divalasvegas

I just saw Bobby's latest throwdown "Battle Cheesecake" against Alan Rosen of Junior's Cheesecake. Both cheesecakes had me drooling. Rosen's was a Devil's Food cheesecake while Bobby's was a caramel apple walnut rendition. Both appealed to me since I love chocolate and cheesecake so combining the best of both worlds just gives me more to love. Apples and cheese are a natural fit of course. Well SURPRISE, Bobby won! It obviously tasted as good as it looked and it looked wonderful. The judges remarked that it was a difficult decision but that they gave the edge to Bobby's cake for being more creamy and sophisticated, and that the Junior's entry, while very good, the cheesecake itself was overwhelmed by the chocolate. Personally I can still see myself enjoying both immensely and neither recipe seems to be beyond the reach of a decent home cook. Flay's Caramel Apple Cheesecake I would have posted a link to the Junior's recipe but the one given on the Food Network website is screwed up such as giving ingredients for the devil's food cake portion but instructions for a sponge cake and the rest of it doesn't match Mr. Rosen's on air prep at all. Rosen was obviously a bit shocked and disappointed but Flay gave him his props and I thought that both men handled the situation graciously with good humor. As competitive as I think Bobby Flay is, sometimes I've gotten the impression that he's "thrown" a few of these matches in favor of the hometown guy or gal.

So sorry to hear this BarbaraY. Some questions: are cheese, chocolate off limits as well? Is there an acid threshhold she can deal with such as the relatively small amount of acid in mayonnaise which could be used to make a variety of salad dressings? How about buttermilk and/or sour cream used as an ingredient in salad dressings like blue cheese, ranch, green goddess, etc.? What types of cuisines does she like?

Thanks for the laugh rconnelly. Just the names he concocted were hysterical: up and coming rock star chef of the near future, "Corey Speed," alleged world famous chefs "Everett Gavage" "Chas Mirepoix" and the senior fellow from the Brookings Institute, "Claudine Suvide." A couple of days late for April Fools' Day, but still much appreciated. The scary thing is just maybe in some culinary school somewhere, someone is at least contemplating the creation of a celebrity chef development division. Truth may indeed catch up with fiction sooner than we think.

While his abrasive style is quite popular with many Americans, it's never been my cup of tea. But I think you're right and HSN being a "family-oriented" channel simply could not risk that a few of those choice phrases might fall out of his mouth on air. I'm sure Wolfgang Puck got the same speech but it obviously didn't take to well since he still has somewhat of a reputation, flirting shamelessly using sexually suggestive phrases with whichever adorably cute female show host he's paired with--seeing them get all tongue-tied and flustered is pretty funny--and is a "potty" mouth who's said shit on the air more than a couple of times. Also, it's pretty hilarious when he's on how much disinterest or sometimes disdain he has for customers calling in to give gushing testimonials about his products. I have no doubt that if Ramsay became a regular his dark side would emerge eventually. Now that would be some must see tv.

I think your husband and I are kindred spirits Claudia. Given what I've seen of him elsewhere, I too found his sweetness and charm to be somewhat unnerving. I'm sure that part of his laid back, calm demeanor could be attributed to the fact that, as the way too manic show host kept repeating loudly, THIS IS THE ONLY TIME THIS YEAR HE'LL BE HERE! He knew that, unlike his colleagues Todd English and Wolfgang Puck, he would not have to endure home shopping purgatory, returning every two or three months over and over and over again.

Gee Andy don't go all 5-0 on me; just a harmless play on words aka a pun. Otherwise I'd think you be illin' as defined by: The Urban Dictionary Church.

Actually Luckylies I have to admit that he is showing some lovely cookware, similar to all-clad and the white/platinum dinnerware is quite elegant. Hey, wait a minute, am I shillin' for him now? If you're interested in seeing him live, he's back on today at 2:00 pm EST. This is his "premiere" weekend BTW. I think Oy Vey pretty well sums up my reaction too The Blissful Glutton when I first saw him on HSN.

Just channel surfing and landed on HSN (that's Home Shopping Network) when my eyes beheld something I thought I'd never see: Gordon Ramsay selling pots and pans and plates--even his book "Roasting in Hell's Kitchen"--to us lovely shop-from-home ladies. Well I guess it was only a matter of time what with Wolfgang Puck, Todd English, Roy Yamaguchi, Kerry Simon, and others have all gone over to the dark side and have their own ever growing lines of products, some good, some godawful. I can't help but get the giggles at him hawking his wares and chatting it up with their cackling, perky show host. Can the Apocalypse be near? BTW, he's on right now and if you want to check out his offerings, by Royal Doulton no less, here's a link: Ramsay's On-Air Wares I wonder, can Tony Bourdain be far behind? If he think's he's been in Hell before, wait until he has to suffer through those live phone calls from HSN customers who think that the vendors and show hosts are their "friends."

