Laura's Best Recipes

Real Women of Philadelphia Contest Update - Grilled, Stuffed Jalapeno Video Recipe

2010-09-04T00:59:29Z

Real Women of Philadelphia Contest Update - Grilled, Stuffed Jalapeno Video Recipe

The recipe contest sponsored by Paula Deen and Philadelphia cream cheese continues! Thousands of people from all over the country are visiting the RWOP website every week to enter their favorite recipes, or get inspired by other entries. Here is a personal message from me and I'll show you how I love to make one of my favorite simple appetizers using Philly. . .

Click here for the recipe for my favorite bacon wrapped stuffed, grilled jalapenos. I vary the amount of bacon I use depending on what else and who I am serving. With football season starting next week, these are the perfect appetizers for the big game! To see more great recipes, please visit the Real Women of Philadelphia website!

Interview and Recipe - The Next Food Network Star, Aarti Sequeira

2010-09-03T21:46:49Z

Interview and Recipe - The Next Food Network Star, Aarti Sequeira

Photo Courtesy of Food Network

Scroll down to see three of Aarti's Recipes from her new show "Aarti Party" on Food Network

Like millions of others all over America, I watched The Next Food Network Star to see who was going to win this year’s crown. But I sat on the edge of my chair with increased interest because I had a personal connection to one of the contestants – Aarti Sequeira. We are both Contributors to the cooking video website, Good Bite. When she won, I jumped out of my chair and squealed like a little kid… clapping my hands with excitement. Then, like a good blogger and social media addict, I ran to my computer to hop on Twitter and Facebook. Aarti’s win was a thrill not just because of my connection to her. And not because of her contagious charm, soothing British accent or her delicious dishes; but because her story is a Cinderella tale that any hard working food blogger would celebrate.

Aarti and I are connected through our work on Good Bite and we're Facebook friends. When she was in the finals of the Next Food Network Star, I sent her a naïve yet enthusiastic Facebook message asking if I could interview her for my blog. When she won, I came to my senses and sent her another somewhat sheepish message saying I understood if she was too busy or my blog was too small. My feelings wouldn’t be hurt if she and her publicist said no to my request. I mean, what was I thinking? She was all over the web and was very busy juggling interviews with the likes of People Magazine, the Wall Street Journal and NPR. Why on earth would she agree to a little blog interview? To my surprise, not only did Aarti and her publicist agree to an interview, they treated me with a warm and professional courtesy that I will not soon forget.

Although she has been passionate about food her entire life, Aarti just embarked on her culinary journey a few years ago. Like many of us who ended up in the food world today, she was at a crossroads in her professional life and was seeking a change. From the time she was a girl growing up in Bombay, India and then the cosmopolitan city of Dubai, food was an important facet of her family and heritage. However, she didn’t immediately choose food as a career.

A graduate of Northwestern University’s School of Journalism, Aarti was fortunate to get a job opportunity at CNN in Chicago only one week after her graduation. Opportunity knocked and she moved on to CNN New York where she worked for a couple of years as a Producer. She followed the expected path of going to college and starting a career only to find that something was missing. Aarti worked hard and was blessed with great opportunities in her field, but part of her was left unsatisfied. She was also in love and missing her future husband, Brendan McNamara, who was living 3,000 miles away in Los Angeles.

Brendan (or “Bren” as Aarti calls him) is obviously a very important person in Aarti’s life and career. “I met him the second day at Northwestern and by the fourth day we were going steady.” Aarti said during our phone interview. They have been married for seven years. Brendan is a smart and talented actor who Aarti describes as a vocabulary fiend and wordsmith. He is also her biggest fan and supporter. In 2004, she decided to leave New York to join him in Los Angeles.

Aarti continued her media career after moving to LA where she worked on an HBO documentary. When it was complete, she started thinking about her next move. She decided to enroll in The New School of Cooking in Culver City. Around the same time, she started training in improvisational comedy. While cooking school and improv may seem like an odd pairing, it actually helped to prepare her for a future in television. When I asked Aarti about her improv experience, she said: “Improv pushes you to trust your instincts and not question yourself so much… to just listen to your gut.”

In 2007 after cooking school, Aarti felt lost. She said. “I didn’t know what I was supposed to do. “ So, like many others on a path to discovering themselves, she started the blog, Aarti Paarti. And she started to write. Looking back she said, “Everyone should have a blog. It forces you to have an opinion about something.” She also gained confidence in her writing ability as well as her passion for making up recipes using ingredients from her native land.

From www.aartipaarti.com

Two years later, she added a video cooking show to her blog. Each episode was directed and filmed by her husband in the small kitchen of their LA apartment. They combined a little bit of sketch comedy with recipe demonstration. When I mentioned one of my favorite episodes on Aarti Paarti that I thought was particularly funny, Aarti again credited her husband, “The laughs were all Bren’s ideas.”

The blog became her launching pad for Food Network. By adding videos, she could practice demonstrating in front of a camera. They took their production and episode schedule very seriously and Aarti said, “I made myself blog everyday for a while and when it came to the cooking show, Bren and I decided to do 10 weeks on, 2 weeks off as if it were a real season on TV.”

Her on-line cooking shows were funny and entertaining and random friends started suggesting she try out for The Next Food Network Star. Aarti wasn’t convinced but her husband said, “You have nothing to lose. Just send in a video and see what happens.” Two months later she received a response and with it came with a commitment. She said, “They told me if we pick you, you have to do this. It’s a good thing they told me that because I probably would have quit.” She was excited and terrified and remembers crying in fear the day the car pulled up in front of her apartment to take her to the airport.

