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Top Chef Seattle Season Finale #TopChef

Posted on February 16, 2013 by Jenne

Next week we are heading into Part 1 of  2 episodes in the Top Chef Seattle season finale. The strangest thing is all I can think about is Last Chance Kitchen. Who won between Lizzie and Kristen?

Kristen is an extremely creative chef and won a few rounds against some amazing chefs such as Stefan. However, Lizzie has a style of cooking that reminds you of home and Europe all in one. Her spaetzle looked amazing! The winner between the two will compete with Sheldon and Brooke in the final competition.  Who do you think won Last Chance Kitchen?

Content and/or other value provided by our partner, Bravo.

From the previews for Part 1 of the season finale it doesn’t look good for Brooke. Tom is consistently asking Brooke to plate the dishes and she’s having trouble getting on board. Tom is expediting for Brooke and Sheldon at the Craft, which is Tom Colicchio’s restaurant, in Los Angeles.  This seems to only make the competition tough as Tom is breathing down both their necks to make the perfect dish.

Another preview shows us Brooke and Sheldon cooking for their families. Brooke’s son mentions the bagels are nasty. Kind of funny as my kids will be the first to throw me under the bus with my cooking. I think it has to do with all the new things I make them try when I am trying to perfect them. They are my guinea pigs. Also, they eat so much of my cooking it has to get old.

Sheldon is making a slab of ribs I would love to sink my teeth into. Grilled food is one genre of food I truly enjoy!

Brooke is a talent chef! See marries food well. I would just like to see the underdog make it through to the top. Sheldon has no proper schooling and has worked his way from the bottom to get into the competition. I think that screams something unique.  Even one of my favorite dishes so far features a dish created by Bart Vandaele and Sheldon Simeon Green Forest Breakfast Sandwich: Eggs, Cheese, Pancetta, Bacon & Spinach. This is something I could have on a stick for breakfast every morning. The only thing I might add is some syrup or salsa.

Who do you think is going to pull it off in the finale to win Top Chef Seattle? My verdict is Sheldon but if Lizzie comes back in that might be a big toss up. Kristen just dominates and I am not sure if I would like to see her in the finale.

Three of most memorable moments for me in this season is Sheldon and his pine needles, Josh and the birth of baby Georgia, and Brooke’s fear of flying in a helicopter. While I share that same fear I would never let anyone film my freak out! She’s a trooper!

Don’t miss Part 1 of the finale this week on Wednesday or the finale on Wednesday, February 27 @ 10/9c!

Disclosure: I am a Bravo-sponsored blogger. All opinions are my own.

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Top Chef Season 10 Episode 14 Kings of Alaska #TopChef

Posted on February 7, 2013 by Jenne

This is my recap in Top Chef Season 10 Episode 14 Kings of Alaska.

I have to say I was disappointed to see Stefan go as he was growing on me after Bart left. I would seriously eat at either of their places as I find their food enticing.  With that being said, crunchy pork is normal and the judges need to know that. If they are going to judge cuisine then maybe we need a judge with a European stand point through out the whole season.

Joshua Valentine Top Chef Season 10 Episode 14 Kings of Alaska

The quick fire included for the four chefs needed to whip up a perfectly cooked crab recipe. Brook’s was very simple. Josh went very southern with a crab succotash which did not impress since he was cooking succotash for a succotash snob. Sheldon decided on a miso soup with pine needles which I thought was very creative. Lizzie made a crab frittata which looked wonderful but in the end was said to be overcooked. Everyone is picky about eggs though and the way they like them cooked.

For the elimination challenge, each chef had to whip up some sourdough and make use of salmon. Here is a list below of the dishes that were created.

