Would you eat here?

The notion of eating a place where you could possibly blinded at some point, dragged into the dark and left to find your own table may sound bizarre, but this is a real place. Gimmicks aside, if you read the reviews under this video, people seem to dig this place. The food seems to be on point and interesting to boot. The first one was in NY and now this Ninja Restaurant is in the Big Apple.

Who's going? It seems people of all ages. I would definitely check this place out just for the fun of it. I bet they're packed at Halloween! Hii-ya!

Look what I got.

I just ordered a book called, "FAT." Sure there's subtext, but the name in bold is FAT, with a big picture of future bacon on the cover. That takes gumption. I ordered several other books regarding where & how the most common foods come from in this country. The processing, farming, exportation process and other nerdy chef things. But back to FAT. It was a featured book at the IACP conference in Denver, CO this past April. I unfortunately wasn't able to make it, but my friend Meredith went and shared with me all the cool things that went on at the conference. This book was one of them. I can't wait to get it and start reading about fat. The good, bad and the ugly. With such a health conscious society and Austin, being such a microcosm , I can't wait to learn more about fat. Sure I learned a to about techniques of using fat, such as larding and barding(using fat on the inside or outside of meat to keep it moist.) I'm hoping this book will talk about more than just technique and how fat can help create the taste of marbling in leaner pieces of meat. I already know all that! I'm looking to learn something new. I'm positive I will because this book looks thick.

Another book I just got is ON THe LINE with Eric Ripert. He's badass. He's French too, but I won't hold that against him. Check it out! I haven't learned a lot about food in a long time. I'm usually teaching and sharing what I already know, but I crave learning more. I've gotten s many books because I'm on a quest to be taught things about food that are foreign to me. FAT is one of those books that just reminded me of being in culinary school.

S.Pellegrino's World's 50 Best

These are the top 3 restaurants according to San Pellegrino. There are 47 other places I could only dream of visiting and eating at one day. There aren't enough hours or words to write about the top 50 restaurants in the world. At least not in this lifetime. My eyes swell with pride just knowing all these chefs hae gone through to carve their own niche in this world. To have people respect, write & pay you for a piece of your art. What a humbling honor. I can only imagine the deep feeling of utter satisfaction of your life's work well done. One day I hope to get there too. Someday I feel I will. For now, check out the chefs who are living the dream! I admire these people so much.



1. El Bulli....there are no words. His food is a tangible symphony that plays on your mouth in and in your mind. He's in Spain and I'm well, here. It's probably for the best. I'd be his number one groupie. If you love food, research him. He's truly one of the best artists of my time. Just look at his kitchen above. Mind blowing. I dream of cooking in a kitchen like this. Even for a day.


2.
Heston and The Fat Duck. Heston is also a lover of Science and it's obvious in his food. He's creations are theatrical and dramatic. I think any good chef is both of these things ;) He's known for his nitro-scrambled egg and bacon ice cream. It's injected into an empty egg shell. The custard is frozen and ‘cooked' with liquid nitrogen into small balls of ice cream like dippin dots, but these ain't dippin dots. Who said that the UK doesn't have good food? UK has numerous restaurants on this list.
http://www.fatduck.co.uk/

3.Noma in Denmark is # 3 on their list. I've never heard of this place, but I'm sure it's superb. Again, a master chef and artist. He seems like more of a surreal chef. He has a dish that looks like carrots are growing out of the dirt right on your plate, but it's all edible.

"Love that chicken from popeyes!"

Yesterday Foti and I were doing so many errands to prepare for both sets of parents. Both sides are coming from Houston to watch Foti get his 1st place award for best feature story! Of course, I totally think he won because my friends and I were in it! (Kidding, but only slightly.) He won for best feature in his market. The story was called "personal papparazzi" and it's genius.

Moving on to the unhealthy part of my day, we had bed frames to buy and little things to get ready for our 4 guests this weekend.

With stress, traffic and a laundry list of items to do within 48 hours we were famished from all the thinking, driving and planning for this weekend. We were about 39 miles away from home, where the healthy food lives. It was 3pm and we hadn't eaten all day. Have you ever been there? Too busy to eat early in the day, so you reward yourself with some fried, unhealthy goodness? Oh wait, is that just me? On that same note, I definitely think it's harder to eat healthy when you're on the run and busy. It's either starve by not eating at all, or eat the worst possible things created on the earth. Foti and I chose the latter.

