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Made with penne or rigatoni, this recipe becomes a great picnic pasta salad to serve at room temperature. For extra-hearty appetites, add halved bocconcini (small balls of fresh mozzarella), crumbled Feta, or goat cheese. Ingredients Ingredient Checklist ¾ pound spaghetti 1 medium eggplant, cut into 3/4-inch pieces 1 medium onion, cut into 1-inch pieces 1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces 8 cloves garlic ½ cup olive oil kosher salt and black pepper 1 pound cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered if large ¼ cup fresh oregano leaves grated Parmesan, for serving Directions Instructions Checklist Step 1 Heat oven to 450° F. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Reserve ½ cup of the cooking water; drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Step 2 Meanwhile, on 2 rimmed baking sheets, toss the eggplant, onion, bell pepper, and garlic with the oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Roast, rotating the sheets halfway through, until the vegetables are golden brown

It seems that the concept of sitting down to a nightly meal with the family has gone the way of the Model T Ford for many families.  It was not that long ago that the entire family gathered around the kitchen table, with no television on or phones, and ate.  Along with the eating was the oft dreaded family discussion. The kids all shared what had gone on both during school and after.  It was a time to bond with the parents.  Mind you not everything was discussed (no kids always shared everything).  Now it seems that everyone is running in different directions.  All too often if a meal is provided it is from a “fast food” place or take out from somewhere.  The reasons vary.  It has been my unfortunate pleasure to find out that so many of the “parents” find it unnecessary and even worse do not realise the importance of a good nutritious meal.  This will not turn into a soapbox about the apathy and ignorance of much of the general population, instead it will be what it is meant to be: An

Retooling and reworking recipes often takes a toll on anyone.  There are only so many times anyone is able to prepare, cook, then eat a variation of any food without becoming sick and tired of it. With that, we have been working on a simple coffee cake.  It is still in the work-through stages but is pretty good though a little plain to look at.   Making it look pretty is important and our pictures of our testing last night do not do the cake justice.   For the recipe, we opted to used decaffeinated instant coffee.  Mostly because it is what was on hand and since we would be eating the stuff late at night, consuming a lot off regular coffee probably would not be the wisest thing to do. Here is the recipe we have come up with: 1 1/4 cups/156g all purpose flour   1/2 teaspoon/2ml baking powder   pintch of salt   3   large (or extra large if you have them on hand) eggs   1/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks)/58g unsalted sweet butter (softened and at room temperature)   3/4 cup/144g table sugar   1 teasp

Chef Joseph Cooking at Home We created this recipe for Winn-Dixie grand openings some years ago. Along with the tastings, we held cooking demonstrations. Was a lot of fun. Serves 4 1pound/450ml Grilled Chicken (1 3/4-2 cups/402-450ml diced) 2 cups/248g Zucchini/courgette 1/4 inch/6.35mm 3/4 cup/30g Watercress chopped (substitute parsley) 3-4 Scallions chopped 1 cup/92g Green grapes sliced in half 1 tablespoon/15ml Dijon mustard 1/4 teaspoon/1ml Sea salt 1/8 teaspoon/.5ml Black Pepper Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl making sure to coat everything evenly.  *add ½ cup/58g walnuts if desired personal chefs and event catering Miami + Miami Beach + Fort Lauderdale + Palm Beach info@yadachef.com | 954-367-YADA (9232) www.yadachef.com

Today is Cherry Dessert Day. In celebration we are going classic with Cherries Jubilee. Cherries jubilee is a dessert dish made with cherries and liqueur (typi cally Kirschwasser), which is subsequently flambéed, and commonly served as a sauce over vanilla ice cream. The recipe is generally credited to Auguste Escoffier, who prepared the dish for one of   Queen Victoria's Jubilee celebrations, widely thought to be the Diamond Jubilee in 1897 Wash and pit four handfuls (about one pound/450g pitted) the cherries. Put the cherries and 1/2 cup/96g sugar in a large skillet. Peel 2 strips of zest from the lemon in wide strips with a peeler and add to the cherries. Squeeze the juice of half the lemon over the top. Stir to combine evenly. Cover and cook the cherries over medium-low heat until the sugar dissolves, about 4 minutes. Uncover and cook over medium-high until cherries get juicy, about 5 minutes more. To f lambé  the rum: If cooking over a gas flame, pull the pan off

