Cooking Therapy a la Cupcake Wars

An upcoming cooking therapy job will require us to replicate the show, Cupcake Wars. Now the research begins. We've never heard of the show so now to see how we will incorporate the key elements of it for the kids we will be working with the middle of the month. Thank goodness for YouTube!

Jacques Pepin's Flatbread Recipe

I saw Chef Pepin make this on one of his shows, and thought, that is almost like the bread I used to make when I lived on the Beach in St. Augustine Florida and I had no yeast. I called it a cheat pizza dough, and I added tons of granulated garlic. Serves 6 1 1⁄2 cups/188g regular all purpose flour 1 cup/250ml water 1⁄4 teaspoon/2ml baking powder 1⁄4 teaspoon/2ml salt 2 tablespoons/30ml olive oil 2 tablespoons/30ml water Dump everything (except the 2 tablespoons water) into a bowl and "stir it into a gooey stuff" as Jacques says. The dough will indeed be very wet, gooey, sticky. Stir in any optional ingredients. Heat a non-stick 10" / 25.4 cm skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Pour about a tablespoon of olive oil into the pan and then pour in the dough. Spread into one flat layer with a spoon or spatula. (A little oil on the spoon or spatula helps keep the dough from sticking to it.) Add remaining water around the outside of the dough where it meets the pan; the o...

11 Best Types of Fish to Eat

Fish is a healthy, high-protein food that has a rightful place in a well-balanced diet. Fish is especially important for its omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential “good” fats that humans don’t produce on their own. Research has demonstrated that omega-3 fatty acids play an essential role in brain and heart health. Specifically, they have been shown to decrease inflammation, reduce the risk of heart disease , and be beneficial for pre- and post-natal development . The American Heart Association recommends eating fish, particularly fatty fish like salmon, lake trout, sardines, and albacore tuna, which are high in omega-3s, at least two times a week. There are minor risks associated with eating fish, however, because of potential contaminants from waste, like mercury and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Children and pregnant women should be especially cognizant of these risks. The United States Food and Drug Association says these groups sh...

Pasta with Smoked White Fish, Tomatoes and Garlic Recipe

This recipe was originally written for smoked white fish. Our clients wanted fresh salmon so we roasted some salmon fillets. You get the recipe 2 ways Serves 4-5 1pound/450g linguine OR penne pasta 6 tablespoons/90ml olive oil 3 large shallots, finely chopped (about 3/4 cup/180ml ) 1 1/2 tablespoons/22ml finely chopped garlic 1 1/2 pounds/675g cherry tomatoes, halved (about 24 tomatoes) large handful fresh parsley, finely chopped r 3/4 teaspoon/4ml dried crushed red pepper (Optional) *18 ounces/510g smoked whitefish (chunks),* skinned, boned, coarsely flaked (original) or *18 ounces/510g fresh salmon fillets skinned olive oil to drizzle salt and pepper Preheat oven to 400F/200C/Gas 6 On a lined baking sheet place the salmon fillets. Drizzle with olive oil and season both sides with salt and pepper. Place in preheated oven and bake for 10-15 minutes, making sure you can flake the fish, but it is still slightly undercook...

Scalloped Potatoes Recipe / Potato Gratine

Sometimes the classics are the way to go. If you intolerant of dairy there are many alternatives, the easiest one is LACTOSE free products, or vegan substitut ions. This is a favourite of mine with wonderful childhood memories of Sunday Roasts. 2 tablespoons/30ml olive oil 2 tablespoons/30g butter 2 pounds/900g yellow or red (waxy) potatoes, sliced thinly 1 teaspoon/5ml sea salt ½ teaspoon/2ml white pepper 8 ounces/225g grated swiss cheese 1 ¼ cups/310ml heavy cream Pre-heat oven to 300F/149C/Gas Mark 2 Pour olive oil in 10 x 7 inch (28 x 18 cm) baking dish. Stack single layers of potatoes, seasoning each layer with salt and pepper, dotting with butter and sprinkling with cheese. The last layers should be butter and cheese. On the stove top, bring the cream to a simmer. Pour cream over the potatoes. Place the potatoes in the oven and bake uncovered for 1 to 1 ½ hours. The potatoes will be easily pierced with a fork and the top browned. private chefs and event catering...

