Cooking With Jack

Killer Quesadillas

2012-02-03T07:03:00.000-08:00

Jack is getting ready for the big game with this all time favorite appetizer/meal. Be sure to post your food pics at: http://facebook.com/CookingWithJack
here is the recipe:
Killer Quesadillas

Marinate Chicken, beef or Pork in Pineapple juice, red pepper, black pepper and smoked paprika. (24 hours is recommended for marinating)
Grill the meat then let rest for 15 minutes.
place a tortilla in a frying pan.Add:
Diced tomatoes
Diced onions
Cillantro
Pepper Jack Cheese
Wasabi or Horseradish cheese
heat pan until cheese is melted.
fold over and press gently down.
Serve and eat.

Aunt Myrna's Party Cheese Salad

2012-01-27T08:46:00.000-08:00

another guaranteed hit from Aunt Myrna. Here are more of her recipes: ‪http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL932F2938D63D6F28‬
Here is the recipe for today:
Party Cheese Salad
ingredients:
2 small or 1 large Lemon or lime jello
med size can crush pineapple
8 oz cream cheese
1 green bell pepper chopped
1 small jar of pimento
1/2 cup chopped celery
8 oz Cool Whip
1/2 cup nuts - Chopped
1/2 - 3/4 cup shredded american cheese

Directions:
Dissolve Jello in Pinapple in sauce pan (low heat)
Add chopped up Cream cheese stir until melted.
Add bell pepper, celery & pimento with nuts. mix.
Add cool whip
mix all ingredients and pour in 9x12 glass casserole dish
sprinkle with cheese
Refrigerate. for 4 hours

Aunt Myrna's Cole Slaw

2012-01-23T15:40:00.000-08:00

Time to do more of Aunt Myrna's Recipes. Here is the playlist: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL932F2938D63D6F28
Here is the Cole Slaw recipe:
ingredients:
Shredded cabbage
chopped onions
chopped bell pepper
1/4 cup sugar
dressing ingredients:
1/2 cup oil
1/2 vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon celery seed

Direction:
toss cabbage, onions, bell pepper and sugar together in a bowl.
boil oil, vinegar, salt and celery seed for 5 minutes then drizzle on top of cabbage mix.
toss cole slaw and refrigerate for 24 hours.

Gambler's Chili

2012-01-13T07:58:00.000-08:00

Jack does a viewer's chili recipe submission. Thanks Sharon from Wisconsin for this recipe. Check out Jack's line of sauces at ‪http://TheBestSauces.com‬
Here is the recipe:
Gambler's Chili
Ingredients:
2 lbs. pork tenderloin, cubed
1 cup coarsely chopped onion
14 oz. Swanson chicken broth
10 oz can or bottle of green salsa
2 1/2 cups diced green chiles

Spice Mix Ingredients:
3 tsp garlic (minced or mashed)
2 ½ Tbsp chicken base (bouillon)
1 tsp celery salt
1 Tbsp flour
2 tsp oregano
1 Tbsp cumin
3 Tbsp diced jalapeno pepper
1 Tbsp dried cilantro (Pendries powder or 3 Tbsp fresh finely chopped)
1 Tbsp green chili powder
*Tabasco (green) to taste
*Salt Salt to taste
Instructions:
1. Brown pork and drain
2. Add onion & chicken broth, then simmer 1 hour, stirring often to avoid sticking
3. Add spice mix and green chili salsa, then simmer 30 minutes
4. Add diced green chiles, then add salt and tabasco to taste
5. Simmer another hour and serve.

Turkey Soup

2012-01-06T09:15:00.000-08:00

Jack continues his 3 part soup/chili series with this all time favorite. Be sure to check out Jack's sauces at ‪http://TheBestSauces.com‬
Here is the recipe:
Turkey Soup

ingredients:
1 meaty turkey frame
4 quarts water (16 cups)
1 large onion quartered
2 teaspoons salt
2 16-oz can tomatoes cut up
2 tablespoon instant chicken bouillon or 5 cubes
1 1/2 teaspoon oregano minced
1 teaspoon thyme minced
1 teaspoon pepper
4 cups of your favorite vegetables (my suggestions: sliced celery, carrots, scallions/green onions, sliced mushrooms, chopped fresh spinach, chopped broccoli, chopped cauliflower flowerets, bok choy)
1 1/2 cups uncooked wide egg noodles

Break turkey frame or cut in half with kitchen shears. Place in large pot or dutch oven with water, onion and salt. Bring to boil then reduce heat. Cover; simmer for 1 1/2 hours.

Remove turkey frame; when cool enough to handle, cut off meat and coarsely chop. Discard bones. Strain broth. Discard solids.

Return broth to dutch oven. Stir in turkey meat, undrained tomatoes, bouillon, oregano, thyme and pepper. Stir in fresh vegetables. Bring to boil. Reduce heat. Cover; simmer for 45 minutes.

Cook pasta separately. Combine pasta and soup in bowl and serve. Salt and pepper for taste.

Store pasta separate from soup for future use. Combine only when ready to serve.

Hot & Sour Soup

2011-12-30T08:16:00.000-08:00

Here is a favorite of Jack Jr. It's time for some comfort soup. Here is the recipe:
Hot & Sour Soup
Ingredients
* 2 ounces dried Shitaki Mushrooms
* 10 cups chicken stock or low sodium chicken broth
* 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
* 1/3 cup chopped fresh ginger
* 2 tablespoons minced garlic
* 3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
* 1/2 pound chicken or tofu, cut into small bite-size strips or chunks
* 1/4 cup lime juice
* 3 tablespoons cornstarch
* 3 tablespoons soy sauce
* 1 teaspoon sesame oil
* Hot chile oil, for drizzling
* 2 tablespoons thinly sliced scallions/green onions
Directions
Combine shiitake mushrooms and 3 cups of the chicken stock in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and let stand until mushrooms are tender and broth is flavorful, about 30 minutes.

(If you have whole shitaki mushrooms, Remove mushrooms and discard stems. Thinly slice caps and reserve. Strain broth through a fine mesh sieve, combine with the remaining chicken stock and set aside.)

In a medium saucepan heat the vegetable oil and, when hot, add the ginger, garlic and crushed red pepper; cook for 2 minutes, or until fragrant. Add the chicken stock and reserved shitaki and bring to a simmer. Cook for 30 minutes. Add the chicken or tofu and stir to combine. In a small bowl or cup, combine the lime juice and cornstarch and stir until smooth. Whisk the cornstarch mixture into the hot soup and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Add the soy sauce and sesame seed oil and serve the soup, drizzled with hot chile oil to taste, and garnished with some of the sliced scallions.

Haluski - Poland

2011-12-23T11:17:00.000-08:00

International dish #9. Be sure to post any of your food picks to http://facebook.com/cookingwithjack
Here is the recipe:
Ingredients:
1 head of cabbage
2 onions
1/2 stick of butter and dashes of olive oil
1 12 oz. bag of noodles, (My mom made her own)
(add 1 pound of bacon as an option)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
(if your adding bacon then cook your bacon first)
1. In a large fry pan or dutch oven, On low heat, melt butter (or bacon fat).
2. Rinse cabbage, and remove any outer leaves that look damaged.
3. Cut onions and place in the pan of melted butter, turn up heat to medium so they begin to lightly brown.
4. Keep an eye on the onions and reduce heat to lowest setting once golden.
5. On a cutting board place the cabbage core side up. (facing you).
6. With a large sharp knife, slice cabbage about 1/2 inch sections from right to center core. (like slicing cheese).
7. As you slice, scoop up cabbage sections and place in pan also.
Turn the cabbage and repeat this process until all that is left is the core.
***NOTE***Dice the core and freeze it for an excellent addition to soups and stews.
8. Once all cabbage is in pan, turn up heat to medium/high and stir frequently until cabbage begins to brown and cook down.
9. add dashes of salt and pepper as you stir
10.Once cabbage and onion are nicely caramelized reduce heat to low and drain off any liquid that has accumulated.
11.Cook noodles according to package directions for aldente and drain well.
12.Add well strained noodles. If they are in one big clump, do not worry, they will break up as you stir them.
the important thing is that they are well strained of any water.
13.Add noodles to pan (and bacon bits) drizzle a little olive oil over them to help them brown.
14.Once thoroughly mixed and the noodles also have begun to caramelize, turn off heat.
15. Salt and pepper to taste but don't forget the salt shaker on the table, some like it saltier than others.

