My shift to video

Since first launching this blog almost two years ago my wife and I have been having the discussion about eventually switching to video format.  Over the past few months I have appeared on Good Day Columbus a few times and it is because of this experience that I felt comfortable in finally launching my own youtube channel today, RPG Cooking. I will be delivering a new video every two weeks to start with the goal of releasing weekly in the near future.  My focus from now on will be on my appearances on GDC and this new channel.  I've embedded my first video as well as today's appearance on GDC (when it becomes available to stream) Please watch my videos.  Like, subscribe, share and comment.

Holiday Hot Drink Bar

Here is my spot on Good Day Columbus where I show you how to set up a hot drink bar perfect for warming up during the winter.

Thanksgiving Leftover Pinwheels

These are from My spot on Good Day Columbus

There is no real recipe for these, but here is what I did on the show. You can see that the most important part is to practice to learn the best ratio of ingredients--too many wet ingredients makes for a sloppy pinwheel.

Ingredients:

• Wrap(s) (any flavor or size is fine, but if you want to make large pinwheels the only place I know to get the large wraps is from the catering department at The Hills Market)
• sliced turkey tossed in gravy
• cornbread stuffing
• green bean casserole
• cranberry sauce (if you don't use cranberry sauce you will need to something sticky to "glue" the wrap together like softened cream cheese or mayonnaise)
• spinach

Directions:

1. Wrap your wrap in a damp towel and microwave for 20 seconds to warm and soften. Spread cranberry sauce over the entire surface of the wrap.
2. Layer ingredients about one third of the way up the wrap all the way to the edges, being careful not to overfill the wrap (this takes practice, just take some out if you have trouble rolling it up later
3. Roll the bottom third of the wrap over the filling and continue to roll up. .
4. Slice off the two ends and have a little snack, then gently slice with a bread knife into 1 inch pinwheels. Re-shape and/or reseal them as needed. Plate and serve.

A Few Thoughts About Losing Weight

As I mentioned in my spot on Good Day Columbus, which I linked to in my previous post, I recently lost a little over 50 pounds.  Here is how I did it and what I learned: 

• I set a goal for myself to drop from 257 to 200 pounds.
• I think it is hugely important to have a goal from day one to work towards, whether it's 10 pounds or 50.  
• I also knew if  I hit my goal I was going to appear on TV.  Figure out what your reward will be for success.  Have it be something concrete and tangible.
• I attempted to lose two pounds a week. 
• 200 pounds is still above my ideal BMI and I should probably eventually lose another 20 pounds.
• I spent seven months and lost 50 pounds or about 1.67 pounds per week.
• Find a strategy that works for you.  
• My strategy was simple, eat fewer calories.
• While technically I could eat whatever I want, when a candy bar is the same amount of calories as an entire salad, and you're hungry, you start shifting your priorities
• By virtue of needing to fill your stomach with something, but having to limit calories, you naturally start gravitating towards more fruits, vegetables, and lean meats and away from carbs, dairy, and fats.
• I used an app called myfitnesspal.
• Based on my goal weight, current weight, height, gender, fitness level, and how many pounds I wanted to lose in a week it told me how many calories to eat in a day and how long the process would take.
• By inputting what I ate throughout the day and how much I exercised it was calculated how many calories I took in and worked off.
• It also has the ability to save custom meals for quick access if you often eat the same thing at a particular meal.
• Overall it was the most important tool at my disposal as I went through the long process of learning how many calories were in different foods.  Near the end, I had a pretty good idea of what I could/should eat and found the app to no longer be necessary.
• Mental toughness is the key to success
• You will be hungry, a lot, especially at the beginning.  Hunger is pain, but you can learn to deal with it.  But with my weight loss goal and reward firmly in my mind I pressed on through the pain.  Just remember what Shia LaBoeuf says

