CHEF, the Other White Coat

Fairy tale for women of the 21st century - Conto de Fadas para Mulheres do Século 21

2007-10-24T12:31:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time, in a land far far away, a self-assured princess happened upon a frog as she sat, contemplating ecological issues on the shores of an unpolluted pond in a verdant meadow near her castle. The frog hopped into the princess' lap and said: Elegant Lady, I was once a handsome prince, until an evil witch cast a spell upon me. One kiss from you, however, and I will turn back into the dapper, young prince that I am and then, my sweet, we can marry and setup housekeeping in your castle with my mother, where you can prepare my meals, clean my clothes, bear my

children, and forever feel grateful and happy doing so. That night, as the princess dined sumptuously on a repast of lightly sauteed frog legs seasoned in a white wine and onion cream sauce, she chuckled and thought to herself: No F*ing way!
--//--
Era uma vez, numa terra muito distante, uma linda princesa, independente e cheia de auto-estima que, enquanto contemplava a natureza e pensava em como o maravilhoso lago do seu castelo estava de acordo com asconformidades ecológicas, se deparou com uma rã. Então, a rã pulou para o seu colo e disse:- Linda princesa, eu já fui um príncipe muito bonito. Uma bruxa má lançou-me um encanto e eu transformei-me nesta rã asquerosa. Um beijo teu, no entanto, há de me transformar de novo num belo príncipe e poderemos casar e constituir um lar feliz no teu lindo castelo. A minha mãe poderia vir morar conosco e tu poderias preparar o meu jantar, lavarias as minhas roupas, criarias os nossos filhos e viveríamos felizes para sempre.Naquela noite, enquanto saboreava pernas de rã à sautée, acompanhadas de um cremoso molho acebolado e de um finíssimo vinho branco, a princesa sorria e pensava: Nem F*!

Food sculpture

2007-10-19T10:12:00.000-07:00

This gorgeous flower used to be a radish. (nabo). No kiddin.

Want to see more? Click on the photo.

Before Carving
1. Before carving, fruits and vegetables must be washed and cleaned thoroughly.2. Use knives with stainless steel or bronze blades. Knives with ordinary steel blades will cause discoloration of fruits and vegetables.3. Do not carve excessively so as to avoid waste and loss of nutritional value.4. The designs carved should be appropriate for decorating a plate of food; thus, floral patterns are suitable, while figures of animals such as rats are not.5. Vegetables to be dipped into sauces should be cut to appropriate sizes.6. Vegetables chosen for carving should be appropriate to the dish in which they are to be used, and they should be vegetables which are resistant to wilting, such as carrots and Chinese radishes.7. Care must be exercised during carving so as to avoid bruising fruit and vegetables.

Each kind of fruit and vegetable has its own unique characteristics, so keep these pointers in mind when choosing fruits and vegetables to carve.
Onions and shallots should be fresh and without wrinkles. Choose either mediumsized or small bulbs that are all of uniform size.
Carrots should be straight and of medium or large-size.
Radishes should be fresh, firm, and round. Use medium-sized radishes, all of uniform size.
Chinese radishes should be straight and of medium-size with clear bright skins. The flesh of large Chinese radishes tends to be mealy.

Cucumbers should be green, straight, and of medium-size. The type called for in this book is the larger type (Tang Ran). If the smaller type (Tang Kwa) is used, those with green skins have firmer flesh and are better for carving than those with greenish white skins.

Tomatoes should be of uniform size. Plum tomatoes, with elongated fruits, are firmer than round varieties. Choose fresh ones with no wrinkles.

Pumpkins should have thick, firm flesh.Such pumpkins have a rough exterior.
Spur chillies should be fresh and have firm skins. Generally small ones are used, because if large ones were cut and spread out to make a blossom, they would cover the entire plate. However, large spur chilies are used for making anthurium flowers.
Spring shallots and leek should be fresh and green with no yellowing on the leaves. Select thick, medium-sized plants.
Cabbage and Chinese cabbage should be fresh with firm, heavy heads. Use medium sized heads.
Lemons should be very fresh.
Taro should be of medium-size. The fragrant taro (Pheuak Hawm) has fine-textured flesh.
Cantaloupes should be those that are not yet fully ripe. The skin should be pale yellow without wrinkles or scratches.
Yam bean tubers used for carving should not be too large. Large, mature tubers have a lot of fibers. These become frayed in carving, detracting from the appearance of the finished work.
Papayas should be straight, thick-fleshed and without any bruises. They should not yet be fully ripe so that the flesh is firm and does not bruise easily. The Khaek Dam variety is recommended be cause of thebeautifully colored flesh.
Green mangoes should be fully mature and of a variety whose flesh is not too crisp. The skin should be green and un-wrinkled and the stem should look fresh.
Watermelon should have red flesh and green rinds with no bruises or wrinkles.
Pineapple should have large eyes. The leaves should be fresh and green and there should be no shrivelling of the skin or stem.
Guavas should be those that are just becoming ripe. The skin should be a fresh light green skins and there should be no bruises or scratches.
Apples should be fresh with glossy, brightly colored skins and no bruises.
Jujubes should have straight fruits with green skins and no bruises.
Sapodillas must be firm, so avoid fully ripe fruits. The skins should be even and clear. Avoid sapodillas that have been dyed for the market. Their skins have a dusty appearance.
Rose-apples should have clear, fresh looking skins.

Simple White Lotus Cucumber Garnish
Material:1 long cucumber and 1 carrotEquipment:sharp pointed knife and carving knife
Instructions:1. Wash the cucumbers. Cut into 3 sections.2. Divide the circumference of each into 8 equal parts and then make cuts about 3mm deep between each part down the length of the section.3. Slice beneath each part down the length almost to the base to separate it from the flesh, thus forming the 8 outer petals.4. Trim the flesh to remove ridges and then divide into 8 parts as before to make the inner ring of petals. These should be centered between those of the outer ring.5. Remove the core of the cucumber, trim each petal so it tapers to a point, and then insert the center of the flower.6. For the center, use 1/4" thick disk cut from a small carrot. Cut small grooves in a crisscross pattern on one face, and place up in the lotus flower.

http://asiarecipe.com/carving.html

Drink smart.

