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

The Vintage Baker: More Than 50 Recipes from Butterscotch Pecan Curls to Sour Cream Jumbles

Book events, Chicagoland Area, Chroncile Books, Cooking demonstrations, Read It and Eat, Uncategorized

I’ve been doing some major remodeling on my condominium including getting rid of the orange—and yes, it really was an orange sherbet color–Formica countertop (I kept waiting for this 1960 trend to come back in style but when it became apparent that wasn’t going to happen, out it went), tearing down walls and pulling up carpeting that had seen way too many spills by my daughter and her friends including the time she did some sign painting inside. Believe me, that did not work out well.

During all this renovation, I had to pack up just about everything in the condo including all my kitchenware and though the project was just going to take a couple of months–well, you know how that goes—I am just beginning to unpack boxes.

One of my latest discoveries is my KitchenAid stand mixer, which I really, really missed. Opening the box that contained the mixer, buried under a bunch of other stuff, coincided with my friend Joyce Lin sending me a copy of The Vintage Baker: More Than 50 Recipes from Butterscotch Pecan Curls to Sour Cream Jumbles by Jessie Sheehan (Chronicle Books 2018; $24.95). Sheehan, who worked as a junior baker at Baked, a bakery in Brooklyn, New York, was also an avid collector of vintage recipe booklets (there’s one included in her cookbook) and The Vintage Baker is based upon those recipes, albeit with Sheehan’s adaptations to modernize them.

She did so by adding such intriguing twists as making her popovers using pecorino Romano cheese and black pepper as well as black pepper and rum in a butterscotch pie and mixing thyme in the ladyfinger recipes she used in creating her own take on the classic Charlette Russe, layers of cookies or ladyfingers, cake and a cream filling.

Watch Jessie Sheehan on TikTok

“My go-to chocolate-chip cookie recipe is full of Kellogg’s Rice Krispies and I was over the moon to discover how frequently cookies with cereal surfaced in my booklet collection,” Sheehan writes in her introduction to her recipe for Cornflake Macaroons with Chocolate Drizzle, noting that a recipe from “55 Recipes for Hershey’s Syrup” (1945) formed the base for her macaroon. “Adding salt to the batter proved essential–so many of these original recipes don’t call for salt. I drizzled the cookies with chocolate after baking, rather than combining it with the batter, allowing these cornflakes to truly shine.”Rediscovering my KitchenAid stand-mixer made me so happy that I made several of the recipes from Sheehan’s book. Here are a couple that hopefully you’ll enjoy baking as well including one for an old fashioned ice box cake.

Recipes

Cornflake Macaroons with Chocolate Drizzle

3 egg whites

½ cup granulated sugar

1½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

½ teaspoon table salt

2½ cups cornflakes

1½ cups sweetened shredded coconut

Flaky sea salt for sprinkling

2 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted

In a large bowl, whisk the egg whites until frothy. Add the sugar, vanilla, and salt and continue whisking until thoroughly combined and thickened. Fold the cornflakes and coconut into the egg whites using a rubber spatula. Once combined, and using your hands, crush the cornflakes in the bowl, mixing all of the ingredients together, until the mixture stays together when you squeeze it in your hand. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 3 days, covering the bowl with plastic wrap. The mixture will be much easier to scoop once it has been refrigerated.

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Scoop 1 to 1½ tablespoons of dough with a small cookie scoop or measuring spoon, making sure to really pack the batter into the scoop/spoon. Place on the prepared pan and bake for 23 to 25 minutes, until nicely browned. Sprinkle with the sea salt and let cool. Place the melted chocolate in a zippered plastic bag, cut a very tiny hole in one corner of the bag, and drizzle the chocolate over the cookies. Let the chocolate harden before serving.

The macaroons will keep in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days, but they get less crunchy with each day.

Coconut-Chocolate Icebox Cake with Toasted Almonds

3 (13 1/2-fluid-ounce cans full-fat coconut milk

1/2 to 1 teaspoon almond extract

3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut, toasted

9 ounces crisp chocolate wafer cookies

1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Place the cans of coconut milk in the coldest spot in your refrigerator upside-down and leave them there for 24 hours. This will allow the coconut cream in the milk to solidify and separate from the liquid.

Line a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan with plastic wrap that hangs slightly over the sides of the pan.

