From the category archives:

Recipes (A-O)

Bobby Flay Shares His Grilling Tips and Recipes

by Joi on August 26, 2010

Planning on grilling out this Labor Day weekend? Many people wouldn’t think of having it any other way. I’ve always thought of Labor Day weekend as kind of a farewell to summer as we welcome autumn, so grilling out seems only fitting.

One of the best-known TV personalities, and one of the reasons we needed the phrase Celebrity Chef in the first place, Bobby Flay (who has opened his first steakhouse, Bobby Flay Steak, at Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa) is eager to share his tips on how to become a grilling pro just in time for Labor Day.

Grilling tips from Bobby Flay – does it get any better than that?

Bobby Flay shares his nine best tips, tricks and techniques, in addition to his delicious Ribeye & Anaheim Chile Quesadilla that will wow guests and have everyone licking their fingers.

Here are Bobby Flay’s grilling tips and recipes. Enjoy!

DON’T BE INTIMIDATED BY THE GRILL

  • A grill is just a source of heat. Just like a stove, it is very user-friendly.

CHOOSE THE RIGHT GRILL FOR YOU

  • Charcoal or gas. Both give excellent results, so choose the one that best suits your style of cooking.

GIVE YOURSELF ROOM

  • Don’t underestimate the importance of having enough room to work. Grilling is much more relaxing when you are not trying to juggle a whole collection of plates and bowls as you do it. If your grill doesn’t have enough workspace – and they almost never do – set up a table right next to your grill.

ORGANIZE & PRIORITIZE

  • Organize your tasks: plan a menu, make lists, do the shopping. When it’s time to hit the grill, get everything out in front of you: food, spices and tools. Everything you are going to need should be within easy reach.

MAKE SURE IT’S HOT

  • Most of the time, I grill over high heat. I like things to move fast. I like the sound and smell of a very hot fire. I gravitate towards dishes that you can get on and off the grill as quickly as possible. After a while, you’ll know without thinking about it how hot the fire is – high, medium-high, etc. Until then, you can use the time-tested method of holding your hand 4 inches above the grate and seeing how long you can keep it there. It may sound a little dangerous, but you’ll pull your hand back at just the right moment.

◦ High: 2 counts

◦ Medium-high: 4 counts

◦ Medium: 6 counts

◦ Medium-low: 8 counts

◦ Low: 10 counts

KEEP THE LID CLOSED WHEN COOKING ITEMS THAT TAKE LONGER THAN 10 MINUTES

  • Items like ribs, whole chicken, bone-in chicken breasts, etc.

DON’T PLAY WITH YOUR FOOD

  • The more you touch the food on the grill, the more it will stick and begin to fall apart. Brush your burgers, fish, vegetables with oil and season with salt and pepper and place on a hot grill. Don’t touch it for at least 2 minutes! It needs to form a crust so that it can naturally pull away from the grill. If you begin to turn it before the crust has formed, it will stick.

DON’T FLATTEN BURGERS, STEAKS & CHOPS WITH THE SPATULA

  • It will only press out flavorful juices and cause flare-ups. Flip the food only once if possible.

GRILLING MEAT: WHEN IN DOUBT, IT’S BETTER TO UNDERCOOK THAN OVERCOOK

  • You can always put food back on the fire if you need to.

RIBEYE & ANAHEIM CHILE QUESADILLA RECIPE

Serves: 4

Marinated Ribeye:

8 Cloves Garlic, finely chopped
2 Anaheim Chiles, stems removed and coarsely chopped
3 Tablespoons Oregano, finely chopped
1/2 Cup Canola Oil
1 (1-1/4 inch thick) Boneless Ribeye (about 1 lb)
Salt and coarsely ground Black Pepper

1. Stir together the garlic, chiles, oregano and oil in a medium baking dish. Add the steaks and turn to coat in the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 8 hours.

2. Heat grill to high. Remove the steaks from the refrigerator 30 minutes before grilling to take the chill of it. Remove from the marinade and season liberally on both sides with salt and pepper. Grill the steak on both sides until golden brown and slightly charred and cooked to medium-rare (130 degrees on an instant-read thermometer) – about 9 minutes. Remove from the grill and let rest, loosely tented with foil, for 10 minutes. Slice into ¼-inch thick slices.

