Pick 5 Grilling Essentials

Are you ready for the weekend? There are many types of grillers — the weekenders, the year 'round grillers, and the serious barbecuers; yet the essentials are fit to grill for us all. Check out my five grilling essentials and get ready to Know Your Fire!

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1. Kenmore Deluxe Grip Long Plastic Handle Grill Cleaner: Good grip + stainless steel scraper.

2. 12-Piece Barbecue Set with Digital Fork Thermometer: The complete collection of all the basic tools + skewers.

3. BBQ Pro Charcoal Starter: Have your coals smoldering in minutes; holding 4 lbs. of briquettes.

4. Kenmore 4-Burner Gas Grill with Open Storage: Full size grill with side burner, area for prep + storage.

5. Stainless Steel 3-Piece Barbecue Set: Rust Resistant + 19 inch handles for safety.

Herb of the Year

Rose is the winner for 2012. Roses have been used for culinary purposes for centuries in syrups, jams, sweets and teas. It has also been used for its medicinal properties, like it's high in vitamin C. Teas steeped from tea leaves or rose hips have a delightful fruity flavor; ideally serve with scones or cake. Pair my Good Stuff Pick with My Scone Recipe for Mother's Day.

We let Nature speak for itself, hand-picking premium organic teas and herbs and blending them with only real fruits, flowers and spices.  Since we use real ingredients and high quality teas & herbs (not tea dust or fannings), there is no need to apply “natural” flavorings or fragrances to create flavor.  This means you can pronounce the ingredients, know exactly what you’re sipping and savor true gifts of Nature. 

George's Scones | chefgeorgehirsch.com
Recipe by Chef George Hirsch | Makes 8 scones in a 9 inch round pan 

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup (1 stick) very cold sweet butter, cut into small pieces 
1/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons pure cane granulated sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup milk, *made into buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup raisins, **plumped
1/4 teaspoon white vinegar, for making milk into buttermilk

*Add white vinegar to milk to make the buttermilk. Allow to sit 5 minutes to sour. 

Pre heat oven to 375 degrees F. 

Mix flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Add cold butter to flour and blend in by hand until the butter resembles fine crumbs. Add granulated sugar and mix into flour. 

Combine beaten egg, vanilla, and milk. Add milk mixture to flour mixture, toss in plumped raisins and mix by hand until a dough forms. It will take about one minute of kneading until the flour is absorbed. Turn scone dough on to a floured surface. Form in the shape of a ball, do not over knead. With a rolling pin, flatten out dough to one inch thick.

Place the round scone dough into a 9 inch cake pan. With a bench scraper or knife cut though the dough across four times dividing into eight equal pieces. Immediately bake for about 16-18 minutes until dough sounds hollow, a sign it is fully baked. 

Serve warm with jam and clotted whip cream. 

**To plump raisins add 2 tablespoons of water and heat in microwave for 30 seconds. 

Sweet Peach Chutney

It was the love for making good chutney that paved the way for the husband and wife team who founded the Virginia Chutney Co., which is now a family affair. Virginia Chutney is located in the heart of Ameria's chutney eating country, where peaches are a-plenty and the chutney tradition has been a staple in every cupboard since English settlement. The tradition has expanded in popularity beyond the south over the past few years with the resurgence of culinary cottage industries popping up and spreading the good word about the pleasureable benefits of good condiments like homemade jams, pickles and chutneys. 

Sweet Peach Chutney: The perfect blend of sweet and savory. This incredibly versatile blend of peaches, apples, and raisins with brown sugar, ginger and apple cider vinegar from the Virginia Chutney Company is delicious and refreshing, and a great addition to curries, ham, chicken and cheeses. 

Helado-Gelato

Talenti began as a gelateria in 2003 and has since grown into the best-selling gelato in the US. Taking inspiration from Argentine helado—gelato brought to Argentina by Italian immigrants in the early 20th century, Talenti is made with the same uncompromising commitment to quality and artisanship that distinguished Italian gelato in the pre-WWII era.

Talenti offers a unique experience, using only the finest natural and raw ingredients, carefully sourced locally and from around the world—Belgian Chocolate, fresh whole Tahitian vanilla beans from Papua New Guinea, select coconuts from the Philippines, and real Argentine dulce de leche are just a few of the many fine ingredients used to create Talenti gelatos and sorbettos.

Our gelato is made with fresh, hormone-free milk and only pure cane sugar. Not only is it delicious, but with 30% less fat than regular ice cream, it’s also a healthier alternative. Our sorbetto is dairy free and 100% fat free and also made with pure cane sugar—never high-fructose corn syrup. Both Talenti’s sorbettos and gelatos showcase our commitment to providing wholesome, all-natural  frozen desserts that taste amazing. - Talenti

Top Chip

Over 1.2 billion pounds of potato chips are consumed each year in the US. Maybe that's why National Chip Day will be celebrated on March 14, 2012.  

With all the places I have traveled to around the globe there's a spud-of-a-common thread to all those destinations. You could say my common thread is the chip, or crisp, if you are in the UK and parts of the EU. I’ve de-bagged a couple in Greece, flavored with rosemary, very tasty. An interesting twist was the peri-peri version I noshed on in the outback of South Africa. And of course have nibbled on a few, purely for research in the US. Ahem. Sorry, those pre-formed spuds in a can just don't make the cut.

So what makes this the unique link to my travels? The seasoning usually becomes very localized, like ketchup or pickle flavored - a favorite with my friends up in Canada. Mostly, I like them plain-n-simple like the way they were origially made.

The original potato chip recipe was created in Saratoga Springs by another Chef George; George Crum and they were called "Saratoga Chips". It’s said Chef George came up with this crispy thin chip when soggy potatoes kept being returned to the kitchen from a Mr. Vanderbilt. The chip was such a hit they made it on the menu - full time. See sometimes good stuff can come from a flop!

In 1920, Frank Smith was one of the first to season a slice. Smith's crisps were originally packaged with a twist of salt in grease proof paper bags - and sold in London. Smith’s today is known as Walker’s Crisps. Other than salt, the potato chip remained unseasoned until an innovation by Joe "Spud" Murphy, the owner of an Irish crisp company called Tayto, developed a way in the 1950’s to produce the world's first seasoned crisps. Flavors; Cheese & Onion and Salt & Vinegar.

You may be asking, George I thought you only ate healthy? Yes I do, but part of a healthy eating regimen is moderation, not sacrifice. I enjoy a few chips with my healthy hummus dip. I also don't suggest parking in front of the TV with a 6 1/2 gallon can Grandma Utz’s Chips. 

My three 'Top Chip' picks:

- Utz has me sold for chips readily available throughout the US. 

- Recently, I came across a bag of Tiger Spuds—grown on the East End of Long Island, from Sagaponack's Foster Farm. Tiger Spuds have an earthier fresh potato flavor, and probably grown on the most expensive farm fertile real estate on the planet!

- So what’s my top travelled chip? Without a doubt the original "Cheese and Onion" made by Tayto. My crew introduced me to Taytos when filming in Ireland. It's time to go back, I finished my last bag. 

Dip Your Chip: 

George's Hummus 

Makes four servings | Recipe by Chef George Hirsch 

Serve as a dip or spread. Either way, it's a great healthy way to snack!

1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained
3 cloves Caramelized Garlic (get this recipe)
1 Tablespoon tahini paste (optional)
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon hot sauce
juice of 1/2 a lemon
3 Tablespoons plain lowfat yogurt

Puree chickpeas in a food processor. Add garlic, tahini, cumin, hot sauce, lemon, and yogurt. Mix all ingredients well. Allow to set for 30 minutes prior to serving.