The Food Nerds

Three Diet Friendly Snacks For Your Sweet Tooth

admin — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0000

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 from any variety of fresh or frozen fruit and use yogurt, sherbet or fat free, sugar free ice cream.

Fruit Pie
Pie crust can be made with graham crackers and margarine rather than flour and lard. This decreases the caloric content as well as the fat in the crust. For the filling you can use fresh fruit rather than canned or bagged and a sugar substitute such as Splenda that works great for baking. Fresh fruit will decrease the calories because it is not packed in a sugary water and it will give you more vitamins than canned fruit.

Chocolate
If you are a chocolate lover and have difficulty giving it up when you are dieting, you don’t have to. You can make chocolate chip cookies and use a sugar substitute and half the amount of chips. Use margarine rather than real butter. If you enjoy chocolate covered fruit you can use bakers chocolate sweetened with a sugar free substitute.

Just because you are dieting doesn’t mean you have to give up your sweets. Feel free to enjoy but don’t overindulge. By substituting some of the key ingredients you can learn to make diet friendly sweets at home.

How To Cook A Delicious Romantic Dinner

admin — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0000

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 French wine and a bit of caviar or foi gras on water crackers. Or enjoy a vin au jous, a broth flavored wine for dipping with crusty French bread. For the first course start with a watercress and endive salad with raspberry wine dressing. If soup is preferred instead of salad, crab bisque can be prepared ahead. Make a spectacular entree of filet mignon for two. Serve this with butter-sauteed Portobello mushroom caps filled with a goat cheese stuffing.

A Romantic Dessert
Finish a romantic dinner with an awesome dessert like strawberry mousse served with fresh chocolate-covered strawberries or a brandy custard with raspberries.

Updated Classic Recipes With A Personal Touch

admin — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0000

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 licking feast. Seasonings and sauces go a long way in changing the meat entre. Add a few new spices to your spice rack and plan on using them to change up baked chicken or roast beef. Investigating unusual ingredients at an online recipe site can be fun. A can of soda added to a baked ham, orange juice as a basting liquid. You might wait to tell your guests the “secret ingredient’ until after they-ve raved over it, but an unusual ingredient is a sure way to bring life to a staid recipe.

Thinking outside the box might make Mom-s Meatloaf your very own special recipe overnight.

Great Dishes You’ve Got to Master

admin — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0000

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 and pastries requires you know how to whip up a flawless, smooth buttercream. Don’t shy away from the butter, it’s exactly what you need to make the icing light and fluffy.
Panna Cotta: Working with cream is essential and making panna cotta is a great way to get started. It’s not difficult but it’s a showstopper and who doesn’t love a decadent dessert after a heavy tomato sauce meal?
Souffle: The hardest item on the list, souffls are notoriously difficult and temperamental. Make a great one and you’ll be heralded for years.

Ethnic Dishes Every “Foodie” Should Sample

admin — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000

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 Mexican dishes are centered around the tortilla. They are made from both corn and flour and are a hearty staple used in the preparation of tacos, burritos, enchiladas, quesadillas and are also served on the side with nearly all other dishes. In Mexico, the smell of grilling meat is everywhere and carne asada tacos are a mainstay. Grilled steak, chopped and served in tortillas is a taste treat that cannot be beat. Another favorite ‘street food’ is the Sonoran hot dog. Americans being hot dog fans, go nuts over this Latin variation that is wrapped in bacon, served on a bolillo and garnished with salsa, frijoles, chilies and cream.

Five Kitchen Staples You Should Always Have

admin — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000

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 pasta on hand. With pasta readily available, you can quickly whip up something that is tasty and easy to adjust to any number of people.

No kitchen is complete without spices. Keep a variety along with the basic salt and pepper. Spices can do wonderful things for a meal. They can take something bland and spice it up to a whole new level of goodness. Beef and chicken stock are also good staples that can be used to help create a meal.

Flour is another key staple that is the foundation for many meals. There are several different varieties of flour, so stock a few different kinds. Beans are another useful food that can feed larger quantities of people, can be relatively inexpensive and can be used in many different recipes.

Tips from a Winner

www.thefoodnerds.com — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0000

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:

Eggs are a great protein to serve when you’re having a crowd because they’re so inexpensive. You can get them as cheap as eight cents per egg. Even if they’re not on sale and you’re getting the fancier, more expensive eggs, they’re still about 15 cents. So you’re getting a lot of protein for not a lot of money. Deviled eggs are a really filling, downright cheap appetizer perfect for entertaining.
Beans are a great go-to ingredient for entertaining. They’re full of fiber and protein, they’re tasty, inexpensive and they fill guests up. You can buy beans canned but try to use dried (which can be up to 80 percent less expensive). Save time by cooking up a large batch of beans, portioning them out for your specific recipe need and then freezing the rest. One cup of cooked beans costs only about 22 cents.

If you want more tips and tricks you may want to tune in on Sunday afternoons at 12:30pm to see what she might offer up to save you time and money in your own kitchen!

Table 16

www.thefoodnerds.com — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0000

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 Gala Apple Rutabega Stew and la Belle Farm’s Foie Gras & Kumquat Jelly to entrees as diverse as Buffalo Brisket & Pinto Escabeche and North Carolina Flounder & Pomegranate. Expect a wine list that is within reach yet equally varied as the restaurant’s entrees sure to offer something for every interest. And as one reviewer wrote “they let us sample four wines before we found one we liked,” so you know they’re all about making sure diners have a magnificent experience.Also of note are the restaurants wine dinners which start with a cocktail and hors d’oeuvres followed by a four-course dinner paired with wine, finishing with coffee and dessert; or the Chef’s Choice where the chef selects three or four small plates from salad to savory so you can get a sample of the broad diversity this restaurant has to offer. Located at 600 S. Elm. 336.279.8525

Absinthe Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

www.thefoodnerds.com — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 16:39:05 +0000

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 into the glass of absinthe (ideally to result in a balance of one part absinthe to 3-5 parts water). What happened next was amazing the absinthe changed hue and obtained an opalescent milkiness as it bloomed in bouquet. The bottom line was that we were so thrilled to have tried this historically delightful drink, and while it didn’t evoke the oft-rumored hallucinogenic quality, it did evoke warmth of heart that will have us going back for more!

Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice

www.thefoodnerds.com — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 14:15:40 +0000

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.

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.
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.
Ace of Cakes: This Thursday night favorite comes on at 10pm/9c and 10:30/9:30c and goes inside the world of Chef Duff. A baker in Baltimore, MD, Duff employs a fascinating group of talented bakers at Charm City Cakes who work tirelessly to create the most challenging and detailed cakes you could ever dream up. You’ll be impressed week after week with what Duff and the team come up with.

Check out Food Network mobile for new recipes and videos and release the chef in you wherever you go.