Supernatural Botanicals

Love her or hate her (and I think we mostly love her), Martha Stewart has left her mark on all of us in one way or another.  Miss Martha turns 69 today. 

When you think about the “queen of lifestyle and living”, Martha Stewart is the first name that comes to mind.  Always.  We have all learned how to throw better parties, cook better meals, and certainly decorate our houses in more interesting ways thanks to Martha. 

She has taught us to be perfectionists (which strangely is looked upon as a negative in society) and we are better off for it. 

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvQccAuTRlQ

Once you’ve had homemade salsa, you’ll never go back to vinegar-tinged jarred salsa again.  This salsa recipe mimics that of Mexican restaurants in that it’s made with fresh ingredients and, of course, made without vinegar.  It’s super impressive to whip up some salsa on the fly for when friends or family stops by.  I make mine in a food processor, but you can also use a blender.  Tweak it to your liking, add more peppers.  This recipe makes a medium-hot salsa. 

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Ingredients: 

Huge handful of fresh cilantro.

1 clove of garlic.

3 small jalapenos. 

1 small onion. 

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Ingredients: 

2 14 oz cans of whole tomatoes.

2 14 oz cans of diced tomatoes with green chiles.

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Dice onion

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Slice jalapenos long ways

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Then dice jalapenos, seeds and all to give it a nice kick

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Dice 1 clove of garlic

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Combine canned tomatoes, onion, jalapenos and garlic in the food processor. 

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Add a teaspoon (or so) of sugar

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Add a teaspoon of ground cumin to give it a good “Mexican” flavor.  Then pulse the food processor about 4-6 times, depending on how chunky you like it.  Keep pulsing if you like your salsa a thinner consistency. 

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Here’s where it all comes together.  Cilantro.  Use a lot of it.  It gives it a good garden taste.  I use a huge handful, and then pulse for 4 more pulses. 

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And there you have homemade salsa.  I blend mine to a medium consistency.  Serve with chips, with tacos, steaks, etc.  Great to have in the fridge all week long to accompany your dinners, and exceptionally good for a low-calorie snack. 

There’s no hiding Tony Bourdain’s dislike (or disgust) for Sandra Lee.  The Semi-Homemade queen does not rank highly amongst chefs or even the foodies of the world.  A particular episode of Sandra’s that made Tony’s eye twitch was the Kwanzaa cake episode.  In fact, he was so sure we’d agree with his thoughts that he told us to go home and You Tube Sandra Lee’s Kwanzaa cake.  Watch for yourself and come to your own conclusions. 

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=we2iWTJqo98

Tony’s near sold-out F-bomb laiden show in Cincinnati had all of us in stitches all night.  He received as many laughs as a comedian.  Tony is an incredible story-teller and one who isn’t afraid to share his thoughts on Food Network personalities, i.e., he thinks Guy Fieri, at the age of 45, needs to take the glasses off the back of his head and thinks Giada has an abnormally large head. 

The audience in Cincinnati was filled with some of our most prominent chefs, foodies, bloggers and all-around interesting people in Cincinnati.  Tony opened the floor to questions, and it was amazing to see so many well-traveled Cincinnatians all in one place. 

Tony is welcome to our city any day…even if he made fun of our cinnamon-laced chili.  I have a feeling Cincinnatian’s would welcome him with open arms and another sold out venue.

Delicious herbs from our Supernatural Garden.   Fresh chives, Rosemary, Dill and peppers.  They are so easy to grow, and there is always an abundance of fresh herbs from the garden.  Not only are they fab for adding kick to your meals, but there are multiple at home spa recipes you can try to even use more of your herbs.  Brilliant!

Today is the last day to sign up for free tickets to see Tony Bourdain in Cincinnati on June 27th.  For your chance to win, ENTER HERE!  Good luck!

