Chili Con Carne

After committing to a pescatarian diet all week (Monday - Friday), I was ready for some meat! Even better is that I could enjoy some beef since my husband is out for the day (and he's not a beef eater.) With Superbowl food ideas in mind, what could be better than some Chili con Carne?

I found the following recipe on Food Network.com and chose it based on its ratings. I halved the original recipe and adapted it by using only beef stew meat (instead of both beef and pork), used canola oil (instead of corn oil), beef broth (instead of chicken) and red kidney beans (instead of pinto beans). This was hearty, chunky and flavorful chili with a nice kick from the chili powder. If you prefer more of a wet chili, you can increase the amount of broth.

Chili Con Carne

recipe adapted from Food Network Kitchens

2 1/2 pounds beef stew meat or beef chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup canola oil
1 large onion, chopped
5 large cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chili powder
1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 1/2 cups low-sodium beef broth
1 (15 1/2-ounce) can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

Pat the meat dry with a paper towel and season with the salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large stew pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear the meat, in small batches, until well browned, adding more oil to the pan as needed. Transfer meat to a bowl and reserve.
Discard all but 2 tablespoons of oil from the pan. Saute the onions over medium heat for 10 minutes, scraping up the browned bits with a wooden spoon from the bottom of the pan. Add the garlic and saute for 2 minutes more. Stir in the chili powder, cumin, and oregano and cook for 2 minutes.

Add the canned diced tomatoes and whisk in 2 cups of the stock. Add the meat and any accumulated juices back to the pot. Bring to a gentle simmer. Season the chili with the salt and pepper, cover, and cook for 30 minutes.
In a food processor or blender puree half of the beans with the remaining 1 cup of stock. Add the bean mixture to the chili along with the whole beans. Let simmer, uncovered, 1 hour more or until the meat is tender. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

I served this topped with homemade guacamole, crumbled queso fresco and tortilla chips.

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

My absolute favorite cookie in the whole wide world are chocolate chip cookies. They're simple and classic - what's not to love?! The difficulty in making chocolate chip cookies is deciding on which recipe to make since there are just so many to choose from.


Thanks to Bridget, she highlighted 4 different chocolate chip cookie recipes and I encourage you to check out her blog for her reviews! She made it easier for me to decide given the 4 recipes she chose to compare... and because I trust her baking sense (evident here, with the end of my yeast-phobia) I made Alton Brown's Chewy Chocolate Chip recipe. I only made one adaptation to Alton's recipe, which was using whole wheat flour for the original bread flour called for. I didn't have bread flour on hand and didn't feel like leaving the house. The end result? FABULOUS.

The Chewy
(Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookie)
recipe adapted from Alton Brown

2 sticks unsalted butter
2¼ cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ cup sugar
1¼ cups brown sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons milk
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

Hardware:
#20 disher/ice cream scooper (I used a smaller, medium scoop)
Parchment paper
Baking sheets
Mixer


Melt the butter in a heavy-bottom medium saucepan over low heat. Sift together the flour, salt, and baking soda and set aside.

Pour the melted butter in the mixer’s work bowl. Add the sugar and brown sugar. Cream the butter and sugars on medium speed. Add the egg, yolk, 2 tablespoons milk and vanilla extract and mix until well combined. Slowly incorporate the flour mixture until thoroughly combined. Stir in the chocolate chips. Chill the dough.

When ready to bake, heat oven to 375F.

Scoop chilled dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets, 6 cookies per sheet if using the #20 disher (or 8 cookies per sheet, if using a medium scoop).

Bake for 14 minutes or until golden brown, checking the cookies after 5 minutes. Rotate the baking sheet for even browning. Cool completely and store in an airtight container.



Sidenote: While preparing my cookies, I cracked my 1 whole egg into a bowl and it was a double-yolked egg! Although I don't think of myself as very superstitions, double yolked eggs are either considered an omen of death, or pregnancy, or marriage, or good luck, depending on which Old Wife you ask. I guess we'll see what the future holds but if it does mean good luck, I definitely got a dose of it since these cookies turned out perfectly! I guess I'm also lucky that the hubby isn't home so I can enjoy these without having to share!

