Satisfied

This is my story and I'm sticking to it!

2011-10-05T09:58:00.000-07:00

Geez Louise! Come on over to my new site... www.LouiseMellor.com

Time to Celebrate... Geez Louise is finished!

2011-10-03T13:12:00.000-07:00

It's time to celebrate, pour yourself a champagne cocktail and click on over to my new site, Geez Louise!

Geez Louise! It's finished come on over!

2011-10-03T12:16:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited to invite you over to my new site Geez Louise!

Wordless Wednesday - Geez Louise! coming soon...

2011-09-21T13:52:00.000-07:00

What did I do last summer?

2011-09-07T11:04:00.000-07:00

What did I do last summer? I had to scroll through my iphone just to check.

I spent the better part of the summer working as the Orange County Fair Chef with a talented group of artists, chefs, bloggers, and clowns & dragons.

I have already cooked my share of Thanksgiving dinners on set of a video shoot. Yes, Thanksgiving - turkey, gravy, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and rolls.

I know that you are probably asking, "Yes Louise, but what did you cook, this is a food blog after all?" Cook you ask? Ahem... well, there hasn't been a whole lot of cooking around here. It's true, sometimes chefs don't cook for their families, especially when they are busy working and learning how to "Make great websites the easy way", with WordPress. (Notice the tears soaked pages and the burnt corner, I thought about lighting it on fire.) I'm so excited to share with all of you my new business look and my new blog- coming soon - I promise, very soon. My new site will be LouiseMellor.com

This is my daughter eating her dinner - canned pineapple. She made sure to tell me that if I don't start cooking again soon, she is going on Facebook to tell everyone, "Chef Louise is a fraud"!

Oh wait, I lied... I did cook one thing at home this summer - Hatch Chile Quesadillas with chicken and canned corn... fancy I know. I came home late from work one night, threw a box of Melissa's Produce -Hatch Chilies on the stove-top and in minutes had the house smelling like smokey roasted chilies. I peeled them, chopped them up, threw them in a tortillas with lots of cheese, chicken and corn - in minutes I had dinner on the table. The chilies saved me, my family was beginning to get agitated.

Hope you had a great summer, don't forget to come back and check out my new site!

xoxo,

Louise

Do you like dining with strangers? Video edition...

2011-08-01T09:25:00.000-07:00

okay not a stranger... me and Greg "SippitySup"

What could be better than a 7 course dinner outside on a warm summer night in Los Angeles? ... With strangers. Pop- up dinners seem to be "popping" up everywhere. Supper clubs aren't a new thing or even exclusive to Los Angeles. All over the world chef's, professional and non professional are opening up underground restaurants in unconventional places. Homes, farms, basements... you name it. People are pouring wine and enjoying the company of strangers, who, for one night have crossed paths over chilled pea soup. I was invited by my new friend Judy and it only took me a half a second to say "yes!"

We entered through the terrace, where 2 communal tables were , casually set, but with forethought. They were thoughtfully dressed and ready, waiting patiently for the guests to arrive. Like beautifully wrapped presents, the tables waited quietly like presents under the tree on Christmas morning. Chinese lanterns strung across the terrace, glowed softly in the amber light of the sunset and mason jars were overflowing with Parmesan twists as they stood silently next to little plates of stacked pickled carrots delicately placed about.

We were greeted by our gracious hostesses- the Two Broads Abroad, Broad #1 - Judy and Broad #2 -Nahid with smiles and excitement. The tables were set, the food was prepped, and the warm energy that flowed about in the summer breeze was intoxicating.

There was nothing left to do but pour a glass of champagne. This wasn't your basic bubbly, Nahid started the bottom of my glass with a strawberry balsamic reduction, then poured the champagne over the top. Getting to the bottom of the flute was a treat, like the center of a lollipop. The champagne mixed in with the balsamic magically twinkled into a syrupy splash of slightly acidic candy- I had three...

When all the guests arrived, some friends - some strangers, we moved out to the terrace for dinner. Like old seasoned professionals, Nahid and Judy cooked effortlessly, plated, and served the group course by course, out of a tiny kitchen that appeared to be straight off of a movie set.

figs & marscapone on a Parmesan cracker with balsamic reduction

market fresh tomato tart with mixed olives

chilled pea soup with crab salad

watercress watermelon salad with mint and feta

grilled halibut with orange beurre blanc, black rice, roasted asparagus

stone fruit cobbler with house made vanilla ice cream

sweet goat ~ grilled cheese ice cream sandwiches

Each course presented itself enticing, and not an empty plate was left in the house. Seasonal bright flavors, prepared intentionally to highlight their natural exquisite qualities. All of the wine brought by the guests, was poured, shared, and passed - making new friends out of strangers. The night came to an end with a final toast to the Two Broads Abroad for an incredible edible "underground" experience...

Hope you enjoy the video...

Sweet Summer Corn Salsa with Lime Cumin Vinaigrette

2011-07-22T09:06:00.000-07:00

I am 2 weeks into working as the Orange County Fair Chef, and I'm knee deep in pies, fried foods, cookies, cakes, and crazy contests...

Today is $2.00 tastings of fair food, good thing I went to the gym this morning...

This is a recipe I shared from last summer- enjoy!

Corn is one of those non-threatening vegetables that plays nicely with everyone... even kids will eat it! Corn is friends with cayenne, cilantro, and chilies. It has even been known to hang out with garlic, lime, and onions. Such an easy going summer pal, it likes to be - boiled, grilled, roasted, or simmered. Whatever way you choose to cook and serve it, summer corn is incredibly fresh and full of flavor ... and lucky for us, in peak season.

I knew I wanted to keep the corn as close to raw as possible and buddied up with other summer flavors. This corn salsa is bursting with crisp sweet corn flavor and the vinaigrette with the lime & cumin add the perfect bright summer zing the corn needs to show off it's sweetness. I served this with chips and also piled it on top of blackened salmon tacos. You could also toss it with crisp romaine for a corn salad.

Sweet Summer Corn Salsa
2 ears sweet white corn - about 2 cups
2 ears yellow corn- about 2 cups
1 cup tomatoes -small dice
1 medium serrano pepper- minced -about 2 teaspoons
1/2 cup red onion- small dice
1/4 cup cilantro- finely chopped
1/2 cup lime cumin vinaigrette
1/2 teaspoon salt
pinch black pepper

Remove husks and silk from corn- place into an microwave safe dish and add in 1/4 cup of water
Seal dish with plastic wrap and microwave for 4-6 minutes until tender but still crisp
While warm brush corn with lime vinaigrette and place onto a hot grill for 2-3 minutes to lightly color
Once cooled remove corn with a sharp knife
In a medium bowl combine corn, tomatoes, Serrano pepper, onion, and cilantro
Mix well with 1/2 cup of vinaigrette and adjust seasoning
Serve at room temperature

Lime Cumin Vinaigrette
Zest of 4 limes
Juice of 4 limes -about 1/4-1/2 cup
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
pinch of cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 clove of garlic-minced
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil

In a jar combine all ingredients and shake well

Wordless Wednesday - Warm Bacon Donuts from Table 52 Chicago

2011-06-29T05:00:00.000-07:00

Graham Elliot I think I love you...

2011-06-28T09:19:00.000-07:00

I spent the weekend in Chicago...

I fell in love with Graham Elliot , over a grilled cheese sandwich.

I am like a school girl with a crush - can't get this sandwich off my mind.

I even watched Master Chef last night, just to get a glimpse of Graham.

I will tell you more about it soon, but for now... let me just say,

Wisconsin Cheese + Italian Prosciutto + Tomato Jam + Cheese Curds + Pullman = L O V E

Guest Post - Clouds & Coconut Summer S'mores

2011-06-24T07:37:00.000-07:00

My therapist once told me that part of the reason I was feeling so worn out by parenting my children was because I had been parenting a child my whole life, me. When my new friend Sup asked me do a guest post about a summertime childhood memory, I happily accepted and then quickly pushed the idea to the back of the fridge. You know, way back there… with the old sour cream and the lost jar of olives. I did this because I knew thinking about being a kid would stir deep waters.

Read more over at SippitySup...

Finding ME... Amaretti Apricots with Moscato Butter Sauce

2011-06-21T12:16:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had the feeling that you might have lost yourself?

"Finding yourself" is a funny expression.

I mean, how would one loose one's self?

Do you sneak away in the night when you are sleeping?

"I got lost in the moment"

Perhaps that's when it happens.

You got away when you were lost in the moment...

You should really be more responsible with you.

Maybe one of those child leashes would prevent this dilemma.

I'm trying to find myself.

I don't know how long I've been missing.

I don't know when I saw me last?

I could have made it to the border by now.

But don't worry I have a plan.

Step 1

I hired a business coach.

She is determined to help me find me.

Step 2

Cook for me.

Cook what I love

to eat.

This dessert was for me.

Okay, now it's for you.

Unapologetically, I tell you, that I didn't make this for a client,

for a party, brunch, or, birthday.

This adorable apricot was for me.

I licked the plate.

I think you will too - go for it, I won't tell.

Amaretti Apricots

4 large apricots - ripe but firm
1/2 cup Italian amaretti cookies - crushed but still crumbly
1/2 cup of all purpose flour
2 Tablespoons white granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons loosely packed brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
2 oz cold butter - cut into pea size pieces

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees- place rack in the middle of the oven
Cut the apricots in half and the remove the pit.
Take a small melon baller or spoon and carefully create a small hole in each half of the apricot - about 1/2 of an inch deep.
Place the apricots on a lined cookie sheet or in a shallow baking dish.
In a separate bowl, combine crushed cookies, flour, sugars, salt, and butter.
Mix in the butter into the dry ingredients by pressing together in between your thumb and fingers - mixed until just combined and the butter is evenly distributed between the dry ingredients.
Spoon 1 to 1 1/2 Tablespoons of the crumb filling into each of the apricots - lightly packing the filling into each of the holes.
Place the apricots into the oven for 30 minutes.

Sweet Moscato Butter Sauce
2 cups of apricot nectar
1 cup Moscato wine
3-4 Tablespoons of white granulated sugar
sprinkle of sea salt
2 Tablespoons unsalted cold butter

In a medium saute pan, reduce apricot nectar over high heat for 10 minutes - or until thickened and syrupy.
Add in the Moscato wine, sugar, and a sprinkle of sea salt - continue to reduce over high heat for another 6-7 minutes.
Remove from heat and swirl in cold butter slowly by moving the pan lightly in a counter clock wise motion. (You can also use a whisk to slowly incorporate the butter.)
Serve the sauce warm over baked apricots.
Garnish with extra crushed amaretti cookies.
Sauce can be reheated over low heat.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-06-15T08:15:00.000-07:00

You just might find what you need...

2011-06-03T18:01:00.000-07:00

You can't always get what you want

But if you try sometimes you just might find

You just might find

You get what you need

~ Rolling Stones

Have you ever noticed that on all the reality television shows filmed in Los Angeles, they show clips of the freeway traffic and busy Los Angeles streets? They love to show Rodeo Drive, Robertson Blvd, and a perfect line of Palm Trees against a clear blue sky. Oh the best scene has to be the traffic on the 10 freeway through downtown LA. I always smugly laugh to myself and think, "What in the world is so exciting about the 10 freeway in traffic"? It just seems so ordinary, so boring.

Then it struck me, I had an "ah ha" Oprah moment, no joke - I really did. My big O moment happened when was I visiting the Urban Muser, who lives in New York City. She had taken photographs on the subway on her way to work. I was thinking to myself, "how cool is that, I wish I lived in New York."

I started thinking about how I do this to myself all the time. I look at what I don't have instead of what I do .

Today was going to be different, I drove down my palm tree lined street into work, in Newport Beach. HELLO Louise wake up and smell the ocean, welcome to California? Then I spent lunch at the OC Fair Farmer's Market, you know the one that is available YEAR round.

I have a feeling my problem has rubbed off on Flapjack, he's young and impressionable. For example, he gets to eat calorie packed puppy food, but instead he noses through his kibbles to get one nibble of Daisy's (fat beagle who drives me crazy, don't ask) diet food that might have fallen in by mistake.

Can't we all just be happy with what's in our bowl?

Isn't it strange how the ordinary can become extraordinary when you just change your perspective? I think that's in the bible somewhere.

I learned two things about myself today.

1. I will find whatever it is I set my mind to look for.

2. I realized I have many pairs of red shoes.

What do you think this means?

Linking up today to 52 Weeks of Happiness

My Chucks have a secret ... Banana Rum Mousse

2011-06-01T18:18:00.000-07:00

I have a secret

I'm dying to tell you all about it

but I can't

dumb confidentiality agreement I signed

but I can tell you

these are the Chucks I was wearing

in Hollywood

on the set
of a television show

when I met her (who looks way prettier in person than on TV)

there was sugar, glitter, chocolate, and marshmallows

I cooked, styled, wiped, and washed

I whisked, blended, and baked

behind the scenes

for them

we made them look like stars
it was fancy and glamorous

not my work station - the sparkly set

I was in a warehouse next to the craft service prep table

I will tell you all about it as soon as it airs

I'll give you all the sweet inside details

or can I ?

better check that confidentiality agreement

I have another secret I can tell you

I eat a banana every morning

I blend it with spinach and whey protein

I know, not so glamorous

but sometimes I ~~fall~~ jump off the fitness wagon

and brulee bananas into something glitzy and glamorous

something more than just dessert...

Banana Rum Mousse

inspired by them

Banana Rum Mousse

2 ripe bananas - peeled and pureed
1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice
3 large eggs separated - yolks from whites
3/4 cup + 1 Tablespoon of white granulated sugar - divided
1/4 cup light rum
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
3/4 cup cold heavy whipping cream

Peel and puree the bananas with lemon juice until very smooth and set aside.
In a very clean mixing bowl begin to whisk egg whites on low until foamy, then increase the speed to high, adding in slowly both the cream of tartar and 1 Tablespoon of sugar.
Whisk until stiff peaks form - about 3 - 4 minutes. Set aside
Whisk heavy cream until stiff peaks form - about 3 minutes. Set aside
Bring rum to a simmer and set aside.
In a standing mixer with a paddle attachment cream together on high the 3/4 cup of sugar and egg yolks until pale and creamy - about 4 minutes.
Reduce the speed and slowly drizzle in the hot rum.
Once the rum is completely combined turn up the mixer to high and mix for an additional 3 minutes. Scrape the sides down.
Reduce the speed and mix in the banana puree, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Mix until combined.
Gently fold in the egg whites in thirds until completely combined.
Gently fold in the whipped cream in thirds until completely combined.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6-8 hours.
Serve cold with bruleed bananas, chocolate sauce or cookies.
This mousse is not stable enough to fill cakes and needs to be eaten within 24 hours.

Obsessed to bored in about half a second...

2011-05-25T17:39:00.000-07:00

I'm weird like that...

On a good day, I'm just a wee bit obsessive compulsive, a tiny bit neurotic, and usually you can find me going from obsessed to bored in about a half a second. Living with Louise can be really exciting, or a little scary depending on the day. Sometimes it's easier to talk about Louise in the third person, that way I don't hurt her feelings when I tell you how she is, frickin' crazy! Don't you think most creative people are this way - are you? Maybe I just like to tell myself these kinds of things to make ~~myself,~~ Louise, feel better; she's a little fragile you know.

Like I said, "I'm weird like that"...

Whatever I am, I am. I tell you all this to say, I'm a little bored. I'm not bored with you, blogging, cooking, or even photography, but I'm just ready to try something new. I simply adore being around creative people and online I am often inspired by my friend Urban Muser. She is always linking up to creativity projects around the web. Thanks to her, I'm trying out my skills with iphone photography and linking up to 52 Weeks of Happiness. Easy enough, just take pictures of things that make you wildly happy.

What makes Louise wildly happy? Food and Flapjack.

This last weekend I hit the Irvine farmer's market (the farmer's market always makes me happy) with a group of food bloggers, then it was off to Food Bloggers Los Angeles to party it up in Erika's Kitchen. I had an iphone, my Canon 40D, and a Flip camera... did I mention I want to shoot videos too?

Would you watch? Really... would you?

The rest of the pictures are from my Canon 40D, the pictures of the figs are my favorite - indoors, natural light ("almost" no styling - I couldn't help myself).

What makes you happy? Take a picture and post it on Satisfied's facebook wall.

hand of Rustic Garden Bistro

Fresh Figs on Parmesan Crackers from 2broadsabroad

Wordless Wednesday

2011-05-18T09:20:00.000-07:00

Wordless Wednesday - Summer is a coming...

