Guest Post: Valentine's Day from Kisseo eCards

You might have noticed we've been hibernating for the winter, but the inner romantic in all of us at FunnySpoon had to come out for Valentine's Day! So we teamed up with our friends at Kisseo eCards to give you some last-minute do's and don'ts for Valentine's Day. We wish you all a special day tomorrow!

Either you're sick of all our Valentine's Day articles or you're excited for tomorrow! For those of you who aren't overloaded on candy hearts, we have one more post for you in our series and we feel like we've saved the best for last: What to Eat on Valentine's Day.

Because what's more exciting than indulgent food, right? OK, we can think of one thing but this isn't that type of blog!

With a little help from our friends at FunnySpoon.com, we've compiled the ultimate Eat vs. Don't Eat Guide for Valentine's Day. Get your appetites ready!

Avoid like the plague:

• Ingredients that give you bad breath, leaving you unkissable at the end of the night. Examples: excessive amounts of onion or garlic.
• Anything that could potentially get stuck in your teeth. Examples: Pesto and oregano.
• Any foods that leave your stomach feeling unsettled so you have to cut the date short or make an embarrassing dash for the bathroom. Examples: Beans or Indian food.
• Ingredients one of you could be allergic to. The last thing you want is to swell up like a chipmunk, break out in a rash or start coughing hysterically. Examples: strawberries, nuts, shellfish.
• Food that is hard to eat. You'll be focusing on eating instead of conversing! Examples: lobster in the shell, escargot.
• Anything with chopsticks unless you're both experienced. No need to complicated things!
• Anything messy. 'Nuff said.
• Anything that requires you to eat with your hands, other than sides like bread. Examples: oysters
• Any dish too spicy runs the risk of breaking out in a sweat when you're trying to appear cool and collected. Examples: jalapenos, certain ethnic foods

Wondering what in the world is left? Try this easy and delicious V-day menu! It's ready in a snap so you can focus more on your date:

Spinach Fettuccine Alfredo & Chicken

Roasted Winter Vegetables

Chocolate Truffles

And before you fire up the stove, be sure to fire off a Valentine's Day ecard to your sweetheart!

I'm thinking of you

Koala love

Passion...

Kisseo eCards is the global leader in online greeting cards, with free eCards for every occasion. Send a Valentine's Day card today, either on their website or Facebook!

Eat, Drink, and Blog!

Our friends at Eat, Drink and Be featured a guest post of ours: 5 Best Recipes When You're Sick. Yay us! If you haven't seen it yet, take a look and bookmark it so you're prepared the next time someone in your house gets sick.

And be sure to check out their other food safety and health articles while you're there!

5 Days of Cheese: Goat Cheese

It's, sniff, the last day of our "5 Days of Cheese" series. You might be cheesed out already but we sure aren't! Check out our tips and recipes for today's featured cheese: Goat Cheese!

• Origins: Has been around for thousands of years, debatably one of the first dairy products.


• Aging: Brined for several months.


• Texture: Can be soft and spreadable with no rind, or firmer with a rind.


• Fun fact: Goat milk is more similar to human milk than cow milk, and is served to young children who have a limited tolerance to cow milk. It is lower in fat and higher in vitamin A and postassium. Goat cheese is common in the Middle East, Africa, and Mediterranean countries because goats can survive in harsher conditions whereas cows cannot.


• Wine Pairing: Goat cheese goes best with a dry white from the Loire River Valley, like a Sancerre or Vouvray, or Gewurztraminer. Also pair it with champagne.


• Serving: Goat cheese is delicious crumbled into salads, spread over tartines, or stuffed into omelets. It is fairly versatile and can even be used in pasta dishes to add tangy flavor.

Goat Cheese Quick Dip

Baby Spinach and Goat Cheese Salad

Goat Cheese Fettucine

Miss a post? Catch up for the week:
Monday: Cheddar
Tuesday: Parmesan
Wednesday: Brie
Thursday: Blue Cheese
Friday: Goat Cheese (above)

Like our 5 Days of Cheese series? Then check out our 5 Days of Fruit and 5 Days of Veggies series too!

We are happy to have Nola Solomon on board as an intern for FunnySpoon.com. As a French-American, she offers unique culinary insight on how to enjoy your food and efficiently plan for a hectic schedule. Give her recipes and tips a try!

