recipes

This is a long blog, but it is well worth the read if you love horror, food, drinks, friends and a good story. I was searching the DISH Network Satellite TV channel guide to see what suspenseful movies will be on for the remainder of October. Now that October is here after a very short summer, it is time to prepare for fall festivities and scary movies. I look forward to going apple picking and attending fall fairs, going to the Christmas Tree Shoppe to stock up on fall decor and, of course, curling up on cold weekend nights for some good horror movies!
I started to think about how I can start the Halloween experience early, so I decided that I’m going to invite a few friends over this weekend for a fun night of horror! I'm not going crazy on creepy decorations this year, but we'll certainly light a few candles to set the ambiance. I was thinking of preparing a delicious dinner, followed by two horror movies then a little good night story for my friends before they leave for the evening. I should mention that my daughter is going to be at her grandmother’s house while this is happening! So far, I have found some great recipes from Food Network to share with you for the dinner and treats.

Appetizers
To add some Halloween color into the mix, I’m going to make this appetizer that includes a witch green color.

Roasted Chile Guacamole with Baked Tortilla Chips
Baked Tortilla Chips:
· Cooking spray
· 3 sun-dried tomato basil tortilla wraps
· 3 garden spinach herb tortilla wraps
· Olive oil
· Salt and pepper
Guacamole:
· 1/2 cup frozen chopped onion, thawed
· 2 cups frozen no-salt added petite peas, thawed
· 1/3 cup water
· 2 tablespoons lemon juice
· 1 (1-ounce) packet guacamole seasoning mix
· 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
· 1/2 cup diced tomatoes with no-salt added
· 1 cup chopped avocado
· 1 (7-ounce) can fire roasted diced green chiles
For tortillas chips:
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray; set aside.
On a cutting board, stack 3 tortillas and using a sharp knife, cut into 8 wedges (like a pie). Repeat with remaining tortillas. Separate any that may stick together. Place on baking sheet, evenly spaced. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden. Remove and let cool.
For Guacamole:
In a medium saucepan combine onions, peas, water, lemon juice, guacamole seasoning, and garlic. Cook for 10 minutes until ingredients are soft.
Remove from heat and let cool.
Pour cooled pea mixture into a large bowl. Add avocado and mash with a fork or potato masher. Strain tomatoes and add to bowl with green chilies. Mix until blended.
Serve with baked chips.

Since my good little doobie will be at her grandmother’s house, I can also make a few drinks to accompany our appetizers!

Emeril’s Tin Can Margaritas
Ingredients:
· 1 lime, cut in wedges
· Coarse salt, for glasses
· 1 large can frozen limeade
· 1 full can good-quality tequila
· 1/2 can triple-sec
· 1/2 can lemon juice
· Ice
Directions:
Rub rims of glasses with a lime wedge; place salt in a saucer and dip rims. In a pitcher combine remaining ingredients, stir well and fill up with ice. Serve in salt-rimmed glasses with lime wedges.

And now…for the main course…Pumpkin-Peanut Curry Noodles with Five-Spice Seared Scallops and Shrimp, which only takes 20 minutes to cook (believe it or not)!

