Wednesday, March 4, 2009

We've Moved!


Hello Visitors,

Please feel free to roam around here, still a lot of good stuff to see. Then join us at the new location for all future events and information.

Thanks so much for being a reader and listener. I appreciate your support and feedback.

Talk to ya again real soon,

barbara

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

The Joy of Green Cleaning with Leslie Reichert


Leslie Reichert - Leslie Reichert is a “green” cleaning coach. Her mission is to teach and encourage others in the “art” of homekeeping and green cleaning. Leslie has seen scores of people who fight a daily battle with asthma and allergies, which many believe are caused by using harsh chemicals in the home. With over 20 years experience, she realized she wanted to share her knowledge and encourage people to start green cleaning and since then she has become an author, coach, presenter and speaker for the green cleaning industry. She presents with Celebrity Chefs like Paula Deen and Ming Tsai at events such as the Chicago International Home and Housewares Show and Good Taste, Pittsburgh. Leslie can be contacted at her cleaning hotline at 1-866-50CLEAN or on her blog at http://www.thecleaningcoach.us/ .

Her book, The Joy of Green Cleaning, is available on line at Amazon.com or at her book site at http://www.thejoyofgreencleaning.com/ You can also download an e-book or just specific chapters for only $2. She resides with her husband and three children in the Blackstone Valley area of Mass.





Kneadless Breadmaking with Cookbook Author Nancy Baggett



Nancy Baggett is a baking expert, food journalist, and bestselling cookbook author whose thirteen titles include the IACP Award–winning International Chocolate Cookbook, The All-American Cookie Book, a James Beard Foundation and IACP best baking book nominee, and The All-American Dessert Book. She contributes to Eating Well, the Washington Post, and many other leading food magazines and newspapers, and is an occasional commentator for NPR's Weekend All Things Considered. Baggett appears frequently at culinary and food writing workshops, classes, and demonstrations around the country, and has been interviewed on many national TV and radio shows. Her Web site is http://www.kitchenlane.com/.







88 Ways to Her Heart: Cooking for Lovers w/Chef Jernard Wells



From Chef Jernard: This book is designed for the non-cooker as well as the experienced cooker. We all could use a little spice in our love life. A wise man once told me, You never see anyone eating and frowning. I truly believe this book will keep you smiling by creating happiness in your kitchen and love life too!!!

Better known as “the love chef,” Wells was born in 1979 and raised with his six siblings. His passion for cooking was started at a very young age and first blossomed when he turned 16 years old, opening his first restaurant based out of his mother’s kitchen. Six years later, he opened his second restaurant at an entertainment complex. He then enrolled in the Memphis Culinary Academy School and studied under Chef Joseph Carey and Chef Elaine. After his graduation, he became sous chef at a thriving casino. Once he had sufficiently built a reputation, he opened his third restaurant, the Picnic Basket and the Ultimate Picnic Basket. Wells has won numerous awards for his cooking, including third place in Mississippi’s BBQ Chicken Contest Spring fest. He also has his own gourmet BBQ sauce and line of seasoning.









The Cheese Impresario - Barrie Lynn

Barrie Lynn is The Cheese Impresario. She writes “Cheese Matters,” a monthly column for the Beverly Hills Times and has been seen in USA Today, Wine Spectator, The Hollywood Reporter, Daily Candy and on E! Entertainment. Her tastings have attracted celebrities such as Three 6 Mafia, Jeff Garlin and the cast and crew of the Showtime hit, Weeds.
She will discuss the cheese basics in a quick “cheese 101,” as well as discuss some new trends in cheesemaking – from green cheesemakers, to raw milk and mixed milk cheeses. Also, Barrie Lynn is an expert on serving and pairing cheese. She will offer advice for pairing cheese with beer and wine, as well as explore trendy cheese pairings for bourbon and scotch.


Baking Tips from Chef and Cookbook Author Aliza Green



Aliza Green, the Philadelphia-based cookbook author, journalist and pioneering chef, is the author of eight highly successful cookbooks and two more on the way. With a flurry of new releases, Green has appeared twice on NBC’s Today Show to promote her books. Her Field Guide to Meat: How to Identify, Select, and Prepare Virtually Every Meat, Poultry, and Game Cut (Quirk Books 2005) has earned top praises from Food & Wine and Real Simple. Her Field Guide to Produce: How to Identify, Select, and Prepare Virtually Every Fruit and Vegetable at the Market (Quirk Books 2004), was highly regarded by the New York Times, Newsday, Men’s Health, Shape and Houston Chronicle, which selected Field Guide to Produce as an Editor’s Pick. With the growing success of the series, her Field Guide to Herbs & Spices (Quirk Books 2006) and Field Guide to Seafood (Quirk Books 2007) are the latest entries in this popular series. Her masterly Starting with Ingredients: Quintessential Recipes for the Way We Really Cook was published to outstanding reviews in the fall of 2006. With over 550 recipes and detailed, practical, information about the background, culture, history, and uses of 100 important ingredients, this book has been flying off the shelves in the United Stated and Canada.





