#COOKING: AIR FRYER SALMON WITH LEMON GARLIC BUTTER RECIPE

Air Fryer Salmon with Lemon Garlic Butter. This is as delicious as it sounds. Our life has forever been changed by our Ninja Kitchen Air Fryer and salmon is one of the many things it does well. I love how crisp the skin gets and also how quickly this cooks.

Ingredients:

200g salmon
1 tsp paprika
Sea salt and coarsely-grated black pepper
3 tbsps unsalted butter
1 tsp parsley, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 dashes Worcestershire Sauce
2 wedges of lemon

Drizzle of olive oil

Instructions:

1. In small bowl, whip garlic, parsley, Worcestershire Sauce, juice of one lemon wedge and 1/8 tsp salt. Take parchment paper and roll into a log and refrigerate till firm.
2. Season salmon in sea salt, paprika and pepper for at least an hour. Keep chilled and leave out at room temperature about 30 minutes before cooking.
3. Set Air Fryer at 400°F on Air Fryer mode. Pre-heat for 3 minutes.
4. Drizzle salmon with a bit of olive oil and fry salmon for 8 minutes, no need to turn.
5. When ready to serve, slice lemon butter and garnish it with lemon and parsley on salmon.

Gallery:

(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)

#FIRSTLOOK: NEW TRAILER FOR “JULIE AND THE PHANTOMS”

Check-out the Trailer for new Series JULIE AND THE PHANTOMS, coming soon to Netflix!

Synopsis:

High schooler Julie (Madison Reyes) lost her passion for music after her mom died last year. But when the ghosts of three dreamy musicians (Charlie Gillespie, Jeremy Shada, Owen Patrick Joyner) from 1995 suddenly appear in her mom’s old music studio, Julie feels her own inner spirit beginning to reawaken, and she’s inspired to start singing and writing songs again. As their friendship with Julie grows, the boys convince her to create a new band together: Julie and the Phantoms. From Emmy Award-winning director Kenny Ortega (High School Musical, Descendants), executive producers Dan Cross and Dave Hoge (The Thundermans, Pair of Kings), and choreographer Paul Becker (Descendants, Mirror Mirror) comes a fresh and exciting new musical series about embracing life’s ups and downs, following your dreams, and discovering the power of your own voice.

See the Trailer:

JULIE AND THE PHANTOMS streams on Netflix Thursday, September 10, 2020.

(Photo/video credit: Netflix)

#TIFF20: SPIKE LEE’S “AMERICAN UTOPIA” NAMED OPENING NIGHT GALA

TIFF have announced their Opening Night Gala this year and it will be Spike Lee-directed AMERICAN UTOPIA, which centers on Talking Heads frontman David Byrne and his 2019 Broadway show. Talking Heads are known best for their smash hit Burning Down the House. The Festival kicks-off September 10, 2020.

The Theatrical Concert which had a run at New York City’s Hudson Theatre and concluding this past February, originally was set for a Fall return prior to the pandemic. It is based on his recent seventh studio album and tour of the same name and ponders the millions of neuroconnections in our brains, challenging us to to rewire our brains, rendering them more elastic and capable of change. Timely!

American Utopia received raves from several top critics including Billboard, Variety, NME, The Washington Post, The New York Times and The Hollywood Reporter.

AMERICAN UTOPIA will debut on HBO this Fall. Screening times and formats still have yet to be confirmed, but you can visit here for more.

(Photo credit: Matthew Murphy)

#FIRSTLOOK: JUST FOR LAUGHS VIRTUAL COMEDY FESTIVAL 2021 WILL AIR ON SIRIUSXM

The show must go on! Just for Laughs are gifting those of us missing-out on the in-person component of the 2021 Festival. You’ll be pleased to know those of you with SiriusXM will have access to the Just for Laughs Virtual Comedy Festival.

