New Recipe: Crunchy Cali Kale Salad w/ Smokey Tahini Dressing

After my latest trip to Los Angeles, I realized the Kale trend is here to stay, so why not embrace it for all its leafy green goodness! I had some dynamite salads in Santa Monica the other week, so I wanted to make my own Kale salad that reminded me of the flavors of Cali, with a dressing that pays homage to the Greek gods themselves!

Here is my crunchy Kale Salad with Smokey Tahini Dressing, let me know what you think!

Crunch Kale Salad w/ Smokey Tahini Dressing

Recipe by Bobby Parrish

Serves 2 people

Cooking time: 20 minutes

1 Bunch of kale, stems removed, roughly chopped

½ a crunchy apple, finely sliced into match sticks(julienne)

1 large carrot, cut julienne

1 Avocado, cubed

3 Medium size beets, cut into cubes (Roasted or canned beets work fine)

1 large handful of toasted cashews(plus a few more for garnish)

8 pitted dates, roughly chopped

1 grapefruit, segments cut out(save a few for garnish), and juiced

1 pound of raw shrimp, shelled and de-veined

Fresh Parsley

Kosher Salt & Fresh Pepper

EVOO

For the dressing:

1/3 cup of Tahini(sesame seed paste)

2 Tbsp honey

1 Tbsp grapefruit juice

1 Tbsp lemon juice

½ tspn smoked paprika

1 clove garlic, grated or very finely diced

2 Tbsp greek yogurt

1 Tbsp EVOO

Kosher salt & Fresh Pepper

Water

For the dressing:  Add the first 7 ingredients to a bowl and whisk to combine. Add enough water(1-3 Tbsp) to loosen the consistency and make it runny, but still a little thick. Whisk in 1 Tbsp of EVOO, a pinch of kosher salt and pepper. Taste for seasoning, it may need more honey or lemon juice, and set aside.

Combine first 8 ingredients(except the grapefruit juice) in a large salad bowl and put aside. Pre-heat a large non-stick pan over medium heat with 2 Tbsp of EVOO. Season the shrimp with a splash of EVOO, kosher salt and pepper. Add shrimp to pan, and cook for 2 minutes each side, or until shrimp are just done, do not over-cook. Put the cooked shrimp in a clean bowl, add some fresh chopped parsley and 1 tbsp each of lemon and grapefruit juice and let rest for 1 minute.

Add enough dressing to generously coat the salad ingredients and mix well. Mound the salad on a plate or platter, top with the shrimp. Garnish with a few grapefruits pieces and some extra cashews and serve. 

Third Installment of My Guide to the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival

In today's third, and final installment, I preview the can't miss events for the final two days of  the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival. I have been to the fest four of the last five years, and it is by far the BEST wine & food in the country. If you have bought your tickets for this years fest, esp. after reading my first two installments, what are you waiting for my fellow foodie?

Check out my prior blogs to see how you can steer through the first two days of the fest and what parties/events are not to be missed. On Saturday, your first stop of the day has to be to Whole Foods Market Grand Tasting Village featuring MasterCard Grand Tasting Tents. Be prepared to spend all day on the beach sipping wine, eating gourmet bites from hundreds of restaurants and food companies, and watching some of your favorite Food Network celebrities cooking live a the demo tent. You will likely run in to your favorite food celebs, meet some fellow foodies, and probably drink a little too much! I am always there, so if you see me say hey.

Late night on Saturday, head to the Delano hotel for the Sammy's Beach Bar Rum and Cabo Wabo Tequila present Emeril Lagasse and Sammy Hagar's Rockin' Beach Party sponsored by Del Monte Fresh Produce. After eating and drinking all day, this is a great way to dance off some of those calories, fuel yourself with a little tequila, and party the night away. All of the late night parties are great events that are full of sexy people, unexpected celebs, and great food.

On Sunday, what better way to wind down the event than with a little brunch prepared by an Iron Chef at the Pure Leaf Farm to Table Brunch presented by Whole Foods Market hosted by Geoffrey Zakarian. I'm pretty sure you won't have many chances to have an Iron Chef cook you brunch in your life, so why not end your fest with some great food and a great story to tell all your friends.

There are so many events at this years Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival that I can't possibly cover all of them on my blog, so I encourage you to head over to http://www.sobefest.com/ and check out all the events for yourself. I've had so many unforgettable experiences at the fest, and I look forward to making more this year! Check out my interviews with some Food Network celebs from last year

New Recipe: Crispy Cauliflower & Golden Beet Salad

Every Monday night on Twitter, I join the #FoodieChat community for 2 hours of action packed, food loving, tweeting paradise. If you're a member of the community you know how much fun it is meeting fellow foodies all around the world, so I highly encourage you to check it out every Monday night at 7pm CST.

The other week, I tweeted a picture of a new cauliflower salad recipe I was working on. Well one of my #FoodChat peeps asked if I could share the recipe with her, and since I am all about spreading the love to my fellow foodies, I said yes. Now that the recipe is complete, here is my Crispy Cauliflower & Golden Beet Salad w/ Creamy Lemon Dressing

After watching some Food Network and Cooking Channel a few weeks ago, I realized that I rarely eat cauliflower anymore. So I decided to make a healthy and satisfying salad featuring it, along with one of my favorite winter veggies, the beet. The salad is very easy to make and packs so much flavor and nutrition.

