Thoughts on Cupcake Wars©….

July 10, 2010 The Culinary Chronicles1 Comment

As a self-proclaimed food television junkie and novice cupcake baker, it’s no shocker that I’ve tuned into the FoodNetwork’s latest show Cupcake Wars©. Per their site:

“Each week on Cupcake Wars, four of the country’s top cupcake bakers face off in three elimination challenges until only one decorator remains. The sweet prize: $10,000 and the opportunity to showcase their cupcakes at the winning gig.”

Image from http://www.foodnetwork.com

Conceptually, I was super excited to catch the premiere and couldn’t wait to be inspired by cupcakers around the country. But alas, after each episode I’m left with a “meh” feeling. I neither love it or dislike it…..all I know is that I kind of expected more. This isn’t to say that the challenges are a piece of cake (or “cupcake” in this case) because I know I sure as heck couldn’t bake and frost cupcakes within 45 minutes (or make a 1,000 in 3 hours for that matter!). Yet despite all of it, I’ve been a bit underwhelmed. Who knows….maybe it’s the “Simon Cowell” approach to judging that Chef Florian Bellanger is taking or the random hosting by Justin Willman that makes me kind of cringe.

Still, at the end of the day, I’d like to give big kudos to each of the contestants. Keep up the good work and I’ll keep tuning in.

So until next time Friends, this is Food Television Junkie signing off. 🙂

Miscellaneous

‘Opihi….Hawaiian Limpets

June 8, 2010 The Culinary Chronicles10 Comments

I had many culinary firsts on my trip back to the Big Island but perhaps none were so memorable as when I first tried the ‘Opihi.

In simplest terms, ‘Opihi are Hawaiian Limpets—or little conical mollusks found clinging to sea rocks and shorelines. Often times found at celebrations or standard lu’au fare, ‘Opihi are prized local delicacies that can cost you a pretty penny when purchased at a store. Unless that is..…you go ‘Opihi picking 🙂

While enjoying some time at the Warm Ponds in Kapoho, Isaiah’s parents went on a little adventure to pry the coveted ‘Opihi from the nearby rocks. To my surprise, they were quite plentiful though one needs to be very careful when ‘Opihi picking. Particularly when large waves pound the rocks while you’re busy concentrating on the little gems!

Many folks have an aversion to ‘Opihi, especially if they’re raw. But when the BF asked if I wanted to try one, I eagerly agreed. I figured there was no fresher place to try this local delicacy and since I love Oysters and Sea Snails, I assumed it would be similar.

After a quick rinse in the ocean water, Isaiah loosened the flesh from the shell, handed it over to me, and I quickly popped it in my mouth. To my delight—I loved it! Sure, the texture is a bit chewy and slimey at the same time but what mollusks aren’t? I really enjoyed the salty-sea taste mixed with hints of a crab roe flavor. But I think what truly heightened the experience was that I was sampling it in a gorgeous place–fresh from the sea. So cool.

I’m told that ‘Opihi are often times enjoyed with just a little bit of Hawaiian Sea Salt or a bit of Hawaiian Chili Water. In fact, later that week at the BF’s family gathering, I tried them “poke style”, mixed with some local fish.

Another interesting tidbit of information I learned is that Native Hawaiians believe that ‘Opihi can be aumakua and protect you from heavy surf or sharks. Now that’s a Win-Win Situation!

Moral of the story? Every day has the potential of containing a new culinary adventure—so take a chance!

“I’ve long believed that good food, good eating, is all about risk. Whether we’re talking about unpasteurized Stilton, raw oysters or working for organized crime ‘associates,’ food, for me, has always been an adventure.”
— Anthony Bourdain

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Aloha ‘Aina…Love of the Land

June 4, 2010June 4, 2010 The Culinary Chronicles6 Comments

I have long admired the Hawaiian mantra of “living off the land”. These ideals of living a sustainable lifestyle without overconsumption and mutual respect for life is something I wish I could practice more regularly. And although I realize the lush islands of Hawai’i lends itself to being more accessible to harvesting the fruits of the land and sea, I think the ideals can be incorporated into anywhere one resides.