Ingredients:
· 1 pound spaghetti
· Salt
· 5 tablespoons vegetable oil or peanut oil
· 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
· 2 inches ginger root, minced or grated
· 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
· 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
· 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
· 1/4 to 1/3 cup tamari dark soy sauce, eyeball it
· 1 (15-ounce) can cooked pumpkin
· 2 rounded tablespoonfuls mild or hot curry paste (recommended: Patak's) found on international foods aisle
· 3 tablespoons five-spice powder
· 12 jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
· 12 diver scallops, trimmed and patted dry
· 4 scallions, cut into 2-inch pieces, then thinly sliced lengthwise into matchsticks
Directions:
Heat a large pot of water for noodles. When water boils, salt it and add pasta to cook to al dente or with a bite to it.
While pasta cooks, heat a large, deep skillet over medium heat with 2 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil. Add garlic, ginger, red bell pepper, and pepper flakes to the pan and cook together a couple of minutes, then add peanut butter and melt it. Whisk soy into peanut butter, then stir in pumpkin and curry paste. The sauce will be very thick. Turn down the heat to low. Add a ladle or 2 of pasta cooking water to thin sauce a bit and simmer over low heat. Adjust salt, to taste.
Heat a small to medium skillet over high heat. Pour the five-spice powder onto a plate with some salt. Press both sides of the shrimp and scallops into the powder. Add 3 tablespoons of remaining oil to hot skillet. Place the shrimp in the pan and cook 1 minute, flip and sear the other side until just opaque. Remove shrimp to a plate and set aside. Add another 3 tablespoons of oil to the skillet and heat back up to smoking. Add the scallops and sear on both sides until opaque. Remove scallops and add to the plate of shrimp.
Drain pasta and return pasta to the pot. Add the curry-pumpkin sauce and toss thoroughly. Serve noodles on 4 plated and top with scallions and seafood.

All I have to say is YUM!

And now for dessert…Dirt Pudding! This literally takes 5 minutes!
Have some pudding prepared from the night before, crack open a package of Oreos and crumble the cookies into the pudding. It’s delectable and easy.

It is now time for the feature presentation:

Movie number 1: Scream

Intermission: Coffee with Baileys Irish Cream, Amaretto and Frangelico

Movie number 2: From Dusk Till Dawn

Good night story:
This woman was doing laundry on a Saturday morning while her husband was at work. For some reason every time she pushes her clothes into the washing machine, she gets the feeling that someone is behind her, but she keeps going, admitting the thought is ridiculous. The basement never bothered her before. It isn’t musty as there’s a dehumidifier down there. It hasn’t been emptied for a while but the air is still dry. The cobwebs are always dusted and swept away as she is not fond of spiders, so the basement is fairly clean minus a few bags and it’s bright enough so there are no unlit corners. She hears her son rummaging through something in the living room upstairs, so she quickly goes back upstairs to be sure he is being safe.
Her son decided to try out his new roller-skates while mom was downstairs. The lady reminded her son that he needs to wear a helmet and knee pads if he wants to roller-skate then he can join her in the basement while she washes clothes. There is more room to skate in the large space downstairs. The husband had just recently finished ripping the rug off the basement stairs so he can replace it and there are small nails sticking out of the front of a few of the stairs. The mom tells her son that she’ll carry him downstairs because he’s already wearing his skates and she doesn’t want him to get hurt on the nails. The son complies.
Once the son’s helmet and knee pads are on, the mom sets him free to skate about the basement. Then she gets this horrible chill down her spine and a sick feeling in her stomach so she takes a minute to lean up against the table where she folds her clean clothes. She can’t figure out what the problem is, but her father is in the hospital so she decides to call her mom from the cell phone she has in her sweatshirt pocket to be sure everything is okay with him. Her mom said that everything is good and that her dad will be coming home the next day. Her dad fell and one of his toenails was caught on something and had been ripped off completely. He is a heavy man and any fall he takes is sure to cause some damage, but hooking his toenail on something made it even worse.
“He’s fine”, she thought, “so what can this horrible feeling be?” Her son is skating as fast as he can while holding onto the basement wall. She covers her face with her hands trying to think of what the problem could be. All of a sudden her son catches one of his skates in the grate of the basement drain. His skate stays there and his body goes flying forward. He luckily landed on a trash bag that was full of clothes the mom put down there a week ago for the Salvation Army.
She dashes to her son who is crying out of shock from falling with his new skates. She comforts him and walks over to retrieve his skate, still stuck in the grate of the drain. “These crazy plastic roller-skates. We’ll get you a new pair today, baby”. She looks back down at the skate and notices something hairy sticking out of the drain along with a foul odor.
She calls her husband to come home from work on his break to check this out. She puts on a movie upstairs for her son who is ready for a nap. Her husband gets home shortly after and hurries with her to the basement to see what she was talking about. He grabs a crow bar that was stashed behind the dryer and pries open the drain, catching a bunch of hair along the way and flinging the object across the room once the grate breaks free. It thumps against the wall and falls behind the trash bags full of clothes. They notice that whatever it is, it’s bleeding because there is a splat of blood on the wall. “I wish I had my father check that drain when he was down here last weekend. You know how I like to keep that clean”.
They tiptoe over to where the object had thumped to the ground and peeked behind the bags. They scream and jump back when they realize it’s a human head with skin that is falling off from spending so much time in the drain water. They panic and the husband takes a good look to make sure they didn’t miss anything else down there. He noticed her father’s pocketknife under the basement stairs with blood on it. He does not pick it up. As he examines the stairs for further evidence, he sees what he originally thought was a leftover piece of the carpet he had ripped up and notices that it’s a toenail. “Get upstairs and call the police!”
The wife calls the police who eventually get there and investigate her basement. They observe the head and ask them what is in the bags that are on the floor. The lady tells them that they’re stuffed with clothes. They open the bag and notice body parts that have been hacked up and stuffed in quilts. They take the toenail as evidence.