Flip the cans of coconut milk right-side up, open the cans, and, using a rubber spatula, carefully scrape the solid coconut cream into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Save the liquid for another purpose. Add the almond extract and confectioners’ sugar, and whisk on medium speed until smooth and thick. Add the heavy cream and whisk on medium-high speed until the cream holds stiff peaks, about 2 minutes. Add the toasted coconut and fold it into the cream with a rubber spatula.

Using a small offset spatula or the back of a spoon, spread a thin layer of the whipped cream on the bottom of the lined pan. Cover as much of the cream as possible with a layer of wafers, filling any gaps with broken wafers, to create a solid layer of wafers.

Continue layering whipped cream and wafers until you run out or reach the top of the pan, ending with a layer of wafers. Gently cover the surface with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 to 8 hours, or preferably overnight. If you have whipped cream left over, store this in the refrigerator along with the cake.

Remove the cake from the refrigerator prior to serving and peel off the plastic wrap. Place a serving plate over the pan and invert the cake onto the plate. Carefully remove the pan and plastic wrap lining and, if using, thinly spread the remaining whipped cream over the sides and top of the cake. Re-whip the cream if it looks too soft to spread. Sprinkle the cake with the toasted almonds, lightly pressing them into the cake.

Using a serrated knife, cut the cake into slices and serve. The cake will keep, lightly wrapped with plastic wrap, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Note

When buying coconut milk, gently turn the can up and down in the store to make sure the contents sound full and solid. If it sounds watery and seems like the can is filled only with liquid, grab a different one.

Ifyougo:

What: Author Talk Jessie Sheehan: The Vintage Baker

When: Sep 17 at 6:30 p.m.

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

FYI: 773-661-6158; readitandeatstore.com

For more information:

The Vintage Baker

Jesse Sheehan

The Japan Pavilion: An Intro to the Best of the New and the Traditional

Chicago restaurants, Chicagoland Area, Cooking demonstrations, Karaage, Korean BBQ, sake, Uncategorized

Several weeks ago, when the National Restaurant Association (NRA) was holding its annual international show, my friend Kimiyo Naka, who lives in Chicago, asked me to stop by the Japan Pavilion where 19 companies from that country were presenting a range of both modern and traditional Japanese foods and beverages. On hand also, were several Chicago restauranteurs including Bill Kim and Takashi Yagihashi, both of whom are awarding winning chefs and cookbook authors. The NRA show is immense, taking up several floors at McCormick’s Place in Chicago and is packed with vendors showcasing products and food, chefs doing cooking demonstrations and the latest in food technologies and equipment.

My experience with Japanese food is limited, so stopping by the Japan Pavilion, presented by the Japan External Trade Organization, was very much a learning experience. When Kimiyo and I tasted samples of Wagyu Beef, a top quality, highly marbled meat produced by four Japanese breeds of beef cattle and took sips of sake, we discovered how these foods are helping Japan’s rural areas in their revitalization efforts. Some farmers and producers are creating their own brands and exporting—or working on exporting them to other countries including the United States.

We tasted sakes including brown rice sake and one made with shiraume, or white flower plums and looked at the different varieties of rice typically used to make sake, which is a fermented rice drink that is typically served warm. We also talked to a member of the Yonezawa family founders of Akashi Sake Brewery in 1886, a small artisanal sake producer based in Akashi, a fishing town in the Hyogo prefecture (or district) in Western Japan which is the traditional sake brewing capital of country and is known for having the best sake rice and pure water.

When the company started all those years ago more than a century ago, Akashi was a small village but since has grown into a booming metropolis. It’s known for the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge – the world’s longest suspension bridge—as well as the quality of the fish that are caught in the waters off its coast. The water also is a predominant feature in the taste of the sake, as are Japanese cedar wood lids used to cover the storage tanks where the Akashi sake is aged. Akashi sake is made in small batches by Toji Kimio Yonezewa. Note: I learned later that toji was not his first name but means brewmaster or chief executive of production.

I also spent time talking to Bill Kim, author of Korean BBQ: How to Kung-Fu Your Grill in Seven Sauces, who I had interviewed before and wrote about in a previous column and Takashi Yagihashi, who came to the U.S. from Japan when he was 16, started cooking because he need milk money, won the James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef: Midwest and is the owner of Slurping Turtle in downtown Chicago (there’s another one in Ann Arbor, Michigan) and TABO Sushi & Noodles at Macy’s State Street in Chicago.