2007-10-15T00:00:00.002-07:00

"When I see people at the airport go over to a vending machine and waste their money buying bottled water at the vending when it's standing right next to a water faucet, you really have to wonder at the utter stupidity and the responsibility sometimes of American consumers," said campaign supporter Rocky Anderson, the mayor of Salt Lake City. (read more)

Activists and environmentalists on Wednesday are rallying behind a U.S. campaign that aims to convince consumers to opt for tap water rather than bottled.

The campaign, launched by the activist group Corporate Accountability International, argues that tap water is safer and more eco-friendly than bottled water. Activists are also urging city officials to stop using public money to purchase bottled water for offices.

How much time do you spend at a grocery store, trying to choose from the innumerous bottled water brands out there? How many bottles of water do you purchase a week? Ten? Fifteen? MORE?

Oh, and by the way, did you close the tap this morning while you were brushing your teeth or shaving?

A large number of people (up to 1.8 billion according to the UN) do not have access to clean water... According to data from the report, the average African will have to trek for five hours a day for a drink and the lack of water is leaving million of youngsters under nourished and stunted. The water that we use to wash our cars or flush our toilets is cleaner than the water drunk by millions of people on this planet. As many as 50,000 children are dying everyday, mostly from diseases contracted from drinking contaminated water... Is it acceptable to witness such a tragedy in the 21st century? (see the BBC's World Water Crisis Map here)

Don't take it for granted that water is unlimited and will continue to flow out of our taps forever as it probably won't... scarcity of water is becoming a global issue, striking poor and rich countries alike. So next time you brush your teeth, please turn the tap off and start saving water, we'll all be in a better shape by becoming more mindful of the Earth's natural and precious resources.

Exploiting the growing health-consciousness of consumers, some of the world’s largest corporations have used extravagant advertising campaigns to convince people to pay exorbitant prices for water that is typically no safer than what pours from a tap at 1/1,000th the price. Water became a huge business. What's next.....the air???

A landmark study by the Natural Resources Defense Council found approximately one-third of tested bottled water brands violated, in at least one sample, an enforceable standard or exceeded microbiological-purity guidelines. The most common contaminants were arsenic and synthetic organic carcinogens. The Food and Drug Administration regulates bottled water—IF the water is sold over state lines. The devil is in the details, however, since FDA regulations only apply to water that is bottled and transported between states, leaving out the two-thirds of water that is solely transported within states. That means as much as 70 percent of the bottled water sold in the U.S. is exempt from FDA regulations. In those instances where FDA regulations apply, the standards are not as rigorous as those applied to tap water by the Environmental Protection Agency. And the NRDC study found that testing of bottled water facilities was less frequent and less rigorous than regulatory monitoring of municipal systems. For instance, a city water system will test for coliform bacteria several times a day, while a bottling plant need only test for coliform bacteria once a week.....so standards for bottled water are apparently lower than those for tap water, right?

Not only are bottled water labels pretty, they can be pretty misleading. Approximately 25 percent of bottled water is merely tap water. Rules allow manufacturers to call their product “spring water” even if it has been chemically treated. In one case in the NRDC test, water from an industrial parking lot next to a hazardous waste site was marketed as “spring water” from a pristine source. Spring water is believed to be the most hygienic, cleanest form of water the human body can ingest; it's potable at the source. The most glaring misuse of labeling still appears on the bottle of Aquafina, Pepsi's brand of bottled water. The label paints mountains and snow, insinuating that the water comes directly from a geologic source. Instead, Aquafina is processed municipal water (or tap water), with minerals added inside Pepsi's industrial plants. (For their part, Coca Cola also bottles a water, Dasani, which came under FDA scrutiny for claiming it was "purified water" when actually, like Pepsi's Aquafina, it was modified tap water.)

Now, look at these numbers:

NESTLE has 77 brands of water, including big sellers like Perrier, Poland Springs and San Pellegrino, and claims by some estimates as much as half the bottled water market in the U.S. Nestle has been hammered for questionable environmental practices in Michigan and other states, and was all but run out of Wisconsin for attempting to ramrod through a misguided water extraction scheme.
COCA-COLA gets your money when you buy popular brands of bottled water such as Dasani, Dannon and Sparkletts, which Coke sells in the U.S. for the European conglomerate Group Danone. In India, Coca-Cola has been charged with causing water shortages in areas where its factories over-exploit groundwater resources. Coke recently incurred the wrath of the British public when it came to light that although Dasani was advertised as “pure” it was London tap water—Coke’s bottled water in the U.S. similarly is by and large local tap water. All of which just goes to show that when it comes to putting one over on the public, Coke is, in point of fact, the real thing.
PEPSI-CO sells the single most popular brand of bottled water in the U.S., Aquafina. If you’ve been lured to buy Aquafina by the soothing outline of a pristine mountain horizon on the label, you’ve taken the Pepsi challenge, and Pepsi won. Emulating its arch-nemesis Coke, Pepsi fills its water bottles not from remote mountain springs, but from the tap.

