Sweet Basil! I love this book!

Three Cups of Tea

I am trying to select books for this blog that impact my business decisions and as well as, my life in general. This particular selection is definitely in my top 5 favorite books. I think what I took away from it was ... at any moment your life, our world, our business etc. can change -- dramatically. Life in general is highly unpredictable. Overall, I just was truly enjoyed inspired by the story Greg told.

My essentials...

Trader Joe's Chocolate Molten Cakes --- These cakes ROCK! And, they are perfect for the microwave.

Wicked Wednesday...returns

This is a little twist on Chicken Piccata... a great dish as I almost always have all the basic ingredients. The recipe is an adaptation from Ina Garten.

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 eggs with just a dash of water
1 cup Italian-seasoned dry bread crumbs
4 chicken breast halves, boneless, skin removed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup chicken broth or dry white wine
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons capers or black olives chopped and drained
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley

Pound chicken breasts between within a freezer bag until thinned and evenly flattened. In a shallow dish, whisk together the mustard and eggs. Place bread crumbs in a wide, shallow bowl or pie plate.

Dip the chicken breasts into the egg mixture then into the bread crumbs, coating well. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the chicken until browned on both sides about 2 minutes on each side. Transfer chicken to a baking dish. Bake until cooked through - 4-5 minutes at 375. Pour excess fat from skillet; add chicken broth, lemon juice, capers (or olives) and salt. Bring to a boil, scraping browned bits from the bottom of skillet. Stir in chopped parsley. Spoon sauce over chicken, and serve immediately. Makes about 4 servings.

Chanel Mascara

There's never enough time to shop and my priorities in terms of shopping have been: work suits, shoes for work, clothes for the weekend, attire for anything special and then makeup. I generally end up buying random makeup at Target which is okay, but good makeup can really be worth it. So, about once a year, I go to Saks or VonMaur and buy some new expensive makeup....which brings me to my Chanel mascara. I LOVE this mascara. It was definitely not one of those makeup purchases...where I didn't think it was worth it. It runs around $20. I like my powder and lip gloss from Chanel as well, but nothing beats the mascara!

Poblano Soup

I had this soup at a Christmas party this year and my neighbor and friend, Molly passed the recipe onto me the other night...compliments of Gourmet magazine. I would never have selected this soup from its list of ingredients, but it was such a great surprise and wonderful for a cold winter day.

This soup, served hot in a shot glass, is wonderfully warming, and the spicy heat from the chiles will wake up your taste buds. It's a great way to kick-start some festive conversation.
Makes about 32 hors d'oeuvre servings
1 1/2 pounds fresh poblano chiles (8 large)

1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds1 whole clove or 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

4 whole allspice or 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 cup mild olive oil

1 medium white onion, chopped (1 cup)

4 large garlic cloves, chopped

1/2 cup coarsely chopped cilantro

3 to 4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 cup heavy cream

Equipment: heatproof shot glasses or espresso cups
Roast chiles: Roast chiles on their sides on racks of gas burners, 1 or 2 per burner, on medium-high (or on rack of a broiler pan about 2 inches from heat), turning with tongs, until skins are blackened all over, 4 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl, then cover and let stand 20 minutes. Peel chiles, then stem, seed, devein, and coarsely chop.

Make soup: Heat spices in oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring, until fragrant and oil begins to simmer, 1 to 2 minutes.Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add roasted chiles and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and cook, stirring, 1 minute.
Purée chile mixture with cilantro and 3 cups broth (total) in 2 or 3 batches in a blender until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids), about 2 minutes per batch.
Return mixture to cleaned saucepan and add cream. Bring to a simmer, adding more broth to thin if necessary, and season with salt.
Cooks' note: Soup can be blended and cream added (but not heated) 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.Thin with broth and season with salt when reheating if necessary.

Where in the World are Julie and Marya?

First let me start out by saying, I love Indian food, especially really good Indian food from a place like, Haandi in Falls Church, VA. Anyway, two of my dear friends from Virginia are traveling in India for the next 2 weeks in an area called Pondicherry. I haven't heard from them yet and I cannot wait to hear about their exciting adventure!

Can food solve a work dilemma?

I was recently promoted and have taken on a new role. I am really enjoying the experience and I am working with a really dynamic team, but because I am from another part of the company, I think there is some skepticism about my role on the team. Thus, I am struggling to feel completely comfortable with everyone. So, I have a plan. I should start out by saying I almost never bake and in Columbus, there is an unbelievable bakery called Delicacies by Shari. She's more than a pastry chef or a baker, she is an artist. So, I think I am going to have her make me some really cool cookies and win them over with food! I also I love this Ina quote.
"Food is not about impressing people. It's about making them feel comfortable."Ina Garten