Thanksgiving Tip #14 – Food Network To The Rescue!

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Cooking, Food, Food Network, inspiration, Pioneer Woman, recipes, Thanksgiving, Tips, TV, website

  
Looking for help or suggestions for your Thanksgiving dinner? The Food Network is showing numerous shows with a Thanksgiving theme that will inspire you with delicious recipes! The network has shows in a variety of formats from educational to competitive and almost all of them are showing Thanksgiving episodes.

Pretty much anytime I sit down to watch TV, I search through the network on my TV guide and set up the Thanksgiving shows to record.

One of the best shows I’ve watched so far is the Pioneer Woman’s Ultimate Thanksgiving. That girl does love her butter, but the recipes look fantastic and I know I’m going to be trying a few this year; Maple Whiskey Turkey and Very Berry Cranberry Sauce, just to name a few! Luckily, they are showing this show and some of Ree Drummond’s other Thanksgiving shows repeatedly, so you can search your TV guide on “Pioneer Woman” and still find showings.

Another great thing about this network is they have a very robust website. You can find many of the recipes shown in the episodes on the website. All of the recipes from the Pioneer Woman special are on there.

So check out the channel on TV or take a look at their website (foodnetwork.com) for some great Thanksgiving inspiration! I have AT&T U-verse and the Food Network is on channels 453 & 1453 (HD), but this might differ for you. They also have a great app available for your phone and tablets.

I hope you can find some additional Thanksgiving inspiration!

Big Night – A Sleeper, Foodie Movie That I Love!!!

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Big Night, Cooking, Food, Italian, Movie, Stanley Tucci

Not only do I love to cook and eat, but yes, I also love to watch movies about food! I’m obsessed! I know!

I ran across the wonderful movie, Big Night, on Netflix (Yes, it’s still on there!). Netflix probably recommended it for me based on all the other food relatd shows I watch on there (Kitchen Nightmares, No Reservations, etc.).

Big Night stars Stanley Tucci (The Devil Wears Prada, Julie & Julia), Tony Shalhoub (Monk), Minnie Driver (Good Will Huntng) and the beautiful Isabella Rosellini (Cousins, Blue Velvet). There are a few other notable stars in smaller roles as well.

I don’t want to ruin it, but basically the story is about two brothers that are running a failing Italian restaurant and gamble on one special night to save their beloved restaurant. One brother is the head chef and has such passion for his food and the tradition in which it should be enjoyed. He has no patience for we American simpletons that insist on a side of spaghetti with the other pasta dish we already ordered! You can’t help but love these characters and the passion they have for what they do. And let’s just say the food coming out of that kitchen looks fantastic!!!

So put on a big pot of sauce (I guess I better blog my sauce recipe tomorrow!!!) and get ready to sit down with a big plate of pasta, a glass of good wine and enjoy Big Night! I just know you’ll love it! Lots of laughs and passion for good food!

This movie is also available for purchase at Amazon.com.

Mangia bene!!!

Mexican Style Pinto Beans – A Great Add to Any Barbecue

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4th of July, barbecue, beans, Cooking, Food, Independance Day, July 4th, mexican beans, mexican style beans, pinto beans, recipe, recipes, slow cook, slow cooked beans, slow cooker, slow cooker recipes, summer

  

Since everyone I know will be barbecuing tomorrow in celebraton of July 4th, I thought I would share my awesome bean recipe with you! They are a perfect barbecue side dish and their make-ahead recipe clears up time for more amusing pursuits! My pinto beans are soaking as we speak, in anticipation for their date with the crockpot tomorrow morning!

These beans are really easy to make, low-fat and so very tasty! They are very flavorful as is, but feel free to spice them up by adding additional hot peppers or hot sauce. These are a great add to any barbecue, mexican feast, Super Bowl party, or just any time you want tasty beans!

What goodies are you making for the 4th of July?

Mexican Style Pinto Beans

1 pound pinto beans, sorted for any stones/bad ones and rinsed

1/2 pound turkey bacon (You can leave this out if you’re meat-free or want to cut fat and calories)

1 – 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes in puree

1 – 4 oz. can of diced green chiles

1 onion, chopped (I prefer the flavor of red onions in this dish)

1 tbsp chili powder

1 tbsp cumin (My favorite spice IN THE WORLD!!!! It reminds me of my childhood and the wonderful, exotic aromoas that came out of our Lebanese neighbor’s kitchen. Man that woman could cook!!!)

2-3 crushed & chopped garlic cloves (I use my garlic press here. Love that tool!!!)