Some restaurants are investing in their own filtration and even carbonation systems for their own businesses, all in name of environmental concerns over the energy used in transportation as well as the disposal of all those containers. The movement against bottled water has gained considerable momentum with American celebrity chefs including Alice Waters and Mario Batali banning the bottle at their restaurants. (read more here)

Now, what should WE ALL do? The "Gingerbread House" Theory ( by me ;) )

- Think. If you lived in a gingerbread house, would you eat it? If your answer is YES, don't feel too bad, you are probably one of the millions that don't really care about the environment. Hey, it's never too late to wake up for reality!
- Get real . If we continue being careless about our water resources, like eating your own gigerbread house, sooner or later (probably sooner rather than later!) there will be nothing left.
- Act smart, and act NOW. The "smart" profit from the innocent, but being innocent does NOT necessarily mean being ignorant. To cut a long story short: Don't waste your money buying bottled water. For all the money you will save, invest in a good water filtration system, and drink from the tap. And also, there are some "talks"about the dangers encountered in the bottles you buy at the store - so not only you are wastin your money but you are kinda PAYING to get sick. There are so many cool options to carry bottled water, eco-friendly ones, like these ones, or even these for your kids.... Much better, ha?
- Spread the word. Let friends, family, colleagues know. Write about it, make a video....

Who are we kiddin now?
Sources :
http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/water/bottled/bottledUp-tappedOut
http://www.ecademy.com/node.php?id=76869
http://www.panda.org/about_wwf/what_we_do/freshwater/problems/index.cfm

Rice - symbol of fertility

2007-09-17T09:32:00.000-07:00

Rice is strictly bound to the culture and the traditions of many countries and it has always played a leading role in the feasts, songs, proverbs and legends. Rice is a symbol of fertility, abundance, good health and genuineness, is not just a simple food but it is an element common to different cultures. Rice, like wheat and sweetcorn, is a cereal and, like all cereals, is mostly made up with starch. Besides starch, a nourishing and easily digestible substance, rice contains proteins, vitamins, minerals and fibres. All over the world, there are more than 140.000 different varieties or, to be more exact, rice ecotypes; each having different cooking times and tastes. Rice, like wheat, is an annual cycle grass, this means that it is sowed in springtime and it ripens, according to the different varieties, between September and October. The plant reaches a 80-150 cm height and it takes 5 months, on average, to ripen. In some hot and wet countries, it is possible to have more than one harvest a year.

In term of cooking texture, rice is classified into different categories. Each have their own differences. They are as follows.

Sweet rice

Sweet rice has a very special soft and sticky characteristic and cooked at lower temperature. Cooking Sweet rice does not need high temperature, just soak rice in water for few hours and cook under steam is enough. Sweet rice can be digested in your mouth and converted to glucose so rice tastes slightly sweet.

Japanese short grain sweet rice, Thai long grain sweet rice are some example of this rice.

Cooking Sweet rice require little water, lower heat and shorter cooking time.

Soft Short grain rice

Most short grains are soft cooking with slightly sticky texture. Chinese, Korean and Japanese usually steam it plain and take with dishes using chopsticks. Italians cook it with stock, making Risotto.

Japanese short grain rice, American CalRose rice, Australian CalRose rice are some example.

Cooking soft short grain rice requires medium water, medium heat and short cooking time.

Steaming Soft Short grain rice is also an option.

Firm long grain rice

Long grain rice is taken for granted as firm cooking rice. Some varieties of Long Grain are firm cooking. It has a firm texture with loose grain after cooked, ideal for making fried rice and recooked rice.

In market, most "long grain" rices fall to this variety.

Cooking firm long grain rice requires more water, longer cooking time and higher heat.

Steaming Firm long grain rice. is also an option

Soft long grain rice

Some long grain rice have softer cooking texture, similar in texture to short grain rice. Basmati and Jasmine rice fall to this category. Jasmine rice has been recently researched and supposedly helps to prevent Ostheoporosis. Their texture are soft and sticky for new crop, very similar to soft short grain rice in term of texture. Rice will tend to be more loose and separated when it turn old crop with texture is a little more chewy, ideal for eating with curry and to make fried rice.

Basmati and Jasmine rice are some examples.

Cooking soft long grain rice require medium water, medium heat and short cooking time.

Steaming soft long grain rice is also an option.

Milled rice

Milled rice is the most common form of rice found in the market. It has all the husk and bran removed, leaving only the core of rice which is starch.

Most rices found in market are milled rice.

Broken rice

Rice kernel may break during milling process and those broken pieces are taken out and packed separately. Broken rice is good for cooking porridge and shima because of its natural small size, hence easier to cook and easier to dissolve.

Broken rice can be of soft cooking and firm cooking, specify when you shop for it.

Cooking broken rice need the same amount as its head rice counter part, weight by weight.

Parboiled rice

Parboiled rice is the only rice here that is precooked. It has a nutty scent when cooked with very firm texture, very good for frying rice in a hot pan.

Parboiled rice can be made from long grain or short grain rice.

Cooking parboiled rice requires a lot of water, medium time and medium heat (as it is already cooked). Some people only soak parboiled rice in hot water for cooking.

Brown Rice

Brown rice is the husked but unmilled rice. It is highly nutritious and rich in fiber, so brown rice is considered as a healthy food. On setback is it's rough cooking texture due to its fiber.

Brown rice may be of any kind, short, long, soft or firm. It cooking will be similar to its milled rice counter part.

Cooking brown rice requires lot of water due to rough bran layer. Always soak rice in water for few hours before cooking.

What's all the "fuss" about Virgin Coconut Oil??????

2007-09-12T17:03:00.000-07:00

Chefs know. Health enthusiasts know. Maybe we all should know....

Coconut oil has been used for centuries as a vital source of food for health and general well being in traditional communities of tropical regions. Recent research verifies traditional beliefs that the coconut palm is “The Tree of Life” and that, just like any other pure, whole food, coconuts and virgin coconut oil have a significant role to play in a well balanced, nutritious diet. Abandoning unhealthy lifestyles and reverting to natural foods can help to reverse many of the diseases that have manifested in our bodies through the highly refined diet of our modern society. Coconut oil is a "functional food".

Medical research is in agreement that at least 30% of our daily nutritional intake should be made up of fats or oil. However, the structures of different oils are as diverse as nature itself and even a basic knowledge of what defines the different classification of fats will help us understand why this classification is so important when choosing oil to augment and support a healthy lifestyle for our children, families and ourselves. Complete article >>>

Research shows that replacing other cooking oils with virgin coconut oil generally creates a more favorable HDL/LDL ratio. This oil has antiviral, antibacterial, antimicrobial, and antiprotozoal properties and, like all whole foods, contains nutrients for a healthy body.

