The Dish: "Man v. Food's" Adam Richman
Adam Richman was born raised in Brooklyn and loved to sample all the tastes his diverse neighborhood had to offer. He did the same when he headed off to Emory University, keeping a food journal of his favorite spots across the Southeast. He worked in a variety of restaurant jobs, later attended the Yale School of Drama and then managed to combine all of those interests – food, travel, and performing – into a thriving TV career. He's been the host of a half dozen shows and is now the host of "Secret Eats with Adam Richman" on the Cooking Channel.
Here are some of Richman's signature recipes:
Miso-roasted veggies
Ingredients
¼ cup olive oil
½ cup miso paste (yellow or mild works well with the vegetables here)
3 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
3 beets, peeled and cubed
2 12-ounce bags of broccoli florets
2 Spanish onions, cubed
1 head of garlic, separated into cloves and peeled
¼ cup garlic powder (not granulated garlic) or more to taste
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F
2. In a large bowl, combine the oil and the miso. Add the sweet potatoes, beets, broccoli, onions, and garlic cloves and toss to coat.
3. Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and add about ¼ inch of water. Add the vegetables to the pan. Dust everything with the garlic powder. Cover the whole dish with aluminum foil.
4. Roast the vegetables for 50 minutes. Remove the foil, stir the veggies, and cook uncovered for an additional 10 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes and beets are fully covered. Serve hot or warm.
Smoked paprika onion rings
Ingredients
3 Vidalia onions (or other sweet onion), peeled
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 large eggs, beaten
2 cups panko bread crumbs
3 TBS sweet smoked paprika
Vegetable or peanut oil, for deep frying
Kosher salt to taste
Directions
1. Using a mandolin or a very sharp knife, slice the onions into ¼-inch-thick rounds. Separate the rounds into rings.
2. Place the flour, beaten eggs, and panko in three separate shallow bowls. Mix a tablespoon of paprika in each bowl.
3. Dredge the onion rings first in the flour, then in the eggs, and finally in the panko. Place the dredged rings on a baking sheet and allow the coating to set for 10 minutes.
4. In a large pot set over medium-high heat, bring about 4 inches of oil to 365 degrees (use a deep-frying or candy thermometer to check the temperature).
5. Line a separate baking sheet with paper towels. Working in batches, fry the onion rings until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side. When done, the rings should float to the surface of the oil. Transfer each batch of fried rings to the prepared baking sheet and season with salt.
6. Keep the finished onion rings warm under layers of paper towels as you cook the remaining batches. Serve hot.
Win-the-bake-sale chocolate cake
Topping ingredients
1 box of Betty Crocker SuperMoist Butter Recipe Chocolate Cake Mix
3 large eggs
½ cup Hellmann's Light Mayonnaise
1 can of store-bought chocolate frosting
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the cake mix, eggs, 1 cup of cold water, and the mayonnaise.
3. Pour the mixture into the greased cake pans and spread with a spatula to smooth. Bake according to package instructions. When done, remove the pans from the oven and place them on wire racks to cool completely.
4. Invert one of the cake layers onto a plate. Using a rubber spatula, spread a thick layer of frosting over the top. Carefully invert the other cake layer on top and spread the top and sides with the remaining frosting.
Bone-in rib-eye over arugula and avocado
Ingredients
2 bone-in rib-eye steaks (1 to 1 ½ inches thick)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 TBS olive oil
3 cups arugula
1 ripe avocado, pitted, peeled, and sliced
Maldon sea salt, for garnish
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Take the steak out of the refrigerator and bring it to room temperature before cooking. Season with salt and pepper just before searing.
3. Set a large cast-iron pan (big enough to hold both steaks) over high heat until it is screaming-hot. Add the olive oil and then sear the steaks on both sides, about 1 minute per side.
4. Transfer the pan to the hot oven and finish cooking the steak until it reaches your desired doneness, about 20 minutes for medium rare. You can also use a meat thermometer to check the temperature (140 degrees to 145 degrees Fahrenheit for medium rare); pull the steaks out of the oven 5 degrees before the desired final temperature. Transfer the steaks to a cutting board and let them rest for 10 minutes.
5. Mound the arugula on 2 plates, and arrange the avocado slices to one side. Slice the steaks, then reassemble them in their original form on the plates (this is how it's done in great steakhouses like Peter Luger's), placing it opposite the avocado. Drizzle the pan juices over the steaks and top each with a pinch of Maldon salt.
Edamame-roasted corn succotash
Ingredients
4 ears corn
Kosher salt to taste
2 cups frozen, shelled edamame
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 large white onion, finely diced
1/3 cup finely chopped chives
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Remove the silk and outer husks from the corn, but keep the inner layers intact. Run each ear under water. Microwave the corn on high for 5 to 6 minutes, until softened.
3. Transfer the corn to a baking sheet and roast it in the oven for another 5 minutes, or until the corn is fully cooked. Cool, then slice the kernels off the cob.
4. In a medium saucepan, bring 2 inches of salted water to a boil. Add the edamame and simmer until soft, approximately 5 minutes. Drain the edamame.
5. In a large skillet set over high heat, melt the butter. Add the onion and cook until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the edamame and corn; season with salt and cook for about 1 minute, stirring. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the chives. Serve warm.