5 Days of Cheese: Parmesan

It's Day 2 of our "5 Days of Cheese" series and today we're featuring Parmigiano-Reggiano, or Parmesan as we usually call it. Check out our tips and recipes below!

• Origins: Created in the Middle Ages, it is named after the producing areas in Emilia-Romagna and Lombardia. Under Italian law only cheese produced in these two provinces can be labeled Parmigiano-Reggiano. Parmigiano is named after the Parma, and Reggiano comes from the Italian adjective for Reggio Emilia.


• Aging: Considered to be at its best between 24-30 months, but can be as young as 6 months and as old as 6 years.


• Texture: Hard granular cheese, cooked but not pressed. Made from raw cow's milk.


• Fun fact: Boccaccio praised parmesan in the Decameron where he refers to "a mountain, all of grated Parmesan cheese." Parmesan is made from the milk of cows that have only been fed grass and hay.


• Wine pairing: Parmesan goes well with mostly anything. Try pairing it with a fuller red like a Cabernet Sauvignon or dry white like a Chardonnay.


• Serving: Most commonly grated over pasta, soup, and risotto, or eaten in chunks paired with balsamic vinegar. It is a key ingredient in pesto. Parmesan crust can be added to soups for additional flavor or gnawed on until soft.

Parmesan Crips

Risotto Microwavo

Spicy Parmesan Chicken

Miss a post? Catch up for the week:
Monday: Cheddar
Tuesday: Parmesan (above)
Wednesday: Brie
Thursday: Blue Cheese
Friday: Goat Cheese

Like our 5 Days of Cheese series? Then check out our 5 Days of Fruit and 5 Days of Veggies series too!

We are happy to have Nola Solomon on board as an intern for FunnySpoon.com. As a French-American, she offers unique culinary insight on how to enjoy your food and efficiently plan for a hectic schedule. Give her recipes and tips a try!

5 Days of Veggies: Eggplant

It's Day 3 of our 5 Days of Veggies series and today's veggie is something you might not know much about - eggplant. In fact, it's technically a fruit, but since you serve it and eat it more like you would a vegetable, we figured it was OK to group it with our veggies this week. So check out our easy eggplant tips and recipes below!

• There are many different types of eggplant. Here are a few of the most common:
  • Western eggplant: most commonly found in your grocery store, is large with a glossy dark skin
  
  
  • Japanese eggplant: a long, slender eggplant
  
  
  • Egg-shaped eggplant: many varieties of a purple, white or mixed color
  
  
  • Baby eggplant: sometimes orange, sometimes the size of walnuts


• Selection: Choose firm, glossy-skinned eggplants.


• Storage: Store in the fridge until used. Eggplants develop a bitter taste the longer they are stored.


• Preparation: Cut eggplant into slices and lay in a colander. Sprinkle with salt and allow to "sweat" for an hour. Eggplant can then be grilled, baked, sautéed, fried, or pureed, as desired.


• Fun fact: Although we use eggplant as a vegetable, it is actually a fruit. It is native to India and Pakistan and was domesticated over 4,000 years ago.

Eggplant Parmesan

Stuffed Eggplant

Grilled Herbed Eggplant

Miss a post? Catch up for the week:
Monday: Corn
Tuesday: Onions
Wednesday: Eggplant (above)
Thursday: Avocado
Friday: Tomatoes

Like our 5 Days of Veggies series? Then check out our 5 Days of Fruit series too!

We are happy to have Nola Solomon on board as an intern for FunnySpoon.com. As a French-American, she offers unique culinary insight on how to enjoy your food and efficiently plan for a hectic schedule. Give her recipes and tips a try!

5 Days of Fruit: Berries

It's Day 3 of 5 Days of Fruit and today's feature is berries. Browse through our picks below for all you ever wanted to know about berries!

Strawberries

• Selection: The smaller, the sweeter. Choose bright red berries with their caps intact. Caps should be green and not browning or dry. Avoid moldy or shriveled berries. Check the underside of the container for indication of rotting berries.