British Fish Pie Recipe

This is another of my comfort foods, which bring memories of cool fall and spring days by the seaside. If you happen to have access to s ome smoked fish be sure to add it in for an added treat. I saw a version of this by Jennifer Patterson with sauteed greens on the bottom for a meal in a pan. Serves 4 1 pound/450g potatoes, cut into pieces 2 teaspoons/10ml salt 1 pound/450g cod, haddock or any mild white fish 1 1/2 cups/375ml rice milk 2 tablespoons/30g vegan non-hydrogenated vegetable spread 2 tablespoons/30ml rice flour (white or brown) 1 tablespoon/15ml capers, chopped Juice of one lemon 1 teaspoon/5ml sea salt 1/2 teaspoon/2ml black pepper 1/4 teaspoon/1ml freshly grated nutmeg 8 ounces/225g cooked baby (salad) shrimp 2 hard boiled eggs, chopped small handful finely chopped parsley, about ¼ cup/59ml Preheat oven to 350F/176C/GasMark 4 Place potatoes in a saucepan large enough to completely cover them by 3 fingers width. Fill with water, drain and fill ...

What Happened On This Day – August 8

1988 Uprising in Myanmar Begins The pro-democracy uprising began as a student protest in Burma’s capital city, Yangon. Hundreds and thousands protesters came out on the streets to protest against the one-party rule by General Ne Win. The protests lasted for over a month and were violently put down by the government. They ended after the State Peace and Development Council, a group of senior military officers took over the government in a coup and installed a military junta. The uprisings get their name from the date the protests began - August 8, 1988. 1974 Nixon Announces His Resignation The 37th President of the United States, Richard Nixon’s resignation came as a response to the Watergate Scandal. The scandal erupted after it was revealed that the Nixon government was involved in the cover-up of a break-in of the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate Complex. The revelations prompted the Congress to initiate impeachment proceedings against Nix...

January 11th is National Hot Toddy Day

The first cocktail party was held for 50 house guests in St. Louis in 1917. The house still stands today….as the residence of the Archbishop. While Prohibition resulted in a decline in alcohol it also resulted in a dramatic increase in crime as money flowed to the bad guys. Crime rose as high as 500% in some countries. Consequently, government costs soared while tax revenue declined. Calling an illegal bar a ‘speakeasy’ came from a lady barkeep who would warn her customers to “speak easy, boy, speak easy” whenever they became loud enough to attract police. A greater crime was what it did to the cocktail. Prior to Prohibition, America was enjoying its first golden age of mixology. Once liquor became illegal, ‘rum runners” brought it in by boat but watered down their blends so they could ship less and make more. At the same time, gin and vodka replaced rum and whiskey as cocktail ingredients because they didn’t require as much aging a...

Kudos in the Kitchen - Tech Tips to Up Your Cooking Game

Whether you're a recent college grad learning to cook for the first time, an amateur chef looking to improve your skills, or just a busy parent hoping to make dinnertime a little bit easier, you're in luck: thanks to the internet, learning new skills and recipes for cooking has become simpler than ever. If the sheer amount of information out there has become daunting, however, let this post presented by YaDa Chef's Miami and Fort Lauderdale Personal Chefs help with a few of our favorite tips and tricks for bringing out the master chef in all of us. Cover the Basics Take advantage of the myriad resources online for learning all the basic cooking methods, from baking and broiling to marinades and meringues. You can find tutorial videos for specific skills, or you can consider signing up for something like MasterClass and learning from renowned chefs like Thomas Keller, Gordon Ramsay, and Massimo Bottura. Either way, you'll learn the basic terms and methods that are...

Poached Cucumbers Stuffed with Lump Crab Meat Recipe

We tried this with slices, but they tended to become “slippery”. It made for messy service. Makes 16 pieces 2 English cucumbers 4 ounces/115g lump crab meat 2 tablespoons/30ml mayonnaise ½ tablespoon/7ml ketchup 6 small orange segments, cut in half 1 tablespoon/15ml fresh tarragon, minced ¼ teaspoon/1ml pepper ½ teaspoon/2ml salt 1 teaspoon/5ml Dijon mustard 2 teaspoons/10ml red wine or sherry vinegar 2 tablespoons/30ml extra virgin olive oil Optional: Edible Flowers, for garnish Bring 1 quart of water to boil in a medium sauce pot with 1 tablespoon/15ml salt. Trim the ends from each cucumber, then cut into 16, 1 inch/2.5cm pieces. Make sure the pieces have a flat bottom to sit evenly on a tray. Create a cavity for the filling by scooping out 3/4 of the center of each cucumber piece with a small melon baller. Drop the cucumber pieces into the boiling water. While they are cooking, prepare a large bowl of water with equal amounts o...

YaDa Chef Private and Personal Chefs

Search This Blog