A Full Belly

Here's my post about a new-to-me food blog for the day...A Full Belly.

A Full Belly is a weblog about eating well, edited and published by Alaina Browne. It seems to be updated often and has some great content. Check it out, and let Alaina know you found her blog while reading at A Cooking Site!

Food Blog looking for writers

In my search for new blogs today I came across a post, Food Blog looking for writers. It's from the start of August but doesn't list a closing date so I figured I'd spread the word.

Here's a clip:

"Start-up food blog (part of one of the largest blog networks, with substantial built-in advertising and traffic) is looking for lead writers.

Qualified candidates will have some experience either writing about food or
working in the gourmet industry. We're looking for writers who can commit to daily +/- half-time blog writing, and also contribute weekly features. You should be well-versed in all aspects of culinary culture - restaurants, magazines, critics, etc - and you must be versatile enough to cover the entire food spectrum, from Nobu to Nestle's Crunch. You must have EXCELLENT editorial skills, a sense of style and, above all, a sense of humor. Contacts in the New York or San Francisco food scene is a huge plus. "

Blog Day 2005

What is Blog Day 2005? Click that link <<<< for more info:-)

Basically today is a day to blog about new (or new to you) blogs. Here's some more info from another food blogger...which also happens to be one of my favorite blogs:-)

Culinary Resources

Short and to the point....here's a page I found this morning that includes a bunch of great culinary resources.

Enjoy!

This post brought to you in part by:

Recipe.com
Recipes for every occasion - source for recipe, food, cooking, cookbook and kitchen resources.

Spiced Shrimp Recipe

Spiced Shrimp Recipe Requirements

2 lb shrimp, in their shells
1/2 cup celery, chopped finely
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup prepared horseradish
1 green onion, chopped finely
1/2 tsp each salt, pepper and paprika
3 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp. chives, chopped
1 clove garlic, halved
2 - 3 dashes Tabasco or more to taste
- lettuce leaves for serving

- Place shrimp into 8 cups of boiling, salted water.

- Lower the flame and simmer just until the shrimp are pink. (Don't over cook!)

- Drain immediately and run shrimp under cold water.

- Shell and devein the shrimp and set them in a mixing bowl which has been well
rubbed with the garlic halves.

- Mix together the remaining ingredients and pour this marinade over the shrimp.

- Refrigerate for 8 - 12 hours and serve chilled on lettuce leaves.

* Serves 4 - 6 depending on appetites.

10 Tips for a Great Turkey

Believe it or not Thanksgiving is right around the corner. It's never too early to start planning your holiday meal...and how you're going to make it great.

Courtesy of the A Pinch of This forums....

- Buy a fresh turkey They're not all that more expensive than frozen, and the flavor and texture are superior.

- If you must defrost, do it right Always thaw the turkey in the refrigerator, never at room temperature. Allow a full 24 hours for every five pounds of turkey (that means a 25-pounder will take about five days).

- Buy enough turkey To be sure you have plenty of turkey for leftovers and seconds, buy about one pound of turkey per person.

- Use high-quality utensils Avoid flimsy foil pans -- invest in a high-quality roasting pan and roasting rack. A good carving set is a must too. Don't forget a meat thermometer (preferably instant-read) and a bulb baster. And use an oven thermometer -- many a holiday roasting disaster could have been avoided if the cook knew that the oven was 50 degrees low.

6 more tips - read on!

Coffee, the New Health Drink

Coffee provides more healthful antioxidants than any other food or beverage in the American diet according to a study released Sunday.

Joe Vinson, a chemistry professor at the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania, conducted the study. His findings were released in conjunction with the annual convention of the American Chemical Society in Washington.

Antioxidants are thought to help battle cancer and provide other health benefits.

Vinson said his team analyzed the antioxidant content of more than 100 different food items. They found that the average adult consumes 1,299 milligrams of antioxidants daily from coffee. The closest competitor was tea at 294 milligrams.

I drink about 5 or 6 cups of coffee a day so I should be cancer free for life!

New Orleans Recipe Blog

At least a few times a week I try to find what have been, at least to me, previously unknown food & cooking blogs and link to them here.

Today I came across the New Orleans Recipe Blog. Give them a look see when you have a moment...here's the description of their blog:

"Hello from New Orleans. This blog gives visitors a chance to learn about our famous food from fellow cooking enthusiasts. In addition, we will post New Orleans recipes weekly and do a podcast with a famous New Orleans chef monthly. We encourage visitors to share their own recipes, ask questions, and help others with their cooking questions. New Orleans cuisine is some of the most exciting food in the world! We hope our recipes help you capture a taste of that excitement."

They have some good recipes and do some really good interviews with chefs.

Good luck with your blog guys, I'll be reading!

Blueberry Blue Corn Griddle Cakes

Yummy.

1 cup blue cornmeal

1 tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

2 large eggs, beaten

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup fresh blueberries

Butter or oil for greasing griddle

Butter and syrup to put on top

Combine cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large mixing bowl. Combine milk, eggs and butter in a small bowl; mix well. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix just to combine.

Allow the thin batter to rest for 10 minutes. Stir in flour and mix the batter until patches of white disappear. Do not overmix. Fold in blueberries.

Using a 1/4-cup measure, drop batter onto a medium-hot, lightly greased griddle. When bubbles form on top, after about 1 or 2 minutes, turn and cook the cakes until they are lightly browned on the other side. Serve with butter and syrup. Makes about 16 4-inch cakes.

