The May 2012 issue of Food Network Magazine is one you’ll want to grab. You can’t miss it – there are three HEAVENLY looking tacos on the front cover that’ll catch your eye right away. Inside the magazine, in addition to gazillions of recipes, tips, and tools of the trade, there are 50 delicious and creative ways to make/serve a family favorite: Tacos!
The first recipe I tried from this issue was a Guacamole recipe from Bobby Flay. It was, as you’d expect, exceptional. Normally, this avocado fanatic just likes her guacamole with avocado and a little lime or lemon – maybe a little salt. Avocados are so amazing it’s really all I want to taste.
However… this recipe has won me over to adding different ingredients to compliment the avocado. This particular guacamole recipes is one of the best I’ve ever tried. It’s outstanding.
Bobby Flay’s Guacamole
4 ripe Haas avocados, peeled, pitted and chopped
1/2 small red onion, finely diced
1 jalapeno pepper, finely diced
Juice of 2 limes (about 1/4 cup)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Combine the avocados, red onion, jalapeno, lime juice and cilantro in a bowl and gently mix to a chunky consistency. Season with salt and pepper.
Along with this guacamole recipe, there’s a recipe for Bobby Flay’s Cumin Dusted Tortilla Chips. Be sure to grab the magazine and check that out!
America’s Next Great Restaurant should be a lot of fun. We’ll find out soon enough, the series will premiere on March 6th!
More About the Series:
From Emmy Award-winning producers Dan Cutforth and Jane Lipsitz of Magical Elves (“Top Chef” and “Project Runway”) comes “America’s Next Great Restaurant.” In this delectable new alternative series, people from every walk of life will vie for the opportunity of a lifetime to see their original restaurant concept spring to life – starting with the opening of a restaurant chain in three locations – Hollywood, Minneapolis and New York City.
Funding the restaurant concepts are four accredited investors: Bobby Flay, distinguished restaurateur (“Iron Chef America: The Series,” “Throwdown! with Bobby Flay”); Curtis Stone, internationally renowned chef (NBC’s “The Biggest Loser,” “Take Home Chef”); Steve Ells, founder, chairman and co-CEO of Chipotle; and Lorena Garcia, executive chef and restaurateur.
Flay, Stone, Ells and Garcia not only serve as investors who put their money into the winning restaurant idea, but they also serve as mentors. They will be working side by side with the competitors to further develop their concepts and put each competitor’s restaurant concept through rigorous business and cooking challenges to determine which idea has what it takes to become America’s next great restaurant.
After a nationwide search, the top 21 competitors will present their restaurant concepts to the investors and 11 will be quickly eliminated – leaving the top 10 competitors to battle it out over the course of the season. The investors will determine which competitor’s concept has the greatest potential for success, and those who do not rise to the challenge will be sent home.
In the final episode, someone will fully savor his or her great American dream of launching his or her own restaurant chain, and viewers will have the opportunity to experience it for themselves.
“America’s Next Great Restaurant” is produced by the Emmy Award-winning Magical Elves. Dan Cutforth, Jane Lipsitz, Ross Jacobson, Nan Strait, and Amy Chacon serve as executive producers. Casey Kriley and Gayle Gawlowski serve as co-executive producers.
Here’s a look at a promising new series coming this Spring, America’s Next Great Restaurant. Curtis Stone, Bobby Flay, Lorena Garcia and Steve Ells, the founder of Chipotle, are the judges when hopeful contestants present their ideas to the panel for the next big American restaurant. The NBC series boasts Emmy Award-nominated producers of “Project Runway” and “Top Chef,” in addition to the heavyweight names mentioned above. Seriously,how can it miss? The lucky winner will get the opportunity of a lifetime – the chance to open their own restaurant.
The fact that it’s on NBC, the network that gives me one of my biggest television addictions of all time (The Biggest Loser) is enough reason for me to tune in. The fact that Curtis Stone and Bobby Flay are involved is just icing on the cake (apologies to Bob & Jillian for the cake reference).
