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What happens in Vegas is gone to Tokyo and Cameron Diaz along with Ashton Kutcher are there for the big premiere. Personally I would go just for the food, but that’s me, right? Okay, back to food, I mean-Well- Cameron, I mean Ashton, Doh! Movies! No- it’s all about the food.

Japanese-style western food, or Yohshoku or youshoku has been around for a long time and I bet it tastes as good as it looks. So, I am definitely falling off the really healthy eating wagon tonight just to try it and- I wonder what Cameron and Ashton are having to eat?

Thanks to Just Hungry for this image and recipe

Japanese style hamburger (Hambaagu or hambaagaa)
This makes 4 small hamburgers, serving 2 to 4 people depending on what else you are serving.

Ingredients:

• 200g/ about 7 oz. ground beef (from a cut that has a fair amount of fat in it - very lean beef will not work because it will be too dry.)
• 100g / about 3 1/2 oz. ground pork
• 1/2 medium onion
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• About 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
• About 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1 cup soft white breadcrumbs (Make the breadcrumbs from regular white bread slices with the crusts off. The crumb of a baguette is really good for this.)
• 2-3 Tbs. milk
• 1 egg
• Oil for cooking

For the sauce:

1/2 cup dry red wine
1/3 cup ketchup
1/3 cup Japanese tonkatsu sauce such as Bulldog brand
Chop the onion very finely. Sauté the onion in a little oil until translucent. Let cool.

Moisten the breadcrumbs with the milk. Combine the meat, cooled onions, moistened milk, egg, salt, ground pepper and nutmeg. Your hands are the best tools for this. Combine well until everything is amalgamated.

Divide into 4 portions. Form into patties, slapping each with your palms until the surface is smooth. Indent the middle with your thumb - this makes sure the middle gets cooked evenly.

Posted on August 12th, 2008 by Ruth
Filed under: Meat, Trends | No Comments »

So just what is her secret, or rather not so secret obsession? Well-It’s not perfume. It is, among other things instant noodles. The salty, out of a cup kind that you buy at the closest 7 Eleven. Bad Eva, bad! We are not going there!

Let’s see, what else does she like? Pizza - Acckk! No not more pizza! Dessert? Any kind? Wait! Wait! Got it.

Thanks to Taste of Home for this image

Thanks to Food Geeks for this recipe

Summer Dessert Pizza

Servings:12 to 16 servings
Prep. Time::30
Total Time:2:00

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp. lemon extract
• 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 4 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup confectioners sugar
• 1 cup whipped topping
• 1 firm banana, sliced
• 1 cup sliced fresh strawberries
• 1 can (8 oz.) mandarin oranges, drained
• 2 kiwifruit, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup fresh blueberries

Glaze:

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 2 tsp. cornstarch

Directions:

1. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar, beat in egg and extracts. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, add to creamed mixture. Beat well. Cover and chill for 30 minutes. Press dough into a greased 12-inch or 14-inch pizza pan. Bake at 350°F for 12-14 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool completely, in a mixing bowl beat cream cheese and confectioners sugar until smooth.
2. Spread over crust. Arrange fruit on top. Combine glaze ingredients in a saucepan, bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil for 2 minutes or until thickened. Cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Brush over fruit. Store in refrigerator.

Thanks to Canela & Camino for this image

Thanks to Food Geeks for this recipe

Chocolate, Fig and Almond Pizza

Servings:8 to 10 servings
Prep. Time::15

Total Time:2:30

Ingredients:

• 1 cup marscapone cheese
• 1 cup chopped figs
• 1 cup amoretto galliano
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup blanched and finely sliced almonds

Directions:

1. Marinate the figs in Amoretto for 2 hours minimum. Spread the mascarpone cheese over the homemade pizza base. Place figs on top along with rest of ingredients in order listed. Bake for 10-15 minutes at 220°C/425°F.

Posted on August 11th, 2008 by Ruth
Filed under: Fruit, Pizza, Sweets | No Comments »

Thanks to Oliver Willis for this image

Okay this is really not FAIR. Paris and her Hunny can just go jetting around to marvelous places and here I am. GROUNDED. They’re in Copenhagen you know, or at least they were when this photo was taken. I hope they had fun though. You know, took in all of the sights, relaxed, ate well…*sigh*

Thanks to Eating Well for this image and recipe

Pea & New Potato Salad (Nye kartofler og Ærte Salat)

