Food TV

With the weather here in Vegas being so darn beautiful, I thought I would put up a nice light springtime menu. I know that at this time of year, some parts of the country are still freezing, but in the southwest, we have hit one of only two months of good weather we have. Our days are mid-seventies to low eighties and it’s the perfect time to have a nice chicken & pasta dish. Now I could go to the immense resource that is foodnetwork.com and get you a nice recipe that they give me, and that I have never tried, but I’m not going to do that. Instead I’d like to share with you a secret. I have always wanted to be on the Food Network. I want to have a show called: Cheap Fast & Easy, Ghetto Fabulous Recipes from My Kitchen. Today I’m going to give you one of those Ghetto Fabulous recipes. Maybe I can be the next, Next Food Network Star.

OK, here’s the story behind it. I was getting ready for dinner one night and I realized that I hadn’t gone to the store yet, but I did have a few things. So, what do you make for a family of five with 1 bag of frozen broccoli, about a half a package of angel hair pasta and 2 lonesome chicken boobies? Add a couple small things that you probably already have, and you make a fabulous and luxurious feeling dinner.

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Here at watching food tv, I’m glad to announce the birth of Giada De Laurentiis’ new baby girl. Giada, and husband Todd Thompson are the new proud parents of little Jade Marie De Laurentiis Thompson. Weighing in at only 5 lbs 13 oz, the poor things name is probably bigger than she is! Jade Marie was born at 4:38 pm EST on Saturday March 29th. My congrats go out to the proud mommy & daddy!!!

The Feasting on Asphalt Book Tour is in full swing with Alton traveling up the route of the River Run stopping at bookstores along the way. He has done signings so far in Chicago & New York City, just to name a couple. Unfortunately I am not on the River Run Route, so I have yet to have my opportunity to meet this fine gentleman, but I am hoping the day will come that he decides to visit Sin City and do a lecture on the Fine Art of Buffet Food or something.

Food Network is premiering a new show called Cooking For Real with Sunny Anderson. It will premiere on April 6th at 10:30 am, so set your DVR’s, I know I have. The first episode will be Noshin in N’Awlins, where Sunny will be covering snack-ish type foods from the Big Easy. Tune in to find out how to make pot pie with a different twist, a spicy/sweet shrimp pot pie! And don’t forget the Sazarak Cocktail. It seems Sandra Lee isn’t the only one who thinks a cocktail is a good thing!!! By the by, according to Dictionary.com Sazerak is a cocktail made with rye or bourbon, bitters, Pernod, and sugar, stirred or shaken with ice, strained and served with a twist of lemon rind. Sounds yummy and potent to me, somebody pass the Bourbon will ya?

Chefography Week is coming back to the Food Network, with new shows airing April 7-13. The new episodes will feature biographies of such renowned food personalities as Julia Child and Wolfgang Puck. There will also be an episode about the entire Ace of Cakes Crew, and one on the Food Network itself. I can’t wait for that one!!! Chefography has already showcased Food Network Stars, Bobby Flay, Rachael Ray, Tyler Florence, Paula Deen, Sandra Lee, and more. It’s great to be able to look into the lives of those people that we know and love from TV and see how they became the people they are.

Well that’s about it for now friends. Drop me a comment and let me know what show is your favorite, or if there are any recipes you would like posted. I am happy to do it for you!!!

First of all, I would like to thank Chris Cognac for commenting on my blog reviewing the Ellis Island BBQ. I am deeply honored that you chose to read my blog, and I really appreciate your comment. Even if we disagree on the restauraunt itself, I would gladly take your opinions into account when looking for a new place to eat.

Now, there is one reason I have not yet blogged about Ultimate Recipe Showdown. That reason is that I really want to like the show. I really REALLY want to like it. I mean it has all the elements that would make for a really good show. It is hosted by Marc Summers and Guy Fieri. I have loved Marc Summers since WAAAAY back in his Double Dare days. And my loyal reader would know how I feel about Guy Fieri.

