Discover Your Inner Chef.

Cooking, elementally, is controlling heat and moisture. The great cooks are masters of fire and water. Me, I'm still playing...welcome to my playground.

PlayingWithFireAndWater is a kitchen affiliate site, we choose top-pick kitchen equipment: blenders, juices, air fryers.. help you have an understanding before you start buying something.

We also experience the products ourselves to make the most truthful inspection in detail. We are proud of our analysis that would benefit buyers in distinguishing the good and the bad. Our reviews have supported customers to find the best products for practice.

Blender Reviews

For years, I have reviewed blenders, putting more than 100 products to the test. Using this guide, you can decide which brand, model, and type are most appropriate for your home or office.

PlayingWithFireAndWater is a kitchen affiliate site, we choose top-pick kitchen equipment: blenders, juices, air fryers.. help you have an understanding before you start buying something.

We also experience the products ourselves to make the most truthful inspection in detail. We are proud of our analysis that would benefit buyers in distinguishing the good and the bad. Our reviews have supported customers to find the best products for practice.

ZaZa’s Cucina & Thyme In Our Kichen – History

From May 2020, zazascucina.com and thymeinourkitchen.com belong to us (playingwithfireandwater.com). Here is some information about the history of the previous websites that you may be interested in.

ZaZa’s Cucina offers traditional Italian cuisine with contemporary flair in an upscale casual atmosphere.

Hospitality; it is what drives us at ZaZa’s Cucina. We provide our patrons the complete dining experience by delivering excellent food, attentive service, and fine wine in an elegantly designed space.  Chef and Entrepreneur, Curtis Radcliffe, combines his practical knowledge gained through years of experience in the hospitality industry and his training at the Culinary Institute of America to redefine the dining experience at ZaZa’s Cucina.  Curtis has led several kitchens as Executive Chef in the finger lakes region, including a Fortune 500 company.  He brings passion, consistency and experience to the new ZaZa’s.  Curtis strives to utilize the best local and regional products, as well as, exceptional imported ingredients to craft the most perfect dishes for each and every guest.

Contact Info

  • Address: 622 Cascadilla St, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
  • Phone: (607) 273-9292

In the news:

Matt Weber – ThymeInOurKitchen.com

Social Info

Finding the gourmet in everyday means enjoying great food not only on special occasions but celebrating everyday with fantastic foods that can show off your skills and bring together fun and exciting ingredients to make a dish that would be fitting in any restaurant or bakery.

My Dad builds homes and every home that he built for our family was always centered around the kitchen. This was the hub of our home and with six boys it was always busy. My Mom was a fantastic cook and I was the envy of my friends who often came over to sample from my mom’s amazing cooking. She was never hesitant to open her kitchen to her boy’s experimentation and most of my brothers are fairly comfortable in the kitchen.

My earliest cooking memories include everything from attempting to make salt water taffy when I was 10 years old, to being forced to make cookies for a neighbor as a punishment. For the cookies, I chose the most disgusting recipe I could find in the cookbook, boiled raisin cookies! Unfortunately, they turned out great and everyone loved them.

Spend some time in my kitchen and here’s what I hope you’ll walk away with:

  • Challenging Techniques and Ingredients : I push myself and my readers to try new things. While I love to eat great food, half the enjoyment for me is the time I spend preparing and cooking it. When I have a craving I often spend a significant amount of time searching my trusted cookbooks and favorite on-line sites for multiple recipes. I try to pick one that seems to combine the freshest most unique ingredients and interesting techniques that will challenge me to create the perfect dish to satisfy my craving. Whether it be the process that goes into the perfect Risotto or the challenge of whipping and folding in egg whites for a light and moist lemon chiffon cake, there’s no point in cooking if it doesn’t challenge me to learn or try something new.
  • Memories: This includes the memories associated with the recipes and the memories you make while spending time in the kitchen. Every week when I make my homemade white bread, I think back on both my Grandma and Mom and the memories of walking in after a day at school to the wonderful aroma of freshly baked bread and making sure I got a “heel” piece before my brothers ate them all. Perhaps even more important are the traditions I am now forming with my own family. I love having my boys sit around the island each week, helping stir together ingredients with me as I mix together my famous buttermilk pancakes for “Pancake Wednesday”, a tradition now for over 10 years!
  • A Chance to Share: If I were all by myself I really don’t think I would cook as much as I do now. I love the opportunity to share my creations with my family and friends and I have to admit I do like and appreciate it when someone compliments me on my food. I love creating a wonderful meal and inviting a family to come enjoy it with us or showing up to a BBQ with some fancy appetizer like bacon wrapped asparagus and having people ooh and ahh over it. There’s just something special that comes from seeing someone enjoy your creation. Thyme in Our Kitchen is my way of sharing with the world. I chronicle my journey to find gourmet recipes that readers can use for special events as well as everyday occasions. They’re not always cheap and they most likely aren’t simple, but the excitement is in the adventure and savoring that first bite. Join me as I visit the farmers markets throughout Minneapolis, search the aisles of my local Thai and Indian grocers and peruse specialty cheese shops. Come back often and then take what you learn here and go start your own journey! Don’t forget to come back and let me know how things turn out for you.