Last week was the first of hopefully many Chef War battles, battle pork ribs. The concept is inspired by the Iron Chef that all of us have seen on the Foodnetwork. Mastermind behind Utah's Chef War is Chef Jonas Otsuji. I have taken several classes that Jonas held at Gygi and all I can say is that sushi will never be the same after that. Before, I could actually go to my local grocery store, and if in a mood for sushi, buy one of those packages of California rolls or whatever they offer. Not anymore. I just figure, if I'm going to do it, I'm going to do it right. No more prepackaged sushi for me! Thank you, Jonas!
I wasn't sure what to expect from volunteering on this event, I was a bit nervous. Because of that, I cut my finger within the first minute I grabbed a knife. I felt like a total idiot! But everyone was really nice and soon I was in my grove. I just get lost in this world of food. It is what I think I'm good at. I love learning about it, and I love preparing it so people can enjoy it. I feel like it's that one place where I really belong.
Chef Giovanni Bouderbala and Chef Raul Mendez, both local chefs to Salt Lake City, were the first two chefs to battle each other. The dishes that came out were amazing. Watching them create them on the spot was even more amazing, and all this was spiced up with fun leading from Jonas. A very relaxed and fun environment, and I was a part of it! I hope there will be another battle organized soon, and until then, I leave you with some pictures...
Guess where I'm going to be this Tuesday? :o)
Date : 25 January 2011
From : 6:30pm To : 8:00pm
Where: Orson H. Gygi Company
HOW IT WORKS:
Two professional local chefs are chosen to compete in making 3 dishes from a single theme ingredient.
The audience tastes the dishes and votes for their favorite chef. A panel of five culinary guests will also taste and vote on the dishes. The total scores are added up and the winner is announced.
Our goal is to provide a unique and memorable food experience while helping local restaurants and chefs improve their business.
To view more details visit chefwar
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Yesterday I volunteered at Gygi again. This time the teacher was Kim Warren, and many yummy foods were cooked! Roasted asparagus, Hollandaise sauce, Italian style chicken Cordon Bleu, Filet Mignon...but my favorite was the simple but genius appetizer, warm artichoke and parmesan filled Wonton cups.
Kim is a really cool and relaxed person so it was fun to work with her. For me a huge plus was that I basically got to make this. She was around the whole time, available for questions, but I love that she had faith in us to really do stuff. At one point I thought I over-salted them, but she was so cool and calm about it, it helped me not to freak out. I thought I just messed up the whole appetizer for a huge and important group of people! But, in the end they turned out perfect. I tend to overreact. I am not overreacting though, when I say these are awesome!
Artichoke and Parmesan Filled Wonton Cups
by Kim Warren
1 package fresh square Wonton Wraps
1 14 oz can Artichoke Hearts (not marinated), and quartered
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan Cheese, plus more for topping
1 cup Mayonnaise
1 cup Sour Cream
1 small Shallot, finely minced
1 Garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed
1/4 t. Tabasco sauce
Salt and Pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
Place one wonton skin in each cup of 2 mini muffin pans and gently press to form a cup. Bake 5-7 minutes until just starting to turn pale golden color. Remove from oven and alow to cool a bit.
In a food processor with steel blade attached combine artichoke hearts, 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, mayonnaise, sour cream, shallot, garlic and Tabasco sauce.
Process on pulse setting until combined but small chunks of artichoke remain.
Spoon about 1 T. artichoke mixture into each wonton cup then top with more freshly grated parmesan cheese.
Return to the oven and bake until cups turn nicely golden brown and warmed through.
Carefully remove to serving platter and serve warm at room temperature.
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I found a new thing to be obsessed with! Bento! These adorable little boxes for lunches are everything I love in one. Boxes. I love boxes, any size, made out of anything! LOVE! I also love food, believe it or not :D! And, I love, love, love playing with it. I love pretty things, I love cutting out shapes and making something out of almost nothing. This was made for me, people!
But you know what was hard? Deciding on THE box. So after almost two months of not being able to decide...while researching things about bento, I found it. IT! Exhibit A:
For so many reasons this was THE box. First, it looks awesome, retro and modern at the same time. Second, it is big enough and so functional. Third, its cheap. Fourth, (and most important one for me) it reminded me of a cartoon I grew up with (Baltazar) and a can of sardines made into a bed and a big flower above it pretending to be a lamp. Not following me? Never mind. It is THE box, and that is all that matters.
