No, not whale meat! They're vegetarian, natch!
Season 2 of Whale Wars starts Friday, June 5th at 9 PM E/P on Animal Planet. (Reality television that's actually worth watching.)
Wednesday, June 03, 2009
The Next Food Network Star
The newest installment of that potential trainwreck called The Next Food Network Star starts this coming Sunday, June 7th, at 9pm/8c. Yes, the show that brought us such luminaries in the culinary world as Guy Fieri and Aaron McCargo is back to find yet another person obnoxious enough to be on the Food Network.
Check out a preview here and videos of the ten competitors here.
And seemingly FN is bringing back audience voting, which failed so horribly for them in season 3 when ringer Rory Schepisi lost to Amy Finley. The "Fan Vote" page on the TNFNS site reads:
"This year, you too can be a judge on The Next Food Network Star!
"Starting June 7, vote for which finalist you would have eliminated and ultimately, who you would like to see as Food Network's very next star. Each vote will enter you to win a Grilling Oasis brought to you by Chinet, Viking and Summer Classics."
Hard to tell exactly what that means. Will viewers get an actual vote, or will the FN kangaroo court once again prevail? I guess we'll just have to tune in on 6/7 and find out. I'd ask FN PR bitch Lisa Krueger, but she won't talk to me. She, and the Food Network, apparently hate bloggers. Why? Because we speak the truth.
If there are enough videos of the episodes available online, I will be recapping!
And seemingly FN is bringing back audience voting, which failed so horribly for them in season 3 when ringer Rory Schepisi lost to Amy Finley. The "Fan Vote" page on the TNFNS site reads:
"This year, you too can be a judge on The Next Food Network Star!
"Starting June 7, vote for which finalist you would have eliminated and ultimately, who you would like to see as Food Network's very next star. Each vote will enter you to win a Grilling Oasis brought to you by Chinet, Viking and Summer Classics."
Hard to tell exactly what that means. Will viewers get an actual vote, or will the FN kangaroo court once again prevail? I guess we'll just have to tune in on 6/7 and find out. I'd ask FN PR bitch Lisa Krueger, but she won't talk to me. She, and the Food Network, apparently hate bloggers. Why? Because we speak the truth.
If there are enough videos of the episodes available online, I will be recapping!
Tuesday, June 02, 2009
Wow Cafe & Wingery
Wow, located near the corner of Eutaw and Fayette Streets, is a chain specializing in chicken wings with lots of sauce choices. They also feature salads, wraps, quesadillas, etc. Basically it sounds like a good place to have so close to the University of Maryland Baltimore campus...if and when carry-out service improves. Granted, they only opened last week, but it's as if they had no idea that there would be as much carry-out business as dine-in at that particular location. Hello?! Hundreds of people work and attend classes on campus, most of whom don't get all that much time to grab lunch and eat.
I tried the place on Friday. I ordered a Bangkok salad with grilled chicken, thinking it wouldn't be too taxing on the kitchen, and stood aside to wait. There's no real designated carry-out waiting area, so those of us who had ordered food hung around near the front door, confusing patrons who came in wanting table service. Most asked, "is this the line to be seated?"
I noticed that the girl who took the carry-out orders also was responsible for taking orders from bar patrons, despite the fact that there was a bartender. After about 15 minutes, I could see plastic bags of food coming out of the kitchen and being placed on the side of the bar; meanwhile, Carry-Out Girl was taking her sweet time farting around at the computer. Eventually, she came over with our tabs. I pulled out exact change so I wouldn't have an additional wait, thinking she'd hand me the bag and I'd hand her the money. Not so. I had to wait while she took more carry-out and bar orders. Meanwhile, the plastic bags were piling up on the counter and any hot food waiting to be picked up was getting cold. While all this was going on, there were two or three completely idle waitstaff wandering around, some looking at the bags, some putting menus in them, but not a one of them helping by taking payment or delivering food. It's as if Carry-Out Girl was the only person qualified to handle the obviously very difficult and complicated task at hand.
Eventually, one very pissed-off customer went over to Carry-Out Girl and Co., to complain. Finally, after handing over my money, waiting yet more time, and getting my food, I stalked out. I was about 20 feet out the door when I heard my name being called by Carry-Out Girl. She said there was a second bag with my name on it and wanted to know what bag I had. My bag also had my name on it and it contained...french fries. We traded bags and I beat a hasty retreat to my office. My 30 minute lunch break had ended 5 minutes ago and I was getting hungry.
Back at the office, I opened my styrofoam container to reveal a pile of cut-up romaine, the equivalent of three slices of cucumber, a handful of crispy won ton pieces, and a smattering of cold chicken pieces...FRIED chicken pieces. Remember, I ordered grilled chicken. And, as chicken cost extra, I figured I'd get maybe half a chicken breast or so. Nope. Not even a third. Not only was the salad on the skimpy side, so were eating implements - not a fork or napkin in sight.
And this cost me $11.12 (with tax)? I pay about $6.50 for a taco salad at Salsaritas around the corner and I have to ask them to give me *less* meat and more lettuce because I don't need so much protein! And the Greek salad at Cypriana, also about $6.50, has about half a pound of yummy feta cheese on it.
