Many of you don’t know this, but I consider myself a meatball aficionado. And of the countless meaty spheres I’ve tried and tested (including GOOP’s turkey and fennel rounds), there is only one that I can hail as total cylindrical perfection and they are Mamma Concetta’s Meatballs at Bistro Don Giovanni restaurant in the heart of Napa Valley – one of wine country’s finest. Owner Giovanni Scala, originally from Naples, Italy, dishes his beloved family recipe with passion (and pasta) on the restaurant’s lunch and dinner menus.

I have been wanting this recipe ever since my first experience, so, needless to say, I was beyond ecstatic to learn from one of the chefs that Giovanni and his wife Donna were preparing them live for ABC’s View from the Bay. You will never, I repeat NEVER, have meatballs as insanely to-die-for as these, and now you can try them for yourself!

Mangia!

Sometimes too many cooks in the kitchen can be a bad thing. But for former Top Chef contestant Casey Thompson, it was the experience of a  lifetime.

I recently had the pleasure of getting to know one of the Bay Area’s most talented personal chefs who, it just so happens, cut her teeth at the Mansion on Turtle Creek in Dallas.

KM: When did you realize you wanted to pursue a career as a chef?

CT: Strong family influence. I was definitely pushed toward having a deep love for food and wine. My family is mostly from France. We always pulled out our best china and made different dishes. We would have things like venison and leg of lamb for Thanksgiving. My grandmother always encouraged me and I was about 20 when I realized I was going to make a career out of this. I was interested before becoming a chef was trendy and de rigueur.

KM: What was the best meal you ever had?

CT: The best was a last-minute reservation at Michael Mina in San Francisco. We came in as the restaurant was closing and were the only table in the restaurant and they treated us like we were royalty.

KM: What is your secret ingredient?

CT: Hot sauce and lemon juice. Lemon juice brightens things and lighten things like sauces and salads.

KM: Who has been the greatest inspiration in your life?

CT: My grandmother and Dean Fearing who was the former chef who helmed the kitchen at the Mansion on Turtle Creek for years and left to open his eponymous restaurant at the Ritz in Dallas. He hired me at Mansion. I had no kitchen experience. He gave me my chance. He’s regarded as THE chef of the southwest and is incredibly creative with things like venison and quail. He would season sauces with maple, jalapeno, cilantro. Growing up through the ranks of his restaurant was so memorable. He would go around to every single person in the kitchen and shake their hand or give them a hug no matter who it was – from the sous chef to the dishwasher – every single day. There was this ever-present camaradery.

KM: How did you end up on Top Chef?

CT: I had never seen the show. A lot of the servers had seen it. There was a rumor going around that they were in town auditioning chefs for the third season and everyone thought I should do it. I had no interest and they came to me and convinced me. I put up a fight but am glad I gave in.

KM: If you could have created a challenge on Top Chef, what would it have been?

CT: For season three we were only allowed to bring 12 pieces of things which included your knives. The chefs should be able to plan the best meal of their lives with their own ingredients. You should have access to any equipment and have access to all the resources you need – that would be the ultimate challenge. No restraints whatsoever and have more than just 3 hours.

KM: What was your greatest fear while on the show?

CT: Perception by my peers. The worst is being completely humiliated at the hands of a production crew. That was one of the major reasons I didn’t want to do the show.

KM: How much of the drama on the show was real and how much was scripted?

CT: After my season, they began feeding the chefs a lot of booze to get them to create “drama”. My season wasn’t so much scripted but a lot is dictated.

KM: What was a piece of wisdom you took away from the show?

CT: That you can really work under pressure and deliver more than you thought and you have more patience than you thought you had. You can get through it. I can get through any cooking situation and that is when  you know you’ve got what it takes.

KM: Who is your favorite chef?

CT: Marco Pierre White.

KM: Are you currently aligned with any causes/charities?

CT: Much of my career has been charity-oriented. I’m doing True Child, I’ve done things for the Red Cross, March of Dimes.

KM: What was your favorite experience as a volunteer/fundraiser?

CT: Cooking to feed the hungry and witnessing it first-hand – those are the most profound.

KM: What is your favorite comfort food?

CT: My absolute favorite thing to eat in the world is a cheeseburger. It’s total perfection.

Book Casey for your next event.

Object of My Confection: See’s Candies

Preferred Morsel:  the Butterscotch Square

Year and Location of Discovery: 1999 (estimated), downtown Santa Barbara with great friend (Maya). We loved taking long walks from our apartment, especially ending with a little, sweet destination. One day the See’s Candies store attendant handed us this sample…. the taste mesmerized me. This dessert undoubtedly belongs with the best of them. And, as far as I am concerned, they don’t need an entire store of diversified chocolates….they simply need a stand of butterscotch squares.

Allow me to explain my weakness.

Of course, the majority of milk chocolate truffles with fillings (aside from the ever-present fruit/nut ones) are obvious contenders for greatness. But, if this were poker, See’s milk chocolate (coating) would be an ace and the butterscotch filling would give you a top pocket pair.

