Book Review: Cocktails Southern Style

Smith-Sullivan, Belinda (2025). Cocktails: Southern Style. Utah: Gibb-Smith.

“Some drink to forget, I drink to remember. I drink in order to understand what I mean and to discover what I know.” Peter Ackroyd, The Last Testament of Oscar Wilde
“A cocktail should make you feel better, not worse.” – Unknown

“Cocktails: the elixir of good times and great memories.” – Unknown

Humans imbibe alcohol for countless reasons. But Cocktails: Southern Style isn’t just about alcohol. It’s a collection of poems and possibilities, framed as cocktail recipes. Smith-Sullivan reflects on her family’s tradition of “cocktail hour” — a ritual that signaled the end of the day and brought everyone together. Though I’d never considered myself a mixologist for merely stirring whiskey and ginger beer, reading this book made me realize I was only a few steps away from elevating my “mixed drink” skills to something closer to cocktail artistry.

I enjoyed imagining myself crafting my own syrups to add that perfect touch of sweetness to drinks. While I’ve never been a big fan of the fake-tasting syrup-heavy cocktails, I appreciated the author’s suggestions for using homemade versions and using them beyond mixed drinks. The emphasis on balance and flavor is mirrored in the photographs of the cocktails — presenting elements I don’t often see in everyday bar drinks, like delicate layers and thoughtful garnishes.

The book offers its recipes without judgment, only inspiration. It’s straightforward, unpretentious tone provides confidence even to the most novice mixers. Eager to dive in, I looked for a recipe that matched what I had on hand. I settled on the Berry Slush — a delightful blend of wine (I used red), frozen berries, honey, and mint leaves (I had to make a quick trip to the store for those). I was pleasantly surprised by how filling and refreshing the cocktail felt.
My children enjoy experimenting with cooking and mixing drinks, so I was glad to find the chapter dedicated to mocktails. We had everything we needed to try the Pineapple Ginger Beer. It was delicious on its own, but I couldn’t resist adding a splash of whiskey to mine.
I’m grateful for this book of creative recipes — perfect for entertaining or simply amusing myself with new concoctions. You can also find some recipes for popular southern bites and nibbles in the back of the book to pair with your tasty drink. Cheers!

Book Review: The Young Runner’s Guide to Nutrition

This review examines Michelle Pettinger’s The Young Runner’s Guide to Nutrition, a thorough resource designed for adolescent runners, with the subtitle How to fuel your body to train smarter, run faster, and recover quicker.

Although the nutritional information presented is not necessarily groundbreaking, Pettinger’s work excels in its presentation and accessibility, particularly for young readers. A key strength of the book lies in its holistic approach, seamlessly integrating discussions of macro and micronutrients with vital topics such as neuroplasticity, bone development, and the management of training stress alongside academic demands and adequate rest. The author effectively employs a spiral learning technique, revisiting essential facts throughout the text to reinforce understanding.

A notable feature is the book’s attention to physiological differences between male and female athletes. Pettinger provides tailored nutritional advice for girls, considering their menstrual cycles. The inclusion of daily meal plans with macro breakdowns and explanations of nutrient timing is particularly valuable. These plans are designed around the typical schedules of student runners, including variations for afternoon practice and race days.

Furthermore, the book addresses the crucial aspect of mental health, focusing on fueling the brain for academic performance and tackling issues such as body image and eating disorders. Rather than dwelling on the problems themselves, Pettinger emphasizes proactive solutions, such as fostering team support, recognizing signs of imbalance, and promoting a healthy team dynamic. A practical section on how to approach someone suspected of having an eating disorder is included.

The text also touches upon the female athlete triad: energy availability, hormonal function, and bone mineral density. Anecdotes from athletes who began training in childhood further illustrate the importance of balancing various factors for optimal athletic and overall well-being.

Pettinger has developed an accompanying curriculum, accessible via a QR code in the book. This curriculum appears to offer user-friendly resources at a reasonable cost. A dedicated chapter on meal prepping, including cooking safety tips and family-friendly recipes, adds further practical value.

