I got inspired by Julie and Julia and decided to do a year long food project. I am cooking (or eating) my way through a year’s worth of food “holidays”. I’m hoping I’ll learn something new, make things I’ve never attempted to make before and, of course, have fun!

Well, I guess I should also add that I hope to not gain a million pounds. Every day I’ll cook the food for that day’s holiday So, I’m wondering, do any of you have a food project that you started this year? Have you ever done a food project like this before and how did it turn out? 

 A cup of hot chocolate in my favorite mug brings me comfort and seems to make everything better.

Tired of hearing about the snow? Take a breather, stop time for a moment and make yourself a cup of hot chocolate. And I don’t mean you should combine hot water with some powdered brown mix. Try the old fashion way on the stove.

It doesn’t take much longer and the difference is phenomenal. Try this recipe. It’s a warm, luscious, smooth tasting cup of chocolaty goodness made with REAL chocolate. It will make one very large mug or two cups to share. Warning: this is not for the lactose intolerant.Combine milk and cream in a small saucepan and warm on the stove until just beginning to simmer. I use half and half cream and skim milk as that was what I had in the fridge. It’s important to use the cream for that smooth creaminess consistency but if you want an even richer taste, you can use whole milk instead of skim milk.

In the meantime, take your chocolate and chop into small pieces. Because of my love for dark chocolate, I used Callebaut dark chocolate. You can use milk chocolate if you like but the darker the chocolate, the richer the taste. Chop the chocolate into small pieces with a sharp knife. Don’t try to cut large pieces off but work around the edges of the chocolate shaving off smaller sections continually turning it. Once the milk and cream is just beginning to simmer, remove the pan from the stove and add the chopped chocolate reserving a tablespoon of the smaller shavings. Stir the chocolate in until it’s melted. Add the sugar and vanilla and stir.

Pour into your favorite mug. For those who want even more decadence, top with whipped cream (please don’t use cool whip) and the reserved chocolate shavings. Sit in your most comfortable chair, sip a taste of this rich, warm, creamy chocolate bliss and allow yourself to forget any stresses you have. It works for me!Here’s the full recipe:1 and 1/4 cup of milk (skim or whole)
1 cup of half and half cream
4 ounces chocolate, chopped (dark bittersweet or milk or combination)
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Optional garnish if desired - whipped cream and 1 tablespoon chocolate shavingsHeat milk and cream over low heat on stove until just beginning to simmer. Remove from stove and add in chopped chocolate reserving one tablespoon of smaller shavings for garnish. Stir until melted. Add in sugar and vanilla and stir to mix. Pour into serving mug and top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings if desired.  

As I was finishing up my weekly cooking demo last Wednesday, there was debate amongst some of the attendees  as to what is the difference between a ”chef “ and a “cook “ ?  I tried real hard to put my thoughts to words but I couldn’t exactly hit it on the nail as being a chef encompasses so many things .

So I called some of my chef colleagues and asked for their input as well .  So here it goes.  

A Chef  is a person who is at best half crazy.  He is extremely creative, moody, temperamental, and insane.  A chef works long hours and the job is both physically and mentally demanding.  He is a perfectionist who will stop at nothing to see his vision through to completion.  A chef creates works of art that will be devoured within minutes of having been created. It is often times a thankless profession . There is always someone who is ready to knock you down and tries to control and mold you into what they want you to be. You have to be extremely confident to the point of arrogance to get your way.  You have to have a thirst for knowledge and a never ending passion for the game or you will not last long in a kitchen.

Tim Jones

A Chef is someone who can transit his goal, enthusiasm, creativity & experience into a position where he continues to provide the strategic and tactical leadership critical to retaining valued customers of an organization.

A chef from some where in California

In this day and age a chef is a skilled cook, a mentor, a showman, an accountant, a human resources director, a supporter of green practices, an entrepreneur and finally a visionary.

  A chef from the DC area

 

If you’re looking for a change of pace, flavor for your next soup, quiche or salad, consider giving the role to the leek, a vegetable that deserves the attention. A kissing cousin of garlic and onion, with a sweeter and more subdued flavor, the leek is eminently versatile, though sadly underappreciated, at least in

America.

