As a caterer, I occasionally get asked what items in my kitchen I could not live without. Most chefs have a favorite knife (Henckels or Global for me), but my most used and beloved item in the kitchen is my Vollrath Stainless Steel #16 scoop. #16 is the industry standard that is equivalent to 2oz. (i.e. it takes 16- 2oz sized scoops to equal 1 quart or 32 oz.).
So, it may sound odd that with all the cooking I do, that I am in love with a scoop. All I can say is that it is awesome, and you really should try it for yourself. Forthwith, a few of my reasons for loving the scoop (in no particular order)...
1) ice cram (duh!)
2) perfect amount for pancakes
3) perfect amount for waffles in my iron
4) portion control for sides
5) easy to clean
6) easy for kids to use
7) scooping out pumpkins + squash
8) perfect portion for rolls
9) perfect portion of hummus for a wrap
10) easy to use without getting anything else in the kitchen dirty...including your hands.
HeavyTable.com has just released its Atlas of Ethical Eating, a guide to eating + shopping at establishments in the Twin Cities that participate in ethical practices for food. What are the guidelines? In broad terms, the welfare of animals (grass fed, pasture-raised, no hormones), a living wage for employees, and reducing their environmental impact in a variety of ways.
The Atlas is in its infancy, but we look forward to watching it fill up with folks that we will be visiting. Tastebud is thrilled to be included in this list as a caterer with ethical practices. Thanks for taking on this task, Heavy Table! As so many have your commenters have suggested.... when will we get an iPhone app?
Visit HeavyTable.com to view the Atlas for Ethical Eating!
When The Naptime Chef asked me to be a part of a virtual dinner party, re-creating recipes from the Park Avenue Potluck cookbook, I jumped at the chance. My first thought? What do those Park Ave ladies whip up for dinner parties? I was intrigued. The fact that a portion of the proceeds from the Park Avenue Potluck and the newly released Park Avenue Potluck Celebrations go to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York was icing on the cake.
My contribution to the virtual dinner party is Warm Mushroom Rolls. Before I give you the recipe....
Confession #1: I added some cayenne to the original recipe. Like any good Southern Girl, I like a kick with my cocktail. I paired the Warm Mushroom Rolls with a nice, buttery Chardonnay. It went well with the earthy mushrooms, and enhanced the buttery rolls.
Confession #2: I did not need to make all 60 rolls for my virtual dinner companions, so I stirred the remaining filling into some pasta for our dinner. Yum. The filling would also be dynamite tucked into a chicken breast or swirled into risotto. Versatile, indeed!
And now, for the recipe....
Warm Mushroom Rolls
from Park Avenue Potluck cookbook series
Makes 60 rolls
1 medium onion, chopped
1 shallot, chopped
3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
12 ounces white mushrooms
7 tablespoons unsalted butter
1½ tablespoons heavy cream
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1-pound loaf firm sandwich bread (about 15 slices)
Place the onion, shallot, and parsley in a food processor and pulse until finely minced. Remove from the processor, place the mushrooms in the food processor, and pulse until finely chopped. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat, add the mushrooms, and sauté until lightly browned and no liquid remains in the pan. Transfer to a bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter to the pan, then add the onion mixture and sauté until it starts to color. Add to the mushrooms in the bowl and mix with the cream and Worcestershire sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Remove the crusts from the bread. Use a rolling pin to roll each slice flat. Place a heaping tablespoon of the mushroom filling over one side of the bread, then tightly roll up the bread with the filling. Melt the remaining butter. Use some of the butter to brush a foil-lined baking sheet. Place the rolls seam-side down on the baking sheet. Use the remaining butter to brush on the mushroom rolls. Place in the oven and bake for about 25 minutes, until the bread is lightly toasted. Use a serrated knife to cut each roll in 4 pieces, arrange on a platter, and serve. The finished hors d’oeuvres can be made in advance and reheated for about 10 minutes at 325 degrees.Thanks for the dinner party, Ladies!
Yesterday was the Cheese + Apple Fest at Midtown Global Market, and I gave a cooking demonstration for my Apple + Smoked Gouda Turnovers. I have revised the recipe a little since I last shared with you, so here is the Apple + Smoked Gouda Turnovers v. 2.0!
Apple + Smoked Gouda Turnovers
makes 2 dozen
2 sheets puff pastry, thawed
3 apples, peeled, cored and diced
1/4lb smoked Gouda, diced
juice of 1/2 a lemon
1/4t salt
1-2t smoked paprika (optional)
1T all-purpose flour
dash of cayenne
chili powder for garnish
small bowl of water
egg wash (1 egg beaten + 2T water)
-preheat oven to 400˚F
-combine apples, lemon juice, Gouda, flour and seasonings in large bowl and mix to coat
-cut puff pastry into squares, 12 for each sheet
-place teaspoon full of apple filling (more if it will fit!) on to your puff pastry squares
-dab fingers in water and run along 2 edges of the puff pastry square (this will help seal the edges)
-fold into a triangle over the filling and crimp edges
-repeat until all are folded
-place on a baking sheet, baste with egg wash and dust tops with chili powder
-bake at 400˚F for about 15-20 minutes or until turnovers are golden brown and flaky
