Harvey Morris

Desserts

Chicago Mix Brownie Cookies

Happy National Brownie Day, y’all! I am excited to share a recipe for brownie cookies that I’ve “jacked up” with some Garrett’s Cheddar cheese and Caramel Crisp popcorn!

My advice: buy a larger bag than what you need for the recipe. If you’re like me, half of it will be gone by the time you start baking in the kitchen. It’s hard to resist Garrett Popcorn!

The contrast of savory Cheddar cheese and sweet Caramel Crisp popcorn is genius on its own. But wrapped inside a brownie cookie takes it to a whole other level of decadence and goodness.

Chicago Mix Brownie Cookies

Rating: 51

Cook Time: 16 minutes

Yield: 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients

12 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips (about 2 cups)

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

6 tablespoons butter, room temperature

1 cup brown sugar

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 cups Garrett Popcorn Chicago Mix flavor

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.

In a microwave-safe bowl, heat the chocolate chips on high for about two minutes. Stir with a spatula to facilitate the melting process. Continue heating in microwave in additional 30-second intervals, and stirring after each interval. Be careful not to burn the chocolate. Stirring after each interval will ensure the chocolate melts evenly and the chocolate will continue to melt while you are stirring. Stir until completely melted; set aside and let cool.

In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl (or mixing bowl of a stand mixer), beat together butter and brown sugar (about two minutes on medium speed). Add eggs and vanilla, beating until combined.

With mixer on low speed, alternately beat in chocolate and flour mixtures. Mix just until combined. Fold in the Chicago Mix popcorn. The dough will be very thick and the popcorn will begin to breakdown in the batter.

Drop dough by heaping tablespoons, two inches apart, onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 12 to 16 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit for two minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool completely.

http://bakedchicago.com/chicago-mix-brownie-cookies/

Gifts & Gadgets

Ultimate Foodie Holiday Gift Guide 2014

The holidays can sometimes be hectic, especially when trying to find the right gifts for the serious foodies in your life. Consider me your personal shopping assistant. To save you time and frustration, I’ve pulled together a list of my favorite go-to holiday gifts for 2014. Be sure to grab one for yourself while you’re at it – and make the holidays merry and bright!

For the coffee lover on-the-go:

The JOCO glass reusable coffee cup is barista- and Mother Nature-certified. Available in radiant, eye-popping colors (blue, red, yellow, green, white, black and orange), the JOCO glass coffee cups are stylish, sturdy and a smart solution for enjoying cup after cup of joe. The glass never affects the coffee’s flavor and the container is BPA free. JOCO are the ‘cups that care.’

Take this glass coffee cup anywhere you’d jolt some java. Perfect for in the car, at the office, and even at your local Starbucks.

For the holiday host or hostess:

A favorite holiday gift of mine for over a decade, you’ll find Mint Melts at Crate & Barrel (in-store and online). These smooth mint creams are sandwiched between layers of premium dark chocolate. If you have the will power, keep a tin in your hall closet for those last-minute holiday party invites.

Absolutely a piece of mint chocolate heaven on earth!

For the movie night fan:

It’s no secret that one of the best parts of the movie experience is the fresh buttered popcorn! Now Urban Accents (located in Chicago’s Ravenswood neighborhood) has made popcorn the star with this Blockbuster Movie Night Ultimate Popcorn Lovers Collection that will satisfy savory, tangy, sweet and cheesy taste buds alike. This gift set includes premium White Gold, Jumbo, Tricolor Kernels, White Cheddar, Dill Pickle, Sweet & Salty Kettlecorn, Sea Salt & Vinegar Seasonings, and Buttery Caramel Corn Drizzle.

Everything that Urban Accents makes is original and oh-so-tasty. For a one-of-a-kind spicy gift, try their new Create Your Own Personalized Seasoning Blend. Simply take their quick spice quiz (only 4 questions!) and it will create a custom spice blend exclusively for you. You can even name your blend!

For the drinking buddy:

Get a jar of Ole Smoky Tennessee Moonshine in one of 18 uniquely original flavors, including Shine Nog, Strawberry Lightnin’, Harley-Davidson Road House Customs Charred, and Pumpkin Pie moonshine.

Ole Smoky comes in 40, 80 and 100+ proof, and are great for baking, cooking. Try the Apple Pie or Blackberry Moonshine flavors in your favorite brownie recipe for an extra kick.

For the discerning chocoholic:

For the chocolate lover with an adventurous palate, gift any of Vosges Haut-Chocolate’s mini chocolate bar libraries. Libraries were never sweeter!

Try the new Super Dark Chocolate Mini Bar Library or Mini Bacon Chocolate Bar Library flavors.

For the serious bacon aficionado:

VIP tickets to the 5th Annual Baconfest Chicago 2015, April 17-18, at UIC Forum. You’ll find hundreds of chefs, restaurants, and vendors featuring the very best in bacon.

You won’t find a larger gathering of porcine products under one roof anywhere in the Midwest. And Baconfest Chicago donates a portion of its proceeds to the Greater Chicago Food Depository, raising over $75,000 last year.

For the ladies who lunch:

Acclaimed Chicago chef Gale Gand shares her favorite lunchtime recipes in her latest cookbook, Gale Gand’s Lunch!.

