Who Wants Seconds?

Meme-a-licious!

I've been tagged three times in the last week or so, and considering my amazing ability to slack on these type of things, I knew I had to do a post pretty damn quick. I'm a meme killer, so I won't be tagging anyone for these...breathe a sigh of relief, or pretend I tagged you and have at one of them!

From Tschoerchda, 'Four Things':

Four jobs you’ve had in your life:

1. tour guide
2. barrista
3. radio dj
4. theater house manager

Four movies you could watch over and over:

1. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
2. Amelie
3. The Big Lebowski
4. Ronin

Four places you’ve lived:

1. Massachusetts, U.S.A.
2. Hawaii, U.S. A.
3. Colorado, U.S.A.
4. Cambridgeshire, U.K.

Four websites you visit daily:

1. Boing Boing
2. Gawker
3. Letters to Marc Jacobs
4. Parent Hacks

Four tv shows you love to watch:

1. Extras
2. Kath & Kim
3. Foyle’s War
4. Life on Mars

Four of your favorite foods:

1. Pot Roast with Mashed Potatoes and Gravy
2. Deviled Eggs
3. Goulash
4. Roast Chicken

Four albums you can’t live without:

1. Four Calendar Cafe - Cocteau Twins
2. Pretty Hate Machine - Nine Inch Nails
3. Facing Future - Israel Kamakawiwo'ole
4. The Essential Johnny Cash - Johnny Cash

Four places you’d rather be: (can you tell it's almost dinner time?)

1. Waimea Bay
2. Andy's
3. Famous Dave's
4. Tony Packo's

From Ilva, 'Cookbooks':

How many cookbooks do you own?

Fifty-nine.

Which cookbook is the one you bought most recently?

The Kitchen Diaries by Nigel Slater.

Which cookbook is the one you read most recently?

Cooking Like Mummyji by Vicky Bhogal.

Name five cookbooks which mean a lot to you:

1. The Fannie Farmer Cookbook
2. Beard on Bread
3. The French Chef
4. The Best Recipe
5. Falling Cloudberries

From Jeanne, 'Too Much Information' (10 little-known or random facts about me):

1. I'm double jointed.
2. I can't wear most wool. I actually get itchy just being close to it. Funny enough, cashmere's o.k.
3. I'm a good mimic.
4. I worked as a figure model for art classes at my college.
5. I flunked out of college.
6. I was a 'Happy Birthday Girl' (the "i") onstage for Jon Bon Jovi's 28th birthday.
7. I wanted to change my name to Naomi in the 7th grade.
8. I've never eaten beets. I don't know why.
9. I wish I could sing really well.
10. I hate it when a character in a movie says, "Hey, you." and another responds, "Hey, yourself."

Between my bio and these memes, I'm guessing that everyone now knows more about me than is strictly necessary. I don't know whether that's a good or a bad thing!

Cheers all,

EBBP3: Fabulous Lucullian Delights!

Another EBBP, another great host(ess) in Johanna, another absolutely fantastic package full of surprises! My partner on the giving end, the lovely and super-talented Ilva of Lucullian Delights, filled a box to the very brim with wonderful Italian treats, and wrapped it in a beautiful gold embossed paper. It's really such a wonderful and thoughtful present, and I'm so thankful to Ilva for all of her efforts.

First seen and first opened, a simply scrumptious bottle of homemade Limoncello. I've wanted to try Limoncello for ages, and I'm so glad that my first taste was this one. I've really never had anything like it before- it's completely addictive. While it might be too cold in Italy for Ilva to drink this, as it must be super-chilled to be enjoyed properly, our mild English winter is a perfect match! It's just like summer in a glass.

Next came a large package of cocoa mix (with chili pepper!) from Slitti, which Ilva tells me is the very best in their own 'chocolate belt of Italy'. She wasn't kidding...the combination of flavours is intoxicating, and I hope to try their other selections someday.

