Now, we’re opening it up to the food community: Next Wednesday, we’ll be launching our second season of Summer Fest on the blog and we want you to be a part of it. Whether you write for a popular food website or you’re the owner of a small food blog, help us spread the word and join our community.
While some contestants on Food Network Staradmit to being star-struck upon meeting Giada De Laurentiis for the first time, the popular Food Network personality is about to have her own star-stricken experience. On July 9, Giada will cook for Prince William and his new bride, Dutchess Kate at The Foundation Polo Challenge in California, along with 2,500 other guests for this charity event.
According to her interview on The Today Show, Giada signed up to cater the event without knowing that the royal couple would be there. “At first I was crazy nervous, but now I am purely excited,” shares De Laurentiis.
The Prince will be playing a Polo match while lunch is being served, but Giada will have something at the ready for him nevertheless. She promises, “No leftovers for the Prince!”
Celebrate the fresh, boiled, steamed and grilled flavors of a traditional lobster bake this summer. Our overflowing menu below boasts classic ingredients, favorite recipes and the ease and simplicity of at-home, on-the-stove cooking. No need to live near the beach or build a giant rock pit in the sand in order to try these East Coast tastes; all of the recipes can be made right in your kitchen. Don’t forget to stock up on hand wipes and lobster bibs!
No summer celebration can begin without a glass of sweet chilled lemonade. Michael Chiarello’s recipe for Muddled Lemonberryade from Cooking Channel combines tart lemon juice and sweet strawberries. By the way, there would be nothing wrong with adding a few splashes of vodka to make this an adults-only sipper. After all, you have a lot of lobster-baking ahead of you.
If you want to start with an appetizer before the main event, serve your guests a platter of Emeril’s Grilled Whole Shrimp With Lemon and Marjoram from Cooking Channel while you’re preparing everything else. The subtle citrus flavor complements the mild essence of marjoram, and the heat of the grill melds these tastes perfectly. Don’t have access to a gas or charcoal grill? A stove-top grill pan will do the job, too. If you’re planning to serve the shrimp along with the rest of your meal, add these to the grill at the last possible minute, as shrimp can quickly become chewy if overcooked.
This summer, Food Network’s Grilling Central is packed with recipes for the entire family’s taste buds — boasting the best in burgers, dogs, chicken and more all season long. But with so many recipes, where do you start? Each Friday, FN Dish is giving you a complete menu that will cook up in 30 minutes or less. This weekend, it’s all about dad:
Cupcake Wars judge Candace Nelson is the founder and pastry chef of Sprinkles Cupcakes, the world’s first cupcake bakery. She joins us on the FN Dish each week to recap all the sweet details of the competition from her seat at the judges’ table. Here’s what she had to say about this week’s episode.
Cupcake Wars Season 3 opened with an exciting Kentucky Derby-themed challenge that was all about the booze: mint juleps and hurricanes. Three contestants played it safe with mint-julep inspired cupcakes, but Carla concocted a whirl-wind of flavor in her Hurricane Cupcake, which really impressed us. James and Annette went too easy on the booze, while Tara’s cupcake packed so much it sent her packing. We would have loved to enjoy her fun, spunky personality much longer!
Neither am I. In fact, our national obsession with cured pig has only made me all the more eager to explore lesser-known –- but equally delicious -– pork parts.
And there are plenty to choose from. One of the most widely available, yet often overlooked, is pancetta, a close relative of American bacon.
So let’s start there. Bacon usually is made from the belly or side of the pig. It is cured (either dry or wet) with salt, spices and sometimes sugar, then smoked.
Pancetta is the Italian version. Typically made from the belly, the curing process is the same, but the meat usually is not smoked. During curing, it often is seasoned with black pepper, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon and herbs.
While most American bacon is sliced into thin strips, slabs of pancetta usually are rolled into a log.
You won’t need a panini press to make this grilled sandwich, which showcases some of Giada’s classic pairings: mozzarella, pesto and grilled vegetables. Eggplant, zucchini and red onions are cooked until tender and piled high on baguettes that have been slathered with basil pesto and topped with fresh mozzarella and tomatoes.
We’re teaming up with food and garden bloggers to host Spring Fling 2011, a season-long garden party. In coming weeks, we’ll feature favorite garden-to-table recipes and tips to help you enjoy the bounty, whether you’re harvesting your own goodies or buying them fresh from the market. Recently, we dove into the world of artichokes and strawberries. Today, we’re exploring peas.
There are many varieties of pea, all members of the legume family. Some, like the English pea (the common garden pea), are grown to be eaten fresh and removed from their pods. Others, like the snow and sugar snap pea are eaten pod and all. When choosing English peas, make sure they’re bright green and the pods are swollen and firm — stay away from discolored pods.
So you’ve done all the work — shucked the pods and now you have your individual peas. While you’ve probably eaten peas as a side dish or slurped split pea soup, have you tried incorporating them into main dishes? This week, try one of these five-star recipes showcasing this sweet and delicate vegetable.
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