Monday, October 31, 2011

A 2-Minute Break To Protect Yourself From Cancer



The American Institute  for Cancer Research says that inactivity is responsible for almost 100,000 cancer cases in the U.S. every year.  So as you read this blog, if you realize that you’ve been sitting in front of your computer for an hour, get up and take a one-to two-minute “activity break” to reduce your cancer risk.  (But finish reading this post first!  I’ll be brief!)

In conjunction with its Annual Research Conference on Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity and Cancer in Washington, AICR will hold a news conference on Thursday where experts will present new, evidence-based estimates that inactivity is responsible for almost 100,000 cancer cases in the U.S. every year. In response, AICR will also call on adult Americans to take 1-2 minute activity breaks every hour to reduce their cancer risk.

Christine Friedenreich, Ph.D., Senior Research Epidemiologist Associate, Alberta Health Services-Cancer Care in Canada, will summarize new evidence of the protective link between physical activity and certain cancers.


Neville Owen, Ph.D., Director of Behavioral Epidemiology at Australia's Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute, will present research from the emerging field of sedentary behavior, including new findings on what happens in the body during prolonged periods of sitting.  (Yikes! this CAN’T be good!)

See you in a couple of minutes!


Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Chain Restaurants versus Independent Restaurants: Which Do You Choose?


When you travel, do you like to eat at chain restaurants or locally owned eateries?

I thought about this last week while I was in Norman, Okla., where my husband is working this month. We were hungry, and I spotted a Mexican place that looked interesting. We enjoyed tacos of smoked brisket and grilled Mahi Mahi. The service was great with a rustic Tex-Mex atmosphere. I never thought about whether it was a chain or independently owned. The next day while doing an online search, I found out that On The Border Mexican Grill is actually a Dallas-based chain with more than 160 locations. But since there's not one in Utah, it seemed "new" to me.

This brings up the issue of chain-vs.-independents. For a traveler, the advantage of chains is that they're familiar and predictable. When you've got a carload of hungry kids to please, or when you're tired from traveling all day, it's comforting to know what to expect. There will be a certain level of quality, and the menu offers something that family members won't quibble over.

But, predictability is also a disadvantage. If you're looking for something adventurous or unique to the local area, you're not likely to find it at a chain restaurant. You might as well be eating back home.


Since my husband has ended up working in Oklahoma at least once a year for the past dozen or so years, we've had the pleasure of trying other places that are more unique to the state, such Earl's Rib Palace, which has three locations in the Oklahoma City area, the Cattlemen's Steakhouse, the oldest continuously operating restaurant in Oklahoma City since 1910. In 1945, Oklahoma rancher Gene Wade won the steakhouse in a craps game. The place doesn't look like much from the outside, but the interior has been built on over the years, room by room, much the way The Maddox evolved in Brigham City.

The steaks are tender and juicy, and memorabilia on the walls pay homage to some of the restaurant's more famous customers, including Gene Autry, John Wayne, Reba McIntyre, and U.S. presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush.

It offers a lot more local personality than one of the steakhouse chains.

When we visited the Kirtland, Ohio, area, we stopped at RJ's, a small mom-and-pop restaurant down the road from the Kirtland Temple. It was a favorite of Mormon tourists and the missionaries serving in the LDS Church history sites, including my son, Jess Phillips, and my cousins, John and Carol Cluff. Owners Tom and Judy Ponzurick saw so many Utah customers that it began offering "fry sauce." Tom did the cooking and Judy waited on tables. My brother-in-law loved the house barbecue sauce so much, he ordered a case of it. The pulled pork sandwiches and the Stuffed Pepper Soup were signature items. Sadly, the place closed a couple of years ago after the economy took a nosedive.  

I can think of some exceptions to premise that chain restaurants don't offer any local cachet. When I visited Massachussetts, a lobster roll at one of the Boston-based Legal Sea Food locations felt like a taste of New England. And before In-N-Out Burger came to Utah, a lot of people looked forward to getting a Double-Double on their California vacations.

