Short Order Home Fries

I recently came across a new cooking show/website on public television (since that is all I have :) that I really liked called Cook's Country. On the episode I watched, they made these home fries and they just looked so good and easy to make, so I thought I would post them.

Short Order Home Fries

Although we prefer the sweetness of Yukon Gold potatoes, other medium-starch or waxy potatoes, such as all-purpose or red-skinned potatoes, can be substituted. If you want to spice things up, add a pinch of cayenne pepper.

Serves 4.

Ingredients

1 1/2	pounds Yukon Gold potatoes (4 medium), scrubbed and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
4	tablespoons unsalted butter
1	onion , chopped fine
1/2	teaspoon garlic salt
1/2	teaspoon table salt
	Ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Arrange potatoes in large microwave-safe bowl, top with 1 tablespoon butter, and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Microwave on high until edges of potatoes begin to soften, 5 to 7 minutes, shaking bowl (without removing plastic) to redistribute potatoes halfway through cooking.
   

2. Meanwhile, melt 1 tablespoon butter in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened and golden brown, about 8 minutes. Transfer to small bowl.
   

3. Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in now-empty skillet over medium heat. Add potatoes and pack down with spatula. Cook, without moving, until underside of potatoes is brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Turn potatoes, pack down again, and continue to cook until well browned and crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue cooking, stirring potatoes every few minutes, until crusty, 9 to 12 minutes. Stir in onion, garlic salt, salt, and pepper to taste. Serve.

Marvelous Meatloaf

This is a recipe I combined from a crockpot meatloaf and Ellie Krieger's Turkey Meatloaf. It turns out really flavorful and it is so nice to throw it in the crockpot! I usually only dirty one dish and that is the crockpot! :) I also love the way the veggies turn out- it is always nice to have a good side dish without too much hassle!

Marvelous Meatloaf (Crockpot Style)
2 eggs beaten
2 lbs ground beef or ground turkey
1 chopped green or red bell pepper
1 chopped onions
3/4 cup quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup milk
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 packet brown gravy mix
1 cup cracker crumbs
1/4 cup ketchup
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
salt and pepper
4-6 potatoes and carrots cubed (optional)

Combine all ingredients (except potatoes and carrots) in a large bowl, or the actual crock pot. Shape into a loaf in slow cooker. Place Veggies along the side of loaf. Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours or high 4-5.

Flat Tire Cake... Got a Spare? Mmmm...

We showed up to church with a flat tire this last weekend, and that night, my friend stopped by with this awesome "Flat Tire" Cake. I thought it was such a great idea. It sure cheered us up after a long day! (Not to mention it was delicious- very chocolaty!!!) She said it worked out great too, because she got a sample. :) Maybe all cakes should look like this! :)

Slow-Cooked Loaded Vegetable Pork Stew

This is my version of another good one I found in Taste of Home. (A little simplified.) They used beef, and I was just using what I had, so sadly I didn't have the squash or cabbage, which I think both would be great. I also thougth zucchini would be really good in it.

Loaded Vegetable Pork Stew
8 bacon strips, diced
2-3 pork pork loin chops, sliced into 1 in cubes
1 large onion, diced
6 medium carrots, peeled and caut into 1 in pieces
2 cans whole tomatoes
4-6 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
3 cups cubed peeled butternit squash
2 medium green bell peppers, chopped
2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp celery salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cans of beef broth or about 3-4 cups of water and one package of beef stew seasoning mix
6 cups chopped cabbage
1/2 tsp pepper
salt to taste

In a large skillet, cook bacon, pork and onion. (Not crispy or even completely cooked through, just closed to cooked through.) Pour contents into crockpot. (You don't have to cook the pork, but it sped up the process a lot. If you don't, you may want to add some cooking time.)

In a crockpot or slow-cooker, combine all other ingredients. Stir and cook on high for 3-5 hours (until veggies are done) or low 8 hours.

