Oktober 2011 ~ Super Food Notes

Jamie Oliver's Parents’ Spicy Butternut Squash Soup… Because I Have Gas Problems

By JOKO Oktober 31, 2011

I had a lovely apple-braised pork shoulder recipe all set to post today, but was unable to finish it off because PG&E turned off the gas line to do repairs on our street. So, stay tuned for that tomorrow, but in the meantime, here’s a great butternut squash soup video from Trevor and Sally Oliver, parents of celebrity chef Jamie Oliver. Jamie’s one of my favorites, and not only are his parents adorable, but you can see where he gets some of his...

Roasted coconut chicken

By JOKO Oktober 30, 2011

Ingredients:Whole chicken cut into 8-12 piecesFresh Coconut pieces - 1/2 cupGarlic cloves - 2 big sizeShah Zeera(black cumin) - 1tspn Dried red chillies - 3-4 medium sizeBlack Pepper- 1tspnsalt - 1/2 tspnWater - 1-2 tblspnsOlive oil - 2tblspnsveg/canola oil - 1tspnLemon juice - 1 tblspnMethod:De-skin, clean and cut the whole chicken into pieces, wash, rub them with a...

Riding High at the California Olive Ranch

By JOKO Oktober 28, 2011

Michele and I were invited to tour the California Olive Ranch this week, where we got a firsthand look into how olive oil is produced. The ranch is the largest producer in California, and uses state-of-the-art equipment and technology to produce extra virgin olive oil that’s cold pressed within a few hours of picking.I was shocked to learn that only two percent of the olive...

Ham and Potato Soup – Tuberlicious!

By JOKO Oktober 28, 2011

This title is dedicated to all those who chimed in on our root vegetable gratin video to let me know that a potato is a tuber, and not a root, even though I mentioned that fact in the video and the post! Bless your hearts. ;-)I know we did a black bean soup not too long ago, but I had a piece of leftover ham that needed to be used up, and this time of year you just can’t have...

Ham and Potato Soup – Tuberlicious!

By JOKO Oktober 28, 2011

How to Reheat Soggy Leftover Pizza

By JOKO Oktober 26, 2011

I’m not sure when or where I started reheating leftover pizza using this stovetop method, but it’s one of my favorite kitchen shortcuts of all time. By the way, since I don’t remember learning this from anyone, I’ll assume I invented it. So, if you’ve been actually been doing this for years, and know many others who do the same, please keep it to yourself, and just let...

Bay Scallops with Garlic Parsley Butter Sauce – I’ll Have the Nostalgia on Toast

By JOKO Oktober 24, 2011

They say smell is the sense most closely linked to memory recall, and that was certainly the case while making these garlicky, buttery bay scallops on toast. As waves of the wonderful aromas wafted up from the pan, they brought back a flood of vivid memories of my first real kitchen job. Barely a teenager, I was hired as a dishwasher at an Italian steakhouse, called The Depot...

Bay Scallops with Garlic Parsley Butter Sauce – I’ll Have the Nostalgia on Toast

By JOKO Oktober 24, 2011

Quick and Easy Black Bean Soup – Something from Almost Nothing

By JOKO Oktober 21, 2011

This black bean soup saved me during a recent attack of, “Oh my God, there is nothing in kitchen to cook with!” Even though it sometimes seems that way, there's rarely, literally nothing to cook with. I quickly found a few slices of bacon, a couple cans of beans, and an onion, and with the help of a spicy lime and green onion relish, turned it into a very decent bowl of soup....

Bacon Ranch Chicken Skewers – Perfect for Tailgating and/or Vampire Staking

By JOKO Oktober 19, 2011

These bacon ranch chicken skewers were intended to star at your next football tailgate cookout, but since these are made with sharp, wooden sticks, they could be used to inflict the true death to smaller, slow-moving vampires at your Halloween party as well.Regardless of your party’s theme, these tasty chicken skewers are easy, interesting, and incredibly adaptable. As I sometimes...

