UK Celebrity Chef Gordon Ramsay Signed with Channel 4

June 8, 2006 | Posted by Allison as Celebrity Cooks, The Facts / History at 9:20 am | (1) Comment »

Gordon Ramsay.jpg

British Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay has confirmed his title as Britain’s most loved & respected chef yesterday by signing a contract with Channel 4 believed to be worth about $10 million. With this new deal, Ramsay has become one of the highest paid chefs in the UK.

Ramsay, famous for his fresh approach on cooking & the English language, is a welcome addition to the channel. His decision to sign is a relief to Channel 4’s director of programs Kevin Lygo after ITV, a competing channel, made a bid of about $6 million to woo the foulmouthed chef.

The 39-year-old chef presented the first series of Hell’s Kitchen two years ago & has been trying to balance his TV work with his growing restaurant empire ever since. Stay tuned for Gordon Ramsay’s Pumpkin Risotto with Parmesan Recipe coming soon.

Eat well & Laugh often!

Paula Deen: A Short History of a Fine Woman & Chef

May 16, 2006 | Posted by Allison as Celebrity Cooks, The Facts / History at 8:26 am | (40) Comments »

Paula Deen & Sons.jpg

Paula Hiers Deen was born January 19, 1947 in the town of Albany, Georgia. She is known as a proficient chef, restaurateur, writer, TV personality & mother. Deen resides in Savannah, Georgia where she runs her restaurant The Lady & Sons with her two children Jamie & Bobby.

Paula is also known for her ability to overcome agoraphobia, or a strong fear of public places, as well as raising two boys as a single mother. Soon after Deen moved to Savannah in 1989, she divorced her first husband and was left with $200 & two young children. So she did what she does best, she cooked up a storm. Deen started a catering business called The Bag Lady where she would make sandwiches and other meals while her sons delivered the food, due to her agoraphobia.

The business was quite successful and outgrew Paula’s kitchen in a matter of months. She was hired as the head cook at the local Best Western hotel where she worked for five years before opening her own restaurant, The Lady & Sons which is now a Savannah tradition.

Deen took up with the Food Network in 1999, when a friend introduced her to Gordon Elliott. She would also appear on Ready, Set, Cook! & Deen got her own show, Paula’s Home Cooking, in 2002.

Paula remarried on March 6, 2004 to tugboat pilot Michael Groover. The wedding & preparation were documented by Food Network and aired in late 2004. Not only is this woman a wonderful Southern US cook, she is also an achiever & over-comer.

Stay tuned for the ‘Tuesday Paula Deen Menu Recipes’ post coming soon.

Eat well & Laugh often!

I Love Capers

May 8, 2006 | Posted by Allison as The Facts / History at 9:55 am | (2) Comments »

Capparis Spinosa Capers.jpg So what are those little green peppercorn looking things you see adorning dishes like Dijon Pork Tenderloin & Lemon Salmon? Why, they’re one of my favorite things- capers. Capers are immature or unopened green flower buds of the Capparis Spinosa which is a bush grown mainly in dry heat & intense sun like the Mediterranean countries or California.

Caper buds must be hand-picked on the morning they reach the appropriate size. After the buds are picked they are sun-dried & then pickled in a salty vinegar brine and delivered to your local store. Before you break out the capers, make sure you rinse thoroughly to flush out as much salt as possible.

Capers have a sharp, pungent flavor similar to that of mustard & black pepper. They are a fantastic compliment to fish, pork and sauces. Capers are sometimes substituted for olives to garnish your favorite martini.

The caper is said to be native to the Mediterranean basin and was mentioned by Dioscorides as being a product of the ancient Greeks. Capers were used as a medicinal to reduce severe flatulence. The immature flower bud was also mentioned by the Roman scholar Pliny the Elder.

Capers were apparently the talk of the town in Greece and Italy. Let’s not let them have all the fun & get into the kitchen with my ‘The Great Salmon Caper Recipe’ post coming soon.

Eat well & Laugh often!

