One tequila, two tequila, three tequila, floor!

Bienvenidos mi gente. It is National Margarita Day on Friday, February 22nd!

For those of us who are lovers of the agave gift of tequila, everyday is a fiesta and today is saucy as usual. But for those with gluttonous tendencies and more restraint today is a good reason to indulge in a little slippy-sippy during the work week.

A great local place with a delicious food, a nice tequila arsenal with a  balanced approach to margarita mixing is Tortilla Republic located in West Hollywood, CA. Or if your lucky enough to be in Hawaii check out the location in Poipu, Kauai. For all of the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills fans, this restaurant is located next to Lisa Vanderpump's Sur Restaurant and Bar...and yes Ken and Lisa are seen their often.

For those staying at home my personal margarita recipe (warning: strictly for grown folks only) is a double (or triple if your feeling it) shot of tequila, juice of half a lime and a splash of liqueur (St. Germain or Grand Marnier).

Also on deck for today's celebration if you are looking for something a little different a friend of mine produces a naturally pink tequila branded under the name Luna Rosa. It is as strong as the pink is pretty.

¡Arriba, abajo, al centro, pa' dentro! ¡Salud!

Tea for me. Tea for you. A tea you must do!

After surviving yet another nightmare experience with the world's most miserable postal worker at my local post office, I was in need of something soothing and thirst quenching. I opted to patronize the coffee shop directly next door. It was cold so I wanted something hot. I was going to go for my usual green, black, mate or rooibos tea and then I saw it. It was displayed without the reverence it deserves. It was tropical. It was delicious and so so so so so soooooo smooth. Another bonus is that it satisfied my craving for a candybar without the calorie and sugar overload. My friends allow me to introduce you to The Art of Tea's White Coconut Creme Tea. This tea is just as beautiful as it tastes. The coconut taste is very subtle so don't let the flavor profile scare you away. 

The Art of Tea is a Los Angeles based tea importer and wholesaler. They specialize in hand blended and custom crafted teas. Their teas are composed of personally selected organic teas and botanicals. The founder of the company is a Master Tea Blender who studied preventative medicine at the Ayurvedic Institute in New Mexico. Some other tea flavors from the Art of Tea that I am dying to try out include Apple Pie, Coconut Cacao Puerh, Coconut Lime Verbena, Butterscotch, Pumpkin Pie and Chocolate Monkey.

Seasons Eatings

The holidays are amongst us. It's time to wine, dine and embrace these indulgent times. So break out the old wallet, think hard, dig deep and spread some holiday cheer with every gift you give. Here are a few ideas for the foodies who have been nice.

Hurom Slow Juicer (Extracts juice from fruit, veggies, greens, beans and nuts)

New York Times The Essential Cookbook

Levain Bakery Cookies

Murray's Cheese Gifts

Southern Candymakers (Pralines and Tortues)

eCreamery (Customized Ice Cream)

Growums (Grow-and-Eat Gardens for Kids)

Luxe Food Gift: La Madeline au Truffe ("The Most Expensive Chocolate in the World")

Fast Food Secrets of the V.I.P. Kind

We have all heard of the velvet rope, guest lists and V.I.P. sections at clubs. Well fast-food restaurants have their own esoteric elements that they serve up to those who are in-the-know courtesy of "Secret Menus".  I think most of us are privy to In-N-Out's secret menu which includes gut-busting options like animal style (a burger of your choice with a mustard cooked beef patty, pickle, extra spread and grilled onions) and the flying dutchman (two beef patties with two slices of American cheese sandwiched between them...no bun, no lettuce and no tomato). Turns out several other fast-food and quick service chains have secret menus too. Tap into your inner cake eating fat child and check them out here.