Coconut Black Raspberry Thumbprints

I'm not big on jams and jellies, although I love just enough for a taste of various flavors. I have a jar of black raspberry jam that kept staring at me every time I opened the fridge. I figured I'd get more use out of it in some kind of dessert rather than slathered on some toast. But what should I make? Maybe a cookie, perhaps?


Well, thanks to Peabody, she inspired me to make thumbprint cookies after her recent post using the following recipe below on her blog. She used a combination of all-purpose flour and rice flour for the dough and filled each cookie with pineapple and raspberry jam before baking. I also like that she pulsed the coconut for the dough, which is her adaptation to the original recipe. I decided not to pulse the coconut to add a little texture to the dough. Please check out her blog for some amazing and droolworthy pictures. You won't be disappointed...

Coconut Black Raspberry Thumbprints
recipe adapted by Peabody
original recipe from Food & Wine

2 cups all-purpose flour (I used whole wheat flour)
½ cup rice flour (Peabody say all-purpose can be used instead)
¾ cup shredded unsweetened coconut
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 ¼ cups sugar
1 large egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla extract
jam of your choice

(Optional - I chose not to pulse and keep the coconut as is.) Place coconut into a food processor. Pulse a couple of times until the coconut becomes fine but still has some texture to it.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flours, baking soda and salt. Whisk in the coconut.

Using a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix for another 30 seconds.

On low speed, add the flour/coconut mixture and mix until fully incorporated.

Form into a ball or disc and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350F. Position rack in the upper and lower thirds of the oven.

Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and make a dent in each cookie (You can use your thumb, melon baller or a tart shaper, which I used). Bake them for 12 minutes in the preheated oven.

Remove from oven. You'll notice that the cookies have spread a bit. Depress the centers once again and fill cookies with jam of your choice (I used black raspberry).

Place the cookies back into the oven for 7 more minutes. If you like your cookies softer bake for 5 minutes. But these are more like a tea cookie and are meant to be crisp.

Tastemaker: Quaker's True Delights Granola Bars

As a Foodbuzz Tastemaker, I have the opportunity to sample new food products before they hit the public market. I recently had the chance to check out Quaker's new True Delights granola bars and they are better than I expected!

Quaker says...

Made with only premium, delicious ingredients, these granola bars are an indulgent combination of real fruit, whole nuts and dark chocolate, mixed into wholesome honey-drizzled Quaker Oats.

Enticing peices of fruit, such as gently dried bananas and sweet raspberries, are nestled together with large macadamia nuts, cashews or toasted almonds and chunks of 45% cacao premium dark chocolate

I can't say that I've been a fan of granola bars because they usually taste too sweet and sugary for me, not to mention they aren't as healthy as many claim to be. But these True Delights are a little more than your typical granola bar. The three flavors I tried include:

Honey Roasted Cashew Mixed Berry
Dark Chocolate Raspberry Almond
Toasted Coconut Banana Macadamia Nut

All three have their own distinct taste and flavor which really shine through. The best part is that the flavor isn't as a result of any artifical flavoring... its actual ingredients mixed in. Just a Quaker claims, these granola bars do have bits of fruit, nuts, and chocolate. They aren't as sugary sweet as I expected which was a nice surprise and the sweetness I did get came from the ingredients themselves, not added sugar or corn syrup.

My favorite out of the three would be the Dark Chocolate Raspberry Almond. It had a nice deep chocolate flavor and a perfect hint of raspberry. Both flavors were very balanced where one didn't outshine the other.

My husband's favorite was the Toasted Coconut Banana Macadamia Nut. He's a fan of tropical flavors so this bar definitely scored with him. He says all the flavors worked nicely together and wasn't overly sweet as he expected.

We both agreed that the Honey Roasted Cashew Mixed Berry was our least favorite. Perhaps it was the slightly muddled flavor of the mixed berries with the cashews... or that we just prefer the other flavors since they were more defined. With this bar, we got flavors of cherries and cranberries but they didn't seem to stand out as much as we hoped next to the strong flavor of cashew.

