The Food Blogger Code of Ethics

I know many of you publish your own blogs, and you’ve probably said to yourself many times, “I wish there were a short, concise set of blogging ethics I could refer to, so I would be like totally ethical when it comes to ethics and stuff.”

Well, you are in luck! I just created the Food Blogger Code of Ethics, inspired by the Food Blog Code of Ethics. As you’ll soon read, the Food Blog Code of Ethics is a recently published set of guidelines written by Brooke Burton and Leah Greenstein.

I decided to have a little fun, and reduced the “Code” down to its ethical essence, like a sort of Socratic demiglace. Enjoy!

Socrates Photo (c) bencrowe's Flickr photosteam

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Uh-Oh! SpaghettiOs

Denise from the blog ChezUs has posted a “gourmet” homemade version of the retro classic, Chef Boyardee SpaghettiOs, and I don’t know about you, but I can’t look at a picture of SpaghettiOs without smiling.

I don’t even remember if I was fed SpaghettiOs as a child. I’d ask my mom, but like any good Italian she would probably never admit to it. Regardless, I’ve always been fascinated by the SpaghettiO. Why hasn’t the ring caught on as a pasta shape?

You would think that the shape’s popularity as a canned foods staple would have caught on with pasta makers, homemakers, and chefs, but that hasn't been the case. Did Chef Boyardee have a gang of thugs from Piacenza, Italy, that “recommended” others not use it? Since there’s no way to know for sure, let’s assume he did.

Anyway, I applaud Denise and her fearless attempt to bring SpaghettiOs into your lives sans cans. Her recipe looks delicious, and I’m sure it will be making an appearance here in video form someday. Get the recipe, and read her post here. Enjoy!

Photo (c) ChezUs

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Back That Asset Up

Pardon the juvenile, Juvenile reference, but I'm still reeling from a catastrophic hard disc crash. Friday my MacBook's hard drive died. It was a quick and hopefully painful death.

Luckily I had most of my movie files, photos, and recipes backed-up on an external drive, but it was still a traumatic experience.

My Mac was covered by the AppleCare service contract, so thankfully I was able to have a new hard disc installed. I'd like to thank the fine folks at the Apple store in downtown San Francisco for their fine customer service.

You have to make an appointment at the "Genius Bar" where their technician (called geniuses) work. Although they provided me with top-notch assistance, as an actual genius, it sort of bothered me that they use that term so loosely. Anyway, after a long frustrating weekend of reinstalling, reloading, reviewing, and reevaluating my career choice, I'm happy to say I'm almost back to normal.

I did lose about a month's worth of photos, so if you see less than stellar pictures in the next few posts, it's because I had to use still frames from the video. I'll leave you with a personal plea to back up your files! Even though I only lost a small amount of content, just the thought of what could have been is enough to make me shudder.

Photo (c) Flickr user Joe Lanman

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Happy Mother's Day and Congratulations Pauline and Peggy!

As you can see from this video still, my mother Pauline has been named 2009 Mother of the Year!

I'm so proud of her and even though she should have been honored long ago, better late than never.

Here is a link to watch the full video report about this prestigious award. Congratulations Mom! I love you and will see you soon.

In related news, Food Wishes Video Recipes is proud to announce the results of our first Annual Mother-in-Law of the Year Award. This year's inaugural winner is... Peggy Manfredi! Peggy is, and has been, a huge supporter of this site.

While her many contributions may go unnoticed to you, they are invaluable to me. Wow, imagine that, my mother and mother-in-law both being honored in the same year. Amazing.

I want to wish all you moms out there a very happy Mother's Day, and hopefully you had the forethought to make your kids and husbands watch a few of my video recipes, so they could make you a beautiful meal Sunday. Have a great day, and we'll see you back here Monday for more foodie fun. Hopefully your kitchens survive the weekend. Enjoy!

* Click photo to see full video

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Foodbuzz Says "Thanks a Million" at the Press Club

Foodbuzz, the Internet's largest social network for foodies, celebrated their one-millionth post by treating their featured publishers and other associates to a delicious Tuesday night of wine and food pairings at the beautiful Press Club in San Francisco.

You've heard me sing the praises of Foodbuzz before, and deservedly so. Ryan Stern (the Director of Publishing, pictured below with Nate Perry-Thistle, Director of Tech), and the rest of the F.B. team have provided valuable support for what I do here on Foodwishes.