• Storage: Strawberries are better eaten as soon as possible, but they may be stored in the refrigerator on a paper towel in a covered container for up to 3 days. Another viable option is to freeze them. Wash, dry, and remove the caps. Store in a zip-top bag for up to 6 months.


• Slicing: You obviously want to remove the green top but other than that, the slicing's up to you. One pretty way to slice a strawberry is to place it cap-side-down, then cut 1/4-inch slices downward.


• Fun Fact: The French paved the way for strawberry cultivation when Cartier, the French explorer, brought them back to France from Quebec in 1534. Louis XIV loved strawberries so much that he held a poetry contest on its merits.

Strawberry Pie

Bridal Shower Salad

Strawberry Shortcake

Blueberries

• Selection: Pick berries that are completely blue and have a shimmery silver coating, which serves as a natural protectant. Avoid soft, watery, or moldy berries.


• Storage: Blueberries must be ripe when purchased as they will not ripen after being picked. Keep blueberries in the fridge, unwashed and covered with clear wrap, for up to two weeks. Water on fresh blueberries speeds up deterioration. Avoid berries under mist sprays in the supermarket. Unwashed, fresh blueberries may also be frozen for up to a year.


• Fun Fact: Fresh blueberries are in season from June through August, but may also be found canned, dried, and pureed year round.

Red, White, and Blue Cookies

PBJ Ice Cream Sandwiches

Patriotic Cheesecake

Brambles: Aggregate fruits that are composed of many smaller fruits called drupes, such as raspberries and blackberries.

Raspberries

• Selection: Raspberries should be plump, dry, and firm. They can be red, yellow, apricot, black, or purple, but should be uniform throughout the container. Avoid stained containers.


• Storage: Can be refrigerated for up to two days.


• Fun Fact: Red raspberries peak June through September, but are available year round. Yellow raspberries peak June to October, and black raspberries are only peaked in July.

Blackberries

• Selection: Should be a dark purple, almost black, and soft.


• Storage: Should be eaten as soon as possible, but may be kept in the fridge for up to three days.


• Fun fact: Blackberries often get confused for black raspberries, but raspberries have a hollow center while blackberries have a greenish-white core.

Berry Parfait

Fresh Fruit Salad

Blackberry Ice Cream Soda

Miss a post? Catch up for the week:
Monday: Tropical Fruit
Tuesday: Orchard Fruit
Wednesday: Berries (above)
Thursday: Citrus Fruit
Friday: Melons

We are happy to have Nola Solomon on board as an intern for FunnySpoon.com. As a French-American, she offers unique culinary insight on how to enjoy your food and efficiently plan for a hectic schedule. Give her recipes and tips a try!

Sneaking Veggies to Your Kids

Veggies decrease the risk of many diseases and are high in antioxidants, which boost the defense system, vitamins, and other minerals like calcium, potassium, and iron. They are low in fat and high in dietary fiber.

When buying vegetables look for plumpness and bright color. Vegetables are better eaten fresh because the longer they are kept in storage, the more nutrients they lose.

Everyone should be eating a minimum of five portions of veggies a day, so to get your kids excited about the green stuff, make it fun! Sneak vegetables into dishes your kids love:

1. Mac & Cheese with veggies thrown in, like Quick Mac with peas or Mom-Approved Mac and Cheese with carrots and cauliflower.


2. Homemade pizza topped with vegetables, like Bahamas Pizza with green peppers and pineapple or Southwestern Pizza with corn, red peppers, and yellow peppers.

3. Spaghetti and meatballs, and mix in shredded carrots, chopped mushrooms, onions and diced tomatoes.

4. Chicken noodle soup with celery, carrots, and white beans.

5. Mashed sweet potatoes with peas.

6. Go sweet with some easy Zucchini Bread!

Have you been reading this thinking "Nice try guys, there's no way my kids will go for this"? Here's a few more tips to try:

1. Start small. Don't overload a new dish with a bunch of unrecognizable veggies. Try one new veggie at a time until they get used to it and start to like it. It's very possible that your kids truly don't like a particular vegetable (I was never a fussy eater but detested lima beans - when it was the only thing I pushed aside my mom realized I honestly don't like them), but they should at least give everything a shot.


2. Keep it small. If your child thinks cauliflower is gross, having a big piece staring at him isn't going to help. But if you mash/chop/shred the veggies, it's easier to mix them in (and harder for them to pick out!).


