Chef Kelly Geary: Growing Delicious Possibilities

In a fast-paced world, it’s easy to forget where our food comes from and our connection to the earth. But thanks to visionaries like Chef Kelly Geary, we can still feel our feet planted firmly in the soil. As the founder, owner, and head chef of Sweet Deliverance—her unique, farm-to-table meal delivery service in New York City—Geary is truly growing something greater.

Living in the city, Geary met a lot of people who wanted to eat local, organic, and fresh-grown foods—but who didn’t have time to make it happen on a regular basis. “In starting Sweet Deliverance, we hoped to provide a link between busy city people and their local farmers and food makers,” she says. Geary modeled Sweet Deliverance on the growing trend of community supported agriculture, or CSA. Customers buy a membership share that lets her purchase ingredients in advance from local farmers and food makers—and then Geary transforms the abundance into healthy and delicious chef-made meals, delivered to their door.

For backyard gardeners and home cooks, Geary’s work couldn’t be more inspiring. In keeping with her “eat local” ethos, she works with the seasons and the harvests—and plans ahead. “We put up a lot of stuff in the summer,” Geary says. She and her team can tomatoes, cook up hot sauce, and use cabbage to make krauts. They freeze fruit and make jam and pickles—“All so we can still enjoy some of those fruits and veggies in the off season.” Naturally, we can do the same things in our own gardens and kitchens. Miracle-Gro® soils, plant foods, and other products can help us reap even more of the garden’s bounty, so we can transform it into beautiful, wholesome meals for the table.

At its root, Geary’s story is about the power of the garden to nourish our bodies, our communities, and the environment. “When we eat local and organic, everybody wins,” she says. “You win because your food tastes better and has more nutrients. The farmers win. The economy wins. The Earth wins.” Taking it one step further, we can deepen our connection to the land by digging our own hands into the soil. Whether we live in the country, suburbs, or city, we can build edible community gardens—“so kids know there’s an alternative to chips and soda,” says Geary. With groundbreaking ideas like that, the opportunities just keep on growing.

Miracle-Gro gives you more beautiful and bountiful plants. So you can grow more possibilities. Share what you want to grow at MiracleGro.com, and they’ll share it with the world.

View the original article here

How To Enjoy Delicious Quality Gourmet Coffee At Home

Coffee is a favorite beverage around the world. Morning, noon, or night a fresh cup of coffee is satisfying. In recent years we have been introduced to a wide array of coffees include gourmet. Gourmet coffee is considered gourmet because it is freshly ground from the coffee beans. Learning to make a great cup of gourmet coffee at home is deeply satisfying and simple as long as you keep in mind a few simple tips.

For the best flavor you should purchase whole coffee beans from specialty shops only. Although larger grocery stores are starting to carry coffee beans, the specialty shops beans tend to be fresher and therefore have more flavors.

When you grind your coffee beans only grind enough for current needs. This will keep the coffee fresh longer. If you don't have a grinder and buy the ground coffee, keep it in an airtight container. I t is important to close the bag or container tightly to keep the aroma in the coffee. Keep the coffee in a cool dry place, if you keep it in the refrigerator or freezer keeps it away from foods which produce a strong odor. The flavors may mix making the coffee bitter tasting. Try to use you coffee up in a few days to two weeks since coffee loses flavor quickly.

Water from the tap is fine although some people swear by fresh bottled spring water. No matter which type of water you choose, always use the coldest water possible. Water contains more oxygen the colder it is making the coffee richer and more flavorful. Do not use distilled water as it produces a flat cup of coffee.

Measuring your coffee is more a matter of taste than anything else. Generally it is recommended 1 teaspoon of coffee for every six ounces of water. Don't trust the measurements on your coffeemaker. Measure out the water to get the best tasting gourmet coffee.

