I admit it.  I love getting to see inside other people’s refrigerators.  Who knows what new must-have condiment I might discover?  So you can guess that the Celeb Fridge feature in Rachael Ray’s magazine is a particular favorite of mine.  A recent issue highlighted the contents of Food Network celeb chef Bobby Flay.  Here’s a peek:

RR:  You’ve got a well-stocked fridge.  What are some of your staples?
I have bacon from Oscar’s Smoke House.  I also keep a stash of Greek yogurt on hand - I mix it with hot sauce to make a quick topping for an easy dish like roasted asparagus or smoked bacon frittata.  I keep organic eggs around too, because I’m a fan of big, savory brunches.

RR:  [I noticed] you make rows in your fridge - that’s a good tip.  So what’s a surefire, Iron Chef-caliber dish that you like to make for Stephanie [his wife]?
She’s from Texas, so she loves Sunday-night chicken dinners.  When I go all out, I make her fried chicken and waffles with a spicy maple-horseradish syrup to go on top.  That’s a serious Sunday dinner for her!

RR:  If you could have a dream dinner party, who would you invite?
I’d ask Bill Clinton, Muhammad Ali, Marilyn Monroe, Bruce Springsteen and Bono.  That would be a fun conversation because we’d cover so many topics.  Of course, I’d want you to come, too.  You could bring the eggs!

Photo courtesy of Food Network.

Through a small logistical misstep, a care package from Don Strange of Texas arrived too late for a story I was working on, and so I decided to make the best of it and share my findings with the readers of this blog instead. Why let a whole box of goodies go to waste?

Don Strange Market Place of Hill Country, Texas began as a grocery store over 50 years ago and evolved into a catering business and now sells some of its signature sweet and savory items online. Although the company ships its famous white wings (wrapped in bacon and spicy Monterey Jack cheese), which are sent to you uncooked and ready for grilling, along with its apple-smoked Christmas bacon, we’re going to focus on the sweet stuff: double-barrel brownies, Texas “two-bite” pecan tarts and Kendall Creek honey bars. All of the products have nuts, and all of them arrived in perfect condition via priority mail.

First, the brownies. You get two pounds of them, and they’re dense, fudgy but not overwhelmingly sweet. You don’t immediately need a glass of milk; they don’t completely coat your throat. This is either a good thing or a bad thing, depending on whether you are the type of person who wants a rich indulgence. I thought they were good, but I didn’t think I’d go out of my way to order them again. The pecan tarts are more like tartlettes–small and packed with delicious Texas pecans, rivaling those my mom used to make at Christmas (except hers had walnuts and more cinnamon). My favorite item, probably because I was unfamiliar with it, was the honey bar, with a glaze worthy of the best cinnamon bun you’ve ever had. All three items weigh in around two pounds, retail for $20 for approximately 16 items and arrive sealed in plastic.

I asked if the company would share one of its recipes–always something I do with trepidation, because culinary secrets are sometimes closely guarded things–but the request was, understandably, declined. Instead, you’ll have to make do with these photos, or order something and see for yourself.

Or….you can check out some of the other delicious brownie creations posted here on Just Baking.  Enjoy!

• Quick and Easy Brownies
• Sour Cream Raspberry Brownies
• Make America Sweeter (Perfect for Independance Day)
• Cheesecake Brownies
• Buttermilk Brownies
• Brownie Cheesecake Trifle

This week while we were out grocery shopping, my son suddenly dashed away from me and made a beeline toward a check-out several feet away. I ordered him to stop, and he did, but then he continued on until he arrived at the checkout stand where the usual display of magazines were there to tempt shoppers into purchase.  He was tempted, all right! He promptly picked up the issue of Fun Food magazine from the fine people at Taste of Home headquarters.  On the cover is a fun display of monkey cupcakes and banana cookies, along with a headline across the top displaying 150 family friendly recipes inside.  I was sold by the cover alone.

The magazine came home with us, and just a few pages in, my kids have a list of foods they want to make that basically utilizes the whole magazine.  We could be cooking for months off of this one issue!  This issue cost us $5.99, and states that it should be kept on display until September 21, 2009, so there is plenty of time for you to track down your own copy. The magazine is divided into five themed sections.  Sensational Party Fare; Pizzas, Burgers & Campfire Food; Round Food=Fun; Stick Up For Good Food; and Kids Love To Cook all promise to keep your kids cooking and eating for as long as possible.  At $5.99, this magazine is a bargain! There are so many recipes inside, it’s like getting a full size cookbook for a real steal.  Some of the recipes with catchy names include Bubble Pizza, Breadsticks Jenga, Rack ‘em Up Cheese Balls, and Aloha Burgers.

