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46 | SUN LAKES LIFESTYLES | AUGUST 2022 | "The only real stumbling block is the fear of failure. In cooking, you've got to have a what-the-hell attitude." Julia Child How delightful was that wine tasting! Thank you to Pat Pinz, Mary Miller, and Nicole Gallaher and Ben Guerreo from Masia de la Vinya Winery for hosting this event. The members provided charcuterie boards filled with delicious cheeses that paired beautifully with the wines, and Dove Chocolates for all. The members tasted a variety of red and white wines and were able to purchase their favorites at the end of the meeting. The Winery graciously donated gift certificates for a wine tasting, which will be part our next meeting's drawing. Four lucky members won a commemorative wine glass with Happy Cookers etched on them. And I think we can all agree, you only live once, so drink good wine! Happy Cookers had a golf cart entry in the Fourth of July Parade. Thank you to Steve Kretchman for all his hard work! This month's meeting is all about celebrating Mediterranean cuisine. Our meeting will be Aug. 26 at 11 am in the South Clubhouse. Please come and join us. We will have a surprise guest speaker. Mediterranean cuisine is the food and methods of preparation used by the people of the Mediterranean Basin. The region spans a wide variety of cultures, and Mediterranean Cuisine includes the cuisines of all the countries that border the Mediterranean Sea, which are Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Syria, Israel, Egypt, Algeria, Libya, Tunisia, and Morocco. The expert chefs tell us that the Italian cuisine is typically Mediterranean, which entails eating a lot of vegetables, fruit, cereal, fish, and in particular white meat. In addition, the most important element is the fact that the Italians use olive oil in large amounts for cooking instead of animal fat. Essentially, Mediterranean cuisine is made up of plant food and minimally processed staples where herbs and spices are essential ingredients. Usually, there's lots of fruit, veggies, legumes, grains, olive oil, aromatic herbs, dairy, eggs, and wine, as well as fish and meat. Flavor, color, and freshness make Mediterranean cuisine a ray of sunshine at your table. Cooking with love provides food for the soul. Happy cooking. For information on membership contact Barbara Elness at (407) 432- 8363. ~ President, Raelene Kretchman (714) 815-6990 Happy Cookers Mary Miller, Pat Pinz with Nicole Gallher and Ben Guerreo from the winery

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