Chef Benwa on April 4 2012

Lets Talk Tools – Immersion Hand Blender

The Immersion Hand Blender is one of my kitchen tools that I just couldn’t do with out. I don’t use it every day but when I do it is the only tool that will do the job.

For puree and emulsifying nothing comes close. Take my chicken marinade for example, I had to try and use a blender when my old immersion hand blender broke, it didn’t even come close to emulsifying the marinade. I had to run out to target and pick one up.

I purchased the Cuisinart 200 watt CSB-76 SmartStick. I don’t remember what I paid but I had only one choice for color, plain old white. But you my friends are in luck.

I subscribe to the Cooking.com newsletter and in it was news that Cuisinart now offers the Cuisinart 200 watt CSB-76 SmartStick in white, brushed chrome, and five colors. Well I just had to let you all know about this so you were not left with a boring, plain old whit immersion blender.

Not to bad of a color choice. Cooking.com wanted $34.94 plus $5.99 shipping. So I did a Google search and low-and-behold I found the exact same immersion blender on Amazon for $29.95 plus their free Super Saver Shipping.

Plus they have a total of eight colors plus brushed chrome and white!

I sure wish I would have know about all the colors before this. I guess that’s what happens when you wait until you are in the middle of preparation to go buy a new cooking tool.

I think I might buy the Fascia one anyway and get some flame decals to put on it, that would be sweet!

Tags: 200-Watt, cooking tools, Cusinart, hand blender

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Chef Benwa on March 26 2012

A New Batch of Hot Sauce!

A couple of weekends ago I put up some more of my “Restaurant Style” Hot Sauce. You can see my previous posts here and here.

I made fifty bottles this time around. pretty much the same recipe as before, but this time I used some diced tomatoes. Didn’t like them; I think from now on I will only use crushed tomatoes.

I did get some new hardware though. For the sauce it’s self I purchased a new 16 quart pot. The previous one is 12 quarts.

I also got a new electric roaster that I used for sterilizing the bottles and lids. It worked great. It sure was a steamy day in the kitchen. Glad I did it before summer.

And here they are all put up on the self in the basement. Holy Crap! There are six bottles gone already!!

Looks like I better put a lock on the pantry! ;^)

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Chef Benwa on March 15 2012

OK This Joke Only Works One Time a Year

What is green and stays out side all year? (see below for answer)

Patty O’Furniture ;^)

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Chef Benwa on March 7 2012

The Allergic Chef

I think I need a new name for the blog. The Allergic Chef might do. I have been having some ear a sinus problems for the last couple of years and it turns out I’m allergic to just about everything. On the skin tests I was positive to all of them. So they sent me for blood test for food allergies. here are the results:

Wheat……18.7……..19.20
Gluten…..15.60…….11.80
Rye……….15.00…….11.90
Barley…….9.83
Malt……….9.52……..11.80
Tomato…..8.47………4.89
Potato…….5.50………3.47
Apple……..4.37
Hops………3.03
Oat…………4.88……..3.37
Orange……4.74……..2.43
Peanut…….2.98 …….4.90 Ground Nut
Walnut……1.80……..3.12 Tree Nut

Cashew…… ………1.35
Soybean….1.01
Corn……….0.63
Scallop……0.47
Chocolate..0.46……..<0.35

The first number is from my ENT’s allergy department and the second is from my allergist. The allergist was after I stopped eating all the High allergy foods.

Anything greater than 0.35 is considered positive allergy.

3.50 – 17.49 is considered High allergic reaction and any thing 17.50 and above is Very High allergic reaction.

So no more bread for me, in fact I have to read the ingredients on everything these days.

Seeing as I’m taking Allegra Ds in the morning and Benadryls in the evening my mouth has been drier then a pop corn fart. Which makes my breath Real Bad.

I found some Breath Savers that were sour and really got the saliva going. I used them for a week before I read the ingredients and found they are made with malto-dextrine which is made from wheat. Who would have thought!

Oh yeah and Benadryl tablets are made with gluten so be sure to get the capsules.

So I have been living on Jack Links Sweet & Hot beef jerky, eggs, cheese, and broccoli.

Too afraid to try anything else, at least I have my Epi Pen.

