Secret recipes from your favorite restaurant

If you have ever been to Red Lobster.... then you have found their secret weapon. Those light fluffy, cheesy buns they serve you are addictive. Here is a way you can reproduce them yourself, EASILY in your own kitchen. The recipe below was -sniped- from one of favorite food sites.. Cooking For Engineers, and it's source from there is unknown.

Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits

DRY INGREDIENTS:
4 cups all purpose flour
8 tsp baking powder
4 tsp granulated sugar
1 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried parsley flakes
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp onion powder

WET INGREDIENTS:
1-1/4 cups grated cheddar cheese
1 cup butter flavor Crisco
1-1/4 cups warm milk


Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

This recipe was developed using a Kitchenaid Stand Mixer.

Add dry ingredients to mixing bowl, mix well (about 30-seconds).

Add grated cheese. Mix well (about 1-minute).

Add butter flavored crisco a little at a time. Mix until dry mixture
looks like cornmeal (about 2-minutes with mixer on low).

Add milk. Mix well (about 1-minute). Turn onto floured board. Knead for 1-minute.

Roll out 1/2-inch thick. Cut out with biscuit cutter.

Bake at 425 F for 18 minutes on baking sheet.

Biscuits are done when slightly browned on edges.

Makes about 12-biscuits

I am an addict

I have to come clean. I am an addict.
I am addicted to
-Cookbooks (I have close to 200)
-Food blogs
-Food magazines -Cook's Illustrated
-Food & Wine
-Cook's Country
-Gourmet Magazine

-FoodTV
-Martha Stewart Satellite radio station

The Friday newspaper comes, and I don't even glance at the headlines anymore... I can't wait to see the supermarket flyer's. That can't be right, can it?? I can go into Hendrix, or Home Outfitters and just window shop for hours... I need help.

No more Bobby.... no more.

Why it's ok to hate Bobby Flay

Knee Replacement Surgery

Every wonder what was involved with having a knee replaced? Me neither.. until my mom had to have her knee replaced recently. Check out this site to see whats involved, but make sure you click on the activities here as well... you can do the surgery yourself!!

Hell's Kitchen 2007 !!!

I just read that Hell's Kitchen is coming back for a third season!! EXCELLENT!!! If you watched last year, it became very evident early on, that 25 year old Heather from Port Jefferson NY was a going to be tough to beat. Heather is now the Executive Chef at Red Rock Casino and Spa in Las Vegas NV. If you were a fan, then you can watch this years 12 'would be restaurateurs ' battle it out Wednesday nights on Fox, starting this summer.

Read about Gordon Ramsay at SuperChefBlog or my Fanpop site for Gordon.

McCormick's Flavor Forecast 2007

Over the past seven years since 2000, McCormick, the spice people, have been releasing their "Flavor Forecasts" each January on what they think will be the new, hot, and trendy flavors over the next 12 months. This year the list is a lot more interesting than in the past, and shows multi-cultural leanings and blends of salt and sweet. The list was made up by their food researchers, trend experts, chefs, home economists, food technologists, and sensory analysts; as well as outside Universities, chefs, cookbook authors and food celebrities.

Many of the pairs do sound pretty good and some are ones I have been using for awhile like maple/wasabi which I use in a shrimp cocktail sauce and cumin/apricot which I use in a pork glaze. I also went back to research some of their previous lists and they were pretty interesting as well, so I included the ones back to 2004.

McCormick's Flavor Forecast 2007 top ten flavor pairings are:

• Clove and Green Apple
• Thyme and Tangerine
• Tellicherry Black Pepper and Berry
• Sea Salt and Smoked Tea
• Lavender and Honey
• Crystallized Ginger and Salted Pistachio
• Cumin and Apricot
• Toasted Mustard and Fennel Seeds
• Wasabi and Maple
• Caramelized Garlic and Riesling Vinegar

McCormick's Flavor Forecast for 2006

• Anise
• Caraway
• Chai (usually a blend of spices including cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and white pepper)
• Marjoram
• Paprika
• Saffron
• Sesame
• Pomegranate

McCormick's Flavor Forecast for 2005

• Allspice
• Annatto
• Cardamom
• Cinnamon
• Curry
• Ginger
• Mint
• Pickling Spice
• Sage
• Vanilla

McCormick's Flavor Forecast for 2004

• Bay leaf
• Chile peppers
• Cinnamon
• Coriander/cilantro
• Lemon grass
• Mustard
• Pepper
• Sea salt
• Sesame
• Turmeric
• Vanilla
• Wasabi

McCormick's Flavor Forecast for flavor combinations 2004

• Lime, cilantro, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, and sesame oil
• Black pepper, cinnamon, clove, and dried red chile peppers
• Sugar cane syrup and chile peppers
• Plum, ginger, mango and habanero peppers
• Fish sauce, lime juice, Serrano chile peppers and honey

from Slashfood

Children's Aid Foundation of Simcoe County

WHAT a great idea. Check out The C.A.F. of S.C. Catalogue of Hope. If your looking for a unique gift for somebody, You will receive a gift card for each item purchased to give to someone special in lieu of a gift. Your gift is 100% tax deductible and you will receive a tax receipt in the mail! Or maybe you would simply like to help out some children in need. The catalogue is filled items food hampers, clothing, toys, even educational aides (tutoring).

Check out the bike on page 4... neat idea!

You can contact them at this website, or the following address:

60 Bell Farm Rd., Unit 7,
Barrie, ON, Canada
L4M 5G6

Phone: 705-726-6587 or 1-800-461-4236 Fax: 705-726-9788

Iron Chef America -- Cora vs. Royal

Cat Cora vs. Water Royal
Secret Ingredient: Ostrich

Chef Royal made this simple sauce, that I just had to try. it is simply excellent with something not too sweet... maybe something tart, or savory.

Black Pepper Honey
Prep: 5 min.

This recipe goes with Country Ham Mini Biscuits

1/2 cup honey
2 teaspoons coarsely ground pepper
2 drops hot sauce

1. Stir together all ingredients in a small bowl until blended.

Yield: Makes 1/2 cup