Artists Among Us

Marietta Chef Meets Defeat on 'Chopped All-Stars'

Justin Balmes competed in the three-round cooking contest to win money for SafePath Children's Advocacy Center and make up for losing last year on "Food Network Star."

Food Network redemption would have been sweet for Marietta’s Justin Balmes, but an overly sweet strawberry sauce on Chopped All-Stars sent him away disappointed again Sunday night. Balmes, Vic “Vegas” Moea, Patty Davidi and Chris Nirschel faced off in the three-round cooking contest to win money for charity and make up for losing last year on Food Network Star. Balmes was hoping to win Sunday night, then win the Chopped All-Stars final in two weeks to earn $50,000 for the SafePath Children's Advocacy Center. He has supported SafePath at benefit chef’s dinners. “When I get into the Chopped kitchen, I’m gonna kill it,” Balmes said. He got off to a good start during the appetizer round, when each chef had to use razor clams, breakfast …

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Miss Mamie Battles in 'Cupcake Wars'

The Marietta Square pastry chef competes on Food Network tonight after a little more than two years in business.

Marietta Square pastry chef Mamie Doyle will appear on national television tonight, competing on Food Network’s Cupcake Wars. The co-owner and namesake of 2-year-old Miss Mamie’s Cupcakes, Cakes and Such will try to win $10,000 against three other cupcake makers on an episode called “Cupcake Couture,” airing at 8 p.m. The goal is to create a 1,000-cupcake display for a VIP event for Pastry Shoes, a brand created by Vanessa and Angela Simmons, the daughters of Run DMC’s Reverend Run. Assisting Doyle in the competition kitchen is Miss Mamie’s employee Erin Sintos. “Appearing on Food Network is the most exciting thing that has ever happened in my life, and I could have never imagined competing in a baking competition on national television …

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Eat Healthy with This Spaghetti, Asparagus Carbonara

Approximately one in nine adults have chronic kidney disease. Take a look at this recipe to eat right and keep flavor in your life.

Maintaining a healthy diet is a goal for many people, but for those with chronic illnesses it can be a matter of life and death. Fresenius Medical Care North America, the nation’s leading network of dialysis facilities, and Chef Aaron McCargo, Jr., star of Food Network’s Big Daddy’s House, partnered to develop tasty, satisfying and affordable new dialysis-friendly recipes aimed at helping people with chronic kidney disease live a better life on dialysis. Fresenius Medical Care has clinics in Austell, Smyrna and Marietta. Nesbitt Gignilliat, RD, LD, a dietitian at Fresenius Medical Care in Marietta, offered simple tips on how to maintain your health and flavorful meals in an interview with Marietta Patch in January. She suggested …

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Crystal L. Lauderdale

4:41 pm on Friday, March 23, 2012

I lost my favorite recipe for healthy carbonara about a year ago and haven't been able to recreate it. This looks delish! Thanks for sharing!   more ›

Recipe Corner

A Restricted Diet Doesn't Have to Mean Restricted Flavor

By adding variety and flavor to your diet, you can enjoy life even with the limits of a chronic illness.

Approximately one in nine adults, or 20 million Americans have chronic kidney disease with another 20 million at increased risks. There are around 16,000 dialysis patients in Georgia, according to the U.S. Renal Data System, USRDS 2009 Annual Data Report. "One of the major challenges that people experience when they first start dialysis is that they have a lot of foods in their diet that they can no longer have," Nesbitt Gignilliat, RD, LD, dietitian at Fresenius Medical Care said. "All of the sudden they have a lot of restrictions, especially in the South where we have a lot of common foods that are higher in phosphorus." Reducing phosphorus in a diet can be particularly difficult. While dialysis patients are given lists of food to avoid…

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Couscous Catastrophe for Justin

Marietta’s fishmonger/butcher contestant gets the boot on “Food Network Star.”

Bland couscous and an even blander camera image were enough to bring an end to Justin Balmes’ bid to be a Food Network Star on Sunday night’s episode. Week after week, the fishmonger and butcher from Harry’s Farmers Market in Marietta flopped every time he looked into a camera, forgetting how to smile, to speak, to communicate on a basic human level. Week after week, he avoided elimination because he was cooking the best food on the show. Week after week, the judges begged him to bring some of his off-camera charisma and charm onto the little screen. Week after week, Justin remained a talented, likable enigma. Now the weeks are over. Justin botched another Camera Challenge, was more like a robot waiter than a Food Network personality on …

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