Month: December 2017

The holiday is upon us, and people are getting excited about pumpkin-based food and drink. Of course, by the end of the year, people will be truly tired of pumpkin in just about everything, but for now, we can rejoice in the love of these gorgeous gourds!

 

Last night, I went on a cooking binge and did a few experiments. My dinner consisted of some store-bought crepes that I spread with a mixture of puréed pumpkin and sour cream. Then, I sautéed some leeks with garlic, sage, white wine, and roasted chicken. Altogether stuffed inside a crepe, these make a great savory treat!

But today, I’ve given into my weakness for sweetness, and worked with some fresh plums supplied from my girlfriend’s mother to come up with a delicious treat. Hopefully, I’ll find several people to help me finish it.

Pumpkin Plum Upside-Down Cake

Pre-heat oven to 350.

Melt 1 stick of butter in a cast iron skillet on low heat. Add brown and white sugars, and stir to melt together. Place the slices of plum in concentric circles around the pan and allow them to caramelize in the mixture for couple of minutes, then remove from heat.

Cream the rest of the butter and sugar in a mixer until smooth. Then, add eggs one at a time.

Add in yogurt and pumpkin and blend until well incorporated.

Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl. Then add slowly to the rest of the mix. 

Spoon the cake batter over the plum mixture, and carefully spread it across the pan.

Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes until set. Let sit for 10 minutes before inverting onto a serving platter.

Enjoy with some vanilla ice cream.

 

 

That’s right! Even if you don’t need chef services every day, you might find you’d appreciate a chef on those special occasions. Need flowers? We can pick them up. Want a wine recommendation to match your menu? We can make it happen. The other night, our couple wanted to re-live their trip last year to Italy, so I constructed four courses to give them a little return journey.

We had special menus printed out, wines paired, and flowers arranged. Below is the menu, and I’ll even throw in one of the recipes that turned out amazingly well!

Antipasto:
Fiche con Gorgonzola
Baked Figs with Gorgonzola, Walnuts, and Lavender Balsamic Reduction

Primo:
Minestra di Mais e Granchio
Chilled Corn Soup with Crab and Chive Oil

Secondo:
Pettine Tagliata
Seared Sea Scallops with Balsamic Mushrooms over Arugula with Rosemary Potatoes and Lemon Truffle Vinaigrette

Dolce:
Gelato di Vaniglia con Fragole
Vanilla Gelato with Fresh Strawberries, drizzled with Chocolate Balsamic Reduction

Now, you may be thinking that corn isn’t Italian, but keep in mind that they do have polenta over there. Plus, before the voyage to the New World, Italy didn’t have many other ingredients that we now associate with Italian food. Bell Peppers, tomatoes, and other nightshades are (historically speaking) relatively new to Italian cuisine.

In any case, here’s a great chilled soup recipe to enjoy at the end of your summer.

Chilled Corn and Crab Soup with Chive Oil

2 ears Corn
1/2 Yellow Onion, diced
6 cloves Garlic, Minced
1/2 lb King Crab Legs
2 cups Chicken Stock
1 bunch Chives, chopped
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Cut the crab out of its shell, and reserve some large pieces of the shell for the stock.

Saute the onion and garlic in 1 tablespoon of olive oil until soft. Add the corn, crab shell, stock and a bit of salt and pepper.

Bring to a boil, then reduce and let simmer, covered, for about 30 minutes.

Remove from heat and take out the crab shells and corn. Cut the corn from the cob and discard the shells. Return the corn kernels to the stock mixture, reserving about a 1/2 cup for garnish.

Blend the corn and stock mixture until smooth. Put half of the mixture through a mesh strainer for a smooth texture. Then thicken that thinner mixture with the rest of the puréed corn. Place in the fridge to chill for at least an hour.

 

 

 

 

For garnish, toss the remaining whole corn kernels with 2 tablespoons of chopped chives. Blend the remaining chives with the rest of the olive oil until smooth.

To serve, ladle a bit of the soup mixture into a small bowl or cup, crumble a bit of crab into it, top with the corn/chive mixture, and drizzle with the chive oil. Enjoy the delicate flavors!