On February 4th at 11:09am I went on Sirus Satellite’s Mad Dog Radio to talk Super Bowl parties and food with Bruce Murray and Bill Pidto (2 Great Guys).  I have to say it was my first appearance as G Dude AND I had to bring in samples of Super Bowl worthy grub so I was a tad bit nervous.  The guys on the B Team were Amazing.  From the minute I walked into the studio I felt comfortable and immediately felt like part of the team.

I prepped the food in the office kitchen and just as the producers came to grab me I finished garnishing the buffalo wings… we’re talkin right down to the wire!  I was living a real life Apprentice challenge and was soo fired up to hit the mic!

Below is my 2 part appearance and here are the recipes we covered on-air.  Many thanks to entire team over at Sirius for making this day one the best I’ve had to date! (not counting my wedding and Henry’s birth of course!)

Valentine’s Day is a tough day… Lots of pressure for dudes to deliver, everything cost triple the price and there is nothing harder than standing in aisle 6 at CVS riffling through what’s left of the V Day cards.  BUT…it’s gotta get done.

Here are a some TIPS to help you get through the night and possibly make you achieve HERO status.

• If you’re cooking at home go EASY on the garlic.  V Day is one of the only designated make-out nights on the calendar!
• If you’re dining out don’t over eat.  Most places have a set 3 or 4 course menu so by the time you’ve gone from the bread basket to the cheese cake, coupled with wine you’re looking at the ingredients to a big bottle of Nyquil…and you have to perform later that evening.
• Exchange cards at the table after your first class of wine.  Get the night moving right!
• Try really really really hard not to text and or surf the web on your phone.  The minute you start looking at your phone you might as well just chew on garlic cloves.

Home cooks… few Bonus tips

• Lighting is HUGE! Dim the lights a tad to create a mellow atmosphere.  If you have candles this is the day to fire those up.
• Tunes: keep the beats light, funky or jazzy.  Jay Z can wait till tomorrow.
• Simple yet elegant recipes I found online.

GODSPEED!!!!!!! report back….!

While  you’re cooking or getting ready to go out… BLAST this tune!

SuperBowl Sunday is the most laid back party of the year from coast to coast!  It really doesn’t matter who is on the field, it’s all about friends, commercials and lots of food…oh yeah, and COLD BEER on ice.

The key for those throwing the party is efficiency.   You want to offer enough food so people can eat all afternoon, but you want to minimize cost and time spent in the kitchen. After all you wanna hang out to!  - you also do NOT want to compromise taste and presentation!

Couple Tips for you:

• DVR the game (replay commercials, missed plays or if someone steps on the remote and changes the channel!)
• Keep the food close to the action: Don’t set the table
• Themes: Cook up some Gumbo for the Saints or Pork Tenderloin Sliders for the Colts
• Keep the beer on Ice and play drinking games: Drink every First Down or Holding call
• Be a good guest.  Bring wine, beer or Tums and don’t wipe buffalo sauce on your friends couch

Here are a few recipes to consider when you are planning your party or planning on bringing something to a party.

Get detailed recipes in the Virtual Cookbook

SuperBowl parties bring out the best mood in people.  How many Sundays during the year do you get to hang out with a bunch of your friends?  Here is a recipe to do more with less so you can maximize hang time AND get people fired up with your creative dish!

This no sweat recipe is all about paying homage to the legendary Ray Finkle! We’re talkin about Football shaped cookies with the LACES OUT!!!

Ingredients: Yields 6-8

• 1 tube of gingerbread cookie dough
• Powdered sugar
• Royal icing

Procedure:

Rub the powdered sugar on your cooking space and rolling pin so the dough does not stick to either.  Cut the cookie tube into 6 coins.  Roll out the dough so that the cookie cutter can fit.  Punch the cutter through the dough and place on a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Repeat until all dough is used.

Pre-heat the oven to 350 and put the baking sheet on the top rack for 8-10 minutes.  The cookies expand in the oven so space accordingly.

You don’t have to make your icing… you can buy the Royal Icing and you should!  Let the bottle of icing sit in a bowl of hot water so the icing will work smoothly as you pipe in the laces.  Once the cookies cool and icing is warmed up (about 10 mins) start to draw on your laces with the icing.  Give the icing some time to harden and you’re done.  That’s right, DONE!! Now you have Football cookies with the LACES OUT!!

If you make this recipe PLEASE post some pics to the G Dude Facebook Fan Page!! would LOVE to see it.

We had a GREAT night at the Institute of Culinary Education; Chelsea, NY.  Henry was home with a babysitter so Cynthia and I ventured out to learn how to assemble the quintessential steak dinner!

