Tuscan Dreams--The next level--Over the top

Some people are lucky, some just fall in it. Chef P' has just received the gift of a lifetime. The only thing better might be doing it in Tuscany. Maybe in the future. Still, I'm a thousand miles from  Pete', but I'm as jealous as can be. I can't wait for a follow-up with photos next week. Just to make your mouth water, here is what possessed me to drool early this morning.

The Invitation

Hi Chef Pete' and Deb, Chef Gina Stipo, from Italy is preparing an Italian dinner at out home on Saturday, March 6th at 7:00 PM. Karen and Kenny S--- and the S-----t's purchased this item at a Fundraising event last summer for the Italian Cultural Institute of Louisville. We would love for you to be our guest, along with two other couples. Chef Gina is also an author of a Cookbook and is an expert on the history and traditions of the Palio. Just let us know and have a great weekend.   Le--a

This is it on YouTube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VM0YqFJrypk

Whether you have a day, a week or only a couple of days, let us show you the tastes of Tuscany. While you’re in Tuscany, join us for a morning or two in the kitchen for a hands-on Italian cooking class focusing on the foods and wines of Tuscany. The four-course lunch will be paired with wines from the region. The classes are held on a lovely estate in a 900-year-old mill with a large stone kitchen. Feel and experience the history of Tuscany through its foods and wines.

Our weeklong all-inclusive culinary tour gives you an in-depth experience of Italian cooking and the Tuscan way of life. Your accommodations are on a lovely olive estate just south of Siena in an 18th century villa or farmhouse renovated with care to include many of the original Tuscan architectural features. Walking trails through olive groves or cypress lined lanes give you the opportunity to enjoy the beauty of Tuscany. The culinary tour includes a full week of cooking classes, 7 nights accommodations, visits to local wine and food producers, wine tours, most all meals with wine and visits to quaint local villages. During the week we will open up the world of Tuscan wines from the basics to the complexities of this varied region.

Italian chef, Gina Stipo, leads and teaches the single day cooking classes and the fun, week-long immersion style culinary tour. Whether your vacation dreams are to spend a morning cooking or a week learning and living as a Tuscan, we can help you fulfill that dream and come away with beautiful memories.

She is interesting to do a Google search on. She was in Sarasota on feb. 20th.

Chef P' says, "OMG!
I think I may have an Italian mistress."

Blogmaster says " It looks as though the class is all women, where do I sign up?"

More, after the experience.

Vi auguriamo una buona salute
We wish you good health

Black Grouper with Tomato and Corn salad

When in Florida, how can you resist a grouper sandwich? It’s a staple here. I’ve had friends visit and eat grouper for every lunch and dinner for 4 days. They can’t get enough. Neither can I. The interesting thing is that grouper is not grouper. There are various kinds and a search on the internet will yield better info than I have but here goes. Correct me if I’m wrong.

The most common grouper is “red”. However there is also “Gag”, “Black”, “Scamp”, “Snowy”, and maybe even a few others. There is a season on grouper that might dictate what kind you get and when. The fish gets better and more expensive as you move down the line. My absolute fav is Snowy. Usually caught, at depths of more than 800 feet, off the coast of Cuba. To die for. Readily available probably in January and February when local restrictions apply to other varieties. In any event if you can get one of these varieties, don’t hesitate.

More grouper types

Tonight it’s black grouper pan seared with Panko and finished in the oven. No sauce or a mild ginger/lemongrass sauce on the side, or any other sauce that floats you boat. I served it with a salad of roasted kernels from corn on the cob, mixed with tomatoes and served with a garlic vinaigrette over farm raised organic red leaf lettuce.

Simple, light and enjoyable.

City Chicken--Sweet Potato and Bacon Hash-- Mushroom Ragu

I honestly am unsure where or how the concept of city chicken developed but without researching it I will wager a guess that in days of old, some urban areas, where fresh farm animals were not readily available came the concept of city chicken. Cubes of pork and veal skewered on a stick to resemble a chicken leg! Is there any better explanation out there? Small chance you will see city chicken at a grocery store, at least not where I’ve lived. You might see it in a butcher shop, and if not, ask them if they can make it for you. Most shops know what it is and if they have the chunks available they will gladly assemble it for you.

