Archive for Culinary Events
Cream of Aspragus and Crab Soup, and the Great American Dine Out
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Did you know? You can dine out guilt free, and help to fight child hunger at the same time. The Great American Dine out begins today, and from September 20-26 2009, selected participating restaurants will donate a portion of their proceeds to Share our Strength, which assists community programs that provide help to children at risk of hunger. Their accomplishments to date are very impressive, click here to view their grants at work. Please consider helping them reach their goals. To find out which restaurants in your area are participating, simply enter your zip code here.
Chef Aaron McCargo Jr is a strong supporter and the official spokesperson for Share Our Strength. His love for all things culinary began at age 4, when he learned to bake using his sister’s Easy Bake Oven. A graduate of the Atlantic Cape Community College’s Academy of Culinary Arts, Aaron worked for several east coast restaurants, and is currently star of the Food Network Show Big Daddy’s House. In addition to serving as chef spokesperson for Share our Strength, Aaron regularly speaks to youth at community schools and events to illustrate that they too can succeed. In his honor, Camden NJ Mayor Gwendolyn Faison presented Aaron with keys to the city in 2008 and designated September 25 as Aaron McCargo, Jr. Day. In our featured chef recipe today, Aaron rewards Dineout supporters with a comforting Creamy Asparagus and Crab Soup. Eat out this week, and make the soup next week!
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Chef Michael Smith’s Smoked Salmon Pasta With a Lemon Dill Cheese Sauce
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© www.fallflavours.ca
He’s a well known celebrity chef in Canada, but for those in the US and elsewhere who aren’t familiar, we’d like to introduce you to this James Beard award winning culinary gem. Michael Smith attended the Culinary Institute of America in NYC, worked for several restaurants both abroad and in NY, and is currently stars in Food Network Canada’s tv shows “Chef at Home” and “Chef at Large”. He also is a cookbook author, and you will see him soon in a future Iron Chef episode.
Chef Michael currently lives in Prince Edward Island, (P.E.I.), a beautiful Province and Island in northeast Canada, close to Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. He was recently named the PEI’s ‘Food Ambassador’ and will be a star of the PEI’s Fall Flavours food festival from September 25 – October 4, 2009. Fall Flavors features over 150 culinary events, including delicious tasting workshops, ale and wine tastings, and interactive education including how to catch lobsters or harvest oysters. We will miss the event this year but are already RSVP’ing for 2010!
You will love this chef recipe video from our friends at Le Gourmet Tv: Michael shares a wonderful (and quick) Smoked Salmon Penne Pasta with a a lemon, dill, dijon and caper cream cheese sauce. You may download the printable PDF from Le Gourmet Tv here. Try your best to use fresh dill, but if it is not available, typically 1/4 teaspoon dried dill weed equals a four-inch sprig of dill. That said, add as much as you wish according to taste.
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Must See Video, Hurricane Average Betty hits Aspen Chefs!
Posted by: | CommentsOh my! Diva Average Betty simply rocks this one! Watch her interview the holy trinity of celebrity chefs in this video from the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, including Ming Tsai, Stephanie Izard, and Michael Chiarello!
Not your average hostess, and no standard questions will be heard here! Just hilarious foodie silliness as Betty brings out the lighter side of her favorite tasty chefs, check it out!
Hungry for more Ming? Our friend Jennifer from Daily Blender scored a great interview with him as well in Aspen, check it out here.
Aspen Spotlight: Chef Michael Symon
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The plethora of celebrity chefs attending the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen was overwhelming and enlightening. Always in awe off all legendary chefs, several of them truly carved a footprint for being approachable, personable, and happy to talk with their fans. In addition to Stepanie Izard, Michael Chiarello, Richard Blais, Hosea Rosenberg, and Ming Tsai, we also fell quickly into chefophile love with Chef Michael Symon.
Owner and Executive Chef of Lola and Lolita in Cleveland and Roast in Detroit, Michael held the title of a Food & Wine Best New Chef in 1998, and is recently was named as a James Beard Best Chef in America in the Great Lakes Region for 2009. He has also been a winner on Iron Chef America, and a host on the Food Network show Melting Pot, as well as Dinner Impossible. An wrestler in high school, Michael’s strong presence is softened by his frequent high pitched laugh, and even the most timid of foodies are sure to feel comfortable after a few minute of hearing him speak. I attended his cooking demo entitled “In Praise of Pork” (who could miss that one?) with Chef John of Food Wishes to my left in our prime 2nd row seats. Chef John caught an amusing moment on video of Michael Symon describing his conversation with Tom Colicchio on how to rename “Pork Belly” on his menu for greater customer appeal in the restaurant. This truly is a must see, check it out!
In the demo, Michael prepared a braised pork belly with pickled green tomatoes. Mr “meatcentric” admitted to loving all portions of pork, such as pork tenderloin, but said that he is partial to the fattier portions of the animal such as pork belly for having the best texture and flavor. Here is the recipe for you to make at home, courtesy of Michael Symon, thank you!
Braised Pork Belly
Ingredients:
2 lbs of pork belly, skin removed
2 tbsp of kosher salt
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tbsp crushed red pepper
1 tsp cinnamon
Grated zest of 1 orange
1 red onion sliced
1 carrot sliced
1 bay leaf
1 cup of white wine
1 quart chicken stock
1 cinnamon stick
Mix together the salt, sugar, coriander seeds, crushed red pepper, ground cinnamon and orange zest. Rinse the pork belly and pat dry. Coat the pork belly with the seasoned salt and place in a sturdy resealable plastic bag, and refridgerate overnight or for 24 hours.
Preheat the oven to 275F. Rinse the seasoning off of the pork belly, pat dry. In a large pot, combine the onion, carrot, garlic, bay leaf, white wine, chicken stock and cinnamon stick, bring to a simmer. Place the belly in a casserole dish or dutch oven and pour the liquid over it. Cover and bake for 7 hours.
Remove the casserole from the oven and let the pork belly cool in the liquid, let cool until ready to serve.
In the demo he cut the pork into sandwich friendly slices, making a savory baguette sandwich topped with pickled green tomatoes.
I had several questions to ask him after the show, but had to put on my nursing hat for 10 minutes, ask Chef John about that one! All and all a very memorable lesson in pork, and if you are lucky enough to live in Michigan or Ohio, absolutely pay a visit to one of Michael Symon’s restaurants. Also be sure to visit Amazon and preorder his new cookbook due for release in November, Michael Symon’s Live to Cook: Recipes and Techniques to Rock Your Kitchen.
For more delicious Michael Symon recipes, check out:
- His top 100 Food Network recipes
- Pickled Chilli Peppers
- Greek Meatballs and Tomato Salad from the Dinner Impossible show
- For Scallops with a Warm Ginger Vinaigrette, Roast Salmon with Ancho Chili Ginger Sauce and Couscous,Pork Shoulder braised in Ginger Beer, and Ginger Mango Rice Pudding with Thai Basil recipes go here
- Spicy Sriracha Chicken Wings a must try recipe receiving 10 5 star ratings from food network reviewers
- Spicy Tomato and Blue Cheese Soup
- Creamed Corn
- Cheesy BLT’s
- Famous Mac and Goat Cheese
- And a delicious looking Sopressata, Prosciutto, Mozzarella, Egg, and Basil Breakfast Sandwich recipe.
Also be sure to feast on savory Food & Wine Classic in Aspen photos from our slideshow!
