Needing more and exploring uncharted Guilty waters

I am craving an unforgettable decadent adventure. I am not referring to the long-rumored, "Thin Mint's taking me to Bora Bora adventure," but rather a remarkable romp of enormous Epicurean interest. My Guilty Pleasure-seeking soul is restless and I long for some seasonally-adjusted salvation. Forgive me Rabbi M, I need more than I am getting at home.

Benjamin Franklin and Elana Bardot would understand.

The endless snow of 2010 has pushed me over the edge of reason and to fully recover, I need to experience first hand a mass invasion of culinary innovation. Two or three new treasures from the curry kitchens of Indonesia is just the beginning of my journey. I want my well-earned adventure to be global in scope and spiritual in nature. It's the Guilty Pleasure Creed.

After the longest winter on record, it's the perfect time to discover and then rave about a selection of new exotic foods and adult beverages from Provence Catering. One taste and my gourmet dining adventure is full bloom. There, before all that is personally pleasing, I am captivated by the aromatic wafting of unfamiliar spices and foreign fragrances. It's an unforgettable moment in time. Is there anything better than taking the time to slowly savor the incredible flavors of nature's bounty from the far corners of the world? Yeah Baby!

It's menu development time in our little Guilty corner of the world and we are preparing to set sail into uncharted waters. All aboard the PCSS Guilty Pleasure. It's a top scecret mission. Creativity is the word and incredible new foods are our mission. You must dive deep into recipe rancor. No life jackets or loose lips are allowed.

g'day from an Aussie

From one of our readers:

G’day there,

I believe I deserve to be part of the Guilty Pleasure Club.

I have travelled miles for the perfect milk shake, eaten cereal at 2am, driven 4 hours for my favourite Chinese food, have taken a 2 hour flight for the best coffee and bagel in the world and as for baklava, I’m an Aussie/Greek, of course I have a second fridge full of home made baklava. LOL

It seems one of my wines got a mention on Guilty Pleasures, The Innocent Viognier, bet you can’t guess what my Shiraz wine is called.

THE GUILTY of course. LOL

Where are you guys based?

My vineyard/winery is in Mildura, Australia, a small city in Outback Australia. To find Mildura you head 360 miles North of Melbourne, go past Mildura and you will find yourself in Outback Australia. I mentioned miles, because I’m assuming you are Americans.

Nice place America, I spend around 12 weeks a year working and playing over there.

Cheers

The Guilty Judge

George Shinas

Shinas Estate Winery

Web www.shinasestate.com

Thanks to George for sending in his guilty pleasures. George, we are based out of Jeffersonville, PA near Philadelphia. Of course you can be a part of the club, consider yourself a member!

Decadent and Dreamy Events

NATIONAL COMMITMENT DAY

LISA & SUSAN'S SPECIAL DAY

On Valentine's Day 2010, Provence Catering and friends gave to an incredible couple the dream event of their lifetime. Sue and Lisa competed in and won a free commitment ceremony to mark the inaugural National Commitment Day celebration.

It was a dream event! Held at the incredible Chestnut Club in center city that was artfully accented with lighting from Brian Toner & Eventions Productions lighting and incredible linens, chairs & china from Select Event Rental.

The incredible couple was committed in a wonderful ceremony conducted by Journey's of the Heart, as the room was filled with the incredible piano and guitar sounds of Amy Evinger. After the ceremony the guests enjoyed a decadent champagne presentation by Sandy O and The Creative Juice Group, while feasting on the incredible tastes of Provence Catering. The delicious champagne provided by Frank's Union Wine Mart was complimented by custom labeled wines from New Hope Winery. As the guests danced to the sounds of East Coast Event Group DJ's and enjoyed the Photo Booth from Shutterbooth, they paused to enjoy the happiness of this incredible couple. The room was filled with floral from Natural Designs Floral and the entire evening was captured forever by the talented eye of Alyssa Maloff Photography. In addition to the incredible foods from Provence Catering, the guests loved the Absolut Vodka blended with Organic Juices from Eco-Bar. The final decadent touch was the National Commitment Day Ice Sculpture by Ice Concepts.

Surving the Winter of 2010-Guilty style

Can you believe, it is snowing again? The Winter of 2010 has been maddening to some and no problem to others. It's all a matter of perspective and proper planning.

Our endless winter has been quite challenge. From the snow drifts worthy of the NBA to the ice hockey rink in the back yard, February in Pennsylvania has an Antarctic decor and frozen tundra motif. The fury of winter has been relentless.

Some people escape to the islands. Some folks seek comfort at the Rum Bar. Others slip into a cabin fever coma.

On Guilty Blvd., our focus is more innovative. We know that the onset of winter is the perfect to time to explore new Guilty Pleasures. From Sake soaked Sea Bass to Jumbo Prawns in a Mango Cream Sauce to Lobster Gnocchi with Truffle butter, we know how prepare for a drop in the barometric pressure.

I love seafood in February especially lathered in an incredibly rich sauce. Soaking up every last morsel on my plate is the best way to get ready for the warmer weather and always a Guilty Pleasure.

