Everyone knows .NET programmers can write great code to produce quality software. But can they create recipes to produce great food? You be the judge, as we present excerpts from the GrapeCity cookbook ".NET Gurus Can Cook!"

Follow the links below to get great food and drink formulas from Microsoft evangelists, regional directors and other industry luminaries, who enjoy toiling over a hot grill or stove as much as they love toiling over a hot keyboard! Cook 'em up and let us know what you think. Can these .NET gurus cook??

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Taking a Break with Hibachi Steak

Thanks to John Papa, Microsoft Sr. Technical Evangelist, you can now master Hibachi Steak in your own kitchen! This relatively quick and healthy dish is sure to please everyone in your family. After you’ve mastered the cooking, just be careful trying to replicate the customary entertaining chef showmanship that comes along with the preparation!

I recommend upgrading to the filet mignon instead of strip steak. This lean flavorful meat is the tenderest cut of beef and well worth it. And with the money you’re saving by eating at home, you can afford to splurge a bit on the choicest cut of beef.

John mentions you want to cook the steak over a high heat. You don’t want to stew the meat in its own juices, so be sure to dab any excess liquids so you get a nice sear on the steak. Feel free to add any vegetables to your liking…sliced zucchini makes a great addition. Enjoy!
CLICK HERE TO GET THE RECIPE!

Recipe compliments of: John Papa - Microsoft Sr. Technical Evangelist

John Papa is a Sr. Technical Evangelist for Microsoft (formerly a Microsoft Silverlight MVP, INETA speaker, and member of the WPF and Silverlight Insiders). John, author of 70+ articles and authored 10 books, specializes in professional application development with Microsoft technologies including Silverlight, WPF, C#, .NET and SQL Server.

He can often be found speaking around the world at industry conferences such as MIX, PDC, TechEd, VSLive and DevConnections, and hosts the popular show Silverlight TV on Channel 9.

Whether you’re at the ball park, outdoor picnic, or at home, what’s one of the all-time classic foods? The all-American hot dog of course! But we aren’t talking about just any ordinary hot dog. We’re talking about a quarter pound hot dog, loaded with the best homemade chili you’ve ever tasted that just oozes down your arm with each bite! Chris Woodruff, Co-Host of Deep Fried Bytes and Microsoft MVP, shares one of his favorite hometown classic recipes – the classic all-American hot dog sauce.

This recipe immediately caught my attention. What could be better than adding ground hotdogs to your chili that will in turn go directly on your hot dog? Talk about flavor. Pure Genius!

Cooking tip: Don’t skimp on the hot dog brand.  The final chili taste will directly reflect the flavors of the dogs. And while you can finely chop the hot dogs (if you have the patience), it is much easier and quicker to put them in your food processor and pulse them several times to a fine consistency.

Enjoy! CLICK HERE TO GET THE RECIPE!

Chris Woodruff (or Woody as he is commonly known) has a degree in Computer Science from Michigan State University's College of Engineering. Woody has been developing and architecting software solutions for almost 15 years and has worked with many platforms and tools. He is a community leader, helping such events as Day of .NET Ann Arbor and Day of .NET Grand Rapids. As a speaker and podcaster, Woody has spoken and discussed a variety of topics, including database design and open source. He is a Microsoft MVP in Data Platform Development and was recently recognized in 2010 as one of the top 20 MVPs world-wide. Woody is the co-host of the popular podcast "Deep Fried Bytes" and blogs at www.chriswoodruff.com. He is the President of the West Michigan .NET User Group and also is a co-founder of the software architecture online portal nPlus1.org.

Who doesn’t love a good casserole? Especially when the ingredients include sweet potatoes smothered in sweet brown sugar and lightly toasted pecans!  Scott Hanselman, Principal Web Community Architect, presents his version of the classic sweet potato casserole. This is sure to be a staple at your family gatherings.

