You Down with IACP? Yeah, You Know Me!

The travel craziness continues as I'm heading to Austin for the IACP 33rd Annual Conference. This year's theme is: "Light Your Fire: Sparks from the Culinary Edge." 

I'll be doing a session entitled, "DIY Video Production for Food Bloggers," and will be joined by the lovely and talented Sara, from Average Betty, and Daniel Klein, chef and traveling food documentarian from The Perennial Plate. By the way, if you think I travel a lot, check this guy out.

I'm pretty excited to be doing a little teaching, as that's the one thing I do miss most about working at a culinary academy. I love the thought that folks may actually leave the session and be so inspired that they start filming and uploading food videos to their own blogs. Then, in a few years, there will be so many high-quality food videos online that their value will plummet, and I'll be out of business. Damn it! I didn't think this through.

On a related matter, here is a recipe by a new video recipe friend of mine, Marie Lévesque (aka PlatypusGuitar) from Montréal, Canada. She's the host of the Insanely Sexy Potato Show, and this is her Easy Salmon Croquette Recipe. Enjoy!

Japanese Cheesecake Recipe

Homemade Japanese Cheesecake- My 2011 Birthday Cake

Japanese Cheesecake

Here's my birthday cake!!! Every year I make myself a birthday cake. It's always a cake that I've never tasted before and I eat the whole thing all by myself! Hey, it's my BIRTHDAAAAAY!!

This year I tackled the Japanese cheesecake!!! If you follow me on facebook then you know I've been wanting to make this cake for a while now. The whole idea of a cheesecake being creamy, yet fluffy and light intrigued me so much!

I must say, this cake did not disappoint! I'm so glad I tried it and will definitely be using it to make more stuff, like a new base for my strawberry shortcake and Japanese ice cream sandwiches (I saw these on tv and fell in love so stay tuned for that recipe)

Don't let the boring, plain look fool you. It does look kinda blah but once you sink your choppers into this bad boy you'll understand why so many people prefer this lighter, cakier  version of cheesecake over the heavy, dense American version. (I still prefer my super heavy, fattening American cheesecake though : )

My hubby hated this cake and thought it was super gross lol (he's so unadventurous at times!)

This cake truly is a piece a heaven in my opinion.  It's lightly sweetened, super light and "pillowy" with a creamy taste.  I topped one side with a fine layer of powdered sugar and the other with an apricot spread and fresh strawberries. So good!

It's SO EASY to eat slice after slice since it's so airy and fluffy. One slice hardly seems like enough! The next time I make this I'll dust the entire cake with powdered sugar and a mixture of fresh fruits (strawberries, blueberries, peaches) in the center and serve with a dollop of homemade cool whip. Ahhh... the perfect, elegant ending to summer meal.

Japanese Cheesecake 
Ingredients (adapted from food.com)
8 oz cream cheese (softened, room tempt.)
1/4 cup whole milk
1/2 cup powdered sugar, divided
1/4 cup cornstarch
3 egg, separated
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

2-3 cups boiling water (to make the water bath)

Topping (optional)
2 tablespoons fruit preserve ( I used apricot)
1 tablespoon water (or enough to make is easily spreadable)
fresh strawberries, diced

Watch me make this Japanese Cheesecake recipe from start to finish!

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Preheat oven to 350




Refrigerate leftovers.

Cream Cheesy Cubed Zucchini with Lemon and Oregano

Those of you expecting some kind of char-grilled hunk o' meat, fat-glistening-in-the-sun-type video for Memorial Day will probably be disappointed to see this humble zucchini dish. I really can't blame you. It is zucchini for heaven's sake.

I've been busy traveling on some secret business trips recently, so while I'd normally have a hard time feigning such excitement over squash, considering how much time I've had, I'm actually quite thrilled with how this came out.

I didn't start out trying to make a creamy zucchini recipe, but when I glanced in the fridge and saw the last crumbled remains of fresh cream cheese, I knew those green cubes sizzling away in the skillet were about to get enriched.

Like I said in the video, this would make a pretty nice side dish for all that grilled meat you are going to tong this summer, or as an impressive base for grilled chicken, fish, or shrimp. Also, to get extra fancy, use crème fraiche (preferably homemade) instead of the cream cheese. Enjoy!

I want to wish you all a delicious and safe Memorial Day. Hopefully you'll join me in taking a few moments to remember all those who gave their lives protecting our freedom and way of life.