There was a Popeyes and there's not one within 20 miles of where we live. Dangerous!!! In fact, I would say they're rare in Austin. (Coming from La. where they're on almost every corner, I crave it like you wouldn't believe.)

We spot one on route to yet, another errand. Then, it's over. Just over.Foti and I just look at each other. We know what's next. Like a magnet to a fridge, we're there. We're so there. We scarfed down 10 wings in 2 minutes. I had 4 and he had 6. You know, because I'm dainty and need to eat less! HA! Well, that made me feel better anyway. We got water, so that definitely saved a lot of calories, right?! (Leave me to my thoughts!) But, even though it was so good while we were eating those tasty, fried, delicious wings, we both felt bad afterwards. Great fast food is totally like having an affair on yourself. It's great while it's happening, but then regret, shame and more regret. Yet, we still "love that chicken from popeyes!"

p.s. and who said effective marketing doesn't build customers for life? at least I never watched commercial for smoking ...

Delicious homemade brownies! With a twist...

Wah-wah! Sorry no picture for these since I haven't made them in forever. A chef friend of mine a few years ago shared this recipe with me at the St. Regis and now I'm sharing it with all of you! It's pretty simple to make with delicious results.

If you love peanut butter and love brownies, this is kind of a no-brainer! I plan on making these with my nieces this summer when they pop over for a mini vacay from Houston. Luckily for me, they love to help me in the kitchen and cook up their own tasty creations for Uncle Foti to try! If they don't like to cook, they are great actresses. I try to stress cooking with fresh ingredients and the artistry in making a meal or anything really, from scratch. Eating/cooking practices start early people! Although, it's never to late to learn either =)

Bake these for someone you love or someone you want to get to know. Trust me, the response will be quite positive if they have a sweet tooth.

BABY! These are Peanut Butter Brownies
Makes 32 brownies, more or less, depending on how you cut them

For brownies
2 sticks (1/2 pound) unsalted butter, softened
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 large eggs plus 1 large yolk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (9 ounces)**
1/2 teaspoon salt, see note**

For ganache
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (9 ounces)**
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened

Make brownies: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F with rack in middle. Butter a 13- by 9- by 2-inch baking pan, then line bottom of pan with parchment paper and butter parchment. Beat together butter and sugar with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until mixture is light and fluffy, then add peanut butter and beat until incorporated. Beat in whole eggs, egg yolk, and vanilla. Reduce mixer sped to low, then mix in flour until just combined. Mix in chocolate chips (1 1/2 cups) then spread batter in baking pan, smoothing top. (It will be thick, almost like cookie batter.)

Bake until brownies are deep golden, puffed on top and a wooden pick inserted in center come out with some crumbs adhering, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool completely in pan on a rack, about 1 1/2 hours.

Make ganache: Put chocolate chips (1 1/2 cups) in a heatproof bowl. Bring cream to a boil in a small saucepan, then pour over chocolate chips and let mixture stand for one minute. Gently whisk in butter until it is incorporated, chocolate is melted, and a smooth mixture forms. Spread ganache on cooled brownies and let stand until set, about 15 minutes.

Brownies keep in one layer in an airtight container three days.

What's she really selling? Burgers of course!

I think it's so funny what people will do to make a buck. I guess marrying a billionaire wasn't enough for the big P. Ah yes, I remember when she had a "cooking show" (I use that term rather loosely) on the Food Network, before I even went to culinary school. She would talk about how she toured the world in a yacht with her, then husband and this gave her the expertise to make chef quality food. Try and youtube it. You be the judge.

Hey, if she's making money good for her. We all need to make a living.I don't knock anyone for that. It's just after you get a big settlement from a high-profile divorce, have 2 cookbooks and host a popular show, well making a commercial like this only make you look...slutty! It's the equivalent of Julia Roberts posing for Playboy today. NOT back in the day, when she was an "unknown" actress. I mean of course people would buy it, but it would obviously not be to boost her pocketbook or profile. I just feel like telling the big P to get a room with that burger already! Geez.

p.s. some things may be that good, but not that burger? no ma'am

Ricotta & yolk Ravioli....