Lazy Man's Jam

2011-12-16T06:57:00.001-08:00

Jack continues his Lazy Man's Series with this great easy recipe. Be sure to post your food pictures at ‪http://facebook.com/cookingwithjack‬
Here is the recipe:
Ingredients:
5 cups of berries
1 lemon, using half of the juice
½ cup of granulated sugar

Recipe:
1. Combine the berries, lemon juice and sugar in a sauce pan. Mix with a wooden spoon to release the juice from the berries.
2. Turn the burner to a medium-high heat. Let cook 18 minutes, or until thick, stirring occasionally to prevent the jam from burning or sticking.
3. Once thickened, remove from heat and let stand about 10 minutes.
4. After the jam has cooled a bit, transfer into mason jars or screw-top plastic ware.

Christmas - Biscochitos

2011-12-09T08:59:00.001-08:00

Jack Scalfani and his buddy Joe are making a New Mexico favorite dessert. Here is the recipe:
Ingredients
1/2 Cups Sugar
1 Tablespoon Cinnamon
6 Cups! Flour
1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
1 Tablespoon Anise
Pinch Salt
2 Cups Very softened butter (4 sticks)
1 3/4 Cups Sugar
2 Eggs
1 Cup of Orange Juice

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 375.
In a small bowl, make a mixture of cinnamon and 1/2 sugar. Use more or less to taste.
Set aside.
In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, anise, and salt together.
In a second bowl, mix the softened butter, sugar, eggs, and orange juice.
Mix half of the flour mixture together with the butter, sugar, eggs, and orange juice.
Then add remaining flour.
Kneed dough thoroughly until all ingredients are mixed. Don't over kneed. (Use Kitchen Aid mixture with dough hook if available.)
On a floured counter top or cutting board, roll small golf ball-sized dough balls into 6 inch ropes. Bend the ropes into a design that looks like the Christian fish symbol or any design you wish.
Place on an ungreased cookie sheet.
Using the cinnamon/sugar mixture, sprinkle over the cookies.
Bake at 375 for 20 minutes (check at 15 minutes).
Yields: about 85 cookies.
New Mexico-Style Biscochitos

Farberware Blender - Product Review

2011-12-02T09:08:00.001-08:00

Farberware asks Jack Scalfani to review their newest blender. Check out how it turns out. Be sure to check out Jack's new website http://TheBestSauces.com

Pancake Pen - Product Review

2011-11-25T11:57:00.001-08:00

Jack tests out the Pancake Pen. Watch and see what happens.
Be sure to "Like" our facebook page: ‪http://Facebook.com/CookingWithJack‬
Click here for more product reviews: ‪http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL28F972A30A3A9CFA‬

Thanksgiving Giveaway

2011-11-22T11:41:00.001-08:00

EmpireCovers.com is giving away either a BBQ cover or $50 off patio set covers. To win you must take pictures of your Thanksgiving dinner food and post here:
http://Facebook.com/CookingWithJack May the best picture win.

Quick Tip - Cookie Bowls

2011-11-15T14:45:00.001-08:00

Football Finger Food 4 - Super Cheesy Bread

2011-11-11T08:26:00.001-08:00

Jack's favorite sport can always use some new finger food.
Thanks ‪http://empirecovers.com‬ for your sponsorship
Here is the recipe:
Ingredients:
1 round loaf of Sourdough bread
1 pound of your favorite cheese sliced
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup chopped green onions
3 tsp poppy seeds

Directions:
Cut the bread lengthwise and crosswise without cutting completely through the bread.
Place cheese slices in each crack and crevice.
Mix butter and poppy seeds
Drizzle mixture all over the bread
top with green onions
Wrap entire loaf in foil. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes on cookie sheet
Unwrap entire loaf and bake for 10 more minutes.
Serves 8 people

Thanksgiving - Turducken

2011-11-04T08:42:00.000-07:00

Thanks to our sponsors: ‪http://empirecovers.com‬ or ‪http://empirepatiocovers.com‬
Turducken
We used a 20 lb. Turkey / 4 lb. duck / 2-3 lb chicken
Here is what you do to make this:
1. order your birds through a butcher.
2. make sure that butcher can debone the birds. It might cost you a few $$ to have it done.
3. tell the butcher to leave the wings and the legs in tact on the turkey.
4. layout the turkey. apply layer of stuffing
5. layout the duck with the breast on the opposite side of the turkey breast.
6. apply layer of stuffing
7. layout chicken with the breast opposite of the duck breast
8. apply layer of stuffing
9. pull sides of turkey by the skin and sew closed as seen in video
10. butter and season the outside.
11. butter the pan so there is no sticking to the bottom. foil recommended.
12. preheat oven at 350 degrees
13. check out turkey cooking times at: ‪http://allrecipes.com/HowTo/turkey-cooking-time-guide/detail.aspx‬
Post your food picks at: ‪http://facebook.com/cookingwithjack‬
Thanks for the help of ‪http://RanchHouseMeatGuys.com‬

How To Shuck Corn

2011-11-02T14:36:00.000-07:00

Auto Safety Master Opener - Product Review

2011-10-30T05:12:00.000-07:00

Jack tests out a 5 in 1 opener. His favorite new site is http://Vat19.com
Be sure to "like" jack's show page http://facebook.com/cookingwithjack

Aunt Myrna's Banana Pudding

2011-10-24T06:58:00.000-07:00

Jack visits Aunt Myrna's house in Adamsville, Alabama. Here is her recipe:
Banana Pudding

Ingredients:
1 box of Nilla Vanilla Wafers
1 box of vanilla or banana pudding
1 can of sweetened condensed milk (eagle brand if possible)
3 cups of milk
12 oz. of Cool Whip or whip cream
3-4 bananas

Directions:
mix milk, pudding, condensed milk and whip cream together in a bowl. In another bowl put one layer of wafers in the bottom. Then one layer of sliced bananas on top of wafers. Then ladle mixture over layer of bananas. Then repeat layering process until all of the mixture is used up. Put in refrigerator for 30 minutes to chill. Then serve.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE AUNT MYRNA RECIPES

Perfect Meatloaf Pan - product review

2011-10-07T07:18:00.000-07:00

Jack does another product review. Let's see if this pan is worth the money.
Be sure to like his Facebook page
How to make meatloaf
Perfect Browning Pan
other product reviews

2011-10-04T15:51:00.000-07:00

Jack shows you his messy spice cabinet with over 50 spices inside. What does yours look like. Post your pics at http://Facebook.com/CookingWithJack

Halloween - Cemetery Cake

2011-09-30T08:46:00.000-07:00

Here is Jack & Jack Jr.'s Halloween episode. Be sure to sign up for the Cooking With Jack Facebook page: http://facebook.com/cookingwithjack
Here is the recipe:
Cemetery Cake

Makes 12 servings
Prep: 15 minutes
Bake: at 350 degrees for 33 minutes
Decorate: 30 minutes

CAKE
1 box (18.25 ounces) of chocolate cake
3 large eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil

FROSTING AND DECORATIONS

6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup heavy cream
rectangular cookies (social tea biscuits)
Rounded cookies (Pepperidge farm Milano cookies
pumpkin candies (such as Jelly Belly)

1. prehead oven to 350 degrees F. coat 13x9x2 inch baking spray.

2. Cake. Prepare cake mix with 1 1/4 cups water, the eggs and oil as per package directions. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Bake at 350 for 31-33 minutes. cool completely.

3. Trim crowned area from top of cake. reserve scraps for later use. Invert cake onto serving platter.

4 Frosting and decorations. Place chopped chocolate in a medium bowl. Heat cream in a glass measuring cup in microwave for 1 minutes. Pour over chocolate and let stand 5 minutes. Whisk until smooth. Let cool an additional 5 minutes.

5. Transfer 1/2 cup of the chocolate mixture to a pastry bag or resealable plastic bag. Pour and spread remaining frosting over cake allowing some to drip down cake sides. Snip a small corner from plastic bag. Pipe decorations onto cookies. let dry. With a knife, cut slits into cake and insert decorated cookies into slits. Crumbled reserved cake scraps and place on cake in front of cookies. Scatter pumpkin candies over cake.

Spare Ribs vs St Louis Style Ribs

2011-09-26T08:57:00.001-07:00

Here is the latest from COOKING WITH JACK SHOW

Pho - Vietnam

2011-09-23T09:04:00.000-07:00

Here is the latest from Cooking With Jack Show. Recipe below.

