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mel
Cook the Book: 'What's a Cook To Do?' Giveaway
My favorite tips are from my dad, I think I just remember the fun nights when he would spend hours cooking some amazing dinner.
The first is how to peel garlic by lighting crushing with a knife.
The second is clean as you go...
I somehow missed the class on knives and sharp instruments in general. I have been banned from my friend's kitchen for managing to cut myself with a mandolin, knife, then cheese grater in the course of a week.
Question of the Day: Fresh avocado, share your love
I use them in any tacos, fideo, tostadas - sliced, not mushed. Plus they are amazing on sandwiches, in salads, alone...
Cook the Book: 'Happy in the Kitchen' Giveaway
Glass of wine, cooking some sort of thing that will be much better in an hour or so and includes everything stinky and wonderful - onions, garlic and cheese. Surrounded by friends and family, laughing while still keeping an eye on the pot.
Or... having some coronas and hanging out near the grill smelling steaks, giddeous in the sun.
Question of the Day: How do you like your hot dog?
Pure Chicago Dog - relish, onions, tomato, celery salt, mustard.
Otherwise I love a very burned campfire dog with just ketchup.
Cook the Book: 'The Silver Palate Cookbook, 25th Anniversary Edition'
My first cookbook that I went to was the Manilla, Iowa Centennial celebration cookbook. It was full of farm recipes from the small town that my dad grew up in. It had some of the best recipes for roasts, potatoes and pies. It also had the standard small-town, every-other-recipe-with cheesewhiz or campbells soup, but it was fun to look at and started my cookbook obsession.
Cookbook Giveaway: 'Super Natural Cooking'
Cauliflower roasted in foil in the oven or on the grill, fresh berries and yogurt, granola made with molasses and lots of raisins and healthy nuts, fresh trout in the summer - prepared simply with a bit of garlic, butter and lemon then grilled after a day of hiking, pomegranate berries, fresh leafy salads with carrots, celery, cucumbers, peppers and tomatoes, glass of milk with ice cubes to comfort you on sad nights, bowl of peaches drizzled with honey, ants on a log, ok, that was way more than one and now I am hungry and have way too much work to do. :-)
Favorite bottled BBQ Sauce?
Russell's BBQ sauce from Chicago, IL.
Question of the Day: What's the best food song?
Sex and Candy by Marcy Playground of course!
Question of the Day: What do you eat at the ballpark?
Hot dog with ketchup, warm peanuts and beer.
Question of the Day: What's the worst diet you've ever been on?
My worst diet was the divorce diet. You know, never hungry, always nauseous, way too much wine, way too little water. Although I became somewhat of a rail, I don't recommend it to anyone. :-)
Question of the Day: What's the best cheese for your grilled cheese sandwich?
American Cheese on wonderbread, dipped in ketchup or tomato soup.
Now if I am feeling fancy it is extra-sharp cheddar, muenster and tomato on sourdough dipped in tomato bisque.
What is the best food you have ever had while on vacation?
Eggs Hussard and Bananas Foster at Brennan's in New Orleans. Ettoufee, gumbo, turtle soup and any meal in New Orleans actually.
Street tacos in Mexico City - wow. Cafte MP in Mexico City - I had the best, the best ever duck tacos, wow.
from whom did you get the foodie bug ?
My dad was always an amazing cook, plus both my grandmothers were great cooks. One lived on a farm in Iowa and the other in the city - both cooked Polish and Czech along with the best Iowa corn-beef-potatoes type. I grew up around great food.
There were two events however that I remember vividly. One was a week long vacation in New Orleans in college - I fell head over heels in love with that city and it's food. The other was around the same time - I was working at the hotel Boulderado and the chef at Q's had me try foie gras for the first time. That should explain it.
Do you like 'chunks' in your ice cream?
I love chunks. Eating something with completely smooth texture is torture. It drives me CRAZY when I don't have peas or corn or something to mix in mashed potatoes or mac and cheese even. I maybe am OCD about this. :-)
Now, the slimy elastic film that develps after you open a container of ice cream - that is something I cannot tolerate.
Is there a food you love that you won't buy?
Haha, I saw this and immediately thought of nutella. It is the devil!
Question of the Day: What foods will you eat way after the expiration date?
Haha none. Not after the time in college that I made a chinese chicken salad with dressing that had expired two years ago. My roommate and I were near death for a few days. You know how there are some items that stay good until you open them? Salad dressing is not one of them. :-)
What can't you cook after, trying over and over again?
I can never make a decent cake. They always always fall. I live in Denver and I do the high altitude adjustments but cakes - they hate me.
Question of the Day: What are your hometown favorite eats?
In Des Moines, IA it is Gino's Restaurant. They have the best steak de burgo - it is a regional thing - a tenderloin sauteed mr with tons of butter and garlic. Yum.
In Chicago it would be Luke's hot dogs and Russells BBQ.
What one food are you ashamed to admit you like?
Puffy cheetos.
Question of the Day: The five-second rule—is it OK to eat food you've dropped?
It is fine. The problem is that we are so guarded against "germs" that our immune system gets lazy and then we need pills to work what should otherwise work on its own.
What to put on which kind of bagel?
Everything bagel and veggie cream cheese - plus a slice of munster. That is truly heaven.
whats the one snack you would eat which turns a bad day to good
Grilled cheese or fried ice cream.
Question of the Day: What's your earliest food-related memory?
I remember being about 6 or 7 and my mom had made (or gotten from the store, knowing my mom) a cherry pie. At one point in the night I had taken my grubby little finger and scooped out a bunch of the cherry filling, leaving the pie. To teach me a lesson my mom made me eat the rest of the pie (I think it was half gone) crust and all. I tried a bit, then sat there and just started at it.
I was allowed a half hour break to do my homework or read and came back and the pie was gone. I just knew that God had taken pity on me and finished it for me.
But... it was my dad. Either way, I'm still not a fan of pie to this day.
Question of the Day: What food can't you live without?
Another cheese fanatic. I put it on everything...
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Ok, I sooo know what I am having for dinner tonight. :-)