Michael Jackson and Chocolate Brownies Raise Our Spirits

I was saddened to hear the news that musical icon Michael Jackson had passed away. I have never been affected by the death of a rock or movie star until yesterday. Like so many other people around the world he was a big part of my life growing up. I was part of a generation that listened and danced to his incredible music and watched his unforgettable music videos. I now fully understand why all those people who grew up listening to John Lennon’s music were so upset when he passed away.

To do my little part to remember to Michael and his ability to bring us together I dedicate this Sweep You off Your Feet Brownie recipe. Chocolate brownies always makes us feel better when we need something to raise our spirits and that’s exactly what Michael’s music did for the world.

Sweep You off Your Feet Brownies
Chewy brownies covered with a cheesecake chocolate chunk topping

Instruments
6 tbsp butter
1/3 cup cocoa powder
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 egg
½ tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp salt
½ cup all-purpose flour
1½ oz semi-sweet chocolate, chopped

Topping
1 package (8 oz / 227 g) light cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1½ oz semi-sweet chocolate, chopped

Lyrics
In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Remove from heat. Add cocoa and whisk until smooth. Gradually add sugar and continue to whisk until combined. Add egg, vanilla and salt. Whisk just until blended. Gradually add flour and stir until blended. Fold in chocolate. Scrape batter into an 8 x 8-inch baking pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Spread evenly along the bottom.

To make topping, in a medium bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla just until blended. Fold in chocolate. Pour mixture over brownie batter and smooth top.

Bake in a 325ºF oven for 25 minutes or until the brownie edges pull away from the side of the pan and begin to brown. Remove from oven and let cool. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours. Once chilled, remove the brownie from pan. Cut into 20 squares. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

Volume: Makes 20 brownies

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Brent Garell
The Kitchen Roadie
brent@cookapalooza.com

Strawberry Salad Dressing That'll Shake Up Your Salad!

Well-uh bless this dressing,
It’s-uh plain to see.
Strawberries paired with almonds make it tasty.
Whisk it up, shaking to a tune that you love,
like Elvis Presley’s song…All Shook Up

Lively Strawberry Salad Dressing

Instruments
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp white wine vinegar
3 tbsp liquid honey
2/3 cup halved strawberries
¼ tsp almond extract (you can find it at your grocery store in the baking aisle)
Season with salt and pepper

Lyrics
Add all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Serve over your favorite summer salad.

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Brent Garell
The Kitchen Roadie
brent@cookapalooza.com

Strawberry Fields Forever

I wish The Beatles' song "Strawberry Fields Forever" rang true for Southern Ontario and we had fields of strawberries growing year round. I know I shouldn’t complain because for the majority of the year we are lucky enough to have access to strawberries shipped in from California. They’re good but their taste cannot compare to the locally grown variety.

Thankfully strawberry season has arrived in Southern Ontario and I’ve already been eating my fair share. On Saturday morning I had them on my pancakes. On Saturday afternoon I had them at a country fair with pound cake and ice cream. On Sunday I had some on my Strawberry-Mandarin Orange salad and then proceeded to eat quite a few straight-up. I’m happy to report that they tasted awesome!

Locally grown may cost a little more but you definitely get more bang (in terms of flavor) for your buck. In my books that’s money well spent and I think John, Paul, George and Ringo would agree!

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Brent Garell
The Kitchen Roadie
brent@cookapalooza.com

Making Flour Tortillas - Easier Than You Think

When it comes to bread and tortillas I usually buy them from the store. However a few days ago I saw a food show where the host was making flour tortillas. When I saw the final product I was inspired to give it a shot for myself.

I searched through my collection of food magazines (it’s in tight competition with my music collection) and found a basic flour tortilla recipe. The writer expressed in the article that once you taste a homemade tortilla the store-bought variety may not taste the same ever again. I totally agree! With a little practice you could be whipping these together faster than a Ramones' tune.

These tortillas are not loaded with preservatives so it’s best to use them soon after making them (I made quesadillas) or you can let them cool thoroughly and then freeze.

Instruments
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp table salt
¼ tsp baking powder
¼ cup cold vegetable shortening or lard, cut into small pieces
2/3 warm water

Lyrics
In a medium bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, salt and baking powder. Add the shortening. Cut it into the flour with a pastry blender or a fork until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in water with a fork until a shaggy dough forms.