Grandmas Arms Just Stretched A Little Further

Tap into your inner grandmother or perhaps her cookbooks and spread the foodie love at a Beyond Bubbie event or by contributing a recipe to the Beyond Bubbie online interactive community cookbook. Bubbie is the Yiddish word for grandmother. For may people the word grandmother evokes an image that takes us back to a warm cozy place filled with good food. The Beyond Bubbie Project was born out of a collaboration with Reboot a Jewish cultural identity initiative. Based on dialogue about the undeniable link between memories, food and Jewish grandmothers, they recognized that this is a phenomenon that exists in all cultures. In an effort to promote this commonality they set up a platform where people from all walks of life can share their identity and memories through their grandmother's (real or imagined) recipes. They have truly embraced the concept that, "you are what you eat"...I couldn't resist.

Check out the details on the latest Beyond Bubbie event below. Speakers include notable culinary dignitaries like Pulitzer Prize winning LA Times food critic Jonathan Gold and Chef Susan Feniger. You can get tickets here.

For the Love of Food: Declarations of Culinary Appreciation

In honor of Valentine's Day I am sharing a few quotes from people who like us share a deep love for all things food. Wishing you love, lust and gluttony. Happy Valentine's Day.

“One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.”
- Virginia Woolf

“Sex is good, but not as good as fresh, sweet corn.”
- Garrison Keillor

“Eggs Benedict is genius. It’s eggs covered in eggs. I mean, come on, that person should be the president.”
- Wylie Dufresne

“Food has replaced sex in my life, now I can't even get into my own pants.”
- Unknown

“Desserts are like mistresses. They are bad for you. So if you are having one,
you might as well have two.”
- Chef Alain Ducasse

“I cook with wine, sometimes I even add it to the food.”
- W.C. Fields

“One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating.”
- Luciano Pavarotti

"Forget love. I'd rather fall in chocolate."
- Unknown

Food + Love = Solution for Valentine's Day

Everyday is an opportunity to show the people we care about that we love them. Valentine's Day is a day on which we are held accountable with doing so. If you have been dragging your feet or are feeling overwhelmed or are single but looking to indulge yourself here are a few options that caught my eye.

Susie Cakes: SusieGrams

For an alternative but still sweet twist on candygrams Susie Cakes is offering "SusieGrams". You can select anything from a single cupcake on up to an assortment of their confections (cakes, cupcakes, cookies, sweetie pies, pies or whoopie pies) and Susie Cakes will have it delivered on February 14th. They'll include a personalized note with your "sweet" purchase. The starting delivery fee is $25. With locations in Southern and Northern California, spreading the love is just a little bit easier...in a good way. FYI, my pie baking class here was well-orchestrated, fun and delicious (lip smackin').

Recchiuti Confections: Not just a box of chocolates but rather th"ee" box of chocolates...and then some.

San Francisco's Ferry Building houses one of the United States' finest chocolate destinations. At the helm are lead confectioner Michael Recchiuti and his wife Jacky who founded Rechchiuti Confections in 1997. This Parisian inspired shop fuses classic French technique with "signature distinctive flavors such as fresh lavender, lemon verbena or tarragon" to make their handmade artisanal chocolate collection. They also carry gourmet chocolate bars, caramels, truffles, dessert sauces, pates de fruits, handmade marshmallows, nut dragée and brownies. A unique option is one of the boxed chocolate collections that you can pair with whiskey, beer and red wine (Gasp...eyes bustin'). Chocoholics can indulge by enrolling in their "Obsession Club" which affords members monthly complimentary shipments of confections for either 3, 6 or 12 months. Whether you purchase one of their $25 or $605 options, when your decadent gift arrives your loved one will feel like a million bucks.

Six Taste: "INDULGENCE" Valentine's Food Tour

Six Taste is a Los Angeles based tour company that specializes in epicurean tours. Their "INDULGENCE" Valentine's Food Tour takes place on February 11, 12, 18 and 19 for $125/person. The pricing includes wine, food and delectibles from each location. This tour will lead you through Beverly Hills for kitchen tours and/or tastings at "Scarpetta, Bar Bouchon, The Cheese Store of Beverly Hills, Madame Chocolat, Montage Beverly Hills Lobby Lounge, Coupa Cafe, and Erbe Matte" (destinations vary depending on the date). This tour is for adults 21 and over. Gift certificates for this tour are available on the Six Taste website.