Happy Halloween!

To all the Creatures of the Night, Happy Halloween!

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Pay particular attention to the 'Rap' and ghoulish laugh by Vincent Price!

Nickel City Cake Challenge

Feed Your Soul--the company behind the successful Nickel City Chef series is proud to present Western New York with a competition that’s even sweeter!

Nickel City Cake Challenge; Sweet & Spooky is second in a series of cake decorating challenges featuring Western New York’s best cake decorators. This challenge is a live, head-to-head competition that will feature three of Western New York’s top cake artists. In just two hours, each of the cake decorators chosen to participate will be challenged to complete a cake that meets specific criteria and is in keeping with the theme “Sweet & Spooky”.

Those who qualify to compete are cake decorators currently employed by bakeries in any of Western New York's eight counties. Those who are selected will appear in the national magazine, American Cake Decorating.

The competition will take place on Sunday, October 24th and will be held at Artisan Kitchens & Baths, home of the Nickel City Chef series. In Artisan’s stunning loft showroom, each artist and their assistant will work from one of Artisan’s three $100,000 kitchens in front of a panel of professional judges and a live audience.

During the two hour competition, guests will have the opportunity to snack from our custom hot chocolate bar and confectionery station (including a make-your-own-candy apple station), view cake decorating demonstrations and vote for their favorite cake from the day’s amateur entries. Lake Effect Ice Cream, Niagara County Community College Culinary Institute, Niagara Popcorn and Sarah Walley Events are hand-selected vendors who will supply samples of their own unique treats to our guests.

Tickets for this event go on sale at Noon on October 1st. A limited number of tickets will be available at Artisan Kitchens & Baths (200 Amherst Street, Buffalo NY 14207), with the lion’s share of available seats selling online. Tickets are expected to sell out very quickly.

www.NickelCityCake.com

Video from last winter’s cake challenge can be viewed by following this link.

Daniels Restaurant

Daniels Restaurant Wine And Food Pairing Dinner

Tucked away in a charming white house in the village of Hamburg, New York is the beloved Daniels Restaurant. Delighting diners for over 20 years, Debbie and Dan Johengen have a loyal clientele from every part of Western New York. And for good reason. Food is prepared fresh each day and every element of the food is house-made.

Classic technique masterfully blended with contemporary American flair and a focus on local fresh seasonal ingredients puts Daniels in a league of its own. The dining room is simply decorated yet warm and refined and the service is professional and friendly. The wine list is more than respectable and is designed to complement the menu and the food is nothing short of remarkable.

Every few months Daniels hosts one of their extraordinary Wine And Food Paring Dinners. This is the perfect way to get aquatinted with this very special restaurant. The most recent Wine And Food Paring Dinner menu is as follows.

Sunday, August 29, 2010
at 5:00pm
or
Sunday, September 5, 2010
at 5:00pm

MENU

GRILLED CALAMARI WITH MUSSELS
Sartarelli Verdicchio Classico 2009 (Italy)

HEIRLOOM TOMATO, BURRATA CHEESE AND FRESH BASIL SALAD
Macarrio Barbera D’ Asti Laiugnone 2008 (Italy)

GRILLED QUAIL WITH CORN RELISH
Chateau Verdus Corbieres 2008 (France)

INTERMEZZO OF ROASTED APRICOT SORBET

POOPY AND SESAME SEED CRUSTED ARTIC CHAR
WITH SAFFRON BEURRE BLANC AND A BALSAMIC GLAZE
Chalet Pouilly Pouilly-Fuisse 2007 (France)

GRILLED HANGER STEAK WITH RATATOUILLE
Stella Grey Napa Red 2007 (California)

PEACH CROSTADA WITH HONEY ICE CREAM
Santone Prosecco N.V. (Italy)

Reservations 716. 648. 6554
Price per person $90.00 plus tax and gratuity

Over the years I have been to many Daniels Wine And Food Paring Dinners and each has been outstanding. It is a very special evening that lives on in your memory.

Daniels Restaurant
174 Buffalo Street Hamburg, New York 14075
648. 6554

It’s Grilling Time Spice Rub

I feel as if I’ve been waiting for summer since November so I am thrilled that it’s finally here. It’s time to break out the charcoal grill and make a batch of my favorite grilling spice rub. I’ve concocted many spice blends in my day and I’ve found this one has the elements I like most. It’s smoky, sweet, spicy and savory with just the right amount of salt.

