Brush With Celebrity

I will be the first one to admit that the quality of my celeb sightings have nothing on D.'s but they are somewhat exciting anyhow. Today Dominique from America's Next Top Model was in my store. I have to admit that she is a lot more attractive in person than she is on TV. On TV she looks all old and haggard but she actually looks her age in person. I do have to say that she did look a little draggish but that could have been due to her new weave.

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Hot Chef

I ain't the only one who thinks Johnny Iuzzini is a sexy chef (and you aren't either Gumby).
Johnny was recently voted sexiest chef, You just gotta love a man who makes a dessert of sugar plums marinating in lemongrass, kaffir-lime leaves, and ginger. Okay, and he is pretty too! Watch for his book in late 08 and see more pics of this hottie on his website.
Oh, and how the hell does a pastry chef stay so skinny?

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Buy This Book

I don't know how many of you realize that my future ex husband (the original feh Josh Kilmer-Purcell) has a new book coming out in May called Candy Everybody Wants (P.S.). Now you really need to click the link and buy the book because that will help my palimony case, you know, after we get hitched and divorced. The more books you buy the bigger my palimony checks are. . .see how that works?
Seriously though I am way excited about this book coming out. I loved I Am Not Myself These Days: A Memoir (P.S.) and I know this is going to be just as good, if not better!

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Dinner Last Night

Dinner last night was another amazing recipe find on the internet. It was pasta with white beans, spinach and lemon. One of the things I am noticing is it is always good to read the reviews of the recipes to get hints to make it better. I read that it can get too dry so one woman added chicken stock to it. Instead of chicken stock I added a half cup of veggie stock to the last step and it came out terrific. Also since we love garlic I doubled the garlic and added an extra 1/4 cup of chopped basil. I'll tell you what. . .it was amazing! That is definitely going to go into the recipe rotation!

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What?

Do people even know what the hell they are saying anymore? It's like there is no basic understanding of the meaning of words. I'm not even talking about difficult words. I was eavesdropping (well. . .not really because she was practically shouting into her cell phone in line) on a conversation and the woman said "I'm just looking for someone impressionable. . .you know, that can take care of things and get things done and done right."
Hmmm, call me crazy but I think maybe she was looking for someone responsible. . .

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Healthy Calzone

Tonight we had a healthier version of calzones for dinner. I loves me some calzones but the ones you get from pizza places could kill a horse with the grease. I found a great version at myrecipes.com

Ingredients
1 Tsp olive oil (to grease the pan)
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups spinach leaves
1/2 small sweet onion finely chopped
1 1/3 cups sliced portobella and button mushrooms
3/4 cup (3 ounces) crumbled blue cheese
4 red basil leaves

Directions?
Preheat oven to 425°.

Unroll dough onto a baking sheet coated with olive oil
Cut into 4 quarters.
Pat each quarter into a 6 x 5-inch rectangle.
Sprinkle garlic evenly over rectangles.
Top each rectangle with 1 cup spinach, 2 onion slices, 1/3 cup mushrooms, and 3 tablespoons cheese.
Add basil leaf to the top of the mixture.
Bring 2 opposite corners to center, pinching points to seal. Bring remaining 2 corners to center, pinching all points together to seal.
Bake at 425° for 12 minutes or until golden.

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Oh So True

Your Slogan Should Be

Vinnieg - Delightfully Tacky, yet Unrefined

The Slogan Generator

Good find there Gumby

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I Heart Curtis. . .

. . .oh, and chocolate too. Do you have a great 5 ingredient or less recipe that uses chocolate (specifically Green & Black's Chocolate)? You still have one more day to enter to win a cooking session with Aussie hottie Curtis Stone and tickets to the James Beard Foundation Awards & Gala. Don't forget to watch Curtis on TLC's Take Home Chef. One of my favorite parts of the show is when he gets home with the unsuspecting shoppers (almost always women) they magically transform from frumpy housewives into desperate housewives all glammed up and flirting with Curtis as he makes dinner for their husbands/boyfriends/fiance's.

Cooking with Curtis: Easy, Everyday and Adventurous Recipes for the Home Cook

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Northstar Cafe

C-Fresh and I went to the Northstar Cafe for dinner tonight. He had been there years ago but this was a first for me and it was okay. I wouldn't exactly rave about it but I will go back. I got the Buddha bowl with the seared tofu. The peanut sauce on it was too sweet and too thick for my taste. It reminded me of peanut butter that was thinned out then put on top of brown rice with some carrots, cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower thrown on top. It looked pretty but halfway through it was just too sweet for me. What I will get next time is the Veggie Burger. I had a bite of his and damn it was good. At first I was a little put off because the inside of the burger is red like a really rare burger but when you taste it that all changes. It had a nice smoky grilled taste along with a nice tangy taste that just flirted with my tongue. Not enough to make you crave a gallon of water but just enough to add some flavor. Now I know why it was voted best burger in Columbus. What I do have to say to the cafe though is "fix your ice machine!" Iced tea isn't that great with no ice.