Thoughts? If I made this for YOU tonight, would you eat it? I'm thinking of putting this on my new "Elegant Italian" menu. It has a yummy browned butter too. Maybe add some sage?

Food Pyramid

Sometimes it's time to refer to basics. This is apparently how we should all be eating. Do we ? Not so much.

Can you say, "Oxymoron?"

Health Mag's Top 10 Healthiest Fast Food Restaurants

Their ranking is:
Panera Bread
Jason's Deli
Au Bon Pain
Noodles and Company
Corner Bakery Cafe
Chipotle
Atlanta Bread
McDonald's
Einstein Bros. Bagels
Taco Del Mar

Yes, we're not kidding, they put McDonald's at number 8 and Chick-fil-a and Subway didn't even make the list. Who are Health Mag's major advertisers anyway... or who are the hoping to get as advertisers!

Say what you will about Subway, but if you have half a brain you can order a very healthy meal at Subway. And Chick-fil-a goes out of their way to provide healthy options. These are just two examples, I'm sure you can think of more.

And #9 is Einstein Bros. Bagels. Bagels. Really? Come on! Healthy? I have nothing against Einstein Bros., or McDonald's for that matter, but they don't belong on a list of the healthiest fast food restaurants.

I like the quality, healthy options offered by Panera and Jason's (number 1 & 2 on their list), too, and would have put them near the top of my 'healthiest' list, but when you choose McDonald's over other obvious choices it taints the meaningfulness of your list.

Also, I would have put Chipotle closer to number 1, than their number 6, for their efforts in natural, hormone-free meats.

Now you know!

p.s. who the heck eats at Noodles & Company???

Olive Oil Cake and Simple Curd

This is a very simple cake that can be made for company. It's uniquely delicious and recipe worth keeping for years to come. I find the home cook rarely thinks of olive oil as an ingredient that can be transformed into a delicious pastry.


3 large eggs, beaten
2 cups granulated sugar
12 ounces extra virgin olive oil
10 ounces milk
2 ounces orange liqueur
2 ounces fresh orange juice
3 teaspoons lemon zest
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
4 ounces blanched almonds, finely chopped
Garnish: Powdered sugar


Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 10-inch cake pan.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, olive oil, milk, liqueur, orange juice and lemon zest. Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix the dry mixture into the wet mixture. Whisk until well blended. Fold in the almonds.

Pour the mixture into the buttered cake pan. Bake for 1 hour. Place on a rack to cool completely. Run a knife around the edges to remove the cake and place it on a serving platter. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve with the Curd.

Note: I served this with ice cream and poached pears. Get creative!

Paying forward

Today I met with some friendly higher-ups at the Capital Area Food Bank of Texas. We did brainstormed about some ideas to raise additional funds for food in Central Texas. We all had a lot of enthusiasm and good energy about doing some good in the community. I learned that they provide food for 355 places in need all over central Texas.(Worth noting: They aren't a food pantry because pantries give food directly to the public.)

Anyway, we are going to Iron Chef theme it! You know how I love a themed event! My task right now is to find some venue options and local chefs that would be willing to compete for charity. That shouldn't be too hard to find. I already know there's an interest to give back. I thought we could get 5 local chefs and have them compete to make a healthy, delicious meal from items that a typical family would get. I think it's easy to make filet or high-end ingredients taste good. The challenge will be getting chefs to step outside their comfort zone and create new dishes with humble ingredients. I did a couple years ago and won. Therefore, I know it CAN be done.

Our goal is to have this event in early December. I personally hope we raise $25k. There funds are low and food is such a daily blessing that most of us take entirely for granted. There are hard-working families that are struggling to put food on the table.

Challah bread for Sabbath

The following is a recipe for making "Challah", the bread that is used on the Sabbath and at most festivals. You would make two loaves before the Sabbath would begin. This is because there is to be no cooking on the Sabbath, so one loaf is for Friday and the second loaf is for Saturday. If you are going to have guests over, then you may need to bake more, or use this for the ceremony. You can also freeze this bread ahead of time, but be sure to wrap several layers's of foil and plastic. It heats up nicely in a microwave for about 20 seconds(Note to self: and Foti loves the french toast from this!) You need about four hours in the refrigerator or until the bread rises to the top of your large bowl. I usually make my bread on Thursday night just before I go to bed. Then when I come to the kitchen at 3 p.m., it is ready to braid. If I don't need two large loaves of bread then I will sometimes turn the extra dough into a wonderful cinnamon rolls. A friend, recently asked me, "No recipes for the Jewish side of you?" This one's for you Jon.

