YaDa Chef Private and Personal Chefs

4 cups/675g blueberries 3/4 cup/144g sugar 1/4 cup/94g all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon/15ml fresh lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon On a lightly floured surface, roll out the Flaky Pie Pastry into two 12 inch/30.5cm rounds 1/8 inch/3mm thick. Fit 1 round into a 9 inch/23cm glass pie plate. Transfer the other round to a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Refrigerate until ready to use. Preheat the oven to 375F/190C/Gas 5 In a bowl, toss the berries with the sugar, flour, lemon juice and cinnamon. Pour the filling into the lined pie plate. Lightly brush the rim of the bottom crust with water and drape the top crust over the filling. Press the dough edges together and trim the overhang to 1/2 inch/1.25cm, fold the overhang under and crimp decoratively. Using a sharp knife, make slash in the center of the top crust to let steam escape. Bake the pie for 1 hour, or until the filling is bubbling and the crust is golden. Transfer to a wire rack to cool before serving.

Filling Ingredients: 1 cup/125g all purpose/regular flour 4 pints/2 liters mixed berries 1 cup/192g granulated sugar 1 teaspoon/5ml cinnamon  1 teaspoon5ml nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon/2ml vanilla extract Topping Ingredients: 1/2 cup/85g toasted hazelnut nut 1 cup/124g granola  1/2 cup/72g brown sugar 1 cup/125g flour  1 cup/230g unsalted butter Toss together filling ingredients. Separately, in a food processor blend the topping ingredients together. Place the filling ingredients in an ungreased baking dish.  Add the blended topping mix on top of the filling. Place in a preheated 350F/175C/Gas 4 oven for 30-40 minutes until golden brown. Serve with fresh plain yogurt or Creme Fraiche. ** To make gluten free, use a standard gluten free flour mixture. ** personal chefs and event catering Miami + Miami Beach + Fort Lauderdale + Palm Beach www.yadachef.com info@yadachef.com | 954-367-YADA (9232)

Essential oils can reduce pain caused by muscle spasms, and pain caused by inflammation in sport injuries. Their medicinal p roperties can also reduce menstrual and joint pain. Since aromatic oils are concentrated, they should never be applied directly on the skin. They are usually dissolved in neutral oils or so-called substrates which also have good effect on the skin. Various types of oil can be used as substrates. Olive oil is usually used as a base for normal and dry skin and sunflower oil for oily skin. You can also use jojoba, coconut or sweet almond oil. These natural plant oils hydrate skin perfectly. Add 10 to 12 drops of your favourite essential oil to the base oil to prepare a mixture you can use later. You can add this mixture in the bathtub you have already filled with hot water or you can just massage any sore spot you have. The best essential oils with analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties are chamomile, sweet marjoram, lavender, eucalyptus, pepp

We would like to share a bit of research we came across recently concerning "Sourdough". What originally caught our  eye was an analysis of laboratory tests. They say that Sourdough contains the greatest amount of protein for it's weight and size of any comparable food. "Hmm" we thought "just how does that come about when it's ingredients are all carbohydrates?" Apparently a wild yeast forms in the fermentation process of the starter. At that stage, a starch food is turned into a protein dynamo food. The History of Sourdough Sourdough is the oldest and most original form of leavened bread. The oldest recorded use of sourdough is from the Ancient Egyptian civilizations. It was probably discovered as most things are by accident. If you simply mix any ground up grain with a liquid such as water or milk and let it sit in the open air at room temperature, wild yeasts in the air will settle in the mix, eat the natural sugars and convert th

Serves 4 as a side 2 as a Main 2 tablespoons/28g butter divided* 1 tablespoon/15ml olive oil ¼ cup shallot, minced 1 clove garlic, minced 1 cup/211g arborio rice 1 cup/250ml white wine 4 ¼ cup/1060ml vegetable stock ⅔ cup/101g frozen peas 1 bunch asparagus cut into ½” pieces ½ teaspoon/2ml salt ¼ teaspoon/1ml black pepper ½ cup/90g romano cheese, grated 1 tablespoon/15ml mint, cut into thin strips 1 tablespoon/15ml lemon juice, about ½ lemon In a heavy pot melt half the butter over medium heat and add olive oil and shallot. In a separate pot heat the stock to medium. Sweat shallot for about 2 minutes then add garlic 30 seconds. Add rice and cook, stirring regularly for 2 minutes. Add white wine and stir until the rice has absorbed.  Start adding stock a 1 cup at a time until absorbed about 5 minutes. Making sure to stir every couple of minutes. When risotto is almost done (still a firm bite). Stir in asparagus for 3 minutes then add peas. Kee

Written by Carol Bareuther Quail Eggs aren’t the easiest ingredient to find when cruising the Bahamian Out Islands of the Exumas. This dilemma didn’t daunt chef Joseph Yacino, who satisfied his client’s hankering by having the eggs added to a seaplane deliery. Likewise, when a couple wanted to entertain friends aboard their yacht while watching the 2013 America’s Cup in San Francisco, they called personal chef Dane Mechlin. His culinary experience in the yachting world spans from working as a chef on a private luxury vessel in Alaska to provisioning a superyacht for a Saudi prince docked in San Diego, Mechlin provided the meal soup to nuts. These stories might sound like episodes of  Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous ; however, you don’t need to be a movie star or multi-millionaire to benefit from a professional chef. In fact, two common trends — a time-starved lifestyle and plethora of eating styles — can make these services extremely valuable and even affordable to an

While eating healthy for good skin is a known fact, did you know that your hair can also reap the benefits? Shampoos and conditioners c an do only so much — what you eat is even more important. Experts say that the nutrients you consume help fortify your hair follicles as well as your scalp. Here are some foods that are known to do wonders for your tresses... 1. Salmon - Packed with vitamin D and protein, which make your hair stronger, the omega-3 fatty acids found in  salmon  help your body grow hair. Other sources of essential fatty acids include sardines, trout, avocado and pumpkin seeds. 2. Walnuts -  Walnuts  have good amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, biotin and vitamin E, that help protect your cells from DNA damage. And since your hair is rarely covered, walnuts are great protection. Very little biotin leads to hair loss. Walnuts also contain copper, which helps you keep your natural hair color rich. 3. Spinach -  Spinach  contains iron, beta carotene, folate an