Maybe that's why, as I was waiting for my flight out of Oklahoma City, I couldn't resist getting a small order of chili-cheese tots at the airport's Sonic location. The first Sonic began in Shawnee, Okla., and the company headquarters are in Oklahoma City. Since I've never eaten them in Utah, I could tell myself that I was having a tourist moment!

Monday, October 24, 2011

Harmon Grocery Stores Kick Off Thankgiving Drive For Food Banks

 Harmons Grocery Stores is sponsoring its 14th Annual Gift for a Gift Thanksgiving Turkey Drive, November 1 - 20. 
This year, Harmons’ turkey drive is more important than ever because donations to food pantries are down, but the need for holiday and emergency food supplies are high.
“We are serving an average of 76 families each day; that means 380 families need emergency food every week of the year,” Glenn Bailey, executive director for Crossroads Urban Center, was quoted in a press release. “Children make up almost 40 percent of those we serve, and the number of homeless families is up significantly.”  
The public is encouraged to buy $10 tax deductible Gift for a Gift turkey certificates at Harmons’ cash registers. The donations will go toward buying Thanksgiving turkeys for the Utah Food Bank to deliver to local food pantries such as Crossroads Urban Center in Salt Lake City, and others in St. George, Orem and Ogden. Harmons will match donations with its own gift of $10,000 worth of turkeys.
Starting in November and carrying on through the holidays, Harmons will also sell $10 Food for Families Bags pre-filled with meal essentials, that shoppers can buy and drop off in handy Utah Food Bank barrels at the front of Harmons’ stores.



Thursday, October 20, 2011

BIGGEST LOSER: Sam Poueu Now In Rehabilitation After Accident

Former "Biggest Loser" contestant Sam Poueu has been transferred to a rehabilitation center to recover from injuries from a fall. 


In early September, I wrote that Sam was critically injured from a fall on Sept. 3.


He sustained head and internal injuries when he fell from a four-story San Francisco apartment building. He was at a friend's apartment, got locked out while on the building's rooftop, and attempted to climb down a fire escape. 


"He is undergoing an intense rehabilitation schedule. His recovery has been nothing short of a miracle," the family, along with his fiancée Stephanie Anderson, said in a statement to People.com. "He has been blessed with a wonderful medical team." 

Poueu, 25, provided this statement: 

"Words can't express how grateful I am for all the love, support and prayers I've received in the past six weeks, all of which have been instrumental in my healing and recovery process, and in keeping my spirits up." 

In his new facility, he's facing physical, occupational and speech therapy. 
His family added that they are thankful for continued thoughts, prayers and support. 

A Pray For Sam Poueu Facebook page is selling wristbands, with proceeds going to his medical care.  Also, the Biggest Loser Resort in Malibu, where Sam was working, is receiving care packages for his family at The Biggest Loser Resort, 327 Latigo Canyon Road, Malibu, Calif. 09265. 

Cake-Baking Is A Piece of Cake for Former Cook-Off Queen

S'mores Cake   photo courtesy of "Piece of Cake!"

If you've ever sat at a potluck or party and wondered if that delectable cake was made with a boxed mix or from scratch, there are a couple of clues:

"The first thing noticeable is the flavor. Even with all the doctoring that people do, there's still that unmistakeable 'cake mix' flavor," said Camilla Saulsbury, author of "Piece of Cake! One-Bowl, No-Fuss, From-Scratch Cakes."

"Also, there's a sponginess to a cake-mix cake that's a giveaway," she added. "There's a crumb that you get with a homemade cake that clings to the fork."

Her book is full of homemade cake recipes that are almost as easy as using a cake mix. I did a phone interview with Camilla for my column that ran in this week's Deseret News Food section. Before Camilla wrote cookbooks, she was a successful contestant in national cook-offs.  I met her when she won the $100,000 National Chicken Cooking Contest in 2005. She also won the $50,000 Build a Better Burger Contest, and the Food Network's $25,000 Ultimate Recipe Showdown (cookies episode). 

