Category: Ingredients (Page 7 of 25)

      Product review: Sweet and Creamy Iced Coffee K-Cup packs

      August 10, 2012 /

      First off, let me say that I am thrilled to be a K-Cup Ambassador, having the opportunity to try new flavors of coffee in the Keurig brewing system. I used to be steadfast in my coffee drinking, that I would not drink anything other than “regular” flavor and that anything flavored amounted to “foo-foo.” But as you get older, you try new foods and drinks, and when I tried hazelnut coffee once, and it tasted like Cocoa Puffs, I was hooked and began to try different flavors. And so right on cue, the folks at Green Mountain Coffee have given me the opportunity to try their new K-Cup flavors each month.

      The first installment is the Original Donut Shop Sweet & Creamy Iced Coffee K-Cup packs, which come in two flavors–Regular and Nutty Hazelnut. They are both delicious, with the regular packing the punch of coffee while the hazelnut one was more like a coffee flavored creamy drink and nice Cocoa Puffs undertone. But the best part? Have you ever made iced coffee at home? It’s a royal pain, waiting for it to cool down before icing, which could take an hour or more. But with the Keurig, you put ice in a sturdy plastic cup (they generously supplied one with a cover and straw), and brew right over the ice. Of course, it melts most of it and you have to add more, but all you do is that, which takes a minute or so, and shake it up. You have to do this in order for the sweetness to permeate the drink. But that’s it. You have iced coffee in literally two minutes. And since we’ve had record temps, even here in Wisconsin, drinking hot coffee in the afternoon is not the best option. So the K-Cup gives me (and you!) the chance to enjoy easy iced coffee as the hot climate continues.

      For those of you unfamiliar with the Keurig, it is a home brewing system that allows you to make single cup servings of coffee. And if you have one and would like to order these Donut Shop iced coffee flavors, please visit www.BrewOverIce.com

      Ingredients, Product Reviews, Your Kitchen

      Magazine recipes that linger–cole slaw and “flapjacks”

      August 2, 2012 /

      If you are like me, you read new food magazines voraciously, especially ones that have cool typeface and awesome photos like Food Network Magazine. But then after trying a recipe or two, they pile up until you have a chance to clip your faves. I swear there is a business idea in there, if only I had time to develop such an idea.

      Anyway, that being said, there are recipes I have clipped that I go to–frequently. One such recipe is the one I use for cole slaw from…wait for it….GQ. I have to hand it to GQ. My comp subscription has made me feel old at times, but every month I look for its recipes and ideas about food. Seriously. So in the June 2008 issue, there were barbecue items–how to cook a hamburger properly for one, how to make kickass grilled peaches for another. But the one that stood my test of time was the cole slaw recipe–it’s simple, it’s classic, and it’s delicious. It also gives me a template even if I veer a bit with the ingredients, but I never seem to want to because of how delicious the original recipe is.

      Then there was this other one–an article and recipe in the March 2010 issue of Bon Appetit. This is a mag my mom reads and probably has 35 years worth of them piled up, but I grabbed one in an airport one day and wound up clipping this article about British “flapjacks.” Food journalist/blogger/restauranteur Molly Wizenberg wrote it and made these things appear to look and sound delicious. The recipe haunted me for two and half years until I pulled it out again the other day. The one thing holding me back–an ingredient called golden syrup, which is only available in specialty food stores and British import shops. They are not pancakes per se, but more like cookie/granola bar hybrids that they call flapjacks. The ingredients are simple–quick cooking oats, butter, brown sugar, golden syrup and a pinch of salt. I’ve always loved the taste of oatmeal and oatmeal cookies and anything made with oats, but dang…golden freaking syrup. Finally, I realized something. The last few months I have found things the new-fashioned way–online. Well, duh. You can buy anything on Amazon.com these days. So there it was–Lyle’s Golden Syrup, maybe $5 a can but about $10 in shipping. That was fine with me. It arrived and I made the recipe the next day. My wife and I devoured the whole tray and I made another tray which I devoured this past week. Now let’s be frank–a stick of butter will make almost anything taste good. But these flapjacks are the bomb, and I suspect we will make them again this weekend, making two trays or more.

      Thank you, Molly Wizenberg. You brought me something from your own experiences/memories, and now I’m going to get really fat eating them because they taste so good. Now, if anyone can share a recipe that resembles those Buitoni toaster pizzas from my childhood that they don’t make anymore, I will be forever grateful.

      Chefs and Restaurants, Food on a Budget, Grocery stores, Healthy, Ingredients, Recipes, Your Kitchen

      My new friend–fish

      July 20, 2012 /

      Chef JimI won’t go into too much detail about why I never cared much for seafood. I think that it’s because of the awful smell when my mom would take me into fish markets on Long Island. Ewww. And the beady eyes on those things. But I’ve tasted some seafood and have liked some things at times–crabcakes and shrimp cocktail to name a few. And I’ve had fish a few times too, especially at wine dinner events or special all inclusive “chef’s dinners” that my wife and I have gone to, like at Graham Elliot in Chicago. Well, there, I went into detail.

