FNCCC Assignemtn #24 - Mary Nolan - Masaharu Morimoto - Melissa d'Arabian

What a Smörgåsbord of chef's we have next week. Mary Nolan, Masaharu Morimoto , Melissa d'Arabian . None of them had many recipes so I figured that I would combine them.

Mary Nolan is an Iowa girl (I was born in Iowa) who went to University of Wisconsin (I LOVE Madison). "She shares her sophisticated yet simple meal ideas and crowd-pleasing tips for memorable occasions on Food Network's Chic & Easy."

Masaharu Morimoto - "While his cooking has Japanese roots, it's actually "global cooking" for the 21st century. His unique fusion cuisine takes advantage of Japanese color combinations and aromas and uses Chinese spices and simple Italian ingredients, while maintaining a refined French style of presentation." Come again? Can we say challenge? Too bad he only has 4 recipes on the FN site....although if you do a Google search you will find many more and they ALL sound like you need to invite guests over to enjoy this amazing feast you just created. You can also search the FN site for just "morimoto" and get a few more recipes.

And on a completely different note is Melissa d'Arabian. "In August 2009, Melissa d'Arabian won season five of The Next Food Network Star, beating out thousands of hopefuls for the ultimate dream job: her own Food Network show. As a wife and a stay-at-home mother to her four preschool-aged daughters, Melissa embodies family home cooking at its finest. On her daytime cooking series, Ten Dollar Dinners with Melissa d'Arabian, she shares her tasty recipes and $10 promise: four people, ten bucks, infinite possibilities." Awesome! Can you relate??

We will post recipes on these folk on Wednesday, February 24, 2010. Can't wait to see what you will choose!

FNCCC Assignment # 23 - Mario Batali

Mario Batali! When I think of him I always see his bright orange Crocs. He even wore them when they did the Iron Chef at the White House (which I never got to finish watching - anyone know who won??). He just amazes me in the Iron Chef challenges. Who wouldn't want to be able to cook like that? Makes me want to get in the kitchen and whip up a 5 course meal with quail eggs, a box of mac and cheese, and a jar of pimentos.

"Always eager to educate the masses about Italian cuisine, Mario hosts two Food Network programs, Molto Mario and Ciao America. He also engages in fierce culinary battles in the Food Network series Iron Chef America. Mario splits his time between New York City's Greenwich Village and Northport, Mich., with his wife Susi Cahn of Coach Dairy Goat Farm, and their two sons, Benno and Leo." Don't you just love to know fun facts about the chef you are cooking with? Picture I found on his web site :)

We will post Mario's recipes on Wednesday, February 17, 2010. Can't wait to see what you are cooking!

FNCCC Assignment # 22 - Jamie Oliver

Our chef next week will be Jamie Oliver. He has cookbooks, TV series, awards, and has even helped the UK better their school lunches. His bio is extensive and his recipes look eclectic. Fun, fun!

"Growing up in Essex, where his parents run their own highly respected pub/restaurant in Clavering, Jamie Oliver was frequently found helping in the kitchen. At 16, Jamie left school to complete his training at Westminster Catering College. After spending time working in France and at Antonio Carluccio's Neal Street Restaurant in London, Jamie joined the acclaimed River Café where he worked for three and a half years alongside Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers.
In 1997, Jamie was featured in a television documentary about the River Café. Jamie was then offered his own television show, and The Naked Chef was born. The concept was to strip food down to its bare essentials, and Jamie's hands-on style and general laid back outlook was like a breath of fresh air, inspiring everyone to cook."

We will post Jamie's recipes on Wednesday, February 10, 2010. Can't wait to see what you are cooking!

FNCCC Assignment #21 - Ingrid Hoffmann

I have not seen Ingrid Hoffmann's show but after reading only the first page of her recipes on FN I've seen several that I want to try. It's going to be tough deciding on just one.

"Passionate about food and entertaining, Ingrid Hoffmann spends each day sharing her enthusiasm and talent with an international audience. Ingrid launched Simply Delicioso (http://www.simplydelicioso.com/) on Food Network last July and also hosts her own Spanish-language cooking and lifestyle show, Delicioso, on Galavision/Univision. Her infatuation with food was so strong that Ingrid returned to her passion, and opened Rocca, the first restaurant to feature tabletop cooking on heated lava rocks." (HOW COOL!)

