Guy Fieri competed on- and won- the second season of The Next Food Network Star. The rest, as they say, is history. The undisputed “Bad Boy” of Food Network hosts four popular shows and can’t walk down the street without being recognized. From Guy off the Hook, to Guy’s Big Bite, to the Ultimate Recipe Showdown, to Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, you can find Guy on the Food Network pretty much any time you tune in.  And now, Guy is coming to Cincinnati!

I got a chance to chat with Guy  to talk about what makes a great candidate for Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives and how a visit from his show can have a real impact on the featured restaurant.  I also learned he’s a driven entrepreneur who owns  several restaurants (Johnny Garlic’s and Tex Wasabi’s.)- and put himself through college (University of Nevada Las Vegas,). His  cookbook, Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives: An All-American Road Trip…with Recipes!,  topped the New York Times best seller list….talk about a Midas touch! Guy  talked about his meteoric rise to fame and how grateful he is for his success. I really like how he feels a need to give some of that back. He believes in using his celebrity to help others, and in the fall of 2007, the Navy flew him to the Persian Gulf to entertain and cook for the troops.

Guy lives in Northern California with his wife, Lori and two boys – Hunter and Ryder.

Growing vegetables is so popular and one of the easiest things to grow are peppers. There are more than 200 varieties from nearly a foot long to a tiny 1/4-inch peewee. Their heat varies, too. From barely warm to scorching hot, it’s the capsaicin that makes chiles fiery. A general rule is the smaller the pepper, the hotter it is. Removing the seeds and veins is the only way to reduce the heat.
Scotch Bonnet are the hottest.
Serrano peppers may be tiny but they pack big heat.
Jalapenos range from barely warm to very hot, depending on the age and time of year they’re harvested. Chipotle peppers are dried, smoked Jalapenos.
Poblanos have medium heat. Ancho chiles are dried Poblanos.
Sweet Bell Peppers are much more mild mannered and usually start out bright green. Red bell peppers are simply vine-ripened green bell peppers that have been allowed to ripen longer. They’re very sweet.
Whether hot or mild, choose peppers that are firm, with shiny skin. Here’s some bell pepper inspiration. You can find these recipes and lots more cooking tips at Crisco.com

Chicken Stuffed Bell Peppers

Creamy Corn Soup with Chiles and Peppers

Italian Sausage, Pepper and Onion Calzones

Ellen Whitehurst, author of Make This Your Lucky Day, joined me today to talk about the empowering days in March and how to add a bit of the Luck of the Irish. Listen to the interview for all of Ellen’s ideas and read more, below, from Ellen.

Even the weeds start to show small blooms this month. Illusions and memories stir awake. A robin hopping here. A daffodil blooming there. Summer inaudibly whispers something about the light while Winter hides in the shade. The return of green. And hope. A light exists in this month that we don’t see the whole other part of the year. Illumination and inspiration as the very earth itself seems to be dreaming. March. Onward.

March 15 ……… Sylvia tells you. Laura tells you. I tell you all the time. YOU ARE AS PSYCHIC as the next intuitive. But never more so than [Read more →]

Maureen Bertsch is the winner of the Trihealth  Fitness Pavilion”Fit in 6″ membership given away on Amy’s Table this morning. Congratulations, Maureen!

How do you take a favorite party food and turn it into a nutritional powerhouse? By adding superfoods. Superfoods are certain fruits and vegetables that are super-rich in nutrients with proven targeted health benefits. Here’s a perfect example. Everybody loves baked brie. Fill it with Dole Baby Spinach dressed with a little balsamic vinegar and strawberry preserves. Add dried blueberries and walnuts and top it with sliced strawberries. Serve it with crusty slices of bread and you’ve got something your guests will feel good about eating. Dole Spinach is an immunity superfood and  a good source of iron, vitamin A and vitamin C. Blueberries and Strawberries are superfoods for your brain. Eating good food is a pure pleasure. Eating good food that’s good for you too? Now that’s a beautiful bonus and you’ll discover that little changes can have a big impact. You can find all kinds of healthy tips and salad inspiration at Dole.com/salads

