Archive for Food Network
Could Nigella Lawson’s Doughnut French Toast Be The Next Guilty Pleasure?
Posted by: | CommentsI really have to hand it to the Cooking Channel – the fact that they are recycling Nigella Lawson episodes is a great idea. One of the recent airings showcased her Donut French Toast and, after a burst of culinary inspiration (along with some great local NJ blueberries), I can see why it could be considered a guilty pleasure.
This recipe was super simple and the blueberry sauce was a breeze to make with a mini-food processor. So, the next time you have a craving for Doughnuts, why not whip up this quick at home version.
Recipe courtesy of Nigella Lawson, Food Network
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup milk
- 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 slices from a small white loaf or 2 slices from a large white loaf, each large slice cut in half
- 1-ounce butter, plus a drop of canola oil, for frying
- 1/4 cup sugar
Directions
- Beat the eggs with the milk and vanilla in a wide shallow bowl.
- Soak the bread halves in the eggy mixture for 5 minutes a side.
- Heat the butter and oil in a frying pan/skillet, fry the egg-soaked bread until golden and scorched in parts on both sides.
- Put the sugar onto a plate and then dredge the french toast so that it is coated like a sugared doughnut.
For the Sauce:
Ingredients:
- 2 cups of blueberries
- 4 tbsp. of powdered sugar
- Juice of 1/2 a lemon
Directions:
- Mix the blueberries, powdered sugar and lemon in a small food processor until smooth.
- Serve over the doughnut french toast.
Line Up The Ingredients
Time for a Soak
Aren’t These A Lovely Golden Brown?
Have to Love New Jersey Blueberries
Time To Pulse
The Final Product – Well Worth The Guilty Pleasure Designation
Sunny Anderson Visits Philadelphia
Posted by: | CommentsTips & Tricks – Cast Iron Skillets
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For the longest, I have never had an actual cast iron skillet. Sure, I have my Le Creuset but those lovelies are enameled (and let this gal toss them in the dishwasher). After watching one too many episodes of Cooking For Real and Viva Daisy, I noticed that a cast iron skillet appeared to be a favorite go-to piece. Sure, it’s not too expensive and from what my father told me, my Bampa used his cast iron skillet often.
So, with that, I decided to visit the local Tar-Jay and found a great Lodge Cast Iron skilletfor about $18. It’s supposedly pre-seasoned but is definitely not dishwasher friendly.
So, do any of you seasoned cast iron experts have any tips and tricks for those of us that are new to the Cast Iron Skillet club?
Cool It Down With Blueberry Ricotta Ice Cream
Posted by: | CommentsThis humidity that is facing Philadelphia is starting to make me think Florida wasn’t as toasty. So, to cool things off, I decided to break in my new ice cream maker. Giada de Laurentiis did a chocolate chip ice cream made with ricotta and I thought this might be fun to try, except with Jersey blueberries fresh from Maple Acres Farm.
One tip with the ice cream maker – make sure to let the bowl freeze overnight or else you might have not so frosty ice cream. I added a lemon simple syrup and that complemented the blueberries along with the vanilla and the ricotta cheese added a nice richness and everything was able to be made simply without heating up the house. It was a nice way to beat the heat and I’m going to definitely be trying a few different variations – hmmmm… wonder how a caramel nutella swirl will work out with this recipe.
BLUEBERRY RICOTTA ICE CREAM
Recipe adapted from Giada de Laurentiis
Ingredients:
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 15 oz. container of ricotta cheese (whole milk)
- 1/2 cup of water
- 1 cup of sugar
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
- Zest and juice of one lemon
- 1 pint of blueberries
Directions:
- First prepare the simple syrup – combine the sugar, water, lemon zest and juice of half the lemon in a pan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce to a simmer for 5 minutes until the sugar is dissolved. Let cool.
- Combine the ricotta cheese and milk and stir until smooth. Add the cooled simple syrup and vanilla and stir until combined.
- Pour into the ice cream maker and freeze per the manufacturer’s directions.
- 10 minutes before completion, add the blueberries.
- Put the finished ice cream in the freezer to firm up a bit and enjoy.
Gather the Ingredients
Churn Churn Churn
Add the Blueberries
Enjoy!
Daisy Martinez To Visit Philly
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Philly Foodies – listen up. Food Network’s own Daisy Martinez will be in Philadelphia on Thursday, June 24, 2010. She will be signing copies of her new cookbook, Daisy: Morning, Noon and Night: Bringing Your Family Together with Everyday Latin Dishes as well as doing a cooking demonstration. The event is scheduled to start at 5 p.m. at the Williams Sonoma at the Bellevue in Center City. While this is not a ticketed event, these events tend to get packed quickly. If you need to reserve a copy of the cookbook or have questions about the event, please call the gals at Williams Sonoma call at 215-545-7392. See you there!
