Cooking demonstrations Archives : Page 2 of 3 : TRAVEL/FOOD

Cheese, Wine, and Bread: Discovering the Magic of Fermentation in England, Italy, and France

Anderson's Bookshop, Book events, Cooking demonstrations

Katie Quinn. Photo courtesy of William Morrow.

Katie Quinn wasn’t content to just enjoy a chunk of the English classic Montgomery’s Cheddar, a hunk of crusty bread with a soft inner core from Apollonia Poilâne, or a glass of Nebbiolo, the grape variety from Northern Italy’s Piedmont region known for its strong tannins, high acidity and distinctive scent.

Katie Quinn working on a goat farm in Somerset, England. Photo courtesy of Facebook.com/TheQKatie

Instead, living in New York she had worked her way up from being an NBC page to her dream job as an on-camera host at Now This News, she found herself back home recuperating in Ohio after sustaining a traumatic brain injury in an accident. With time to ponder, her avid curiosity led her to ask a question—“how can I love these great foods–bread, wine, and cheese without knowing how they’re made?”

Of course, many of us would be content just to pour another glass of wine and slice a gooey piece of Brie, but Quinn couldn’t leave it there.

For some of use, including me, the realization that cheese and bread are as much a part of fermentation as wine is a revelation. It takes a little more connecting of dots to realize that cheeses are fermented dairy products and bread ferments through the use of yeast.

Working as a cheesemonger at Neal’s Yard Dairy. Photo courtesy of Facebook.com/TheQKatie

“I realized that there was a story to be told,” she says. “I could have just nerded out as a history geek to write the book, but I wanted to really experience the process of fermentation and how it creates these foods we love. I wanted this to be an immersive experience.”

And so in her newest cookbook, Cheese, Wine, and Bread: Discovering the Magic of Fermentation in England, Italy, and France (William Morrow 2021; $22.63 Amazon price), we follow Quinn on her all-encompassing road trip as she embarks upon an in-depth exploration of all three necessary food groups. She became a cheesemonger at Neal’s Yard Dairy, London’s premiere cheese shop. But that was just the start in her cheese career. Soon, she was working on a goat farm in rural Somerset where she describes the cute critters as just smart enough to be obnoxious. It was during her exploration that she discovered the role British women play in cheesemaking (you have to try her recipe for Cheddar Brownies which she’ll be demonstrating at her upcoming virtual book launch this Tuesday, April 27—see below for details on how to sign up).

Photo courtesy of Facebook.com/TheQKatie

Next she’s hanging with Apollonia Poilâne of Paris’ famed Poilâne Bakery, apprenticing at boulangeries in Paris learning the ins and outs of sourdough, and traveling the countryside to uncover the history of grains and understand the present and future of French bread and global bread culture. Next stop Italy, where she gives readers an inside look at winemaking with the Comellis at their family-owned vineyard in Northeast Italy and visits vintners ranging from those at small-scale vineyards to large-scale producers throughout the country. Taking a side road, so to speak, she discovers her great grandfather’s birth certificate and become eligible for dual citizenship. So entranced with the country, she and her husband Connor decided to make their home in the Puglia region in southern Italy.

Quinn, an author, food journalist, YouTuber, podcaster, and host, describes herself as having a real appetite to explore. A great storyteller, she also shares recipes such as Zucchini Carbonara, Tortellini in (Parmigiano Reggiano) Brodo, Ciambelline al Vino (Wine Cookies), and Walnut and Raisin Rye Loaf, which are interspersed through the book.

Virtual Book Launch of Cheese, Wine, and Bread.

When: Tuesday, Apr 27, 2021, 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM CST.

Cost: Book and shipping: This ticket includes a signed copy of the book and shipping – Shipping within USA only (THE BOOK WILL BE SHIPPED IN ABOUT A WEEK AFTER THE EVENT). $44 or Book and Ticket with pick-up at Anderson’s Naperville store. $34.

To join through Anderson’s or other bookstores throughout the U.S., visit katie-quinn.com/cheese-wine-and-bread-cookbook

Spaghetti all’Ubriaco (Drunken Pasta)

Coarse sea salt

12 ounces dried spaghetti

1/4 cup extra-virgin

olive oil

4 small garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 cup red wine

1/2 cup freshly grated

Pecorino Romano cheese, plus more for serving

1/4 cup finely chopped nuts (I like pine nuts, walnuts, or almonds)

1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Sprigs of parsley, for garnish

Fill a large pot three-quarters full of water and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. Add a generous amount of coarse salt (the adage “It should taste like the sea” is a good gauge of how much). Cook the spaghetti for 2 minutes less than the instructions on the package for al dente. (You don’t want it to be completely cooked because it will continue cooking in the red wine later.)

While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a large, high-sided pan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, for 1 minute, or until the garlic becomes fragrant. Pour the wine into the pan with the garlic and stir. Remove from the heat while the pasta finishes cooking.

Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water.

Add the pasta to the pan with the wine and garlic over medium heat and stir. Cook, occasionally stirring gently, for 2 minutes, or until the pasta is al dente and has absorbed most of the wine, taking on a plum hue.

Remove the pan from the heat and mix in the cheese and nuts. Stir in a tablespoon (or more) of the reserved pasta water; its starchiness mixes with the fat in the cheese to create a silky coating on the noodles. Finish with the nutmeg, season with salt and pepper, and stir to incorporate well. Taste and adjust the seasoning if you think the dish is asking for it.

Serve garnished with parsley and topped with more cheese and enjoy slurping down the drunken noodles.

German Sweets for the Holidays and Beyond

Cooking demonstrations, Family & Kids Cooking, Regional & Ethnic, Seasonal Recipes

Though right now I can’t even travel to Chicago to do some holiday shopping because of the pandemic, I did manage a trip to Southwest German to visit several of their beautiful Christkindlesmarkt (Christmas Markets) and take a holiday cookie making class.

Well, kind of. The trip was a virtual cooking class and I’ve been doing a lot of those lately. It is, of course, nowhere close to being there but still when you get to the point where going to the grocery store becomes a big adventure, it’s really a great way to explore—and plan for the time when we might be able to journey again.

And even though the holiday is long past, making the cookies and thinking of the beauty of the Christkindlesmarkts is a fine thing to do in gloomy February when all the excitement leading up to Christmas is long past and winter seems forever.

Southwest Germany is comprised for the most part of the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg and is bordered on the west by France, Switzerland to the south, Bavaria to the east and Hesse to the north. It encompasses the Black Forest, large cities like Heidelberg, Baden-Baden and Stuttgart and a plethora of towns and villages that are so neatly kept and so very beautiful like Schwetzingen where there’s the Schwetzingen Palace & Gardens and Wiblingen, the home to an 11^th century abbey. One thing you quickly realize about Germany is that almost every village no matter how small has a castle. And abbeys and monasteries dating back a millennium are common. New to them is anything built less than 400 years ago.

Before COVID-19, late November and December is the time for the fantastic Christmas markets that have been part of the German holiday season since the 1300s. But of course, this is the age of COVID-19, so not only is my cooking class virtual but so are my visits to the Christmas markets. One plus, I save a lot of money by not being able to actually shop.

