I love my kitchen and all the great gadgets that live in my kitchen with me.  Most appliances big or small were recommended by someone else or they were purchased through the dreaded KITCHEN ENVY.  Yes, we all have experienced it during a dinner party or visiting with a friend.  You see them from across the room, shiny and new, sitting on the counter… a new set of kitchen knives.  Or are they old and have just been sharpened so they look like life has been brought back to these “Kings of the Kitchen”? 

What is a kitchen without a set of knives?  Well, that would be a break room located in Corporate USA, so I hope that isn’t at your home address.  The knives make the kitchen but it is how you use the knives that can make the meal.  It is for this reason that attending an Essential Knife Skills class is a must for every good chef cooking or just a great class to brag about attending. 

During March, Duplicate That will offer Essential Knife Skills class on every Saturday at 2:30pm.  Chef George will teach basic cutting skills and handling techniques in using your kitchen knives. Since a knife is in your hands during most of your meal preparation, Chef will show you how best select a knife that best fits your needs and share tips for keeping all your cutlery sharp and well maintained at home.

Visit www.duplicatethat.com to sign up for a class and see how Chef George’s “King of the Kitchen… Knives” are well treated. 

Yes, kitchen envy can be mild or sometimes a severe symptom that can only be cured by going to the store and purchasing an item, but sometimes having perfect knife skills will make your guest ask “Where did you learn to cut that fish?” and you will have that

A Reality Show is coming right to your neighborhood kitchen, Duplicate That Catering Kitchen.  No cameras, no scripts and no big ego actors but tons of the fun and crazy antics that go along with a reality show.  Yes, you have seen the show with celebrities and your local baker competing for top dog by baking the best tasting, best looking and the best creative cupcake.  Is it WAR or just a Big Party?  Well you can have a Cupcake War for a party and your guests will love every minute. 

Duplicate That Catering will host your Cupcake War Party and your guest can walk away a winner.  Cupcake War parties is an idea Chef George wanted to embrace after watching an episode and knew his client would have a great time competing to bake, decorating and be a top baker. 

Chef George turns his Forney Kitchen into a baking stage, he provides all the baking materials and you just have to provide the guests.  Age doesn’t matter, kids from 8 on up have enjoyed making themed cupcakes while Corporate USA has taken this fun party atmosphere and used it as a Team Builder.  “Sales Reps are highly competitive and they don’t like to lose.  This type of a party, team builder forces them to work as a team for that one common goal, To Win.” says Chef George. If competition isn’t up your alley with cupcakes, then try one of Chef George’s cooking classes that is geared towards baking and decorating. 

The cupcake has been around since the early 1800′s but it was Martha Stewart in 2010 published a cook book just to cupcakes.  In the last few years cupcakes have “taken not just the cake” but also prime time TV.  

Chef George won’t have TV cameras and doesn’t promise you a starring role in a future reality show, but he does guarantee this will be a party you will remember and your guests will be talking about for years.  Call us at the kitchen at 214-543-9339 and let us discuss your next War Date, because it’s a Party.

The holidays seem to carry many traditions and sometimes we like to start new ones.  I always like to reflect on how different my favorite traditional holiday dishes are since my mom is Italian and my dad is British.

For New Year’s, I love to enjoy Beef Wellington.  Christmas was always about my mom’s family, lots and lots of Italian food.  So for New Year’s, my British Grandfather Hanford would always make Beef Wellington.  This was always a visit I enjoyed taking, watching him season the beef and preparing the pastry. I remember his techniques and use them often while I prepare many of my specialty dishes.

Growing up with two distinct cultures with very different traditions has made me appreciate other cultures and their traditions.  What are your favorite holiday traditional dishes?  How are you going to bring in the New Year 2012?  I am very excited to share more food ideas, traditions, flavors and to hear back from everyone on what you crave for…..

Happy New Year! Chef George

Is it the boss’ holiday party that makes you feel like your party can never compete against his or your best friend who always one ups you on her food presentation? Not this year, you scream out in the middle of Central Market.

Every year you attend a holiday party and promise yourself, “I am going to take my party to the next level of entertaining.” I made this very exact New Year’s resolution and yes I do remember it even if it was over 11 months ago. This year my holiday party is going to be on the “A” List with my friends. New house, new decorations, and new holiday hors d’oeuvers, with the help of a few cooking classes and plenty of time I will fulfill this resolution.

Duplicate That Catering in the Forney kitchen is offering two cooking classes this month that highlights holiday hors d’oeuvers which will certainly broaden any novices’ cooking skills and will impress even the most cynical taste buds that attend your party. On Saturday, November 12, Chef George will share his culinary skills with us so that we too can embrace asparagus, the veggie that makes everyone say aww, wrapped in flaky phyllo dough and prosciutto. Bring on the Brie, the royal cheese of cheese. Chef’s leading lady is the Raspberry Brie Tart, the “King’s Cheese” topped with raspberries known as the “fruit caviar”.