Overall, The Young Runner’s Guide to Nutrition is an impressive resource that effectively conveys a wealth of information in a readable and multifaceted manner. Pettinger successfully broadens the scope of “nutrition” to encompass a range of interconnected factors crucial for young athletes.

While this book focuses on the specific needs of runners, it prompts consideration for similar guides tailored to other types of athletes or even non-athletes seeking to enhance their mental energy.

For more information click here

BBQ Blends from Sugar Plum

Wow. I got a sample of these to try at home and they are fantastic.

Pour some of these on your ribs (I used the boneless ones) and rub it in. Don’t worry about it getting on your hands, that just means you’ll be smelling the aroma even closer! 😉

Cook them nice and slow, on the grill or in the oven, and you will be amazed at the marvelous flavor that’s released. What an improvement over my old method based on just the barbecue sauce.

Don’t wait. Try these today.

– reviewed by Chuck Gregory, Party Digest webmaster, Fort Lauderdale

For more information click here

Rings are great gifts – Starlette Galleria

Starlette Galleria has a great selection of rings at affordable prices. Since my wife turned 65 today, the ring made a perfect gift for her. The picture shows her with the ring on her finger, next to the green emerald she’s had for years. She was surprised and very happy! Don’t let the expression fool you – it’s pretty hard to get her to smile for a camera 😉

This review prepared by Chuck Gregory and that’s Lorraine, my wife, in the picture.

For more information click here

Healthy Coffee, and a Healthy World – Nora’s Naturals

I wasn’t expecting this to be whole beans! So my review is a bit later than it would have been, I had to buy a grinder.

It was worth it. This coffee is exquisite! Some of the best I’ve ever had, and I drink a lot of coffee. With a strong yet delicate aroma and taste that’s even better, I’m going to be enjoying this for a long time. I kind of like the grinding part.

Here are some details from their website:

Nora’s Naturals organic coffee is grown on a multi-generation family farm in the Nicaraguan Finca Isabel mountain range and hand roasted in Santa Barbara. The beans are grown in volcanic soil, rich in silica, essential for anti-aging collagen production.

Rainforest Alliance and Smithsonian Bird Certified.

3% of profits donated to the Environmental Defense Fund.

– review by Chuck Gregory, Fort Lauderdale, FL

For more information click here

Folios Cheese Wraps

Parmesan Folios are lightly baked sheets of cheese. Recipe ready to crisp, wrap, roll or melt. A deliciously creative and convenient way to enjoy cheese your way everyday! Crisp it in the microwave and form bowls, chips or crumble over soups and salads. make a carb free, high protein wrap or roll. Made from part-skim all natural cheese.

We got to try these and they are great. I’ve long had the habit of taking a slice of Swiss cheese and a slice of ham and rolling them up for a snack. So when I saw these slices of parmesan the size of a burrito wrapper, all sorts of ideas came along. I of course had to try one wrapping up some ham, turkey, and sour cream, a larger version of my traditional snack. But I also experimented a bit with assorted other fillings, and even tried crisping them as described on the package. They were delicious every way I tried them.

Nutrition Facts
Serving size 42 g
Servings per container 4
Calories 180
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 13g
20%
Saturated Fat 8g
40%
Trans Fat 0 g

Cholesterol 45 mg
15%
Sodium 350 mg
15%
Total Carbohydrate 0 g
0%
Dietary Fiber 0 g
0%
Sugars 0 g
Protein 14 g

Calcium 40%
•
Iron 0%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
INGREDIENTS: PARMESAN CHEESE MADE FROM PASTEURIZED COW MILK, SALT, ENZYMES
CONTAINS: MILK.
NON-GMO

For more information click here

Good Gouda – Gayo Azul

An award winning and beloved cheese, Gayo Azul Red Wax Gouda is a true fan-favorite. Imported from the Netherlands this young cheese carries over the rooted traditions of Dutch cheesemaking. Made with whole milk, it has a rich, buttery and slightly sweet flavor. It slices, shreds, and melts very well. It is excellent on a cheeseboard, in a casserole, as a topping or used in sauces and soups.

Here at Party Digest, we got to try some of this and it’s AMAZING. Some of the best cheese I’ve had in years.

