Tag Archives: BBQ
Happy Birthday, Jeff Parker!
Our Go-To-Grill-Ghuru is finally forty! And that’s our gift to him. Hee Hee.
Our gift to you is his episode, “All Up In Jeff Parker’s Grill” where we learn the intricacies of cooking over fire. It’s our first on location shoot and the first appearance of DISH DUDES!!! #MustSeePC.
Click photo for video…
Meat. It’s What’s For Dinner.
This Post Is Brought To You By The Letter “D”
Debby Holiday rules the dance floors and rocks the billboards. Her music is delicious, driven and delightful. Her style thrives and inspires. DIO! was lucky enough to get time with her for a recent lunch and Debby delivered the goods.
Debby Holiday lit up dance music with her #5 Billboard summer anthem Dive in 2004. Holiday followed the smash hit “Dive” with her power ballad “Half A Mile Away”, which shot into the Billboard Top 10, along with Debby’s follow-up dance hit “Bring It On”.
All of Debby’s subsequent dance singles broke into the Billboard Top 20 including, “Piece of My Love” & “Surrender Me” (with the incredible Tony Moran), “Joyful Sound“, featured in the hit show Sordid Lives: The Series, from writer/director/producer Del Shores, starring Olivia Newton John.
Growing up in Los Angeles, Debby was exposed to many forms of music to encourage her expression. Her father Jimmy Holiday topped the charts with several of his own singles before co-writing smash hits like “Understanding” for Ray Charles and “Put A Little Love In Your Heart” for Jackie De Shannon. Debby’s ears were full of tremendous music to inspire her varied, passionate sound.
In 2012, Debby hit the Billboard Charts twice. Never Give Up with the amazing San Francisco based DJ Phil B soared to #9 in May of 2012.
Debby’s next single, Key To Your Soul (co-written with DJ John LePage & Jeff Fedak) hit #21 & includes an anti-bullying themed video for the song (directed by Del Shores).
Debby recently completed a staring role in the new film Blues For Willadean written by the award winning, Del Shores & co-starring Beth Grant, Oscar Winner Octavia Spencer from The Help.
Her latest single “I Like You” with Grammy Winning Producer/Dj Tony Moran is currently #8 on the Billboard Dance Charts.
Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ym3hqjfyzxA
Finishing touches are being done to Debby’s Double Album ‘Free2B’ (half rock/half dance), which is allowing her to fully embrace her two musical sides.
‘Free2B’ is due out Feb 2015
Debby was a joy to have in the kitchen and we welcome having her back soon!
ps our naan recipe she made for “Down & Delhi” will be shared today!!!
Lyrical lunch.
I’m A Peach.
Truth. Don’t let the smooth taste fool you, I am a peach. People generally use this expression as a term of endearment, “Isn’t Jenny a peach? Look how she helps her Mom shingle the new barn”. It can also be a a sly dig in some circles, “Howard’s a real peach, finishing all of Auntie Lucy’s cobbler before she had any”. In my case it is more of a Dish! I am a peach. I am fuzzy with a stone pit in my core.
Don’t let the smooth taste fool you.
I will explain.
It took all of my twenties and most of my thirties to cultivate my beard (bane to my family). I endured relentless comments on the sprouting ‘peach fuzz’. Comparisons were made to dirty lollipop sticks, over-used QTips, sparse golf courses and broken Chia-pets. To wear my ginger whiskers in my forties, I glow. I am a peach, I sweeten with age. I am a peach, but not with a heart of stone. More of a head of it. More on that? Moron that.
I can be pretty obstinate, hard-headed if you will, in the kitchen. I hardly measure ingredients, will leave every cabinet open, cover every surface and risk bodily harm in pursuit of a perfect
Melissa-fent Fruits, Summer 2014
taste. I fly by taste, sight and smell in addition to the seat of my pants. Sometimes the recipe will fly, sometimes not. Casualties are inevitable,
“….you can’t make an omelet without breaking any eggs. Any cook will tell you this.” – Clue, The Movie – Col. Mustard AKA Martin Mull.
I am a peach, if you work around the dense center the fruit is delicious. Sort of speak.
So I bore you with all of that to tell you about some recent quality time in the DIO! FoodLab, peachy-keen if you will. Our wonderful sponsor Melissa’s Produce sent us some gorgeous stone
fruit this season. We got to play with delicious white peaches, apricots, plums, plucots and stunning avocados. Yes, Virginia, avocados are fruit. We sautéed, pureed, basted, broiled and blackened.
