On March 7, San Pellegrino is sponsoring the Almost Famous Chef Competition, where culinary students from all over the United States will compete in a food channel-type event. The winner will receive an internship with a truly famous chef. The events will be broadcast live online. As a foodie and culinary student, I like to consider myself to be an ALMOST almost famous chef. Being a “woman of a certain age” who is using her mid-life crisis to switch careers, I find such events to be very inspirational. If you read my blog, you obviously like food, and most people who like food follow the works of famous chefs. If you watch this competition, one day you can look back and say “I remember seeing xxxxxxx, when he/she was just a student. Now’s your chance to get on the bandwagon, and become a groupie of the next Emeril or Garces.

In thanks to San Pellegrino for making an almost chef’s dreams come true, here is a romantic little drink, light and refreshing, perfect for a Valentine’s day brunch. I’m also including a non-alcoholic version, since kids love fancy drinks.

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Looking for a little Christmas cheer? Having a tree trimming party? Want to give an easy yet unusual gift? Here’s a mix that will warm you in the heart of winter. Hot Buttered Rum is a warm and creamy drink with the scented spice of the season. Make certain to use the orange rind, it makes a huge difference in the flavor. The drink tastes wonderful without the rum, but of course the rum makes it much more festive. Since this takes 5 minutes to make, you can easily make a batch of the mix for every person on your holiday list. Just make certain to make a batch or two for yourself, since you can have a hot mug in a guest’s hand within 2 minutes with this in your kitchen.

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