A nation-wide deal is on the line when the series kicks off Wednesday, March 16th at 9/8c – watch the first preview below! This looks like it’ll be A LOT of fun.
My family and I always have this discussion before Thanksgiving:
Me: I’m going to buy a turkey…
Them: Ewwww… get a ham instead..
Me (through clinched teeth): I’ll get both.
I’m a traditional kind of gal. I want turkey on Thanksgiving and ham where it belongs – on Christmas and Easter. But the majority of my family members simply don’t care that much for turkey. Go figure.
H-O-W-E-V-E-R, with the help of Hellmann’s Mayonnaise and Bobby Flay – I think I have them right where I want them. Once they see this recipe, they’ll INSIST on turkey, for the leftovers, alone.
Ah, sweet success.
The recipe, below is from the collection of Bobby Flay recipes on Hellmann’s website. Each is, as you’d expect extraordinary. To watch Bobby Flay make these Reubens, head over to the website for the video: Bobby Flay Makes a Turkey Reuben… and Saves Joi’s Traditional Thanksgiving.
Bobby Flay Turkey Reuben With Thousand Island Coleslaw
1/2 cup Hellmann’s® or Best Foods® Real Mayonnaise, divided
1/4 cup finely chopped dill pickle
2 Tbsp. ketchup
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
2 cups coleslaw mix
8 slices rye bread
8 slices Swiss cheese
1 lb. sliced cooked turkey
Combine 1/4 cup Hellmann’s® or Best Foods® Real Mayonnaise, pickle, ketchup, vinegar and mustard with wire whisk in medium bowl. Season, if desired, with salt and pepper. Stir in coleslaw mix; set aside.
Top 4 bread slices with cheese, turkey, coleslaw mixture, then remaining bread slice. Evenly spread outside of sandwiches with remaining 1/4 cup Mayonnaise. Cook sandwiches, in batches, in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat, turning once, 8 minutes or until golden brown.
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.
Our food blog has nothing but big love for Bobby Flay, nothing but mad love for Hellman’s, and nothing but wicked love for Potato Salad – so, yeah, this recipe falls under can’t miss as far as we’re concerned.
Be sure to click the link following the recipe for a video of Bobby Flay making the potato salad, himself.
Bobby Flay’s Green Onion Potato Salad
2 lbs. red potatoes
1 Tbsp. PLUS 2 tsp. Kosher salt, divided
1-1/4 cups Hellmann’s® or Best Foods® Real Mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
1 to 2 jalapeno peppers, chopped
2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
6 green onions (green and pale green part), thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro or flat leaf parsley
Instructions:
Cover potatoes with water in 4-quart saucepot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon salt. Reduce heat to low and simmer 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender; drain and cool slightly. Slice into 1/4-inch-thick slices.
Combine Hellmann’s® or Best Foods® Real Mayonnaise, vinegar, jalapeno peppers, salt and black pepper in large bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients and toss gently. Season, if desired, with additional salt and pepper. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
While in Hellman’s neighborhood, be sure to check out their special Sweepstakes – with instant prizes! You can play daily for a chance to win great stuff. There is also a printable coupon to save $1.00 on two jars of mayo.
Are you a cablevision customer? Do you love Food Network? Would you greatly miss Alton, Paula, Rachael, Ace and Guy if they suddenly stopped coming into your living room?
If you’ve answered yes, yes, and you bet I would – it’s time to act before it’s too late.
Food Network may be dropped from your TV lineup. That would mean no more Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, no more Paula Deen, no more Bobby Flay, no Alton Brown, no Rachael Ray and no more Ace or his cakes. Good Lord! I can’t even imagine.
Spread the word on Twitter, Facebook, to your e-mail buddies, and around your neighborhood.
