If there’s one thing in life I hope I never learn it’s the amount of tortilla chips I’ve consumed.

After years of study around the world, I think I’ve found the perfect chip. Light, crispy, just the right amount of salt and oil, able to hold salsa and/or cheese dip easily. Ahhh.

This may sound like a description of any chip from Doritos to the best Mexican restaurant chip you’ve ever had. Semantically, yes, but to a true tortilla chip aficionado, these words have a much deeper meaning.

On a good day, the finest chips I’ve had are from Pappasito’s Cantina, who are also the purveyors of the finest Margaritas this side of the Rio Grande, but that’s another post.

Typically I have 2 favorite supermarket brands of chips, Mission and Santita.

- Missions are a “gourmet” -read expensive-  tortilla chip; medium-thick chip, can be heavy, good crunch, oil and salt, about $4.00 a bag.

- Santita are the best chip for the price; medium-thin crispy chip, slightly dry, slight salt, $2. per bag.

However, today my friends, I will share with you Holy Grail of tortilla chips. Restaurant taste and quality right in your supermarket.

Xochtil, Totopos de Maiz (white Corn Chip) by Salsa Xochitl.

Xochitl {so-cheel} was queen of Tollan, lived in the 11th century Mexico. She was the daughter of Papantzin, a noble in King Tepacaltzin’s court. Xochitl, whose name means “flower”, is credited with inventing pulque, the fermented juice of the agave plant, and and an early forerunner of tequila.

I was all set to buy my usual Santitas, when I saw the Xochitl. They were new to my Publix store since the new reset. Being the aforementioned “chip aficionado” I felt it my duty to check them out.

I opened them as soon as I got to the car. Manna from heaven. Just like my beloved Pappasito’s chips.

The downside is that they are not cheap. They are priced up there with the gourmet chip- $3.99- $4.25. But they are worth it.

Don’t waste them on amateurs. Save them for yourself, when you can enjoy every last snappy CRUNCH!

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If you’re like me and my BFF, you’re always looking for a nice bottle of wine to crack open and enjoy in the evening. Not for a special occasion, not for an evening with friends, not to enjoy with a special meal. No…. just because.

Having a glass of wine “just because’” really is about enjoying the Sweet Life. Something as small as this is a celebration in itself. The problem is, most of the time a decent bottle of wine is at least $18 – $25 a bottle. That’s not a lot when you’re out with friends at a restaurant, but when you’re at home, that’s not a casual price.

I’ve found the answer – how does $10.99 sound?
Yes, you can truly buy a nice bottle of wine for $10.99. To top that off, it comes with a delightfully charming name and label; Cupcake Vineyards.

Don’t just take my word for it, The Wine Spectator gives the Chardonnay 88 points.

I’ve tried the Chard and the Cab. Both are very good and I highly recommend them.

What’s even better is that you can give this as a nice host/hostess gift and it’s classy and reasonable.

Give it a try – what have you got to lose?

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Ancient cultures believed chocolate to be “the food of the gods,” which certainly makes it good enough for La Dolce Diva!

With that said….trumpets blare: GOURMET MALT BALLS ARE BACK!

Before you even ask…YES- They are completely edible!

Deliciously, delightfully, delectably edible!

We have 2 scrumptious gourmet flavors for you to choose from:

Cappuccino: A white chocolate lover? This crunchy malt center is drenched with layers of cappuccino-infused white chocolate.

Mint Chocolate: Like milk chocolate? A crunchy malt center is lavishly covered with layers of peppermint-infused milk chocolate.

For that PERFECT gift, you may personalize these fabulous confections with a choice of 6 special occasions and a deserving Diva’s name.

These Dolce Delights are the perfect gift for any occasion.. What a great hostess gift for the holidays. A great addition to a box of La Dolce Diva’s extravagant Bath & Body products. Think ahead for Valentine’s Day!

Whatever the Occasion, these Gourmet Malt Balls will make it even more special. Trust us. After all, at La DOLCE Diva, Chocolate is our middle name!

Want to order now….click here.

I’m proud to introduce Doug, my wonderful brother-in-law, who so graciously wrote this post on how to roast your own coffee beans. I’ve been the lucky recipient of his delicious home-roasted coffee beans and can fully attest to their yumminess.

So, take full advantage of this once- in-a-lifetime divulging of coffee-roasting secrets. Go forth and roast beans to your hearts content. Thinking of calling my personal barista Doug to roast them for you?

Fuggitaboutit. Get your own brother-in-law.
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Greetings! Jennifer asked some months ago if I would be interested in blogging about coffee. This was not just some random request on her part – in addition to being an avid (rabid?) consumer of espresso, I also roast my own coffee beans. So I agreed to share my thoughts and musings about this albeit low-thrill hobby on this forum. Read the rest of this entry »

Jessie with a Life size cupcake - Gotta love it!

My dear friend Regina at Dr. Flower’s Essentials is always looking out for me and sends me links to anything remotely Italian and yummy.

