National Composting Day - Video

 In the acting world, you shy away from performing with children and animals. Why? because there is nothing worse than being upstaged by cuteness.

 In The 99 Cent Chef's latest video you'll see what I mean by watching birds and squirrels upstage the Anthropomorphic Chef.

My neighbor feeds the birds and squirrels every morning. So I got the idea to set out some seeds and have them do the work of making an opening title sequence for me. Only a nut would let squirrels and birds do the typography for my videos...well, I'm that Chintzy Nut.

And my front yard critters will work for 99-cent peanuts and birdseed.

 For the final video scene, it's a squirrel feeding frenzy when the Doctor Doolittle of chefs scatters lettuce in the most unique way for the tree-dwelling rodents.

It's all in the wrist if you want to compost like The 99 Cent Chef. With shovel in hand, the Chintzy Composter shows you a simple method that reduces the garbage you throw away by about half - so that means fewer trips to the dumpster. Plus, if you have a small garden, you will never have to buy potting soil again. Just scroll to the end of this post for my Composting Video.

There are many techniques for Composting. Just Google the word and you'll see what I mean. It really just depends on how much you want to deal with. You can start a giant compost pile with everything from veggie table scraps to lawn trimmings, and even newsprint and paper. I live in the city, so composting is best not seen or smelled!

In my household of two, I've come up with an easy-to-do method. Every day, my wife and I collect the veggie and fruit scraps, coffee grounds, and eggshells into a small container with a top. I live in a condo complex with a lot of land per unit, and there is an outdoor common area in the corner that is not used. So every 2 to 4 days, I take my full compost bin and bury the scraps in a 4-by-4-foot square area. Nobody complains, and some of my neighbors offer encouragement and even compliments.

With a minimal amount of compost area to work with, I find it's just enough. I bury my small scrap amounts, and a couple of days later, I dig a new hole. If you roughly chop up the scraps with the shovel and mix in a little dirt, the decomposition is complete in less than 2 weeks.

So by the time I've filled my 4 food square, it's ready for a new round of veggie scraps. (You'll see black nutrient-rich-looking compost clumps as you work your way around.) It takes a month or so until the compost is ready for my garden -- just in time for Fall and Spring planting.

A quick gardening note: Composting veggies with seeds, like cucumbers, squash, and tomatoes, means you will get sprouting seedlings popping out all over. I'll prune out most of them as they come up, but I like to keep a few plants just to see how they do. Every year I get some type of squash plant that yields a bouquet of edible squash blossoms -- just type "squash blossoms" into the "Enter Ingredient or Recipe Keyword(s)" search window located at the top right side of this page to see all the recipes I use them for.

The trick is to keep the compost area clean and odorless. Instead of a smelly compost pile, I bury mine. Now, that means I can't compost everything, but it's good enough for Big City living.

So, check out my Composting with The 99 Cent Chef video below. As I mentioned earlier, "It's all in the wrist," and I don't just mean how you handle a shovel, as you will see during the video's outrageous ending.

Composting, Squirrels, and the 99 Cent Chef - VIDEO

 Play it here, video runs 3 minutes, 17 seconds.

My YouTube video link for viewing or embedding, just click here.

And 99 thanks to Bob McGuinness, and Amy for shooting the Chef.

Cherry Season - Recipes & Reviews

 Cherries season 🍒 is back! They are my fave fruit and I like them plain or .... well, just read on to see what I do with a cheap$kate bag of Cherries.

Just this week I got delicious Cherries for 1.49c per pound at Superior Grocers, my local Latin market. Cherries always first show up there on sale.

My love affair with Cherries really heated up when I began to visit relatives in Central California, and remember getting fresh Cherries from an orchard tree. While Washington produces the most Cherries, California is in a tight race with Oregon for second place. 

You can read the health benefits of fresh Cherries here. I find they are less perishable than strawberries when refrigerated.

The only hindrance to consuming a Cherry is the easily discarded stem and stubbornly buried center seed. Cherries are large enough to slice around the seed, twist and separate, then pry out the seed. It's easy enough to slice around the seed, too.

If you have a metal straw, push it through the opposite end of the stem, and out pops the seed. (You can use a plastic straw as shown in my GIF below, but it will start to buckle after a few cherries.)

The easiest and quickest Cherry Recipe is to just add a few slices to your favorite plain (or mildly flavored) yummy yogurt. 

It's an early morning light breakfast, or on a warm afternoon, a cool snack for relaxing on the patio. My video below shows how I do it:

Cherries & Yogurt Recipe

I like pancakes in the morning, especially on weekends. I use a generic pancake mix from my 99c only Store and Dollar Tree, and I always add a little fresh fruit, especially cherries. 

