#I was googling what to eat for dinner and I just clicked 'which mushroom is the healthiest' because I was curious what is IN them

[gabetheunknown]

oh my god enough enough enough with unhealthy and ridiculous diets, enough with that BMI bullshit still being used by professionals to fatshame you, enough 'FrUiT iS uNhEaLtHy BeCaUsE iT hAs SuGaR', enough lying and bodyshaming in the clothing industry, enough '10 ways for women to lose weight fast' everywhere I fucking look, enough 'but I just want you to be healthy' when you actually mean that they're disgusting, enough with the word 'fat' being an insult, and enough with 'you've lost weight!' being a compliment, it is not a compliment, fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, fuck you

[nxrthmizu]

CADYYYYYY I FLY HERE after seeing your milestone event!!! Congratulations on your achievement, you deserve the world!!! ❤️

So to hop on to this event and celebrate with you, may I request for a special one:

Iwaizumi + 70,000 miles away?? 👀

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pairing | iwaizumi hajime x reader

w.c | 1.3k 

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mornings for the general married couple consists of whispered 'mornin's, hushed breaths, and knowing that there'll be a warmth on the other side of the bed for the days to come. in the words of your mother, who was one of the few lucky ones to find happiness in an arranged marriage— 'there is nothing more beautiful than waking up beside a soul who'll give up the world for you'.

years of living with your parents has given you an insight on the marriage you want to live with til' your hair becomes snowy white. as a kid, you would wake up on the weekends to the delighted giggles of your mother as your father envelops her in his embrace, commenting on the sweet aroma of the two-in-one coffee she's brewing.

"you make the best coffee," your father would say affectionately, pressing a kiss on your mother's cheek as your 'ew' echoes around the kitchen.

"it's instant coffee, dear," your mother rolls her eyes good-naturedly, playfully shoving him off. "anyone can make it."

"it's different!" protests your father indignantly, as if he's prepared to defend his opinion with his life. "your coffee is unique. it's brewed with your love."

at this, your mother turns away to look at you, shaking her head. "your father is an idiot." there is no bite in her words, however, because she looks completely enamoured by the man who is dramatically sipping his instant coffee, swirling it in the Darlie mug that came with buying two tubes of toothpaste.

your mornings aren't quite like that, however. your mother wakes to her husband peppering kisses on the back of her neck; you wake to a void beside you and a ding! of your phone.

[hajime] 6.47am

good morning, darling.

did you sleep well?

the slumber in your eyes makes you want to feel annoyed— but the words on the screen coax it out of you, leaving you with a buzzing warmth in your chest. there is no husband enveloping you with his body heat, but there is a husband across the phone screen, making his best out of the situation. it's honestly amazing— even 70,000 miles away, hajime can induce a lukewarm flush in your heart.

his seven words might not seem like much, but you know better. he texts you at exactly 6.47 in the morning— two minutes after your alarm goes off, which gives you sufficient time to roll around after you wake. 

there’s no way you can resist the smile dancing across your lips when your phone rings. ‘you have an incoming call’, your phone says in hajime’s voice, and you let the call go unanswered for a moment longer just to hear your husband try his best not to burst into laughter as he repeats the phrase. eventually, you slide your finger towards the green ‘receive’, pressing the speaker to your ear as you flop back onto the mattress. 

“good morning, sleepyhead.” his voice soothes you like a warm cup of mushroom soup, distributing a comfort you didn’t know you missed throughout your vessels and organs. “did you sleep well?” 

“yeah.” you mumble, feeling like a naive teenager living their first love when your heart performs five cartwheels in a row. for a moment, you consider signing your cardiac muscle up for the circus. “i missed you.” 

his laugh crackles through your speaker. “me too, darlin’. just a couple more weeks. hang on until then, alright?”

“have you eaten yet?” you ask, doing a quick mental calculation to figure out what time it is where he’s at. just about time for dinner. 

“yeah. instant noodles and microwavable dumplings from the convenience store. i’m best friends with the owner now,” he jokes, “i’m there every other night. i’ve tried out just about every food they have in there.” 

a frown crosses your lips. “when you get back, i’ll make all your favourites.” you declare, upset that your husband has to resort to eating cheap konbini foods. he’s doing his best from day-to-night, working his ass off to train that overseas volleyball team, giving his all to beat them into shape before the season starts. by the time he finishes work, he’s too tired to cook anything than microwavable dumplings. you’re starting to semi-wish that you went with him so he at least has decent food to eat. “i’ll make tofu and that udon you love.” 

“i’m looking forward to it.” hajime replies fondly before a robotic ding! goes off. “oh. my dumplings are done.” the line carries over footsteps, muffled by a pair of slippers, the hollow noise of colliding plates and the beeping of an annoying microwave that you feel like strangling. 

when you close your eyes, you can imagine your husband, phone pressed between his cheek and shoulder as he shuffles across his room, popping the microwave open and waving the steam away. he plates his dumplings with ease, picking the plate up with one hand as he holds his phone with the other. 

“alright, i’m back.” hajime lets you know, setting down his utensils on the plate. the sharp noises make you wince, but you don’t complain. “you should probably start getting ready for work.” 

“hmm.” you hum in reply, feeling reluctant. 

“i’ll call you again before you go to bed,” chuckles hajime, shoving a dumpling into his mouth. “and then i’ll call you tomorrow morning, and tomorrow night, and... what’s the word for the day after tomorrow?” the call blurbs out clicks and clacks as hajime picks up his phone, leaving the call screen to search up the word. 

“i get it, i get it. it’s fine.” you hastily stop him before he actually googles it. “i just... miss you a lot lately. that’s all.” 

he goes silent for a bit, and the insecurities seeded deep down inside you start to grow their roots. what if hajime starts finding you clingy and annoying? 

“i miss you too. more than i want to admit,” hajime confesses softly, sounding slightly vulnerable. “sometimes i wake up in the middle of the night and i want to talk to you, but then i turn around and—” he cuts himself off, sighing. “i want to call you, but you’re at work and i don’t want to disturb you.” 

you know him well enough to know that he’s pursing his lips, and the image of your husband pouting to himself makes a giggle erupt. 

“hey, i’m trying to have a sentimental moment here.” 

“oh, i know, i know. i’m sorry. it’s just— i suddenly imagined you pouting and i couldn’t help it. you’re adorable.” you explain, holding back the stragglers of laughter. “and hajime— you can text me when i’m at work. or you could call.” 

“yeah.” hajime sighs. “i hate not being able to talk to you face to face, though.” 

“me too, love.” you reply, smiling softly to yourself. “but you said it just now, right? a couple more weeks and we’ll see each other again. just hang on till then.” 

“hmm.” 

“i should go get ready for work now.” 

“yeah, you should.” hajime’s words and thoughts can be quite conflicting sometimes, because even though his words are agreeing with you, his tone states that he doesn’t want you to go. 

“the word for the day after tomorrow is overmorrow, by the way.” 

“oh! right.” 

“enjoy your dumplings and noodles.” 

“i will.” 

“and sleep early.” 

“yes yes.” 

“and remember that you can text me even if i’m at work.” 

“mm.” 

“remember that i love you.” 

“i love you too.” 

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if i’m being honest this prompt was kind of personal cause... well there’s this guy who i (kind of) dated back in high school but he moved like. half the globe away and uh... yeah. i still text him from time to time cuz we’re still friends :P 

haikyuu!! gen taglist: @haru-senji @hikari-writes @whootwhoot @folkloeren @definitely-yours @knmiakira @rirk-ke @cemeiia @animegirlweeb @mitzwinchester  @haikyuushuffle 

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Milestone Event: Requests Open!

[rixxy8173571m3w1p3]

Out Of The Woods (1/?)

This multi chap fic has been one that I've wanted to write for a while. I'm hoping to connect a few loose ends, since my series is getting closer to the end. Don't worry, I still got a couple of fics left in me. I'd love to thank @xerxezra whose conversations with me are always inspirational. I'd also like to thank @dorkydisappointment whose writing got my creative juice flowing.

References to the woman in the journal is from What You Found Amongst The Pages.

In this fic the reader tries to uncover the mystery of the artist behind Zeta-7s portrait.

