Feature by our Editorial Assistant Colleen

Many of us have hidden creative culinary skills that we want to show off to the world while some of us are sitting at home cooking the same meal over and over again and are looking for some new dishes.

I’m a big fan of Smitten Kitchen myself but there are times you just don’t even want to cook so what do you do then?

There’s this neat website that can pretty much solve both situations!

Book of Cooks, which is not even a year old yet, features professional and novice chefs who can promote themselves and set up their own virtual restaurant or bakery. Hungry customers can order food from those who live in their area and get a home-cooked meal from the list of chefs provided.

The site is basically a marketplace that allows you to search by type of food, location and there’s even a section of featured cooks on the main page.

Aspiring chefs or someone looking to expand their experience in the culinary field could look to Book of Cooks as great exposure or they can look at this site as an opportunity to do something they love – cooking — and get some money out of it in return.

Book of Cooks is also easy to navigate through and it allows customers to write reviews about their experiences with the different chefs and the cooks can write about what types of food or dishes they prefer to make.

The best part about Book of Cooks is that it’s free to join so if you’re curious about what this whole thing is about, you can browse through the chefs listed, look at the prices and look at the food that is being provided to see if this is something you want to partake in.

What do you think? Would this type of service get you to eat at home more often? Leave your point of view below!

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Macaroni & cheese is maybe the most popular comfort food in North America.

There are many recipes of mac & cheese and I’m sure that many people believe THEY cook the best mac & cheese on the planet.

For those who are shy in the kitchen, there is a huge assortment of pre-made mac & cheese products you can buy in boxes and you only need to add oil/butter and milk.

Mac & cheese is also quite popular in a lot of restaurants that serve buffet-style dining and it’s featured on the menu of many dinners.

Mac & cheese has even become quite popular in recent years on the menu of high-end restaurants and some adventurous chefs have created mac & cheese recipes infused with exotic oils (think expensive truffle oil) and some have even dared to integrate sharp white cheddar to elevate the recipe from the basic orange cheddar cheese used in most recipes. Truth be told, I’ve tried mac & cheese with white cheddar and I consistently go back to orange sharp cheddar. It’s almost as if it just had to be orange to taste right (you know what I mean?).

The reality is that some mac & cheese recipes are PACKED with calories. Those recipes asking for eggs, a lot of cheese, added butter or 35% heavy cream might be creamy and tasty in your mouth, but they pack on the calories.

In the end, people eat mac & cheese because it’s comforting.

Healthy eating is almost like a crusade of mine, but I like to keep things in perspective and that’s why I do eat mac & cheese and I quite enjoy it. I’d say that I eat it a few times a year and I make my recipe using real sharp orange cheddar and 18% cream!

That said, after watching a recent Dr. Oz show featuring a low-fat recipe created by The Kitchen Diva, I was willing to take a whole new look at mac & cheese.

I did a bit of research and tried not only The Kitchen Diva’s recipe, but also I went out searching for a healthier alternative to the traditional boxes of no-name mac & cheese or the infamous Kraft Mac & Cheese and found these choices:

>>> The search for healthy mac & cheese recipes begins here!

1) Life Choices Organic Macaroni & Cheese: This is a box mixture of mac & cheese. I have to admit to having eaten the infamous Kraft Mac & Cheese in my youth and early adulthood, but the list of ingredients and bright orange colour has always left me wondering. I stopped eating Kraft Mac & Cheese years and years ago and started making mine from scratch (I’ll share my recipe later). That said, there are times when you want to do nothing more than “pour and stir” and the Life Choices Organic Macaroni & Cheese offers just that! I was quite unsure of how good this box of organic mac & cheese would be.

After preparing my box, I was so impatient that I didn’t even take the time to sit at the dinner table and I just had to grab a spoonful just to know how it tasted. I was shocked and surprised to find out how tasty it was.

>  The list of ingredients is quite impressive: Organic wheat durum semolina elbows, organic cheddar cheese (pasteurized organic milk, salts, cheese cultures, enzymes), organic whey, salt, lactic acid, citric acid, annatto (for color), natural mixed tocopherols (to preserve freshness). That’s it! Life Choices Organic Macaroni & Cheese is a Canadian brand, but I’m certain U.S. readers won’t have too much difficulty finding organic brands that make tasty mac & cheese recipes.

