The above is what I like to call the Frankenstein of meals. Essentially a nice meal of pesto mashed potatoes, herbed chicken tenders and bruschetta... that got into a car wreck. Think Reese's, but with more garlic. At least you can eat it with your hands.

And this is how we got there:

I hope you had fun watching my Tastemaker Challenge videos. Please be sure to rate them if you have a YouTube account. This is a contest and I get a vote for each person who rates my videos. I don't actually win anything, unless you count recognition in potato innovation. But hell yeah, that's better than money and fame!

For the brave souls who would like to try making this, here's the recipe (really, I ate the above, and they are good, just like a cheeseburger, fries and shake is still a cheeseburger, fries and shake if you put it in a blender).

Pesto/Chicken/Bruschetta Open Faced Thing

Chicken:

• 1/2 lb. chicken tenders
• Flour to coat
• Italian herbs (anything you like - I used basil, oregano, thyme, parsley) - enough to mix with the flour to make it herby in appearance
• Salt and Pepper

Bruschetta

• 4 Roma tomatoes, insides scooped out, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tsp minced shallots
• 1/2 cup chopped basil leaves (fresh)
• squeeze of lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Shredded parmesan, for sprinkling
• 4 slices of good crusty bread

Pesto Mashed Potatoes

• 1 lb potatoes
• 2 tablespoons butter melted
• 2 tablespoons pesto
• 3.5 oz half and half

The trick to getting this done in under 30 minutes is integrating the steps amongst the 3 items rather than making these things sequentially. I found this to be quickest:

• Pour flour into a bowl. You don't need that much, maybe a cup or so. Then add the herbs, salt and pepper into it. I never measure, but it's hard to mess this up.
• Coat the chicken lightly with this flour mixture, set aside.
• Wash hands.
• Scoop the insides of the tomatoes out, and chop.
• Chop garlic, shallots and basil.
• Throw it all into a mixing bowl and add olive oil and lemon juice.
• Stir it up, add salt and pepper to taste, and refrigerate.
• Peel potatoes and put into a covered dish. Microwave high for 8 minutes.
• During this 8 minutes, heat up oil in a skillet and place chicken in it.
• After 3 minutes or so, flip the chicken tenders over.
• They should be done around the same time as the potatoes.
• Toast the bread.
• Remove dish from microwave. Mash potatoes. Add butter, half and half, pesto as you mash. Salt and pepper to taste.
• Toast should be done by the time you finish mashing.

To assemble, take the toast, plop some mashed potatoes on top, add a chicken tender, pile on some bruschetta topping and sprinkle parmesan on top.

This is my second entry in the US Potato Board's Tastemaker video contest. This month's theme was Nutrition on a Budget. And as if limiting us to only $10 to feed a family of four weren't bad enough, they challenged us to dance in our videos.

Although we'll be doing this cooking thing live at the United States Potato Board Tastemaker Party at Blissdom 2010 in Nashville, this is the ONLY time I'm dancing for anybody. So you could say this is an exclusive, except that exclusive kind of implies that people actually want to watch this travesty of rhythm I've captured on video.

(If you have a YouTube account, please rate it. We're judged by the number of ratings we garner. Thanks!)

For those of you who still thought my dish looked good even after I ruined your appetite with my nerdtastic gyrations, here's the recipe:

Korean Style Short Rib Lettuce Wraps with Sesame Soy Potato Stix and Scallion Slaw

Ingredients:

Ribs

• 2 lbs crosscut beef shortribs (most Asian/ethnic markets have these for cheap - like $2.99 a pound or something crazy like that).
• 2/3 cup soy sauce
• 3 tbls honey
• 2 tbls sesame oil
• 3 tbl brown sugar
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 bunch scallion, chopped

Combine ingredients and marinate ribs for at least 4 hours. Grill ribs until done, then cut into bite-sized pieces.

Scallion Slaw

• 1 bunch scallion
• 1 tbls soy sauce
• 1 1/2 tsp lime juice
• 1 1/2 tsp sesame oil
• 1/4 tsp sugar

Slice the green part of the scallion into thin slivers. Place in a bowl and add the other ingredients.