Aarti’s lack of confidence was a focus during the Next Food Network Star episodes. I found that ironic. How was she supposed to gain confidence when constantly reminded she lacks it? She acknowledged that she has always had a confidence issue. During the show she continually questioned whether she deserved to be a contestant. However, she continued to win more cooking challenges then any other contestant on the show. And over time and with continuous praise about her food from the celebrity judges, her confidence improved. She said . . .

“I went from filming in my kitchen… on my time… with my husband to the intense pressure of Food Network. You have to be a really bold person to do Food Network. Some people can do it. And others can’t. You have to produce outstanding food and make people believe what you’re saying at the same time. It’s a bit like patting your head and rubbing your tummy.”

It was evident when Aarti won that she did have what it takes to be on Food Network. “Aarti
has that all-too-rare combination we seek in our stars; a passionate food expert who is warm, radiant, fun, and relatable,” said Bob Tuschman, General Manager and Senior Vice President, Programming & Production of Food Network. “Aarti also brings a new world of flavors to Food Network and is perfectly suited for viewers seeking new inspirations.” Indeed, Aarti’s infectious smile and charm make you want to keep watching her no matter what she is cooking.

Photo Courtesy of Food Network

I asked Aarti which celebrity she was most excited to meet at Food Network. Considering her love of the exotic, her answer surprised me. . .

“I was most excited to meet Paula Deen. I love to watch her and could watch her all day. It isn’t her food necessarily, she just has a way of talking to you like you’re sitting right there…. Like you’re in her living room and she’s just handed you a glass of wine. When I met Paula for the first time I could sense her positive energy from across the room. She has a warmth like she’s lit up from the inside. And I learned a big lesson from her that you don’t have to be a prisoner of your situation. You can bust out of it.”

Of all the celebrities she worked with on the show she was most surprised by Rachael Ray. She said, “I was surprised how skilled she is in the kitchen and as a producer. She walked me through each step of a recipe.. each ingredient like it was her own. And she is incredibly beautiful in person.” During her guest episode during the contest, Rachael did show an incredible expertise in production while coaching the contestants like a seasoned general in the field. She is obviously a pro who is rumored to tape multiple shows per day. I will admit that my own respect for Rachael Ray increased after watching her during that episode.

Photo Courtesy of Food Network

Aarti has completed filming the first six episodes of her show, Aarty Party! The show features classic dishes with an exotic twist using Indian flavors. Now that she’s fulfilled one dream, she hopes to accomplish another by moving her family from Bangalore, India to the United States. She comes from a very close and tightly knit family and she misses seeing them. Aarti also mentioned that she would love to have her “Mum” here in the States to cook and develop new recipes with her!

Aarti is very appreciative and humble. Daily, she marvels at her fortune and what she describes as “the gift Food Network Star has given me.” She said this time last year, she wasn’t sure she could make rent. She went from a struggling food blogger to a food star in the span of a few months.

As a fellow blogger I wondered if Aarti had anything to share with her food blogging community. Her story is inspirational, but I was curious what she learned from all of this. What advice could she give to a blogger like me? She wisely said. . .

“Keep at it. Be disciplined about your blog, if you’re hoping to have this take you somewhere. People get used to regularity, and start to count on it. If I skipped a week of the cooking show, I would get panicked emails from people: “Is Aarti Paarti still happening?” Amazing. There were days when I really didn’t want to edit the cooking show (she is proud of the fact that she taught herself to edit on Final Cut Pro software) but Bren held me to it. If you promise to put something up the next day, put it up. Credibility is everything in the blogging world. Well, and in the real world too!”

Aarti’s show Aarty Party airs on Food Network each Sunday. Check your local schedules for programming in your area. I know that I will look forward to watching Aarti’s career blossom. Her story is a Cinderella tale. She has already inspired thousands of people across the country to expand their cooking horizons. She has inspired me to expand my own personal horizons. Aarti in her own way is a role model for us to go after our dreams and follow our passions.

To just “keep at it.” And I’ll do just that Aarti, one recipe at a time. . . one blog post at a time.

Since this website is mostly dedicated to recipes, I had to ask for one of Aarti's recipes. I was on a roll, so why not? Here is a recipe that will be featured on Aarti Party tomorrow. Aarti graciously shared it in advance with the readers of this blog. I think it is the perfect recipe for a Labor Day BBQ.

Aarti's Pulled Pork with Mango BBQ Sauce

Photo of Aarti Sequira's Pulled Pork with Mango BBQ Sauce from Aarti Party, Courtesy of Food Network

1 boneless pork shoulder (boston butt), about 3 pounds, excess fat removed

For the Rub:

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoon kosher salt

For the BBQ Sauce:

¼ cup vegetable oil
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
½ teaspoon fennel seeds
1 onion, minced finely
2 tablespoons minced ginger
1 serrano pepper, sliced thinly (seeds discarded if you don’t like it spicy)
kosher salt to taste
2 cups mango puree
½ cup fresh lime juice
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons molasses
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce

brioche
rolls
Bread
and butter pickles

Combine rub ingredients, and massage into the pork shoulder until well coated.
Set aside while you make BBQ sauce. You could do this a day ahead and
keep refrigerated until ready to use.

