Next Food Network Star-Episode 3

First off, I will give into the show and start calling our fine folks “finalists” instead of “contestants”.

Our finalists met their first challenge in the form of running into Tyler Florence at a supermarket. (Why does this never happen to me?) They were instructed to buy groceries that would feed 12 for $60 AND to also give Tyler a money saving tip in front of the camera.

Tyler was a pretty critical judge. He shut Teddy down immediately when he went into his Sham-Wow! mode. He told Michael that he had no clue what he was talking about. He practically yelled “Murderer!” at Jamika when she advised the re-using of marinade as a sauce. But he liked Jeffrey, he liked Katie’s second try and he seemed indifferent to Melissa’s tip. Something about putting green onions in water so that they always regenerate. Huh? Are green onions like lizard tails? I didn’t get it.
Jeffrey was our winner and promised great things in the next challenge. This challenge turned out to be preparing the budget meal at the Barefoot Contessa Ina Garten’s house for a few of her close friends. Jeffrey’s prize was that he chose his partner while the rest of the finalists were left to the mercy of Ina drawing names out of a pot. He chose Michael. Melissa was paired with Eddie, Teddy with Debbie, and Jamika with Katie.

The finalists were to prepare a three course meal. Each one would prepare a dish and they would collaborate on one dish. Eddie did not want to work with Melissa because she is a “home cook” and he’s a professional. Although I wouldn’t say that he was “mean” to her as Melissa said, he was rude and disrespectful. Debbie and Teddy seemed to get along like peas and carrots until Teddy forgot to make his dish-the dessert. Jamika and Katie had no issues. Michael was having an off day but Jeffrey’s calming influence helped him get through.

Now to the food. Melissa’s introduction was a bit rambling but the judges did like her chicken. Eddie’s onion, watermelon and feta salad was described as “inedible”. Hee. Teddy and Debbie drew props for two of their courses and Debbie managed to tone down the Sham-Wow guy in Teddy. The dessert however was a disaster. Katie and Jamika were considered so-so. Katie seemed to be better until she went on a spiel about the healthier benefits of chicken sausage compared to pork. Michael was flustered through the presentation but the judges loved their food. They would end up being the winning team.

The drama we’d all waited for unfolded at elimination time. When Teddy’s dessert was dissed, he immediately said it was a collaborative effort and that he had made the meatloaf. Of course, this was not what happened and-hello?-it was all on tape. Eddie was called out for being a jerk to Melissa and told by Bobby Flay that a “little chivalry goes a long way in the kitchen”. When questioned about his yucky salad, he reported that it was straight from a Paula Deen book! Besides the fact that the chefs are supposed to come up with original recipes, I had to chuckle that this salad that everyone hated was created by a Food Network star. These two losers were the bottom pair which made three weeks straight for Eddie.

But no more. Eddie was sent home while Teddy cried and vowed to do better. Will he? I doubt it. I don't think Teddy is a keeper. My prediction for the final three: Jeffrey, Debbie and Jamika.

Minda Tries Greek Yogurt-And You Can Try It Cheaper

For the past year or so, I've been seeing and hearing a lot about Greek yogurt. Supposedly, it's healthier, tastier and just all around awesome to those who like it. To those who don't (like The Pasta Queen) it is comparable to diaper cream.

I took the plunge and tried a cup today. I'm trying to eat better and I've been following a meal plan that suggested Greek yogurt for breakfast. I was skeptical that I would even find Greek yogurt in our town but Kroger did not let me down. It was there in the produce aisle in the tiny little dairy case that houses all of the soy and organic dairy stuff.

The brand I tried was Oikos which is made by Stonyfield. The price tag was $2.29. Yikes! I decided to suck it in and try it anyway. I was very happy when it turned out to be on sale for $1.09.

I have to stay that I really liked the texture. It's much thicker, almost like a sour cream consistency. I bought plain so there wasn't a whole lot of taste and it actually tasted a lot like a full fat sour cream. I mixed berries in with it and all in all, it was pretty good. I like that it's organic and doesn't have a string of chemicals in it. I would buy it again.

But before I thought about buying it again, I looked for coupons. And found them here. There's a slew of coupons for organic and soy dairy products made by Oikos and Stonyfield including a 50 cent for the Greek yogurt. At Kroger, at the current $1.09 sale price and with a double coupon it would be 9 cents!! I can't wait to go try another flavor

Next Food Network Star-Episode 2

I’m embarrassed to admit how much I was looking forward to episode 2.

The first challenge for our contestants was to prepare a recipe for Esquire magazine. Each person was given two ingredients to base their recipe on. Since this is Esquire, the recipes were supposed to be appealing to men. As you might guess, there was a lot of meat involved. Our chefs were instructed to prepare their recipe and then present it to the judges along with the Esquire rep.

