PENNYnPEDRO

Kitchen on Fire: Berkeley, CA: Tropical Island Luau

This was my favorite class I have taken so far at Kitchen on Fire, for many reasons. First I love taking class with Chef instructoir Shy Leong. Shy was born in Serebem, Mayaysia and was previously the executive chef at Trader Vic's.  Shy has a passion for food and is good at teaching and these two skills are very hard to find.  The way that Shy organized the classroom set up was unique.  He set it up so that at the end of the class there was a dinning table for us to sit and eat the meals we learned to cook as a team.  This approach is something I haven't seen yet at the school and I thoroughly enjoyed being able to sit and relax and eat afterwards to share stories with the rest of the class!  Bravo Shy on this idea.  The quality of the ingredients and variety for this class were also very well done, the crab meat was fresh along with the tuna and mahi mahi superb choices.  This is what I walked into upon entering Kitchen on Fire's West Berkeley school that evening......

This was such an amazing additional touch to the class!  Luau here we come. First we has some demonstrations that Shy showed us how to clean a chicken and properly get the bone out of Mahi Mahi and separate it into proper steaks. Along with how to cut Taro root and make taro chips!

 

 

 

 

 

 

We then broke into groups and choose stations.  I headed straight for the Creme Brulee! One of the dishes that we made for our appetizers was the crab canapes made with mango-cilantro and caramelized maui onion, served on taro crostini.

 

 

 

Next we made some ahi tuna tartar made with lime-chili vinaigrette, served on 

crispy wontons.

Then we prepared some entrees the kauai-styled roasted 

honey-glazed chicken, stuffed with mushrooms and sweet 

potatoes was one of my favorites and I'm not a huge fan of 

chicken!

The stuffing was to die for and the chicken came out perfect!

Next we made some grilled mahi-mahi accompanied by 

pineapple-papaya and macadamia nut salsa.

Last but not leats the tahitian coffee creme brulee. MMMMMMMMM

 

Kitchen on Fire: Berkeley, CA: Ricotta workshop

What a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon!!Learning how to make fresh Ricotta with Chef Maria Capdevielle at Kitchen on Fire North.  Maria started cooking in Italy as a child by watching and helping her mother and has long continued the tradition. Maria has a cookbook called "My Sweet Abruzzo", and is in the process of writing her second cookbook about Baking with Olive Oil. 

First and foremost I just want to tell you how easy it is to make fresh Ricotta!  I was amazed that everyone in the class was able to follow along and be able to produce fresh cheese by the end of class.  The recipe's we made all corresponded to each other in a good way and made sense.  Maria had a well thought out plan and it was executed quite nicely during the course of the class.

Step 1 was making Fresh handmade Ricotta:

This process was very simple the most important ingredient was getting raw milk which I realized is pretty much in every local supermarket. 1 and a half gallons of milk makes about 1.5 to 2 cups of ricotta.

Next we made some fresh crostini topped with ricotta, fresh herbs, and sun dried tomatoes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The next receipe was for our main dish which was the exquisite gnocchi di ricotta with butter, sage and walnut sauce.  You could substitute pecan's or hazelnuts to the receipe  instead of walnuts.  If you have a nuts allergy you could substitute breadcrumbs to the sauce.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The dish that ended our day was the Torta di Ricotta Romana. This cake was made with ricotta, lemon and orange zest.  It was light and refreshing, the perfect compliment after eating the gnocchi.

We made the cake into smaller muffin sized desserts in order to be able to eat them by the end of class normally we would make the batter into a small cake.

Also we finished them off with powdered sugar. Mangia!

You can find out more about Maria and sign up for one of her upcoming classes by checking out her blog site: www.mariateresaskitchen.com.  I highly reccommend this class coming up at KOF with Maria: https://kitchenonfire.com/classes/view/id/2195/

Buon appetito!

Maria gave us a a tip on some really good olive oil that is made locally called California Olive Ranch. Happy cooking!!  If you are interested in any of the recipe's feel free to contact me.

Chef Charles Royal: Rotorua,New Zealand: Culinary Journey into the Bush

We embarked on a culinary adventure of a lifetime into the New Zealand native bush with Chef Charles Royal.  Charles has a passion for food and not just any food good food, he brings his "army chef training, his interest in the world Slow Food movement with its focus on protecting traditional foods, and his Maori heritage and the cooking traditions of his ancestors" to the table. The food tour started with an hour hike into the bush on New Zealand's north island in the Rotorua district.  We were in the bush picking and gathering for our meal.  Then we emersed from the bush with a bag full of goodies and we moved onto cooking an 8 course meal with Charles.  The journey didn't stop there we went to a local mineral hot spring and an amazing artist's workshop area where we saw local sculptures and art work made from Maori people.  The art reminded me of the Hawaiian islands and the Polynesian culture.

