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      Product review–gadget edition

      June 6, 2012 /

      I figured I should talk about some of the gadgets I have been sent for grilling season before it’s no longer grilling season, so here are a few…..

      Chef JimQuirky, the folks that bring us “inventions” at the retail level, sent two items recently. The first is called “Stem,” and is simply a spray nozzle with little perforation ridges that make it easy to slide it right into a citrus fruit such as a lemon, lime or orange. This thing is amazing! I stuck one in a lemon and had instant lemon spritz, perfect for a natural blast of juice for a salad or in a beverage or on grilled chicken or fish. I haven’t tried it with limes or oranges yet, but wow. This one is a keeper. I haven’t tried it on a slab of bacon yet, but maybe that’s for another day.

      Chef JimQuirky also sent me “Sliders,” which are skewers–but not just any skewers. They are dual prongs so that your meat and veggies stay on there easily. They also have a function where you can push the items off the kebab once you are done grilling. That’s always a pain as you have to use a fork and try not to burn or stick yourself. But here’s the problem….the part where you push, which also has a handle, is suppose to be heat-resistant plastic. But mine started to melt from my grill’s heat. Oops. But still a cool product idea!

      Chef JimFinally, we were sent this awesome 10-in-1 gadget from The Grill Daddy, their Heat Shield Series. This thing comes with interchangeable fork, spatula and tongs. It also has a heat shield and swivel action that protects your hand from the grill’s heat the whole time you are using it. They also have a basting brush, which they did not send, but I got the idea of how it all works. But here is my favorite part–there is a built-in meat thermometer at the tip of the handle. So while you are using the Grill Daddy Heat Shield you can whip out the thermometer and make sure your chicken won’t give you any diseases. Because that would suck. But the gadget does not suck!

      Healthy, On the Grille, Product Reviews

      Product review: TastingRoom.com Wine for Dudes Samples (for Father’s Day)

      June 4, 2012 /

      Okay, so this is really cool. TastingRoom.com is an online service where you can purchase wine by the glass. Imagine that. How often do you open a bottle, have one or two glasses and then dump the rest of the bottle? I know I’ve done it, and then before you know it you have red wine vinegar. This way, you get a single serving and then can even try a different glass of something else, or open up a second single serving bottle of the same wine.

      However, what they sent us to sample was something even cooler–the Wine for Dudes Sampler. It’s a flight of six different wines, all from California vineyards, but in 1.7 oz. bottles that are perfect for tasting. If you’re looking to get hammered, look elsewhere, but if you are expanding your horizons and learning more about wine as you get older (yeah, I’m looking at you….as well as in the mirror), this is a great way to try some new wines. The flight was put together by blogger and wine expert Gary Vaynerchuk, and includes a message on the packaging that it’s “dude season–baseball, boating and good times,” and that the sampler is meant to expand our palates and exposes us to wines that we guys may not normally try.

      Oh, and the wine itself? The wines are a Bugay Rose Syrah, a pink wine that most guys wouldn’t be caught dead drinking, but it’s really not bad; a Francis Coppola Winery Chardonnay that was smooth and refreshing yesterday when it was 80 degrees and sticky outside; Twisted Oak red blend, which was a light red like a chianti; Easton ’06 Zinfandel, which had a touch of that oak-y flavor associated with dark reds but was still smooth; a Jake Ryan Cellars ’07 Zinfandel which was bold and tasty; and a Feather ’07 Cabernet, which said, aptly, that it has hints of “blackberries and slight oak.” This sampler accomplished for me what it intended–trying wines I would not normally try. But they were all good and I’d drink them again. Well, maybe not the pink one.

      TastingRoom.com has many other samplers and wines by the glass and is worth checking out, especially with Father’s Day around the corner. Cheers!