Sockeye Salmon & Seafood Broth with Mustard Seed Caviar & Dill Sourdough by Brooke Williamson

Citrus & Beet Glazed Salmon Slider with Poppy Seed Butter & Pickles by Elizabeth Binder

Roasted Garlic Sourdough Soup with Sockeye Salmon & Black Olive Croutons by Joshua Valentine

Green Tea & Chive Sourdough with Smoked Salmon & Pea Soup by Sheldon Simeon

To be honest, I think Lizzie’s is something I would serve at home with friends at a BBQ and sounds absolutely delicious! The roasted garlic soup Josh whipped up was knocked down on the amount of garlic. I LOVE garlic so the more the merrier. I also loved how he worked the bread into the croutons which is not a familiar thing in the south to put croutons in your soup. Smoked salmon and pea soup sounds like a wonderful winter meal though I think it might have been poorly executed. Over all I think I would have picked Josh or Lizzie in this elimination not whom the judges picked. Guess you will have to watch the show to find out who was eliminated. If you watched it let me know who you thought should have won.

Here is the episode guide. Don’t forget to catch up before next weeks season finale!

Top Chef Episode Guide

Disclosure: I am a Bravo-sponsored blogger. All opinions are my own.

9

Buttermilk Fried Pickles #SundaySupper

Posted on February 3, 2013 by Jenne

Buttermilk fried pickles is a recipe I make every Superbowl to start off the feast. The first few years I made these I used beer batter, regular flour, and a tons of spices. The spices have stayed but the beer and the flour changed after trying various recipes through out the years.

buttermilk fried pickles

The first and foremost important tip to remember is to get Vlasic as these pickles are crisp. You MUST have a crisp pickle to make them or they will fall apart when frying. The flavor or spice of the pickle is up to you. I have fried up dill pickles but this year I am putting a twist on the traditional favorite by using bread and butter pickles. Along with that change I used cake flour and buttermilk to bread the pickles. The cake flour is light and airy. It creates the perfect batter and the buttermilk helps the flour to attach in flaky layers. Paprika and cayenne pepper are a must for seasoning!

Print
Buttermilk Fried Pickles

Total Time: 30 minutes

Serving Size: 6

Buttermilk Fried Pickles

Ingredients

1 jar of pickles; your choice of flavor
1 to 1 1/2 cups cake flour
2 cups buttermilk
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
vegetable oil for frying
Salt and pepper

Instructions

Open pickles and drain off the juice into the sink. Place pickles in a large bowl. Pour buttermilk over pickles and let rest for about 2 minutes.

In a skillet or deep saute pan, add oil and heat to a medium heat for frying.

In medium sized bowl, add cake flour and spices; whisk until spices are integrated. Toss a few pickles in flour batter at a time. Add pickles to frying pan and fry for about 30 seconds to a 1 minute on each side. They will cook fast! If the batter starts to brown fast then turn down the heat a little. Drain pickles on a paper towel. Serve with ranch dressing or ranch dipping sauce.

http://mooshujenne.com/buttermilk-fried-pickles/

 

#SundaySupper Super Bowl Appetizers & Snacks:

#SundaySupper Super Bowl Main Dishes:

#SundaySupper Super Bowl Desserts:

#SundaySupper Super Bowl Tablescape: 10 Tips For A Winning Superbowl Buffet Table from An Appealing Plan

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Just Dance 4

Posted on February 1, 2013 by Jenne

Thank you to Ubisoft for sponsoring this post. Please click here to learn more about Ubisoft. I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective. #UbiChamps

Just Dance 4

 

My daughter is a HUGE fan of the Just Dance games. When she heard this was on it’s way in the mail she bugged me daily until we received it.

