“Cancel that study abroad trip. Le Cordon Bleu culinary school, which has a branch in Pasadena as well as 15 other campuses across the United States, recently became unable to accept international students to its certificate program.

Foreign students are still eligible to enroll in the associates degree program, but those who sought a certificate only will have to look elsewhere. Spencer says Le Cordon Bleu is working with the affected students to assist them in making alternate arrangements for study at other schools.

Depending on what country a student is from, it may simply mean staying local.”

uh.huh.  That’s not a good news for culinary students who are thinking of flying to France to study in this prestigious culinary school.  Trust me though when I say that the magic of cooking cannot be learned.  You can study in your own local culinary school and you can still be the next big thing in culinary arts – you just have to have the love for cooking and the passion to excel.

Still, this is a good read.  Why not check it out below?  We also have a lot of other delicious reads for you.  By the way, this week, we thought I’d feature peanut butter recipes because – well, who doesn’t like peanut butter?!

Again, if you would like to check out our previous editions, please click here.   If you have something to say or to suggest, why don’t you give me a holler!  Send me an email and I will consider your suggestion or request.

Featured Articles

Test Kitchen tips: Storing knives in a knife block You might consider a horizontal knife block (the slits run side to side); I picked one up a few years ago for my extra knifes at home and fell in love with it. Or do as Times restaurant critic S. Irene Virbila does and go for a magnetic knife rack.

• Pairing Wine with Asian Cuisine

Can wine and Asian cuisine happily coexist?

• Are protein shakes healthy?

The biggest hitch when one thinks of buying protein products is regarding its health factor – is it not harmful for my body? Does it have side effects? Can I not have a natural protein-rich diet? Is it safe to consume protein shakes regularly?

• Fainthearted foodies beware – bug diets

It may not be the most conventional way to get your protein, but nutritionists in Costa Rica say a daily intake of bugs is a great way to embrace a healthy and balanced diet.

• Top 10 Best New Restaurants in America

I can’t promise that your list for 2011 will match mine–after all, how fun would food be if we didn’t get to argue about it? One thing I can promise is that all the spots I’ve chosen, from a Southern gem in Charleston, SC, to a surprising indie hit in Robbinsdale, MN, are driven by passionate people who care deeply about the food they’re cooking.

• ‘Hell’s Kitchen’ Plays Host to Chef Wolfgang Puck

Hell’s Kitchen hosted a culinary star in Chef Wolfgang Puck. He was on hand to judge the cooking challenge.

• Ice Cream Treats Without Ice Cream

One of the best things about making your own fancy ice cream desserts, like those I write about in “A Good Appetite,” is that you don’t actually have to use ice cream. There are so many frozen dessert alternatives out there that those who have to avoid ice cream can still partake.

• What’s cooking in Copenhagen?

For the seventh year running, Denmark’s largest food festival, Copenhagen Cooking, returns with a more spectacular programme than ever offering great late-summer culinary experiences. Throughout 19-28 August, festival guests will have the opportunity to explore the region’s best produce as well as Michelin-starred restaurant food at bargain prices.

• Big-name chef? Customers don’t always buy it

Gone are the days when the star power of an internationally renowned chef all but guaranteed a restaurant’s success. Acclaimed chefs – even those such as Mr. Ramsay, with multiple Michelin stars to his name – are facing newhurdles when expanding their empires.

• Countdown to Taiwan Culinary Exhibition begins

The annual Taiwan Culinary Exhibition is slated to take place at the Taipei World Trade Center Aug. 18 to 21, according to event organizer Taipei-based Chinese Gourmet Association.

• British lemonade causes US alcohol row

Fentimans, a traditional Victorian lemonade enjoyed by British drinkers for more than a century, has caused a row after an American teenager had a bottle confiscated in school for its tiny alcohol content.

Chef Matt G is the guy behind the Chef Blog Digest, he is a well seasoned all rounder when it comes to all things culinary as well is a mad keen blogger in all aspects of the term.

If you are a foodie or if you love cooking, maybe you have considered entering into culinary school.  It sounds romantic, and indeed, many culinary Johnny-come-latelies say it’s their true calling.  But culinary school is not to be entered into lightly for those questioning their current careers. It’s not cheap, it’s demanding and the pay once out of school is crappy.  Chances are, you’re not destined to open a Michelin Starred restaurant or have a chance encounter with the “Masterchef” producers in the lobby of Le Cordon Bleu.  With that in mind, you need to the various factors you have to consider before you take the plunge and bid your (insert day job here) adieu. Check out our links below for this great read.

We have really some interesting links for you.  Oh, also for this week, we thought we’d feature gourmet pizza recipes.  I know you’d love that!

Featured Articles

George Foreman GR20B Family-Size 60-Square-Inch Nonstick Grill No need to give up the taste of delicious grilled food once the weather turns cold and rainy. This easy-to-use countertop grill makes it possible to enjoy delicious grilled foods all year long.

• Will the Soul Food Bubble Burst?

For a variety of reasons, America has gone soul-food crazy. The biggest driver, most agree, has been the economic downturn. High-end restaurants were forced to scale back and, in some cases, reinvent themselves as casual-dining establishments.

