Today’s podcast interview is with Chef Justine Kelly, head chef for Sun Basket and former chef de cuisine for The Slanted Door in San Francisco. I have to admit, I was nervous about interviewing Justine. She is a very successful chef, so, you know, it felt a little intimidating. And then I got on Skype with Justine and instantly felt at ease. She is wonderful and we had a great time recording her interview…and chatting a bunch before and after the tape was rolling. I hope you’ll enjoy Justine’s interview as much as I did…I’m sure you will!

Shownotes:

• Sun Basket
• Just Eat It documentary

It’s easy to listen to the show!

• Via the web: Just click play below!
• Via an app: For iPhone and iPad, subscribe to the This Week for Dinner Podcast on iTunes and listen to it through the purple Podcasts app. For Android devices, use the Stitcher, Podcast Addict or Pocket Casts apps. In all cases, launch the app, then search for This Week for Dinner Podcast. The benefit of using an app: once downloaded, you can listen to the show without an Internet connection.

Other Stuff!

• If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a rating and/or review on iTunes!
• Big thank you to d&m for providing the music for the podcast!

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Hi everyone! So, two things. First, my menu this week is kinda lame. I’m traveling early in the week (visiting the Ben & Jerry’s headquarters, so fun!), so it’s easy meals that the kids picked for Dad to make. Then, next weekend, we’re going on a little trip to Los Angeles. So, not much cooking happening!

Second thing, I might be on NBC Nightly News this week with the kids making dinner. A filming crew came to the house Friday, taped us cooking and interviewed me quite extensively about the issue of “natural” food labels. All I know is the story will probably air early this week. So, if you want to try to catch it, I suppose just set up your DVR to record the show all week. You never know how these stories will get edited, so there’s a chance we won’t even be in the story. But we also very well could be! So…um…I guess watch it. I’m actually pretty anxious about it all, so if no one sees it, it’s all good! 😉

MONDAY:
– Hot dogs

TUESDAY:
– English Muffin Pizzas

WEDNESDAY:
– Eat out

THURSDAY:
– Rachel Sandwiches

FRIDAY – SUNDAY:
– Family trip to LA

I am not even bothering making the printable PDF for you this week because, well, it’s pretty much the lamest menu ever. But lame menus usually mean fun times, right? 😉

As usual, please share your menus in the comments! Love seeing what you cook for dinner each week!

Happy Weekend! I meant to write up this Show and Tell yesterday but…well…NBC Nightly News (!!!) came to our home to film the kids and me making dinner, while interviewing me about the “natural” food labels. It was awesome and a really fun experience, although now that it’s done, I think I’d rather not watch it. 😉 If it looks like the story will air, I will of course let you all know. All I know right now is it will probably air early next week. You never know in the news world!

So, here’s what I was going to share yesterday…

I was recently introduced to the company A Heirloom, a husband-and-wife team based in Brooklyn that makes beautiful cutting boards and other handmade items. I’m pretty much addicted to cutting boards, so this company is right up my alley. Among my favorite A Heirloom items are the state-shaped boards, cocktail muddlers, and cake stands. A Heirloom graciously sent me the thin based maple cake stand and it is, quite simply, lovely. My cake stand is 10 inches in diameter and about 5 1/2 inches tall. They also have larger 14-inch cake stands as well as mini 4-inch cake stands. If you’re looking for a great gift option or are addicted to cutting boards like me, be sure to check them out!

And I have a bunch of articles over at Cool Mom Eats you should check out, too!

• 6 kid-friendly, non-meat sources of protein and ideas for how to prepare them.
• 6 easy breakfast for dinner recipes that go way beyond pancakes.
• Skinny snack dips”¦ so that you can eat more chips, of course.
• How to make tea eggs with kids for Chinese New Year. (You need to check these out…so pretty!)

That’s it for today. See you tomorrow with the weekly menu! And, as always, feel free to share whatever you like in the comments!

It’s Thursday. That means it’s time for a quick recipe and a tip on the podcast! Today you find out my new favorite go-to recipe as well as how to chop green onions the right way. (Also, Electrify Africa passed! Woohoo! Listen to find out why this is so awesome.)

