Top Burnt Chef

Chuc Mang Nam Moi (Happy Chinese New Year)

2012-01-24T17:06:00.000-08:00

Happy Chinese New Year!

It has finally snowed here in Mammoth Lakes after TWO months of no precipitation. It has been the driest winter on record since the 1800-somethings when they started recording things like that. What a good start to the year of the Dragon! Here are some pictures from this morning.

Snow on the deck

the VW is covered

Matt starting to shovel

Lots of shoveling to be done

Curious George

Despite the look on his face, George is actually happy.

Top Burnt Chef's Holiday Gift Guide 2011

2011-12-19T10:57:00.000-08:00

The holiday season is upon us! Normally I am working like crazy but this is the first year since graduating culinary school that I will NOT be working in a kitchen. So I actually have some time to enjoy the holidays! I actually haven't done any Christmas shopping yet (finals week and all, oh and living in a town where almost everything is branded with the ski area logo) but if you are shopping for a foodie-obsessed individual (or myself) these are the gifts I would give (or hope to receive, HINT HINT).

Gifts to Give

1. Lodge Cast Iron Skillet - from $22-$65
This is the workhorse of my kitchen. I use this pan more than anything else. I have fancy All-Clad pans and a Le Creuset but I always return to the cast iron. It is the best pan to cook grilled cheeses and my favorite pan to cook hamburgers. I seriously use it for everything, to bake mac and cheese, corn bread, fry chicken. If you are at all serious about cooking, you need to get one of these. Chances are you grandmother has one that she has been using for twenty years.
You can purchase it here

2. Cast-Iron Bacon Press - $12.95
My other workhorse. Let this heat up with your cast-iron skillet and you will have perfectly grilled cheeses. It's also perfect for getting flat bacon. Who likes curly bacon? Not me!

You can purchase it here

3. Microplane Box Grater - $34.95

The price is a bit steep for a box grater but Microplane makes the best grater. Every professional chef will have some form of Microplane in his toolkit. Made with surgical grade stainless steel, this box grater has three grating blades, including a fine/zester! It has rubber feet so no slipping when you are grating. And I love how the grating surface is slightly elevated so you can grate the full length of the cheese! This is the Ferrari of box graters.

You can purchase it here

4. Fish Spatula - $15

Of all the spatulas, non-stick, rubber, silicone, etc. I like the fish spatula the best. I use it for more than fish. It's great for flipping grilled cheeses and burgers. It's very thin and flexible and I like the wooden handle.

Buy a fish spatula here

5. Japanese Mandoline - $21

This is another workhorse in my kitchen. I absolutely LOVE this tool. It slices and dices with precision. It's extremely sharp and people have definitely lost the tips of their fingers but you will not find a better tool that will slice and julienne with precision. For $21, you can't beat the price. It comes with three different blades (4 if you include the straight blade) and is adjustable so you can make paper thin slices or thicker slices (1/4")

You can purchase it here

My Wish List

1. Momofuku Milk Bar Cookbook- $20

I am obsessed with all things David Chang of Momofuku and I am addicted to his style of cooking. Christina Tosi is his pastry chef and she has come up with simple yet mind-blowing desserts such as Crack Pie and Blueberry and Cream Cookies. These are a collection of her pastry recipes for the Momofuku concepts in Manhattan.

Buy this book for me here

2. Subscription to Lucky Peach Magazine- $28

I warned you, I am obsessed with all things David Chang and Lucky Peach is his quarterly magazine that he edits with Momofuku cookbook co-author Peter Meehan. Not your average food magazine, Lucky Peach is "a new journal of food writing. It is a mélange of travelogue, essays, art, photography, rants, and recipes in a full-color, meticulously designed format. (The) aim is to produce a publication that appeals to diehard foodies as well as fans of good writing and art in general." The first issue was solely dedicated to ramen with guest writers like Anthony Bourdain and Wylie DuFrense praising the glorious soup that is ramen.

Order me a subscription here

3. Cheese of the Month Club Subscription

Who wouldn't want this? Every month Cowgirl Creamery will send you one pound of cheese with an accompaniment. There are three subscriptions to choose from: 3-month, 6-month and 12-month subscriptions.

Send me some cheese by ordering here

4. Nixon Kensington watch in Gold- $150

Ok this is not a culinary thing but it has been a long time since I have been allowed to wear a nice watch. Since I am no longer working in a kitchen, I am enjoying wearing jewelry again. I don't wear too much jewelry in the first place but I am obsessed with mens style watches. I need this watch! Does anybody have a Nixon hook up or access to a pro-form?

Buy me this watch here

Elderberry Jammin'

2011-12-01T09:28:00.000-08:00

In September, I went camping at the East Walker River. We found a neat little camp site right off the road. I noticed as we were attempting to off-road my Jetta, there were a number of bushes with blue berries. The first rule of foraging is to POSITIVELY ID YOUR PLANT! Since we had no cell reception, I couldn't use those nifty apps where you take picture of the plants and it IDs it for you. Luckily, a truck pulled up and these people started plucking berries off the tree! Curious, I asked them what they were doing and I found out they were local Native Americans. They were picking elderberries for their elders to make syrup and preserves. My eyes lit up as I was extremely excited to go berry picking. My attempt to go apple picking earlier in the century old orchards of Yosemite was thwarted by my lazy boyfriend (and the unexpected death of a good friend) so I'll be damned if something interferes with my berry picking!

After finding out the berries weren't poisonous, I began spotting the bushes everywhere. The elderberry bushes were concentrated with in a 100 yards of each other so I didn't have to walk very far. Elderberries grow in clusters and are ripe when the fruit has turned almost white. It should look like a dusting of powdered sugar on the blue berries.

Elderberries are found throughout most of the world, in Europe, Asia, the Americas and even Australia. They supposedly have mystic and healing characteristics. In some areas, the elder tree was supposed to ward of evil spirits and give protections from witches. Some say that witches congregate under their branches, especially when it is full of fruit. According to folklore, you should never cut down or burn an elder tree. Spirits will haunt you. And now for my favorite piece of trivia about the elder tree, the wood from an elder tree was used to create the Wand of Destiny, Death Stick, the Elder Wand aka Dumbeldore's wand from Harry Potter.

Elderberry flowers are used to create elderberry cordials which are so popular right now with mixologists. You probably have had a drink with St. Germain in it. Wine, cordials and marmalades can be made from the berries. A popular dish in Europe is to eat pancakes with elderberries. Elderberries have been used medicinally throughout the centuries. You can find elderberries as an ingredient for almost all holistic cold medicines. Eating elderberries has been shown to reduce congestion and may be an effective treatment for the H1N1 flu otherwise known as the Avian flu. It is also effective in treating other types of flus and is even being recommended for AIDS and cancer patients for its ability to boost and sustain the immune system. For more information about the health benefits of the elderberry check out wikipedia's page on Elderberries.

So what did I do with my 10 lbs of elderberries? I made elderberry preserves, elderberry grape jelly (with organic, local grapes grown by my neighbor), elderberry syrup and elderberry vinegar! Hopefully I will have a flu-free winter!

Some of the fruits of my labor

Listening to Bob Marley- Jammin

SCREW YOU J.Crew

2011-10-18T15:31:00.000-07:00

I'm going to go off a tangent from my normal food writing. I want to tell the people of the Internet of how CRAPPY J.Crew customer service is. Normally I love J.Crew. I would say a good 40% of my wardrobe is from J.Crew. If you want to buy me a present, buy me something from J.Crew. So that's what I got for my birthday, stuff from J.Crew. Cessie, Matt's mom, is slowly figuring that out. Unfortunately, she still gets the sizes wrong. So I mailed back the J.Crew cashmere cardigan along with a copy of the gift receipt and note specifying I wanted to exchange the too small sweater for the Minnie Pant , style number 18850, color black, size 00. If there is anything left over, please put in on a gift card. And then I included my shipping address. So three weeks go by, I still haven't heard anything. Concerned that the return may have been lost, I contact the J.Crew customer service. I spoke with Charlene who assured me that the return was not lost and sometimes because I didn't print a return label using J.Crew and because it wasn't an online order, the return may take longer. She promised to contact me as soon as it arrived. I even emailed Charlene a copy of the receipt along with what I wanted to exchange the sweater for.

My email was to-the-point, right? No where does it say, please refund the credit card!!!!

Charlene was true to her word and phoned several days later to inform me that the return had been received and was being processed. I should receive the exchange in a week. I waited a week, still no package from J.Crew. Again I contact customer service. I find out that instead of exchanging the sweater and issuing a gift card, Cessie's credit card was refunded. The customer service agent apologized and said they would reverse the transaction and send out a gift card for $184 by USPS Priority Mail and I should receive it within 2-3 days. It has now been a week. I called again to find out, that they can't issue me a gift card unless they receive permission from Cessie. So now I have no sweater, no pants, no gift card, NO FREAKIN' BIRTHDAY GIFT.

Thanks a lot J.Crew for NOTHING! I can't believe this is how you treat a gift exchange. It says on the effin receipt: Valid for exchange/merchandise credit ONLY

Also I did another exchange with J.Crew, they only credited me the cost of the merchandise and no sales tax. So when I went to use the gift card, I had to pay tax on that transaction. So they double tax you!!!!!!!!

It's a good thing J.Crew makes incredibly cute clothes otherwise, I would NEVER shop there again after this experience.

SCREW YOU J.CREW

Orange County Food Fix

2011-09-25T09:40:00.000-07:00

People always ask me what my favorite things to eat are. They assume because I am a chef that I will say something exotic or pretentious like terrine of foie gras or sous vide lamb. To be perfectly honest, I like crappy food. Not crappy in that it is made poorly, but crappy in that it is bad for you and will cause you to lose years on your life through continuous eating of said food. I am a huge fan of cheeseburgers, french fries, tater tots, tacos, nachos, anything with pump cheese, macaroni and cheese, cheese (especially the unpasteurized kind) pork products especially bacon, ramen, oh glorious ramen. These are just a few of my favorite things. Don't get me wrong, I love vegetables and I am growing quite the vegetable garden but when faced with the choice of an In N Out cheeseburger with animal fries or an heirloom tomato salad, I'm going to pick the cheeseburger and fries. Although I would rather and most likely eat all three.

I was lucky enough to visit Orange County for the last two weeks of July. One of those weeks was for work but my last week there was all about catching up on the friends and food that I don't get to see when I'm living in the sticks. I was also very fortunate to be visiting while the OC Fair was in town. If you read my blog, you will know I LOVE THE FAIR.

One week isn't enough to hit up all the food I wanted to eat, so it took some strategic planning. I try not to repeat meals so that I can get in as much variety as possible but my disdain for traffic kept me within a 5 mile radius of the coast. (I always think I miss living in the city but then I drive and I am grateful I live in a town that is 4 square miles). I ended up breaking my no-repeat rule. I ate In' N Out and ramen twice.

Here are some of the places I have to eat while I'm in Orange County. This is the Costa Mesa edition as I was too lazy to drive anywhere.

1. In N Out (duh)

Any Southern California native will tell you In N Out burger is one of the best things about living in So Cal. It is my first stop as soon as I hit "Southern California," which in my case would be Lancaster. I almost always drive through Mojave because the In N Out is closer than when driving through Adelanto. (The Lancaster one is 4 hours from my house instead the one on the 15 which is an extra 45 minutes) Yes that is how I pick my driving route: Which route will take me the closest and fastest to In N Out. In fact, I time my drive so that I will arrive at In N Out around 1:30PM, my ideal lunch time.

2. Mitsuwa food court

I love eating at the Mitsuwa food court. My visit in July was the first time I've been in over a year. There were two new restaurants since I visited last. I think one was a bento box place and the other was a Hawaiian place. I'm not sure because as soon as I entered the food court, I made a bee-line to the ramen. If you don't know which was is the ramen place at Mitsuwa, it's the place with the longest line. Instead of my usual salt ramen with char sui pork, I ordered the new special, Pork Ramen. You can pick the ramen broth; I chose salt. I'm not sure how it differs from my usual order. The only difference I could see was that instead of putting the pork in the broth, it came on the side. Either way, it was a bowl of deliciousness. I went back once more, making it my last stop before driving home, breaking my rule of never repeating meals.

3. Pupeseria San Sivar

If you have never had a pupusa, I suggest you drop everything you are doing and head down to 1940 Harbor Blvd and try one. Pupusas are Salvadoran food. It is a thick corn tortilla (quite similar to a gordita but it isn't fried) that is stuffed with cheese and other good stuff. They are cooked on the flat top and I love how the cheese oozes and creates a crunchy cheese skirt. I always order a plain cheese and a bean and cheese. If I want to be healthy, I order squash and cheese. They serve the pupusas with pickled vegetables and a red sauce that is more tangy than spicy. You put the pickled vegetables on top with a dousing of the red sauce, fold it up like a taco and enjoy. They serve other Salvadoran food as well as some Mexican food but I almost always get the pupusas. The sweet corn tamales are another treat to try. They mostly speak Spanish there and the pupusas are a bit slow to come out but I take it as a sign of authenticity!

San Sivar is on the corner of Harbor Blvd. and 19th St. in that small weird little strip mall across the street from Weinersnitzel. You know, the one with the German deli, which by the way is another great place for some cheap eats. 1940 Harbor Blvd, Costa Mesa 92627

4. Del Taco

OK I know it is weird to put Del Taco on this list especially when there are at least 5 taquerias within walking distance of where I stayed. It's just that Del Taco has a special place in my heart since we used to forge notes in high school to allow us to eat off-campus. We would always eat at Del Taco because that was the closest fast food place to my high school. And there's something to be said about chicken soft tacos and nacho fries at 2 AM after an all-night dance party at Mutant HQ.

Honorable Mentions (places I couldn't go to but are just as worthy)

5. Taco Mesa
So I wasn't able to hit up Taco Mesa while I was visiting but when I lived on the Westside, I ate at Taco Mesa at least once a week. Taco Mesa is a popular family-owned chain in Orange County so I won't bother explaining what it is. My favorite things are the Tacos al Pastor, the lobster bisque and the agua frescas.

Taco Mesa is located across the street from the Costa Mesa DMV. 647 W. 19th St, Costa Mesa 92627

6. Taqueria Granjenal
I lived in the neighborhood across the street from this humble little taco stand which won "Best Taco" in 2004 by OC Weekly as well as "Best Meal You Can Pay For With Couch Change" in 2010. Regardless of the titles, I ate there a lot. The beans are some of the best and are a perfect vehicle for the smoky dark-red salsa that accompanies every order along with a bag of pickled carrots. It is less greasy and sketchy than the other taqueria that most people are familiar with (Alejandros) My usual order from Granjenal was the vegetarian tostada, a crunchy tortilla loaded with beans, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese and avocados, an order of beans, chips and loads of salsa. I think the whole order cost less than $5.

Taqueria Granjenal is located on the corner of 19th St and Monrovia in Costa Mesa 889 W. 19th St, Costa Mesa 92627

7. TK Burger formerly Johnny G's
When I first moved in the neighborhood, TK Burger used to be Johnny G's. It was our hangover spot because most of the usual places (Plum's, Haute Cakes, Cappy's) had waits that were just unbearable when you are hung over. The breakfast burrito was my favorite but the cheeseburgers were just as good. And they had chili fries! TK Burger took over and thankfully they kept the breakfast burritos although no more chili fries (or burgers) This TK Burger has more seating than the other TK Burgers plus an extended menu so it's my favorite TK. I miss Johnny G's and its chili fries but TK is doing a great job filling Johnny G's shoes.

8. El Toro Bravo
I almost forgot to include this little hidden gem on my list. It would be blasphemous if I didn't include this hole-in-the-wall tortillaria/taqueria. Tucked in the corner by Smart n Final on 19th St, El Toro Bravo makes corn tortillas on-site. They make the BEST tortilla chips. They are perfect for chilaquiles. Especially with the house made salsa sold there. I love the salsa fresca as well as the blended. I could drink it. Along with the best corn tortillas, they sell carne asada and carnitas both prepared or marinated for you to take home and cook. So you can get tacos or a burrito to go or pick up some tortillas, meat and salsa for your next BBQ. There is always a line and they only take cash. But it is totally worth it for the fresh tortillas.

El Toro Bravo is located on 19th St in Costa Mesa by the Smart n' Final. It is tucked away in the corner by Jugos Acapulco. 745 W. 19th St, Costa Mesa 92627.