3. Make it fun! Share fun facts about veggies, like how carrots make your vision better (just like their favorite superheroes!) or how broccoli is basically just a mini tree that you can eat.

Good luck and bon appetit!

We are happy to have Nola Solomon on board as an intern for FunnySpoon.com. As a French-American, she offers unique culinary insight on how to enjoy your food and efficiently plan for a hectic schedule. Give her recipes and tips a try!

World Cup 2010: The Finale

So we have made it to the end. Although it is with great sadness that the World Cup is over, I can now refocus on the other aspects of my life that have been put on hold. But, as promised, here is the last blog.

The World Cup Final broke many records this year, and I'm not just talking about the fourteen yellow cards that were doled out. Spain won the golden cup for the first time ever and a record 24.3 million Americans tuned in to watch the match!
This weekend was one intensely anticipated. I watched the runners-up game between Germany and Uruguay at my friend's apartment. We ate a delicious heirloom tomato and avocado salad with grilled rotisserie chicken and watched as goal was retaliated by goal into what turned out to be a rather high-scoring match! Germany triumphed and got the third place glory they probably deserved.

After being turned away from many bars and restaurants for not having made a reservation for the big final game, my friends and I found a small French bistro reassuringly named "Tout Va Bien." They had one table left right next to the projector screen where they were showing the game. Prime seating. The European crowd wooed and booed throughout the tight match. Over whole artichokes, mixed green salads, and croque-monsieurs, we watched as the ref handed out yellow cards like candy, and ignored a blatant red card when Alonso was kicked cleats up in the chest. Our admittedly very cute Spanish-Swedish waiter provided us with ample amounts of Sancerre, beer, and at the end, a celebratory bottle of champagne. When Iniesta finally secured Spain's victory with a gorgeous shot with only four minutes left of overtime play, the restaurant erupted into cheers and shouts of "Viva España! Ole Ole Ole Ole!"

We are happy to have Nola Solomon on board as an intern for FunnySpoon.com. As a French-American, she offers unique culinary insight on how to enjoy your food and efficiently plan for a hectic schedule. Give her recipes and tips a try!

Bubbly Basics

Cheers! Everyone celebrates a Sunday brunch with a Mimosa or Bellini, but how much do you actually know about the key ingredient: Champagne?

• Champagne is a sparkling wine named after the region in the north of France in which it is produced. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are the two predominant grapes that make champagne. The label "Champagne" is copyrighted, which means that any other region that produces it cannot label it such, but must call it "methode champenoise."


• Champagne is expensive because it is produced in limited quantities from only one specific region. It is different from other sparkling wines like Cava and Prosecco because it undergoes a double fermentation process: once in the barrel and once in the bottle.


• Contrary to other wines, champagne does not get better with age.


• The Benedictine Monk, Dom Perignon, invented champagne by testing the process of carbonation. He learned that trapping carbon dioxide causes bubbles. The bubbles are actually the reason people get drunk easily from champagne; they carry the alcohol into the bloodstream faster.


• The quality of champagne is determined by the size of the bubbles; the smaller the bubbles, the higher the quality. Another way to determine the quality of your champagne is to check the bubble trains rising along the sides of the flute; there should be many different trains.


• Vintage champagnes are made from different blends of grapes during a specific year (or vintage) and are more expensive than non-vintage champagnes.


• Champagne bottles are thicker than regular wine bottles in order to prevent them from exploding from the interior pressure. Be warned that a projectile cork can travel between 40-100 miles per hour! The solution? Chilling champagne reduces the interior pressure.


• Champagne is best drunk from a tall narrow glass, which confines the bubbles and concentrates the aroma and taste. Bottoms up!

Ready to indulge in some bubbly cocktails? Try one of these easy recipes:

Barbie Slippers

Hawaiian Royale

Poinsettia Champagne Cocktail

We are happy to have Nola Solomon on board as an intern for FunnySpoon.com. As a French-American, she offers unique culinary insight on how to enjoy your food and efficiently plan for a hectic schedule. Give her recipes and tips a try!