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Chapter 1: A Glimpse Of The Past

For some time, Rick had been looking forward to taking you here; to the middle of nowhere, in the northwest, where enormous pine trees lined the roads, and evergreens could be found as far as the eye could see. Initially, you weren't sure what you were expecting. A Bob Ross worthy getaway perhaps? Maybe, though unlike the paintings done on PBS, there were gas stations and convenience stores which broke the harmony of trees, roads, and sky; as few and far between they were.

The drive itself was fantastic, and the surrounding area was nice, though you had little to no cell phone reception. And since you couldn't pass the time exploring the weird parts of Reddit, you stared out the window while Zeta-7 sang along to silly travel tunes; the kind that kids would enjoy, but we're actually music recommendations from Tall Morty; another good Rick. You giggled when he sang ‘He had high apple pie, in the sky hopes’, but he didn't seem to mind, he was excited.

However, you were curious as to why Google maps couldn't find the address to the place you two were going to, but Rick seemed to know the directions. Honestly, as long as it wasn't like anything you'd saw in Gravity Falls, then it was going to be fine.

____________

“W-we're here.”

Nope. This couldn't be right. Jumping out of the passenger's seat, you were taken aback and a bit creeped out by the amount of moose statues and decorations which surrounded the place as though to protect it. Could they be part of the security system perhaps? And if they were, was it generally safe to even be here?

“We are? Really?”

“Y-you bet.”

Before your thoughts ran away with the idea, you turned towards him. “Rick, do you need any help with the luggage?”

Opening a portal, he stepped through carrying all the luggage, then reappeared in front of you a few seconds later. “No, it's - I already took care if it.”

It was just like him to be one step ahead of you. How unfair. “Rick, I could've helped you know. I'd hate for you to hurt yourself.”

“True,” he admitted matter of factly. “but if I didn't do it, then I couldn't d-do this.”

To which he then took your hand and pressed a soft kiss on it. “I-I needed to make sure you had a warm hand t-to hold. It's cooler out here th-then it is back home. ”

You gave him a playful shove in return, which made him laugh wholeheartedly before he went on explaining the brief history of this place all the while giving your hand a light squeeze.

The moose lodge, as it was named, looked more like a tacky cabin at the edge of the woods instead of the forgotten shack amidst a family of trees. It was located almost two hours away from the nearest town, and the easiest way to get there was by taking a single dirt road right off the state road twenty miles back; both of you agreed that using his portal gun would've been more convenient. The house itself used to belong to an old colleague of his, but Rick bought it a few decades ago and used it when he wanted to get away from the city, and think about life and so forth; as well as paint. Walking up the steps, he commented, “I-I know it's not much,” unlocking the front door with a moose-shaped key. “but I hope y-you'll like it.”

You really didn't want to tell him that the place looked like a tourist trap, but he stood there, waiting for your approval, nibbling on his bottom lip.

Oh, you didn't like the overwhelming amount of moose decorations, but you smiled nonetheless. “I'm sure I will. I mean, I guess I didn't know what I was expecting, but at least it will be peaceful. Right?”

“Th-that's right.”

Whatever opinions you held about the exterior design, the interior was a different story. When he opened the door, your senses were invaded by the scent of old paint and aged wood, with hints of pine and decades-old smoke. Following right after him, you gasped at the sight of the walls; each inch of wall space covered with paintings. There were scenes and landscapes, hidden figures in the brush, creatures you couldn't begin to describe, flowers, trees, and anything which had and might still be alive; his own private art gallery. With a few clicks on his phone, the curtains opened up, allowing the light to chase away the shadows.

And when the light settled on a particular painting, you walked past him, towards the furthest wall, nearest to the master bedroom, where a large painting hung above the fireplace; it was a portrait of him, done in the romanticism style. “Oh my God. Rick, that's…. did you paint that? I can't believe it, it's amazing.”

“N-n-no, I didn't paint th-that one, but I-I wish I did.”

You found it hard to believe because it captured his essence so perfectly. It was of his form illuminated by the mid-afternoon light, kneeling next to a flowerbed, holding an unopened rose, kissing it gently as though to bless it. His hands were covered in dirt, and his loose fitted, round-collared shirt allowed for a few chest hairs to peek out. As always, when he was around his plants, he was in this trance-like, reverent state; the quintessence of his being; peaceful and alluring in the fact that he didn't seem so broken. The closer you stood to this work of art, the more you felt as though you were staring at a historical figure rather than a throwback photo of your boyfriend.

The posture featured you'd seen him do on multiple occasions, when he took a moment to meditate, appreciating the beauty of life, and all once, you were envious of the one who got to see him this way, taking their sweet time, appreciating the inner beauty of this soft, tender, but complex man. It also reminded you that Zeta-7 had been young once, and handsome even though he thought otherwise. Touching your shoulder lightly, he sighed. “I-I know. Time hasn't been kind t-t-to me.”

“What are you talking about? You look great, but I can't believe this is the first time I'm seeing this. It's gorgeous.”

“Gee, that's - th-thank you.”

“When was this done? You look so young there.”

“Hohoho, not - not that young. It um - it was painted a-about thirty years ago, by a very good friend of-of mine.”

A good friend? Rick didn't have many good friends. “Were they an artist?” you wondered.

Scratching the back of his neck, he avoided your gaze. “While she'd never claim t-t-to be, I thought she was. I um - why don't y-you make yourself comfortable while I make us s-something t-to eat.”

She? You had many other questions you wanted to ask, but knowing him and how he changed the subject, it seemed that that was the end of that; for now. “Okay,” you acquiesced, determined to bring it up at the first opportunity. “but can I pick any room I want?”

“Out of the two bedrooms? Sure g-go ahead.”

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After a simple dinner, you two went for a walk. There was a slight chill in the air, but thankfully you had a sweater and a warm hand to hold as you two followed the trail. You were glad to find that you were in better shape than you had anticipated, but that's what adventuring with a mad scientist will do. Here and there he found mushrooms which he took note of to return for later, and at some point, you climbed a tree, much to his disbelief, and teased him to come after you; he did, but you received a scolding which he then after profusely apologized for.

Later, after returning, you delighted in a warm bath and thought it would be a good time to unpack. Rick had disappeared somewhere around this time, which made you wonder if he had an underground lab here. Casually, you walked past the living room, with no intention of stopping but that larger than life painting caught your eye again. Unlike the other paintings along the walls, there was no artist signature. Hmm, what a tease the artist must've been.

In comparison, Rick hadn't changed very much over the years, except for the wrinkles of course and well his hair used to be darker. Still, you couldn't help but stare at that painting, envious of this old friend of his he had mentioned. Who was she? Was she beautiful? Did she love him too?

You thought more about it as you unpacked your stuff in the small bedroom next to the art room. It wasn't so far fetched to believe that he could've had his fair share of lovers, but then you had yet to see any feminine influences about his house except for a few treasured belongings of his mother. There was the woman from his journal, but he never brought it up and you had never confessed to having invaded his privacy, so you still weren't at liberty to do so. How was it that after all this time, there was still this bloom of mystery about him? Well, because he was humble and reserved, and only shared information which wouldn't hurt him.

Oh well. You'd have to get over it someday, but was it so wrong to be jealous of someone you never met?

TBC

[underomeda]

When he forgets you’re allergic to shrimp (Suga x Reader)

           You and your boyfriend Yoongi have been together for a year now and on the day of your anniversary, he decided to do something special, something he has never done before: cook you dinner. Of course, he never told you about it. You were always scared to let him near the kitchen because he would usually make a mess out of things, which would make the both of you settle for takeout instead.

           He spent last night trying to Google recipes for food he thinks you would like. He came across pasta recipes so he clicked on that. This seems easy, he thought to himself. He was excited and nervous at the same time, so he called his friend, Jin. Yoongi tried his best to understand every word Jin was saying. You even scolded Yoongi for being loud while you were sleeping. He chuckled and put you back to sleep then continued his conversation with his hyung.

           He went out in the morning, checking if you were actually gone. He tried to convince you to call in sick but you had to work since you had to make up for the time you missed work last week because you were actually sick that time. “I promise I’ll try my best to get off early, though.” You told him before you left. He went to the supermarket, getting a bit of a culture shock since he never goes grocery shopping alone. He had the list of items in hand and went to the aisles, getting lost along the way. After paying for the items, he loaded the bags in the car and drove home. He still has about six hours to prepare everything so once he got home, he unloaded the ingredients from the bags, along with other random food items he bought.

