Cooking DOES matter!

Posted by chefconnie in blogs to love, DIY and tagged with , , , ,

In November of last year my son Ben and I went to a cooking class held by Share our Strength as part of their Cooking Matters classes.

Cooking Matters 032  They invited me as a blogger and it was wonderful to see this group at work.  Cooking Matters is a class that teaches low-income families how to cook from scratch.

Cooking Matters 071It was a treat watching this little cutie learn to cook.  She was into it.

Instead of just giving people food stamps to go buy food they are teaching people how to stretch their food budget and cook healthier foods.

Cooking Matters 054I was interested in this program since I was in the grocery store line on day and saw a young woman using her food stamps to buy expensive pre-made foods.

Cooking Matters 033I thought she could get so much more if she were cooking from scratch but knew that it was probably because she did not know how.  The art of cooking is not passed on in families anymore.  Many people just do not know how to cook.  Of course most of my readers cook from scratch but the majority of people rely on pre-made foods or restaurants to feed their families.  This is very expensive and not the healthiest way to feed your family.

Jamie Oliver talks about teaching other people to cook and how important it is o our own kids and then teach as many people as you can to cook in his wonderful TED talks presentation.

I have not been as proactive about teaching my kids to cook as I should be.  I am working on it.  My son Ben was studying baking soda recently in his home school program.  We decided to combine this study with cooking and seeing what other uses for baking soda we could find.

My family watched a wonderful documentary on Netflix called Chemical Nation about chemicals in the home and have changed our habits to reduce the amount of chemicals we use in our home.  We are much better than most households but did need to reduce chemical use in a few areas.  Baking soda has been essential in making our own cleaning supplies.

I use a lot of baking soda to clean in our house and also make laundry soap and toothpaste out of baking soda or washing soda.  I was surprised at how much baking soda played a part in our lives.

Here is the Laundry Soap Recipe I use.  DIY Laundry Soap.

 

 

Baking with Ben and Pound Cake

Posted by chefconnie in Baking, Cooking with kids, Dessert, Made from scratch, Meyer Lemon and tagged with , , , , , , ,

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I believe that when teaching children to cook you can also teach them about the science of cooking.  How the different components of a recipe combine and change during baking make for a great science experiment.

I also stress the importance of paying attention to the details.  This is an important lesson for my twelve-year old son.  He is very meticulous in the kitchen and I see him take that skill and use it in other aspects of his life.  Like cleaning his room…very important.  I find it easy to get him involved when it is a dessert but he also like to cook chicken, pasta and rice.

He has also become interested in trying new foods when he is involved in the cooking process.

We decided to make a pound cake this week.  My family loves a simple and rich pound cake.

We weigh our ingredients to make sure they are the correct amount.

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All of the ingredients are readied before we begin.  Eggs are at room temperature and butter is soft.  Dry ingredients are in a bowl together and wet are in a liquid measuring cup.

March 14 2013 014Ben is careful to sift the dry ingredients together.

March 14 2013 012He will then cream together butter and sugar.

March 14 2013 018Next he adds the eggs one at a time and scraps down the sides of the bowl to make sure it is all well mixed.

March 14 2013 024The batter is then mixed well.

March 14 2013 028The batter is poured into a bundt pan that is  coated with butter and lightly floured.

March 14 2013 030Then Ben sets his timer and bakes his cake in a pre-heated oven.  Ben checks to see if the cake is done with a cake tester stick.

Perfect Pound Cake

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Ben’s Tasty Pound Cake Recipe

12 oz. butter

3 cups flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1⁄2 tsp. salt

1 cup milk, at room temperature

2 tsp. lemon juice 

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

3 cups sugar

6 large eggs, at room temperature

Heat oven to 325°. Generously grease a bundt pan with butter. Add  flour; turn the pan to coat it evenly with flour, tap out any excess, and set aside.

Using a sieve set over a bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.

Repeat 2 more times.