The concept of the show, too, is really good. Thousands of Food Network Viewers sent in their recipes for several different types of food. The FN Test Kitchens tried out thousands of recipes and brought the best out to the Ultimate Recipe Showdown Kitchens to make their product in front of a live audience. Each style of food has three different categories, for example in the cookie competition there was a category for chocolate chip cookies, spice cookies and bar cookies. No silly, not the kind of cookies you eat at the bar, things like lemon bars and fudge bars… After the cooks are finished they are brought into the blind judging room where they are judged by a panel of food experts. The winner is announced and the next category commences. After all three are done, the winners of each category get up on the stage and Guy reads out their scores resulting in the final winner. The winner gets $25,000 and the runners up get a set of Food Network Cookware. Sounds like a great show, right?

It irritates me. The entire show irritates me. The commentary is trying to be as exciting as a football game, but there’s really only so much you can say. “Look Mark, now she’s folding in flour!!!” “Wow Guy! That’s AMAZING!!!!” I don’t blame the hosts, but this is not Iron Chef America, it’s three regular people each making one recipe. There’s just not enough going on to have 2 announcers. The judging is good, but a bit repetitive. “mmm, this is a good cookie,” “Yup that’s a darn good cookie, I could use some milk though” “Yeah, milk would be good with this cookie…” The worst part though is the part where the winner of each category is announced. Instead of announcing a winner by name they stand all three contestants in their kitchens and “turn out the lights” on the losers. Literally turning off the spotlight and turning on red lights from behind the winners. It’s all very “huh, what, did my light, wait, I’m still on, oh but so is she, well what about … ooh I won!” And then when they are standing there with the final winner and guy reads out the scores, they’re absolutely excessive. Really, two contestants got a 98 and one got a 99? WOW!!! The judging is too easy. I find it very difficultto believe that all these recipes are THAT close to perfect.

Other than that though, I love the show…

The Food Network has done it again, bringing us a Challenge full of wonder and joy. Food Network Challenge: Dr. Seuss Cakes was nothing short of spectacular. Having been a Dr. Seuss fan my entire life, I am pleased to say that almost every amazing edible sculpture lived up to it’s expectations. The cakes featured such beloved characters as Sam I Am, The Cat in the Hat, The Grinch, and that lovable elephant, Horton. There were two rookie chefs in the kitchens this Challenge, which is pretty unusual in and of itself.

First let me focus on the amazing duo from Cake Girls. They have worked on two cakes already in the Challenge kitchens, and won both times. Both with the Simpson’s cake and the Disney Princess cake. Their main pastry chef, Mary is absolutely fantastic. She took the Cat in the Hat and absolutely brought him to life. From hand sculpting the Fish to lovingly crafting Thing 1 and Thing 2, her cake looked like a page out of a pop-up book.

Next, lets take a look at our 4 time competitor. (My apologies, I don’t remember the names of any of the competitors except Mary from Cake Girls.) He has not yet won a FN Challenge, and I think the reason for that is that his work, as compared to the others, is a bit amateur-ish. Now don’t get me wrong, I think he’s great. He has a good attitude, and he does things with cakes and other pastry working ingredients that I will die without ever being able to achieve. But his work is inferior to that of the other contestants on the Challenges. For example, his Horton, while absolutely fantastic, was not very true to the Seussian style. He did have the opportunity to look both at the new movie, Horton Hears a Who, as well as the original book, and I think that may have put him at a bit of a disadvantage. After all, the new CGI film, is also not very pen and ink Seuss style. His elephant was good, but the legs were awful. They were nothing like an elephants legs, and honestly, I think most people made better elephant legs with playdough in elementary school. How difficult is it to make stumps with wrinkles for knees and half moon toenails? Really?

Next up we have rookie #1. She was charged with creating The Grinch, and representing how he stole Christmas. Her sous chef worked well with her. Really well, considering that they lived on opposite sides of the country and worked through phone calls and e-mails to practice for the competition. She created the Grinch sitting atop his sleigh upon the Mt. Crumpet with presents falling over the edge, and poor litte Max being dragged along. It was an incredibly cute cake, but the perspective (according to the judges) was all wrong. The Grinch, while impeccably sculpted and colored was far too large in comparison to the rest of the cake. It did look fantastic though.

Rookie #2 was charged with making the ever popular Sam I Am with the Green Eggs & Ham Cake. I have to say that she did an excellent job. Sam was exquisitely sculpted and while the green was slightly off color as compared to the books, it made a striking cake. While the scene itself was not specifically out of the book she did an excellent job of creating a Seussian situation for him to be in. With his head sticking out of the top of a tower of green eggs balanced precariously on the green ham and a hand on a cable holding onto the platter this particular cake hit the spot for me. The judges, however, were missing Sam’s friend.