Ingredients:

3 or 4 cups cubed zucchini

2 tablespoon olive oil

red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

cayenne to taste

2 tablespoon cream cheese

1 or 2 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano

View the complete recipe

All Up In Your Grill! Eight Great Ideas for Your Holiday Cookout

Memorial Day weekend is here! Time to dust off the grill, and find that "Kiss the Cook" apron everyone loves so much. Is there anything so empowering (for us simple-mined males at least) as standing in front of a flaming grill, foam-wrapped can of beer in one hand, giant grill tongs in the other?

I've posted eight of my favorite grill recipe videos below. All are proven crowd-pleasers, and none require any special skills or equipment. By the way, don't forget the side dishes, everyone knows they are the real secret to a great backyard meal. Have a wonderful weekend, and as always, enjoy!

Santa Maria Tri-Tip	Grilled Lamb Chops
Grilled Flank Steak	Grilled Lemon Chicken
Cornell Chicken	Grilled Barbecue Chicken
Grilled Pork Tenderloin	Grilled Asian Skirt Steak

How to Cut a Sandwich Like Bobby Flay

I'd like to start by saying this video demonstration on how to cut a sandwich like Bobby Flay may be the most anti-climatic video we've ever done. After the big build up I did in my Hellmann's Club Sandwich post a few months ago, about this revolutionary technique, something tells me the vast majority of viewers may be underwhelmed.

Regardless, I think it's kind of a neat trick, and an interesting glimpse into how the mind of a chef works. Even something as basic as cutting a sandwich in half can be optimized for maximum effect. Thanks, Chef Flay. Enjoy!

Disclosure: This post was created in connection with my appointment as an Ambassador in Hellmann’s Club Sandwich Program.

Three Cheese Garden Pizza Recipe (Pampered Chef)

Three Cheese Garden Pizza

My sister hosted a pampered chef party a couple of weeks ago and I totally was not expecting to walk away with a fabulous recipe.

To demonstrate the products, we made this quick, easy and delicious three cheese garden pizza! (I hear they make these pizzas a lot at pampered chef parties )Just by looking at the ingredients I knew I was gonna love it but I was surprised that my toddler loved it as well.

It doesn't have any sauce but I think next time I might add a tad bit, as well as use my own pizza dough recipe. I love the fact that it's loaded with some of my fav. fresh veggies like onions, tomatoes, and zucchini.

I made this for lunch and I served it with oven roasted corn on the cob and a garden salad. We invited the in-laws over and they all agreed it was a fabulous lunch. My hubby said he had energy all day after eating a lunch full of veghgies.

This three cheese garden pizza will be going into the recipe stash!!

*Note* Using a baking stone makes all the difference in the world!!! The crust is so crisp on the bottom as opposed to being soft when using a regular pan. I'm making this using my new Pampered Chef Bar Baking Stone! I'm in love with this thing!!!!

Three Cheese Garden Pizza (adapted from Pampered Chef)

INGREDIENTS
1 refrigerated pizza crust
1-2 Tablespoons olive oil
Cornmeal (optional)
2 cloves garlic
Mozzarella Cheese
Cheddar Cheese
Parmesan Cheese
2 small tomatoes, diced
1 zucchini, diced
1/2 small onion, diced
2-3 teaspoons Italian Seasoning

Watch me make this Three Cheese Garden Pizza from start to finish!

Top Chef Fabio Viviani Makes Me Breakfast in Aspen

Last year, while at the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, I was invited to a private, early morning cooking demonstration by Fabio Viviani, one of the most popular and entertaining Top Chef contestants of all time.

For obvious reasons (including, but not limited to, long nights of drinking, eating and more drinking), early morning events at the Aspen F&W are usually not high on my list, but despite a pretty impressive hangover, I decided this up-close and personal demo was too good to pass up.

By the way, In case you're wondering why I'm posting this now, I thought I'd lost this footage in a hard drive crash shortly after the event, but just recently found the files on a memory card.

The event was sponsored by Bertolli, and Chef Fabio was there to show us the differences between, and best practices for, using their three main styles of olive oil; light, classic, and extra virgin.

When I heard "breakfast," I was thinking something like a simple frittata, but we were treated to a beautiful plate of food featuring a seared beef tenderloin filet, with an avocado feta salad, pan-roasted tomatoes and green onions, finished with aged balsamic.

This was shot on my cell phone, so please pardon the sound and video quality, but I think any fan of Fabio's will still enjoy this glimpse into what a private class with the gregarious Italian chef would be like. He's one of those teachers that no matter how much fun you're having listening to him, he's having twice as much fun explaining it.