Overall, they all make a nice wholesome snack to satisfy any sweet tooth. These granola bars should be out at your local supermarkets soon and when you spot them, I encourage you to give them a try!

Light Blueberry Buttermilk Whole Wheat Pancakes

Aaah... its the weekend again and what makes this even better for me is that I don't have any entertaining plans whatsoever! With the new year, I made it a point to have one full weekend for myself without entertaining. I definitely need some 'me' time and this weekend is it! to start off the day, I wanted something I could put some effort into for breakfast. The past week my breakfasts have consisted of toasted english muffins, yogurt, cereal, etc... all grab and go type meals. But today I'm treating myself to some of these pancakes. Thanks to Kira, she inspired me to make these and it's a delicious way to start the morning!

I tracked down the original recipe from MyRecipes.com and the only adaptation I made from the original was using whole wheat flour in place of regular all purpose flour. It offered a nice nutty flavor to the pancakes.

Light Blueberry Buttermilk Whole Wheat Pancakes
recipe adapted from MyRecipes.com
yields 9 (4-inch) pancakes

1 cup whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup fresh blueberries
Cooking spray

Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 4 ingredients (flour through salt) in a large bowl, and make a well in center of mixture. Combine buttermilk, oil, and egg; add to flour mixture, stirring until smooth.
Spoon about 1/4 cup batter onto a hot nonstick griddle or nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray. Turn pancakes when tops are covered with bubbles and edges look cooked.

Weight Watchers Point Value = 2 points per pancake

Winner of Foodie Freebie Friday: Food Network Magazine Subscription!

Happy Foodie Freebie Friday! It was great to hear all about your thoughts about Food Network, including your favorite celebrity, past and present tv shows you enjoy watching, and even shows you hope to see aired in the future. Thanks to all those that shared their thoughts about Food Network. Quite honestly, I don't watch too much Food Network these days. I used to plant myself right in front of the tv with it on all day, but in the past few months, I've been too busy to watch very often. When I had more time to watch, I enjoyed shows like Alton Brown, The Best Of (remember that one?!), Unwrapped and Roker on the Road. For me, I really take interest in knowing how and why a recipe works and also origins of foodstuff.

I will say that there is a similar culinary channel I do like watching more than Food Network {gasp!}. I encourage you to look for and check out Create TV. It's not limited to cooking but it does provide instructional programs on cooking, arts & crafts, gardening, home improvement and travel. Some of my favorite shows on Create TV include America's Test Kitchen, Cook's Country from America's Test Kitchen, Best Recipes in the World with Mark Bittman, How to Cook Everything: Bittman Takes on America's Chefs, Chef's Story, Everday Food, Simply Ming, and many more.

But let's get on track and back to Food Network! We've got two magazine subscriptions to giveaway! So who's getting a healthy dose of Food Network in the mail?

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

14
31

Timestamp: 2009-01-30 14:17:11 UTC

Comment #14 comes from Mrs.CFH2 who said...

I have a tie for shows: Good Eats and Barefoot Contessa. Alton for the basic knowledge and Ina for the meals...so fattening but soooo good! But we DVR probably 5 shows on a regular basis. If there was a cable package with that and HGTV, I'd be set :)

January 26, 2009 9:52 AM

Comment #31 comes from Renee who said...

What a fun giveaway!

I will watch many of the Food Network chefs, but my favorite shows to watch are Good Eats and Easy Entertaining with Michael Chiarello. As far as recipes I'm attracted to when I browse online, I tend to make more Emeril and Bobby Flay recipes. I also think Anne Burrell was a good addition - her recipes seem to be getting very popular, very quickly.

That leads me into what I would like to see more of on FN - I'd like more shows on more advanced techniques. Kind of like Molto Mario used to be. I feel like I've "outgrown" some of the easier shows since I've been cooking for awhile now - I still make those dishes, but I no longer need recipes or much instruction on how to do them. That's why I think Anne Burrell is a step in the right direction.

- Renee (rels09 on WC)

January 26, 2009 1:27 PM

Congratulations Mrs.CFH2 & Renee! I hope you both enjoy following along with your favorite food network stars with your magazine subscription. Please email me at itsjoelen@gmail.com so I can confirm the mailing address in which to have your magazine subscription sent to.

