Author and Master Chef Jacques Pépin and his daughter Claudine show us their family French recipe of fromage fort, meaning “strong cheese” in English. This creative appetizer utilizes all of the random small pieces of cheese that you may have stashed in your fridge! Use camembert, swiss cheese, goat cheese, brie, or whatever you happen to have available. Combined with white wine, garlic, and pepper, the end result is a warm cheese blend that may be served on baguette toast or crackers for a heavenly appetizer or snack.
1/2 pound cheese pieces
1 garlic clove
1/4 cup dry white wine
Black pepper
Salt
Put 1/2 pound of cheese pieces in the bowl of a food processor, add 1 garlic clove, about 1/4 cup of dry white wine and a big grinding of black pepper. Salt is usually not needed, but taste the mixture and add some if it is. Process for about 30 seconds, until the mixture is creamy but not too soft, and then pack it into small containers. The fromage fort is now ready to use. You may serve it cold or spread on bread and broiled for a few minutes. Broiling will brown the cheese and make it wonderfully fragrant.
October is past the mid month point and you haven’t yet had your dose of pumpkin trivia! Let’s fix that!
Pumpkins are considered a superfood, meaning they have high levels of antioxidant flavonoids and micronutrients, most notably vitamins A, C, potassium, and fiber. Pumpkin seeds are a great source of Omega 3 fatty acids, which contribute to healthy brain function according to recent research from UCLA. Enjoy that fact while munching on your pepitas!
The amber pumpkin flowers are also an edible food, and considered a delicacy in many cultures. I found a few interesting pumpkin flower recipes! The first one is a Bengali dish, Kumro Phool Bhaja which translates to “Pumpkin Flower Fry”, you can see a recipe here. Sopa Mexicana De Flor De Calabaza is a traditional Mexican dish that translates to “pumpkin flower soup” and a recipe from Miguel Angel Castillo can be found here.
Pumpkin seed oil is a viscous, nutty, dark green nutrient packed oil made from roasted pumpkin seeds. It is traditionally used in the Styrian region of Austria as a salad dressing ingredient combined with apple cider vinegar.
Our pumpkin tribute today is concluded with a video by Chef Matteo Carboni from the Academia Barilla Culinary School in Italy, and he prepares penne with a pumpkin and bacon sauce, garnished with balsamic vinegar and parmesan cheese.
Penne pasta with pumpkin sauce
Chef Matteo Carboni
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 lb pumpkin
3 oz smoked pancetta (or bacon)
Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
parsley to taste
rosemary to taste
garlic
few drops of Academia Barilla Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena, aged 12 years
½ onion
extra virgin olive oil
1 lb penne rigate
Peel and remove the seeds from the pumpkin.
Cut into cubes of about 0.5 inch each side.
Place the rest of the pumpkin, the onion, and a little salt in a pan and cover with water until it boils.
When the vegetable is cooked, whip until you obtain a cream.
First cut the smoked bacon into pieces of about 0.2 inch in length and then cut in Julienne style.
Mince the rosemary, garlic and parsley.
Put a pan on medium heat, add a drop of oil and fry the smoked bacon.
Remove the smoked bacon from the pan, add the pumpkin and cook, adding salt and pepper to taste.
Add garlic, rosemary and the bacon to the pumpkin and after 2 minutes of cooking, add the pumpkin cream. In plenty of salted boiling water cook the pasta, drain and add with the previously prepared sauce.
Add the Parmesan grated, plate the pasta and drizzle with Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena before serving.
A frittata is an Italian omelet, which, unlike a traditional omelet, is is served open rather than folded, and is typically started on the stovetop and finished in the broiler. Filled with meats, cheese, or vegetables, frittatas are an excellent avenue for leftover food. In Naples, Italy, frittatas (not surprisingly) typically also contain pasta.
It is thought by devoted food historians that the frittata has origins predating the omelet, and may have gained popularity in Italy during the observation of Lent. Traditional Italian frittata fillings include fontina cheese, garlic, nutmeg, italian sausage or ham, and sweet peppers. The American frittata craze is noted to have began in 1952, when the New York Times published the first frittata English language recipe.
