Salad/Sandwiches/Cheese and BBQ

Salads, dressings, sandwiches, visit from a Cheese Monger aka Chef Starr and to finish the week BBQ. We had a day of totally creative freedom and one day of copying others EXACTLY. Chef Starr Cornwall came to chat with us about CHEESE, she was awesome! Here's the photo story for this week.

- Classic Salads - 

We had to use all the proper ingredients, 

but we could present them in our own way.

Waldorf Salad

Greek Salad

Spinach Salad w/ Bacon Dressing

Next up for Salads, we had to copy a picture out of a book and make it exactly like the picture. 

My version and the picture from the book

Lobster Artichoke Salad

rounds of artichoke hearts, filled with mustard whip cream, chopped lobster and artichoke hearts, floating in saute verte with lobster medallions and claw meat

My version and the picture from the book

Asparagus Salad

center is filled with roasted eggplant puree, 

floating in vichyssoise w/ caviar

Classic Club

Classic Ruben

Classic Croque Monsieur

CHEESE! Chef Starr was a blast, she taught me A LOT.

KR this is your night cheese !

This feisty little guy was trying to step to me. 

My chef knife and me won the battle.

Grilled delight.

this is our protein assortment for BBQ day, it was a feast for many

tri tips, chicken breast, quail, lobster, shrimp, filet mignon, salmon, mahi mahi, pork medallions, cornish game hens, top sirloin, lamb chops

grill feast is ready

Mystery Basket #1

Last week was our first mystery basket week. We'd get 1 hour and 45 minutes to complete 2 plates with 2 different proteins as well as a starch and a veggie for each plate. The protein was revealed right when the clock started. It was an amazing learning experience, little scary, super fun and kind of freeing. We could cook anything we wanted with what we could find in the walk in fridge and we had use of the entire pantry. I thought for sure this week would kick my ass, but as the week went on I felt like I was doing the ass kicking. Learned a lot and had a blast. Check out my creations.

Herb Crusted Salmon w/couscous & asparagus 

and lemon butter caper sauce.

Poached Seabass in a lite lemon thyme broth.

this one needs some work. LOL

Pork Skewers w/ Fennel Orange salad 

and chili dipping sauce.

Lamb Loin crusted with Fennel and Caraway seeds

and red wine mustard sauce.

Spicy Shrimp Skewers w/ purple cabbage slaw, soba noodles.

and sweet chili dipping sauce.

Prosciutto wrapped Scallops w/ sun dried tomato basil sauce

over a bed of micro mustard greens.

 

Grilled Veal Chop w/ Orzo corn asparagus salad 

and Porcini Gorgonzola sauce.

Isn't she the cutest thing EVER ?!?!? My cousin Amy sent me this outfit she had specially made for Barbie. I squealed like a 6 year old when I opened this. Thanks AMY ! you rock.

Foods of Asia

Hey All - Sorry for the late posting, I'm trying very hard to post weekly on Saturday's, but our Asia week got split up and I wanted to wait until we'd done all 5 days. Asia is HUGE and this week we lightly touched on the core, in regards to regions, spices and local foods. Enjoy the photo tour, it won't be nearly as good as smelling and eating it all, but lovely to view for sure.

Khayanthee Thoke (Burma)

this was like Baba Ghanoush, but spicy. super yummy.

Keema Kofta (India)

Spicy Lamb Meatballs

Rendang Daging (Malaysia)

Coconut Beef OMG delish !

Tom Kha Gai (Thailand)

My most favorite Thai soup ever and it was so easy to make.

Lumpiang Shanghai (Philippines)

classic Lumpia

Spring Rolls (China)

Ooolong Sea Bass

To ready us for mystery basket week, Chef gave us Sea Bass, Soba noodles and zucchini and cook however you want, but do an Asian spin on it. I LOVE the Oolong Sea Bass at PF Chang's, so I did my best to replicate it. I topped it with mustard micro greens. It turned out AWESOME.

Sushi day!! This is my first crunchy roll.

Caterpillar Roll and Spicy Tuna Roll

Cucumber Ocotpus Salad and Tuna Poki

Next week is mystery basket all week, wish me luck.

Espana!

Spain week was yummy, loved all the tapas. Take a look and enjoy.

Camarones al ajillo

champinones al ajillo w/ serrano ham

Artichokes y Serrano Ham

Shrimp Cocktail

Sopa de Ajo

Gazpacho

Delicias de Queso & Shrimp Cakes

Scallops atop Potato Rosti w/spicy tomato sauce

Spicy Lamb Stew

Golden Beet Salad

Mar y Montana w/ Picada sauce

Sangria

Paella

Viva Italia

Italy week was a blast, so much yummy food. Take a look and enjoy. If you want any of the recipes let me know by leaving a comment.

Sea Bass over Fennel Risotto

Veal Scallopini

Osso Bucco braised with Chianti/Demi Glace

Grinding beef, pork and veal for meat sauce

Big pot of meat sauce

making pasta

Gnocchi

This is called a Chittada, very cool pasta cutting tool.

Spinach Ricotta Ravioli with Meat Sauce

Butter Sage sauce for the Gnocchi, this was insanely delicious.

LOVE the Italian mise en place, so pretty with all the color.

Pappa al Pommodora

Veal Costelleta w/ Porcini Wine Sauce over Chianti Sage Risotto

Spinach Ricotta Gnocchi w/ Gorgonzola Sauce

Pizza toppings ready to go.

Pizza Day! yum