You can mix the sliced cherries in the pancake batter or sprinkle on a hot pan first then pour on the batter.

Cherry Pancake Recipe

Cherries are featured in desserts the most. I once found small 4-ounce cartons of Cherry Garcia ice cream by Ben & Jerry's at my local Dollar Tree.

My Mom has a Cherry Pie to die for. She used to bake 'em up when we were kids, and she makes a mean one even now.

There's nothing better than the smell of a baking fruit pie in the oven and watching the crust brown through the oven window.

And my brother from another daddy, the Swamp Chef, crawled out of the bayou to get Mom to show us how she does it!

This is a 2 crust pie and she uses cherries from the can, that's the old-school way. Of course, I know where to find canned Cherries the cheapest, from the Dollar Tree, of course!

So pull up an extra chair and invite the whole family to watch Mom and the Swamp Chef show you a homemade Cherry Pie Recipe video...oh, boy!

I have a Gay Wedding Cupcake recipe that is part documentary. When Los Angeles allowed same-sex couples to marry for the first time, I was there to celebrate and offer the happy couples a tasty cupcake with a cherry on top. Click here to see my blog post and video of the historic day.

I crave the Cherry flavor of sweet Craisins from my local Dollar Tree. I haven't seen it this year...yet.

Craisins are dried cranberries, and they're very similar to grape raisins. And real Cherry juice is used, plus cane sugar for a bit too much sweetness. I can eat them by the handful or just add them to breakfast cereal or hot oatmeal.

And finally, I'm still a fan of sickly-sweet Chocolate Covered Cherries. There is something so pleasing, almost magical, combining a Maraschino Cherry and creme in a shell of chocolate.

And I can still find 5-count boxes for the right price at my local  99c only Store and Dollar Tree.

So if you are wondering how they rate on my Cheap$kate Dining Scale of 1 to 9, 9 being best? Just check out my video review right here.

Enjoy Cherry Season the 99 Cent Chef way!

The Color Purple - Recipes & The Jacaranda Tree

 Emblematic of L.A. is its grand boulevards lined with palm trees. This month, a purple upstart enters the scene -- the blossoming Jacaranda Tree. Stand under its branches at full bloom, and the perfume is overwhelming.

May is the month that launches millions of blossoms carpeting large swaths of sidewalk; drive along 6th Street near LACMA and it's blue for blocks. 

Purple is a mix of the colors blue and red. I have a few recipes using Purple Onion, also called Red Onion. It leans to the red side of purple.

I first had Yuca & Mojo Sauce with Purple Onion at a local Cuban Restaurant. Yuca or Cassava is similar to a potato. My version of Mojo Sauce is a sweet and sour accompaniment.

When I make a Bagel, Cream Cheese, Onion, with Tomato, the raw onion of choice is, of course, purple. Purple Onion is peppery in flavor with a sweet aftertaste. 

When I make Mexican-style fresh fruit Salsas, I splurge with Purple Onion, as it is usually more expensive than yellow or white onion. Anytime I arrive at a potluck, they are always a hit and disappear in no time. Click on any of the recipe names to be directed to my recipes of Mango Salsa, Peach Salsa, Pineapple Salsa, and Kiwi Salsa. If I had to pick a favorite, it would be Mango Salsa.

I first purchased Purple Cauliflower only a few years ago from the late, great 99c Only Store.

It tastes the same as typical white Cauliflower. I made a simple Vegan Cauliflower Soup with Almond Milk. Check out the video below.

An Eggplant is the deepest, darkest purple. I added some to a Hummus recipe. I used to find roasted eggplant in oil at my local 99c only Store.

But you can roast or sauté a fresh eggplant, too. Just click here to see how I do it. Leave on the purple skin to add color.

My Sister, Denise, visited this cheap$kate brother and showed me her purplish Eggplant Veggie Burger Recipe.

Of course, we started with an ingredient shopping spree at my local 99c only Store. Click here to check out her recipe details.

For a soothing and creamy vegan dip, go with my version of Baba Ganoush. Of course, it's made with purple Eggplant. Get out the gluten-free, organic, multi-grain, low-sodium crackers for this one.

Eggplant Parmesan is a cheesy mess of deliciousness. I coat slices of eggplant in breadcrumbs and bake it with tomato sauce and cheese. My cheap$kate riff on an Italian Classic dish is here.