Crispy Cauliflower & Roasted Beet Salad w/ Creamy Lemon Dressing 

Recipe by Bobby Parrish

Serves 4 

Total active cooking time 30 minutes

1 Head of Cauliflower(any Color), cut in large bite size pieces

4 Golden or red beets

¼ Cup golden raisins or currants

1/3 Toasted walnuts

½ tspn red pepper flakes

1 Handful of pickled red onions(recipe follows)

Kosher Salt

Cracked pepper

Extra Virgin Olive Oil(EVOO)

For the dressing:

Zest of one lemon

Juice of half a lemon

1 tspn dijon mustard

1 Tbsp honey

1/3 cup EVOO

2 Tbsp sour cream or greek yogurt

Kosher Salt

Cracked pepper

For the pickled red onions:

1 Red onion sliced radially in thin pieces.

1 cup red wine vinegar

2 Tbsp EVOO

Kosher salt

Cracked pepper

To make onions, combine all ingredients in a bowl, and wait at least 1 hour. Keeps in fridge for 2 weeks.

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Prep the beets by washing , cutting off some of the root end, and put in a shallow roasting vessel. Season with one tablespoon of EVOO, and a splash of water, cover tightly with lid or tin foil, and roast for one hour, or until a knife pierces the beets, but they still have a little resistance to them.  Let cool for 20-60 minutes.

Pre-heat a medium sized pan over medium heat, and add 3 tablespoons of EVOO. Add the cauliflower, cook for 10 minutes or until you have deep brown color on the cauliflower(turn the heat up if you’re not getting color after 5 minutes).  Add the red pepper flakes, toasted walnuts, raisins, and season with kosher salt & pepper. Turn heat off and let cool a little.

To make the dressing, add the zest, juice, mustard, honey to a bowl and whisk. Slowly add the EVOO and whisk until dressing comes together. Add the sour cream or yogurt, season with a little S&P, and whisk until creamy and dreamy.

When the beets are cool enough to handle, peel the skin off using a kitchen or paper towel, and cut into large bite sized pieces. Dress the beets with enough dressing to coat everything well, and do the same with the cauliflower mixture( it’s important to dress separately or the red beets will stain the cauliflower). Mound the cauliflower mixture on your serving plate, mix in the beets, and top with some of the pickled red onions. 

Part Two: My Preview of The Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival

Today is the second installment of my preview of the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival, undoubtedly the best fest in the country. With four days full of good eats, hot parties, and can't miss events, you need a guide of sorts, to spend your time(and money) wisely, that's where I come in! In this blog, I want to focus on the first two days of the event( Feb 20th & 21st), and the events I will be at, and so should you.

Right off the bat is an event I have never missed, and IMHO, one of the fest's best, Moët Hennessy's The Q presented by Creekstone Farms sponsored by MIAMI magazine hosted by Michael Symon featuring the 2014 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Models. Located on the beach in front of the Delano Hotel, this ultra chic beach party is housed in a massive tent, decorated so elaborately you forget the ocean is only a few steps away. Three hours of tasting gourmet bites from over 20 Food Network and world recognized chefs, champagne & cocktails, live music, and  most importantly, the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Models! The people are beautiful, the food impeccable, and a night you won't soon forget.

                                             The Q 2013

                                             Curtis Stone & Live Dancers

On Feb 21st, there are a number of hot events going on(must are sold out), but one that still has a few tickets left is Fontainebleau Miami Beach presents Wine Spectator's Best of the Best sponsored by Bank of America & Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. Located in the beautiful Fontainebleau hotel, The Best of The Best offers a chance to eat some gourmet bites cooked on the spot by some of the worlds best chefs, and drink as much high end wine as one person could possible dream of. There is also an entire room dedicated to delectable desserts that would satisfy even the biggest sweet tooth! Last year I chatted up Alex Guarnaschelli while she was preparing veal cheeks, and shared a drink with Justin Warner of Next Food Network Star fame. This event is a chance to get a little dressed up, eat and drink like a king, and participate in one of the better events at #SoBeWFF.

Next week I will continue my preview of the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival with more can't miss events from the hottest fest of the year!

Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival is Almost Here!

The best wine & food show in the country is right around the corner, the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival. I have attended this fest four years in a row now, and between the food celebrities, parties, demos, events, and weather, you don't need to convince me any further to leave Chicago in the middle of the winter for this foodie paradise event!

This will be the second year I am covering the event for Flavor City, last years video can be seen here, and is loaded with food network celebs, and all access footage. http://youtu.be/mzIsp165SI8

There are many wine & food shows across the country now, but here are the reasons why you NEED to be at #SoBeWFF.

The Events/Parties: These events are not just about the tasty food, you can also meet a wide variety of A-list food celebs, be dazzled by live music and an atmosphere that screams fun, and party with some of the most beautiful people you can imagine in South beach. The tickets to these events are a little pricey, but they are well worth it for the amount of bang you get for your buck.