That being said, the winner, and undefeated champion on FN Challenge was again Mary and her sister of Cake Girls. Congrat’s Girls! You did a GREAT job!!!

Dinner Impossible host Robert Irvine will not be coming back next season. According to several sources the host is guilty of something that almost everyone has done, but on a much grander scale. He padded his resume. Reports state that he told the food network executives that he has cooked for the royal family, as well as four US Presidents while they were in the White House. Here it is several years later, and the folks that gave him the job, based on those facts, have found out that they are not true. Perhaps the most outrageous of the lies is that he designed Princess Diana’s wedding cake.

Dinner: Impossible, for those of you who are not familiar, is one of those new reality type shows that are becoming so darn popular on the food network these days. Chef Robert Irvine is dropped into a strange situation wherein he is required to make a themed meal for upwards of 200 people in less than a day. He has to do everything from finding equipment, to ingredients before he is even able to start cooking. The food he makes looks tasty and I am continoously amazed at how well he is able to adapt the menu to everyone’s needs.

Now don’t get me wrong, I am a fan of Dinner Impossible, and loved the episode at the NY Circus. I really like the show in general, and kind of hope that the Food Network changes their mind, but when it comes down to it, he shouldn’t have lied. Especially about things that are so easily verifiable… Food Network has stated that they may review their decision at the end of the season, which he is being allowed to finish, but that for now they are looking for a replacement host.

Last night was a new episode of Iron Chef America. Once again the Iron Chef in question was Cat Cora. I am glad of it, as I really like her style, but I wonder when will someone pick our newest Iron Chef. It seems like people only choose Chef Cora or Bobby Flay to battle in Kitchen Stadium. If I were the chairman I would start choosing opponents myself, just to inject a little variety in the show.

Battle Ham was indeed a good battle pitting Chef Cora against Chef Hillson, seeing who can make the better array of dishes featuring Ham. Thank goodness neither of them decided to try a dessert with the Secret ingredient. Several of the dishes did peature pureed ham in some way though, which puts me in mind of the ham baby foods I have given my son. Therefore it seemed kind of icky to me. The challenger made a twice baked souffle that actually looked pretty good, and a ham carpaccio with fresh pasta. The interactive way that he had the judges break the yolk to mix with the ham and pasta was really inspired, as we all know that the ICA judges love interactive food. My personal favorite though was a ham & cheese concoction that was like a sandwich, but instead of bread was wrapped in a puff pastry and baked…. mmmmmmmm…

Chef Cora prepared five exciting dishes as well, including the obligatory Seuss inspired dish. Instead of Green Eggs and Ham however, she did a Green Ham and Eggs, with a lovely poached egg with a piece of hamsteak upon it covered in a green sauce that looked like blended grass but apparently tasted pretty darn good.

So, who won? I guess you’ll have to tune in to find out. Battle Ham is showing on the Food Network again March 6th at 9pm.

On the Hungry Detective, Chris Cognac reviewed the Ellis Island Casino’s BBQ. Living in Las Vegas I have heard a lot of good things about Ellis Island, which is a very small hole in the wall casino that most tourists wouldn’t even notice. Located on Koval about a half mile from the Hard Rock Hotel, Ellis Island has a friendly locals atmosphere.

A friend of mine from the Good Eats Fan Page came into town, and since I still hadn’t given her her gifts from the Christmas gift exchange, we decided to meet up for dinner. I bundled my baby up, grabbed the Hubby and off we were. When we arrived at the Ellis Island, I quickly discovered that perhaps this should have been a night to leave the Little Dude at home. The casino itself is very smally, and the area with the BBQ is not seperated from the casino area. We dragged some chairs over to where we were waiting for our table, so as not to be breaking the underage kids in a casino laws, and took a seat. In the hour or so wait for a table, my friend opened her Christmas gifts.