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Pinto Bean Chili

Posted on January 30, 2013 by Jenne

Pinto bean chili is one of the simplest dishes that will feed a crowd. It will keep and keep! That just reminded me of cook on the movie Atlantis where he goes on about the beans and everyone thinks UGH because they are tired of them. He literally says “They will keep and keep!” We used to watch that movie all the time when my kids were younger. I need to obtain that movie on Blu ray. *Runs off to search and check food in oven*

I’m back! Does not look like they have it for Blu ray with a quick search. Might have to do a extended search to see what I can find and add Hotel Transylvania to the check out too! Anyway, back to the pinto bean chili! Does that cornbread just look delish!

pinto bean chili

Love how this comes together as just slow cooked beans and you can have them completely vegetarian or with bacon or ground beef. I am not a huge fan of ground beef so I always go to my favorite meat which is bacon. It adds a smokey flavor. It is also easy to add carrots, celery, or even stewed tomatoes. If you want to add vegetables then it is best to do them at the beginning when sauteing the onion, peppers, and garlic. If you want to add stewed tomatoes it is best to stir them in about 30 minutes before serving. My recipe is the basic recipe that allows you to add whatever you would like to it along with controlling the heat. If you want it hotter add more peppers and if you want it cooler then add less peppers. Mine is a tad spicy for the little ones but great for the teens and adults without setting mouths ablaze.

Print
Pinto Bean Chili

Pinto Bean Chili

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large white or yellow onion; minced
5 cloves of garlic; minced
3 jalapeno peppers; de-seeded, de-ribbed, and minced
2 lb bag of pinto beans; rinsed, not pre-soaked.
1 large container of stock (beef, chicken, or vegetable works)
1 lb bacon; sliced in halves; not cooked
2 tablespoons cumin
2 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper

Instructions

In a large pot, add minced onion, garlic, and jalapeno peppers. Saute on medium heat for about three minutes. Add in cumin, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper; stir well. Add rinsed beans and stir to mix the beans with vegetables. Add container of stock and bacon halves to pot. Fill the rest of the pot to the top with water. Turn heat up to high and bring to a boil. Once at a boil lower to a medium heat. Cook for about 5 hours until the beans are soft and liquid has thickened; stir often. Serve with cornbread or topped with cheese, sour cream, and cilantro.

http://mooshujenne.com/pinto-bean-chili/

Today, Food Network and a group of bloggers are featuring Chili (for #Superbowl) for this week’s Comfort Food Feast event. Please stop by and see what everyone made:

Jeanette’s Healthy Living: Crock Pot Cincinnati Chicken Chili
The Heritage Cook: Gluten-Free Green Chile and Chicken Taco Bowls
The Cultural Dish: Crock-Pot Chili
Big Girls, Small Kitchen: Healthy Chicken Chili With Barley
What’s Gaby Cooking: Smoky Chipotle Chicken Chili
Feed Me Phoebe: Chicken and White Bean Chili
Dishin & Dishes: Lean Mean Game-Day Chili
The Lemon Bowl: Beef Chili With Black Beans
Devour: 4 Twists on Chili for the Super Bowl
Thursday Night Dinner: 3 Most Favorite Chili Recipes
FN Dish: 7 Chili Recipes for the Big Game

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#SundaySupper – Patty Melt, Hand Cut Fries, & a Shake

Posted on January 20, 2013 by Jenne

Growing up there was this old drive in my grandparents used to take me to that served patty melts and delicious food. I remember the green sign and the big bags of fries. Nothing like any other joint around. It was called Lucky Boy. My grandmother loved their pastrami sandwiches. My grandfather loved the burgers and fries. I remember the milkshakes.

Lucky Boy in South Gate - Patty Melt

Lucky Boy in South Gate

I want to give everyone a dish that would be reminiscent of a time I spent with my family for this #SundaySupper. So here is my version of a patty melt, hand cut fries, and a chocolate milkshake.

Print
Patty Melt, Hand Cut Fries, & a Shake

Total Time: 45 minutes

Yield: 6 to 8 burgers, a bucket of fries, and one shake per recipe ingredients.