While on the Big Island, we spent some time at Isaiah’s grandparents’ home. Nestled on 5 acres of verdant land, their “backyard” is home to beautiful tropical flowers, fruits, and plants. On one particular day, we were able to take a hike around the grounds to explore what the land had to offer and I was thrilled to discover natural jewels around every bend.

Years ago, Isaiah’s grandfather planted a beautiful grove of Macadamia Nut Trees. The nuts from those trees were collected and combined with other co-op growers and sold to local factories (yes, the famed Mauna Loa, included). And although the nuts are no longer harvested, the trees are still abundant and grow stronger with each season.

On our “nature hike” we caught glimpses of delicious fruits, heard the calls of billy goats, and noshed on some fresh sugar cane. Below are a few snap shots of the Matsumura’s land:

Ginger Flowers, Ti Plants, and other lush greens

Taro Plant

Lychee Tree

Lychee Fruit

Wild Berries

Pineapples

Macadamia Nut Trees (The little greens on the ground are all saplings)

Mac Nuts

Avocadoes

Guavee–not to be confused with “Guava”

Sugar Cane

Lilikoi (Passion Fruit)

Lilikoi Flower

Lilikoi

Papaya

And even MORE Papaya

Collard Greens

Needless to say, we thoroughly enjoyed our exploration of the grounds. With such wonderful ingredients within reach–I would never need to go to the Farmers markets! Perhaps Grandma Matsumura would let me stay with her for awhile and create recipes galore using the fruits of the land. Well…a girl could dream, right? 🙂

With that dear friends, I hope that you can find ways to practice the Hawaiian lifestyle in your lives. Start a vegetable garden….grow fresh herbs….buy locally. No effort is too small. 🙂

Much Mahalos to the Matsumura ‘Ohana for showing me “Aloha ‘Aina“. 🙂

Munching on some fresh Sugar Cane

Miscellaneous

Hawai’i, Aloha!

May 31, 2010June 30, 2010 The Culinary Chronicles2 Comments

Aloha, Friends!

My confession to you all is that I am terribly behind on my posts. Earlier last month I accompanied my BF and his family back to their home of Hawai’i. We spent 10 amazing days on O’ahu and their home island of Hawai’i (known as the “Big Island”). I proudly say that we indulged ourselves in the beautiful Hawaiian sun, played in the ocean, visited with friends & family…..and of course, partook in the amazing ‘Ono Grindz that one can only find in Hawai’i.

I think many who have visited the islands will agree with me when I profess that it’s a wonderfully Kindred place that holds such immense spirit and community. And since my first visit years ago, I have fallen in love with Hawai’i and have finagled my way back at least once a year. 🙂

Thus the next few posts will chronicle some of our favorite local food haunts and highlight the fruits of the land. Hopefully through it all, you will get to catch a glimpse of our Hawai’i and peek into the Aloha Spirit!

A hui hou kakou! (Until we meet again!)

Miscellaneous

Bella’s Peanut Butter Puppy Treats

April 30, 2010March 5, 2013 The Culinary Chronicles3 Comments

Look at this face…..how can you not just love her?

Especially when her wrinkly little face looks up at me while I’m in the kitchen working on some recipe. Just tears at my heart strings. Thus the other day, I dedicated the afternoon to making our little puggle, Bella, a big ol’ bag of Peanut Butter Puppy Treats.

The great thing about baking your little buddy treats at home is that you know EXACTLY what’s in it. None of that animal by-product stuff…..And trust me, after catching an episode of Dirty Jobs on the Discovery Channel, you’ll be reading the ingredients list on EVERY thing you buy your four-legged little friends.

Bella LOVED them……she ate them in the same manner that I attack french fries. We actually gave them a try but it just tasted like a dry cracker to us. But then again, we don’t have the same discerning palette as puggles 🙂

Got a four-legged buddy? Make their day by whipping up a batch of these treats. The molasses and honey I added give it just a little more touch of love.

Ready to be baked.

Fresh out of the oven.

A bowl of Puppy Happiness

Bella says “Omigosh! Finally-she baked for me!!!”

