ramsay.jpgAs part of the UK’s Channel 4 campaign called “The Big Food Fight”, England audiences will be treated to a live cookoff with Chef Gordon Ramsay this evening. The popular chef (who also inspires controversy throughout the animal rights world), will be leading the nation through the cooking of a three course meal. What’s on the menu? Pan-roasted scallops with tomato and herb salsa first followed by steak and chips with a rocket and parmesan salad and a desert of chocolate mousse. No doubt, many of these ingredients have seen a swell in popularity over the last week.

Anyways, we’d love to cook along with Ramsay — but unfortunately, we’re not privy here in the States to Channel 4. You can, however, check out the recipes for the above over at the official cookoff site — as well as some great videos, advice, and other tidbits. Cheers!

Small Ranges For Tight Spaces

18 Jan 2008 In: Cool Gear

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While some of us are blessed with expansive kitchens for all the standard cooking swag, many more are probably loathe to upgrade their cooking potential due to tight square footage. Dwell has come to the rescue with a look at all the compact ranges available on the market today. With prices from $2K to $8K, these are only as practical as your wallet dictates — but hey, even if your cooking skills are a bit rusty, there’s no reason you can’t have a slammin’ kitchen.

Hit the selection here.

I Curse You Milky Way Hot Chocolate

17 Jan 2008 In: Treats, mass produced

milkyway.jpgHoly fuck, Dunkin Doughnuts has really pissed me off, or rather inspired me. I was in post-orgasm bliss, watching the television when they run this commercial for Milky Way Hot Chocolate. What the fuck is going on? Why didn’t I think of that? For one thing, I think it’s already been thought of, and for another it’s probably some god awful powder mixture. And yet I wanted one. They tease me with that seductive combo of caramel, vanilla and hot chocolate. I read somewhere it tastes like cake batter and from my experience cake batter is only good cold and slathered on a naked body.

Milky Way Hot Chocolate is described as a rich, smooth, hot chocolate that blends chocolate, caramel and vanilla nougat flavors, just like the classic candy bar.

It will be my futile attempt to make my own homemade version. It could be disgusting and repulsive, but being the WCE, I will make an effort regardless. Stay tuned for recipe, or laugh at me melting a Milky Way into hot chocolate — it could happen.

My Guacamole Is Better Than Yours

17 Jan 2008 In: Uncategorized

avocado.jpgSo you think you know how to make awesome guacamole? You don’t.

2 Ripe Avocados - 1 Small Red Onion - 1 Tomato - 1 Clove of Garlic - Handful of chopped fresh cilantro - 2 t. chili garlic sauce - splash of Tabasco - Fresh Lime Juice (1/2 of lime) - Salt & Pepper to taste

Mash the avocado in a bowl with the finely chopped red onion, garlic, cilantro and finely diced tomato. Mix in the chili garlic sauce, Tabasco and lime. Finish with salt and pepper

Slice lemon or lime, place in Corona bottle. Pretend you’re on the beach.

Zen Master Soup — Chicken Ginger

16 Jan 2008 In: hangover, soup

chiligarlicsauce.jpgEver have one of those weeks where you are constantly hungover? No? Well than you are a much better person than I… or not an alcoholic. In the case of such a week, desperate measures take over and your body must be healed of all the god forsaken impurities you drank, injected, snorted, inhaled and had sex with. Sometimes it’s enough to have a plain shitty week all across the board, and for this I have a solution.

This ancient recipe, passed down from the gods, is karma in the form of soup. Chicken Ginger Soup. Got a cold? Done. Feel like killing someone? No more. Hit by the ugly stick? Plastic surgery in a bowl. More Hungover than shit? Gone.

The secret: fresh ginger.

Ingredients: 4inch or larger piece of Ginger - 2 QT. Chicken Stock/Veggie Stock - 1 cup white wine (optional) - 1 Sweet Onion - 1 Red Onion - 1/2 Jalapeno - 2 Carrots - 1 Celery stalk - 1/2 t. Red Pepper Flakes - 6 cloves of Garlic - 1 t. Chili Garlic Sauce - 1/4 cup Reduced Sodium Soy Sauce - 1 T of Honey - 1lb. Chicken Breast (optional) - Salt and Pepper to Taste

* This soup is on the spicier side, meant to speed up you metabolism and rid you of all those nasty impurities. And it tastes amazing; however, if you like less heat than simply reduce the amount of chili garlic sauce, red pepper flakes and jalapeno you add to your soup. Chili Garlic Sauce is a staple in my kitchen - it can be found in the Asian section of most grocery stores and tastes great on scrambled eggs.

In a large soup pot sautee your onions, carrots, celery, jalapeno and honey in olive oil until tender.

Peel the skin from your ginger and place in a food processor with your garlic. If you don’t have one, just chop the garlic and ginger very fine. Place your ginger mixture in the pot and cook for a few minutes. The soup should be very fragrant and a zen like calm should follow. It’s like ginger-ale, but not at all. Moving on.

Add your chicken stock, soy sauce, white wine, red pepper flakes, chili garlic sauce and heat to a boil. Slice your chicken breast into bite size pieces and add it to your pot. Place your heat on low and let it simmer for half-hour. Add salt and pepper to taste.