We will post Ingrid's recipes on Wednesday, March 3, 2010. Can't wait to see what you are cooking!

FNCCC Assignment # 20 - Ina Garten

Next week's chef is Ina Garten who has fabulous food and over 600 recipes to choose from!

"In 1978, Ina Garten found herself working in the White House on nuclear energy policy and thinking, "There's got to be more to life than this!" She saw an ad for a small food store for sale in a place she'd never been: the Hamptons at the end of Long Island. She and her husband drove up to investigate and made the owner an offer on the spot. Two months later she found herself the owner of Barefoot Contessa, a 400-sq. ft. specialty food store." I loved watching her biography because her story has changed so much. She has numerous cookbooks and currently hosts Barefoot Contessa on Food Network.

We will post Ina's recipes on Wednesday, January 27, 2010. Can't wait to see what you are cooking!

FNCCC Week 19 - Guy Feiri

This week's featured chef is Guy Fieri, host of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, Guy's Big Bite, and Ultimate Recipe Showdown. He has some great recipes. I chose the Pan-Fried Catfish Sandwich with Chipotle-Lime Slaw. The fish was very tasty and moist but I'm not sure if it was good enough that I would do it exactly the same next time. It had a great crunch without any oil. I didn't make mine into a sandwich. The slaw was fantastic. Spicy! I couldn't wait to eat it for lunch the next day. I dig chipotle. I had to make the kids grilled cheese.

Pan-Fried Catfish Sandwich with Chipotle-Lime Slaw
Recipe courtesy Guy Fieri

Ingredients
For the fish:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
3 teaspoons freshly cracked black pepper, divided
1/2 cup dark beer
3/4 cup whole-grain or stone-ground mustard
2 cups panko bread crumbs
1 tablespoon granulated garlic
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 pound catfish fillets (cut into 4 pieces) - I used tilapia instead

For the slaw:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
2 limes, zested and juiced
1 tablespoon chipotle in adobo
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
2 tablespoons white vinegar
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
1/2 head green cabbage, thinly shredded
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
3 scallions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature - didn't use
4 Cuban rolls, split lengthwise - didn't make into sandwiches
1 cup canola oil - I baked mine so didn't use this

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine the flour, the chili powder and 1 teaspoon of the pepper in a shallow dish. Combine the beer and mustard in a separate shallow dish (there was way too much of this). Mix the panko, granulated garlic, paprika, salt and remaining pepper into a third shallow dish.

Dredge the fish in the flour mixture and then the beer and mustard and lastly in the panko mixture. Arrange the fish on a sheet pan, lined with a cooling rack (I did not use a cooling rack and it turned out perfectly crispy), and refrigerate until ready to cook.

For the slaw: In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, lime zest and juice, chipotle, sugar, vinegar and salt and pepper, to taste. Fold in the cabbage, onion, bell peppers, scallions, and cilantro and adjust the seasoning, if necessary. Refrigerate.
Spread the butter on inside of rolls and arrange, crust side down, on a rack in the oven to toast while fish cooks.

Heat 1 cup oil in a cast iron or heavy bottom skillet over medium-high heat. Carefully add the fish, cooking on both sides until the coating turns golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove to a cooling rack to drain. Keep warm in the oven, if necessary. (Didn't do this step, as I baked it)

Cook's Note for an alternate method: Prepare fish as above, but arrange on a sheet pan lined with a baking rack (no baking rack, just put it right on the pan and flipped half way through). Put the fish into the hot oven and bake until cooked through, 15 to 18 minutes. Briefly broil both sides of fillets to get a good crisp coating. (I didn't broil it either and mine was super crispy)

To make each sandwich, arrange a piece of fish on the bottom half of the rolls and top with the slaw. Cover with another piece of bread and serve.

So what did you make this week? Can't wait to see what you choose!

FNCCC Assignment # 19 - Guy Fieri

This week's chef is an exciting one! "Guy Fieri competed on and won season two of The Next Food Network Star. Today he hosts three popular shows on Food Network, including Guy's Big Bite, where he teaches viewers how to make creative dishes with bold flavors, Ultimate Recipe Showdown, where he showcases home cooks' best recipes and Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, where he travels across America to find the most unique food America has to offer."

