Showing posts with label food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label food. Show all posts

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Food Network WIN!


I like the way CNN.com puts it, so I'll just copy/paste:

"In times of economic uncertainty folks look for comfort. Since nothing is more comfortable than food, this year they found it on the Food Network which has enjoyed its highest ratings since the network launched in 1993."

That's awesome! I watched less TV this year than I have in the past, but I definitely always check out the Food Network when there's nothing else on. Congrats!


Sunday, October 25, 2009

Inspired "Cooking"

Food Network's Sandra Lee never ceases to amaze me. I once learned a fun fact that Sandra shoots a season's worth of "Semi-Homemade" in a day or two, and the set (her kitchen) is completely redecorated for each episode. Crazy, right?

Anyhow, Sandra always makes some interesting dishes, provides a cocktail recipe, and creates and incredible tablescape. Here's a clip of a delicious dessert that I can't wait to enjoy: baked potato ice cream.




New fun fact, after looking at her Wikipedia: Sandra's last name is Christiansen! I love her even more.

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Do you want fries with that?

Spending my summers in Northern Michigan as a child, I came to the realization that one of the reasons for "summering" was to get away from it all. Bellaire, MI, the town closest to Torch Lake, always had a grocery store, two gas stations, a few ice cream shops, half a dozen restaurants, and that's about it. I remember quite clearly the summer that McDonald's opened up on the main street through Bellaire; everyone was immediately against it. "We will never eat there! It's destroying the culture of this little town!" people said. On the other hand, it brought much-needed jobs and some economic stability to the financially uneasy Antrim county. Personally, I've stopped at that McDonald's maybe twice in my life; I try to stay away from fast food in general, and when I'm Up North, it makes more sense to me to try and support the locally-owned businesses.

Anyhow, here's a really cool map of the United States that shows the location of every McDonald's in the country. It's pretty interesting. If you look closely, you can even see the singular dot of the McDonald's in Bellaire!


Monday, September 21, 2009

I'm not a vegetarian...


...but my roommate is. I love cooking for other people, but I've only cooked for Lora a few times, mostly because cooking a vegetarian menu scared me. The only things I've ever really made for her are pasta dishes or other things that are easy to leave meat out of. However, I've never planned and executed a true vegetarian dinner.

Until last night, that is.

The menu consisted of three items: baked spaghetti squash with an herb-infused butter, sweet potato and zucchini fritters, and a spinach and tomato orzo. All in all, I am pretty happy with how everything turned out; the squash was a big hit with Lora and Libby, while Josh and I freaked over the fritters. The orzo was a crowd-pleaser as well, but it wasn't anything out of the ordinary.

The recipes are below, but I have to confess that they are not 100% accurate to how I prepared them last night... I will definitely make a few changes the next time I try any of these items.


Baked Spaghetti Squash
two large organic spaghetti squash
4 T. butter
1/4 white onion, diced (approx. 1/8 c.)
1 T. minced garlic
3 T. shredded Parmesan cheese
spices, to taste (oregano, parsley, thyme, etc.)
salt & pepper, to taste

Cut the spaghetti squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Place face down on a baking dish and add enough water to the baking dish to cover the bottom of it. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the remaining ingredients in a food processor until smooth and well-combined.

Once the squash is cooked, cut each half into two pieces and divide the compound butter evenly among the pieces. Sprinkle with more Parmesan cheese if desired.


Sweet Potato & Zucchini Fritters
two medium sweet potatoes
two zucchini squash
1/4 C. white onion, minced
1/4 green pepper, minced
1 t. garlic, minced
3 T. flour
1/4 C. breadcrumbs, divided
2 eggs, beaten
salt & pepper, to taste
Tabasco sauce, to taste

Shred the sweet potato and zucchini, both raw, and pat dry with a paper towel to remove excess moisture.

Combine sweet potato, zucchini, onion, green pepper, and garlic in a large bowl. Mix by hand and add flour, half of the breadcrumbs, and salt and pepper.