Potato Stix

• 2 small-med potatoes
• Sesame oil (to brush)
• Soy sauce (to brush)
• Dash of white pepper
• Salt to taste

Cut the potatoes into thin sticks and line them up on a baking pan. In a bowl, combine 3 parts sesame oil to 2 parts soy sauce. Mix vigorously to combine. Brush mixture onto potato sticks. Bake in 450 degree oven until browned. About 20 min.

Serve with lettuce leaves. Any kind will do. Simply take a leaf, add some potato stix, a few pieces of short rib, some scallion slaw, wrap it all up and shove in your mouth. Deeeelicious.

* * * *

I Guess It IS Genetic

"Is that Captain Underpants?"

"No dad, it's a Captain Underpantey. It's a poster for my new movie."

"Isn't it called Captain Underpants?"

"Captain Underpants is already trademarked so I can't use it. So mine is called Capt. Underpantey."

Just because the boy has never set foot in China doesn't mean he can't finesse the fine line of intellectual property law just like his forefathers.

And even kick it up another level:

Why do I hear Biggie Smalls singing "Federal agents mad cuz I'm flagrant" over and over in my head?

* * * *

57 Channels and Nothing On

So Thanksgiving was quite nice. We travelled up north to d Wife's relatives' house to spend the holiday, and after a crazy Thanksgiving night that saw no less than 58 relatives descend upon the house, we were all too happy to just chill for most of the next day with the TV providing a soothing backdrop for our activities or lack thereof.

The remote was passed around with no real captain at the helm throughout the day. At times, it stopped on a football game; or perhaps the news. Or a DVD. Or a Mel Gibson flick. And when dinnertime rolled around on Friday, it could have been set on any of those channels, and no one would notice nor care.

As we sat in the dining room, I glanced a few times at the TV in the den. And I didn't notice nor care that there was a man with a really bad mustache on the screen. And d wife's cousin probably didn't notice nor care that there was a really twangy bass soundtrack going on when he glanced over. In fact, nobody noticed a thing until...

OH MY GOD!

It took me a few seconds to register what was going on because dinner with the relatives and a girl-on-girl scene are two things that one's brain simply has no pre-programmed contingency for. But within 10 seconds or so, d Wife's uncle was frantically pressing buttons on the remote, her cousin was standing in front of Fury waving her arms to block his line of sight, and the rest of us were shouting "Fury, don't look at the TV!"

With the TV off and everyone back in their places at the table, we sighed in relief at a crisis averted. And Fury of course did his best to make us all feel better.

"Don't worry. I didn't see anything."

And as we all began to chuckle at this close call, he reassured us again.

"Yeah, I was looking down at my food. I didn't even notice the naked girls on the TV."

* * * *

The LA Auto Show - Wanna Go?

When I was 3, my grandfather took me for a walk in Coolidge Corner, where the neighborhood Saab dealer was located. I don't remember much from when I was 3, but I remember that day. I loved cars (my mom tells me that by 3, I could recognize most car models and makes by their hubcaps) and I remember my grandfather walking me into the dealership and annoucing to all the salesmen that his grandson could identify any car. Of course they all played along and pointed to each car and asked me what kind it was. And of course, the answer was Saab every time. These men were so "impressed" that they gave me this:

It was the scale model display Saab from the dealership. I remember thinking "why are they so impressed?? This is a Saab dealer. Of course all the cars are Saabs!" I don't know, maybe I was just a jaded, cynical 3 year old, but I loved this model Saab all the same. And it's the only toy I still have from my childhood.

What does this have to do with the LA Auto Show? Not much, actually. But I'm not the type to just dump info on you without some attempt at a relevant tie-in. I do love cars, though, and so does Fury. And since I moved to California in 1995, I have always wanted to check out the LA Auto Show. And this year we're going, FINALLY.

The 2009 LA Auto Show runs from Dec. 4-13 and I'm personally there to see concept cars for Volvo (what I drive), Audi (what I'd like to drive next) and the Fisker Karma electric car (what I want Santa to leave under my tree).