Did I leave any places out? What are some of your places to eat in Costa Mesa or Orange County?
Listening to Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes-Home

We miss you Bloo. 1976-2011

2011-08-13T07:45:00.000-07:00

photo courtesy of Nate

Earlier this week, Mammoth Lakes lost a friend and sister. Our friend Bloo unexpectedly passed away. Bloo was one of the nicest people you will have ever met. She truly embodied the phrases puravida and stoke for life. Never have I met such a positive force before. She exuded life, adventure and all the wonderful possibilities nature had to offer. We had a mutual love of many things: music, dogs, gardening, all things green, and most of all snowboarding. There never was a powder day that you didn't see Bloo on the hill. It was one of those things you can always count on: chair 22 never opening on time and Bloo out on a powder day. I will never forget our awesome powder days together, our awesome hiking adventures and our brief but wonderful time together. And who could ever forget that voice?

Even though you are reunited with Mingus (6-19-2011) and I know you two are shredding the eternal pow. We miss you so much, Bloo. It was too soon, for both of you.

Listening to Bob Marley- One Love

Blueberries!

2011-07-14T14:51:00.000-07:00

Summer means berries.


Burnt's Blueberry Vodka

I have been noticing all the blueberries on sale as well as all the great recipes other blogs have been posting. I usually make blueberry muffins or cobbler but I wanted to try something different. I saw Bon Appetit's blog, Infuse Your Booze, and I wanted to make blueberry vodka. In addition to the blueberry vodka, I also made strawberry vodka, pineapple vodka and watermelon vodka. You have to try this. It is so tasty and so much better than those infused vodkas you buy at the store (so long Absolut Acai Berry aka vomit inducer)

Bon Appetit also featured Blueberry and Cream Cookies by Christina Tosi of Momofuku. The same cookie was also the Cookie of the day on Martha Stewart. I am obsessed with all things David Chang so I had to make these cookies. They. Are. Awesome. I love chewy, thin cookies and these are exactly that. The recipe calls for dried blueberries but you can use fresh.


Hank wants the cookie

Here is a list of my favorite blueberry recipes:
Infuse Your Booze
Blueberry and Cream Cookies
Thomas Keller's Blueberry Cobbler
Banana Muffins with Blueberries -this recipe doesn't call for blueberries but I add them.

Perfect Burger recipe

2011-07-08T17:23:00.000-07:00

From the Celebrity Cookbook, published in 1967

Dean Martin is my kind of man.

Source: NY MAG

Listening to Dean Martin- You're Nobody Till Somebody Loves You

Coconut Water Cure-All

2011-07-06T09:58:00.000-07:00

Fourth of July weekend means lots of things: patriotism, BBQs, block parties, fireworks.....besides all the USA pride, the true common theme this weekend is getting shitfaced. Three days in a row of total inebriation. Maybe in my college days, this is something I could handle but now that I am in the ripe age group of 30+, my body can only tolerate so much hangover. My go-to cure for hangovers or when I'm feeling crappy is coconut water. I swear this stuff is a miracle. It is so good you can LITERALLY streamline it into your veins. (True story, in WWII, coconut water was used in blood transfusions because of its electrolyte content, pH and viscosity are similar to blood plasma. Besides blood transfusions, coconut water has a multitude of medical uses).

So when you're hungover, you are supposed to recover by drinking a Gatorade and eating something greasy. But if you're like me, Gatorade tastes like radioactive piss that has been fermenting in the sun for several years. Coconut water tastes good. Coconut water is a natural sports drink. Coconut water is loaded with natural occurring electrolytes, B vitamins and more potassium than a banana so it's actually better than a sports drink. If you compare them side-by-side, you will notice that a sports drink like Gatorade will have double the amount of sugar, less potassium and no protein. All the sugars are natural in coconut water while commercial sports drinks sweeten their products with high fructose corn syrup or other artificial sweeteners. Bleh.

I also live in high altitude (8000 ft above sea level). For people coming from sea-level, it's very important to stay hydrated. When I'm really dehydrated at altitude, I sometimes find it hard to drink enough water to stay hydrated. That's where coconut water is the cure-all. Altitude sickness symptoms include headache, dizziness and nausea and I swear coconut water fixes them all. Within 15 minutes of drinking a coconut water, I always feel better.

There are lots of brands of coconut water available but my favorite brand is Vita-Coco. I think it tastes the best out of all the competition. It even won the Bon Appetit Supermarket Standoff. Vita-Coco advertises itself as being all-natural and not from concentrate. "It's like sticking a straw in a coconut." is their slogan. It REALLY does tastes like sticking a straw in a coconut. What consumers don't know and what the Supermarket Standoff failed to do was differentiate the fresh coconut waters from concentrate but the taste test does show the preference for the fresher coconut water. Vita-Coco and O.N.E. are both fresh but the brand Zico is made from concentrate, which means they juice all the coconuts and mix the juices together. It goes through a pasteurization process which in my opinion ruins the fresh taste. I also think the plastic bottles make the coconut water taste funny. I prefer the Tetra Pak which is like a juice box. Also coconuts from different places will produce different tasting juice. Vita-Coco uses coconuts from Brazil while O.N.E. uses coconuts from Thailand.

Vita-Coco has been getting lots of media attention as well. Madonna, Demi Moore, Anothony Kiedis and Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers are investors in Vita-Coco. If you Google "Vita-Coco" and "celebrities, over 900,000 results pop up, including this one from E! "Why is every celebrity drinking coconut water". Just recently, Vita-Coco signed Rihanna as their spokesperson and Kelly Slater as a sponsored athlete. A copy of US Weekly is endorsement enough for Vita-Coco.

But who cares about the celebrities and super athletes that drink coconut water. Try it for yourself. Next time you are hungover and feeling completely shattered, reach for the coconut water. You will thank me.

This was supposed to be posted by July 1 but due to hangovers and such, it got delayed.

Listening to Katy Perry-Firework

Cornflake Crusted French Toast with Strawberries

2011-06-27T09:31:00.000-07:00

Breakfast is important. We all heard the studies about how eating breakfast is important to maintain your concentration, metabolism, yadda yadda yadda, but for me breakfast is important because it used to be the one meal I prepared for myself at home. Most of my other meals were eaten at work, standing in the corner behind the oven or sitting on a dish machine rack by the mop sink. Now that I am unemployed, I cook all my meals at home and eat them sitting down (usually in front of the TV) but breakfast still has a special place in my heart.

During the winter, I pretty-much ski everyday. I'll ski for about 3 hours (more if it is a powder day), go home, have a quick bite like a grilled cheese (if time permits) then make my way to work. So breakfast basically became the only complete meal I could enjoy without having to wolf down my food. I like typical breakfast foods: bacon and eggs, pancakes, waffles, eggs in a basket, fritattas .......

For awhile now, I've had the craving for French Toast. French Toast is not something I usually make because it is more labor intensive than I prefer. Soaking the bread and cooking it was usually one more step than I'd like to do. But somewhere I saw this picture of cornflake crusted french toast and I just had to eat it.

Cornflake crusted french toast actually involves THREE steps! But I knew the extra labor of coating the french toast would yield a delicious crunch, so I fought back the laziness and coated my french toast!

Cornflake Crusted French Toast
makes 4

8 slices of thickly sliced bread
1/4 cup cream
2 TBSP. whole milk
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
3 eggs, beaten
3 cups cornflakes, coarsely crushed
6 TBSP. butter
Maple Syrup, to serve
Fresh Berries, to serve

1. Preheat oven to 200˚F.
2. In a shallow dish, mix cream, milk, salt, sugar, cinnamon and eggs. Put crushed cornflakes in another dish. Working with one slice at a time, soak each slice for 10 seconds on each side, then place in dish with cornflakes, pressing cornflakes onto each side. Transfer french toast to parchment lined baking sheet.
3. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add 3 TBSP butter and heat until butter starts to foam. Add four slices of the french toast and cook, turning once, until both sides are golden brown. Transfer french toast to warm oven, wipe out the skillet, add remaining 3 TBSP of butter and cook the remaining four pieces.
4. Divide the french toast amongst 4 plates and serve with warm maple syrup and fresh berries

Cheers,
Burnt

Listening to Katy Perry- Last Friday Night

Welcome Back

2011-06-26T09:33:00.000-07:00

It has been a long while since I have been here. My last visit was almost a year ago. I apologize for visiting so infrequently but my passion for cooking and baking waned last year as I struggled with my job. I was working the fry station and cooking (rather, frying) became the bane of my existence. I stopped cooking at home and ate mostly a diet of Carl's Jr and frozen macaroni and cheese. I would immediately come home from work, smoke until my lungs hurt, and watch reruns of the Gilmore Girls while eating terrible junk food. It was amazing to see how this one job completely ruined my passion for cooking and eating. Eventually, I found another cooking job where I didn't want to slit my wrists everyday. Slowly, my passion for eating was reignited. Unfortunately I was laid off from that job so I am finding myself with lots of time to spare. And since I have all this free time now, why not start blogging again.

Another reason why I stopped blogging was because I was intimidated by the other food bloggers who took great pictures of their food and made exotic dishes or technical dishes that I didn't have the time or patience to execute. I mean, hear I am, a professional chef, a graduate from culinary school, and these housewives and amateur cooks are schooling me at home cooking! It made me feel stupid and inadequate as a professional chef. Not only, did I NOT have the time to make these dishes (I was working 8-10 hours a day plus I ski ALOT) but I didn't have the money to pay for the ingredients (a line cook make on average $10/hr). Even if I did have the money to make these exotic dishes, I didn't want to spend hours in the kitchen to create one plated dinner. For these housewives and amateur cooks, cooking was an escape from the pressures of the working world. For me, cooking was my working world and the last thing I wanted to do was to spend more time in the kitchen. As a result, when I did cook at home, my dishes were simple, required few ingredients and usually took less than 30 minutes to make.

So here is the deal: I'm not a millionaire rancher's wife, I don't have a fancy kitchen or very much money to spend on ingredients but hopefully the recipes I post will be tasty and delicious. This is how a professional (unemployed) line cook eats for herself. I am also very interested in food policy so I will be posting articles about food policy along with posts about gardening, funny dog pictures and whatever I feel like.

Cheers,
Burnt

Listening to Adele -Rolling in the Deep

I'm BAAAAACK!

2010-11-06T20:44:00.000-07:00

Wow, it has been forever. After a busy, busy winter and an equally busy summer, I'm back with a redesigned blog and logo! I promise to try and keep blogging. I swear. To kick off my return, I present to you slow cooker chili mac! I just got a slow cooker and I have been testing out new recipes. Fall is slowly making its way to winter and slow cooker recipes are just what I need on these frosty days. Also I can't wait to come home from skiing to enjoy a meal waiting for me in the slow cooker.

This chili is perfect for this autumn weather. I prefer chili made with chuck roast but the BF likes ground beef chili better but this chili has good beefy flavor. I am also of the Texas style chili persuasion- NO BEANS! I made the chili in my slow cooker but you can easily make it on the stovetop.

TBC Slow Cooker Chili
makes 6 portions

3 slices of bacon, diced
1 small onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1½ lb. ground beef
½ tsp. oregano
½ tsp. cumin
1 TBSP. chili powder
1 14oz. can crushed tomatoes
1/2 can of water
7-8 drops hot sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat a skillet to medium heat. When it is ready add the bacon and cook until crispy, about 5 minutes. Pour out all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat. Next add the onion and saute until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic, spices and ground beef, breaking up with a wooden spoon. Cook until no longer pink. Season with salt and pepper. Add the tomatoes and using the same tomato can, add 1/2 can of water. Stir to combine. Add beef and tomato mixture to slow cooker and cook on high for 6 hours. If you don't have a slow cooker, bring the beef and tomato mixture to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Continue to simmer on the stove top for 4 hours.

NO Fry Corn Dog Maker

2009-12-08T10:00:00.000-08:00

What, you say? Is this possible? Apparently so. Thanks to @mylastbite I found this amazing contraption. According to the manufactuerer:

Our No Fry Corn Dog Maker doesn't rely on messy frying. You can enjoy healthier and tastier treats by simply preparing your favorite batter, dipping in your food of choice, and baking them in our easy to clean non-stick, countertop snack maker.

Try your hand at corn dogs (veggie, kosher… it doesn't matter), pizza roll cheese sticks, breakfast pancake sausage rolls and even CANDY BARS on a stick! If you can dip it in batter and put it on a stick our new No Fry Corn Dog Maker can take care of the rest!

Great for slumber parties and Sundays in front of the TV catching the game!

Includes 24 sticks and a recipe book with a classic corn dog batter and a corn dog muffin recipe included.

Retails for $24.99, this will make a great Christmas present for your favorite weiner. You can buy the No-Fry Corn Dog Maker at Perpetual Kid

Butternut Squash Soup

2009-12-07T09:50:00.000-08:00

Winter is finally here! We are in the midst of a huge winter storm that is expected to bring over 20 inches of precipitation which can mean anywhere from 2-5 feet of snow. I have been holed up in my condo for several days now because it is SO COLD! Like 22˚F with crazy 75 MPH winds. It is miserable.

Since it is so cold, I've been making really homey and comforting foods. This butternut squash soup will warm you up and is super easy to make. It only requires a few ingredients which is good on a day like today when the wind is howling, the snow is falling and going outside can be treacherous. This soup can be made vegetarian by substituting vegetable broth for chicken broth however the soup will taste much sweeter! It is also a good gluten-free option for those with gluten allergies.

TBC Butternut Squash Soup
makes 4 generous entree portions or 6 appetizer servings

1-3 to 3 1/2 lb. butternut squash
2 TBSP vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 medium sized boiling potato (about 10 oz), peeled and cut in 1-inch chunks
Thyme, fresh or dried
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Line baking sheet with foil. Halve butternut squash lengthwise. Scoop out and discard seeds. Brush one half with 1 TBSP oil and season with salt and pepper. Place flesh side down on the lined baking sheet and roast until tender, about 1 hour. Reserve the other butternut squash half for another use like butternut squash risotto. When baked squash is done, you should be able to pierce the flesh with a paring knife with little resistance. After the squash has cooled enough to handle, scoop out the flesh and reserve.

Put the remaining TBSP oil in a stockpot over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until translucent, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and thyme and some salt and pepper (but not too much because the broth maybe seasoned already). Saute a few more minutes being careful to not burn the garlic.

Add the broth, potatoes and reserved butternut squash. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and simmer for 25-30 minutes until potatoes are tender and can be pierced with a paring knife with no resistance.

Transfer the soup to a blender and puree until smooth. Taste the soup and adjust seasonings adding more salt and pepper if needed.

Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with some cream, chives or croutons if desired.

Song: Baby, It's Cold Outside

Oh Snap! Martha says it like it is

2009-11-23T17:33:00.000-08:00

Don't mess with Martha! Last week, Martha went on Nightline to do her first interview since her release from prison in 2004. When asked about Rachael Ray, this is what Martha had to say:

"Well, to me, she professed that she could -- cannot bake," said Stewart. "She -- just did a new cookbook which is just a re-edit of a lot of her old recipes. She -- and that's not good enough for me. I mean, I really want to write a book that is a unique and lasting thing. Something that will really fulfill a need in someone's library. So, she's different. She's -- she's more of an entertainer than she is, with her bubbly personality, than she is a teacher, like me. That's not what she's professing to be... She does it very differently than I do, she's a totally different kind cook than I am. I don't know if she has a garden, I don't think so, but if she does, she doesn't show that on her show so much."

Nightline then followed up with Rachael Ray, who pretty much agreed with Martha.

"Why would it make me mad?" said Ray. "Her skill set is far beyond mine. That's simply the reality of it. That doesn't mean that what I do isn't important too... I don't consider it needling. I really just think she's being honest. She does have a better skill set than I do when it comes to producing a beautiful, perfect, high-quality meal. I'd rather eat Martha's than mine, too."

Martha then went on her show today (Monday) and issued a formal apology to Rachael Ray stating:

"there are no bad feelings between us nor have there ever been. I truly believe that Rachael has done a terrific job bringing people — many people who would of never have even stepped into the kitchen or made a dish — to cook."

I myself am not a fan of Rachael Ray (I worship Martha). Every time she says EVOO or Yum-o, it's like nails on a chalkboard to me. Absolutely drives me nuts. But I will have to agree with Martha that she does introduce cooking to many people who would normally never cook. She really does simplify cooking. Whenever anybody asks me about getting into cooking, I always recommend Rachael Ray's books because all of her recipes are easy to make. In fact, I think my first cookbook was a Rachael Ray book.

You can watch the Nightline video footage here

Then later at a red carpet event, Martha was asked about Sarah Palin.

"She's very boring to me, very boring. And a very, to me, kind of a dangerous person. I mean, she's dangerous. She speaks, she's, she's so confused. And anyone like that in government is a real problem."

The reporter then asked Martha whether or not she was catching any of the hoopla and publicity surrounding Sarah Palin's new book. In which she replied:

"Oh I wouldn't watch her if you paid me."

SNAP!

