Miss Adventures » Consume

Rule Britannia: My Article for Saveur

Melanie Renzulli — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 18:08:06 +0000

A few years ago, I had the pleasure of writing a FOB (front of the book) “feature” on the legendary Parsi eatery Britannia & Co. for Saveur magazine. At the time, I was living in Bombay, India, and had frequented Britannia enough to know that it deserved to be written about – if not by [...]

My Culinary Tour of Montreal

Melanie Renzulli — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 01:14:55 +0000

There are some travel destinations you visit for the sightseeing and some you visit simply for relaxation. Montreal falls into the latter category specifically as a city where you can relax, recharge, and tuck into some of the best food this side of the Atlantic. I had always heard about Montreal’s culinary traditions: France-centric with [...]

Review: Vinturi Wine Aerator

Melanie Renzulli — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 17:00:17 +0000

I am not a wine expert. I’ve never been a sommelier and I have a rather rudimentary understanding of wine grapes, varietals, bouquets, and all the other vocabulary that goes with being a connoisseur du vin. So it was with great surprise when the PR company behind the Vinturi Wine Aerator contacted me about reviewing [...]

Five Reasons Why I’m Returning My Kindle

Melanie Renzulli — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 16:47:44 +0000

On Christmas morning, I was one of the thousands of people who awoke to find a Kindle, Amazon’s e-book reader and the company’s “most gifted” product ever, under the tree. As my family’s gadget geek, I was definitely excited to test out the holiday season’s most talked about toy, even though I hardly have time [...]

More Great Gifts for the Sensory Kid

Melanie Renzulli — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 18:30:33 +0000

Looking back over my last post Gift Ideas for the Sensory Kid, I know I could’ve included even more gift ideas. So here I am – back with some more tips. Crayola Color Me a Song I am pretty excited about this product, which I bought a couple of weeks ago to put under the [...]

Gift Ideas for the Sensory Kid

Melanie Renzulli — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 21:48:47 +0000

Since my son was diagnosed with PDD-NOS (aka “atypical autism”) and Sensory Processing Disorder, I’ve had a tough time figuring out suitable toys and games to get him. Sure, he’s happy with just about the same stuff any other kid is – blocks, mind-numbing, battery-powered toys, ride-on toys, etc. But I know that a lot [...]

Fashion Tips for the Mom Who Has Let Herself Go

Melanie Renzulli — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 22:59:03 +0000

When I was in high school, I used to be obsessed with fashion. Instead of doodling flowers or names of bands on my notebooks, I wrote names of fashion designers and models. After all, I did grow up during the age of the supermodel and CNN’s Style with Elsa Klensch. I never missed an episode [...]

Perfect Summer Salad

Melanie Renzulli — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 13:45:43 +0000

My staple during this hot Turkish summer has been kisir, what some call Turkish Tabbouleh. It’s not really a salad, but it makes the perfect cold side for stuffed peppers or karniyarik (another Turkish dish I’m making a lot lately). I learned this recipe from my maid, but you can also find a perfectly good [...]

Beypazarı and the Food of Anatolia

Melanie Renzulli — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 19:46:28 +0000

Last weekend we went to Beypazarı, a small village an hour and a half by bus from Ankara. Located on the old “Istanbul to Baghdad route,” Beypazarı has been inhabitated by various tribes and peoples, including the Seljuks, who left behind a 12C mosque, and the Ottomans, whose “konak” houses dot the town’s hillside. Beypazarı [...]

Evacuation Plan

Melanie Renzulli — Tue, 15 May 2007 12:27:28 +0000

Earthquakes. Forest fires. New Orleans. Iraq. So many natural and man-made disasters are in the news lately that I keep hearing about “evacuation plans.” As serious as such things may be, I couldn’t help thinking about using the phrase in a humorous way on a baby onesie. Click on the photo above to see the [...]

Why I Love Shoes

Melanie Renzulli — Wed, 04 May 2005 13:15:20 +0000

I just stumbled across this poem of sorts that I wrote last year for some shoe-loving jingle contest. Not quite sure why I didn’t win. I still think this is kinda cute: (Sing to the tune of “My Favorite Things” from The Sound of Music) Round-toed Manolos and sky-high stilettos Flip flops to wear when [...]

Jonesing for a Burger

Melanie Renzulli — Fri, 17 Sep 2004 14:25:50 +0000

Okay. So I did it. I haven’t been here more than three weeks, and I got this outrageous craving for a burger today. I think it’s because I was emailing my former colleagues at the Diner and it got me thinking back to the hundreds of burgers I ate and/or served while there. I hate [...]

Fahrenheit 9/11

Melanie Renzulli — Mon, 28 Jun 2004 15:44:00 +0000

Saturday I went to see the 10:30AM showing of Fahrenheit 9/11, and I cried and cried throughout the entire two hours. I don’t know if that’s what Michael Moore was going for when he made the movie, but it really hit me like a ton of bricks, starting with the scene when you hear – [...]

Zucchini Fritters

Melanie Renzulli — Mon, 14 Jun 2004 16:04:51 +0000

Zucchini is in season right now, and soon there will be so much we won’t know what to do with it. I could probably eat zucchini everyday. It’s so versatile – grill it, sautee it, fry it up. Yesterday morning, I took to frittering it. I modified this recipe from the May 2002 issue of [...]