Showing posts with label the. Show all posts
Showing posts with label the. Show all posts
Sunday, April 13, 2014
Farmers Market at The Outdoors Show
It seems to be the season for lots of fun events happening in London, which is great if you live in and around London or maybe its just that there are always lots of things going on in London!
One of these events is The Outdoors Show Even if you are not an outdoors person, if you are visiting my blog, the chances are you will be interested in the Farmers Market where you can taste a range of local foods from small food producers.
I have TWO pairs of tickets to give away so two lucky readers will win one pair of tickets each.
Here is what the organisers say about the show:
The UKs No.1 show for outdoor pursuits, The Outdoors Show, returns to ExCeL, London from 17 – 20 January 2013. Promising a great family day out, the show provides a fantastic opportunity to buy all the latest clothing and equipment at great prices, as well as offering FREE have-a-go attractions, special guest speakers and more.
To commemorate the 60th anniversary of the first successful ascent of Everest in 1953, The Outdoors Show will be hosting an exhibition, 60 Years on Everest. In conjunction with the Mountain Heritage Trust and the Royal Geographical Society, the exhibition will feature photographs, clothing and memorabilia documenting the key dates in the history of Everest, from 1953 through to the modern day - providing visitors with a fascinating insight into the amazing mountain.
The focus on Everest doesn’t end there. The Adventure Stage will be headlined by Everest legend Kenton Cool, one of the world’s leading alpine climbers with ten successful Everest ascents to his name, more than any other European climber.
TV adventurer Charley Boorman is confirmed to speak on the stage, as well as Children’s TV presenter, Helen Skelton. They’ll be joined by a host of other mountaineers and adventurers, all with fantastic stories to tell. All talks will be free of charge to visitors upon entry to the show.
TV adventurer Charley Boorman is confirmed to speak on the stage, as well as Children’s TV presenter, Helen Skelton. They’ll be joined by a host of other mountaineers and adventurers, all with fantastic stories to tell. All talks will be free of charge to visitors upon entry to the show.
New for the 2013 show is the Outdoor Photography Photobox. Featuring talks from top photographers including wildlife photographer Andy Rouse, BBC Human Planet photographer Timothy Allen, Planet Earth photographer Sue Flood, Julian Love and others. WEX Photographic, formerly known as Warehouse Express will have a large retail presence at the show making the event well worthy of a visit for photography enthusiasts, whether looking to buy some new photography equipment or looking to learn a thing or two from some of the world’s best photographers. There will also be numerous competition galleries displayed at the show featuring a fantastic range of photography.
Also new for the 2013 show is The Wild Britain Stage, in association with Ordnance Survey. Ordnance Survey will be back at the show for the first time since 2010 and will be bringing a host of navigation experts with them. The stage will also feature talks on the best walking spots, wildlife, equipment and more!
Thousands of visitors have experienced climbing at the show over the past 12 years and the Climbing Village at the 2013 Outdoors Show will offer a challenge for experienced climbers, and a great opportunity for people wanting to try climbing for the first time. There will be walls to suit all abilities and instructors will be on hand to help and offer advice on the best way to conquer the routes.
Maverick Slacklines will be returning to The Outdoors Show with a mix of competition slacklining, demos and have-a-go sessions. Slackilining is a test of balance and core fitness and what the Maverick guys can do is remarkable and thoroughly entertaining to watch.
Presented by PGL, the UK’s leading provider of school trips and children’s adventure holidays, the Careers Zone offers all the information needed to turn a passion for the outdoors into a career. The zone will feature a stage packed with speakers from all aspects of the outdoors industry, as well as an information area where visitors can talk with a wide range of professionals on a one to one level.
That’s not quite everything! The Outdoors Show will once again run alongside The London Bike Show, The Active Travel Show and the Tullett Prebon London Boat Show. With a ticket to The Outdoors Show allowing visitors access into all four shows, there will be lots more to see and do, helping to create an entertaining, affordable day out for all visitors.
If all this isn’t enough, the perfect way to top off a day at the show is with some great food and drink. The Farmers Market will offer visitors a delicious range of local foods perfect to fuel their next outdoor adventure.
