Wow! Peanut Butter was awesome!

Last night I enjoyed the Peanut Butter Ice Cream sent to us by Herrell's in Northampton, MA. It was gloriously smooth and creamy. With just the right amount of peanut butter flavor, it was a real treat on a Sunday afternoon!

OMG...this ice cream is so Guiltimundo good

The Provence kitchen was sweltering last week as the weather in Philadelphia deteriorated into the ultimate definition of Yuckyville. We could barely keep ourselves hydrated as sweat poured feverishly down our foreheads. Guilty was ripe and ready for cool salvation.Thankfully, it was ice cream social time at Provence and we had the ultimate answer for the oppressive heat, Herrell's ice cream.

We do not usually resort to the G word in our commentary out of respect for Rabbi M, but "Oh my God," their ice creams were so amazing. Every flavor we tried and we tried a lot, was creamy, rich and ridiculously guiltimundo.

Hand-packed gourmet ice cream is always a treat and definitely a welcome guest in Guiltytown. The pint of Mud Pie was gone in seconds. I think Thin Mint stashed some large scoops in her desk for later. I do not have any proof, but she looked pretty guilty to me. Whereas Perfect couldn't stop smiling as she savored her frosty bounty of eight fantastic flavors. On the other hand, IBfoodie's glasses were fogged from a brainfreeze as he woofed down a second helping of the Black Raspberry ice cream. This luscious flavor was too yummy for words and the best Black Raspberry ever. At one point our Culinary Professor just glowed like a China Cat filled with cooling contentment.

And me you ask? My favorite flavor was Burnt Sugar and Butter. OMG Rabbi, it was so remarkable that Guilty's almost ready to share. I said almost.

Little Feat...Big Southern Flavor

We had our Southern Smoked Rib Revival on Friday for staff lunch at Provence Catering .

To get in the mood we listened to the best Southern rock band ever, Little Feat Roll Atlanta and remembered the genius of Lowell George who left us way too early. Feats don't fail me now.

The slow-smoked ribs were expertly prepared using the flavorful sauces and rubs from our Cajun friends at Southern Barbecue Sauce. Our chef's masterfully merged their different products into a slathering symphony of Southern Guilt. Each bite unleashed a flavorful tidal wave of Dixie sweet and Cajun spicy perfection. Security was tight and only a few lucky VIP's were fortunate enough to see Guilty sing "Dixie Chicken" and dance like he was on Bourbon Street in 1979. Each lucky attendee to this rib revival received a supply of wet naps, a secret Featshake and some homebrewed Sweet Tea. Lowell would be luvin' our respect and admiration for the Southern way.

Great events for the Opulent-minded

With a corporate philosophy that "perfect works just fine," Provence Catering proudly introduces their new multi-media advertising campaign, "Great Events for the Opulent-minded." Whether you are planning a once-in-a-lifetime wedding reception, a fantastic 50th birthday party, a 25th wedding anniversary, a magical Mitzvah reception or a chic corporate cocktail party, now is the perfect time to indulge in life's great personal pleasures catered by Provence. Sounds so deliciously guilty to me.

Hallelujah...The guilt-ridden goodies have arrived.

We have been eagerly waiting for two packages of guilty goodies to find their way to our test kitchen at Provence Catering and as fate would have it, they both arrived yesterday.

Three weeks ago we featured the fantastic four hot fudges from Herrell's Ice Cream Shop of Northampton, MA. Before we could really sample their guiltiness, we needed to procure some decadent ice cream for this important tasting. The brain trust at Herrel's rose to the challenge and shipped us an eight pint selection of their finest ice creams. Is this a great job or what? Tomorrow afternoon we are having a company wide ice cream social. We let you know our favorites and who asked for seconds. Yes, I will be guilty as charged.

Four weeks ago we mentioned the low-sodium Cajun seasonings of Southern Barbecue. We enjoyed their incredible dry rub on bar-be-que chicken while tailgating at the Phillies. Their authentic Southern seasoning was delicious, but gone from our memory all too quickly. Mercifully, our guilty taste buds received a reprieve from the Governor as a case of their new product line of flavored basting oils, Grill-N-Que sauce and dry rubs arrived at Provence. On Friday afternoon we will be having a rib revival complete with a sermon on the joys of guiltiness as we sample three different versions of Danish baby backs.

Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah Guilt is good.

The French side of course

Thin Mint and Guilty are away next week vacationing in St.Martin, the French side of the island of course. Every year we travel to unique destinations around the world in search of new guilty pleasures and exciting menu ideas. Few places offer the epicurean luster of this divided tropical island of Dutch ancestry and French culture. Long known for their remarkable restaurants, barbecue shacks in Grand Case and famous Parisian chefs, this is the fourth trip to explore our French culinary heritage and to bare our souls in the warm aqua blue Caribbean waters.

Our last trip to St. Martin was in 1995 with Junior Mint in tow and our beauty was only nine months old. We had an incredible vacation with our young infant daughter and miraculously left two days before the infamous Hurricane Louis destroyed much of the island and leveled our boutique hotel, the Golden Tulip, forever.