In a measuring container with a pourable spout, combine milk and the  lemon, and vanilla extracts.

In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle, cream butter at medium-low speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Gradually add sugar, 1⁄4 cup at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, and beat until satiny smooth, about 3 minutes.

Add 1 egg at a time to the butter mixture, beating for 15 seconds before adding another, and scraping down the bowl after each addition. Reduce the mixer speed to low and alternately add the flour and milk mixtures in 3 batches, beginning and ending with the flour. Scrape down sides of the bowl; beat just until the batter is smooth and silky but no more.

Scrape batter into prepared pan and firmly tap on a counter to allow batter to settle evenly. Bake until light golden and a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out moist but clean, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Let cake cool in pan on a rack for 30 minutes. Invert cake onto rack; let cool completely before slicing.

Food Reviews with Fernando and The Poppy Cafe

Posted by chefconnie in Blue Cheese, Gluten Free, great sites, Made from scratch, Restaurant Reviews and tagged with

Poppy Cafe Scallops, brussels, etc 366

I would step into the kitchen when I worked at Lucky’s Market my eyes would narrow when seeing Fernando.  You could cut the tension in the air.  He would glare back at me.  We would work together with minimal pleasantries but only because that was the professional way to handle our mutual dislike of each other.

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Here is Fernando making  perfect potato latkes.

Why did we dislike each other? I am not going to venture to guess.   Too many chefs in the kitchen?

We are now the best of friends.  It is funny to see the look of confusion some people at Lucky’s Market get when I come in to see Fernando and usually bring him a treat like some home-made bread or caramel candies.  I am  glad we are now good friends.

Fernando is a talented chef whose palate is educated.  I love eating with him because he has great input on reviewing food.

When we were eating at a local restaurant recently we decided to go out more often and then I said “why don’t we do reviews on my blog together?’

Any excuse to go out to eat with friends.

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The restaurant we visited on Tuesday evening is a newer restaurant in Boulder.  The Poppy Cafe opened in November of last year.  The menu is designed as mostly gluten-free but you cannot tell unless you are looking for gluten-free.   The Poppy Cafe offers healthy, scratch made food using only the best ingredients.

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Fernando and I agreed that of the dishes we tried the brussels sprouts were our favorite.  Honey glazed brussels sprouts with rosemary and walnuts are a sublime combination.  The sprouts were roasted to perfection.  The sweet glaze and earthy rosemary mingled in my taste buds.  This is truly a happy making dish.

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We also tried the crab stuffed, bacon wrapped shrimp.  Of course this dish was excellent. The slightly crunchy and salty bacon gives way to sweet shrimp and then you taste even sweeter crab meat.  All of this deliciousness are napped in a pesto cream sauce.  Oh my….

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The sesame scallops were seared perfectly with a light sesame flavor that still allowed you to taste the fresh flavor of the sea in the scallops.

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We had a small plate of gorgonzola cheese, olives and walnuts which are some of my favorite foods combined.  I think I ate most of that dish.

Poppy Cafe Scallops, brussels, etc 381

The petite Beef Wellington in a demi glace were delicious.  This classic dish with tender beef  wrapped in puff pastry with mushroom duxelle and served with demi glace is made perfect at the Poppy Cafe.

Poppy Cafe Scallops, brussels, etc 374

The quality of the food is not reflected in the prices.  This restaurant offers fantastic food at very reasonable prices.

Poppy Cafe Jan 15 2013 069

During happy hour they also offer bottomless glasses of wine.  The house wine is Douglas Hill so those bottomless glasses of wine go down easy!

The Poppy Cafe is located at 38th and Arapahoe in the beautiful Peleton complex in Boulder Colorado.

