Top 10 Recipes of 2013

Wow, can you believe the end of 2013 is already here!  I know i can't believe it. As history depicts, everyone always does a recap of their favorites from that year and I'm following suit.  I have compiled my absolute favorite dishes of 2013, and I promise your mouth will be watering after reading this.

Ready? Here we go:

Favorite dish #10 

Bruschetta Burger Bites

The picture angle makes these petite eats look full-sized burgers but they were actually two-bite wonders!  They were so simple to make, which is my favorite kind of recipe!  Made from left-over bruschetta bread and topped with parmesan or cheddar cheese.

Favorite dish #9

Spinach & Artichoke Stuffed Mushrooms

I reinvinted a much loved JBistro dip by stuffing it into baby portabella mushrooms, topped with bacon & japanese bread crumbs, and baked to perfection.  These were simply amazing and a wow factor for any party!

Favorite dish #8

Roasted Tomatillio Salsa with Fresh Tortillia Chips

This is not your ordinary green dip you get at your favorite Tex-Mex restaurant.  My take on this Tex-Mex classic takes it to the next level.  Fire roasted veggies, chicken stock, and a dash of cumin makes this salsa incredible!  Paired with with freshly fried flour tortillia chips is the ideal compliment.  The crunchy exterior and pillowy inside makes it the perfect chip.

Favorite dish #7

Mini Chocolate Chip Cheesecakes

I was experimenting with a new cheesecake recipe and used what I had in my pantry; chocolate graham craxkers, unflavored gelatin, and chocolate chips.  And so these mini delights were born!  Topped with chocolate ganache was the perfect finish.

Favorite dish #6

Chicken Roll-ups with Bacon Gravy

My family (and myself) were bored with plain "chicken & rice" dishes, so I had to create something new and exciting.  I saw a picture on Facebook of these cream cheese stuffed chicken breasts and thought I'd give it whirl but just adding my own touches.  Instead of cream cheese I stuffed them with a garlic & herb Swiss cheese spread and then wrapped tightly in bacon. Pair this with simple but always delicious buttered rice and salad then top with bacon gravy and you have a comfort meal you will never forget!

Favorite dish #5

Home-made Pizza

This year I had the opportunity to teach myself how to make pizza dough from scratch.  I was so happy when it turned out almost perfect.  I definitely need to perfect my recipe but it was still delicious. Topped with my spicy marinara, venison, and a multitude of cheeses made my Family happy!

Favorite dish #4

Orange scented Blueberry Upside-down Cake

Inspired by the pineapple upside down cake, this blueberry upside down cake was scrumptious.  Plain yellow cake gets a dose of flavor with orange zest & juice and then topped with fresh whipped cream.  Perfect for a light dessert enjoyed pool-side.

Favorite dish #3

Herb Crusted Chicken Pot Pie

In my family, chicken pot pies are the #1 requested dish, so it does get made quite a bit.  So I decided to jazz it up by adding fresh herbs (straight from my garden) to the pie crust, and it was a match made in Heaven.  Fresh thyme, sage, and oregano made this otherwise boring crust a little piece of heaven!  Needless to say, now all pot pies are made this way!

Favorite dish #2

Strawberries & Cream Napolean

I'm betting you could not guess what these are made with!?  I made these for my Ladies Night In party and they were an instant hit!  Fresh made vanilla whipped cream, orange juice macurated strawberries, and fried wonton sheets is a combination most people wouldn't think of.  The wonton wrappers were covered in pumpkin pie spice, and once assembled, topped with chocolate ganache.  This dessert was amazing & light.

...and my #1 Favorite dish of 2013 is

Pocket Pizza's

I had the honor of being the in-home chef for one of my best friends daughters birthday party and these little pizza's were devoured by the adults and the kids!  Wonton wrappers were stuffed into muffin tins and filled with marinara, italian seasoning, pepperoni, and topped with mozzarella cheese, then baked till golden brown.  These are PERFECT for any party, adult or kid-friendly!

Well JBistro fans, these are my picks for my favorite dishes of 2013.  Is there a specific recipe you enjoyed?  I'd love to hear from you!  My dream for 2014 is to see JBistro Style and this blog TAKE OFF to new heights never even imagined.  Remember to join me on my tour of culinary exploration and Follow My Food!

Happy New Year to everyone and see you next year!

A New Thanksgiving Tradition

We are officially in "Holiday Season" everyone!  Personally, I love the holidays.  This is the time when I can really let my creativity flow freely and not get crazy looks.  Speaking on creativity, that is the topic of discussion.

Typically we go to my Aunts house for Thanksgiving and she prepares the feast and everyone brings side dishes.  This year that is not the case so it will just be my family and my Mom for Thanksgiving.  This is why I have decided to do a pretty different dinner. 