Now, milk chocolate is milk chocolate- it may not have the “flavonoids” or other “health benefits” of dark chocolate— but, what’s not to like, it’s the Tom Hanks of chocolate! That being said…it IS the butterscotch bite that takes this good-after-any-meal-treat to new heights. The butterscotch filling is rich and dense, sweet and powerful, creamy and sensational.

Warning: Consumption has been known to cause a state of euphoria.

It can be a little rough around the edges, a little stinky, and sometimes have a soft spot.

No, I’m not talking about your Grandpa Harold. I am referring to one of the finest creations known to mankind: cheese!

Instead of serving the usual warm crab dip this Thanksgiving, why not spice things up with one of my favorite family recipes – my cousin’s Mexican queso dip. You put this winner into a silver chafing dish as a pre-feast appetizer and everyone will be begging for the recipe. Just don’t let them fill up before dinner! (It’s hard to stop once you start…)

Paige’s Warm Queso Dip
Serves Eight-Ten

Ingredients
1 lb. hamburger meat
1 lb. Jimmy Dean Hot Sausage
1 chopped yellow onion
1 lb. Velveeta (cut into cubes)
1 lb. American cheese (cut into cubes)
1 jar (small) Pace Picante Chunky Salsa (Spice: Medium)
1 can cream of mushroom soup

1. Brown hamburger and sausage meat over medium heat with onion; drain off fat.

2. In sauce pan, warm cream of mushroom soup with one can of water.

3. Add Velveeta and American cheese cubes to soup; stir until cubes are melted.

4. Add salsa, meats, and onions to melted cheese mix.

5. Serve in a chafing dish with tortilla chips. Enjoy!

6. Take two TUMS at bedtime.

(You’ll thank me in the morning.)

All too often, we can forget the true meaning of Thanksgiving and instead become overwhelmed with meal preparation and traveling tribulations, or unbearably annoying relatives (who combined just might break the record for consecutively asked questions about getting married, having kids, or whatever they deem to be missing from your life).

Perhaps you and yours could use some unusual turkey tips and good old family fun to turn dysfunction junction into a happy home.

Gobble It Up
It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s Turducken! Sometimes a threesome can be a good thing. (Stay with me.) Like when you take a Paula Deen recipe for Turducken also known as turkey, chicken and duck and dish it along with your favorite sides. Or, if you prefer some greasy gobbly goodness in the spirit of the south, opt for the Deep Fried Cajun bird. If you give a cluck and want to skip the turkey this year, The Buffalo Guys have gobs of red meat that make for a yummy alternative.

Game On
Don’t be predictable and turn the tables for Trivial Pursuit when you could engage your kin with a game of Oh Hell! which made for laugh-out-loud memories thanks to my aunt’s initiative last year. As the rules state, it’s best when played between 4-6 people but we played with about ten and it was equally as fun. If you can find a bowling alley open on the holiday, load up the family truckster and spare yourself (tsk, tsk).

Give It Away
The night before Thanksgiving, band together with your neighborhood to host a spaghetti feed and charge each attendee $20 for the all-you-can-eat-a-thon. Then donate the funds to your local food bank. When you’re shopping at the store, get a helium-filled solid color latex balloon for each member of your family (yourself included). Before or after dinner, give one to everyone along with a Sharpie pen. Tell them to write one thing they’re thankful for that happened this year on one side and something that they want to release on the other. Once everyone’s written on their balloon, release them together.

Cue the group hug.

From Red Bull to Rock Star, one thing’s for sure: there’s no shortage of gimmicky energy drinks on the market. Whether your swilling antioxidant-rich pomegranate juice or mixing your cocktails with açaí vodka, your healthy-and-hydrating beverage intake has come a long way since the glory days of Gatorade.

But there’s a new kid in town, folks. And she’s a the best kept secret among those long, lean, and oh-so-perfect Brazilians. Think this could be some rare, never-before-discovered nectar from the Amazon? Think again. It’s water. As in, 100 percent pure coconut water. Or, as those in the southern hemisphere call it – agua de coco. Yep, that’s right. Not coconut milk but, rather, the water the fruit produces when it’s young.

Research shows that one coconut’s water serving has zero fat, no added sugar, and is only 60 calories. Not to mention, water from one baby coconut has more potassium than two bananas and is rich with electrolytes and minerals. In fact, this sweet stuff is so good for you, that they use it in hospital IV’s in countries that cannot afford saline.

The four chart-toppers available in the States are O.N.E. – notably Gisele’s personal fave, Harvest Bay – isotonic coconut and açai coconut waters from Brazil,  Zico – comes in various fruit flavors (some don’t love the mouthfeel of sweet flavorless water), and Vita Coco – the easiest to find due to its commercial success.

So stock up on this proven hangover cure and hydration sensation.

Just don’t go nuts.

Photos courtesy of Flickr and Zico.

America has a sweet tooth.

