| (B) Billionaire space tourist taking Martha Stewart-planned meal ...
SEATTLE Microsoft billionaire Charles Simonyi (sih-MOHN'-ee) plans to eat at least one good meal while he's on the international space station. The space tourist is taking a gourmet meal planned by his friend Martha Stewart with him on his trip. He says the crew plans to enjoy it on April 12th, Russia's Cosmonauts' Day. The menu was prepared by a French chef, and includes wine-roasted quail, duck breast and rice pudding. Simonyi is in final training for an April seventh launch with two Russians for an eleven-day stay on the space station. He's paying about 20 (m) million dollars to be the world's fifth space tourist. Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Come On, Have a Taste!
There is only one day left to send your palate off to paradise, and Saturday is the ticket as the Taste of Vail continues with cooking, wine seminars and the Grand Tasting and Dance. The Taste hit turbo drive on Friday with the Mountaintop picnic, in which dozens of the valley’s most exquisite restaurants offered exotic and delicious dishes and wineries handed out samples of their most coveted reserves. The desserts topped the treat totem for us. Vail Gourmet Cookie CO. had plenty of people loitering around its baskets of mint chocolate shortbreads and caramel-injected brownies while Chap’s dished out mini limoncello custard cakes with blueberry compote. You’re drooling, aren’t you?The savory offerings ranged from fish tacos to Colby meatballs to brie soup with truffles.If any of this sounds appealing, here’s what’s left to taste on Saturday, April 14.9:30 to 11 a.m.: The Food Network’s Michael Chiarello demonstrates the art of Southern Italian Cuisine at the Lionshead Marriott12 to 1:30 p.m.: Spanish Wine Seminar discussion and tasting of Spain’s comeback into the world of indulgent grape beverages at the Lionshead Marriott.2:30 to 4 p.m.: Grape nuts will have a ball with this rare chance to taste eight vintages from Domaine Louis Latour at the Vertical Tasting; Lionshead Marriott.7 p.m.
Jazz up muffins from the store
Sure, you could make your own blueberry muffins from scratch. But sometimes you want a special occasion breakfast without the trouble. Likewise, it would be nice to have that fresh-from-the-oven taste without traipsing to the bakery that morning.Use a few simple ingredients to give store-bought muffins a gourmet makeover.The muffins (they need not be blueberry) can be bought a day or two ahead; the toasting will revive any life lost during that time.If muffins aren’t your style, caramelized fruit also is a great topping for waffles, pancakes and crepes.A lower fat version of this dish can be had by using cooking spray (such as canola oil) instead of butter. The taste won’t be quite as rich, but the browning and toasting will be fine.Blueberry Muffinswith Caramelized Bananas4 tablespoons butter2 large blueberry muffins, cut in half down the center1 large banana3 tablespoons brown sugar1/2 teaspoon cinnamonPreheat oven to 200 degrees F.In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter.
Hot dish: Popcorn and more
The new Greenville Grande 14 movie theater, scheduled to open Friday on Greenville Boulevard near Cracker Barrel, will offer a variety of concessions to hungry movie-goers including pretzels, nachos and pizza. Consolidated Theatres provided a list of menu items and prices for the new theater. Popcorn is a staple at the movies, and the new theater will provide a variety of flavorings patrons may use to customize their snacks. The Kernel Season's Gourmet Popcorn Seasoning flavors that will be offered include white cheddar, nacho cheddar, ranch, Parmesan and garlic, caramel, and sour cream and onion. Popcorn ranges in price from $3.75 for a 46-ounce (small) serving to $6.50 for a 170-ounce bucket. But popcorn's not all. Other food items that will be served at Greenville Grande include Kim and Scott's Brand Gourmet Pretzels ($4.50), Rico's Nachos ($5.25), Uno's Pizza in both cheese and pepperoni varieties ($5), and Eisenberg Brand Specialty Hot Dogs ($3.25).
Jackie Chan & Jet Li team up
The story line originates from the classic Chinese novel ''Journey to the West,'' in which a monkey king helps guard a Buddhist monk who searches for religious texts. In this new version, the teenager, a fan of kung fu movies, travels back in time after discovering the monkey king's stick weapon in a Chinatown pawn shop, film distributor Lionsgate said in a news release. While Chan's and Li's roles are still under wraps, the film could offer a sharp contrast of fighting styles. Chan is known for his improvisational, defensive moves while Li tends to dominate his on-screen opponents. Famed kung fu choreographer Yuen Woo-ping, known for his work on the Matrix trilogy, will design the action sequences in ''Forbidden Kingdom,'' and Rob Minkoff, who made Stuart Little and The Lion King, will direct the movie.
Students Staff Statler
Last Friday evening, while most Cornellians were enjoying the start of a weekend, hundreds of students in the Hotel School were busily cooking, setting tables, perfecting decorations and practicing speeches. The event that was soon to start in the Grand Ballroom of the Statler Hotel, the annual Gala dinner, would host nearly 300 hotel industry leaders for the evening. The dinner was just one of many events that took place over the past weekend as part of the 82nd annual Hotel Ezra Cornell, which brought hundreds of hotel industry leaders to Cornell, and even more hotel students to plan and execute the weekend. Guests paid up to $1250 to be pampered in the hotel, eat gourmet food and participate in seminars relating to the industry. “It's a great way to bring industry leaders to campus," said Arthur Chang '07, managing director of HEC.
Chain Reaction
There's a new Peet's Coffee and Tea under the white sheet, which doesn't exactly rank up there with the democratization of the Eastern bloc in terms of global import. But it has rocked the world of one downtown business owner. Ali El-Afifi has owned various incarnations of the independent Taza Bistro and Café, located just across the street from the new Peet's, for the last decade. He says he was offered 66 W. Santa Clara St.—where Peet's has opened—for $6,000 per month, but turned down the offer. "Can you imagine," he asks, "how much coffee I'd have to sell?" This won't be the first time El-Afifi has gone head to head with a chain. In October, he restructured his business with new menus, décor and equipment, after another Starbucks opened in the downtown area.
Now that I'm interested, he isn't. What's going on?
So, met this guy at an event in late summer. He was interested, I was full of myself and liked having lots of boys interested, so I blew him off. Fast forward to last weekend, where we bump into each other and hit it off like gangbusters. Then last night, where he tells me he is not interested in a relationship with anyone. And he's still angry about the first time we met. And now all I want is to date him. .
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