DECK THE HOLIDAY'S

   Thaipusam   is  a  Hindu  festival celebrated mostly by the  Tamil  community on the full moon in the  Tamil month  of  Thai  (January/February). It is celebrated not only in countries where the Tamil community constitutes a majority, but also in countries where Tamil communities are smaller, such as  Mauritius ,  Singapore  and  Malaysia .    The word  Thaipusam  is derived from the month name  Thai  and  Pusam , which refers to a star that is at its highest point during the festival. The festival commemorates the occasion when  Parvati  gave  Murugan  a  vel  "spear" so he could vanquish the evil demon  Soorapadam . There is a misconception among people that Thaipusam marks Murugan's birthday; however, it is believed that Vaikhasi Vishakam, which falls in the Vaikhasi month (May/June), is Murugan's birthday. Origin    Skanda (or Murugan) was created during one of the battles between the Asuras (or to be more specific Soorapadman) and the Devas. At

    Benjamin Franklin once wrote in a letter to a friend:  "in the world nothing can be said to be certain except   death and taxes".  When the inevitable happens, funeral rites, rituals, and ceremonies must be undertaken. Funeral customs are as old as civilization itself, and they vary from region to region.     In many cultures and religions, cemeteries (from the Greek  koimeterion  or Latin  coemeterium , meaning sleeping place) are used for death ceremonies, burial, mourning and memorial. Unusual or historical cemeteries have also become popular tourist attractions....cemetery tourism, the  "dark"  side of tourism, is a growing phenomenon around the world.     Here is a list of the top 10 unusual and most visited cemeteries: Cimetiere Des Chiens - Cimetiere des Chiens , a cemetery for dogs and other domestic animals, is said to be the world's oldest public pet cemetery. It is located in  Asnieres-sur Seine , a commune in the no

Tiramisu Dip Espresso, marsala, and mascarpone cheese whipped into an airy dessert dip. Difficulty:  Easy |  Total Time:  10 mins |  Active Time:  10 mins  |  Makes: 3 1/2 cups (8 to 10 servings) By turning  tiramisu  into a dip, you skip all the hassle of making the traditional trifle without losing any of the flavor. We liked strawberries and various cookies as dipping instruments, but the dip could also be spooned into individual cups with a few ladyfingers for a quick, elegant dessert. Game plan:  The dip can be made up to 2 days in advance and refrigerated in a covered container. This recipe was featured as part of our story on summer dips. INGREDIENTS 12 ounces mascarpone cheese (about 1 1/2 cups) 8 ounces ricotta cheese (about 1 cup) 1/2 cup granulated sugar 2 tablespoons brewed espresso 2 tablespoons Marsala or Kahlúa 1 teaspoon cocoa powder 1/2 cup finely chopped bittersweet chocolate INSTRUCTIONS Place mascarpone in a stand mixer fitte

Vietnamese Coffee Ice Pops Recip A frozen-pop version of the classic iced coffee! Difficulty:  Easy |  Total Time:  15 mins, plus at least 8 hrs chilling and freezing time  |  Makes: About 6 (4-ounce) ice pops Like classic Vietnamese iced coffee, this frozen pop contains strong brewed coffee and sweetened condensed milk. It’s a caffeinated treat that’s not recommended for the kiddies! Special equipment:  You will need freezer pop molds for this recipe. We used these molds, but any kind will work. If yours don’t come with sticks that attach securely, you can buy wooden sticks and insert them about 1 1/2 hours into the freezing time. This recipe was featured as part of our 7 Ice Pops That Break the Mold. INGREDIENTS 3/4 cup  strong French roast  coffee  grounds, such as Café Du Monde, Cafe’de Paris, or Trung Nguyen 2 cups   water 1 (14-ounce) can   sweetened condensed milk 1 cup  heavy  cream INSTRUCTIONS Brew the coffee with the measured water.

    Can you say  Starkbierzeit?  It's German for  "strong beer festival",  an event held every March in Munich. For two weeks, breweries bring out their most potent beverages, and beer halls throw noisy parties with a host of Bavarian entertainment and food. It's Oktoberfest without the tourists.     The festival's roots go back to the  Paulaner monks  who, according to legend, began making an extra strength beer to sustain themselves during their Lenten fast. The beer, first brewed in the 17th century, gained a  "word of mouth"  following. The townspeople called it  Salvator.     Strong beer's popularity took off after Napoleon rode into town and sold the monasteries to local businessmen. Paulaner ended up in the hands of a entrepreneur named  Franz Xavier Zacheri , who turned the monastery into a beer hall and mass produced the monks' beer. In an inspired bit of marketing, he promoted  Salvator  as a cure for the wi

    I know there are thousands, if not millions of chocolate lovers out there. I happen to be one of those people and have tried several different chocolate treats in my lifetime. So what do I consider to be the top chocolate treats? I find that there are several different chocolate treat categories and there are treats in each category that are better than the rest. This article will stick to foods you can buy in almost any grocery store. These chocolate treats are low in price but high in taste. Candy bars:  We've all tried several varieties of this chocolate treat, but which ones are the best? Throughout my life, my tastes have changed and I've had several different favorites. My favorites lean now to either the milky way bar , with it's chocolate and caramel, or a nice big snickers bar, with the chocolate and caramel and a little dose of peanuts to go with it. Ice Cream:  Let's face it, just plain old chocolate ice cream

  A dark chocolate cookie-crumb crust and “Jumbo” foil baking cups give these fanciful tarts a chic twist. Go ahead and pour the cheesecake filling all the way to the top of the extra-tall cups – it doesn’t rise during baking.                      Ingredients 12  jumbo-size aluminum foil baking cups Vegetable cooking spray 1  (9-oz.) package chocolate wafer cookies 1/2 cup  butter, melted 3  (8-oz.) packages cream cheese, softened 1 1/2 cups  sugar 2 teaspoons  key lime zest 1/3 cup  fresh key lime juice 3  large eggs Garnishes: sweetened whipped cream, fresh cherries and blackberries, fresh mint leaves Preparation 1. Preheat oven to 350°. Place 12 jumbo-size aluminum foil baking cups in lightly greased muffin pans, and coat with cooking spray. 2. Pulse chocolate wafer cookies in a food processor 8 to 10 times or until finely crushed. Stir together cookie crumbs and butter; firmly press on bottom and two-thirds up sides o