• Don't be discouraged by setbacks, because they will come.  Figure out where the problem is and work to fix it.
• Spend time learning why you overeat.  Is it when you're stressed? Do you always find an excuse to celebrate with food? Do you eat when you're bored? Does having a variety of foods available (i.e. a buffet) lead you to overindulge? 
• I allowed myself to have a cheat day once a week.
• This meant that mentally I just had to keep it together for six days, knowing that I could satisfy a less-healthy craving on that seventh day.
• I kept a craving log so I would remember what foods I was really in the mood for.
• Cheat days are not about eating as much as you want for the entire day, but rather about eating some higher calorie foods you avoid the rest of the week.  To start I read this great article on the pros and cons of cheat days.
• Have a support group you can talk to
• Find others who are on the same journey.  
• For me, I spent a few hours a day in Mobiletrak with Mike Kilburn, who introduced me to these weight loss strategies.  
• We were able to give each other advice and support every day and it was very valuable.

I'm no nutritionist or dietitian, but this is what worked for me.  Hopefully, it will work for some of you too. 

My spot on Good Day Columbus

Here is the recipe for these breakfast cookies:

• 2 c. old fashioned oats
• 1.25 c. whole wheat flour
• 1 c. all purpose flour
• 1 c. Grape-Nuts cereal
• 1/2 c. wheat germ (Bob's red mill, usually in flour aisle)
• 1/2 c. oat bran (usually in hot cereal aisle)
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 2 c. unsalted butter (or substitute half with unsweetened applesauce, mashed avocado, or margerine)
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 1 Tbsp. vanilla
• optional, include additional flavors in the form of citrus zest, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, etc. to taste
• 1 c. chopped nuts, toasted (almonds, walnuts, pecans, or any other favorite nut)
• 1 c. raisins (or other small dried fruits like craisins, cherries, or strawberries)
• 1 c. chopped pitted dates (or other larger moist chopped dried fruit like apricots or prunes)

Instructions:

1. Mix oats, both flours, Grape-Nuts, wheat germ, oat bran, and bakign soda in a large bowl
2. Cream butter in a stand mixer then mix in eggs, sugars, vanilla, and any additional flavors you are using
3. Gently mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients then add the nuts and fruits and mix until even
4. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll dough into two dozen large cookies.
5. Bake at 350 degrees until browned on top, about 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack, and serve.

Ingredient Tasting: Raisins

For my recent spot on Good Day Columbus to celebrate losing more than 50 pounds in seven months I made some delicious breakfast cookies, which are a much more substantial and delicious version of an oatmeal raisin cookie.  It got me thinking, how many different types of raisins are out there to choose from and does it really make any difference what kind you use? So I rounded up 10 different brands representing five different variations of raisins and put them to the test. I ate a handful of each raisin and also baked each into one of my breakfast cookies.

Since it is the industry standard in raisins I started with Sun-Maid.  I'm glad I did because I discovered this amazing 100th anniversary e-book that will teach you absolutely everything you wanted to know, not just about Sun-Maid, but raisins in general. Of particular interest to me was page 102-103 that talks all about which types of grape are chosen for how they are dried. Sun-maid raisins appear to use a blend of a few different grape types in their raisins, but mostly Thompson.  Of all the raisins.  This resulted in a more complex flavor profile than any of the other raisins I tried.  They were also a little less tart, slightly drier, and a little bit grittier with noticeable stem fragments.

Lucky's Market bulk section included Thompson, organic Thompson, and a variety I couldn't find elsewhere called Fire.  The regular and organic Thompsons were virtually indistinguishable from each other, though the organic raisins were slightly juicier.  They were more tart, but less complex in flavor than the Sun-Maid raisins.

The Fire raisins were noticeably larger than any of the other varieties.  They had tougher skins, and were chewier.  My wife described them as almost a cross between a raisin and a prune.

Earthbound Farm Organic jumbo Thompson raisins had a flavor that reminded me of molasses and were noticeably bitter, though very plump and juicy.  They were my third least favorite raisin to eat.

