The Food Nerds

Trying to eat healthy is difficult when you have a sweet tooth. You don’t have to feel bad when you eat something sweet. There are sweet and healthy foods you can eat that will satisfy your sweet tooth without adding fat and calories.

Real Fruit Smoothies
If you love milkshakes but don’t love the fat and calories you can try making a real fruit smoothie at home. This frosty drink is easy to make and has very little fat. Because you are making it at home you can choose (more…)

How To Cook A Delicious Romantic Dinner
A romantic dinner is the time to bring out fine china, gleaming silver, sparkling stemware and exquisite linens. Add touches of flowers and candles. This should hint at the romance of the dinner awaiting. Baked Cornish hens are an ideal dinner for two. Stuffed with wild rice and mushrooms, they are a complete entree. Lobster tails served with baked potato and Caesar salad is also a romantic entree for two that takes little preparation time.

Vive La Romance
Try a French accent for your romantic dinner. Begin with fine (more…)

It is said that there is nothing new under the sun. That may be true, but a little personal flair can turn an old classic dish into a new and exciting dining experience.

A cheese-based recipe can be transformed by trying out your favorite new exotic cheese. Transform Mac & Cheese into a gourmet meal using smoked provolone, for instance. Asiago Au Gratin potatoes are another easy example of making a simple substitution for a new and interesting flavor.

Experimenting with an unusual sauce or rub can change ho-hum barbeque ribs into a “can-t get enough,’ finger (more…)

Whether you learned to cook watching your Direct Tv Packages or you’re classically trained at a French cooking school there are a few dishes you’ve got to know how to make
Gumbo: Making a good roux is much harder than given credit for and this thickener can be applied to so many other great bases. If you want to make a great chicken pot pie or a bchamel sauce you’ve got to know how to make gumbo.
Buttercream: Baking isn’t that hard but making great cakes (more…)

For world travelers, one of the most enjoyable things about visiting any region is to sample the local cuisine. Some ethnic foods have become a mainstay of people’s diets, no matter where they are from or what their ethnic background may be. People everywhere seem to, just, love Italian dishes rich and hearty, Greek cuisine is another favorite and many develop a craving for Chinese. One ethnic cuisine that seems to have become a staple across America, having been imported from our neighbors to the south is Mexican food.

Almost all (more…)

Keeping certain items on hand in the kitchen at all times can be very helpful. By maintaining a supply of staple kitchen items, you are sure to be prepared if you have unexpected company show up for dinner or you need to whip up a meal quickly.

There are five kitchen staples that are definite must haves. They are pasta, spices, beef and chicken stock, flour and beans. For starters, it is good to always keep (more…)

Melissa d’Arabia was the season five (August 2009) winner of the Food Network’s The Next Food Network Star and many suspect her win could be attributed not only to her talent in the kitchen, but to the way she embodies family home cooking in an economical time when staying in is more common than going out.As with all Network Star winners, the channel gave her a show of her own, and in her Ten Dollar Dinners with Melissa d’Arabian she “pairs her varied culinary and life experiences to provide food lifestyle solutions and approachable recipes for all stages of life,” according to the network.Staying true to her show’s title, she offers tips such as: (more…)

The Business Journal recently wrote that a trip to Table 16 in Greensboro will leave guests experiencing “impeccable service and a memorable experience.” Owners of the restaurant write that Table 16 is a “blueprint of globally influenced New World Cuisine” that “embodies a style of food that is strong, unique, and indicative of the bold flavors of the New World coupled with the refined and elegant traditions of the Old World.” Chef Graham Heaton and staff of Table 16 look to influences from both Miami and New Orleans to “create a fresh new look on what is just within arm’s reach from our Coast along with our local farmers’ offerings.”Look for appetizers as delicious and varied as (more…)

What kind of food nerds would we be if we didn’t include a blurb about one of the most legendary drinks known? Absinthe achieved popularity in the late 19^th and early 20^th-century in France where it was hugely popular with artists and writers and is even been rumored as responsible for van Gogh’s famous ear episode (since many portray it as psychoactive drug that is both dangerous and addictive in nature). Sounds ominous, eh? Well, we tried out a few currently-available absinthe options on the market (all with trepidation and caution, of course) and found that while we totally enjoyed the earthy herbal qualities to the uniquely-colored green drink, we weren’t searching for the nearest knife for an appendage extraction. We did find the flavors of angelica, coriander, star anise and juniper to be intoxicating in and of themselves, and reveled in the preparation of the drink: placing a sugar cube on a specially-designed slotted spoon which is placed over the glass to collect water as it is spilled over the cube and drizzled (more…)

There’s no shortage of food programs on television and now with the Food Networks recent addition of new dessert shows, we’re all getting our sugar fix on nightly television. Recipes, competitions and delicious creations will leave your mouth watering after watching an episode or two. If you’re a cook, attempting to earn that title, or just fascinated by the creative cuisine, check out a few of these great shows.

1. Cupcake Wars: Airing Tuesdays 9pm/8c, each week 4 cupcake bakers from around the country come together for an epic battle of baking. Three challenges are used to determine a winner amongst the four, who gets a chance to showcase their work. Oh yeah, and 10,000. Three judges decide on each week’s winner.
2. Kid in a Candy Store: Host Adam Gertler travels around the country to find some of the most unique and delicious sweets you’ve ever seen. Some stops take us through the production process of some of our favorites such as dip and dots or salt water taffy, while others introduce us to new concoctions including deep fried cupcakes and beet ice cream. Adam hits the trail every Monday at 8p.m./7 c. And if you’re having trouble sleeping, re-runs air Monday nights at 3a.m./2c. (more…)