We first found some Pikopiko or fiddleheads of the hen and chicken fern (Asplenium bulbiferum) which grow naturally in New Zealand's rainforest's and native bush. Maori people consider pikopiko a delicacy.

 

The Pikopiko Takakau, damper bread with fiddleheads is what Charles transformed the pikopiko into, that Pedro is eyeing.  It tasted like an Irish soda bread my Mom used to make yum!

Charles also created a Pikopiko pesto made from sunflower seeds, ground flax seeds, rice bran oil and pikopiko powder.   

We continued on and we found Harore or native wood mushrooms that grow in the wild, we found our growing off of a damp log.

They taste like Shitake mushrooms, adding a strong and flavorful addition to any dish.

Next we continued to hunt for food and found Kawakawa or pepper tree(Macropiper excelsum) leaves.  

As we traveled through the forest Charles had already prepared Kawakawa Chai tea masala for us which kept us warm and was delicious. These leaves are known for their healing abilities.  

Charles made us two types of Kawakawa Brulee, one topped with meringue and one without.  We ate them all!!                                                            

 

 

Along with our meal Charles steamed some Kale, and Maori potatoes which are purple and taste like sweet potatoes!

 

It doesn't stop there we also were fortunate to try the Horopito-smoked salmon. Horopito or bush pepper(Pseudowintera colorata) comes from a small tree whose leaves have a hot peppery taste.  We  also tried the horopito hummus which was spicy but just the right amount of spice and excellent flavor.

 

We also feasted on the kawakawa wild herb chicken, some steak with kinaki 3 pepper spice, mussels, and crayfish.

Charles gave us a copy of his cookbook, which has all of the recipes that we cooked with him that day!  

After our lunch we were off to Soda Hot springs to take a dip in their natural mineral springs.  It was much needed after all of that food.

This was the best things we were able to do while spending 10 days in new Zealand.  If you are interested please contact Charles Royal with this link:  http://www.maorifood.com/chef.htm

We also visited this amazing gallery called the Te Haa Gallery run by Joe and Sherie Kemp.  Joe is an amazing sculptor see some of the work the gallery holds below.

Kitchen on Fire: Berkeley, California: Summer Fruit Desserts

Chef Elise Fineberg blew us out of the water with her enchanting summer fruit desserts. Currently Chef Elise is a Chef Instructor at the International Culinary School at the Art Institute.  She has also held positions at critically acclaimed restaurants, such as Citizen Cake, Jardiniere, Incanto and catering companies aka Taste Catering.  Let the pictures speak for the class menu.  This class was well organized and the students were able to pick from making any or all of the five menu choices below!!

Stone Fruit Panzanella with Whipped Crème Fraiche:

Pedro is following MikeC's instructions TASTE IT!!

Chef MikeC showing us how to garnish the mint, roll it up Cali style then cut and wha la!

Vanilla Cake with Espresso Berries and Raspberry Sorbet:

The vanilla cake poured into muffin pan and dipped into butter then sugar and cinnamon heaven.

Next the raspberry, espresso sauce poured on top and then last but not least drum roll please...

Topped off with raspberry sorbet.  This dish was super easy and my favorite dessert of the evening!

Cornmeal Shortcakes served with Vanilla Nectarines and Earl Grey Cream:

We tried one of everything, no I'm not kidding.  I went swimming every day after this class to compensate!

The Earl Grey cream was a bit strong but I would try making this with mint tea bags instead to suit my palate.

Yogurt Panna Cotta with Cardamom Roasted Plums and Oat Crunch:

Vanilla Ice Cream with Spicy Blackberries and Pistachio Biscotti:

Biscotti right out of the oven!

The ice cream wasn't quite ready but it was still delicious and you can tell the base was awesome, the key was using fresh vanilla bean!

Who wants these recipes??? Sign up for our blog and I will send you these recipes.

BTW Elise you have an eternally grateful student!  Thank you.

Kitchen on Fire: Berkeley, California: Mandarin BBQ

Chef Shy Leong is an expert at mandarin BBQ, born in Seremban, Malaysia.  Shy is a regular teacher at Kitchen on Fire and exudes a passion for food, cooking and teaching.  Shy is presently a co-author of "Love Your Home but Get out of the House" and the consulting chef for The Royal Sungei Ujong Club in Malaysia.

Shy's classes consisted of 30 minute lecture and the rest hands on and demonstrations on the different dishes.  We split into teams and every team prepared a different dish that evening. This helps you learn a lot of different dishes, along with tasting a lot of different dishes so when you go home you decide what to cook next!

What was on the menu?

Cha Siu Pork Shoulder with Brine and Five Spices

Pork fat rules!!!