Ingredients

4 quarts beef stock
1 large onion, sliced into rings
6 slices fresh ginger root
5 star anise or 2.5 tsp of anise seed1 cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorn
1 pound sirloin tip, cut into thin slices
1/2 pound bean sprouts
1 cup fresh basil leaves
1 cup fresh mint leaves
1 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves
3 fresh jalapeno peppers, sliced into rings
2 limes, cut into wedges
2 (8 ounce) packages dried rice noodles
1/2 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 dash hot pepper sauce

Directions
    1.    In a large soup pot, combine broth, onion, star anise, ginger, cinnamon, and peppercorns. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and cover. Simmer for 1 hour.
    2.    Arrange bean sprouts, mint, basil, and cilantro on a platter with chilies and lime.
    3.    Soak the noodles in hot water to cover for 15 minutes or until soft. Drain. Place equal portions of noodles into 6 large soup bowls, and place raw beef on top. Ladle hot broth over noodles and beef. Pass platter with garnishes and sauces.

Thank You Gift

2011-09-20T15:21:00.000-07:00

Here is the link for your free bookhttp://bit.ly/inthesystem

Eggies - Product Review

2011-09-16T09:18:00.000-07:00

Jack Scalfani tried out the new Eggies TV product to see if it works. Be sure to sign up for http://Facebook.com/CookingWithJack

Where am I eating?

2011-09-13T11:35:00.001-07:00

Look at this picture and tell me where I'm eating.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Gestapo or Gazpacho?

2011-09-12T10:55:00.000-07:00

What is your favorite summertime food?

Cook-along #1: Pork Burritos

2011-09-09T06:49:00.000-07:00

Cook-along #1: Pork Burritos

Recipe by Jack Scalfani

This is jack Scalfani's first cook-along videos where viewers can cook along with him as he makes his latest recipe.

6 out of 10 stars stars

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Yield: 8 burritos
Ingredients

2 large pork chops
1 large can of Ortega chilies
1 medium can tomato sauce
1 large diced onion
1 large can of refried beans
1 pkg of large flour tortillas
1/2 cup jack cheese shredded
1/2 cup cheddar cheese shredded

Cooking Directions

Cut pork chops into small cubes. Save fat and bones. Fry meat, fat and bones with garlic powder until cooked. Remove bones and fat when cooked. Add onion, chilies and tomato sauce to cooked pork. In separate saucepan heat re-fried beans. Heat tortillas. put pork mixture and refried beans into tortilla. Enjoy. Post your pictures on http://facebook.com/cookingwithjack

Cookalong #1 - Pork Burritos (shopping list)

2011-09-05T08:15:00.001-07:00

Here is your shopping list:

Ingredients:

2 lg pork chops

1 lg can ortega chilies

1 med can tomato sauce

1 lg onion

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 lg can re-fried beans

1 pkg lg flour tortillas

1/2 cup jack cheese, shredded

1/2 cup chedder cheese, shredded

or 1 cup mexiblend or fiesta blend cheese

2011-09-02T08:21:00.000-07:00

Teriyaki Short Ribs

Recipe by Jack Scalfani

This recipe was from jack Scalfani's mom. It's part 3 of his MY MOM IS GREAT SERIES. Be sure to subscribe to the COOKING WITH JACK SHOW at http://youtube.com/jakatak69

8 out of 10 stars

Prep time: 40 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Total time: 60 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

8-12 beef ribs or short ribs
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon minced onions
1 tablespoon minced garlic

Cooking Directions

mix 4 ingredients to make marinade. Marinate meat for 40 minutes then grill for about 15-20 minutes. Enjoy!

Kimchi - Korea

2011-08-29T16:06:00.000-07:00

Kimchi - Korea

Recipe by Jack Scalfani

Prep time: 2 hours
Cook time: minumum 48 hours
Yield: 5 lbs.
Ingredients

5 lbs. Napa Cabbage
1 cup Coarse Sea Salt
1/2 cup Sweet Rice Flower
1/4 cup Sugar
3 cups Water
1 cup Crushed Garlic
2 Tbsp Ginger
1 cup Minced Onions
1/4 cup Sliced Carrots
2 cups Korean Radish
1 cup Fish Sauce
2 1/2 cups Hot Pepper Flakes
2 cups Asian Chives
10 Green Onions / Scallions

Cooking Directions

1. Cut the cabbage lengthwise into quarters and remove the cores. Chop it up into bite size pieces.
2. Soak the pieces of cabbage in cold water and put the soaked cabbage into a large basin. Sprinkle salt.
3. Every 30 minutes, turn the cabbage over to salt evenly (do this a total of three times).
4. 1Â½ hours later, rinse the cabbage in cold water 3 times to clean it thoroughly.
5. Drain the cabbage and set aside.
Make kimchi paste:
1. Put 3 cups of water and Â½ cup sweet rice flour (chapssal garu) in a pot and mix it well and bring to a boil. Keep stirring until the porridge makes bubbles (about 5 minutes).
2. Add Â¼ cup sugar. Stir and cook for a few more mintues until it's translucent.
3. Cool it down.
4. Place the cold porridge into a large bowl. Now you will add all your ingredients one by one.
5. Add 1 cup of fish sauce, 2.5 cups of hot pepper flakes (depending on your taste), 1 cup of crushed garlic, 1-2 tbs of minced ginger, 1 cup amount of minced onion. Feel free to do the garlic, ginger, onions in food processor.
6. Add 10 diagonally-sliced green onions, 2 cups of Asian chives, 2 cups of sliced Korean radish, and Â¼ cup of sliced carrots.
7. Put the kimchi paste in a large basin and add all the cabbage. Mix it by hand.tip: If your basin is not large enough to mix all the ingredients at once, do it bit by bit.
8. Put the kimchi into an air-tight sealed plastic container or glass jar.
9. You can eat it fresh right after making or wait until it's fermented.

Bison Tacos & Bison Burgers

2010-07-06T08:01:00.000-07:00

Bison Taco

Ingredients:
2 lbs ground Bison
1 can black beans
1 small onion diced
1 can of green chilies
1/2 cup of cilantro minced
1/2 cup of medium salsa
large 12 0z bag of shredded montery jack cheese
bagged corn tortillas

Instructions:
Brown Bison with onions and drain. Mix in green chilis, salsa, black beans and cilatro simmer for 10 minutes spray second frying pan with cooking spray and lightly cook tortillas on each side until softened fill tacos with meat mixture, top with cheese top with tomato, more onion, sour cream, guacomole if desired.

Teriyaki Bison Burgers

Ingredients:

1 lb of ground bison
1 tsp of garlic powder or minced garlic or wet garlic
1/4 of a small onion or dried minced onions
1 egg
Bread Crumbs
1 tblsp of "The Best Teriyaki Sauce You'll Ever Taste"

Instructions:
mix all ingredients together in a bowl and form hamburger patties. Grill to rare or medium rare. Enjoy.

Butter Cookies Recipe

2010-06-03T21:31:00.000-07:00

INGREDIENTS
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Garnish: coarse or sanding sugar*; or melted chocolate (see cooks' note, below)

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl.

DIRECTIONS

Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes in a standing mixer (preferably fitted with paddle attachment) or 6 with a handheld. Beat in egg and vanilla. Reduce speed to low, then add flour mixture and mix until just combined.

Form dough into a 12-inch log (2 inches in diameter) on a sheet of plastic wrap and roll up dough in plastic wrap. Chill dough on a baking sheet until firm, at least 4 hours. (To roll cookies into balls, see cooks' note, below.)

Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 375°F.

Cut enough 1/8- to 1/4-inch-thick slices from log with a heavy knife to fill 2 ungreased large baking sheets, arranging slices about 1 inch apart (chill remainder of log, wrapped in plastic wrap). If garnishing with coarse sugar, sprinkle slices with it.

Bake cookies, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until edges are golden, 12 to 15 minutes total. Cool on sheets 3 minutes, then transfer with a metal spatula to racks to cool completely. Make more cookies with remaining dough on cooled baking sheets.

LAZY MAN'S DRINKS

2010-05-14T07:47:00.000-07:00

CITRUS PUNCH

1/2 lemon lime soda like 7-up or Sprite or Sierra Mist
1/2 citrus based juice like orange, pineapple or grapefruit
add fruit slices for flavor and design

VIRGIN BLOODY MARY MIX

Glass of Tomato or V-8 juice
black pepper
5 drops of tabasco

ICED COFFEE

Cold Coffee
3-4 bags of sweetener or sugar
half and half or milk to your liking

CUCUMBER WATER

Pitcher of ice water
one sliced up cucumber
stir and chill at least 1-2 hours (over night is even better)

FRENCH ONION SOUP

2010-05-08T00:09:00.001-07:00

French Onion Soup
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
6 onions (about 3 pounds), sliced
6 garlic cloves, sliced
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 cups canned low-salt chicken broth
3 cups canned beef broth
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

4 sourdough bread slices, toasted
1 cup grated Swiss cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and saut? until very tender and brown, about 45 minutes. Add wine and simmer until reduced to glaze, about 3 minutes. Stir in chicken broth, beef broth and mustard. Simmer 20 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Refrigerate. Return soup to simmer before continuing.)
Preheat broiler. Ladle soup into broilerproof bowls. Top each with slice of toast and grated cheeses. Broil until cheeses melt and bubble.