Wendy Jo Peterson who, between military moves and following her husband’s career around the world, racked up a lot of miles working with children and adults across the spectrum from populations with special needs to elite athletes. Culinary nutrition and reaching optimal wellness through the foods we eat is one of her main drivers and she’s clocked in a lot of hours teaching, at hospital, working a computer and presenting the latest in nutritional science. When she lived in Stuttgart, Peterson immersed herself in cooking traditions and techniques and is bringing all that to our virtual classroom.

We can either cook along with Peterson or just watch and I’ve decided I want to cook along with.

To save time, Peterson has prepared her dough ahead of the class and so did those of us who are going to be cooking with her. Our first cookie is a yeast dough shaped into the form of the little tan man, known In North Baden and the Electoral Palatinate, as Dambedei, in South Baden as Grätti or Baselmann and in other regions as Weck or Klausenmann. I hope I’m not going to be quizzed on the names of the cookies because I just won’t be able to do it.

But no matter the name, Dambedei’s instantly recognizable to children—and adults—because of his characteristic appearances. All little tan men have a pointed head, raisin eyes, almond mouth and a button jacket made of nuts.

Dambedei’s origins go back to when people were excluded for whatever reason from worshipping in the church on Bishop Nikolaus von Myra’s remembrance day. Instead the blessed bread is served to them in the shape of a man.

“The other cookies we’ll be making are Spitzbuben, also known as Hildabrötchen which are named after the Grand Duchess Hilda von Nassau, the last Grand Duchess of Baden,” says Peterson. “Supposedly, the popular Grand Duchess enjoyed eating Hilda rolls and often baked them herself. She was buried at the side of her husband, Grand Duke Friedrich II in the grand ducal grave chapel in Karlsruhe. Her ornate coffin can be viewed there.”

We’re also will make Hutzelbrot. If we were in Germany, we’d use dried Hutzel pears but alas I’ll be using the dried pears sold in the grocery store. The term hutzelig in Swabia translates into wrinkled and that also describes the fruit. As for Swabia, it’s a historic region in southwest Germany. Someone a long time ago told me a Swabian joke. It isn’t very funny but it’s the only one I’ve ever heard. I tell it to the class, but they don’t think it’s funny at all.

We also have recipes for Springerle and Lebkuchen so if I do all the cooking, I’ll have a great assortment of German cookies.

Spitzbuben or Hildabrötchen

1 cup sugar

2/3 cup of cold butter, cut into small pieces

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 egg

1 1/3 cups of flour

½ cup of raspberry jam for the center

1 tablespoon powdered sugar

Cream together sugar and butter. Add vanilla extract and egg until combined. Add flour to form a dough. Shape the dough into a ball and wrap or cover well and put in the fridge for about an hour. Preheat the oven to 325° F.

Roll out the dough very thinly and cut into circles. Then cut out the shape you like in every other cookie. Place on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and bake for about 15 minutes or until golden. Cool. Heat the jam, spread over the cookies without cutouts, then place the cutout half on top of the cookie with the jam. Dust with powdered sugar.

Springerle

4 eggs

2 ¼ cups powdered sugar

2 ¼ cup white wheat flour

1 tablespoon of whole anise seed or, if you want, substitute with gingerbread, cardamom, or ginger

Lightly toast the anise beforehand in a pan and then mix it into the batter. This treatment dissolves the essential oils and unfolds its full taste.

All ingredients are placed in a warm room for several hours before starting.

Beat the eggs until frothy, then add the sifted powdered sugar and the tablespoon of anise seed.

Stir this mixture in the food processor for at least 10 minutes.

Then stir in the sifted flour, one tablespoon at a time.

The dough is now a bit soft and needs to rest to have time to shape.

Put the dough in a bowl with a tightly fitting lid and covered with cling wrap, leave to rest in the refrigerator for at least 12-24 hours.

When you are ready to make the cookies, you cut off a small portion of the dough and immediately cover the rest of the dough again, otherwise it will dry out.

Roll out the dough on the floured baking board 8-10 mm thick. Press the Springerle mold into the lightly powdered dough and cut out the springerle with a dough scraper, pastry wheel or a cookie cutter.

Place the springerle on a baking sheet covered with aluminum foil and leave to dry for 24 hours in a warm place.

Preheat the oven to 285 degrees Fahrenheit and bake the Springerle for approx. 15-18 minutes.

After baking, let the springerle cool, remove from the aluminum foil and store in a cardboard box in a damp place.

Hutzelbrot

2/3 cup each of dried pears plums and figs

¼ cup dried apricots

½ cup raisins

1 1/3 cup chopped hazelnuts or chopped almonds

1 tablespoons anise seeds

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 1/2 cups rye flour

1 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

5 teaspoons baking powder

6 eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

2 to 4 teaspoons of vanilla

Soak the dried plums, pears, and figs in water overnight or 8 to12 hours. Drain the fruit and roughly chop it. Finely dice the dried apricots. Put all the fruit with raisins, hazelnuts and almonds in a bowl, season with aniseed, cinnamon and cloves, drizzle with lemon juice and mix well.

Mix the flours with baking powder. Beat the eggs with the sugar until frothy. Add the vanilla extract and the fruit and nut mixture. Finally, gradually knead in the flour mixture and knead the mixture well.

Shape the dough into two loaves of bread. Place on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 70-80 minutes. After baking, let cool on a wire rack.

Dambedei

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

Ground lemon peel

1 cup milk

2 tablespoons honey

1 packet (2 ¼ teaspoons) active dry yeast

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tbsp canola oil

1 egg yolk

Raisins

Mix wheat flour with lemon zest in a bowl. Warm the milk slightly, add honey and fresh yeast and stir. Add vanilla to the milk and add, along with the canola oil to the flour and mix to form a soft dough, about 5 minutes. Let the dough rise to double its volume in a warm place, knead again by hand and roll out to1/3 of an inch thick.

Cut out 4 Dambedeis each eight inches long, place on two baking sheets lined with baking paper and brush with the egg yolk. Press the golden raisins into the dough as eyes and jacket buttons. Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 12 minutes at 395° Fahrenheit.

Lebkuchen

If I get the chance I want to follow the Lebkuchen trail that runs through the Black Forest. Until then, I’ll have to settle for making them at home.

¾ cup honey

2 cups cane sugar

1 cup orange candied peel

¾ cup lemon candied peel

2/3 cup raisins

1 cup + 2 tablespoons chopped hazelnuts

5 cups whole meal rye flour

2 ½ cups whole meal spelt flour (can substitute whole wheat flour

2 teaspoons of baking soda

4 to 5 teaspoons gingerbread spice

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon cloves (ground)

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

4 large eggs

6 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon butter

Juice and zest of an organic lemon

For painting: 2 egg yolks, 3 tbsp milk

For decorating and cutting: whole peeled almonds and cookie cutters

The day before, heat the honey and cane sugar in a saucepan while stirring. Finely chop the orange peel, lemon peel, raisins, and hazelnuts.

Mix rye and whole meal spelt flour, baking soda, gingerbread spice, cinnamon, ground cloves, cocoa powder and the finely chopped orange peel, lemon peel, raisins, and finely chopped hazelnuts in a bowl. Knead the heated honey with cane sugar, softened butter, lemon zest, juice, and eggs with the flour mixture until it is a very firm, brown dough.

Shape the dough into an elongated roll and let rest in a cold room overnight, in an airtight container.

Preheat the oven to 320° F and line a baking sheet with baking paper.

Knead the dough well, roll it out on a floured work surface to approximately ¼-inch thick, cut out the gingerbread and place on the prepared baking sheet.

Mix the egg yolk and milk, brush the gingerbread cookies with the egg yolk and milk mixture, decorate with an almond and bake in the oven for about 15 minutes.

Place the baked gingerbread cookies on a wire rack to cool, then store in a tin or container. The longer they are stored, for approximately one to two weeks, the better they are.

Learn Bread Baking with Parisian Baker Apollonia Poilâne

Cooking demonstrations

The Poilâne Bakery, founded in 1932 and famed for their wonderful breads, continues to be located at their flagship store at 8 rue du Cherche Midi in the 6th arrondissement of Paris. But now you don’t have to travel to France (though who wouldn’t want to?) to buy a loaf or even find one of the bakeries in the U.S. that sell Poulaine breads. Instead you can learn to make your own through MasterClass, the streaming platform where offering learning experiences from the world’s best across a wide range of subjects, is featuring Apollonia Poilâne who will be teaching a class in bread baking as well as sharing family anecdotes and expert techniques.

In staying true to its founding principles—making high quality bread for all—and in creatively joining the arts of living well and eating well, Poilâne has flourished, offering its savoir-faire across France and all over the world.

“In this flash-in-the-pan world, Apollonia represents the things that endure—a company passed down through three generations and a commitment to honoring the timeless tradition of bread baking,” said David Rogier, founder, and CEO of MasterClass. “In her MasterClass, she will intimately share her passion and help members understand how to best utilize their senses while baking.”

In her MasterClass, Poilâne will teach an approach to bread baking that is sensory, fluid, and adaptable, sharing her passion for honoring the philosophies and techniques that her family has perfected over the last eight decades. Through rich stories of Poilâne’s personal history alongside expert tips, MasterClass members will learn her family’s method for making five kinds of bread, including brioche, rye, and her novel sourdough starter.

Incorporating her warm energy and profound determination into her lessons, Poilâne shows how a loaf of bread, and the practical ways to use it, change over time. She’ll share her rare insight on the evolution of bread, paired with a number of creative and practical recipes involving bread at all stages, which she calls breadcooking. From a true-to-form take on pesto to an innovative riff on granola, her view on using bread as an ingredient should inspire members to never leave a crumb behind. Regardless of prior baking experience, members will leave Poilâne’s class feeling inspired to try their hand at her recipes and feel a deeper appreciation for the timeless traditions of baking bread.

“Baking at home, putting your hands in flour, getting a feel for the dough and seeing your bread rise is a one-of-a-kind experience, one that you must do in your lifetime,” said Poilâne, whose book Poilâne: The Secrets of the World-Famous Bread Bakery (Rux Martin/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) was released last year. “In my MasterClass, the most important lesson I will teach you is how to attune your five senses to what it is that makes the perfect loaf.”

Beginning life cradled in a crib made from a breadbasket, Poilâne was poised to take over Poilâne, her famed family bakery in Paris, founded by her grandfather in 1932. Following the accidental death of her parents in 2002, she assumed the title of CEO at the tender age of 18 and ran the international bakery and business for four years from her Harvard University dorm room.

Poilâne’s class is now available exclusively on MasterClass.

ABOUT MASTERCLASS:

Launched in 2015, MasterClass is the streaming platform where anyone can learn from the world’s best. With an annual membership, subscribers get unlimited access to 100+ instructors and classes across a wide range of subjects, including Arts & Entertainment, Business, Design & Style, Sports & Gaming, Writing and more. Step into Anna Wintour’s office, Ron Finley’s garden and Neil Gaiman’s writing retreat. Get inspired by RuPaul, perfect your pitch with Shonda Rhimes, and discover your inner negotiator with Chris Voss. Each class features about 20 video lessons, at an average of 10 minutes per lesson. You can learn on your own terms—in bite-size pieces or in a single binge. Cinematic visuals and close-up, hands-on demonstrations make you feel like you’re one-on-one with the instructors, while the downloadable instructor guides help reinforce your learning. Stream thousands of lessons anywhere, anytime, on mobile, tablet, desktop, Apple TV®, Android™ TV, Amazon Fire TV® and Roku® players and devices.

Follow MasterClass:

Twitter @masterclass

Instagram @masterclass

Facebook @masterclassofficial

Follow Poilâne Bakery:

Twitter Poilâne (officiel)

Instagram @poilane

Facebook POILÂNE (page officielle)

Omaha Steaks Cooked the Whole30 Keto Way

Cooking demonstrations, Regional & Ethnic

Sometimes cooking cuts of quality meat can be daunting prompting what I call fear of the grill–trepidations to go beyond our typical cooking repertoire. Typical doesn’t even begin to describe the box of Omaha Steaks in thanks for watching their webinar about Omaha’s eclectic and happening food scene. File the latter under who would have known Omaha was such a culinary capital?

But after listening to the webinar about Omaha Steaks and discussions from three local chefs with outstanding credentials about how they cook steaks made me realize it was time to up my game.

And so I turned to my current favorite cookbook, The Primal Gourmet Cookbook: Whole30 Endorsed: It’s Not a Diet If It’s Delicious © 2020 by Ronny Joseph Lvovski sent to me by my friend Bridget Nocera of Houghton Mifflin.

It’s a great book because Lvovski has created each of his recipes to be compliant with an amazing amount of diets including criteria for Paleo-friendly, Whole30-compliant, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free and Sugar-Free. Lvovski goes into great detail about how he developed his recipes and why he made changes so they are user friendly for those following certain dietary regimes as well as being delicious for all of us. After reading his recipe for steak au poivre I decided what better honor could I give my steaks than transform them into a classic French bistro dish?

Omaha’s trendy dining scene. Photo courtesy of Visit Omaha.

According to Lvovski, steak au poivre typically consists of grilled filet mignon covered in a rich and creamy green peppercorn sauce made with plenty of heavy cream and butter. Instead he lightened things up a bit and kept it Whole30-compliant and Paleo-friendly by using ghee and coconut milk.

Omaha’s trendy dining scene. Photo courtesy of Visit Omaha.

“The secret to making things taste as close to the original as possible is to cook down the coconut milk with the shallots,” he says in the introduction to his recipe. “This will mellow the coconut flavor, which might otherwise overpower the dish.

“When it comes to cooking the steaks, I’m a big fan of the constant-flip technique, which was popularized by Heston Blumenthal years ago,” says Lvovski, who struggled with a lifetime of obesity, failed diets, and low self-esteem before discovering the Paleo diet. “I have to admit that I resisted it for a very, very long time, preferring instead the tried-and-true flip-once technique. That is, until one fateful day when I was faced with the task of cooking a fairly thick steak without the benefit of an oven and my preferred reverse-sear technique. The result was a perfectly cooked center and evenly caramelized crust. Since then, I’ve been a convert, but there’s a time and place for everything.”