And you can too! If you want to win tickets, just leave in the comments that you would like to be in the drawing. I'll be picking a random winner to recieve an LA Auto Show Gift Pack valued at over $50 (4 general admission passes to the show, 4 shirts, a messenger bag, and other goodies).

Other highlights at this year's show include 40 new "green vehicles," the Youthmobile 2030 design challenge and a Kids Fun Zone featuring driving simulators.

I better brush up on my hubcaps.

When I was in 4th grade, I spent my summer vacation fighting boredom by playing a game called "Joe's Diner" with my sister. I was Joe, the proprietor of a diner that cooked anything to order. She was Joe, a regular customer (we weren't too original with names) who came in and ordered random stuff. She would ask me about my kids, order an omlette and I'd cook it. Then I'd eat it, and we'd start over. I invented a lot of dishes that summer and learned a ton about how ingredients played off one another. I also learned that even a 9 -year-old's metabolism isn't invincible.

Luckily, I eventually stopped growing outwards and started growing upwards, which allowed me to work various skills in the kitchen without getting into too much trouble from there on out.

Last week, the US Potato Board approached me and said "hey, BusyDad, you want to join 8 other bloggers in a video cook-off contest? You're the only guy."

"What'll you have, Joe?"

I Need Your Vote

So here's how this contest works. For the next three months, I will be producing one video a month highlighting creative ways to cook with potatoes. Each month will feature a special ingredient or theme (Sound familiar? I know!! Awesome!). Each month I will post that video and people will rate it. By the end of the three months, the contestant with the most ratings wins. There's no prize or anything, but to me, being recognized for something that has been my passion since childhood would be kind of awesome. Plus, it would be nice for a dad to be recognized for his prowess in the kitchen for once, wouldn't it? And in February, all of the contestants will be flown to Blissdom for one final showdown, head-to-head, in front of a live audience. Who are my fellow Tastemakers?

Amy at ResourcefulMommy

Jen at Savor the Thyme

Jo Lynne at Musings of a Housewife

Jodi at Mom's Favorite Stuff

Lindsay @ Rock and Roll Mama

Melanie @ MelaDramatic Mommy (I recently met her and we did the staredown already)

Melanie @ Modern Mami

Rachel @ A Southern Fairy Tale (She's a buddy. I would be happy, and not surprised, if she won).

This month's theme was seafood. I chose shrimp. And I think I rocked it. This is what I made:

And here's my video, where the above went down. Please click through to YouTube and rate it. I would appreciate it very much! And if you're interested in testing out my creations, the recipes are below:

Shrimp Chumbo

Ingredients:

1. 1/2 cup clarified butter (unsalted)
2. minced garlic (approx 4 cloves' worth)
3. 1 medium onion, chopped
4. 1 rib celery, chopped
5. 1/2 tsp white pepper
6. 1 tsp cajun spice
7. 1/2 tsp gumbo file powder (ground sassafras)
8. 2 bay leaves
9. 1/4 tsp thyme
10. 1/2 cup flour
11. 4 cups shrimp stock (you can use store bought, but to do it right, get a pound of whole shrimp, shell them, take the heads off, and throw the shells and heads into 5 cups water, along with 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tbls cajun spice, 1/4 tsp black pepper, 1/8 cup lemon juice and a stalk of celery. Then boil for about 15 min, uncovered).
12. 3 cups half and half, divided into two batches of 1 1/2 cups each
13. 1 med potato, diced into 1/2" cubes
14. 1 1/4 tsp salt
15. 1 lb chopped fresh tomatoes
16. 1/2 small can tomato paste
17. 1 lb andouille sausage, cooked

Instructions:

Sautee minced garlic in the clarified butter on low heat for 1 to 2 minutes.

Next throw in your onions and celery, along with the bay leaves and spices (except for salt). Turn the heat up to medium and cook about 5 minutes, until the onions are translucent. It is important to keep it moving! 