Sage Valley organix Thompson raisins were very similar to Sun-Maid, but more tart, less complex, and overall not as good.

Aldi raisins were the worst of the bunch.  They were noticeably smaller than Sun-Maid raisins, dry, gummy, and did not have a very strong flavor.

At this point I moved away from more traditional raisins to see if there would be any surprises out there.  I did stick with just raisins as bringing in other dried fruits like cranberries would be like comparing, well, you get it.

Sun-Maid's baking raisins are wet and sticky to the touch and not what you would expect a raisin to feel like when you bite into it.  It was my second least favorite raisin to eat.

Zante Currants are not, in fact, currants at all, but are dried from Black Corinth grapes.  They are much smaller and drier, but have a similar taste to regular raisins.  If you like the taste of raisins, but find they are too large, especially when baking, then these are great substitute.

Finally, the Golden raisins.  These are not, in fact, made from a different kind of grape, but are instead dried differently, using dehydrators and sulfur dioxide instead of drying them in the sun.  They are bit juicier than regular Sun-Maid raisins with a pleasant, almost citrus flavor that made them one of my favorites to eat.

Now what was really interesting was what happened when I baked them all into the breakfast cookies.  Taste became completely irrelevant and it became entirely a matter of texture.  The raisins that I liked the eating the least, the Fire, baking raisins, and jumbo organic Thompsons, were all the best in the breakfast cookies, while the rest all just  sort of faded together.

Conclusions:

The Winners:
For eating, Sun Maid Raisins are the most popular for a reason.  There flavor profile was the most enjoyable, though I do wish they were a little less gritty and a little more juicy. The fire raisins were probably my favorite for baking, but the Sun-Maid baking raisins were nearly as good.

The Losers:
Aldi and Earthbound Farms Organic jumbo Thompson raisins were the worst for eating, but both are fine when baked into a cookie.

Special Awards:
The golden raisins were a really enjoyable change of pace from a classic raisin are definitely worth trying.  However, their flavor did sort of get lost when baked into the cookies. The Zante currants might the perfect choice of raisins for people who don't really like raisins.

The Rest:
All the other varieties really are fine whether for eating or baking and in the end you'd have to be a real raisin aficionado to get too bent out of shape over varieties.

New Series: Ingredient Tastings

This post marks the end of a year-long hiatus from my blog while my family adjusted to having another baby in the house.  It also marks the beginning a new series which will focus on taste-testing common ingredients that we often take for granted.  I am fortunate to have such a great selection of grocery stores in my area and so for each of these tests I will be collecting as many samples as I can from Lucky's Market, Weilands Market, Giant Eagle, and Aldi.  Obviously, there are likely other great grocery stores where you live, like Whole Foods, Fresh Thyme, and many others.  These comparisons are far from exhaustive, but I think will offer some useful comparisons nonetheless. Try them out for yourself, see what you like, and leave me a comment if I missed your favorite.

Inspired by Columbus: Tandoori Grill

Tandoori Grill
808 Bethel Rd.
Columbus, OH
614-326-3777
Facebook Page

If you can handle a little heat, Tandoori Grill might just the best Indian food you'll find here in Columbus.  Their website says, "brace yourself for a culinary master class – a festival of flavors in every forkful – and allow yourself to be swept away by the exotic aromas and tastes of truly outstanding Indian-Pakistani cuisine." This is a bold claim, but they deliver.  

Tandoori Grill has an attractive but casual setting centered around a beautifully painted wall and several eye-catching light fixtures. We walked in for lunch at 11:20, about 10 minutes before they officially opened, but they kindly accommodated us anyway.  

 
We ordered Isaac a delicious mango lassi while we looked over the menu which included all the classics I expected and a few things I hadn't heard of before. Considering the quality of food they were boasting, I was pleased with the middle-of-the-road prices.

