Family Food Fight

Here is a link to the segment:

http://media.myfoxmilwaukee.com/seenon/index.html click on interviews, then click on Kids & Halloween Treats for the whole three minute segment.

If you’re looking for more ideas, be sure to watch The Morning Blend on Monday when Jared and I make some yummy pumpkin treats!

One reporter in Miami got the chance to be a "professional" cook for a week. Having grown up with a mom who's an educator chef, I know that the kitchen can be an energizing and dangerous place. I've worked with my mom a number of times on different banquets throughout the years and I'm always exhausted by the end of the night.

I've also worked with the American Culinary Federation Chefs of Milwaukee for the last few years . I've eaten some of the best meals of my life with this organization. They are phenominal chefs. They are also some of the most charitable people I know. They have hosted charity dinners for the Center for Blind and Visually Impared Children for the last few years. They get donations for the event and volunteer their time to make the food. We're talking chefs with years of experience and students who are still learning all in the kitchen together working their tails off for free!

While I admire these chefs (and my mother) I would never want to be a professional chef. I like food too much to make it my job!

To get an idea of how much work it really is, check out the link to the reporter in the kitchen in Miami. The article is well written and gives you a good flavor for a professional kitchen: http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/living/food/story/623286.html

This is one type of spider strainer that the reporter mentions in the article. I haven't had use for it in my kitchen personally, but in a professional kitchen it's a necessity.

BTW: When I cut my finger cooking in January and needed three stitches in my thumb, the chefs I've worked with didn't give me a hard time. Instead they showed my their cooking scars. My thumb still hurt, but they made my pride feel a lot better.

I found these at the grocery store over a year ago and LOVE them. If you haven't tried them I highly recommend them. They're easy to use and great if you love sea salt and fresh pepper. They're inexpensive and an essential in my kitchen.

I have had to tell people a number of times to take off the lid after they've been using the grinder part for WAY too long!

I've got to find this one!

This weekend was a cooking marathon for me. Saturday I made a brisket chili with squash – it was yummy but spicy. I’m going to change the original recipe and when I get it just right I’ll post it.

On Sunday I was sick of cooking (the chili took most of Saturday and it wasn’t something I could walk away from). There was an easy slow-cooker recipe in the latest Everyday Food (thanks to Linda and Stacy for turning me onto this little magazine).

I took the recipe below and we had a couple of tacos from it. My boys were at a birthday party and didn’t eat dinner with us. We had a bunch left over. So tonight the kids help me make quesadillas.

Here’s how your kids can help:

Have your kids wash their hands. Put one taco-size flour tortilla on each of the kids’ plates. They can scoop two to three forkfuls of chicken onto their tortilla and spread it thinly. Then have them each take a small handful of shredded cheese – I used the Mexican blend cheese – and spread it thinly across their chicken. Make sure the ingredients are thinly spread across the tortilla and aren’t mounded in the middle. Put a second tortilla on top and place in a hot pan. Cover for 30 to 40 seconds, flip, cover for another 30 to 40 seconds and put on a plate. We use our pizza cutter to cut the quesadillas into four pieces. Since the meat is already cooked you’re just warming it up.

I found chipotle chilies in adobo sauce at Sendiks. The recipe calls for 1 to 2 tablespoons – so it almost seams like a waste to use it, but the flavor is noticeable. I would suggest blending the chilies into the sauce then freezing it. Try scooping 1 to 2 tablespoons into an ice tray and freezing it. That way you can thaw out one cube for a serving.

It was an EASY, yummy meal.

Here's the recipe. Let me know if you try it!

Chili Chicken Tacos from October 2008 Everyday Food

Serves 4

Prep time: 15 minutes

Total time: 4 ¼ hours

1. In a slow cooker combine chicken, garlic, salsa, chilies, chili powder, 1 teaspoon salted and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Cover cook on high 4 hours or on low for 8 hours.

2. Transfer chicken to a serving bowl and shred, using two forks; moisten with cooking juices. Serve in taco shells with toppings if desired.

I need your help fellow foodies! What restaurants would you say are the most family friendly in Wisconsin? I’m putting together a Wisconsin Family Dining Guide and Cookbook and I’d love to hear your recommendations for restaurants that should be included.

We’re talking anywhere in the state! Do you have a favorite breakfast place in the Dells? How about a family-friendly restaurant in Door County? Where’s the best brat in Wisconsin? What restaurant is number one with your family? Any out-of-the way restaurants that are a must visit?

Let me know what you think!