The winter is coming to an end here in the Sunshine State (I won’t rub it in that Roberto and I spent the weekend at the beach…), and before it gets too warm in the rest of the world, I thought I’d post about this wintery dish.

A few weekends ago we went to visit my mom. It was cold and gray and so she decided we were going to make stuffed cabbage rolls. This is an old family favorite. My Nana had two best friends as an adult – one was British and the other Liz, was what they called “Slavic” back in the old days. I am not sure if that means she is Polish, Czech, Ukrainian or something in between.

According to my mom, Liz always referred to these cabbage rolls as Halupky. Well, inevitably walking in my Nana’s footsteps, my best friend Jen also happens to be Polish and I knew quite a few people of Polish decent when I lived in Western Mass. Jen’s family and most of the polish people I know call cabbage rolls Golubki. So in honor of Jen, that is what I call it.

This is a simple dish to make and a rustic old school kind of thing, so I don’t really have exact measurements or anything. When I make Golubki, I tend to add some tomato paste to the broth because I really like that flavor and a thicker sauce. I also sautee onions and garlic and add that in the layers. When my mom makes it, she doesn’t use tomato paste, so the sauce, it is more of a broth.

If you are not big into meat, fear not, just fill the cabbage rolls with rice and tomatoes and skip the bacon. I used to make it this way when I was a vegetarian.
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This is the day when I feature the best of the best of The Foodie Blogroll Membership – which is over 1000 members large now!

I love how things work out. The topic of this Finest Foodies Friday is the Top 5 Food Bloggers With Heart.
In lieu of being awarded the Nice Matters Badge (you can see it sitting over on my left hand sidebar under “awards” by both Nuria and Ivy, this week, (THANKS GUYS!) I’d say the timing couldn’t be better.

I just love how the blogosphere has made the world a little bit smaller and puts you in touch with all kinds of people you would never get to know, if it weren’t for this funny little thing called the internet. The Foodie Blogosphere is kind if like one big pot luck table of the world, where all of us foodies bring to the table our dishes everyday to share. It is this sharing of knowledge and friendship which really is the motivation behind why I created The Foodie Blogroll – a way to bridge cultural gaps through food and to build the best online community for foodies! If you have not joined The Foodie Blogroll, sign up today!

So you know those bloggers who are just always there to say a nice and encouraging word? The ones who will always be there when you try something new – like a blogging event, or the creation of a forum? Or the bloggers who send you gifts from the heart just because they think you might enjoy it? These are the people who day in and day out are there – so much so, that even though they live sometimes thousands of miles away, they have become a part of your daily life? Well this goes out to them.

Jenn’s Top 5 Food Bloggers With Heart:

Dharm of Dad ~ Baker & Chef
has been there from the beginning. When the Leftover Queen Forum was in its budding stages, and the Royal Foodie Joust was but a blip on the radar of Foodie Events, I could always count on Dharm to be there lending support. When I expressed my desire to learn how to make a curry, Dharm was there offering up his mum’s famous Kheema. Dharm is always there to lend support and I am really thankful for it. Which is why when I take the month of April off from The Royal Foodie Joust, to get married, I am putting Dharm in charge of the event! So thanks Dharm for being a great blogging friend!

Cris of From Our Home To Yours
is one of the nicest people in the Blogosphere. She and I were both exchange students once upon a moon, through the same program AFS (American Field Service). Although we were in different host countries, at different times, we still share a bond that only an AFSer can understand. Cris has also been there from the beginning of the Forum and The Royal Foodie Joust, participating in every single one. Although she is quiet, she has a huge heart. She sent me some special treats from her native Brazil just because she thought I’d like them – coffee, a dish towel her mom made and a Native Brazilian ornament. All of which I hold very dear.

Then there is Valli of More Than Burnt Toast
who I kind of see as the cheerleader of the Foodie Blogosphere. I see her around on every single blog I read – even some of the blogs I don’t frequent as often as I’d like, she is consistently there! She certainly gets around and always has the kindest words to say – never a criticism. She is always really respectful and has a big thirst for knowledge and is not afraid to ask questions. She is so warm, seeing her comments on my blog makes me smile.

And how could I forget Nuria of Spanish Recipes
Seeing her little icon around the blogosphere is like getting a little hug, because I think if we were to meet in person, that is exactly what Nuria would do – give me a big hug! Her positive energy and glow just comes right off the computer screen. You can feel how much she cares about her family, her friends, her puppy and the delicious meals she creates. Such a genuine person.