Diners, Drive-ins and Dives is one of my favorite FN shows to veg out to. What a job, to find and eat great food! I love Guy's personality - he is fun to watch. We will post Guy's recipes on Wednesday, January 20, 2010. Can't wait to see what you are cooking!

FNCCC #18 - Giada De Laurentiis

This week's chef in the Food Network's Chefs cooking Challenge is Giada De Laurentiis. It was hard to pick just one recipe but I found a winner!

I have been grilling eggplant (and every other veggie) for a few months now. By itself, it's awesome. In this salad, it's guest worthy. And lunch worthy. And snack worthy. You get it. YUM!

Grilled eggplant is very flavorful with only evoo, salt and pepper. Pair it with creamy goat cheese, fresh basil and the bite of the balsamic vinegar - it's a little piece of heaven. Try it if you like these flavors! You will not be disappointed.

Grilled Eggplant and Goat Cheese Salad
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
7 Japanese eggplant, ends trimmed, cut into 1-inch wide slices
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts (couldn't find these anywhere - they moved them at my grocery store)
3 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
1/3 cup basil, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped mint
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Place a grill pan over medium-high heat or preheat a gas or charcoal grill. Drizzle the olive oil over the slices of eggplant and toss to coat. Grill the eggplants until tender and grill marks appear, about 3 to 4 minutes per side (it took a lot longer than this to get it done like I like it).
Place the eggplants side-by-side on a serving platter. Sprinkle with the pine nuts, goat cheese, basil, and mint. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper.

So what did you make? I bet there were a lot of winners this week! Link to MckLinky below to share yours.

FNCCC Assignment # 18 Giada DeLaurentiis

Giada De Larentiis is one of the chefs that I have actually seen on Food Network. "Born in Rome, Giada grew up in a large Italian family where the culture of food was a staple in and of itself. As the granddaughter of film producer Dino De Laurentiis, Giada consistently found herself in the family's kitchen and spent a great deal of time at her grandfather's restaurant, DDL Foodshow.

Her Emmy winning, daytime cooking show, Everyday Italian, features quick, healthy and satisfying Italian dishes. Her primetime show, Giada's Weekend Getaways, debuted in January 2007 and follows Giada to popular destinations in and around the United States as she explores the cities' most notable restaurants and activities."

She has almost 900 recipes to choose from. We will post her recipes on Wednesday, January 13, 2010.

I hope you are having a wonderful new year! Enjoy!

FNCCC #17 - George Duran - Turkey Quesadillas

After seeing George Duran's recipe for Fried Cookie Dough, I was a little hesitant to dive into the rest but was pleasantly surprised and book marked several recipes I want to try. He had some great stuff! I wish I had seen the Sand Art Brownie gifts before Christmas. I now need to remember this for Teacher Appreciation Week :) I made the Turkey Quesadillas, as I just made a turkey and have fond memories of a Turkey leftover sandwich I had years ago with cranberries and stuffing. This quesadilla was super yummy! If you are looking for a unique way to use up some leftovers.....

Turkey Quesadilla
Recipe courtesy George Duran

Ingredients
2 flour tortillas
2 tablespoons cranberry sauce
3 tablespoons grated Jack or Cheddar (I used jack)
2 tablespoons leftover stuffing
2 tablespoons cooked and chopped green beans
3 tablespoons chopped cooked turkey
1 teaspoon chopped jalapeno peppers (I wasn't feeling spicy so didn't use these)
Vegetable oil cooking spray (didn't use this)


Directions
Place 2 tortillas on your board. Spread 1 with cranberry sauce and set aside. Sprinkle the cheese over the other one and crumble the stuffing on top. Add the green beans, turkey, and jalapeno peppers. Pick up the first tortilla and place it cranberry side down onto the filled one. Press gently but firmly to keep the quesadilla together.


Spray a nonstick skillet with cooking spray and put it over medium heat. Place the quesadilla in the skillet and cook until the bottom is lightly browned and the cheese is melted, about 2 minutes. Flip the quesadilla and cook it on the other side for another 2 minutes. Slide it onto a cutting board, cut it into wedges, and serve.


Instead of learning as you go, my pictures are getting worse. My camera is almost dead. The screen changes different colors and gets wavy lines which show up on the pictures. Just about time for a new one. I dislike camera shopping. Any suggestions for a new one??