To make BBQ sauce: In a large saucepan, warm oil until hot and shimmering.
Add cumin and fennel; they should splutter upon contact – be careful! Once
spluttering subsides, add onions, ginger and serrano and a little salt to taste. Saute until
they soften but don’t let them get any color on them.

Throw pork shoulder into the pot, coating it with the sauce. Cover, and
gently simmer for about 3 hours, or until pork falls apart easily with a fork,
stirring and turning pork often.

Shred pork using two forks. Return to sauce. Put a generous spoonful inside a
brioche bun, top with a few slices of pickle… prepare to have your loved one
swoon over you!

Update: I just watched this week's episode of Aarty Party! Here are links to the other dishes
she prepared to accompany this amazing pulled pork!

Apple-Lime-Peanut Slaw

Come 'ere Puddin' Pie (with dark chocolate and ginger)

Foodspotting.com - Smart New Website to Find the Best Restaurant Food

2010-08-21T13:18:09Z

Foodspotting.com - Smart New Website to Find the Best Restaurant Food

Another food blogging friend asked me if I'd checked out this cool new website called foodspotting.com. I wasn't familiar with the site so I'm very glad he shared it. The concept is simple and brilliant. Foodspotting is an interactive online restaurant guide that allows you to see photos and recommendations of dishes... not just restaurant reviews. It takes reviews to a whole new level. It's so smart, I can't believe it hasn't been done before!

"Foodspotters" power the system by signing up and uploading photos of restaurant dishes and locations to the network. The more they engage and nominate dishes in the system, the more credit they get for their expertise. Restaurant ratings are earned by real customers. A blue ribbon rating can be elusive as it's hard to get; which makes it more meaningful. It's my belief that this website will encourage restaurant owners and chefs to step up their game. Seeing a customer taking a photo of their meal should motivate any caring restaurant manager.

Foodspotting can be accessed from your iPhone and used in the largest cities and the smallest villages. As their website suggests, they want to encourage exploration through food. Although the last thing I need is another social network to track, this one is very worthwhile for food lovers. I know I'll be spending a lot of time both snapping photos and surfing through other member's culinary discoveries.

Go check it out for yourself!

Heirloom Tomato, Basil and Goat Cheese Bruschetta

2010-08-18T19:26:07Z

Heirloom Tomato, Basil and Goat Cheese Bruschetta

This is one of my favorite things in the world. When I start craving this during the peak of heirloom tomato season... I. must. make. it. now. Although it's not exactly a traditional method - I don't care. There are a million variations of this including roasting tomatoes, adding garlic or a host of other ingredients. But this is my favorite. It is wonderful as a light lunch, an appetizer or a mid-day snack. I'll give you the basic idea without exact ingredient amounts. You can tailor quantities depending upon how much you feel like making. Plan to make a lot.... it's good!

Ingredients:

Fresh sourdough bakery baguette, sliced 1/2 -3/4 inch
Pats of butter (plan on 1 pat per slice)
1-2 large, ripe heirloom tomatoes (core, remove seeds and chop)
1 bunch, fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced into ribbons (chiffonade)
Extra virgin olive oil
Good quality goat cheese (I used Haystack Mountain from Boulder)
Sea Salt
Freshly cracked pepper

Method:

Melt butter in a pan and lightly toast both sides of the sourdough bread until golden brown (like you would with grilled cheese) You want the bread to have a light, buttery crunch without getting burned or too toasted. The inside should still be soft. Set aside.

Chop tomatoes. Try and remove seeds and lightly pat tomatoes to remove excess water. Add lots of basil "ribbons" to the tomato (as much as you desire.) Add salt and pepper and a light drizzle of olive oil. Gently blend together. Continue to lightly blot with towels to remove any remaining tomato liquid. You don't want them to be too runny on the bread.

Take toasted bread and lightly spread olive oil on surface, then a layer of goat cheese. Top with tomato mixture. Salt and pepper lightly. Serve immediately. Bite into it open-faced and have a napkin nearby for all that tomato juice!

Simply Wonderful Guacamole

2010-08-17T15:21:54Z

Simply Wonderful Guacamole

I've been making guacamole for years. And over the years, I've probably made it 500 different ways. Cumin. No cumin. Lots of garlic. No garlic. Tomatoes. No tomatoes. And let's face it, no matter what you do . . . it's usually pretty good and is inhaled by your family and friends within minutes. However, whenever I order guacamole at a restaurant, I am continually disappointed. I have high expectations of good restaurants that they should produce a better quality guacamole. But instead, they tend to overcomplicate it, whip it or use too much seasoning that hides the flavor of the avocado.

One thing I have determined is the best guacamole is one that allows the avocado to retain some of it's original density and chunky texture instead of being mashed until it's pulverized into a dip. I've also become a purist who believes really good and flavorful guacamole doesn't need a bunch of seasonings or to be overcomplicated. Like a lot of good food . . it should be simple, with just a few ingredients and each ingredient should shine and be tasted instead of masked. And . . . don't plan on having any leftovers! Don't worry about it turning brown or adding lemon juice or lime juice or leaving the avocado pit in the bowl... or what it's like the next day. Guacamole should be made and served immediately. And trust me, when it's good, you won't have any left over.

If you intend to make guacamole or any kind of Mexican food on a regular basis, then one of the tools you should really have is a traditional Molcajete or mortar and pestle. Many people confuse a Molcajete with the marble mortar and pestles which are more common in American culinary stores.