Cinco De Mayo: A Short History With Recipes to Follow

May 4, 2006 | Posted by Allison as Recipe, The Facts / History at 9:43 am | (1) Comment »

Battle of Puebla.jpg Most people believe Cinco De Mayo, or the 5th of May, to be Mexico’s Independence Day, however, this is not true. At midnight on September 15, 1810 is when the country actually gained its independence from Spain. So, what did happen on May 5, 1862 to cause such a holiday? Well, my friends, it was the Battle of Puebla.

As a new country just recently claiming independence from Spain, things weren’t always easy. You know, with war around every corner: the Mexican-American War (1846-1848), the Mexican Civil War of 1858 & many other political uprisings left the fledgling country with only a few coins in the bank. The summer of 1861 saw President Benito Juarez issue a two year moratorium on foreign debt payments, which hoped to restore financial progress.

Of course, this didn’t go over so well. The English, Spanish & French were not wiling to allow Mexico this two year delay and instead invaded to get their monies by whatever means necessary. While the Spanish & English, being the good guys they are, eventually withdrew, the stubborn French patriots stuck with their financial goals and added establish an empire in Mexico under Napoleon III in the pot. The tricky French also had their eyes on the US states and were seeking aiming to help the Southern rebels in the Civil War.

Which now leaves us to the answer to our Cinco De Mayo query. A most important battle took place on May 5, 1862 when the French army was defeated by a small army of Mestizo & Zapotec Indians under the command of General Ignacio Zaragoza. This battle victory symbolized freedom to the Mexican people and gave them hope. After the end of the US Civil War, the Union sent support to the Mexican army and succeeded in driving out the French.

And there you have it, the Cinco de Mayo history. The reasons behind this wonderful holiday. And what would a holiday be without festivals & food? Cinco De Mayo festivals are known for their delicious food & drinks as well as music & dancing. I cannot give you the dancing, but let’s step into my kitchen for food & drinks!

Watch out for the ‘Cinco De Mayo Recipes & Party Menu’ post coming soon.

Eat well & Laugh often!

The Acidity of Ratatouille & Why Oven-Roasting is Like Drinking a Coke

May 3, 2006 | Posted by Allison as The Facts / History, Tid Bits & News at 10:00 am | Comments »

ratatouille BBC Teeth article acidity.jpg I came across an interesting cooking article on the BBC today. The article focused on one of my favorite foods, ratatouille and why the dish may be harmful to your pretty, white teeth.

“Cooking vegetables in different ways could cut down on tooth decay, scientists have claimed.
Certain methods of cooking them can make vegetables as acidic as fizzy drinks, according to a new study.

Researchers at Dundee’s dental school made the discovery while experimenting with the vegetarian dish ratatouille.

They found that, compared with stewing, oven-roasting significantly increased the acidity of vegetables such as green peppers, aubergines and courgettes.

Dr Graham Chadwick, who led the study, said its findings could be used by dentists when advising patients on ways to fight dental erosion.

The problem is caused by the direct contact of acid with the teeth, which destroys tooth tissues – leading to the need for expensive dental treatment.

Dr Chadwick said: “The acidity of ratatouille prepared by oven-roasting is the same as that of some carbonated drinks that, when consumed in excess, are believed to contribute to the development of dental erosion.”

The research, published in the European Journal of Prosthodontics and Restorative Dentistry, came following claims that vegetarians are at higher risk of dental erosion because of the large quantity of naturally acidic fruit and vegetables they eat.

The researchers also found the cooking method had no impact on the acidity of tomatoes or onions, but roasting resulted in more acidic aubergines, green peppers and courgettes.

Red peppers, they also discovered, were more acidic when stewed.”

Hmmm, two of my fav dishes, roasted red peppers & ratatouille, bad for my pretty whites. I dunno. I just don’t think I can give them up.

So, with that stay tuned for the upcoming ‘I Just Can’t Live Without My Ratatouille Recipe’ post.

Eat well & Laugh often!

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