Did I tell you I met Buddy?

VIP Pass to Buddy's Homemade for the Holidays Tour.

I got on stage and tried to win a cake - instead I got a T-shirt -I'm happy with that.

Best part was to meet the Boss himself!

If the  Cake Boss is coming to your town, I recommend you go.  The show was awesome..

Cooking with Scott

I met Scott Mowbray - Editor of Cooking Light at Wholefoods.

We made a yummy risotto with shrimp and smoked paprika.

I had so much fun and our risotto was delicious.

Rainbow Cupcakes

Even though my birthday is on Christmas Day I decided to have my party early because I wanted to take my two BFF's to see the last Twighlight movie Breakdawn Part 2.  Of course the occasion called for a cool birthday cake - well cupcakes.
I did cheat and used a box of white cake mix and made it according to the instructions on the box.
Once the batter was made I divided it into three bowls and added food coloring.    I chose colors that my friends liked.  Pink for Megs, blue for me and yellow for Jocelyn but you can use any colors.
Layer the colored batter into cupcake tins until they are 1/2 to 3/4 full and cook as per the instructions.
I decided to use rainbow colored frosting too but you can have fun with it, be creative and create your own style.  YUM!

Kale Chips

My Mom and my sister love these Kale chips because they are healthy.  I love them because they taste good.

You need:
Kale
EVOO
Salt

Put the Kale on a baking pan with parchment paper, drizzle with a little olive oil, sprinkle with salt to taste and broil for 5 minutes.  YUM!  Eat straight away as soon as they have cooled down.

I'm Back!

I haven't been on for a while because I had a really busy year at school, making up for all the time I had off for my transplant and when I was sick.  But I have been cooking.  I have my column in Cooking Light Magazine every month and I have also made a commercial for UMPC.  I have also done lots of cooking so I will post some more recipes soon.
Matisse

Mussel Alfredo

Michelle Wright from WPXI came to interview me and I made her Mussel Alfredo.
Here is the story on the news.

You need:
Mussels in shells
Pasta
Nob of butter
1 cup Whole milk or heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon Flour
garlic salt
Sliced mushrooms (optional)

Method:
Boil the water and cook the pasta to al dente.
Melt the butter in a pan and add the flour and mix until they combine.
Slowly add the milk or cream and keep the heat on until the sauce thickens.
In another pan heat a little EVOO and cook the mushrooms add to sauce.
Put the mussels in their shells in the hot pan add some garlic salt - heat.
Drain the pasta and add to the sauce (I add a splash of the pasta water to the sauce).
Plate the pasta then add some mussels.
Yum

Me and Michelle Wright

Cooking Light Magazine

I am in Cooking Light Magazine.  My first recipe was Fish Tacos.  They were so good!  You have to try them and the recipe is really easy to make.

Me at Red Lobster

Kid's Smoothie (Vlog)

Last week I made a kid smoothie. 
You will need;
3 scoops of ice cream
1/4 cup blue berry's  (optional)
4 big strawberry's  (can use frozen)
1/2 banana
1/2 cup of milk use as much as you need to make it smooth.
Blend  all ingredients until  smooth.  Put in a glass and decorate with a strawberry sliced partway through the middle and stick on the side of the glass, add a straw.  Drink and enjoy.
For a healthy option use yogurt instead of ice cream and low fat milk (I use whole fat cos I need the calories).

Mellon Cutter Review

For Christmas I got a cool cheese grater (love it) and this melon cutter.  I love cantaloupe so its not surprising that I got the cutter even though I really did not know what it was at first.  I decided to test it yesterday since I was in the mood for cantaloupe.
Even though it is plastic it cut the melon nicely.  It also can be used for scooping out the seeds.  I thought it worked much better than a spoon.  It says you can use it to peel the cantaloupe but I use a knife which is easier.
Out of 10 I would give it a 7.  Its useful but not a must have in my kitchen.


