The Wicked Noodle

Written Saturday, August 14th, 2010 by Theresa H Hall

The Wicked Noodle

A very interesting name for a food blog, “The Wicked Noodle”, it brings to mind a culinary adventure. Kristy started her website in January 2009 and she has developed and shaped it in an attractive way. For a few months, she will be on the home page of BlogCatalog, as a “Recognized Blogger”. This is a brand new feature offered to members of BlogCatalog, a community that has long been considered The Premiere Social Network. BC receives millions of viewers and this is a great opportunity for members to showcase their work.  I see you decided to take advantage of this and am wondering how it’s working out. Please tell us how this experience has improved your website.

Kristy: I’ve seen an increase in traffic and my Alexa ranking has greatly improved.

Theresa: What brought about the decision to give your blog this catchy name? It brings a number of things to my mind and intriguing is one of my first thoughts. Do you know how to make your own homemade noodles? Do you eat pasta a lot?

Kristy: I get asked this a lot! No, the name has nothing to do with noodles. It’s actually a name I used for years as my username when subscribing to various sites. When I decided to start a food blog, it seemed the obvious choice.

Theresa: I really enjoyed the way you invited your husband’s co-workers to your home to dine and how you seamlessly paired the Buitoni dinner selections with your complimentary salads, making everyone feel welcome and well fed. You mentioned these selections are frozen. How much time did this save you in preparing for this occasion? Which are your favorite entrees?

Kristy: This dinner party was far from typical for us, but when Buitoni asked if we’d be willing to use their frozen meals and still make it elegant, of course I was up for the challenge! It was a great time and incredibly easy. The spicy beef and sausage was my favorite.

Theresa: You said you write reviews for products sent to you from manufacturers. They add a good dimension and variety to your blog. How did this venture come about, and do you think you will continue to do these reviews?

Kristy: This is something that’s very common in the food blogging world. I’m contacted on an almost daily basis by companies wanting to send their products to me for review. But I’m choosy – I have to be or my blog would become nothing more than product reviews. I definitely prefer emails that show the person sending the email took the time to read through my blog and learn about me, and my food. The product has to be interesting enough that I feel my readers will benefit from it. And finally, I never post a review unless I truly loved the product.

Theresa: I am impressed, after your dependence on eating restaurant meals that you took it upon yourself to get in touch with the homemaker/cook side of your personality. You mentioned watching FoodTV Channels, searching cookbooks and calling your Mother for recipe and cooking advice. Now that you have fully embarked upon this culinary journey, how proud do your accomplishments make you feel? Not only are you a good cook, you seem to have embraced the blogging world. Tell us a bit more please.

Kristy: It’s an amazing thing to look back to six short years ago and see how far I’ve come. My life has completely changed. I’m incredibly proud of what I’ve accomplished, but mostly I’m in awe of how it all unfolded. Six years ago I couldn’t boil an egg; today I’m a personal chef and successful food blogger. I’m headed to LA to co-judge a cooking contest in December with Stevie Wonder’s personal chef … how crazy is that? I don’t know where this journey will take me, but I do know that I’m happy just as it is, I wouldn’t change a thing.

Theresa: Since you have learned your way about the kitchen, you have brought two darling girls into the picture. Do you do any cooking with them? If so, what are some of the things they like to try?

Kristy: I try to cook with my girls as much as possible. They love to be part of what’s going on in the kitchen and it’s awesome to see their faces light up when they get to serve something “they” created. My older daughter is an extremely picky eater, but my youngest loves anything you put in front of her and claims she wants to be a chef when she grows up!

Theresa: There is a Tab “Submit A Recipe”. What influenced you to offer not only a guest book for visitors to sign, but also a way for them to share their recipes on your site?

Kristy: One of the greatest things about the food blogging world is the amazing support among food bloggers. It’s very common to have a blogroll on your site promoting your favorite blogs, but I wanted to do something a bit different. I’ve found that it drives a lot more traffic to someone’s site when they’re featured, and I love to talk about and promote other blogs. It’s great when someone submits a recipe that’s different from anything already on “The Wicked Noodle”. It helps me to offer more variety in recipes.