The only drawback for some might be the price tag: a box of Life Choices Organic Macaroni & Cheese costs $2.99 while a box of Kraft Mac & Cheese costs about $1.89. That said, if you are interested in serving a healthier choice to your family, this is certainly an excellent option!

2) Dr. Oz’s Mac & Cheese recipe (courtesy of The Kitchen Diva’s)

I will share the recipe in question a little later, but before that, I wanted to say that I kept an open mind when trying this mac & cheese recipe.

I wasn’t too sure about the whole idea of using soya milk and tofu in the preparation of my mac & cheese, but Dr. Oz seemed to be enjoying the recipe so much on his show, I decided to try it myself.

I didn’t deviate at all from the recipe since it was my first time doing it and I wanted to have a fair assessment.

I will be honest that I didn’t like this recipe at all. I found that it didn’t taste like mac & cheese at all and it really was a whole new recipe.

If you are in the mood for mac & cheese, this soya-based recipe might not do it (it surely didn’t do it for me). You can surely take a stab at it, but I have to say that I was quite disappointed by the whole thing and would not try it again (do leave me a comment if you try it and like it).

>>> Here’s the recipe that was featured on the Dr. Oz show:

> The Kitchen Diva’s Mac ‘n Cheese

Serves 6 to 8

1/2 pound elbow macaroni

2 tbsps light butter with canola oil

2 tbsps whole wheat or all-purpose flour

1 cup plain soy milk, at room temperature

4 ounces low-fat American cheese, cubed

1/2 cup shredded sharp, low-fat cheddar cheese

6 ounces soft, silken tofu, drained

1/2 tsp salt

½ tsp black pepper

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 tsp ground paprika

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Coat an 11×7 baking dish with cooking spray.

Prepare the macaroni according to package directions.

Drain and place in the prepared baking dish. Stir in ½ tablespoon of the butter and toss to coat the macaroni.

Melt the remaining butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.

Whisk in the flour and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly.

Increase the heat to high and whisk in the soy milk, stirring constantly. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring until the sauce is somewhat smooth and thick.

Reduce the heat to low. Add the American and cheddar cheeses, and tofu. Cook, stirring sauce for 6-8 minutes, or until cheese is fully melted.

The tofu will not completely dissolve and there will be lumps.

Don’t worry, it will all smooth out during the baking process.

Stir in the salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and nutmeg.

Pour the sauce mixture over the cooked pasta and mix well. Stir in ½ cup of the Parmesan and smooth out the top of the casserole.

Sprinkle the remaining Parmesan cheese and paprika on top.

Bake for 30 minutes or until the casserole is bubbling and top begins to brown.

COPYRIGHT 2008 © ANGELA SHELF MEDEARIS, THE KITCHEN DIVA!

3) Krizia’s Mac & Cheese homemade recipe

I’ll be honest, I don’t think my mac & cheese recipe is low fat. That said, it’s not a super high fat recipe either because I don’t include eggs (and I don’t add extra butter) and keep it to 18% cream. I don’t eat large portions and find that because I only use real ingredients, it doesn’t take me anytime at all to feel full and satisfied. To add a bit of texture to my mac & cheese, I use whole wheat pasta.

I don’t have measurements because I really improvise with this recipe, but I will share the ingredients and you can play around with the quantities:

>>>INGREDIENTS<<<

Whole wheat elbow macaroni

Sharp aged orange cheddar

18% cream

Salt

Pepper

>>>INSTRUCTIONS<<<

After boiling the macaroni and setting it aside, I usually will add cream to the pan and then add my cheddar cheese. I will usually grate the cheese, but when I’m super lazy, I’ll simply cut it in chucks and it will melt easily as the mixture heats up.

It takes about 5-7 minutes for the cheese to completely melt and I then add my macaroni.

As you can see, this is a really easy recipe and it’s incredibly tasty.

When it comes to making a healthier version of mac & cheese, there are a few viable options that don’t compromise the taste. I quite enjoyed my own recipe (option #3) of course and I was pleasantly surprised by option #1 (organic mac & cheese). I was quite disappointed by option #2 and even if it might be low fat, the taste is so far removed from mac & cheese that it’s just not all that enjoyable to me. I’ll be sticking with moderate quantities of my own recipe!

If you have a tasty healthy mac & cheese recipe to share … I’d love to hear about it! Just leave your comments below!

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I had the pleasure of testing a new recipe for Angela McKeller’s podcast show Kick Back Kook.

