29 Kasım 2012 Perşembe

Ginger Pear Cranberry Sauce – Making Your Holidays More Difficult, One Condiment at a Time

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You would think the vast majority of the visitors to thisblog would be fine with me posting a new holiday cranberry sauce everyyear, but apparently that’s not the case. 

After posting the tease picture forthis lovely ginger, pear, cranberry sauce, I received a bunch of comments andemails with the same basic message, “please don’t, you’re confusing us.”

Evidently, some people like our past cranberry sauce recipesso much, that they don’t know if they should stick with them, or try a newversion. It’s causing quite the dilemma. Do you go with the one you know you love, andthat garnered so many compliments, or do you try something new and risk it all?
Sorry, I really can’t help you decide, but at least let me make analready tough call, even tougher. This gingery, pear-studded cranberry saucewas simply amazing. I’ve been wanting to try pear in a cranberry sauce forever,and this was so fantastic that I’m a little upset I waited this long.
Anyway, I hope your Thanksgiving menu is shaping up nicely,and that tomorrow will bring a table full of fabulous food. Whether you usethis cranberry sauce, or an older version, or heaven help us, one from anotherblog, I hope you and your family have a great holiday. Enjoy!

Ingredients for about 2 cups:
12 oz fresh wholecranberries1 large bosc pear, peeled,diced2 oz candied ginger,mincedzest of 1 large orange1 cup fresh orange juice1/4 cup water1 cup sugar1 whole star anise 1 cinnamon stick1/2 tsp garam masala (an Indian-stylecurry spice blend) 1/4 tsp saltPin It Now!

Leftover Turkey Manicotti – “Little Muffs” for the Day After the Day After

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Manicotti, which means, “little muffs” in Italian, has to beone of the best ways ever for using up leftover Thanksgiving turkey. 

The moistfilling will bring the driest bird back from the dead, and you can literallyadd anything that can be chopped up.

Leftover green bean casserole? Throw it in. Peas andOnions? You bet’cha. Cranberry Sauce? No, don’t be ridiculous. Anyway, thanksto the absence of cheese, tomato, and pasta on the usual Thanksgiving menu,this concoction will erase any connection with the aforementioned feast.
One portioning note: The recipe below made six crepes, andif you make yours slightly smaller, the filling recipe will make six nicelysized manicotti. 

I went low-carb and used all the filling to make fourportions, but you should probably just fill all 6 crepes, or even double therecipe to get 12. I think you’ll want leftovers of the leftovers. So whether you make manicotti with the last of the holidayturkey, or just use the technique to recycle other meaty meals, I hope you givethis a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 6 crepes:2 eggs3/4 cup all-purpose flour3/4 cup water1/2 tsp salt1/2 tsp olive oil olive oil for cooking crepes as needed
*Note: Feel free to adjust the batter's thickness by adding a little flour or water until you get a thin consistency as seen in video. 
  For the filling:1 cup chopped turkey or anything1 cup ricotta cheese1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese1/2 cup grated mozzarella1/4 tsp dried marjoram1/8 tsp red chili flakes1 egg1/4 cup chopped Italian parsleyFor the rest:1 1/2 cups marinara sauce2 tsp olive oil1/3 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano for top1 tbsp chopped Italian parsley, garnishPin It Now!

Giving Thanks

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Michele and I had a very lovely Thanksgiving holiday with the family in Davis, CA. The food and company were wonderful, and as if that wasn't enough, I also enjoyed a flood of viewers posting pictures of their successful Food Wishes' recipes on Twitter and Instagram. I want to thank everyone who mentioned us this holiday, and I couldn't be happier or more proud of all the beautiful food you created and shared. And while we're on the subject, here are a few highlights from our meal. Enjoy!

Our handsome, free-range turkey was from Branigan's Turkey Farm in Woodland, California, and it was amazing! I did the old, herb-butter under the skin trick, and it was one of the juiciest, most flavorful turkeys in recent memory.
I love to start the Thanksgiving meal with a small salad. This is a great way to get everyone to the table for toasts, grace, etc., and not have to worry about all the food getting cold. While the turkey rests, enjoy a nice pear, persimmon salad with goat cheese, pomegranate, and candied walnuts.
What's Thanksgiving, but an elaborate excuse to eat lots of buttery mashed potatoes? These were fortified with cream cheese as family tradition dictates.
These incredibly tasty sweet potatoes were simply roasted with maple butter and topped with salty, crunchy, toasted pistachios.  They were perfect.
I decided to eschew the usual green bean casserole for this new addition to the holiday side repertoire. The beans were tossed with copious amounts of roasted garlic, and then warmed in the oven after a crumbling of Point Reyes blue cheese. No one missed the casserole! 

