Latest news with #TheFoodNetwork
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Chef Niema to appear on Food Network's 'Beat Bobby Flay' this Thursday
Shreveport Chef and Executive Chef at Abby Singer's Niematulai "Niema" DiGrazia, known as Chef Niema, will be gracing the Food Network stage this Thursday. DiGrazia will be on "Beat Bobby Flay" May 29, Season 38, Episode 9, "Fight Like a Lion". This episode will feature chefs Eric Adjepong, Jaymee Sire, Solomon Johnson and DiGrazia. "Being chosen to compete and embrace the stage of the Food Network was mind blowing. A girl who did not go to school to be a chef but was able to showcase her craft," DiGrazia said. DiGrazia has always had to wear her strength and confidence on her sleeve, since escaping Sierra Leone to the neighboring country of Guinea with her family. There her talents for fashion and food emerged through the talents of her late mother, Fatmata Binta Bah. "I am super grateful not to just represent Sierra Leone, but to represent Louisiana as a whole, but specifically the mecca of food... let us rise above New Orleans, because I believe Shreveport-Bossier is the mecca of food," DiGrazia said. DiGrazia was born in Sierra Leone but has lived in the United States for 12 years. "I've lived in places, but not as long as I've lived in the United States of America," she said. When DiGrazia moved to Shreveport, she said she had to showcase the places she lived out of necessity. "I wanted an African place that I can go to and eat good food. I wanted a place where I can go to and shop for good clothing, and it happened to be not available in this area where I find myself," DiGrazia said. "Out of necessity, I was able to create a shopping experience in my home, and then gradually have people taste my food, and they were able to encourage me to take this out into the world and let other people try what I have to offer." She said this opportunity on Food Network didn't just happen by mistake, it's because she has had to put in the work. DiGrazia said it started with an email. "I thought it was a scam," she said. "I didn't think it was real, because all of the chefs in the city they're choosing Chef Niema." She said she responded to one of the emails with her phone number stating if it was a scammer they would not call her. Shortly after that email she got a call asking if she had ever heard of the show "Beat Bobby Flay." "I was flying out from Washington, D.C., to Shreveport, and I paused and did a dance at the airport," she said. "Then I went back to the phone, and I said, 'Yes, actually, he's my icon.' And they were like, 'We know you didn't apply for this, so we wanted to see if you're available.'" DiGrazia agreed to the competition and said, "any opportunities that fall on my lap, I take it. It's either win or lose. But one thing I'm going to do, I'm going to show up, show out and be myself." To watch DiGrazia on the big screen tune in at 8 p.m. Thursday, May 29, on The Food Network. To show your support, tag any private watch parties with #ChefNiema, #BeatBobbyFlay, #ShreveportBossier and #AbbySinger's. "Niematulai means gift from God. So, I feel like I am a gift to this state and to this wonderful city," DiGrazia said. More: 5 people to watch in arts and entertainment in Shreveport, Bossier City in 2022 Makenzie Boucher is a reporter with the Shreveport Times. Contact her at mboucher@ This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Chef Niema to appear on Food Network's Beat Bobby Flay May 29
Axios
16-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Axios
Ms. Didi's Caribbean Kitchen opens Haitian restaurant in east Charlotte
Ms DiDi's Caribbean Kitchen, a popular Haitian food truck, opened its first brick-and-mortar in Windsor Park over the weekend with a line that wrapped around the building. Why it matters:"Opening this restaurant is about exposing more people to our culture, our country, our food, our flavors and our resilience," says co-owner Christina Kedlyn Bowman. "That's partly why we name our menu items after cities in Haiti so people can ask us questions." Background: Chef-owner Edith Jean-Francois opened Ms. DiDi's Food Truck with her daughter in 2019, and it quickly grew in popularity. They even made an appearance on The Food Network's "Guy's Grocery Games" last year. Now, their new restaurant is fully family-run and operated by Edith and her husband, Andre Jean-Francois, and their three children, Christina Kedlyn Bowman, Milana Carruth and David Jean-Francois. The vibe: Inside the 1,200 square foot space, which seats about 20 people, you'll notice the walls are painted in the colors of their country's flag and covered with Haitian art. "We want you to feel the country," Kedlyn Bowman tells Axios. "This spot gives corner store vibes. This is how we grew up," Carruth added. Dig in: Expect the traditional Haitian staples that they served on their food truck, like legume, island mac and cheese, chicken in sauce, djon djon (black mushroom rice) and griot (fried pork). Other signature dishes include Mama's Rice Bowl, Haitian loaded fries, and jumbo patties. Some drinks include passion fruit juice and Haitian lemonade. In the coming weeks, they'll add seasonal dishes like fritay (a combo platter of fried meats, plantains, and other items), boulet (meatballs), sos pwa (beans), and pwasòn gwo sèl (fish stew). Stop by: Find Ms. Didi's Caribbean Kitchen at 2120 Kilborne Dr. Open Wednesday through Saturday 11am-7pm, Sunday 1-6pm. Always closed on the first Sunday of every month. What's next: Ms. Didi's food truck will continue to operate for larger events, including the one they started with other businesses, Bon Fritay and Burger Divas, called the Carolina Haitian Food Festival.
