Sometimes Rachael Ray uses these fancy terms so you feel cool when you make them. I will not, however be making this one. A chutney is just "a sauce or relish of East Indian origin, often compounded of both sweet and sour ingredients, as fruits and herbs, with spices and other seasoning."
Rache used rhubarb, golden raisins, sugar, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar and butter. I'd never seen rhubarb before. It looks scary. Its a bright red stalk with a white center. She diced it and put it in a pot with the other ingredients to make her relish, excuse me, chutney.
When you go to fancy restaurants and you see mango chutney on the menu, now you know what it is. Don't be afraid, but you may want to steer clear of the rhubarb. It looks scary. And my dad says it tastes disgusting no matter how you cook it. I know as a writer on a food blog I should be encouraging you to try new things, but Rache always says you eat with your eyes and nose first which is so true. That means you will not see me eating rhubarb, the aforementioned corned beef hash, or chitlins unless I'm just feeling really crazy one day. Or if Rachael Ray wants to hang out. I'll try anything she cooks for me first hand.
**Two tips from the same show:
1) If you're cooking for someone who doesn't like garlic pieces, but likes the flavor of garlic, here's what you can do. If you're making a salad, rub a clove of garlic along the inside of the bowl. When you toss the salad, it will have the essence of garlic without having large pieces. Also if you're sauteeing (lightly pan frying with butter and/or olive oil) vegetables or making a light sauce, you can put whole garlic cloves in the olive oil to cook up first, then add the rest of your ingredients. Garlic flavor will be infused in the sauce. For quick garlic bread, (I tried this one this morning), rub a whole garlic clove all over the slice of toast, then add softened butter (in the microwave for 15 seconds so you soften, not melt it). Its so yum-o, to quote Rache.
2) When cooking meat, let it sit out for about 5 minutes to knock the chill off a little bit so the meat doesn't get shocked when you put it on the hot grill. The same is true for baking, except you can let the ingredients (eggs, butter, milk/cream) sit out a little longer. Everything will be lighter and fluffier if you let your cold ingredients come to room temperature.
10.09.2006
10.08.2006
Brekky, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways..
*Sigh* Just got back from breakfast with daddy. Orange juice, hashbrowns, sausage bacon, 2 scrambled eggs. So yummy. For no reason. None at all. I also love grits, but I'm very picky about them, any sort of potato, omelets. BUT I don't like pancakes or waffles. I can eat A pancake maybe every once in a while. After eating a Belgian waffle in Belgium when I already didn't like waffles and their's were FAR superior to anything I'd ever eaten, I really swore off waffles. I'm not a big sugar girl anyway. I'm a savory sista. NO I DON'T EAT SUGAR IN MY GRITS!! That's some yankee stuff. Oh yeah, I like oatmeal with cinnamon, sugar and raisins in it. Never had Cream of Wheat (also Yankee food). Corned beef hash looks like chunky vomit to me. Never had that either. I do love liver mush! It looks nasty, too but I've been eating it forever and love the taste. Apparently you can't get it many places outside of NC. Definitely not up here in Pgh. This is my ode to brekky. I love you boo!
10.06.2006
Not cause InStyle said it!
Guys, I've been on this tip for YEARS!!!! If you're going to buy a winter coat or jacket (or anything for that matter), make the print houndstooth! I mean, menswear is always silently smoldering in the fashion world; never quite going out of style (like freaking leopard print...that will NEVER leave!) but this is the season for it!
In this month's GQ, Common, John Legend, and Kanye West from G.O.O.D. Productions (World's Best Dressed Record Label) are seen sporting chevron tweed and houndstooth outerwear. In this month's InStyle, pinstripe, houndstooth, more houndstooth, and tweed are the rave. Basically, think: banker.
That's my forecast (cause I really did call it before InStyle and GQ) for the season!
In this month's GQ, Common, John Legend, and Kanye West from G.O.O.D. Productions (World's Best Dressed Record Label) are seen sporting chevron tweed and houndstooth outerwear. In this month's InStyle, pinstripe, houndstooth, more houndstooth, and tweed are the rave. Basically, think: banker.
That's my forecast (cause I really did call it before InStyle and GQ) for the season!
10.03.2006
Rebel Soul Music
"My music is just soul music, but I attach "rebel" to it because my music is revolutionary. I want you to evolve from your day-to-day thinking that most music being played on the radio doesn't encourage or inspire you to do."