Sailor Sandwiches with Caesar Mayo

Big thanks going out to Mom for the subscription she gave me to "Taste of Home" magazine! I have had a lot of fun. This was a yummy one I found in the last one. Hope you like it as much as I did!

Sailor Sandwiches with Caesar Mayo
1/4 c milk
1/4 cup cornmeal
2 T flour
1 T grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 cod or haddock fillets (6 oz each)
1 T melted butter

Place milk in a shallow bowl. In another shallow bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, cheese, and seasonings.

Dip fish in milk, then cornmeal mixture. Place on a greased broiler pan; drizzle with butter. Broil 4 in. from the heat for 8-10 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork. (If I were to do it again, I don't think I would broil it. I think I would either grill or just fry them up on a skillet.)

Caesar Mayo
4 tsp grated Parmesan cheese
4 tsp mayo
4 tsp olive oil
1 T lemon juice
1 T Worcestershire sauce
3/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground mustard (I didn't have that so I substituted about 1 tsp mustard)
1/4 tsp hot pepper sauce

Combine the mayo ingredients. Spread over the rolls. On the bottom, layer fish, lettuce, tomato, and onion.

Sandwiches:
2 kaiser rolls, split and toasted (I used french bread)
2 lettuce leaves
1 small tomato, thinly sliced
2 slices of sweet onion

Blueberry French Toast Casserole

I found this one in my "101 Things to do with a Casserole" cookbook. It was very yummy! I loved the blueberries the most I think. It was nice though, because it could feed a big crew- just remember to think of it the night before, so you can put it in the fridge then.
:)

Blueberry French Toast Casserole
1 loaf (20 oz) bread, cubed
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, cubed
1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)
12 eggs, beaten
2 cups milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup maple syrup
I also sprinkled cinnamon and sugar over the top before I cooked it.
powdered sugar

Place half the bread cubes in a greased 9x13 pan. Layer cream cheese cubes evenly over bread. Sprinkle blueberries over the top. Cover with the remaining bread cubes.

In a large bowl, whisk eggs, milk, vanilla, syrup. Drizzle egg mixture evenly over bread. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cover and bake 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 25-30 minutes more, or until center is firm and top is golden brown. Lightly dust with powdered sugar. Serve with blueberry or maple syrup. (Makes at least 6 servings)

Momma's Little Baby Loves Sho'nin' Bread....

My In-laws gave me this great cookbook for Christmas and I've had fun looking through it and finding some fun recipes to try out. I came across this fun "Scottish/Irish" one that seemed appropriate for the up-coming holiday. :)

Holiday Shortbread
5 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups cold butter

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Pat into an ungreased 15-10 baking pan. Prick all over with a fork.

Bake at 325 for 35 minutes or until center is set. Cool for 10-15 minutes. Cut into small squares. Continue to cool to room temperature.

*Then is just seemed to need something, so I had to add the cherry pie filling. :)

Orecchiette with Bacon & Tomatoes

A few years back, my little sister got me this cool pasta cook book, and every time I open it, I find some new recipe that is so fun. It is just such a tiny cookbook that I sometime forget I have it. So I'm always pleasantly surprised when I come across it. I could not for the life of me find orecchiette noodles... they look so cool, but these are good old "large shells" and I'm sure any pasta would work great. This was a really tasty, fast dish. In the original recipe, they blanch and chop about 2 lbs of fresh tomatoes (which I think would make it really flavorful and delicious when tomatoes are in season and cheap abundance :) but I just used two cans of diced tomatoes as a substitute and it sure make things go fast. All in all, I think you'll enjoy this one.

Italian Orecchiette with Bacon & Tomatoes
2 can diced tomatoes
6 (or more) slices smoked bacon, chopped or cut into 1 inch pieces
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1-2 tsp dried oregano (4 fresh sprigs, finely chopped)
4 cups dried orecchiette (or other pasta)
1 T olive oil
salt and pepper
Parmesan

Fry bacon onion and garlic over medium heat until it starts to get crispy. Add tomatoes and oregano. Simmer for 10-12 minutes. Meanwhile, bring a pan on salted water to boil. Add noodles and a bit of olive oil. Cook and Drain. Pour noodle minute into sauce mixture and stir until pasta is coated. Serve with cheese.

