Back From Vegas Uncork'd and Ready to Pop

I'll be posting a top ten from the 4th Annual Vegas Uncork'd tomorrow, but I wanted to share a few of my favorite pictures from the weekend. How great was the food? These items didn't even make the list! Stay tuned.

Can I Get the Onion Rings, Instead of the Fries?

Onion rings have an odd place in American cuisine. Everyone seems to love them, and they're on the menu at just about every burger joint in the country, yet their popularity as a side dish to meat on buns doesn't even come close to the venerable French fry.

The reason is as obvious as it is annoying – they cost extra. Fries always come with the burger, but if you want those crispy, golden brown rings of pleasure, it's going to be $2.00 more.

Sure you crave the crunchy goodness, but the thought of paying extra to upgrade a side dish at Big Bad Billy's Burgers and Beers seems downright un-American.

So, as much as you may want them, and as much as you may fantasize about what a nice treat they'd be while standing in line, when you come belly to cash register, you just can't pull the trigger.

Well, I have good news – this onion rings recipe is so easy, and so amazingly crispy, you can now make up for all those years of deep-fried denial by making these at home.

If fact, these are so good, you may want to consider charging your friends and family a little bit extra for the upgrade. Enjoy!




Ingredients:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 tablespoons instant mashed potatoes
big pinch of cayenne
1 cup cold club soda
2-3 cups Panko (Japanese-style breadcrumbs), or as needed
fine salt to taste
vegetable oil for frying
2-3 yellow onions, cut into 1/4-inch rings
*Note: the amounts in the video were for a smaller batch. The amounts above will make a nice large batch, enough for about 8 servings.

Hello from Las Vegas

Just a quick hello from Las Vegas, where Michele and I are having a great time eating and drinking, shoulder-to-shoulder with an amazing array of culinary talent at Vegas Uncork'd. We will be back to work Monday, and I will have lots to share. Stay tuned!

Michele and I are Getting Uncork'd in Las Vegas

Thanks to some clever marketing, the thought of someone using the food as an excuse to go to Las Vegas seems like the punch line to one of those "what happens in..." commercials, but thanks to Vegas Uncork'd, that's exactly why we're here.

Held May 6-9, at six different resorts over the four-day Mother's Day weekend, Vegas Uncork'd is becoming one of the country's top food and wine events. As you probably know from reading about my previous trips, I'm a huge fan of Las Vegas in general, and the city's food in particular, so I jumped at the chance to cover the event.

There are over 30 events planned, including a Grand Tasting at Caesars Palace, where 50 of the city's top restaurants and chefs will show off their offerings to an estimated 5,000 foodies.

As usual, I will be collecting recipes, taking photos, and will post a recap upon my return. Charlie Trotter, Bradley Ogden, Wolfgang Puck, Bobby Flay, and Cat Cora are just some of the chefs I hope to speak with, and if things work out, win money from.

In addition to updates here, if you want to follow along on Twitter, I'll be providing play-by-play, or rather bite-by-bite coverage over the course of the weekend. Stay tuned!


We're Huge in Estonia! Who Knew?


I'm always tickled when I hear from fans in far off places, like Annika in Estonia. Apparently, our recipe videos are quite popular there, although I'm sure the mustache has a lot to do with that.

Annika reports the country's biggest fan is her boyfriend, Rigmor, who's celebrating his 30th birthday tomorrow. Happy birthday! You sure look a lot older in the picture. Enjoy!

Inside-Out Grilled Cheese Sandwich – Warning: This Video May Give You the Munchies

Just a quick prediction… when pot is legalized in California this fall, this may be named the "Official State Sandwich." In my humble opinion, this crispy, crunchy, cheesy masterpiece is the ultimate grilled cheese sandwich.

You know how once in a while you run across a slice of pizza where some of the cheese has dripped over the edge and caramelized onto the bottom of the crust? You know how when you bite into that delicious deformity you think to yourself, "why can't the whole thing be like this?" It can.

Make sure you follow some basic rules for this to work properly. Only use airy, nutritionally insignificant white bread. Use a nice sharp cheddar, and be sure to use a quality non-stick pan over medium to medium-low heat.

Well, it's almost 4:20, and I have to run to an appointment, but I really hope you give…. shoot, I just lost my train of thought. Dude, where are my keys? Anyway, enjoy!

Next Up: Inside-Out Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Below the photo I've posted a little tease video I uploaded to YouTube yesterday. Many people loved the crispy torment, others were highly annoyed. Do you like to be teased?

New Math for Stuffed Bell Peppers: Half was Twice as Good

Here's a video recipe of the new and improved stuffed bell peppers. I posted the written recipe a little while back, but wanted to provide a video tutorial also. There have been some significant and shocking changes, so I hope you're sitting down.


The peppers are now cut in half lengthwise, so that the meat/rice-to-pepper ratio is much more in our favor. The bad news is you must find evenly sized, and boxy shaped peppers so the halves cook evenly, but the good news is I just doubled your number of servings.

Also in this version we chose to use the classic green bell pepper. This recipe's roots can be traced back to the Great Depression, when farmers first began selling the unripe peppers out of necessity. Of course, we did what Americans always do when faced with a new variety of food, we stuffed meat in it.

I'll have to admit, I bowed to conventional wisdom, and called for the sweeter red bell in the cookbook, but as any true stuffed bell pepper aficionado will tell you, green is the money pepper. The bitterness of the green pepper serves as a perfect foil to the tangy, but subtly sweet stuffing.

Finally, after several attempts, you have here the final official Food Wishes stuffed bell pepper recipe. I hope you give it a try. Enjoy!



Ingredients:
For the sauce:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 cup beef broth
2 cups prepared marinara sauce, or other tomato sauce
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, optional
For the peppers:
1 pound lean ground beef
1/4 pound hot Italian pork sausage, casings removed
2 cups cooked rice
1 cup finely grated "real" Parmesan cheese (Parmigiano Reggiano)
1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
4 cloves garlic, minced very fine
1 can 10-oz diced tomatoes
2 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
pinch of cayenne
4 large green bell peppers