Food Lush

Top Chef Texas: Episode 16: And then there were three

By Sarah

For the quickfire challenge, the chefs are paired with Asian "master" chefs. They'll take turns cooking, tagging each other in and out. Hey! I recognize that guy from Top Chef Masters! (Floyd Cardoz.) Ahem, sorry. The point is for the contestants to try to figure out the master chefs' "visions," which of course always turns out well.

Everyone's got a seafood theme going and Sarah and Floyd end up winning the quickfire. Even better, Sarah wins $20 grand. We come to find out later that Sarah's parents let her drop out of high school so she could go to culinary school. This Sarah's parents would not have let that happen, let me tell you what. Then again, I can barely transfer a phone call at work, so it's probably for the best.

For the elimination challenge -- because even though they're in Canada, they can't let the Texas stereotype go -- the chefs are to cook for 150 people sticking to the theme "fire and ice." Basically they must cook one hot dish and one cold dish. Hot could be anything ... Hot temperature, hot spicy, what have you. Cold ... Well, I'm pretty sure cold just means cold. In addition to the fire and ice, the chefs must also serve a signature cocktail.

Sarah decides to stick to her roots and do a pasta dish, while Paul is using THIRTY POUNDS of LOBSTER to make LOBSTER STOCK. Thirty pounds. Lobster. For stock. I need a food budget like that. Lindsay, still looking to avenge the bad halibut thanks to Bev's shoddy cooking during Restaurant Wars, is making halibut again. Listen, Linds, give up the 'but. Time to move on, sister.

At judges' table, as has been the usual recently, the judges like all of the dishes with the exception of one small detail: Paul's random piece of arugula, Sarah's frozen mouse, Lindsay's blah cocktail.

After much deliberation, the loser is ...

... Lindsay.

(Whomp whomp whomp from Team Lindsay over here.)

So! It's Paul and Sarah in the finale next week! Who will it be? Place you bets!

Yogurt for the Lactose Intolerant and Vegan

by Jen L.

I think I've shared before that I am lactose intolerant and I know I've shared about my friends with dairy allergies.  These issues keep me on my toes when food shopping. I always keep my eye out, particularly when I can visit a "natural foods" store like Whole Foods or The Fresh Market, for non-dairy options.  Lately, I've been trying to branch out, particularly since I haven't been able to find my favorite soy yogurt, mad by Silk, in over three months.  Here's what I've learned:  Some things are a great yogurt alternative, while others are just gross. 

I recently started buying Stonyfield Organic O'Soy Yogurt.  The only kind I can consistently find at any of my stores is the six-pack of peach and strawberry.  That's all fine and good, but I get SO TIRED of these two flavors.  I also really miss more traditional "fruit on the bottom" yogurt options.  Stonyfield makes a great fruit on the bottom variety, but alas, I cannot find it locally.

Hi, blueberry.  I miss you.

I recently stumbled upon Whole Soy & Co. at my local Earth Fare store, then again at Whole Foods.  This stuff is the bomb.  They have a nice variety of flavors, a great texture (with fruit on the bottom!) and a perfect taste.  So many times, soy yogurt can taste a bit like the box it came in.  This brand has the perfect combination of sweet and tangy that I crave. I eat it alone or mixed with granola. My favorite is the mixed berry, followed closely by the apricot mango.

Know what's not good? Almond milk yogurt.  I was SO disappointed, as almond milk has pretty much replaced soy milk in my house.  I was expecting a great, smooth, nutty experience, but was met with a horribly grainy texture, a bit of a sour taste and a smell I couldn't quite get past.  There was a lot of liquid (and maybe some oil?) on top that never really went away, no matter how much I stirred.  Too bad--I had high hopes for almond milk yogurt.

My next conquest will be coconut milk yogurt.  I'm anxious to see how coconutty it tastes and how exactly I feel about that.

Do you know of any non-dairy yogurt options I should explore?