Here is the planned menu (so far):

• Individual Cornish game hens prepared two ways; half brine and roasted, and the other half wrapped in bacon.  These will be topped with a bacon gravy.
• Pomegranate & honey glazed ham.
• The real deal green bean casserole made entirely from scratch.
• Individual au gratin potato casseroles.
• Ginger & orange spiced cranberries
• My Mother's fruit salad with my twist of toasted coconut on top.

Dessert will be a surprise but there will be at least one buttermilk pie included!

Remember my motto, "follow my food" and never be afraid to try something new in the kitchen!

Be sure and check out the JBistro Style Website!

My First Radio Appearance!

Guess what everyone!?  Today was my first live radio appearance on The Cleverley Show on CBS Sports Radio Houston AM 650.  It was exhilarating and intimidating all at the same time.  We talked about my audition for MasterChef, then talked about me, and about JBistro Style and our food.  It was truly a great experience and I will remember it forever!  If you had the opportunity to listen, thank you.  If you were unable, hopefully there will be future opportunities for me!

Thank you again for all the support and remember to visit me here for all the great deals, recipes, and more! 

 

 

Happy 3rd Birthday JBistro Style!

 

Celebrate with me...today JBistro Style turns 3!!!  It has been a great 3 years, and I'm looking forward to 30 more!!  Help me celebrate by taking advantage of our birthday deal, Buy 1 pound Get 1 pound Free of our almost famous "3 Bean Chili!"  This chili is available any way you want it: vegetarian, beef, chicken, or turkey!  

More exciting news.  I will be featured on CBS Sports Radio Houston AM 650 with Cleverley Stone!  Be sure and tune in or stream live!!  Just go here.

Thank you to everyone that is helping me realize my dreams and remember to Follow My Food at JBistro Style!!

Seasonal Eating in Texas!

Today we're talking seasonal eating.  Well, more specifically, seasonal fruit eating here in the great state of Texas.  I bet you are wondering why I decided on this subject.  Yesterday I made mini cheesecakes (pictured below) and topped one with caramel apples and the other with strawberries that were saturated in rum and orange juice.  They were both amazing tasting but a fellow foodie commented that while he attended culinary school, he was thoroughly trained to never mix seasons!  Of course, being that I have never been trained I had no clue about this "forbidden" rule, and I was very thankful he shared this information.  So now I'm sharing this information with you.

I did a little research and I'm going to give you a reasonable list of fruits and what months they are in season.  I found the information here on Ask.com and here.

• Apples, July through November
• Blackberrries, May through July
• Cantaloupes, May through December 
• Cherries, June and July
• Figs, June and July, second crop in fall
• Grapefruit, October through April
• Grapes, August through October
• Honeydew, May through January
• Oranges, October through June
• Peaches, June through Sept
• Pears, August through November 
• Plums & pluots, May (red and yellow) and July through September
• Pomegranates, October through December
• Strawberries, June through August
• Watermelon, May through November

This is just a preliminary list, so I encourage you to visit the two links mentioned above for a more detailed list.  Other things you want to keep in mind is when you purchase fresh fruit it is at its cheapest when its in season.  Of course we all know you can buy frozen fruit year around, and that is perfectly okay, but if you are expecting to wow a culinary expert you might want to keep this in mind.  Or you could become a culinary rebel (of sorts) and break all those rules...just because you can!  Just imagine the first person to bring sweet & salty together, or the creator of savory cupcakes...they broke the rules and became successful.

Here are a few more of my fruitful delights just for your viewing pleasure:

      

MasterChef Here I Come!

Good morning everyone!  So I have super exciting news that I just had to share with y'all.  Last night, around 8:30 pm, I got a phone call.  Unfortunately I was giving my son a bath so I couldn't answer the phone.  After he was done with his bath and dressed, I sat down and started listening to this amazing message:

"Hi, this message is for Jennifer.  This is Kelsey, a casting producer for MasterChef...."

I quite literally couldn't listen to the rest of the message from shear excitement.  The words casting producer for MasterChef made my entire body shake!  Of course I had to call her right back.  When she answered my heart started racing but I was fairly calm.  It was a pretty straight forward conversation.  She said they were setting up open appointments for those that preregistered to try and do crowd control and move people thru a little quicker.  She asked me what time I would like and I simply said the earliest the better.  I can get in and out the sooner the better.  

For me time will be my enemy.  The more time I sit and think about it, the more nervous I will get.  I laughed and told her "I have to get in and out so I don't overwhelm myself!"  She laughed and asked me what I was thinking about bringing.  That question struck pure panic in me!  