Visitors can compliment the delicious food with some Beer or Wine Tasting, courtesy of Beer Boutique and Virgin Wines respectively in the Globe Taste Experience. Expert sommeliers will be on hand to talk visitors through the beers and wines from all over the world. Tickets for the tastings, which cost £10 per person, per session can be booked in advance through The Outdoors Show box office.
To win a pair of tickets to the Outdoor Show and Farmers Market please leave a comment telling me what you would most like to see at the Outdoors Show.
Closing Date: Sunday 13th January at 8pm
Winners will be chosen by Random Number Generator, the tickets will await the winners at the door of the exhibition.
Tickets supplied by the organisers, Farmersgirl Kitchen will pass the names of the winners to the promoters and is not responsible for the experience of the winners at the Outdoor Show.
Saturday, April 5, 2014
We Did It! Foodwishes Wins the Next Food Network Star YouTube Challenge!
You may have already heard by now, but I was the grand prize winner in the Next Food Network Star YouTube Challenge! Thanks to you, as well as my large, unbelievably passionate, and supportive subscriber base on YouTube, we dominated the competition.The voting was closed, so there was no way to monitor the number of votes cast, but gauging by the comments on the Food Networks YouTube channel, we crushed it. The response was nothing short of awe-inspiring! It seems one thing is very clear, despite my reservations; most of my fan would love to see me get some kind of show on the Food Network.
By the way, contrary to popular belief, thats not the prize. The grand prize is a trip for two to New York, dinner at one of the Food Networks chefs restaurants, and an interview with the network executives (although I should warn them – Im money in an interview). In that meeting I will pitch the idea for a Food Wishes style show, where the foods the star, and the chef is rarely, if ever, seen.
Thanks to all of you who voted! Stay tuned for more information as the adventure has only just begun!
Thursday, April 3, 2014
Youre a Viewer and Have a Choice Please Vote for Chef John in the Tasty Awards!
One problem Ive always wanted is not being able to keep track of which online awards Im up for, and which contests I should be asking people to vote in. Well, my wish has come true.As many of you may know, I was nominated for a 2011 Tasty Award in the "Home Chef in a Series" category, but I forgot to inform everyone that there is also a Viewers Choice Award, which quite frankly is my best shot at heading down to Hollywood and taking home a trophy. So, if you would like to help make my Tasty dreams come true, please click here to vote! Its the fifth category. Thank you so much!
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
Heading to Atlanta for the 1st Annual Atlanta Food Wine Festival!
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| Photo (c) Flickr User jbudlo2 |
You know Im 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.
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!
Monday, March 31, 2014
The “Fava of Love” Salad starring Fava Fav!
If you don’t watch VH1, or have never heard of Flavor Flav, then today’s post headline isn’t funny. Come to think of it, even if you do know what I’m referring to, it still may not be that funny. Anyway, today’s post’s title is a take-off on the wildly popular VH1 reality show “The Flavor of Love” starring Flavor Flav. While I’m a huge Public Enemy fan, I’ve never been able to watch more than a few seconds of Flava’s television show. The cringe factor is off the charts for me. It’s right up there with Nancy Grace and Jerry Springer. I’m a Chef, not a TV critic, but how anyone can watch that show is beyond my comprehension. To be clear, I’m not judging you negatively if you are a fan of the show, hey, I was crushed when they cancelled Pirate Master! I’m just saying I can’t watch it, I don’t get it, and I think it may be the worse TV show ever made. OK, back to the fava beans!
This salad is so delicious, so refreshing, so satisfying, and so easy, that you must try it. Yesterday, I showed you how to prep your fava beans for a recipe. Today I show you why all that work was so worthwhile. One key to this very simple combination is letting it chill in the fridge for a few hours to marry all the flavors. You can substitute parsley or basil for the mint, but I beg you to try it with the mint, which is just amazing with these flavors. There is something about the taste of fava beans that the mint really brings out like no other herb. Enjoy, or as I’m sure Flava Flav would say if he tasted this, “Yeah Boyeeeee!”
14 oz jar of butter beans, rinsed and well drained
1 1/2 cup prepped fava beans (see previous demo!)
1/2 cup diced roasted red pepper
2 tbl chopped fresh mint
1 clove garlic
1/2 to 1 lemon
4 tbl olive oil
salt and pepper to taste (this salad will be “flat” if you don’t salt it sufficiently, I used about a teaspoon at least)
*red pepper flakes are also a nice addition if you want more heat.
