Today represents the 4-week anniversary of my Zen Foodism blog. Special thanks to all the food bloggers who have been more than supportive and welcoming to me as I embark on this adventure of documenting my all-consuming passion for food and drink. It’s been so exciting for me to see how people from all over the world share a common interest for food. I guess it makes sense since we all eat!

Each weekend, I am going to post a round-up of my favorite recipes, comments, new sites, etc. of the preceding week. I’m calling it “Favorite Foodism” and I hope you’ll enjoy seeing the various content that caught my eye each week.

Tips From Zen Foodism Readers

When I lamented the stresses of serving a cake that I’d never made before to a roomful of party guests, KitchenMage offered a clever and sensible suggestion: “Next time you try a new recipe, make one cupcake to eat–you’ll never notice the difference in amount of cake and that way you can rest easy that it tastes good.” Perfect solution!

After enjoying Mango Sake at the amazing Matsuhisa in L.A., Catherine of Food Musings told me how to make this fruity beverage at home: “You can easily make mango sake at home. Just get a bottle of sake — one with enough acidity not to be overwhelmed by the mango. Cut up a ripe mango and add to 750 ml of sake. Cover and chill for 5 days, then remove the mango and serve within one week. Voila!” Thanks, Catherine! And my liver thanks you, too!

Most Intriguing Recipe

Rachael over at Fresh Approach Cooking shared a recipe for Figgy Tapenade. I can’t stop thinking about it and I definitely need to make it soon, especially since I’ve never cooked with figs before and everyone’s talking about them lately! Thanks, Rachael!

For San Diego Foodies

Anyone going to the Celebrate the Craft food event next weekend? Let me know if you’ll be there and maybe we can meet up! Special thanks to fellow S.D. food blogger Angie for letting me know about this event that is certainly right up my alley!

If you’re in San Diego right now, then you know that we’ve been going through a crazy heat wave. September is always the hottest month around here. Thanks, Candice, for letting me know about Tea Station, a place you can pick up a refreshing glass of iced tea as well as treats to eat.

Another interesting thing I learned from Candice’s site recently is the trend of Home Happy Hours in San Diego. I love this idea because as I get older I don’t want to party in clubs any more. With my well-stocked liquor cabinet and all the comforts of home, I prefer to socialize in a more private setting. I hope this trend takes off!

My Kind of Site

Liquor Snob - I think the name says it all and I look forward to reading it regularly.

For All Foodies

Did you hear that Rachael Ray got married in Italy this week? Mazel Tov to Rachael and Mr. Rachael!

How Coke Became Kosher - Have you ever noticed the little kosher symbols on many packaged products? The symbols may seem small, but a lot of work goes into securing the legitimacy of the labelling system for kosher food. The New York Times tells the interesting story of how Coke became kosher without compromising their secret recipe.

That’s it for me today! Have a fantastic weekend, everyone!