
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Vote at Chef 2 Chef 4 Chef

Gluten-Free Hazelnut Crackers with Vegan Herbed Cream Cheese
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Gluten-free hazelnut crackers and vegan herbed cream cheese. |
Holiday fever
And no one has to know how crazy easy it was to conjure these goodies. They'll just be totally impressed you made your own crackers. And after they try one? You might even score a kiss beneath the mistletoe.
You've got your mistletoe
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Monday, November 29, 2010
Prime Time for Revisiting Prime Rib of Beef
Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, it's sometimes more like you cutting through a dry, overcooked roast while they stare daggers at you.
You can almost hear them thinking, "Way to screw up $80 worth of beef, jerk. I hope there's lots of gravy."
Here is the formula for what was called, "Method X." The rib is brought to room temperature. Overnight is good, but at least 6 hours (this is CRITICAL)! Season anyway you like. Then multiply the exact weight times 5 minutes. For me it was 5.35 x 5 = 26.75 minutes, which we round up to 27.
Special Notes:
- To use this method you must have a full-sized, modern oven. It must have a digital temperature setting that indicates when it is preheated. Older ovens with manual controls can vary greatly, and the doors may not have the proper insulation.
- I've heard from lots of people that have used electric ovens and reported great results.
- This is a specific formula for achieving a perfectly pink prime rib cooked somewhere a shade under medium rare. I have no info on altering it for other degrees of doneness.
Ingredients:
4 to 8 pound Prime Rib of Beef, bone-in, fat cap removed (ask the butcher to explain)
kosher salt as needed
1/4 cup soft butter
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon Herbes de Provence (this is just a dried herb blend - you can use any thing you like, or just salt and pepper)
For more traditional methods of cooking Prime Rib of Beef, check out these other great recipes:
Simply Recipes' Prime Rib
Serious Eats' The Food Lab: How to Cook a Perfect Prime Rib
Mark Bittman's Prime Rib Roast for a Small Crowd
Karina's Gluten-Free Potato Latkes
A gluten-free favorite from the archives- these tender, lacy latkes are easy to make. Serve with homemade applesauce and sour cream spiked with a hint of horseradish or chives. And PS: I just passed my 5th year blog anniversary! Five years blogging gluten-free recipes.
Delicious thanks to all of you- much love xox Karina
Sunday, November 28, 2010
You'll Heart This Artichoke Gratin
From what I've seen, it's usually made in a shallow baking dish like any other vegetable casserole, and always features some form of crispy, caramelized gratin topping. So, while I can’t claim to have made the original, I was pretty sure it would translate to a nice, small party bite.
This would make a great hors d'oeuvre at any holiday gathering, and as you'll see in the video, a deviled eggs tray makes for a cool serving platter. By the way, extra credit for getting the "bacon of eggs" joke in the recipe.
Of course, this can also be served as an extra special side dish with just about any main course. I hope you give these easy and delicious artichoke hearts a try. Enjoy!
Artichoke Hearts Gratin Ingredients:
Makes 12 halves
6 artichoke hearts, drained
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
2-3 tablespoon plain breadcrumbs
1/4 cup finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
1 tablespoon olive oil
lemon
Saturday, November 27, 2010
SFQ Makes its Debut!
I'll probably be tweeting pics from the event, so you can follow me on Twitter if you're interested – or better yet, if you're in the Bay Area, come over to the market and have a taste for your self. It's at St. Gregory’s church, 12-5PM.
By the way, I will have a new video recipe up tomorrow, so stay tuned!
Mulligatawny Detox Soup
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Need to detox from the holiday? Make some mulligatawny soup. |
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Thursday, November 25, 2010
Happy Thanksgiving!
I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We just got back from a great family gathering at our parents, Al and Peggy, in Davis, CA, and I wanted to share a quick photo of our bird. It was a buxom 20-pounder, and tasted almost as good as it looked. I'll be back to work tomorrow, starting in on a whole slew of new videos. One we'll have coming soon, will be inspired by the pan-roasted artichoke hearts seen below. Stay tuned!


Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Breaking News: Foodwishes' 500th YouTube Video Upload Goes Live!
It's with much pride and gratitude that I present our 500th YouTube video upload! I want to thank you all for the amazing support and love you've shown to me, and to this blog. I hope you enjoy the video, and here's to the next 500!
Monday, November 22, 2010
Once-a-Year Scalloped Oysters
Scalloped oysters are so rich and decadent, it's a recipe you save for those very special occasions. Happily, we have a bunch of those coming up. This great holiday treat features the briny bivalves baked in a creamy, buttery casserole.
One word of warning: if you don't love cooked oysters, you should probably not make this. By the way, scalloped oysters is one of those recipes that are actually better warm, than piping hot, which is another reason it makes such a great choice for large family gatherings. I hope you give this a try. Enjoy!
Scalloped Oysters Ingredients:
Makes 12 Side Dish Servings
3 cups saltine crackers, coarsely crushed
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3/4 cup melted unsalted butter
1 quart shucked oysters with liquor
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons chopped Italian Parsley
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
lemon wedges, optional
Gluten-Free Vegetarian Thanksgiving Recipes
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Cider roasted vegetables- pair with polenta, rice or quinoa. |
Peace!
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Sunday, November 21, 2010
What's in Your Sexy Thanksgiving Side Dish Drawer?

Any Thanksgiving dinner expert will tell you, it's not a great turkey that makes the meal, it's what you pair it with. What good is a beautiful bird dressed with a bunch of so-so sides?

So, without further adieu (that's French, like the good lingerie), here are some of my favorite side dish recipe videos, all of which would make a lovely addition to your holiday spread. Enjoy!
Creamed Spinach
Creamy Corn Custard

Pecan and Apricot Sourdough Bread Stuffing

Green Bean and Blue Cheese Gratin

Lime and Chipotle Glazed Sweet Potatoes

Celery Root and Potato Puree

Cold Broccoli Salad
Cheesy Broccoli Gratin

Butter Roasted Cauliflower

Saturday, November 20, 2010
Gluten-Free Thanksgiving Side Dishes
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Quinoa Mushroom Pilaf |
Need some gluten-free inspiration for your Thanksgiving feast? Have I got some side dishes for you. From Quinoa Mushroom Pilaf to Pomegranate Glazed Green Beans, from Sweet Potato Cornbread to Cranberry Applesauce and more, I've gathered together my favorite gluten-free side dish recipes. One glance at these offerings should convince even the most die hard skeptics that living gluten-free can be more than delicious.
It can be beautiful.
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Friday, November 19, 2010
New England Clam Chowder and "To Shell or Not to Shell?"
Anyway, thanks for your patience, which I hope you'll feel has been rewarded. This is my take on a fairly traditional New England clam chowder, which is probably lighter in texture than you are used to.
My contacts deep inside the authentic clam chowder underground (ACCU) don't agree on much, but most do say "real" clam chowder is nothing like that thick, gray pudding served on Friday at your friendly neighborhood restaurant chain. I've also had "classic" chowders that were very thin, almost watery. I think this is a happy medium.
Above and beyond the recipe, I'd love to open up a discussion on whether this soup should be served with the shells or not. When I posted the written recipe back in January, a friend of mine, Tamar (who publishes the always entertaining blog, Starving Off the Land), left this comment…
"Okay, John, I think it's high time we had the shells-in-food debate. Your recipe looks fabulous, of course, as all your recipes do (don't get me started on the Boston cream pie), but I've always had a problem with shells in my food. It's hard, when you're sitting at the dinner table, to get the shellfish out when the shells are hot and covered with soup, or Bouillabaisse, or marinara sauce, and still be elegant and refined. (And you know how concerned I am with elegance and refinement.)
You seem to have a sophisticated, food-oriented readership. Perhaps you should ask them to weigh in. This is a debate whose time has come."

Note: Since this video is hosted on About.com, when you click the player, you will be taken off the blog to the video page. For the ingredients, click here to see the original post.
Clams Photo (c) starvingofftheland.com

Thursday, November 18, 2010
How to Cook a Frozen Turkey
Can you really cook a completely frozen turkey? Apparently you can. My friend Stephanie, About.com's Guide to Cooking for Kids, sent me this video a few days ago, and while ideally you'll never need this information, it just may save a few of you this Thanksgiving. Enjoy!
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Pistachio Crusted Rack of Lamb – You'll Go Nuts for this Beautiful Rack!
Sure, rack of lamb is a little pricey, but no more so than other special occasion meats like prime rib, beef tenderloin, or goose – and since they're sold completely trimmed, you'll have virtually no waste. Also, if you haven't had lamb in like the last 20 years, you're in for a nice surprise; the meat is lean, tender, and not at all gamey.
The other great thing about today's rack of lamb is it's consistent size. They will have eight rib bones, and run just under 1 1/2 pounds each. The fact that these are all the same weight makes life a lot easier when cooking more than one. Speaking of which, portioning here is very easy; simply allow one rack per two guests.
I'm a big turkey-for-Thanksgiving guy, but if you're looking for a unique dinner entrée idea for that Christmas or New Years feast, this pistachio crusted rack of lamb would be an excellent choice. Enjoy!
Ingredients for 4 Portions of Pistachio Crusted Rack of Lamb
2 fully trimmed racks of lamb (just under 1 1/2 pounds each)
1 teaspoon Herbes de Provence, or dried Italian herb blend
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
1 tbsp vegetable oil or olive oil for searing
3 tbsp Dijon mustard
For the crust:
2/3 cup finely chopped roasted pistachios
2 tablespoon plain bread crumbs
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 teaspoon olive oil
pinch of salt and fresh ground black pepper
*Note: the cooking time given in the video of 25 minutes will work if you are doing one or two, but if you load up the oven for a large group, you'll obviously need to increase the cooking time, as the oven temperature will drop. Use a thermometer to check the internal temperature. Remove at between 125 and 130 degrees F. for a nice pink center.
One Last "Project Food Blog" Video Entry!
I believe tomorrow is the final day for Round 7 of Project Food Blog, so this may be the last guest video featured (at least from this contest). Here we have a lovely pasta video by Mardi from Eat. Live. Travel. Write. You can read Mardi's original post here. Enjoy!
The World on your Plate. Destination: Umbria
The World on your Plate. Destination: Umbria
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Videos from People that Went to My Foodbuzz Panel Discussion, Part 1: Risotto

