Dec 27 – Side Chef, New Years Bubbles
Hope you had a great Christmas and life is good in your neighborhood.
In the first half we are going to be chatting about a cool new cooking application for your smart device or home computer called Side Chef.
SideChef is a step-by-step cooking app designed to bring innovative technology to the world of cooking. By displaying detailed photography and written instructions for every step in a recipe, users can cook with confidence to prepare over 1,000 recipes from more than 100 food bloggers worldwide. The recipes cover diverse cuisines and cater to many special diets including gluten-free, vegan and low-fat. SideChef connects cooks of all levels based on their shared passion. Launched in March 2014, SideChef is a Los Angeles-based company founded by Kevin Yu, video game industry veteran and former global manager for community development for World of Warcraft at Blizzard Entertainment. Yu applied his extensive technology and gaming background to enhance the cooking experience for novice cooks. For more information please visit SideChef.com.
Then will transition to talking about some of the “Good Luck” recipes for New Years that you’ll find on this App. I know for my family there were several New Years Eve and New Years Day food traditions…collard greens, black eyed peas, slow cooked bell peppers and onions…oh boy. Here are some of the “Good Luck” New Years recipes from Side Chef Contributors:
Longevity: Noodles
Spicy Soba Noodles by Jenessa Gerber
Wealth: Cornbread
Jalapeno Cornbread Poppers by Amy Erickson*
Abundance: Round Fruits
Glazed Orange Ricotta Cake by Mallory Fay
Health: Pomegranate
Pomegranate Cheesecake by Shinee
Progress: Pork
Pulled Pork Sliders by Kathleen Morimoto Kiebler
Prosperity: Greens
Kale Salad with Brussels Sprouts and Almonds by Jackie Grandy
Luck: Lentils
Tangy Lentils and Quinoa by Lisa Lotts
Good Fortune: Ring Shaped Cake
Mini Pina Colada Bundt Cakes by Jonathan Melendez
*Amy Erickson’s recipe for Jalapeno Cornbread Poppers was one of my favorites. Amy will join us to talk about her blog www.ohbiteit.com and share her simple recipe for this innovative and fun take on poppers…perfect for New years celebrations and fills the Cornbread = Wealth tradition.
I’ll also be talking to my brother Brian in Miami about our family traditions and sharing a little about how we fix black eyed peas!
In the second half it’s all about Sparkling Wine & Champagne. So many good choices from most every wine producing region in the global wine world. Joining me to share her insight on the topic is Culinary Institute of American (Greystone campus) CIA wine instructor Traci Dutton. Traci pulished a nifty article “The Bubble Lover’s Guide: Sparkling Wine Decoded” we’ll talk about that and offer some suggestions for your holiday entertaining and everyday enjoyment. Read the article here!
Good Life Guy’s Wine of the Week:
2011 Schramsberg Blanc de Blanc 🙂
The 2011 Blanc de Blancs is 100% Chardonnay primarly from Napa and Sonoma. It has fresh aromas of green apple, pear, grapefruit and lime zest. The fruitful nose is complemented by developed nuances of “fresh from the oven” bread and candied citrus. Generous flavors of grapefruit, lime and pineapple are present in this wine. The palate is crisp on entry with a long, tangy and refreshing acidity.
While this wine can be enjoyed by itself as an aperitif, it is also perfect with fresh oysters and other shellfish, crab cakes, ceviche and grilled sea bass. It is also delicious with lemon chicken and Thai curries. Serve with aged Gouda or other hard cheeses, and as a counterpoint to soft triple creams.
Wine Spectator 91, Connoisseurs Guide 90
Don’t just drink this for celebrations…it’s a beauty that will turn any day in to a special day! HAPPY NEW YEAR
Whiskey has become one of the most popular spirits, and with so many different kinds it’s hard to keep track of them all and select great new ones to try. With reviews of 250 different whiskeys, the historical background of each type, 30 of the best cocktail recipes and even the perfect cigar pairing, this guide has everything a person needs to find some of the most interesting whiskeys available. Chad Berkey is the general manager of The Aero Club Bar in San Diego, which boasts one of the largest collections of whiskey of any bar in America, with over 900 different kinds. With his help, you’ll discover the best whiskeys to try; many that won’t break the bank.
To get these recipes, the authors found and traveled to the most vibrant food truck cultures across the country, including: Southern and Northern California; New York City; Portland, Oregon; New Orleans; Raleigh, Durham and Charlotte, North Carolina; Atlanta; Minneapolis; Austin; Washington, D.C and Philadelphia.
The Paleo diet is all about getting back to the basics; eating food in its most simple, unprocessed form, just like our ancestors. What could be more primal than cooking meat over a fire? This book, from Tony Federico and Chef James Phelan, features more than 100 recipes for grilling, smoking, and searing natural, locally farmed beef, chicken, pork, and wild game over fire. Paleo Grilling will help you to choose the best meats for any meal, and offers both innovative new recipes as well as internationally inspired dishes, including desserts and sides, suitable for the modern caveman. 
Eric Greenspan Is Hungry (#EricisHungry) takes viewers on a cross-country, off-the-beaten-path adventure, looking for wild hog in Warren, Arkansas, for wild turkey in Tunica, Mississippi, for Buffalo in Jasper, Arkansas, and for goat in Grand Coteau, Louisiana, just to mention a few of his stops. Traveling in the heartland, Eric goes directly to the source of local recipes to meet the people who farm, raise, nurture, hunt and butcher animals such as bison, prehistoric gar, goat, crawfish, pig and wild turkey. It’s meat unlike what you get from a purveyor. Eric and his cohort will break down the animal, butcher it and prepare the recipe all on location to crank out the best dishes imaginable.
Good Life Guy’s Wine of the Week: