Fennel Apple Salad with Blue Cheese by Cheffery 1 BULB FENNEL, CLEANED AND TRIMMED 1 LAGRE APPLE, HONEY CRISP, GRANNY SMITH , ETC 1/4 CUP EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL 3 TSP CHAMPAGNE OR WHITE WINE VINEGAR 1 TSP KOSHER SALT 1/4 TSP FRESH GROUND BLACK PEPPER 1 TBSP BLUE CHEESE CRUMBLES Finely slive the fennel into a large bowl. Peel, quarter, core and slive the apple thin into the bowl with the shaved fennel. Drizzle with oil and vinegar and season with salt and pepper.Toss to blend all ingredients well. Portion onto plates and top with crumbled Blue Cheese. The salad may be prepared hours in advance and kept chilled for service. Top with blue cheese at service.

 

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup Yeild: 1/2 Gallon Date: 4 Days   4 LB ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH 1 LB ONION, MINCED 1 LB YAM, PEELED, CHUNK 2 CARROTS, PEELED, CHUNK 2 EA PARSNIPS, PEELED, DICED 3 EA BAY LEAF 2 TSP SMOKED PAPRIKA 1 TSP CORIANDER, GROUND 1/2 CUP OLIVE OIL 2 TSP KOSHER SALT 1 TSP WHITE PEPPER   In a large ss. pot, heat oil and add the onion and carrot. Saute for several minutes. Ass 1/2 Gallon water or vegetable broth. Bring to a simmer and add the squash, yam, parsnips and seasoning: Simmer for about 45 Minutes. Remove the bay leaf. Puree the soup until smooth. Adjust seasoning. Finish with cream for a richer soup.

 

Roasted Yam Bread Pudding:   2 1/2 LB STALE BREAD, LARGE CHUNKS 2 LB ROASTED YAM, PEELED, CHUNKS 8 OZ PARSNIPS, PEELED, CHUNKS 1 LB SWEET ONION, FINE DICE 8 OZ CELERY, FINE DICE, 2 OZ BUTTER 2 TSP EACH: PARSLEY,ROSEMARY 1 TSP EACH: WHITE PEPPER,GROUND CELERY SEED               AND CORIANDER. 1/2 TSP EACH: POULTRY SEASONING, ALLSPICE              CUSTARD: 4 CUP WHOLE MILK 12 WHOLE EGGS   Pre-heat oven to 350 Degrees.   Saute Onion and celery until tender. Set Aside. Toss bread, roasted vegetables, seasonings and saute vegetables in a bowl. In another bowl combine the custard and blend well. Place the bread mixture into the baking pan. Pour the custard over the bread and toss gently. Cover with foil and bake for about one hour or until firm and spongy when pressed in the middle. Keep warm for service.

 

Fresh Corn Sauté: by Chef Parker   This is a great recipe to use when an abundance of fresh corn is available. It is easier to eat and a pleasure to prepare. Begin with a large pot of boiling salted water. Cook the corn in the husk in the water for 8-10 minutes depending on the size of the ears. Don’t worry about under cooking because you will be cooking the kernels later. After the corn is cooked carefully remove it from the pot and allow it to cool so you can peel the husk. Cut the stalk end off flat , stand the corn on end and carefully slice the kernels off the cob. The cob can be used to prepare a delicious corn flavored vegetable stock. Set the kernels aside and begin the preparation of your ingredients for the sauté. You may be as creative as you like and add any variation of herbs, spices, vegetables and even meat proteins.   1 Tbsp butter 1 Tbsp olive oil 2 ears corn off the cob 1 cup diced roasted red pepper 8-10 cherry tomatoes halve 1/3 cup shredded basil 2 Tbsp white wine   Heat a large sauté pan over a medium heat and add butter and oil. Add the corn and sauté for a minute, then add the pepper and tomato and sauté for several minutes until hot. Finish with the basil and wine , toss to blend and serve . This will make a simple side dish or can be used as a main dish or a garnish for soup.

 

Breading and Sauté techniques: by Chef Parker Sauté technique is one of the most important cooking techniques to master. Although there are two basic types of sauté, one hot and medium they both allow you to create endless dishes in minutes. Remember that the thicker the item you are sautéing the longer it must cook, whether it is vegetable , starch or protein; this rule holds true. Usually for pan sauté that you wish to cook the entire time in the pan a thicker piece of food should be sautéed at a lower temperature then a thinner. Unless you are going to finish the thicker piece in a hot oven. Two very important breading techniques to understand are “egg style batter” and standard breading procedure. The first usually is needed for the second. Egg batter is a simple two step procedure, first you flour the entire item and shake off the excess flour to avoid lumps. Any surface area not covered with flour will make it impossible for the egg batter to stick. The egg batter is typically just well beaten egg. But I have discovered a fool proof way to garauntee good coating. I add a small amount of mayonnaise and sometimes additional condiments like mustard, tomato paste and even ketchup depending on what is being coated. Remember to have the oil or butter hot when dipping the food into the egg batter so that when you place it in the oil it sears the batter thus creating a crisp coating. You may finish the food in the oven for more even cooking. You may also remove the sautéed egg battered food from the hot oil and reserve it for cooking at a later time in the oven. But be certain to refrigerate the item if you intend to hold it for more than ten to fifteen minutes. Finally, standard breading procedure is the same start as egg batter but with one caveat. The breading can be just about anything you can make into a crumb. When I was young my mom showed me how to crush corn flake crumbs in a baggie and then coat chicken that was sautéed to golden brown and finished in a hot oven. It was always crunchy and moist. The same holds true for bread crumbs, in particular Panko, which is one of the most popular breading crumbs. They are nothing more than finely shredded – lightly toasted bread crumbs. Panko creates a super crunchy texture and holds up extremely well during longer periods of cooking for larger foods like the Salisbury steak. Fine style store bought bread crumbs are great for thinner cuts of foods that do not need to be finished in the oven. But you must make sure that like the flour and the egg batter every inch of the breaded food is covered with crumb or the oil will seep into the food and make it greasy. This particular breading technique is perfect for pan frying, when more oil is used to submerge at least half the food item in hot oil, or for deep frying when the entire piece of food is covered in hot oil. Breading’s can be created that include ground or finely chopped nuts, spices, seeds and herbs thus adding more flavor and color to the finished product. All additional ingredients must be dry before adding to the crumb. A good rule of thumb is no more than 2 tbsp of chopped ingredients to 1 cup of bread crumb. Try using fresh bread crumb for a uniquely different crust, the fresh bread without crust is processed fine in a food processor and then breaded as you would for dry crumb. However, because the bread is fresh it will have a tendency to absorb more oil during cooking. Have fun experimenting with different coatings and breadings as well as different oils. One very impressive oil blend is to use 60 percent olive oil with40 percent clarified butter. Do not use the butter solids as they will brown the food to quickly. If you use straight whole butter be certain not to over heat the pan or the butter will burn thus burning the food. Now you know two of the greatest chef secrets.