Category: Food Gold

Food Gold: 20 Minute Roasted Chicken

Posted on Apr 28th, 2011

Food Gold is back with another quick draw 20 minute dinner recipe. I whipped up this chicken dish on Sunday night using a few things I had in the pantry and some store bought chicken legs I needed to do something with. The sauce is really open to interpretation, as it’s really just an example of how to combine acidic (vinegar, lemon juice, tomatoes) with salty (olives) and possibly sweet (roasted tomatoes, mmm.) Get creative and mess around until you get the flavor profile you want. And be sure to go through the effort to broil the chicken before serving. That extra crispy skin makes all the difference! Knowledge after the jump. Read More

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Posted in Columns, Food Gold

Food Gold: Sesame Noodles

Posted on Apr 12th, 2011

It’s no great secret that cold sesame noodles are a delicious, light spring time meal. But our version takes the Chinese restaurant staple to new levels but using two types of vinegar and adding tahini (sesame paste and the basis for a good hummus, FYI) to the mix. The secret to getting the best consistency is to allow the noodles to cool slightly and adding the sauce at the last second before serving. That’s what’s up. Recipe after the jump! Read More

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Food Gold: Improv Pasta Salad

Posted on Mar 14th, 2011

The key to any good pasta salad is balance. You want something rich (cheese) matched with something crunchy (pine nuts, breadcrumbs) and something acidic (tomatoes, vinegar). Then you want to add some fresh herbs to jump up the flavor. So yes, it is basically like any other salad except you have pasta instead of greens. Below is a quick version I whipped up last week using what I had lying around. Feel free to substitute cheeses and dressings, most anything will work so long as your ratios are good. This one is a bit tangy as per my personal preference but you can dial down the vinegar if you like. Go forth! Read More

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Food Gold: Homemade Tomato Sauce

Posted on Feb 24th, 2011

This week, we are taking you back to culinary boot camp with a delicious, versatile red tomato sauce. The technique is super basic so it is ALL about the quality of your ingredients and your desire to experiment with different combinations of fresh and dried herbs, various cheeses and anything else you happen to have around. After nailing this (trust, you will probably swag out on the first try) you will never eat Prego again.Let’s go! Read More

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Posted in Columns, Food Gold

Food Gold: My Salmon Valentine

Posted on Feb 10th, 2011

It’s no great secret that one of my goals with Food Gold is to help people get laid by showing them how to lovingly prepare dishes for their lovers/others. With Valentine’s Day on deck, I figured it was time to dress things up a bit and show you how to make something elegant, sexy and delicious—smoked salmon Hors D’oeuvres with Creme Fraiche. There’s no real cooking here, so it is all about the presentation. Also, lest you think we are getting kinky, the reason this recipe is for 8 is to not help cater your next orgy but because you will want to eat these the next morning too, wink wink. Let’s get magical. Read More

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Food Gold: Butternut Squash Ravioli with Brown Butter and Arugula

Posted on Feb 1st, 2011

One of the questions I get asked a lot when it comes to home cooking  on a weeknight is how one can take pre-made, store bought items like ravioli and take them to another dimension of deliciousness. This week on Food Gold, we are going to offer an elegant response to that question using Trader Joe’s Giotto’s Butternut Squash Ravioli, some butter and some fresh arugula. Most people don’t think to cook arugula and use it the same way you would fresh spinach, but if you can take the leap of faith with us you won’t be disappointed. Here, the sweetness of the butternut squash is offset by the funky, slightly bitter notes of arugula and a delicious, nutty sauce comprised of little more than unsalted butter and some pasta water. It’s a winner for sure. Let’s go! Read More

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Food Gold: Sammy Bananas' Roast Lemon Rosemary Chicken

Posted on Jan 21st, 2011

OG Food Gold contributor Sammy Bananas returns!

Who Likes Chicken? Over the past few years I’ve been working on a simple but damn good recipe for Roast Chicken. The result is straightforward and hard to screw up, but a serious mouth waterer. I recently brought this chicken to the annual Fool’s Gold Holiday Potluck, and it seemed to be a hit! Food Gold head chef Elliot practically forced me to give up the recipe, and I’m happy to share. I’ve gotta give a shout here to my lovely girlfriend Mari, who introduced this approach to me, and has helped shape it into a winner. Read below to find out the juicy (and I do mean juicy) details! Read More

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Posted in Columns, Food Gold

Food Gold: Improv Spaghetti with Gorgonzola/Cream Sauce & Peas

Posted on Jan 12th, 2011

Last night my roomy @hellastoops was hella hungry and so I decided to experiment with a few things I had in the fridge to create a satisfying meal using very few fresh ingredients. Normally I strive to include fresh herbs, citrus notes, etc in my pasta creations but given the situation I decided to dig out frozen peas, some funky Gorgonzola cheese and heavy cream and see what happened. What happened was very good so here’s the rough recipe. Fast and loose is the name of the game here. Just cook with your eyes and taste often. You can substitute frozen asparagus or spinach for the peas, or better yet use the fresh stuff. That said, in a pinch this one is a winner! Read More

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Food Gold: Real Gs Move In Silence Like (Bechamel) Lasagne (With Mushrooms)

Posted on Jan 5th, 2011

Welcome back to Food Gold 2k11! This week we getting heavy and hearty with a Grandma classic, lasagne. Our version features the woodsy goodness of four kinds of mushrooms, bright fresh herbs and a delicious mother sauce, the bechamel. I broke things down in a few easy steps so you can keep everything in order as you cook up this treat. My only advice is to make sure to you butter the dish before you throw it in the oven and that you taste as you go on the seasoning front. Aside from that, it’s a breeze. You can do this! I want to see you do this! Read More

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Food Gold: Schnitzel or Milanese?

Posted on Dec 8th, 2010

Last weekend, I had a wild craving for a BK Chicken Sandwich, which for the record was my most favorite childhood food. Rather than forking over three bucks for a chemically processed corporate death machine fillet, I decided to whip up a batch of chicken schnitzel, aka chicken Milanese. Or in Jersey Shore parlance, “chicken cutlets.” To be fair these are not synonymous but rather “related” dishes. All three consist of breaded and fried chicken but the Milanese usually has parmesan in the mix while schnitzels are traditionally made with veal.

In learning how to make this you master not only the art of properly cooking chicken breasts so they are juicy and delectable but also how to properly heat oil and cook in batches to ensure crispy, golden brown food. Important stuff to say the least. And just remember tonight’s chicken cutlet night can also be tomorrow’s chicken parmesan night! Read More

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