Goodie Bags to Take Home:

Some fun trinkets from iParty along with some cool Halloween lollipops!

Ingredients:
· 6 or 8-inch wooden pop sticks
· Gummy worms, as needed
· 2 cups sugar
· 2/3 cup corn syrup
· 2/3 cup water
· 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
· 1/4 teaspoon orange, lemon or cherry extract
· Few drops orange food coloring
Directions
Lay a silicone sheet on a baking pan, place the sticks on the pan and place 3 pieces of gummy Worms above the tip of each stick to form a gummy worm triangle.
Combine the sugar, corn syrup, and water in a clean, dry small saucepan. (It is best to use a heavy gauge pan and preferably with a pour spout.) Bring to a boil over high heat and cook without stirring until the mixture reaches 305 degrees F or "hard crack" stage on a candy thermometer. Occasionally wash down the sides of the pan with a clean pastry brush dipped in water to remove any sugar crystals that are clinging to the sides of the pan.
When the mixture reaches 305 degrees F, remove the pan from heat and dip the bottom of the pan into an ice bath for a few seconds to stop the candy from cooking. Add the extracts and food coloring and stir very gently with a wooden spoon so the color is evenly distributed.
Pour the syrup over the gummy worms and just over the stick. Cool the candy for at least 20 minutes.
Lift the lollipops off the silicone and either serve immediately or wrap in an airtight container.

Now, tell me I can’t plan an awesome night of fun with a few close friends!

This is a long blog, but it is well worth the read if you love horror, food, drinks, friends and a good story. I was searching the DISH Network Satellite TV channel guide to see what suspenseful movies will be on for the remainder of October. Now that October is here after a very short summer, it is time to prepare for fall festivities and scary movies. I look forward to going apple picking and attending fall fairs, going to the Christmas Tree Shoppe to stock up on fall decor and, of course, curling up on cold weekend nights for some good horror movies!
I started to think about how I can start the Halloween experience early, so I decided that I’m going to invite a few friends over this weekend for a fun night of horror! I'm not going crazy on creepy decorations this year, but we'll certainly light a few candles to set the ambiance. I was thinking of preparing a delicious dinner, followed by two horror movies then a little good night story for my friends before they leave for the evening. I should mention that my daughter is going to be at her grandmother’s house while this is happening! So far, I have found some great recipes from Food Network to share with you for the dinner and treats.

Appetizers
To add some Halloween color into the mix, I’m going to make this appetizer that includes a witch green color.