Then there is my dear friend Lisa of the coffee blog Lisabeeen
She is my “real life” friend because she and I have been friends in the real world for several years and we kind of followed each other into the blogosphere. But besides being my friend, I love her unabashed enthusiasm for coffee and the four leggeds of the world. She has a great section of her blog devoted to Coffee Critters – people’s pets with coffee. It is surely to bring a smile to everyone’s face. Lisa’s enthusiasm for coffee and roasting beans is contagious!

Who are your Top 5 Bloggers with Heart?

Next Week: Top 5 Most Witty Food Bloggers

Happy Valentine’s Day! Today is the day to celebrate the strongest power in the universe. Love. So since we are all slaves to it, in one fashion or another, here the music of the day:

Have you seen the movie, Chocolat? You know the one where Juliette Binoche plays Vianne, a woman who through her chocolate confections, changes peoples lives by unleashing their hidden desires? Who has a knack for guessing the favorite confections of the people in the village based on a basic understanding of the human desire? Where until she lets her own desires take over, she cannot guess the favorite chocolate of the one she secretly desires- aka Johnny Depp? Well I guess I have always fancied myself a cook’s version of this archetype. The Kitchen Witch. Who through blending the perfect balance of tastes and textures can win the heart of any person. I truly believe that the way to anyone’s heart is through food, not the physical food itself, but the energy that goes into it as you prepare it. This is not just a means to a romantic end either, this is love in all its incarnations.

Cooking is very ritualistic- you have the sacred space dedicated to it-  the kitchen, you have your implements-  whisks, knives, spoons, spatulas and then there are your magical potions and properties – herb, spices and ingredients. When it comes down to it, it is all very mysterious what happens in a kitchen,  that which turns common ingredients into mouth watering delicacies.

So inspired by the movie Chocolat, I decided to replicate Vianne’s Mayan Hot Chocolate-  spicy chili peppers paired with rich dark chocolate. It is MY favorite. What could be more soothing than a nice hot cup of liquid chocolate? What brings back memories of childhood better than hot chocolate? Well, this is not your mom’s hot chocolate! If anyone needs to spice up their love life or wishes to give a truly decadent treat to their lover, this is the perfect recipe.

The dark chocolate taste is smooth and thick as you first sip it, but then there is a surprise ending, the kick of chili in the back that just warms up your whole body and could certainly melt the coldest of hearts! Not to mention what it can heat up…
The real beauty is that you can whip this up really quick, because you most likely have all the ingredients already – that way you can get back to spending time with the one you love a lot quicker.

If you liked this post and are interested in learning more about the esoterics of food, please check out my e-book The Secret Energy of Love Through Food.
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Welcome to THE FOODIE BLOGROLL FAQ!

Here are the most frequently asked questions regarding the inner workings of The Foodie Blogroll!

Why Should I join The Foodie Blogroll? What’s in it for me?

The Foodie Blogroll is the first of its kind and is one of the fastest growing online communities for foodies. With over 1000 members spanning the globe in less than a year, there is a reason for its popularity. It is the first blogroll created just for foodies like you. When I started my food blog, I went looking for a blogroll for food and cooking related websites and there were none to be found. So I decided to create my own! This is all about building the best community online for foodies! Imagine what having over 1000 websites linking to you can do for your blogs traffic and Google or Technorati ranking.

A great benefit for joining is a forum for members (and other foodies alike) to hang out with each other and get to know each other and talk about our favorite subject – FOOD. There are also contests and your blog could also be featured as part of my Finest Foodies Friday – where I feature the best blogs from the Foodie Blogroll! If you are not a member, you can’t be featured.

Who manages The Foodie Blogroll and The Foodie Blogroll Forum?

I, Jenn, The Leftover Queen am humbly at your service for this one! This is truly a labor of love. Roberto and I working together have found ways to make this process easier as the blogroll has grown, but it is still a cottage industry and much of the process is done manually by me. So please be patient with me. I usually spend several hours a day managing this great foodie community! But if I am not at my computer, everything is on hold until I can get back to it.

What are the requirements for joining?

1) You must display the blogroll on your blog’s sidebar where I can easily find it. Once a month I will try to go through the blogroll and delete the blogs from the blogroll that aren’t displaying it. The reason for this requirement is that to meet our goal of promoting food related blogs on the Internet we need to link to each other. It drives up your Google rank (your blog could potentially be on the first or second page of Google’s search results when someone is searching for information that is contained on your blog) and your Technorati rank.

