French Cuisine

French cuisine (the style of cooking derived from the nation of France), evolved from centuries of social and political change. The French cuisine is extremely diverse, with only the Chinese having similar variety in their food. This variety is supported by the French passion for good food in all its forms, France's extraordinary range of different geographies and climates which support the local production of all types of ingredients, and France's long and varied history. In many ways, an understanding of the culture of French food is an understanding of France itself.

French cuisine was codified in the 20th century by Georges Auguste Escoffier to become the modern version of haute cuisine. Escoffier's major work, however, left out much of the regional character to be found in the provinces of France. Gastro-tourism and the Guide Michelin helped to bring people to the countryside during the 20th century and beyond, to sample this rich bourgeois and peasant cuisine of France. Gascon cuisine has also been a great influence over the cuisine in the southwest of France.

Meals range from the very basic, such as the traditional baguette plus cheese plus inexpensive wine, to very elaborate affairs than can involve a dozen courses and different wines consumed over several hours. Obviously, the latter type of dining is exceptional for most people. However, it is this more sophisticated dining which is typically found in "French restaurants" outside France, giving many foreigners the mistaken impression that French food is heavy and complicated. In fact, much of the French cuisine is fairly simple, relying on high quality fresh ingredients and loving preparation rather than complex recipes.

Finding your next car…

If you are looking to buy used cars, nowadays you have at your disposal, on the internet, massive databases of cars from private individuals and dealerships. Even your interest is in popular executive brands like BMW, Mercedes, Saab, Lexus and Jaguar, or you love the European brands such as Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Citroen, Peugeot, Renault, Seat, Skoda and Volvo, or you are after the Japanese reliability wanting brands like Honda, Mazda, Nissan and Toyota, I think that the cheapest used cars can be found on internet.

One of the sites found these days when I was looking for a second hand Ford Fiesta, is BuyYourCar.co.uk. What I liked about this site? The search option, designed for personalizing a search to specific criteria ensuring that you only get the most relevant results. This means you don't have to wade through hundreds and hundreds of irrelevant adverts, which you don’t want to see. Also, the contact with the seller of the wanted vehicle can be made directly through the site.

Greek salad

Greek salad (or horiatiki) is a common component of a traditional Greek meal being, at the same time, one of the most popular salads (especially during the summer months) in Greece and Cyprus. It is light, refreshing, and easy to make.

The Greek salad is essentially a tomato salad made of sliced or chopped tomatoes with a few slices of cucumber, red onion, feta cheese, and kalamata olives, seasoned with salt, black pepper, oregano, basil and dressed with olive oil.

The Color of Scent

Yesterday evening I found myself walking on empty streets and searching for a nice place to seat over a pot of coffee. And there it was! Just around the corner…

Since at that time no free tables were available, I tried my fortune asking a single and beautiful young lady captured by her laptop in a continuous effort to find online perfumes using a notorious search engine, if I can sit next to her. Without waiting for the answer, I added:
- Search for Light Blue from D&G. It matches your eyes. Casual and breezy, with a sparkling fruity-floral scent evokes the spirit of the Sicilian summer. Also, the notes of lime and cedar bring about an image of the woods on the seashore, making it the perfect blend for a hot summer day.
- Probably…
- Or, you can try Red Door from Elizabeth Arden.
- …
- Because it is classic and elegant, being also a mélange of rich, rare orchids and roses that creates a spicy, sweet and sensual aroma.

In the meantime, observing an empty place on the other side of the room I grabbed my stuff leaving her alone as she was. From my table, barely making out to her laptop I saw her typing: www.scent.net and after that searching for Light Blue… Blue as her eyes!

The Ultimate Ray Charles Collection

Genius: The Ultimate Ray Charles Collection features all original hit recordings and performances, digitally remastered from the original tapes. Housed in a handsome embossed digipack and presented with a 24 page collectors' book of rare photos and extensive notes by celebrated music journalist Don Heckman, this collection brings together Ray Charles' most memorable music from his classic era. A must for music fans of all ages.