If you’re a fan of breakfast foods any time of the day (like me), you’ve gotta try Gale Gand’s Brunch!: 100 Fantastic Recipes for the Weekend’s Best Meal.

For the beginning baker:

Download a free digital copy of Baked Chicago’s Simply Decadent Brownies Cookbook.

Available for free exclusively on Amazon.com (December 8 – National Brownie Day, of course! – through December 12).

Disclosure: I was given free samples from JOCO, Urban Accents, and Ole Smoky Tennessee Moonshine to review. I get no additional benefits for talking about these products or companies. All opinions about these products are 100% my own.

Breads/ Gluten-Free

A Gluten-Free Sandwich Starts With The Bread!

One of the most popular questions I get when I post a recipe is “Is the dish gluten-free?” or “Can you make a gluten-free version?” Sometimes the answers are harder than I’d like, because I’m not an authority on gluten-free foods. And you really have to pay attention to the ingredients you cook with: gluten can be hiding almost anywhere, including places you’d never suspect.

The reverse can also be true: many dishes are naturally gluten-free. It all depends on the kind of ingredients you’re using. Except for when a main ingredient is bread, which makes creating gluten-free sandwiches a challenge. Though I’m not an expert on all things gluten-free, I have a friend who is: Carlyn Berghoff. You may know Carlyn as the 4th-generation owner of The Berghoff Restaurant in Chicago’s Loop. Besides being an accomplished chef, caterer and businessperson, Carlyn is a mom to three teens – one of whom has celiac disease.

For the past few years, Carlyn has made it her mission to rid her home of gluten. She and her family have been sharing their journey to be gluten-free on GFFamilyFood.com. That’s where you’ll find this easy recipe for gluten-free sandwich bread, so you can have the foundation to create your own gluten-free sandwich masterpieces.

If you’ve not been to The Berghoff Restaurant lately, be sure to check out all the gluten-free options on the menu. One of the most festive places to be in Chicago during the holidays is inside The Berghoff Restaurant. My favorite is the giant nutcracker (he’s taller than me!) that greets you as you enter the restaurant. Stop by during the holidays, when the entire dining room is decked out, to take a photo with Santa or enjoy a slice of apple strudel (an authentic German holiday tradition).

IT’S NOT CHRISTMAS WITHOUT ‘DIE WEIHNACHTSGURKE’ (pickle in the tree)

From now until December 24 at The Berghoff Restaurant, any child (under the age of 12) who finds the pickle ornament in Berghoff’s Christmas tree, will receive a complimentary Berghoff Root Beer. Did you know that Berghoff’s makes its own orange, black cherry and root beer sodas? My favorite is the diet root beer. Yum!

Desserts

Rum-infused Bing Cherry & Chocolate Chip Olive Oil Cake

Growing up, I remember visiting relatives who lived on this massive farm. At least to a young kid, it seemed like the farm was so huge that it could have been a country all to its own. The one thing I remember most from those visits was the fun I had climbing a cherry tree in the back yard.

Not being much of an outdoorsman at age 10, I was proud that I could climb the tree on my own and hold court among the cherry blossoms. I thoroughly enjoyed picking fresh cherries from the tree and savoring their natural sweetness.

I’m sure if I had actually lived on that farm, I would have had the daily chore of cleaning up fallen cherries off the ground. And that might have ruined what was to become my life long love affair with cherries.

To this day, I love anything with dark, sweet cherries. So when cherries are at their peak, I get swept away walking through the produce aisles at the grocery store. Just luck at these cherries! Can you blame me? I actually bought a bag of sweet, dark Bing cherries and some Ranier cherries. I washed and pitted the cherries, freezing the Ranier cherries for a recipe on another day. I decided to macerate the Bing cherries in some Captain Morgan® 1671 rum. It’s a new, limited edition rum blend that commemorates Captain Morgan’s last flag ship, The Satisfaction. This Caribbean rum has aromas of sweet oak and dark fruit – with hints of chocolate. That makes it perfect for this olive oil cake with Bing cherries and dark chocolate chips. Macerating is just like marinating. I took a canning jar and filled it with pitted Bing cherries. Then I topped it off with Captain Morgan 1671 Rum. I let cherries soak for a few hours, but you could also let it soak overnight in the refrigerator. Just don’t throw out the rum after the cherries are done macerating! By itself it makes for a nice sipping companion while you’re baking – or a great addition to an ice cold Diet Coke. This batter is quite thick, so use a sturdy spatula or spoon when you start to incorporate the chocolate chips. You could also mix the Bing cherries into the batter, but I prefer to layer them evenly on the batter to ensure nearly every bite of this rich cake has a burst of rum-infused cherry in it.

I wonder what cherry-inspired desserts Martha Washington made for George? This cake is definitely good enough for even the most presidential guests at your dinner table. I like to serve this cake while it’s still warm. The chocolate, cherries and rum make for a seriously decadent flavor combination. Fresh Bing cherries and Caribbean spiced rum. Now that’s what summer should taste like!

Rum-infused Bing Cherry & Chocolate Chip Olive Oil Cake

Rating: 51

Yield: 12 servings

Rum-infused Bing Cherry & Chocolate Chip Olive Oil Cake

Ingredients

3 large eggs

1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

3 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/3 cup cornmeal

1 and 1/2 cups dark chocolate chips, divided

2 1/2 cups fresh Bing cherries, pitted

1 cup Captain Morgan® 1671 Commemorative Blend Spiced Rum

Instructions

In a resealable container, soak Bing cherries in 1 cup of rum. Let cherries macerate for at least a few hours, and up to 24 hours.