For more information click here

Stormy’s World: Inside Porn by Edward Shorter

Stormy Daniels became front page news. The transformation in what used to be called “smut” is astonishing. One moment it’s a “public health crisis” in Nebraska, the next moment Stormy’s bodyguards are fighting off the photographers as she swans into a court hearing that directly affects the president of the United States.

This book sets Stormy in context. But it’s not just a biopic. It’s about the larger forces at play here.

For more information click here

Pics – PGI workshop on Yoga and Yoga therapy

The first ever PGI workshop on Yoga and Yoga therapy was held in three phases in PGI, Chandigarh. The morning witnessed about 200 individuals who learnt the theory and practice of shatkarmas particularly highly demanding Gaj Karee and Vyagrakarni for which mr Savant had fasted for past 48 hrs. He demonstrated fountain like ejection of water from mouth using yogic practice and power. Later many people learnt Jal Neti and Vaman kriya from him. It was followed by Dr Rajvi Mehta’s demonstration of Iyengar Yoga asanas. This was followed by an excellent discourse on science of consciousness.

The academic session was inaugurated by Dr Jaideep Arya the Chief coordinator of Patanjali and also on Govt’s inter ministerial committee on Yoga education. Dr Anil Bhansali, Prof and Head of Endocrinology talked about importance of integrating ancient techniques with modern medicine for management of metabolic disorders. The plenary talk was given by Dr Sat Bir Khalsa from Harvard Univ, who gave an overview of yoga based research and its superior clinical outcome over excercise benefits and emphasised the self regulatory aspect of yoga which is not incorporated in western philosophy. This philosophical perspective was theorised by Dr Pankaj Srivastava in his talk who spoke about Raj yoga, Karma yoga and Gyan Yoga. Dr Rima Dada from AIIMS elaborated on the evidence based effect of Yoga with her data which showed gene based changes in patients of infertility and Depression

The panel discussion attracted overwhelming participation and all the questions were directed towards urgent need for integration of Yoga with modern medicine for the benefit of patients.

DANCE TO UNITE presents 5th Annual Benefit: Lead the Way

Tuesday, May 15 at 6:30 PM to Tuesday, May 15 at 9:00 PM
Manny Cantor Center

DANCE TO UNITE
presents
5th Annual Benefit: Lead the Way
Tuesday, May 15, 2018 at 6:30pm
Manny Cantor Center

Dance to Unite presents the 5th Annual Benefit: Lead the Way on Tuesday, May 15, 2018 at 6:30pm, featuring a dance performance from Peridance Contemporary Dance Company, at the Manny Cantor Center, 197 East Broadway, NYC. Tickets are $150 and are available at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lead-the-way-dance-to-unites-5th-annual-benefit-tickets-43849071754.

Join the Dance to Unite Board, Host Committee, Guests, and Volunteer Teachers for an unforgettable evening of performances, wine reception, passed hors d’oeuvres, silent auction, music and mingling to celebrate dance and diversity in New York City. The evening will include a performance by Dance to Unite students from PS64 and Emmy Award-winning journalist Susan Farkas presents a mini-documentary. All proceeds support Dance to Unite’s critical work in offering free multicultural, dance classes to inner-city public school kids in Manhattan’s Lower East Side, Chinatown, Chelsea, East Harlem, Brooklyn and the Bronx.

This year, Dance to Unite proudly honors Allen Kovac, CEO and President of 10th Street Entertainment, one of the world’s leading music management companies. He will be joined by featured speaker, Igal Perry, Artistic Director of Peridance Contemporary Dance Company and founder of Peridance, named one of the best dance schools by Time Out Magazine.

ALLEN KOVAC
CEO/Founder, Tenth Street Entertainment/The Eleven Seven Music Group
In his more than four-decade-long career in the music business, Allen Kovac has been an independent maverick and entrepreneur, a pioneering, self-taught executive who not only predicted music industry trends, but put them into practice. At his core, though, the record company management firm/music publisher founder is at heart an artist advocate, one who makes sure to maximize that talent through creative marketing, promotion and a big data-based approach. As a leading voice in the indie community, Kovac is involved as a committee member for A2IM (American Association of Independent Music) and has been instrumental in working with international trade organization Merlin to improve relations with the major streaming services.

