Cooking with Bruce and Mark

Back in the 60s our parents always cooked pork to well done, to 180 degrees. They said it was to kill any Trichinosis that might be lurking in the meat. Then things started to change. in 2000 the USDA said you only needed to cook pork to 160 then it went down to 150 and now, pork only needs to be cooked to 145 degrees F. And we're talking about whole muscle cuts like roasts or chops. Not ground pork, that still needs to be cooked to 165 degrees F. So why the change? Well, better farming practices have led to almost no trichinosis being found in pork raised in the US. In fact, in 2015 only 11 cases of Trichinosis were documented in the US and those were from eating other wild meat including horse, moose, and bear.  So 145 is the safe temperature to kill any possible pathogens that might be in pork and it's good because pork comes out juicier and more tender at that temperature. But it also comes out pink and that is the most surprising and sometimes scary thing for people who grew up with well done pork. But fear not, it's safe, it's tasty, and it's delicious.

We're back to recipes on Cooking with Bruce and Mark. And this week we bring you one of our favorites from our book THE GREAT AMERICAN SLOW COOKER BOOK. Slow cooker = Crock Pot in case you are not familiar with the term. And this dish Mark made for company last week and we all just flipped. It's braised chicken thighs with parsnips and dried figs with autumnal spices and orange zest. You just can't beat it. And it cooks on its own all day. Listen in and get the recipe. And share the recipe. And make the recipe. Trust us, you'll love the recipe.

We're Bruce Weinstein & Mark Scarbrough, authors of the best-selling GREAT AMERICAN SLOW COOKER BOOK.

We love slow cookers, mostly because we can create a complicated braise with intense flavors without a lot of work. And because we can set it and walk away to your day to come home to a wonderful braise, soup, or stew.

Mark recently made this complex and rich stew for company. It's made with chicken thighs, parsnips, dried figs, autumnal spices, and orange zest for a little zip.

Listen in and get the recipe. And share the recipe. And make the recipe. Trust us, you'll love the recipe.

All through the South, folks salt their fruit. Watermelon, peaches, even apples. And we've heard for years that this tradition makes fruit sweeter. Well, there's a kernel of truth here as the fruit CAN taste sweeter if it's a sour fruit to start with. See, salt has the ability to suppress the sour receptors on your tongue which means the sweetness is going to feel more pronounced if you eat a salted sour fruit, like a green apple. But watermelon? Last time we tasted one it wasn't the slightest bit sour. So adding salt doesn't do anything to your sense of sweetness. Instead you taste a sweet/salty fruit. And that's not a bad thing just don't fool yourself into thinking you're changing the sugar content of your watermelon by sprinkling a little sale on top. 

This week we are back with an incredibly easy and extremely decadent dessert. A rich creamy, mousse-like lemon pudding. Have you got a VitaMix? A Blendtec? A Waring X-treme Pro? OR do you have another high horse-power high RPM blender? Then you need this recipe. We created it to celebrate the launch of our new book THE TURBO BLENDER DESSERT REVOLUTION and this dessert is revolutionary. Rich creamy pudding without turning on the stove or dirtying even one bowl. Just your blender. Listen in and find out how this works and get this amazing recipe. 

Have you got a VitaMix? A Blendtec? A Waring X-treme Pro? OR do you have another high horsepower, high RPM blender? Then you need this recipe for super easy lemon pudding.

We're Bruce Weinstein & Mark Scarbrough. We love turbo blenders. So much so that we even wrote a book about using them to make much more than smoothies: THE TURBO BLENDER DESSERT REVOLUTION.

In this episode of COOKING WITH BRUCE & MARK, we use the heat from the blades, brought on by the high-powered friction, to create a rich, creamy, lemon pudding without turning on the stove or even dirtying a bowl.

Listen in and find out how this works. You'll get this amazing recipe. 

The myth goes like this.... you're freezing in the Alps and a St Bernard comes by with a barrel of Brandy around it's neck. If you drink the brandy you'll stay warm until help arrives. The truth is you'd do better to kill the dog and crawl inside it's warm body to stay warm. Because alcohol dilates your blood vessels and brings them closer to your skin - where they feel a little warmer to the touch, but cool off fast in the cold leaving you to freeze to death in the snow, in the Alps. So, if you're thinking about a snifter of brandy to stave off the cold this winter, try having that brandy in front of a roaring fire. Because the fire is the only thin guaranteed to keep you warm.

It's Appliance Fridays and today we're talking about the most ubiquitous kitchen countertop appliance - the toaster. We all grew up with them: Simple machines that had 2 slots, one lever and a dial for doneness. Today's toasters are a lot more involved and a whole lot prettier than those of our childhood. And they can cost upwards of $400. We put 4 toaster models through their paces to see what all the hype is about and find out what new features and tricks the machines have that we just can't live without. And there are a few. Listen in and discover a world about toast that you never knew existed. 

It's Appliance Fridays and today we're talking about the most ubiquitous kitchen countertop appliance - the toaster. We all grew up with them: Simple machines that had 2 slots, one lever and a dial for doneness. Today's toasters are a lot more involved and a whole lot prettier than those of our childhood. And they can cost upwards of $400. We put 4 toaster models through their paces to see what all the hype is about and find out what new features and tricks the machines have that we just can't live without. And there are a few. Listen in and discover a world about toast that you never knew existed.