Archive for February, 2009
Nutella banana bliss
Posted by: | CommentsCan you imagine life without Nutella?
A food with it’s own cult following, a facebook fan page with over 2 million followers, and so lovingly referred to as “spreadable bliss”, Nutella is very close to ruling the world.
For those not familiar with this delight in a jar, Nutella, created in the 1940′s, was the brainchild of Pietro Ferrero. During WW2, rations of cocoa led Pietro to dilute the cocoa with hazelnuts, which were abundant in the Piedmont region of Italy. And so a legend was born!
What is Nutella made from today? The ingredients differ slightly per country, but primarily are as follows: sugar, vegetable oil, reduced fat cocoa, skim milk powder, whey powder, emulsifier, vanillin. Sadly, not the healthiest animal in the zoo. If you are looking for healthier alternatives to Nutella, they do exist to some extent! Check out Choconut, found at Whole foods.
Our desert video today spotlights chef Chef John Simmons from Chef Live preparing grilled brioche Nutella sandwiches with a banana jam, and a dipping sauce made with heavy cream and….Nutella!
Want more? Drool over these hazelnut and Nutella sandwich cookies from Food and Wine, and check out these Nutella Pinwheel Cookies from food blogger Purple Foodie!
A very special Valentine’s Day meal with Chef Ina Garten
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At a loss for what to cook for Valentine’s Day? Here’s a simple and complete meal solution, thanks to MSNBC and Chef Ina Garten. AKA the “Barefoot Contessa”, Ina shares this meal from her cookbook “Barefoot Contessa: Back to Basics”.
In this video, she prepares a delicious mustard roasted fish, roasted vegetables, and a gorgeous dessert of coeur a la creme (translation: a cream heart) with raspberries. Problem solved! P.S. A valentine is not required to make this, be your own valentine and enjoy!
Click “read more” for the recipes.
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Bacon wrapped figs
Posted by: | CommentsAlways a fan of Eric Ripert, we were recently reminded of his sincere charm and culinary talent after watching this weeks Top Chef, where he appeared as a guest judge. Believe it or not, this french master actually produced an entire video series of toaster oven recipe videos! This simple video recipe features bacon wrapped mission figs. Wondering about his toaster oven? It’s a very cool Cuisinart Brick Oven
Recipe courtesty of Eric Ripert
Serves 4
12 figs, peeled
12 bacon slices
freshly ground black pepper
1. Heat toaster oven to Broil.
2. Wrap each fig in a strip of bacon, trimming the bacon as necessary, and secure with a toothpick.
3. Bake for about 8-10 minutes until the bacon is crisp and the figs are tender.
4. Season with black pepper and serve immediately
