The Cook-a-Palooza Experience Cookbook Giveaway

Canadian Music Week is happening during the second week in March and to honor this musical event I will be giving away 5 copies of my cookbook. I know…it’s absolutely crazy…but still true!

If you are new to this blog and wondering what a cookbook has to do with music then you’ll need to bring yourself up to speed. Take a few minutes to read some past blog posts or visit my website and you’ll quickly get the gist of how this all ties in together.

With any giveaway there are always a few ground rules.

First…to be eligible to win a cookbook you need to have a mailing address in Canada because it will be the only country where I will be shipping the winning books. If you don’t have one then you can’t win a book. That’s not to say you can’t play along. Remember it’s not always about winning…the most important thing is to have fun : )
If you don’t like this rule; all I can say is sorry. As Run D.M.C rapped in the 80’s, “It’s like that…and that’s-the-way it is”.

O.K, now that we have the first rule out of the way here is how this giveaway is going to work.

In my book The Cook-a-Palooza Experience there is a section called Questions From The Kitchen. Embedded in each cooking question, there is a reference to a song from a Canadian band or musical artist. Each morning during Canadian music week (March 9th to 13th) I’ll post one of these questions on my blog.

Send me the song name that’s referenced in the question and the corresponding Canadian band or musical artist, and your name will be entered into the draw for a free cookbook.

Answer each daily question correctly and you’ll have five chances to win.

Other Important Info:

1. If you just send the name of the song and not the band or vise versa you won’t be eligible to win. You have to send me both.

2. E-mail your answers (along with your full name and mailing address…remember Canada only) to brent@cookapalooza.com. Your e-mail will have to be in my inbox before midnight (Eastern Daylight Time) of the day I post the question. Otherwise your name won’t be entered that day. Please don’t e-mail me asking for confirmation of your entry. Let’s put it this way, if you send in your entry well before midnight…consider it entered. If you decide to send it a minute or two before the deadline, then you may want to cross your fingers and just hope for the best. I’ll post the answer to the question the next day so you’ll know if you’ve answered correctly.

3. To choose the winners I’ll put all the eligible names into my salad spinner and give it a spin. I’ll let my 3 year old son and 5 year old daughter pick the winning names. If you’re one of the lucky ducks who wins a copy, you’ll find your name posted on my blog on Monday March 16th.

It all begins on March 9th 2009!

Win or lose it’ll be fun to play along! Good luck to everyone!

Legal Notice: No purchase necessary to enter. Contest void where prohibited. Contest open to residents with a Canadian mailing address only. Contest open to readers who are 18 years or older. Restrictions may apply. Contest ends March 13, 2009. Winners will be announced on Monday March 16th, 2009.

* * * *
Brent Garell
The Kitchen Roadie
brent@cookapalooza.com

Three Key Ingredients For Cooking and a Perfect Vacation

This past weekend I went on a short ski vacation with family and friends. There were 11 adults and 9 kids (the little rascals were all under the age of 10). As you can imagine it was often hectic but we still had a great time. I write a lot about the relationship between food, mood and music when it comes to creating an incredible cooking experience. However I noticed these three elements are also made this recent vacation stellar!

Food - Instead of trying to organize excursions to restaurants for dinner we decided it would be easier to make all the food beforehand. Everyone came with a homemade dish and I can honestly say everything was awesome! We had chili, baked chicken, noodle soup, garden salad, Caesar salad, Greek salad, bread sticks, homemade pizza and some killer desserts. I don’t think any restaurant could have matched our feasts in terms of flavor or price. The extra bonus was everyone received much deserved cooking kudos for their culinary creations and we learned a few good recipe secrets from each other!

Mood - In the morning we would all go in different directions but the food and drinks always brought us back together at the end of the day. The atmosphere was incredible as we shared our daily adventures while dining on an incredible meal. With such a friendly atmosphere it was virtually impossible to not be in a good mood!

Music – In the ski village you were always surrounded by upbeat music. It put a smile on my face despite the blistery weather conditions. Reggae jams boomed out from one restaurant and some killer 80s’ tunes were being played on one of the loud speakers closer to the slopes. A few of us had some fun reminiscing about what we were doing when these songs were popular on the radio. I couldn't think of a vacation where music hasn't played an integral part to making it better!

If incredible homemade food, an inviting atmosphere and some sweet sounding music make for the perfect vacation maybe these same elements can help you create a mini vacation every time you step into the kitchen! I know they do for me!