One of the things we talked about is karaage which is Japanese fried chicken. I’ve included his recipe for the dish. Don’t get put off with the title ingredient of duck fat (if you’re like me, you don’t have a ready supply of it in your refrigerator) because you can substitute vegetable oil instead.

Slurping Turtle’s Duck-Fat-Fried Chicken Karaage

4 chicken thigh quarters (thigh and drumstick)

2 cloves garlic, peeled and grated

1 tsp. fresh grated ginger

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup mirin or sweet sake

2 tsp. sesame oil

Salt and pepper

6 cups duck fat (or vegetable oil), enough to fill a pan 3 inches deep

1 cup potato starch

Using a sharp knife, separate the thighs from the drumstick by cutting between the joint. Cut the thigh in half lengthwise along the bone. Using a heavy cleaver, chop the piece with the bone in half, resulting in three similar-sized pieces. Then, cut the drumstick in half through the bone. When you’re done with all four thigh quarters, you should have 20 pieces of chicken when done. Alternatively, debone the thigh pieces with skin intact, and cut into two-inch pieces. Place the chicken in a shallow pan and set aside.

For the marinade, combine garlic, ginger, soy sauce, mirin, sesame oil, and a few grinds of black pepper in a bowl and mix. Pour marinade over chicken and coat well using your hands. There should be just enough marinade to coat the chicken. Cover and refrigerate at least 20 minutes or up to two hours.

Line a shallow tray with paper towels and set aside. Heat six cups duck fat (or vegetable oil) in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat until the oil reaches 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Place 1 cup potato starch in a large bowl and gently toss each piece of chicken until lightly coated. Carefully lower half the chicken pieces into the hot oil. Cook the chicken until it is nicely browned and begins to rise to the surface, 9 to 11 minutes. Once the chicken is cooked through, remove it from the oil using tongs and place onto paper towel-lined tray. Toss with a pinch of kosher salt while still hot. Repeat with second batch.

Serve immediately with lemon wedges and Japanese mayonnaise.

When finished deep-frying the chicken, season with salt, then sprinkle with this soy-chili oil vinaigrette:

1/2 cup Japanese soy sauce

1/4 cup rice vinegar

2 teaspoons hot chili oil

2 teaspoons sugar

Combine all ingredients and stir until sugar is dissolved.

Chef Takashi’s Stir-Fry Udon Noodles

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/2 pound large shrimp, shelled and deveined

1/4 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, thinly sliced

2 1/2 cups chopped Napa cabbage

1 small onion, thinly sliced

1 carrot, thinly sliced on the bias

7 ounces enoki mushrooms

4 ounces oyster mushrooms

1/4 cup dried wood ear mushrooms, soaked in warm water for 10 minutes and drained

1/2 cup chicken stock

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil

18 ounces frozen precooked udon noodles, thawed

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Chopped scallions, for garnish

In a skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil. Add the shrimp and stir-fry over moderately high heat until curled, 2 minutes; transfer to a plate. Add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil to the skillet. Add the chicken and stir-fry until white throughout, 3 minutes; transfer to the plate with the shrimp.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the skillet. Add the cabbage, onion, carrot and the mushrooms and stir-fry for 4 minutes. Add the stock, soy sauce, sesame oil, shrimp and chicken; remove from the heat.

Meanwhile, cook the udon in a pot of boiling salted water for 1 minute. Drain and add to the skillet. Stir-fry over high heat until heated through. Season with salt and pepper, garnish with scallions and serve.

Author Talk with John Coletta: Risotto & Beyond

Book events, Book signings, Chicagoland Area, Cooking demonstrations, Read It and Eat, Uncategorized

On June 7, John Coletta, author of Risotto & Beyond: 100 Authentic Italian Rice Recipes for Antipasti, Soups, Salads, Risotti, One-Dish Meals, and Desserts (Rizzoli 2018) will be at Read It and Eat! talking about his recently published book on risotto, one of the most traditional dishes in Italian Cuisine and yet the least explored. Coletta, a restauranteur and chef, will also be presenting a selection of rice-based tastings. His book, with its wonderful photographs, contains 100 authentic dishes and demonstrates how to bring the full range of Italian rice cooking into our home kitchens. Dishes range range from the familiar such as arancini, crochettes, risotti, soups and rice puddings to the more exotic like rice salads, fritters, bracioli, and gelatos. Attendees will get to take home a 500 gm tin of Acquerello Rice, a prized Carnaroli rice from Vercelli in Piemonte (retail value of $22), considered the best rice for making risotto.