Preheat your oven to 350 F degrees. Lightly coat a 9" round cake pan with butter; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs and brown sugar for a few minutes, letting air incorporate into the mixture. Add vanilla, olive oil, lemon zest and lemon juice.

In a medium mixing bowl, stir together flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt. Add dry mixture to the wet mixture. Mix until combined; batter will be thick. With a spatula, stir in 1 cup chocolate chips.

Pour half of the batter into your prepared baking pan. Spread about 2 cups of cherries evenly. Save 1/2 cup of macerated cherries for a garnish. Spoon remaining batter over cherries; it's okay if the fruit peeks through the batter.

Bake until lightly golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean, about 35 to 40 minutes in a convection oven. If you use a non-convection oven, baking time will take a bit longer.

Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove cake from cake pan and let cool completely on a wire rack.

Cut cake and serve with reserved Bing cherries as garnish. Put remaining chocolate chips in microwave-safe bowl; heat on HIGH for 60 to 90 seconds or until melting process has just started. Remove from microwave and stir with teaspoon until completely melted. Drizzle warm chocolate over slices and Bing cherry garnish; serve immediately.

http://bakedchicago.com/rum-infused-bing-cherry-chocolate-chip-olive-oil-cake/

Disclosure: I was given a free sample of Captain Morgan® 1671 Commemorative Blend to review. I get no additional benefits for talking about this product or company. All opinions about this product are 100% my own.

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Gifts & Gadgets

Cleaning Up After Four Crazy Pugs With Swiffer WetJet

I was beyond excited when a #BigGreenBox arrived at my doorstep. Little did I know that its contents would make cleaning up after four (yes, four!) crazy pugs an easier task – and leave more time for fun with Bing, Baxter, Della and Marlo.

Inside was the Swiffer® WetJet. Now I’m a long-time Swiffer Sweeper user, but I’ve never tried the Swiffer WetJet.

The Swiffer Sweeper is great for picking up dust and dog hair. With four pugs, there’s dog hair everywhere. If you didn’t know, pugs actually have two coats of fur (an overcoat and an undercoat), so they SHED BIG TIME. Bing and Baxter, my boys, are dark apricot fawn pugs so their fur is easy to spot on the couch but not so easy to see on the hard wood floors. And Marlo and Della, my black pug girls, leave a trail of black fur everywhere. Keeping the floors clean from dirt and dog hair is a daily chore.

Readers of Baked Chicago know I hate doing dishes, and really any type of clean up. But I like having a clean house and especially a clean kitchen. I do have a weekly maid service that comes in to “power clean” the bathrooms and dust everything (I’m highly allergic to dust and pollen) but in between the weekly cleanings life happens.

So I’m constantly cleaning up muddy paw prints, shedding hair and the occasional human spills. [Yes, even a neat freak like me has been known to drop an egg on the floor or spill baking ingredients while whipping up a batch of brownies. What can I say? Culinary artistry isn’t always pretty.]

Prior to getting the Swiffer WetJet, I’d either use a wet rag or my Swiffer Sweeper with a wet cloth to clean up a dirty mess. But the Swiffer WetJet is so much more convenient because it’s got the cleaning solution built into the handle. And when you store it with the attached pads, you literally can grab it at the first moment a spill or dirty accident happens and use it immediately.

I used it on my kitchen hardwood floors and I was able to attack the dirt faster than any other method I’ve tried before. Less time cleaning means more time to play with the pugs. And everybody in my household likes that!
We take turns in this house with weekly chores. It’s Marlo and Della’s turn to help clean the floors. Bing and Baxter are supervising our work from the couch. That counts as a chore, too!

When I think back to growing up, my mom pretty much took care of cleaning the entire house until we all got old enough to help out. With two sisters and three brothers, there was no division of labor along gender roles. Everyone helped make the mess, so everyone had to help clean up. Admittedly, I wasn’t the tidiest kid until after college. Suddenly when you’re the only one responsible for taking care of yourself you learn that it doesn’t get done if you don’t do it.
This floor is sure to pass the #MomTest thanks to help from Della and Marlo.

Part of this product review for #CleverGirls was to spread the #SwifferEffect by giving a second #BigGreenBox to a non-Swiffer user who could use some cleaning help. I immediately thought of my younger brother, who has two pre-teen sons and more pets than I can count. [Don’t be insulted, Sam, but I chose you!]
It’s time to spread the #SwifferEffect and I’ve nominated my brother Sam. No shade. Just sayin’.

Check out this fun video with Eric Stonestreet and his mom.

I know exactly how he feels. Like Eric, I’m glad I’ve got my “army of Swiffers” to count on to keep my house clean and give me more time to play with my pugs.

Fall in line Swiffer Duster, Swiffer Sweeper and Swiffer WetJet. Forward march!

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Beverages

Add Sparkle to Your Weekend Routine

Chores are defined as unpleasant but necessary routine tasks. Well, my weekends are full of them! Chores, routines, and tasks. So I’m always looking for new ways to add sparkle to my weekend routine by removing the “bore” from the chore.

