Commentary | Flavourgasmic, the Kitchen & Food Blog

We're Getting the Band Back Together

By Brian Hunsaker, posted June 8, 2010, at 12:00 pm

Wow, what a year! So many things have happened since last we posted here at Flavourgasmic. In the coming weeks and months Flavourgasmic is coming back! We are going to bring you cheese making, bread baking, new kitchen gadgets, more restaurant reviews, more foods in cans, wedding planning, and hopefully some good times and better food! I am also planning a new weekly column on how I learned to stop worrying and love scary ingreidents. Thanks for keeping up and I can’t wait to share what we are cooking. Look forward to hearing from you all soon.

True Grit

By Katt, posted June 29, 2009, at 1:00 pm

It’s no secret that I grew up in South Carolina, okay, yes my parents were yankees, but there are just some things that come with growing up in the southeast. One of those things is that I eat grits, I love them, anytime of the day. However they can’t just be those 15 minute instant kind of grits (truth be told I’m not sure that this is not the true start of the civil war), but real grits, the kind that take time, love, and when done right, just melt in your mouth. Hit the link for more on grits.

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One of Flavourgasmic’s own honored by alma mater, cheering ensues

By Brian Hunsaker, posted June 26, 2009, at 1:00 pm

While I know this is not the typical subject matter for Flavourgasmic I feel it deserves a mention. Katt was recently honoured with an article in the College of Charleston Magazinediscussing her career as a special effects make-up artist in L.A. The article features several alumni who have succeeded in the world of Film and TV. By far the most famous of which is obviously Katt. Hit the link to read the article (I’m the Zombie in the background).

The why of brown

By Brian Hunsaker, posted June 9, 2009, at 3:00 pm

Ever wonder what gives your steak that beautiful brown crust and amazing aroma? How about why bread dough goes from white and unassuming to toasty golden brown and delicious? Both of these phenomena, and many others, are the responsibility of the same reaction which is represented by that picture up there. This reaction is known as Maillard browning which along with caramelization are the two non-enzymatic browning methods responsible for delicious food. To find out what ducks have to do with cooking, read on.

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Roasted chicken is going vertical

By Brian Hunsaker, posted June 8, 2009, at 3:00 pm

With father’s day rapidly approaching my thoughts are starting to turn towards the meal I will prepare for my father. After viewing Mr. Walken‘s preparing roasted chicken he mentioned this might be something he wanted. Of course this isn’t just any roasted chicken, it’s vertical roasted chicken. This of course requires, you guessed it, a vertical roaster. When it comes to vertical roasters there is only one name to go with and that’s Spanek. Read on to find out why.

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You’re gonna love my nuts.

By Brian Hunsaker, posted May 28, 2009, at 3:00 pm

I can’t believe it has taken me this long to pull out that post title. Around the office Vince Shlomi , “The ShamWow Guy” has quite a following. Uttering such great lines as, ”You’re gonna love my nuts!” and ”Stop having a boring tuna, Stop having a boring life.”. Well here he is again in probably one of the best remixes ever, in the history of ever. Created by DJ Steve Porter using the Slap Chop commercial, don’t walk, run to the jump.

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Katt just smiled and gave me a vegemite sandwich

By Brian Hunsaker, posted May 26, 2009, at 8:00 am

vegemite

As I roamed the isles of World Market the other day, I happened to glance up and spot the iconic logo of the Vegemite jar. A couple dollars later it was in my bag and I was on my way home. It has been about 10 years since I was last acquainted with vegemite, and if memory served me right I was not looking forward to trying it again. But time has a way of changing things and I was ready to go. Like most Americans I had originally tried it because of the Men at Work song “Down Under”. I now return to it, however, as a culinary adventurer seeking the truth. Hit the jump if you are a truth seeker.

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This tart won’t get you in trouble

By Brian Hunsaker, posted May 25, 2009, at 8:00 am

The year is 1898. The place is the Hotel Tatin in Lamotte-Beuvron, France. In this fateful year a delicious mistake saw the creation of the Tarte Tatin. No one is really sure how this happy accident came about, much like the great chocolate/peanut butter debate. Some say that a greatly overworked Stéphanie Tatin, the cooking half of the two Tatin sisters that ran the hotel at the time, accidently overcooked the apples for a traditional apple pie. In an effort to save them she quickly covered them with pie dough and tossed them in the oven. Inverting the apple tart, and much to her surprise, the guests of the hotel loved the dessert. Others believe that she was simply creating an ordinary apple tart and accidently baked it upside down. I personally believe she was probably just having fun in the kitchen. Regardless of how the Tarte Tatin was created all that matters is that it was, and this upside-down apple tart made with apples caramelized in butter and sugar has been delighting diners ever since. Read on to find out how to make your own Tarte Tatin.

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Thinking about having an affair with a fast food restaurant?

By Brian Hunsaker, posted May 21, 2009, at 8:00 am

450px-mcdonalds_thailand

Let me guess, it’s not your kitchen, it’s you? Don’t think for a minute that this will spare the feelings of your kitchen. If you do feel like the spark in the kitchen is missing, Susan Serra from The Kitchen Designer offers up a great article on how to keep the magic alive. Before things get out of hand, and there is no chance of saving the relationship, read “5 Ways To Keep Excitement In Your Kitchen!”, your kitchen will thank you.

Read.

From coven to oven, ‘wichcraft has you covered

By Brian Hunsaker, posted May 13, 2009, at 3:00 pm

wichcraft

Ok so I might have over reached a bit on the title of this post, but all puns aside ‘wichcraft is a book that is sure to please sandwich lovers and foodies alike. Written by chef Tom Colicchio of Top Chef fame, ‘wichcraft brings the recipes from his award winning restaurant ‘wichcraft, into the kitchen. Chef Colicchio holds a special place in the kitchen at Flavourgasmic, for one he is the lovable head judge on Top Chef, a TV show that is not only a favourite in our home, but has also helped to bring about the resurgance of truly excellent food and restaurants. Chef Colicchio is also quite simply an excellent chef, one of a few that understands that meals do not have to be overly complicated to taste good, his food is honest, and I believe Chef Colicchio to be a caring and compassionate person which comes across in his cooking and in his recipes. If you are the kind of person that wants a cold cut sandwich that can be thrown together quickly before work, this is probably not the book for you. If however, like me, you love a good sandwich and want to see how this almost perfect meal delivery device can be elevated to the next level, this is the book for you. While you could purchase it at Williams-Sonoma for the list price of $27.50 why not save yourself a couple of bucks and get it at Amazon for $18.15? Continue reading to see a sample recipe from the book.

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