good luck deluxe

I know some of y’all keep kosher or are of various faiths and associations that consider lobster to be nothing but a big cockroach.

Lobster still has health benefits…and tastes fantastic. Bring it on!

This recipe comes from Weber.com:

Tangerine Lobster Tails

1 cup butter
Juice of 2 tangerines
4 cold water lobster tails, about 6 ounces each

In a small saucepan over very low heat, melt butter. After the butter has melted, skim off all the foam. Add the tangerine juice, whisk, then set aside.

Using poultry shears, split the lobster tails in half by cutting the shell down the middle on both sides, and then, with a sharp knife slice the lobster meat in half.

Place the lobster tails in a large, resealable plastic bag and pour in 1/2 cup of the tangerine butter. Reserve the remaining tangerine butter.

Press the air out of the bag and seal the bag tightly. Turn the bag several times to distribute the tangerine butter, place the bag on a plate, and refrigerate for 10 to 20 minutes, turning the bag once or twice.

Remove the lobster tails from the bag and discard the butter in the bag. Grill over direct Medium heat, meat side down, for 8 to 10 minutes, turning and basting with some of the remaining tangerine butter once halfway through grilling time. Remove from the grill and serve hot with the remaining tangerine butter on the side.

Enjoy!

Washington State is the ideal west coast seasonal escape. The weather is great year-round, with a light chill in the fall and scant snow during the winter months. It is a welcome merge of crisp, sterile air and abundant forests and greenery.

Bellingham, Washington is the focus of this feature; a hospitable town with a plethora of natural attractions and recreation.

I have a dear friend who is a Bellingham native, and I have visited him a couple of times. I am always ecstatic and thoroughly revived during my visits. Bellingham = BLISS. It’s SO relaxing there! It is THE place where you can push your troubles aside and just be.

Bellingham is like the town of Mayberry. It’s so pure! The people in Bellingham are genteel and some of the kindest people in flannels you’d ever want to meet. Really.

When I compare life in L.A. to life in Bellingham, it’s like night and day! Even this urban chica loves the small-town feel of Bellingham, and will always return. Whenever I’m stressed, I literally do an emergency Exodus to Bellingham and return to Los Angeles a new woman every time.

If you’re the outdoorsy type and have never visited Washington State, you are in for a real treat.

Clam-digging along the Pacific Ocean (I actually did this once!), rustic
Bed and Breakfasts, skiing at Mt. Baker, hiking woodsy trails, and tailgate events await folks from all walks of life, from the burned-out business exec to the beach bum and everyone in-between.

Since Bellingham is America’s best-kept secret, please don’t go telling everyone about it and turn it into an overpopulated tourist trap!

I have kept my readers satiated with tales of niceties and such for quite a while, but now it’s time to roll up our sleeves for some good old-fashioned, shameless materialism!

Ebel, the Swiss watchmaker who has been around since 1911 and also the maker of Beluga caviar, has wonderful watch collections that are worth at least a window-shopping.

But be forewarned: Ebel has made it abundantly clear that they do NOT sell their timepieces over the Internet. Ebel states that any of their watches being sold over the Net are either counterfeit or “of a dubious origin.”

So if you’re Jonesing for an Ebel watch, you’ll have to put your tootsies in motion and visit one of the official retailers in their network, which is listed on Ebel’s web site.

The pic you see above is from Ebel’s “Brasilia” Collection for ladies.
Lovely, just beauteous! Made of 18k yellow gold, white mother of pearl, and diamonds, I can’t imagine anyone who would scoff at this gem if you offered it as a gift.

On their site, Ebel features timepieces from their Gems of the Ocean and
Gems of the Night Collections. My favorite from the Gems of the Night Collection is Midnight: “Created for the woman who is ready to emerge as a diva, on the fairytale stroke of midnight.”

Ooh, that’s me, that’s me!

Midnight is certainly a watch worth flashing. Forget understated and subdued. That’s for the birds!

Oh, and MEN - Ebel hasn’t forgotten you. Do check out their web site and see what brilliant luxury pieces they have just waiting for you.

Good Luck Deluxe is dreaming of someday having a groovy web site like Ebel’s, with all the bells and whistles. In time, my friends, in time…

No pun intended!

Speaking of Walkerswood, the well-known Jamaican food products supplier, today is a great day to feature their Escoveitch Red Snapper recipe.

In layman’s terms, “escoveitch” means “pickled.” Escoveitch is much like ceviche in that it is pickled, only escoveitch is pan-fried.

If you’ve never had Escoveitch before, you are really in for a treat when you try it. Escoveitch is SO delicious. Your mouth will sing!