Add Sparkle To Cooking For The Masses

Like most people, I find it challenging to find the time to cook every night of the week. So I spend Sunday afternoon cooking up two or three recipes in large batches…enough that I’ve got three or four lunches and as many dinners that I can quickly reheat as the week goes along. And as much pleasure as I get from cooking, when you cook in such large quantities it’s not really relaxing – and it’s easy to fall into a rut.

Spending so much time around the stove and kitchen island prepping and cooking food, I like to make sure I have some fresh cut flowers in my line of sight. They really do add something almost magically beautiful to the kitchen landscape.

Did you know that adding a 1/4 cup of seltzer water will help keep your flowers fresh? It works on plants, too. Carbonated water can provide macronutrients, such as potassium, phosphorous, sodium, hydrogen and oxygen. All are essential ingredients, absorbed by the roots of the plant, that will speed the plant’s overall growth.

Add Sparkle To Running Errands

Running around in the car on a hot summer day is tiring and dehydrating. I like to put a bottle of sparkling seltzer water in the freezer for 15 minutes before I head out the door. Then I grab my keys, seltzer and I’m ready to hit the road.

In between my errands to the dry cleaners, grocery store and pharmacy, I find that drinking ‘deep-chilled’ seltzer water keeps me hydrated, refreshed and less likely to be tempted for a fast food snack. It doesn’t weigh me down the way colas can in oppressive heat – and I’m able to stay focused (and safe) with my full attention on the road.

I’m a nerd for new products. So it’s easy to get me distracted at the grocery store or to lose track of time by going leisurely from aisle to aisle. To make sure I don’t waste time, I make a list BEFORE heading out to the store. I organize the items on my list in the order I’ll find the products INSIDE the store. That way as I go from Produce to Bakery to Meats to Frozen, I have everything grouped for easy access. And if I don’t have any items on my list for, say, the Bakery Department, I skip it altogether. Less temptation, more time for something else.

But I’m not totally inflexible. I do allow myself ONE purchase of an item not on my list. That way I can indulge in moderation, while still staying on track for time and budget.

Add Sparkle To The Never Ending Laundry Pile

With four dogs, it feels like the laundry is never done. And while I’ve successfully avoided using the washer and dryer for up to 10 days (my personal record – so far), letting the laundry pile up makes doing the laundry even worse when I finally face it head on.

So I’ve learned the best way is to keep at it throughout the week – just like doing dishes – so you never have more than 2 or 3 loads TOPS to wash, dry and fold. And as much as I’m tempted to drink while doing laundry, I don’t. You see my washer and dryer are in the basement of my 120-year old house. I have to go down very deep and crooked steps to get to the basement. If I had more than a small alcoholic drink, I’d surely tumble to a fate full of pain.

Instead, I opt for virgin mimosas. I can imagine I’m on a tropical vacation in my mind, while still folding sober.

I found Canada Dry Sparkling Seltzer Water in the Flavored Water aisle at my local Walmart store on this #shop for #Collective Bias. Before you head to your Walmart store, click here to save $1.75 off when you share this page.

Don’t care to share? You can still save by printing this coupon for $0.75 off your next Canada Dry Sparkling Seltzer Water purchase.

How do you #AddSparkle to your routine?

Entrees/ Events & Entertaining

Talking About Culinary Fight Club

The first rule of Fight Club is you do not talk about Fight Club! Well I’m not Brad Pitt, so I’m going to break the rules and talk about the upcoming Culinary Fight Club TasteBud Challenge set for August 21.

Culinary Fight Club 1

Never heard of the Culinary Fight Club? The Culinary Fight Club produces live monthly cooking competitions in Chicago called “TasteBud Challenges.” It’s been recently selected as an official qualifying event for the World Food Championships in Vegas, where chefs of all levels go to compete for the “Golden Ticket” and win their spot in the highest stakes “Food Sport” Competition in the world!

Culinary Fight Club 2

One of the things that impresses me about Culinary Fight Club is its focus on #payingitforward. All ticket proceeds benefit Fight2Feed, a Charitable Organization on a mission to “KO” hunger in Chicago.

The theme of the next TasteBud Challenge (August 21) is “The Amazing Culinary Fight Club Race.” [Every month has a new theme.] Competing chefs will have to drive to different restaurants around Chicago to pick up their ingredients. [My advice to the competitors: Uber!]

Culinary Fight Club 1a

One of this week’s competing teams is Pure Kitchen Catering, led by Chef Andrew. He looks very confident and calm!

Chef Andrew is kindly sharing his recipe for Stuffed, Braised Short Rib Prime Burgers. Now that’s what I call inventive. I think I’m going to try this recipe out for my Labor Day weekend barbecue.

I can’t wait to see what Chef Andrew’s team whips up at the next Culinary Fight Club TasteBud Challenge on August 21. Tickets are available on Eventbrite. Good luck to all the competitors – and may the best food win!