Oh my goodness, what AM I going to make?  This is probably the most important dish I will ever make.  This dish is my ticket to a journey that will change my life, my families life, forever!  Even if I didn't win, this would still be a life changing experience!  I can now say that I was called and asked to go before the MasterChef judges and cook for them.  That is just amazing!  

Now onto the hard part of deciding what I'm going to make and what I'm going to wear!  Wish me luck and keep me in your prayers!

MasterChef....get ready for me!!!!  And remember to stop by my website for all the latest and greatest updates and recipes!    

Special starts TODAY! Free Food!

Good afternoon everyone.  This is going to be short and sweet.  I wanted to get the word out that our monthly special begins TODAY!

Be sure and stop by here to view this current special that will be available for the full month of October.  Just a reminder this special is good for future orders but it must be placed BEFORE November 1st!

Moving Forward...Good things coming

Good morning everyone!  First, let me say that my next video is almost done.  I do wish I could get them done quicker, but I am the one and only shooting, editing, etc, so it takes a little longer than I would like.  But patience is a virtue, and a virtue never hurt you!

Yesterday I had a small event to cater and the feedback was fantastic.  It was only for 30 people, but those 30 had nothing but good things to say.  If you recall in my first video I said that even though I'm not a millionaire I consider myself and my company to be very successful because I have only satisfied customers and that's what matters most.

Now onto my next exciting venture.  These bottle pictured above are a representation of the next step for JBistro Style, and I am beyond excited about it.  I can't give you full disclosure, but I will say that I am working on bottling a product that I'm hoping to sell.  I will start by doing this at Traders Village and see how well it goes (Market research) and then hopefully pitch it to grocery stores.

I want to remind all of my readers to go for it!  Whatever your dream is, just do it.  Recently I was reminded of this by an incredible woman, Martie Duncan (pictured below), the runner-up of last season's Next Food Network Star!  It was so exciting meeting her and I asked her if she had any words of wisdom for me.  She took both my hands and faced me and simply said, "Never give up because the people you surpass did, and never lose confidence.  I applied for Food Network Star with no culinary experience at all and I came in 2nd place out of 60,000+ applicants."  Those are the most inspiring words anybody could have ever said to me and I will remember them forever, and I hope you will too!

See y'all very soon with the next video!  Want a hint about it?  It features my garden!

Video #2 Pancake Muffins!

 

As promised, this video is all about a family favorite in my household.  Its easy enough to make any day of the week so the entire family can enjoy a delicious and healthy breakfast even on the go.

I even included the "bloopers" for your enjoyment (and mine).  The finished product is featured here:

 

On to the next one...Video that is.

Hey everyone!  I know its been a while since I posted my video but better late than never.

Originally I was hoping to post at least one video a week but life altered that plan.  Back to school readiness, multiple projects, etc have consumed most of my free time. 

Speaking of back to school, I have decided my next video will be how to prepare homemade healthy breakfast options that you or your kids can grab and go any morning no matter how much time you have.  I know this is cliche, but breakfast really is the most important meal of the day and this is especially true for kids.  Have no fear, I am here to help you get ready so you never have to worry about them not starting their day off right.

If you recall my previous post title "Back to School," I included some really great pictures/recipes on things that are easy to put together and just stick in the oven while everyone is getting ready.  The next video will be an extension of that post and showing you step by step what you will do and you will be able to see first hand how quick and easy these recipes are.  If you have any requests, please feel free to contact me or comment on here.

As always, remember to follow the food with me! 

The First JBistro Video!

Well, it only took a couple hundred practices and a LOT of convincing and viola!  My first video to the world.  Just so everyone knows, I am a truly silly person (hence the still shot chosen) and you will get a true sense of who I am.

Thank you again for helping me realize my dreams for myself and JBistro Style!

More video's, cooking demonstrations, and highlights to come!

Back to School!

It is that time folks.  The time most kids avoid thinking about all summer.  The time most kids dread.  That's right, whether we like it or not, its time to get our brains out of summer fun time mode and into learning mode.  But have no fear we're not talking math on here, we are all about fun food for school!

Breakfast Bites

We will start with healthy, fast, and easy breakfast ideas.  We all know most families do not have a seemingly endless amount of time to fix a large breakfast Monday-Friday, so I have made it a mission to create what I call JBistro's Breakfast Bites.  I take many components of everyone's favorite breakfast items, and perfect a muffin recipe out of them (pictured below).

Starting from the top: fruit stuffed pancake, mini frittata, pastrami popper, and egg & potato muffin.

The common denominator of all these dishes is the muffin pan.  My muffin pan is my best friend in the kitchen.  You can cook almost anything in the muffin pan, and the best thing about it is that you can put your hearts desire into it, stick it in the oven and walk away.  Intrigued yet?  Recipes can be found here.