A box of the most wonderful chocolate I've ever had, Zanzibar by Sperlari, was included as well. I am really not a fan of milk chocolate, preferring dark (or plain) much more, but this bar was a taste-changing experience for me. A thick slab, absolutely loaded with hazelnuts, it had my son and I closing our eyes and groaning in delight. Truly incredible, especially since Ilva told me that it is a special type made only for the holidays, so therefore unavailable at this point!

The final big element of this incredible comfort food package was a bag of taralli. Apparently this cracker comes in quite a few flavours, but Ilva sent the plain kind...just olive oil and white wine...which was a great introduction. I loved them so much that I went online to find a recipe immediately, and if they come out well I'll be making them all the time.

Packets of dried porcini mushrooms, red chillies, and saffron (!) filled in the nooks and crannies left by the larger items, along with Ilva's recipe for Hot Potato Soup with Saffron and Fried Eggplant, which I can't wait to try. Didn't I tell you this was an incredible package?

My thanks again to Ilva for being such a wonderful EBBP partner, and to Johanna for coordinating the whole affair. I can't wait to hear about, and participate, in the next installment!

Happy New Year!

Belated to be sure, but heartfelt nonetheless! It's been a busy month or so in my part of the woods, with a house move at the beginning of December, two birthdays, relatives for Christmas, and...drumroll please...a site redesign in the works.

My one-year anniversary is this month, and I have big plans for this little site. I know, I know- you've heard that before. The difference this time around is that I'm actually going to follow through and make them happen, which thrills me to no end. I hope you'll be thrilled, too, as a matter of fact.

My current schedule means that everything should be up and running by the beginning of February. My main thrust from here on in is going to be the compilation of heirloom recipes for my niece, followed by improvement of my photography (exponentially, I hope), and expansion of my cooking horizons. I started blogging a year ago with these goals, but somehow they got lost a bit as I dove into the deep end of foodie events. This year, for the most part, I'll be leaving all of that behind.

The WWS? that returns will have a cleaner and more streamlined design. I'll be adding and removing elements, which should make it much easier to navigate. Posts after the relaunch will be more frequent, sometimes without photographs, and will branch out into topics other than those encompassed by the foodie world. As Bobby Brown put so succinctly, "it's my prerogative".

Spammers and scammers, via comments and emails, have been a major issue. I've enabled TypeKey comment registration, which I hope does the trick. If it doesn't, plan on seeing some posts about these losers, and other solutions that I'll try. Watch out, Ms. Suzana Nuhan Vaye, or I'll sic Dani on you!

In the meantime, there are so many things going on in the food-blogging world that I can scarcely believe it. Two of the things I'm most hot and bothered about follow; if you haven't already clicked over, you might want to take a moment or two:

1. The 2005 Food Blog Awards, hosted by Accidental Hedonist.

I admit that I didn't take the time to go over and nominate people I'd assumed would be listed. Well, you know what happens when you assume, right? Yeah, that- and brilliant writers like Jeanne from Cook Sister! and Jen from PTMYB don't get nominated. Winos wine gurus like Andrew at Spittoon don't get nominated. Outstanding restaurant reviewers (and city lovers/promoters) like Reid of 'Ono Kine Grindz don't get nominated. Apparently I wasn't the only one who fell asleep at the wheel on this one, and to that I say for shame.

Don't get me wrong, I do read and enjoy quite a few of the blogs that are listed. Two of my very favourite favourites:

I think Sam, of Becks & Posh and Food Blog S'cool, is a great writer and photographer, not to mention the real queen of the food bloggers. She is kind and generous, with her time and expertise, and shows her commitment to the food blogging community at every turn. Is there anyone in food blogging today that she hasn't had an impact on?

Keiko from Nordljus is clearly the most talented photographer (and pastry chef it seems) in food blogging today, and humble to boot. Want to see photos that will inspire you, even as they blow you away? Look no further, my friend.

I know that I made a huge mistake by not participating in the nomination process, and you can bet your bottom dollar that I won't do a repeat when it comes to voting. And that's my challenge to you, as well. Get going...voting ends on January 18th!


2. Foodography, a new photography challenge, hosted by Andrew and Sam.

Challenge, not competition. If you're looking to improve your snaps (and who isn't?), this is simply a must for 2006. Plus, it's hosted by two of the best folks in the food-blogging world these days. What are you waiting for?