Thanks again to all those that commented and stay tuned to the next Foodie Freebie announcement on Monday,February 2, 2009! Don't feel discouraged if you haven't won yet - I have a whole year's worth of freebies ahead and next week is one for those who like black & white boxes... (gotta love a teaser!)

Open Faced Surimi & Egg Salad Sandwich

It's another night to get my creative juices flowing in the kitchen. So for dinner I took a peek into the fridge and came up with this open-faced surimi & egg salad sandwich. It was a nice and light meal that was a step up from the traditional egg salad sandwich.

For those that aren't familiar with surimi, it's those imitation crabmeat sticks commonly used in maki sushi such as California rolls. Surimi is made with white fish like pollock. I had some leftover from the time I made crab rangoon for our Chinese New Year dinner so it seemed like a good time to use it up!

Open Faced Surimi & Egg Salad Sandwich
original Joelen
recipe serves 3

4 hard boiled eggs, chopped coarsely
1 cup chopped surimi
1/2 cup sliced green onion
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 teaspoon garlic salt
3 whole wheat english muffins, split & toasted


In a bowl, combine all the ingredients except the english muffins and mix until fully incorporated.
Top each toasted english muffin half with 1/6 of the mixture.

Weight Watchers Point Value = 7 points per serving

Vegetable Frittata

I prepared this vegetable frittata for lunch tomorrow so that I wouldn't have to hit up the usual fast food suspects while at work. I'm really glad I made this to bring in because its not only nutritious, but colorful too! With this being a week of our vegetarian & pescatarian friendly meals, I like the ability to exercise some creativity. This recipe is actually adapted from a frittata recipe from Cook's Illustrated. I've added more vegetables, decreased the amount of cheese and oil and made it Weight Watchers friendly! To complete my lunch, I plan on eating this with a light salad.

Vegetable Frittata
serves 2

3 large eggs
1 tablespoon fat free half & half
salt & pepper to taste
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup chopped fresh broccoli florets
1/4 cup diced yellow pepper
1/4 cup chopped carrrots
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup oven roasted grape tomatoes (* see note)
2 teaspoons grated parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Whisk eggs, half-and-half, salt, and pepper in medium bowl until well combined. Set eggs aside.

Heat oil in 10-inch nonstick ovensafe skillet over medium heat; add garlic broccoli florets, carrots, bell peppers and salt and cook until beginning to soften, 6 to 8 minutes.

Stir in the roasted grape tomatoes into the egg mixture; add egg mixture to skillet and cook, using spatula to stir and scrape bottom of skillet, until it starts to set, about 2 minutes. Shake skillet to distribute eggs evenly; cook without stirring for 30 seconds to let bottom set.

Slide skillet in the preheated oven and bake until the top of the frittata is cooked and the eggs are no longer wet, about 5-7 minutes. Remove skillet from oven and let stand 5 minutes to finish cooking; using spatula, loosen frittata from skillet and slide onto platter or cutting board. Cut in half and serve. (Each half is one serving.) Sprinkle a teaspoon of grated parmesan cheese over each serving before eating.

* The original Cook's Illustrated recipe called for sun dried tomatoes packed in oil. In an effort to cut out fat and calories where I can, I took some grape tomatoes, tossed with a light spritz of cooking spray, a sprinkle of truffle salt and roasted them on a baking sheet in a 450 degree oven for about 30 minutes.

Weight Watchers Point Value = 5 points per serving


I'm also submitting this recipe to The Heart of the Matter blogging event highlighting slimmer recipes! Check out the round up coming soon!

Eggplant Parmesan

Over the weekend at a baby shower, I had some eggplant parmesan that was delicious! It was so good that I wanted to make some more but there was one little challenge - my husband *hates* eggplant. With that in mind, I decided tonight is when I would reintroduce eggplant to him. He hated it until tonight and this is a huge culinary milestone! There have been so many recipes I've wanted to make using eggplant but I had to pass them up since making those dishes are difficult for only one person who'll eat it. But no more... we have embraced the eggplant!