If you happen to be in Southern California, Viviani is the chef and owner of Cafe Firenze in Ventura Country, and Osteria Firenze in Los Angeles. As I mentioned in the video, he also teaches private cooking classes, and if you'd like more information, you can check out his official website for details. Enjoy!

Bonus Italian Chef Coverage: Victor Casanova’s Spaghetti Alla Chitarra Recipe by Average Betty

Since we have an Italian chef theme going on today, I thought I'd add this great video recipe from Average Betty featuring Chef Victor Casanova from Culina in Beverly Hills. Thanks to my buddy Sara for sharing, and for providing the written recipe here! For the original video post, click here. Enjoy!

Food Blogger Festival Etiquette and Tips

Hi, I love your blog, wanna trade links?

There's been a proliferation of food blogger festivals over the last few years. Some of the reasons are obvious, like the explosion of new food blogs being published. It's now common knowledge that food blogging is incredibly fun, almost no work, and extremely profitable, with most bloggers making six-figure incomes.

Some reasons are less obvious, like how much money these events net for the promoters. These people are making out like Goldman Sachs. My sources report that the last BlogHerFood brought in an estimated 765.3 million dollars. Of course that's not all profit, as they did spend a couple hundred dollars on the food. Also, I believe that's all tax free, since they probably qualify as a religion.

It's all about the Benjamins.
Photo (c) yomanimus

Anyway, since there's a pretty good chance that you, or someone you know, or someone you would like to know, will be going to one of these events soon, here are some friendly tips and a few pointers on festival etiquette:

1.) Never approach a blogger who has more traffic than you. You can do nothing for them. Besides, they have more important things to do than listen to you drone on about finding your "voice." They don't give a crap about your voice, and 30 seconds in, are probably wishing you didn't have one.

2.) Never approach a blogger who has less traffic than you. These parasites just want to suck from the sweet teat that is your referral traffic. Screw them and the sustainably raised, heritage breed hog they rode in on.

3.) Only approach bloggers who have the exact same traffic as you. Of course, it's a huge breach of etiquette to ask someone what their traffic is, so just assume everyone at the festival has the same numbers as you do.

A huller!! Score!

4.) Never complain about the swag bag. There's a reason all that junk is free. Did you think they were going to throw a Kitchen Aid in there? Just happily take your strawberry huller, your silicon-coated whisk, and your little rice sample (is there anything sadder than rice for one?), and do what any experienced, self-respecting blogger would do…re-gift it!

5.) When drunk tweeting, NEVER use the phrase, so and so was "kicking ass during the panel." After three cocktails before noon, that "L" key is waaay too close to the "K" key for comfort.

That bald guy sure likes the sound of
his own voice.

6.) Only ask questions at a panel discussion that directly relate to how awesome the panelists' blogs are. That's why we, oops, I mean they, are up there. You're lucky to be in the same room as they are, so consider listening to them answer your off-topic question that was actually a self-serving statement, as gravy. 

7.) When deciding who's exclusive after party to attend, just use the following system to rank the events. Take the number of celebrity bloggers hosting, times that by the number of books they've written, then add the number of times Ruhlman has mentioned them in a tweet. Compare these numbers, and then go have a drink at the hotel bar where you're staying. You're not getting into any of those parties anyway.

Hi, my name is John, and
I'm a food blogger.

8.) Take pictures of everything. You'll want to be able to look back and remember those three bloggers you posed with in the lobby, you know, the ones you don't remember. Sure, you can close your eyes and imagine how epic Hank Shaw's beard was, but why not pull up that picture of him and make sure?

I sincerely hope this list of tips helps you enjoy your next big food blogger festival experience! By the way, this post was not a parody. There is no way I wrote this post with tongue-in-cheek. My tongue was nowhere near my cheek. In fact, it was sticking straight out the whole time. :-P

Disclaimer: I did not attend the BlogHerFood event. I was in town for the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival, but partied with a bunch of BH attendees (high-traffic bloggers, of course). This post was not a review of BlogHerFood. I'm making light of the food blogger festival-going experience in general.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Recipe (Gluten-free)

I love the Chicken Cordon Bleu I've eaten before at Cafe Christa in Leavenworth, WA. Inspired by theirs, I wanted to make my own version of Chicken Cordon Bleu at home using rice meal in the coating instead of bread crumbs, and my recipe turned out fantastic! My house smells absolutely wonderful when I'm cooking this meal. The chicken is moist and juicy with a nice crust, and the goat cheddar and ham stuffing is heavenly. This is a family favorite in my house that we can eat every now and then when we're craving something different and special.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Recipe