When brewing, the best cup of gourmet coffee is brewed using the manual drip method, a French press pot, or a vacuum pot. Traditional drip pots do an okay job but vary greatly from each other. Some of the best coffeepots are quite expensive but well worth the money. Your coffee should only be kept warm on the burner for twenty minutes, after that it will become bitter. You should brew your coffee no more than five minutes before you plan to drink it, after that transfer the coffee to a thermos or carafe.

Drinking gourmet coffee black will preserve the most flavor. Using creamer in your coffee will produce a richer creamier taste. Skim milk will not change the taste much unless you add a lot, therefore is not recommended. If you would like to add sugar raw sugar will add sweeter flavor than white. For artificial sweeteners Splenda is recommended as other sweeteners will add a bitter taste to your coffee.

Making a gourmet cup of coffee at home is pleasing and easy to do. The flavor and aroma will satisfy you as well as stepping into your favorite specialty shop. Enjoy your gourmet coffee to the fullest by following these tips!

Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Florida. Find more about this as well as Delicious Gourmet Gifts [http://www.deliciousgourmetgifts.com] at [http://www.deliciousgourmetgifts.com]

What Makes a Gourmet Pizza Delicious? Variety!

School kids can't get enough of pizza, and somehow that love for pizza does not fade when we get older. I, myself, loved pizza as a child. My family would feed my brothers and I pizza as a treat to celebrate special occasions. Pizza was a staple on birthday party menus, holidays, and special events. I still remember the melting of the cheese, piping hot temperatures emitted, biting into the crust, drippings of pizza tomato sauce on the side of our cheeks, making a mess, accidentally, and having loads of napkins next to us for when the devouring got out of hand. But that's how pizza was when you are a kid. It was cheese, sauce, crust and messy. However, now that I'm an adult, and somewhat of a pizza connoisseur, I have noticed pizza has changed. It has evolved and I'm excited about what is happening in the gourmet pizza restaurant world.

Gourmet pizza restaurants are popping up throughout the nation. It is becoming a standard type of cuisine taking the restaurant industry by storm. But what is gourmet pizza, and why should you care? Well, let me tell you my friend. Gourmet pizza is on the rise. It is a thrill to uncover the ingredients, elements and food combinations used in this style of pizza with you. It is not your home delivery from ages ago. This is a fresh, innovative take on a household tradition.

There are distinct toppings and unique spices normally unassociated with prior pizza recipes. For instance, there is a little neck clam pizza with house-made mozzarella, roasted red peppers and parmesan. Alternatively, try an organic egg pizza cooked sunny-side up combined with prosciutto and smoked mozzarella. Or what about locally grown Schriener's Sicilian Sausage with roasted fennel, house-made mozzarella and tomato sauce. Gourmet pizzas are your stereotypical pizzas but kicked up a notch. It is incredible to come up with these concepts and combinations of your favorite ingredients causing your taste buds to awaken and take full notice.

For the vegetarian lover, why not try a pistachio pizza. It has shaved red onions, leeks, and parmesan. Another vegetarian alternative is the potato and roasted garlic pizza with fontina, gorgonzola, and rosemary. It is a complete party in your mouth and everyone is invited.

Some gourmet pizzas do not even contain tomato based sauces. However, if you yearn for homemade, Italian, tomato based sauce on top of your crust, then, of course, order it the way you like. For gourmet pizza is an endless possibility of toppings, ingredients, flavors, spices rolled into one delicious pizza.

Furthermore, let me take this time to squash the misconception regarding gourmet pizza joints. Just because the word "gourmet" is included does not mean the venue is stuffy. There are places that are warm, inviting and cozy making it appropriate settings for the entire family. Additionally, you will find gourmet pizza restaurants with full service of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. There are some that are equipped with full wine bars, beautiful outdoor seating, and open kitchen concepts. Find a gourmet pizza near you today.

Check out Phoenix pizza or a Scottsdale pizza today.

Gourmet Fruit Baskets - A Basket Filled With Delicious Morsels

A gourmet fruit basket makes a thoughtful gift for parents, friends, teachers, party hosts and anyone who deserves appreciation. Fruit baskets not only look nice, they also require little effort to put together.