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Snack Wraps are returning to McDonald's menu. When will the fan-favorite items be back?
Snack Wraps will be returning to McDonald's menus this year, although the 'when' is still quite vague. The wraps were discontinued in 2016, and later officially removed from all menus nationwide amid the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. The fan-favorites' return was confirmed by the company's U.S. President Joe Erlinger back in December, after years of requests from the public, through social media comments and even petitions to bring back the discontinued items. On April 15, the fast food giant took to X to further tease customers and drop one more clue about the item's highly anticipated comeback in a mysterious message reading, "snack wraps 0x.14.2025." Yes. McDonald's U.S. President Joe Erlinger confirmed on "Good Morning America" in December that snack wraps would be returning in 2025, saying the discontinued items have somewhat of a "cult-following." On Tuesday, the fast food company teased customers, posting the cryptic message, "snack wraps 0x.14.2025," on X. The Snack Wrap was first added onto McDonald's U.S. menus in 2006, according to The Food Network. Ten years later, in 2016, it would be discontinued with few, select locations still offering the beloved item. However, in 2020, the Snack Wrap was officially removed from menus nationwide. McDonald's released multiple variations of the Snack Wrap throughout the years at varying prices. The wraps were previously sold for under $3 depending on the location, according to Taste of Home. Referencing this 2010 photo taken at a McDonald's in California, Snack Wraps ranged between $1.49 to $1.99 in California at the time. McDonald's stopped selling Snack Wraps in 2020 to "simplify McDonald's offerings during the COVID-19 pandemic," reported USA TODAY. According to the McDonald's Fandom Wiki Page, other previously discontinued items include: McRib (returned for a limited time) All-Day Breakfast Mighty Kids Meal Chicken McBites Cinnamon Melts Mighty Wings This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: McDonald's Snack Wrap will return in 2025. Here's what we know
Fox News
06-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Extra egg whites catapult chef's pancake breakfast to protein powerhouse
Celebrity chef Alex Guarnaschelli believes in combining a love of cooking with an appreciation for America's firefighters — and she's got a few tricks up her sleeve, too, for handy ways to beef up the protein content of everyday meals. She also considers "joy" a key quality in preparing healthy food. Her freshly made and original pancakes are the focus of her latest "Stacks for Giving Back" initiative with Nutella, the New York-based chef told Fox News Digital in an on-camera interview. (See the video at the top of this article.) "It's a program where you nominate your local firehouse, and selected firehouses will win a pancake firehouse breakfast gig — which provides all the essentials so they can host a pancake breakfast," said Guarnaschelli, best known for her work and appearances on The Food Network. "This is important because it's a traditional way that firehouses fundraise across America." She began the program last year and "received such a tremendous response from so many people who nominated their local firehouses," she said. "It was beautiful. It's kind of a no-brainer," she added, referencing her own involvement and why she's chosen to devote time to a cause that gives back to others. "I love every bit of this." "You don't often come across such a great combination of product integration and a beautiful cause: the Nutella tie-in with pancakes, firehouses across America and fundraising for our first responders in this country," she said. "I love every bit of this." The stacks of pancakes, she said, "end up being a way for people to give back. It feels really natural and true." Guarnaschelli said the pancakes she's offering are "really the main character in the play. These cinnamon cloud pancakes with the egg whites folded in — they're nice and fluffy. And then there are raspberries on top. And Nutella," which has been around since 1964. She stressed that "folding those egg whites into the pancake batter adds so much more protein to the equation — which I love. Everything we add here enhances the program." Amid today's Make America Healthy Again movement — and addressing the ramped-up interest across the country right now in healthy eating and nutritious foods among so many Americans — Guarnaschelli noted that "two thirds of the protein in an egg is in the white. So these [pancakes] have a ton more protein and are