In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and add Tabasco sauce (to taste). Add the egg mixture to the other ingredients and mix until combined.

Shape the fritters in the palm of your hand, approximately 1/4 C. each. Dust both sides with breadcrumbs.

In a nonstick skillet, heat a small amount of olive oil over medium heat. Add the fritters and cook until they begin to brown, approximately 4-5 minutes on each side.

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Delicious! Haha.

This is one of the funnier videos I have seen in a while; I literally laughed out loud, and it takes something pretty funny to make me do that.

Let me just say that I love Sandra Lee; I think her cooking show on Food Network is truly unique. She offers up easy meals that just about anyone can make, and she does it with attention to detail and her own personal style. However, she is one crazy lady!



Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Do you *heart* watermelons?


Leave it to the Japanese to figure out how to produce heart-shaped watermelons.  At $160 (US) a pop, I hope they taste as sweet as they look.

Sunday, May 10, 2009

How much sugar do YOU consume each day?

Here's an interesting and informative new blog: SugarStacks.  The authors take a look at some of the foods we eat and show us in simple, graphic terms how much sugar is in them.  

It makes me happy that I don't eat that much ice cream...

Southern Cheeseballs, Anyone?

Need a quick snack idea for a Mother's Day luncheon?  Try Amy Sedaris' Southern Cheeseball, recipe provided in this little clip (sort of).  

Friday, May 1, 2009

Introducing Ketchup Cake


In honor of 100 years as Canada's favorite accompaniment to burgers and fries, Heinz is introducing a few new recipes, including one for ketchup cake.  Yes, cake.  

Check it out!  It kind of looks good, don't you think?

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

It's all about the chicken tetrazzini......

and yes, I'll be providing a recipe for this post.  But you have to promise to watch the clip from Maury via The Soup first!!!




Chicken Tetrazzini, from Giada DeLaurentiis.

  • 9 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 2 1/4 teaspoons salt
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 pound white mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • 5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 4 cups whole milk, room temperature
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream, room temperature
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 12 ounces linguine
  • 3/4 cup frozen peas
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
  • 1 cup grated Parmesan
  • 1/4 cup dried Italian-style breadcrumbs

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Spread 1 tablespoon of butter over a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking dish. Melt 1 tablespoon each of butter and oil in a deep large nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the hot pan and cook until pale golden and just cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate to cool slightly. Coarsely shred the chicken into bite-size pieces and into a large bowl.

Meanwhile, add 1 tablespoon each of butter and oil to the same pan. Add the mushrooms and saute over medium-high heat until the liquid from the mushrooms evaporates and the mushrooms become pale golden, about 12 minutes. Add the onion, garlic, and thyme, and saute until the onion is translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the wine and simmer until it evaporates, about 2 minutes. Transfer the mushroom mixture to the bowl with the chicken.

Melt 3 more tablespoons butter in the same pan over medium-low heat. Add the flour and whisk for 2 minutes. Whisk in the milk, cream, broth, nutmeg, remaining 1 3/4 teaspoons salt, and remaining 3/4 teaspoon pepper. Increase the heat to high. Cover and bring to a boil. Simmer, uncovered, until the sauce thickens slightly, whisking often, about 10 minutes.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the linguine and cook until it is tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 9 minutes. Drain. Add the linguine, sauce, peas, and parsley to the chicken mixture. Toss until the sauce coats the pasta and the mixture is well blended.

Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared baking dish. Stir the cheese and breadcrumbs in a small bowl to blend. Sprinkle the cheese mixture over the pasta. Dot with the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter. Bake, uncovered, until golden brown on top and the sauce bubbles, about 25 minutes.

Sunday, April 19, 2009

Will someone get her a cheeseburger?

Just a funny little video of some girl explaining how she was trying to get what she wanted...  I think that she might have been eating in a Hillstone restaurant, based on the fact that the server featured the fresh fish quite similarly to the way I do.  Ha.  I hope I'm not that annoying, though.

Friday, April 17, 2009

How big do you like it???