How to cook it? The old standby method. Dip the skewers in an egg wash, coat with Panko crumbs or bread crumbs. Pan sear on all sides in a mixture of olive oil and butter until brown. Finish in the oven until done. About 30 minutes at 350 should do it.

I’m a gravy lover (Sauce lover if you like) so I usually have some sort of a brown sauce, like bordelaise, mushroom sauce, or whatever you have in your pantry that you like. Mushroom ragu was my choice today.

This particular day we received some fresh sweet potatoes from a neighbor and decided to try a new recipe called Sweet Potato Hash. Basically bacon, onions, and small cubes of the potatoes. It was very tasty and a good accompaniment. It amazes me that such a veggie can be made in so many different ways. My wife, years ago, would not go near a sweet potato. Yuk, she said, to the sweet and syrupy marshmallow topped concoction of old. Today Sweet potato hash, fries, mashed, etc. are all on the plus side to try. Recently, on GMA, Emeril made a sweet potao salad. Grillled slices of SP, topped with red onion slices and a mild vinegarette. Looked good.

We'd love to hear your commments and feelings about sweet potato's. Chef P' is insistent that the skins are nutritious? Keep them on or not?

Chef Pete' Feeds All Comers

Dinner at 5, as usual and on time..
2 Bucks and 4 does cue up for dinner on our deer block, here at Buck Run.
Doesn't he feed the birds?

Chef Pete`

Marzetti Ultimate Blue Cheese Chicken

It sticks in my mind that recipes offered by companies trying to sell a product are almost always good. The company does not want to disappoint, they want to sell product.  In this case it's Marzetti Salad Dressings. Simple, elegant, easy, rich, full of nutrients etc.  The recipe was passed on by my sister. We tried it the other day. We gave it applause.   Catches your attention to think of sauteed apple & celery. An interestingly good combo. These are our results and the recipe.

Marzetti Ultimate Blue Cheese Chicken Recipe

Ingredients
3/4 cup Marzetti Ultimate Blue Cheese Dressing
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt and black pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 Granny Smith apple, cored and sliced
1 cup sliced celery
1/3 cup sliced shallots or red onion
8 ounces clean baby spinach
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

Directions
Season chicken with salt, pepper and paprika
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a skillet over medium high heat and sear both sides of chicken
Continue to cook over medium heat until chicken is thoroughly cooked
Transfer to a plate and keep warm
In same skillet, heat remaining oil and saute apples, celery and shallots until tender
Gently heat Blue Cheese dressing in a saucepan; do not bring to a boil
Arrange spinach on plates, top with hot vegetables, apples and chicken
Spoon warm dressing over all and sprinkle with pine nuts
Serve

Valentines Day (interesting)

I can only begin with an explanation. Roasted Beet Salad has been a recent effort that has consumed Chef Pete' ever since he had this most marvelous salad at a Punta Gorda , FL restaurant. Tonight he attempted it at a Valentines Day dinner for six. To sum it up this is what his mother said. "...poor Jim ( Chef P')..his roasted beet salad did not live up to his expectations.. I told him yesterday that I had two jars of Aunt Nellie's sliced pickled beets that I could bring over and slip in the back door and no one need know!"Joy

This is how the Chef viewed it. Can you believe that the famed Farmer Fred was in attendance for this demonstration? No mention of Farmer Dog. Thanks to Chef Deb for pulling it out of Chef Pete' hands.
The newspaper under the salads was a nice touch that was an original idea created by Chef Pete'.

PART 1 ( the beginning)

V-

Valentine's Dinner:
The "Roasted Beet Salad RBS" started off poorly....
Right off the bat, the shallots started to burn. So I did what you would do, and quickly took the pan out into the snow. Quick thinking saved the day.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

The Chevre, starting to stray from the recipe. At this point thoughts of saving the dish from becoming a mushy failure,

are beginning to rage in my mind. I seem to make everything a stew, regardless of the recipe. Notice the new tongs that automatically open and close. Not cheap but a great innovation.

Tonight's Guests> Oil Painter< Tom F. (notecards & paintings for sale)

Farmer Fred (w/ FarmDog) and their girl friends...

It is good thing they like vino. Perhaps their minds will stray from the food

Part II (The truth)

V- 

Valentines Dinner for 6 @ 6

Farmer Fred brought his roasted garlic, and tempted us w/ a new Kale & Sausage dish to rival his personal best.

I will attempt to get the full recipe.

