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Pigs & Peaches BBQ Festival This Weekend, Kennesaw, GA

Aug 20

Posted by in Family, Festivals, Good for Groups, Recipes, kennesaw, outdoor dining | No Comments

The City of Kennesaw, Pigs and Peaches BBQ starts this afternoon at 5pm. Included is musical entertainment, a BBQ Cook Off, Kids Zone and even a Farmer’s Market. On Friday & Saturday, August 20-21, delicious smoke-cooked barbequed meats, tasty desserts, family fun and live entertainment will take center stage during the City of Kennesaw’s annual Pigs & Peaches BBQ Festival.

The event features a non-sanctioned Backyard BBQ, Anything Butt and Peach Dessert Contest, as well as a Kansas City Barbeque Society sanctioned Professional Contest, which is recognized as a Georgia State Championship Barbeque Cookoff. Over $14,000 in cash and prizes will be awarded to contest winners. Besides food for sale, and free music from a number of local and national acts, festival goers will be treated to a large Kid Zone, unique vendor booths and sponsor exhibits.

Festival hours are Friday, August 20 from 5:00 PM to 11:00 PM, and Saturday, August 21 from 10:00 to 10:00 PM. For more information visit the Pigs and Peaches Page.

Where
Adams Park and the Ben Robertson Community Center
2753 Watts Drive
Kennesaw, GA 30144

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Restaurant Recipe: P.F. Chang’s China Bistro Shrimp Dumplings

Jul 29

Posted by in Recipes | No Comments

P.F. Chang’s China Bistro Shrimp Dumplings (Recipe courtesy Recipe Secrets)

Mix:
1 pound peeled and deveined medium shrimp, washed and dried
2 tablespoons minced fine carrot
2 tablespoons minced fine green onion
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
1 package wonton wrappers

Sauce:
1 cup soy sauce
1 ounce white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon chile paste
1 ounce granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
Sesame oil to taste
1 cup water
1 tablespoon cilantro leaves

Take 1/2 pound of the shrimp and mince fine in a food processor.
Take the other 1/2 pound and small dice.

Combine remaining ingredients. With a small spoon, place
approximately 1/2 ounce of the mixture into the skin. Moisten the
outside edge. Fold corner to corner (opposite) and seal. The top
should look like a cross. Place on a plate covered in refrigerator
until ready to serve. Combine sauce ingredients and mix very well.
Prepare garnishes.

For service
Have a soup pot filled with water. Bring to a boil, then down to a
slight boil. Line the bottom of a Chinese steamer with a light coat
of vegetable oil or a nonstick spray. Place dumplings in steamer.
Cover and steam for 7 to 10 minutes. Dumplings should be firm with
an internal temperature of 160 degrees F.

Either serve in steamer or remove to serving plate. Place 2 ounces
of sauce in a small dish or bowl.

Servings: 4

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Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s Black Pepper Shrimp Recipe

Jul 22

Posted by in Recipes | No Comments

Black-Pepper Shrimp and “Sun-Dried” Pineapple (Recipe courtesy Recipe Secrets)

Provided by: Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten
Served at: Spice Market restaurant in New York City

Ingredients

Black-Pepper Sauce
1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 1/2 tablespoons minced ginger
8 scallions, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons crushed black peppercorns
1 1/2 tablespoons fermented black beans, rinsed, squeezed, and
chopped
1/2 cup sweet soy (kecap manis)
2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 3/4 tablespoons sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons lime juice
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Skewers
24 large shrimp, deveined, tails left on
1 pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 cup pea shoots, chopped (watercress can be substituted)
1 cup jícama, cut into 1/2-inch dice
Instructions

Black-Pepper Sauce
Heat the oil over medium heat in a skillet, add the garlic, ginger,
and scallion, and saute until golden. Add the pepper, and cook
until it becomes fragrant, then add the remaining ingredients, and
bring to a boil. Simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, transfer
to a blender, and puree until the sauce becomes medium smooth.

