Food Blog

Chef Michael Symon’s 5 in 5: 5 Fresh Ingredients + 5 Minutes = 120 Fantastic Dinners (Raving Review)

April 29, 2023 By Joi Sigers

Michael Symon’s 5 in 5 Cookbook

Since having to give up gluten and wheat, I have had to go back and edit a few of my cookbook reviews. I’m focusing more on gluten-free/wheat-free foods and don’t want to risk recipes or photos that could be confusing to anyone who has to eat gluten-free. The Cookbook review I’m editing and republishing today is one I absolutely love, Michael Symon’s 5 in 5 (Amazon link). Not long ago, when I told someone I collected cookbooks, she asked what my top 6 cookbook recommendations would be. The first thing out of my mouth (well, actually fingers, we were talking through Twitter DMs), was “Anything by Michael Symon…. but I’d start with his wonderful 5 in 5.”

A Few Thoughts Before Publishing my Edited Review:

Every cookbook can easily be altered in order to make the recipes gluten-free. You simply have to be diligent about making certain your replacements are in fact gluten-free. If you have Celiac Disease, an autoimmune disease, an intolerance, or an allergy, I HIGHLY recommend always looking for the gluten-free label on the product, itself. Don’t trust the label on the grocery store shelf – look at the product. When it comes to substituting pasta, for example in the wonderful Orecchiette with Sausage and Kale recipe in this very cookbook, more times than not I simply replace the ingredient with potatoes. I’ve used gluten-free pasta many times as well, but always love the extra goodness and flavor potatoes bring to a recipe. Bread is also very easy to “clean up,” whether it’s by using gluten-free bread, a wrap, or (my “go t0”), simply putting shredded lettuce in a bowl, adding the sandwich components, and calling it a “bowl.” The Fried Bologna and Egg recipe in this cookbook is delicious this way… you cut out extra calories AND the crunchy iceberg or Romaine lettuce adds so much to the flavors.
The original review was posted back in 2013 (before I had to leave gluten and wheat behind), yet this remains one of the cookbooks in my collection I turn to the most often. Most of the recipes, in fact, are memorized by now! Want to know another one I use just as often? Michael Symon’s Fix it With Food (Amazon link). There’s simply something about his extraordinary recipes I love – they’re PACKED with flavor, healthy, and never too highbrow. At this point, if he writes a cookbook, I’m one of the first to order it.

(Review Continued Below…)

Every now and then (quite often, actually), my husband does something super cool. His recent act of coolness involved ordering me a new cookbook from Amazon. Not just any cookbook, mind you. This was the newest cookbook by one of our favorite Food Network Chefs, Michael Symon.

Like any good Food Network groupie, I knew Michael Symon’s 5 in 5 (Amazon link) was about to hit stores and like any good Food Network groupie, my plans were in place to grab a copy asap. I was beaten to the punch, but the only things that matter are that 5 in 5 is in my eager hands and that it’s even better than I’d expected.

From the Back Cover:

With his boisterous laugh and Midwestern charm, Michael Symon has become one of the most beloved cooking personalities on television. For ABC’s The Chew, he developed a brilliant, simple formula to help home cooks pull together fresh, from-scratch meals on weeknights: a maximum of five fresh ingredients that cook in five minutes. This cookbook ties into the segment, featuring dazzlingly quick, satisfying dinners that the whole family will love.

Michael first teaches readers how to set up their pantries with essentials that make whipping up dinner easy. Then he shares 120 recipes for pastas, skillet dinners, egg dishes, grilled mains, kebabs, foil packets, and sandwiches illustrated in 75 photographs. This is streamlined cooking for busy families and firmly solves the “what’s for dinner?” conundrum for home cooks everywhere. With a 5 in 5 recipe, there’s always time for a home-cooked meal.

The only exception I take with the description is this: I’ve made two of these dinners, so far, and Fantastic doesn’t even begin to cover it. These. Recipes. Will. Blow. Your. Mind.

Below are a few of the other recipes from 5 in 5:

(reminder: if you have to eat gluten-free, simply make safe substitutions you’re absolutely sure of)

Cavatelli with Cauliflower and Red Pepper Flakes
Orecchiette with Sausage and Kale
Lazy Meatball Kebabs with Yogurt
Fried Bologna & Egg
Spicy 50/50 Burger
Chicken Marsala
Garlic Chicken with Asparagus
Pork Schnitzel
Swiss Steak
Bricked Grilled Chicken with White Bean Salad
Grilled Skirt Steak with Chickpea Salad
Caramelized Banana Sundae
Salted Caramel Sundae
Ultimate BLT
Philly Cheesesteak with Provolone
Salmon with Rosemary and Garlic
Turkey and Avocado Melt
Poached Eggs Parmesan
Sloppy Mikes
Eggs in Hell
Plus Many more!