Patty Melt, Hand Cut Fries, & a Shake

Ingredients

For Patty Melt
One loaf rye bread
1 1/2 lbs grounds beef
Sliced cheese of choice (we used cheddar and pepperjack)
1 onion; sliced in rounds
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter for bread
For Hand Cut Fries
6 to 8 potatoes; sliced into strips
Vegetable oil for frying
Salt and pepper to taste
For Chocolate Milkshake
3 scoops of chocolate ice cream
1/2 cup milk
3 squeezes of chocolate syrup

Instructions

For Patty Melt

Make hamburger patties square or round to your preference. In a frying pan, add one tablespoon olive oil and fry burgers until cooked to desired wellness. Pull out patties and butter the bread. Toast bread with cheeses and add the meat. Serve with gooey cheesiness!

For Hand Cut Fries

Wash potatoes and cut in half and then in to long strips. Heat oil to medium heat and fry potatoes until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and then salt and pepper to taste. A small amount of cinnamon, paprika, sugar, salt, and pepper makes a wonderful seasoning to the frie.

For Chocolate Shakes

In a blender, add three scoops of chocolate ice cream and 1/2 cup of milk. Blend for 1 minute on high. Add three squeezes of chocolate syrup and blend for 30 seconds. Serve with whipping topping and a cherry or plain jane.

http://mooshujenne.com/patty-melt-hand-cut-fries-a-shake/

Sunday Supper Retro Appetizers:

 Sunday Supper Retro Salads:

 Sunday Supper Retro Breads and Sandwiches:

SundaySupper Main Dishes:

Sunday Supper Retro Sides and Veggies:

 Sunday Supper Retro Desserts and Cocktails:

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter each Sunday. We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET and you do not want to miss out on the fun. Follow the#SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. Check out our #SundaySupper Pinterest board for more fabulous recipes and food photos.

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Top Chef Restaurant Wars Recap – Episode 11 #TopChef

Posted on January 17, 2013 by Jenne

This is Top Chef Restaurant Wars Recap for episode 11, season 10. Since Bart has been eliminated I am forced to choose someone to vote for temporally. Stefan has an interesting ego, though I do like the fact that he is from Finland; my heritage  I would like to see him execute some Finnish recipes. Fish is a huge part of the cuisine in Finland and that I think he shows those skills when he is working with fish. There are other flavors though that I would like to see him introduce in the upcoming episodes.

bravo, top chef restaurant wars recap, kristen, stefan, josie, brook, josh, sheldon

Top Chef Restaurant Wars Recap – Picture courtesy of Bravo TV

Content and/or other value provided by our partner, Bravo.

Come on judges it is definitely time for Josie to go home! She lacks major time management skills. On top of that, she never takes the blame in situations when she obviously the one that does not stay on task for the team. Besides, she never seems to execute dishes with great flavor while always staying in her comfort zone. Just not impressed by her all the way around. Who really makes a raw turkey? Deep fry that beast if you think you don’t have enough time to cook it! It would have worked wonderfully with the Cajun themed meal they were trying to prepare in that episode.

As a former server and bartender, the Restaurant Wars has to be tough. Setting up the front of the house and back in a day along with trying to serve 100 guests and be hospitable at the same time, WOW!  Not something I think I would be able to accomplish. The set up both restaurants at the Georgetown Ballroom which is absolutely gorgeous for a restaurant setting. Going in I was voting for the boys as I thought the concept was something that has never been accomplished before. Urbano is  a restaurant concept, if it was executed, that I would definitely go out of my way to try.