The first step to making a gourmet fruit basket it to buy colorful fruit that is free of blemishes and bruises. Although you can buy traditional fruit like bananas, apples and oranges, adding an exotic touch to the gift such as pineapples, mangos and kiwis can give your gift an added inkling of thought.

Remember to be considerate to what types of foods and fruits you buy as you want the person to EAT the food stuffs instead of stashing it somewhere and forgetting about it. Many times in the past, I have gotten a fruitcake that I just throw away due to me just HATING it.

You need to use a basket in order for you to make a fruit "basket". Fill a wicker basket with colored shredded paper (optional) and arrange the fruit atop the paper. Make a base with the bigger fruit on the bottom and the smaller fruits atop. After you have your fruit arranged for your gourmet fruit basket, use a heat-sealable plastic gift wrapping to protect your basket. You can buy the heat-sealable wrapping paper in different colors and designs. Make sure your type of wrapping paper is approved for direct food contact. Cut the wrapping paper around 3 times the size of your basket because you need to wrap the entire basket! Be considerate here when wrapping the basket. Make it look appealing. There's nothing worse then receiving gourmet fruit baskets that are hastily wrapped and look awkward.

Place the entire basket in the middle of the wrapping paper and proceed to wrap the basket. Make sure you crumple it at the top as it gives a nice touch of finality. You are bound to get a great deal of appreciation if you manage to pull it off. A nice looking gift basket is a piece of art. A Gourmet Fruit Basket makes for a great gift any time of the year and it is sure to give you the appreciation you deserve.

If you would like to learn more about Gourmet Fruit Baskets, please visit [http://www.gourmetfruitbaskets.org]

3 Easy Steps to Making a Delicious Gourmet Pizza

A hot trend in food this year is gourmet pizza and it shows through the media coverage. Cooking shows, talk shows, magazines, morning shows have all been featuring a variety of gourmet pizza. It is a great food item for it comes in such a wide array of toppings, flavors, sauces meeting different personal tastes all at once. But how do you translate the same entrée at home? Is it possible to make a similar quality without spending lots of money? If you love to cook, then why not recreate your own favorite gourmet pizza in your personal kitchen. You don't need a lot of special pots and pans. You only need to follow these three tips ensuring you accomplish this task without slaving over the kitchen oven and breaking too much of a sweat.

No Fancy Stoneware Required

Put your money away. You do not need a special pizza pan to cook your pizza in. Instead, use a regular baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle cornmeal onto parchment paper place on the back of a baking sheet. Next, bake the pizza directly on the sheet. Leave extra paper hanging off the sheet so you can gently pull at the paper to remove the pizza from the oven when ready. There is no need for specifically designed pizza products. It can be made in your kitchen without the fancy cookware.

No Special Equipment Needed

Along the same lines as the stoneware, you do not need a bread machine or food processor to make the bread right. It does help save time, but it is not a necessity. You can achieve the same results without the bread machine technology. You just have to be ready to put some extra prep time into making the pizza dough. A local gourmet pizza restaurant suggests if you don't have any equipment assisting with the bread making aspect, then mix the dough ingredients in a large bowl with a plain wooden spoon. Mix until the ingredients are thoroughly assorted. Once this is completed designate counter space to knead the dough. While you are attending to the kneading, oil the original bowl. After finishing kneading, put the dough back into the bowl and let the dough rise.

Use the Grill

If it is too hot in the house to turn on the oven, take the pizza dough outside and grill it. Turn on the grill, brush the grill with oil, have your pizza dough and ingredients next to you. Place the pizza dough rolled out on the grill and leave it on for a minute or two. Once there is color on it, flip the dough over, and place the toppings. The pizza should be ready in five to eight minutes. It is that easy. Add whatever ingredients you like making it a gourmet pizza of your choice.

