Food Network searched for the Ultimate Comfort Food recipe. After a nationwide recipe contest, nine finalists competed in three rounds: Chili, Mac and Cheese and Sandwiches. A panel of food experts determined whose comfort food dish was the best. See who walks away the winner of $25,000!
COMPETITORS: Chili
Peg SchaeferRecipe: Mexitana Ancho-Lamb Chili Hometown: Bozeman, Mo.
Ray Isacsson -- Winner!Recipe: Spanish Influenced Chili with Collard Wrapped Pork, Chorizo and Sweet and Smoky Paprikas Hometown: Danbury, Conn.
Anne TegtmeierRecipe: Ultimate Veggie Chili
Mac and Cheese
Autumn ClementsRecipe: Black and Tan Irish Mac and Cheddar Hometown: Amelia Island, Fla.
Brett Greenberg -- WinnerRecipe: French Onion "Soup" Mac and Cheese
Jenny FlakeRecipe: Pepita Crusted Cheddar Jack Southwest Chicken Mac Hometown: Gilbert, Ariz.
SandwichIvan Aviles -- COMFORT FOODS GRAND PRIZE WINNER!Recipe: Boricua Plantain Sandwich Hometown: Holtsville, N.Y.
Anna Georgantonis-KeahRecipe: Squash Sandwiches Hometown: Austin, Texas
Michael GilettoRecipe: Germany's Version of the "South Philly Cheese Steak with a Twist" Hometown: Mickleton, N.J.
Food Network searched for the Ultimate Burger Recipe. After a nationwide recipe contest, nine finalists competed in three rounds: Beef Burgers, Poultry Burgers and Seafood Burgers. A panel of food experts determined whose burger was the best. See who walks away the winner of $25,000!
COMPETITORS: Beef
David KadagishviliRecipe: Biryani Burger in Naan Pocket Occupation: Owner/chef small neighborhood restaurant Hometown: Latrobe, Pa.
Jennifer SpardyRecipe: Harvest Burger with Caramelized Onion and Apple Occupation: Teacher Hometown: Canton, Ohio
Michelle Christensen -- Winner!Recipe: Rocket Science Reuben Burger Occupation: Rocket Science Combustion Grad Student Hometown: State College, Pa.
Poultry
Julie Ann Rhodes -- Winner!Recipe: Jewel’s Turkey Jasmine Burger Occupation: Personal Chef Hometown: Los Angeles, Calif.
Michael CohenRecipe: Duck Duck Delicious Burger Occupation: Film Composer Hometown: Los Angeles, Calif.
Mary MontoyaRecipe: Pad Thai Chicken Burger Occupation: Stay-at-home Mom Hometown: St. Paul, Minn.
Seafood/VegetarianJamie MillerRecipe: Salmon Burger With Orange-Apricot Glaze Occupation: Cookbook Author Hometown: Maple Grove, Minn.
Cindy JarrottRecipe: Ultimate Seafood Croquette Burger Occupation: Owns baking business called "Cakes by Cindy" and works as a bookkeeper with The Texas Department of Criminal Justice Agriculture Division Hometown: Wheelock, Texas
Kristine Snyder -- BURGER GRAND PRIZE WINNER!Recipe: Island Ahi Burgers Occupation: Professional Harpist Hometown: Kihei, Hawaii
Jack asks Frederic for some fresh and easy pasta salad recipes.
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:
Large pasta pot
Colander
Rubber spatula
Cutting board
Chef’s knife
Pairing knife
Pepper mill
2 large bowls
Measuring spoons
Zester or vegetable peeler
Medium saucepan
Liquid measuring cup
Dry measuring cups
Wooden spoon
Tips:Cooking pasta:
Cook any type of pasta in boiling, salted water; the salt adds flavor to the otherwise bland pasta.
You need about 6 quarts of water per pound of pasta.
Stir the pasta as soon as you dump it into the boiling, salted water to keep it from sticking together.
Extra-virgin olive oil:
Produced from the first cold-pressing of olives
Has a low (less than 1%) acidity
Has a more assertive olive flavor than virgin olive oil or olive oil
No chemicals are added
In general, the most desired and most expensive type of olive oil.
Couscous:
Though couscous looks like a grain, it is in fact a tiny type of pasta.
Couscous is usually made from granules of semolina, but it can be made with other grains such as barley, corn, millet, or even crushed acorns and breadcrumbs.
Recipe Rescues:If your couscous is clumpy – Fluff it with a fork to separate the individual granules.
