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Showing posts from October, 2017

NATIONAL CHOCOLATE DAY

National Chocolate Day is observed annually on October 28.  While there are many specific chocolate related holidays throughout the year, National Chocolate Day celebrates all things chocolate.  As America’s favorite flavor, chocolate is well deserving of its own day of honor and celebration.  (Some sources designate July 7 or December 28 as Chocolate Day or International Chocolate Day.) How is chocolate made? Chocolate comes from the seed of the tropical Theobroma cacao tree.  Cacao, which has been cultivated for at least three millennia, is grown in Mexico, Central America and Northern South America.  The earliest known documentation of using cacao seeds is from around 1100 BC.  The cacao tree seeds have a very intense, bitter taste that must be fermented to develop the flavor. Once the seeds have been fermented, the beans are dried, cleaned and roasted.  After roasting, the shell is removed to produce cacao nibs.  The cacao nibs are then ground into cocoa mass, which is p

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 of ice to

Holy Mackerel—it's Good and Good for YOU -- Packed with nutrition and good taste

When we think of fish to eat rarely does this “heavenly” fish come to mind. It has rather gone out of style. Truth be told the mackerel is one of the fish that is LOADED with the “good fats”, Omega 3 and the coenzyme Q10. It is not as trendy or pretty as many fish, but even the tinned/canned version is loaded with nutrition and has a multitude of health benefits. Mackerel is also known as maccarello. The slim torpedo shaped fish is found in deep warm tropical waters. It is rich in essential oils, vitamins and minerals. Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids occur in high quantities. It contains vitamins A, B6, B12, C, D, E and K, not to mention minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium, sodium and selenium. Anti-Carcinogenic Mackerel can help you fight and prevent cancer by reducing the amount of agents that cause cancer in your cells, primarily in the breast, colon and prostate areas. Coenzyme Q10 helps to eliminate cancerous agents from afflicted cells. T

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 Pal

Reese's Bats Are The Perfect Halloween Snack Absolutely batty!

These Reese's bats check all the boxes: delicious, adorable and super easy. Not to mention they're a total blast to make with kids! You only need four ingredients: mini Reese's, Oreos, peanut butter, and candy eyes. To start, separate the Oreo cookies from the cream. (What you do with the cream is entirely up to you.) Next, slice them in half. There may be some casualties as Oreos can be a bit crumbly, I suggest using a serrated paring knife. Next, attach them to your Reese's with a dab of peanut butter. Apply the same peanut butter method for the eyes and you've got your bats! see the video private chefs and event catering Miami + Miami Beach + Fort Lauderdale + Palm Beach info@yadachef.com | 954-367-YADA (9232) www.yadachef.com fort lauderdale catering and personal chefs

Roasted Eggplant / Egg Plant / Ratatouille Crisp Recipe (Pasta with Eggplant Caponate and Feta Cheese)

Serves 4 1 pound/450g rigatoni 1 small eggplant, peeled 1 red bell peppers, seeded ½ red onion, peeled 1 garlic cloves, minced 1 ½ tablespoon/22ml olive oil 1 teaspoon/5ml sea salt ½ teaspoon/2ml freshly ground black pepper ½ tablespoon/7ml tomato paste 1 tablespoon/15ml red wine vinegar 2 cups feta cheese, crumbled Preheat the oven to 400F/204C/Gas Mark 6 Cut the eggplant, bell pepper, and onion into 1-inch cubes. Toss them in a large bowl with the garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread them on a baking sheet. Roast for 25 minutes, until the vegetables are lightly browned and soft, tossing once during cooking. Place the vegetables in a food processor fitted with a steel blade, add the tomato paste and vinegar, and pulse 3 or 4 times to blend. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain reserving 1 cup of cooking liquid.  Toss pasta with caponate.  Loosen with water if necessary.  Serve and top with c