Todd Wilbur Test #3 - Starbucks Classic Coffee Cake

2010-03-03T07:14:00.000-08:00

The following is the ingredients to the Starbuck's Classic Coffee Cake. To see how to put it all together, please visit the video on my YouTube Channel.

TOPPING

1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 (1 stick) of butter, softened

CENTER / Cinnamon Sugar

1/3 cup light brown sugar

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

CAKE

3/4 cup butter, softened

1/3 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/3 cup buttermilk

1/3 cup whole milk

Todd Wilbur Test #2 - Kraft's Miracle Whip

2010-02-27T06:38:00.000-08:00

Here are the ingredients to the Miracle Whip recipe. This did NOT taste like Miracle Whip. Follow my video to see how to prepare it.

Ingredients:

1 egg yolk
5 teaspoons white vinegar
4 teaspoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup canola oil
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
pinch paprika
pinch garlic powder

Todd Wilbur Test #1 - Taco Bell Mild Sauce

2010-02-26T23:26:00.000-08:00

Here are the ingredients I used in my video. The recipe was very close to the real thing.
just follow along with my video to see how to make it.

Ingredients:

3 cups water
2 teaspoons cornstarch
one 6-ounce can tamato paste
3 tablespoons white vinegar
4 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Here are the ingredients I used in my video. The recipe was very close to the real thing.

ROMANTIC DINNER FOR TWO

2010-02-06T10:54:00.000-08:00

First of all, I must say that this dinner works. The day I shot this episode, I served it to my wife. I can't tell you what happened afterwards because my wife would kill me. But I can tell you that we didn't play video games. yeah baby!

Here's how to make a Level 1 Romantic Dinner:

Salad: just get cherry or grape tomatoes and salad mix. Go with a safe dressing like balsamic or Italian.

Salsa Chicken: Put boneless chicken in a zip lock bag with an entire bottle of salsa. Let set over night to marinate. Take out and BBQ, broil, or bake the chicken.

Broccoli: Take your broccoli and just cook in microwave for 5-6 minutes. Done.

Baked Potato: poke holes in your bake potato with a fork. Lots of them on both sides. Cook in microwave for 7-10 minutes. When you can smoothly fork potato then it's done. Cut a a cross in the top of the potato and push corners gently toward center of potato making the center of potato flower out. Add butter, sour cream, chives.

Dessert: Go out for dessert if you can. If you can't then thaw a frozen pie shell and bake until golden brown. 400 degrees Fahrenheit about 15 minutes. Get Philladelphia Cheesecake filling and dump into pie shell. Slowly smooth it around. When serving, drizzle melted hot fudge or any topping of your choosing.

After dinner is all up to you. Enjoy.

THE BACON EXPLOSION - VIDEO

2010-01-29T14:23:00.000-08:00

I hope you enjoyed the video for the Bacon Explosion Video. This idea came from the guys at BBQAddicts.com . They have the entire recipe on their website for you to try your own version of the Bacon Explosion.

If you want to send me pictures of your creations, please send them to Info@GiveMeFoods.com and I will possibly use them in the show.

RUSHROCKS MARINATED CUCUMBERS

2010-01-26T16:06:00.000-08:00

Here is a recipe one of my viewers sent it. It's marinated cucumbers. I haven't tried it yet, but it looks delicious.

Here is the recipe:

1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil
1/2 red wine vinegar
a pinch of sugar
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 tbsp. dill
a pinch of garlic powder
2 cloves of garlic or a tsp. minced garlic
chill until its time to serve, and enjoy

HOW TO MAKE HAMBURGERS & MEATLOAF

2010-01-21T21:31:00.000-08:00

here is the recipe for the hamburger & meatloaf video, episode #49.

both are made the same way. One is a big massive clump of meat shaped like a loaf of bread. The other is made into hamburger patties.

I did a larger batch. Here is a normal serving for Hamburgers or Meatloaf:

2 lbs. of ground beef
8 oz. of bbq sauce
can of bread crumbs (use as needed)
2 eggs

For hamburgers just roll into big meatballs then flatten into patties. Season both sides before grilling.

For meatloaf just form into a loaf of bread shape in a 9 x 13 cake pan. Season top. Cook at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Take out. Smother top with more bbq sauce. Put back in for another 15 minutes. Let set for at least 10 minutes before cutting and service.

PERFECT BROWNIE RECIPE

2010-01-16T06:50:00.000-08:00

8 - 1 ounce squares of unsweetened chocolate
1 cup of butter
5 eggs
3 cups of sugar
1 tablespoon of vanilla
1-1/2 cups of flour
1 teaspoon of salt

Directions:

Preaheat oven at 375 degrees. Grease 9x13 pan.

Melt chocolate and butter in a saucepan over low flame; set aside. in a mixer, beat eggs, sugar and vanilla at high speed for 10 minutes. Blend in chocolate mixture, flour, and salt by gently folding into the mixture. Pour into pan.

Bake 35-40 minutes. Test with toothpick to see if it's done. If you can insert toothpick and pull it out and nothing clings to the sides of the toothpick, then it's done.

VEGETARIAN LASAGNA

2010-01-09T07:04:00.000-08:00

Here is what I used in the vegetarian lasagna video:

2 EGG PLANT
4 YELLOW SQUASH
4 ZUCCHINIS
1 POUND OF MOZZARELLA CHEESE
2 JARS OF PASTA SAUCE

1. first slice the veggies into circles.
2. saute each veggie in olive oil for about 5 minutes. add any seasoning you like. (DO NOT MIX THE VEGGIES. SAUTE SEPARATELY)
3. In the pan you are going to do layers. (Sauce, Eggplant, yellow squash, Cheese, sauce, zucchini, sauce, cheese again.
4. bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit between 30 min. to an hour. Watch the top layer of cheese. It should all melt and get browning spots around the edge.
5. take out and let cook for about 10 minutes.
6. slice and serve.

PINK'S HOT DOGS - JACK ON THE GO

2010-01-07T07:22:00.000-08:00

Jack Scalfani takes you to the world famous Pink's Hot Dogs at Knott's Berry Farm.

HOW TO MAKE POUTINE

2010-01-02T06:32:00.000-08:00

I've just uploaded my POUTINE video.

Here is a new thing I am going to do with each video. I am going to give you background info and the recipe here on my Cooking With Jack Blog about the video.

So if you like what you see, you can always print the recipes here.

Here is what I can tell you:
In my poutine video I used a deep fryer that I got from the Bass Pro Shop Outlet at Silverton Casino in Las Vegas. It was $34. Well worth the price.

I used slow roasted beef gravy from the store.
I got my cheddar cheese curds from Trader Joe's. No one else had cheese curds in Orange County, CA.
I used a french fry cutter from Bed Bath & Beyond on 4 medium sized potatoes.

It was a little weird having brown gravy on my fries. The cheese was kind of clumpy. It tasted okay, but I probably will not make this dish again. You should at least try it once to see what Canada's taste buds are like.

I hope to do more food favorites from other Countries.

STILL EATING CHRISTMAS LEFTOVERS

2009-12-28T13:16:00.000-08:00

I never showed you guys my Lasanga. We do an Italian dinner for Christmas. Lasagna, Antipasta, garlic bread, salad, sweet & hot Italian sausages, meatballs, and rice pudding for dessert.

Here are shots of my dad and I preparing the lasagna. We do it a little different. we do a layer of sauce, layer of rigatoni pasta, then ricotta cheese, and topped off with sliced mozzarella cheese. Then we do it all again to make a second layer of all.

Here are the shots. Click on the for a close up. Enjoy and no licking the screen:

HOW TO MAKE A GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICH

2009-11-30T10:11:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine wrote me on Facebook and asked me how to make a grilled cheese sandwich, so I thought I would share this with you.

two slices of buttered bread
two slices of cheddar cheese
one frying pan.
1. put one slice of bread in the pan BUTTER SIDE DOWN
2. put cheese on top
3. wait about a minute or two. The butter should be melted on the bottom side and starting to brown.
4. before you are ready to flip, place second slice of bread on the cheese BUTTER SIDE UP.
5. gently place finger on buttery side to hold in place as you flip entire sandwich with spatula.
6. now golden brown side is showing. Take spatula and gently but firmly press down on sandwich and flatten WITHOUT BREAKING THE BREAD.
7. once underside is golden brown place on plate and cut corner to corner.

