Gastromical

Gastromical’s GOULASH Recipe

gastromical — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 17:07:11 +0000

One Box Rice A Roni - Creamy Four Cheese

1 Large Onion (Yellow)

Mazola Oil (Corn or Vegatable)

1/2 Cup Half and Half

White Sharp Chedder Cheese

Penne Rigate

Knudsen Hampshire Sour Cream

Mortons Salt

Lawry's Garlic Salt

Cayenne Pepper

Ground Beef

Trappey's Louisiana Hot Sauce

Tabasco Chipolte Sauce

Tabasco

Click Here to Hear Gastromical’s Goulash Recipe

Eat Big, Live Big.

BOBBY FLAY GRILLS IT AND NEW YORK POST INTERVIEW

gastromical — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 21:24:20 +0000

Now here we have Super Chef Bobby Flay, good guy and all around Bud. Bobby wins most often on Iron Chef but I don’t think that he beat Sakai from the Japanese show, I felt that the judges at the time were tasting a bit Provincially at the time not used to the French Wizardry of Master Chef Sakai… but It’s to late now to roll back time, still I did see that the dishes prepared by Sakai were a cut above Bobby’s ’styling’s’, as it were, I’m sure that Jeffrey Stiengartten would surely agree with me on this point. He himself was probably prepared for a Barbeque moment or two and the Great Iron Chef from the Original Iron Chef Show was as ‘Tip Top’ as ever. It would perhaps be wise for Bobby to admit as much someday, if not on his Death Bed than at least at a party somewhere in his near future.

It would do Bobby good and would clear up some consternation from the actual Chairman over in Japan, who undoubtedly is still rather ’steamed’ about the whole thing. As I myself am as well! But that said Bobby Flay is a very fine cook, one who will only ‘Age’ into a finer specimen of the culinary arts as he grows older in wisdom and experience!

By LARRY GETLEN

June 1, 2008

The Food Network’s most famous face dishes about impressing foodies and being a high school dropout

Bobby Flay has had so many shows on the Food Network, it’s surprising his face isn’t on the channel’s logo. Iron Chef Flay, who’s married to former “Law & Order: SVU” actress Stephanie March, can currently be seen on “Boy Meets Grill,” “Iron Chef America” and “Throwdown! with Bobby Flay.” Soon he’ll add “Grill It! With Bobby Flay” to that illustrious lineup. The culinary wunderkind, who began cooking in high-end Manhattan restaurants at 17 and was one of New York’s star chefs before he hit 30, juggles all this activity with cooking as often as possible at his two Manhattan haunts, Mesa Grill and Bar Americain. As if that’s not enough, he will also join the Food Network reality competition “The Next Food Network Star” tonight at 10 as a celebrity judge - because really, it’s just not a true Food Network show without him.

When you’re in the middle of judging, are you ever thinking, “Man, I’d really rather be cooking right now”?

Without a doubt. Cooking is the thing I’m most passionate about, whether it’s cooking on television or, even more so, in my restaurant. But I try to focus on exactly what I’m doing at that moment. I wear a couple of different hats on the Food Network and in my career, but the one thing it all revolves around is food. It would be one thing if I was acting on a TV show and owning restaurants, but this way, food is always the common denominator.

learned anything new about cooking recently?

I just had somebody on my new show, “Grill It,” and learned about something I’d never eaten before called knotweed. It’s a weed that grows in many people’s gardens, it’s very invasive, and I learned that if you grill it, it actually has great flavor - sort of peppery, slightly bitter, but really a nice hearty green.

What differentiates you from the pack as a chef?

I reach for big flavors, whether through chili peppers, fresh dried chilies or things like roasted or toasted garlic. It’s the place where I’m able to separate myself from a lot of people who might say, “I’m cooking with local ingredients,” or, “I like to cook Mediterranean food.”

Americans have become more knowledgeable about food. Does that make it harder to impress people?

No. Just because they see something on the Food Network, that doesn’t mean they’ve tasted it. People know there are lots of things out there they haven’t tried, and should. I’ve always found that people are really happy about trying something new. So I think it’s made it easier, just because they know there’s a whole new world of food out there.

Why is working in a kitchen so difficult?

I think because you have to combine speed with finesse and stamina. So when there’s lots of people trying to put those three things together, it creates a very emotional place. When it’s going well, it’s great. When it starts to falter, it can be a very high-pressure place.