Kissing and Cooking for Couples by Kim Reutzel



Kissing and Cooking for Couples is a recipe to add spice and romance into your relationship. Learn the skills to divorce proof your marriage and keep your spouse hungry for more. It encourages you to cook because you need to, listen because you learn and kiss because you want to.
“Kissing and Cooking for Couples,” has eight chapters and 12 date night recipes. The chapters include faith based biblical advice on subjects such as: communication, turning conflict into compromise, controlling your thoughts, having realistic expectations, building on your differences, spending time together, and love. The date night recipes include: a menu, shopping list, finish the sentence cards, preparation topics, his and her cooking duties, scheduled kisses, kissing quotes, dinner topics, Bible verses, table prayer, advice from the marriage planner and advice from other couples.





Table Talk: Food, Family, Love with Cookbook Author Carol McManus

Carol McManus, the proprietor of a popular café, Espresso Love, on Martha’s Vineyard, MA. Her philosophy of cooking – that it should be delicious, nutritious, and interesting – has won her countless awards and kudos from food and travel reviewers. She won international coverage when then-President Bill Clinton and his wife, Hilary, vacationed on the Island and came into her bakery to buy the red, white, and blue Presidential Muffin, which she especially created for him. Her café’s slogan – Where’s the love? – is a popular t-shirt on the Vineyard.






Kids in the Kitchen w/Travel Writer & Cookbook Author, Jennifer Evans Gardner

Jennifer Evans Gardner is a food and travel writer, cookbook author, and the owner of Little Feet In The Kitchen, a Los Angeles based children’s cooking school. Previously a film and television writer/producer, she has written for WB Animation, Walt Disney Television Animation, MTV, Tribune Entertainment, Lifetime II and Fox. She wrote and edited for Vicki Iovine’s popular parenting website Girlfriendsguide.com, as well as Weddingchannel.com. She is the author of “Barefoot in the Kitchen – The Pregnancy Survival Cookbook” (Lyons Press), co-author of “Bitchin’ in the Kitchen – The PMS Survival Cookbook” (Kensington Press), and “A Cookbook For Adventurous Young Chefs."

Jennifer has served as a producer for Walt Disney Television Animation, and has just completed her first children’s book. She has been Editor-In-Chief for NBC’s Today Show travel guru Peter Greenberg, contributing editor for ePregnancy Magazine, and a freelance writer for Eating Magazine, Santa Barbara Magazine and The Studio City Sun, among other publications.


Healing Art of Detoxification - Natural Cleansing with Karen Raden, MS,RD,CCN


Healing Art of Detoxification - Natural Cleansing with Karen Raden, MS,RD,CCN

Karen completed her Masters of Science degree in Nutrition from Bastyr University in Seattle, Washington - considered the Harvard of holistic natural medicine by experts in the field. In addition to being a Registered/Licensed Dietitian and Certified Clinical Nutritionist, she holds a BA in Hotel Restaurant Management from Michigan State University and attended L'Ecole Hoteliere Summer Chef School in Lausanne, Switzerland. She completed a culinary internship at the Four Seasons Hotel Chicago and managed various fine restaurants throughout the Chicago area. Karen has also trained to the level of Certified Reiki Master and has a great interest in the human energy system. As an integrative nutritionist, Karen "integrates" both alternative and conventional nutrition. She looks at the science behind health and healing by reviewing lab tests from a nutritional perspective. Drawing upon her training from Bastyr and over fifteen years of experience, Karen can also recommend herbs, supplements, and functional medicine testing (i.e. saliva testing to determine cortisol levels, blood tests to look at vitamin status, etc.) alongside mind-body techniques that support wellness. With this process under way, Karen can then guide you in discovering and removing hidden obstacles that may show up as you move toward achieving your goals. Working with Karen, you get the best of both worlds.

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

2009 New Food Trends with Chef Jill Houk


New Food Trends for 2009

Our favorite chef, Jill Houk, takes time out from her busy schedule at Centered Chef Food Studio of Chicago to teach us about healthy food trends, share a few recipes and answer your questions. Join us on TRB.