Bless you K8Memphis for your sleuthing! Enquiring minds just had to know how this was done. Now the only question is: when will you be doing an eG demo on this cake? No pressure, of course.

Thanks for your first person report on the product Jay. I didn't know that it also came in capsule form. The product I saw was a tablet that you were supposed to place in your mouth and let it slowly dissolve. According to their website and the report I saw today, the effects are supposed to last for about 30 minutes. The main point the report was emphasizing was that it removed the immediate payoff from eating something sweet--like your "marshmallow report"--and remove any deliciousness associated with eating or drinking a particular type of sweet. I don't remember them saying anything about the product stopping a craving per se, but it's good to know that it may help some people stop the cravings in the first place. I look forward to hearing your updates. I respectfully must disagree Suzy about people not craving sugar. I understand that you have two diabetics in your life now, but I wonder if diabetics, like alcoholics, are all a little different from one another. For instance, my mother could not stand and could ALWAYS detect artificial sweetners no matter how many times I tried to sneak them on her so they would have never satisfied any craving she had. I know many other people who can also detect the flavor of artificial sweetners and not in a pleasant way. Personally, I can tell when I'm ingesting an artificial sweetner as opposed to sugar, although I don't really have a problem with the taste. Also, as I am sure you are well aware, a diabetic's blood sugar can suddenly take a steep dive. When this happened to my mother she could become clammy and disoriented and the only immediate doctor approved solution was orange juice mixed with WHITE SUGAR and she's not the only diabetic I know that did/does this. I've known many to carry hard candies, jelly beans, etc. which are almost 100 percent sugar. For those who don't know, if a diabetic skips a meal or waits too long between meals their blood sugar can drop quite precipitously. A former co-worker had two very scary episodes of this: one where she awoke behind the steering wheel of her car in the middle of traffic with people banging on her windows. In another instance this same person was found passed out in front of a bank of elevators. In both cases she was made to understand that a) she needed to eat better and more often and, b) in case of these instances she had to have sugar-laden, not artificial sweetner-laden, candies with her at all times. Afterall sugar is also a carbohydrate albeit a simple carb. As for me, my blood sugar is rather the opposite to that of my mom's where it can drop and leave me feeling jittery, nauseous, and lightheaded, and the only thing that can immediately relieve those symptoms is sugar. Of course, in the long run I know I have to develop and stick with an eating plan that keeps these episodes to a minimum. Suzy I'm not saying that either of us is absolutely right or wrong, just that we've had different experiences in dealing with sugar and blood sugar issues. I really hope that this product works for people who are just incapable for whatever reason of resisting sugar-laden foods which may be deleterious to their health.

Congratulations Jay on your success in overcoming your sugar/carb cravings. I've heard about the Fat Smash Diet, but admit to knowing very little about it. There really is no substitute for being strongly motivated from within to accomplish something, anything really. Even though I think there's a place for the Sugarest product, eventually a person will have to change their way of eating to something that they can live with for the rest of their lives.

Thanks for the tip about green tea K8Memphis. I had heard about the antioxidant benefits of green tea, but nothing about weight control. At least that's something I like and wouldn't have to develop a taste for.

Funny you should mention having the willpower to take the pill itself since that very same thing was mentioned during the show. As for me, when it comes to food, I'm a "Everthing-A-Holic" since I pretty much like everything, so no magic pill for me although their website does tout using another of their products in conjuction with the Sugarest containing Hoodia Gordoni which comes from a South African plant and is purported to be a natural appetite suppresant. I can't remember where, but I seem to recall hearing about some health concerns regarding Hoodia.

I just saw a report on a product that claims to completely suppress one's ability to taste the sweetness of a variety of foods. The company, Genotec, is advertising it as a sort of "instant willpower" in a tablet. Basically, you place this product in your mouth and let it slowly dissolve and for about an hour or so it removes your tastebuds' ability to detect sweetness thereby giving people who have major sugar cravings help in resisting sweets. This goes for any food/beverage containing sugar such as cakes, pies, candy, alcohol, sodas, etc. My knee jerk reaction was "Hell no, that's ridiculous!" But then I remembered that there are people with diabetes who definitely have major sugar cravings--perhaps addictions--which if satisfied can have serious health consequences. My mother, for instance, was a diabetic and had serious cravings for sweets and starches. Ultimately she died of strokes related to her diabetic condition, although she also suffered from high blood pressure which of course played a part in her demise as well. The other thing to note about this product is that it works. In the report they showed two separate groups of people first taking the product and then trying to enjoy a variety of sweets. The expression on their faces said it all: there was absolutely no enjoyment whatsoever, therefore no payoff, and all of them said that the product definitely achieved its goal. The "secret ingredient" in this product is Gymnema Sylvestre. Here is the company's description of this herb: More information can be found on the company's website. Sugarest Website So back to my original question, would you? Whether yay or nay, I'd be interested in knowing your reasons/rationale. I'm sure that one reason for not using this product is that it doesn't teach one anything about developing one's own willpower, but really for those who have life threatening illnesses like diabetes would the use of this be any different than an alcoholic using antibuse, at least for a while, to get them over the hump, so to say? Regarding the safety of the product, comments from a doctor on the program equivocated so much as to render what he had to say as useless in my opinion. Asked the same question, the company of course says it's perfectly safe and "natural." Edited for additional comments/clarification.

