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Spud Wars: Mr. Food Judges the Side Dish Challenge at the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival

By Sarah Skerrett · Comments (3)
Friday, March 4th, 2011

By Sarah Skerrett, Mr. Food Editor

Heated arguments have never settled the eternal debate on pronunciation – potayto or potahto? – but one certainty emerged last weekend at the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival: Chef Carlos Barilla (of Beer & Burger Joint in Miami Beach) channeled his love of spuds into a grand-prize winning side dish, Truffle Baked Potato Salad.

Baked Potato Salad RE a Spud Wars: Mr. Food Judges the Side Dish Challenge at the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival

With very own Mr. Food, aka Art Ginsburg, on the judging panel and hosted by Rachael Ray, the fifth annual Amstel Light Burger Bash® invited top chefs from around the country to battle for the best burger. The Idaho Potato Commission upped the ante for a good cause and challenged Burger Bash® participants to create an outstanding side dish using Idaho® potatoes. The Grand Prize was a $5,000 donation to Florida International University, made by the IPC on behalf of Chef Barilla.

Rachael Ray Burger Bash Winner Spud Wars: Mr. Food Judges the Side Dish Challenge at the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival

The IPC Side Dish challenge tested the chefs’ ability to think outside the box and get creative with the potato, a frequent dinner side and fast-food staple. Mr. Food and fellow judges Frank Muir and Don Odiorne of the IPC scored competing side dishes on a five-point scale for each of the following criteria: Use of Product, Originality, Presentation, and Flavor. The side dish with the highest total score captured the Grand Prize. We knew the winner had been identified when Mr. Food had a taste of the Truffle Baked Potato Salad and declared, “OOH IT’S SO GOOD!!”

Mr. Food also praised the chefs for their inventive interpretations of a classic vegetable…even one that might not be so exciting or trendy. “I understand the needs of how America cooks and am always on the look out for innovative, great-tasting recipes that use every day staples, like Idaho® potatoes. Tonight’s side dishes wowed all of us,” said Mr. Food. “It’s so important to stay motivated in the kitchen and try something new. The dishes we sampled tonight were a true tribute to the chefs’ ingenuity. Have fun while you’re cooking; think out of the box and experiment – your friends and family will love you for it!”

Now in its tenth year, the Food Network SOBE Wine & Food Festival is presented by Food & Wine and draws foodies from all over, as well as a host of celebrity chefs in the Food Network family such as Bobby Flay, Paula Deen, Giada De Laurentiis, Emeril Lagasse, and many more. Over 50,000 wine and food lovers attended this fabulous four-day event festival to see the world’s most renowned chefs and wine and spirit producers up-close and personal.

Rachael Ray Burger Bash 250 Spud Wars: Mr. Food Judges the Side Dish Challenge at the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival

Inspired to whip up some fun new potato dishes? Find simple and great-tasting recipes like From the Field to the Fork Idaho Potatoes and Potato Plank Bruschetta on Mr. Food! For recipes, tips and additional information about Idaho® potatoes, visit www.idahopotato.com.

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  • wp socializer sprite mask 16px Spud Wars: Mr. Food Judges the Side Dish Challenge at the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival
  • wp socializer sprite mask 16px Spud Wars: Mr. Food Judges the Side Dish Challenge at the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival
  • wp socializer sprite mask 16px Spud Wars: Mr. Food Judges the Side Dish Challenge at the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival
  • wp socializer sprite mask 16px Spud Wars: Mr. Food Judges the Side Dish Challenge at the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival
  • wp socializer sprite mask 16px Spud Wars: Mr. Food Judges the Side Dish Challenge at the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival
  • wp socializer sprite mask 16px Spud Wars: Mr. Food Judges the Side Dish Challenge at the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival
  • wp socializer sprite mask 16px Spud Wars: Mr. Food Judges the Side Dish Challenge at the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival
  • wp socializer sprite mask 16px Spud Wars: Mr. Food Judges the Side Dish Challenge at the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival
  • wp socializer sprite mask 16px Spud Wars: Mr. Food Judges the Side Dish Challenge at the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival
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Categories : Behind the Scenes, Mr. Food On Location
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Make Valentine’s Day Special

By Jodi · Comments (9)
Saturday, February 12th, 2011
Valentines Day Chocolate Cups RE Make Valentine’s Day Special

Valentine’s Day Chocolate Cups are the perfect way to serve your favorite dessert! This is just one of the easy recipes Mr. Food has for Valentine’s Day. Find lots more at MrFood.com.