Here I am on the floor in front of the stove sharing my love of Stove Top stuffing with Little Bit. She's genetically predisposed to eating it straight out of the pan.

Can't wait to see what you have been cooking! Anyone go for the Fried Cookie Dough? Link your posts to MckLinky below. I know it's been difficult to find time during the holidays for the challenge. If you missed a few weeks just jump in whenever you are ready!

FNCCC Postponed....Blog vacation

I am taking an impromptu vacation this week. My kids and husband are off of school and I am playing along. I'm sorry for those of you who are all set for George Duran's post this week but I'm going to push it back until January 6th (hopefully you all are as behind as I am and in need of a rest)....which means I need to push all of the weeks back so the list of chefs/dates right now is wrong (did you even know there was a list?). I will fix them sometime this week. Until then, have a wonderful week and a HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Twenty-Ten...who would have thought it would come so quickly??

FNCCC Assignment #17 - George Duran

I know it's right during the holiday's and all but, I figure, you are still cooking, so we are carrying on with the challenge. Next week's chef is George Duran. I have ever heard of him and the first recipe I see from him is Deep-Fried Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough - should be interesting! "George Duran, host of Ham on the Street, is a chef and entertainer." No kidding.

There's nothing like relaxing during the holidays, kicked back with a plate full of fried cookie dough (Maybe you could leave some out for Santa. Or on second thought, he might need a nap directly after consuming them so we better hold off.).....will you, gulp, cook with me? We will be posting about his recipes on Wednesday, December 30. Can't wait to see what you are brave enough to choose!!!

FNCCC #16 - Emeril Lagasse

I just love Emeril. I love watching him cook with his BAM and all. It makes me feel like I can cook anything and everything I cook from him turns out wonderfully. We have two of his restaurants here in the Orlando area but haven't yet been to either. I've heard nothing but good things.

Bayou Chicken Pasta has been around our house for years now. It's very tasty and so easy. Probably my favorite from him right now.

I also tried the Pizzazy Pizza Sandwiches and Waffle Iron Reuben Sandwich. It's been a big Emeril week.

All three were good enough to be in the house rotation but the bread in the Pizza Sandwiches was too crunchy for me so would need to put more sauce on it (although the girls loved it as it was and my oldest daughter even gave me a fist bump for it, she liked it that much :)) and using the waffle iron for the Reuben is just novelty....I might just stick to the old fashioned frying pan. The Russian dressing recipe that he uses on these was really good. My husband, who doesn't like Reuben's, liked these.

I could cook something of his every night of the week. Especially since some of his recipes are as simple as peanut butter banana sandwiches - although, does this really require a recipe? Did I mention I just love him? So without picture this week I will share the pasta recipe. There are links above to the other two recipes. I give all three a thumbs up. I would love to try one of his fancier dishes (there are many) but with the kids I have, I will have to wait a few years.

Bayou Chicken PastaRecipe

courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2006

Ingredients

1 pound linguine

1/4 cup kosher salt

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 tablespoons Essence

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 cup finely chopped yellow onion

1 tablespoon finely chopped habanero pepper (I don't use this because the wee ones can't take it)1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1 cup diced tomatoes

1/2 cup reserved pasta cooking water

1/2 cup chopped green onion tops

1/4 cup grated Parmesan

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

DirectionsSet a large 1-gallon stock pot of water to a boil and add the kosher salt. Place the linguine in the pot and stir until the water returns to a boil. Cook the pasta until tender, but with a bit of resistance (al dente), about 12 minutes.

While the pasta cooks, prepare the sauce. Set a 12-inch saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the butter and olive oil to the pan. Once the butter has melted, season the chicken with 1 tablespoon of the Essence and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and add the chicken to the pan. Sear the chicken until well browned on both sides, about 2 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Add the onions and habaneros to the pan and saute until the onions are softened and lightly caramelized, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic to the pan and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add the cream, remaining 1 tablespoon of Essence, remaining 1 teaspoon of salt, and the chicken to the pan and bring to a boil. Cook the sauce until the cream is reduced by half, about 2 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, linguine and the reserved cooking water to the pan and cook, tossing to incorporate for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove pan from the heat and add the green onions, Parmesan and parsley and toss to blend. Serve immediately.

So what did you cook this week?? Post your link to MckLinky below. Enjoy your Christmas....or whatever you may celebrate!