Sunday, March 30, 2014
Dish of the Month Cooking the Recipes of Nigel Slater October Round Up
Ill be back with the linky for Novembers Dish of the Month on Friday - get your thinking caps on and join us cooking and baking the recipes of Nigel Slater.
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Sweet and Sour Pork Tenderloin Medallions – Half the Fat All the Inauthenticity
Whenever you see those headlines like, "Worst Take-Out Food Choices Ever," on the various websites, you can be sure that sweet and sour pork will be near the top of the list.
Thats because its usually made from fatty pieces of pork shoulder, cut into cubes, dipped in a thick batter, deep-fried, and finally coated with a super-sugary, thick, starchy sauce.
Im no shrinking violet around high-calorie food, but classic Chinese-American take-out sweet and sour pork is basically deep-fried, sugar-coated, fatty pork chunks. And yes, once in a while, its pretty damn awesome (like twice a decade).
For a more reasonable way to enjoy the same basic flavors, I think this pork tenderloin version is a nice alternative. As I say in the video, pork tenderloin is lean, very easy to cook (as long as you can get past those ridiculous fears about slightly pink pork), and the sauce takes about two minutes to prep.
By the way, this is not simply fake Chinese food; its actually fake, fake Chinese food. The aforementioned death nuggets we call sweet and sour pork are not even remotely close to any kind of authentic sweet and sour preparation in real Chinese cuisine. Or at least that’s what I heard Anthony Bourdain say one time. Now thats research.Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed this plate of florescent food, and if youre a fan of the Chinese take-out version, I believe you will too. Also, I would suggest tossing in some green onions (the white parts) along with the garlic, and save the green tops to garnish with as I did with the chives. Enjoy!
Sweet and Sour Pork Tenderloin Ingredients:
For the sauce:
1/3 cup ketchup
1/3 cup seasoned rice vinegar
reserved pineapple juice from can
2 tablespoons brown sugar
4 cloves minced garlic
1/4 cup chopped green onions, white parts, optional
2 teaspoons Asian hot chili sauce (sambal or sriracha), or to taste
1/4 cup water or chicken broth to thin sauce
1 teaspoon soy sauce, or to taste
For the pork medallions:
1 pork tenderloin, trimmed, cut, flattened into four medallions
salt and fresh ground black pepper as needed
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon butter
1 can (8-oz) pineapple chunks, drained, juice reserved
4 cups cooked white rice
2 tablespoon chopped green onion tops or chives to garnish
View the complete recipe
View the complete recipe
Monday, March 24, 2014
Shepherds Pie the Opposite of Bakers Lamb Chops
Ive never been a shepherd, but I have done a fair amount of mentoring. As hungry as that made me, I can only imagine the appetite a shepherd must build up after a long day of chasing sheep (not to mention how sleepy they must get when they have to do inventory). So, its no wonder this incredibly comforting casserole called shepherds pie was named in their honor.Fair warning; this video recipe is another entry in the Kraft cooking video challenge, and is dripping with enough product placement to make Will Smith cringe. Notwithstanding my s
hameless attempt to win some corporate cash (Im doing it for all the Nicos out there), this really is a good recipe with its combination of ease, frugality, and homey goodness.Shepherds pie recipes are traditionally done with lamb, but are great with any ground meat - turkey and beef being the most popular modern versions. Give this great casserole a try, and watch everyone flock to the table. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
1 lb lean ground beef
3 tbsp flour
3/4 cup beef broth or stock
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
3 tbsp ketchup (or Kraft red pepper dressing!)
4 cups frozen mixed vegetables (peas, carrot, corn), thawed and drained well
1 1/4 lb gold or red potatoes, cut into large chunks
3 cloves garlic, peeled, halved
3/4 cup light sour cream
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Sunday, March 23, 2014
Food Wishes The Highest Ranked Blog in the World!!