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 slices of ham lunchmeat (or as much or little as you like)
2 slices of goat cheddar or swiss cheese (or as much or little as you like)

1/4 cup Cream of Rice hot cereal (dry)
1/4 cup fresh shredded parmesan cheese
1 tsp basil

1/4 cup of vegetable oil
Salt and pepper to taste

On the thick end of one of the chicken breasts, insert a sharp knife and make a pocket in the middle of the breast to hold the ham and cheese. Try not to cut through the chicken and out the side, you just want a pocket on the inside of the breast. Fold the a slice of ham lunchmeat in half, and put a slice of goat cheddar or swiss cheese in the fold of the ham, and insert it into the pocket of the chicken breast. Make sure it doesn't poke out of the opening. Do the same with the other chicken breast.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a small bowl, mix together the rice meal, parmesan cheese, and basil. Pour it onto a plate. Lay a chicken breast in the coating and completely coat the first side, then turn it over and coat the other side. Do the same with the other breast.

Pour the safflower oil into a large skillet and heat it to Med. High heat. When you drop a piece of the coating in and it sizzles, the oil is ready for the chicken breasts. Add the chicken breasts and fry them for 3-4 minutes per side just to brown them and set the coating. Salt and pepper to taste.

When done frying, set the chicken breasts on a paper towel to blot away excess oil, then add them to a baking pan that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Put it in the oven, uncovered, for 30 minutes to finish cooking the chicken through. This chicken goes great with wild rice as a side dish. Serves 2 adults (and one small child) as a main course.

Sugar Cookie Recipe (Vegan)

Sam rarely gets cookies with brown sugar in them anymore due to her sensitivity to it, so I reworked my Basic Cookie Recipe to use just white sugar, and the cookies turned out great. I didn't realize at the time I created my Basic Cookie Recipe that it would be sugar cookie dough without the brown sugar. These are perfectly sweet, crispy, and chewy Sugar Cookies by themselves, or you can frost them or decorate them how you wish.

Sugar Cookie Recipe

1-1/4 cup unbleached flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup + 1 tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 cup + 1 tbsp water
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix together the dry ingredients. Add the wet ingredients and mix thoroughly.

Lightly flour your work surface, your hands, and your rolling pin. Roll out part of the dough at a time to 1/8" thick and use a 2" cookie cutter to cut out the cookies. Use a spatula to move the cookies to the cookie sheet. Recipe will yield 25 cookies. Bake for 12 minutes.

If using rice flour to make these cookies use the following in place of the unbleached flour above:
3/4 cup brown rice flour
1/3 cup + 1 tbsp white rice flour
2 tbsp binder (potato starch, tapioca flour, arrowroot powder, etc.)

White-Balanced Brie with Ripe Pear and Black Pepper

It only took me like a year to realize there was a way to adjust the white balance on the video settings for my camera. Not bad. I knew about this adjustment for still photos, but until recently never figured it out for video.

I was testing my new found skills on a recent late night snack, and when I was done I realized I had a halfway decent video recipe to post. The color still isn’t great, and I'll continue to practice and adjust, but it's much better than the yellow-orange cast I used to suffer with.

This simple and delicious ripe brie and pear appetizer is inspired by one of my favorite meatless sandwiches. A couple times a year, I like to take a warm piece of crusty French baguette (now that's redundant!), spread it with a little butter, add some soft, very ripe brie cheese, and a few slices of juicy, equally ripe pear.

This masterpiece of French engineering is finished with a few turns of freshly ground black pepper, and eaten in close proximity to a glass of red wine; truly one of life's great culinary pleasures.

Here we've taken the same idea and turned it into a very quick appetizer that will work nicely when the occasion calls for something a bit more sophisticated than beer and pretzels. Enjoy!

Cajun Fish and Savory Cheese Grits

Cajun Fish and Savory Cheese Grits: Food for the soul

Cajun Fish and Savory Cheese Grits

Ahhhh fish and grits...a true southern comfort classic! There is just something about this dish that does it for me. It doesn't matter what I'm going through at the time, when I sit down to a bowl of flavorful, creamy cheese grits and cajun fish, everything feels "alright" Yep it's that deep for me lol.

These savory cheese grits are loaded with flavor!