FNCCC Assignment #16 - Emeril Lagasse

I'm pretty sure Emeril is no longer on Food Network (anyone know?) but that doesn't stop us from choosing from one of his 5,776 recipes! This may be a bad search, but I didn't have time to look through all 482 pages of recipes (no kidding). I wouldn't be surprised though. He is my favorite Food Network chef to watch. I want to cook everything he is making because he makes it look SO GOOD!

If you have never heard of Emeril it may be time to get out a little more often. He has restaurants, cookware, food products (his essence is SO wonderful), cookbooks.....and his signature, bam(!), is known by many.

Here is his website. Here is the search I did for his recipes on FN. Take your pick. Dare I say, you are guaranteed to find something you like? We will post his recipes on Wednesday, December 23. Can't wait to see what you are cooking!

FNCCC - Week 15 - Ellie Krieger

This week's featured chef is Ellie Krieger. She hosts the show, Healthy Appetite and had a number of recipes (mostly healthy!) to choose from. I had several bookmarked but decided on the Breakfast Cookies because I had just gone through my pantry and had to make something with carrot baby food. Perfect~!

I usually add a pinch more of this and a little less of that, but I followed this recipe pretty much exactly and they turned out wonderfully. So yummy. The girls were thrilled to have cookies for breakfast!

Breakfast Cookies
2007 Ellie Krieger, All rights reserved
Makes 12 cookies
Ingredients
3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour (only had plain whole wheat)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup canola oil (used melted coconut oil)
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup (1 small jar) strained carrot baby food
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup bran cereal flakes (Total flakes)
1/3 cup raisins
1/3 cup walnut pieces, lightly toasted in a dry skillet for 2 minutes, until fragrant and chopped (omitted)

Directions
Place rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Whisk together flours, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Combine butter, oil and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix on high speed, scraping down sides if necessary, until sugars have dissolved and mixture is light in color, about 1 minute. Add egg, carrot puree and vanilla and beat an additional 30 seconds. Add flour mixture and beat an additional 30 seconds. Add oats, flakes, raisins and walnuts and mix over low speed just until incorporated. Dough will be slightly sticky and less cohesive than traditional cookie dough. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper. Using between 3 to 4 tablespoons of batter, form a ball and place on cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining batter, leaving about 3 inches between cookies. Wet hands and use palm of hand to flatten cookies until about 1/4-inch thick. Bake for 12 minutes, until cookies are fragrant but still soft. Let cookies cool slightly, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

So what did you cook? Link your post to MckLinky below. Next week is Emeril....I bet you can find something of his you would love to make (or are making something of his already).

FNCCC assignment #15 Ellie Krieger

This week our featured chef is Ellie Krieger, who has hundreds of recipes posted on Food Network's web site. I have never seen her show but from her bio I get that it would fit into my style of cooking.

"A New York Times best-selling author, Ellie Krieger is a renowned registered dietitian specializing in nutrition and health communications. As the host of Food Network's Healthy Appetite, Ellie demonstrates that cooking healthy food can be quick, easy and delicious even when life becomes busy and stressful. She also shares unique strategies for eating well in challenging situations such as the office, restaurants, and vacation while explaining the confusing nutritional and diet information currently on the market."

We will be posting recipes from Ellie on Wednesday, December 16. I bet you can even find a Christmas cookie recipe if you are getting overwhelmed with everything on your plate during the holiday season. I can't wait to see what you are cooking!

FNCCC Week #14 Duff Goldman

This week's featured chef is Duff Goldman, star of the show The Ace of Cakes. He owns Charm City Cakes which produces the most amazing cakes. They have a very talented staff! An Ace of Cakes books just hit the stores as well (which I browsed through during a Fancy Nancy party at Borders).

I started cake decorating a few years ago while making cakes for my daughters. I never thought I'd make them for others but now make cakes for friends and family. I haven't taken classes but learn everything about cake decorating from YouTube. With each cake I learn something new. I even started a cake decorating blog, Sarah Bakes. I am a big fan of marshmallow fondant and make my figures out of it (sometimes with added gum paste if I want them to harden). Yesterday I posted my favorite crusting buttercream recipe. What a fun hobby it is becoming!

Here is the race car cake and cupcakes I made for a party this weekend:

So what have you been decorating?? Link your post to MckLinky below. Next week's chef is Ellie Krieger.