Stuffed, Braised Short Rib Prime Burger

Ingredients

8 oz boneless short ribs

8 oz grass-fed prime ground beef

1 farm egg

1 ½ cups mirepoix

½ bottle red wine

2 cloves garlic

2 cups beef stock

1 bouquet garni

2 slices white Cheddar

1 brioche hamburger bun

1 slice heirloom tomato

Arugula, enough for burger

1 oz garlic aïoli

½ stick unsalted butter

salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

In a medium skillet sear off your short ribs seasoned with salt and pepper. Add vegetables and cook till soft, deglaze with garlic and wine, add the short ribs to a dutch oven or a roasting pan and add beef broth and wine/vegetable mixture, toss in bouquet garni, braise meat for three hours at 350 until buttery tender. Let cool to stuff the burger.

Split your 8 oz burger in half and patty into discs, make a divot in the center and add the short ribs, make sure is not too much leave a length around patty so it will bind with other patty, form other patty into same size and mold over the short ribs, set in fridge to set the patty so it does not fall apart when cooking.

In a medium sauté pan add some olive oil to coat pan on high heat, season and sear burger on high heat on both sides, add butter and baste until nice and browned. Top with cheese and roast at 350 for 5 mins for med rare. In that time cook your egg and arrange your garnishes(bun,arugula, tomato, aïoli) enjoy!!

Notes

This recipe is from Chef Andrew of Pure Kitchen Catering

http://bakedchicago.com/talking-culinary-fight-club/

Beverages

National Rum Day: Captain Morgan’s #CaptainRumDay Competition

To celebrate National Rum Day (August 16), I’m participating in the Captain Morgan® #CaptainRumDay challenge. I was asked to create an original cocktail recipe using Captain Morgan White Rum with at least two of eight unconventional ingredients that would arrive in a special delivery.

When I opened the box, I found chocolate, bacon, sriracha, pistachios, BBQ sauce, red licorice, salsa, and potato chips. [If you don’t see the chocolate, your eyes aren’t failing you. The bar had melted in the heat, but luckily hadn’t leaked. So after it solidified at room temperature, I ate it.]

With so many flavor combination options, I didn’t know which direction I should take. I asked myself, “What would Pam like?” You see, my good friend Pam was celebrating her birthday this week, so I had been thinking about her.

Every August, she takes an extended family vacation with her daughter and grand kids at this cozy lakefront house in Michigan. Pam’s a vegetarian (mostly – except for bacon) and she really enjoys savory flavors. And while she likes dark chocolate, it’s salty and crunchy – with a little bit of spice – that is her absolute favorite.

So I selected to work with three unconventional ingredients in this Captain Morgan #CaptainRumDay original cocktail challenge: bacon, potato chips and sriracha hot sauce.

I took a slice of a Michigan peach, marinated it in some sriracha. Then I combined Captain Morgan white rum with light cran-raspberry juice and a splash of light orange juice over ice in a shaker.

After pouring the cocktail in a martini glass, I dredged the peach slice in crushed potato chips and wrapped it in a slice of bacon. The perfect savory, salty and spicy garnish for a summery smooth drink.

And I’ve named it Pam’s Summer Escape in honor of my friend, Pam. Cheers!

Pam's Summer Escape

Rating: 51

Yield: 1 serving

Ingredients

1 slice Michigan peach

1 dash sriracha sauce

1 ounce Captain Morgan White Rum

3 ounces light cranberry-raspberry juice

1/4 ounce light orange juice

ice

2 potato chips, finely crushed

1 slice thick-cut fully cooked bacon

Instructions

Marinate peach slice in sriracha sauce. Set aside.

Mix Captain Morgan White Rum, cranberry-raspberry juice and orange juice in a shaker over ice. Pour into martini glass.

Dredge peach slice in crushed potato chips, then wrap with bacon. Skewer and serve on the rim of the glass. Cheers!

http://bakedchicago.com/national-rum-day-captainrumday-competition/

Disclosure: I was given a free sample of Captain Morgan® White Rum and eight unconventional ingredients for use in this challenge. I get no additional benefits for talking about this product or company. All opinions about this product are 100% my own.

Gifts & Gadgets

Urban Accents® Gourmet Spices & Blends

Whether you’re an experienced master chef or you just like to dabble in cooking at home on the weekends, the most important tools in your kitchen to make your culinary creations the most delicious they can be are found in your spice cabinet.

High-quality spices and spice blends can turn a bland dish into a flavor burst that you’d want on the menu for your last meal on earth. Personally, I love to experiment with different spice blends to turn some of my favorite comfort foods (like an omelet for a weekend brunch) into a new flavor experience. That’s why I was delighted to discover a local Chicago company called Urban Accents®, which specializes in gourmet spices and spice blends.

I’d seen them in my local grocery store, but it wasn’t until the International Home & Housewares Show this past spring that I really learned about the wide variety of products they have – and they are literally less than 4 miles from my home. Now that’s local food sourcing!

Over the course of several weeks, I tried a wide range of spices and spice blends in a variety of foods, including: Italian meatballs, Brussels sprouts, turkey burgers, omelets, meat loaf, cooked carrots and fresh corn on the cob.