We were in a class of 16 people made up of 3 teams.  First off, you can’t go wrong when you are surrounded by NY Strips and Filets, but it was even more enjoyable thanks to a room full of outgoing and fun people.  The 4 hours flew by and I am still stuffed.  My suggestion…. sign up for a class and go with friends!

I was kind of a freak running around taking pics with my iPhone, but  I captured some shots to help tell this story!  Treat this like “Freedom Rock” and turn it up!!

If there is one thing you’ve most likely eaten your entire life it’s gotta be the meatball!  This recipe offers up TWO options for the table.   I can honestly say I’ve had a meatball at my mom’s, grandma’s, friend’s houses AND at a restaurant.

Ingredients:

• 2 Lbs of Meatloaf Mix
• 1 egg yolk
• ½ red onion, diced, sauteed and cooled
• ½ cup Japanese panko crumbs
• 2 tablespoons whole milk
• ¼ cup shredded parmigiana cheese
• 1 tablespoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 teaspoons granulated garlic powder
• ½ bunch fresh Italian parsley, chopped medium fine
• 1 quart Quick Marinara(recipe follows)

 Procedure:

In a 4 quart mixing bowl add the meatloaf mix, egg yolk, onion, panko, parmigiana cheese, salt,pepper, garlic powder and parsley. Mix with your hands(use plastic surgical gloves to avoid raw meat contamination). Once all is evenly combined, use a 1 ounce melon scoop to make each meatball.  As you form the meatballs, rest them on a cookie sheet either lined in parchment paper, foil or sprayed with vegetable spray(such as PAM).  Once all the meatballs are formed shape them by hand  into tight rounds (dipping hands in cold water helps)…then heat ¼ cup extra virgin olive in a non-stick skillet and brown each meatball. Meatballs can now be set aside or flash frozen for further use (after flash frozen, pack in sandwich size plastic bags 10 at a time…freeze up to 1 month).  When ready to use, heat quick marinara and finish cooking meatballs in sauce for 10-12 minutes or in the frozen stage for 15-18 minutes.  Hint: once the sauce comes to a boil adjust the heat to simmer to cook the meatballs.

 Quick Marinara

Ingredients:

• 2 containers chopped POMI tomatoes
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 red onion, peeled and diced
• 2 cloves fresh garlic, diced
• 5 basil leaves, chopped medium fine
• 1 cup low sodium chicken stock
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

 Procedure:

Sauté onions, garlic and basil in olive oil…add tomatoes, stock and seasonings…cook on stove top for 8-10 minutes…once finished adjust seasoning to taste…can be frozen!

MEATBALLS THE MOVIE!   – if you haven’t seen this flick, you’re lucky… b/c you still get a chance to expereince the brilliance of an 80’s classic!

I am excited to say that ‘Buffalo Wings’ were created on October 30, 1964….10 years to the exact day of my birthday in 1974 (good planning mom & dad)!  Prior to that Fall day in 1964 chicken wings were only used to flavor stocks and soups.  Now you’ll never be at a Superbowl party without them in attendance.

Anchor Bar in Buffalo, NY is credited with the invention and they are serving over 70 thousand pounds of chicken per month.  I wonder who is the heir to that throne!  Mark your calendars because July 29th is “Chicken Wing Day” in Buffalo!

This recipe is a hybrid from my mother and her sister (my aunt).   My mom’s style cooking and my Aunt Lizzy’s Buffalo Sauce.  The sauce is VERY friendly so people who like it hot will enjoy them and people who like them mild will also love em!

I hope you like it!

 Killer Party Wings

-Yield: approx. 20-25 pcs

Ingredients:

• family pack chicken wings
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil                              
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt                                                
• 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
• 2 teaspoons granulated garlic powder

1 quart fiery buffalo sauce(recipe follows)

Procedure:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees f.

Remove each tip off each wing and sever the remaining wing at the joint.

In a work bowl toss the prepared wing pieces in extra virgin olive oil, kosher salt, black pepper and granulated garlic.

Bake the wings for 20 minutes and while baking prepare the buffalo sauce.  Once the sauce is made, toss with the wing pieces and roast in a hot oven 425  degrees for an additional 12-15 minutes or until caramelized…garnish with chopped fresh chives…suggested accompaniments are blue cheese dressing, celery and carrot sticks

 Buffalo Sauce

Ingredients:

• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 cups ketchup
• ½ cup red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons Matouk’s West Indian Hot Sauce(or chosen brand)
• adjust seasonings with additional salt and pepper

 Procedure:

In a heavy bottom sauce pot melt the butter the add the balance ingredients and stir to combine until sauce begins to bubble…remove from heat immediately.  Add additional seasonings and hot sauce to taste.