We finished with the pumpkin pie you saw posted a while back, and by the looks of my Twitter feed, so did many of you. I hope you had a great holiday, and enjoy the rest of the weekend. Special thanks to Peggy & Al, Nina & Tom, and Jennifer and Leanne for providing us with such an enjoyable Thanksgiving. Stay tuned for a new video tomorrow! Pin It Now!

Pumpkin Scones with Toasted Pine Nuts & Maple Glaze – A Recipe for the Other 10 Months

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I have no intention of giving up the best job in the worldanytime soon, but if I do, I’d try and get a job in the marketing department ofa pumpkin puree company. 

I’m guessing that like 97% of the canned pumpkin inthis country is used during the time from Halloween until Thanksgiving. So if Icould figure out a way to get people to use this in recipes all year round, I’dbe a total superstar in pumpkin puree marketing circles.

Imagine that. It would be…awesome? Anyway, maybe I should rethinkthis whole post-Foodwishes career path, but in the meantime, here’s just oneexample of how I would convince the public that pumpkin is great for anytime ofthe year. Ironically, I did this because I had leftover pumpkin fromThanksgiving, but still.
I may have covered this in the last scones post, but I’venever been a huge fan of the scone. I’ve always considered it some sort ofeffeminate biscuit, but I’m starting to come around in my old age. There’snothing like a freshly baked scone with a steaming hot cup of tea or coffee,especially one tricked out with pumpkin, toasted pine nuts, and maple glaze. Ihope you give this a try soon…or anytime! Enjoy.

Ingredients for 12 Pumpkin Scones:8 ounces by weight all-purpose flour (about 1 3/4 cups)1/4 cup white sugar
1 tbsp baking powder1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/3 cup buttermilkadditional flour as needed
1 egg beaten with a few drops of milk or water to brush scones before baking. *Bake at 400 degrees F. for 15-20 minutes, or until goldenbrownPin It Now!

Swedish Meatballs and the Most Under Appreciated Celebrity Chef Ever

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Whenever there’s a discussion about the history of celebritychef pop culture, one name is invariably left out, and this Swedish Meatballsrecipe served as a reminder of that sad fact. How anyone can talk about thepioneers of food television without including the Swedish Chef from the Muppetsis beyond me.

His frenetic energy and charisma makes Gordon Ramsey seemlike a shrinking violet by comparison. His technique surpasses Emeril's onevery level, and if we’re just talking catch phrases, how can you even begin tocompare “Yummo” to “Bork, Bork, Bork?”
Some use the excuse that he wasn’t actually real, that hewas just a bunch of stained, smelly fabric, wrapped around some dude’s hairyforearm. Well, that may be true, but it goes beyond that. I believe there’sbeen a systematic discrimination against Swedish chefs, which has madeadvancing upward impossible. I call it the ice ceiling.
Do NOT forget the Lingonberry jam!
Anyway, in related news, these Swedish meatballs rocked!Unlike most of the recipes I post here, I’ve had little experience with therecipe, but was very happy with the results, except for one major issue, whichI mention in the video. I broke the cardinal rule of meatball making, and usedlean meat.
Not paying attention, I picked up a package of ground porkthat turned out to be 95% lean. The horror. I might as well have used tofu.Nonetheless, I loved the flavor, but implore you to use regular ground beef,and ground pork with a 75/25 lean-to-fat ratio. Do that, and you’ll be enjoyinga plate of meatballs even the world's most under appreciated celebrity chefwould love. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 large portions:For the meatballs:2 tbsp butter1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped 1/4 cup milk2 large eggs1/3 cup plain bread crumbs3/4 teaspoon black pepper1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg1/4 teaspoon ground allspice1 1/2 teaspoon fine saltpinch of cayenne1 pound ground chuck1 pound ground pork*Note: you can always cook a little piece to taste for salt,and adjust from there.Brown meatballs in 425 degrees F. oven for about 20-25minutes.
For the sauce:2 tbsp butter3 tbsp all-purpose flour3 1/4 cups beef broth1/2 cup heavy cream1/2 tsp sugar 1/4 tsp Worcestershire saucesalt and pepper to tastePin It Now!

