Jack turns to Frederic for help to learn how to make simple homemade candy including recipes for chocolate truffles and candied orange peel.
Episode Guide
Below you’ll find a helpful episode guide for cooking along with Frederic and Jack, as well as tips and recipe rescues.
Equipment List:
Liquid measuring cup
Small saucepan
Serrated knife
Cutting board
Whisk
2 small cake pans
Small baking sheet
Parchment or wax paper
Mixing bowl
Measuring spoons
Plastic wrap
Chef’s knife
Large saucepan
Rack for drying
Colander
Dry measuring cups
Colander
Tips:Melting chocolate:
Chop chocolate finely and uniformly before melting.
Melt chocolate in a double boiler or in a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Turn the heat off just before beginning to whisk; the residual heat will be enough to melt the chocolate. Having the heat any higher will scorch the chocolate.
Whisk the chopped chocolate over the heat to prevent scorching.
Making ganache:
Ganache is a mixture of chocolate and cream, and is usually made with either semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate, as opposed to milk chocolate. Flavorings like liqueurs can be added to ganache.
Ganache can be made by heating the cream gently to a simmer, and then by pouring it over a bowl of very finely chopped chocolate.
Candying:
Candying is a cooking method used to preserve and sugar-coat fruits, citrus rinds, flowers, herb leaves, etc. by cooking them in sugar syrup and then coating with more sugar to let dry at room temperature.
Recipe Rescues:Ganache is not firm enough – Refrigerate ganache for at least 2 hours before attempting to make truffles. You can spread the ganache onto a sheet pan for faster cooling.
Burnt sugar – Start over with the sugar syrup. A sugar syrup needs to be cooked slowly and gently at a simmer; do not let it boil furiously.
Candied orange tastes too bitter – Blanch an additional time; the more times you blanch the orange peels, the mellower the bitterness becomes.
Chef Nguyen Tran is traveling across the country in search of delicious dishes at incredible values, starting with a mouthwatering gourmet burger for less than a dollar at The Rockefeller in Los Angeles. Then he visits Hutchins BBQ, a legendary Texas barbecue institution known for their brisket and an all-you-can-eat deal that will leave you with meat sweats. In Seattle, Wash., Nguyen heads to List, an upscale Italian restaurant where everything on the menu is half price, including homemade truffle gnocchi and Chilean sea bass. In Austin, Texas, he satisfies his sweet tooth at Chez Zee, where an award-winning baker cooks up a sweet two-for-one dessert deal every night of the week.
A little planning ahead can make all the difference when watching your weekly budget. Dave discusses the pit-falls of coming home from work and having take-out because there is nothing to eat or cook with. He solves this dilemma by cooking several dishes on the weekend and saving them in the fridge and freezer for the mid-week crunch. He'll show you three one-pot main courses and a salad that can be prepped ahead leaving only one or two additional purchases to round out each meal. Recipes include: Boston Lettuce Salad with Avocado Lime Dressing, Moroccan Chickpea Stew, Braised Shoulder Lamb Chops with Kale and Beans and Red Wine Pot Roast.
Chef George Stella cooks up a low carb feast that the whole family can enjoy. He makes a baked ham that’s brushed with a maple bourbon glaze; an eggplant, yellow squash and tomato casino; low carb zucchini muffins that double as both dessert and dinner muffins; and finally, his version of strawberry shortcake served in martini glasses. Chilled, straight up, with mint.
Top 5 Tips
1. All hard alcohol has zero carbs (beside spiced rums or creamy liqueurs), and can add a lot of flavor to a dish.
2. Sugar substitute can be used for more than just your baked goods: Mix it with some liquid (water or alcohol) to create a "glaze" that has zero carbohydrates.
3. Parmesan is a great low carb substitute for breading. It browns nicely and adds great flavor to any dish, particularly veggies.
4. Yeast needs to be avoided on low carb diets. Try using eggs, heavy cream (preferably low carb) and baking soda as natural leaveners when baking.
5. Berries are a great, lower sugar fruit, but can sometimes be a bit tart. Add sugar substitute to berries, and then toss, just like you would with regular sugar, to enhance their natural sweetness.
Warm weather, the moon and movies come together for an unforgettable evening under the stars. With recipes for
Flavored Popcorn: Brown Butter Rosemary Lemon; Grilled Pizza with Ricotta & Pesto; Raisin-oni - huge chocolate
covered raisinettes plus Flavored Syrup soft drinks.
Gameplan
Day Before Party:
Chop mango and puree with sugar for Mango Soft Drinks. Set aside in refrigerator overnight.
Chop and puree watermelon with sugar for Watermelon Soft Drinks. Set aside in refrigerator overnight.
Zest and juice lemons, limes and grapefruits for Citrus Soft Drinks. Heat juice and zest with sugar, strain and set aside in refrigerator overnight.
Melt chocolate and mix with raisins. Form Raisin-oni, cover and store overnight.
1 Hour Before the Party:
Pop popcorn in olive oil and set aside in 2 separate bowls.
Melt brown butter and blend with rosemary and lemon zest. Combine with popcorn, salt and pepper. Set aside.
Melt brown butter and pour over popcorn. Combine popcorn with Parmesan, salt and pepper. Set aside.
Roll out pizza dough into individual pizzas. Brush with oil and grill one side.
Turn over pizzas and top with pesto and ricotta, grill to melt cheese. Cut into wedges.
At the Party:
Assemble fruit syrup soft drinks.
Serve popcorn, pizza and raisin-oni
Eat and Enjoy!