Williams-Sonoma The Bellevue
200 South Broad St,
Philadelphia, PA 19102
(215) 545-7392
An Encounter With The Comfort Truck
Posted by: | CommentsOne of my absolute fave LA people, Rissa, called me the other night with the news that she was about the encounter the one and only Comfort Truck. See what happened when she met the one and only Chef Brian Hill on her quest for some comfort food.
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Thanks to Twitter, I have developed a mild fascination with gourmet food trucks in Los Angeles. On any given day, trucks can be found from the Valley to the South Bay selling their tasty wares – dim sum, Korean BBQ, Indian food, burgers, sushi. Even popular restaurants and food establishments like Sprinkles cupcakes, In-n-Out and Border Grill are jumping on this mobile bandwagon. I have tracked down the Grilled Cheese Truck, twice; and happened upon the Sweets Truck when I walked out of my office building for a break. My ‘must try’ list has four trucks: Frysmith (fries as a meal), Cool Haus (gourmet ice cream sandwiches), Buttermilk Truck (breakfast favorites) and the Comfort Truck (sliders, wings and wraps). Yesterday, I crossed off the Comfort Truck from my list.
Friday was a particularly taxing day at work. By late afternoon, I tweeted my sentiment: I sure could use some @ComfortTruck right about now. Within minutes, my tweet was re-tweeted with an invitation to find them over the weekend. I hoped for a location close to me in the Valley but knew I would drive almost anywhere in L.A. to give the truck a try. The event location and time revealed via Twitter, I made my plan to find the Comfort Truck.
Chef Brian’s Comfort Truck took to the road in March of this year with Brian Hill at the wheel. Hill is a former Top Chef contestant and current featured chef on Private Chefs of Beverly Hills.
Waiting to turn at the intersection of National and Exposition, I was greeted by the sight of that iconic red KFC building and a soon-to-be just as iconic red Comfort Truck. To my surprise, and utter delight, there was no line. I parked my car and called Lys – “I am at the Comfort Truck!” Before I could focus on the menu, I was greeted by a happy voice from within the truck “What’s up, girl?” It was Chef Brian! His smile was wide and warm even through the screen separating us. I told him how my need for the Comfort Truck on Friday lead me to seek it out on Saturday. Nikki, one of his co-workers, joined him at the window.
“Wait, that was on Twitter, right? What’s your name?”
“Rissa. Rissadee on Twitter.”
“Yeah! I’m glad you found us.” Brian slid open the screen and gave me a fist bump. Holla!
Unfamiliar with the menu and not sure what to order, I asked Chef Brian’s opinion. He hooked me up with BBQ chicken sliders, jerk beef sliders and an order of his infamous ‘crack’ tortilla chips with relish. Before I left, Chef Brian came out from the truck to give me a hug and said “Thank you!” Holla!
I called Lys to tell my Comfort Truck tale only to lose her in Laurel Canyon; but not before she could ask me to write a guest blog about my experience (that’s how I wound up here, in case you were wondering). The food smelled delicious, the bag was giving off heat, my mouth watering. I could not drive home fast enough. I pulled into my apartment parking space, grabbed a fistful of napkins from my glove compartment (a necessity for professional in-car eaters) and ripped open the bag. No shame in my game!
First stop: BBQ chicken sliders. I’ve said this before: the second bite is my favorite. The first one, you’re just trying it out – the temperature, the texture, checking to see if it’s a combination of flavors you can tolerate. But, the second bite? Ohh, that’s where it’s happening! The soft and unobtrusive roll, that tangy and somewhat familiar bbq sauce, the crispy and tender fried chicken topped with melted mozzarella all came together…mmm. Oh, sorry – I’m salivating.
Next stop: jerk beef sliders. Same soft and unobtrusive roll with a nicely done (inside and out!) beef patty, I got a double whammy on my second bite. That’s when the jerk seasoning hit me and, to my surprise, a bite of pineapple. Aloha! What a clever and tasty pair, which may not be so surprising to some. As a Hawaiian, I am a firm believer in keeping pineapple off of pizza and burgers. I shall now recant and amend my statement to include only pizza.
Third and, sadly, final stop: fried tortilla chips and relish. 1) Chef Brian’s relish of corn, white beans, cilantro and seasonings is a meal on its own. 2) ‘Crack’ chips are appropriately named. WOW! After one bite, I knew one bag of chips was not going to be enough for me. I kept breaking them into smaller and smaller pieces only to make them last longer. And once they were gone, don’t think it didn’t cross my mind to drive back over there. No shame in my game.
If you’re in LA, go find Chef Brian and get your Comfort Truck on. Holla!
*Fist bump*
You can find Rissa on Twitter or at Reese Rants and Raves.
