Jay Ducote and Food Network Star

One of my favorite food shows is definitely Food Networks "Food Network Star" and it's going to be even better this year knowing someone in the show!

Jay Ducote from our Virtual Potluck group is a finalist in the show and I can't wait for it to start this Sunday, June 7th 2015. Jay has a huge, fun personality and I wouldn't be surprised at all if he makes it all the way through. He's from Louisiana and creates some pretty amazing southern food that makes me miss the time that we lived there.

Tart Cherry and Cream Cheese Buns with Lemon Zest

Today the Virtual Potluck team is celebrating the release of fellow team member Donna Currie's new cookbook. We're all making a recipe from her book and sharing them with all of you! As I went through the book there were so many recipes that I wanted to try right away but the one that stuck out the most was the Blueberry and Cream Cheese Buns with Lemon Zest.

Crispy Sweet Potato and Zucchini Pancake

 

If you've seen the recipes I typically post, you obviously know that I'm not Diabetic. But the Virtual Potluck group is celebrating World Diabetes Day and our challenge was to share a diabetic friendly recipe! We're also working with two great companies, Anolon and Microplane so that made the challenge even more interesting. Best part is, you'll be able have a chance at winning the tools that we used for this dish!

Flank Steak Tostadas with Cilantro Yogurt Sauce

We are so close to being done with our remodel! The kitchen is pretty much done and it has been so nice to be able to cook again. Countertops... you have no idea what you're missing when they're gone. And now we have 84 square feet of beautiful counter space that is perfect for everything! I've got a whole post coming soon with all the pictures you could ever want, so stay tuned.

Lemon Poppy Seed Waffles

When I was 12 years old, I spent a week or so one summer helping my Dad bring a friends yacht down through the waters of the Puget Sound to its home port near Seattle. I loved the time we spent on the water and even at that age, I was pretty comfortable in the kitchen. I spent much of the time in the ships galley preparing food and even managed to whip up some cinnamon rolls with some yeast I found in the back of one of the cupboards. The months after that trip were spent dreaming of ways that I could spend a life on the water and even today I think it would be great sometime to retire to a nice boat and just travel around the world.

Flank Steak with Pineapple Salsa

Hope everyone had a great Fathers Day! For us it was the weekend of steak. My wife and I went out to dinner Friday night, one of the last times we'll have without a newborn for awhile, and we had a great steak there. I had the leftovers from that Saturday for lunch and then I grilled this amazing flank steak for the family Saturday night.

Whole-Wheat Sourdough Ciabatta

What great timing! This week Virtual Potluck has partnered with King Arthur Flour and Red Star Yeast and I am actually visiting the headquarters of King Arthur for a few days as part of their second Blog and Bake conference! You can follow along with some of my adventures on Facebook or Twitter for now and I'll be sharing some more on the blog as I go! For more of the Virtual Potluck activities this week, go check out the round-up from Donna at Cookistry.

Oxtail Ragu and Fennel Pollen Pasta

Ready to experiment with some new ingredients today? One of my favorite things about cooking is discovering new things and challenging myself to make something that I might not normally try.

This week, the Virtual Potluck team is taking you on a Spice Adventure and I think you're really going to enjoy it. Donna from Cookistry has the roundup page where you can follow along with the whole team. We're working with Savory Spice Shop and each of us is focusing an a different area of the shop.

Savory Spice Shop is one of the most comprehensive spice stores online. They not only provide fantastic products but they also have a wealth of knowledge on where the spices come from and how to best use them to make some amazing food. I found so much useful information and loved just browsing through the store.

Maple-Brined Pork Roast with Roasted Pear Chutney

The nights are cool and the days are warming. Maple trees start to drip their liquid gold into buckets from Maple farms across the NorthEast. Did you know that it can take up to 40 gallons of the sap to produce just one gallon of syrup? If you haven't ever been able to visit a maple farm, I highly recommend it. It's an amazing process and I've never heard of a maple farmer that wasn't happy to have a few extra hands around to help. You better hurry though, the season often only lasts 4-6 weeks before the trees bud and the sap stops running.