A sad story...

Ok... so I saw this amazing looking soup on the Noble Pig website. It was just calling to me, so I decided I would make a batch. I got all the way through the recipe and was just adding the cream at the end. (This is about an hour into the whole process.) After I added the cream- I noticed a funny smell... I tasted it and sure enough, the cream was sour and the whole batch of soup was ruined. I was pretty sad about. It sat on my counter for a whole day before I had the heart to throw it out. The recipe still looks delicious and maybe I'll recover sometime and make a second attempt... but until then...

Moral of the story: Always check your cream before putting it in... even if it is well within the due date. :(

Cream of Roasted Tomato Soup with Parsley Croûtons
Adapted from Tomatoes, A Country Garden Cookbook

2 pounds large ripe tomatoes
Olive oil to coat tomatoes
8 shallots
1 small carrot
1 small fennel bulb
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
6 sprigs fresh tarragon
6 sprigs fresh parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 cup heavy cream

Parsley Croûtons:
12 thin slices baguette
Olive oil to generously coat both sides of each piece of baguette
3 cloves garlic, cut in half
Teleme cheese (or Parmesan)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cut tomatoes in half, seed them and coat with olive oil. Place tomatoes in a shallow baking dish and bake for 30 minutes, turning every 10 minutes, until the skins begin to darken and blister.

Remove from the oven and let cool. Remove the skins and reserve pulp and all the juices.

Coarsely chop shallots, carrot and fennel bulb. Melt butter in a heavy pot over medium heat. Sauté the vegetables until they are very soft.

Add chicken stock and sprigs of both fresh parsley and fresh tarragon. Simmer over low heat for 30 minutes.

While this is cooking make the croûtons.

Lower the oven temperature to 400 degrees. Slice the bread into 12 thin slices, brushing each side generously with olive oil and place on a baking sheet. Rub one side of the bread with garlic and place a dollop of Teleme cheese or a sprinkle of Parmesan on top. Sprinkle with parsley and bake until brown.

Once the soup is done simmering, remove the herb sprigs and add the reserved tomato pulp and tomato juices. Puree the soup in several batches in a blender. I tried using an immersion blender but it was unable to get the soup to the proper consistency.

Return soup to the pan and stir in heavy cream, heating until warm. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Keep warm over low heat until ready to serve.

Ladle soup into warm bowls and float parsley croûtons on top of each bowl.

Pizza Pizza...

This is a great recipe for pizza crust. I discovered it a while back and it really works well. I have also made it with whole wheat flour and it turns out great- sometimes I wonder why that isn't catching on because I think a whole wheat crust is delicious.

Homemade Pizza Crust
2 teaspoons yeast (not dry active)
2 cups warm water
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 cup oil
2 teaspoons salt
5 cups flour

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add sugar. Add oil, salt, and flour. Mix and knead. Let rise; roll out. *I usually bake my crust for about 5-6 minutes at 350 before putting all the toppings on- then it isn't all soggy in the middle. Then load up the toppings! Here is a list of what we like:
(I just use spaghetti sauce)
pizza seasoning
sliced olives
sliced ham
pineapple
sliced and chopped green peppers
green onions, sliced
lots of cheese
...and whatever else suits your fancy!
Bake for about 20 minutes at 350 or until crust is turning golden brown (check it occasionally).

Perfect Pancakes

I found a great pancake recipe! I even made them "whole wheat" to make my momma proud! We also like to sprinkle chocolate chips or blueberries on them while they are cooking- that always makes them tasty. Also- when I was little we would pour homemade applesauce on our pancakes instead of syrup (surprise? :) and it was always really good. (After making homemade applesauce, I'm not sure if that would be considered "cutting back" on the sugar or not. :) But hey- your getting your "fruits" in right? :)

Perfect Pancakes
(Annette Green)
2 eggs
2 c flour (I subbed the whole wheat)
2 c milk
3 T oil
3 T sugar
1/3 c potato flakes (which really do make a difference I have decided)
2 T baking powder
1 tsp salt

Beat eggs until fluffy. Add all other ingredients. Beat until smooth, and fry up on a skillet.