That’s right, and the screen shot I took of the Technorati blog ranking stats proves it! Part of my usual weekend site admin duties is going over to Technorati to check my blog’s rank. You can imagine my excitement when I realized I was now the author of the top ranked blog in the world. Well, that didn’t take long. I guess I better call my broker and begin discussing my IPO.The blog has been climbing steadily in rank ever since I first began tracking these statistics a few months ago. Back then, Food Wishes was ranked like 120,000th. At first, I was kind of depressed that after all the hard work I hadn’t even cracked the top hundred thousand blogs. But when I saw that the total number of tracked blogs was an amazing 71 million I felt a lot better, since that put me well within the top 1%. Last week when I checked I had climbed to the 70,000th ranked blog. So, I figured at that rate of ascent it was only a matter of time before I took over the top spot. I just didn’t think I would pass 70,000 blogs in one week.
Well, much to my chagrin, I soon found out that Technorati was doing some type of site maintenance and that every blog in the world was given the top ranking for a few minutes. When they finished their work I saw my real rank; a respectable and still rapidly climbing 60,930. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted.
Thursday, March 20, 2014
And the Winner for Best Home Chef in a Series is… Food Wishes! smattering of polite applause
We did it! Im proud to announce that Ive returned from Hollywood, Tasty Awards trophy in hand! It was a very long, short two-day trip, so Im going to keep this brief. I cant thank you all enough for taking the time to vote.Every single time Ive asked for support with a contest or award, you faithful foodwishers come through like champs. Its one of the oldest clichés in the business, but its so true, without the audience, there is no show.
I met some amazing new people, and got to visit some dear old friends. Speaking of friends, I have to give a big shout out to my buddy Sara (aka Average Betty), who won the 2010 Home Chef award, and was nominated in more categories this year than any other show. Unfortunately, she was robbed, but it was an impressive showing nonetheless.
Los Angeles was a lot of fun, but Im excited to be back and cooking in chilly, not-quite-as-glamorous San Francisco. Thanks again, and stay tuned for a bunch of new videos airing soon!
Monday, March 17, 2014
A Visit to the St Lawrence Market
We dont get into Toronto too often these days, but we found ourselves with a free Saturday there this past weekend. So, bright and early (alright it was 10:00 am) we went off the the St. Lawrence Market, a place I well remember going to as a child. We started in the North Market, which is where the actual farmers market is. It opens at 5:00 am, so we could really have been there bright (dark, actually) and early if we had wanted.
Its not as bustling as it would have been in the height of the season, but there were still a few vendors spilling out onto the sidewalks, and the place was pretty packed.
Inside, it looks very much as it did when I was first taken there in the late 1960s when it would have been brand spanking new, except Im pretty sure it has a lot more vendors, a lot more variety of produce and a lot more customers. Back before the big surge in interest in local food it was looking pretty sad for a while as I recall. Its good to see it so busy and interesting again.
I was also aware that this was probably the last time Ill see the old market building. The market is due to be rebuilt next year, so it will be greatly disrupted and then the year after it will be a whole new thing.
Now you can get all kinds of stuff at the market. Best Baa Farm was there with a selection of sheeps milk cheeses. Didnt have that when I was a kid!
A colourful display of Brussels sprouts and peppers.
There are a few traditional butchers.
Cabbages and rutabaga - its beginning to look a lot like winter!
A great array of winter squash take centre stage, literally.
Lots of baked goods available, including these colourful pizzas.
An amazing selection of more exotic meats: guinea fowl, bison, fallow deer, muscovy duck, pheasant and ostrich.
A large display table was devoted to every product of the beehive, including some very nice candles. I didnt get it at this table, but I was excited to find some melon-blossom honey available. Im getting to have quite a collection of honeys; I should do a honey-tasting one of these days.
Alas, I didnt think to bring my vouchers so I didnt get any cheese from the Monforte stand. (Actually this turned out to be just as well - stay tuned for further details!) However, I was excited to see that they have added a truly scrumptious Gouda cheese to their available cheeses.
Once we were done with the North Market, we went across the street to the South Market, which is an older and more interesting building. Its open every day but Sunday and Monday, but isnt particularly a great source of local produce.
However, there certainly is some! I love all these baskets of veggies with the bright blue wall.
The basement is a warren of fascinating little places, and the scents from this bakery fill the whole place. We didnt get anything here even though the chocolate croissants looked amazingly good because the line-ups were pretty amazing too.
Upstairs is more spacious and filled with cheese and meat vendors, as well as more vegetables and other little food-related boutiques. I swear I remember many of the vendors as having been there when I was a kid, or at least when I was much younger; 40 years ago. The St. Lawrence Market is nothing if not an institution.
