Since taking my site down at Igroops, I have been considering my options on how to proceed with moving to another platform to get all the main features of igroops but at a lower cost. That is what killed me at Igroops.

In the meantime I am posting as much of that content here, as I can.

Here is my latest video showing my version of pesto.

Sorry it is a little Dark, I tried using ambient light without any supplemental lights. While it looked good on the playback it did
not convert well into streaming format.

But it is viewable and the pesto tastes great.

Enjoy

Pablo Maiorino

click here to download

Hello All.

I recently heard about a digital camcorder that was handy, inexpensive and made web ready videos. It is called the “Flip”
by PureDigital.

I was doing some shopping in my local ShopRite and saw it for sale at the courtesy desk for only $119. The price online is $149 or so. I decided to pick it up and try it out to see if it was everything I had heard about it.

After turning it on and seeing a blinking battery symbol, I replaced the two AA batteries (included). That was after trying to charge it using the built in usb adapter that opens with a “Flip” of a switch. I really should read those directions, but the print is so small.

So I turned the unit on and hit the red record button and pressed it again to stop. Then I played it back using the > play button.
Very intuitive, didn’t need the directions for this.

Next I hooked it up to my laptop and the built in software loaded and I was stunned to see that there was editing software and a movie maker. This little guy really packs it in.

I was getting an image in the background when viewing the .avi file that was on the camera’s flash drive, but not when I created a movie.

So rather than calling support right away, I decided to check to see if there was an update. There was. So I downloaded it and installed it.

It took two tries, I think because I was impatient and clicked the unzipped file as soon as I saw it. The next time I just waited and it did everything itself. Sounds like a lot of work, but it was really easy, and would have taken half the time if I could just relax.

Here is a short video I shot with the “Flip” and converted to a movie(.wmv file) to make it viewable on the web.

Overall I am happy with my purchase and would purchase another one if I needed it or for a gift. You be the judge of the video quality.

Oh, disregard the mess in the background, I will go empty the dishwasher now. LOL.

Well this post is coming kind of late to wish you all a Happy Holiday, but I am going to do it anyway. HAPPY HOLIDAYS.

This year I bought myself a new digital video camera with a DVD as the recording media. I figured it would be easier to just pop the DVD in and edit the video.

Sounds good in theory, but I think I chose the wrong video format when I formatted the dvd. As a result instead of getting one big video to edit, I got a bunch of small clips. At least that’s the way my video editing software imported it.

As a result the audio track is off and the transitions between the clips are not smooth. Sorry about that, I promise to do better next time.

Getting to the cooking, this is a cooking site right?

I chose to show you two of my staple dips that I put out at most gatherings. Hummus and Salsa.

Though they don’t really complement each other, I find that they both disappear quite rapidly, so I guess people like them and I always put out a good variety of other appetizers. Usually too many. (Sound Familiar) You end up with lots of main course leftovers because everyones full from the appetizers. “Don’t fill up on the Bread” remember your mom telling you at the restaurant ? LOL

Both these dishes should be made the night before so they will be ready the next day when your guests arrive and then you can spend more time with them.

click here to download

My last name has often been butchered to sound like marinara and looking at the two together, it’s no wonder.
This latest cooking video, brought to you straight from my kitchen, as always, is my version of Marinara sauce. It is a little different than traditional marinara sauce.

First I don’t add sugar. Second I use bell pepper. I personally don’t like my sauce sweet and that’s what sugar does, so to counteract the acid that is in the tomatoes, I use the natural sugars that are released from the pepper and onion. If you must add sweeteners, use natural sweeteners like the sugars in vegetables or honey. I haven’t tried fruit but there is probably the perfect fruit out there to do the trick and not overpower the sauce.

In this video I use an imersion blender to make a smooth sauce. If you don’t have one you can get one here Cooking.com or you can use a blender. Sometimes I just leave it chunky, nothing wrong with that either.

As a bonus I have included my recipe for basic meatballs. I know what you’re thinking, do you really need a recipe for that?
Probably not, but here it is anyway, besides some people have never made a meatball in their life. It’s time to start ! So simple and so good . I have broken it into two videos so that I could upload it on youtube. They have a 10 minute limit. And since I am running out of room on my server, I am going to just embed the video from you tube here.

Enjoy these two videos. To stay here at FreeCookingVideos, click the play button in the bottom left corner. If you click the center of the picture, you will be taken to youtube.