Gourmet pizza is a delicious alternative to cooking a complicated dish. The flavors to use vary from the cheeses to the herbs to the toppings. You may create a vegetarian or a seafood lover's dream. Utilize whatever you have in the house and throw it together in the perfect gourmet pizza the entire family would enjoy.

If you still want to order take out or eat at a gourmet pizza restaurant, then try a Phoenix pizza, Scottsdale pizza restaurant today.

Lose Weight and Feel Great! Eating the Delicious Food Your Body Was Designed For

So have you linked it all together yet? How you feel, act, and look all correlate so deeply with what you eat!

I can remember spending the majority of my first years in high school wondering why I felt so low, depressed and unenergetic, all the while devastating my young body which daily Wendy's Double Cheese Burgers. But my appetite was insatiable and my mind was ignorant to the devitalizing effects of my eating habits.

Almost miraculously, through YouTube's video suggestion program, I stumbled upon Philip McCluskey's account. The tidbits of wisdom dispersed throughout his inspiring videos enlightened me to the fact that my poor food choices were holding me down - physically, mentally, and even spiritually. He helped me reach the conclusion that the quality of the food you eat greatly affects the quality of the life you live. Food is in fact supposed to energize and satisfy you! Not leave you drained and unsatisfied.

If you want your "food to be your medicine" for living a better life as recommended Hippocrates, the Greek father of medicine himself, you have got to start incorporating raw living foods into your diet! When you eat cooked foods - those are foods which have been heated to a point where natural enzymes available in the food die, and your body must accordingly waste energy building its own enzymes to digest the food - you yourself become depleted! You are depleted not only of the energy used by your body to digest the food but also of the nutrients needed to be happy and healthy.

Within three days of finally saying 'adiós' to my secret destroyer the cheeseburger and eating a predominately raw diet of bright delicious fruits, vitamin-rich greens, and protein-packed nuts and seeds, my energy levels were through the roof! I had lacked the drive, focus, and passion to manage efficiently my huge college-preparatory workload. But raw foods awakened me to my own capabilities. The restless nights spent finishing homework and worrying about making it through the next day ceased completely. Newfound alertness and drive meant getting things done fast with good result. I was freed not only of stress and time-confinement but also of excess body fat. With no [zero!] increase in the little amount of exercise I was doing, my unsightly stomach shed away. The best part is I was too busy enjoying my new vivacity and abundance of free time to notice my body getting more and more healthy. It wasn't until I saw the lines separating my once fat-buried abs that I realized the wonderful physical effects of raw living foods.

I know now that raw foods are the way to go! And it's because they contain the enzymes sufficient to help digest themselves - so they don't rob the body of the energy you need to live happily and healthily! Living foods - appetizing fruits, juicy veggies, and filling nuts and seeds - are packed with the vital nutrients needed to achieve a thriving mind and body! I can't stress the transformation I've undergone due to incorporating raw food into my diet. But I can refer you to the more well-known story of the man who introduced me to the wonder of raw foods.

Philip McCluskey lost 215 pounds on the raw food diet. Like me, he admits to having little passion for life before raw foods. But they have revitalized him. Since his switch to raw foods, he's become a successful author and motivational speaker. When you eat what your body was designed to eat, the mind, body and spirit can thrive almost effortlessly.

There's only one regret I have about switching to a mostly raw diet and that's that I didn't do it sooner! Well actually, two regrets. I would have liked to know of the wonders of delicious raw gourmet food on the onset of journey. A common complaint among those I'm convincing to feel the joy of raw food is the vast taste and texture difference of the foods. Philip solves the inconvenience by introducing easy to prepare raw meals that out-taste your favorite delicacies. Raw Food, Fast Food outlines simple recipes for savory soups, mouth-watering burgers, tacos, smoothies and more. The difference between a conventional cookbook and his own is that all the simple delicious recipes included in his are designed to reinvigorate you naturally with energy and nutrients - while still satisfying your taste.