Skewers
Heat one side of the grill to medium. Cook pineapple on the cool
part of the grill until it is lightly caramelized.

Remove, and assemble the skewers, alternating 2 pieces of shrimp
and 3 of pineapple. Place over the coals, and grill until the
shrimp start to turn pink. Brush both sides of the skewers
liberally with the black-pepper sauce, and return to the grill to
finish cooking. Toss the pea shoots and jícama together, and serve
with the shrimp skewers.

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Mussels: A Healthy, Sustainable and Easy to Prepare Food

Jul 8

Posted by in Healthy, Recipes, Seafood | No Comments

A couple months ago, Lindsey over at Adventurous Tastes posted on how easy and affordable it was to prepare mussels. I, like Lindsey, always thought that mussels were very complicated and took a long to time to prep and cook. But after reading Lindsey’s article and finding out some more information on mussels, I think I’ll be incorporating them into my cooking regimen a little more.

Caught by sailors for almost 900 years, mussels are an eco-friendly, sustainable choice, available all year long.  Mussels are also really good for you too. They are low in fat and high in omega-3 fatty acids, protein, zinc, vitamin C and iron. And an average serving contains only 90 calories.

How to Choose Mussels

Cultivated mussels are thin, with light black-to-brown shells; they have higher meat content than wild mussels. Mussels are sold in mesh bags or can be found loose on the ice at the seafood counter. Cultivated blue mussels are harvested year round – even through the winter – so they’re always fresh when you see them in the store.

An easy way to tell if they are fresh is to use your nose – they should smell like the ocean, fresh and salty. You don’t have to eat them as soon as you get home, depending on the date you usually can buy and store the them in your fridge at home for a few days before eating.

How to Cook Mussels

Before you start cooking, you should always give your mussels a quick rinse. Cultured blue mussels are pre-cleaned so that’s really all you need to do. The fresh water will cause the mussels to close. If there are any that don’t close give them a quick tap, if they still don’t close simply discard them.

Cooking

  • Place a little bit of water in a pot, just ¼ cup is often enough to provide the steam. Note you should never boil mussels as you would pasta.
  • Turn on your heat to high.
  • Add the mussels to the pot and  put on the lid.
  • When the steam is coming out from under the lid, peak and if the  mussels are open they are done!
  • This will take 5 to 10 minutes depending on how much liquid you use, the strength of heat, the weight of the pot and the amount of mussels you have.
  • Tip the contents into a bowl and serve with some fresh crusty bread – it’s that simple!

A few Tips

  • In place of water, you can also use wine or beer or other liquids to steam the mussels and add some unique flavor. Throw in some chopped garlic or onions to add more flavour.
  • A general guide for how many mussels to cook is a pound per person.

Mussel Recipes I like

Grilled Curry Mussels

Steamed Blue Mussels in White Wine

Pumpkin Lasagna with Mussels

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Recipe: Texas Roadhouse Legendary Sirloin Beef Tips

Jul 6

Posted by in Recipes | No Comments

Texas Roadhouse Legendary Sirloin Beef Tips (Recipe courtesy Recipe Secrets)

Tender pieces of sirloin with sauteed mushrooms and onions in a
made-from-scratch brown gravy, served with seasoned rice or mashed
potatoes.

Salt and pepper
Garlic powder
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 to 6 ounces sirloin steak, cut into large dice
1 small onion, diced
2 tablespoons butter
4 large mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup white wine
1/2 cup beef broth
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Seasoned rice or mashed potatoes, for serving

1. Mix the salt, pepper, and garlic powder together and combine
with the flour. Heat the oil in a skillet. Dredge the steak pieces
with the flour mixture then saute the meat until it is medium-rare.
Add the onions and cook until it is softened.

2. Add the butter to the pan and then add the mushrooms. Cook until
the mushrooms begin to color, then remove the meat, onions, and
mushrooms to a platter and keep warm.