2) You must have a food related blog (at least 80 % of posts are food related)

3) The blog must be at least 1 month old with at least 5 posts.

Why do I have to display the entire code on my sidebar? Can’t I just put the icon?

See #1 of the above question.

My request to join The Foodie Blogroll was rejected – however, my blog fits all the requirements. Why didn’t you send me the code?

Most Foodie Blogroll Request Rejections happen because information you typed into the registration form was incorrect. Most often URLS are misspelled and therefore cannot be verified as a foodie blog. If you feel you fit all the requirements to join and you received this rejection in error, please go back to the registration form and fill out another request.

Other times requests are rejected because you have less than 5 posts (that are food related) or less than 80% of your blog is food related. If this is the problem, feel free to re-register once you have fulfilled these requirements.

I have a Wordpress.com / Vox blog and I cannot see the list of blogs when I implement the code. What is wrong?

Wordpress.com (not wordpress) and vox blog templates do not allow the entire code to appear. All you will see if you have a Wordpress.com or Vox Blog is the Foodie Blogroll Icon and the “click here to join” link. This is fine. However, you still need to add the entire code as it is to the sidebar template for this to work. Hopefully soon you will be able to display the whole code, but we do not want to exclude a huge portion of the food blogger community because of this technicality.

I have a Blogger/ Blogspot blog, how do I implement the code?

If you have a Blogger/Blogspot Blog and do not know how to enter the code – go to your Blogger Dashboard. Choose the “add a page element” option – (do not use the “add a widget option”), click the “HTML/Javascript” option and then copy and paste the entire code into the template. You should be all set!

I have iWeb. How can I install the code?

If you have iWeb, please click this link to find out how to install the code.

When I implement the code on my blog, only the icon and “click here to join” link show and I have a blogger/ Blogspot or non-worpress.com/vox blog – why is that?

If you are only seeing the icon and the “click here to join” link that means that you have not implemeted the whole code. If you look at the email that I sent you, that contains the code and you see the Foodie Blogroll Icon – that means that your email software is displaying part of the HTML. In this case, you need to save the code and then open it in Word or notepad, then copy and paste the whole code into your sidebar template.

When I add the Foodie Blogroll to my blog, the loading time on my page slows down. Why? What can I do about it?

The Foodie Blogroll has over 1000 members, so the list is getting long! These days bloggers have a lot of widgets, badges and codes on their blogs – this slows everything down if your computer does not have a lot of memory. If you have less than 2 gigabytes of memory on your computer, this is likely the problem. Short of purchasing more memory, here are 2 easy options to try first:

1) Use this tool to create a drop down menu for the list of blogs

2) Change the sequence of how your blog columns load so that the column that contains the Foodie Blogroll Code, loads last.
If you are still having problems and need to get more memory, you can check out www.crucial.com and they can help you figure out what type of memory your computer takes.

I put the code up on my blog weeks ago and you still have not added me to the Blogroll. What’s the deal?

Did you remember to email me to tell me that? Unless, I receive an email from you letting me know you put the code up, I won’t know to add you to the blogroll. There are over 200 blogs pending acceptance (meaning I have sent them the code) at any given time and I am not able to go through them all to see who has the code up and who doesn’t. Also when emailing me any correspondence regarding The Foodie Blogroll, please be sure to include your name, your blog title and your blog’s URL.

Note: If you have recieved a reminder email from me in the past, but still have not implemented the code, you have likely been deleted from the system. Therefore, if you want to be added to The Blogroll, please re-register.

ALSO WE DO HAVE A FOODIE BLOGROLL FORUM - IF YOU HAVE PROBLEMS AND THIS FAQ IS NOT ANSWERING YOUR QUESTIONS, IT IS LIKELY ONE OF THOSE KIND PEOPLE HAVE HAD SIMILAR ISSUES- AND IF YOU POST A QUESTION ON THIS SECTION OF THE FORUM I AM SURE YOU CAN GET SOME HELP. FOODIES ARE SOME OF THE NICEST PEOPLE EVER!

Happy Blogging Everyone!

If you have never had fried cauliflower, you are missing out. My Nana used to make it, just dusted in flower and pan fried. I used to eat it with ketchup when I was a kid! It was delicious. Years later, as an adult, I had fried cauliflower, known as Zahra Mekleyah, again, at a Lebanese friend’s house, then again at a Lebanese restaurant. They traditionally serve it with a delicious Tahini sauce and it is out of this world. Blows ketchup right out of the water!