Shopping for the ingredients is a snap thanks to Penzeys Spices and the Lexington Co-Operative Market’s bulk spice department. The fact that they are a city block apart makes it easy to get everything I need.

It’s Grilling Time Spice Rub

1/4 cup brown sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons Chipotle chili powder
2 1/2 tablespoons Ancho chili powder
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons onion powder
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon dried lemon zest
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon Epazote or Mexican oregano
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon


Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Add 8 chicken pieces and toss to coat well. Cover and refrigerate 4 hours to overnight. Grill until nicely charred and cooked through or as you would any other chicken dish.


I make a large batch of this rub and store it in a canning jar in the refrigerator to keep it fresh, however, it doesn’t last long in my house. Although it’s incredible on chicken, it’s wonderful on pork tenderloin, salmon filets or shrimp. Add a teaspoon of the rub to mayonnaise or Dijon mustard for a real zing!

Happy grilling!

Penzeys Spices
783 Elmwood Avenue
Buffalo, New York 14222
716.887.9777

Lexington Co-Operative Market
807 Elmwood Avenue
Buffalo, New York 14222
716.886.2667

Nickel City Chef XI Video Jenkins vs. Guarino

Nickel City Chef XI featured Nickel City Chef Paul Jenkins of Tempo versus Challenging Chef Jim Guarino of Shango Bistro. This was a very close battle.

The secret ingredient came to us from T-Meadow Farm, a family farm known for single-handedly repopulating the Old Gloucestershire heritage breed hog. Our competing chefs incorporated T-Meadow's chops, ground pork and smoked bacon into each dish.

Nickel City Chef XI was hosted by Bert Gambini of WBFO and his co-host, Chef Adam Goetz of Sample. Our judges included Alan Bedenko of BuffaloPundit.com, Chef Jason Bielinski of Wegmans and food writer Andrew Galarneau of The Buffalo News.

Watch the Nickel City Chef XI video here! This video was produced by Nathan Peracciny.

Tickets are still available for the last show of our second season.

On June 27th an audience of nearly 200 will watch Nickel City Chef Krista Van Wagner of Curly's compete against Chef Marco Sciortino of Marco's on Niagara Street. Judges will include comedian Kristen Becker, Kevin LoVullo, host of Spiel the Wine and Toronto-based food writer and television producer, Mary Luz Mejia.

You can also catch mini Nickel City Chef expositions at the upcoming Taste of Buffalo.

About Nickel City Chef:

Nickel City Chef takes place in one of the city’s best kept secrets–a fully restored turn-of-the-century warehouse on Buffalo’s West Side, the home of Artisan Kitchens & Baths. Completely outfitted with two competition-worthy kitchens, this unique setting is the ideal location for this exciting hyper-local cooking competition.

At each event, a Nickel City Chef and his or her challenger (each representing a locally-owned independent business) must complete three dishes in under an hour with each dish showcasing a secret ingredient. They employ classic and modern techniques in order to demonstrate their skills and personal cooking philosophy. All of Nickel City Chef’s secret ingredients always come from right here in Western New York!

A panel of professionals act as judges to determine which chef prepares the most technically perfect, creative and delicious cuisine. The audience enjoys catered snacks and delivers their own vote for their favorite chef of the day. With seating for nearly 200, Nickel City Chef events provide guests with an exciting, uniquely WNY cooking experience. With four cameras mounted in our pro kitchens and over a dozen flat screen monitors, there isn’t a bad seat in the house.

Many thanks to our sponsors: Jenn Air, SubZero, Wolf, GE Monogram, Wegmans, Mansion on Delaware Avenue, the Buffalo chapter of the Chaine de Rotisseurs, Buffalo Spree, Block Club for Business, Earth Star, WBFO 88.7 and SeaBar City.



**Nickel City Chef is a Feed Your Soul production.

Feed Your Soul is a company dedicated to developing and executing both private and public events focused on the food and agriculture of Western New York. Feed Your Soul was founded on the firm belief that agritourism and culinary tourism should not only be a major aspect of traveling in WNY, but are a fundamental component to Buffalo’s renaissance. Nickel City Chef is only one of Feed Your Soul’s projects, see the Feed Your Soul website for a current schedule.

Feed Your Soul's Summer Schedule

Feed Your Soul, (the producers of the hit series, Nickel City Chef) are pleased to present you with a summer of fun programming which focuses on the magnificent agriculture and talented chefs of our region. Journey to some of our area's most unique farms with our very popular Foodie-to-Farm series, or stay in the city and experience one of our best food markets, learning to prepare a tasty and seasonal meal at the side of a top chef with our new Chef & Market Lunches!

