MR. FOOD TEST KITCHEN SENATE BEAN SOUP MONDAY 10-09-17
1:21
All this week we are out of the kitchen enjoying the tastes of our nation’s capital. Stick around because you’re in for an adventure.
All this week we are out of the kitchen enjoying the sights, sounds and most importantly, the tastes of our nation’s capital. In addition to visiting lots of monuments, museums and landmarks, we’ll be visiting one of the area’s most notable food hangouts, and we’ll share our 16th president’s favorite dessert. But today we’re highlighting a recipe that’s been served in the Senate Dining Room since the early 20th century. And if you’ve been to Washington D.C. before, you know there can be lots of walking. So whenever you’re in town, you might want to consider getting a Metro pass, hopping on a double-decker bus or even trying your skills on a Segway. Does this look fun or what? And after getting the hang of this, and going up and down the National Mall, I headed over to the Senate Dining Room to try a bowl of their famous bean soup. And with each spoonful it got better and better. Between the rich broth, the chunks of smoky ham and all those tender-as-can-be beans, I vote that this is a true winner. To get the recipe for our version of, “Senate Bean Soup,” all you have to do is go online. Now I’m off to explore more of this great city. I’m Howard, from the Mr. Food Test Kitchen, where today we found an “All-American way” for you to say…“OOH IT’S SO GOOD!!”
MR. FOOD TEST KITCHEN WHITE HOUSE TUESDAY 10-10-17
STRAWBERRIES ROMANOFF 1:18
Today’s recipe is so special it’s worthy of being on a White House menu.
Our non-stop tour of Washington, D.C. continues and there’s still so much more to see and do. We could spend a month here. But the one place we needed to make sure we visited was the White House, and we did. And even though I’ve seen it hundreds of times on TV and in the movies, there’s nothing like seeing it in person. It’s hard to image what it would be like to live at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. This place is humongous! It takes a staff of more than 450, including a team of chefs to keep everything running. After all, you don’t think the first family takes care of all 132 rooms by themselves, do you? Now since most of us probably won’t have a chance to dine in the White House, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t eat like a dignitary. That’s why we’ve recreated a dessert that was served when the Kennedy’s hosted a luncheon for Princess Grace Kelly. It’s a simple, yet fancy tasting Strawberries Romanoff that has stood the test of time. And whether you’re serving this to royalty or not, you’ll love how the combo of fresh whipped cream and the vanilla ice cream, accents the orange kissed-berries. To get the recipe for our, “White House Strawberries Romanoff,” all you need to do is visit our website. I’m Howard from the Mr. Food Test Kitchen, where today we found a “presidential” way for you to say…“OOH IT’S SO GOOD!!”
MR. FOOD TEST KITCHEN GEORGE WASHINGTON’S WEDNESDAY 10-11-17
CORN CAKES 1:13
We are midway through our weeklong visit to Washington, D.C. and take it from me, today’s recipe is “monumental.”
As our weeklong visit to Washington, D.C. continues, I have to tell you, there’s a lot to do here. For those of you who love museums, there’s no shortage of them, including the Smithsonian, which you could get lost in. After all, it’s the largest museum in the world. And if you’re a foodie like me, you have to check out the Julia Child exhibit in the National Museum of American History, which is part of the Smithsonian. There you’ll see a replica of the kitchen where Julia created recipes for her cookbooks and taped her TV show. Then we were off to the Washington Monument. It was built to honor and recognize George Washington’s leadership, and his many contributions to our country. Did you know that President Washington began his morning routine with a breakfast that included the most incredible corn cakes? He loved them so much, we thought it would be fitting to recreate the recipe and share it with you. It’s simple, yet its taste is monumental. To get the recipe for what we call, “George Washington’s Corn Cakes,” all you need to do is visit our website. I’m Howard from the Mr. Food Test Kitchen, where today we found a “monumental way” for you to say…
“OOH IT’S SO GOOD!!”
MR. FOOD TEST KITCHEN BEN’S CHILI DOG THURSDAY 10-12-17
1:32
Our weeklong tour of Washington D.C. continues with a smoking good treat. Stick around, you’re not going to want to miss this one.
