ITS GOOD TO BE FRESH

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Toms of Maine. All opinions are 100% mine.

I was in the annual chef convention last Sunday. The chef convention is an annual event in which all chefs meet in one convention to discuss matters related to the chef profession and others. This year's chef convention was well attended because many chefs that are already based abroad went back home to attend the chef convention. In this year's convention, I was one of the lucky chefs that were selected by the board to speak in the convention. At the convention, I was the last chef speaker to deliver my inspirational message to the chefs in the convention. Upon approaching the podium, I noticed a bad smell. Immediately I knew that it was caused by bad breath. i just cannot point who was the chef that caused that because there were 20 speakers in the convention. as a chef, we must always be clean and presentable. To keep a fresh breath always, I used Tom's Of Maine products to keep me always fresh. I always make sure that I gargle and brush my teeth often so that I won't have any bad breath problems. In every event that I go to, I make sure that I bring with me my Tom's of Maine mouthwash and toothpaste always. As I always use these products, I think I can join the That's Wicked Fresh contest page for the product usage. Its good to be fresh always and chef like me must always stay in tip top fresh breath always. 

TOMORROW IS A BIG DAY

Tomorrow is a big day for my little precious because it will be her christening and I need to prepare all the best recipes that I have in my restaurant for the venue will be in my restaurant. I am expecting around 100 guest that will witnessing the event. All of the little things are in place already and I need to give my last coaching to the chefs that will handling the cooking in the kitchen. Our theme in the restaurant is in the wild wild west and all of the dishes that will be cooked are all related to the wild wild west theme. I have already furnished all the slicing for the dishes that will be cooked for tomorrow's event. I guess I needed to rest right now before the big day tomorrow.

JUST HAPPY COOKING

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Thexyz Network. All opinions are 100% mine.

I was too busy doing the teaching in the culinary school and for the past 3 weeks, I was preparing for the culinary school. The dean of the culinary school told me that I can have a mandatory leave because I needed to have a break. My restaurant is doing fine and the operation is picking up even I am not around. My assistant chefs are very cooperative in helping my in the cooking responsibilities. This chef really needs a break from teaching cooking. My chef website is handled my my chef friends. They were the ones that kept my website updated. They also told me to join the Thexyz Network so that I can Sign up as a publisher for the network. I have joined several networking clubs online before but this is far more superior with the service that I got from this site. My website is doing good and I got a good number of visitors a day. This is a great opportunity for my site to get visitors and at the same time, earn from the traffic that my site is having right now. I really have to double time in updating my site and have a good number of followers. The dean of the culinary school has already asked me when I will avail the mandatory leave so that the school can have time to find a substitute while I am on leave. This chef needs a break and I need it immediately.

CHEFS ARE IN DEMAND ABROAD

My classmate in the culinary school called me this evening and asked me if I am planning to go abroad to work. Chefs are in demand right now abroad and the compensation is great. I used to be a chef in a hotel in Dubai and also in Canada before I went back home and started my restaurant business. Its true that chefs are highly needed abroad and there is still vacant slots in several hotels. I told my friend that I am not interested in going abroad and work there. I would better stay here and let my countrymen enjoy the dishes that I prepare.

CHEF KNOWS BEST

Being a chef is very challenging because you get to do what you like best and that is cooking and preparing foods. When I decided to take up culinary arts, I knew that it was really meant for me and cooking and making various recipes was my forte. After graduating in the culinary school, I decided to further my studies and went to have a master degree in cooking at the same culinary school. That is why I am quite famous in the culinary school.

After two years abroad working as a head chef in Singapore, I went back home to venture into the world of cooking. It was quite exciting because many of my classmates in the culinary school were very supportive and told me that I made the right decision in opening my own restaurant business. My chef-friends contributed many recipes to me and shared their skills in cooking as well, especially when I was in my first month in the business.

I wanted to be unique and share what I love best and that is cooking. I want to share it to the world. That is why I open my own website and it was all about cooking and things related to cooking. For my web kitchen, I approached several computer experts on my web domain and web hosting for my site. I read several web hosting reviews I decided to get what I wanted. My website is all about cooking and recipe sharing. This is what makes me busy right now. You get to see my cooking demos via my website. There is also a chef corner where chefs can share to each other recipes and even their daily experiences in their own kitchen. I am still making adjustments on my time because traffic is already doing well for my website. I am encouraging all chefs out there to have their own website so that they can share more about their recipes and dishes that they can cook to the world. A chef knows that it is fun to share recipes to the world.

SPECIAL EMPANADA ALA ARABELLA

I am making a change as I will be opening another business and the main product of this food business is the tasty empanada. I will be naming it Arabella's Empanada. This is derived from my daughter's name. I will be personally cooking the empanada that i going to be the main product of this business. I am optimistic that it will make a good impact to all of my customers. Empanada is an all time favorite for merienda because it is healthy and no junk. I am still in the marketing stage right now and I am expecting orders by the end of the month. I got several calls already for the empanada and I am very happy about it. This chef is making the most of everything that I learned in the culinary school.

THE GOLD CHEF

I was recently commissioned to be the chef in a jewelry event. The said event will held at night and many are expected to come to the show as the host feature the latest jewelries and some jewelry display cases. To be a chef in this kind of event is new to me. I have been a chef for the past 10 years already and this is the first time that I will be doing a cooking job for a jewelry event of night. I was also told that I needed to submit the menu for the dishes that I will be cooking because there will be many guests from different sectors. This event is considered a high key event of the year.

A good friend of mine, also a chef, toured me in the venue where the event will be held and I can see that the boxes of jewelry are being piled already. According to my friend that we cannot touch the boxes for somethings might get lost and we will be the one to be blame. He also added that we should concentrate in the cooking of the dishes that we are commissioned to cook. Honestly, collecting jewelries is one of my passion, second to cooking.

I really cant just stop and be curious about what is inside the boxes that were transported in the venue. The organizer was very kind she showed me some of their finest collections. I was really amazed to see the valuable thing that was inside the box. I should be calling my self the Gold chef after this event because I am a chef of a jewelry event.

ADVANCE CHRISTMAS COOKING

I got a call from a chef friend and asked me if my schedule is vacant for the first week of December. It is because there is going to be a big celebration in town and he could not think of any chef except me to do this type of cooking. He added that it is going to be a marathon style of cooking and the event is expected to feed around 2000 people in one sitting. I am not new to this kind of big event cooking. I used to work for a charity foundation and feeding was the main function of that foundation. I said yes to my friend immediately.

The cooking event will happen on the 2nd up to the 5th day of December. There is going to be a feeding program of the culinary school as it celebrate its 10th year in the city. The entire feeding program will start from the breakfast up to the dinner period for the entire 4 days, it will be cooking and lots of cooking in the kitchen. The venue where the cooking will be held at the recreation area of the culinary school. This is going to be fun.

The culinary school confirmed my task and told me that there will be 10 more chefs that will participate in the huge feeding program and as the senior chef, I must meet with them to discuss the menu and the recipes that will be prepared for the 4 day long feeding program. I already started contacting the 10 chefs that will be joining in the feeding program.

I have the end of October to submit to the culinary dean the menu each day and the recipes that will be cooked in the event. The culinary school also told me that the dishes that we will be cooking must not be that expensive because chefs are very notorious for charging, especially for a big event such as this. I am very confident that my team of chefs will delivery well during the days of cooking. The recipes were already faxed to my restaurant and I need to review them one by one to avoid duplication in cooking. We plan not do recook a dish that is why I need to see to it that this won't happen. All things are set and read. Me and the chefs are very excited already for the event to happen this December. It is going to be a delicious December cooking as we chefs prove our skills in cooking.

How to Measure Sugar Precisely

How to Measure Sugar Precisely:

To get exact level cup measures of sugar, spoon into dry metal or plastic measuring cups, then level by scraping excess sugar from top of cup with straight-edged knife.

Raspberry Freezer Jam

Raspberry Freezer Jam

Here's what you need:
3 cups prepared fruit (buy about 6 cups fully ripe red raspberries)
5-1/4 cups sugar, measured into separate bowl
3/4 cup water
1 box SURE.JELL Fruit Pectin

Procedure:
RINSE clean plastic containers and lids with boiling water. Dry thoroughly.

CRUSH raspberries thoroughly, one layer at a time. (Press half of pulp through a sieve to remove seeds, if desired.) Measure exactly 3 cups crushed raspberries into large bowl. Stir in sugar. Let stand 10 min., stirring occasionally.

MIX water and pectin in small saucepan. Bring to boil on high heat, stirring constantly. Continue boiling and stirring 1 min. Add to fruit mixture; stir 3 min.or until sugar is almost dissolved and no longer grainy. (A few sugar crystals may remain.)

FILL containers immediately to within 1/2 inch of tops. Wipe off top edges of containers; immediately cover with lids. Let stand at room temperature 24 hours. Jam is now ready to use. Store in refrigerator up to 3 weeks or freeze extra containers up to 1 year. Thaw in refrigerator before using.