In the front of the book, you’ll find timesaving tips, Chef Symon’s favorite flavor combinations, and great pantry advice. The book’s filled with gorgeous photos, including photos of Michael Symon and his beautiful wife. As one of the most genuinely likable celebrity chefs (or any celebrity or any chef for that matter!), one of the best things Michael Symon’s books have going for them is his personality – it comes through alongside his skills as a chef and the result is a cookbook you’ll always keep in plain sight.

If you love great food and love looking like a superhero to your family, you’ll want to order your own copy of Michael Symon’s 5 in 5: 5 Fresh Ingredients + 5 Minutes = 120 Fantastic Dinners today. This cookbook would also make an IDEAL gift for anyone, whether it’s Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Christmas, Graduation, or “Here’s this because you’ll love it…” basically any occasion.

PERFECT Baked Potatoes in Your Oven

June 3, 2022 By Joi Sigers

Baked Potatoes with Sea Salt

I’ve always loved a great baked potato. In fact, when at a favorite steak house, I’ve been known to get every bit as excited about the baked potato as I am the steak.

Oddly enough, though, I’ve recently become an EVEN bigger potato fanatic. I have no explanations as to WHY but since I began eating Gluten Free, my cravings for baked potatoes are almost non-stop. My daughter Emily (who also recently had to begin eating Gluten Free) has similar cravings – only her potato of choice is sweet potatoes.

Although I can’t explain the increased cravings, I can certainly take care of them. It just so happens I like my own baked potatoes as well as – and often better than – potatoes gotten at restaurants.

Although it’s different from most people, I don’t wrap my potatoes in foil before putting them in the oven. To me, doing so kind of just “steams” the potato rather than “baking” it. I like for the skin to have a slight crispiness to it when I cut into it. If it doesn’t’ have that slight little crunch sound when the knife cuts into the potato, I don’t get quite as excited.

Step By Step To Perfect Baked Potatoes

Wash your potatoes well. I have a little scrub brush (Amazon link) that looks like a pig (I mean, who doesn’t??) that I like to use on my potatoes.
After they’ve been washed well, oil them down with butter, vegetable oil, or olive oil. It’s like you have a little spa for potatoes and you’re the masseuse.
I roll my greased up potatoes in a little flaky sea salt (Amazon link). Trust me, this little extra step makes a world of difference. It doesn’t make them too salty… I promise.
Pierce your potatoes about 4 or 5 times to allow steam to escape. DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP. An exploding potato is a hideous thing.
Bake your potatoes directly on a rack in a 400 degree preheated oven for 45 – 50 minutes. Place a cookie sheet on a lower rack to catch any drippings. The timing depends upon the size (density) of your potatoes.

How To Test For Done-ness:

There are several ways to check to make sure your baked potato is cooked thoroughly. Below are the most commonly used (with my own personal method listed first).

Use an oven mitt to give the potato a slight little squeeze. If there’s a bit of “give,” the potato is done. If there’s no “give,” return it to the oven.
You can also check for a potato’s done-ness by taking its temperature. The internal temperature should be 210 degrees F.
Some people check their baked potatoes by piercing them with a fork. If the fork doesn’t meet any resistance, they know it’s showtime.

And showtime is a beautiful thing.

The Muffin Tin Cookbook: Fun and Easy Meals Your Family Will Love (Plus a Fish Tacos Recipe)

January 1, 2019 By Joi Sigers

A while back, I was sent a wonderful cookbook to review, The Muffin Tin Cookbook: 200 Fast, Delicious Mini-Pies, Pasta Cups, Gourmet Pockets, Veggie Cakes, and More!

Love it, love it, love it.

Cooking is more than just one of my favorite hobbies and pastimes – it’s a passion that I love greatly. Even now, I’m sitting at my desk in my home office – working in a frenzy of keyboard tapping and brainstorming, breaking only for much needed sips of coffee. Yet all I can think about is what I’m going to cook for supper, what my next dessert will be, and wondering when I can try out a new stuffed chicken recipe I saw yesterday.

Cooking, baking, cooking, baking, cooking, baking… a peek inside my brain.