Born in Israel to Holocaust survivor parents who fought in the country war for independence in 1948, Kovac moved with his family to Houston at three, revealing his business skills when he joined with his older (by a year) brother Phillip to book acts like ZZ Top and Michael Murphey to his high school. Dropping out of the University of Oregon in Eugene after a year, he convinced a local Chinese restaurant owner to let him use the venue to promote rock bands there at night. The Place became a vital tour stop for groups between San Francisco and Portland, with Allen and Phillip’s company, TDA (Totally Dedicated to Artists) Productions bringing in such acts as Tom Petty, Talking Heads and Elvis Costello to the 500-capacity room between 1974 and 1984. “Back then there was a culture of music,” he recalls. “People like Ken Kesey and the Grateful Dead… It was a true community.”

In 1985 Allen created Tenth Street Entertainment, an artist management company in LA that included Richard Marx, Duran Duran, The Cranberries, Motley Crue and Meatloaf. By 1995 Allen had an interest in branching out from traditional music marketing and created a joint venture with DDB Needham and Strategic Research. These companies were media buying and consumer research ventures for the music industry. Highlights include Garth Brooks, Meatloaf Bat Out Of Hell 2, and the Beatles. He continued expanding management to The Bee Gees, Blondie, Luther Vandross, Yes, and En Vogue.

In 2006 Allen founded E7LG – The Eleven Seven Music Group to give artists the integrated world wide marketing campaigns and direct distribution with ITunes, Amazon, Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube and Deezer.

While the major labels tend to their quarterly billing with a steady diet of hip-hop and pop, Kovac has doubled down on rock and artist development, which he’s studied for nearly 45 years now, recognizing what it takes to succeed, and applying principles both old school and up-to-date.

From Richard Marx to Nothing More, the Santa Antonio, TX band which just garnered three Grammy nominations earlier this year, Allen Kovac has had his finger on the pulse of the music business, and he’s not about to let up.

Allen is currently co-producing the movie “The Dirt” (based the on biography of the legendary rock band Mötely Crü) with Julie and Rick Yorn for Netflix, and a musical based on Nikki Sixx’s autobiography “The Heroin Diaries.”

Allen Kovac continues to break new ground. “Whatever I don’t know, I learn,” he says simply. Call him a quick learner.

IGAL PERRY
Founder and Artistic Director of Peridance Contemporary Dance Company and Peridance Capezio Center
Igal Perry is a world-renowned choreographer, ballet master, and dance educator. Mr. Perry’s elegant choreography, often in collaboration with contemporary composers, has been described as “blessedly inventive” (Jennifer Dunning, NYTimes). His works have been set on prestigious companies and performed at renowned festivals including Florence Dance Festival and Invito Alla Danza (Italy), Batsheva and Bat-Dor Dance Companies and the Karmiel Dance Festival (Israel), Ailey II and Complexions Contemporary Ballet (NYC), Companhia de Danca de Lisboa (Portugal), and Alberta Ballet (Canada). This year his new work Infinity will be set on the San Jose Ballet.

Born in Israel, Igal Perry began his dancing career with Karmon, a folk dance company. He later joined the Bat-Dor Dance Company, where he worked with leading teachers and choreographers including Alvin Ailey, Benjamin Harkarvy, John Butler, Rudi Van Dantzig, Inesse Alexandrov, Paul Sanasardo, and Lar Lubovitch. Upon arriving in the United States, Mr. Perry joined Dennis Wayne’s Dancers as ballet master and choreographer. During that period, he staged John Butler’s work for the NYC Opera, the Opera of Munich, Caracas Ballet, and Teatro Alla Scala in Milan, where he also directed the world premiere of Krzysztof Penderecki’s opera Paradise Lost. From 1981-1982, Mr. Perry headed the ballet department at Jacob’s Pillow. In 1983, he launched his dance school, Peridance Capezio Center, now one of New York City’s leading dance institutions. A year later he founded Peridance Contemporary Dance Company, for which he has choreographed over 50 works, with performances at BAM, The Joyce Theater, and City Center.

