This week on Food Mob we have some delicious home made chicken Caesar rolls and they really are a treat. It’s basically all the best parts of a Caesar salad all shoved in to a roll for extra tastiness!

This is episode 5 of our new show on Revision 3 called Foobmob where we have a whole new type of interaction with users including uploaded food photos and videos…

We have just launched another episode of the great new Food Mob show over on Revision 3 . Its a great interactive show with loads of user interaction. You can also find the show on Youtube (we would love if you could subscribe over there). LEt us know what you think of the show and hope you enjoy it!

After a couple of years of back and forward with the guys over at Revision 3 we launched a new show today in partnership with them all about food called Food Mob. It’s an interactive cookery show that features lots of audience participation with some great recipes aimed at the average person who is trying to cook for the first time. You won’t see any crazy ingredients or tricky measurements, it’ll all be kept nice and simple so as anybody can follow it. Let us know what you think and if you could support us by subscribing or following us on Twitter or Facebook it would be very much appreciated. Let us know what you think…

1. How did you get into the world of food blogging?

I have always been an avid cook and foodie but over the past few years I have become more and more impassioned about what is happening in the food industry. I believe strongly that food matters, not just the eating and enjoyment of it but where it comes from and how it got to my table. I am a big fan of people like Michael Pollan and Jamie Oliver because they are generating so much public awareness about the importance of eating “real” food.

I began blogging because I wanted to add my voice as an advocate of the local, seasonal and homemade approach to cooking and eating. Local is a challenge sometimes, living in a northern climate, but I think the other side of this is cooking from scratch with seasonal ingredients as much as possible and avoiding processed food when you can. I have a recipe for homemade marshmallows on my blog and I include it not so much to say that everyone should be making their own marshmallows, but to show that it is possible to take homemade as far as you want. I think cooking should be fun and accessible to everyone and I hope, through my recipes and articles that others will feel inspired to try new things.

2. Do you have a favorite food dish to cook or specialty?

I can’t say that I have a favourite dish or food specialty. I think that half the fun of cooking is the experimentation. You have to be brave when you are in the kitchen and keep pushing your comfort level. Whenever I meet people who say they can’t cook I ask them about what they make and how much time they spend trying different recipes. Often I find that the biggest issue is that they have not developed their confidence. Once you get comfortable with the basics and how things should work, then you start changing the rules and mixing things up a bit. I make mistakes all the time, but I don’t let them bother me, I treat it as a learning experience.

3. When did you first realize you had such a passion for food?

I was lucky in that I grew up in a very food-centric family. My grandfather owned a bakery in a small town just outside of Toronto. I used to work there on my summer breaks and I loved it. Early in the morning, alone with my grandfather was the best time. That was when he would make the bread and the donuts. To this day the smell of yeast and warm bread brings back a huge rush of memories. The shop is still open to this day, now owned and operated by my uncle, so it has been a constant in my life and a huge part of the passion that I feel for food.

My mother, my aunts and my uncle are all great cooks too so cooking and food just became an integral part of my life. Food was always central to any family gathering. It is so connected to every memory that I began to associate food with family.

4. If you could cook one last meal what would it be and who would your 4 guests be?

I would probably make a Roast Turkey dinner like the ones my grandparents made for Christmas and Thanksgiving. For me this is the ultimate comfort food. It was always Turkey with apple stuffing and gravy, mashed potatoes, fresh rolls from the bake shop, green beans, a salad and at least two desserts, usually pumpkin pie and steamed fruit pudding with caramel sauce. If I have to pick just 4 people I would make it for my kids, my husband and myself, but if I could I would make it for my entire family, just like the dinners we had during special occasions when I was a kid.

5. Share 5 other food blogs that you love?

I am always on the lookout for good sites, so this list shifts quite a bit. I am consistently impressed with Smitten Kitchen. Deb’s recipes, stories and pictures are always engaging. I also like Tartelette, La Tartine Gourmande and Almost Bourdain. The photography on those sites is fantastic. I recently discovered Crumpets and Cakes. It is such a creative site and great recipes, of course.

For my favourite recipe I am sending my Buttermilk Pancake recipe. It is a universal favourite and such an easy recipe to master and modify to you own tastes. Sometimes I make it with whole wheat flour, or oatmeal, or corn meal, the possibilities are endless. We always serve it with pure maple syrup from a local family-run farm that has been producing maple syrup since 1862.