Saulsbury, who lives in Nacogdoches, Texas, has written nine cookbooks;  one of them focused on making cookies from cake mixes. So it's not as if she is anti-cake mix."I'm not a food snob, so my premise isn't that cake mixes are bad, but there's this whole other world of homemade cakes," she said. "If you can make a cake mix, you can make a homemade cake, too. That's how our grandmothers made them for generations before the influx of cake mixes."

One advantage of boxed mix-cakes is that they tend to be really moist, she added. "Often when people try making a cake from scratch, if they over-beat it, they get a dry cake. What I love about my method is it creates very moist cakes."

But, the idea of making a homemade cake can be intimidating, with images of sifting flour and creaming shortening and sugar together until it's fluffy. Then there's the process of separating eggs, beating the egg whites to a fluffy foam, then gently folding them in to the rest of the batter in order to give the cake volume.
But Saulsbury's has chosen cakes that aren't as temperamental as angel food or chiffon cakes, and uses mixing methods that don't require all the hassle.

"There's a little-known method called a dump cake. It was developed by home economists in the early 1960s, who worked hard to simplify a way to get the same amount of volume in a cake," Saulsbury said. "You combine the ingredients on low speed, then turn the mixer to a higher speed to get the volume. I took that idea and ran with it to see what I could do for a variety of butter cakes to get the same results."

She said her cakes turn out moist and not tough. I tried making the Chocolate Vanilla Marble Cake recipe, and it did turn out moist. Some cakes have a tendency to collapse with Utah's high altitude, but this cake didn't seem to be as sensitive. It rose evenly and had a nice texture (although it wasn't as springy as a boxed-mix cake).
"When you use the old method of separately adding flour and liquids, people often end up over-beating the cake batter and you get toughness," she said. "This way, you get volume without toughness."

She said her book is designed for home cooks in general, "including those who rely on mixes, and seasoned bakers as well. I wanted to encourage home bakers to make cakes from scratch, it's not as complicated as pastry chefs and others would have you believe."

You won't find temperamental, light-as-air angel's food or chiffon cakes in the book. But you will find lots and lots of great bundt cakes, sheet cakes, layer cakes and pound cakes. Some of them even use whole wheat flour, such as this S'Mores Cake.
S'MORES CAKE
Nonstick baking spray that contains flour
21/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 15 whole crackers)
2/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup milk
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups miniature marshmallows
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Farenheit. Use a 13-by 9-inch metal baking pan, sprayed with nonstick baking spray.
In a large bowl, whisk together graham cracker crumbs, whole wheat flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
Add eggs, milk, butter and vanilla to flour mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until blended.
Spread batter evenly in prepared pan.
Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Sprinkle evenly with marshmallows. Bake for 8-13 minutes, or until marshmallows are puffed and golden and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs attached.
Immediately sprinkle with chocolate chips. Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes and serve warm, or let cool completely and serve at room temperature.
Store the cooled cake, loosely wrapped in foil or waxed paper, at room temperature for up to 1 week. Alternatively, wrap the cooled cake in plastic wrap, then foil, completely enclosing cake, and freeze for up to 6 months. Let cake thaw at room temperature for 4 to 6 hours before serving.
— "Piece of Cake!" by Camilla V. Saulsbury

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

BIGGEST LOSER: Tension Between Bonnie and Anna

"The Biggest Loser" reality series often shows trainers yelling at contestants, telling them they're not working hard enough, etc.  But where weight loss and workouts are concerned, do people respond better with positive encouragement or negative put-downs?  I've not been in a reality series (and probably will never be). But I do know that when I'm in an exercise class and the teacher gives me a positive shout-out, I will work that much harder. I appreciate it when the instructor offers constructive criticism, such as helping me adjust a yoga pose or making sure I'm doing something correctly. Maybe I'm overly sensitive, but I don't respond well to put-downs. It's hard to know when someone is really giving it their all. A 20-something may see a 50-year-old trudging through a workout and not realize that it's the best that person can do. 