Hearty Beef Chili

Hearty Beef Chili

Here's what your need:
1-1/2 lb. lean ground beef
1 can (16 oz.) no-salt added tomato sauce
1 can (15 oz.) dark red kidney beans, rinsed
1 can (15 oz.) light red kidney beans, rinsed
1-1/2 cups TACO BELL® HOME ORIGINALS® Thick 'N Chunky Mild Salsa
1 cup frozen corn, thawed, drained
1 onion, chopped
2 Tbsp. chili powder
1 cup KRAFT Mexican Style Finely Shredded Four Cheese

Here's how:

BROWN meat; drain. Add to slow cooker with remaining ingredients except cheese; stir. Cover with lid.

COOK on LOW 5 to 6 hours (or on HIGH 3 to 4 hours).

STIR just before serving. Serve topped with the cheese.

Beef Tenderloin with Creamy Risotto

Beef Tenderloin with Creamy Risotto

Here's what your need:

1/4 cup KRAFT Sun-Dried Tomato Dressing, divided
3/4 cup chopped zucchini
1/4 cup shredded carrot
1/4 cup chopped red pepper
1 cup instant white rice, uncooked
3/4 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup milk
2 Tbsp. GREY POUPON Dijon Mustard
2 beef tenderloin steaks, (4 oz. each), 1 inch thick

Procedure:

HEAT 1 Tbsp. of the dressing in saucepan. Add zucchini, carrot and red pepper; cook until crisp-tender, stirring frequently.

STIR in rice, broth, milk and mustard. Bring to boil; cover. Remove from heat. Let stand 5 min.

MEANWHILE, cook steaks in remaining dressing in skillet on medium heat 5 min. Turn steaks over; cover. Cook an additional 5 to 8 min. for rare to medium doneness. Serve steak with rice mixture.

ADOBO IS THE BEST DISH EVER

Adobo is a recipe that has been handed from generation to generation. The adobo recipe has its origin but that is hard to trace because every family has their own version of adobo. In my province, where my father grew up, they have their own creative adobo recipe that they always prepare every special occasion. In an adobo, the usual meat used would be chicken and pork. But in the province, they cook their adobo using goat meat. I visited the place once and tasted their home grown goat adobo. I find the goat adobo unique and delicious especially the taste of coco vinegar.

In an adobo dish, the vinegar that will be used always matters in the taste of the finish product. In my restaurant, I always use coco vinegar because coco vinegar brings this distinctive taste when the dish is cook. I recall during my culinary studies in the culinary school, I made an adobo recipe. it was quite unique because I used goat's meat instead of chicken and pork. I never tried cooking it because I know that the tedious preparation of the goat's meat. That Adobo recipe won a silver prize award internationally. It was healthy and taste good and judges were all amazed with the recipe that I submitted. Adobo is the best dish ever

ERICA'S LASAGNA

ERICA'S LASAGNA RECIPE

Ingredients

* 1 pound lean ground beef
* 1 onion, chopped
* 2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
* 1 (14.5 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
* 2 cups water
* 1 tablespoon dried oregano
* 2 teaspoons garlic powder
* 2 teaspoons salt
* 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 1 tablespoon white sugar
*
* 12 ounces cottage cheese
* 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
* 1 egg
*
* 9 lasagna noodles
* 1 pound shredded mozzarella cheese


Directions

1. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook beef until brown. Drain. In another skillet over medium heat, cook onion until translucent. Combine beef and onion in a large saucepan with tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, water, oregano, garlic powder, salt, pepper and sugar. Cook over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 1 hour.

2. While sauce is simmering, blend cottage cheese, Parmesan and egg until smooth. Set aside.

3. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.

4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

5. Spread 1 cup of sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Cover sauce with 3 noodles. Cover noodles with one-third of remaining sauce. Top with half the mozzarella. Place another layer of noodles and one of sauce over the mozzarella; top that with the cottage cheese mixture. Top with remaining 3 noodles and remaining sauce.

6. Bake in preheated oven 30 minutes. Sprinkle remaining mozzarella on top and bake 15 minutes more, until golden and bubbly.

Ingredients

* 1 pound lean ground beef
* 1 onion, chopped
* 2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
* 1 (14.5 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
* 2 cups water
* 1 tablespoon dried oregano
* 2 teaspoons garlic powder
* 2 teaspoons salt
* 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 1 tablespoon white sugar
*
* 12 ounces cottage cheese
* 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
* 1 egg
*
* 9 lasagna noodles
* 1 pound shredded mozzarella cheese


Directions

1. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook beef until brown. Drain. In another skillet over medium heat, cook onion until translucent. Combine beef and onion in a large saucepan with tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, water, oregano, garlic powder, salt, pepper and sugar. Cook over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 1 hour.

2. While sauce is simmering, blend cottage cheese, Parmesan and egg until smooth. Set aside.

3. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.

4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

5. Spread 1 cup of sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Cover sauce with 3 noodles. Cover noodles with one-third of remaining sauce. Top with half the mozzarella. Place another layer of noodles and one of sauce over the mozzarella; top that with the cottage cheese mixture. Top with remaining 3 noodles and remaining sauce.

6. Bake in preheated oven 30 minutes. Sprinkle remaining mozzarella on top and bake 15 minutes more, until golden and bubbly.

CHEF IS ON THE ROAD TO TRAVEL

There is a convention of chefs that will be held in the national region area. This is an annual event of chefs that must be attended because there are so many things that will be given during the convention. I attended the convention last year and I swear to come to the following year's convention. The venue of the convention is not the regular place like a hotel. It is situated in the mountain peek and the only way to get there is by car. In order to get there, I needed to drive almost 3 hours before to reach the place. I am quite familiar with the place because I was a chef in the mountain resort once and the place is very nice and ideal for a convention to happen.

I already made the adjustments and gave the instructions to my chefs while I am away and on the road. I also called my insurance agent to get me a short term insurance since I will be traveling using my vehicle. I want to be safe while I am on the road. Road accidents can happen and I want to be protected that is why I got an insurance for me and my car. The convention organizers told me that I needed to bring some reading materials and notes because there will be a recipe sharing among chefs that will participate in the convention. My things are already packed and ready to go to the convention site. I just hope that I am not forgetting anything because going there is difficult and time consuming.

CHEF HOSPITAL ADMISSION

This morning in the restaurant, my assistant chef told me that I have a high temperature. She was right because I have a flu right now and still I went to the restaurant for my cooking job in the kitchen and it is hard to leave the restaurant operation just to the assistant chef. But I think it would be best to leave the cooking task to her because having a flu and cooking is not good for chefs and the restaurant as well.

After in the restaurant, I went to the hospital to check for my condition and if I could still do my culinary job as a chef in the restaurant. The doctor said that I have to take a rest in the cooking because I am not feeling well. I needed to rest. After the check up, I went back to the restaurant and said my reminders to them. I also left my recipe books for references in the kitchen. I don't want to leave a scattered menu while I am resting at home. If worst comes to worst, chef will be admitted in the hospital for faster recuperation.

The restaurant menu is already fix for the week. I needed to rest for 2 days and that is why I instructed my assistant chef to prepare the following dishes while I am not around. The recipe books are also there. I called up the culinary school and told them that I won't be coming on my first day as fondant cake making professor because I am sick and I am happy that they understood me well.

FONDANT CAKE MAKING ACCEPTED

This morning I got a call from the culinary school asking me if I can teach fondant cake making because there are few chefs that can teach the culinary students on how to make a fondant cake. I now how to make a fondant cake and it is easy. I immediately accepted the offer of the culinary school to teach fondant cake making in the culinary school. I was told that by the end of the month, I have to go the school every Fridays to teach the students of the fondant cake making.

Making a fondant cake is really simple and a chef must know how to design the cake to make it fondant cake. Fondant cake is the best cake for weddings because it really looks glamorous and best for the vow. In my career as a chef, I was able to make around 20 fondant cakes in my career. This cake is usually made for weddings and for meetings. My first time to make a fondant cake was during a baking contest and cake decorations. We were about 20 chefs competing in the contest, all of them were my friends and classmates in the culinary school.

Since I will be back again in the culinary school to teach fondant cake making to students, I might as well review my notes because I don't want to teach them wrong in making fondant cake. Fondant cake making is a one semester course in the culinary school and I should really do well and teach the young chefs how to make a fondant cake.

CHEF'S NEW CAR

I always drive from my house to the restaurant. It is already just normal for a chef to be driving and my car is an old one. This chef is using a Kia Cd-5 model car. I know that it is kind of out dated with the new models of vehicles that are running in the streets. During the chef meeting last Sunday, my long time car broke down along the street. Luckily, my chef friend was there to assist me in my ordeal in the road. Buying a new car is easy for a chef like me. It is a fact that chefs earn big because we are considered skilled workers. Enough of the history and lets go down to the topic. My car needs a substitution. I need a car right now.

The mechanic told me that my car will be done by the end of the week and I have to use the services of the public transport to transport me from my home to my office-restaurant. Many of my chef friends told me that I should get a new one and sell my old car. I am currently considering that idea because I don't want to experience another problem with my old car. This chef needs a new car immediately. Hopefully when the car is already fix, I will immediately display it in front of the restaurant and with the words: chef's car for sale".