I have been really busy cooking and writing  for Cooking Light - it is so much fun.  My Mom has taken some squid out of the freezer for my dinner tonight.  Yum I can't wait.  I still have not decided how I am going to cook it but if I can't think of anything better I like it just in a pan with some EVOO and salt (I'm not a fan of pepper).  Sometimes I bread it or make a sauce or pasta.

See you soon.  I have a smoothie recipe to show you.

olives

This is a good!
Olives stuffed with goat cheese and crab:

Stuffed Black Olives

Black Olives
4 Table spoons of goat cheese
1/4 cup of crab
1 tsp of Greek yogurt
Tear the crab mix into thin slices.
Mix shredded crab, goat cheese and Greek yogurt.
Fill a piping bag with the filling.
Cut the end of the piping bag and squeeze the filling in to the black olives. mmmmmmmmmmmmm.

TC Pizza

Last night I made TC Pizza' - it is goooood!
Flat Bread
Tomato Paste
Goat Cheese
Black Olives
Mushrooms
Anchovies (optional - I like them).
Shredded Romano cheese (optional)
Garlic salt
Mix the tomato paste and goat cheese together and spread on flat bread. This is tasty enough but if you like cheese you can add Romano or other cheese.
Slice olives into tyres (circles) and sprinkle on top
Slice mushrooms and sprinkle on top.
Sprinkle garlic salt to taste

Broil for about 5 minutes or until edges are brown.  Awesome Yummy!!!


See you soon - peace out!
Thank you for all the messages - I could not believe it when I saw them all!!!
I made my first dish for Cooking Light Magazine and wrote about it it will be in the March issue if you want to check it out.

Parade Magazine

Thank you all for reading parade magazine pretty soon I am posting some videos -  see you soon and thanks!!!!!!!!!!!! ;) :) :) :) :)

Matisse's Seafood Feast

Hi Peeps

I am sick today so I am home from school watching 'The Chew', a cooking show on TV.  I learned that you can mix cooked bacon, sour cream and paprika together and put on nachos or baked potato for extra flavor.  You can mix almost any herb or spice with sour cream to add extra flavor.

I think I am allergic to pepper so am not using it so much in my cooking.

I found out how to make a flower out of  icing.  It is hard but I figured it out  and I am pretty good at it now.

After my transplant mum promised to buy be a lobster.  We got one from Wholey's (my favorite seafood market).  I prepared it by removing it from the shell, threw it on a hot pan for a couple of seconds to heat it up and ate it with salt.  It was sooooo good.

I went to Ocean City and  had  the kids seafood feast at Hoopers Crab Shack.  It was all you can eat crab, shrimp, corn, chicken and hush puppies.  Of course I ate mostly crab and shrimp. 

Kids Seafood Feast - YUM!

Look out Lobster here I come!

Squid

Hi it is Matisse,
I  made  rice paper rolls  filled  with  squid.  It is so good.
It has carrots, lettuce, squid and avocado.  Avacado makes it is creamy and yummy.  I love it!
Soak rice paper in water then fill and roll.
How to tell when an avacado is ripe:
It should be almost black and soft and if you can flick off the end where it was on the tree then it is ready.
Prepare it like this:  Take an perring knife and cut it down the middle while turning.  Twist and pull lightly apart and take the big ball.  Take a spoon and scoup out the green flesh.  You can make guacamnole  and all you need to do to make guacamole is:
Mashed Avacado,
Diced tomatoe,
Lime juice,
salt and pepper
Mix together.

This is whole baby squid that I cleaned and filet.  you can buy it already done too.

I cook my squid in EVOO, slat, pepper, lemon juice and a splash of wine (if mum lets me).

A video made for Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh (show casing Matisse cooking)

In this video I was making New Zealand mussels with vegetables and lime zest.  I used the brine from olives to flavor the dish.