In

Europe leeks are a cooking staple prized for their warm and onion flavor when cooked and almost buttery flavor when chopped and sautéed. Leeks are an essential ingredient in soups like French vichyssoise (cold potato leek soup) and Scottish cockaleekie soup. They give flavor to stews such as the French pot-au-feu and are also used for stocks, appetizers and salads.

For salads and delicate dishes it is best to use tender young leeks about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Larger than this they become tougher and stronger flavored but are still fine for soups and stews. Avoid those with dried-out leaves or bulbous bases.

To prepare leeks for cooking remove any withered outer leaves and trim and discard the green upper leaves down to where the green begins to pale. Cut off the roots and unless you want to cook them whole, slice the leeks lengthwise. Rinse well to remove sand and grit that often lodges between the layers. To cook whole leeks, arrange the leeks in one layer in the bottom of a large saucepan, and pour in boiling water or stock until they’re half covered. Season with salt and pepper partially cover the pan and simmer till tender, about 12 minutes or more, depending on size and age. 

For a richer flavor, sauté the leeks whole in butter until they’re barely colored before cooking or cook chopped leeks in butter in a covered saucepan over low heat for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

To grill leeks, trim off the roots and the upper leaves, leaving just about 2 inches of green above the white. Slice in half lengthwise, rinse carefully, and drain. Place on metal skewers, brush with oil and grill cut side down over medium-hot coals for 7 to 10 minutes. Turn again and continue grilling for 5 to 7 minutes, or until tender.

Vichyssoise

1 stick (4 ounces) butter
5 cups chopped leeks
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
3 to 4 cups roughly chopped potatoes
2 quarts chicken stock or water
2 cups heavy cream
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
3 to 4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives.

Melt butter in a large saucepan, add leeks, celery and onion and stew slowly until golden and soft, about 10 minutes. Do not brown. Add potatoes and chicken stock or water, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are cooked through, 20 to 40 minutes, depending on potatoes’ age and how finely they’re chopped.

Puree soup till totally blended. Add cream, season with salt, and pepper to taste.   Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings before serving. Garnish with a sprinkling of chives on each portion.

I have not been this excited about mastering a recipe in years! Reading the news paper predictions on what’s  “hot” this year in the line of culinary arts, I could not stop myself from flying into the kitchen to bake up an enormous storm as whoopie pies are going to be in vogue this year. I  had a lot of fun making these outrageously indulgent and seriously delicious whoopie pies. At first the song “Makin’ Whoopee” by Frank Sinatra got me going, singing in the very non-musical voices that we have. It bugged me for a while at first as I  knew there was a song with these words, well I hope you get the idea and feeling of the amount of fun I had creating this incredibly yummy cake.I had to read up on whoopie pies and it’s said that they apparently originated in Maine, amongst the Amish community. The Amish wives used to bake small cakes from their leftover cake batters, sandwiched them together with butter cream, and packed them into the lunch boxes of their children and husbands. The name is claimed to have originated from when the husbands and children opened their lunch boxes and found these delights they would scream “whoopie”. Well even if this is untrue and only a myth I want it to be true.. as I ate one chocolate smeared on my face and there was something magical and romantic about these pies . I know that the song and the cake are not linked in any way shape or form but it helped me to create this desirable recipe. It was rich getting a good recipe from the internet and then discovering that they should be chocolate flavored, but then the only recipes that made any sense were pumpkin flavored which confused me even more. So I approached the “whoopie project” by developing my own recipe. The results were outrageously good and I screamed “whoopie” when they came out this good!  I garnished my whoopie pies with a glossy chocolate glaze and sprinkled them with leftover Christmas cookie sprinkles to give them an extra touch of glamour and class. The traditional butter cream filling was replaced with a salted crunchy peanut cream cheese filling…ooh it’s incredibly good and adds a crunch and salty sweet nuttiness to this heavenly cake. Can you tell I like my Reese’s peanut butter cups !  They say the cupcake is 2009 so watch out for whoopie pie!