The following post fit the bill on both counts. It’s from an an adorably edible blog called CakeSpy.com.

CakeSpy is a Dessert Detective Agency dedicated to seeking sweetness (literally) in everyday life. They do this by writing about bakeries, conducting baking experiments, and picking the brains of bakers and food artists, and finding awesome products for lovers of baked goods. The Cakespy crew is comprised of about 6 or 7 Cake Gumshoes throughout the US, and is headed up by Head Spy Jessie Oleson.

At first I thought I would just write my own post about Italian desserts, but why, really? The work is already done and done so well.

After you’re through reading this post- pop on over to CakeSpy and check out some more yummy treats!

~ Buon Appetito!
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I love Italian cuisine. I love its rustic accessible preparation, presentation and use of fresh ingredients, Yes, FRESH ingredients.

Here’s the rub. Herbs. I love fresh herbs and I usually swear by them. A recipe isn’t the same – I’d preach to you!

Well, herbs are not cheap and they are so fragile. I always feel bad throwing away the little wilted green leaves of lovely basil.

This past week, I received my quarterly shipment from Styrker Wine Club. I knew I had a nice bottle of Speedy Creek Cabernet and I really wanted a bit more than chips and cheese dip to accompany it. Bruschetta Caprese immediately came to mind.

When I reached for the fresh basil, I winged a bit. I knew I wouldn’t finish a bottle of wine and all the tomatoes this evening. The basil leaves would be wilted in a few days. I looked at the tube of basil. I’d seen it before, I didn’t roll my eyes at it then, but I’d still bought the fresh basil.
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Movie: Julie & Julia 2009

We all know how this ends, Julia Child’s Mastering of Art of French Cooking is published and becomes a world wide success. It’s in practically every chef’s kitchen library, whether the book has been cracked open or not. It is there. After you see this movie, you’ll  probably be inspired to crack it open and make the Boeuf Bourguignon a La Julia Child. I hope that didn’t spoil anything for you.

So, we know what happens at the end of the story, which is really the beginning of Julia’s success, at what the French call “a certain age”..meaning old and over 40. If you have read My Life In France based on letters and mementos saved and sent home by Paul and Julia Child, you may wonder why this wasn’t made into a movie on it’s own. Or maybe not. If it’d been made into a movie, it would probably not have been anymore than a docudrama that had a foodie based cult-following. It needed a spin and a sexy way of bringing it to the masses for box office bonanza. Enter Meryl Streep. Followed by Julie Powell.

Let’s start with the lesser known, Julie Powell. I will address her as I know her from the movie, I won’t go into the foodie-blogger- backlash she has received or her actual Julie & Julia Blog itself (I never read it), you can look into that yourself. Just Google Julie Powell Backlash.
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I was chatting with a few friends from the Indie Beauty Network last night, Regina from Dr. Flower, Lisa from Cactus & Ivy and Marla from Back Porch Soap. Somehow the conversation came around to Prosecco. And what actually is it? Don’t ask how we came around to this thought provoking question, it is a “had to be there” situation. I never thought  “EVERYONE knows what Prosecco is,” rather, I thought, ” how can I make sure that everyone does?”

So here we are, once again, me enlightening you, my dear readers, to further joys of Italia! I am only happy to do it.

I myself , at one time,  was part of the Prosecco Ignorati; those ignorant or unaware of the this divine nectar.
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I love Insalata Caprese. What’s not to love? Tomatoes, cheese and olive oil all on the same plate. But I will say, when I order it, I am always a little bit anxious before it arrives. Will it be a plate of faded red tomatoes with no flavor? Bland olive oil? Mushy cheese? OR will it be a plate of ruby red lushness, succulent olive oil and firm slightly sweet cheese? Even if the waiter highly recommends it, sometimes I pass because I can’t take the stress or disappointment. It is widely known that I have a low stress-threshold.

Today, I will let you in on my little secret to perfect Insalata Caprese every time- at home.
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Lemon Raspberry Tiramisu: Recipe by mcat49

Have you heard about BakeSpace.com? It is simply the hippest cucina around! While other recipe based sites can be as dry as day old bread, Bake Space is a place where you “come for the food and stay for the conversation.”

Innovative and fun, it is a social network of food enthusiasts dining and dishing about their favorite food, recipes, techniques, books and anything food related.

Easy and interactive, you’ll soon be clicking away like a kid in a candy store. The metro-retro features and layout will immediately inspire and comfort you. No highbrow chefs clucking their tongue at you going on about mise en place.

Instead there’s the feeling of sitting around your kitchen counter with a group of friends, sipping a glass of vino, munching on bruschetta, discussing the best way to make cheesecake, what is the newest tiramisu, should I buy Le Crueset or stainless?

As Bake Space says themselves, “Gathering in the kitchen is a uniquely social tradition that connects people from all walks of life. That’s because the kitchen is where we go when we’re hungry… not just for food, but for friends, family and great conversation.”

A Diva never thought recipe -swapping could be so fun!