Makes 8 servings, about 1 cup each

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds new or baby potatoes, scrubbed and trimmed, halved if larger than walnuts
• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil or canola oil
• 1 bunch scallions, white parts only, finely chopped
• 2 cups shelled fresh peas (about 3 pounds unshelled) or frozen peas (thawed)
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 1/2 cups thinly sliced small radishes
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh herbs, such as parsley, chervil and/or savory
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Directions:

1. Place a steamer basket in a large saucepan, add 1 inch of water and bring to a boil. Put potatoes in the basket and steam until barely tender when pierced with a skewer, 15 to 20 minutes, depending on size.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add scallion whites and cook, stirring constantly, until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add peas and water; cook, stirring occasionally, until the peas are just softened, about 3 minutes. Add radishes and butter; cook, stirring, until the radishes are softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Gently stir in the steamed potatoes, herbs, salt and pepper. Serve warm.

Thanks to Eating Well for this image and recipe

Elderflower Sparklers (Hyldeblomst Cocktails)

Ingredients:

• 8 tablespoons elderflower concentrate or syrup
• 2 cups brut or extra-dry Champagne
• 2 cups seltzer
• Edible flowers or mint sprigs for garnish

Directions:

1. Place 1 tablespoon elderflower concentrate (or syrup) in each of 8 Champagne glasses; add 1/4 cup Champagne to each glass, then top off with 1/4 cup seltzer. Garnish with flowers (or mint), if desired. Serve immediately.

Posted on August 8th, 2008 by Ruth
Filed under: Beverages, Salad, Vegetables, Vegetarian | No Comments »

Thanks to I’m Not Obsessed for this image

This is so not fair! Yes, yes it’s Angie Harmon we can see that! But what we can’t see is where she’s eating-Booooooo! What we don’t know is what she’s eating. Looks like take out though right? See we do need celebrity food police. Okay I’m done complaining and I’m going to go pack my own lunch.

Thanks to ehow for this image

Thanks to Suite 101 for both of these recipes

Avocado Dream

Ingredients:

• ¼ ripe avocado
• 1 Tbsp. cream cheese or vegan cream cheese substitute (optional)
• 3 small pepperoncini peppers, stems removed and sliced lengthwise
• Tomato slices
• Balsamic vinegar or dressing
• Sprouts
• Salt and pepper, to taste.

Spread cream cheese on toasted or untoasted bread; top with additional ingredients. Drizzle with balsamic and (don’t leave this step out) sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Suggested bread: Hearty multigrain or flax

Thanks to The Wednesday Chef

Hummus Heaven

Ingredients:

• 1/8-1/4 cup hummus
• Roasted red peppers, cut into strips and drained if packaged in oil.
• Watercress, alfalfa sprouts, or other spicy greens

Suggested bread: a lighter multigrain or toasted Italian; pita bread.

Posted on August 7th, 2008 by Ruth
Filed under: Sandwiches, Vegetables, Vegetarian | No Comments »

Thanks to Popsugar for this image

Lunch anyone? Mandy Moore was spotted at the Mustard Seed Cafe in L.A. recently with a friend. Yummy! No, not Mandy yummy - Mustard Seed Cafe Yummy - Okay, well unless you think Mandy’s yummy; what? Oh, stop babbling? Right! Now for the burning question. What do you think Mandy had to eat? Does she look like a Chilaquiles kind of girl?

Thanks to Food, and Other Musings for this image

Thanks to Reluctant Gourmet for this recipe

Mexican Chilaquiles

INGREDIENTS

chilaquilesTo cook the chicken

• 4 bonless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 onion, quartered
• 2 cloves of garlic

For the tomato sauce:

• 2 onions chopped very small
• 1 garlic chopped very small
• 12 tomatoes peeled and seeded and pureed
• 1 tablespoon cilantro, minced
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons tabasco sauce if you want it hot (optional)

Tortillas:

• 4 round corn tortillas

To assemble:

• sour cream diluted with a small amount of water
• 1/2 pound manchego cheese
• 1/2 pound mozzarella cheese

PREP WORK

1. Get the onions quartered and chopped and then prep the tomatoes.
2. Mince the cilantro.
3. Slice the cheeses into thin slices.
4. Cut the tortillas into strips, but not too wide.