The set, released on April 7, 2009, includes four tracks from Charles' time on Atlantic, reaching back as early as 1955 for "I've Got a Woman." The bulk of the set is drawn from 1960 through 1967, starting with Charles' first pop chart topper, 1960's "Georgia on My Mind" and winding along to 1967's "Here We Go Again" and "Yesterday". The disc closes with Charles' last single for ABC, 1976's "America the Beautiful." Throughout the twenty-one selections you can hear Charles' develop his seminal brand of soul from roots in gospel, blues, R&B, and jazz.

Pursuit of Honor: A Novel

Vince Flynn is the number one New York Times bestselling authors of nine previous thrillers, including Consent to Kill, Act of Treason, and Protect and Defend.

The action of the book Pursuit of Honor: A Novel, published in October 13, 2009, begins six days after a series of explosions devastated Washington, targeting the National Counterterrorism Center and killing 185 people, including public officials and CIA employees. It was a bizarre act of extreme violence that called for extreme measures on the part of elite counterterrorism operative Mitch Rapp and his trusted team member, Mike Nash. Now that the initial shock of the catastrophe is over, key Washington officials are up in arms over whether to make friends or foes of the agents who stepped between the enemy's bullets and countless American lives regardless of the legal consequences. Not for the first time, Rapp finds himself in the frustrating position of having to illustrate the realities of national security to politicians whose view from the sidelines is inevitably obstructed.

Meanwhile, three of the al Qaeda terrorists are still at large, and Rapp has been unofficially ordered to find them by any means necessary. No one knows the personal, physical, and emotional sacrifices required of the job better than Rapp. When he sees Nash cracking under the pressure of the mission and the memories of the horrors he witnessed during the terrorist attack, he makes a call he hopes will save his friend, and get him one step closer to the enemy before it's too late. Once again, Rapp proves himself to be a hero unafraid "to walk the fine line between the moral high ground and violence" (The Salt Lake Tribune) for the country's safety, for the sake of freedom, for the pursuit of honor.

London’s largest shopping centre: Westfield London

Westfield London is a shopping centre in Shepherd's Bush in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. The centre is noted for its size: with a retail floor area of 150,000m², the equivalent of about 30 football pitches. It is said to be London’s largest shopping centre, the fourth largest shopping centre in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban area indoor shopping centre in Europe. The nearest London Underground stations are Wood Lane, White City, Shepherd's Bush and Shepherd's Bush Market. The nearest London Overground station is Shepherd's Bush This station is also served by longer distance Southern services (to Milton Keynes and Croydon) .

The centre opened to the public on 30 October 2008 and features around 255 stores, including All Saints, Apple, Bershka, Boots, Bose, Build-A-Bear Workshop, Coast, Debenhams, Dorothy Perkins, Dwell, French Connection, Geox, Gerry Weber, Habitat, Hackett, HMV, Hollister Co., House of Fraser, Jaeger, Kurt Geiger, Mamas & Papas, Mango, Marks & Spencer, Mulberry, Next, Nomination, Reiss, River Island, Topshop, Uniqlo, Waitrose and Zara.
Seventeen restaurants run the length of Southern Terrace, the pedestrian dining street, and open cooking brings drama on The Balcony where fresh food from 13 counters is prepared fast and to order. A stunning central Atrium, unique in London, hosts a full calendar of arts and educational events beneath a spectacular glass roof. A 14-screen state-of-the-art cinema will open in early 2010, and a new library will serve the local community.

The island of Hydra

Hydra Island is a Greek island with an area of 52 sq. km., being 35 nautical miles far from the port of Piraeus in Athens. The island was first discovered in the fifties and sixties by a group of artists (such as Leonard Cohen or Axel Jensen), attracted by its authentic and magical beauty. The charm of Hydra is increased by the fact that the whole island is forbidden to any kind of motorized vehicle and only donkeys can serve as a mean of transportation.

The island of Hydra is not only famous for its beauties and attractions. It has played a historical role during the Greek Revolution. Indeed, during the 19th century, Hydra emerged as a formidable maritime power which put its ships in service of the Revolution. The famous revolutionary, Andreas Miaoulis, was one of the Greek heroes and is still honored on Hydra, where an annual festival is held for him.

The name of Hydra is owed to the rich waters, which sprang out from the quarries which existed in the antiquity. From very early, Hydra was used as a nautical station, and as a result, it starred in the sea commerce and communications. The town itself represents a big sample of a traditional inheritance. Simple houses or country seats differentiate from a quaint architecture which is not met in other Greek regions.