Chilled Rice Soup with Cherry Tomatoes and Basil

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons finely chopped prosciutto fat (see note below)

½ medium white or yellow onion, finely chopped to make 2/3 cup

1 stalk celery, finely chopped to make 2/3 cup

2 bay leaves, preferably fresh

1 teaspoon finely ground sea salt1

teaspoon finely ground white pepper

1 cup Arborio superfino rice

Just over ½ ounce Grana Padano or Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated to make ¼ cup

3 cups halved thin-skinned cherry tomatoes or blanched, peeled, and chopped plum or Roma tomatoes

1 bunch basil, leaves only, roughly chopped to make 6 tablespoons

FOR FINISHING

Finely ground sea salt and white pepper

1 cup cold vegetable broth

2 cups quartered thin-skinned cherry tomatoes

1 bunch basil, leaves only, roughly chopped to make

6 tablespoons, plus ¼ cup chiffonade of basil leaves or small clusters of Genovese basil, for garnish

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

Finely grated zest of 2 lemons

Place the butter, olive oil, and prosciutto fat in a heavy-gauge stockpot over low heat, stirring until the butter melts and the fat becomes soft and translucent but not browned. Add the onion, celery, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Increase the heat to medium and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables begin to soften but are not browned.

Add 6 cups water and heat to boiling, stirring occasionally. Immediately reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook, covered, until the vegetables are soft and tender, about 45 minutes. Stir in the rice, cover the pot, and continue to simmer for another 25 to 30 minutes, until the rice kernels are tender.

Prepare an ice-water bath in your sink. You will need this to cool the pot. Remove the pot from the heat. Discard the bay leaves and stir in the cheese, tomatoes, and chopped basil. Transfer the pot to the ice-water bath and cool the soup to slightly below room temperature. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate overnight.

FINISH THE SOUP:

The following day, taste the soup for seasoning, adding more salt and pepper if needed. If the soup has become too thick, thin it to the desired consistency with the cold vegetable broth.

In a small bowl, combine the cherry tomatoes, chopped basil leaves, olive oil, and lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper.

Ladle the soup into individual serving bowls. Drizzle each portion with olive oil; top with the tomato-basil garnish and the basil chiffonade.

NOTE: If prosciutto fat is unavailable, substitute an additional 1 tablespoon unsalted butter and 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil Be careful not to burn

Arancini with Fresh Mozzarella and Italian Parsley (Arancini Di Riso Con Fior Di Latte E Prezzemolo)

MAKES 16

ARANCINI; SERVES 4

3 cups Arborio or Carnaroli superfine rice

4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, cubed

2 teaspoons finely ground sea salt

3 large eggs, well beaten

¼ cup sweet white rice flour

1 small bunch Italian flat-leaf parsley, leaves only, coarsely chopped and lightly packed to make ½ cup

2½ ounces Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano, finely grated to make 1 cup

1 pound fior di latte (fresh cow’s milk mozzarella in liquid, drained and cut into ¼-inch cubes

FOR DEEP-FRYING

3 large eggs, well beaten

2 cups fine dry Italian, panko, or gluten-free breadcrumbs

4 to 5 cups high-smoke-point oil (safflower, rice bran, soybean, or canola)

Salsa All’Arrabbiata, for serving or your favorite sauce

Pour 5½ cups water into a medium heavy-gauge saucepan or pot and stir in the rice, butter, and salt. Heat to boiling over medium heat; reduce the heat to low. Simmer briskly, uncovered and without stirring, until the rice has absorbed the water, about 30 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the eggs, rice flour, parsley, and Parmigiano.

Line a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with parchment paper. Transfer the cooked rice to the parchment-lined dish, smoothing to make level. Bring the rice to room temperature. (To finish the recipe the next day, cover the rice with parchment paper and the baking dish with plastic wrap; refrigerate. Bring the rice to room temperature before continuing with the recipe.)

