Celebrity Chefs

Bobby Flay’s Book Of Burgers

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bflaybook000x0345x388I am sure that you’ve heard of the Iron Chef’s burger book, as I like to call it, by now. If you do not like burgers, then forget reading this post. But then again, who does not like burgers??? I mean, there must be a reason that a chef of Bobby Flay’s standing spent time and money writing an entire cookbook about burgers!

So how has the book fared so far? Unfortunately, I have only seen a couple of recipes from it – thanks to the Internet – but I have not had the chance to actually get the book for myself. I was reading Robin Currie’s review of the cookbook, however, and I am pretty convinced that I should get my own copy. The juiciest parts of the review:

The book, much like the author, is fun, relaxed, straightforward, and easy to like. It includes burger recipes for ground beef, turkey, salmon, and tuna; fries, chips, shakes, and condiments. It gives terrific information on how to make the actual burger (not too thick, and use your thumb to make a dent in the middle of the patty to ensure even cooking, so it won’t puff up in the center.)

But the book is really all about the toppings, offering dozens of ideas for branching out from the familiar lettuce and tomato and for using some regional/cultural creativity.

Aside from info on how to make the patty, I like the possibilities that the book is said to provide with regard to toppings. I love everything on my burger and I can’t wait to discover other things to put in it!

I guess I am off to find this cookbook.

Originally posted on May 30, 2009 @ 8:40 am

Gordon Ramsay’s Sunday Lunch

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For many people – and that includes yours truly – the best time to make a really good meal is on the weekend. This is because you have enough time to spend in taking care to prepare an elaborate meal. During the week, you normally only have less than an hour to make a quick meal. I suppose that is the beauty of Gordon Ramsay’s Sunday Lunch cookbook, which helps you come up with some of the best weekend meals you can ever make.

Gordon Ramsay is no stranger to good meals and he shares his expertise in a simple manner. The cookbook is described by Amazon as:

Gordon Ramsay’s aim is to get us all cooking up a storm and sitting down at the table with friends and family to share lunch on Sundays and at other leisure times. In the second series of “The F Word”, his highly acclaimed topical food programme, he visits people all over the UK of all ages, backgrounds and ethnic origins to help them cook up a meal for family and/or friends. These range from traditional Sunday roasts to lighter summer fare, from easy 30-minute meals to Italian, Indian and Moroccan influenced family feasts. As always, Gordon is there to help the home cook at every stage – buying the right ingredients, preparation and serving and helping to co-ordinate the cooking of several dishes to arrive on the table simultaneously.

I do not have my own copy of the cookbook but from what I have seen in previews, the recipes are quite simple, especially if you have at least the tiniest experience in the kitchen. Who knows, Santa might bring me one tonight?

Originally posted on December 24, 2008 @ 12:20 pm

Martha’s Halloween Creepcakes

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With Halloween just around the corner, here’s Martha‘s advice on some fabulously frightening treats that will have the kids screaming with delight.

CREEPCAKE HOW-TO
Each design starts as chocolate or vanilla cupcakes iced with Swiss Meringue Buttercream.

For “spider” creepcakes, use your favourite cupcake recipe (vanilla or chocolate) pouring batter into 2 1/2 mini muffin tins with paper liners. Ice mini cupcakes with vanilla buttercream and coat icing with black sanding sugar. Use cinnamon candy for eyes. For legs, attach 8 pieces of black licorice. For fangs, cut out tiny cone shapes from a marshmallow and attach.

For “tentacle alien” creepcake, spread cupcake with a thin layer of buttercream tinted with a few drops of green food coloring. Cut strips of green taffy and attach around top of cupcake. For eye, slice a yellow gumdrop in half and press into top of cupcake. A piece of black licorice attached in front the gumdrop completes the creepy gaze.

For “big-eyed alien” creepcake, spread cupcake with a thin layer of buttercream tinted with a few drops of green food coloring. For small eye, attach a mini marshmallow and create pupil by painting on melted chocolate (microwave 1/2 cup chocolate chips for 1 minute). For large eye, push chocolate chip, tip down, into regular size marshmallow, then cut gummy tape for an eyelid. For teeth, place 5 mini marshamallows along the bottom of cupcake.

For “mummy” creepcake, spread cupcake with a thin layer of buttercream. Add jelly beans dotted with melted chocolate for eyes and red gummy candy for mouth. Using a ribbon tip (such as Ateco #44), pipe bands of buttercream.

For “brain” creepcake, use a medium round tip (such as Ateco #12) to pipe a mound of Vanilla Meringue Buttercream in the center of cupcake, then outline and pipe a brain design over it.

DECORATING TECHNIQUES

To decorate, use marshmallows and candy-coated chocolates for whites of eyes; jelly beans or gumdrops for peepers with an eerie glow. For pupils, paint on melted chocolate (microwave 1/2 cup chocolate chips for 1 minute). Or use candies whole: candy-coated chocolates will stick to marshmallows sliced to expose their stickiness; for our aliens’ eyes, we pushed chocolate chips, tip down, into marshmallows, then made a hole in the other side with a toothpick and inserted a licorice lace. Cut gummy tape for an eyelid. Sandwiched between halved gumdrops, marshmallows form a toothy grin; snip irregular pieces for fangs. Bend licorice or gummy rings into grimaces, or cut taffy tape for a tongue or tentacles.

Try these toppings:

* marshmallows
* licorice and jelly bean
* gummy ring
* taffy tape
* gumdrops and marshmallows
* marshmallows with licorice and mini
* chocolate chips
* jelly beans with melted chocolate
* marshmallows and candy-coated chocolates or melted chocolate
* marshmallows with candy-coated chocolate or gummy
* tape and licorice drop
* licorice with gumdrops or marshmallows
[tags]Martha Stewart,Halloween,HalloweenRecipe,Halloween Cupcakes[/tags]

Originally posted on October 21, 2008 @ 6:42 pm

New chef on the block?

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book

Could Virginia Willis be the next celebrity chef? This article claims she is, listing her achievements (including the book, above) and describing some of her down-to-earth charm.

We’ll see what happens!

Originally posted on September 10, 2008 @ 7:37 pm

Jamie’s Dinners

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jamies dinners

A lot of celebrity chefs come out with cookbooks…but how many of the recipes can actually be done by real people (i.e., those among us who don’t have a big kitchen, 150 different kinds of spices, and a set of expensive kitchen knives?)

Jamie Oliver says that anyone can cook the recipes in “Jamie’s Dinners” and even proves it by
posting stories of readers on his website. Check it out. It may just be the perfect Father’s Day gift…and a subtle hint to the man in the house to take over kitchen duty once in a while.

Originally posted on June 10, 2008 @ 1:23 am