There are a few things Lvovski recommended before considering which method to use. First and foremost, he says the constant flip works best on bigger steaks, those that are at least 1½ inches thick, because you need time to raise the internal temperature of the meat while simultaneously developing a crust. If your steak is too thin, you will overcook the center before the outside has had a chance to caramelize. The constant flip also works better for steaks cooked in a well-seasoned cast-iron pan on the stovetop rather than on the grill.

“Most grill grates are made from stainless steel, to which meat will stick until it develops a crust,” says Lvovski. “Therefore, you are better off only flipping steaks once if you’ recooking them on a grill. Well-seasoned cast-iron pans, on the other hand, are virtually nonstick and are more forgiving when it comes to flipping meat before it has developed a crust. As long as you keep the above considerations in mind, you should have great results using the constant-flip technique when cooking your steak. It safeguards against the fact that all stovetops and skillets perform differently, which can result in one side of the steak cooking more or less than the other.”

Steak Au Poivre

2 (10-to12-ounce) filets mignons (or substitute your favorite cut such as bavette, rib eye, skirt, porter house, flat iron, or New York strip), at least 1½ inches thick

Kosher salt

3 tablespoons avocado oil

1 shallot, finely chopped

¼ cup full-fat coconut mil

½ cup chicken stock

1 tablespoon green peppercorns in brine, drained

1 teaspoon loosely packed fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped

Freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon ghee

Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Whole30 Keto-Friendly, Paleo Grain-Free, Sugar-Free.

Time: 20 minutes, plus 1 hour of marinating

Pat steaks dry with paper towels and liberally season all sides with salt. Place on a rimmed baking sheet and set aside for 1 hour at room temperature. When ready to cook the steaks, heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high and pour in 2 tablespoons of the avocado oil. Heat until oil is shimmering and carefully place the steaks in the skillet.

Cook, flipping the steaks every60 seconds, until the internal temperature registers 130° to 135°F on an instant-read thermometer, about 8 minutes. Remove the steaks from the pan and transfer them to a wire rack to rest for 10 minutes. While the steaks rest, wipe the skillet clean with a paper towel, then place it over medium heat. Pour in the remaining 1 tablespoon avocado oil, then add the shallot. Cook, stirring, until softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk and cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has reduced by about half, about 2 minutes.

Add the stock, green peppercorns, thyme, and a pinch of black pep-per. Cook until the sauce has reduced again by half, about 4 minutes. Fold in the ghee and stir until it has melted. Taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper as desired. Slice the steaks against the grain and arrange them on a serving platter. Spoon the green peppercorn sauce over the top and serve.

SERVES 2

Excerpted from “THE PRIMAL GOURMET COOKBOOK: Whole30 Endorsed: It’s Not a Diet If It’s Delicious’ © 2020 by Ronny Joseph Lvovski. Photography © 2020 by Donna Griffith. Reproduced by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.

Cooking the Perfect Omaha Steak

Cooking demonstrations

What other major American city besides Omaha is defined by one specific food? No, we couldn’t think of one either, meaning when it happens, you know it’s got to be the best. And so it is with Omaha and steaks and the company who put them all together–Omaha Steaks. Long known for producing tender, tasty, grain-fed, hand-cut steaks, Omaha Steaks also is a fine purveyor of seafood, pork, lamb, chicken and such starters and sides as Filet Mignon Pastry Bites, Steakhouse Cauliflower Au Gratin and Mini-Lobster Grilled Cheese.

As a serious carnivore, I was extremely lucky–and enthused–when asked to join a group of food and travel writers in a Zoom tour of the Omaha food scene where city’s famed steaks reign supreme. The webinar, organized by Visit Omaha’s Director of Communications, Tracie McPherson, was also sponsored by Omaha Steaks. Designed to introduce us to the city’s food scene, we met (virtually, of course) three of the city’s best chefs who shared tips and recipes on how to prepare what are considered the best of the best when it comes to quality meat.

But first a little history.

During the webinar, we learned that Omaha beef history dates back to 1862 when a Wyoming rancher asked a group of Omaha businessmen to consider creating a stockyard. Though it ended up being a boon for Omaha, the rancher had a mercenary motive as well. Western ranchers sending their cattle to the Stockyard Exchange Markets needed a place to feed and water their cattle as they made their way east. Omaha, located right on the banks of the Missouri River, was bountiful in corn and grass making it perfect for plumping up the cattle ensuring a higher price. Besides that, the city also was a growing transportation hub as the Union Pacific Railroad was expanding west making it perfect for a stockyard. So perfect that by 1890, Omaha Union Stockyards were ranked third in the United States for production. By 1910, the operations had 20,000 animals arriving daily. It was more than feeding and watering the cattle on their way to east coast markets, Omaha had become the market.

And now the chefs and their steak preparation methods.

We met Chef Nick Strawhecker, owner/chef of Dante, who who trained in Europe and specializes in authentic, wood-fired Neapolitan pizza and rustic Italian cuisine. Cultivating relationships with growers and producers throughout the Midwest, his menu is seasonally driven. He also owns one of the few restaurants in the country that has pizza certified by the Italian Government.

Dante– Chef Nick Strawhecker

Steak Cut: 20 oz. Bone-in Ribeye

Steak Preparation

Temper steak for about two hours, prefer room temperature
Season with fresh cracked black pepper and diamond crystal salt
Prepare in a hot cast iron pan with olive oil
Placed steak in wood-fired oven
Internal temperature of steak should read 115 degrees to 120 degrees (rare to medium rare)
Let steak rest then cut across grain

The steak sandwiches are served with a variety of condiments like Fresh mushrooms, pickled vegetables, different sauces etc. Very versatile that can feed a crowd.

Chef Nick’s Tip: At home, the key is a good cast iron skillet that you preheat on a stove, oven or grill.

Chef Jake Newton of V. Mertz learned to cook from his mother and after high school, attended Johnson & Wales University in Denver before moving to Europe where he worked and dined in some of the world’s best restaurants. Now he’s head chef for V. Mertz, part of Omaha’s culinary scene for more than 40 years, which is ocated in Omaha’s historic Old Market Entertainment District.

Steak: Boneless Ribeye

Steak Preparation

Start with a very dry steak by removing all of the moisture
Season with a liberal amount of salt and cracked black pepper
Sear steak on the hottest service possible to create that crust and caramelization on the steak.
Once steak has the nice exterior crust, let it rest for 5-7 minutes, the goal is to cool the external temperature to be less than what you desire the internal temperature.
Finish steak in a hot oven (450 degrees) for about 5 minutes (depending on your oven) until you reach desired internal temperature
Final resting period is around 15 minutes

Chef Jake’s Tips:

Use canola oil in pan, it heats nice and hot
Move pan to another hot spot to keep the temperature of the pan high

Kitchen Table

According to our presententer, that Chef Colin Duggan and his wife Jessica, owner of Kitchen Table, make the kind of food that changes the way you eat. Before moving back to Omaha to open their restaurant, the couple spent time in San Francisco perfecting their culinary skills. Kitchen Table’s menu changes almost daily and is full of locally-raised seasonal food. Almost everything, including bread and jam, is made in house. The crew makes a Snack Mix of house bacon, candied nuts, and house popcorn that should come with a warning: highly addictive.