* * * *
Brent Garell
The Kitchen Roadie
brent@cookapalooza.com

A Chef Moves to the Music in a N.Y Restaurant Kitchen

A few years ago Gourmet Magazine put out an entire issue dedicated to music. They called it The Music Issue "When Music Meets Food"

One of the articles in the issue was about the types of music played in N.Y restaurant kitchens. The famous chef Anthony Bourdain shared that when prep cooks were in his kitchen and getting things ready for dinner service, they would play music that wasn't too nerve-racking: Curtis Mayfield, Isaac Hayes, Depeche Mode or Neil Young. Bourdain describes these songs as "sentimental, atmospheric tunes to make us feel good about ourselves."

Bourbain admits that most chefs don't allow music to be played during the dinner service. However when the dinner rush was over and the cooks needed energy to break down their cooking stations Bourdain would put on energizing music to help them through the last hours of cleaning.

Bourdain's only music rule: "NO Billy Joel, NO Grateful Dead. If you are observed enjoying either act during working hours, you can clean out your locker. You're fired."

Now that's a chef who is serious about his music!

What music do you prefer to listen to in your kitchen?
Do you have any fun music rules?

I'd love to hear what's playing in your kitchen!

* * * *
Brent Garell
The Kitchen Roadie
brent@cookapalooza.com

Rational Advice...Who Needs It?

We all get (and give) lots of good advice on how to lose weight and stay healthy. You would think by now we would all being doing what was right for out bodies. However there is one giant obstacle …the advice we get is often too rational and rational is boring. Irrational thinking is way more exciting! Think back to when you were a teenager. If you were anything like myself, breaking the rules was much more thrilling than following your parents rational advice.

The people at Nutrition Action Healthletter must recognize this fact because they recently published an article about how to get a gut. It was their “eight tongue-in-cheek tips that bulk up your belly”. Here are their eight tips:

Don’t bother getting up
Keep eating as much as you ate in your 20s
Bump up your calories per bite
Drink your calories
Eat out more often
Look for trans fats
Surround yourself with food
Get less sleep

Based on what you just read, how would prefer your health advice?

One part rational, two parts irrational works for me.

* * * *
Brent Garell
brent@cookapalooza.com

Valentine's Day Raspberry-Banana Smoothie

Something healthy for Valentine's Day. I know it's a stretch but what the heck...give it a try when you're not indulging on the chocolates.

Instruments

¾ cup plain yogurt
1/3 cup milk
1 small banana
¼ cup frozen raspberries
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp vanilla

Lyrics

Add all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.

Volume: Makes 1 serving

* * * *

Brent Garell

brent@cookapalooza.com

Shake, Shake, Shake...Your Red Wine Vinegar

Last night in the kitchen I stumbled upon something that’s going brighten the flavor of my stews and sauces in the future. The discovery was like finding a hidden bonus track on your favorite band’s album.

I was making beef stew and when it was time to add the red wine vinegar I noticed there were only a couple tablespoons left in the bottle…just enough for the recipe. I also noticed sediment had settled on the bottom of the bottle. When I opened it up I found the fragrance to be stronger than usual. I added it into the pot not knowing how it was going to affect my stew.

Well…the stew turned out better than ever. The heavy fragranced vinegar really brought some killer flavor.

Going forward I’m going to start shaking my red wine vinegar bottles more often to ensure I always get that wonderful flavor mixed into my stews and sauces! Shake-On my cooking friends…Shake-On!

* * * *
Brent Garell
brent@cookapalooza.com

Cooking - The Ultimate Confidence Booster

When I worked in the corporate world I would regularly join my co-workers for lunch in one of the boardrooms. Most of us got into the habit of purchasing our lunches from the food court.

However there was always at least one person a day who would bring in something from home. It was usually leftovers from a dish they made the night before. The rest of the group would always “ooh” and “ahh” over what they made.

I know it always boosted my confidence when people commented on the homemade leftovers I would bring in for lunch. It made me feel good about what I was eating and also proud of my culinary creation.

The odd time you could manage an “ooh” and “ahh” from the group if you discovered a new take-out meal from the food court but it never had the same confidence boosting effect.

* * * *
Brent Garell
brent@cookapalooza.com

Berry Baking Tip

You may notice from yesterday’s blog entry that the blueberries in my blueberry muffins have stained the surrounding dough. I refer to that look as the rebel Rock'n’ Roll tie-die style muffin. If you like your muffins to have a cleaner “Pop Star” look then toss the blueberries (especially frozen ones) lightly with flour before adding them to the recipe. This will prevent them from staining the rest of the muffin. You can use some of the flour from the recipe instead of adding extra.

