So I have decided to devote some time to my passion for cooking in a serious way.  I decided to become a Pampered Chef consultant.  I have been doing catering and writing on my blog, twitter, Facebook etc. but I have been missing out on cooking for people. And yes, I cook for my husband and baby every day but I mean for people that don’t live in my house  People that love food but don’t really think they can do it in their own homes. I want to have the opportunity to make people happy with a delicious plate of food while teaching them that it is simple to have these types of meals in their own home.  I have contemplated going to culinary school or running a full time catering business but I honesty don’t want to have a job/hobby that takes up so much of my time. Working 70 hours a week never really appealed to me. Especially, when I already have a full time job at a publishing company and a two year old baby girl at home.  I want to still LOVE cooking at the end of the day. That is why I chose Pampered Chef. 

I can have the hours I want, book as many shows as I feel I can handle and still have the benefits of sharing my passion for food with those I love.  I had my director, Brandi Osbourn at my house last Thursday for a cooking show along with a few close friends. She talked and cooked in the living room while we all devoured the appetizers I had laid out.  I sat there commenting, laughing, testing and tasting and I had the best time.  I had been thinking about becoming a consultant for a while but I hadn’t committed.  Then someone complained about chicken tenders and how they don’t like the tendon that runs down the middle.  Without missing a beat, I explained in 30 seconds how to get rid of that tough tendon and still have your chicken tender fully in tact. Let’s face it, I love to cook and I am full of weird cooking knowledge from extensive hours of Food Network TV watching.  My girlfriend pat me on the back and called me the “food guru”.  I thought, you know what, let’s give it a shot, I can do this.  I love food and I was a theater major – cooking in front of people should be a breeze.

That evening I told Brandi I wanted to join her team and I signed up for Pampered Chef. Then comes the hard part.  Now I have to book shows.  I am not a pushy salesman. I try to ask friends and family but I don’t want to guilt anyone into anything.  I want them to want to do a show and not feel obligated out of blood relation or friendship.  My tactic is to spoil people with food.  For those of you who know me, I can cook.  I am sure that I have fed you something in the past that you thought wasn’t that bad, right? So, here is my proposition, invite some friends over (remind them to bring their wallets please) and let me come cook for you.  No obligation to buy anything, but believe me, won’t be able to resist.  Remember, what your friends buy all goes to helping you get free stuff.  That’s a bonus, right?  Pampered Chef has a fantastic Host Reward Program set up to reward you for hosting a cooking party.  If you host a show in the month of October, you as the host save 60% on cookware.  That is a great deal for their cookware because it is a great quality product with a lifetime guarantee.  I have two pieces of Pampered Chef cookware, a sauté and a sauce pan that I bought in 2002 and they are still my “go to” pieces in the kitchen.

This is my first month so I need to be able to book at least four shows in the next few weeks. I am counting on each of you to help me get those shows completed as well as get some experience with cooking in front of people I know.  Brandi says she has done this for over five years and still gets nervous each time.  I am good with scripts but improv was never my forte. I am hoping that the spirit of Julia Childs or Jennifer Paterson fills my heart and I do a great job for you!  Please find some time in your busy schedule and book a show for me.  I would love to share some good times and delicious food with each of you.

To book a Pampered Chef cooking show or catalog show, please email at brandy@cookingwithbrandy.com or call me at the number below.

Brandy Pate

brandy@cookingwithbrandy.com

205-706-9175 (mobile)

Birmingham, Alabama

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We visited Disney this summer and during our trip we were able to enjoy a meal at the Crystal Palace. Adam and I worked our way through the beautiful buffet enjoying items such as Moroccan couscous salad, black bean & mango salad, Roasted garlic mashed potatoes, BBQ Pork Tenderloin, Curry Stir Fry Noodles, Citrus Marinated Flank Steak, Wild mushroom & chicken pasta, Cinnamon & lemon basmati rice, Thai curry mussels, Fruit & vegetable tofu curry, Atlantic salmon, Rotisserie chicken, and New England clam chowder. Some of our favorites were the Atlantic Salmon with Cinnamon & Lemon Basmati Rice. While we ate, Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Piglet and Eeyore came around to visit the little ones.