Originally designed by the Aztecs, a real molcajete is round and sits on three legs, and is made from black basalt, a volcanic rock and can be seasoned and enhance food flavor much like a wok or a cast iron skillet (another tool that is good to have in your kitchen) Look for the ones that are very dark in color and have the raw texture of volcanic rock versus a smooth marble. And the real ones are very heavy! This tool is really essential to good Mexican cooking or any cooking really. You can grind spices or make salsas and chile pastes. And it should be used as a serving dish for salsas and guacamole.

You can find these on line and at Williams-Sonoma. You can certainly make guacamole without it and I know you're thinking "Oh Laura, enough already. . . can't I just use a fork and bowl?" Yes, you can . . . and a wooden bowl is best. . . but it just isn't as good or authentic. You will taste the difference and it's more fun to use a molcajete. When guests arrive, whip out the molcajete and make it in front of them. They'll be curious and intrigued. So, I'll step down off of my soapbox now . . . but if your intention is to make terrific and memorable guacamole more than a few times in your life... just go buy one! They usually cost between $25.00 and $50.00.

When you first buy a molcajete, it needs to be properly seasoned. This process takes time and patience, but it's well worth the effort. There are many opinions on how to season it, but I'll tell you what I did. When you first buy the molcajete, the interior surface will be rough and gritty. The goal is to smooth the interior surface and remove any residual "grit" or lava rock "dust" and also season it for flavor. When I first received mine (a gift from my husband), I took some slightly damp white rice and using the pestle, I ground the rice until it was totally milled. The color of the rice will turn a little grey from the stone. You want to keep doing this with the rice until the color of the rice remains white. I'll warn you, this takes some elbow grease and may take many days. I did it once a day for about a week. After all it only takes a few minutes investment per day. The interior of mine isn't quite smooth yet, but it's getting there. It takes a lot of use to really get it smooth. Some websites say to mash garlic in the molcajete and leave it overnight. I didn't do this (perhaps I should have), but I believe just using it a lot for your spices, salsas and guac will season it overtime.

Now to the guacamole. Look for good quality Haas avocados, preferably organic. Make sure they are ripe but still firm. You don't want the avocado meat to be mushy. Also look for vine ripened tomatoes (again, organic is always best) that will dice well and retain their firmness. I've used romas, vine tomatoes and even Heirlooms. Buy whatever looks best and in season. If you want to add some pretty color, buy a yellow and red heirloom and dice.

The flavor of this recipe comes from making a paste in the molcajete that will be used to add back to the avocado. It's my belief that this step is the ultimate trick to great guacamole. Instead of blending and mashing all ingredients together, use the molcajete to create a flavor packed paste that will allow the avocado to remain firm and chunky but have great flavor.

The recipe follows, but don't get too caught up on the quantity of ingredients. Like all good cooking, just adjust it to your taste and I'm sure you'll be very happy with the outcome.

Guacamole Recipe:

Ingredients for the pepper paste:

2 TBSP finely chopped white onion
3 TBSP fresh cilantro, chopped
3 TBSP chopped jalapeno pepper
1 TBSP chopped serrano pepper (*optional)
1 TBSP chopped garlic
1 tsp chopped chipotle pepper
1 tsp sea salt

Remaining guacamole ingredients:

4 ripe Haas avocados (but should still be firm to the touch)
5 TBSP carefully diced tomato (*optional)
5 TBSP chopped cilantro (more or less per your taste)
2 TBSP chopped white onion
Sea salt

To make the pepper paste, place onion, cilantro, jalapeno, serrano and chipotle pepper and grind them in the molcajete until all ingredients are finely ground into a paste. If you didn't buy the molcajete (tisk.. tisk...) then you can use a big bowl and fork - but don't use a food processor because you don't want to puree the ingredients.

Take each avocado and cut in half, lengthwise. Twist the halves to separate and delicately remove the pit using a knife. You want to keep as much of the meat in tact as possible. Then cut avocado into cube size pieces. Make 4 slices then slice again in the opposite direction to create the cubes before removing from the skins. Use a spoon to scoop out the cut avocado cubes into the molcajete containing the pepper paste.

Using a spoon, very gently fold the paste into the avocado. Don't mash the avocado in. Again, you want to maintain the large cubed chunks as much as possible. Some will get a little mashed, but that's ok as long as it's still mostly cubed. Then gently add chopped tomato, onion and cilantro. Serve immediately!

Meet Paula Deen's Real Women of Philadelphia Winner. . . Caryn Ross

2010-08-16T14:57:55Z

Meet Paula Deen's Real Women of Philadelphia Winner: Caryn Ross

Two months ago 4 very fortunate women each won $25,000 and the chance to host an incredible nationwide recipe contest for Paula Deen and Philadelphia Cream Cheese. Their recipes will be in a cookbook featuring recipes with Philly later this year. During the next couple of months home cooks can visit the RWOP website every week and enter their favorite Philly recipes for a chance to win $500 and a spot in the upcoming book. A total of $40,000 will be given away during the contest!

It's been quite a ride for these for winners, including "Appetizer Host" Caryn Ross. Caryn took some time out of her busy schedule to answer a few questions and to share one of her favorite recipes with me.

Caryn, What is your earliest memory in the kitchen?

"My earliest memory is cooking scrambled eggs with my mom. I believe I was in either 3rd or 4th grade. My mom encouraged my experimentation in the kitchen. She taught me that a good cook is one who cleans up too! So, the clean up was crucial to our agreement that if I was to cook I also must tidy up! Her encouragement also continued in our travels. When we traveled she bought me cookbooks and that is how my collection began. I loved to sit and read my cookbooks and then plan my meals for the week. We would go to the grocery store on Saturday mornings and buy all the things needed to make amazing meals."