Raw Resources:

Philip McCluskey, Raw Food Chef
Raw Recipe E-Books

Yuri Elkaim, Certified Nutritionist
Raw Food E-Book for Weight Loss

Angela R Parker

Healthy Food Intake - Nutritious and Delicious Foods for Your Health

Eating healthily doesn't have to mean eating tastelessly. To the contrary, gourmet food has now taken on a whole new meaning in delicious health. It is no secret that the American diet is lacking in quality nutrients. Obesity levels continue to climb to levels unforeseen. 100% preventable diseases take their toll on progressively more and more people every year. There has been a terrible shift from the household kitchen to the local fast food "restaurant" as the primary source of our dietary intake. It is time to break the habit! It's time to take back our health.

Many people erroneously consider healthy food to be bland food. We have good news! Healthy eating doesn't have to mean sitting in front of a plate full of raw vegetables and munching away until your teeth hurt; there is a better way! Because of the epidemic of malnutrition and food intake patterns loaded with saturated fats, there has been an amazing demand for the development of dietary choices that are not only delectable, but packed full of high-quality nutrients, omega-3 fatty acids, essential amino acids and other life-enhancing elements.

You need to know what to cut out and what to make sure to include in your food intake regimen. You have to understand why "diets" fail. You need to embrace a shift in the way that you look at food. Let's examine some of the foods that we need to avoid and some alternatives for them. When you think about each of the following foods, really consider how it feels to eat them. Think about how your body feels after you eat them. Here we go:

- Deep Fried Foods

Consider this: fried foods are placed in a cooking dish filled with artery-clogging fats. Your meal-to-be bathes in these oils - soaking them in deeply. The probabilities for contracting heart disease and cancer are both highly accentuated by the ingestion of deep fried foods. The human body is not meant to have to constantly endeavor to detoxify and metabolize such outrageous amounts of fats. Steam, boil, broil, bake or grill your foods instead.

- Processed Foods

Our marvelous human bodies are designed to benefit from the foods that nature provides us - not what a laboratory does. Processed foods contain very little to no actual nutritional matter. Chemicals, pesticides, herbicides, fillers and fats are what you eat when you eat processed foods. Besides starving the body of what it requires for health, you are loading it with more elements to detoxify. Just because we have livers and kidneys to purify ourselves doesn't mean that we have to work them to death! Concentrate on consuming the limitless food choices that have no labels. Food that is good for you is just being itself!

- White Sugar, White Flour - Anything Bleached

It has been known (and overlooked) for decades that bleached foods are not only emptied of nutrients, they are detrimental to our systems. They also lack flavor. They are void of nutrients and filled (again) with elements for your body to have to fight to assimilate. Consider raw sugar - sweet and wonderful. Opt for whole grain flour and breads. They are loaded with amino acids and other very necessary nutrients that our bodies have to have in order to function, heal, repair, grow and sustain our lives. Choose long grain, wild rice. There are endless, delicious varieties from all over the planet!

Your health is only for you to protect. As much as anyone may love you, they are helpless to ensure your health. Embrace a mental change in the way that you perceive food. Change the ways that you prepare your food. Get back into the kitchen of your home and stay away from the fast food restaurants. Ingest food sources that are water-rich (like fruits and vegetables). Avoid high-fat foods like bacon and lasagna. Teach yourself to modify your favorite dishes to be healthful instead of hurtful.

Healthy eating doesn't just taste better; it is so much better for you.

Begin to enjoy and elongate your life through healthy food intake choices today and remember what it is to feel vibrant!

M Alan Roberts is a fulltime freelance writer and web developer.

Healthy holiday food gift baskets-delicious and good for you, too

Now in the new year, it is a long holiday season. As a thank-you, sharing and caring, also means food and more food. Groan ...

Is not the best time for a food gift basket, you say? Well, if you have someone on your list who need special dietary foods or is, is the perfect time. From ' heart healthy ' sugar-free and organic or kosher, there are many healthy choices out there. Your reflection would be even more appreciated at a time when they are tempted by so many foods ' no-no '.