Saturated Fat: A Vital Ingredient for a Healthy Body: Over many decades coconut oil received bad publicity due to its saturated fat content, but research has shown that not all saturated fats are alike and coconut oil is unique in its structural make-up. It is not only the highest source of saturated fats (92%) but included in this is the highest source of saturated medium chain triglycerides (62%) of any naturally occurring vegan food source. Furthermore around 50% of these MCT’s are made up of lauric acid, the most important essential fatty acid in building and maintaining the body’s immune system.

Apart from coconut oil, the only other source of lauric acid found in such high concentrations is in mother’s milk. Tropical oils and mother’s milk are by far the richest food sources of medium chain fatty acids available. The closest other source of these vital building blocks for our immune system would be milk fat and butter, comprising around 3% of its content. Any other vegetable oil is completely deficient in these MCFAs.

It should also be remembered that the negative research done on coconut oil in the past was the result of one study conducted four decades ago, using hydrogenated oil (which has been altered from its original form), not on virgin oil. Research shows that some saturated fat is in fact necessary for human health and modern research shows that the medium chain fatty acids help to increase metabolism and are more easily digested than fats found in other oils. This is because they are processed directly in the liver and immediately converted into energy. There is therefore less strain on the liver, pancreas and digestive system and these MCFA provide the body with a wonderful, quick source of energy.

Carrot Cake - Monica's recipe

2007-09-10T12:07:00.000-07:00

Here's a recipe from a good friend of mine that I am going to try soon. This recipe is very popular in Brazil, especially if you are trying to get your kids to eat more carrots in an unconventional - and sweet!- way ....( Thanks, Monica!)

Carrot Cake w/ Chocolate Frosting

3 eggs, separate yolks from whites
3/4 cup vegetable oil ( or you can use 1 cup for a moister cake)
2 medium carrots
2 cups sugar
2 cups white flour
1 tbsp baking powder

Blend carrots in your blender or food processor. Add egg yolks, sugar, oil. Transfer everything to your mixer and add slowly the sifted flour, and fold in the baking powder. Beat the egg whites separately and fold in gently. Spray and flour a cake pan ( center hole, or flat) . Bake in preheated 375º F until a toothpick comes out dry from the center of the cake.

Frosting - heat in pan stirring constantly, and pour over warm cake :

1 tbsp butter
2 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp milk
2 tbsp cocoa

In portuguese:

BOLO DE CENOURA (MAMÃE)

3 OVOS (separar gemas das claras)
¾ DE XÍC. DE ÓLEO (ou 1 XÍC. se preferir mais molhadinho)
2 CENOURAS MÉDIAS
2 XÍC. DE AÇUCAR
2 XÍC. DE FARINHA DE TRIGO
1 COLHER (SOPA) DE PÓ ROYAL

Bater bem no liquidificador as cenouras, as gemas, o açúcar e o óleo. Passar esta massa para a batedeira e acrescentar lentamente a farinha peneirada e por último o fermento. Acrescentar lentamente as claras em neve.

Colocar em forma pré-untada e levar em forno pré-aquecido.

COBERTURA:

1 COLHER (SOPA) DE MANTEIGA
2 COLHERES (SOPA) DE AÇUCAR
3 COLHERES (SOPA) DE LEITE
2 COLHERES (SOPA) DE NESCAU

The personal joy of "Personal Cheffing"

2007-09-08T19:25:00.001-07:00

I always want to explore all facets of this new industry, big career change for me, so I thought I'd better get my feet wet! Everything is new and exciting for me at this point, like a small (?) kid in a candy store. Recently I have volunteered for 2 personal Chefs in our area, and to be completely honest, I kinda like PCing! You can set your own rules, work directly with your clients, meet new and exciting people, and exercise your "Hospitality" skills, and still be totally free to express yourself in your menus, your skills, your style! It's like having a party every time you go to work, now isn't that exciting? ( Photos: Chefs Kathy Ehler from "My Personal Chef" and Phillip Peppler www.achefontherun.com ) Thanks Kathy and Phillip!

How to buy shrimp

2007-08-01T11:14:00.000-07:00

"Flavor, price and intended use are all considerations when purchasing shrimp, with certain varieties offering a higher level of quality and a more satisfying taste experience for the consumer.

First, do you want wild or farm-raised product? Wild shrimp have a firmer texture, and more pronounced flavor and are usually available in larger sizes. Farm-raised offer a milder taste and more uniform size.

There are also variations among the shrimp species. Wild browns are typically the most flavorful. White shrimp generally have a sweeter taste. But the most critical decision you'll make in purchasing shrimp is which distributor to use. It is essential that you know the company you choose. Its suppliers should be respected importers and/or domestic sellers who have their own brands and stand behind their quality-control systems.

The best safeguard is to learn how to recognize quality yourself. Here are some things to look for:

Black spot, or melanosis, a harmless discoloration of the shell resulting from a natural, enzymatic reaction. Melanosis can indicate poor handling at harvesting or processing. A "premium" product should have no black spots, though "standard" grade may have some.
Net weight. Remove the packaging and place shrimp (raw, shell-on or IQF) under a gentle spray of cold water to remove the ice glaze. Drain for exactly two minutes and then weigh the product. This net weight should match that on the box or bag.
Actual count of shrimp. Separate all broken or damaged shrimp, and then weigh all the whole shrimp. The actual count equals the total count of whole shrimp divided by the weight of the whole shrimp in pounds.