Turn dough out onto a flour surface and knead until smooth and soft, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add more flour as necessary. The dough shouldn’t be very sticky after kneading. Portion the dough into eight equal pieces and roll each into a ball. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest on the counter for at least 30 minutes.

Roll out each dough ball into a 9 to 10-inch round (it doesn’t matter if it’s perfectly round). The dough should be rolled out so thin that you can vaguely see the pattern of your counter top through it.

Heat a large non-stick pan over medium heat until hot. Lay a tortilla in the skillet. Cook until the tortilla bubbles and puffs and the bottom browns in spots, about 1 minute. If you get gigantic bubbles pierce them with a fork. Flip the tortilla and cook until the second side gets brown spots and any raw-looking areas become opaque. If tortillas brown too quickly reduce the heat to medium low. Transfer cooked tortillas to a clean dishtowel and cover to keep warm (so they stay pliable).

Volume: Makes 8 flour tortillas

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Brent Garell
The Kitchen Roadie
brent@cookapalooza.com

Roasted Potatoes that Rock!

Roasted potatoes are truly a wonderful thing. Crispy on the outside; soft and moist on the inside.

Many cookbooks (including mine) have a roasted potato recipe. Most will tell you to toss the cut potatoes in olive oil, add spices, season with salt and pepper and then roast in the oven. This method is fast and works quite well but there is one extra step you should consider if you want roasted potatoes that'll rock your world!

That extra step is to parboil the cut potatoes. This means boiling them in water for about 3 to 5 minutes and then draining them in a colander. After draining the potatoes I usually rinse them with cold water and let them dry for a few minutes on paper towels.

Once the potatoes have been parboiled you are ready to gently toss them with the olive oil, spices (I like Cajun) and then season with salt and pepper. The final step is to spread the potatoes out on a baking sheet and roast in a 425F oven for about 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Be sure not to overcrowd the baking sheet with too many potatoes. Arrange them so they are comfortably spread out like the people you see in the lawn seats at an outdoor concert. An overcrowded baking sheet will give you steamed potatoes rather than crispy roasted ones.

Keep these tips in mind and you'll always end up with roasted potatoes that rock!

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Brent Garell
The Kitchen Roadie
brent@cookapalooza.com

Spice Girl's Spices

Today in 1998 The Spice Girls embarked on their first North American tour. The names of the five group members got me thinking of my five favorite spices. I’ve outlined them here as sexy, baby, posh, scary and sporty spice.

Sexy Spice (Cinnamon) - This is my all time favorite spice. Its smell alone makes me want to follow its enticing scent. When I walk past a bakery that makes cinnamon buns I’m amazed at how much effort it requires not to go buy one. Now that’s a powerful spice! This sexy spice rarely disappoints because it makes everything taste so goooood!

Baby Spice (Nutmeg)– I love the smell of nutmeg in the morning! I consider it the “baby spice” because only a small amount is required to transform dishes such as baked goods from good to great!

Posh Spice (Allspice) – Add it to baked goods, meat dishes and even drinks and you'll end up with an exotic culinary creation. Very posh indeed!

Scary Spice (Curry Powder) – Many people shy away from curry because of its strong fragrance. This is where curry powder can be your best friend. Its mild flavor makes curry dishes very approachable to curry newbies. When I serve non-curry eaters my Apple-Curry Chicken (made using curry powder) they are hesitant at first. However once they try it, they realize how mild it is and end up coming back for seconds. It’s the scary spice that isn’t very scary at all.

Sporty Spice (Chili Powder) – In North America eating hot food is almost like a sport (at least for guys). If you can handle the super spicy chili or the suicide wings you’re a champion. I love using chili powder to add wonderful flavor and extra heat to my dishes so I’m giving it the sporty spice tag.

What's your favorite Spice Girl spice?

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Brent Garell
The Kitchen Roadie
brent@cookapalooza.com

Breakfast Bake

The song Ham and Eggs by A Tribe Called Quest has the lyrics "I don't eat no ham and eggs because they're high in cholesterol". I totally agree, but I ignore these health conscious words of wisdom on the weekend.