Urban Accents Very Veggie - Vegetable Lovers Collection

Photo courtesy of Urban Accents® Gourmet Spices & Blends

The Very Veggie Vegetable Lovers Collection is a gift box that is jam packed with gluten-free spice blends perfect for fall root vegetables. It includes:

Balsamic & Roasted Onion Veggie Roaster — A blend of onions, balsamic, garlic, brown sugar, sea salt and spices
Parmesan Mediterranean Veggie Roaster — A blend of Parmesan cheese, lemon peel, onion, garlic and spices. Contains: dairy
Sweet & Spicy Moroccan Veggie Roaster — Moroccan-inspired blend of paprika, chili, garlic, cinnamon, mint and more.
Asian Curry & Honey Veggie Roaster — Asian-inspired blend of honey, cumin, cayenne, vanilla and spices.
Chipotle Parmesan Corn Cob Shaker — A slightly spicy blend of chipotle, parmesan, salt and garlic.
Chili Lime Corn Cob Shaker — A spicy combination of Serrano chiles, lime and sea salt.
Sweet & Tangy Pickling Spice — A traditional 10-spice blend of coriander, mustard seed, allspice, ginger and more.

Urban Accents Grill Master - Complete Grilling Collection

Photo courtesy of Urban Accents® Gourmet Spices & Blends

The Grill Master Complete Grilling Collection is a carnivore’s dream. It contains:

Chicago Steak & Chop — The ultimate windy city blend of sea salt, pepper, garlic & red pepper for beef and pork. Sugar Free.
Kansas City Classic Rub — Sweet & spicy grilling and roasting blend of brown sugar, ancho, chipotle and allspice.
Argentina Steak Rub — A unique Chimichurri blend of red pepper, oregano, sea salt & citrus. Sugar Free.
Sonoma Pepper — Citrus peels, garlic & Tellicherry pepper. The perfect topper for veggies and peppered beef. Sugar Free & Salt Free.
Vermont Grill Dryglaze — Maple sugar melts with sage and thyme for a rich-tasting.
Santa Fe BBQ Dryglaze — Honey granules melt with chili pepper and garlic for sweet-heat BBQ flavor.
Athenian Herb Dryglaze — Honey granules melt with thyme & sundried tomato for light Grecian flavors.
Mandarin Ginger Dryglaze — Demarara sugar melts with horseradish powder, orange peel & garlic. Contains: Wheat

With so many spice options, I did have a favorite. I’m fond of pepper. If you forced me to choose between salt and pepper, pepper would usually win for me. I found the Sonoma Pepper to be exceptionally versatile, working well in meatballs, on potatoes and in eggs. The hint of citrus and garlic really elevates the pepper flavor. I use it instead of ground black pepper now for most dishes. My peppermill has become jealous!

I also enjoyed the Corn On The Cob seasonings. I microwaved fresh corn on the cob (5 minutes on high) and brushed each ear with butter. Then I sprinkled generously on the corn. I think the Chili Lime seasoning was my favorite between the two.

And you could also use these spice blends on popcorn just as easily. Melt a little butter to drizzle on the popped corn, then sprinkle with Urban Accents and gently toss.

Of course, I had to try the Chicago Steak & Chop spice blend in hand-made Italian meatballs. Urban Accents calls it “The ultimate windy city blend of sea salt, pepper, garlic & red pepper.” I would totally agree. BEST. MEATBALLS. EVER.

All of the packaging for Urban Accents has a minimalist appearance, yet it’s cool while also being quite practical. I really enjoyed the recipe suggestions and tips found on the outside of every bottle, bag or container. Those recipe tips inspired me to take the Balsamic & Roasted Onion Veggie Roaster and add it to the grilled onions that became part of my famous Patty Melt.

You can see how delicious it was. I still have day dreams about that Patty Melt. It was that good.

Urban Accents line of products is quite expansive. They now carry BBQ sauces from Lillie’s Q – a popular Chicago BBQ joint.

If you’re looking for a gift for the foodie in your life, you can’t go wrong with any of the gourmet gift selections. This year, I’m asking Santa for the Blockbuster Movie Night Popcorn and Fabulous Foodie Spice Blend Collection, which has 24 globally-inspired, blended spices. They’re color-coded by World Flavor: American Adventures, Pan Asian Flavor, Global Exotics, Latin Heat and Old World Classics.

I guess that means I’m going to have to be extra good through December 25!

Disclosure: I was given a free sample of Urban Accents®’ Very Veggie and Grill Master gift sets to review. I get no additional benefits for talking about this product or company. All opinions about this product are 100% my own.

Kitchen Confessions

When It Counts: A Smooth Shave Puts My Best Face Forward

I’ve always had sensitive skin. So I tend to avoid shaving until the very last possible moment. And during the summer, I get even lazier – only shaving when I’ve got an important event like a family wedding, a business meeting with a new client or when I’m meeting someone for the very first time. But truth be told, for me the best way to make a solid first impression is always a clean shave.

Being part Native American, my facial hair doesn’t grow in thick. So I could not shave for five years and never look like anything close to Grizzly Adams. But my face and neck do get fuzzy. And now that I’ve passed middle age, some of that is growing in as gray fuzz. Not pretty. Not sexy.

I also work from a home office on most days, so my interaction with clients is often limited to telephone or email. Even when I Skype, I don’t use the video feature. So when I finally do have an important face-to-face meeting to prepare for, I rely on my Gillette Fusion ProGlide. I’ve been a loyal customer for decades; I like how close a shave I can get with the five stacked blades. And it’s a huge time saver!