IMAGE CREDIT:  goodguide dot com

The Perfect St. Patrick's Day Dessert: Irish Cupcakes

By Nora    

Yes, I know St. Patrick's Day is almost a month away, and I know everyone probably still has Mardi Gras on the brain, but ever since I married into an Irish family I get excited about St. Patrick's Day and all the revelry associated with it. The caveat here is that the traditional food of St. Patrick's Day doesn't really excite me. Besides the soda bread, of which I could eat an entire loaf, I could care less about corned beef and cabbage. I'm sure there are other good recipes I could try (IF YOU KNOW ANY PLEASE SHARE), but this year I decided to focus more on the dessert portion of the meal. I did a dry run on these cupcakes last weekend when I had some friends over for dinner, and they did not disappoint. In fact, they pretty much ruled the evening. They're not even that hard to make! Maybe a little more labor intensive than most cupcakes, but well worth it. And look how pretty they turned out:

The original recipe for these cupcakes came from Smitten Kitchen, but I altered the actual cake part of the recipe a bit to suit my desires (read: make it easier). The point of these cupcakes is to mimic a popular Irish drink, where you fill a shot glass with half Bailey's and half whiskey (AHEM, JAMESON PREFERRED), drop it in a pint of Guinness, and chug-a-lug. While this is fun and gets you halfway to plastered pretty quick, I'll take the sweeter route, thank you very much. 

Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes (my updated version)

• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup Guinness Stout (room temp)
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners; set aside. Sift together cocoa powder, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Add eggs, Guinness, sour cream, oil, and vanilla, and mix until smooth, about 3 minutes. 
2. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full. Bake until tops spring back when touched, about 20 minutes, rotating pan once if needed. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely.

Whiskey Ganache Filling

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate

2/3 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons butter, room temperature

2 tablespoons Irish whiskey

Chop the chocolate and transfer it to a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream until simmering and pour it over the chocolate. Let it sit for one minute and then stir until smooth. Add the butter and whiskey and stir until combined. Cool until thickened, but soft enough to pipe.

To fill the cupcakes:

Using your 1-inch round cookie cutter or an apple corer, cut the centers out of the cooled cupcakes. You want to go most of the way down the cupcake but not cut through the bottom — aim for 2/3 of the way. Put the ganache into a piping bag with a wide tip and fill the holes in each cupcake to the top.

Baileys Frosting

4 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperatue

4 - 6 tablespoons Baileys Irish Cream

pinch of salt

Whip the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, for several minutes. Add salt. Slowly add the powdered sugar beating until combined. Slowly add the Bailey's until you reach your desired consistency. Decorate as desired. 

Protein for the Vegetarian Mom to Be

By Natalie

My husband and I attended our first birthing class last night. One of the other mommy's is a vegetarian and was concerned about consuming enough protein daily. She said that she is not often hungry. Lucky her!

I've found a variation on the amount of protein that you need. According to "What to Eat When You're Expecting" you need 75-100 g of protein per day. But, "Prepared Childbirth The Family Way" is 60 g of protein per day. I found on About.com that you can apply a formula .37 * the number of pounds you weigh, is a good way to figure out the amount of protein you need daily. About.com's formula does not apply specifically to pregnant women.

If you are vegetarian reaching 60-75 g of protein per day may seem difficult. If you plan out your meals and be sure to have snacks high in protein, it's doable!

 

Here are vegetarian options that pack the most protein:

Clif Bars 12 g of protein, check each type because the flavors vary in the amount of protein

Cottage cheese- 1/2 c is 15 grams

Sunflower seeds- 1/4 c is 6 g

Tofu- 1/2 c is 20 g

Flax Seeds- 1/4 c is 8 g

Edamame- 1/2 c 11 g

Quinoa- 1 c cooked, 8 g

Couscous- 1 c, 6 g

Peanut butter, organic- 2 tbsp, 8 g

Peanuts- 1 oz, 8 g

Skim milk- 1 c, 8 g

Low-fat yogurt- 1 c, 9g

Flaxseed meal- 3 tbsp, 4 g

See this list for more ideas!

 

Here are some meal options to reach the daily intake:

 

Breakfast:

Cottage Cheese with fruit on top (15 g)

Quinoa with skim milk (16 g)

Quinoa with Orange juice (10 g)

Smoothie with yogurt and flax seed (14 g)

2 Egg Spinach Omelet (15 g)

 

Morning Snack:

Clif Bar (12 g)

Cottage Cheese and fruit (15 g)

Peanuts (8g)

 

Lunch:

Peanut Butter & Jelly sandwich and glass of skim milk (16g)

Quinoa and beans (15 g)

Spinach Salad with carrots, avocado, and sunflower seeds (12 g)

 

Afternoon snack:

Hummus and carrots (4 g)

Edamame (11 g)

Yogurt, honey, and almonds (13 g)

 

Dinner:

Whole grain pasta with tomatoes and skim milk (16 g)

Tofu stir fry with brown rice and asparagus (24g)

Spinach salad with avocado, almonds, and strawberries (10 g)

 

I think if you are in danger of not reaching the recommended value then drink a glass of milk, eat some nuts, have a Clif bar or have some edamame.