Steak Cut: Teres Major (very versatile and large enough to have several servings)

Made three meals – breakfast, lunch and dinner

Trim silverskin of the steak but leave some of the fat
Prepare pan with butter and herbs (unintelligible due to connectivity)
Season steak with in-house seasonings
Use very hot cast iron pan to create sear and crust on steak
Breakfast
- Cook eggs and vegetables on grill. Seasons with oil after cooking to absorb flavor
Lunch
- Steak salad with housemade Greek Goddess dressing and Kitchen Table seasoning
Dinner
- Jerk Spiced steak with marinated tomatoes
- Same Cooking method for steak
- Use reductions to accompany steak

Chef Colin’s Tip: Season steak up to 12 hours prior to cooking to infuse maximum flavor

@VisitOmaha; @OmahaSteaks; #OmahaWeekend; @IFWTWA; #ifwtwa1; @winenormal; Toastingfoodwinetravel, toastingfoodwinetravel1; Toastingfoodwinetravel; TastesAndTravel; WINEormous; amythepipertravels; tastesandtravel; janesimonammeson; TravelWell4Less; wineormous; janeammeson; temeculalinda; kurtzshar;shar_kurtz/;janeammeson1; jaimesays

HALL WINES HOSTS VIRTUAL CABERNET COOKOFF ‘HOME EDITION’ ON SATURDAY, MAY 30: Participants to Compete for a Charity of Their Choice

Cooking demonstrations

HALL Wines, one of the world’s most notable Cabernet Sauvignon producers, is hosting a Virtual Cabernet Cookoff: Home Edition, on Saturday, May 30. A virtual version of the winery’s annual Cabernet Cookoff that was cancelled due to the Covid-19 shelter in place orders, the creative Home Edition allows chefs to participate remotely.

To compete in the online food and wine pairing competition, contestants simply submit a recipe that pairs best with HALL’s 2017 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. The recipes are then reviewed by HALL’s judging committee, consisting of HALL’s senior staffing with backgrounds in culinary arts. The top three dishes will be created by a guest chef and shared live for viewers on Saturday, May 30 at 4:00p.m. PT on Facebook Live. The event will be hosted by Vintner Kathryn Hall.

“It is more important now than ever to support each other,” says Hall. “The ravages of Covid-19 continue to devastate our families and communities. Holding a virtual Cabernet Cookoff this year means we and our friends can continue to support deserving charitable organizations across our nation. On May 30, let’s get creative in the kitchen, drink some fabulous wine, and have fun while we are at it.”

Kathryn Walt Hall, the proprietor of both HALL Wines and WALT Wines, has long been involved in the California wine industry starting when her family first purchased a vineyard in the 1970’s. Besides being vintner, her impressive resume lists a career as an attorney, United States Ambassador to Austrai and community activitist.

The 2019 HALL Cabernet Cookoff drew more than 800 attendees for a sold-out crowd and raised $106,000 for local charities. Since inception in 2010, the HALL Cabernet Cookoff has raised $1.2 million dollars for Napa Valley non-profit organizations.

Participants are asked to fill out an Interest Form to submit their recipe and select a non-profit organization (501c3) of their choice to compete for a donation to that organization. The competition is open to everyone. In total, the event will select three winners with prize donations for First Place: $5,000; Second Place: $2,500; and Third Place: $1,500. The donations will be paid directly to the non-profit organizations connected to the top three winning chef teams.

The wine selection for the event, HALL’s 2017 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($65.00 retail), offers effusive aromas of blackberry, black cherry, freshly turned earth and subtly warm toasty oak notes. The palate is dense and richly concentrated with fine grained tannin and good length. Flavors of dark chocolate, dark berry compote, and hints of dried thyme and leather are abundant, making this wine both versatile and expressive when looking to pair with diverse culinary dishes. During the contest period this wine will offered at a 10% discount as part of HALL’s virtual campaign.

WHAT:

HALL’sVirtual Cabernet Cookoff: Home Edition

WHEN:

Saturday, May 30,2020

4:00p.m. PT

WHERE:

HALL’s Facebook: Live

For more information, please visit HALL’s Virtual Cabernet Cookoff landing page.

For more information, please visit www.hallwines.com/cabernetcookoff or via social channels using @hallwines #cabernetcookoff.

Round Barn Estate Shake & Stir Workshops

Artisan beer, Cooking demonstrations, Farm-to-Table, Round Barn Estates

Cocktails when I was in college meant run and coke and, though I hate to admit it, since then I haven’t really upped my cocktail making skills except to use Diet Coke in the early years after graduating.

That’s why I decided to meet with Schueneman and Andrew Claeys at the 1912 white round barns that is the focal point of the Round Barn Estate, a winery, distillery and brewery in Baroda, Michigan to learn about the Shake & Stir workshops they hold each weekend.

“We try to use the fruits that are in season,” say Schueneman, the retail manager at Round Barn. “That’s why for the three cocktails we’re making in October we’re using pear juice and local honey for our Honey Pear Margarita which is garnished with a sprig of rosemary. We also have an Apple Cider Sangria we’ll be showing how to make using apple cider, pears and apples.”

A section to hold the workshop has been separated from the tasting room area and has a lounge-like look with comfortable stuffed chairs.

“We think it’s the perfect place to spend a fall afternoon,” says Schueneman. Indeed, it is very cozy while still being sophisticated—the perfect place to watch rain or snow come down and still feel snug.

But before one can relax, there are lessons to be learned. The recipes are displayed on television screen and they look easy enough. But there’s a complicated basket of wood and gleaming stainless steel cocktail making equipment. I recognize the two types strainers, jigger and zester as well as shaker, cutting board and several types of glasses. Schueneman explains one of the several objects is a muddler.

Giving the lesson today is Seth Claeys who shows how to make each recipe with a showmanship that is impressive. He can pour the drinks at great heights from the shaker without a drop being spilt. It would seem he’s done this many times before.

“We like the recipes to be easy so that people, after attending the workshop, can create them at home,” he says.

The 60-minute cocktail making masterclass costs $40 per person and includes creating and tasting three Round Barn cocktails as well as the weekend cover charge/

“The classes take place on Saturdays and Sundays unless people schedule ahead of time,” says Claeys. “We change recipes frequently so people can come back and learn how to make other cocktails.”

While the equipment stays there after the workshop, those attending receive a souvenir cocktail glass and $5 off every three-bottle purchase.

Since I have a strainer (though I’ve never used it before and it just gets shoved aside as I look for other equipment, zester and jigger from my parents who made martinis and Manhattans, I didn’t really need anything else to make the Honey Pear Margaritas at home. My husband said they were delicious but then what else can a husband say. But I haven’t learned to pour the drinks from a great height and have them fill the glass perfectly. In fact, I didn’t try figuring I’d rather drink the cocktail then clean it off the counter.

Matchday Menu: Adam Richman’s New Show

Cooking demonstrations

Adam Richman,TV personality, culinary traveler, cook and author, travels so much for his shows such as “Secret Eats with Adam Richman,” that I wondered if he ever woke up in the morning and wasn’t sure where he was.

