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Spiritual Musings

2 Jul

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Check out the blog readthespirit.com

It’s an online magazine, a blog, a bookstore, and more.

This expanded blog is innovative, fresh and cross-cultural. All faiths are explored.

I stumbled upon it after, my Linkedin connection Bobbie Lewis wrote about it. Bobbie has a new interactive section on this blog called Feed the Spirit.

Veteran journalist David Crumm is a co-founder. He’s the former religion columnist at the Detroit Free Press. I used to read his columns religiously! Another personal connection is Lynne Meredith Golodner, a former colleague from our days at Renaissance Media and the Detroit Jewish News. She is the author (shown) of Flavors of Faith: Holy Breads, published by Read the Spirit Books. Golodner weaves interesting stories in between recipes for challah, hot-cross buns and Native American cornbread. Faith and food intersect in delightful way.

Flavors of the Faith is first in a series “to inspire and nourish readers with real-life stories and cross-cultural traditions.”

I look forward to more soulful recipes and food stories.

“A loaf of bread, a jug of wine, and thou.” – Omar Khayyam

Sweet Eight Mile

25 Jun

Diptic In the the movie “8 Mile” with Eminem, the street 8 Mile is portrayed as gritty.  Geographically, 8 Mile Road is also the street that separates the city from the suburbs in Detroit.  To Beekeeper Ron Wieske of Green Toe Gardens, 8 Mile Road is sweet. Wieske’s sweet version is his bottle of honey from one of his hives near the infamous road. If you do not prefer the taste of 8 Mile, then he has other flavors like Harsens Island and Saginaw Valley. He sells his honey every week at local markets in the metro Detroit area. Catch him at the Royal Oak Farmers Market, Farmington Farmers & Artisans Market and Beaumont Farmer’s Market in Royal Oak on Thursdays. For candle aficionados, Wieske makes his own candles from 100 percent beeswax.

Italian-Mexican Fare at El Barzon

16 Jun

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Nestled on a residential street in Detroit, El Barzon serves authentic Italian and Mexican dishes.

In the summertime, there is outdoor seating with a lovely waterfall (shown). Indoors there is white tablecloth dining, but all guests are greeted with salsa and chips upon arrival.  Dining at El Barzon is a unique experience — it’s an urban setting with a cosmopolitan flair. The food is delicious, and the portions are large. You will not be disappointed!

In the Pink

20 May

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Detroit’s Comerica Park was decked out in pink as participants gathered for 22nd Annual Susan B. Komen Race for the Cure, which raises funds for breast cancer research.

More than 30,000 people participated in the event. Live music entertained the walkers and runners, while crowds cheered along the way. The Susan B. Komen Foundation is the largest breast cancer charity in the country.

If you did not participate in the Race for the Cure, last week there is an opportunity to join the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life Event. The West Bloomfield event will start 10 a.m. Saturday, June 8 at West Bloomfield High School. TV personality Lila Lazarus will welcome crowd. Funds raised at Relay for Life support all types of cancer.

Super Fast, Super Healthy Appetizers

14 May

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Beaumont Health System sponsored the cooking demonstration at the recent Michigan International Women’s Show, held at the Suburban Collection Showplace, where Chef Ed Gillis presented four healthy appetizers, easy to prepare. The International Women’s Show, part of Southern Shows, is in many cities in the United States.

The four appetizers Chef Ed Gillis prepared are: wonton chips, bean cilantro hummus, caprese crostini and kale chips. He delighted the crowd with these super fast, super healthy appetizers. Preparation time for each appetizer is 15 minutes. I’ve included the yummy recipes.

Wonton Chips

Ingredients: Olive oil, 12 wonton wrappers, 1/4-1/2 t coarsely ground black pepper, 1/4 t coarse salt

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat a large baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray; set aside. Using a sharp knife cut wonton wrappers diagonally to form 24 triangles. Arrange the triangles in a s single layer on prepared baking sheet. Lightly coat the tops of the wonton triangles with nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle evenly with pepper and salt. Bake about 8 minutes of until golden. Cool completely on a wire rack. Serves 3.

Kale Chips

Ingredients: 1 bunch fresh kale (about 20 leaves), 1 T sesame seeds (pre-toasted if desired), 1/2 t sea salt, 2 T olive oil (put in small spray bottle)

Directions: Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Rinse bunch of kale, pat dry or put in salad spinner. Pull whole kale leaves off of stalk and trim stems if desired. Lay leaves on baking pan, mist leaves lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle sesame seeds and light dusting of sea salt onto leaves. Bake at 300 degrees for 8-10 minutes, until leaves are dried, but not brown. Eat by themselves or use as a soup or salad garnish. Serves 1.