When we returned home, I wanted to commemorate a wonderful vacation by recreating the dish. I made the side dish by rinsing one cup of basmati rice a few times until the water was no longer merky. Add the rice to a steel-bottomed pot with two cups of water with a tablespoon of margarine and a pinch of salt, cover and cook over medium-high heat. When the water comes to a boil, reduce the water to low and add 1 teaspoon of lemon zest and a stick of cinnamon and cover again. Cook the rice for approximately 18 minutes.

Meanwhile, to prepare the salmon, preheat your oven to 325 degrees and lay out two pieces of parchment paper or aluminum foil crisscrossed on your work station. Lay one salmon steak inside with skin side down. Season with salt, fresh ground pepper, a tablespoon of butter and a squeeze of lemon juice. Pulling up corner to corner, match up the corners and wrap up the aluminum foil making a pouch. Continue this until all the salmon steaks are seasoned and wrapped up in their little purses. Place the little handbags on a baking sheet and cook in the oven for 25 minutes.

While the salmon and rice are cooking, you can make the pesto. Combine 2/3 cup firmly packed basil leaves, a pinch of salt, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, 2 garlic cloves, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest.

Layer the cooked rice on the bottom and add the salmon once it is firm to the touch. I removed the skin from mine before I served it. Top the salmon with pesto and add a sprinkle of parmesan cheese and a little lemon zest for garnish.

My dish may not have been Disney specific but I am sure that Mickey and Minnie wouldn’t mind nibbling off my plate.

Growing up in Panama City, we used to eat at a restaurant called The Cheese Barn and they served one of my favorite dishes, their French Onion Soup.  I had a bit of nostalgia a few weekends ago, so I started hunting for a recipe to satisfy my craving.  If you have time one weekend, I recommend you try out Betty Crocker’s Golden Onion Soup.  It takes a little over 3 hours but the majority of that time is spent cooking the onions in the oven so you won’t be in the kitchen all day.

I made a few subtle changes to the dish merely because I didn’t have all the ingredients I needed.  Instead of making the Parmesan Croutons, I cubed up some Asiago Cheese Bread from Panera Bread.  You could also use Parmesan croutons, like those you put on a salad.  I only had one can of condensed beef broth so I improvised; using water and beef bullion cubes.  Once the soup was complete, I poured portions for Adam and me into two ovenproof bowls.  I added the cubed bread and sprinkled 1/4 cup of mozzarella cheese on top.  I then broiled the bowls of soups in the oven for about 2 minutes until the cheese was melted and golden brown. Be sure to put the bowls on a sheet pan as it is easier to get them in and out of the oven and the pan will catch anything you spill.

One of my co-workers gave me a recipe last week for French Tarragon Burgers.  The recipe is from Taste of Home which has fantastic recipes in their magazines and online.  I tried it out Wednesday night and loved it. I only made four burgers but I made the full amount of mayonnaise mixture so I still had a bunch left after dinner.  I didn’t want it to go to waste so I used it on some sandwiches that gave it some flavorful zing.  Definitely give it a try if you want to change up your typical burger tonight.

The new Cooking channel has started and I am feeling completely nostalgic watching Two Fat Ladies, Sara’s Secrets and Jamie at Home. Last week I saw an episode on Jamie at Home called Carbonara alla Courgette that looks easy and delicious. I made the dinner for the family and it was so flavorful with the cream sauce, full of fresh zucchini and squash and don’t forget the bacon. Who doesn’t love bacon?

http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/pasta-recipes/beautiful-courgette-carbonara

I made my first dish from the July / August issue of Food Network Magazine, Chorizo-Potato Tacos. Adam and I loved the dish. The dish reminds me of a meat and potato hash but with Mexican flavors. I also love that the dish includes yellow squash but cooked in a way I haven’t tried, diced and cooked until crispy. I did eliminate the jalapeño pepper from the dish but I didn’t tweak anything else. The only thing I didn’t account for was the amount of oil that the chorizo exudes. Don’t worry, you will love it so much, you won’t care that your hands get messy.

Look in the latest issue of Food Network Magazine in the weeknight cooking section on page 90 or visit http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/chorizo-potato-tacos-recipe/index.html

It seems to go in spurts, me typing on this blog. I am forever cooking and making recipes but between work, my munchkin, summer fun entertaining, and all around exhaustion, I forget to write up my reviews, recipes and ideas. The hard part is going up stairs and sitting down at the PC to get the job done. But now we have the iPad and this new Word Press application ROCKS! I can write from here anytime I want. Like right now for instance. Aren’t these words beautiful?

