Januari 2012 ~ Super Food Notes

Boil-n-Bake Baby Back Ribs – Crime Against Nature, Or Just Guilty of Being Delicious?

By JOKO Januari 30, 2012

Here’s what I know: I took some baby back ribs, simmered them for an hour in a flavorful liquid, glazed them in sauce, roasted them in the oven for about half an hour, and they looked and tasted really good. I also know these boil-n-bake baby back ribs would be great at any party, preferably a Super Bowl party (during which the Giants win the game).Here’s what I don’t know:...

Balsamic Beurre Noir – A Black Butter Sauce Any Femme Fatale Would Love

By JOKO Januari 27, 2012

It’s too bad I didn’t go to film school. If I had, I could have done a clever play on the film noir genre for this balsamic beurre noir recipe. Of course, it would have been done in black and white, and featured a chain-smoking, fishnet stocking-clad femme fatale who would eventually double-cross me after a few extended close-ups of spinning ceiling fans. But, I didn’t,...

Sloppy Toms – This Sandwich Has a Great Personality

By JOKO Januari 25, 2012

I was so excited I’d been able to make such a fine Sloppy Joe with ground turkey instead of the usual beef, that I didn’t even consider its unsightly appearance as I ate. It wasn’t until later, as I edited the footage and photos that I realized this was not an attractive dish.Even the best looking Sloppy Joe is a homely plate of food, but this was made even more so by the...

A Buffalo Wing Sauce-Stained Spoiler: Giants to Win Super Bowl XLVI

By JOKO Januari 23, 2012

As promised, here’s my official Super Bowl XLVI prediction, using Buffalo chicken wing bones! The game will feature the heroic New York Giants vs. the despised New England Patriots, and while I’m sure you would have enjoyed the game anyway, just think how much more fun you’re going to have winning all this easy money too.The best thing about using bones to predict the winner...

Predicting a Super Bowl Prediction

By JOKO Januari 21, 2012

I’ve received so many emails asking whether or not I’m doing my Super Bowl prediction this year, using Buffalo chicken wing bones. As you may know, we shocked the world last year with our absolutely spot-on prognostication that the Packers would win, cover the spread, and that the score would exceed the over/under line.Well, great news! As soon as the teams are set, I’ll will...

Broiled Herb-Crusted Salmon – Stop Staring at the Seafood Case, You’re Making the Fishmonger Nervous

By JOKO Januari 19, 2012

I don’t generally talk to strangers – heck, I barely speak to my friends – but once in a while I’ll see someone staring so cluelessly at the fish case in the grocery store, that I just have to jump in and offer them some unsolicited advice – usually suggesting a recipe like this broiled herb-crusted salmon.This method of broiling salmon, with its simple to make mayonnaise-based...

Baked Buffalo Chicken Dip – Don’t Bet the Ranch this Super Bowl

By JOKO Januari 17, 2012

Arguing about what salad dressing is more appropriate for a baked Buffalo chicken dip recipe is kind of like debating about which shoes to wear with that Hawaiian shirt. Still, to some of us (and by “us,” I mean people from Western New York), these kinds of things are important.No one can explain why, but for whatever reason, deep-fried chicken wings coated in hot sauce, taste...

And the Winner is…Food Wishes!

By JOKO Januari 15, 2012

I'm proud to announce that Food Wishes has been awarded the 2012 Tasty Award for Best Food Program: Web. I can't thank you all enough for taking the time to nominate and vote for the blog. I wasn’t able to attend the ceremonies in Hollywood, but our dear friend Sara, from Average Betty, did, and graciously accepted on our behalf. When she wasn’t accepting other people’s...

“Steakage” – Changing the Shape of Your Steak Sandwich

By JOKO Januari 13, 2012

Hot dogs and hamburgers are fine for the regular season, but when the playoffs and Super Bowl roll around, you need to upgrade the tailgate menu to something a little more special, like this “steakage” steak sandwich. The name comes from the fact that the steak is being treated more like a sausage link. The problem with a traditional steak sandwich is it usually consists of...

Spicy Peanut Butter & Pepper Jelly Chicken Wings – Gimmicky, But No Gimmick

By JOKO Januari 11, 2012

On the surface, it may seem as though this gimmicky-sounding peanut butter and jelly chicken wings video is nothing more than a cheap attempt to get a recipe to go viral right before the Super Bowl. Sure, the semi-shocking name will probably generate some added buzz, but I promise you, this is no gimmick.I was thinking of doing some kind of chicken wing glazed with an Asian-style...

Creamy Mushroom Meatloaf – An Experiment in Letting Your Meat Loaf

By JOKO Januari 09, 2012

If you’ve ever said goodbye to someone, and on the way out added a hearty, “Hey, don’t let your meat loaf!” then I just gave you a virtual high-five. In this context however, we’re taking about letting your meat “loaf” for a long time in a low oven, sitting in a rich, creamy shiitake mushroom gravy.The main point of this exercise was to determine the benefits of cooking a...

A Banana Bread That’s Okay to Make Early

By JOKO Januari 06, 2012

Banana bread is one of those things people rarely make on purpose. Even though you know you’re not going to eat seven bananas in a week, you buy the big bunch anyway, because, “it’s kind of green.” Now, those last three bananas are almost black and you’re feeling like a bad person.Then you remember banana bread, and long story short, you realize you’re not a bad person…in...

Recipe 666: Deviled Eggs – Damn, These Were Hella Good

By JOKO Januari 04, 2012

As I approached my 666th upload on YouTube, several subscribers wondered if I would do some sort of satanic-inspired recipe. Since one of my New Year’s resolutions was to eat less chocolate cake, I decided to go with the next most obvious choice.My deviled eggs recipe is fairly standard, except I like to add a little cream cheese. Unlike mayonnaise, cream cheese firms up when...

Recipe 666: Deviled Eggs – Damn, These Were Hella Good

By JOKO Januari 04, 2012

Goat Cheese Apple Walnut Pasta – Suspect Supper Turns into Super Side Dish

By JOKO Januari 02, 2012

It sounded so good on paper. Yes, this creamy, tangy goat cheese sauce, spiked with sweet apples and walnuts was going to make quite the memorable winter pasta dinner. The only problem was, halfway through the bowl I suffered that most dreaded of all pasta eating afflictions…palate fatigue. For whatever reason, after three or four ounces of this perfectly fine concoction,...

What I Had for Breakfast

By JOKO Januari 01, 2012

It's been a while since I posted a, "What I Had for Breakfast," photo, but this Dungeness crab cake Benedict was just begging to be shown off. It's topped with an Old Bay hollandaise, spiked with capers and tarragon. Happy New Ye...