When #CollectiveBias asked me to participate in this #SmoothSummer campaign, I was excited to try the new FlexBall Technology that’s built into the handle. I ran over to my neighborhood Walmart and easily found it in the RAZORS aisle.

shave #SmoothSummer #CollectiveBias

I tend to work with clients on multi-month engagements, so I only do about half a dozen new client pitches each year. So when I do have a meeting with a potential new client, it’s important. I don’t get a second chance to make a good first impression. And a fuzzy face just won’t cut it.

I was curious just “how different” this new Gillette razor would be compared to the previous ProGlide razor I’d been using. I was honestly surprised just how much the FlexBall hugs the curves and contours of my face. [When you have a ‘fat face’ like me, there are lots of curves and contours!] And on those mornings when it’s a little harder to wake up, my eyes just follow the “bouncing” orange ball!

That “baby smooth face guy” is about to make an appearance in the mirror.

Ouch! My face feels like a porcupine! Thankfully this new Gillette ProGlide Razor with FlexBall Technology is tough enough to tame my face and nimble enough to handle the curves.

As much as I like not having to shave in the summer, when it counts you’ve got to go smooth to put your best face forward. I’d hire me!

#SmoothSummer #CollectiveBias shave

Follow Hairspray and HighHeels’s board Smooth Faces of Summer on Pinterest.

Entrees

Salad Dressing Recipe Mash-up Goes Swimmingly With Fish Tacos

Mediterranian-inspired Fish Tacos #FoodDeservesDelicious #CollectiveBias #shop, salad dressing recipe, Zesty Italian, Ranch

I’m always on the lookout for new ways to use pantry staples. When you use the same brands year after year, you can take for granted all its uses. Specifically, I was looking for a salad dressing recipe that would bring a bold and zesty flavor – yet creamy texture – to my Mediterranean-inspired Fish Tacos. My #FoodDeservesDelicious, so I was prepared to find just the right salad dressing that would inspire a Mediterranean flavor. After lots of tasty trials, the answer wasn’t a single salad dressing but a mash-up of Kraft’s Classic Ranch and Zesty Italian dressings.

The new Kraft Pourables have been reinvented with a new, better taste. This blend definitely gives an extra zing to my fish tacos. Kraft’s Classic Ranch is creamier, with more buttermilk (yum!) and savory herbs. On this #shop for #CollectiveBias, I discovered that it blends extremely well with sour cream to balance with Kraft’s Zesty Italian dressing, which has even more herbs and spices. I found Kraft Zesty Italian and Classic Ranch dressings in the Salad Dressings Aisle at my local Walmart.

The key to Mediterranean food is fresh ingredients. And these Fish Tacos are filled to the gills with fresh veggies, like baby spinach, cucumbers, tomatoes, sweet peppers, red onion and black olives. It’s like a mini farmer’s market in every flour tortilla!

After getting all of my ingredients mise en place, I combined the Kraft Classic Ranch dressing and some sour cream. It goes in the fridge until we’re ready to eat.

In a mixing bowl, combine all the prepared fresh vegetables. Drizzle generously with Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing, and gently toss to coat. You want the onions, sweet peppers, cucumber, black olives, and tomatoes to absorb all the savory herbs while you prepare the fish tenders. Cover the vegetable mixture with plastic wrap or put in a resealable container and refrigerate.

Then bake your fish tenders (I like to use tilapia, but any white fish would be equally delish) according to package directions. About 5 minutes before the fish is done, start warming your flour tortillas according to package directions.

Now you’re ready to assemble. This is an easy weeknight dinner that allows everybody to customize their own fish tacos (make mine with extra Kraft cheese, please!).

Place a fish tender in the center of the tortilla. Pile on heaping spoonfuls of veggies with Zesty Italian dressing. Sprinkle with cheese. And top it with a dollop of Classic Ranch-sour cream.

Most of the ingredients in this recipe are plug-and-play, which means use whatever fresh vegetables you’ve got in stock and your favorite shredded cheese blend.

And I highly recommend trying your hand at mashing up your favorite Kraft Pourables to create your own custom salad dressing recipe. What Kraft dressing flavors would you choose to mash-up?

Mediterranean-inspired Fish Tacos

Rating: 51

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

1/2 cup Ranch Dressing

1 cup sour cream

1 cup cucumber, diced

1 cup black olives, halved

1 cup sweet peppers, diced

1 medium red onion, diced

2 cups baby spinach, shredded

2 cups tomatoes, diced

1/2 cup Zesty Italian Dressing

2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

14 ounces frozen breaded white fish tenders, about 6 servings (e.g. tilapia or cod)

8 8-inch flour tortillas

Instructions

Mix together ranch dressing and sour cream in a resealable container. Refrigerate while preparing remaining ingredients.

In a mixing bowl, combine cucumber, black olives, sweet peppers, red onion, baby spinach, and tomatoes. Drizzle with Italian dressing and gently toss to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let vegetables marinate in the refrigerator while cooking fish tenders, according to package directions.

Heat six flour tortillas, according to package directions. Place one fish tender on each tortilla and top with Zesty Italian vegetable mixture and a generous dollop of the Ranch dressing-sour cream mixture. Serve immediately.

http://bakedchicago.com/salad-dressing-recipe-for-fish-tacos/

Entrees/ Snacks & Candies

Hot Sauce Recipes For Movie Night

Summer movie night at home means dinner and a movie – with snacks! Dinner needs to be simple, but that doesn’t mean it has to be boring. So I decided to give my go-to recipes for turkey meatloaf and popcorn a new twist with habanero hot sauce from El Yucateco. These hot sauce recipes add bold flavor and heat.