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Tonight the stars will shine in Hollywood once again. With the writers strike over, we can look forward to the typical stars forgetting how to read the witty, and sometimes cheesy lines laid out for them on a teleprompter, and long winded acceptance speeches. Someday, instead of playing the music louder to drown them out, I think that they should actually come and drag them kicking and screaming off the stage. Especially the winners of “Best Special Effects in a Movie Filmed in a Foriegn Country with fewer than 25 Lines of Dialogue…” Nobody CARES!!! I do like to see the women’s dresses though, especially those that confuse sexy with slutty and come in wearing completely transparent clothing. It’s always fun to see them expose themselves in some embarrassing way or trip over the 25 foot train that was ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY to complete the outfit. It makes me feel better about myself to know that they are indeed not perfect.

My favorite way to watch the Oscars is with a lot of booze, (hence the above opinions) and some really good food. The Food Network website has decided to give us a helping hand with this, providing a plethora of tasty fare for tonights festivities. Offering everythign from Wolfgang’s Post Award’s Party menu, full of fancy foods, much too sophisticated for my pedestrian palate, to cinema snacks including several sweet treats, a bunch of popcorn recipes, and severald variations on hotdogs. There are also several drink recommendations, which is always a good thing.

When it comes to hot dogs, well frankly, I can’t stand them. But I do have a huge love for Corn Dogs. I know, I know. They are the same thing. I understand that, but there’s something about them being wrapped in cornbread and then either baked or fried to crispy golden deliciousness that I cannot resist. And I am a mustard person, no ketchup please. Even on the rare occasion that I do use ketchup, it must be mixed with my mustard for my corn dogs.

Popcorn on the other hand is a must when watching anything movie related. And I’m not that particular about my popcorn. Cheesy corn, caramel, toffee, buttery, salty, it’s all yummy to me! So without further ado, I give you my Acadamy Award Winning Recipes…

Corn Dogs Recipe courtesy Scott Leibfried
Show: Party Starters
Episode: Movie Night

25 (2 packages) mini hot dogs (can be found in the hot dog section of the grocery store)
25 (8-inch) wooden skewers to accommodate the hot dogs
1 box corn muffin mix (mix according to the directions)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Skewer the hot dogs on the sticks. Make sure the sharp part of the skewers are not sticking out of the dogs. Prepare the corn batter according to the recipe on the box. Coat the dogs with the muffin mix and place on a nonstick baking sheet. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow to cool slightly before removing from the pan. Use a spatula to lift the corn dogs.

This recipe was provided by professional chefs and has been scaled down from a bulk recipe provided by a restaurant. The Food Network Kitchens chefs have not tested this recipe, in the proportions indicated, and therefore, we cannot make any representation as to the results

Cheddar Cheese Popcorn Recipe courtesy Gale Gand
Show: Sweet Dreams
Episode: Crunchtime Munchies

3 tablespoons melted butter
1/4 cup cheddar cheese powder, plus 1 tablespoon
1/4 teaspoon mustard powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 cups popped popcorn
Salt and pepper

In a large bowl, combine the butter, cheddar cheese powder, mustard powder, cayenne pepper and the popcorn. Season with salt and pepper, to taste and toss to combine. Serve immediately.

Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sandwiches Recipe adapted from Gourmet Magazine
Show: Sara’s Secrets
Episode: You Can Please Everyone

1/2 cup chopped English toffee candy bar (Recommended: Heath Bar)
1 pint vanilla ice cream, slightly softened in the microwave
16 chocolate chip cookies
Multi-colored candy sprinkles

Mix the candy into the ice cream.
Using an ice cream scoop, divide the ice cream among the flat sides of 8 of the cookies. Top the ice cream with the remaining cookies, flat sides down, and press down gently. Roll the edges of the sandwiches in the candy sprinkles. Freeze the ice-cream sandwiches, covered, for at least 1 hour or overnight.

Lava Flow Recipe courtesy Old Lahaina Luau
Show: Emeril Live
Episode: Emeril’s Hawaiian Luau

1 ounces light rum
2 ounces pineapple juice
6 ounces pina colada mix (coconut cream and pineapple juice)
1 ounce strawberry puree
1 small chunk pineapple, for garnish

Blend rum, pineapple juice, and pina colada mix with 1 cup of ice. Next, take a glass and coat the inside with strawberry puree. Pour in colada blend. Finally, use a spoon to drag the strawberry puree up through the colada drink, creating a pink stripe. Garnish with a pineapple chunk, and serve.

I hope y’all have as good as time as I will!!!

P.S. Did you hear? Universal Studios Orlando is Opening a Harry Potter Theme Park!!!!!

