Uncategorized – Page 13 – THE DUDE OF FOOD

Chocolate Candy Showdown!

Whitman’s vs. Russell Stover chocolate candy taste test.

Today I had the awesome task of tasting a bunch of chocolates and then telling the world my opinion. Lets get down to business.

I had a box of Whitman’s assorted chocolates containing 7 candies, a box of Whitman’s Reserve that had 2 candies in it and a box of Russell Stover chocolates containing 4 candies.

After tasting each I came to the conclusion that I like the Russell Stover chocolates a bit more. It’s hard to say chocolate is better than chocolate but being side by side made it easier to pick a favorite. My taste buds told me that I favor the Russell Stover candies a little more than I liked the Whitman’s candy.

In 1993, the Whitman’s Chocolate brand became part of the Russell Stover’s Family. They continue the tradition of creating the Sampler boxes.

Unfortunately, neither Marsatta Chocolate or See’s candies were not sold at Rite Aid and did not participate in this survey.

AQUINAS – Napa California Cabernet

AQUINAS 2011 California Cabernet Sauvignon

Named after St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274), an Italian Dominican friar, priest and revolutionary scholar who used the laws of science to support his belief in the Almighty. This wine, like it’s namesake, is smart, bold, dedicated and has many quality attributes.

The Dude of Food rating:

Give this wine a try.

RAVENSWOOD California Cabernet Sauvignon

Going to a party and can’t decide how much to spend and not trying to buy some junk wine that was a waste of money? Nobody wants to hear the voice of ridicule as party goers make their statements regarding your choice of wine. Well there is a wine to add to the buy list that won’t get you ridiculed. It’s reasonably priced and decent tasting. The Ravenswood line of wines are alright. Try some.

R.I.P. my beloved Mr. Coffee maker

I have owned a Mr. Coffee coffee maker for the last 10 years and have formed somewhat of a bond with it. This basic machine got my day started right.

Every morning it patiently waits on the counter for me to decide if I will be making coffee or not.

Well much to my dismay, earlier this week my Mr. Coffee coffee maker just decided to quit working. It was easy to clean, worked quick, was efficient and made good, hot coffee.

So this week, I have been getting to know my new, replacement coffee maker, the Toastmaster. it looks pretty similar to the old Mr. Coffee. Same color and about the same size. Easy change right?

Well now I have been using a Toastmaster, I have to say that I am not all that impressed. I know you are thinking that how can a coffee maker be that different, but they are, and this one bugs me a little.

The new cone shaped filter is the first change I am dealing with.

It seems the the fine folks at Toastmaster want to use cone shaped filters, so I am adapting my old filters to work since I have so many round ones.

The second thing I immediately noticed was when I poured the coffee out, the fluid hits the lip of the pitcher top and gets diverted onto the countertop. This I fixed by taking the top off and cutting it back on my band saw.

The next thing I noticed was that the heating element is not as hearty as the Mr. Coffee maker and now my cups of morning java are not quite hot enough after I add a little milk.

Personally, the Dude of Food recommends the Mr. Coffee brewer as it performs better all around and can’t wait to buy another Mr. Coffee maker and return to quality. Enjoy.

Bodega ELENA de Mendoza 2010 Red Blend

This family of fine wine is named after the matriarch who came from Italy, Elena Napoli.

Bodega ELENA de Mendoza, Argentina

2010 RED BLEND

62% Malbec

21% Syrah

17% Bonarda

This family has developed some top wines from Argentina that I happen to enjoy. The Malbec and the Red Blend from Bodega Elena de Mendoza are my favorites.

According to the web, the “legs” or “tears” of wine that run down the inside of the wine glass are a sign of alcohol. The heavier the legs, the lower the alcoholic content of the wine. If this is in fact true, then these wines are low in alcohol and big in flavor. The legs may be attributed to sugar, I don’t know.

This Red Blend, like it’s sister Malbec, is loaded with solid flavors and not too sweet.

It’s not too dry either, but just right. These wines will slowly undress for your tongue, landing softly, pleasuring your taste buds, leaving you wanting another sip.

Was priced under $10. Get some.

Tivoli Cookware

Tivoli, Italy is an amazing place.

I bought a new Tivoli light blue enamel sauce pan with a glass lid and am pretty happy with its addition to my kitchen. For the price, it looks cool and cooks evenly. It will be good for sauces.

For a look at Tivoli products visit them at www.tivolicook.com

Delicious Catfish Po’ Boy

New Orleans has shared many things a person into the arts can appreciate.

The city has flavored many musicians, jazz and otherwise.

Another gift of New Orleans is the Po’ Boy sandwich. (www.poboyfest.com/history)

Pictured here is my tribute to the Catfish Po’ Boy with pepper jack cheese.

World’s best fried egg by Chef Alex

> All I know is that this thing is amazing.

If you like eggs, then you’ll love this.

Chef Alex, from Border Grill Santa Monica, creates a daily special that he tweets and this happened to be one that the Dude of Food will never forget. This egg dish has been raved about to all my friends in the neighborhood. The shell is pancake batter.