Tsunami & Hideaki

I have to admit that I really have not thought very much about the earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan. For me it was "over there" and "not my responsibility". I have to admit that I am not always the best representative of Humanity. Dr. Who would probably shake his finger at me and call me a naughty boy. However I have had a story of the events after and during the tsunami pointed out to me recently that just floored me and prompted this blog entry. The article can be found here: http://www.badassoftheweek.com/akaiwa.html, and I have to say that it is quite inspirational. The details are a little shaky, but the overall message is the same. "Never give up, Never surrender." - Winston Churchill said that during WWII and apparently Hideaki Akaiwa lives that way every moment of his life. I have long admired the Japanese culture and their innovations in food and pyrotechnics, but this is the first time that I could really point to someone and say that they represent what I would like to be like in my life. So here it is, "I want to be Hideaki Akaiwa when I grow up." 


Congratulations on finding your family Hideaki Akaiwa, and on your continued efforts to help your fellow townspeople. You truly represent the best of Humanity and I hope that many people take your story to heart.

I have not been procrastinating! I swear!

You guys may have been wondering why I have not been writing or posting anything. Well that is because I, with the help of Dustin the idea guy and Neil the production guy have been trying to edit the first episode, or pilot if you will, of the show... Got it down pretty good now, just have to split it so that it can be posted my YouTube Channel (Frugalicious Chef). I do have to warn you though that the lighting was a little poor... Well actually it was yellow. That's right is was yellow. Oh, well... Now we know and can correct it for the next episode. Which I have decided will be Shepherd's pie.

Now this is an Irish dish that is traditionally made with Lamb, however since I am the Frugalicious Chef and not the I can afford any kind of meat I want chef, I will be using Beef. I found a roast on sale at Safeway and plan on cutting it into small cubes. Now the title of the dish is a little misleading as Shepherd's pie is not actually a pie. There is no crust like a pot pie and there is no sweetness like a dessert pie. Basically, Shepherd's Pie is a meat stew that has been served in a bowl with a layer of mashed potatoes and cheese as a crust on the top of the stew. (Yum, mouth is watering as I talk about it.)

Anyway, I just thought that you guys should be kept in the loop!

Recipe and Pricing List

Good evening! I promised that I would post the recipe and the prices for my Frugalicious Mac & Cheese before we aired the episode so here we go!

Frugalicious Mac & Cheese

You will need:

3 boxes of Mac & Cheese (choose what brand you like. I choose Kroger Value Brand Mac & cheese.)

1 cup or 1/2 a whole yellow onion

1 cup or 1/2 a whole red onion

1 head of broccoli

1 can olives

1 can Whole Kernel Corn

1 lbs. Ground Beef

1 tablespoon Garlic Powder

1 tablespoon Basil (or herb of choice)

Dice onions and separate total into 2 bowls. While making the Mac & Cheese as instructed on the box, brown the beef and 1 bowl of onions in a frying pan. Add garlic powder and basil while stirring frequently with your turner. While the beef is browning remove the crowns from the stems of the broccoli, then finely chop the crowns. Throw the stems away. Drain the fat from the beef and onions and set aside while you finish the boxed Mac & Cheese. (Note: I find that using margarine or butter instead of milk for the sauce creates a thicker better tasting sauce.) Add beef mixture and broccoli to the Mac & Cheese, then place into glass casserole dish. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes @ 350 F for a conventional oven or 325 F for a convection oven. Remove from oven and serve in your favorite bowl. Serves 3 people and makes leftovers.

Prices:

Boxed Mac & Cheese - $ 1.34
Yellow Onion - $ 0.14
Red Onion - $ 0.48
Ground Beef - $ 2.49
Olives - $ 1.49
Corn - $ 0.69
Broccoli - $ 0.69

Total price for the meal: $ 7.23

I truly hope you enjoy this dish as much or more than I do! Also, remember that cooking can be a fun experience! Be daring! You know what you like to eat, and you know what things taste like. Remember though that biologists and Medical Doctors all agree that 90 percent of EVERYTHING you SMELL is exactly what it TASTES like. The human sense of smell uses the back of your tongue to evaluate smells. So if it smells good to you then chances are that it will taste just as good.

