Hi friends! Color me giddy, thrilled and senselessly excited: I’m partnering up with the fine folks at Food & Wine, Travel + Leisure (American Express Publishing) and the Canadian Tourism Commission to announce a rather jam-packed event I’m participating in.  I am still putting the final details on everything but can finally announce it!

When I was asked by the great folks at Food & Wine Magazine if I’d like to sign on for a this project my answer was an immediate yes. As a traveler I am the first to sheepishly admit that I have never been to Canada.

Never.

Ok, I’m glad I got that off my chest. I’m embarrassed by the fact that I’ve been all over the world yet have never set foot in my neighbor’s country. Flown over countless times, stood right next to it, known and loved many of her inhabitants, and yet this boy has never taken the time to explore all it has to offer. I’m glad I have an opportunity to change that.

Here’s where the Canadian Tourism Commission and their new site Explore Canada Like A Local comes in.  I created my own list (I’m still adding to it as we speak!) on this new site of places I’d like to visit. I was given free reign and the option to pick any place in Canada. I decided on Vancouver for a few reasons (Chinese cuisine and sustainable seafood the two chief items) and then began to compile my list. It’s pretty thorough but me? I’m always up for a challenge. With camera and empty stomach in tow I’m going to work my way through them like a champion.

But here’s where things get really exciting. Not only will I be blogging about my trip to these fantastic places but you can actually enter the Explore Canada Like A Local Sweepstakes and win my trip! Of course you can select the two others bloggers participating if you’re more of the backpacking and adventure type but really, we’ve got some eating to do, right? The winner will receive an all-expenses paid trip to be as much of a glutton as I am, following my itinerary along the way.

And if you wanna check that out you can do so right here.

I’ll be heading to Vancouver mid-November to begin my exploration so check back to see the images, tweets, and reports on my visit. The sweepstakes is open now and ends December 15, 2011.

See you in Vancouver! (Kari, get ready. Please.)

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You guys know I’m on twitter right? You can also find me on Facebook where I tend to post embarrassing things about myself or worse, where people put photos of me caught off-guard or bent over looking fat on my Wall. God bless social media.

Calling all bakers! I am so happy to announce the Scharrfen Berger Elevate A Classic Dessert with Scharffen Berger Chocolate Contest! For the third year in a row I am returning as a judge for this fantastic contest and I must tell you that this year will be an amazing event, no doubt about it.  To be a part of it again is truly an honor!

In the past I’ve joined judges John Scharffenberger, Chef Elizabeth Faulkner and the amazing Alice Medrich to taste such amazing creations using adventure ingredients as well as cupcakes. This year the theme is all about taking a classic dessert and elevating it to extraordinary heights using Scharrfen Berger chocolate. And it’s this year I’m so amped up over because I have no doubt there will be creative, unique and delicious entries from all over the place. Cakes, cookies, pies, you name it…with the category being classic desserts the sky is the limit!

The extraordinary Chef Elizabeth Falkner toasts some sweets at last year's Scharffen Berger contest.

Now here’s what you really want to know, I’m sure of this: the first prize is $10,000 and a collection of Scharffen Berger Chocolates as well some amazing books. The winning recipe will also be featured on Scharffen Berger‘s website and I’m pretty sure I’ll be blogging about it, too. And can I tell you that judging this contest literally takes everything out of me? You have no idea how brilliant and phenomenal the entries are and when something is fantastic there’s a look everyone gets on their faces and we all agree. Of course there’s always an underdog during judging but believe me when I tell you eating chocolate is a very serious job. Ok, I’ll stop smiling now

Oh, and there’s also a fantastic $7000 2nd Place Prize as well as a 3rd Place Prize of $3000.  Those recipes will also be featured on Scharffen Berger’s website.

What’s this all mean for you? It means I hope you hurry and get into that kitchen to start creating your own masterpiece. Head over the website to find out more about the contest and all the official rules. You have until January 2, 2012 to enter. Do not delay, I am looking forward to tasting your creation!

