Emeril leaving the Food Network

Rumor has it that Emeril Lagasse and Scripps Howard couldn't agree on the terms of Lagasse's contract, so he will taking his pork fat and "Blam" elsewhere.
The last taping of his Emeril Live! will be Dec. 11.
I really enjoyed watching his show, and listening to the different music artists that appeared on the show as well. Too bad things couldn't be worked out. I think Emeril made the Food Network what it is today.

Souper Chef Cooking Contest

If you think you have a soup recipe that's worth prizes valued up to $750, share it with Quick Chek. Starting today through Dec. 5, Quick Chek customers will have the chance to put their culinary skills to the test by submitting an original recipe that incorporates one of Quick Chek's 14 fall menu soups as an ingredient to the company's first ever Quick Chek Souper Chef Cooking Contest.
A panel of individuals from the Center for Food Development and Manufacturing Technology at the School for Environmental and Biological Science of Rutgers University will evaluate each "souper" submission based on innovation and originality. Five finalists will be chosen to cook at the cook-off at the company's store at 317 Dunham Ave. in South Plainfield on Dec. 15.
Contestants may enter Quick Chek's Souper Chef Cooking Contest by picking up a Souper Chef mail-in entry form at any Quick Chek location or by going online at wwww.souperchefcontest.com. Deadline is Dec. 5.

Lorraine Bracco comes to Woodbridge

Lorraine Bracco won't be listening to Tony Soprano's problems on Nov. 17. She will be signing copies of her book "On The Couch," and bottles of her wine from 2 to 5 p.m. at Joe Canal's, formerly the Bottlesmart, on Route 1 South in Woodbridge.
If you want to try out her wine ahead of time, run, don't walk, to the store and purchase a bottle for $10.99. If you become a club member, it will only cost you $9.29.

And the Winner Is...

Have you ever watch a television show through it's entire season or a movie that was so good you couldn't wait to see the ending, only to miss the ending because you fell asleep?
I couldn't wait to see the finale to Top Chef. I was going to have a Top Chef party but decided not to because I wanted to see the show without anyone talking through the most important part, the end.
Well, when Padma said, "We will reveal the Top Chef after the break," it was like a hypnotic word because I instantly fell asleep and did not see the ending of Top Chef.
I woke up just in time to see the beginning of Better Half.. are you kidding me?
So I caught the repeat of the show after Better Half went off.
I was sure Casey would win.. but after watching, I knew Dale would win.
I can't believe Hung won!
I just don't understand how the judges come to the conclusion of these reality contests. I think they should have the behind the scenes special so that we can see just how the judges come up with their results.
Go figure.
Anyway, congrats to Hung.

What's in Your Spice Rack?

There's only eight week left before Thanksgiving and the start of the holiday season. Do you know what's in your spice rack?
How long has that big container of nutmeg been sitting in the back of all of the other spices?
Is your baking powder, baking soda and cream of tartar fresh?
Don't wait until cooking day before you find out that you need yeast.
It is said that spices should be bought in small quantities. And that you should replenish spices every three to six months.
Another thing that you might want to do is go to that new ethnic market that just opened in your neighborhood. See what kind of spices they have on hand. You might find something that will update the recipes that you've been using for years. Or you may find that certain ingredient that you've been looking for for that recipe you put away a long time ago.
I visited a spice store in Philadelphia that sold smoked paprika and smoked salt. Both are ingredients that go well in a lot of dishes that I make and will never be without.
At any rate, spend some time smelling and asking questions about new spices. It's fun.

Top Chef 3

Well, CJ is finally off Top Chef. Do you think the judges on Top Chef read my blog about CJ? He had some good moments but not lately. Now he can think about his trip to Italy and maybe learn how to make broccolini right. And speaking of cooking. How many times has Brian made a raw fish dish?
Has anyone noticed the reaction that Hung gives any time someone criticizes his dish. The expression on his face, how his eyebrow goes up and how he speaks so fast...I fear he will take one of his chef knives and do a quick chop on someone.
I am seriously thinking that this Top Chef 3 will not produce a real Top Chef, just someone who will fill the job because they didn't have any choice. The only one who may win this is Casey. Does anyone agree?

