Thank you to all who have visited and supported me here on diva:flava. I look forward to posting again soon and catching up with many of you. Until then, have a great summer, everyone!

I am a huge lover of quality movies, with a special interest in foodie movies. Sadly, very few of the mainstream movies produced in the US attract my interest, let alone hold it, which is why my collection of foreign films is ever expanding. While I will not bash the US movie industry, I will say that many films made in other countries are, in my opinion, simply superior with regard to writing, acting and direction.

For those who are not aware, No Reservations, the chef/restaurant-themed romantic comedy (starring Catherine Zeta-Jones and Aaron Eckhart) which opened in US theaters in late 2007 and released on DVD in Feb 2008, is actually a remake of the 2001 original German film, Bella Martha (translated Mostly Martha in English, starring Sergio Castellitto and Martina Gedeck). I will not attempt to provide a review of this movie (there are others who are far better at that than I am), I simply want to express myself (albeit a bit late) on this Mostly Martha versus No Reservations issue, which has been on my mind for some time now. (more…)

I’ve been experimenting again! Actually, I was cleaning the kitchen this afternoon and realised I needed to either use or lose some things in the fridge and veggie bend. I also wanted something light and tasty for lunch and this is what I ended up with. I love potatoes, all kinds, all ways, especially smothered with yellow onions and a bit of bacon (a dish that I make for breakfast occasionally), but sweet potatoes were the only ones I had on hand. (more…)

My apologies to all of my readers for the abrupt pause in posting since June 29. I’ve been in St. Louis with my family and friends for the past week. Unfortunately, my 93-year-old, beloved grandmother passed away unexpectedly on Friday, June 27. I did managed to make my last post a couple of days after receiving the news, but haven’t felt much like cooking or posting anything until now.

I don’t know about others, but I tend to develop what I call situational or activity-based cravings for certain foods. I’m not sure that I can explain this phenomenon in a manner that makes sense, but I’ll give it a try. For example, I watch a foreign film or read a book or see a magazine article about a certain culture and before I know it, I’m having this intense desire for foods of that particular culture. This happened to me this week when I ran across a recipe for tabbouleh in the July issue of Gourmet magazine. I had discussed making tabbouleh and hummus a couple of weeks ago with a coworker and seeing this recipe brought back the most wonderful taste memories. That was all I needed to prompt me to action. It’s been quite a while since I’ve enjoyed flavours of the Mediterranean and this recipe seemed the perfect way to kick things off. (more…)

Ever have a taste for something familiar and want something different at once? This was the case with me this afternoon. I was craving something cole slaw-esque for a snack as I watched my beloved Wimbledon, but wasn’t in the mood for the traditional cabbage and carrot variety. I wanted flavours similar to cole slaw, but not exactly. Know what I mean? Now, I do have a head of cabbage on hand, but I’m planning to use it to make fried cabbage for this evening’s dinner. Then I remembered that I had several other ingredients on hand that would make a nice salad or slaw of some type. Next thing I knew, I was putting together my own divalicious veggie medley — Broccoli-Carrot Salad. (more…)

While watching Sandwiches You Will Like, a food documentary I caught on PBS (public television) a couple of weeks ago, I was surprised and delighted to see one of my favourite childhood sandwiches featured. Not an omelette in the traditional sense, this unique egg foo yong patty, a mixture of eggs, vegetables and meat, if desired, is the heart of what is known as the St. Paul sandwich. (more…)

I am very excited to announce my official membership to The Foodie BlogRoll, a fast-growing community of some of the most interesting and diverse food and food-related blogs on the Net. At the helm of this project is Jenn DiPiazza, also known to many as The Leftover Queen, an experienced travel writer, creative cook, food critic, professional foodie, and I would like to add — one ultra cool diva, for daring such a massive undertaking; creating, organising and managing this wonderful community, complete with its own forum, where foodies from around the world can gather together and share recipes, thoughts, ideas and all things food. (more…)

For the Thai food lover who also enjoys cooking, The Food of Thailand is a great introduction to the world of modern Thai cuisine. Loaded with an impressive variety of recipes from several areas of the country, this offering is well written and beautifully presented. The recipes are organised by type (snacks and street food; soups; salads; fish and shellfish; meat and game; curries; stirfrys; noodles and rice; vegetables; desserts) and accompanied by stunningly gorgeous images. Ingredients, equipment and cooking techniques are also well photographed and the instructions and descriptions are clear and concise. To complement the fabulous fare, the writers and photographer guide the reader through a visual journey of many of the country’s provinces, its culture, and its culinary history. (more…)

If you know anything about Houston, you know that the days of summer can be quite brutal here. Even late spring days have been known to reach, and occasionally surpass, the 90 degree mark. This spring is no exception. With temperatures hovering around the low to mid 90s (and it’s only May! God help us this summer), I’ve been looking for ways to cool off in a hurry and keep my body well hydrated. Aside from staying indoors as much as possible with the air going full blast and drinking lots of cold water and drinks, I can’t think of much else to do. (more…)

On my way home from the office today I stopped by TJ Maxx to return a few items and decided to browse a bit before leaving. Boy am I glad I did! Completely by accident I stumbled upon these body products by Asquith & Somerset. The first thing that drew me to them was the packaging, then the scents and finally the prices. I figured why not give them a try, so I threw a couple of soaps and scrubs into my cart. On the drive home, something told me I had lucked up on a really good deal. Once I got home and did a little research, I realised my instinct was spot on. Not realising at the time what a great deal I had, I only purchased four items; two body scrubs and two soaps. (more…)