It will be worth it for anyone to visit the mansions of the island, look far away the port from the hill, admire the sunset from the "lodge" and the cave and visit the 6 monasteries and the 300 churches. Last but not least the Historical File-Museum, which operates daily and shows important museum jewels and archival items. On Hydra Island you can enjoy romantic walk in the narrows, graphical, paved alleys. Generally, Hydra is famous for the calm life is offers to the visitors in the day, but also for the intense, cosmopolitan life, in the night.

Classic Sinatra II

During his lifetime, Frank Sinatra won 10 Grammy Awards, appeared in 58 films and won three Academy Awards, including an honorary Oscar for The House I Live In. He performed thousands of tour dates around the world, starred in his own television show and numerous specials, earning Emmys and a Peabody Award. Sinatra was saluted by The Kennedy Center Honors (1983) as a cultural icon and was awarded the Presidential Medal Of Honor (1985) and the Congressional Gold Medal (1995), Congress' highest civilian award.

Born Francis Albert Sinatra on December 12, 1915, Frank Sinatra was a titan of 20th Century entertainment, with record-breaking successes in both music and film. With a legendary career spanning more than six decades, Sinatra was truly "The Entertainer of the 20th Century." Also known as "Ol' Blue Eyes," "The Chairman of the Board" and "The Voice," Sinatra has sold more than more than 150 million albums around the world, and racked up 31 gold and nine platinum albums (including three that went multi-platinum), one gold single, and two gold and platinum videos in the United States alone. He is the only artist to chart in Billboard's Top Ten for seven consecutive decades.

The present collection release in June 2009 under the name Classic Sinatra II, features 21 tracks, including 15 from the legendary concept albums Sinatra recorded for Capitol between 1954 and 1961, various singles and a previously unreleased recording. Classic Sinatra II showcases a selection of Sinatras' most loved recordings including "Moonlight In Vermont," "Pennies From Heaven," "Something's Gotta Give," and "All Of Me." In addition, the set feature four 1950s singles: "Love And Marriage," "(Love Is) The Tender Trap," "Learnin' The Blues," and "High Hopes." Plus a 1956 recording of "Memories Of You" and a previously unreleased recording, "This Can't Be Love".

Food and drink affiliate programs

On the food and drink side, affiliates have the possibility to promote related products that can be purchased online. In this category, it can be found products that can be ordered and delivered, as well as recipe books and restaurant guides. For bloggers writing about food and looking to get paid, this is the most direct route: to include food related ads on their blog and after that the interested readers will convert into customers. Presented below, you will find the most popular programs related to the food and drink category.

The DineWise Affiliate Program – this is one of the best affiliate programs if the website you administrate targets interested people in preparing restaurant quality foods quickly and easily at home. The high average order amount makes this a program that generates substantial commissions. For every sale, the advertiser will get a 10% commission and the frequency of payments proposed by this program is weekly using PayPal.

Absinthe.bz – a site specialized in selling liqueurs, which is a great way to make money on the internet due to their scarcity in liquor stores. By taking advantage of this program, you can earn up to 20% commission on every sale. Coupled with the fact that Absinthe.bz has a good order value, this affiliate program may be the way to add extra value to your website. The frequency of payments is weekly and the transfer method used is PayPal.

Chocolate.com - represents a large online marketplace for gourmet, artisan chocolate. The site brings together the chocolate chef and the gift buyer to form a unique marketplace. Chocolate is popular all year long and with this affiliate program you have a chance to get a piece of the action. Affiliates can earn up to 25% commission on sales (average order size being equal with USD 50). The frequency of payments is monthly and the transfer method used is PayPal.

Overlooking Barcelona from Tibidabo

Tibidabo is a mountain overlooking Barcelona, Spain from 512 meters, being the tallest mountain in the Serra de Collserola. Rising sharply to the north-west, it affords spectacular views over the city and the surrounding coastline. There is an amusement park, a telecommunications tower and a Catholic church.

It is also a place very easy to get to: first you will take the blue tram and then the funicular for the rest of the way, up to the top. The funicular railway, built in 1901, was the first of its kind in Spain. Once you will get there, you will find the amusement park (ideal for children) and the Sagrat Cor (a church modeled on the Sacre-Couer from Paris). On the top of the church is huge statue of Christ overlooking Barcelona. Other attraction can be the Torre de Collserola, which is a huge telecommunications tower built for the 1992 Olympics.