Hope this helps.

PIZZA WARS

2009-08-29T07:37:00.001-07:00

Jack Scalfani does CA Pizza vs. NY Pizza. Let's see who's better and why.

LAZY MAN'S PORK CHOPS

2009-08-08T06:11:00.000-07:00

Here is Jack Scalfani's next lazy man's recipe. He shows you how to cook pork chops quickly, while keeping them moist. MMMMM. Yummy.

THE CALEB JONES SHOW

2009-07-30T22:18:00.000-07:00

I want to thanks the Caleb Jones Show for having me on the air today. They interviewed me regarding the "Cooking With Jack" show.

If you'd like to listen to the interview, here it is. just click on the image below.

HOW TO MAKE RICE PUDDING

2009-07-26T07:29:00.000-07:00

Jack Scalfani shows you his secret family recipe on how to make rice pudding. His mom will kill him once she finds out that he showed people how it's done.

LAZY MAN'S PIZZA & GARLIC BREAD

2009-07-19T05:54:00.000-07:00

Cooking with Jack goes to a longer format with two cooking tips in one show. Jack Scalfani shows you his Lazy Man's Recipe for Pizza and Garlic Bread.

The Difference Between French & Italian Bread

2009-07-16T15:10:00.000-07:00

On my cooking show, I asked my viewers to help me understand the difference between French bread and Italian bread.

You would not believe the answers I got. They all seemed very logical. Here is what they all had in common. I did confirm this with reliable sources, too.

The recipe for French and Italian bread is the same. The major difference is the shape. French bread is long, with rounded ends. Italian bread tends to be more round in shape (short and thick). Both have a hard crust outside and a soft interior.

QUICK AND DIRTY DIPS

2009-07-03T07:34:00.000-07:00

Jack Scalfani shows you two quick & dirty dips that can be made in minutes and taste GREAT!

CLOSED FOR THE WINTER

2009-07-02T12:28:00.001-07:00

I have lived in California my whole life. I have only seen snow fall once in my life and it was only about six inches total. I don't know what a real thunderstorm sounds like even though I got a sample of it last week in Orlando, FL. And I am not sure what Grits really is or are or whatever. There are many things I don't understand about other parts of the country.

The one thing I can't understand the most is why the east coast doesn't use BBQ sauce in the winter. The east coast literally shuts down certain things during the winter. Using BBQ sauce is one of them.

Most of you know my company GiveMe Foods, sells "The Best Barbeque Sauce You'll Ever Taste" and we get orders all over the US. The weird thing is, the east coast stops using BBQ sauce in the Fall and they don't use it again until Memorial Day. The east coast literally stops using BBQ sauce after summer is over.

I didn't think it was true until I spoke to a lady yesterday from NY. She just pulled my sauce out of her cupboard this week. She bought it back in November 2008 but didn't use the sauce until now. What??? Are you serious? Was there not an opportunity to use BBQ sauce in the past 7 months?

So I decided to give you all some ideas on how to use BBQ sauce, even in the Winter months.

1. Meatloaf: What a great idea. Put the sauce inside the meat with seasoning and then top off with BBQ sauce.

2. Meatballs for potlucks: how many times do you have a pot luck at work. This is quick and easy. Get a bag of frozen meatballs from Costco and dump them in a crock pot.

3. Baked Beans: just get store bought and spice it up with BBQ sauce for more flavor.

4. Hamburger patties: you can make hamburger patties with bread crumbs and BBQ sauce. Just fry them in a pan and have an amazing burger.

5. As a dip: you can dip your chicken McNuggets, french fries, or onion rings in BBQ sauce instead of ketchup. It is a great dip for many foods.

These are just a few great indoor ideas on how to use BBQ sauce during the winter months. Be like the west coast and enjoy all foods all year round.

EATING IN ORLANDO, FL

2009-06-26T07:34:00.000-07:00

Nothing irritates me more than going on vacation and eating in restaurants that you have back home. Why travel 2000 miles to go eat at Black Angus Steakhouse when you live down the street from one. So I completely avoid Olive Garden, Outback, and Red Lobster.

Most of you know I have been in Orlando, FL for about a week now on vacation. Most of you know how much I didn't want to come on this trip, since I live 5 minutes from Disneyland, Knotts Berry Farm, and 60 minutes from Six Flags Magic Mountain. Orlando is just like So. Cal. with humidity, thunderstorms, and downpours of rain.

On a positive note, Orlando has more food places than anywhere I have ever been. It's really all about eating out here. It was almost wall to wall restaurants for about a mile.

We went to Angels Seafood restaurant for all you can eat lobster and crab. As you can guess, I didn't eat anything other than Lobster and Crab. One of the locals said that Red Lobster is better than Angels. The reason I chose Angels over Red Lobster was because it was "all you can eat". I must have had 50 crab legs. Now, before you call me a pig, realize that when it's all you can eat crab, you don't fight for the little pieces. You eat the main thick part of the leg and the claws then move on to the next leg. Man that was awesome. You had to have been there. My brother, Jim and I filled three buckets up with cracked crab legs. We were like kids all over again. Laughing and cracking shell pieces across the restaurant. Good times....... Good times.

Another eating place that I liked was at the Epcot Center. If you have never been to Epcot, it's pretty cool. It made my trip worth it. There is a restaurant that serves food that was grown right there on the premises at the Epcot greenhouse. They grow all their own produce. It's an amazing process.

They also have the Epcot World Showcase where they have built 11 mini countries. You can walk into any country and visit their restaurant and store for that country. Everyone working in the restaurant and store is from that particular country and had the accent for that country. In fact, they are all here on working visas.

So for example, if you went to the pub in England, everyone there really lives in England and had the accent. All the food in the gift shop was from England (chips, chocolates, etc.) Even the colognes and perfumes in France were from France. The Italian wines are imported straight from Italy.

Don't even get me started on the
Bratwurst with Sauerkraut in Germany. OMG, you could smell it as soon as you entered the country. It was like traveling the world in one day. I didn't spend to much time in Mexico. I have that pretty much all over Southern California. But the rest of the world was amazing. The food was amazing. I will let you know how Italy's chocolates taste when I get back to the OC.

Last night we went to Perkins restaurant. They had some of the best looking pies. I fell in love with this caramel apple pie. This pie has fresh Michigan apples baked into a flaky crust with a crumb topping and drizzled with rich caramel icing. Hold on. My heart just skipped a beat. I didn't have any, but I might sneak off tonight and meet the pie for some coffee.

I still have to figure out where I am going tonight for dinner. I believe we
will try a steakhouse. I have Lonstar and the Ponderosa to choose from. I should check out Yelp! to see what other people are saying about them.

If you have a favorite place in Orlando, FL please leave a comment below. I gotta go. My tummy is grumblin'.

PROPANE VS. CHARCOAL

2009-06-24T22:37:00.000-07:00

Michael B. wrote me a question asking me which do I prefer, propane or gas BBQing.

Here was my reply.

I love both here are the reasons why.

Propane is great when you need to cook right away, which is most people's situation. We tend to start cooking 60 minutes before dinner. It's also good when you have to cook a lot of meat for a family bbq. We will do pork first, then beef, then chicken, then hot dogs/hamburgers.

Charcoal has a better taste. If you have the time to prep the wood chips or charcoal or wood chunks and you don't mind cleaning out the ashes, then go with the gas.

Unfortunately, I never have the time. In fact, I have so little time I paid to have my BBQ hooked up to my natural gas and now it's like a stove top. I can run it all day and not have to go fill up my propane tank.

Thanks, Mike for the question. If you have a question please email me at: info (at) givemefoods (dot) com.

TRADER JOE'S COMMERCIAL

2009-06-02T12:51:00.001-07:00

I did not do this commercial, but I had to share it with you. It's classic. Check it out.

WHOLE FOODS MARKET - FIELD TRIP

2009-05-23T10:31:00.000-07:00

I am going to take you guys out of the kitchen and into one of the biggest and best stores I have ever seen, Whole Foods Market. This location is in Tustin, CA.

LAZY MAN'S TACOS

2009-04-30T21:34:00.000-07:00

Here is continue on the Lazy Man's series of cooking videos. This one is called the Lazy Man's Tacos. Enjoy.

