In the past week, two of our clients and their cookbooks were featured on the local news in Chicago and St. Louis. They both have outstanding cookbooks and did an fantastic job using completely different approaches to their screen time; Naam Pruitt giving a cooking demonstration and Nielsen-Massey * show casing their product line.

EDIT: Video removed because it autoplays. Ick. Watch Naam Pruitt’s cooking segment.

I don’t work directly with these clients very often, but my company did provide all of the photography for the cookbooks and some recipe development, so it’s awesome to see our** work on television!

*Channel 7 doesn’t allow embedding, so click for video.

** Okay, so both cookbooks were completed before I was hired, but it doesn’t make it any less exciting!

My husband is a paramedic and works 24 hour shifts with 48 hours off. That means on any given day, there is a 33.3% chance that he is working.

So why is it, that every time we want to go somewhere or do something, he’s working? The latest letdown is not being able to see This American Life LIVE in Chicago this April. I was all set to buy tickets, pulled out my planner to count out the days, and there was the big bold X on the night of the show, meaning that it is a work day.

Disappointing.

You’re answering this week’s Four Foods on Friday questions on your blog, right? Good. If you don’t have a blog, don’t feel left out. You can answer them right here in my comments section!

1. Are your kitchen utensils nylon, silicone, wood or other?

Everything we have is a mish-mosh. We’re at that stage where we are still renting an apartment, so we still tend to live like college students. I have big plans for proper dishes and utensils once we buy a house.

2. Do you prefer dishes washed in a dishwasher or by hand?

Doesn’t much matter as long as I don’t have to do them.

3. How many sets of dishes do you have?

I am positive we don’t have a complete set of dishes. There’s a set of plates and bowls that match, but there’s also favorite one-off dishes and bowls, as well as different platters that were used in photoshoots at work.

4. Share a recipe that calls for only one pot or pan.

This recipe is actually from Atkins, and is one of my favorites. You will also need a bowl, but you only need one skillet!

Cheese n Chili Chops

• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• salt and pepper
• 4 boneless center-cut pork chops (about 1 pound)
• 1/4 cup tomato salsa
• 1/2 can (4.5 ounces) diced green chilies, drained
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/3 cup grated Cheddar cheese
• 2 tablespoons cream cheese

Directions:

Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Season chops with salt and pepper. Brown chops about 2 minutes per side. Combine salsa, chilies and cumin in a bowl. Pour mixture over chops. Reduce heat to low, cover skillet and simmer chops 5 minutes or until cooked through. Mix cheeses in a bowl. Divide cheese mixture over chops, cover and cook 1 minute, just until cheese melts.

I have a long history of being scared shitless of roller coasters. I don’t know if it’s the height or the speed, but I try to avoid them. I think it started with a trip to Kings Island where I could see the highway from the top of the coaster and culminated with a trip to Disney where my dad almost killed us with a dropped video camera on Aerosmith’s Rockin’ Roller Coaster.

No matter the reason, I think it’s time to face my fears on the NEW Manta roller coaster at Seaworld and what a lucky coincidence that there is a chance to win a trip to four to Seaworld at http://www.ted.me/manta! Take a look behind the scenes at the new Manta ride and tell me what you think. I’ll be watching through my fingers I’m such a wuss.

The trip includes airfare, hotel, and two full days at Seaworld to take advantage of priority access to the new Manta ride. Just visit http://www.ted.me/manta for all the info to enter!

Get ready to get dirty with Anthony Bourdain, because tonight’s episode of No Reservations is a solid hour of some of the most titillating and tantalizing foods from around the world. Otherwise known as…food porn.

There’s a little something for everyone in this episode of No Reservations, and like Tony says “it’s just filthy.” In a good way, of course.

Tune in tonight at 10pm EST and you might just get some Valentine’s Day ideas courtesy of No Reservations!