Here is the menu for both teams:

Kristen’s Atelier Kwan menu:

First course –  Charcuterie: Rabbit, Pickled Turnips & Yellow Beets in Chicken & Rabbit Broth (Lizzie)

Second course – Bouillabaisse: Halibut, Dungeness Crab, Bay Scallops with Shellfish Broth (Josie)

Third course – Beef Bourguignon: Braised Short Rib, Garlic Puree, Mushrooms & Carrots (Kristen)

Fourth course – Baked Bouberes, St. Agur Blue Cheese, Roasted Radish & Stone Fruit Compote (Brook)

Dessert course –  Almond Cake Macaron with Coconut Custard & Caramel Buttercream (Kristen)

Sheldon’s Urbano menu:

First course – Kilawen: Yellowtail with Cilantro, Spicy Chili & White Soy Sauces (Stefan)

Second course – Balut: Poached Egg, Duck Confit & Foie Gras Mousse (Josh)

Third course – Miki: Prawns, Tapioca Roll with Achiote (Sheldon)

Fourth course – Adobo: Pork Belly with Mung Bean Puree & Pea Shoots Salad (Sheldon)

Dessert course – Halo-Halo: Coconut Sorbet, Avocado Mousse, Banana & Shredded Coconut (Josh)

Dessert course - Dark Chocolate with Macadamia Nuts, Ginger & Peppermint Oil (Stefan)

Stefan needs to work on his front of house manners. Even if he is not a server being polite to guests is the difference between a person coming to one restaurant or another. The judges need to also understand what he was dealing with when the other guest refused to leave, in which, is completely rude to other guests waiting to be seated.

Josie fails Kristen massively when she again cannot work in a team setting. Josie is suppose to roast the bones for the bouillabaisse but her evil time management skills kick in and she puts it off to the next day. The next day it becomes an issue when Kristen asks Josie when she plans on putting in the gelatin for the bouillabaisse. Kristen’s vision is to insert the broth in a charger and foam up the broth. Josie did not prepare the gelatin forcing Kristen to scratch the idea and make a last minute decision to add cream to the sauce.

Kristen acted with grace while Josie threw yet another chef to the wolves for her mistakes. When is this going to end?

Don’t forget to take a moment and vote in the Last Chance Kitchen to #savechefkuniko or #savechefcj.

2

Mardi Gras Cupcakes

Posted on January 15, 2013 by Jenne

It’s carnival time again and I am counting the days till Fat Tuesday when I get to celebrate with fried gator tail and plenty of drinks. Until that time I plan on cooking everything Cajun in my book of secrets. Hence the Mardi Gras cupcake recipe.

Last year, I bought some doubloons from the dollar store to decorate my cupcakes with. Unfortunately, I never got the chance to use them. Though I am glad because I did not know my way around my new camera then. Now my abilities have grown and well I hope you can see that in the pictures below.

Mardi Gras Cupcake

One of the many questions I get asked is how do you swirl icing. It’s pretty simple! I just add a tad of each color to different spots in the pastry piping bag and then squeeze. I only add a little at a time of each or the colors tend to blend too much. You can see my bag below :)

Mardi Gras Icing

The tip I used is 1M by Wilton. I like this shape a lot for cupcakes as it gives a nice ice cream swirl effect. The Mardi Gras beads are a part of the collection of beads I have started to get ready for all the Fat Tuesday fun. I picked them up at the local Dollar Tree if you are interested in getting some of your own.

Now, I cannot take full credit on this recipe as my daughter, whom is 12, took the fun of baking these cupcakes. With a recipe from me she had fun with the colors and the endless licking of all the bowls. That is her favorite part of baking sweets. In fact, I generally have to continue to tell her the licking belongs at the end of baking not while we are trying to mix everything. She’s hilarious!

Print
Mardi Gras Cupcakes

Total Time: 1 hour

Yield: About 16 cupcakes

Mardi Gras Cupcakes

Ingredients

For Cupcakes
1 1/4 cups cake flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon Malibu coconut rum
1/2 cup oil olive oil
1/2 cup buttermilk
Yellow gel food coloring
Purple gel food coloring
Green gel food coloring
For Frosting
2 cups unsalted butter , at room temperature
5 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoon vanilla extract

Instructions

For Cupcakes:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, add cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir together with whisk, and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, add eggs, sugar, vanilla, rum, and oil; beat on medium speed for about 30 seconds. Reduce mixer speed to low and slowly add about half of the flour mixture. Add half of the buttermilk, then the rest of the flour and the rest of the buttermilk; beat until combined.