HOW TO CREATE A FUNNEL

2009-04-23T08:12:00.000-07:00

You have no idea how many times I have needed to create a funnel for pouring coffee grounds into it's container, or spice into a smaller bottle, or sugar from the bag into it's container.

To make a quick and easy funnel just grab an envelope and snip the corner off. Then pour your dry ingredient into the envelope and it will come out the hole you created in a fine stream.

Simple, huh? Remember, the more you have to funnel, the bigger the envelope.

PRODUCT REVIEW - BIG CITY SLIDER STATION

2009-04-19T20:01:00.000-07:00

Jack Scalfani reviews the product "Big City Slider Station" to see if it really is a non stick pan, cooks both sides, and if it's delicious.

RACHEL RAY GIVAWAY - ENTER NOW

2009-04-13T09:37:00.000-07:00

Rachel Ray "Everyday" magazine is giving away a boat load of prizes. You don't have to subscribe or buy anything. Just click "Enter to Win" and sign up.

Good Luck. I hope you win something after I win something. :-)

SEASONING A CAST IRON SKILLET

2009-04-13T07:50:00.000-07:00

I just bough my first cast iron skillet. Man is that thing heavy.

I have no idea how to treat a cast iron skillet. I know there is a procedure, but I don't know how. So I called my good buddy Kelly over at Kelly's Kitchen and asked him.

So not to repeat all that he said, I will just send you over to his blog and see the perfect way to treat and use your cast iron skillet. Enjoy and tell Kelly I said hi when you get there.

click here for Kelly's Kitchen.

1ST OF THE MONTH CONTEST: APRIL 2009

2009-04-01T08:11:00.001-07:00

1st of the Month
Free Sauce Contest

HERE IS HOW IT WORKS:

The first of every month we give away a
variety pack of our sauces for free.
(1 bbq sauce, 1 hot bbq sauce, and 1 teriyaki sauce)

All you have to do is follow the instructions below to win!!!!
(This contest is for U.S. residences only)

CONGRATULATIONS TO:

JASON WILLIAMS
ST. LOUIS PARK, MN

the answer was:
Oatmeal/Macadamia Crusted Pork Tenderloin with a Coconut Chipotle Sauce & Grilled Caramelized Pineapple Relish

BE HERE FOR OUR NEXT CONTEST ON:
May 1st, 2009

BIG CITY SLIDER - PRODUCT REVIEW PART 2

2009-03-13T13:44:00.001-07:00

I was at Bed, Bath and Beyond today and they had Big City Slider for $20. No shipping cost because it was right there on the shelf. So I canceled my order with the website that was charging me $14 to ship and could take up to 2-6 weeks for delivery. This box is tiny. There is no way it cost more than $6 to ship anywhere in the world, especially by horseback.

Video of the product coming soon. Stay tuned

BIG CITY SLIDER - PRODUCT REVIEW PART 1

2009-03-11T06:44:00.001-07:00

For those of you who asked me to order the BIG CITY SLIDER burger cooker and do a cooking video on it, thanks for nothing.

I did order the BIG CITY SLIDER on 2/13/09 and still have not received the product. I just got an email from them that it could take up to 2-6 weeks to get my product via PONY EXPRESS.

Unbelievable!!! I paid $14 postage to have it sent via a slow boat from China.

This isn't going to be a good product. I have a bad feeling about this. We will see. Yes....We will see.

I'm sure Billy Mays is laughing all the way to the bank.

ATTRACTING FAT....EWWWW!

2009-03-10T09:13:00.000-07:00

Sometimes my stew has too much oil or fat from the meats I use in the stew. I like to spoon out any extra grease that I can before serving.

One way of doing this is to drop an ice cube into the pot. The grease will be attracted toward the cube and this will make it easier to scoop out any excess oil.

You can also use this tips with casseroles, soups, sauces, etc.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GRILLING AND BBQING

2009-03-06T09:45:00.000-08:00

Here is a video that explains the difference between grilling and BBQing. If you can't see the video below please visit: http://vimeo.com/3371899

TOP CHEF QUAKER OATS VIEWER QUICKFIRE CHALLENGE

2009-03-06T06:32:00.000-08:00

I am asking for everyone's help on this.

My friend, Maurice Larimer has been chosen in the "Top Chef" Quaker Oats Viewer Quickfire Challenge. He needs people to vote for his recipe.

Ironically he is the only man in the competition. He made the top 10. He is asking for you to vote for him and then pass the word on. I am asking you to please take a minute and vote for his recipe. It would mean a lot to me.

His name is: Maurice, L. from Red Bluff, CA
Recipe name is: Oatmeal/Macadamia Crusted Pork Tenderloin with a Coconut Chipotle Sauce & Grilled Caramelized Pineapple Relish

here is the link to the Quaker Oats Viewer Quickfire Challenge voting: http://quickfire.bravotv.com/quickfire/viewall.php

PLEASE VOTE AND PASS THIS ON.

UPDATE: 3/10/09

CHEATER, CHEATER, CHEATER!

It's been discovered that the Banana Drop Doughnuts recipe (currently voted #1) that my friend is up against is a stolen recipe. It seems that that recipe is from the Food Network Ultimate Recipe Showdown and was originally done by Jenny Flake.

here is the link to the stolen version. Position #1: Click Here
here is the link to the original recipe: Click Here

It's sad that people have to cheat to make a name for themselves. it wouldn't be the first time.

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR MARCH 1ST WINNER

2009-03-01T17:56:00.000-08:00

1st of the Month
Free Sauce Contest

Congratulations to our March 1st winner:

Fred Pellerito
Belton, MO

He was the first to answer correctly. "Ginger Root"
was mentioned in the Garlic Grater - product review video.

Be sure come back to TheBestSauces.com:
APRIL 1ST, 2009
for our next free sauce giveaway.

TOMORROW IS MARCH 1ST

2009-02-28T06:29:00.000-08:00

REMINDER:

Tomorrow is March 1st. First thing in the morning, go to "1st of the Month Contest" on TheBestSauces.com for rules on how to win a variety pack of our sauces. BBQ, Hot BBQ, Teriyaki. Good luck

1ST OF THE MONTH CONTEST: MARCH 2009

2009-02-25T09:50:00.000-08:00

HERE IS HOW IT WORKS:

The first of every month we will be giving away a
variety pack of our sauces
free to one lucky winner. 1 jar of each flavor:
The Best Barbeque Sauce You'll Ever Taste
The Best Hot Barbeque Sauce You'll Ever Taste
The Best Teriyaki Sauces You'll Ever Taste

All you have to do is follow the instructions below to win!!!!
(the contest is for U.S. residences only)

*******************************************************
MARCH 1ST, 2009

Go to TheBestSauces.com on
March 1st for the contest rules.
We will post them there at 8am PST.
Good Luck.

HOW TO KNOW IF EGGS ARE GOOD OR BAD

2009-02-23T13:39:00.000-08:00

Somehow I got a subscription to a magazine called ReadyMade .

I didn't subscribe to this magazine and I usually throw out stuff like this. Then I realized it was a DIY magazine. I love that. So I start reading it and I get to cooking tips. Wow. This stuff is cool.

Here is one of the cooking tips courtesy of ReadyMade magazine:

How do you know if an egg is good or bad to eat?

If an egg lies on the bottom on it's side. It's good.
If an egg stand on it's end on the bottom then it's good, but needs to be eaten soon or hard boiled.
If an egg floats, DO NOT EAT IT. It's definitely bad.

I dig on eggs. I like my eggs scrambled, but wet. Some people cook scrambled eggs until there is no moisture left. I like it where there is still a wetness to the eggs.

How do you order your eggs? over easy? poached?

PIZZA TASTE TEST

2009-02-21T06:37:00.000-08:00

In this video, I looks at top pizza chains to see how good their pizza really is. You may be quite surprised by what I show you.

Here are some pics of homemade pizza from some friends of mine. If you want to submit a pic of your homemade pizza, please email it to me at: Info@GiveMeFoods.com

PIZZA #1
Submitted by: David (RPM)
Home-built pizza safe for people with milk and wheat allergies (like me!), with soy cheese and brown rice crust. Hamburger, onions, bell pepper pizza

PIZZA #2
Submitted by: Rick (slackercats66)
Grand Forks, ND

PIZZA #3
Submitted by: Jonathan Caras
(JURUSALEM, ISRAEL) Here are a few shots. Wow. Very cool. In ISRAEL you can't have meat with cheese. It's not Kosher. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milk_and_meat

Keep those pizza picks coming. This Pizza hut pizza in Israel looks like all dough just like in the US.