The last recipe I had tried was a real winner (the best Chicken Pot Pie on the planet) and this recipe is no different. Along with this one of the tastiest Romaine Salad recipes I’ve tasted, I was able to discover new ingredients like white truffle oil and white balsamic vinegar.

Oh, did I mention both recipes are incredibly easy to make?

Both the Truffle Risotto (yes, we used white truffle oil for this recipe and it’s divine) and the Romaine Salad were provided by Debbie Gokhan Vice President/COO of the Oil & Vinegar shops.

Oil & Vinegar is this brilliant gourmet food shop from Amsterdam that has opened a few shops in the U.S. and I hope (with all of my heart) that they’ll make their way to Canada sometime soon.

As you can tell by the name – Oil & Vinegar is an exploratory world of different flavoured oils and vinegar.

Now before I give you the ingredients for these two recipes, I will have to say that until testing these recipes I had never even noticed that my local grocery store sold white balsamic vinegar. I also had never tried cooking with flower sea salt (yup, this sea salt contained real dried flowers) and it’s been a real discovery for me.

You’ll hear on the podcast that I had to prepare my risotto from scratch because the packet broke during shipping and I wasn’t able to test the ease and convenience of the Oil & Vinegar packaged truffle risotto mix.

>>> Listen to the Kick Back Kook podcast where Angela, Debbie, myself and Emily, another food tester discuss the Truffle Risotto recipe and the Romaine Salad recipe:

>>> TRUFFLE RISOTTO RECIPE

>>>INGREDIENTS<<<

1 package Truffle risotto

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon white truffle olive oil

1 cup white wine

2 cups chicken stock

½ cup grated parmesan cheese

>>PREPARATION<<<

Heat the chicken stock in a saucepan.  In a separate sauce pan, melt the butter and add the risotto mix.  Toast over low heat, stirring constantly for a minute or two.  Add the wine and stir until evaporated.  Add a ladle of simmering chicken stock to the risotto and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally.  As the liquid is absorbed, add another ladle of chicken stock, continue the process until the chicken stock is gone.  About 20 minutes.

Turn off the heat, add the white truffle olive oil and parmesan cheese and serve immediately.

If you don’t have the Oil & Vinegar truffle risotto, you can substitute with 1 cup Arborio rice, 4 shallots finely chopped, 1 garlic clove finely chopped and 1 black or white truffle (optional).

>>> SIMPLE ROMAINE SALAD RECIPE

>>>INGREDIENTS<<<

4-6 cups of romaine lettuce
1 cup of croutons
Shaved or grated parmesan

Dressing:

4 tablespoons of Bonsecco extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon of white balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon of garlic mustard
¼ teaspoon of flavors and flowers sea salt

>>>PREPARATION<<<

Put the romaine and croutons in a salad bowl. Put all dressing ingredients in a dressing shaker, shake well and pour onto salad and toss. Top the salad with grated or shaved parmesan.

We used a fruity, medium bodied Tuscan extra virgin olive oil to complement the sweetness of the white balsamic and the savory of the parmesan cheese.

If you don’t have Oil & Vinegar brand products, substitute the Bonsecco with a high quality extra virgin olive oil, the white balsamic vinegar with a high quality white balsamic; for the garlic mustard, use dijon mustard with 1 clove of garlic crushed.  The flavors and flowers sea salt can be substituted with plain salt and pepper.

Top photo by jlastras

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I’ve really only eaten cornmeal a few ways: Italian polenta, as a savoury Greek dessert, in cornbread and corn muffins.

I still remember when I explained an Italian recipe to a former colleague, she just looked at me and said, “That’s not polenta, you’re describing a recipe for grits”. I had never heard of grits until that point, but from her description grits are the North American (or should I say Southern) cousins to the polenta.

I like to eat my polenta with a porridge-like consistency topped with a tomato sauce and I also like to eat it baked.

When I eat my polenta baked, I usually cook it on the stove top as usual, and then I put the hot porridge into a baking dish and let it cool down. Once it’s cooled down, I’ll cut the solid polenta in wedges and I’ll place the wedges on a cookie dish and I’ll broil them in the oven until they turn slightly brown.

I’ve had polenta as a vegetarian dish (topped with tomato sauce and black olives) and I’ve also had polenta with chicken and veal.

When it comes to corn muffins, I’ll be honest, they are my favourite. When I used to live on the west coast there was an organic food store that used to bake corn muffins once a week on Fridays and I would always make a special trip just to buy them.