This fish and grits dish was a big part of my childhood. We had it almost every week. There are so many ways to spin this recipe by adding different seasonings and cheeses to the grits or cooking the fish a different way, like deep frying in cornmeal.

Half n Half gives these grits a super creamy texture. Added spices, chicken broth and cheese kicks up the flavor.

INGREDIENTS
Savory Cheese Grits:
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup water
1/2 cup half n half
1/2 cup grits (5-minute Quick Cooking Grits)
1-2 Tablespoons butter
1/8 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 cheddar cheese
2 dashes hot sauce
salt to taste

Easy Cajun Fish: ( I never measure these ingredients. Just season only one side generously)
2 tilapia fillets
olive oil
2 cloves garlic
salt
cajun seasoning
old bay seasoning
parsley
black pepper
onion powder (optional)
oregano (optional)
butter

Watch me make this cajun fish and savory cheese grits from start to finish!

Wanna add more to this dish to make it even more hearty? Top the fish with diced and sauteed green and red peppers, green onions, tomatoes and mushrooms.

Serve as a complete meal or a add side dish of super sweet peas and buttered Texas toast.  Ice cold sweet tea is  must!!!

Tips * If the grits are too thick just add in a little more hot water or hot broth to thin them out.
          Wash the pot immediately since grits can really cling to the sides of the pot and harden if left            sitting.

Heading Home from Atlanta Fat and Happy

I'm getting ready to jet back to San Francisco after a great stay in Atlanta. As you probably know, I was here for the 1st Annual Atlanta Food and Wine Festival, which was a lot of delicious fun, and considering this was their inaugural year, I thought everything was really well done. Of course, I'll have a more detailed recap coming, and a couple festival-inspired video recipes, so stayed tuned! In the meantime, here are a couple shots to tease you with. Enjoy!

Just Ham and Eggs

Hello from Atlanta, where I'm hard at work eating and drinking my way around the 1st Annual Atlanta Food and Wine Festival. Been having a great time, and can't wait to share some of the great things I've tasted with you, hopefully in video form.

In the meantime, here is a little Ham and Eggs video I did before I left.  Sure it tastes the same as if you cooked them separately, but that's really not the point. This looks cool, and besides, you only need one pan. Enjoy!

Heading to Atlanta for the 1st Annual Atlanta Food & Wine Festival!

Photo (c) Flickr User jbudlo2

I'll be grabbing a red-eye tonight out of San Francisco for my maiden voyage to Atlanta for the 1st Annual Atlanta Food & Wine Festival. I'll be in Atlanta until Monday covering this event, which is being billed as a celebration of authentic Southern cuisine, wine and spirits.

You know I'm a sucker for a good food and wine festival, especially one with chefs like Chris Lilly, John Besh, and Tim Love involved. The organizers are patterning the event after the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, which is the benchmark for these types of gatherings.

Here's what event organizer, Dominique Love had to say, "We're planning an experience like no other that will unite leaders of their craft - barbecue pit masters, award-winning chefs and mixologists, Master Sommeliers, fry cooks and local growers - to provide Festival guests the opportunity to sip, savor and learn about the best of Southern food and beverage traditions." Sounds good to me.

I do have a new, recently filmed breakfast video almost ready, so stay tuned for that, and as usual, I welcome you to follow along with all the fun on my Foodwishes Twitter account. Enjoy!

We Won a 2011 Saveur's Best Food Blog Award!

I am very proud and honored to announce that Food Wishes has won a second consecutive Saveur Magazine's Best Food Blog Award in the video category! A giant thank you to everyone who took the time to register and vote.

Through your support with these types of awards, you are directly helping get our videos in front of a whole new audience. That's what this is really all about. That, and bragging rights. Also, my hearty congratulations to all the other winners and nominees.

Cream of Green Garlic and Potato Soup – The Young and the Cloveless

I use so much regular garlic that to see the plant in its premature form always fills me with wonder and excitement. To think that these tender, scallion-like bulbs will eventually divide themselves into all those neat, paper-wrapped cloves fascinates me every time. Yes, I’m easily fascinated.

Green garlic, as I’ve come to learn relatively late in life, makes one hell of a good soup. Its flavor, once simmered slowly with potatoes and a bit of pork, is somewhere right in the middle between raw garlic and sweet caramelized onions. 


The role of pork in this soup is being played by chopped-up prosciutto scraps, who you may remember from such productions as Roasted Asparagus with Prosciutto and Poached Egg. It did a fabulous job, but even the most novice soup maker could figure out how to substitute ham or bacon. 