Chef & Market Lunches start each adventure by meeting at the Elmwood-Bidwell Farmers Market, where we will take a tour led by food writer Christa Glennie Seychew and one of her chef friends. During the tour we will meet some of the farmers and vendors, talk about their growing methods and seasonal offerings and sample some of their wares. The chef will be able to answer questions you may have about some of the more unique vegetables and fruits sold at the market, offering tips for both storing and preparing them.


Throughout the tour, the group, with the guidance of our chef, will gather the freshest of what’s in season (and maybe a few extra treats) before we make our way down the street to Delish, Elmwood’s favorite cooking demonstration school and bakery. At Delish, our chef for the day will then lead us through a simple and impromptu lunch preparation using all of our market purchases. Finally, we will sit with cold lemonade and our fresh, farmers market meal and enjoy one another’s company.

Foodie-to-Farm Tours

Our farm tours sell out every summer. We love that what started three summers ago as a way to connect chefs to our local harvest has become an annual series not only well-attended by our region’s top chefs, but also by foodies, health practitioners, nutritionists, culinary students and everyday people interested in seeing another side of WNY. With our unique and remarkable climate and prime soil ratings, it is no surprise that our 8,500 farms (most of which are small and family-owned) are a major contributor to our country’s food supply. In addition to a large dairy, maple and produce industry, we also are home to two wine trails, talented artisan foodmakers and a variety of farmers raising livestock. Join us this summer for one of our three farm tours, where great meals prepared by chefs, farmer-led field walks, sampling and information about sustainability and our agrarian bounty will be discovered.

Nickel City Chef IX Video Goetz vs. Gedra

Nickel City Chef IX featured Nickel City Chef Adam Goetz of Sample versus Challenging Chef Steve Gedra of the Bistro Europa. This was a very close battle.

The secret ingredient came to us from Baldwin Hills Farm, a family farm known for producing great maple syrup and a line of innovative maple-inspired products. Our competing chefs incorporated Baldwin Hills' maple syrup and unique maple vinegar into each dish. Nickel City Chef IX was hosted by Bert Gambini of WBFO and his co-host, Chef JJ Richert of Torches. Our judges included Nelson Star of All-Access Pass, Chef Brian Mietus of Bacchus (one of last year's winners) and Kristen Becker of Dykes of Hazard Comedy Tour.

Tickets are still available for the last three shows of our second season. On May 16th an audience of nearly 200 will watch undefeated Nickel City Chef JJ Richert compete against Dino DeBell of the highly-anticipated and soon-to-open Blue Monk, and on June 6th, Chef Jim Guarino of Shango will challenge Nickel City Chef Paul Jenkins of Tempo.



About Nickel City Chef

Nickel City Chef takes place in one of the city’s best kept secrets–a fully restored turn-of-the-century warehouse on Buffalo’s West Side, the home of Artisan Kitchens & Baths. Completely outfitted with two competition-worthy kitchens, this unique setting is the ideal location for this exciting hyper-local cooking competition.

At each event, a Nickel City Chef and his or her challenger (each representing a locally-owned independent business) must complete three dishes in under an hour with each dish showcasing a secret ingredient. They employ classic and modern techniques in order to demonstrate their skills and personal cooking philosophy. All of Nickel City Chef’s secret ingredients always come from right here in Western New York!

A panel of professionals act as judges to determine which chef prepares the most technically perfect, creative and delicious cuisine. The audience enjoys catered snacks and delivers their own vote for their favorite chef of the day. With seating for nearly 200, Nickel City Chef events provide guests with an exciting, uniquely WNY cooking experience. With four cameras mounted in our pro kitchens and over a dozen flat screen monitors, there isn’t a bad seat in the house.

Many thanks to our sponsors: Jenn Air, SubZero, Wolf, GE Monogram, Wegmans, Mansion on Delaware Avenue, the Buffalo chapter of the Chaine de Rotisseurs, Buffalo Spree, Block Club for Business, Earth Star, WBFO 88.7 and SeaBar City.



**Nickel City Chef is a Feed Your Soul production.

Feed Your Soul is a company dedicated to developing and executing both private and public events focused on the food and agriculture of Western New York. Feed Your Soul was founded on the firm belief that agritourism and culinary tourism should not only be a major aspect of traveling in WNY, but are a fundamental component to Buffalo’s renaissance. Nickel City Chef is only one of Feed Your Soul’s projects; see the Feed Your Soul website for a current schedule.