Showing posts with label i. Show all posts
Showing posts with label i. Show all posts
Saturday, May 17, 2014
WOW!!!!! I won 25 gift certificate from foodie blog roll
wow!! Im on cloud nine...
I just got a mail that I won a gift for the contest I have participated in foodie blog roll...
I already mentioned about this contest in my other blog FOOD BLOG NEWS....
to stay connected with event s and contests plz follow my other blog FOOD BLOG NEWS...
you can watch HERE
Im the winner of third round...just comment and win....
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
When I Grow Up I Want to Be a Celebrity Chef! Right Mommy
I received a link recently to an article from The Oregonian, written by Casey Parks, about a five-year-old named Julian Kreusser who has his own cooking show on an Oregon public broadcasting network. As I read about "Chef" Julian, I became intrigued and decided to watch a few of his shows.Normally, I wouldn’t care about some cute kid making cooking videos with his parents, which there are probably hundreds on YouTube, but why this kids show has me so interested, and disturbed, is its being packaged as an actual cooking show, with the kid as some sort of culinary savant. I have a feeling theres more here than meets the eye.
The driving forces behind "The Big Kitchen with Food" seem to be Julians parents, and Portland Community Media, which airs the show starring the young, slightly confused chef. After watching the clip, I couldnt help but question some of their claims and quotes from the article. It all seemed a little "hoaxy" to me.
"He actually understands what hes doing. Hes not just following orders," claims executive director Sylvia McDanie. She says the viewers love him, and adds, "It has potential to be a national program." Has she seen the show?"Its great that he gets to do what he wants to do," says his mom, Kristen McKee. "We want him to do whats in his heart, to follow his interests." Isn’t that what those beauty pageant moms always say?
The parents claim the recipes, as well as the theme song are all Julians ideas. Even though his father admits he used some connections to help get the show on the air (thanks, I thought he may have put on a little suit, took a cab to the station, and pitched them the show on a milk crate), he insists Julian came up with the concept. Really? "We are just enablers," says his dad, Ben Kreusser. Thats one word for it.
It may not come as a huge surprise that along with all this adult "guidance," Julian is also home-schooled, or as its referred to in the article, "unschooled." Apparently this is some type of home schooling where the child decides what they want to learn. Julian is quoted saying, "So everything I see, I can learn about." Well, isnt that convenient. Must make scheduling the shows filming a breeze.
Ive posted a video of Chef J below, making some "tomato sauce without tomato paste," and after watching it, all 13 agonizing minutes of it (the "cute" wears off after about 45 seconds), I would love to hear your thoughts. By the way, the viewer comments I read on Yumsugar, where this same video was also shown, werent very kind.There are several moments in the video when Julian doesnt even seen to remember what hes making (even though he "created" the recipe himself). He also struggles with the tools - instead of being cute, the sight of him trying to use the vegetable chopper was kind of sad. Then, the camera cuts away, and wha la! The veggies are cut and its on to the next step. Thanks, Mommy.
Anyway, you be the judge. Maybe Im being too suspicious. Maybe he isn’t being manipulated and exploited by parents that want the celebrity they believe will come with star chefdom. Maybe the fine folks at Portland Community Media dont have any ulterior motives. Maybe I should pick on someone my own size?
Thursday, March 13, 2014
Mushroom Ragout on Garlic Toast Maybe I Could Be a Vegetarian
No, I couldnt, but when I eat a meatless dish as delicious as this mushroom ragout (pronounced ragoooo), I realize there are plenty of recipes that are just as tasty and satisfying as my favorite meat dishes. Of course, almost anything is good poured over garlic toast, and youll see a great trick for ultra-fast and easy garlic-scented toast in this video recipe I recently produced for About.com. I did sneak some chicken stock into the sauce, but if you are a vegetarian you can use a vegetable stock and it will be fine.Whenever I do a video recipe that uses Marsala wine I get lots of emails about what they can substitute. You cant, go get a bottle of Marsala wine. Just regular Marsala, not the sweet dessert Marsala as it is way too sweet to cook with. Ask the person at the wine shop to help you; tell them you are cooking with it and dont want the sweet variety and they will show you the right one. Buy the cheapest one of the selection they give you, and youre all set. Even the least expensive Marsala will be fine for this dish, as long as its the real stuff, and came from a decent shop. Having said all that, if you must use something else a good Sherry wine (NOT the cooking sherry them sell at the supermarket) will fill in adequately.
Click here for the transcript and ingredients.
Friday, March 7, 2014
The Best Cupcakes I Ever Made
I dont know if you realized this, but my blog title has the word "cupcake" in it, which basically means that everyone who knows me considers me an expert on all things cupcake. And I am. (Im also an expert in judging people, nail painting, and posing in the mirror.) So it should go without saying that when Im invited to a party, its nearly sacrilege if I dont come bearing dozens of them. The Halloween party I attended this weekend was no exception.
