Chef_Jenn

Chef_Jenn
it's me...

Labels

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

~~~Chef Jenn's Upcoming Hands on Cooking Classes~~~At Torrey Pines High School and La Costa Canyon High School

Here is a quick list of all of my upcoming classes, if you have any quetions about menus or how the classes work please let me know and I would be happy to answer any questions you might have.


• Spa Cuisine- healthy cuisine (4 weeks)- at Torrey Pines High School
-Wednesdays~ May 5 - 26, 2010 $131 from 6 to 9 p.m.

• Spanish Cuisine- specializing in Mexican & Cuban cuisine(2 weeks)
-at La Costa Canyon High School-Thursdays~ April 22 - 29 2010 $75 from 6 to 9 p.m.

• Italian for Beginners Part 2- a repeat of our popular Italian cooking for beginners series
(4 weeks)- at La Costa Canyon High School-Thursdays~
May 6 - 27, 2010 $131 from 6 to 9 p.m.

• Mediterranean Cooking Class- specializing in Greek & Moroccan cuisine (2 weeks)
-at La Costa Canyon High School-Thursdays~ June 3 - 10 2010 $75 from 6 to 9 p.m.
• Asian Cuisine- specializing in Thai & Vietnamese (2 weeks)
-at Torrey Pines High School-Wednesdays~ June2 - 9, 2010 $75 from 6 to 9 p.m.


To register online go to www.sdadulted.com
Or call (760) 753-7073 ext. 5103
For any other questions please contact Chef Jenn at (858) 212- 9054
Here is a fun video of Annie Somerville (head chef at San Francisco's famous Greens restaurant) cooking the "perfect artichoke", thanks to the Sierra Club. Check there web site for more videos (http://www.sierraclub.org/greencuisine/)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1gt8F9VfII&feature=player_embedded

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Exploring Your CSA Basket: Fun Seasonal Cooking Demonstration~ from the third annual Cultivating Food Justice Conference

Thank you all so much for taking part in the Cultivating Food Justice Conference. I had a wonderful time sharing (or should I say ranting, at times) my passion for food.


I also want to thank one of my students for takeing such wonderful pictues. Hope you all enjoy them as much as I do.

Please let me know if you have any other questions or if you would just like to chat about food sometimes.


Also, don’t forget that you can get all the produce I used today from Suzie’s Organic Farm. Please go to their website (http://www.suziesfarm.com/) for more information about the CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) basket or what farmers markets you can find them at.

Here are some other websites for local CSA’s-http://www.bewiseranch.com/, http://www.ecovian.com/s/sandiego/csa-food-delivery, and many more

As mentioned in class, Garden of Eden, offers varies sizes of CSA baskets ~http://www.goeorganics.com/pledge_form.php

Here are the recipes for everything I made in class.


P.S. If anyone accidentally took my produce guide I would love to get it back. Thank you!



Kale and Swiss Chard with Pine Nuts and Golden Raisins
Serves 4

2 tbsp Olive oil
2 cloves Garlic, minced
3 cups Kale, washed tough stems separated- (stems chopped into small pieces and leaves coarsely chopped)
3 cups Swiss Chard, soaked, tough separated- (stems chopped into small pieces and leaves coarsely chopped)
¼ cup Water
3 tbsp Golden raisins
1 tbsp Pine nuts, toasted
1 tbsp Honey
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat and garlic, cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds and add water, kale and chard stems.
Cover and reduce heat to medium low, cook for 5 minutes.
Remove cover; add kale and chard leaves and raisins, season with salt and pepper. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes over medium heat or until chard just starts to become tender.
Taste for seasoning and serve.





Romaine and Strawberry Salad with Toasted Nuts, Fresh Cheese, and a Sherry Shallot Vinaigrette
Serves 4

½ cup Nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans, etc.)
2 tbsp Sherry vinegar
1 tbsp Shallot, minced
2 tsp Honey
½ cup Oil
1 head Romaine lettuce, cut into bite sized pieces
½ cup Micro tatsoi
½ lb Strawberries (1 1/2 cups), trimmed and quartered lengthwise
2 oz Mild fresh cheese (queso fresco, goat cheese, sheeps milk feta, etc.), crumbled

Roast nuts in a shallow baking pan in middle of oven until golden, approximately 10 minutes.
Cool nuts and coarsely chop.
Whisk together vinegar, honey, and shallots. Add oil in a slow stream, whisking until combined well.
Toss together romaine and micro tatsoi in dressing and season with salt and pepper. Divide salad among plates.Top with strawberries, nuts, and cheese.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Come find me this Sunday at the Cultivating Food Justice Conference at SDSU

Cultivating Food Justice Conference at San Diego State University

April 24 -25, 2010

Third annual San Diego Cultivating Food Justice Conference is this weekend, April 24-25, at San Diego State University. The Conference is free to all and I am proud to be a part of it. I will be giving a demonstration on how to cook seasonal with foods from your CSA basket.

Free food and entertainment will be part of this exciting weekend.

The Saturday Keynote speaker, Raj Patel, author of the best-seller Stuffed and Starved, will speak about our global food system and it's inequities.

Sunday's Keynote speaker, Barry Logan, director of Escondido organic farm La Milpa Organica; an amazing local farm that I have been lucky enough to tour with a group of my student (and that I hope to do more with in the future. They also hold potlucks on Saturdays; check out their web site for more information~ http://milpaorganica.com/

Workshop schedule, directions and more details on when and where you can my event can be found or to read more about other speakers go to http://www.sdfoodjustice.org/workshops.php.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

A few good books to help you expand your French cooking skills and give you a little of the French Joei de Vivre!

The Country Cooking of France by Anne Willan; published in 2007 by Chronicle Books--- Wonderfully illustrated, with beautiful pictures of France and the amazing food. Along with the fantastic recipes there are stories about the incredibly unique French ingredients and how they are produced. With wonderful classic like Boeuf bourguignon and Coq au van to a amazing Roasted Salmon with Bacon and Horseradish Cream. Hands down my favorite French cook book!


Bistro Cooking at Home by Gordon Manersley and Joanne McAllister Smart; Published in 2003 by Broadway Books—This book takes a new American twist on classic French bistro foods. Although not entirely classical French cooking, there are some wonderful recipes ( like the Chicken Piperade and the Peach Galette, that I have found works beautifully with apples as well).


Tartine by Elisabeth M. Prueitt and Chad Robertson; published in 2006 by Chronicle Books--- Not entirely French but contains some of the best “baking” recipes I have ever used. Hands down the easiest caramel sauce recipe I have ever used!! If you are looking to impress your friends try any of these recipes.


Mastering the Art of French Cooking (Volume 1 and 2) by Julia Childs, Louisette, Bertholle and Simone Beck; originally published in1961 (with an anniversary edition in 2001 and a box set in 2007)------ A true classic, with recipes from a by gone era. Not a cook book for the faint of heart; this cook book contains recipes that take time, thought and some heart to create. That being said the recipes where written before cook book “format” where standardized, so the recipes can be a bit hard to follow at time. But it is worth it to take your time, slow down and follow them through. Just ask Julie!




Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen by Julie Powell --- A wonderful story about a women discontented with her daily grind, to find a way to bring a little extra happiness to her life she decided to start cooking Julia Child recipes from Master the Art of French Cooking. She began a blog telling the world about her trials and tribulations. This book documents her story and was recently turned into an award winning movie. This heartwarming story will give any haphazard cook hope, that there is no mistake big enough to stop you from cooking and finding your passion.