In the Kitchen
July 2, 2005 - Allie Fadan
Sandy Pollock of Cipollina with Alma Alcer-Thomas of Jeffrey's gave the chef's demonstration last week, and they were enthusiastically received by a receptive audience. Their recipes are in last week's archives, so link back to June on left.
Allie Faden - Cheating Artichokes - July 2 Chef's Circle
Allie Faden will present at 10:30 a.m. in the west end of the market, near 4th and San Antonio. Get a seat in the shade of the ol' Auction Oak and enjoy a taste of her recipe!
Allie Faden first developed her ever-increasing love of food and cooking at the age of six. She is a member of the American Culinary Federation, the American Pie Council and the International Association of Culinary Professionals. Allie does recipe development and teaches personalized cooking courses. When she is not busy researching foods or creating new recipes, Allie spends her free time with her husband, Michael Dominguez and three cats at their home in Austin, Texas. You can see more of her work in “The Rapid Fat Loss Handbook: A Scientific Approach to Crash Dieting” (available through Amazon.com) or on her website, www.cheatingartichokes.com
Melon with Fig Vinegar Dressing
1 small melon (any type is suitable)
6-10 figs
12 ounces white wine vinegar
2 cloves
2 red peppercorns
4 allspice berries
1 tablespoon honey
Slice figs in half and place in a clean plastic container. Add cloves, red peppercorns allspice and vinegar to container. Cover with lid and refrigerate up to 14 days. Strain vinegar into a new, clean container (glass or plastic), discarding figs and spices.
Slice melon or cut into chunks. Mix together honey and 1 tablespoon vinegar. Drizzle over melon. Serves 6-12.
Seared Bison Sandwich
1 loaf ciabatta bread
1 pound bison tenderloin, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 very small red onion, thinly sliced
1 small tomato, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons basil, chiffonaded
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic or truffle infused balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon capers, chopped
Pre-heat grill (high heat) or pan over a high flame.
Slice bread in half, lengthwise (like a sub sandwich). Whisk together basil, 2 tablespoons olive oil, balsamic vinegar and capers. Brush bison with 1 teaspoon olive oil and sear for 10 seconds on each side. Layer onto bottom half of the bread, then top with onion, tomato slices and dressing. Add top half of bread and cut into 6 portions. Serves 6.
posted June 28, 2005 | permanent link to this article
June 25, 2005 - Jeffrey's & Cipollina
Jeffrey's! Cipollina! A great combination of chefs from both of these West Lynn institutions will be presenting the Chef's Circle cooking demo this Saturday with an unforgettable tomato entré that you'll want to get a taste of. Recipe will follow at this website. Come from 10:30 to 11:30 for the great demo and tastes.Gazpacho
Chef Alma Alcer-Thomas, Jeffrey's
Ingredients:
5 peeled shallots; diced
2 cloves garlic
2 red bell peppers; chopped
1.5 lbs. tomatoes; chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 lemon; juice and zest
2 Serrano peppers; diced
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 large cucumber; 1/2 chopped and 1/2 small diced
1 tsp cilantro; chopped
1 tbl salt
1 tsp sugar
1 cup water
2 tbs prepared horseradish
6 slices of crostini
Directions:
In a medium stockpot, warm 4 tbls olive oil and sauté shallots, garlic, 1/2 of the bell peppers and 1/2 of the tomatoes. Deglaze with wine, lemon juice and sugar and bring to a boil. Cook for 5 minutes and add 1 cup water. Cook an additional 8 minutes or until the bell peppers are soft. Cool and place in blender. Blend while adding the rest of the bell peppers, tomatoes, chopped cucumber and the rest of the olive oil. Season and strain through a fine mesh strainer. Add herbs, diced cucumbers, horseradish and garnish with crostini.
Summer Panzanella
Chef Sandy Pollock, Cipollina
Ingredients:
Summer Panzanella
2 pounds ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and diced
1/4 cup minced red onion
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
1 teaspoon sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Panzanella Croutons (recipe below)
2 cups arugula
Wedge of parmesan cheese
Ingredients:
Panzanella Croutons
1/4 cup unsalted butter
6 cups crust-free cubed day-old bread (1/2-inch cubes)
6 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese
Directions:
Summer Panzanella
Drain tomatoes in a sieve to remove excess liquid while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. In a bowl, combine the tomatoes, onion, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, basil, tarragon, salt, and pepper to taste. Add croutons and toss well.
