Chef Monsta: I cook, therefore I blog

Fans of The Travel Channel’s Man vs. Food rejoice! A new show is coming out on Travel Channel, debuting March 9 at 10pm EST, called Food Wars. The premise of this competition is as follows: local eateries and their iconic dishes battle it out and end their rivalries! Think Philly cheese steak or hot dog war, captured on tv with loyal fans defending their faves. I received an invitation from friends of New York’s iconic 2nd Avenue Deli to witness a live taping of Food Wars: Battle New York City Pastrami against famous Katz’s Deli! Exciting Stuff.

The taping of the showdown took place last night at the LES bar The Delancey and both deli’s brought crowds and energy to cheer for their teams. I of course, was on Team 2nd Ave Deli, proudly wearing my t-shirt. There were six tasters (including the Village Voice food critic, a linebacker from the Jets, and long time customers of each prospective deli) and an appearance by Times Square’s Naked Cowboy! I can’t tell you who won this showdown of course, but stay tuned for the episode which will air this Spring!

Here are some pics of the activities:

The Naked Cowboy sang a little opening ceremony deli tune.

The 2nd Ave Deli t-shirt, complete with a listing of its delicacies.

Camera crew.

The cheering crowd!

Team 2nd Ave representing.

Katz’s fans, with a sign of the famous line from When Harry Met Sally (filmed at Katz’s of course).

To the left, 2nd Ave Deli owner Jack Lebwohl, and to the right is Katz’s owner Alan Dell.

Pastrami A (2nd Ave)

Pastrami B (Katz’s)

And there I am, with Food Wars host Camille Ford

The episode will air sometime in April, stay tuned for details and the WINNER!

Sheara here…Chef Monsta’s big sis…when I told her today that I planned on making gnocchi tonight, she said to me “Don’t bother making gnocchi from scratch, it takes forever, just buy it pre-made and make the sauce“. But, being that I had potatoes that I wanted to use up, and having never made gnocchi before, I ignored Chef Monsta and made it anyway. Here’s what I came up with:
(more…)

This steak salad is so easy to prepare and is a great for any meal and any season.

Steak Marinade:
1/2 c soy sauce
2 tbsp olive oil
fresh black pepper
2 tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp red pepper flakes

Salad:
1/2 lb mushrooms
2 scallions, chopped
2 c arugula
1 Israeli cucumber, chopped
1 Roma tomato, chopped
2 tbsp toasted pine nuts
juice of 1 lemon
salt and pepper

(more…)

This is a little twist on hummus, which I eat almost daily and never get sick of! But it is always good to mix it up. Five ingredients needed, and takes 2 minutes to puree in the food processor or blender.

1 can (15 oz) chickpeas (rinsed)
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
5 sun-dried tomatoes
1/3 c olive oil
3 tbsp lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

(more…)

Last year I posted a recipe for your basic traditional hamantaschen to celebrate the Jewish holiday of Purim. This year, it was time to come up with some new flavors to brighten up this drab winter that seems to NEVER END. Peanut butter and Jelly hamantaschen anyone? Lemon custard filling? No problem.

Firstly, preheat oven to 350 F degrees.

Dough:

5 cups of flour
1 cup of sugar
2 tsp baking powder
4 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla extract
juice and zest of 1 lemon
1/3 c orange juice

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and mix by hand.

(more…)