rachael ray

Entries Tagged as 'rachael ray'

Killian & Liz on the Food Network

January 17th, 2009 · 8 Comments

liz_food_network
Liz on the Food Network

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Killian and Liz sitting behind Rachael and her husband

After Killian and Liz’s wedding in June, they honeymooned on Maui and Oahu. When they got back to Chicago Killian told me that they met Rachael Ray. She was at Rum Fire, a restaurant at the Sheraton Waikiki, and was filming a show. I didn’t realize that they were actually filmed for the show.

Tonight Dallas and I were watching Juno on HBO. It was the second time we saw the movie and at the end I could barely restrain Dallas from grabbing the remote and changing the channel. It’s not his fault, though. He has some disease where he has to hold the remote and he has to flip the channels all the time. This time it actually was a good thing when he flipped it to Food Network. We caught the end of a show called Rachael’s Vacation and it was an episode featuring the Rum Fire. Not only can you see Killian and Liz sitting at a table behind Rachael and her husband, but Liz also had a small clip where she described the ambiance of the restaurant. Killian and Liz missed the show tonight so this post is for them.

Side Note 1: How disturbing is Rachael Ray’s cleavage in this clip? Her wardrobe stylist should be fired.
Side Note 2: I drank a lot of pina coladas at the Sheraton Waikiki pool in 2007.

Rachael Ray’s Five-Minute Fudge Wreaths

January 2nd, 2007 · 8 Comments

It pains me to admit this because Rachael Ray is one of my least favorite “celebrity” chefs EVER , but I made her five-minute fudge wreaths for Christmas. They are good, but very rich. Small slices. The wreath on the right has currants and nuts in it, the one on the left doesn’t.. only because I forgot to stir them in before it started setting up.

I also made pasta crab salad and banana bread on the same day as the wreaths.

Five-Minute Fudge Wreaths

This super-simple recipe will be a hit at your holiday party! Try all three varieties: the Chunky Chocolate Fudge Wreath with Walnuts and Currants, the White Chocolate Wreath with Pistachio and Cranberry or the Goober and Raisinette Wreath! (Makes 2 pounds.)

Ingredients
12 ounce package semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips
14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk (save the can)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
8 ounce can walnuts, plus more for topping
1/2 cup raisins or dried currants (a couple of handfuls)
candied red and green cherries to decorate top (like holly)
softened butter to grease an 8 inch round cake pan

Directions

1. Grease an 8-inch round cake pan with softened butter. Pour the chocolate and butterscotch chips, condensed milk and vanilla into a medium saucepan. Put the pan on the stove and turn the heat to low.

2. Cover the empty condensed milk can with plastic wrap and put it in the center of the round cake pan.

3. Stir the chips and milk until they melt together, about 3 minutes. Stir in nuts and raisins. Scoop the fudge into the cake pan all around the plastic-covered can in the center to form a wreath or ring shape. Let it be all bumpy on top. Keep pushing the can back to the center if the fudge moves it away from there. Cut the red cherries in half with scissors and the green cherries into quarters. Use the green pieces to make leaves and the red to make holly berries. Decorate the fudge with several groups of holly berry sprigs made from the cherries and garnish with walnuts between the sprigs.

4. Put the fudge in the fridge and chill until firm. Remove the can from the center, then loosen the sides and bottom of the fudge with a spatula. Cut the fudge into thin slices to serve.

To give the wreath as a gift-wrap in cellophane and secure with a bow or ornament.

Variations

White Chocolate Wreath with Pistachio and Cranberry

1. Substitute the chocolate chips with white chocolate chips, 1 1/2 ounce bag plus 1 cup.
2. Substitute 1 to 1 1/2 cups of shelled natural pistachio nuts for walnuts.
3. Substitute 1/2 cup dried sweetened cranberries for currants.

Goober and Raisinette Wreath

1. Swap butterscotch for peanut butter chips
2. Swap large whole peanuts for walnuts used in original recipe (such as peeled Virginia Peanuts)
3. Swap 1/2 cup large raisins for currants in original recipe

Holiday Dinner at Allison’s

December 17th, 2006 · 1 Comment

Dallas & Rachelle, West Loop, Chicago

West Loop, Chicago

Chris, Jen, Barbara, Abby, Dallas, Kristin, Chad, Scott, Tara, Jen :: West Loop, Chicago

Tenderloin Dinner, West Loop, Chicago

Every year Allison has a holiday party. This year, instead of just a party, she made dinner. And a really great one, at that. We had some smoked salmon with herbed goat cheese on toasted French bread to start things off. Then we had tenderloin with balsamic onions and horseradish sauce, au gratin potatoes with bacon, creamy mashed potatoes and green beans. No one could believe that Allison had never cooked tenderloin before. It was fantastic.

A lot of people brought desserts. Jen & Chris brought fudge made using Rachael Ray’s 5-minute recipe, Barbara made chess pie, and I brought the cookies I’d made earlier in the day. It was a fun, filling party.

Two Very Different Kitsch’ns

March 15th, 2006 · 5 Comments

When I was dogsitting in Roscoe Village it was a given that I’d go to Kitsch’n 1) because I love that place and 2) because it was only a couple blocks from where I was staying. Ironically, we had a Chicagoist staff brunch that same weekend and the place that was chosen was Kitsch’n, but the River North location that I didn’t even realize existed. I favor the Roscoe Village location because it’s the original, it’s kitschy, it’s cozy, and it’s easy to get to. The River North location gets props for not even batting an eye when we made a reservation for 15, which is usually crazy talk when planning a Saturday brunch, but it just doesn’t feel like Kitsch’n. It’s in the first floor of an office/condo building, the same building where fancy dancy Japonais is located. It’s big and wide open and has no kitsch. There’s sort of a loungey/diner feel. And it’s located in a forgotten pocket of River North that’s not the easiest to get to.

The menu is the same at both places. On Saturday at the River North location I had the Bayou Crabcake Benedict. I saw Joanna had the Coconut Crusted French Toast and it looked great so I had to try it on Monday at the Roscoe Village location. Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. So good. BTW, I was totally NOT ordering the things that cheap-ass Rachael Ray got when she visited Kitsch’n for $40 a Day. I hate her and her voice and that show! I don’t care how cute a menu item called Green Eggs and Ham is, I’m not getting it!

Here are some photos from each Kitsch’n location so you can see the differences in atmosphere for yourself:

Kitsch’n Roscoe Village