Chef Gaynol

ClearlyFresh Bags

The romaine lettuce in the photo above is 15 days old.  Before we went on vacation, I threw a whole head of romaine into a ClearlyFresh bag and left it to fend for itself. When I returned, I washed and chopped the lettuce so it would be ready to go for sandwiches and salads.  I'm amazed that this romaine is over two weeks old and it still tastes as good as the day I bought it.

Royal Rose Radicchio

The nice folks at Royal Rose Radicchio sent me a ton of radicchio to try out.  Radicchio is actually one of my favorite lettuces in salads and this gave me the chance to try it in some summer recipes.  The radicchio pictured above is Radicchio di Chioggia.  It's the most widely available variety and is especially prized for it's vibrant maroon color and sharp, intense flavor.

Lamb Jam 2011

Most Americans usually think about serving lamb in the spring and then sadly, forget about lamb for the rest of the year.  The American Lamb Board (ALB) is on a campaign to change that mindset.  They're sponsoring The American Lamb Jam Tour, so look for demonstrations, recipes and giveaways coming to a town near you.  

Part of this promotion included a grilling challenge for bloggers.  The ALB generously provided a five pound boneless leg of lamb and asked bloggers to come up with recipes for lamb on the grill.  I originally wanted to do this recipe as a kabob, but the recipe I came up with wouldn't hold together on the skewers.  So, my take on this challenge is the fabulous Skewerless Mediterranean Burger.

DonQ Mojito Rum Infused With Mint

If you're looking for a low alcohol rum (20% vs. the usual 35% ) to use in your summer drinks, you can't go wrong with this Mojito Rum by DonQ.   The beauty of this spirit is the infusion of natural mint into the rum.  No weird artificial taste and just a touch of sweetness. Here at Cucina Flora, we've been adding it to ice tea and sipping it on the back deck.  

Top Ten Tips for Food Truck Customers

Unless you've been living under house arrest it's been hard to miss the latest craze in the food world. You'd better buckle up because food trucks are taking the country by storm and serving up some creative and delicious food.

Pictured above,  Skillet Street Food's "french dip" panini style roasted beef, gruyere, horseradish crema, caramelized onions, roasted beef jus.

It used to be that the best you could expect from a food truck was a bag of funyuns and a warm diet coke.  Today, food trucks are serving up everything from korean short rib tacos to wagyu beef burgers with bacon jam.

Here are my top ten tips for getting the most out of your food truck experience.