The virtual line-up is as follows. From July 20-25, the two one-hour shows will air each day on SiriusXM’s comedy channels:

Kevin Hart’s Laugh Out Loud Radio Channel 96: 2pm & 6pm ET

Raw Dog Comedy Channel 99: 12pm & 9pm ET

Laugh USA Channel 98: 1pm & 7pm ET

Jeff & Larry’s Comedy Roundup Channel 97: 3pm & 8pm ET

Comedy Greats Channel 94: 4pm & 5pm ET

Just For Laughs Canada Channel 168: 24 hours a day

Just for Laughs also have confirmed today that their Festival and their sister Festival Juste pour rire, both will entirely be digital this Fall. Just for Laughs will take place October 9-10, 2020 and the latter will be a hybrid of in-person, pre-recorded and virtual performances taking place September 29-October 10, 2020.

More details available at hahaha.com

(Photo credit: Just for Laughs)

#FIRSTLOOK: TRAILER FOR “SPINSTER”

You love her from BROOKLYN NINE-NINE. Chelsea Peretti stars in Anti-Rom-Com SPINSTER! The Film was made in Halifax!

Synopsis:

Anchored by Peretti’s signature humour, the film follows Gaby, a small-time wedding caterer who is unceremoniously dumped on her 39th birthday. Petrified she’ll be alone forever, she embarks on a dating spree only to discover that her problem isn’t that she doesn’t have a love life – it’s that she doesn’t have a life. Gaby‘s dating quest soon becomes a journey of self-discovery – and as her 40th birthday rolls around, she finds that her dreams of finding the perfect partner have given way to new dreams of empowerment and independence.

Check-out the new Trailer:

Game Theory Films release SPINSTER Friday, August 7, 2020 on iTunes Canada and Vimeo on Demand.

(Photo/video credit: Game Theory Films)

#NEWMUSIC: DJS PARTNER WITH AMAZON MUSIC FOR “THE SUMMER SESSIONS”

Did you know that your Amazon Prime membership also gives you free access to AMAZON MUSIC? They’ve partnered with some of the world’s hottest DJs as part of their The Summer Sessions Series now through August 28, 2020. Above this, these artists are releasing brand-new Music available only on Amazon Music.

The list includes:

• Jayda G  – “Are U Down (Kootenay Klub Mix)”
• Martin Garrix – “Higher Ground” (DubVision Remix)
• Disclosure – a Joe Goddard Remix of their forthcoming new single
• Kygo – Track to be announced
• Love Regenerator, Steve Lacy – “Live Without Your Love (Solardo Ball Bass Remix)”
• Tiësto – Track to be announced
• Galantis – “Faith (Sondr Remix)”

Schedule as follows:

• 7/17: Martin Garrix (headliner)plus additional playlists from Bklava, MK, Sofi Tukker, Felix Jaehn, Purple Disco Machine and Chromeo
• 7/24: Jayda G (headliner)plus additional playlists from Regard, Prospa , Loud Luxury and HUGEL
• 7/31: Disclosure (headliners) plus additional playlists from Black Coffee, Sofi Tukker, VIZE, Gamper & Dadoni, and Juan Magán
• 8/07: Kygo (headliner)plus additional playlists from CamelPhat, Felix Da Housecat, LUM!X, Frank Walker
• 8/14: Love Regenerator (headliner) plus additional playlists from Aluna, Monki, and Jerome
• 8/21: Tiësto (headliner)plus additional playlists from Eats Everything, Idris Elba and Martin Jensen
• 8/28: Galantis (Closing party headliner). All playlists will be re-promoted globally, including additional playlists from Groove Armada, Faithless and Solardo.

Week 1 of The Summer Sessions playlists are now live:

• Chromeo – https://amzn.to/SummerSessionswithChromeo
• Martin Garrix – https://amzn.to/SummerSessionswithMartinGarrix
• Bklava – https://amzn.to/SummerSessionswithBklava
• MK – https://amzn.to/SummerSessionswithMK
• Sofi Tukker – https://amzn.to/SummerSessionswithSofiTukker
• Felix Jaehn – https://amzn.to/SummerSessionswithFelixJaehn
• Purple Disco Machine –  https://amzn.to/SummerSessionswithPurpleDiscoMachine
• Sinego – https://amzn.to/SummerSessionswithSinego
• The Wookies – https://amzn.to/SummerSessionswithTheWookies

To access Amazon Music, log-in to your Amazon Prime account and under “YOUR PRIME“, select “MUSIC“!