Now food. Let’s see. This morning I didn’t feel like cooking so I nuked some egg, sausage & cheese flautas by Don Miguel. I made toaster strudels and then cut up some bananas mixed with fresh blueberries. Five minutes later we were munching on some “bad for you” food.

Saturday we grilled out and spent the day swimming it was nice and sunny and the menu was no hassle. I marinated skinless, boneless chicken thighs in Kraft’s honey BBQ sauce and my brother-in-law Alex applied fire. We ate them on a bun with tomato and lettuce. I added a little basil leaves to mine and it was great. I made some bean dip and chip dip and bought the other side dishes from Publix. My friend, Beth, brought a fantastic potato salad. I am not a big fan of potato salad but she said she added ranch dressing and then a little brown sugar to tone it down. I will have to get her recipe and post it so you can try it yourself. All-in-all it was a low-key day with simple food. I was pleased most by the fact that we planned the correct amounts. I hate when you plan a get-together and then afterwards you have so many leftovers that you eat the same thing for a week. We did well with this family function because at the end of the day we had very little leftover. We even ordered the right size cake because there were only three pieces left.

So, that’s what we’ve been up to. I promise to post more interesting articles about the food, restaurants and adventures that the Pate’s experience. Cheers!

This evening I made an awesome bagel sandwich for dinner. I toasted whole wheat bagels to start. Next, I mixed a tablespoon of mayonaise with a tablespoon of Limin’ Lady Gourmet Mustard that I bought at the Pepper Place farmers marker. I spread both sides of the bagel with this mixture and then layered turkey lunch meat, muenster cheese and two bacon slices. I followed that with fresh veggies from Pepper Place: mixed greens, cucumber slices, tomato slices, radish slices, and alfalfa sprouts. The top half of the bagel was balanced neatly on top of this mound of garden fresh vegetables. I am telling you it was so yummy. It tasted like I had just pulled everything from the garden myself. I ate it with a roasted sweet potato from the market and some steamed broccoli and carrots. I think I may have to go Pepper Place every weekend to get more of their beautiful produce.

Last night I made a great dish that the kid in you will love called Pepperoni Pizza Chicken. This recipe comes from Pillsbury‘s July 2009 issue entitled Best Ever Chicken that instructs readers to stuff a skinless, boneless chicken breast with pepperoni and mozzarella cheese. After cooking the stuffed chicken on either side to a golden brown, you then cook elbow pasta adding your favorite pasta sauce.

Photo from Pillsbury.com

As is my nature, I altered the recipe by adding sundried tomatoes to the interior of the chicken with the pepperoni and cheese. I chose Bertoli tomato and basil sauce from a jar. I finished the dish with freshly grated Parmesan and straight from the garden basil. Wow! For simple ingredients and 35 minutes I thought the dish was super yummy. I could see my little one asking for this dish again and again (once she is able to talk, of course). You should definitely go to pillsbury.com and check it out. CwB says YUMMY!

On Monday, I chose to make the Meaty Quesadillas and Perfect Guacamole from the May 2010 issue of Food Network magazine.  I made the 30-minute Meaty Quesadillas recipe with lean ground beef and only used a few alternative ingredients.  I didn’t have ancho chili powder so I just used the generic chili powder.  I also used the Mexican blend shredded cheese instead of muenster or Monterey jack cheese.  Zoey LOVED the taco meat mixture and shoveled it in as fast as possible. If the recipe can entice my picky 21 month old to eat, I’m sold! 

I wanted an all around Mexican meal so I also made the Perfect Guacamole recipe from the same issue of FNM.  I am a fan of spicy but my tummy is not so I left out the Serrano chiles.  I used roma tomatoes and fresh cilantro to finish out the recipe.  It turned out creamy and light with a little kick at the end.  I made store-bought cheese dip and refried beans from a can as sides.  I also made some of my own Mexican rice.  I brought 2 cups of water to a boil.  I added 1 cup of white rice, 3 tablespoons of my favorite salsa, a 1/2 teaspoon chili powder and a pinch of salt.  Cover and cook on low for 20 minutes and you have a tasty side dish for you favorite Mexican meal.

Both of these recipes were simple to make and wonderfully delicious.  The guacamole recipe has three additional recipes, Spicy Papaya Guacamole, Southwest Corn Guacamole and Creamy Tomatillo Guacamole.  I am looking forward to trying these later.