HOW TO MAKE AT HOME

1. Cook chicken with a little water, pinch of salt, the quartered onion and 2 cloves of garlic. Cover and slowly cook over medium heat. You are basically steaming the meat.
2. Cook until the chicken is cooked through and tender. Put chicken on a plate and let it cool for a while until you can shred it in very small pieces with your hands or a fork.
3. Throw out the garlic and onion. They were only used to add additional flavor.
4. Tomato Sauce:
5. Make a tomato sauce or buy your favorite prepared tomato sauce if you are in a hurry.
6. To make a quick homemade tomato sauce, saute the chopped onion and garlic in a little olive oil. When the onion is translucent, add the tomatoes, cilantro and optional tobasco sauce. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes.
7. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
8. Add the shredded chicken back to the sauce, lower heat and cook for a few minutes so the shredded chicken can absorb some of the flavors from the tomato sauce. Don’t let the sauce cook to long. You don’t want the chicken to dry out.
9. Fry the corn tortillas:
10. Deep fry corn tortillas. When they are crisp, remove and place them on sheets of paper towels to remove excess oil .
11. Assemble the Chilaquiles like a lasagna:

Use a big lasagna pan and layer the following:

1 - A layer of tortillas.
2 - A layer of chicken in sauce.
3 - A few spots of sour cream diluted in water.
4 - Cheese on top

Repeat by doing the same for next layer and finish with cheese and some sour cream.

Cook in the oven approximately 45 minutes at 335 degrees F.

Serve with a salad or some refried beans and save some chips to serve with the Chilaquiles.

Posted on August 6th, 2008 by Ruth
Filed under: Casseroles, Meat | No Comments »

Thanks to Beyond Hollywood for this image

I Want To Believe, that the new XFiles movie is going to rock. Will you go see it? Do you care about the XFiles anymore, or is it just too over?

It would be kind of cool though, don’t you think? To spend all of your time trying to find out “the truth.” And get to be in TV shows and movies. FAME! At last! oh wait, that’s Gillian doing all that stuff. Oh well, no worries, we will just make some of her favorite food and pretend we are her okay? Well - not really - but, we will still have the salmon sushi, right?

Thanks to BBC for this image and recipe

Easy Salmon Sushi

Ingredients:

• 300g sushi rice
• 4 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp caster sugar (ultrafine sugar)
• 200g pack smoked salmon slices

Method:

1. Tip the rice into a sieve. Place under a cold running tap and rinse until the water runs clear, then drain really well and place in a saucepan. Pour over 350ml water. Bring to the boil and cook about for 5 mins until most of the liquid has boiled away and small holes appear in the rice. Turn the heat down as low as it will go. Cover the pan with a really tight-fitting lid or tin foil and leave for 10 mins. Then turn off the heat and leave for another 10 mins.
2. Heat the rice wine vinegar, sugar and a pinch of salt together in the microwave for about 30 secs until the sugar dissolves. Tip the cooked rice into a large bowl. Pour over the warm rice wine mixture and stir through, then leave the rice to cool down.
3. Line a 20 x 20cm baking tin or similar-size dish with a double layer of cling film. Spread the sushi rice over the bottom of the tin (the mixture will be a little sticky, so you may have to wet your hands to do this). Then cover the rice completely with smoked salmon slices. Fold the cling film over the salmon to cover pressing down well with your hands to mould everything together. You can chill the sushi in the fridge until ready to use, but try not to chill it for longer than 3 hrs or the rice will harden.
4. To serve, dip a sharp knife into a little hot water to stop the rice from sticking, then cut into 16 rectangles.

Posted on August 5th, 2008 by Ruth
Filed under: Fish, Rice | No Comments »

Thanks to popsugar for this image

Well! Look at this! Lindsay and Samantha go out for dinner at L.A.s Matsuhisa and they forget to invite me BUT! Not to worry because I managed to find a recipe for something they might have had to eat there. Yay!

Thanks to guidelive for this image

Thanks to Star Chefs for this Nobu Matsuhisa Recipe

Tiradito

Peruvian-style sashimi

Yield: Serves 1
For the tiradito:

• 2 to 3 ounces sashimi- quality halibut or white fish
• 1/2 Tablespoon Rocoto chili paste*
• 1/2 Teaspoon salt
• 1 Tablespoon yuzu juice
• Juice of 1/2 lemon

For the garnish:

• Fresh cilantro

To prepare the tiradito, fillet the fish and lay it out on the plate in a circle. Dab the pepper paste on each piece. Sprinkle with salt, yuzu juice Garnish with cilantro and lemon juice.

• Note: Rocoto is a red chili pepper sauce from Peru. It is available in Hispanic specialty markets.

Posted on August 4th, 2008 by Ruth
Filed under: Fish | No Comments »

Thanks to Wordsmithsbooks for this image

Well who knew? Not me that’s for sure. Singer Billy Joel’s wife - that would be katie Lee - can cook, is, in fact a celebrity chef! Think along the lines of Rachel Ray meets Paula Deen. Her favorite thing to make by the way is Peach Cobbler and hubby Bill apparently makes a mean marinade for skirt steak. I guess I should have been watching more cooking shows like season one of Top Chef. katie Lee was one of the judges way back then.