2011-05-11T10:38:00.000-07:00

Orange County Fair - Food Blog Contest & Churros with Cinnamon Orange Chocolate Sauce

2011-05-09T15:21:00.000-07:00

Hurry and enter, you only have until June 1st ! I'm thrilled to be coming back to the Orange County Fair for the second year as the Orange County Fair Chef. I'm even more excited to share with all of you the Orange County Fair's first online Food Blog Contest.

Enter a new post or one you have already posted within the last year.

WHAT DO I WIN?

First place winners in each of 3 categories receive $35.00. Top Blog wins $100.00.
All who enter will get a ticket to the OC Fair July 15 - August 14, 2011.

WHAT DO I WRITE?

1. Directional Blog Post - This post should be written in a step by step format including the recipe. This type of blog post explains the method and technique of the dish, breaking it down for the reader to learn. If you enter this category, you might want to include pictures showing the progression of the dish and offer tips to the reader.

2. Personal Blog Post - A personal memoir or story with a recipe. Share a recipe and your personal experience about the dish, type of cuisine, or ingredient.

3. Informational Blog Post - This post could be about the history of a food, recounting a food event, or a review about a food experience that includes a recipe (with source if not original).

WHERE AND HOW DO I ENTER?

To enter online at the OC Fair Competition site;

1. Go here
2. Click on Culinary/Beer/Wine

3. Down load PDF of the online Culinary Arts Guide

4. Read all the Guidelines on page 2 and 3.

5. Entry information on the Blog Post Recipe Contest is on page 13.

6. When you enter, provide link to the post in the description line of the online entry form.

7. You may enter 1 entry in each category.

WHERE IS THE CHURRO RECIPE?

The contest is new, but the churros are from an old post I did last year on the opening day at the fair. To get the recipe and read more about the Orange County Fair, click here.

Which part is Mexican? Strawberry Cucumber Serrano Salsa

2011-05-04T21:51:00.000-07:00

The most important thing I decided after Campblogaway was ... wait for it... really, it's a good one ... here it is:

I'm not going to take my blog so seriously.

My life is too stressful on it's own to let this creative place turn into another "have-to" kinda thing. The bottom line is I love food, you too, right? So let's agree to keep this place a playground for our palates. I cook, I take pretty pictures, I talk to myself about the magic of strawberries in the Spring - and you listen & get hungry. Agreed? Alright, then it's a deal ...

There is no going back now, this is how it's gonna be - simple.

I stared at these strawberries all day thinking about what would be their destiny. Barbecue sauce? Oh no ... maybe strawberry ketchup, wait, little scary. Crepes ... eh, boring. Okay the pressure of Cinco De Mayo got to me, so I went with salsa. My husband is Mexican and British (don't ask), but I thought "Hmmmm ... salsa with English cucumbers!" Yes, hold the applause - I know - I'm brilliant.

When we tell my son he is "part" Mexican - he responds, "What part"?

Strawberry Cucumber Serrano Salsa

1 Serrano pepper- finely chopped (about 1 Tablespoon)
1/4 cup red onion - extra small dice
4 limes - zested and juiced (about 1/4 cup of juice)
2 cups fresh strawberries - extra small dice
1 cup Hot House English cucumber - skin on extra small dice
2 Tablespoons of grapeseed oil
1/2 cup fresh cilantro - chopped
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 black pepper

In a medium bowl combine all ingredients and stir well.
Allow salsa to sit for at least 20 minutes before serving.
If you are not serving the salsa relatively soon reserve the salt and lime juice until ready to eat. The salt and lime juice will break down the strawberries and they will become mushy.

Wordless Wednesday - Kendall Jackson Farms Sonoma

2011-05-04T08:29:00.000-07:00

This one time at blog camp ... I made watermelon limeade

2011-05-02T20:53:00.000-07:00

Sorry, I couldn't help myself... I really am home from camp, Camp Blog away. I came home last night to the news about Bin Laden. So disturbing don't you think? I'm not saying anything to the fact of who he was and what he deserved, but I'm just a little taken back by the whole idea that men laid in wait to kill another man and then captured his dead body! It's just not in my nature to cheer or celebrate over somebody being killed, no matter who they were. Sorry, I'm not trying to be all deep on my food blog, but there is something about the grave contrast between my world of relaxing in the mountains and making watermelon limeade that seems a bit insignificant in comparison to the big picture of things... I'm just saying.

I did enjoy my time away from reality even if it was only for 3 days. We spent the days and nights listening and discussing the topics of SEO, branding, and content, but who am I kidding, we also spent a majority of the time eating s'mores and drinking wine in front of the fireplace. I mean really, what did you expect?

What did I learn at Camp Blogaway?

Enjoy the people you meet along the way - make new friends.

Giggled a little with Joy the Baker, like we were 14, trying to fall asleep in our bunk beds. Drank wine with Sarah from TasteSpotting, she is sweet ... so I can't complain now when she
doesn't accept my photos.

Invest in real relationships.

Had meaningful conversations about life with my friends
Greg, Melissa, Lynne, and Nancy - (thanks for the towel)

Encourage others and you'll be encouraged.
Erika grabbed my face looked me in the eyes and made me blush with her kind words.

Share and be nice.
Check out my new blog roll I want to share these lovely people and their talent with all of you.

I guess the ideology of camp doesn't change much if your 14 or 41...

Lucky me, I was asked to represent one of the camp's sponsors, the National Watermelon Promotion Board, so I did a quick and refreshing watermelon limeade demo with lime sugar - just in time for the warmer weather.

Watermelon Limeade

6 cups chilled seedless watermelon flesh

3/4 cup white granulated sugar

zest of 4 limes

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

In the bowl of a food processor pulse together the lime zest and sugar until lime zest is combined and the sugar is light green.
Place the watermelon, lime juice, and 1/2 cup of the lime sugar into the blender and blend until combined.
Use the lime to moisten the edge of your glass and dip the rim into the remaining lime sugar.
Watermelon limeade can be stored in the refrigerator. If the water and solids separate, just stir to combine.

I think I can ... Talbott Green Tea Heaven Strawberry Jam

2011-04-27T20:06:00.000-07:00

Surely I can, I think I can, or... at least I want to believe I can. I can hardly stand the idea of throwing in the dish towel, and so I keep on keeping on ... I think I can, I think I can, I think I can ... do it all , and do it ... perfectly.

Here is an example of how far behind I really am. This post is inspired by an incredible product that I first got a hold of in January at the Fancy Food Show in San Francisco - Talbott Tea, some Ojai Pixie Tangerines I was gifted at a tour of Melissa's Produce last month , and then lastly this recipe and post was birthed from a weekend class on baking and canning I taught at the Orange County Youth Expo with my friend Chef Debbi over three weeks ago. In between all of that I have been busy at work planning and organizing the culinary program for the 2011 Orange County Fair, cooking privately for my clients, and let's not forget my ever demanding job as the nanny, housekeeper, chauffeur, and cook to my family of 6 - deep breath ...

Did I mention I thought it was a great idea to get a puppy?

My 50 pound puppy, Flapjack, is shoving his wet squeaky chew toy onto my monitor right now as I write. His favorite pass time is getting into trouble.

A few weeks ago all the madness came to a screeching halt when my website went down - lost, hacked, vanished into thin air. Completely overwhelmed with the thought, I stepped away from the monitor, climbed down off the ledge, and like any other neurotic cook - I ignored the problem and decided to make jam.

This couldn't be just a regular old strawberry jam, it had to be redemption jam. Jam that would validate my very existence as a cook and make me feel like it was all worth it. Seriously, there was a lot riding on the outcome of this jam - it was gonna make me or break me. I started with a flat of ruby red, dark, and sweet Manassero Farms strawberries, Melissa's Ojai Pixie Tangerines, vanilla bean, and the star ingredient, my precious Talbott Tea.

Talbott Teas are delicious extensions of my work in the spa & salon industry, where colors have the power to transform, and relaxation is considered an art form.
~ Shane Talbott

First let me tell you - I am carried away with this tea, it is my prized possession, so much so that I don't even want to drink it because... then it will be all gone and I will miss just smelling it. The Green Tea Heaven is a blend of Japanese Sencha, strawberry, raspberries, and rhubarb - the smell alone is intoxicating and takes me away to a happy place. The aroma becomes like the warm sun on your face in the Springtime as you walk through a fruit tree orchard in full bloom or even better, just close your eyes as the smell sweeps you away to a luxury spa where all your troubles disappear. There are actually real dehydrated berries in the loose tea, it's even beautiful to look at. The flavor balance in the Green Tea Heaven is so harmoniously divine, that I just knew it would be a fruity fragrant companion to the strawberries and tangerines. The soft perfume of the vanilla bean lingers on your tongue and transforms a simple English muffin into dessert. The strawberry jam didn't fix my website, drive my kids to the high school, or train Flapjack, but it definitely made me feel like I can live to cook another day...

For more ideas of how to use tea in cooking, visit my Peppermint Brownies post.

Talbott Green Tea Strawberry Heaven

Makes about 6 half pint jars

7 cups (about 2 pounds) of fresh ripe strawberries - quartered or chopped

5 Tablespoons of low sugar powdered pectin

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

2 1/2 cups white granulated sugar

2 Tablespoons Talbott Green Tea

1 vanilla bean sliced in half, scraped, and cut into 4 pieces

4 tangerines - zested and juiced

Fill the canning pot with water and bring to a boil- then turn off the heat.
Place strawberries in an extra large heavy bottomed pot and sprinkle with pectin - stir to coat.
Place sugar in a food processor with half or all of the loose tea. ( I pulse half of the tea and leave the other half whole. If you don't want to see the tea in your jam then pulse the whole 2 Tablespoons into your sugar.)
Pulse the sugar until the tea is finely ground into the sugar.
Add the sugar to the strawberries with the salt, vanilla bean, zest, and juice. Stir the strawberries until well combined.
Place the pot onto the stove over medium heat for about 3-4 minutes until the sugar begins to melt and the jam is beginning to simmer - small bubbles.
Turn up the heat and stir occasionally until the jam begins to boil. Once the jam is at a rolling boil ( there are intense bubbles coming up on the surface) - set your timer for 5 minutes.

During the 5 minutes the jam will double in size and begin to foam over the surface. You can remove and discard the foam with a spoon.
While the jam is boiling place your clean jars and top and ring (lids) into the hot water for approximately 3 minutes. Never boil your jars, just heat them to sanitize and to bring the glass up to temperature. If you don't heat the jars, the hot jam may crack the glass.
Remove your jars and lids from the hot water making sure to empty out all the water and place them onto a cookie sheet lined with a clean dish towel.
Turn the heat back up and allow the water to come back to a full boil.
Place a canning funnel over the top of each jar and using a ladle, fill them with the jam up to the first line from the bottom of your jar.
Carefully place each flat top onto the jar and wipe the jar with a clean dish towel.
Screw the ring part of your lid on finger tight. Too tight might cause cracking during the boiling process.
Place filled jars back into the canning water standing up and allow to come to a full boil. Make sure to have at least two inches of water over the tops of the jars. Once the water is boiling, set your timer for 15 minutes.
Carefully remove the jars from the water and set back onto the clean dish towel.
Each jar will begin to seal itself from the heat and you will hear a small popping sound. You can check the seal by pressing each jar in the middle of the lid, there should be no up and down movement.

Breakfast for Dinner - Lemony German Pancakes & Blueberry Maple Syrup

2011-04-12T16:19:00.000-07:00

Too tired to cook! The plight of the working mom. People ask me all the time if I get too tired to cook for my family after working all day cooking for someone else. "Ahhh... YES, of course I do, are you crazy?" The biggest problem with being out "working" usually is that I am with other people just like me - chefs who love to eat! I eat way too much, so by the time I get home the last thing I want to do is eat, let alone cook. The words that my kids hate to hear are , "You are on your own". My husband tries not to pout, but the look of disappointment on his face when there is no dinner is pretty guilt provoking, so I try my best to have something on the table for dinner. The operative word here is try...

Breakfast for dinner is more often than not my #1 "go to" solution for a quick meal when I'm feeling burnt out at the end of the day. Knowing that these kinds of days are inevitable, I keep a well stocked baking pantry, frozen fruit, always a few pounds of bacon in the freezer, and of course a giant bottle of maple syrup. When the luring smell of smoky bacon starts to make it's way down the hallway, the kids get happy - they know instantly, it's breakfast for dinner.

German pancakes are also known as Dutch Baby, or Puffannkuchen. They are so simple, no turning or flipping like regular pancakes - mix and bake, they are done in no more than 20 minutes. German pancakes are a little more "eggy" than traditional pancakes, kinda like, if a crepe and an omelette got married and had a little Dutch Baby pancake. Not ready to give up your regular pancakes? Let me convince you, once you dust this little baby's golden top with powdered sugar and soak it with a little syrup, you will be sold. The light and spongy texture drinks up the sweetness of the syrup so each bite is a little explosion of lemony maple goodness. I included the lemon juice and zest in the recipe to add some brightness to the mix and what goes better with lemon than blueberry? Lemony, blueberry, sweet little maple kissed bites of pancakes with salty bacon on the side...I'm super mom, until tomorrow when they expect to eat yet AGAIN!

Lemony German Pancakes
Serves 4

Preheat your convection oven to 425 or a standard oven to 450- adjust rack to the middle of the oven.

3 large eggs (room temperature)
1/2 cup of milk (whole, 1%, or 2%, not fat free- room temperature)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
zest of 1 lemon
1 Tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 Tablespoons of powdered sugar

1/2 cup all purpose flour (sifted)
3 Tablespoons of unsalted butter- melted and cooled slightly
Cooking spray

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla, zest, juice, salt, and powdered sugar.
Sift the flour in slowly, whisking to combine - be careful not to over mix or the pancakes will come out to heavy and dense.
Once the flour is completely combined, quickly whisk in the melted butter
Lightly spray a 8-9 inch nonstick, oven safe saute pan or a seasoned cast iron skillet. You can use any size pan you wish, the larger the pan the thinner the pancake.
Pour the pancake batter evenly into the pan and place into a preheated oven for approximately 12-15 minutes, checking after 10 minutes. The pancake will cook quickly, rise, and brown slightly when done.

Serve warm with powdered sugar and blueberry maple syrup.

Blueberry Maple Syrup
Serves 4

2 cups of frozen blueberries
1 Tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup Maple syrup
tiny pinch of salt

In a small saucepan warm the blueberries to low simmer (small bubbles).
Add in the juice, Maple syrup, and a tiny pinch of salt.
Remove the sauce from the heat and serve warm

Will the real Food Stylist please stand up?

2011-04-05T12:01:00.000-07:00

"What a successful food stylist does is help produce a photo that sells a dream, brand, product, sandwich, plate, lifestyle, chef, or restaurant.

Think of it this way: every picture tells and sells a story".
~ Denise Vivaldo author of The Food Stylists Handbook

Will the real Food Stylist please stand up? What or shall we say, who is a Food Stylist? Great discussion question, don't you think? Quite a touchy topic for conversation, especially here in the food blogging world. Think about it, just because you "can" style a plate of food for a pretty picture doesn't necessarily make you a "Food Stylist". I can't tell you how many food blogs I've read through where the blogger lists in their credentials the title, "Food Stylist". I'm not trying to deflate anyone's soufflé here, let's just be honest. If I know everything there is to know about dental hygiene, toothpaste and flossing, and brush my teeth three times a day, does that make me a dentist? For your sake, let's hope not!

Over the last year, I have had the opportunity to work with Food Fanatics and most recently attended Denise Vivaldo's, Master Food Styling Workshop. Chefs, bloggers, and food writers from all over the world attended. It was two full days of "inside styling secrets and stories" from "The" Food Stylist herself, Denise Vivaldo. I've never told her this, but I think of Denise like the "Godfather" of Food Styling. She is the head of family, at the top of her game. She is a walking instruction manual, an authority on the subject, and like the Mafia - you don't want to mess with her, she means business. I recently was on site styling for Denise and when I was working out the details of my overtime with the client, he smiled and said, "As long as Denise doesn't yell at me". I'm not talking about animal heads in your bed kind of Godfather, but let's just say nothing is off limits on the Huffington Post. Respected for her expertise, she is well known and loved by just about everyone.

If you have ever had the pleasure of meeting Denise in person, then we have one thing in common, she has made us laugh.

As a chef, I labor over the details of technique, seasonality, and flavor. I style the food for the plate - to be savored and enjoyed by my client. For instance, pie is served as pie. Everyone accepts it at face value, a delicious flaky crust with a syrupy sweet- fruited center. In contrast, the Food Stylist carefully prepares the same pie but...for the camera. The pie is presented inedible - (no one better dare try to eat it!), painted - sprayed- oiled - patched with Vaseline and immediately after it has had it's 5 minutes of fame on film, the pie is trashed. Don't hate the stylist, hate the game. American consumers do not want to see pie as it is, but as it should be - perfect. We just aren't ready to see pie without it's makeup on the cover of the Cosmo.

