A Premium Soup Tasting and A Give Away!

I was recently invited to attend a special new frozen soup product tasting event held at Cooking By The Book, a professional culinary event space in the TriBeCa neighborhood of Manhattan. The elegant rooms were beautifully decorated with black draping, multiple candles and beautiful fresh flower arrangements.

The serving tables were readied with carafes of wine, white bowls and dishes.

As a first course, a delicious array of Italian style appetizers were offered....

...and enjoyed by a varied group of New York City bloggers who were in attendance.

Two very handsome and talented chefs were also in attendance -- Chef Michael Christiansen from Unilever, on the left, and Chef Fabio Viviani , a successful Los Angeles restaurateur and a popular Bravo "Top Chef" finalist, was on the right.

They were here to introduce a new, hearty, restaurant quality line of frozen Meal Soups for Two, made by Bertolli!

There are four hearty meal soups in the line:

Chicken and Rotini Pasta

Tomato Florentine

Chicken Minestrone

Tuscan Beef and Vegetables

We watched a short video overview about the soups that was shot in Italy, as the soup recipes are based on soups offered in the finest restaurants in Rome.

We were then lead to the event beautiful state of the art kitchen, where we watched a soup "cook off" between Chef Mike and Chef Fabio.

Fabio begun to prepare his soup by hand, doing lots of vegetable preparation and chopping.

Meanwhile, all Chef Mike had to do was open the package of frozen Bertolli's Hearty Meal Soup For Two, place it in a pot, add a cup a water, and let it simmer.  Chef Christiansen explained to us that each of the soups fresh ingredients are cooked individually, and then flash frozen, so when the soup is reheated at home they stay firm and flavorful. Great care is made to balance the herbs and spices to bring out the delicious natural flavors.

No surprise that Chef Mike won the cook off, as his soup was ready to serve in ten minutes! I love to make my own soups but I'd also enjoy this type of convenience on a busy day.

You can watch a minute of the fun banter between the chefs in the video below:





We were then treated to a sample bowl of each of the four flavors of soup, accompanied by a different selection of crusty Italian bread or focaccia, and a selection of red or white wine.

The soups were all delicious in their own unique way! I really liked the rich and creamy Tomato Florentine soup. It was a flavorful tomato bisque, full of chunks of roasted chicken and cheese filled tortellini, with a hint of basil. I actually went back for a second serving of this soup!

My next favorite soup was the Tuscan Beef and Vegetables. It had many pieces of tender braised beef in its richly flavored broth, along with mushrooms, yellow squash, zucchini, carrots, celery, and bow tie pasta.

The next two soups were a tie in my taste test: the Chicken Minestrone, which was full of roasted white meat chicken, beans, zucchini, yellow squash, carrots tomatoes and pasta, which all combined to make a hearty vegetable broth was a deliciously robust minestrone.  The Chicken and Rotini Pasta soup which had a simple old fashioned home made chicken soup flavor, was full of roasted white meat chicken, pasta, zucchini, yellow squash, carrots and celery. It would be the soup I'd reach for to offer my grandsons, as they would enjoy its more simple chicken soup taste without too many added spices.
Although I was invited to this event by Bertolli foods, my opinions are all my own.

As we dined on our soups we were treated to beautifully sung opera!.  A ten second video:

The evening ended with an array of Italian desserts -- cannoli, cookies and Tiramisu!  As we departed we were treated to a gift bag by Bertolli, containing a bag of our favorite flavor soup to enjoy again in the future.

And now for the give away! 

Bertolli is kind enough to offer coupons for you to try the new frozen meal soup, and also the chance to win this soup ladle and ceramic bread dish so that you can serve your soup in style!   Sorry, but due to shipping costs, this set can only be mailed to USA residents. Please leave a comment on this post, and if you don't have a blog please leave your e-mail address so I can contact you if you win. If you are a follower of my blog please let me know in a second comment for an extra chance to win. The give away winner will be picked by Random.org, and will be announced on my blog on Wednesday, October 5th, 2011.  Good luck!

I'm linking to Foodie Friday
                     Pink Saturday
                     Seasonal Sunday
                     Mosaic Monday
                     On the Menu Monday

Please visit all the blog events and join in all the fun!

"Keys to the City," Denver

When I was in Denver, Colorado, last month to go shopping with my daughter for her wedding dress, I spent a day on the popular 16 Street Mall.  Built in 1982, the Mall is a mile long tree-lined, pedestrian promenade that runs through the center of Downtown and is lined with outdoor cafes, renovated historic office buildings, shops, restaurants and retail stores. Free shuttle buses cruise up and down the Mall seven days a week, making it very convenient for visitors to shop in many of the stores along the route.

