HOW2 - What to do with old corks (Whole Foods)

'Cork Crafts' - Have you been saving wine corks in hopes of doing something fun with them? Repurposing ideas for corks are everywhere: here's how you can get in on that. This cork trivet will be the envy of your friends and takes just a few minutes, a screwdriver and less than two bucks!

FYI The Ultimate Guide to Starbucks' Secret Menu

A Zebra Mocha? A Grande Green Eye? A Captain Crunch Frappuccino? Say what? They may sound like a far cry from the standard drip cup or your simple Mocha Frappe, but these drinks are not Starbucks folklore. And really, considering that the coffee giant has in years past boasted offering some 87,000 different drink combinations, that such "secret" items exist should not be too surprising.

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COOKBOOK / ‘The Cuban Kitchen’ In more than 500 recipes, Raquel Rabade Roque presents ‘the basics plus the bells and whistles’ of ‘Cocina Cubana’

Raquel Rabade Roque

The Cuban Kitchen (Knopf, $20) is a cookbook that, despite its formidable size (432 pages, more than 500 recipes), is accessible and homey, written in a breezy, familial style.

As (author) Roque puts it: “You’re not afraid to get a stain on it.”

Part food memoir, part manual (there’s an explanation of how to clean pig’s feet), it blends the culinary traditions of 1950s Cuba with updated versions of favorite recipes from restaurants and from exiles who have settled abroad.

>>> for more info and some free recipes via the Miami Herald 

NEW / Energy Kitchen, a new chain of fast-food restaurants, boasts a menu with all items 500 calories or less.

SCENE The first Energy Kitchen outside Greater New York City opened on Friday in Pinecrest’s Sunniland Shopping Center....Fort Lauderdale gets it's first one in November on Federal Highway at Broward Boulevard,
MENU Breakfast - a Bison & Egg-White Omelet at $4.99 and 305 calories; a Whole-Grain Banana Muffin for $1.99 and 238 calories, and an Acai Berry Smoothie for $5.99 and 239 calories. Lunch/dinner menus - Ostrich Burger at $6.99 and 275 calories, a Sirloin Burger at $7.49 and 465 calories; a Grilled Salmon entrée for $13.99 and 272 calories

>>> read more from Fred Tasker FTASKER@MIAMIHERALD.COM

ME / South Florida's 10-Year-Old Chef

Chazz Darby knows his way around the kitchen, especially when it comes to healthy eating. The 10-year-old even has a cookbook.

THE BEST / White Castle Beats Out the Big Three Hamburger Chains in a National Survey

According to the rankings, customers craved the taste of White Castle’s Original Sliders more than Wendy’s, Burger King and McDonald’s hamburgers. Customers also chose White Castle’s menu as a better value over those same fast-food restaurants.
Overall scores in the Consumer Reports survey were based on food quality, value, staff and speed of service. White Castle scored a 78, putting it in the “very well satisfied” category.

- read the entire article
- White Castle Wednesdays In Ft Lauderdale
- No White Castle's In Florida. Here's the next best thing. 

LOL / Fast Food Folk Song (at the Taco Bell Drive-Thru)

CHEF PROFILE / Billy Himmelrich rising to the occasion - Old School Bakery Café, Delray Beach

Billy Himmelrich's love affair with food began in 1985 in France during his junior year of college...  Billy and his wife, Shelly, relocated to South Florida in the late '90s and purchased Old School Bread Company... Gradually, Chef Billy grew the wholesale business, attracting prominent private clubs, resorts and hotel accounts such as The Mar-a-Lago Club, The Breakers and Admirals Cove

Q: You have to choose one type of bread to eat the rest of your life, what will it be?
A: A good French baguette or our sourdough raisin walnut bread.

>>> read the entire interview via Sun Sentinel
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more
Old School Bread Company Web Site - Facebook
Jane's Bits: Old School Bakery Café: baking as art in Delray Beach

LOL / Hot Dog With Ketchup For Breakfast @ McDonald's Japan

It's been 56 years since McDonald's became synonymous with burgers and fries in the U.S. Now it has more than 32,000 stores in 117 countries, some of which don't eat burgers but all of which, it turns out, eat fries. Here's what else you can find at Mickey D's around the world

>>> more from the Sun Sentinel

RECIPES / Editors' All-Time Favorite Recipes (Coastal Living)

Grilled Salmon Asparagus

Check out these dishes that have our staffers drooling, and then cook them up yourself.

> Honey Shrimp Skewers
> Lemony Tuna Noodle Casserole
> Grilled Smoked Salmon Pizza 
> Avocado Fries
>>>MORE