These guys are relatively new, though. I always make sure to pick up some Kozliks Mustard when Im at the market.
The hard part - definitely - is picking which one its going to be. There are so many to choose from. Fortunately, you can sample them before you buy.
Saturday, March 15, 2014
Creamed Spinach – King of the Steakhouse Side Dishes
While in Vegas, I had a marvelous steak lunch at the Strip House, located in the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino. Along with the beautifully aged steaks, we enjoyed two stellar sides.
One was a potato dish called Potatoes Romanoff, which Executive Chef John Schenk says he learned from his mother back in Buffalo, NY. Ive posted the written recipe for Potatoes Romanoff on my American Foods site, in case you want to give it a go.
The other was my favorite non-potato steakhouse side dish, creamed spinach. Since creamed spinach is one of the side dishes I have to do for the cookbook, and since I haven’t had a new video up in a while, I decided to film this recipe while its creamy deliciousness was still fresh in my mind.
There is only one real secret to great creamed spinach…you have to really squeeze out all the water after you wilt it. If you do, the buttery béchamel sauce coats the spinach to form a thick, satisfying pile of greens that you can almost stand a fork up in. If you don’t, you will be amazed at how the water from the spinach turns your thick, tasty sauce into a pool of pale green disappointment.Creamed spinach is an easy recipe, but it used to require quite a commitment to make, since washing and picking spinach is tedious and really no fun at all. Nowadays, big bags of pre-washed, baby spinach are common at the supermarket, which makes this recipe a snap. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
1 stick butter
24 ounces baby spinach
1/2 onion, finely diced
1 whole clove
4 cloves garlic, very finely minced
1/3 cup flour
1 1/2 cups milk
salt and pepper, to taste
large pinch of freshly ground nutmeg
Thursday, March 6, 2014
After the pet food has indicated to what your pets to keep healthy feed
My pet reminds food was on the list of pet food in the last year and now I have to I feel each product question I want to buy my pet!
Feel you are ever, your entire shopping list is off limits for your pets?One got many of us had never worried about safe, clean food very rude awakening in the past Monaten.Selbst if we were to ensure that we were buying healthy food and treats read uses labels, learned we soon which was no longer a guarantee of security.
So, what can you do about it?
I have many emails and calls, questions for simple lists and recipe-s for your pet to get.During this a fairly normal response to the storm of remembered was recognized some pet owners the victims and the time would be needed to make your own pets food back.
Obviously, the decision you own pets make food depends on the type of pet that is besitzen.Beispielsweise it easier to cook much or mix food for a cat than for a large St. you are determined Bernhard.Wenn to go this route, there are some ingredients include in a diet for your cat or dog sollte.Diese list comes from the ASPCA, based on diseases and deaths in pets, not hearsay.
Foods to avoid feeding your pets
-Alcoholic beverages
-Avocado
Chocolate (all types)
Coffee (all types)
Fat Ty Food
-Macadamia nuts
-Moldy or corrupted food
-Onions, onion powder - all forms
-Rosinen and grapes
Salt
-Hefeteig
-Knoblauch - all forms
Products with xylitol - sweetened sweetener
Now, if you are concerned about the pet food reminds of and want to keep your pets healthy here one to get started to try a homemade cat dog and Chow Chow recipe.
This simple, healthy CHOW mix is easy to make for your cats or dogs.I like this recipe because it prefer enthält.Ich rice, vegetables and meat recipe-s that contain large quantities of wheat or white flour as main ingredients because many pets for these ingredients can be made aware.
Meat and Vegie rice stew
INGREDIENTS
3 Lbs minced chicken or on the ground hamburger
2 1/2 Cups frozen vegetables mix, no garlic or onions, chopped
4 Cups rice 6 1/2 cups water
1/2 Cup olive oil
DIRECTIONS
Set oven in a large pot or Dutch chicken, vegetables and rice. stirring to, smooth ist.Platzieren you you in water until the mixture over medium heat and cooking, stirring constantly.
Everyday common sense precautions
Now, the next most important thing for you is that we have implemented feeding your pets healthy and safe food with the question, remember to investigate when something unusual occurs - to a qualified vet your pet if it from food or other products you are during an average day exposed. unusual symptoms may vomiting, lethargy, listlessness, incontinence, loose bowel or general loss of appetite.