Always preparing ham and eggs the same way gets boring so I like to change how I serve them. One of my favorite ways is to make a breakfast bake. Be forewarned this is by no means a low calorie dish. But I figure by being more active on the weekends it means that it is more likely those extra calories will get burned off. Well that's the rational I use...makes me feel better.

Breakfast Bake

Instruments
2 cups cubed day old bread (treat yourself with a nice loaf from the bakery)
1/4 cup diced onions
1/4 cup of diced cooked ham
4 eggs
1/2 cup of milk
1/3 cup grated cheese (your choice)
1/4 cup chopped green onions
Salt and pepper

Lyrics

Arrange bread cubes in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Broil in the oven until they are lightly toasted. Remove from oven and let cool.

In a medium non-stick skillet, cook onions and ham over medium heat until onions begin to soften. Remove skillet from heat.

In a large bowl whisk together eggs and milk. Add cheese, green onions, toasted bread and cooked onions and ham mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes (you want the bread to soak up most of the egg mixture)

Spray an 8x8 baking dish with cooking spray. Spoon egg mixture into the baking dish. Set the baking dish on a baking sheet and bake, uncovered, in a 350F for 20 minutes. When it starts looking like a set quiche it's done.

Volume: Makes 4 Servings

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Brent Garell
The Kitchen Roadie
brent@cookapalooza.com

Two Hip Dips

You could let the chips, bread sticks, potato skins and sweet potato wedges fall where they may…but they would be much better if they fell into one of these fantastic dips!

I saw both these dips in a LCBO magazine but I thought they needed more "pow-power punch" like you get when you hear a killer guitar solo. As the boys from Spinal Tap would say, I turned their flavor volume up to "eleven". I also made them a bit more approachable in terms of ingredients.

Chili Dip
Instruments
1 cup low-fat sour cream
1 tsp grated lime zest
¼ tsp chili powder
¼ tsp ground cumin

Lyrics
Stir to combine sour cream, lime zest, chili powder and ground cumin in a serving bowl.

Orange Aïoli
Instruments
2 tbsp frozen orange juice concentrate
¼ tsp Tabasco sauce
½ clove garlic minced
1 cup light mayonnaise
¼ tsp toasted sesame oil
1 tsp grated orange zest

Lyrics
In a serving bowl whisk together orange juice concentrate and Tabasco sauce. Add garlic, mayonnaise and sesame oil. Stir to combine. Top with orange zest and serve.

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Brent Garell
The Kitchen Roadie
brent@cookapalooza.com

Cooking Tips I Learned Over the Weekend

This past weekend was full of food filled discussions. Rob my hair stylist is a person who is passionate about food so we threw around some exciting cooking ideas while he was cutting my hair on Friday. Saturday I did a book signing at a local Chapters and met some really nice people who were more than willing to share their cooking tips with me. Then on Sunday I visited some friend’s who served a delicious lunch and introduced me to new creative serving ideas! Here are a few of the tips I picked up;

When you are washing raspberries, fan out your fingers under the running water from the tap to prevent the heavy stream of water from crushing the delicate berries.

Add lemon pepper to salads to enhance the flavor and reduce the amount of salt.

Instead of baking a pizza, cook it on the grill.

On the topic of pizza, Rob and I agreed that the best sauce is often the simplest. Here is one I’m going to try. Cut up canned tomatoes, mix with some Italian seasoning or oregano, add a pinch of salt and pepper then apply a thin layer to the pizza dough before adding the toppings. That’s it!

Rub the inside of a wooden bowl with a clove of garlic before filling it with a Ceasar salad. It boosts the flavor!

When you are serving guacamole, put the pit of the avocado in the middle of guacamole. It adds a nice touch!

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Brent Garell
The Kitchen Roadie
brent@cookapalooza.com

Harmonious Strawberry-Banana Yogurt Parfait

I came across this dessert in a magazine and thought it looked interesting. So I decided to recreate it and change a few ingredients to make it more approachable (they prepared a fancy lemon custard from scratch for the middle layer where I used instant banana pudding).

The first thing that interested me about this dessert was it looked awesome! However I was more drawn to it because its layers reminded me of the three main components of a song. Low notes (bass), high notes (treble) and balance. When they work in harmony you know you have something special. I figured the same must apply to this dessert because it seemed to have the same configuration.