28 Kasım 2012 Çarşamba

A. Thomas Steaks Now Sold Through Sperry's of Nashville

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A. Thomas Steaks - Now Available for Home Grillers Natalie emailed to let me know that Sperry's of Nashville now offers their signature steaks from A. Thomas for delivery. We were down through Nashville this summer, and I wish I'd known about Sperry's then. It looks like a wonderful place to eat, and I have them on my list when I get back down that way. In the meantime, Natalie said that


Strict Weight Loss Diet

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Following a strict weight loss diet requires a great deal of discipline, sacrifice, and reconditioning of the way you think about food. But losing weight should not have to be difficult. Did you know that it is entirely possible to experience rapid weight loss without the use of diet pills, without cutting back on the quantity of the food, without sacrificing fats or carbs, and without exercising?

The calorie shifting diet, unlike other mainstream diets, does not require much in the way of sacrifice. You can eat as much food as you want at every meal until you are satisfied. You get to eat food from each of the four major food groups. You never feel hungry and your cravings for food never go unfulfilled.

\"Diet Meals\"

The calorie shifting diet is based on the principle that it is possible to manipulate your body's metabolism at will and induce weight loss through the stimulation of the hormones that are responsible for burning fat cells in your body. This may sound like what a diet pill does. But in reality, it is possible to achieve rapid weight loss results through natural meals, simply by shifting the types of calories you consume rotationally from meal to meal over the course of each day.

Strict Weight Loss Diet

Your body's metabolism reacts to the absence or the presence of certain nutrients in your system by either consuming them for energy or storing them as fat. Consumed in the right combination, you can recondition your metabolism to believe that it is being deprived of certain nutrients and thus tap into your fat stores for energy. But by the time your body begins to burn fat, you reintroduce that nutrient back into your system and then withhold another type of nutrient. Because different types of foods have different densities, you might eat fruits and vegetables at one meal and breads at another meal, but because fruits and vegetables are lighter, you will be eating fewer calories at that meal than if you eat bread at your meal. So even though you are eating to your satisfaction at each meal, you are indirectly also consuming fewer calories.

Thus there is no need to follow a strict weight loss diet when you can follow a diet such as this. While on this diet, you can expect to lose 9 pounds every 11 days.

There are only 4 basic rules to this diet:

  1. Eat as much food as you want at each meal until you are satisfied but not too full. Overeating is counterproductive on any diet.
  2. Space your meals out by at least 2.5 to 3 hours. You should give your body ample time to completely digest its food from the previous meal before you eat your next meal.
  3. You are required to take a 3-day break from your diet every 12th through 14th days. This will give your body a chance to rest from the rapid weight loss you will be undergoing.
  4. You must eat four meals a day according to the calorie shifting diet's personalized meal planner.

Here is a sample diet plan that illustrates how this diet works. The diet actually is designed to work in 11-day cycles, but only 3 days are shown here for brevity. Keep in mind that you can eat your four daily meals in any order you want during each respective day.

On day #1, your four meals of the day could look like this, depending on the custom choices you make when you generate your diet plan:

Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs Meal

Lunch: Sandwich (any type)

Dinner: Tuna Salad

Snack: Flavored Oatmeal

You can of course shuffle these meals around and eat them in any order on that day. For example, you can have oatmeal for breakfast and scrambled eggs for dinner, and a sandwich as your "snack".

On Day #2, your meal plan would look like this. Note that this meal plan is based on two things- your custom choices in your meal plan, and is based on what you eat on Day #1... If you change what you ate on Day #1, your food choices would be different on Day #2, and Day #3 subsequently:

Breakfast: Cottage Cheese

Lunch: Scrambled Eggs [and] Mixed Vegetables

Dinner: Chicken

Snack: Banana Milk Shake

Again, you can shuffle these meals around and eat them in any order you wish on that day. And of course, you can eat as much as you want at each meal. So there is no limit on how much chicken you would have at dinner, for example, as long as you do not eat until you are too full.

And here is Day #3:

Breakfast: ottage Cheese

Lunch: Fish Filet

Dinner: Fruit Salad

Snack: Chicken

As is evident from the meal plan above, this is an idiot-proof diet that does not require much discipline, commitment of willpower, or sacrifice, because you are practically eating as much as you want of every food group.

Strict Weight Loss Diet

Can you really lose 9 pounds every 11 days on the Calorie Shifting diet?