What is your favorite type or style of food to prepare?

"I love all types of cooking. I'm currently in a Thai mode. I love creating curries and experimenting with spices in fish and chicken. I would have to say I'm influenced all the time by what I read, taste and see. For example, last night I had sweet corn tamales with peppers and cheese. Today I have been on the internet, then took a trip to a bookstore and finally talked to a chef to figure out how to make these at home. If I see something that looks amazing, I make it a personal challenge to figure out how to make it. I'm a very curious cook!"

Have you had any funny kitchen or entertaining disasters?

"Well, I blew a door off a gas oven! I was in college and cooking dinner for my girlfriends and our dates. We were at one of the guys house that had an old gas oven. Our menu included my famous "man-catching" lasagna! So, I was preheating the oven for the lasagna with the sauce on the stovetop. Just as I walked out of the room, the gas ignited the build-up in the oven and flung the oven door off its hinges and sent it flying across the room! The fire department was called and I was introduced to the fact that older gas ovens require their pilot light to be lit each time its used. We scrapped dinner that night and went out for pizza!"

Why did you decide to enter the Real Women of Philadelphia (RWOP) contest?

"I was inspired because it used cream cheese. In the Midwest, cream cheese is a food group! So, when I saw the contest on Paula Deen's website, I thought to myself... "You can do this!" I got out the tripod and got cooking and taping my videos! Throughout the contest I have to say I was proud of myself for doing this by myself and for myself! I believed in me and look where it got me!"

What was it like to meet Paula Deen and do you have a favorite moment with her?

"I loved meeting Paula! I get asked all the time if she is the same in real life as she appears on TV. The answer is a resounding YES! Paula is one of the kindest most genuine ladies around. She has not let fame get to her. She loves her family so much and that is very evident in her words and actions. I loved getting to know her bawdy and silly humor. We're similar in that respect. My favorite moment was when she invited us to her home after our final cooking show taping. She opened it up for all of us to see and gave us a personal tour of everything!! It was really special. She is a very gracious woman and I feel so honored to be a guest in her private haven."

Now that you've won... what is your favorite part of your new roll as a RWOP host?

"My favorite part is the interaction with the RWOP community. I'm amazed by all the recipes and the creativity. As if that isn't enough, the other part I enjoy is hearing the personal stories behind all the great recipes. I hear from people all over the country and even received a message from a kind women in Mexico. It is amazing that a simple blog of Philly cream cheese has brought so many people together!"

What is your favorite recipe using cream cheese?

"I can't pick my absolute #1 favorite since I'm really a fan of so many of the entries. I will tell you that I recently made Merry Graham's Bratwurst Swirls with Philly Mustard Cream Cheese. The men in my life loved the bratwurst and I loved that they were surrounded in cream cheese and puffed pastry. These would be perfect to serve at a football party this fall!"

You can connect with Caryn by visiting the Real Women of Philadelphia website or her personal food blog. Caryn and the other three hosts will be guiding this contest until November 7th, 2010.

Poached Eggs with Shiitake Mushrooms, Wilted Arugula and White Truffle Cream

2010-08-14T13:58:13Z

Poached Eggs with Shiitake Mushrooms, Wilted Arugula and White Truffle Cream

Recipe and Photo Reprinted with Permission by:
Viviane Banquet Farre

www.foodandstyle.wordpress.com

In my quest to find the “best” recipes, I’ve been so fortunate to discover incredibly talented professional and home chefs and bloggers. And many of them have been so willing to share their recipes and techniques with me and the readers of this site. Chef Viviane Banquet Farre is even more generous then most. Whenever I visit her website I am captivated with the mouth-watering photos and elegant combination of ingredients. Everything is beautiful and flavorful. Even the design of the website is inspirational and will remind you of the finest gourmet magazines.

As a big fan of brunch, I swooned when I saw this refined vegetarian “eggs benedict style” dish on Viviane’s website. Fortunately for me (and you) Viviane continues to be gracious and sharing so I didn’t even have to beg to add it here as one of the “best” recipes for an elegant sunday morning brunch. Thank you V!

Serves 4

For the white truffle cream
3/4 cup vegetable stock
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
1/8 tsp sea salt
1 TBSP La Tartufata or white truffle cream

For the balance of the ingredients
1 TBSP unsalted butter
4 large shiitake mushrooms - stemmed
1 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
3 oz baby arugula
4 large eggs
sea salt to taste
freshly ground pepper to taste
3 TBSP white wine vinegar
4 - 1/2” thick slices whole grain or sourdough country bread - cut into 3” rounds with a cookie cutter

Step 1:
Place the stock, cream and salt in a medium saucepan. Stir well and heat over medium-high heat. Once the mixture reaches boiling point, reduce heat to medium and simmer for about 15 minutes until the mixture has reduced by 2/3rds and has slightly thickened. Remove from heat, whisk in the Tartufata/white truffle cream until well blended. Transfer to a bowl, set aside and cool.
Cooks note: The sauce can be made up to one day ahead and refrigerated (after one day, the truffle cream starts losing its flavor.) Bring to room temperature before serving. The sauce doesn’t need to be reheated before serving.