Inspired by similar programs in London, Sydney, Sao Paulo and New York City, seventeen colorfully painted pianos were placed on the 16th Street Mall as part of the "Your Keys to the City," a public piano art program created by the Downtown Denver Partnership. Hand-painted by local artists, each piano has a theme and are available for the public to play from 8 am to 10 pm, seven days a week.

It was fun to see the variety of creatively painted pianos and listen to the people who stopped to play them. It definitely made the 16 Street Mall feel more intimate and friendly.You can read more about the pianos and the artists that painted them at this link.

I thought they made a pretty mosaic for "Mosaic Monday" event on Mary's blog The Little Red House, and "Blue Monday" event on Sally's blog Smiling Sally. Please visit both blogs and see the links of all the participating blogs for their happy events.

Pics-When Katrina Kaif tumbled off her cycle!

Pics-When Katrina Kaif tumbled off her cycle!: Katrina Kaif has had no chance to revel in the continuous luck of her most cutting edge picture Mere Brother Ki Dulhan, which has won her rave inspections from authorities. Rather, the performing artist has been hectic shooting for Ek Tha Tiger in Dublin with Salman Khan.

The stills from the yard of the Trinity College Dublin indicate Katrina taking a stroll with Salman Khan with a cycle by her side. It was while shooting one such scene that Katrina slipped and fell down, bringing the cycle plus her (see the visualization on the following page).

It's no picnic to express provided that it was a mishap or the fall was a part of the shoot. Yet there was in reality an instant of frenzy around the spectators as Katrina slipped and fell down.

Look at ahead additional stills of Katrina with her two wheeler, shooting in Dublin with Salman.

Why Bipasha Basu feels apprehensive while kissing on screen?

Why Bipasha Basu feels apprehensive while kissing on screen?: Raaz 3 will stamp the dividend of the first sex siren. The gloomy Bipasha Basu who seared the wide screen with her smouldering oomph and fabulousness in the films such as Raaz and Jism is situated to come back with Raaz 3, which will see the character at the very most, assert the insiders.

Bipasha Basu will leave on an additional ‘Raaz’ excursion as she begins shooting for Raaz 3. She starred in Raaz route again in the year 2002, inverse her then-playmate Dino Morea. The film was a shock hit at the crate office and Bips figured out how to get a decent footing in the industry. Following Raaz she again teamed up with the Bhatts for an additional thriller Jism. Now, she returns for Part 3 of Raaz, to be coordinated by Vikram Bhatt.

The motion picture will see Bipasha matched inverse Emraan Hashmi, the serial kisser of Bollywood. So the evident concern: Is Bipasha primed to bolt lips with Emraan? “As a master, I possess no situations with quite an impressive scene if a storyline categorically requests it,” she expresss, but affirms she is not luxurious while kissing onscreen.

“Kissing is the first statement of fondness for people, so its in reality no major ordeal. In any case still, I get all restless before kissing scenes,” Bipasha certifies. She, in any case, expressed that kissing her lover John Abraham in Jism didn’t construct her anxious as he was her sweetheart. However when it approaches alternate co-stars she improves unreasonable hysteria.

Notwithstanding, Bipasha has puckered up with a hefty portion of her co-actors like Ranbir Kapoor and has shot for steamy scenes with Saif Ali Khan and Rana Daggubati. Here is the sultry Bipasha Basu cozying up and kissing her co-actors in some striking scenes:

Jane's Carousel, Brooklyn Bridge Park

I recently blogged about the beautiful new Brooklyn Bridge Park, in Brooklyn, New York, which you can read at this link. A brand new edition to the park that opened last week on September 16, 2011, is a wonderful vintage carousel, called Jane's Carousel. If you look closely at the photo above, nestled on the end of a peninsular portion of the park, in front of the Brooklyn Bridge from this perspective, is the acrylic building that houses the carousel. Let's walk closer....

Now you can see how the carousel is situated in the park between the Brooklyn Bridge to the left....

....and the Manhattan Bridge to the right.

The charming Jane's Carousel is housed in a spectacular Pavilion designed by Pritzker Prize winning French architect Jean Nouvel.  According to the website: "Jane's Carousel is a completely restored historic Carousel made by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company (PTC #61) in 1922. It is a classic 3-row machine with 48 exquisitely carved horses, and 2 superb chariots. The wood carvings, often attributed to John Zalar and Frank Carretta, are among the finest of their kind. In addition, the scenery panels, rounding boards, crests, center pole and platform are all original to the Carousel. It was the first Carousel to be placed on the National Register of Historic Places."