Perfect Greens

Posted by chefconnie in Uncategorized

Dec 30 2011 017-1The first meal my mother in law made me was baked ham, greens and home-made macaroni and cheese.  I still remember that meal…sitting at her small table in her apartment.  Having traveled from California by plane and in a totally different world in Dover Delaware and meeting my mother in law for the first time.  I think I may have been terrified.  My husband and I had a small wedding in California and we were not able to have the whole family attend.  My mother in law is a warm and wonderful person and I soon felt at home.  We must have sat at that table for three hours talking and laughing.  I loved my mother in law and her greens.  Still do!

I have been experimenting with making green ever since that meal.

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Last spring I was catering for a group that was coming to Colorado from Louisiana.  I decided to make greens.  Yes, this California girl was going to make greens for a group of Southerners.  After I served dinner one of the men who were in the group came up to me.  He had a tear in his eye.  Seriously.  He said to me, “Miss Connie, those greens are just like my momma used to make.  Can I have more?”  He went and sat down and I could see him take a bite of greens and then shake his head in amazement.  This was one of the high points in my career.

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I am still working on my greens but I believe I have the recipe for perfect greens.  I am willing to share this knowledge with you but you must take the necessary steps.  When you make greens this way I can guarantee you will love them.

Important steps for perfect greens:

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1.  Pick young and dark-colored greens.  Make sure they are not tough.  If you can, buy them in season from a local organic farm.  I get some of the best greens from Dancing Bear Farms in Longmont each year.  My husband and I usually eat them from the pot on the stove they are so good.  They do not even make it to a plate.

2.  Do not cut out the rib.  Some cooks instruct cutting out the rib but if you have good greens the rib makes a nice solid tooth feel among the softer leaves.

3.  Use real chicken stock.  Not broth.  Make a chicken stock that is like jello.   It is best if you can make your stock with a pig’s foot.  Then you have a great stock.  Chicken feet work well too.  More on stock that will help you keep younger looking skin and many other health benefits in a later post.

4.  Use bacon grease to saute you onions and garlic.  I always drain the bacon fat off my bacon when I make it in the oven and keep it in a sealed jar in the refrigerator to use for cooking greens, eggs, beef for stew and many other recipes where it calls for saute veggie.  Green beans sautéed in bacon fat are heavenly.  Just a little bit of bacon fat goes a long way.

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The recipe for Perfect Greens

4 bunches fresh greens (I used Kale, Red Kale and 2 bunches of Collards)

1/4 sweet white onion minced fine

1 clove fresh garlic minced fine

1/2 tsp bacon fat

2 quarts REAL chicken stock

Sea salt and cracked pepper to taste

Optional Diced Ham or Bacon

Saute onion in bacon fat until lightly browned.  Add garlic and let cook for 1 minute.  Add cut up greens and chicken stock.  Cook for about 30-45 minutes.  You will not need to cook the greens for a long time if they are young and very fresh.  Long cooking is only needed for tough older greens.

When greens are done season and add diced ham or bacon.

My husband loves his greens with apple cider vinegar.  I just like them plain.

I will buy as much greens as I can when I find good ones and make up huge batches and freeze them.  Then I will add them to soups and stews or just eat them as a side dish.

March 5 2013 107

Coconut Oil and Sea Salt Chips

Posted by chefconnie in Baking, DIY, Gluten Free, Healthy, Made from scratch, Vegan, Vegetable, Vegetarian and tagged with , , ,

March 5 2013 161

I happened to hear a conversation my daughter was having with one of her friends.  The girl who was visiting us said to Maddy, “You guys don’t have any snacks?”  They were looking for something to eat in the cabinet.  My cabinet is filled with foods to make snacks but nothing prepared.  Sure, we sometimes have chips or pretzels but not all of the snack foods most people have in their houses.

This statement made me laugh because I remember when I was about 14 and my friend Jenifer was over to visit.  We stood in our huge dry storage area of the converted farmhouse my family lived in.

This was my mother’s domain.  For those of you who do not know my mother she is a formidable force of nature.  We grew up on a 5 acre subsistence farm.  We grew or raised most of what we ate.  My mom did most of the work.!