"She is Julia Child and Bette Midler all rolled into one delicious lady.
She is a talented chef with a fresh and creative imagination.

~ Richard Simmons

Is a Food Stylist a chef, food expert, food scientist, entrepreneur, or ... comedian? The answer is, yes. Denise always says, "The more you know about food the better you will be at food styling". Understanding the science behind food is key to food styling. Remember a Food Stylist is cooking for the camera, not for the palate, you have to know how food reacts to time and temperature. Spending countless hours painting a hamburger also requires that you have a genuine, doctor diagnosed case of obsessive compulsive disorder. The sense of humor? That comes in very handy when you are cooking in the rain, under a tent, and in the wind for 16 hours!

Can I style food and have I been paid as a Food Stylist? Yes. Am I a Food Stylist? ... No. Switching hats in my career is the best part of my job. Four days under this tent is better than 1 hour behind a desk... anyday. A chef by trade, I fit right into food styling, but being a cook at heart - I can't bear to not season the food, salting the onions while they sweat. "Why"?, I ask myself, "Nobody is going to eat this"! I can't help myself I'm a slave to technique...

Stylists do not travel light

When everyone else sits down, the only real Food Stylist remains standing, Denise Vivaldo. How does she do it after 20 years in the business? She will be the first to tell you, "Learn to swear and buy a bottle of wine"...

Wordless Wednesday

2011-03-09T06:53:00.000-08:00

Wordless Wednesday

2011-03-02T06:05:00.001-08:00

How do you make a cheese sauce? Asadero Mexican Mac n Cheese

2011-03-01T06:10:00.000-08:00

Make a cheese sauce from scratch? Without a doubt, if you say macaroni and cheese, I immediately think of the popping open the blue box and smacking the little silver packet against the kitchen counter to pack together the orange "cheese" powder. I admit it, I grew up eating box macaroni and cheese and loved it (don't judge me, you clearly have never met my mother). As a teenager, who actually thinks- how do you make a cheese sauce? You don't read labels or question the contents, you just eat it. In high school there wasn't a day that went by when I didn't come home, throw my books down, and immediately go for the box - 4 Tablespoons of butter, splash of milk, and the cheese powder "stuff." What's actually in that "moon dust" anyway? Do you think it's a distant relative of Hot Cheetos or maybe a long lost cousin of ball park nacho cheese? Okay, so I don't eat instant cheese sauce out of a box anymore, but it doesn't change the fact that my girlish teenage crush on cheese has evolved into an adult love affair. I've traded in my silver packet of moon dust cheese for the real stuff - real dairy, real butter, and real cheese. I was thrilled when I received the invitation from Wisconsin cheese to use their lovely whole milk cheese in a Satisfied recipe.

So how do you actually make a cheese sauce from scratch? There are actually many ways to make a cheese sauce. As a French trained chef, the first that comes to my mind is Mornay Sauce (butter+flour+milk+cheese) ... but Mac and Mornay? Just doesn't sound quite right. And whenever I've made a Mornay Sauce with pasta, it tastes like just that, sauce "with" pasta. The sauce is delicious on it's own but never completely marries itself with the noodles, becoming one ... like a married couple with separate bank accounts. You see, the best thing about box macaroni and cheese is the slippery noodles that are completely one with sauce. They have fallen in love and you can't tell where one ends and the other begins - the flavor is inseparable.

To create a velvety smooth sauce, almost custard like in texture, I discarded the way of Bechamel (butter+flour+milk) and chose eggs. This egg based cheese sauce is made in a similar way as Pasta Carbonara, but not Italian at all. I started this recipe idea with Wisconsin Asadero cheese, from there I ran south of the border with a Mexican theme: chilies, cumin, oregano, and Salsa Verde.

Wisconsin cheese is partnering with 30 bloggers to bring you 30 days and 30 ways to make macaroni and cheese. Click on over for more cheesy and creative recipes .

First, I boiled the noodles in salted water until just under aldente. While those were cooking I combined the eggs with the half and half, chilies, Salsa Verde, and Mexican seasonings. Once the pasta came out of the water I returned it to the warm pot with butter over low heat ( you don't want scrambled eggs), and added in the egg mixture and cheese. I continued stirring slowly until the cheese melted and the eggs thickened the liquid to a velvety, creamy, and spicy cheese sauce. Just five more minutes on the stove top and then into an oven proof dish. I finished the macaroni with a little more Wisconsin cheese on top and a quick stop under the broiler for a bubbly melted cheese finish.

Asadero Mexican Mac n Salsa Verde Cheese Sauce

Serves 6

8 oz of large elbow macaroni

1 Tablespoon kosher salt

4 Tablespoons of unsalted butter

4 large eggs

½ cup (4oz) of half and half

1 cup Salsa Verde (8 oz) - store bought

1 ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon dried oregano – lightly ground in the palm of your hand
4 oz can of roasted green chilies (hot or mild)

1 cup (about 6 oz) Wisconsin Asadero Cheese – grated
1/2 cup (about 3oz) Wisconsin Jack - grated
1/2 cup (about 3 oz) Wisconsin Cheddar- grated
2 oz Wisconsin Cheddar -grated
Fresh Salsa

Bring a large pot of water to a boil with 1 Tablespoon of kosher salt
In a medium bowl combine eggs, half and half, salsa, salt, pepper, cumin, garlic powder, oregano, and green chilies - mix well
Add macaroni to boiling water and cook for about 5 minutes – just under aldente - drain
Place macaroni back into hot pot over low heat
Add in half of the egg mixture and half of the cheese and slowly stir until cheese begins to melt- about 1-2 minutes.
Add in the rest of the egg mixture and cheese and gently continue to stir over low heat for about 5 minutes- until velvety and creamy
Turn off the heat and allow the macaroni to sit for approximately 3-4 minutes - this will help the sauce to slightly thicken.
Place into an oven proof dish and top with remaining 2 oz of cheese and place under the broiler for 3-4 minutes to melt the cheese.
Serve warm - garnish with shredded cheese and fresh salsa

Coconut Rum Sabayon with Fresh Berries {Giveaway- signed Cathy Thomas Cookbook }

2011-02-18T11:54:00.000-08:00

"When writing about food, I try to think about how do I describe

how this looks, smells, and tastes..."

~ Cathy Thomas

I consider myself to be a lucky girl. A career in food has it's definite perks. At any typical event I could be in company of "foodies", food writers, food photographers, food growers, or chefs - not a bad gig for a girl like me who is borderline ~~neurotic~~, ~~obsessive~~, passionate about everything from drippy egg yolks to sabayon. All things considered of course being a chef includes working long hours, sore feet, hauling makeshift kitchens from here-to-there (in the rain), and let's not forget the nasty burns on your forearms (we like to refer to them as badges of honor). It all seems to balance out in the end.

Last Saturday, I had the unique opportunity to host an event with OC Bites (my latest edible undertaking) - in partnership with two of my favorite chefs, Chef Renee Fontes and Chef Debbi Dubbs.

For the rest of the article and Giveaway click here.

Coconut Rum Sabayon
Inspired by Chef Renee Fontes

6 large egg yolks (room temperature)
3/4 cup of white granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup light or dark rum

8 oz coconut milk (not coconut cream)

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon coconut extract

1 cup heavy whipping cream

Fresh fruit

In a medium bowl whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, salt, and cinnamon.
In a medium heavy bottomed sauce pot, bring rum and coconut milk to a gentle simmer.
Remove from the stove and slowly begin to whisk the hot liquid into the egg yolks and sugar in a thin stream.
Once combined (tempered), return to the stove over low/medium heat and stir (scraping the bottom) with a wooden spoon continuously for 15-20 minutes or until the custard reaches 180 degrees. The mixture will slowly begin to thicken until it resembles runny pudding or thin pancake batter. Be patient
Remove from heat and pour through a fine mesh strainer into a clean bowl. (to remove any pieces of egg that may have cooked)
Stir in vanilla and coconut extract- cover with plastic wrap- leaving one edge open to allow steam to escape and chill completely.
Whip cream with a hand mixer until stiff peaks form.
Gently fold in thirds into the sabayon.
Serve over fruit and brulee with a torch just slightly.
Sabayon may be served without brulee as a dip for the fruit.

Wordless Wednesday- Santa Monica Farmer's Market

2011-01-19T06:25:00.000-08:00

nuoc mam - What is fish sauce? Green Chicken Coconut Curry

2011-01-18T10:39:00.000-08:00

Respect the sauce...

What is fish sauce? How can I describe it? Well ... I could tell you how it smells, but I really would rather not - this is a happy place where we only gush over dreamy fragrances. I have a distinct memory of when I bought my first bottle of nuoc mam many years ago. I popped open the top and took a deep whiff, as if I was smelling lavender or a Tahitian vanilla - let's just say it wasn't quite the same. The intensity of it slapped me in the face, demanding my full respect for who it was. I could hear it laughing at me, as if to say, "You better know who I am!" If you ever encounter a hysterical woman, or someone who has fallen and is unconscious - reach for the fish sauce. Sure, I can laugh about it now ... and thank God I hadn't naively taken a swig. Ever since that day I can't pick up a bottle of fish sauce without remembering my initial thought: "This could be used as a weapon ! " If you just poured a teaspoon under the car mat of your worst enemy, they would drive around in torment and ultimately wave the white flag or sell their car. Don't worry, I only think things like this, and rarely even dare to say them out loud. By now you must be asking yourself, why would anyone want to cook with such a venom? Well, like my friend the anchovy, cooked fish sauce adds such a diverse and complex flavor to a dish that I would never consider leaving it out. Without it, Thai food would be like flat warm soda or a parade with no sound- boring. I don't dare to say that I am any sort of an expert when it comes to Thai cooking, but I know enough to understand the balancing of flavors- sweet, spicy, salty, and sour. Just thinking about all of those flavors makes my mouth water.

Fish sauce is - as you would have guessed, fermented fish of all kinds- most commonly found to include anchovies. Since it's fermented, it can stay outside the refrigerator and will last indefinitely. Buy a small bottle it will last you a long time since you use very little - unless of course you are planning to use it for "other" purposes - did I say that? Shame on me, sorry that one slipped out.

This is a quick and simple recipe for chicken curry. You can make it as spicy as you like by adjusting the quantity of chilies, and if you like a heavier coconut flavor, just use whole coconut milk instead of the light. The chicken cooks in minutes and comes out super tender and buttery underneath the blanket of spicy green curry sauce. I love to add fresh vegetables for a crunch, and of course you can't eat Thai food without some basil, coriander, and a squeeze of fresh lime.

Green Chicken Coconut Curry
serves 4-6
1 Tablespoon peanut oil
¼ cup onion (about 2 oz) - thinly sliced
1 or 2 green Thai chilies- minced
2 pounds chicken breast- cut into 1inch pieces
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 Tablespoon of green curry powder
2 Tablespoons corn starch
1 13.6 oz can of light coconut milk
1 Tablespoons freshly grated ginger
1 Tablespoon of freshly grated lemongrass
2 Tablespoons of soy sauce
1 Tablespoon fish sauce (nuoc mam)
Zest of 1 lime
3 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
2-3 Tablespoons of green curry powder

Red pepper- julienned
Carrot- peeled and julienned
Fresh coriander- roughly chopped
Fresh basil- roughly chopped
Lime wedges

In a large bowl combine chicken pieces with salt, 1 Tablespoon of curry powder, and corn starch- toss to coat
Heat a large sauté pan or wok over medium heat – add in peanut oil
Sauté onions and chilies – about 2 minutes
Add in chicken and lightly brown- about 4 minutes
Add in coconut milk, ginger, lemongrass, soy sauce, fish sauce, lime zest, juice, and the remaining curry powder- stir to combine
Lower heat and gently simmer for 15 minutes
Serve warm over Jasmine rice
Garnish with fresh coriander, basil, carrots, red peppers, and lime wedges

Wordless Wednesday ~ Baked Bacon and Eggs with Arugula Pesto

2011-01-12T17:49:00.000-08:00

"Secret Ingredient" Tomato Soup with Crispy Herbed Polenta Croutons

2011-01-11T11:47:00.000-08:00

Poor little anchovy, he is the unsung hero in the culinary world . The minute you mention anchovy, people purse their lips, and nod their head side to side silently communicating - NO, as if the mere mention of the word leaves a bad taste in their mouth. Most commonly the first comment out of their mouth is they don't like "fishy fish". People, people... please! I don't know how to tell you this, but this innocent anchovy that you are accusing of tasting and smelling like the pier on a hot summer's day is...NOT GUILTY! Anchovy is your friend, and most importantly it is the buttery, nutty, and salty flavor you are looking for in the kitchen- it's your "secret ingredient". I do mean SECRET, because if you tell anyone that you've put it in the sauce, butter, or soup... they won't eat it.

I have a fondness for tomato soup like you might have for your favorite cozy pajamas and warm slippers on a cold day. Lucky for me it seems to be everywhere during the cold months here in California... I mean it gets like 50 degrees here! Somehow we manage to suffer through it, forced to wear socks and find our hoodies. Although tomato soup is easy to find on the menu, it's not always what you were looking for - usually disappointing. The soup is either too thick and tastes like a bowl of marinara, too acidic, or worse it has a pint of cream added to it... so it's weak in tomato flavor and over the top in calories. Honestly, anyone can make good soup by adding cream, it takes a lot more finesse to elevate the ingredients to shine and taste their best.

You know that typically I only like to use ingredients that are in season, but tomato soup is what you want to eat when it's cold outside, so I opted to use San Marzano tomatoes out of a can. They are my "go to" tomato during the winter months for sauces, stews and soups. I make almost all of my soups in the same basic way, by first roasting the ingredients with olive oil and onion to caramelize and concentrate the flavors. I finish the soup by pureeing all the ingredients with the tomato juice until creamy and smooth. The addition of the roasted red pepper, anchovy, and sherry in this recipe are barely noticeable if at all. You might even consider leaving them out- but don't. Cooking with layers of flavors is a balancing act that requires a lot of tasting and adjusting, that's the fun part. The end result of combining many flavors is to produce one perfectly scrumptious flavor. In this case rich, sweet, warm, and buttery - Tomato. I topped my soup with crispy polenta croutons- why? Let's save the conversation about my polenta obsession for another day. ..

Tomato Soup

Serves 6-8

2- 28oz cans of San Marzano peeled tomatoes (D.O.P. Certified)- juice drained and reserved
2 anchovy fillets or 1 Tablespoon of anchovy paste
1 cup white or yellow onion (about 4 oz) – roughly chopped
1 large garlic clove-skin removed
2 medium roasted red peppers- peeled with stem and seeds removed
¼ cup good quality extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 Tablespoons golden brown sugar- loosely packed

10 large fresh basil leaves (can be substituted with 1 Tablespoon of dried basil)
1 cup low sodium vegetable broth
1 teaspoon dry Spanish sherry
Fresh basil for garnish

Preheat oven to 450 degrees and place rack in the upper third of the oven (not the top)
Line a large baking sheet with foil or parchment
Drain tomatoes over a large bowl- pressing tomatoes gently to remove excess juice- reserve tomato juice (about 1 quart = 4 cups)
Place tomatoes pre roasted peppers, anchovy, onion, and garlic onto baking sheet
Gently toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, and sugar
Place into preheated oven and roast for 30 minutes
Remove from oven and carefully spoon ingredients and liquid into a blender. (If any of the outside edges burnt and became black, leave them out)
Add in half of the reserved tomato juice and puree with basil leaves until completely smooth. (Add in more juice if needed to get the blender going)
Pour soup into a large soup pot with remaining juice, vegetable stock, and sherry- stir to combine
Simmer on low for 15-20 minutes.
Serve warm with basil and polenta croutons

Herbed Polenta Croutons
2 cups low sodium vegetable broth
1 cup 1% milk
1 cup ground yellow cornmeal
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
1 Tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

1 Tablespoon olive oil

In a medium sauce pot combine broth, milk, Italian seasoning, and salt – bring to a simmer
Slowly add in corn meal and whisk until completely combined- it will resemble a thick porridge
Reduce heat to low and continue to stir occasionally with a wooden spoon – about 15 minutes- polenta will be thick.
Remove from heat and add in butter and cheese- stir well
Spray a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray and pour polenta onto baking sheet
With a spatula evenly spread out polenta to desired thickness- about ½ inch ( about an 8x8 inch square)
Set into the refrigerator to cool and set- about 15 minutes
Cut polenta into small cubes- about the size of dice
Heat a saute pan over medium heat and add in 1 Tablespoon of olive oil
Fry polenta croutons until golden on each side
Polenta can be made ahead and rewarmed in a 350 degree oven
Serve warm on top of soup

Regret, Reflection, Decisions, and Anticipation... Happy New Year

2010-12-30T13:58:00.000-08:00

For last year's words belong to last year's language

And next year's words await another voice.