If you rely on Cablevision for your television viewing (at this moment I’m EXTREMELY thankful that I do not), rally the troops and save this wonderful channel. How ridiculous for cablevision to even THINK about ditching The Food Network. I’ll bet a lot of the other ridiculously stupid channels aren’t even being considered.
Speak up and speak out!
For more information and to stay up to date on the situation, check out I Love Food Network.
Iron Chef America is headed to Washington D.C.! Food Network stars Mario Batali, Bobby Flay and Emeril Lagasse will travel to the White House to take part in a very special competition in Super Chef Battle, a two-hour episode of Iron Chef America. They will be greeted by none other than First Lady Michelle Obama. She will, in fact, be the one to reveal the “secret ingredient.” The chefs will be joined by White House Executive Chef Cristeta Comerford and receive their challenge: Create a meal for America using The White House Kitchen Garden’s produce as their secret ingredients.
“We are honored to showcase The White House Kitchen Garden in Iron Chef
America,” said Bob Tuschman, Senior Vice President, Programming and Production for Food Network. “This is the most intense culinary competition we’ve ever shown. It’s awe-inspiring to see what four master chefs can create from locally-grown ingredients in the heat of Kitchen Stadium.”
The White House Kitchen Garden was created early in the Obama administration and measures approximately 1100 square feet and is located on the west side of the South Lawn. The four-season herb, fruit and vegetable
garden features 75 varieties of seeds planted in slightly raised beds using
succession planting methods. Cultivated by White House staff and volunteers, produce from the garden and honey from the adjacent beehives are available to the White House Chefs for preparing meals for the First Family and for official functions, and all extra food is donated to Miriam’s Kitchen, a soup kitchen near the White House.
The special episode premieres Sunday, January 3rd at 8pm ET/PT.
If you watch NBC’s The Biggest Loser, you saw the beautiful garden, the White House kitchen, and even two of the First Family’s chefs on last night’s episode. They created a fresh salad with vegetables and herbs from the garden that left all of us craving a bite.
I can’t wait to see what the Food Network Chefs cook up! Can you imagine how excited they must be?
Clever am I. Clever I am. Okay, well maybe just this once.
For the first time I can recall I actually “called” the final four on a realtiy show – right from the start. On the Food Network’s delectable show, The Next Food Network Star, I picked what I thought would be the final four on the first episode. As the season went along, I grew even more sure of my picks. The thing was, until last night, I couldn’t figure out who the top three would be after that.
Lovely Lisa and Adam been my favorites since day 1. They have a cool kind of chemistry. I could see them going head to head in some sort of a Food TV series. I wouldn’t miss an episode. Love them.
I like that Adam’s kind of in his own little world. As someone who, long ago, bought similar real estate, I know where he’s coming from. When the judges commented that he didn’t even look at the reporter during the Throwdown challenge, I thought it was all over but the crying. I told my cat, “He’s cooking!” But as she pointed out, to be a Food Network Star, you have to cook and socialize.
She’s always right.
I also sweated when Paula called out Lisa’s Mac and Cheese. If there’s something we southerners know, it’s Mac and Cheese – so if Paula didn’t like it, my girl Lisa must’ve made some crummy stuff. Sigh. Lisa rebounded nicely, though, and I’m sure the next time she meets Macaroni and Cheese in the kitchen, she’ll whip it into shape.
She’s just so fresh, unique, and fun to watch She also has a wealth of knowledge about food and cooking. I honestly could never get tired of watching her. The only thing is, right down to the Dora the Explorer haircut and mischievous eyebrows, she reminds me of a little girl I used to babysit years ago. Unlike Lisa, though, I quickly got tired of watching her! M-E-A-N. Adorable, beautiful little girl – looked like an angel. But… M-E-A-N. One time her grandmother (who I loved) brought her over and she had her in the cutest little yellow raincoat. She had on little orange duck boots and was carrying a little brown teddy bear. I thought, “She’s one of the cutest things I’ve ever seen. Awwww.” Then when the grandmother left, down went the bear, off came the raincoat and out came the mean. The awwww gave way to auggghhh. M-E-A-N.