That's all I've got for now. I'm looking forward to discovering what the rest of 2006 has in store for us all, and I can't wait to actually read my feeds again. I hope you've all been busy being creative, too. Here's to connecting again, and to the best blogging community on the internets. Cheers, all!

UPDATE 11 January: Well, I've had quite a few emails from readers complaining about Typekey being enabled, so I'll remove it and see how things go. If anyone has any other suggestions about how to deal with spammers, I'd love to hear about them!

DMBLGIT? #11 - The Results

The judges have judged (with many thanks to Anthony, Jeanne, Keiko, Reid, and Sam), the votes have been voted, and the scores have been scored tallied. There is a very clear winner, but first- a bit about the process.

Each of the five judges assigned a score of 0-10 points for each of three categories- 'eatability', aesthetics and originality. Each entry was given a score (out of a possible 50) for each category, and a total score (out of a possible 150).

I will list the overall winner, plus the 2nd and 3rd place winners. Then, the top vote holders in each category who were not in the top three places. If your entry is not listed, and you'd like to know your scores, please drop me a line and I'll send them right off to you.

1st PLACE:  Lex Culinaria (124 points- E42, O40, A42)

"Stunning- and probably technically challenging! Great composition, right background, steam beautifully captured." "I wanted to eat this entry more than any other."

2nd PLACE: The Traveler's Lunchbox (119 points- E41, O36, A42)

"Drooling as I type. Carefully thought out composition, great shapes and colours, perfect light."
"Professional quality photography." "Yay for narrative!"

3rd PLACE:  Spittoon Extra (111 points- E39, O31, A41)

"Beautiful shot. Great light, great composition with the sunlit leaf against a dark background.
"Effective use of light in a gentle way." "If you have to eat your greens, they may as well look this good."

TOP ENTRY - 'EATABILITY': Gluten Free Girl (38 points)

"Worth risking your teeth for." "Great use of DOF." "

TOP ENTRY - ORIGINALITY  (A TIE): One Hot Stove (33 points) AND...

"If only all 'charts' could be so good looking."

TOP ENTRY FOR ORIGINALITY (A TIE):   Stephen Cooks (33 points)

"Nice use of warm colour scheme and DOF." "Dangerous? Pfffft! Lovely set up, though."

TOP ENTRY - AESTHETICS (A TIE): Nosheteria (37 points) AND...yet again...

"The girliest entry; very pretty." ""Beautiful use of DOF, and great pink backdrop."

TOP ENTRY FOR AESTHETICS (A TIE): STEPHEN COOKS (37 points)

 

I'd like to give my thanks to everyone who participated, and my apologies for the technical difficulties early on. Congrats, of course, to all the winners! Photography in the food blogging world is improving exponentially, and your photos are fine examples of what we should all be "shooting" towards.

Lastly, but not leastly, big props go to Ronald, of IMBB?, who started this who darned thing....what a guy, what a site, what an event. I'm not sure who's hosting next, but as soon as I know I'll update this post. Cheers everyone!

DMBLGIT? #11 - The Lines Are Closed...

...and the entries are off to the judges to be judged! Cross your fingers, say a prayer, sacrifice a sausage to the blog gods (a la Dr. Biggles), if you must...just make sure you're back here on December 1, as that's when the results will be posted, one way or the other.

Good luck, everyone!

DMBLGIT? #11 - The Entries, Part II

In retrospect, it seems a bit unnecessary to have split the round-up of entries into two parts, as I haven't gotten as many more as I'd expected. But, with that said, I think it will work out well in the end, as I can add any straggling entries that come in after this point right here. Which means that due to the kerfuffle at the beginning, I'm going to extend the deadline through the end of day, 27 November GMT. It seems only fair to the folks who haven't sent in their resends yet, and for anyone else who's running late for the party.

