Quick Bites: Chef Lee Anne Wong Tofu Cooking Demo

Chef Lee Anne Wong of Top Chef fame demonstrates the many uses of tofu in a demo for House Foods International Tofu at the French Culinary Institute in New York City. Here she shows how to make a Tofu Panna Cotta with Blood Orange and Pistachios. (See below for recipe)

A production of the Culinary Media Network.
www.culinarymedianetwork.com

House Tofu Panna Cotta with Blood Orange and Pistachios

Serves 8

Ingredients

1 block House Foods soft tofu
1/2 cup honey
1 Tablespoon powdered gelatin
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 cup soy milk, room temperature
Pinch of salt
Zest of 1/2 blood orange, peeled into 1-inch wide strips
2 blood oranges
1 recipe blood orange syrup (recipe follows)
1 recipe candied pistachios (recipe follows)
Fresh mint and tarragon, fine chiffonade

Directions

Stir the powdered gelatin and sugar together. Place the soy milk in a small bowl and whisk in the sugar and gelatin, adding in a thin stream. Allow the gelatin to bloom for 5 minutes.

In a blender, combine the soft tofu, honey and a pinch of salt. Blend on high until smooth. Add in the gelatin soy milk mixture and blend again until homogeneous.

Transfer the tofu mixture to a saucepan. Bring the tofu to a simmer while stirring constantly, but not t o a boil, just until the mixture begins to bubble. Whisk once more and remove from the heat. Pour the tofu into 4 ounce ramekins lightly coated with cooking spray. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or until set.

While the panna cotta is chilling, bring a small pot of water to a boil and blanch the strips of blood orange zest for 15 seconds, then strain. Repeat this process twice more, boiling a fresh pot of water each time. Run the zests under cold water, and pat dry with a paper towel. Julienne the strips finely crosswise into 1/2-inch long strands. Set aside and add to the gastrique.

Cut off the tops and bottoms of the blood oranges to expose the pulp and then stand it on one end. Cut away the peel with your knife, following the curve of the fruit. Working over a bowl, gently cut the filets of orange out, slicing between the pith/membranes, being sure to remove the seeds. Squeeze any excess juice from the core into a separate bowl, using the extra juice towards the blood orange gastrique.

Make the gastrique and pistachios according to recipes below. To serve, gently run a knife along the inside edge of the ramekin and invert the ramekin onto a plate. Spoon a few tablespoons of syrup onto each panna cotta and top with several orange filets, candied pistachios, and julienned herbs for garnish.

Blood Orange Gastrique

Ingredients

1 cup sugar
1/4 cup Champagne vinegar
1/4 piece vanilla pod, seeds scraped

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan. Stir well and bring to a boil. Cook the syrup over medium-high heat unti it has reduced by 70% and has a syrupy consistency. Remove from the pan and stir in the blanched zest. Allow the syrup to cool to room temperature.

Candied Pistachios

Ingredients

1 cup shelled raw pistachio nuts
1 Tablespoon honey
1 Tablespoon water
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup Demerara sugar

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350° F. In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, water, salt, and granulated sugar until smooth. Toss the pistachios and Demerara sugar in the honey mixture, stirring to coat.

Spread the nut mixture onto a parchment lined sheet tray in a single layer and bake until the nuts are golden brown, about 8-10 minutes. Allow the nuts to cool to room temperature and then break into small pieces. Store in an airtight container until needed.

ReMARKable Palate #244: An Irish Culinary Celebration

Jennifer and I chat with 3 Irish chefs who were guest chefs at the Park Hotel Kenmare for a special weekend celebrating the special products of the Emerald Isle. Chef Ross Lewis of Chapter One, Chef Derry Clark of l’Ecrivain, both in Dublin, and Chef Mickael Viljanen of Gregan’s Castle in County Clare sat with us over a glass of Irish Whiskey and discussed their love of Irish food.

www.parkkenmare.com
Euro-Toques Ireland

Theme Song: “Go Fish”, by Big Money Grip, from the Podsafe Music Network.

