Lets Dish

Last night saw the debut of two much-hyped-about food television shows: Bobby Flay's America's Next Great Restaurant on NBC and Chopped All-Stars on Food Network. I watched both and found them to be overall entertaining. At a time when the fast-food industry has been under scrutiny, it's interesting that mega chefs Flay and Curtis Stone are investing in a chain eatery.

Over on Chopped, it was fun to see the Next Food Network Star contestants again. I forgot how much I liked Lisa Garza, and despite the fact that she didn't complete the challenge, I was rooting for her to get past the first round. Did you watch either of the new shows? Share your thoughts below!

Photo courtesy of NBC

The South Beach Wine and Food Festival is like Spring break for the food industry, so naturally, a lot of partying goes on. The most outrageous event that happened over the weekend was the 10th anniversary celebration, Let Them Eat Cake. There were 15 hand-crafted designer cakes, an endless amount of champagne, a wide variety of food, ice sculpturists, and tons of celebrity chefs (it was hosted by Martha Stewart and Emeril Lagasse). But the most amazing thing about the shindig was the location: Lee Schrager and the festival planners transformed the seventh floor of an outdoor shopping mall's parking garage into a nightclub. It took me 20 minutes before I realized that the party was, in fact, in a parking lot! It was unbelievably cool and by far the craziest place I've ever partied. Now that I've shared this experience, I want you to do the same: what's the craziest place you've ever partied?

All this margarita talk has got me craving Mexican food! While I love a delicious bowl of guacamole and an addictive queso, my all-time favorite Mexican dish is tacos. Salmon tacos, beef tacos, chicken tacos — I don't discriminate against certain proteins. Hard tacos, soft tacos: what's not to love about this versatile dish that can be filled and topped with an endless array of ingredients? On the eve of National Margarita Day, I want to know: what's your preferred order at a Mexican restaurant?

Happy Valentine's Day! Hopefully by now, you've browsed all the chocolate and aphrodisiac recipes and have decided on a special menu to enjoy with loved ones.

Since it's just me and I try to practice meatless Mondays, I'm making grilled cheese sandwiches. Not just any grilled cheese, but one with caramelized pears and onions and three different kinds of cheese — yum! For dessert, I made chocolate diablo cake. I'll pair both with sparkling Rosé.

How about you? How are you celebrating Valentine's Day? What are you making?

Recently, I found myself at a swanky wine bar in Los Angeles. While I was engrossed in the long list of varietals on the menu, I couldn't help but notice the words that described the wines: nude, provocative, luscious, opulent, succulent, ravishing, voluptuous, decadent. They sounded like something straight out of a romance novel, and I was totally into it! However, this isn't always the case in the wine world. Often times experts and publications can be pretentious, stuffy, and down right cringe-worthy. I'd be happy if I never hear the words mouthfeel, ripe, and finesse again. What about you? Which wine descriptors make absolutely no sense to you?

I'm a sucker for seasonal specials at the supermarket, and the other day I picked up Martha Stewart Holiday Cookies. Normally I make sugar or gingerbread cookies, but since this magazine has over 101 inspiring recipes, I'm thinking I'll try something new. Jam filled cream cheese cookies? Smoky bacon ginger cookies? Chocolate caramel pecan clusters? The possibilities are deliciously endless!

What kind of cookie do you plan on making this holiday season?

Turkey and cranberry quesadillas, turkey tortilla soup, turkey and stuffing sandwiches, turkey and sweet potato chili: the ways to use up leftover Thanksgiving dishes are endless! And whether you love them or hate them, you've got to do something with all that turkey, cranberry, and vegetables. Yesterday I served up a scrumptious turkey hash with fried eggs and whole wheat toast. Today I'm making cranberry, fontina, and sage puff pastry pinwheels that I'm offering as an appetizer with sparkling wine.

How about you? How are you using up leftovers? What have you made already?

Source: Flickr User kthread

It could be because it's National All-American Breakfast month, but lately I've been really into making breakfast. There are so many different things one can enjoy first thing in the morning: eggs, bacon, pancakes, toast, fruit, etc. The possibilities are seriously endless! While I love a good fried egg and bacon sandwich, my all-time favorite breakfast dish is eggs Benedict. The combination of crispy English muffin, oozing egg, and luscious hollandaise is absolute perfection.

Since today is the last day in September, now is the time to celebrate breakfast; so tell me, what is your favorite breakfast dish?

Although the initial cost of a Kitchenaid standing mixer is somewhat pricey, for enthusiastic and adventurous home cooks it's an essential tool worthy of the investment. I use mine once a week and not just for baking needs. The thing that's so great about the Kitchenaid (besides the fact that it comes in a bunch of fabulous colors) is the attachments. I have the electric juicer that is very handy for making large batches of cocktails and the meat grinder that is the key to a perfectly crafted burger. After watching Chef Matt Accarrino make squid-ink pasta from scratch, I'm dying to get my hands on the pasta attachment.

Which attachments do you like? Or which do you dream of one day having?

This Summer, I'm in a pie state of mind: I've been making at least one pie a month and show no signs of stopping! Lately, I've been tackling fruit pies, like peach and blueberry, but perhaps the time is right for me to move on to cream and custard pies? There are countless pie recipes out there, but if I had to choose one type of pie to be my favorite, I would select key lime pie. It's cool, it's creamy, it's divine. Second runner up? Banana cream pie. Classic cherry pie is third! How about you? What is your preferred pie?