Caprese Crostini

Ingredients: 4 large ripe tomatoes (diced in 1/4″ cubes), 1 pound fresh mozzarella, (diced in 1/4″ cubes), 1/3 c fresh basil leaves chopped, 3 T extra virgin olive oil, fine sea salt to taste, freshly ground black pepper to taste, 1/2 clove garlic chopped (optional), 1 t balsamic vinegar (optional), sliced baguette, ciabatta or multi-grain bread 1/4″ thick.

Directions: Slice bread into bite size portion, toast lightly in 350 degrees oven. Dice tomatoes and cheese into small cubes. Toss together with chopped basil, olive oil, salt and pepper. Spoon onto toasted bread slices. Eat warm or cold. Alternate preparations: Slice tomatoes, drizzle with olive oil. Bake in 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Or delete cheese use toasted pita chips or any large crouton, toss all ingredients together, spoon onto toasts and eat. Serves 6.

Bean Cilantro Hummus

Ingredients: One 15-ounce can of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed, 1 clove of garlic, 1 t lime zest, 1T lime juice, 1/3 c olive oil, 1 T tahini, salt and pepper to taste.

Directions: Combine beans, cilantro, lime zest, lime juice and garlic in food processor and blend until pureed. With processor on, steam olive oil until desire consistency is reached. Blend 3-4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Makes 1 cup.

Bravo Bella Piatti

9 Apr

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Bella Piatti, located directly across the street from the Townsend Hotel in downtown Birmingham, serves lucious Italian fare. The salad (above) with oranges, red onions, arugula and goat cheese (not shown) was tasty, as well as the whitefish encrusted with potatoes and truffles over lentils. The ambiance is beautiful with murals, vintage-inspired  chandeliers and even a mesh curtain (top, left) in the center of the restaurant for a private group. It’s worth a visit!

50 Shades of Mac N’ Cheese

9 Mar

mac cheese 3mac cheese 1Sweet Lorraine’s transforms the classic macaroni and cheese dish into an innovative  trendy delight.  Sweet Lorraines Fabulous Mac n’ Cheez is located at the food courts at the Somerset Collection in Troy and at Great Lakes Crossing in Auburn Hills. Start with the classic dish and then pile on the toppings. It’s everything from jalapeno peppers to dried cranberries to olives. Or just go for one of the specialties like Macho Nacho — hamburger, onions, olives, bell peppers, tomatoes, pepper jack and jalapenos. The extreme veggie with broccoli, mushrooms, onions, spinach, bell peppers, tomatoes, Swiss and cheddar is quite tasty.

It’s not your mom’s mac n’ cheese!

 

photo credit: foodspotting.com

Free Pancakes for a Great Cause

2 Feb

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Don’t miss out on National Pancake Day on Tuesday, February 5th. All IHOP restaurants across the county will be serving free pancakes. In return IHOP requests that guests consider a donation for Children’s Miracle Network Beaumont Children’s Hospital is a designated Children’s Miracle Network hospital. All of the donations raised locally stays in the community to fund Beaumont’s exceptional pediatric programs  and provide treatment scholarships for families with limited resources. Some of the locations around town include: Royal Oak, Livonia, Sterling Heights, Roseville  and Birmingham. This is certainly a program to flip over.

Bonjour Detroit!

12 Jan

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Capture the allure of Paris  this coming in weekend in Detroit. On Friday, Jan. 18 following the North American International Auto Show, patrons can attend the annual AutoGlow to benefit the Children’s Center, a downtown non-profit helping children in need. The Children’s Center 2013 AutoGlow at Ford Field will feature Parisian-inspired decor and French cuisine honoring Detroit’s French roots. The event is hosted by Lisa and Bill Ford and Nicki and Alan Mulally. To purchase AutoGlow tickets, call 313-262-1085 or visit the website, www.thechildrenscenter.com/autoglow

If you are not going to the event, you still can experience the French connection at some of these restaurants: Good Girls Go to Paris and Rodin Detroit.

For authentic French decor and accessories, shop at La Belle Provence in downtown Birmingham.

Au revoir!

Detroiters Love Coney Island Hot Dogs

9 Jan

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Faygo pop and Sanders hot fudge are pure Detroit, but the hot dogs in Motown sure are special.  Pile on the chili, mustard and onions and you have a Detroit Coney Island hot dog. Now in Canton, American Coney Island will open a new restaurant with a drive-thru — perfect for a quick fix. On January 12th at 44532 Michigan Avenue in Canton, customers can drive up for a Coney. As part of the opening celebration, the first 50 customers will receive a FREE hot dog, beginning at 9 a.m. Other specials  will continue throughout the day.

YUM!

American Coney Island is a third-generation Motown family business, founded by Gust Keros in 1917. His son Charles and Charles’ daughter, Grace, are in the business.  American Coney Island won the best Coney Dog in Detroit on “Food Feuds” on the Food Network and Travel Channel’s “Food Wars.”

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