Anaheim Chile Vinaigrette:

3 Large Anaheim Chiles, grilled, peeled, seeded and diced
4 Cloves of Roasted Garlic, peeled
3 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
3 Tablespoons Fresh Lime Juice
1 Tablespoon Honey, or more if needed
Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper
3/4 Cup Canola Oil
1/4 Cup chopped fresh Cilantro

1. Combine the Anaheim chiles, garlic, vinegar, lime juice, a few tablespoons of water, honey, salt and pepper in a blender and blend until smooth.

2. With the motor running, slowly add the oil until emulsified. Add the cilantro, blend 5 seconds longer. There should be flecks of the cilantro in the vinaigrette.

Quesadilla:

12 Flour Tortillas, 6-inch in diameter
1-1/2 Cups grated Monterey Jack Cheese
Marinated Ribeye slices, from above
6 Ounces Soft Goat Cheese, crumbled
3 Green Onions, thinly sliced
Canola Oil
Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper
1 Teaspoon Ancho Chile Powder
Cilantro Leaves, for garnish

1. Preheat the grill to medium heat. Place 8 tortillas on a flat surface and divide the Monterey Jack, some of the beef, goat cheese and green onion among the tortillas (in that order); season with salt and pepper to taste.

2. Stack the tortillas to make four 2-layer tortillas and top each with the remaining tortillas. Brush the tops of the tortillas with canola oil and sprinkle with some of the ancho powder. Carefully place on the grill, ancho-side down and grill until lightly golden brown – about 2 minutes. Flip the quesadillas over, close the lid of the grill until the bottom of the tortillas are lightly golden brown and the cheese has melted. Remove from the grill, cut into quarters and top each quarter with some of the Anaheim vinaigrette and garnish with cilantro leaves.

ABOUT BOBBY FLAY STEAK:

Bobby Flay puts his avant-garde touch on the quintessential American entrée with his first ever steakhouse, Bobby Flay Steak at Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa. Showcasing a variety of regional steaks prepared with zesty rubs and seasonal ingredients and a special Lobster Bar that features fresh lobster creations, Bobby Flay Steak was designed by David Rockwell to present a chic, comfortable steakhouse that complements the exciting backdrop of Borgata.

ABOUT BORGATA HOTEL CASINO & SPA:

Located at Renaissance Pointe in Atlantic City, Borgata features 2,000 guest rooms and suites; 161,000 square feet of gaming; 182 gaming tables; 4,100 slot machines; an 85-table poker room; 11 retail boutiques; 6 acclaimed fine dining restaurants by renowned chefs; 6 casual dining options; a 54,000 square foot spa; 70,000 square feet of event space; 4 signature nightlife experiences; and parking for 7,100 cars. The resort also features Atlantic City’s first cosmopolitan hotel experience, The Water Club at Borgata, with 800 guest rooms and suites; a 36,000 square foot spa; 18,000 square feet of meeting space; 6 designer retail boutiques; and 5 heated indoor and outdoor pools.

Toddy Cold Brewing System: Coffee That’ll Make You Swoon

by Joi on August 25, 2010

“(The Toddy) is the ultimate coffee maker.” -The Washington Post

If you’ve never used the Toddy T2N Cold Brew System for coffee, you have no idea what you’re missing. I’m not sure why this system makes incredible, outrageously flavorful coffee (I guess we’d need Alton Brown to explain it to us) but it does.

Truth be told, I don’t guess I care WHY Toddy’s so outstanding as much as I care how soon I can have my next cup.  Then the next, then the next, then the next…

I insist on trying out every coffee bean and every coffee-brewing system that comes down the pike before I recommend them on Get Cooking – so I force myself to consume untold amounts of coffee, but that’s okay, really, I don’t mind. As in AT ALL.

It’s how I roll, I call it my caffeine roll.

After I took a few drinks of my first cup of brewed “Toddy” coffee, all I could think was, “This is a perfect cup of coffee.” And I’ve thought the same thing with each subsequent cup. Perfect, with a coffee house boldness – yet smooth as a baby’s….well, you know.

From the website:

As important as those fresh roasted beans are to your cup of coffee, it’s what you do with them that counts the most.