Separate batter into bowls and color with gel food coloring in yellow, purple, and green. Pour a little of each batter into lined cupcake. Fill liners a little over half full. Bake cupcakes 12-14 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before frosting.

For Frosting

Using the paddle attachment of your stand mixer, whip the butter on medium-high speed for 2 minutes till butter is soft and fluffy. Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the powdered sugar. Once all of the powdered sugar is incorporated, increase the speed to medium-high and add the vanilla, mix well. Whip at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping the bowl as needed. To color frosting just whip with purple, yellow, and green gel food coloring individually.

To swirl the frosting, simply put each color of frosting on each side of bag and pipe. I used a 1M tip from Wilton.

http://mooshujenne.com/mardi-gras-cupcakes/

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Champagne Pop Rock Cupcakes

Posted on January 1, 2013 by Jenne

Last year I made these cupcakes and the icing was poop! So tomorrow I will make new and pretty cupcakes to use your left over champagne in! These are the champagne pop rock cupcakes I made last year.

As long as I can find the pop rocks. See last years cupcakes.

champagne pop rock cupcakes

When I reduced the wine it really made it sour in the cupcakes and the frosting. After redoing them time and again I found that no reduction is needed.

Happy New Years Eve!

0

Cinnamon Cranberry Bread

Posted on December 30, 2012 by Jenne

Every year, I like to bake breads during the holiday season. This Cinnamon Cranberry bread quick recipe is amazing! The heat from the oven warms the house and the smell of this bread makes it feel like the holidays. Mostly, I love share this quick bread with friends. It comes together quick, moist, and with a good hard outside easy for slicing.

If you want to get a bit more creative just make some cinnamon butter or homemade jams or jellies to share with the loaf in decorated mason jars. If you do not have time to decor the jars just add a themed cupcake wrapper between the seal and lid. To decorate the bread just wrap with parchment paper and yarn, ribbon, or baker’s twine. Red or green twine is perfect to match the holiday spirit.

Using decorative mini loaf pans can make this bread easier to gift. Put them in a basket with a simple new kitchen cloth themed for the holidays. Another great way to gift them is to add them to a basket of home baked goodies. I usually make these goodies for my friends as I love to add to their recipe collection. I use Pumpkin Beans recipes cards to add my recipe to the basket or even share at baking parties.

What’s your favorite quick bread? One of my favorites is banana bread with no nuts. I can double the bananas and share at any time of the year. It’s a great gift to the neighbors or for housewarming gifts.

Let me know how you decorate up your home baked goodies to share at the holiday season. I love Pinterest links as well. It helps me find new boards and people to follow :) I have a board for homemade gifts which I love to pin all types of goodies too!

Print
Cinnamon Cranberry Bread

Total Time: 2 hours

Yield: Two loaves depending on loaf pan size

Cinnamon Cranberry Bread

Ingredients

For Bread
1 stick butter
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 bag of cranberries
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons cinnamon
Olive oil spray
For Glaze
2 cups powder confectioners sugar
Water, rum, or vanilla

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and put a rack on the middle shelf.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.

In another large bowl of a stand mixer, cream the 1/2 cup of butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs in one at a time. Stir in the cranberries, sour cream and vanilla and beat until just combined. Add the dry ingredients. Spray the glass loaf pans with olive oil spray. Pour the batter into the glass loaf dish.

Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes in the pan then turn out onto a wire rack to finish cooling. You can serve it with jams, jellies, or cinnamon butter.

To make a glaze just add the 2 cups of powdered sugar to a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add in a few tablespoons of water, rum, or vanilla for flavor. Add in 1/4 cup of water and mix until it forms a glaze. If it is too thick add more liquid, if it is too thin add more powdered sugar.

http://mooshujenne.com/cinnamon-cranberry-bread/

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