From Mr. Food Team Member Jodi

It’s easy to get caught up in the commercialism of Valentine’s Day. Jewelry stores, flower shops, and even car dealerships are getting in on the holiday. (Who buys a car as a Valentine’s gift?!) While almost anyone in a relationship would want to acknowledge the holiday, it’s not necessary to go over the top.

When it comes down to it, I think that most people are happiest with a heartfelt gesture from their loved one. One of the best ways to show someone how much you care, is to cook for them. (We’ve all heard that the way to someone’s heart is through their stomach, right?)

If you want to make a nice dinner at home, instead of fighting crowds at a restaurant, why not try some of our easy, but still special, recipes? Artichoke Chicken is a light and flavorful entrée that is sure to impress. It pairs really well with our Double Stuffed Potatoes and Classic Creamed Spinach. Doesn’t that menu sound good? And it’s easy, too!

Saving the best for last, how about a super-special dessert? We have so many great dessert recipes, it’s hard for me to suggest just one. Instead, how about you pick one from the latest Mr. Food free eCookbook, Recipes for Romance: 30 Valentine’s Day Desserts and Drink Recipes. I’m sure you’ll find the perfect dessert to show your someone special just how you feel.

Have a happy Valentine’s Day!

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  • wp socializer sprite mask 16px Make Valentine’s Day Special
  • wp socializer sprite mask 16px Make Valentine’s Day Special
  • wp socializer sprite mask 16px Make Valentine’s Day Special
  • wp socializer sprite mask 16px Make Valentine’s Day Special
  • wp socializer sprite mask 16px Make Valentine’s Day Special
  • wp socializer sprite mask 16px Make Valentine’s Day Special
  • wp socializer sprite mask 16px Make Valentine’s Day Special
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Categories : Valentine's Day
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Would You Like Mayonnaise with Those Fries?

By Helayne · Comments (10)
Wednesday, February 9th, 2011

SoBe Winning Fries 05 14 09 RE Would You Like Mayonnaise with Those Fries?

You're gonna be hooked once you try these Winning Fries!

By Helayne Rosenblum, Mr. Food Senior Writer

I’m picky about French fries. They’ve got to be really crispy, not soggy. I prefer thick-cut fries and, even though I know it’s not good to overdo it, I like ’em salty.

Okay, I’m particular. Growing up in New York City, I had to take a city bus to school, and that’s how I found the perfect fries. The afternoon bus stop was in front of a restaurant that sold my “dream fries” in a paper container from a take-out window! My girlfriends and I usually splurged at least once a week and shared an afternoon snack of fries with lots of ketchup. I can almost taste them now!

Years later, while in Amsterdam, Holland, I was in heaven when I got a taste of their version of fries, known as frites. They sell them all over in little French fry specialty shacks, in the city and in small villages outside the city where windmills are still in use. It’s a magical memory for me.

The thing that intrigued me about the Dutch fries is that these hot-and- crispy-on-the-outside, perfect-on-the-inside fries are served with a generous dollop of a special, unbelievably creamy mayo that has a slightly different flavor than anything we can buy in a jar here in the U.S. It’s a homemade taste. At first I was skeptical about having fries with mayo but, once I tried them, I was eating frites every chance I got…stopping at little shops up and down the Damrak and in Central Station…everywhere we went. It’s a good thing we didn’t spend more than a few days in Amsterdam before heading to some other equally food-tempting cities. If I kept up my fries-frenzy, I would have had to buy bigger clothes to get home!

Here at home, it’s not the same to have fries with store-bought mayonnaise, so I’m going to savor that tasty memory and try to get back to Amsterdam again, as it’s truly one of my favorite European cities. Luckily, I’ve learned some great tricks to making awesome American-style fries with fun toppings, thanks to recipes our Mr. Food Test Kitchen has come up with, like our Cheesy Burger Fries, and these Winning Fries that were shared with us not long ago. Plus, on a recent Mr. Food show, we shared a twist on fries that are perfect for casual entertaining. Lighter than traditional wings, our Buffalo Potato Wedges are a nice option.  And if that’s not enough for all you potato lovers, check out this site for lots of super potato recipe ideas: http://www.idahopotato.com.

As for the mayonnaise issue, I don’t think I could duplicate that Dutch mayo…I’d rather go back to Holland and enjoy it there.

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  • wp socializer sprite mask 16px Would You Like Mayonnaise with Those Fries?
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Categories : Snacks
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“Spud Buddy,” Our Office Mascot

By Helayne · Comments (0)
Friday, June 18th, 2010
IPC Potato Buddy “Spud Buddy,” Our Office Mascot

Mr. Food with our "Spud Buddy" Mascot

I don’t know too many people who can say they spend their work day walking past a filing cabinet where a giant stuffed Idaho Potato doll sits perched, watching everything that goes on in the office.