Again, without further ado, the good stuff, pt. 2:

ENTRY #33:

TALENT: Stephen
BLOG: Stephen Cooks
LOCATION: Southern Maine, U.S.A.
SUBJECT: Fiery, Dark, Dangerous Chocolate Soufflé
EQUIPMENT: Nikon D100, with 24-80 zoom lens
NOTES: "Color correction with Photoshop 7."

ENTRY #34:

TALENT: Nick Zukin
BLOG: Extra MSG
LOCATION: Vancouver, WA, U.S.A.
SUBJECT: Blue Corn Quesadilla with Queso Oaxaca (Oaxacan string cheese)
and Flor de Calabaza (squash blossom)
EQUIPMENT: Nikon Coolpix 2100
NOTES: "Taken on the streets of Mexico City's Centro Historico."

ENTRY #35:

TALENT: Helen
BLOG: Grab Your Fork
LOCATION: Sydney, NSW, Australia
SUBJECT: Golden Century Haymarket
EQUIPMENT: Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-P10
NOTES: "Auto-focus, macro, no flash, hand-held (thank goodness for powerful Chinese restaurant lighting!)".

ENTRY #36:

TALENT: Jeanne
BLOG: Mommy Cooks
LOCATION: Southern California, U.S.A.
SUBJECT: Making Garam Masala
EQUIPMENT: Canon PowerShot A520
NOTES: "Natural sunlight from the window (flash turned off, macro on)."

ENTRY #37:

TALENT: Laura
BLOG: Cucina Testa Rossa
LOCATION: Paris, France
SUBJECT: Mushroom Ceviche with Miso Aubergines in a Ginger Ponzu Sauce
EQUIPMENT: Canon PowerShot SD400 Digital Elph
NOTES: "I took this last week in NYC at Public."

ENTRY #38:

TALENT: Tanvi
BLOG: From The Pantry
LOCATION: Los Angeles, CA, U.S.A.
SUBJECT: Ka'kat Snack Breads
EQUIPMENT: Canon Powershot
NOTES: "Set to macro."

ENTRY #39:

TALENT: William Conway
BLOG: Never Trust a Skinny Chef
LOCATION: Atlanta, Georgia
SUBJECT: Pint of Guinness
EQUIPMENT: Canon G6
NOTES: "(Taken) at the Guinness Storehouse Bar in Dublin, Ireland. I...used Photoshop to touch up levels, crop and other minor adjustments."

ENTRY #40:

TALENT: Sarah Lou
BLOG: One Whole Clove
LOCATION: Quebec, Canada
SUBJECT: Custard, Chocolate and Caramel Tart
EQUIPMENT:
NOTES: "I used Picassa, cropped the photo and used the 'I'm feeling lucky' button."

ENTRY #41:

TALENT: Jason Truesdell
BLOG: Jason Truesdell: Pursuing My Passions
LOCATION: Seattle, WA, U.S.A.
SUBJECT: Channa Gobi Masala Nests For a Neighborhood Gathering
EQUIPMENT: Minolta S404
NOTES: "Macro mode."

ENTRY #42:

TALENT: Sarah
BLOG: The Delicious Life
LOCATION: Los Angeles, CA, U.S.A.
SUBJECT: Thai Dumpling
NOTES: "I took it with the natural lighting in the restaurant."

DMBLGIT? #11 - The Entries, Part I

Holy cow, peoples, there's a lot of talent out there! Nothing new in that, of course, but still- it's a thrill to put a post together that's full of quality photos from around the world. Warms your heart and brings a tear to your eye, I tell you.

Since my computer malfunction a couple of days ago I've received a number of "re-sends", but not all. Listed below are all of the entries that I have so far, in the order that they were received. If you don't see yours included, please send it to me again immediately. On the other hand, if you haven't sent an entry in at all yet, and you'd like to, get your okole in gear! ;-)

I'd also like to thank everyone for their support over the past few days. As Jeanne reported, I almost had an aneurysm the evening that it happened, but I'm much better now and really looking forward to seeing the results. Food bloggers rock!

Without further ado, the good stuff:

ENTRY #1:

TALENT: Jennifer
BLOG: Taste Everything Once
LOCATION: Spokane, WA, U.S.A.
SUBJECT: Dark Chocolate Panini
EQUIPMENT: Nikon Coolpix 3200
NOTES: "No special equipment or filters, just a lucky shot."