TERIYAKI PORK TENDERLOIN RECIPE

Teriyaki Pork Tenderloin Recipe


Ingredients

* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 2 pounds pork tenderloin
* 1/2 cup teriyaki sauce
* 1 cup chicken broth
* 1/4 cup brown sugar
* 4 cloves garlic, chopped
* 3 fresh red chile pepper, finely chopped
* 1/2 large onion, sliced
* 1/4 teaspoon black pepper


Directions


1. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Brown tenderloins on all sides, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, mix together teriyaki sauce, chicken broth, and brown sugar in a bowl. Stir in garlic, red chile pepper, onion, and black pepper.

2. Put browned tenderloins into slow cooker, cover with the teriyaki sauce mixture. Cook on High for about 4 hours, turning 2 to 3 times during the cooking time to ensure even doneness.

3. Remove tenderloins from the slow cooker and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing. If desired, spoon liquid over slices when serving.

BLACK BEAN AND PORK TENDERLOIN SLOW CHILI RECIPE

Black Bean and Pork Tenderloin Slow Cooker Chili Recipe

Ingredients

* 1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin, cut into 2 inch strips
* 1 small onion, coarsely chopped
* 1 small red bell pepper, coarsely chopped
* 3 (15 ounce) cans black beans
* 1 (16 ounce) jar salsa
* 1/2 cup chicken broth
* 1 teaspoon dried oregano
* 1 teaspoon ground cumin
* 2 teaspoons chili powder


Directions


1. Combine pork tenderloin, onion, red pepper, black beans, salsa, chicken broth, oregano, cumin, and chili powder in a slow cooker. Set to Low and cook for 8 to 10 hours.

2. Break up pieces of cooked pork to thicken the chili before serving.

CHICKEN SANDWICH WITH ZANG

CHICKEN SANDWICH WITH ZANG

Ingredients

* 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
* 3 tablespoons Italian seasoning
* 3 tablespoons grill seasoning
* 1/2 cup barbeque sauce
* 1 teaspoon butter
* 1 onion, thinly sliced
* 1 green bell pepper, sliced
* 4 mushrooms, sliced
* 4 hamburger buns, split and toasted
* 4 slices Swiss cheese


Directions

1. Preheat an outdoor or indoor grill for low heat, and lightly oil the grate.

2. Sprinkle the chicken breasts generously on all sides with the Italian and grill seasonings. Slowly cook on the preheated grill, turning every 10 minutes; brush the chicken with the barbeque sauce each time you turn it. Cook until the chicken is no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear. Once done, an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).

3. While the chicken is cooking, melt the butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Cook the onions, bell peppers, and mushrooms in the butter, stirring frequently until the vegetables are tender.

4. To make the sandwiches, place a chicken breast on each hamburger bun half. Spoon the pepper and onion mixture overtop, and top with a slice of Swiss cheese. Cover with the hamburger bun tops.

APPLE BARS WITH BUTTER

APPLE BARS WITH BUTTER

Ingredients

* 1/2 cup butter
* 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
* 1/4 cup white sugar
* 1 egg
* 3/4 cup apple butter
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon apple pie spice
* 1 cup raisins
* 1 cup confectioners' sugar

* 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

* 2 tablespoons milk


Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking pan

2. Beat butter or margarine until creamy. Add half of the flour, the brown sugar, white sugar, egg, apple butter, baking soda and the apple pie spice. Beat together until well blended. Beat in remaining flour and stir in raisins. Spread in prepared baking pan.

3. Bake for 20-25 minutes or till toothpick in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack. Drizzle with icing. Cut into bars.

4. To Make Icing: Mix 1 cup confectioners' sugar, 1/4 teaspoon vanilla and 1 - 2 tablespoons milk. Mix to drizzling consistency.

GALAXY PIZZA RECIPE

GALAXY PIZZA RECIPE


Ingredients

* 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
* 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
* 1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour


Directions

1. In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast and brown sugar in the water, and let sit for 10 minutes.

2. Stir the salt and oil into the yeast solution. Mix in 2 1/2 cups of the flour.

3. Turn dough out onto a clean, well floured surface, and knead in more flour until the dough is no longer sticky. Place the dough into a well oiled bowl, and cover with a cloth. Let the dough rise until double; this should take about 1 hour. Punch down the dough, and form a tight ball. Allow the dough to relax for a minute before rolling out. Use for your favorite pizza recipe.

4. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). If you are baking the dough on a pizza stone, you may place your toppings on the dough, and bake immediately. If you are baking your pizza in a pan, lightly oil the pan, and let the dough rise for 15 or 20 minutes before topping and baking it.

5. Bake pizza in preheated oven, until the cheese and crust are golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes.

JUST QUICK AND SIMPLE COOKING

The restaurant is going to cater for a big event in the metro. My friend chefs are all tagged in by this event. They will be cooking in the restaurant kitchen for the whole day. We plan to cook around 20 dishes and some desserts after eating. The culinary school is also very supportive because they will be sending 5 student-chefs to the restaurant to help assist in the cooking and the the food preparation. I will be the head chef and I expect lots of pressure on the restaurant because this the first time that the meeting will be done in the city and the restaurant was the chosen to do the catering for the event. Thanks to my friend-chefs because they are always present when I needed them.

We already meet with the entire cooking team and we decided to prepare just quick and simple cooking. They will be bringing their own personal recipe books with them as they start the cooking in my kitchen. The restaurant will be closed for the entire day. I already informed my customers about the event and think its best and they will be cheering in the side. I always made a personal relationship my customers and they liked it that way.

The cooking will start around 7 am for the early breakfast. I already assigned the students to do the cooking of the breakfast meals while the veteran chefs will do the lunch dishes and the dinner. The merienda meals will be handled by the student chefs. I also told my kitchen assistants to help in the cooking proper. As a chef and a restaurant owner, I believe it is a great opportunity for the entire cooking team to showcase what our city is made of. I better prepare the recipes that I will be cooking for the event.

CHEF MAGIC WORKS

I was attending a culinary schools contest the other day. There were 3 schools competing for the crown to be the best culinary school in the country. I was invited as chef judge of the event. The competing culinary schools had their 3 student chefs and they were assigned to cook their 3 best dishes. Being a chef and a judge of the event was very difficult because all of the students were very good in their cooking craft. Honestly, I cannot believe that the competitors are all students because their dishes that they cooked were all delicious.

Giving a verdict is very difficult because all of them are good in their cooking. But there must be one winner and that I my job to give the decision of the contest. There is one school that I was amazed by the way they cook. They were no longer using modern cooking pots and pans. They were using old things like clay pots and even their ingredients are all freshly gathered. The entire contest last around 3 hours after all schools presented their dishes prepared, a chef judge must taste it in order to determine who is the winner. I picked the third school because of the uniqueness of their dishes prepared. It was something new and tasty as well.

BREAKFAST CASSEROLE RECIPE

BREAKFAST CASSEROLE RECIPE


Ingredients

* 2 slices bread
* 1/2 pound bulk pork sausage
* 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
* 3 eggs
* 1 cup milk
* 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/8 teaspoon pepper


Directions

1. Remove the crust from the bread and cut into 1-in. cubes. Place in a greased 8-in. square baking dish. In a skillet, brown the sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Sprinkle the sausage and cheese over bread cubes.

2. In a bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, mustard, salt and pepper. Pour over the sausage and cheese. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes or until puffed and golden.

BREAKFAST MADNESS RECIPE

BREAKFAST MADNESS RECIPE


Ingredients

* 1 (16 ounce) package ground pork breakfast sausage
* 12 eggs
* 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
* 1 1/4 cups milk
* 1 (4.5 ounce) can sliced mushrooms, drained
* 1 (32 ounce) package frozen potato rounds
* 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese


Directions

1. Place sausage in a skillet over medium-high heat, and cook until evenly brown. Drain, and set aside.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.

3. In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, condensed cream of mushroom soup, and milk. Stir in the sausage and mushrooms, and pour into the prepared baking dish. Mix in the frozen potato rounds.

4. Bake in preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese, and bake an additional 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

WILD CHEFS ON THE LOOSE

The association of chefs in the city was on meet for the entire week. The master chef in our group decided that we should try new things while we are all together in the meet. We have already made a schedule of places where we will be going after the meet. We are all nine chefs, just having fun. We already have all the necessary things for the places that we are going to visit. Chef Brian also brought with him his easy burner so that when we visit a place, we will just cook the foods. We are all chefs and we don't need to buy our foods. We only need to cook it.

There will be 5 places that we plan to visit. I also told my chef companions that I will visit a classmate in the culinary school who happens to own a restaurant nearby. The meet will have only three days and the rest of the days are ours. I also brought with me my recipe books that I will share to my chef companions.

MISSING RECIPE BOOK

I was inside bedroom looking for that one recipe that a master chef gave last year during the chef meet. That recipe was a unique one and the master chef made that recipe just for me. I already asked my assistant chef about a piece of recipe written in a white paper. I need to find that recipe because it was made just for me.