In tonight's episode. 63-year-old contestant Bonnie made it very plain to trainer Anna Kournikova that she felt she deserves more praise for her efforts.  Yet, Anna's response was to turn it around as  Bonnie's need to "express her emotions" due to tragic circumstances in her past. That harks back to the methods of former trainer Jillian Michaels, who would yell, scream and put down contestants to the point that they would start sobbing. Then Jillian would turn soft and play pseudo psychologist and "diagnose" their "issues." When in reality, their biggest issue was dealing with Jillian's rants.

Anna doesn't really rant; in fact she is the most soft-spoken of this season's three trainers. From what the cameras are showing us, it seems that Bonnie tends to feel sorry for herself and wants to be coddled a little. Perhaps Anna doesn't offer more praise because she doesn't think Bonnie is putting out the effort. If so, she needs to tell Bonnie straight out. But trying to gloss over their difficult relationship over as some deep-seated issue from Bonnie's past doesn't help either of them. 

And yeah, maybe a pat on the back wouldn't hurt now and then!

I'm interested in knowing what other viewers are thinking on the Bonnie-Anna relationship. 


Get Paid To Lose Weight? You Can Bet On It!


 HealthyWage™ (www.HealthyWage.com), is taking  its  “dieting for dollars” concept to a new new level with a “10% Challenge.” You can “bet”  —  and profit —  on shedding pounds through any diet regimen and/or fitness program they choose to follow (Weight Watchers®, Jenny Craig®, Nutrisystem®, Atkins®, or any other formal or informal diet/fitness program).

Participants pay $100 for a chance to double their money and earn $200 for losing just 10 percent of their starting body weight, BMI aside, within 6-months. Each participant’s starting and ending weights are verified at one of thousands of HealthyWage health club partners throughout the U.S., with each member also self-reporting their weight online once per week.

“Monetary incentives serve to enhance the effectiveness of, and duly complement, weight-loss programs of any and all sorts, especially when paid out quickly like our new 10% Challenge,” said HealthyWage co-founder David Roddenberry.  “In fact, financial health incentives are a growing trend, with more than 50% of self-insured employers in the U.S now offering some type of financial inducement as part of their healthcare program.  While our company pays all Americans $100 to lose weight as a standard part of our flagship ‘BMI Challenge’ program where bets or other participation fees don’t apply, we’re certain this ‘weight-loss wager’ approach will also be highly effective at motivating participants to achieve wellness goals – and rewarding them in kind.”  

The Money Motivation Model
In addition to its new HealthyWage 10% Challenge, the company offers various other cash rewards-based diet programs that pay participants to successfully make healthy choices. The company’s pioneering BMI Challenge pays $1,000 to those who invest $300 to participate and move from an obese BMI classification (greater than 30) to a normal BMI (less than 25) over a year’s time, while following a few rules and checking in on a weekly basis.  For those who prefer to participate in the BMI Challenge for free, without any up-front investment, HealthyWage offers the option to earn $100 for achieving these same term-based BMI goals. To date, more than 20 percent of individuals who committed their own money have won the cash prize and achieved a healthy weight through HealthyWage’s pioneering BMI Challenge.

Sounds like a way to put your money where your mouth is. 