Lunch Essentials

Let's move on to lunch packing essentials.  Best advice: keep it simple, healthy, and fun food!  You do not have to send sandwiches and chips every day.  My first and most important rule for lunch making is include the kids!  They always love having input into their own lunches.  My second rule, little food for little fingers.  I have found with my daughter that she loves anything that is bite sized.  Personally I think this is because it doesn't seem so overwhelming like a big sandwich.  I noticed a few years back that she would never finish an entire sandwich and that just added to the wasted food.  My last, and one of the most important, rules is keep the food fun.  If you're going to make a sandwich, try using a cookie cutter to make shapes.  Both of my kids love it when I take the normal sandwich fixings and roll them up in a tortilla.  The sky is the limit on what you can put into a tortilla, and when you slice them up in fun size bites it makes them even more enticing!  Here are a few of my substitutions ideas:

• Sandwich bread: hot dog bun, tortilla, pita pocket
• Chips: "french fry" style veggies, small tossed salad, make your own mix & match trail mix
• Cookies: fruit salad, fun-cut fruit, fruit skewer (kids love anything on a stick!), animal crackers

Snacks here, snacks there, snacks everywhere

You remember always looking forward to coming home from school and having some great after school snacks, and that is still the case with our kids.  Even if your kids go to after school care and not home to you doesn't mean you can't give them a great snack.  If you have to pack their snack here are some fun tips:

• use a dark colored storage container and put a "Top Secret Snack" post-it note on the top of it.  Tell your kid(s) not to open until school is out.
• Provide the daycare or sitter with your snack and put a "made with love" or "scavenger snack" note on it.  Tell the sitter to have the kids "scavenger" for their snack to make it fun.

Now if you're able to be home for your kids, the after school snack ideas are almost endless.  Here are some easy and fun food ideas:

• pizza bites, pictured to the left: wonton wrappers, fill with your favorite toppings, and bake for about 15 minutes at 400 degrees.

   

• keep it old school with "ants on a log." Celery stick, filled with 
• peanut butter and topped with raisins or update with mini chocolate chips.
• my kids personal favorite, "smore bites" pictured to the right:

If you follow these easy rules, your kids will start to love their school lunches again, and get excited about healthy food!  Be sure and share your pictures and/or ideas with us on our Facebook page.

Keep following the food with JBistro Style!

Glorious 500!

I wanted to take a moment to say Thank You to everyone that is walking with me on my culinary adventure!  I know in today's world, video's reign supreme, so I will be working on one to post for y'all.  Stay tuned for more culinary knowledge and as always, I greatly appreciate the support!!!

Heirloom you say? Research & Development

Hello everyone, as usual I have been working hard in the kitchen and my garden.  Currently I am working on developing something very special to me and I hope it turns into my next venture.

During my childhood, my Grandparents had this "special spice" that they would add to a lot of different dishes.  When my Grandfather passed away last year my Mother was given this special spice and a portion of it was given to me.  Normally I would tell you what this "special sauce" was, but this is a family secret.  Inspired by this inheritance, I decided to add a Chile Pequin or "Tiny Chile" bush to my garden so I could create my very own special spice.  My goal for this venture, is to develop a new spice that people from all walks of culinary life will want to add to their go-to spice choice!

As you can see in the picture, this chile is very small in size (pequin means small;tiny), but packs a very powerful punch!  My research thus far has been very interesting, which is why I wanted to share it with the world.  Remember, as I learn new and exciting things I will share it with you in hopes of inspiring a new generation of home cooks!  During my research I discovered that these chiles are 10x hotter than a jalapeno.  They are closely related to the jalapeno and bell pepper, and they grow wild in Mexico.  I have also learned that you can preserve them by drying them.

This is just a few things I've learned but as I delve further into the research and then development I will share more exciting facts and finds about this unique chile.

Want to see more of my garden?  Visit JBistro Styles "My garden to your dishes" to see all that I have to offer.  And remember to Follow the Food with me!

Magnificant Mint...It's not just for gum anymore!

Sweet Mint

Good morning my fellow food lovers!  As some of you might know, I have a pretty descent sized garden and one of my herbs is mint.  Actually, I have three types of mint; peppermint, sweet mint, and chocolate mint.

Mint is a very hardy and fast growing herb, so I have more mint then I know what to do with.  This dilemma has inspired today's conversation.  What to do with all that mint?

Simple Syrup:
This option is my favorite!  Simple syrup is the best way to infuse almost any flavor into almost anything.  Follow these simple instructions and add a sprig of mint to transform instantly your simple "simple syrup" to mint simple syrup.

Interesting Ice Cubes
I am excited about this option!  Not only is this a great way to use mint leaves, but it also provides a touch of food art.  Here is how-to properly do mint infused ice cubes.  Remember to add the ice cubes to your tea, lemonade, or mojito.