Step 2:
Heat a large non-stick skillet over high heat. Add the butter. Once the butter has melted, reduce heat to medium-high and add the mushrooms gill-side down. Saute’ for 2 to 3 minutes until golden-brown while applying a little pressure to the mushrooms with a fork or small spatula as they cook (this is ensure even browning.) Flip the mushrooms and saute’ until golden-brown on the other side, continuing to apply a little pressure. Transfer to a plate and sprinkle with sea salt and pepper to taste.

Step 3:
Return the pan to the heat. Add the olive oil and the arugula. Toss well and quickly toss the arugula for about 30 seconds to 1 minute until barely wilted. Transfer to a bowl and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

Step 4:
Fill a wide saucepan with 4” of water. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, stir in the vinegar. Break an egg into a small bowl and tip it on itself into the boiling water. Repeat with the balance of the eggs, working as quickly as you can. Boil the eggs for 1 1/2 minutes to 2 minutes, depending on how done you like your eggs (at 1 1 /2 minutes, the whites of the eggs will still be a big wobbly. At 2 minutes, the whites will be more firm, but the yolks will still be runny.) As soon as the eggs are done, scoop them out with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels (can can trim the uneven edges of the eggs to make a cleaner shape if you’d like.)

Step 5:
To assemble the dish - quickly toast the bread under a broiler until golden brown on both sides. Place each slice in the center of the plate. Top with a spoonful of the wilted arugula, a mushroom cap (gill-side up) and a poached egg. Drizzle the white truffle cream on top of the eggs and around the plates. Sprinkle with plenty of freshly ground black pepper and serve immediately.

Chocolate Surprise Cupcakes

2010-08-13T20:01:01Z

Chocolate Surprise Cupcakes

Photo and Recipe Re-posted with Permission by:

Evil Shenanigans

You probably can't stop staring at the photo of this cupcake. I know I can't. I've been following Kelly's blog on Twitter for about two years. She uses this photo as her avatar and I'm usually haunted by it and craving chocolate long after I log off of my computer. I finally broke down and asked her for the recipe. . . and now I feel complete.

Please visit her website for more amazing recipes... including more "evil" cupcakes in numerous flavors like a vanilla cupcake with chocolate filling!

Dark Chocolate Mocha Cupcakes

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
4 TBSP butter, melted
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 large egg, beaten with
1 egg white
1 tsp vanilla
3 TBSP strong coffee

Method:

Heat oven to 350 degrees and line a 12-cup cupcake/muffin tin with liners.
Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder, sugar and salt. Mix well.
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the melted butter, buttermilk, eggs, vanilla and coffee. Blend until there are only a few small lumps left.
Scoop into lined cupcake tins and bake for 20 minutes or until the centers spring back when lightly pressed.
Cool for three minutes in the pan before removing the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.

Cream Filling: Enough to fill and decorate 24 cupcakes

2 tsp very hot water
1/4 tsp salt
1 (7 oz) jar marshmallow cream
1/2 cup shortening
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla

Method:

Dissolve the salt in the hot water and allow to cool.
Whip the marshmallow cream, shortening, powdered sugar, and vanilla until it begins to get fluffy. Add the water and whip well.
To fill the cupcakes, use a wide star tip (size 21) attached to a coupler on a piping bag. Just lightly push the tip into the top of the cupcakes and press approximately a tablespoon of filling inside. If you do not have a piping bag, you can just cut out a little bit of the cake from the top, make a hole, fill the hole with filling then top with cake you cut out.
Prepare the frosting

Dutch Chocolate Frosting: Yield - Frosting for 20 cupcakes

6 TBSP butter, softened
1/2 cup dutch processed cocoa powder
2 1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
4-6 TBSP milk or half & half

Method:

Cream the butter and cocoa powder until smooth.
Add the vanilla, powdered sugar and milk. Mix until smooth. If the frosting is too loose add more powdered sugar by the 1/4 cup until it reaches the desired consistency.
Frost as desired.

Giant Grilled Overstuffed Portabella Mushrooms

2010-08-13T16:50:49Z

Giant Grilled Overstuffed Portabella Mushrooms

Recipe and photo submitted by
Chef David Wells "Grandma Dave"
www.grandmadave.com

Ingredients for Step 1: Mushroom Marinade

Six portabellas, stems removed (save for filling) and black parts under cap gently scraped

1 TBSP fresh chopped garlic
1 TBSP Miso Mayo *optional
2 ounces white wine
2 ounces rice vinegar
juice from 1 orange
2 ounces good quality extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Marinade Method:

Combine all ingredients and marinade for two hours.
Grill mushrooms over medium heat while basting with marinade several times.
If there is marinade left, let the mushrooms cool in it (reserve for filling)
Set aside and make filling.

Ingredients for Step 2: Portabella filling:

1 TBSP good quality extra virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced small
2 medium carrots, diced small
2 medium parsnips, diced small
4 celery stalks, diced small
1 glass of white wine (plus one for you!)
Residual marinade and basting liquid (if any left)
1 bunch fresh chervil, chopped
1/2 bunch flat leaf parsley, chopped
8 large tomatoes, (dropped into boiling H2O for 8-10 seconds to remove skin then halved and seeds removed and diced concasse* or small dice)
One quart fresh tomato coulis
Fresh basil chiffonade** for top of tomato concasse
6 ounces plain yogurt of choice (in squirt bottle for sauce design swirls)

Method:

Heat olive oil in skillet
Saute onion, carrot, parsnips and portabella stems until lightly caramelized (5-7 minutes on medium heat)
Add celery and deglaze with wine and residual marinade. Simmer until reduced by half.
Fold in have the tomato concasse (reserve the rest for topping the mushroom at the end) then add parsley and chervil.
Season well, let stand for an hour before filling giant grilled mushrooms.