Our tasty weeklong tour of Washington D.C. continues and we haven’t stopped for a minute. This morning we took a brisk walk on the National Mall, which is often referred to as “America’s Front Yard.” The Mall is a park that connects the Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial. And as you would imagine, after all that sightseeing, we worked up quite an appetite. So we headed over to Ben’s Chili Bowl, which has been a landmark since 1958. Here we can find locals, as well as politicians and celebrities rolling up their sleeves as they dig into the dish that made Ben’s famous. It starts off with a 1/4 pound smoked sausage that’s half pork, half beef and is cooked to perfection on the grill. From there it goes into a warm steamed bun before getting topped with yellow mustard, lots of chopped onions and smothered with Ben’s signature chili sauce. And as we’ve seen over the years, lots of things have changed in Washington, but thankfully, Ben’s recipe for chili has remained the same since the day it opened. So when you visit D.C., make sure you stop by Ben’s, but until then, we created a recipe for what we call, “Ben’s Chili Dog,” which we think is the next best thing to being here and you can find it online. Now I’m off to explore more food finds. I’m Howard from the Mr. Food Test Kitchen, where today we found a “smoking good” way for you to say…“OOH IT’S SO GOOD!!”
MR. FOOD TEST KITCHEN LINCOLN’S LEMON CUSTARD PIE FRIDAY 10-13-17 1:14
Join us as our tasty tour of Washington continues and we whip up a presidential favorite. This one will definitely earn your vote.
As we wrap up our weeklong tribute to our nation’s capital, we knew we couldn’t leave without visiting the Lincoln Memorial. I was in such awe as I stood toe-to-toe with the replica of our 16th president. And when I stood on top of the stairs leading up to the memorial, the same ones where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech, I could see the grandeur of the Washington Monument as it mirrors in the famous reflecting pool. Being there was so inspiring, I knew I needed to highlight one of Honest Abe’s favorites. So after doing a bit of fact finding, we discovered that President Lincoln’s favorite dessert was one that hotelkeeper, Nancy Breedlove, made for him. It was a rich, lemon custard pie smothered with toasted meringue. To get the recipe for this presidential classic, head over to our website and look for, “Lincoln’s Lemon Custard Pie. “ What a week it’s been. I hope you had as much fun as we did as we toured and ate our way from one end of our capital to the other. I’m Howard from the Mr. Food Test Kitchen, where today we found a “memorable way” for you to say…“OOH IT’S SO GOOD!!”
MR. FOOD TEST KITCHEN UTICA’S CHICKEN RIGGIES MONDAY 10-16-17 1:22
Fasten your seatbelts as we take you on a tasty tour of our country with our latest cookbook. Maybe you can even win one for yourself.
Whenever I travel around the country, I make it a point to eat dishes that are local. You know, dishes that are indigenous to the region. For example, when in Key West, you gotta have a slice of Key Lime Pie. And no visit to South Philadelphia would be complete without an authentic Philly Cheesesteak, you get the idea. So, after years of tasting and collecting these regional recipes, we’ve assembled them in our latest cookbook. It’s called “The Ultimate Recipes Across America Cookbook,” and besides having lots of quick and easy recipes, every recipe has the story behind it, along with a full page photo. Today, I want to share a recipe that we got from a small town in Upstate NY. The recipe is called Chicken Riggies. Although there are a few different stories about who came up with this, there’s no question it’s a winner. What makes this so unique is how the rigatoni, the chicken, the cherry peppers, and all the Parmesan cheese come to life when tossed in a zesty marinara. To get the recipe for “Utica’s Chicken Riggies” simply visit our website. While you’re there, check out where you can get a copy of the book, as well as how you can enter to win one. I’m Howard, in the Mr. Food Test Kitchen, where today we found the “ultimate regional way” for you to say…
“OOH IT’S SO GOOD!!”
MR. FOOD TEST KITCHEN APPLE COBBLER SHORTBREAD SQUARES TUESDAY 10-17-17 1:35
Its apple season and we’re baking up an apple-icious treat that’s blue ribbon-worthy.
Its apple season and that means our markets and farm stands are brimming with all sorts of freshly picked apples, and right now they’re at some really good prices. So, besides eating them as-is, we came up with an apple shortbread bar that I can only describe as apple-icious. To make the shortbread crust we beat together some butter, sugar, and a little vanilla. Once it’s creamy, we add some flour and a bit of salt. This gets pressed into the bottom of an 8-inch square baking dish, and it’s baked for a few minutes. While that’s in the oven, we toss peeled and sliced apples with some sugar, flour, cinnamon, and a little nutmeg. On top of our baked crust goes a crumb mixture we made by combining some brown sugar with flour and butter. The apples go over that before we finish it off with more of the crumb topping and then we pop it back into the oven. Once it cools, it’s ready to serve. Imagine the combo of the best apple pie and a really decadent apple cobbler served on a shortbread crust. To get the recipe for what we call our “Apple Cobbler Shortbread Squares” simply visit our website. I’m Howard, with Kelly, in the Mr. Food Test Kitchen, where today we found a “fresh from the orchard way” for you to say…”OOH IT’S SO GOOD!!”