I also looked inside the room cabinet for that recipe but still no avail. I am trying to recall where I placed it. There is also a possibility that I inserted in in one of my recipe books because that is what I often do. I better start looking in my recipe books. It would be a shame if I lost it. It was a very nice recipe specially written just for me.

INFANT FOOD FOR THE BABY

The chef is very busy preparing infant food for the baby this morning. My baby was very hungry and I was preparing her milk. Milk formula is just a substitute to breast milk. But since I am no longer breast feeding my baby, this chef really needs to prepare milk formula for the baby. In a few months from now, my baby will be able to eat heavy food and I am already preparing the recipe for her first bite on real food.

ITS A COOKING SUNDAY

I stayed the entire whole day just here in the house, sitting and cooking all the recipes that comes to my mind. My hubby was very supportive in my culinary activities today and I guess I am just making the best of this Sunday. I also went to the market to buy the ingredients for my kare-kare and pork humba that I usually prepare in the restaurant. Buying ingredients in the market is the best because you get to buy fresh meats and vegetables in the market.

I also invited some chef friends to come to the house and dine with us for tonight. I also called my relatives and invited them for dinner and they acknowledge that they are coming. This simple Sunday is turned to a feast because off the dishes that I cooked and the visitors that are coming to the house.

GLAZED SALMON FILLETS RECIPE

GLAZED SALMON FILLETS RECIPE


Ingredients

* 6 (5 ounce) salmon fillets
* 4 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 tablespoon white wine
* 1 tablespoon honey
* 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
* 4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
* salt and pepper to taste
* 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano


Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, and spray with non-stick cooking spray.

2. Coat a small saucepan with non-stick cooking spray. Over medium heat, cook and stir garlic until soft, about 3 minutes. Mix in white wine, honey, balsamic vinegar, mustard, and salt and pepper. Simmer, uncovered, for about 3 minutes, or until slightly thickened.

3. Arrange salmon fillets on foil-lined baking sheet. Brush fillets with balsamic glaze, and sprinkle with oregano.

4. Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 14 minutes, or until flesh flakes easily with a fork. Brush fillets with remaining glaze, and season with salt and pepper. Use a spatula to transfer fillets to serving platter, leaving the skin behind on the foil.

HAM AND CHEESE CRESCENT RECIPE

HAM AND CHEESE CRESCENT RECIPE


Ingredients

* 1 (8 ounce) can Pillsbury® Refrigerated Crescent Dinner Rolls
* 8 thin slices cooked ham
* 4 thin slices Cheddar cheese, cut into strips


Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Separate dough into 8 triangles. Place 1 piece of ham on each triangle; place 2 strips of cheese down center of ham. Fold in edges of ham to match shape of dough triangle.

2. Roll up each crescent, ending at tip of triangle. Place with tips down on ungreased cookie sheet.

3. Bake 15 to 19 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheet. Serve warm.

CHEF KNOWS BEST

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of TiVo. All opinions are 100% mine.

Who said that chefs are only good at cooking and kitchen works. That is definitely a lame statement. Chefs are also into the tech side. As chefs, we also need to be updated with the latest technology and that is what this chef is doing right now. I got a cable connection inside the restaurant so that my customers will be to see their favorite movies while they wait for their meals to be served. Having a cable connection is a good thing for a restaurant. But just this week, I repalced it with the new tivo gadget. I get to watch movies in HD technology which is not available in a normal cable service. Aside from that I get to record it and save it for my personal viewing. With tivo, chefs in the neighborhood are visiting m often just to see the Fall TV premiere. We chefs are alo avid fans of shows and movies. We are not just limited to cooking and recipe collecting. With tivo, I get to follow my favorite chef shows and cooking lessons with just a click of a button. This is a wonderful experince and it is on HD. My friends are also members of Facebook Fan Page of tivo. There is also a contest where a member can Enter to Win the 30 slides in 30 days contest.

Having tivo is a good experience. No wonder many chefs are getting tivo inside their restaurants right now. I will never exchange my tivo to any other service provider. Tivo is the best, chefs like it best. Chefs unite with TIVO.

HALLOWEEN DELIGHT RECIPE

The Holloween season is approaching. The city government called up the culinary school this morning for an assistance. Immediately, the culinary school called up the restaurant asking if the chef of the house will be available on Sunday because it is a festival for the kids. The city government will be preparing a feast for the Halloween season. The restaurant will be the of the feast. The city mayor also suggested that we create new and exciting recipes for the event.

For the feast, the restaurant will be preparing a Peking duck and roasted turkey. There will also be cakes and muffins for the kids that will be participating in the event. There will be three chefs around to assist the head chef of the restaurant. The culinary school also support the event by providing some manpower in the kitchen. There will be 4 culinary students that will assisting in the entire cooking process on Sunday. I have to meet with the other chefs that will be around the event so that we can discuss some details on the event before it happens.

PENNE PASTA WITH SHRIMP RECIPE

PENNE PASTA WITH SHRIMP RECIPE

Ingredients

* 1 (16 ounce) package penne pasta
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1/4 cup chopped red onion
* 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
* 1/4 cup white wine
* 2 (14.5 ounce) cans diced tomatoes
* 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveAined
* 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese


Directions

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.

2. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in onion and garlic, and cook until onion is tender. Mix in wine and tomatoes, and continue cooking 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Mix shrimp into the skillet, and cook 5 minutes, or until opaque. Toss with pasta and top with Parmesan cheese to serve.

SICILIAN WHITE SPAGHETTI RECIPE

SICILIAN WHITE SPAGHETTI RECIPE

Ingredients

* 1 pound spaghetti
* 4 tablespoons olive oil
* 3 cloves garlic, crushed
* 1 (2 ounce) can anchovy fillets, chopped
* 1 cup fine bread crumbs
* 1 cup chopped fresh parsley
* ground black pepper to taste
* 4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese


Directions

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.

2. Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat and add garlic and anchovies to cook for about 2 minutes; stir constantly.

3. Stir in breadcrumbs and turn off heat. Add parsley and black ground pepper; mix together.

4. Toss anchovy sauce with hot pasta and sprinkle with cheese; serve.

TASTY CHCIKCEN BBQ SANDWICH RECIPE

TASTY CHICKEN BBQ SANDWICH RECIPE


Ingredients

* 2 (4 pound) whole chickens, cut up
* 1 1/2 cups ketchup
* 3/4 cup prepared mustard
* 5 tablespoons brown sugar
* 5 tablespoons minced garlic
* 5 tablespoons honey
* 1/4 cup steak sauce
* 4 tablespoons lemon juice
* 3 tablespoons liquid smoke flavoring
* salt and pepper to taste
* 12 hamburger buns
* 3 cups prepared coleslaw (optional)


Directions

1. Place chicken in a large pot with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and cook until chicken comes off the bone easily, about 3 hours. Make sauce while the chicken cooks.

2. In a saucepan over medium heat, mix together the ketchup, mustard, brown sugar, garlic, honey, steak sauce, lemon juice, and liquid smoke. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a gentle boil, and simmer for about 10 minutes. Set aside to allow flavors to mingle.

3. When the chicken is done, remove all meat from the bones, and chop or shred into small pieces. Place in a pan with the sauce, and cook for about 15 minutes to let the flavor of the sauce soak into the chicken. Spoon barbequed chicken onto buns, and top with coleslaw if you like.

TASTY SALMON WITH LEMON AND DILL RECIPE

TASTY SALMON WITH LEMON AND DILL RECIPE


Ingredients

* 1 pound salmon fillets
* 1/4 cup butter, melted
* 5 tablespoons lemon juice
* 1 tablespoon dried dill weed
* 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
* sea salt to taste
* freshly ground black pepper to taste


Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a medium baking dish.

2. Place salmon in the baking dish. Mix the butter and lemon juice in a small bowl, and drizzle over the salmon. Season with dill, garlic powder, sea salt, and pepper.

3. Bake 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until salmon is easily flaked with a fork.

TASTY SALMON WITH LEMON AND DILL RECIPE

TASTY SALMON WITH LEMON AND DILL RECIPE


Ingredients

* 1 pound salmon fillets
* 1/4 cup butter, melted
* 5 tablespoons lemon juice
* 1 tablespoon dried dill weed
* 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
* sea salt to taste
* freshly ground black pepper to taste


Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a medium baking dish.

2. Place salmon in the baking dish. Mix the butter and lemon juice in a small bowl, and drizzle over the salmon. Season with dill, garlic powder, sea salt, and pepper.

3. Bake 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until salmon is easily flaked with a fork.

MEATBALLS SANDWICH RECIPE

MEATBALLS SANDWICH RECIPE

Ingredients

* 1 (11.75 ounce) loaf Pepperidge Farm® Frozen Mozzarella Garlic Cheese Bread
* 1/2 cup Prego® Traditional Italian Sauce or Prego® Organic Tomato & Basil Italian Sauce
* 6 (1 ounce) frozen meatballs


Directions

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Remove the bread from the bag. Place the frozen bread halves, cut-side up, on an ungreased baking sheet. (If the bread halves are frozen together, carefully insert a fork between halves to separate.) Place baking sheet on the middle oven rack.