If your fusilli is overcooked – Drain pasta as soon as it is al dente, meaning that it is still slightly firm to bite into yet tender. Overcooked pasta is mushy and may fall apart in the salad.
To make pasta salad into a more complete meal – Serve either the pasta salad or couscous salad with chicken or shrimp.
For leftovers – Both the pasta salad and couscous salad will keep in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Celebrate your new home with a home made meal that's as simple as it is delicious. You'll be the envy of the neighborhood with recipes for Crespelli "Short Stacks" with BBQ Chicken; Slightly Cooked Gazpacho and Olive Oil Cake.
Gameplan
2 Days Before Party:
Assemble and simmer all ingredients for Barbeque Sauce. Cool, cover and refrigerate sauce until day of party.
Blend ingredients for Crespelli Short Stacks crepe batter. Cover batter and refrigerate.
Mince carrots for Slightly Cooked Gazpacho. Saute carrots with garlic, add tomato juice. Season and pour into a bowl to cool. Cover the Gazpacho and refrigerate.
Reheat Barbeque Sauce. Using a roasted store-bought chicken, remove the skin and pull the chicken from the bone. Stir the chicken into the warm Barbeque Sauce. Stir in orange zest. Set aside to cool. Cover and place chicken in refrigerator.
Pull Gazpacho from the refrigerator and finish Gazpacho by adding small-diced red onion, zucchini, celery, fennel, fennel fronds. Season Gazpacho, cover and set aside in refrigerator.
Cook crepes in butter. Layer crepes on a sheet pan on top of wax paper.
Assemble Crespelli Short Stacks by buttering crepes and layering them with chicken in Barbeque Sauce. Wrap finished crepes in foil and set aside in refrigerator.
1 Hour Before Party:
Pre-heat oven to 350?F and place wrapped Crespelli Short Stacks for 30 minutes to heat through.
Reduce orange juice for Olive Oil Cake. Reserve.
Assemble chopped scallions, cabbage, apple, lemon juice, lemon juice, olive oil for Apple Slaw.
Blend milk, eggs, olive oil, liquor, reduced orange juice, sugar, rosemary, lemon zest and anise seed for Olive Oil Cake batter.
Add dry ingredients, baking powder and flour, to Olive Oil Cake batter.
Bake Olive Oil Cake in two greased round spring-form pans.
Plate Gaspacho in a large bowl. Finish with chopped fresh parsley, fresh basil and Sweet 100 tomatoes and red wine vinegar.
At the Party:
Toss Apple Slaw with dressing.
Remove Crespelli Short Stacks from the oven and slice into 8 pieces.
Un-old Olive Oil Cakes and spread with orange marmalade while cake is still warm. Slice cakes into eights and garnish with rosemary.
Eat and Enjoy!
Whether you catch and release or just spend a lazy Sunday on a lake, our picnic is the perfect thing to take on a boat
or a hike in the great outdoors. With recipes for Pappa Al Pomodoro ; Corn on the Cobb Salad WRAPS ; Aqua
Fresca di Fruitta (drink).
Gameplan
Day Before the Party:
Peel and slice onions for Blue Cheese Dressing.
Season and grill onions. Chop.
Blend mayonnaise, sour cream, Tabasco, Worcestershire, blue cheese, salt and pepper, olive oil for dressing. Finish with chopped grilled onions.
Pack dressing for picnic.
Chop, puree and strain watermelon for Aqua Fresca di Fruitta. Season with sugar, salt, lime juice, water. Pour into individual drink containers. Reserve in refrigerator.
Day of the Party (1 ½ hours before the picnic):
Boil eggs for Corn on the Cobb Salad.
Season and grill chicken breast for Cobb Salad.
Cool, peel and chop hard boiled eggs.
Cut grilled chicken into bite size pieces.
Chop onions and slice garlic for Pappa al Pomodoro. Sauté garlic and onions and add chopped tomatoes, bread, water, basil and olive oil. Simmer soup.
Day of the Party (1 hour before the picnic):
Sauté the prosciutto for the Corn on the Cobb Salad.
Slice fresh corn from cob.
Chop tomatoes, avocados, romaine lettuce, iceberg lettuce.
Pack corn, watercress, grilled chicken, hard boiled eggs, romaine lettuce, iceberg lettuce, prosciutto, avocados, tomatoes into a picnic container.
Pack a small container of salt and pepper.
Pack Pappa al Pomodoro soup into individual containers. Top with grated Parmesan.
Pack some extra grated Parmesan.
Pack sandwich wraps, Cobb Salad ingredients, Aqua Fresca di Fruitta, and soup.
Eat and Enjoy!