Given the fact that it’s something I love so much, I want others to get the same kind joy from cooking as I do. I think that’s one of the reasons I get so excited about fresh, fun, and creative new cookbooks like The Muffin Tin Cookbook. Not only are new cookbooks a complete joy ride for me in my amusement park of a kitchen, I know that other foodies will get a huge kick out of them as well.

I also like to see cookbooks filled with recipes that people will actually make! Recipes that don’t call for you to visit a foreign country and bring back an extract you can only find there – then stir it into a broth using the feather of a virgin peahen… Please. Every single recipe in The Muffin Tin Cookbook is one you’ll make and make again.

Another thing I like to see in a cookbook is plenty of recipes that are quick and easy. A lot of people have to work outside of the home AND come home and cook supper. People who have a limited amount of time to work with don’t need fussy recipes. They need recipes that can be thrown together quickly, cooked in a flash, and don’t require a lot of cleaning up afterward. The Muffin Tin Cookbook is a dream come true for someone looking for such recipes.

Since the recipes on Get Cooking are gluten-free (as are all of the recipes I personally make and eat – health reasons), I will point out that this is NOT a “gluten-free cookbook.” Many of the recipes call for flour and a host of other foods off limits to those of us why have to eat gluten-free. HOWEVER, as with most cookbooks in my collection and recipes I find in the wild, I simply make the necessary substitutions.

Book Description

Muffin Tins—They’re Not Just for Muffins Anymore

There’s nothing you can’t make in a muffin tin—and we’re not talking merely muffins. All you need is a muffin tin, paper liners, and this ingenious, one-of-a-kind cookbook, and you can whip up delicious dishes that are as easy to prepare and serve as they are good to eat.

From quick-serve appetizers and sides to gourmet entrees and desserts, you’ll find an amazing variety of mouthwatering options for your dining pleasure, including:

Shrimp Cakes with Cilantro Lime Dipping Sauce
Egg Crescent Pockets
Deep-Dish Pizza Cups
Cornmeal-Crusted Mustard Chicken with Sweet Potato Coins
Duchess Potatoes
Zucchini, Corn, and Tomato Cups
Mini Ice-Cream Cakes

The best part (besides the tasty goodness): It’s fast, easy, mess-free, and provides built-in portion control. Kids will love to help you make them—like cupcakes, only better for your family!—and leftovers are as easy as popping the muffin-meal into the microwave.It just doesn’t get any better than The Muffin Tin Cookbook . . . your next memorable meal is just a muffin tin away! – From Amazon

Fish Tacos Recipe

3 pieces tilapia, about 3-4 ounces each, cut in half
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons lime juice
Salt and Pepper
6 taco-size flour tortillas
Light sour cream, chopped green onion, chopped tomato, lettuce, and salsa for serving

Place the tilapia, chili powder, cilantro, oil, lime juice, and salt and pepper in a bowl and allow to marinate 1/2 an hour, in the refrigerator.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and prepare 6 jumbo muffin cups by spraying with cooking spray.
Push one taco tortilla down into each cup and press any sections that bubble out against the sides.
Place 1 piece of marinated tilapia in each cup and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, depending on thickness of fish, until cooked through.
Serve with toppings.

Taco tortillas are smaller tortillas and are just the right size to line jumbo muffin cups. Lemon juice can be substituted for the lime juice.

Muffin Tin Recipes

There’s an entire chapter in The Muffin Tin Cookbook devoted to Breakfast – a time of the day when few of us have unlimited time. Recipes in the Breakfast chapter include:

Egg Crescent Pockets
French Bread French Toast
Grits Casserole
Cheese Danish Cups
Bagel Sausage Sandwiches
And More!

Other chapters include:

Appetizers and Snacks (Asian Dumplings with Dipping Sauce, Spiced Pecan Cups, Hot Pretzel Bites…)
Beef and Pork (Mexican Meatloaf, Sloppy Joe Cupcakes, Taco Mini Pies…)
Chicken and Turkey (Teriyaki Turkey Cups, Chicken Tortilla Pies, Italian Chicken…)
Seafood (Salmon Cakes, Deviled Crab Tarts, Shrimp with Polenta…)
Potatoes, Rice, Pizza, and Pasta (Candied Yams, White Pizzas, Stuffed Gnocchi…)
Vegetables ( French Onion Pie, Edamame in Rice Paper Cups, Cherry Tomato Cups…)
Muffins and Breads (Corn Muffins, Monkey Bread, Peanut Butter & Jelly Muffins…)
Desserts (Hot Chocolate Muffins, Lemon Pound Cake, Apple Cupcakes..)