Blizzard Dog Ice Cream

2009-11-23T12:21:00.000-08:00

There was an article in the NY Times about sixteen year old New Yorker, Christian Liendo. Christian invented an ice cream for dogs. He came up with the idea for an entrepreneurial competition. Inspired by his afternoons at his grandmother's eating ice cream but not being able to share his delicious treat with her dog, Max, Christian experimented with dog friendly ingredients such as carbo powder, soy milk, lactose free milk. With Max as his taster, Christian soon developed flavors doggies craved! He hopes to sell his doggie ice cream alongside regular ice cream at ice cream stores. Hopefully sooner than later, Christian. I know Hank and George would like to try some!

You can read more about Blizzard Dog at the NY Times.

Photo: Robert Stolarick/NY Times

Bacon MMMvelopes -Mailing letters has never been so tasty!

2009-11-17T08:24:00.000-08:00

This bacon craze has gone too far. Now there are Bacon Flavored MMMvelopes. From the bacon obsessed peeps at J&D's , makers of Baconnaise and Bacon Salt, now you can get the flavor of bacon when sending your snail mail. These standard 10" envelopes look like bacon and taste like real bacon. It does not contain real bacon so there is no need for refrigeration and your vegetarian friends can enjoy the taste they miss the most. According to Gizmodo "you get the taste of bacon and a deep feeling of emptiness inside yourself." You can buy this great invention at mmmvelopes.com, $6.99 for 25. Also be sure to check out the J&D's website for their other bacon products.

Source: Serious Eats

Homemade Dog Biscuits

2009-11-16T16:43:00.000-08:00

I have been so bored! This lack of weather in my new home is really driving me bonkers. To pass the time in between dog walks on the golf course and Farmville sessions, I have been experimenting with baking in the high altitude (The town of Mammoth Lakes is at an elevation of 7800). For my first experiment I thought I would make dog biscuits because dogs don't care about texture or whether or not the dough has risen properly.

After some Internet research, I found this great website www.bullwrinkle.com. It has a ton of great dog biscuit recipes as well as information and tips about bulldogs and owning dogs. I made the Everyday Dog biscuit and my dogs LOVE them. These dog biscuits are super easy to make and are made with ingredients that are found in any typical pantry. The high altitude didn't affect the recipe too much (I added a little extra of water) and I omitted the garlic because I read somewhere that garlic may not be so great for dogs digestion. Also since I just moved and didn't have any honey I substituted black strap molasses. I've heard of molasses dog treats so I don't think the molasses substitution affected the outcome too much. Hank and George still gobbled up the treats.

Everyday Dog Biscuit
Originally published at www.bullwrinkle.com

2 tsp. dry yeast
1/2 cup lukewarm water
2 TBSP dry parsley
2 TBSP minced garlic (I omitted the garlic)
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
3 TBSP honey ( I used black strap molasses)
1 egg
5-6 cups whole wheat flour

Preheat oven to 350˚F.

In a bowl, dissolve yeast into water. After it foams (about 5 minutes), stir in parsley, garlic (if using), honey, egg and chicken broth. Gradually add flour, stirring to combine until a stiff dough forms. If using a stand mixer, using the dough hook, mix until dough pulls away from the side of the ball, forming a ball on the hook. It should be smooth. If mixing by hand, knead on a floured surface, until smooth. Shape dough into a disk and roll to 1/4 inch thickness.

Using dog bone cutters, make biscuits. Gather scraps, re-roll and cut out more biscuits. Transfer to parchment lined baking sheets and bake for 30 minutes, remove from oven and turn over. Bake for another 15 minutes. After the biscuits are done baking, transfer all the biscuits to a baking sheet and leave in oven overnight to crisp.

Thumbprint Cookies

2009-11-12T11:34:00.000-08:00

My neighbor in Costa Mesa gave me two jars of apricot jam she made from her backyard apricot trees. I am a huge fan of the thumbprint cookies with the jam filled centers so I used her apricot jam for my cookie filling. You must try making these cookies. They are far superior to the store bought kind. I used a great recipe from the December 2007 issue of Gourmet magazine. You can find the recipe here at epicurious.com

Jam Thumbprint Cookies
recipe by Gourmet magazine

2 1/2 cups AP flour
1 tsp. salt
2 sticks (8 oz) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
your favorite jam

To make cookie dough:
Whisk together flour and salt. Beat butter and sugar in bowl with electric mixer until light colored and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. At low speed, add flour in three batches, mixing until dough forms. Divide dough in half and flatten into a disc and chill until firm, at least an hour.

To assemble and bake cookie:
Roll 1 oz (about 1 TBSP) of dough into a ball, then flatten slightly. Place on parchment lined baking sheet. Continue with the rest of dough. When all the cookies are rolled out, using the end of a wooden spoon, make an indentation in the center of each cookie.

Place your favorite jam in a pastry bag or a plastic bag with one of the corners snipped off. Pipe enough jam to fill the indentation in each cookie, about 1/8 tsp. I like to refrigerate the cookies for at least another 45 minutes after assembling the cookie to prevent overspreading.

After cookies have chilled, bake in 350˚F oven for 15-20 minutes or until the cookies are baked through and the edges are golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes and then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Makes 3 1/2 dozen cookies. These cookies are best eaten the day they are baked but they can be stored for two days in an air tight container.

Corn and Bacon Pasta

2009-11-10T11:27:00.000-08:00

I have been a terrible blogger. I apologize. I have actually been cooking up a storm. I have been trying to perfect my pie technique and am proud to say, I am pretty close! But more on pie later. I just recently moved to Mammoth Lakes home of Mammoth Mountain Ski resort. Hopefully I will be working at the Westin Monache Resort but in this economy one cannot put all her chickens in a basket. I am SO bored right now as there is no snow so no work. This is the perfect chance for me to catch up on my blogging. I have so many recipes and pictures backed up from last month!

Because of the big move, money has been kind of tight and I was also trying to use some of the ingredients that wouldn't survive the 5 hour drive to Mammoth. This is another great pantry dinner. It's probably not the healthiest but I love the salty bacon with the sweet corn. It is one of my favorite flavor combinations. This is also one of my go-to-recipes when I don't feel like cooking. With a green salad, this meal is super simple and takes less than 30 minutes!

TBC's Orecchiette with Corn and Bacon
serves a generous 2 portions

4 slices bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces.
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 TBSP butter
2 ears of corn, shucked and kernels removed or 2 cups frozen corn
8 oz. orecchiette pasta or other short pasta
2 TBSP cream
chives for garnish

Cook pasta in large pot of boiling water. Drain and reserve.

Cook bacon in a medium size saute pan over medium heat until crispy. Drain on paper towel and reserve.

Pour out bacon grease. Add the butter and wait until foam subsides. Add the chopped shallots and cook until translucent. Add the corn and cook until corn starts to make popping noises.

Combine cooked pasta with corn mixture. Add the cream and toss pasta to coat. Divide servings among bowls and add bacon and chives.

Raclette Burgers

2009-10-13T16:30:00.000-07:00

So nearly after a month, finally here is post for the much talked about Raclette Burger. I've been kind of lazy about blogging because my food photography is less than par. It's hard to make food look pretty for the camera when you want to eat it right away.

So what is raclette? According to Wikipedia, raclette is a semi-firm salted cheese made from cow's milk originating from mountainous region of Valais in Switzerland (home of the Matterhorn and Lake Geneva). Raclette comes from the French word "racler" which means to scrape. This cheese dates back to the Middle Ages when Swiss cow herders would carry blocks of raclette with them when they would herd their cows to and from the pastures in the mountains. They would place the cheese next to the campfire and when it would reach the perfect softness, scrape it onto some bread or potatoes. Traditionally raclette is served with small potatoes, cornichons (gherkins), pickled onions and dried meats such as prosciutto. Nowadays, raclette is served using an electric table top grill pan that grills the potatoes on top and melts the cheese on the bottom tray. This is how I first encountered raclette. It was at the boyfriend's parent's condo in Mammoth and now, every time we are in Mammoth, we break out the raclette machine. There is something about being in the mountains that makes me crave raclette! But raclette cheese is SO good it shouldn't just be for the mountains which is why I made a hamburger with it!

These hamburgers are AWESOME! I just love raclette cheese with the cornichons. It sounds like a weird flavor combination but trust me, it is the bomb! The hamburger would work well with slices of raclette cheese on top instead of stuffed in the burger. The Amateur Gourmet found pre-sliced raclette which would work perfectly.

If you want to try the real thing and don't want to splurge for a machine, Basilic on Balboa Island has raclette night on the first Tuesday of the month. My friend's parents own the restaurant; her dad is the chef and her mom is the maitre-d. It is a cozy and intimate gem amongst Orange County's overabundance of chains and was named OC's Most Romantic Restaurant by OC Weekly. Be sure to make reservations before dining, especially for raclette night. There are only 9 tables.

TBC Raclette Burgers
makes 3 burgers

1 lb. ground chuck beef 80/20
3 oz. raclette cheese, shredded
Montreal steak seasoning
3 freshly baked hamburger buns
1 bunch of frisee or arugala

for the aioli:
1/4 cup mayonaise
a large spoonful of cornichons, coarsely chopped
1 tsp. cornichon juice

Directions:

1. To make the cornichon aioli, combine the mayonaise, chopped cornichons and juice, Set aside.

2. Separate the ground chuck into 1/3 lb chunks. To make the patties, take a 4 inch cookie cutter lined with plastic wrap and press half of the 1/3 lb chunk into the cookie cutter. Place 1 oz. of the shredded raclette and then top with other half. Pressed the edges to seal the patties together and lift out of the plastic wrap. Repeat with remaining beef and raclette cheese. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before cooking.

3. Preheat pan or grill to high. Brush burgers with oil and sprinkle liberally with Montreal Steak seasoning. Cook for 5-7 minutes on each side.

4. Lightly toast hamburger buns and generously spread with cornichon aioli. Place cooked hamburger and top with frisee or arugala followed by the hamburger bun top.

Homemade Hamburger Buns

2009-09-17T12:46:00.001-07:00

Homemade bread always beats bread from the store. Last night when I wanted to make hamburgers I opted to go through the tedious process of making my own buns rather than use the store-bought buns, even though they were on sale for 99¢. For once, the at-home method would cost more than buying from the store. But when I glanced at the ingredient list for the store buns, I saw high fructose corn syrup, shortening and crazy 13 lettered words. Forget about it! Homemade was the better, healthier way. After all, the hamburger bun recipe I found in this month's issue of Saveur contain actual real ingredients like milk, flour, sugar and BUTTER! Beats any 99¢ pack of hamburger buns anyday!

I found this recipe from the September issue of Saveur magazine. The recipe makes 12-3 oz. buns. They are light and fluffy with a nice sturdy exterior, perfect for holding any juicy burger and all the toppings. However unlike the store-bought variety, these hamburger buns will go stale the next day, so you better use them up! But they are pretty tasty with just some butter so I'm sure you and your friends will gobble them up. If you happen to have some leftover, throw the extra buns in the food processor to make fresh bread crumbs and freeze them in a bag.

Hamburger Buns from Saveur Magazine

1 package active dry yeast (1/4 oz)

1 1/3 cups milk heated to 115F

1.5 tsp. + 2 tbsp. sugar

4 cups flour

1 1/4 tsp. kosher salt

1 lightly beaten egg

4 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened, cut into cubes

3 tsp. sesame seed

Mix yeast, milk and 1.5 tsp sugar; let foam.
Stir in remaining sugar, flour, salt and egg. Mix with paddle on low speed until dough forms.
Replace paddle with hook and add butter. Knead on medium high speed until dough pulls away from sides of bowl, about 8 minutes.
Let rest in an oiled bowl until doubled, about 2 hrs.
After bulk fermentation, divide dough into 12 and shape into tight balls about 3 oz each.
Let balls rise in parchment-lined sheets, covered with oiled plastic, for about 1.5 hrs.
Spray tops with water, then sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Bake in 400F oven until golden brown, about 18-20 minutes.

Mobil Mart Restaurant

2009-09-13T17:33:00.000-07:00

I've been in Mammoth Lakes the past week which explains the lack of posts. I did a lot of hiking with my dogs and cooking. In fact, I did a stagiaire at the White Bark restaurant at the Westin Monache Resort. For those of you not versed in culinary lingo, a stagiaire is a fancy French word for a try-out. Basically, you work a shift and the chef sees if he likes you. My friend Dan is the executive chef at the White Bark, so if I can find a place to live, the job is mine. So keep your fingers crossed!

Matt and I went to Yosemite last week since it is only an hour and half from Mammoth. It was actually my first time to Yosemite! From Mammoth Lakes, you take the 395N and then Tioga Pass, Highway 120. When you pull on to the 120 from the 395N there is a Mobil Gas Station. If going to Yosemite, you better stop and get gas there because there is only one other gas station on the 120 and it is about 40 miles away. And if you don't need to get gas you should stop anyways because there is a fabulous restaurant inside.

The Mobil Mart Restaurant is run by Dan's fiancee Denise and her family. The food is not your typical gas station fare. There are fish tacos with a fresh mango salsa, BBQ ribs with a huckleberry BBQ sauce, jambalaya, and grilled pork tenderloin. They even serve beer and wine. Along with the gourmet grub, you can pick up camping and backpacking staples like dehydrated food and goos for your wilderness trek into Yosemite.

The Mobil Mart is only open during the summer months (May-November) so if you are ever in Mammoth Lakes during the summer, I highly recommend you drive north the twenty minutes. The food and the view from the dining area are unbelievable!

The Menu

The dining area

the view of Mono Lake from the dining area

Putting the final touches on the fish tacos

the Fish tacos. One comes with a ginger slaw and the other with the tropical fruit salsa

BBQ Ribs with Huckleberry sauce.
Everybody needs to try huckleberries at least once in their life.
If you can only get it in sauce form, so be it. Huckleberries are DELICIOUS!

Cheesy Grits with Coca-Cola Red-Eye Gravy

2009-09-11T13:01:00.000-07:00

To continue the theme of pantry cooking, here is the ultimate pantry meal, Cheese Grits with Hot Dogs and Coca-Cola Red Eye Gravy. Actually it sounds like the ultimate white trash meal. I didn't feel like going to the grocery store so I just threw this dinner together. In the South, grits are often served with ham and red-eye gravy for breakfast. Red-eye gravy is traditionally made with black coffee but can be made with Coca-Cola. It sounds totally weird but Coca-Cola is acidic like beer and wine and is great for deglazing and making sauces. I use it in my Pulled Pork recipe. Hamsteaks are usually used for the red-eye gravy but I didn't have any so I just used some sliced up hot dogs. The grits recipe serves 4-6 people (so if serving more than 2 people, double the ingredients for the gravy). I like to make extra grits and put them in a loaf pan, then slice it up and fry it in butter for breakfast the next day. Or maybe pour some chili over it. I use Bob's Red Mill Coarse Ground Cornmeal which can be found in most grocery stores. The Albertson's near my house has it in the "Organic" aisle alongside the gluten-free products. If you can't find the Coarse Ground, the Medium Grind Cornmeal will work, which can be found in the baking aisles of most grocery stores.

TBC Cheesy Grits with Hot Dogs and Coca-Cola Red-Eye Gravy
serves two

2 cups whole milk
2 cups water
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 cup coarse ground cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 ounces sharp Cheddar, shredded
3 hot dogs, sliced
1 TBSP butter
1/2 onion, small diced
1 cup Coca-Cola

Place the milk, water, and salt into a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Once the milk mixture comes to a boil, gradually add the cornmeal while continually whisking. Once all of the cornmeal has been incorporated, decrease the heat to low and cover. Remove lid and whisk frequently, every 3 to 4 minutes, to prevent grits from sticking or forming lumps; make sure to get into corners of pot when whisking. Cook for 20 to 25 minutes or until mixture is creamy.

Remove from the heat, add the pepper and butter, and whisk to combine. Once the butter is melted, gradually whisk in the cheese a little at a time.

While the grits are cooking, start the Red-Eye gravy. In a saute pan, add the butter over medium-heat. When it stops foaming, add the onions and cook until lightly browned. Add the cut up hot dogs and cook until lightly browned. Add the Coca-Cola and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat and cook until desired consistency.

Divide grits and hot dogs among two bowls and then ladle gravy on top.

Goat cheese stuffed Turkey Burgers with red pepper apricot relish

2009-09-02T13:31:00.000-07:00

So my MacBook malfunctioned again last week! :( It is the 4th time in a year. First I lost all my pictures. A few months later, the DC board went out so I wasn't able to use my laptop unless it was plugged in. In February, my hard drive completely died. It just literally stopped working. And just recently, the computer screen went blank. Luckily I have a good friend who works at Apple and he is able to get my MacBook running, usually with only a little damage to my pocket book. That is what I love about Apple! Had this been a PC, I would probably still be computer-less and dealing with Geek Squad or whoever you deal with when a PC malfunctions. When my computer screen went blank on Tuesday, I simply made an appointment at the Apple Genuis Bar for Thursday (when my friend worked) and my computer was fixed by Sunday. So Thanks Torey and Thanks Apple Genuises at Fashion Island! That explains my Internet absence last week. And now on to better and tastier things!