"In 1983, as the designated developer of Empire Fulton Ferry State Park, David Walentas had commissioned a Master Plan for the park that called for an historic carousel to be installed. Jane and David Walentas purchased the Carousel at auction on October 21, 1984.

When purchased, the Carousel was in poor condition. Jane Walentas began its restoration at her studio here in Dumbo in 1984. Her initial tasks included making necessary carpentry repairs and hand-scraping away 62 years of "Park Paint" with an X-acto knife to reveal the original 1922 carvings, color palette, and designs. The discoveries were carefully recorded with photographs, color matches, and detailed drawings that guided the repainting of the Carousel. The horses were rendered in faithful detail. The highly decorative carved trappings were newly painted and re-leafed. Missing embellishments such as faceted jewels, small beveled mirrors on the bridles, and delicate pinstriping were restored."

"The Carousel's rounding boards, scenery panels and structural pieces were also repainted, stenciled, and re-leafed. Blackened varnish was removed from original paintings to reveal their true colors. Dozens of old beveled mirrors were reglazed. Mechanical systems were updated with new gears, motor and an electronic controller. Totally rewired, the Carousel now dazzles with 1200 brilliant lights."

The entire story of Jane's Carousel is inscribed on this mirrored monument at the site. The Carousel and the Nouvel commissioned Pavilion are a gift from the Walentas family to the people of the City of New York. It was truly a labor of love by Jane Walentas, and now, after years of restoration and storage, the carousel is finally a wonderful reality!

The day I was there to see it there were lines of happy children waiting to take a ride for a modest price of $2.   I think the children's parents were just as excited to see and ride the carousel.

Who wouldn't love to be a child again, even it is for just a few minutes of a carousel ride?  I know I enjoyed my ride!

You can watch a minute of the carousel ride on my video above or at this link.

You can watch a minute of the ride on my video above or at this link.

The carousel is open everyday except Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. More information about hours and directions can be seen at this link.


I'm linking this post to the following blog events:
Whistlestop Cafe Cooking's "Traveling Tuesday"
"Outdoor Wednesday"
"Alphabe Thursday" -- the letter this week is "W" and I can't think of many more things more Wonderful than a carousel
"Pink Saturday" for all the color pink in the painted horses

Click on the links to go to the events -- many thanks to all the blog hosts!

Sprucing up Paris Hilton in a choli!

Sprucing up Paris Hilton in a choli!: American VIP, socialite and next in line Paris Hilton will soon be approaching India, and we catch that she has a desire to dress similar to an Indian lady around the same time as her outing to the nation.

Paris Hilton could be visiting India from September 24 to 27 to start her line of totes and frill. Buzz is that Indian design fashioner Rocky S, known for his strong and trial style, will be styling Paris Hilton for every last trace of the occasions in the midst of her India outing.

Rough S expresss he has at present met Paris Hilton in Los Angeles and she has communicated her investment in wearing Indian garments.

Without disclosing the items of the dress, Rocky S uncovers that he is assembling a considerable measure of fashioner stuff for Paris. As a matter of fact, Rocky S did a shoot for a mag blanket with Paris Hilton in LA and he composed her wear a choli.

We won’t be astounded provided that he constructs her wear a few more on her India trip.

In the interim, Paris Hilton has expressed that she is animated concerning visiting India.

“This could be my first visit to India. I look advance to seeing the nation and opening my late shops. It's consistently been foremost to make form-advance items at a reasonable cost... I'm animated to meet the sum total of my fans and the shocking Bollywood big names,” Paris Hilton stated in a comment.

Lady Gaga enter into Bigg Boss 5?

Lady Gaga enter into Bigg Boss 5?: She is as of now the planet's greatest draw on the music scene and if things go as arranged Lady Gaga will show up on the Indian actuality TV demonstrate Bigg Boss 5.

Buzz in the industry is that the divert Colors is in chats the numerous-Grammy winning American vocalist-songwriter for an extraordinary presence in the fifth flavor of Bigg Boss, to be co-accommodated by Sanjay Dutt and Salman Khan.

The keep going year's primary magnetism on Bigg Boss 4 was Pamela Anderson who stayed in the house for negligible a few days but her presence snatched a considerable measure of eyeballs on TV and spiked the show's TRPs.

Notwithstanding for the present year, Colors is searching advance for a greater sensation and what superior to Lady Gaga!

The channel is rumoured to be in chats the vocalist's agents and provided that she supports show up on the reveal to, it could be a concise manifestation, for example Pamela's final year.