“Limerick’s Lament” (Irish Traditional), by Karin Leitner & Cormac De Barra, from “Music of the Great Irish Houses”. www.karinleitner.com

ReMARKable Palate is a production of The Culinary Media Network. www.culinarymedianetwork.com
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Travel and accommodation provided by Tourism Ireland. www.tourismirelandinfo.com

ReMARKable Palate #243: A Smörgåsbord of Chefs

This week, it’s a Smorgasbord of chefs, as I speak with Chef Jordi Artal of Cinc Sentits Restaurant in Barcelona about this Catalan food, then Chef Lee Anne Wong of Top Chef fame after a tofu cooking demo she did at the French Culinary Institute. It wouldn’t be a smörgåsbord without a Swedish chef! I also speak with Chef Daniel Couet from F12 Restaurant in Stockholm, who shared some of his dishes with us at Scandinavia House in NYC.

Theme Song: “Go Fish”, by Big Money Grip, from the Podsafe Music Network.

ReMARKable Palate is a production of The Culinary Media Network. www.culinarymedianetwork.com

CMN Travels Peru: Chef Dan Barber at Mistura Fair

We were privileged to attend the Mistura Gastronomic Festival in Lima Peru last September, where Chef Dan Barber from Blue Hill Farm and Stone Barns Restaurant in NY was a guest speaker. Chef Barber was there to talk about his farm to table concept, which is not so unusual in Peru as it is here in the States. After Chef Barber’s talk, he spoke with Chef Mark about how we can learn from Peru and balance the scales in favor of more farm fresh food here at home.

www.bluehillfarm.com
www.mistura.pe

A production of the Culinary Media Network.
www.culinarymedianetwork.com

Travel and Accommodation provided by PromPeru.

Winter Special:

This winter season, I’m offering a special price on Personal Chef Dinners for 2, 4, or 6 people in Manhattan. It’s the perfect gift for a food lover, recent parent, or your sweetie, a fabulous way to thank clients for their business, or just an excuse to have a great gourmet dinner at home that you don’t have to cook!

$400 for an all inclusive 4 course dinner for two

$500 for an all inclusive 4 course dinner for four

$600 for an all inclusive 4 course dinner for six

Winter Special

Special Dinner for 2 $400.00 Special Dinner for 4 $500.00 Special Dinner for 6 $600.00

By having set menus with 2 choices for each course, I’m able to offer it at a lower price than the normal menus which are completely customized, as a means of introducing the service to new customers. Price includes shopping, setup, cooking, serving and cleanup! (Menu Substitutions possible for an additional fee)

Please ask me about the special Manhattan Winter dinner pricing when you call.

917-405-0088

remarkablepalate@gmail.com

Current Menu

Salad:

Pear & Prosciutto Salad over Mixed Greens with Sherry Vinaigrette
or
Fennel & Blood Orange Salad with Red Currants and Shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano

Soup:

Curried Butternut Squash Soup with Grannysmith Apple Garnish
or
Apple & Turnip Soup with Cinnamon Creme Fraiche

Main Course:

Lavender & Balsamic Roasted Cornish Hens
or
Bourbon Pork Loin Stuffed with Nuts & Dried Fruits

Dessert:

Poached Pears with Raspberry Coulis

or
Rustic Apple Crostata with Whipped Cream

I bet you didn’t know there WAS a National Personal Chef Day, did you?

Well, July 16th is indeed National Personal Chef Day, but the beautiful thing about it as that it’s the customers that get to celebrate with great home-cooked meals done by chefs who love what they do.

As you know, I am a Certified Personal Chef, and I love providing a myriad of services for my clients in their home, from regular weekday meals stocking their freezers and fridges, to special occasion cooking. You may think of a personal chef as a luxury, but in reality it can be a great way to stay healthy and eat great meals as well as save money, especially if you eat out alot.