My sister Angela got her book yesterday. Thanks Amazon!

Well whatddayaknow? Today is the relase of our first book, On A Stick!

I’m thrilled, elated, a bit nervous but happy that this book hits store shelves today. It was an incredibly fun project that required some state fair visits, tons of research and plenty of taste testing and you should know I gave 150% of myself to this book. Especially the tasting part

On A Stick! is a book about – wait for it, wait for it – FOOD ON A STICK. Ok, I’m being silly and knew you’d figure that part out, but this book is where high brow meets low brow, where favorite recipes meet new fangled ideas in some fun and silly ways. Are you seeing the parallel between me and the book? God I sure hope so!

When I began to discuss the idea with Quirk, my publisher, I knew there’d be so many fun moments in store but I also knew it’d be quite a bit of work to produce a cookbook. While I’ve photographed several books for others, this was the first that landed on my shoulders but you should know it was a team effort. None of it would have been possible without my rock, my live-in stylist and my husband Adam. And the same goes for Jenny Park, my tester, writer and assistant stylist. And also to Haley White, my intern at the time, who kept me company and provided valuable assistance and feedback during the process.  And also to our friend Eddie Vasquez who helped me sample item after item after item at a State Fair last year. Who says I don’t take my work seriously?

Top: Adam and Eddie conduct serious research at the San Diego State Fair last year and yes, they are Fine Art. Bottom: Adam enjoys a Hot Dog Covered In French Fries in Seoul, South Korea last week. The work never stops!

But back to the book!

I did my best to cover all my favorites on a stick, from party food to street-fair food to appetizers and desserts. And because there’s that natural thing that happens when you have food on a stick – you simply must dunk or dip it – I included several recipes for dips, marinades and sauces.

And then there are the photos. Fresh off of Susan Russo’s The Encyclopedia Of Sandwiches, I began to rub my eyes and pound my fists a few times as the challenges of photographing food stuck on sticks began to wear me down. It wasn’t easy! Luckily Margaret McGuire, Editor Extraordinaire, was there every step of the way to assist and inspire me with words of encouragement. And with Adam’s styling I think we pulled it off.

Let’s have a look at a few of the book’s images, shall we?

Chicken and Waffles On A Stick.  If you aren’t familiar with the concept of Chicken & Waffles then you need to get up on this! Based on the dish I love at Roscoe’s Chicken & Waffles I wanted to put it on a stick and drown the whole thing in syrup. Oh. My. God. No, you shouldn’t eat this everyday but for something different on a stick I do love it.

Coconut Shrimp. Not everything in the book is on a giant long stick reminiscent of state fair cuisine. These tender shrimp are dipped in shredded coconut and fried, a flavor combination creation in Heaven above. Serve with mango salsa and you have yourself a cute little appetizer. They pair wonderfully with cocktails, I’m telling you.

Fried Pickles. Oh puhleeese quit looking at me that way. You know you want some. And if you love them already then you know where I’m coming from. Again, excellent with cocktails or beer. Not that I drink all that often.

This Panzanella on a stick was the very first recipe I wrote and tested. I took them to a 4^th of July bbq last summer (it’s been that long already!?) to test on a crowd and you know what? They loved them. It’s fresh, summery, with enough chewy croutons to give these skewers some substance. Secret admission: I was kinda hoping people didn’t like them so I could eat them all myself. I’m serious.

Popcorn Balls. Is there anything better than a sticky face and sticky hands? Not really. When we shot these I told Adam to leave them on my computer stand just in case I needed to photograph them again. I AM SUCH A LIAR! I left them there to eat over the course of the day which I did. Sticky camera and mouse be damned.

Fruit Salad Skewers. These make me happy. They’re easy to assemble and great for kids, but you know the best part about them? The fluffy sweet sauce that they’re dipped in. I’m going to leave it at that and encourage you to make them. And invite me over.  I’ll bring extra sauce.