And to make an end is to make a beginning.

~T.S. Eliot

Goodbye 2010, you were one of the best year's of my life - no regrets, I sincerely mean that ... no regrets. Regret is powerless and defeating, it serves no positive purpose in your life, and can stop you dead in your tracks. Reflection on the other hand is powerful, and can lead you on a path of self discovery that can redirect and transform your life. The more questions you ask of yourself, the more you take the time to reflect and learn from your success and failures- the stronger you become. In my business there is no room for regret, either you learn from your mistakes or just get out of the kitchen. Imagine if you ordered your favorite dessert at a restaurant, and the best part is the sweet sticky caramel sauce. The waitress comes out and says, "I regret to inform you, that the chef burnt the sauce and you cannot have what you ordered". That would never happen- you see in the kitchen you must "make it happen"! You either learn how to fix it, start over, make it out of something else, or create something new, and even better than what they originally ordered... as is life. Yes, I just compared overcoming life's challenges to making a caramel sauce, welcome to the world according to Chef Louise.

If I had to choose one word to describe last year's language it would be "decisions". I made serious decisions, professionally and personally - some big, some small, some physical, and others spiritual. I'm one of those people who journals... "dear diary" if you will; I keep at least three to four years of my life in a three ring binder (God help me if I ever lose this, better yet, God help the poor soul who is traumatized from reading the mad diaries of a psychotic chef). Sometimes I write prayers to God, complaints or sorrows. Mostly, I write letters to myself from myself, and sometimes letters to others that need to be written, but never sent. More than anything, it's a place for me to confront my thinking, take a step outside Louise, and empty my mind. Keeping a journal helps me to identify where I am, where I've been, how far I've come, and to determine where I'm going. Nothing speaks the truth louder than your own voice; it's humbling to see a reflection of yourself that you must accept - good or bad.

In 2010 I decided to start making decisions to change the direction of my career. I didn't know where I wanted to go, (still not sure but I'm getting there) so I continued to say "yes" to almost everything. With each yes, I made a conscious decision to act, reflect, and then from that experience make yet another decision ...

Yes to working at the Orange County Fair

Yes to reality television

Yes to infomercials

Yes to food styling

Yes to learning food photography

Yes to food journalism

Yes to recipe development

Yes to every networking opportunity available

Yes to blogging

The most valuable decision that I made this year had to be creating and writing my blog. From that yes, opportunity has continued to knock, and willingly I've opened the door and said, "please come in". As for 2011? I believe the word of the year shall be "anticipation". I will continue to make decisions, act, reflect and live in eager "anticipation" for the next door that will open for me in the coming year, as a woman and as a chef. The single most important thing I learned in 2010 is:

The more I cook, the more I want to cook - it never gets old.

Cooking isn't my job, my career choice, or what "I do", it's a part of who "I am". I thrive in a world where I live, create, and experience life through food. Here are my personal favorite posts from 2010. ~Happy New Year!

Pulled Chicken Sliders with Blackberry Chipotle Sauce and Cilantro Lime Slaw

Brined Grilled Chops with Caper and Parsley Salsa Verde

Cabernet Penne in Sage Brown Butter with Roasted Butternut

Pumpkin Ale Profiteroles with Cinnamon Caramel Sauce

Wild Rice and Cranberry Salad with Candied Walnuts and Tarragon

{Guest Post by Chef Debbi } Caramelized Korean Pear Crepes

2010-12-20T17:49:00.000-08:00

I had the pleasure of meeting Chef Debbi of Deb's Kitchen this last summer while working at the Orange County Fair. We seemed to make an immediate connection and I remember thinking how much I liked her almost instantly. I had an inkling that we would be friends, and I was right. I was first and foremost impressed with her "parsley". Yes parsley, you heard me right- parsley. She was demonstrating a "Gazpacho Cous Cous Salad" from her book, "What's in Your Pantry", and she had brought in this parsley that was out of this world. It was so fresh & alive, full of color, and super sized! She modestly smiled and told me it was from her garden- she's a Master Gardener. Since then, Debbi and I have continued to eat, laugh, mix and mingle around Orange County together. She has inspired me to plant my first garden, introduced me to Melissa's Produce, and together with Chef Renee we have started a community of "food lover's" and writers here in Orange County- OC Bites, Fork and Pen Adventures. These Korean pears from Melissa's Produce were so juicy and delicious, and I love the creative way Debbi used them in this recipe. It was especially fun for me to style and photograph some one else's creation- enjoy! ~ Chef Louise

Caramelized Korean Pear Crepes by Chef Debbi

An unfamiliar winter fruit among the produce found in the vegetable aisle, the Korean pear is crisp, sweet and juicy. Think of it more as an apple rather than a pear, it’s texture holds up well in cooking without becoming mush. The pears are round, unlike Western style pears, and they have a thin light brown skin that is edible. Typically the Korean pear is eaten cold or at room temperature, I created this dessert crepe that could be served alone or on a brunch menu as well.

I sliced the pear in half and scooped out the core along with the seeds. After slicing the pear halves into very thin half moons, I then caramelized the slices in butter with a little sugar; let them cool while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. You might want to make a few extra so you can nibble on them while you put together the crepes. The caramelized pear slices refrigerate well so they can be made ahead and assembled at the last minute. For a quick tasty treat, top toasted bread with peanut butter and caramelized pear slices and enjoy before anyone can catch you!

Homemade crème fraiche is easy to make and much more delicious than what you can purchase; you should make the crème fraiche a day in advance, see recipe below.

If you can’t find Korean pears at your local market, Melissa’s Produce has them available right now!

Caramelized Korean Pear Crepe
Serves 2
2 Tablespoons butter, unsalted
1 Korean Pear, cut in half, cored and thinly sliced
1 Tablespoon sugar
1/4 cup dried cranberries
2 Tablespoons toasted coconut shreds
2 Tablespoons toasted macadamia nuts, chopped
1/2 cup crème fraiche
2 teaspoons pomegranate arils
2 large crepes*

In a large, heavy sauté pan, melt the butter low on and add the pears in a single layer. Sprinkle the pears with sugar and raise the heat to medium, let them cook until slightly browned around the edges, about 10 minutes, turn and cook the other side until lightly browned. Set aside while you ready the remaining ingredients or place in a single layer separated by parchment paper, let cool and cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate until ready to use.

Lay one crepe out on a dessert plate and spoon 1/4 cup of the crème fraiche onto one third of the top part of the crepe. Layer with some of the pear slices and other ingredients, fold the crepe in half over the ingredients and place remaining 1/4 cup crème fraiche and ingredients in the center of the crepe leaving enough of the crepe to fold over the filling. Top with a swirl of chocolate sauce, a dollop of crème fraiche and scatter some of the filling ingredients over the top before serving.

Crème Fraiche
From Chef Debbi’s book ‘What’s In Your Pantry’
recipe created by Brenda Hock, slocooking.com
1 cup manufacturing cream
1 Tablespoon buttermilk
Combine the cream and buttermilk in a small saucepan and heat just to lukewarm over medium-low heat. Do not let it boil. Immediately remove it from the heat and cover. Let it thicken at room temperature for 8 to 48 hours, until it reaches the desired thickness and flavor. Chill.

* About 9″ crepe or so, homemade or also available from Melissa’s Produce.

"Eat Pray Love" and a Big Bowl of Bucatini

2010-12-16T20:24:00.000-08:00

"This is my no carb left behind experiment" ~ Eat Pray Love

I walked out the movie theatre after seeing "Eat Pray Love," with lingering feelings of both sadness relief, and joy. I sat quietly in self reflection in the car ride home, going over the movie in my mind, and questioning why it seemed to have taken me on an emotional roller coaster. I know you're thinking that I related to the "Eat" part of the movie and I did, there were some fantastic food scenes. But the truth is, my 30's were rough , come to think of it my 20's were no walk in the park either. I often was Liz in the bathroom scene, praying, "please God, just tell me what to do, and I'll do it!" - only to hear my own voice telling me to go back to bed. I'm 40 now, (thank God) and as look back at my own bumpy road through life, the similarities between my "new friend Liz" and I are notable. Granted, I didn't have the luxury of discovering myself in Rome, India, or Bali, but I too learned that when you come to the end of yourself, when you're exhausted and depleted - ruined, you surrender. Then and only then can you begin to change, begin to find yourself, to find balance, to find God.

"Ruin is a gift. Ruin is the road to transformation" ~ Elizabeth Gilbert

"There is a reason they call God a presence - because God is right here, right now. In the present is the only place to find Him, and now is the only time." ~ Elizabeth Gilbert

I was delighted last week when I was invited to a luncheon at Vincente Restaurant in Los Angeles, in honor of the Sony Pictures, Blu-ray DVD release of Eat Pray Love. You can only imagine how excited I was when I learned that I would be dining with Food Stylist Susan Spungen and Producer Dede Garnder. It's not often, at least for me, to "lunch" with a Hollywood movie producer like Dede Gardner. So I sat next to her listening quietly as other guests made conversation, thinking to myself, "what in the world are you going to ask her"? If she needed a personal chef, crossed my mind, but then I realized - I had no idea what a movie producer actually does. With embarrassment in my voice, I innocently proceeded to ask, " Dede, forgive my ignorance- but honestly, what is it that you actually do"? She smiled and laughed, then kindly began to explain the monster job of a producer. It all begins with the material, in this case the book Eat Pray Love, by Elizabeth Gilbert. This opened a floodgate of questions and we continued on discussing lighting, hiring the actors, Julia, the director's vision, and so on...Our conversation was both fascinating and inspiring. By the end of lunch, there was only one question left that I just had to ask. "Dede, what was it about the book that made you want to make it into a movie? I mean do you love it or did you just think we would love it"? Without hesitation she sincerely and confidently explained, "I loved it, I loved her honesty I loved her willingness and courage to tell the truth- it spoke to me". Her answer made me smile and gave me yet another reason to watch the movie again.

One of my favorite scenes in the movie is when Julia, Liz first gets to Italy and sits down to a giant plate of spaghetti, she savors every mouthfull, washes it down with a glass of red wine and finishes every last bite with a smile from ear to ear. I reinvented my own version of Bucatini all'Amatriciana today for lunch, it had to be done, for inspiration of course. I was trying to get into character, so I sat on the couch in the middle of the day. Just me and my big bowl of bucatini with extra cheese. Ahhh- "dolce far niente"... the sweetness of doing nothing.

Bucatini all"Amatriciana

serves 4-6

16 oz Bucatini pasta or Spaghetti
1 Tablespoon kosher salt

2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup white onion- sliced
1/2 cup red wine
1 28oz. can San Marzano tomatoes with juice

1-2 Tablespoons sugar (depending on how sweet you like your sauce and how acidic your tomatoes are)
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
10 fresh basil leaves
4 large cloves garlic-peeled and roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup thick sliced prosciutto - cut into small dice
1/8 cup flat leaf Italian parsley- roughly chopped
1/4 cup basil - chiffonade
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese- freshly grated about 2 ounces

To make sauce

In a large sauce pot, saute onions in 2 Tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat - until translucent.
Add in red wine and reduce by half.
Add in tomatoes with juice, sugar, pepper flakes, basil, garlic, and salt & pepper- mix well and reduce heat to a simmer- about 15- minutes.
Remove from heat and place into a blender or food processor until smooth- return to large saute pan and adjust seasoning.
In a small saute pan crisp the prosciutto in olive oil over medium heat until lightly browned- about 4--5 minutes- set aside
Bring a large pot of water to a roiling boil and add in 1 Tablespoon of kosher salt.
Boil pasta until just under aldente- strain and add to saute pan with sauce.
Add in prosciutto and mix well continue to cook for 1-2 minutes
Remove from heat and toss in remaining parsley, basil, and Parmesan cheese
Serve warm with extra grated Parmesan cheese for garnish

Holiday Gift Ideas ~ Salted Cashew Caramel Corn

2010-12-14T19:21:00.000-08:00

We're friends now you and I, right?

So, I feel compelled to be perfectly honest with you.

No really, if we are going to continue to meet like this, it's just better that there are no secrets between us.

It's always best to just tell the truth ... that way you won't hate me later and our relationship will be stronger.

Please don't judge me, I'm being very vulnerable right now.

Here you go, the truth- I'm laying it out...

Look at this caramel corn... you just gained a pound. If you make this, you will probably gain at least ~~two~~ five pounds, it is incredibly addicting. It is also likely that after you make this, you will need to buy some new jeans, and even possibly join a 12 step program to kick the late night cravings. As we speak, I am sitting behind my monitor, shamelessly eating the last crunchy bites at the bottom of a holiday Tupperware. True, it was to be a gift for one of my neighbors, but well ... you know. Obviously, we've all had caramel corn before, but this recipe should be illegal, pure crack corn - no fillers just buttery, vanilla-scented, salty, sweet caramel corn with nutty surprises in every bite. There is no hope left for me now, I'm wearing stretch pants and am grappling with "Step 1- We admitted we were powerless over the caramel corn and that our lives had become unmanageable". There it is, out in the open, don't blame me, don't say I didn't warn you!

See ~~more of~~ you back here in January for some salad...Happy Holidays.

Salted Cashew Caramel Corn
makes about 17 cups

4 quarts popped corn ( I buy a large giant sized bag of salted popcorn - no hydrogenated oils)
1 cup salted roasted peanut halves (no skins)
1 cup salted roasted cashew pieces or halves
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 stick of unsalted butter
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher or sea salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 250 degrees
Spray a large shallow roasting pan (I buy disposable and reuse it for each batch) with cooking spray. Place popcorn and the nuts in the pan and place in the preheated oven.
In a heavy bottomed nonstick large sauce pan, melt butter over low heat. DON'T SKIP THIS STEP OR YOUR POPCORN WILL DISSOLVE UNDER THE HOT CARAMEL
Add in sugar and corn syrup- mix well
Turn the heat up to medium and bring mixture up to a boil- not a rapid bowl but a steady flow of small bubbles. IF YOU SMELL BURNT SUGAR, IT'S BURNT! START OVER
Boil for 5 minutes without stirring
Turn off the heat and stir in salt, vanilla, and baking soda (mixture will react at first then turn a foamy caramel color)
Pour caramel over warm popcorn and carefully begin to stir and fold until all the popcorn is coated with caramel.
Place pan back into oven and bake for 1 hour- stirring occasionally (2 times)
Remove from oven and cool
Break up pieces with a handle of a wooden spoon and store in an airtight container
HAVE SOME SELF CONTROL- GIVE IT AWAY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE

Adapting Recipes, Tips to Make it Your Own- Peppermint Brownies

2010-12-05T17:28:00.000-08:00

this post has moved to Geez Louise!

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How to Style Food for Beginners (like me) - Tips from Denise Vivaldo

2010-11-17T12:38:00.000-08:00

In the last few weeks I have eaten more cheese, caviar, duck, mussels, scallops, and short ribs than should be allowed, even for a chef. Of course each of those meals was accompanied by crusty artisan breads, and an endless flow of incredible wines. You know what I'm going to tell you next... yes, I also had dessert. I could have said no, waived my hand over my glass to signal I had enough wine, or even shook my head at the server when she offered the dessert menu, I could have easily stepped away from the cheese table... but I didn't, it was Humboldt Fog for ~~goat cheese~~ goodness sakes. I have a rule of thumb, if the first course is good, then confidently order the second, and if that makes you smile, then clearly momentum dictates you have to order an entree. If the entree is worth writing about and makes you close your eyes and thank Jesus, then you simply must order dessert. Believe me, meals are progressively better or worse starting with the bread- test it. I hope you can understand now why I'm posting a recipe for oatmeal. I'm posting oatmeal for two reasons- 1. I have to slap myself out of this food frenzy and get back to eating a balanced diet, and pumpkin oatmeal just happens to be my "go to" breakfast after the gym. 2. Oatmeal is the perfect example of difficult food styling ( I mean really, how do you make a bowl of soggy oats look good?) , so I can share with you some basic beginners tips I learned from my new friend Denise Vivaldo. She is the owner of Food Fanatics, food stylist, author, chef... geez just google her, is there anything she hasn't done?

Food Styling 101

For beginners like me...