This goes great with a cold Sapporo beer… and the cycle continues, but your hangover is gone (for now).

chocolate_chip-cookies.jpgThese cookies are so good you’ll scream for them in the morning. They’ll call to you after you’ve downed some multigrain flakes and coffee and you’ll crave them during every meal. These cookies will come to be a necessity of sorts for your survival. For some, such a cookies is dangerous - a devilish imp wrapped in layers of butter and chocolate.

For others, you’ve found a friend. No situation will break you up — not your significant other leaving you for someone you admittedly think is all around more attractive — not the fact your jobless for flashing your goods to your boss at the local pub — that strange rash that has covered the left side of your face — or the fact your cat, Itty Bitty, committed suicide by making friends with a car tire. None of these will break your bond with this cookie. It is seemingly impossible to fuck it up, unlike your love life, job and health.

Directions: Preheat over to 350
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour - ½ t. salt - ½ t. baking soda - Whisk dry ingredients together in a medium sized bowl.

(1 stick) cold unsalted butter - ½ cup sugar - 3/4 cup light brown sugar In a large bowl cream the sugars and butter together with a mixer. Then add 2 t. vanilla extract and 1 large egg. Blend all these ingredients together and then slowly add the flour mixture to the batch.

Use whatever kind of chocolate chips you like — the chocolate caramel swirls are my favorite. I always think the amount of chocolate chips is a matter of preference. I like less chip, more cookie (says a lot about a person).

Let the cookies cool in the refrigerator for at least 45minutes, and then roll them into balls and place them on your cookie sheet. Put them in the oven for 12-13 minutes, until the edges are golden and sinfully beautiful. Let them sit for a few minutes, and while they’re still warm dive in, with a cold glass of organic milk (or a scotch).

Shun Ken Onion Multi Chef’s Knife

14 Jan 2008 In: Tools

knife.jpgYou can’t really cook without a great knife. My parents made dinners for years with knives they stole from Ruby Tuesday. Sure they got the job done, but life is just easier with a chef knife. I surprised them this past year with one and they still keep it in its package like a gift from the gods, using it on special occasions.

Your knife should be your best friend in the kitchen and is worth the investment, like one of Ken Onion’s beauties. If a knife could be sexy, then I dare say the 8″ Shun Ken Onion Multi Chef’s Knife is the sexiest lady in town. Check out that handle, the blade… just the thought of it makes me want to start chopping vegetables. You can pick up one of these bad boys at William & Sonoma.

Created by Ken Onion to feel like a natural extension of your hand, this knife represents a major innovation in cutlery design. Its handle and bolster guide your fingers into the grip used by professional chefs for maximum control. The Damascus-style stainless-steel blade features a gentle curve that facilitates an efficient rocking motion for chopping. Fitted with a resin-infused wood handle that resists moisture, this versatile knife is crafted in Japan by Kershaw, premier cutlery makers for over 90 years. A bamboo storage stand is included. 8″-long blade.

hattori.jpgCourtesy of James the Third: Check out the Hattori FH series, hand-crafted knives that are practical and beautiful with a high level of performance. These knives have character and made with love, by real hands, not mass produced by the demons of corporate America. Amen.

Tricks of the Trade

14 Jan 2008 In: Tricks

garlic.jpgHow do you get garlic out of its tricky skin? Easy — Take the flat side of a chef’s knife and place it over the garlic glove and smash your fist upon the knife. Presto! - the garlic is free from its cage and most of the chopping is already done for you. The finer you chop garlic, the more potent it will be.

Not into smashing your fist upon a knife? Worried about the possible blood splatter? Here’s another trick: boil a pot of water and throw your garlic cloves in for a good 60 seconds — their shells will just peel off. This is especially useful for when a recipe calls for a few heads of garlic.

Divine Roast Chicken

7 Jan 2008 In: Uncategorized

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My last meal on earth would be roast chicken. Sure, it may sound unimpressive for one’s “last supper”…until you make it yourself. It’s nothing like the kind you pick up at the grocery store for a quick fix. If done right, your roast chicken will be so moist and flavorful (thanks to your excellent seasoning) that no condiment, including Red Hot, will be necessary. The drippings from your pan will more than likely end up as a base for a soup the following day.

This meal is simple and impressive. The wave of aromas that hit your guest will kick their ass. Your entire home will be filled with intoxicating smells, seriously, it’s almost the best part. And sure enough you’ll look like a culinary God, with little effort and plenty of time to booze while the bird roasts.

Is there someone you’d like to impress, or treat to this epic meal? A sure thing panty ripper - cook now!

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About Worst Cook Ever

4 Jan 2008 In: Uncategorized

Here at Worst Cook Ever, we love food and everything it has to offer. We’ve taken all expectation out of the glorious process of cooking. After all, creating deliciousness should be fun and exciting, one shouldn’t drown in the pressure to succeed! We drink wine while we cook and think you should too. There will be no pretentious filler, just straight talk on how to make something so good your toes curl, or simply get you laid. This is cooking for life, and cooking very very well.

About Worst Cook Ever

Here at Worst Cook Ever, we love food and everything it has to offer. We’ve taken all expectation out of the glorious process of cooking. After all, creating deliciousness should be fun and exciting, one shouldn’t drown in the pressure to succeed! We drink wine while we cook and think you should too. There will be no pretentious filler, just straight talk on how to make something so good your toes curl, or simply get you in good with the opposite sex. This is cooking for life, and cooking very, very, well.