I’ve never bothered making my own cornbread because I eat it when I get invited to friends for dinner or I can easily pop by my local Whole Foods Market to buy a small piece of plain or jalapeno cornbread. By not making cornbread at home, I avoid the guilt of being trapped alone in at home with freshly homemade cornbread.

There are many health benefits to eating cornmeal. I think in North America most people don’t really appreciate cornmeal that much, but I’m hoping a few facts will actually encourage more people to buy cornmeal and start experimenting with it a bit more in the kitchen. If you are going to buy cornmeal, you might want to try to buy whole-grain cornmeal, which is usually stone ground.

>>>> Health benefits to eating cornmeal.

I found this great perspective on the health benefits of cornmeal from Baking-Management.com that I’d like to share with you:

“New research published in October’s issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry reveals significant health benefits in milled yellow corn products, such as corn meal, grits and corn flour. The study, authored by Mario Ferruzzi, Ph.D., associate professor, department of food science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind., demonstrates milled yellow corn products are rich in antioxidants, especially carotenoids, such as lutein. Carotenoids are yellow and orange plant pigments known for their association in the prevention of chronic diseases including cancer, cardiovascular disease and macular degeneration.

Additionally, carotenoid levels in milled corn products can be more than 50 per cent bioaccessible, or available for absorption after digestion. The process of milling corn products makes key vitamins and nutrients more easily bio-available than they would be from many other foods.

“The bioaccessibility of carotenoids from milled corn products is as high if not higher than many other foods, such as spinach, carrots and tomatoes, which are well-known for their high levels of carotenoid antioxidants,” Ferruzzi explained.

Though vegetables remain an important and rich source of carotenoids, this study demonstrates that milled corn products provide essential nutrients as well, noted Judi Adams, M.S., R.D., president, Grain Foods Foundation, Ridgway, Colo.”

>>>> Cornmeal Venezuelan style:

I’ve never really thought of trying to figure out how other cultures cooked cornmeal and I really should have thought of looking down south to understand more how other cuisines used this grain, but when I landed on a Venezuelan recipe that used cornmeal, I was thrilled to discover a brand new way of eating it.

Arepas are a Venezuelan delicacy that could easily be compared to a cornmeal-based English muffin. You can fry them or bake them, but most people prefer them fried. Now, it’s true you do want to limit the amount of fried food you eat, but since having 10 per cent of indulgence in your week is okay, I’d say that arepas are worth trying out.

In Venezuela, arepas makers have a two-faced grill for baking them (I guess a bit like how Italians bake paninis). The traditional way of eating arepas is with butter or by stuffing them with whatever tickles your fancy. Venezuelan arepas are usually accompanied by seasoned black beans and served with meat, raw/or cooked vegetables and topped with a bit of sour cream.

If you are planning on a trip to Venezuela, you’ll want to make sure to try arepas and if South America is not part of your travel plans, this arepas recipes adapted by New York Times’ Mark Bittman should have you cooking up a storm in your kitchen.

Arepas with cheese and corn

>>>Ingredients<<<

1 cup yellow cornmeal, finely ground

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup grated Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese

1 cup milk

2 tablespoons butter, more for serving, optional

1/2 cup fresh sweet corn kernels, or frozen kernels, thawed

1/4 cup chopped scallion

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 small serrano or jalapeño chili, seeded and minced, optional

3 tablespoons corn, canola, grapeseed or other neutral oil

Cooked black beans or vegetables or sour cream for stuffing, optional

>>>Preparation<<<

1. Put cornmeal in a large bowl with salt and cheese. Put milk in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until steam rises, then add butter and stir until melted. Remove from heat and stir into cornmeal mixture until a thick batter is formed. Fold in the corn kernels, scallion, cilantro and chili if using.

2. Le batter rest until it thickens into a soft dough, about 15 minutes. Gently form 3- to 4-inch balls from mixture and flatten with palm of your hand to a 1/2-inch-thick disk. (You can cover and refrigerate disks for a few hours if you like.)

3. Heat oil in a large skillet and cook arepas, working in batches, until golden brown, about 5 minutes, then flip and cook for another 3 minutes on other side. When all arepas are cooked and cool enough to handle, carefully slice them through the middle. If desired, serve with butter or stuff with beans, vegetables or sour cream.

Yield: 8 to 12 arepas.