5) Flexitarianism--a lot of listeners realize that eating vegetarian is healthier, cheaper and better for the planet. But what if you really don't want to give up meat? (Or are cooking for a family that refuses to go vegetarian.) Try flexitarianism! It's a way to drastically reduce your intake of meat and increase your vegetable consumption. Many flexitarians consider this the best way to "have their cake and eat it too." We'll talk about simple ways to reduce meat, and will provide simple vegetarian recipes.

4) Curtailing wastefulness. In past years, you may not have thought twice about throwing away leftovers. Now you see them as an integral part to your family's bottom line. We'll cover how to store food properly and how to turn yesterday's dinner into today's lunch. We'll also touch on preserving, the age-old art that's making a serious comeback.

3) Low inflammation foods. A whole host of diseases, from cancer to heart disease to arthritis, are now being attributed to inflammation in the body. We'll talk about what's involved in a low-inflammation diet, and give some low-inflammation recipes.

2) Simplicity. Gone are the days (at least temporarily) of exotic ingredients and overly complicated cooking techniques. Restaurant cooks, as well as home cooks, are finding that comfort food is a huge hit. Listen in to find out what homestyle dishes are the hottest and how you can fix them for yourself.

1) Cooking at home. This is the #1 food trend and it's tied directly to the economy. Learn which basic techniques you should know and what staples to always have on hand.

RECIPES:

Low Inflammation Foods

Mushroom Pâté
Makes 8 servings.

Ingredients
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 pound shiitake mushrooms, caps only, thinly sliced
3/4 pound button mushrooms, stems and caps, thinly sliced
1 to 1 ½ teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 to 2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Accompaniments
Rice crackers
Crudite

Method
Heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. When warm, add garlic and cook, stirring, 30 seconds.

Add shiitake mushrooms and button mushrooms. Sprinkle with a little salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, over medium-high heat until mushrooms are cooked through and all their liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes.

Place mushroom mixture into the bowl of a food processor. Run food processor until mushrooms form a smooth paste. Add 1 teaspoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon salt, and black pepper and run food processor 15-20 seconds to mix. Taste and adjust flavor with more lemon juice and more salt, if necessary.

Cool completely. Serve on crackers and toast points, garnished with chopped parsley.

Curtailing Wastefulness

Greek Chicken Salad
Makes 8 servings

Ingredients
16 cups shredded romaine lettuce
3 cups cherry tomatoes
1 large red onion, thinly-sliced
1 cucumber, peeled and sliced
2 cups leftover chicken meat, cut into ½-inch cubes
½ cup crumbled feta
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup chopped fresh dill
2 whole-wheat pitas (optional)

Method
Place lettuce in a large serving bowl and top with tomatoes, onion, cucumber, cooked chicken, and feta.

Whisk lemon juice, oil and in another bowl. Season with salt and pepper. When ready to serve, drizzle over salad, divide among 8 plates.

Serve with pita wedges, if desired





Peggy Fallon is the author or coauthor of eight cookbooks, including Great Party Fondues, and has contributed to dozens more as a recipe developer, tester, and editor. She currently develops recipes for clients including Dean & DeLuca, Kendall-Jackson Winery, Dacor appliances, Pacific Coast Farmers' Market Association, and The Barbecue Industry Association, among others. Fallon developed the recipes for Nuts, which was named Best Cookbook of the Year by Food & Wine magazine, and served as recipe consultant for the award-winning Mayo Clinic Williams-Sonoma Cookbook. She has also owned and operated her own catering company and has taught at numerous cooking schools. Join us on TRB for this fun interview and new ideas for your next party.
PURCHASE Great Party Dips by Peggy Fallon.

Monday, January 5, 2009

Dealing with Food Allergies


Friday, January 9, 2008
Dealing with Food Allergies, Cookbook Author Stephanie Hapner

Please join Stephanie Hapner and I, as we begin a 3-part series on healthy eating and alternative ingredients when challenged with food allergies. Stephanie's book - So What Do you Eat? - was the result of living with her son's allergy, when she started to cook recipes using alternative ingredients that are allergy-friendly. The main reason for coming up with the book is not to raise money but to help others with food allergies. So What Do You Eat? is a cookbook of more than 250 homemade recipes using alternative ingredients to those that can irritate allergies.

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Happy Anniversary TRB - Woot!



Hey y'all

I'm ONE YEAR OLD !

Friday, December 19th.



And I couldn't be more excited. Listen to the show here @ 8pm Eastern, with my favorite BTR hosts, fellow foodies and (of course) giveaways during the show!


Call-in & Win!