Jenifer was saying, “your family does not have any snacks.”

Our dry storage contained big huge bags of flour, big bags of beans and beautiful canning jars full of produce from our garden.  I remember loving to see how the light played off of the different colors in the jars.  Red tomatoes, dark green beans, yellow summer squash and purple beets all lined the shelves.  There were no Doritos.

When I would go to Jenifer’s house I would feel as if I stepped into the Plaza Hotel.  They had individual slices of cheese in plastic, single yogurts and chips and crackers.  How very fancy it seemed to me.  Don’t get me wrong, Jenifer’s mom fed her great food but it just seemed so fancy to me to have snacks.  My family could not afford these things for all 5 of us kids.  Sliced deli meat was a luxury that only came once or twice a year.  Grapes from the grocery store were descended on like a fallen gazelle by a pack of lions when my mom dared to bring them home from the store.

My need to make snacks from scratch also arises from not wanting to pay the grocery store prices for snacks but also that I want my family to eat well.

Making chips from scratch is a breeze if you have a mandolin. This is the one that I have but there are much cheaper ones that work great as well. French Mandolin.   I use my constantly.  It makes things much easier.  If you hand cut chips or fries it takes too long!  At least for me as a chef I cannot stand tasks that are too laborious or slow.  I am usually moving in high-speed.  I will slice the potatoes and let rest in extra cold water for about an hour.

Then I will place a rack over my sink and let the potatoes drain for an hour or so.  I also do this for fries. March 5 2013 159

Then you do not need to pat the potatoes down with a bunch of paper towels and all of the water evaporates off.

I pre-heat oven to 450 degrees.

Oil a pan with coconut oil.  Do not use too much oil.  Coconut oil is great because you do not need to use much.  I only oil the bottom of a cookie sheet and do not toss the chips to coat.  When they are half way done I just flip the chips to crisp the top when the bottom is crisp.

This will take about 15 minutes.  When chips are hot out of the oven add garlic, shredded parmesan and salt or any other creative flavors you can think of but add when hot so it sticks.

Let cool on a rack and enjoy.

March 5 2013 174

Catering for a Birthday and Easy Beautiful Salmon

Posted by chefconnie in brunch, Fast and Fresh Dinner, Fish, Fresh Herbs, Gluten Free, Healthy, Low Carb, Meyer Lemon, Organic, Red Kale and tagged with , , , ,

Andy B-day in Jimtown 074

Last weekend I catered a lovely little party in Jamestown.  My friend Andy had asked me a couple of months ago to cook for his birthday party.  I knew it was coming up but did not realize that he didn’t have my phone number.  I was in Jamestown the friday before dancing at Town Hall to a great line up of local bands including the Gasoline lollipops.  I went out on the porch to cool off because the place was packed and the music had us all dancing and started talking to Nolan Farmer.  Andy rents a room in Nolan’s’ beautiful house nestled in the mountains above Jamestown.  Nolan asks if I am coming to Andy’s party on Sunday.  SUNDAY!  I told Nolan I better call Andy in the morning because I am supposed cater the party for him.  I called Andy in the morning a we worked out a quick and healthy menu.  Andy is committed to eating healthy and he is doing a great job.

Andy B-day in Jimtown 109Here is the birthday boy telling a joke.

I arrived at Andy and Nolan’s on Sunday and had a great day cooking with Andy and listening to the talented Nolan Farmer playing his guitar and singing some of the wonderful bluegrass songs he has written.  Does it get any better than that?

I made a kale and cabbage slaw with oven dried apples.

Andy B-day in Jimtown 056A light platter of salami and olives with some delicious fresh oranges.

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My whole wheat carrot cake cupcakes were a hit.

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Andy made a fantastic guacamole.

Andy B-day in Jimtown 089I also made some yummy goat cheese and veggie flatbread.

Andy B-day in Jimtown 088The center dish was an oven roasted salmon fillet with marinated baby heirloom tomatoes with garlic and fresh basil.