Shownotes:

• Post I wrote last summer regarding the Electrify Africa Act, which was signed into last this week! Woohoo!
• Post about the state of electricity in the African country Malawi
• I found pictures of how I chop green onions. Click here to see!

It’s easy to listen to the show!

• Via the web: Just click play below!
• Via an app: For iPhone and iPad, subscribe to the This Week for Dinner Podcast on iTunes and listen to it through the purple Podcasts app. For Android devices, use the Stitcher, Podcast Addict or Pocket Casts apps. In all cases, launch the app, then search for This Week for Dinner Podcast. The benefit of using an app: once downloaded, you can listen to the show without an Internet connection.

Other Stuff!

• If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a rating and/or review on iTunes!
• Big thank you to d&m for providing the music for the podcast!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Email | RSS

Today on the podcast I chat with Diana Prichard, a pig farmer from Michigan who blogs at RighteousBacon.com. In addition to farming, Diana is an author, activist and fellow podcaster! She is also working on a documentary called Farmworker: How Immigration Feeds America. Basically, I don’t know how she does it all. I really enjoyed my conversation with Diana and am so happy to share it with you today!

We have a fun giveaway to go along with today’s episode! Diana is giving away a free download of her app to one of you lucky people! The app is called Farm2Table and is based on her children’s book The Cow in Patrick O’Shanahan’s Kitchen. It’s adorable. I love it and can’t wait to get my kids on there exploring the story, videos and matching game. If you’d like to throw your hat in the ring to win the app, just leave a comment below! Comments must be made by Midnight PT Monday 2/15/16. (Also, the app is only $2.99, so if you don’t win, well…it’s definitely worth 3 bucks!)

Shownotes:

• Diana’s blog Righteous Bacon
• Prichard Farms
• Diana’s podcast The Postmodern Farmer
• Diana’s new book Whole Hog
• Diana’s children’s book The Cow in Patrick O’Shanahan’s Kitchen
• More information about Diana’s upcoming documentary Farmworker (including the opportunity to crowdfund if you click by 2/11/16)
• My chili recipe (along with many recipes submitted by readers!) since Diana hasn’t posted her chili recipe anywhere yet!

It’s easy to listen to the show!

• Via the web: Just click play below!
• Via an app: For iPhone and iPad, subscribe to the This Week for Dinner Podcast on iTunes and listen to it through the purple Podcasts app. For Android devices, use the Stitcher, Podcast Addict or Pocket Casts apps. In all cases, launch the app, then search for This Week for Dinner Podcast. The benefit of using an app: once downloaded, you can listen to the show without an Internet connection.

 Other Stuff!

• If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a rating and/or review on iTunes!
• Big thank you to d&m for providing the music for the podcast!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Email | RSS

Happy Super Bowl Sunday! (Can I get sued for using “Super Bowl” in that instance? I think I’m safe.) I’m making Sweet Chex Mix and 7-Layer Dip today. What are you having for the big game?

Here’s the plan for this week…

MONDAY:
– Homemade Hamburgers

TUESDAY:
– Cilantro Sour Cream Enchiladas

WEDNESDAY:
– Homemade pizza (didn’t get to that last week!)

THURSDAY:
– Leftovers

FRIDAY:
– Sausage, Pepper & Onion Sandwiches

SATURDAY:
– Eat out

SUNDAY:
– Breakfast for dinner (TBD…omelettes, waffles, something like that!)

Click here for the free printable of this week’s menu plus the shopping list!

Can’t wait to see your meal plans for this week. Please share!

It’s Thursday, so I have a recipe and tip for you today on the podcast! Short and sweet, and the kitchen tip is an oldie but goodie.

Shownotes:

• Spicy Layered Chocolate Mousse Squares
• Nigella’s super yum Instant Chocolate Mousse Recipe
• My granola bar recipe I make every week

It’s easy to listen to the show!