The Food: Imagine eating gourmet bites from many of the worlds top chefs, drinking fine champagne and cocktails, and experiencing the flavors of the world in one location...well all of that is possible at many of the #SoBeWFF events. From the Burger Bash to The Q,  you can indulge in as much top tier food your belly desires.

South Beach: The weather is perfect, the people are hot, and with all the #SoBeWFF activities going on, there is no other place on earth I would rather be Feb. 20-23rd.

I will be blogging about #SoBeWFF in the coming weeks, and let you know which events are looking hot this year. Here are some photos from last year.

                                           Guy Fieri

                                           Michael Symon

                                           Jeff Mauro

New Flavor City Episode from Montreal

Last week I released a new FlavCity from Montreal, Canada. I visited there back in June 2013 and was blown away by everything the city had to offer. The food scene is second to none, and when it comes to seafood, I have NEVER had better.

I had the opportunity to meet and interview celebrity chef Chuck Huges at SoBe wine & food show last February. Not only is he a dynamite chef, but he is too funny and a great guy to hang with. I told him I was looking forward to checking out his two restaurants, Garde Manger & Le Bremner, in June, and he told me to hit him up when I was there. Both restaurants really impressed me with their atmosphere(old world hip) and food. Both restaurants take advantage of the insanely fresh seafood available to the Quebecois, and cook straightforward dishes with flavors that will sucker punch you they are so good!.

The diversity of the city is really something you need to experience. In the old port 'hood, you feel like you are transported back in time, walking down cobblestone streets and horse drawn carriages galloping alongside, and then you head latin quarter, and you so hipster dufus and freak city galore! Walking through the city you feel like you are in Europe, but with none of the jet lag. While we were there, an outdoor art & music festival were going on, and you can tell the Quebecois take advantage of the nice summertime weather bc it sure doesn't last long!

Here is the link to my Montreal Video:

New Year, New Credit Cards, and Perks Galore!

2013 was a great year in travel and food for Flavor City. After starting my online cooking and travel show back in February, I shot episodes in 3 countries, made TV appearances, and did a live cooking demo at a Chicago fest. It was incredibly rewarding to see all the hard work payoff, and to see that people connect with my passion for all things food and travel. I am working on some exciting projects for 2014(think Food Network!), and am kicking off my travels in a couple weeks with a trip to Los Angeles.

Part of the reason I am able to travel and have the food experiences I have always dreamed of, is because of the insane credit card points/miles I get just for making every day purchases. I have dedicated large parts of this blog to educate everyone on how to get airline/miles/points credit cards and take advantage of huge sign-up bonuses that can be redeemed for free travel all over the world. A prime example is the Southwest family of Credit cards. Visa offers 4-5 different Southwest business and personal cards, with sign-up bonuses of 50,000 points each. This year I got 2 of these cards(100,000 points), and spent well over $10,000, because of this, I earned something EXTREMELY valuable called the "Southwest Companion Pass." When you earn 110,000 Southwest Rapid Reward points in one calendar year, they give you the companion pass, meaning I can designate one person(my wife obviously) who can fly for FREE with me all of 2014, yes free! Whether I book my airfare with cash or redeem Rapid Reward points, my companion flies free with me all of 2014. This is a HUGE money saver considering how much I travel, and since I book most of my travel with points, it is going to save thousands of points I would have used to book a second ticket for my wife. I already used the companion pass to book free travel for my trips to Los Angelos and South Beach coming up soon.

I strong encourage you to check out the Southwest Family of Cards below, and sign up if you are in the market for a new card, with these kinds of perk, you can't afford not to!
https://creditcards.chase.com/southwest

                            My WGN TV appearance July 2013

                  My NBC TV appearance September 2013

My Foodie Weekend in New York City

Being in New York City around the holidays is magical, especially during a snow storm. So when I went to NYC the other week for a wedding at the Pierre Hotel, I came in a couple days early to lots of touristy stuff, and eat my way all over the island!

I first night I arrived, it was frigid, but that did not stop my wife & I from strolling through times square on our way to Mario Batali's, Esca, on  43rd & 9th ave. Esca is known for its seafood, and it did not disappoint. The squid ink pasta with mint and chiles was seasoned perfectly and had that murky, deep sea flavor from the ink. The zuppa di pesce was full of big pieces of fish, monster clams and mussels, and the best I have ever had. The broth, consisting of homemade fish stock, was so flavorful, tangy, and rich, it tasted like all the best flavors of the ocean at once!

The next day we strolled down to SoHo, and in to Dominique Ansel Bakery. Although they sold out of Cronuts at 10am, I recently watched unique sweets on the cooking channel, and they featured some other delish looking delectables! I ordered the Magic Souffle and the Cotton Soft Cheesecake. Both did not disappoint, and Dominique was in the house.