Pet owners to remind your pets from products may be affected, use in their homes or cars, where animals live and go, would. Z.Most people unaware as that air freshener with synthetic chemicals and scents on the floor, establish where clean their paws pets behind on foot, and include the toxins.
As one of housing many animals are exposed, we see an increase in the number of chronic diseases in our pets only, as we see the increase in the general human population.
Learn more about toxins that can affect your pets not only about the food health you essen.Ihr is pet are counting on you - your supporters are! search for natural, organic products certified by an organization that you trust.
Linda Chae is President and chief formulator for Chae Organics, Inc. and a pioneer in natural go skin care for Verbraucher.Sie clean, safe toxic free products for the whole family, including pets verpflichtet.Ihr organic pet waterless shampoo is a user-friendly Foamily shampoo that requires no water or spülen.Besuchen you for more information or to order your products www.chaeorganics.biz
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Since I Cant Give You the Finger Video Heres a Baked Acorn Squash Tease
Due to certain high tech machinations and assorted Silicon Valley vagaries, it doesnt look like the chicken finger video will be flipped until Monday. In the meantime I thought Id give you a little peak at these baked acorn squash. which will air in a recipe video very soon. Enjoy!
Read More..
Saturday, March 1, 2014
The Fremont Street Experience
My hotel is in downtown Las Vegas, on Fremont Street, which many claim to be the four most photographed blocks in the world. The entire street is covered with a television canopy, five football fields long, which bombards the revelers below with an music-synched visual display - think Lasarium on acid.This part of town is euphemistically called "vintage Vegas" and claims to be the "real" Las Vegas." Nothing says vintage like the worlds biggest TV screen. All I can say is that Im never staying in fake Vegas again. Viva, vintage Las Vegas!
This was just a quick video I threw together to give you an idea of my base of operations. I didnt have time to edit a voice-over, so George Thorogood (misspelled in the clip!) stepped in.
Friday, February 28, 2014
The Strata of Monte Cristo
I had all these ingredients that needed using up so I came up with this brilliant idea... googled it and as usual discovered that half the world has been there ahead of me. Oh well. A good idea is a good idea. All the great flavour of the traditional Monte Cristo sandwich, easier to deal with as a savory bread pudding, or strata. Not really any quicker to make, I suspect, but much less fiddly especially if you are serving more than one or two people.
Actually, a Monte Cristo sandwich is often served with raspberry jam. I didnt have any, or I would have tried it. I suspect it would be a good idea to heat it first. You can use any reasonable sandwich bread, white or whole wheat. I used a sourdough rye, actually. Hm... next up, how about a Reuben strata?
6 servings
1 hour 30 minutes - 30 minutes prep time
4 large eggs
2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
fresh black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
10 to 12 slices slightly stale sandwich bread
2 tablespoons butter
200 grams (1/2 pound) sliced ham
250 grams (generoud 1/2 pound) sliced or grated cheese
- gruyere, gouda, cheddar or havarti
Whisk the eggs in a medium mixing bowl with the milk, salt, pepper and mustard. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Use the butter to butter the bread on one side of each slice. Cover the bottom of an 8" x 11" baking dish with a single layer of the bread, butter side down. You can trim the crusts or leave them on, as you like. This should use half the bread.
Ladle about 1/3 of the egg and milk mixture evenly over the bread in the pan. Cover it with an even layer of the ham, and about half of the sliced or grated cheese. Top with another layer of the buttered bread; butter side up this time. Ladle the remainder of the egg and milk mixture evenly over the bread. Cover the top evenly with the remainder of the cheese.
Let the strata rest for about 10 minutes before it goes into the oven. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until lightly browned on top. Remove it from the oven and let it rest for another 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
Read More..
Actually, a Monte Cristo sandwich is often served with raspberry jam. I didnt have any, or I would have tried it. I suspect it would be a good idea to heat it first. You can use any reasonable sandwich bread, white or whole wheat. I used a sourdough rye, actually. Hm... next up, how about a Reuben strata?
