New year, new Bachelor

I made these party foods in honor of the premiere of the new Bachelor.

Sorry I’ve been a bad blogger lately. I was trying to do too much, but I’ve resolved to post at least once a week in the new year.
I’m starting with one of the first shows to premiere this January – The Bachelor. I’ve watched most of the seasons of this show in the past few years, and I find it great fun. I know that some people find it sexist, or cheesy or fake, but I think it’s a nice escape from everyday life. One of my favorite parts is guessing who The Bachelor or Bachelorette is going to send home each week. It’s like a test of my perceptiveness or something.

Southwestern Pulled Beef mini sandwiches are a nod to Jake's Texas home.

This season’s Bachelor is one of the “rejects” from last season’s Bachelorette, Jillian (one of my favorite seasons). Jake is a commercial pilot (and blond hunk) from Texas who is very earnest, traditional and a little dorky. His claim to fame last season was returning after being rejected to warn Jillian about a guy (Wes) who was lying about having a girlfriend back home.
Jake wasn’t my favorite guy last season because he was a little boring and kind of a goody-two-shoes. I appreciate what he did, though.
Anyway, to celebrate the start of Jake’s journey, I decided to make some foods that would fit in at the big cocktail party that kicks off the show. First, I made Southwestern Pulled Beef mini sandwiches. This is a nod to Jake’s home state of Texas. Next, I made mini hot dogs as a nod to Jillian’s Hot Dog Theory, since she was on the premiere to help him narrow down the girls. Jillian has a theory that you can tell the kind of guy by what he puts on his hot dog. You should Google this to see what I’m talking about – I won’t bog you down with details. Lastly, I made Vanilla Rich Chip Cupcakes because Jake is a very vanilla guy, but I’m hoping he’ll show a little more personality than last season, symbolized by the chocolate chips.
Following is the link to Smitten Kitchen’s recipe for the Southwestern beef. This was very good, and you can use chuck roast instead of brisket if you can’t find it near you. And don’t be afraid to use more chipotles. I used two, and it was only slightly spicy. I used Savory Butter Hawaiian Rolls instead of tortillas.

http://smittenkitchen.com/2010/01/southwestern-pulled-brisket

Following is the recipe for the cupcakes. Although it starts with a cake mix, I promise you can’t taste that “cake mix flavor” at all. These were probably in the top 5 of all the cupcakes I’ve ever made – and I’ve made a lot of cupcakes.

Jake is very vanilla, like these cupcakes, but I'm hoping he has a little richness, like the mini chocolate chips in these.

Vanilla Rich Chip Cupcakes
1 package (18-19 oz.) yellow or vanilla cake mix
1 package (3.4 oz) instant vanilla pudding mix
1 cup sour cream (low-fat OK)
½ cup vegetable oil
½ cup water
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup miniature chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Beat all ingredients in a large bowl with mixer on low to moisten for 30 seconds, then on medium for 2 minutes.
Stir in chocolate chips. Pour into 24 muffin cups lined with paper liners.
Bake for 17 to 22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
Cool completely on a wire rack before icing. Garnish with more mini chocolate chips or cinnamon sugar, if desired.
Recipe adapted from McCormick & Co. Inc.

The mini hot dogs don’t have a recipe. I just bought some L’il Smokies, followed the directions on the back, put them in little halves of rolls, and added mustard or ketchup. You could use myriad other condiments, too – relish, slaw, chili, sauerkraut.
I’ll post later this week about the ladies, and new recipes next week to go with episode 2.