As for us, we’ll be trying out the Chocolate Popcorn Balls to take this weekend on our Fourth of July adventure. The kids and I will make them together, and then package them individually to hand out to all the cousins this weekend.

Chocolate Popcorn Balls

• 4 quarts popped popcorn
• 2 squares (1 oz. each) unsweetened chocolate
• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup
• 1 cup water

Place popcorn in a large heat-proof bowl; keep warm in a 200ºF oven.  In a heavy saucepan, melt chocolate.  Stir in sugar and corn syrup.  Add water.  Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil.  Continue to cook until a candy thermometer reads 250ºF (hard ball stage).

Pour over warm popcorn and stir until evenly coated.  When mixture is cool enough to handle, quickly shape in 3-inch balls, dipping hands in cold water to prevent sticking. Cool; wrap in plastic wrap.

Yield: 1 dozen

I had the pleasure of attending a special steak tasting at Outback Steakhouse, celebrating their recent crowning by Zagat as 2009 Best Steak of National Service Restaurant Chains.  Once I began tasting the steaks, it was easy to see why.  Outback takes particular care in choosing the best ingredients and serving them in a way to emphasize their flavor.  Although the restaurant chain values its relaxed atmosphere, making it comfortable for families or groups of teenagers alike, it is very clear that they take their food seriously.

Tim Gannon, Co-Founder and Senior Vice President, and Dave Ellis, Vice President of Research and Development, guided a small group of bloggers through their steak menu.  The amount of information they knew about each item, and the quality of ingredients used, had me quickly forgetting that they were talking about menu items for a national restaurant chain with over 950 restaurants around the world.

Unlike some restaurant chains that pre-package everything in an attempt to standardize menu items, Outback maintains the utmost quality by using fresh ingredients - never freezing meat - and preparing sauces and seasonings fresh at each restaurant.  To insure that each item maintains the Outback flavor profile, a tasting of each sauce and ingredient is held prior to opening every day.

Below are a few of my favorite items from the tasting:

Roasted Filet with Port Wine Sauce

Easily my favorite steak of the night.  The filet was tender and well-paired with the slightly sweet port wine sauce.  The sauce is a demi-glace utilizing high-quality port wine and shiitake mushrooms.  This item made it clear that classic french techniques, such as demi-glace, can be successfully utilized in preparing the sauces and other menu items in a large chain setting.

Savory Pepper Mill New York Strip
This steak featured generous strips of peppered New York Strip Steak topped with a brandy cream sauce.  The brandy sauce did an excellent job of balancing the peppery steak.  The potato wedges were a particular highlight to this dish.  They were perfectly fried and extremely crispy, which is not often executed properly when it comes to wedge potato pieces.

Filet Tenderloin and Stuffed Shrimp
Although the tenderloin was excellent, the crab-stuffed shrimp stole the spotlight.  The shrimp is stuffed with crab, lightly breaded and covered with a lemon butter sauce.  Although sides are often overlooked, the garlic mashed potatoes were perfectly smooth and seasoned perfectly.  It had a slight garlic flavor without being too overbearing.

Steak with Shrimp
This dish features a steak accompanied by shrimp in a remoulade sauce.  The shrimp was served with the sauce and cooked cherry tomatoes — absolutely outstanding.

Bacon-wrapped Filet and Lobster Tail
We previewed this not-yet-available menu item that should soon be available at Outback restaurants everywhere. Wow - this was really terrific. The filet is wrapped in delicious salty bacon and is accompanied by a small lobster tail. The lobster was shockingly sweet and tender, with a level of quality that is not something you’d expect from a chain restaurant. This is definitely a stand-out item and I’m sure this will be popular once it’s available.

Chocolate Thunder from Down Under
To finish off the night, they gave us a tasting of one of their signature desserts, Chocolate Thunder from Down Under.  The dessert features a flourless brownie (with nuts) topped with Blue Bell vanilla ice cream (from Texas) and freshly made chocolate sauce and whipped cream.  For the chocolate, they use a Nestle-based brand from Switzerland.