My Stuffed Eggplant recipe will float your boat. It's a purple shell loaded with ground meat, sautéed veggies, and, of course, cheese.  More yummy photos and tasty text are here.

My Purple Hummus recipe is made with easy-to-get ingredients, including canned garbanzo beans, lemon juice, olive oil, and ground cumin. 

I use sesame seeds instead of hard-to-find tahini, which is similar to peanut butter, just blander. If you can't find sesame seeds or tahini, it's okay to use a tablespoon of creamy peanut butter.

It all comes together easily in a blender or food processor; just blend until creamy.

I like to serve Eggplant Hummus with triangles of pita bread. You can use a favorite cracker or fresh chopped veggies like celery, broccoli, or carrots.

So watch my meditative recipe video below. To get things started, I give you a tour of some favorite jacaranda trees and blossom sightings in Los Angeles, then the recipe follows.

Eggplant Hummus & Jacaranda Blossoms - Video

Play it here. The video runs 2 minutes, 24 seconds.

To view or embed video from YouTube click here.

Ingredients

• 1 small jar marinated grilled eggplant - Okay to use fresh-baked or sautéed eggplant.
• 1 can garbanzo beans - 16 ounces, drained.
• 3 tablespoons sesame seeds - or 2 tablespoons of tahini. Okay to substitute with 1 tablespoon of creamy peanut butter.
• 1 teaspoon of ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons chopped garlic - fresh or from the jar.
• 2 tablespoons of lemon juice - fresh or concentrated from a 99-cent plastic lemon.
• Pita bread slices - or your favorite sliced raw veggies.

Directions
Drain a can of garbanzo beans.

Add all ingredients (including oil from marinated eggplant) to a blender or food processor and blend for 20 to 30 seconds until hummus is creamy.

Serve with sliced pita bread triangles and/or fresh chopped veggies (carrots, celery, red/yellow bell pepper, etc.), 99c only Stores also sell roasted red bell pepper in a jar, so try that sometime instead of eggplant.

If your local 99-cent or dollar store is out of bottled roasted veggies, make a plain one with the above-mentioned ingredients and the addition of a 1/4 cup of the 99-cent olive oil blend.

Hindsight
I use sesame seeds in this Hummus recipe. Usually, a paste called tahini is used; if you can find it, then use it - about a tablespoon or two. Tahini tastes like bland peanut butter, so if you can't find sesame seeds or tahini, then add a teaspoon of peanut butter.

I also have a recipe for Baba Ganoush that uses roasted eggplant. Just click here if you want to use fresh roasted eggplant, or if you can't find cheap marinated eggplant in oil. One eggplant should be plenty for this recipe. Eggplants are sometimes sold large-sized, but they shrink a lot when baked or sautéed. Below are Japanese Eggplants, which are smaller than a regular Eggplant.

🌹Mother's Day Recipe Videos - 90 Years Old 💖

I owe it all to Mom, at least where I get my cooking chops (and any good sense I have). Just check out our cooking videos below to see what I mean. She grew up in Texas on the Gulf Coast, in a small shrimping and fishing town called Port O'Connor. There, I learned to love seafood.

Her father was a shrimp boat captain, so we had all the fresh-caught seafood Big Daddy would bring home, including shrimp that fell off the big boat's conveyor belt while unloading his catch. 

                                                    Port O'Connor Slideshow

Shrimp season was short, but crab and oyster season soon followed. And you could always cast a line into the warm Gulf waters and marshes for bountiful fishing.

Big Daddy & Big Mama

Mom stopped cooking a few years ago, so all the following recipes are what she used to cook for us back in the day. 

The following recipe comes from her parents' kitchen: Shrimp and Rice. It uses locally caught shrimp, cheap canned tomato paste, and rice. We always had creamy pinto beans and flour tortillas to scoop up all the deliciousness. Our family seldom had steak as it was too expensive, but we had all the Gulf seafood we could eat. Looking back, I didn't realize how good we had it !

Mom's Shrimp & Rice - VIDEO

Mom had movie-star looks (like a young Elizabeth Taylor) and smarts, and a scholarship to college if she wanted it, but had no encouragement from her parents.

So after high school graduation, she was soon married, and I arrived on the scene, followed by my brother and sister.

Billy, Berry, and Brenda

My Dad was in the military, so we moved around. Mom and us kids eventually settled back in Port O'Connor after a divorce. Dad was quite a character and the life of the party, but he was also a little too profligate in the alcohol consumption department.

Billy Doyle Robinson

Mom went back to work as a waitress, so I learned how to literally pinch pennies when she poured handfuls of customer tips on the kitchen table for us kids to separate and count.