 

 

We constantly get inquiries from brides-to-be that want their reception food to “stand out”, but generally they aren’t quite sure how to accomplish this.  Here are a few “Guiding Rules” that may help:Rule #1  Share your dreams.  Let your wedding planner know your menu ideas (even if they are only half baked) and request that they get me (the Chef) involved.  I take special pride in finding just the right menu items to fit your vision and after 20 years in the industry, I’ve seen it all and have some wonderful ideas I’d love to share.  Rule #2  Make it personal.  Don’t be afraid to request entrees that you and your fiancé enjoy.  They could be family specialties, cultural traditions, or simply personal preferences.  Your wedding should reflect you and your uniqueness as a couple.  Rule #3  Have fun.  Its okay to use themes and to be a little adventurous, for example, a summer beach party theme might be perfect for an August wedding, or if you have an diverse group of guests they may appreciate an international theme.  Your planner can be a big help here.Rule #4  Dessert is the most important course for some people.  It’s also a course where you can inject your personality into the evening. You don’t have to offer a standard wedding cake (that’s not a Rule). If you don’t like wedding cake, simply skip it!   If you LOVE dessert, like I do, offer your guests a Viennese table, custom chocolates, or a huge fondue station in addition to the cake.Rule #5  Ask for a tasting.  After you have narrowed things down a bit, ask me to cook sample items for you so can make your final selections with confidence.  Rule #6  Don’t forget the wine.  Your tasting is a great time to test wine pairings to make sure the proper vintage is chosen to match your menu.  Our Wine Bar has an extensive wine list and our in-house Sommelier will make some recommendations, but ultimately it’s your choice.Rule #7  There are no rules.  Its your day and you are truly in charge.  We will do our very best to cater to your dreams, but remember we are here to help and have a lot of experience which should make the process easier for you.   

 

 It’s no secret that citrus is one of the reasons I could never live on a diet of only local foods , at least not without moving back to Florida  first.

As soon as the weather dips near freezing, I start stocking up on grapefruit, oranges, Meyer lemons or, my favorite, Clementine’s. As much as possible I buy organic citrus from Florida, but for Clementine’s it’s the real thing, all the way from

Spain. (I actually spotted those newfangled California “Cuties” at Whole Foods the other day, but stuck with the

Old World variety.)

When I was a kid, we always got had Clementine’s in and devoured them by the bunch. I’ve planned to do the same for my kids , but considering how many Clementine’s I  eat in the weeks leading up to Christmas, I’m not sure it’s quite as special a treat any more .

If asked to pick just one food that you couldn’t live without, what would it be? I would be hard pressed to single out just one. But for sure, pasta would be near the top of the list. I can’t imagine a world without pasta. And after doing a little research, I don’t think many other Americans could either. According to the American Pasta Report, a survey commissioned by the National Pasta Association, 84 percent of consumers consider pasta to be a healthy food and an important part of a well-balanced diet. And 77 percent of the more than 1,000 surveyed said they eat pasta at least once a week ,a third of them having it three or more times.

Even more revealing is that sales of pasta products in the

U.S.  Including frozen and refrigerated pasta, canned pasta, soup mixes and prepared dinners rose 5 percent last year to $6.4 billion, according to Kansas City, Mo.-based American Italian Pasta Co., the nation’s largest manufacturer of dry pasta. That comes after sales had been falling 1 percent to 2 percent annually for years, according to Carol Freysinger, spokeswoman for the National Pasta Association.

The increase in pasta consumption can be attributed partly to a struggling

U.S. economy. More people are turning to casseroles, pasta salad, good old macaroni and cheese and soup to stretch their food dollars and as well as becoming more health-conscious.

So, with all of this pasta being consumed in the

U.S., what is the most popular variety? According to the report, spaghetti is the personal favorite of 40 percent of respondents, followed by lasagna (12 percent), macaroni and cheese (6 percent), fettuccine (6 percent), linguine (3 percent), elbows (3 percent), pasta salad (3 percent) and angel hair (2 percent. Nutritionally, pasta is a low-fat, high-carbohydrate food. It’s very low in sodium, and non egg varieties are cholesterol-free. Per cup, enriched pastas are an excellent source of folic acid, a good source of other essential nutrients, including iron and several B vitamins, and contain only 211 calories.

