I love it, and so I submitted a proposal to FoodBuzz 24×24 to do a FRIED CHICKEN FACE OFF, you know how I love a good taste test.

Much to my surprise they accepted my proposal and I found a bunch of friends who were more than willing to sacrifice their hearts and minds for this challenge. I say that literally because with 8 different fried chickens I think they now have clogged arteries.

The competitors:
A: Popeye’s
B: Knott’s Berry Farm
C: KFC
D: The Loft Hawaiian style fried chicken
E: Louisiana Fried Chicken
F: Albertson’s supermarket
G: Dinah’s Family Restaurant
H: Litz Restaurant

I laid each one out in it’s own basket, then gave everyone ballots to record their thoughts.

Tastiest flavor. Most Juicy. Greazy factor. Best Overall Chicken.

Everyone had a different opinion. Some liked spicy, some people liked more crunch, some people thought greazy was a good thing while others thought greazy was a BAD thing.

I invited friends all with kids around the same age – and the kids took part too. While they didn’t eat all 8 fried chickens of course, they still enjoyed ‘filling out the ballots’ and choosing their favorite. I don’t know if they realized I had only given them two different ones to try…

I put out some palate cleansers for in between bites: Chicken in a Biskit, Corn Salad, Celery and Carrots and of course…

…cupcakes! I CAN’T have a party without making cupcakes.

But chicken was the focus here. And the winner?

Albertson’s. What.

It was a true shocker because it was the one I added as kind of a joke. A supermarket fried chicken? The cheapest of them all? Crazy. But everyone loved it and it got the most points overall. The second place by only a few points was Dinah’s, which was also mighty tasty. The loser? Knott’s. ~sniff~

All in all it was great fun, and like every taste test there are surprises. Now I just need to figure out what to do with 10 zillion lbs of leftover fried chicken. Yikes.

**I know everyone is saying, where’s Honey Kettle, where’s Roscoe’s, Huckleberry, etc. and believe me, they were all on the list plus many more. But in alllll the years of taste tests I’ve done – 8 or 9 is pretty much the limit on anything. After that it’s all a blur. Therefore a Round 2 is probably in order…

My proposal revolved around something I truly believe in: buying local produce at farmer’s markets and making healthy meals for your kids. The Kid has been asking for cooking lessons, but since losing my job, expensive classes just aren’t in the cards right now. So I thought, why can’t I do it myself?

The Kid has always taken great interest in watching me put together meals. At just 5 years old he already knows his way around the kitchen. We started off by planning a menu and came up with recipes that incorporated a lot of fruits and vegetables, then headed off to the Farmer’s Market.

My favorite Farmer’s Markets are the Santa Monica and the Hollywood. They are two of the biggest markets in the city. At the Hollywood you might run into celebrities, at the SaMo you might run into famous chefs – everyone in this town loves fresh produce, folks. Both markets are large and carry a diverse number of produce vendors. We started off with our ‘menu’ and went up and down the stalls looking for what we needed.The Kid has been my littlest sous chef on many of my meals, so I got him started washing and separating what was needed. I also tried to choose things that were easy prep and incorporated different cooking techniques for him to learn. Something in the oven, something on the stove, something on the grill. Perhaps a bit ambitious, but he was very excited to give it a go. Here’s a rundown of our menu, and what we bought for those recipes specifically from the Farmer’s Market:
Creme Fruit
strawberries, apples, grapes

Broccoli Salad
broccoli, red onion

Avocado + Grapefruit Salad
avocado, oro blanco grapefruit, ruby red grapefruit

Potato/Sweet Potato Fries
potatoes, sweet potatoes, lemon, garlic

Lettuce Wraps
garlic, ginger, carrots, green onions, mushrooms, lemon

Grilled Shrimp with homemade Tzatziki sauce
cucumber, dill, lemon, garlic

Cherry Buttermilk Ice Cream Sandwiches
Cherries, lemon, ginger

O.G. who was front and center for this meal, and in her O.G. ways – complained that “Food today is so fresh. We always used to cook it until it was completely limp and colorless. I like it like that.” Ok…well that ain’t happening at this meal, sorry. For the recipes I put together for this particular meal, most of the fruits and veggies are ever so slightly cooked, or not cooked at all. All the nutrients and it makes for a much fresher tasting meal. Unless you like lifeless broccoli – then head over to O.G.’s house.

I know we are lucky to live a place where food is colorful and available year round, but cooking seasonally can be a lot of fun wherever you live. The kids play a major part in my meal planning, because I like to make sure they are always trying different foods, testing flavors and seeing what they truly like to eat.Cooking doesn’t have to be a chore if you pick simple, fresh recipes. Fresh produce was a major part of this meal but what the Kid enjoyed most (so he said), was spending time working in the kitchen with me.

You can find all the recipes here:
Creme Fruit
Broccoli Salad
Avocado + Grapefruit Salad
Potato/Sweet Potato Fries
Lettuce Wraps
Grilled Shrimp with homemade Tzatziki Sauce
Cherry Buttermilk Ice Cream Sandwiches

And see all the photos, here.

Part of Food Buzz 24, 24, 24: Cooking with Kids and the Farmer’s Market

Two of the Kid’s favorite things: cucumbers and yogurt. Since he also a fan of shrimp, when I mentioned this as a possibility for Food Buzz 24, 24, 24, his eyes lit right up. Also it was really easy for a little sous chef to help out with.

ingredients:
1 pint Greek yogurt
1 sliced hothouse cucumber
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Salt and pepper
skewers
1 pound uncooked large shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails left intact

If you are using wood skewers as I like to do, make sure you soak them in water NOW. That will keep them from burning on the grill.

In a small bowl, mix yogurt, cucumber, dill, garlic, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside in the fridge.

Prep your grill by brushing it with oil. Take your skewers and skewer the shrimp on, brush with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Grill on both sides until pink, about 3 minutes per side. Serve with tzatziki sauce.

Part of Food Buzz 24, 24, 24: Cooking with Kids and the Farmer’s Market

Another one of the kids favorite dishes. I think because it’s easy enough for them to help with and it’s so creamy and flavorful.

ingredients:
2 cups strawberries
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 cup apples
4 Tablespoons creme fraiche
2 Tablespoons maple syrup

Wash and pat dry all the fruits. Quarter the strawberries, and cut the apples into rather tiny pieces. Along with the blueberries, put all the fruit into a bowl, add the creme fraiche, and the maple syrup, stir until the fruit is covered.

You can serve it right away or leave it in the fridge til you’re ready to eat!