Why More People Aren't Vegetarians

In a word, bacon. While I do my best to eat healthy most of the time, bacon is one of those things that makes everything taste better and I could not bear to live without. And before you tell me to substitute turkey bacon for bacon, turkey bacon is not bacon. They shouldn't even be allowed to write "bacon" on the package. So in an attempt to be at least slightly healthier, I’ve been paying more to buy uncured, natural bacon that’s labeled “no nitrates or nitrites added.”

Nitrite and nitrate are food additives used as preservatives. Nitrite becomes carcinogenic when heated with a protein like bacon. So naturally, I thought paying a little extra for nitrite-free bacon would be worth the health benefit. Not so, according to Cook’s Illustrated. Turns out that bacon labeled “nitrite- or nitrate-free” is brined with celery juice, which contains naturally occurring nitrates that become cancer-causing nitrites in the brining process. What’s more, a lab study revealed that “nitrite-free” bacon actually has nearly twice as many carcinogenic nitrites as regular bacon.

The conclusion? From now on, I’ll be saving the extra money I spent on “natural” bacon for some shrimp to wrap my bacon around.

World Cup 2010 Week 4

I woke up this past Saturday morning after only four hours of sleep to watch the Argentina v. Germany game. Tingling with anticipation, I prepared a breakfast feast of fresh mozzarella, tomato and basil on whole wheat toast with a side of avocado and settled into an armchair. I was expecting a battle of the best, but instead Germany slaughtered Argentina almost effortlessly. From the moment I watched Germany play their opening bracket game I knew they would go far. The German team runs like a machine – pushing aside the inherent stress and emotion of the World Cup in order to get the job done. They are solid through and through. Like most other teams, Argentina, despite the attacking prowess of Messi (who finished his World Cup 2010 run without a goal, poor guy), let emotion dictate their play of the game. So, somewhat disappointed but also mesmerized by the German play, I awaited the afternoon game of Spain v. Paraguay.

I expected Spain to CRUSH Paraguay, but Saturday was a day contrary to my expectations. The game started out even enough. Spain, as usual, played down to their inferiors while Paraguay upped the ante. I joined my good friend and her Spanish boyfriend at a bar overrun with Spaniards. They ordered Spicy Chicken Wings and Nachos Supreme while I sipped a Blue Moon and ate my fresh market heirloom tomato and tuna salad brought from home (on the sly, of course). The game became exciting only after the war of the penalty kicks, in which Paraguay missed their golden PK opportunity and Spain countered only seconds later with a PK of their own. I felt bad for Alonso, who after a somewhat badly kicked first PK that went in, had to retake it (and missed) because his teammates ran into the box too early. It was a stroke of luck for Paraguay and realization for the Spanish that they could very possibly lose. Luckily, Spain pulled through and got the goal they needed.

Despite a great start for South American teams, Europe has managed to weasel its way back into favor. The biggest game of all is today, Wednesday July 7th at 2:30PM EST when Germany takes on Spain. It is my opinion that the winner of this game will most likely win the Cup.

Get the recipes:

Mozzarella Sandwich

Heirloom Tomato Salad

We are happy to have Nola Solomon on board as an intern for FunnySpoon.com. As a French-American, she offers unique culinary insight on how to enjoy your food and efficiently plan for a hectic schedule. Give her recipes and tips a try!

World Cup 2010: Escape to Spain

The US may be out of the World Cup but it doesn't mean it's not worth following and showing our support! Here's Nola's latest take on this world-famous sport.
- Vicki

Although I, like everyone else, want to forget the USA/Ghana game, I found myself at match end fuming over the announcers. Everyone and their mother knows that the USA is a fledgling soccer nation, but the announcers were chattering about how proud the USA team should be at having made it out of the bracket and how they can hold their heads held high. Why should we give ourselves any other standard than say Brazil or Argentina? Would Spain hold their heads up high if they had lost their round of 16 match? Doubtful. It's time the world stop babying and belittling our soccer playing capacities, and recognize us for the potential that has yet to, but will soon, be reached.

On another note, for those of you who weren't lucky enough to catch the Spain v. Portugal game this past Tuesday, it was really quite a match! I joined my good friend and fellow soccer enthusiast at Boqueria, a Spanish Tapas restaurant in Soho. For 90 minutes, over calamari a la plancha and a large (yes, large) pitcher of Sangria, we escaped New York City and American disappointment for the vibrant atmosphere of Barcelona.