Andy B-day in Jimtown 040The guests loved the food but I think I had the most fun just watching my friends enjoy food cooked with love.

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Oven Roasted Salmon with Marinated Tomatoes

This dish is simple and delicious

2 lb Fresh Salmon Fillet

1 Pint heirloom Grape Tomatoes or Regular Grape Tomatoes

1 Garlic Clove Sliced Thinly

8-10 Fresh Basil Leaves

1 Lemon Sliced into Rounds

Sea Salt

Cracked Black Pepper

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Balsamic Vinegar

8 Hours before cooking marinate Tomatoes slice in half, Garlic and Basil with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Slice the salmon fillet down the center and then slice into the salmon about 1 inch on each side of the center cut so that the salmon will open up.

Rub the salmon with olive oil and season with sea salt and black pepper.

Open the top and pile in the tomato mixture.

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Top with slices of lemon and bake until salmon is fully cooked.  About 15 minutes in a 350 degree oven.  Serve hot or cold.  The roasted tomatoes take on a bright and sweet flavor.

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Mothers Day is coming up and this dish would be a hit.

Cauliflower in Court Bouillon with Wine and Herbs

Posted by chefconnie in Cauliflower, Fresh Herbs, Gluten Free, Healthy, Low Carb, Low Fat, Made from scratch and tagged with , , , , , , ,

A la greqce cauliflower 012

I was thinking of Thomas Keller when I was trying to figure out what to do with all of this lovely cauliflower I had in my refrigerator.  I usually roast cauliflower, or make a soup or just steam it, but I wanted to do something new.

Thomas Keller has a  recipe for vegetables a la grecque.in his cookbook Bouchon. I love bistro food and preparing food ahead of time to be eaten later.  This recipe is perfect for making a day ahead and enjoying it all week.

You gently cook veggies in a court bouillon with olive oil, aromatics and lemon juice.  After cooking you store the veggies in the refrigerator in the cooled cooking liquid and reduce the liquid and make a vinaigrette before serving.  Genius.

I tweaked the recipe a little bit and substituted  butter for olive oil and  white wine for lemon juice.  The result was amazing.  I have been eating little happy bites of cauliflower lightly scented with herbs and wine for days now.  Heavenly.

This is a wonderful recipe for a party since most of the work can be done up to 2 days ahead of time.

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Start by cutting up your cauliflower.

Feb 27 2013 019In a large pot add 2 cups water, 2 cups white wine, 1/4 cup butter and aromatic herbs.  I used thyme, sage and rosemary.  I also threw in a garlic clove sliced into rounds.  Season the water with 1 teaspoon sea salt.

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Bring water to simmer and add veggies.

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Cook until tender crisp.

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Rinse veggies in very cold running water to stop the cooking process.

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Cool the cooking liquid and store veggies in the cooled cooking liquid for up to 1 week in your refrigerator.

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I suggest you try both my method and then go out and buy the Bouchon cookbook and try Thomas’ recipe as well.  I am sure I will be making this dish all summer when it is hot because the veggies, right out of the fridge are cool and packed with flavor.

Not completely useless tomatoes and being frugal

Posted by chefconnie in Baking, Blue Cheese, Bread, DIY, Feta Cheese, Fresh Herbs, Gluten Free, Greek Salad, Healthy, Low Carb, Low Fat, Made from scratch, Organic, Red Kale, Salad, Salad Dressing, Side Dish, Soup, Vegetable, Vegetarian and tagged with , , , , , , , , ,

Feb 27 2013 044

I bought a couple of pounds of roma tomatoes at the store.  They were a wonderful color and looked yummy.  These tomatoes were not very yummy.  As a fresh tomato these little fruits were completely useless.

Being frugal I could not throw them out.  Oven drying was the only solution.  This way the sugars in the tomatoes would be concentrated and the flavor enhanced.  I do not like to waste food.

