My favorite food blogger, Adam Roberts of The Amateur Gourmet, recently started a fun online show for the Food Network called "The FN Dish". From mildly to highly amusing, The FN Dish speaks (and sings) to foodies around the world about all sorts of topics, most of them Food Network or Food Network star related. Note for Andy - one episode includes an interview with Anthony Bourdain. Check it out. Now.
Now that I've plugged an already popular site, it's time for the real excitement. I WON an awesome cookbook (well, I think it's awesome, I haven't received it yet so I'm not sure) from the Food Network's FN Dish by writing song lyrics about grilling. Can you believe it?? My lyrics were selected from thousands (or a couple dozen) of entries. Seriously, I am totally impressed and still in awe of my mad writing skiiilzz.
Here, for your reading pleasure, are the winning lyrics:
"Light and healthy, fresh and fun
How do I know when this fish is done?
Gently lift with a spatula, hoping not to spill...
Half my dinner is still on the grill!"
I Dip, You Dip, We All Dip for French Onions
This post is not for the faint of stomach. The images that are about to be seen are considered by many to be graphic, grotesque, and all around un-appetizing. Consider yourself warned.
As I was flipping through one of Ina's cookbooks (we are on a first name basis even though she has no idea who I am. I am convinced we would be intimate friends and she would invite me over, along with the gay table-scape guy and the creepy plant lady, were we to ever meet) when I stumbled upon a recipe for home made French onion dip.
"Voila! I must make it!" And off I ran to the grocery store to pick up the ingredients.
Onions
Paprika
Olive Oil
Butter
Salt
Pepper
Sour Cream
The onions are to be sliced into thin half moons, a task my Global's and I rejoiced in. *Side note - my friend Matt recently purchased a few members of the Global family - congratulations are in order!* Once the onions are sliced, it's time for heat.
Sprinkle them with a little salt, pepper, and paprika and let them cook down. This takes a while. I finished Barefoot Contessa Parties and moved on to one of my Williams Sonoma Entertaining books. Then I made myself some iced tea, chatted with my sister on the phone, watched a movie, you get the idea.
The scent that begins to waft through your home at this point will be very distracting. I don't like onions raw, but there is something about a huge pan of cooking onions that smells like delicious. Do not take the onions off the heat until they hit this point:
Sorry, that's the gross picture. It tastes good, I promise!
Allow these caramelized onions to cool, then mix them into sour cream, season to taste, and enjoy! There would have been pictures of the finished product, but I was throwing a BBQ that night so it was all gone before I had a chance to whip out the camera. Oops!
As I was flipping through one of Ina's cookbooks (we are on a first name basis even though she has no idea who I am. I am convinced we would be intimate friends and she would invite me over, along with the gay table-scape guy and the creepy plant lady, were we to ever meet) when I stumbled upon a recipe for home made French onion dip.
"Voila! I must make it!" And off I ran to the grocery store to pick up the ingredients.
Onions
Paprika
Olive Oil
Butter
Salt
Pepper
Sour Cream
The onions are to be sliced into thin half moons, a task my Global's and I rejoiced in. *Side note - my friend Matt recently purchased a few members of the Global family - congratulations are in order!* Once the onions are sliced, it's time for heat.
Sprinkle them with a little salt, pepper, and paprika and let them cook down. This takes a while. I finished Barefoot Contessa Parties and moved on to one of my Williams Sonoma Entertaining books. Then I made myself some iced tea, chatted with my sister on the phone, watched a movie, you get the idea.
The scent that begins to waft through your home at this point will be very distracting. I don't like onions raw, but there is something about a huge pan of cooking onions that smells like delicious. Do not take the onions off the heat until they hit this point:
Sorry, that's the gross picture. It tastes good, I promise!
Allow these caramelized onions to cool, then mix them into sour cream, season to taste, and enjoy! There would have been pictures of the finished product, but I was throwing a BBQ that night so it was all gone before I had a chance to whip out the camera. Oops!
France, Cast Iron, and Short Ribs
I have a Le Creuset! A beautiful piece of red enameled cast iron, ready to prepare 6 3/4 quarts worth of deliciousness, used for generations of French cooking is now all mine!
The week before Easter I flew to Vegas for a conference, and then from there headed to Maryland to spend time with the fam. Great times were had by all, including an experience with Ethiopian food, which is generally one of my favorite foods, that I don't wish to repeat. I woke up at 4 a.m. on Easter Sunday to catch a flight home, and after stopping for burritos at JV's (this is, quite simply, what you have to do when you've just landed in San Diego) was excited to be back at my house.
I started to walk to our room to unpack myself when I saw it. There, basking in its French glory was the most beautiful Orange box I have ever laid eyes on. It was an Easter miracle!
Now, over one month since I received this lovely and thoughtful gift, and I have yet to use it. Determined to make something luscious and tender, for the inaugural use I am leaning toward short ribs. I have a few recipes, and looked up quite a few more on foodnetwork.com but I want to be sure I have the best recipe out there. Any suggestions? If short ribs aren't your thing, what have you made in your Le Creuset that is worthy of a crown? Do share!
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