Archive for July, 2008

Top Chef Miami (Season 3) – FOXTEL – Arena 8:30pm Wednesday

Wednesday, July 30th, 2008

My new FAVOURITE reality TV show (and there are just SO many out there) is Top Chef.  It’s not really like “The f Word” because the contestants are professionals with their own restaurants and accomplishments. It’s not like Hell’s Kitchen either for the same reason, and they don’t do a dinner service.  This show is classy, exciting and makes you really appreciate the magic that chefs can pull.

It starts off with a quickfire challenge. A half hour super fast task, such as “create a meal with $10 on groceries within 20 mins with 10 minutes shopping time in only one aisle of the supermarket”.  Or a relay of chopping 5 jumbo onions, segmenting 4 chickens, shucking 1 doz oysters.  one person wins immunity, and then follows a longer challenge, for example “cook hor d’ouevres for 60 people with a $350 budget” – basically a themed meal with a shopping budget.

Anyway, I don’t have any friends who watch this and I am dying to discuss it every week, hoping someone out there also watches it (please dont’ spoil the ending for me!!! :) ) and have a chat here!

I really hope Howie gets voted off.  Hung pales in comparison in terms of evil scumminess! I bought the cookbook off Amazon – trying not to open it as it will spoil the end for me! :)

200 chicken shish kebabs…

Thursday, July 10th, 2008

A couple of weeks ago I put up my hand to cook for 50 people over a weekend away… that was before I knew that I had only an electric cooktop, 2 rack electric oven, one 2-slice toaster, 1 kettle, and a BBQ!! Needless to say, my helpers and I were too busy to take many photos, but here’s a few hints and recipes in case you need to whip up meals for 50 people!

Chicken shish kebabs

  • 13kg chicken breast or thigh, cubed skewers.JPG
  • 1kg onions – large dice (hint: peel them then soak in water to eradicate those vicious eye-attacking oils)
  • 6 large green capsicums, cut into squares
  • 8 large zucchini, cut into 0.5cm rounds
  • 4 bunches of chopped fresh rosemary (or half a packet of dried rosemary)
  • salt and pepper
  • olive oil
  • 5 iceberg lettuce, torn
  • 1kg tomatoes, diced
  • 1kg shredded cheese
  • sweet chilli sauce, BBQ sauce to serve
  • 200 bamboo skewers
  • 60 lebanese bread
  • 5 bulbs of garlic – peeled and chopped in a food processor.
  •   (more…)

    Don’t take your date here..

    Tuesday, July 8th, 2008

    The NSW govt Food Authority is now publishing lists of offenders prosecuted or fined for breaching standards!  Let’s hope your favourite restaurant does NOT end up on this list!

    www.foodauthority.nsw.gov.au

    I think I know of a few places that should belong here hehehe.