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In Season

I love early spring because asparagus is in season. When buying asparagus be sure to look for firm, bright spears and closed, tight tips. Also, don't be afraid to take a big wiff and if you smell a musty smell then definitely don't buy it. One of my favorite recipes (I even made it for tonight's dinner) is a baked asparagus with Kalmata olives.
Ingredients:
1 lb asparagus
1/4 cup virgin olive oil
1/2 cup Kalmata olives roughly chopped
1 Tbs lemon pepper (or more or less to taste)
Pinch of Kosher salt

Directions:
Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Lay the asparagus flat on baking sheet (I put foil over the sheet) and drizzle the olive oil over the asparagus.
Drizzle the olive oil over the spears and sprinkle the lemon pepper and salt. Next place the olives over and around the asparagus and bake for about 10-12 minutes (until tender).
That's it! How easy is that? The taste is really amazing so enjoy.

If you want something richer and fancier try out this recipe from Gourmet.com.

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Smokin Chef

I have to say, when The Restaurant was on air I was not impressed with Rocco DiSpirito at all. I don't know what happened since then but man has he gotten HOT! Wow, when I saw him on Top Chef I couldn't believe it was the same man! Find out what he is up to here. I think I may try to make the cauliflower au gratin tomorrow.

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Cleveland's Next Top Model Part 2

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What's For Dinner

A few weeks ago I was browsing through the bargain book section at work when I came across Rocco's Five Minute Flavor: Fabulous Meals with 5 Ingredients in 5 Minutes. I thought "What the hell?" and I picked it up. The first thing I made out of it was the warm artichoke parmigiano dip and it was amazing! Who knew something you whipped up in the microwave for five minutes could be so good so tonight I am going to make the Mushroom Quesadillas for dinner.

Ingredients:
4 12inch flour tortillas (I like to use whole wheat to get my grains in)
2 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup pickled sliced jalapenos (drained and chopped)
2 cups shiitake mushrooms
2 Tbs corn oil (or vegetable, peanut, olive oil)
1 cup sour cream

Directions:
-Heat two medium saute pans over medium heat
-While the pans are heating sprinkle the cheese, jalapenos, and mushrooms evenly over 2 of the tortillas then top the tortillas with the two left over tortillas
-Add 1 Tbs of oil to each pan and cook each tortilla for about two minutes (until golden brown) then flip carefully with tongs and keep cooking until cheese is melted. Lower the heat if necessary to keep the tortillas from scorching.
-Remove from heat, cut each into 8 pieces and serve with sour cream

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Cleveland's Next Top Model

This shit is too funny!

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Abercrombie Zombie

One of my new favorite Web Sites is the Retail Hell Underground. Ah it just warms my heart to know that retail shoppers are asses the world over but I am getting some good ideas from them. I really love their mutilated shopping bag theme. . .who wouldn't shop at Abercrombie Zombie?

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What the Frak?

What the frak is going on? We'll find out tomorrow on BSG! Don't remember what happened? Catch up on what the frak was going on (and it's funny too!).

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Drink Coffee Fight Alzheimer's

Awesome. A study that can validate my coffee addiction! The BBC News site has a whole article detailing how "Coffee may cut the risk of dementia by blocking the damage cholesterol can inflict on the body". So take that all you who mock my incessant coffee drinking. I'm going to be able to remember this in thirty years while ya'll are hiding your own Easter eggs.

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What's For Dinner

MMMM, for dinner I made Cucumber Ranch Wraps. OMG they are yummy!

Ingredients:
1 12 oz package Morningstar Grillers Crumbles (or 1 lb ground beef)
1 pack taco seasoning
8 large tortillas
1 cucumber
1 large tomato
1 head of romaine lettuce
Lt ranch salad dressing

Season the crumbles/ beef according to the package directions on the taco seasoning.
Dice the tomato and 1/2 a large cucumber, shred the romaine lettuce. Once the grillers are hot and seasoned divide all the ingredients evenly among the 8 tortillas , add some ranch dressing, roll em up and eat.
I actually got the original recipe from Fruits & Veggies More Matters. Of course I had to alter it to make it vegetarian and since I was doing it anyhow I made enough for lunch for work and some for C-Fresh to take to work too.

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