The Empty Nester Gourmet: FAMILY BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION

Our son is celebrating

his birthday this week,

so we baked our

"traditional" family

birthday cake --

butter cake, fresh

strawberries and

sweetened whipped cream.

Nice in springtime,

and whenever

strawberries are in season.

Earthquake in Italy damages more than 600,000 wheels of Parmigiano Reggiano

This just in from Specialty Food News ... June 2012 ... "The earthquakes last month in Italy have spared the lives of those working in the affected Parmigiano Reggiano areas, but have damaged 24 cheese houses and aging facilities and an estimated 608,000 wheels of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. The Consorzio del Formaggio Parmigiano-Reggiano reports, however, that there will not be a scarcity of the cheese produced in the certified producing regions due to cheese houses sharing their facilities." For more on this story, see www.specialtyfood.com.

The Empty Nester Gourmet in the News

The Empty Nester Gourmet was recently featured in a hometown newspaper article. The subject of the article was "Desperate Dinners" -- dishes that can be made in a short amount of time, with only minimal preparation, and that everyone (even children) love. Our "2-Napkin Wings" were featured. Heres the link to the entire article. Enjoy and be sure to try these wings this weekend, to celebrate the 4th of July! http://www.northjersey.com/food_dining/124657084_More_desperate_dinners__Part_III.html

Calories, Not Protein or Carbs, Are Key to Weight Loss

"Curbing calories is the key ingredient for diabetics seeking to lose weight, and low-fat diets that are either high in protein or high in carbs are equally effective, researchers say." So reports the Jun 27 edition of HealthyDay.com.

"I think there are two key messages from this study," said study lead author Jeremy D. Krebs, a senior lecturer with the school of medicine and health sciences at the University of Otago in Wellington, New Zealand. "The first is that no matter what diet we prescribe, people find it extremely difficult to sustain the changes from their habitual diet over a long time. But if they are able to follow either a high-protein diet or a high-carbohydrate diet, they can achieve modest weight loss."

"Jacques the Knife"

Have you ever seen Jacques Pepin take a knife to an onion or clove of garlic? If you have, then you'll understand the joy of seeing the chop-chop and the clickity-click up front and in person. Although I had seen him wield his knives countless times on TV, I was able to witness it in real life during this class with the master of them all. He was introducing his newest book, "Fast Food My Way," and mesmerized us with his dizzying speed and precision. The results were always perfect, and he brought down the house with applause over and over again.

Chuck Williams

What a thrill it was so meet Chuck Williams at the Opening Party of the New York City Time-Warner store. He told me his life story that morning -- how he became interested in cooking (in his grandmother's kitchen), the genesis of Williams-Sonoma (a trip to France), his love for authentic, well-designed kitchen tools, and how his idea grew over the years to be one of the biggest and most important retailers for food enthusiasts. I told him how years before, on a trip to Sonoma Valley, I had made a special trip to the original Williams-Sonoma store, the epicenter of where it all began, and about the effect stores like this can have on those of us who love to cook. He understood.

The Empty Nester Gourmet

FAMILY BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION

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Earthquake in Italy damages more than 600,000 wheels of Parmigiano Reggiano

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