Jack wants to have an intimate dinner party and asks Frederic for some recipes that won't keep her chained to the stove. Jack learns the recipes for Chili Rubbed Pork Tenderloin with Creamed Corn.
Episode Guide
Below you’ll find a helpful episode guide for cooking along with Frederic and Jack, as well as tips and recipe rescues.
Equipment List:
Broiler pan
Aluminum foil
Tongs
Chef’s knife
Cutting board
Dry measuring cups
Medium skillet with lid
Liquid measuring cup
Measuring spoons
Instant-read thermometer
Wooden spoon
Carving knife
Pepper mill
Medium bowl
Tips:Broiling:
Broiling is a dry-heat cooking method where the food is placed directly under and very close to the radiant heat source above it. The food cooks more quickly since it is so close to the heat source.
You can adjust the racks in your oven to position them 3 – 4 inches from the broiler.
Watch foods carefully while broiling; the food is so close to the heat that it can easily start to burn.
Dry rubs:
A dry rub can be made from a combination of any of your favorite spices and dried herbs.
Dry rubs act like marinades in that they flavor the food, but they don’t require any time to marinate since the rub sticks to the food. Therefore, they are a quick solution to enhancing the flavor of different meats.
Selecting corn:
Choose corn with bright green, snugly fitting husks, and golden silk. Stems should be green and moist, not woody.
Kernels should look plump and milky, come all the way to the ear’s tip, and the rows should be tightly spaced.
Avoid ears with blackened, opened and tattered husks, and those with black silks.
Try to purchase corn that has just been picked. Corn is best cooked and served on the day it is bought, but if you must store it, keep it in the refrigerator with the husks on.
The peak season for fresh corn is May through September.
Recipe Rescues:The exterior of the pork is burned – Slice off the burnt areas, and then carve as usual.
The pork is too dried out – Add a little broth or other cooking liquid to the pan with the pork, cover it with a lid or foil, and then let it steam to re-moisten the interior.
Corn is unripe – You can still cook with it, but add a little sugar during cooking to make up for the lack of natural sugar.
Creamed corn is not thick enough – Make a slurry out of cornstarch and cold water, and then add 1 – 2 tablespoons of it to the corn mixture. Stir to evenly incorporate the slurry, and continue cooking for several minutes to get rid of the starchy taste.
Creamed corn is too salty – Add more cream, and more corn if you have it.
Chef George Stella invites his family and friends over for a dinner party that no one would ever suspect was low carb! He starts off the meal with one of his personal favorites – teriyaki sesame chicken skewers served outside a hollowed out melon half filled with melon balls. Next he prepares fresh Key West crab cakes (without using breadcrumbs) and a mustard dipping sauce; grilled Jamaican jerk pork loin cooked to perfection with a light summer squash salsa; and a healthy dessert –a gratin of fresh berries with a little sour cream. No sooner do the guests arrive than they all dig in to taste the fruits of George’s creations.
Top 5 Tips
1. Watch out for mayonnaise that is labeled "light," as it may contain more sugar than regular, full-fat mayo.
2. When cooking with crab, splurge for the real thing. Many imitation crabmeats contain added sugars.
3. Baking powder, along with eggs, will act as a binder in place of the usual carb-heavy breadcrumbs.
4. Pork is an excellent carb-conscious option. It is low in fat, has zero carbs, and usually costs less than beef.
5. Cantaloupe is a good fruit choice for the low carb dieter. Contrary to popular belief, George says that many fruits are acceptable on a low carb diet, but limit your intake.
Emeril travels to hotspots that are located in downtown areas where you can start or end your evenings. The first stop is "Meat Market" in the heart of South Beach. It's the quintessential Miami hotspot, with glamorous appointments and even more glamorous people. The food is all high quality...from ingredients to presentation...and it's a great place to showcase 'South Beach' cuisine. Next Emeril heads to downtown St. Petersburg to "The Birchwood Hotel" that's home to two popular hotspots for creative and elegant dining as well as rooftop drinks and events. Then Emeril travels to fast-growing downtown West Palm Beach on Florida's east coast to "Hullabaloo" an Italian gastropub with twists on Italian classics paired with craft beers, wines and cocktails. For the final segment Emeril prepares another fresh Florida seafood dish, Florida Crab and Corn Cheesecake.
10 days to a New You follows Ellie Krieger as she meets with three individuals battling various kinds of weight and health issues. John is a father of two boys whose food intake is so out of control he fears he will not live long enough to see them grow up. He works 60 to 80 hours a week and has sleep apnea. He lost 40 pounds a few years ago and has since put them, and more, back on. Angel, who is in her mid 30s, says she has been either dieting or binging for the last 25 years and she wants to stop and get control of her eating before it ruins her life. Jackie, in her 30s, is a two-time breast cancer survivor and working mother of two who found solace in pasta when going through chemotherapy. She knows that carrying too much weight sets her up for another recurrence of breast cancer. Ellie takes all three through 10 days of easy-to-follow suggestions, hints and tips on how to eat healthier.
Angel Potter
Current weight: 194 lbs
Starting weight: 205 lbs
Total weight loss: 11 lbs
Milestones:
Keeps fighting those urges to binge
Trying to not be so hard on herself
Jackie Douglas
Current weight: 190 lbs
Starting weight: 200 lbs
Total weight loss: 10 lbs
Cholesterol down: 19 points
Milestones:
Down one dress size
John Tsadilas
Current weight: 238 lbs
Starting weight: 254 lbs
Total weight loss: 16 lbs
Milestones:
Down two belt loops and one pants size
Blood pressure (with medication) has gone down to 110/74
His doctor has now put him on a lighter medication and may try to take him off by next visit