Top Chef

OK, so Howie finally got the ax. I can't believe it took this long. He clearly was not a person who got along with anyone in the kitchen. And his whining was really getting on my nerves. But I am sure we will see him again.
Now, for the rest of the contestants... why is Hung still on the show? He brags about everything he makes being so good, yet he fails to WOW the judges. And CJ is skating by with OK food, yet he is still there. I just don't get it.
Chef Tom said that to win this competition, the contestants had to create dishes that was unique and original. Yet it seems like as Hung said, the dishes are just a spin of old dishes with a personal touch added. I can do that!
Hopefully in the upcoming challenges, we will see something new in the dishes that the chefs are putting out.
By the way: Is it just me or does anyone else agree that you should put your utensils down first before you put your hands up?

Top Chef?

I should be a judge on the panel on Top Chef. I didn't go to culinary school, nor do I run a restaurant. But I do know the difference between a good chef and one that shouldn't be in the kitchen.
I did not agree with the judges decision to eliminate Tre. Yes, his salmon dish was too salty and his potatoes was too smoky. And he even agreed with judges when they pointed that out to him. Unlike Hung who thinks every dish he makes is perfect. He even doubted the opinions of three top executive chefs. Yet he remains in the competition.
Sara has had some bad dishes, but for once she stood up to the other chefs and made her voice heard in the kitchen. Does that make her better than Tre?
Even Howie makes one wonder how he still remains in the competition. And can some one please make him wipe the sweat off his face. Seeing sweat drop in the food that he is preparing is really gross.
Do the Top Chef judges talk to the Food Network executives before they decide who to eliminate?

Hell's Kitchen

Congrats to Rock. And well done to Bonnie. I have to say that Bonnie is a real team player. Even if she didn't win. She took her lost with a grain of salt and still have a smile on her face and well wishes for Rock too.
Now, Julia. Shame on you girlfriend. If you didn't want to come back on the show you should have said so. I am not happy with the way you acted in the kitchen. Hopefully when you finish culinary school you will learn that a chef is a professional. And no matter how you feel, you back your kitchen crew up. Cry over it when you clock out.
I should also say that Josh should go back for a refresher course in how not to burn food. My son gives me evil looks if his French fries are slightly over cooked. I would never serve burnt crab cakes.
All in all, to me this was the best Hell's Kitchen season. I hope that Rock will do well in Sin City.

Tomatoes

For anyone that has read my past post, I planted tomatoes with my dad this year and I bragged about my first harvest. I even took my tomato to work with me and showed my co-workers my perfect tomato.
Today's blog is to inform you that I am overwhelmed with tomatoes. Big ones, long ones, huge ones. They are everywhere.
I told my co-workers that I would be bringing some in for them to enjoy but, that won't put a dent in the crop that is growing in the tomato patch.
I am not Italian, althought I do make a mean ziti, broccoli rabe, caponata (thanks to a guy name John from Edison who I met and cooked with at the East Brunswick Vo-Tech High School's culinary program), sausage and peppers, lemoncello cocktail and meatballs, just to name a few.
I want to make Sunday sauce, but I want a recipe fromthe old country. Can anyone help a sister out?

Hell's Kitchen

Best of luck to Bonnie and Rock.
The two chefs got a chance to meet their future bosses when they went to Las Vegas. In the challenge, Bonnie won with her dish. Yes, girlfriend has a few tricks up her sleeves that is just now coming to surface. But Rock made a point when he said he was being set up to lose against a nanny/personal chef.
Not saying that a nanny/personal chef can't cook. I am a journalist but my passion is in the kitchen.
But Bonnie will be working in Las Vegas where money pours 24/7. Will their future boss really risk hiring a nanny/personal chef to run a multi-million dollar restaurant instead of an experience executive chef? For that matter, will they hire Rock just because he would be the first African-American to run a Las Vegas restaurant?
Stay tune to next Monday to find out.

