked past the holiday decor section, only to discover there are now holiday specific sections as follows:   All Halloween items on sale. Thanksgiving in full display and full-price and Christmas on pre-sale.  I had to step back for a moment and jar my memory about what day and month that it was. I don’t really like to shop for Thanksgiving or Christmas in mid to late September but I suppose everyone is doing everything they can to stay competitive with ETSY or otherwise online speciality sites offering up the most unique of decorations and in abundance. Anyway, just figured I’d throw that out there before I share the following:

Travel: All Things Paris

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I’ve been to Paris nearly every single month of the year – except December and January and in 2018 I am adding to my bucket list to experience my favorite place on earth at least the month of December – right before and during all the holiday festivities. In the meantime, here’s what I have learned recently…

Travel: San Francisco’s Finest Bars

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I sometimes forget that I live in one of the most amazing cities on the planet, and that we too have the best of restaurants, and bars to add to your must-try list when you come hang out in my fair city. Now, although I have sampled  on a personal level a handful or so of these pubs, and planned many company happy hours around town, with the venue always being a different bar, I have to say this list of ‘Ten San Francisco bars where the cocktails are so good’ has sparked my curiosity to venture out a bit further then the norm. See for yourself what I mean 🙂  

Food: Cake with Tequila, lime juice and Oh So Cointreau

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You can tell what’s on my mind lately. Alcohol…err…I mean alcohol infused desserts for New Year’s Eve get together, or a holiday birthday for someone special – in my case my hubs. So, while on a quest to find something unique I could bake him, or even bring with to a gathering with friends, I found this winning recipe.

Travel: Scotland It Is

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Ah the beauty and intrigue of Scotland, I have forever passed up when traveling to Europe. Until a year back when a dear friend of mine insisted we make a stop in Scotland on our way to Italy, so she could show me her favorite destination in the world. I went along and sure enough, found myself falling in love with the country so much  that I actually  wrote another novel, currently in edit and cover design mode, about Scotland. Just a side note, I am having trouble coming up with a title. So for so many reasons,  I dedicate this travel piece to Scotland:  

boutique hotel pick – carlton hotel – st. moritz, switzerland

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Winter time, my hotel picks are always in a  romantic ski-resort destinations. St. Moritz of course is one of those places I adore, and wish I could spend every Christmas there, or even just New Year’s Eve, and with that I have to choose the Carlton Hotel St. Moritz. I usually don’t mention too much about the hotel’s amenities, I simply suggest you click here for that. My appreciation and admiration of the property is the location, and how enchanting it is. A wonderful destination and a thoughtful gift indeed: {photo source}  

edinburgh scotland – day one

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It mattered not the weather is cold for a San Franciscan, we bundled up and left the hotel a little after ten in the morning to do, as usual, a walking tour – not really with any particular place in mind. It was enlightening, beautiful and I returned to my hotel finally after eight at night, understanding the ties between Montreal, Canada and Scotland.  Edinburgh and Montreal are for sure sister cities, very identical in so many ways. Oh and the food in Edinburgh, has to be the best I’ve had in Europe. Sorry Italy and France.

three bars and a cafe – san francisco – no 4

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The city is bustling with tourists and locals, getting together at bars and restaurants for a holiday gathering. It’s become difficult getting a reservation, unless of course you’ve planned ahead. But even still, here are a few more of my three bars and cafe recommend in the city by the bay: Click on the photo to be redirected

dark chocolate truffles to take to party at work

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Although I am running between jury duty and work this week, I have committed to bake something for my co-workers. It’s been a tradition of mine forever and this year, no matter how hectic this week is, if I am excused from Jury duty before Friday, I will take these dark chocolate truffles to work. Ingredients 2/3 cup heavy whipping cream 1 2/3 cups (10-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Dark Chocolate Morsels Finely chopped toasted nuts, toasted flaked coconut and/or NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Baking Cocoa for coating truffles Directions LINE baking sheet with parchment or wax paper. HEAT cream to a gentle boil in medium, heavy-duty saucepan. Remove from heat. Add chocolate. Stir until mixture is smooth and chocolate is melted. Refrigerate for 15 to 20 minutes or until slightly thickened. DROP chocolate mixture by rounded measuring teaspoon onto prepared baking sheet. Refrigerate for 20 minutes. Shape or roll into balls; coat with nuts, coconut or cocoa. Store in airtight container in refrigerator.      

healthy baking: fall cake recipe

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I am not a fan of frosted bland layer cakes. I  much prefer bundt cakes made with dried fruits and nuts, maybe some fresh lemon or orange peel shavings (aka rinds), and definitely infused with  cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla. Since this type of cake is not very popular in the U.S., most restaurants and cafes offer either carrot cake or zucchini bread as an alternative. So I usually order either to give me the fix I need, if and when I crave for a slice of  “robust” cake. I want to state here that I can only tolerate the cream frosting on either cake since it actually and truly compliments the flavors throughout it. Over the weekend, while I searched for a cake to bake for this year’s Thanksgiving dinner, I came across this visually amazing blog and found an interesting recipe for a cake which I wanted to share with everyone who comes across my blog and also make for this year’s Thanksgiving dessert table. Harvest Cake (Makes 1-9inch cake, to make a layered cake …