1, 2, 3...It's Easy Just Vote For Me...In The Competition Called PFB...

Voting Ends October 7th

Can you believe that I made it to Round 3 of the Project Food Blog Competition?! Me neither!! But, since I did make it, it's that time of week again. Time to Vote! ha. Thank you so much to everyone who voted for me the past two rounds! Now, I need your help once again. You have until October 7 to cast your vote for me so that I can make it past the the third round!! :D

Have you seen my Third Round Entry? No? No worries, here it is Project Food Blog: "Luxury Dinner Party". Hopefully you liked my "upscaling" of "American Comfort Food" classics. It's a simple meal that is packed with flavor! So, show me that you're packed with love and turn my dull grey heart into a vibrant red heart on FoodBuzz!! 

Go to FoodBuzz, create an account if you haven't already, and vote for my blog entry. Simply click the heart and by the magic of the internet, it will magically turn red. haha. Just go here to vote. You can also go to my Project Food Blog Profile and vote from there. Every vote counts!! Thanks!!

-Aaron John

My Food Outings: AJ's Food Adventure

Facebook Fan Page

Project Food Blog: "Luxury Dinner Party"

Yo DJ, Spin That Track!

"Hey, have you heard that you made it to Round Three?"

"OMG! Are you serious?! You all chose me?!"

No words can express how grateful I am

I'm serious, ya'll are just like fam

How great it feels to make it through

*Teardrop* I think I need a tissue

I was debating whether to end the rhymes

But I'm just having a grand ol' time

So here's another rhyme just for you

Hopefully, you'll like this one too

In this competition, I feel like an underdog

Struggling to survive and glad that you all read my blog

To be honest, I was completely in shock

Now, I'm standing my ground and ready to rock!

Have a Luxury Dinner Party and make a post

You, yourself, will be the host

Create a menu and invite some guests

Sounds intimidating? Just do your best

Be comfortable with who you are as a cook

Don't cook a meal from the fanciest of books

Stay true to what you know

Your efforts will definitely show

Your guests will be impressed with what you serve

The compliments, you will surely deserve

All that matters is to have fun with those you care about

So, while you're in the kitchen, don't freak out

You took the time to create a fantastic meal

The memories you make will be unreal

Don't you love parties? The whole passing out invites, calling people and creating events on Facebook to spread the word gets exciting! There's just something about parties that bring back so many memories. Being with family and friends, eating all the food you can eat (buffet style) and of course, singing karaoke, a filipino staple event. When everyone is loud and you are able to hear laughter from everywhere in the house, you definitely know it's a fantastic party. Sometimes our Filipino parties last until 2 AM!! We do whatever it takes to have a great time! Us Filipinos do it big. ha.

For challenge #3 of this competition, I think Ina Garten said it best when hosting dinner parties, "Keep it simple". Who wants to be in the kitchen cooking during a party anyway? Just because a dinner menu is simple, it doesn't mean it can't be delicious. It can be just as delicious, or even more delicious, as the half-dollar sized food you get at fancy restaurants. As long as you have great food and great people around, memories are bound to be made. That's my definition of a "Luxury Dinner Party". There's no need to stress about having a dinner party. Have confidence in yourself and you'll do fine. Even if you burn the meal, you still get points for effort!

What did I plan for this special event? An "american comfort food" dinner with a twist. This twist being a little upscaling of the meal. Don't be worried when I say "upscaling". It's simple, really. You make a concept for a meal and you simply change the components of some of the dishes so it's not the same ol' dish anymore. For instance, instead of a salad dressed with maybe "Thousand Island Dressing", try a vinaigrette instead and even use a variety of lettuces. Mashed potatoes? Change it up and roast baby yukon gold potatoes. These little changes can change up the whole meal instantly and it makes you look even more gourmet than before, not to mention, it can even save you time. I also decided to keep with the "Filipino Tradition" and keep the main course Buffet Style!!

Pesto Crostini 

Make a pesto crostini the way you want it. Extra Pesto? Extra Garlic? It's up to you.

Mixed Green Salad
Tender, crisp lettuces, crisp and nutty almonds, tart and fruity cranberries, salty feta cheese dressed with a tangy yet sweet white balsamic dressing

I just noticed, with the crostini and salad  already eaten, it's kind of empty. ha. Oh well, we were full on the inside. lol

All American Pot Roast
A delicious, mouthwatering, piece of pot roast that has been cooked until fork tender. Cooked with carrots, celery, leeks and red wine. Served with roasted rosemary potatoes that are crisp on the outside and creamy on the inside and simple roasted green asparagus 

Apple Crisp

An All-American Dessert For An All-American Dinner. Tender yet al dente apples that are cooked with cinnamon and nutmeg. Topped with a buttery sweet and crunchy streusel that is to die for.

Tips/Advice For Dinner Parties 

-Make something you can handle. Don't make something you've seen in a magazine and "decide" to make that day. Using guests as guinea pigs is not a great idea at all. 

