Stay ‘cationing’ happy with summer-rific recipesCelebrEATy PAGE
Summertime is officially here, it's not that miserable yet, and only few are complaining. Who is not to complain when --- it is too hot to cook, it feels like you get trapped all of a sudden inside a sauna, it is impossible (with all the sweats) to keep your make-up from melting and really disappearing.
That song " Man, I feel like a woman!" and a sweaty look, don't go really well together, you know. So I'm not even thinking of vacationing (I'm saving for a trip to San Francisco later this year), I'm staying home.
The CelebrEATy Circle features Panera Bread's
Strawberry Poppy Seed salad with French baguette (with Eve Metheny and
Manuel Figueroa)
And, I'll make sure I enjoy my "stay-cation" --- staying cool with bites of cold/fresh watermelon and sips of cold canned coconut juice, relaxing and spending quality time with my Glenn, watching my summer reality daily TV shows (Big Brother, Hell's Kitchen, So You Think You Can Dance, etc. etc.). No-cook menu isn't my thing really, so it will mostly be quick stir-fries of meats and fresh summer produce.
If you can get away, far far away to say, California, for your summer vacation --- head to my favorite "San" vacation destinations:
1) Santa Monica: Head to Downtown Santa Monica Farmers' Market and experience shopping for the rarest, freshest, highest quality ingredients like a celebrity chef would and enjoy a chilled gazpacho soup, see recipe below courtesy of Locanda del Lago Restaurant; please visit website, www.smgov.net/farmers_market.
2) San Francisco: Find your way to the Slanted Door Restaurant in San Francisco's Mission district and enjoy the same truly A-rated Vietnamese dining experience that James Beard Award-winning Chef/Owner Charles Phan offered to former President Clinton and a long list of Hollywood celebrities.
Meantime, visit www.shopPBS.org for details of Chefs A' Field: Season 4 DVD (Culinary Adventures that Begin on the Farm) set which includes a "must-see" feature of Chef Phan and his 3 kids visit to the farm, get introduced to variety of veggies (and bugs too!) and fix a Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry (see recipe below).
While the burners will be turned off in my kitchen for most part of my "stay"cationing, you will find me relaxed, staying cool and enjoying a homemade no-egg butter pecan ice cream with Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk (recipe follows). And thanks to Shannon Kerr, Director, International Publicity, SSA Public Relations for copies for my review of really-must-have PBS "Spicing Up Your Summer Cooking" DVD sets ---America’s Test Kitchen 10 (26 Episodes, 4 discs, wow!) and Just Add S.P.I.C.E.
PBS' New Cooking DVD sets to enjoy this summer:
America's Test Kitchen Season 10 and Chefs A' Field.
America's Test Kitchen Season 10 is the best ever compilation of foolproof home cooking. Featured recipes like Triple-Chocolate Mousse Cake, Crisp-Skinned Roast Chicken, Blueberry Muffins, Thin and Crispy Oatmeal Cookies, Mexican Pulled Pork (Carnitas), Best Old-Fashioned Burgers, Shrimp Tempura and Thai Pork Lettuce Wraps will surely make me thinking take-outs are not my option and no waiting in line, thank you.
And, who can resist this America's Test Kitchen version of really great burger: 2 kinds of slightly frozen meat ground in food processor, loosely pressed together, liberally seasoned with just salt and pepper, cooked in high heat, and sandwiched over toasted potato buns with that yummy burger sandwich spread (recipe provided below, enjoy).
THE SUMMER-RIFIC RECIPES
ZUPPA FRESCA CHILLED GAZPACHO SOUP
Roberto Maggioni, Executive Chef at Locanda del Lago www.lagosantamonica.com.
Makes 4 servings
4 Heirloom Tomatoes, large
1 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Persian Cucumber, diced
½ Red Onion, diced
2 Red Bell Peppers, small, diced
2 Yellow Bell Peppers, small, diced
1 cup White Wine Vinegar
3 cloves Garlic
Salt and Pepper, to taste
•Chop all ingredients in food processor
•Pass through a filter or cheese cloth to remove large food particles Adjust salt and pepper as necessary
•Serve chilled
Locanda del Lago is located at 231 Arizona Avenue in Santa Monica , California.
BUTTER PECAN ICE CREAM
Prep Time: 15 minutes Freezer Time: 6+ hours Yield: 1 3/4 quarts
For easy dessert recipes, how-to videos, free recipe book download: visit www.eaglebrand.com.
2 cups heavy cream
1 14-ounce can Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 to 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans, toasted*
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon maple extract
WHIP heavy cream to stiff peaks in large bowl. Combine sweetened condensed milk, pecans, butter and maple flavoring in large bowl. Mix well. Fold in whipped cream.
POUR into 9 x 5-inch loaf pan or 2-quart container; cover. Freeze 6 hours or until firm. Store in freezer.
*To toast nuts: Place nuts in dry nonstick skillet. Cook over medium heat, shaking pan until nuts are lightly browned.
*To avoid over-browning, remove from pan immediately.
America's Test Kitchen's CLASSIC BURGER SAUCE Makes about ¼ CUP visit: www.shopPBS.org to order the 4-DVD set America's Test Kitchen Season 10
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon ketchup
½ teaspoon sweet pickle relish
½ teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon white vinegar
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Whisk all the ingredients together in a small bowl.