Also, as a food that is low on the Glycemic Index (low GI foods are digested more slowly) pasta provides a slow release of energy without spiking blood sugar levels. And pasta also is one of the foods the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Dietary Guidelines recommends eating six to 11 servings of daily. Can you live with that?

How to Carve a

Turkey

After hours of preparation and anticipation, make sure to carve the turkey in a way that preserves the appearance and flavor Step1Choose a sharp, thin-bladed carving knife. Running your knife along the bottom of the turkey, find the places where the thighbones meet the body. Step2Slip your knife into the joint to separate thigh from body on each side. Step3Separate the drumstick from the thigh using the same technique (cut through the joint, not the bone, wiggling the drumstick to locate the joint). Step4Running your knife along the bone, separate the meat from the thigh and drumstick’try to get as much as possible in one piece. Step5Cut thigh and leg meat into thin slices. Step6Use your knife to find where the wings and body connect. Step7Slip your knife into the joint to separate wings from body on each side. Step8Carve thin slices off one side of the breast, cutting parallel to the breast. Step9Repeat with the other side of the breast.

Tips & Warnings

• If you are carving soon after roasting, cover the turkey with foil and let it stand for 15 minutes first.
• Cut dark meat before light meat, as it will stay moist longer.
• The key in removing thighs, legs, and wings from the turkey carcass is to run your knife along the carcass until you find the places where bones meet. By cutting between joints, and not through bones, you can disconnect bones without much fuss. If you try to saw through a bone, though, you’ll take a long time, even if your knife can do it, and make a mess in the process.

If you’re hosting Thanksgiving dinner this year, it’s time to pre-order your local turkey! If you read a lot of food magazines (or blogs) to prepare for your Thanksgiving feast, you’ve probably seen a lot of talk about brining the turkey in recent years. Soaking the bird in a saltwater is supposed to add succulence to the meat. But here’s a secret  - turkeys are naturally juicy. Conventional turkeys, like conventional chickens and other animals, are raised in confined quarters where they are stuffed full of grain and antibiotics to grow rapidly.

Turkeys who eat a natural diet of bugs, grubs and grasses will naturally produce meat that is juicier and more flavorful. And, birds who roam in fresh air lead happier, healthier lives.What is a Heritage turkey? Today, 99% of all turkeys raised in the

U.S. are the “Broadbreasted White” variety, which have been bred specifically to produce unnaturally large breasts. The breasts are so large, in fact, that these turkeys are unable to reproduce naturally! (Source: Sustainable Table/UN Food and Agriculture Organization)Sustainable turkey farmers raise various traditional species of turkeys, Heritage breeds such the Bourbon Red, to protect the genetic diversity and provide tastier options for your Thanksgiving table. Heritage birds take longer to reach market size — 24 to 30 weeks compared to 18 for supermarket turkeys — which is one reason why they more expensive. Wondering how to find a local, organic, free-range bird for your holiday meal? Here in the DC Metro area, organic turkeys are harder to find, but several local farmers and butchers provide heritage and or free-range turkeys. Organic birds will be the most expensive, but they are fed only organic feed, not treated with antibiotics or hormones, and required to have access to the outdoors. Ask your farmer or butcher what their free-range turkeys are fed. Organic grain feed is less important if they are truly free-range, as turkeys prefer to eat bugs and grasses anyway. Where “all-natural” is used below, it means turkeys are not treated or fed with any antibiotics, steroids or hormones.EcoFriendly Foods (

Moneta, VA)
type: all-natural, free-range, Heritage and hybrid breeds, 12-20lbs.
Fields of Athenry (

Purcellville, VA)
type: all-natural, free-range, Heritage, 15-35lbs.

Let’s Meat on the Avenue (

Alexandria, VA)
type: Amish-raised from Pennsylvania and Minnesota; organic from

Fauquier County VA; all free-range, all-natural, fresh

MOM’s Organic Market (VA and MD)
type: all-natural, free-range from Maple Lawn Farm (

Fulton, MD) and Eberly’s Organic

Smith Meadows Farm (

Purcellville, VA)
type: all-natural, free-range turkeys, 10-12lbs. or 13-14lbs., frozen

South

Mountain Creamery / Hillside Farm (

Thurmont, MD)
type: free-range, fresh