Divide among 4 plates. Top each serving with an equal amount of arugula. With a vegetable peeler, shave parmesan over the salad. Serve immediately.
Panzanella Croutons
Preheat the oven the 350 degrees F.
Melt butter in a large skillet over moderate heat and cook until it foams. Add the bread cubes and toss to coat with the butter. Transfer the bread to a baking sheet. Immediately sprinkle with cheese and toss again while warm to melt cheese.
Bake, stirring once or twice, until the croutons are crisp and lightly colored on outside but still soft within, about 15 minutes. Let cool. Store in airtight container.
posted June 22, 2005 | permanent link to this article
June 18, 2005 - Katherine Clapner
Katherine loves fruits from the market. Here she is shown in an earlier strawberry chef's demonstration in the spring.
Katherine Clapner
Katherine Clapner, executive pastry chef at the Austin Hilton, will be the star chef at the Chefs' Circle this Saturday. She'll be featuring another star of the season, peaches. Not only do demonstration attendees get to see how Katherine makes it, they get to taste it and take a recipe home. The peaches are part of Peach and Blueberry Day at the Austin Farmers' Market this weekend. Come see at 10:30 a.m. at the Chef's Circle tent on the west side of the market, in the shade.
Katherine Clapner's expansive background in culinary arts has made her one of the most in-demand pastry chefs in the country. This native Texas has won over the taste buds of dessert connoisseurs worldwide. She has truly mastered the art of gorgeous presentation and outstanding flavor combinations with her creative desserts. Her formal education started at the Culinary Institute of America in New York, where she graduated as a baking and pastry chef. While in school she worked at City Bakery in New York with Maury Ruben. Already having experienced New York, Katherine had a craving for the European lifestyle. Soon she found herself in London on a two-year externship in the Savoy Hotel pastry kitchen. Katherine was flattered to be the only American working at this grand hotel alongside some of the top chefs in Western Europe. The eclectic experience qualified her for a position at the Windsor Hotel in New Orleans, where she was honored to work with Chef Kevin Graham. This job granted her entrance into the distinguished Orient Express Hotel group. After a colorful two and a half years in Louisiana she was back in Europe, this time at the Hotels Splendido and Cipriani in Italy. Katherine's responsibility here included teaching and incorporating American culinary techniques in the Italian kitchen. Then, making another continental jump, she landed in Chicago at the dynamic Charlie Trotter's. Nevertheless, familiar names and places called her back to New Orleans and Kevin Graham's restaurants. Here, Mario Villa designed a satellite bar in the middle of the Sapphire Restaurant for Katherine to create her decadent desserts. The next move was only across town to Mike Fennelly's multi-flavored restaurant, Mike's on the Avenue, where she stayed for another two years. Her fondest endeavor was working for pastry chef Stephen Pyles Restaurants and Carlson Restaurants Worldwide. With this connection she was privileged to work at Star Canyon, Canonita, Samba Room, Mignon, Timpano, Aquaknox, Fishbowl, and Zen Den. Central Market then recruited her talent to open stores in Houston, Fort Worth, Plano, and Dallas, as well as assisting in pastry development. Katherine chaired the first ever all pastry event last year at the Saveur Texas Hill Country Wine and Food Festival for which she is also a board member.
posted June 15, 2005 | permanent link to this article
June 11, 2005 - Jack Gilmore, Z Tejas
Jack Gilmore, Z Tejas
Join us at 10:30 a.m. in the west side of the park and market for the Chef's Circle presentation by Chef Gilmore that will include beef and shrimp on the grill from the market vendors. There will also be a mean guacamole whipped up using tomatoes, peppers, onions and cilantro from farmers. The beef will come with a side of pinto bean ragu you are not going to want to miss. So, come at 10:30, see the demo and learn to do it at home, taste the results, and get your recipe and pick your own ingredients from the local rancher, shrimper, and farmer at the market. There is an unforgettable meal waiting to be made on your grill.
