Food, Flavors, Life & Passion

Lake Nona YMCA was built inside an elementary school and is the only one in the US! Promoting education and health at the same time-brilliant idea! Created 150 PB & J reduced fat smoothies for young campers. Talk about pressure!

Thomas Keller’s “ad hoc at home”. is one of the finest cook books I have
come across. A great book that is not very complicated, fine recipes,
and great ideas to make any home cook feel like a pro.

Effinheimer Beer from the Lagniappe Brewing Company in Minneola, Florida. I really enjoy the Hefenweize (Effy Heffy), but don’t let that stop you from trying all the other beers…freshly brewed!

Paul Newman’s Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil. This olive oil is produced in Tunisia and is extra-virgin, which is considered the finest and fruitiest of the olive oils. It’s wonderful for dipping or grilling bread, drizzling over ripe, red tomatoes when in season, added to a hot vegetable soup just before serving, using with pasta sauces, sautéing vegetables, cooking meats, making fresh mayonnaise, pesto’s, hummus, and so many other dishes. I guarantee this is one product  will become a daily staple for you and your family. Produced by Newman’s Own Organics.  I give it a 5 for consistency and price/value. Found in most local supermarkets.

Earth Balance Butter: Oh by the way – this is a vegan product, but don’t let that scare you.
I first became aware of Earth Balance from Chef Tal Ronnen, considered one of the best vegan/vegetarian chefs in the country, by Oprah Winfrey and Ellen DeGeneres. I believe Earth Balance to be a fabulou…s product and well worth adding it to your refrigerator. It doesn’t taste exactly like butter, but it’s really close, and it has a similar texture and melting temperature (exception to high heat, use extra virgin organic olive instead- which I will talk about another day) which means it, bakes much like butter in recipes.
Full of unsaturated and omega-3 fats, Earth Balance spread has lots of good ingredients, and no bad ones. With no downside, and lots of upside (carbon footprint, health, etc.), there’s no reason not to make the permanent switch.

Rating food from 1 to 5 with 5 the highest. I would give it a 5.

We are enjoying a glass of Wrongo Dongo from the Wine Barn in Orlando.
Cindy and I have started a wine journal. Rating wines from 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest.
We grade this wine a 5! We fired up the grill and enjoyed it with our family favorites. Please try and let us know your thoughts.

The 2008 Wrongo Dongo is 100% Monastrell sourced from a Gil family estate vineyard. Purple-colored and exceptionally fragrant, the nose gives up notes of underbrush, mineral, spice box, and blueberry. Round, smooth, and easy-going on the palate, this wine would make a first-class match with paella. Drink it over the next three years.
Retail price in Orlando- $12.00

Check me out at the Gracious Living Design Center in Clermont Florida.

We have  the privilege to utilize an awesome facility that Kim and Mike French have created and they  allow us  to do our creative cooking in.

If you need a meeting area, team building or a small gathering of friends or family. This is the location to have it in!