If you watched Dave Chapelle's Block Party, you may or may not have seen him. He was wearing a jacket that was reminiscent of the Jacksons or maybe even EWF back in the day...it was leather and it was teal. he's a bad-ass rocker who has played guitar with the Roots but can carry himself. His name is Martin Luther and like his name sake, he grew up in a strict religious home. Raised on church hymns and rigorous piano lessons, Martin was born a rebel. After hearing Funkadelic, he knew what his mission in life was: rebel music.
A Morehouse Man with a degree in Media Arts accompanied by an Entertainment Law/Marketing concentration, he knows music and he knows the industry. How attractive is that?
This sexy bitch got m -i just found out he posts on Blogger!!!!! DYING!!!! and he posted a comment on my myspace page!!!!!!!!! DYING!!!!!!!!!!! can't concentrate now...what was I saying??? bump it! Martin Luther is the truth. Peep him. NOW! You'll thank me in the morning.
P.S. Martin Luther is just one of many brothers since Prince and Lenny who are tking the guitar by storm. We invented Rock and Roll and we left it to the wayside. Jimi Hendrix will forever be immortalized as the greatest guitarist ever but most of us reading this weren't of that era. George Clinton is still alive and his influence permeates EVERYTHING we listen to. I swear EVERY rapper has sampled P-Funk which is its own musical genre BTW... Bootsie Collins brought forth the importance of the bass guitarist which used to just be the background. For most of us reading this, Prince and Lenny are our guitarists. Not the hugest fan of either, I definitely respect the both of them and love what I do hear by them. Then I got a mix CD with ML on it...and Cody Chesnutt...and Amp Fiddler. Check all these guys out. They're bringing rock and roll back to us.
If you watched Dave Chapelle's Block Party, you may or may not have seen him. He was wearing a jacket that was reminiscent of the Jacksons or maybe even EWF back in the day...it was leather and it was teal. he's a bad-ass rocker who has played guitar with the Roots but can carry himself. His name is Martin Luther and like his name sake, he grew up in a strict religious home. Raised on church hymns and rigorous piano lessons, Martin was born a rebel. After hearing Funkadelic, he knew what his mission in life was: rebel music.
A Morehouse Man with a degree in Media Arts accompanied by an Entertainment Law/Marketing concentration, he knows music and he knows the industry. How attractive is that?
This sexy bitch got m -i just found out he posts on Blogger!!!!! DYING!!!! and he posted a comment on my myspace page!!!!!!!!! DYING!!!!!!!!!!! can't concentrate now...what was I saying??? bump it! Martin Luther is the truth. Peep him. NOW! You'll thank me in the morning.
P.S. Martin Luther is just one of many brothers since Prince and Lenny who are tking the guitar by storm. We invented Rock and Roll and we left it to the wayside. Jimi Hendrix will forever be immortalized as the greatest guitarist ever but most of us reading this weren't of that era. George Clinton is still alive and his influence permeates EVERYTHING we listen to. I swear EVERY rapper has sampled P-Funk which is its own musical genre BTW... Bootsie Collins brought forth the importance of the bass guitarist which used to just be the background. For most of us reading this, Prince and Lenny are our guitarists. Not the hugest fan of either, I definitely respect the both of them and love what I do hear by them. Then I got a mix CD with ML on it...and Cody Chesnutt...and Amp Fiddler. Check all these guys out. They're bringing rock and roll back to us.
caldo verde
Now I am reaching deep down to my Portuguese roots, sharing with you this authentic soup that you will probably find at most Portuguese restaurants: Caldo Verde, which means green broth. This dish is similar to collard greens, but i hate collards, but love me some caldo verde.
2 bunches of kale, cleaned and chopped-cut out stems
linguica sausage or churico- sliced
kielbasa-sliced
1 chopped onion
1/2 jalapeno pepper chopped
1 tbs minced garlic
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup rice
1 can pink beans
1 packet sazon
2 cans chicken broth
4 cups water
3 potatoes cut in to 1/2 inch chunks
olive oil
2 tsb sofrito
black pepper to taste
adobo seasoning
garlic & onion powder
dash of crushed red pepper flakes
Portuguese bread
Chop all ingredients that need chopping.
In a large pot, drizzle olive oil to cover bottom of a heated pan. Saute onions, jalapeno, and garlic, until translucent. Add sliced sausages, cook 3 minutes. Add sazon, sofrito, red pepper flakes, and black pepper. Stir in rice, making sure to cover with seasoning and oil. Add chicken broth and water, turn heat up high and bring to a boil. Stir in kale, bring back to a boil. Add potatoes. Once potatoes are cooked, add pink beans. Cook for 15 more minutes.
Mrs. A- this is a meal in itself, no need for side dishes. Just Portuguese bread.
Enjoy!!!!