Spaghetti & Meatballs On A Stick. When I traveled around with my advance copy of the book this photo was always met with laughter. Was it good laughter or bad laughter? No one would tell me. But go ahead, laugh if you want, this dish is delicious, silly, a bit labor intensive but guaranteed to make you, um, smile. C’mon, it’s on a stick. Enjoy and delight in the silliness of it all! Besides, it’s the only time you’ll be able to eat spaghetti and meatballs with one hand while holding a glass of red wine in the other. Another drink reference, must I see someone about that?

There are so many more recipes in this book, not all silly, either.

To celebrate the release of On A Stick!, I’ll be giving away 5 autographed copies! All you have to do is leave a comment below, it can be stick related or you can tell me how much you love corndogs, I’m easy! Just leave a comment and next Monday, May 9^th I’ll pick 5 winners and write sweet nothings in your book and mail them to you! EASY! Unfortunately you must be in the United States to win and must leave your comment by 9am PST time on Monday the 9th. I’m so excited to send some lucky winners a book that I may just throw in a few secret surprises!

Visit Amazon.com to buy your copy today!

A few weeks ago I headed down to sunny and beautiful San Diego (which I am loving more than humanly possible these days but more about that later!) to judge the Powered By Red recipe contest from Choose Cherries. Stop right there, I know what you’re thinking: “you have to head down to one of the most beautiful cities in America, hang out with lovely people, taste plate after plate of delicious recipes, pick a winner and come home and my god that has got to be the most difficult thing ever! Poor you!” And you’re right, but I hope you know the lengths I’ll go through for you. Why? Because I love you. And I love tart cherries.

Yours truly with the wonderful Dr. Wendy Bazilian

My affinity for these little beauties began last year when I visited Traverse City, Michigan with the Cherry Marketing Institute. It opened a whole new world to me and I haven’t been able to kick my tart cherry fixation ever since. When the opportunity came to judge the recipe contest alongside Dr. Wendy Bazilian I immediately said yes. And I’m glad I did because spending the afternoon with the lovely Dr. B. eating cherries was just what the doctor ordered! Ok, not really, she didn’t order anything but had she, well, I would have done it. Because she rocks. And so does Dr. Jason Bazilian.  And while she’ll tell you all about the health benefits of tart cherries, I shall tell you about their flavor: tart, tasty, perfect. Now you can see why I was excited about the recipes.

So many cherry recipes to taste!

I arrived in San Diego while the recipe finalists were being plated. There were 3 plates of everything, in three categories: Novice, Student, and Professional.  I skipped breakfast and opted for an apple on the way down so you better believe I was ready to eat. And eat we did. We tasted ice cream, panini, ribs, bread pudding, and many other dishes featuring cherries, but there were three clear winners that emerged from the pack. In fact, it was almost unanimous! Let’s check out the winners, shall we?

Food photos provided by Choose Cherries

Sweet & Spicy Tuna with Cherry Cabbage by Jaime Brown-Miller of Napa, California. This recipe entry won in the novice category but you wouldn’t know it. It was by far one of the more interesting uses of dried tart cherries and really provided a nice balance to a bevy of entries that sometimes focused on all things sweet. Plus cherries and red cabbage together? No, really, amazing. It works. I fully plan on making the slaw come summertime. And the sriracha on the tuna? Love love love.

Food photos provided by Choose Cherries

Cherry and Lamb Tagine by Paige Adams of Chicago, Illinois. From the Student category, this winner was just lovely. It managed to feature cherries in a recipe that was heavy (but not heavy-handed) on spices but still let the cherries compliment the entire dish. It was delicious, lovely, and nice to see lamb make an appearance. And according to the recipe tester it was simple to prepare.

