Sunday Fun DRINK Pick!: Heidi Klum's Ghoulish Cocktails! ABSOLUT Fast Mary, Dark Night and Goblin!

Today I'm focusing on some fun drinks for the Sunday pick. ABSOLUT pairs with Supermodel Heidi Klum for her popular annual invite only Halloween party, held in NYC this year, to make some ghoulish drinks: Fast Mary, Dark Night and Goblin!

ABSOLUT DARK NIGHT

1oz ABSOLUT PEPPAR

1oz Chocolate Liqueur

1 Pinch Chili Powder
Shake and strain all ingredients into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a Jalapeno or other small pepper

Read more at Slash Food!

The GritsnCheeseDish Sunday Fun Food Pick! BBQ Glazed Homemade Meatballs

Love this recipe! Today's Sunday Fun Food Pick is BBQ Glazed Homemade Meatballs from Allrecipes.com

Monica asks Food Network's Paula Deen the Unthinkable!!

Folks, this is the shortest interview ever(smile)! A few months ago at Harrah's Entertainment's Atlantic City Food & Wine Festival, I asked Food Network's Paula Deen about life WITHOUT her favorite ingredient--butter. Here's what she had to say! (by the way that's Kristina Vanni from Better Recipes in the background!)

Food Save: Food Processor is Your Friend!

By Monica Peters

We're all trying to save a buck. When it comes to food, you will definitely save by investing in a food processor which you can purchase for as little as $24 or maybe cheaper. Many of our favorite foods we buy in supermarket are marked up simply because of the labor costs. Here are the cool things you can make at home with a food processor while saving a dollar or two:

Guacamole: Why buy a tiny bowl of guacamole at a price of $3.99 to $6 when you can buy avocados for about $1 each or sometimes 2 for a $1 and make it yourself. Simply peel the avocados (and of course remove the core) and put them in your food processor with your favorite fixings such as garlic, cilantro or whatever you like. Let process for about 15 seconds or less (process time will vary depending upon your processor and desired texture). Ladies and gentleman you have now made guacamole!

Chicken Burgers: Why buy prepackaged chicken burgers in the supermarket or for takeout? Take the skinless boneless chicken breast you may already have in your fridge and put it in the food processor with your favorite seasonings. The processor only takes a few seconds to turn the chicken breast into ground chicken. After taking out the processor, shape your ground chicken into patties and put em’ in the pan for cooking. Total prep and cooking time: 10 minutes.

Smoothies: Spending $3-4 daily on smoothies at our favorite coffee shop or at the market seriously adds up over time. While some folks make smoothies in a blender, I prefer making it with my food processor. Simply buy your favorite fruits and put it in the processor with yogurt and a little water for about 15 seconds. Your homemade smoothly now tastes as good as the store. More importantly you can have your favorite treat every day of the week without breaking the bank.

Got any ways to save a buck with your food processor? Email thegncdish2@aol.com

Foodie Love: Pat & Gina Neeley

Your hit of foodie love this week--Food Network's Pat and Gina Neeley get sassy on stage at Harrah's!

TRAVEL: Dont Let the Bed Bugs Bite!

There's no way in the world I could write a post on how to prevent getting bed bugs and not get the creeps. Thankfully, AOL recently did. These tips may seem extreme but a traveler has got to do what a traveler has got to do.

Tip #1: When settling into your hotel room, place your luggage on a tabletop, luggage stand or other hard surface. Putting luggage on the floor is a no-no. Read more on AOL small business.

France's Gourmet School Lunches

It would be good if the US could follow France's lead on this one. Our children need better, nutritious foods in school.

Love this Blog Post: Food Wishes' Chef John

I love how Food Wishes' Chef John is so open and positive about his experiences. I also like his blog because the food is the star. Chef John recently met with the Food Network in NY about appearing on the Next Food Network Star. Read about how his meeting went on his Food Wishes blog post.

Not only is his blog great but so is Food Wishes' youtube channel!

TheGritsnCheeseDish Sunday Fun Food Pick!

Fun food and Sundays go hand in hand!...Like this Bacon-Wrapped Cheesy Chicken Rolls from BetterRecipes.com

Say it Aint So! Ben and Jerry's Drop "All Natural" Label

What is the world coming to! Ben and Jerry's is dropping "all natural" from their labels. "After much deliberation, we have decided Ben & Jerry’s will transition from our current packaging, removing the “All Natural” label, and focus more strongly on our other core values." Even the cows in this picture looked confused by the change :) Read the official statement from B&J's here.