For the vegetarians out there, what's your best source of protein?

photo credit: Amazon.com

Real Salt: It's actually worth the eight dollar price tag

By Dani

I come from a long line of healthy eaters. Not just, "I think I'll order a salad instead of a burger" types, but the "I'm going to grow my own veggies and raise my own chickens and grind wheat for my bread" types. It's a whole 'nother level, is what I'm saying.

As an adult, I've strayed somewhat from the sustainable/health-concious fold, and in doing so I've often sacrificed taste for price. (Or, occasionally, trendiness for staying on budget. It's a tough road for foodies, as we all know.) Why would I spend eight bucks on a shaker of Real Salt when I could get a veritable truckload of the regular stuff for three?

As I get older I find myself craving the wholesome flavors I grew up with, and some of those flavors come from Real Salt. I bought some at a health food store last week after years of cheaping out - and OH my LORD, you won't believe how good it is. It really does have a layer of flavor that normal grocery-store salt just can't compare to.

Plus, it's really pretty - rather than an artificially bleached white, Real Salt has trace minerals that manifest in pinks, browns and variations of cream that look beautiful in my salt cellar.

It's also a lot better for you, so if you're like me and you think that homemade french fries are their own food group... well, we still might die of heart attacks, but it won't be from crummy salt.

{Photo credit: RealSalt.com}

Building the Perfect Wedding Registry in your Kitchen: Part 3

By Elisabeth

Now, let's talk cookware and utensils. There are so many options out there, (like everything else) but when it comes to cookware, you'll probably hear or have heard reports about certain kinds of cookware (non-stick) emitting terrible things that will cause your left ear to fall off if the cookware is at all scratched when the wind blows in a Northeast direction. It can be MADDENING. And, it can also be expensive buying and re-buying the "right" kind. Do some research. Use your best judgement and wear earmuffs just to be safe.

First up, a stainless steel multi-cooker.

This one is a Crate and Barrell exclusive, but every main brand has their own version. It's great for many things, obviously, but currently I use mine mostly for steaming a large amount of veggies for baby food. It's got a smaller basket on top and the bigger one inside. It's perfect and I've used it for 10 years now.

Next, cookware set.

This baby is an all-clad, top of the tier, awesome cookware set. I have always had better luck in price on a set than buying the pieces individually, but sometimes you may get more than you need. Or, this might be too expensive for one person to purchase, so you could register for the entire set, plus some single pieces to meet the needs of your guests.

The one above included a 3-quart sauté pan which I think is the best thing ever invented. Now, back when I got married, I registered for and received an entire non-stick set. I still use both fry pans for eggs, but have discontinued using any piece that has been scratched. I ordered a stainless set and use both depending on what I need at the moment.

And now, the roasting pan.

You might be a roasting banshee or have never roasted anything in your life, but you'll need this on some occasion in your life. I especially like this one that comes with an insert. I've made a horribly salted corned beef brisket for my in-laws using this pan thinking I had purchased a regular brisket. BOY, was that a shocker when we sat down to eat. BUT, I would not have had any cookware to smoke overnight, then roast if it weren't for this type of pan.

Ok, so now that I have listed the definite basics, I'm going to show you some ideal items that can round out your kitchen starting with the reverse griddle.

I do not have one of these. I have a few items that put together would equal this. I want this. What a great space saver and plenty big to do bacon and pancakes at the same time. Flip it over and roast some veggies and burger simultaneously! (Adding to wish list now.)

What I would give to eat some cast iron skillet cornbread right now.

And these are items that I currently have in my kitchen that I can't live without. I happen to love and adore my Pyrex casserole dish set and measuring cup. My silpat baking mat works wonders for my cookies.

I am a huge fan of OXO Good Grips for all my cooking utensils. This 15-piece set looks like it has everything you need to round out your kitchen.

So, readers, what have I missed? This is quite a large arena of items, and I know you probably have some favorites yourself. Please do tell! 