CLICK HERE TO VIEW: CHeF Andy At Gracious Living

Don’t – Don’t- Don’t – Don’t you- forget about me! C’mon! Sing with me, you know, the song at the end to the movie Breakfast Club! The 80’s classic movie about a group of kids held captive on a Saturday morning in the schools library for detention. Their punishment is to reflect upon their mischievous sins of the past week and right an essay about it. Little did they know that their time together would not only create new friendships but change their lives forever.
Hey! Wait a minute. A group of strangers, thrown together, with one common goal. Could that still work today? The answer is YES!
I have witnessed this phenomenon more than ever over the past few years as I have conducted cooking classes, private gourmet dinners and can you believe- Dinner Clubs!
I have been humbled enough to witness, in my life, the one great wonder that truly embellishes mankind. That my friends is friendship.
I’ve watched friendships ignite in a short period of time by total strangers thrown together because of a food challenge that may possibly carry on for a few brief moments or could propel them into a lifetime relationship. I have experienced a group of friends who have been congregating over food for more than 8 years! Yes, 8 years. They have endured through the economic highs and lows, children, new homes, some have even new husbands or wives, and yet they still gather, kindling their friendships and reminiscing of days of old and planning for the new. The common ground in which all these people share- is Food.
Oh that glorious word! How I dream of food. Well guess what! I’m not alone! There are others. Nomads, searching their kitchens for the right recipe to spark their friend’s palates. These nomads can be seen scanning not only gourmet food stores, malls and shopping aisles to discover new wines, flavors and ingredients to conquer. They are also scouring the world of the internet. Blogs, websites, and even twitter are harboring the food fetishes of food enthusiasts around the world.
They come from all walks of life. Some live in extreme luxury, while others dwell in the caves of apartments. But guess what, it doesn’t matter how much money you make, it doesn’t matter whether you drive a BMW or a Mercedes and it sure doesn’t matter where you live. Everyone and anyone can meet on common ground when it comes to Food.
Food is the catalyst for human interaction. If you have a group of friends who enjoy wine and cheese, how about meeting at a park or a beach. So what if your kitchen is too small, plan a get together with everyone bringing their favorite dish. Who cares if it’s not perfect, that’s the beauty of it, just have FUN! With all that faces our daily lives wouldn’t it be nice to just get together with a few old friends and hey, how about inviting some new ones?
Remember this can work for anyone, especially if you’re new to the area. What a great way to introduce yourself and some neighbors for a quick, but fun get together. The office is a great way to get to know your co-workers. You don’t have to start big. Keep it simple as possible. It doesn’t have to be just couples. Singles, what a great way to meet- over a stove cooking! How about a cooking class! Make it a group event. Always make sure you give thought to your gathering. You obviously want people to have fun, but you never want them to feel awkward or embarrassed because they did not understand the theme or the nature of the party. I’ve just scratched the surface here, so think it out, be creative and get everyone involved! It’s a lot more fun like that.
In my antique cookbook collection I remember reading one book, over 40 years old, about entertaining. I was astounded to read on how dinner parties were quite common. One popular theme was to pick a country and each couple would bring a dish from that particular country for everyone to try. We know that the true essence of this gathering was friendship. I can in vision a great deal of laughing, slaps on the back, glasses toasting and dropping, ice chilling, food burning, candles dimming, cool breezes, soft music and thoughts of days gone by and dreams of days to come. I would wager that some dishes worked and some didn’t, but you know what? – Did it really matter?

We can all tell our stories of fire and flame.
The flame conjures memories of cook outs, camp fires, bonfires and assorted meats basking in a world of oak, mesquite and hickory. Fire and flames are etched in my mind of old fashioned camp outs where the amber’s soared to the stars and the heavens shined below. We would sit around bonfires to gather warmth, build friendships, rekindle memories of days long gone and thorough the night, you would constantly feed the beast with as much wood as one could bear so that the deep darkness of the night, would be kept away by the glow of the earthbound fire.
Fire evokes the senses just as much as foods and flavors themselves. In life nothing tastes like a hotdog on a stick. Taking a marshmallow and watch it become engulfed in flames and try to blow it out in time to save it- is what they say- priceless.
A man, it seems, is judged today by the size of his grill, rather than the power in which it is powered by. I say man, because the majority of my experiences involving the territorial rights of man vs. woman, the grill is left for the man to dominate of his own free will. Most women could care less about a grill. But ask a man about his grill and you get “Hey! guess how many Btu’s this baby can push out!” “come on, feel that stainless steel finish”, “I just got the S600 with a heat censored probe, 2 burners, an automatic temperature gauge and a built in wok!” and the beer jacket was free!” Sound like a car- Well I’ve come to call them that. I get asked all the time which grill to buy, especially now. Well just like our buddies in the auto section, I’m very fortunate to have cooked on almost every kind of model. As a “Viking” representative, I have cruised in the Ferrari and Lamborghini of grills-as I have come to call them- that start in the thousands. I recommend you shop around first, test drive one and break it in slowly. They have their own covers you know.
Outdoor grilling of today has evolved into two entities, Propane & Charcoal.
I’m a charcoal/wood man. A bag of charcoal, a match, some wood chips and I’m having the greatest time of my life. To lift the lid of my grill and become engulfed in smoke, aromas and the vision of perfectly grilled pieces of meat makes my mouth water. My inexpensive charcoal grill has lasted four years and has seen an endless array of meats, fowl and vegetables. At Thanksgiving I gave it such a hard work out, the paint peeled right off!
Now you can talk to me about propane all you want, but it just doesn’t sit well me. I know about the electric starter. I know how easy it is with propane, well- when the tank is full. But guess what, you still need to clean it! I mean, how long are you going to keep that bratwurst in there that fell between the grates last year. You know it can’t become petrified for a few thousand more years – right? Now is the time, to fill the tank, buy some new tools, oh yeah, you do know that you need to wash your outdoor utensils-right? No really, how many chicken breasts, ribs and hamburgers have you prodded, poked and squashed with the fork and spatula? Get out the instructions, see what cleansers you can use and wash it down. And for god sake, PLEASE! Clean the grates! If I lift one more grill with last years ribs still stuck to the grates, I’m going to lose it. Well, now that I’ve gotten that off my chest.
Men, it is your responsibility to maintain a clean and operational grill at all times. Check your hoses, gas lines, ignition switches, grates, tools, and if you need to buy a new grill. Check out a charcoal grill for me- please.
And as Bob Seagar once said”
Call me a relic, call me what you will, so I’m old fashioned, say I’m over the hill, today’s propane ain’t got the same soul, I like my old time charcoal grill.