How to Spot Good Champagne
Bubbles Give a Clue

If the sparkling champagne has big bubbles, it's not the best champagne. That usually means that carbon dioxide was injected into it to make the bubbly effect that we love. Champagne with little bubbles are preferable. This means that the bubbles are formed naturally from oxidation.

-Advice from wine expert from Trinchero Family Estates

Harrah's Supports Local Farmers, Atlantic City Country Club & HBO's Boardwalk Empire

Farm to Table Dinner at Nero's Grill in Caesars

Caesar's Atlantic City hosted Farm to Table on Thursday and Friday. This exquisite culinary feast featured food from local New Jersey farms.

On Thursday evening, our culinary adventure began at Nero's Grill at Caesars. Here's what we ate:

First up to bat is Amuse Bouche: Smoked Duck Breast, Apricot paint, Pistachio, Pea Tendrils and Olive oil powder (above right).




Appetizer was Seared Cape May Scallops, Jalapeno Creamed Corn, Basil Essence with lemon emulsifier. (left)




Spetacular entree: Walu (from Hawaii), Broccoli Rabe, Clams and Tomato Broth. This was my first time eating Walu. Walu is in the barracuda family and has the texture of a tender steak. Declicious. (right)




Triple Dessert: Triple Cream Tiramisu, Warm Chocolate Cake and Apple Cider Cheesecake (left)

Breakfast at Atlantic City Country Club

On Friday morning we ate at the Atlantic City Country Club, a former private golf club founded in 1897. It is owned by Harrah's Entertainment and now open to the public. The club is most famous for being the birthplace of the golf terms "birdie" and "eagle." They will soon be famous for their great food.

Check out what I ate for breakfast: Petit sirloin steak with scrambled eggs, pineapple and strawberry.

The club's Tap Room Bar and Grille (we had window seating with a gorgeous window view of the golf course and premises), and the lake

Lake, golf course and locker room and lockers of some famous folks who have come to tee off at the course

HBO's BOARDWALK EMPIRE

This is a pic of the Boardwalk Empire display at Caesar's Atlantic City. (based on the HBO series)

Check out a clip below of the series which storyline is set in Atlantic City.

GNC Dish in New Orleans PART II: New Orleans Cooking Experience, Lower 9th Ward, Brad Pitt Homes

Make it a point to visit New Orleans! If you didn't get a chance to READ PART I of the New Orleans post, CLICK HERE to get up to speed. Here are a some highlights from Part II of the trip.

While in NO I took a half day cooking class with chef Janice "Boo" Macomber. The great thing about this class is that students do more eating than cooking :). We made Roux from scratch, BBQ Shrimp, Dirty Rice Jambalaya and more. In addition to feasting on the three course meal with dessert, you will also tour the property which is also a bed and breakfast. While touring the property, the hostess tells the fascinating history of New Orleans, Creole culture I highly recommend taking this class if you go to New Orleans.

Here Boo talks about her favorite fish while cooking the first course BBQ shrimp. Culinary note: BBQ shrimp has nothing to do with BBQ.

Here's a pic of the BBQ Shrimp, Chicken Sausage Gumbo and Boo's Dirty Rice Jumbalaya w/ground beef and smoked sausage and bananas foster fired up with some rum.

And now time for dessert.

Boo makes some Banana Foster

...Then she FIRES up da Banana Foster

LOWER 9th WARD TOUR with Lower 9th Ward Neighborhood Council President, Vera McFadden and actor Brad Pitt's homes through his Make It Right Foundation

Start of tour..

....Trees all over the place

Driving past what used to be Vera's mother home which had to be demolished after Katrina

Up close at the levee. The levee is only a few feet away from the Lower 9th neighborhood.

Symbolic Art in the Lower 9th

Actor Brad Pitt's foundation, Make It Right, is building 150 homes in the Lower 9th Ward
Here are a few of them.

Missed Part I of TheGritsnCheeseDish in New Orleans?
READ NOW

New Orleans Part II: Coming this Week

Goood Morning!,

Hope everyone had a great Labor Day Holiday weekend! Part II of my New Orleans trip is coming this week. Thank you for stopping by The GritsnCheesedish! In the meantime to catch up, you can click here to read Part I.

Below is a hilarious clip of Chef Janice Boo Macomber from the New Orleans Cooking Experience dismissing me from my cooking duties. I almost squeezed lemon seeds in her BBQ shrimp! Thanks to my fellow NOCE class mate, Attorney Winston B. Collier from Arkansas for being willing to work my little ole hand held Cannon for this clip while I cooked! I got a lot of mileage out of that camera. I must admit these little Cannon cameras rock!

VIDEO: Click the pic to watch the comedy go down!

Have a good day and good eatin'!