There are no secret tips or tricks here; this is about as simple a soup as you could ask for. As you’ll see in the video, we only pureed the large chucks, so this rustic soup had a little bit of texture to it. For me, this isn’t a soup that should be completely smooth. Like thornless roses, or radio-edit rap, it’s just not as interesting like that.

We still have more than a few chilly spring days ahead, so head out to the farmers market, or better produce markets, and grab some green garlic, so you can enjoy this fine soup. If you can’t find it, use leeks or green onions with some regular garlic instead. I hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil

2 oz minced prosciutto

3 cups sliced green garlic

4 med russet potatoes

1 quart chicken broth

1/2 cup cream

salt and pepper to taste

cayenne to taste

chives to garnish

View the complete recipe

Jambalaya Recipe

I've been craving jambalaya ever since I discovered Aidells Chicken & Apple Sausage. It is truly the best sausage I've ever tasted. I did some research to find out what spices are in jambalaya and found that thyme is used in almost every recipe I came across. So I came up with my own spice blend using thyme, paprika, and chili powder that really gives the jambalaya great flavor. This dish is savory, slightly sweet (because of the chicken apple sausage), creamy, and delicious. It is a complete meal that Richard and I really absolutely love.

For the rice:

2 tbsp olive oil
1 carrot
1 tomato
1 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp pepper
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup wild rice blend (uncooked) (I use SunWest Harvest Medley)
1/2 cup brown rice (uncooked)
2-1/2 cups chicken broth

For the meats:

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
2 links of Aidells Chicken & Apple Sausage
15-20 medium raw shrimp
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Wash and dry the carrot and tomato and dice them both, removing the seeds from the tomato. In a small mixing bowl, thoroughly combine the thyme, paprika, chili powder, and pepper (the spice blend).

In a medium pot add the olive oil, carrots, tomato, spice blend, bay leaves, both kinds of rice, and the chicken broth and mix it all together. Turn the heat up to High heat. When the mixture comes to a boil, put a lid on it, lower the heat to Low, and simmer it for 45 minutes.

While the rice is simmering, butterfly the chicken breast and set it aside. Slice the sausage into 1/4 inch slices and set them aside. For the shrimp, remove the shells, make a slice along the dark line and remove the waste, rinse, cut them in half and set them aside.

About 20 minutes before the rice is done, heat a large skillet, sprayed with non-stick cooking spray, to Medium High heat and cook the chicken breast for about 5-6 minutes per side or until browned and fully cooked. Salt and pepper to taste. Remove the chicken from the pan to a cutting board and cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Respray the skillet, heat it to High, and add the shrimp. Drizzle a little olive oil over the shrimp, salt and pepper to taste, and saute the shrimp for 2 minutes or until it is cooked through. Remove the shrimp from the pan. Respray the pan, heat it back to High, and add the chicken sausage slices. Let them sit in a single layer in the pan for about 2 minutes per side until they are browned (they are already fully cooked before you brown them). Leave the sausage in the pan. This layering of flavors in the one skillet is very important to the dish.

When the rice is done, pour it and any liquid into the skillet with the sausage. Heat the skillet to Medium heat and add the shrimp and chicken. Mix it all together until it is well combined. Serve with cajun hot sauce like Crystal - Louisiana's Pure Hot Sauce. Serves 2 adults (and one small child) as a main course.

Cristina Ferrare’s Big Bowl of Love

Before I review Cristina Ferrare’s cookbook, Big Bowl of Love, I should make it clear that I don't do cookbook reviews. First, it would mean having to read one, and that's an exercise I've never acquired a taste for. Oh, I'll flip through one; I'll flip through one with the best of them, but I'd be lying if I told you it was anything more than to look at the photos, and skim some of the text.

So, when publishers pitch me to review the new hot cookbook, I usually decline politely, not wanting to waste their time and inventory (unless it's near the holidays and I need a couple of things to re-gift - hey, we've all been there).

This request was different for one, actually two, reasons; Todd and Diane. They are the dynamic duo behind the fabulous feast for the eyes that is White on Rice Couple. You've seen some of there amazing video work here before, and when I heard they had done all the photography for this cookbook, I couldn't say, "please send me one," fast enough. Predictably the pictures were gorgeous – technically excellent, and beautifully composed.

Then, something very odd happened. I started reading the cookbook. Not just glancing, actually reading and examining the recipes carefully. It seems as though Christina and I have very similar tastes, and it was apparent that this book was full of simple, delicious, and easy-to-make recipes that would actually come out as described and shown.