I'm curious: so you don't like cilantro in Thai, Indian, etc cooking? Even in dishes in those cuisines that incorporate tomatoes, garlic, chilis etc.? Milagai ← You know Milagai you've kept me up until the wee hours of morning pondering this very question. Just kidding. I love those cuisines--Thai, Indian--and many more where cilantro plays a predominant role as an ingredient but I always finds that it just gets in the way and really detracts from whatever dish to which it's added. For instance, I had lunch with a girlfriend at an Indian restaurant and we both ordered something vindaloo. Well, it was delicious and very spicy and loaded with tons of minced cilantro. Upon being served we both looked at our plates and I said "Gee, is that what I think it is?" To which she replied "***sigh*** Yes, but that's okay" and we proceeded to diligently remove every visible particle of the stuff which took a few minutes actually. We then ate the dish which was as I said very delicious. Also, we did try a taste of it before going through all that, but just couldn't eat it. At the end of the meal while we waiting for our check, the manager quietly came over to our table with a smile and whispered "Next time just tell us to leave it out." We all burst out laughing since apparently he had been surreptitiously watching us "de-cilantrofying" our food all the while. BTW, we didn't send back the food since it was our fault for not asking if cilantro was in it and it was lunchtime so we didn't have all day anyway. Back to Mexican cuisine, pico de gallo and most salsas are composed of raw or sometimes roasted ingredients. I had dinner at someone's house who had made the usual tomato based salsa, a tomatillo/green chili salsa, and a roasted vegetable salsa. They all contained cilantro but I ate them all and liked them. Perhaps it's that the ingredients commonly used--lime juice, garlic, tomatoes, jalapeños, seranno chilis, onions, etc.--have a fair bit of acid to them and are strongly flavored in their own right, especially when raw, so that the cilantro doesn't dominate or detract from them, at least for my tastes. OTOH, the buttery delicate taste of avocado in guacamole is completely ruined for me by adding it. As for Indian food, the only thing I can tolerate it in is a raita made with (I think) yogurt, garlic, cucumbers, and lemon juice, but even then I'd really prefer parsley or mint; please correct me if I've gotten the ingredients wrong. Hope this answers your question.

Well damn K8Memphis my condolences on your stint with the BOSS FROM HELL; I hope things are much more serene where you are now. This whole topic and your answers just adds to my admiration of bakers, both professional and homespun; I neither have the patience nor the talent to create a cake like that. Now I'm obsessed with exactly how the baker made that friggin' cake.

Right on! I've never liked those combinations, either. Other dislikes: Tuna sushi, caviar, canned olives, saffron, cooked carrots, any canned vegetable Former dislikes: cilantro (it still tastes and smells like soap to me, but it seems to add necessary flavor notes to salsas), mushrooms, baked potatoes, squash, and raw onions Also, as I've gotten older, I've started to like bitter flavors more and more. April ← About the chocolate and citrus, I always have to double-check when ordering a chocolate dessert in a restaurant since it seems to be a common assumption that EVERYONE loves citrus and chocolate. Blech! Funny you should mention your aversion to cilantro and how you're able to handle it in salsas. Me too. I still don't like it, but as I've said before, the only cuisine I can partake of that uses cilantro is Mexican and even then in a limited way. My theory is that there's something about the combination of ingredients in salsa or even pico de gallo that negates that awful soapy dirt taste--tomatoes, onion, jalapeño's, garlic, etc. But that's about it for me and really if Italian flat leaf parsley was substituted, I'd be just fine with that.

Fun topic! I'm not a baker, but I checked out the photo of the cake and agree with JeanneCake that it doesn't look like the indentations were made by a straw or a dowel. Actually the way the rows of indentations are lined up seem--at least to my novice eye--to be too precise to have been made by hand at all. The lighting of the photo is a bit problematic in getting a clear view of all the indentations. Is it possible that this was baked in a specialty cake pan? Or could the baker have used a common thimble? That would explain why the indentations are narrower at the bottom and flared at the top.