I like it big and hot, preferably a little greasy and pretty floppy.  How about you?

Pizza.
Mmmmm.

Check out some big pies here, via Just Whatever.

I'm a Chicagoan, and I definitely enjoy Chicago-style pizza; it's something we as citizens are proud of.  It's our own little niche in America's favorite food.  But you know what?  I honestly prefer the Brooklyn style pizza of such places like Bacci Pizzeria (here in Chicago), Flying Pizza on the OSU campus in Columbus, or from a street meat vendor guy in NYC.  Yum.

Thursday, March 26, 2009

I have eaten at Hardee's one time.  It was at the beginning of a road trip from Bloomington to Chicago in 2006 (I think).  It was delicious, but obviously not as delicious as Padma Lakshmi (of Top Chef fame) thinks it is...  Talk about a racy ad!



Thursday, March 12, 2009

YUM Sandwiches.


What a great blog!  It's purely scans of delicious sandwiches, and I'm guessing it's in the NYC area, but I don't actually know.  All I really know is that I'd bite into any of these sammys right about now...  

Speaking of good sandwiches, here's one of my favorites:

Ingredients:
whole wheat bread
sliced roasted turkey breast
muenster cheese
fresh spinach
herb mayonnaise

Method:
Butter the outsides of two slices of whole wheat bread.
Spread the insides of the bread with an herbed mayo (rosemary, basil, etc.).
Layer sliced turkey, muenster cheese, and fresh spinach.
Build the sandwich cold, then transfer it to a pre-heated frying pan, griddle, or flat top grill.
Grill over medium heat until both sides are golden brown.

MMM!!!

Sunday, March 1, 2009

Mmmm... Cheeseburgers...

If I were to ever go vegetarian, which is highly unlikely, the thing I'd miss most, even more than a Rutherford Ribeye, would be a cheeseburger.  Mmm.  
There's a blog (well, there are probably a few, but I like this one quite a bit) dedicated to cheeseburgers.  Check it out!  It's mostly reviews of burger joints in the Toronto area, but there are some super delicious looking burgers.  

With that in mind, I thought I'd share one of my favorite burger recipes.  It's been a favorite at TLYCC for years, and, well, it's DUL.

ground beef (I prefer chuck or round)
Lawry's seasoned salt
Worchestershire sauce
black pepper

Combine the above ingredients and form them into patties.  Basically, season to taste.

Then, the fun begins.  Grill the burger to medium-rare and melt cheddar cheese on top.  On a toasted bun, put a light layer of mayo to keep the bun from getting soggy.  Add the burger, top with bacon, maybe more cheese, and two thick-cut onion rings.  Drizzle BBQ sauce and ranch dressing on top.

YUM-O, right?

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

I have no idea what to title this...

...because there are so many possibilities!

1. How many times can you say "potatoes" in six minutes?
2. Depression Era Reipes
3. Vote CLARA for Top Chef.
4. Potatoes, Onions, and Hot Dogs, oh my!
5. Is this serious or a joke?

In any case, please PLEASE watch this clip (and maybe check out some others).  It's priceless.


Sunday, February 22, 2009

Mmmm.. A Big Mac...

Virtual

Reality

Actually, I've never had a Big Mac, and I honestly don't think I ever will.

However, I found a great website today that takes a look at the differences between glossy fast food ads and the realities of the food they serve.

No, it's not going to make me stop going to Subway before work, picking up some Arby's on a drive to The Lake, or having Wendy's dine-in on a hungover Sunday in Bloomington.


Monday, February 9, 2009

This explains a lot.

Sometimes people wonder why there is an epidemic of obesity and unhealthy lifestyles in America...  This blog has found the answer.  It's a collection of photos of insanely calorie-ridden foods found in real life. 
 
Think you can stomach a bacon donut?

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Looking for a gift for me?

My birthday is coming up in like six months, so it's time to start shopping.
If you need some inspiration, check this out.  It's an alarm clock that wakes you with the smell of actual bacon.  Genius.