Each recipe indicates the size of muffin tin needed. As the author says on page 8, “Keep in mind that you can make your dishes any size you like, but you will need to adjust cooking time up or down accordingly (if you make a bigger cup than the recipe suggests, baking time will be longer; if you make a smaller cup baking time will be shortened).”

Please see The Muffin Tin Cookbook for more information. When giving cookbook reviews, I like to suggest the sort of cook that the cookbook in question is “ideal” for. Although this cookbook is PERFECT for busy cooks, it’s just as fun and enjoyable for those of us who are simply busy cooking! It would make an excellent gift idea for someone who’s new to the world of cooking – maybe even in a bag with a brand-spanking new muffin tin.

150 Best Grilled Cheese Sandwiches Cookbook

October 14, 2018 By Joi Sigers

Is anyone even half as ready for autumn and winter as I am? Don’t get me wrong, I love a lot of things about summer – baseball, fresh produce, songbirds at my bird feeders that aren’t there in cold weather, grilling out, and so on. Summer’s awesome in every way… but, having said that, autumn and winter are super special.

As a foodie, the cooler months make me think of soup, stew, chili, casseroles, chai tea lattes, and (of course) Halloween goodies, Thanksgiving dishes, and Christmas baking… how could a foodie NOT love this time of year???

I may be one of the biggest soup fanatics in the world, which is one of the reasons I’m excited about a new cookbook I was sent to review: 150 Best Grilled Cheese Sandwiches.

Naturally, grilled cheese sandwiches are perfect all year. We certainly eat them year-round in our house. In fact, we’ve been known to enjoy grilled cheese sandwiches at all times of the day and night. Talk about a delicious comfort food. Cheesy deliciousness that comes together pretty darn fast – sign me up.

150 Best Grilled Cheese Sandwiches is a perfect guide to getting extra creative with this wonderful comfort food. Although the modern version of the grilled cheese sandwich dates back to 1920 (when it became popular during the great depression, for obvious reasons), these delicious and inexpensive delicacies are currently a popular trend in cooking. I think one of the reasons is the fact that they aren’t expensive to pull together. I think the popularity of food trucks has also helped revive this wonderful sandwich.

Some people are even calling the grilled cheese sandwich the “new burger.” The fact that so many people are eating less meat is another reason these sandwiches are so wildly popular.

From the Back Cover: A grilled cheese sandwich is classic comfort food and it’s enjoying an incredible resurgence in popularity. These fabulous recipes all begin with the grilled cheese we all know and love, and then from there, creative twists showcase just how incredibly versatile this sandwich can be. The recipes reflect an almost endless and delicious variety of choices that include simple and timeless as well as gourmet and artisanal. From breakfast to dessert, there’s something for everyone in this book.

Another reason grilled cheese sandwiches are so popular is, let’s face it, they’re fast and easy to make. You can have a warm, delicious, and comforting meal in a matter of minutes. This is one of the reasons they’re so popular with bachelors, college students, and beginner cooks.

Whether you enjoy your grilled cheese sandwiches with soup (one of my favorite meals), chips, or alone, nothing beats a great grilled cheese sandwich.

As I’ve probably mentioned on the food blog, when I had to totally give up wheat and gluten a number of years ago (health reasons), it threw my cooking persona into a tailspin. Imagine everything you are accustomed to cooking and baking for your family and yourself thrown out the door. Then finding yourself having to start over, pretty much, and discover a whole new way of both cooking and eating.

Stressful… and yet kind of mentally stimulating!

It’s a hideous predicament for anyone but for an avid cook and food blogger who was extra keen on homemade breads, cornbread, cakes from scratch, pies, etc.. it knocked me on my backside for a bit. However, I (honestly) found out that many aspects of gluten-free food are actually as good as their gluten-y counterparts and some are even better in many ways.

For example, for whatever reasons, gluten-free fried catfish is actually better. Don’t ask me why (please), but the combo of rice flour and yellow cornmeal makes the best fried catfish in the world. Trust me, this is a personal favorite and something I’ve been cooking since I was allowed to touch the stove.

Grilled cheese sandwiches have been another pleasant surprise (along with French Toast, for that matter). Gluten-Free bread, in my opinion, makes them even better. I think it’s because they’re denser and, sometimes, thicker, than regular bread. Then again, Texas Toast is a great way to go with grilled cheese sandwiches.