This is not always the case with celebrity chefs. I don't want to name names (like David Chang), but many times these big name books are long on style and short on performance. One read through Cristina's "Chicken Roasted to Perfection" recipe (pictured here), and I knew we were kindred spirits.

So, I'm giving this book an enthusiastic thumbs-up. It's user-friendly, has a casual, relaxed feel to it, and features a nice collection of great-sounding dishes, presented beautifully. Anyway, don't take my word for it, go and check out the book for yourself, and as always, enjoy!

Images from Cristina Ferrare’s Big Bowl of Love (c) 2011 by Cristina Ferrare. Photography by Todd Porter and Diane Cu

Southern Chicken Salad

Southern, Homestyle Chicken Salad

(basic but full of flavor)

It's so hard to get a homemade recipe for chicken salad if you ask people. Everyone always says "well...I don't know...I never measure when I make it."  I always hate when people tell me that lol but I find myself saying the same thing. It really is one of those recipe that you just throw how much of each ingredient in that you like. I've been getting so many request for it, I thought I'd make it and try to write down everything I put in it.

Chicken salad sandwiches is one of my favorite kinds of sandwich. I'm pretty picky when it comes to chicken salad. I like it to look and taste a certain way. The right kind of bread you put it on is equally important: Buttery bakery croissants baby!!!

Although this chicken salad recipe is very basic, it is still creamy and full of flavor, yet still enough room to customize it just the way you like. It has just the right amount of crunch from the onions and celery with that perfect blend of spice from the celery salt and other seasonings. Not to mention that kick of light sweetness from the sweet relish.

If you like a sweet & crunchy chicken salad go ahead and throw in some cranberries, grapes, raisins or nuts. 

As with all chicken salad recipes be sure to season a little at a time, tasting after each seasoning, until you get the taste you love.

INGREDIENTS: (makes 6-10 sandwiches depending on how much filling you like. I like a lot!)

3 chicken breast, flattened

1 cup chicken broth

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon celery salt

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4-1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1 stalk of celery, diced

1/2 small white onion, diced

5 hard boiled eggs, diced

1 3/4 cups Mayonnaise (may need more of less. I used 1 cup Dukes and 3/4 cup Helmans)
1/4 cup sweet relish

1/2 teaspoon black pepper (plus more if desired)

1/4-1/2 teaspoon onion powder (plus more if desire)

1/4-1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (plus more if desired)

celery salt to taste

Butter Bakery Croissants (get mine from Walmart bakery)

Lettuce

Tomato

Watch me make this southern, homestyle chicken salad from start to finish!

Refrigerate for at least an hour or overnight for flavors to mix and mingle.

Roasted Asparagus with Fried Prosciutto and Poached Egg – Never Say Never Cook Prosciutto

As many of you know, I often post these video recipes on YouTube well before I get around to writing the post, and this roasted asparagus with prosciutto and poached egg is no exception.

One advantage of this modus operandi is that the initial comments I get will often help shape the blog post's theme. This time the controversy revolved around the wisdom of cooking prosciutto. I knew this was going to come up, and even joked about it in the video (parental warning: I used the word, "ass").

Even though I acknowledged the fact that cooking prosciutto is very much frowned upon, and that this was done using scraps from the shank end of the ham, I still was viciously attacked.

First of all, there are exceptions to this no-cook rule, even in Italy. Saltimbocca is a classic dish that features veal cooked with prosciutto and sage, and I've seen more than one Italian chef use cooked prosciutto in things like frittatas and salads.

The opponents of cooking prosciutto point to these main issues: Prosciutto gets intensely salty when cooked, it smells less than appetizing, and it's basically a waste of good pork to eat it any other way than thinly sliced in its natural state.

I basically agree with all of that. Frying prosciutto isn’t a great smelling food, but the taste doesn't match this "wet pork" aroma, and is actually quite mild and pleasant to my palette. Besides, where are these people when broccoli is being cooked? That doesn't smell like freshly cut flowers either.

Yes, cooking prosciutto does make it salty, which is why I didn't use any salt in the dish. Anchovies are unbearably salty too, unless used properly. Finally, I LOVE traditional sliced prosciutto, and agree that's the best way to enjoy, but that doesn't make this wrong. I think fresh raw oysters are the best, but once in a while I want Oyster Rockefeller.

If you are skeptical, I encourage you to give this a try. I think you may be pleasantly surprised. Enjoy!