Example: 254 whole shrimp weigh 5 pounds. Divide 254 by 5 to get 50.8. Hopefully, you have purchased 51/60-count shrimp and have a very nice product!
Uniformity of shrimp, block or IQF. Weigh the 10 largest shrimp and then the 10 smallest. To determine uniformity, divide the weight of the largest shrimp by the weight of the smallest. Let's say the 10 largest shrimp weigh 200 grams and the 10 smallest weigh 180 grams. Divide 200 by 180 to get a uniformity of 1.11. For farm-raised shrimp, uniformities should be 1.1 to 1.3; for wild-caught, 1.3 to 1.5.

In my travels around the world, I have never encountered a shrimp company that had only a "short-term" focus. Reputable operators are primarily small business people who have dedicated their lives to the shrimp industry and are good stewards of the environment that nurtures their investment. High-quality shrimp results from the great care taken by professionals throughout the shrimp harvesting, processing and distribution chain."

-John Filose is VP of sales, marketing, distribution and business development for San Diego-based Ocean Garden Products, a founding member of the Mexican Shrimp Council. Filose has 20 years' experience in the shrimp industry and has worked and traveled extensively throughout the United States, Mexico, Central and South America and Asia. He is also a past president and chairperson of the National Fisheries Institute.

For more information, please visit www.mexicanshrimp.org .

(http://www.acfchefs.org/Content/OnlineResources/trends/shrimp.html)

Students help fight childhood obesity in Hudson Valley

2007-08-01T11:08:00.000-07:00

Hyde Park, NY, June 21, 2007 – The idea began as a senior thesis project by a student at The Culinary Institute of America (CIA), to hold a contest for students to develop nutritional meals within a budget. With support from the Rotary of Poughkeepsie, the two winners of the college's "Healthy Meals on a Budget" contest are preparing their creations on June 21 at the Family Partnership Center in Poughkeepsie.

The winners are both freshmen at the CIA. Raquel Leonard, age 24 of Washington, DC and Jiyoun Oh, 27, of Seoul, South Korea each earned $150 from the Rotary for their efforts. The student entries needed to serve four for a cost of $8 or less total, while fitting into specific nutritional guidelines regarding saturated fat, calories, and protein. In addition, the recipes were required to appeal to both children and adults in a mixed ethnic community, while using easily accessible ingredients and being easy to prepare.

Ms. Leonard came up with "Honduran-American Roasted and Stuffed Green Peppers." Ms. Oh's entry was called "Spring in Poughkeepsie," a layered dish of spinach, red pepper, sprouts, brown rice and eggs.

At the June 21 event, 6 p.m. at the Lunch Box on North Hamilton Street, families are invited to enjoy a free demonstration and dinner while learning from CIA senior Brian Harrison about how to prepare easy, healthful meals on a budget. The evening is limited to 150 attendees.

"This contest was an opportunity for our students to be creative and find ways to incorporate nutritious components in traditional or not so traditional meals. It takes nutrition out of the classroom and into the kitchen," says CIA Assistant Professor Marjorie Livingston, who teaches a nutrition course that all students at the college are required to pass to graduate.

Raquel Leonard's Honduran-American Roasted and Stuffed Green Peppers

Yields: 4 portions

This recipe is an adaptation of a Honduran-American dish my grandmother showed me during our last vacation together at the start of 2007. The ingredients in this dish are available year-round and in most grocery stores around the United States.

My grandmother is originally from a town called La Lima in Honduras where in the 1940s and 1950s the inhabitants mainly ate dry cheeses, corn and flour tortillas, small red and black beans with a small share of protein such as fish, chicken or beef at lunch time each day.

According to my grandmother, her mother would liven up the lunch table every now and then with different chilis, peppers or squashes and plantains. The stuffed green peppers that my grandmother ate as a young lady in La Lima were often served as the primary dish, stuffed with ground beef and rice and covered in a fresh tomato sauce. My variation uses ground turkey instead of beef for a lower fat alternative, and canned crushed tomatoes that are common in most grocery stores.

This meal requires minimum preparation and has been enjoyed by children and adults alike in my family. Buen provecho!

Ingredients

4 Fresh Sweet Green Bell Peppers

1/2 cup Fresh Yellow Onions- diced (approximately 1/4 inch)

3 Fresh cloves of Garlic, crushed

1 pt Italian Style Canned Crushed Tomatoes

1 lb Raw Ground Turkey (7% fat or less)

4 slices Italian bread

2/3 cup Long-grain white rice, cooked and lightly salted (should yield 2 cups of cooked rice.)

1 Tbsp Canola Oil

1 Tbsp Italian Seasoning

1.5 cup Water, boiling

Salt to taste

Tools needed:

small knife (3.5 inch paring preferred)

baking sheet

large cast iron pan

Small spoon

Spatula

Cooking Instructions:

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F. Wash bell peppers with lukewarm water and dry them completely. Place peppers on the baking dish. Bake peppers, uncovered, in the oven for approximately 15 minutes or until the skin begins to bubble. Remove peppers from the oven and allow them to cool. Lower the oven to 350 degrees F to briefly warm bread before serving the peppers.

While peppers are roasting in the oven, heat canola oil for 1 minute on medium high heat in a cast iron pan. Add the diced onion first and allow them to brown. Once the onions are slightly brown, add the crushed garlic. (TIP: Use the side of a large knife to crush the garlic cloves.)

Add the raw turkey meat, Italian seasoning and a light amount of salt to the onions. Cook the meat, onions and garlic on medium-high heat, stirring after each minute, for approximately 10 minutes or until most of the meat is brown. Mix in rice first, followed by boiling water. Continue to cook mixture for 20 minutes or until rice has expanded into soft tender grains. Remove from heat when rice is tender. Taste and add salt if needed.

After the meat and rice mixture is cooked check that the peppers have cooled enough to handle. If they are cool, peel the skin from each pepper and remove the stems and seeds using a small knife or paring knife. Only cut around the stem. Each pepper should be left with a circular opening at the top where the meat and rice mixture can be easily introduced with a spoon.

Using a small spoon, fill each pepper with the meat and rice mixture. Once stuffed, return the peppers to cast iron pan that has been placed over medium heat.