150 Best Grilled Cheese Sandwiches includes so many creative, fun, and delicious recipes you won’t stop until you’ve made them all. The cheese combinations, along with the additions of complimentary ingredients will boggle your mind. I cook every single day (and have for years) and consider myself to be really creative in the kitchen, but even I found myself saying, “Ooooh, I would’ve never thought of that...” One of the combinations that was wildly new to me was the one given in the recipe below. I wouldn’t have ever invited Muenster Cheese to a grilled cheese party, but this recipe has me slapping myself for the oversight.

The recipe below is from the cookbook and is outstanding. I love it alongside tomato soup or chili and have been known to have it simply with a large dill pickle and Funyons.

I know how to live, after all.

Classic Grilled Two Cheese

Author: Alison Lewis
Serves 4

8 slices white or whole-grain bread (1/2 inch/1 cm thick slices)
2 TBS butter or margarine, softened
4 oz Muenster cheese, thinly sliced
4 oz Cheddar cheese, thinly sliced

Instructions

Brush one side of each bread slice with butter.
Place on a work surface, buttered side down.
Top 4 bread slices equally with Muenster and Cheddar cheeses.
Cover with remaining bread slices, buttered side up, and press gently.
Place sandwiches on preheated panini grill or in a large skillet over medium heat and cook, turning once if using a skillet, for 3 to 4 minutes or until golden brown and cheese is melted.
Serve immediately.

When it comes to grilled cheese sandwiches, you have to really be careful with cheese combinations. Make the wrong move and the result will be thisclose to gross. You also have to be careful with what fillings you add and how you treat the bread. Again, the wrong move can leave your taste buds borderline depressed. In this wonderful and fun cookbook, Alison Lewis has done all of the hard work for us and taken all of the guess work out of our hands. We’re left with a ton of delicious recipes and combinations that’ll make us the Queen or King of Grilled Cheese. Whether you use a Panini or Sandwich Press or a favorite skillet, you WILL use these recipes again and again and again.

Below are just some of the recipes included in 150 Best Grilled Cheese Sandwiches:

Roast Beef with Asiago and Watercress
Grilled Steak and Blue Cheese
Italian Tomato-Basil Bread
Hot Bacon Swiss Crostini
Havarti and Cucumber Sandwich
Grilled Spinach, Pepper Jack, and Bacon
Warm Peanut Butter Power Wrap
Italian Salami Panini
Sweet Pepper Relish
Hummus
The Pilgrim
And many, many, many more.

See 150 Best Grilled Cheese Sandwiches for more information and to order your copy today… just in time for soup season!

300 Best Homemade Candy Recipes (Review)

June 10, 2014 By Joi Sigers

The Definitive Collection of Candy Recipes!

I was recently sent a great candy cookbook to review, FILLED with some of the best recipes of all time. I was actually planning to save my review of 300 Best Homemade Candy Recipes: Brittles, Caramels, Chocolate, Fudge, Truffles and So Much More (Amazon link) for September because I wanted to tell you all about it right before Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas baking.

Then, this morning, it hit me – what if you’d like to try out some of these recipes over the summer before making candy for your family and gifts.

Besides, is it ever the wrong time to make candy?

I’ve read a lot of candy cookbooks in my time (I even own a couple of great ones), but I’ve never seen a collection of candy recipes quite like this one. Not only does this cookbook contain every type of candy you can imagine, it has a lot you could never even begin to mentally conjure up!

One of my favorite things about 300 Best Homemade Candy Recipes is the fact that each recipe has ingredients you can easily find – no matter where you live, you won’t find yourself asking, “Will my store even have that… and, if not, what am I going to use for a substitute???”

The recipes are also highly do-able, for any level of cook – newbies and veterans, alike. The step-by-step instructions are crystal clear and the author includes countless tips and advice that can only come with experience.

Even though I’m a chocoholic and am more fudge and divinity obsessed than anyone has a right to be, the first recipe I actually looked for when the cookbook came in the mail was for a childhood candy I remember my mom making – “Potato Candy.” It’s hard to find the recipe and on the few occasions I have come across Potato Candy recipes, they’re never “quite” like I remember.

I’m THRILLED to say that I found exactly what I was looking for on page 104 – the Potato Candy recipe I remember and I’m beside myself with happiness!. It’s called “Potato Pinwheels” and has the exact ingredients I remember using when I made this candy with my mom – a cooked potato, vanilla, confectioner’s sugar, peanut butter, and pecans (or walnuts or peanuts).

