YaDa Chef Private and Personal Chefs

Botanical name: Beta vulgaris Grown in the Mediterranean region as far back as 2,000 B.C., beet cultivation spread to Babylonia in the eighth century, then to China around 850 A.D. Beets, along with their greens, belong to the Goosefoot family, known as Chenopodiaceae. Within the botanical family, beet greens are factored alongside spinach, Swiss chard, quinoa, lamb's quarter, and a number of other wild plants, which means that beet greens can be placed in the “dark, leafy” category. Because they are a cool season crop, beets grow quickly and can survive almost freezing temperatures, making them a favorite of northern gardeners. Beets and their greens also enjoy a longer than normal growing season. It’s best to use beet greens within two or three days after refrigeration. Enjoy beet greens by themselves as a salad or with other leafy vegetables, or sauté them in a bit of olive oil or balsamic vinegar and salt for a delicious side dish. Here’s a great tip: if you find you

German Chocolate Cak e is an American creation that contains the key ingredients of sweet baking chocolate, coconut, and pecans. This cake was not brought to the American Midwest by German immigrants. The cake took its name from an American with the last name of "German." In most recipes and products today, the apostrophe and the "s" have been dropped, thus giving the false hint as for the chocolate's origin. 1852 - Sam German (1802-1888) created the mild dark baking chocolate bar for Baker's Chocolate Company in 1852. The company named the chocolate in his honor - "Baker's German's Sweet Chocolate." 1957 -The first published recipe for German's chocolate cake showed up in a Dallas Morning Star newspaper on June 13, 1957 as Recipe of the Day. The recipe came from a Texas homemaker, Mrs. George Calay. The cake quickly gained popularity and its recipe together with the mouth-watering photos were spread all over the country. Americ

It was not until I was an adult that the realisation came to me that most people bought their sausage from a grocery store.  All of our sausages both of the Italian andPolish varieties were made by the local butcher. Every time I have this simmering it brings me back to my childhood. Oddly enough this was always a big favourite even in the heat of summer. Serves 6-8 1 pound/450g kielbasa, cut into 1-2 inch/2.5-5cm pieces 1 large onion, diced (about 1 cup/225ml) 1 medium head cabbage, roughly chopped (2) 28 ounce/794g cans diced tomatoes 2 pounds/900g (4) baking potatoes, cut in 1 inch/2.5cm pieces 1 teaspoon/5ml salt (optional) 1 teaspoon/5ml black pepper 2 teaspoon/10ml caraway seeds (optional) 1 bay leaf 1-2 quarts/1-2 liters water/chicken or vegetable broth (enough to come just below top of ingredients) Combine kielbasa, onion, cabbage, tomatoes, potatoes, salt, pepper, caraway seeds bay leaf and water in a large sauce/stock pan.  Simmer ingredients o

With Spring just a couple of weeks away we thought we would get a jump on the celebrations.  This is quick and easy hors d’oeuvres, a great starter or even a light lunch.  We used a classic pate brisee  recipe for the crust but use what ever you are comfortable with. We did not include the dough recipe as we have shared it numerous times. 1 tablespoon/15ml olive oil 2 fresh garlic cloves, minced 1  medium shallot, minced 2 small tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced 1 pound/450g fresh asparagus spears, trimmed and blanched and cut into one inch/2.5cm pieces 2 tablespoons/30ml capers 1 ½ tablespoons/22ml dry sherry Preheat a medium sized skillet  on medium heat until hot to the touch Add the olive oil, and heat for a 20-30 seconds Add the garlic, shallot, tomatoes, asparagus, and capers Cook for 3-4 minutes.  Add the sherry and cook for one minute Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper to taste Place mixture into precooked basil tartlet* and serve

Roast Pheasant Recipe Most game is delicious on its own.  Nothing is added by smothering or drowning it in sauces or strong flavours.  Classics are classic for a reason.  Bacon, juniper berries, onion, leeks, cabbage and even sauerkraut seem to work best with most game. Pheasant is still hunted with good results.  If you are not likely to head into the woods, process and “hang” one yourself, and most are not, find yourself a reputable butcher that keeps a variety of game in stock.  Free range birds are an excellent choice and much less work.  Be prepared game birds in the USA unlike in most countries are a bit expensive and therefore a treat, but we all deserve treats.  Pheasants have a surprising amount of meat.  A 4-5 pound/1.8-2.2kg bird will easily serve 4-6 people. Serves 4-6 1 onion cut into quarters 1 stalk celery cut into quarters 2 carrots sliced in half vertically and horizontally 1 4-5 pound/1.8-2.2kg pheasant 1 tablespoon/15ml YaDa Maya Natural Sea Sal