Katie, the dietician, was given lamb which she undercooked. She knew she was sunk but tried to make up for it in her presentation. She failed. Melissa was given chicken and maraschino cherries which I found bizarre. She made a cherry sauce but ran out of time and ended up just tossing a cherry on top of her chicken. She was embarrassed by her own creation and her presentation was rambling. Despite coming across as a total witch last week, Debbie was impressive in this challenge. She was very at ease with her presentation and handled it like a pro. Poor Jamika tried too hard, lost her place in her presentation and was an overall mess although her food did look good. Michael’s food was a hit but his presentation ran short so he started filling in time by rambling. In the end, it was Eddie and his faux hawk who took the top prize.

The contestants were barely given a breather before it was time for them to hustle off to the Good Housekeeping kitchens for another challenge. This time they were charged with creating holiday themed recipes and let me tell you, they were really stretching it to come up with enough holidays. Groundhog’s Day? April Fool’s Day? What kind of food association do those days bring to mind? I genuinely felt bad for some of the contestants who tried to come up with meals around those days.

The biggest drama of the episode came during this competition. Melissa again had trouble using the commercial equipment and getting her dishes prepared on time. Brett and Teddy offered to help dish up her food, an offer that she gratefully accepted. Melissa’s dish-a Mother’s Day breakfast-was a hit with the judges. More on this drama later.

Jamika also scored by serving a traditional collard green side dish with cornbread as a New Year’s Eve meal. This was somewhat of a risky move since collards and corn bread is not everyone’s traditional New Year’s fare. But it paid off for Jamika. Eddie’s food was panned as well as his rambling story about a date with his girlfriend that turned “intimate” because his “roommates were out” which prompted Bobby Flay to tell him to shut up. He also informed the judges that he understand the female diet which was somewhat “restricted at certain times”. Huh? The judges were confused and the female judges seemed insulted. Katie floundered again, preaching nutrition to the judges and offering up bland food. Brett’s personality bewildered and Bobby Flay found shell in his lobster. Debbie’s Mardi Gras dish was praised but Good Housekeeping was concerned that it might be too complicated for the home cook. Teddy’s surf and turf Labor Day meal was tasty to the judges but his personality was not.

When the judges had their final say, Jamika was deemed the winner with her collard greens. Yah! I hope she builds up some confidence though because she seemed almost shocked that they liked her. Melissa’s food was also praised. In the background behind her, Brett was giving Teddy a nudge and wink so unsubtle that he was finally asked if he wanted to speak. He then informed the judges that Melissa would not have been able to make her dish without he and Teddy. Melissa became teary and defended herself. My respect for Brett plummeted. If you offer to help someone, then help them and don’t throw them under a bus for needing help. He didn’t cook the dish, he just threw it in a ramekin. Jerk!

The bottom three this week was Brett, Katie and Eddie. And going home is…Brett! I was thrilled and glad that the judges got it right.

There’s a lot of buzz online that Debbie is the “preconceived” winner of the competition. I’m not sure that I agree with that but I do think that she is a strong contender at this point. Despite the shopping and angel food cake fiasco, she does crank out judge pleasing food with a tv host flair for presentation. I also think Jimika and Jeffrey are strong contenders.

I still think Eddie, Teddy and Katie are weak at this point. Eddie totally bombed this week on the second challenge and Katie continues to bomb at all of them. I do like Katie though and think if she could stop preaching and start cooking more flavorful food that she could be a good addition to the network.

Stay tuned!

Recap: The Next Food Network Star Episode 1

It’s official. My new favorite show is Next Food Network Star.

I was very surprised to find that this is the show’s fifth season. Like, where have I been? I did watch most of Season 4 courtesy of a New Year’s Eve marathon that I DVR’d. It was rather anticlimactic since I already had seen promos for Big Daddy’s House and knew who the winner was. I used to love Survivor back in its early seasons so Next Food Network Star combines my love of reality with my love of cooking. What a great way to spend an hour!

Episode 1 premiered last Sunday June 7 but I didn’t catch up until the repeat last night. Since I’m a new viewer, I had no idea if the contestants were all amateurs or if it was a mix of amateurs and professionals. Turns out, there was only one amateur in the field of ten. Her name is Melissa and she is a stay at home mom from Texas. This disappointed me a bit since my favorite Food Network stars (Rachael and Paula) were not professional chefs either. But oh well.

The contestants were divided into two groups, the Red Team and Green Team, and given their challenge. With a budget of $1,200 they were to plan a menu, shop and prepare a meal for the Food Network’s 16th anniversary party. The judges of course would be there along with assorted Food Network peeps and oh yes, Access Hollywood! This brought excessive enthusiasm from Jen, a self-proclaimed “housewife 2.0” who said her life revolved around her husband. She said this repeatedly to the point that I was hoping she would soon be going home to him. I would also add that her bio states that she was trained at the French Culinary Institute so I would not class her as a “home cook” the way some on various message boards have.