The 85th Feast of San Gennaro, Little Italy

The Annual Feast of San Gennaro is New York City’s longest-running, biggest and most revered religious outdoor festival in the United States. This is the 85th anniversary of the festival, which will be held Thursday, September 15, through Sunday, September 25, 2011, on the streets of the historic Little Italy neighborhood in lower Manhattan. This neighborhood served as the first home in America for hundreds of thousands of Italian immigrants who came here seeking to improve their lives, beginning in the early part of the 20th century.

Since 1996, the festival has been run by the "Figli di San Gennaro, Inc."(Children of San Gennaro), a not-for-profit community organization dedicated to keeping alive the spirit and faith of the early Italian immigrants.  San Gennaro is the Patron Saint of Naples, Italy. When newly arrived immigrants from Naples settled along Mulberry Street, in what would become the "Little Italy" section of New York City, they decided to continue a tradition they had followed in their hometown in Italy. That was to celebrate the day in 305 A.D. when Saint Gennaro was martyred for the faith.  Each year on September 19th,  a religious procession of the Statue of San Gennaro, winds along the length of Mulberry and Mott Streets, between Canal and Houston Streets. The procession begins after a celebratory Mass held at the Most Precious Blood Church on Mulberry Street, which is also the National Shrine of San Gennaro.

My husband and I went to the feast on Friday evening, and strolled the many blocks looking at all the food, rides, games, live music and local sights along with the rest of the large crowd. The feast is quite popular and attracts up to a million visitors of all ethnic groups over its eleven days.

The predominantly Italian food was in abundance and it was all very tempting!

There were all kinds of gelato, pastries, calzones, pizzas, pastas, stuffed clams, seafood salad, fried calamari, rice balls, sausage and peppers and onions, roasted pork, beef and chicken, sauteed broccoli rabe, biscotti, a nougat candy called torrone, and Zeppoles, which are fried dough sweetened with powdered sugar.

 More than 35 of Little Italy's most famous Italian restaurants provide outdoor dining facilities for the event. We decided to dine al fresco at one of my husband's many favorite restaurants in Little Italy.  I had linguine with a light tomato sauce yopped with shrimp and clams, and my husband had Veal Sorrentino, which is basically veal cutlets cooked with prosciutto, eggplant and mozzarella cheese.  Delicious!

 We stayed well into the late evening, enjoying all the festivities. 

According to the Feast of San Gennaro web site : "The continued growth of the Feast over the past ten years has enabled Figli di San Gennaro, Inc. to donate more than $1.6-million to worthy causes providing valuable services for children and education in the Little Italy community and beyond. At the conclusion of each annual Feast, sizeable donations are distributed to scores of worthy organizations in all five boroughs and the tri-state area to help the needy and the young. No other public festival donates more money to charity than does the Feast of San Gennaro."


  Below is a short video I took of one of the vendors at the feast, you can also watch it at this link.



The Feast of San Gennaro is a wonderful way to enjoy one of the old time ethnic neighborhoods of New York City and enjoy some delicious food and support a good cause.  We wouldn't miss it!

I'm adding this post to "Mosaic Monday" event on Mary's blog Little Red House, the new Our World Tuesday,  and "Rednesday" on Sue's blog It's A Very Cherry World. Thanks to the hosts!

Salman Khan's secret better half-a Romanian blonde?

Salman Khan's secret better half-a Romanian blonde?: Salman Khan appears to have learnt how to keep insider facts from the fourth bequest. The superstar is now joined with a somewhat Romanian news presenter Iulia Vantur, who has visited India twice and confirms have become friends with Salman.

A Romanian magazine has let the cat out of the pack by guaranteeing that Iulia and Salman have been in unwavering touch following the time when they met.

Iulia is an amazing darling of the book ‘Eat Pray Love’ and while tracing the voyage of the book's hero, she first arrived in Mumbai with her sweetheart Marius Moga, who, being a performer, knew a couple of Bollywood makers. It's through them that Iulia first met Salman.

In the midst of this trek, Iulia was stricken by India and she visited a considerable measure of sacred situations.

Iulia's second excursion to India, in the summers for the present year, came following she split up with her boyfriend. This time she stayed for regarding a month and a cream came to be entirely near Salman.

The Romanian magazine Ciao quotes Iulia as platitude: “My fortunes was that in that period the irrevocable scenes of the most recent box office progress film, Bodyguard, were being shot with actors like Salman Khan, Kareena Kapoor and Hazel Keech, actors that are revered by the Indian open and whom I had met awhile ago at the same time as my first visit to India, with whom I came to be mates.”

Iulia is additionally touched by Salman's common nature and his assertion on regard for all religions. The magazine likewise expressed that Iulia and Salman talk on regular schedule on BBM.