Note: I've already done a how to poach eggs video, but it's really old and crappy, and as I mention in the clip, I'll be redoing it soon, so stay tuned!

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 oz minced prosciutto (yes, you can use ham, bacon, or pancetta)

1 bunch asparagus, trimmed

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

freshly ground black pepper

lemon, juice and zest

poached eggs

View the complete recipe

Blogger is Experiencing Technical Difficulties!

As many of you may have already heard, Blogger is experiencing some serious technical difficulties.  We've been unable to access any publishing tools for a couple days, and our last post, the Roasted Asparagus with Prosciutto and Poached Egg, was removed from the service while they solve these issues. It and we should be back up soon! Thank you for your patience!

Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies (Target)

Toll House Freshly Baked Chocolate Chip Cookies 

(from Target)

I was in Target last week when I strolled across these babies, Toll House Freshly Baked Chocolate Chip Cookies. Ok I'll admit the photo of the big, chewy looking cookies on the package totally sold me.  They didn't look too bad in the package either so I thought, what the heck, I've never had an awful chocolate chip cookie anyway.

I ripped into them as soon as I got home and was pretty darn amazed when I took that first bite! For a ready-made cookie they were so good! I could seriously heat these up, throw them on a cooling rack and say I made them from scratch and nobody (well almost nobody) could prove me wrong!

Since then, I have purchased them three times and the last time I got them they were just "ok". They tasted kinda burnt. Since they are supposedly made in the store's bakery  I guess I got an overcooked batch, but that will not stop me from buying in the future.

They work GREAT for making ice cream cookie sandwiches! I've stocked my freezer up with them for quick, hot weather treats.

Toll House you did the damn thang on these chocolate chip cookies!!

Have you tried them out yet????

The Ravenous Couple's Bánh Cam – Starring Mom and Dad

Photo (c) The Ravenous Couple

This video recipe for bánh cam (or bánh rán) comes to us from Kim and Hong, the very talented duo who publish The Ravenous Couple. They were at my Foodbuzz Festival panel discussion on video blogging, and as some of you may remember, I promised to share any videos those participants sent my way. 

Kim and Hong posted this as a special Mothers Day tribute, and I think it's a great way to celebrate how these heirloom recipes are handed down from one generation to another. I hope you enjoy watching how to make this popular Vietnamese dessert, and I encourage you to visit their blog to read the full post. Enjoy!

Duck Fat Green Garlic Home-fried Potatoes - Skin for the Win

I'm just guessing, but I bet there's some old French kitchen expression that roughly translates to, "Hey, it has crispy, fried duck skin crumbled over the top, how bad can it be?" This video recipe for duck fat homefries is perfect when you find yourself in possession of this highly coveted ingredient.

The recipe is the easy part, finding duck skin is a little more challenging. The easiest method of attainment is to know a duck hunter. They can hook you up faster than you can say, "Nice Elmer Fudd hat." If that's not an option, try and make friends with line cooks who work at restaurants that serve duck. They can make it happen, and it will probably only cost you a couple draft beers.

Finally, you can go to a butcher that sells whole ducks, and have him break one down for you. Tell them you'd like two nicely trimmed breasts, two leg quarters, and all the excess skin from the rest of the carcass. They will smile knowingly, and say no problem (for extra credit, ask for the bones, which you can roast and make a killer stock).

Once you have your precious skin, the recipe is a breeze. If you can find green garlic, it's very nice in this, but regular onions, leeks, shallots, scallions, etc. are a fine substitute. These potatoes would sure make a memorable side dish to a seared, sous vide duck breast, or how about as a plate-mate to a creamy goat cheese omelet? By the way, I'm much hungrier now than I was when I started this post. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 cup duck skin and fat trimmings

4 small russet potatoes

salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

1 cup chopped green garlic (light parts)

View the complete recipe

Happy Mother’s Day Weekend!

I'd like to wish all you Moms out there a very happy Mother's Day tomorrow. A special shout out to my mother Pauline (you may remember her from such videos as, "Key Lime Pie" – see below), I love you, miss you, and hope to see you soon! And of course to my mother-in-law, Peggy, who, from the very beginning was the blog's fairy godmother.

If some of you are still looking for a gift, here's a neat trick for turning an ice cream cake into an edible potted plant! I encourage you to read the original post from a few years back for more information. Enjoy your day!!

This potted plant was inspired by a post on The Pioneer Woman. Thanks!

Bonus Mother's Day Video Recipe Repost: My Mom Makes Key Lime Pie