Recipe source: New York Times Dining prepared by Mark Bittman

Corn photo by yomi955

Photo by norwichnuts

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I live in a country where there are NO restaurants that have been awarded Michelin stars.

There are a number of restaurants in the U.S. that have been picked recently as part of the first-ever editions of the Michelin Guide for New York, Los Angeles and Las Vegas, but the company behind the prestigious guide has yet to find a Canadian restaurant worthy of this honour.

A few years ago, I was in London and I ate at a 3-star Michelin restaurant for brunch and ended up dropping close to $200 (with the conversion) for a meal that I really didn’t consider to be that outrageous. I remember leaving the restaurant and thinking “there are FAR better restaurants in Canada”.

In my past career, I used to self-publish a food guide (check out the about us page to find out more about my self-published food guide) and I spent many evenings eating at different restaurants to rate them for my guide and I’ve honestly had meals that almost made me cry. I’ve had superb meals in Montreal, Quebec City and Vancouver that were divine and I’m still puzzled as to why Michelin would continue to be so snobbish when it comes to recognizing the talents of many Canadian chefs.

Well enough ranting on my part. Since I have readers from more than 160 countries, I’m sure that many of my readers live in cities where there are restaurants that have been awarded the prestigious Michelin award.

For the rest of us, we’ll have to be satisfied with Food & Wine’s feature on recipes from 10 U.S. recipients of the Michelin award.

This is not quite the same as a nice night out at one of those restaurants (unless you find yourself in that city), but it’s exciting to try these recipes at home in your own kitchen!

Here are the recipes you can test out and sample on your own:

>>>> New York recipients of the prestigious Michelin Award:

1) David Chang’s Turkey Breast with Ginger-Scallion Sauce

2) Eric Ripert’s Sautéed Spanish Mackerel with Black-Eyed Pea Salad

3) Daniel Boulud’s Skate with Mushrooms and Hazelnuts

4) Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s Red Wine Risotto with Mushroom “Marmalade”

5) Michael Psilakis’ Spaghetti with Cauliflower

6) Terrance Brennan’s Creamy Pasta with Tomato Confit and Fresh Goat Cheese

7) Anita Lo’s Bluefish with Grape Leaves

#8) Marco Canora’s Rabbit Stew with Olives and Rosemary

9) April Bloomfield’s Seared Scallops with Basil, Anchovy and Sweet Corn Pudding

10) Mario Batali’s Chicken with Piquillos

>>>> San Francisco recipients of the prestigious Michelin Award:

1) Richard Reddington and Chris Blanchard’s Smoked Salmon Panini

2) Thomas Keller’s Panko-Coated Chicken Schnitzel

3) Nancy Oakes’s Chicken Salad with Green Goddess Dressing

4) David Kinch’s Rack of Lamb with Rosemary Butter

5) Michael Mina’s Truffle-Infused French Onion Soup

6) Mark Sullivan’s Hanger Steak with Warm Bulgur Salad

7) Hiro Sone’s Grilled Rib-Eye Tagliata with Watercress and Potatoes

#8) Douglas Keane’s Chilled Cucumber-Avocado Soup with Spicy Glazed Shrimp

9) Christopher Kostow’s Curried-Shrimp Salad with Grilled Watermelon

10) Ron Siegel’s Chile-Rubbed Flank Steak with White Polenta

>>>> European recipients of the prestigious Michelin Award:

1) Tom Aikens’ Coronation Chicken Salad with Mangoes and Almonds

2) Michel Bras’ Mushroom Soup with Toasted Bread

3) Ferran Adria’s Toasted Spaghetti with Clams

4) Juan Mari Arzak and Elena Arzak’s Milk-Braised Pork Tenderloin with Spinach and Strawberry Salad

5) Joël Robuchon’s Crispy Shrimp in Kataifi Crust

6) Ferran Adria’s Rotisserie Chicken with Dried Fruit and Pine Nuts

7) Joël Robuchon’s Sautéed Bass with Lemongrass

#8) Ferran Adria’s Pistachio-Crusted Rack of Lamb with Pancetta

9) Alain Passard’s Sweet Onions with Curry and Parsley Coulis

10) Alain Ducasse’s Gougères

Top photo by  Meg Zimbeck

All photos of dishes are from Food and Wine

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>>>> If you’re viewing this healthy eating or healthy living tip as part of an aggregated content stream from different sites, or as a re-blogged post, please check out the content on the original Web site at www.EatSmartAgeSmart.com

***This Chicken Pot Pie recipe is insanely delicious! AND I have the full recipe for you at the end of this post!***

Are chicken pot pies healthy? No they are NOT if you are buying them frozen in a store!