I think Bobby Flay is perfect for this type of show. He’s better with the contestants and in front of the camera than most reality show hosts on network television. Also, how great is Susie Fogelson?! She should spend a lot more time in front of cameras than behind them or off to the side. She’s brilliant and has a fantastic personality and camera presence. The same can be said for Bob Tuschman. The three of them are what make this series so addictive.
Anyway, this has been an especially great season. It helps when you have a couple of favorites. Like Season 2 with Guy – My pick went all the way and look at him now. Mr. Big Shot on Food TV with two shows. He’s proven to be as big a spark as we all knew he would be. When you combine a great personality with a big ol’ dose of individuality and good old fashioned know how, you usually come up a winner.
Speaking of winners, there are other chefs I never tire of watching. A few of them are serving up great shows, themselves, today. Check your local listings for the times, of course… just don’t miss the episodes below.
Emeril Live (remember, he’s doing his thing, via reruns, in the afternoon now): On an episode titled Southern Comfort, Emeril will be making – Pan-Fried Catfish Fingers with Lemony Tartar Sauce and Hushpuppies, Sweet Potato Pie, Country Fried Steak with White Gravy, and Sylvia’s Red Velvet Cake. I’m dying a little, here.
Tyler’s Ultimate – On “Ultimate Meatloaf,” Tyler’s making Meatloaf with Tomato Relish, Velvety Mashed Potatoes, and Green Beans with Caramelized Onions and Almonds. How extra incredible does Meatloaf with Tomato Relish sound?
Good Eats – Alton has two shows that can’t be missed tonight. Overachiever, much? The first one is all about meatballs and features Swedish Meatballs. The second one is all about dips (Guacamole, Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip, and an Onion Dip from Scratch). I only listed three of the dips he’ll make because the fourth one’s, brace yourself, Chicken Liver Mousse. I didn’t want to list it amongst the other three because, frankly, they didn’t do anything to deserve that.
Never. That’s when I’ll eat something with liver in the title. The fourth of Never. That’s when I’ll make something that would involve me looking at, smelling, or getting anywhere near liver.
We’ve got to end this on a good note, and since liver doesn’t know any good notes, I’d better tell you about one of the other “Can’t Miss” episodes today/tonight. I saved this one for last because of the whole “Joi’s obsessed with Buttermilk” thing. On today’s Barefoot Contessa (the episode’s titled “Lunch for the Boys”) , she’ll make Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes. As if that wouldn’t justify a stand alone episode, she’s also making a Brownie Tart, Brussels Sprouts Lardons, and Individual Meatloaves. Make no mistake about it, though the star of the show’s the Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes.
Food Tv.com (a.k.a. Food Network.com) has a delicious section filled with the most amazing Memorial Day recipes you could hope for. But don’t take my foodaholic word for it, see for yourself. Be warned, though, if you’re on a tight grocery budget (Aren’t we all these days?), you’ll be extremely tempted to throw the budget out the door. I honestly want to make about 20 different recipes right now!
My printer’s trying to catch its breath and my own budget’s scratching its head, wondering if it ever really had a chance. To answer its question, “No. Not really.”
Some of the recipes you’ll want to seek out first:
Love tea? You'll want to check out the Crazy Tea Chick. The Crazy Tea Chick happens to be my daughter - the crazy doesn't fall far from the tree. It also doesn't wander far from caffeine.
Clever am I. Clever I am. Okay, well maybe just this once. 
Food Tv.com (a.k.a. Food Network.com) has a delicious section filled with the most amazing Memorial Day recipes you could hope for. But don’t take my foodaholic word for it, see for yourself. Be warned, though, if you’re on a tight grocery budget (Aren’t we all these days?), you’ll be extremely tempted to throw the budget out the door. I honestly want to make about 20 different recipes right now!