Fruit Salad
We all have our version of a fruit salad, so why not take something we all love and give it a fresh update?  Adding mint leaves is simple but provides a huge flavor boost nobody will be expecting, but will certainly love.

I hope these ideas have inspired everyone to think inside and outside their culinary boxes.

4th of July Inspiration!

Good morning everyone.  Today is going to be short and sweet.  I know there are some of y'all always looking for recipe inspirations so here is a great one for a 4th of July celebration! 

Healthy, fun to make, and super kid-friendly.

Enjoy and please remember to share your photo's on our Facebook page!!

Freezerlicious Frenzy!

A Facebook friend of mine posted the following question: "okay so now what do I do ~~~bring the peas to a boil ....boil for 3 min then chill , bag and freeze????"  When I saw her post I promptly responded and realized, this is a good topic of discussion.

In a world full of modern conveniences, we have forgotten that all those companies providing us with canned or frozen foods started in a small kitchen before they went global.  So why not do this ourselves?  My top 3 favorite reasons for freezing your own fruits and veggies:

1. You get to pick where your fruits & veggies come from. (support your local growers)
2. You season to your liking.
3. You save money!

I'm a strong believer in supporting local businesses and growers, so this is highest on my list.  Who doesn't like knowing what is going into their food?  Freezing your own veggies ensures you know exactly what's going in them.  Even if you have deep pockets, everyone enjoys saving money!  Now if you're going to tackle the freezer frenzy, you have to have a guide.  This is where my knowledge comes into play.  Here are the steps you need to follow for foolproof freezing of vegetables:

1. Thoroughly wash your veggies.
2. Parboil desired amount (3 minutes tops)
3. Drain and lay flat on a sheet pan so veggies are not touching.
4. Freeze for 30 minutes and remove.
5. Put the veggies into a freezer proof zip top bag and return to freezer until needed. 

*Side note: if working with carrots, asparagus, or string beans, cute them to desired length and follow above mentioned steps.*

Steps for foolproof fruit freezing:

1. Thoroughly wash your fruit.
2. Peel, hull, and/or chop as needed, depending on the types of fruit.
3. Lay flat on a sheet pan so they are not touching.
4. Freeze for 30 minutes and remove.
5. Put fruit into a freezer proof zip top bag and return to freezer until needed.

The most crucial step?  Laying flat on the sheet pan is a crucial step, in my opinion, because it prevents your fruits and veggies from clumping together.

I know it seems time consuming but trust me when I say its worth it!  Most of it is just remembering the order of the 5 steps.

As usual, I hope this inspires you to think outside of the "grocery store box" and take your food into your own hands!

"Follow The Food" with JBistro Style Catering!

"Cookware Material Types! The good, the okay, and the great!"

Good morning everyone!  In our last conversation we discussed different types of cookware and what they're meant to be used for.  Of course, I couldn't just stop at telling you the types of cookware.  So this inspired today's conversation.

"Cookware Material Types! The good, the okay, and the great!"

Cast Iron
We'll start with my personal favorite.  Cast iron cookware does require some extra love and attention but it is considered to be one of the best cookware materials out there because of its even heat distribution and ability to last for generations when cared for properly.  According to roseindia.net, it can be beneficial to people with anemia and pregnant women.  Cast iron, when cared for and seasoned properly, can distribute iron into the food that is prepared in it.  If your food sticks, your pan has not been seasoned properly.

Copper Cookware
This is considered to be the top of line, the creme de la creme, favorite of all time cookware because it is the best at proper heat distribution.  While the cookware that is total copper can be very expensive, it is worth the investment.  For those of you that want the benefits of the even heat distribution you get from solid copper, but don't want to spend that cash, consider investing in the cookware that have copper bottoms.  These are a great alternative!  Just like the Cast Iron, Copper cookware requires a little more attention.  They are not dishwasher safe and must be well maintained to get the most shelf life out of it.  If the internal layers become exposed it is toxic!

Stainless Steel
Not only is this one of the "prettiest" cookware types out there, it is also very durable.  It is easy to clean, usually dishwasher safe (but not always recommended so it can keep its luster), and is considered "low stick" so less oil or butter is needed when preparing meals therefore providing healthier cooking.

Anodized Aluminum
This is the most common cookware. Fairly inexpensive and distributes heat well so it reduces hot spots. Lighter than steel, and twice as strong. Even without a nonstick surface, it is considered "low stick." Insides usually have a nonstick surface now.  They do not recommend putting these in the dishwasher and the dark color can make it a little harder to see problems on/in your food.