Marinara Maiorino

Meatballs Maiorino

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If you are a broccoli hater, as I am, you are in for a pleasant surprise. I found this recipe on the back of a box of celentano cavatelli. My wife thought it looked good. I saw the word broccoli and said yuk! Well my wife convinced me to give it a try, as wives can do in their very special way, and I was surprised to find that it tasted great.

That just goes to show that you never know where you will find a great recipe. Thank you to the folks at Celentano, I hoped I spelled that right my spell checker is telling me no but that happens with proper names. So keep your eyes open for those unexpected recipes that you find on the boxes of the foods you buy, sometimes they are real winners. The great thing about this particular recipe is that broccoli haters love it. Besides myself, my daughter also likes it, and the only vegetable she eats is a french fry. I’m not even sure the potato is a vegetable, but you get the point.

As always there are mistakes I make in the video, the most glaring one is that I say I am sauteing garlic, when it is actually onion in the pan. I use those two together so often that I get confused easily.

Enjoy the video and the dish.

Cavatelli con Broccoli

click here to download

Have you ever heard the saying “Now we’re cooking with steam” ? Well that’s exactly what you do when you use a pressure cooker.
Many people are afraid of pressure cookers, worried that they may explode. I am not sure where that fear comes from, because they are quite safe and there is no danger of explosion.

The worst that could happen is the the relief valve or zero pressure valve will release all the pressure if it gets too high. In any case it is a great way to speed cooking time and the only way I’ll make the dish I call “Marion’s favorite chicken”.

It got it’s name becauase it was the my wife, Marion’s favorite chicken dish that I made. Since it was just my attempt to duplicate the shredded chicken used in burritos and sometimes tacos, that seemed as good a name as any.

I can’t remember the exact law from physics, I think it was Boyle’s law, that stated that heat increases proportionaly to an increase in pressure. That is the basis of the pressure cooker. I’ll have to Google that later to find out

This dish can be enjoyed in many ways, Burritos, Tacos, Empanadas. I also like to use left overs as a topping for nachos.

Use your imagination and make your own creations. Let me know what you come up with.

Enjoy

I finally found my camera, which has been missing since Christmas. I was cleaning the house for my superbowl party and there it was, right where I left it, in that computer bag. I put it there because I couldn’t find the camera bag. One of those ” I’ll remember where I put is” . Sure!

So I thought it would be appropriate to make a superbowl staple, Chili.

I screwed up on the ingredients when I was taping, so don’t listen to what I say, even though I correct myself, but watch the onscreen instructions. It’s 1/4 cup chili powder and dried chili negros, not 1/2 cup. Yow, that would be hot, but still make a good chili.

I couldn’t find my hairnet so I grabbed the next best thing. Check out the video to find out.

Enjoy

Pablo Maiorino

click here to download

Well the holidays are behind us and the mad rushing for gifts and the hectic arrangements to gather family members from near and far, are finally over. I know how difficult these times can be, as well as the satisfaction and joy that comes from sharing your home with family and friends.

In my house a large part of holiday celebrations revolves around food. The abundance of food at these times can be overwhelming. To make it easier, I like to do a lot of prep work and pre-cooking. For example, one of the dishes I was planning was bow-tie pasta with walnut pesto sauce. This is a very easy dish to make in advance. The pesto will keep for several weeks and will be just like fresh the next day, especially if you leave a layer of oil on top! I also ask my guests to bring specific items. This may sound presumptuous, but I think people are happy to know what to bring, rather than have to guess what the perfect item might be, at least I know I do.

I know it has been a while since I posted a video or even posted at all. Although there are many reasons for this there is no excuse and I apologize. To make up for this and in the spirit of the season, I would like to give you all a recipe e-book of Mexican and southwestern recipes. I plan on creating some new videos very soon, so keep checking back. Meanwhile enjoy the recipes in this e-book.
Click here to Download Mexican Recipes

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday and I wish you all a prosperous New Year

I know some of you viewing the empanadas video are thinking , hey Pablo, I thought traditional recipe for empanadas included raisins. Well like any traditional recipes, there are many variations. Rasins are indeed part of many authentic empanada recipes. I happen to not like that variation as my taste buds revolt when sweet and meats are mixed. If you enjoy this taste sensation, then by all means throw some raisins into the mix. Actually you can fill the empanadas with anything you like. As I mentioned in the video, one of my favorite variations is dulce de leche (caramel). This tasty treat was always included whenever my mom made empanadas. Sugar on the outside right after they come out of the oil adds a nice finish. Of course you had to eat the main course to get the dessert. So use your imagination and make some kitchen magic with your own empanada creations.

click here to download

Hello folks! Ready for another thrilling episode of free cooking videos? What will he screw up this time? Continue Reading