           Finally, you got off work and went straight home, declining your friends’ offer of a girls’ night out. You were actually excited for the night, though you had nothing out of the ordinary in mind for the remainder of the day except prepare something for you and Yoongi. When you got home, you were about to call for him when you smelled food.

           “Yoongi?” You called out while you took your heels off, changing into the fluffy house slippers by the door.

           “In the kitchen, jagi!” He called back out and you were immediately alarmed, making you rush there. Relief immediately washed over you when you saw the kitchen in one piece. Yoongi chuckled and started to plate the pasta. “What’s the rush?” He asked with a chuckle and put the two plates on the dining table.

           “Nothing.” You said and smiled, putting your bag on the kitchen island. “That smells really good. I bet that’s really yummy.” Your smile grew bigger upon seeing the pasta on the plate. You love pasta…so much. “Baby, this is really sweet of you.” You said and kissed his cheek.

           “Come on, (y/n). Take a seat.” Yoongi said, taking your hand as he pulled out the chair for you. You blushed at the gesture and looked at him. He did not often show his affection towards you but when he does, he pours out a lot for you and that never failed to make your heart flutter each time. He took a seat across you and smiled widely, showing off his signature gummy smile.

           “You’re so beautiful, jagiya.” He remarked and reached for your hand.

           “Stop it, Yoongi!” You rolled your eyes playfully and laughed. “I just got off work. I look like a mess.”

           “But you’re my mess.” He pouted and kissed the back of your hand. “Now, dig in. The food’s gonna get cold.”

           You took the fork and you started eating, conversing with him in between bites. You suddenly felt yourself getting itchy around your neck and arms, making you put down your fork for a bit.

           “Yoongi…” you trailed off. “What did you put in here?”

           He shot up his head and raised his brow a bit. “Uhm, cream, mushroom, shrimp…” he trailed off as well upon remembering your allergy towards shrimp and chuckled in embarrassment. He suddenly saw the redness on your face, making him get up from his seat in panic and got your medicine in the first aid kit, running to you with a glass of water. “I’m so sorry, (y/n). I forgot! I was too caught up in cooking and-“

           “It’s okay, baby.” You said after taking the medicine and wiped your mouth with the table napkin. “I appreciate it, though. I love you so much.”

           He sighed in relief and smiled a little. “I still feel bad, though.” He admitted and rubbed the back of his neck. “Damn, how could I forget?”

           You chuckled and kissed his cheek. “It’s fine. No worries. I’m fine!” You assured him. “Let’s just clean this up and go to bed. I’m tired.”

           He nodded and he took the plates, putting the pasta in a container. “I’ll just give these to the boys, I guess?”

           “You should probably give it to a homeless kid tomorrow.” You suggested. “I’ll heat it up in the morning.”

           “While we’re at it, you have your day off tomorrow right?” He asked. “Let me make it up to you. Let’s go somewhere.”

[gethealthy18-blog]

Bobby Flay:

New Post has been published on http://healingawerness.com/healty-recipes/healthy-recipes-for-dinner/bobby-flay/

Bobby Flay:

BOBBY FLAY: What's up everybody? Thanks for being here I'm very excited to be here

I've wanted to come here for a long time A lot of my friends who are chefs have cooked here, and I always kind of felt left out So I'm glad that I got an invitation to come here So today I'm going to make a version of carnitas This is from my new book, "Bobby Flay FIT

" I have a new book coming out in just a handful of days And it is about eating in a healthful way and just living a healthier lifestyle You know, as a chef, I get asked all the time how I stay in shape And so I figured it was time to write a cookbook about that And so today's dish is actually a play on a classic Mexican or southwestern dish called carnitas, which you've all seen carnitas tacos everywhere

And most of the time its– carnitas are cooked with a pork shoulder, which has tons of fat in it And then they fry it at the end and make it really crispy, which is always a good thing, of course But I'm going to actually make a much simpler version of it, a healthier version, and one that, actually, you can cook in a very quick amount of time So here's the deal So we're going to make the pork carnitas

It's going to have a pomegranate and chipotle glaze on it And we're going to make some guacamole, which is, I think, the recipe that you guys are all actually going to take away and then use more than anything else But that's OK I mean, that's how I cook my food I make things with– I make one component at a time, and then you can sort of mix and match them

They don't necessarily have to all go together But in this case, they will We're going to make some pickled red onions I'll show you how I make those as well Now usually when I make pickled red onions, like if you watch "Beat Bobby Flay," I make a lot of pickled red onions for garnish

Because they're crispy, they're tart, they're sweet They can be really pretty And a lot of times I'll just use, like, some grenadine and some vinegar So you want something acidic, and then you want something sweet In this case, we're going to use some lime juice, and some water, and then some cane sugar

They tell me that cane sugar is better than processed sugar, so we're going to use that And you just put this on the stove, and then you bring it to a boil And once you get it to a boil, once you get to a boil, it's ready to go You don't need to reduce it down You don't need to cook it for a long period of time

You just want to have that solution to pour over the onions And the way I cut my onions for this is, I cut them very thinly in sort of half moons So we're going to just take the peel off And then, very carefully, you just want to slice half moons of the onion, just like this [KNIFE HITTING WOODEN CUTTING BOARD] And the great thing about this is, like, when you pickle jalapenos, you can use the same recipe, the pickling recipe, for anything that you want to pickle

You can pickle jalapenos You can pickle some cauliflower if you want, some carrots It's really up to you Pickled vegetables have become, obviously, really, really important I'm finding that in my restaurant

Like, at Gato, people are basically eating fish and vegetables these days I mean, it's amazing how many vegetables we have In fact, the number one dish is a kale and wild mushroom paella And it's a vegetarian paella And we've been open for about four years in March, and every single night since the day the restaurant's opened it's been the number one dish

I would have never predicted that four years ago– that a vegetarian dish would be the number one dish on my restaurant menu– ever I mean, in fact, I almost didn't put it on the menu I'm, like, this is never going to sell [LAUGHTER] That tells you how much we know– nothing OK

So very thinly sliced onions– and do we have a mixing bowl for this? This one? OK [BOWL CLINKS AGAINST COUNTER] Found it! [LAUGHTER] All right So we put some onions in here And then you just bring this to a boil, and then you just basically just pour this over And as the pickling liquid sits on the onions, it will just pickle the onions more and more

And you don't have to remove the pickling liquid at all In fact, actually, I like to just put it in a Mason jar, put in my refrigerator When I need some, I just take them And it just preserves them, and you just have it for a long time And you can really go for, you know, months and months, really, when you pickle a vegetable like that

So it's really cool to have And usually, like in the beginning of the summer in my house out East, I usually pickle a bunch of red onions, and I pickle a bunch of jalapenos, basically, for the whole summer So when I'm making, like, fish tacos with my friends, or even a dish like this, I know that those two components are already done And I mean, that's key to cooking At some point, you as the cook want to get out of the kitchen and to the table

So that's one of the ways I do it OK, so those are the pickled onions, and we'll bring those back later to garnish And now we're going to make a glaze for the pork So as I said before, we're going to use pork tenderloin And we have two components for the pork tenderloin

A spice rub– we want to create some flavor and some texture on the outside of the pork tenderloin– and then also a glaze So for the glaze, it's going to be some pomegranate molasses and some pomegranate juice So basically, if you reduce the pomegranate juice, you get pomegranate molasses It's a much thicker, syrupy, like, pomegranate juice, and it's very thick So you can find this in– basically, you can find this everywhere now

I mean, this has become a very sort of fashionable product in American cooking So some pomegranate juice– you can use cranberry juice if you can't find pomegranate juice But again, obviously, you can find it everywhere now Some pomegranate molasses for some thickness, and then some chipotle puree– anybody here know what a chipotle is? A what? AUDIENCE: [INAUDIBLE] BOBBY FLAY: Mayo? [LAUGHTER] BOBBY FLAY: You got to Google that, man AUDIENCE: [INAUDIBLE] BOBBY FLAY: Smoked jal– yes

And you're speaking with an accent Do you come from the land of chipotle? [LAUGHTER] BOBBY FLAY: You're Mexican? There you go So really, we shouldn't have actually let you raise your hand But thank you for importing the knowledge here That's great

So yes, smoked jalapenos– and they're great I mean, it's smoky It's fiery And I add this ingredient to so many of my dishes when I just kind of need something to wake it up Chipotles are magic