Castle and Homemade Takeout

Castle is one of my favorite shows that premiered last season. I’ve always loved mystery/detective shows, and this one is a standout, largely because of Nathan Filion. He is so charming and funny – and not to mention, very attractive. The witty banter between him and his daughter is hilarious, and love/hate relationship with homicide Det. Beckett is killer (ha, ha).
I also love some of the things Castle notices, as a writer – as a copy editor/writer myself, I appreciate this. Like when he praised Beckett for using the word “irony” correctly and bemoaned the fact that people have been misusing the term ever since the Alanis Morissette song came out.
This season, it seems like the ensemble is working a lot better, and it’s not just the Castle-and-Becket show. His family always had great chemistry and dialogue, but the police department side was lacking last season. This time around, they’ve given Beckett’s fellow detectives more to say and do, and pumped up the role of the medical examiner, who has a lot of funny lines.
I really enjoyed this week’s Halloween-inspired episodes. They had a lot of fun with references to Filion’s previous characters on “Firefly,” “Dr. Horrible” and “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” And their victim was part of the underground vampire scene. It was really appropriate for the holiday, with much Halloween-inspired humor.
My recipe this week is inspired by an episode earlier this season when Castle brought home Chinese takeout from a restaurant called Chow Fun. I thought I’d make a takeout-inspired meal for my family, too. The recipe is from a cookbook I got recently called “The Steamy Kitchen Cookbook” by blogger Jaden Hair. It includes lots of Asian recipes, many from her blog, www.steamykitchen.com.
I made her Perfect Shrimp Fried Rice because it’s something my whole family can agree on. I especially have one big shrimp lover at my house, and that’s my son Ryan. And we all love rice. This came out very well – I actually only used frozen peas, not peas and carrots, because that’s what I had on hand. So, feel free to customize your veggies, too.
Here’s a link to the recipe: http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/shrimp_fried_rice.

A Comedic Community

This recipe for Steamed Dumplings with Mexican Black Bean Filling is a bit time and labor intensive if you don't have a food processor or pasta roller. If you want to mix it up you can use a variety of different fillings.

I made this recipe ages ago for one of my favorite new shows, Community.

In case you’re not watching, you can get caught up by downloading the series on iTunes but sadly only the past three episodes are available for free on Hulu or NBC.com. (An iTunes season pass for the series is only $14.95).

My favorite character on the show is Senor Chang played by Ken Jeong of The Hangover and Role Models. Chang is the community college’s Spanish teacher and a bit of a loose cannon. He fights back against Asian stereotypes while simultaneously mocking his students with sayings such as “Mr. Miyagi here wax off everyone’s score.”

In honor of Senor Chang and his hi-jinks, I’ve created my own Asian-Mexican fusion cuisine.

Jim & Pam 4-Ever

I love The Office, and for anyone who loves the show, last night was awesome. It’s been obvious since the first season that Jim and Pam should be together, and last night they made it official – they’re married!

I made some cupcakes in honor of the big wedding. I thought about making a cake, but cupcakes seemed fitting for such a fun couple. I decided on peanut butter and jam as the flavor because it’s a classic combination, just like Jim and Pam. And if you smush together their names, you get Jam.

Here’s the recipe.

Peanut Butter and Jam Cupcakes
Makes 14 to 16

Cake:
1 stick unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, separated
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup grape or other flavor jam
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Add the egg yolks. Beat well. Add the vanilla. Mix.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt.
Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture, alternating with the milk. Mix well.
With clean beaters, beat the egg whites on high speed until stiff peaks form. With a rubber spatula, gently fold the egg whites into the batter.
Fill the cupcake liners one-half full. Bake for 16 to 23 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcakes comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.
When cool, take a sharp knife and cut a cork-shaped piece out of each cupcake. The hole should be a circle about 1 inch in diameter and an inch or so deep. Cut about a half inch or so off the bottom of your cork. Fill hole with a teaspoonful of jam and then replace your cork. Repeat with the rest of the cupcakes.

Peanut butter icing:
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup peanut butter
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
Milk, if needed
In a small to medium bowl, beat the butter peanut butter and cream cheese on the medium speed of an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 1 to 2 minutes. On low speed, slowly add 1 cup of sugar. Then turn the mixer up to medium-high to thoroughly mix. Add second cup of sugar and repeat process. Add a spoonful of milk at a time if mixture seems too thick. Mix on high speed until fluffy and a good spreading consistency. Ice cupcakes immediately. Store in fridge after a few hours.
Cake recipe adapted from Crazy About Cupcakes by Krystina Castella; Icing recipe adapted from Buttercup Bakes at Home by Jennifer Appel

Eastwick and some Bewitching Brownies

These Bewitching Brownies, inspired by Eastwick, might look like regular brownies, but they have a spicy kick.

Eastwick is definitely in my top 5 list of favorite new shows. It’s just wicked, girl-power fun. It’s been awhile since I’ve seen any witch-type characters, but I’m glad they’re back. Some of my favorite movies and TV shows growing up featured witches: “Bewitched” (reruns), “The Worst Witch” “Teen Witch” and “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” to name a few.

One of my favorite parts of last week’s episode was Joanna (Lindsay Price) and Penny (Sara Rue) singing and dancing to an a capella version of Madonna’s Like A Virgin. Being a child of the 80s, that was great. I’m also a fan of their Nancy Drew-like detective capers.