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No Reservations: An Evening with Anthony Bourdain
Aronoff Center • Sunday, June 27th • 7:30pm
- Bourdain’s new book Medium Raw to be released June 8th -
Anthony Bourdain, the internationally acclaimed chef, author, and host of Travel Channel’s “No Reservations,” has been dubbed “the bad boy of cuisine” for his rock star looks and blunt observations about the world of restaurants, chefs, and cooking. He will be appearing at the Aronoff Center’s Procter & Gamble Hall on Sunday, June 27th at 7:30pm. Tickets are $36.50 and $46.50 and can be purchased at the Aronoff Center Ticket Office, by phone at (513) 621-ARTS or online at CincinnatiArts.org.  A limited
number of VIP tickets have sold-out. Tickets are on-sale now.  Bourdain, the executive chef at New York’s famed bistro Les Halles, is the author of the bestselling Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly, a candid, hysterical and sometimes shocking portrait of his life in restaurant kitchens that has been translated into over 28 languages. His new book, Medium Raw: A Bloody Valentine to the World of Food and the People Who Cook, will be released on June 8th. Medium Raw pulls back the curtain on all of the big-time personalities of the modern gastronomical revolution – as only Bourdain can. A contributing authority for Food Arts magazine, his work as appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times and Gourmet. He has shared his insights about team building and crisis management with the Harvard Business Review. “No Reservations,” nominated for an Emmy Award and widely popular all over the world, is currently in its fifth season, Bourdain continues to travel to the farthest reaches of the globe, exploring destinations from rural Laos to New Orleans.

For photos, interviews, & additional information, contact Justin at 518.884.2960 or justin@millsentertainment.com.

Teresa Giudice (Real Housewives of New Jersey) has just written an incredible book on the art of Italian cooking.  More than just a cookbook, this is more like a great book with recipes, because there’s lots of dialogue and pictures to go along with the amazing recipes.  I especially love the pictures she shares of her house and family (four darling little girls and her juicy husband, Joe.) 

I was so impressed with Teresa’s book.  I mean, who doesn’t want to have access to a girlfriend whose parents are straight from the old country and taught her everything they know about old-school Italian cooking?

I adore that she believes so strongly in her heritage.  I adore people of any culture that maintain their roots and are deeply proud of being Italian, Swedish, German, etc.  I love tradition.  It’s something I wish I had in my own family.  Truth be told, I really have no idea where I came from.  I’m blonde, blue eyed, and not exactly what you’d call dark complected.  I know that originally my family came from France.  Beyond that,  it’s a bit unclear.  I’ve always found it to be so interesting to listen to people who have deep heritage.  I need to visit Ancestry.com. 

Teresa shares recipes in her new book, Skinny Italian, that have gone back many generations.  She shares all of her bag of tricks…all the while doing it with her Jersey-Girl attitude and sass! 

I have literally not been able to put this book down for two weeks.  Teresa has even inspired me to try my hand at canning this summer (there’s a whole section on this in her book along with step by step instructions.) 

Admittedly, the Real Housewives franchises have tried to market almost every one of their ladies into a brand…(think Vicki Gunvalson with her new book or LuAnn the Countess with her singing.)  With all the personal branding  promotion, I admit I looked at Teresa’s book with a side-eye, ala Tardy For the Party. 

But Skinny Italian is the real deal.  Real authentic recipes taught by real authentic Italians.  Teresa, I love, love love your new book.  Super-impressive work, Jersey-Girl!

Cathy Erway’s new book, The Art Of Eating, depicts her two year journey of swearing off restaurant fare.   Cathy’s blog, Not Eating Out In New York, was the inspiration for her book.  Not only did Cathy lose 10 pounds within a few months of eating in, but she cherished the act of making delicious dishes.  She says it slowed her down and lowered her stress.  Turns out, eating in is ultra-frugal as well.  Cathy says she ended up saving about $75 a week by eating in.  Not only did she learn confidence in the kitchen, but she learned she had a great deal of discipline to say no to the restaurant scene for two years.  This book is such a fun, informative read.  Highly recommended!  Think you could swear off restaurants for two years?

Candles…they’re not just for ambiance anymore  David Burke’s Primehouse in Chicago  is using candles as condiments.  They make edible candles out of bacon and beef drippings (the wicks are coated in vegetable wax.)  As the candles melt, it is drizzled over dry aged steaks and salads to add an extra kick of flavor.  Now that’s thinking outside the box.