Last Thursday, Ree Drummond, better known as The Pioneer Woman, dropped by a Food Network Facebook chat. If you missed it, here are some of the highlights:
Jennifer Waters: What is the best way to season a cast-iron skillet?
RD: Jennifer, I have always generously smeared the skillets with shortening. I then heat them for a long time in the oven. But lately, I’ve been cheating and getting the pre-seasoned Lodge pans. They’re amazing.
Nova Wick: How does it feel to transfer from blogging on the Internet, where you interact and talk to your fans, to getting your own show?
RD: Nova, it’s all been such a gradual thing. I love blogging the most; I feel like it’s my core. But the show gives me a chance to show a slightly different view/perspective than my still photos and (sometimes weird) writing. To answer your question, it has felt very natural.
More from Ree Drummond »
I nearly gave up on writing a few years ago. Mostly because my apartment smelled like a lot of things, none of which were money. And I don’t need a fancy car that has massaging seats and offers life advice while parallel parking itself. But my retirement “nest egg” consisted of a few surfboards, quality cookware and a wall of weird indie-rock CDs.
I’d done reasonably well as a music journalist, hosting a TV show and writing for rock magazines. I published a book that was supposed to sell millions and lead to much laughing and crying on Oprah’s furniture. She must have lost my phone number.
I needed to make a change.
So I took a job at a magazine writing about food. I was hesitant at first. But then food and I fell hard for each other.
Four years later, I was in deep. That’s when I saw a blog post: “Host wanted for new TV show on Food Network.”
Read more »
Robert Irvine recently shared his rules for balancing food and fitness with Gourmet Guy on MensHealth.com. Maintaining his chiseled physique isn’t always easy with his busy schedule, which includes traveling, filming his shows and running a restaurant. Regardless, Robert follows a simple guide to keep him motivated. Find out what his routine includes, as well as the four easy rules he strictly follows, Robert Irvine’s 4 Rules of Food and Fitness.
Bobby Flay has opened a new location of Bobby’s Burger Palace on K Street in Washington, D.C. The restaurant opened for lunch with a crowd of approximately 400 hundred people waiting outside. Bobby spent opening day taking pictures with fans and signing autographs. According to The Washington Examiner, Chef Flay has hopes that President Obama will stop by for a burger and share his thoughts on what should top the local Washington, D.C., burger.
Alton Brown’s book tour »
Every week, Alex Guarnaschelli, host of Alex’s Day Off, shares with readers what she’s eating — whether it’s from the farmers’ market or fresh off the boat, she’ll have you craving everything from comfort food to seasonal produce.
I cook at home a lot of the time. Now, as a professional chef, I’d be lying to you if I said I always did. Sure, I grew up in a house where almost everything was made from scratch, but after a 15-hour shift at the restaurant, my first instinct wasn’t always to run home and bake a lattice-topped apple pie from scratch. In the past couple of years, that has definitely changed.
For me, cooking at home has been a great way to build better eating habits. When I shop at the green market for the restaurant, I now pick up a handful of vegetables for myself. I don’t always have the time to cook the way I’d like to, and I also don’t have a lot of room in my Manhattan kitchen. That makes my choices all the more important — I don’t want to deal with kitchen clutter.
Alex shares her ideal collection »
Earlier this week, we sat down with the Sandwich King himself for a Food Network Facebook chat. If you missed it, here are some of the highlights:
Lisa Graham Goulet: What is the one sandwich you’ve tried and will never make again?
JM: Blood sausage sandwich — whoa.
Jon Barsanti Jr.: What was it like living with everybody under one roof?
JM: Difficult at times, but at the end of the day, we were all in the same boat experiencing the same things.
Sara Levine: What was your favorite challenge? Least favorite?
JM: Rachael Ray was a blast, but Iron Chef was very difficult.
Katie Lascano: What were you thinking on your first day of Food Network Star?
JM: Oh. My. Heavens. What did I just sign up for? There’s a dude with holes in his ears and a tanned up kid from Jersey — so many tattoos.
Find out what Jeff ate as his celebratory meal »
Every week, Alex Guarnaschelli, host of Alex’s Day Off, shares with readers what she’s eating — whether it’s from the farmers’ market or fresh off the boat, she’ll have you craving everything from comfort food to seasonal produce.
Choose lettuces that are bright green and firm — saggy, browning leaves are the hallmark of vegetables on their way to the compost pile. If the outer leaves of a head of lettuce are ragged, peel away a layer or two to see if the heart is worth saving. To make lettuce last longer, keep it dry and cool in a dark place. It’s important not to wash or mix lettuce with anything acidic (lemon or vinegar) until right before eating.
Iceberg: I really love iceberg lettuce. I love a good wedge with blue cheese; it makes me feel American. I also love chopping iceberg and mixing it with scallions, fresh chiles or a really vibrant dressing. It has a great, juicy texture and, on its own, is pretty bland. To me, it’s nice to have a lettuce that can meld with bold flavors.
Watercress, mustard greens and frisee »
Chef Aarón Sanchez has formed a partnership with the House of Blues to bring his signature Latin flavors to their tables. According to Las Vegas Weekly, “The new menu will include meals inspired by many types of cuisines, including dishes like shrimp and grits in a garlic chipotle sauce and meatball sliders.” In addition to his new show Heat Seekers, Aaron is set to launch his third restaurant this fall in Kansas City.
Guy Fieri will launch a fourth location of Johnny Garlic’s later this month in Dublin, California. Guy tells the Dublin Patch, “I’m always thinking of new dishes and I get my culinary inspirations while visiting mom-and-pop shops around the country for Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.” If you can’t get to California for the opening, you can make one of Johnny Garlic’s menu items in your own kitchen: Penne With Chipotle Shrimp and Hotlinks.
Videos to watch »
If you haven’t been watching Entourage this season, Bobby Flay has been stirring up some trouble and it’s not in the kitchen. The storyline goes like this: Bobby Flay is dating Ari Gold’s wife and he finally made an appearance in last night’s episode at his fictional Los Angeles restaurant, Flay’s.
Watch Bobby confront Ari (Jeremy Piven) over on Eater.
You watched him compete all season on Food Network Star and now Jeff Mauro’s been crowned the season 7 winner. You know he loves sandwiches, but do you know what the Sandwich King won’t eat?
While taping his new show, we caught up with him and asked him 10 rapid-fire questions that would help his fans get to know him better.
FN Dish: When it comes to condiments, ketchup, mustard or mayo?
JM: Mustard
FN Dish: Potato chips or fries?
JM: Fries – if I had potato chips, they would be BBQ.
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This past Tuesday, Food Network fans had the chance to leave a question for Tyler Florence about his new season of The Great Food Truck Race on Food Network’s Facebook page. We promised he’d answer a selection of them:
William Zoellick: How do you determine which food trucks are to compete?
Tyler: The casting process is handled by the production company in Los Angeles and they look for a good slice of an American story. This year we have trucks from New York, Miami and Cleveland — they’re all the best-of-the-best.
Tammy Sanner McCrae: How do you pick the cities you stop in?
Tyler: We didn’t want to double up on the cities we visited in the previous season, so this year we started out in Malibu, then we went to Las Vegas, Salt Lake City and so on. Every season, we’re going to plot a new course across the United States with new cities.
More of your questions answered after the jump »