If you make your own chicken pot pie recipe and you use good quality ingredients and don’t eat the entire pie in one sitting, then YES they pass the Eat Smart Age Smart test!

I haven’t eaten a store bought chicken pot pie in so many years I’ve lost track.

When I was 17-18, I worked for a doctor and my job was to retype nutritional food value of foods on his MAC computer. I remember typing mindlessly until I hit the salt content in a typical frozen chicken pot pie and I remember being so shocked that when I got home that night after work, I declared that I would NEVER eat chicken pot pie that came from the frozen section of a supermarket ever again … and I haven’t.

Along the years, I’ve prepared chicken pot pie a few times, but since it’s a fairly labour intensive dish, I’ve kept is as something I prepare during the holidays. I have a few key dishes like meat balls, stuffed savoury crepes, pommes de terre au gratin et champignons by Daniel Boulud (potato gratin forrestier) and more labour intensive dishes that I keep solely for the Holiday season.

When Angela contacted me to become one of her food testers for her fantastic Podcast show called Kick Back and Kook where internationally renowned chef chat for one hour with Angela and a food tester, I was thrilled.

My first recipe testing was not scheduled before December 28^th (you’ll want to mark your calendar), but one of her testers caught the flu and Angela asked me to step in to test and review Chef Alex Hitz’s of The Berverly Hills Kitchen  Chicken Pot Pie recipe.

Last week was a busy week for me so when I looked at the recipe, I knew I’d have to cut corners for time’s sake and I knew the crust would have to be store bought  (I bought a frozen puff pastry made with butter).

On Saturday morning, I woke up excited at the idea that by dinner time I would have discovered a whole new recipe!

After doing my grocery shopping and buying all of my ingredients, I went into my small kitchen to conquer Chef Hitz’s Chicken Pot Pie recipe!

On Sunday, I was nervous for most of the afternoon knowing that we were going to record the podcast show and I’d be debating over Chef Hitz’s recipe.

The Kick Back Kook podcast show lasts for one hour and you’ll see that it’s a fun fast pace hour where food lovers talk about … well … food!

>>>> You can listen to the podcast where and you’ll find out if I liked Chef Hitz’s Chicken Pot Pie recipe or not! Click here: Best Chicken Pot Pie recipe on the planet!

Mr. Hitz attended Le Cordon Bleu Paris and Peter Kumps Cooking School, currently known as the Institute of Culinary Education (ICE). Future entrees in The Beverly Hills Kitchen line will be introduced in fourth quarter 2009 to include lobster Thermidor, low country shrimp and grits, sirloin and potato gratin, and New Orleans style bread pudding.

Photo: The photo features Billy Norwich, designer Carolina Herrera and Chef Alex Hitz.

More about Chef Alex Hitz of The Berverly Hills Kitchen

>>> During the podcast you’ll hear Chef Hitz eludes to the fact that he has a Southern recipe Oscar party each year in Los Angeles!

I’d happily depart with one organ to get an invitation to that dinner, but in the meantime, I was able to get my hands on the illustrious Southern dish menu:

Here’s the menu Chef Alex Hitz prepares for his guests during his Oscar party: Fried chicken, pulled pork with Carolina bbq sauce, shrimp and grits, corn pudding, stewed tomatoes, cole slaw, ham biscuits, caramel cake, coconut cake, sweet potato bars and pecan shortbread cookies.

OMG!!!!!!!!! Friend chicken to start and coconut cake to finish? YUM!!!!!!!!!!!!

Chef Hitz, can I get an invitation?

>>> More about Kick Back and Kook and Angela McKeller

Angela McKeller has been having a love affair with the kitchen as long as she can remember. Fortunately, this is an affair that most would DREAM of falling victim to! Angela awoke one morning and made the choice that she was no longer going to try to love her work, but instead, figure out how to make a living by doing what she loves!

Angela’s earliest memory of cooking was with her Great-Grandmother, Mom Buck, at age 3. Every Thursday, Mom Buck would come over and it was the highlight of Angela’s week for 18 years! Mom Buck survived the Great Depression and would teach Angela shortcuts for simplifying the cooking process, how to build a meal with ONLY the ingredients in her pantry, cooking on a budget and WITHOUT a recipe! Mom Buck taught Angela that the kitchen is a safe place to escape the stress of the outside world and that it was also a great way to unleash her creativity!