-When creating a menu, start with the main course and work your way around it to create a theme.

-When prepping for the party, think of what you can do in advance. Whether it be chopping vegetables, making the dessert and whatnot. Luckily for me, my dishes didn't need that much prep work! YAY!!

-Making everything from scratch is not needed. Take all the help you can get and take short cuts along the way. For instance, pre-made salad mixes have really improved over the years. 

-If your friend/relative offers to bring a dish, let them. Why not? At every filipino at my house, there are at least 3 or 4 dishes brought by someone. The more food the merrier, I always say! ha.

-Most importantly, have fun! There's nothing worse than guests seeing you stressed out.

Don't forget to vote again from October 4 to 7. 

It's simple. Just go to my PFB Profile HERE during those dates. 

Thanks for the support! :)

-Aaron John

My Food Outings: AJ's Food Adventure

Facebook Fan Page

Round 2 Of Project Food Blog Is Here And I Need Your Vote! :D

Voting Ends September 30th

It's that time of week again. Time to Vote for me! ha. Thanks to everyone who helped me make it past round one. Let me tell you, when I found out, I was extremely excited I was jumping up and down. It made my day. Now, I need your help once again. You have until September 30th to vote for me so that I can make it past the second round.

Hopefully you've seen my Second Round Entry, Project Food Blog: "The Classics", for this competition. (I procrastinated and posted at the last minute XD). If you love Pad Thai as much as I do and you loved my partially rhyming post, it's your turn to help me out! 

Go to FoodBuzz, create an account if you haven't already, and vote for my blog entry. Simply click the heart and by the magic of the internet, it will magically turn red. haha. Just go here to vote. You can also go to my Project Food Blog Profile and vote from there. Every vote counts and it'll mean the world to me!!

-Aaron John

My Food Outings: AJ's Food Adventure

Facebook Fan Page

Project Food Blog: "The Classics"

Drop the beat!

The first round of the PFB Competition is now done

Thanks to everyone who helped me make it past round one

Now here we go again with another rhyme

I promise you I won't be wasting your time

Don't worry, I won't rhyme throughout the whole post

I just want to make a simple toast

Congrats to everyone else that made it this far

But, you all should know I'll be raising the bar 

For the second round we have to make a classic dish

Choose what you want, it can even be fish

Make a dish from a different cuisine outside your comfort zone

Something more challenging than a simple ice cream cone

For the first time I will be posting something savory on my blog

In this special event, you definitely know it won't be a hot dog

By now you should be asking, "What are you making dude?"

For this special event, let's make some Thai Food!

With that being said, this rhyme is complete

It's now time to get serious and compete! :D

Since I made it past the first round of the PFB competition, I think it's now time to bring a little asian persuasion to this competition. ha. Thai Food is a cuisine that I am obsessed with, particularly the noodle dishes. I've even been known to eat at least two Thai meals a week. (And I'm not even Thai! Talk about dedication!) The great balance of sweet, sour, salty and spicy, without either one overpowering one another, takes real skill. Let's get ready to tackle the, ever so famous, extremely iconic, most desired, Pad Thai!

The Mise En Place

Pad Thai, is defined as "Stir-fried rice noodles, egg, bean sprouts, shrimp, peanuts and seasonings". Define it how you will, to me it's good eating! lol. For a well made Pad Thai, it either requires you to be either A. Thai or B. Eat at a delicious Thai Restaurant. Now, I've had my share of bad Pad Thai, (Hint: The Pad Thais that use ketchup...) but it wasn't until I ate Pad Thai that was Tamarind Based, two years ago, that I fell in love with it. Having a Tamarind Base, it has a distinct flavor. You can taste every single layer of flavor in the dish. The tender rice noodles that have soaked up this sweet, sour, salty, spicy, garlic-y tamarind based sauce, mixed with eggs, chicken and tofu, or whatever protein you desire, to give body to the dish, bean sprouts for crunch, peanuts for more added crunch and nuttyness and green onions for that onion-y bite. Then to top it all off, when the steaming hot noodle dish is served to you, you take that wedge of lime, squeeze it right on top for the added tang. YUM! Am I making your mouth water yet? I am, huh? Talk about heaven in a bowl! Mmmmm, I can taste it now. Literally. ha.

Adding Eggs To The Cooked Noodles, Chicken And Tofu

Surprisingly, Pad Thai is not as hard to make as many would think. The sauce does take time but it only involves reducing the sauce. Labor intensive? I think not. Also, you do end up with quite a bit of sauce left at the end but that just means you can make Pad Thai any time you want! :D If the thought of having multiple Pad Thai nights doesn't persuade you, I don't know what will. ha. Just throw all your ingredients into the wok or pan, add some sauce and BAM! you have yourself some Pad Thai. (I just had to release my inner Emeril "BAM!"). I believe the key to Pad Thai is to NOT substitute ingredients!! It's the only way to have the right flavor. To stay true to the cuisine and dish, stay true to the recipe.