      Healthy, Product Reviews, Your Kitchen

      Bud Light Lime-a-Rita (and Bud Light Platinum)

      May 31, 2012 /

      I’m woefully behind on some posting, but wanted to pay homage to the fact that around Super Bowl, the fine folks from Weber Shandwick sent me a really cool case of Bud Light Platinum to try. But I don’t mean a case of beer. I mean four bottles of beer in a hard case that looked like an important brief case. Or like something that might carry a million one dollar bills. Anyway, the beer was (is) delicious….it’s a bit different than regular Bud Light–smooth and yet a bit stronger. It’s triple filtered so it’s got that “clean taste” that beer companies like to talk about. And my kid loves bringing that case to Trader Joe’s every Saturday–I have no idea why, maybe he expects to fill it up with more Bud Light Platinum?

      Also, these fine folks (I’m not buttering up my publicist friends too much) sent me the new Bud Light Lime-A-Rita. It’s an 8 oz. can of margarita-flavored malt beverage with a twist of Bud Light Lime. If you like margaritas, and especially if you like beer too, this is the perfect summer cocktail for you. It’s potent for a canned beverage, and mighty tasty. And that lime and/or margarita taste is just perfect for summer cookouts. And with Memorial Day in the rear view mirror, it’s time for summer cocktails indeed. Cheers!

      Grocery stores, Product Reviews

      Low carb doesn’t have to suck

      May 29, 2012 /

      I am in need of having to shed a few pounds again, this time more than ever…oops.

      So I’m eating low-carb again for a bit….and started this morning with this creation I came up with on the fly–an overeasy ham omelet. Here is how you do it….

      Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat and spray with cooking spray. Put two thin slices of ham in the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes, flipping every 30 seconds until crispy. Then crack an egg over each ham slice, sprinkle with salt and pepper and let cook for about 2-4 minutes, or until whites are almost all opaque. Then gently flip the ham slices over each egg yolk as if it were an omelet. Cook for another 30 seconds and serve.

      My yolk was still runny, exactly what I wanted to achieve with this. And with the crispy ham, it was perfect and made me feel like I wasn’t even eating what you might call “diet food.” Give this one a try, especially if you’re doing South Beach or something similar.

      Food on a Budget, Healthy, Interviews, Recipes, Your Kitchen

      Who Needs A Cookbook When You Have Your Cell Phone?

      May 25, 2012 /


      Pizza Man (Photo credit: ms4jah)

      Time for dinner and the man of the house is cooking tonight, so what will it be? Meatloaf? Pork chops? Pizza? How about chicken kiev or trout almondine? Men across the globe are discovering their kitchens, learning that cooking is not only a great way to impress the family, but it is also a lot of fun. There is also a great sense of pride in preparing a healthy, yet delicious, maybe even gourmet meal for the family.

      It is quickly learned that finding and planning something interesting and tasty each night for a family is no small task. Who has time to plow through a cookbook everyday, and then shop for every ingredient listed? Do I have some of that at home? Where do they sell bok choi? I don’t want to buy a large jar of dried cilantro when I only need a little. Keeping it together can sour even the most determined chef.

      Your cell phone can help. Almost every guy out there has his cell phone on him day and night. Almost anything you need for preparing and serving that perfect dinner can be found right at your fingertips. Use your Samsung galaxy phone to guide you through the kitchen.

      1. Finding The Recipes.

      There are apps for the phone to help you with recipes. Once you find the ones you like the best, you can keep them right on your phone, available for the next time you want to create that particular dish. Don’t know what to make? Do a search right from your phone. You can even enter ingredients you have on hand, and your cell phone can find a recipe for them.

      2. Finding The Best Ingredients.

      Using your phone to track down the ingredients you need will save you time and money, as you will not have to run from store to store. You will know exactly where each item is and plan your shopping accordingly. You can also look up sales and even plan a budget meal when the end of the month is near and the dollars need to be stretched a little more.

      3. Troubleshooting.

      Inevitably on your quest to become the master chef of the house, there will be mistakes. The souffle will flop, the butter will burn, or the meat will be tough. You can use your cell phone to look up ways to do it better next time, and learn little tricks to prevent the mistakes from happening the next time.

      Suddenly pizza night becomes gourmet pizza night, not a quick-fix dinner, but a gourmet dinner worthy of the highest compliments. Whether you are a seasoned chef, who knows all the ropes, or a beginner, just learning the ropes, using your cell phone is a great way to keep you organized, so that you can enjoy what you are doing.

      Recipes

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