In 1964, as a chemical engineering graduate of Cornell, Todd Simpson developed and patented a cold brew system that, using regular coffee beans, creates a superior-tasting cup of steaming HOT coffee. And, with 67% LESS ACID than coffee made by conventional hot brew methods, it’s easier on sensitive stomachs.

The Toddy coffee maker extracts the coffee bean’s true delicious flavor and eliminates much of the acidity, producing a bold, super-smooth coffee that can be served one cup at a time.

Toddy Cold Brewing System Features:

  • Designed to brew coffee with 67-percent less acid than coffee made with hot brew methods
  • Patented cold brew system uses regular coffee beans to create super smooth hot coffee, but with no electricity required
  • The Toddy Cold Brew System also makes tea, served hot or cold
  • Set includes brewing container with handle, glass decanter with lid, 2 reusable filters, 1 rubber stopper, set of instructions, and recipe guide
  • Get more out of your coffee beans, since the coffee concentrate stays fresh for up to 3 weeks

You can use your favorite coffee beans with the Toddy System and, as you just read… it makes fantastic tea as well.

You’ll want to slide on over to Amazon and order your very own Toddy T2N Cold Brew System right away. While you’re at it, you might want to grab one for the biggest coffee fiend on your Christmas list.

A Must Have Recipe for Three Cheese Omelets

by Joi on August 23, 2010

Every cook must have a great omelet recipe.  There’s just no getting around it.  Before you approach the recipe, however, you need to make sure you have a perfect pan.  My favorite pan for omelets is the Giada De Laurentiis for Target 12″ Stainless Steel Nonstick Sauté Pan.  You can find Giada’s outstanding line of pans, dishes, and more at Target or Target.com.  I’ve used countless pans over the years for omelets and omelet recipes – this pan is, simply put, the best.

Go to Target. Buy the pan.  Be an Omelet rock star.

Three Cheese Omelets Recipe

I recently bought a bag of Kraft 3 Cheese Crumbles for poking cheese into burgers before my husband grilled them (along with garlic, but that’s another post!).   I had some cheese crumbles left over the next morning, which was surprising given the way I was noshing on them straight from the bag.

I decided to use them in a couple of omelets and the results were cheesy and spectacular.  I strongly recommend using this 3 cheese blend in your next omelet recipe.  Below is my favorite.

2 teaspoons butter (it’s better than margarine for egg recipes)
2 large eggs, beaten (cage-free eggs – and be sure they’re safe)

Heat butter in a great omelet pan or skillet on medium-high heat. You want the butter to melt but you don’t want it brown. As the butter melts, tilt the pan to coat the bottom.

Quickly pour the beaten eggs into the pan. As you slide the pan rapidly back and forth over the heat, stir the eggs with a fork to ensure that they spread across the bottom of the pan and begin to thicken.

Let stand over heat a few seconds to lightly brown the bottom of the omelet. DO NOT OVERCOOK. Remember, eggs continue to cook after they’re removed from the heat and an omelet will continue to cook after it’s folded.

Sprinkle some of the cheese crumbles (about 1/4 cup) onto one side of the omelet’s surface.

Tilt the pan and run a fork or narrow spatula under edge of omelet and move the pan in a jerking motion to loosen the eggs from the bottom of the pan. Fold the omelet over the melting cheese… what a beautiful sight… and remove to a warm plate.

Needless to say, you can also experiment with a variety of other omelet fillings:

  • chopped ham
  • chopped onions
  • chopped green pepper
  • chopped jalapeno
  • chopped red pepper
  • mushrooms
  • leftover steamed asparagus, chopped (delicious)

There are endless options and combinations – but every now and then a gloriously plain and simple cheese omelet is where it’s at.  Especially if you get jazzy with the cheese.  Give Kraft’s 3 Cheese Blend Crumbles a shot – you’ll love them.

Top Photo Credit: nkzs

Cooking for Isaiah Has Recipes That’ll Astonish PLUS a Tailgating Recipe for Proof

by Joi on August 23, 2010

I was recently sent a new cookbook to review that I’m very excited about. Excited to tell you about and excited to cook each and every recipe in the 223 page book! You know how, sometimes, as you’re thumbing through a cookbook you’ll go, “I might make that… I’ll try that one… nah… nah… There’s one I might try…. nah…” With this cookbook, I thumbed through the entire book and each recipe was met with a, “I can’t wait to make that one!”