Plating of the much anticipated "Roasted Beet Salad". Hope springs eternal at this stage.

The setting... at this point "The Roasted Beet Salad" still looked good. I should have known it was to good to be true.

The jury approved..... the Chef said "it tasted like expensive sawdust" (never again).

Burning my concocted recipe will save     humanity from this dish.

At this point I needed a taste I recognized. Chef Deb's tuscan pork tenderloin... yum!

Farmer Fred's farm raised strawberry jam on top of pound cake. After a couple glasses of vino, I thought Fred had lost his mind & plated more pork tenderloin for dessert.

For once we had the right wine for the evening.

Love to all,

Spanish Nights Ole'

Dear www.Every-Day-Is-A-Banquet.blogspot.com,

Spanish Night -Dos, was dinner for seis at Chef JR's 100 year old Casa.

I must mention that Chef JR & his blushing bride set aside all other commitments for a Date every Saturday night (for 36 years), come hell or high water. So you can imagine, we scarfed up this invitation to a "Saturday Date Night" dinner.

Chef Deb's zucchini/ sun-dried tomato/ chevre, served on an a Platter by artist Linda Jones.

Broccoli, saffron rice & Spanish puerco chops in a concoction

of cebolla, peppers, tomatoes & secret ingredients.

I will beg for the recipe.

As Chef JR took the Le Creuset lid off the main corso, I was sure we had a great shot & story of Failure. Which would make a great Blog entry....

I was slightly disappointed, because a tremendous story was dashed...

a maravilloso entree was plated for the table.

Amazing what a little drizzle does for presentation.

Several Spanish Vino tinto, vino blanco, sherry and

port selections from the owners wine cellar were enjoyed.

The well stocked cellar remains a bit of mystery. I asked for a tour, to no avail.

The evening ended, as it began with display of Judy's jugs.

As with the evening, we were delighted to see them.

Sinceramente,

Chef Pete`
http://www.every-day-is-a-banquet.blogspot.com/

Farmer Fred Exposed

You have to look back to last year (09/04/09)  for Farmer Fred’s Recipe. An influential icon in Chef P’s ability to create. We give kudos to Fred. I met him once but appreciate this update to really understand the motivation for his creations. We may have something in common. Do you have another chair Fred, I’ve got the dog and an idea for bread.

An evening on the town

V-

Quite an evening;

It was like old home week....

all our friends seem to be Ella fans.

Sampled some good Belgian beers. Including a

"Triple Hops Slammer" (guess you had to be there).

Was not tempted to order "Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon 23 year old" at

 $66/ glass... since you weren't there.

Although Gary said, anytime you can get a 23 yr. old for $66........

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                         Of course, I had to sample the competition......

"The Roasted Beet Salad".

Not up to The Perfect Caper's dish.

Sunday, I'll try my hand at it.

Cap the night at the new mega

irish bar near the new Arena.

(Gary's purse in back ground).

 

Regards from Louisville,

Chef Pete`

http://every-day-is-a-banquet.blogspot.com

Was Chef Pete' Pleased?

So incredible I had to take a photo. The Chef P was overwhelmed with something. He was very generous to his waitress. I wonder why?

Indy Artist shows more talent

Sister Jean has a gift. We are pleased to portray her paintings. Chef Pete' needs to learn to appreciate the atmosphere they contribute to fine dining.

Polish or American

Who, on occasion, can resist a hot dog, brat or polish sausage. I think it is always a temptation. The other day I was at my favorite Italian market, "Paesanos". They have loads of great things, one of which is the best all around butcher shop I know. Besides various types of Italian sausages I came across Kielbasi. In my mind Polish.  I happen to have some onion and red and green pepper that I sauteed prior to adding the cooked sausage. I accompanied the dish with pan fried fingerling potato's. Horseradish on the side for the sausage.  My idea of an easy quick fix dinner for the wife & I on a weeknight.

Just a side..................How to cook the Kielbasi (Kielbasa)?   I've grilled it, boiled it, pan fried it but the hands down method was to "Bake" it.  On the recommendation of the proprietor of a Polish Deli, I now put the sausage on a deep foil lined baking pan. Pierce the sausage with a few small jabs of a knife to allow juices to escape. Add a small amount of water to the pan. Bake at 350 for 30 to 45 minutes until done. The true flavors of the sausage are retained nicely. We love the garlic.

Simple & delicious.