I couldn’t be happier for their success and really appreciate the way they paid tribute to their food blogging partners. As I sipped and nibbled my way around the softly lit, subterranean wine bar, I felt that vibe a room gets when everyone is thinking happy thoughts and feeling appreciated.

Of course, the 16 tastes of wine poured, and the fabulous plates of "small bites" provide by Michael Mina may have contributed to this "vibe," but, whatever.

The Press Club features wines by eight of Northern California's top boutique wineries. I'll confess, I'm more of a wine drinker than wine taster, but I really enjoyed swirling and sniffing my way through each station. My personal favorites were the Saintsbury Pinot Noir, Carneros 2006, and the Hanna Sauvignon Blanc, 2008.

So, a sincere thanks to Foodbuzz for the food and the buzz. It was also very cool getting to chat with some of the other bloggers about ideas and techniques they use to capture the hearts and minds of the chewing public. Congratulations, and here's to the next million posts!

Pictured below are the food offerings, which included (in order): "Shrimp Cocktail" with Horseradish Panna Cotta, Tuna Nicoise and Quail Egg, Duck Confit Cassoulet, Steak Tartare, Island Creek Oysters with Pickled Ramp Granite, and Pork Rillete with Honshimeji Mushrooms (click to see larger version). Everything was as delicious as it looked!

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A Tuesday Tease

If you've been to Santa Maria, California, you may know what's coming.

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Finally, a Food Wishes Fan Page on Facebook!

Thanks to the social networking revolution, we now have the platform for a Food Wishes fan page on Facebook. While it's very hard to do here on the blog itself, this Facebook page with allow you foodwishers to post photos of your recipes.

Hopefully, you will also share your brilliant ideas, tell stories, have spirited discussions, ask each other questions, and so forth. If you are interested in being one of the moderators, please email me and I will hook you up. I'm sure I could use a little help keeping the page Food Wish focused.

So, it you are a regular on this site, and you make the dishes seen here, please go and become a fan, and begin sharing your food with others! I'm not any kind of Facebook expert, and don't spend a ton of time there, so please feel free to make suggestions on the site's wall. Enjoy!

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Back and Forth

We just returned home from the amazing Frick Winery, and I'm happy to report another successful Passport event. The weather was glorious, the wine spectacular, and the reviews on the food pairings ranged from delicious to "can I fly you to Dallas?"

Special thanks to my in-laws Peggy and Al, who always do such a great job, and despite the long, hard days seem to enjoy themselves thoroughly.

This year also featured the debut of my cousin (Chef) Tony and his very significant other, Nora, who both did a fantastic job. They brought great energy and enthusiasm to the party, not to mention a couple of pair of 25 year-old legs.

So, our busiest week and weekend of the year is over, and after the briefest of breaks (basically, this afternoon) I will get back behind the stove and camera where most of you probable wish I would stay.

Here are a few photos I took (in order); the view from Bill's home overlooking the vineyards at dusk, beef bresaola and arugula, hoisin duck and green onions, one-bite tandoori Waldorf salad, chili-rubbed pork tenderloin with chocolate tortillas and pepper jam, cambazola cheese on fig bread, the post event dinner table featuring giant artichokes and grilled tri-tip.

By the way, if you enjoy great wine, and live in Northern California, do yourself a favor and take a ride up to meet Bill Frick and taste his delicious wines in person at his winery in Geyserville. If you live elsewhere, you can visit the Frick Winery website. Enjoy!

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Just Arrived in Healdsburg - Be Back Monday!

We just arrived for our weekend of work, wine, and wonderment. Hopefully I'll be able to chime in at some point, but if not, we'll be back Monday with some photos and maybe a few war stories. Cheers!

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Go Twitter Yourself

I've never been one to let common sense, or the belief that something is a silly waste of time, prevent me from joining in on a mega-trend. Here is the link to my twitter page, so you can "follow" me and read my "tweets."

You never know, as busy as I'll be this weekend, if you're following me on twitter you may read what I had for breakfast, or if you're really, really lucky I may even tell you about the weather. It should be great!

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What We Had for Lunch

While running some supplies up to the Frick Winery in preparation for our big event this weekend, we made a pit stop in beautiful Healdsburg. I've wanted to try the famous pork cheek sandwich at Bovolo Restaurant for the longest time, and it was well worth the wait.