Not a single nah.

Cooking for Isaiah: Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free Recipes for Easy Delicious Meals was written by Silvana Nardone, founding editor in Chief of Every Day with Rachael Ray magazine. Rachael Ray, herself, wrote the foreword. Silvana is also a columnist for Every Day with Rachael Ray with the “No-Recipe Zone” and “Sweet Spot” columns.

However, in this particular interest, I’m certain she carries a much simpler name – one worn closer to the heart. When you get down to it, this cookbook was written by “Isaiah’s Mom.”

Cooking for Isaiah: Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free Recipes for Easy Delicious Meals is a labor of love. Silvana Nardone was challenged to create delicious meals for her young son, Isaiah, after he was diagnosed with food intolerances to gluten and dairy.

Description:
“The cornbread was flavorful, moist and light with a deliciously tender crumb. My only hope with this recipe was that Isaiah would love it… And then Isaiah took a bite. The look on his face was pure heaven.”
Cooking for Isaiah is a love story of Silvana Nardone’s journey to develop great-tasting meals for her son, Isaiah, after he was diagnosed with food intolerances to gluten and dairy. The results of her efforts are found in the pages of this book, through 135 recipes that are not only easy to make, but taste and look delicious.
From “S’mores Pancakes with Marshmallow Sauce” to “Double-Decker Toasted Cornbread and Spicy Greens Stack,” and “Chicken and Waffles with Maple Bacon Gravy” to “Chocolate Birthday Cake with Whipped Chocolate Frosting,” all of the recipes in Cooking for Isaiah are entirely free of gluten and dairy. Crafted with a variety of cooks in mind, an ingredient substitution chart shows you what to swap if, for example, you need to cook without gluten, but dairy is okay. You’ll also find Silvana’s tried-and-tested all-purpose flour and pancake mix recipes, sure to make gluten-free cooking and baking accessible to all. Written by Silvana Nardone, Editor in Chief of Every Day with Rachael Ray magazine, this charming, personal cookbook belongs on every cook’s shelf.

The cookbook is a labor of love.  Silvana Nardone was challenged to develop delicious (so delicious even a child would love them, without feeling like he was being robbed of a normal childhood filled with the kinds of foods kids love) meals for her son, Isaiah, after he was diagnosed with food-intolerances to gluten and dairy.

Remarkably, symptoms that had been plaguing young Isaiah cleared up almost immediately after his mom removed gluten and dairy from his diet.

While this cookbook would seem like a gift straight from Heaven for people of all ages who avoid gluten and/or dairy, I want to make one thing perfectly clear: Cooking for Isaiah: Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free Recipes for Easy Delicious Meals is an outstanding cookbook for anyone – even those of us who are bedfellows with gluten and dairy.

There are two groups of people who will want to RUSH over to Amazon and buy this cookbook the very minute they finish reading this cookbook review:

  1. Anyone who is gluten and/or dairy-intolerant – or loves someone who is.  These highly-original and creative recipes and meal ideas will knock your socks off.  The recipes will open up a whole new culinary world in which you’ll delight in exploring.  It’ll make eating fun and exciting again.
  2. Everyone else!  Even those of us who aren’t the least bit intolerant of gluten or dairy will fall instantly in love with this cookbook.  There is a wonderful chart on the inside back cover (as well as on page 17) that gives you substitutions to use if you want to… well… gluten-ize and dairy-ize the recipes.   Basically, it’s as simple as using your everyday flour, cow’s milk, pancake mix, and cornbread where the author has used her own gluten-free recipe for flour and pancake mix, or where she has substituted with Rice Milk (although I’m such a fanatic for Rice Milk, I wouldn’t dream of substituting for it… LOVE the stuff!).

The creativity the mom-author shows in these recipes boggles the mind while it leaves you drooling over the pictures (the ones in the book as well as the ones in your own mind).