What dish did it? This eggplant parmesan was what warmed my husband up to eggplant. It's a recipe that's flavorful and if an eggplant hater has grown to enjoy it, I'm sure that's telling of how good this is! I halved the recipe below since it's only for the two of us and it was perfect with leftover to enjoy later.

Eggplant Parmesan
recipe adapted from MyRecipes.com
serves 8

1/2 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 tablespoon dried oregano
4 (8-ounce) cans no-salt-added tomato sauce
1 (28-ounce) can no-salt-added whole tomatoes, undrained and chopped
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (1-pound) eggplants, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices
1/4 cup water
3 egg whites, lightly beaten
1 1/4 cups Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Vegetable cooking spray
1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
Fresh oregano sprigs or fresh basil, chiffonade (optional)


Combine the wine, dried herbs, tomato ingredients and garlic in a large saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, 20 minutes.
Place eggplant in a large bowl; add water to cover, and let stand 30 minutes. Drain well; blot dry with paper towels. Combine 1/4 cup water and egg whites in a shallow bowl for the eggwash. Combine breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese for the breading; stir well. Dip eggplant in egg white mixture, and dredge in breadcrumb mixture.
Place eggplant on a baking sheet coated lined with parchment paper, and broil 5 minutes on each side or until browned. Set eggplant aside.
Spread half of tomato mixture in bottom of a 8 x 8-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange half of eggplant over sauce; top with half of mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers with remaining sauce, eggplant, and cheese.
Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh oregano sprigs or basil, if desired.

Weight Watchers Point Value = 6 points per serving

Fresh Ginger and Chocolate Gingerbread

This week's Tuesdays With Dorie baking challenge is the Fresh Ginger & Chocolate Gingerbread Cake. This cake incorporates fresh ginger and chocolate into the batter which is then topped with a chocolate frosting. The original recipe calls for baking the cake in a 9 x9 inch square pan, however I opted on using my mini bundt cake pan instead.



I've never been a big gingerbread fan, much less had ginger and chocolate flavors together. This cake did surprise me though and I liked how it had a very balanced taste. The fresh ginger really came through and paired nicely with the chocolate. The only substitution I made was using semisweet chocolate chips in place of the bittersweet chocolate the recipe called for.



I guess I was a bit too anxious to frost my cakes since it was still fairly warm when I frosted them (hence, the 'wet' look)... but it seemed to help accentuate the chocolate tones of the cake. After they cooled a bit, I frosted them again and garnished the top with a bit more sugared fresh ginger bits.


For the holidays, I would probably make this again perhaps as mini cupcakes. It's a nice variation that I like more than traditional gingerbread cake recipe. For the recipe, check out Heather's blog - Sherry Trifle. Don't forget to check out the other TWD bakers for their version of the cake recipe!

Fresh Tomato & Basil Pasta Toss

Tonight was a meatless meal that was quick and easy to prepare. I liked how refreshing this pasta dish was, especially paired with a nice light green salad. You could easily add grilled chicken to this dish for a more filling meal and/or substitute with whole wheat pasta for more whole grains.

Fresh Tomato & Basil Pasta Toss
serves 2

3 cups cooked penne pasta
3 large roma tomatoes, diced
1 tablespoon good quality extra virgin olive oil
1-2 cloved minced garlic
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
salt & black pepper to taste
2-4 basil leaves, chiffonade
1-2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese (optional)


- In a large bowl, place the hot cooked pasta.
- Add the remaining ingredients and toss.
- Plate the pasta in your serving dish and garnish with basil.
- Sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese. (optional)

Weight Watchers Points Value = 6.5 points per serving

Salmon & Fruit Spring Mix Salad

This week we're starting the Chinese New Year by changing our eating habits slightly. We decided to incorporate more meatless meals and seafood in our diet as my husband doesn't eat beef. Although it's not quite vegetarian, we're opting for pescetarian meals every other week. So you'll find some pescatarian & vegetarian friendly meals in my blog in the posts to come. You'll also notice that I'll be including Weight Watcher points in my recipe posts for those who may be following the Weight Watchers Program.