Food photos provided by Choose Cherries

Cherry Basil Orzo Pasta from Chris Bugher of Huntington, West Virginia. This recipe won the Professional category and it literally only took one bite for Dr. Wendy and I to glance at each other and smile. You know, sometimes the simplest ideas work and stand high above the rest – this was a perfect example. Just look at that little ingredient list, there’s really nothing too it but the fresh flavors of dates, feta, basil and tart cherries. A very happy combination. This pasta dish will certainly become an outdoor summer favorite and I can see it pairing well with barbeques of all sorts. Thank you, Chris!

To get the recipes for these winning entries please visit Choose Cherries. I’d love to know what you think if you decide to make any of them. And thanks to the folks at Choose Cherries!

I went to Avery Island, Louisiana. More on that shortly!

Well it just feels as if I haven’t blogged a darn thing lately! Please excuse my tardiness. There have been many things to do, places to go, and photos to snap that have all kept me away. But with things like Twitter and Facebook I suppose I’m never really away, am I? At any rate, this is one of those posts that lump a bunch of stuff together and I guarantee by the end of it you’ll be sick of me.

But please pay attention. Please. There are some nifty things happening in this here post and you might be able to win stuff. Keep reading.

So long, farewell…

Folks, can I just tell you how wonderful it’s been being a Spice Islands Flavor Explorer? My stint is almost up (rumor has it that a pretty fantastic guy is taking over the reins) but I just wanted to take a moment to say how I’ve had so much fun in the kitchen with Spice Islands over the past 3 months. It’s been a pleasure dreaming up recipes using their high quality spices but perhaps my favorite moments have been using their all natural Vanilla Extract. While many other brands add corn syrup, Spice Islands vanilla beans from Madagascar are carefully processed, resulting in an extract that doesn’t need anything but vanilla. Seriously though, try it and taste it for yourself.

But just as important as the flavor are the people at Spice Islands. I’ve enjoyed every minute of it and it’s been an honor to meet such dedicated people behind the brand. Sometimes I wish everyone could get to know them!

As a quick farewell, I’ll be giving away five Spice Islands samplers, filled with a few of my favorite spices in a beautiful lil Trunk. Check out all this spicy goodness:

Spice Islands pure vanilla extract
Spice Islands ground cardamom
Spice Islands Chinese five spice
Spice Islands smoked paprika
Spice Islands Telicherry black peppercorn
Spice Islands sea salt

From the Martha Stewart show. How cute is that?

I really want you to get in your kitchen and try these spices (if you haven’t already!) so leave a comment below to win. I’ll randomly select 5 folks from the comments section and while you’re always free to leave comments please note that a) I’ll be picking a winner on Friday, March 11^th and b) you must live in the United States. There you have it!

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I’m on Food(ography) with Mo Rocca, March 20th on the Cooking Channel at 9pm EST.

You might remember a post I wrote about taping a segment for an upcoming show. I can now tell you the show was Cooking Channel’s own Food(ography) and it will air Sunday, March 20th at 9pm EST. Some of you may now that I’m a regular contributor to Cooking Channel’s Devour The Blog but this segment was all about blogging, photographing and styling food. I’ve been told it’s a good segment but I have no idea how fat my head and giant cheeks will look on camera or how I’ll sound like Minnie Mouse when I speak. I’m a bit scared to see it.

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Speaking at SXSW

Will you be in Austin next week for South By Southwest? I hope so. I’ll be speaking on a panel this Monday, March 14th titled “The Moguls Of Food Porn”. I’ll be joining a few others discussing food and photos and it promises to be thrilling. The darling Addie Broyles has written a great round-up of food things happening during SXSW and if you want to read more about my panel please check it out here. I hope by the time you click this my photo will have been added. I’ve been a very very very bad panelist and only uploaded my photo recently, shame on me.

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Appetites for the Ipad

I wanted to update this section about the app that I worked on called Appetites because I wanted to share with you all that it was named App of the Week by Apple! How’s that? I happen to think it’s pretty damn phenomenal.

Let me tell you a little bit more about Appetites. Some of my favorite food bloggers, myself included, are in this app, Gaby (What’s Gaby Cooking), Nick & Blake (The Paupered Chef), Stephanie Hau (Like My Spoon), Adrianna and Caroline (A Cozy Kitchen) and Gabi (BrokeAss Gourmet). We all shared some of our favorite recipes with you!