I had some fresh thyme that I had frozen when I realized I would not use it up by the time in turned.  Freezing thyme is a great way to preserve it when you are not going to use the whole bunch.

I tossed the tomatoes in a little bit of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  Threw on some sea salt and pepper and tossed some garlic and fresh thyme on top.

Feb 23 2013 053I set my oven and 250 degrees and let the tomatoes roast for 3-4 hours.

Feb 23 2013 079I took out the thyme stems and saved them in a bag in the freezer for stock and packed the dried tomatoes and garlic in a jar with some olive oil.  The tomatoes last in the refrigerator for about 2 weeks or 2 months in the freezer.  Use the oil to coat veggies, for a tasty salad dressing or spread on some fresh-baked bread.  Do not throw out the oil after you have used the tomatoes as it has a great flavor for the herbs, garlic and sweet tomatoes.

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These sweet dried tomatoes are very versatile.

Here are 10 ways to use oven dried tomatoes:

1.  Pizza topping

2.  Toss with pasta, olive oil, garlic and a good cheese

3.  Antipasti

4.  Top a salad with bacon and blue cheese

5.  Add to mayo and it is great in a sandwich or as a dipping sauce with fresh veggies

6.  Add to your favorite pasta sauce to punch up the flavor

7.  Add to stew at the end of cooking for a sweet complexity

8.  Add to soup with kale, white beans and garlic

9.  Blend tomatoes, oil that you stored the tomatoes in, and more fresh herbs with some balsamic vinegar for a delicious salad dressing

10. Toss with feta, kalamata olives, olive oil and grilled veggies

What do you use your oven dried tomatoes for?

Check out Lucys Friendly Foods for a great antipasti salad recipe.

Buttery Caramels

Posted by chefconnie in Baking, blogs to love, Bread, Dessert, Gluten Free, great sites, Link Love, Made from scratch and tagged with , , , , , , , ,

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My kids love caramels.  When we go to the store they have caramels that cost about a dollar each by the register.  They are lovely and tasty and expensive.  I decided we needed to make our own.  Time consuming, this recipe is worth the work.  You don’t need to stand over the stove and stir the whole time but you do need to be in the kitchen for a few hours so you can make other things when the caramel are cooking.  I made some granola bars and some bread at the same time.

Some of my recipes call for corn syrup.  One of the DIY projects that I have undertaken recently is making “corn” syrup out of cane sugar.  Corn syrup is expensive and after reading “The omnivores Dilemma” by  Michael Pollen, I have been committed to reducing the amount of corn products my family consumes.  Not an easy task.

It is very easy to make your own “corn” syrup from cane sugar.  This will substitute in any recipe that calls for corn syrup.  For example, it works great in my granola bar recipe.

Here is the recipe I used to make “corn” syrup.  Cupcake Project, How to make corn syrup.

You should make these caramels because they are worth the work and this recipe yields 120 caramels which will last a long time if kept in the fridge.

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Ingredients

  •                                         4 cups heavy cream
  •                                         1 cup sweetened condensed milk
  •                                         4 cups home-made “corn” syrup
  •                                         4 cups sugar
  •                                         1 teaspoon salt
  •                                         1/2 pound unsalted butter
  •                                         1 tablespoon home-made vanilla extract
  •                                         Vegetable-oil cooking spray

Directions

  1.  Spray a cookie sheet or half sheet pan with vegetable-oil spray.
  2.  In medium saucepan, combine cream and sweetened condensed milk; set aside.
  3.  In a large heavy bottomed saucepan, combine “corn” syrup, 1 cup water, sugar, and salt. Clip on candy thermometer. Over high heat, cook until sugar is dissolved, stirring with a wooden spoon, 8 to 12 minutes. Brush down sides of pan with a pastry brush dipped in water to remove any sugar crystals if needed.
  4.  Stop stirring, reduce heat to medium, and bring to a boil. Cook, without stirring, until temperature reaches 250  degrees (hard-ball stage).  You need to have a candy thermometer for this recipe because you cannot guess about the temperature.   This will take about 45 to 60 minutes.
  5. Cook cream mixture over low heat until it is just warm. Do not boil.
  6. When sugar reaches 250  degrees. slowly stir in butter cut into chunks added one at a time, and warmed cream mixture, keeping mixture boiling at all times.  Take your time with this step as you do not want the mixture to stop boiling.  Add the butter very slowly.