Scott illustrates the typical potato casserole the best:
“No one really wants to eat potatoes. Potatoes are just the transport mechanism for getting butter and hopefully, brown sugar into your face. The sooner we recognize that the starch is just the socially acceptable handle that enables us to eat more desserts and call the “healthy side dishes” the better society will be.”

Enjoy! CLICK HERE TO GET THE RECIPE!

My name is Scott Hanselman. I work out of my home office for Microsoft as a Principal Program Manager, aiming to spread good information about developing software, usually on the Microsoft stack. Before this I was the Chief Architect at Corillian Corporation, now a part of Checkfree, for 6+ years. I was also involved in a few Microsoft Developer things for many years like the MVP and RD programs and I'll speak about computers (and other passions) whenever someone will listen.

It’s a sweltering hot summer’s day, you just finished the yard work, you’re hot and tired and you’re finally ready to kick back and relax. You desperately need a great thirst-quencher. What could be better than an ice-cold Margarita!

Tim Huckaby, Microsoft RD and MVP and Founder/Chairman, InterKnowlogy  and Actus Interactive Software, graciously shares his ultimate Margarita Guidance for making that perfect refreshing drink.  And judging from his first hand knowledge, he sure knows his stuff.

A word of note from Tim himself:
“The Margarita is not only a staple; it is a part of our culture in San Diego.  I have developed this not so secret recipe over years of testing… literally thousands of unit tests.  Preparations A through G were a total failure so I shall call this…Preparation H. Warning: you will fall down if you drink too many of these; all the citrus juices mask the taste of the tequila.”

Enjoy! CLICK HERE TO GET THE RECIPE!

Recipe compliments of: Tim Huckaby - Microsoft RD and MVP
Founder/Chairman, InterKnowlogy  and Actus Interactive Software

Tim Huckaby is focused on the Natural User Interface (NUI).  He has been called a “Pioneer of the Smart  Client Revolution” by the press. Tim has been awarded many times for the highest rated technical presentations and keynotes for Microsoft and many other technology conferences around the world. Tim has done keynote demos for many Microsoft executives including Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer.

Tim founded InterKnowlogy, experts in .NET in 1999.  He serves as its Chairman and as the Chairman of Actus Interactive Software.  Tim has 30+ years’ experience including serving on a Microsoft server product team as a dev lead in architecture.  Tim is a Microsoft RD and MVP and serves on many Microsoft councils and boards.  

If you’re ready for a great burger, you have to try this recipe!  Jim Duffy, Microsoft Regional Director and MVP, provides us with his unique rendition and his secret ingredient of what a really good burger should be. 

He takes the goodness of the beef and mixes it with the mouth-watering spices in the sausage and tops it with cheese to produce a magical combination of savory flavor. The trick is assembling the toppings underneath the melted cheese to help to hold all your toppings in place for every tasty bite. Absolutely delicious!

Cooking tip: with the added sausage, cook until it’s at least medium to medium-well (no pink in the middle). And don’t forget to add Jim’s secret ingredient – LOVE!

Enjoy! CLICK HERE TO GET THE RECIPE!

Jim is the CEO/Principal of TakeNote Technologies. TakeNote is a Raleigh, NC based training, consulting, and software development firm specializing in helping clients design, develop and deploy business solutions with Microsoft enterprise technologies such as ASP.NET, Silverlight , SQL Server and Windows Phone 7.

Do you have a favorite recipe? Send it to me at cookbook@bzmedia.com and we may include it in a future edition!

Donald Williamson - Director of Marketing, GrapeCity, inc. U.S.A.;  KCBS (Kansas City Barbeque Society) Certified Judge Donald began his career at FarPoint back in 1993 (FarPoint is one of the recently acquired companies by GrapeCity). When he isn’t busy spreading the word about GrapeCity PowerTools award-winning  ActiveReports and Spread product lines, he enjoys spending his free time firing up the grills and pig cookers trying out new recipes.