YaDa Chef Private and Personal Chefs

  You can reduce cooking time using a pressure cooker. Add all the ingredients except for the cream. Place the lid and bring to full pressure. Lower the heat to stabilize and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and release the pressure. Take off the cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes uncovered then follow the remaining steps. Serves 4 1 pound/450 grams sliced potato 1 pound leeks, rinsed and sliced including the tender part of the green 2 quarts/2 liters water or chicken stock 1 tablespoon/15ml salt 1/4 teaspoon/1ml ground white pepper (optional) 1/4 cup/60ml heavy cream Add the potato, leeks, water or stock and salt to a large pot.  Bring to a boil on hight then turn down heat to medium and simmer partially covered for 30-40 minutes or the vegetables are very tender.  Place the mixture in two (2) batches in the blender or your can sieve through a food mill (smallest disk).  Once pureed pour in the cream. You may season with white pepper if yo...

If you’re looking for more time with family and less time in the kitchen this Thanksgiving, we are here for you! Book your chef for the Thanksgiving holiday.  A few sample menus… Pull out the vintage china! We added a few fresh twists to time-tested staples, from green bean casserole to cranberry sauce, for a meal rooted in nostalgia. Main Course: Herb and Citrus Butter Roasted Turkey Sides: Apple-Walnut Stuffing Maple Meringue Sweet Potato Casserole Green Bean Casserole with Fried Shallots Rosemary-Port Cranberry Sauce Desserts: Chocolate Brown Sugar Butter Cake with Spiced Pumpkin Frosting Salted Caramel Peanut Butter Fudge Pie This spread celebrates the season's bounty with crowd favorites taken up a notch. Main Course: Pear-Thyme Brined Turkey Sides: Buttermilk-Boursin Mashed Potatoes Roasted Acorn Squash with Maple Bacon Drizzle French Green Beans with Garlicky Almond Bread Crumbs Shaved Brussels Sprout-and-Chestnut Salad Des...

A variation on Jacques Pepin’s Normally traditional Irish Soda Bread is made with a mixture of white and whole wheat flour along with baking soda and buttermilk.  When I was experimenting with Gluten free/dairy free recipes I ran across this and thought it made a reasonable facsimile that was easier to recreate as a GFDF recipe than the traditional one. Makes 1 Round Loaf 3 cups/375g AP Gluten Free flour mix 1 1/2 teaspoons guar gum or xantham, agar agar,  (you can try using 1 well beaten Large egg)* 1 1/2 teaspoons/7 ml salt 1 tablespoon/15ml/11.24g baking powder 1 tablespoon/15ml/12.86g baking soda 1 1/2 cups/375 ml Almond or Coconut milk 1 ½ tablespoons/22ml white vinegar 1/2 teaspoon/2 ml canola oil or any neutral oil of your choice Preheat the oven to 425 F/190 C/Gas Mark 5 Reserve 1 teaspoon of the flour, and combine the remaining flour with the salt and baking powder and baking soda in a large bowl. Mix the milk and vinegar in a measurin...

What is Cassis?  It is a town located just east of Marseille in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur.  As a tourist destination it is known for falaises (cliffs) and its many sheltered inlets.  Wine lovers know it for its full bodied, herby white wines produced from Clairette, and Marsanne as well as Doucillon Blanc primarily.  It is also famous for its rose wines, but on this it is overshadowed by its neighbor to the east, Bandol. Say cassis to others and immediately Creme de Cassis comes to mind.  To most it is a sickly sweet, thick deep purple syrup that it only made to mix with champagne for the famous “Kir Royale”.  Even the Kir Royale does not have a wonderful reputation.  It is thought to be the drink of old ladies at Sunday brunches.  What a tragedy this is.  Most of us know only of the imitators, the impostors of the most versatile of liqueurs.  If you are lucky enough to take a trip to France and happen to wander into the Dijon regi...

1 tablespoon/15g butter 2 cloves garlic minced 2 tablespoons/15g flour 2 cups/500ml milk 8 ounces/225g cream cheese 1 cup/120g shredded cheddar 1 teaspoon oregano 1pound/450g elbow macaroni cooked according to directions on the package 2 cups/118g 1/4 cup/45g grated parmigiana Regina cheese 1-2 tablespoons/15-30ml olive oil Pre heat oven to 350F/175C/Gas 4 Melt butter in a saucepan.  Add the garlic and oregano.  Cook for 2-3 minutes and whisk in flour to form the roux.  Slowly add milk stir until smooth add the cream cheese and cheddar, leaving enough to sprinkle on the top.  Stir until cheeses have melted and combined.  Toss the macaroni in the cheese mixture to thoroughly coat.  Add the cheddar reserving a little for the top and place in a buttered casserole dish. Mix together the bread and cheese.  Sprinkle oil over the crumb mixture.  Toss just to coat, but not soak.  Spread crumbs over the top of the macaroni. Cook for 20 ...

This brownie recipe is an adaption of a mid-to-late-19th century brownie or fudge square recipe (it all depends on who you ask). This recipe was written before the invention of baking powder, so no leavening agents are used.. 1/2 cup/115g unsalted butter 1 cup/192g raw granulated sugar 2 large eggs, room temperature 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon/2ml pure Madagascar vanilla extract 6 tablespoons/42g dark chocolate baking (unsweetened) cocoa 2 tablespoons/30ml grapeseed oil 1/2 cup/63g all purpose flour Preheat oven to 350F/176C/Gas 4 Cream butter and sugar well. Add eggs one at a time, stirring well. Add remaining ingredients in order listed, mixing well after adding each. Pour into a generously greased 8 inch by 8 inch/20cm x 20cm glass pan, in a moderate oven, 350 degree fahrenheit, for 20-30 minutes. Cut into squares when cooled. ** You can substitute the raw sugar for regular granulated sugar, regular baking cocoa for the dark chocolate, and vegetable oil for...

Paris Mash is a recipe created by Joel Rubuchón.  Originally it is said the ratio was 1:1, Now it is standard to do a 2:1 potato to butter ratio.  Robuchon potatoes are cooked in lightly salted water with skins on and then drained. the potatoes are then peeled and passed through a food mill .. dried out over a low flame and then emulsified with butter and cream. And, then to achieve that velvety texture, the potatoes are passed several times through a fine drum sieve. Serves 4-6 450g “boiling”potatoes (red potatoes, yukon gold, fingerling) 250g unsaltedbutter 1 1/2 cups/200ml cream 1/2 teaspoon/2ml sea salt 1/2 teaspoon/2ml white pepper Place potatoes in a pot large enough to cover the potatoes by 1 inch/2.5 cm with water. Generously salt water. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce medium low to a simmer potatoes for 25-30 minutes or potatoes are easily pierced with a sharp knife. Once cooked drain potatoes and let cool for a few minutes. While potatoes are coolin...