Pad Thai Anyone?

Now, what are you waiting for? Go out and make yourself some Pad Thai! You know you want to.  Your stomach is waiting! hehe.

Don't forget to vote again from September 27 to 30. 

Just go to my PFB Profile HERE during those dates. 

Thanks for the support! :)

-Aaron John

My Food Outings: AJ's Food Adventure

Facebook Fan Page

It's Time To Vote Your Hearts Out!

Look to the right of your screen, now back to this post, now back to the right of your screen, now back to this post. The difference? You can click the "Vote For Me" button on the one to the right of your screen while the one above is just a picture. Either way, the main message is to Vote For Me! ha. You have until the 23rd to vote for me so that I can make it past the first round.

By now, you've seen my Competition Entry, Project Food Blog: "Ready, Set, Blog!", for this competition and hopefully you loved my creative take on expressing who I am and why I blog. Now, it's your turn to help me out! Go to FoodBuzz, create an account if you haven't already, and vote for my blog entry by turning my grey, sad heart, into the happy, red heart, it should be! haha. Just go here to vote. You can also go to my Project Food Blog Profile and vote from there. Every vote counts and it'll mean the world to me!!

-Aaron John

My Food Outings: AJ's Food Adventure

Facebook Fan Page

Project Food Blog: "Ready, Set, Blog!"

Let the "Project Food Blog" Competition begin!! Today marks the first event in the competition hosted by FoodBuzz, "Ready, Set, Blog!": Why do you think you have what it takes to be the next food blog star? What makes your blog unique and sets you apart from other food blog brands?

Here I am today trying to persuade you that I'm the Next Food Blog Star,

Of course I'm going to say yes, is that so bizarre?

While thinking of what to post on my blog, it was pretty hard

Sort of like the hardening of arteries when you eat too much lard (hehe)

I wrote and wrote until I finished the post

After reading it over, it was like a simple piece of toast

It was something bland and boring

And it would have had you snoring

Then I decided to re-do the whole thing

To be creative and have something with a little "zing"

But what can I do to stand out from the crowd?

Make it rhyme of course, so you all will be "wowed"

Why am I the Next Food Blog Star, you ask?

Well, that right now, is my task

Cooking and Baking wasn't stereotypical for a 13 year old boy to do

Instead, it was cars and sports and them saying "That's for you!"

I, myself, knew that wasn't for me

I mean, I didn't want to end up sweaty, dirty and achy

So, I kept it a secret for nearly 6 years

Can you believe I was sort of living in fear?

When my talents were accepted the day they were unveiled

All I did was smile and exhale

I'm now 19 years old

I've now realized that my talents are gold

Now I have this blog where I can share all the food I make

Mostly sharing what I will bake

I'm at the point where I am proud of what I can do

Now, here are more reasons why I am the Next Food Blog Star too

Being in the kitchen is where I love to be

To Cook and Bake is where I am Me

I'm here to show you all what I can really make and do

To share my Filipino Culture with all of you

I mean, do you really want to read about Chocolate Cupcakes all day?

I want to show you something from my culture that makes you say "Hey!"

I'm here to inspire everyone, especially the youngsters out there

To never be afraid to cook, bake and be different for a talent that is rare

I'm here to show people to simply cook and bake with all your heart

To show you how to make your very first fruit tart

I'm here to show people that cooking and baking are not as hard as people say they are

In a way, it's as simple as opening a jar

With a little patience, tricks and tips

It can be as easy as eating salsa and chips

If I was able to cook and bake at 13 years old

Even you can be the star of your household

Of course there'll be mistakes along the way

But once you get it right, you'll be screaming "Hurray!"

I want to show you all the food I've made

So, here's a recap to use as an aid

A Chocolate Chip Cookie started it all

My Blueberry Scones were definitely a downfall

Sticky Buns that caused my mixer to break

A variety of different flavored Mini Cheesecakes

A Carrot Cake with a frosting of cream cheese

I even made cookies that tasted like "Cookies N' Cream"

Red Velvet Cupcakes for my birthday

Here's the rest of my creations up until today

I hope this competition will allow me to grow and improve

To the point where my blog really has a groove

The longer I stay in the competition, the more I will learn

Just think of me as being an intern

I hope reading this post was a blast

I hope you enjoyed the pictures from my blogging past

I guess that is all I have to say for now

I hope this is creative enough to make it past the first round

After all is said and done, I am now finished with the rhyme I made

I will now take a bow and let the lights fade

So Vote for me

From the dates of September 20 to 23

See, you thought I would stop my rhyming a paragraph ago

But I have got you fooled with my witty lingo

But for real, vote for me to become the winner of this contest

So I can be the pride and joy of the Northwest (?) :D

Please Vote For Me From September 20th-23rd!! :DD

-Aaron John

My Food Outings: AJ's Food Adventure

Facebook Fan Page