Buttermilk Pancakes
adapted from the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook

2 cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups well shaken buttermilk
2 large eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Mix dry ingredients together in medium bowl. Add all wet ingredients at once and stir just until combined. Do not over mix, batter will be slightly lumpy. Lightly coat the skillet with oil. Turn the heat to medium low. Drop 1/8 cup of batter onto heated skillet. Cook on first side until bubbles begin to form on surface, 2-3 minutes. Flip over and cook another 2-3 minutes until golden brown and centre springs back when lightly touched. Serve warm with maple syrup and butter. Makes 10-12 pancakes.
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Today our featured bloggers are Danielle from Cake and Co. and we wanted to ask her all about her passion for food…

1.How did you get in to the world of food blogging?

The world of blogging allows you to connect with people all over the world who share the same interest as you.  I subscribe to a lot of dessert blogs, the bakers that I have met thus far share a passion for desserts and inspire me with their creations.  And, coming from the marketing and creative world, blogging is a free marketing tool that is personalized and easy to use.

2.Do you have a favorite food dish to cook of specialty?

I love baking cupcakes and I make a pretty awesome Japanese curry with panko crusted tofu.

3.When did you first realize you had such a passion for food?

Both my parents love food and they have instilled that love of food in me.  But, I became a self-professed foodie in college.

4.If you could cook one last meal what would it be and who would your 4 guests be?

I honestly don’t know what I would cook, but I know I would want to serve at least 4 courses.   I love cooking and baking, but I have to say my favorite part is plating!  I love making things look beautiful.  Hmmm, I’m thinking… maybe a chilled soup served in a shot glass, a crisp spinach salad served in a parmesan cheese bowl, a nicely grilled steak served with wasabi mash potatoes, and lastly, chocolate peanut butter molten cake with vanilla bean ice cream.   My four guests would definitely have to be, my fiancé, Tyler, my mother, Linda, and my two friends, Shira and Theresa.

5.Share 5 other food blogs that you love?

Judy in Her Natural Habitat: The Kitchen –You can just tell that Judy has a passion for cooking and baking.  She takes beautiful photos and has wonderful recipes to share.

Foodmented by Breworferment – commentary on beer, wine and food!  Mostly beer, but he has some great tasting advice.

Bakerella – The Queen of desserts in the online world as far as I am concerned.  She has beautiful pictures and oozes creativity.

Cakespy – Another dessert blog that has the best dessert inspired merchandise

Amy Atlas – she isn’t a food blogger per say, but she does make inspirational dessert displays.

Today our featured blogger is Aoife from The Daily Spud and we wanted to ask her all about her passion for food…

1. How did you get into the world of food blogging?

Quite by accident really. A food and restaurant review website that I was a member of invited me to contribute to their blog. Unfortunately for them, I didn’t particularly like their blog and declined the offer, but subsequently became fascinated by the idea of doing one myself. It combined my love of both food and photography and piqued a long held curiosity about my own writing abilities. Having a technical background didn’t hurt either, as I was able to manage all of the behind-the-scenes blog design and setup myself.

2. Do you have a favourite food dish to cook / speciality

Given that my blog is called The Daily Spud, I would be forced to hand in my blogging license if I said that my speciality was anything other than potatoes! Boiled, steamed, mashed, roasted, baked, au gratin, as chips or crisps – you name it, I’ve probably tried to cook potatoes that way. My favourite, though, is to dig my own potatoes from the garden, scrub them, steam them in their jackets and then eat with lots of butter and salt. Divine.

3. When did you first realise you had such a passion for food?

I feel like I’ve always had an interest in food and in cooking. As a kid I was an enthusiastic baker – apple tarts and gingerbread a speciality – and a dedicated picker of blackcurrants and gooseberries from my parents garden. In general, I think that growing up on a home-cooked, and often home-grown, diet informed my respect, appreciation and love for good food from an early age. Much later, through college and later years, I travelled a lot, and got to sample many different cuisines at first hand, which fuelled my interest further.

4. If you could cook one last meal what would it be and who would your 4 guests be?

What a morbid thought!

I think I’d like not so much to cook a last meal as to grow (part of) it. I’d keep the meal simple, let the freshly harvested ingredients sing and enjoy the company.

