Swedish braided bread

Picked up some more cardamom today. I really like the smell in my house. Intoxicating.

I tried a recipe for Swedish braided bread from the website: http://www.thisweekfordinner.com/ and it's yummy, yummy, yummy. Definitely am trying to perfect it.

Yesterday I made some to give away and it looked like a skinny pregnant woman 9 months along. Guess I still need to work on the braid before Martha, Chris and Ina call me to appear on their shows. Will get cracking.

teamhoyt.com

Want to be inspired? Go to this website and watch the video about this father and son who compete in marathons and triathalons around the world.

This father runs for his son (and with his son) who is disabled. He started years ago after his son told him that when they run together, he no longer feels the limits of his body.

Prepare to cry. It's moving and kudos to them for being such an inspiration. Simply incredible.

Kal bi ribs

Ooohhh, this is definitely one recipe I will try and perfect this year. Having grown up in Hawaii, we ate many versions of this delectable dish. If you haven't tried it, you must. Koreans definitely know what they're doing with this one. Feeling adventurous? Try this, sticky rice with a side of kim chee.

I just found this web site: http://www.sweetsavorylife.com/ where Alice posts these as one of her top 10 recipes of 2009.

Will definitely review this year.

Update: I asked Alice a question about one of her recipes--and she quickly emailed me back with an answer. Thanks! Nice site, nice author. Best of luck to her and check out her site!

Dearest Ina

Ms. Garten,

I heard you won't let Jennifer Garner be on your show because you only use "real friends." As much as I think Jennifer Garner seems like a real down-to-earth person I could be friends with, you must have your own good reasons you don't allow adoring fans to be on your show.

So I came up with a solution: you and I should be friends before I become famous.

Sincerely,

An adoring friend-to-be.

PS Let's cook at your place for starters. Mine quite isn't up to par, yet.

Cardamom

Just picked up this spice for the first time this weekend. I tossed the grocery bags in my trunk--and when I got home, I opened the trunk and the smell of the cardamom filled the whole space. When inside, I tossed the little bag of cardamom on to the counter as I was going use it in a new recipe the next morning. Walking out of my bedroom the next morning, the smell of the spice lingered in the hall and the kitchen. What power! It smelled so good, I couldn't wait to try it.

It had to be good: Bulle: heard of it? It's a swedish braided bread. Found it on a food blog and thought about it all weekend. Finally tried it and the cardamom completes the bread. It's a mildly sweet bread with a warm flavor.

I picked cardamom as a big part in my blog because I like to think it describes what I strive to be: subtle but plays an important role, nostalgic, sweet and warm.

Here goes, new adventure!!

Completely obsessed with food/food blogging/food experiementing, this blog will post recipes that I experiment with.

Thanks to America's test kitchen, excellent food bloggers and food photographers/editors for feeding my addiction and obsession.