ENTRY #2:

TALENT: Ed Charles
BLOG: Tomato
LOCATION: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
SUBJECT: Chilli Chocolate Truffle Three Ways
EQUIPMENT: Pentax Optio
NOTES: "On auto, using natural light."

ENTRY #3:

TALENT: Adrienne Handler
BLOG: Nosheteria
LOCATION: Berkeley, CA, U.S.A.
SUBJECT: Babycakes with Apricot Buttercream and Chocolate Ganache
EQUIPMENT: Cannon Powershot A40

ENTRY #4:

TALENT: Nic
BLOG: Baking Sheet
LOCATION: Los Angeles, CA, U.S.A.
SUBJECT: Gingerbread Skeletons
EQUIPMENT: Casio EX-Z750

ENTRY #5:

TALENT: Rachael
BLOG: Fresh Approach Cooking
LOCATION: Los Angeles, CA, U.S.A.
SUBJECT: Gravlax
EQUIPMENT: Kodak Easyshare DX6340
NOTES: "Set to macro."

ENTRY #6:

TALENT: Joe
BLOG: Culinary in the Desert
LOCATION: Phoenix, AZ, U.S.A.
SUBJECT: Harvest Pumpkin Bars

ENTRY #7:

TALENT: Shauna
BLOG: Gluten Free Girl
LOCATION: Seattle, WA, U.S.A.
SUBJECT: Fran's Grey Salt Caramels

ENTRY #8:

TALENT: Anne
BLOG: Anne's Food
LOCATION: Stockholm, Sweden
SUBJECT: Cloudberry Vanilla Souffle
EQUIPMENT: Olympus C-8080WZ
NOTES: "I've tinkered a bit with the light in Photoshop."

ENTRY #9:

TALENT: Nupur
BLOG: One Hot Stove
LOCATION: New York, NY, U.S.A.
SUBJECT: A Gallery of Dals
EQUIPMENT: Fujifilm FinePix 2800
NOTES: "Taken in natural light."

ENTRY #10:

TALENT: Alanna
BLOG: A Veggie Venture by Kitchen Parade
LOCATION: St. Louis, MO, U.S.A.
SUBJECT: Secret-Ingredient Chocolate Cake
EQUIPMENT: Nikon Coolpix S1
NOTES: "In my backyard, in St. Louis, before frost hit!"

ENTRY #11:

TALENT: Kevin Weeks
BLOG: Seriously Good
LOCATION: Knoxville, TN, U.S.A.
SUBJECT: Half Life
EQUIPMENT: Canon S40
NOTES: "I used Paint Shop Pro to enhance the original and saved it. Then I created a sepia version and saved that. Last, I clipped images of the colored fruit and pasted them into the sepia version."

ENTRY #12:

TALENT: Indira
BLOG: Mahanandi
LOCATION: Boardman, OH, U.S.A.
SUBJECT: Gongura and rice mudda(ball) on sabudana(sago) papad
EQUIPMENT: Nikon Coolpix 5400

ENTRY #13:

TALENT: Andrew
BLOG: Spittoon Extra
LOCATION: London, England, U.K.
SUBJECT: Autumn Salad
EQUIPMENT: Canon EOS350D
NOTES: "I used an 18-55mm lens. No tinkering, light is natural sunlight. The cushion came from Habitat, the dish from Debenhams, and the fork from John Lewis. Salad constructed from various bits from Waitrose and my veg box people."

ENTRY #14:

TALENT: Melissa de Leon
BLOG: The Cooking Diva
LOCATION: Panama
SUBJECT: Delicia de Coco
EQUIPMENT: Sony Cyber-shot 7.2 megapixel

ENTRY #15:

TALENT: Clea
BLOG: Clea Cuisine
LOCATION: Genoble, France
SUBJECT: Tarte Choconoisettine aux Poires
EQUIPMENT: Nikon Coolpix 5200

ENTRY #16:

TALENT: B
BLOG: Culinary Fool
LOCATION: Seattle, WA, U.S.A.
SUBJECT: Buckwheat Blini
EQUIPMENT: Sony Cyber-shot DSC-P200
NOTES: "Macro mode, no flash."