6 servings
1 hour 30 minutes - 30 minutes prep time
4 large eggs
2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
fresh black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
10 to 12 slices slightly stale sandwich bread
2 tablespoons butter
200 grams (1/2 pound) sliced ham
250 grams (generoud 1/2 pound) sliced or grated cheese
- gruyere, gouda, cheddar or havarti
Whisk the eggs in a medium mixing bowl with the milk, salt, pepper and mustard. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Use the butter to butter the bread on one side of each slice. Cover the bottom of an 8" x 11" baking dish with a single layer of the bread, butter side down. You can trim the crusts or leave them on, as you like. This should use half the bread.
Ladle about 1/3 of the egg and milk mixture evenly over the bread in the pan. Cover it with an even layer of the ham, and about half of the sliced or grated cheese. Top with another layer of the buttered bread; butter side up this time. Ladle the remainder of the egg and milk mixture evenly over the bread. Cover the top evenly with the remainder of the cheese.
Let the strata rest for about 10 minutes before it goes into the oven. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until lightly browned on top. Remove it from the oven and let it rest for another 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
The CLT Sandwich Cheese Lettuce Tomato
Recipe? You dont need no stinkin recipe. Two slices good whole wheat sandwich bread, smeared with mayo. Slices of ripe, juicy fresh-off-the-vine tomato sprinkled with a little salt and pepper. Crisp lettuce. All topped with a slice of Guernsey Girl cheese fried in a lightly-oiled pan over medium heat until brown and bubbly on both sides. Oh man, I want another and my cheese is all gone. *sniff* These things were exquisite; no other word.
Guernsey Girl is one of the cheeses we picked up at Upper Canada Cheese when we were there. Its a halloumi-inspired cheese, meaning it holds together and gets brown, buttery and delicately squeaky when fried in a pan as above instead of becoming a molten mess. If you cant get Guernsey Girl, you could use halloumi cheese. Ill be scouting around to see what I can get here, for as long as the tomatoes hold out.
Last year at this time it was Tomato & Garlic Soup with Vegetables.
Monday, February 24, 2014
The Perfect Hot Chocolate
The Perfect Hot Chocolate
The next time you have an empty jar of NUTELLA, make HOT CHOCOLATE with that last creamy goodness. Time and time again I usually just soaked it in hot water, rinse and throw it in the recycle bin! What do you do with your empty jar of NUTELLA?
Super easy ingredients:
1/2 cup to 1 cup of microwave milk
1 empty jar of NUTELLA
POUR the HOT milk carefully in the empty jar of NUTTELA, cover the lid and wrap a clean towel. SHAKE well few times.. POUR back into the cup. Serve with whipped cream or sprinkle with a little cinnamon.
Sunday, February 23, 2014
Chef Johns Going to the 2009 Aspen Food and Wine Classic!
If you follow me on Twitter, you probably already know Im headed to Colorado to cover the 27th Annual Aspen Food and Wine Classic for About.com. I received one of the extremely coveted, full-access press passes, and will be taking full advantage.This time each year, the Food and Wine Classic becomes the absolute center of the epicurean universe. Everyone whos anyone in food and wine (not to mention food/wine writing and blogging) makes their way to Aspen for three days (five for some) of delicious tax-deductible decadence.
Im flying out of San Francisco on Wednesday, and returning Monday. In between, my goal is to set the Food and Wine Classic record for media coverage – theres a chance Ill be moving from event to event, from tasting to tasting, from party to party, so fast and furiously that my press badge will actually burst into flames.Of course, if that does happen I imagine one of the rising star chefs will run over and try and smoke some scallops over it. Its just that kind of event. Ill be posting every day on About.com, as well as doing my best to give you a play-by-play on Twitter. So, if youre not already following me, get on it!
As much as Im looking forward to seeing, and being seen with, the food worlds best and brightest, Im also excited to meet and trade war stories with fellow food writers and bloggers.Ill be meeting up with my friends from Foodbuzz (they always know where the partys at), and a couple new food blogger friends, Heidi from SavoryTV and Average Betty, who will both be there with Plum TV. Heres a little taste they shot at the 2007 Aspen Food and Wine Classic. Enjoy, and stay tuned!
Classic Fireworks Photo (c) Steve Mundinger
Jacques Pépin, Danny Meyer, and Bobby Flay Photo (c) David Sawyer
The Grand Tasting Pavilion Courtyard Photo (c) Perry Johnson
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