Pour crushed tomatoes over the peppers and allow them to reheat over medium heat until tomatoes begin to simmer (approximately 2 minutes). Place bread in the warm oven while peppers and tomatoes are heating.

Serve each pepper in a shallow bowl or on a plate pouring plenty of tomato sauce over each pepper. Enjoy with a slice of bread.

Total preparation time: 15 minutes
Total cooking time: 45 minutes

Escoffier, the "Emperor of Chefs": bewitched by a salad.

2007-07-27T12:15:00.000-07:00

What distinguishes a Chef from a cook? I am sure you have thought about it, especially for the many student and commis chefs out there. I know I have. After all, anyone can cook, especially if you follow a recipe - or not? Maybe. But the distance that separates chefs from cooks can be as immense as the difference between a Swiss watch and a paper clip, yet sutil. Nooo, no, I am not being against cooks. There are many talented people with plenty of knowledge out there and they know the magic of comfort foods, fast foods and "morning" foods. But I remember the first time I traveled to Quebec City and dined at one of their most famous hotels. On that day, back in 1998, I was "bewitched" by a salad, that left me mesmerized by its beauty and divided - who would dare touch its enchanting beauty? On that day, I learned la différence.

Today, after reading my first book about Escoffier and the recipes he recorded and created, I learned that one of his many contributions to cooking was to elevate it to the status of a respected profession. He introduced discipline and sobriety where before there had been disorder and drunkenness. He organized his kitchens by the brigade system, with each section run by a chef de partie. He also replaced the practice of service à la française (serving all dishes at once) with service à la russe (serving each dish in the order printed on the menu), among many other things. In 1903, Escoffier published his first major book, Le Guide Culinaire, containing 5,000 recipes. The importance of this book in the world of French cooking cannot be over-estimated, and even today it is used as both a cookbook and textbook for classic cooking. In 1904 and 1912 Escoffier was hired to plan the kitchens for ships belonging to the steamship company Hamburg-Amerika Lines. On the second voyage, the Kaiser Wilhelm II congratulated Escoffier, telling him "I am the Emperor of Germany, but you are the Emperor of chefs."

Read about Escoffier. It is a fascinating part of Culinary history. Apart from books, including his own, here are a few Web sites where you can get some info:

http://escoffier.com/phpnuke/html/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=4

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auguste_Escoffier

Lobster Galette

2007-07-25T20:11:00.001-07:00

Here's one of my favorite Martha Stewart's recipes, I saw it this week on TV ( yeah, I was bored...) and tried it with shrimp ( the original recipe calls for Lobster...yea, right!) and it is FAN_TAS_TIC! ( dont get me wrong - the recipe is good, but sorry, can't stand HER!)

Ingredients

Makes 2 galettes

1/2 lobster tail (from a 1 1/4- to 1 1/2-pound lobster), cooked, chilled, and finely chopped ( replace w/ shrimp if needed)
1 teaspoon chopped chives, plus 4 whole chives for garnish
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
2 large Idaho potatoes
3/4 cup Clarified Butter
4 teaspoons creme fraiche

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, mix together lobster and chopped chives; season with salt and pepper and set aside. Place two 8-inch ovenproof skillets over medium heat. Peel and thinly slice potatoes crosswise on a mandoline; pat dry.
Add 1/4 cup clarified butter to each skillet. Increase heat slightly. Place potatoes in the bottom of each skillet in an even layer; season with salt and pepper. Repeat process with a second layer of potatoes. Divide lobster mixture evenly between the two skillets and spread over the second layer of potatoes. Add 2 more layers of potatoes to each skillet, seasoning with salt and pepper between each layer. Drizzle final layers with 2 tablespoons clarified butter each. Increase heat to high. When the bottoms begin to crisp, flip, and transfer to oven. Bake 20 minutes.
Transfer galettes to plates and cut into wedges. Serve immediately garnished with creme fraiche and whole chives.

"Bacalà", the people's fish.

2007-07-23T13:04:00.000-07:00

For those of you interesting in trying something new with fish, here's my tip: try Salted Cod, or "Bacalao", or "Bacalà". It is basically salt cod sold by the slab: it is unlikely you will ever try it, if you've never tried it before. For much of its history nobody really did care for it, it was cheap and kept very well, which made it an ideal food for the poor, and for others too when Friday loomed and no fresh fish was available. But well cooked Cod is , believe it or not, one of the foods you will always remember, and always crave for, once you try it. Here's how you make it:

If you are lucky enough to live close to a place where you can buy it yourself, here's how it looks like:
The traditional technique for producing high quality baccalà is to take cod from three to six feet long, spit them, salt them for about ten days, and partially dry them. There are a number of different grades of baccalà; today the best is made from fish caught off Labrador.

Since it is salted, all baccalà requires soaking before it can be used. Some delicatessens sell pre-soaked baccalà, but it's better (and more reliable!) if you buy it and soak it yourself -- it's cheaper, and you can select the piece you want. Salted baccalà comes 1/2 to 1-inch thick, in 3 to 6-inch wide slats that are 12 to 18 inches long (7-15 by 30-45 cm), and are white on the flesh side. The flesh should be pliable, compact, and not feel woody; you should try to select a piece of uniform thickness so it will soak evenly. Try to avoid buying the part with the finns or tail, which has less "meat".

To prep it, rinse the salt off it and soak it in cold water for 12 or more hours, depending upon its thickness (refrigerate it in hot weather), changing the water 2-3 times daily. Once it has soaked, boil it in water for two times or more until you try a small part and the salt content is reasonably acceptable. Then, skin it ( it should peel off easily) , pick out the bones trying not to disturb the flakes too much (the more large pieces you end up with, the better), and it's ready for use.

