YaDa Chef Private and Personal Chefs

This is a quick version of the French Classic. If using a more tender cut such as filet or sirloin tip, you can cut the cooking time in half. Remember the tougher cuts will give your soups and stews more flavour. Serves 4 2 - 2 1/2 pounds/900-1350g beef chuck, cut into 1 inch/2.5cm pieces 1 tablespoon 15ml olive oil 4 pieces thick cut bacon cut into 1/4 inch/6mm pieces (substitute turkey bacon) 1/2 cup/118ml cornstarch 1/2 teaspoon/2ml salt 1/2 teaspoon/2ml pepper 1 pound/450g carrots, sliced on the diagonal in 1 inch/2.5cm pieces 2 yellow onions cut into 1 inch/2/5cm pieces or 8 ounce/225g pearl onions 1 pound/450g button mushrooms or baby bellas 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 cup/125ml cognac or brandy 1 1/2 cups/375ml dry red wine 1 cup/250ml beef stock 1 tablespoon/15ml tomato paste 1/2 teaspoon/2ml dry thyme or 1 teaspoon/5ml fresh 2-4 tablespoons/30-60ml unsalted butter 2-4 tablespoons/30-60ml potato flour Heat olive oil in heavy bott

Restaurants frequently serve oversized meals, not only in the United States but also in many other countries, according to a study conducted by an international team of researchers and supported by FAPESP -- São Paulo Research Foundation. Published in the  British Medical Journal , the study weighed and measured the energy content of meals served by restaurants in Brazil, China, Finland, Ghana and India. The results showed that 94% of the most popular main dishes served in sit-down restaurants and 72% of those purchased over the counter from fast food outlets contained more than 600 kilocalories (kcal), the benchmark recently recommended by the United Kingdom's National Health Service (NHS) to help reduce the global obesity epidemic. The researchers found a significant correlation between meal weight and energy content. They concluded that some popular meals were both far larger and more caloric than necessary. Examples include Brazil's traditional rice, beans,

Olives are staples of the Mediterranean diet, which has been linked to a reduced incidence of cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer's disease and other conditions. However, freshly picked olives are very bitter and require curing or processing to make them palatable, using lots of water and, sometimes, harsh chemicals. Now, researchers have found a more environmentally friendly way to remove bitter phenolic compounds from olives. They report their results in ACS'  Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry . The bitter taste of phenolic compounds such as oleuropein and ligstroside may help protect olives from herbivores and pathogens. To make olives edible, commercial processors typically destroy these compounds by soaking the fruit in a dilute lye solution, followed by washing several times. However, this process consumes large amounts of water and produces toxic wastewater. Alyson Mitchell and Rebecca Johnson wanted to develop a more environmentally sustainable method

ABC "Colossal Creations" author Wendy Kou shares her recipes on "Good Morning America." Chocolate chip stuffed Nutella + peanut butter stripes Yield: 2 colossal cookies. Ingredients: 16 oz (454 g) refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough  1/4 cup (60 ml) Nutella 1/4 cup (60 ml) peanut butter 1/2 cup chocolate chips (Use Ghirardelli Chocolate Chips 60% Cacao Baking Chips because the chocolate chips are larger.)  6 tablespoons Valentine’s sprinkles ABC "Colossal Creations" author Wendy Kou shares her recipes on "Good Morning America." Directions: Allow the cookie dough to come to room temperature, so it is easier to work with. To assemble the cookie dough, line a jelly roll pan with parchment paper and use this as your work area for the assembly. Split the chocolate chip cookie dough into four equal parts and roll each part into a ball. Then, use the palms of your hands to flatten each one into a circle 5½ inches (14

Rachel Matthews Do you cry when California Avocado season is over because you wish you could have delicious California Avocados year round? Of course you do! I’m here to make your day, because this post is all about freezing avocados so that you can enjoy delicious California Avocado guacamole, avocado toast, avocado hummus and more all year round! Freezing avocados is really easy to do, and I’m going to show you two different ways to freeze avocados today so that you can enjoy your favorite Avocado recipes all year round! The first method for freezing avocados involves freezing the avocado halves. HOW TO FREEZE AVOCADO HALVES Slice the avocado in half, peel and seed. Brush the avocado halves with a bit of lemon juice and wrap them tightly in a clingy plastic wrap**. Don’t leave any room for air – this means the plastic wrap should cling into the curve where the seed was. Place the plastic wrapped avocado halves into a large freezer safe zip tight bag. Once you have

Lindsay D. Mattison It's time to say goodbye to waste! Extend the life of your fruits and vegetables (and save some money) with these crisper drawer tips and tricks. What the drawer’s really for Do you actually know how to use the crisper drawer in the refrigerator, or do you find yourself cramming produce in there in a mad dash to unload the groceries? The crisper drawer may have remained a mystery for many years, we now know it’s a fruit and vegetable lifesaver. Getting the most out of your refrigerator’s crisper drawer can significantly extend the life of your fruits and vegetables. That not only saves you money on groceries, but it also makes sure that your food tastes super fresh, too. It’s time to stop storing your food wrong and learn the right way to use those crisper drawers. Learn more about  how you’ve been organizing your fridge all wrong . It’s all about airflow The crisper drawer extends the life of your fruits and vegetables by controlling the

An old classic, serve this duchess potatoes recipe at your next dinner party Preparation Notes: 30min, plus cooling and chilling Cooking Notes: about 50min Ingredients 800 g  Desiree potatoes, peeled and cut into even 4cm (1 1/2in) chunks 25 g  (1oz) unsalted butter 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg 1/8 tsp ground white pepper 50 ml  (2 fl oz) double cream 2 tbsp.  milk 1  large egg yolk Directions In a large pan, cover potatoes with cold, salted water. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer gently for 30min until completely tender and a knife can be inserted with no resistance. Drain (reserving pan) into a colander and set aside to steam dry. Press potatoes through a ricer into the reserved pan or mash until smooth. With a handheld electric whisk, beat in the butter, nutmeg, pepper, cream, milk, yolk and plenty of salt until smooth. Line two large baking sheets with baking parchment. Spoon potato mixture into a piping bag

Adapted from a  Paula Deen recipe 1 loaf French bread 6 large eggs 2 cups half-and-half 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg Dash salt Topping: 1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter 1 cup packed light brown sugar 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg 1 cup chopped pecans (optional) First, make the topping: Melt the butter in a pan and add the brown sugar and spices. Use a whisk to combine. (If you’re having a hard time with it, let it sit for a few moments. Once it cools, it’ll be easier to mix.) Then add pecans, if you’re adding those. Pour the sauce into a medium-size rectangular casserole dish, making sure it spreads to all four corners. Then cut the bread up in 1/2-inch size slices (about 20 or so), and spread them out over the casserole. In a bowl, beat the eggs with the cream and the spices. Then pour over the bread, again making sure to cover completely and reach every corner. Cover with foil and refrigerate over