3. Bake for 10 minutes or until it's hot.

4. Heat the sauce and meatballs in a 2-quart saucepan over low heat. Cook and stir for 20 minutes or until the meatballs are heated through.

5. Place the meatballs onto the bottom bread half. Top with the remaining bread half. Cut into quarters.

MEATBALLS HEAVEN RECIPE

MEATBALLS HEAVEN RECIPE

Ingredients

* 1 pound extra lean ground beef
* 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
* 1 small onion, diced
* 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
* 1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
* 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
* 3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
* 1 dash hot pepper sauce (such as Frank's RedHot®), or to taste
* 1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
* 1/3 cup skim milk
* 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
* 1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs


Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

2. Place the beef into a mixing bowl, and season with salt, onion, garlic salt, Italian seasoning, oregano, red pepper flakes, hot pepper sauce, and Worcestershire sauce; mix well. Add the milk, Parmesan cheese, and bread crumbs. Mix until evenly blended, then form into 1 1/2-inch meatballs, and place onto a baking sheet.

3. Bake in the preheated oven until no longer pink in the center, 20 to 25 minutes.

Creamy Cabbage with Apples and Bacon Recipe

Creamy Cabbage with Apples and Bacon Recipe

Ingredients

* 1 teaspoon olive oil
* 6 slices bacon, chopped
* 1 large onion, chopped
* salt and pepper to taste
* 1 tablespoon white sugar, or to taste
* 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
* 1 head green cabbage, cored and chopped
* 2 large Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored and thickly sliced
* 1/2 cup chicken stock, or as needed
* 1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
* 1 pinch nutmeg
* 1/2 cup sour cream


Directions

1. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven. Add the bacon and cook and stir until most of the fat is rendered, and the bacon is lightly browned but still slightly limp, about 5 minutes. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a small bowl; do not drain. Pour off any excess bacon fat in the pan, according to your taste.

2. Stir the onion into the pot, season with salt and pepper, and cook and stir over medium-high heat until onion is translucent. Sprinkle in the sugar, then stir in the vinegar-stand back or you'll get a nose full! Scrape up the delicious brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the cabbage, stirring well to combine.

3. Cook, uncovered, until cabbage is reduced and starts to soften, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in apples, stock, and coriander seeds. Cover, reduce heat to medium low, and cook for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add more stock as needed, and continue cooking until the cabbage is soft, but not falling apart.

4. Just before serving, remove the cover and stir in the bacon with its juices. Cook over medium-high heat until any remaining liquid is reduced to a syrup and the mixture is piping hot, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in nutmeg, and fold in the sour cream. Your digestive tract will thank you.

KEEPING UP WITH SIMPLE COOKING

The culinary association of the city invited an American chef speaker to talk and to introduce new technologies in cooking. The guest chef was an amazing speaker and a chef as well. Aside from the speech, the chef also made a cooking demo of his specialty in cooking, pork recipes. Chefs are keeping up with simple cooking as they all viewed and listed the dish that the American chef demoed.

The guest speak will be staying for about three days. More and more chefs around the metro are coming in to listen to the American chef in his speech. Aside from the speech, there are also free recipe books that are being given away to all the chefs that are around.

THE CHEF IS OUT FOR AWHILE

The chef will be out for awhile and will be back tomorrow. There is a meeting of all culinary masters in the city to discuss the annual budget for the chef association. The meeting will be held at the Weblinkx cafe and the meeting usually would take whole day. Chefs that are going to the meet will have to find an accommodation in some hotels near the restaurant.

I already assigned the cooking task to my assistant chef, Chef Brian and the restaurant operation as well. I already made the final list of recipes that will be cooked while I am away. I am very confident with my cooking team because they are very good in cooking.

A LA KING TURKEY RECIPE

A LA KING TURKEY RECIPE


Ingredients

* 2 tablespoons butter
* 3 fresh mushrooms, sliced
* 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
* 1 cup chicken broth
* 1/2 cup heavy cream
* 1 cup chopped cooked turkey
* 1/3 cup frozen peas, thawed
* salt and pepper to taste


Directions


1. In a large skillet over medium low heat, cook butter until golden brown. Saute mushrooms until tender. Stir in flour until smooth. Slowly whisk in chicken broth, and cook until slightly thickened. Stir in cream, turkey and peas. Reduce heat to low, and cook until thickened. Season with salt and pepper.

CHICKEN EGG OMELET ROLL WITH CHEESE

CHICKEN EGG OMELET ROLL WITH CHEESE


Ingredients

* 6 eggs
* 1 cup milk
* 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese


Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.

2. In a blender, combine eggs, milk, flour, salt and pepper; cover and process until smooth. Pour into prepared baking pan.

3. Bake in preheated oven until set, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese.

4. Carefully loosen edges of omelet from pan. Starting from the short edge of the pan, carefully roll up omelet. Place omelet seam side down on a serving plate and cut into 6 equal sized pieces.

BEEF BISCUIT RECIPE

BEEF BISCUIT RECIPE

This recipe is not for merienda time for kids. In fact, this recipe is used during dinner time because it is very heavy on the stomach. Here are the ingredients for the beef biscuit recipe.

Ingredients

* 1 pound ground beef chuck
* 1/2 cup chopped onion
* 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
* 1 1/2 cups barbecue sauce
* 1 (10 ounce) package refrigerated biscuit dough
* 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese


Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly grease 8 muffin cups.

2. In a large skillet or frying pan, cook ground chuck with onion and garlic powder until evenly brown; drain off the grease. Stir in the barbeque sauce and simmer for another 3 minutes.

3. Roll out each biscuit on a floured surface so that each biscuit is 6 inches across. Put the biscuit in the muffin tin and fold up sides to create a cup shape. Fill each biscuit fill almost to the top with the meat mixture; top with cheddar cheese.

4. Bake in preheated oven until biscuits are baked, cheese is melted and tops are golden brown, about 15 minutes.

DINNER RECIPE FOR A SPECIAL MOMENT

Chef Weblinkx of the International Association of Chefs, called me this morning. He informed me about something special and I will have to prepare a dinner recipe for a special moment for somebody that we both knew. The ingredients of the recipe are already prepared and this Chef is still curious who is that person that is visiting the the universal restaurant. Chef Weblinkx said that Chef Anna is the one that is throwing the party because she finally met the man or the chef of her dreams.

The story of chef Anna is a classic example of how emotions develop unexpectedly. Chef Anna is our single chef and every time chefs meet one another, Chef Anna will always be asked about her chefs love life. Chef Anna was very eager to find somebody that will be able to share her chef's emotions and she was hoping to find somebody that is also in the culinary field. Chef Anna joined several dating sites just to find that Mr. right for her. She joined dating personals toronto and was able to meet chef Resshell Brian Rojas. The both of them meet and there was an instant spark for the both of them. They exchanged their chef numbers and started calling each other everyday. Chef Anna is very happy to have found chef Resshell Brian Rojas because he is the missing puzzle in Chef Ann's life. The culinary school and the culinary association in the city were thrilled with the love story of chefs. No wonder they wanted to make the moment special and commission asimplechef to make a dinner recipe for a special moment.

VEGETABLE STUFFED CANNELLONI RECIPE

VEGETABLE STUFFED CANNELLONI RECIPE

Ingredients

* 8 cannelloni noodles
* 5 cloves garlic, minced
* 5 shallots, chopped
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 cup dry sherry
* 2 cups heavy whipping cream
* salt and pepper to taste
* 1 onion, chopped
* 1 cup fresh sliced mushrooms
* 1 zucchini, chopped
* 1 small eggplant, diced
* 2 roasted red bell peppers, diced
* 1 teaspoon dried basil
* 1 teaspoon dried oregano
* 3/4 cup ricotta cheese
* 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese


Directions

1. In a large pot of salted water, parboil cannelloni. (Parboiling is partially cooking the noodles in boiling water; they will finish cooking when baked.)

2. Meanwhile, cook 2 cloves garlic and 2 shallots in 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat for 30 seconds. Pour in sherry, raise heat to high, and reduce liquid by half. Stir in cream, and reduce until there is about 1 1/2 cups liquid. Remove from heat, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Set cream sauce aside.

3. In a large skillet, heat one tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Cook onion, 3 shallots, 3 cloves garlic, mushrooms, zucchini, and eggplant in olive oil until all vegetables are tender. Transfer to a large bowl. Stir in red peppers, basil, oregano, ricotta, and Parmesan cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set filling aside.

4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease one 9x13 inch baking dish. Stuff vegetable/cheese filling into cannelloni. Place in prepared baking dish, and cover with cream sauce.

5. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes.

SPAGHETTI SQUASH RECIPE

SPAGHETTI SQUASH RECIPE

Ingredients

* 1 spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
* 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
* 1 onion, chopped
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes
* 3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
* 3 tablespoons sliced black olives
* 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil


Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet.