They're really magic Do you use them a lot? AUDIENCE: Yes BOBBY FLAY: Yeah, they're fantastic You know, in some ways, they've almost become a cliche I mean, there's obviously a restaurant chain all over, on every street corner, named Chipotle

But that doesn't mean that I don't want to use this, because this thing is so good OK It's smoky It's fiery And that's the thing that I like to do

I like to sort of counterbalance If I have something sweet or tart, I want to add something that's a little sour or spicy And that's the key to my food– where there's lots of flavor going on, but the balance is really the key So in this case, you have the tart and the sweetness of the pomegranate, and then you have the smoky and the fieriness of the chipotles, and then, when this cooks together and becomes like a nice glaze on the outside of the pork– so you think about it You have the pork

The pork doesn't have a ton of flavor, because there's not a lot of fat in it But it's going to have the spice rub on the outside of it, and you're going to have the pomegranate and the chipotle flavoring it– good contrast of texture, good contrast of flavors [CLEARS THROAT] [GAS RANGE CLICKING ON] All right So we're going to let this cook All right, now let's get to the pork

So three ingredients for the spice rub– some chili powder, some coriander seed, and then some cumin Cumin is very, very powerful So you just need a little bit And then some salt and pepper Actually, I need a little bit more because I've got pork there

[UTENSIL CLINKING AGAINST GLASS BOWL] Again, this is something that you could do way ahead of time You know, I have tons of different spice blends in my cupboard at home I have the Spanish spices and the Moroccan spices At this point, I forget what's in them [LAUGHTER] It doesn't even matter anymore

So I just pick one and just take one and just season it, season whatever meat or fish I'm using [PAN CLANGING] [GAS RANGE CLICKING ON] OK, good, all right A little bit of canola oil– now a lot of people ask me why I don't cook with olive oil I use extra virgin olive oil all the time, but I never really cook with it I have two kinds of oil in my cupboard– I have canola oil, and I have extra virgin olive oil

I use canola oil to cook with And I use extra virgin olive oil not to cook with So I finish things with extra virgin olive oil, like a piece of grilled fish that has a nice spice rub on it It just needs a little bit of moisture, a little splatter of extra virgin olive oil, it becomes a sauce for you Extra virgin olive oil is very thick

It's very viscous And if you cook it, I find it becomes bitter Not every cook and chef agrees with me, but that's how I feel about it When I'm cooking something, I want something very light in flavor and in texture, and that's why canola oil really works I don't want this pork to taste like the oil

I want it to taste like pork That's just my philosophy– not everybody agrees Giada De Laurentiis and I fight about this all the time I mean, seriously– because she thinks extra virgin olive oil from Italy should be used on everything, no matter what, whether you're cooking it in a pan or using it for dressing, whatever And so she's, like, I would never cook with canola oil

OK [LAUGHTER] True story, that's what we debate about OK, so some spices on the pork, just going to mix this up, because you want to make sure it gets distributed evenly [METAL CLINKING] Little more spice– now you can just really smell the cumin So cumin– if you're not familiar with cumin, it's a spice that you'll find in lots of Latin cooking, lots of Cuban cooking, Mexican cooking, South American cooking

And it's very earthy It almost has a musty flavor, but a little bit really goes a long ways When I cook beans, I put a little cumin in it It really kind of wakes it up But sometimes, if you put too much, then you can overpower

So just be careful with it Same thing with the chipotles– they can hurt you, for sure All right Now you see my pan is starting to smoke a little bit? That's exactly what you want to see Let me move this out of the way

[PAN CLINKS] And we're going to put one layer of the pork– now this is a very common mistake for a home cook They have a lot of pork They pour it all into the pan And what happens is it starts to steam it as opposed to saute it So what I want to do is I want to make sure that every piece of pork is touching the bottom of the pan

We want direct heat If I have pork on the bottom of the pan, and then pork on top of the pork, what's going to happen? It's going to create steam And then the pork is just going to steam We're not going to get that nice crust on the outside So basically, the way to do it is you have to be patient and do it in batches

And you don't want to crowd the pan too much You want to give it some room Because otherwise, the same thing will happen And I always get a little extra salt and pepper That's the other thing

I mean, the difference between a professional cook and a home cook with seasoning is that– for the most part, not 100% across the board– but for the most part, the thing that I see the most is that a home cook is a little more timid with seasoning And in my kitchen, I'm constantly saying to my cooks, did you season it on both sides with salt and pepper? Did you put enough? Because that's the basics of cooking is seasoning the food first It's amazing when I go to restaurants– I'll go to a good restaurant, and I'll notice that they're not even seasoning the food Like, the food looks beautiful It's fancy

But there's something just missing And a lot of times, it's just simple salt and pepper That's where you need to start All right So we're going to let this cook

You guys have any questions? We going to do the questions now, or– yeah? All right AUDIENCE: Hi [INAUDIBLE] BOBBY FLAY: Yeah, you have to use the mic AUDIENCE: Hello BOBBY FLAY: Hi

AUDIENCE: When you say a pinch of salt, how do you know what a pinch of salt actually is? BOBBY FLAY: That's a great question And I'm really the wrong person to ask, because I just go like this I mean, a pinch is this So you take three of your fingers and your thumb– [LAUGHTER] And I use kosher salt And kosher salt is– it's large granules of salt, right? So the right way to season– I won't put more in here, I'll just do it over here– is you take it in your hands

So this is a pinch, all right? There's your answer I don't know how much that is And you crush it in your fingers So as you're crushing it, you season the food And then you season from up here, not here

Because if you season close to the food, you're going to just get pieces of salt in particular places If you're seasoning from up here, you'll distribute it much better AUDIENCE: Thank you BOBBY FLAY: Sure! Good question I wasn't ready for that

So now you can see the pork is getting nice and crispy and crusty on the outside I don't know if you can see that But you want that You want that nice crustiness on the outside And pork tenderloin– it cooks very, very fast

So the one thing I don't want to do is overcook it And you know, the days of cooking pork until it's completely destroyed is really over You want to cook it around medium A tiny bit of pink inside is fully fine You want to keep some of the juiciness

And then we're going to take some of our glaze– that's all right We're going to take some of the glaze– so that we remember, the pomegranate, the chipotles, and the pomegranate juice Take some of this, and just pour this over the pork Mm, this looks good [LAUGHTER] Just give it a quick turn

And that's basically just about done I'm going to take a little bit of cilantro– [CHOPPING KNIFE ON BOARD] –coarsely chopped And you always finish at the very end with the fresh herbs Put the fresh herbs at the very, very end, almost like right before you serve it So I'm not even going to actually mix this in

I'm going to leave it site there And then I'm going to start working on the guacamole Any questions before we go forward? AUDIENCE: [INAUDIBLE] BOBBY FLAY: Um– AUDIENCE: How do you know that the meat– BOBBY FLAY: Well, in this case, it's going to cook really quickly So I mean, if you were cooking a pork tenderloin, you'd want to make sure it was, like, one– what's the safe? 155 for a pork tenderloin So a meat thermometer, which I barely ever use because I use this touch, this method, which is just experience

But really, you should test it So at 150, 155, you should take it out and let it rest Because it's going to continue to cook it till it's stone cold So that would be– AUDIENCE: I usually cut meat open when it's on the stove And I feel like I'm letting out the flavor in it

BOBBY FLAY: Yes, you're not doing that right [LAUGHTER] BOBBY FLAY: Yeah, I mean, if any of my cooks take a knife and put it in the steak to see if it's done– AUDIENCE: My husband doesn't know any better So we're good BOBBY FLAY: You just cover it with some sauce? Listen, that works, too Don't worry about it

I mean, all of a sudden, it's sliced steak, right? Anyway, so yeah, I mean a meat thermometer is really the way to go OK, so we're going to let the pork rest there for a second Now we're going to make some guacamole So you want your avocados– obviously, when you go to the store, the avocados are never ripe I mean, it's crazy

You have to dig I mean, I've had like– it's almost like silent wars at the avocado stand Because you know, the person is up there, and there's, like, two ripe avocados out of 400 And you get it, and they look at you with a dirty look Here's the thing

You have to dig underneath the avocados Because a lot of times, what happens is the avocados on the top aren't ripe, and the ones that are being covered by the light are actually ripening quicker So when you're in Whole Foods or wherever you're shopping, just make sure that you go through the bottom, and look under the bottom, because you'll definitely find some ripe avocados You cannot make guacamole with avocados that are not ripe It's just not good