A while back, Albertson's had some crazy sale on ground turkey. Being budget conscious, I stocked up and froze a couple pounds. After making several dinners, I had a mere 1/2 lb. left. I also had about 2 oz. left of goat cheese from the Beach Blanket Blackout Bingo Birthday Bash. So I made goat cheese stuffed turkey burgers. I had the perfect amount for 2 burgers and a slider. To accompany the burger, I made a roasted red bell pepper and apricot relish from the bell peppers I bought from the Irvine Farmer's Market. The relish recipe is more than enough for the burger recipe. It taste delicious in grilled cheeses and an accompaniment to any BBQ'd or roasted meat.

This meal is a perfect example of how budget cooking can still produce a gourmet meal. I actually had all the ingredients on hand except for the dried apricots. Lucky for me I have a lemon tree. I made my own bread crumbs by toasting a piece of bread and then grinding it in the food processor. Chicken broth, vinegar, Dijon mustard and hot sauce were all in my pantry. Just because you are poor, you don't have to eat poorly!

Goat Cheese Stuffed Turkey Burgers with Red Pepper and Apricot Relish
adapted from Culinary Institute of America Grilling
makes about 2 burgers

1/2 lb. ground turkey,
1/4 cup toasted bread crumbs
2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp lemon zest
pinch of dried thyme
salt and freshly ground pepper
2 oz goat cheese, sliced into 1/4" medallions
hamburger buns or sandwich bread (I used Trader Joe's Cheddar and Garlic Sourdough Loaf)

For the Relish:
Makes 2 cups

2 roasted red peppers
2 TBSP cup vegetable oil
1 cup dried apricots, chopped
1 cup diced red onion
1 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 TBSP white wine vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2-3 drops hot sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper

1. Combine turkey, breadcrumbs, lemon juice, zest, thyme, salt and pepper. Mix well. Divide into two or three portions. To make the patties, take a 3 inch cookie cutter lined with plastic wrap and press 1/4 of the turkey mixture into the cookie cutter. Place the goat cheese medallion next and then top with 1/4 turkey mixture. Pressed the edges to seal the patties together and lift out of the plastic wrap. Repeat with remaining turkey mixture and goat cheese. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before cooking.

2. Preheat pan or grill to high. Brush burgers with oil and cook fro 7-8 minutes on each side.

Red Pepper and Apricot Relish

1. Roast the bell peppers. The easiest and fastest way to do this is by directly placing the bell peppers on the burner and charring the skin. After the skin has blistered and turned black all over, place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. When the peppers are cool enough to handle, peel the skins off under running water. Seed and dice the peppers into 1/2 cubes.

2. Heat oil in medium sized saucepan over medium heat. Add apricots, onion, and garlic. Saute until translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Add the diced red bell peppers and broth. Simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 5-10 minutes.

3. Add the vinegar, mustard, and hot sauce. Cook until liquid has almost evaporated. Check the seasonings. Chill. The relish should be served at room temperature or chilled.

Pavlova with Lemon Curd and Blueberries

2009-08-26T19:09:00.000-07:00

My friend Caroline is allergic to gluten. For a baker/ pastry chef, this can seem like an obstacle but actually there are plenty of desserts that do not contain gluten: flourless chocolate cakes, macarons, ice cream, just to name a few.

At first I attempted to make a gluten-free cake using Betty Crocker Gluten-Free cake mix. It turned out absolutely disgusting. The cake did not rise properly and had the most terrible texture: similar to a wet sponge. It reminded me of this Vietnamese rice cake we would eat at Chinese New Year but not as tasty. I could not imaging frosting it with chocolate frosting as pictured on the box.

Since the gluten-free cake mix was a total FAIL, I had to make another dessert. Because it was summer, I felt like making something fresh and with fruit. A pavlova was perfect: gluten-free, I had all the ingredients and Caroline loves Australia. The pavlova is the national dessert of Australia.

I found this recipe on Epicurious. It is a great recipe because the entire egg is used in the recipe: the whites for the meringues and the yolks for the curd. Also you don't need to buy superfine sugar. You can just pulse white granulated sugar in the food processor a few times.

To read more about being gluten-free, check out this article in the NY Times: The Expense of Eating With Celiac Disease (Did you know that in England, patients with Celiac disease are actually prescribed gluten-free products? And in Italy, they receive a stipend to purchase gluten-free products? Yet in America where we supposedly have the best health care system in the world...)

Pavlova with Lemon Curd and Blueberries

For meringue:

1 cup superfine granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
3 large egg whites at room temperature 30 minutes
3 tablespoons cold water
1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar

For filling:

2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 stick unsalted butter
3 large egg yolks
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1 cup heavy cream
4 cups mixed berries

Directions

Make meringue:
Preheat oven to 300°F with rack in middle. Trace an approximately 7-inch circle on a sheet of parchment paper. Turn parchment over and put on a baking sheet.

Whisk together superfine sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl.

Beat whites with a pinch of salt using an electric mixer at medium speed until they hold soft peaks. Add water (whites will loosen) and beat until whites again hold soft peaks.

Increase speed to medium-high and beat in sugar mixture 1 tablespoon at a time. After all sugar has been added, beat 1 minute more.

Add vinegar and beat at high speed until meringue is glossy and holds stiff peaks, about 5 minutes (longer if using hand-held mixer).

Gently spread meringue inside circle on parchment, making edge of meringue slightly higher than center (the "crater" is for curd and fruit). Bake until meringue is pale golden and has a crust, about 45 minutes (inside will still be marshmallow-like).

Turn oven off and prop door open slightly with a wooden spoon. Cool meringue in oven 1 hour.

Make Lemon curd while meringue bakes:
Stir together sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a 2-quart heavy saucepan, then add lemon juice and butter. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, whisking, then continue to simmer, whisking constantly, 1 minute. Lightly beat yolks in a small bowl and whisk in 1/4 cup lemon mixture, then whisk into remaining lemon mixture in saucepan. Reduce heat to low and cook, whisking constantly, until curd is thickened, about 2 minutes (do not let boil). Transfer to a bowl and stir in zest. Chill, surface covered with parchment, until cool, about 1 1/2 hours.

Assemble Pavlova:
Beat heavy cream until it just holds stiff peaks, then fold 1/4 cup beaten cream into curd to lighten. Spoon lemon curd into meringue and mound berries on top. Serve remaining whipped cream on the side.

Farmer's Market Salad

2009-08-25T22:55:00.001-07:00

I picked up some beautiful organic and pesticide free green beans and red bell peppers from the Irvine Farmer's Market this past Saturday. Usually I just saute the green beans with some garlic and butter but on KCRW's Good Food's Farmer's Market segment, Daisy Tamai of Tamai Farms shared her recipe for green bean salad. It is a very simple salad: green beans, bell peppers and red onion marinated with a kicked up Italian dressing. I didn't have bottled Italian dressing on hand so I just made a simple vinaigrette. It's just as easy as buying a bottle but cheaper.

You can listen to Daisy Tamai on KCRW's Good Food here

TBC Green Bean Salad inspired by Daisy Tomai

1 lb of green beans, ends trimmed
1 red bell pepper
1 red onion

For the dressing:

1 TBSP white wine vinegar
1 TBSP balsamic vinegar
1 TBSP Dijon mustard
1 1/2 tsp. sugar
4 TBSP olive oil
fresh herbs: basil, chives, parsley

Directions:

Blanch the green beans in boiling water for just a few seconds. Remove and put in ice water. Thinly slice the red bell pepper and red onion. Combine the vegetables into a bowl.

Combine the vinegars, mustard, sugar, and herbs. Whisk in the olive oil. Season to taste. If your vinegars are too acidic, add a little more sugar. The dressing should be a good balance between sweet and tart. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and marinate for at least 30 minutes.

Irvine Farmer's Market

2009-08-23T23:51:00.000-07:00

I went to the Irvine Farmer's Market by my alma mater, UC Irvine, for the first time on Saturday. I was super stoked to find such a great farmer's market. The Irvine farmer's market is a good sized market with many different vendors. It is much bigger than the Costa Mesa Farmer's Market at the OC Fairgrounds on Thursday. I live in Costa Mesa, so I occasionally buy my produce from the Costa Mesa Farmer's Market but I am usually disappointed by the limited selection. The Irvine market is at least three times the size with many different vendors offering a huge range of products such as organic and pesticide-free produce, flowers, plants, soap, hand made crafts, freshly baked goods, cage-free eggs, grass fed beef and fresh seafood. And to add to the excitement, there is also a kettle corn and roasted corn booth. Unfortunately, I didn't bring much cash and being on a budget and all,I had to conjure up my will power (which is very weak against kettle corn and roasted corn) and restrain myself from splurging on the delicious corny snacks. I focused instead on the free samples.

One thing I noticed while I was sampling left and right, was the abundance of plums! There were so many varieties to choose from: dinosaur, gold, pink, just to name a few. I tried the sweetest plums but unfortunately I can't remember the name of the farm (what a joke!)but they were so juicy and sweet. In fact, I have three plums waiting for me in the ice box as I type right now.

The Irvine Farmer's Market is on Saturdays 8 A.M - noon at the In N Out shopping center at Campus and Bridge.

For more information about the Costa Mesa Farmer's Market and other Orange County Farmer's Markets, check out the Orange County Farm Bureau.

Don't forget to vote for Hank and George in the Cutest Dog Competition. We could win a million dollars!

Organic and Pesticide-free

Zuchinnis are still in season

Yummy bags of oranges

Fresh asparagus

mmmm....berry shortcake?

They sell fresh pasta!

I think "Super Bitter" would be more appropriate.

Look at all the different grapes

No words are needed

A Japanese pumpkin. The vendor told me it makes a delicious salad

This a Japanese variety of eggplant

More varieties of eggplants

Look at all these potatoes!

Purple beans!

Fresh Figs

Fresh Dates

Kogi BBQ visits Costa Mesa

2009-08-21T13:10:00.001-07:00

For those of you living under a rock and not connected to the Internet, Kogi BBQ is the taco truck that elevated the simple roach coach, the convenient lunch choice for time-starved workers, into a gourmet food phenomenon, pretty much revolutionizing the food truck industry.

Kogi BBQ mainly operates in Los Angeles, rarely venturing behind the Orange Curtain due to OC's strict health and food code. However sometimes for special occasions, Kogi is able to swing a permit or borrow a truck with an existing permit, like they did last Saturday (8/15) when they came to the Costa Mesa Holiday Inn on Bristol St.

I had to check it out. I've been dying to try Kogi ever since I heard about it on KCRW's Good Food. I've also been obsessed with taco trucks since 2005 when I worked at Volcom and dreamt about owning my own upscale taco truck. I would talk about it everyday with my co-workers, discussed it with Jamie, the driver of the taco truck that visited Volcom, and developed a menu. My truck was going to be a panini truck offering hot sandwiches, soups and salads. But I lost my job and the taco truck idea went dormant. Then when I heard about Kogi, I was totally kicking myself in the butt. Morale of the story: if you have an idea you are passionate about, run with it. Don't be a wuss like me and never follow through.

So back to the Kogi BBQ. Matt and I arrived at the Holiday Inn at 10:23 after spending the day at Three Arch. The line was about 30 people deep. Despite the long line, I was determined to try it, at least to see what the hype was all about. I had heard about the Kogi line being a scene complete with DJs and turntables. This Saturday night at the Holiday Inn, it was no exception. There was a makeshift dining area set up while the Departed was projected along the side of the hotel.

the line at midnight, still crowded

It took FOREVER! We waited over an hour and half to order. By the time we got to the window, they had run out of almost everything. No burritos, no specials, no chicken, no pork. They only had short rib tacos, tofu tacos, sliders, and the hot dogs. I was super disappointed. I ordered two short rib tacos, sliders and the Kogi dog. "This better be worth the hype," I grumbled as I moved to the next line.

While we waited in line for our food, the workers had already dismantled the dining area, so we would have to take our Kogi to go. That meant the crunchy kimchi would wilt and become soggy during the car ride home. I was even more disheartened. I did not wait this long for soggy, lukewarm food. It was 12:23 AM when we finally we received our items and got back in the car. Two hours of my Saturday night had gone by.

We raced home, hoping our haste would deter the sogginess. Unfortunately the tacos and the hot dog were cold and had to be microwaved, further wilting the kimchi. The sliders were spared the microwave treatment as I was so hungry and grumpy that I didn't care if it was cold.

Short Rib Sliders

And boy were my taste buds in for a flavor explosion. All of a sudden, the two hours I had waited for this glorious mini-burger were a moot point. It was all in service of this delicious slider. I immediately wish I had ordered at least two because I could have easily eaten the single order of two sliders by myself. The sweet short ribs on the soft Hawaiian roll with the crunchy, spicy kimchi and that cream sauce just made my taste buds sing!

Short Rib Taco

The short ribs tacos were good as I was now a fan of the Kogi short rib. But I prefer the Hawaiian roll as the vehicle for delivery of short ribs to my mouth. The hot dog was pretty tasty. I loved how the spicy kimchi cut through the saltiness of the hot dog while the cream sauce cooled and soothed the heat.

Kogi Dog

Almost 1 AM and finally satiated, it was time to call it a night. I was happy to finally try Kogi BBQ. Even though it is definately worth all the hype, I'm not sure if I would wait two hours again. Maybe if they at least had the whole menu available. But then again, I probably still wouldn't wait two hours.

Broke as a Joke Risotto

2009-08-20T09:50:00.001-07:00

This Saturday will mark seven months since I was laid off as a line cook. It has been a rather tumultuous journey since January. I graduated from culinary school (yay!), mentally prepared myself to leave all my friends and family to move to Baltimore only to find out Matt was laid off from his job one month before I was to move, my roommate asked me to leave earlier than anticipated (thanks for the two week notice, very thoughtful of you), scrambled around Costa Mesa to find a place that accepts two dogs and two unemployed people (next to IMPOSSIBLE), and then on top of it all, there was an incident involving Hank and Matt's dad's cat. Let's just say Hank emerged victorious and the cat, well, it ended up in a box. The cat incident has estranged us from his parents and any help they would offer us.

The money is running out and because I made diddly squat at as a line cook, I barely make anything from unemployment, just enough to pay my phone bill, car payment and insurance. And you want to know the most disheartening thing is? Matt makes more money from unemployment than I do working 60 hours a week as a line cook.

So it has been an interesting past two months, complete with breakdowns and serious contemplation periods of what to do with my life (graduate school? buckle down and get a corporate job? suck it up and get paid $10/hr to work as an overworked/underpaid line cook at a chain restaurant and never see my friends or family?). All that fun stuff plus beach time, bicycling, trips to the library, quality time with Hank and George and LOTS of cooking.

As you can tell, I don't have a very big grocery budget, so many of the dishes I cook now rely on pantry staples. Risotto is a good budget dinner because you can pretty much throw anything in there: from frozen vegetables to last night's take out dinner, risotto is very versatile. I always have frozen peas and some chicken broth in my pantry so pea risotto was the obvious dinner choice. I also had some goat cheese and some cherry tomatoes leftover from the Beach Blanket Blackout Bingo Birthday Bash so I just threw that in as well. The result was a delicious, healthy dinner for less than $6 for the total meal!

TBC Broke as a Joke Risotto
serves 3

1/2 medium onion, chopped, about 1/3 cup
1 TBSP olive oil or butter
3/4 cup Arborio rice
32 oz. carton of low sodium chicken broth
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 cup frozen peas
3 oz. goat cheese
handful of cherry tomatoes, halved
Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Place the chicken broth and crushed garlic clove in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Set aside. Meanwhile, add butter or oil to saute pan over medium heat. Wait until it starts to foam and then add the onion. Saute the onion until translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add the Arborio rice and saute the rice until translucent, about 2 minutes. Ladle some of the warmed chicken broth into the rice, stirring until liquid has evaporated. Continue adding liquid in stages, constantly stirring. Wait until the liquid has absorbed before adding more. When the rice is creamy and you have used all of the chicken broth, check the seasonings. Add some salt and pepper to taste.
Add the frozen peas and the goat cheese and stir to melt the goat cheese and to heat the peas. Add the halved cherry tomatoes and top with Parmesan cheese.

Please don't forget to vote for Hank and George in the Cutest Dog Contest. We could win a million dollars!