For lunch today, I made a filling salad with salmon. Salmon is one of my favorite types of fish since it works well with various marinades, especially those of Asian flavors. For my salad, I prepared a salmon fillet to place on a bed of spring mix lettuce greens. For color and sweetness, I added some fresh fruits which made it an even more filling and satisfying meal.

Salmon & Fruit Spring Mix Salad
serves 1

1/8 salmon fillet
cooking spray
salt & pepper to taste
pinch of dill seasoning
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 cup spring mix lettuce greens
1/2 cup drained mandarian oranges
1/2 cup sliced fresh strawberries
1/2 oz fresco Mexican crumbling cheese
2 tablespoons Asian sesame dressing


- Heat a small skillet over medium high heat.
- Season your fillet with salt, pepper and dill seasoning.
- Spray your skillet with cooking spray.
- Place seasoned fillet in the hot skillet and cook 2-3 minutes on each side.
- Squeeze the lemon juice over the fillet in the skillet.
- Top your lettuce with the cooked salmon.
- Sprinkle the oranges, strawberries and cheese around the fillet.
- Drizzle the dressing over the salad.

Weight Watcher Points Value = 6 points


I've also submitted this recipe/post to Chefspiration's Healthy Choices Giveaway who's featuring healthy recipes. I chose to submit this recipe because it's not only colorful but combines a nice balance of fruit, vegetables and lean protein. Be sure to check out the upcoming round up on Chefspiration's blog!

Happy New Year!

Gung Hay Fat Choy... Sun Nien Fai Lok!

Cantonese translation: May you become prosperous... Happy New Year!

Maligayang Bagong Taon!
Tagalog translation: Happy New Year!

It's a day to celebrate in many areas of the world as today marks the Chinese New Year, the year of the Ox! My husband is part Chinese so Chinese New Year has a special meaning for us. There are quite a few Chinese living in Philippines so I'm sure my family overseas are celebrating in a big way.

For the Chinese New Year, I'm sharing the wonderful Chinese inspired dishes that fellow bloggers have submitted to my Wine & Dine blogging event this month. Today would be a great day to enjoy a Chinese inspired dish in light of the Chinese New Year, even if you're not Chinese! Thanks to all those that participated... all these dishes look amazing and have me craving some serious Chinese food!

TS & JS of [eatingclub] Vancouver
from Vancouver, Canada
Hong Kong Style Cuttlefish
One of my favorite blogs ever belongs to sisters, TS & JS of [eatingclub] Vancouver. Everything they make teases my palatte and I suppose that's because we tend to have the same ethnic tastes in food. So I'm thrilled that they shared their recipe for Hong Kong Style Cuttlefish. If you've ever been out for Chinese Dim Sum, you may have seen this dish floating on one of the passing carts. Give it a try - its delicious! Check out TS & JS's blog for the recipe so you can try making it at home too!

TS & JS of [eatingclub] Vancouver
from Vancouver, Canada
Mama's Silkie Chicken (Dyong Kwe)
Every time I go to my favorite Asian markets, I pass by these frozen silkie chicken which are black. If you're an avid Top Chef fan, you may recall black chicken used in one of the quick fire challenges a season or two ago. Thanks to TS & JS, I can plan on picking up a silkie chicken and make this recipe. I'm quite excited too since it's been ages since I've eaten silkie chicken (which I've had as a soup and also stewed). Check out TS & JS's blog for some great pics and how their mama's recipe is made!

Cassie of Cassie's Ruminations
from Washington State
Hot & Sour Soup
My husband's favorite soup whenever we go out for Chinese food is hot & sour soup. He's been asking me to make this and I hope to make it soon! Check out Cassie's blog for this delicious recipe and stay warm during these winter months!

Cassie of Cassie's Ruminations
from Washington State
Hom Bao (Steamed Pork & Vegetable Buns)
Bao is a great meal all by itself and Cassie shares with us a recipe filled with pork and vegetables. I grew up eating bao (aka siopao to Filipinos) and it definitely is a comfort food. Check out Cassie's blog for the recipe and give these a try!

Amy of Just2Good
from Florida
Orange Chicken
Amy and I both rave about Cook's Illustrated's recipe for Orange Chicken! She prepared this dish in an effort to recreate her favorite Chinese take out foods at home. She did a delicious job, if I must say so myself. Check out Amy's blog for the recipe!

