cooking

Last Saturday was the last winter dance at Christina's Restaurant under Maureen Mullen, owner since May 2008. The restaurant was packed with young people in their 20s and 30s as Charly Robinson deejayed with some old school rap and a bit of Motown. The nationally famous restaurant shuttered its windows the next week, and a drizzly March Wednesday found Mullen packing boxes and clearing out the remnants of a fine ambition.  

Darina Allen might not be a household name in the States but she has been championing local cuisine and produce since 1983 in her native Ireland. She's been called both the Julia Child and the Alice Waters of Ireland and has made it her mission to reintroduce a new generation of cooks to the integral but often forgotten skills that are so important in our daily cooking regimes. Allen's newly released Forgotten Skills of Cooking was inspired by a series of namesake classes that she taught at Ballymaloe  

Comfort Food, Party Food, Hot & Spicy, Burgers, Cakes & Desserts, and Hometown Favorites. In this six-week series hosted by Guy Fieri ( Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives ; Guy's Big Bite ), each episode focuses on one category and features the top four contestants who compete in two rounds of competition including a signature dish round and speed dish round. Three expert judges choose one ultimate winner in each category who receives a $25,000 prize as well as $5,000 of Food Network products from Kohl's.  

Jean-Robert de Cavel says he plans to open his downtown restaurant, Jean-Robert's Table, on June 1. He originally hoped to open Dec. 1, but became embroiled in a legal dispute with his former partner, Martin Wade, over a non-compete agreement. There was a ruling in that case February 20, allowing him to go ahead with the restaurant. but he still has work to do to transform the former Buddakhan bar at 713 Vine St. into a comfortable, casual French bistro.  

When you hear about Goodwill Industries, you probably think about its retail stores and the deep discounts they offer, but one location in Middle Georgia has so much more. Jim Stiff, President/CEO of Goodwill Industries of Middle Georgia said, "The employment rate sits at about 10 percent. So many people are hurting because of this. That's why Goodwill is trying to help people find their gifts and go to work in Middle Georgia." The Goodwill of Middle Georgia is now tackling those rising unemployment n  

Times File Photo Past Bay City Mayor Kathleen Newsham serves up water for diners at a fund-raiser for the Salvation Army at Big Boy Restaurant on Euclid Avenue in Bay City in 2003. Eating at the Big Boy restaurant in Bay City tonight can help the Salvation Army of Bay City come another step closer to opening its new building. From 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. today, at the Bay City Big Boy, 500 N. Euclid, the Salvation Army will host a buffet and proceeds will go toward its effort of raising $1.6 million for a ne  

Here's a small selection of Mother's Day friendly apps recommend by Apple themselves. Enjoy. Epicurious (free) - Cook breakfast in bed for Mum using professionally tested recipes from Bon Appetit, Gourmet and renowned cookbooks.  

About 10 years ago, Lou Ekus was sitting in the parking lot of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y., when he heard a woman's voice on the radio talking about food. He immediately called the Food Network's senior vice president of programming Bob Tuschman. 'I said, 'I don't know who this woman is, but I just heard her do the best interview about food I think I've ever heard,' Ekus said, remembering the day recently.  

We all have heard the saying 'The way to a man's heart is through his stomach'. According to Chef Dan Moody, The RelationChef , the most powerful food-related aphrodisiac to spice up your relationship is the act of cooking for one another! Chef Moody says the act of cooking itself, is what will turn your partner on, because you are caring for one of their basic needs, regardless of your skills in the kitchen.

I give you permission to look at a recipe, then to add the ingredients without ever taking out a single measuring cup, and I give you permission to completely disregard the time 'estimates' given in any recipe.   -Dan Moody