Please vote for Hank and George

2009-08-20T09:38:00.000-07:00

I entered Hank and George in the Cutest Dog Competition. If we are chosen, we could win a grand prize of a million dollars! Besides the fact that Matt and I are totally unemployed with no hope, Hank needs surgery on his teeth. Unfortunately his teeth are falling out due to his rotting gums and unless we do something, he is going to lose all his teeth. The estimate is $1000 for the oral surgery but because we have no money and no prospects of it in the future, Hank's mouth will continue to rot and harbor germs and infections until the infection spreads to the rest of his body, eventually killing him. Please vote for Hank and George by clicking on their pictures below! Your vote counts everyday so please vote daily!

Movies I want to see

2009-08-19T15:00:00.000-07:00

All these great movies are out right now! I usually don't go to the movies because it is so expensive ($11 for a ticket and then $9 for a popcorn? $4 for a soda? WTF?) but there are just too many good movies that I found myself going to the movies three times in August which is about how many times I went in 2008. But I just had to see Harry Potter (I'm a HUGE fan of the books), UP (totally recommend!) and the Hangover.

And there are still a bunch more movies I want to check out. Here they are in no particular order:

"It Might Get Loud" is a rock documentary following Jack White, The Edge (guitarist from U2) and Jimmy Page. I saw a quick preview of this on Showtime and was instantly intrigued. I think Jack White is one of the best musicians of our generation. BOLD statement, I know, but he is just so talented and prolific and his artistic energy seems so genuine.

"Ponyo" is Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle) next movie. I couldn't find a trailer to embed so you will have to click on the link to watch the trailer here. "Ponyo" is the Japanese version of the Little Mermaid. A little girl fish runs away from her ocean home and falls in love with a boy. When she steals her father's magic to transform herself into a human, things begin to go wrong. Like all of Miyazaki's other animated features, "Ponyo" is sure to amaze.

"Paper Heart" is a documentary/film that weaves together a documentary about a skeptic's quest to learn more about love and a fictionalized story of the budding romance between narrator Charlene Yi and Michael Cera. Along the way Charlene interviews all sorts of different people who each offer her their own view of love and romance. "Paper Heart" is playing in only a few theatres for a short while but it you are a Comcast subscriber you can watch it On Demand.

This movie looks so cute, it makes me want to barf!

"500 Days of Summer" is a getting a lot of great reviews and I totally want to see it! I absolutely love Zooey Deschanel (what self-respecting hipster doesn't?). I have a feeling this movie is going to be similar to Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (one of my ALL-TIME favs!) in that the true love is definitely worth the suffering. Like "Paper Heart," it has a limited distribution so see it before it's out of the theatre!

"Inglorious Basterds" is Quentin Tarantino's newest piece since Kill Bill in 2003. Led by Lt. Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt), the Basterds are a group of Jewish-American soldiers in Nazi occupied France, "who are in the Nazi-killing business." With their mission to spread fear throughout the Third Reich, they hatch a mission to take out all the leaders of the Nazi Party including Hitler himself. "Inglorious Basterds" received a lukewarm reception at Cannes but I'm a huge Tarantino fan and I'm sure his cinematic skills and soundtrack are enough to engage me.

Spike Jonze's interpretation on Maurice Sendak's "Where the Wild Things Are" is not coming out until November but I am so excited to see it! Perhaps it is the pairing of Arcade Fire's Wake Up for the trailer but this movie looks freakin' AWESOME! Spike Jonze worked closely with Maurice Sendak to make sure the true elements of the story came out in Jonze's version so they didn't butcher it like Hollywood usually does with most of our beloved childhood books (Mike Myers as the Cat in the Hat definitely made Dr. Seuss roll is his grave)

You can save money by buying your movie tickets ahead of time at Costco or AAA. They are only $7.50 each. And if you go on Mondays, it's $1 candy night and Tuesdays are $1 popcorn night. Or you can just bring your own snacks like I do. I like frozen peanut M&M's.

Birthdays and FREE stuff

2009-08-18T16:46:00.000-07:00

So yesterday was my birthday (the big 2-9, my last year of blissful twenties...Yikes!). It was a rather mellow birthday. I didn't want a big fuss or party and it was also my boyfriend's and my sixth year anniversary (Double Yikes!) I wanted to go to Disneyland but since both of us are unemployed, it was a little out of the budget, even with the free birthday admission. (Don't feel bad, my uncle works at D-land so we can go a different time). We had a rather lovely day; McDonald's for breakfast (a rare, gluttonous, and delicious treat!) dog beach with Hank and George (Hank surprised us all when his separation anxiety finally caused him to overcome his fear of water), a very successful trip to the Newport Beach Main Library (I found the Flavor Bible!), some plant shopping at Armstrong's, dinner at Crow Bar in Corona Del Mar and then the Hangover (yes, I realize we are probably the last two people to see it). Matt also got me a super awesome mutant birthday present!

Even though I didn't get to go to Disneyland it got me thinking, "There must be other freebies for your birthday!" A quick Google search and I found this awesome blog, Hey Its Free! The author compiled a comprehensive list of restaurants and entertainment establishments that will hook it up for free on your birthday! The best ones are:

$30 dollar gift certificate to Benihana's, good for your birthday month
free entree at El Torito
a free ice cream creation from Cold Stone Creamery
two free soft tacos and milkshake from Del Taco
free half dozen glazed donuts and coffee mug filled with either coffee or soda from Krispy Kreme

I'm a little bummed that I didn't know about these freebies earlier because you need to sign up in advanced for most of these give-a-ways. However I did signed up for the Benihana one because it is good for your birthday month. I also registered Matt, so in April when it is his birthday, he will have all the freebies!

And my birthday wish is that Hank is crowned Cutest Dog so please vote for him!

And George too! He's just as cute!!

UPDATE: My friend Wei-Bing told me you also get free admission to Glen Ivy Hot Springs and Spa in Corona!

Dogs and their Owners; a Family Resemblance?

2009-08-14T09:00:00.000-07:00

The NY Times has a funny slide show about dogs and their owners and whether they look alike. I don't think I resemble Hank as far as physical looks but I definitely think our character traits are similar. We are both loyal, stubborn, relentless, take what we want, crave attention, are hyperactive with a huge lazy streak and we both don't like strangers, children, cats or squirrels. Sounds like a typical Leo, actually. Anyways here are some of my favorite images from the slide show but you should check out the whole thing for yourself at the online edition of the NY Times.

Also don't forget to vote for Hank in the Cutest Dog Competition.

And while you're at it, vote for George too! He could use some love.

Spiked Sweet Tea

2009-08-13T16:53:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, while beaching it at 56th st. someone brought over this tea-infused vodka. I'm not too much off a drinker but this stuff was tasty! It tasted just like a glass of sweet tea, the ubiquitous Southern drink found everywhere from grandma's house, family reunions and church picnics to football games, bars and restaurants. Apparently Firefly Sweet Vodka Tea has been sweeping the nation since its debut in April with others following with their own versions of the sweet tea vodka.

Infused vodkas are very easy to make so I thought I would try making my own sweet tea vodka. It is so easy to make, I suggest everybody try it. The sweet tea vodka makes an excellent cocktail mixed with TBC Best Lemonade to make a "John Daly", an alcoholic version of Arnold Palmer or serve it over ice, lime juice, mint leaves and soda water as a “mo-tea-to.”

I will warn you though. This stuff is tasty, especially when mixed with TBC Best Lemonade. You can give it to a non-drinker and they would never know. I made two gallons of this stuff for the Beach Blanket Blackout Bingo Birthday Bash and things got real weird, real quick!

Oh and please don't forget to vote for Hank in the Cutest Dog Competition. He really needs your support!

TBC Sweet Tea Vodka

1 handle of middle quality vodka such as Smirnoff
7 black tea bags, such as Lipton or 4 heaping tablespoons of loose tea
3 cups of sugar

In a large jug, combine tea bag, sugar and vodka. Put lid on and shake until sugar dissolves and then steep for about 3 hours. If using loose tea leaves, strain vodka through coffee filter into a serving pitcher or another jug. Otherwise, remove tea bags. Serve over ice.

Please vote for Hank

2009-08-12T14:30:00.001-07:00

I entered Hank's picture in a Cutest Dog Competition. The grand prize is a million dollars and there is a $500 weekly prize for the most votes. You can vote everyday! Please vote for Hank, he needs your support! You can vote for Hank here.

Cherry Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwiches

2009-08-12T00:41:00.000-07:00

I was at Costco buying my monthly ration of cheese (don't kid, Costco has an excellent selection of artisinal cheeses, try the Coastal Cheddar and their Parm. Yum!) when this month's issue of Gourmet magazine was staring me in the face. I had to make the cover recipe! I just bought the ice cream attachment for my Kitchen Aid and ice cream sandwiches were a perfect recipe to break in my new toy.

Last week was my friend Chiron's birthday along with my friends Annika, Jed and Caroline. Since I am the resident chef of 56th St, I was in charge of the menu for the big birthday bash. Chiron requested a cherry vanilla cake so I made cherry vanilla ice cream sandwiches inspired by Gourmet's cover recipe.

The brownie recipe from Gourmet magazine is a chewy blondie. Blondies are basically brownies but instead of chocolate or cocoa powder, it uses brown sugar for the main flavor component. For the cherry part, I made a simple cherry compote (similar to making cherry pie filling) which I folded into my homemade vanilla ice cream.

TBC Cherry Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwiches

for the brownie:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

for the Ice Cream Base:
2 cups milk
3 cups heavy cream
8 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
4 tsp. vanilla

for the Cherry Compote:
4 cups pitted sweet cherries, chopped (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tbs. water
2 tsp. cornstarch

Directions

Make the ice cream base and cherry compote first. The ice cream base needs to chill and rest at least 8 hours before churning. The cherry compote must be chilled before adding it to the ice cream

In a saucepan over medium heat, heat the milk and 2 cups of the heavy cream until hot but not boiling. Remove from heat, set aside. Whisk egg yolks and sugar in a bowl. Slowly add hot milk/cream mixture to eggs while stirring. Do this carefully and slowly because you do not want scrambled eggs. Return tempered egg/milk mixture back to saucepan and cook over medium heat stirring constantly with a rubber spatula. Make sure you scrape the bottom and the sides when you are stirring. Cook the mixture until it has thickened enough to leave a streak on the spatula when you swipe your finger across. Transfer mixture to a container, stir in remaining one cup of heavy cream and 4 tsp. vanilla. Cover and chill thoroughly, at least 8 hours. After chilling, churn ice cream according to your ice cream maker instructions. After ice cream is churned fold in the cherry compote.

To prepare the compote, combine cherries, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons water, and cornstarch in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and cool.

Preheat oven to 375˚F with rack in middle. Spray two 8 X 8 baking pans and line with foil leaving a 1-inch overhand on each side. Spray foil with baking spray. Whisk together flour, baking powder, soda, and salt in a bowl. Beat butter, brown sugar in with electric mixer until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in egg and vanilla. Add flour mixture in 2 batches, mixing until just combined. Divide batter amongst the two baking pans and spread into a thin, even sheet using a spatula. Bake until golden brown but still tender about 10-12 minutes. Cool completely in pans, about 30 minutes.

To assemble the sandwiches:

Spoon all of the ice cream over 1 sandwich layer (in the baking pan) and spread evenly with a spatula. Invert second sandwich layer over ice cream, pressing gently to form an even sandwich. Wrap in plastic wrap and freeze until firm, at least three hours. Transfer sandwich to cutting board using foil overhang. Trim edges if desired and cut into 9 pieces.

Fettucine Alfredo with Fresh Pasta

2009-08-07T13:30:00.000-07:00

I just love freshly made pasta. It is a real treat for an Italian food lover like myself. Fresh pasta is very easy to make and even the most amateur cook should have no fear when attempting to make pasta. It is so easy with a food processor but the traditional "well method" can be used that you see utilized by an Italian nonna and even the chefs on Food Network. The "well method" is when you make a pile of flour like a volcano (with a depression in the middle). The eggs go in the middle and you beat the eggs whilst incorporating flour (This method is also good for pancakes). To watch a video on how to make fresh pasta using the "well method" check out this video by the Academia Barilla Culinary School on YouTube.

In culinary school, my chef instructor taught us the easiest method possible using a food processor. You throw the flour, salt, olive oil and eggs in the food processor until the dough forms little balls the size of the interior of these: 00

Then you just wrap it in plastic, let is rest for 20-30 minutes and your dough is ready to roll out. You don't need a fancy pasta machine either. You can just use a rolling pin and make tagliatelle (long strands of pasta about 1/4" inch wide).

Now that you know how to make your own pasta, it is important to know what sauce to use on it. You may have wondered before why there are so many different pasta shapes. Pasta is pasta right? WRONG! A pasta shape determines what sauce it will be paired with. Same thing with fresh pasta vs. dry pasta. Fresh pastas don't do very well with tomato sauces but are excellent with rich sauces such as cream sauces or ragouts.

I had some extra cream from my foray into ice cream making (ice cream posts will be in the future!) so I made this simple Alfredo sauce to accompany my fresh pasta. It only requires 4 ingredients: heavy cream, parmigiano reggiano, butter, salt and pepper. Well five, if you count salt and pepper as individual ingredients.

TBC's Fettucine Alfredo
serves 4

for the pasta:

3 large eggs
1/2 tsp. salt
2-3 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
10-12 oz. all-purpose flour (about 1 cup)

for the Alfredo sauce:

1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 stick unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/3 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In a food processor combine eggs, oil, salt and pulse. Add flour and continue to process until coarse meal forms about the size of these : oo

Remove the mixture from food processor and form into a ball. Dough should be firm and not sticky when touched. If it is sticky add, more flour. Wrap in plastic and let rest for 20-30 minutes.

After dough rests, set a large stockpot of water to boil. Roll out dough while you are waiting for the water to boil. If using a pasta machine, start with the rollers in the largest position. Take 1/4 of the dough (keep the rest covered in plastic so it will not dry out) and pass through the rollers , gradually decreasing the distance between the rollers with each pass until you reach your desired thinness. To keep the finished pasta from sticking together and from drying out, place in a sheet pan dusted with flour. Sprinkle some flour in the strands of pasta and gently form into "bird nests" and cover with a tea towel. The fresh made pasta should rest for another five minutes more which is perfect time to assemble the Alfredo sauce

In a skillet over medium-low heat, combine cream and butter, adding 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

When the water boils, add pasta nests. The pasta should only take 3-4 minutes, maybe even less depending how thin you rolled the pasta. Using tongs or a pasta spoon, transfer pasta to sauce. Add cheese and toss to combine. If sauce is too thick, add some pasta water. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Best and Easiest way to cook Bacon

2009-08-03T13:42:00.000-07:00

Who doesn't love bacon? I bet vegetarians who converted later on in life even miss bacon a little. I love when bacon is crispy, flat but has enough fat in it still to melt in your mouth. I hate bacon that is overly crisp, curly and burnt where the curls touch the pan, often due to too high heat. To cook bacon to perfection, the fat must be rendered out over low flame or in low heat. Baking bacon in the oven my fool proof and splatter-proof way to cook bacon. It is especially good if you are cooking large amounts of bacon.

TBC's Best Way to Cook Bacon

Line a rimmed baking sheet (half sheet pan) with foil. Fit rack on top. Line bacon up without touching each other. The bacon will shrink as it cooks so it doesn't need to be spaced out, just don't have the edges touch because they can stick together.

Place in the cold oven and turn the oven to 350˚F. The oven heating to temperature will render out the fat slowly without burning or curling. After the oven reaches 350˚F, leave the bacon in for 10 minutes more. After 10 minutes, your bacon is done and is perfectly crisp and flat.

Try these variations:

Brown Sugar Bacon: Mix 1/4 cup brown sugar with 1 tsp. freshly ground pepper. Evenly sprinkle brown sugar mixture over 1 lb. bacon and bake following the instructions above.

Sweet n' Spicy Bacon: Mix 1/4 cup brown sugar with 2 tsp. cayenne pepper. Evenly sprinkle brown sugar mixture over 1 lb. bacon and bake following the instructions above.

Super Fair!

2009-07-29T10:34:00.001-07:00

I love the Fair. It's a strange obsession but it probably has to do with summer day camp. For 3 consecutive summers, my parents sent me a to day camp across the street from the fairgrounds. During July, the Fair would be our go-to field trip and we probably went at least 3 times per season. Every summer, excitement grew each day amongst the campers as the Ferris Wheel and the other carnival rides were constructed, their progress being carefully monitored by the watchful campers.

This year is no exception. I got a Super Pass, which gives me daily admission to the Fair. So far, I have gone 3 times and there is still one and half weeks left. I plan on going at least one more time (I'm bummed I missed the Demolition Derby night though).