Wild Mushroom and Pinto Bean Ragout
Ingredients
6 c. Pinto Beans (cooked)
1 c. Water
4 c. Burgundy Wine
4 strips Raw Bacon (cut in 1 / 2 in. pieces)
8 oz. Red Onion (med. dice)
3 c. Corn Kernels (frozen or fresh)
1 Tbls. Ground Pepper
2 oz. Chicken Glace (Reduced Chicken Stock)
1 / 2 oz Fresh Sage or 1 / 4 oz Dried
1 oz. Fresh Basil or 1 / 2 oz Dried
1 / 4 c. Prepared Chipotle Sauce
1 lb. Mushroom Mix ( large dice)
12 oz. Roma Tomatoes (large dice)
1 / 2 c. Herb Butter
Directions
1. Place beans, water, wine, bacon, onion, corn, pepper, and glace into large pot and cook until liquid is reduced by half.
2. Add sage, basil, chipotle, mushroom mix, and tomatoes into pot. Cook for another 5 minutes.
3. Remove from heat, immediately add herb butter and whisk until fully incorporated.
Grilled Shrimp Tostada Bites
Guacamole
Ingredients:
3 Avocado (peeled & cored)
1 Tomato (diced)
3 Tbls Cilantro
1 Jalapeno (deseeded & diced)
1 / 4 cup Sour Cream
Instructions:
1. Place all ingredients in a bowl and mash using a whisk. salt and Pepper to taste.
2. Keep chilled until ready to use
Grilled Shrimp
Ingredients:
24 Shrimp (peeled/deveined)
1 cup Cilantro Pesto
1 / 4 cup Chipotle Puree
Guacamole
Instructions:
1.Marinate shrimp with cilantro pesto and place on skewers. Grill approx 2 minutes per side.
Using your favorite chip, place a dollop of guacamole on it then layer chipotle puree and top with the shrimp.
When Jack Gilmore first started working with Z Tejas 16 years ago, he brought with him a wide range of culinary skills and a passion for new and innovative cooking techniques. Gilmore began his culinary career working with "old school" Cajun chefs at the Pelican Wharf restaurant in South Padre Island, Texas. Seeking new challenges, Gilmore relocated to Austin and worked at Louie’s Backyard, a seafood restaurant. While there, Gilmore opened a Louie’s Backyard in Baton Rouge, La. After several years with the restaurant, Gilmore relocated to Arizona to learn from classic chefs of the region.
In a move that continued to diversify his culinary background, Gilmore returned to Texas in the mid-1980’s to work under Master German chefs in Fredericksburg. According to Gilmore, this experience improved his skills and helped shape his culinary vision. "Put together everything you have learned and use it," he says. "Be humble when it does not work out and glad when it does."
After his exploratory journey in the Hill Country, Gilmore returned to Austin to work at Z Tejas. With an emphasis on creativity and new ideas, Z Tejas was a perfect fit for Gilmore’s unique background.
"The Z Tejas menu is a product of many influences. Growing up in a coastal border town of South Texas, my meals came from the fresh seafood of the Gulf of Mexico and fields full of fruits. I remember experiencing many layers of flavors," explains Gilmore. "As I experienced cuisine from the Asian-influenced Pacific coast, the Rio Grande, Texas Hill Country, and desert Southwest, it had a powerful impact on my cooking style. The wonderful flavors that come out of our Z Tejas kitchens are the fusion of flavors and cooking techniques complemented by my experiences in Louisiana and the wonderful foods of my youth."
"Z Tejas cuisine is a marriage of flavorful traditional ingredients coupled with contemporary twists," says Chef Gilmore. "Everyone in our kitchens understand that this is what makes Z Tejas unique."
Gilmore enjoys spending free time with his wife, LuAnn, and their two sons, Bryce and Dylan. His hobbies include spending time in his kitchen at home and water skiing with his sons.
For more information, visit www.ztejas.com.
Bio and photo from Z Tejas.
posted June 7, 2005 | permanent link to this article
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