Angela still calls Mom Buck for cooking advice today!

A few things you might now know about Angela:

• In 2004, Angela was flown by executive producers of Hell’s Kitchen to Los Angeles for the final round of interviews to audition for the first season of their reality cooking show. While she was very thankful for the opportunity, Angela decided that there was a better way to showcase her talent.

• On February 8, 2008, Angela made an appearance on Paula Deen’s show, “Paula’s Party!”, demonstrating how to prepare her Chocolate Hazelnut Lava Cake and the response from her fans was overwhelming!

• Angela continues to interview some of the best chefs and cookbook authors on her popular podcast, “Kick Back and Kook!”, profiling some of their best recipes and having recipe testers try them out and give their feedback on their “kooking” experience.  Subscribe on iTunes today!

>>> You’ll want to visit Angela’s Blog: Kick Back and Kook

>>> Chef Alex Hitz’s of The Berverly Hills Kitchen Chicken Pot Pie recipe (Notice how cleverly this recipe is arranged … it makes it so much easier to follow)

CHICKEN POT PIE by Chef Alex Hitz of The Beverly Hills Kitchen

(serves 8-10, or 2 pies – you can cut the recipe in half if you wish or make extra and freeze it up to 3 months!)

1.         3 CUPS WATER          (16 OZ)

3/4 CUP WHITE WINE           (4OZ)

¾ TBS organic chicken base

1 ½ TBS DRIED TARRAGON

1 1/2 TSP SALT

PREHEAT OVEN TO 450. BRING ABOVE MIXTURE TO A BOIL IN A LARGE POT AND ADD

2.         2 LBS BONELESS SKINLESS CHICKEN BREASTS

AND slowly simmer (just below full boil) for exactly 4 minutes. remove from liquid and reserve. let chicken rest for a minute or two and cut into large chunks, approximately 1.5 inches each. add

3.         1/4  TEASPOON salt

dash ground black pepper

toss and reserve, covered.

TO BOILING LIQUID ADD

4.         2 MEDIUM CARROTS (APPROXIMATELY 1.5 LBS) SLICED ON THE DIAGONAL

8 oz FROZEN PEARL ONIONS

and blanch for 2 minutes exactly. strain and reserve poaching liquid. in a large saucepan, melt over high heat

5.         2 TBS BUTTER           (2 0Z)

add carrots and onions from above and saute for 2 minutes exactly. add

6.        1.5 LBS BUTTON MUSHROOMS SLICED APPROXIMATELY ½ INCH THICK

1 ½ TSP SALT (COULD NOT GET MEASUREMENT)

and saute for exactly 2 minutes. in another very large skillet melt

7.         4 TBS BUTTER

5 1/4 TBS + 1 1/2 TSP flour

until you have a slightly cooked (golden brown but cooked through) roux. then add

8.    3/8 cup heavy cream

4 1/2 TBS GOLDEN SHERRY

4 1/2 TBS LEMON JUICE

3/4 TSP NUTMEG

1 1/2 TSP GROUND BLACK PEPPER

3/4 TSP TARRAGON

1 1/2 TBS FINELY CUT CHIVES

3 TBS CHOPPED PARSLEY

add to roux until blended, and then add

9.         ALL POACHING LIQUID FROM ABOVE

and bring to a boil until just thickened and stir constantly to avoid lumps (consider ball whisk). add all vegetables and chicken and cook over medium heat for approximately 5 minutes. off heat, add

10.  10 ounces FROZEN BABY PEAS

and assemble in large baking dish with biscuit dough (to follow below) with 2 tbs finely cut chives and 2 tbs chopped parsley in dough, and an egg wash on top.

bring contents of baking dish to first bubble stage over high heat on stove and cook at 450 in home oven for 20-22 minutes or 12 minutes in a commercial oven.