What’s great about this app is that I believe that Appetites is about learning to cook and taking away the intimidation from getting in the kitchen. What also got me excited about the project was that I would get to teach some of my most loved dishes in a brand new format. And trust me, you can make them too.

In January, Appetites was the only app to win a Best of Show award at Macworld.

Appetites is filmed from the chef’s perspective so you can cook right along with us in the kitchen! Each recipe is broken down step-by-step which makes it easy to follow.

Here’s my video:

And here are some of my recipes you’ll find in Appetites:

Spicy Black Bean Chipotle Dip – http://vimeo.com/20313985

Tortilla Soup – http://vimeo.com/20313911

Vegetable Crumble – http://vimeo.com/20313814

Fromage Fort – http://vimeo.com/20313697

Agua Fresca – http://vimeo.com/20313311

Cemita – http://vimeo.com/20313192

Appetites is now available on iPad and coming soon for the iPhone. I hope you’ll check it out – http://appetitesapp.com and on the App Store at http://bit.ly/appetites_appstore

Enjoy it!

There must be something about cherries in the air today. First I noticed this great post from Adam Roberts involving his secret stash of sour cherries. Then the other half handed me a bowl of granola with dried tart cherries in it for breakfast. These things both happened as I wanted to announce a recipe contest with Choose Cherries because as you know I’m in love with tart cherries. LOVE. Sure, there are those health benefits like antioxidants (they contain about the same amount as blueberries, did you know?) but most importantly the biggest health benefit is the smile you get on your face when you eat a real piece of tart cherry pie.

(I’m sure some legal department will come after me for making that last claim but whatever, try eating a piece of cherry pie right now and see if you don’t smile. I’m sure Mr. Roberts is grinning from ear-to-ear…him and his damn February sour cherries! Am I jealous? Absolutely.)

Last year I visited Traverse City, Michigan for the annual Cherry Festival and when they asked if I’d help get the word out about this contest I had to say yes. It’s open to everyone, just submit your original cherry recipe via the website for a chance to win $500, a set of high-performance cookware in Cherry Red as well as the chance to have your entry photographed professionally for their site. The great news is that there will be three winners this year but you better hurry as the contest is only open until February 20^th, 2011. Winners will be announced March 1, 2011.

Check out Choose Cherries’ web site for full contest information and good luck!

With Chef Elizabeth Falkner last year, post sugar judging high

Cupcake lovers, fans, bakers, eaters and fanatics, this one is for you! I’m so happy to announce the launch of the Chocolate Adventure Contest from Scharffen Berger and TuttiFoodie! This year it’s all about cupcakes and I couldn’t be more thrilled. This year I’ve been asked back and it’s quite an honor to be invited back to join John Scharffenberger, Chef Elizabeth Falkner, Alice Medrich and Angie Dudley from Bakerella in judging the winning recipes. Last year was a phenomenal experience, the level of creativity in the winners and runner-ups blew my mind. It was such a wonderful opportunity and experience and I’m just giddy that I get to do it all over again!

The contest goes like this: create a cupcake using Scharffen Berger chocolate and any combination of the Adventure Ingredients, a selection of unique and interesting flavors. The winning recipe will appear in Food Network Magazine and the winner will get the chance to fly to New York York City to distribute the winning cupcake on one of the city’s Sweet Trucks. The recipe will be featured on chocolateadventurecontest.com, ScharffenBerger.com and TuttiFoodie.com and of course here on mattbites. There are fantastic second and third place prizes, too.

I’m so excited about tasting all the delicious entries and I suppose I should start practicing, right? Get all the contest details at Chocolate Adventure Contest and if you’re at BlogHer Food this weekend in San Francisco make sure to stop by Chef Elizabeth Falker’s demo where she’ll be kicking off the Chocolate Adventure Contest. I’ll be there too, make sure to say hello!