lighter and fluffier at the same time." That was her "motive" for these ingredients in her recipe. "We're always trying to squeeze that extra bit of protein into a meal like brunch or breakfast," she said. "When I developed this pancake, I was like, 'How can I sneak more protein in here and have it be fun? And I often make frittatas with cottage cheese folded into them instead of cheese. Right? To get that added protein." "When you cut everything out and you make it only about those added proteins … my brain's like, 'We didn't have any fun today. You didn't feed the joy meter.'" "The other thing I want to say is when you cut everything out and you make it only about those added proteins, those healthy things — for me, it reaches a tipping point where my brain's like, 'We didn't have any fun today. You didn't feed the joy meter.'" And "I think that you need to do that," she said. "So if you have a reasonable portion — say, two tablespoons of Nutella on these protein-rich pancakes with fresh fruit, preferably raspberries — that's my favorite combination. You're striking that balance where there's some playfulness, there's some deliciousness, there's awesome fruit fiber, there's added protein. And you made it yourself." She said it's about "making people not get too far away from their comfort zone" in terms of their cooking abilities. "I find that often when I'm sharing recipes and food with anybody on any platform, it's about some little tweaks," Guarnaschelli said. If it's roast chicken, for example, "add some vegetables that are roasted along with the chicken, which maybe they wouldn't have done before. And then you can add some bone broth, which is so healthy, and maybe a dash of apple cider vinegar — healthy and acidic." "Ooh, that was good. I'm going to make that again. That worked." "And then purée some of those roasted vegetables with the bone broth and mustard and the apple cider vinegar," Guarnaschelli continued. "And you've got this naturally thickened gravy — no flour, no cornstarch, no nonsense — that you made yourself while you were cutting the chicken." That's some "home cooking, some innovation and some technique applied — but we still feel like, 'Ooh, that was good. I'm going to make that again. That worked.'" For all those who want to try her pancakes (extras of which can be stored in the fridge, she noted, for a delectable snack later), here's her Cinnamon Cloud Recipe, as shared by Chef Guarnaschelli with Fox News Digital. She appears on such Food Network shows as "Iron Chef America," "Chopped," "Supermarket Stakeout" and "The Kitchen." Cook time: 8-9 minutes per batch Yield: 4 cups batter, 8-9 pancakes, serves 3-4 Equipment: circle mold/cookie cutter, 3-3½ inches in diameter 1½ cups full fat buttermilk ½ stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten 1½ cups all-purpose flour ½ cup confectioners' sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder 1½ teaspoons cinnamon ½ teaspoon dry ginger 3 large egg whites ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar Nonstick spray 2 tablespoons Nutella 1. Start the batter: In a large bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, butter, vanilla, salt and the egg yolk. Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and ginger right over the wet ingredients and whisk only to combine. 2. Preheat oven to 300F. 3. Add the egg whites: In the clean bowl of the electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites and cream of tartar on medium speed until soft peaks form, 4-5 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the whites into the batter. Don't mix a lot. There should be streaks of egg white not fully combined. The key is to mix as little as possible and keep the whites fluffy. 4. Start the pancakes: Heat a large skillet with a fitted lid over low heat and spray with nonstick spray. Spray the inside of a (3–3½ inch in diameter) ring mold with spray. Place the ring mold on one side of the skillet. Using ½ cup measure full of batter, fill the mold with the batter. Cover and cook for 3 minutes. Gently remove the ring. Turn the pancake on its second side and let it cook 3-4 additional minutes. 5. Pancake: Clean and spray the ring and make a new pancake some distance from the first. Repeat and start a third one. Cook each pancake 4 minutes on the first side or until brown and an additional 4 minutes. 6. Storing and serving: Keep the pancakes warm on a baking sheet in the oven. Arrange on a serving platter. This recipe is owned by Alex Guarnaschelli and was shared with Fox News Digital. Through April 30, fans can nominate their local fire department at for a chance to receive a Nutella Pancake Breakfast Kit for fundraising.