Here are just a few of the many reasons to hire a Personal Chef:

* You want to eat better.
* You’re on a specific diet and need help staying on it.
* You’re tired of the same-old take out food.
* Waiting for a table at noisy restaurants is stressing you out.
* You want customized meals designed to your specific taste.
* You have a full-time job and no time to plan healthy meals.
* You want to spend more quality time with your family and less time in the kitchen and grocery store.
* You hate cooking or don’t know how.
* You want to impress your family and friends and make it look like you cooked all day!
* You’re not a big fan of grocery shopping.
* You’re having a party and you’d rather enjoy the party than plan and cook the food.
* You are recuperating and can’t cook for yourself.
* You’d like to surprise your special someone with a romantic dinner for two in the comfort of your own home!

(From the homepage of the NY Chapter of the United States Personal Chef Association of which I was the founding President)

To celebrate National Personal Chef Day AND the summer, I’m offering a special price on dinners for 2 or 4 people in Manhattan:

$300 for an all inclusive 4 course dinner for two
$400 for an all inclusive 4 course dinner for four

By having set menus with 2 choices for each course, I’m able to offer it at a lower price than the normal menus which are completely customized, as a means of introducing the service to new customers. Price includes shopping, setup, cooking, serving and cleanup! (Menu Substitutions possible for an additional fee)
Please ask me about the special summer dinner party pricing when you call. Pricing valid until the end of September.

917-405-0088
remarkablepalate@gmail.com

Of course, if you’re NOT in New York City, you can find a chef anywhere in the country at www.HireAChef.com, the premiere listing source for personal chefs, who are all members of the USPCA, the leader in the industry.

ReMARKable Palate #182: Stephanie Izard

I stroll around the Essex Street Market on the Lower East Side with Top Chef Chicago winner and Audience favorite Stephanie Izard, who tells us about her plans for her new restaurant in Chicago: The Drunken Goat. We taste a number of cheeses and sweets from Saxelby’s Cheeses, Formaggio Essex and an impromptu bacon explosion discussion with the ladies of Roni-Sue’s Chocolates in this binaural soundseeing tour, so listen with your earbuds in for the authentic experience!

StephanieIzard.com
Essex Street Market
Saxelby Cheesemonger
Formaggio Essex
Roni-Sue’s Chocolates

There’s still time to register for the Brooklyn Cookin’ Photography workshop which I’ll lead with my friend Chris Marquardt from Tips From The Top Floor, October 23-24th. Full details at remarkablepalate.com.

Theme Song: “Go Fish”, by Big Money Grip, from the Podsafe Music Network.

ReMARKable Palate is a production of The Culinary Media Network. www.culinarymedianetwork.com

CMN Video: Luxembourg Chef Lea Linster

Jennifer speaks with Luxembourg Chef Lea Linster, the 1st and only woman ever to win the coveted Bocuse d’Or competition, at the International Culinary Center in Manhattan.

A production of The Culinary Media Network. www.culinarymedianetwork.com

CMN Video: Chef Jean-Louis Gerin at James Beard House, Part 2

Jennifer Iannolo joins her friend Chef Jean-Louis Gerin as he serves a dinner at the James Beard House in New York. We go behind the scenes and watch as Jean-Louis and his team plate up the dishes. A production of the Culinary Media Network.

A production of The Culinary Media Network. www.culinarymedianetwork.com

CMN Video: Chef Jean-Louis Gerin at James Beard House, Part 1

Jennifer Iannolo joins her friend Chef Jean-Louis Gerin as he preps for a celebration dinner at the James Beard House in New York. Chef Jean-Louis shows us what he has in store for the diners, then Jennifer speaks with Franck Girard of Moet Hennessy USA about the wine pairings.

A production of The Culinary Media Network. www.culinarymedianetwork.com