“Yes I do,” Richman tells me. “In fact, one time, it was the strangest/saddest/weirdest sensation I’ve ever had. I woke up at home and didn’t know where I was. My first thought was, ‘This must be one of those old boutique hotels that they renovated an apartment to make.’ I honestly did not even recognize my own home. It’s a mixed bag of emotions, but I wouldn’t change up the opportunities I have and have been given for anything.”

Expect him, though, to know what he is demonstrating when he’s in front of a crowd because Richman is totally into making cooking accessible to everyone.

A while back I caught up with Richman at the KitchenAid Fairway Club where he was doing a cooking demo when Harbor Shores, a Signature Jack Nicklaus golf course on Lake Michigan in Benton Harbor, Michigan was the venue for the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship.

“The recipes are simple but deeply delicious, and each dish can be used for multiple purposes: the salmon can be by itself, or served a top a salad,” Richman says about what has become almost his mantra and why his cookbooks and shows such as “Secret Eats with Adam Richman” and “Man vs. Food.” He now is starring in Matchday Menus, a brand new series on Facebook where he uses football stadium food to explore some of the coolest places in the world. It started three weeks ago and already has almost 3.5 million followers.

As for the golfing aspect of the tournament, I asked Richman if he played.

“I was actually on my high school team,” he says “I have not played in ages, and I cannot imagine how my game has suffered as a result of that. I still enjoy the driving range quite a bit, but most of all, my favorite thing about opportunities like this is to meet the people that watch my shows and enjoy the things I do. Because this way, I can give people more of what they want, and find out what else they are interested in that I have yet to explore.”

From real, authentic poutine and Montreal bagels in Quebec, to unbelievable home cooked Latin meals in El Paso, Matchday Food is the show for you.

Exploring—whether it’s the backroads and city streets in the United States or internationally—is what Richman’s shows are all about. How did he decide where to go for shows such as “Secret Eats with Adam Richman?”

“The locations for the international season were decided by the network–at least in terms of the cities,” he explains. “Because my shows have had a significant and very fortunate degree of international success, they wanted to film in cities where my shows already had a foothold. In terms of the establishments with in those cities, I am blessed to work alongside an amazing team of storied producers, and I have a great director and show runner. We all do research for a couple of months and then meet with the places we have for each city. It’s actually quite a bit of fun. Everybody is trying to out-secret each other. Everybody tries to find the coolest place, the coolest hidden dish and so on. Ultimately, we look over everything that everyone has brought in, and then try to figure out what makes the best four location episode that really represents the city.”

Richman says he’s flattered people call him a chef but says he thinks there’s something academic and studious to the word chef.

“I think of myself—excuse the expression—as a badass cook,” he says. “I may not be a chef, but I’ve worn clogs a few times and baggy checkered pants.”

The latter clothing list is a nod to Mario Batali, the embattled restauranteur/TV food star/cookbook author who was known for his orange Crocs, hair pulled back into a ponytail and oversized shorts and patterned pants.

“It used to be if you had a sheath of tattoos up and down your arm, you were a biker,” he continues. “Now it means you can cook a great pork belly.”

His cooking demonstrations include a lot of digressions as well as action while he’s talking. Slicing a lemon with a mandolin, he tell us about how to avoid taking a slice out of your hand, sharing the story of an incident where he did just that and then lamenting it was too bad, he wasn’t making marinara sauce in order to cover up the accident. There’s advice against cooking with wine we wouldn’t drink and adding oil to an unheated pan.

It’s a science thing about the latter, he says, adding it’s important to heat the pan first. That’s because the longer fats cook, the quicker they’ll break down and start to burn impacting both the taste and even releasing harmful toxins.

How do you know when the pan is hot enough to add oil? Richman shows how but holding his pan close to the surface—really closed.

“My mother hates when I do that,” he says, noting that less perilously, splashing a drop or two of water in the pan and seeing if it sizzles also works.

There are so many cookbooks on the market, what do you tell me people about why they should buy yours.? I ask.

“That it is approachable, nonthreatening, and there is something in Straight Up Tasty for everyone, regardless of their level of experience in the kitchen,” he says. “I aim to introduce people to flavors, ingredients, and maybe even techniques that they have not used in their kitchens before. I want people to use my recipes as a point of departure for them to then tweak and customize to make them their own. Above all, I want people to have fun. It’s not just recipes – there are poems, essays, even lists of great restaurants to check out that I have discovered in my travels.”

Miso-roasted veggies

Ingredients

¼ cup olive oil

½ cup miso paste (yellow or mild works well with the vegetables here)

3 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

3 beets, peeled and cubed

2 12-ounce bags of broccoli florets

2 Spanish onions, cubed

1 head of garlic, separated into cloves and peeled

¼ cup garlic powder (not granulated garlic) or more to taste

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F

2. In a large bowl, combine the oil and the miso. Add the sweet potatoes, beets, broccoli, onions, and garlic cloves and toss to coat.

3. Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and add about ¼ inch of water. Add the vegetables to the pan. Dust everything with the garlic powder. Cover the whole dish with aluminum foil.

4. Roast the vegetables for 50 minutes. Remove the foil, stir the veggies, and cook uncovered for an additional 10 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes and beets are fully covered. Serve hot or warm.

Smoked paprika onion rings

Ingredients

3 Vidalia onions (or other sweet onion), peeled

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 large eggs, beaten

2 cups panko breadcrumbs

3 TBS sweet smoked paprika

Vegetable or peanut oil, for deep frying

Kosher salt to taste

1. Using a mandolin or a very sharp knife, slice the onions into ¼-inch-thick rounds. Separate the rounds into rings.

2. Place the flour, beaten eggs, and panko in three separate shallow bowls. Mix a tablespoon of paprika in each bowl.

3. Dredge the onion rings first in the flour, then in the eggs, and finally in the panko. Place the dredged rings on a baking sheet and allow the coating to set for 10 minutes.

4. In a large pot set over medium-high heat, bring about 4 inches of oil to 365 degrees (use a deep-frying or candy thermometer to check the temperature).

5. Line a separate baking sheet with paper towels. Working in batches, fry the onion rings until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side. When done, the rings should float to the surface of the oil. Transfer each batch of fried rings to the prepared baking sheet and season with salt.

6. Keep the finished onion rings warm under layers of paper towels as you cook the remaining batches. Serve hot.

Win-the-bake-sale chocolate cake

Topping ingredients

1 box of Betty Crocker SuperMoist Butter Recipe Chocolate Cake Mix

3 large eggs

½ cup Hellmann’s Light Mayonnaise

1 can of store-bought chocolate frosting

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans with cooking spray.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the cake mix, eggs, 1 cup of cold water, and the mayonnaise.

3. Pour the mixture into the greased cake pans and spread with a spatula to smooth. Bake according to package instructions. When done, remove the pans from the oven and place them on wire racks to cool completely.

4. Invert one of the cake layers onto a plate. Using a rubber spatula, spread a thick layer of frosting over the top. Carefully invert the other cake layer on top and spread the top and sides with the remaining frosting.

Recipes courtesy of Adam Richman.