The plain yogurt on the bottom reminded me of low bass notes, as it is sour. The strawberry puree on top is quite sweet so I thought of that as the high treble notes. On their own each can be a little overpowering so they required the banana pudding to compliment them and give the whole dessert balance.

When you combine all the flavors on your spoon you get perfect harmony. It’s like your favorite song…but you get to eat it! Give it try!

Harmonious Strawberry-Banana Yogurt Parfait

Instruments
Instant banana pudding
1 cup frozen strawberries
2 tsp granulated sugar
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 cup low-fat plain yogurt
4 small glasses

Lyrics
Prepare banana pudding as per package directions. Set aside.

Place strawberries, sugar and lemon juice in a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth. Taste and add more sugar if needed.

To assemble, half fill each glass with yogurt. Top with banana pudding, then the strawberry puree. Serve.

Volume: Makes 4 to 6 servings

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Brent Garell
The Kitchen Roadie
brent@cookapalooza.com

Top 100 Cooking Tips & Edible Songs

I’ve been working on a list of Top 100 cooking tricks and tips. I’m pairing it with the Top 100 edible songs (songs names with a reference to food). I’ll be giving out this list to those who sign-up for my monthly Backstage Pass newsletter. I figure you should get something for allowing me to take a spot in your e-mail inbox each month.

Here is a sample of the tricks and tips I’ve been putting together.

Tip #93 - Potato
To kick-start a baked potato, prick holes in it, pop it in the microwave for three minutes on high power and then finish in a 425F oven for 25 to 30 minutes.

Tip #27 – Tomato Paste
Freeze leftover tomato paste by the tablespoon in ice cube trays. Once the cubes are firm you can put them into zip-lock bags.

Tip #80 – Measuring Spoons
Spray measuring spoons with cooking spray before measuring gooey ingredients so they slip out easily.

Tip #36 – Seeding a Cucumber
To seed a cucumber, halve it lengthwise and use a teaspoon to scrape through the centre and remove the seeds.

Tip #40 – Herbs
To chop fresh leafy herbs such as basil, stack the leaves, roll them into a tight cigar then chop.

Here is a sampling of my Top 100 edible songs.

Song #23 – Wild Honey by U2
Perfect for when cooking Honey Garlic Ribs

Song #67 – Red Red Wine by UB40
Hey I didn’t say it had to be food related…just edible!

Song #45 – Lips Like Sugar by Echo & the Bunnymen
Do you remember those guys? Great ‘80s band!

Song #91 - The Lemon Song by Led Zeppelin
It’s always fun to get the “Led” out when cooking.

Song #52 – Banana Pancakes by Jack Johnson
Fun song to listen to while cooking breakfast

This list is still a work in progress. If you have a favorite tip or song suggestion you think could enhance someone's cooking experience please feel free to share it in the comments section or send me an e-mail. If it's a good one (which I'm sure it will be) there's a good chance it could make it into my top 100! Thanks!

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Brent Garell
The Kitchen Roadie
brent@cookapalooza.com

Song Lyrics That Offer The Best Cooking Advice

Easy Like Sunday Morning – Lionel Richie
Your mind is working overtime telling you cooking is too hard and you don’t have enough time. Politely ask these difficult thoughts to go sit in the corner and listen to Lionel Richie’s song “Easy” so you can get into a stress-free cooking frame of mind.

With A Little Help From My Friends – The Beatles
Cooking is always easier when you get a little help not only from your friends and family but also from all the time saving kitchen gadgets you probably have hidden somewhere in a drawer.

Grabbing Hands Grab All They Can, Everything Counts in Large Amounts – Depeche Mode
When you go to the refrigerator to grab ingredients, grab as much as you can at once (Rachael Ray is the master of this on 30 Minute Meals). Walking back and forth from the fridge to counter is time consuming.

It Takes Two – Marvin Gaye
Either double the amount of a recipe your making and freeze the leftovers or make a second main dish that uses many of the same ingredients as the first. Making two can make your wish of not having to prepare meals every night come true.

All I Wanna Do Is Have Some Fun – Sheryl Crow
Time flies when you are having fun so get the music playing, act like a contestant on American Idol and sing along to the tunes as your prepare your delicious calorie conscious meal.



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Brent Garell
The Kitchen Roadie
brent@cookapalooza.com