The #1 most popular seafood in the United States is….. SHRIMP!!!!! and listen this, each year Americans take down close to 850 lbs of it.

Another industry fact is that 80% of the shrimp we consume is in restaurants… well I am going to try and skew that number with this recipe for Shrimp Cocktail.

Ingredients:

• 1 Pound of uncooked Shrimp (de-veined and peeled if possible)
• 2 carrots – chop in to 3 or 4 pieces
• 2 celery stalks – chop in to 3 or 4 pieces
• 1/2 an onion
• 1/4 of a lemon (don’t squeeze)
• 1/4 bunch of parsley
• 5 sprigs of thyme
• Kosher salt and Peppercorns
• 2 bay leaves if you have them
• 10-12 cups of water (depending on your pot size)
• 1 cup of white wine

Directions:

First you have to create a Court Bouillon to poach the shrimp! Put everything from above except the shrimp and wine into a pot. Bring to a boil and cover with the lid slightly ajar for 30 minutes. Next you need to strain all the veggies out of broth. Put the liquid back in the pot, add your wine and bring to a boil. Now the Shrimp…! drop in your shrimp to poach. It seriously only takes like a minute and half to cook. Remove and put in the freezer for several minutes to stop the cooking process. Also I like my shrimp COLD! repeat until you’ve poached all the shrimp.

Let the court bouillon cool down and then freeze it because you can use it to make shrimp on another day!

Serve the shrimp on a platter with cocktail sauce (click here for good recipe) and also lemon wedges. Make sure you have a bowl for the shrimp tails. No one likes to be stuck holding a shrimp tail. No one!!

EASY, so make it happen!

oh yeah…let me know how it turns out!

2010 ways to stay pumped…

Or maybe just a few ways, but who’s counting?  The gyms are PACKED, the Super Markets are selling out of fresh produce and Twinkie boxes are just starting to collect dust.  It’s not only a new year, it’s a new DECADE and everyone is on a mission! You have to believe this is Richard Simmons’ favorite time of year.

As you look to a healthier way of life for at least the next month, here are some SUPERFOODS to keep in mind as you plan your meals:

• Beans
• Blueberries
• Broccoli
• Oats
• Oranges
• Pumpkin
• Salmon
• Soy
• Spinach
• Tea (green or black)
• Tomatoes
• Turkey
• Walnuts
• Yogurt

Check out the details at WebMD – because, as G.I. Joe says,… “Knowing is half the battle!”  You don’t have to include every SUPERFOOD at every meal. Try to incorporate a variety during the week so that creating a weekday menu will be easier AND you won’t have to wear sweatpants to work anymore because your pants will fit! I mention this because I wish I was wearing a pair of sweats right now…shhhh!

All the best to you and yours in 2010!
G Dude

Ingredients:

Chicken

• 4 boneless chicken breasts
• Flour
• 2 or 3 eggs
• Panko bread crumbs
• Vegatable oil
• Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder and Italian seasoning (if you have it!)

Tomato Salsa, a.k.a Mini Marinara

• 3/4 of a medium yellow onion (or white) – chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 can diced tomatoes – 15 oz
• Kosher salt, pepper and red pepper flakes

Directions:

Cutlets

Rinse the chicken with lemon or lime juice. Drain and pound the chicken flat.

1. Cover the chicken breast in the flour (season the flour with salt, pepper, garlic powder and Italian seasoning)
2. Dip  the breast in the eggs (beat the eggs and season with salt & pepper)
3. Cover the breast with the panko bread crumbs just like you’d put sprinkles on an ice cream cone!
4. Repeat until all 4 breast are tarred and panko’ed!

Next… in a large saute pan heat up the vegatable oil. You want the oil level to just break the edge of the breast around 1/4 of an inch of oil. NOTE, you need to make sure that oil is pipping hot. Test with panko bread crumbs from the plate. Once it’s good and hot place the cutlets in the oil and let each side get golden brown. You will know when to flip. But if you don’t check around a minute or so.

Moving on… Place the cutlets on a baking tray that has been sprayed with PAM and put that tray into the oven, which is pre-heated to 375. 10-12 minutes should work well depending on your oven.

Tomato Salsa:

While the chicken is baking pour a tablespoon and a half of vegetable oil in your a saute pan at med-high heat. Once the oil is hot drop the chopped onion in and saute for around 2-3 mins. Then add garlic and saute for another minute or so. Once the the veggies are tender add your can of diced tomatoes and mix. Then add salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to taste. Let it all meld together until chicken is cooked!

Plate the chicken and top with the Tomato Salsa. Garnish with parsley for attitude!

Enjoy…!