In addition to his daily class at Peridance, Mr. Perry serves as guest faculty/choreographer at The Jacob’s Pillow Festival, The Ailey School, and Marymount Manhattan College. Since 1995, Mr. Perry has served as a guest teacher at The Juilliard School, where he staged his Intimate Voices and Mourning Song. His international teaching engagements include Scapino Ballet and Het National Ballet (Holland), Laterna Magica and the National Ballet (Prague), Architanz (Tokyo), The Royal Ballet of Sweden and Balettakademien (Sweden), the National Ballet of China, and the Kwang-Ju City Ballet Company (Korea).

PERIDANCE CONTEMPORARY DANCE COMPANY
Founded by Artistic Director Igal Perry, New York City’s Peridance Contemporary Dance Company has been a powerhouse of energetic and evocative dance since 1984. Operating from its home at the renowned Peridance Capezio Center at Union Square, the Company presents an annual New York Season at the Salvatore Capezio Theater as well as guest performances in venues such as the Joyce Theater, BAM, and Lincoln Center. In addition to Perry’s signature works, described by the NY Times as “blessedly inventive”, the Company has commissioned and performed works by many choreographers including Ohad Naharin, Dwight Rhoden, and Sidra Bell. In the past five years alone, the Company’s domestic and international tours have brought contemporary dance to over 45,000 audience members around the globe in festivals and venues such as Jacob’s Pillow Inside/Out, Big Arts Florida, Spring to Dance St. Louis, Florence Dance Festival, Tel Aviv Dance, Seoul International Dance Festival, and many more. The Company’s “Dance-Break” outreach program provides an array of creative dance workshops for youth, often in underserved schools. PCDC has been generously supported by the New York State Council on the Arts, Capezio Dance Foundation, Harkness Foundation, Google, the Jewish Communal Fund, PNC Bank, and the Sequoia Foundation.

Dance to Unite, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to use dance as a vehicle to teach and to celebrate cultural diversity. We are committed to creating positive experiences for children to develop understanding, acceptance, respect and compassion for all cultures culminating in unity for the purpose of future peace. Dance to Unite, Inc. partners with After School programs to offer weekly free dance classes with an educational component that celebrates cultural diversity. The classes are complemented periodically with special guest artists who conduct workshops to promote our mission of unity and peace. Each Dance to Unite class culminates with and end of the year performance.
www.dancetounite.org

For more information click here

Movenpick Soul Restaurant

Jumeriah Beach Resort can be a hectic merry go-around with the latest Middle East cars with their boy toys cruising around — but if you are looking for a relaxing, yet very elegant, and semi-discreet hideaway to entertain a client, or visitor, or a surreptitious date, consider the Soul Restaurant & Bar at the Movenpick Hotel’s JBR location.

Chef Baljit Kumar (seen at left) is quietly cooking up a storm at Soul Restaurant & Bar (he came over from Trader Vic’s) and he can cook with a magician’s wand. (“What did you see first: Duck or Rabbit?” is just one brain test he gives himself on Facebook!).

On a recent visit, we were treated by him to, among many mouthwatering treats, a medium Rib Eye Steak (300g) called the Australian Wagyu.

Just like Dubai, the steak was lavishly embroiled with a Marco Polo-esque twist: A Japanese cow by virtue of Australia. Only in Dubai, right?

The highest in the food chain among cows, a Wagyu commands a high price in Japan. But it is in Australia where it really attains the cash cow status, really. Aussies are the largest breeders outside of Japan.

And with a strong Aussie expat community in Dubai, the dish attains its holy status!

The meat was tender, even for a medium flame, but cured just right for the succulence that was about to follow with mashed potatoes and exotic spinach.

The restaurant offers an eclectic wine list, and you will never be wanting for the specials of the day.

Hotel restaurants can get a bum rap for being an extension of the breakfast buffet for a weary business traveler or jet-eyed lag but Soul Restaurant is a welcome respite — and a great breeding ground for the hungry stomach and the bounties thereafter!

For more information click here.