Its time all right! Time to get your ____ off the couch and get going!
Get UP!
No more excuses, the holidays are over. Get Out!
You’ve renewed your membership to the gym- again.
You’ve made your new year’s resolutions-can we please try something original this year,
You’ve gotten better with Valentine’s Day — I hope! Daylight is right around the corner — I mean daylight saving’s time that is.
So what does this have to do with food? Everything!
Spring is the time when chefs begin to shed their winter coats. They come out of hibernation to challenge their culinary minds in the quest for-
A SPRING MENU!
All over the country, chefs are developing, creating and conjuring their menus to capture the palates of the gastronomic world. Spring evokes the best that food will or will not have to offer. Spring will tell the tale of produce and fruits to come. It will give you the knowledge to shape your menu into one that is committed to the finest that nature has to offer. It’s the dawning of the harvest in its entire splendor. The mere thought of strolling through a farmer’s market on a crisp, early morning day sends goose bumps up and down my–well you know. The ability to capture the aroma, textures and fragrances of freshly harvested indigenous fruits and vegetables in one’s hand, seizes the true spirit of cooking.
You ask yourself, what the heck does this have to do with me?
I then ask you, what is Your menu for success this year? I know you have already cleaned out your pantry, thrown out all of the to- go boxes left in the refrigerator and you still have to try out that new bread machine you got for Christmas! Well then, what are you waiting for!
This is the time to try something fresh in your culinary life. Go outside and start planting that herb garden you’ve wanted since you last watched it on Martha. Go out and buy that cook book on-remember, you saw it on Oprah that one day. How about trying some of that essence this weekend, you only have every one of them.
Start with an herb garden. The smell of fresh basil in the garden is toxic. The taste of fresh chili peppers in a salsa is wonderful! How about your own tomatoes?
Was that too much for you? OK, will start off a little smaller then. How about buying some already started herb plants instead. Experiment with food that is grass fed, free range, or organic? Give tofu another shot. Have you tried the refrigerated soy milk yet? Add more seafood to your diet this year. There’s other fish besides salmon. Give Chilean sea bass, or Cobia a shot- it’s awesome! Try a new cheese, besides brie. Check out Whole Foods Cheese department and ask for a tasting of cheese. Try a new country for wine. Australia is hot right now, so are Chilean reds and New Zealand. Great tasting wines at home are constantly coming out of Oregon and Washington stat., I had a great Syrah the other night.
Step out and express your culinary self. Go to the mall and view the new cookware departments and gourmet cooking stores. You might be surprised at the amount of new gadgets, plateware, glassware and silverware now available at reasonable prices.
Hey- you constantly ask me “How can I cook like a chef? I continually say quality! Quality embarks on simplicity. When you cook with locally harvested, seasonal food products with quality cookware and serve it on flattering plate ware and garnish it with optimum stemware. The flavors of the food will dance joyously on the palate and inspire the cook, to whip up additional meals to tantalize the world.
Remember, it’s imperative that you go out and create your own- BAM! On life.