Faustina Gets Back to Business with $12 Lunch

Faustina in downtown Salt Lake is getting “back to business” with $12 lunch offerings Monday – Friday. Everything on Faustina’s menu is $12 and multiple options abound from Executive Chef Billy Sotelo's fall harvest menu. Sotelo’s famous smoked Sonoma chicken salad is popular as well as salad and candied pecan butternut squash soup. Sandwich options include house-made sweet potato chips or a house salad and include favorites such as steak sandwich, the creative salmon BLT sandwich, crab cake sliders and grilled vegetable panini.
Pasta offerings include lasagna, Faustina’s linguini diavalo, chicken pesto pasta and decadent three-cheese gourmet macaroni. All lunches include house-made pumpkin roulade for dessert. For a small additional fee, other desserts can be selected, including their iconic blueberry soufflé, croissant bread pudding and  vanilla bean panna cotta.
  “We are a favorite for business lunches and fall brings more dining meetings," said Billy Sotelo, executive chef. "We wanted to make the lunch decisions a no-brainer."
 Reservations are highly suggested and can be made by calling 801-322-0404. Faustina is located at 454 East, 300 South in Salt Lake and can be reached at 801-746-4441 / www.faustinaslc.com.

Monday, October 17, 2011

Recipes From Emeril's New TV Show


If you've not had a chance to catch  Emeril's new TV show, "Emeril's Table," here are some of the recipes from past episodes:


LASAGNA BOLOGNESE
Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, adapted from Emeril’s Potluck, William Morrow Publisher, New York, 2006, copyright MSLO, Inc., all rights reserved.

Chef’s Note:  I love making this lasagna with fresh sheets of pasta, usually available at upscale Italian groceries.  If you cannot find fresh pasta sheets and don’t want to go through the trouble of making them at home, feel free to substitute regular (precooked) lasagna noodles.

Bolognese Sauce
2 tablespoons butter
6 strips bacon, diced
¼ pound ham, diced
½ pound ground veal or ground pork, or ¼ pound of each
1 pound ground beef
1½ cups chopped onion
½ cup finely chopped carrot
½ cup finely chopped celery
¼ pound thinly sliced mushrooms
3 cloves garlic, minced
Pinch of ground allspice
Pinch of cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup dry white wine
3 cups chicken stock
1 ½ teaspoons salt
4 chicken livers, finely chopped
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1/3 to ½ cup heavy cream
Chopped fresh parsley leaves

Lasagna
1 ½ pounds fresh pasta sheets (spinach or regular or a combination of the two), cut to fit your baking dish

Béchamel Sauce
6 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons flour
4 ½ cups milk
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon white pepper
¼ teaspoon nutmeg

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Heat the butter over medium high heat in a large pot. Add the bacon and ham and sauté until caramelized and light brown, about 10 minutes. Add the ground meats and cook over high heat until well browned, stirring constantly, about 20 minutes. Add the onions, carrots, celery and mushrooms and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, allspice, cinnamon and nutmeg  to the pan and cook for 2 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes.  Add the wine and cook until almost evaporated.  Add stock and simmer over medium high heat until the sauce is thickened and flavorful, about 45 minutes to one hour. Season with the salt and pepper.  Add the chicken livers to the pot and cook 5 minutes. Stir in the cream and parsley, and adjust seasoning if necessary.  Set aside until ready to assemble lasagna.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

For the béchamel:
In a saucepan, melt the butter over low heat and stir in the flour, stirring constantly until smooth, about 2 minutes.  Slowly whisk the milk into the flour, stirring vigorously to blend together.  Set over high heat and quickly bring to a boil for 1 minute, stirring.   Allow to cook another 5 minutes, or until floury taste no longer remains. Remove from heat and stir in the salt, white pepper, and nutmeg.

Butter a 9- by 13-inch baking dish, then spoon ½ cup of meat sauce onto the bottom of the dish.  Cover with sheets of fresh pasta. Top the lasagna with a layer of meat sauce (making certain that pasta is completely covered), a layer of béchamel sauce, then a light dusting of cheese.  Repeat layering lasagna, sauces and cheese in this manner until all have been used, ending with a topping of béchamel sauce and cheese.

Bake until the lasagna is bubbling and golden brown, about 1 hour.  Allow to rest 10 minutes before serving.

