For a little virtual taste of what Kristina’s up to in the kitchen this week with her “ambushees” take a look when dinner is served…and get ready to feel just a little bit hungry. Thanks OWN for sharing the scenes!
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The Ambush Cook
Ready for a little love and some cooking inspiration? Adding a little more to the “The Ambush Cook,” Kristina is putting some of her passion into a blog on Oprah.com. Check out the Ambush Cook Blog here on Oprah.com. She’s got some really good reads out there like… 6 Ways to Pay Food Forward and I Dare You to Cook! I dare you to go read! You will learn something new…and maybe walk away with a little inspiration too!
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For a little virtual taste of what Kristina’s up to in the kitchen this week with her “ambushees” take a look when dinner is served…and get ready to feel just a little bit hungry. Thanks OWN for sharing the scenes!
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After last weekend’s episodes of The Ambush Cook with Kristina, I found myslef feeling a little more adventurous in the kitchen. Trying to move away from all of the canned sauces and spices, I felt empowered with Kristina’s mandarin sauce from her first episode. Now, she’s back with a new one to add to my cooking bag of tricks. With our next private cooking lesson with Kristina upon us, get ready to add to your OWN cooking knowledge because Kristina is not only passionate about passing on her enthusiasm, but she’s serious about helping us get a little more out of our time in the kitchen. Get ready…because the lessons are coming…and they look like they would probably smell great. Damn you Willy Wonka for giving the factory to Charlie and not finishing the smellovision invention! What a missed opportunity! Onto the lessons…
Lessons from this weekend’s shows include…
- Don’t tiptoe into cooking. Throw yourself into it.
- Spray your measuring spoons/cup with cooking spray before working with sticky stuff. (i.e. honey)
- Don’t be afraid of fresh ginger…even though it looks a little scary.
- Peeling ginger with a spoon is the easiest way to peel it. (Wish I had known that last week! Glad I know it now!)
- Leave your protein alone when you put it into the pan. Moving it doesn’t cook it faster and just breaks it apart. Hands OFF!
- Think ahead and prep stuff for dinner. Don’t wait til the hour is upon you because then, you’ll be stressed.
- To crush anything, put it in a plastic ziploc and roll a glass wine/water bottle over it. No pounding required.
- Reducing is just a fancy way of saying…letting it cook for awhile until it’s concentrated and the flavors are richer in taste.
- When cooking, extract adds a little burst of flavor. Pick a flavor, any flavor…
- Molten cake has like no flour! OMG…I didn’t know! I know what I’m doing with all my extra leftover chocolate chips now! YUMMY!
- If you eat meat (I don’t) the bone has the marrow with the flavor. That’s why “bone in” usually tastes better.
- Brown the outside on high, then turn it down to finish the cooking with “braising.” Braising means cooking slowly in a rich liquid. It also means…”it’s probably going to taste really good.”
- Don’t use “cooking wine.” As Kristina says, “If you’re not going to drink it, why would you cook with it?” Good question.
- Adding a little sugar makes the natural sugar pop in a dish.
- Paprika makes things smell pretty and look pretty. Keep it in the spice cabinet for when you want to ”go fancy.”
This weeks recipes include: Spicy Peanut Butter Chicken, Basamiti Rice, Molten Chocolate Lava Cake, Braised Short Ribs, Sauted Sweet Corn, AND here is the BONUS! It looks like there are extra recipes on Oprah.com and a couple of dishes that aren’t included in the show!
For the recipes go to Oprah.com. Here are some of the direct links:
Episode 3: The Freezer Fanatic – Spicy Peanut Butter Chicken & Basamiti Rice, Molten Chocolate Lava Cakes , Kristina’s Favorite Rolls
Episode 4: The Caveman Cook – Braised Short Ribs, Sauteed Sweet Corn, Goat Cheese Mashed Potatoes
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If you missed Kristina Kuzmic’s debut in The Ambush Cook this last weekend, OWN is sharing a little bit of the fun. At the end of each session, Kristina sits down with her ambushed “student” to enjoy their work with someone they love. It’s a nice way to share the love that has gone into their efforts. Be warned…this might make you hungry!