Nonstick Cookware
Easiest to clean, great for short cooking times, and healthier since no oil is really needed when utilizing this cookware.  Some, but not all, are dishwasher safe.  Never use scouring pads when cleaning and do not use metal utensils when cooking.  This will eventually scrape off the nonstick coating and can get into your food making it potentially hazardous.

Stoneware, Ceramic, and Glass
These types can be pretty, and useful because of its ability to go from the refrigerator straight to the oven.  These are great for casseroles, they do not absorb food smells, and they retain heat very well.  But, on the down side, they usually cannot be used on the stoves higher than medium heat, and they do not distribute heat very well.

Remember, I am always here to answer any of your cooking and kitchen questions! 

"Follow the Food" with JBistro Style Catering!  
 

Which one is right for this job?

Hey everyone, today I decided to discuss Pots & Pans.  Being that I'm a self taught cook, I had to learn which pan/pot was the right one for the job.  It's not as easy as you may think.  Sure the "saute" pan is pretty much self-explanatory but its not always that easy.

Braiser/Casserole — Shallow, sloped sides, wide construction and short side handles, this pan is designed to fit easily in the oven. It's ideal for dishes that are started on the stove and finished in the oven.
Fry Pan/Skillet — This pan has moderately high, slightly flared (outward sloping) sides. It's good for frying chicken and hash browns. Nonstick versions are wonderful for omelet and fish.
Omelet Pan — Also known as a crepe pan, this is a type of fry pan. It has a flat surface, sloped sides and flared edges that allow foods to slide easily out of the pan.
Saucepan — Your kitchen essential. Straight or slightly sloping, higher sides and a long handle distinguish this pan. It can be used to cook delicate sauces, reheat leftovers and cook sticky grains like rice and oatmeal.
Soup/Stockpots — As wide as it is high with a thick base for slow simmering. The height and surface area allow for minimum evaporation for perfect flavoring and locked-in ingredients. It's perfect for stews, soups and pastas. Go ahead, you can even try a lobster.
Chef's — Want the most efficient pan for whisking? This is the one to look for. Gently sloped sides make it ideal not only for whisking, but also for stirring. And the flat bottom creates even heating.

There are many other types of pots and pans but the ones I included into this discussion are generally the most common to households across America.  Until next time, remember to Follow The Food with JBistro Style on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, and Instagram!

"Pour Some Sugar On me.." No wait, we're talking Salt!

I know, I know, the title is cheesy (line ripped straight from one of my favorite 80's songs) but it got your attention!  Since it's been a while, I had to start with something clever.

As you can see, we're talking Salt today.  There are many different types of salt out there, and I'm making it my mission to teach you the differences and the benefits compared between all these types of salt. 

We're all familiar with the most common Table Salt.  This salt is a super refined form of Rock Salt with a few additives to keep it flowing thru our salt shakers.

Coarse Salt is that fancier, unrefined salt, that you see sprinkled on those delicious golden brown giant soft pretzels you're enjoying at the baseball game.  This type of salt doesn't melt, so its more of a "pretty" salt.

Iodized Salt is also a very common type of salt.  We've all seen the cardboard container with the little "Morton Girl" on the front.  This salt is interesting to say the least.  Iodized salt is actually required by law in some countries.  The addition of Iodine is a response to our bodies requiring this mineral to prevent hyperthyroidism.  Iodized salt is also interesting because of its small amount of sugar added to it.  If the sugar was not added, the Iodine would turn the salt yellow and it wouldn't be very inviting to the human eye.

Kosher Salt, preferred not only by the Jewish community, but professional chefs as well, for its bright flavor and better texture compared to table salt.  Although remember, if you're going to substitute Kosher Salt for table salt you will need to add slightly more due to its "not-so-salty" milder flavor.

Sea Salt is regarded up there like Kosher Salt.  Sea Salt is believed to have better health benefits because of its trace minerals, but they say the amounts are to small to actually have a real legitimate health benefit compared to Table or Kosher salt.  Sea Salt is also popular because of its good flavor.  Sea Salt is distilled from sea waters, which is why it has a slightly higher price that other salts.

Celtic Salt, which I'm sure a lot of you are not familiar with, is also very interesting.  This type of salt is very expensive due to the nature of how it is harvested.  It is harvested via a 2,000 year-old method of solar evaporation from the waters of the Celtic Sea marshes in Brittany, France.  The only other more rare and expensive salt is called fleur de sel, from the salt marshes in Guerande, which is said to form only when the wind blows from the east.

Dairy salt, is that special salt they use to pull the moisture from cheese to cure it.

Pickling salt is self-explanatory.  This is used to pickle , not only pickles, but other vegetables or even Shrimp!  Weird, I know, but I saw it with my own two eyes on Paula Deen's show!

Sour salt...is actually not a salt at all.  Its citric acid extracted from acidic fruits like lemons or pineapples.