Easter Eggs

Hi   Happy   Easter
Over the weekend we used a lot of eggs which made me wonder; How   do you   know  if an   egg is bad? 
One way is to  fill  a bowl  with  water  and  if the  egg  floats  to  the  top  it is bad.  Cool  right?  If you crack an egg and it smells bad, it is probably not good.
You   can   do   so   many   things  with eggs.  You can  make   egg  salad, omelets, hard boiled eggs,  devilled eggs, even  fried eggs.  You can make scrambled eggs - they are so easy.  So  eggs are  very  cool.

Over the weekend I made egg salad here is my recipe:
1 cup of mayonnaise
10-12 hard boiled eggs
Salt and pepper to taste
Finely chopped chives
Finely chopped spring onion (green onion)

We also made pavlova - here is our recipe:

Pavlova - A kiwi desert
4 egg whites
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla essence
1 tsp vinegar or lemon juice

2 tsp cornflour (corn starch)


Pre-heat oven to 350F
Beat egg whites and salt until stiff peaks form
Gradually add sugar while beating.
Continue beating until stiff.
Add remaining ingredients.
Turn mixture onto baking paper covered tray.
Shape into a circle.


Reduce oven temp to 284 F.  Bake for 15 minutes.
Reduce oven tempt to 240 F and bake for 1 and 1/4 hours
DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN! Although I did when I was hunting for Easter eggs - ours turned out flat but yummy!
Let the oven cool completely before opening.
We have ours with whipped cream and sometimes a berry fruit salad.

Pavlova with berries and cream

Putting fresh whipped cream on pavlova

Filming - about my blog.

Thank you

Thank you to Fraanz's pre school teacher and Paula Dean for my package. I LOVE it!

Thank you Mrs. Lamanga for my cake turn table and decorating kit and book.  I made this cake.

I have another post today below.

Mahi Mahi

I made Mahi Mahi.  First I made a marinade.
.
Marinade Recipe
Lemon zest
Lime zest
Crushed garlic
Lemon juice
Lime juice
Thinly sliced lemon and limes
3 bay leaves
EVOO
Salt and pepper
Dash soya sauce
Massage the lemon and lime zest and garlic into the fish.  Then put all the ingredients into a plastic bag with the fish.  Leave in the fridge until you are ready to cook.

Mahi Mahi in marinade

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Then I heated up some EVOO in the skillet and cooked the fish for a few minutes on each side.

Mahi Mahi in skillet

 Then I ate it!  I also steamed asparagus drizzled with hollandase sauce.  I topped the Mahi Mahi with some slices of lemon and lime that I heated in the skillet with the fish.

MahiMahi with asparagus.

 

Shopping at the strip district

 On  Monday  my and mom went to the strip district  and  got squid, mussels, mahi mahi  and chicken.  We also got  3 lemons and  4 limes,  1 cantaloupe,  5  whole garlics and 1  jar of anchovy and some spinach -  yum. 
For dinner we made lemon pepper chicken which we marinaded in lemon pepper, pan fried to seal in juices and finished off in the oven.  I find this keeps the chicken moist.
I made a really yummy spinach salad with fresh mozzarella cheese and olives and my home made zesty dressing.

Here is my dressing recipe:
The juice and zest of one lemon
Juice and zest of one lime
Salt and pepper
1 finely minced garlic clove
Onion zest
splash of olive oil
Oil from the olives that I put in the salad

Mix together and put on salad.



We went  to a little cafe  and had tomato and basil  Margaretta pizza  and a pastry.  It was  good. 

Spinach salad

Margaretta pizza

Colangelo's Baked Goods

Fish and Chips

Fish and chips - NZ style

On   Wednesday  my  mom  and I went  to  the   strip district.  We   got   squid   and    whole    fish.  The man serving us thought it was unusual to get squid tentacles and he did not really know much about the fish he gave us either.
I   learned   how   to   bone   and    filet   a    fish (I will have video up soon).  It   is   really   hard.
Dad and I made  fish   and  chips with  pouched   eggs  and   calamari.  I made beer batter out of the edmonds cook book.

I   think   I  am   going   to  have  a  go   at   making   clam chowder.