2 bunches of kale, cleaned and chopped-cut out stems
linguica sausage or churico- sliced
kielbasa-sliced
1 chopped onion
1/2 jalapeno pepper chopped
1 tbs minced garlic
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup rice
1 can pink beans
1 packet sazon
2 cans chicken broth
4 cups water
3 potatoes cut in to 1/2 inch chunks
olive oil
2 tsb sofrito
black pepper to taste
adobo seasoning
garlic & onion powder
dash of crushed red pepper flakes
Portuguese bread
Chop all ingredients that need chopping.
In a large pot, drizzle olive oil to cover bottom of a heated pan. Saute onions, jalapeno, and garlic, until translucent. Add sliced sausages, cook 3 minutes. Add sazon, sofrito, red pepper flakes, and black pepper. Stir in rice, making sure to cover with seasoning and oil. Add chicken broth and water, turn heat up high and bring to a boil. Stir in kale, bring back to a boil. Add potatoes. Once potatoes are cooked, add pink beans. Cook for 15 more minutes.
Mrs. A- this is a meal in itself, no need for side dishes. Just Portuguese bread.
Enjoy!!!!
The New Sound (4/2006)
There was the Philly vibe for a while right? When people started getting tired of commercial r-n-b so they "invented" the term 'neo-soul' for that alternative sound. Jill, the Roots, Musiq Solchild who's just Musiq now...even Jag and the Jazzys got a little airplay. Then you definately remember how Atlanta was ruling the airwaves for what seemed like forever? Between Usher's "Yeah" and D4L's "Laffy Taffy", T.I. and Jeezy, "The Love Below" and "Speakboxx" ATL was the place to be...again. Toni Braxton, TLC, Da Brat..the days of So So Def, LaFace and whoever else was fortunate to be in the A at the right time has been heard and now that that's done, we are on to Texas.
Starting last spring, we heard sprinkles of Slim Thug and Paul Wall. I was fortunate to have a roomate from Texas when I was at the illustrious Hampton University and I heard Lil Flipper before he dropped the '-er'. I heard chopped and screwed Trick before HE even heard it. When people were asking, "Who is Mike Jones?" I was answering. Last summer, I spent time in Texas; even road tripped from Austin to Tally and naturally, I heard all that we are hearing now. Chamillionaire, all that. I actually like Texas music. Its is definately alright with me (in a commercial sense). Of course Destiny's Child was always around but no-one ever really thought of them as a Texas sounding group; R-n-B doesn't have a sound...or does it?
Detroit.
Detroit is where it is AT for music guys! If you are looking for a breath of fresh air, pick up a DET based CD. The production of JD will be missed but TRUST, he will not be forgotten. From real instrumentation to off the wall drum patterns, Detroit has my musical heart. Slum Village got some commercial appeal when "Tainted" came out Fall 2003...and that's when their hook/bridge artist first caught my eye. Dwele. He is it. If you haven't peeped him, please go get his CDs. Naturally, the bestest made me a mix CD with this dude on it bout three and a half years ago and I am JUST now HEARING this dude! You know how you listen to music but you don't really HEAR it? Or maybe you were trying to hear but it wasn't the right time for that piece...yeah.
So after Slum Village and Dwele, who is next? Platinum Pied Pipers. Simply put: Awesome. They are my SHIT!!! I have listened to that CD three times in a row! ?love said he listened to it SEVEN times in a row and made 28 people listen to it, 3 at gunpoint because he is willing to go to jail for Platinum Pied Pipers. I am seriously thinking about buying Mini Me their CD just so they can get that much more support from me.
If you have the choice to listen to great music, check out Dwele and Platinum Pied Pipers. While you're at it, do like Dead Prez said, "Turn off the Radio"
Starting last spring, we heard sprinkles of Slim Thug and Paul Wall. I was fortunate to have a roomate from Texas when I was at the illustrious Hampton University and I heard Lil Flipper before he dropped the '-er'. I heard chopped and screwed Trick before HE even heard it. When people were asking, "Who is Mike Jones?" I was answering. Last summer, I spent time in Texas; even road tripped from Austin to Tally and naturally, I heard all that we are hearing now. Chamillionaire, all that. I actually like Texas music. Its is definately alright with me (in a commercial sense). Of course Destiny's Child was always around but no-one ever really thought of them as a Texas sounding group; R-n-B doesn't have a sound...or does it?
Detroit.
