From the category archives:

WOW!

In Erika’s Kitchen Presents Trufflepalooza 2011

Thumbnail image for In Erika’s Kitchen Presents Trufflepalooza 2011 July 26, 2011

Last Saturday I attended the third annual Trufflepalooza, a totally truffle-infused party given by Erika of In Erika’s Kitchen. About 75 people were served 16 dishes which had some form of truffle goodness in each recipe, such as grated fresh truffles, truffle butter, truffle salt, truffle honey, truffle oil or a combination. Erika must be […]

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10 Things I Forgot I Had

Thumbnail image for 10 Things I Forgot I Had June 30, 2011

If you have been following my blog, you know that I moved recently after 18 years in my previous house. Going through everything, preparing to pack, was like an archeological dig, particularly the closets and the garage. I had boxes I hadn’t opened since we moved in there, or I discovered things that had disappeared […]

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Luncheon on the Queen Victoria Cruise Ship with Chef Todd English

Thumbnail image for Luncheon on the Queen Victoria Cruise Ship with Chef Todd English February 22, 2011

Recently I had the great pleasure of being  invited on the cruise ship Queen Victoria for a luncheon at the restaurant Todd English, to meet Chef Todd and take a tour of the ship. I had never been on a cruise ship before, so it was all new and exciting for me. Here you can […]

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One Year Anniversary for Cook & Be Merry!

Thumbnail image for One Year Anniversary for Cook & Be Merry! January 24, 2011

If you had told me a year ago everything that was going to happen this past year, I would have asked you what in the heck you were smoking. When I started my blog, I was planning on cooking my favorite recipes, photographing them and blogging about them. I wanted to get them in one […]

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Mini Tartlet Shells, Food Art & an Optical Illusion

Thumbnail image for Mini Tartlet Shells, Food Art & an Optical Illusion October 3, 2010

Yesterday my plan was to make these Mini Tartlet Shells and photograph them. Next I was going to make the Lemon Curd and fill the tart shells. A couple of weeks ago I made the Little Buttercream Bees that were going to embellish their tops. Then I was going to photograph the finished tarts and […]

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I Fell In Love With Pegasus

Thumbnail image for I Fell In Love With Pegasus July 22, 2010

About a year ago, a little furniture store opened near me that had some pretty interesting pieces in its windows. I always meant to stop by and check it out, but you know how time flies, especially if you are a food blogger. Then around a month ago a big sign went up in the […]

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Photo Shoot with Food Photographer Jon Edwards and Food Stylist Denise Vivaldo

Thumbnail image for Photo Shoot with Food Photographer Jon Edwards and Food Stylist Denise Vivaldo June 11, 2010

Recently I had the amazing good fortune to attend a food photo shoot for an international food market with the world-renowned food photographer Jon Edwards at his studio in Monrovia, CA. Also sharing the spotlight were preeminent food stylist Denise Vivaldo of FoodFanatics, her colleague Cindie Flannigan, with Jeff Parker assisting. I had never seen […]

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Camp Blogaway Bootcamp Revisited

Thumbnail image for Camp Blogaway Bootcamp Revisited May 23, 2010

It was one week ago today that I returned from Camp Blogaway Food Blogger Bootcamp and I have been thinking about how to write about it for that whole time. It took about 24 hours for my adrenalin to return to normal, then I slept for 18 hours after the crash. Then I went through […]

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Camp Blogaway Food Blogger Bootcamp

Thumbnail image for Camp Blogaway Food Blogger Bootcamp May 9, 2010

Next weekend I am going to be attending the Camp Blogaway Food Blogger Bootcamp, which is taking place at Camp de Benneville Pines in Angelus Oaks, California. That is in the mountains east of Los Angeles and I will be enjoying all of the activities planned by Patti Londre of Worth the Whisk from Friday […]

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Linda Steidel’s Book Is Released!!!

Thumbnail image for Linda Steidel’s Book Is Released!!! April 28, 2010

Finally, Linda Steidel’s book, For Every Season There is a Salad, has been released and I got an advance copy to review. Let me tell you, this is a gorgeous book, with delicious recipes and beautiful photos that make your mouth water. Just take a look at the cover and that shows you the quality […]

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A California Avocado Day at Ciudad Restaurant for Cinco de Mayo with the Too Hot Tamales

Thumbnail image for A California Avocado Day at Ciudad Restaurant for Cinco de Mayo with the Too Hot Tamales April 26, 2010

Last Saturday the California Avocado Commission hosted a Food Bloggers lunch and cooking demonstration at Ciudad with Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger. Ciudad is located in downtown Los Angeles in the middle of the city-scape, the sky scrapers towering all around it. About 20 of us bloggers and food writers came together with our […]

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Manhattan Beach Farmers Market

Thumbnail image for Manhattan Beach Farmers Market April 15, 2010

I recently visited the Farmers Market in Manhattan Beach to see what was in season and bring home some fresh ingredients to cook. I usually am indoors sitting at my computer, so it was a wonderful experience to walk around with the sun on my face in a crowd outdoors. I hadn’t been there this […]

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OMG! I’ve Been Published in a Magazine!

Thumbnail image for OMG! I’ve Been Published in a Magazine! March 24, 2010

This is the first article I’ve had published in a magazine in my life, so it is really exciting for me. I’m trying not to let it go to my head – in fact, I’m trying to take it with a grain of salt (just ignore my screaming and jumping up and down in the […]

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Festival of Brides Show at Terranea

Thumbnail image for Festival of Brides Show at Terranea March 5, 2010

For every woman who has ever had a fantasy of a gazillion-dollar wedding, the Festival of Brides at Terranea Resort in Palos Verdes was fantasy-fuel of the most opulent kind. The magnificent displays were set up in the Grand Ballroom and when I first entered I was amazed at the towering floral displays arrayed everywhere. […]

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Barbara Schaefer and MyKickAssGlass

Thumbnail image for Barbara Schaefer and MyKickAssGlass February 14, 2010

How often in our lives do we get to say to ourselves that we got to do a truly amazing and exciting thing. Something absolutely unique to our experience. That is what happened to me. I have known Barbara Schaefer for several years and when I launched my blog I sent her an email with […]

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