Puggle Approved 🙂

Bella’s Peanut Butter Puppy Treats
Adapted from Brown Eyed Baker

Ingredients:
2 cups All Purpose Flour
1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
1 Cup Peanut Butter (smooth)
1 Cup Non-Fat Milk
1 Tablespoon Honey
1 Tablespoon Molasses

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a bowl, combine flour and baking powder. In another bowl, mix peanut butter and milk. Add wet mixture to dry, and mix well.

Turn out dough on a lightly floured surface and knead. Roll out to 1/4-inch thickness and cut out shapes. Place on a greased baking sheet and bake 20 minutes or until lightly brown.

Cool on a rack and store in an airtight container.

Bella was a good girl and shared some with her buddy, Spartan. 🙂

Miscellaneous

Spreading the Sunshine……

March 19, 2010June 30, 2010 The Culinary Chronicles7 Comments

What a great impact a small gesture of kindness can give….

So you can imagine my utter excitement and glee when I opened up my email today and found that a fellow blogger had given me and a few others the Sunshine Blogger Award! Devaki of Weave a Thousand Flavors was such a sweetheart for including me on her list…….I’m so greatly honored and humbled by the kindness. 🙂 Thank you for sending along the Foodie-Love, Devaki!

The Sunshine Blog Award is awarded to bloggers whose positivity and creativity inspire others in the blog world.

Therefore, in an effort to continue the Foodie-Love, I would like to pass the Sunshine Blogger Award to some folks whose posts and efforts always bring a smile to my face. (Please excuse me if you’ve already been awarded—but you are just the MORE awesome for it!) All of your work continues to inspire me to try new things in the kitchen—not to mention y’all add a few virtual inches to my waistline! 🙂

And in no particular order, I pass the Sunshine Blogger Award to:

Hapa Bento: Debra, you are simply an artist. The creativity and beauty you put into each Bento is absolutely breathtaking. If you made me a Bento, I know I wouldn’t be able to bring myself to eat it because it’s all a work of art—You Rock!

Sugarlaws: I absolutely LOVE that you have merged Food and Fashion to one spot! Delicious culinary creations and rockin’ fashion sense!

Nutrition to Kitchen: Easily one of my first great supporters as I entered the Food Blogger world! Your recipes continue to remind me that delicious foods don’t always have to take a few years off of one’s life to enjoy it! I love your photojournalism and look forward to future posts as you return mainland!

Viet World Kitchen: Andrea, you are AWESOME! I am so thankful to your site for being a great resource to me AND for giving mass exposure to the world about the brilliant wonders of Vietnamese Cuisine.

Smitten Kitchen: I know it’s not just me—but I along with hoards of others are just smitten on your kitchen delights! Thank you for all your inspiring posts that have pushed me into my own kitchen. Your Beer Cupcakes were a hit with my friends and I will definitely be giving your breakfast pizza a spin!

So, to my Sunshine recipients, if you’d like to pass along the Foodie-Love, please do the following:

Put the logo on your blog or within your post
Pass the award on to as many as 12 bloggers.
Link the nominees within your post
Let the nominees know they have received this award by commenting on their blog
Share the love and link to the person from whom you received this award

In closing, THANK YOU to the Foodie Online Community for your gorgeous creations, diligent chronicles of your experiences, and foodie inspirations! I truly look forward to meeting more of you while sharing our mutual love of all things food related! 🙂

Much Foodie-Love and Alohas!

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WINNER of the GUEST BLOGGER CONTEST!

March 4, 2010July 7, 2010 The Culinary Chronicles4 Comments

CONGRATULATIONS to our winner of the Guest Blogger Contest! DRUM ROLL PLEASE……

Carol L. for her submission of Spiced Maple Pecan Cupcakes! Woo Hoo!

As our acclaimed winner, she will be receiving her very own copy of Julia Child’s “Mastering the Art of French Cooking”.

We hope that it will inspire some YUMMY-YUMMY creations as a result!

Congratulations Carol L. and THANK YOU to all our participants of our Guest Blogger Contest—YOU ROCK! 🙂 And although we may not be offering a reward incentive–The Culinary Chronicles will ALWAYS welcome and accept Guest Bloggers to contribute to the E-Culinary World!