1ST OF THE MONTH CONTEST WINNER EMAIL

2009-02-12T06:23:00.001-08:00

As you know, we started the "1st of the month contest" on Feb. 1st and J.L. Heath from Laramie, WY was our winner. We mailed her our variety pack of "The Best Sauces You'll Ever Taste". Our next contest will be obviously March 1st, 2009 at TheBestSauces.com

J.L. Heath was kind enough to write us back with an update on the sauces. here is the email:

Hi Jack!

Well, while the weather would not let us fire up the grill this week, we have still been enjoying your BBQ sauce! This weekend, we made a Chicken BBQ Pizza, which is a Boboli pizza crust slathered with your BBQ sauce, then diced chicken, bacon, diced onions & tomatoes, and sprinkled with heaps of mozzarella and cheddar cheeses and cooked to bubbling. The results were divine!

I don't know if you have ever thought about hooking up with a pizza franchise to get them to use this sauce for BBQ pizzas, but it's just perfect. It's thick so it's not running everywhere, and when it cooks the sugar caramelizes a little holding everything together and it really tastes fantastic-- just the right sweet to spice ratio, and I've never used anything better for this pizza recipe.

Then last night we made twice baked potatoes and for the filling- mashed the potato innards with your BBQ sauce, a spot of butter, diced onion, bacon and provalone cheese...re-piped it back into the potato jacket and sprinkled with cheddar and baked. MMM!

Anyhow, when we won this at the beginning of the month, you asked me to write and let you know how we used it and liked it, so I thought I would drop a line. We can't wait to try it straight up on meat, but are having fun with it in other ways, too. Do you sell this in stores in the CO or WY area? Please let me know.

Thanks again!
J. L. Heath

( we told J.L. Heath that we do free shipping anywhere in the US. So all you have to do is order at our website TheBestSauces.com)

MORE omelette TIPS

2009-02-09T11:39:00.000-08:00

I received an email from a reader who gave some great omelette suggestions. Let me know if you guys have tried these. Here is the email:

Jack....

Watched your omelette video. Thanks,
I'm gonna give that a try! I also always added a bit of milk to my mixture.

I saw one TV Chef (Paula Deen) she adds sour cream to her scrambled eggs..I tried it and wow!! Make sure you mix it well..I imagine the sour cream acts the same as the milk...

Yellow mustard to the egg mix adds a nice tang too...

Thanks again!!

Jim
Cleveland, Ohio.

10 WAYS TO LOWER YOUR CHOLESTEROL

2009-02-03T15:17:00.000-08:00

I thought about not putting this up on the blog, since this is a cooking site. I do however find this pretty interesting so I thought I would post 10 ways to lower your cholesterol.

Now those of you who don't know me, I am 41 years old, I am a big goomba Italian, and I have diabetes. I found out about the diabetes in FEB 2008. Since then I am on meds to control my sugar production in my body and I have since lost 50 lbs.

I love to eat food. That's obvious. I do however have to be careful what I eat. No more of my favorite foods like this Fantasy Burger. And yes that is thousand island with avocado beneath it.

I get one of these bad boys probably twice a year. Whoopie. Sucks getting older, but oh well. I have scarfed food all my life, so I have already had my fun. hahaha.

Here is the list of things you can do to lower your cholesterol. My sources for this list is DLife.com, which is the most amazing Diabetes community online with their own TV show:

10 Ways to Lower Your Cholesterol

By Jack Challem

By now you know that people with diabetes have a higher than average risk of developing coronary heart disease, so it’s especially important to maintain normal levels of cholesterol, a related blood fat. But drugs aren’t the only option for lowering cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Some foods and supplements work almost as well as meds — and without any risk of side effects.

1. Eat some oats. Oats are rich in beta-glucan, a particular type of fiber that can lower cholesterol levels, according to an article in the March 2007 American Journal of Therapeutics. Suggestion: Cook up a batch of steel-cut oats in the evening, and reheat portions for breakfast. Add some cinnamon or berries to vary the flavor.

2. Go fishing (at the supermarket). Coldwater fish, such as salmon and herring, contain omega-3 fats — the heart-healthiest fat you can eat. They’re especially good at reducing triglycerides. Tip: Pan fry a filet in olive oil, cooking it about 10 minutes per inch of thickness. Avoid deep-fried fish or seafood, though, because the bad cancels out the good.

3. Go fishing for supplements. Don’t like the taste of fish? Try the next best thing: fish oil capsules rich in omega-3 fats. The Food and Drug Administration recently approved their use in treating people with very high triglyceride levels. A study published in the March 2007 Lancet found that fish oil supplements cut the risk of heart attacks by almost one-fifth. And more good news: Some companies now add a lemon flavor to mask the fishy taste.

4. Avoid trans fats. Trans fats, found in “partially hydrogenated” vegetable oils and shortening, raise cholesterol levels. That’s bad. To avoid trans fats, pass on deep-fried foods and carefully read the ingredient lists on food labels. In restaurants, tell the waiter you want to avoid any foods made with shortening or any hydrogenated oils.

5. Go nuts. Eating a handful of raw nuts — especially almonds — each day can lower cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood sugar, according to an article in the September 2005 Journal of Nutrition. Pistachios and pecans are also top choices, but all nuts are good for you. Make your own trail mix with raw, unsalted nuts, and keep it handy in plastic bags you can take with you on the go.

6. Use olive oil. Rich in heart-healthy, monounsaturated fat, olive oil can lower cholesterol levels, reduce the risk of blood clots, and even help with blood sugar regulation. Tip: When you steam vegetables or eat salad, drizzle on extra-virgin oil for its delicious nutty flavor and health benefits.

7. Eat an avocado a day. Yes, they’re high in fat — but it’s good fat, the same type found in olive oil. Plus, avocados are rich in fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Eating an avocado a day can lower cholesterol levels as much as some drugs do, according to two studies. Tip: Make your own guacamole — with garlic, chili powder, and cumin — but hold the salt.

8. Take a hike. Or at least go for a daily walk! You’ll be surprised at the results. Most people aren’t motivated to work out at a gym. Just going for regular walks, however, can lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Try to increase your pace and distance over several weeks.

9. Supplement with phytosterols. Dozens of studies have found that these plant compounds lead to substantial decreases in total cholesterol and the “bad” low-density lipoprotein (LDL) form of cholesterol. Food makers add phytosterols to some brands of margarine, yogurt, and other foods. However, supplements make for an effective and calorie-free way of getting these beneficial compounds, too, according to an article in the April 2007 issue of Lipids in Health and Disease.

10. Consider niacin. Niacin lowers total cholesterol while boosting the “good” high-density lipoprotein (HDL) form of cholesterol. It’s had the green light for years from the FDA. But there is one downside: Niacin causes flushing, which can be accompanied by an intense tingling sensation, lasting from a few minutes to an hour. This side effect usually goes away over time. Some people are not affected as much as others. Talk with your doctor before taking it.

WHO DOESN'T LOVE BACON!!

2009-02-02T08:04:00.001-08:00

I love the smell of bacon cooking in the morning when I wake up. Those days are long gone now that I don't live at home anymore and my wife never cooks. So If I want the smell of bacon in the morning, I must wake up and cook it myself.

I have three tips regarding bacon:

1. when you bring bacon home and put it in the refrigerator, be sure to roll it up and put a rubber band around it. This way when you unroll it to cook later, the slices will already be separated for you. You won't have problems peeling the bacon slices off of one another.

2. when cooking bacon, be sure to stab the whole chunk of bacon with a fork. This will put holes in the bacon allowing air to flow through while cooking. That way when it cooks the slices will not curl up. They will stay nice and flat.

3. when disposing of bacon fat, don't pour down the sink. I always got yelled at for doing that. The grease collects inside your pipes and can cause future blockage. Instead, take a big bowl and line it with foil. Pour the grease in there. Once the grease has cooled, you fold up the foil and throw away the grease in one big chunk.

Now I am starving. Time for me to go make a BLT. Yumm!

FIRST OF THE MONTH FREE SAUCE CONTEST

2009-01-30T07:13:00.000-08:00

HERE IS HOW IT WORKS:

The first of every month we will be giving away a variety pack of our sauces
free to one lucky winner. 1 jar of each flavor:
The Best Barbeque Sauce You'll Ever Taste
The Best Hot Barbeque Sauce You'll Ever Taste
The Best Teriyaki Sauces You'll Ever Taste

All you have to do is follow the instructions below to win!!!!
(the contest is for U.S. residences only)

*******************************************************
FEBRUARY 1ST, 2009

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR WINNER:

J.L. HEATH
LARAMIE, WY

J.L. HEATH WAS THE 100TH PERSON TO SUBSCRIBE TO
"COOKING WITH JACK" BLOG.