2 cups warm water or milk

2 pkgs dry active yeast

6-7 cups bread flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 t. salt

1/4 cup oil

1 egg

Directions for my challah bread:

1. In large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water (careful of the temperature or it won't rise. You can use a thermometer to check the temperature. You want 75-120 degrees.) Stir in sugar and salt. Add 3 cups flour and mix well. Add oil and egg and mix well. Then add remaining flour. (The dough will be a little sticky but don't add more flour.)

2. Wet a clean dish towel and ring it out. Cover the bowl of dough with the towel. Put the bowl in the refrigerator and let stand overnight.

3. When dough is doubled in size braid as follows:

Divide the dough into 3 pieces. Cut 1 piece into thirds; with your hands roll each piece into a 16 inch-long rope or snake. Place ropes side by side and braid as you would hair.

Pinch ends of braid to seal. Place on cookie sheet the bottom loaf. Repeat with another piece for another loaf. Cut remaining dough into 6 pieces; roll each into 17 inch-long ropes. Braid each set of three ropes as shown in figure; pinch ends to seal.

Place each smaller braid on top of a large braid; tuck ends of top braid under bottom braid stretching top braid if necessary.

4. Arrange loaves at least 5 inches apart on oiled or greased cookie sheet; cover and let rise in warm place until doubles in size. (Depending on your house temperature. Find a warm place.)

5. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook bread for about 35 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and brush top and sides of loaves with butter. Let cool on wire rack.

Simnel Easter cake goodness!

Wikipedia says, "Simnel cake is a light fruit cake, similar to a Christmas cake, covered in marzipan, and eaten at Easter in Great Britain and Ireland. A layer of marzipan or almond paste is also baked into the middle of the cake. On the top of the cake, around the edge, are eleven marzipan balls to represent the true disciples of Jesus; Judas is omitted. In some variations Christ is also represented, by a ball placed at the centre.
The cake is made from these ingredients: white flour, sugar, butter, eggs, fragrant spices, dried fruits, zest and candied peel.
Simnel cakes have been known since mediaeval times, and were originally a Mothering Sunday tradition, when young girls in service would make one to be taken home to their mothers on their day off. The word simnel probably derived from the Latin word simila, meaning fine, wheaten flour with which the cakes were made.
A popular legend attributes the invention of the Simnel cake to Lambert Simnel, although this is undoubtedly false, since the Simnel cake appears in English literature prior to Lambert's escapades.
Different towns had their own recipes and shapes of the Simnel cake. Bury, Devizes and Shrewsbury produced large numbers to their own recipes, but it is the Shrewsbury version that became most popular and well known."

I say, "it looks delicious." Did I just quote myself? Yes. Yes, I did. Anyway, I haven't tasted this since my baking & pastry class in culinary school. YUM!!! I need chef friends that live closer =(

p.s. you don't have to be English to enjoy this!

That's news to me!

Chateau Madge: Madonna gets a new (wine) label
The pop diva is reinventing herself again, as the name on a range of Californian wines

By Tom Anderson and Andrew Gumbel
Sunday, 8 January 2006

In the 1980s she was the Material Girl; in the 1990s, the sado-masochistic siren. Now she has an unlikely new incarnation: Madonna, the wine label.

The 47-year-old pop diva is launching a range of Californian wines in a lucrative licensing deal that promises to alter the way that wine is sold to the public.

"Confessions" - a series of wine bottles adorned with a choice of two pictures of the singer, linked to her new album, Confessions on a Dance Floor - goes on sale in Britain this week. Billed as a "first edition", the initial online offering of four Madonna wines - a pinot grigio, a barbera, a cabernet sauvignon and a non-alcoholic "Un-wine" variety - is aimed at collectors and Madonna fans worldwide. Priced from $25 for a bottle of "Un-wine" to $40 for the cabernet sauvignon, the wines are expected to sell out within days.

