2010 Top Olive Oils

Olive oil is one of the most beautiful things in the planet. It not only tastes incredible and adds gusto to our breads and salads, it is incredibly beneficial to our health. It has been called liquid gold and sometimes costs as much.
The FriendsEAT tasting staff sampled over 40 different olive oils to come up [...]

Five Holiday Gifts from the Heart and Kitchen

`Tis the season to be jolly … and to give gifts.  If you’ve written your list and checked it twice, now is the time to start thinking about what to give the lucky recipients. How about a gift from your kitchen?
Homemade goodies, mixes and flavored oil are gifts from the heart, and something you should [...]

The World’s Smallest Restaurant

Solo Per Due, located in central Italy, is about an hour’s drive north of Rome.  Wonderfully romantic and serving exquisite, local gastronomic specialties, Solo Per Due has the distinction of being the world’s smallest restaurant.  In Italian, the name means “Just for Two,” and true to form, it has just one table, for serving one couple at a [...]

Bouillabaisse – Not Just For Spies

The from the moment I watched Derek Flint (James Coburn) sample bouillabaisse in Marseilles in the 1966 film Our Man Flint — an amusing parody of James Bond — I was fascinated and intrigued about all the fuss over a bowl of soup. But as I later discovered, bouillabaisse isn’t just any bowl of soup.
Bouillabaisse [...]

Top Ten Delectable Hors d’oeuvres

Even though hors d’oeuvres are normally thought of as being served prior to a meal, and at receptions and cocktail party events, if you’re interested in entertaining a few friends for lunch or dinner, why not just serve a few savory hors d’oeuvres. What you spend in preparation time, you may save on food costs, [...]

Green Cuisine for Wee Little Leprechauns

Key Lime Pie

March 17 commemorates St. Patrick, patron saint of Ireland. It’s a day when everyone is a wee bit Irish, regardless of his or her nationality and wearing green is mandatory. It’s also a day when die-hard Irish-Americans celebrate their heritage by stuffing themselves senseless with beef and beer. Irish pubs [...]