So, my advice to Wow would be: rearrange the front so there is a designated carry-out area. The hostess' station doesn't need to be that large and it's mostly empty anyway. Put a cash register and order station right there in front so one can pay as soon as he or she orders. Let there be an order taker and an order deliverer. Have a third someone take bar orders - like maybe the bartender! And portion size for salads sucks - lower the prices. Oh, and do this before the students come back in the fall.
And...maybe changing your name from "Wow" to "Meh" would be more appropriate.
I tried the place on Friday. I ordered a Bangkok salad with grilled chicken, thinking it wouldn't be too taxing on the kitchen, and stood aside to wait. There's no real designated carry-out waiting area, so those of us who had ordered food hung around near the front door, confusing patrons who came in wanting table service. Most asked, "is this the line to be seated?"
I noticed that the girl who took the carry-out orders also was responsible for taking orders from bar patrons, despite the fact that there was a bartender. After about 15 minutes, I could see plastic bags of food coming out of the kitchen and being placed on the side of the bar; meanwhile, Carry-Out Girl was taking her sweet time farting around at the computer. Eventually, she came over with our tabs. I pulled out exact change so I wouldn't have an additional wait, thinking she'd hand me the bag and I'd hand her the money. Not so. I had to wait while she took more carry-out and bar orders. Meanwhile, the plastic bags were piling up on the counter and any hot food waiting to be picked up was getting cold. While all this was going on, there were two or three completely idle waitstaff wandering around, some looking at the bags, some putting menus in them, but not a one of them helping by taking payment or delivering food. It's as if Carry-Out Girl was the only person qualified to handle the obviously very difficult and complicated task at hand.
Eventually, one very pissed-off customer went over to Carry-Out Girl and Co., to complain. Finally, after handing over my money, waiting yet more time, and getting my food, I stalked out. I was about 20 feet out the door when I heard my name being called by Carry-Out Girl. She said there was a second bag with my name on it and wanted to know what bag I had. My bag also had my name on it and it contained...french fries. We traded bags and I beat a hasty retreat to my office. My 30 minute lunch break had ended 5 minutes ago and I was getting hungry.
Back at the office, I opened my styrofoam container to reveal a pile of cut-up romaine, the equivalent of three slices of cucumber, a handful of crispy won ton pieces, and a smattering of cold chicken pieces...FRIED chicken pieces. Remember, I ordered grilled chicken. And, as chicken cost extra, I figured I'd get maybe half a chicken breast or so. Nope. Not even a third. Not only was the salad on the skimpy side, so were eating implements - not a fork or napkin in sight.
And this cost me $11.12 (with tax)? I pay about $6.50 for a taco salad at Salsaritas around the corner and I have to ask them to give me *less* meat and more lettuce because I don't need so much protein! And the Greek salad at Cypriana, also about $6.50, has about half a pound of yummy feta cheese on it.
So, my advice to Wow would be: rearrange the front so there is a designated carry-out area. The hostess' station doesn't need to be that large and it's mostly empty anyway. Put a cash register and order station right there in front so one can pay as soon as he or she orders. Let there be an order taker and an order deliverer. Have a third someone take bar orders - like maybe the bartender! And portion size for salads sucks - lower the prices. Oh, and do this before the students come back in the fall.
And...maybe changing your name from "Wow" to "Meh" would be more appropriate.
Monday, June 01, 2009
Memorial Day Tapas
I don't know why I got it my head to make tapas for Memorial Day. Not exactly traditional, is it? I thought it would be a good excuse to get out the grill and cook up the leg of lamb that's been in our freezer for a while. Not that lamb needs excuses. Nor is tapas the most popular way to accompany it. But once I get something in my head....
Since Mr Minx had to fiddle with charcoal and all that, I thought it would make it worth his while to toss some chicken breasts on it too, to eat later in the week. Then I invited my brother, which killed the leftovers idea.
The spread consisted of grilled chicken and lamb (mingling on the same plate, both marinated in lots of garlic and soy, with tomato paste on the chicken and brown sugar on the lamb), grilled shrimp, potatoes and chorizo (from José Andres' tapas cookbook), endive salad with bleu cheese, tomato and herb salad (herbs freshly-plucked from the freshly-planted garden) with goat's cheese, marinated mushrooms, and "crab" balls. There was also some red pepper mayo for dipping, bread, and Marcona almonds. Oh, and a pitcher of sangria!
The endive salad was pretty basic: sliced Belgian endives, bleu cheese crumbles, balsamic vinaigrette. I usually add walnuts, but bro is allergic to them, and anaphylaxis is a real buzz kill. The tomato herb salad had pineapple mint; sweet, Thai, and variegated basil; French tarragon; chives and chive blossoms; and some store-bought cilantro (it refuses to grow in my garden). And a couple gobbets of goat's cheese. The tomatoes were the "on the vine" type, which I've been having roaring success with recently. Don't know where in the world they were grown (nobody will ever accuse me of being a locavore) but they have been juicy, red, and sweet.
