Shun Classic Hollow-Ground 8" Chef Knife

This thing is AMAZING!! I bought this knife brand new off of ebay about a year ago and LOVE LOVE LOVE it. It is the sharpest, most durable knife i have ever used and i use it almost every day. Its still just as sharp as the day i bought it. Sure its a bit spendy (163.00 suggested retail) but it is worth every penny if you spend more than 1 day a week cooking. At first i was scared to use it for everyday cooking buy quickly found out that other knives just didn't cut it! (pun intended) The handle isn't like normal kitchen knives, it has a ridge that fits into your hand amazingly. The craftsmanship in this knife is amazing, you can see all 16 layers of steel that they used in the knife. This also gives it a cool look. I will not buy any other knife besides Shun knives for my kitchen after using this one.

Here is one place to buy this knife if you're interested!

www.williams-sonoma.com

Astoria Sweet Lounge/ The Breeze Knees

This is a "sparkling wine" that's very sweet. It is a mix of 50% Prosecco, and 50% Moscato wines. It is straw yellow in color with bright greenish shades. This wine presents aromas of fresh apple and hints of honey. Delicate and sweet with well balanced flavors of peach and melon. Serve chilled in a white wine glass or champagne flute.

"The Breeze Knees"

Here is a fun, tasty cocktail that i came up with using this wine. Fill your flute half full of Welch's Strawberry Breeze juice and top with the Astoria Lounge. Also i think the name suites the drink. If you try it, let me know if you agree!

Chicken and Veggie Stir Fry

This will make a good 4-5 servings so get the fam together or bring some friends to help ya eat this one! also this is a fairly cheap meal, i made it for about 20$

Ingredients

3 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
vegetable oil

1 red pepper

1 green pepper

3 stalks of celery

4-5 carrots

2 heads of broccoli

1/2 an onion

1 can of water chestnuts

1 can of baby corn

1 bottle of stir fry sauce

1 package of lo-mein noodles

Directions
-Cut up chicken into bite size strips or cubes, which ever you prefer.

-Heat enough veggie oil in bottom of large wok (i use my 14 inch wok) or fry pan to cover the bottom of the pan.
-Stir fry the chicken in the oil untill no pink is visible.
-While the chicken is cooking, start chopping away at the pile of veggies. I did the carrots in thin strips but you can cut them as you wish. Set veggies aside.

-When chicken is cooked, remove from pan and add more oil to cover the bottom of the pan again.

-Add all your veggies to the oil and add your stirfry sauce (I used about 8oz of Kikkoman stir-fry sauce).

-Stir fry the veggies until tender and add the chicken when the veggies are about finished.

-Serve on a bed of lo mein noodles.

Mom's stovetop goulash

This is a great meal for those cold snowy days where you just don't wanna leave the house. it's super quick and easy to make! Thanks mom! :)

1 lb. ground beef
1 med onion, chopped
1 15oz. can tomato sauce, plus enough water to make 3 cups(OR 3 cups tomato sauce)
1Tbsp. Worchestershire Sauce
1 Tbsp. vinegar
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. dry mustard (or reg. mustard to taste)
1 1/2 Tbsp. brown sugar (to taste)
1 c. uncooked elbow macaroni

Brown beef and onion in skillet. Add rest of ingredients and bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 min.

Wildfire Burger

This one has a kick!!

Ingredients

1/4 lb per serving Ground Beef
1tbsp per serving Hot Sauce (I use Cholula but any would work)
Salt
Pepper
Chili Powder
Paprika
Sour Cream
Horseradish Sauce
American Cheese
Burger buns

-Mix hot sauce and ground beef together in a bowl with fingers till well blended. Salt and pepper for taste.

-Sprinkle on chili powder and paprika onto the burger when its in the pan and hit both sides of the burger. As it cooks the powders will form a darker crust on the burger. Also the hot sauce makes the burger not stay together as well during cooking so try to flip it as little as possible.

-Mix equal parts of sour cream and horseradish sauce together in a bowl and set aside

-When the burger is cooked to desired level, spread your "horse cream" (as i call it) on both halves of the bun.

-Build your burger and enjoy!! Be sure to have plenty of napkins as this is a messy one.

Variations
-Try pepper jack cheese for more heat.

Moscato D'Asti Bevlamo

Color-White
Price-$10-$15
Found-Most retailers

This wine is one of my favorite white wines. It works well as an appetiser wine or a desert wine best. Its a very sweet, crisp white wine. If any of your female friends give you the ol' "i don't like wine" line, hit them with this delicious treat and you will change their minds!

Hawaiian Burgers

Ingredients

Hamburger
Ham
Cheese
Pineapple
Buns

Directions
-Form your burger, (i use about 1/4lb of 85-15 ground beef) and cook at a med-med/high temp to desired doneness.

-Cut a slice of pineapple so that you have a round of pineapple. Remove core and skin from slice. Cook on a grill over med heat or i use my cast iron pan with ridges in it for that grilled look and taste. cook till golden brown.

-Cut a thin slice of ham and grill or use the same pan as the pineapple, if you have room. i cook the ham so that it has almost a crust on the outside. but any doneness will do.

-Put cheese on the burger when its almost done and let the cheese melt over the burger. When done build your burger as desired and enjoy!!

P.S. This burger doesn't really work well with ketchup but that's all up to you!

Variations

1) The first time i made this burger i didn't use ham, instead i used a jalapeno that i "grilled" like my pineapple and chopped it up and put on top of the pineapple. This gives the burger some heat and also adds another flavor profile to the dish. I loved the jalaps on it :)

2) For a glutton free Hawaiian burger just remove the bun!

Beringer Third Century Cabernet Sauvignon

Sweetness: Extra dry
Alcohol: 14%
Price $20-$25


Beringer created a collection of premium varietal wines to celebrate their third century of winemaking in California. This 2005 vintage Cab is bursting with blackcurrant and black cherry fruit, plus notes of licorice, tobacco and baking spices. Full-bodied and concentrated with ample structure and tannic depth, it offers a long, fruity/spice finish.

Food matches: Full-flavored meat dishes