Roasted Chile Guacamole with Baked Tortilla Chips
Baked Tortilla Chips:
· Cooking spray
· 3 sun-dried tomato basil tortilla wraps
· 3 garden spinach herb tortilla wraps
· Olive oil
· Salt and pepper
Guacamole:
· 1/2 cup frozen chopped onion, thawed
· 2 cups frozen no-salt added petite peas, thawed
· 1/3 cup water
· 2 tablespoons lemon juice
· 1 (1-ounce) packet guacamole seasoning mix
· 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
· 1/2 cup diced tomatoes with no-salt added
· 1 cup chopped avocado
· 1 (7-ounce) can fire roasted diced green chiles
For tortillas chips:
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray; set aside.
On a cutting board, stack 3 tortillas and using a sharp knife, cut into 8 wedges (like a pie). Repeat with remaining tortillas. Separate any that may stick together. Place on baking sheet, evenly spaced. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden. Remove and let cool.
For Guacamole:
In a medium saucepan combine onions, peas, water, lemon juice, guacamole seasoning, and garlic. Cook for 10 minutes until ingredients are soft.
Remove from heat and let cool.
Pour cooled pea mixture into a large bowl. Add avocado and mash with a fork or potato masher. Strain tomatoes and add to bowl with green chilies. Mix until blended.
Serve with baked chips.

Since my good little doobie will be at her grandmother’s house, I can also make a few drinks to accompany our appetizers!

Emeril’s Tin Can Margaritas
Ingredients:
· 1 lime, cut in wedges
· Coarse salt, for glasses
· 1 large can frozen limeade
· 1 full can good-quality tequila
· 1/2 can triple-sec
· 1/2 can lemon juice
· Ice
Directions:
Rub rims of glasses with a lime wedge; place salt in a saucer and dip rims. In a pitcher combine remaining ingredients, stir well and fill up with ice. Serve in salt-rimmed glasses with lime wedges.

And now…for the main course…Pumpkin-Peanut Curry Noodles with Five-Spice Seared Scallops and Shrimp, which only takes 20 minutes to cook (believe it or not)!

Ingredients:
· 1 pound spaghetti
· Salt
· 5 tablespoons vegetable oil or peanut oil
· 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
· 2 inches ginger root, minced or grated
· 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
· 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
· 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
· 1/4 to 1/3 cup tamari dark soy sauce, eyeball it
· 1 (15-ounce) can cooked pumpkin
· 2 rounded tablespoonfuls mild or hot curry paste (recommended: Patak's) found on international foods aisle
· 3 tablespoons five-spice powder
· 12 jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
· 12 diver scallops, trimmed and patted dry
· 4 scallions, cut into 2-inch pieces, then thinly sliced lengthwise into matchsticks
Directions:
Heat a large pot of water for noodles. When water boils, salt it and add pasta to cook to al dente or with a bite to it.
While pasta cooks, heat a large, deep skillet over medium heat with 2 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil. Add garlic, ginger, red bell pepper, and pepper flakes to the pan and cook together a couple of minutes, then add peanut butter and melt it. Whisk soy into peanut butter, then stir in pumpkin and curry paste. The sauce will be very thick. Turn down the heat to low. Add a ladle or 2 of pasta cooking water to thin sauce a bit and simmer over low heat. Adjust salt, to taste.
Heat a small to medium skillet over high heat. Pour the five-spice powder onto a plate with some salt. Press both sides of the shrimp and scallops into the powder. Add 3 tablespoons of remaining oil to hot skillet. Place the shrimp in the pan and cook 1 minute, flip and sear the other side until just opaque. Remove shrimp to a plate and set aside. Add another 3 tablespoons of oil to the skillet and heat back up to smoking. Add the scallops and sear on both sides until opaque. Remove scallops and add to the plate of shrimp.
Drain pasta and return pasta to the pot. Add the curry-pumpkin sauce and toss thoroughly. Serve noodles on 4 plated and top with scallions and seafood.

All I have to say is YUM!

And now for dessert…Dirt Pudding! This literally takes 5 minutes!
Have some pudding prepared from the night before, crack open a package of Oreos and crumble the cookies into the pudding. It’s delectable and easy.