Serves 6 to 8


BIG BOY MEATBALLS AND SPAGHETTI
Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, adapted from Sizzling Skillets and Other One Pot Wonders, Harper Collins Publisher, New York, 2011, copyright MSLO, Inc., all rights reserved

4 slices white bread, crusts trimmed
¾ cup milk
1 1/2 pounds ground chuck
¾ pound sweet Italian sausage, removed from casings
2 ounces (about ½ cup) finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano
½ cup chopped white onion
4 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
3/4 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning (1/2 to 1 teaspoon for sauce, depends on tomatoes)
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups chopped yellow onions
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
¾ cup dry red wine
One (28-ounce) can tomato puree
One (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 ½ cups water
2 bay leaves
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano leaves
2 tablespoons evaporated milk, optional

Tear or cut the bread into pieces and place in a small bowl along with the milk. Set aside for 10 minutes, then stir with a fork, mashing the bread to form a paste. Place the ground chuck, Italian sausage, Parmesan, white onion, 2 tablespoons of the garlic, parsley, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ¾ teaspoon pepper in a large bowl. Add the bread-milk mixture and mix gently but thoroughly to combine. Shape into large meatballs about ½ cup each and refrigerate briefly while you assemble the remaining ingredients.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs, in batches if necessary, and cook until very well browned on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer browned meatballs to a large pot.

To the oil remaining in the skillet, add the onions and crushed red pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and lightly browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons garlic and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the wine and cook, scraping any browned bits from the pan, until reduced by half, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tomato puree, crushed tomatoes, water, and bay leaves and bring sauce to a simmer. Carefully transfer the hot tomato sauce to the large pot containing the meatballs. Place the pot over medium high heat and bring sauce to a gentle boil, undisturbed. Reduce the heat so that the sauce just simmers, and cook until sauce is thick and meatballs are tender , 45 minutes to 1 hour, stirring occasionally once the meatballs have firmed up and have begun floating in the sauce. Stir in the basil and oregano and season the sauce with salt to taste. If the sauce seems too acidic, add the evaporated milk and cook a few minutes longer. Serve the meatballs and sauce ladled over cooked pasta of choice, garnished with additional Parmesan cheese if desired.

Yield: About 10 large meatballs, 4 to 6 servings



NORTHERN ITALIAN–STYLE CHICKEN UNDER A BRICK
Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, from Emeril at the Grill, HarperStudio Publisher, New York, 2009, copyright MSLO, Inc., all rights reserved

1 cup olive oil
1⁄2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1⁄2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
One 3- to 31⁄2-pound chicken
2 bricks, completely wrapped in aluminum foil
2 teaspoons Emeril’s Original Essence or Creole Seasoning
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1⁄2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
Lemon slices, for garnishing

In a small mixing bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, lemon zest, orange zest, rosemary, thyme, parsley, kosher salt, and crushed red pepper. Mix to combine, and set the marinade aside.

Place the chicken on a cutting board. With a boning knife and/or poultry scissors, cut along both sides of the backbone and remove it. Place the chicken skin side down, and using a paring or small boning knife, cut underneath and around the breastbone on both sides, cutting the cartilage away from the flesh so that you can work your fingers underneath the bone, and then carefully remove the breastbone. The chicken should now lie flat like an open book. Tuck the wing tips behind the wing joint that meets the breast. Cut small slits in the skin that hangs beneath the thighs, and tuck the tips of the drumstick bones inside. Place the chicken in a 13 X 9-inch nonreactive baking dish, and pour the marinade over it. Refrigerate, covered, for at least 2 hours and up to 6 hours, turning the chicken occasionally in the marinade.

Preheat the oven to 500°F, and preheat a grill to medium-low.

Heat the bricks in the oven for 20 minutes. (Alternatively, heat the bricks on the grill for 30 minutes.)

Remove the chicken from the marinade (discard the marinade), and season it on both sides with the Original Essence, salt, and white pepper.

Place the chicken, skin side down, on the grill, and set the bricks on top of the chicken to cover it completely and flatten it. Cook until the skin has nice grill marks, about 15 minutes. Then turn the chicken 45 degrees and cook until a second set of grill marks forms, creating a crosshatch pattern, about 15 minutes longer.