ENTRY #17:

TALENT: Sweetnicks
BLOG: Sweetnicks
LOCATION: New Jersey, U.S.A.
SUBJECT: Payton Enjoying Her Cupcake
EQUIPMENT: Kodak Z730
NOTES: "No retouching, just cropped it."

ENTRY #18:

TALENT: Dagmar
BLOG: A Cat in the Kitchen
LOCATION: Gothenburg, Sweden
SUBJECT: Autumnal Walk
EQUIPMENT: Olympus Camedia C-3020

ENTRY #19:

TALENT: Fahara
BLOG: Souperior
LOCATION: Warwickshire, U.K.
SUBJECT: Happiness Is...(part2 in a series)
EQUIPMENT: Casio Digital Camera
NOTES: "Taken...in a farmhouse belonging to a friend. The meat was bought as a spur-of-the-moment buy at a food fair in Essex, and it roasted so perfectly I couldn't resist taking a picture! A roast in the perfect way to warm up when the cold wintery nights draw in as far as I'm concerned."

ENTRY #20:

TALENT: Kalyn Denny
BLOG: Kalyn's Kitchen
LOCATION: Salt Lake City, UT, U.S.A.
SUBJECT: The End of the Tomatoes
EQUIPMENT: Casio EX-Z57

ENTRY #21:

TALENT: Angie
BLOG: Crazy Salad
LOCATION: San Diego, CA, U.S.A.
SUBJECT: Festa della Castagna
EQUIPMENT: Nikon D-70
NOTES: "I shot this in my hotel room at midnight, with the light from a small desklamp. I got in as close as I could and set the camera on self-timer mode."

ENTRY #22:

TALENT: Lynette
BLOG: Lex Culinaria
LOCATION: Edmonton, Canada
SUBJECT: Wild Mushroom Ragout
EQUIPMENT: Sony DSC S90

ENTRY #23:

TALENT: Magictofu
BLOG: slurp & burp
LOCATION: Ottawa, Canada
SUBJECT: Garlic in Oil
EQUIPMENT: Canon G3
NOTES: "I placed the camera, in my hands, on an upside down bowl on the counter top."

 

ENTRY #24:

TALENT: Cookiecrumb
BLOG: I'm Mad and I Eat
LOCATION: Santa Venetia, CA, U.S.A.
SUBJECT: Dessicated to the One I Love

ENTRY #25:

TALENT: Melissa
BLOG: The Traveler's Lunchbox
LOCATION: Edinburgh, Scotland, U.K.
SUBJECT: Comfort by the Cup
EQUIPMENT: Nikon D70

ENTRY #26:

TALENT: Cin
BLOG: A Few of My Favourite Things!
LOCATION: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
SUBJECT: Just Clowning Around with Burnt Butter Cupcakes

ENTRY #27:

TALENT: David Hagerman
BLOG: EatingAsia
LOCATION: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
SUBJECT: Dum Dreams
EQUIPMENT: Canon T-90 with an 85mm 1.2 lens, on Fuji Vilvia 100F slide film.
NOTES: Scanned with a Nikon Super Coolscan 5000.

ENTRY #28:

TALENT: Mia
BLOG: The Skinny Epicurean
LOCATION: Singapore
SUBJECT: Satowa Kitchen - Beef Sashimi
EQUIPMENT: Sony Ericsson K750i

ENTRY #29:

TALENT: Monkey Gland
BLOG: Jamfaced
LOCATION: U.K.
SUBJECT: Penne with Red Chard and Pecorino

ENTRY #30:

TALENT: Simona
BLOG: Lo Spazio di Staximo
LOCATION: Italy
SUBJECT: Bocconcini di Maiale alle Olive e Limone
EQUIPMENT: Canon Powershot S70
NOTES: "Manual mode, indoor light, no tripod."