WE WILL BE SENDING J.L. HEATH A THREE PACK OF OUR SAUCES.

PLEASE CALENDAR MARCH 1, 2009 FOR OUR NEXT GIVEAWAY.
EVERY 1ST OF THE MONTH WE WILL GIVE AWAY FREE SAUCE.

ENJOY THE SUPERBOWL!!!

INSTANT MARINATER - PRODUCT REVIEW

2009-01-24T07:56:00.000-08:00

Jack Scalfani tests out the instant marinater to see if it really marinates in minutes. Is this really worth $30??? Watch and see.

THE GARLIC GRATER - PRODUCT REVIEW

2008-12-13T06:38:00.000-08:00

The Garlic Grater is supposed to grate garlic, ginger root, cheese, lemon zest, and much more. Jack Scalfani puts it to the test to see if it's as easy as it claims.

HOW TO MAKE LAZY MAN'S LASAGNA

2008-12-06T06:39:00.001-08:00

HOW TO MAKE THE PERFECT OMELETTE

2008-11-22T07:39:00.000-08:00

HOW TO COOK STUFFING

2008-11-18T15:07:00.000-08:00

WASHING CHICKEN BEFORE COOKING

2008-11-06T15:00:00.000-08:00

One of my readers emailed me something interesting. I have not researched it, but I thought I would share it with you guys. It makes a lot of sense. His name is Kelly. If you want to comment, please click on the comment link at the bottom of this post:

I know how persistent and commonplace the myth about chicken washing is, but it really isn't necessary. But you needn't take my word for it, here is what the USDA has to say about it.

One famous chef even said something to the effect that any germ that is still alive on a chicken after all that time in the oven deserves to live. :) Salmonella, which is generally the chief concern regarding poultry, dies instantly at 165 degrees, or at 140 degrees after about 15 minutes.

The way I see it, it can actually be worse to wash or rinse chicken. You risk spreading bacteria anywhere the waste water goes. I think the whole thing about washing chickens probably got started in the days when one started off preparing a chicken for cooking by plucking it, and it was common practice to singe the remaining pinfeathers off with a flame. Of course you would want to rinse the resultant soot off, as well as any barnyard "residue." :) Then, when commercially cleaned chickens became commonplace, as so often happens, the practice continued, even after there was no longer any reason for it.

People then invented reasons to keep doing it, like "It kills germs," when the real reason was probably more like "Because that's the way my grandmother taught me to do it."

I hope you take this in the spirit in which it is intended.

Kelly

HOW TO COOK A TURKEY

2008-10-30T06:39:00.000-07:00

With Thanksgiving coming as quickly as Halloween did, you will want to watch this video. Jack shows you how to cook a turkey and keep it very moist. It's easy and delicious.

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HOW TO CARVE A PUMPKIN

2008-10-28T07:49:00.000-07:00

Jack shows you how to carve a pumpkin for Halloween and gives you some cool new tips, too.

HOW TO MAKE SPAGHETTI SAUCE

2008-10-04T07:56:00.001-07:00

I will show you how my family makes spaghetti sauce. it's easy and delicious.

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OUR FIRST PICTURES EVER!

2008-09-23T19:26:00.000-07:00

We just want to thank the Urbina family for sending us the picture above and the one below.

In the 8 years that we have been selling "The Best Barbeque Sauce You'll Ever Taste", we have never been sent any pictures of people enjoying our sauces.

Here are our first pictures. We just want to say how awesome the Urbina family is and tell them that we really appreciate their kindness!!!! I head about people drinking our barbeque sauce, but never have seen it until now.

THE PRODUCE DISC - (product review)

2008-09-22T11:26:00.001-07:00

This produce disc is supposed to double the life of your produce. Let's see if it's true.

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PIZZA HUT NASTY WINGS!

2008-09-15T08:09:00.000-07:00

Last night I ordered Pizza Hut Garlic Parmesan wings. Here is what the ad looks like:

Pizza Hut was even kind enough to warn me about the intense flavor. That's nice. The above image is the boneless, but I chose to get the bone-in version. It's the cannibalism in me I guess.
Here is what they delivered to my door.

I never liked Pizza Hut, but for some insane reason my family keeps buying from them. Did you notice the shine on the chicken? That's from the puddle of grease that came with the chicken.

I will be taking these wings back today for a full refund. I will keep you posted.

CLEAN MEAN EATING MACHINE

2008-09-13T10:36:00.000-07:00

Everyone knows they should wash their hands before cooking, but does everyone realize how ofter they forget to wash their food before cooking?

Chicken, veggies, fish, fruit and many other foods get cut and cooked without even quickly rinsing off. I would go into details if I could about how gross unclean chicken is, or how many snails I have bought with my lettuce.

Always wash your hands first then wash all your meats, produce, fruits and fresh spices.

Now, if your food is wet and you don't want them wet, feel free to break out the salad spinner and use that for all drying off purposes.

No one wants to use a paper towel on a fryer chicken, so stick it in the spinner and then you can apply your seasoning!

Important ***** Don't forget to thoroughly wash salad spinner after spinning meat.

HOW TO REMOVE TOO MUCH SALT

2008-07-21T14:33:00.000-07:00

Okay. I am in so much trouble. I did a big no no.

My wife is making chili. It's been smelling up the kitchen all day. I felt that it needed more seasoning. It didn't smell right. So I added garlic salt and onion salt, since chili always needs salt and garlic and onion will be a safe enhancement of flavor.

So I stir it in and taste the chili. It was way salty. I don't mean salty. I mean WAY salty. I called my wife to feel her out on how mad she would be. I told her that I added some seasoning to help the chili and she said she was fine with that and that she trusted me. Then I told her it was garlic salt and onion salt and that it was way too salty. She said she had already added salt and I should have tasted it before seasoning........She's right. I blew it.

So now I have to get the salt out. I have always heard that a peeled potato will absorb the salt out of any recipe of soup, chili, etc.

I just got back from the store and I bough two potatoes. I peeled them and put them in the chili about 20 minutes ago. I don't know if this tip is a real tip or not. So I will let you know later today on how it turns out.

to be continued........

ONE HOUR LATER

Okay. I have had two peeled potatoes in the chili and it's still as nasty as it was before I put them in. I cannot believe this isn't working. I believed this tip to be true. I wouldn't have ran to the store for potatoes if I didn't think it would work.

My wife just called and isn't happy. She said, "Just throw it out!". I begged her for more time. Let's give it another hour and see.

to be continued........

TWO HOURS LATER

This is the biggest crock of cooking tip I have ever heard of. Two hours later and it is as salty as the minute I dropped the potatoes in. Don't believe this tip. it's a HOAX.

Well, it's off to Subway for dinner. Ta Ta!

FASTA PASTA - PRODUCT REVIEW

2008-07-07T19:18:00.000-07:00

We show you how to cook pasta in the Fasta Pasta Microwave Cooker. It's supposed to be quick, easy, and delicious. We will see if this is true.

HOW TO COOK BARBECUE RIBS

2008-07-03T17:05:00.000-07:00

We show you how to cook bbq ribs on the barbeque and in the oven. We then see which is more tender and has more flavor. Watch an see!

How To Cook Barbeque Ribs - The funniest movie is here. Find it

JUICE IT UP

2008-06-06T22:28:00.000-07:00

How do I get more juice out of my lemons and limes?

Two ways:

1. Try rolling it firmly on the counter under the palm of your hand before cutting and squeezing. (if the lemon or lime is ripe)

2. Microwave it for 10 seconds before cutting and squeezing. (this is usually done if the lemon or lime isn't quite ripe yet)

If this doesn't work, try a better produce store. Some stores have better produce than others. You just have to know where to go in your neighborhood. I always buy my produce from either a farmers market or a produce store. Supermarkets have lousy produce or if it is good it's too pricey. If you go to the farmers market, get their early so your produce isn't sitting out in the heat all day rotting and make sure you go on Saturday when the produce is at it's freshest.

BARBEQUE WITH PLANK

2008-05-22T23:42:00.000-07:00

we test out a cedar plank on the Barbeque to see if it truly makes the food taste better.

TOASTER SCRAMBLES - FOOD REVIEW

2008-05-22T00:19:00.000-07:00

Toaster Scrambles by Pillsbury are supposed to be delicious. They are made with scrambled eggs and real bacon. We take a closer look to see how good they really are.