Tuxedo Fudge (left) and Chocolate-Cherry Creams and Elegant Sparkling Strawberries (right)

Some of the 300 Candy Recipes Include:

Elegant Sparkling Strawberries (Gorgeous for Christmas!)
Buckeyes
Golf Balls
Potato Fudge
Classic Pecan Roll
Caramel Pecan Roll
White Taffy (and other taffy recipes)
Glass Candy
New Orleans Roasted Pecan Pralines
Mom’s Divinity
Cherry-Nut Nougat
Peppermint Taffy (also a must for Christmas)
Brown Sugar Taffy
Chocolate Fudge Recipes
Five-Minute Fudge
Christmas Fudge
Candied Citrus Peel
Peanut Butter Fudge Recipes
Creamy White Fudge
Pumpkin Fudge (A Halloween tradition)
Creamy Orange Fudge
Coconut Fudge
A lot of other fudge recipes!
Martha Washingtons
Coconut Bonbons
Kentucky Bourbon Balls
Spiced Pecans
County Fair Nuts
Toffee
Lollipops (again, great fun for Halloween)
Old Fashioned Popcorn Balls
Microwave Caramel Popcorn
Carnival Candied Apples
Old-Fashioned Caramel Apples
Simple Barks (White Chocolate, Chocolate-Nut, Cherry Almond…)
Chocolate Coconut Drops
Chocolate Marshmallow Turtles
Triple Delight Pecan Patties
Chocolate Peanut Clusters
Rocky Road
Heavenly Hash
Caramel-Nut Marshmallows

And the list goes on and on and on and on.

Marry Me Toffee (left) and Lollipops (Right)

Book Description:

The step-by-step candy bible for home candy-makers.

With hundreds of recipes for mouthwatering candies, chocolates, pralines, crèmes, fudges, toffee, holiday treats and no-bake cookies, this candy cookbook covers the traditional to the exotic.

Complete with easy-to-follow instructions and 75 step-by-step photos, this is a treasure trove of information and inspiring recipes. Although many are intimidated at the thought of making candies at home, Jane Sharrock shows how to master a few basic principles that every candy maker should know. She makes it easy to produce delicious goodies in the home kitchen.

See 300 Best Homemade Candy Recipes for more information. This is definitely a cookbook you’ll want to have in your candy-making hands long before Halloween and Christmas. This is going to be our most delicious holiday season ever.

Classic Green Mint Chutney Recipe

May 13, 2014 By Joi Sigers

Mint Chutney – Recipe from Spices & Seasons by Rinku Bhattacharya

I’ve always loved listening to the radio while driving – ever since my parents reluctantly allowed me to start driving at 17, simply because they didn’t think they could put off the inevitable any longer. Music had always been something I enjoyed a lot. A few years back, though, I decided there was nothing for me on today’s radio, so I stopped even bothering to turn it on. Then Adele hit the scene and made me excited about music again. She was fresh, exciting, and delightfully different from everything else.

She woke music up.

I often think about world cuisines along the same sort of lines. If we were to eat the same things over and over and over again, our culinary lives would become just as stale, uneventful, unexciting, and bland as music had become pre-Adele. Mixing things up for your family, as well as your own taste buds is a deliciously smart thing to do.

I home schooled our daughters all the way through school and when they were growing up, I’d incorporate whatever region we were studying into our family meals. Hmm, I guesss that’s why they were extra excited whenever we studied Italy. It wasn’t my lessons, it was my food!

I still love to incorporate as many “tastes of the world” into our meals as possible and Indian food has become a new obsession. When you try different cuisines, you discover a whole new world of flavors and tastes and when it comes to Indian food, it’s an uncommonly beautiful experience.

Over the next few weeks, I’ll be telling you more about a new cookbook that’s making my quest for fresh and exciting recipes and meals as easy as it gets. The book is Spices & Seasons: Simple, Sustainable Indian Flavors by Rinku Bhattacharya. I’ll share a few recipes with you from the book and you’ll soon see that this is a cookbook you simply must get your hands on.

The first recipe is for something I had honestly never made before, Chutney. Don’t let the word Chutney intimidate you and, by all means, don’t let the word mint turn you away. If you’re anything like me, you only think of mint as something beautiful in your herb bed and pleasant in your tea. I’m so narrow minded when it comes to mint that I was tempted to leave the mint out of this recipe! Seriously, I thought, “Hmph. Mint goes in tea, I’ll just replace it with nice innocent parsley.”

I can be so ridiculous like that.

