Thursday, October 28, 2010

Recipe of the Month: Baked Apple Mac n' Cheese

This is one of our most recent recipes, created for a client who wanted a casual autumn supper. This just might be the perfect addition to your holiday table, a new holiday tradition, a dish that both adults and children will gobble up with delight.

Baked Apple Mac N Cheese
Serves 8-10

1 pound Small elbow noodles
1 T Salt
5T Unsalted butter
6T All purpose flour
¼ tsp Hot Sauce
¼ tsp Sugar
½ tsp Minced garlic
6 cups Whole milk
¼ tsp Salt
¼ tsp Pepper
1 ½ pounds cheese, shredded (we used cheddar, swiss, and Parmesan)
3 cups Curry Roasted Apples (recipe follows)
1 tsp dried thyme

For the Pasta:
1) Bring 4qt of water to boil over med high heat. Add the elbow noodles and 1 tablespoon on salt. Cook until the pasta is tender. Drain the pasta in a colander and set to the side.

For the Cheese Sauce:
1) In a medium saucepan, heat the butter over medium- high heat until it is foaming. Add garlic, sauté for 1 minute, add the flour. Whisk well to combine. Continue whisking until mixture has a nutty fragrance, and cool deepens, about 1 minute.
2) Gradually whisk in milk and hot sauce; bring to a boil, constantly whisking. Mixture must come to a full boil for mixture to thicken properly. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, whisking occasionally until thickened to consistency of heavy cream, about 5 minutes.
3) Remove pan from heat, add in the cheese whisking to fully incorporate and all the cheese has melted.
4) Add the cooked noodles to the melted cheese mixture; add thyme and curried apples. Taste and add the salt and pepper as needed.
5) Pour the noodle and cheese mixture into a prepared baking dish that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.
6) Bake in pre-heated oven set at 365 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Until mixture is bubbly and golden brown on top.

Roasted Apples
6 apples, medium dice (we like Fuji)
2 stalks celery
¼ cup olive oil
2 tbs curry powder
1 tsp sugar
Kosher salt & fresh ground black pepper

1) Heat the oven to 400 degrees.
2) In a large bowl, toss all ingredients together. Pour the apples onto a sheet tray, and bake for about 25 minutes, or until they are just soft.

*Note you can do some of the prep ahead of time, just keep the apple mixture and the macaroni mixture separate. On the day of your meal, mix the two together and bake.


Thursday, October 21, 2010

It's like having the Food Network in your home. Literally.

Maybe it's the economy, maybe its due to the increased popularity of cooking shows, or maybe we've all just slowed down a bit...but lately we've been doing more and more cooking demos in client's homes. We staff one of our private chefs for your party, they prepare all of the food, demo a few of the recipes, and take care of all the clean up. Sounds pretty relaxing, huh? You get to entertain in the comfort of your home, but without all the hassle and stress.

Here's a menu we've created for a client in Valencia, for her "Supper Party" this Sunday. Chef Rachel will be demo-ing a few of the recipes, and then everyone will sit down to enjoy the decadent meal. Manuela, from Ventura Limoncello, will be there as well - mixing custom cocktails for guests.

Bacon Wrapped Dates

Caramelized shallot tart tatins in pan

Appetizers
Chorizo stuffed bacon wrapped dates
Caramelized Shallot and goat cheese tart tatin
Little cauliflower pancakes with Asian pear chutney
Selection of cheeses and fresh fruit with baguette and crackers

Beverages
Ventanna Riesling and La Langa Garnacha Wines
Ventura Limoncello Cocktails

Supper
Sweet potato rosemary biscuits
Tahitian Squash Soup
Herb seared beef tenderloin with fresh horseradish sauce and red onion marmalade
Roasted tomato mac n' cheese
Baked apple mac n' cheese
Braised savoy cabbage

Dessert
Pumpkin creme brulee
Bourbon Tree Roasting Company Coffee

Friday, October 8, 2010

Farm to Table...Literally

Aah....we love farms, we love farmers, and we love the produce they produce. We also love feeding people good, fresh, local food just pulled from the ground. Alas...our McGrath Farm dinner held last Sunday night- where guests dined in the fields, amidst tractors, dirt, pumpkins, and good friends.

McGrath farm Dinner

Though it was overcast, and the skies grew dark early, our wonderful little group enjoyed an exquisite menu, a tour of the farm, local wine, and one another's company. Here's a glimpse at the menu that Executive Chef Nadia Licea created for the event:


House Made Focaccia, Olive Oil & Balsamic Vinegar

Roasted Heirloom Tomato Napoleon with Crispy Basil

Roasted Squash Cannelloni with Pumpkin Seed Cream Sauce
Stuffed Squash Blossom
Corn & Sweet Pepper Relish

Fall Spice Roasted Chicken with
Arugula, Cherry Tomato & Haricot Vert Salad
With Preserved Lemon Vinaigrette

Lemon Pudding Cake
Roasted Strawberries & Rose Geranium Anglaise

McGrath Farm Dinner