Myself, manipulates the dietary requirements for several health problems, including diabetes. For the diabetic on your list, there is sugar free smiles: diet & health Gift Basket, an assortment of sugar free cheese, crackers, biscuits, sweets and snacks. For the gourmet Sugar Free diabetic Gourmet Gift Basket sounds particularly appetizing. A willow basket, natural and blue rectangular with wooden handles is filled with goodies like sugar free Go lightly Lemon Ice Tea sugar free Candy, jelly beans, sugar free truffle Bars peanut butter, Lazzaroni classic Italian Cookies, sugar Free Sugar Free Petite Beurre Biscuits, Pretzels, corn tortilla blue stone ground mustard, Grissini breadsticks, chip original, mini corn chips, cheese Zesty Verduijn Waifferse White Cheddar Popcorn. A ceramic mug is included.

Know a diabetic who also eats kosher? Check out the Kosher Gourmet sugar free gift baskets. Chatila branded products are certified Kosher. These custom gift baskets are wrapped and include a holiday card with a personal message.

If you are generally a little health conscious, the heart healthy Gourmet Food Gift Basket with smoked salmon sounds delicious and it's a sweet deal at 11% off. This basket is decorated with Ivy and ribbons and includes a personalized gift message from you. [As I am on a diet low in sodium, I noticed that foodstuffs contain sodium.]

Want to treat your college student a few healthy choices in snacks while they study for exams before the holiday break? Discount of 15%, "for the health of It" Care Package is not only good for them but also well on your budget. Glossy white gift box is full of baked lays Potato Chips, Rold gold pretzels, Sun Chips, Toasted wheat big Thins 100 Calories, 2 packs of 40 calorie gold fish cracker, chocolate drizzle Quaker Oats rice snacks and yogurt covered raisins Sun Maid.

Or for something different, we recommend that you study Buddy healthy College Student Care Package that combines classical music CDs and healthy snacks to nourish the mind and body. You have a choice of ' motivation ' or "Concentration". Motivation study Buddy Care Package, packaged in a hand-basket contains a CD of classical music to inspire maximum performance and instill enthusiasm your college student needs to complete tasks. Snacks are energizing and improve mental focus. "

If recipients have special dietary needs, or you just want to promote healthy eating, the holiday gift basket choices are numerous. They are not just ' good for you ' but tempting yummy, too.

Barb L Collins is a researcher of the gift shopping sites and regularly includes specific products in its review of hampers. She thoroughly enjoys the gift of correspondence with the interests and the personality of the recipient. She feels that the choice reflected the personality of the donor. A former owner of a gift shop online that featured gift baskets for all occasions, she continues to be amazed at the variety available. She also loves a good bargain. Among his favorite gift baskets are those created by Art of appreciation and sold through Amazon.com, with frequent discounts offered.

You visit http://giftbasketsreview.blogspot.com for more unique gift basket ideas.

The Svelte Gourmet - A Discovery of Healthy Food That is Delicious - And You Can Make it Too

To me, the best solutions to anything in life are the simplest solutions. I recently discovered Jennifer Fox, also known as 'The Svelte Gourmet'. She's fairly new to the weight loss game yet she has already built a following that many long standing players would dream of having.

She's not a chef. She's not a dietician. In fact, she's just like many of us in that she has been a yo-yo dieter for years. She loves to cook and that has led her to her passion: to help people shed pounds by eating healthfully.

She believes that eating healthy does NOT mean that you have to sacrifice flavor. Well, for any of you who have suffered over salad after salad or endless dry chicken breast, she is a refreshing solution that is going to make your taste buds sing and dance.

According to Ms. Fox: "The problem is, most diet food doesn't taste that great. I created healthy recipes that taste fantastic! Most people can't believe they're eating diet food." And it's true. I checked her out and people are raving about her approach of simple 'food swaps' and how her recipes provide gourmet meals that are healthy and calorie conscious. Gourmet food! Can you imagine that? It really is amazing and guess what? Like I said, the best solutions in life are the simplest solutions.