Halloween Party Food Idea: Cheesy "Severed Fingers"

By JOKO Oktober 18, 2011

If you're looking for a mildly disgusting, yet fun and creative Halloween appetizer for an upcoming party, consider these severed fingers made from string cheese. I ran this video a couple years ago, but wanted to repost in case you hadn't seen it before, or just needed a reminder. Don't be scared...click on the link below the photo and check it out! Enjoy!Click here to watch...

Halloween Party Food Idea: Cheesy "Severed Fingers"

By JOKO Oktober 18, 2011

Watch Cream Cheese Frosting Being Made and Relax

By JOKO Oktober 17, 2011

As promised, here is the cream cheese frosting recipe that co-starred in our red velvet cupcakes video last week. If you’re a regular cake baker, you may be wondering why a video is even necessary for such a simple frosting? I used to think like that.When I posted the red velvet recipe on YouTube, and teased the fact that I’d show the frosting in a future video, I was instantly...

Watch Cream Cheese Frosting Being Made and Relax

By JOKO Oktober 17, 2011

Hello from Washington D.C.!

By JOKO Oktober 15, 2011

“The Awakening” by J. Seward JohnsonJust a quick note to let you know that Michele and I are in Washington D.C. this weekend for my niece Brittany’s wedding. Her and her fiancé, Casey, are getting married at the gorgeous National Harbor in Maryland. We’ll be back in San Francisco on Monday. Hope you all have a great weekend, and we’ll see you soon!...

Red Velvet Cupcakes and My Big Moment on Just Desserts

By JOKO Oktober 13, 2011

I don’t make a lot of cupcakes, but since I’ve always been fascinated by the red velvet cake, I decided to try a version based on this venerable American classic. I’ve gotten so many requests for cupcakes and red velvet cakes that I figured I’d kill two food wishes with one video. They came out really well, and as I tasted, I actually caught myself daydreaming about being...

Country Gravy – Deliciously Dingy and Definitely Diner

By JOKO Oktober 12, 2011

This sausage country gravy recipe comes from a time before cooks tried to think of ways to trim a few calories, but rather, thought of ways to sneak more calories into a dish. This was a meal that was meant to fill you up and keep you satisfied for a long time.In addition to the astronomically high calorie count, another advantage of a milk gravy that’s been thickened with...

Country Gravy – Deliciously Dingy and Definitely Diner

By JOKO Oktober 12, 2011

Help Choose Our New Food Wishes Logo Design!

By JOKO Oktober 11, 2011

I'm very excited to announce that Food Wishes is getting a new logo! This is something I've wanted to do for years, and I'd love to get your opinion on which of these two designs you like better (btw, this is for the basic design only - colors will be explored after the final logo is chosen). So, take a look, then simply click your choice and vote in the poll below the images....

Help Choose Our New Food Wishes Logo Design!

By JOKO Oktober 11, 2011

Miso Maple-Glazed Salmon – Canadian Japanese Fusion Cuisine at its Finest

By JOKO Oktober 10, 2011

While Canadian Japanese fusion cuisine may not actually be the most popular dining trend right now, this tasty combination of cultures suggests maybe we should explore this further. The salty and very savory miso paste is a perfect match for the sweet Canadian sap. The rice vinegar marries the two, and a few drops of hot sauce are all you need to complete this incredibly easy,...

A Perfect Time for Pumpkin Pancakes

By JOKO Oktober 08, 2011

A friend sent me a nice note recently that his wife had made these pumpkin pancakes for dinner, and that they were thoroughly enjoyed by all. I always appreciate those kinds of messages, especially since they often serve as a reminder for doing seasonally appropriate recipe re-posts.This was the week pumpkin made its yearly appearance into my life. On restaurant menus, on...

A Perfect Time for Pumpkin Pancakes

By JOKO Oktober 08, 2011

Root Vegetable Gratin – Notes from the Underground

By JOKO Oktober 06, 2011

[I hope you enjoyed our first and last Dostoevsky reference] Whenever I see those big piles of rutabagas at the market, I always think to myself, “who the heck is eating all these root vegetables?” I understand that there’ve been times when we literally had no choice – it was either gnaw on a parsnip or perish, but nowadays with so many other delicious choices, why would...