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Chef Benwa on February 16 2012

Mary’s Birtday

Fun times at Frankie V’s

Birtday Girl

Nick & KT

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Chef Benwa on December 18 2011

Have a Great Holiday Season

Tags: Happy Holidays

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Chef Benwa on July 20 2011

Make S’mores Inside Your PC

You heard me right! David Murphy, of PCWorld must have been really board or as hard up for material as I am.

He used an old PC for some heat, some aluminum foil for a pan and software for his temperature control knob. and voilà PC S’mores!

Well there was a bit more to it read his whole article here.

I will also bet that they didn’t look as good as this.

Tags: S'mores, Weird Cooking

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Chef Benwa on July 17 2011

Famous Beer Aficionados

This came to me in my email. Just had to share. Plus, as you can tell, I have been all out of ideas for quite some time.

Plus I like beer, well at least draft beer. For some reason he canned and bottled stuff just isn’t the same.

Sometimes when I reflect on all the beer I drink, I feel ashamed.
Then I look into the glass and think about the workers in the brewery and all of their hopes and dreams.
If I didn’t drink this beer, they might be out of work and their dreams would be shattered.
I think, “It is better to drink this beer and let their dreams come true than be selfish and worry about my liver.”
Babe Ruth

“I feel sorry for people who don’t drink.
When they wake up in the morning, that’s as good as they’re going to feel all day.
Lyndon B. Johnson

“When I read about the evils of drinking, I gave up reading.”
Paul Horning

“24 hours in a day, 24 beers in a case.
Coincidence?
I think not.”
H. L. Mencken

“When we drink, we get drunk.
When we get drunk, we fall asleep.
When we fall asleep, we commit no sin.
When we commit no sin, we go to heaven.
So, let’s all get drunk and go to heaven!”
George Bernard Shaw

“Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.”
Benjamin Franklin

“Without question, the greatest invention in the history of mankind is beer.
Oh, I grant you that the wheel was also a fine invention, but the wheel does not go nearly as well with pizza.”
Dave Barry

BEER: HELPING UGLY PEOPLE HAVE SEX SINCE 3000 B.C. .
W. C. Fields (ha ha ha ha ha)

Remember “I” before “E,” except in Budweiser.
Professor Irwin Corey

To some it’s a six-pack, to me it’s a Support Group Salvation in a can!
Leo Durocher

(Saved the best one for last!)

One night at Cheers, Cliff Clavin explained the” Buffalo Theory” to his buddy Norm:

“Well, ya see, Norm, it’s like this. A herd of buffalo can only move as fast as the slowest buffalo. And when the herd is hunted, it is the slowest and weakest ones at the back that are killed first.

This natural selection is good for the herd as a whole, because the general speed and health of the whole group keeps improving by the regular killing of the weakest members!

In much the same way, the human brain can only operate as fast as the slowest brain cells. Excessive intake of alcohol, as we know, kills brain cells. But naturally, it attacks the slowest and weakest brain cells first. In this way, regular consumption of beer eliminates the weaker brain cells, making the brain a faster and more efficient machine!

That’s why you always feel smarter after a few beers.”

Tags: Beer, Draft Beer, Funny Beer

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Chef Benwa on June 4 2011

Posting from my phone with images

I can now post form my phone with pictures. Size just has to be set at 400 pixels.

Here is an example.

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S Sparks on January 28 2011

Time for the Uber Bowl and Tabasco Original Red sauce!

This post brought to you by TABASCO? Original Red. All opinions are 100% mine.

Well we all know what I mean, but copyright and trademark laws makes me too paranoid to use the correct name for the biggest football game each year.

That also means its Tabasco time!! If you are any sort of a regular reader of this blog you know how much I use TABASCO? Original Red in my recipes, from one of my first posts for the best Chicken Marinade to my latest post for a new batch of Hot Sauce.

Be sure not to run out! Get it by the Gallon!!

It’s great on everything, it has a very subtle heat that enhances and unlocks the flavor of everything you add it to. It’s not too salty or too hot like other less desirable brands.

It is especially good to use Tabasco Original Red to add zip to pizza, wings, deep fried mushrooms, pizza rolls, deviled eggs, soup, chili, guacamole, re-fried beans, Spanish rice and so on and so on and…….

If you need anymore ideas for what you can use Tabasco Original Red on, just put Tabasco in the Search Box above or go to Game-Day Party Menu on the Tabasco website.