GOOD LUCK DELUXE

Now THIS is a chocolate cake!

Omaha Steaks’ rich and seductive Chocolate Lover’s Cake draws rave reviews from even the most seasoned chocoholics!

A decorative red rose adorns the top of the cake and luxurious chocolate shavings decorate the sides of this ooey gooey goodness.

Moist, indulgent and full of flavor - it’s an unforgettable finale to your most elegant meals. Serves 6-8.

To order the cake, you can click here.

Just a reminder to all of my readers to get out and enjoy the sunshine while it lasts.

You shouldn’t be inside surfing the Internet! Take a break, and go soak up some sun. Then you can come back and read my blog.

I tweaked this dish from a recipe for curry chicken that a Guyanese friend gave me. Make sure you’re using real Jamaican curry powder - not Indian curry.

Caribbean Curried Shrimp
Serves 4

Olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
Large onion, sliced
1 bunch fresh scallions or chives, chopped
1 lb. raw shrimp, peeled
1 bouillon cube (any brand, but Goya is best)
1 1/2 Tbsp. Jamaican curry powder, mild or hot
1 14 oz. can coconut milk
1 can of water (use empty coconut milk can to measure)
1 Tbsp. ketchup

Clean and devein shrimp; set aside. In a large non-stick Dutch oven or skillet, brown garlic, onion and scallions in olive oil. Add bouillon cube and curry powder. Next, add coconut milk, water and ketchup and stir. Cover pan and simmer for 10 minutes. After sauce has simmered, add shrimp and simmer for an additional 10-15 minutes or until shrimp are no longer pink, removing lid halfway through that cooking time to thicken the sauce. Serve with white rice.

Enjoy!

I am fascinated with the concept of parallel universes, or multiple realities.
One of my favorite books on the subject is Parallel Universes of Self, by
Frederick E. Dodson.

I have practiced the techniques in this book and have been amazed at what I’ve discovered. It’s kinda freaky stuff, but my overactive imagination loves it! It is interesting, to say the least. You may never look at life the same way after you
read this book. It takes the “act as if” concept to a whole other realm…literally.

Springing from quantum physics, and featured in science fiction, the
“Parallel Worlds Theory” is an earth-shattering revision of our understanding of reality.

It says, simply, that everything that can happen does. Universes branch and branch in time, one for every alternate possibility. Far more than an intellectual exercise, the parallel universe principle can be applied in personal reality and everyday life.

You can “create” your reality by becoming the parallel-world version of yourself for whom the experience you want is already real. This is your roadmap, your guidebook, to Parallel Universes of Self.

To learn more or to order the book, you can go here.

Emeril Lagasse has an excellent recipe for stuffed jalapeños with a nice Cajun twist.

Andouille Stuffed Jalapeños
16 servings

* 1 teaspoon olive oil
* 2 ounces andouille or other smoked sausage, finely chopped
* 2 tablespoons finely chopped yellow onion
* 1 teaspoon minced garlic
* 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
* 1/2 cup softened cream cheese
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
* 16 large fresh jalapeños
* Vegetable oil for deep frying
* 3 cups bleached all-purpose flour
* Pinch of baking powder
* Essence to taste
* 2 large egg yolks
* 3/4 to 1 cup beer, as needed

Heat the olive oil in a small sauté pan over medium heat, and brown the andouille. Add the onion and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and let cool.

In a medium-size mixing bowl, combine the garlic, parsley, and cream cheese and mix well. Stir in the andouille mixture, mix thoroughly, and season with salt and pepper.

With a sharp knife, split the jalapeños in half lengthwise, leaving the stem intact. Remove the seeds. Stuff 1 heaping tablespoon of the filling in the center of each jalapeño, then press together to seal.

In a large, heavy, deep pot or an electric fryer, heat 4 inches of vegetable oil to 360ºF.

Combine 1 cup of the flour and the baking powder in a shallow bowl and season with Essence. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the yolks and 3/4 cup of the beer, then season with salt and pepper. Whisk in enough of the remaining flour to form a batter. The batter should be thick, like a pancake batter. If the batter is too thick, add the remaining 1/4 cup beer to thin it. Dredge the stuffed peppers in the seasoned flour, tapping off any excess. Dip the jalapeños in the batter, coating completely. Let the excess drip off.

Gently lay the jalapeños in the hot oil, several at a time, and fry until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Season with Emeril’s Essence seasoning and serve.

I’ve given this much consideration over the past year or so, and I have finally come to a conclusion: I believe Tom and Katie are truly happy together and it’s NOT all a big publicity stunt.

I am here in Hollywood and have heard my fair share of rumors about TomKat,
believe me.

But, as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words.

Do we need The Tomster jumping on any more sofas or doling out free psychological advice with a bonus pack of Centrum? Uh, spare us.