Virtual Potluck and Coombs Family Farms

Photo from www.coombsfamilyfarms.com

Every year around this time, the weather starts warming up and Maple trees start to release their sap. When I lived in Montreal I loved this time of year when sugar shacks would start popping up all around the countryside. These little shacks would create wonderful meals centered around the wonderful maple syrup. Every dish had some kind of maple product in it and we even drank maple water; the pure sap straight from the tree.

Lemon Pudding Cakes with Raspberry Sauce

We're at it again. The Virtual Potluck team joined up with True Lemon this time and we've got a whole assortment of dishes using their products. Check out our host blog here to join the party.

I love to use fresh lemons and limes but I rarely have them stocked in the fridge and since I cook so randomly, meaning I rarely plan ahead, when I need a lemon or lime it's never there. That leaves me a few options, but most are artificial and don't provide the pure lemon flavor you're looking for in a lemon centered dish.

French Onion Soup

Valentines Day is coming up and it's already time to start planning for the perfect menu. Making a gourmet meal for your special someone doesn't have to be an impossible task. Plan ahead, create a menu with food you love to eat and then do as much as you can in advance so that you can take it easy and just enjoy a great meal together. The Virtual Potluck is here to help you with a whole variety of dishes that you can choose from. We've also paired up with Taste fromThe N8tion to give you some drink pairings with your meal, and mine's non-alcoholic!

Cranberry-Almond Quinoa Cookies

I don't think I've ever posted this many healthy recipes in a row! This Tasty and Healthy New Years challenge with Bobs Red Mill and California Olive Ranch has been so much fun and I've really enjoyed the challenge of creating some fun things that taste great and are still pretty healthy. We're going to end with dessert of course and I went with a tasty healthy cookie using both the Quinoa that was featured last week as well as the Whole Grain White Wheat Flour from Bob's Red Mill.

Quinoa Cakes with Walnut and Blue Cheese Vinaigrette

I've walked by the bag of Quinoa a thousand times in the grocery store. Each time I do I think I should grab it and find something to make with it. But I still haven't done it. I was pretty excited then to see that one of the grains for our Tasty and Healthy New Year challenge was Quinoa from Bob's Red Mill. Since I hadn't used it before, some research was in order. Here's some of what I found:

• Quinoa (pronounced Keen-Wa) is a grain common in ancient South America and has gained in popularity in the last few years
• It's full of minerals and nutrients, including: iron, manganese, magnesium and copper
• Quinoa is a complete protein which is great for those looking for a protein source outside of meat
• It has a unique nutty flavor and is very versatile. It can be substituted for many other grains and can go in main and side dishes or even desserts! (I'll share a cookie recipe with it soon)

Curried Whole Grain Pilaf with Bacon, Mushroom and Cabbage

We're now in our second week of recipes for a Tasty and Healthy New Year with California Olive Ranch and Bob's Red Mill. We're moving on to side dishes this week and pairing together the Grande Whole Grains Blend and the Miller's Blend Olive Oil. Did you do a double take when you saw the title of this post and then saw healthy in the first line? Bacon and healthy... yeah, it works in my book. You see the thing is, coming from a non health nut, it's about balance. I am trying to eat better but I also like some things that aren't necessarily good for you. It's about moderation and making sure that the healthy foods usually outweigh the bad. And we all know, bacon makes eveything better, right? And come on, it's only four slices for the whole thing. You'll love it.

Olive Oil and Whole Wheat Flatbread with Veggies

Starting today, our Virtual Potluck group is working with California Olive Ranch and Bob's Red Mill to bring you healthy options as we start this new year. We'll be sharing some fun and healthy ways to combine whole grains and fresh olive oils to create some fantastic new recipes. Find out more about the potluck and see who's participating here!

Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Spicy Caramel Apple Sauce and Vanilla Bean Creme Anglaise

Well this is going to be my final post in my Thanksgiving prep series and you are in for a treat! I am now working with a great group of food bloggers called "Virtual Potluck". We came together after working together on the Emeril Lagasse book review and we've got some great things in store. Today we are throwing a Thanksgiving Potluck and you're all invited!