WHY ARE WE OUT OF OR WHY WE DON'T HAVE, THAT IS THE QUESTION....

Why is it that everytime you go to a soul food restauant they are always out of the very thing you came there for...

WINNER FIERY FOOD CHALLENGE

This past Saturday I entered the Bay Area Adventure & Travel Show 'Fiery Food Challenge' at the Santa Clara Convention Center.  Actually, I was a sub for a chef who could not make it and was asked to participate at the last minute.  The challenge was to see which chef could prepare the hottest food.  Well, I don't like food that is so hot/spicy that you can't taste the other flavors or the food item itself. 


So, I decided to do 'Fire Hazard Meatballs.'  I came up with this on the spot and had never made them before.  I thought they wanted hot, I will give them hot.  I asked a friend of mine who love spicy food to accompany me to the kitchen where I prepare the recipe which consisted of, in the beginning, six peppers...black pepper, cayenne, jalapeno, habanero, Serrano, Thai chili, and whatever peppers are in a sauce called Sriracha!  The only other ingredients were salt, garlic, red bell pepper, onion, panko bread crumbs and the ground beef.   Mixed all together, made 182 1oz. balls and oven roasted them.  The came out 15 minutes later and guess what she said...'they're not hot!'  What? I said.  Now, let it be known that I have been having some problems with my sinuses and taste buds. I can't smell nor taste anything.  So, of course I could not add anything to the meatballs so I decided to add a sauce.  I took all of the remaining peppers, added 1/2 cup of cayenne and 1/4 cup of red chili pepper flakes and added them to a pool of Hot Wing sauce and simmered it in a large skillet.  "Still not hot enough, she says.  A few moments later she says her nose did began to sweat.  But, she was looking for to when she bit into the meatball it would instantly clear her sinuses.  So, I added another cup of cayenne and more red pepper flakes...Now, that's hot she says.  I thought, when I pour this sauce over the meatballs and by the time I get to the event and the meatballs have had a chance to marinate in the sauce and the beef has absorbed all those peppers from within...it should have a chance.


Ok, now after a 2 hour drive to Santa Clara and a two hour wait (the meatballs are in a chaffer being kept hot) The first chef (Filipino) goes on stage and does his thing making a Mango Chicken dish with jalapenos...mildly spicy.  I was second and then the third chef (Chinese) made a red chili dipping sauce with prawn, carrot and jicama wrapped in Rice Paper who I thought would win because though I can't taste flavors the heat came through.  In the end, the audience got to taste each dish and was chosen to be the judges.  With host, a local radio personality, holding her hand over each of our head and asking the audience to applaud to which chef had the hottest dish......I was dubbed the champion!  Prior to the judging, I was approached by several event goers telling me, with tears in their eyes and fanning there mouths, that I had there vote.  It was a great feeling and a plaque was bestowed to me and plenty of photos taken.  When I get them I will share with you.


So, until the next time when I ask the question "Why are most black owned eateries famous for the term 'WE ARE OUT OF...' Eat well and be healthy


Chef Pannell

Why Food News Network (FNN)?

For some time now I have wanted to write about food industry in a news format.  I started out with a newspaper insert in Los Angeles some time ago and it just didn’t work.  Now here I am on the internet with my personal views on the food industry as I see it.  These blogs will be my own interpretations of what some of you in the industry will be aware of if you subscribe to certain tabloids or read daily or weekly newspapers or magazines, which now most or defunct.

Food News Network, FNN for short, will be brought to you by various articles from these publications but with a twist of Q&A that will stimulate your thoughts.  Such as whose moving where, who’s buying what and the truth about not only the eateries that the FoodNetwork promotes on their programs, but, about the eateries that aren't so 'great!'

Now, for those who are just foodies, Suzy Homemakers or just a person who likes to eat, what would be your interest in FNN?  It will be no different from reading or watching your local news and getting a bit story on a problem with Ecoli, bacteria, or some mad cow disease.   You will get your fill of recipes, interviews with chefs in your area and just good information about what you have eaten yesterday, today and what you will be eating tomorrow...

Look forward to my first official blog soon....