And here’s a tip regarding the use of spices in dishes:  Store your spices in a cool, dark place as they lose both flavor and much of their nutritional value when exposed to heat (that means storing right above the stove/oven for convenience may not be a good idea). 

Whole Wheat Tortilla Recipe - Make your own healthy tortillas!

Asparagus Guacamole Recipe - Try this fantastic spin-off of traditional Guacamole!

Salsa Mexicana Recipe -  This is a wonderful recipe if you want fresh salsa.  It is intended to be eaten right away.

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Almond Granola Bars – Sweet, nutty, and crunchy.  This is even a great breakfast alternative with a banana!

Homemade Wheat Thins – Here’s an excellent alternative to those crackers we spend tons on each year.  You will be amazed at how close these are to the real thing!

Strawberry Pops Recipe - This is a wonderful alternative to costly treats in the frozen food aisle – with possibly a little more nutritional value!

Cracker Jacks Recipe – Now you can make your own sweet popcorn and nut concoction!

Sweet and Salty Snack Mix – Throw this together in a matter of minutes and store in a canister for easy access!

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Today we are going to focus on the first meal of the day.  Because it is the first event of the day, you should go all out – but if you don’t have time because of activities, there are a couple quick recipes to try too.  (If you are a Mom and will still be doing the cooking, treat yourself with any of these excellent recipes!)

Breakfast or Brunch Recipes:

• Amaretto French Toast Recipe - This rich recipe will surely please your dear mother’s taste buds.  The nutty-but-sweet flavor of the amaretto is a nice change from the French toast flavor we all know and love.
• Amaretto Butter & Amaretto Syrup Recipe - Compliment your Amaretto French Toast with this delectable Amaretto Butter Recipe!
• Breakfast Portobellos with Shitakes - If you love the distinctive flavor of mushrooms (or moreover if Mom does), this is a sophisticated dish great for brunch!
• Basic Omelet Recipe - This is a great recipe for the beginner or the person with a tight schedule.  It is simple to make and doesn’t take a whole lot of preparation or attention while cooking.  Serve with fruit and toast for a full breakfast or brunch!
• Coffee Cake Recip-Ease - The name gives it away – this is an incredibly simple recipe for (you guessed it!) coffee cake!  If you are not confident in the kitchen, this one is a breeze to throw together and just make sure you set the timer.
• Easy Breakfast Pizza - Everyone loves pizza – and who says it can’t be eaten for breakfast? 
• Multigrain Pancakes - If your mom is anything like me, she wants to eat something that isn’t going to cause her to go up a dress size.  These are great for you and would go great with that Amaretto Syrup above! 

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Quick and Easy Recipe Ideas:

• Adobong Isda (Fish in Tangy Sauce):
  This recipe is probably unlike any other you have tried.  It’s roots originate in the Philippines and is known for its flavor from a combination of chiles, herbs, and vinegar.  This one goes great with catfish, pickerel or trout.
• Savory Wild Rice Dinner Muffins Recipe: Making a total of 12 muffins, this recipe is not only tasty but filling.  If your main course is something light (like fish), this is an excellent option! 
• Express Ratatouille Recipe:
  When you have next to no time to create something to eat but are tired of canned soups and frozen dinners, chop up a zucchini and mix with tomatoes, cook, and there you have it!  It’s incredibly simple and is almost as good as the real deal.
• African Tomato Avocado Buttermilk Soup Recipe:
  With a couple simple steps, you can be on your way to eating this savory soup in no time.  Requiring only a few ingredients (most of which you probably already have in your cupboard), a trip to the store is likely not necessary.  Try this unique tasting, smooth and creamy soup out for dinner tonight.
• Rotel Cornbread Recipe:
  Here’s a simple recipe for one of the most popular quickbreads out there – cornbread!  Simply throw all of the ingredients together in a bowl, mix, and bake! 
• Yogurt Muffins:
  These muffins are irresistible!  Made with (you guessed it!) yogurt, they are superbly moist and taste wonderful.  Make sure you make enough for everyone to have more than one because one isn’t enough!

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Since the 1990’s, channels like The Food Network and reality shows like today’s Top Chef, Iron Chef and Hell’s Kitchen have helped in creating a whole new realm of the celebrity world by bringing culinary arts into the mainstream entertainment industry. The most famous chefs of today are more than just television cooks. Many of these chef de cuisine celebs have extensive backgrounds in their studies of culinary arts, most own at least one restaurant and a number of them have their own books as well!