The Food in Jars Kitchen: 140 Ways to Cook, Bake, Plate, and Share Your Homemade Pantry

Cooking demonstrations, Read It and Eat, Uncategorized

“If you’ve got some stuff in your pantry, let me show you the possibilities of what to do with it,” says Marissa McClellan, author of The Food in Jars Kitchen: 140 Ways to Cook, Bake, Plate, and Share Your Homemade Pantry (Running Press 2019: $15.91 Amazon price). “That’s what I’m really trying to do, to open the door for people to show there’s a world of cooking and flavor possibilities in the world of preserves. Home cooks often feel they need to have permission before trying something new and I’m working at freeing them up from those confines.”

McClellan, who has been food blogging at foodinjars.com since 2005, describes her newest cookbook as a departure from what she’s done before. Her previous books have included Food in Jars: Preserving in Small Batches Year Round, Preserving by the Pint: Quick Seasonal Canning for Small Spaces and Naturally Sweet Food in Jars.

“It’s not just a canning book, it’s the ideal book for people who love to put food up in jars,” she says, “it’s designed to answer the question what to do with it after you made it.”

For someone who writes and cans prolifically, you might expect McClellan to have been putting up food forever but though she did a little food canning with her mom when young, she didn’t get serious about it until 13 or so years ago.

“I made a batch of jam, I knew how to do it, but I didn’t know a lot of the rules,” she says. “To me it was just a really great way to save produce. Then I started writing about it, I didn’t have any baggage from the past so I just approached writing as you would a cooking class. Then I was doing more and more canning and writing more about it and realized that there wasn’t much information about making small batches with unique flavors instead of large batches of highly sugared fruit jams.”

Marissa McClellan

When it comes to canning, McClellan likes to stretch people’s boundaries say by developing a recipe for asparagus berry jam.

“When it comes to flavor combinations for preserves, I start thinking of categories,” she says. “My goal is to include a category for every moment of the day—no matter the time of day—lunches, desserts, cocktails and then what sounds good. My book is also very personal. I was able to incorporate a lot of recipes from my family—my great aunt, we called her an appetizer hobbyist, she’d make appetizers ahead of time just in case she was invited and other members of my family.”

For those who want to learn more about putting food up and what to do with it afterwards, on the first and third Mondays of the month at 9 pm ET/6 pm PT, you’ll find McClellan offering free, live canning demos over on the Food in Jars Facebook page.

Aware of readers’ budgetary restraints, McClellan always makes suggestions for substitutions and also want to support her followers.

“I demonstrate how to make a seasonal recipe and answer all your questions, “she says. “I built my whole career on trust with my readers who believe in me and want good quality.”

Compound Butters

Basic Compound Butter

Makes 1 ¼ Cups Compound Butter

8 ounces unsalted butter, at room temperature

4 to 5 tablespoons jam, marmalade, chutney, relish, or finely diced pickle

½ teaspoon flaky finishing salt

Put the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a flexible paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until the butter is distributed throughout the bowl. Reduce the speed to low and add the preserve 1 tablespoon at a time as the motor runs. Add the salt and increase the speed to medium for a few final seconds.

When the butter and preserve are well integrated, turn off the mixer. Taste and make sure you’re happy with the flavor intensity. If not, add a bit more of the preserve. Just take care not to go beyond 6 tablespoons of preserve, because the butter will break if you ask it to hold too much additional product.

Spread a length of plastic wrap on your countertop and scrape the compound butter into the plastic. Form the butter into a log and wrap it tightly. It will keep well in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. For longer storage, place your plastic-wrapped butter in a resealable plastic bag and freeze for up to 6 months.

Below are some tasty variations on this theme.

Marmalade Compound Butter

Add 4 tablespoons of Seville orange or lemon marmalade and ½ teaspoon of flaky finishing salt. Serve with pancakes, biscuits, or scones.

Relish or Pickle Compound Butter

Add 4 to 5 tablespoons of well-drained pickle relish or finely chopped pickle and ½ teaspoon of flaky finishing salt. This butter is a really good addition to meat and fish. I occasionally tuck a pat into the middle of a burger when I’m feeling indulgent and I like to roast salmon fillets that are liberally dotted with this butter (using a dill-flavored pickle makes it an even better match for fish).

Preserved Lemon Compound Butter

Add 3 to 4 tablespoons of diced preserved lemon. No need to add salt here, as preserved lemons are quite tasty. This is another butter that is really great with fish, or as a finishing element when you’re pan roasting chicken or pork. It manages to be bright, salty, and rich all at once.

Pesto

Makes 1 cup pesto

I make pesto with herbs, such as basil, parsley, or cilantro, as well as flavorful, tender greens, such as arugula, mustard, or young kale.

This formula should work regardless of what kind of green you’re using as your base. A combination of greens is also nice, particularly if you’re trying to stretch a bundle of herbs. As far as the nuts go, I like to use walnuts, cashews, blanched almonds, or pine nuts.

2 cups packed greens or herbs; tough stems removed

½ cup nuts, toasted

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

3 garlic cloves

½ cup olive oil, plus more if needed to top

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

In the work bowl of a food processor, combine the greens, toasted nuts, Parmesan cheese, and garlic. Pulse until a paste begins to form. Remove the lid and scrape down the bowl, if necessary.

Once you’ve gotten to a chunky paste, slowly stream in the olive oil with the motor running and process until well combined. Taste and add the salt and pepper to taste.

Use the pesto immediately, or pack it into 4-ounce freezer-safe containers to preserve for a longer period of time. Top the pesto with a thin layer of olive oil to prevent freezer burn and discoloration. It will keep in the refrigerator for at least 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 1 year.

Jam-Glazed Nuts

Makes about 4 cups

Recommended Preserves: Choose preserves that you’d like to eat on a peanut or almond butter sandwich. My absolute favorite jam to use is pear vanilla, but grape is also wonderful.

1 pound raw almonds, peanuts, cashews, walnuts, or pecans (or a combination thereof)

6 tablespoons jam or marmalade

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 ½ teaspoons flaky finishing salt

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

In a large, dry skillet, toast the nuts over medium heat, stirring frequently so that they don’t burn. In a small saucepan, melt the jam and butter together. When the nuts are looking lightly toasted and are smelling nutty, pour the jam mixture over the nuts and toss to coat. Spread the toasted nuts on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for about 10 to 15 minutes, checking regularly, until the bits of glaze have started to brown.

Remove the nuts from the oven and dust them with salt. Let them cool completely so that the glaze has a chance to harden and adhere. Once cool, break apart any nuts that are stuck together.

Store the finished, cooled nuts in an airtight container for up to 1 month.

Adaptable Chutney

Makes 3 pint-size

This chutney will work with apples, apricots, cherries, nectarines, peaches, pears, or plums. I typically peel the apples and peaches before stirring them into a batch of chutney, but all the other fruits can keep their skins. Remove the pits and cores as needed.

4 pounds fruit, prepped and chopped

1 medium-size yellow onion, minced

2 cups golden raisins

1 ¾ cups red wine vinegar

2 cups packed light brown sugar

1 tablespoon mustard seeds (any color is fine)

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

1 ½ teaspoon fine sea salt

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

Combine all the ingredients in a large, nonreactive pot. Bring to boil over high heat and then lower the heat to medium-high. Cook at a brisk simmer for 45 minutes to an hour, stirring regularly, or until the chutney thickens, darkens, and the flavors start to marry.