Polish Cucumbers / Polish Mizeria Recipe

These are another of the dishes that transport me to my Grandparents house on the pond in summer. Mizeria means “misery ” in Polish . It is said it is because this was a peasant dish originally. I use burpless or marketmore, but you can use English/seedless. Serves 4 2 Cucumbers, washed and thinly sliced 1/2 cup/125ml/60g sour cream, creme fraiche or mayo (sub 1/2 mayo) 1/2 teaspoon/2ml salt 1/2 teaspoon/2mil ground black pepper 1/2 tablespoon/7ml chopped fresh dill 2 spring onions or 3-4 chives, thinly sliced (optional) In a medium sized bowl mix sour cream, salt, pepper, dill and onions. Gently fold in the cucumbers to evenly coat. Let sit at room temperature for 30-60 minutes. The “sauce” will become more runny as the salt draws liquid from the cucumbers. Place in the refrigerator to chill or eat at room temperature. private chefs and event catering Palm Beach + Boca Raton + Fort Lauderdale + Miami Beach info@yadachef.com | 954-367-YADA (9232) 561-285-7466 www.ya

Cassoulet Recipe

Temperatures are dropping and it is getting cooler) this traditional dish will be sure to please everyone (Vegetarians excluded) Cassoulet is a tradit ional rich bean and meat stew from the Languedoc region in sout west France. Three towns in particular claim to be the birthplace and to make the best versions. They are Toulouse, Castelnaudary, and Carcassonne. Each one prepares the dish slightly differently. In Castelnaudary they use haricots (white beans) with fresh pork, knuckle, ham, pork sausage and rind. When in Toulouse your stew will come with confit (preserved) duck or goose and in Carcassonne they add chunks of mutton. Making a confit of duck or goose is time consuming. You can by them in some upscale shops. In my version I use more easily found “everyday” foods. This is afterall a peasant dish. A cut up chicken (smoked or un-smoked both work) replaces the confit and kielbasa replaces the strong garlic sausages. This still makes a fantastic one pot meal that fills the h

Creamy Candy Corn Jello Cups Recipe for Halloween

If you are looking for an easy Halloween project for the kids this ye ar then you will definitely want to make these creamy candy corn Jello cups. They look like candy corn, even get dressed up like candy corn but does not taste like it at all … which is especially nice for folks that really do not care for the candy corn flavor. It looks like pudding but these yellow, orange and white desserts are actually made out of Jello and an extra ingredient to give them a more solid color and creamy flavor. Creamy Candy Corn Jello Cups Recipe Ingredients: 1 small box orange flavored gelatin (JELLO) 1 small box lemon flavored gelatin (JELLO) 2½ cups water, divided in half 1 cup milk, divided in half 1 large tub non-dairy whipped cream 6 ­ 9 oz clear plastic cups handful of candy corn Instructions: 1. In a small pot bring half the water to a boil and remove from heat. 2. Whisk the lemon gelatin powder into the water for 1 minute and set aside to cool for 10 minutes. 3. Wh

The History of the Yorkshire Pudding and Vintage Recipe

The history of the Yorkshire pudding is shrouded in mystery, the national dish of Roast Beef and Yorkshire Puddings is recognized across the world but its origins are virtually unknown. Answer: The origin of the Yorkshire pudding is, as yet, unknown. There are no cave drawings, hieroglyphics and so far, no-one has unearthed a Roman Yorkshire pudding dish buried beneath the streets of York. The puddings may have been brought to these shores by any of the invading armies across the centuries but unfortunately any evidence of this has yet to be discovered. The first ever recorded recipe appears in a book, The Whole Duty of a Woman in 1737 and listed as A Dripping Pudding - the dripping coming from spit-roast meat. 'Make a good batter as for pancakes ; put in a hot toss-pan over the fire with a bit of butter to fry the bottom a little then put the pan and butter under a shoulder of mutton , instead of a dripping pan, keeping frequently shaking it by the handle and it