Mom got back on her feet and found love again with this shuffleboard-playing fellow below, Ken.

After a couple of years, Mom married Ken, and a final sister was born (catch up with youngest sister Denise's Eggplant Recipe, video here).

We moved to neighboring Louisiana the year I enrolled in Junior High School. There, she picked up a whole other way of cooking, Cajun-style.

My high school daze was spent in Gonzales, Louisiana, the self-professed Jambalaya Capital of the World. So you know this town is serious about chow. Click here to see a culinary video tour of some local Cajun cuisine at the weekend Flea Market, including Crawfish Pie, Boudin Balls, and, of course, Jambalaya.

And here's our first video we made together in my Los Angeles kitchen - and my late wife, Amy, even makes an appearance at the very end of the video. You'll get a kick out of Mom rockin' the cast-iron kettle. I make her Cajun Jambalaya more than any other recipe - it's simply delicious.

Jambalaya - Recipe Video

Here is a link to her Jambalaya recipe with text and yummy photos.

Mom was always popular with my high school buddies, especially during lunch or dinner time. She brought her Tex-Mex Enchiladas to Cajun Country, and my Louisiana friend Marvin ate them up!

Me, Marvin & Dennis

During a recent Louisiana visit, I had him over when I filmed Mom making Tex-Mex Enchiladas. Marvin liked the Enchiladas so much, he had a flashback to our high school daze.

Make sure to watch my wacky recipe video to the end, that's when our flashback hijinx really gets smoking (wink, nudge).

Mom's Chili Cheese Enchiladas - Recipe Video

Mom takes a star turn with her next video recipe, her popular Chicken and Sausage Gumbo.

It's a traditional Southern dish, and it's cheap, too. Just chicken, sausage, and the Cajun veggie trinity of bell pepper, celery, and onion. What gives Gumbo its unique taste is a dark brown roux, which is flour cooked in oil until chocolate brown.

Just check out the video below - Mom will take you through the steps. And, as an added bonus, my oldest sister Brenda makes a nagging appearance a few minutes in.

Gumbo - Recipe Video

Click here to read all about making Mom's homemade Gumbo, from roux to rice!

My Mom's Cajun Potato Salad is the perfect side to her Gumbo and Jambalaya. When she visited me in Los Angeles, I got her to do it on camera. I couldn't help but give her a hard time about the recipe. I called it Cajun Mashed Potatoes, and she called it Cajun Potato Salad - well, I guess you'll have to watch the video below to see who wins that argument!

Mom's Cajun Potato Salad - Recipe Video

I satiate my sweet tooth during visits with Mom. And the best of her pastry delights are Mini-Pecan Pies. If I couldn't make it for the Christmas holiday, then she would send a shoe-box-sized package with a dozen of these tasty pies.

Mom attracts a kitchen full of hungry relatives when these pies come hot out of the oven. And it's a miracle they were done right because this Chef de Shutterbug was shoving a camera in her face (and a hot oven) during the whole procedure. We butted heads a few times, but fortunately, it all turned out fine.

I even came up with a way to dodge the high prices for pecans, so check out the video below to learn my budget secrets.

Mini-Pecan Pie - Recipe Video

And click here to see Mom's Mini-Pecan Pies recipe with text and tasty photos.

Mom has lived half her life in Gonzales, Louisiana. She is a big local sports fan, and you can always find her following her teams, the New Orleans Saints football, and recently the Pelicans basketball. I've learned not to touch the third rail sports rivalry, L.A. Lakers and Rams, West Coast vs the South...well, sometimes we have a good-natured spat!

One of my visits there fell on Christmas, and she pulled out all the stops with a huge holiday spread that included Pumpkin Pie. I got her on video making it, and it turned out perfect, as you will see below.

The recipe is a traditional one made with simple ingredients. The pumpkin came from a can, but the crust was handmade with wheat flour, based on her beloved, late sister-in-law, Cindy's recipe.

Pumpkin Pie - Recipe Video 

All the easy-to-follow steps are written out here, and with delish photos, too.

Now, Mom is no angel -- hey, who is? Recently, my brother from another daddy, the Swamp Chef, showed up with his Spanish moss beard.

Me, Mom, & the Swamp Chef

When I asked Mom, "Who's the Swamp Chef's daddy?" Her reply was: "That's a very good question!" I guess Mom will spill the beans one day, until then, check out the video below for a dessert good enough to cajole the Swamp Chef out of the bayou!

Cherry Pie - Recipe Video

Happy Mother's Day to all of you lovely ladies, and especially to my Mom - I love you!