Blake Makes

Hello, Blake Makers. Ok. So I’m gearing back up. I’ve been doing tons behind the scenes in preparation to woo and amaze you with my mad food blogging skills. In addition to all new food posts, I’ve got several other ideas in various stages of development. One of those ideas is Blake Takes Five.

Blake Takes Five is a weekly (if we can pull it off) countdown show of the top five food stories being blogged about that week. There’s a cool Sooper Hero tie which involves my Sooper Heroes sending 30-second videos of themselves into the show with them sharing what they’re cooking/eating/reading that week (I’ll compensate those that do). Also, I’m trying to squeeze a giveaway into every show. The first episode of Blake Takes Five actually has two giveaways (one involves two fat ladies)!

As you can see from the photos below, we’re shooting the show in my garage. It’s hot, poorly ventilated and a little smelly (sorry Steve). I have a feeling, however, that that’s where big ideas are born.

I’m aiming to have the show out of post-production and posted here on BlakeMakes by Friday. Stay tuned!

This is the last giveaway for 2008, and it’s a good one. What I’ve got for you is Amano Artisan Chocolate. You may remember Amano since I’ve given it away before. I love this stuff, and it’s still some of the best chocolate I’ve ever tasted (including the Vosges I just got for Christmas). This batch of Amano is actually very special, and quite rare.

JEMBRANA is the name they’ve given this bar. Jembrana is a small regency on the southwest coast of the Indonesian island of Bali. Why am I giving you this geography lesson? Well, my buddy Art (he owns Amano) is the only guy in the U.S. that’s importing cacao from Bali. That means that if you win a bar, you’ll be part of an exclusive group of chocolate lovers who are lucky enough to savor Balinese chocolate.

Taste and giveaway notes below.

Tasting Notes

Amano is known for dark chocolate - we’re talking 70% cacao here people. Good dark chocolate is nothing to be scared of. Exquisite dark chocolate (like this) is not bitter, but smooth and enchanting and not at all intimidating. The Jembrana bar has a smart snap, and mild citrus notes. It’s divine.

Giveaway Instructions

I’ve got 100 bars to give away (1 per Sooper Hero). To win, comment on this post AND click the following link and complete the form: CLICK ME TO WIN A FREE BAR OF CHOCOLATE

This giveaway is first come, first served. Once I’ve received 100 valid Sooper Hero sign ups, it’s over! Good luck! Happy holidays! Enjoy your chocolate!

There’s more…

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I’m unveiling a new Blake Makes logo in January’09, but that’s just the beginning. A lot of you may be wondering where I’ve been. Well, I’ve been busy writing my “Sandbox Statement”. What’s that? You’ll have to wait and see.

This brilliant design was created by the very talented type08.

That’s me in the middle, my boss to the left and my friend Angie to the right. My boss, Leigh Ann, just pelted me with a snowball in the back of the head.

Hello, Blake Makers. I know. I know. It’s been a while, but I can explain. I’ve been working on a massive project at my day job that has literally been the hardest work I’ve ever done. I’ve been pulling 50+ hours a week for months. It’s been relentless which is why you haven’t seen many posts, but I’ll be back soon.

Why am I not back now? Well, I’m in Italy. I may blog a little from Italy, but I’m really planning to unplug and relax. No BlackBerry. No laptop. Just wine, truffles and gelato for two weeks.

I’ll be back after Thanksgiving.

BlakeTakes: Roux from Blake Killian on Vimeo.

Can you believe this cake is peanut/dairy/egg/nut free? I always thought (what I’m calling) “allergy aware” food would taste a lot like sugar-free food, horrible. Well, maybe not horrible, but no where near as gooey-yummy as the real stuff. This stuff made me a believer. You should try this stuff.

Curious? Wondering who makes it? Want some? Go to BlakeBakes.com (today only) for a free sample.

Hello, dear Blake Makers. I’m in love. Not with my wife, my poodle, or the food I’m cooking, although it is all perfectly lovable. I’m in love with the new light kit I got last week. Even in the dead of night, I can bathe my food in glorious, luxurious light. I’ll be blogging a full report soon, but for now, let’s eat.

We eat zucchini fries quite a bit. They’re a great alternative to dishes requiring sides of fried potatoes. I normally slice the zucchini into thin coins, spray them with Pam and cook them quickly in a hot oven. I went a different way this time.

I cut the ends off the zucchini, and then in half leaving me with two cylinders. I cut those in half, and then turned them on their curved sides. Slice those into long, wedge-shaped segments.

Next, I whisked an egg white until frothy, and then added 1/4 cup skim milk. Set aside. I took two Wasa crackers, and pulverized them with my mortar and pestle. I dipped the zucchini slices in the egg whites and milk, and arranged them on a baking sheet. Finally, I sprinkled them with the cracker dust.

Bake them in a 425 oven for 30-35 minutes. Sprinkle them with salt, and serve them immediately. We like to dip them marinara.

You might be asking yourself why I titled this post “clever”. Well, you see, eating healthy doesn’t always mean going without. Fool yourself with food that looks like the original, crunches like the original, is salty like the original, but isn’t.

-bk

Hello, dear Blake Makers. This isn’t a food post, but you’re my friends, so I must share. It’s all in the video below.

Big Brother exists. But, Big Business also exists. All the operator had to do was direct me to the video online to prove they got me. After I saw it, I paid. No questions asked. The fine was $130, btw. I wonder how many of those they process in a day? I wonder how many of me’s are born every minute?

Scary. Hold me!

Here’s some raw footage of the effervescent time I had last night at Savvy Gourmet. I participated in one of their cooking classes, and if you’ve never done it, do it. If you ever visit New Orleans, do it. We made three different types of gumbo, two of which I had never heard of before (I can’t wait to tell you what they were).

I wish I could live at Savvy Gourmet. I can’t wait for you to see the show! Give us a week or so to get it out of post. Stay tuned! BTW, the footage below was shot on my crappy, little handheld. The main footage will be coming to you in brilliant HD (Thanks to Steve).