We started with potato samosas and fish pakora and then moved on to chicken tikka masala and goat korma with an order of plain naan.  Everything was perfectly cooked and perfectly seasoned, certainly among the best, if not the best I have had in Columbus.  I do feel compelled to offer one caveat.  See those peppers in the bottom right of the menu, I think they are there for a reason.  Even though we ordered traditionally mild dishes, like chicken tikka masala and asked for them to be mild, all of the dishes we ordered, the potato samosas, the fish pakora, the chicken tikka masala, and the goat korma were all unpalatably spicy with no indication on the menu that this would be the case.  Make no mistake, this food tasted amazing and if you enjoy spicy foods you will love it. Spiciness aside, I really did enjoy our experience and was looking forward to making an original Indian dish when I got home.

How I was Inspired

I have made flatbread pizzas before, but have always stuck with fairly traditional flavors. Considering how much I enjoy chicken pizzas and also because I like sopping up my curry with naan, I thought a chicken tikka masala naan pizza sounded delicious.

I started by combining salt, pepper, cumin, and coriander with some plain yogurt, vegetable oil, garlic, and ginger and then coating the chicken with it and letting it sit for an hour before broiling it until it was spotty brown all over.  Normally, this chicken would be cut up and tossed with the masala sauce, but I decided to leave it the way it was.

Next I sauteed some minced onion, chile pepper, garlic, ginger, tomato paste and garam masala until softened and fragrant.  I added some crushed tomatoes and salt to taste and simmered for 15 minutes.  Then, off heat, I added heavy cream.

I shredded some paneer cheese and was ready to assemble my pizzas.  I put down a generous layer of masala sauce on a round of naan (the naan can absorb quite a bit, so no need to be dainty).  Then I topped it with paneer cheese and chicken and baked it at 500 degrees for about 5-8 minutes.  The cheese will not melt, so you are mostly just darkening and crisping the bottom of the naan.  Finally, I topped it with a few leaves of cilantro and served it up.

Chicken Tikka Masala Naan Pizza

• 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp. ground coriander
• 1 tsp. salt plus more to taste
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breast
• 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
• 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil, plus more for sauteing
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 Tbsp. fresh grated ginger
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 serrano or jalapeno chile, seeds and ribs removed, and minced
• 1 Tbsp. tomato paste
• 1 Tbsp. garam masala
• 28 oz. crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• cilantro leaves for garnish
• 4 oz. paneer cheese, shredded
• 4 rounds of naan

1. Mix the cumin, coriander, 1 tsp. salt, black pepper, yogurt, vegetable oil, 2 minced garlic cloves, and 1 Tbsp. ginger together.  Dredge the chicken in the yogurt mixture and set aside on a broiler pan for one hour.
2. While the chicken marinades, saute the onion in a little vegetable oil over medium heat until very soft.  Add the remaining garlic and ginger, chile, tomato paste and garam masala and cook until fragrant.  Add the crushed tomatoes and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.  Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes.  Off heat, add the heavy cream and salt to taste.
3. Gently broil the chicken until well-browned on one side then turn over and brown on the other side.  Let the chicken cool five minutes before slicing.
4. Spread a generous amount of sauce onto the naan then top with shredded cheese and sliced chicken.  Bake at 500 degrees for 5-8 minutes until the bottom of the naan is well-browned and crisp.  Top with cilantro leaves and serve.

Next week I'm going to take you to one of the best breakfasts I've had in Columbus and show you a different take on breakfast.

Inspired by Columbus: The Orchard and Company

The Orchard and Company
7255 US HWY 42 North
Plain City, OH
Saturdays and Sundays, 11am-6pm, September and October
614-873-0510
Facebook Page

There are other U-pick orchards I can recommend, like Lynd Fruit Farm.  There are other Fall Festivals I enjoy, like Pigeon Roost Farm.  But The Orchard and Company does an excellent job of combining both of these concepts together. After parking you are greeted to a hay castle facade behind which their pumpkins sit awaiting purchase.