  • Old Farmer's Almanac Everyday Cookbook

  • Autographed Products from Rocky Fino: Will Cook for Sex Cookbook, Will Mix for Sex Cookbook, an apron and a corkscrew

  • (3) Mason Jar Cookbooks by Lonnette Parks: The MASON JAR COOKIE Cookbook; TheMASON JAR SOUP-TO-NUTS Cookbook; and The MASON JAR DESSERT Cookbook

  • For the Love of Garlic Cookbook by Victoria Renoux
Other Holiday Deals~

GottiTravel TRB Special Offer: 4 Day / 3 night Bahamas Cruise first 3 people to send email to gottitravel@comcast.net mentioning The Recipe Box will win cruise.

Smell Goods Spa Products: Receive $5.00 off your order! Use code trb5 at checkout. Offer expires 12/31/08 http://www.smellgoodspa.com/

Author Valerie Elsbree Product: Book - Eating Disorders: A Guide for Families and Children
Valerie Elsbree is a licensed Psychotherapist with a Master's degree in Social Work, a license in Clinical Social Work and is a Certified Addictions' Professional, certified in Addictions' Counseling and Addictions' Studies. This book was a finalist in the 2008 New Generation IPPY Awards under the category of Children's Non-fiction. (Independent Publisher Awards). The foreword is by Sarah Ferguson, The Duchess of York and it is written for adults to read to children and teens. Discount: Listeners can receive a 25% discount on the list price of the book, which is $19.95. The cost, therefore, would be $14.96, plus a small amount for postage. In order to receive the discount, contact the representative directly by email at merituk@aol.com, by telephone: 561-697-1116 or by fax: 561-477-4961.

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Sabor! Cuban Cuisine with a Flair