About the Author, Silvana Nardone
Silvana Nardone is the founding Editor in Chief of Every Day with Rachael Ray, where she has been honored with the magazine industry’s top awards since its launch in 2005. She is the magazine’s “No-Recipe Zone” and “Sweet Spot” columnist. A writer, editor, cooking instructor, and food consultant, she is the coauthor of Saveur Cooks Authentic Italian, has been featured in many publications including the New York Times, and has appeared on NBC Weekend Today, WCBS News This Morning, WABC Eyewitness News This Morning, E! Entertainment True Hollywood Story, Fox News Fox & Friends, and the Food Network’s Roker on the Road. She was profiled by Big Apple Parent and About.com for her focus on gluten-free and dairy- free cooking. Silvana owned an Italian bakery, Fanciulla, when Rachael Ray hired her to launch her magazine. She lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her husband Stephen and two children, Isaiah and Chiara. Visit her blog at DishTowelDiaries.com.

The first recipe I made from this outstanding cookbook was the Toasted Ham-and-Tomato Cornbread Sandwiches with Jalapeno Mayonnaise.  I simply used my favorite Buttermilk Cornbread Recipe instead of the “Double Corn Cornbread” called for.  The Double Corn Cornbread recipe is found in the book on page 75 and sounds awesome.  In fact, I plan to give it a try – but I simply had the ingredients on hand for Buttermilk Cornbread, so I went with it.

Besides, I adore buttermilk cornbread and I knew there’d be enough left over for breakfast the next morning.  I love to split cornbread in half, butter it, and toast it lightly on the griddle, right beside eggs as they fry.  Then I top off the cornbread with a layer of Pepper Jelly and place the fried egg right up on top.  SO GOOD.  Then again, the cornbread with pepper jelly is a special experience, with or without the egg.

Toasted Ham-and-Tomato Cornbread Sandwiches with Jalapeno Mayonnaise

1/2 cup mayonnaise
3 jalapenos, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro or parsley leaves (I used cilantro)
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
salt
4 (4-inch) squares Double Corn Cornbread (page 75) or store-bought cornbread – split and toasted
shredded lettuce (about 2 cups) for topping
1 pound deli-sliced smoked ham
4 tomato slices, for topping

1. In a food processor, combine the mayonnaise, jalapenos, cilantro, lime juice, honey, cumin, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Process until smooth. (This jalapeno mayonnaise is so good you’ll want to eat it straight from the food processor bowl – trust me on this one. Your’s truly spread some on a Ritz cracker and had a fine time.)
2. Spread about 1 tablespoon of the jalapeno mayonnaise on each cornbread bottom; top each with shredded lettuce, ham, and a tomato slice. Spread the remaining jalapeno mayonnaise on each cornbread top and set in place. To serve, cut diagonally.

I actually cooked my cornbread in a large round pan, so my sandwiches were triangular. They were all kinds of cute and even more delicious than I can tell you – however, next time (and there will be many, many next times) I’ll go the square route because it’d be easier to maneuver the tomatoes and lettuce on a wider playing field.

The jalapeno mayonnaise would be incredible on…

  • BLTs
  • Homemade Vegetarian Subway Sandwiches
  • Turkey Paninis
  • Chicken Paninis,
  • Egg sandwiches
  • Ritz Crackers…

The Toasted Ham-and-Tomato Cornbread Sandwiches with Jalapeno Mayonnaise would be an excellent recipe for tailgating.  You’d surely rack up points for creativity AND taste.

Recipes such as this one keep your family on their toes.  The reason I love creative, original recipes is this:  They show your family that you love them enough to make their meals extra-special.  Who wants to come home to the same meal every night?  Keep things interesting and unexpected!

Other Recipes in Cooking for Isaiah:

  • Penne with Walnut Cream Sauce
  • Tomato Live Black Bean Soup with Avocado Cream
  • Chicken Potpie Soup
  • Hash Brown Belgian Waffles with Apple Sausage and Fried Eggs (You should see the picture!)
  • Chocolate-Dipped Chocolate Doughnuts
  • Bacon-Apple Cornbread Stuffing
  • Creamed Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes
  • Grilled BBQ Onion-Smothered Double Bacon Burgers (I don’t think a teenager would even breath between bites.)
  • Raspberry-Lemon Meringue Layer Cake
  • Chocolate Birthday Cake with Whipped Chocolate Frosting
  • Super Fudge Brownies
  • Rocky Road Rice Crispy Treats
  • Grilled Vegetable Pesto Pizza
  • Chocolate Chip-Banana Split Belgian Waffles with Wet Walnuts and Hot Fudge Sauce
  • Grilled Corn Cakes with Strawberry Syrup
  • Isaiah’s Pumpkin Muffins with Crumble Topping
  • Asparagus Risotto Casserole
  • Creamy Corn Chowder
  • Isaiah’s Whipped Hot Cocoaccino (I’m enjoying one right this minute!!!  This is so delicious – it calls for rice milk, which I always have on hand.  Amazing – you’d know how amazing if you could see me licking my lips like crazy.)