Jerk Chicken Drumsticks

I don't know why they call it "jerk" chicken. That seems kind of rude to me, but this was a fun way to cook chicken. It is just a variation on Rachel Ray's "Jerk" Chicken. I added and subtracted a couple things. It was pretty good.

Jerk Chicken Drumsticks
1 red onion chopped
4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
4 scallions, green and white parts, coarsely chopped
Juice of 2 limes
3 T vinegar
1/2 cup orange juice (I used pineapple juice)
1 T paprika
1 T cumin
1 tsp chili powder
pinch of chyenne pepper
2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp thyme
1/2 cup olive oil
About 16 drumsticks (bone-in, skin-on)

Place all ingredients but the chicken in a food processor (or I have one of those blender wands and it worked really well in a bowl) and pulse to combine. Should make a thick paste.

Season chicken with salt and pepper and place on a roasting pan or rack with dripping pan. Cover with paste by spooning mixture over chicken and turning so both sides are covered. Bake at 400 for 45 minutes to an hour. (Mine wasn't done at 45 so you might want to leave it in a little longer.) Half way through, spoon more paste mixture over and turn the chicken.

Maize Corn Bread

I sampled some amazing corn bread a while back, and my Brazillian friend shared her fun twist on a typical corn bread recipe. It was pretty tasty, so I thought I would pass it on. I made it in this round dish, and it didn't quite finish cooking in the middle, so I would recomend using a casserole baking dish.

Maize Corn Bread

1 stick butter or margarine (room temperature)

2 eggs (room temperature)

½ cup sugar (can add more if you like it really sweet!)

1-2 tsp cinnamon

½-1 tsp nutmeg (it depends on how spicy you like)

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp salt

1 cup milk

1 tbsp parmesan cheese

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup maize flour

3 tsp baking powder (or 2 tsp baking powder + ¼ tsp baking soda)

1 cup shredded cheese (optional, i used cheddar)

grease a pan (if you use a 13x9, it will be pretty short; if you want a taller bread, use a 9x9 or 10x10 casserole dish)

preheat oven to 375F

cream together the eggs, butter or margarine, add the spices, vanilla, salt, parmesan cheese and mix well.

add milk, flour and maize. Mixture should be about sweet-bread consistency (thicker than cake batter). If too thin, add some more maize, like a 1/4 cup.

last, add the baking powder, and if desired, cheese.

pour in prepared pan and bake 375F until toothpick comes out clean, about 15-20 min.

Pina Colada Cake

I found this recipe in my little "101 Things To Do With A Cake Mix" cook book. It was really yummy and easy, and it was fun to make it in a bunt cake pan to dress it up a little.

Pina Colada Cake
1 yellow cake mix
1 can crushed pinapple, drained
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
8 oz whipped topping
2/3 cup coconut

Prepare cake mix as directed on the back of package.

Mix 1/2 can of pinapple into batter. Bake according to directions on the package.

With a fork, poke holes in the cake at 1-inch intercals. Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over the cake. Allow cake to cool. (which I didn't and you can see I sort of melted the whipped topping- but heavens it was still good! :)

Spread whipped topping ober the cake. Sprinkle the top with cocnut and remaing pinapple.