Rock Salt is another less unrefined salt, that actually has a gray color to it.  Rock Salt is used in ice cream machines.  When I was in elementary, I did a science experiment using Rock Salt, a metal coffee can, a Ziploc bag, and ice cream mixture.  It made a GREAT impression with this kids!
 
Seasoned Salt is any type of salt with added herbs or flavorings.

Popcorn salt is a super-fine grind (almost the texture of confectioners' sugar) of salt is generally colored yellowish-orange and is used on popcorn for both color and flavoring. 

Now that you have the facts on Salt, which one will you be reaching for on your next shopping trip!?   We'd love to hear from you!

"Follow The Food" is the new motto for JBistro Style Catering!  I am on a mission to get JBistro Style out there and recognized!

Are you familiar with our background?  Our story?  If not, let me give a brief overview of JBistro.  I started the company in October of 2010.  I had no start-up capital, I did not take out any loans, I started JBistro from the ground.  Marketing is exclusively done via Social Media and word-of-mouth.  Everything done for JBistro is done exclusively by me.  This website, all the social media pages, all the blogs, and of course all the cooking is done by little 'ol me!  JBistro is my third child :-) and requires a lot.  Curious how you can help?  Spreading the word, sharing pages, recommending this site are just a few of the ways you can get involved with spreading the word about JBistro Style!

I am always thinking of ways to give back to those that are helping me get the word out about JBistro!  I am a firm believer in you do unto others, as you want done unto you!

As always I thank everyone that is supporting myself and JBistro Style!
 

Good morning everyone!  Sorry it's been a while since I had a post.  Life gets busy busy sometimes (especially around Mother's Day)!

So this morning I came across this photo on HGTV's Facebook page and I absolutely loved it.  I love gardening and I just loved the use of the can's they reused and it got me thinking about recycling.  Personally, I try to recycle whenever possible, but I am far from perfect.  This picture definitely gave me a great idea, actually two great ideas.  First, what a great re-use of food cans and then my personal touch/suggestion is to let your kid(s), or yourself, decorate the cans.  You know how I love to include the kids in everything and my Daughter, she'll be 10 next month, is extremely artistically talented so this is right up her alley.

My other idea for recycling...reusing old pots and pans.  We all have those pots and pans that have seen their better days, so instead of just tossing them to the trash, drill a small hole or two in them for drainage, and plant those favorite herbs of yours into them.  If you have a larger skillet, plant 2 or 3 of your favorite herbs for easy access  while cooking.

Readers...have any other suggestions for us?  Post a comment below or at JBistro Style Food Blog to share!  I love new ideas and encourage you to share them with everyone!

Mother's Day Special ending!

Good morning everyone!  Today is officially the last minute planning for Mother's Day!  Our FOODBLOGFAN special ends today!  Free dessert with any order!!!  If you still haven't figured out what to do for the Mother or Mother's in your life consider a JBistro specialty!!

Happy Mother's Day to all the Mother's out there from JBistro Style!!

Food and Art

My new reading material!  WOOHOO, so excited!!  This magazine combines my two loves, food and photography.  As some of you might know, I am a self-taught chef as well as a self-taught photographer so I am constantly looking for good reading material to continue to improve my skills. 

As you can imagine, hopefully, the pictures of my food will get a step-up after reading and analyzing this magazine.  Also, I encourage all my readers to share their advice with me so that I can learn from you as well. 

My motto is "A chef is only as good as our customers say we are, so my goal is to learn from you!"

Mother's Day is almost here!

Well fans, it is officially "last minute" time for Mother's Day gifts/plans.  Have you made a plan yet?  Do you plan on taking the Mother(s) in your life out to eat, or are you planning to prepare a meal yourself?  Picture this for a moment:

Sunday morning the Mother or Mother's in your life wake up to the smell of...(you fill in the blank) and she's opening that special card y'all picked out just for her.  Inside you write beautiful and inspiring words thanking her for all her hard work and inside she finds a gift certificate or a letter stating she has earned a week off from cooking and JBistro is providing a wonderful change from the usual family favorites.

If this sounds like a great idea for the Mother (or Mother's) in your life...stop on by www.jbistrostylecatering.weebly.com and cash in on our current Mother's Day special and mention FOODBLOGFAN in the comments to receive a complimentary dessert with any purchase.

Mother's Day Ideas

So we all know this weekend is a special one.  Being a Mother of two, I personally know how much I love this day and I love being pampered.  So of course the usual plan for Mother's day is going out to a crowded and over-priced restaurant, but before that happens, my husband and daughter usually make me breakfast.

This got me thinking, what about running a great special for my customers to help them create a special day (or days) for the Mother's in their life?  Be sure and hop over to www.jbistrostylecatering.weebly.com to see the details of this current special!  I know I would LOVE this for my Mother's Day gift, so I'm positive other Mother's would too! 