Detroit is where it is AT for music guys! If you are looking for a breath of fresh air, pick up a DET based CD. The production of JD will be missed but TRUST, he will not be forgotten. From real instrumentation to off the wall drum patterns, Detroit has my musical heart. Slum Village got some commercial appeal when "Tainted" came out Fall 2003...and that's when their hook/bridge artist first caught my eye. Dwele. He is it. If you haven't peeped him, please go get his CDs. Naturally, the bestest made me a mix CD with this dude on it bout three and a half years ago and I am JUST now HEARING this dude! You know how you listen to music but you don't really HEAR it? Or maybe you were trying to hear but it wasn't the right time for that piece...yeah.
So after Slum Village and Dwele, who is next? Platinum Pied Pipers. Simply put: Awesome. They are my SHIT!!! I have listened to that CD three times in a row! ?love said he listened to it SEVEN times in a row and made 28 people listen to it, 3 at gunpoint because he is willing to go to jail for Platinum Pied Pipers. I am seriously thinking about buying Mini Me their CD just so they can get that much more support from me.
If you have the choice to listen to great music, check out Dwele and Platinum Pied Pipers. While you're at it, do like Dead Prez said, "Turn off the Radio"
smashli's extra crisy fried chicken -revised
here's an FYI for that ass, if its my own recipe, which this one is, i don't measure so bare with me. i'm just gonna list the grediants. and another fyi, if you like extra crispy fried chicken i have the banginiest fried chicken, i'm a little skeptical about posting, but this is the first thing i ever learned to cook so i feel its a pivotal dish to my foodieism. it seems to get better and better every time i make. as of lately i don't like other people's fried chicken, b/c mine is bomb (i got that from stace). so here we go:
The Grediants:
chicken ( i only like chicken wings so thats what i use)- however many you want
oilcast iron skillet or fry daddybrown paper bags
marinade
eggs- depends on how much chicken you're making
buttermilk-enough to cover all chicken
hot sauce- as much as you'd like
minced garlic
pepper
season salt
garlic powder
onion powder
crispy crunchy coating
flour
1 tsp cornstarch or backing powder
pepperseason saltgarlic powderonion powder
Ok so you have to season and marinate the meat for a couple of hours. Put the clean meat in container that has a cover. So scramble some eggs, pour over the chicken. Shake dry seasonings on top of chicken, add a spoonful of garlic and hot sauce. Pour buttermilk to cover all of the chicken. With gloved hands, combined all grediants thoroughly. Cover container and fridgerate for a couple of hours.
In a brown paper bag, combine flour, cornstarch or baking powder, and dry grediants. Give it a good shimmy.
now its time to coat the chicken, shake off excess marinade before putting in flour mixture. I usually coat 4-5 pieces at a time. Put chicken in the bag make sure the pieces aren't touching to prevent them from sticking to one another and missing out on the flour, and then shake, making sure each piece is coated. Repeat until all chicken is coated well. Then fridgerate for 15 minutes. (This helps the flour stick better). While chicken is in the fridge, heat up oil, make sure there is enough oil in the pan, so that the chicken will be completely covered. Once oil is hot, add chicken to the hot grease, don't let the pieces touch each other. I usually cook my chicken in the fry daddy, and that will cook 8 pieces at a time. Cook until chicken is a deep golden brown, and looks extra crispy and floats. Remove chicken from grease with a slotted spoon, drain grease, then place chicken on brown paper bags or cookie rack, to drain off anymore excess grease. Let cool and serve.
Variations:
Buffalo Wings: heat some hot sauce and butter together, dip wings in mixture, heat in oven.
Crispy BBQ Wings: heat some of you special bbq sauce, dip wings, heat in oven
Try Serving with (requested by Mrs. A):
Mac & Cheese
Rice & Beans
Collards
Mashed Potatoes
anything soul foodish- chitterlings, pig feet, fat back, i dunno
The Grediants:
chicken ( i only like chicken wings so thats what i use)- however many you want
oilcast iron skillet or fry daddybrown paper bags
marinade
eggs- depends on how much chicken you're making
buttermilk-enough to cover all chicken
hot sauce- as much as you'd like
minced garlic
pepper
season salt
garlic powder
onion powder
crispy crunchy coating
flour
1 tsp cornstarch or backing powder
pepperseason saltgarlic powderonion powder
Ok so you have to season and marinate the meat for a couple of hours. Put the clean meat in container that has a cover. So scramble some eggs, pour over the chicken. Shake dry seasonings on top of chicken, add a spoonful of garlic and hot sauce. Pour buttermilk to cover all of the chicken. With gloved hands, combined all grediants thoroughly. Cover container and fridgerate for a couple of hours.