Theresa: I was drawn to a photograph of “Blueberries On The Bottom Cake”. You featured Katie Goodman’s version of this dessert on your site. It’s a nice idea. How many people have shared their recipes with you thus far?

Kristy: Too many to count!

Theresa: Someone signs your guestbook, how many of those that have signed have you become friends with? It is a nice touch … I like it a lot.

Kristy: I’m a Midwestern girl at heart, and everyone in my family is genuine and outgoing. I love meeting new people and I’m happiest when I have a lot of friends around. It’s so thoughtful when someone takes the time to comment and every one means the world to me. I’m very friendly with quite a few of my readers and I’m so thankful for them!

Theresa: You wrote a recent review about cooking frozen seafood. The Alaskan Seafood Marketing Institute contacted you for your opinion. How did they know you give reviews and were you a customer first?

Kristy: A company knows if you do reviews simply by looking at your blog. They contacted me and of course I was willing to sample their delicious fish!

Theresa: Because I love salmon so much I’ll ask about the cook-from-frozen method. How long would you cook it if you served it rare to medium rare? (That’s the way I prefer salmon.)

Kristy: This is a tough question because it really depends on the type of dish you’re serving and the thickness of the filet. I’d encourage anyone wanting to try this cooking method to check out the Wild Alaskan Seafood website.

Theresa: You mentioned that before you moved to the East Coast, you resided in Orange County, CA., and you worked in HR management for a restaurant chain. Did your interest in food begin through your job there, or is it totally unrelated?

Kristy: I’ve always had a love for food. I worked in the corporate office and unless I was in the restaurants to train the managers or give a seminar, I wasn’t around food very often. Lunch was usually a sandwich eaten at my desk because I had too much work to do!

Theresa: What are some of your absolute favorite foods to cook?

Kristy: Anything with a Mexican flair has to be my favorite. It’s so easy to grill a flank steak or some chicken and whip up a quick pico de gallo and some guac – it’s so healthy and satisfying! My most often requested dish is my carrot soufflé, however.

Theresa: Do you get into using spices, herbs, oils, peppers and seasonings? Do you pair wines? Do you like to bake?

Kristy: Of course I do! What would cooking be without those things? I don’t currently pair wines (although I drink a lot of them). I do enjoy baking but I don’t do it often. I mostly enjoy making upscale desserts that impress, so most of my baking happens when we have a party coming up.

Theresa:  I couldn’t help noticing the beautifully arranged trout that you prepared from the fish caught by your family. Your recipe is straightforward and it made me want to do some fishing, too.  Many years ago I went out in a fishing trip when on vacation in Bermuda. The ocean was choppy and I was so seasick. Please convince me that I want to try my hand at fishing, because your family vacation sounded simply idyllic.

Kristy: I’m not much of a fisherman, so I’m not certain that I’m the best person to convince you to try it. I do enjoy fishing but it’s not something I do often. We simply wanted to give my girls a nice experience, and it’s something they really enjoyed!

Theresa: Have you formulated any of your own recipes yet?

Kristy: I’ve started to get more creative in the kitchen and therefore, I am starting to make more of my own recipes. One of my original recipes won the grand prize in a cooking contest, and my recipe is now on their hot wing sauce labels nationwide!

Theresa: Your blog is filled with your efforts and some from blogging foodies. Do you see yourself continuing to blog and if so, what are your goals over the next 3.4 years (that’ll make five).

Kristy: I definitely see myself continuing to blog. I’d love to say that I have set goals, but the truth is that this is just a really fun outlet for me. In many ways it’s becoming my “job”, but that’s not how I choose to see it. I’d love to land a cookbook deal at some point, though!

Theresa: Finally, how do you feel blogging has been incorporated into your family life and does your family support your dreams and goals?

Kristy: I have the most incredibly supportive husband in the history of the world! He’s always rearranging his schedule in order for me to travel for one blogging adventure or another. As for my girls, they don’t remember a time when I didn’t blog, so it’s a very natural thing for them. We were at my parents’ recently and they were playing with some pretend food and a camera. I looked over and my daughter was photographing the food. A future blogger, to be sure!