So, armed with carrots, spuds, beans, apples and herbs from the garden, I’d start with some freshly baked wholewheat soda bread and butter, along with some carrot and ginger soup. Next would be freshly dug new potatoes with butter and salt, maybe some french beans and a nice piece of wild salmon, with some lemon, dill and parsley. For dessert, I would have to have my all time favourite of apple crumble and cream. After all of that, you’d be wanting a nice cup of tea, though, if I’m cooking my last meal, you can assume that there would be plenty of wine drunk too!

As for my guests, while I’d want close friends and family there, that would be closer to 40 guests than 4 – and having to choose might cause some infighting! So, instead, I think I would host some of the other food bloggers that I read and correspond with regularly – they know who they are!

5. Share 5 other food blogs that you love

I have a feed reader that is stuffed to the gills with food blogs that I enjoy and (try to) keep up with. It is incredibly difficult to pick just 5, but here goes:

Tangled Noodle – Tracey’s posts on food and food culture are always both thoughtful and thought-provoking

Pastry Methods and Techniques – Jenni does a fabulous job of explaining the whys behind the hows of baking and is a very funny lady to boot.

Sippity Sup – if you want someone who will leave no stone unturned when it comes to exploring an ingredient, then Greg is the man for you.

Oyster Food And Culture – LouAnn provides wonderfully detailed posts on food and food history from around the world.
The Duo Dishes – I just want the duo – Chrystal and Amir – to come and cook for me some day

My favourite recipe:

I think that I have new favourites all the time. The Potato, Salmon and Cream Cheese Chowder that I came up with recently is one that I really liked. All of the recipe details are in this blog post.

Today our featured bloggers are Donna and Anne from Fab Frugal Food and we wanted to ask them all about their passion for food…

1.How did you get in to the world of food blogging?

We are a birth mother -  daughter team who reunited a few years ago and we bonded over cooking and creating recipes. We decided the perfect vehicle with sharing our recipes with each other (and the whole world!) was a food blog. We previously collaborated on a cookbook “101 Things to do with Tofu,” published by Gibbs Smith Publisher.

2.Do you have a favorite food dish to cook of specialty?

Donna’s favorite / signature dish is her White Enchiladas – an original recipe she has been developing for 30 years. Anne’s has to be her Ultimate Veggie Chili.

3.When did you first realize you had such a passion for food.

Until 10 years ago, Donna hated cooking. When you have to cook large quantities of food for four small children, cooking is a chore. Then, as her little family got older, Donna’s cooking began to evolve. When Donna and Anne reunited, she developed a passion/obsession for creating simple, delicious, healthy, adventurous food. Anne’s cooking evolved through the years as well – she learned to cook vegetarian meals for herself, and gradually became more adept in other ‘genres’ over the years as well. She was similarly inspired by Donna!

4.If you could cook one last meal what would it be and who would your 4 guests be?

Donna’s last meal would be a Cheese Crisp with roasted green chiles, Carne Seca Enchiladas with Flan for dessert. Sorry, but I would have to have all my children and husband there, total 8.

5.Share 5 other food blogs that you love?

Donna’s favorite food blogs: Kalyn’s Kitchen, Diet, Dessert and Dogs, Two Peas and Their Pod, Sara’s Cucina Bella, The Perfect Pantry. Anne’s favorites: Kalyn’s Kitchen and Cucina Bella as well, Gluten-Free Goddess, Noble Pig, The Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen

Finally: Our favorite recipe of all time has to be Anne’s aforementioned Ultimate Veggie Chili, which was featured on the Food Network show “Ultimate Recipe Showdown.”

Today our featured blogger is Dave from Papawow and we wanted to ask him all about his passion for food…

1.How did you get in to the world of food blogging?

I’ve always cooked at home and been into food. After college I realized how quickly my writing skills were atrophying so I was looking for an outlet to continue writing. My wife, who is a Chef, and I went on a trip to Italy and when we returned, it hit me. A food blog. What a perfect match! I’m the reckless/creative one, she’s my rock. Without her looking over my shoulder, I would never be able to bake anything.

2.Do you have a favorite food dish to cook or speciality?

I really don’t have a favorite dish or specialty. In fact, quite the opposite; I try and cook something different every time I make something. I am constantly looking for new and unique expressions of ingredients and culture.

3.When did you first realize you had such a passion for food.

