Denise Johnson e-mailed us saying that she's "obsessed" with Souplantation's Asian Ginger Broth. She has tried similar recipes found on the Internet but says they don't compare.

The folks at Souplantation gave us the lowdown.

When the original "Dead Space" was released, it immediately became my favorite survival-horror game to date. I loved fighting mutated Necromorphs with exotic weaponry, while navigating through the dangers of a floating space hulk. Much to my delight, "Dead Space 2" multiplies these fun factors, adds several new features and improves old ones.

Q: Nobody ever tells you how to make a laundry room look as good as it works. We are bumping out the kitchen, and there's space for both a laundry room and a bath. Or should we put them together and make it one big, all-in-one room? That way we'd only need one sink.
A: Don't be "penny-wise and pound-foolish," as the English would say, meaning, as we Americans say, "Ya get whacha pay for!" You're talking about two very different kinds of rooms, both utilitarian but one public and the other very private. Trying to mix them is "pound-foolish." Buy the wall that separates them and spring for the second sink. A mere pittance compared to the overall cost of your remodeling project, it will return dividends for your family now and for the value of your house -- should you be selling in the future.

A family friend told me recently that his 42-year-old daughter was going through a midlife crisis and a difficult time in her relationship. He was busy helping her through this tough time, but, being a father, he felt awkward to help an adult daughter, “We are too close to help each other on issues like this.” He wanted her to find a professional counselor to sort things out. In the end he said, “Sam, separation is the worst thing in life. I wish there weren’t such a thing as separation. I wish she didn’t have to go through it.” I think he is right.

Each time when I reflect on my life, about the joyous days and miserable days, I realize that they all have something to do with relationship. The most joyful days in my life were when I lived in harmony with my family and friends—when love became a reality. And the worst days of my life were when I encountered broken relationships—whether it was simply a dispute or dishonesty, from my side or the other.

It's no surprise that action fans salivate at the mere mention of Sony's God of War saga. This over-the-top adventure lets them control the Spartan warrior Kratos as he becomes the mighty God of War and then ultimately takes revenge on his father Zeus. Sure, the console trilogy may be over, but "God of War: Ghost of Sparta" on the PSP offers additional history on Kratos.

Keyboard virtuoso Patrick Moraz has composed numerous soundtracks for films in the United States and Europe and has performed with musicians including Yes, The Moody Blues, Refugee and Main Horse. Mr. Moraz also has released solo albums that feature classical, jazz and Brazilian music.
He will perform at Bergen Community College’s “Ars Electronica 2011: An Evening with Patrick Moraz” on Thursday, March 10, 2011 at 7:30 p.m. in the Anna Maria Ciccone Theatre on the College’s main campus in Paramus.

Q: We are adding a master bath next to our bedroom and want to continue the bedroom's oriental theme -- such as shoji screens and a Chinese-style bed (we lived in Hong Kong for two years). We have questions about the cabinets and floors: Is it OK to use real wood? Will the moisture affect the wood -- we are adding a soaking tub, a whirlpool and the shower enclosure.

The Force of Christendom by Tom Holland is a weighty tome, both in size and material depth. I do believe that had I read this book at an early age, religion, as I know and observe it would have been forsaken.

The wars, the obstacles, the greed, the urge for power are readily presented in this book. Religion, as we may know it now, was not entirely about holy sanctimony and goodwill to all. Much is devoted to a Preface, Timeline, Notes and a lengthy Bibliography in order to allow the reader to follow through in the year 1,000 and events that followed.

The book starts out with an almost impossible trek through mountains and hazardous trails. Not for the sake of devout religion, but it is done to achieve power status. It expresses the fears of a medieval society and how it regenerated into modern day religion. The reader gets good insight into the obstacles that had to be overcome.

Bill Ermerins made an evasive lane change at 120 mph in the 2011 Hyundai Elantra and lived to think about it -- and then he did it again and again. But he would not have done that in the 2010 model. Not that the old model is unsafe, but Ermerins is Hyundai's senior engineer for chassis, steering and brake tuning. He crafted the suspension on the 2011 Elantra, which has been completely re-engineered and redesigned.

Glenn Beck lost it all: his family, his money, his honor. His life was essentially over. With nothing left to lose, he decided to make a series of changes. Now, years later, he is successful, he has a wonderful wife and beautiful children. But most important, he is happy. THE 7: SEVEN WONDERS THAT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE (Threshold Editions; January 2011; $24.99) is the story of how he did it—and how you can do it, too.