There is a lot to do at The Orchard and Company.  It has the obligatory pumpkin patch, hay ride, apple picking, and petting zoo, but also a few unique offerings.  This includes a zipline, pedal cars, slides, and more.

Isaac's favorite two areas were the massive jumping pillow and the corn pit, which comes loaded with trucks to play with.  The jumping pillow in particular is an attraction I had never seen before and it could hold a lot of kids who were all having a great time.

There is also a large pavilion with face painting, goods for sale, and a cafe which sells the standard fall festival fare like cider, hotdogs, and pumpkin donuts.  The Orchard and Company was not cheap, and Isaac and I had already had lunch, so we didn't partake in any of these snacks, but looking at this menu I started to get an idea.

How I was Inspired
I have been going to orchards and fall festivals for years and one of the things I have tried repeatedly is the cider dog.  I love the concept of a smoky salty hotdog mixed with a sweet and richly flavored cider.  However, I almost always find the hotdog is unaffected by the the addition of cider and I'm disappointed.  So I set out to infuse as much cider flavor into a hotdog.

I looked at a lot of ideas for this dish, and though I ended up making something that was my own, I was definitely inspired by the blog Heather Likes Food and Epicurious. First, I diamond cut the hotdogs so they would hopefully absorb as much flavor as possible.  Then I reduced 2 cups of apple cider down to 1/4 cup and added 2 garlic cloves and 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar.  I marinaded the hotdogs for 24 hours.

Next, I braised an apple (that I picked while at Orchard and Company) and half an onion in apple cider until very soft and sweetened by the cider.

Finally, I broiled the hotdogs until well-charred, added smoked cheddar, and broiled again to crisp up the rolls and melt the cheese.  I topped the dogs with the apple/onion mixture and some barbecue sauce that I mixed with another 2 cups of cider that I reduced down to 2 Tbsp (in retrospect I think a whole grain mustard mixed with the reduced cider might have been even better).  I served them with some delicious sweet potato chips.

Cider-marinaded hotdogs with cider-braised apples and onions, smoked cheddar, and cider barbecue sauce.

• 8 hotdogs and rolls
• 1/2 gallon sweet apple cider
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 apple, sliced thin
• 1/2 onion, sliced thin
• 4 oz. smoked cheddar, shredded
• 1/2 cup barbecue sauce

1. Boil 2 cups of cider over high heat until reduced to 1/4 cup. Mix reduced cider with vinegar and garlic and put in a shallow dish.  Cut a diamond pattern into both sides of the hotdogs and submerge in the marinade.  Refrigerate for 8-24 hours.
2. Braise the apple and onion in 2 cups of sweet cider over medium high heat until very soft and sweet.  Set aside.
3. Boil 2 cups of cider over high heat until reduced to 2 Tbsp.  Mix with the barbecue sauce and set aside.
4. Broil the hotdogs turned as needed until well-charred on all sides.  Remove and put in hotdog rolls.  Top with some shredded cheese and gently broil until the rolls are golden brown and the cheese is melted.
5. Top the hotdogs with the braised apple and onions and some barbecue sauce and serve with sweet potato chips.

Inspired by Columbus - Taste of Dublin

Taste of Dublin (Sept. 17, 2014)
The Conference Center at OCLC
6600 Kilgour Pl.
Dublin, OH
Facebook Page
(next event Sept. 22, 2015)

If you've never been to a "Taste of" event (there is also Taste of the Future, and probably others) they are a lot of fun.  After purchasing a ticket, you can sample any or all of the provided by the vendors.  In the case of Taste of Dublin, the vendors are either local to Dublin, have one of their locations in Dublin, or just wanted to add to the festivities regardless of location (looking at you Tip Top). There are also drink stations scattered around the event where you can get up to two complimentary beverages (beer, wine, soda, or water). Lyndsay and I got a babysitter and spent a few hours on a date (probably the last one before the baby is born) just sampling food and enjoying each others company.