Despite USA elimination, rest assured World Cup blogs will continue. BIG GAMES OF THE WEEKEND: Brazil v. Netherlands, Friday, July 2, at 10AM EST, Ghana v. Uruguay, Friday, July 2, at 2:30PM EST, Argentina v. Germany, Saturday, July 3 at 10AM EST, and Spain v. Paraguay, Saturday, July 3, at 2:30PM EST!


Did you start drooling at just the mention of sangria? Try this Sangria Spritzer at home! The splash of cava makes it refreshing in the summer heat, and almost makes you feel like you're watching the game along Las Ramblas in Barcelona. Almost.

We are happy to have Nola Solomon on board as an intern for FunnySpoon.com. As a French-American, she offers unique culinary insight on how to enjoy your food and efficiently plan for a hectic schedule. Give her recipes and tips a try!

World Cup Update

Bradley's still on vacation (we can't wait to check out his tan!) so Nola Solomon is filling in. Hope you're all still as psyched about the World Cup as we are!
- Vicki

I am sure everyone witnessed the highway robbery that was the USA tie against Slovenia. I hope that ref prepared a bunker to hide out in until the drama blows over. I've already sent out a search team for him. The World Cup has taken an interesting turn and so has the way we watch it. With France eliminated, Portugal racking up seven goal leads, and Germany and Serbia battling to make it out of their brackets, no one is quite sure what to expect in the next round.

I decided to take a break from the raucous bar scene and watch the games from the comforts of my parents' couch. Half-asleep and eating a fresh fruit salad, I watched the 7:30AM games this past weekend. No one else was awake yet and in the quiet I was actually able to hear what the announcers were saying. The late morning and afternoon games were family affairs. We prepared a grilled chicken and avocado salad and settled into the TV room, fighting over the remote, the volume, and who was blocking whom.

Although the World Cup bar scene is hopping, many Americans prefer to watch the games from home, opting to tune in when it's convenient, and simply read the New York Times Sport Section the following morning for the details they missed. Does that make them any less obsessed than the rest of the world? I'd like to think no, except that most aren't willing to drop their lives for 90 plus minutes three times a day.

If you're watching the World Cup at home, try my new recipes and let me know what you think!

We are happy to have Nola Solomon on board as an intern for FunnySpoon.com. As a French-American, she offers unique culinary insight on how to enjoy your food and efficiently plan for a hectic schedule. Give her recipes and tips a try!

And the games continue ...

Bradley's on summer vacation so our new intern, Nola Solomon, from New York is filling in. She's an even bigger soccer fan than Bradley, so count on her posts to be action-packed and beer-filled. Enjoy!
- Vicki

Everyone is still talking about the ball British keeper, Robert Green, let slip through his fingers into the net for the memorable USA – England tie. Even more unbelievable was the surge of Americans who showed up at bars all over Manhattan to watch the game and, well, get drunk.

I set out on Saturday morning to my usual World Cup dig, Nevada Smiths, a bar in the lower east side that boasts cheap beers and a great atmosphere, but was unable to enter due to a line wrapping around the block. I ended up standing amidst a raucous crowd of all ages at Texas Western BBQ, an upscale grill restaurant and bar in Union Square, gorging on the house specialty, BBQ spicy chicken wings, and struggling to keep from spilling my Hoegaarden. I watched enviously as a couple lucky enough to get a seat at the bar dug into a steaming cast iron skillet of nachos supreme.

Tension ran high between the horde of Americans and the few Englishmen brave enough to sit at the bar and openly cheer their team. When Clint Dempsey’s turn-around shot petered into the goal, the bar erupted into a showering of beer and screams. Thank goodness the vuvuzelas have not yet made their way into Manhattan!

BIG GAME OF THE WEEK: USA vs. SLOVENIA, Friday, June 18 at 10AM EST!

Bring a taste of the bar scene home with Popcorn BBQ Nachos and Hoegaarden. Go USA!

We are happy to have Nola Solomon on board as an intern for FunnySpoon.com. As a French-American, she offers unique culinary insight on how to enjoy your food and efficiently plan for a hectic schedule. Give her recipes and tips a try!