3. Deglaze the skillet with the wine, making sure to loosen any
browned bits, and let it reduce a little. Add the beef broth and
bring to a boil, then return the reserved meat and vegetables back
to the pan and simmer, covered, for about 1 hour, or until the meat
is tender.

4. Mix the cornstarch with a little of the cooking liquid to make a
paste and add it to the simmering broth. When the sauce is
thickened, serve the tips with rice or mashed potatoes, and a
vegetable of your choice.

Serves 1

(Recipe courtesy Recipe Secrets)

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Fourth of July Drink Recipe: Stars and Stripes Martini

Jul 2

Posted by in Recipes | 1 Comment

Celebrate Independence Day with a Stars and Stripes Martini, apatriotic cocktail offered at RA Sushi in Midtown during Fourth of July weekend. From Friday, July 2 to Sunday, July 4, guests can cool off from the summer heat at RA Sushi with a Stars and Stripes Martini ($7), or make it for your own 4th of July celebration at home. The Stars and Strips cocktail is a light blend of summer fruit, including lemon, raspberries and blueberries.

Stars and Stripes Martini Recipe (1 serving)

Muddled blueberries
1.5 oz. SKYY Citrus Vodka
¼ oz. Blue Curacao
¼ oz. Chambord raspberry liqueur
½ oz. simple syrup
1 oz. lemonade
Splash lemon-lime soda
2 juiced lemons

Muddle blueberries with the Blue Curacao in a martini glass. Place a lemon wheel slice over mixture. Pour vodka, simple syrup, a splash of lemon-lime soda, and lemon juice in a martini shaker. Shake and strain over the lemon in a martini glass. The mixture will layer. Drizzle Chambord down the side of the glass. It will layer in between the vodka and blueberry mixture creating a striped appearance; garnish will float to top.

Recipe courtesy of RA Sushi.
Website

Happy 4th of July, y’all!

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Cheesecake Factory’s Carrot Cake Cheesecake

Jun 22

Posted by in Recipes | No Comments

Secret Recipe: Cheesecake Factory’s Carrot Cake Cheesecake

For Cheesecake:
16 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon flour
3 eggs

For Carrot Cake:
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
8 1/2 ounces can crushed pineapple, packed in juice, drained well,
reserve juice
1 cup grated carrots
1/2 cup coconut
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

For Pineapple Cream Cheese Frosting:
2 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon butter, softened
1 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon reserved pineapple juice

Directions:
In large bowl of electric mixer, beat cream cheese, sugar and
vanilla until smooth. Beat in flour, eggs and vanilla extract until
smooth. Set aside. Meanwhile prepare Carrot Cake.

Carrot Cake:
In large bowl, combine oil, sugar, eggs and vanilla extract; mix
well. Stir in dry ingredients; mixing well. Stir in drained
pineapple, carrots, coconut and walnuts.

Spread 1 1/2 c. carrot cake batter over bottom of greased 9- or 9
1/2″ springform pan. Drop cream cheese batter over carrot cake
batter by spoonfuls; top with large spoonfuls of remaining carrot
cake batter. Repeat with remaining cream cheese batter, spreading
evenly with a knife. Do not marble with a knife. Bake in preheated
350F oven for 50 to 65 minutes or until cake is set and cooked
through. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate. When cake is
cold, prepare Pineapple Cream Cheese Frosting.

Pineapple Cream Cheese Frosting:
In a bowl of electric mixer, combine cream cheese, butter,
confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract and reserved pineapple juice.
Beat until smooth and of spreading consistency. Frost top of
cheesecake. Refrigerate 3 to 4 hours before serving.

Serves 12

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Pizzeria Uno Chicago Classic Deep Dish Pizza

Apr 30

Posted by in Recipes | 2 Comments

Recipe courtesy of RecipeSecrets.net

Crumbled sausage, chunky tomato sauce, mozzarella, and grated Romano make for a classic deep dish pizza.