The potato recipe called for Spanish chorizo, which I could not find at Giant. Go figure. However, I always have Mexican chorizo in the freezer so used one of those. Being raw, they have a very different texture, and are flavored primarily with annatto. Unfortunately, the pimenton called for in the recipe was quite masked by the annatto. The potatoes were tasty anyway, but I will endeavor to make them with the proper chorizo next time.
The spread consisted of grilled chicken and lamb (mingling on the same plate, both marinated in lots of garlic and soy, with tomato paste on the chicken and brown sugar on the lamb), grilled shrimp, potatoes and chorizo (from José Andres' tapas cookbook), endive salad with bleu cheese, tomato and herb salad (herbs freshly-plucked from the freshly-planted garden) with goat's cheese, marinated mushrooms, and "crab" balls. There was also some red pepper mayo for dipping, bread, and Marcona almonds. Oh, and a pitcher of sangria!Cheap sangria: 1 bottle Sutter Home "white Cabernet Sauvignon" ($5.99), 1 orange, 1 lemon, 1/4 cup leftover cheap brandy, 1/4 cup cheap Triple Sec. Fruity and boozy and a fine accompaniment to my selection of eats.
I tried to get a good combination of textures, flavors, and temperatures going and think I was pretty successful.
The endive salad was pretty basic: sliced Belgian endives, bleu cheese crumbles, balsamic vinaigrette. I usually add walnuts, but bro is allergic to them, and anaphylaxis is a real buzz kill. The tomato herb salad had pineapple mint; sweet, Thai, and variegated basil; French tarragon; chives and chive blossoms; and some store-bought cilantro (it refuses to grow in my garden). And a couple gobbets of goat's cheese. The tomatoes were the "on the vine" type, which I've been having roaring success with recently. Don't know where in the world they were grown (nobody will ever accuse me of being a locavore) but they have been juicy, red, and sweet.
The potato recipe called for Spanish chorizo, which I could not find at Giant. Go figure. However, I always have Mexican chorizo in the freezer so used one of those. Being raw, they have a very different texture, and are flavored primarily with annatto. Unfortunately, the pimenton called for in the recipe was quite masked by the annatto. The potatoes were tasty anyway, but I will endeavor to make them with the proper chorizo next time.The marinated mushroom recipe came from a little tapas cookbook called Tapas Fantasicas that I got for Christmas a couple years back. Sherry vinegar is very...pungent...so I was worried that the mushrooms would be too tart. I used a combination of baby bellas and shiitakes, and it really was quite delicious. I'd make them again.
Marinated Mushrooms
1/2 lb mushrooms, sliced
2 T olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
2 T sherry vinegar
2 T water
1/2 t dried tarragon
1/2 t brown sugar
dash Tabasco
salt and pepper to taste
Heat oil in a small saucepan over low heat. Add garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until softened. Add mushrooms and stir to coat with oil. Continue to cook for another minute or two. add vinegar, water, tarragon, sugar, Tabasco, salt, and pepper. Cover pan and simmer on low for 5 minutes, stirring once or twice.
Remove from heat. Cool mushrooms in marinade. Eat at room temperature.
As for the "crab" balls.... Remember the fish tacos I made earlier in the week? Weirdly, after I washed and dried the fish, my hands smelled like crab meat rather than fish. So I saved a piece of the cooked fish, for experimental purposes. I flaked it, added crab cake ingredients (Old Bay, bread soaked in milk, mayo) and made three small balls which I fried up for tapas. They fell apart, as my crab cakes usually do, but they tasted reasonably crabby. Because it had been sauteed, he meat was a little tough; if I try something like this again, I think I'll poach the fish so it stays soft.
Gotta admit - Mahi from Trader Joe's is far cheaper than crab meat, and it's no less crabby than the flavorless non-blue-crab "jumbo lump" they sell at the supermarket.
Marinated Mushrooms
1/2 lb mushrooms, sliced
2 T olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
2 T sherry vinegar
2 T water
1/2 t dried tarragon
1/2 t brown sugar
dash Tabasco
salt and pepper to taste
Heat oil in a small saucepan over low heat. Add garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until softened. Add mushrooms and stir to coat with oil. Continue to cook for another minute or two. add vinegar, water, tarragon, sugar, Tabasco, salt, and pepper. Cover pan and simmer on low for 5 minutes, stirring once or twice.
Remove from heat. Cool mushrooms in marinade. Eat at room temperature.
As for the "crab" balls.... Remember the fish tacos I made earlier in the week? Weirdly, after I washed and dried the fish, my hands smelled like crab meat rather than fish. So I saved a piece of the cooked fish, for experimental purposes. I flaked it, added crab cake ingredients (Old Bay, bread soaked in milk, mayo) and made three small balls which I fried up for tapas. They fell apart, as my crab cakes usually do, but they tasted reasonably crabby. Because it had been sauteed, he meat was a little tough; if I try something like this again, I think I'll poach the fish so it stays soft.
Gotta admit - Mahi from Trader Joe's is far cheaper than crab meat, and it's no less crabby than the flavorless non-blue-crab "jumbo lump" they sell at the supermarket.
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