Food does not come off the stove looking it's best, it needs to be styled- don't just throw it on a plate and think it's going to photograph well.

Choose dishes that will compliment the food - start off with white. Also keep it small, your entire frame should be about the size of a spread out napkin. Small dishes appear large on camera. This is actually a very small bowl of oatmeal.

If you are planning to eat the food you are shooting, make extra so you can leave it out for hours, tamper with it, poke it, spray it, and not poison your family.

~~Duck tape can be used in place of Spanx~~, wait -that wasn't about food, but very funny.

Look at your food through the camera and then make the necessary adjustments. Our eyes see things completely different than the eye of a camera. I just started shooting my food from a tripod, this really helps me make adjustments as I go. I take 4 or 5 shots and then look at them on the computer monitor. Even better, attach a toggle tfrom your camera to your monitor (I'm working on that next). *See the photo below, it was one of the test shots I took. After looking at it, I then made some adjustments.

Undercooked food looks better on camera- this oatmeal is undercooked, completely cooked oatmeal looks like a bowl of mush, believe me I tried it.

Cold food photographs better than hot food - this oatmeal is cold as are all my soups

Food needs texture and height - use makeup sponges or similar color food to prop up your dish. I used the cranberries and walnuts to add height and then used a skewer to prick the surface of the oatmeal to add texture.

Add moisture and shine to your food, glossy surfaces are appetizing and will capture and reflect light in photos- use a paint brush with oil or an organic nonstick cooking spray. I used Pam (not organic that's why I got bubbles) over the walnuts and cranberries as well as a quick spray over the surface of the oatmeal.

*The top cranberry needs to be turned over and the bubbles from the cooking spray are showing - compare this to the opening photo, where I had already made the adjustments.

For more tips, advice, and direction on food styling I suggest you pick up Denise Vivaldo's newest book, The Food Stylist's Handbook. It is full of trusted information from a creatively talented women with an impressive career in food that spans over 20 years. Denise is also the author of, Do it for Less - Weddings, Do it for Less - Parties, and How to Start a Home - Base Catering Business. The only thing that the books cannot provide you with is the warmth and unmistakable humor of Denise in person. For this, I highly suggest you sign up for one of Denise's classes on food styling or try to attend her next speaking engagement.

Pumpkin Cranberry Vanilla Oatmeal

Serves 4

3 cups of water

1 cup of instant - 1 minute oats

pinch of salt

1/2 cup pure organic pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie)

2 teaspoons of cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg

1 teaspoon vanilla

zest of 1/2 orange

2 Tablespoons light brown sugar or your sweetener of choice, I use Stevia

1/4 cup dried soft orange cranberries

1/4 cup toasted walnut pieces

In a small sauce pot bring water to a boil with a pinch of salt

Add in oats, stir, and cook for 1-2 minutes

Lower the heat and add in the pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, zest, sugar, cranberries and walnuts

Stir to combine and gently cook for an additional minute

Slightly cool to thicken

Garnish with extra cranberries, walnuts, and a sprinkle of brown sugar
Serve warm

More on Denise Vivaldo and Food Styling Around the Web

Cook and Be Merry - Photo shoot with food stylist, Denise Vivaldo

Huffington Post - Denise Vivaldo

Cook and Be Merry - Food Styling and Photography Workshop Day 1

Chubby Hubby - Professional Food Styling Classes in Singapore
Sally Cameron - Pistachio Crusted Salmon & Food Styling Workshop

Women Who Inspire, a Honey Bee, and Me...

2010-11-15T12:36:00.000-08:00

She is a daughter, mother, sister, friend, grandmother, cook, writer, stylist, photographer, gardener, beer maker, wine producer, publisher, scientist, cancer survivor, educator, chocolatier, baker, and bee keeper... She is someone you know, she is you, she is me. Lingering just beneath the surface of every one of us is the quiet desire to be inspired, we look for it everywhere like keys to the hidden treasure of our hearts. Hoping that once we find them we can unlock the passion we long for to fulfill our life's purpose. Why do you think Oprah is Oprah? - she inspires. I guess I should speak for myself, I can't count the times that I've said, " I just need some inspiration". Life can often feel overwhelming and monotonous at the same time. The task list is too long, and the mirror reflects back someone you used to know. I don't know about you, but in my world there are three kinds of inspiration, the good, the bad, and the ugly. Let's start with the ugly, this is someone whose life has completely fallen apart, taken a turn for the worst...it's U G L Y- ugly, and they inadvertently dissuade you to NEVER let that happen to you. The bad comes from the woman is who is so full of her success, that she can't stop talking about it. She wears the perfume Arrogance, you can smell her coming and her bad taste lingers long after she has left the room. Measuring up to her feels so far out of reach that you give up before you start, knowing that you'll probably never make it- she triggers complacency. The good inspiration comes from someone you can relate to, she is like you, her passion encourages effortlessly, and if she can do it then so can you... I met her at the WCR- Women Chef and Restaurateurs Conference. She was the kind woman in the elevator who pointed me in the right direction, the one who saved me a seat at lunch, shared the back seat of the taxi, and the stranger, now friend, I dined across from at dinner. She was the writer who gave life to words on a page, and the woman who brought me a plate of caviar that I just had to try. Her name was Denise the Food Stylist & Author, Debbi the Master Gardener, Mary Sue the Restaurateur, and Laurey and Rebecca the Bee Keepers. The WCR conference was more than the nationwide gathering of Culinarians and Gourmands, it was the powerful exchange of creative energy masquerading as provoking conversations, infectious influence, inspirited instruction, comradery, and best of all, sisterhood. Inexplicably, we were bonded by the devotion to the industry we are all married to... it was all for the love of food.

By the end of the weekend I was more than inspired, I would say exhilarated. I want to become a better writer, a better chef, to run a sustainable organic business, style seductive food, and capture it's image to tempt all who peer into my blog. I want to be a part of educating children and families to live healthier lives by cooking and eating at home. As you can see, I returned from the conference energized and excited, my mind swarming with motivation but more specifically, there has been this persistent buzzing in my head. I can't stop thinking about bees... I want to be a bee keeper. The sweet taste of pure honey and the magnificent way of nature left me standing in awe of creation, wanting to learn more about these tiny creatures who work tirelessly, day and night to support our food system as we know it. Simply put, no bee - no food.

Did you know?

Every third bite of food we eat would not be possible without the pollination of bees.
A single honeybee will only produce approximately 1/12 teaspoon of honey in her lifetime
Honey bees are the only insects that produce food consumed by humans.
Worker honey bees are female, live 6 to 8 weeks and do all the work.
The honey bee has been around for 30 million years.
Honey never spoils.
Honey is the ONLY food that includes all the substances necessary to sustain life, including water.

I made a trip to the farmer' market this week to meet the local bee keeper selling honey. He was just as enthused with my list of questions as I was with his shimmering, golden, wild flower honey. Ten dollars seemed like a fair price for a jar sweet sticky bee glory and an earful of firsthand bee keeping education. Besides licking the honey from my finger, straight from the jar, I couldn't think of a better way to serve it than drizzled over pollinated fruits- grapefruit, oranges and avocado with a sprinkle of sea salt - absolutely bee autiful ...

Grapefruit and Orange Salad

Serves 4
2 Ruby red grapefruit - cut into supremes
3 Valencia oranges - cut into supremes
1 Cup of Arugula
1 Large Has avocado - peeled and cut into fourths
Wild Flower Honey
Grey Sea Salt
Fresh Cracked Pepper

Arrange a bed of arugula onto four plates
Arrange each plate with citrus segments and sliced avocado
Sprinkle with sea salt, fresh cracked black pepper, and drizzle with honey

Thanksgiving Recipes ~ Wild Rice & Cranberry Salad with Candied Walnuts and Tarragon

2010-11-01T20:50:00.000-07:00

Thanksgiving is the Superbowl of holidays for cooks everywhere. So much planning, shopping, recipe testing, and decorating all for that one meal. And then we have the pre game show- appetizers and cocktails to keep everyone happy while you cook a giant bird, that ends up tasting well... like turkey. Don't let my football talk fool you into to thinking I know anything about the game. I'm just barely aware that football is on during Thanksgiving and that it has something to do with the teams that play at the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day, right? It's too early in the month to start talking about my ~~utter disdain~~ lack of enthusiasm for cooking turkeys on Thanksgiving, so for now let's just talk cranberries. Thanksgiving can be a bit overwhelming even for seasoned chefs, maybe that's why Americans have resorted to opening a can when it comes to the cranberries. It's almost become a tradition to have a bowl of jiggly wiggly cranberry sauce on the table with the ring indentation still intact. I have to admit, I love the stuff. Give me a roll with a slab of butter and a nice glob of cranberries and call it Thanksgiving.

This is a great fall salad that is made with cranberries and tossed in a cranberry vinaigrette. It sounds odd with the rice and raw vegetables, believe me I know, but it's so delicious and full of texture and a unique sweet and savory flavor balance. Because it's made without lettuce and served cold or at room temperature, it is a perfect "do-ahead" salad. Try serving salad in a martini glass or wide mouth goblet - remember presentation is everything, your guests will be so impressed - a sure ~~goal , homerun ,~~ touchdown.

Serve this with a butternut squash soup for a complete lunch or dinner.

How will you serve your cranberries this Thanksgiving season?

Tips for Holiday Entertaining

Start your menu planning early- keep a folder with your old recipe favorties and one for new recipes.

Think about what can be done ahead of time and frozen;

Cookies
Pie and tart dough
Mashed potatoes - reheated slowly in a warm oven
Homemade cranberry sauce
Mini appetziers and meatballs
Stuffed brie wrapped in puff pastry

Garnish your food with food for a finished professional look;

Leafy celery tops
Fresh rosemary branches, laurel leaves, and sage
Decorate appetizers and cheese platters with fresh raw cranberries for a splash of color
Fresh parsley bunches or bundles of thyme tied with butcher string

Decorate your dinner table or bufffet table with seasonal fruits and vegetables in baskets and spread around;

Squash
Gourds
Walnuts
Apples
Pears
Tangerines with their leaves still attached
Pomegranates

Swing by a fabric store and pick up a few yards of seasonal fabric that catches your eye;

Tuck under the unfinished edges and create tossled and flowing runner down the middle of your food tables
Cut a large piece and use it to flow through your bread and cracker baskets to create movement on your table

Candles candles and more candles are a quick and inexpensive way to add romance to your holiday decor.

Clear glass votives in all different shapes and sizes will reflect soft light throughout your party.

Always remember to only use unscented, you don't want a vanilla candle competing with your homemade apple pie.

Wild Rice and Cranberry Salad with Candied Walnuts
Serves 8-10

1 ½ cups uncooked wild rice
6 -7 cups water
1 Tablespoon salt
6 cups cooked chicken breast or turkey- cut into medium dice
3 cups carrots – thinly sliced on the bias
2 cups celery – thinly sliced on the bias
¾ cup green onions – sliced thinly on the bias
¼ cup chopped fresh tarragon
1 cup dried soft cranberries
1 cup candied walnuts

In a large sauce pot bring the rice to a rolling boil with salt- cook for about 45 minutes or until rice splits.

Remove from the heat and pour into a strainer- allow to cool
In a large bowl combine cooled rice, chicken, carrots, celery, onions, tarragon, and cranberries.
Toss with cranberry vinaigrette a little at a time to coat evenly - to taste
Top with candied walnuts

Cranberry Vinaigrette

½ cup canned cranberry
1 Tablespoon shallot- chopped
1 small clove of garlic - minced
1/2 cup white balsamic vinegar or tarragon vinegar
2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard
½ cup vegetable oil
¼ cup walnut oil
2 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon pepper

Combine all ingredients into a jar with a lid and shake well - chill

Cranberries Around the Web

101 Cookbooks - Cranberry Jam
White on Rice Couple - Grandma's Fudge
Smitten Kitchen - Meyer Lemon and Cranberry Scones
Joy the Baker - Honey Cranberry Cornmeal Quickbread
What's Gabby Cooking - Cranberry Scones
La Tartine Gourmande - Cranberry Walnut Bread Rolls

Happy Halloween ~ Four Bean Turkey Chili

2010-10-29T14:06:00.000-07:00

It's so hard to believe that it's already Halloween! You know what this means don't you? It's time to...well... put away your scale. I've already begun to have conversations with myself about NOT dipping into the trick or treat candy. They go something like this: "You don't need that, you've had it before, it tastes the same" -and then I eat it anyway- AUGH! Halloween marks the beginning of the end for me ... the end of the year that is. I will be cooking nonstop from now until New Year's Day. I actually bought my first can of cranberry sauce for a salad dressing, and began to dream about ginger bread cookies. Sorry, I can't help but jump ahead. The best part of it is that I'm already looking forward to New Year's Day. We have a family tradition of going to the Rose Bowl Parade in Pasadena. The most important part of New Year's Day? ... eating a bacon wrapped hot dog from a street vendor at 7 a.m. Sounds crazy I know but you can't mess with tradition, just have do it.

So what are you Halloween traditions?

My Halloween Traditions

Fight with my son about his costume not being too scary
Pull out my multitude of fake pumpkins and hope the Santa Ana winds don't blow them away
Figure out what kind of candy I will ~~eat~~ give away that I won't feel guilty about (high fructose corn syrup)
Medicate my dog so she won't have a heart attack
~~Make promises to myself that I know I won't keep and~~ eat Snickers bars
Make a huge pot of low fat, high fiber, healthy, turkey chili, and then pile on cheese and sour cream
Pull out the Christmas decorations

4 Bean Turkey Chili

Makes 24 8oz servings

2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 large white or yellow onion -diced

1 large yellow bell pepper - diced
1 large red bell pepper - diced
pinch of salt and pepper

2 pounds of lean ground turkey (not extra lean you need some fat for flavor)
4 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons ground cumin
4 teaspoons dried thyme
1 Tablespoon garlic powder
3 Tablespoons chili powder

1 40 oz can pinto beans - drained
1 30 oz can dark red kidney beans - drained
30 oz can black beans - drained
30 oz can white beans - drained
28 oz can diced tomatoes
15 oz can tomato sauce

6 cups low salt chicken broth
3 Tablespoons corn starch

2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup ketchup
1 Tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 large bay leaf

In a extra large soup/stock pot warm olive oil over medium heat and sweat onions and peppers with a pinch of salt and pepper until translucent - about 4-5 minutes
Increase the heat to high and add in turkey meat and begin to brown
Season with salt, pepper,cumin, thyme, garlic powder, and chili powder.
Add in the beans, tomatoes, and tomato sauce
Dissolve the cornstarch in the cold chicken broth and add to the chili
Add in remaining ingredients- apple cider vinegar, ketchup, seasoning, bay leaf, and simmer over low heat for 40 minutes.
Serve Warm

Chocolate Chip Cookie Exchange- my recipe for yours

2010-10-22T20:47:00.000-07:00

Aperture, F Stop, Exposure, Compensation, Fill Light, Back Light... Ever so slowly I'm beginning to understand my camera. Well... I shouldn't say my camera, it's "our" camera. I started this blogging adventure with a Canon 20D, and then somewhere in the middle stopped off and hijacked my husbands Canon 40D. The blogging began with the idea of having a creative outlet for my obsession with food, lead to a surprising interest in food journalism, and now I'm curiously playing with food styling and photography. Getting the perfect picture has become just as important now as how the food tastes. Of course I wouldn't cook for one of my clients and ask them to wait while I take a picture of their food, but with blogging it's different. The recipe is a gift from me to you, hoping that you will enjoy what I've created. The writing is a way for me to communicate the flavors and excitement I may have about whatever is on the menu for the day. So doesn't it just make sense that the final communication from me to you would be " LOOK AT THIS, YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO EAT IT!"

Everyone needs a good chocolate chip cookie recipe to call their own, this is mine. No I mean it, it's mine and I hesitate to share it with anyone. I once had a friend over for dinner who took one bite and shouted out, "why are these so good"? I think what she was trying to say is that it's just a chocolate chip cookie, and shouldn't be allowed to taste this good. Over the years I have experimented, adjusted, rolled, flattened and scooped many chocolate chip cookies, and this is the one I will take to my grave, with a glass of cold milk of course. These are double thick, crispy on the outside gooey in the middle, vanilla and brown sugar loaded cookies with just a tiny flair of saltiness that makes your mouth water. The method is the strangest part of the recipe, made with melted butter. They are scooped out in 1/4 cup scoops and then split in half and reassembled.

