McDonald's McRib Sandwich?

There is a new contraption in the McDonald's franchise. Its called the McRib. Wow. Thats hekka nasty. First off, the "ribs" aren't even real. They are more than likely all of the old meat that has been left over and has freeze's burn. I am not sure exactly how they make them but I do know that they are most definably offensive to real food. Pigs and cows are ashamed and feel hoodwinked. BAMBOOZLED!

The real questions is what does the "McRib" contain? No one will ever know. And what is the world coming to? We are constantly eating random foods that we think is best for us until you get E.coli. I don't personally believe that the world will end if McDonald's was to shut down. Hypothetically thinking: What do you think would happen to the world if McDonalds were to shuty down? C'est la vie.. (SAY LA VEE)

<3 Venus

Security

Food is something we all unconsciously take for granted. Almost every five seconds a child dies from starvation. It's not just about the children at this point ; whole families go hungry almost everyday. This issue is growing at an almost unstoppable rate. In today’s world, the most important business is growing enough food and ensuring that it reaches everyone. As a people we need to increase global food production by 70% before 2050. There are some specific steps that need to be implemented if we want to see change:

• Comprehensively address the underlying causes of hunger and under-nutrition
• Invest in country-led plans
• Strengthen strategic coordination
• Leverage the benefits of multilateral institutions
• Make sustained and accountable commitments

If we could come to a global commitment to support each other , Just imagine!


Yohan Callen

Teaches and Herbs

Our kitchen is known for savory home style cooking. But no meal would be complete without herbs. Here's some ways you can get to know these tricky greens even better

1. Take a clean leaf of the herb and chew but don't swallow. Experience your herbs like you would a fine wine; check the fragrant bouquet, let the Our kitchen is known for savory home style cooking. But no meal would be complete without herbs. leaf meet the tongue and chew thoughtfully. It is not necessary to swallow. Learning about the flavor of the herb this way will help you to decide if it will make the perfect pot roast or sorbet.

2. Add fresh chopped herbs (one at a time) to something bland yet familiar, like butter or sour cream or potatoes. This allows the intensity of the herb to stand on its own and helps you to know how much of the herb to add.

3. Just start playing; add a little Rosemary or Tarragon to the potatoes or the chicken; sprinkle some Oregano on your pizza or pasta; lay sprigs of Thyme on your roast. Keep notes, at least at first of what was pleasing, how much was used and what didn’t work. Note whether the herbs were fresh or dried or a combination of both. You will find this invaluable, especially when you start blending herbs together to get more complex flavors

Yohan Callen

The Real Tandoor

In order for a dish to be considered truly ‘Tandoori’ it must be cooked in a Tandoor oven. This type of oven is cylindrical, made out of clay and used for cooking and baking. Although Tandoori is typically associated with India, this oven is used in Turkey, Iran, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, the Balkans, Central Asia and Middle East, as well as Burma and Bangladesh.

The heat for a tandoor is usually generated by a charcoal or wood fire, burning within the tandoor itself, exposing the food to live fire. Tempatures typically approach 480 degrees Celsius.

For our own ‘Fake Bake Tandoori Chicken, we take whole bone-in chicken breasts, skin removed. Dry them off and coat in a mixture of full fat yogurt (about ¾ cup for 4 breasts) and a tablespoon each of turmeric, cumin, ground ginger. Also in the mix is liberal sprinkling of salt and pepper and about 2 cloves of minced garlic. Get your oven really hot, about 475 degrees, and cook until a thermometer inserted into the center of the breast (don’t touch the bone!) registers 160 degrees. This will take about 25-30 minutes.

Everybody loves Bread

Readers, What is it about bread that keeps you coming back ? It's delicious and there's so many different kinds of bread. Melonpan, Phulka, Salt rising bread, Zopf, Flatbread, and Fougasse are all examples of global dedication to tradition. Bread goes back at least 30,000 years. Historians believe the first bread produced was probably cooked with a grain-paste, made from roasted and ground cereal grains and water, and may have been developed by accidental cooking or deliberate experimentation with water and grain flour. Most countries have specific breads that compliment there traditional cooking.

In Ethiopia they cook with many vibrant flavors but a meal wouldn't be complete without injera, a sponge like flat bread laid across a plate. This tradition of using bread as a utensil is known worldwide. I'm a huge Indian food lover, and i never skip on the naan. Here's one of my favorite meals partnered with naan.