Tuesday, 12/9
Sabor! Cuban Cuisine with a Flair with Ana Rodriguez

Sabor! or flavor, in Spanish is a concept that encompasses so much more than food. You can cook with sabor, speak with sabor, and dance with sabor, and in Cuba, sabor is both a state of mind and a way of life. Spicy, hot, and delectable, ¡Sabor! provides an intimate look at the cuisine of Cuba, a culture that embraces food with the same enthusiasm it has for life.
Author Ana Quincoces Rodriguez tells the story of Cuban cuisine with feisty flair, weaving the lively and spirited traditions of her family with classic dishes from the island of Cuba. Recipes are approachable enough for novice cooks but bound to inspire seasoned professionals, illustrated with gorgeous full-color photos throughout. Ana Quincoces Rodriguez grew up in a Cuban household in sunny Miami, Florida, where she was routinely conscripted to help her mother in the kitchen, which led to her passion for the art of cooking. Listen to the interview here.
Recipes from ¡SABOR!
Empanadas de Chorizo Chorizo Turnovers
Many Cuban bakeries in Miami bake empanadas, which are small pastries that enclose with sweet or savory fillings. While the commercially made empanadas are delicious, they don’t compare to these homemade treats. First of all, these empanadas are — you guessed it — fried. Second, this filling is a combination of chorizo and sweet ham, providing a delicate flavor balance. I’ve also given you two options for making them with ground beef or with guava and cream cheese, for a sweet treat. I serve these chorizo empanadas with a creamy picante dipping sauce that complements them perfectly. I invented this recipe many years ago, in an effort to find a nice appetizer to serve with mojitos and beer. I have been famous for them ever since. In fact, I cannot seem to fry them fast enough, and inevitably people burn their tongues trying to eat the empanadas before they have had a chance to cool. You can prepare the stuffing for empanadas well in advance and freeze or refrigerate them until you’re ready to proceed with the recipe.
This recipe calls for frozen turnover pastry disks (discos para empanadas), which are available at most major grocery stores in the Hispanic frozen food section (Goya makes some).
Makes 20 medium or 40 appetizer-sized empanadas
Empanadas
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup diced onion
1/4 cup diced green bell pepper
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/4 cup vino seco (dry white cooking wine)
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 pound ground Spanish chorizo sausage
1/2 pound ground sweet ham
Salt
20 discos para empanadas (frozen turnover pastry disks), thawed and kept in the refrigerator
Canola oil, for shallow frying
Sauce
1 cup thick, refrigerated ranch dressing (I like Marie's)
1 to 2 tablespoons hot sauce (like Tabasco)
1 to 2 teaspoons chopped cilantro
To make the empanadas, heat the oil in a shallow pot over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, onion, and bell pepper, and sauté for 5 to 7 minutes, until soft. Add the tomato sauce, vino seco, and pepper, and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the chorizo and ham and continue cooking for an additional 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Turn the heat off and allow the mixture to cool to room temperature. Taste and add salt, if necessary. Remove one package of the pastry disks from the refrigerator. (Always leave the ones you aren’t working with in the refrigerator. They are easier to work with if they are firm.) Working on a lightly floured surface, separate the disks. If you are making appetizer-sized empanadas, cut each disk in half, creating two semicircles. If you are making the larger empanadas, leave the disks whole. Place 1 to 1-1/2 teaspoons of filling in the center of each half disk or 1 to 1-1/2 tablespoons in the center of each whole disk. Fold each half disk to make a small triangle or each whole disk to make a semicircle. Using the tines of a fork, press around the edges to seal. If you do not plan to fry the empanadas immediately, covered them with a damp towel or place them in an airtight container and refrigerate them for up to 5 days. Heat the oil in a deep pan to 350°F over medium heat. If you do not own an oil thermometer, dip the corner of one of the empanadas in the oil to check if it is hot enough. The oil should bubble around the dough. Add the empanadas, about 4 to 5 at a time, to the oil and fry them for 3 to 4 minutes, turning them once, until they are golden brown.
Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and continue frying the rest of the empanadas. To make the dipping sauce, combine the ranch dressing and hot sauce in a bowl and garnish with the cilantro. Serve in a small bowl alongside the hot empanadas. Empanadas de Carne (Ground Beef Empanadas): Fill your empanadas with picadillo (page 144), omitting the potatoes. You can also use leftover picadillo for this. Empanadas de Guayaba y Queso (Guava and Cream Cheese Empanadas): Fill the empanadas with 1-inch cubes of both guava paste and cream cheese. Make sure you use the full-fat cream cheese that comes in a bar.
Platanos Tentación Sweet Plantain Casserole
Any recipe with a name that includes the word tentación (temptation) in it, and is made with butter, rum, and brown sugar must be made immediately, no questions asked. So get yourself to the grocery store at once! This divinely rich plantain casserole has even replaced (sacrilege!) the sweet potato casserole at our Thanksgiving table for several years now. It is that good! Make sure you use extremely ripe plantains in this recipe—the skins should be black and the flesh should feel mushy when pressed.
Serves 4 to 6
3 very ripe (black) plantains
4 tablespoons salted butter
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup dark rum
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Peel the plantains and cut them diagonally into 2-inch-thick slices. Arrange the plantain slices in a single layer along the bottom of the prepared pan. Set aside. Heat the butter and brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat until the mixture begins to bubble. Reduce the heat to low, then add the rum, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Stir well and pour evenly over the plantains. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the dish from the oven, remove the foil, and flip the plantain slices over. Cover the dish with foil and bake for another 15 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 10 minutes to brown the top. Serve immediately.
Bistec de Palomilla Minute Steak
This is the quintessential Cuban beef dish. It is served—usually with white rice and Platanitos Maduros (Fried Sweet Plantains) (page 94) or French fries and garnished with raw onions and parsleyat every Cuban restaurant, cafeteria, and hole-in-the-wall eatery. Typically, the cuts of beef used are a quarter-inch-thin top round or sirloin steaks, although you could start with a thicker cut of beef and just pound it thin with a meat mallet before cooking.
Serves 4
1/4 cup sour orange juice, or a mixture of equal parts lime juice and orange juice
1 garlic clove, crushed4 (6- to 8-ounce) sirloin or top round steaks, cut or pounded to 1/4-inch-thick
Garlic powder (not garlic salt)
1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more as needed
Pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
Arroz Blanco (White Rice) (page 82), for serving
Platanitos Maduros (Fried Sweet Plantains) (page 94), for serving
Combine the orange juice and garlic in a small bowl. Arrange the steaks in a shallow, nonreactive dish and pour the orange juice mixture over them. Marinate the steaks at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes — no longer or they will turn an unappealing grayish hue. Also, because the steaks are so thin, they won’t need any longer for the tanginess of the sour orange to penetrate them. Discard the marinade and season the steaks with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a cast iron pan until the oil is almost smoking. Carefully fry the steaks, one at a time, for about 2 minutes on each side. Transfer the cooked steak to a plate and continue with the remaining steaks, letting the pan return to a high temperature after each steak. Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the pan before frying the third and fourth steak. Combine the onion, parsley, lime juice, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Garnish each steak with the onion parsley mixture, and serve with white rice and Tostones (Fried Green Plantains).

Recipes from ¡SABOR! A PASSION FOR CUBAN CUISINE by Ana Quincoces Rodriguez (Running Press, November 2008, Hardcover Original/$29.95)