YaDa Chef Private and Personal Chefs

Serves 4 4 oz/115g mushrooms, sliced 2 carrots, sliced 4 shallots, chopped 2 tbsp/30ml butter, divided 2 tbsp/30ml olive oil, divided 4 chicken breast or thigh/leg combination, skinned bone in ½ tsp/2ml sea salt ¼ tsp/ml black pepper 1 cup/250ml tarragon vinegar 2 sprigs fresh tarragon 3 tbsp/45ml heavy cream ( 250ml cream and let reduce by 1/2 for a looser more subtle sauce) Heat a large skillet over medium heat.  Add ½ of the butter and oil. When butter melts  add mushrooms, carrots and shallots. Cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes. Remove the vegetables from the pan. Add the remaining butter and olive oil. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.  Add the chicken to the pan. Cook on both sides for 2 - 3 minutes, browning them. Return the vegetables to the pan. Pour in the vinegar and tarragon. Cover and simmer on low-medium heat for 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked. Remove chicken and vegetables to a serving dish. Raise the heat t

By  Fred Eckhardt If you inquire of the average beer geek about the differences between ale and lager, you will probably be told that ale is brewed with  top -fermenting yeast ( Saccharomyces cerevisiae ) and lager with  bottom -fermenting yeast ( Saccharomyces uvarum ). End of conversation. But there’s much more to tell. First of all, ale and lager are both beers; that is, they are fermented from grain. The major difference between these two beer families stems from the  temperature  at which fermentation is carried out. And the importance of these differences in temperature is that chemical reactions happen more slowly at lower temperatures. The science of chemical change tells us that for each increase of 18 degrees Fahrenheit/10 degrees Celsius, the speed of chemical change is doubled; a similar decrease, and the speed of change is halved.  But  when the temperature goes above 104 degrees F/40 degrees C, or falls below 58 degrees F/15 degrees C, most yeast w

Summer is upon us and nothing quite beats the heat like a bright, refreshing and effervescent adult beverage. Originally called a Shandygaff, the Shandy has been around in Europe for several centuries. Originating in England, the Shandy is also very popular in Germany and Austria, where it is known as a Radler. The original Shandy recipe is a mixture of beer and lemonade, but the term now represents a category of drinks consisting of beer mixed with citrus-flavored soda, carbonated lemonade, ginger beer, ginger ale or cider. Although a typical Shandy mixes lemonade and beer in a 50/50 proportion, I chose to prepare this particular Shandy more like a cocktail. The base of the recipe is a concentrated blend of lemon juice, agave nectar and muddled blackberries—one of my favorite berries, which are in season right now (yay!). The mix is shaken and double strained over ice to remove any seeds, then topped off with a crisp lager or pilsner, like Pabst Blue Ribbon.

Hot (Spicy) Vegetable Chow Mein Recipe serves 4 10 ounces/285 g Chow Mein Egg Noodles 1 tablespoon/15 ml sesame oil 1 tablespoon/15 ml canola oil 1 medium onion, thinly sliced 2 cloves garlic, sliced 2 tablespoons/30 ml grated or minced ginger 1 stalk celery, sliced 1 large carrot, sliced 8 ounces/225 g snow peas 8 ounces/225 g baby bella mushrooms, sliced 1 cup/123 grams mung bean sprouts 3 tablespoons/45 ml braggs liquid aminos 1/4 cup/60 ml rice wine vinegar 1 teaspoon/5 ml sugar 1 tablespoon/15 ml sesame oil Juice of one lime 1 teaspoon/5 ml red pepper flakes Bring a large pot of water to boil and salt it generously.  Add noodles and cook for 4-5 minutes. Drain the noodles. In a large wok or skillet heat the canola oil over medium high heat. Add onions and garlic, cook for 2 minutes or the onions start to soften and turn translucent.  Add the celery and carrots. Toss to combine. Cook for 1 minute. Add the snow peas

Serves 4 (12 rolls) ½ cup/115g cream cheese, softened 1 ½ teaspoons/7ml fresh dill chopped ½ teaspoon/2ml fresh lemon juice 1 seedless cucumber 1 ounce/30g smoked salmon, roughly chopped ½ teaspoon/2ml sea salt ½ teaspoon/2ml black pepper 3 or 4 chives, divided, half minced, half cut into 12 pieces for garnish  In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese, dill, lemon juice, and minced chives. Cut 12 very thin slices lengthwise with a vegetable peeler or mandolin down the length of the cucumber. Spread about 1 teaspoon/5ml cream cheese mixture down the center of each cucumber slice. Evenly sprinkle chopped salmon over the cream cheese. Roll up. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Garnish with chives. personal chefs and event catering Miami + Miami Beach + Fort Lauderdale + Palm Beach info@yadachef.com | 954-367-YADA (9232) www.yadachef.com fort lauderdale catering and personal chef

Ingredients Kosher salt 1/2 pound medium shell pasta 1 cup chopped cooked steak 1 cup diced green bell pepper 1 cup chopped blanched green beans 1/2 cup crumbled cooked bacon 1/4 cup mayonnaise 1/4 cup sour cream 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1/4 teaspoon finely grated garlic 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese Freshly ground pepper Directions Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook as the label directs; drain and rinse under cold water. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the steak, bell pepper, green beans and bacon to the bowl with the pasta. Make the dressing: Mix the mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice, garlic, Parmesan , and salt and pepper to taste in a bowl. Pour over the pasta salad and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Chill for up to 3 hours. FoodNetwork personal chefs and event catering Miami + Miami Beach + Fort Lauderdale + Palm Beach info@yadachef.com | 954-367-YADA (9232)

Celebrating the 4th of July We were under the impression as many of you probably are that that the Fourth of July is a national holiday .  In the United States there is no such thing as a national holiday ; a national holiday would be a holiday that is observed in all fifty states. There is much conflicting information and truthfully I am still confused. The President and Congress can only legally establish an “official” holiday for its “federal” employees and the District of Columbia.   Independence Day is a Federal Holiday.  Do we not just take for granted it always was? We just accept it for what it is without knowing how it came about. What is surprising is how much federal legislation was passed to get the Fourth of July recognized as a federal holiday. 1870 – Senator Hannibal Hamlin introduced a Senate Bill titled “Legal Holidays in the District”? This bill was designed to establish the Fourth of July as a holiday for federal employees and the District of Colum