George will take you out of the holiday box so you can imagine your holiday party a classic on the Lifetime Channel and one which friends will talk about till Valentine’s Day. The standard nuts and veggie platter will not look like you just ran out to the local grocery store. Visually he will spice up your holiday table all the while the flavors of his Spice Nuts and his famous Dales Dates will spice up your guests dancing taste buds.

This year when friends ask for the recipe of my mouth water munchies, I will be happy to impress them with adventures of attending a cooking class at Duplicate That, along with my desire to be a junior Paula Dean. Of course in my sweetest southern drawl. No need to hand out recipes to guests, just the website www.duplicatethat.com so they can attend a cooking class if they want to impress me next year. This is what I Crave for….

Winners of the AIWF Caesar Salad Competition from the past 19 years will convene on Sunday, Oct. 30 at the Westin Galleria in Dallas to battle it out for the CAESAR MAGNUS. XX Caesar Salad Competition will rival some of the best known Chefs in Dallas including Brian Luscher of The Grape. Brian will take his team which includes Chef George Hanford of Duplicate That in Forney, to create the best Caesar of the night. Brian has inspired George over the years with many of his signature dishes, including his Courtney Salad and Banana Fosters Bread Pudding. The Grape is always on George’s list of Dallas Restaurant Must Eat At and enjoys not only entertaining dear friends and associates, but values Brian’s culinary talents. ”To be personally invited by Brian to be on his team is not only a thrill of the competition, which I love, but an honor to be working right next to Brian and serving an incredible Caesar Salad” said George. “Everyone should come out and see all the Chefs battle in this competition. A Caesar is not just a salad, it is the leader of all salads with such a greatness only Caesar would acknowledge,” says Chef George. For me, romaine is the lettuce that is the heart and soul while the dressing is what I Crave For!

Short Stack, Flap Jacks, and a plate of Silver Dollars, Pancakes a universal breakfast item that anyone at any age can enjoy. So no matter where you live in the world, breakfast is defined by how you eat your pancakes. In Forney, Texas it looks like people love their pancakes from Duplicate That for breakfast. The French like their crepes filled with fruit or cream cheese but Chef George and his blueberry pancakes will make any fruit pancake lover scream J’ai besoin de plus! It isn’t blueberry from a jar that makes these pancakes sweet and full of antioxidents. It’s the true defination of Blueberry Hill that makes your heart sing, I found My thrill. But he doesn’t stop there, this week Chef George is honoring the famous October squash the pumpkin. All month Chef has had pumpkin muffins, pumpkin bread and now his Pumpkin Pancakes. Breakfast with Pumpkin Pancakes and a sidekick named Bacon can be your autumn superhero. With the temperatures outside crisp in the morning, a hot cup of coffee with pumpkin pancakes will give you the energy to not only enjoy the nice sunny fall days but the desire to create your own pumpkin treat. Pumpkins are not only for breakfast or desserts but they can be an incredible meal as a bowl of pumpkin soup. Full of antioxidents it is a squash that is sometimes overlooked unless of course you carve your own scary version of a jack-o-lantern….It’s what I crave for!

Yes, we found it and without the help of Indiana Jones. Our travels through NYC during the 2011 Food and Wine Festival brought many delights. But the artichoke pizza from Artichoke Basille Pizza Company not only wooed me and George but tempted us to try and eat a whole pie and then some. Our first introductions happened on Sunday “Holy Night” at the Guy Fieri Garage Party Closing Night at Highline Studios.

The pizza didn’t jump out at us but it kindly yelled out our name from across the warehouse as other party goers were inhaling pizza by the very large slices. A gold glowing aura surrounded the table that the pizza crew served the “golden egg” pizza and very generously, I must add. My plate was the same size as the 6’2″ guy next to me but my pie slice was twice his size…. little ladies can pack it away when we want to. Back to the pizza, this is one instance that size does matter, because on this very large pizza slice came an incredible dose of the heavenly cream sauce sprinkled with romano cheese and spinich. Of course the leading actor, Mr Artichoke was highlighted by nice tender chunks that had cream sauce hanging on every leaf. Can I have an AMEN?

This pizza is not only a Friday night movie pizza, a first date I will marry you pizza, this is the Super Bowl, World Series and World Cup Pizza of Pizza. So next time you think you have a little slice of heaven waiting in your hands and you think the best pizza pie needs red sauce and italian meat. Just remember the Holy Grail is one that we are always hunting for and it’s not in a cave it is in NYC corner of 10th and 17th…and soon to Duplicate That! It’s what I crave!

Chef George and I at The Standard. We have enjoyed the Wine Food & Festival along with NYC food establishments, suggested by our fans and friends. Great Lobster Bisque (The Lobster Place, Chelsea Market), Molletteos (El Paso Spanish Harlem), and Vesuvius (in Little Italy) and of course the Malbec at The Standard. We have covered many miles by foot and train watching locals as they eat from Street Trucks or from the small cafe countertops. As we enjoyed the rich and lovely foods we have discovered many tastes that will come back to the wide open ranges of North Texas.