It is now time for the feature presentation:

Movie number 1: Scream

Intermission: Coffee with Baileys Irish Cream, Amaretto and Frangelico

Movie number 2: From Dusk Till Dawn

Good night story:
This woman was doing laundry on a Saturday morning while her husband was at work. For some reason every time she pushes her clothes into the washing machine, she gets the feeling that someone is behind her, but she keeps going, admitting the thought is ridiculous. The basement never bothered her before. It isn’t musty as there’s a dehumidifier down there. It hasn’t been emptied for a while but the air is still dry. The cobwebs are always dusted and swept away as she is not fond of spiders, so the basement is fairly clean minus a few bags and it’s bright enough so there are no unlit corners. She hears her son rummaging through something in the living room upstairs, so she quickly goes back upstairs to be sure he is being safe.
Her son decided to try out his new roller-skates while mom was downstairs. The lady reminded her son that he needs to wear a helmet and knee pads if he wants to roller-skate then he can join her in the basement while she washes clothes. There is more room to skate in the large space downstairs. The husband had just recently finished ripping the rug off the basement stairs so he can replace it and there are small nails sticking out of the front of a few of the stairs. The mom tells her son that she’ll carry him downstairs because he’s already wearing his skates and she doesn’t want him to get hurt on the nails. The son complies.
Once the son’s helmet and knee pads are on, the mom sets him free to skate about the basement. Then she gets this horrible chill down her spine and a sick feeling in her stomach so she takes a minute to lean up against the table where she folds her clean clothes. She can’t figure out what the problem is, but her father is in the hospital so she decides to call her mom from the cell phone she has in her sweatshirt pocket to be sure everything is okay with him. Her mom said that everything is good and that her dad will be coming home the next day. Her dad fell and one of his toenails was caught on something and had been ripped off completely. He is a heavy man and any fall he takes is sure to cause some damage, but hooking his toenail on something made it even worse.
“He’s fine”, she thought, “so what can this horrible feeling be?” Her son is skating as fast as he can while holding onto the basement wall. She covers her face with her hands trying to think of what the problem could be. All of a sudden her son catches one of his skates in the grate of the basement drain. His skate stays there and his body goes flying forward. He luckily landed on a trash bag that was full of clothes the mom put down there a week ago for the Salvation Army.
She dashes to her son who is crying out of shock from falling with his new skates. She comforts him and walks over to retrieve his skate, still stuck in the grate of the drain. “These crazy plastic roller-skates. We’ll get you a new pair today, baby”. She looks back down at the skate and notices something hairy sticking out of the drain along with a foul odor.
She calls her husband to come home from work on his break to check this out. She puts on a movie upstairs for her son who is ready for a nap. Her husband gets home shortly after and hurries with her to the basement to see what she was talking about. He grabs a crow bar that was stashed behind the dryer and pries open the drain, catching a bunch of hair along the way and flinging the object across the room once the grate breaks free. It thumps against the wall and falls behind the trash bags full of clothes. They notice that whatever it is, it’s bleeding because there is a splat of blood on the wall. “I wish I had my father check that drain when he was down here last weekend. You know how I like to keep that clean”.
They tiptoe over to where the object had thumped to the ground and peeked behind the bags. They scream and jump back when they realize it’s a human head with skin that is falling off from spending so much time in the drain water. They panic and the husband takes a good look to make sure they didn’t miss anything else down there. He noticed her father’s pocketknife under the basement stairs with blood on it. He does not pick it up. As he examines the stairs for further evidence, he sees what he originally thought was a leftover piece of the carpet he had ripped up and notices that it’s a toenail. “Get upstairs and call the police!”
The wife calls the police who eventually get there and investigate her basement. They observe the head and ask them what is in the bags that are on the floor. The lady tells them that they’re stuffed with clothes. They open the bag and notice body parts that have been hacked up and stuffed in quilts. They take the toenail as evidence.

