Thank you for the music...

Working long hours in the kitchen can be either very stressful or just plain boring, depending on the day. The best way to make those hours go by fast is music. I think we can all agree on that. About a year ago when I was working in a local restaurant I noticed that we would work faster or slower depending on what was playing. Andrew WK always seemed to make us work much faster where as the Reservior Dogs soundtrack made us groove but maybe work a little slower.

At home we have a TV station called Galaxie which plays all different kinds of music so that is usually what I listen to. Here are some songs that make me move faster in the kitchen and groove at the same time.

Hello- Martin Solveig & Dragonette
Barbra Streisand- Duck Sauce
Sexy and I Know It- LMFAO
Bucky Done Gun- MIA

Ain't Like You- Blood For Blood
Pride- Madball
Always- Warzone
Hated and Proud- Death Threat
Let It Ride- Floorpunch

Fight To Live- The Bouncing Souls
Better Be Women- Dwarves
Basket Case- Green Day
Lorraine- Bad Manners

What do you like to listen to while you cook?

Marielle

She eats therefore she runs

My sister Danielle lives in Scotland and has started a great blog for people who love running and love food. So check her out if you like both!

I Eat Therefore I Run

A picture of my sister and I at her wedding this past July.

Marielle

Valen-times!

The day of love and Hallmark cards is almost upon us! It's a time to spend with your loved one going out for dinner, buying them stuffed toys that will be put on a shelf to collect dust and also a time for you singles to hate those who are in relationships. I will be spending my time with some lovely single ladies at a local pub. I MIGHT be nice enough to make some chocolate strawberries which reminded me of the time I tried to melt chocolate when I was about ten years old....

In my young age I had no knowledge of how to melt chocolate. I knew it melted in my hand but I had no idea it would burn in my pan. I threw some chocolate chips in a pan and put it on high. My mom warned me that they would surely burn but at my young age I thought "what does she know!"
I have matured a bit since then and know now that I should put the chips in a metal bowl over a pot of boiling water. Here are some pictures of what they looked like last time I made them.

I used my silpat sheet so they wouldn't stick. I often use it for cookies but wouldn't suggest super high heat with them as this is how my friend Danielle found out that they don't do very well in high heat....

Photo reprinted with permission from Danielle Gzebb

What kind of deserts do you like to make on Valentines day? Let me know!

Marielle

Get this!

The other night while having dinner, my roommates and I were talking about fun food facts. So I thought I would look more up and share five of my favorites with you.


1. In the 1800's, rum was considered excellent for cleaning hair and keeping it healthy. Brandy was believed to strengthen hair roots.

2. Sometimes frozen fruits and vegetables are more nutritious than fresh. Maybe frozen isn't such a bad word?

3. With two forks and a charge, a pickle will emit light. This makes sense since they're the light of my life!

4. Pearls melt in vinegar. That is why diamonds are a girls best friend!

5. If you put a raisin in a fresh glass of champagne, it will rise and fall continuously.

Do you know of any others? Share them with me. The weirder the better!


Marielle

Eat It

Like most people these days I'm a big fan of the Food Network. I enjoy watching 100 shows on cupcakes and cakes made with mostly fondant, shows hosted by guys on the verge of heart attacks and house moms making recipes they learnt from their grandmothers who got those recipes from the back of Kraft packages. You know what else is fun to watch? Music videos about food or with food! So here is a good one for you to watch to cure your bad case of the mondays!

Marielle

My Drunk Kitchen

We've all cooked drunk before. Sometimes it makes things a little more interesting.... "It's a great idea to open this container with a super sharp knife", "Test that hot oil with your finger to see if it's hot enough". Well, someone has done it! The hilarious Hannah "Harto" Hart has made our dreams come true with her funny play on words and her questionable food.

If ANYONE is good at video editing I'm thinking we need to do a little drunk kitchen of our own.

There's the link to one of her videos. Check them all out!

Marielle

Opening Day

Hello! This is my first entry in my new blog about food and everything else that goes along with. I really want to make this a fun blog where I can talk about food I've made, food I've had, food I was confused about and everything else food. I'm not an expert by any means. I was a cook for 8 years, in the industry for 10, my family is full of great cooks and I think I know some people who eat food and enjoy it.

I'm going to begin my first entry with how excited I get when I cook meat properly. I guess you could say it is the sunshine of my life. I had never really been a huge fan of pork but while working at a local restaurant I learnt how to cook pork tenderloin perfectly. It's really the most satisfying feeling ever. It's like I am giving birth to the perfect child.

I'm sure everyone has their own way of doing it but this is how I like to do it. Usually I like to put some kind of herb or spice rub on it and then I sear it in hot oil on all sides, put it on a pan and into the oven for about 8 min at 500F. I do it at a high heat because when you're working in a kitchen, the oven is on the same high heat for the whole service. It's how I was taught so why change a beautiful thing?! So needless today, I love pork in my oven.

Phew, I think that went well for a first entry? If you don't think so then feel free to not comment! For those of you who liked it, leave a comment! Give me suggestions! Tell me your stories!

Your number one non food expert,

Marielle