Kira of Food alla Puttanesca
from Tennessee
MaPo Tofu
If you haven't tried cooking with tofu, this is a great recipe to start! MaPo Tofu is one of my favorite tofu dishes because it's so flavorful. Kira's recipe that she shares is also healthy! Check out Kira's blog for the details!

Amanda of Like Sprinkles on a Cupcake
from Alabama
Egg Drop Soup
Amanda joins us to share a tasty recipe for Egg Drop Soup! Given the cold weather, this soup is a wonderful way to warm up the new year! Check out Amanda's blog for the recipe!

Sarina of TriniGourmet
from Trinidad
Yu Sheng/Yee Sang “Rainbow Raw Fish Salad”
Sarina joins us to share a great recipe and amazing photos! This time she prepared a "Rainbow Raw Fish Salad." It's a colorful salad made with lots of great vegetables and smoked salmon. Check out Sarina's blog for the recipe!

Melissa of Made By Mel
from New Hampshire
Sweet & Sour Chicken
One of my fave Chinese American dishes is Sweet & Sour Chicken with the sauce on the side. Melissa makes a great version in her blog that has a wonderful crunchy outside and a sweet and tangy sauce. Check out Melissa's blog for the recipe!

Rochelle of Num Yummy Recipes
from Indiana
Beef (Venison) with Broccoli
Adapted from The Everything Chinese Cookbook, Rochelle shares with us this classic dish using venison! It's a colorful and healthy dish that's just as good as any restaurant's version! Check out Rochelle's blog for the recipe!

Rochelle of Num Yummy Recipes
from Indiana
Sesame Chicken
Another recipe from The Everything Chinese Cookbook, this sesame chicken certainly does look delicious and just like the restaurant version! Check out Rochelle's blog for the recipe!

Foodie Freebie Friday: Food Network Magazine!

Did you ever watch these cooking shows: Galloping Gourmet with Graham Kerr? Yan Can Cook with Martin Yan? The Frugal Gourmet with Jeff Smith? Cajun Cooking with Justin Wilson? And of course, we can't forget when Julia Child graced the tv screen with her many memorable shows!

Well those classic cooking shows are now part of culinary tv history ever since Food Network aired back in 1993. It hard to believe it's been in existance for about 15 years! As luck would have it, my office building downtown is next door to Food Network's Chicago office, literally... and I'm also within less than a city block walking distance from Food Network's other office. I haven't quite figured what they do in these specific offices, yet it doesn't surprise me why they would be located here in Chicago. We're definitely a foodie city that has an appetite as diverse as the people who live here!

Back in 2005, Food Network created a reality television series called The Next Food Network Star, where contestants go through a series of culinary challenges. The winner is then awarded with their own television series on the Food Network. Wanna take a guess who won the very first The Next Food Network Star show? Two Chicago caterers, Dan Smith and Steve McDonagh. These two hosted a show called Party Line with Dan & Steve, now titled Party Line With the Hearty Boys, which premiered on September 18, 2005. They both went on to make a total of 32 episodes up through November 12, 2006, which was the end of their series. Since then, they've returned back to Chicago to run their successful catering business, The Hearty Boys. As a fellow Chicagoan, it makes me proud that our city was represented!

So this week's Foodie Freebie is all about the Food Network. They recently came out with a magazine in the fall of 2008 and I'm giving away a one year magazine subscription (10 issues) to 2 lucky readers!Some guidelines:
- Giveaway is only for those who live in the United States. My apologies to my international readers!
- You must have a valid email address so that you can be contacted if you win.

To enter the giveaway, leave a comment about:
- Your favorite Food Network celebrity or show. What is it about this tv station that keeps you watching? Are there specific shows you miss that are no longer aired? Is there any kind of show you'd like to see featured on Food Network? Let's hear all about your thoughts about Food Network!

Deadline: Thursday, January 29, 2009 at 12 midnight CST.

TWO Winners will be randomly chosen by Random.Org's Interger Generator based on the number of your comment and will be announced on Friday, January 30, 2009. Good luck!