Goodie Bags to Take Home:

Some fun trinkets from iParty along with some cool Halloween lollipops!

Ingredients:
· 6 or 8-inch wooden pop sticks
· Gummy worms, as needed
· 2 cups sugar
· 2/3 cup corn syrup
· 2/3 cup water
· 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
· 1/4 teaspoon orange, lemon or cherry extract
· Few drops orange food coloring
Directions
Lay a silicone sheet on a baking pan, place the sticks on the pan and place 3 pieces of gummy Worms above the tip of each stick to form a gummy worm triangle.
Combine the sugar, corn syrup, and water in a clean, dry small saucepan. (It is best to use a heavy gauge pan and preferably with a pour spout.) Bring to a boil over high heat and cook without stirring until the mixture reaches 305 degrees F or "hard crack" stage on a candy thermometer. Occasionally wash down the sides of the pan with a clean pastry brush dipped in water to remove any sugar crystals that are clinging to the sides of the pan.
When the mixture reaches 305 degrees F, remove the pan from heat and dip the bottom of the pan into an ice bath for a few seconds to stop the candy from cooking. Add the extracts and food coloring and stir very gently with a wooden spoon so the color is evenly distributed.
Pour the syrup over the gummy worms and just over the stick. Cool the candy for at least 20 minutes.
Lift the lollipops off the silicone and either serve immediately or wrap in an airtight container.

Now, tell me I can’t plan an awesome night of fun with a few close friends!

Kudos to the Food Network for constantly rising to the challenge of continuously peaking the culinary curiosity of their avid fans by providing them with a constant influx of new and exciting shows.

The latest offering of the Food Network, The Cooking Loft, which is hosted by culinary creator and head chef Alex Guarnaschelli, at famed New York eatery Butter made its much anticipated debut last weekend. Let me tell you it was worth the wait. Chef Guarnaschelli's soft spoken, low key approach to cooking on this interactive show would make even the most novice of cooks confident in their ability to recreate all of the recipes she and her helpers prepared on the show. 

You can enjoy Food Network on Satellite TV in high definition on Channel 231

Guy Fieri (my favorite host on the food network) host of Guy's Big Bite and Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, will be hosting yet another show (where does he find the time) on the Food Network. Information about Guy's latest culinary endeavor is limited, however becauuse of the trailers on the Food Network, I can tell you that the show is called "Guy Off The Hook" and will premiere on September 14th at 1:30 p.m. et/pt. How appropriate is using the phrase"off the hook" for the title of Guy's latest show, as those words are one he uses quite frequently on his shows. Did you know that"Off The Hook"  was supposedly the original working title that Guy wanted for his Food Network show, instead of Guy's Big Bite.

Since winning the Next Food Network Star competition, Guy's fame and marketability has risen at what seems to be warp speed. He is definitely smokin hot and the high volume of viewers who watch diners, drive-in and dives and made it such a success prove this fact out. While there are those who feel that perhaps Guy is getting too much exposure, I say no way. Guy's bigger than life persona is what makes watching his shows so enjoyable.

So whether you're a Guy Fieri Fan or a foodie at heart remember to watch "Guy Off The Hook" on September 14th on the Food Network. Oh yeah, did I mention that the Food Network is broadcast in HD on Satellite TV.  

What! You have got to be kidding me! Those are just a few of the words and phrases that I was shouting out when I watched the season finale of the Next Food Network Star on Satellite TV. I could not believe that Aaron Mc Cargo, Jr., an executive catering chef for a hospital was crowned the winner. What I wonder is if the home viewer voted and only their votes counted would their choice be the same as the judges. It is after all the viewing audience who will be tuning in to watch the winners show.

First off, while I like Aaron and thought that he dished up some fine culinary fare, he definitely didn't come across as having any real stage presence. Yes, I know that he was nervous and who wouldn't be when you have a limited amount of time to produce a perfect performance on command. You would think however, that by the finale you would have your jitters under control. I mean, shouldn't the winner just exude confidence, authority and chrisma. It's these characteristics that give you credibility with the home viewer.

