good luck deluxe

What girl on God’s green earth doesn’t like chocolate truffles?

These booze-filled chocolates by Ghyslain are right up my belly…
I mean, alley.

Bourbon

Bittersweet ganache infused with small batch bourbon, dipped in milk chocolate and decorated with white chocolate drizzle.

Coconut Rum

White chocolate ganache with Caribbean rum, dipped in white chocolate and rolled in toasted coconut.

Pear William

Bittersweet ganache infused with Pear William brandy, dipped in milk chocolate.

Hazelnut Frangelico

Gianduja ganache infused with Frangelico, dipped in milk chocolate and rolled in toasted hazelnut.

Raspberry Chambord

White chocolate ganache laced with Chambord liqueur and raspberry brandy, dipped in white chocolate.

Passion Fruit Cointreau

Milk chocolate ganache infused with Cointreau and passion fruit puree, dipped in bittersweet chocolate and decorated with milk chocolate drizzle.

If truffles aren’t your thing, just say the word and I’ll relieve you of your duty to inhale them. It’s a tough job, but somebody’s gotta do it!

Hey readers, feast your eyes on the U.K.’s cooking duo Neneh Cherry and Andi Oliver preparing this awesome Sunday lunch!

So what’s on the menu?

Molasses-dipped roast lamb
Callaloo-inspired greens
Roasted lemon Jerusalem artichokes with sage
Halloumi and roasted vegetable stacks (I love Halloumi!)
Hibiscus and raspberry sorbet with a splash of pink champagne and vodka

The only thing they’re missing is me. Yummy!

Part I - “Sunday Lunch”

Part II

Part III

I used to wonder what happened to TV chef Jamie Oliver. But nevermind, ’cause I’ve got Andi Oliver!

As you can see, I really fancy the BBC show, Dish it Up, with Neneh Cherry
(yes, the entertainer) and Andi Oliver.

Anyone who makes sexy food is a friend of mine! Their cooking show is such
delicious fun. LOVE. IT.

I’m crazy about this episode’s late-night Asian tapas party menu:

Crispy duck salad with a plum and hoisin sauce
Mango, prawn and squid ceviche
Cardamom citrus jasmine rice
Hot wasabi avocado salad
Flash-fried greens
Sticky tofu
And of course, tasty margaritas

Part I - “Midnight Margaritas”

Part II

Part III

If you don’t have the BBC network, demand it from your cable provider.

I love these cooking chicas! Their show is a Good Luck Deluxe favorite.

‘’

What a perfect way to start the month of September!

Bissinger’s freshly harvested blackberries from the Pacific Northwest are enveloped in fondant, and are then hand-dipped in rich chocolate. These juicy treasures are exclusive to Bissinger’s and are available during the peak of blackberry season - during the month of September.

Or if you prefer a blackberry puree…

The velvety centers of Bissinger’s rich blackberry cremes are crafted using puree made from the same ripe berries, picked at the peak of their season, featured in their renowned Chocolate-Covered Blackberries, seen above.

The indulgent flavors found in these time-honored assortments are a demonstration of this chocolatier’s celebrated ability to handcraft confections using the freshest fruit ingredients.

Take your pick and click on a pic!

I’m not a big cheese lover, but I do have my favorites…like Queso Oaxaca!

I never thought I could love a Latin cheese more than queso fresco and cotija cheese, but Queso Oaxaca had me at hello.

If you’ve never tasted Queso Oaxaca, also known as quesillo, think of it as a Mexican mozzarella. Hand-stretched into long ribbons of string cheese and rolled up like a ball of yarn, it has a subtle flavor, and a wonderful texture. I like Queso Oaxaca more than Mozzarella - by a landslide.

Queso Oaxaca is gooey and mildly tangy when served warm. It’s almost Brie-like. Delicious!

Very versatile, this cheese is also the base for the classic Mexican dish Queso Fundido, a Central American twist on cheese fondue. It was a silver medal winner at the 2002 American Cheese Society Awards.

If you can’t find Queso Oaxaca in your area, it can be ordered online here.

Savor that flavor, folks!