2. Place spaghetti squash cut sides down on the prepared baking sheet, and bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a sharp knife can be inserted with only a little resistance. Remove squash from oven, and set aside to cool enough to be easily handled.

3. Meanwhile, heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Saute onion in oil until tender. Add garlic, and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, and cook only until tomatoes are warm.

4. Use a large spoon to scoop the stringy pulp from the squash, and place in a medium bowl. Toss with the sauteed vegetables, feta cheese, olives, and basil. Serve warm.

CHICKEN SPINACH LASAGNA SPECIAL

CHICKEN SPINACH LASAGNA SPECIAL


Ingredients

* 1 (8 ounce) package lasagna noodles
* 3 cups heavy cream
* 2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
* 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
* 1/4 cup butter
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 1/2 large onion, diced
* 4 cloves garlic, sliced
* 5 mushrooms, diced
* 1 roasted chicken, shredded
* salt and ground black pepper to taste
* 1 cup ricotta cheese
* 1 bunch fresh spinach, rinsed
* 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese


Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente. Drain, and rinse with cold water.

2. In a saucepan over low heat, mix together heavy cream, cream of mushroom soup, Parmesan cheese, and butter. Simmer, stirring frequently, until well blended.

3. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir the onion in olive oil until tender, then add garlic and mushrooms. Mix in the chicken, and cook until heated through. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Lightly coat the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish with enough of the cream sauce mixture to coat. Layer with 1/3 of the lasagna noodles, 1/2 cup ricotta, 1/2 of the spinach, 1/2 the chicken mixture, and 1 cup mozzarella. Top with 1/2 the cream sauce mixture, and repeat the layers. Place the remaining noodles on top, and spread with remaining sauce.

5. Bake 1 hour in the preheated oven, or until brown and bubbly. Top with the remaining mozzarella, and continue baking until cheese is melted and lightly browned.

GRILLED BABY BACK RIBS

GRILLED BABY BACK RIBS


Ingredients

* 6 pounds pork baby back ribs
* 1 pinch black pepper
* 1 pinch salt
* 1 pinch crushed red pepper
* 4 cups barbecue sauce
* 2 (12 ounce) bottles porter beer, room temperature


Directions

1. Cut ribs into small portions of 2 or 3 bones each. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season water a pinch each of salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper to the water. Boil ribs in seasoned water for 20 minutes. Drain, and let the ribs sit for about a half an hour.

2. Meanwhile, preheat an outdoor grill for high heat.

3. Lightly coat the ribs with barbecue sauce. Cook the ribs over high heat for a 5 to 10 minutes on each side to get a nice grilled look to them.

4. Place grilled ribs in a slow cooker. Pour remaining barbecue sauce and one bottle of beer over the ribs; this should cover at least half of the ribs. Cover, and cook on High for 3 hours. Check ribs every hour or so, and add more beer if needed to dilute sauce. Stir to get the ribs on top into the sauce. The ribs are done when the meat is falling off the bone. The ribs were cooked completely in the first process, the rest is about flavor and texture.

APPLE CAKE RECIPE

APPLE CAKE RECIPE


Ingredients

* 2 eggs
* 1 cup vegetable oil
* 2 cups white sugar
* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 4 cups diced apple without peel


Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease and flour one 9x13 inch cake pan.

2. Beat vegetable oil and eggs until foamy. Add the sugar, flour, ground cinnamon, baking, soda, salt, and vanilla and mix well. Stir in the diced apples. Pour batter into prepared pan.

3. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 to 40 minutes. Cool cake in pan for 10 minutes. Cake needs no frosting.

BABY BACK RIBS RECIPE

BABY BACK RIBS RECIPE


Ingredients

* 2 pounds pork baby back ribs
* 1 (18 ounce) bottle barbecue sauce


Directions

1. Tear off 4 pieces of aluminum foil big enough to enclose each portion of ribs. Spray each piece of foil with vegetable cooking spray. Brush the ribs liberally with barbeque sauce and place each portion in its own piece of foil. Wrap tightly and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, or overnight.

2. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).

3. Bake ribs wrapped tightly in the foil at 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) for 2 1/2 hours. Remove from foil and add more sauce, if desired.

DINNER RECIPE FOR A WONDERFUL DATE

I was cooking this morning inside the restaurant when a chef called , chef Anna, informing me that that she needs help for a special date. I know how to cook wonderful dating dishes best for a romantic meals and this time a chef friend was in need of it. Chef Anna is already in her early 30's and she recently join bbws dating site. She was very optimistic that she will be able to find a chef in the site that she can relay her passion in cooking. When chef Anna called, I was very busy in the kitchen cooking for the restaurant and preparing a vegetable salad for a foreign dignitary that will be dining in the restaurant. Chef Anna knows that I can prepare a perfect dating recipe and told me that the restaurant will be the venue of their first date. She told me that she met Chef Weblinkx in the site and they agreed to meet inside my restaurant.

For their date, I am planning to cook some romantic recipes like lamb steak with perfect red wine on the rise and for their dessert, I am planning to bake a moist chocolate cake with rum, for a romantic aroma on the cake. The dinner will be at 8 pm and I need to remove some of the recipe books in the special room that I prepared for them. Chef Anna told me also that she has a special gift for me because I am the one that will be cooking for them. I already know that it is going to be another wonder recipe book to add to my collection. Enough, I need to start preparing a dinner recipe for a wonderful date.

CHICKEN BREAD RECIPE

CHICKEN BREAD RECIPE

Ingredients

* 1/4 cup coarsely grated seedless cucumber
* 3/4 cup Hellmann's® or Best Foods® Light Mayonnaise
* 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
* 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
* 1 tablespoon fresh grated lemon peel
* 4 whole wheat pita breads, split
* Fresh spinach leaves, rinsed and patted dry
* 8 cherry tomatoes, halved
* 1 pound sliced rotisserie or grilled chicken or turkey


Directions

1. Place grated cucumber on paper towel and gently squeeze dry. (Do not skip this step or you will have have a watery dressing.) Combine drained cucumbers, Hellmann's® or Best Foods® Real Mayonnaise, garlic, lemon juice and peel in small bowl. Season, if desired, with salt and black pepper. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

2. Spread a few tablespoons dressing inside each pita; add spinach leaves, tomatoes and chicken, then drizzle with additional dressing.

CHICKEN LEMON WITH GARLIC

CHICKEN LEMON WITH GARLIC

Ingredients

* 1 teaspoon dried oregano
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
* 2 tablespoons butter
* 1/4 cup water
* 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules
* 1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley


Directions

1. In a bowl, mix the oregano, salt, and pepper. Rub the mixture into chicken. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Brown chicken in butter for 3 to 5 minutes on each side. Place chicken in a slow cooker.

2. In the same skillet, mix the water, lemon juice, garlic, and bouillon. Bring the mixture to boil. Pour over the chicken in the slow cooker.

3. Cover, and cook on High for 3 hours, or Low for 6 hours. Add the parsley to the slow cooker 15 to 30 minutes before the end of the cook time.

CABBAGE ROLLS RECIPE

CABBAGE ROLLS RECIPE

Ingredients

* 2/3 cup water
* 1/3 cup uncooked white rice
* 8 cabbage leaves
* 1 pound lean ground beef
* 1/4 cup chopped onion
* 1 egg, slightly beaten
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed tomato soup


Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add rice and stir. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

2. Bring a large, wide saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil. Add cabbage leaves and cook for 2 to 4 minutes or until softened; drain.

3. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, 1 cup cooked rice, onion, egg, salt and pepper, along with 2 tablespoons of tomato soup. Mix thoroughly.

4. Divide the beef mixture evenly among the cabbage leaves. Roll and secure them with toothpicks or string.

5. In a large skillet over medium heat, place the cabbage rolls and pour the remaining tomato soup over the top. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 40 minutes, stirring and basting with the liquid often.

SMOKED BBQ BABY BACK RIBS

Ingredients

* 5 pounds baby back pork ribs
* 1/2 gallon apple juice
* 1 head garlic, separated into cloves
* 1 tablespoon granulated garlic
* 2 cups barbecue sauce


Directions

1. Prepare charcoal in a smoker, and bring the temperature to 225 degrees F (110 degrees C).

2. Cut the ribs into smaller portions of 3 or 4 ribs, and place them in a large pot. Pour in enough apple juice to cover. Place a lid on the pot and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, and let stand for 15 minutes.

3. Lightly oil the grate in your smoker. Place ribs on the grate, and throw a few cloves of garlic onto the hot coals. Close the smoker. Maintain the temperature at 225 degrees F (110 degrees C) by adding more charcoal as needed. Smoke the ribs for 7 hours, adding more garlic cloves to the coals occasionally.

4. Make a sauce by mixing together the barbecue sauce with 2 cups of the apple juice from the pot. Season with granulated garlic. Baste ribs with this sauce while continuing to cook for another 30 minutes.