While the chutney is finished, remove the pot from the heat. Funnel the chutney into the prepared jars, leaving ½ inch/1.25 cm of headspace. Wipe the rims, apply the lids and rings, and process the filled jars in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes.

When the time is up, remove the jars and set them on a folded kitchen towel to cool. When the jars have cooled enough that you can comfortably handle them, check the seals. Sealed jars can be stored at room temperature for up to 1 year. Any unsealed jars should be refrigerated and used promptly.

Follow McClellan’s blog at foodinjars.com

Ifyougo:

What: Marissa McClellan cooking class and talk

When: Friday, May 10 from 6:30-8:30 pm.

Where: Read It and Eat, 2142 N Halsted St, Chicago, IL

FYI: (773) 661-6158; readitandeat.com

Cook Once, Eat All Week: 26 Weeks of Gluten-Free, Affordable Meal Prep to Preserve Your Time & Sanity

Cooking demonstrations

Cassy Joy Garcia describes her latest cookbook, Cook Once, Eat All Week: Cassy Joy Garcua’s Cook Once, Eat All Week: 26 Weeks of Gluten-Free, Affordable Meal Prep to Preserve Your Time & Sanity as “a meal prep method designed to save you time, money, and sanity, and is truly different from other meal prep methods out there.”

And it’s easy to see why. Garcia, who is also the author of Fed and Fit, and does a podcast and blog under the same name, says her method doesn’t involve the typical and boring approach of prepping a bunch of separate recipes on Sunday, then dividing them up, packing and storing them in the refrigerator to eat during the week.

“We make a protein, a veggie, and a starch–or another veggie–in bulk, turning them into three totally different dinners that you assemble throughout the week,” says Garcia, noting that this cuts down on kitchen time and it also saves money because not only are you cooking fewer things but her method is also strategically designed so you use as few ingredients as possible. “This keeps your meals fresh and diverse, because instead of making the full meals on prep day, you’ll have all of your main ingredients cooked and ready to assemble to make your meal in less than 20 minutes each night.” $W4 Tex Mex Taco Casserole (1)$

As an example, one of the recipes below for shredded pork is used not only to make Enchilada Verde Casserole with Avocado Slaw but also Honey Mustard Pork Sheet Pan Dinner and Sloppy Joe Stuffed Potatoes. In all, Garcia’s book features 26 weeks-worth of gluten free meals that can all easily be modified to multiple dietary needs. In total there are:

8 weeks of low carb-friendly meals
23 weeks of grain-free and Paleo-friendly meals
25 weeks of dairy-free meals
24 weeks of egg-free meals
25 weeks of nut-free meals

Enchilada Verde Casserole with Avocado Slaw
Yield: 4 servings Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 30 minutes

FOR THE CASSEROLE:
4 cups shredded pork (see recipe below)
11⁄2 teaspoons chili powder
11⁄2 teaspoons ground cumin
11⁄2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves 1⁄2 teaspoon garlic powder
1⁄2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 cups salsa verde, divided
6 (6-inch) corn or grain-free tortillas
3⁄4 cup shredded white cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese (omit for Paleo/dairy-free), divided

FOR THE AVOCADO SLAW:
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 1 lime)
2 tablespoons avocado oil 1⁄2 cup diced red onions
1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
1 avocado, cut into 1⁄2-inch cubes 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves Shredded purple cabbage

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Make the casserole: In a medium-sized bowl, toss the pork with the chili powder, cumin, oregano, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.

Spread 1 cup of the salsa in an 8-inch square baking dish, then cover with 2 tortillas: place a tortilla in one corner of the dish, then cut the second tortilla in half and use the halves to fill in the empty spaces along the side and bottom of the whole tortilla.

Spread one-third of the seasoned pork over the tortillas, then top with 1 cup of the salsa and 1⁄4 cup of the cheese. Repeat for two more layers.
Bake the casserole, uncovered, for 30 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling.

Meanwhile, make the avocado slaw: In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the lime juice and avocado oil. Add the onions, jalapeno, avocado, cilantro, and cabbage and toss to coat.

Place the slaw on top of the casserole and serve!

SHREDDED PORK:
1, 3 pound pork shoulder
1/2 tablespoons coarse sea salt

Season pork shoulder with 1/2 tablespoon coarse sea salt. Place in the slow cooker. Cook for 8 hours on low, or about 4-6 hours on high, until pork easily shreds apart.

Chorizo and Potato Tacos with Cilantro-Lime Slaw
Yield: 4 servings Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes

FOR THE CHORIZO-POTATO FILLING:
1/4 cup avocado oil
1 pound baked and cubed red
potatoes
4 cups cooked ground pork
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1⁄2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

FOR THE CILANTRO-LIME SLAW:
4 cups shredded green and purple cabbage
Cilantro-lime dressing (see recipe below)
Coarse sea salt
8 corn or grain-free tortillas
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish
3 ounces Cotija cheese, crumbled, for garnish (omit for Paleo/dairy- free)
1 lime, cut into wedges, for serving

To make the filling, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the potatoes. Fry for 3 to 4 minutes, then flip and cook for an additional 3 minutes, until browned and crispy. Remove the potatoes from the pan and set aside.

Drain all but 1 tablespoon of oil from the pan, then add the pork, salt, spices, and vinegar. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 to 5 minutes, until the pork is crispy.

Return the potatoes to the pan and stir them into the pork, then remove the pan from the heat.

To make the slaw, toss the shredded cabbage with the cilantro-lime dressing. Season to taste with salt.

Place a small skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, put a tortilla in the pan and warm for 30 seconds per side, until the tortilla is pliable and begins to brown slightly. Repeat with the remaining tortillas. To keep them warm while you heat the remaining tortillas, you can wrap them in a kitchen towel.
To assemble the tacos, fill each warmed tortilla with the chorizo-potato filling, top with the slaw, and then garnish with the cilantro and cheese. Serve with lime wedges.

CILANTRO LIME DRESSING

Solid coconut cream from 1 13.5 ounce can of full-fat coconut milk

1/4 cup fresh lime juice, about 2 limes

1/3 cup packed fresh cilantro, leaves and stems

3 cloves garlic

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

Place all the ingredients in a food processor, blender, or smaller bullet-sized smoothie blender. Blend until smooth.

Note: if the sauce is too thick, add 1 teaspoon of water or lime juice at a time until you have a consistency you like. Enjoy immediately or store in the refrigerator for later.

Store in a sealed container for up to 7 days.

To serve once chilled through, soften by heating it prior to serving or simply dollop while slightly more solid on warm food for it to melt there.

Troubleshooting your sauce: if you find that your sauce separates while you make it, simply heat it up slightly (either in the microwave for about 15 seconds or on the stove just until the chill is gone) and stir again. It will come back together.

Cassy Joy Garcia will be in Chicago on May 22 at 7:30 pm (EST) for a talk and demonstration at Read It and Eat! which is located at 2142 N. Halsted St. For more information, 773-661-615 or visit readitandeatstore.com

Jane Ammeson can be contacted via email at janeammeson@gmail.com