Frittata’s are perfect for using random leftovers when your food stock is slim, and make an excellent impromtu meal.
In this video clip, owner and executive Chef Jay DeLong of Canape Specialty Chef Services in Seattle prepares a hearty cheese and veggie frittata recipe for a perfect anytime entree.
Chef Becky Troelstra of Sliced Tomatoes in Vancouver, prepares an wild salmon from British Columbia with a cranberry compote. A compote is simply fresh or dried fruit simmered with sugar to a syrupy consistency. Becky pairs the entree with roasted acorn squash and a fresh garden salad, and the end result is a very healthy and warm autumn meal.
Ingredients:
For the squash, acorn squash, diced onion, diced garlic, olive oil, coarse salt, pepper
For the entree, wild sockeye salmon,half of a sliced orange, the juice and zest of the rest of the orange, white wine, cloves, a bayleaf
For the compote: dried cranberries, brown sugar, orange juice
For the salad, organic spring greens, toasted almonds, tomato, cucumber
For the dressing, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, dijon, salt, pepper
Truly, I think these two are the most adorable couple I have ever seen in a kitchen together, and this may be the sexiest cooking video ever!
Striking beauty and actress Debi Mazar, is well known as her role in the film GoodFellas, and currently stars in the series Entourage on HBO.
Tall and handsome Italian chef Gabriele Corcos is her husband, and together they are Under The Tuscan Gun, preparing delicious authentic Italian food together with an undeniable passion.
In this video, Gabriele and Debi prepare Melanzane alla Parmigiana, otherwise known as Eggplant Parmesan, a dish they recommend you cook “not to impress”, but for someone you love.
Just start to watch the video and I promise you’ll be hooked!
Visit their site here for more love, italian kisses, and the complete written recipe.
Napoletana Pizza, from Naples, Italy, is traditionally cooked in a wood fired oven with a well cured oak. And the Italians take their pizza seriously! There is actually an Italian association of strict requirements found here, that pizza makers must comply with to label their pizza as “Napoletana”.
Although there is no doubt that the association would disapprove, Italian Chef Gino D’Acampo prepares a simpler oven cooked version of Napoletana pizza in this video. It’s worth watching just to see his hand gestures!
Although winter squash can be purchased year round in markets, now is the peak squash season for most of us with gardens. When harvesting winter squash, look for heavy squash with a skin that is glossy and free from cuts or soft spots. Most winter squash (with the exceptions being acorn, dumpling, and delicata) will benefit from a curing stage, which is simply a room temperature storage for ten to twenty days.
Winter squash is high in vitamins A, C, potassium and fiber, as well as the antioxidant lutein.
(As with pumpkin, the seeds of most winter squash can be roasted for an excellent snack! Known as Pepitas in Mexico, you can make these by rinsing the pulp from the squash or pumpkin seeds and allowing them to dry. Add butter or oil to a skillet on medium low heat, add the seeds, chopped chipotles or chipotle powder, and a dash of brown sugar, and stir frequently for about 5 minutes until the seeds puff. Serve with salt and a squeeze of fresh lime. )
Now onto the recipe! Chef Keith Snow from Harvest Eating shows you how to make a hearty butternut squash soup using apples, chicken stock, fresh nutmeg, celery, and onions, garnished with chopped chives.
Chef Snow does have a full written recipe for butternut squash soup on his site which you can view here, which is slightly different from the video recipe.
We’ve transcribed the video recipe instructions as follows:
Butternut Squash Soup
1/2 diced onion
1 small diced apple
1 stalk of celery chopped
2 cups of water
fresh nutmeg, one pinch
raw butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1 garlic clove chopped
(optional: 1 tbs fresh ginger grated)
organic heavy whipping cream 1/2 cup
2 cups of organic chicken broth
3 tbsp of organic butter
chopped chives for garnish
salt
pepper
Melt butter in a saucepan, add the chopped celery, onion, garlic, ginger if desired (optional), salt, and pepper. Sweat this mixture over medium low heat while stirring for approximately 5 minutes. Add the diced apple and squash, water, and chicken stock. Simmer the mixture for 20 minutes until the squash is softened. Add the cream and a pinch of nutmeg, taste and adjust the salt and pepper as needed. Use a stick blender, and blend until smooth. Ladle into bowls, and add a dollop of chopped chives for garnish.