But if Cheshire-grinning TomKat has truly discovered the magic elixir of life, why not just be happy for them? Why does it have to be seen as some big conspiracy?

I love berry trifle! Even though trifle is pretty simplistic to execute in the kitchen,
I have found an even easier recipe…using Little Debbie Pound Cakes!

English Berry Trifle
Serves 6

6 Little Debbie® Pound Cakes
10 oz. Pkg. Frozen Raspberries in syrup
10 oz. Pkg. Frozen Strawberries in syrup
1 Pkg. Instant Vanilla Pudding
1 Tbsp. Cornstarch
1/4 C. Fresh Blueberries
1/4 C. Fresh Raspberries or Strawberries

Prepare pudding according to package. Cover and chill.

Thaw packages of raspberries and strawberries. Drain off syrup and set aside. Place fruit in bowl and set aside. Measure the syrup. You should have about one cup. Transfer one quarter of the syrup into a small saucepan. Fold in cornstarch. Stir in remaining syrup. Bring to boil over medium heat. Cook until juice thickens and turns clear.

Cut cakes into bite size pieces. Place half the cake into large glass bowl. Next, layer with half the fruit and juice. Top with half the pudding. Repeat. Garnish with fresh fruit. Cover and refrigerate for two hours and up to six hours before serving.

That’s my kinda dessert - easy!

Mercedes is known for its dazzling keychains.

Mercedes-Benz of Canada has caused quite a stir with their blinged-out platinum keychain that will only set you back, oh - in the neighborhood of $17,500 U.S. shekels.

This luxury Mercedes-logoed trinket consists of 0.950 platinum with a satiny finish.

Don’t you dare misplace that thing!

I found these tasty clambakes on Amazon. You know how I feel about lobster.
Mmm. Mmm. Mmm. Clambakes are the IDEAL summertime food!

Clambake for Two (photo shown above)
Live Maine lobsters, fresh clams, and rich, creamy clam chowder are the ingredients for this authentic New England clambake. A genuinely impressive gift that captures the essence of New England, this classic assortment of seafood favorites is always appreciated.

You’ll start with Gorton’s award-winning New England clam chowder, then move on to live clams - harvested locally so they’re fresh and tender. The finale? Luscious live Maine lobsters of premium quality…juicy, sweet, and sure to please.

Gorton’s Five Star New England Clambake includes all of the ingredients for a classic
New England clambake - succulent, live Maine lobsters, fresh steamer clams, and their award-winning clam chowder. It’s an unforgettable feast that goes straight from the shore to your door!

The only fiddling in your kitchen that you have to do to complete this feast is steam some corn on the cob and red-skinned potatoes until tender, melt some butter
(the real stuff) and dig in!

Clambake for Four, from Seafood at Your Door Fish Market

Historically, the New England clambake was prepared in a deep hole dug into the sand. Large seaweed-covered rocks were heated with burned driftwood, then seafood and vegetables were tucked inside and covered with sand to slowly steam for hours.

Well, we have a better idea!

We’ll pack one live lobster per person; fresh world-famous Seafood at Your Door Clams in the shell; three 15 oz. cans of Seafood at Your Door Fish Market Clam Chowder ready to mix fresh with milk or cream; crunchy oyster crackers; a sampling of Blue Mussels; plus foolproof directions for preparing this traditional New England feast.

To complete the New England experience, we include paper lobster bibs and lobster nutcrackers. Items are shipped overnight. Shipping is included.

To order securely through Amazon, click on either of the pictures in this post.

I’ve skated by for a while now without coming clean with this, but I suppose it’s time to ‘fess up: I now officially sound like a Valley Girl.

Yes, yes - it’s true. Moving to Southern Cali from the east coast a few years ago has finally done a number on me. It has fully taken control of my pie-hole.

What’s so alarming about this is all my life, I had always been told,
“Wow, you’re so articulate…You speak so well…You’re such an eloquent speaker…”

I’m sure you remember my rant about The National Spelling Bee and such. I did take pride in not sounding as if my mouth were full of marbles.

But those days are over - unless I move out of Los Angeles - which I don’t foresee happening anytime soon.

I noticed it the other day when I was on the phone with Laura. She didn’t catch it, but I noticed immediately that every other word I uttered was none other than, “like.”

“So then, like, he went shopping at Ulta for me and he was, like, so surprised at how great their sale prices were. He had the nerve to bring me, like, four bottles of the same WRONG conditioner, though! I was, like, so pissed. I made him take them all back to the store that same night. Do you think I was being, like, maybe too demanding?”

There are times when I make the conscious decision to omit that non-word from my vocabulary even for one evening outing. But nope - can’t do it. Not when I’m surrounded by “likers” at the party who have been addicted to filler language
since birth!

I’m really disturbed about this. I, like, don’t know what to do about it.

Like…help?