The cameos last week were a pleasant surprise also – veteran TV actor Martin Mull (whom I loved in the short-lived The Ellen Show) and Cybill Sheppard. They were a hoot, and I’m hoping we’ll see lots more of them. I’m also happy that Roxie’s boy toy – can’t remember his name – is sticking around. He’s so cute and sweet, I’d hate to see him go. Plus, those eyes …

For my recipe, I decided to go with a brownie, as a nod to Roxie. Her guy said they were her favorite dessert in the first episode. But, there not just any brownies – they look normal, but they’re spiced up. I’m calling them Bewitching Brownies, in honor of the show. Don’t forget to watch Eastwick on Wednesday nights at 10 on ABC.

Bewitching Brownies
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cocoa powder (preferably dark)
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
5 ounces dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 stick unsalted butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8-by-8-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, cocoa powder, ginger, cinnamon and cloves.
In a medium microwave-safe bowl, place butter and chocolate and melt in microwave, 1 to 2.5 minutes, stirring after 1 minute and each 30 seconds afterward until melted. Add both sugars and whisk until completely combined. Let stand until mixture is room temperature, 10 to 20 minutes.
Add eggs and vanilla to chocolate mixture and whisk until just combined.
Sprinkle flour mixture over chocolate mixture fold this into chocolate mixture with a rubber spatula until the flour mixture isn’t visible.
Pour batter into the pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake for 23 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs. Cool brownies before cutting and serving.
Recipe adapted from www.RecipeGirl.com

Recap and a Recipe: Animation Domination

With its mix of sweet and spicy, this Apple Crisp recipe is as American as well, apple pie.

Fox’s Animation Domination returned on Sunday night with the season premieres of The Simpsons, Family Guy and American Dad. First off I’m not much of a Simpson’s fan, so my apologies for not watching it.

But I did tune into to American Dad, Family Guy and it’s new spinoff The Cleveland Show.

I love a good laugh and the 80s flashbacks in The Cleveland Show were quite funny. However the show did suffer from some common pilot episode problems. The back story and introduction of the characters took a while and the theme song fell a bit flat but overall it was enjoyable.

The highlight of the evening was the Family Guy episode which was a Stewie and Brian themed “Road to ” episode. In this one they were traveling through parallel dimensions. My favorite was the Disney themed dimension which had to cost the producers a pretty penny as the animation was spot on.
American Dad was surprisingly funny, I watched it online yesterday as Sunday nights at 9 are for the “emotional porn” known as Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. It was a really touching episode about a firefighter’s family and Patricia Heaton showed up to help.
After my eyes dried I reflected on what all the shows had in common.

Amazing Race and Teriyaki

This teriyaki chicken with white rice and steamed broccoli was inspired by the travels on the new season of The Amazing Race.

The Amazing Race is one of the few shows my husband and I both enjoy. We’ve been watching every season since the second. It’s interesting to see the teams interact, the Americans experience other cultures and learn about other countries myself. They always choose very fascinating people to be contestants, too – people with colorful personalities, amazing challenges and abilities, complicated relationships and hilarious senses of humor.

The show premieres tonight from 8 to 10 on CBS (right now, actually – thank you, DVR).

Apparently this season, they’re starting in Los Angeles and traveling first to Tokyo, Japan. So, I decided to make one of my favorite Japanese dishes – Chicken Teriyaki. I’ve tried making it at home before using store-bought sauce, but I’ve never been very happy with the results. There was one brand of sauce I liked, but it’s very difficult to find. So I thought I’d try making it from scratch. I used a Tyler Florence recipe (and he’s from S.C. like me . The original recipe was for chicken wings, but I used boneless breast strips since that’s what my boys are accustomed to. And I adjusted the ingredient a little after tasting it while cooking. It came out very good. My son Ryan, who isn’t much of a meat eater, immediately said, “I like this teriyaki chicken – it tastes good.” And all the rest of us enjoyed it, too.