Cheers!

Miscellaneous

New York or Bust!!!!

February 4, 2010July 7, 2010 The Culinary Chronicles18 Comments

That’s right folks—-the BF and I are headed to NYC tomorrow night for 5 luxurious days of gorging ourselves on good eats and tasty adult beverages. Woo Hoo! We’ve been fortunate enough to have traveled to New York on a few occasions before. Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center, Trump Tower…..Seen it, done it. Therefore, this trip is solely dedicated to expanding my waistband by diving into some culinary gluttony. 🙂

So many new places to choose from and so many old yummys to revisit. But, on the MUST-GET lists are:

Joe’s Shanghai Restaurant

Nobu Next Door

Peter Luger Steak House

Trattoria Zero Otto Nove

In the midst of our overindulgence, we’ll also get the chance to spend some QT with the familia and old friends. And, if my inevitable food coma doesn’t keep me away, I will do my best to keep you updated daily on our food-ventures. 🙂

So, to my Foodie Friends….What are your “MUST EAT” spots in the Big Apple????

Miscellaneous

An Authentic Italian Bolognaise Contains Little Tomato Probably No Beef & Would Never Be Served With Spaghetti (Guest Blogger)

January 31, 2010February 10, 2011 The Culinary Chronicles4 Comments

**This entry has been submitted to The Culinary Chronicles through our Guest Blogger Contest. **

By: the foodies handbook

The word bolognaise translates as ‘in the style of Bologna’. As well being the regional capital of the Bologna Province and the Emilia-Romagna Region in northern Italy, bologna is a large Italian styled North American smoked sausage, usually containing a combination of finely ground and seasoned meats including beef, pork, lamb, chicken or turkey. An authentic Italian bolognaise sauce is more correctly referred to as a ‘ragù’, this being a meat based sauce traditionally served with a pasta. Ragù is a phonetical Italian spelling of the French word ragout, which is derived from the old French ‘ragoûter’, meaning ‘to revive the taste’. As with most cuisines methods for bolognaise vary across Italy, but a typical recipe would always begin with a ‘soffritto’ of finely diced onions, carrots and celery. This is fried in olive oil and butter until caramelised, then seasoned with garlic and herbs. Assorted fresh mushrooms are then added and cooked until tender. The meat is then added which is usually a blend of three finely ground meats. Pork, veal and lamb could be used but goose liver is also a popular addition. Next milk will be added, this renders the meat flavours more delicate. Sometimes cream may be used, but only in small amounts. The mixture is then brought to the boil. Red wine and a quality stock is added along with a little tomato paste. The ragù is then seasoned and allowed to simmer gently for around 6 hours. When ready the sauce is served with a fresh pasta such as ‘tagliatelle alla bolognese’. An authentic Italian bolognaise contains little tomato, would not necessarily include beef and would never be served with spaghetti. Spaghetti is a smooth textured pasta and so would not be able to retain any of sauce when served. The sauce would simply slide off the pasta and back onto the plate. A rough textured pasta such as tagliatelle is always used as this retains the bolognaise sauce.

Click here for an authentic Italian bolognese sauce recipe

*Reminder: You, too, can be a Guest Blogger of The Culinary Chronicles! Submit all entries to theculinarychronicles@gmail.com and be eligible to win an AWESOME Foodie Prize!

Miscellaneous

“Must-Have” Kitchen Gadgets

January 28, 2010July 7, 2010 The Culinary Chronicles34 Comments

The other day my sister suggested I write something to ask readers what their favorite kitchen gadgets were. Huh…why didn’t I think of that??? 🙂

C’mon now, we all have one—even those of us who may be “cooking challenged”. 🙂 Whether it be that particular whisk or immersion blender, we all have that one gadget that we just cannot bear to be without. For instance, if you asked my BF what his fav item would be, I would venture to say it would be his Global Chef’s Knife that he has affectionately named “Katsu”. As for me, I don’t think I could just pick one. It may vary depending on the season but if I had to narrow it down to three, it would be my (of course, in no particular order):