I mean, it doesn't have the right texture It doesn't have the right flavor Guacamole is one of those really sensual things, I think And the avocado is the most important thing in guacamole OK, so we have ripe avocados, which is nice

I didn't have to go digging for them And so what I do is I slice around the big, sort of pit in the middle [KNIFE CLANGING] And then I take the bottom of my knife, and I just– very carefully put the bottom of the knife in the pit, and I turn it OK? And this way, the pit's out Now don't do this

[LAUGHTER] You have a thumb right here Just go like that I've seen some bad accidents that way [PIT RATTLES IN BOWL] All right So then, with the avocado on the cutting board, you just make diamonds in the avocado, in the shell

How many people here put garlic in their guacamole? We're going to have a fight [LAUGHTER] I'm really a guacamole purist And I'll show you how I make the guacamole I mean, this is the recipe I've been using, basically, for my whole life I don't like garlic in my guacamole, but obviously a lot of people do

And that's totally fine It's just one of those things you either do put it in, or you don't put in I don't, and I just like a really clean flavor Do you have a spoon? SPEAKER 1: Yeah [UTENSILS CLINKING] BOBBY FLAY: Oh, here's all my ingredients

Can you hold that? OK Oh, I'll take this Thanks OK All right

So we take the sort of pre-diced avocado, and just drop it right in Does anybody here make their guacamole in a food processor? Thank you [LAUGHTER] You know, there's somebody in there, like, oh, not really That's avocado puree We don't want that

Texture is so important when it comes to food I mean, I always say, it's really simple Good food is about great flavor and contrasted texture And in this case, I'm going to show you how to continue that All right, so we have some cilantro We have some red onions

We have some serrano chilies Serranos looks like a jalapeno They're a little bit more tapered They're a little bit spicier But they have a good pepper background flavor

That's why I like using them You can easily use jalapenos, no problem Sometimes, when I'm lazy, I take the jalapenos in my refrigerator, the pickled ones, and I put those in as well They have a lot of flavor But this is a really kind of fresher way to do it

So some serrano chilies– and I don't take the seeds out I leave the seeds in That's up to you I mean, it will be a little bit spicier with the seeds in That's OK

And then, some lime juice– and you guys know this trick, right? You roll the lime to get the most amount of juice out of it? OK, coarsely chop some cilantro And then I throw everything in at the same time I don't mix after each one That's a mistake that I see a lot of people doing, and then you're going to ruin the texture of the guacamole So some chilies, some cilantro, some fresh lime, some red onion, and then some salt and pepper– a pinch of salt or two– [LAUGHTER] BOBBY FLAY: –and then I just take a fork– SPEAKER 1: Here you go BOBBY FLAY: –I got it

And I just kind of mash it down a little bit and fold it together, just until all the ingredients are incorporated [FORK SCRAPING SIDES OF BOWL] You've got to taste everything you eat– make You're not tasting this? I want to know, because if they're not tasting it, it's perfect [LAUGHTER] It's a little spicy It's got a right amount of salt

I mean, you're looking for all those things Does it have enough acidity– if not, a little squeeze more of lime It's definitely got some heat to it I can taste the serranos I can taste the red onion

And most importantly, I taste the avocados And you can see the texture of it– that's it And that's because I only mixed it one time So you put the avocados in the bottom You put all the ingredients, ready to go, on top

And then you just kind of fold it in And then it's done OK, so we have the pork We have the red onions And we have our guacamole

We can plate, right? Any questions so far? Any other questions? Wow [CLINKING] OK All right [PLATTER BANGING] Get this nice, beautiful Google platter [LAUGHTER] Man, that is heavy

Now classically, corn tortillas– not flour, corn tortillas Or you could use flour, but again, if you want it to be a little bit more sort of fit-like, lettuce leaves And I find the best ones are butter lettuce or Boston lettuce Just because of their shape, they hold together But they're soft at the same time

And then, we just take some of our pork carnitas– and don't fill it up too much, just a little bit OK And then a little bit of the guacamole– so you know, you're getting the tenderness from the pork You're getting that sort of smooth, cooling effect from the avocado and the guacamole And the the pickled red onions is going to add that crunch to it

Here we are And then, for garnish, some pomegranate seeds to bring– to reinforce the flavor of the pomegranate glaze and a squeeze of lime There we go, pork carnitas [APPLAUSE] Can we hand these out or not? I promise you won't die [LAUGHTER] There's only four of them

This is like being at the avocado stand [LAUGHTER] I'll just– I'll let you guys fight it out [LAUGHTER] AUDIENCE: I have a question To go back to the avocados, if you are unable to actually find a ripe avocado, how do you ripen it? BOBBY FLAY: To ripen an avocado, you put it in a brown paper bag or something, get it away from the light And it will ripen

It doesn't take that long A couple of days, and you will have ripe avocados It goes really fast You guys didn't really share with your friends That was it

[LAUGHTER] BOBBY FLAY: Anybody else? Yeah? AUDIENCE: My eight-year-old is, like, super obsessed with "Beat Bobby Flay" BOBBY FLAY: Oh, is that right? AUDIENCE: She's always wondering, like, why do they all want to beat Bobby Flay? So she sent me a bunch of questions BOBBY FLAY: OK AUDIENCE: I'm only going to ask– BOBBY FLAY: How many are there? [LAUGHTER] AUDIENCE: I'll only ask one BOBBY FLAY: Good

AUDIENCE: So what made you start cooking? BOBBY FLAY: What made me start cooking? I dropped out of high school So tell her not to do that I dropped out of high school in 10th grade, and I needed a job And so I went to work in a restaurant I started out as a busboy, actually, for the first two weeks

And then I was offered a job in the kitchen And I was, like, OK I mean, you know, I was 17-years-old I had no idea what I was doing But I fell in love with it

And then I went to culinary school after that, about a year and a half later And I've basically been doing the same thing for 35 years AUDIENCE: Where did you go to culinary school? BOBBY FLAY: Well, it used to be called The French Culinary Institute on Grand Street and Broadway And now it's called the International Culinary Center, yes [LAUGHTER] AUDIENCE: Thank you

BOBBY FLAY: Yes I'm really upset that they changed the name of my only alma mater [LAUGHTER] BOBBY FLAY: Anybody else? AUDIENCE: Other than your own restaurants, what's your favorite in New York City? BOBBY FLAY: I like Via Carota, which is an Italian trattoria right over on Grove Street It reminds me of walking down the street in Rome, and you getting lucky that you found this place The food is very simple, but executed perfectly

And it's a place that I feel like I can go all the time, Via Carota, yeah I shouldn't have told you that, because now it's going to be hard to get in [LAUGHTER] AUDIENCE: Thank you for the talk It was super good BOBBY FLAY: Good

AUDIENCE: How long do you pickle onions for, any pickling– jalapenos, et cetera? BOBBY FLAY: I mean, you should probably pickle them for at least a couple hours But then you just have them– you just put the whole thing in a Mason jar and keep them in your refrigerator AUDIENCE: You don't want to use those, though? Because you just made them? BOBBY FLAY: No, exactly– I used these AUDIENCE: Got it BOBBY FLAY: These were made when? SPEAKER 2: [INAUDIBLE] BOBBY FLAY: All right, yeah

But they're still crunchy They're sweet and tart They're good AUDIENCE: Thank you AUDIENCE: Hello

BOBBY FLAY: Hi AUDIENCE: I have a question in terms of the oil you used What about coconut oil? Because in high temperature, at least my whatever, Google searches have said that coconut oil least is a little better than– because the way it breaks down BOBBY FLAY: I mean, honestly, I'm not an oil expert But the thing about coconut oil, is it really tastes like coconut

It has flavor I like canola because it's a lot cleaner flavor A lot of people I know use coconut oil, and they like it So that's actually a good oil to use Grapeseed oil is another one that people use

Peanut oil, also, is one that can actually take very high heat See, that's what happens is– if you want to get your saute pan smoking to sear something, and you have extra virgin olive oil in it, it's going to make it bitter And these lighter oils, coconut oil included, can withstand the higher heat without loosing its integrity AUDIENCE: Thank you AUDIENCE: So besides going to culinary school, if you're someone who's interested in home cooking, what are your tips to improve your skills? Like, what's a good way to continue to get better? BOBBY FLAY: Buy all my books