Top Chef

I had to watch Top Chef twice before I posted this blog. I am beginning to wonder just who decides who goes and who stays in this contest.
Howie is clearly the "bulldog" that rubs everyone's last nerve. Sara from Jamaica is a good cook but she is not a great chef. And "baby"Sara isn't bossy enough. Why wasn't Howie given the boot before Sara?
And when Hung didn't follow his own plan to freeze the food in separate containers instead of letting Joey put the sauce in with the pasta, why wasn't Hung let go for not being a leader?
By the way, I think Hung is a fake and he is so like Stephen who thought all of his dishes were great yet he has not been able to get the respect from experienced guest chefs yet. Come down to earth Hung, it's ok if you don't know it all.
At any rate, I hope that Top Chef puts out a cookbook of all the recipes. I do have room for another cookbook now.

Holding on to the Summer

The summer is almost over folks. :(
The thought of not having Jersey Beefsteak Tomatoes, summer corn and melons is making me sad.
I try to visit as many farmers markets each weekend to savor as much of what Jersey has to offer because I know soon it will be over.
I also want to mention that my first tomato plant has graced me with a ripe tomato. Yes, my single tomato is perfect. It has no insect marks, it is a perfect shape. And yes, I love it so much that I will hold on to it for as long as I can. I will even take pictures of it. It is a great feeling when something that you planted and watered and watched over, protected and talked to, finally produce such a beautiful tomato.
I am so proud.

Hell's Kitchen

The kitchen is really heating up on Hell's Kitchen. Chef Gordon gave Josh the boot before service was over. So that left four chefs to finish kitchen duty.
In the end, Bonnie had to choose between Jen, Rock and Julia as to who would go home.
With Rock and Julia on the chopping block, C.G. asked Julia to take off her chef coat.
I had to hand it to Julia, she is a true chef in the making. She doesn't have all of the skills that it takes to run a kitchen of her own, but you can tell she loves her job. And believe me, if you don't love what it takes to be in the kitchen, you don't need to be there.
I was really happy that Chef Gordon decided to send her to culinary school. She may be able to work in his kitchen when she is done.
Now that leaves Rock, Jen and Bonnie to fight for the chance of winning the competition. Who do you think will win?
By the way: Congrats to Tyler Florence on your marriage to Tolan, the birth of your new baby boy and the upcoming restaurant.

The People Have Spoken

The audience has selected Courtney Cox look-a-like, Amy Finley to be the next Food Network Star. (Yawn).
Poor Rory didn't even get a hug after Amy was announced to be the winner. What happened to the love, Amy?
I wish Amy well. And hopefully she will be able to handle the new job that the audience choose her to do.
Don't worry Alton, the year will go fast.

Fancy Food Show

I am a little late posting this item on the Fancy Food Show that I attended two weeks ago. But one thing I must say, it's too bad that this trade show is not open to the general public. If you, the readers knew what I knew about the foods that will hopefully soon be at a gourmet store near you or if you tasted the samples that I tasted, you would be amazed at what's in store for us.
To start, two sisters from Paterson, Betty and Kathy Dixon who own and operate a restaurant called Kingdom's Sea and Soul Restaurant, has a product that they were promoting called "Soul Rolls." I sampled the swiss cheese and spinach roll and believe me, that was the best thing I have ever tasted. The roll was made from filo dough and the swiss cheese and spinach was nicely seasoned. It was served with a sauce that they called Neo Soul Sauce.
They also have Latin-Style Chicken, Carne Asada Steak, Sun-Dried Tomato and Swiss, Jerk Chicken-Ja Roll, Sage Sausage and Smoked Turkey Soul Rolls.
I was told that this will be on the market soon, so look for it. These ladies have a real winner on their hands. And with the holiday season soon upon us, I know this product will be number one on everyone's shopping list.
For chocolate lovers, look for Heavenly Souffle. The all natural, kosher souffle goes from freezer to table in 20 minutes. And the souffle was heavenly.
Other samples worth mentioning are halloumi cheese. This is a Greek cheese that you can fry. Loved it. As a matter of fact, I am a cheese lover and I tried to learn more about the cheeses that's on the market these days. The Italians have a lot of great cheeses on the market and it is well worth your time to sample some at any store that sells them. I tasted a lot of goat cheese too and was amazed at how good goat cheese is.
The Fancy Food Show features three floors of food, wines, cheese and cookware. Two floors is devoted to international vendors and one floor devoted to the "mom and pop" vendors. Celebrity chefs that have new products on the market make an appearance at these shows. So far I've met Ina Gardner the Barefoot Contessa, Michael Chiarello, NapeStyle, Rick Bayless, just to name a few.
This is the fifth time I've attended the Fancy Food Show. And every time it gets better and better. And I look forward to attending many more.