Thanks to Culinate and Wiley, I’ve been playing around with Mark Bittman’s How To Cook Everything To Go app for the iphone for a few days already. If you are like me, you use his book How To Cook Everything as a guide and as a great way to jump start many meals. Now imagine having all that in an app. Yep, it’s come in handy already, once at the grocery store and again at yesterday’s farmers’ market.

You should read what LA Weekly just said about it.

I’m giving away 5 digital copies of this app to the first 5 people who leave a comment below. If your entry gets hung up in my spam folder and doesn’t show up don’t worry (it happens sometimes!).  You’ll need an iphone and an itunes account to claim the app so make sure to leave your email address with me so I can get back to you. And if you aren’t speedy enough remember that you can purchase the app for $1.99 from the itunes store. It’s still a great deal considering you’ll have the entire book at your fingertips.

Now if you’ll excuse me I’m going to play with my greasy, flour-coated iphone now.

Update: We have our winners! Comments are now closed, hot damn that went fast! But seriously folks, this app is such a fantastic resource and and for $1.99 it’s really a steal. Thanks guys!

Matt’s Forward: I wanted to offer a recap of the day I spent with the US Army and cover this event objectively. I wanted to view myself as a reporter of some sorts, documenting the day through words and images. But as I spent the afternoon at Fort Lee in Virginia I had a hard time removing myself from the people I met and the stories I heard. I was touched in a way that I did not expect, surrounded by passionate people who have not only dedicated their lives to the culinary world but also to the service of my country. Walking onto that base made me realize that there are people who feel so strongly about service and putting their lives on the line for the sake of others and I was blessed to meet them. It was a gift for me and changed who I am. The men and women who serve this country deserve every ounce of respect I can muster.  Thank you to everyone I met and to the US Army for inviting me to attend.

Ask me to participate in any type of competition and chances are my face will give away my thoughts on such things. While I’m the poster boy for Team Playing I just don’t fare too well when it comes to competing against others.  The competitive spirit is lost on me and I’m just more comfortable sitting at the judging table or the cheering from the sidelines.  But attend a competition? You bet. When an invitation to attend the 35th Annual US Army Culinary Arts Competition in Fort Lee came across my desk, I knew I had to say yes. The US Army? A guest? Me? I guess that makes me official now.

I arrived in Virginia with just enough time to take myself out to dinner the night before the Competition.  I thought Mexican food would be a decent choice, it’s nice to see the regional differences in Mexican cooking throughout the United States. However, here’s one thing that has no place in any Mexican restaurant, be it border town or East Coast.

A colorful "margarita", complete with soap foam, I think.

I’d like to say this was some kind of instant Margarita mix but you can see it’s not. Part Prell® Shampoo with dashes of Palmolive® and something resembling tequila, this was much more Tropical Three Mile Isle ‘Rita than the worst Long Island Iced Tea I’ve ever had the misfortune of drinking. But I finished it and since I’m not a restaurant reviewer I won’t even discuss the food. It made me sad.

The next morning began bright and early on the base at Fort Lee. I met with Matthew Montgomery, Fort Lee’s Media Relations Officer and drove to the competition hall. It was finally my way to get all my geeky military questions out of the way like “Does the Army use Macs?” and “Will you help me with military acronyms, please?” He indeed helped me with titles as well as answered my questions about technology. I promised not to nag too much and besides, I was really there for the food and competition.

When I walked into the field house, basically a large gymnasium outfitted with everything a culinary competition could ever need, I immediately sensed the spirit of competition and energy. One corner was silently busy with timed competitions, Army chefs busy cooking away while being rated and reviewed by judges. Another section housed the MKT, the portable kitchen that’s deployed in the field to feed solders (more on that in a bit). Another area was designated for the Culinary Institute of America, a partner with the US Army. In fact, the army sends soldiers to the CIA regularly to learn and hone their skills. Those skills benefit their unit and the entire culinary endeavors of the military.  And lastly, the center of the auditorium was filled with the cold and hot displays of food. Rows and rows of food were presented for judging, each dessert or appetizer neatly sealed and shellacked to keep people like me from poking, prodding and eating. It was a visual treat to see so many things in one place but also completely unfair; if you’re going to pass around trays of appetizers then please, for god’s sake, let me eat!