Perfect Brown Rice

Mom- you would be proud of me- I am making brown rice. (Just as white bread- white rice was almost not allowed in the house growing up! :) I have been meaning to try this recipe from my friend Natalie for a long time, and I finally got around to it yesterday. I was very pleased with the results. You may be looking at the amount of time it takes to cook, but don't let that scare you off! It is well worth it! This made a great batch of soft brown rice. It makes a really big batch. Natalie said she likes to freeze some of hers and use it for other meals- which I think is a great idea. The only thing I think I would add is some salt- everything is better with a bit of salt' even cookies. :)

Perfect Brown Rice

3 cups brown rice (not instant)
2 eggs
4 cups of water
1 can (about 2 cups) chicken broth (or you can just use 6 cups water, but the chicken broth adds more flavor)
1 tablespoon olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Saute brown rice with 2 eggs, stirring constantly over medium heat until mixture is dry. Pour into 9 X 13 baking dish. Add water, chicken broth, and oil. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Do not stir! Do not poke! Do not disturb! Just look at rice after 45 minutes and cover with foil at that time. Cook for about another 30 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed.

Thai Beef Stir-Fry

I found this recipe in my Simple and Delicious magazine. It was a fun new one to try. Doug really liked it- especially with the spice. Stir-Fry is always good!

Thai Beef Stir-Fry
2 T cornstarch
3/4 cup water
3 1/2 T chunky peanut butter (I seriously have at least 20 jars of peanut butter, but none were chunky! Unbelievable!!! I just used the creamy and threw in some nuts.)
4 T soy sauce, divided
1-1/2 lbs boneless beef top sirloin steak, thinly sliced (I actually used pork loins and they were really good!)
1-1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp pepper
2 T olive oil
1 each medium green, sweet red, and yellow peppers, julienned
1 can (8 oz) bamboo shoots, drained (unfortunately- this is not one of my "on-hand" staples. I ended up kind of subbing sliced celery- it worked pretty well.)
1/2 cup julienned carrots (I used about 4 peeled carrots)
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (BOY HOWDY- I was way too liberal with those! I about killed myself off! Just go easy on it if you're not a big spicy person. My husband was thrilled, but I had to have a swig of milk between every bite. :)
Hot cooked rice

In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and water until smooth. Stir in peanut bitter and 3 T soy sauce; set aside.

In a large skillet or wok, stir-fry the beef, garlic, pepper and remaining soy sauce in oil until meat is no longer pink; remove and keep warm. (I know it probably isn't the proper way, but I always just keep the meat in there with the veggies- sheer laziness I suppose.) Add the peppers, bamboo shoots, carrot and pepper flakes; stir-fry for 2-3 minutes or until tender.

Stir cornstarch mixture; add to the pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1 minute or until thickened. Returned beef mixture to the pan. Serve with rice.

Slow Cooker Baked Potato

I'm such an Idaho girl! I love a good old fashioned baked potato! I was happy to find out I could throw them in the wonderful crockpot though- I wasn't having much success with the oven- I would forget to poke hole, or it just seemed like it took forever! They have always been really hard for me coming out of the oven, but I promise you will love this slick crockpot style- no mess and always a perfect potato! It is my favorite thing to throw in on a busy day, because I know I have at least something cooked to work with. (My husband always loves a baked potato, too.)

Slow Cooker Baked Potatoes
(Peggy Larsen- a potato farmer's wife, so she outta know! :)
Scrub potatoes (and you can poke them with a fork, but I usually don't and their fine). Wrap in foil. Fill slow cooker with potatoes. Cover and cook on low for about 8 hours or on high for about 3-4 hours. Do not add water.

Let them eat cake...

We actually tried the "Guilt Free Chocolate Cake" last night, and it was really good. Especially a hit with the girls! :) I can't decide if they life the cake or the batter better. :) Just have to say it was a yummy easy cake!

Guilt-Free Chocolate Cake

I saw this recipe on my friend Lisa's blog, and I just had to pass it on! I love simple recipes like this that you can whip up fast, but that taste great! Thanks Lisa!

Guilt-Free Chocolate Cake

1 box of Chocolate fudge cake mix (or any chocolate cake mix)
1 small can of pumpkin (you can't even taste it!)
1 cup of water

Put into a sprayed pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Cool completely and top with a low or nonfat cool whip or eat plain; it is so moist!