Tibidabo can be reached also by bus or by car. The best time to visit it is on a clear day, in the late afternoon when the place is not so crowdie and the views much better. The sunsets are unforgettable, if you plan to stay there a little longer.

Have a Little Faith: A True Story

Mitch Albom is an author, playwright, journalist and screenwriter who has written six books, including the international bestseller Tuesdays with Morrie. His first two novels (The Five People You Meet in Heaven and For One More Day), were instant number one New York Times bestsellers. All three books mentioned above were made into acclaimed TV films.

In Have a Little Faith, Mitch Albom offers a beautifully written story of a remarkable eight year journey between two worlds, journey that will inspire readers everywhere. The book (published in September 29, 2009) begins with an unusual request: an eighty-two-year-old rabbi from author's old hometown asks him to deliver his eulogy. Feeling unworthy, Albom insists on understanding the man better, which throws him back into a world of faith he'd left years ago. Meanwhile, closer to his current home, Albom becomes involved with a Detroit pastor who preaches to the poor and homeless in a decaying church with a hole in its roof.

Moving between their worlds, Christian and Jewish, African-American and white, impoverished and well-to-do, the author observes how these very different men employ faith similarly in fighting for survival: the older, suburban rabbi embracing it as death approaches; the younger, inner-city pastor relying on it to keep himself and his church afloat. Have a Little Faith is a book about a life's purpose, about losing belief and finding it again, about the divine spark inside us all. It is one man's journey, but it is everyone's story.

Stuffed Mushrooms

My favorite way to prepare the mushrooms is to stuff them with cheese, olives, capers or anchovies. In order to cook this recipe, you will need: 6 or 8 mushrooms, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 2 tablespoons of minced onion, 3 garlic cloves, 1 red hot chili pepper, 3 tomatoes, 1 cup of ricotta cheese, salt and pepper and olive oil for brushing.

First, remove the stems of the mushrooms and chop them finely. In a heavy frying pan heat the olive oil and then add the mushrooms and onion to be cooked until softened. Add the garlic and the chili pepper. Then cook another minute or two. Allow the mixture to cool and then add the tomatoes and ricotta cheese. Season it with salt and pepper.

Lightly oil a baking sheet and place mushroom caps side up. Brush the caps lightly with olive oil and then stuff the filling in. Sprinkle with some grated cheese and then bake for about 25 minutes (or until the tops of the mushrooms are lightly browned). To be served immediately!

The Templar Legacy: A Novel

Steve Berry, the author of the book, is the New York Times bestselling author of The Charlemagne Pursuit, The Venetian Betrayal, The Alexandria Link, The Third Secret or The Amber Room. His books have been translated into 37 languages and sold in 50 different countries.

The Templar Legacy, published in February 2006, is a thriller which tries to follow in the steps of The Da Vinci Code. The action of the book features rival groups of the Knights Templar searching for a lost treasure and a lost secret of the order. They unwittingly involve "Cotton" Malone, a former Justice Department agent, now an antiquarian book dealer in Copenhagen. When an unexpected call to action reawakens his hair-trigger instincts, he plunges back into the world he thought he had left behind.

The book begins with a violent robbery attempt on Cotton’s former supervisor, Stephanie Nelle, who’s far from home on a mission that has nothing to do with national security. Armed with vital clues to a series of centuries old puzzles scattered across Europe, she means to crack a mystery that has tantalized scholars and fortune hunters through the ages by finding the legendary cache of wealth and forbidden knowledge thought to have been lost forever when the order of the Knights Templar was exterminated in the fourteenth century. But she’s not alone. Competing for the historic prize and desperate for the crucial information Stephanie possesses is Raymond de Roquefort, a shadowy zealot with an army of assassins at his command. Welcome or not, Cotton seeks to even the odds in the perilous race. But the more he learns about the ancient conspiracy surrounding the Knights Templar, the more he realizes that even more than lives are at stake. At the end of a lethal game of conquest, rife with intrigue, treachery, and craven lust for power, lies a shattering discovery that could rock the civilized world and, in the wrong hands, bring it to its knees.
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