Baked Stuffed Brie

Prep: 10 min. Bake: 6 min. Makes: 6 servings [Read more →]

Now here’s something that makes a lot of sense! Dr Jim Greene and Lisa Branzel joined me today to talk about the global initiative called “Exercise Is Medicine”.  Locally, TriHealth Fitness & Health Pavilion  and three TriHealth physician practices have collaborated to encourage patients to get at least 150 minutes of vigorous physical activity each week.  Trihealth physicians will  review every patient’s physical activity program at every visit. If they discover the  patient  exercises less than 150 minutes per week, the physician will give this patient a “prescription” for a free wellness/fitness evaluation and personalized fitness plan at the TriHealth Fitness & Health Pavilion.

According to Deb Riggs, general manager, TriHealth Fitness& Health Pavilion, “Research is revealing what our instincts have told us all along, the healing effects of exercise for cancer patients, people with autoimmune diseases and those with diabetes are significant and well-documented. The Exercise Is Medicine pilot allows us to partner with physicians and their patients to cultivate good health.

For more information about TriHealth Fitness & Health Pavilion, visit the Web site at www.TriHealthPavilion.com.

Did you know that in Gaelic, the word whiskey means water of life? Even if you aren’t Irish, St Patrick’s Day is the day to act like you are and that means celebrating with an Irish menu.  Nothing beats a classic Corned Beef and Cabbage dinner. If you’ve ever prepared it, maybe you boiled the corned beef. You should try roasting it instead! Roasted low and slow, your corned beef will be so tender and flavorful, you won’t believe it. Serve it with Irish Soda bread with Whiskey butter. I swear you’ll be dancing a jig.

Roasted Corned Beef and Cabbage [Read more →]

Here’s a recipe from The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl. Enjoy!

Cinnamon rolls
Makes 40 to 50 cinnamon rolls

This is without a doubt one of my most treasured recipes—something I’ve been enjoying my entire life, thanks to my mom, who became legendary in our hometown for delivering these disturbingly delicious cinnamon rolls to folks at Christmastime. I became spoiled on these heavenly treats at a very early age, and as a result, no cinnamon roll anywhere has ever measured up. I find that, generally speaking, cinnamon rolls—especially those bought in bakeries or stores—are way too bready, with way too little gooey topping. These rolls of my mother’s are the perfect antidote: they’re almost equal parts bread and icing, which is poured liberally over the warm, just-baked rolls. [Read more →]

Ree Drummond pulled up a seat at Amy’s Table today. Ree is also known as The Pioneer Woman. She’s been called “Paula Deen meets Erma Bombeck” and she’s the author of a cookbook called THE PIONEER WOMAN COOKS: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl which traces her transition from city life to ranch wife through recipes, photos, and writings based on her, award-winning blog: The Pioneer Woman.

Tortilla Lasagna

As Moms, we’re used to caring for and comforting our families- whether making an ow-ie all better with a kiss or giving a pep talk after a hard day at school or making sure we sit down to dinner together for good meals with healthy ingredients. Dinner time is an important time to bond as a family and build memories that will last a lifetime. Certified Angus Beef brand ground beef is a great ingredient for family meals- its lean, versatile and kid friendly. One of the best things you can do for your family  is to prepare a family friendly meal featuring a favorite comfort food- like lasagna. Here’s a delicious lasagna with a Mexican twist- Make a hearty filling using lean ground beef, taco seasoning and salsa. Instead of lasagna noodles, use corn tortillas. Instead of pasta sauce, pour over some enchilada sauce kicked up with the zing of green chiles. Top it all off with Pepper jack cheese. Your family will love this familiar dish- and you’ll feel great about serving it. You can find more family friendly beef recipes, and cooking tips at Certified Angus Beef.com