Surviving the snow in style takes a decadent demeanor. On that subject, I am Guilty as Charged.

Jamon Iberico (The Grand Dame of Pork)

As the snow begins and the forecasters speak of another 18-24 inches with white out conditions, I smile endlessly as I imagine the joys of today's purchase from Di Bruno Brothers 9th Street. On my trip to purchase a few quality olive oils for gift baskets, I looked up and saw the sign that changed my day and my view point on the coming storm.

"Jamon Iberico" Ham from Spain

Without even knowing a price, I asked for 3/4 lbs. This incredible ham, made from the Iberian Hogs (the black footed ones) is considered the world's finest. The Pata Negra graze free range on a diet high in acorns. This diet and the conditions of the region combined with a history of production make this "The Famed Ham of Spain."

I left Di Bruno Brothers a few dollars poorer but ready to tackle a blizzard knowing that at any moment I can snack on this true epicurean delight. I grabbed a few crusty breads and imagined the day ahead as I consider the Malbec I will choose or the subtle flavors of Jamon Iberico combined with A Shinas Estate 2008 "The Innocent" Viognier. Bring on the snow!

If you wish to try this incredible ham you need to head to 9th steet and Di Brunos, the only place in Philadelphia that sells Jamon Iberico.

Grocery shopping for the Whiteout is a Glorious Quest...Guilty Style

Well, it's here. "Whiteout Central" or to borrow a phrase from President Obama's weekly address, "Snowmageddon" has come to town with a ferocious fury.

We all thought the snowstorm of the season was six weeks ago just before Christmas. We paid our icy dues in December. One and done is how we like our East Coast urban blizzards. Anything more, is way too Wisconsin for me.

Today's wintry blast was a developing winter storm system for over week. We knew a "paralyzing blizzard" was making a beeline for the Delaware Valley. Yet, we cared more about making Guiltorious plans for the big game more than preparing for the big snow.

However, all of that changed early Thursday morning just before sunrise as the mad dash to the stores began. From 6 am on, it was mayhem at the market. All day long the grocery stores were jam-packed with crazed shoppers and there was some serious Guilty Pleasure procurement going down.

No matter how much we smirk at our neighbor's shopping cart filled with Krispy Kreme donuts, Doritos and Dove Bars, our own shopping choices always seem to be a decadent basket of impulsive guilty delights. Especially when your staring down a Weekend Whiteout and knowing that your Super Bowl party may be a family affair.

When it comes to Guiltorious shopping for major events like the Super Bowl, we pride ourselves on being patient and pragmatic. However, throw in a blizzard of biblical proportions with the weather wackos and you need to be innovative and ingenius.

That means going on an off-hour shopping spree early Friday morning. The store shelves were badly ransacked from the night before. I carefully scoured the each aisle looking for those essential Guilty Pleasures that hopefully had been overlooked by the masses.

No shopping list is necessary or preferred when wandering the store on a Guilty Crusade. You cannot be impulsive with a shopping list. However, in the better-safe-than-sorry tradition of Zombieland's Survival Rule # 2 you must "Double Tap" all of your Guilty favorites. That means purchasing at least two packages of every bonafide Guilty Pleasure that makes past your corruptible filter and into your shopping cart. Do not learn the hard way that the last Bratwurst on the block was a midnight snack for Otis, the hound of happiness.

Our Don Quixote-like quest yielded five different types of gourmet sausage, six distinct mustard's and four artisan breads from two bakeries. When the supermarket is running low on your favorite Guilty Pleasures you must remain optimistic and dare to "Dream the impossible dream."

On Planet Guilty, you must embrace "Slippa" sanity and settling down easy.

The Maturation process has so many wonderful surprises in store for us. From the ear wax of the Titans to eyesight slightly north of Ray Charles Blvd. to a sloth-like metabolism rate, crossing the 50 marker is not like Crossing Delancey. (Besides Amy Irving couldn't hold a candle to Thin Mint.)It's more like changing uniforms, but staying on the same team.

You're the same player, you just look a little more evolved. This is the moment in time when your character and soul really outshine your physical appearence to the world.

The more positive your persona, the better you look. The more generous you are with your time and resources, the more you will radiate. The more you glow, the more you appreciate that you MUST make the time to savor those individual Guilty Pleasures. It's one of the best ways to stay positive and vibrant.

This is a non-negotiable point on Planet Guilty. Remember, you must stringently adhere to the now-famous ReLounging Doctrine first disclosed in a groundbreaking posting on the GPC blog last October. This little known lifestyle policy was reportedly negotiated by Presidents Reagan and Gorbachev at their 1986 summit conference in Reykjavik, Iceland.

The Guilturious rewards are always immediate and your personal satisfaction will be remarkable. On this snowy winter morning, my sweet little indulgence is hanging with Otis and sipping minted hot cocoa in the dark wearing my favorite fuzzy woolen "slippas."

It's one of my secrets to keeping sane and settling down easy.