ENTRY #31:

TALENT: Grace Ediza Virlouvet
BLOG: The Food Journal
LOCATION: Luanda, Angola
SUBJECT: Grilled Mussels with Apricot Sauce

ENTRY #32:

TALENT: Dan
BLOG: Saltshaker
LOCATION: Buenos Aires, Argentina
SUBJECT: Mock Abalone
EQUIPMENT: Canon C-3020z

DMBLGIT?#11 EMERGENCY

Hello everyone,

I've just had a major malfunction of my computer, resulting in the loss of every last DMBLGIT?#11 entry email.

If you've sent me an entry/your information/a link in the past 72 hours...basically from Saturday, November 19 to Tuesday, November 22 @ 10:00 pm GMT....could you please (cringe) sent it to me again?

I'm so, so sorry for any inconvenience this may cause, but it was an accident and can't be helped. I so think it's still early enough to turn out o.k., though- as long as everyone sees my post either here or on Food Blog Scool rather quickly (fingers crossed!).

If you're reading this post and know a fellow blogger who's entered, could you drop them a line and give them a heads up? Many thanks to all...

DMBLGIT? - 11th Edition

Thank the blog gods, I've just been reminded by Andrew (of Spittoon and host of DMBLGIT?#8) that's it my turn to host DMBLGIT?, now in its 11th incarnation. To participate, please email me your entry by November 26th, and I will post the results at the end of the month.

Your email should include:

1. The url of your post/entry.

2. Your name.

3. Your location.

4. The equipment you used, and any settings and technique notes, if possible.

And now, the fine print:

1. You may only submit one photo.

2. Your photo must be food and/or drink related.

3. Your photo must have been taken by you.

4. Your photo must have appeared on your blog in the month of October.

The judges are an all-star cast from the food-blogging world, including Sam from Posh & Becks, Jeanne over at Cook Sister, Reid of Ono Kine Grindz, Anthony from Spice Blog, and Keiko at Nordljus. Fantastic bloggers and photographers all, I know that they're really looking forward to seeing all of your entries. Step up to the plate, peoples, and show 'em what you've got!

EoMEoTE#12 - The Round-Up

How about those eggs? (ba da boom!) (The Nightmare - John Henry Fusili (1741-1825)

In the kitchen
I saw a Spicey, naked, bestial,
Who, squatting upon the ground,
Held egg and toast in his hands,
And ate of it.
I said: "Is it good, Spice?"
"It is tasty-tasty," he answered;
"But I like it
Because it is cheap,
And because I started this whole damn thing."

(with heartfelt apologies to Stephen Crane)

Well, folks, it's time for another very late EoMEoTE round-up, this time for my ill-fated Halloween edition. With a final tally of a mere six participants, with two of them co-founders of this whole shebang, it's now official that I will never beg, plead and cajole to host someone else's event ever again. Too scary! I offer my most humble apologies to Jeanne and Anthony, with a sincere hope that their baby recovers this month and gets back to its customary growth spurt!

The lovely Jennifer, over at Taste Everything Once, made fabulously creepy deviled eggs, and pan de muertos to DIE for (sorry!). Our friend Elizabeth, from Blog From Our Kitchen, shared some memories from Halloween days of yore, while super-spicey Anthony, our man that cooks down under (or our man down under that cooks?), did an homage to Wicker Man that was scarier than the original, frankly. Everyone's favourite (and funniest) sister, Jeanne, slipped into a night of the living bread, while talented Sarah, at The Delicious Life, tricked AND treated with a gorgeous curried "egg" salad. And lastly, but never leastly, Stephanie (the hostess-with-much-more-mostess-than-me over at Dispensing Happiness) whipped up a wicked pissa eggy skull.

My thanks to everyone who participated! I'm really looking forward to finding out what Jeanne's got in store next, because I know it's going to be great.

UPDATE  20 NOVEMBER: Oh, good God, just let a crater swallow me up now. I actually left out two lovely, sweet bloggers from my round-up! Sincere apologies to both Andrew, from Spittoon (who may have had the scariest experience of everyone), and Brenda, of Culinary Fool (whose entry may be the loveliest)...thanks for sending me such lovely reminders!