YaDa Chef Private and Personal Chefs

There is nothing in the world like a marshmallow. In the summer you put them on the end of a stick and let  them get all golden and gooey. Who has not had a ‘smores. In the winter time they make that cup of hot cocoa simply divine. It is extremely easy to make these heavenly pillow at home. Nonstick vegetable oil spray 1 cup/250ml cold water, divided 3 1/4 ounce/7g envelopes unflavored gelatin 2 cups/400g table or granulated sugar 2/3 cups/158ml light corn syrup 1/4 teaspoon/2ml salt 2 teaspoons/10ml vanilla extract colored food colouring of your choice (optional) 1/2 cup/78g corn OR potato starch 1/2 cup/65g powdered (icing) sugar Line 13x9x2-inch (33x23x5 cm) metal baking pan with foil. Coat foil lightly with nonstick spray. Pour 1/2 cup/125ml cold water into bowl of stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Sprinkle gelatin over water. Let stand until gelatin softens and absorbs water, at least 15 minutes. Combine sugar, corn syrup, salt, and remaining 1/2 cup/125ml cold w

Do you have fond memories of those favorite cookies that no will make anymore? You probably not only miss them, you also miss the tradition. How about a Family Cookie Party!!!!! You provide two to three recipes (depending on how complex). — Go to the attic and pull out those old family recipes!  We will plan, shop and do ALL the prep aration for your family (or just kids) baking party. The party usually takes less than an hour (kids baking is sometimes closer to two hours). YaDa Chef provides the ingredients and you provide the equipment (we bring oven thermometers to ensure your cookies are baked properly). There will be enough cookies for the party and some to store in the freezer. *** Disclaimer. Often grandma, grandpa, aunt, uncle, mom, dad, will omit an ingredient in “their” recipe to ensure no one else can make it. Please be sure and have the best copy of the recipe available. *** The cost for Cookie Party is $125 with up to five family members. A

2 ripe avocados, peeled (Haas avocados  -- the ones with bumpy skin) 2 tablespoons/30ml fresh lime or lemon juice 2 tablespoons/30ml minced white onion 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced (optional) 1/2 teaspoon/2ml salt Roughly mash the peeled avocados in a bowl. Leave lumps. Stir in the lime or lemon juice. Add all remaining ingredients. Adjust seasonings to taste. Serve at once. If you must refrigerate guacamole, cover it with plastic wrap, placing the wrap directly on the surface. Contact with air will darken the guacamole. Use, however, as quickly as possible. Guacamole heat preferences range from none to plenty. Obviously, the heat depends upon the quantity of jalapeños used. Some chiles are hotter than others, so experiment to determine your favorite proportion of ingredients. Substitute serrano chiles for jalapeños Add 1 small tomato, seeded, pulp removed, chopped Add 2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro Add 1 small clove garlic, minced Add freshly ground black pepper

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

Covered in fuzz and possessing a thick, fibrous spine, pumpkin leaves ar e not all that intuitively edible. They take a little bit of advance preparation before you can use them in recipes. The best description we have seen of this process was written by Laina Poon, a former Peace Corps volunteer in Malawi, where pumpkin leaves are a common ingredient. In her article in Countryside Magazine, she details a simple method: “Holding the leaf upside down by its stem, you see that the stem is hollow. Use your thumbnail to split half or a third of the stem and snap it backward so that the flesh breaks cleanly, but the outer fibers do not. Pull gently, removing the fibers from the outside of the stem and the back of the leaf. Repeat until you have de-strung a good pile, because, like all greens, pumpkin leaves cook down quite a bit.” How to Cook Pumpkin Leaves Once you have de-strung a pile of pumpkin leaves, you can cook them in a variety of ways. In Malawi, they are often simmere

Turns out, Nov. 13 is National Indian Pudding Day. It sneaked up on you again, didn't it? You can't be blamed. Indian puddi ng is virtually unknown outside of New England, and even there it's tricky to find. But this enduring New England dessert may actually deserve a day of its own. The origins of this food holiday are obscure but the dish itself is unquestionably all-American. The "Indian" in Indian pudding, Wall explains, refers to Native American cornmeal. The original pudding was likely just cornmeal, milk and molasses, steamed or boiled for a very long time. She calls it one of the country's first truly American recipes. Like much of traditional New England cooking, Indian pudding was quite plain. It fell out of favor, though it never disappeared entirely. Some places, like the historic Wayside Inn in Sudbury Mass., find that though the dish can be a hard sell to the uninitiated, it's still a favorite with locals. Longfellow's Ways

Say anchovies and hot peppers, I get  excited. Combine that with pasta and top it with breadcrumbs? Are you kidding? I am in heaven and just wandering the streets Palermo, Catania, or Messina.   serves 4 1 pound/450g spaghetti 15-20 anchovies in oil, drained, cut into pieces 1 teaspoon/5ml anchovy oil 1 onion, diced 2-3 garlic cloves, minced 1/4 tsp/1ml hot pepper flakes handful parsley, chopped 4 piece GF bread toasted and ground into crumbs Cook pasta al dente according to package directions. Drain reserving 1 cup cooking liquid. Place a large skillet over medium heat. Add anchovy oil, when hot add onion and saute for 2-3 minutes or golden brown. Add garlic, red pepper flakes and anchovies. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Add drained pasta and parsley to the pan tossing to coat and evenly distribute contents. Add water to loosen up sauce. Cook for 1-2 minutes and serve topped with bread crumbs. private chefs and event catering Palm Beach + Boca Raton + Fort Lauderdale

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 should avoid eating fish with t

In the early part of the 20th century, most of the foil produced was, in fact, made of tin. It was used in packaging—cigarette packs were lined with it and chewing gum sticks were wrapped in it—and also for wrapping leftover food. The problem was, it gave whatever it touched a distinctive “tinny” taste, just like foods left too long in a tin can.  Tin foil had other uses, too. It was also used as a recording medium for a time (Thomas Edison’s famous 1877 recitation of “Mary Had a Little Lamb” was on tin), but because the recordings didn’t last very long, manufacturers switched to wax cylinders. In 1926, the U.S. Foil Company (the parent company of Reynolds Metals) introduced aluminum foil. It was an immediate hit. The material was lightweight, non-corrosive, and less expensive than other foils to produce, since it could be rolled much thinner and the yield per roll was much higher. One of the first commercially available products available pre-wrapped in aluminum