At the end of the session, I told attendees that if we inspired any of them to make a video, to email me the link, and I would feature on the blog. Here's our first installment, a beautiful looking risotto demo, compliments of Edward from Weekend Food Projects. For more information, you can see the original post here. Thanks Edward! Enjoy!
Making Risotto
Panel Photo (c) Marissa from Where I Need to Be
Guest Blogger Videos: Three More "Project Food Blog" Entries!
You can read a brief explanation of why I'm posting these Project Food Blog - Round 7 video entries here, or, you can just watch them and not care why. Either way, enjoy!
Salmon Steamers by Kristin from The Cuisinerd
(Click here to see original post)
Mozzarella Balloon Wars by Linda from Salty Seattle
(Click here to see original post)
Cooking a Perfect Steak by Marc from No Recipes
(Click here to see original post)
Salmon Steamers by Kristin from The Cuisinerd
(Click here to see original post)
Mozzarella Balloon Wars by Linda from Salty Seattle
(Click here to see original post)
Cooking a Perfect Steak by Marc from No Recipes
(Click here to see original post)
Monday, November 15, 2010
Savory Chocolate Sea Salt Crostini – Sooner Rather Than Later
Speaking of money, you're going to need a little bit extra to do this recipe right. For this to work as a savory bite, the chocolate must be very dark, bittersweet, and world-class. Look for names that are hard to pronounce, and labels with percentage symbols are always a good sign (the higher %, the better for this).
For the bread, you're going to want to find your town's best baguette. The extra virgin olive oil should robust, peppery, and of the highest quality. Lastly, the salt must absolutely be the crystallized, flaky sea salt shown herein.
Once all these ingredients are assembled, the actual procedure is quite simple, and produces an impressive bite. The marriage of warm, crispy-edged bread, peppery olive oil, bittersweet chocolate, and briny sea salt is sublime. I think this is perfect for a holiday cocktail party, served right along side the rest of the savory appetizers.
By the way, special thanks to my buddy Linda, from Salty Seattle, for the amazing homemade sea salt used in the video. I knew she had mad skills working with animal and vegetable, but mineral too? This makes her one of the rare, triple-threat foodies.
Just in case you don't have friends that make you sea salt, most gourmet grocery stores will carry several varieties. My personal favorite is Maldon, which can also be ordered online. Anyway, find these ingredients, plan a party, and share something extraordinary. Enjoy!
Savory Chocolate Sea Salt Crostini Ingredients:
sliced baguette
bittersweet chocolate
extra virgin olive oil
flaky type sea salt like Maldon
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Guest Blogger Videos: Featuring the Best of Project Food Blog
Project Food Blog, the big food blogger battle royal over at Foodbuzz, is in Round 7, and has the 48 contestants submitting recipe videos in hopes of advancing to the final 24. Since video is kind of my thing, I've decided to feature as many of these entries as possible. Here are the first two!
We have a great looking Ginger Scallion Sauce by Benjamin Rhau from You Feed a Baby Chili?, and an equally enticing Lemongrass Crab & Scallop Cakes with a Spicy Cucumber Dipping Sauce by Greg from Sippity Sup. By the way, thanks to Greg for the shout out on the post! Enjoy.
Ginger Scallion Sauce (click here for original post)
Lemongrass Crab & Scallop Cakes with a Spicy Cucumber Dipping Sauce (click here for original post)
We have a great looking Ginger Scallion Sauce by Benjamin Rhau from You Feed a Baby Chili?, and an equally enticing Lemongrass Crab & Scallop Cakes with a Spicy Cucumber Dipping Sauce by Greg from Sippity Sup. By the way, thanks to Greg for the shout out on the post! Enjoy.
Ginger Scallion Sauce (click here for original post)
Lemongrass Crab & Scallop Cakes with a Spicy Cucumber Dipping Sauce (click here for original post)
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Holiday Pumpkin Bread in Theory and Practice
My theory was that if I took my banana bread recipe, which is one of my absolute favorites, and used pumpkin puree in place of the mashed, ripe bananas, I would have an equally impressive loaf.
So, what were the results of this grand pumpkin bread experiment? A very decent loaf of quick bread, which would make a handsome addition to any holiday dessert table! Having said that, next time I make it, I will be tweaking some things.
This was very good, but didn't have the I-can't-stop-eating-this-ness of the banana bread recipe. Considering the obvious fact that bananas and pumpkins are not the same thing, I will adjust the sweetness and fat content a bit to compensate.
Anyway, stay tuned for future updates, and if you happen to make any variations on this, I'd love to hear about it! Thanks, and enjoy!
Pumpkin Bread Recipe Ingredients:
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, soft
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 (15-oz) can pumpkin puree
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon Chinese 5-Spice
1/8 teaspoon allspice
Mixed in a bowl:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon table salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup chopped roasted walnuts
Bake at 325 degrees F. for about 1 hour
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Michele's Winter Vegetable Lasagna – Looked So Good, Looks So Bad
I strictly film during the day, because I think food looks so much better in natural light, and I really don't want to give in to having floodlights set up in my kitchen at night. Our home is already one big food video studio as it is, which is why I stubbornly cling to my diurnal modus operandi (just got a sweet new thesaurus app).
So, the results were predictably poor, and instead of wasting valuable time voicing over such a dreary looking video, we decided we would make it again during the day. Which works out for another reason, as we thought of a few additions/improvements after tasting. Stay tuned for the "real" Michele's Winter Vegetable Lasagna recipe coming soon. Enjoy!
12 cooked lasagna noodles
8 oz mozzarella
3 or 4 cups cheese sauce (you can use this recipe here and use whatever cheese you like)
3 cups cubed roasted butternut squash
1 bunch cooked broccoli rabe
parmesan as needed
pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste
*Note: the next version will included lemon zest and goat cheese
Monday, November 8, 2010
2010 Foodbuzz Food Blogger Festival – Impossible to Describe…Literally!
This year, I'm so busy producing video recipes already promised to multiple corporate overlords, I'm afraid this will have to do. In addition to not having nearly as much time, any full-blown recap would have taken me four to five times as long to do this year. Why? Because of a breakout session I attended called The Write Taste.