In my 3 visits, I managed to eat a huge sampling of fair food, ride a variety of the crazy carnival contraptions they call rides, get incredibly sick on the Tango, not knowing that the ride went upside down,(Word of advice people, check out the ride before you decide to go on), win a prize at a carnival game, catch a Magic show, and walk through the Festival of Products.

Chicken Charlie's will fry anything. Word on the street is if you bring him a pickle, he will fry it for you. I wonder if the chocolate covered bacon could be deep fried.

The chocolate covered bacon was pretty lackluster actually. It was cold and tasted like chocolate with a strange salty burnt taste. Interesting concept, poor execution.

I love roasted corn.

More corn.

Yum.

Best thing at the Fair. The Mexican funnel cake. It is truly super sized. If that is a little much for you, try the bag of churros. For $4.50 you get a bag filled with freshly made churros. Best deal at the fair. They are warm and covered with cinnamon and sugar. I couldn't finish the whole bag (even after sharing with 3 other people) and it still tasted good the next day. They are at the Apple Fries stand by Kiddie Land. Trust me. You will thank me. Oh by the way, apple fries are apples wedges covered with cinnamon sugar and deep fried and served with whip cream.

The fried avocado was suprisingly one of my favorites. The crunchy fried exterior nicely complemented the smooth creamy avocado.

Roasted peppers filled with cheese

Freshly made chips and onion rings.

Deep fried pizza bites

Blueberry Cake

2009-07-23T10:33:00.000-07:00

I am not an expert cake maker. I may technically be a pastry chef but cakes are not my forte. They are a pain in my butt actually. At work, I dread birthdays and special occasions that require a cake or their named piped in chocolate. But cake means celebration so I better get my pastry chef butt in gear. I need to practice, dammit. I cannot rely soley on my pastry techniques. Most people won't care that I can make a perfect creme anglaise or fold egg whites expertly. The people have spoken and they want cake and they want it to look pretty.

I came across this blueberry frosting recipe from Rachel of Coconut and Lime. She is a fellow foodie from Baltimore (of all places!). The color was so pretty and I happen to have a package of blueberries so I just had to try this recipe. I thought it would pare nicely with the lemon filling.

The frosting was very easy to make, although I could see how it could be intimidating to the newbie baker. Pouring liquid hot sugar down the side of the stand mixer can be quite daunting. You could take a note from Alton Brown and use a metal turkey baster to add the molten sugar but it seems like a superfluous step to me. Also if you don't have a vanilla bean, you can add 1 tsp. of vanilla extract to the egg whites after adding the blueberry syrup.

Image courtesy of Coconut and Lime

Rachel's Blueberry-Vanilla Bean Frosting

1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
2 egg whites
2/3 cup blueberries
1 vanilla bean, split length wise
pinch salt

Directions:

Beat the egg whites and salt to soft peaks using an electric mixer. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, bring sugar, vanilla bean, blueberries and water to a boil, stirring occasionally, mashing the berries a bit with the back of your spoon. Continue to boil until it reaches soft ball stage (when a drop of the syrup forms a soft ball when dropped in cool water or 235˚-240˚F if using a candy thermometer) while continuing to stir occasionally.

Whisk the blueberry mixture through a fine sieve into a heat safe measuring cup and discard the blueberries. Keep the mixer running (to be safe use a stand mixer or a friend to complete this next step) and carefully pour a continuous stream of molten syrup into the egg whites. Continue to beat for about 5 minutes or until the frosting is fluffy, glossy and cool. Do not get any syrup on the whisk or it will spread sugar strings throughout your frosting! Frost cooled cupcakes or cake.

Source

Best White Cake

2009-07-23T10:32:00.000-07:00

I don't have a tried-and-true cake recipe yet, so I tried Cook's Illustrated recipe. I love Cook's Illustrated because all of their recipes are tested so you know they will come out accordingly. Believe it or not, many of the recipes in cook books haven't even been tested so if you mess up a recipe don't be so quick to blame yourself. It could be the recipe or even the ingredients you used!

Anyhow this white cake recipe from Cook's Illustrated turned out light and moist with a very delicate crumb structure. The method for this cake is different than most traditional cakes, relying on the "biscuit method" of combining all the dry ingredients and then adding the wet. Editor Chris Kimball says this "reverse creaming" (the term they used in the magazine for this particular technique) was the reason for the moist, light and delicate structure.

Note: it is VERY important that all the ingredients are at room temperature.

Cook's Illustrated Best White Cake Ever

1 cup whole milk at cool room temperature
6 large egg whites at cool room temperature
1 ½ cups sugar
4 tsp. baking powder
¾ tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/3 cups cake flour
12 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened but still firm

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees and adjust a rack to the center position. Grease two 9-inch cake pans with softened butter or Crisco and cover the bottom of each pan with a circle of parchment paper. In a medium bowl stir together the milk, egg whites, and vanilla with a fork.

2. Place the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add butter; continue beating at slow speed until mixture resembles moist crumbs, with no powdery streaks remaining. Add all but 1/2 cup of milk mixture to crumbs and beat at medium speed (or high speed if using handheld mixer) for 1 1/2 minutes. Add remaining 1/2 cup of milk mixture and beat 30 seconds more. Stop mixer and scrape sides of bowl. Return mixer to medium (or high) speed and beat 20 seconds longer. Increase the speed to medium and mix until the batter comes together, about 30 seconds.

3. Transfer the batter to the prepared pans and bake until the cake is lightly colored, feels set, and a cake tester comes out clean when inserted to the center, about 26 minutes, rotating the cakes 180 degrees halfway through the baking time. (Baking time will vary depending on your oven.)

4. Remove pans to cooling rack and let rest for 5 minutes. Run a thin knife around the sides of the pans and invert the cakes one at a time onto cooling rack. Reinvert cakes so the top is facing up and let cool completely. Makes 2 nine-inch cakes.

99¢ Hamburgers at E-Z Takeout Burger!

2009-07-20T16:18:00.001-07:00

For those of us living in Newport-Mesa, E-Z Takeout burger is an institution. It is like the poor man's version of In N out, except that it's not really for the poor. The hamburgers are kind of expensive here and I swear the patties are smaller than In N Out's (although it's hard to be sure because In N Out won't say how much their patties weigh, trade secret). But every Monday and Tuesday, to celebrate their 40th anniversary, they are selling 99¢ burgers! I'm always looking for a great deal and since I used to live across the street, I frequented E-Z Takeout on Mondays and Tuesdays. They also have onion rings and chili cheese fries, which gives you incentive to choose E-Z Takeout over In-N Out. They do the chili cheese fries the right way too; cheese on top of the fries, then chili and then more cheese! Yum!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2009-07-15T11:21:00.000-07:00

My roommate Eddie had a huge garage sale over the weekend so I decided to set up an old fashioned lemonade stand with chocolate chip cookies and fresh lemonade. Unfortunately nobody bought my cookies and Eddie and I drank most of the lemonade because it was so hot! I tried a new recipe for my chocolate chip cookies. I prefer a thin, crispy cookie but instead went with a more traditional recipe. These cookies were soft and chewy. The coffee flavoring complimented the chocolate chips nicely. The recipe I used is the (in)famous Neiman Marcus recipe. Rumor has it the store charged a woman $250 for the recipe and she has been giving it away ever since.

Neiman Marcus Chocolate Chip Cookie
yields about 2 dozen cookies

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar, packed

3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 teaspoons instant espresso-coffee powder

Directions

1.	Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Cream the butter with the sugars using an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy (approximately 30 seconds)

2.	Beat in the egg and the vanilla extract for another 30 seconds.

3.	In a mixing bowl, sift together the dry ingredients and beat into the butter mixture at low speed for about 15 seconds. Stir in the espresso coffee powder and chocolate chips.

4.	Using a 1 ounce scoop or a 2 tablespoon measure, drop cookie dough onto a greased cookie sheet about 3 inches apart. Gently press down on the dough with the back of a spoon to spread out into a 2 inch circle. Bake for 1 sheet at a time for about 7 minutes and then rotate and bake another 7 minutes (total 14 minutes). Bake a little longer for a crispier cookie. **Note: the original recipe says to bake the cookie for 20 minutes but my first batch burned. So I tried less time and rotating the sheet pan which came produced a more evenly baked cookie.

Yield:	2 dozen cookies

Source

Best Lemonade Ever!

2009-07-15T11:11:00.000-07:00

1 3/4 cup white sugar
1 cup water
1 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
8 cups water

In a small saucepan combine sugar and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil, stirring sugar to dissolve. Allow to cool to room temperature. Refrigerate in an airtight container until ready to use.

In a pitcher combine lemon juice, 8 cups water and chilled sugar syrup. Stir to combine. Serve chilled.

Cheap Eats.

2009-07-08T12:08:00.001-07:00

In these rough economic times, we are always searching for a deal. Until July 12, when you buy one smoothie at Jamba juice you get a 2nd one Free!

Source

Margo's Bark is Tastier than her Bite

2009-07-06T21:46:00.000-07:00

Meet Oscar, a 7-year old entrepreneur and philanthropist and his dog Margo. For his 1st grade Science project, Oscar made root beer. It was so popular amongst his schoolmates and teachers that he started to research and test different recipes. The result is Margo's Bark. The root beer is named after Oscar's dog, a black lab-pit bull mix. All the proceeds go to help shelter dogs. You can try Margo's Bark at Tender Green's, Joan's on Third, Larchmont Larder, and the Urban Pet.

Source

Yes please.

2009-07-06T18:28:00.001-07:00

Next to the bacon in a tube, this could possibly the world's best food. Mac n' cheese on a pizza! You can find this slice of heaven at Ian's Pizza. Native to Madison, WI, Ian's Pizza is opening a location in Chicago. Their odd menu choices include Spicy Chicken Taco, BBQ Steak and Fries, and Spinach Mashed Potato but the best seller is the Mac n'Cheese Pizza. Ian's Pizza is going to have to open a location in Southern California or I'm gonna have to fly to Chicago or Wisconsin one of these days.

Source

Pulled Pork

2009-07-03T11:03:00.000-07:00

Summertime to me means lots of BBQ and outdoor eating! Pulled pork sandwiches are one of my all-time favorite eats and I always seem to eat more pulled pork during the summer months. This is an easy pulled pork recipe using a Crock-Pot, a beer and a coke. Like they say, "Set it and forget it!" I like eating the pulled pork with the soft King's Hawaiian Rolls dipped in the cooking juices, French dip style. The pulled pork needs to cook at least 6 hours so cook it the night before you want to eat it or start it in the morning.

TBC Pulled Pork

Chile Rub:
8 TBSP brown sugar
3 TBSP kosher salt
2 TBSP chile powder
1 TBSP cumin
1 tsp each:

black pepper
cayenne pepper
jalepeno seasoning
Old Bay
Thyme
Onion Powder

5 lb. Pork shoulder (I use the Boston Butt cut) <--LOL
1-12 oz. can of Coca-Cola
1-12 oz. can of beer
2 jalepenos, split lengthwise
1 yellow onion, wedged into 8 pieces

Directions

1. Rub the chile rub all over the pork shoulder, massaging gently into flesh. Marinate the meat for at least an hour or up to overnight. Meanwhile, prepare the jalepenos and wedge the onions. Depending on how spicy you like it, the ribs and seeds can be removed from the jalepenos for a less spicier kick.
2. When the meat is done marinating, place in the crock pot along with the beer, Coca-Cola, jalepenos and onion. Set the temperature to low and forget about it!
3. About six hours later, check on the pork. It should be falling of the bone. Separate the liquid into a large saucepan and place on stove to reduce to half the amount. In a large pan, use two forks to pull the pork apart. Place back in Crock Pot with a cup or two of the cooking liquid. Reserve the remaining cooking liquid for au jus or dipping!

Annika's Pasta Salad

2009-07-03T11:00:00.000-07:00

To accompany the pulled pork for the 1st Annual Mutant Triathlon, my sous chef/contest co-administrator, Annika, made this delicious pasta salad. The pesto combined with the champagne vinaigrette made the pasta salad flavorful and deliciously tangy! I loved the briny olives, the acidic crunch of the onions and the mozzarella cubes added a creaminess to the pasta.

Annika's Pasta Salad

1 lb. tri-colore fusilli pasta
1/3 cup pesto (homemade or store bought)
1/2 cup champagne vinaigrette
1-6 oz can sliced black olives
1/2 cup julienne red onion
1/2 lb. feta cheese, crumbled
1 lb. mozzarella, cubed into 1/4 inch pieces

1. Cook pasta according to directions.
2. After pasta has cooked, drain in a colander and place in large bowl. Add pesto and champagne vinaigrette and stir to combine.
3. Add olives, onion, and cheeses. Chill salad until cool. Serve chilled.

Scanwiches

2009-07-02T16:37:00.000-07:00

Urban Rustic: Roast Peppers, Grilled Chicken, Swiss, Lettuce, on white bread

Parisi Bakery: Smoked Turkey, Fresh Mozzarella, Roasted Red Peppers, on a hero

The News & Observer: The O.B.L.T. (Outrageous B.L.T.) Applewood-Smoked Bacon, Fire-Roasted Jalapeños, Tomatoes, Avocado, Homemade Garlic Mayo, Local Greens on Sourdough

Absolute Bagel: Lox, Cream Cheese, Tomato, Purple Onion, On a Bagel.
The winner of Time Out New York’s Ultimate Bagel Test.

These are images from my new favorite website Scanwiches. The website creator scans his sandwich into a scanner almost everyday. Each sandwich looks so delicious I want to eat every single one of them. Scanwiches is based in Brooklyn so all those yummy sandwiches are from different delis around the author's area. Thank you Scanwiches for the daily lunch inspiration!

Source: Scanwiches

Michael Jackson 1958-2009

2009-07-01T23:55:00.000-07:00

Sushi Haiku

2009-06-24T18:48:00.000-07:00

Spicy Tuna Roll

Spicy Tuna Rolls Would Be
So Good in my
Belly Right now. Feed Me Sushi!

Mutant Brownies

2009-06-24T16:00:00.001-07:00

I made these brownies for the 1st Annual Mutant Triathlon. Unfortunately it rained all morning so the triathlon was postponed. I adapted the recipe from Hershey's "Best Brownie" recipe but stirred pecans and raspberries into the batter and topped it with marshmallows. They definitely looked mutated but tasted great!

Mutant Brownies

1 cup (2 sticks unsalted butter)
2 cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 eggs
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup chopped pecans
6 oz. raspberries
1/2 cup mini marshmallows

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 13x9x2-inch baking pan.

2. Place butter in large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at MEDIUM (50%) 2 to 2-1/2 minutes or until melted. Stir in sugar and vanilla. Add cocoa; beat until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well with spoon after each addition. Add flour, baking powder and salt; beat well. Stir in pecans and raspberries. Pour batter into greased baking pan. Top with marshmallows.

3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until brownies begin to pull away from sides of pan. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Frost if desired. Cut into bars. About 24 brownies.

Bad Food, Bad Dog

2009-06-19T14:55:00.001-07:00

Advertising Agency: Prolam Y&R Santiago, Santiago, Chile
Executive Creative Director: Tony Sarroca
Regional Executive Creative Director: Guillermo Vega
Creative Directors: Francisco Cavada, Alvaro Becker
Art Directors: Fabrizio Capraro, Andres Echeverria
Digital Retoucher: Cristian Muñoz
Illustrator: Raul Pardo
Account Supervisor: Juan Carlos Meza
Published: April 2009

Jed Bread

2009-06-18T22:11:00.001-07:00

My friend Jed drives a lot for his work so he listens to talk radio religiously. He came across this recipe when he was driving and even stopped to write the recipe down. Jed told me we had to try this "beer bread" he heard from the radio. I was skeptical at first because the recipe contained only three ingredients and seemed too simple. But he said the people on the radio were eating it and were remarking how good it tasted! So we tried the recipe and it turned out great! It is so easy to make that there is no reason to not have freshly baked bread.

Jed Bread is a dense, hearty bread. The crust is sweet and crackly and has the most delightful toothsome texture. Everybody agreed the crust was the best part! The interior of the bread was dense and sponge-like, great for soaking up soup and chili. A great thing about this recipe is you can add pretty much anything to the bread. Later that week, Jed tried banana and cheddar jalapeno. Both were successes. For my batch of Jed Bread I'd like to brush a little honey on top. and maybe one with chocolate chips.

For this recipe it is important to preheat the oven. Once you mix the beer and the flour mixture, it will start to react and rise immediately and you need to get it into the oven. Otherwise you will end up with a too dense bread that will be dough-y in the center. No bueno.