Chef Gino D’Acampo is from Napoli, Italy, and began his education at Luigi de Medici Catering College at the age of thirteen! From there he continued his culinary skills in many restaurants in Europe, including Perignon in Nice and as Head Chef at Sylvester Stallone’s Mambo King in Marbella. Currently, Gino is Gino the owner of a leading supplier of Italian ingredients to the UK food industry, Bontà Italia Ltd, and now manufacturing his own pasta sauces and olive oils. Gino is also a celebrity chef who stars regularly on BBC’s Ready, Steady Cook, ITV1’s Daily and Saturday Cooks as well as celebrity food contest Soapstar and Superchef. As if this were not enough, Gino has also published an Italian recipe book titled Fantastico, which won the respectable award of “Gourmet Italian book of the year”.
In this video Gino prepares a tasty treat of goat cheese, mozzarella, and basil stuffed roasted tomatoes.
Cheese Stuffed Roasted Tomatoes
Chef Gino D’Acampo
Serves 6
Ingredients
6 beef tomatoes
2 tablespoons of crushed walnuts
180g goat’s cheese, without the rind and crumbled
150g Galbani Mini Mozzarella
6 thick slices of white bread
2 tablespoons freshly chopped basil
Salt and pepper to taste
Using a sharp knife, cut a thin slice from the bottom of each tomato and discard then cut the top of each tomato and reserve. Using a teaspoon, carefully scoop out the seeds and most of the pulp and discard, keeping the tomato shells whole.
In a bowl, mix together the mozzarella, walnuts, goat’s cheese and basil. Season with salt and pepper and spoon into the tomato shells. (3 mini mozzarella balls per tomato).
With the help of an 8cm round pastry cutter, stamp out 6 rounds from the bread slices and toast on both sides. When ready, place the bread in a single layer in a lightly oiled ovenproof dish. Place the tomatoes on top of each toasted piece of bread and cook in the middle of a preheated oven at 190º (375°F, gas mark 5) for approximately 15-20 minutes until the cheese mixture looks melted and golden. (Make sure that the tomatoes are not too soft).
Serve immediately and drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil on top.
Chef Jake Linzinmeir is Chef/owner of several restaurants in the beautiful ski town of Telluride, Colorado. Jake graduated from Cornell and has studied extensively in Italy, and recently has been featured in numerous Today Show episodes, as well as Bon Appetite. He currently is the featured chef for Amstel Light’s “Living Tastefully” campaign. In this video, rising celebrity Jake shows us how to make a classic comfort food, shepherd’s pie.
This recipe yields 6 large restaurant servings – the recipe has been halved and can easily be doubled for large groups or leftovers!
Ski Country Shepherd’s Pie Dark Beer Lamb Stew Ingredients:
2 pounds American Lamb, 1/2-inch dice
1 tablespoons vegetable oil or olive oil
11/2 large carrots, diced
1/4 large bunch celery, chopped
1 pounds pearl onions, whole
3 cups dark beer
1/2 cup tomato paste
5 cups lamb stock
6 1/2 cups chicken stock
21/2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
1/8 cup fresh thyme, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Ski Country Shepherd’s Pie Colorado Ranch Potatoes Ingredients:
3 Yukon gold potatoes, rinsed, drained, shredded
4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
2 1/2 ounces cream of chicken soup
2 ounces crème fraiche or sour cream
Salt and pepper to taste
Corn flakes as needed
2 1/2 ounces butter
Instructions for the Lamb:
In large pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat.
Add the lamb and brown, stirring occasionally. Remove lamb and drain.
Add the carrots, celery and onions to the pan; sauté until onions are translucent.
Deglaze the pan with the dark beer.
Stir in the tomato paste, bring to a slow boil.