Here's the simplest, easiest recipe you can get for Bacalà:

You will need:
1 pound Bacalà, already prep'd as above,
4 large potatoes
2 boiled eggs
Kalamata (black) olives
Extra virgin olive oil
Parsley or Cilantro, finely chopped
Shallots

How to make it:
Boil the potatoes, skin on, peel them, cut them in discs about 1/3" (about 1 cm) thick
Slice onions in thin discs, eggs in not so thin discs.
Layer the fish flakes, potatoes, onions into a large deep platter. Sprinkle the olives and be generous with the olive oil. Bake it covered 400ºF for about 40 minutes. Serve it hot with white rice or a green salad. Eggs and Parsley ( or cilantro, if you prefer) decorate the top.

One option is to chill after baking, and serve chilled. You won't regret it.

Enjoy!

Volunteer! Volunteer! Volunteer!

2007-07-13T14:32:00.003-07:00

Here's a tip for students out there who need so bad to learn ( oh, yes! Don't you ever think for one split of a second that you can get ahead in this career without knowledge!!!) : V O L U N T E E R. Go help at a fundraiser. Go watch other Chefs work, see how they interact, how they delegate, how they praise their kitchens as temples of gastronomic entertainment ( not all...but lots do). AND...if you work at a fundraiser, you will be helping other people too :) It's fun to meet new people, network, meet new workplaces, network...( did I mention network? )

The best ice cream I've ever had!

2007-01-27T13:04:00.000-08:00

Last week, I accepted Chef Leitzke's (from Menu Planning class) invitation to work as a volunteer at the ACF Dinner Meeting at the Oconomowoc Lake Club. It was a Monday, one of those mondays after a hectic weekend, one of those days where everything changed by the minute: my son got sick with "croup" the day before, my husband was working from home that day so he could watch our son ( which means he was very cranky as my son thought daddy's laptop was his "Leap-pad"...), I was late in the morning and had to rush my daughter to daycare, since the night before, for some reason, the twins decided to wake up 4 times each during the night..... needless to say I was completely exhausted that same morning of what looked like it was going to be a loooong day... But the opportunity to work side by side with Chef Jack and his team, and wear the WCTC Student Chef coat for the first time in the first semester as a Culinary Management student, was just too much to let pass by. And no, I had no camera.....had too much on my mind to even remember that cameras exist. I would have had good pictures, though.

I arrived home from WCTC classes at around 4 pm that monday, after picking up my daughter at daycare at 3:45, after leaving class at 3:30. I had only one hour to get the kids ready to go out for dinner with daddy, then to get ready myself. I arrived at Oconomowoc Lake Club at 5 pm and went directly to the kitchen through the service door. I've never been in a commercial kitchen before, but there I was . I asked who Chef Jack was, he said "hi", looked at me as if I had come from another planet, and said "Go to the kitchen upstairs (or was it downstairs?), they will have work for you". When I got there, they told me to cube some bread crouton-size, then work on some ground beef patties and slice some beef sausages. (YES Chef Mic, I washed my hands AND put gloves on to work on the patties....) My main concern was to not disappoint anyone in the kitchen, to do as I was told, do my best, not break anything and to maybe go upstairs and do some networking with the local Farmers at the Grazing Buffet....in that particular order.

When the work in the first kitchen was done, they told us (me and Angela, another WCTC student in Chef Leitzke's class, who happens to be from Brazil as well) to go to the other kitchen. I had no idea what to do when i got there, all those big stained glass ovens, steamers, it was like jumping into a locomotive in full power, so I started asking: "Hey, I'm Claudia, I'm a volunteer from WCTC...can I help you?" Some people said yes, some people said no thanks, some people also had no idea what was going on, and some people looked at us like we came from another planet....( for the second time!). I insisted and asked everyone ( and so did Angela), except the Chefs that were working in the hot area - I felt that area was like that formula 1 podium, the 1-2-3 steps where the champions go to get the winner's cup, and I wondered: will I ever be one of them? There is a "natural" barrier, probably designed already to keep "intruders" – like me – away from trouble.

Anyway, I met two chefs from MATC, (but don't ask me their names! I was too nervous to remember!!! But they were pretty nice to us and asked a lot of questions...) and they kind of "initiated" us, told us we would do the salads, told us what to do, where to go....One funny thing that happened was, while preparing dessert, "someone" left a whole tray (with probably 80 or more ice cream scoops in it, ready to be plated) right next to a hot area! I said to Chef Jack,(who was then talking to other chefs, waiting for the time to begin plating the desserts) "Is this tray supposed to be here, next to this hot area"?? He yelled "NO!!!"- and said: "Who put this here??" and me, him and some other Chefs took the trays to a cooler place. (everyone in the kitchen was a Chef for me that day). The whole job went smoothly, it all worked out like a well oiled machine, so much so that when we served dessert, I looked at the clock and it was already 9 pm! How did the time go by so fast???? Like mom always say, "time flies when you're having fun"...so right.

I did not eat one bite through the whole dinner. I guess I didn't know I could, I was too afraid to ask, or I was too nervous, too commited to making everything come out right. I probably sanitized countertops that didn't need to be sanitized, changed too many gloves, inspected the peaches for dark spots for too long, or washed my hands too much...I didn't care. I didn't want to disappoint anyone, but maybe I wanted to prove to myself that even with no "professional"experience but with a lot of common sense and responsibility, and a crazy idea of changing to a new career at 43 ( yeah, tomorrow is my birthday..) I guess I just wanted to prove to myself that I could do it, and I can.

Then, Chef Jack said to me: "After they finish serving, you can eat some ice cream" .

That was the best ice cream I've ever had.

Thanks Chef Leitzke!

Eat your (collard) greens!