I don’t understand why, but for the last month or so, I have been feeling uninspired. I watch my shows on the Food network every day. I have become newly addicted to Diners, Drive-In’s and Dives. I watched every chocolate show there was before Valentine’s Day. I even started a couple of blogs, I just couldn’t seem to finish them. For that, I would like to say, I’m sorry. Honestly, I haven’t even watched the Ultimate Recipe Showdown which I really wanted to see. There has been a lot of stuff going on in my life, and that has caused my prolonged absence. It is working out a little more every day though, and so I will be writing more often.

I attempted to set out a schedule for myself, so that I would know what I would be writing every day. That has backfired, because on the couple times I have felt I had something I wanted to write about, I have decided to hold it off for “the proper day” and then forgot about it before that day came. So I am throwing that system out. From now on, it will be what I feel like writing about, as soon as I am able to write.

That being said, on to an actual blog.

I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned it before, but I’m not a huge fan of Guy Fieri’s actual cooking show. Guy’s Big Bite doesn’t quite strike me as the same caliber as other cooking shows on the network. I think it’s the set up of the kitchen that bothers me, but honestly, I’m not sure.

His other show, however, I love!!!!! I can’t get enough of Diners, Drive In’s & Dives. I like how each show has a theme, and how Guy actually goes into these kitchens and learns to cook what they are making. He eats some of EVERYTHING, and always compliments the cooks and chefs.

The other day there was an episode featuring “unique foods”. I think this was my favorite episode so far. There were foods featured that I would never eat, but the show made them seem very appealing to me. Everything from fried clam with bellies to gizzards. The best thing, I think, about the episode was that he made sure to showcase the “regular” food as well as whatever “unique” item that particular restaurant featured. So, for example, the clam belly place also had amazing looking fish and chips. Things like that. I really like Guy’s personality in this show, he is outgoing and funny. I personally think that he works a lot better with people, rather than all by himself.

P.S. I’m now writing another blog, over at the Hogwarts Herald. Go check it out!!!

So I would normally try to post a nice family dinner here on Saturday, but since tomorrow is the “big game” I thought I would put up some fun stuff that you would normally have to get at a bar or something. It’s always nice to be able to make bar food in your own home. Hrm… What shall we make then? Well, I already told you about Paula’s oven fried potato wedges, but I didn’t put a recipe or anything. You can of course find that recipe on the food network site, I just can’t bring myself to post a recipe where you cover potatoes in mayonaisse and bake them. *shiver* Well, there was a new episode of Good Eats the other night. And it was all about buffalo wings…

“The Wing and I” opened with Alton Brown tending bar and discussing the varieties of fare that can be found in bars and pubs across America. Everything from fried cheese to the infamous nacho platter. But none hold the same place in the hearts of pubcrawlers everywhere, as the humble buffalo wing. Apparently first made by a bar owner in Buffalo NY who needed to feed her hungry college going son and his friends, the buffalo wing has become a standard of culinary comfort. The show then focuses on cooking the wings without actively deep frying them, and without setting off every smoke detector in your city. It seems, according to AB, the secret is to first steam the wings to reduce the fat content while keeping them moist. Then bake them to crisp the skin. Don’t forget to toss with the ever important sauce while the wings are still piping hot. This makes sure that the flavor gets infused into the entire skin without losing the crisp skin that you have worked so hard to get…

So, friends, go get a party pack of chicken wings, about 2 steamers, and a bunch of hot sauce!!! It’s going to be worth it!!!

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As the month of January dies, I have to be glad of the fact that we are leaving the obligatory health food craze that fills the country. Now don’t get me wrong, I myself and trying to get off a few dozen extra pounds, and yes, the recipes I have put up here have tried to be healthier than in the past, but my goodness does everyone have to jump on the wagon?

Take a close look at Paula’s shows from the last few weeks and you’re sure to see that the answer to that question is a resounding NO. Not every show has to be about a better, healthier way to make your food. As a matter of fact, she did an entire episode devoted to the humble potato. The bane of every dieters existence got a full 30 minutes from the glorious Ms. Deen. Even when you thought she was going to “health it up” with oven fried crispy potato wedges, she threw in a curve ball by coating the wedges in MAYONAISSE, and corn bread stuffing mix before baking them. MAYO for crying out loud!!! And then to top it off, of course extra mayo for dipping when they were finished. While I am darn happy that Paula didn’t bow to the pressure of having “starting the new year right” but all that mayo really wanted to make me ill. I can’t deal with mayo. Ick.