Saturday, snow storm Electra hit NYC in a major way, but that did not stop me from waiting in line outside of Carnegie Deli for 30 minutes, and being rewarded with the best pastrami sandwich topped with chopped liver and egg salad I have ever consumed! The place is an institution, and even better than Katz's deli in my opinion. The pastrami was so tender, moist and flavorful, that I could have eaten 2 pounds of it! As if my monster sando was not enough, I topped it off with some wickedly good strawberry chessecake that left me full(and slightly nauseous) the rest of the day.

Check out this beautiful picture I tweeted from Central park during snow storm Electra. The Weather Channel retweeted it, and it was pure magic being there at that time.

Fun with Social Media & #Foodiechats

On Monday, I went to my first ever #Foodiechats live tweeting event. It was held at Chi-Town Eatery in Chicago's west loop. I usually avoid using my iPhone during dinner at a restaurant, but this was one time when it was strongly encouraged! Foodie Chats is an online social community of foodies from all over the world, and every Monday night they all tweet together and answer questions posted from #Foodiechats on twitter.

A large crowd of Foodies turned out and enjoyed some really tasty food( free!) from Chi-Town Eatery. The wings were fried and sauced perfectly, the mac & cheese was insanely creamy, and chocolate covered strawberries for dessert was a classy move! I did manage to pry myself from twitter to actually meet real people and speak real words w/o using a has tag! I met some really cool fellow foodies, and even won a sweet t-shirt in the raffle.

I was amazed at the number of people live tweeting with us from all over the world. I was replying to a girl in London, tweeting with someone in Portugal about sweets and dessert wine, and even got followers from Budapest and Spain. The Foodie community is large and in charge and only getting better. I will definitely be live tweeting every Monday night, and can't wait for the next #Foodiechats party, but until then, PUT YOUR SMART PHONE AWAY WHILE AT THE RESTAURANT!

Eataly Chicago opens, and I was there!

The day finally came, Eataly Chicago opened the doors to its 60,000 sq. foot Italian foodie paradise yesterday, and I was there to eat and drink my way through it! Simply put, the place is incredible. Any Italian food, ingredient, produce, etc you can imagine is there, and when you combine that with numerous restaurants, tasting stations, and wine by the glass while you shop, how can you go wrong?

I first headed to the gelato area and asked how it's possible they have soft serve gelato. They said after the the gelato is slowly churned, it's moved to a machine that whips it and gives it that light, soft serve texture, and oh man does it feel incredibly silky smooth on the tongue!

After having some sweet it was time to go upstairs where the real food action is. There are numerous tiny food stands with seats around them selling "Salumi & Cheese", "Fried bar", "Raw & Fish Bar". I stopped for some fritto misto and prosciutto di parma. Even though the fritto misto was $21, the seafood was incredibly fresh, tender, and flavorful.

The crowds and lines got bigger as the evening went on, but I still managed some Farro(winter wheat berry) with butternut squash cooked risotto style and some lentil soup, both were spot on tasty. A little tiramisu for dessert really hit the spot, even though it was $6 for a tiny amount.

Eataly Chicago is truly a one of a kind place, and I will have to go back multiple times to fully appreciate and discover everything it has to offer.

What Food Shows I am Watching Now

I have been watching the Food Network for 15 years now, and it is safe to say they have hit their stride and are rocking out some seriously good programming these days. But it's one of their sister channels, The Cooking Channel, that has me hooked on some of the most entertaining and engaging food shows out there right now. Don't get me wrong, we all love food competition and reality shows, but it's nice to actually watch cooking shows, and see people share their recipes, and that is what Cooking Channel does, it's like MTV before they stopped playing music videos!

Cooking Channel has exposed me to some awesome food personalities like, Nadia G's Bithin' Kitchen, Chuck Hughes Eats the street, and Eden Grinshpan's Log On & Eat.

You will never, repeat ever, see a cooking show like Bitchin' Kitchen. Not only is Nadia G talented in the kitchen, but her humor is dark, twisted, and seriously addictive. She has a background in comedy, and decided to combine that with her love of food. Once you watch one episode, I dare you to not watch another one. Voodoo dolls, a shirtless meathead, an Israeli spice "agent", and a fetish for high heels are just some of the stuff that make this one of the best shows on food TV these days!

I first discovered Eden Grinshpan on her Cooking Channel show Eden Eats, where she stayed up for 24 hours and check out ethnic restaurants in a particular city. Her new show, Log On & Eat, is seriously entertaining bc it combines social media with hardcore foodies. She travels all around the country and meets up with food bloggers and other social media mavens. Whether it's a drag queen chef, a death metal blogger, or NYC pizza fanatics, it's all about the food baby!

Eden's show is on Tuesday nights, and Bitchin Kitchen is inbetween seasons now. Both shows air on the Cooking Channel.

New Episode of Flavor City from Tuscany is out!

I just released the latest Flavor City from Tuscany on my YouTube channel. This is my favorite episode yet as there is no shortage of culinary inspiration in Italy! Everything I tasted in Tuscany, mainly in the Chianti region, was so simple and so flavorful, and that is the essence of Italian food. I spent some time on a second generation wine and olive oil estate, just soaking up the beauty and my fair share of Chianti wine! I also got an in depth tour of how the extra virgin olive oil process works, and man does that make me appreciate this golden elixir from the gods even more!