Assemble and fry the arancini:

Using a sharp knife dipped in cold water, score and cut the rice cake into 16 equal pieces. Place one portion of rice in your hand and shape it into a cone; fill with 3 cubes of mozzarella. Close the rice over the cheese and squeeze to shape it into a ball. Place on parchment paper. Repeat until all the arancini are formed.

Place two large bowls on a work surface. Place the eggs in one and the breadcrumbs in the other. Immerse a rice ball in the egg; move it to the bowl of breadcrumbs and dredge until well coated. Place the breaded ball on the parchment paper. Repeat until all the rice balls are breaded.

Pour the oil into a small electric fryer (amount specified by fryer model) or a heavy-gauge pot, ensuring that the oil reaches no higher than 3 inches from the top of the pot. Preheat the oil to 350°F.

Carefully transfer 3 or 4 of the balls into the hot oil, being careful not to crowd them. Fry until golden brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Test one to ensure doneness, adjusting frying time as needed. Proceed with the remainder. Blot the fried arancini on paper toweling.

Place on a platter and serve with spicy salsa all’arrabbiata sauce or your favorite red sauce.

Ifyougo:

When: June 7 at 6:30 p.m.

Where: Read It & Eat!, 2142 N Halsted Street Chicago, IL

For more information: (773) 661-6158; readitandeatstore.com

All Photo credit Kayleigh Jankowski.

Justin Chapple Interactive Cooking Demonstration at KitchenAide Sr. PGA

Benton Harbor, Book events, Book signings, Cooking demonstrations, Harbor Shores in Benton Harbor, Houghton Mifflin Houghton, Justin Chapple, KitchenAid Fairway Club, Uncategorized

“I’ve always been a people person,” Justin Chapple tells me almost immediately after he calls for the scheduled interview.

Within minutes, I totally believe him. It’s like we’ve been best friends forever.

“I love to hear from people,” he says, adding that he almost always answers people who contact him via his many social media outlets such as Facebook and Instagram. “I tell people if they pre-order my new book through my website, justinchapple.com, I’ll send them a note and an autographed bookplate. I spend most mornings writing notes.”

Yes, he does. Even though Chapple has the high prestige job of Culinary Director at Food & Wine magazine, was nominated for a James Beard Award for “Mad Genius,” the weekly morning show he hosts, does the magazine’s video series “Mad Genius Tips” and is the author of two cookbooks, Mad Genius Tips (Broadmoor House 2016) and the soon to be released Just Cook It! 145 Built-To-Be-Easy Recipes That Are Totally Delicious (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2018; $30), he’s all about you.

“It means a lot to me to have people’s support,” says Chapple, who regularly appears on NBC’s “Today.” “And if they have a question about one of my recipes or cooking, I always try to answer it.”

He’s also all about recipes, cooking tips and making it simple. As part of his job as culinary director, he not only has developed and tested thousands of recipes but also converts esoteric recipes from famous chefs—the kind most of us would look at and shake our heads in despair—and makes them accessible for our own kitchens. Watch a few episodes from his “Mad Genius LIVE and “Mad Genius Tips” shows and you’re first thought is, I can use that followed by where does he get all those ideas.

“Sometimes they pop up in my head and I’ll say ‘omigoodness’,” says Chapple who really doesn’t sound like someone who trained at the prestigious French Culinary Institute. “Other times it’s what people ask of me—they want to know how to do something like peel a mango and I’m happy they asked and come up with ideas.”

Though his classical French cooking background is important, he says he learned much of his kitchen know-how from his grandmother.

“She had to make do with whatever she had and she always made the food taste wonderful,” he says.

Describing Just Cook It as low-concept, he says it’s about everyday simple easy recipes. For example, when you have a hankering for lasagna but there’s not enough time to pull it all together, he suggests Ravioli Lasagna with Arugula. It’s good, fast approximation for busy weeknights. Just buy some cheese ravioli, parboil it, drain, place in a casserole and then add fresh mozzarella. Open a jar of good marinara sauce, sauté it with ground beef or fresh veggies or just add it plain to the ravioli. There you have it.

