YaDa Chef Private and Personal Chefs

Your guide to never making bland tofu again. JOSLYN BLAIR Most proteins—like chicken, steak, and pork—are delicious even when they're seasoned simply with salt and pepper. Too bad you can't say the same about tofu. Sure, the soy protein is good for you, but often times it tastes that way: boringly bland. The good news is that you can turn it into a food you actually want to eat with these tips. JOSLYN BLAIR You've gotta drain it. Most tofu comes packed in water, so the number one thing you always need to do is drain the block as much as possible. A water-logged block of tofu won't absorb a marinade or get crispy in a frying pan. To drain it, slice the block and place the slices in a single layer on a paper towel-lined baking sheet. Top tofu with more paper towels and then a heavy object (a cast-iron skillet, cookbooks). Let sit at least one hour, preferably two. (Tip: If you know you want tofu for dinner, let it drain in the fridge

5-ingredient no churn vegan chocolate ice cream that has all the creaminess, flavor and richness of the real thing! Naturally sweetened, vegan and gluten free. INGREDIENTS (2) 14 ounce/400g cans coconut cream OR full fat coconut milk, chilled overnight in the fridge 2/3 cup/74g unsweetened cocoa or cacao powder powder 14-16 ounces/400-450g pitted dates (if not sticky and moist, soak in warm water for 10 minutes then drain) 1 teaspoon/5ml pure vanilla extract 1/2 cup/125ml unsweetened almond milk OPTIONAL ADD-INs 1 ounce/30g espresso, cooled 1/2 teaspoon/2ml cinnamon Cacao nibs Place a large mixing bowl in the freezer to chill for 10 minutes. In the meantime, add moist, pitted dates to a food processor and process until small bits remain. Then add hot water a little at a time until it forms a thick paste. Set aside. Without tipping the cans, scoop out the coconut cream from the cans of coconut cream OR coconut milk, reserving the clear liquid for other uses. Pla

At a cost of thousands of dollars per pound, truffles are an expensive food. The fungi are prized for their distinctive aroma, and many foods claim truffles or their aromas as ingredients. But some of these foods may actually contain a much less pricey synthetic truffle compound. To help detect food fraud, researchers report in  Analytical Chemistry that they have developed a technique that discriminates between these natural and synthetic compounds. White truffles ( Tuber magnatum  Pico) are the most valuable species of the fungus, and researchers have previously identified bis(methylthio)methane as the key compound responsible for white truffle aroma. Synthetic bis(methylthio)methane, produced from petrochemicals, has been approved by the World Health Organization as a food additive, yet some foods made with this cheaper compound may still command a premium price if consumers believe that they contain authentic white truffles. Current methods cannot reliably discriminate

We had a yearning for some pumpkin, but didn't want dessert.  In North America, pumpkin is equated with sweet pumpkin custard pie. The rest of the world pumpkin is usually used as a savory vegetable. One of my favourite television/radio/magazine/cookbook cooks, Jennifer Paterson, once said "Never let an American near a pumpkin is my advice. Terrible things they do. Pumpkin pie!.. which they all seem to adore. Sweet pappy sludge, covered in cinnamon"  As of late even here in the colonies many different things are being done with pumpkin.  A good thing is if you can not get a fresh pumpkin the stuff in the cans works well. Usually they are 100% puree of pumpkin, nothing added. serves 4-6 1/2  pound/225g of potatoes (anything but waxy potatoes works for this baking/russet/idaho) 1/2 pound/225g pumpkin 1 cup/160g GF flour plus extra for the board to knead  (I used Bob’s Red Mill GF All Purpose Mix)* 1/8 teaspoon/.5ml ground mace 1 teaspoon/5ml kosher s

The survey found that while Floridians are getting prepared earlier, the majority of residents still say they wouldn't leave their homes unless a Category 3 storm or greater came their way. (Spectrum News image) By Fallon Silcox Storm Season 2018 has arrived.  AAA: More Floridians prepping early for hurricane season Survey conducted in May Read the AAA survey Storm Season 2018 And plenty of Bay area residents are already prepared.  Taking notes from last year's busy hurricane season, it appears people are taking heed and prepping early.  AAA conducted a survey last month and concluded that 81 percent of Floridians are already preparing and the number one reason is becuase of the recent active hurricane seasons.  That is a 23 percent increase from 2016. The survey found that while Floridians are getting prepared earlier, the majority of residents still say they wouldn't leave their homes unless a Category 3 storm or greater came their way.  Offic

Gut bacteria thrive on the food we eat. In turn, they provide essential nutrients that keep us healthy, repel pathogens and even help guide our immune responses. Understanding how and why some bacterial strains we ingest can successfully take up residence in the large intestine, while others are quickly evicted, could help scientists learn how to manipulate the makeup of thousands of bacterial species there in ways that enhance our health or help fend off disease. But the sheer complexity of gut ecology has hampered this task. Now, researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine working with laboratory mice have shown that it's possible to favor the engraftment of one bacterial strain over others by manipulating the mice's diet. The researchers also have shown it's possible to control how much a bacterium grows in the intestine by calibrating the amount of a specific carbohydrate in each mouse's water or food. "We're all endowed with a m

The term "sustainable seafood" can mean many things. We trekked to Alaska—a leading frontier of the sustainable movement—to learn more. Laura Schober   Nov 1, 2017 Seafood from Alaska is sustainably harvested and loaded with good-for-you nutrition including protein, vitamin D, omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin B12. Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI) It was just a few months ago that I was on the deck of a fishing boat, bundled up in my raingear and rubber boots, casting for longline halibut off the rocky waters of Alaska. A paltry seven fish and one weary, seasick reporter later, we called it a day.  What was exhausting for me that day is simply business as usual for fishermen and women around the world. Fisherwomen such as Claire Neaton and Emma Teal Laukitis. The two sisters, based out of Homer, Alaska, are part of a small but committed set of businesses committed to carrying on their family’s legacy of sustainable fishing. “What we’ve gro