Assembly:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Fill the mushrooms by spooning filling mixture onto caps.
Place onto baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes until hot.
Simmer tomato coulis and spoon 2-3 ounces onto a serving plate.
Place hot filled mushroom on top of coulis.
Toss reserved tomatoes with basil chiffonade and gently place on top of the mushrooms.
Draw a ring of yogurt around the mushroom and swirl with a toothpick.

* Concasse' (pronounced Kon-Kah-SAY) means to remove the skin and seeds of a tomato and chop

** Chiffonade means to cut a vegetable or herb into long strips. Fine Cooking Magazine has good photos showing the proper method

Wholearth Spice Tomato Coulis

2010-08-13T15:25:02Z

Wholearth Spice Tomato Coulis

Recipe by Chef David Wells "Grandma Dave"

www.grandmadave.com

Yield: 3 cups

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

1 TBSP olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 TBSP garlic, minced
1 TBSP Wholearth Spice Italy Blend
2 lb tomatoes, fresh and diced
2 TBSP basil, chopped
1 TBSP parsley, chopped
1 cup wine of choice (red or white)
salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Heat 4 quart sized pot over medium heat
Add olive oil. Saute onion and garlic until translucent.
Add Wholearth Spice, Italy blend
Deglaze with wine and simmer until reduced by half.
Add tomatoes and bring to a boil.
Simmer for 30 minutes.
Puree and strain. Reduce to desired consistency.
Finish with parsley and basil.
Serve with favorite meal or vegetable dish.

National Farmers Market Week

2010-08-06T17:35:55Z

National Farmers Market Week

Happy National Farmers Market week! As far as I am concerned, every week should celebrate the wonderful array of locally grown natural foods that is a farmers market. Here in Boulder, Colorado we have the #4 rated farmers market in the country. However, the American Farmland Trust is running a voting contest in August to see which markets are the most popular in the US. To vote for your local market, go to this link. . .

Sometimes I go through phases where I momentarily forget that the best "grocery store" is our beautiful downtown outdoor market next to Boulder Creek. The setting is gorgeous and they even have wonderful prepared foods if you feel like having breakfast or lunch at the market. Purchasing goods is easy with "Market Bucks" that you can buy with a credit card. Yes, cash is still accepted too.

The best chefs realize that using the freshest seasonal ingredients in their recipes will yield wonderful flavors and nutrition. The recipes don't have to be complicated. Use what your local farmers are growing and you'll be amazed at the difference. Plus, organically and sustainably grown produce is so much better for your family's health.

What is sometimes surprising is how affordable the food is at farmers markets. Last week I spent $60 and came home with 3 big canvas bags full of "gourmet" goods like wild mushrooms, grass-fed beef, homemade sausages, mammoth-sized squash, zucchini blossoms, locally crafted goat cheese, heirloom tomatoes and three different kinds of kale! Oh, and the peaches! The PEACHES! Just wow...... If I had another arm to carry everything I would have spent my savings on all the beautiful flowers there too!

So if you haven't paid your local market a visit lately... make the pilgrimage to your local market this weekend. I bet you'll find the shopping experience is so much more fun and productive then those big box grocery stores. And best of all... you'll be supporting your neighbors and friends instead of big corporations.

To pay tribute to my local farmers and purveyors, here is a list of all of the vendors I love to visit at the beautiful outdoor market in Boulder (source Boulder Farmers Market Website):

Growers & Farmers

Abbodanza Organic Seeds & Produce

Backyard Bees

Beyond Organic Farm

Black Cat Farm
Blue Ribbon Farm

Bookcliff Vineyards

Boulder Altan Alma Organic Farm

Boulder Backyard Bees
Broken Wing Ranch
Colorado Best Beef

Community Roots

Cowboy Crayfish
Cultiva Youth Project
Cure Organic Farm
Divine Farmer Herbals
Duran's Hobby Acres

Eco-Cycle

Ela Family Farms
Far Out Gardens
Farmer John

The Cameron Place
First Fruits Organic Farm
Fresh Herb Company
Gayle Grows It

Hazel Dell Mushrooms

Isabelle Farms
Jay Hill Farm
Leistikow Farms

McConnell's Greenhouse

Medovina Honey Wine
Miller Farms
Monroe Organic Farm
Morton's Organic Orchards
Munson Farms

Mycobiological Farms

Natural Homestead Beef

New Moon Farms

Ollin Farms

Oxford Gardens
Pachamama Organic Farm

Pastures of Plenty

Pots

Purple Hippo Botanicals
RAS Farm

Rancho Durazno
Red Wagon Organic Farm
Rocky Mountain Pumpkin Ranch

Savage Garden

Stevens Farm
Sweetheart Farms
2 R's Farm

Tanaka Farm

Toohey Farms
Ute Trail Greenhouse
WeeBee Farms
Whiteside Honey

Wide Horizons

Windsor Dairy
Wisdom Poultry

Yatahai Gardens
Xiong Farms

Packaged Foods

BMoCA with

(Conscious Coffee

and Bhakti Chai)

Adaba Foods

Altan Alma Seeds
Augustina's Winery

Boulder Popcorn

Boulder Soup Works

Breadworks

Corner Market Secret Recipes
Eldorado Water
Fiona's Granola

Haystack Mountain Goat Dairy

I Culture Offerings

Infinitea Kombucha

La Esmeralda

Little Fig Baking Co.