Pan Dough
1 cup warm water 110* to 115* F
2 1/4 teaspoons (1 envelope) active dry yeast
3 1/2 cups flour, divided
1/2 cup cornmeal, coarsely ground
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Pizza Topping
1 pound Italian sausage, removed from casing and crumbled
One 15-ounce can whole tomatoes
1 pound mozzarella, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
5 fresh basil leaves, chopped fine
4 tablespoons grated Romano cheese

Required Equipment
15-inch deep dish pizza pan

1. Proof the yeast in the warm water until it foams, about 5
minutes. Add 1 cup of flour, the cornmeal, salt, and the vegetable
oil. Stir to combine everything.

2. Continue adding the flour a half cup at a time, stirring after
every addition, until the flour is used up. The dough should form a
soft ball and come away from the sides of the bowl.

3. Flour a work surface and begin to knead the dough until it
reaches elasticity and is no longer very sticky, about 10 to 12
minutes. Put the ball of dough in a greased bowl, turning once to
grease all sides and cover with a damp towel. Set the bowl in an
area free of drafts. Let it rise until doubled in size, about 1
hour.

4. Punch the dough down and briefly knead on a floured surface,
about 2 minutes. Press the dough into a greased pizza pan until it
comes up the 2-inch sides of the pan and is even on the bottom.
Cover and let rise for about 20 minutes.

5. Prepare the topping: Saute the sausage until it is cooked
through, crumbling it as it cooks. Drain off the fat and set it
aside. Strain the tomatoes and roughly chop them.

6. Preheat the oven to 500*F. When the dough has completed the
second rising, layer the sliced mozzarella over the bottom of the
dough, followed by the sausage and then the garlic. Finish with the
chopped tomatoes and basil, and sprinkle with the grated Romano
cheese.

7. Bake for 15 minutes at 500*F, then turn down the oven
temperature to 400*F and bake for another 25 to 35 minutes. One way
to check the cooking time is to lift up a section of the crust and
check the color. The crust should be a dark golden brown and be
slightly crispy. When ready to serve, cut into slices and serve hot.

Food for Thought: Change the flavor of your pizza by changing the
herbs: Try dried oregano or marjoram, or combinations of several
different kinds.

Serves 8

Recipe courtesy of RecipeSecrets.net

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Ted’s Montana Grill Secret Ingredient Cookoff Contest

Apr 6

Posted by in Recipes | No Comments

Ted’s Secret Ingredient Showdown runs now through  May 30, 2010. During this time, a new secret ingredient will be revealed by Ted’s Montana Grill every two weeks at www.tedsmontanagrill.com.

Amateur chefs and home cooks (sorry, no professional chefs allowed) are challenged to combine their culinary creativity and passion for cooking by creating an original appetizer, entrée or dessert that uses the featured ingredient in a new dish.

A pantry list is provided on the contest Web site and contestants should choose their ingredients from this list, although two additional items will be allowed. If you think your recipe has what it takes, submit the recipe, a photo of the dish, or a one-to five-minute video of you preparing the dish to the Secret Ingredient Showdown Web site.

Every qualified entry becomes eligible for judging and entrants could also win an assortment of random prizes given away during the contest, such as free food, monogrammed chefs’ coats or aprons and other Ted’s memorabilia. Fans can view sample cooking entries each week via the contest’s YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/tedssecretingredient.

Ted’s Montana Grill will choose one winner for each of the ingredient categories and judging will be based on four criteria: taste, originality, ease of execution and marketability. Each winner will receive a set of All-Clad cookware and Ted’s Montana Grill gift cards, from $250 to $500.

Then, Ted’s Corporate Chef Chris Raucci and the judging panel will review the four ingredient category winners in a “Chef Showdown” to choose the winning recipe. The grand prize winner’s dish will receive a featured place on the Ted’s Montana Grill menu for a select period of time and this winning chef also will receive the grand prize–a culinary weekend in New York City and free food at Ted’s Montana Grill for a year.

