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      Product review: Lindt Chili flavored dark chocolate

      March 9, 2011 /

      Chef JimLindt makes excellent, rich chocolates, but being that this blog is geared toward the male population, here is one that will no doubt be intriguing to dudes, especially those who like spicy food–Chili flavored dark chocolate.

      Available in a 3.5 oz. block, this chocolate is “infused with spicy red chili” as it says on the package. And trust me, this chocolate is only for those who can handle food with a moderate degree of heat.

      First of all the chocolate itself is rich and creamy, but then the secondary blast of flavor is the chili, and it comes at you with gusto. If you really try, you can taste the red pepper, but it’s more like a blast of heat than flavor.

      This is great stuff, and definitely a great pick-me-up with coffee in the afternoon, or after dinner for some turbo palate cleansing. Yeah, that’s it.

      Product Reviews

      Finding good pizza can be challenging

      March 7, 2011 /

      If you’ve ever moved, particularly if you’ve moved from state to state, you know how challenging it can be to find good pizza.

      I grew up on Long Island, New York, and good pizza was so common there, it was more a matter of choice between which good pizza you wanted that day. Of course, my love of pizza began as a kid, and I remember being able to walk up the street (a bit less than a mile) when I was about 10 to Delicious Pizza (I think that was the name, it’s been a while!), and being able to just go with a friend to order a slice. I also remember my dad taking me up there on Sunday nights because we had such an early dinner on Sundays, and I got hungry around 7pm. The one thing I remember about this place was that they were heavy-hnaded on the oregano, and it was so good. To this day when I make homemade pizza, I always sprinkle oregano on it. I also remember a place called Siderno’s Pizza, which used little tomato sauce but like twice the cheese as anyone else. Man, was that good.

      Continue reading »

      Chefs and Restaurants

      Chicken, bean & spinach stew

      March 4, 2011 /

      Here is one of my favorite recipes that I came up with for my Grub for Guys column on Bullz-Eye.com. It’s chicken, bean and spinach stew–healthy, tangy, spicy and filling all at once. In fact, have some with some crusty bread and you have a meal. Heh-heh, I said crusty. Anyway, give this a shot and let me know what you think….

      So the summer is winding down and you’ve got that spare tire around your midsection. Longer daylight hours and warmer weather usually means lots of burgers, hot dogs, ice cream and cold beer—all delicious, yet all fattening. Well, here is a dish I came up with that is not only good for most diets, but packed with protein and vitamins. And oh yeah, it tastes really good. So this fall, if you’ve got 30-40 minutes to whip something up before the game starts, this stew is an easy and healthy option.

      Ingredients
      8-10 oz. boneless skinless chicken breast, cubed (2-3 breast halves)
      1 can Great Northern beans
      1 16 oz. bag baby spinach
      2 Tbsp. olive oil
      1 clove garlic
      ½ medium tomato, seeded and chopped
      ½ cup white wine
      ½ cup chicken broth
      salt & pepper to taste
      red pepper flakes
      Grated Parmesan cheese

      Directions:
      Heat oil in large, deep skillet. Sautee garlic 30 seconds, then add chicken. Stir fry for about 3-4 minutes or until chicken just starts to brown on the outside. Add wine and stir to loosen brown bits (for you guys who want to impress someone, this is called “de-glazing” the pan). Add spinach and chicken broth. Simmer for a few minutes until the spinach wilts. Add beans, tomato and salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to taste. Stir and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until sauce starts to thicken. Serve in bowls topped with Parmesan. Serves (about) four.

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

      Mini pizzas: Buffalo chicken and chili dog

      March 2, 2011 /

      Buffalo wings and chili dogs are, well, classic guy food. So when I had a few extra pizza crusts lying around once, I decided to experiment. And here is what happened…..

      Yeah, I know what you’re thinking. Mini pizzas? That’s girl food. Well, not really, if you do them my way. I’m talking Buffalo chicken pizza and chili dog pizza. I mean, what says D-U-D-E like those food items? And since these are the kind of pizzas that can get messy, and possibly eaten with a knife and fork, they are best suited for the smaller size. But that doesn’t mean you can’t release your inner caveman and eat five or six of them. With that, here we go…..

      Buffalo Chicken Mini Pizza

      Ingredients
      1 small pre-baked pizza crust (my favorite is Mama Mary’s but Boboli works too)
      2-3 chicken tenders, uncooked
      ¼ cup Buffalo chicken sauce
      ¼ cup shredded pepper jack cheese
      1 small jalapeno pepper (raw, not pickled)
      salt and pepper
      cooking spray

      Directions:
      Even though these crusts are “pre-baked,” if you really want them to be crispy, pre-bake them yourself for 3 or 4 minutes at 400 degrees. Sprinkle the chicken tenders with salt and pepper and grill them for 2-3 minutes per side, until no longer pink in the middle. At the same time, spray the jalapeno with cooking spray and grill it for the same amount of time, or until it’s slightly charred. Cut the chicken into small pieces, and put the pieces in a saucepan with the Buffalo sauce. Heat for 2-3 minutes until warmed through, then spread the chicken mixture on the crust. Top with the cheese. Then slice the grilled jalapeno pepper and put those slices on top of the cheese. Bake at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes, or until the cheese starts to turn brown and bubbly.

      Chili Dog Pizza

      Ingredients
      1 small pre-baked pizza crust
      2 hot dogs
      1/3 cup chili without beans (I like Bush’s Best)
      ¼ cup Cheez Whiz
      A squirt of your favorite mustard

      Directions: As with the previous pizza, pre-bake the crust for a few minutes. Meanwhile, place the hot dogs in a pot of boiling water and cook for about 4-5 minutes. Remove them from the water, and slice into small pieces. Dump the water, return the hot dog pieces to the pot, and add the chili. Cook that over medium heat for about 3 minutes or until heated through. Meanwhile, nuke the Cheez Whiz for 20-30 seconds, and then spread that on the crust. Top with the hot dog mixture, and then bake for about 5 minutes at 400 degrees. Swirl some mustard on top, and eat.

      And not like I have to say this, but both of these go really well with beer. Yum.

      Food on a Budget, On the Grille, Recipes, Your Kitchen

      What’s your favorite fried food?

      February 28, 2011 /

      I’ve got fried food on the brain today. Maybe it’s because I haven’t eaten much today, or maybe it’s because I just love anything fried to a golden brown and crispy. I mean, what’s not to like? Of course, cardiologists and personal trainers dissuade eating this stuff, but we all do at some point. So rather than go into my favorite fried foods (I’ll do that soon), I wanted to pose this to you readers–give me your favorite fried food item, either something that you make yourself or order in a restaurant. E-mail me at mikeyskitchen@gmail.com and I’ll publish them next week…..stop it, you guys are making me hungry!

      Ingredients, On the Grille, Uncategorized, Your Kitchen

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