Loredana's Pesto

Little Fig Baking
Mouco Cheese

Mountain Valley Canning

Outrageous Baking
Ravenous Chocolate

Seth Ellis Chocolatier

Shamane's Bake Shop

Silver Canyon Coffee

Olomomo Nut Company (formerly Spice)

Styria Catering
Two Mom's in the Raw

Udi's Breads

Villa Bozza

Prepared Food Vendors

American & European Kitchen

Amaziing Corn Tamales
Berry Best Smoothie
Boulder Ice Cream
Brilligworks
Falafels and Gyros
Fast Eddie's Hot Dogs
Laudisio

Mama Mari's

Panasia

Pasta Bozza
Pearl Street Grill
Savory Saigon
Sister's Pantry

The Taste of Africa

Community

Culinary School of the Rockies

Johnson Sharpening

Paula Deen's Real Women of Philadelphia - Contest Continues . . .

2010-08-01T20:43:34Z

Paula Deen's Real Women of Philadelphia - Contest Continues . . .

176 Homemade Popsicle Recipes

2010-07-30T13:20:00Z

176 Homemade Popsicle Recipes

I'll admit it. I'm a card-carrying popsicle addict. As I've mentioned in another post, I crave them like a child when I'm sick... and want to add a little vodka to them when I'm well! Once you start making them at home, you won't buy the commercial food-dye ladened boxes of them at your grocery store.

The great thing about making your own popsicles, is you can add just about any combination of fresh fruit juice and they will be good. However, I'm always looking for new ideas and recipes. In my quest, I found some great compilations of recipes that were so worthy of sharing. Check out these links:

50+ Homemade Popsicle Recipes - Tipnut.com assembled recipes from all over the web into one post. There are great ideas for regular fruit pops, frozen yogurt and pudding pops. Each recipe has a link to the original source.

32 Homemade "Organic" Popsicle Recipes - Blisstree.com writes that making your own popsicles is better for your body (and your kids bodies) as well as the environment. Here are 32 mostly organic recipes including veggie varieties for picky eaters.

50 Amazing Homemade Popsicle Recipes & Tips - This website had me when I saw the photo of the VitaMix on the counter. We love our VitaMix! In addition to great healthy recipes for pops, this link also has great tips for making them the best.

30 (ish) Popsicle Recipes by Kitchen Daily - Kitchendaily.com dedicates a month to sharing a new popsicle recipe each day. They share fun fruit recipes but also include adventurous and serious dessert combinations. Butter pecan pop anyone?

11 Fabulous and "Twisted" Popsicle Recipes - Beautiful and so yummy, hostessblog.com shares some serious recipes and tips on how to make beautiful "twisted' pops.

3 Cocktail Pop Recipes - You can turn just about any fruity cocktail into a popsicle. This article shows you three favorite ways to do that. How about a Mojito pop?

Those are some of the best resources for popsicle recipes on the web. However, if you really want to get creative just get out your juicer or blender - hit your farmer's market and have some fun making up your own recipes!

Pan Fried Trout with Summer Vegetables

2010-07-26T10:51:37Z

Pan Fried Trout with Summer Vegetables

This recipe is wonderful on a summer night. It doesn't take long to prepare but will appear like you spent a lot of time on it. When I have friends over for dinner on a busy weeknight, I prepare this and usually get a lot of "ooh's" because it's so colorful and fresh-looking. This is one of my go-to dishes when I want to make something special but don't have a lot of time.

Use two skillets to cook this quickly, or cook it in two batches, keeping the first batch in a warm oven until ready to serve.

Serves 4

Ingredients
4 8-ounce fresh whole brook or rainbow trout, cleaned and boned with heads and tails intact
12 fresh basil leaves plus 6 thinly sliced fresh basil leaves, divided
12 sprigs fresh Italian parsley
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
6 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced, divided
5 small plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped, divided
2 medium zucchinis, trimmed and chopped, divided
1 cup frozen petite yellow corn kernels, divided

Rinse and thoroughly dry the trout inside and out with paper towels. Fill each trout cavity with 3 fresh basil leaves and 3 sprigs Italian parsley. Using kitchen twine, tie each trout cavity closed. Season each trout with salt and pepper.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in 2 large skillets each over high heat until the oil begins to shimmer. Add half the garlic to each skillet and cook, stirring, for about 3 minutes. Remove the garlic from the oil and discard.

Place 2 trout in each skillet and cook until brown and slightly crisp, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Reduce the heat to low and add about half the vegetables and half the thinly sliced basil leaves to each skillet; simmer until the vegetables are cooked but still firm and the fish flakes easily with a fork, about 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the cooked fish and vegetables to a platter and serve immediately.

To watch me cook this dish, see this quick video from Good Bite

Adopt an Olive Tree in Italy....

2010-07-23T23:01:44Z

Adopt an Olive Tree in Italy....

This is a brilliant idea that was shared via Amanda Hesser's Food52 blog. The Nudo cooperative of olive farmers in Italy has created a wonderful program. Adopt one of their olive trees and you get to track it throughout the year and receive the olive oil extracted from that tree. They have a many varieties of oils from different groves. You select your tree and receive first cold-press oil from that very tree. Very cool!

Some ideas are so good they are worth sharing. Now the tough part is narrowing it down to just one tree! I may need to pour a glass of wine while reading about each grove!

Click here to read more or adopt your very own tree!