Let me know what you think, and please share your stories from Italy, I would love to hear them!

For a better quality video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGmXtJ6XYEs&feature=c4-overview&list=UUnq1w-56tAvMdDup-CL6Vtg

What's in my wallet & how it saves me money on travel.

I want to continue to share with you what credit cards I am using that enable me to book both domestic and international flight for just a few bucks(can't escape the tax man!). Part of the reason I am able to make Flavor City, and travel all around, is because I have been taking advantage of credit card bonus miles since 2005. I used to watch travel shows and think, " man that looks nice, but it probably costs a fortune", and guess what..it does! The good news is, when you eliminate the airfare and hotel cost, you can live like a VIP without breaking the bank, and thus allowing you to experience new cultures and eat the most fantastic foods all over the world. 

British Airways Visa Card: I have over 300,000 miles on BA thanks to the fact that they have one of the most lucrative sign up bonuses in the business, 100,000 points! BA flies all over the world, but one of the aspects I love most, is that they are part of the one world alliance, and I can book American Air flights using my BA points. So my round trip ticket to NYC in December for a friends wedding only cost 15,000 BA miles to book on AA. The current signup bonus gives you 50,000 points after the first purchase, but then you have to charge $10,000 the first year to get 25,000 more. Check it out.

http://www.britishairways.com/travel/credit-cards/public/en_us

Southwest Visa Card: Southwest has 4 credit cards, all offering 50,000 miles, in their family, and I have them all! Southwest makes it very easy to book any flight using points, and they are usually my go to for booking domestic flights. I would recommend signing up for one of the personal and business cards the same day, as only one credit check will be done. Check the cards out here.

http://www.southwest.com/html/rapidrewards/partners/credit-cards/southwest-airlines-rapid-rewards-cards/index.html

Travelling using points & miles. What's in my wallet now

This week I am going to cover just how valuable airline miles and hotel points can be. The mere fact that I have not paid for an international airline ticket since 2005, flown first and business class, and saved thousands of dollars puts a new meaning on the word valuable! It can be time consuming to keep track of all the best credit card and bank account offers out there, but if you follow some of my advice, you will be well on your way to maximizing everyday purchases. There are also full time bloggers who make it easy for you to stay up to date on these offers.

Currently I have six points/miles credit cards open, and they have earned me over 300,000 points in the last six months. Now before you worry about "ruining" your credit score by opening and eventually closing cards, you must know that I have had a 750 credit score and excellent credit history. The only time your credit score will take a minor hit, is when you close a card and your score goes down about 6 points for a couple months, then right back up. This is why I close a few cards at one time, usually when the annual fee is about to be charged. So instead of getting the 6 point hit on each card, I only get hit for 6 points once.

With all of that out of the way, I will unveil the two credit cards in my wallet I am currently earning sweet bonuses on.

American Express Starwood Business Card: Starwood is by far my favorite hotel brand, with Le Meridien, The W, St. Regis, and their luxury properties all included. Right now, Amex is offering 25,000 star points after you spend $5000 in the first 6 months. Just to give you an idea of what that can get you, you can book a nice 4 star Sheraton in times square for 12,000, or the 5 star Hotel Danieli in Venice for 15,000. Starwood also gives you the option of using both points and cash, which I always choose because it save me some of my precious points, and is a great deal. This Amex card does offer 30,000 bonus star points once in a while, so if you are not in a hurry, I would wait fr the better off.
https://www304.americanexpress.com/credit-card/carousel-landing/starwood-preferred-guest?ccsgeep=28000&openeep=43213&psboth=CCSG_Google_PA_SPG_Broad&ti=0

Chase Ink Business Bold: This is one of my favorite cards because you can transfer Chase ultimate reward points to any number of airline and hotel partners. Currently Ink has two cards, the bold and plus, and each will give you 50,000 ultimate reward points after spending $5000 in the first 3 months. I plan of transferring some of those points to United to book my annual ski trip in Aspen, a ticket that would normally cost $800 round trip from O'hare. If you are a fan of the Park Hyatt( who isn't!), you can redeem 44,000 ultimate reward points for two free nights at any Park Hyatt in the world, a potential $1600 value!
https://applynow.chase.com/FlexAppWeb/renderApp.do?SPID=F5QS&CELL=6H8X&AFFID=xDpEzOEw4a4-1LZR.f9oc_n5lqrs6tmJuQ&pvid=F517191842&jp_cmp=cc/289065/aff/3-10002010/na

New Red Wine From One of My Favs..Apothic

If you have never tried Apothic Wine, from California, what are you waiting for! It is one of my favorite under $10 bottles of wines out there, especially the red blend. So when I got an email the other day announcing the "Apothic Dark" I was very intrigued, and once I read that I was invited to a tasting party Saturday before the wine goes on sale, I was down right giddy!

The event is at the Old Town School of Music and is open to the public. It looks like they are tying it in with a live story telling event, so maybe some dark wine and scary stories in honor of Halloween?

I have met the master wine maker from Apothic, and the guy is not only much younger than you would think, but he knows he grapes. If you are looking for a great table red wine, definitely try out Apothic.