Two Words: Marzipan Snake

So, what is this competition exactly? It’s a tradition that spans 35 years and all branches of the US Military. Every year the competition brings together chefs from the Army, Air Force, Coast Guard, Marines as well as the National Guard and Army Reserves. It’s their way of improving the quality of food service and training for all the services and also a way to recognize excellence in the culinary arts. All cooking is done using standard equipment, the same equipment used when they’re deployed in the field.  That’s right – no fancy set ups, no walk-ins, no high-end kitchens at this competition. And it also happens to be the largest culinary competition in the entire United States. That’s right – the largest.

On the left side of the field house the Student Team competition takes place. It’s for both junior team members and apprentices. It’s a two phase competition that tests the chefs’ basic culinary skills and their ability to execute a four course menu. Phase one involves an 80 minute challenge in which the chefs race against the clock to complete various culinary tasks like butchery, classic vegetable knife cuts and pastry techniques. Phase two is a preparation and service of a four course meal with only 90 minutes to complete from beginning to end.  I tried not to get in the way of this timed competition even though the Army gave me a big fancy press pass. And even though these young soldiers are focused and concentrating I think I did manage to get a few smiles for the camera afterwards.

One of the bigger events during the competition is the Field event. This consists of five members that are required to cook a three course meal for 80 customers using the containerized kitchen, or CK. They not only plan their meal and prepare it but also serve it to the public. Finally, I get to eat! As if that’s not enough, they only have a certain amount of time for the entire event and must complete their event while simultaneously sharing the area with another competitor. During my visit it was the Army vs Marines. I ate on the Army side of the room, I wonder how the Marines did. My meal of lobster bisque, lamb over polenta and tiramisu was great and enjoyable. Secret: it completely exceeded my expectations.

Because I’m a food geek I was particularly interested in the logistics of it all.  It’s a highly efficient operation with separate cooking areas, sanitation, dishwashing and food storage. It can all be set up wherever the Army is deployed and in fact the containerized kitchen only takes about an hour to set up and 30 minutes to break down. And no matter what needs to be done – grilling, baking, sautéing, boiling – it can all be handled in the CK.  Pretty nifty, I think.

Grilling, baking, sauteeing: it can be done here

A separate tent houses all the sanitation action

I was pretty fascinated by the sanitation station and asked how hot the temperature of the water was in the portable sinks. “Put your hand in there and find out” was the snappy answer I received along with a cute little grin, thankyouverymuch.

I want to offer my sincere gratitude to the US Army for allowing me to visit Fort Lee, Virginia and the Culinary Competition.  A special thanks to Matthew Montgomery, Fort Lee’s Media Relations Officer; U.S. Army CW4 Russell D. Campbell, Chief of the Advanced Food Service Training Division Joint Culinary Center of Excellence (JCCoE); and CW4 Robert Sparks, Chief of Advanced Food Service Training Division Joint Culinary Center of Excellence (JCCoE).

FTC Disclosure Statement: Travel and accommodations provided by The United States Army.

With the holidays in full swing I just wanted to remind you that you have a little bit of time left if you’re entering the Chocolate Adventure Contest from Scharffen Berger! The grand prize includes $10,000 for the winning recipe in both the Sweet and Savory categories and some swell second place prizes. We’ll be judging on creativity, taste, ease of preparation and whether the recipe reflects a spirit of adventure and yes, I’m one of the judges!

You’ll find more information at Chocolate Adventure Contest along with the complete rules of the contest and how to submit your recipe. You have until January 3, 2010. You can read my previous post about the contest here.

I can’t wait to taste all the amazing entries.