      Anyway, I always notice how nice the frozen fish looks at Trader Joe’s, our favorite grocery store. And I keep thinking I want to give fish a chance. So last week we got some–a fish called Cape Capensis, a mild white fish from the coast of South Africa. Yeah, that’s a long way from Madison, but there it is. And last night, we tried it. And by we, I mean that I cooked and ate fish for the first time in my life. I won’t say it was my favorite thing ever, but it was tasty for sure and I’d make it again. The recipe was one I found on a site called The Fish Bus. (note: The Fish Bus name reminded me of this hilarious rap written by my wife’s friend Aly). I substituted panko bread crumbs for the corn chip crumbs and it seemed to taste fine.

      So there you have it. My wife and sister are proud of me. My parents will likely faint when I tell them.

      Grocery stores, Healthy, Ingredients, Recipes, Your Kitchen

      Product reviews/recipes–alcohol edition

      July 14, 2012 /

      I will never complain that from time to time I receive some free alcohol to sample in exchange for writing something up about said liquor. With that, I’m going to talk about three such liquors and what a novice mixologist like me did with them. And when I say novice, I’m talking still-in-the-womb novice. Most of my experience with booze is opening up some beer or wine, but occasionally I step out of my comfort zone. But at least you know that going in.

      Chef JimFirst, I was sent three different types of tequila from Hornitos–Reposado, Plata, and Anejo. I’m looking forward to having a Mexican themed party with margaritas and Coronas, but meanwhile, I used the Plata (clearest form of tequila) for the following recipe sent to me by the rep for X-Rated Fusion Liqueur and substituted the Hornitos for the tequila they suggested:

      The Garden Fresh Skinny Summerita

      By Travis London

      Chef Jim1 oz. X-Rated Fusion Liqueur
      1 oz. (Hornitos) tequila
      Juice of half a lime
      3 sprigs fresh cilantro
      3 thin slices of fresh cucumber
      3 thin slices of a fresh jalapeño pepper
      Cucumber wheel for garnish

      Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker (except cucumber wheel) filled with ice and shake vigorously. Pour into a chilled glass and garnish with cucumber wheel.

      I will say this–it’s not a sweet fu-fu drink. With the jalapeno in there, this is a downright spicy drink, but it’s also extremely refreshing. If you can take the spice, you can probably drink three or four of these without blinking on a hot summer day. And let’s face it–it’s freaking hot everywhere in the country right now.

      Chef JimThen there is this drink I created using SKYY Infusions Coconut vodka. I’m a big coconut fan, so it was easy for me to like this one. I’m also a big fan of flavored carbonated water, and for this one I used La Croix Coconut and Lime flavors:

      Mikey’s Lime in the Coconut (make sure the Harry Nilsson song “Lime in the Coconut” is playing when you drink this)

      1 oz. SKYY Infusions Coconut vodka
      1/2 oz. fresh lime juice
      1 oz. sugar water (1 tsp. of sugar dissolved in 1 oz. water)
      1 oz. La Croix coconut carbonated water
      1 oz. La Croix lime carbonated water

      Combine vodka, lime juice and sugar water in a shaker with some ice. Shake vigorously and pour into a glass with ice. Slowly pour in the seltzers and stir before serving. Garnish with a slice of lime.

      This one was pretty refreshing as well, but perhaps it could use a touch more sugar. Or maybe more vodka. Hey, I told you I was a novice!

      Grocery stores, Ingredients, Product Reviews, Recipes, Tailgating, Your Kitchen

      A delicious lunch–burger and spicy ketchup

      July 13, 2012 /

      I have a confession to make. I have many items that were sent to me that I have on tap to review, and I will start hammering those out in the next couple of weeks. Good for all of you for content, good for me for content, and good for my publicist friends who are being patient!

      Now, I have another confession to make. I love burgers, and I found these most excellent Kobe beef burgers at Trader Joe’s. You let them defrost for a day in your fridge (or under cold water in the package if you have less time), and either grill or make in a skillet on your stove. Yesterday I remembered that I bought some Melinda’s Habanero Ketchup, and so I paired the two items for lunch. Even better, I picked up a nice big kaiser roll at the grocery store to put it on. Man, I’m getting hungry again.

      So since it was about 95 degrees at lunchtime, and my deck is right in direct sun, I cooked this burger inside, with a dome over the pan to keep the steam and juices all locked in. And for some burgers, you just can’t load on lettuce, tomato or even (gasp!) cheese. So I did this the way I like it–a little salt on the burger, and then just the ketchup on both sides. And I lucked out too by cooking the burger perfectly–a little pink in the middle, and with the juices intact. And with the spicy tang of the ketchup, it was a masterpiece.

      The downside? I had to finish working rather than take a long nap.

      Grocery stores, Ingredients, On the Grille, Recipes, Tailgating, Your Kitchen

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