  

Review: Coffee Wine

I got a sample of Coffee Wine, so now I’m reporting what I thought.

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Friends Beverage Group (aka/The Fun Wine Company) of Miami, FL, has launched the World’s First Coffee Wines ™ — Cabernet Espresso ™ and Chardonnay Cappuccino ™ — in New York under the FRIENDS FUN WINE ® brand. Imported from the EU, FUN WINE ™ is a friendly tasting recreational drink that makes wine fun for the general population with refreshing flavors. The New Lifestyle Drink ™ comes with half the alcohol of wine and has no preservatives, gluten or caffeine. It is very affordable, so everyone can enjoy it. Joe Peleg, CEO, explained, “We believe in ‘Responsible Fun’ and ask consumers to ‘Reduce the alcohol…and Increase the Fun!” Lower alcohol translates to lower calories as well.

COFFEE WINE ™ is an everyday beverage for:

• Women
• Millennials, age 21-35
• New, occasional and casual wine drinkers
• Consumers who seek alternatives to wine and beer
• Consumers who prefer lower alcohol

Benefits include:

• Multiple flavors – Coffee, Strawberry/Peach Moscato, Red/White Sangria
• Affordability-$1.99 -$2.29/can (~ $1.00/serving)
• Lower alcohol than wine
• Lower calories than wine or beer (75-94 calories/serving)
• Attractive, portable, lightweight, unbreakable, tamper-proof, quick chilling, recyclable cans
• 33% more wine than 187.5 ml wine bottles

WHAT DIFFERENTIATES FUN WINE ™ FROM TRADITIONAL WINE?

FUN WINE™ is a new beverage category of recreational wine drinks for the general population. It is defined not by vintage, heritage or other highbrow hallmarks of wine, and is not for wine aficionados.

You do not sniff it. You do not swirl it in a glass. You do not tout its origin. You do not pour it into red or white wine glasses. FUN WINE ™ does not compete with wine, but is an everyday fun and affordable recreational drink for the masses – and The Alternative to Beer. ™

Check out this video about Breakfast in Bed!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5W1A5FQVQpU

The new beverage category is distributed in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx, Staten Island, Nassau and Suffolk by Union Beer Distributors. Upstate distributors include Try-It Distributing — Niagara and Erie, and DeCrescente Distributing — Albany, Columbia, Fulton, Greene, Montgomery, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Washington, and Warren.

Retailers include CVS Health ®, 7-Eleven ®, Tops Markets ® and many convenience stores.

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I had a nice selection of flavors so I waited till I finished all of them before writing the review. The one I liked best was the Peach Moscato.

My overall impression of these is that they are interesting. They aren’t as gross as I thought they might be, in fact I drank all of them… If I were looking for a quick alcohol buzz from a store that didn’t have hard liquor I might be tempted to buy these.

I’m still not convinced that coffee and wine really go together. But it was nice to have a can of something that wasn’t beer, since I hate beer.

These are definitely worth checking out if you, too, are looking for an alternative to take to the beer bashes. Have fun!

Flyp-Duo

FLYP-DUO Reversible USB Charge & Sync Cable

$24.99

I received a sample of the Flyp-Duo a couple of weeks ago. I’ve been using it nonstop ever since.

It’s really nice to be able to plug in either my iPad or my MemoPad without having to change the cable. Very convenient. Being able to plug the usb into the computer without worrying which way is up is another excellent feature, which is important because I use my computer a lot now a days for work and visiting sites like http://mycsgoboosting.com/guides/how-to-rank-up-in-csgo that improve with my ranking in games like CSGO.

When I first plugged in the iPad, it didn’t occur to me that the reason there are both male and female mini-usb connectors is that you have to mate them in order to use the lightning connector. To someone who is not an engineer that would probably be obvious; to me, with 30 years of experience matching the gazintas and the gazoutas, it was not. I thought there were three ways of connecting to the usb… [facepalm]. No, I didn’t read the directions…I’m a guy.

Once I got past that cockpit error, everything was great. I highly recommend this innovative cable. It works great for charging and also for syncing the data.

See more at http://www.tylt.com/flyp-duo-reversible-usb