Using Julia Child's recipe from The French Chef in muffin tins and look how cute they are, like little children all dressed up and ready to go...my little bebe baba! We followed Julia's recipe exactly except for the fact that we cognac instead of rum.  Recipe From: The French Chef by Julia Child Ingredient (dough) 11/2 cups/187g all purpose flour measured by the scoop and scrape method 1 tablespoon/15ml sugar 1/8 teaspoon/.5ml salt 2 1/4 teaspoons/11ml yeast 3 tablespoons/15ml water lukewarm 2 large eggs 1/4 cup butter/57.4g (half a stick) melted and cooled to tepid Directions (dough)  Mix the yeast, sugar, and water, stir and dissolve. Let it “prove or proof” for 4-5 minutes Place the rest of dry ingredients in the mixer, make a well and add the yeast mixture in the center. With the dough hook on your mixer set to # 2 start to mix, adding the eggs and butter as you do. It will be sticky but after 1 minute - if it doesn't start to form a sloppy b

  It is the time of the year that many of our clients are eating more fish. This is an adaption of a dish I grew up with. Fresh poached and flaked tuna replace the canned version. The dried "Italian Blend" herbs and powdered garlic are substituted with fresh mint and garlic. Canned tomatoes have been left in, but feel free to use your own tomato concasse (skinned and seeded) diced tomatoes. Whole cherry tomatoes would be fantastic too. Mint you are saying to yourself, really? Pazzo cuoco unico! This is not dessert. This is pasta. Basil goes with pasta. Everyone knows that even those not brought up in a household with Italian heritage. The mint brings an unexpected freshness and "pop" to the dish. As usual I would not finish this with cheese as it is a fish dish. A drizzle of good olive oil and if anything dried breadcrumbs. As always this is quick, easy Good and Good for You! serves 4-6 1 pound/450g Penne Pasta (4) 5 ounce/145g tuna fillets 1/4 cup

It is tough to find good snacks for kids in this day and age of highly processed, fast foods. Here are some healthy ideas for snacks...all organic of course. These ideas are great for adults too!  Need a little extra boost at the office between meetings and meals?  Here are a few solutions. Apple Slices and Peanut Butter  (try adding a bit of organic maple syrup to the peanut butter and microwaving for an extra special treat) Fruit Slices and Soy Cream Cheese  (a tub of vegan soy cream cheese (at room temperature) with 1/4 cup undiluted apple juice or orange juice concentrate and a dash of cinnamon. Stir vigorously until smooth. Serve with apple and pear slices, strawberries, and banana chunks for dipping. Whole Wheat Zucchini Muffins Tortilla Chips sprinkled with Cheese  (or cheese alternative) Fruit Skewers  (simply cut any fresh fruit in season into bite-sized chunks and alternate on wooden or bamboo skewers with grapes) Dried fruits  (such as organic raisins, dates, apr

If you are looking for a heart-healthy eating plan, the Mediterranean-styled diet might be right for you. A Mediterranean diet incorporates the basics of healthy eating — plus a splash of flavorful olive oil and perhaps a glass of red wine — among other components characterizing the traditional cooking style of countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea. Most healthy diets include fruits, vegetables, fish and whole grains, and limit unhealthy fats. While these parts of a healthy diet remain tried-and-true, subtle variations or differences in proportions of certain foods may make a difference in your risk of heart disease. Benefits of the Mediterranean-Styled diet Research has shown that the traditional Mediterranean diet reduces the risk of heart disease. In fact, a recent analysis of more than 1.5 million healthy adults demonstrated that following a Mediterranean diet was associated with a reduced risk of overall and cardiovascular mortality,  a reduced incidence of cancer a

It seems that St. Patrick’s Day is the only real celebration most people think of when it comes to the month of March.  Being of one half Italian heritage, another important day in March is The Feast of St. Joseph.  St. Joseph is known as the the patron saint of the worker and the poor throughout  Italy, and the fava bean, or broad bean, has the story of being the savior of a nation, that of Sicily.  Yes, Sicily is part of Italy, but that debate will not be waged in this article. As the story goes, there had been a horrible drought in Sicily.  All of the crops died. The fields looked like deserts in a sea of dust. After much praying to St. Joseph, there was one crop that survived and indeed thrived.  It was the fava bean, which is why it is now commonly called “the lucky bean.”  An added bonus is the nutritional value.  They are very low on the Glycemic Index, and in saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium. Favas are also a good source of fiber, protein, phosphorus, copper and mangane