Visiting Chef Series

This week at school we had an opportunity to sit in on the first visiting chef series at JCCC. The Charming Chef Michael Smith was talking about Tapas and demoing several recipes. His life experiences and travels were inspiring! Some of his favorite foods are not any of mine like roasted rabbit brains and blood sausage just to name a couple.
He gave all the recipes that he made that night. My favorite was Chickpea Salad 'Pinotxo' Style

Makes 4 quarts
1 quart cooked chickpeas
1/3 cup white raisins-soaked in water for 20 min-then chopped
1 piece Morcilla sausage-peeled and minced
1 whole onion-fine diced and sauteed 1 min
1/4 cup toasted pistachios- rough chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup Sherry Vinegar
Salt and Pepper

Method

cook chickpeas in salted water until soft 3-4 hours.Mix all remaining ingredients together.Adjust acidity and salt and pepper.

heart stopping week....

On Wednesday I created a Love statue made out of ALL Chocolate! It was really fun but messy. I love the whole love note thing and the question of Be Mine. I carved the hearts out of white chocolate and sign is made of Almond paste {the only exception to All Chocolate}.


Thursday the production for the BIG weekend started with dozens of Tuxedo Chocolate dipped strawberries and lots of love filled recipes...I was so busy that I really could get too many pictures! Our Cases was probably the most beautiful it has ever been!

We had so many item it was almost too much to fill of two cases! It would lie if I didn't say it that there was stress and a small amount of tears{from me...I was truly exhausted this week and having a hell of a time with writing chocolate! There was also some creative differences that can be frustrating!}

But all in all we came together and kicked butt and had a steady line out the door for about an hour! Thank goodness I'm off to a new production list {makes it interesting}.

Cheesecakes and Othellos

Well this week in school I had Cheesecakes, Othellos and Rosemary bread.
I chose to do a plain cheesecake this week....next week I'm thinking raspberry white chocolate?We'll see.
To play with my Chef I told him that my signature L would be the design on the Othellos...He wasn't amused!

No worries this is what they looked like. I really like these ...french macaroons sandwiched with mocha buttercream dipped in chocolate.
It was a strange week but I made it through I'm hoping to get through this winter slump and start kicking butt!LOL

Lavender Lemon Meringue Tart

A Tribute to one of my favorites... Lemon Meringue, I haven't had much luck in making a good one. This one is the closest to what I'd sell though I think there is a few more things that need tweeking.

A new and fun crust for me is to make a standard sweet pastry dough and roll it out with graham cracker crumbs. It adds a lot of texture without being too grahamy {for a lack of a better word}.
I used a 9" tart pan ...blind baking my crust on 350 for 10 mins. I don't use pie weights I just put holes with a knife before baking..seems to keep it in its shape.
I had received lots of fabulous Gourmet Lavender items like Lav Sugar, Honey and Dark Chocolate from a beautiful little store called Pelindaba lavender. I decided to incorporate Lavender to my meringue tart.
To start the curd process I heated to a simmer 2 cup of sugar, 1/2 c. of cornstarch, 1/2 tsp of fine sea salt and 3 cups of cold water and brought it to a simmer.{It turn translucent}


Then I added 12 egg yolks, 2 Tbsp of lemon zest, 2 tsp of Lavender, a cup of fresh lemon juice and 4 tablespoon of butter. One it was thick and looks like a curd take off heat and place plastic wrap over it.

Then make your Meringue-

4 egg whites,1/2 c. of sugar plus 2 Tbsp. and 1/2 tsp. of cream of tarter in your kitchen aid with your whip until full stiff peaks



Fill with warm curd and spoon on meringue. Bake for 20mins on 325.
Viola! It is very good! The flavor and smell is intoxicating... I just want it to be a bit tarter and thicker but that is a personal taste.

Bacon and Chocolate?

I got this wonderful care package from my sister... full of fabulous goodies! Along with lots of my staple favorites like red wine and sea salted dark chocolate was some fun stuff to try.
I was very intrigued when I saw Mo's Bacon Bar ...Hummm I thought. I know I like the whole bacon maple combo...so why not chocolate? Some things do not work this one being one! It was terrible! I'm blogging about it to warn you that bacon especially bit like pieces are not good with chocolate.. Fun to try but do not buy! Thanks Lorie I loved everything else :)

{ I think Abby agrees}