Reuters reports on Uruguay's record-breaking barbecue. The new Guiness World Record barbecue held 6 tons of charcoal and 12 tons of beef in a massive one mile long grill.
Carolyn Gurtz of Gaithersburg, MD won the $1 million prize in the 43rd Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest. That's a fabulously hefty prize for a cookie recipe. Gurtz's recipe for Double-Delight Peanut Butter Cookies beat the 99 other competitors.
Everything's bigger in Texas, and for Carolyn Gurtz of Gaithersburg, MD, one thing's for sure - her bank account just got $1 million bigger! Today, Gurtz captured the $1 million grand prize at the 43rd Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest for her Double-Delight Peanut Butter Cookies. Bake-Off awards show host, Sandra Lee, handed over the dough and a complete set of GE Profile kitchen appliances valued at $10,000.
Inspired by her love of baking and the great flavor of peanut butter, Carolyn Gurtz's recipe combines Pillsbury Create 'n Bake Refrigerated peanut butter cookies with JIF Creamy Peanut Butter and Fisher Dry Roasted Peanuts to create as one judge stated, "A new twist on an old classic." Taking the cake - or cookie - in the Sweet Treats category, contest judges agreed that Gurtz's recipe surpassed the 99 other competitors as the grand prize winner for its simplicity and approachability, allowing the home cook to take a convenience product and turn it into an unexpected cookie that bursts with layers of peanut butter flavor. Contest judges described Gurtz's Double-Delight Peanut Butter Cookies as a delightful taste that combines two classic cookies- a snickerdoodle and a peanut butter cookie.
A homemaker with a passion for baking inspired by her parents, Gurtz still has the mixer her mother bought her more than twenty years ago. Now 59, she fondly recalls the day her parents first introduced her to cooking at age seven. Fulfilling a lifelong dream to reach the Bake-Off Contest, she literally cried from joy upon learning she'd been selected as one of the 100 finalists. "This is like winning the gold medal," said Gurtz, who has been entering recipes in the Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest for the past 15 years. This Sunday School teacher and mother of two knew she was on to something when her son smelled them cooking and declared them a "winner" after just one bite.
You can see all the recipes from the contest - including the recipe for Double-Delight Peanut Butter Cookies - here.
1200 Pound Cheese Block Carved into the Statue of Liberty
Champion cheese carver Troy Landwehr carves a 1200 pound block of cheddar cheese into the Statue of Liberty. This was an impressive feat that took several days of careful carving. The music in the video clip from CBS is "Bedridden" by The Sweet Nothings.
On a recent episode of The Martha Stewart Show, Chef Emeril Lagasse joined Martha to celebrate MSLO's acquisition of his media and merchandising business with a 'Bam!' During the show, Martha presented Emeril with a commemorative MSLO stock certificate signifying their new relationship which brings together two of the biggest brands in the food and lifestyle arena. Emeril and Martha also recently shared dinner party tips on David Letterman.
We recently posted an asparagus recipe from Chef Bill Telepan. Now we see that Noodles & Company has a clever ad campaign going that features an asparagus. The ad says there are only two kinds of vegetables - asparagus and those who wish they were.
"I applaud the chef for choosing me as his muse for this fresh new recipe," said Asparagus. "I'm a totally fabulous vegetable, and he gets that about me." Noodles & Company's new Linguine with Fresh Asparagus features tender asparagus spears, roma tomatoes and linguine tossed in a light sauce of olive oil, butter, lemon, balsamic vinegar and fresh herbs topped with parmesan.
Critics are calling this her best dish yet. "After eating it, I had a spearitual restaurant experience," said M.F.K. Fennel, author of The Art of Delicious Vegetable Eating. "Asparagus is fresh, saucy and confident in this recipe," said Alice Watercress from Chez Bon Appetit You May Eat Vegetables magazine. "She delivers a firm, flavorful and memorable performance," said Ima Foody from Eat Delicious Vegetables Daily Blog.
"That's fresh," said Asparagus. "I've known for practically ever that I'm delicious and talented and quite nutritious so I'm not surprised they feel this way. Look, I'm obviously fat-free, cholesterol-free and only a few calories per stalk. I'm high in folic acid and a good source of potassium, fiber, vitamins B6, A and C, as well as thiamin and rutin, which are very important anti-oxidants." Even the Michigan Asparagus Advisory Board calls her one of nature's most perfect foods.
Asparagus spears grow from a crown that is planted about a foot deep in sandy soils.
Under ideal conditions, an asparagus spear can grow 10" in a 24-hour period.
Each crown will send spears up for about 6-7 weeks during the spring and early summer.