This long list of words included: delicious, tasty, yummy, moist, tender, creamy, unctuous, and awesome. Since this represents roughly 87% of my food adjective vocabulary, writing a complete recap would have virtually impossible. It was a really fun session, but unfortunately ended before I had a chance to ask the panel what the hell I'm suppose to use in their place.
Foodbuzz Food Blogger Festival 2010 – Gala Dinner Photo Recap
Saturday night was the Gala Dinner at the 2010 Foodbuzz Food Blogger Festival, and it was quite an evening. The setting was San Francisco's beautiful Ferry Building, and if I knew how to use my camera at night, I would have had some amazing photos.
The festivities started with a cocktail hour in the plaza, and there are very few things I enjoy more than being surrounded by hundreds of chatting food bloggers enjoying wine and passed hors'douves. A couple of my favorites were these zucchini and parmesan madeleines filled with crimson cured salmon and lemon crème; and creamy polenta cups with goat cheese and Provencal vegetables.
Luckily, my buddy Joel, from Six by 10 Tiny Kitchen, corrected me before I made a fool of myself in front of the table, which would have been highly embarrassing since it included food blog rock stars, Pim from Chez Pim, Elise from Simply Recipes, and Mark from No Recipes.
Pefect pears plucked with bare fingers, licked clean longer than need be, don't blame me, blame the tree. #fbzwrite
By the way, I've decided to donate my winnings to a holiday charity. I'm not doing this to be nice, or socially responsible, but because Tweeting may one day become an Olympic event, and I want to maintain my amateur status.
A hearty thanks to Foodbuzz for a fabulous weekend of food blogging fun!
*Bonus Coverage!
Here is a great video recap by Lynn Chen from The Actor's Diet. Enjoy!
Gluten-Free Cornbread Stuffing with Maple Roasted Acorn Squash
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Gluten-free cornbread stuffing in maple roasted acorn squash. |
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