Kudos also, for her new placement in the Guiness Book of World Records!!!! On Paula’s Party, she shattered the old world record for dipping strawberries in chocolate. The rules were simple. The strawberries all had to be approximately the same size, covered at least half way with the chocolate, and she could only use one hand. Paula dipped an impressive 45 strawberries in only 60 seconds.

And by the way, if you’re going to buy that Disney DVD for your kids, why not do it in the least expensive way… follow the link, and help me get that extra Frapa-whozit this month!!!

Join Disney Movie Club and Get 3 Movies for $1.99 each, and Free Shipping! Browse the Catalog Now!

OK, I know. It’s been a long time since my last post. Far too long actually. For this I would like to apologize to all of my readers. Or should I say reader? Heehee… A large part of this has to do with family issues, and that’s all I’ll say about that. The other part is the subject of my Why, oh why, Wednesday. Who would have thought that the writers strike would have such an effect on the Food Network of all places. I don’t know for sure if that is what has had such an effect, but I do know that over the last couple weeks there hasn’t been a whole lot I’ve wanted to watch. Except Good Eats of course, but I think one day a week of gushing about Alton Brown is all you can really handle. After all this is a blog about the food network as a whole. That being said, I have been checking every day and only seeing one or two things that I want to watch. I know what you’re thinking. At least blog about those one or two things! Well ok then. Sheesh.

There was, finally, a new episode of Ace of Cakes this week. And, it combined two of my favorite things. Duff and his crew, and Harry Potter!!! Hooray!!!! The crew at Charm City cakes got the call to make a non edible cake featuring Hogwarts Castle, with the grounds surrounding it being the actual cake. The episode opened with the crew doing things “magically”. It was cute and totally Ace of Cakes. Everyone expounding on what their magical abilities. One person even telling Duff her magical power is “making you shut up, and go away…” Heehee, gotta love that. So Duff had to go out of town, to Texas, fulfilling an obligation to the nice people who sent him a head in a box. While he was in Texas, Anna and Richard worked full force on carving and fondanting the whole of Hogwarts castle out of styrofoam. Within days blocks of foam slowly turned into a very familiar castle. Once Duff made it back to town Hogwarts was loaded up into the “Fun Mover” RV for the long drive from Baltimore to Hollywood, CA! The trip started out pretty uneventful, until the fun mover decided to have some fun of it’s own. A blown tire and radiator hose later and Duff successfully made it to his destination in sunny California.
Anna and Richard flew down in time to finish making the grounds and lake of the famous wizards school. Together they worked their butts off making the whole of the Forbidden Forest, and lake, although I didn’t see Hagrid’s Hut anywhere. Harumph… All in all they did an amazing job and in the end the castle looked like a scale model more than a cake. After the cake was finished the three of them were put into a stretch limo to make the long and arduous, half block, trip to the premiere where they got to walk down the red carpet.
While there they Duff got feedback from Dan Radcliffe. That’s right, Harry Potter himself. He said that the cake was fantastic, and about the same size as the model that they use for wide shots of the castle. Even joking that they could just use the cake in the next film. What a compliment!!! Duff, Anna, Richard, you did a fan-freaking-tastic job!!!

By the way, congratulations to the folks over at Charm City Cakes for their 4th season of Ace of Cakes!!! And heads up to the fans, according to the blog over at Charm City’s website, they just finished filming season 4 and Mary Alice has a broken arm. Get well soon Mary Alice, we love you!!!

P.S. Readers, take a look at this, it’s fun and easy!!!
Create a free Smilebox scrapbook in 5 minutes. Just drag photos into amazing e-designs. Email them free.

You know, one of my very favorite appetizers is Spinach and Artichoke dip. It’s a good way to get some veggies into your diet, and darn tasty with tortilla chips. The problem is, most Spinach and Artichoke dips are filled with cheeses and mayonaise to a point where the benefits of the greens are completely obscured by the fats that surround them. Well Ellie Kreiger has helped us with this creating a dip that is still delicious, but much better for you. She has replaced the huge amounts of mayo and cream cheese that most of the recipes require with reduced fat sour cream and reduced fat cream cheese, with a mere 2 tablespoons of mayo (which I bet you could replace with light mayo to give it that little extra kick of goodness…) Add in just a half cup of part skim mozzerella cheese and you have a delightful appetizer sure to satisfy that craving for the (yummy) bad spinach and artichoke dip you find at your favorite local restaurant.