Like gnocchi or other types of dumplings but don’t want to mess with rolling each one out and shaping them by hand? Never fear, there’s a secret to that as well. Using a food processor, he mixes the ingredients for his Ricotta Gnudi (gnocchi are dumplings made with potatoes and gnudi are made with ricotta cheese), but the next step is much more unusual. Taking an ice cream scoop, he spoons small balls of the dough directly from the food processor and dumps them into hot water.

“Simmer them until they pillowy and just firm,” he says. “I then sauté them until they’re browned and coated with the butter mixture.”

He sprinkles the cook gnuda with pistachio-almond dukka, an Arabic dish (you often also see a bowl of it at Indian restaurants near where you pay your bill). It’s a mixture of spices, seeds and nuts including cumin, coriander, sesame and caraway seeds, pistachios and almonds and cayenne and black peppers.

Dukka is another example of the recipes in his new cookbook. There are a plethora of global offerings such as Thai Skillet Corn, Shumai Stew with Shiitake & Mustard Greens, Rice & Pork Congee with Chiles, Crispy Garlic & Ginger, several types of curry and Catalan-Style Mussels with Green Olives & Fried Almonds. In other words, you can create international meals effortlessly and without fuss.

As for the cooking demonstration at the KitchenAid Fairway Club during the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship, Chapple says he’s very excited as he’s heard southwest Michigan is beautiful.

“I’m going to demonstrate a few different very simple and fun recipes including a golden tomato gazpacho,” he says.

Though his background in French cooking would seem to call for rich creams and butter, Chapple says he ‘d rather add flavors with such ingredients as good quality olive oil that creates a “silky taste.”

“Another one of the secrets I like to share is using smoked almonds,” he says. “They’re so delicious and so easy and they impart a lot of flavor.”

Chapple talks about his “secrets” and I ask, jokingly, how they can be secrets since he tells them to everyone.

“That’s the fun of secrets,” he says. “Telling them to people.”

Ifyougo:

What: Interactive Cooking Demonstration with Justin Chapple

When: Noon CST/ 1 p.m. EST on Saturday, May 26

Where: KitchenAid Fairway Club near the main entrance, Harbor Shores, Benton Harbor, Michigan

FYI: For more information about the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship, or to buy tickets, visit pga.com/events/seniorpgachampionship/2018 or call 269-487-3200.

Follow Justin on Twitter and Instagram at: @justinchapple and Facebook at facebook.com/justin.a.chapple.

Celebrity Chefs’ Demos at KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship at Harbor Shores in Benton Harbor

Benton Harbor, Book events, Cooking demonstrations, Harbor Shores in Benton Harbor, Justin Chapple, KitchenAid Fairway Club, Uncategorized

Every two years I look forward to the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship at Harbor Shores in Benton Harbor, not because I love golf that much, but because there’s always an exciting line-up of celebrity chefs as well as some great Southwest Michigan chefs showing how to create some of their favorite recipes. So I was excited when my friend Deb O’Connor, director of global partnerships for KitchenAid, sent me the line-up for this year’s event, which is being held at the KitchenAid Fairway Club near the main entrance over Memorial Day weekend, May 24-28.

The first live cooking demonstration is at 1 p.m. Thursday and features TV personality Adam Richman, who is the author of Straight Up Tasty, and also hosts the Cooking Channel’s “Secret Eats with Adam Richman.” Richman has the tough job of having had to travel to over 40 countries in search of the world’s best fine dining and then writing about it.

Be sure to stay around once Richman is done because at 2:30 that same day, Cheyenne Galbraith, the executive chef at the Bistro on the Boulevard, will be doing another culinary exhibition.

Carla Hall, co-host of ABC’s Emmy-Award Winning daytime series “The Chew” and Bravo “Top Chef,” will be returning (she was here two years ago and was great fun) on Friday, May 25 at 1 p.m. followed at 2:30 p.m. by Mike Kenat of Salt of the Earth in Fennville.

Then on Saturday, May 26, James Beard Award nominee Justin Chapple who is the Culinary Director at Food & Wine magazine, author of two cookbooks and host of “Mad Genius LIVE”—Food & Wine’s weekly TV show featuring genius ideas in food, travel, entertaining and more will be at the KitchenAid Fairway Club at 1 p.m. Tim Foley, owner of the Bread+Bar and Bit of Swiss Bakery is up at 2:30 p.m. followed at 4:00 p.m. by Abra Berens of Granor Farm.