A natural and simple homemade ketchup recipe that kids love. Ketchup is one of the most kid-friendly foods out there, and some kids will eat anything with ketchup on it.  Whip up a batch of ketchup in your kitchen and avoid harmful ingredients.   Serves: 8+ Ingredients 18oz/510g organic tomato paste  ½ cup/125ml apple cider vinegar 1 teaspoon/4ml garlic powder  1 tablespoon/15ml onion powder 2 tablespoons/30ml raw honey  2 tablespoons/30ml molasses 1 teaspoon/5ml Sea Salt 1 teaspoon/5ml dried mustard powder A pinch of each of the following (to taste): Cinnamon, cloves, all-spice, cayenne 1 cup/250ml of water Optional: 1 teaspoon/5ml powdered chia seeds (powder in food processor or blender) for thickness Instructions Put the ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend well. Put in fridge to let flavors meld overnight or at least two hours personal chefs and event catering Miami + Miami Beach + Fort Lauderdale + Palm Beach www.y

Need a Vitamin C boost? Here's a fruity tip: Eating one Kiwi fruit gives you approx. 112 percent of the daily recommended amount of Vitamin C! Here are the benefits of this super fruit: Phytonutrients: Kiwis have phytonutrients, which repair DNA, act as the body’s protection against some cancers, and function as antioxidants. Vitamin C: One serving of kiwi gives the body a boost of Vitamin C, which helps heal wounds, increase iron absorption, and boost the immune system. Fiber: Kiwi is a good source of fiber which has a role in the prevention of constipation and some cancers. Folic Acid: Kiwi provides 10% of the RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) for folic acid, which is important for expectant mothers and works to produce red blood cells. Vitamin E: Kiwi provides 10% RDA for Vitamin E and decreases the risk of heart disease. Who's having some of this superfruit today?

Hamburgers, hotdogs, and sausages are the most common. They are served with the ubiquitous “macaroni or potato salad”, and sometimes baked beans. There are so many options for the grill from chicken on the bone to steaks. Living next to the water we in South Florida do a lot of seafood also.  How do vary your menu? When choosing a fish for the grill you want to pick a firm fleshed fish like tuna, mahi mahi, whole snapper (fillets tend to fall apart) or swordfish. Vegetables are transformed to a new level on the grill. Even your dessert can be grilled. The fruit’s natural sugars caramelise to enhance the flavours. Below you will find an entire meal from entree to dessert.  We have chosen tuna (blackfin) as it is one that prefers our warm coastal waters, but can be replaced with cobia or mahi or one of the other above mentioned fish. The crowning glory are the glazed bananas. Substitute turkey or vegan versions of the bacon if that is your liking. Citrus Marinat

The following article and recipe was written and created by our own Chef Joseph based on a traditional French Pâté. When it comes to warm weather eating, many of us turn to room temperature dishes, chilled dishes or salads.  In most cultures where warm weather dominates you will find just the opposite in both temperature and spiciness or a combination of both.  Personally I believe the perfect warm weather meal is the latter.  A nice cool starter followed by a something hot and spicy finished with something cool.  Why the spicy or hot?  Easy...it makes you sweat. Sweat cools you off.  It is a no brainer.  Sometimes, though, a lighter meal seems right and a pâté is not only elegant, but perfect to be served by itself or with a salad or simple pickled vegetables, cheese and some fruit.  Wrap it all up in a pastry crust ( Pâté en Croûte ) and you elevate it to a whole other level. What is pâté? Many think it is a pureed glob of liver.  Actually it is nothing more than a fancy