The Green Team was led by Brett, a rather loud, strangely tall, bossy type of guy. He took charge of the kitchen and seemed to have potential to possibly win. He was joined by the before mentioned Jen and Melissa as well as Jamika, a personal chef who spoke of her diverse background and its influence on her food and Teddy who was just kind of there. The Green Team bought all of their food, came in under budget and with Brett’s direction got the meal together. I worried about Melissa who seemed to struggle with the food processor and kept reminding us that she is a home cook who isn’t accustomed to preparing 70 plus apple tarts at one time.

The Red Team was a bit of a train wreck led by Debbie who took charge using her catering background as her qualification. She was joined by Katie, a perky dietician, Jeffrey whom Teddy called a “Greek god” plus Michael, a flamboyant hotel chef and Eddie (not to be confused with Teddy) who was sort of rocking a faux hawk. Debbie and Michael did the shopping or rather Debbie shopped while Michael pushed the carts and looked worried. They went way over budget and had to put back tons of food. When they returned to the test kitchen, Debbie reported that they came in under budget and did not mention the fact that they left a cart of food behind. She also nixed Eddie’s idea of using premade dough for a dessert and decided instead to buy ready-made angel food cake. It made no sense and would cost them in the end. Poor Jeffrey didn’t have a key ingredient for his food and Katie had no Dijon mustard for her Dijon dressing. No matter to Debbie who seemed oblivious to the problems.

At the dinner, there were hits and misses. Brett’s filet mignon was panned. Jamika’s shrimp was trashed by Alton Brown. Jen’s green beans were a disaster. Teddy’s potatoes were raw. Only Melissa scored with her apple tarts. Score one for the home cook!

On the Red side, Debbie’s crab cake was applauded. Michael’s filet was praised. Katie’s salads were not impressive (despite her telling Alton they were good for “digestive motility”). Eddie’s appetizer was deemed too simple and not tasteful. Jeffrey’s vegetable dish, despite missing its key ingredient, was liked and was eventually declared the overall favorite. And the angel food cake was an embarrassment.

During the final moments when the contestants faced the judges, Debbie’s over budget shopping spree was exposed and Katie and Jeffrey had a chance to tattle on her for not getting their ingredients. I thought it might be curtains for Debbie but alas, she hung on. Instead it was Jen who was sent packing with her sorry green beans. I wasn’t sorry to see Jen go although I certainly didn’t become a fan of Debbie during this episode. I don’t have a clear favorite right now. I do think Katie, Eddie and Teddy are vulnerable if they don’t step it up because their personalities didn’t compensate for their poor cooking performance. How hard is to get a potato cooked through?

Tune in Sunday for episode two and watch for my recap on Monday.

Recipe Review: Sandra Lee's Black Bean Burgers

I've never been a big fan of Sandra Lee and her Semi-Homemade Show. The tablescapes and the cocktails are just a little too much for me. But I watched an episode of a new show she's currently got going on Food Network and was pleasantly surprised. It's called Money Saving Meals. I was really intrigued by the black bean burgers and tried them the next day. They are actually very good. You have to be careful when you flip them (she recommended using two spatulas) because they are rather fragile. But all in all, they were very filing and tasty too.


Black Bean Burgers

Ingredients
1/2 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained, divided
2 tablespoons freshly chopped cilantro leaves
2 teaspoons freshly chopped parsley leaves
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup bread crumbs
Salt and fresh ground black pepper
4 hamburger rolls
Optional Toppings:
1 tomato, sliced
4 small Romaine lettuce leaves, or any other type you have on hand
1/4 cup ketchup
Directions
Heat a grill or grill pan over medium-low heat.

In a food processor, pulse onion and garlic until finely chopped. Add 1 can black beans, cilantro, parsley, egg, and red pepper flakes and pulse to combine.

Transfer mixture to a large mixing bowl, add the remaining can of black beans and the bread crumbs. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and mix until well combined.

Reserve 1/3 of the black bean mixture for Round 2 Recipe. Divide remaining mixture into 4 portions and form into patties. Place on hot oiled grill over medium-low heat and cook about 6 minutes a side or until heated through. Toast hamburger buns on a grill. Place a burger on the bottom of each bun. Top with lettuce, tomato and ketchup. Cover the burgers with the top of the bun and serve.

I'm A Winner!

No, this isn't some sort of self-help mantra. I really did win something! Thanks to Janelle over at At Home With My Monkeys, I won this book.

How cool is that?? Be sure to check out Janelle's blog.

Attention Crystal Light Drinkers

Kroger has boxes of Crystal Light To Go priced at 2 for $5 this week. There is a coupon on Coupons.com for $2/2 so you can get it for $1.50 per box.

If you happen to have printed the "Buy two boxes of Crystal Light and get a box of Skin Essentials Crystal Light for FREE" coupon of a couple of weeks ago, you can stack all of these up and get three boxes for $3 total or $1 each. I'm addicted to this stuff so I was pretty giddy to get such a great deal.