Using pot holders or thick kitchen towels, remove the bricks and set them aside. Carefully turn the chicken over so that it is now skin side up. Cook until the juices run clear and an instant-read
Thermometer inserted into the deepest portion of the thigh registers 165°F, about 15 minutes. Remove the chicken from the grill, place it on a cutting board, and let it rest for 5 minutes. Then cut the chicken into quarters, garnish with lemon slices, and serve immediately.

Note: The cooking time may vary slightly, depending on your grill.

4 servings




COOKING WITH YOUR KIDS
Aired Tuesday, October 11

HOMEMADE ALMOND BUTTER
Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, copyright MSLO, Inc., all rights reserved

2 cups blanched slivered almonds, toasted
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon raw sugar
1 pinch salt
1 tablespoon grapeseed or canola oil

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the almonds on a large baking sheet and bake until golden brown, about 7 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool completely on a wire rack.

Combine the almonds, honey, sugar, and salt in the food processor.  Slowly add the oil, and blend until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl if necessary.

Yield: 1 cup


GRILLED ALMOND BUTTER SANDWICHES WITH BANANAS AND SEMI SWEET CHOCOLATE
Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, copyright MSLO, Inc., all rights reserved

8 slices country white bread
2 tablespoons butter*
½ cup homemade almond butter
8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate 
4 small bananas cut into ¼ inch rounds


On a clean work surface lay out 4 slices of the bread. Spread butter on the outside of each piece, turn, and spread 2 tablespoons of the almond butter on 4 pieces of bread, place 2 ounces of chocolate on top of the almond buttered slices and then arrange the banana slices on top of the chocolate. Top with the remaining 4 slices of buttered bread, buttered sides facing out. Place 2 sandwiches at a time in a Panini maker or Emeril XL grill or grill pan (if using a grill, top with a sandwich press or heavy plate), and cook for 3 minutes or until crisp and just until the chocolate has melted. Repeat with the 2 remaining sandwiches. Slice sandwiches in half or in quarters and serve immediately.

*Alternately, heat 1 tablespoon of butter in a sauté pan and when hot and bubbly add 2 sandwiches to the pan. Cook for 2 minutes per side or until the bread is golden brown and the chocolate has melted. Repeat this process with the 2 remaining sandwiches.

Yield: 4 sandwiches

  • Cooks note: The sandwiches can be made with a variety of ingredients. For example, replace the chocolate with 1 tablespoon of honey or add cherry or plum jam instead of the bananas and chocolate.
  • We have also used almond butter to make almond milk shakes.
  • Spread on celery or apple slices for a healthy snack.
  • Almond butter can be substituted anywhere peanut butter or other nut butters are used.


ALMOND BUTTER MILKSHAKE
Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, copyright MSLO, Inc., all rights reserved

2 pints vanilla ice cream
2 cups whole milk
½ cup almond butter

In a blender, combine the ice cream, milk, and almond butter. Blend until smooth. Pour into ice cream parlor glasses. Serve immediately.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings


FRENCH BREAD PIZZA SANDWICHES WITH SWEET ITALIAN SAUSAGE
Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, adapted from Sizzling Skillets and Other One Pot Wonders, Harper Collins Publisher, 2011, copyright MSLO, Inc., all rights reserved

8 tablespoons (one stick) unsalted butter
2 teaspoons minced garlic
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1 loaf French or Italian bread, about 22-inches long
1 tablespoon olive oil
1½ pounds sweet Italian sausage, casings removed and crumbled
2 cups Emeril’s Kicked Up Tomato sauce, or other marinara sauce
8 ounces mozzarella cheese, grated
8 ounces fontina cheese, grated
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme for serving, optional
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes for serving, optional
¼ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese for serving, optional
Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling, optional

Preheat the oven to 400° F and line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper for easier clean-up.

Melt the butter in a small pan and combine with the garlic, salt, lemon juice, and parsley.