[LAUGHTER] BOBBY FLAY: Um, look, you know, as you guys know better than anybody, you have access to so many things online And in fact, like, you know, on "Beat Bobby Flay," I get challenged to things that I've never done before And I spend– like, when I can't sleep at 3 o'clock in the morning– I'm watching YouTube videos of dishes from Ethiopia I mean, I'm serious– like, to see what they are like And it really gives me– it's actually way better than just reading a recipe

Because you get to see how the dish continues to evolve as they cook it when they add the ingredients And that's a big difference AUDIENCE: Awesome, thanks BOBBY FLAY: I mean, there's so much how-to online now And there's no substitute for experience

Do it And I always say to people, like, a lot of times people will say to me, I'm a disaster in the kitchen I don't know how to cook anything, but I need to learn For whatever reason, they've decided this is the time And I always say to them, you need five dishes

Figure out how to make a fish dish, a pasta dish, you know, a steak, a salad, something else And then, once you have those five dishes, and you continue to make them over and over, you're going to get tired of making them the same way And it's going to force you to sort of start to add things to the dishes and move onto the next thing But think about all the experience that you're getting making those dishes That's the key

It's like when you ask me– how do you know when it's cooked? I know when it's cooked because I can look at it and tell you But that's because I've had a lot of experience The more you do something, the more comfortable you'll be AUDIENCE: Hey That was a nice YouTube plug

I like that But I was just wondering if there's any, like, city or small town that you've been to that kind of surprised you with how good the restaurants were or the food was there that's not like New York City where you have everything BOBBY FLAY: Cities? AUDIENCE: Yeah, like, a smaller city or something BOBBY FLAY: I mean, honestly, the food in this country is getting to be amazing everywhere in this country I mean, it never used to be that way

You know, I was just in Albuquerque, and what's going on there is amazing Obviously, a place like Charleston has blown up already Seattle, Minneapolis– amazing food there– actually, one of the chefs– this is what's happening a lot, because of the economies of scale of opening a restaurant in New York, which frankly, have become close to impossible I mean, it's really hard And a really great chef, who is the chef de cuisine of Danielle for many years, his name is Gavin Kaysen– he did his time with Danielle

He got great reviews under Danielle, and it was, like, OK, it's time for me to go Now most people would, at that point, find a restaurant in New York, a space in New York, get a partner, and they'd open a restaurant He decided to go back to his roots in Minneapolis That's why I thought about it And he's killing it

You know, the economies of scale in a city like that work way better And now there's an appreciation for good food, and people are willing to pay for it basically everywhere in this country That never used to be the truth– the case But it took us a long time for us, in this country, to catch up to the rest of the world in terms of food's important to us And I think, in most cases, we've surpassed the rest of the world

AUDIENCE: Thank you BOBBY FLAY: Sure AUDIENCE: So I was just wondering what you'd– BOBBY FLAY: I feel like you're going to challenge me AUDIENCE: No [LAUGHTER] BOBBY FLAY: You just came at me

Like, you kind of like squared off with me right there [LAUGHTER] What's your– come on, what's the dish? All right, let's go AUDIENCE: I was wondering, like, when you cook at home, just for yourself, how do you approach it Do you try to make crazy things? Or do you just have a go to dish? BOBBY FLAY: Like, bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich? I mean, chefs cook for themselves really simply at home You know, I'm trying to think about– like, only for myself, or for having a dinner party? Just for myself, I mean, it's really not much

It's really like an egg sandwich or something I'm never home for dinner, because I'm always in the restaurants or somewhere else And I'm never really home for lunch So it's usually breakfast Or, like, if I've been out late, and I've had a couple of cocktails, and I want something to sort of quench my hunger, it literally is, like, a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich

And it's nothing that's better ever– hot sauce, boom That's the truth I could have said, yeah, you know, I take a little foie gras and some caviar That doesn't happen Anybody else? AUDIENCE: [INAUDIBLE] saying that– did you get that? Or do you want me to say it again? I remember that was one of the more difficult ones

What's the most difficult "Beat Bobby Flay" or anything that you've been challenged to make? BOBBY FLAY: It's too– that was a tough one Listen, when I get taken out of my wheelhouse, those are the best shows Because I'm like– I'm stumped, for the most part But no matter what, I'm going to cook something And a lot of times it's never an authentic version of it, because I don't know the authentic version

I'm making sort of what I think the dish might be, or sort of a play on it So I think it was– you know, I brought up Ethiopia, because Marcus Samuelson challenged me to the national dish of Ethiopia [LAUGHTER] I don't know– I don't even remember the name of it And so basically– and then somebody else– it was an Iranian dish? SPEAKER 2: [INAUDIBLE] BOBBY FLAY: Yeah It was– yeah

You know, so those– and a dish like bibimbap– at least bibimbap is a dish that I like to eat, right? So when I go to a Korean restaurant, I'm always ordering bibimbap So I mean, I get it You know, it's vegetables It's meats, whatever It's rice

It's not going to be authentic So if somebody from South Korea landed at the table, they'd be, like, what is this? But that said, it's my version of it And actually, I thought the bibimbap– I lost the bibimbap one But I was, like, I think I have a chance [LAUGHTER] The other two dishes, I literally had no chance

I mean, I was just kind of watching what they were doing And I'm like, all right, chili powder You know? OK, rice, saffron, great You know? And kind of, like, I just tried to make it taste good That's ultimately what I try to do

And the culinary team behind the scenes, who procure all the ingredients and everything, there's a guy there who says to me– he's, like, the reason why you win sometimes is because you understand the yummy factor So when the judges taste it, they're, like, oh, this tastes good And that's the key It's that the judges don't see who made what It's blind

They're only tasting the dish after it's been plated, and we're just standing there So they don't know who made which dish So I always know that there are certain things– like I was talking to you guys about before, where you combine sour and tart and sweet and spicy, and all those things that make you go, oh, this tastes good So even if it's not authentic, if I can make it taste good and I don't know what I'm doing, I have a shot It doesn't work out most of the time

AUDIENCE: Thank you BOBBY FLAY: Sure AUDIENCE: Hi BOBBY FLAY: Hi AUDIENCE: Can you recommend where to get good fresh fruits and vegetables in Manhattan and maybe the Upper West Side? BOBBY FLAY: What are you saying? You don't like where you shop now? AUDIENCE: I think it's hard to find good, fresh fruits and vegetables in the city

BOBBY FLAY: I will say that when you go to the West Coast, it's a lot easier And you know, I guess that's just because of the place that we live in You know, I find it, especially in the winter, it's really hard to find fabulous vegetables here, because it is what it is In the summertime, I find it a lot easier I mean, I probably shop where you shop

Where do you shop? AUDIENCE: [INAUDIBLE] BOBBY FLAY: How about Whole Foods? AUDIENCE: Whole Foods [INAUDIBLE] BOBBY FLAY: OK Then go to Whole Foods [LAUGHTER] That's where I shop

AUDIENCE: There's a farmers' market on 97th Street [INAUDIBLE] BOBBY FLAY: The farmers' markets– the farmers' markets in the city are wonderful Again, in the summer, they're amazing In the winter, it gets a little– there's lots of potatoes You know? So I mean– but I think that Whole Foods does a good job

I really do AUDIENCE: What are you going to do with the rest of that guacamole? [LAUGHTER] BOBBY FLAY: Good question Well, you need chips or something AUDIENCE: Yeah AUDIENCE: I'll figure it out

BOBBY FLAY: Do we have chips in this place? OK Anybody else? Hi AUDIENCE: What's next food trend? There was kind of Greek yogurt What's the next thing that's going to hit the market that will change a food category? BOBBY FLAY: Oh, god Any guesses? I don't know

I'm the worst at this If I tell you what the next food trend is, you know it's not going to be that What do you think? What's happening? I mean– JENNIFER: I think [INAUDIBLE] ancient grain [INAUDIBLE] BOBBY FLAY: Yeah

Beans are going to take over grains? JENNIFER: Beans [INAUDIBLE] BOBBY FLAY: Jennifer is my public relations person So she knows more than I do about trends But I think that we're going to go– I think, in the big picture, there we're going to continue to eat more and more vegetables, more fish And meat is going to take a side dish position in the world