The tender, rich cheek sat on a crusty toasted roll, slathered in an intensely-flavored salsa verde and roasted sweet peppers. We also shared a charcuterie plate, and Michele had a lovely fried green tomato BLT. Enjoy!

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A Grand Tasting - The Best of Pebble Beach Food and Wine 2009

Here's a little video recap I just put together of my favorite bites from inside the Lexus Grand Tasting tent at Pebble Beach. It was foodie nirvana - literally hundreds of the finest wine markers shoulder to chef coat with some of the most talented gastronomes in the country.

As I methodically worked my way around the giant white tent, I was pleasantly surprised to find the star chefs were not only present in the booths, in most cases they were the ones making and serving the food.

This gave the attendees a rare chance to hear what they were about to taste as described by the dishes creator. As you'll see in the video, while describing these offerings, most of the chefs had a twinkle in their eye that only shines through when you are truly enjoying what you're saying.

My favorite description was by Chris Cosentino, who created the ingenious "Liver and Kidney Pie" pictured here. Chris was beaming over every single component, and after one bite I knew why.

For the sake of time, and several star chefs' reputations, this video is not a complete catalog of the food, but a collection of my favorite bites. I thought it was going to be hard to decide on a favorite - that was until I tasted what Chef Mark Estee called a BLT. It was transcendent.

The little homemade English muffin topped with tomato gelée, pork belly, and romaine ice cream was simply amazing. It was a truly brilliant bite from concept to cocktail napkin.

In addition to the Grand Tasting covered here, I attended a couple demos by Chef Michele Richard (Chef Richard and Santa Claus have never been seen in the same room). They were a lot of fun, and I'll post more content this week as time allows.

I want to extend a special thanks to my friends at Foodbuzz who made covering this memorable event possible. For those of you who don't know about Foodbuzz yet, they're the ultimate social network for foodies, and I highly suggest signing up. Enjoy!

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Chef Love

This short film is dedicated to everyone still searching for their one true love.

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Pebble Beach Food and Wine 2009 Recap Coming Soon to a Video Recipe Blog Near You

I arrived back in San Francisco last night after an incredible day of food and wine tasting at Pebble Beach. A very sincere thanks to Foodbuzz for the invite, and I hope they, and their community of curious culinarians enjoys the multimedia coverage I'll provide over the next few days.

Today we're headed up to Sonoma to take care of some business for our annual mega-catering at the beautiful Frick winery, which is happening this coming weekend.

This week will be crazy busy getting ready for that, but I will pull together some great video and photos I took down in Pebble and post it for your vicarious viewing pleasure.

It was a who's who of the West coast foodie universe and I was blown away by some of the things I saw and tasted. Stay tuned for the video and photographic recap, along with news about our big upcoming weekend.

By the way, save your "what the hell is that?" comments - all these dishes will be identified in the video(s), usually by the star chef that made them. Cheers!

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A Fishwife's Tale

Being so close to the sea had me craving a nice thick steak, but after checking Yelp for dining recommendations in Seaside, California, I decided to go for some fish instead.

I ended up at a cute little seafood place called either "The Fishwife's Turtle Bay Taqueria," or "Fishwife Seafood Café," depending on which sign you believe.

I started with a cup of Ciopino, which is usually a stew, but this was in soup form. It was pleasant, and filled with bay shrimp, clams, halibut, and faux crab.

It was hard not to get the New England clam chowder, which looked great at the next table, but geography won the day.

My main course was a small, but very fresh and nicely cooked piece of wild Pacific salmon. It was topped with a zesty habanero pepper butter sauce. The rice and black beans are always welcomed on my plate, but it was the cold broccoli salad that was the side dish star.

The perfectly cooked broccoli florets, dressing with a simple vinaigrette, topped with diced tomato and onion, have me planning a video recipe attempt very soon.

It was a very nice meal, and extremely reasonable for the location. I'm headed to Spanish Bay in the morning, so stay tuned!

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Pebble Beach Food and Wine 2009

Pebbles? You'd think with all the millionaires that live in the area, they could afford some sand. Anyway, I'm headed down to the stunningly beautiful Monterey peninsula today for a quick overnight foodie adventure.

The 2nd Annual Pebble Beach Food and Wine event began on Thursday and runs through Sunday, and I've been blessed with a pass compliments of my friends at Foodbuzz.