Now, as I said, my favorite way to eat spinach & artichoke dip is with tortilla chips, but why ruin something that we have finally made in a healthful way with deep fried chips? Why not leave the oven on from the dip and crank out some of your own baked tortilla chips? It’s easier than it sounds, and YOU get to control the quality of ingredients. It also works out to be a lot less expensive, as a single bag of tortilla chips can cost up to $5, and you can get 3 dozen corn tortillas for about half that price. Personally I would replace the vegetable oil called for in the recipe from food network kitchens with healthier canola oil. Make these both for a party, or take them to a pot luck, and you will have something your friends will be talking about for a very long time…

Warm Spinach and Artichoke Dip Copyright 2007 Ellie Krieger, All rights reserved.
Show: Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger
Episode: Get the Party Started

1 tablespoon canola oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
3 cloves garlic
1 (9-ounce) package artichoke hearts, defrosted, rinsed and dried
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted, excess liquid squeezed out.
1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/2 cup (4 ounces) Neufchatel cheese (reduced-fat cream cheese)
2 ounces (about 1/2 cup) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Heat the oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add onions and cook stirring occasionally, 4 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook an additional 3 to 4 minutes, or until onions are light golden but not browned. Remove from heat and cool.

In the bowl of a food processor combine artichoke hearts, spinach, sour cream, mayonnaise, Neufchatel, mozzarella and salt and pepper. Process until smooth. Add cooled onion-garlic mixture to the food processor and pulse a few times to combine.
Transfer mixture into an 8-inch glass square baking dish or 9-inch glass pie plate which has been lightly sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until heated through. Serve with pita wedges or crudites.

Nutrition Information
Nutritional Analysis Per Serving Calories 100
Total Fat 7g Saturated Fat 3g
Monounsaturated Fat 1g Polyunsaturated Fat 0.6g
Cholesterol 13mg Sodium 211mg
Protein 4g Carbohydrates 5g
Fiber 2g

Baked Tortilla Chips From Food Network Kitchens

Twelve 6-inch corn tortillas (preferably white)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Fine salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Brush both sides of the tortillas with the oil. Stack the tortillas and cut the pile into sixths to make chips. Spread the chips out in a single layer on two large baking sheets and season with salt. Bake until golden brown and crisp, rotating the baking sheets once, about 12 to 15 minutes. Serve.

Copyright 2001 Television Food Network, G.P. All rights reserved

p.s. Why don’t you go see what’s up in the world of Country Music?

I know it’s been a week since I posted, but I am back now, with the renewed vigor of one who thought they were on the verge of death only to be granted a last minute reprieve. That being said, todays blog is not specifically about AB, rather it is about a wonderful community of people known as the Briners over at the Good Eats Fan Page. When I published my interview with Nic Skrade of Uptown Tattoo, I got introduced to this wonderful community. What I found in the forums was a group of very close friends, almost family. They laugh together, cry together, and support each other at the hard times in their lives. They are young and old; Christian and Pagan (and probably any other faith you can think of…); Republican and Democrat… They are as diverse a group I have found online. And I love them.

This Christmas, I had only been a part of the group a short time, when I found that they have a fun gift exchange with each other over the holiday season. According to Shawn Banks, the site moderator and organizer of the gift exchange, the purpose behind it is “a fun way for foodies to get at least ONE foodie gift, put together with them in mind, and lots of love”. And that is exactly what it is. While I did not fit the criteria of being a member of the board for at least 6 months or 100 posts, I was still allowed to participate. I appreciated the confidence and trust put into me even though I had just joined their group. What I found out, is that while trust is a key issue in a group gift exchange with what amounts to a bunch of strangers across the country, it is not wholeheartedly relied on. Unfortunately in the world, some people are out to get something for nothing. And sometimes life happens, and what was intended as a gesture of goodwill is no longer possible. Knowing this, ChefShawn instituted what is known as the “gypped fund”. This is to cover a secret santa gift for those that are screwed out of the gift that they deserve, having given one of their own. Everyone who joins the gift exchange is encouraged (but not required) to give a gift of $3 to go towards this fund. Before the gypped fund was instituted there were several volunteer secret santas to cover those that did not recieve their gifts, simply out of the holiday spirit…