Nigella Strikes Again – Bacon and Tomato Hash
Posted by: | CommentsYou have to appreciate a chef that loves to marry the flavors of bacon and tomatoes. Recently I came across Nigella Lawson’s Bacon & Tomato Hash and I can see why it’s her late night favorite. One of my faves is a really good BLT and this had the same flavors just without a ton of the mayo (which I’m really not a fan of. Sorry!)
Now, I had a great pint of heirloom cherry tomatoes and couldn’t let them go to waste and in this hash, their flavor just popped! Give it a try – you might like it!
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Recipe courtesy of Nigella Lawson
Ingredients
- 4 rashers streaky bacon
- 2 teaspoons garlic-infused oil
- 1 tomato, diced
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Serving suggestion: bread
Directions
Cut each piece of bacon into 3 or 4 pieces. Heat oil in a skillet. When oil is hot, fry bacon until crispy (the bacon will also give up flavorful fat of its own). Remove the bacon to a piece of kitchen towel.
Add the diced tomato, with all its seeded, gluey interior, into the hot oily pan, which will cause a great spitting and sizzling, and stir for a couple of minutes. Add the Worcestershire sauce and stir again, then put the bacon back into the pan, mixing it into the tomato before transferring to a plate.
Scatter with some parsley and freshly ground black pepper, and serve with bread to dip in the oily juices.
Gather The Ingredients
Bacon That Sizzles – Music To One’s Ears
Aren’t These Tomatoes Gorgeous?
So delish!
Guinness Braised Short Ribs – Comfort Food At Its Finest
Posted by: | CommentsI have to confess, like when I made the Black & Tan Brownies for St. Patty’s day, I’m not much of a Guinness drinker. I know, I know – I’m a horrid Irish lass. I accept that. I had some Guinness left over that just sat on the table waiting like Alice in Wonderland with a sign that said “Drink Me!” but, alas, I did not. When Chef Stuart teamed up with our gal Manouschka on a recent episode of Private Chefs of Beverly Hills and made these Guinness braised short ribs, my ears perked up at the magic words “Short Ribs.” I even think my sous chef Wiggy paid attention because if he hears those two little words, he comes running. I bookmarked the recipe and figured I’d make it eventually.
Well, the time came when I got sick of looking at the Guinness which sat there tormenting me from it’s not so secret resting place. So, I decided to clear my mind a bit and do some cooking. I’m in the midst of three huge projects at the moment so to say that I’m being torn in multiple directions, that’s putting it nicely. Plus, I wanted to make a big batch to surprise my neighbors with since they were returning from a trip and I knew that they might enjoy it as they are Guinness fans. So, a trip to Whole Paychex was in order and the ingredients couldn’t have been simpler – onions, carrots, celery, Guinness, salt & pepper, olive oil and short ribs.
This recipe taught me a couple things – 1) I need a MUCH bigger Le Creuset (finally, I am ready to forgo the teal Stuart Weitzmans for a nice Cassis 5 qt. dutch oven) and 2) this recipe is in my “entertaining” arsenal because I can see why the client came back for seconds, thirds and even seven helpings. While I adore Giada’s recipe for short ribs that I have used often, Chef Stuart’s recipe is moving to the front of the line.
Next time you want to put the wow factor on dinner, try this!
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Recipe courtesy of Chef Stuart O’Keeffe
Ingredients:
- 4 lbs boneless short ribs, cut into 1.5 inch pieces
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 celery stalks, cut into .5 inch pieces
- 1 can Guinness*
- 2 cups low sodium beef stock
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 380 degrees.
- Heat olive oil in Dutch oven.
- Pan sear short ribs until nice and brown on both sides, about 5 minutes per side
- Remove meat from pan and set aside.
- Saute onions and garlic until lightly browned, scrape any brown bits from bottom of pan using a wooden spoon.
- Add carrots and celery and let cook for further 5 minutes.
- Add 1 cup of beef stock and scrape bottom of pan to remove any more browned bits.
- Add back in the meat followed by the remaining stock and can of Guinness.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Bring stew to a simmer for 20 minutes, cover and place in oven and braise for 2 hours.
Serve with a fresh green salad or on top of mashed potatoes
*I only had bottles of Guinness and not cans. After Manouschka gave me the sage advice of it should be okay, I just made the necessary adjustments for the extra liquid. Plus, can you have TOO much Guinness – I think not.
Gather The Ingredients
Sauté Sauté Sauté
Ahhh – foamy goodness
The End Result…
A Cookbook After This Stiletto Gal’s Own Heart
Posted by: | CommentsHow can I NOT be excited about the release of Next Iron Chef Judge, Donatella Arpaia’s cookbook this Tuesday – Donatella Cooks. The woman is wearing Louboutin Stilettos on the cover!
I still think they should have kept the original title “Cooking in Heels” but perhaps maybe for her next cookbook.
Fab New Blog Alert – SingleServingBytes.com
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