The folks at Food Network recently rolled out a new show, The Best Thing I Ever Ate, and after just one episode, I’m hooked.  It’s like their celeb chefs … unplugged.  Each episode, the Food Network personalities reveal their favorite things to eat, and places to eat them.

A recent episode highlighted their favorite BBQ joints around the country, covering spots from New York City to the deep South.  Miss the episode?  You can get all the details right here, including the addresses for each place they talked about.  Did your favorite BBQ joint make the cut?

I kept waiting for something semi-local to make the list, yet wasn’t too optimistic since we live in New Jersey, not exactly the reigning BBQ capital of the country.  But then Michael Symon gave his pick … Daisy May’s in NYC.  You can bet I’ll be heading there very soon.  Until then, drool on.

Now the schools are out, the camping begins.  Whether it’s with an organized camp or you just head out with your family, either way you still need gear.  When you’re planning on what to take with you, now is the perfect time to pack green.

There are a million good reasons to think green when camping - just the 2.7 billion juice boxes that end up in the landfills every year are reason enough, but cutting down on waste is always good too.  Looking for a new source for fun eco-friendly alternatives?  Look no further.

• The folks at Pearl River have great selections, and their colorful lunchboxes are a great way to start.
• Hello Kitty!  Who doesn’t love the white 80’s icon from our youth?  And now you can have her on your very own Sigg bottle.  Too cute!
• And, of course, let’s not forget the team at Kids Konserve.  They have a whole host of stainless steel containers - you’re sure to find the perfect one for your needs.

The July/August 2009 issue of Health magazine features a list of nine superfoods for women that provide alternatives to common nutrient-rich foods like blueberries and broccoli. Check out these options:

1. Kiwifruit: Instead of oranges, try these fruits also packed with vitamin C.

2. Mushrooms: If your attitude toward broccoli is similar to the first President Bush’s, you can get nutritious phytochemicals from this meaty vegetable instead.

3. Raspberries: These berries offer lots of antioxidants, just like blueberries, and they have lots of fiber.

4. Walnuts: The authors of the You books keep telling us to eat walnuts, and they’re right: Walnuts are packed with omega-3 fatty acids, giving them heart-health benefits similar to almonds.

5. Red beans: Beans of any color, including popular black beans, are a healthy choice, but red ones have a greater antioxidant and phytochemical punch.

6. Swiss chard: This dark, leafy green, an alternative to more common spinach, is great brain food.

7. Sardines: These little fishies are a more sustainable fish than salmon, yet they’re also rich in omega-3s like the famed pink fish.

8. Watermelon: Who doesn’t like some fresh, juicy watermelon? Watermelon’s not just refreshing, though: It also provides more lycopene than another summer staple, fresh tomatoes.

9. Pumpkinseeds: Also known as pepitas, these seeds contain the same mood-enhancing tryptophan as dark chocolate, without all the sugar.

Together, you have here the makings of a nice stir-fry for dinner with a delicious fruit salad for dessert. How will you incorporate these superfoods into your diet?

Photo credit: kahanaboy from morguefile.com

This week when the finalists showed up at the Food Network studios, they were greeted by Bobby Flay and a platter covered by a dome.  This seems to strike fear in the finalists because you never know what ingredient will be revealed.  They were challenged to create a regional burger worthy of appearing on the menu at Bobby’s new restaurant, Bobby’s Burger Palace.  The second part of the challenge was to present their burger on camera.

In this challenge, Katie was still struggling and, for the second time this season, served undercooked meat to the judges.  Her turkey burger might have had potential if they were able to taste it.  Jeffrey was having a rough week after an impressive initial run, his presentation was below par and the food was not what the judges had come to expect.

Michael created a mouth-watering Mulberry Street Burger to represent New York.  It was stuffed with fresh mozzarella, topped with basil and the burger itself had proscuitto grilled right into each side of the patty.  In spite of his nerves on camera, he went on to win this one based on the fantastic burger!  Be sure to look for it on the menu at Bobby’s Burger Palace.

For the elimination challenge, the finalists were taken to the Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum.  Guy Fieri met them there and explained what their challenge: They were to prepare a dish that represents a specific state using ingredients provided, which would be served to returning servicemen and women, as well as their families.

The kitchen was not much bigger than a studio apartment in NYC.  They were cooking in pairs and many had problems with the electric stove not heating up properly.  Here are some highlights:

Melissa really began to prove that she deserved to be in this competition. Her presentation to the group was full of just the right amount of energy and she shared a bit about her mom, which seemed to endear her to the judges and the rest of the guests.  Her skirt steak was perfectly cooked and everyone enjoyed it.

