The DX Diabetes Dish: Chef Robert Lewis, The Happy Diabetic | The DX: The Diabetes Experience

The DX Diabetes Dish: Chef Robert Lewis, The Happy Diabetic | The DX: The Diabetes Experience: Chef Robert Lewis on what motivates him to advocate for diabetes as The Happy Diabetic

Chad Cushman, known as "The Crepe Guy"

It was a typical Sunday except it is Father's Day 2014. I like to say "everyday is fathers day at my house".  Cindy and I were walking the bike path and ran into out good friends Bob and Kathy (check Kathy out at Dr. Kathy Kaminski Exercise & Nutrition Physical Fitness · Active Life · Personal Coaching)

We decided to meet up at Dunn Brothers Coffee in Bettendorf Iowa. Bob mentioned they have an amazing "crepe chef" there. So we meet up around 9:30. He's there from 9 to 1 every sunday.

WOW what a treat! Check Chad out on face book and on the web! https://www.facebook.com/cushmancrepes     and     http://www.thecrepeguy.com

The Crepe Guy's delicious and unique crepes have become a staple of both food lovers and the food shy throughout the Quad Cities area.  Chad Cushman, known as "The Crepe Guy," can be found Saturday's at the Freight House Farmers Market and Sundays at Dunn Brothers Coffee — serving a new selection of freshly made crepes to eager stomachs. 

Savory or Sweet...

Crepe-lover or not, a weekend visit to the Crepe Guy has become a must for both culinary adventurists, and the pickiest of eaters. The Crepe Guy's specialty crepes stretch far beyond the typical classic French crepe, taking inspiration from culinary traditions the world over.
Chad makes each crepe by hand on a traditional, cast-iron crepe pan using his own special crepe recipe. Each week he offers up two new unique culinary creations for fans,  a savory option and a sweet option — made with fresh ingredients.

Sample Menu

SAVORY
Braised pork shoulder + white cheddar + apple butter + pecan slaw + maple boejits vinaigrette

SWEET
Fresh plum + sweet ricotta cream + candied almonds + lemon-thyme honey

SAVORY
BLT" Maple pepper bacon + artisan local greens + tomato jam + melba toast streusel + basil aioli

SWEET
Fresh berries + sweet ricotta cream + cocoa pecan granola + rosemary syrup

The menu today was....

 Savory

 Sweet

Taste for Life:

Recipes for eating and living better from “The Happy Diabetic”

We’re changing the way you eat one recipe at a time.

The Happy Diabetic Web Site  www.happydiabetic.com

Fresh Heirloom Tomato Salad Recipe

Fresh Heirloom Tomato Salad Recipe

So...just what is an heirloom?

Heirloom

An heirloom is generally considered to be a variety that has been passed down, through several generations of a family because of it's valued characteristics. Since 'heirloom' varieties have become popular in the past few years there have been liberties taken with the use of this term for commercial purposes. At TomatoFest Garden Seeds we chose to adopt the definition used by tomato experts, Craig LeHoullier and Carolyn Male, who have classified down heirlooms into four categories:

1. Commercial Heirlooms: Open-pollinated varieties introduced before 1940, or tomato varieties more than 50 years in circulation.
2. Family Heirlooms: Seeds that have been passed down for several generations through a family.
3. Created Heirlooms: Crossing two known parents (either two heirlooms or an heirloom and a hybrid) and dehybridizing the resulting seeds for how ever many years/generations it takes to eliminate the undesirable characteristics and stabilize the desired characteristics, perhaps as many as 8 years or more.
4. Mystery Heirlooms: Varieties that are a product of natural cross-pollination of other heirloom varieties.

ok all you happy diabetic's here it is.....                                                                                                 extra-virgin olive oil, a great vinegar, and black pepper and sea salt.  This salad mixture has few ingredients so the final flavor bright and tasty. Of course, the key element is ripe, beauteous tomatoes, so hunt some down at your local farmers market or grocery store.

I used some heirlooms, grape, cherry and a mixture of multi colored tomatoes.

So lets put it together!
combine about 2 pounds of ripe heirloom tomatoes (choose a variety of colors and sizes, as well as the most perfect tomatoes you can find at the height of the season). Cut them into various sizes: wedges, thick slices, in half, or, if you have some tiny cherry tomatoes, leave them whole.Toss them with fresh arugula greens. the bitterness will complement the flavors.  Sprinkle with sea salt  and freshly ground black pepper.
Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and your favorite vinegar (balsamic, red wine, or sherry would be good).  I like to use 3 to 1 part oil to vinegar.                                                                                      

Enjoy...can you feel the love??

Grilled Fresh Corn...of LOVE!