That's just what seems to be happening And I think this is just going to continue to be more of a trend in that way I mean, I feel like we've exhausted every food trend in every country in the world so far It's amazing I love Middle Eastern food, because it's so beautiful and so healthful and so flavorful

I mean, I think those are the key things now You want things that are good for you, that have a lot of flavor, and that are really pretty to look at And I think that a cuisine like that– Israeli cuisine is amazing It's like that as well I mean, when I order at home, I order from Taim a lot

You know that place? Oh, it's the best falafel in New York But it goes beyond that I mean, it's, like, Israeli cuisine, and it's so good, so healthful Pomegranates are everywhere Anybody else? I know that wasn't helpful

But I don't know AUDIENCE: On the food trend topic, is there a current food trend that you're just so sick of? Maybe it's, like, a certain dish– BOBBY FLAY: Poke bowls– I feel like Poke bowls– here's the thing about a Poke bowl What has to be great about a Poke bowl– the fish So I know that there's all these fast, casual environments doing it I get a little concerned about that

I don't want inexpensive Poke bowl You know what I'm saying? That's just my thing And they just came on so strong, out of nowhere It's crazy I mean, I know you know that, obviously, in Hawaii, that's where the trend sends from

That was my answer I don't know I'm not going to say kale I want kale to stay here forever It's so good

I mean, when I want to go to a restaurant and order a kale salad, I feel like I should not be ordering a kale salad, but I really want it, you know? It's so good I love that black kale It's so good Anybody else? AUDIENCE: What is the last thing you googled? [LAUGHTER] BOBBY FLAY: What was the last thing I googled? [LAUGHTER] I have to think I can't remember the last time I googled something

JENNIFER: [INAUDIBLE] BOBBY FLAY: No, I know I use it all the time, as everybody else does You just put me on the spot I can't remember I'll think about

AUDIENCE: All right I'll follow up with it BOBBY FLAY: Oh SPEAKER 1: [INAUDIBLE] JENNIFER: [INAUDIBLE] BOBBY FLAY: No, I– Elise sent me the address AUDIENCE: You were just speaking about pomegranates

Do you have a trick or a really great way of cutting one open? BOBBY FLAY: Yes Did I forget to do that? Is that what you're telling me? OK [LAUGHTER] So I cut it open like that But the way you get the seeds out– I think that's what you're asking, right? AUDIENCE: Yes BOBBY FLAY: OK

An easier way to get the seeds out is you take a wooden spoon, and you put a little bit of pressure on the pomegranate, and you just whack them out [BANGING NOISES] This way, you don't have to pick through them When we were kids, we used to eat these in grammar school I don't know why But we called them Chinese apples

That's what we knew them as There you go And some of them go in the bowl Some of them don't [LAUGHTER] AUDIENCE: Thanks

BOBBY FLAY: Oh, you're very welcome I'm sure you didn't know how to do that [LAUGHTER] AUDIENCE: I have a question for you So growing up, I've watched a lot of your shows, a lot of your different shows And even getting older, like, continue watching your shows

And being in this environment, I've had a chance to meet a few famous chefs, including yourself now And so I wanted to know are there any chefs that you grew up watching that inspired you to continue to cook and to try to be better? I know you said, since high school, yes BOBBY FLAY: Well, you have to understand that Food Network TV and I were born together So there was no Food Network before I was cooking I was already cooking professionally, and then Food Network showed up one day

And I've been there for 22 years So you know, Julia Child, the Galloping Gourmet– do you know who that is? AUDIENCE: Of course BOBBY FLAY: His thing was really cool He would make this gourmet meal, and it was always sort of French inspired And he always had, like, this cool jacket on

And then he'd go up, he'd plate the meal, pour a glass of wine And he'd have a little table for two And he'd go out to the audience and pick whatever cute girl he wanted to pick, and take her by the hand, and finish having dinner with her I mean, it was really kind of sweet, actually, you know? That was the show It was Julia Child and the Galloping Gourmet

That was really it You know, Emeril really led the charge He was on every minute of the Food Network for so many years And I knew Emeril before he was Emeril, you know? I mean, we basically grew up together in this business But yeah, I think the first celebrity chef that I really knew was Wolfgang Puck

I mean, he, in my opinion, changed the way we think about food in America now Really, he took food that was whimsical and made it incredible And made it fun for people to go to a restaurant to eat great food So you didn't have to go to some stodgy old place to eat good food He was the first person to take pizzas and put smoked salmon and duck sausage on them

And people were, like, wow, you can do that? And he's, like, yeah, you can do that And I always find it amazing to me, because it took an Austrian guy to show America how to cook good food But it's the truth I mean, Wolfgang is amazing, and continues to be I mean, some people say he's got restaurants in airports and stuff

Like that Yeah, but so what? I mean, when you go to his restaurants, like in LA, he's there all the time I don't know how There must be ten of him He's always walking around in his chef white

He's got his towel over his shoulder He comes up to you He sounds like Arnold Schwarzenegger [LAUGHTER] What's up? And he cares so much about what he does He's a true leader of our industry

Yeah? AUDIENCE: You said that you and Food Network were born together How did Food Network find you? How did you get started? BOBBY FLAY: Look, you know, Food Network was a startup cable network, and you know, they had no money So the chefs that were actually being asked to fill the time, so to speak, if you couldn't get there by subway, you weren't coming on the network I mean, they weren't flying people in from California or anything to do that They had no money

So you know, it was a 24-hour network They had a lot of time to fill And so I just started guesting on different shows as a guest And then I said, you know, I think I should do a grilling show Like, you don't do anything grilling

They're, like, what do you mean? Well, here's a list of recipes I think we could do Like, do you have a name? Like, yeah, how about "Grillin' and Chillin'"? [LAUGHTER] And they're, like, all right [LAUGHTER] I'm not kidding you That was the extent of the meeting And then we shot 42 episodes

That was me and this guy from Philadelphia He was like the country guy I was the city guy We beat each other up verbally, kind of fun, like banter and stuff like that You know? Anyway, like, he would say to me, I don't– like, I'd be making a sauce in a blender

He's, like, I don't use fancy equipment like a blender [LAUGHTER] OK, you know Anyway, so we shot 42 episodes in six days– seven a day, live to tape And that's why, when I shoot a cooking show now, I can shoot– if I really wanted to, I could shoot five in a day Because I basically shoot live to tape

There was no editing in those days You had to hit the marks to go to commercial So they didn't have the money to edit, literally There was no editing I remember when they're, like, we're going to start editing

I'm, like, what? And it was years later It was five or six years later I did television live to tape, basically, for the first six or seven years of my career there So when I do it, when I do a cooking show now that has editing, like I'm doing this new show with Damaris Phillips, called "Bobby and Damaris," very original name And it took us a long time to figure out that name

And she was, like, this is the fastest I've ever done a cooking show by tenfold And I was, like, well, how long does it take you do a show? She was, we do, like, a half a show a day And I just don't see any reason for it Because they're trying to be so perfect So when you pick up the pomegranate, and they're, like, can you pick it up again? No seriously, that's what happens

And I go, OK What did I do wrong? Well, I just didn't like where your hand was Who cares? You're cooking And I think part of it is, when you overshoot a cooking show, you lose the guts of it Because if I make a mistake, it makes the viewer feel better

Who cares? If I burn something a little bit, or if I spill something– oh, good If you spill something, stop down You've got to clear the whole thing off Bring in the more prep, right? It's insane It's totally nuts

I don't shoot that way So I can shoot three shows, four shows We can start at 8 o'clock in the morning At 3 o'clock in the afternoon, I'm having a beer And then it feels real

You want to have your own cooking show? [LAUGHTER] BOBBY FLAY: Yeah, but what would the theme be? AUDIENCE: Uh, well– BOBBY FLAY: Come on Pitch me This is it right now [LAUGHTER] AUDIENCE: Like, meat eaters going vegetarian, like something– BOBBY FLAY: Well you just– [LAUGHTER] AUDIENCE: –my perspective– you can have it if you want I don't think I have the caliber to execute right now

Nick BOBBY FLAY: What's your last name? AUDIENCE: Gomez BOBBY FLAY: Gomez So Nick Gomez, the show is– OK, so vegetarians Vegetarians who were meat eaters? AUDIENCE: Yes