Peking Duck

Indonesian Satay with Spicy Roasted Peanut Dressing and Chilled Rice Cakes

Mandarin-style Stuffed Roasted Squabs

Coming up next: Shy Leong cooking up his next BBQ at Guest Chef.  An exciting new pop up restaurant July31st-August 12th.

http://www.theguestchef.net/

To sign up for your next culinary adventure at KOF....

http://kitchenonfire.com/

Kitchen on Fire: Berkeley, California: Croissant and Danish Workshop

After taking the 12 week cooking series and several classes after the series at KOF I am a regular to the school.  The classes give a variety to the students with an eclectic mix of teachers as well.  This was one of my favorite classes so far.

Mike Kalanty who is an author of a cookbook, and a baking teacher brought to Kitchen on Fire a day of croissant and danish making.  Mike directs the bread baking program at the California Culinary Academy.  He is the author of How To Bake Bread: The Five Families of Bread®.

The class consisted of learning how to make croissant au beurre:

 pain au chocolate:

and danish pinwheels and snails: 

The workshop lasted a little over 4 hours and this is what we learned from this hands on experience.

Making the dough with the layers upon layers of dough and butter.

forming the danish and croissants:

baking them and then the best part of the class was eating them.

http://kitchenonfire.com/

 

Vivine's Kitchen: Grand Cayman Island

“Local Spot for lunch: For non picky eaters!”

Let's say the food is excellent for the need a nap after local lunch. You will not find anything here that is truly healthy, the food is amazing but healthy no. We came twice for lunch because the fried grouper Cayman style was so good we had to come back for more.

Yes we had the rum cake too, both times.

The second time around we had the pork, tender and stewed to perfection.

We had the carrot ginger juice to start off with both times and it's refreshing. The plates include cassava, rice and beans, and fried plantains. The small size is more then enough especially if you tend to get desert! Their is no service and honestly for lunch this good and inexpensive who cares, you can stare at the ocean and relax while waiting for you food the view is incredible. All of the locals we spoke to said to eat here this is where they go to eat Cayman style grub. If your looking for gourmet and your picky this is not the place for you. If your down to get stuffed with some home made goodness, this is the best lunch spot on the island.

State Bird Provisions: San Francisco

Can we say awesome!? This is one of the best meals, and one of the most interesting I have had in SF in a long time.  Bravo to the owners and mastermind chefs behind State Bird Provisions, Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski, the chef proprietors.  They bring food and more food out on trays and carts throughout the evening, great concept.  It's like eating in a traditional Chinese restaurant, a good one.  We were seated near the back and the noise level is medium and good décor and soft lighting.  

You can choose to pick one of the decadent items flying by or order from the dinner menu.  We did both and were very pleased, out of 8 dishes there were only two that were not on par with the rest.

We first ordered the sweet corn & garlic chive “short stack”, with mt. tam, this was one of my favorite.  The flavors of the cheese and the griddled pancake were mouthwatering.

We then had a few tray items brought around by an egger and knowledgeable waiter...the smoked halibut, potato & tomato salad was a good start.

The fried garlic bread with burrata was a winner.

The haas avocado with seafood ‘salsa’ was good but didn't compliment any other dish that evening, so it was out of place and one of our least favorites.

The duck liver mousse with small corn bread muffins was to die for a must do for your evening, melts in your mouth and an interesting flavor combination!

The kimchi-pork belly with tofu was a spicy yet flavorful kick to the almost dinner entree combinations.

The glazed pork ribs with chrysanthemum & togarashi was another eh dish, the only flavor we tasted was a cumin flavor and the ribs were very dry.

Cumin lamb with scallions, figs & zucchini great dinner menu option more than enough for two people.

For dessert we had double chocolate pudding, gianduja crunch, spiced plums of scrumptiousness.  This dessert needs to go down in the books for creative genius.

I can't wait to return to see what is going to be rolled out next time.

http://statebirdsf.com/provisions/

 

Cayman Islands: Tukka Restaurant

Tukka was hands down the best food on the island. We had numerous dining experiences, and we decided to come back to Tukka 3 times in a week. Two times we did the tasting menu, which consisted of five courses.The first was a trio of appetizers the crocodile fritter, the shrimp and lobster spring roll, and the jerk duck. All had there own unique flavors in every bite. The second a lobster bisque which had the perfect consistency. There was a lemon sorbet that was served next to help cleanse our palates.

We were then served an orange roughy with a mushroom risotto for our fish entree.

The meat was a lamb encrusted with macadamia nuts cooked to perfection, with mashed potatoes, veggies and a rich balsamic reduction.

The desert was the almond sticky pudding with caramel sauce. It was to die for!!

There was a huge wedding party on this Saturday night and chef Ron was bringing out our dishes for us himself, the five courses took all of an hour with enough time for us to relax in between. The wait staff and the timeliness was superb along with the food. This is one of the best culinary experiences I have had in a long time. It is well worth the drive to the East End. The best part is every time you have the tasting menu they change it based on what is fresh that day!!

Sunday brunch buffet...

Ginger and honey glazed salmon with lobster risotto, and a shot of miso soup.

The chocolate molten cake with vanilla bean ice cream.