Once the onions are translucent, slowly add the flour a little at a time, stirring constantly. Cook this for about 5-7 minutes.

Slowly add your stock a little at a time, to minimize lumping. Add the 1 1/2 cups half and half that you set aside. Slowly bring to a boil. Keep stirring.

After it has simmered for a while, add the diced potatoes and the salt. Stir occassionally for about 10 minutes. Then add the tomatoes and tomato paste. Stir to incorporate.

Add the sausage and shrimp. Cook for another 5 minutes.

Pour in the rest of the half and half (1 1/2 cups). Stir it around for a minute or so and remove from heat.

Serves 6-ish

Shrimp Korroke with Asian Plum Sauce

Ingredients for Korroke:

1. 1 lb potato, peeled and diced
2. 1/2 lb shrimp, chopped
3. Cornstarch, for dusting
4. Oil, for stir frying
5. 1/4  cup scallion, chopped
6. 1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped
7. 1/4 cup shallots, chopped
8. 2 eggs, beaten
9. salt
10. pepper
11. 1/2 cup flour
12. 2 cups panko or unseasoned breadcrumbs
13. oil (for deep-frying)

Ingredients for Plum Sauce:

1. 1 1/2 lbs plums or similar fruit, chopped
2. 4 whole dried apricots, diced
3. 1/4 cup rice vinegar
4. 3/4 cup light brown sugar
5. 1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
6. 1 tbls garlic, minced
7. 1 tbls fresh ginger, minced

To make the Korroke:

Peel and boil the potatoes until tender. Then mash them in a mixing bowl and set aside.

Toss shrimp in cornstarch to lightly coat (you want the pieces to be fairly dry).

Heat up a pan or wok, add oil to cover the entire surface. Add shrimp and red bell pepper. Sautee about 3 minutes, constantly moving the ingredients. Add the scallion (but set a bit aside to garnish), garlic and shallots and sautee for another minute or so.

Remove from heat and dump into the mixing bowl with the potatoes. Mush it around so everything is evenly distributed. Salt and pepper to taste.

Add a quarter of the egg mixture into the bowl and mush some more.

Form patties with the mixture. Dip patties into flour to dust lightly. Then into the egg. Then into the panko breadcrumbs.

Refrigerate patties for about 2 hours.

Deep fry the suckers in 350 degree oil for 3-5 minutes until a desired brownness. Serve with sauce (instructions below) and a sprinkle of the scallions.

Serves approx. 4

To make the sauce:

Combine the all of the ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil, stir to keep sugar from scalding. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until thickened and reduced, about 25 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool.

Transfer to a food processor or use a stick blender and puree until smooth.

Makes about 1 1/2 cups

Funkdafied Potato Chips

Ingredients:

1 lb russet potatoes
1/4 cup chopped leeks (1/2 green part, 1/2 white part)
1/8 cup chopped chives
1 tbls minced garlic
1/4 cup Fresno red pepper (or similar med heat pepper), seeded and chopped
2 Serrano chilis, seeded and chopped
1 tsp sea salt

Instructions:

Preheat the oil in a pot or fryer to about 350 degrees.

With a mandoline or by hand, cut chip-width slices (leave skin on) widthwise.

Add the slices 1 at a time to the hot oil. Use your judgment and make in batches. You don't want to crowd them too much. Constantly move the slices so they don't stick. Do this for about 4 or 5 minutes until crisp. Remove the chips and place them on a plate with a paper towel. Repeat for all the chips.

Once chips are done, combine the leeks, pepper, chilis and garlic into a dip strainer and dip into the hot oil for a few seconds (like 10 to 15). Dump into a bowl. Add the salt to the bowl and mix.

Take a gallon Ziploc or similar bag and place a spoonful of the mixture into it, along with a handful of chips. Close the bag and leave lots of air in it, so there's room to shake. Shake it. Shake it. Shake it, baby. Dump onto a platter. Repeat with more mixture and chips until all the chips are seasoned.

Sprinkle fresh chopped chives on top and serve.

Let me know what you think! And please go rate my video. Thanks!