I thought I could do it, share my recipe with you all, but I can't. I wrote the recipe and had to go back and erase the measurements. Listen, I'll make you a deal, if you are without a chocolate chip recipe to call your own, leave me a post with your email and I will email my recipe to you. Or if you have a secret recipe that you want to share with me, email it to me or leave it in a post and I'll share mine with you. Fair? So, until I hear from you...

LOOK AT THIS, YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO EAT IT!

Tips for Good Cookie Baking

Use fresh ingredients- organic sugar, flour, and good quality chocolate without high fructose corn syrup or other unnecessary additives.
Make sure your baking soda and baking powder are fresh, replace them about every 3 months
Store brown sugar in an airtight container with a piece of bread to absorb moisture. It's worth buying a new box to make the best cookies.
Always use unsalted butter
If you have a convection oven, use it for baking, it's fabulous
Purchase different size ice cream scoops, if all your cookies are the same size they will cook evenly.
Go to a restaurant supply store and purchase jelly roll pans/sheet pans- they conduct heat much better than cookie sheets, which are just way to thin.

Toast all nuts before adding them into your dough.

My Chocolate Chip Cookies

all purpose flour

baking soda

salt

teaspoon ground cinnamon

unsalted butter – melted and cooled
granulated sugar
packed light/golden brown sugar
large egg plus 1 yolk
Tablespoon vanilla extract
semisweet chocolate chips
teaspoon ground cinnamon
cup toasted nuts- walnuts, pecans, peanuts

Fall Fest: Roasted Apple and Squash Soup

2010-10-14T20:01:00.000-07:00

Looking for roasted apple and squash soup? Geez Louise! come over to my new site http://www.louisemellor.com/2010/10/15/fall-fest-roasted-apple-and-squash-soup/

Pumpkin Ale Profiteroles with Cinnamon Caramel Sauce

2010-10-11T21:57:00.000-07:00

Looking for Pumpkin Ale Profiteroles with Cinnamon Caramel Sauce? Come over to my new site, Geez Louise! http://www.louisemellor.com/2010/10/12/pumpkin-ale-profiteroles-with-cinnamon-caramel-sauce/

Coriander Chicken Kebabs & Pomegranate Pistachio Salad

2010-10-04T19:42:00.000-07:00

First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes ... all the great food, and presents! I recently had the pleasure of being invited to do a cooking class for the beautiful blushing bride to be, Sony. The hostess, Dana is one of my favorite clients. She is a kind and generous hostess who always has everything set out just perfectly. She has a beautiful home - cozy and welcoming, aprons for the guests, wine glasses, music playing, candles lit, and space in the fridge for all my stuff. The first question she always has for me is, "Can I pour you a drink"? For this party she was serving limoncello with champagne - do I have a great job or what?

We had decided on a menu that would include some "how to basics" for the new bride - easy appetizer, eggs, French toast, chicken, and homemade salad dressing. The smiling bride-to-be jumped right in with her friends & new family and began cooking. My favorite part of the day was listening to all the sisters talk about their mom and their happy memories of big family dinners, breakfasts and elaborate holiday feasts. Grandma claimed she had forgotten all the details, but there is something inside me that tells me she was being modest and was delighted that they all remembered. It was a lovely day cooking alongside three generations of women as they celebrated and welcomed Sony into their family.

~Menu~

Roasted Red Pepper Curried Hummus with Vegetable Crudite

Caramelized Onion and Red Potato Frittata

Almond Challah French Toast with Blueberry Compote

Coriander Chicken Kebabs

Pomegranate Pistachio Salad with Oranges and Feta tossed in a Pomegranate Molasses Vinaigrette

Tips on Pomegranates

To remove seeds- cut into fourths and soak in cold water for at least 30 minutes

Tap the skin with a wooden spoon - the seeds should fall out easily into a bowl

Pomegranate molasses is available at Middle Eastern Markets or is available online

Molasses may be substituted with pomegranate juice that has been reduced down over low heat into a syrup

Coriander Chicken Kebabs
makes 16 kebabs

1 pound ground chicken (leg and thigh meat)
1 small shallot –finely chopped
5 mint leaves-finely chopped
½ bunch of cilantro- trimmed from stems and finely chopped
2 teaspoons of freshly grated ginger root
2 cloves of garlic-minced
1 Tablespoon of pomegranate molasses
1 teaspoon Garam Masala
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 egg white
16 skewers

• In a medium bowl combine all the ingredients and mix well
• Separate meat into 16- 1 ounce portions
• With the palm of your hand carefully press meat onto the end of the skewers to form kebabs, lay flat onto a lined baking sheet.
• Refrigerate kebabs for 15-20 minutes to allow them to set
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Heat a nonstick griddle and lightly oil
• Cook kebabs for approximately 3-4 minutes on each side until golden
• Transfer to a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes or until done
• Serve Warm

Pomegranate Vinaigrette
makes 1/2 cup

¼ cup Pomegranate molasses
1 Tablespoon orange vinegar or balsamic
Zest of 1 Orange
1 Tablespoon Honey
1 Small Shallot- finely chopped
1 Teaspoon Dijon Mustard
1 Garlic Clove – minced
½- ¾ Cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper

• In a small jar with a lid combine ingredients and shake well
•Serve at room temperature (the molasses will thicken and separate if refrigerated)

Pomegranate Pistachio Salad with Feta and Oranges
Serves 4

7 ounce bag of mixed baby greens
1/8 cup pomegranate seeds
1/4 cup roasted salted shelled pistachios
1/4 cup crumbled dry feta cheese
2 oranges peeled and cut into supremes

Toss ingredients in a medium bowl and chill, serve with Pomegranate Vinaigrette

Camp Blogaway & Blue Cheese Phyllo Bites with Brown Sugar Balsamic Figs

2010-09-30T19:47:00.000-07:00

Who blogs?

What should you blog about?

When is the best time to post a blog?

Where do you find information on how to blog?

How do you get people to read your blog?

And the most important question of all

WHY?

I'm a chef, I cook... I can saute, roast, braise, bake, decorate a wedding cake, or make Belgian waffles in the dark at midnight while dancing to the Bee Gees in a make shift kitchen (catering flashback, sorry). I can cater fine dining meals, wine tastings, and romantic dinners on the beach. I teach cooking "technique"- what I'm not is a "tech-e" kinda gal. If I hadn't accidentally flushed my cell phone down the toilet I would still be using my "razor" instead of my new i-phone, which causes me frustration daily. Let's just say, I struggle with ANY new electronic device. I refuse to use the GPS in my car, it's beyond user "un" friendly and I'm telling you that woman on the GPS is out to get me. She once had me on a 3 hour tour from Santa Monica to Pasadena... BY STREET. So the idea of writing a blog, photographing, and figuring out how to use the software to write and publish it was probably the last thing I ever imagined myself doing. I'm still not sure if I "upload" or "download" my pictures~ don't laugh it's true.

So far my blogging experience has been like stone soup- no recipe, a little of this and a little of that. A taste, a stir, another taste, trying to create something worth eating. I can say I've learned a lot in a very short time, but some questions still are waiting to be answered. In my effort to write the perfect recipe for blogging I attended ~ "Camp Blogaway", hoping to gain new insight and applicable tools. Here is what I picked up that I would like to share with you;

A mouthwatering picture is worth a thousand words- learn to take great pictures- taking a delicious photograph is more about the light than it is about your equipment.

And an aluminum foil reflector is a food blogger's best friend.

~ Danny Jauregui

Be authentic - don't write as an expert on topics of which you are a novice, speak from a place of knowledge -take cooking classes, learn how to write recipes, and have others test them, find your voice.

~ Kristine Kidd

"Mommy" Bloggers are a force to be reckoned with, driving a vast majority of web traffic and advertising to the masses with give aways and product reviews- picking up some great perks along the way.

~ Jenny Flake & Rachael Hutchings

It seemed as if everyone's desire was to have more followers, more traffic and more page views. There is an unspoken validation, a pat on the back if you will, and a sense of accomplishment in those numbers. To each blogger the numbers mean something different. But I think we can all agree that having others appreciate our creativity as we express it through pictures, stories and recipes - feels good.

I still have a thousand questions about links, giveaways, Word press and so on... but I've decided that often our questions are better answered in our own voice ... through experience. Sometimes words unspoken and reading between the lines are just as, if not more informative, than what you've heard out loud. At the end of the day, whether blogging is a hobby or extension of our brand, each of us has to ask and answer to ourselves- WHY do "I" blog.?

I blog about food like a teenage girl in love, it's all I can

think about - I am smitten, romanced and sometimes giddy.

I blog for Louise
~ the Chef I am and the writer-stylist-photographer I hope to be~

Why do you blog?

One of the highlights of the day for me was that I won a fabulous red Viking hand mixer with an appetizer that I brought! I was tickled to win and wanted to share the recipe with you.

Tips for Working With Phyllo Dough

Never defrost phyllo on the counter or in the microwave- always allow the dough to thaw in the refrigerator.

Don't get frustrated- move slowly and remember in the end it will all bake together beautifully even if it tears.

Turn off fans and keep a damp paper towel over the top of dough in between uses.

Butter each layer well, but don't over do it, too much butter cause your dough to brown to quickly.

Unused phyllo can be re-rolled , wrapped tightly and re-frozen

Blue Cheese Phyllo Bites with Brown Sugar Balsamic Figs

makes 12-16 phyllo cups

1/2 stick unsalted butter - melted

5 sheets of phyllo dough

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup light or dark brown sugar-lightly packed

4 fresh figs- firm but ripe

2 teaspoons fresh rosemary- stems removed and finely chopped

pinch of salt/cracked black pepper

4 oz soft creamy goat cheese

4 oz blue cheese

4 slices of bacon- cooked until crispy and broken into large crumbles

Whole figs and rosemary sprigs for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place rack into the middle of the oven

Rinse figs and remove stems- cut into fourths, lengthwise
In a small nonstick skillet melt sugar and vinegar over low heat
Bring to a simmer and add in rosemary, pinch of salt and 7-8 grinds of black pepper
Add in figs and gently stir to coat
Simmer figs for about 5-8 minutes
Remove from heat and allow to cool

On a dry surface lay out a sheet of phyllo dough

With a pastry brush - butter the top of the dough all the way to the edges
Add another layer of phyllo and repeat until you have 5 layers of phyllo, buttering the top layer as well
With a sharp knife cut the phyllo into 12-16 (depending on the size of your dough) 3x3 inch squares
Pick up each square and place into a mini muffin baking pan, as your press down the center of the square the corners should automatically fold up.
Bake for 5-8 minutes or until the phyllo is light golden brown and crispy
Remove from the oven and allow to cool
Once cooled fill each phyllo cup with 1/4 teaspoon of blue cheese and 1/4 teaspoon of blue cheese, and 1-2 bacon crumbles.
Top with balsamic figs- 1 per cup
Garnish with fresh figs and rosemary sprigs

* If you are planning to serve these for a party, you can make the phyllo cups ahead of time 2-3 days. Store cooled cups in an airtight container.

Six degrees of separation ~ Bloggers at Blackmarket Bakery

2010-09-23T16:57:00.000-07:00

Louise met Renee, who introduced her to Priscilla, Marla, and Rachel. Rachel already knew Marla who seemed to know everyone. Marla and Rachel thought it would be great for "everyone" to get to know each other and then we met Francis, Nicki, Anne, Diane, Quyen, Kim, Julia, and Ciaran. Rachel then introduced all of us to the star guest of the evening ~ Cabernet Wine Flour. Six degrees of ~~Kevin Bacon~~ separation is alive and well in the blogosphere. Stepping out from behind my computer and into the kitchen with some of the faceless blog titles I see around the Internet was an absolute treat. I now have a beautiful smiling face to go with Kitchen Runway, instead of envisioning a mouthwatering photo of Veal Scallopine...

The event spotlighted Marche Noir which is a line of wine flour products including Cabernet Brownies and "Caberneti Pasta" by Chef Rachel Klemek. The flour itself is actually a powder that is made from the skins of the Cabernet grape once the juice has been expelled. It is dried and then pressed into a powder that Marche Noir incorporates into it's pasta's and baking products. The flour itself is rich in resveratrol, fiber, and iron and is a considered to be a gluten free product. But the only thing you really need to know about these products is that they are simply... FABULOUS. The pasta is gorgeous in color and even better in taste with a firmer aldente texture. If you are a brownie lover, you just have to try these decadent chocolaty treats with a sweet hint of "jammy notes", they are addicting. I have yet to taste anything from Blackmarket Bakery or Marche Noir that hasn't made me close my eyes and smile.

After an introduction to the products and a little instruction from Chef Klemek and myself, the foodies separated into groups and began brainstorming recipe ideas. What happened next was... DELICIOUS. As each dish was finished, garnished and perfectly plated- in true food blogger fashion - each of us dropped our knives and grabbed our cameras. We all looked for the perfect angle as food posed patiently like a star on the red carpet waiting for the paparazzi to get the perfect shot. For foodie-bloggers, a mouth watering snapshot takes precedence over eating hot food, it's just something we've all come to accept. Each dish was carefully planned, perfectly executed, and easily could be been served in a local restaurant- quite impressive.

~Smoked Gouda and Fig Ravioli finished in a Rosemary Cream Sauce~

~Pumpkin and Gorgonzola Ravioli in a Mushroom and Pine nut Butter Sauce~

~Cabernet Focaccia topped with Brown Sugar Balsamic Figs, Blue Cheese & Rosemary~

~Cabernet Crusted Relleno finished with Roasted Red Pepper and Butternut Sauce~

~Caramelized Cippolini Onion Rotelle in a Pine Nut Butter Sauce~

~Cabernet Focaccia Crostini with Lemon Curd and Dragon Fruit~

I'm not sure when "networking" actually turns into friendship. But after the last dish was eaten and the business cards were exchanged, I couldn't help but think I would eventually share another meal with some of new found friends in the near future. If not in person, then perhaps in a blog post just like this, great to meet you all and until we meet again...

C'est Si Bon,

~Chef Louise

My recipes using "Caberneti Pasta"

Caberneti Penne with Sage Brown Butter and Roasted Apples and Butternut Squash

Caberneti Spaghetti with Toasted Garlic and Crispy Egg

Preserved ~CSCA~Memories and Canning the Seasons Best

2010-09-18T21:25:00.000-07:00

Today I attended a pickling and preserving class on campus at the California School of Culinary Arts (my Alma Mater) sponsored by the Women Chef and Restaurateurs Association (WCR). My interest in pickling and canning was aroused having spent the summer at the OC Fair tasting preserved foods I also have seen my fair amount of canned foods around the blogosphere, most recently Nicole at Pinch My Salt did Pickled Garlic that made me think twice about giving it a try. So, since my new friend Debbie Dubbs was hosting and my old friend Chef Renee was attending, I didn't really need a whole lot of arm twisting to sign up. ~Secretly, just between you and I- the thing that got me out of bed early this morning was thinking about ...going "back to school".

Some things never change and that's good. Pasadena is one of those timeless beauties that only becomes more glamorous with age. Hundred year old Craftsman style houses sit on tree lined streets with old fashioned light posts. Just blocks away from quiet serene neighborhoods is bustling downtown, Colorado Boulevard - with all its bars, bistros and restaurants. The city is like a movie set from the past that never goes out of style. If you have ever seen Father of the Bride, Mr. Banks' beautiful home is here on it's very own tree lined street. I believe in my heart I was meant to live in Pasadena and if I believed in reincarnation I would definitely say I lived here before in a former life. And I think it was a good life- filled with trips to the Farmer's market, coffee on Sunday morning at a French cafe where they serve great croissants, lunch at a bistro and dinner and a show in the Playhouse District. It just feels like home to me in every way. Even now I'm sitting in Starbucks in South Pasadena avoiding going back to Orange County anytime soon. I lived here during culinary school, on a tree lined street in a 100 year old Craftsman style house, it was one of the most memorable seasons of my life. Walking back onto campus today brought back a flood of memories that just made me smile from ear to ear. Although many little things have changed for the most part it was exactly how I remember it. The smell of stock lingers in the hallways, walls lined with pots and pans, and giant bins of flour sugar and salt fill the cooking labs. Don't forget endless rolls of masking tape to mark your pots with your name. Today's class was actually being held in my former Hot Foods Lab and I couldn't help but remember my spot at the stove tops. It was there that I made "barnyard risotto" (not a good thing according to my instructor) and stressed myself out over a simple reduction sauce. It was just like being back in school but without having to wear that ridiculous hat and neckerchief, or those horrible black and white checked pants .

Today's class was an introduction to pickling and preserving. Chef Maureen Lisi-MacReady and Chef Debbi gave us a short lecture and then allowed us to go for it. We started by packing our Ball jars with beautiful produce that was donated by Melissa's Produce, baby cauliflower, peppers, onions and green beans. That was the easy part, then it was onto making our pickling solution.