I have always tried to take fried things I have enjoyed in a restaurant and see if I can make them healthier at home. I still enjoy all the fried stuff when I go out sometimes, but I hate the mess of all the oil splatters in MY kitchen. Yes, I am a neat freak,that is established. My favorite way to get a similar crunchy texture in the oven to frying is either to bake it at
450F, maybe 475F or broil it. These cauliflower, I did the former.

Instead of creating a Tahini dipping sauce, I decided to toss the cauliflower in it after broiling. It was phenomenal. Roberto and I kept saying, the few words that we spoke because we were too busy gobbling this down, through the whole meal that we need to eat this eat least once per week. Oh and did I mention that the cauliflower was from the Farmer’s Market?
Oh, yes, but of course!

Along with this wonderful cauliflower we made bruschetta with delicious farm fresh tomatoes, also from the market. The Bruschetta is Roberto’s recipe and made the Roman way -with crispy bread and warm tomatoes. It was really really good. I would not recommend making this unless you have really good tomatoes, as they are the star of the show.

Here is a little music with your dinner:

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(Photo Courtesy of Rose-Champagne.com)

A bright soul has left this world. At the age of 30, my bellydancing teacher, Rose Champagne has left on the final journey into the unknown after a battle with brain cancer. She already beat it five years ago and had her whole life ahead of her. When I left New England, she had just gotten married and bought a new house. She had it all – a wonderful husband, a new house and a fabulous career doing what she loved. She was one of those shining stars, someone with a beautiful soul who kind of glided through the world. She was the kind of person everyone wanted to know and be around. She was someone who stood out in a room. She was kind, and loving and beautiful. I knew her but briefly and from afar, but she affected everyone she knew with her grace. I pray for her family that must go on without her.

To my teacher Rose Champagne. Rose, it is hard to believe that a spirit so strong and beautiful and full of light has left this earth. There is always a bit of emptiness felt in the world, when a light as bright as yours leaves this realm. I ask that your spirit be as free now, as it always was in The Dance now that you are free from the physical limitations of your body, which whirled with such grace and beauty as you walked among us for too brief a time. You taught us how to be free in our own dances and to let the ancestral spirit flow and sway with our bodies. You taught us how to communicate through dance and let loose. You gave so much to us all and I want to thank you and send you with gifts of the sweetest baklava and delicious dark Turkish Coffee, for the journey you have left to travel.

May you be at peace.

Welcome to this week’s addition of Finest Foodies Friday!
This is the day that I like to feature favorite blogs from The Foodie Blogroll. It is a way to help us expand our foodie horizons and get to know other food bloggers out there. Last week, I featured my Top 5 Favorite Italian American Food Blogs!
This week, as promised, I will be featuring my
Top 5 Greek Food Blogs!

Greek food will always been my first love of the culinary world. As a person who is Italian American, who grew up on Italian food, I am always amazed when 90% of the time when ask someone what their favorite kind of food is – I get “Italian”. Don’t get me wrong, I obviously love La Cucina Italiana as much as the next person, but it was never “exotic” to me. I like to be enchanted and surprised when I eat food and the first time I ever had Greek food, the true food of the Gods, I thought I has died and gone to the Elysian Fields. I think what really got me was Feta cheese – the tartness of it and the texture. I had never experienced cheese like this before. It was a whole new world – a world that has now made me addicted to cheese, but that is a whole other story. I also loved the use of thick plain yogurt on so many savory dishes and then there was the copious amounts of my favorite herb, oregano, “joy of the mountain” – on bread, on lamb and in my mouth. It was just a symphony for my tastebuds and I loved it all. This passion for Greek food and the Ancient World (I am a huge history and language geek) actually prompted me to take a semester long independent study of modern Greek when I was in high school. My final assignment was to go to a Greek restaurant and order in Greek. I still can’t believe I did that, because I can’t recollect a single word of the Greek language. How sad. Recently I have become devoted to Greek Olive Oil. It is my “special” Olive Oil that everyone in the family knows not to touch without my permission. It is liquid gold.