Although there are a number of great chefs out there and many on the rise in the media, the top five celebrity chefs we will look at today are in their position not only due to their accomplishments within the kitchen but also due to their success in business. Let the countdown begin…

Number 5: Tom Colicchio

Mostly known for his seat as the fearsome head judge on Bravo’s reality cooking show Top Chef, Tom Colicchio is a cookbook author and a New York City restaurateur as well, owning the popular Gramercy Tavern. With his piercing blue eyes and bear-like, masculine build, Colicchio has been deemed one of the “Sexiest Men Living” in 2008 by Salon. However, despite his good looks, he is not famous for his camera appeal – his hard work and dedication in the kitchen are what have brought him to where he is today. He is an inspiration to many cooks and has received five James Beard Foundation Medals for his cooking accomplishments. Tom has recently become known for saving the life of cookbook author Joan Nathan as she choked on a piece of chicken the night before Inauguration Day.

Number 4: Paula Deen

Although in an industry dominated by men, Paula Deen has grown into a standout female celebrity chef. She has a strong southern drawl and a lively personality which Is loved by many. Paula used cooking as a means to cope with the severe agoraphobia and started a business called The Bag Lady and made boxed lunches for local businesses and had her sons do the delivering. She later opened her restaurant in Savannah, Georgia The Lady and Sons restaurant and also wrote a cookbook. In one day her cookbook sold 70,000 copies on QVC which then lead her soaring into the mainstream. Currently she is enjoyed by many on her cooking show on Food Network, “Paula’s Home Cooking” and now has two restaurants and has 3 cooking shows along with a magazine and line of baking mixes! Paula has even done her fair share of work on the big screen in Cameron Crowe’s “Elizabethtown” in 2005.

Number 3: Bobby Flay

Bobby Flay has a versatile array of culinary talents as he is a well-known chef and restaurateur, an award-winning cookbook author and a famed television personality. Since age 17, Bobby has an extensive culinary background. He studied at the French Culinary Institute where he earned the “Outstanding Graduate Award.” He specializes in his unique southwestern cooking style. His extensive knowledge has earned him awards such as “Best Restaurant 1992” by New York Magazine and the James Beard Foundation’s Rising Star Chef of the Year in 1993 award. Flay shares his knowledge as well as his enthusiasm through his cookbooks and on television shows such as Food Network’s “Boy Meets Grill” and many other shows. Flay’s astounding ability to remain true to his unique cooking style while making it fun has earned him respect and favor of many American food fanatics.

Number 2: Mario Batali

Mario Batali’s feels that the essential ingredient to most everything is olive oil, which is undoubtedly fitting to his specialty in Italian cuisine. His appearance suits him well: shorts – no matter what the weather, orange clogs, and his signature ponytail. Batali actually attended Rutgers University and majored in Spanish theater and business with hopes to move to Spain to be a banker. During this time he worked as a dishwasher then moved up to the position of pizza maker and thus began his calling in the food world. He attended the Cordon Bleu in London and discovered a passion for Italian food. He has earned awards such as Man of the Year in the chef category in GQ magazine in 1999, he won the James Beard Foundation’s Outstanding Chef of the year in 2005, and also received the 2001 D’Artagnan Cervena Who’w Who of Food & Beverage in America. His first restaurant called “Babbo” in Greenwich Village was successful and lead up to TV shows, more restaurant ventures, cookbooks, and even his own line of cookware. Mario also owns a dairy goat farm.

Number 1: Emeril Lagasse

There is no other way to begin this paragraph than to exclaim “BAM!” or “Kick it up a notch!” Emeril Lagasse is one of the most recognizable chefs of all time. He is a cookbook author, restaurateur, and is widely known from his television shows “Essense of Emeril” and “Emeril Live.” Emeril attended Johnson and Wales University culinary program to earn a doctorate. He then became interested in the cuisine of France while polishing his skills in Paris and Lyons. He later returned to the U.S. and began building a reputation of using the finest and freshest products and eventually began working at the Commander’s Palace, a famous New Orleans restaurant. In 1990 he opened his first restaurant and from then on, Emeril received outstanding praise. People from across the country as well as renowned magazines such as Esquire, Conde Nast Traveler and Travel & Leisure gained sudden interest in this amazing restaurateur. Emeril is today known for his fresh ingredients along with his creative approach to Creole cuisine. Emeril even has his own team of farmers, fishers and ranchers to ensure that he receives the freshest ingredients possible!

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