Anne Burell Book Signing

My favorite way to spend a rainy Florida day? Why, Food Network Chef Stalking of course! And this week I had the pleasure of meeting none other than Anne Burell. Her first book, Cook like a Rock star is now out so she is out promoting it. Waiting in line, I had plenty of time to read through it, and it is like having Anne right there in the kitchen with you. It is well written and full of her personality. You can just imagine her standing there in her skirt, shaking her spiky hair and yelling "Big Meat"!  The title is perfect for her, by the way. As she was getting ready to come out to start signing books, they played at little Def Leopard Pour Some Sugar on Me for her to come out to. Fun!
When it was my turn to meet her, I asked her the same question I ask all of the chefs I meet: Whose Food Network Show Do you Watch? Anne, in her rock star way, looks me at me dead serious and says "None, I know how to cook!" WOW! Imagine the shock and awe on my face! I too know how to cook...I watch for ideas and inspiration. She recovered by saying that she will be watching the upcoming Next Iron Chef (which she is on, of course!) It was then time to take a photo, sign my book and move along...

{everyone say "Big Meat!"}

{Best inscription ever!}

Houston, there is not a problem!

2011 Tailgate #4
Theme: Houston

When I think of Texas, there is only one thing that comes to mind...STEAK! Luckily I came across this recipe from Food Network for a Texas Steak Sandwich. Perfect for a Sunday tailgate, with a toasty roll, juicy steak, tomatillo salsa and sharp cheese. (Silly Publix didn't have cojita cheese, so we substituted with Parmesan.) To go along with it, a Texas Potato Salad, complete with pickled onions, Dijon and cilantro, compliments of the divine Bobby Flay. Throw in some BBQ chips and a some Captain Morgan, and you have yourself a tailgate folks!

{clockwise from left: the winning tailgate plate, the making of a killer sandwich, making new friends}

It's getting pretty tough to top these tailgates... first lobster, then steak? Now what? Anyone have ideas for a Denver tailgate? Send them my way!

Also a big, warm welcome to all my new blog followers. Thanks for following me on my foodie journey!

Happy eating,

H

Killer Food

It's no secret that I am Addicted to the Food Network (hence the name of this blog!). It's pretty much the only channel I watch, but imagine my surprise when I came across a show on FN about the folks in my own hometown, Indiantown, FL! It was called Killer Food and it was about deadly food jobs. Imagine my surprise again when the first face I see is none other than my childhood neighbor, Iris Wall, on the screen!

{Florida Cracker?!}

In the episode, Iris gets her grandaughter, Whitney, a hog hunter, to learn how to hunt alligators for some more money. Classic Indiantown! In the end, they all gather at the ranch to eat the day's catch.

Who says you can't go home?! Quite nastalgic to see the hometown on my favorite network, but at the same time reminds me why I got out the second I had the chance.

Best Thing I Ever Ate

Just got back from a taping of The Best Thing I Ever Ate at Rosario's Ristorante in Boca.  Slightly disappointed that the actual Food Network star was not here, but I had a wonderful time non-the-less! There was a 'stunt double' for Alex Guarnaschelli , and I only heard part of the taping (although I did hear them talking about the garlic bread, which IS possibly the best I ever ate!), but it was fun to watch the whole production! Here is a peak at 'Alex's" closeup:

From across the room, we totally thought it was the real Alex!

Besides the buzzing about the taping going on, the dinner we enjoyed was also truly excellent! No wonder Alex raved about it! If you haven't been to Rosario's, it's definitely worth a trip there! They have all of your favorite Italian classics, and even have a $26.95 3-course Summer menu with a ton of tasty choices!

I had the Gnocchi:

While Caroline went big and had the 2lb Maine Lobster Special:

 

Can you believe that is also part of the $26.95 special???

Of course there was also dessert:

Italian Cheesecake

Tiramisu

chocolate mouse cake

Yum! Everything was delicious, but what really made the experience was the service. Everybody at Rosario's was friendly, knowledgeable and accessible. I mean, the owner came by a few times to check on us, and his wife, Toni, was so cute I HAD to take a picture with her!

What you don't see here? She really only came up to my chest, so I am totally squatting to take this photo, lol!

All in all a fun evening with great friends, great food and some Food Network stalking! We are told the episode they taped tonight will air in November, and we had to sign waivers, so I'll let you know when it's going to air, so you can look for us!