Teriyaki Chicken Breast Strips
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast strips
1 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1 cup pineapple juice
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 fresh hot chile, halved
5 garlic cloves, halved
2-inch piece fresh ginger, smashed with the side of a large knife, or 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
3 tablespoons cornstarch, mixed well with 3 tablespoons water
1 to 3 tablespoons honey, to taste
White rice, for serving (optional)
Steamed broccoli (optional)
Combine the teriyaki sauce ingredients except honey in a large saucepan; whisk well. Simmer over medium-low to medium heat and reduce until thicken somewhat, about 45 minutes. Taste about halfway through and add more or less honey to adjust sweetness. Remove the sauce from the heat.
Preheat grill (I used my George Foreman). Cook chicken until done – meat should register 170 degrees on an instant-read thermometer at the thickest part. Once chicken is cooked through, place it in the sauce and let sit until you’re ready to serve. Serve with additional sauce, if desired and refrigerate any leftover sauce.
Recipe adapted from Tyler Florence, Food Network

Premiere Week Recap: Part 1

So, I’ve now watched most of the new network shows. Some are impressive; others, not so much. Here’s my take on five of them.

Accidentally on Purpose, CBS
This is Jenna Elfman’s new show, and many have suggested this one will be her return to TV years after her hit Dharma & Greg. But I’m not sure it will last. I didn’t think it was very funny or interesting.
The show threw A LOT out there in a half hour. First, you see her break up with her boyfriend/boss because he didn’t propose, then she goes out with her friends, meets a younger man, sleeps with him for weeks, gets pregnant and has him move in with her – because he’s living in his van. That’s just too much to take in, too fast. The first episode should let you get to know the characters and their lives, not go through all that in such a short time span. My head was spinning so much, I couldn’t enjoy any potentially funny parts.

Mercy, NBC
This show was so boring and depressing, I only got through 15 minutes of it. I was excited when I heard about this show because it was supposed to be inspired by a show I saw on BBC America called No Angels about nurses and their lives outside the hospital. But while those characters were lively and interesting, these had no life. The only one that had a real story was just too much of a downer. And at times, it tried to hard to be like all the other medical shows – Grey’s Anatomy, ER, Chicago Hope. A disappointment.

Eastwick, ABC
This is one of my favorites of the new shows. It’s based on the book and movie, “The Witches of Eastwick,” of which I’m a fan. But the characters are different – still 3 women, but they have different stories. One is a mousy reporter, one is a mom and nurse with a no-good husband and the third is a bohemian starving artist. There’s also a handsome, rich, mysterious man in the mix, like the Jack Nicholson character in the movie. There’s some magic and special powers involved. Anyway, I loved the atmosphere, characters, story of this show. The girl-power message is nice and it’s a nice fantasy show. As an added bonus, Sara Rue of one of my favorite shows, Less Than Perfect, is in the mix. I can already tell this show will also provide lots of culinary inspiration. The women often meet over dinner, and there were lots of references to food. I hope this show sticks around.

Spicy Latin ‘Dancing’ bites

These spicy appetizer cups go perfectly with the Latin dances on Dancing with the Stars.

I didn’t start watching Dancing with the Stars until last season, when Melissa Rycroft from The Bachelor joined the cast – and almost won. I really enjoyed it, and even got my 5-year-old boys to watch. They would sometimes get up and join in the dancing, with their favorite toys. It was a nice escape from the real world.

So, I’m watching again this season, although three nights in one week seems extreme. I was excited to see some of the new cast members, such as Melissa Joan Hart from Sabrina the Teenage Witch, hottie Ashley Hamilton (former Shannen Doherty hubbie), former Cowboy Michael Irvin and R&B/film star Mya.

After seeing their performances, some of my favorite men are Irvin, pro snowboarder Louie Vito and Mark Decascos (the chairman from Iron Chef America). I love Irvin’s sense of humor and Decascos’ grace and fluidity. But Vito stole my heart. He’s so cute and has a wonderful smile. You could tell he was having a good time and trying really hard. One of the judges called him a cute little Hobbit. I also liked Chuck Liddell, although his dancing was quite bad. You could see how uncomfortable he was, but his perseverance is admirable.

My least favorite of the men is former GOP Rep. Tom DeLay, and not just for his politics. I found his “risque” antics really annoying and sad. Ugh.

Unfortunately, I think Hamilton will be going this week. He’s very pretty and affable, but a horrible dancer. He stalked around the dance floor like Frankenstein. Plus, I don’t think he has enough fans to carry him.

My picks for the top 3 men this season are Aaron Carter, Louie Vito and Donnie Osmond.