• Via the web: Just click play below!
• Via an app: For iPhone and iPad, subscribe to the This Week for Dinner Podcast on iTunes and listen to it through the purple Podcasts app. For Android devices, use the Stitcher, Podcast Addict or Pocket Casts apps. In all cases, launch the app, then search for This Week for Dinner Podcast. The benefit of using an app: once downloaded, you can listen to the show without an Internet connection.

 Other Stuff!

• If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a rating and/or review on iTunes!
• Big thank you to d&m for providing the music for the podcast!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Email | RSS

Last week I traveled to Minneapolis to visit the General Mills headquarters, where I had the chance to meet with the director of sustainability at General Mills as well as participate in a small group Q&A with the president of cereal (at which point I asked waaaay too many questions). It was a great visit and I learned a lot, much of which I will share later. But today I have to tell you about the birth of Spicy Layered Chocolate Mousse Squares.

During the visit they had all the visiting food bloggers participate in a recipe challenge with Justin Warner (winner of Next Food Network Star Season 8). We had to create a recipe within 1 hour incorporating a General Mills cereal along with at least 2 items from the list of natural ingredients used for flavoring and coloring their cereals. (Over 75% of Big G cereals no longer use artificial colors or flavors and they are on track for almost 100% within the year.)

Me being all serious about the challenge that wasn’t even being judged.

I have zero desire to ever be on a competitive cooking TV show, so when they told us what we were going to be doing, I was not excited. But I put my thinking cap on and got to work. With General Mills professional cook Mary Kaye at my side (I wanted to take her home with me!), I created the dessert I’m sharing with you today. I decided to use Cocoa Puffs, cayenne pepper, cinnamon and cocoa powder.

Justin giving his stamp of approval for the chocolate mousse technique I stole from Nigella Lawson; Mary Kaye and I writing up the recipe

I ended up with a delicious layered dessert using the following layers. Layer 1: Cocoa Puffs crust with a hint of cinnamon (the crust had great flavor). Layer 2: Sweetened, whipped cream cheese. Layer 3: Chocolate mousse spiced with cayenne pepper. Layer 4: Unsweetened whipped cream, sprinkled lightly with cocoa powder and cayenne pepper. The final product tasted great, with a subtle heat that builds over time.The richness of the chocolate and the spice of the cayenne is counterbalanced by the almost sour flavor of the cream cheese, and all that creaminess goes perfectly with the crunchy crust. Plus, the layers look really pretty on the serving plate.

I made the recipe again last night just to be sure I had all the measurements where I wanted them. Once again I enjoyed it thoroughly. Nate had a chance to sample it as well and said that it is really good, but that I might have hyped it up too much. I told him it was a hit in Minnesota so whatever.

So, here you go! Spicy Layered Chocolate Mousse Squares! Maybe I should put cooking competition shows on my to-do list after all. Actually, no. Never going to happen. One hour with a helper and no judges was already too much pressure! 😉 (Side note: I totally stole the chocolate mousse technique from Nigella Lawson and it works beautifully. Click here for Nigella’s instant chocolate mousse recipe and save it to your recipe box.)

One more thing! We had the opportunity to work in the photo studio to photograph our recipes. We had a professional prop stylist, food stylists and photographers all there to help, along with more beautiful props than you can imagine. This is the first time I shot a recipe with artificial light. Until I have this set up in my house, I probably won’t do it again…but it sure was fun!

Me acting all serious again.

Spicy Layered Chocolate Mousse Squares

 

Print

Prep time

90 mins

Total time

1 hour 30 mins

 

Author: Jane Maynard

Serves: 16

Ingredients

• 3 cups Cocoa Puffs
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 8 tablespoons butter, divided, softened to room temperature
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 pint (2 cups) heavy whipping cream
• 1½ teaspoons vanilla, divided
• 1½ cups mini marshmallows
• 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 2 tablespoons hot water
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, plus more for dusting
• cocoa powder for dusting