Do yourself a huge favor and order a copy of Cooking for Isaiah: Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free Recipes for Easy Delicious Meals right now. You will not find recipes like these anywhere else.

As for me, my oldest daughter will be home on her lunch break in a few minutes, and I plan on meeting her in the kitchen with a mug of Isaiah’s Whipped Hot Cocoaccino. She’s kind of under the weather and I KNOW this will set her world right again.

One Honey of a Contest with Sweet, Sweet Prizes

by Joi on August 20, 2010

Fellow honey fanatics, look ahive! Sorry, I honestly couldn’t resist. The National Honey Board would like to invite you to enter the Cooking with My Honey Bear recipe contest.

The sweet grand prize is a nine-piece Le Creuset® cookware set with a retail value of $1,600. First prize is a five-piece Le Creuset® cookware set valued at $500, and second prize is a Le Creuset® Dijon Honey Pot and honey gift basket,
approximate retail value $200.

You have no idea how fast I’ll be entering this contest – are you kidding me? Look at the prizes!!!

To enter, just visit http://www.honey.com and submit your original or favorite recipe that includes 100% pure honey by 11:59 pm on Sept. 15. If you’d like, you may also include a photo of you with your “Honey Bear” or other honey bottle and/or a photo of the completed recipe.  I can’t even tell you how much I love the little Honey Bear containers.  I buy, and love, them every single time!

To learn more, including entry directions and contest rules, visit http://www.honey.com/nhb/contest.

Good luck!

Dan’s Chocolates has Back to School Deliciously Covered

by Joi on August 18, 2010

Good ol’ Dan’s Chocolates – they think of everything. Don’t get me wrong, like any self-respecting chocoholic, I’d love them even if they thought of nothing. Fortunately, though, they’re as clever as they are Heavenly.

Dan’s Chocolates has every occasion you can possibly imagine, as well as some you may not have thought of. Their outstanding chocolate candy will be delivered to you (or your lucky recipient) in a great-looking box – ready and willing to celebrate whatever occasion is at hand.

The box above is the Back to School Chocolates and can you imagine the look of sheer joy on a student’s face when you surprise them with this box of deliciousness – or even when you have it shipped to them?  The THANK YOU’s would never stop.

Back To School Chocolates

  • Chocolate truffles delivered directly to you.
  • We can make chocolate delivery anywhere in the USA.
  • A 1 pound box includes 36 truffles or 16 1 oz bars.

Back To School Chocolates – About this Gift Box

Dan’s Chocolates makes this great chocolate truffle gift box for students returning to school or college. 36 fresh cream truffles will not be forgotten easily. The school bus design is printed on the box cover.

Head over to Dan’s Chocolates and enter Back to School Chocolates in the search box.

While you’re there, check out the other amazing gift boxes and gifts. There’s a Back to School Teddy Bear with chocolates that I have both eyes on….If I can just convince the husband I don’t have to go back to school to get it…

Giada de Laurentiis Products from Target: Must Haves!

by Joi on August 16, 2010

Giada de Laurentiis 3.5-oz. Sicilian Sea Salt with Fresh Lemon

Okay. I normally don’t make broad, sweeping statements (unless it plays something like, “Drink coffee, it makes you sexier,” which doesn’t really count because that’s been proven). However, the time has come to make a doozie: If you ever see a cookbook, food item, kitchen gadget, pot, pan, dish, coffee mug, spoon, small appliance, large appliance, apron, salt shaker, or bulldog puppy (???) with the name Giada de Laurentiis on it, buy it and prepare to be amazed. The woman does not attach her name or beautiful face to anything less than a 10 on a scale of 1-10.

Apparently it’s against her code.

Good code.

The Giada de Laurentiis 3.5-oz. Sicilian Sea Salt with Fresh Lemon, pictured at the top of the post?  Ridiculously excellent.  Like all of Giada’s food products, you get so much more than you pay for or even hope for.