According to Deb, KitchenAid Chef Chris Covelli will round out the cooking demonstration schedule.

“We have created an experience where fans can learn, ask questions and be inspired to challenge themselves in the kitchen,” she says. “We hope that they leave this Championship with a renewed passion and energy to experiment in their own kitchens with KitchenAid.”

Here are a few of Justin Chapple’s recipes including one for Philly Cheesesteak Queso from his show “Mad Genius Live.”

Philly Cheesesteak Queso

3 tablespoons canola oil

1 small red bell pepper—stemmed, seeded and thinly sliced

1 small green bell pepper—stemmed, seeded and thinly sliced

1 small sweet onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced Kosher salt Pepper

One 12-ounce rib-eye steak, frozen for 30 minutes and very thinly sliced

1 cup half-and-half

1 pound white American cheese, coarsely shredded (4 cups)

1/2 pound provolone cheese, coarsely shredded (2 cups)

2 hoagie rolls, sliced crosswise and lightly toasted

In a large cast-iron skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the canola oil. Add the bell peppers and onion and season with salt and pepper. Cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until softened and browned in spots, about 8 minutes. Transfer the pepper mixture to a small bowl.

Wipe out the skillet and heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of canola oil in it. Season the steak with salt and pepper. Add the steak and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until browned and just cooked through, about 3 minutes. Transfer the steak to a small bowl.

Wipe out the skillet, add the half-and-half bring just to a simmer over moderate heat. Whisk in both cheeses in small handfuls until completely melted and the queso is very smooth, about 5 minutes. Top the queso with the steak and pepper mixture. Keep warm over very low heat and serve immediately with the toasted hoagie roll slices.

Black and White Cupcakes

Cupcakes:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

6 tablespoons. unsalted butter

3/4 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1/2 cup sour cream

2 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Frosting:

2 stick unsalted butter

4 cups confectioners’ sugar

2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

4 tablespoon milk

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. In a bowl, whisk the flour with the cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. In a large bowl, using a handheld electric mixer, beat the butter with the sugar at medium-high speed until fluffy. Beat in the eggs 1 at a time, then beat in the sour cream and vanilla until smooth. At low speed, beat in the dry ingredients. Scoop the batter into the lined muffin cups.

Bake the cupcakes in the center of the oven for about 17 minutes, until springy and a toothpick inserted in the centers comes out clean. Let cool slightly in the pan, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Meanwhile, Make the Frosting In a large bowl, using a handheld electric mixer, beat the butter at medium speed until smooth. Add the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, salt, and 2 tablespoons of the milk and beat at low speed just until combined, then beat at medium speed until smooth. Scrape half of the vanilla frosting into a medium bowl. Add the cocoa powder and the remaining 2 tablespoons of milk to the frosting in the large bowl and beat at low speed until fully incorporated.

Lay a large sheet of plastic wrap on a work surface with the long side facing you. Using a small spatula, spread the vanilla frosting in a 3-inch-wide strip down the center of the plastic wrap. Spread the chocolate frosting in a 3-inch-wide strip alongside the vanilla. Using the plastic, fold the chocolate frosting over the vanilla, twisting one end of the plastic to seal. Pull the twisted end of the plastic through a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip and cut off the protruding plastic at the tip. Refrigerate the frosting until barely firm, about 15 minutes. Pipe onto the cupcakes and serve.

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

Chicago Chef Bill Kim Makes Korean BBQ Simple and Delicious

Asian cooking, Book events, Book signings, Cooking demonstrations

Bill Kim’s first cooking experience was making instant ramen over seogtan (burning coals) at age six a year before his family moved from Seoul, Korea to Chicago. Fast forward four decades and Kim, who owns several restaurants in Chicago including urbanbelly, a communal-seating restaurant featuring creative noodle, dumpling and rice dishes, Belly Shack featuring menu items blending Asian and Latin flavors and bellyQ, a modern Asian barbecue concept, recently authored Korean BBQ: Master Your Grill in Seven Sauces (Ten Speed Press 2018; $28).

His career path to culinary heights and James Beard Award nominations began with experiences feeding siblings and cousins while his parents worked and worries about not being able to make it in a traditional college atmosphere when attending a college recruitment event at his high school. That all changed when he saw a giant wedding cake. It was a lure and when he approached the table, a representative from a culinary school asked if was interested in a cooking career.