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350º F.
2. Place 3 cups Cocoa Puffs in a zip-top plastic bag. Using a rolling pin, crush the cereal until it is in crumbs, with no large pieces remaining. Pour crushed cereal into a medium mixing bowl.
3. Add 6 tablespoons of the butter and 1 teaspoon cinnamon to the cereal, combine well with a fork or pastry blender.
4. Press mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom of an 8" x 8" baking dish. If crust is sticking to your hands, wet your fingers lightly with water.
5. Bake for 5-7 minutes. Remove from oven and set on counter to cool completely. While the crust is baking and cooling, make the cream cheese, chocolate mousse and whipped cream layers as described below.
6. For chocolate mousse layer: In a heavy medium saucepan, melt bittersweet chocolate, 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of hot water over medium-low heat. Once melted, add the mini marshmallows and cook until marshmallows are completely melted. Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes.
7. While chocolate is cooling, in a medium mixing bowl, mix together ½ cup of the cream, ½ teaspoon of the vanilla and ¼ teaspoon of the cayenne pepper. Whip with a hand mixer until stiff peaks form.
8. Fold chocolate mixture into the whipped cream, carefully mixing until there are no more white streaks.
9. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes (not longer). If you are still prepping other layers at the 30 minute mark, remove the mousse from the fridge and set aside until ready to assemble the dessert.
10. For the cream cheese layer: Using a hand mixer, beat together the cream cheese, sugar, ½ cup of the cream and 1 teaspoon of the vanilla. Start out at low speed until ingredients are mixed evenly together, then slowly increase speed to medium-high. Beat for about 1 minute, until very well blended. Set aside until ready to assemble dessert. Do not refrigerate before assembling - this will make it easier to spread.
11. For the whipped cream layer: Beat 1 cup of the whipped cream in a large mixing bowl until thick but still spreadable. You do not want stiff peaks to form, but it should be thicker than soft peaks.
12. To assemble the dessert: Once the crust is completely cooled, spread the cream cheese layer first directly on the crust, spreading evenly. Next add the chocolate mousse layer, spooning the mousse onto the cream cheese layer in several spoonfuls around the dish, then carefully spreading to all the edges. Finish with the straight whipped cream, spreading evenly on top and using a frosting spreader or knife to smooth out the top.
13. To dust the dessert with cocoa and cayenne: Using a mesh sieve, over the sink spoon some cocoa powder into the sieve carefully. Hold the sieve over the dessert and tap it with a finger to sprinkle a thin layer of cocoa powder over the entire top surface. Repeat the process with cayenne pepper, making sure to sprinkle just a very light layer.
14. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Serve cut into 16 squares.

3.4.3177

It’s Monday, which means it’s interview day on the podcast! Today I talk with Ann Miura-Ko. Ann is co-founder of Floodgate, a venture capital firm in Silicon Valley that backs digital companies before traditional VCs are ready to invest. Essentially they’re really good at figuring out what the next big thing is. Ann has been called “the most powerful woman in startups” by Forbes and is a lecturer in entrepreneurship at Stanford. You can read more about Ann here and follower her on Twitter here.

I asked Ann to be on the show because I knew she would be fascinating to talk to, funny and have great things to share related to food. Ann delivers on all counts and I love this episode. Enjoy!

Shownotes:

• Ad Hoc at Home by Thomas Keller (recipes Ann loves from the book: prime rib, buttermilk fried chicken, savory bread pudding)
• A Hero in the Family (the real reason I wanted to be an astrophysicist as a child)
• Ann’s kitchen tip originated from Michael Mina (you’ll have to listen to the show to get the tip!)
• And…pictures of Ann with sumo wrestlers making mochi. She wins.

It’s easy to listen to the show!

• Via the web: Just click play below!
• Via an app: For iPhone and iPad, subscribe to the This Week for Dinner Podcast on iTunes and listen to it through the purple Podcasts app. For Android devices, use the Stitcher, Podcast Addict or Pocket Casts apps. In all cases, launch the app, then search for This Week for Dinner Podcast. The benefit of using an app: once downloaded, you can listen to the show without an Internet connection.

 Other Stuff!

• If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a rating and/or review on iTunes!
• Big thank you to d&m for providing the music for the podcast!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Email | RSS