(Photo credit: Amazon Music)

#FIRSTLOOK: “BLACK IS KING” TRAILER

A new Trailer has surfaced for BLACK IS KING, coming soon to Disney+. Check-out this new Trailer including models Aweng Ade-Chuol and Adut Akech, supermodel Naomi Campbell, Tina Knowles-Lawson, author and Academy Award®-winning actor Lupita Nyong’o, singer Kelly Rowland, Pharrell Williams and JAY-Z, among others.

Synopsis:

The new film based on the music of “The Lion King: The Gift,” will premiere two weeks after the one-year anniversary of the theatrical release of Disney’s global phenomenon, “The Lion King.” The film reimagines the lessons from the 2019 blockbuster for today’s young kings and queens in search of their own crowns.

See the Trailer:

BLACK IS KING arrives on Disney+ Friday, July 31, 2020.

(Photo/video credit: Disney)

#COOKING: LEVAIN BAKERY KNOCK-OFF COOKIES RECIPE

Levain Bakery Knock-off Cookies. Levain Bakery in New York City has gained international fame for its droolworthy 6 oz. cookies. They’re dense and an entire meal’s worth of calories and literally people queue hours still to this day at their four locations. They reassure everyone that they never run out of stock – you just basically have to wait. Many a savvy New Yorker have figured out that if you order via delivery, you can bypass the wait entirely. I can’t take credit for this recipe but MODERN HONEY selflessly has deciphered an approximation of their recipe and I am just adapting it to my tastes, cutting the sugar and nuts, keeping all that gooey chocolate in.

Ingredients:

3 cups flour
2 cups milk chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
1 cup chilled butter, cut into small 1″ cubes
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup organic raw sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp corn starch
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp sea salt

Instructions:

1. Pre-heat oven at 410°F.
2. In large mixing bowl, combine butter with sugars using a fork till pasty. Finish and whip with handmixer for 1-2 minutes till creamy.
3. Add eggs one at a time.
4. Add salt, starch, baking soda and cream together.
5. Add flour and mix till just combined. Do not overmix.
6. Add nuts and chocolate and mix till even, again careful not to overmix.
7. Shape dough into 8 balls.
8. Grease cookie sheet lightly and bake in two batches, 10-12 minutes each batch. The originals are slightly under-baked but bake to the full 12 minutes if you like them firmer.
9. Let sit for 10 minutes at room temperature before transferring to cooling rack.
10. Store room temperature up to 3 days. Microwave 20 seconds to refresh.

Gallery:

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A post shared by Mr. Will Wong 📸 (@mrwillwong) on Jul 19, 2020 at 6:21am PDT

(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)

#RECIPE: BACON OKONOMIYAKI RECIPE

Bacon Okonomiyaki. This popular Japanese street food is a like a savoury pancake-omlette which we have added a Canadian twist to. This one definitely will require a trip to the Asian or Japanese grocery store, but we promise you will love this!

Ingredients:
4-5 cups finely chopped Napa Cabbage
1 cup flour
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup sweet potato starch
1/2 cup Tenkasu (Fried Tempura Bits)/Panko
5 strips bacon, cut in halves
2 eggs
2 stalks green onion, minced
1 3/4 tbsps baking powder
Sea salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsps Aonori (finely shredded seaweed)

Canola oil

Maple-Oknonomi Sauce:
1 1/2 tsps maple syrup
4 tbsps Ketchup
2 tbsps Oyster Sauce
3 tbsps Worcestershire Sauce

Mayonnaise/Kewpie Mayonnaise/Miracle Whip

Optional:
Pickled ginger
Bonito Flakes

Instructions:

