Lions and tigers (but not bears), oh my!

McCarthy’s Wildlife Sanctuary’s newest addition is Minza, the lion cub.

She is “just the sweetest thing”, according to Mark McCarthy, owner of McCarthy’s Wildlife Sanctuary.

For a limited time, McCarthy’s is offering a “Rumble in the Jungle” with this friendly feline beginning August 22, 2011.
Tours are by appointment.

The cost is $25 per person for the Rumble with Minza.
$20 for a tour of the facility for adults and $10 for children.

IF YOU GO:

Where: 12943 61st St. North, West Palm Beach

When: Tours are by reservation only. Monday-Saturday 11:00am-12:00pm-1:00pm-2:00pm

More Info: Directions, invite friends, more | Phone: (561) 790-2116

One of my favorite summer snacks is a dish born of separation anxiety.

My friend and I created this dish when we were in the fourth grade. Our mothers were off on a shopping trip and we were craving a snack. Not just any ordinary snack, but one filled with the scents and flavors of their Pakistani cooking.

So we tried to re-create their flavors by sprinkling all their favorite spices, the ones we had watched them cook with so often, into a bowl of mashed potatoes. Moments later, we had potato patties, or as we liked to call them, "Potato Pataties."

Our childhood experiment evolved through the years. Not only have we refined the recipe, my mom has added her own touch to it as well. The raita, or yogurt dip, is an addition that came later. It helps cool the palate after eating something spicy.

This is a quick, easy recipe (don’t let all the steps scare you), and it makes a great "wow" appetizer when you’re expecting lots of guests.

These “pataties” freeze well, so I tend to make enough for an army, then freeze them and enjoy as wanted. I like to garnish them with fresh chopped cilantro.

Potato Patties with Raita

4 to 6 medium potatoes

1 to 2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

2 teaspoon ground cumin powder, or to taste

1 teaspoon cumin seeds, or to taste

2 teaspoon coriander, or to taste

1 teaspoon red chili flakes, or to taste

1/4 teaspoon chili powder, or to taste

1/2 small onion, finely chopped (I prefer red)

1/2 bunch of chopped cilantro (optional)

1 cup of vegetable oil or olive oil (I prefer olive)

2 eggs

Stab the potatoes with a fork or knife on all sides.

Use your microwave to bake the potatoes: In a microwave-safe dish, cook the potatoes for 4 minutes, covered. Let them rest for about 1 minute. Then restart for another 5 minutes. Remove dish from microwave and let it cool (approximately 15 minutes or until potatoes are cool to touch).

Peel the potato skins. Using your bare hands, begin mashing the potatoes. Do not use anything other than your hands – you want lumpy, not smoothly mashed potatoes.

After about 15 good squishes, begin adding all your dry ingredients as well as the fresh cilantro.

Mash the ingredients and potatoes together, breaking down the chunks and working them into a smoother consistency.

Taste the mixture and adjust seasonings to taste.

Mold the potato mixture into rounded patties, about 2 to 3 inches in diameter. Set aside.

Beat the eggs until they are smooth.

Heat a frying pan, then add the oil on medium heat for approximately 1 to 2 minutes, until the oil is hot.

Dip the potato patties in the egg, then place them in the hot oil.

Let them cook till the egg starts to brown (about 2 to 3 minutes per side).

Serve them hot with raita (recipe below), or salsa. Or you can eat them just as is.

This makes a great, cool dip to balance the heat from the spicy patties.

Raita (Yogurt Dip)

1 cup yogurt (preferably not nonfat)

1/3 cup milk

1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeded and finely chopped

Salt, to taste

Red pepper flakes, to garnish

Cilantro, to garnish

Garam masala, to garnish

(Garnishes are optional)

Mix the yogurt and milk together, until the mixture is smooth.

Add the cucumber and salt to the yogurt mixture, and mix together with a fork.

Sprinkle dip with any or all of the optional garnish ingredients.

Melissa Wickers of Wellington records her daughter McKenna, 6, as she interacts with a tiger cub at McCarthy Wildlife Sanctuary. (Taylor Jones/The Palm Beach Post)

The newest additions to McCarthy’s Wildlife Sanctuary are 9 week old Jirani and Sauti.

For a limited time McCarthy’s is offering a Tiger Romp. With a $50 donation you will be able to get up close and personal with them.

Read the full story

Ms. LaRouge performs at the over-the-top drag queen bar Lips in Oakland Park.

Having brunch with some girlfriends on a Sunday isn’t considered a ‘drag’ by any stretch of the imagination. Unless you’re having the Sunday Gospel Brunch at Lips in Oakland Park, where drag is a way of life.
The ‘Sisters of Sequins,’ who host the gospel brunch at Lips, serve up diva impersonations that channel their inner Tina Turner and Mariah Carey. Read the full story

THE APP: Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything Vegetarian

WHAT IT DOES: This fantastic application shows you, literally, how to cook everything vegetarian. OK, so we didn’t confirm that it included everything, but it includes plenty.

First off, it has a “kitchen basics” button that explains some fundamental concepts. It has tabs that explain equipment, techniques, ingredients and the basics of various dishes. Then, when you’re ready to get your hands dirty, it allows you to search by various ingredient types, as well as “recipe type” (categories include: fast, make ahead, vegan, etc). Read the full story

Caviar has a reputation as the ultimate treat for the opulent palate. Maybe my palate isn’t in the right tax bracket, because the times that I’ve tasted caviar, I have not been very impressed.

But this Black River brand truly is a delight. The caviar was smooth tasting and lovely. I had it on light, buttery crackers, which added depth and crunch to the bite.

While the caviar I’ve had in the past left an unpleasant, filmy aftertaste in my mouth, this one did not. The fishiness of the caviar wasn’t overwhelming, and the flavor of the Black River sturgeon wasn’t masked by over-salting.

Read the full story

Courtesy itunes.apple.com

THE APP: Allrecipes.com Dinner Spinner

WHAT IT DOES: This awesome app allows you to create a menu for any mealtime (breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, beverages and more), have access to user reviews and ingredient lists, and allows you to “favorite” a recipe, all in a clean, easy to navigate interface.

Once you decide which course you are making, you choose specific ingredients. Then, you tell the app how much time you want it to take. Read the full story