So as they say in Italy, Manga!

The Frugalicious Chef

First Episode is in the can!

I have to say that I was very nervous as soon as the cameras turned on. I finally understood why actors can randomly start cracking up when there doesn't seem to be anything funny going on.

Things that I learned today:

1. When you take something off the burner, make sure that you turn that burner off before you move away from the stove. Otherwise it just heats up the kitchen and wastes electricity... Not to mention making you feel foolish when you realize it on camera.

2. Try to slow down your words so that when you talk you will not sound like one of Charlie Brown's teachers.

3. When you finally relax being filmed can be a lot of fun!

Things that Neil learned today:

1. How to make some really great Mac & Cheese.

2. Getting me to shut up when I get on a roll can be difficult. (lol)

Truly, this was a really great experience and I am looking forward to the editing and posting! Next time I am thinking about making Pizza... Possibly Calzones... BTW, I will have a recipe and price list posted here for my Frugalicious Mac & Cheese before the episode is posted.

I hope you enjoy the show and the food as much as I.

Sincerely,

The Frugalicious Chef

Today is the Day!

I can't tell you whether I am excited, scared or both right now... I have to say that in some ways I am really excited to be starting a new project, but I am also scared that it will go no where. I could experience the slow agonizing death of my show. Which seems like it would be par for the course of my life... (severe frowny face going on right now!)... ...

Okay, enough of that! Let's look at the bright side. You guys really like the show and my blog and encourage me to keep going. Eventually someone out there notices me and picks me up for television or something and my career as a professional chef with multitudes of adoring fans kicks off!

(Did any one just feel the Earth move? No one else? Really?)

Sorry, got a little carried away..... Any way, I will be filming my first web cast today with the help of my friend Neil, who is also my director, principal photographer and editor.... Busy guy, huh? Looking forward to seeing it up on YouTube and Facebook.

First dish : Frugalicious Mac & Cheese

Sincerely,

The Frugalicious Chef

Starting to blog...

I have to admit that I have never really understood why people blog about things. I mean, if they wanted to talk about something, why not just call up one of their friends and talk to them? I mean, it is not like a blog is going to talk back to you and if it did, well, we all know where that person would end up don't we? But then, one day, as I was making a dinner for some friends of mine one of them looked at me and suggested that I make a web cast of my cooking. I was intrigued, but dismissive at first. I kind of played it off and then went on to other things. But the idea did not go away. First I thought about what I would cook and what kind of hook it would have to have to make it popular. Then I thought about what I would need to film it... Now keep in mind that I was not consciously thinking about this, it was more just percolating in the back of my mind like an old camp stove coffee pot. Then I saw it, the one thing that really brought it to the forefront of my brain and made me decide to move forward. One of the friends I mentioned before was bored and looking for the next best thing. Why not have it be a cooking show with me as a host... But I still needed a name or tag line or something. So I talked about the idea with my Mother and she said : "Why don't you call it Champagne Tastes on a Beer Budget?" That got me to thinking. What are the main things that I know about cooking? Hold on, I'll Tell you.... I knew how I like to have things taste and I knew how to cook on a budget. But that's not enough I told myself. Lots of people know how to do that. So I thought about it some more. When I asked my friends and family, they said that I also knew how to make what I was serving taste like it came from a nice restaurant. Picture me blushing... So it seemed that my mother was right about champagne tastes after all, but that name was just to loooonnnngggg..... Then it hit me! I was going to talk about being Frugal, and I would be serving the Delicious.... Frugalicious! (Insert fanfare here)

So this blog will be a record of my recipes, my disasters, and my experiences being Frugalicious. I hope that you enjoy this journey with me.

Sincerely,

The Frugalicious Chef