I'll be attending a couple demos Saturday, and will also graze, snap, and hopefully film my way through the Lexus Grand Tasting Tent, home to over two hundred wineries, partnered with a small army of star chefs.

This event is not for the financially challenged. Prices range from $100 for individual chef demos, to $4,750 for a complete package that includes a three-night stay, access to all events, including after-hour parties with the star chefs.

Before you put on your "Eat the Rich" t-shirt, and start sharpening your pitchfork, you should know that last years Pebble Beach Food and Wine event raised over $100,000 for local charities.

To give you a little taste, I've embedded a video produced by Lexus, one of the main sponsors. Yes, it is basically a Lexus commercial, but will give you some idea of the event. I will be back Saturday night and hope to post something soon there after.



Photo (c) Flickr user Vaidy Krishnan

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Tuesday Tease: Chicken Roulade

UPDATE: What you are looking at is chicken breast wrapped around a filling of garlic-parsley breadcrumbs, prosciutto, and provolone cheese. The sauce is a roasted tomato and white wine reduction. In the center sits a cold lentil salad.

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Happy Easter!

Whether you're celebrating for religious reasons, or you’re just in it for the candy (the real miracle is how much they charge for a hollow chocolate rabbit these days!), I want to wish you all a happy Easter. Today it's okay to keep all your eggs in one basket.

If you're a regular reader, you probably know about my goal to keep this blog virtually religion and politics free, but that doesn't mean I can't remind you to take a moment to think about all the miracles that happen all around us on a daily basis.

The latest example is pictured here, my new niece Malia Grace Manfredi. Congratulations Kenny and Josette! Now that's an Easter basket.

Enjoy the rest of your Sunday, and stay tuned for some great video recipes this week, including Rocket Beans, Maple-Brined Pork Roast, and Lamb Meatballs. Enjoy!

Photo (c) Flickr user tristanf

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Squeez Bacon!

Like most of you, I've long wondered why no one has yet developed a squeezable bacon? I mean, we have the scientific know-how to fake a moon landing, for heaven's sake, why can't be put bacon in a squeeze bottle?

Well, happy days! I'm thrilled to introduce Squeez Bacon, the Swedish food sensation that will undoubtedly change the world's diet for good. Now, people in the most remote corners of the world can finally enjoy a delicious BTL.

I'm actually thinking of closing down the blog and becoming a Squeez Bacon salesman. Imagine the wealth and fame that will come from being in on the ground floor with this amazing new product. I sure hope this isn't some kind of internet hoax.



Photo (c) thinkgeek.com

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Trader Joe's Meatloaf - Do As I Say, and Occasionally Do

This video recipe for Trader Joe's meatloaf was produced for a few reasons. First, I like meatloaf, and Trader Joe's (a chain of great little grocery stores) has some wonderful ingredients that make this recipe easy and delicious.

Secondly, I would love to be hired as a sort of video spokesperson for them - showing off their products for the benefit of my foodwish faithful, as well as the benefit of my feeble checking account balance.

Since I really use and love their products, it seems to be a perfect fit. The only problem is I don't think they know about me yet. I have people working on this, but I thought their job would be made easier if I had a few examples they could refer to.

Regarding the actual cooking of this meatloaf; I've always told people to cook their meatloaf to an internal temp of 155 degrees F. I've begged them to get a quality meat thermometer and use it religiously. I've told them the cooking times given in meatloaf recipes are only an approximation that will vary greatly.

So, it's with some shame that I now confess I haven't followed my own advice. I feel like the cardiologist who gets caught buying fried pork rinds at the mini-mart… "They're… err… for my friend."

Since I usually use the same amount of meat (2 pounds) and fixings, I just cook my loaf for one-hour and ten minutes at 325 degrees F, and it comes out beautifully moist.

But, for whatever reason, when I removed this lovely loaf o' meat from the oven, I decided to pop in a thermometer to check. As you can see from the completely un-edited photo here, the final internal temp was…155 degrees exactly. Enjoy!



Ingredients:
2 tbsp butter
3 cup diced onions, carrots, celery
2 lbs ground beef
1/2 cup roasted tomato salsa
1/2 cup milk
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup fine breadcrumbs
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
2 1/2 tsp salt
pinch of cayenne
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
For the glaze:
1/2 cup roasted tomato salsa
3 tbsp brown sugar
For the sauce:
1/2 the cooked veggies
1 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
3 cups beef broth
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

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