Since then I have been introduced to all kinds of cuisines, but my favorite region of the world to eat in, will always be the Mediterranean. But Greek will always be my first love, it is what inspired me to acquaint myself with other favorite cuisines – Lebanese, Turkish, Moroccan, Tunisian. Here I give a nod to the bloggers who still inspire me with the cuisine of the Greek Isles – tempting me with dishes you will never see in any restaurant. I relish hearing the stories of their families and their food. It is a feast for all the senses! So join me on this journey to Greece!

Jenn’s Top 5 Greek Food Blogs:

Elly of Elly Says Opa! was another one of my very first blogging buddies. She joined the Foodie Blogroll early in the game and I just love her sense of humor. She is so down to earth and I know if we lived in the same apartment building (like a dream she had) we would cook up a storm! My favorite post of her’s to date is the one where she cooks Plasto with her Yiayia (Grandmother).

Now there are two Peter the Greeks that are making a name for themselves in the Foodie Blogosphere and they are both on my top 5 list! I will put them in the order in which I “met” them!

Peter of Kalofagas is always cooking up a storm up in the Great White North of Canada. His food always looks amazing, which is why it makes sense that his blog title means “A Gourmet” because he certainly is that. I don’t think there was a single dish Peter ever posted that I thought did not look like something I wanted to eat. My favorite recipes of his are for his Mezes – or Greek appetizers. He is always at his creative best when it comes to those.

Then there is Peter G. also known as Protos on The Leftover Queen Forum whose blog Souvlaki For The Soul ( I just love that name too!) has some of the best photos of food. Everything just always looks great. Peter pays a lot of attention to detail, which is probably why he came in third place in our biggest Royal Foodie Joust, yet! He does lots of the Greek Classics, but he also creates lots of dishes with flair from Australia, where he lives. You guys have got to check out his awesomely beautiful Passion Fruit Curd.

If you guys have never to been Ivy’s blog called Kopiaste, I suggest going. She is a Greek Cypriot Food Blogger and I really enjoy her dishes from her native Cyprus. She also has a great knack for story telling and is very proficient in the history of Greece and Cyprus. Her blog is not only delicious, but also educational! Plus she is going to help me become a star in Roberto’s eyes by posting a recipe for home made Olive Bread!

Then there is Laurie, of Mediterranean Cooking in Alaska.
Thant’s right, Alaska. Laurie wrote a Greek cookbook as a fund raiser for her church. All the proceeds go to its Building Fund. Laurie’s blog is full of fabulous food ideas that you would never imagine were Greek – which to me is a good thing, because it always expands my horizons of Greek Cuisine. Her recipes are very detailed. But what I love the best, is that so far removed from the Mediterranean climate, she keeps her food heritage alive!

Here is a nomination we got for a favorite blog of SuperChef’s. She wanted to recommend Brittany, The Pie Lady, who has a wonderful blog full of tasty morsels. She is a pastry chef and so her dishes are always very beautiful as well as tasty. I have also always loved Brittany’s blog and we all miss her over at the Forum where she was a very active member! Come back Brittany!!!

If you have a favorite food blog from the Foodie Blogroll, please come here to nominate them to be featured in an upcoming Finest Foodies Friday.

Next Week: Food Bloggers with Heart

Hi Everyone! Time to announce the winner of February’s Royal Foodie Joust! This month’s ingredients of Eggplant, Lentils and Cinnamon were chosen by last month’s winner, my buddy Dharm at Dad~Baker & Chef. If you want to check out all the really really wonderful entries, go to The Leftover Queen Forum. If you want to check out pictures of Dharm’s adorable kids in his new Royal Food Joust Apron, check out his blog.

Now for the WINNER! This month’s winner is Heather of Gild the Voodoolily.
Heather’s dish Lentil Fritters with Venison Chorizo, Eggplant Sofrito and Cinnamon Aioli looked absolutely fantastic! So creative! Wish I could have been there for the taste testing!

Our second place winner is SuperChef of Mirch Masala, with her flavorful dish of Eggplant in Lentils and Salsa. Comfort food, for sure!

In Third place we have Peter aka Protos of Souvlaki For The Soul, with his absolutely gorgeous Moroccan Style Spiced Lamb with Lentil Pilaf and topped with creamy Baba Ghanoush! That lamb looks perfect.

If you would like to join the Joust this month, Heather’s choice of ingredients are:

Pork, any variety (may be substituted with Barley – for any with dietary restrictions)
Citrus, any variety
Pink or White Peppercorns

Please post your entry here!

There is some steep competition in these contests – we had almost 20 participants this time! So please join is for your chance to win your own very fabulous and increasingly popular personalized apron!