3/4 cup cilantro, rinsed, dried and chopped

Salt and pepper to taste (I once heard someone say, “Salt is to food, what breath is to life!” So true!)
Place your rinsed pinto beans in a large pot or bowl and cover the bean with water, enough for 3 inches over. Let them soak overnight.

Drain the beans and place into slow cooker. Pour in enough fresh water to cover the beans. Stir in all ingredients except the cilantro. Cook beans on low for 6 hours or high for 4 hours.

About 1/2 hour before the beans are due to be done, stir in the chopped cilantro. Continue cooking beans until they are soft. Give them a taste to see if you need to add any more salt and pepper.

I hope you and your family enjoy these beans as much as we do! I make them pretty regularly and they are always a hit. 

Tip: Have a large amount left over? No sweat! These little wonders freeze beautifully!!! So you can enjoy them on a busy night when you don’t have time to cook!

White Wine Spritzer – A Refreshing, Low-cal Cocktail Choice

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cocktail, Cooking, Drink, drinks, eating, Food, low calorie, spritzer, summer, weight loss, white wine, white wine spritzer, Wine

  
I had always heard of a white wine spritzer and Weight Watchers always mentioned them as a good lower calorie drink choice, but I never tried one until recently. What on earth was I waiting for??? On a hot summer day, this is such a refreshing drink choice and it doesn’t weigh you down like straight wine can. We recently enjoyed these at my birthday picnic (see previous post). They are especially great for people that aren’t big drinkers. My inlaws don’t drink much, but they really enjoyed these!

These are a commonly made drink, so you can easily order them when you’re out on the town. They are also super easy to make, so they’re perfect for home parties or picnics. The other great thing about spritzers is that you can make them to suit your tastes and desires. Below I’ll share a suggested recipe, but if you want to lower calories or alcohol content just increase the amount of club soda to wine ratio. Club soda has zero calories so you  get the bubbly without the alcohol calories!

If you’re like me and are late to the spritzer game, I hope you’ll give this refreshing beverage a try!

White Wine Spritzer

1/3 part club soda

2/3 part white wine (I really like to use Sequin – Delicately Bubbled Pinot Grigio)

1 lime wedge – squeeze into spritzer and then drop in

Just add all ingredients to glass and gently mix. I guess you could make it by the pitcher for a party, but it might go flat over time. I also like to start with ice cold ingredients, so I don’t have to add ice, which will water it down when it melts.

Cheers!

Caps Oak Street Bar and Grill – Great Northern California Restaurant

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Brentwood, Caps Oak Street Bar and Grill, Food, restaurant

   

  

  

 We were kid-free last night, so my husband and I decided to hit the town! We went to one of our favorite local restaurants. We live in the San Francisco East Bay and Caps Oak Street Bar and Grill in Brentwood is a jewel in suburbia! The decor is very classic and the service is old school, classy with servers in shirts, ties and black vests. Caps has generous indoor seating and a lovely patio as well.

The food here is consistantly great! They even have some awesome off the menu entrees. You didn’t hear it from me, but if they have the ingredients they will make you a rockin’ Beef Wellington. It’s to die for! This is usually what we order, but last night we decided to stick with the menu.

We started our meal with their delicious crab cakes. They were so beautiful that I forgot to take a picture and just started stuffing my face! My husband had the delicious Seafood Alfredo, which had salmon, clams, shrimp and scallops. Yummmm!!!

Don’t kill me, but I was politically incorrect and had the Veal Scallopini. It’s only the second time in my life that I’ve eaten veal. I SWEAR!!! It was so very good! It was a veal cutlet smothered in prociutto and motzarella with a mushroom sauce. The pasta on the side was also delicious and the corn was perfection!

I was stuffed, but my husband insisted on ordering dessert. He ordered their special, off menu dessert of apricot crisp. Of course, I had to steal a bite (or two or three)!

If you’re in the area, I highly recommend you enjoy a meal at Caps!

Food Network Star: New Season of a Favorite Show!

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Cooking, Food, television

I must admit there are quite a few cooking shows that I enjoy watching. Food Network Star happens to be one of my favorite such shows. The first episode of the new season was this last Thursday, so you haven’t missed much. I enjoy the variety of cooking challenges, but my favorite part is the diverse cooking styles of the contestants. They are each trying to sell their own culinary point of view, which can be from cooking genre to ethnicity. Since I love to try a wide variety of foods, I find this very appealing! Not to mention the variety of personalities makes for entertaining TV. The hosts are Bobby Flay and Giada De Laurentis, whom I also enjoy. 

I have AT&T Uverse and the show is on food network (channel 453/1453) at 6 PM on Thursdays. Check listings as the time and channel may vary. 

Happy viewing! What are some of your favorite cooking shows and why?