2005-11-02T09:05:00.000-08:00

Here's a good recipe for those of you who dunno what to do with Collard Greens (or Kale - same thing):

I think Kale and Collard Greens are the same? If yes, then this is my version:

-Wash all leaves and shake them to remove excess moisture.
-Pile up leaves, and roll them up tight, to make sorta like a sushi.
- Start cutting the leaves in 1 to 2mm slices, keep roll tight in your hand (its tricky! But with some practice, you can do it.) You will have thin cuts of Kale.
- Prepare a large frying pan with 2 tbsp olive oil, finely chopped bacon cubes, garlic and white onions - sauteé until they are light golden brown.
- Add the Kale and use thongs to flip them over so they wont burn.
- Add 1/2 cup water or beef/vegetable/chicken stock, cover pan and simmer in low heat until kale is cooked "al dente" ( do NOT overcook!)
- Serve with grilled smoked sausage, white rice, and cooked black beans....mmm!

It goes well also with mashed potatoes and a roastbeef.

Enjoy! Let me know how it turned out...leave a comment!

French Onion (paint?) Soup, revealed

2005-10-29T11:38:00.000-07:00

"Me, vewy vewy happy!" If you read the last post you'll know how excited I was yesterday for my very first culinary class. The "teacher" was Jennifer H., and I enjoyed every single second of learning from her the secrets of this all time favourite, as well as being among "the specialists" and other culinary enthusiasts ( my class mates), and didn't mind at all the fact that we were being watched by the thousands of gourmet paraphernalia hanging here and there around the store (they do have everything you can possibly imagine for a newbie like me its like going to Disneyland... but hey, I couldn't find 2 things I was looking for: a wooden mallot with a longer handle - taller than a pasta pot- and Dende oil.)

After chatting with Jennifer at the end of the class ( you didnt think I was going there just to learn how to make soup, did ya?) I finally realized, after trying so many french onion soup recipes, that the key to this soup is nothing but the BEEF STOCK you make. Dont go lazy and get the boxed/canned stuff, if you wanna try this at home. You gotta get dirty and make the stock yourself. Also, she didn't use brown sugar to brown her onions. I do like it a little sweeter than her version so I will add some. Another thing is, Sherry Brandy in the soup makes it taste like paint ( no, I never tried to drink paint, but the smell and the flavor that stays in your pallate reminded me of when I was painting my laundry room. I dunno why but it took me a minute to realize what kind of taste was that..)....so I would use dry white wine instead...a good one. Jennifer's tip: don't cook with a wine you wouldn't drink.

You want the soup's recipe? Drop me a comment and I'll email it to ya. Gonna try my homemade version of it soon. Thanks Jennifer!

Cheers
Claudia

My first attempt!

2005-10-28T09:15:00.000-07:00

Today I will attend a cooking class at The Chef's Gallery in Stillwater, here in Minnesota. ( www.thechefsgallery.com) It will be my very FIRST attempt to be among other people with the same ( I hope) culinary interests as me! We will learn to prepare my husband's all time favorite: French Onion Soup. We have tried different versions of this soup and have had many romantic dinners where we always order that.....in Sao Paulo (Brazil), in Campos do Jordao (Brazil), in Huntsville (and many other places around Toronto, Canada), and here in Minnesota we haven't tried it yet. Will see!!! I'll come back with the recipe.
(Image © 2005 Land O'Lakes, Inc.)

I 'd wash my hands!

2005-10-27T12:15:00.000-07:00

Last week, I went to visit Le Cordon Bleu Culinary School here in Minnesota. I was drooooling....not over the food ( there was no food!) but over the simple posibility of thinking about the chance of maybe one day, possibly becoming a Chef ( got it?)....

I was then daydreaming of walking into those classroom-kitchens and envisioned myself trying new things and thought how hard I would try to do a fantastic job in learning this art....and I started thinking what whould I do to leave a first impression to my teacher in my first class.......and I thought...well....maybe I'd wash my hands first.......then I started worrying: would he/she be impressed? Surprised? Shocked? What would he/the think of me? Clean? Neat freak? Show-off? I'm dying to find out.....

I left the school happy and sad...happy to know that there are so many people commited in teaching this art, and sad cause I dont see the slight possibility of me paying that much money !! Boo-hoo... But anyway, I'll keep moving forward, and maybe, who knows, another possibility comes my way. I'll keep looking.

C.

About me

2005-07-13T15:09:00.000-07:00

The population of Brazil has a racial mix of native Amerindians, Portuguese, Africans, Italians, Spaniards, Germans, Syrians, Lebanese and Japanese. Claudia Aquino-Tait was born into this rich cultural mix in sunny Rio de Janeiro. She grew up in a family where her mother, aunts, and Italian grandmother enjoyed the art of cooking from scratch. In the 1800's her great-grandfather an Italian immigrant from Calabria, owned a pasta factory in Minas Gerais, a colonial village in the heart of Brazil. Claudia has always loved kitchen work cooking large gourmet meals for her mom's birthday party of 30-40 guests, as well as Christmas dinners, Mother’s days, Easter Sundays...every holiday and party meal was meticulously planned and plated.

Claudia earned her Bachelors Degree in Architecture developing a passion for graphic design, an attention to detail and a good eye for color. After graduation, Claudia was offered a teaching position in the Architecture program at Belas Artes Academy. Knowing she needed more computer and research knowledge to remain competitive, Claudia attended graduate school at Penn State University on a full year scholarship sponsored by Rotary International.

Claudia always wished to bring back her childhood moments with her family through cooking. A self-taught Chef, she is known by her table settings and the way she can put together a meal – not one dinner is ever finished before someone would ask, “How did you make that?” Claudia loves to create something from start to finish, using her artistic sensibilities blending flavors like an artist blends paint on canvas. Claudia loves trying new combinations, techniques and approaches to making food taste great. She has lately begun rediscovering a passion for food after moving with her husband and twin infants north to Canada and the USA, mixing the exotic Brazilian flavors with mainstream North-American tastes when cooking for her own family. While on a maternity break she had the chance to envision her future in the Culinary and Hospitality industry. The final decision to pursue a Culinary degree came when her husband reminded her: “You can be celebrating your 45th birthday as an Architect....or you can have two wonderful careers to choose from.” Claudia opted for having the choice of finally working on her dream career.