• Red Red Wine, Stay Close To Me

I don’t know about you, but I like my sangria to be strong and sneaky. Mainly because it means that I can entertain myself at dinner parties by getting the boring guests rat assed. Don’t know what ‘rat assed’ is? Well neither did I. Apparently in England they call getting drunk being ‘rat assed’. How glorious is that? Who wants to be drunk, tipsy, or wasted when you could be rat assed?

• BOK CHOY – BINGO - the blog

I was introduced to bok choy when I created a restaurant back in the late nineties.

• Chef Jamie Oliver’s restaurant smashed during U.K. riots

“Sadly my restaurant in Birmingham got smashed up windows all gone whole area closed, cant open, staff and customers all safe!!,” he tweeted.

• Your Very Own Cookie-Baking Robot

For some time I’ve been trying to justify owning a robot without coming across as “that weirdo with the robot.” Now, I think I finally found my cover: A robot that bakes cookies!

• Cooking Lessons In Real Time: Google+ Cooking School

Unless you’ve been hiding out from the internet the past two months, you’ve undoubtedly heard about Google+, Google’s new project that “aims to make sharing on the web more like sharing in real life,” according to their site. It’s being touted as a real competitor to Facebook and Twitter, the current social media titans.

• Ramadan Recipes: Almond Sherbet, Turkish Pizza, Homemade Hummus and More

Around the world, a staggering 23% of people practice Islam. Here are some tasty Ramadan recipes that you don’t have to be Muslim to enjoy!

• A medieval recipe for entertainment

MEDIEVAL cooks had an unusual recipe for a soothing drink for a squiffy tummy “for an olde man” involving stale ale and about 13 eggs.

• How to get the most out of the farmers market

Eating organic, fresh and local has for some shoppers become something of an obsession in recent years, making farmers markets the new grocery stores for passionate foodies, veg-heads, earth moms and Al Gore-devotees. With the fresh-food season in full swing, we offer some tips on how to make the most of your market experience.

Chef Matt G is the guy behind the Chef Blog Digest, he is a well seasoned all rounder when it comes to all things culinary as well is a mad keen blogger in all aspects of the term.

Loud and clear, the word on the street is Google+. The new social media platform has already signed up an estimated 20 million users, making it the fastest growing social network ever.

Although it’s just been a month since the launch, the opportunities presented by Google+ are exciting a lot of people.  Will restaurants add Google+ to crowded social media plates?  If you are wondering how you can get ahead of your competitors, you should look into some tips on how to prepare for this new social media network.

Also, check out what else we have in store for you below.  Again, why not forward this email?  Perhaps, a colleague of yours or a foodie friend will like this. Oh, oh, check out our recipe links – I thought we’d feature recipes of one of my favorite dishes, the paella.

Featured Articles

WSJ Test Kitchen: Food Processors Suffering from ADHD in the kitchen? Do yourself a favor and give the latest generation of food processors a whirl: You’ll be astonished by how much time these slicing-and-dicing whizzes save. We tested a range of full-size food processors for versatility, capacity, ease of use, sturdiness and cleanup time. The best of the bunch did it all–chopped vegetables, grated cheese, whisked eggs, pureed soups and smoothies–effectively replacing a whole slew of more specialized appliances.

• • How to be a Private and Personal Chef

  Ever dreamed of cooking for a family that took you on vacation with them, say, to the Bahamas, for free? Ever wondered if there is a cooking job that doesn’t require you to work nights and weekends for the rest of your life?

  • Dunkin Donuts IPO: What Do Hedge Funds Think of the Restaurant Industry?

  Three days ago TheStreet posted an article titled “Don’t Buy Dunkin’ Donuts IPO: Value Analyst.” Yesterday, they reported: “Dunkin Donuts IPO: Shares Soar.”

  • Russia Becomes a Magnet for U.S. Fast-Food Chains

  Earlier in his career, Christopher Wynne put his Russian expertise to work researching arms proliferation for the American government. Now he’s engaged in geopolitics of another sort: deploying American fast food for the emerging Russian middle class.

  • Australian restaurants in London

  London has some of the best restaurants in the UK and their list of famous, top-Aussie eateries is just as impressive. So if you’re after Aussie ribs from Down Under or an Outback steak, look no further than here.

  • 14 Taiwanese picked for global Chinese culinary competition

  A total of 14 Taiwanese chefs were announced in Taipei Sunday as winners of a preliminary round in the 4th International Chinese Culinary Competition, ensuring them places in the September finals in New York, according to the event organizer.

  • Lime is the New Salt!

  Using freshly squeezed lime or lemon is a great way to season your food and heighten flavors, instead of using salt.

  • Chef Ferran Adria reconstructs Spain`s El Bulli

  Ground-breaking chef Ferran Adria held El Bulli’s last supper this weekend, closing the doors of his three Michelin-starred Spanish restaurant for another reinvention, that of El Bulli itself.

Chef Matt G is the guy behind the Chef Blog Digest, he is a well seasoned all rounder when it comes to all things culinary as well is a mad keen blogger in all aspects of the term.