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  1. Cook over medium heat until thermometer reaches 244  degrees (firm-ball stage), and this will take around 55 to 75 minutes.

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  1. Stir in vanilla.
  2. Immediately pour into prepared pan without scraping pot. If you scrape the bottom of the pot dark brown bits will end up in your candy.  Just leave the bottom of the pot alone and throw out what is left after you pour the candy into the pan.
  3. Let stand uncovered at room temperature for 24 hours without moving.
  4. After candy has hardened cut into 1 inch pieces and wrap with waxed paper.
  5. These will keep for up to 2 months in the refrigerator.  Keep the candies in sealed bag or jar so that they do not pick up any odd flavors from the refrigerator.

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Endive with Goat Cheese Appetizer and cooking with love…

Posted by chefconnie in blogs to love, brunch, Gluten Free, great sites, Grilling, Healthy, Low Carb, Low Fat and tagged with , , , , , , , , ,

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I have catered hundreds of events.  To have a smooth catered event you need a strong team.  Last summer I catered a small wedding in the mountains.  My great friends Ben Bell, Mike Deel and Dominic Daledia helped with this event.  The catering went smooth and easy.  It was a fun night and did not seem like work but having a party in the kitchen.  If only all of my catered events could go this smoothly.

The big difference with good food and great food comes when the people who are cooking love what they are doing.  That love comes through in the quality and flavor of the food.  This post was started last summer and I was reminded of it when I was looking at one of my favorite books Like Water for Chocolate.  This wonderful story is about the power of love coming through in food.  Read it if you have not gotten the chance yet.

When a group of cooks comes together, who love what they are doing, the food is always amazing.  I could not have done this event without the team that I worked with.

The bride wanted a cupcake tower and Dominic got out his chain saw and went to work creating this lovely platform for the cupcakes.

July 2012 118Mike was manning the grill and he can always grill up a piece of meat to perfection.  I  always trust that putting Mike Deel on the grill will result in perfect food.

July 2012 104Ben Bell is such a perfectionist that the detail work is where I task him.  He once topped some pizzas before going in the oven and I swear it looked like he had used a ruler to space the pepperoni evenly.  I love to watch this guy work.  It is beautiful how he is meticulous and artistic.

July 2012 102It really is all about the team when catering and this group of guys are always a pleasure to work with.

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I was reading a post from one of my favorite blogs, Things my Belly likes this morning and she asked if anyone had a cheese and maple recipe.  I thought about how this post has been languishing in my drafts folder and decided it was time to get it out and dust it off.

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Endive Spears with Goat Cheese and Maple Glazed Pecans

This is the most popular appetizer that I use when catering.  The crisp endive spears and creamy goat cheese topped with a sweet pecan and fig jam just fly off the tray when I serve them.

Endive spears separated and washed.  Let them dry on a towel for at least half an hour upside down to drain the water.

Toast pecan halves tossed in maple syrup until crispy.  This will take 8-10 minutes.   Let them cool completely before removing from the tray.

Mix 1 lb goat cheese with 2 tbs heavy whipping cream in a stand mixer with whisk attachment.

This will make the goat cheese easier to spoon into the endive spears.

Scoop a small amount of goat cheese into the endive spears.  Top with fig jam, one pecan, a sprig of fresh thyme and season with salt and pepper.

You can make your own fig jam or pick up a jar at the market.

Here is a great recipe for fig jam from Kiss my Spatula.