No-o-o-o-o!!!

I'm so happy and inspired by you mizducky. I remember your previous blog where you laid out the guidelines for your new/current way of eating and weightloss and just general improvement of your overall health. It's wonderful to see how well you've implemented the whole thing, especially mixing good nutrition with eating delicious food and a whole lot of common sense. I've lost a few myself and applaud you for avoiding grabbing onto the latest fad diet to end all diets approach we have today which usually fails and leaves one feeling like a failure. All my best to you.

I saw his Gulf Coast episode tonight and enjoyed it. His travels concentrated on the Gulf states--Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, and Florida. Everyone he encountered was treated with respect and as said previously they seemed to be having a really great time and very proud to show off their dishes. It wasn't the shock or ick factor that kept me watching; JohnL's right, Fear Factor has got a lock on that. It was his detailed description of foods I've never tasted that at least gave me some idea of their taste and texture such as squirrel, nutria, possum, raccoon, mullet roe and mullet gizzards. I think his restaurant critic/reviewer background was put to very good use in that regard.

I can only speak for myself Octaveman but no it would not eat away at me to never have the opportunity to sample their food, especially in an area that probably has many fine dining establishments to choose from, especially since it's not just the ingredients or execution of a dish that makes it wonderful, but having it properly served as well. When it comes to whether someone chooses to return to a restaurant, everyone's criteria is so different and very personal. For me, being treated shabbily or thoughtlessly is enough, for you--and I'm not belittling or arguing with your personal criteria at all--it is apparently only fair that you at least sample the food and/or give a restaurant another bite at the apple before you render judgement. Just different strokes for different folks really. I'm sorry if I misinterpreted what you wrote when I responded about them not trashing the restaurant, but I was responding to what you had said earlier.... ....and from what you wrote you seemed to be speaking about them specifically. Again, sorry for any misinterpretation of your comments.

I agree but ya see, they didn't eat anything so the only thing they can say is "We never got our food and our server abandoned us so we left. ps the soda's were good". If the reader is going to think the whole place sucks based on the "debaucle" then that's being unreasonable IMHO. I take reviews of places with a grain of salt because it's based on personal opinion and what may be good/bad service/food/whatever may not be good/bad for the other. Moods at the time of visit can alter ones experience so if the reviewer just got in a fight with his/her spouse or they just got fired or they experienced road rage trying to find a parking spot could all drastically affect any review of any place at any time. Darin and his wife had bad service resulting in never getting their food. Should it stop anyone from going because of one stupid server? Things have to be put into perspective. I'm not minimizing their experience I'm just saying the place should not be trashed. If you're going to trash a place do it in person to the manager and not behind a computer where the people involved can't talk back in defense or agreement. Specially if they were never given the chance to rectify. They never ate nor paid for food so their money is intact. Since they never ate there it's most certainly still a choice to try. It's not like they got their food, it was prepared bad, returned it 4x for correction and they still never got it right. I see nothing wrong with trying again. They sat at the wrong table at the wrong time. Go back and try again. Life is short but how short is it that you can't visit the same restaurant twice? ← Well technically they haven't really trashed the restaurant since if you noticed they never specifically identified the restaurant in question. I don't see their comments as a review really, just a report of their unsatisfactory experience and, because they do seem like decent, thoughtful folks, presented the situation to the people of this forum for feedback as to whether or not they made the correct decision walking out. I'm with Busboy on this one. It may not be fair, but for many diners restaurants often get one shot at creating a dining experience that will influence someone to be a repeat customer or, in this instance, one that will likely never return.

1. Soak dried beans before cooking - I never do, neither did my mom. They turn out great every time. 2. You should never/cannot safely cook stuffing inside a turkey - Sorry, but I always cook my stuffing inside the bird, only extras are baked separately. I love Alton Brown, but he's taken this so-called taboo to extremes. On one show in particular he went through multiple steps to avoid doing this and ended up placing the stuffing in a drawstring bag, then stuffing the turkey. At some point he removes the stuffing which given its shape, color and dangling string looked like, well, a giant used tampon. Ewwwwwww.

Just curious, were one of the four gathered around the bar your waitress? That would make your wait even more unconscionable. Were waitstaff seating customers and bringing food to those in "their section" only and she was busy elsewhere? If so, still no excuse for your shoddy treatment. Instead of a problem with the BOH, sounds more like the waitress had a communication problem and forgot to place your order in a timely fashion especially since they were attempting to deliver your main courses and appetizer simultaneously. BTW, very kind and civil of you to even bother writing them a letter.