Do you like warm chocolate cake? I sure do. Old World Gourmet Foods (Their Slogan: Serving Fun for Over a Decade) has recently introduced Cake That – an individual cake in a cup that you can make at your home or office with just a microwave and a few tablespoons of milk. I’m not even kidding!
Continue reading OWG Presents Cake That Microwave Cake for One!
All Photos By Gail
When you hear the name Rocco Dispirito, you may at first think, “What a hottie” — amiright? But also, Rocco is a skilled and charismatic Celebrity Chef who has hosted and starred in many TV shows (Rocco’s Dinner Party, how fun was that?) as well as being a restaurateur and author of many best-selling books on food and cooking. Rocco Dispirito!
How Cute Is This Guy?
If you have been following his career for as many years as I have, you may recall that Rocco, while consistently adorable, was not always as lean and trim and he is now. He got into shape by learning to cook in the same manner as his Italian ancestors: and not just by incorporating fresh, local ingredients and creating preparation techniques which reduce the use of traditional fats and carbs, but also by adopting a more leisurely-paced approach when it comes to the experience of social eating.
Tuna Crudo, One of Rocco’s Low Calorie Yet Gourmet Specialities
Rocco’s latest New York Times best-seller, Now Eat This! Italian, takes on all of your favorite Italian food recipes by reducing them calorically while keeping the very fresh and authentic flavor. In fact, most of these dishes come in at 350 calories and under without sacrificing deliciousness.
In the book’s accompanying video series, which debuted on AOL.com earlier this month, DiSpirito travels to various regions in Italy to learn from the foremost Italian food experts, real Italian Moms! The show is a lot of fun and also lets you see the beauty of the Italian countryside.
International Culinary Center Test Kitchen
Last evening, AOL hosted a hands-on cooking event with Rocco at The International Culinary Center for a select number of lucky bloggers and contest winners, where we all had the chance to cook a meal with Rocco and then sit down together to enjoy the fruits of our labor. Rocco lead the class with his step-by-step recipes and stories behind each dish and he was very patient with those of us who are challenged even by slicing a tomato (raises hand). It was a great time and I learned that making lovely homemade Italian food does not have to be intimidating at all.
Here’s what was on the menu:
Caprese Salad
Pasta with Clams
Roasted Chicken with Zucchini
Rocco was kind enough to make the evening’s dessert – a fresh Strawberry Italian Ice – for us tableside so we could enjoy our after dinner drinks. This quick and simple frozen dessert is basically just fresh berries (I suppose any fruit could be swapped out if Strawberries are not your thing), ice and the same thickening agent used in the faux olive oil salad dressing. Sweet and refereshing!
Strawberry Italian Ice
After Dinner Proseco
Because Rocco is so awesome, he took the time to pose for photos with every single person at the event and also gave each of us a personally signed copy of his book, so that we could cook his recipes at home. The first episode in the Now Eat This: Italy! series, in which Rocco makes Caprese salad after visiting the actual cheese makers, can be enjoyed at This Link. Thanks again to Rocco and AOL for a very fun evening!
Hello and welcome to the second installment of Cooking with Gail: the series that is all about me making a meal from whatever I can find in my house. This week, I was very busy making the scene and had no time to grocery shop. So, Friday evening found me at home, famished and looking through my pantry for foods I could combine into some kind of tasty meal without having run out to the store or resort to ordering in. Continue reading Cooking With Gail Presents: Single Lady’s Pasta Night
All Photos By Gail
Like many transplanted Californians living in Manhattan, I am always on the lookout for good Mexican food, which can be a challenge. That’s probably why I generally have a package of tortillas in my fridge, so I can satisfy a Mexican food craving on short notice by whipping up a tasty Quesadilla with whatever I have on hand. Because it’s the little things that make a difference.
This past week, I attended the Editor Showcase press event featuring healthy and nutritious foods. One of my favorite exhibitors was the La Tortilla Factory, where they were serving mini chicken wraps in their booth, made with their yummy reduced fat flour tortillas. Smart & Delcious Flour Tortillas have 1/3 fewer calories of regular flour tortillas, and they taste amazing. I made sure to toss a package in my swag bag as I made my rounds
Avocado Central Dot Com was also on hand, representing Hass Avocados, offering many delicious avocado recipes to sample and promoting healthy facts about Avocados — the world’s most misunderstood fruit. They also had a big bowl of Hass Avocados to give away, so you can be sure one found its way into my bag, because I already knew I was going to be bringing that creamy avocado fruit together with my newly acquired package of tortillas.
Today I made this delicious lunch for myself:
Ingredients (Click on any Photo to Enlarge for Detail)
Melt grated cheddar or colby cheese on the tortilla in a warm, lightly greased non-stick pan.
Add as many thin slices of ripe Hass Avocado as you please.
Top with a second tortilla and grill on other side until lightly browned. Garnish with a drizzle of hot sauce and more avocado, slice into quarters and enjoy! So Yummy!
Find out tons of healthy facts about avocados and get lots of tasty recipes at This Link. Also please visit the informative and taste-tempting website of La Tortilla Factory by clicking Right Here. Mucho Gusto!
You can literally bring the springtime blooms of your garden into your kitchen all year ‘round with this really cool cooking tool set. Want!
Bloom Utensil Set Features
What an excellent Housewarming or shower gift!