The lab quickly filled with the bubbling aroma of vinegar, sugar and pickling spices, overwhelming and incredible all at the same time. We started out with 2 parts salt, 1 part sweetener, 3 parts acid and 1/4 cup of pickling seasoning... or was it 2 parts sugar and 1 part salt? Let's just say there is a lot more to learn that what can be done in one afternoon. The more Chef Renee and I tasted, the more puckered our faces became, we both agreed we loved vinegar and thought of turning our flavorful pickling liquid into some kind of hot dressing for Spinach Salad.

While we packed our jars Chef worked on an a extra large batch of fig conserve with Frangelico and whole hazelnuts. All I could think about was slathering it on some crusty bread with goat cheese and pouring a glass of wine.

Once our jars were packed and our pickling liquid was complete, we carefully poured it into the jars and set them in a water bath.

In the end I think we came up with a good balance of flavors, but both you and I will have to wait for a month to taste what we canned. Until then, I'll just believe we did a great job- worthy of a "Blue Ribbon" at the OC Fair, no less. It was a wonderful day with new and old friends, in a "happy place" where my memories will forever stay "preserved" in my heart.

~Summer Fest~ Lemon Thyme Mashed Potatoes and Chicken Mushroom Marsala

2010-09-17T19:30:00.000-07:00

If you were stranded on a dessert island and all you could have to eat would be one thing, what would it be? My answer every time...potatoes. Not that I get asked that on a daily basis but it is something I ask others, in other words, what is your favorite food? Let's face it, there are so many potato recipes out there you could spend a lifetime trying out one new recipe a day. But for me, without a shadow of doubt, my all time favorite way to eat potatoes is ... mashed. Call me old fashion, boring- I don't care. I love them. I could eat a bowl of mashed potatoes for breakfast with a spoon. Perhaps it's because growing up as a kid, a treat for us every blue moon was to pick out our own TV dinner, you know Swanson's or Hungry Man. My pick, mashed potatoes with Salisbury Steak, corn, and a cherry cobbler. That's the second question I usually ask, what is your favorite TV dinner? Okay, sorry for the trip down memory lane - back to the potatoes. I am a picky mashed potato connoisseur, they have to be just right. Please don't try to make light or diet mashed potatoes. Don't do it, it's wrong in every way. Cauliflower is not a potato and cannot be disguised in any way to be one. Nor should mashed potatoes be made out of a box, with nonfat milk or with chicken broth...no! no! and no! Mashed potatoes need butter and cream, that's it... we're not talking about this any more. It is what it is. Skip the chicken, don't eat lunch, pass on the bread and EAT the potatoes. No matter how you decide to flavor your potatoes here are some mashed potato basics;

Peeled evenly cut potatoes gently boiled in heavily salted water- just covering the tops
Once fork tender- drain
Steam out ( allow potatoes to release all the extra moisture by giving time to release the steam)
Run through a food mill or ricer
Cream with hot half and half or cream and melted butter- plenty of salt

These mashed potatoes are my definition of "comfort food". They deliciously pair to all sorts of Summer and Fall dishes- salmon, barbecue, pot roast, or roast chicken. Today I served them with a really easy, sweet, Chicken Marsala. The mashed potatoes are buttery, creamy and full of earthy notes from the fresh thyme and a surprise zing from the lemon, the flavors danced together beautifully. As I took pictures of the mushroom and potatoes, I was once again enamored by the beauty of these dirty little things that were plucked from earth. They reminded me of Cinderella and her little mice- dirty and scruffy around the edges. With a flick of a magic wand they are transformed into something magical.

Lemon Thyme Mashed Potatoes

Serves 10-14

10 medium to large russet potatoes peeled and quartered- about 5 pounds

1 Tablespoon kosher salt

2 sticks unsalted butter
1 ¾ cup half and half
2 full Tablespoons of chopped fresh thyme leaves
Zest of 2 large lemons
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon black or white pepper
Sprinkle of nutmeg

In small sauce pot melt butter and warm half and half, thyme, and lemon zest –DO NOT BOIL. Once warmed turn heat off and set aside
In large pot cover potatoes with cold water just to cover the tops, add 1 Tablespoon of salt and bring to a simmering boil
Boil until fork tender
Strain and allow steam to be released – about 10 minutes
Put potatoes through a potato ricer or food mill into a bowl or a standing mixer with a whisk attachment
Turn on mixer and cream for about 1 minute
Slowly add in butter and cream mixture – once liquid is combined thoroughly turn mixer up to high and cream for 2-3 minutes
Adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste
Serve warm

Chicken Marsala

Serves 4

1/2 cup all purpose flour
Salt and fresh ground black pepper
4 thinly sliced chicken breasts- pounded to ¼ “thickness
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
4 cups brown Italian mushrooms-cleaned and thinly sliced
1 large shallot- finely chopped
1 garlic clove-minced
1 Tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 cup sweet Marsala wine
1 cup low sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup low sodium beef broth
1 Tablespoon corn starch

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat until the oil is almost smoking
Place flour in a shallow dish season with a sprinkle of salt and pepper
Lightly season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper, then dredge the chicken in the seasoned flour, shaking off any excess
Placed dredged chicken into hot pan and cook until golden brown on both sides (about 2 -3 minutes each side) turn once
Remove cooked chicken and set aside on a platter
Add butter to the sauté pan, once melted add in mushrooms to the same pan- lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper , sauté until golden around the edges and soft 3-4 minutes
Add in shallots, garlic, and thyme- stir to coat
Turn off the flame and add Marsala wine, return to the stove over medium/high heat and bring to a boil until wine has reduced by 1/3
Dissolve the cornstarch into the cold broth and then add into the Marsala- continue cooking for another 2-3 minutes or until slightly thickened
Season with ½ teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Place chicken l back into the pan. Bring back to a boil and reduce heat.
Simmer for 5 to 6 minutes
Serve warm over mashed potatoes or buttered egg noodles

Other Summer Fest Attendees Celebrating Potatoes:

Pinch My Salt : Potato Taquitos
Alison at Food2: Boil ‘Em, Mash ‘Em, Stick ‘Em in a Stew
Kirsten at FN Dish: Twice-Baked Potatoes
Healthy Eats: A Day of Potatoes: Spuds for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Marilyn at Simmer Till Done: Baked potatoes and vintage “junior” cookbooks
Caron at San Diego Foodstuff: Hatch Chile Potato Salad
Caroline at the Wright Recipes: Indian Spiced Potatoes with Chickpeas (Aloo Chole)
Paige at The Sister Project: French Fries to soothe a burnt-out cook’s soul
Margaret at A Way to Garden: Potato Growing, Curing and Storage Tips
Alana at Eating From the Ground Up: The strange experience of growing potatoes
Cate at Sweetnicks: Bleu Cheese Potato Mashers
Food Network UK: We like spuds
The Gilded Fork: Roundup of favorite potato recipes

How You Can Join in Summer/Fall Fest 2010
Have a recipe or tip that fits any of our weekly themes? You can contribute to our online recipe swap in various ways, big or small.

Contribute a whole post, or a comment—whatever you wish. It’s meant to be fun, viral, fluid. No pressure, just delicious. Simply leave your tip or recipe or favorite links in the comments below a Summer/Fall Fest post on my blog, and then go visit my collaborators and do the same.

The cross-blog event idea works best when you leave your recipe or favorite links (whether to your own blog or someone else’s) at all the host blogs. Yes, copy and paste them everywhere! That way, they are likely to be seen by the widest audience. Everyone benefits, and some pretty great dialog starts simmering.

Or think bigger: Publish entire posts of your own, if you wish, and grab the juicy Summer Fest 2010 tomato badge (illustrated by Matt of Matt Bites), or the new pumpkin version he just did if it’s for September 22 onward.

Summer/Fall Fest 2010 Posting Schedule
9/15: White (or colorful “white”…but not sweet) Potatoes
9/22: Spinach
9/29: Apples
10/6: Fall Salads
10/13: Pumpkin + Winter Squash
10/20: Pears
10/27: “Mad Stash” (as in what you’re shoving in freezer/jars/dehydrator, etc.)

Cabernet Penne in Sage Brown Butter with Roasted Butternut Squash and Apples

2010-09-13T16:35:00.000-07:00

Looking for Cabernet Penne? Geez Louise! Come on over to my new site for the recipe and plenty more...
http://www.louisemellor.com/2010/09/13/cabernet-penne-in-sage-brown-butter-with-roasted-butternut-squash-and-apples/

Caberneti Spaghetti Nests with Crispy Egg and Golden Garlic

2010-09-10T11:36:00.000-07:00

Looking for CABERNETI SPAGHETTI NESTS? Geez Louise! come on over to my new site for the updated recipe...

Happy Birthday Lemon Buttermilk Cupcakes

2010-08-31T22:14:00.000-07:00

He's always right, knows a better way, rarely rests and is always building and creating some new invention. He has no volume control whatsoever and can be heard long before he is ever seen. He is wise beyond his years, which makes him an excellent back seat driver. He has an insatiable appetite and I have yet to find food he won't eat. He is an adventurous culinarian and will gladly eat a hot dog on the curb in dowtown LA or stroll the farmer's market trying each stand's pluots. He drives me to the edge of crazy town and then pushes me over, laughing. He is the love of my life and I will drop everything to squeeze him under the covers after his shower...He's more like me than I would like to admit...he is my baby boy Michael. Tomorrow is his birthday and he wants lemon cake. We baked these lemon buttermilk cupcakes together and stood at the kitchen sink licking the icing bowl. He kept looking at me wondering when I was going to say, "that's enough", but the noises he squeals out when he eats something delicious are too delightful to stop. This lemon cake is as intense as my little boy, it's not a whisper of lemon or even a hint. It's pucker up, mouthwatering shout, give me some milk lemon cake. It's not a complicated recipe but it does take a bit of time to juice and zest all the fresh lemons- don't worry it's worth it.

~ Happy Birthday Michael, mommy loves you...

1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar, divided
4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature or (9oz of egg)
1/3 cup grated lemon zest (6 to 8 large lemons)
3 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, divided
3/4 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

For the glaze
2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted+
3 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
¼ tsp vanilla
Pinch salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment cream the butter and 2 cups granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
With the mixer on medium speed, add the eggs, 1 at a time adding the next after each egg is incorporated
add the lemon zest
In a separate bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt
In another bowl, combine ½ cup lemon juice, the buttermilk, and vanilla.
Add the flour and buttermilk mixtures alternately to the mixing bowl, beginning and ending with the flour.
Divide the batter evenly between 12-16 cupcake liners
Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick poked into the center comes out clean
Combine 1/2 cup granulated sugar with 1/2 cup lemon juice in a small saucepan and cook over low heat until the sugar dissolves.
When the cupcakes are done, allow to cool for 10 minutes.
Remove the cakes from the pans and set them on a cooling rack set over a tray or sheet pan
With a wooden skewer or toothpick poke holes into the top of the cakes (the more holes the better)
With a pastry brush soak the lemon syrup over the tops of the cakes allowing time for syrup to absorb into the holes
Combine the confectioners' sugar, salt, vanilla and the lemon juice in a bowl, mixing with a wire whisk until smooth. If mixture seems to thick to spread, pop in the microwave for about 30 seconds
Pour over the tops of the cakes and allow the glaze to drizzle down the sides.

Grilled Brined Pork Chops with Caper and Parsley Salsa Verde

2010-08-25T20:26:00.000-07:00

Pondering a perfect pork chop? This site has moved please come on over to Geez Louise!

http://www.louisemellor.com/2010/08/26/grilled-brined-pork-chops-with-caper-and-parsley-salsa-verde/

Broiled Tilapia in a Fresh Tomato and Sherry Orange Thyme Sauce

2010-08-22T22:24:00.000-07:00

What goes up must come down. I looked out from my kitchen stage one last time and saw an audience of ...0, empty chairs and a strange uncomfortable silence. Just days ago the space that had been filled with the deafening laughter of busy fair goers- funnel cakes in hand, was now empty, quiet, and a little sticky. The smell of barbecue had faded and the buzz of excitement that filled the air had blown out with the ocean breeze. It was over, and it was time to take it all down. It felt like January 2nd- wrapping paper scattered about and mounds of decorations that made you ask, "why did we go so overboard?" Forklifts came in like ants at a picnic and marched everything out, hour by hour, the building emptied until it was time to say goodbye. I left with great memories, a new found love for the "Fair", and 15 pounds of butter. Don't ask... Not only did I feel melancholy over the fair coming to an end, I also get a little blue when summer begins to wind down. I went to the farmers market on Saturday and felt somewhat pressured to buy everything in sight, knowing that in just a few short weeks, summer will be over. Believe it or not I even saw some pumpkins.

Summer by far is my favorite season of the year, I eat up the sun, the beach, and all the amazing produce available. Like a kid in a candy store I walk up and down the aisles just to smell the "fresh". I don't know if anyone else enjoys the fragrance of summer at the farmer's market, but I'm telling you, if there was a saleswomen spritzing it out as you walk by, I would be all over it. I picked up tons of fresh herbs and tomatoes and this is what I made ~ Broiled Tilapia in a Fresh Tomato Sherry Orange Thyme Sauce. This recipe started with a beautiful tomato and a handful of fresh herbs , I ran with it and ended up in Spain...

What's your favorite flavor of summer?

Broiled Tilapia in a Fresh Tomato and Sherry Orange Thyme Sauce
4 Tilapia fillets

Salt/Pepper
2 Tablespoons olive oil

½ red onion – small dice
1 ½ cups fresh tomato- small dice ( flesh only , no seeds)
1 clove garlic – minced
1 loosely packed Tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 loosely packed Tablespoon fresh pistou basil leaves (regular fresh basil may be substituted)
5-10 strands of saffron
½ cup pitted kalamata olives- rinsed and halved
Zest of 1 orange
2 oranges – cut into Supremes (skin, pith removed and cut into segments)
½ cup dry sherry
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
Salt/Pepper

• Generously season room temperature fish fillets with salt and fresh cracked pepper on both sides
• Preheat oven to broil and adjust rack to the upper third of the oven
• Preheat an oven proof saute pan over medium high heat and add in 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• Once oil is hot add in fish and sauté until golden 2-3 minutes per side
• Remove fish from pan and set aside
• Lower heat and add in onion lightly sprinkle with kosher salt- sweat for 2-3 minutes
• Add in tomatoes, garlic, herbs, saffron, olives, zest, sherry, olive oil, vinegar honey and season with salt and pepper- stir and simmer for about 5-8 minutes
• Add fish back into pan and top with orange segments
• Place into preheated oven for 5 minutes
• Remove from oven adjust seasoning in the sauce
• Serve warm

~Summer Fest~ Fritto Misto with Roasted Garlic and Parsley Aioli

2010-08-12T22:14:00.000-07:00

Keep it simple, keep it fresh, and keep your life in balance. I was recently quoted in the Orange County Register with a few simple words: "keep it simple ..." The writer had asked me what 3 things I wanted the fair goers to walk away with after attending my cooking class / demonstrations. It was an easy question to answer; it's my life mantra:

Simple: I do my best to keep my food uncomplicated.
Fresh: I only eat fresh, real food - no fake food.
Balance: Well that just means that when I want a piece of chocolate cake, I have one.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not a 5 ingredient chef or someone who doesn't have the patience for a slow braised short rib. I'll stand over a pot of risotto stirring for 20 minutes- it's a labor of love. I'm just saying that some of the most satisfying dishes can be made with just a few simple ingredients. Keeping it simple is easy when you have fresh ingredients to work with and Summer Fest is the perfect forum for simple recipes. This week we continue with beans, greens and fresh herbs. I tossed these fresh green beans in seasoned flour and then gave them a quick sizzle in some hot oil with a generous sprinkle of Fleur De Sel. Hot and crispy ... they were perfect on their own, but even better dipped in a lusciously rich garlic aioli loaded with fresh parsley.