GLAZED RIBS RECIPE

GLAZED RIBS RECIPE


Ingredients

* 3 pounds baby back pork ribs
* 3/4 cup maple syrup
* 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
* 2 tablespoons ketchup
* 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
* 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder


Directions

1. Place ribs in a large pot, and cover with water. Cover, and simmer for 1 hour, or until meat is tender. Drain, and transfer ribs to a shallow dish.

2. In a small saucepan, stir together the maple syrup, brown sugar, ketchup, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and mustard powder. Bring to a low boil, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Cool slightly, then pour over ribs, and marinate in the refrigerator for 2 hours.

3. Prepare grill for cooking with indirect heat. Remove ribs from marinade. Transfer marinade to a small saucepan, and boil for several minutes.

4. Lightly oil grate. Cook for about 20 minutes, basting with the cooked marinade frequently, until nicely glazed.

MACARONI SALAD CLASSIC

MACARONI SALAD CLASSIC

Ingredients

* 4 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
* 1 cup mayonnaise
* 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
* 2/3 cup white sugar
* 2 1/2 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard
* 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
* 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 1 large onion, chopped
* 2 stalks celery, chopped
* 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
* 1/4 cup grated carrot (optional)
* 2 tablespoons chopped pimento peppers (optional)


Directions

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni, and cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Rinse under cold water and drain.

2. In a large bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, mustard, salt and pepper. Stir in the onion, celery, green pepper, carrot, pimentos and macaroni. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving, but preferably overnight.

COOKING AND BLOGGING

When I decided to go to the culinary school, I never thought that I would be opening a restaurant of my own. I was only concerned of landing a chef job and go to place performing my cooking duty as a chef. After studying culinary arts at the culinary school, my mind opened to the possibilities of opening my own restaurant and not just being a personal chef of some big shot businessman.

After the culinary studies, I opened my restaurant and the cooking tasks immediately started. After 3 years of operating the restaurant, a chef-friend of mine told me that I must not limit myself and my restaurant by just operating the normal way. I must try other medium to make my restaurant known and that would mean more customers in my restaurant. That is why after our conversation, I decided to go online and started blogging my recipes and my daily happenings in the restaurant as a chef. My friends call me now the blogging chef because I personally manage my own blog. As a chef blogger, I get to feature my restaurant and my online customers can easily check my menu for the day and even interact with me through my blog. But the thrilling part of blogging as chef did stop there. This chef now advertise on blogs, that is the best part of my blogging career as a chef-blogger. I get to write for sites as and earn through my blog post in my online restaurant. This opportunity is very good for a blogger-chef, like me.

BABECUED CHICKEN WINGS

BARBECUED CHICKEN WINGS


Ingredients

* 3 pounds whole chicken wings
* 2 cups ketchup
* 1/2 cup honey
* 2 tablespoons lemon juice
* 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
* 2 tablespoons soy sauce
* 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
* 1 tablespoon paprika
* 4 garlic cloves, minced
* 1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
* 1/2 teaspoon pepper
* 1/8 teaspoon hot pepper sauce


Directions

1. Cut chicken wings into three sections; discard wing tips. Place wings in a greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 35-40 minutes or until juices run clear.

2. In a bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Pour 1/2 cup into a 3-qt. slow cooker. Drain chicken wings; add to slow cooker. Drizzle with remaining sauce. Cover and cook on low for 1 hour, basting occasionally.

PACIFIC CHICKEN WINGS RECIPE

PACIFIC CHICKEN WINGS RECIPE

Ingredients

* 3 pounds chicken wings
* 1 cup soy sauce
* 1 cup packed brown sugar
* 1/2 cup butter
* 1 teaspoon mustard powder
* 3/4 cup water


Directions

1. Disjoint the chicken wings, discarding the tips.
2. Combine the soy sauce, brown sugar, butter or margarine, mustard and water and heat until the sugar and butter dissolve. Let mixture cool and pour over wings. Marinate in the refrigerator for 2 hours, turning occasionally.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
4. Bake chicken wings in marinade for 45 minutes, turning once and spooning marinade over chicken occasionally. Drain on paper towels and serve.

JAPANESE CHICKEN WINGS ROAST

JAPANESE CHICKEN WINGS ROAST

Ingredients

* 3 pounds chicken wings
* 1 egg, lightly beaten
* 1 cup all-purpose flour for coating
* 1 cup butter
* SAUCE
* 3 tablespoons soy sauce
* 3 tablespoons water
* 1 cup white sugar
* 1/2 cup white vinegar
* 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, or to taste
* 1 teaspoon salt


Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Cut wings in half, dip in egg and coat with flour.
3. Heat butter in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Fry wings until deep brown. Place in a shallow roasting pan.
4. In a small bowl combine soy sauce, water, sugar, vinegar, garlic powder and salt. Pour over wings.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 45 minutes, basting wings with sauce often.

RECIPE BOOKS ARE ON SALE

I just arrived home after checking the local bookstore near the restaurant. it is because the manager of the bookstore called me and informed me that their recipe books are on sale right now. I don't want to miss this rare opportunity that I why I rushed to the bookstore immediately. The recipe books that they placed on sale are the ones that were not sold during the book festivals. The recipe books that I looked at are the collectors item. Many chefs are looking for rare recipe books and I am glad to have several copies of it.

CHEF NEW FRIENDS

Just last year, Chef Resshell Brian Rojas moved to Puerto Rico to managed his owned restaurant. Chef Brian is a half Puerto Rican chef just based in the city. His ancestors are originally from Puerto Rico. Chef Brian always send me postcards, especially when my birthday is upcoming. One morning, Chef Brian called me early informing me that there will be 10 Puerto Rican people that will be vising my restaurant and he added to accommodate them well. As I was told, I accommodated them and prepared the best foods in the restaurant for them. They stayed in a hotel near the restaurant and I was their official chef for three days. After three days, my visitors bid farewell to me and told me how delicious my dishes are and they told me that they will keep in touch with me when they visit the city again. The guys that I accommodated in my restaurants are makeup artist they were just here in the city for an international show.

After 3 days, I opened my email and a found several makeup artist business cards for me coming from the makeup artists that I accommodated. Chef Brian told me that guests were all appreciative to the hospitality that I showed to them and they told me in their postcards that they will be coming by the end of the year. As a chef, I felt nice hearing these words coming from the customers that had tasted my cooking. Chef new friends are very thankful and I am just happy that they liked what I cooked for them.

PECAN CHICKEN BREASTS STUFFED WITH CREAM CHEESE AND BROCCOLI RECIPE

Pecan Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Cream Cheese and Broccoli Recipe

Ingredients

* 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
* 3/4 cup butter
* 2 cloves garlic, crushed
* 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
* 1 teaspoon chopped pimento
* 1 cup chopped pecans
* 1 1/2 cups chopped fresh broccoli florets
* 1 small onion, minced
* 1/2 cup sour cream
* 1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese
* 8 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
* 1 egg, beaten
* 1 cup dry bread crumbs
* 1/2 cup chopped pecans
* 1 tablespoon vegetable oil


Directions

• To Make Broccoli/Cream Cheese Filling: In a medium saucepan over low heat, heat the lemon juice, butter or margarine, garlic, basil and pimento until butter or margarine has melted. Add the 1 cup pecans, broccoli and onion and cook until broccoli is tender; then add the sour cream and cream cheese and mix all together until smooth. Let cool, cover and refrigerate to chill for 30 minutes.
• Place 1 to 2 tablespoons of the broccoli/cream cheese filling in the center of each chicken breast, roll up, tuck in sides and fasten with toothpicks. Put the egg beat in a shallow dish or bowl, and mix the bread crumbs and 1/2 cup pecans together in another shallow dish or bowl. Dip the chicken rolls in the egg, then in the pecan mixture.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat and saute coated chicken rolls in skillet until well browned on both sides, about 2 to 4 minutes each side. Place browned rolls in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish.
• Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and chicken meat is white. Serve with a small portion of leftover broccoli/cream cheese mixture on top of each chicken breast.

CHICKEN BROCCOLI BRAID RECIPE

CHICKEN BROCCOLI BRAID RECIPE

Ingredients

* 2 cups diced, cooked chicken meat
* 1 cup fresh broccoli, chopped
* 1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped
* 1 clove crushed garlic
* 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
* 1/2 cup mayonnaise
* 2 teaspoons dried dill weed
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 2 tablespoons slivered almonds
* 1/4 cup diced onion
* 2 (8 ounce) packages refrigerated crescent rolls
* 1 egg white, beaten


Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees F).
2. In a large bowl, toss together chicken, broccoli, red bell pepper, garlic, Cheddar cheese, mayonnaise, dill weed, salt, almonds and onion.
3. Unroll crescent roll dough, and arrange flat on a medium baking sheet. Pinch together perforations to form a single sheet of dough. Using a knife or scissors, cut 1 inch wide strips in towards the center, starting on the long sides. There should be a solid strip about 3 inches wide down the center, with the cut strips forming a fringe down each side. Spread the chicken mixture along the center strip. Fold the side strips over chicken mixture, alternating strips from each side. Pinch or twist to seal.
4. Brush braided dough with the egg white. Bake in the preheated oven 25 to 28 minutes, or until golden brown.

