Showing posts with label it. Show all posts
Showing posts with label it. Show all posts
Dry It Yourself How to Get the Drybar Experience at Home
Monday, May 19, 2014
I know many of you live nowhere near a Drybar, but did you know you could buy all their products no matter where you live?? That means you can have a Drybar experience from anywhere now--all you need is my tutorial to top it off!
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Jerky Chicken – Because I just can’t call it “Jerked Chicken” and keep a straight face!
Sunday, May 11, 2014
The “Jerk” style of cooking comes to us from Jamaica. The term “Jerk” actually comes from the term “Jerky,” which comes from the Spanish “charqui” (Char-key), which is basically meat dried over a slow wood fire. Today “Jerk” doesn’t refer to the cooking method, but the fiery spice mix that is rubbed on the meat before it’s grilled. The key ingredients in this spice mix are Allspice and dried Scotch Bonnet peppers (one of the hottest peppers on earth!). Other common ingredients include Cloves, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, and Thyme. There are countless combinations, so I suggest you buy a high-quality pre-mixed Jerk spice mix (thats what I did – after carefully checking the ingredient list to make sure I was getting the real stuff). If you want to make your own Jerk mixture, you can certainly do a Google search and you’ll have a couple thousand formulas at your disposal.The beauty of this recipe is its simplicity. It has just 3 basic ingredients and since the spice mix is so flavorful and intense, we don’t need to add much. Also, please note the trick I show before applying the “wet rub” when I “score” the chicken breast with the knife. This is a great trick for several reasons that I explain in the clip. By the way, I serve this tasty breast over my famous “12 second” coleslaw, which I will demo soon. I also mention garlic-infused oil which I used to sauté the chicken, and I will demo that soon as well. In the meantime, if you don’t have any garlic-infused oil, just add a couple crushed garlic cloves to the marinade.
Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tbl Jerk spice mix (usually allspice and dried Scotch Bonnet peppers, cinnamon, nutmeg, and thyme)
1/2 orange, juiced
salt to taste
garlic oil to sauté
*if you don’t have the garlic oil, just add some fresh garlic to the wet rub and sauté in plain vegetable oil
If You Can Make It Here…Well You Know the Rest
Monday, April 7, 2014
Its too late to go into much detail, but my meeting with the Food Network executives went very well. While no job was offered, I got lots of great feedback, and was strongly encouraged to take their notes and film another reel to submit to the Next Food Network Star show.I was interviewed by the shows main judges, Bob Tuschman and Susie Fogelson, both of whom could not have been nicer, or more supportive for what Im doing. Not only wasnt I nervous, but for some strange reason it felt like I was talking to dear old friends. I was completely at ease, and enjoyed every moment of what many would describe as an unsuccessful meeting.
I passionately pitche
d the idea for a foodwishes-style show (where the food is the star, and the chef not so much), after which they thoughtfully articulated why such a show isn’t commercially viable. Deep down I knew that would be their reaction, but it was still fun hearing it from these two major star makers. I will think carefully about what they had to say, and maybe give getting on the show a real shot, or Ill simply go back to being one of the most watched and influential (not to mention happiest) chefs on YouTube.
After the meeting I was gifted a sweet swag bag, and given a tour of the operation. I had decided not to show up with a camera hanging from my neck, so I just snapped a few quick pictures with the iPhone, which you can see here (including a shot of Kitchen Stadium below).
As I left the Chelsea Market, I felt strangely contented, like I had truly accomplished something. I saw in their eyes, and heard in their voices, that they understood just how much I love food, and teaching people to cook.So, thank you Food Network. Thank you for the opportunity, for the trip to New York, and for reminding me that while there are a million ways to make it, you only need to choose one. You havent seen, or rather heard, the last of me.
Spicy Orange Zest Beef – It Is What It Is
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
While I have no delusions that those crunchy bits would be preferable to most people, especially ones that just stumbled out of a Phish concert, this much-lower-fat alternative is still a quick, easy and perfectly delicious meal.
You’ll want to use a tender beef for this, since the cooking time is only 4-5 minutes. Cheaper cuts like chuck are going to be too tough, unless, of course, you pound it paper-thin, or use some kind of tenderizer. I used sirloin, which worked fine, but ideally you’ll find yourself some beef tenderloin trimmings.
Here’s another instance where you are much better off going to talk to a butcher, rather than a clerk at the supermarket. A real butcher will sell you the scraps produced when a whole tenderloin is trimmed. The meat is cut from something called the “chain” (be sure to use that word to impress the butcher), which is super-tender, and probably half the price.
One last tip: Be sure the beef is VERY well drained before it hits the hot pan. If your meat is wet, it will just boil and steam, and won’t work as well. Of course, if beef isn’t your thing, this will also work with chicken, pork, and…[gulp]…textured vegetable protein. I hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
1 lb tender beef, ideally trimmed tenderloin scraps
vegetable oil spray, as needed
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp Sambal hot chili sauce
2 cloves minced garlic
1 tbsp brown sugar, or to taste
2 tbsp orange zest
1 bunch green onions
1/4 cup water
1 tsp corn starch
salt and pepper to taste, optional
white rice as needed
View the complete recipe
View the complete recipe
It Doesnt Take Supreme Talent to Section an Orange… Getting a Show on the Food Network is Another Story
Monday, January 20, 2014
Ive shown how to make orange "supremes" before, but never up-close and personal in HD. People seem to enjoy these occasional, quick-and-easy techniques videos, and since they allow me to post a video without much heavy lifting, I enjoy them too.This is especially true today, because tomorrow Michele and I leave for New York City for my big interview with the Food Network. As most of you know, I won the Next Food Network Star YouTube Challenge, and the Grand Prize was a meet and greet with the shows executives at their studios.
Im very excited to build some new bridges, which is a crucial first step to burning them down. I have no idea what or when Ill be able to post, so bear with me during what could be a life-altering week.
The best way to share in this great adventure is to follow me on Twitter. By the way, if youre still wondering what the hell Twitter is all about, this is the perfect opportunity to experience it in all its narcissistic glory. Wish me luck, and as always, enjoy!
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