Her recipes will have you feeding your friends and family with flair and you'll have a hard time convincing them that they are not over-indulging. And at the core are basic ideas like swapping yogurt for mayonnaise and sour cream, unsweetened apple sauce for oil, honey instead of sugar, herbs and spices instead of butter or fat and using onions as a sweetener. But more than that, she'll show you hot to do it so that you get the best results - healthy food should taste great.

As she says on her website: "She wants to help you and your families learn to make healthy food taste good, enjoy cooking while staying fit, and realize how easy it can be to make gourmet meals every day of the week."

And to help, they offer a variety of customizable services, such as: The Svelte Gourmet "Personal Training" Sessions, "Cooking Svelte" Dinner Parties, Pizza & A Movie, The Svelte Gourmet Classes & Seminars and more.

They give you the recipes and inspiration for a lifestyle built on eating healthfully. If you choose to, you can follow her cookbook from start to finish, enjoying a different, flavorful and exciting meal everyday for a month! Imagine that. No more dried up chicken and the same old, same old you've been suffering with night after night.

You'd do well to check her out. And your family will love you for it. Who cares if your friends become jealous. Losing weight does not have to be so doom and gloom. Have fun.

And while you are at it, grab a compelling vision of your future self. And Let The Vision Empower You!

Kevin Graham serves as the Managing Director at Empower Me Photo. Empower Me Photo provides tools to help those seeking to stay on their diet or exercise program over the long run - by showing how you are going to look AFTER you lose the weight.

You will be amazed at how you are going to look - and your empowering photo can be in your hand as quickly as tomorrow. And you will be inspired, motivated, and yes, EMPOWERED, to stay on your program over the long run.

You are welcome to download our free 7 Secrets to Visualize Your Future using the world's best weight loss tool.

Our Weight Loss Success Stories [http://www.empowermephoto.com/success-stories] are impressive.

Let The Vision Empower You!

A Delicious Gourmet Treat

POTTAGE ITALIANO

Here's another terrific recipe that's a real tummy filler. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

1 15 ounce can Hunt's tomato sauce

1 tblsp. finely chopped garlic

1/2 small onion, chopped in chunks

1 tblsp. parsley

1 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. basil

1 whole mild Italian sausage

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup dry red wine - Cabernet Sauvignon recommended

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 cup freshly sliced mushrooms

1 cup coarsely chopped red bell peppers, with seeds removed

1 1/2 cups diced creamer potatoes

4 pieces veal, scallopini style

1/2 pint heavy whipping cream

2/3 cup Parmesan, Romano, Provolone cheese, mixed in equal portions and grated

1/2 cup olive oil for sauteing

1 cup fresh snow peas in pod

Place tomato sauce in a large pot. Add garlic, onion, parsley, pepper, basil, water, wine, 1/4 cup olive oil and two small pieces (about an inch long apiece) of Italian sausage. Cover pot and bring to boil. Immediately turn heat down to simmer for 30 minutes.

While sauce is simmering, saute the following in the 1/2 cup olive oil, saving the oil for the next step: the rest of the sausage, by itself, for 10 minutes. Save sausage drippings and clean the skillet; then, together, the mushrooms, bell peppers and creamer potatoes for about 5 minutes; then, the snow peas for 1 minute.

Next, cut the veal into thin strips about 1/2 inch wide and 2 inches long. Using the saved oil and sausage drippings, saute the veal for about 2 to 3 minutes. Place all sauteed items aside. When sauce is finished simmering, strain to remove the onion pieces, but retain all other ingredients. Return to the pot and add heavy whipping cream (fat free ½ and ½ can be substituted, but will result in thinner substance) and the 2/3 cup mixed grated cheeses, stirring carefully to blend.

Now, add all sauteed items. Stir. Cover the pot and bring close to boil, then reduce heat and simmer until peppers and potatoes are tender and the sausage is completely done, about 10 to 15 minutes. Watch the pot carefully during this time and stir frequently to avoid burning.