Given the theme of the party, I knew I wanted to make pumpkin cupcakes, but I wanted them to be specialer (thats a word now) than your run of the mill cream cheese-frosted kind. So, I set out to make a chocolate covered pumpkin cupcake. Specifically, a pumpkin cupcake topped with a layer of milk chocolate ganache, brown sugar cream cheese frosting, and a sprinkle of pumpkin seeds. The result was EFFING DELICIOUS!!!!!!!!
So delicious, in fact, that Ive eaten about four of them in the past 24 hours. DONT YOU JUDGE ME!!!!
As much as these taste like fall, and, lets face it, look incredible, I also wanted bring something with a true Halloween-y vibe, so I also made these pumpkin rice krispie treats.
Theres no real recipe here, just make rice krispie treats per directions on box. Add food coloring to the butter and marshmallow mixture (I used red and yellow to get the right shade of orange). Grease your hands well with Pam or butter and shape treats into tennis ball sized balls. Add a Tootsie Roll to the center (this is the stem), then pipe on green frosting for leaves and vines.
Chocolate-Covered Pumpkin Cupcakes
Makes about 36 cupcakes
Adapted from Boulder Locavore
- 3 ½ All purpose flour
- 2 ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 ¼ teaspoon salt
- 5 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 14 tablespoons butter, softened
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 2/3 cup dark brown sugar, packed
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 4 eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup milk
- 1 2/3 cups pumpkin puree
2. In a mixing bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, spices. Stir to mix ingredients.
3. With an electric mixer, beat butter on medium speed until creamy. Add brown sugars and granulated sugar; beat until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes). Scrape sides when needed. Add eggs one at a time and beat to incorporate before adding another egg.
4. Add 1/4 of the flour to the butter/sugar mixture and beat on low speed to incorporate. Add 1/3 cup of the milk, beat to incorporate. Repeat twice more, ending with the flour. Do not over beat.
5. Add the pumpkin puree and beat until incorporated. You might have to mix it by hand to ensure it well incorporated.
6. Spoon batter into cupcake tins; fill 2/3’s full. Bake 20-25 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.
7. When done, remove from oven, let cool in pan 15 minutes and remove to baking rack to complete cooling.
Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 oz. cream cheese
- 12 Tbsp. butter, room temperature
- 4-6 cups powdered sugar (depends on how sweet you like it)
- 1 Tbsp. light brown sugar
- 2 tsp. milk as needed
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
1. With an electric mixer, whip cream cheese and butter until fluffy.
2. Add brown sugar powdered sugar in small batches to cream cheese and butter mixture. Mix until smooth.
3. Add vanilla to frosting.
4. Add milk as needed to ensure a velvety texture.
Milk Chocolate Ganache
- 1 bag of milk chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup of heavy cream (I used half and half)
In a double boiler (a bowl sitting atop a pot of simmering water), melt chocolate chips. Add cream when they just start to melt. Mix until smooth.
**To decorate cupcakes, spoon a thin layer of ganache onto cooled cupcakes. Allow ganache to set for a few minutes, then using a round frosting tip, pipe cream cheese frosting on. Garnish with pumpkin seeds.
Thursday, January 23, 2014
Can I Get the Onion Rings Instead of the Fries
Onion rings have an odd place in American cuisine. Everyone seems to love them, and theyre on the menu at just about every burger joint in the country, yet their popularity as a side dish to meat on buns doesnt even come close to the venerable French fry.The reason is as obvious as it is annoying – they cost extra. Fries always come with the burger, but if you want those crispy, golden brown rings of pleasure, its going to be $2.00 more.
Sure you crave the crunchy goodness, but the thought of paying extra to upgrade a side dish at Big Bad Billys Burgers and Beers seems downright un-American.
So, as much as you may want them, and as much as you may fantasize about what a nice treat theyd be while standing in line, when you come belly to cash register, you just cant pull the trigger.Well, I have good news – this onion rings recipe is so easy, and so amazingly crispy, you can now make up for all those years of deep-fried denial by making these at home.
If fact, these are so good, you may want to consider charging your friends and family a little bit extra for the upgrade. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 tablespoons instant mashed potatoes
big pinch of cayenne
1 cup cold club soda
2-3 cups Panko (Japanese-style breadcrumbs), or as needed
fine salt to taste
vegetable oil for frying
2-3 yellow onions, cut into 1/4-inch rings
*Note: the amounts in the video were for a smaller batch. The amounts above will make a nice large batch, enough for about 8 servings.
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