I don’t know what it is with me and artichokes, but I just can’t get enough of them!
I have a genuine affection for artichokes, and always have.

If you’re inviting me over for dinner and an artichoke is involved, go ahead and pencil my S.O. and I in as CONFIRMED!

So let’s discuss artichoke specifics for a minute…

You should know that Viola Carini grilled artichokes are absolutely divine. These Italian artichoke hearts are roasted to perfection over an open fire all nice and tender.

My favorite way to eat them? Snack on them whole, add them to a salad, or stir them into a cream sauce and toss the sauce with my favorite pasta. They’re even great as a side dish to broiled lamb chops or Kobe beef.

I have a Top 10 list of my all-time favorite foods, and you better believe that not only are shiitake mushrooms on it, but artichokes are two points ahead of them.

If you feel the same way, click here to order these tasty puppies.

Long live the artichoke!

I am so over prosciutto. Really, I am. I am proscuitto-ed OUT.

Maybe The Food Network is to blame, maybe it’s Mario Batali or my spending too much time in Italy. But I just realized today how done with proscuitto I really am.

I know I’m not the only one.

Don’t act like every restaurant you went to in the ’90s didn’t force-feed you prosciutto, too. It was in everything. If a restaurant wanted to seem chic, they’d slip a nib of proscuitto in a dish for good measure.

Even if it was an Asian, non-fusion restaurant, somewhere on the menu you’d see,
“with proscuitto…” Or pine nuts. Or balsamic vinegar. Wait, one more… Parmigiano-Reggiano.

And I am here to tell you, I want you to stop. Stop it with the proscuitto. Please.
Look, we get it: Italy is a country that makes great delicacies. We understand.

Hey, I like sexy food just as much as the next girl. I’m a confessed passionate eater!
But there is such a thing as overkill.

Thus, I just saw my divorce attorney, and he and I have agreed that it’s time for me to start seeing others. So I am. Meet Lomo, my Spanish hunk of meat. There is nothing quite like new love!

Lomo is a dry-cured loin of pork from Spain, meaty and tender with virtually no fat (just how I like my men!).

Cured with salt, garlic, paprika and other spices to accent the delicious jamón (ham) flavor, many people prefer Lomo even over Spain’s Serrano ham.

So say it with me, folks… Not proscuitto. Lomo.

Although mine is taken, click here to get your own.

P.S. That is NOT proscuitto that you’re seeing in the picture above. It’s my new flame.

Who could resist…

…a slightly crunchy outside and a soft, smooth inside… Rich chocolate hazelnut mousse layered over a delectable chocolate cake. This exquisite European masterpiece is then hand-wrapped in an almond sponge cake.

That’s pure creamy hazelnut-almond love right there, boy!

I have the perfect ingredient for making your next Bellini cocktail: iced white peach purée!

Delivered frozen to your door, your order from The Perfect Purée of Napa Valley is ready to swirl into soups and sauces, blend into fabulous cocktails, or spoon over simple desserts for an elegant touch. The only limit is your imagination, folks.

To make an easy Bellini, just drop a nice dollop of this purée in the bottom of your champagne flute. Pour some Prosecco or your favorite bubbly over the purée and
sip yourself silly.

Some of you have inquired as to when you’re going to shake the Magic 8 Ball and get a Friday fish or seafood feature out of me…

Since I am selective as to what I feature on my blog (sometimes ), good things come to those who wait. Today’s your lucky day, because it’s Maine Scallops Day!

If you’ve never had seafood from the state of Maine, you’re only missing the freshest-tasting aquatic delights possibly on the planet. Even when frozen, Maine seafood is fantastic!

These succulent, fresh-frozen Maine scallops are ready for the grill or sauté pan.

Squeeze a fresh lime over them when they’re hot off the grill or seared on the stove, and sprinkle with a pinch of your favorite fresh herbs. Nirvana! And don’t forget to serve these sea gems with a great veggie… A frisée salad or white asparagus marry in perfect harmony with these scallops.

To commence with the ceremony and race to the honeymoon (always the best part!), click here to order!