Category Archives: Food news

I’m a contestant in a live cooking competition – Kitchen Circus

Posted on October 2, 2012 by The Solo Cook

This girl is taking food to another level as a contestant in a live cooking competition

This time, I’m not cooking just for me. I’m cooking for 45 people. I’m so excited to announce I’m a contestant on Kitchen Circus, a live cooking competition at Rover’s restaurant in Seattle. This competition challenges home cooks, like myself, to step into a professional restaurant kitchen and see if we can handle the heat. Kitchen Circus is organized by Thierry Rautureau, who owns and operates Rover’s and Luc restaurants.

Kitchen Circus contestants were announced recently and I’m one of nine (the last one on the right) who will be headed into Rover’s kitchen to compete.

Yes, this is hardly the type of cooking I’ve focused on with The Solo Cook blog. But what you may not know about me is that I often hold large dinner parties for friends and family. There is no doubt, this will stretch my cooking skills and creativity.

I am one of nine contestants chosen to compete, based on my application, video and live audition. I’ll tell you more about my live audition in upcoming posts. On Tuesday, Nov. 20, I will prepare one of a three-course meal for guests at Rover’s. I will have to prepare an appetizer, main course or dessert. Then, at the end of the night, guests will choose one home cook as the winner who will move on to the finale.

When I discovered I was one of the Kitchen Circus contestants, I literally jumped up and down like a little girl. I hope to bring my passion and love of food to a dining room full of guests at Rover’s. In the next couple weeks, I’ll be obsessed with food. I’ll be dreaming of food, taking notes on homemade recipes and trying out different meals on friends.

You, too, will be a part of this fun journey. I plan on sharing my Kitchen Circus experiences along the way.

You can follow the competition on facebook.

For more information about the Kitchen Circus competition, check out the press release.

Cheers

Christine

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Swap fresh food from garden with neighbors and friends

Posted on June 25, 2012 by The Solo Cook

I call it neighborly love – and the old adage give and you shall receive rings true in my life when it comes to food.

For me, food is about sharing an experience with those you care about and why not share your fresh vegetables, fruits and herbs with neighbors. You will reap the benefits in many ways.

These fresh picked strawberries from my neighbor Tony’s garden are best when simply prepared. Try them with balsamic vinegar or thinly sliced mint.

There’s usually a neighbor within a couple blocks of your apartment, condo or house who you’ve gotten to know or need to get to know now. People love to talk about their gardens – including me. Trade food stories and exchange fresh garden items. If you have a bumper crop of sugar snap peas, deliver them to your friends and neighbors. Like me, you’ll soon find fresh veggies like zucchini sitting on your porch.

Tony, my neighbor, is surrounded by swiss chard, peas, potatoes. strawberries and beets. He’s always willing to share food from his verdant garden.

I’ve learned so much about gardening from my neighbor Tony. In many talks over beers, I’ve gotten tips on planting my garden. Whether it’s irrigation, compost or protection from critters, Tony has shared helpful stories with me. His garden is amazing and I, for some reason, have earned a pass to enter it at any time and pillage.

You can’t possibly find the time or space to grow everything you’d like to in your garden or in pots. So find fellow food growers in your neighborhood and see if food can be shared. For example, I have one neighbor who graciously gave me fresh greens for a salad and when my potatoes are grown I’ll drop some off for her. And don’t just think of food. I’ve given fresh herbs to a friend and, in exchange, received fresh-cut flowers from her yard. Another reward is discovering new recipes by asking how your friends prepared the food. If you are feeling ambitious, form a neighborhood cooperative or exchange that’s more organized.

Carrots literally pulled from the ground like these are so sweet and earthy. Cook them with thyme and a touch of butter, but that’s only if you don’t eat them raw first.

I’ll be honest with you I’m not good at growing corn. This is an embarrassing fact, since I grew up in Iowa. It could be my soil, or that my garden doesn’t sit in a hot, sunny spot or that I’m too far from my original roots. But I’m sure my neighbor Tony will have corn this summer and yes I will pillage. And yes he will receive an ample supply of my fresh, sweet raspberries. I’d love to hear your food swapping stories and ideas.

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How to harvest, prepare and cook fresh mussels

Posted on June 8, 2012 by The Solo Cook

What’s not to love about mussels – they’re succulent, tender, salty and a bit sweet. Many of us have gone to the fish market or local grocery store and grabbed a bag of mussels sitting on ice and cooked a great bowl of mussels. But this time I wanted to go to the source. I wanted to be my own fishmonger. I wanted to grab my own dinner literally from the earth.

Hunting mussels can be a solitary adventure for the day or a great bonding experience with friends.  In my case, a group of friends went on the expedition and later each of us prepared the mussels in a different way.

A ferry and a short drive were the only things that stood between my posse and those black pearly mussels.

At Double Bluff State Park on Whidbey Island we walked along the beach at low tide and, at first, saw no mussels. But as we hiked closer to a large rocky bed we hit the jackpot. Soon I realized we were literally on a blanket of mussels. Thousands of them clutched to each other and small rocks. Plucking the mussels only the size of my thumb or bigger, I found my bucket full within a couple hours.

It was literally that easy. Back in the kitchen we had a mussel feast fit for the sea gods. The bivalves were so fresh and flavorful.

Mussels are a great choice of food for one person to prepare for many reasons. Within minutes you can steam the mussels in white wine and shallots or garlic and finish with fresh herbs. Just grab some french bread for dipping and a glass or two of Pinot Gris wine for sipping and you are set to relax after a hard day of work.

Also if you are entertaining friends, a quick mussel dish won’t keep you hostage in the kitchen while the rest of your soiree is kicking into high gear.

Below you’ll find tips on harvesting mussels, hints on preparing them in the kitchen and a great recipe. Don’t be intimidated by them and feel free to find your favorite way to enjoy them.

Harvesting Mussels:

  • Simply grab the mussel, twist and pull off.
  • Fill the bucket with cold water right from the harvest area and let them rest for a minimum of several hours. They will literally spit out sand and debris. This ensures you don’t have gritty mussels. Avoid soaking mussels in tap water.

Back at Home:

  • It’s time to crack open a beer or open up a bottle of white wine because you still have some work to do and you should reward yourself for such a catch. Pinot Gris and Sauvignon Blanc are great wines to pair with mussels.
  • Clean the mussels by rubbing off any debris from their shells.
  • Throw away any mussels that are cracked or remain open after tapping them on a surface.
  • Remove the beard, a small hairy spot where the two parts of the shell connect. Sometimes you can just pull it away, but scissors also work. Do this just before cooking.
  • Mussels you don’t plan on cooking right away should be removed from the cold water and placed in the coldest part of your refrigerator on a bed of ice with a damp cloth on top of them. Mussels will keep for up to three days.

Hot in the Kitchen: Venetian-Style Mussels

I adapted a recipe from Chef Walter Pisano of Tulio restaurant printed in Celebrated Chefs, Vol. 2. Feel free to play with the ingredients and put your own take on it.

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 clove of garlic sliced

3 pounds of mussels

5 ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced

¼ cup brandy

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

½ cup slivered fresh basil

3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

½ teaspoon dried red pepper flakes (more if you like spicy)

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until golden brown. Add mussels and stir constantly for 2 minutes. Cover and cook for 2 more minutes. Then add tomatoes, brandy and lemon zest to the pan. Cook an additional 3-4 minutes or until the mussels have opened. Remove lid and gently stir in basil, parsley and pepper flakes. Serve immediately in shallow bowls.

Cheers Christine

Special thanks to friends Michelle, Chris and Tony

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