Ladle into large soup bowls. Serves 2 to 4 as either a soup or a complete entree.

Jim Nettleton is a radio and television professional who loves his food. He has been cooking and preparing gourmet meals for decades and loves to share his recipes with those who enjoy good food. Visit his French Gourmet Food blog for cooking tips, tricks and recipes at http://frenchgourmetfood.blogspot.com/ - This article may be freely reprinted and republished as long as it is not changed in any way. This resource box must also be included in its entirety.

Unique Gifts - Send Food Gifts for Something Delicious and Different

Whether it's the Christmas holiday season or the middle of summer, the necessity of having to shop for a birthday or anniversary present is inevitable. While it's always a thrill to find just the right gift for a friend or associate, sometimes issues such as lack of time or the difficulty of trying to find a unique gift: how many ties can you buy your brother in law, make the buying experience stressful and a hassle.

Unique gourmet gifts: salmon, lobster, crab and steak

There's really no need to buy yet another tie because what your brother in law really wants is a unique food gift such as an assorted steak box featuring specialty cuts of premium beef. This is a gift that he can take outdoors and grill on a nice summer evening or enjoy dining indoors. If you have a seafood lover to please, you can send them anything from smoked salmon gift baskets to a crab bake, lobster bake, or lobster gram. The last two are really fun because your lobster gifts come with live lobster, a pot, lobster bib and other items for a delightful lobster dinner. Crab bakes are generally the same idea only with live crab.

Gifts for the dessert lover

With so many choices in gourmet chocolates: in boxes, themed gifts baskets and more, you can send anything from romantic, fine chocolates to elegant, hand made chocolates to a colleague. Another popular idea for the confection lover is tower gifts: chocolate tower gifts and cookie tower gifts. These gifts are delivered in the mail and can make quite a presentation. Cookie bouquets are also fun gifts and great if you weren't planning to spend a lot.

Gifts for the food lover

If you have a gourmand, and they're hungry to sample different kinds of wine, cheeses, chocolates, coffees, teas and such look for a good food of the month club online. These clubs tend to include interesting choices and include information for your recipient to learn more about different kinds of cheeses, for example if it's a cheese of the month club (see http://www.a1-food-gifts.com/unique-gifts.htm ). Also, with a monthly food gift plan your recipient is not likely to forget you as there is a reminder each month

Nicole Martins is a contributing author and publisher to http://www.a1-food-gifts.com your online resource for sending unique food gifts.

Delicious food and wine pairings

Uncorking a bottle of wine means more than just opening a beverage-a glass of wine can play in a celebration toast to family and friends or be the perfect way to warm up in a cold winter night. Wine aficionados are experts to choose the perfect goodies to accompany a glass of wine, but there are some essentials that most beginner wine lover can be sure to have on hand. Here are some must-have for your pantry before you uncork that bottle of wine:

Gourmet cheese 1. -every home should have at least one block of gourmet cheese at your fingertips. Of course, and gourmet cheese can cost a bit more than your average cheddar, but you can be assured that you'll have that delicious snack to go with the glass of wine.

2. Focaccia Cracker crisps -if you've never tasted a flatbread crackers, you're in for quite the treat. These "Tuscan" style crackers are perfect for pairing with a gourmet cheese and capture the subtle taste of Italian herbs like Rosemary and basil.

3. Almond -almonds are a big nut to match with the wine. Their subtle taste, combined with wine, makes for an interesting palette that accentuates the delicious taste of wine. Snacks that you choose should complement your wine, not overwhelm and almonds are that it is natural couple.

4 chocolate confectionery -Ah, the taste of wine, cheese and chocolate! This lovely trio is a must with every glass of wine. Treat yourself to a delicious chocolate pastry with red wine, and you'll be in heaven.

Who says may not have the gourmet cheese, crackers, chocolate and almonds with a glass of wine? Every opportunity is a reason to celebrate, and these are must-haves that you should always have on hand. Enjoy your glass of wine!

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