Here is info on the event: http://themoth.org/events/event/fall-from-grace-the-moth-in-chicago

Making Ribs & Dry Rubs

I am going to one last BBQ tomorrow in Chicago before winter jackets and hats are needed! I have some beautiful Berkshire baby back ribs that I got from Allen Brothers. I plan on making a homemade BBQ sauce with chipotle, orange, and honey, so I wanted a dry rub to compliment those flavors.


Here is the recipe I just came up for a Smoked Ancho dry rub. It has sweet, heat, and some flavors that really pop out. Check out the color and fat content of these rubs, going to fall of the bone!

2 tablespoons ancho chile powder 
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon ground cumin 
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground coriander
½ cup soft brown sugar
2 tablespoons kosher salt

New Flavor City from Tuscany Almost Ready

My creative team is putting the finishing touches on a brand new FlavCity from Tuscany. After two incredible weeks in August,  I already want to go back! I was blown away by the beautiful vistas, the mountainous terrain, and the insanely tasty food. Literally every dish I had in Tuscany was pure perfection, and the fact that prices were very reasonable(even after the euro conversion) made my wallet very happy!

Everyone knows I am an Extra Virgin Olive Oil fanatic, and there was no shortage of fresh, peppery, earthy EVVO in Tuscany. I interviewed second generation olive growers and learned about every step of the oil making process. Of course no trip to Tuscany would be complete without indulging in the famous Chianti Classico, and indulge I did! In the name of research, I drank as much Chianti as I needed to learn all about the famous sangiovese grape.

I then retreated to the seaside town of Anzio(one hour west of Rome), and decided to cook right on the beach and feed all my pizano's! I took all the inspiration from Tuscany and created a Bruschetta alla Tuscano, with all those flavors of Tuscany that I will never forget!

Here are some photos from our shoot on the beach. The locals were looking at us like we were crazy, but once they tried my bruschetta, it was like I was one of the family!

Getting Ready for Food Network's NYCWFF

One of the top wine & food fests in the country is Food Network's Wine & Food in New York. Flavor City was lucky enough to get an all access press pass for the event, and will be hitting up all the hot parties and getting interviews with food celebrities. So if you don't have tickets to this sold out event, I've got you covered! http://www.nycwff.org/

In my continuing effort to make travel more affordable for everyone via credit card points and miles, I want to share how I just booked my round-trip ticket to NYC for free. I will be flying outbound on American for only 7,500 miles, and returning on Southwest for 14,000 miles.

Outbound: Thanks to to stockpile of British Airways points, I can take advantage of their partnership with AA to book a one way ticket for way less than it would be if I went through AA directly(12,500 points). That is because B.A. using distance to figure how much they charge for reward tickets, so always using B.A. for domestic travel on AA. Here is the current offer for 50,000 B.A. bonus points with Chase
https://creditcards.chase.com/a1/ba/50AFWaffiliates?AFFID=xDpEzOEw4a4-_IaF8aH1_tj1beieTOJBSw&pvid=F516562912&jp_cmp=cc/296439/aff/3-10002045/na

Inbound: I also have a stockpile of Southwest Rapid Reward points due to the fact they have 5 credit cards in their family, each offering up to 50,000 bonus miles. Even though 14,000 for a one-way flight is not the best deal, it balances out after the great deal on my outbound flight. Here is the link to some of the 50,000 bonus point Chase rapid reward credit cards:
https://creditcards.chase.com/a1/southwest/2ffaffiliate?CELL=6H8X&AFFID=xDpEzOEw4a4-O4h3aO0z5E.pNoQWymvKCA&pvid=F516562987&jp_cmp=cc/296508/aff/3-10002012/na

Recap of Chicago Gourmet Hamburger Hop & Fest

It was a prime burger throwdown at Millennium park on Friday night, as the kickoff party to Chicago Gourmet pitted 15 of Chicago's best chefs competing for top burger honors. The event was sponsored by Chicago's very own Allen Brothers, and each chef could choose their own blend of meats and fat ratios to craft their burgers.

Food Network's Jeff Mauro(The Sandwich King) went with a prime 100% chuck grind, 80/20 fat ratio, to craft his crunch cherry pepper griddle burger(a mouthful just to say!). Rockit Bar & Grill's Chef Amanda Downing went with a prime chuck blend to complete her classic Rockit burger with melted brie.

The judges of the Hamburger Hop consisted of some heavy hitters. Graham Elliot, of Chicago and "Master Chef" fame, joined world renowned Chef Hubert Keller and creator of Blue Moon Brewing Keith Villa.

Having tasted every burger offered that night, I knew the judges had a difficult decision, but after the votes were tallied, Scott Walton of Howells & Hood won for his burger topped with kimchi and carrot bacon(mind blown!) Jeff Mauro won the peoples choice award for his burger, and for the record, that was my favorite burger of the night!

I also spent some time at the fest on Saturday drinking some wine, eating some delish samples from area restaurants and attending seminars and demos with local area chefs that were hosted by Bon Appetit's Adam Rapport and Andrew Knowlton.