A Jamaican guy friend of mine brought some of his Escoveitch to my house all nonchalantly. When I tasted it, I shrieked, “Did you make this yourself?! Give me the recipe NOW!” His “secret” was Walkerswood’s pickling sauce.

It tastes absolutely gorgeous!

Do try this recipe:

Escoveitch fish

Serves 4

2 lb. whole fresh snapper, scaled gutted and cleaned
1 lime
salt and pepper
1/2 cup flour, for coating
vegetable oil for frying

For Pickle Dressing
1 cho cho (christophene) or cucumber, cut into strips
2 onions, sliced
2 Scotch Bonnet peppers, de-seeded and sliced
180ml/6oz Walkerswood Escoveitch Pickle Sauce

Directions:

Rub fish with lime and rinse. Season well with salt pepper and coat with flour. Heat oil in a frying pan until it smokes slightly, then fry fish on both sides until golden brown. Arrange in a deep bowl.

Meanwhile, place the pickle ingredients in a saucepan, bring to boil and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and pour over fish. Allow to marinate for 10 minutes before serving.

Serve with a green salad, Jamaican rice and peas, fried plantains, and plenty of
Red Stripe Beer.

Enjoy!

I am huge on condiments. Seriously. I don’t do dry, bland food unless I’m sick, which is hardly ever.

In my mind, food is supposed to be tasty, zesty, intriguing, and lively. Then again, this may be a cultural thing. All I know for sure is I need my spice.

Spices and condiments give food that extra oomph, which really amps up the dining experience. I laugh at most “hot” food! I have developed a fierce palate that can endure ridiculous amounts of insane heat. Your standard Tabasco sauce just doesn’t do it for me.

Thus began my online quest for awesome condiment dealers…my drugs of choice.

Penzeys Spices is a great company that has been around for a while. They have a lovely little catalog (complete with yummy recipes) that will have you salivating just like
Pavlov’s dog.

About the only spice mix I haven’t seen on the Penzeys site is Jamaican curry powder. But that’s what Walkerswood is for!

Walkerswood is THE Jamaican standard for authentic jerk seasonings, jerk marinades, coconut rundown sauce, escoveitch sauce, curry powder, etc. Walkerswood has a sterling reputation.

Hot Sauce Blog is a fun, informative site on the world of fiery hot sauces. The site’s creator, Nick Lindauer, says, “If it’s Not Here, it’s Not Hot Enough!” Nick knows hot! There are pics of Nick on his site clearly illustrating his gutsy pepper endurance. He’s a brave soul!

Hot Sauce World is where I go to order my specialty condiments. They carry EVERYTHING. You want BBQ sauces, salsas, mustards, spice rubs?
Hot Sauce World has it.

Garlic Valley Farms has an interesting product: bottled garlic juice. Yes, juice. Their theory is the flavor is not in the pulp of the garlic clove; it’s in the liquid. They have gotten great reviews all over the Internet. They even feature a roasted garlic juice product. Garlic Valley Farms has an incredible, yet simple recipe for garlic bread on their site.

If you’re craving Cajun and Creole food but don’t have access to it in your neck of the woods, Tony Chachere’s has some nice basic spice mixes and such.

Cajun Grocer is a pretty comprehensive site that carries a bit of everything Cajun, including sauces.

Do check out my Blogroll and links in the sidebar on your right, as I keep it updated regularly with interesting finds.

You never know what you might be missing!

I love to unearth remedies for common problems. Living in California is no picnic when it’s hot as the devil outside and people get all ripe and funky…especially men. It’s even worse for those of you who live in humid climates, right?

Keep in mind that when I use the word “deodorant,” I am referring to anti-perspirant/deodorant products.

So before we commence with spring and summer, I thought now is a good time for me to do a little research on the best deodorant for men.

While au naturel deodorants like Tom’s of Maine might be trendy and environmentally-conscious, I have not found Tom’s of Maine to be nasally-conscious. The same goes for that crazy crystal deodorant. Do you agree?

Hands-down, the best, most effective deodorant for men is Certain Dri. I have read nothing but praise about it on the Internet and in magazines, and several men I have known personally use it and are loyal to it.

Hey, you gotta love a product that gets 4.5 stars out of 5 on Amazon by its reviewers!

Certain Dri is a prescription-strength anti-perspirant that you apply only at bedime. It’s extremely long-lasting (up to 84 hours!) and effective.

Be honest: Are you in need of a better deodorant?

Then do yourself and all of us a favor and click this pic to order yourself some
Certain Dri:

How many of you have had or love corn fritters? I was wild about them as a kid and haven’t had them in years.