BOBBY FLAY: OK AUDIENCE: I always eat meat, and it's the basis of everything As a kid, I would push away the vegetables, and I would grab for the chicken And now the trend is vegetables and eating healthy And the meat is hard to set aside, but trying to make vegetables that I actually want to eat

[INTERPOSING VOICES] BOBBY FLAY: So the show would basically be you'd have, like, a big juicy steak over here, and you'd be, like, all right, just stay there [LAUGHTER] And then you'd come over here and saute some zucchini and convince people that's what they really want to eat? AUDIENCE: Like, make vegetables good enough to eat for someone who didn't want to eat them in the first place? BOBBY FLAY: That's a good thing Absolutely Should we give him a show? AUDIENCE: (SPEAKING TOGETHER) Yeah! BOBBY FLAY: All right 8 o'clock tomorrow

[LAUGHTER] BOBBY FLAY: Cool SPEAKER 3: Everybody, help me thank him for coming [APPLAUSE]

[anoopkam]

Back at Supreme’s Oriental Spice restaurant, at Kuravankonam again after a while… Its been more than a month since I’ve been there and I did end up having a bit of craving for the Kung Pao Chicken… Other than that, I decided to go for what I haven’t had before from there… So, this time, I went for their Spicy Chicken Soup first… Then because of watching too many of Mark Wein’s videos recently, I wanted to try something that I haven’t had for years : The Crab… The reason for the gap is because I didn’t think it was worth the effort of cracking open the shell to drag out the meat… So, on being informed by the waiter that they don’t serve with shell, I decided to try out the Singapore Chilly Crab starter… Then when checking the out the options for mains, one of the items that I have been meaning to try ever since I saw Anthony Bourdain’s episode on Penang i.e. the legendary Char Kway Teow, which is available in their menu as Kway Teow… So, I went for the seafood variant and ofcourse, along with it I ordered a Kung Pao Chicken as well…

So, to list them all, they are a portion each of the Spicy Chicken Soup, Singapore Chilly Crab, Seafood Kway Teow and Kung Pao Chicken… This is a place that I have been constantly complaining about having too much quantity per portion… So, I must mention here that I took the leftovers (more than half) as parcel and basically had enough for me, my dad and my grandma to eat for dinner… 🙂 So, if you who is reading this is an owner/manager of this restaurant, pls reduce the portion size or at-least have an option of 1/4 plate for single cover… This time, I happened to be heading directly home from there which is why I decided to go there in the first place… 🙂 Else, its a huge wastage of food…

Oriental Spice

Oriental Spice

Spicy Chicken Soup

Singapore Chilly Crab

Kway Teow (Seafood)

Kung Pao Chicken

So, once I placed the order, I was served a cup of hot Green Tea… After a few minutes, the soup arrived… The soup that I ordered was what they called as their Spicy Chicken Soup… When I asked the waiter about it, he merely said that its a soup with Chicken, Mushrooms, Chinese greens and Green-chillies for the spiciness… And when I asked for the spice level especially when compared to the spicy fried rice that I had from one of my previous visits, I was informed that it is only slightly spicy rather than full on spicy… Thats why I decided to try it out… So, the below pic is how I got it…

Spicy Chicken Soup

Spicy Chicken Soup

First of all, my only complaint regarding this soup is that they used corn starch and made it thick… However, the soup tasted awesome with a really nice taste of the Chicken broth along with a rich flavour of Green-chillies, Ginger, Garlic and Coriander leaves, seasoned absolutely perfectly with the right amount of salt and pepper… The soup contained shredded Chicken, Mushrooms (mostly Button and a little bit of Shiitake) along with some Chinese Lettuce, Bok Choy, Green Onions, Coriander leaves and grated Green-chillies and also a bit of Egg dropped as well… Its clearly one of the best Chicken based soups I have had… I only wish it was not thickened…

After I was done with the soup, the starter arrived and as mentioned above, it was my attempt at having the Crab after so many years… So, what I got was what they call their Singapore Chilly Crab and I got served as shown in the pic below…

Singapore Chilly Crab

Singapore Chilly Crab

First of all, I couldn’t quite figure out where the crab was, because all I could see were these noodle like things that even tasted exactly like noodles… So, I called up the waiter and asked if there has been any mistake but apparently those “noodles” are the crab meat… I couldn’t believe it cause not only did it not look even remotely to the crab meat that I had many years ago when I had to crack open a crab myself, it didn’t even taste like crab and it really tasted like noodles to me… So, when I enquired further, I got informed that what they use is “Crab Sticks” and when I googled about it, I found out that the noodle like look made sense… So, if you are the owner/manager of the restaurant reading this, I’ve got bad news for you… Crab Sticks are not made up of real crab meat… They are imitation crab meat (Don’t believe me? Click here to find out more) with an artificial crab flavour added to it… There are many versions of it and unfortunately none of them use actual Crab meat in it… I think what got served for me was the version where they use wheat flour fillers and hence what I was feeling to be noodles were indeed noodles… 🙂 It is my humble request to stop using this fake crab meat and use real crab meat instead…

Other than the fake crab, the Singapore Chilly Sauce tasted absolutely divine with some strong flavours of soy and chilly along with crispy juliennes of vegetables like carrots, green beans, red cabbage, bell pepper, green-chillies and coriander… Its the perfect sweet and spicy taste that I will definitely like to have again… Since I felt that if I eat the whole thing, I wouldn’t have room for the mains, I just had that bit which was served onto my plate and asked the waiter to pack the rest for home…

So, once that was all done, I got served a fresh plate and along with it the mains… What I got for the mains were their Kway Teow and ofcourse my all time favourite Kung Pao Chicken to go with it… For those who are not aware, the Kway Teow or rather Char Kway Teow is a Malaysian dish, made with thick flat noodle pastry (rice cake strips) stir-fried in high heat in a wok with vegetables (traditionally bean sprouts, Chinese chives and chillies), Soy (both light and dark), Shrimp paste and assortment of seafood… Here, however, they also offer a Vegetarian as well as a Chicken based version of the same… I went for their Seafood variant and that came with some Fish, Crab Stick and Prawns along with an egg in it along with Juliennes of Carrots, Green Beans, Onions, Bell Peppers, Chinese Lettuce and Spring Onion… I have been wanting to try this ever since I saw the old episode of Anthony Bourdain in Penang and hence was incredibly surprised to see it in the menu here as I had been looking for it for years in India… Essentially, Kway Teow is to Malay cuisine what Pad Thai is to the Thai cuisine…

Kway Teow (Seafood) & Kung Pao Chicken

Kway Teow (Seafood) & Kung Pao Chicken

Kway Teow (Seafood)

Kung Pao Chicken

Now coming to the taste, it felt exactly as what I imagined it to be… It can be considered sweet and spicy but indeed mildly with the nice flavour of the sea to it thanks to all the seafood in there which indeed was packed full as can be seen in the up-close pic… Every ingredient in it was cooked perfectly especially with the pieces of fish literally melting in my mouth… I loved it so much that I am looking forward to having it again in my next visit, when it happens…

Now, the Kway Teow was perfectly complemented by the Kung Pao Chicken, although considering the portion sizes, I wished for an option where I could just just the Kung Pao sauce alone without the chicken for it… Its not that there was anything wrong with Kung Pao Chicken, which rather tasted awesome – even better than before, its just that with all the seafood in the Kway Teow, having the chicken pieces felt a bit too much to eat 🙂 That being said, the Kung Pao Chicken was absolutely perfect… Perfectly cooked chicken pieces in the most amazing sauce with Smokey Peanuts and Cashews along with the sweet yet spicy taste of the Schezwan Chillies in it… Compared to last time, I felt that it had a bit more stronger flavours, which is good as I liked this version better, especially with the Kway Teow…

So, altogether yet another glorious meal from the Oriental Spice restaurant… Once again, I still have issue with the portion size… I mean, I could literally eat only 1/4th of what was served and if you’ve seen me personally, you will know why thats a big deal… Other than that, only complaint I have is regarding the use of Crab Sticks instead of real crab meat, which I hope they do make the shift to very soon… 🙂

Oriental Spice – Spicy Chicken Soup, Singapore Chilly Crab, Kway Teow, Kung Pao Chicken Back at Supreme's Oriental Spice restaurant, at Kuravankonam again after a while... Its been more than a month since I've been there and I did end up having a bit of craving for the Kung Pao Chicken...