MANGO CURRY:

Ingredients:

1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
1 tbsp Oil
1 tbsp Jaggery
6 Red Chillies
3/4 tsp Salt
1/2 Coconut, grated
2 Onion, sliced
250 gms Green Mangoes
6 Pods Garlic flakes
1 tsp Coriander seeds
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1 inch Ginger

How to make mango curry:

• Peel green mangoes.
• Slice each mango into small pieces, removing seed.
• Wash and keep aside.
• Grind together coconut, chillies, garlic, ginger, cumin and coriander.
• Heat oil and fry onions till transparent.
• Add ground mixture and stir-fry well, till oil begins to leave the masala.
• Add mango slices and jaggery Pour one glass water.
• Add salt and prepare on medium flame till mangoes are tender and curry thickens

Pair this with some store bought naan or prepare your own . I am certain you will love this recipe.Here's a link for the perfect naan recipe : http://www.indianfoodforever.com/indian-breads/index.html


Yohan Callen

Adress the problem

OK , I have the latest scoop on the whole obesity prevention movement. So there is this website called http://www.ers.usda.gov/data/fooddesert/fooddesert.html and its purpose is too show the average American, who of course has to own a computer (very sarcastic voice) , where there are food deserts. A food desert is any area in the industrialized world where healthy, affordable food is difficult to obtain.

The objectives of the Food Desert Locator are:

• to present a spatial overview of where food-desert census tracts are located;
• to provide selected population characteristics of food-desert census tracts; and
• to offer data on food-desert census tracts that can be downloaded for community planning or research purposes.

I explored the site thoroughly to find out that this site is part of First Lady's Let's Move! initiative. Which works to thin out America , but how does showing us where there isn't food help? Lets support this movement for a healthier tomorrow.

This website does everything but feed people.


Yohan Callen

Inspired

Hey all you chefs out there!! Are you tired of the same in and out? Well here's my solution for you bored diners. Try cooking something new but not too advanced for your kitchen. Expect an instant response from your family, good or bad, hey, you tried and that's the first step. Also think about ways you could spice up some of those old recipes that you know and love. I love making quiche. There's millions of ways you can prepare this elegant dish here's a simple recipe for spinach quiche.

SPINACH/FETA CHEESE QUICHE

1 (10 oz.) pkg. frozen chopped spinach
4 eggs
3/4 c. cream
1 1/4 c. milk
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tbsp. parsley, chopped
1/4 lb. Feta cheese, crumbled
1 quiche crust (pie crust)
3 tbsp. fresh grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

Drain spinach and squeeze out as much moisture as possible; it should be fairly dry. Mix the eggs, cream and milk. Add the salt, pepper, lemon juice and parsley. Stir in spinach and Feta cheese. Fill quiche crust and place the grated cheese on top.

Bake at 375 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes or until a knife inserted in center comes out dry. Cool for 10 minutes before serving. It can also be served at room temperature.

Enjoy ,

Yohan Callen

Save a Breast

In case you didn't know, it's Breast Cancer Awareness month. Over 500,000 people in the United States die from this devastating disease. How can you get involved? It starts with your body and how you treat it.

Researchers have come to a place where they feel that a healthier lifestyle is a key player in preventing the disease.
Here's the top ten cancer fighting foods :
1. Garlic
2. Dark leafy greens
3. Grapes
4. Tomatoes
5. Flax seeds
6. Green tea
7. Blueberries
10. Mushrooms
11. Calciferous Vegetables
12. Whole grain

These food's are rich sources of antioxidants called carotenoids. Cooking with these ingredients will give you a better chance at fighting this cancer. Here's a recipe to start you off: Fiesta Salsa

1. 1 cup diced papaya
2. ½ cup frozen or fresh kernel corn
3. 1 Roma tomato, diced
4. 1 -2 finely diced sweet onion
5. 1 jalapeno pepper, minced
6. 1 clove garlic, minced
7. 2 tbsp. fresh lime juice
8. 1 tsp.grated lime peel
9. 3 tbsp. ground flax seed
10. 2 tbsp. chopped cilantro

• In a medium bowl, toss together papaya, corn, tomato, onion, jalapeno, garlic, lime juice and peel. Cover and refrigerate two hours.
• Just before serving, stir in ground flax seed, cilantro and whole flax seed.


Enjoy ,

Yohan Callen