There was no epiphany. In retrospect, it was the culmination of my upbringing. I was preparing meals for my family at a relatively young age. I would look things up periodically in The Joy of Cooking. I remember reading The Joy from cover to cover one day in high school, but it was more out of boredom than anything else. The more I learn about food, the more intriguing it becomes.

4.If you could cook one last meal what would it be and who would your 4 guests be?

Braised Short Ribs, done in Stout Beer with Garlic, a little soy sauce, bay leaves, and mirepoix. Served with Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes, a Shaved Fennel Salad, and a bold Syrah from Central California, maybe one from Curtis Winery. The guests would be my wife, my parents, and my mother in law.

5.Share 5 other food blogs that you love?

- Sippitysup.com – wasabiprime.blogspot.com – fancyfastfood.com – lickmyspoon.com – foodwoolf.com

Papawow’s Favourite Recipe

Goulash

Ingredients:

• 3 lbs. boneless chuck roast (or any stewing meat), trimmed and cut into 1-2 inch cubes
• 1/4 cup Hungarian (sweet) paprika
• 1-12 ounce jar roasted red peppers, drained and rinsed
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 3 teaspoons white wine
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, diced small
• 4 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch long rounds
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup beef broth, warmed
• 1/4 cup sour cream, plus additional for a garnish
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 325 F. Sprinkle the cubed meat with a teaspoon of salt and allow to sit while you blend the sauce. In a food processor (or blender), add the paprika, roasted peppers, the tomato paste, 3 teaspoons of the white wine, and 1/2 cup of the beef broth – blend well. Stop and scrape down the sides as necessary.

In a large pot that has a lid and is oven proof (or Dutch oven), add the onion, the vegetable oil, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Stir briefly and cover over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally for 8-10 minutes but don’t let the onions brown.
Once the onions are soft, add the paprika and red pepper mixture. Cook until the onions start to stick to the bottom of the pan, about 2 minutes. Add the beef, carrots, the bay leaf, and stir so that everything gets well coated

Scrape down the sides of the pot, cover, and place in oven until meat is tender, about 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Be sure to stir about every 30 minutes. If the Goulash becomes too thick use the remaining 1/2 cup of beef broth to thin it to your desired consistency.

Keep the level of the sauce about 1/4 inch from the top of the meat. The key to developing deep flavors is that the top of the meat is browning in the oven while the bottom half of the meat braises. Then you stir and incorporate that top layer back into the sauce.

The Goulash is done when the meat if fork-tender. When you are getting close to being finished, boil your potatoes or egg noodles so that they are ready when the Goulash is.
If there is any fat or oil on the surface, skim it and discard. Add the remaining white wine and sour cream and fish out the bay leaf. Add salt and pepper as needed, garnish with more sour cream if you like, and serve piping hot.

It’s been a long journey at Lookandtaste over the last couple of years to get to where we are now with a site that has over 500 professionally produced videos covering most things you need to know in the kitchen. The site started off as a paid service, we charged for people to become members of the site but we ditched that model and refunded all our members pretty early on as we had bigger plans for the site and had the ambition of keeping it free for all users and supporting it with advertising and taking it all over the world. As you can now see from the site we have reverted to the paid subscription model but we have really tried to keep it at an absolute maximum of 4.99 per month.
It’s a big step and we know it is going to annoy some people who have been using the site for free over the last couple of years but we have overheads to maintain and need to start seeing a return from the huge amount of time and effort that goes in to making videos. Crucially the subscription model will be used to fund the production of future videos as we aim to build our content towards the 1000 video mark and create the ultimate portal for foodies.

Lots Of Content Still Free

We will be keeping large parts of the site free with recipes from partners and food bloggers from all over the world as well as creating custom video content here on the blog as well as a new interactive show with Revision 3 which will be launching very soon which we have big plans for. Our aim is to build the site in to a major hub for foodies around the world and shift the focus from being a 100% dedicated video site to offering a more complete package with text recipes and other food content.

It’s The Price Of A Pint

I know people are used to getting their content free on the Internet and there are 1000s of cooking videos out there that you could be watching for free. What we create is bespoke content that costs a lot to make and the recipes are tried and tested at great length and rather than having to stop making that content we want to charge people what is effectively the cost of one pint of beer each per month to keep the content flowing. It’s a shame that we have to charge anything and we have honestly made every effort over the last 2 years to make the site run as an advertising supported model but the numbers simply do not stack up. We hope you can support us and make the site work, if you are still in doubt there are a list of features here.