Bake-On!

* * * *
Brent Garell
brent@cookapalooza.com

Take a Walk on The Blueberry Bran Muffin Side

Well I finally got around to making those blueberry bran muffins I’ve been planning to make for the last couple of weeks. I made them on Saturday morning while listening to Lou Reed’s classic tune “Take a Walk on the Wild Side”

I love muffins and I don’t know why I don’t prepare them more often because they’re so easy to make. These beauties are packed with wheat bran to give you a healthy dose of fibre. But don’t let the words “wheat bran” and “fibre” scare you away because these muffins are super tasty and will have you singing…blue, bl-blue, bl-blue…blue, bl-blue…blue, bl-blue, bl-blue…blue, bl-blue, bbluuuuuue-berries!

Instruments
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup wheat bran (see cooking tip)
1½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp each baking soda and salt
1 egg
¾ cup low-fat blueberry yogurt
2/3 cup lightly packed brown sugar
¼ cup canola oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
¾ cup chopped fresh or frozen blueberries, divided

Lyrics
Spray a 12-cup muffin pan with non-stick spray. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine flour, bran, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together egg, yogurt, brown sugar, oil and vanilla. Add to dry ingredients and mix just until moistened. Gently fold in ½ cup of blueberries. Divide batter evenly among the 12 muffin pan cups. Top each with equal amounts of the remaining blueberries.

Bake in a 375º F oven for 18 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Remove muffins from pan and let cool on a wire rack.

Volume: Makes 12 muffins

* * * *

Brent Garell

Author, Speaker and Musically Inspired Cook

brent@cookapalooza.com

Simple Weeknight Tortellini Delight

If your idea of a weeknight dinner is topping some form of pasta with a store bought tomato sauce…then you need to stop what your doing…cause I about to ruin…that unflattering cooking style that your used to. Yeah, those store bought sauces are convenient, but they never have that authentic homemade taste and they’re usually more expensive than preparing your own.

Making tomato sauce from scratch is its one of the easiest things to do in the kitchen and it’s a simple way turn any pasta dish into an exciting weeknight meal…something you can’t achieve by drowning your pasta with the store bought variety!

Try this super easy to make Tomato Tortellini dish and see if it creates happy sensations for your taste buds!

Cook-On!

Fashionably Fast Tomato Tortellini

Instruments
16 oz (454 g) fresh or frozen cheese tortellini
2 tsp olive oil
½ cup diced onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp each dried basil leaves and dried oregano leaves
¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 can (28 oz / 796 ml) stewed tomatoes, undrained
¼ cup tomato paste
2 tsp red wine vinegar
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Lyrics
In a large saucepan, cook tortellini according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions. Cook and stir until onions are softened, about 4 minutes. Add garlic, basil, oregano and red pepper flakes. Cook and stir for 30 seconds more. Add tomatoes (use a wooden spoon to break them up). Stir in tomato paste, vinegar and pepper. Bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.

Stir in Parmesan cheese and parsley. Add cooked tortellini and mix until coated with sauce. Serve hot.

Volume: Makes 6 servings

* * * *

Brent Garell

Author, Speaker and Musically Inspired Cook

brent@cookapalooza.com

Groovin’ For Life - Healthy Habits

I write a lot about how music can inspire you in the kitchen while preparing healthy homemade meals but an easy-going song can also help you while you're enjoying your culinary creations. Listening to relaxing tune is not only food for your brain but it’s soothing notes will slow you down while eating and help your body process the food more efficiently. So turn off the TV and turn on your stereo…let the musical vibes do the healthy work for you while you dine!

Cook-On!

* * * *
Brent Garell
Author, Speaker and Musically Inspired Cook
brent@cookapalooza.com

Cook Your Way To Good Health - Weekly Plan

When you’re hosting a weekend party and cooking up a feast, always try to make more than you will need. It not only prevents you from running out of food (which is always a drag) but it usually leaves you with lots of leftovers so you don’t have to cook as much during the upcoming week. It’s a very effective way to take a mini vacation from cooking so you can re-energize the passionate cook within.

I have lots of leftovers in my fridge from this past weekend so my cooking is going to be light this week.

Here’s what’s on the menu

Leftovers
Tomato Tortellini
Herbed Chicken
and

those darned Blueberry Bran Muffins. I’m seriously going to make these this week…I mean it this time.

* * * *

Brent Garell

Author, Speaker and Musically Inspired Cook

brent@cookapalooza.com