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I've just come to the realization that when my t.v. is turned on, it's mainly on the same channel. I'm addicted to Food Network. I will blatantly admit it, I don't find anything else worth while. The channel went from being unknown late night filler to a phenomenon people follow daily. At least with watching Food Network, I feel like I've learned something and can put myself to being productive immediately.
Do you watch Food Network? If so, who is your favorite chef and why? Leave a comment below on this epidemic and enter the F.A.(Foodies Anonymous) discussion.

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Opinion Polls & Market Research

Opinion Polls & Market Research

A Lesson in Peppers

Although my tip on peppers which I provided last week was helpful, I felt it needed a little more, a "little kick" you could say. My horrible humor aside, here is a helpful list of the most common forms of peppers you would find for purchase in a supermarket:

*All hot peppers contain Capsaicinoids, natural substances that produce a burning sensation in the mouth
*Capsaicinoids have no flavor or odor, but act directly on the pain receptors in the mouth and throat.
*Capsaicinoids are found primarily in the pepper's placenta--the white "ribs" that run down the middle and along the sides of a pepper. Since the seeds are in such close contact with the ribs, they are also often hot.
*Capsaicinoid content is measured in parts per million. These parts per million are converted into Scoville heat units, the industry standard for measuring a pepper's punch.

Image	Name	Scoville Units	Native Regions
	Habanero	100K-300K	Yucatan, Caribbean
	Scotch Bonnet	100K-250K	Jamaica, Caribbean, Belize
	Jamaican Hot	100K-200K	Jamaica, other Caribbean islands
	Thai	50K-100K	Southeast Asia, California
	Cayenne	30K-50K	Louisiana, Mexico, Asia, Africa
	Serrano	10K-23K	Mexico, Southwest U.S.
	Wax	5K-10K	Mexico, California, Southwest U.S.
	Jalapeno	2.5K-5K	Oaxaca, Chihauhau, Texas, Southwest US
	Rocotillo	1.5K-2.5K	South America
	Poblano	1K-1.5K	Puebla, Mexico City region, California
	New Mexico	500-1,000	Rio Grande Valley
	Pepperoncini	100-500	Mediterranean Basin, California
	Bell Pepper	0	Holland, Mediterranean Basin, California
	Sweet Italian	0	Mediterranean Basin, California

My favorites- keep in mind, I'm a mild gal. I don't like to cry or have my nose bleed when I eat. Food, in my opinion should be enjoyable. If you can take the heat, by all means serve yourself some Scotch Bonnets or Pepperoncini. I my friend, will stay on the safe side.

Sweet Italian peppers, for roasting or frying with salt. Go "Italian Style" and sandwich them between two pieces of bread. This is an Italian favorite I grew up on.

Bell Peppers: I love to use a variety of red, green, and yellow for some of my favorite stir fry dishes.

Poblano: These are fantastic when BBQ'd. I love them with a nice flame roasted piece of chicken. They've got a southwestern flavor that just begs to be put on an open flame.

Jalepeno: I only like these on nachos. I won't ever use these personally in any dish other than my nachos. I'm not daring enough. Yes, these tip-toe on the fine line in my mouth, they're sometimes too hot for me.

Get to the center of it

Many people ask why some peppers are hotter than others. Aside from the simple fact that peppers vary in degree of heat, a small rule of thumb is easily overlooked.

If you want to make a pepper hotter, keep the seeds. Like so:

Want it a bit milder? Remove the seeds and center "rib" of the pepper. Like so:

A Fruit Bowl Fiesta

Here's a twist on Chips & Dip, one that you can use for dessert.

Instead of Salsa, this bowl is full of fruity delight. I call it a Fruit Bowl. Pair it with some store bought Cinnamon Chips for maximum delight!

All you'll need is:

2 tablespoons of apple jelly. (you can find this where you'd find your regular jelly)

2 tablespoons of light brown sugar.

1/4 cup of orange juice.

2 apples (whichever you prefer- Red Delicious, Granny Smith etc.) Peeled, cored, and chipped fine.

1 package of strawberries, leaves removed, and chopped fine.

1 medium mango, peeled and diced.

3 kiwis, peeled and chopped fine.

Whisk jelly, sugar, and orange juice in a large bow. Add the apples, strawberries, mango and kiwi. Toss the mixture together to evenly coat all of the fruit, then enjoy!

A Sweet Slice...

of advice of course!

If you deal with cakes a lot, this will definitely come in handy. My mom's newest hobby is baking cakes, which means every weekend turns into a cake tasting at my parent's house.


This takes some prep work but is well worth it when you find yourself never having to struggle with cutting a piece of cake again.

You'll need parchment/wax paper for this trick.

*Cut pieces of parchment into strips and divide each strip into two.

*Once the cake is fully iced, begin cutting slices. In essence, when you're done, you'll have pre-cut slices ready to serve (imagine how cheesecake's are presented when pre-cut)

* Slip pieces of parchment in between each slice. You should then have a piece of parchment running through each cut that was made with your knife.

Viola! You're done. No need to struggle with cake falling over or getting too dry on the one side that was exposed to air for too long. This will ensure both sides of your cake slices stay fresh!

Freezer Safe

As I learn incredibly easy and helpful ways around the kitchen, I will pass them on to my ever-ready and willing to learn readers. You may find them silly and never try it but I'll put them out there anyway!

Let's focus on herbs for this tip.

Do you use herbs (the cooking kind)? If so, good for you. I find so many people now days who think salt and pepper count as "seasoning". I call salt and pepper a cop-out. Get friendly with what you're cooking and search for which seasonings/herbs work best with the dish you plan to make.

I found that my fresh herbs get very unhappy in my fridge after a week (by unhappy I mean go stale and die). So, to correct my unhappy herb dilemma, I set out to find a better way to store herbs.

Solution--Freeze your herbs!


Yes, you can zip lock bag your herbs and freeze them. When you know you need them, pull them out and let them defrost. Surprisingly, this works well for dried herbs too.
Remember when you put your herbs in a "baggie", always label them so you know what is in the bag when you use it 2 weeks later.