Grilling Them Naked

That's the corn, not you, of course. Ok, this my favorite  (GO TO) way to grill corn. After it cooked it's charred, Caramelized, browned, nutty bits that really make it taste, well, amazing. It's all about the love, right?

What to do: Shuck and clean corn. Don't worry about getting every last stray piece of silk—they'll burn away on the grill anyway. Coat the corn with a little extra virgin olive oil. 

Place the corn directly over a very hot fire and grill, turning occasionally, until charred and cooked through, about 10 minutes total. Serve immediately with flavored or plain butter and salt and fresh cracked pepper. You can even give them a squeeze fresh lime

Taste for Life:

Recipes for eating and living better from “The Happy Diabetic”

We’re changing the way you eat one recipe at a time.

The Happy Diabetic Web Site

In search of New Orleans' most beloved sandwich in the Big Easy

The Crescent City's Greatest Po'boys

So just what is a Po'boy?

2. Po boy sandwiches are typically either seafood or roast beef (although I had a roast duck po boy near Grand Isle, Louisiana recently), and the best ones use remoulade, a Cajun version of the classic French mayo-mustard sauce. But the bread is the real star in a po boy.

A po' boy (also po-boy, po boy, or poor boy) is a traditional sandwich. It almost always consists of meat, usually roast beef, or fried seafood The meat is served on roll-like New Orleans French bread, known for its crisp crust and fluffy center.

My search took me to Johnny's in the French Quarter...

Crabby Jack's

When locals get "character" overload, they drive to an industrial section of Jefferson Parish to this yum-fest run by kitchen dervish Jacques Leonardi (above). It's all about the cochon (pig), rabbit and duck he brings with gusto to the po'boy plate. "Over-stuffed" is an understatement. The slow-roasted duck po'boy with gravy and jalapeños is love-me tender, sophisticatedly rich. A classic born. 428 Jefferson Highway, crabby-jacks.com

Patrick Singley

Owner Gautreaux's restaurant

Fried Shrimp-and-Oyster Po'boy at Domilise's Po-Boys

Get the half-and-half, large, dressed with lettuce, catsup, mayonnaise and hot sauce. It's so amazingly good. They have Leidenheimer bakery deliver the bread twice a day, 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., so it assures freshness. They change their grease regularly, and don't take short cuts. Everything is made to order. Sit at the counter with the lovely owner, Dot Domilise.  

The Shining Pearl

Casamento's Restaurant

Unconventional hours haven't kept this 89-year-old oyster mecca from drawing lines outside its tiled quarters. Accolades and food shows have followed, mainly for its blissful po'boy hybrid: the fried oyster loaf. Made with thick-cut white Bunny Bread, it is packed four inches high with lightly corn-floured oysters simmered in lard in cast iron pots. 4330 Magazine St., casamentosrestaurant.com

Pierre Touzet

Co-owner, Patois and Ste. Marie restaurants

Fried Shrimp Po'boy at Parkway Bakery & Tavern

They use a light batter on the shrimp, which are decent-sized and fresh. If they didn't serve po'boys, it would still be a cool place to drink. I sit in the original storefront, and belly up to the bar.

How to make the best Guacamole on the planet!

In my kitchen it all about turning ordinary ingredients into something extra ordinary!

How to make the best Guacamole on the planet!

Cindy and I were talking about just how would I describe this amazing and simple dish.

It went something like this... Something like this - squish ripe avocados with chopped chopped red onions, a couple minced garlic clove, a squeeze of lime juice, diced tomatoes and pepper and sea salt to taste. The real secret is in the RIPE AVOCADOS!

So I made this video as if you were in my kitchen standing right next to me.

Guacamole... just what is it, besides being delicious.

Well... it is  is an avocado-based dip that originated with the Aztecs in Mexico. There are many variations, some recipes call for tomato, onion, garlic, lemon juice, chili, yogurt and other additional seasonings.

Pacific Coast Guacamole

Calories: 101      Total Fat: 8.32g      Total Carbs: 6.54g      Dietary Fiber: 4.33g     Sugars: 1.04g      Protein: 1.44g

3 ripe avocados, peeled and pitted

1 large Roma tomato 

2 T onions, chopped

1 clove of garlic, chopped

Juice of one lime

¼ c cilantro, chopped

Hot sauce to taste

Salt freshly ground black pepper to taste

One at a time, run a knife through each avocado, starting at the top, until you reach the pit. Continue cutting around the pit until you reach the point you started. Twist the two halves of the avocado apart. Remove the pit and discard. Scoop the flesh into the bowl. Mash coarsely with the back of a spoon or an old-fashioned potato masher.

Add the cilantro and onion, stir to combine, then taste. Season with salt (usually about a teaspoon) and lime juice. Scoop into a serving dish and garnish with more cilantro. Serves 8.

If you would like your own copy of my newest cookbook, click this link now!