A corn fritter is essentially a pancake with the addition of corn. Fritters are very popular in the South, but I’ve had them everywhere. Drizzle your favorite syrup on them and you have a winner!

Here is the recipe that I always use, from Healtheries.co.nz. It’s a healthy version. By the way, a kumara is a type of sweet potato. Just use whatever sweet potato you prefer.

Kumara and Corn Fritters

1 1/2 cups Healtheries Ground Rice Flour
1 1/2 cups plain flour*
2 teaspoons baking powder*
1 teaspoon salt
1 kumara, peeled, cooked and cubed (approx. 2 cups)
410g can whole kernel corn, drained
2 eggs, separated
1 1/2 - 2 cups milk
1 tablespoon butter, melted

Sift the dry ingredients into a bowl. Stir in the kumara and corn. Beat the egg yolks with 1 cup of the milk and the melted butter. Add this to the dry ingredients and enough of the remaining milk to make a wet mixture. Do not overmix. Beat the egg whites until stiff. Gently fold in the egg whites. Heat a frying pan, add a little melted butter or oil and drop tablespoons of mixture into the pan. Cook on a medium to low heat turning when golden brown. Serve with maple syrup or your favorite chutney.

Variation: Substitute coconut milk for all or part of the milk.

To prepare as a wheat and gluten free meal, substitute the plain flour and salt for 1 1/2 cups Healtheries Simple Bread Mix.

Note: Concerned about sugar and carbs, or are you or someone you know diabetic? You’ve got to try Insulow. Click here to read my review of this awesome carb and sugar-reducing product that WORKS. Insulow is how I can eat all of these delicious sweets without guilt. I have taken Insulow for years and love it!

I haven’t been to a Legal Sea Foods restaurant in a couple of years. But man, do they have good food!

From crab cakes, to their soups and chowders, to their grilled fish and even mussels - EVERYTHING AT LEGAL SEA FOODS IS GOOD.

Everything I have ever eaten at Legal’s has been impeccably fresh and perfectly prepared. Service has always been very prompt and courteous at
Legal Sea Foods, and I have only had positive experiences at this establishment. I have eaten at numerous of their locations, and I have yet to be disappointed.

From their appetizers even to their entrees, Legal Sea Foods is the way to go if you want fish and seafood. Their stringent policy for serving only the best fish and seafood is rare in the food industry, and I really appreciate this. Here is their policy:

Legal’s Commitment to Service

“When George Berkowitz first got into the hospitality business, he gave his servers a simple instruction: “Treat my guests as if they were dining at your own home table.”

That advice has worn well over the years, and gracefully evolved into a sophisticated, upscale style of service. Our staff receives hours of specialized training. The curriculum covers proper food-handling techniques, menu information, wine education, table etiquette, and even personal ethics. Every employee takes the requisite classes to fulfill each job function at the highest performance level. We think guests appreciate the effort.

Since we specialize in seafood, we’re already serving the healthiest of all proteins. And Legal’s stringent quality control program makes certain we offer only the very best fish. Our conservationist mindset keeps us away from overexploited species, and we insist on the least invasive harvesting practices from our seafood suppliers. For example, we prefer product from dayboat operators – fishermen who go to sea for just a single sweep before bringing their catch to shore. This is costly, but we think it’s worth it to obtain fish that supremely fresh.”

It’s true! It’s true! Their commitment to excellence is what sets them apart from other seafood restaurants. They are in a league of their own. The only way you can get fresher fish than at Legal Sea Foods is if you go fishing and catch it yourself.

I was absolutely thrilled when I learned that Legal Sea Foods now provides
home delivery of their quality sustenance.

Legal Sea Foods even delivers their incredible sauces (vodka sauce, roasted red pepper sauce, etc.) and heavenly desserts, including their Boston Cream Pie.

My new year has started off right!

I am a Jill of all trades when it comes to writing. If you want me to write something —
I can write it. Film reviews are included in this sentiment.

Here you will find a link to my film review of Smokin’ Aces, featuring Alicia Keys, Common, Ben Affleck, and Jeremy Piven. I attended the private screening and did the press junket for this film.

Go see this film, but be forewarned…it is not for those with queasy stomachs or those who have little tolerance for gore.

For the folks who are curious and may wonder, YES - Alicia Keys is absolutely beautiful in person. She looks like a ballerina. Alicia is extremely poised and has a pleasant aura.

Common is also quite handsome. He is quick-witted and has a humble demeanor. I was equally impressed with Jeremy Piven’s acting in this movie, and found his humor “in person” to be right on time.

So do go see the film, but with the caveat of only if you can handle raw. If you have been craving intensity, Hollywood really gives it to you with Smokin’ Aces.