Add the lamb stock, chicken stock, rosemary, thyme, salt, pepper and sugar.
Reduce the heat and simmer, reducing liquid by one-third.
For potatoes:
In bowl mix the potatoes with the cheese, soup, crème fraiche, salt and pepper.
Spread into a 2″ hotel half pan or casserole dish.
Cover with layer of corn flakes and dot with butter.
Bake 35 to 45 minutes at 325ºF.
Cool or reserve warm if using immediately.
To assemble the Shepherd’s Pie:
Heat stew to desired temperature, place in oven-proof bowl.
Cut portion of potatoes to cover dish and place over stew. Put back in oven or place under broiler to warm.
Serve when ready.
As the nights are getting cooler, we’ve decided it’s time for a soup recipe category!
Here we start off the fall season with Chef and owner of Chinese Mirch restaurant in NYC, Vik Lulla. In this video he makes a coconut infused shrimp soup with rice noodles and cilantro, a broth that not only tastes exotic and delicious but it also smells wonderfully fragrant. This soup is a fusion of Indian and Chinese cuisine, and is brought to us from Real Meals Tv.
Recipe adapted from the video:
Coconut Infused Shrimp and Noodle Soup
Via Chef Vik Lulla
Ingredients:
Lemon
Thin rice noodles
4 Sprigs of Cilantro
2-3 Large Shrimp, butterflied with tails removed
¼ tsp. Coriander Powder
¼ tsp. Curry Powder
12 oz. Fish Stock
½ cup Coconut milk
¾ oz. White Vinegar
1. Add the stock to a very hot wok (or sauté pan).
2. As it begins to simmer, add the rice noodles and the shrimp.
3. Allow the shrimp to begin to curl into themselves. Add the cilantro,
breaking it roughly just before dropping it in.
4. Add both the coriander and curry powder.
5. Pour in the coconut milk and simmer the whole broth for 1-2
minutes.
6. Add white vinegar and a squeeze of lemon to taste.
7. Garnish with cilantro, fried shallots and a lemon wedge
Watch as Chef Tony Catarinicchia, chef and owner of Gian Tony’s restaurant in St Louis, prepares Scallops in a cognac, mushroom, and scallion cream sauce.
In this video, executive Chef David Anderson from Madeleine Bistro in Tarzana prepares a healthy, delicious organic green apple tart made with whole wheat flour, Earth Balance, and a cinnamon cream pastry filling.
A refreshing vegetarian pad thai video by Chef Jay from his restaurant Thai on the River in London.If you wish to make this with meat, add, shrimp, chicken, or pork. If you like a very peanuty sauce flavor, you can add melted peanut butter, either crunchy or smooth, whichever you prefer, to the sauce.
A lettuce leaf
1/4 red onion
A sprig of parsley
1 carrot
1 tbsp salted peanuts
1 spring onion
100 g or 3.5 oz tofu
2 tbsp or 30 cc vegetable oil
1 egg
500 gm or 18 oz rice noodles
2 tbsp or 30 cc tomato sauce
1.5 tbsp or 23 cc chili sauce
1 tbsp or 15 cc sugar
bean sprouts
1 tbsp of fish oil
Chef Renee Loux, known commonly as “the Queen of Green”, has successfully combined her passions for the environment, sustainable living, and organic food. In the mid 1990’s, she opened one of the nations first raw food restaurants in Maui, Hawaii. Since that time, she has taught culinary arts at the School for Natural Gourmet in NYC, and worked as a green living consultant for hotels, spas, and restaurants. She has authored two cookbooks, The Balanced Plate, and Living Cuisine.
Also an author and activist, Chef Michel Nischan shares a strong dedication in sustainable farming and using pure, local, organic products in his cuisine. He is the chef owner of The Dressing Room, a homegrown restaurant in Westport, CT. Michael has written Taste Pure & Simple, a James Beard award winning cookbook, and recently a cookbook titled Homegrown Pure & Simple.