So I got it...and then I realized, I can't eat soups with it. It doesn't make it any less perfect in my eyes, but it did give me a reason to get another one. Exhibit B:
This gorgeous box had to be ordered from Japan. But how could I resist? :)
Here is another shot of it:
So much cuteness! And again, funcionality! The first meals out of these beauties were unfortunately not recorded. Something with happines in my brain and my son seeing TOYS! ME EAT TOYS! I barely saved my soy sauce frogger!
Did you notice the little stand on the bunny bottle? And the little funnel for easier filling of them? Perfection! Want more perfection? Look at these food pics and cutters:
I am sorry, I have to show you something else. Onigiri rice molds and egg molds, bunny and bear. My son loves it as much as I do!
So now I am a proud owner of these boxes and I can't wait to start creating little edible art lunches! My husband wants them too. The lunches. Not the boxes. When asked which box does he want for himself, he categorically refused a real bento box and decided on a $3 default grocery store plastic one. Whatever floats his boat. :D
Picture of my collection, with DH's respective box on the bottom. :D
Today I was shopping around for some things and I saw a very cool looking ravioli making machine. I had to work very hard on leaving the store without it, but in all truth, I just couldn't justify buying it since my kitchen is already overflowing with a ton of stuff I have, and I make fresh ravioli at least . . . uhm . . . never?!
So I said to myself, let's try making them without the machine first, see how hard it is, and then go from there. And I did. I went and found a recipe from the Food Network website and I had a perfectly nice dinner made in no time!
Ravioli dough:
450g all purpose flour
4 large eggs, plus 1 egg yolk
1/4 cup of olive oil
salt
about 2 T. of water
Make a little well out of the flour and add eggs to it, along with oil, water and salt. Using a fork, mix together the egg, water and oil, and slowly start incorporating the flour from the sides to the wet mix. When enough of flour is added to the wet mass (so if you mixed it with hands it wouldn't leak)start kneading it. This will take about ten minutes or until you end up with a very smooth dough.
While you are waiting for the dough to rest, make the filling.
Ravioli filling:
little oil
Ground pork or Italian sausage
1 medium onion
fresh spinach
2 T. freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/4 t. salt
a dash of ground pepper
1 to 2 t. of brown sugar
Cook spinach in a pot with boiling water. When the spinach is cooked, squeeze the excess water and chop it. In a pan, cook the pork with little salt and pepper. When it's cooked take it out of the pan and set aside. In the same pan, sauté onions that have been cut into little strips. You can add more oil if needed. Add a little bit of brown sugar too, it will help the onions get nicely caramelized. When they are done, mix them in with the pork. Add parmesan and mix again. Cover the filling while you are making ravioli.
Making the ravioli:
Take half of the dough and start rolling it. You need to get it very thin! :)
When that is done, take a knife or a pizza cuter and cut the sides of the dough so it makes a rectangle. You want it do be wide and double the height of the desired ravioli size.
The point is to spoon a T. of filling on the lower side of the rectangle, through the whole length every inch and a half or so. Once that is done, take a brush (or use your fingers) and sparingly brush it around the filling. This is our 'glue', what will hold the ravioli together so it doesn’t fall apart. Take the tops of the rectangle and cover the bottom of it. Use your fingers to seal the dough around the ravioli making sure to get rid of all the air pockets. This would also cause the ravioli to open when cooking. Cut out the ravioli with a cookie cutter, glass or pizza cutter, depending the shape you prefer best. Put them on a floured surface and cover with a dish rag.
Repeat with the other half of the dough.
When you are ready to cook them, boil the water and add salt and oil to it. Fresh pasta needs less cooking time, just three to four minutes.
While they are cooking, make the sauce. I decided on a very mild sauce because I wanted the star to be the ravioli itself - with their filling. I just melted some butter in a pan, added a little bit of chopped fresh tarragon and some parmesan cheese. I added ravioli to it, and when I served them I garnished them with a bit of chopped pistachios.
All this probably sounds a bit complicated, but it is not! I just make it look like that with my awful writing! :) It is fun and easy to make them and it's really special to make it on your own. It’s totally different than bought pasta. The best part is that you can play with the filling so much. Prosciutto, basil and mozzarella, or tuna with capers . . . Have fun with it . . .
Conclusion to the ravioli making machine is that it is certainly not needed, but it would make the whole thing even easier. I will see if I will get the urge to make the ravioli often, so I wouldn't feel guilty about buying the machine!