At my house, summer movie night is all about catching up on movies I never got around to seeing at the theater. And there are A LOT of them! It’s also about binge watching the latest seasons of “Orange is the New Black,” “Veep,” and “House of Cards.” [I think Netflix wins the award for best TV network this season!]

So I headed over to my neighborhood Target store on this shop for #CollectiveBias to pick up some El Yucateco Habanero Hot Sauce – which I found in the ethnic foods aisle. I got Red Habanero Hot Sauce and Green Habanero Hot Sauce to bring some excitement to these comfort food staples.

This turkey meatloaf recipe is MEGA because it has twice the meat, twice the spice and twice the cheese! It stands tall on the plate – and it’s a hearty mouthful of cheesy, spicy goodness!

If you think this meatloaf recipe is a twist on a patty melt because of the buttery grilled onions, you have read my mind! That was definitely my inspiration for stuffing the meatloaf with cheese and grilled onions.

To get started, you need to slowly cook a large yellow onion in butter on medium-low heat. The key to perfect grilled onions is slow cooking – with an occasional stir – until the onions turn lightly golden brown and translucent.

While the onions cook, mix together the ground turkey with sea salt, ground black pepper and Worcestershire sauce. These are very simple ingredients. But they season the ground turkey well to balance the spicy grilled onions. Put half of the turkey mix in the bottom of a standard loaf pan. Then layer two slices of Swiss cheese; set aside.

When the onions are fully cooked, add the red habanero hot sauce and gently stir. Then spoon the onion mixture on top of the cheese. Layer two more slices of cheese, then top with the remaining ground turkey mixture. Pop it in the oven for about 50 minutes and you’ve got a hearty dinner filled with bubbling cheese and steamy, spicy onions. Now that’s BIG FLAVOR!

This mega cheesy spicy stuffed turkey meatloaf also is great the next day. Slice it up for an out-of-the-ordinary meatloaf sandwich. [I recommend a crusty rye or sourdough bread.]

Mega Cheesy, Spicy Stuffed Turkey Meatloaf

Rating: 51

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Yield: 6 servings

Mega Cheesy, Spicy Stuffed Turkey Meatloaf

Ingredients

1 large yellow onion, skinned, halved and sliced

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons El Yucateco Red Habanero Hot Sauce

2 1/2 pounds ground turkey (93% lean)

18 dashes Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons sea salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

4 slices Swiss Cheese

Instructions

In a small skillet, melt butter over medium-low heat. Toss in onions and cook for 20 to 25 minutes. Stir occasionally. Onions are done when they are lightly golden brown and soft. They will continue to cook inside the meatloaf.

While the onions are cooking, preheat your oven to 375 F degrees. Spray a standard 9x5 loaf pan with non-stick spray; set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together the ground turkey, Worcestershire sauce, sea salt and black pepper.

Place half of the ground turkey mixture in the prepared loaf pan. Use a spatula or tablespoon to evenly spread the mixture. Lay two of the Swiss cheese slices on the ground turkey. Set aside.

Returning to the onions, remove from heat and stir in the red habanero hot sauce.Spoon the onion mixture on top of the first layer of cheese. Spread evenly and then top with the remaining cheese slices. Top with the remaining ground turkey meatload. Spreading the mixture evenly.

Bake for 50 minutes or until done. Remove from oven and let set for a few minutes before removing from pan. Slice and serve immediately.

http://bakedchicago.com/hot-sauce-recipes/

For more spicy and flavorful hot sauce recipes, visit El Yucateco Recipes and get your #SauceOn.

Popcorn Makes Movies Better

There must be some scientific research somewhere to prove this point: movies are just better with hot popcorn! And while I love the convenience of microwavable popcorn, it’s not the same as movie theater popcorn…until I add my special ingredients: grated Parmesan cheese and green habanero hot sauce.

Zesty Parmesan Popcorn with El Yucateco Green Habanero Hot Sauce Recipes

Ingredients:

8 cups popcorn, popped
6 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons El Yucateco Green Habanero Hot Sauce
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Pop a standard-sized bag of microwave popcorn according to package directions, yielding about 8 cups. Pour the popped corn in a large mixing bowl; set aside.

In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter and hot sauce together (about 60 seconds). Cover bowl to avoid making a mess in your microwave. I use a glass measuring cup and cover it with a paper plate.

Drizzle about half of the butter-hot sauce mixture over the popped corn, followed by half the Parmesan cheese. Toss gently to combine and coat. Drizzle the remaining butter-hot sauce and cheese over the popped corn. Toss to coast evenly and serve immediately. [By drizzling half of the butter-hot sauce at a time, followed by half the cheese, the popcorn can absorb the liquid more slowly. If you put too much on at once, the popcorn will become clumpy and the cheese won’t blend well.

It’s Show Time

Spoiler Alert: I feel like season 2 of “House of Cards” is calling my name tonight. I watched each hour-long episode of season 1 last weekend, and I’m totally hooked. Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey’s character) is deliciously complex. He’s both evil and mesmerizing. You can’t help but root for him even though he does despicable things (like murder!).

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