Product Description:
An incredibly tasty Sicilian Sea Salt with Fresh Lemon Zest. The hand-harvested, all-natural sea salt with lemon zest comes from a combination of the pure Sicilian sea water and the freshest lemons grown under the Sicilian sun. Giada’s Sicilian sea salt presents a delicate and intense aroma, with distinct hints of sweet, fresh lemons. Its fresh and delicate taste is characterized by intense notes of lemon, making this gourmet product a perfect ingredient to be coupled with light dishes, ideal for cooked or raw fish and shellfish, poultry, vegetables and desserts. Academia Barilla and Giada De Laurentiis present a piece of Italy to Italian food lovers and food connoisseurs, to taste, enjoy and share. Together, Academia Barilla and Giada De Laurentiis have launched the much anticipated range of high quality, authentic Italian gourmet products.

I regularly buy Giada’s pasta, sauces, and other food products at my local Target…. a store I have nothing but love for. Her spaghetti sauces are amazing – my favorite one is a creamy pasta sauce that boggles the brain.

A recent gift from my husband (for a birthday I acknowledged but didn’t count) is the gorgeous ceramic lasagna pan pictured above. Naturally, like a kid with a toy, I had to use it right away. I normally would have whipped up my favorite vegetarian lasagna but we’d recently had spaghetti — I’m nothing if not anal — so I made a cheesy potato au gratin. Outstanding. The pan refused to allow the potatoes or the cheese to stick, which made serving, eating, and cleaning joyful, delicious, and simple.

It’s such a gorgeous ceramic pan I kind of hated to use it. You really have to see it to appreciate it. It’s worth a special trip to Target to see Giada’s collection of pans, gadgets, and more. She even has a line of sexy aprons as well as her own coffee.

Somebody tell me why I haven’t tried that yet.

By the way, when you click through to the ceramic lasagna pan, if you scroll down you’ll see what appears to be a great recipe for Baked Gnocchi, calling for spinach, nutmeg, gnocchi, chicken broth, heavy cream… is your mouth watering yet?

Another gift the wonderful husband bought me was the Giada De Laurentiis for Target 12″ Stainless Steel Nonstick Sauté Pan (Click through this link for details as well as a recipe for Orzo with Sausage, Peppers and Tomatoes!). This gorgeous pan was initiated into the family with salmon patties and is currently simmering a little pasta sauce for my oldest daughter’s lunch.

It’s quite possibly the best pan I’ve ever owned.

Features:
Pan-Pot Material: Stainless Steel
Handle Material: Stainless Steel
Features: Riveted Handle
Care and Cleaning: Hand-wash Only

Click through any of the links (except for the Giada de Laurentiis 3.5-oz. Sicilian Sea Salt with Fresh Lemon – it has a mind of its own) to browse Target’s outstanding line of Giada de Laurentiis products.

A Must Have for Serious Cooks Is….

by Joi on August 13, 2010

Black & Decker Family-size Electric Griddle

My youngest daughter (Stephany) and her boyfriend (Rusty) got me a Black & Decker Family-size Electric Griddle last Christmas and I’ve used it nearly every day since. Bacon, grilled cheese, fried eggs, hamburgers, veggie burgers, French toast, pancakes, garlic bread – you name it, my beloved griddle and I whip it up.

It came in handy last night with our spaghetti supper. Stephany and I made a killer spaghetti sauce and we very much wanted garlic bread to accompany the meal. However, with our part of Kentucky registering in the late 90s and early 100s the past couple of weeks, we didn’t really want to heat the kitchen up with the oven.

So we heated the griddle, sliced the loaf, buttered and seasoned the slices and grilled them on the convenient, non-kitchen-heating-up griddle. Truth be told, even when the weather isn’t so intensely hot, I still prefer making my garlic bread on the griddle. It makes the outsides crunchy (if you leave it log enough) and golden brown while allowing the inside of the bread to stay soft, warm, and delicious.

The Black & Decker Family-size Electric Griddle has an extra large cooking surface for family-size meals but, frankly, I’d want this size even if it were just my husband and I. In fact, there have been times when we were the only two at home for breakfast, lunch, or supper and I’ve used my griddle. I love the convenience of cooking the bacon, eggs, and toast all in one place.