Then there's the issue with the name of his show. Rather than Aaron coming up with a catchy title or titles as Lisa did, he just latched onto the name that was pitched to him by Gordon Elliot. Does that mean Aaron will let others dictate to him the menu/meals he should prepare for each of his shows episodes.

I have to wonder why Bob Tuschman (v.p. programming & production) and Susie Fogelson (v.p. marketing) and the rest of the Food Network execs. decided to get the premier for Aaron's show "Big Daddys House" up and running so fast. The show will air it's first episode on Sunday, August 3, 1:30 p.m. e/p. Perhaps the powers that be at the Food Network have determined that it's better to air the show as soon as possible, to seize the moment and draw the viewer in quickly so they don't forget about the show, as might happen if they were to wait several months to air it. Remember The Gourmet Next Door, which was hosted by season three winner Amy Finley. She was named the winner on July 22, 2007 yet her show didn't air until October 14, 2007. Just ask yourself, when's the last time you saw a new episode of her show.

Finally, because none of the contestants had every thing the judges were looking for, they should have named all three winners, called the show "The Revolving Chef" or some other crazy name and just rotated them on a weekly basis, thereby showcasing the talent and creativity of Adam, Aaron and Lisa and giving the home viewer not only diversity but the option to choose and watch their favorite contestant do their thing.

Next time I'll use my Satellite TV DVR to record the contest and fast forward to the award decision.

Do you like cooking but don't have a vast assortment of cookbooks lining your bookshelves? Perhaps you're a budding culinary chef looking for some more mouthwatering recipes to add to your collection. Maybe you're just tired of seeing the same old, same old, on the Food Network.

If any of the above describes you, then have I got a great channel for you to check out. The channel (hold onto your hats) is PBS. If you haven't watched PBS lately you don't know what you're missing. The network/channel airs a wide variety of cooking shows which encompass a diverse offering of gastronomical delights. You can watch and learn tips and techniques from well known chefs as they prepare dishes from the simple to the sophisticated.

Some of my personal favorite are America's Test Kitchen, Everyday Food and Everyday Baking from Everyday Food( Martha Stewart fans will love these shows). I have prepared, much to my family's delight, a fair number recipes that have been showcased in various episodes of the above mentioned shows. I enjoy these shows enough that I have set my DVR to record each series so I don't miss out on any of the recipes.

If you're a culinary show junkie like me, then be sure to give PBS a look see. There's sure to be a cooking show that offers up recipes for scrumptious meals that would bring a smile to the face of those who consider themselves to have the most discriminating of palates.

Note* Check the listings of your PBS station to see what cooking shows are airing in you area.

The Food Network seems to be on a tear this year as it continues to add new shows to it's line-up, while at the same time dropping those shows which have outlived their appeal with the home viewer.

One of the networks new and upcoming show which will be hosted by Sunny Anderson (who currently hosts "Cooking for Real") is titled "How'd That Get On My Plate". During each episode viewers will be able to follow the journey of the food being showcased that week as it goes from it's origin (be it land or sea) to it's final destinatio, which could include restaurants, supermarkets, and our own homes. The show will premiere on July 7 at 9:30 p.m. EST.

While this concept might seem new to some folks the fact is that several shows with this same idea have already been on tv. One such show, which I'm sure most people are familiar with is "Follow That Food" which was hosted by Gordon Elliott. The show took viewers globe trotting around the world as they followed various food from their origin until they finally landed in the kitchens of some of the best chefs in the country. Eerily similar wouldn't you say to the Food Network's latest offering, "How'd That Get on My Plate".

Another show whose concept is somewhat similar to "How'd That Get on My Plate" is "The Secret Life of... which was formerly hosted by Jim O'connor and then George Duran of "Ham on the Street". This show also highlighted the history and origins of food in addition to providing some tasty recipes, which used said food.

