YaDa Chef Private and Personal Chefs

Celebrating the 4th of July We were under the impression as many of you probably are that that the Fourth of July is a national holiday .  In the United States there is no such thing as a national holiday ; a national holiday would be a holiday that is observed in all fifty states. There is much conflicting information and truthfully I am still confused. The President and Congress can only legally establish an “official” holiday for its “federal” employees and the District of Columbia.   Independence Day is a Federal Holiday.  Do we not just take for granted it always was? We just accept it for what it is without knowing how it came about. What is surprising is how much federal legislation was passed to get the Fourth of July recognized as a federal holiday. 1870 – Senator Hannibal Hamlin introduced a Senate Bill titled “Legal Holidays in the District”? This bill was designed to establish the Fourth of July as a holiday for federal employees and the Dis...

Turn the idea of a traditional cupcake upside down with this clever recipe. After savoring these meatloaf cupcakes with mashed potato "icing," you may never make meatloaf the same way again. Ingredients 2 eggs, beaten 2 pounds/900g (at least 80%) ground beef or turkey 1 cup/225ml/120g panko crispy bread crumbs 1 small red onion, finely chopped 1 tablespoon/15ml coarsely chopped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped     2/3  cup/160ml/164g ketchup 2 teaspoons/10ml Worcestershire sauce Salt and pepper Mashed Potatoes 6 large potatoes, peeled, cubed 1/4 cup /57g herb butter 1/4  to 1/2 cup/60-125ml milk Salt and pepper 1 Heat oven to 350F/180C/Gas 4. Spray 18 regular-size muffin cups with cooking spray. 2 In large bowl, mix Meatloaf ingredients until well combined. Divide mixture evenly among muffin cups, pressing mixture down firmly. ...

Photo credit: Alina Vilchenko Nature has an amazing way of helping us, in spite of ourselves. We set out to build homes that we feel are lovely. We furnish them with stylish furniture, soothing lighting, and artwork. We entertain our guests, giving little thought to their health. But, what if by inviting someone for a visit actually makes them feel rested, relaxed, and clear. This is a possibility. For many years, experts have known that plants take in carbon monoxide and put off oxygen. This is good to know since people take in oxygen and put off carbon monoxide.  This process is called photosynthesis. Of course, there is much more to plants than that. Some plants are more efficient than others at this process and plants have other properties and uses.  Let us give you a few examples. Lavender Photo credit: Annie Spratt:   If you are looking for a plant that de-stresses your house, you should start with Lavender. Growing Lavender is a wonderful ex...

These are a great starter or the recipe can be doubled to  serve with a salad for a delicious lunch. Omit the capers and add in 5-6 good quality anchovies and Boom even more delicious Serves 4 4 medium sized tomatoes 1 large onion, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, minced 12 black or green olives, pitted and diced 2 tablespoons/30mls olive oil 4 tablespoons/30g panko crumbs or day old bread pulverized (sub GF crumbs) 2 tablespoons/30ml fresh oregano, chopped (sub 1 teaspoon/5ml dried) 3 tablespoons/15ml chopped parsley 1 tablespoon/15ml mint,chopped 1 1/2 tablespoons/22ml capers, chopped (sub 6 anchovies, minced into paste) Preheat oven to 325F/160C/Gas3 Trim about 1.25cm/1/2 inch off bottom of the tomato.  Remove and discard the ribs and seeds of the tomatoes. Lightly salt the insides and place upside down on paper/kitchen towels to drain.  Save the piece you cut off to use as a cap. In a saute pan on medium heat add 1 tablespoon/1tml o...

It seems that more and more restaurants are either adding micro brews or expanding the “beer lists” to include pretty exotic beverages.  Usually when you think of pairing a beverage with food you think of wine. Spicy wines are often served with spicy foods, sweet wines with sweets.  Sometimes you want a bit of a contrast to bring out the certain characteristics of both the food and the wine such as a good rose` with subtle fruit or a Gewurztraminer that is slightly sweet to tame the flames.   The same can be said about pairing beer and food, heavy food/heavy beer, light food/light (not “lite” beer.  Use the same rules as with wine, but as I always say rules are meant to be broken. Beer may actually be more food-friendly than wine is. There is certainly more room for flavor variety. Winemakers, after all, have one ingredient to play with: grapes. Two, if you count wood barrel–aging. Beer makers can experiment with barley (which adds sweetness), hops...