DDD Tour tastic...episode one

I watch a variety of shows on The Food Network, but one of the ones I Tivo consistently is Diners, Drive-ins and Dives with Guy Fieri. It is always fun, fresh and real, good food. I personally think you should always check to see where Guy's been when going to visit a new city! He always picks joints that you may NEVER pull into without a reccomendation from someone. Well, I certainly trust Guy's reccomendation, so Amanda and I have been visiting the DDD locales here in South Florida. Here is a peak into where we have been so far:

First off, Grampa's Bakery in Dania. Good 'ol fashioned diner food, with a to-die-for bakery attached. Yes, the Rueben Sandwich was good, and the free basket of danishes a nice touch, but the bakery! It is really hard to decide when looking at two huge cases of desserts which sweet treat to get, but I ultimately decided on a Black n White Cookie. I mean, a huge, cake like cookie with chocolate and vanilla frosting on top? perfect!

Next, we tried Havana Hideout. Lively little Cuban  place with a outside patio perfect for sipping sangria on a Sunday afternoon. Of course, everyplace on DDD has a twist, and this one is, the "dining area" is outside on sand, and the kitchen is a trailer. Add live music, and great food, and I will definitely be going back! What was fun was, on the menu, you can "Get what Guy got." A sampler of all the things he tried while there. Of course that's what I got, and it was all tasty! Located in Lake Worth, this place is a must see!

Next, we ventured into Hollywood to try Sonny's Famous Steak Hoagies. Small little dive in a strip mall, you could drive by it a million times and never think about stopping...well, I'm glad Guy told us all about it! It is very inexpensive, good food, great portion size and friendly staff. I got a Steak Sandwich with onions, provolone and sauce on the side. They put a whole bowl of hot peppers on your table to garnish your sandwich, which is a great touch.  I really enjoyed the sandwich and could eat them often! What I can't figure out is, even though I have washed my hands a few dozen times, why do my hands still smell like steak deliciousness??? Makes me wonder what it is doing to my insides right now......

Ok, I still have a few more spots to try, as I follow in Guy's footsteps. Do you have a gem of a place you think should check out? Tell him here, or just tell me! I'd love to know where you eat that is off the norm.

Come fry with me

Ever feel like the universe just pushes you towards something? For some it's that new pair of shoes, for others it's a handbag, for me, if it's not one of those, it's definitely some type of food! Well, for about a week now, all signs have been pointing me towards Onion Rings! Everytime I turned on the Food Network or a talk show, it was another recipe for Onion Rings. Who am I to argue? So yesterday, I cooked up a few batches of these: Thick-cut-o-rings. It is, of course, courtesy of Rachel Ray.

Now, I am not one that craves anything fried. I never knew that Burker King has the best onion rings, and I never get a combo at a burger joint, unless of course if it's Big Joes in Santa Monica....best fries ever! I digress. Everyone really enjoyed these Onion Rings,  I even went back for a few extra handfuls! This is also a recipe I will not soon forget, mainly because my hands STILL smell like onions, a full day later.  I guess the Universe is still pushing me towards onions rings....who am I to argue?! Maybe these will make another appearance soon.....SuperBowl perhaps?

Til Then!
Yours Truly,
H

side note: This got me thinking....What are your favorite fries? Where do you go when you get a craving? How far would you go to get them? I wanna hear all about it!

PJs Please!

This past weekend was one of those lazy, rainy weekends that just begs you to stay in your PJs, cozy up with a book or a movie, or in my case, the Food Network! Nothing screams comfort like a big pot of something yummy bubbling on the stove, so here is what I made to comfort my soul and my belly!

First off, a copycat of my favorite restaurant foods, Olive Garden's Pasta Fagioli Soup. All the comfort of going to the restaurant, without leaving the house! I really does taste exactly like the original and it was so easy and quick-cooking. http://www.copykat.com/2009/03/29/olive-garden-pasta-e-fagioli/.

Next up, for those of you who now me, know I love sandwiches....and this one does not disappoint! I am so in love with this sandwich, which is a meal in itself! This Cuban Style Monte Cristo still has my mouth watering for more! http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/food/recipes/cuban-style-monte-cristos-pineapple-slaw/.

Lastly, it wouldn't be comfort with out something sweet to top off your meal, so I made a Pumpkin Bundt Cake. The credit on this one goes to the Libby Pumpkin Bread Kit. It is hard to find, but it makes delicious, moist cake, that is so simple and makes the house smell fantastic!

I hope you enjoy these on your next rainy, lazy weekend. I'm off to dream some more about that sandwich!