A drive-by fruiting.
We blended, froze, reduced and grilled. There was much merriment involving Melissa’s tasty treats and at least one botched juggling show. But I digress.
The fruits of our labors (you know that pun was coming) were tremendous. Condiments, side dishes, desserts, drinks and snacks smacked the lips of happy hungry DIO! staff. The team’s favorite recipes will follow for all to enjoy. Please let us know your success with the recipes and remember any pix of your efforts will be rewarded. We swag and shout out with the best of them. The first recipe was delicious…….
Grilled White Peaches, a side dish.
Pairing these lovelies with an Herbs de Provence rubbed pork chops was phenomenal. The grill char on the sweet flesh of the peaches was incredible side by side with the savory of the pork’s seasonings.
Ingredients:
4 washed, dried peaches. Halved, stones removed.
1 T white granulated sugar, brown sugar is nice too.
1 t cinnamon (DIO! Season 2 Spices W/ Benefits)
1/4 t clove.
2 T canola oil.
4-5 T chopped fresh rosemary.
How to:
1. Pre-heat clean grill or grill pan.
2. Mix clove, cinnamon, sugar and oil.
3. Brush peach halves liberally with sugar mix.
4. Sprinkle dressed peach halves with rosemary. Let flavors mingle for several minutes.
5. Dress grill grates with canola oil, or spray.
6. Reapply sweet make-up to peaches.
7. Grill peaches, skin side up, 3-5 minutes. Don’t let them go soft on you.
8. Serve up immediately.
Episode 2.03: Ann Walker; Texas Roaster!
It is with great pleasure and amazing restraint we give to you the lovely, vivacious, indomitable, delicious Ann Walker:
Ann Walker; Texas Roaster.
She’s lovely. She’s audacious. You may be thinking it, but she has the stones to say it. Her name’s Ann Walker and she is AWESOME.
She’ll say it. Go ask Ann
For those of you fans of talk radio The Ann Walker show on UBN Radio is not to be missed. Every Wednesday 6-7:30 pm PST devotees cop a squat and lend an ear to brassy, sassy good talk. On the air for just over a year the show covers talk, walk, politics, pleasure, Washington, Hollywood and Purgatory in between. Ann Walker hosts this vivacious foray through current events with an unwavering eye for detail and the charm of a dear aunt. (the aunt that gave you your first adult beverage) The show begins with her RANNT in which targets are skewered rotisseried and served up to invited guests. An informed opinion, a tremendous sense of humor and an enormous capacity to care make Ann an exemplary interviewer. And a freedom with F-Bombs make her a sizzler on a microphone. Her hosting skills fall in the caliber of Johnny Carson, disarming and smart. Her ginormous sense of humor rounds out a lethal tongue. She’s a toast of Texas and a great person.
UBN Radio’s darling
This Roaster has a pedigree. Ann’s award-winning theatrical career has included the 2001, 10-month Los Angeles run of Del Shores’ play, Southern Baptist Sissies. Her portrayal of Odette Annette Barnett garnered her a Robby Award, a Maddy award, as well as the prestigious Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award and a nomination from her peers for The Ovation Award. Ann happily returned to Dallas, Texas the next year to play Odette again in SOUTHERN BAPTIST SISSIES to SRO houses.
Los Angeles theater-goers have enjoyed her in other award-winning productions such as Tyler Hansen’s BALLAD (for which she received a Drama-Logue award and the Robby Award for Best Actress in a Drama), RAIN, BEST WISHES, HOW THE OTHER HALF LOVES, HYSTERICAL BLINDNESS, OPERA COMIQUE, STEEL MAGNOLIAS, THE GLASS MENAGERIE, DAUGHTERS OF THE LONE STAR STATE by Del Shores. But her biggest joy in her theatrical career came in 1996 with Del’s other big comedy hit SORDID LIVES in which Ann originated the enduring and beloved LaVonda Dupree, a role she reprised in the award winning film in 2000.
LaVonda Dupree
Ann’s film career can be called sordid. THE JAGGED EDGE, SOUL MAN, and FATHER OF THE BRIDE II run the gamete of variety. And no doubt were discussed in Variety. I digress. Fans far and wide will say it was her role of LaVonda Dupree in the epic Del Shores’ SORDID LIVES that endeared Ann to audiences. LaVonda is the voice of Del and the movie is his coming in to being as an out gay man and artist. LaVonda is actually based on Del’s Aunt Rita who gave him unwavering love and support growing up. Trash, sass and ass make SORDID LIVES a cult favorite. If you haven’t seen it, you are missing something special in your lives. Leg prosthetics, Leslie Jordan and ‘Livia Newton John (I wanted to get the L out) to boot, the movie is wonderful view into a small Texas town.
from the LOGO TV SORDID series.