Well, that’s what I and the other members of our team pass in the hallway every day at the Mr. Food offices! I really get a kick out of our “Spud Buddy.” And the best part of this strange sight is that this funny-looking little guy seems to be in a different position each time I look at him! I haven’t caught the culprit yet who is twisting his arms and legs into all sorts of goofy poses (I do have my suspicions, though), but “Spud Buddy” has become a mascot around here.

So, just how did he come to reside with us? Well, another fun part about working here is that people and organizations share all sorts of interesting memorabilia with us to help us with show topics and recipe ideas for our TV shows.

Mr. Food recently acted as a judge for the Idaho Potato Commission’s “Watching Waistlines and Wallets” recipe contest and, well, our “Spud Buddy” appeared about the same time as the recipe submissions came rolling in!

The contest-winning recipe which, of course, had to feature Idaho potatoes in a tasty dish that was light on our waistlines and easy on our wallets, is Potato Plank Bruschetta. In fact, we are airing the recipe show today, so I hope you have a chance to catch it on TV. It’s a super idea for an appetizer if you’re having company for Father’s Day, or any time you need a tasty party idea. If you haven’t seen it, the video is online right here at MrFood.com, so check it out and maybe give it a try…it’s a really easy recipe!

Potato Plank Bruschetta RE “Spud Buddy,” Our Office Mascot

Potato Plank Bruschetta won the Idaho Potato Commission's recipe contest

I do think that, one day soon, our “potato man” might vanish for a weekend to visit my baby grandson. I mean, everyone needs a little time away from the office, right? (And yes, yes, I promise, I’ll bring him back!) Wishing all the dads out there a Happy Father’s Day from all of us here at Mr. Food!

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  • wp socializer sprite mask 16px “Spud Buddy,” Our Office Mascot
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  • wp socializer sprite mask 16px “Spud Buddy,” Our Office Mascot
  • wp socializer sprite mask 16px “Spud Buddy,” Our Office Mascot
  • wp socializer sprite mask 16px “Spud Buddy,” Our Office Mascot
  • wp socializer sprite mask 16px “Spud Buddy,” Our Office Mascot
  • wp socializer sprite mask 16px “Spud Buddy,” Our Office Mascot
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Categories : Behind the Scenes
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Who needs money when you can have all the potato puffs you want?

By Howard · Comments (0)
Monday, May 17th, 2010
Howard Rosenthal of Mr Food1 300x225 Who needs money when you can have all the potato puffs you want?

Howard Rosenthal of Mr. Food

Where do I begin? How about with my name and what I do. I’m Howard Rosenthal and I have been VP of Creative Business Development with the Mr. Food team for the past 16 years. You’re probably thinking, “What the heck does that mean?” Well, in plain English, it means that I wear lots of hats on a day-to-day basis, and I love it. Basically, I have the best job in the world!

What better place is there to work for a guy who loves everything about food, than at a place that has a sign on the front door that says…”Mr. Food”? I LOVE food. I love to cook it, share it, photograph it and, most of all, eat it.

You see, I basically grew up in the food industry, starting off prepping in a commercial catering kitchen when I was just 11 years old. I remember two things from when I started: the first is that I could hardly see over the counters back then, and the second is that I made $3 an hour and got to eat all the potato puffs I wanted. The pay wasn’t much, but the puffs were priceless. To this day, I still love those potato puffs. Yes, I finally did share that “top secret” recipe with Mr. Food. I’d love you to let me know what you and your kids think of them.

I look forward to sharing many more stories and adventures with you over the weeks and months ahead…let me tell you, there sure are a lot of them, and they always seem to focus around food and Mr. Food.

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  • wp socializer sprite mask 16px Who needs money when you can have all the potato puffs you want?
  • wp socializer sprite mask 16px Who needs money when you can have all the potato puffs you want?
  • wp socializer sprite mask 16px Who needs money when you can have all the potato puffs you want?
  • wp socializer sprite mask 16px Who needs money when you can have all the potato puffs you want?
  • wp socializer sprite mask 16px Who needs money when you can have all the potato puffs you want?
  • wp socializer sprite mask 16px Who needs money when you can have all the potato puffs you want?
  • wp socializer sprite mask 16px Who needs money when you can have all the potato puffs you want?
  • wp socializer sprite mask 16px Who needs money when you can have all the potato puffs you want?
  • wp socializer sprite mask 16px Who needs money when you can have all the potato puffs you want?
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Categories : Behind the Scenes, Food
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