It makes clean-up so much easier!

I made myself a slice of cinnamon toast this morning and, like the garlic bread last night, using the griddle instead of the toaster left me with toast that was crunchy on the outside while remaining a little bit soft on the inside. Never underestimate a slice of warm cinnamon toast with a cup of hot coffee – an excellent way to start the day. What IS it about the aroma and flavor of cinnamon that’s so comforting and relaxing?

The Black & Decker Family-size Electric Griddle has something else that I love muchly – a warming tray. I use the warming tray to heat buns while cooking burgers or hot dogs. Nothing, I mean nothing, beats toasty buns.  The warming tray is also handy for keeping silver dollar or medium-sized pancakes warm while the rest finish cooking.

A removable drip tray collects unwanted oils for easy cleaning and I’m not even gonna lie, I’m all about easy cleaning.

I also use my electric griddle for heating tortillas for soft tacos, burritos, and wraps. All it takes is a few seconds on each side and the tortillas are perfectly warm and soft – just like they are in restaurants.

As I’ve said a gazillion times, a cook is only as good as the kitchen gadgets, appliances, quality ingredients, pots, pans, and equipment he/she surrounds themself with. The Black & Decker Family-size Electric Griddle is one of the best tools you can have in your arsenal.

I swear on my toasty buns.

Chick-fil-A Sets a Tea-mendous Guinness Record

by Joi on August 10, 2010

This is a story that does nothing but make my pulse race and my mouth water. It’s not my fault, you see…

  • I was born and raised in the south.
  • I live in the south.
  • I’m a tea fanatic.
  • I have a head filled with sweet teeth.

So, there you have it.  A story about sweet tea of these epic proportions knocks me off my feet.  I do believe I’ll celebrate this accomplishment by having lunch at Chick-fil-A.  LOVE their delicious sandwiches and – - – of course – - – their sweet tea.

On Wednesday, Aug. 4, Tulsa-area Chick-fil-A® restaurants set a Guinness World Record by creating the world’s largest sweet iced tea. A nine-foot tall cup held more than 1,140 gallons of freshly brewed sweet tea and ice. The record was set during an all-day celebration at Nienhuis Park in Broken Arrow, Okla.

Operators and team members from five Chick-fil-A restaurants worked with volunteers from schools, churches and community groups throughout the Tulsa area to create the record-setting drink. The process required 72 pounds of tea leaves, 1,150 pounds of sugar, one ton of ice and 912 gallons of water.

Official Guinness World Records® adjudicator Kimberly Partrick presided over the event and officially called the record. The achievement marks the second Guinness World Record for Tulsa Chick-fil-A Operator Arthur Greeno, who set the record for world’s largest soft drink when he created an 834-gallon cup of freshly-squeezed Chick-fil-A lemonade in 2008.

“In the midst of the heat wave we’ve been experiencing in Oklahoma, there was no shortage of people looking for a nice cold glass of sweet tea and we were glad to oblige,” said Greeno. “We couldn’t have made it happen without the help of our staff and neighbors throughout Tulsa gathering supplies, brewing the tea and coming out to cheer us on.”

The Chick-fil-A Kid’s Meal program is partnering with Guinness World Records to challenge children across the country to set their own records this summer. A series of five activity-filled Guinness World Records packs are available in Kid’s Meals until Aug. 28. Each pack features “Do Try This at Home” challenges, intended to promote fun parent-child interaction and active playtime with friends.

Can you imagine if you drank that much tea???…. Ooooh, Never mind….

Coffee Punch: Fraps Before There Were Fraps

by Joi on August 9, 2010

Coffee is love.

Coffee Punch Recipe

4 cups cold coffee
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt
1 pint vanilla ice cream, softened
1 pint chocolate ice cream, softened
1 cup whipping cream
ground nutmeg

Combine the first three ingredients. Add the ice creams and whipping cream. Stir gently. Sprinkle with nutmeg.

Yield: 9 Cups

After a trip to Starbucks today for iced coffee (how do I love thee, let me count the ways…), I remembered this punch recipe from an old cookbook. I looked it up and thought I’d share – I recall it being out of this world.  Those of us who love… truly, truly love… coffee will take it any way we can get it.  Warm, hot, cold, frozen, tepid….

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