Ann makes numerous appearances on behalf of the LGBTQI community. Her support of Marriage Equality, Gay Rights, HIV prevention and the underdog is well recorded. Unabashed, she is willing to lend her great voice to help. Ann can frequently be seen in Pride parades and bright colors. Best of all, she is a colleague as a non-denominational minister and can marry anyone anytime. Wouldn’t you just die????
Our second season has been one blessing after another. From the super talents of healthy lifestyle guru Jesse Brune, to Jeff Parker’s sizzling grill skills our episodes have been AMAZINGLY received and fun to produce. We are so thankful to Karma Tequila and new sponsor Melissa’s Produce for solid support and inspired ideas. This second season we promise big flavors and food that does a body good. And as good bodies go, the Dish Dudes line up has been expanded. Just wait and see. We have many more wonderful people to come cook with us so Like, Follow, and Subscribe to get all the Dish! you deserve. Come hungry….
We were blessed to have this very busy lady in our kitchen. Ann’s demeanor and humor were eaten up faster than the tasty roast we were making for lunch (more on that later this week). She was a great sport and a true pro. Her improvs were fantastic and be warned of her knife skills. The episode, “Ann Walker: Texas Roaster” will air later this week. It was a complete joy to produce, delicious too. You can see Ann in the just released film version of SOUTHERN BAPTIST SISSIES. Check out the wonderful Ann Walker Show on UBN Radio and tell her Dish! sent you.
Ann Walker is a hoot and a holler.
you heard me.
Ann Walker
@annwalkershow
National Bacon Day!!!
“Bacon’s good.”
“Bacon’s bacon.” – “Desire Under The Elms”, Eugene O’Neill
It’s a nice way to end the summer; BBQ and Bacon and Back to School. (All of my parenting friends agree, with the last part especially). Add some Bubbles and you’ve got yourself a holiday. America’s pride and joy will always be their bacon. It’s celebrated in cupcakes, cocktails, Colorado. There’s a propensity of alliteration today, bear with me. It is definitely what vegetarians miss most and what Lady Gaga has yet to wear. Bacon, bacon, bacon!
This recipe is from a friend of DIO! and an upcoming guest, Jeff Parker. His food blog Jeff Parker Cooks is a great follow for food enthusiasts and gourmet amis alike. Enjoy Jeff’s Bumped Up Bacon Wrapped Sweet & Spicy Peppers. Click photo for recipe
Happy National Bacon Day!
Top your burger or crown your steak.
Not Hiccup, Jicama!
Hot enough for you?
If that ain’t the strangest thing to say I don’t what is. Oh right, jicama is pretty strange to say. Jicama, sounds like it should be a Club Med destination resort. Jicama, God Bless you the people at the store will say to you. Jicama, Jicama, Jicama goes the magic incantation. Jicama, you so crazy, I think I want to have you for lunch.
And we did! Everyone knows what jicama looks like right? It’s that disgruntled looking root thingy found near the potatoes and onion and not far from the melons. Jicama is from semi tropical to tropical climates. It’s skin is like a thin bark texture, and it’s bark is worse than it’s bite. (I went there). The health values of jicama are wonderful, it being high in vitamin content, antioxidants and low-calorie. It’s also known as Mexican Water Chestnut and Yam Bean. But, I think Jicama is more fun to say. Jicama. Jicama.
Slaw went the raven…
Ter House Slaw #5
1 cup grated carrots
1 cup grated purple cabbage
1 cup grated jicama
1 cup grated white cabbage
Dressing:
1 small sweet onion, quartered
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1/2 cup low-fat mayonnaise or vegannaise
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
2 T sweet Thai chili sauce
2 T celery seed
1 T Karma Tequila Agave nectar (or whatever sugar sub you have handy
1 T fresh lemon juice
1/2 t salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
Add first four ingredients into blender and blend. Stream in olive oil to thicken. Add remaining ingredients and continue to blend until desired texture. Check seasonings.
Toss shredded slaw with dressing and refrigerate for an hour. Re-toss Ter House Slaw #5 and serve to welcome guests.
