Sunday FUN Food Pick: Homemade Chocolate Pudding!

Loving Linda Hall's homemade Chocolate Pudding recipe featured on Cookwork.com!

TheGritsnCheeseDish Featured on Better Recipes!..Monica's "Homestyle Oyster Bagel Dressing" Makes Top 10 Thanksgiving Dressings List!

Double Great news!

TheGritsnCheeseDish.blogspot.com is one of 4 featured blogs on Better Recipes! My Homestyle Oyster Bagel Dressing made with a twist--using pumpernickel and everything bagels also makes their Top 10 Thanksgiving Dressing List this year, landing at #4!

Other blogger recipes on the top 10 list are Food Network's Claire Robinson, Amy of Simply Sugar and Gluten Free.....and more! Learn how we made our knock out recipes!

See Better Recipes "Dressing and Stuffings Galore" Featured blog list
OR
their complete Top 10 Thanksgiving Dressing list

Sunday Fun DRINK Pick: Avocado Date Shake!

Today' Sunday Fun drink is an Avocado Date Shake that I made this afternoon. This sweet n' tasty shake is real simple to make and very nutritious. Although it is a shake, you can also eat with a spoon instead of using a straw. The dates are really sweet so you do not need to add sugar. Interesting fact: Avocado shake is a very popular Vietnamese drink!


Ingredients:

1 avocado (the biggest one you can buy)
One 5 oz can of carnation evaporated milk
5 pitted dates
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Peel avocado, and put in food processor (be sure to remove pit from avocado before placing in food processor). Add in dates, evaporated milk, cinnamon and nutmeg. Blend in food processor for about 15 seconds or when your desired texture is desired....Enjoy your sweet delicious drink!

Psst. Read more fun stuff like my 3-hour Argentine Steakhouse Cooking Class with Top Chef Finalist Casey Thompson.

Sites I Likey!: Eating in South Jersey!

I love sites that give out lots of great information like Eating in South Jersey. Check it out!

Argentine Steakhouse Cooking w Top Chef Finalist Casey Thompson and Viking's Chef Shawn Fair

On Monday afternoon I had the opportunity to attend a 3-hour Argentine Steakhouse Cooking class with Top Chef finalist Casey Thompson and Viking Cooking School's Chef Shawn Fair at Harrah's AC. Our task was to make the following goodies under their guidance and instruction: Argentine Empanadas, Grilled Skirt Steak with Chimicurri Sauce, Roasted Marinated Sweet Peppers, Oven Roasted Potatoes and Flan.

Before starting our 3-hour culinary adventure,Viking prepared Grilled Chorizo on Crusty Bread with Chimichurri Sauce to fill our bellies in the meantime paired with Terrazas de los Andes Malbec.

Chef Casey then talked to us about Argentinian wine and pairing with Malbec.

Chef Shawn first had us prepare the flan, a chilled custard topped with caramel. Flan is made by blending condensed and evaporated milk, eggs, vanilla extract and nutmeg. We made the caramel by simply boiling sugar and water which naturally turns into caramel. We poured the caramel into ramekins (or flan molds) and then poured into our custard. In Argentina, the caramel sauce used for flan is called "dulce de leche."

Ahh, now time for the Argentine Empanadas. There are many versions of empanadas and they are specific to how families choose to make them. Instead of minced steaks which are normally used for the filling, we used ground beef. In Argentina, they place the whole olive and an hard boiled egg wedge inside the empanada. However, we chopped up our olive and egg, then mixed it in with the filling. We put our ingredients in the pan: ground beef, onions, garlic cloves, rehydrated raisins, crushed red pepper flakes, cumin, oregano, paprika,red wine vinegar and more. Afterwards, we placed the filling in the middle of an empanada shell and sealed and tucked it.

Finally, the main course: Grilled Skirt Steak with Chimichurri Sauce and marinated roasted pepper! First we started with the chimichurri sauce which we made with fresh cilantro, flat leaf parsley, oregano, garlic, lemon, olive oil and other ingredients. We mixed the ingredients in the Viking food processor--and that's it!- done for the chimichuri! Next, we roasted a pepper on the stove to make our marinated sweet pepper in balsamic vinegar to compliment our steak once it was served. We poured the chimichurri sauce on the raw steak and gave it a good rub so the flavor can seep inside. Afterwards, we grilled up the steak.

Now the best part, food is served. I have to thank my fellow team members, Sarah, Kay and Maggie of Tasteful Living for our delicious meal. We did good! (Sorry no picture of the potatoes. I ate them all before snapping a pic :)

...By the way a quick little trick from Chef Shawn on how to separate eggs.

Gettin' Ready for Argentine Steakhouse Class with Top Chef Finalist Casey Thompson

I'm Cooking...No Sunday Fun Food Pick Today!

Hi gang,

Good Sunday morning. Today I'm cooking my little heart out.....so I won't have time for my Sunday Fun Food Pick today. Will share my cooking adventures with you this week. Thanks for stopping by. Love ya!

Classic but Good: Chicken Shawarma from Waterfalls Cafe, 144 Atlantic Ave, Brooklyn

Went to Brooklyn Heights last week and decided to take a walk to explore the borough. I was referred to Waterfalls Cafe, a Mediterranean restaurant on Atlantic Avenue by one of their faithful customers. Well, they were right. This was some damn good food: Chicken Shawarma (r), Greek salad, hummus and rice.

Simple and classic signature dishes done correctly never lose their greatness or appeal. Pocket damage: $11.

.....For those who love inside visuals