>>>BISCUIT crust for Chicken Pot pie (2 PIES)<<<

7 TABLESPOONS COLD SALTED BUTTER (CUT IN QUARTERS)

2 CUPS ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR

½ TEASPOON SUGAR

1 1/4 TEASPOONS SALT

1 TABLESPOON BAKING POWDER (MAKE SURE IT’S NEW!)

¾ CUP COLD MILK

2 TABLESPOONS CHOPPED PARSLEY (NOT DRIED)

2 TABLESPOONS FRESH SNIPPED CHIVES

EGG WASH: 1 BEATEN EGG PLUS ONE TABLESPOON HEAVY CREAM

IN BOWL OF FOOD PROCESSOR COMBINE FLOUR, SUGAR, SALT, AND BAKING POWDER AND PULSE TWICE.

ADD COLD BUTTER AND PULSE UNTIL MIXTURE RESEMBLES COARSE CRUMBS (8-10 TIMES).

POUR MILK IN TOP SLEEVE SLOWLY WHILE PULSING, APPROXIMATELY 20-25 TIMES. PEA SIZED CRUMBS WILL FORM. DO NOT PULSE UNTIL DOUGH PULLS AWAY FROM SIDES OR BISCUITS WILL BE TOUGH.

POUR CRUMBS ON FLOURED SURFACE.

ADD FRESH HERBS.

KNEAD 2-3 TIMES UNTIL DOUGH JUST COMES TOGETHER. PAT DOWN to APPROXIMATELY ½ INCH THICKNESS or slightly more. ONE quantity OF THIS RECIPE SHOULD MAKE TWO CRUSTS AFTER SHAPED IN OVAL FROM PATTERN, PLUS ASTERISK ON TOP.

ASSEMBLE OVAL ONTO CHICKEN MIXTURE, AND PAINT EGG WASH GENEROUSLY ON TOP. FREEZE IMMEDIATELY.

>>> A few photos of my chicken pot pie experience!

> Here are some of the groceries I used to created the BEST Chicken Pot Pie recipe on the planet!

> The BEST Chicken Pot Pie just out of the oven!

> My first serving of the BEST Chicken Pot Pie recipe … I had two servings

Top photo by Richard Faulder

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Are you looking to go back to school to train to become a chef?

Not long ago on CNN, they had a feature about a town in the U.S. that used to specialize in a particular manufacturing expertise but because of the recession the plants in the area had shut down or moved their operation and business to China.

Most people in the town had made the decision to go back to school to study to become chefs!

These people are onto something because …

… “according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, chefs, cooks, and food preparation workers held nearly 3.1 million jobs in 2006. And here’s a tip on where the culinary careers are — meals-to-go (e.g., prepared foods sections of grocery stores) and contract food service (e.g., catering). These healthy culinary careers are projected to grow much faster than the average for all occupations through 2016!!!”

If you are also looking for a culinary career, you’ll have to find a good culinary school!

The best place to start with by finding a guide that will allow you to find the right culinary school for you!

There are plenty of culinary schools to choose from — the American Culinary Federation Foundation Accrediting Commission currently accredits more than 165 formal culinary training programs in the U.S., which lead to an associate degree, certificate, or diploma.

Theoretical culinary coursework covers menu planning, minimizing waste, nutrition, portion control, proper food storage procedures, public health regulations, purchasing and inventory methods, and sanitation. Culinary training may also include banquet service, computer accounting and inventory software, and food service management.

Of course, culinary schools provide endless opportunities to get up to your elbows in the culinary arts. You won’t just read about meal preparation, you’ll practice it. Cooking schools teach good knife techniques, safe food-handling procedures, and proper use and care of kitchen equipment. Your culinary training may also incorporate advanced cooking techniques; cooking for banquets, buffets, or parties; and cuisines and cooking styles from around the world.

With education from culinary schools, you can often bypass the lower-skilled kitchen jobs and move right into a cook or chef position. Formal culinary training can also make your resume more appetizing to upscale restaurant employers. Plus, culinary schools typically require an internship with a local restaurant or other food preparation facility, which provides the real-world experience you’ll need to catapult your culinary career.

I’m not a trained chef myself, but if I decided to turn my 10+ years of knowledge in the kitchen into a career, then I’d be looking at schools like:

> Le Cordon Bleu

> The Art Institutes

> Culinary Academy of Austin

> Kitchen Academy

If you’ve got unlimited resources, you might actually go to France and train in the land of gastronomy excellence!

Regardless, you’ll want to have the right information on hand and if you click on the following link you’ll be able to get all the information you need to make the right decision about become a trained chef or about changing career to do something you are passionate about.

Find a culinary school in your area: Culinary Arts School – information on becoming a training to become a chef!

Photo by Southern Foodways Alliance

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