{photo credits: crateandbarrel.com}

How to Keep the Fizz in Your Drink When Pouring Over Ice

by Caitlin

My husband has said that living with me is like living with a G-rated drug addict (an analogy that I hope you'll forgive and that I promise is tongue-in-cheek): He finds paraphernalia all over the house and I have nearly uncontrollable cravings that should be addressed quickly before things get ugly. But it's not white powder I crave: It's fizz.

Fizzy, clear, bubbly, cold, delicious sparkling water.

There are often several bottles in our fridge, but in a pinch I might have to grab a warm one out of the pack. I hate to do this, though, because as soon as the drink goes over the ice it starts to fizz like mad and by the time it settles down it's flat. By then, why bother?

My husband has saved the day (as he is wont to do), though, and my addiction to The Juice shall live on, un-threatened by a lack of pre-chilled bottles! So, how to keep your fizzy drinks from out-fizzing themselves over ice?

Wet the cubes first.

Have you noticed that the fizz stays for a second round of drink if you refill your glass? That's because the beverage has smoothed out the microscopic surface of the ice, which means there are fewer nucleation sites. In other words, there are fewer places for the CO2 to cling and make bubbles. Or something something blah blah science.

So! Rinse your ice cubes with cold water, drain the water out (stick your hand over the top of the glass and strain it loosely through your fingers. No need to get fancy. Just don't let your company see), and then pour your beverage over those beautiful, cold cubes while preserving every last thirst-quenching bubble. Voila!

(Pretend this glass has ice in it. THAT'S what your drink will look like. QUENCHING!)

 Photo from wisegeek.com.

Vegetarian Chili Dogs

By Jessica

Sometimes, even as a vegetarian, you just get a hankering for an ooey gooey chili dog. If I'm being honest here, I get that craving a lot but up until recently, I've never actually tried to fill it, I've just grabbed something else to eat and gone on about my day. Until yesterday, for the first time in I don't even know how long, I made myself a chili dog and it was GOOD. 

I was finally able to get my hands on some Field Roast sausages which I used for the "dog" portion of my chili dog. Though I would've loved to have found the frankfurter variety, the smoked apple sage sausage was tasty too. 

For the chili I turned Amy's medium chili which is a favorite around our house, even among the meat eaters. Topped with shredded cheese some and finely chopped red onion (not pictured), I chowed down before the cheese was even allowed to melt all the way and I know I'll be eating one for lunch again today. 

What's your favorite hot dog?

{Photo: me}

It's National Margarita Day! What's Your Favorite?

By Jennie

While my love for champagne is well-documented (here, here, and here), I also have a soft spot for the perfect margarita. Trouble is, the perfect margarita is kind of hard to come by. Ordering a margarita comes with some risk. It could be delicious, it could be disgusting (and neon). First margarita rule of thumb: don't drink anything neon.

My favorite margarita is actually a pretty simple one:

1 oz Grand Marnier
1-1.5 oz good tequila
Fresh lime juice of 1-2 limes
Salt for the rim

Shake and serve over ice or in a cold-as-ice glass.

{Photo source: scienceofdrink.com}

This is basically the recipe of one of the best margaritas I've had out in a restaurant (the Grand Gold at Zia Diner in Santa Fe).

A few other margaritas I've been itching to try:

Lime Sorbet Margaritas

Pink Grapefruit Margaritas

Fresh Strawberry Margaritas

Blood Orange Margaritas

Natalie's Beergaritas!

Tell me, what's your favorite margarita? Do you plan to raise a salt-rimmed glass for National Margarita Day?

Box grater newbie

by Elsha

Despite my insistence on grating my own cheese, before last night I had never used a box grater. Crazy right? Anyway, we needed a new grater so we decided to venture out and get one of these:

{photo credit: amazon.com}

And mine has green pieces instead of black, so obviously it's better. I liked this one because it has the measurement side, which is actually sort of a funny reason to pick one up since I almost never measure how much cheese I grate. And then I got to break it in, because I was making soup that called for 4 cups of grated cheddar. It was weird for me. I ended up having to turn it on its side because that's how I'm used to using a grater. Anyway, I'm interested to see whether I get used to it or if I just want to go back to a regular grater that I have to hold over a dish.

Any common kitchen gadget you've never used?