 

No one believed it when I said I'd be bringing salmon to the next family party. "Are you getting it from Costco?" my aunt called out from the next room. "What? No, I'm making it."  Everyone exchanged a series of not-so-subtle glances and immediately began discussing the weather. Never in the history of family get-togethers had I contributed anything more than sodas, flowers and cranberry sauce on Thanksgiving. Now I was offering to prepare the main course for our Hanukkah dinner. My grandmother reluctantly agreed but sweetly added she'd make lasagna, or maybe a brisket.

New York Times Bestseller

PLEASE STOP LAUGHING AT ME…One Woman’s Inspirational Story By JODEE BLANCO
What's the story?

Widely considered one of the nation’s leading experts on school bullying and peer abuse/pressure, Jodee Blanco, author of Please Stop Laughing at Me (August 1, 2010; Adams Media) is credited with inspiring a grassroots movement inside America’s schools. Referred to by many as “the anti-bullying bible,” Please Stop Laughing at Me has set the standard in anti-bullying intervention and has defined itself as a modern day classic for students, parents, and teachers alike.

 Driving the 2011 Shelby GT500 is like sitting on a cauldron of boiling performance. It burbles, snarls, pops and cracks -- in all the right ways. At last, Ford's Special Vehicle Team has been able to build this car the way they wanted it, not to a strangled budget. Shelby Mustangs have always been about power -- crude but effective power. And while the 2011 GT500 has more power than ever -- 550-horsepower from a supercharged 5.4-liter V-8 -- it is pure pleasure to drive.

It's not hard to guess who the "president" of style is in America. First lady Michelle Obama has captured the fashion public's attention with her knack for mixing high fashion with affordable labels -- and for good reason. She is writing her own rules, establishing a new etiquette and changing the definition of what it means to be a woman in America today.

There's a new king of the jungle, and it is the Jaguar XJ. There is not one drop of provincial, teatime baggage with this all new flagship sedan. It is all about power, passion and prestige made so very sexy by the veteran Brit designer Ian Callum. And the top-line XJ Supersport is the paragon of pulchritude. Jaguar has aimed this 17-foot streamliner straight at the Audi A8, Mercedes-Benz S-class, BMW 7-series and Lexus LS.

Even though you may be up to your elbows in snow, it may be the perfect time to do some spring cleaning in your closet. Stuck indoors on a dreary day? Start tackling the deep dark hole that is your closet. "Get rid of those skeletons of seasons past and make room for your fashionable future," says Eric Daman, Hollywood costume designer and stylist and author of "You Know You Want It: Style-Inspiration-Confidence" (Clarkson Potter, $29.99). These are Daman's favorite three words for the closet purge no matter what time of year: "Edit, edit, edit!"

Don't judge a Juke by its cover. Nissan's new sport-ute of a car has a tree-frog smirk, but it is truly fun to drive and functional. There are seat belts for five, four doors, a folding rear seat and expanded cargo capacity. But Juke is not exactly a sedan, a wagon or a hatchback -- though it can function as each of those. Nissan calls it a sport cross.

Q: The front room in our new house is really big (30 feet by 25 feet). There is a fireplace in the center of one wall, but the other long wall opens to the hall and the end walls have big windows.

My point is, we will have to float the sofa toward the fireplace. What should we do about lighting? There would be a big tangle of extension cords. We have children and dogs.

A: Stop trying to fill new space with old furnishings. Houses don't like wearing hand-me-downs any more than people do. Besides, they are almost always an ill fit.

It would be better to relocate your current sofa wherever it can do the most good. Then invest in a couple of matching sofas or love seats, depending on the width of your room.

A Mano.. Renowned Neapolitan Pastry Master, Sebatino Sirica, Shares Baking Techniques at A Mano in Ridgewood, NJ Ridgeood’s authenic Neapolitan trattoria A Mano, hosts Italian pastry master Sebatino Sirica for a intimate viewing of the art of pastry. The esteemed maestro teaches the fundamentals of traditional Italian pastry on Januaray 13-15, 2011. Mr. Sirica shares his expert techniques and baking secrets at this rare hands-on workshop.

The beginning of a new year is a good time to re-examine what is working and what needs improvement.

I've come to the conclusion that it's time to redefine the old Readers Ask column in order to expand its focus beyond requests for recipes from local restaurants.

This new column will still include such recipes but now will also be a place to feature all the interesting recipes that come to us from food product companies, magazines and websites.