Cut the bread in half, and then slice the bread horizontally.  You will have 4-sections.  Using your fingers, gently scoop and discard some of the soft, inner part of the thickest bread, leaving a one-inch-thick shell.  Brush the shells with the garlic butter, and place them on the prepared baking sheet. 

Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat.  Add the sausage and cook, stirring as needed, until browned and fat is rendered, about 8 minutes.  Remove the sausage from the pan with a slotted spoon to drain and set aside. 

Divide the sauce evenly among the bread and spread with a spoon.  Divide the mozzarella and fontina evenly among the bread over the sauce. Top the garlic bread with the sausage, then the thyme, red pepper flakes and parmesan, if desired.  Place bread in the oven and bake for 8 to 10 minutes until hot and bubbly.  Serve immediately, drizzled with extra virgin olive oil, if desired.

Yield:  4 pizza sandwiches


EMERIL’S MAC AND CHEESE
Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, copyright MSLO, Inc., all rights reserved

1 pound elbow macaroni
1 ¼ cups whole milk
½ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg, optional
8 ounces grated cheddar cheese
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add enough salt to make the water taste salty. Add the elbow macaroni and cook until tender, according to package directions.

Drain the pasta in a colander and return the pasta back to the pot. Cover and cook over low heat until all the water has evaporated, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add the milk, salt, pepper, butter, nutmeg, if desired,  and the cheese and stir well until all of the cheese has melted. If necessary turn the burner on a very low heat to melt the remaining cheese.

Serve immediately, garnished with more parmesan cheese if desired.

Yield: 3 quarts, 6 to 8 servings


Log Haven Celebrating 17th Anniversary with Dinner For Two Drawing


From its very inception, when it was built as an anniversary gift from a steel baron to his wife, to today, with current national recognition by Travel & Leisure as one of "America's Most Romantic Restaurants,"  Log Haven has been associated with romance and celebration.  This November, Log Haven continues its romantic tradition with a special Anniversary Celebration. Diners at Log Haven from November 1-23, 2011 will be entered into a drawing to win Dinner for Two. Seventeen lucky diners will each win a dinner for two, and can return anytime in 2012 to enjoy dinner courtesy of Log Haven. (Alcohol, tax and gratuities are, as always, not included in this prize and are the responsibility of the winning diners.)
In its 17-year history as a fine dining establishment, Log Haven has amassed many accolades for its outstanding cuisine, gracious service and romantic ambience, but just as important as awards are the relationships created with customers over the years. Owner/Operator Margo Provost comments  “Holidays, birthdays, engagements and of course anniversaries...Log Haven has become a cherished way to mark the important milestones in life. It felt natural to make our anniversary celebration a way to also give back to our cherished customers. We’re looking forward to seeing many happy couples celebrate with us this coming year.”

Log Haven, a 91 year old log mansion, was transformed into a fine dining destination in 1994 when Margo Provost purchased and renovated the beloved Utah landmark. Now an elegant yet rustic retreat, Log Haven has become a favorite destination for fine dining, weddings, anniversaries, and corporate events, as well as special seasonal events like "Haunted Haven" and "Dog Days of Summer."  

Thursday, October 13, 2011

5th Annual Local First Utah Fundraiser - Celebrate the Bounty

"Celebrate The Bounty" takes place Thursday, October 20, 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm at

 the Salt Lake Hardware building, 105 N. 400 West, Salt Lake City. 

What is it? 
» An opportunity to try local food (and drink) from the best local Utah restaurants and producers.
» A great party featuring jazzy sounds of The Daniel Day Trio.
» A chance to recognize our local movers and shakers with the 2nd Annual LocalMotives Awards!
» A fundraiser to benefit Local First Utah that works to strengthen Utah's local economy and communities through education and public awareness!
» And finally, a social soiree with likeminded locavores that you do not want to miss!

  • Tickets are $50/each or $40/each (with purchase of 2 or more).
  • Tickets at the Door/Day Of - $50 each
  • Purchase tickets online -