Attending Kendall College where he studied classic French, Kim then worked in the kitchens with such greats as Pierre Pollin at le Titi de Paris in Arlington Heights near Chicago and Jean Banchet at Ciboulette and ultimately became the chef de cuisine at Charlie Trotter’s and then served as executive chef at Le Lan, a French-Asian restaurant.

When it came time to open his own restaurants, he decided to focus on his own heritage as well as that of his wife who is from Puerto Rico in a style he calls Kori-Can. There were, of course, many remnants from his French culinary background and world travels in the mix as well and his American upbringing. For the latter, check out his recipe for Kimchi Potato Salad. He also wanted to get away from the rarified world of cuisine and open up his food to everyone.

“My parents were very humble people who owned their own dry cleaning business for 35 years,” says Kim. “I wanted them to see their sacrifice pay off by taking all the things that I learned and being able to use it. My parents had only eaten at one restaurant I worked and that made me sad, I saw because I knew how hard they worked. As I got further in my career, I was cooking for fewer people—only those people who had the means to eat in the restaurants I worked in. But those weren’t the people I grew up and I wanted them to have restaurants to eat at.”

BBQ itself is engrained in the Korean culture says Kim.

“We didn’t have a lot of things when I was growing up in Chicago, we didn’t have a grill,” he says. “So when we wanted to barbecue, we had to go to park where there were free grills. I remember how the aroma of the foods we were cooking always attracted by people who weren’t part of our family. that someone from a different country could come up to you and ask what it was we were cooking. My mom would give even strangers food. It was pretty powerful watching them when they tried it, the way their eyes opened and they smiled. That’s when I learned food doesn’t speak a certain language.”

Making Korean barbecue accessible was one of the inspirations behind Kim’s decision to write his cookbook.

“I think I had a lot to say,” he says. “I really didn’t think there was a cookbook out there written by a chef, sharing the experience of being born in Korean and growing up here and adapting to a culture that was a very foreign to me.”

He also sees it as a way of giving back and to make Korean food accessible.

“I think we take for granted that food is an entry level to a different culture,” says Kim. “I want people to look at the book and know the history behind it. And I wanted people to be able to cook Korean barbecue at home.”

Indeed, with a wonderful, heartfelt introduction and seven master sauces and three spice rubs that make his dishes easy and simple to recreate at home, Kim takes away the mysteries of Korean food.

“The thing that I want people to understand is that you can cook without borders now more than ever because the borders have crumbled,” he says. “Even though the food is not 100% Korean it’s these flavors that can come out.”

Seoul to Buffalo Shrimp

1½ cups Lemongrass Chili Sauce (see below)

⅓ cup unsalted butter, melted

2 tablespoons white sesame seeds, toasted

2 tablespoons sambal oelek

3 pounds extra-large peeled and deveined shrimp (16/20 count)

¼ cup Blackening Seasoning (see below)

FEEDS 6 people

Heat the grill for direct heat cooking to medium (350°F to 375°F).

Combine the Lemongrass Chili Sauce, butter, sesame seeds, and sambal oelek in a large bowl and whisk until well mixed. Set aside.

When the grill is ready, season the shrimp with the Blackening Seasoning, coating them evenly. Place the shrimp on the grill grate, close the lid, and cook for 2 minutes. Flip the shrimp over, close the lid, and cook them for another 2 minutes, until they turn an opaque pink color.

Remove the shrimp from the grill, add to the sauce, toss well, and serve.

Lemongrass Chili Sauce

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon minced, peeled fresh ginger

¼ cup minced lemongrass

1 cup sweet chili sauce

¼ cup fish sauce

¼ cup sambal oelek

2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

PREP TIME 10 minutes

MAKES 2¼ cups

Combine the garlic, ginger, lemongrass, chili sauce, fish sauce, sambal oelek, and oil in a bowl and whisk until blended. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks or freeze for up to 2 months (see note).

Blackening Seasoning

¼ cup sweet paprika

¼ cups granulated garlic or garlic powder

¼ cup chili powder

2 teaspoons kosher salt

Makes ¾ cup

Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and stir to mix. Store in airtight container in a cool, dark cupboard for up to six months