YaDa Chef Private and Personal Chefs

By Chess Taylor. What’s that old saying?  “An apple a day keeps the doctor away” , well that might just be more right than you previously thought! Many of us forget that when it comes to a simple snack or healthier lunchtime side the simplest of answers, such as an apple, are usually the best for us. So next time you’re feeling peckish, why not reach for that fruit bowl instead? Before we begin delving too deep into the article’s primary subject of interest, let’s start out with a few fun facts on the apple: The apple is the fruit of an apple tree, which are (not surprisingly) one of the most widely grown fruit trees. There are thousands of different apple varieties, including: Gala, Granny Smith, Pink Lady, Golden Delicious, Fuji and Red Delicious. The apple tree originates from Central Asia. Millions of tonnes of apples are grown each and every year for us to consume. China is the leading producer of apples across the globe. Other top apple producers across the wor

There is nothing in the world like a marshmallow. In the summer you put them on the end of a stick and let  them get all golden and gooey. Who has not had a ‘smores. In the winter time they make that cup of hot cocoa simply divine. It is extremely easy to make these heavenly pillow at home. Nonstick vegetable oil spray 1 cup/250ml cold water, divided 3 1/4 ounce/7g envelopes unflavored gelatin 2 cups/400g table or granulated sugar 2/3 cups/158ml light corn syrup 1/4 teaspoon/2ml salt 2 teaspoons/10ml vanilla extract colored food colouring of your choice (optional) 1/2 cup/78g corn OR potato starch 1/2 cup/65g powdered (icing) sugar Line 13x9x2-inch (33x23x5 cm) metal baking pan with foil. Coat foil lightly with nonstick spray. Pour 1/2 cup/125ml cold water into bowl of stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Sprinkle gelatin over water. Let stand until gelatin softens and absorbs water, at least 15 minutes. Combine sugar, corn syrup, salt, and remaining 1/2 cup/125ml cold w

Do you have fond memories of those favorite cookies that no will make anymore? You probably not only miss them, you also miss the tradition. How about a Family Cookie Party!!!!! You provide two to three recipes (depending on how complex). — Go to the attic and pull out those old family recipes!  We will plan, shop and do ALL the prep aration for your family (or just kids) baking party. The party usually takes less than an hour (kids baking is sometimes closer to two hours). YaDa Chef provides the ingredients and you provide the equipment (we bring oven thermometers to ensure your cookies are baked properly). There will be enough cookies for the party and some to store in the freezer. *** Disclaimer. Often grandma, grandpa, aunt, uncle, mom, dad, will omit an ingredient in “their” recipe to ensure no one else can make it. Please be sure and have the best copy of the recipe available. *** The cost for Cookie Party is $125 with up to five family members. A

2 ripe avocados, peeled (Haas avocados  -- the ones with bumpy skin) 2 tablespoons/30ml fresh lime or lemon juice 2 tablespoons/30ml minced white onion 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced (optional) 1/2 teaspoon/2ml salt Roughly mash the peeled avocados in a bowl. Leave lumps. Stir in the lime or lemon juice. Add all remaining ingredients. Adjust seasonings to taste. Serve at once. If you must refrigerate guacamole, cover it with plastic wrap, placing the wrap directly on the surface. Contact with air will darken the guacamole. Use, however, as quickly as possible. Guacamole heat preferences range from none to plenty. Obviously, the heat depends upon the quantity of jalapeños used. Some chiles are hotter than others, so experiment to determine your favorite proportion of ingredients. Substitute serrano chiles for jalapeños Add 1 small tomato, seeded, pulp removed, chopped Add 2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro Add 1 small clove garlic, minced Add freshly ground black pepper

This is another of my comfort foods, which bring memories of cool fall and spring days by the seaside. If you happen to have access to s ome smoked fish be sure to add it in for an added treat. I saw a version of this by Jennifer Patterson with sauteed greens on the bottom for a meal in a pan. Serves 4 1 pound/450g potatoes, cut into pieces 2 teaspoons/10ml salt 1 pound/450g cod, haddock or any mild white fish 1 1/2 cups/375ml rice milk 2 tablespoons/30g vegan non-hydrogenated vegetable spread 2 tablespoons/30ml rice flour (white or brown) 1 tablespoon/15ml capers, chopped Juice of one lemon 1 teaspoon/5ml sea salt 1/2 teaspoon/2ml black pepper 1/4 teaspoon/1ml freshly grated nutmeg 8 ounces/225g cooked baby (salad) shrimp 2 hard boiled eggs, chopped small handful finely chopped parsley, about ¼ cup/59ml Preheat oven to 350F/176C/GasMark 4 Place potatoes in a saucepan large enough to completely cover them by 3 fingers width. Fill with water, drain and fill

Covered in fuzz and possessing a thick, fibrous spine, pumpkin leaves ar e not all that intuitively edible. They take a little bit of advance preparation before you can use them in recipes. The best description we have seen of this process was written by Laina Poon, a former Peace Corps volunteer in Malawi, where pumpkin leaves are a common ingredient. In her article in Countryside Magazine, she details a simple method: “Holding the leaf upside down by its stem, you see that the stem is hollow. Use your thumbnail to split half or a third of the stem and snap it backward so that the flesh breaks cleanly, but the outer fibers do not. Pull gently, removing the fibers from the outside of the stem and the back of the leaf. Repeat until you have de-strung a good pile, because, like all greens, pumpkin leaves cook down quite a bit.” How to Cook Pumpkin Leaves Once you have de-strung a pile of pumpkin leaves, you can cook them in a variety of ways. In Malawi, they are often simmere