Archive for February, 2009
A Little “Italian” Brevity…
Posted by: | CommentsI haven’t forgotten that I am duty bound to disclose all things SOBE. Trust me when I say it was crazy and if you ever have the chance to go – you should. I’m just finally getting back into the swing of things and, well, what about that episode of Top Chef last night – :::sigh::: Oh well.
I adore the FNCrazy vids on YouTube and I thought you might enjoy a giggle as you head into the weekend. I know after last night’s Top Chef, I needed a bit of cheering up.
Enjoy!
SOBE 2009: I’m So Excited…
Posted by: | CommentsNo, don’t worry – I won’t break into a rendition of the track from The Pointer Sisters. I’m not THAT cruel and, of course, my singing is banned here in the Sunshine State.
Tomorrow I’m headed down to sunny South Beach for the 2009 Food Network’s South Beach Food & Wine Festival. Granted, I’m crazy tired from the daily grind but when a gal hears that some of her fave personalities (and bloggers) will be in the area, well then – one needs to go.
Sadly, one of my fave chefs/blogger buds, Bren won’t be attending this year (girl – you better be going to the NY event!) but, don’t worry B. – I’ll be texting from the stands.
I pinky swore that I’d take pics and, don’t worry – I’m armed with cameras, cell phone, etc. I plan on catching as many of the chef demos as I can. Tomorrow they have: Sunny Anderson, Ingrid Hoffman, Michael Symon, Marcus Samuelsson, Anne Burrell, Morimoto, Tyler Florence, the Neelys, Cat Cora, Paula Dean, Bobby Flay etc. etc. As quite a few of these peeps are on my Tivo on the regular, I’m going to be bouncing from stage to stage. However, as Bobby Flay is closing the show – I don’t know if I can catch his demo however, I will try (if time allows. Sadly, I still have a 4 hour drive back and have to be home Sun. night… :::sigh:::) Somehow, I also need to hit up those tents too to give you the inside scoop. So, the stilettos are NOT going with – those can be saved for another day.
If you want to catch some great pics and updated intel, check out Sunny Anderson’s blog (she’s got some great backstage shots) and Jacob over at Food Network Addict.
Can’t wait – talk to y’all on Monday!!!
Yay or Nay: Pfaltzgraff Villa della Luna Pasta Storage Jar
Posted by: | Comments
I saw this and, much like when I see those gorgeous biscotti jars, my heart went pitter patter.
However, knowing that I am on this organizing my pantry project, putting pasta in this Pfaltzgraff Villa della Luna Pasta Storage Jar on my counter seems counter productive…
It is gorgeous though… :::sigh:::
What say you – Yay or Nay?
One Of These Things Just Doesn’t Belong …
Posted by: | Comments
"Crispy Caramel Chicken Salad"
Last week I went to lunch with some friends and we decided to check out Hamburger Mary’s. It’s a new spot that recently came to downtown Orlando and is definitely a fun spot. It’s perfect for this gal – I mean they even serve your check in a STILETTO!
SL had been coveting their “to die for” salmon salad and, well, who am I to argue. Plus – I do have a bone to pick with Downtown Orlando – lunch options are really limited. Whatever is really good tends to disappear. I mean, c’mon – Cafe Ritazza and Nature’s Table have gone downhill and if I’m going to spend $8+ for a sandwich, it better be good.
In between catching up with Mich and SL and checking out the latest dance vids on one of the many screens playing through Hamburger Mary’s, we decided to split an app. – Fried Mac ‘N Cheese. Delish! For my entree, I was brave, coming out of my safe shell and try something that had me intrigued – the Crispy Caramel Chicken Salad. I figured “Well, it’s probably sweet and savory” and thought that the caramel was an accent. Well either the chef had a craving for a caramel sundae or they seriously think this hot ass mess was definitely palatable.
From Hamburger Mary’s website:
CRISPY CARAMEL CHICKEN SALAD
Fresh chilled mixed greens topped with crispy fried caramel chicken, tomato, crumbled bacon, shredded cheese, croutons with ranch dressing.
Let me be frank – there was no “CARAMEL CHICKEN“. It was caramel drowning every iota of this salad. It was just, for lack of a better term, horrid.
SL was so gracious when he tried it, commenting “Well, it’s not my favorite” and resumed attacking his salmon salad with gusto (more than likely to erase that swill of caramel swirled over the chicken like it was vanilla ice cream). I kept trying to find the good in it but I just couldn’t. I came to the conclusion that while they thought they were being innovative, quite frankly, the term “less is more” should apply here.
Hamburger Mary’s, I’m sorry but you get a “FAIL” when it comes to this idea. I think that the next time I come in, I’ll be sticking with something safe – like the salmon.
Great Product: Lotus Sanitizing System
Posted by: | Comments
A few weeks ago, after the Sur La Table debacle, I bit the bullet and ordered the Lotus Sanitizing System from Chefs. I wanted to get it before my organic delivery as Erin had suggested that the fruits and veggies might need a serious wash.
I tend to have a bit of a MONK complex when it comes to cleaning food due to one too many ER trips years ago. I would have constant side attacks and the doctors were clueless. It was later figured out that tomatoes were the culprit and, of course, I just felt that with some produce, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
Lotus cleans your produce and removes any residual pesticides and dirt that the grocery store might have left behind. Thanks to an amazing rep of Chefs - Elaine – I receieved this in the nick of time. She made sure that there were no hiccups and that my system was sent right away.
Of course the newer version takes up less counter room and is pretty simple to operate. It took a few tries but I got it to work and, can I say, I haven’t had any problems. I use it for cleaning all the produce as well as the sanitizing cleaner. It works so well that I am thinking about getting a few other attachments for it.
I can’t recommend this system (and Chefs) highly enough. I was skeptical at first when I started contemplating getting the Lotus. I read the reviews online and stalked boards incessantly and I’m glad I did. Now that I have it, I don’t see me going back to the old way anytime soon. Not to mention, the peace of mind knowing that I’m not spraying chemicals all over the place as I clean up after the pug. Lotus did good!
And, yes, the food tastes amazing!
A New and Improved Cooking in Stilettos…
Posted by: | CommentsWelcome one. Welcome all. Thought I would make a transition from Blogger to WordPress and it wasn’t a decision made lightly. And, to move it by oneself with help to many tutorials on the web, countless blog queries and endless pestering of some friends and family to take a sneak peek, I feel like it’s a pretty good start. Obviously there’s still work to be done but I didn’t want to post on Blogger knowing that I should be here.
So, stay tuned for some great recipes this weekend, fabulous products and fun discussions.
My Vision of a Dream Kitchen…
Posted by: | Comments