Below are some pictures, and stay tuned this week for my video recap of the Hamburger Hop featuring interviews with all the talent listed above!

                                        The Winning Burger by Howells & Hood

Getting Ready For the Hamburger Hop at Millennium Park

This weekend is the Chicago Gourmet fest sponsored by Bon Appetit.I will be covering the kickoff party, The Hamburger Hop by Allen Brothers. It boasts some of Chicago's best chefs duking it out to see whose burger reigns supreme! Food Network's Jeff Mauro(The Sandwich King), Rick Gresh and many other chefs will be using Allen Brothers prime meats to make some of the best burgers around. The hardest part is finding room to try all 15 burgers(and beer)!

Graham Elliot will be one of the judges, I will be sure to make all the rounds and ask all those burning burger questions. Hope to see some of you guys throughout the weekend!

For more info on the event:
https://www.eventbrite.com/event/2552641018

Recap of live Cooking Demo & NBC appearance

Thanks to everyone who braved the rain and joined me for my all day cooking demo at the Lakeview East Festival of Arts on Sunday. Even though the weather was not ideal, we still had large crowds who were rewarded with lots of food, drinks, and giveaways! I featured some of the recipes from current episodes of FlavCity, and invited some area restaurants to join me and show how they make some of their signature dishes. Chrissy Camba of Top Chef fame rocked the house to a standing room only crowd, and showed us a spaghetti squash dish that was dynamite! Every demo had delish samples including guacamole and margaritas from Revolucion Steakhouse, Steak tacos from D.S. Tequila, and chocolate espresso waffles from Waffles. Of course I treated everyone to prime grilled steaks from Alleen Brothers, bruschetta alla Toscana, and tomato gazpacho. The feedback was really positive and I had a blast!

I went on NBC 5 Chicago last week to promote the event, and here is my interview along with some pictures from the cooking demo:

 

With Chrissy Camba of Top Chef fame

How Miles & Points Saved Me Thousands On My Trip To Europe Last Month

Last month, I spent three weeks in Italy, Austria, and Bulgaria on vacation and filming FlavCity episodes. As usual, I used miles to book my plane ticket and avoid a hefty peak summer airline ticket! I was able to fly inbound economy and outbound business class, and here is how I did it.

Chicago to Rome: I used 30,000 American Airline miles to fly economy. I booked this ticket well in advance bc this is a popular summer route. I have a nice stock pile of AA miles thanks to the lucrative sign-up bonus of 75,000 miles I got for the personal and business credit cards earlier in the year.

Sofia, Bulgaria to Chicago: I used 50,000 United miles to book a business class ticket using their star alliance partner, Lufthansa, , and boy was that a treat after three weeks of hustle and bustle! United is a transfer partner with Chase Ultimate Rewards, and thanks to a my Ink Bold card, I have lots of these points!

Here are the links to the credit card info:
https://www.chase.com/online/business-credit-cards/ink-bold.htm
I applied for both the personal and business Bold cards, and was approved for both, So that's 100,000 points!

http://www.aa.com/pubcontent/en_US/disclaimers/BP-PLATHV.jsp
While the offer for an American Airlines card is not as good as the 75,000 sign up offer I got a few months back, it's still a nice chunk of miles. I would keep an eye open for a better offer if you're not in a hurry.

As always, these are cards that I am going to use use for everyday expenses anyways, so why not maximize the value I get from them. I understand people are wary of opening accounts but I have been doing for years, and my credit report is very high. I always cancel cards together, bc your credit report will take a minor, temporary hit.

FlavCity Interview on NBC 5 Chicago

Yesterday, I did a taped interview on NBC Chicago to promote the Lakeview East festival of arts & my cooking demo on Sept. 15th. It was short and brief, but always nice to get more experience in front of the camera..any press is good press..right!?

The interview will air tomorrow, Sept. 12th, on the noon news. It also re-airs on the Saturday morning.

Don't forget to come join me this Sunday for my live cooking demo at the fest. There will be lots of yummy samples, area restaurants, and even Top Chef contestant, Chrissy Camba, will join me for a demo!

http://lakevieweastfestivalofthearts.com/cooking-demonstration/

Live Cooking Demo in Chicago this Sunday, the 15th!

The time is almost upon us. I will be cooking and hosting a live demo at the Lakeview East Festival of Arts on Sept. 15th from 11am-4pm. I will be cooking tasty recipes and be joined on stage by some of the areas top restaurants. Bar Pastoral's , Chrissy Cambra, of Top Chef fame, will be joining me at 2:15pm. There will be lots of free samples and maybe even some margaritas from our friends at Revolucion steakhouse!

Here is the fest info. Please come on out and join me for some good times!

http://lakevieweastfestivalofthearts.com/cooking-demonstration/

Cooking Demo, Hamburger Hop, & More!

It's great to be back in Chicago after a 3 week trip in Italy, Vienna, and Bulgaria. Italy continues to amaze me with the food, cities, and beauty every time I go there. Vienna was full of schnitzel, brats, and beer..and some pretty nice museums(I can only take so much of that though!) This was my fourth trip to Bulgaria, and the cuisine is so similar to Greek and Jewish cuisine, there is nothing not to like!