The outdoor temperature determines how much time will be between each picking...early in the season, there may be 4-5 days between pickings and as the days and nights get warmer, a particular field may have to be picked every 24 hours.
After harvesting is done the spears grow into ferns, which produce red berries and the food and nutrients necessary for a healthy and productive crop the next season.
An asparagus planting is usually not harvested for the first 3 years after the crowns are planted allowing the crown to develop a strong fibrous root system.
A well cared for asparagus planting will generally produce for about 15 years without being replanted.
The larger the diameter, the better the quality!
Asparagus is a nutrient-dense food which in high in Folic Acid and is a good source of potassium, fiber, vitamin B6, vitamins A and C, and thiamin.
Asparagus has No Fat, contains No Cholesterol and is low in Sodium.
Chef Bill Telepan has a great asparagus recipe that captures the flavor of spring. Telepan's asparagus goes on top of a black and gold rice and garlic custard combination. You can view the recipe here.
Gizmag reports that the canned food geniuses at Trekking-Mahlzeiten have created a canned cheesburger. The cheeseburger in a can is sold here. It is designed for outdoor enthusiasts who need only to toss the can in boiling water for a few minutes and then open the can and eat the cheesburger goodness found within.
The canned cheeseburger is sold under one of Katadyn's best known brands, Trekking-Mahlzeiten, a subsidiary company that develops specialist ready-meals for the outdoor, expedition and extreme athlete markets.
The high tech hamburger has been developed for trekkers and the non-traditional metal wrapping reflects the Trekking-Mahlzeiten company ethos that its speciality meals should be easy to prepare and require only water to do so - simply throw the can into a water container over a fire, give it a minute or two, fish it out, open the lid, and eat. With a shelf life of twelve months without requiring refrigeration, the lightweight snack is the ideal fast food treat for the wilderness.
Chow doesn't believe the cheeseburger in the photograph is really the one that came out of the can. It probably isn't - it looks impossibly larger than the can. But the delicious food you see in commercials often isn't the actual food either. Kudos to Co-ed Magazine for the clever headline, "I Can Has Canned Cheezburger?" Gridskipper has a video of someone in Germany taste-testing the canned cheesburger.
MSNBC reports that food costs are continuing to rise. Rising gas prices are the main reason - they make it more expensive for food products to be delivered. Even pizza and beer prices are rising. Eventually restauranters have no choice but to pass these costs on to consumers. Small restaurants have a harder time than fast food chains because they can't spread the rising costs around as easily.
Pizza makers have seen their cheese costs soar this year from $1.30 a pound to $1.76 a pound. Even worse, the flour used to make the dough has gone from $3-$7 dollars a bushel to $25 a bushel in less than a year.
Beer makers have been forced to raise their prices because of the skyrocketing price of hops - one of the principle ingredients. The price of hops has gone from about $4 a pound in September to $40 a pound. The price of barley, beer’s other main ingredient, has nearly doubled.
Bagel shops have struggled to hold the line on prices and keep their customers. The exploding wheat prices have made the $1 bagel a fact of life in big cities such as New York. Donuts are averaging $1.50. And many shop owners fear a wheat shortage will drive prices even higher.
Even the lowly hot dog is getting more expensive. Gray's Papaya, a New York hot dog institution, will be jacking up the price for its $3.50 "Recession Special" - two hot dogs and a 14-ounce drink. Nicholas Gray, owner of the frankfurter chain, has yet to set the price increase, but he indicated it is coming soon.
Those gas prices are expected to soar this summer. So we can probably expend additional food price increases later this year.
Food Network Chef Robert Irvine Ousted Over Resume
Everything Dinner Impossible star Robert Irvine did on the Food Network was real and everyone says he is a great chef. Unfortunately, his resume was not so good. It was padded and included falsehoods reports Fox News.
The star of "Dinner: Impossible" has acknowledged fabricating some of the more fantastic parts of his resume, including having cooked for Britain's Royal Family and various U.S. presidents.
Following the revelations, the network announced it would not renew Irvine's contract, though it would air the remaining episodes of the current season, the series' fourth.
"I was wrong to exaggerate in statements related to my experiences in the White House and the Royal Family," Irvine said in a written statement. "I am truly sorry for misleading people and misstating the facts."
The Food Network said it might revisit its decision at the end of this season, but for now would begin searching for a new host for the series, which challenged Irvine to cook under arduous conditions.
On the Food Network Irvine performed some amazing challenges where he would prepare hundreds of meals in just a few hours with little equipment. The Food Network must be sad to have learned that of his lies because he was an entertaining performer. The St. Petersburg Times was the newspaper that broke the Irvine resume story. You can read their artilce here.