1. Heat oil large skillet on medium-high heat.
2. In large mixing bowl, beat flour, starch, baking powder, water, salt and pepper.
3. Beat-in eggs and Tempura Bits/Panko.
4. Add cabbage and green onion. Mix enough to coat, but do not over-mix.
5. Shape mixture onto skillet in disc shape. Pancake should be about 2″ high. Flatten top with spatula. Fry about 3 minutes with bacon strips lined on top.
6. Flip pancake over carefully, using hand to guide if needed.
7. Fry for 5 minutes.
8. In small bowl, prep Okonomi Sauce. Mix sauces together with syrup and allow to stand a few minutes.
9. Flip pancake over again and cook 2 more minutes.
10. Transfer pancake carefully to plate. Dollop or drizzle mayonnaise and Okonomiyaki Sauce on-top. Sprinkle Aonori on-top. Optional: add Bonito Flakes and pickled ginger also. Serve.

Gallery:

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A post shared by Mr. Will Wong 📸 (@mrwillwong) on Jul 18, 2020 at 6:55am PDT

(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)

Bacon brunch Eggs Japanese Maple Okonomiyaki Omlette Pancake Street Food

#COOKING: AIR FRYER DOUGHNUTS (MAPLE-BACON, VANILLA SPRINKLE & CINNAMON-SUGAR) RECIPE

Air Fryer Doughnuts. We honestly cannot be trusted with our Ninja Kitchen Air Fryer! Nothing beats fresh doughnuts and these are a great way to start your day. We have three different versions for variety! This recipe yields 6-8 doughnuts and you can keep them out at room temperature in an air-tight container for 1-2 days. Just refresh in the microwave for about 10 seconds!

Doughnuts:

1 3/4 cups flour
1/2 cup whole milk
1 egg
1/4 cup organic raw sugar
1 1/4 tbsps yeast
1/2 tsp sea salt

Coconut oil

Maple-Bacon Glaze:

1/2 cup + 3 tbsps icing sugar
2 tbsps unsalted butter, room temperature
3 tbsps Canadian maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract

2-3 strips bacon, fried crisp and cut into small pieces to garnish

Vanilla Glaze:

1/2 cup + 3 tbps icing sugar
2 tbsps unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
2-3 drops red food colouring

Rainbow sprinkles to garnish

Cinnamon Sugar:

3 tbsps granulated organic sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Coconut oil to brush onto doughnuts so sugar adheres

Instructions:
1. In small bowl, heat milk till lukewarm (not too hot). Add 2 tbsps sugar and stir well. Mix-in yeast and let sit for about 10 minutes to activate.
2. Add 1 cup flour, egg, remaining sugar and salt into milk mixture, mixing with handmixer till smooth. Add remaining flour in and mix again till smooth. Add a small bit of flour in bit-by-bit if required till dough no longer sticks to bowl.
3. Turn onto flat, clean and floured surface and knead for about 6 minutes to elastic.
4. Coat clean large bowl with coconut oil and transfer dough ball into it. Cover with plastic wrap and place somewhere warm for 80-90 minutes till dough doubles in size.
5. Transfer dough again to flat, clean and lightly-floured surface and knead for another 5 minutes.
6. Roll dough flat to about 1/2″ thick. Use cutter to cut circles. Use smaller circle cutter to cut-out centers of doughnuts. You can re-shape that dough to make extra doughnuts or use as doughnut holes.
7. Place doughnuts on platter and cover with plastic wrap. Place somewhere warm to rise for 30 minutes more or if you like, refrigerate overnight.
8. Preheat Air Fryer on Air Fryer mode for 3 minutes at 350°F.
9. Brush doughnuts lightly with coconut oil. Divide doughnuts into 2 batches and fry 5 minutes each.
10. Prepare any or all of the glazes above in separate bowls, mixing till smooth.
11. Allow doughnuts to cool completely at room temperature (30 minutes) and dip into glazes. Garnish with respective toppings (sprinkles, bacon). If making Cinnamon-Sugar, brush doughnuts lightly with coconut oil and toss into a resealable storage bag to coat.

Gallery:

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A post shared by Mr. Will Wong 📸 (@mrwillwong) on Jul 17, 2020 at 6:07am PDT

(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)