September 15th, I will be be cooking and hosting an all day demo at the east lakeview festival of arts in Chicago at 3300 N. Broadway st. As a resident of the neighborhood, I am thrilled to participate in this event, and what makes it even more special, is my wife will be one of the artists displaying her oil on canvas work at the fest! So please come on down and check it out! http://lakevieweastfestivalofthearts.com/

Later in the month is the Chicago Gourmet food fest at Millennium Park. I will be covering the kickoff party, The Hamburger Hop, and the event is sponsored by Chicago's very own Allen Brothers. Some of the Chicago's best chefs will once again square off to see whose burger reigns supreme.

Here are a couple pics from a food fest I came across in Vienna.

Road Trip..Tuscany!

Just returned back to the west coast of Italy after a six day road trip. I started in Chianti, and tasted some darn tasty chianti classico and some really spicy, earthy extra virgin olive oil. Every single meal I had in Tuscany was beyond tasty. The vineyards and vistas are beautiful, but I was surprised how mountainous the region was, windy roads and post wine tastings don't mix well!

The final night in wine country I ate at the butcher of Panzano's steakhouse, Officina della Bisteca. A five course, carnivore lovers dream, paired wine homemade wine, local veggies, and local EVOO. If you have not heard of Dario Checchino, you need to youtube him, he is a character!  

 More stories and pics coming soon!

My appearance on WGN & upcoming projects

Last Friday was a very exciting day for me, as it was my first live cooking demo on TV. I was on WGN Midday news promoting some of my summer grilling recipes The segment was 4:30 minutes, so I had to make sure to fit in all three recipes. As soon as we went live, my nerves subsided and I was really having a good time with the host, Dina Bair. I definitely began to talk a little fast when I saw the producer doing the "wrap it" signal during my third recipe, but was very happy with how it turned out.

In September, I will be hosting an all day cooking demo with local chefs at the East Lakeview Artfest. I will also be covering the Chicago Gourmet hamburger hop presented by Allen Brothers & Bon Appetit.

Lots of great events coming up and new episodes of Flavor City in the works!

FlavCity on WGN

http://lakevieweastfestivalofthearts.com/

Brand New Episode & my TV appearance

Hot from the editing room, is a brand spankin' new episode of FlavCity! I kick off grilling season with some mouth watering prime steaks from Allen Brothers. From wet & dry aging, to learning more about prime meat, I grill up some seriously good eats, and take a road trip to interview the president of Allen Brothers. Alongside the cornucopia of meat, is a grilled sweet potato and corn salad, almost every ingredient is grilled. Hey, it is national grilling month after all!

T-Minus 2 days until I make my TV debut on WGN Midday news at 11:45am. Tune in this Friday, July 19th. Lots of grilling, grub, and good times.

FlavCity is making it's TV debut!

I am very excited to announce that I will be appearing on WGN's midday news July 19th during the midday fix segment. I will be doing a live cooking segment outdoors to celebrate national grilling month, and even be giving away some Prime grilling packages from Allen Brothers to some lucky twitter followers! More details coming soon.

My 2 week trip to Italy is fast approaching, and I am setting up all the locations I want to shoot. If anyone has any great recommendations in Tuscany I would love to hear them!

Flavor City Teams up with a Chicago Icon

I am very excited to announce that Flavor City has teamed up with Allen Brothers to create new cooking and educational videos. As a long time fan/customer of Allen Brothers, I can say this is the best prime beef I have ever tasted and the same meat served at top steakhouses all over the country. I have been shooting footage with the master butchers, in the aging rooms(dry aging is a fascinating process), and even with the president of the company. You will learn so much about what exactly prime meat is, and the aging process, just like I did.

The first video is up on www.allenbrothers.com, and we are finishing the second one now.

Please let me know if you have any special requests or questions.

City Farms Dinner w/ Barefoot Wine

The other night, I had the opportunity to attend a very unquie wine dinner at City Farm Chicago. An urban farm in the Gold Coast. I had driven by this place many times, but to walk through the farm and see all the incredible produce they are growing there was fascinating. We then had a four course meal with ingredients picked from the far that morning, right in the middle of the farm at a long community table, it doesn't get much more farm to table that that!

Barefoot wines was sponsoring the event, and has honored Chicago's own, Ken Dunn, for his urban farm and resource center work. The food was fantastic, and the ambiance was unbeatable.

Poutine, Maple Syrup, and Great People, I Love Montreal!

The week in Montreal is coming to an end and its fair to say this city has really impressed me. It has all the charm of old Europe w/o leaving America, insanely good food, clean, and people so friendly it's almost scary..what's there not to like!?!?

The culinary scene here is off the chart, and the seafood does not get much better than what they have here. The best examples of this was at Chuck Hughes 2 restaurants, Garde Manger & La Bremner. Of course, when in Montreal I had to seek out some top notch poutine.

Old Quebec city was one of the most authentic old towns I have been to, and is like taking a trip back in time!

More to come soon, we shoot lots of good footage here for an ep. Of FlavCity.