Bonnie Carroll's Life Bites

Summer coverage of Embassy Suites by Hilton Mandalay Bay Resort in Oxnard and Oxnard Salsa Festival highlights. A cruise in the Channel Islands with Gondola Paridiso was a treat for the senses.

September is a great time for traveling, especially in Europe. Most of the tourists have gone home, and the real 'world-travelers' are there. The weather in Austria, Hungary, Germany Italy, Switzerland, France, or just about any place abroad is perfect for sightseeing, outdoor dining, window shopping or just strolling on the Elizabeth Bridge with your special someone. This is the pergect time to Cruise the rivers in Europe on Viking River Cruise ships and savor the sights and flavors they offer. Fall is a special time to visit Canada, and every city has special events scheduled for fall.

Watch for story on The Bayou Open - 17th annual benefit for the Santa Barbara Rescue Mission; great auction, food and music at Dos Pueblos Ranch in October 6. For reservations visit (www.sbrm.org).

Cuinary Coup has great food & wine news, with details on chef competitions and charity events around California. Take a look at our recipes below for a fun fall dinner. Just returned from Budapest, where I ate so much wonderful goulash and hope you enjoy the recipe. Try a bottle of nice German Riesling with this signature dish of Hungary.

September TASTE OF THE TOWN Gala Connoiseurs Dinner prepared by Four Star Chefs + Hilton Chef to be held at the beautiful and newly renovated Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort benefitting Arthritis Foundation Central Coast. Wines for the Gala Dinner provided by Au Bon Climat. Look for follow up story.

Come with me on a dining journey at Kollazs Brasserie & Bar in the Four Seasons Gresham Palace in Budapest, Hungary. Our Kids K section has some great ideas for kids lunch fun, and distractions for teens. Travel section features summer and fall travel recommended scenes, both in europe and at home. Book Bites offers exciting new celebrity Book Publishing business.

Look for Emmy and Governors Ball bites, pre-Emmy celebrity suite news to include menu preview and parties hosted by GBK Gavin

Keilly, Mark Harris at WOW, Secret Room! and more honoring Emmy nominees and VIPS. We'll have Beverly Hills hot spot news during Emmy Week, perhaps a revisit to newly opened Waldorf Astoria in Beverly Hills or lunch at Avec Nous, to enjoy cool menus and sips being served to celebs before and after the Emmy Awards. Congratulations to all the Emmy nominees and winners, and to the Patina Catering and vintners providing all the divine food and beverages highlighted at these major entertainment events.

We all must continue to pray for our young men and women fighting in foreign countries. They need our prayers -- they need to come home safely! May God help the victims of sensless attacks in Europe and around the world.

A special thank you to Deni of Center for Senior Living for a nice story she wrote about my life, health, work, life and loves. See link here

Support your local restaurants, hotels and business' and let's give America a renewed strength and abundance of growth. Congratulations to the LA Food & Wine Event producers on yet another a great job sharing information and tastes of wine from around the world in LA! Please enjoy the delicious recipe below for veal goulash from Vienna.

Creamy Viennese Veal Goulash

The goulash originates from Hungary. When it came to Vienna in the middle of the 19th century, it had little in common with the dish that is so popular in Vienna today: It was a kind of thin soup made of pepper, potatoes, onions and tomatoes. The Viennese cuisine reinvented it into a viscid, spicy and fiery beef dish. For the more noble creamy Viennese veal goulash you will need tender veal and whipped cream for refining.

Ingredients:

Preparation:

Cut the meat into bite-size cubes and chop the onions. Heat the oil in a casserole dish and lightly fry the meat. Remove, then saute the onions. Add the tomato paste and paprika powder and pour on the wine. Add the meat and add water so the meat is just covered. Add the bay leaf, salt and pepper and stew for about 1 1/2 hours.
As soon as the meat is tender, remove again with a draining spoon. Remove the bay leaf. Cut the apple into small cubes and add to the goulash, along with the lemon juice and grated lemon rind. Mix in the flour, cream and sour cream. Stir well.
Bring to boil then mix with a hand-held mixer. Strain the liquid and add the meat again, adding salt and pepper to taste.

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