Jed Bread
3 cups self-rising flour (if you don't have self-rising flour 3 cups all-purpose flour+4 1/2 tsp. baking powder + 3 tsp. salt)
3 tablespoon sugar
1-12 oz. beer (this is where you can go cheap or fancy, from PBR to micro brew)

1. Preheat oven to 350˚F for at least 20 minutes before making bread.
2. Spray a baking dish or loaf pan with baking spay and sprinkle flour on the bottom and sides.
3. In a bowl, mix flour and sugar. If you are adding other flavors, add them to the flour mixture. Pour in beer. Stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until there are no more dry spots. The dough should look like oatmeal.
4. Spread dough into sprayed baking dish and place in oven. Bake for an 1 hour and 15 minutes or until golden brown and bread sounds hollow when tapped.

1st Annual Mutant Triathlon

2009-06-17T12:35:00.000-07:00

Here is your chance to prove how much of a mutant you are! The 1st Annual Mutant Triathlon will be held at 56th st at 2 PM. It will be a traditional swim, bike, run. The swim will be from the 52nd st. jetty to the 56th st. jetty. The bike distance will be from the house to Newport pier and back. The run will be from the house to the last lifeguard tower before the River jetty and back. There will be a person at each check point (the pier and the lifeguard tower) so don't think you can cheat! Any bike can be ridden but remember it is only 8 mph on the boardwalk!

Prizes will be awarded to the top mutants and BBQ to follow after. Bring your favorite mutant snacks cause you're going to need the energy!

Swissarmius Cutlery Holder

2009-06-12T12:47:00.000-07:00

This Swissarmius Cutlery Holder, designed by by Yegor Zhgun of Art Lebedev, is simple, useful and beautiful and I want one for my kitchen countertop! Designed by by Yegor Zhgun of Art Lebedev, it looks like a Swiss Army knife when holding your kitchen utensils. It has four compartments to separate your cutlery.

Source

The Funcooker...for reals!

2009-06-11T20:35:00.000-07:00

Soon you will be able cook your ham in the shower (a la Liz Lemon from 30 Rock)! Heinz introduces the world's smallest microwave, the Beanzawave. The Beanzawave, which measures just 7.4 inches tall by 6.2 inches wide and 5.9 inches deep, doesn't even need to be plugged into an electrical outlet! The device contains a USB port, so mid-afternoon snacks can be heated up at the computer without expending excess power. In the future, Heinz might experiment with lithium ion batteries--making the Beanzawave ideal for camping trips. Heinz claims that snacks can be warmed in under a minute thanks to intense heating action from a combination of cell phone and radio frequencies.

The mini microwave is being developed as a partner to Heinz Snap Pots, baked beans in single-serving containers. The Snap Pots, available in the U.K., fit perfectly into the Beanzawave. Now only if the Beanzawave had a "ham" button on it.....

Source

Ratatouille

2009-06-05T12:43:00.000-07:00

Springtime is here and all the squash and peppers are coming to fruit! It is the perfect time to make ratatouille from all the abundant vegetables. Ratatouille is a dish originating from the Provencal region of France. It is traditionally rustic peasant food. There are many different ways of making ratatouille and every French cook will insist his or her's is the best. This is my version. I learned this version from a French restaurant where I worked. It takes some time but it is some of the best ratatouille I've ever had!

TBC Ratatouille
This makes a lot. Serve it with some crusty French bread or as an accompaniment to meat. It is also great in omelets, crepes or pasta! It also freezes well.

3 red bell peppers
3 yellow bell peppers
3 eggplants
4 green zucchini
4 yellow summer squash
3 onions
4-5 cloves of garlic
6 oz. can tomato paste
herbs such as basil, thyme, marjoram

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. Oil the bell peppers and 2 eggplants. Place on sheet pan and roast for 45-60 minutes. After roasting, place bell peppers in a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap. You can leave the eggplant on the sheet pan.
While the eggplants and bell peppers are roasting, halve the onions and cut into 1/4 inch slices. Chop the garlic to a paste. Heat a saute pan over medium-low heat and saute onions with butter and olive oil until caramelized and golden brown, about 25 minutes. I like to add the garlic to the onions but you can add it any stage.
Meanwhile, quarter the zucchini and squash lengthwise and then cut into 1/2 inch pieces. Cut eggplant into 1/4 inch pieces. Saute the zucchini, squash, and eggplant separately.

By now, the bell peppers and eggplant should be cool enough to handle. Peel the skin away from the bell peppers, removing the core and seeds. Reserve the juice. Julienne. For the eggplant, simply remove the innards from the skin, trying to not get any seeds. There should also be juice from the eggplant. Reserve this juice as well.
Add the eggplant meat (minus the seeds), julienne bell peppers, caramelized onions and reserved juices to large pot. Cook over medium-low heat for 15 minutes, allowing flavors to meld. Then add the sauteed zucchini, squash and eggplant. Cook for about 10 minutes.
Lastly, add the 6 0z can of tomato paste, herbs if you have them and saute briefly, about 5 minutes. Yum!

Waterboarding for dogs?

2009-05-24T09:37:00.000-07:00

Did you ever wish you could just put your dirty dog in the washing machine after he rolled around in the dead bird carcass you discovered in the backyard? Well apparently now you can. It's not exactly a washing machine but starting at $21 the Dog-o-matic will have your pooch from foul to fresh in less than 30 minutes. The Dog-o-matic vending machines are quite successful in France and inventor Romain Jarry hopes to bring them to Britain.

Using the Dog-o-matic is simple. Even mutants and small children can operate it. First select your wash-cycle and size. It is about $20 for small dogs, $35 for medium and $49 for the largest customers. Inventor Romain Jarry also notes that cats can be catered to, for the small dog price. Good luck doing that without getting your eyeballs scratched out.
Place the pooch inside. Close the chamber and push the start button. Mr Jarry said: 'It doesn't take long to wash the dog - usually a few minutes. The longest part is the drying. The dogs don't seem to get bored. They just sit there and they come out clean." Yeah right.

A soggy pooch gets the wash cycle. Does he look like he's having a good time?

Source: Wired

May is also National Hamburger Month!

2009-05-16T16:31:00.000-07:00

So in addition to being Bike Month, May is also National Hamburger Month! This 2009 marks the 17th anniversary for National Hamburger month. This is the month where America celebrates its favorite food!

National Hamburger month was created by White Castle, the inventor of the fast food burger. Originally only a week long, it has grown into a month-long celebration. In celebration of National Hamburger month, White Castle is inviting you to submit your ultimate crave story for the chance to be inducted into the Cravers Hall of Fame. You can be just like Harold and Kumar! Or the Smithereens!Enter at www.whatyoucrave.com.

Some fun hamburger facts:

According to an article in the NY Times, Louis' Lunch in New Haven, Connecticut is credited with serving the first American-style hamburgers when he placed a ground beef pattie between two pieces of white toast for a busy worker in 1900. Other sources claim Fletcher "Old Dave" Davis from Athens, Texas invented the hamburger in 1904 where he served his patties on thick toast topped with a thick slice of raw onion at the St. Louis World's Fair.
Americans will eat on average 100 hamburgers a year.
Only 8% of diners prefer there hamburgers plain without cheese.
Burgers account for 40% of the sandwiches sold.
65% of all hamburger or cheeseburgers are consumed away from home.

Since it is National Hamburger Month and Memorial Day weekend is coming up; fire up the grill! Invite some friends over and have a hamburger cook-out!

***Steeefffffens! Sliders

makes 8

This is my friend Richie's recipe. These are a favorite at the beach house!

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef (80/20 preferably)
1 1/2 TBSP. salt
1 TBSP. ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced

8 lettuce leaves
8 tomato slices
2 large yellow onions
8 pieces of bacon, cooked
bleu cheese crumbles
bleu cheese dressing
8 Hawaiian mini rolls

1. Slice onions 1/4 inch thick. Cook over medium-low heat with butter until caramelized and brown, about 25-30 minutes.
2. Combine ground beef, salt, pepper, onions and garlic. Mix lightly with hands until just combined. Form 8 patties about 3/4"-1" thick. Grill uncovered, about 13-15 minutes.
3. About 3 minutes before burger patties are done, place rolls cut side down on grill, until warm and toasty.
4. To assemble burgers, line each bottom of roll with lettuce, tomato slice, hamburger pattie, bleu cheese crumbles, bacon and caramelized onions. Spread bleu cheese dressing on top half and close the sandwich.

May is Bike Month

2009-05-15T16:36:00.000-07:00

Ok so I am a little late but there are still two weeks left! May is Bike Month. Check out League of American Cyclists for more details about how to promote Bike Month in your community!

Also check out the Secretary of the Department of Transportation's blog regarding bicycling.

Gardening with Lead=No Bueno

2009-05-14T22:57:00.000-07:00

From the White House to community gardens, no one can deny the increasing popularity of growing your own fruits and vegetables. I, myself, have grown a pathetic herb garden in my kitchen window.

However lead contaminants in the soil and water may make your backyard vegetables and herbs inedible! Prolong exposure to lead can cause brain and nervous system, lower IQ, and stunted growth in children. In adults it can lead to cognitive decline, hypertesion, nerve disorders, muscle pain and reproductive disorders. No bueno.

Lead in soil can be caused by a number of factors many of which were used long ago, now banned but still leaving a footprint. Things like lead paint, leaded gasoline, lead plumbing and lead arsenate pesticides are among some of the culprits from years ago that are still linger in the environment. Soil near buildings made before 1978 (when lead-based paint was banned) is likely to contain high levels of lead.

Before planting your garden, consider getting your soil tested. You can ask your local health department where you can get this done. If you have lead-ladened soil, you can still garden. You will just need to alkanize it with some lime or lay some compost. The White House is using a mix of lime and compost to add to the soil for the vegetable garden. Also recommended is planting leafy greens specifically Indian mustard or spinach. By growing spinach for six months, it lowered the lead content by 200 parts per million. But don't eat the spinach. It's toxic!

Of course you can always grow your garden in raised tubs or planters. Either way you choose to grow your garden, its a great choice for your health and pocketbook.

Source: NY Times

I want Pizza!

2009-05-11T22:45:00.000-07:00

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

M - Th 11p / 10c

Pizza Song

thedailyshow.com

Daily Show
Full Episodes

Economic Crisis

Political Humor

Sorry I just had to include that! Anyways, I made pizza for dinner last night. I made my own pizza dough at home for the first time. I've made pizza dough plenty of times (every work shift at MM) but never at home. I couldn't remember the recipe from work so I adapted the recipe from my Culinary 1 class. Chef B's recipe called for fresh yeast which is very difficult to find for home use. I substituted dry active yeast but I wasn't sure how much to use. I did some rough estimates and I came out with a nice dough. I still would like to tweak the recipe because I love the pizza dough at MM!

On the left: pepperoni, jalapeno, pineapple, onions
On the right: salami, mushrooms, bell peppers, onions

TBC's Homemade Pizza Dough
makes 2 12-inch pizzas

14 oz. all-purpose flour or bread flour
1 packet of Fleishmann's Active Dry Yeast
1 TBSP sugar
2 TSP salt
1 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil
8 oz warm water (110˚F-120˚F)
corn meal or flour for dusting

In a stand mixer, with the dough hook attachment, place flour in bowl. On one side put sugar and yeast. On opposite side, place salt. Add water and oil. Mix for 10-13 minutes. Dough should form a ball on the hook and feel smooth and slightly tacky to touch. Add more flour if dough is too sticky and doesn't form a ball.

Form dough into ball and place in a sprayed bowl and cover it. Put somewhere warm. When dough has doubled in size, portion dough. For a half sheet pan, like in the picture, I do 1 pound. For individual pizzas, I make them 4 oz. each. After portion-ing your dough, form it into a ball and cover with plastic wrap. Again place it somewhere warm. When dough has doubled again, it is now time to roll it. Sprinkle the corn meal or flour on your work surface. Using a rolling pin (I actually used a wine bottle), roll out dough 1/4 inch thick. Place the rolled pizza dough on a pizza pan or baking sheet lightly dusted with corn meal or flour. Put the sauce and your toppings on and bake in a 500˚F oven. The size of your pizza will determine cooking. The pizzas I cooked in the pictures took 17 minutes. Individual pizzas will probably take about 7-10 minutes. Then enjoy!

Bacon in a Tube. Quite possibly the world's most perfect food?

2009-05-09T15:39:00.000-07:00

Brought to you by the Swedes, quite possibly the world's most perfect food: Squeezable Bacon in a tube. How do you say? Well shortly after WWII, a Swedish restaurant worker came up with a new way to process bacon. He found that by pre-cooking it and blending it a certain way, he could make into a fully cooked bacon paste that can be squeezed onto anything! Due to the patented electro-mechanicial process, Squeez Bacon requires no extra additives or preservatives. With a 12-year shelve life , no refrigeration necessary, and made from 100% USA pigs, Squeez Bacon may be the world's most perfect food. One serving is equivilant to 4 slices of bacon! Each tube contains 64 slices of bacon. Squeez Bacon can be eaten warm or cold. Squeeze it onto a sandwich, pizza, soups, pastas, anything edible! Rumor has it the members of ABBA met while eating Squeez Bacon sandwiches. IKEA founder Ingvar Kamprad never travels without it. Luckily for you it is now available in the United States! You can buy it for $8 at ThinkGeek.com. Think about adding Squeez Bacon to your camping kit or your emergency earthquake kit. A couple of tubes of Squeez Bacon during a "state of emergency" and you will forget about the hurricane/earthquake/tornado that tore up your house.

Source: ThinkGeek.com.

Top Chef Judge Hit by Car while Bicycling

2009-05-08T23:37:00.000-07:00

Top Chef Judge Toby Young was hit by a car while riding his bike through central London. He was riding his bicycle home around 12:30 AM Tuesday April 28(with his head and tail lights on, mind you) when a parked car pulled out in front on him and knocked him off his bike. The restaurant critic required a trip to the hospital where he was treated for his head injuries. Luckily there was no head trauma or brain injury, just only stitches. Mr. Young noted that had he worn a helmet, he probably would be walking away from the accident unscathed. As for the driver/idiot? He left as the paramedics and police arrived on the scene and gave Toby a false name and phone number. Absolutely disgusting.

Source tobyyoung.co.uk

Pear-ish the thought....

2009-05-07T22:52:00.000-07:00

I must be in a competitive mood lately because I entered the USA Pears Student Culinary Competition. Culinary students must submit a recipe using pears along with a picture. It can be an appetizer, entree, salad, dessert, cocktail....whatever as long as it uses pears! Entries are judged on use of pears, originality, taste, texture, and appearance. First prize is $2500!

I created a dessert entry. I wanted to create a dessert with a simple presentation. I also love different textures in desserts so I created a trifle. After several batches of creme brulee and numerous tastings between myself, my roommate and Jack, I settled upon a trifle made of poached pears, raspberry compote, cinnamon spiced creme brulee, Poire William-soaked Financier cake, and candied pecans. (Hopefully that's not too many components! But I feel these are ingredients that are in your typical pastry kitchen). The top layer of creme brulee would be caramelized so you would have to crack the top to reach all the goodness down below. I added the raspberry compote because I felt the dessert lacked in tart flavor and to add color because with just the pears, cake, creme brulee and candied pecans, it was just brown with cream and more brown.

The contest required us to submit a photo so I had my friend Jack Coleman who is an awesome photographer help me out. We tried a couple of different set ups with various props and backgrounds. I think the striped background came out best. Hopefully the judges will like my dessert!

Top Burnt Chef, A Pear-fect Trifle
makes 4 individual trifles

Poached Pears:
2 firm Bartlett pears, peeled
2 cups water
1 cup sugar
½ vanilla bean
1 strip lemon zest (no white pith)
1 TBSP Poire William

Combine sugar, water, lemon zest and vanilla in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Add pears and additional water if needed to submerge. Reduce heat, cover with parchment lid and simmer until pears are tender. Chill pears and liquid separately. Return pears to liquid, add Poire William and store.

Financier cake:
Cake Flour 65 g
Confectioner’s Sugar 185 g
Almond Flour 65 g
Egg whites 125 g
Browned butter 125 g

Combine cake flour, sugar, and almond flour. Whisk to combine. Stir in brown butter making sure there are no dry patches. Whip egg white to soft peaks. Stir in half egg whites until combined and batter is loosened up a bit. Fold in remaining egg whites. Spoon mixture into sprayed and parchment lined round cake pan. Bake at 340˚ until firm. Remove and cool on a wire rack.

Cinnamon-Spiced Crème Brulee
5 large yolks
12 oz cream
2 oz sugar
2 cinnamon sticks
2 cloves

Heat cream with cinnamon and cloves in a saucepan. After cream comes to a simmer, add sugar to yolks in a large bowl. Temper cream mixture into yolks. Transfer back to saucepan. Whisk over low heat until mixture starts to curdle. Remove cinnamon sticks and cloves. Buerre mix until smooth. Transfer to shallow container and refrigerate until cool.