-Monica

PART I: TheGritsnCheeseDish Hits the Big Easy! Come on Down to Visit New Orleans

Monica Peters of TheGritsnCheeseDish hit New Orleans this weekend; exploring everything from great food, the New Orleans Cooking Experience, the Lower 9th Ward, the Steamboat Natchez and more. Before jumping into the two-part story, get your feet wet by learning how to eat crawfish compliments of Mike from Court of Two Sisters. Many thanks to the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau!

-Monica

Maison Dupuy Hotel (1001 Rue Toulouse)

I stayed at the Maison Dupuy Hotel in the French Quarter at 1001 Rue Toulouse (also referred to as Toulouse Street). Some things that make this beautiful boutique hotel magnificent are it's short 2 block walk to famous Bourbon Street (you are far enough away from Bourbon to get a good night's sleep-minus the noise), excellent service, clean and comfortable rooms; and the free wifi. Again, did I mention the free wifi (i.e. free internet access)? Right down the street is the Riverwalk where you can take a cruise on the Steamboat Natchez, buy tour packages at the Lighthouse, shop, visit the Aquarium of the Americas and more. Inside pics below.

The Court of Two Sisters (613 Royal Street): A Nice Intro to New Orleans Fare

A good first stop to get a comprehensive taste of New Orleans cooking and dishes is The Court of Two Sisters. I went to their live Jazz Brunch Buffet to get my feet wet in New Orleans food. This French Quarter restaurant offers an elegant atmosphere with an extensive all you can eat buffet including unlimited fresh boiled shrimp and crawfish. I ate all this great food and more. Pocket hit: $28.





Dish from front left to right: Cajun pasta salad, boiled crawfish, sweet potato salad with Andouille sausage, crawfish pasta, sea slaw.






From top left to right: Grillades (braised veal), vegetable jambalaya, creamed spinach and mashed potatoes. Note: the braised veal can also be served over grits. Yummy!







From front (left to right): Crawfish Louise, Shrimp Etouffee, Duck a' l' Orange, Oyster Bienville









Crawfish sitting pretty at the buffet bar.











Turtle Soup au Sherry. Yep, you guessed it. You can add as much Sherry wine to your liking. They have the bottle of sherry at the buffet.

You can't come to the Big Easy and not eat some Mardi Gras King cake. "I command you!.. Eat my child, eat!"

Dessert bar looking mighty tasty! Coconut cake, orea cake in the back and the almighty pecan pie to the right.

So you wanna know about the atmoshpere?......Here ya go.

Dining Area/Outdoor Dining Courtyard

Give the band a listen.

Two Sisters Kitchen (223 N. Derbigny St.)

Ok, don't be confused. Mike our crawfish demo man from the Court of Two Sisters, referred me to another fabulous restaurant in mid-city New Orleans with a similar name, Two Sisters Kitchen. They are two different restaurants, different owners, different part of town; they just happen to have a similar name. Owned by Ms. Dorothy Finister, they boast some of the best creole gumbo only served on certain days of the week. The creole gumbo has many hearty ingredients including crabs, shrimps and sausage. Of course they have a full array of soul food like potato salad, fried chicken, red beans and rice, cornbread and more! The sad part about this is that I did not get a chance to go as they close at 5 p.m. Folks rave about this place as it is very popular and the prices are reasonable. I WILL be back in NO to experience this culinary treat. Here is a pic of some creole gumbo, potato salad and cornbread. Yummy!

(photo credit, Southern Gumbo Trail)

Eating Snails at Arnaud's! (813 Bienville Street)

Escargots anyone?

Yes, you read correctly. I ate escargots also known as a dish of cooked land SNAILS. They were pretty darn good too! Arnaud's spin on the dish is their "Escargots en Casserole," burgundy snails baked individually in ceramic pots with garlic-herb butter and a dash of Pernod; then capped with a flaky pastry. Located in the French Quarter, Arnaud's founded in 1918 specializes in Creole cuisine. The massive restaurant which takes up 1/2 a street block, offers different vibes under one roof; Dixie Land Jazz in their jazz bistro, the Main Dining Room, the French 75 Bar and additional private dining rooms.

......But it gets even BETTER. Upstairs is the restaurant's Mardi Gras Museum where diners can venture to the second floor and see Mardi Gras costumes and gowns. Here are some pics of the Main Dining Room on the first floor and the museum upstairs.

Carousel Bar at Hotel Monteleone (214 Royal St.)

Check out this cool French Quarter spot called the Carousel Bar inside of Hotel Monteleone. As patrons enjoy sitting at the bar, it actually spins around slowly as folks enjoy their drinks and good conversation. Many celebrities have stopped here for some drinks and spin including playwright Tennessee Williams.