You were suspended from high school. Why?

You have to tell me which high school you’re talking about, because I either dropped out or got thrown out of a couple of them. I was not a good high school student. I’m actually a graduate of the City of New York, because I got my high school equivalency diploma. I just had no interest in doing schoolwork, period. There was no magic to it. It just wasn’t the way I wanted to learn.

PICKING hIS BRAIN

“When Stephanie and I travel to Europe, we make it really simple. Basically, we’re there to have

lunch and dinner.”

“I think the Kentucky Derby

is one of the best American sporting events.”

“Ireland is a terrific country, a small country that has so much to offer. It’s my sort-of home country, although my family’s been here for about five generations. When it comes to food, it has a not-so-great reputation, but I’ve had some unbelievable meals there, especially when it comes to the fish and wild game they’re so well-known for.”

“The thing I love to do more than anything is hang out with my daughter - I have a 12 year-old. Going to her soccer games brings so much joy to me.”

Ted Allen – The Gay Detective and Foodie!

gastromical — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 20:31:26 +0000

Here’s a little ditty about Super Gay, Ted Allen and his new show on The Food Network, The Food Detective. Formerly of Queer Eye For The Straight Guy, Mr. Allen has thankfully moved on into more culinary matters that go good with his fine and gentlemanly demeanor. I’m not making light of Mr. Allen being Gay, only that I’m Gay as well so I needn’t ‘worry’ as it were that I’m ruffling the ‘girl feathers’ of another member of the so-called Tribe.

I liked all the boys on Queer Guy, as it was a nice and interesting show that maybe will be recast someday. I don’t watch that much television anymore, but of course, Iron Chef and Jeopardy are the two shows that I have enjoyed most. I try not to miss Iron Chef, but have recently cut off my Dish Network account as of late, but am hoping that I can return to see these shows in the future… what with The Bostonian’s by Henry James to read, I’m finding the need for more ‘intellectual’ pursuits of late. Still, at least here on my many blogs I’m able to hopefully approach the prospect that I still have a Pulse.

I guess it shows how much of a foodie geek I am that I waited with great anticipation for Food Network’s latest hit Food Detectives with Ted Allen. I was justly rewarded. Food Detectives is very entertaining and host Ted Allen is charming. He’s been a judge on every season of Top Chef (Bravo) and Food Network’s “Iron Chef America,” but Ted first hit the small screen on the much beloved Queer Eye for Straight Guy.

Today Allen is an award winning food writer and cookbook author, he is the spokesman for Robert Mondavi Private Selection, and now the host of a hit TV show. According to Allen, the ratings for Food Detectives have been great. In fact, the show’s popularity is growing so much that they actually had their best ratings the same night the world tuned in to watch Michael Phelps make Olympic history.

Recently, I got to speak with Ted. What I had planned to be a professional interview turned into two foodies sharing tips and stories of culinary adventure. Here’s the interview part:

What has the journey from “Queer Eye” to “Food Detectives” been like?
Things have worked out so well. Queer Eye was a hit and ran for a hundred episodes. I’ve been on every season of Top Chef and Iron Chef: America. I’ve been able to maintain a presence doing something I’m passionate about.

How did the idea of Food Detectives come to fruition?
There have been a few similar shows, the most notable being Alton Brown’s show Good Eats and there was the Secret Life of, but we felt that food lore wasn’t being done. On Good Eats, what Alton does so well is he teaches the science. Alton instructs, we explore. We test the science.

When you judge on Iron Chef and the theme ingredient is revealed, do you try to figure out what you would make if you were the challenger?
Of course. Definitely. I don’t think I would think of any of the stuff Morimoto comes up with. And I’m blown away by Michael Symon. Barry (Barry Rice, Allen’s partner and an accomplished interior designer) and I have eaten at both of his restaurants in Cleveland and really enjoyed them. All of them are just amazing - Mario, Cat, Bobby Flay.

Speaking of Flay, Ted offered this anecdote:
We used to live across the street from Bobby and his wife, Stephanie March. Barry had recently finished redoing our kitchen when we ran into Bobby and Stephanie on the street. They were getting ready to redo theirs, so we invited them up to have a look. At one point Barry says, “You two should come over for dinner.”

I’m thinking, “there’s no way I’m cooking dinner for Bobby Flay.”

One last question, how does one become a judge on Iron Chef?
(Laughter) Get to know the guy who choses them.