In the end, good common sense won out and I left the recipe as it was intended to be prepared, and it knocked my socks off. The flavors are so intense, fresh, unique, and delicious. Trust me, you don’t want to replace the mint in this recipe – this is a perfect 10 recipe and I can’t wait to make it again.

I ate mine (of course) with Gluten Free Rice Crackers (Nabisco’s Gluten Free Rice Thins are won-der-ful) but I provided flat bread for everyone else. Everyone loved it and they, too, can’t wait for me to make it again!

Classic Green Mint Chutney

(VE, GF)

Green mint chutney is a classic, popular staple, omnipresent next to snacks, particularly in the summer months. This recipe is a very simple free-form variation of the classic recipe. There are other creative variations using tomatoes, green mangoes, and the works, so I encourage you to create and innovate to suit your fancy. Mint by itself in this recipe can have a bitter aftertaste, so it is tempered with cilantro. You can mix and match other herbs as desired. This chutney can be used as a condiment or sandwich spread, or can be added to sauces.

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Makes: 2 cups

1 bunch cilantro leaves (about 3 cups of leaves; tender stems can also be used in this recipe)
2 bunches mint leaves (about 11⁄2 cups)
2 green Serrano chilies
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1⁄2 teaspoon salt or to taste
1 teaspoon black salt
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons oil (such as mustard or canola)
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Place the cilantro, mint, green Serrano chilies, cumin powder, salt, black salt, sugar, oil, and lime juice in the bowl of a blender.
Grind mixture until smooth. This chutney will keep for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator, but the color will darken due to the lime.

Tips and Tricks:

It is important to ensure that the mint leaves used for this chutney are tender or they tend to add a bitter taste to this condiment.

This chutney can be mellowed by adding 11⁄2 tablespoons of yogurt or coconut milk as a vegan option. If adding yogurt you can skip the lime juice.

Another variation is to add some blanched peanuts or almonds.

Ideas for Serving the Chutney: Flatbread, grilled shrimp, crackers, toasted bread wedges…

Edits:

I’ve now added another favorite recipe from Spices & Seasons: Stir-Fried Asparagus With Garlic and Sesame Seeds. Click the link to take a look.
Read my Spices & Seasons Cookbook Review!

Wolfgang Puck 8-piece Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl Set

May 6, 2014 By Joi Sigers

Wolfgang Puck Stainless Steel Bowl Set

I never thought I’d ever use the word “gorgeous” to describe mixing bowls, but that’s the only world that’ll do for these beauties. The Wolfgang Puck 8-piece Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl Set with Silicone Bases has forever changed the way I think about mixing bowls.

We ordered a set from HSN a few weeks ago and I fall a little more in love with them each time I use them.

They’re getting a special treatment that no other mixing bowl set has ever gotten – they’re allowed to stay out of the cabinets… in plain view! Quite frankly they’re too pretty to hide away.

Among other things, I’ve used my bowls for…

marinating meats
tossed salads
cake batter
coleslaw
waffle mix
storing cookies
mixing granola

Each time I use them, I think of someone else I’d love to buy a set for.

The bowl stays in place while you’re mixing, so you don’t have to chase it around the counter or hold it securely in place. I also love that the snug-fitting lid eliminates the need for aluminum foil, plastic wrap, or (tackier, still) wobbly saucers placed on top of the bowl.

Been there, done that, died a little inside.

I’ve actually ordered several things from HSN lately that I’ve loved wildly. I’ll be letting you know about a “Miracle Pan” tomorrow that I have NO IDEA how I ever lived without.

These aren’t sponsored posts, paid for reviews, or even affiliate posts – I’m just anxious to share something with you that I know you’ll love as much as I do. Be sure to click through the following link and learn more about the Wolfgang Puck 8-piece Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl Set with Silicone Bases.

What You Get

7.25qt mixing bowl with lid
4.75qt mixing bowl with lid
3qt mixing bowl with lid
1.5qt mixing bowl with lid
Use and care manual
Manufacturer’s 5-year limited warranty

Kinnikinnick Gluten Free Pizza Crusts Review

April 17, 2014 By Joi Sigers

Kinnikinnick Pizza Crust Pizzas

I recently wrote a review of delicious Kinnikinnick Gluten Free Doughnuts (click the link to find out how delicious). As much as I love their doughnuts, I’m and EVEN bigger fan of their gluten free pizza crusts.

In fact, I love these crusts so much I actually prefer them to other pizza crusts now! I don’t know, there’s just something about them that’s outrageously delicious.