In a brown paper bag, combine flour, cornstarch or baking powder, and dry grediants. Give it a good shimmy.
now its time to coat the chicken, shake off excess marinade before putting in flour mixture. I usually coat 4-5 pieces at a time. Put chicken in the bag make sure the pieces aren't touching to prevent them from sticking to one another and missing out on the flour, and then shake, making sure each piece is coated. Repeat until all chicken is coated well. Then fridgerate for 15 minutes. (This helps the flour stick better). While chicken is in the fridge, heat up oil, make sure there is enough oil in the pan, so that the chicken will be completely covered. Once oil is hot, add chicken to the hot grease, don't let the pieces touch each other. I usually cook my chicken in the fry daddy, and that will cook 8 pieces at a time. Cook until chicken is a deep golden brown, and looks extra crispy and floats. Remove chicken from grease with a slotted spoon, drain grease, then place chicken on brown paper bags or cookie rack, to drain off anymore excess grease. Let cool and serve.
Variations:
Buffalo Wings: heat some hot sauce and butter together, dip wings in mixture, heat in oven.
Crispy BBQ Wings: heat some of you special bbq sauce, dip wings, heat in oven
Try Serving with (requested by Mrs. A):
Mac & Cheese
Rice & Beans
Collards
Mashed Potatoes
anything soul foodish- chitterlings, pig feet, fat back, i dunno
and that's how i became a foodie
i know, i know, i'm way late. but i was super busy, but now i'm here. i'm sure you're all wondering how i became a foodie. good question. i would have to say it all started in college, the late years. ***sidebar- if you were unfamiliar with my alma mater, the illustrious Hampton University. so anywho, i only ate chicken for the longest, and i sure as hell didn't cook. i didn't have a domestic bone in my body until senior year at the illustrious one, when i moved off campus with my girl C. and she's about as non-domestic as they come, so thats when my life changed. it was domestication at its finest, i was actually borderline obsessive compulsive, but thats so not what we're talking about here. its all about food, but i'm getting there. senior year is where my inner housewife was born. all i did when i was out of class, which was by 12 noon daily, i would cook and clean. so i would watch foodtv on my free/stolen cable, and thats where i would get all of my cooking ideas. i was always experimenting with cooking. and thats where my culinary skills blossomed. and the broke hungry college kids were loving it, always interested in being lab rats with my experimenting. it came to a point where we had to stop answering our door at dinner time, b/c someone was always knockin just when we sat down to eat. musta though 10B was the cafe or something. and thats how i became a foodie.
10.02.2006
Believe
That's one of the Raheem Devaughn songs I can't stop thinking about!!! He's going on tour and guess what city he's not going to... that's right, Pittsburgh. Of course. Know why? Because no one comes to Pittsburgh. And all the other places he's going to I can't go because its not on my off days. Of course not. Because that would be far too convenient and we can't have that!!! If you haven't heard the love experience, what on earth are you waiting for? Christmas? You're in luck. Its right around the corner. Get it for yourself early. It's worth it. Need a preview (this is ridiculous b/c this cd is old), check him out on myspace. All the cool kids are doin it. If you want to see him, head to his myspace page for a list. I'm not helping anymore. I'm going to pout now. HMPH!
10.01.2006
Salmon Croquettes
1/4 cup italian bread crumbs
2 lightly scrambled eggs
1 15 oz. can of flaked salmon
3 cloves fresh garlic (optional)
1/2 medium onion (optional)
Get a large skillet of vegetable oil piping hot (you know its hot enough when you see waves, or you stick the back end of a wooden spoon in and little bubbles form around it). Combine all ingredients, form into small patties. Pat additional breadcrumbs on the outside of each patty. Fry for 2 minutes on each side. Drain and serve! Yumm-o! :D
**Do not overcook. They cook deceptively quickly and you don't want a mouth full of burned patty. The original recipe called for regular bread crumbs. I had italian on hand (includes oregano, garlic powder and parmesan cheese) so I used those. WAY more delicious than I had even anticipated. Invigorating. Enjoy.
2 lightly scrambled eggs
1 15 oz. can of flaked salmon
3 cloves fresh garlic (optional)
1/2 medium onion (optional)
Get a large skillet of vegetable oil piping hot (you know its hot enough when you see waves, or you stick the back end of a wooden spoon in and little bubbles form around it). Combine all ingredients, form into small patties. Pat additional breadcrumbs on the outside of each patty. Fry for 2 minutes on each side. Drain and serve! Yumm-o! :D
**Do not overcook. They cook deceptively quickly and you don't want a mouth full of burned patty. The original recipe called for regular bread crumbs. I had italian on hand (includes oregano, garlic powder and parmesan cheese) so I used those. WAY more delicious than I had even anticipated. Invigorating. Enjoy.