Of course, all hope is that the fund will not be needed for the purpose intended. And so, it was decided that the money would go to a worthy cause if it were not needed for Briners whose Santa’s abandoned them. Where to send the money you ask? Why to Alton Brown’s charity of choice, of course!!! Heifer International, dedicated to helping underprivleged families in rural areas and third world countries, by providing them with livestock and the knowledge of how to care for it and use it to feed their families. Each donation to Heifer International comes to families in the form of cattle, pigs, goats, etc… It worked. Last year the Briners were able to donate one animal to the cause. This year, however, there was a different spark to the group. This year, several Briners said that they would be a replacement santa to those who did not receive the gifts that they were promised. The reason for this, was that they would donate another set of wonderful and amazing gifts to someone, simply so that the fund was not touched. Because of the goodness of the hearts of these people, and the generosity of one who has said that they would double whatever was donated by the group as a whole, the Briners are going to donate an amazing $1200 to Heifer International this year. It seems that they will be able to donate a cow, a pig, and several chicks, “and then some” according to ChefShawn.

I am proud to be a member of this group!!! Kudos to all the members of the Good Eats Fan Page, and Kudos to Alton Brown for inspiring his fans to donate their hard earned money to such a worthy cause!!!!

Although originally aired in July 02, this is the very first time I have seen this entertaining hour long episode of Good Eats. All I can say is, WOOHOO!!! I loved every second of it. From the comical reference to Gilligans Island, and the way the crew was trying NOT to wake him up, to the fun “disposal” of his coconut friend Coco, (in a man made oven… insert evil laugh here…).

The episode starts with AB writing in a journal by candle light, how he became trapped on this deserted island, and what foods he made to survive the ordeal. Writing out the recipes so that they might one day be included in survival packs. How very noble of him… The scene shifts to the accident that left him stranded in the first place, as well as him landing on the beach. In desperate search of something to drink he wanders inland. Without his glasses, finding something to drink may be difficult, but then he crashes face first into a coconut palm. After a long and difficulttime of trying to get the hard outer shell off the coconut, he stumbles onto a box left by the army. Amongst other various and sundry supplies he finds a hand grenade. With a gleam in his eye he looks back at the errant coconut… Several seconds and one loud boom later, we see the singed outer husk of the coconut, and the interior falling to the ground. And then we get the instructions to drill into 2 of the three “eyeholes” and drink. And a little bit of interesting history. Coconut milk is so pure that is was used as an intravenous nourishment solution in WWII soldiers. Weird…

What follows next is (mostly) typical Good Eats, but in a “hovel” rather than a kitchen. Recipe after recipe for coconut dishes, followed by papayas, mangoes, and eventually pineapples. He even made his own chocolate from cacao pods that were growing there too. Strangely, mangoes and cacao do not naturally grow in the same areas, and AB takes note of this fact, but is grateful to have found the mangoes nonetheless. And I, for one, have to say that I am really pleased at the section that teaches how to peel and cut a mango, as I once spent a good half hour, and got my hands very sticky, and very nearly lost a finger, trying to make a mango smoothie from scratch. In the banana grove, AB runs into a wild pig, and gets chased up a tree, (that is in fact how he discovered the papayas). Finally, craving a protien rather than seafood, he uses a final hand grenade to dispatch of said pig and makes a lovely sweet and sour pork. I shuddered a bit when he started the sweet & sour sauce with ketchup, but in the end it looked awesome!!!!!

After what is protrayed to be months and months on the island, AB steps out of the hovel to find a man with a surfboard. He is thrilled and throws himself at the man with enthusiasm, grateful beyond words to be rescued. The man looks at him with confusion and eventually tells him that they are on the island of Oahu, just outside of Waikiki… Silly Alton!

All in all, I really enjoyed Down & Out in Paradise, and wish that there would be more hour long episodes of the wonderful show that is… GOOD EATS.

Good day all, and until next time, why don’t you go see if anything’s up at the Hogwarts Herald…