“The Wicked Noodle” can be found on BlogCatalog’s Home Page, or by clicking here.

Kristy I sincerely thank you for spending time with me today and I look forward to your continued success in making your culinary dreams come true.

Pâte Brisée Dough

Written Monday, August 9th, 2010 by Theresa H Hall

One of the first things you learn how to make in Culinary school for pastry arts, is dough. Here is a lovely recipe you can put together and use right away or freeze for up to a month, or keep in your refrigerator to be used within two to three days.

Pie and Tart Doughs

Pâte Brisée / Flaky Dough

Can be used for sweet or savory fillings. It's quick, easy, versatile and is usually used for pie crusts and sometimes latticed for decoration. It may be cooled and later filled with a filling just before serving.

Ingredients:

8 oz A P flour

3 1/2 oz butter in 1/2" cubes

1/ 2 t salt

1/3 c cold water with some lemon drops added

Instuctions:

1) Chill all of the ingredients.

2) Combine flour, salt and butter in mixer and attach paddle.  Stir together until butter is shimmed down to the size of peas (flaky) mealy (like cornmeal).

3) Add water a few drops at a time until the dough just holds together.

4) Turn onto a lightly floured cold surface.  Rub in small areas (fraisage) do not knead; by pressing dough into different directions to ensure butter is evenly dispersed.  Do not overwork.

6) Quickly roll dough to 1/8" thickness, turning and lifting to avoid sticking.  Place the dough over the rolling pin and place onto a lightly greased tart pan.  You should reinforce (add more dough to strengthen),  or double wall sides of the tart.  Roll off top and flute edges if desired.  Any dough scraps should be piled atop one another and used again.  This is a directional dough, which means that you keep scraps in a pile, laying them in the same direction as the dough had been rolled out. Unlike pie dough, that does not matter which way the scraps were rolled.

7) Refrigerate before baking in order to relax the dough and chill the butter.  This allows the dough to absorb the water. About 30 minutes.

8) Bake in preheated oven 375º 10 to 12 minutes blind, remove weights and parchment paper and continue to bake 6 minutes or until amber in color.  Bake docked (using fork tines to mark the dough to keep from shrinking), 15 to 18 minutes.

Cool on a wire rack, add filling or wrap and store.  Can be baked with filling.

Yields 2 8" to 10" tart shells or 12 small tartlets.

Store wrapped in plastic wrap in refrigerator about 3 days or in the freezer for a month.

Cookbook: Cooking Essentials

Written Thursday, August 5th, 2010 by Theresa H Hall

Over the past few years I have looked into a number of cookbooks and this time I was searching for a really good book to give as a wedding gift. This book was sent to me when I had a short subscription with Cooking Club of America, back in 2007. I never got around to it until about ten days ago. After giving it a good looking over, I decided it will make a perfect gift for the new bride, who I understand is a little experienced cook. I am guessing she will want to try these recipes as they offer instructional photographs and easy-to-follow recipes.

The Table of Contents presents an Introduction, a section on How To Use This Book and even how to stock your pantry and refrigerator. They discuss condiments, spices, herbs, seasonings, oils & vinegars, touch on preserved foods and baking essentials.

The next section has A practical guide to avoiding expensive mistakes when equipping your kitchen. It's precisely the type of good advice new brides should consider.

They show Techniques that are the building blocks the beginner will use to construct the recipes to follow. This will help the cook to learn good practices and practice skills that will help them in the years to come. A very good and sound foundation.

The following chapter offers Master Recipes, are fully explained in step-by-step pictures with experts tips and guidance. And lastly, Recipe Repertoire, a resource of essential recipes for the beginner or new cook.

I give this cookbook two ladles and five stars. It has it all, beautiful photographs, practical advice and they have chosen very good recipes that will help any cook grow into a much better cook. I do recommend it to you and suggest it as a perfect gift.

ISBN: 978-1-58159-047-4