In this video, Chef Renee Loux shows Michael how to prepare delicious raw vegetarian Thai lettuce wraps with a tamarind dipping sauce! The ingredients are: napa cabbage, almond butter, sesame oil, plum vinegar, agave nectar, maple syrup, ginger, garlic, jicama, carrots, mung bean sprouts, cilantro, mint, shoyu, and tamarind (also known as an Indian date).
Chef Jim Gray prepares a delicious braciole, an italian dish consisting of savory thin slices of steak rolled around a spinach parmesean mixture and simmered in a rich tomato sauce.
Kitchen Guy’s Braciole Recipe
Recipe adapted from Chef Sandy Hall
Ingredients
1 large bunch baby spinach
1 1/2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp. olive oil
6 medium garlic cloves crushed and chopped
3/4 cup panko (Japanese-style) breadcrumbs
2 pinches red pepper flakes
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
1 cup dry red wine
1 28 oz. can or jar of tomato sauce
1 1/2 lbs. sirloin steaks pounded thin enough to roll
Preheat oven to 400. Sauté the spinach in the olive oil until the spinach wilts. Add garlic, salt and pepper to taste and sauté a bit longer until the spinach is completely softened. Add balsamic vinegar and simmer for about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat to cool.
Mix in breadcrumbs, red pepper flakes, toasted pine nuts and Parmesan. Pound the beef between two sheets of plastic wrap until it is about 1/4 inch thick and elongated. Remove plastic wrap and lightly salt and pepper the meat. Put a generous heap of the filling in the center of the meat, lift the end closest to you over the filling and roll, sealing with toothpicks or tieing with butcher’s twine. Drizzle olive oil in a glass baking dish and lay the meat rolls in a single layer. Pour wine until it comes about halfway up the sizes of the meat. Spoon tomato sauce over the top, covering completely.
Tightly cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 250 degrees and continue braising for 4 hours.
Hari Nayak is an internationally renowned chef & the author of “Modern Indian Cooking”.
Here Chef Hari prepares a wonderful combination of the Tandoori chicken and cucumber salad in a delicious deli wrap sandwich. This video is courtesy of ifood.tv.
For the cucumber salad recipe you will need:
1 chopped tomato
1 peeled and diced cucumber
1/2 of a medium chopped red onion
1 chopped jalapeno pepper
a dash of salt
a dash of cumin powder
a handful of chopped cilantro
juice of 1/2 a lemon
Mix the above together in a bowl for the cucumber salad. Adjust ingredients as needed for taste.
You will also need:
leftover tandoori chicken breasts, or any cooked chicken
mint chutney: Options here are to buy in a jar at Whole Foods, or prepare it by mixing the following in a blender until the mixture is smooth
1/2 of a cup of mint
1/4 cup cilantro, Optionally: separated from stems
1 chopped red or green chili
1 and 1/2 tbsp of chopped red onion
3 tbsp of lemon/lime juice (tamarind juice may also be used)
5 tsp of water
salt and pepper, and a touch of sugar if desired
mayonnaise
chopped Romaine lettuce
large whole wheat tortillas
Cut leftover tandoori chicken breasts (or you could use any type of cooked chicken) into thin strips. Take a tortilla wrap and spread with mint chutney and mayo, top with chopped lettuce, chicken, and the cucumber salad. Wrap it up, slice at an angle and voila! Serve with carrot sticks or your favorite side item.
Tyler Florence is a chef, author, and star of several Food Network shows. He graduated from the College of Culinary Arts at the Charleston, South Carolina, campus of Johnson & Wales University in 1991. He was later given an honorary doctorate from the University for his culinary success. Tyler believes in uncomplicated recipes, bright flavors and fresh food. You can learn more about Tyler here.
In this video, Tyler shows us how to make a crispy Asian chicken salad.
* 2 large full free-range chicken breasts, each cut into 2 single breasts
* 1 3-inch piece of fresh ginger, grated
* 4 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
* 2 tablespoons honey
* 1/4 cup and 2 tabelspoons low-sodium soy sauce
* 4 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
* 1 cup dates, cut in half
* 1 hothouse cucumber, finely sliced
* 6 cups baby arugula
* 6 wonton wrappers, cut into thin strips and fried
* 1/2 bunch cilantro leaves
* 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
* 2 tablespoons sugar
Preheat oven to 375 F.