Candied Pecans:
¼ cup Simple Syrup from poached pears
4 oz whole pecans

Combine in bowl. Place on silpat lined baking sheet and bake in oven until toasted. Cool.

Raspberry Coulis

Raspberries 7 oz
Sugar, granulated 3.5 oz
Water 1.33 oz
Lemon Juice .5 oz

Puree fruit in blender and pass through fine chinois. Warm in sauce pan.
Mix sugar and water and boil until 225˚. Add to fruit and bring to a boil. Simmer until thickened, should coat back of a spoon.

Strain and mix in lemon juice.

To assemble the trifle

Mix ¼ cup simple syrup from poached pears with 2 TBSP Poire William. Break up financier cake and soak with Poire William syrup. Place crème brulee and raspberry coulis in piping bags. Chop the candied pecans. Dice poached pears.

Lay a few small pieces of pear in the bottom of a small shot trifle glass. Cover with raspberry coulis. Pipe layer of crème brulee followed by a layer of financier cake and then the pecans. Top with pears, coulis and end with the crème. Sprinkle 1 TBSP sugar on top and caramelize with propane torch.

If it's good enough for the dog....

2009-05-03T23:03:00.000-07:00

Do you think you can tell the difference between pate and dog food? Apparently most Americans can't tell the difference. In a study done by the American Association of Wine Economists, blind taste testers were given five samples. Only 3 of the 18 tasters were able to correctly identify the dog food. The five samples were selected from a wide price range but were processed to be similar in texture. Duck liver mousse, pork liver pate, Spam, liverwurst and Newman's Own Dog Food were the samples given to the tasters. Two of the tasters identified the duck liver mousse as dog food. Four people thought it was the Spam. At least 72% of the tasters agreed the dog food tasted the worst.

Source: LA Times

It ain't easy being cheesy.

2009-04-28T23:35:00.000-07:00

The 1st 7th Annual Los Angeles Grilled Cheese Invitational was held this past Saturday April 25, 2009. Top Burnt Chef with sous-chefs Hovin, Chivon, and Alice competed alongside 300 other cheesy enthusiasts in front of a crowd of over 2000. Kraft Singles was on hand grilling over 14,000 grilled cheeses for the hungry spectators while Izze provided refreshing beverages. I must have drank 3 or 4 green apple sodas. Competitors were separated into 3 categories: "Missionary" (strictly bread, cheese, and butter NO additional flavorings), "Kama Sutra" (anything goes but it must be grilled and be 60% cheese) and the Honey Pot (like the Kama Sutra but on a sweeter side).

Team Top Burnt Chef competed in the Honey Pot category. We thought we would make a good showing with our sandwich "Honey's Got the Blues," a sweet gorgonzola, Bartlett pear and Bosc pear jam sandwich on Challah bread fried in butter then drizzled with honey but it didn't fare to well with the judges. It earned an "uk" from the judges although Team Top Burnt Chef's sous chefs are still debating that the "uk" was really a hastily written "ok."

It was so crowded that I didn't really get to see too many other sandwiches but there were several that stuck out in my mind. One was a comte and aged Utah cheddar on sourdough cooked in clarified brown butter and then sprinkled with sea salt from the Great Salt Lake. That sandwich won judges' favorite. One that sounded super gross but was popular with the crowd was an Indian curry grilled cheese on naan bread. In the dessert category, someone had a "cheesecake sandwich," which was a slice of cheesecake on bread made from graham flour then drizzled with rasberry coulis and chocolate sauce. I don't think technically that is a grilled cheese but it won 1st place in the Honey Pot.

Even though I lost and my creation was deemed disgusting, I had a great time and I can't wait to do it again next year. I am already dreaming up of new cheesy creations. Thanks again to Hovin, Chivon, and Alice. You guys rock! In the excitement of it all, I forgot to take a picture of my sandwich but here is the recipe for the "uk" sandwich!

Honey's Got the Blues
makes 2

Quick Homemade Pear Jam
(3 lb pear
2 cups sugar
2 TBSP lemon juice
1 box Sur-Jell fruit pectin)
4 slices Challah bread
6 TBSP room temperature butter
4 oz Gorgonzola Dolce
Bartlett pear, quartered, cored and sliced 1/8 inch thick
honey

1. For the pear jam, peel, core and chop pears. Cook in large pot with sugar until it starts to look like apple sauce. I like to mash it with a potato masher too. Then follow the directions on the pectin box.
2. To assemble the sandwich, butter 1 side of each slice with the room temperature butter. On non-buttered sides spread with 1 oz of cheese. Spoon pear jam on two of the slices and top with remaining slices.
3. In the pre-heated skillet, place 1 TBSP of butter. After it stops foaming place sandwiches in skillet. Cook until golden brown and then flip and cook other side.
4. When both sides are golden brown, lift from skillet and place on cutting board. Let sandwich rest a few minutes.
5. After sandwich has rested, cut into 2 wedges. Pry open each half and place pear slices in shingles. Replace sandwich top and place on serving plate.
6. Drizzle with honey. Serve.

Hola Mi Amigas Te Llamas

2009-04-22T22:13:00.000-07:00

Research for my Mexico report

Because I am obsessed.

2009-04-22T10:46:00.000-07:00

And when he came to the place where the wild things are
they roared their terrible roars and gnashed their terrible teeth
and rolled their terrible eyes and showed their terrible claws

You Tube

Burger War: East vs. West

2009-04-21T22:04:00.000-07:00

Since I am going to be an East Coast transplant soon, I had to find a replacement for In N Out Burger. Everyone kept telling me Five Guys is the place, so on my last visit, I finally made a trip to see what the fuss was all about.

I visited the Five Guys in the Inner Harbor. It happened to be opening day for the Orioles and they were playing the Yankees so there lots of Yankee fans around. Like In N Out, Five Guys does not use frozen meat and they hand cut their Idaho potatoes. While In N Out has a very simple menu, Five Guys offers bacon cheeseburgers and hot dogs as well. You can get chili cheese fries or Cajun fries in addition to regular. The thing that distinguishes Five Guys is the 15 free toppings you can choose for your burger. From sauteed mushrooms, grilled or fried onions, several different kinds of sauces, it can be a bit overwhelming. Also a regular burger is a double so in order to get a normal size burger you must order a "Junior." They also give you a ton of fries, perfect for sharing. In other words, this is not a place to eat if you are watching your weight.

I got a regular cheeseburger with sauteed mushrooms and grilled onions. It was very messy. The bun was a bit soggy but maybe it was because the burger was wrapped in foil. It was a good hamburger but I think next time I will keep it simple and nix the sauteed mushrooms. Overall, it's a decent replacement to In N Out. In N Out will always be #1 in my heart (and my first stop after leaving the airport) but Five Guys comes close to hamburger perfection.

Cycle Chic

2009-04-17T23:53:00.001-07:00

Tom Polumbo for February 1954 Harper's Bazaar

April is Grilled Cheese Month!

2009-04-15T16:26:00.001-07:00

Today I celebrated Grilled Cheese Month with a Cuban influenced grilled cheese. Traditionally the sandwich is made with ham, roasted pork, Swiss cheese, pickles and mustard on Cuban bread. The sandwich was popular amongst workers in the cigar factories and sugar mills and it's no surprise why. The tangy pickle and yellow mustard with the salty ham and cheese are a perfect salt and sour combination.

Here is my tribute:

Setting up the operation

Execution

Finished Product

Amy's Grilled Cuban Sandwich
makes 1 sandwich

You will need:

2 slices of bread (I like Trader Joe's Cheddar and Garlic Sourdough)
Yellow mustard (I like French's)
Muenster cheese and cheddar cheese
Ham (I used leftover Honey Baked Ham from Easter)
PICKLES!!!!
butter, of course!

1. Preheat your skillet on LOW heat. Remember low heat and patience are the key.
2.Butter 1 side of each slice of bread. On the non-buttered sides, spread yellow mustard. Then layer cheese and pickles on one slice and the ham and cheese on the other. Place together.
3. Place on your preheated skillet and cook until toasty, golden brown and melt-y. Flip and cook other side until same.
4. Cut in half and enjoy with an ice-cold Coca Cola

Call of the Sirens

2009-04-14T21:39:00.000-07:00

New Agent Provacateur ad campaign shot by Tim Bret Day

Pan and the Vestry of Virgins

Pirate Provacateur

Season of the Witch

Source: Like Cool

WTF?

2009-04-13T22:48:00.000-07:00

After 57 people dead in several mass public shootings, guns and the NRA are not so popular these days. By offering this limited edition meat grinder gun to new members, it is hoping to attract food lovers who might also be gun lovers. WTF?!?!?!

NRA spokesman Bart Barnaby stated “food lovers and gun lovers have a ton of things in common, maybe for the food lover it’s seeking out that crazy fish you kind of know you’re not supposed to eat, while for the gun lover it’s killing that animal that might be considered kind of borderline endangered....Think about chefs with all their knives – I’m just struck by the parallels between gun rack displays and those neat roll-up knife carryalls. There are so many identical things among the foodies and the gun lovers that this partnership is a no-brainer.”

Again. WTF?!?!

I hope this is an April Fools.

Lock it up

2009-04-11T23:33:00.001-07:00

Check out this new lock by German lock maker Abus (inventor of the U lock). It offers the strength of a U-lock but with greater flexibilty and it can fold up small when not it use! Much easier to use than the Kryptonite New Yorker!

You can buy it at Com-cycle USA

Fashion Fotos

2009-04-10T23:46:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite editorials from Vogue shot by Steven Meisel

Snow White's Apple

2009-04-10T22:55:00.000-07:00

Posting from Like Cool

BYOBL (Bring your own bike lane)

2009-04-10T22:42:00.001-07:00

Brilliant concept.

"A close brush with a distracted driver is enough to intimidate the most avid bikers from riding at night. The problem isn’t just about visibility, as safety lights are effective at capturing the attention of a driver. However, these lights are typically constrained to the bike frame, which highlights only a fraction of the bike’s envelope. Bike lanes have proven to be an effective method of protecting cyclists on congested roads. One key is that the lane establishes a well defined boundary beyond the envelope of the bicycle, providing a greater margin of safety between the car and the cyclist. Yet, only a small fraction of streets have dedicated bike lanes, and with an installation cost of $5,000 to $50,000 per mile, we shouldn’t expect to find them everywhere anytime soon. Instead of adapting cycling to established bike lanes, the bike lane should adapt to the cyclists. This is the idea behind the LightLane. Our system projects a crisply defined virtual bike lane onto pavement, using a laser, providing the driver with a familiar boundary to avoid. With a wider margin of safety, bikers will regain their confidence to ride at night, making the bike a more viable commuting alternative."

From Dust Bowl

April is Grilled Cheese Month!

2009-04-08T22:28:00.000-07:00

I already wrote a post about grilled cheeses but in honor of April being Grilled Cheese Month I just had to mention some grilled cheese happenings.....

On April 25 the Grilled Cheese Invitational will be held in Los Angeles. 300 competitors will vie for the Best Grilled Cheese in three categories: Missionary Position (only standard bread, butter and cheese), Kama Sutra (any kind of bread, cheese and additional flavoring ingredients) and the Honey Pot (any kind of bread, cheese and additional flavoring ingredients but the overall flavor is sweet).
L.A. restaurant Clementine will be celebrating Grilled Cheese Month all April with 25 different grilled cheese and a weekly special created by guest chefs such as Nancy Silverton (La Brea Bakery, Mozza), Amelia Saltsman (author of the Santa Monica Farmer's Cookbook) and Evan Kleiman (Angelli Caffe and host of KCRW's Good Food).

If you can't make it to Clementine (I know I won't even though soppresatta pepper jack with pickled Calabrian peppers on white corn rye bread from La Brea Bakery has my name on it) check out Pithy and Cleaver. They will be featuring different grilled cheese recipes all month and have started the celebration off right with Tomato Soup Grilled Cheese Sandwich.

Cooking...so easy a Caveman can do it.

2009-04-03T10:23:00.000-07:00

Cooking can be super easy. Here is a fool proof recipe that can be adapted many different ways.

Mediterranean Chicken Packets
taken from Everyday Food by Martha Stewart

You will need

heavy duty aluminum foil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (6 to 8 ounces each)
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, drained
4 artichoke hearts (from a 14-ounce can), quartered
12 Kalamata olives, halved and pitted
4 teaspoons capers
1/2 cup crumbled feta (2 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 375˚. Place four 12-inch squares of foil down. Place one chicken breast on each piece of foil. Season with salt and pepper
2. Divide the tomatoes, artichokes, olives, capers, cheese and seasonings among the chicken. Sprinkle with oil. Fold foil over ingredients and crimp edges.
3. Place packets on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes.
4. Serve with potatoes, rice or noodles.

You can change the ingredients and seasonings to create different flavors! Or substitute fish like salmon or halibut for the chicken

Try

mixing 2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard and 2 teaspoons honey. Spread on the chicken breasts. Add carrots.
adding lemon slices, spring of thyme, garlic cloves and potatoes.
teriyaki sauce, julienned bell peppers and onions, broccoli florets.

This is also a great recipe for camping. Double wrap the chicken in heavy duty aluminum foil and place in the camp fire or on a rack set above the fire.

I am developing camping recipes for my friends website Camping Mecca. What are some of your favorite camping meals?

Eggs in a Basket

2009-03-31T14:37:00.000-07:00

Hello blogosphere, I am writing to you from Phoenix airport during my layover en route to B-more! I usually fly through Phoenix en route to Baltimore. One of my favorite things is the free wi-fi but unfortunately the food court is no bueno. I guess I am going to have some Wendy's Chicken Fingers and a Frostee for lunch. My plane doesn't land in B-more until 12:10 AM so this is my last chance to eat! You think since I have done this flight plenty of times, I would have packed a lunch or brought some snacks. I did however make a decent breakfast.

This morning I woke up and felt like eating eggs so I made eggs in a basket. For those of you who have never had eggs in a basket, one-eye jacks, or egg in the hole, it is simply toast with an egg in the middle. For pop culture reference, check out V for Vendetta. V makes Evie an eggy in the basket after V rescues her when she is knocked out after pepper spraying the officer.

What makes eggs in a basket so delicious is the buttery toast and the creamy yolk. It is important to use low heat and be patient!

You will need

a non-stick skillet
butter
large eggs work best, if you use Jumbo sized eggs you will need to take some egg white out
sliced sandwich bread
a 2 1/2-inch cookie cutter (if you don't have one a juice glass or highball glass works too)

1. Preheat your non-stick skillet for 10 minutes on medium-low heat.
2. With your 2 1/2-inch cookie cutter cut out circles in the center of your bread.

3. Put loads of butter in the skillet. After it stops foaming add the bread slices. After it is nice and toasty on one side (about 7 minutes) flip to the other side.

4. Crack your eggs in a separate bowl and pour them carefully into the holes. It should not sizzle like the "This is your brain on drugs commercial." That commercial single-handedly destroyed egg cookery for most Americans resulting in hard, tough over-fried eggs. Do not do this! DO NOT TURN UP THE HEAT or start with a sizzling pan. Remember you are using butter and you do not want to brown your butter or worse yet burn it.

5. Be patient! The trickiest thing about eggy in a basket is to not disturb the egg until it is solid enough to flip! Do NOT turn up the heat.

6. Depending on how you like your eggs cooked will determine the total cooking time. Remember this is something you eat with your hands so don't undercook the yolk too much, although nothing is sexier than runny yolk!

First Blog and Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

2009-03-30T15:14:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my first blog. I love cooking, food, bicycling, going to the beach and dogs. I will try and post my favorite recipes along with the dinners and BBQs that we cook at 57th St.

Today I ate a grilled cheese sandwich for lunch. Grilled cheese may be a simple food from our childhood but it definitely can be made adult with a few tweaks. For instance a nice quality cheese can really perk up the sandwich, as well as a swipe of Dijon mustard.

This is my favorite way to make a grilled cheese. You will need a cast iron skillet and a cast iron bacon press. You can use a smaller pan that fits inside the cast iron, or omit the second pan all together. Pressing the sandwich creates a great crust though and melts the cheese from both sides.

2 slices of sandwich bread (I like Trader Joe's Cheddar and Garlic Sourdough)
your favorite cheese, shredded - today I used Comte, which is a cave aged Gruyere from France
Dijon Mustard
room temperature butter

1. Heat the pan and bacon press on medium-low heat for 10 minutes.
2. Spread butter on one side of each piece of bread. Placing the buttered side down and plain side facing you, spread the Dijon mustard on each plain side. Place the shredded cheese on top of the slice. Top with remaining bread slice.
3. Place sandwich in skillet and cook, flipping once with a metal spatula until golden brown and crusty.

I also like to add leftover meat or caramelized onions if I have them. The great thing is you can add just about anything!

What are your favorite kinds of grilled cheese?