There were vendors and sponsors spread outside and inside, making the event feel like it had four distinct areas to peruse.  The event was sold out, so it was nice to be able to move from place to place as needed to get out of the crowds, though it did take us awhile to figure out where everything was. One thing I always like about these kinds of events is that there are so many vendors it is fun to find out where the real standouts are.  Because when you have Costco and Jeni's a stone throw from each other you know you are going to get a wide range of things to try.

One of the standouts was Fresh Thyme Market. They had a beautiful display and many things to sample, including bacon candy, stuffed grape leaves, watermelon gazpacho, hummus and fruit.  However, the real standouts were their cheeses.  I had a fantastic Iberico cheese and a nice brie with fig spread.  They also had a strawberries and marscapone in a candied sesame seed cone, which was very creative and had a nice blend of salt and sweet.

Tip Top had maybe the nicest display of the evening and to compliment they had their chicken salad in mini-phyllo cups and freshly made smoked gouda grilled cheese sandwiches. Right next to them was one of the most well-balanced dishes of the day, described in the picture above.  This was, I believe, prepared by Brookside Golf and Country Club.

Matt the Miller's Tavern played a pretty good (albeit unintentional) trick on people, such as myself, who didn't take the time to read before stuffing their face.  I thought I was getting homemade chips and salsa and was very pleasantly surprised when I found it was a delicious raw gingery Ahi tuna on a wonton triangle.  I should make this version of chips and salsa for a party sometime.

But my very favorite dish of the evening was made by The Morgan House Restaurant. This grilled cheese sandwich was perfection.  It was made fresh with two kinds of very complimentary cheeses and served with the best Tomato Bisque I've ever had.  I knew as soon as I ate it that I wanted to do my own adult grilled cheese at home this week.

How I was Inspired

After enjoying my fig brie from Fresh Thyme and my grilled cheese from The Morgan House Restaurant I got to thinking about how much I enjoy bacon-wrapped stuffed figs and knew this was the direction I wanted to take my sandwich in.

Like all great grilled cheese sandwiches you don't need much to make it great and there really isn't a set recipe to follow.  Get your favorite sandwich bread or make your own, crisp fry the best bacon you can find (I recommend the double smoked or pepper bacon from Thurns) get a small wheel of brie, some salted butter, a griddle, and you're good to go.

The trick to making a really great grilled cheese sandwich is all about how much butter you put on your bread and the temperature of the griddle.  For the butter, you shouldn't be scraping as thin as possible, nor should it be thick and gloppy.  The temperature, well, that depends on the type of griddle you are using and the type of heat source you are using.  On my stove-top griddle shown here, I used the largest gas burner on my stove set just slightly below medium heat.  I let it preheat for exactly five minutes and I cooked the sandwiches for 

exactly three minutes on each side.

But if you were using a thicker or thinner griddle, are smaller or larger burner, or an electric griddle, these things can change dramatically, making the sandwich burn quickly or soak the butter into the bread, making the sandwich soggy. For this reason it is good to experiment with grilled cheese sandwiches until you get the hang of them with your equipment and then don't deviate from that.  I hate cooking grilled cheese at someone else's house because I always ruin at least one sandwich.  I also find this to be true with pancakes.

For these sandwiches, after spreading the butter on the bread I quickly spread a thin layer of the fig spread on the bread after it was already put on the hot griddle.  It is important that you use as little fig spread as possible to cover the bread because it is very sweet and will overpower the other ingredients quickly.  Then I added slices of brie and slices of the crisp bacon and topped it with the other slice of buttered bread.

And there you have it, six minutes later and my family is eating a delicious salty sweet, crunchy gooey, perfect grilled cheese sandwich that I think would fit in well at The Morgan House.  Be sure to check out next year's Taste of Dublin or Taste of the Future.  Next week, I'll be bringing a recipe inspired by my trip to local orchard and fall festival.