Combine the 2 tablespoons of the grated ginger, 2 tablespoons of the sesame seeds, sesame oil, honey, salt and 2 tablespoons of the soy sauce in a mixing bowl and stir to combine. Set aside — this is the glaze that will be used on the chicken.
Heat a 2-count of olive oil in a large saut pan over medium heat. Season the chicken breasts on both sides with kosher salt and some freshly ground black pepper. Place the breasts skin-side down in the pan and sear until it has a nice golden color — about 3-5 minutes. Turn the breasts over and using a pastry brush liberally glaze the top of the skin with the sesame soy mixture. Place the whole pan into the preheated oven and roast for 5-7 minutes until chicken juices run clear. The breasts should remain moist and tender.
Meanwhile prepare the sweet sesame soy dressing. In a mixing bowl, combine the rice vinegar, soy sauce and sugar. Stir until dissolved. Whisk together as you incorporate the sesame oil then add the sesame seeds and ginger. In a large mixing bowl, add the arugula, thinly sliced cucumber, cilantro and dates and toss to coat. Add the crispy wonton wrappers at the last moment to ensure they remain crispy.
Chef and owner of the Manhattan restaurant, Paladar, Aaron Sanchez creates a fusion Caribbean, Central and South American flavors. In this video Aaron creates a shrimp and scallop ceviche in citrus marinade, a perfect dish for summer.
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* Juice of 1 lemon
* 2 bay leaves
* 1 tbsp. Tabasco
* 1/2 lb. 20 / 30 size sea scallops
* 1/2 lb. 16-20 size shrimp, peeled, deveined, cut in half lengthwise
* 1/2 med. Tomato, diced
* 1 jalapeno chile, chopped, seeded
* 1 tsp. Aji Amarillo
* 1 tbsp. chopped chives
* 1 tbsp. chopped cilantro
* 1 cup mango nectar or orange juice
* Juice of 1 lime
* 1 tsp. salt
Bring to boil medium pot of water. Add lemon juice, bay leaves, salt, submerge sea scallops for 5 minutes, add shrimp. Cook 30 seconds. Remove from boiling water into ice bath. Drain seafood. Cool. Combine remaining ingredients. Add to seafood.
Vikas Khanna is an Indian chef, who has also become famous as a food writer and a humanitarian. Born in Amritsar, India to Davinder and Bindu Khanna, he started as a helper in his grandmother’s kitchen and learned the art of cooking and the use of spices from her. He has worked for the Taj, Oberoi, Welcomgroup, and Leela Group of Hotels with some of the most influential chefs of India. In this video he demonstrates how to make a simple and delicious chicken tikka masala.
Chicken Tikka Masala
Chef Vikas Khanna
For the Marinade
One 3-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled
4 cloves garlic, peeled
Salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
1 cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound chicken breast, boneless and cut in small pieces
For the Sauce
1 tablespoon butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
2 tablespoons dried fenugreek leaves
One (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
4 tablespoons tomato puree
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
Sweetened coconut flakes for garnish (optional)
In a blender on high speed, or in a small food processor, add the ginger and garlic and blend until you have a paste. In a large bowl combine the ginger and garlic paste with the salt, red chili powder, garam masala, lemon juice, yogurt, and oil. Add the chicken and mix until the chicken is evenly coated. Let marinate in the refrigerator overnight.
Grill chicken over medium-high heat until it is fully cooked and tender.
Melt butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Sauté garlic for 1 minute. Add cumin, paprika, and fenugreek leaves and mix well, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in tomato sauce and cream. Simmer on low heat until sauce thickens, about 20 minutes. Add grilled chicken, and simmer for 10 minutes. Season it with salt and transfer to a serving platter, garnished with coconut flakes.
Chef Bradley Manchester is the executive chef of Houston’s new Hotel ZaZa and its Monarch restaurant and lounge. In this video from Chef Live he prepares a beef tenderloin crustini with grilled asparagus, and a carmelized onion chianti sauce.