Dinner Party Details

I've picked a random discussion for everyone.  Enjoy!

If you're like me and love throwing dinner parties, this is the discussion for you.  There are a few rules I always try to follow when throwing a party.  Now, I'm not saying I'm always successful at it but I do try. 

Rule #1: Serve two appetizers (starters) for your guests, and keep them simple, salty and soft.  Quickly roast your favorite nuts, sprinkle with kosher salt and fresh herbs and you'll have an instant hit.  Along side the nuts, offer a cheese board and you're done. 
Simple and easy!
Rule #2:  Pick two entrees.  One that cooks in the oven and one that is cooked on the stove-top.  If you remember this rule, you'll never have to worry about having time to cook both and keeping one warm while the other cooks.
Rule #3:  Unless you're an avid baker, keep dessert simple!!  Fresh berries (whatever you love and is in season) macerated in balsamic vinegar and sugar. Top them with your favorite vanilla ice cream and to jazz it up, zest a lemon right over the ice cream for an incredible flavor boost!

I don't always have time to do major tablescapes so my easiest option that looks adorable and works with most party themes: throw your favorite tablecloth down, line mason jars (different sizes if possible) down the center, and put small candles inside.  Simple, elegant, and everyone will love it!

Happy partying!!!

SOcial Networking...The only way!

Hey everyone, I know its been a minute, but life in my world has been a whirlwind! 

So I wanted to discuss social networking JBistro Style is currently utilizing.  At this moment I have Facebook, Google+, Pinterest, and Instagram.  I would like to add Twitter and considering doing some YouTube videos/demos, but those two platforms are a bit intimidating to me, especially the YouTube.  My reasoning for bringing this up is wanting your opinions.  Are there sites I should look into?  I'm almost sure there are more social sites I could be using but just don't know about.  I certainly don't want to overwhelm myself with multiple sites that I can't keep up with so I want to stick with the most effective ones.

If you have suggestions, please add them in the comments!  I would love to hear your suggestions.

And don't forget to find us on Facebook, Google+, Pinterest, and Instagram!

Please VOTE VOTE VOTE!!!

Hey everyone, I and JBistro needs your help!!  Intuit is running a program called Intuit Small Business Growing Strong.  This competition is awarding $5000 to 15 small businesses.  What has to happen is you have to get your story voted for!  This is where I need your help.  Please click the link below (or search for) and vote for JBistro Style Catering.  $5000 would change JBistro and my life in an AMAZING way!  Please vote for me and share or spread the word to anybody you know to go and vote for JBistro Style Catering!!

Also, you can vote once a day until the contest ends!  If you can take just a small quick second every day to vote for JBistro I will forever be grateful!!

20 seconds of your time could change the fate of JBistro Style!  Just click the link below and VOTE VOTE VOTE for JBistro!!

Here is the link:
https://www.loveourlocalbusiness.com/base/mobile2?region_id=us-en&content_id=33774&tab_id=64

Future Storefront...To be or not to be

Yesterday, my Mom treated me to lunch at a Restaurant that was featured on one of my favorite Food Network shows, Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.  Lankford Grocery & Cafe.  What an absolute fabulous place!  I loved everything about it.  It was not fancy, the decor was like being at my Grandparents country home, but the food and the atmosphere was AMAZING!  It was the place I imagine (and hope) JBistro would become in the near future.  My food is by far not fancy, I am not fancy, therefor I would not want to represent myself or food as something its not.  I imagine a place that feels like a home.

So, as my Mom and I are enjoying our lunch, we start discussing how great it would be if JBistro could have a storefront, and it got me very excited. My mind was racing about all the things I would have in my own restaurant.  It also caused a lot of anxiety for me.  Why you ask?  Well I started thinking about how most start-up restaurants fail.  I'm not sure on the exact percentage, but I do know its very high and very intimidating.  I look at my very minimal success of JBistro Style Catering in the three years that I have owned it.  I consider how in three years I only have 85 people that "Like" us on Facebook.  I look at the stats for this website and the most visitors we've had is 31.  I see the most "Likes" we have here on the blog entries is 7.  Anyway, you get the point.  Numbers don't lie, unfortunately, so it is very difficult to see past those numbers and feel confident that JBistro would be a successful restaurant.  BUT, despite all this, I still remain hopeful that one day I will have my dream!

At this moment, I would like to personally thank everyone for taking the time to support us, in any manor!  We would not have our success, minimal or not, without the support of you.  Help me keep my dream alive and thriving and spread the word about JBistro Style Catering!  If you haven't tried our food, let me know, and I will arrange a FREE tasting for you!