On this year's trip we will staying at the new Radisson St. Martn Resort which just opened this past spring and has received excellent reviews. We heard their buffet breakfasts are fantastic and quite guilt-ridden. Usually we dine away from the hotel for dinner, but this luxury property has a chic five star gourmet venue, the C Le restaurant. World famous Chef Executivf Bruno Brazier is an exceptional talent and he will be preparing his incredible gourmet four course gourmet chef's dinner for us at table for two on the beach. Hopefully we will be posting our dining and vacation experiences online while we are away.

Look for our chefs to introduce some sensational new menu ideas this fall. Of course, Provence as always, will be open for business while we are away, Guilty as charged.

Never too old for...

Nap Time. One of my most favorite guilty pleasures is to take a nap. It could be on a hammock under an Almond tree in Jamaica listening to the ocean lap to and fro. It could be in a perfectly climate controlled hotel room with the covers on. Or it could even be at the ballgame until the home run cheers from the crowd wakes one up. I really, really treasure those "stolen" moments to rejuice, recharge and rejuvenate....as long as I don't drool or snore in public!

Chilling out with great friends leads to Chinatown Guilt

After catering a spectacular tented wedding on Saturday evening in sauna-like conditions, Sunday was the perfect time to engage in a variety of our favorite guilty pleasures. From enjoying Thin Mint's special home-brewed Bloody Mary mix while tailgating before the Phillies' game to a very special dinner in Philadelphia's Chinatown, Guilt was in full bloom.

While the food from Provence Catering and top-shelf spirits were awesome, spending the day with some of our favorite clients was really remarkable. There is no better moment of professional satisfaction than savoring a job well done under sweltering conditions .

To help celebrate our peerless event execution we ventured to Chinatown after the game. Our favorite Vietnamese Thai Restaurant was closed for rennovations and we wrestled with making an intelligent decision on the fly where to eat. I am sure you have faced a similiar dining dilemma with so many Asian cuisines to sample and so little inside information. After feveriously scoping out the situtation, the Rising Tide Chinese Restaurant on the corner of 10th and Race Streets was an excellent alternative. They are rated one of the top 100 Chinese Retaurants in the country and we quickly found out why.

While this is not a place for tourists(locals only), the food and the service were superb. The Hot and Sour soup was some of the best ever with a rich flavor. We particularly enjoyed the barbecued eel and the Peking duck. Being Guilty in Chinatown with great friends was mealtime masterpiece.

luckiest man alive

My favorite guilty pleasure is loving Thin Mint just right. While the summer is in full bloom, we remember the power of the Canyons. This recently discovered photo reveals there is no greater pleasure than skiing with your best friend as you both seize the day. Of course skiing in Utah is the perfect setting for many more guilty pleasures. It's always rejuvenating to daydream of skiing in Park City while languishing in the white-hot catering heat of July. Just remember, it's only seven months to the slopes.

Thank you Jeffrey for the photo and the cool thoughts.

The Skinny Chick Conspiracy

Throughout history there have been many famous conspiracy theories that have confounded the experts and intrigued legions. For political conspiracy aficionado’s it’s all about the Kennedy Assassination. Let’s face the facts, Lee Harvey Oswald was a terrible marksman, under funded and the Warren Commission's magic bullet explanation just makes no sense.

For Sci-Fi enthusiasts it’s all about Area 51 in the Nevada desert. You, Mulder and Scully absolutely know the federal government is hiding secrets in the desert far beyond the flickering lights of Las Vegas.

For bigger guys married to slender women there’s a portion control plot that must be exposed, the Skinny Chick Conspiracy. I have to live through this nightmarish scenario everyday. Imagine this, no matter where we go to eat and no matter what we order; Thin Mint’s meal is always larger and for some troubling reason, much tastier than mine. For example, on the rare occasion where we both order the same entrée like linguine and clam sauce, Thin Mint gets more pasta and extra littlenecks! We both order different omelets for breakfast and her eggs are fluffier, there’s an extra piece or two of crisp bacon and she gets more home fries, but of course. We each order Veal Parmesan and she receives the biggest piece of tender veal ever. There is not a dinner plate in the city big enough to hold her bubbling entrée. Whereas I get the alternative meal plan option where the veal, tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese are radically rationed like gasoline during wartime.

I have spent years trying to unravel the truth about this mind boggling mystery. Do larger men not deserve the excitement of eyeing an overflowing plate of fried calamari just for them? How is it possible that the seafood restaurant in Ipswich MA, the Italian Restaurant in South Philadelphia, the Soul Food restaurant in Saratoga and the Steak House in Phoenix all give Thin Mint a larger dinner portion? After careful thought and extensive research, I have reached an indisputable conclusion.

There must be a secret society that looks out for slender women. I have no proof, but I suspect these low body mass individuals use secret hand signals to communicate in a language that only the trim can translate. If you go back through television and movie history, I have no doubt you will find a very suspicious pattern of mealtime favoritism. Just consider the facts; did Ralph Kramden ever get more food than Alice? I think not! Did Fred Flintstone ever get a bigger Brontosaurus burger than Wilma? Never! Did the portly Mr. C on Happy Days ever get more pot roast than Mrs.C? Not happening! For Pete’s sake, did John Candy even get a nosh in Uncle Buck? Don’t even get me started on Bluto and Olive Oyl. This is a cruel, cruel conspiracy.

I will continue to explore this great epicurean injustice while at dinner, lunch, breakfast or an ice cream parlor. The truth must be told. You can rely on Guilty to count fries not calories.