I discovered this recipe here.

Enjoy!

Bad Cook Wants to Have Dinner Party

While reading at Discuss Cooking today I came across a thread called Bad Cook Wants to Have Dinner Party .

It opens like this:

"My wife and I are both very mediocre cooks. There are 4-5 couples that I'd really like to have over one weekend for dinner but I'm totally lossed on what to prepare.

Do any of you have any ideas on something that tastes fabulous but is easy to make - and something not too common? Chicken is good when it's good but hard to make impressive. None of us eat pork. Fish has always been unimpressive."

There have been a ton of great replies...stop by share your advice:-)

Rib Tips are Goooooood

Once of the forums I like to read at is Smokin' Jim

I'm going to cook some rib tips this weekend and was looking for some new ideas/recipes that I hadn't tried yet. I came across Jim's article/recipe, Rib Tips are Good. It's almost a year old but a recipe that was good last year will still be good today:-)

Barbecue Industry Association Survey

I thought some of these "BBQ Facts" were pretty interesting:

- About three quarters (74%) of all U.S. households own a barbecue
grill.

- Grill ownership is highest among younger, larger, higher income
families who live in houses.

- Female heads of households (57%) are more likely to make the
decision to barbecue and select the menu.

- Male heads of household (61%) are more likely to do the cooking.

- 58% of grill owners own a charcoal grill.

- 59% of grill owners own a gas grill.

- Barbecuers use their grills an average of five times per month.

- 52% of all grills are used year-round.

To Foil or Not to Foil...That is the Question

Being a guy I think I'm born with a gene that forces me like bbq, grills & cooking out. That said, one of the forums I often read/post at is the BBQ News forum. A topic that caught me eye today was to foil or not to foil?

Here's a clip from the opening post made by gman:

"I was reading about how to do barbecue "the right way" and it said that using foil just wasn't the way to do it. I'm new to all of this and I've only done ribs using foil. What's the benefit of not using foil other than it's the traditional way of doing it? "

There have been quite a few replies so far. Stop in with your opinion, or just to pick up a little info you didn't know before.

Monday is Grilled Cheese Day

Check out this post for some info on grilled cheese day. Here's a little teaser:

"Monday, August 29 is Grilled Cheese Day on Slashfood. Nothing but grilled cheese posts, all day long. We'll talk to special guests, share recipes and preparation tips for non-traditional and international interpreations. look into grilled cheese gadgetry, and even report from the scene of a competitive grilled cheese eating event. Can't wait until Monday? Put your grilled cheese photos where we can see 'em –tag them with "grilledcheese" and "slashfood" on Flickr, and we'll link to our favorite in a special installment of Food Porn."

I'm a single guy who 9 times out of 10 can't cook something I would actually eat so grilled cheese is on my menu at least once or twice a week:-)

Chocolate Gift Ideas

Scanning around the net' today looking for a gift for my girlfriend. I'm lazy so I'd like it delivered, and she's a girl so she likes chocolate:-)

So I needed some gourmet chocolate gift ideas and what better place to start looking than Google, Yahoo & MSN. All three gave me some nice ideas but I decided on the one I linked to above.

In the end we all win. I didn't have to leave my house to shop and she'll not only get chocolate, she'll get GOURMET chocolate. What's the difference....I really don't have a clue but gourmet sounds better:-)

Food Blogging

I came across a pretty interesting article on food blogging today...just had to share it. It's from March of this year so you may have already read it at some point. If not,take a few minutes and check it out. It's a pretty good article on what food blogging is about and who are the people who do it.

The 8500 calorie manwich

The 8500 calorie manwich

Came across the above this morning and just had to share. It's from last year, but hey and 8500 calorie "manwich" is worth writing about.

17.7Lbs of Cow Brains in 15 Minutes

Competitive eating at it's best. Check out some of these records for eating:

Takeru Kobayashi - 17.7 pounds of cow brains in 15 minutes. (that is just plain sick)

Jed Donahue - 152 jalapenos in 15 minutes. (I can feel the burning now!)

Bill Simmons - 137 chicken wings in 30 minutes. (not as bad as the first two...)

Eric Booker - 15 burritos in eight minutes. (then spent 2 days in the bathroom)

Eric Booker - 38 hard-boiled eggs in 10 minutes. (then spent two more days in the bathroom)

"Crazy Legs Conti" - 168 oysters in 10 minutes. (no comment...oysters are pretty sick)

Don Lerman - 7 quarter-pound sticks of butter in five minutes. ("why?", would be my first question)

Oleg Zhornitskiy - four 32-oz jars of mayonnaise in eight minutes. (gross!!)

Obviously I am not cut out for any type of competitive eating. I will stick to eating when I'm hungry:-)

More Cooking Blogs

From time to time I like to provide some links to cooking blogs I come across while cruising the net'. Here's a few pretty cool cooking related blogs I came across today:

http://loveandcooking.blogspot.com/
http://www.cheapcooking.blogspot.com/
http://www.verygoodcooking.blogspot.com/

Enjoy, and if you own a cooking blog link to someone else today!

Attn: Chefs - Google Hiring!

If you're a world class chef Google is looking for you!

I noticed a blog post today where Google lays out a menu and talks about what they are looking for in the two executive chefs they want to hire.

Working for Google looks like it would be pretty cool - too bad I'm barely qualified to cook for myself:-)