It would seem that Food Network execs. are able to understand and appreciate the value of a winning concept. Why else would they revamp old shows which had mass appeal. It's always easy to breathe new life into an old idea. In some cases, as with their latest offering "How'd That Get .....,you know the rest, it's as simple as adding a new host and tweaking things to appeal to today's home viewer and Voila! a new show is born.

Whether it's new, old or just I remake, I'll tune it to watch it anyway because A) I like Sunny Anderson and her "Cooking for Real" show and B) I'm a Food Network junkie. If the network is airing either a new show or episodes them I'm either watching or recording to watch when I have the time. Don't won't to miss any mouth-watering, scrumptious recipes. So "Bon Appetite" to all you food network junkie's like myself.

The season finale of Top Chef on the Bravo channel was something a nail biter for me last night. The 3 finalists definitely had their work cut out for them last night. The final challenge for these chefs was to prepare a four course dinner for nine diners. The menu had to include red meat, fish, poultry and a desert. Oh yeah it was also going to be a black tie affair.

The interesting twist to this test was that 3 of New York's premier chefs, April Bloomfield (The Spotted Pig), Dan Barber (Blue Hill) and Eric Ripert (Le Bernardin) in additon to being guest judges graciously agreed to act as sous chefs to Richard, Stephanie and Lisa the 3 finalists as they set about to prepare their dishes for the season finale.

While all of the finalists have proved over the course of the season that they have what it takes to be Top Chef, sadly only one of them could lay claim to the title of Top Chef. It was imperative that they bring their A-game to the kitchen when they prepared their last meal of the competition. This was the most crucial meal of the entire competition, as it would be the deciding factor in determining who would be the winner.

After all the sampling, critiquing and discussion about the chefs and their food was finished the judges came to their decision as to who the Top Chef was. While all the chefs did their best, it was Stepahnie Izard who brought the ultimate A-game to the finale last night. With her win last night, Ms. Izard became the first female chef to win the coveted title of Top Chef.

Last night I watched the 2nd episode of the Next Food Network Star which airs at 10 p.m E/T on the Food Newtork and I must say that while many of the competitiors are capable of preparing palatable food no one really stands out from the rest of the pack.

Outside of perhaps wanting to try one of the wannabe food stars recipes, not one of them has proven at least yet, that they have the charisma and star quality which would entice the home viewer to watch any cooking show which anyone of them might host.

While I realize that this experience is nerve wracking for the competitiors, they have to remember that in addition to creating exquisite mouth watering and eye pleasing meals they must also market themselves. Self confidence, creativity and the ability to stay calm under pressure are some of the traits which I'm sure the judges are looking for. After all, if you can't sell yourself how the heck can you sell your idea for a show based on your style of cooking.

Now last night 2 of the competitiors stood out and it wasn't because of their cooking ability. Nipa, exhibited somewhat childish behavior by leavng the room after being critiqued by the judges. Definitely not the actions, at least in my opinion, of someone who would be suited to handling the pressure of their own tv show. While I realize she is passionate about bringing her style of cooking to the rest of us, and that nobody like to be criticized, she needs to learn to accept the judges criticism for what it is. A learning tool and not a personal attack.

Lisa is the next one of my so called stand out competitiors and it isn't because of her cooking. While she was one of the winners in last nights challenge, watching her makes me feel as if I should be watching "Make Me A Supermodel" instead of watching a cooking competition. Last week she was dressed to the nines with high heels, an over abundance of jewelry and the perfect hair and makeup to complete the look.(what chef/cook actually dresses like that when  the're working in the kitchen) This week once again, she wasn't any less perfect in her appearance. While I'm sure she want's to look nice on camera and who doesn't I personally find her appearance to be somewhat off putting. To me her look just screams arrogance with a pinch of an "I'm better than you" attitude thrown in for good measure . Definitely not someone I would watch if they had their own cooking show.

Having said all that I can't wait to see what culinary challeges unfold in next weeks episode.