Well, some would argue it’s more like sweet eyes, mouth and stomach. Sugar is everywhere. You’ll find refined and concentrated sweeteners in obvious places like soft drinks, candy, cake, cookies, ice cream, bottled teas, coffee drinks and more. And also in places you might least expect, like salad dressing, soup, bread, pizza, pasta sauce, salsa and even bottled water. Whether in the form of white sugar, high fructose corn syrup, cane juice or honey, too much sugar is too much sugar. It’s been linked to everything from diabetes to behavior problems, mood swings to dental cavities.

So, what really happens when you consume sugar such as in a candy bar or a soda? The short answer is your blood sugar spikes and your body responds by secreting insulin, a hormone made in your pancreas. Insulin then lowers your blood sugar causing you to “crash” and this can lead to tiredness, irritability, mood swings and cravings for more sugar.

Most of us have heard the term “empty calories.” These are calories that we consume that have little or no nutritional benefit. Think soft drinks, candy, cookies, liquers and assorted treats. Empty calories can lead to obesity as well as nutritional deficiencies. The more empty calories you consume, the less appetite you have for healthier, nutrient-dense foods.

To support good health, become aware of your daily intake of added sugar, cut back accordingly, and learn to recognize hidden sugars on labels. Any ingredient with a name that ends with the letters “ose” are kinds of sugars – dextrose, sucrose, maltose, lactose, glucose and fructose. Other concentrated sweeteners include corn syrup, sorghum syrup, cane juice, invert sugar, high fructose corn syrup, malt sugar, brown rice syrup, molasses, brown sugar, agave, honey, beet sugar and evaporated cane juice.

Of course, the sugar picture gets a bit murkier because there are naturally occurring sugars in fruits and dairy products. The good news is that when sugar occurs in nature, it is typically accompanied by fiber, fat or protein. This is a perfect design by nature as these elements slow the rate at which the sugar is absorbed in our bodies. This prevents havoc on our blood sugar levels. So, it’s perfect to feed that sweet tooth with a piece of fresh fruit.

On the downside, some people hear “avoid sugar” and they rush to diet sodas and other products with artificial sweeteners. As you may know, Whole Foods Market’s quality standards don’t allow any products with artificial sweeteners. Some of these start off as pure sugar but undergo a chemical process that converts it into a molecule that does not occur in nature.

Instead of heading down that road, here are some natural solutions for reducing your sugar consumption:

• Start gradually – you’ll be more likely to stick to it! If you usually sweeten your tea or coffee, use half the amount of sugar. Also, cut out the whipped cream, if you usually add it. Soon, it will taste sweet enough, and you can reduce even further over time. If you drink sodas (even diet sodas), reduce your consumption by half. When you want a fizzy drink, mix sparkling water with 100% fruit juice. Try this for a week or two and when ready, cut your intake again by half. Sweet drinks are dangerous because it’s so easy to overlook the flavoring versus the sugar intake.

• Buy plain yogurt, plain kefir, unsweetened breakfast cereals, unsweetened iced teas, unsweetened bottled water and unsweetened frozen fruits — you may need to read labels to ensure that they are unsweetened. If needed, sweeten them just a bit at home. This way you control the amount of sugar you consume.

• When you do sweeten at home, use unrefined sugars that have nutrients intact. Examples are pure maple syrup, honey, evaporated cane juice and agave nectar (a sweetener from the agave plant). Remember, even though natural and unrefined, these are still sugars, and should be consumed in moderation.

• Avoid fat-free versions of foods, like fat-free salad dressings and sauces. These often contain greater amounts of sugar to compensate for less fat.

• In recipes, experiment with reducing the amount of sugar called for by about one-fourth.

• Limit sweet desserts to special times such as weekends, parties and birthdays. When eating out, share your dessert with others. It is hard, but try not to overindulge on the desserts.

• Choose whole or cut fruits, grapes and berries for a non-sugary dessert. Sprinkle with cinnamon for an added treat. Baked fruit provides its own natural sweetness too.

• Reduce your intake of processed foods in packages and cans. These often contain added sugars.

• Eat a well-balanced diet containing proteins, healthy fats, and unrefined carbohydrates from starchy vegetables, whole grains, legumes and whole fruits. Balance on your dinner plate helps create balance in your body!

• Before you indulge an acute sugar craving, grab a handful of nuts. The healthy fat and protein in nuts can satisfy a sweet tooth and help balance your blood sugar.

• Instead of eating a whole candy bar, choose just a small piece of good quality dark chocolate. Melt this slowly in your mouth for the most satisfying effect. (This is my favorite way to enjoy chocolate!)

Remember, sugars and sweeteners are a flavoring, like salt, that can, if over-consumed, be harmful to your health. Like most food and food additives, eating and consuming in moderation is good. But if you can cut out as much sweets and sugars as possible, it may be even better for you.

If you see a cake in front of you, remember, you don’t have to eat any, it’s just dessert!

[Photos from happy via, Yongjiet, TedsBlog and Emily Barney via Flickr]