CHEFS VIDEO CONFERENCE

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of faceVsion Technology USA. All opinions are 100% mine.

The international culinary masters association is going to have a conference. The conference is quite unique because it will be simultaneously recorded and the medium that will be used will video conference. This is the first time that the conference will be a video conference. There will be around 30 countries participating in the video conference. As a chef, I was chosen to represent our country in the first ever video conferencing of chefs.

My personal computer is equipped with the latest faceVsion product. It is the FaceVsion Technology USA the gives the best quality resolution in every video calls made through the personal computers. I have to upgrade my video cam in my computer so that I can have the perfect picture as I talk to different chefs around the world. It has the FV Express Combo product image for more quality image and the FV Express Combo HD Video Conferencing solution, best for the video conference of chefs. •With Google Gmail account and FV Express Combo, you can make HD video calls over the internet. With your Google Gmail contact list can be automatically synchronized to your HD video conferencing contact list. This is how compatible the FV video cam product. No wonder this is the best in the market today. Many video cams that are available in the market. But this brands are not giving the best resolution.

Only FaceVsion product gives high definition or HD in all video calls, unmatched by other brands that are in the market today. When I got my FaceVsion product I was told that there is an On-going promotion with $10 off any purchase, using the promo code of FVTBTS2 while checkout. The promotion ends 09/30/’10. The FV Express Combo is available through shop.facevsion.com and other value added partners or by visiting the faceVision on line store.

I made several dry runs with the product and made several video calls to my chef-friends and the experience was great. The culinary school's representative will also be around, Chef Weblinkx. He will monitor the entire video conference of chefs around the world. This is the first Chefs Video Conference and many chefs are already excited about the event to happen next week.

PERSONAL CHEF

I got a call from the culinary school and I was told that I will be going to Russia to be a personal chef of the czar in France. I was a personal chef of the president of America once before and I find the job very challenging for me. As a personal chef, you will be tasked to do the cooking for the person or the company that commissioned you to become a personal chef. The Job of being a personal chef is easy to see but it is very hard to do.

Personal chefs are required to be the food preparer and must have the skills in cooking and be able to cook many recipes with or without the recipe book. This offer of being a personal chef is a challenging job for me. As a chef, this is like a dream come true because you get to cook for the most powerful people in the world.

KITCHEN MASTERPIECE

Kitchen masterpiece that is what chef call when we are cooking an excellent dish. Kitchen masterpiece is the right word to describe what I am doing right now in my kitchen. I am preparing pork ribs with cabbage. This recipe was given to me by our master chef in the culinary school. He personally wrote the recipe and never shared it to anyone not until now. He gave the recipe to me after I perfected her class in the culinary school. Kitchen Masterpiece is also the word to describe a joint effort of several chefs with a good result. Chefs around the world use words that would describe their dish.

The pork ribs with cabbage is another dish that I am cooking in the restaurant. I also include the recipe of pork ribs with cabbage in my personal recipe book that I wrote last summer inside my kitchen office. The title of the recipe book that I wrote is Kitchen masterpiece. The recipe book will be out before the end of the year. In writing the recipes, Chef Weblinkx was also part of this recipe book that I am producing.

NEW RESTAURANT IN THE COUNTRYSIDE

The restaurant is opening another restaurant and it will be situated in the countryside. There will be an assigned chef for the new restaurant, chef Allen. He will be there managing the kitchen and the restaurant operation as well. The new restaurant has a unique theme and all of the chefs in the restaurant are quite excited for the opening of the restaurant.

I already forwarded all the recipe list that chef Allen will be cooking in the new restaurant. All the cooking equipments are already procured and the renovation of the new restaurant is still on-going at the moment. For one month, I will be staying there so that I get to see the flow of the customers who will be dining in the new restaurant. I also acquired the rustic furniture to match the look of the new restaurant. This new restaurant is very unique theme because the building is an old house made of wood. I don't want to destroy the look of the place that is why I decided to keep it that way and open a cooking restaurant. Chefs in the new rustic restaurant will be wearing cowboy suits and assistants will be wearing the same suits as well.

Few days from now, the new restaurant in the countryside will be opening and it will be a new challenge for my chef team to delivery exciting and unique dishes for all.

VEGETABLE SALAD

This evening, I am making fresh vegetable salad for a friend. What I like about preparing vegetable salad is that I get to make the type of vegetable salad that I desire. In my vegetable salad, I want it to have many cucumber and fresh lettuce is also a must when I make vegetable salad. Aside from the fresh taste in a vegetable salad, it is also good for the heart since we will be using vinegar in the vegetable salad.

The preparation in making a vegetable salad will only take around 15 minutes and immediately, you can serve the vegetable salad. The first time that I made a vegetable salad was when I was in my culinary school years. I was able to perfect the vegetable salad that I was making because of some things that I added to the vegetable salad that resulted in a not so nice manner. I made mistake but I learned in the process of making vegetable salad. There is a vegetable salad recipe book that is currently available in the market. Having a recipe book to follow is better than just creating imagination of a vegetable salad.

BUDGET MEALS

have you visited the malls lately? Most of the stalls in the malls that offer foods are offering budget meals to all of their customers. A budget meal would compose of a cup of rice, viand and a free drink, usually iced tea. Budget meals are far more cheaper that dined foods because of less preparation and the meals that are offered are instantly cooked. Unlike in restaurants that foods are prepared for about 20 to 30 minutes before serving it. Budget meals are also in to students and young professionals.

SIMPLE RECIPE FOR DINNER

Tonight, the chef will be preparing a simple recipe for dinner to feed around 12 people. I was told that my friends are surprising me in my house. I was also informed that they did not bring any dish with them. I also checked the instant recipe book that I always hid in my pocket. This instant recipe book that I am carrying has 200 ready to cook meals. From appetizers and main dish are all listed in the instant recipe book that I bring always.

The instant recipe book that I always bring was acquired during the national culinary meet and this recipe book was just one of the thousands that were given in the national culinary meet. When this instant recipe book was introduced to the members who were there were given the instant recipe book. The instant recipe book is the most important recipe book that I have right now.

COOKING MAGIC

Many are asking about the way chefs cook their fastastic recipes. Actually in cooking, there is no magic. What is important is that you must love what you are doing, especially cooking. In culinary school, students are taught well in cooking. The ways of cooking is very simple. Chefs are most of the time experiencing new ways in cooking.

Aside from going to culinary school, it is also better to collect as many recipe books that you can because recipe books expand the learnings of a chef. In a year, a regular chef usually collects and buys almost 20 recipe books. a year. But they just don't display it but they also practice cooking what is listed in the recipe book.

ALL TIME FAVORITE BANANA CAKE RECIPE

ALL TIME FAVORITE BANANA CAKE RECIPE

ingredients

1 3/4 c. flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

2/3 c. mashed ripe bananas (can be doubled for more moist cake)

1 tsp. lemon juice

1/2 c. buttermilk

1/2 c. shortening

1 1/2 c. sugar

2 eggs1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 c. chopped nuts

Mix flour, soda and salt. Mash bananas and add lemon juice and mix in buttermilk. Cream shortening and sugar, add egg and vanilla. Alternate dry ingredients and banana mix. Fold in nuts. Bake. Cool 10 to 15 minutes. Turn on plate, peel paper.Cool and top with whipped cream. Pour into two 9 inch pans, greased and lined with wax paper. Preheat oven. Bake at 350 degrees for 28 minutes.

ALL TIME FAVORITE BANANA CAKE

The week mis about to end and I am planning to gather my friends in my house this coming Sunday. I had already prepared the ingredients of all the foods that I will be cooking and most especially, the all time favorite banana cake for my friends.

My kitchen assistant already did the market for the ingredients for the banana cake and I am just happy to be baking this cake once again. The last time I remembered that I baked banana cake was in 2006, when my niece went to the culinary school to study. Banana cake is an all time favorite in the family. I am excited to bake this cake and share it to my friends because I made some adjustments on the regular banana cake recipe found in the recipe books. I made my banana cake extra special by adding peanut toppings on the cake after baking.

The peanut on top of the banana cake adds more aroma on the cake. By this, you can not just taste and eat banana but you will also taste peanuts on it. I will be posting the recipe of my all time favorite banana cake recipe later on.

TASTY PASTRY

In the culinary school, we chefs were taught how to do pastry and bread making. But I never thought that I will be practicing it immediately right now. In my restaurant, I have a chef that do pastry for the restaurant. But because my assistant chef was not around, I was obliged to do it. I hope I remembered the recipe for pastry work.

In the restaurant today, I prepared almost 20 pastry baked goodies. I am just happy because the recipe books are all in the restaurant and I did not experienced a hard time finding it. I bought 3 recipe books, all are dedicated to pastries. All of my customers are amazed that I can baked because they rarely see me do the baking in the kitchen. After this day, I guess I am contemplating opening a bakeshop because of what my customers said to me. In learning to cook, the best place to learn cooking is by enrolling in a culinary school.