Katie’s presentation was an improvement over previous week’s, but she still can’t seem to figure out how to share enough of herself when in front of the judges.  They are still trying to figure out who she is.  Hopefully, she will figure out how to let the nutritonal information flow easily rather than giving the judges a lecture every week.

The kitchen’s size wasn’t without issue this week.  Debbie and Michael were working on their dishes at the same time, when Michael accidentally hit Debbie in the cheek with a baking pan.  The pain was evident as she worked to complete her dish.  Michael looked horrified when it happened, but did manage to pull it together for his presentation.  It’s obvious that he works best in front of a live audience.  Debbie was struggling with her presentation, but I was impressed she managed to get her dish ready and was able to get out there and present it.

Overall, Melissa won the challenge and will be featured in next week’s USA Weekend Magazine.

Teddy was not so lucky as he was sent home.  It seemed like his on-camera persona was what really caused his early exit from the show.

Photo courtesy of the Intrepid website.

Spend any time touring bourbon country, or reading its history, and you’ll quickly learn that distilleries and brands, long-lived though they may be, do not operate under constant ownership. A brand with a historic tie to a distillery might move to another company, or a conglomerate might acquire or sell a famous brand. And all of this can happen several times in a whiskey’s life.

Buffalo Trace has acquired the E.H. Taylor brand, along with its product inventory, from Beam Global. E.H. Taylor  the distiller, first produced E.H. Taylor the bourbon in what is now the Buffalo Trace distillery in Frankfurt, KY. so this shuffling of brand and barrels amounts to a homecoming. Taylor, a great nephew of 12th US president Zachary Taylor, purchased the Frankfurt distillery in 1870 and eventually named it OFC, for Old Fire Copper. though Taylor eventually sold the distillery, the brand continued under new ownerhip. In the small world of Kentucky bourbon distilling, it has now come full circle.

Teaching children manners can sometimes be tricky… especially older children with disabilities like autism and Down syndrome.  Leading a group of twenty high school students with varying abilities, I am often limited on kitchen possibilities as well.  But one of the students in my class made a perfect suggestion, “Ms. Murray, let’s have a tea party!”  I jumped on this not only because I enjoy a nice cup of tea, but because I saw it as a perfect opportunity to practice good manners.

For the food: the day before the party some of the students and I made small cookies called haystacks (recipe to follow).  We made them bite size so that they could be served on our buffet.  This way each student felt that they were a part of creating the upcoming tea party.  These cookies are no bake, which makes them perfect to whip up with a group of adolescents with short attention spans.  In addition to the cookies I purchased butter mints and other small candies to be served in bowls at the buffet.

For the table: the students, with some guidance, pushed our tables together and set them for all twenty of the students in the class to participate.  Napkins, silverwear, saucers, and cups were placed at each seat.  The student then set all of the finger foods out on another table as the buffet.  They formed a line and gathered the goodies they desired with prompting not to take too much, as there would not be enough for all of their classmates if they did.  A good life lesson for all buffets: no overindulgence.  As they took their seats, I walked around to each student as they held out their faux china cups to be filled with strawberry tea.

For the manners: each student used this opportunity to practice good manners.  We coached each student to ask their neighbor to pass the cream or sugar, use their napkins, and say please and thank you.  From no yelling across the table to not shoving all of their food in their mouth at once, each student behaved surprisingly well!  They all knew that this was a special occasion that we had taken time to prepare.  Their involvement in the cooking and setting up of the event caused them to have a sense of pride: no one wanted to ruin it with poor manners!

While the tea itself was not the biggest hit, with only about half of the students actually liking it, the outcome of the party was impressive.  All students cleaned up their places at the table, threw away their trash, rinsed and placed their dishes into the dishwasher, and helped wipe down the tables and chairs after.  Making an event special and getting their input made them want to make the event a success.

Haystacks:

2 cups butterscotch chips

2 cups chow mein noodles

Line cookie sheet with waxed paper.  Place butterscotch chips in microwave safe bowl.  Heat for 1 minute, stir, repeat for 30 seconds and stir if needed.  Continue heating in 30 second increments until chips are melted.  Stir chow mein noodles to butterscotch and stir until coated.  Spoon by tablespoonful onto cookie sheet.  Refrigerate until firm (1 hour).