Uncategorized – Page 14 – THE DUDE OF FOOD

Dude of Food Fact – Cellulose (wood chips)

Wood Pulp is A Popular Food Additive

Think you won’t eat wood? Think again

Cellulose is added to many foods as a thickening agent, lending texture and boosting fiber content.

This reduces the need for expensive ingredients like flour and oil.

While cellulose comes from wood, it is the same structure as cellulose found in celery, serving as a source of dietary fiber.

The Dude of Food thinks this kind of information should be more clearly marked on food labels.

In the case of the Mozzarella cheese above, the front of the label says organic. They are not lying, but I’d rather have flour and oil.

Tivoli Cookware

Tivoli, Italy is an amazing place.

I bought a new Tivoli light blue enamel sauce pan with a glass lid and am really 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

http://www.tivolicook.com

“Grazie Tivoli”, the Dude of Food.

Delicious Catfish Po’ Boy

New Orleans has much history and many things cultural to share that a creative human can appreciate and enjoy.

The city has flavored many musicians, jazz and otherwise as well as helped season many top chefs.

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

Pictured here is my homemade tribute to the Catfish Po’ Boy with pepper jack cheese. Ingredients procured and fish fried at Ralph’s market seafood section.

https://www.ralphs.com/stores/grocery/ca/venice/venice/703/00281?cid=loc_70300281_gmb

Celebrity Kitchen LA – Gwyneth Paltrow & Chris Martin

Imagine that table filled with platters of various appetizers, while us guests sip sangria served up by kitchen mermaid Rachael Ray and enjoy the smells of BBQing meats by another of my favorite grillers wafting in from outside through the open french doors to the patio.

In the meantime, the musical entertainment plays and we wait for the Dude of Food to throw the fresh coconut crusted cod in the pans heating up on the grill of this kitchen in the home of some fabulous people for all to enjoy

Malbec – Espuela Del Gaucho 2011

Product of Argentina.

The Dude of Food Wine Review — Espuela Del Guacho

Imported by WX Imports, Novato , CA

www.espueladelguacho.com

This low priced gaucho Malbec tastes more like the boot sweat of a gaucho.

I may have gotten a bad bottle, but this was my least favorite of all the bottles tasted by the Dude of Food.

The 2012 was much, much better.

MURPHY-GOODE Cabernet Sauvignon 2010

Murphy-Goode Winery Santa Rosa, CA

MURPHYGOODE.COM

This wine owns a heavy leg but stands on the taste buds gracefully, reminding the senses of a bouquet of sweet berry tastes. The flavor doesn’t linger long on the red carpet, before it melts away, providing opportunity for another pleasurable encounter.

For under $13. this was a pretty good wine.

Murphy-Goode cab is not a bad wine, but if you like a heavier, full flavored red wine, then the Bodega ELENA de Mendoza offers a bit more bang for a little less bucks.

Las Rocas de San Alejandro 2009

This product of Spain is a tasty red table wine.

This wine is lighter than a Malbec or Cabernet and has thin streaky legs. The taste immediately reveals sweet berries and then lightly tapers with a fume of apricot and pear. Not heavy. Not too sweet

Great for day sipping, happy hour or with meals. This wine would go well with a meat, cheese and olive platter as well as your favorite steak salad.

If you pay more than $10. it’s not a good deal. It is not the average bottle of wine, so be a unique wine buyer and try this.

Malbec – Bodega ELENA de Mendoza 2011

Bodega ELENA de Mendoza 2011

Vinted and bottled by B.E.D.M. Wines

Imported by Wine Brokers Unlimited, Hayward, CA

Product of Argentina

This is the Dudes favorite Malbec yet! This is the first of the bottles that I have opened that came with a real cork. Good 1st impression. Upon tasting this wine, I was immediately aware that the taste game had changed.

The bar had been raised. This is serious wine. This full bodied wine smoothly drifts over your taste buds, dangling flavors of blackberries and plums, leaving a rejoicing smile and desire for more.

There was no crazy tinny aftertaste. This was immediately my new favorite Malbec.

If it is a dollar more than the other Malbec’s in this price range, pay it! Get this Malbec!

(Note) April 2013 issue of Bon Appetite magazine includes McCormick gourmet selection recommending this wine also.

Seafood Guide and Watch.

The Monterey Bay Aquarium puts out a sustainable seafood watch guide booklet that recommends to avoid the following due to over fishing and/or harmful conditions-

https://www.bu.edu/scnc/2013/02/23/nothing-fishy-getting-better-acquainted-with-sustainable-fish-varieties/

Cod Pacific (imported)
Cobia (imported farm raised)
Crab King (imported)
Grenader
Lobster (Brazilian)
Mahi Mahi (imported longline)
Monkfish
Pacific Snapper/Rockfish (trawled)
Shrimp (imported)
Tilapia (Asian farm raised)
Tuna (skipjack, tongol, canned)

It goes on to say minimize the following consumption due to mercury levels-

California Halibut
Caviar Sturgeon (wild imported)
Chilean Seabass
Dogfish (US)
Lingcod
Marlin (striped pacific blue)
Orange Roughy
Salmon (farm raised including Atlantic)
Sharks
Swordfish (US & imported)
Tuna (albacore, bigeye, bluefin, yellowfin)

Visit www.edf.org/seafoodhealth or www.seafoodwatch.org
for more information.

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 special that happened to be one 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. The inside is poached.