MR. FOOD TEST KITCHEN CHOP CHOP CHICKEN WEDNESDAY 10-18-17 1:25
Do you get confused as to which knife to use for what? If you do, we have the answers and a recipe to test your skills.
One of the questions we get here in the Test Kitchen is, “What knife do I use for cutting this or that?” Well, let me show you 3 must-have knives that every kitchen needs. Let’s start off with one of the most commonly used knives in the kitchen, the Chef knife. It’s designed to easily cut and chop our fruits and veggies. As you can see, it’s wedge shaped, which makes it ideal for chopping, without our fingers hitting the cutting board. I would recommend one with a blade that’s about 6-8 inches long. When it comes to smaller jobs like trimming veggies and such, that’s when we reach for a paring knife. It’s a good idea to have a few in different lengths. Then there’s the knife with the wavy serrated edge. That’s designed to cut through the crust of bread without smooshing the more delicate inside. It’s also great for tomatoes and things with tougher skins, like sausage. You know, if you want to try your knife skills and end up with a dinner that is incredibly good at the same time, you have to try what we call, “Chop Chop Chicken.” It’s simply some yellow rice topped with black beans, studded with lots of chopped veggies and finished with some chunked up chicken and melted cheese. I do hope you’ll go online and get the recipe for our, “Chop Chop Chicken,” so you can perfect your knife skills while making a dinner that’ll earn you rave reviews. I’m Howard in the Mr. Food Test Kitchen, where today we found a “sharper way” for you to say…“OOH IT’S SO GOOD!!”
MR. FOOD TEST KITCHEN LENTIL AND VEGETABLE MEDLEY THURSDAY 10-19-17
1:29
Whether you’re a lentil lover or not really that familiar with them, I think you’ll love what we’re whipping up today.
Every day, we get lots of questions from you on “How do I do this?” or “How do I make that?” And over the last few months we’ve been getting more and more questions about lentils. It seems that these protein-packed legumes are catching on in a big way. And for those of you who aren’t familiar with them, they look like dried peas and come in a variety of colors. The most popular ones are almost khaki in color and are referred to as lentils or brown lentils. There are also red ones and even green ones. And each variety has its own unique taste. When it comes to cooking them, we do it the same way we would cook pasta. We start with about 3 cups of water for every 1 cup of lentils. When they’re tender, we drain them. And boy are they versatile! Today, we’re tossing freshly cooked lentils with maple roasted sweet potatoes, and sautéed shaved Brussels sprouts. What we end up with is a side dish that is autumn at its best. And, as if that weren’t enough, I almost forgot to mention that this is tossed with balsamic vinegar and topped with roasted pumpkin seeds. To get the must-have recipe for our “Lentil and Vegetable Medley,” simply visit our website. I’m Howard, with Kelly, in the Mr. Food Test Kitchen, where today we found a “lentil-icious way” for you to say…“OOH IT’S SO GOOD!!”
MR. FOOD TEST KITCHEN CREAMED CHIPPED BEEF FRIDAY 10-20-17 1:34
It’s creamy, it’s beefy, and it’s downright delicious. Just wait until you see the recipe that’s coming up next.
Recently, we’ve had a few viewers asking us if we have a recipe for chipped beef, or as some people call it, S.O.S. Well, I can honestly say, before now, I’ve never made it, even though I’ve eaten it lots of times. And although it's not a trendy recipe, when we find it on the menu at a diner or a truck stop, we can count on some good eating. So, let me show you how easy it is to make. The first thing we do is soak a couple jars of sliced dried beef (that we’ve cut in strips) in a bowl of warm water. And if you’re not familiar with dried beef, you can find it right along with the other canned meats at the market. While that soaks, we stir some seasoned flour into a bit of melted butter and cook it until it comes together. Once it does, we add some milk and a splash or two of Worcestershire sauce. When it boils, we lower the heat, stir in the beef that we’ve drained and let it simmer until it thickens up. And we can serve this over anything from simple white toast to homemade biscuits. Top it off with an egg, and you’ve got a down home breakfast or breakfast for dinner that’s comfort at its best. I do hope you’ll go online after the news and get the recipe for our, “Creamed Chipped Beef,” so you can bring back a classic that’s soon to be a new favorite. I’m Howard in the Mr. Food Test Kitchen, where today we found a “comforting way” for you to say…“OOH IT’S SO GOOD!!”