Martha Stewart chats with Barry Kudrowitz and Bill Fienup about their remote controlled award-winning ketchup robot. It zooms over to your plate and automatically dispenses ketchup. The robot is called the ketchup crapper. Martha Stewart liked the automato better. So do we.
Ford Models Yara and Alejandra return to the kitchen with a mission to make Valentine's Day cupcakes. They are using a recipe from the More From Magnolia cookbook - a cookbook from the Magnolia Bakery.
Doesn't that look delicious? It's the winner of Divine's "Hungry To Change The World" recipe contest. Chocolate Velvet Cheesecake takes 45 minutes of prep time and 1 hour and 5 minutes to cook. You can see the Chocolate Velvet Cheesecake recipe here. Recipes for the other finalists can be found here.
Divine Chocolate is the world's first farmer owned Fair Trade chocolate brand. Their stated mission is to improve the livelihood of small scale cocoa farmers in Ghana and increase the benefits farmers receive from the multi-billion dollar chocolate industry.
Marco Canora: How to Make the Perfect Bolognese Sauce
Chef Marco Canora describes how to make his perfect bolognese sauce. He says the beginning for the sauce is the vegetables - carrots, celery and onions. There is also olive oil and melted down butter. You can see the recipe here on MSBNC.com.
Cooking for Dads guides you through some easy snacks for Sunday's Super Bowl game. Learn how to make great onion rings, dip and to reheat wings for an awesome snack buffet. Part two of the Super Bowl snack show is here.
What are some of the best ways to get juice out of a lemon? This video for beginners says to get the juices flowing microwave the lemon for 15 seconds or roll the lemon under your plam on the counter top. You'll want to strain the lemon to remove those pesky seeds.
WSJ.com columnist Eric Felten shows the recipe for the original martini, which was originally a sweet drink made with sweet vermouth and gin. Felten also talks about the recipe has evolved over time.
The Seattle Timesreports that a combination of a weak dollar and higher shipping costs is making gourmet and specialty items more costly. Basic grocery food items are also on the rise.
A weak U.S. dollar and higher shipping costs mean less buying power in many parts of the world, especially Europe, where it costs about $1.44 to buy one euro, up from $1.30 this time last year.
Combine those factors with rising wheat and rice prices and poor harvests of products like saffron and figs, and Seattle area importers, distributors and gourmet shops say to expect higher prices on a host of items, from olive oil and vinegar to cheese, pastas, wine and English sea salts.
"I would expect the grocery bill to spike fairly significantly at specialty or gourmet stores, particularly those importing their products," said Darren Brewster, an international trade specialist with Tacoma's World Trade Center.
Some items may become so expensive that you won't be able to find them anymore says the Seattle Times article.
At EvZe World Gourmet in Seattle's Eastlake neighborhood, that missing product will be Fideo, a Spanish pasta with squid ink. Owner Tony Aikens likes to cook it with canned octopus, smoked paprika and olive oil, but he doubts customers will buy a bag of pasta for $8, no matter how flavorful. Now he's absorbing price increases on a favorite brand of Italian lentils, hoping they don't suffer the same fate.
In the market for cataplanas? Once the domed copper clam cookers from Portugal sell out, The Spanish Table won't restock.
If you are using a lot of imported gourmet food items you should probably expect your monthly food bill to rise.
Chef Brian Johnson and Sous Chef Amanda teach you how make some tasty looking mexican pizzas. This is a spicy pizza with a thin crust and taco style toppings.
A lot of people are trying to start healthy diets and lifestyle this time of year. Fitness expert and health-guru Denise Austin offers the following suggestions for getting your year off to a good healhty start. She's also teamed with Tyson foods as you can see in the tips and in the video clip.
Moderation is key: Balanced food choices will put you on the path to success. Including Tyson recipe-ready chicken or steak in one or two meals a week will help cut down on fast food eating, and giving your family new and healthy meals to try. Try eating well 80 percent of the time and treating yourself the other 20 percent.
Mix it up: Don't get stuck in the rut of eating high-calorie foods for convenience sake. Tyson recipe-ready chicken or steak allows you to prepare a fast meal that is both tasty and good for you. Chicken or steak strips on a salad, in pasta, or even inside a wrap make a great, high-protein lunch, dinner or snack.
Curb snacking: Try putting an 8 p.m. curfew on your kitchen or brush your teeth after dinner to help keep temptation at bay and put a mental cutoff on eating plans for the evening.
Make it convenient: Even if you don't hit the gym every day, make exercise interesting by making walking dates with friends, or even just finding reasons to get up from your desk at work and move around.
Get in a routine: Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time each day, giving yourself eight hours of sleep for maximum energy. And make sure to start your day with a healthy breakfast; studies reveal that skipping meals can actually lead to overeating and weight gain.