From OWN: The Take-Out Mom – Host Kristina Kuzmic tries to keep momma’s boy Caesaray out of the nest every time hunger hits when she teaches him to make Pistachio Crusted Tilapia, Goat Cheese Bruschetta and Mocha Bread Pudding. See how his meal turns out!
From OWN: Momma’s Boy – Host Kristina Kuzmic tries to keep momma’s boy Caesaray out of the nest every time hunger hits when she teaches him to make Pistachio Crusted Tilapia, Goat Cheese Bruschetta and Mocha Bread Pudding. See how his meal turns out!
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After months of waiting, OWN has brought us full circle this year with the debut of “The Ambush Cook” with Kristina Kuzmic, one of the winner’s of Oprah’s Your OWN Show competition. Remembering her passion for her passion, Kristina’s cooking show highlights her teaching skills as she takes novice cooks and teaches them some fantastic tricks and gets them into the kitchen. It’s a little like watching a private cooking session …with a little extra commentary. Energetic and entertaining, you will leave the lesson a little more hungry than you came to it…and maybe inspired to get into your OWN kitchen! While the name of the show might make you think she’s ambushing these unsuspecting souls, the truth is that she is really empowering them through a little tough love in the kitchen…and she’s still fearless! The Ambush Cook is a refreshing way to enjoy a cooking show…with a little bit of fun with the lessons.
Here are some of the best tips and lessons from the first 2 shows…
- Put the protein in the freezer for a couple minutes before slicing it. It will make cutting it up so much easier.
- Always remember…when you are using a knife, you want to use “your claw.”
- Don’t be afraid to use fresh ginger…no matter how scary it looks. Oh, and peel it first.
- Mongolian sauce is a simple 5 ingredient sauce…who knew?
- Dredge lightly in corn starch for a thicker sauce. It will thicken without changing the flavor.
- Marinade stuff (bruchetta in this case) for 30 to 60 minutes for optimal flavor…if you have time.
- Mocha Bread Pudding is next on my list to try…and should be on yours too! Looks SO yummy!
- You can coat any fish with any nut…but love yourself enough to buy the nuts already out of the shell.
- Sizzle tells you that the oil is hot enough. If the oil isn’t hot enough, the food will just taste too greasy/oily.
- Start on a lower heat to not burn the outside and to give the protein time to cook on the inside without getting the outside overcooked.
- Save your calories…because after you watch Kristina, you are going to want to go try out the recipes!
For the recipes, go to:
Episode 1 Recipes: “Take Out Mom” with Mongolian Beef and Fried Rice: http://www.oprah.com/own-ambushcook/blogs/Episode-1-Recipes-Take-Out-Mom
Episode 2 Recipes: Momma’s Boy with Pistachio Crusted Tilapia, Goat Cheese Bruschetta and Mocha Bread Pudding: http://www.oprah.com/own-ambushcook/blogs/Episode-2-Recipes-Mommas-Boy
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Earlier in the year thousands of people competed on OWN for a chance to host their own show for the network. The competition took place over many weeks and in a surprise ending, the final two contestants, Zach Anner and Kristina Kuzmič, were both declared winners on “Your OWN Show”.
Kristina’s dream has finally come true….she is the new host of a cooking series called “The Ambush Cook”. The show will premiere with back-to-back episodes starting Saturday, December 3rd at 12pm and will run for 3 weeks straight…each week having 2 episodes.
Kuzmič knows what it is like to struggle and has found a way to turn cooking into her passion. She believes that anyone can be a great cook…and to prove it, she ambushes them one at a time. The one thing her guests will have in common is their fear of the kitchen. But no matter if you are a fast-food mom or bachelor frozen-food junkie, Kristina can help. I love the concept and can’t wait to watch!
Take a look at the trailer from OWN.
Each episode will cover the following topics:
Saturday, December 3:
“The Takeout Mom”- 12pm
“The Momma’s Boy” – 12:30pm
Saturday, December 10:
“The Freezer Fanatic” – 12pm
“The Caveman Cook” – 12:30pm
Saturday, December 17:
“The Social Butterfly” – 12pm
“The Restaurant Regular” – 12:30pm
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