The limited edition set will be followed by a large-scale sales drive featuring different varieties - a push that could see tens of thousands of the Madonna wines sold within weeks.

The wine trade is a new departure for Madonna. However, in 1995 her father, Tony Ciccone, established a vineyard in Michigan, a venture his daughter recently supported with a $1.5m gift.

"Chateau Madge" is the brainchild of Marty Erlichman, a veteran Hollywood player whose day job is managing Barbra Streisand and whose company Celebrity Cellars was launched in 1997. Mr Erlichman's first attempt to create a celebrity wine product line - "Dead Red", linked to The Grateful Dead - was initially thwarted when the lead singer, Jerry Garcia, died in a rehab clinic. Instead, a non-alcoholic wine was produced in Garcia's honour. The idea took off, with more than 35,000 cases sold. Mr Erlichman followed with labels devoted to Frank Sinatra, Streisand, Neil Diamond, Bob Dylan and the Rolling Stones.

The contents of the bottles, admits Mr Erlichman, aren't really the point. "We're not selling what's inside the bottle, but what's outside the bottle," he said, adding that only around one in five buyers of his celeb wines actually drink them.

Celebrity-linked wines are nothing new, but the use of stars' images and promotional material on labels represents a break with the wine world's traditional understatement.

"Celebrity-linked wine is becoming bigger and bigger," says Matthew Jukes, Britain's best-selling wine writer. "Wine is seen as aspirational, but there's a kitsch cross-over with some. Shane Warne was going to launch one, but that was pulled. Ian Botham has launched an Australian one with Bob Willis. It became Tesco's fastest-ever selling wine. There's a good side to celebrity wines - it does attract more people."

Other experts see the rise of rock and pop wines as a long-overdue boost to a drink that remains the domain of the cultured and aspirational elite.

"I want more people to feel more comfortable with wine," says Matt Skinner, Jamie Oliver's sommelier. "If it's a celebrity, then that's one way of bringing people to wine. Wine purists might say it's disrespectful to the wine, but in some ways it's no different from the millions of brands that supermarkets invent."

EXPERT'S VIEW

Californian cabernet sauvignon, $40. "This is about an average price for a high-end Napa Valley cabernet, but you can get a really good one in the UK for between £8 and £15. Claret is made with cabernet, and that can cost up to £180"

Californian pinot grigio, $29. "That's extremely expensive. That would have to be equivalent to a top-class pinot grigio from a top estate; even then, you rarely pay $29. A good one costs up to£12."

MY TAKE: I JUST LEARNED OF THIS ON THE BBC. WHO KNEW? APPARENTLY THERE'S A LOT OF CRAPPY WINE SOLD OVERSEAS BY CELEBRITIES. THIS WINE GOT A LESS THAN STELLAR REVIEW BY MR. GORDON RAMSEY. PRETTY MUCH A MORE OVER-PRICED UK VERSION OF YELLOW TAIL WITH HER PIC SLAPPED ON THE BOTTLE.

A cake to love

Party-Girl Cake by:Miriam Lopez (New Jersey City, NJ)

I saw this on a cake blog I occasionally check out and think it's super cute. It's captures what I would do if I had a free day.You know,wake up in a bed made of cake and fondant. Nibble on yummy bits of "cakey" goodness until I fell asleep again. Sounds fun, hugh?!
With cakes becoming what they are, it's nice to see a simple, but very creative cake. No fireworks, huge structures or need for 3 people to life it. Just a nice, colorful and artistic cake done well.

My long,lost blog~

This picture may be slightly deceptive. Although we have already technically moved, I still consider us moving. At long last, we are in our first dream house. I still haven't cooked an official meal in our new digs, but that will change soon! What should my first meal be in my new kitchen?

Last night Foti and I had our first guest over. His friend, James by after they worked (10:30pm) for some frozen Central Market pizza, hummus and rice crispies for dessert. We washed it all down with a nice bottle of wine James brought over. Not exactly dinner at the Ritz, but it was nice to "break-in" the kitchen with a friend.

More adventures of cooking and thoughts of food when things settle a bit. I do miss blogging though. I'll be back to blogging everyday very soon!!!