Going to bed and waking up at the same time each day is easier said this done but it does make a routine easier if you can pull it off. Here's Denise Austin teaching you how to make Southwestern chicken salad.
The Wall Street Journal's Paul Lin takes a look at a company named Wine Cellar Sorbet. This specialty sorbet maker plans on taking its gourmet wine-based sorbet treats national.
Wholly Guacamole is wishing Happy 50th Anniversary to Mr. Grinch. They are also providing the following instructions for making your own Grinch made of guacamole.
To make this tasty version of the classic Seuss character, cut your favorite sandwich into a triangle, then round the corners to make a pear shape. Top with Wholly Guacamole, smooth and etch Grinch brows and cheeks. For eyes use yellow pepper circles topped with pimento stuffed olives. Cut an olive for the nose and add a sprig of celery greens for hair. He's Mean, Green and Ever so Tasty. Enjoy.
Veronica Belmont from Mahalo Daily visits Sushi Sasabune's L.A. headquarters for advice on how to make sushi. If you are keen on making sushi yourself you should also check out this helpful page on Mahalo's website.
The Hass Avocado Board has released the following recipe just in time for the holidays.
Holiday Hass Avocado and Au Gratin Potatoes
Serves: 4
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20071204/LATU046-a)
Ingredients
-- Non-stick cooking spray, as needed
-- 2 cups fat-free, reduced-sodium chicken broth
-- 1 (8 oz.) package reduced-fat cream cheese,
placed at room temperature and cubed
-- 1 (4.9 oz.) package Au Gratin Potato mix
-- 1 green onion, thinly sliced
-- 1 Tbsp. fresh thyme leaves, chopped
-- 1 ripe fresh Hass avocado, halved,
seeded, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
-- 1 cup grated Jarlsberg cheese, divided
Instructions
1. Do not follow package instructions.
2. Prepare an 8 x 8 inch baking dish, pan or similar sized oval casserole
dish with non-stick cooking spray.
3. In a medium sauce pan, bring broth to a boil over medium-high heat.
Remove from heat and stir in cream cheese and contents of Au Gratin
Potato seasoning packet.
4. Mix in dry potatoes, onion, thyme, avocado and 1/2 cup Jarlsberg
cheese.
5. Pour into baking dish, making sure that all potatoes are submerged in
the liquid.
6. Bake in 350 degrees F oven for 30 minutes.
7. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top and bake an additional 15 minutes.
8. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
Holiday Vegetable and Hass Avocado Saute
Serves: 4
Ingredients
-- 1 1/2 Tbsp. avocado oil or olive oil
-- 2 tsp. garlic cloves, finely chopped
-- 1/2 large shallot, finely chopped
-- 1/2 Tbsp. fresh thyme leaves
-- 3 zucchini, cut in half lengthwise and
sliced 1/4-inch thick
-- 1/2 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch squares
-- 1 Tbsp. grated lemon peel
-- 1 1/2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
-- 1 ripe fresh Hass avocado, halved,
seeded, peeled and cut into chunks
Instructions
1. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic,
shallot and thyme, saute for 3 minutes.
2. Mix in zucchini, bell pepper and lemon peel, stir and cook for
2 minutes. Lower heat and cover, cooking for 3 minutes.
3. In a small bowl, combine lemon juice with avocado. Add to skillet and
gently mix. Cook for 2 minutes to allow flavors to blend.
*Large avocados are recommended for these recipes. A large avocado averages about 8 ounces. If using smaller or larger size avocados adjust the quantity accordingly.
For more recipes using Hass Avacados visit the avocadocentral.com website.
Luci Lock: How to Make Rosemary Flavored Olive Oils
Luci Lock of Mercola.com shows you how to make your own rosemary flavored olive oils. This way you can avoid high price tag of store bought flavored oils.
Tailgate Superstars visited the LSU campus to try this bayou dish called Alligator Sauce Picante. Yes, it uses real alligator tail. Not sure we want any.
Carolyn Gurtz of Gaithersburg, MD won the $1 million prize in the 43rd Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest. That's a fabulously hefty prize for a cookie recipe. Gurtz's recipe for 
We recently 
Gizmag 
Everything Dinner Impossible star Robert Irvine did on the Food Network was real and everyone says he is a great chef. Unfortunately, his resume was not so good. It was padded and included falsehoods 
Doesn't that look delicious? It's the winner of Divine's "Hungry To Change The World" recipe contest. Chocolate Velvet Cheesecake takes 45 minutes of prep time and 1 hour and 5 minutes to cook. You can see the Chocolate Velvet Cheesecake recipe 