Thanks to How Stuff Works

Thanks to CBS News for this recipe

Southwestern Corn and Bean Stuffed Peppers

4 large red or green bell peppers, cored
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 package taco seasoning
3 ears of corn, cut from the cob
1 cup canned black beans, drained
1 cup cooked rice
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until translucent, about 10 minutes. Stir in taco seasoning and 2 tablespoons water. Cook until water is absorbed, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat.

In a mixing bowl, combine corn, black beans, rice, onions, sour cream and cheese. Mix well. Spoon mixture into peppers and bake until tender, about 30 minutes.

Posted on August 1st, 2008 by Ruth
Filed under: Casseroles, Vegetarian | No Comments »

Thanks to Popsugar for this image

Have you ever gone to see a Psychic? It’s kinda fun in a creepy sort of way. How do they do that? Tell you stuff that you never told anybody. Well, we may never know and if we did, it wouldn’t be fun any more.

Anyways, I just got thinking about it because I read that Cameron Diaz was going to see one, a psychic, that is. Then I started thinking maybe I was psychic because I knew what we were going to have for supper to- night without anyone telling me. Yep! Sweetie did the cooking last night and he made waaaaaaaay too much pasta. So- Leftover spaghetti it is. But wait, he made too little sauce. Oh no! Not to worry, we’ll just do something mystical like this…

Thanks to leggacy7777 for this image

Thanks to about.com for this recipe

Spaghetti Salad

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound leftover spaghetti noodles
• 12 cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
• 1 bottles Zesty Italian salad dressing
• 2 cucumbers, chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped

Preparation:

In a large bowl mix all of the ingredients except the salad dressing. Add the salad dressing to taste, it will not take the whole bottle. Chill for 8 hours or overnight, tossing the salad every so often. If the salad looks dry, you may add more dressing. Serve cold.

Posted on July 31st, 2008 by Ruth
Filed under: Pasta, Salad | No Comments »

Thanks to Popsugar for this image

So, Ashlee is looking pretty cute right? All dressed up for dinner at La Loggia. Want to peek at the menu ? I did, and you know it. The first thing that caught my eye was the Capelli oh yeah. All that wonderful Angel Hair Pasta. I wonder if that’s what Ashlee and Pete ate?

Honestly, there should be ‘what are they eating’ spies out there so they could fill the rest of us in. I mean after all, we wonder what’s in their shopping bags, what underwear they have or don’t have on and what groceries are in their carts, true?- Oh well! Maybe I could be the first member of the what they eat police- Okay so, back to the Capelli…

Thanks to Kosher Vegan for this image

Thanks to IGA for this recipe

Capelli d’Angelo with chick peas and balsamic reduction

• Serves : 4 servings
• Preparation time : 10 minutes
• Preparation : Easy
• Cooking time : 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 90 mL (6 tablespoons) balsamic vinegar
• 30 mL (2 tablespoons) honey
• 250 g capelli d’angelo pasta
• 1 tin (540 mL) Compliments chick peas, rinsed and drained
• 15 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 80 mL (1/3 cup) pitted Kalamata olives
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 500 mL (2 cups) baby spinach leaves
• Parmesan cheese shavings to garnish

Directions:

1. Place balsamic vinegar and honey in a small saucepan.
2. Cook over medium heat until the mixture is reduced by two-thirds and becomes syrupy. Reserve.
3. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chick peas, tomatoes, olives and garlic, and sauté for 5 minutes. Add spinach and gently combine. Remove from heat.
4. Cook pasta according to instructions on package; drain. Transfer chick pea mixture onto hot pasta and stir well.
5. Add balsamic vinegar reduction to flavor and garnish with Parmesan shavings. Enjoy!

Variation: Replace spinach with arugula.

Thanks to Italian Food and Cooking for this image and recipe

Capelli d’angelo with basil

This dish is so simple it doesn’t really count as a recipe Definitely a case of “less is more” though. Serves 4

Pasta basil ingredients:

• 320 grams Capelli d’angelo
• 1 bunch basil leaves, torn by hand (not chopped)
• 50 grams parmesan cheese
• 50 milliliters olive oil

Directions:

1. Cook the pasta until al dente (about 2 minutes)
2. Toss with the olive oil, basil and cheese.

Posted on July 30th, 2008 by Ruth
Filed under: Pasta | No Comments »