Sweet Slivered Almond-Mozzarella Asparagas

Well Folks.... I found it! I discovered the new BEST WAY TO EAT ASPARAGUS!!! Mmmm... So good! I was looking for a good recipe in my good old Betty Crocker standby, but I didn't have most of the ingredients, so I made some changes, and I must have done something right! Doug said, "You can make this ANYTIME!"

Sweet Slivered Almond-Mozzarella Asparagus
2 cups water
2 pounds asparagus spears

2 T butter
1 can (8 oz) sliced mushrooms, drained
1 1/2 tsp chopped fresh or 1/2 tsp dried basil leaves
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 c. shredded mozzarella (you could also use Parmesan)
1/4 cup slivered sugar coated almonds. (You could also use honey roasted peanuts, or some other nut with a tsp full or two of sugar).

1. Heat water to boiling in 12 inch skillet. Add asparagus. Heat to boiling; reduce heat to medium. Cover and cook 4-6 minutes or until crisp and tender. (I didn't realize how important that is, but it really does make a difference!) Drain, set aside.
2. Melt butter in skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in mushrooms. Cook 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Stir asparagus, basil, salt and pepper into mushrooms until vegetables are coated with seasonings and asparagus is heated through. Sprinkle with cheese and nuts.

Peanut Butter Cornflake Bars

Warning: You have to be careful with this one, because before you know it, you will have eaten the whole pan. (Notice: just one left. :) I didn't eat them all, but... well, I was quite helpful. :) My friend Noelle gave me this recipe a while back, it is a great "no bake" quick one to whip up that is always yummy! It is also a great way to use up peanut butter if you have a lot on hand, too.

Peanut Butter Cornflake Bars
1 cube butter
3/4 c. corn syrup
3/4 c. sugar
*Stir and boil for 1 1/2 minutes

Add and stir in:
3/4 to 1 c. peanut butter

Then add about 8 cups cornflakes. (I didn't have enough cornflakes this last time, so I used rice crispies and they turned out great. It ended up being about half and half.)

Spread evenly in an ungreased 9x13 baking dish or a baking sheet. (You can also make them into drip cookies.) Wait about 15-20 minutes for them to set.

Applesauce Wheat Muffins

Here is a healthy little muffin to start your day with. It makes just over a dozen. I so wish I had thrown in some frozen blueberries or raspberries- would have been perfect! But they were really tasty.

Applesauce Wheat Muffins
1/2 c butter or oil (I have substituted applesauce before and it still turns out)
1/2 c honey
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup applesauce
2 c whole-wheat flour
3 tsp baking powder
Nuts (optional)
I also throw in a small handful of cracked wheat.

Cream together shortening and honey. Add eggs and applesauce; mix. Add dry ingredients. Stir to moisten. Bake at 375 for 20 to 25 minutes.

Slow Cooked Pork Roast with Vegetables

I love throwing all these things into a crockpot and opening it up a few hours later to find such tender meat and veggies! Here is how I usually do it...

Slow Cooked Pork Roast with Vegetables
2 1/2 to 3 lbs boneless pork loin roast (other cuts will work as well- you can also do this with a beef roast)
2 tsp minced garlic
5-6 potatoes, scrubbed and cubed
1 large onion, sliced
5-6 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 can cream of mushroom
1-2 T soy sauce
1 T Worsteshire sauce
Sprinkle of garlic powder, onion powder, celery salt, salt, and pepper

Sprinkle roast with salt and pepper and lay on the bottom of crockpot. Top with veggies. In a bowl, stir together remaining ingredients, and pour over the top. Cook on low for 6-7 hours. (Low makes the meat nice and tender.)

Brian Regan's Version of a Cooking Show

I mentioned Brian Regan in my last post. I like all his stuff, but this is a link to a funny clip about cooking shows. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-AfCLAXvAk. I can't find the one about "Manicotti" but I'll keep looking. Anyway- I just think he's funny because it is real life stuff and he's pretty clean- that is my kind of comedy. :)