Who Will be the Next Food Network Star?

Alton Brown said it best, "Let's get rid of all of them and start all over." Will it be Rory or Courtney Cox's look-a-like, Amy?
To me, neither Amy nor Rory fit the Food Network profile. It's too bad that Jag lied about himself, he would have made a good choice, but then again, he was a little too cocky or should I say, conceited.
Anyway, I think Rory will win this contest, mainly because Amy has doubts that she can do the job right. And remember, she lost to Jag and so therefore, she wasn't the judges choice to be the Next Food Network Star.

Reality Cooking Shows

Ok, I will admit I watch the Next Food Network Star on Sundays; Hell's Kitchen on Mondays; and Top Chef on Wednesdays. That's what I do, I am a hard-core foodie.
But really, how real are these shows?
Alton Brown of the Food Network said it best when he said "Can we get rid of all of them and start all over" when he referred to the choices trying to become the Next Food Network Star. In my opinion, none of the contestants are qualified for the job.
On Hell's Kitchen, there is a woman who picked pasta out of the garbage, ready to serve to diners. They got rid of a guy because he wasn't fast enough, but they kept the woman that would serve you pasta from the trash.
On Top Chef, I am sure everyone is more focused on what Padma is wearing than what any one is cooking.
And by the way, is it just me or is anyone else wondering if Padma's sudden divorce has anything to do with a sexy "Crafty" chef?
The bottom line is, how serious is this reality cooking? And for future chefs, what are you learning from this?

Help! I'm Starving

I've been a vegetarian since 1995. But every now and then, I will have fish or sometimes shrimp. One of my favorite pieces of fish is "Basa" fillets. At least that was what it was called when it first came out. "Basa" filet or "Swai" fillets is a mild favored fish that is part of the catfish family. It reminds me of flounder, that is why I like it so much.
Swordfish was one of my other favorites, but now I don't eat it because of the Mercury. I am tired of salmon, and tuna, well that is getting close to my least favorite fish as well.
Anyway, I was so happy to find the "Basa" fillets . A while back, there was a shortage of the mild fish, due to some kind of problem with shipping the fish from overseas. That problem was soon fixed and again I was enjoying fried, baked, and sauted fish.
It just so happen that I was reading an article in a newspaper that mentioned my favorite fish is now about to be banned from coming into the U.S. because of a harmful drug that can hurt humans.
I am so sad about that. I gave up spinach because I don't want to eat something that will make me sick. I gave up meat because, I just got tired of it.
And I can't drink milk because it upsets my stomach. What is a human to do?
I know there are a lot of starving people all over the world, so my little drama is not so important. But thinking about how dangerous our food supply is becoming, makes me stop and think and worry about the food sources for your future children and their children. It is very important for us to do something now, so that we can ensure safe food and water for our future to survive.

Hell's Kitchen

Ok, who saw "Hell's Kitchen" on Monday night? If nasty things makes you sick, don't continue reading this blog.
I can't believe that anyone who is trying to win a cooking competition, would take food out of the garbage, wash it off, and then put the food in a pot thinking that that would kill the germs so that the food could be served to a human.
Oh Rats! I wonder if that happens in real restaurant kitchens?
That will be the first thing I think about the next time I go out to eat. Was that pasta freshly made or was it just picked out of the garbage?
And by the way, spoiled seafood will smell up a kitchen from here to South Boston, Virginia. It's one thing that Joanne didn't smell it, but did everyone in the kitchen have a stuffed up nose?