So sharpen your knives and get out the mixer.  Ted’s Montana Grill is challenging you to a Secret Ingredient Showdown!

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Jamba Juice Smoothie Recipes

Mar 23

Posted by in Healthy, Recipes | No Comments

Recipe courtesy of RecipeSecrets.net

Jamba Juice Orange Berry Blitz

Start with 8 oz orange juice. Then add 2 scoops of pineapple
sherbert. Next add 2 scoop of frozen strawberries. Then 1 scoop frozen blueberries. Then add 2 scoops of crushed ice. Blend until desired consistency.

Jamba Juice Get Up and Mango

Start with 8 oz peach juice. Then add 2 scoops of frozen yogurt. Next add 2 scoop of frozen mangoes. Then two scoops of frozen peaches. Then add 2 scoops of crushed ice. Blend until desired consistency.

Jamba Juice Pina Colada

Start with 10 oz pineapple juice. Then add 2 scoop of pineapple sherbert.Then add 2 scoops Next add 2 scoops of frozen bananas. Here you’re going to need to add a tablespoon of coconut powder, if you don’t have coconut powder from the store you can buy a coconut and use the shavings instead. Then add 2 scoops of crushed ice. Blend until desired consistency.

Jamba Juice Skittles

Start with 8 oz peach lemonade. Then add 1 scoop of lime sherbert. Then add 2 scoops frozen yogurt. Next add 2 scoop of frozen strawberries. Then add 2 scoops of crushed ice. Blend until desired consistency.

Jamba Juice Fruity Pebbles

Start with 8 oz soymilk. Then add 1 scoop each of raspberry, orange, lime and pineapple sherbert. Then add 2 scoops of crushed ice. Blend until desired consistency.

Jamba Juice The Sunny Days

Start with 6 oz orange juice, then add 6 oz of lemonade. Then add 2 scoops each of orange and lime sherbert. Next add 2 scoop of frozen mangoes. Then add 2 scoops of crushed ice. Blend until desired consistency.

Jamba Juice Sour Patch Kids

Start with 12 oz lemonade. Then add 1 scoop each of raspberry, orange, lime and pineapple sherbert. Next add 2 scoops of frozen blueberries. Then add 2 scoops of crushed ice. Blend until desired consistency.

Jamba Juice Pink Starburst

Start with 6 oz peach juice, then add 6 oz of soy milk. Then add 1 scoop of raspberry sherbert, 1 scoop frozen yogurt, and 1 scoop sorbet. Next add 2 scoop of frozen strawberries, cut into 1/4ths. Then add 2 scoops of crushed ice. Blend until desired consistency.

Jamba Juice Strawberry Cheesecake

Start with 12 oz passion-mango juice. Then add 2 scoops frozen yogurt. Next add 2 scoop of frozen strawberries, cut each strawberry into 1/4ths so itll blend easier. Then add 2 scoops of crushed ice. Blend until desired consistency.

Jamba Juice White Gummy

Start with 8 oz peach juice, then add 4 oz of soy milk. Then add 1 scoop each of raspberry, orange and pineapple sherbert. Next add 2 scoop of frozen mangoes. Then add 2 scoops of crushed ice. Blend until desired consistency.

Smoothie Tips

1. For all juice, use a juice concentrate with half the recommended water, this will give your smoothie the similar texture of a jamba juice.
2. All scoops are standard ice cream scoop sizes.
3. Make sure to use sherbets and not ice cream because sherbet greatly affects the consistency of the smoothie.
4. One scoop of fruit is equivalent to 1 ice cream scoop.
5. If you wish to make more than the allotted amounts I’ve given you just make sure you add equivalent amounts of product in the same ratio.
6. If your smoothie turns out thinner than you wanted, add more of the appropriate sherbets or frozen yogurt.
7. If your smoothie turns out thicker than you wanted, add more of the appropriate juice.
8. For OJ, lemonade and soy milk no concentrates are needed.

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