Some of my favorite women are Mya, singer/TV star Kelly Osborne and model Joanna Krupa. Just as I thought she’d be, Mya is very graceful and skilled on the dance floor. She was my pick to win this season before I watched an episode. She’s also very well spoken, which is admirable. Osborne was beautiful in her dancing, and it was so touching to see her reaction, as well as her parents’, after her waltz. Krupa is very energetic and fun to watch.

I don’t have a least favorite among the women, but Macy Gray is obviously the worst dancer. She’s interesting to watch, but very odd in her movement. I thought she was a strange choice for the show, and I was right. She’ll probably be going home this week.

My picks for the top three women are Mya, swimmer Natalie Coughlin and Osborne, although Krupa could be in there too.

This week’s results show is tonight at 8 on ABC.

My recipe goes along with the hot Latin dancing they do on the show. I call them Spicy Latin Dancing Bites, and they’re little appetizer cups filled with spiced black beans, chorizo sausage and pepper jack cheese. You can adjust the heat level to suit your taste. Here’s the recipe.

Spicy Latin Dancing Bites

1 15-ounce can black beans

Ground cumin, to taste

Chili powder, to taste

Red pepper flakes, to taste

6 ounces Chorizo or other spicy link-style sausage

3 packages (15 cups each) appetizer-size phyllo cups

3 ounces pepper-jack cheese, shredded

Empty black beans into a small or medium saucepan. Turn heat on medium. After about 5 minutes, add spices, stir and taste. Add more, if desired. Turn heat to low once beans start bubbling.

Slice chorizo into rounds about 1/4-inch thick and cook on medium-high heat until browned, about 5 minutes or so, then turn over and cook another few minutes. Place sausage on paper towel to drain off grease. Cut each round in about 4 pieces. Add pieces to black beans and stir to combine.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Drain most of liquid off black beans. Place about a teaspoon of black bean mixture into each appetizer cup, filling them about 3/4 full. Then fill cups the rest of the way with cheese. Place filled appetizer cups on a large baking sheet, then bake about 5 minutes to melt the cheese. Serve immediately.

Foodie Adventure: Cupcakes in Columbia

This red velvet cupcake is from the new location of Cupcake in Columbia's Vista area.

You might have guessed by now from my Glee post last week that I’m a fan of cupcakes. Well, you would be correct. I love making cupcakes, visiting cupcake shops and, of course, eating them. They’re great for experimenting with flavors and decorating, and are perfectly portioned without all the cutting and mess of a full-size cake.

Ryan inherited the chocoholic gene from me, so he chose a chocolate-on-chocolate cupcake.

South Carolina didn’t have too many cupcake shops until the past couple of years, but they’ve experienced quite a boom recently. I think the first was probably Cupcake in Charleston, which I’ve visited two or three times and very much enjoyed. So, when I heard there was going to be a Columbia location opening, I was excited, especially since my husband has family there – and it’s just an hour and a half drive instead of 3 hours from my house.

There’s a lot to admire about Cupcake’s operation. They serve lovely looking cupcakes, perfectly (and tastefully) decorated with various sprinkles or other adornments. Their shops are cute, clean and chic in both a modern and nostalgic way. They’ve chosen a lovely pink and brown color scheme and logo. And, best of all, their cupcakes are delicious. Being a pretty good cupcake baker myself, I can be a pretty harsh critic of store-bought cupcakes, but these are top-notch. The cake is moist and not too messy, and the flavor is excellent. The icing is creamy and tasty, and you can really tell it’s made with high-quality ingredients.

Tristan has fun with his cupcake. He chose yellow cake with chocolate icing.

When my family went to the Columbia store (1213 Lincoln Street) on two occasions recently, we tried a number of flavors – yellow cake with chocolate icing, chocolate cake with vanilla icing, Key lime, Black bottom and red velvet. Everyone loved their cupcakes.

I was especially impressed with the flavor and texture of the yellow and chocolate cakes. They are often dry and/or lacking flavor at other stores, but these were delicious. The only complaint I heard was that there was too much icing. I agree that they pile the icing quite high relative to the cake, but some people just come for the icing. Some bakeries sell “icing shots” – that’s how much some people love the stuff – like my son, Ryan, who usually eats all the icing and leaves some cake. So, I think it’s a good thing to have a lot of icing. You can always take some off and not eat it if you want.

So, if you’re a cupcake fan – or curious about the cupcake trend, I recommend Cupcake. They have locations in Charleston, Mount Pleasant and Columbia, S.C. Look them up on the Web at http://www.freshcupcakes.com.