Kinnikinnick Pizza Crust Pizzas & Classico

The main thing, of course, is the taste, but I also like how convenient they are. Simply take out the number of individual crusts you want (four really generously-sized individual pizza crusts come to a box), top them with sauce, cheese, and toppings, and throw them into the oven or onto the grill.

My husband has become a huge fan of grilling pizzas and I was THRILLED when my beloved Kinnikinnick crusts took to grilling like a a duck takes to water. They were absolutely amazing. They’re just as great baked in the oven – which is the way I fix them 98% of the time.

Look for Kinnikinnick Gluten Free Personal Size Pizza Crusts in the “Health Food” or “Gluten Free” section of your favorite grocery store.

Take it from me, these are out of this world delicious.

Kinnikinnick Pizza Crust Pizzas

The Best Store Bought Pizza Sauce (Insert Drum Roll)…. Classico!

April 17, 2014 By Joi Sigers

We eat a lot of pizza in our family. A LOT LOT LOT of pizza. We prefer different types of crust – some of us go gluten free, some like a thin crust, and some say the thicker the better. We also have our own favorite toppings (green olives, black olives, pepperoni, Canadian ham, bacon, banana peppers, onion, ground beef, Italian sausage…).

A few even put their own unique spin on eating pizza by drizzling a little Ranch dressing on the crust.

There’s one solid thing we can all agree on, though, and that’s the answer to the question, “What’s the best store bought pizza sauce?” The answer is unanimous: “Classico!”

I should point out, before I go any further with the review, that this is not at all a sponsored post, endorsed review, or anything of the kind. I wasn’t even sent samples to review. Whenever this is the case with my posts/reviews, I’ll always say so right off the bat.

This is simply a case of me being so excited about a WAY better than average product and wanting to let everyone know.

I actually planned for this to be a “Top 3 Pizza Sauces” review. I bought every brand of pizza sauce I could find. I went to a wide variety of different stores, making sure I could find every conceivable brand and even store-brand.

Along the way, I bought a brand I’d actually never tried before – Classico. One Saturday when my husband was grilling a few pizzas on the grill, I fixed one with the brand I’d automatically bought for years (and years and years). I fixed the other pizza with Classico.

As I was spreading the sauces over the crusts, I noticed a couple of HUGE differences right away.

The Classico sauce had herbs and tomatoes that you could actually see.
My normal brand didn’t. It was a uniform color without any noticeable herbs, let alone tomatoes.
When I opened the jar of Classico sauce, the aroma made my knees weak. It smelled like the sauce you’d expect in a pizzeria.
My knees never even knew when I opened up the other jar.

Classico is perfectly thick, staying in place like a good sauce should. Quite frankly, it’s just perfect in every way.

As my much ballyhooed pizza sauce taste test continued (even if I was the only one hooing the bally or ballying the hoo), something became painfully clear – none of the rest could even begin to compare to Classico’s. True story: I couldn’t even come up with a runner-up.

Doing a “Top 3” post suddenly seemed unfair to Classico because it’d be implying that the other two were in its league and, unless there’s an awesome brand I haven’t tried yet, there are no other sauces in Classico’s league or even on its planet.

While we’re at it, I just have to throw this out there. If your pizza sauce is actually sold in a squeezable bottle, you definitely aren’t doing things the Classico way.

For the grilled pizza – pictured above, my husband (inspired by Papa John’s Cheeseburger Pizza) used Classico Pizza Sauce…. of course, of course… and topped it with browned ground beef, onions, pickles, mozzarella cheese, and cheddar cheese. Oddly enough, the pickles were actually delicious on the pizza – it was one of the best pizzas he’s ever made and he has made some great ones!

Pig Canisters for the Kitchen

April 12, 2014 By Joi Sigers

These little cuties got SUCH a reaction the last time I posted them that I wanted to do an updated post. I think I got more e-mails about these pig canisters than I’ve gotten about anything.

Ever.

Seems I’m not the only person out there who’s obsessed with pigs!

When I’d spotlighted them before, they were available online through another website. Apparently, they got the same type of reaction I did because they must’ve sold out.

I even heard from Pig Collectors, like myself, who were anxious to add this adorable set to their collection.

Hopefully now we can all get our hands on these 3 Little Pigs!! (Amazon link)

Click the link for more information.

Find more Pigs for the Kitchen on Amazon (pig platters, salt and pepper shakers, plates, mugs…).

Chef Michael Symon’s 5 in 5: 5 Fresh Ingredients + 5 Minutes = 120 Fantastic Dinners (Raving Review)