Roasted Garlic Aioli
makes 1 cup
2 egg yolks
* 1 Tablespoon roasted garlic
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon red pepper flake
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
¾ cup extra virgin olive oil

In a medium bowl combine yolks, garlic, salt, pepper, pepper flake, and lemon juice- whisk well
Slowly drop by drop add in olive oil and whisking continuously
Once emulsion starts to develop oil can be streamed in
Aioli should be thick like softened mayonnaise
If it becomes too thick add in drops of water to smooth out texture
Aioli can also be made in the blender or food processor or with a hand held emulsion blender

Fritto Misto
1 pound trimmed fresh green beans
4-5 fresh radishes- halved
1 cup of all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
canola oil
Fleur De Sel

In a medium heavy bottomed pan with 2 inch sides - heat 2-3 inches of oil to 370 degrees
Toss flour together with salt and pepper and lightly dredge dry beans into flour
Carefully place beans into hot oil and cook for 1-2 minutes
Remove from oil and drain off excess oil onto a plate lined with paper towel.
Sprinkle with Fleur De Sel
Serve warm with aioli and radishes

How You Can Join in Summer Fest 2010
Have a recipe or tip that fits any of our weekly themes? Starting with our posts of Wednesday, July 28, for five Wednesdays, you can contribute in various ways, big or small.
Contribute a whole post, or a comment—whatever you wish. It’s meant to be fun, viral, fluid. No pressure, just delicious. Simply leave your tip or recipe or favorite links in the comments below a Summer Fest post on my blog, and then go visit my collaborators and do the same.
The cross-blog event idea works best when you leave your recipe or favorite links (whether to your own blog or someone else’s) at all the host blogs. Yes, copy and paste them everywhere! That way, they are likely to be seen by the widest audience. Everyone benefits, and some pretty great dialog starts simmering.
Or think bigger: Publish entire posts of your own, if you wish, and grab the juicy Summer Fest 2010 tomato badge (illustrated by Matt of Mattbites.com).

Summer Fest 2010 Posting Schedule
Zukes
8/11: Herbs, Greens, and Beans

8/18: Stone Fruit

8/25: Tomatoes

Summer Fest~ Corn and Serrano Salsa with Lime Cumin Vinaigrette

2010-08-05T22:23:00.000-07:00

"Tell me who your friends are and I will tell you who you are" ~ I recently stumbled onto "Summer Fest", a group of bloggers who are cooking up and chatting about summer vegetables. I'm always looking for some new inspiration to get my creative juices flowing- so of course I'm in. Who wouldn't want to talk about zucchini, corn, and tomatoes? I mean, come on, I live for this stuff. This week it's corn ... nice. Corn is one of those non-threatening vegetables that plays nicely with everyone... even kids will eat it! Corn is friends with cayenne, cilantro, and chilies. It has even been known to hang out with garlic, lime, and onions. Such an easy going summer pal, it likes to be - boiled, grilled, roasted, or simmered. Whatever way you choose to cook and serve it, summer corn is incredibly fresh and full of flavor ... and lucky for us, in peak season.

I knew I wanted to keep the corn as close to raw as possible and buddied up with other summer flavors. This corn salsa is bursting with crisp sweet corn flavor and the vinaigrette with the lime & cumin add the perfect bright summer zing the corn needs to show off it's sweetness. I served this with chips and also piled it on top of blackened salmon tacos. You could also toss it with crisp romaine for a corn salad. As for "Summer Fest"? I'm looking forward to closing out the summer chatting about food and making some new friends.

Sweet Summer Corn and Serrano Salsa
2 ears sweet white corn - about 2 cups
2 ears yellow corn- about 2 cups
1 cup tomatoes -small dice
1 medium serrano pepper- minced -about 2 teaspoons
1/2 cup red onion- small dice
1/4 cup cilantro- finely chopped
1/2 cup lime cumin vinaigrette
1/2 teaspoon salt
pinch black pepper

Other Summer Fest Attendees Celebrating Corn:

Margaret at A Way to Garden: Vintage corn Americana slide show, and no-frills creamed corn

The FN Dish: Creamed Corn-Off: Battle of the Southern Cooks

Alison at Food2: Freezing Corn

Toby at Healthy Eats: Candied Corn and 4 other recipes

Michelle at Cooking Channel: Browsing Corn Porn

Judy at Over a Tuscan Stove: Fried Polenta Crostini with Porcini Ragu

Jennifer of Gilded Fork: Corn: Sweet Versatility (history, uses & recipes from cocktails to cornbread

Chef Mark: Gettin’ Corny! (Musings from childhood, tips & fresh-corn recipes)

Caron of San Diego Foodstuff: Chino Corn Risotto with Chanterelles and Burrata

Caroline at The Wright Recipes: Pickled Corn with Summer Onion and Basil

White on Rice Couple: BBQ Chicken and Corn Pizza

Shauna at Gluten Free Girl and The Chef: a sweet corn risotto (and how to make corn stock with husks and mirepoix)

Tigress in a Jam: Cream Corn Scones (the perfect way to use up left over roasted or boiled corn):

Alana at Eating from the Ground Up: Corn on the Kabob (invented by her artist husband):

Cate O’Malley at Sweetnicks: Corn and Spinach Stuffed Portobello Mushroom Caps

Kelly at Just a Taste: Caramel Corn (plus pics of corn in its various popping stages)

Paige Orloff of The Sister Project: Life-Changing Corn Pancakes

Tara at Tea and Cookies: Farro Corn Salad with Tomatoes and Herbs

Food Network UK blog: Talking Corn

Pinch My Salt: Creamed Corn with Bacon and Rosemary

How You Can Join in Summer Fest 2010

Have a recipe or tip that fits any of our weekly themes? Starting with our posts of Wednesday, July 28, for five Wednesdays, you can contribute in various ways, big or small.

Contribute a whole post, or a comment—whatever you wish. It’s meant to be fun, viral, fluid. No pressure, just delicious. Simply leave your tip or recipe or favorite links in the comments below a Summer Fest post on my blog, and then go visit my collaborators and do the same.

The cross-blog event idea works best when you leave your recipe or favorite links (whether to your own blog or someone else’s) at all the host blogs. Yes, copy and paste them everywhere! That way, they are likely to be seen by the widest audience. Everyone benefits, and some pretty great dialog starts simmering.

Or think bigger: Publish entire posts of your own, if you wish, and grab the juicy Summer Fest 2010 tomato badge (illustrated by Matt of Mattbites.com).

Summerfest 2010 Posting Schedule

7/28: Cukes and Zukes
8/4: Corn
8/11: Herbs, Greens, and Beans
8/18: Stone Fruit
8/25: Tomatoes

Almond Pavlova with Summer Fruit and Grand Manier Berry Sauce

2010-07-30T22:55:00.000-07:00

It's 10:00 p.m. and I'm beat. It was a long day at the fair, some days just feel longer than others. It didn't help that I ate "fair food", which made me feel like I was in a coma for the late part of the afternoon. Friday is $ 1.00 food tastings, so we make out way out into the fair to have small bites of craziness. I had a bite of...deep fried Oreo cookie, Pink's hot dog, Tasty Chips, and a cinnamon roll. You can see now why I ran out of energy by 3:00 in the afternoon. On stage today we had "Harry's Deli", they were no ordinary sandwich shop. Harry made me a prime cut steak sandwich with house made mayo, chimichurri, and grilled onions- it was the best sandwich I've eaten in ... well can't remember when. Definitely going to make my way out there to try the rest of their deli delights. Other than the drunk guy who trashed my stage last night and tore off my oven door, in an apron no less- today was a good day.

I recently received a comment on the blog from someone who I noticed had more than one blog herself- interesting I thought, so I clicked away. So excited to find "Have the Cake", a blogging community of cooks who choose one recipe a month and everyone posts their creative version of ... this month ~Pavlova. I had to laugh because not only was I interested in joining, but my demonstrations for the fair today were already planned to be Almond Pavlova. I agreed with myself it was clearly a sign that I should join. Since today is the last day of the month I had to - wanted to post before the day was over. So it's now 10:27 p.m. here I sit writing about this crispy,crackly, gooey, and oh so sweet dessert we call - Pavlova. Most recipes call for superfine sugar, but I always have used regular sugar with no problems at all. The almond extract adds another dimension of flavor and the berry sauce is... good on anything. I had leftover churro (last post) ganache that I filled each Pavlova nest with as an added surprise under the berries and used fresh gooseberries to add a nice sour tartness to the mix. So there ... I did it, my first post for "Have the Cake"...

4 Egg Whites
Pinch of Salt
1 Cup granulated sugar
2 Teaspoons cornstarch
1 Teaspoon white vinegar
1 Teaspoon vanilla extract
1 Teaspoon almond extract
1/4 Cup sliced toasted almonds
2 Cups of fresh berries

Preheat oven to 300 degrees
Add egg whites and a pinch of salt to the bowl of a standing mixer with a whisk attachment
Mix on low until small bubbles begin to form
Turn mixer to high and whisk until soft peaks form
Slowly add in sugar- raining the sugar onto the meringue with the mixer running
Continue whisking until shiny and stiff peaks develop
Add in cornstarch, vinegar, vanilla, and almond extract
With a spatula gently fill a large pastry bag with a star tip
Line a baking sheet with parchment and pipe out 4-5 inch rounds about 2 inches high
Sprinkle with almonds
Place pavlova into oven and reduce heat to 250 degrees- bake for 1 hour- turn off oven and allow to cool for an additional hour
Store in an airtight container

2 Cups mixed frozen berries (raspberry, strawberry,blueberry)
Pinch of salt
1 Tablespoon berry fruit spread or preserves
2 Tablespoons honey or agave syrup
Zest of 1 Orange
1 Tablespoon Grand Manier

In a small sauce pot bring berries, salt, fruit spread/preserves, honey, and orange zest to a low simmer
Remove from heat and blend until smooth with a hand held emulsion blender or standing blender
Run blended sauce through a fine mesh strainer
Stir in Grand Manier
Assemble by filling pavlova with fresh fruit and topping with berry sauce

Walnut Parsley Pesto Pasta with Sundried Tomatoes and Peas

2010-07-27T20:17:00.000-07:00

Second week over at the fair, what day is it? Each day seems to be a blur and just when I think I'm getting into the groove there is something new to tackle. We didn't expect the ice museum to fall below zero degrees, causing it to be like Antarctica for the workers manning the sculptures, or the power to go out because I had to many irons plugged in ... irons? Yes, another part of my job is to facilitate ridiculous, crazy, silly food contests on stage. "Iron Man Cheese Challenge" requires many irons, bread, cheese and butter...you got it, grilled cheese made with an iron. When we are preparing for these contests the question is always, "but is it cheesy enough?" Trust me when I tell you that making a fool of yourself and laughing hysterically all the while is a lost art that we are trying to bring back at the Orange County Fair.

I also had the pleasure this week of meeting some fellow "foodies" that we had invited to be a part of the fair. Ciao Florentina took the stage and prepared some quick and easy tiramisu (so happy she left a few behind in my fridge) and Average Betty dazzled the audience with "Jalapeno Popper Pizza". Chef Rachel Marie of Black Market Bakery demonstrated confections- Incredible Almond Brittle made with grape seed oil and marshmallows. And it was a delight to sit and chat with Chef Debbi Dubbs from Deb's kitchen who tossed a Gazpacho Cous Cous salad with incredible herbs from her garden. As for me? I used the herbs from our Artful Fair garden and chopped up a Walnut Parsley Pesto. My focus has been to encourage fair goers to get back into their kitchen and cook with fresh natural ingredients. Pesto is such a scrumptious summer sauce- nutritious, vibrant, full of flavor and can be made within minutes. A quick blending of walnuts, parsley, basil, Parmesan, garlic, lemon, and olive oil. One sauce, two meals; whole wheat flat bread pizzas with buffalo mozzarella and fresh cherry tomatoes and an ever so tasty and fresh pasta salad with peas, sun dried tomatoes, and a sprinkle of crispy bacon. The creaminess of the peas paired with the garlic, Parmesan and fresh herbs- you won't be able to put this down. This is a summer side dish that can stand on it's own.

Sun dried Tomato and Pea Pasta with Walnut Pesto
Serves 4-6 as a side dish
2 Tablespoons kosher salt
8 oz small shell pasta
1 cup frozen petite green peas- rinsed and defrosted
¼ cup cooked bacon- crispy and roughly chopped
¼ cup sun dried tomatoes – re hydrated and roughly chopped
2 Tablespoons toasted pine nuts
2 Tablespoons red onion- finely diced
1 cup walnut parsley pesto
Pinch pepper
Parmesan cheese
Basil

Bring a pot of water to a boil and add in 2 tablespoons of kosher salt
• Cook pasta according to package directions- aldente
• Drain and cool slightly- fold in ½ cup of pesto while warm
• Once cooled fold in an additional ½ cup pesto, peas, bacon, sun dried tomatoes, pine nuts, onion, and pepper
• Garnish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and basil

Artful Fair Herb Garden

Walnut Parsley Pesto
1 Cup walnuts- toasted
4 large garlic cloves
Zest 1 lemon
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
¼ teaspoon red pepper flake
1 ½ packed cups of flat leaf Italian parsley- packed
1 ½ packed basil leaves- packed
1 cup shredded fresh Parmesan cheese- lightly filled
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
¾ cup extra virgin olive oil

• Process walnuts, garlic, zest, lemon juice, red pepper flake, parsley, basil, cheese, salt and pepper in a food processor until well blended- like coarse sand
• Stream in olive oil while running food processor
Adjust seasoning

Chef Louise Mellor gives a cooking demonstration on stage at the OC Fair on July 18 and showed how easy : News Photo

2010-07-23T21:29:00.000-07:00

Chef Louise Mellor gives a cooking demonstration on stage at the OC Fair on July 18 and showed how easy : News Photo

Churros with Cinnamon Orange Chocolate Sauce

2010-07-20T20:44:00.000-07:00

Caramel apples, cotton candy, deep fried frog legs, giant turkey legs, deep fried Klondike bars, funnel cakes, zucchini wienies, and last but not least...cinnamon sugar kissed- Churros. If you haven't figured it out by now, I'm talking about "fair food". As many of you know I work as a private chef which allows me the freedom to explore a variety of different opportunities. Most recently I was asked if I might be interested in working at the Orange County Fair here in Southern California. With naivety and childish anticipation I agreed. The fair opened last Friday, and I'm not sure I've caught my breath. In a nutshell this has turned out to be, by far, the largest catering event I've ever been a part of.

Weeks before the fair actually opens the fairgrounds begin to buzz and day by day from the ground up the fair becomes a city of it's own. Busy streets, lights, music, racing golf carts, cranes and trailers. Until all hours of the night, each branch of the fair is hustling to create something magical. I've experienced more in the last 4 weeks than I can even begin to wrap my mind around. We transformed our 22,000 square foot empty airplane hangar into a culinary arena, including a kitchen stage, ice museum, and a replica of Julia Childs' kitchen. As soon as we had finished this monumental transformation, our attention shifted to a 6:30AM shift of receiving jams, pickles, jellies, brownies, cookies, and cakes for the contests. I have to admit that judging day was my favorite. I learned from women who had been cooking for 50-60 years how to taste a pickle and how to know if a strawberry was fresh when it was made into preserves. I've also learned that people LOVE pie eating contests and winning a first place blue ribbon for your peach jelly is priceless. I have a new found respect and genuine adoration- let's call it... a love a "fair" that I never would have imagined. The fair is so much more than rides, music, art, and food...It's a gathering of the community, it's tradition. I am proud to say that I am the 1st "Orange County Fair Chef" 2010. Yup that's me, Louise Mellor - chef - carny- fair folk. It was only fitting that my first demonstration on stage would pay tribute to the fair, so I did - Churros with Cinnamon Orange Dipping Sauce.

Churros

1 cup water

1/3 cup unsalted butter

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 Tablespoons brown sugar

1 cup all purpose flour

2 eggs

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

canola oil

1/4 cup white granulated sugar

1 teaspoons ground cinnamon

In a medium sauce pot bring water, butter, salt and sugar to a low boil

Add in flour and stir until mixture comes together and begins to roll into a ball and becomes shiny

Turn off heat and continue to cook, stirring for an additional 2 minutes

Remove from heat and allow to cool

Once cooled but still warm stir in eggs and vanilla one at a time until incorporated ( you may use a mixer or stir by hand)

Place dough into a pastry bag fitted with a medium star tip

Heat 2-3 inches of canola oil to 375 degrees in large heavy bottom pot or a shallow saute pan with high sides

Carefully squeeze 3 inches of pastry dough into the hot oil, cutting off each churros by swiping off at the tip with your finger or a knife.

Oil will bubble around the churros vigorously- when bubbles begin to die down and churros are golden- flip over and repeat, about 1 minute on each side.

Place cooked churros onto paper towel to drain off excess oil and toss in sugar and cinnamon

Serve warm

Chocolate Sauce

8 oz of semisweet chocolate

8 oz heavy cream

1 cinnamon stick

Zest of 1 orange

In a small sauce pot warm cream with cinnamon stick and zest- for about 5-10 minutes

Place chocolate into a bowl and pour strained cream over the chocolate- allow to sit for 5 minutes

Whisk smooth and serve warm