BEEF & BROCCOLI STIR FRY SERVES: 2 - 4
Chef Charles Phan, The Slanted Door in San Francisco visit: www.shopPBS.org to order Chefs A' Field DVD set
8 oz. beef bavette
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon canola oil
1 head broccoli florets, large stem piece cut into slices on the bias
3 quarts water
1 tablespoon salt
3 tablespoons canola oil
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
2 tablespoons Fish sauce
1 teaspoon oyster sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine
Cut beef on a bias. You may need to butterfly the piece of bavette before cutting it up into domino slices. Rub the beef in cornstarch, black pepper and oil. Marinade the beef for 5 minutes or up to 2 hours. Bring to a boil the 3 quarts water with salt.
Blanch the broccoli for about 2 minutes. Strain out the broccoli and rinse with cold water. Set aside. Heat wok on high heat and add oil. Carefully place beef in wok and brown on each side, about 1 Minute each side. Pour out the oil leaving about 1 tablespoon oil in the pan with the beef. Add garlic, cook about 5 seconds. Deglaze with rice wine. Add cooked broccoli. Add fish and oyster sauce. Toss in pan for about 1 minute.
Serve immediately with steamed rice if desire.
Sarah Lee creates her version of Coconut Rice
using Aroma Digital Rice Cooker to serve with Oyster Sauce-Glazed
Salmon Fillets for the CelebrEATy Circle
THE CELEBREATY RECIPES COOKBOOK
IS HOMECOOKS' BUDDY
200 easy-to-follow and easy-to-make recipes from my
Chicago
Philippine Reports TV's cooking segment, The Celebr-EAT-y Circle)
finally available for you...and each recipe is "embellished" with lots
of love. Limited copies of THE CELEBREATY RECIPES COOKBOOK now on sale
(makes a great birthday, thanksgiving and Christmas gift), order your
copy(ies) now:
Price per book: $ 14.95 (plus $3.00 for postage and handling).
Please
make checks payable to: Glenn Turner, 127 N MAIN ST #1, Crystal Lake,
IL 60014. For multiple orders and avail of volume discounts, please
call (815) 342-3560. Thank you for purchasing my cookbook.
CelebrEATy Cookbook
Now on SALE!!!
SARAH'S BAKING AND CAKE DECORATING
SCHOOL
1) SIOPAO WORKSHOP (this is my most popular course!)
2) KAKANIN, PHIL SWEETS AND DELICACIES I (includes my incredibly tasty
cuchinta)
3) ENSAIMADA AND HOMEMADE HOPIA (who doesn't like melt-in-the-mouth
ensaimadas )
4) CHOCOLATE CAKES AND NO-BAKE CHEESECAKES (moist chocolate cake to die
for)
5) SIMPLE CAKES AND CAKE DECORATING (great for beginners and kids)
Available every Saturdays and Sundays as long as there are at least 2
students per session, lots of hands on and the cakes and other baked
products learned in class can be duplicated by each student when they
get home. Simply call to register - Cakes by The Lake Glenn
(815-342-3560) or Sarah (815-545-8007). All classes are taught by
Celebr-EAT-y Circle TV host Sarah Lee (watch her regular Sunday
noontime cooking segment with Chicago Philippine Reports TV). Baking
tutorial, Cake Decorating/Icing Flowers and on-site classes are also
available. Use Metra trains from Chicago (Irving Park, Jefferson Park,
Norwood Park, Des Plaines) $7.00 only all weekend.
Siopao Workshop "Grads" Carmen Estacio and
Estela Escudero showing off their siopao kneading and assembly skills.
Available every Saturday and Sunday, as long as there are at least 2 students per session, lots of hands -on and the cakes and other baked products learned in class can be duplicated by each student when they get home. Simply call to register - Cakes by The Lake Glenn (815-342-3560) or Sarah (815-545-8007). All classes are taught by Celebr-EAT-y Circle TV host Sarah Lee (watch her regular Sunday noontime cooking segment with Chicago Philippine Reports TV). Baking tutorial, Cake Decorating/Icing Flowers and on-site classes are also available.
ADD A DIVA'S TOUCH TO YOUR NEXT PARTY
Avoid the unwanted party stresses, let me help you bring out your best
party ever with divalicious entrees/appetizers (chicken empanadas,
chapchae/korean pancit, dinuguan with puto, fresh lumpia with brown
sauce and homemade egg wrappers, chicken cacciatore, menudo, etc),
perfect desserts/kakanins (maja blanca, cuchinta, colored pichi-pichi,
cassava cake, mocha sans rival, slow-baked biko, custard cake, etc)
top-caliber entertainment, affordable DJ equipment, awesome invitations
and decorations, etc). Leave me a message in my cell (815) 545-8007,
and let's get started...it is that easy!
Also make sure you reserve your copy of Viatimes August 2010 issue for my special feature of Fairmont Hotel's Aria Restaurant and Chef Chad Starling (our pick for the coolest, Asian-friendly, most creative, and, yes, the HANDSOMEST Chef ever!). We can't say no to Fairmont's Colleen Sweitzer "New world asian cuisine" dinner invitation with Chef Chad --- the scallop entrée with curried cauliflower, cauliflower falafel, and carrot-foie gras purée is to-die-for and the stand-out scallion pancakes (now how can I ever get back to my old sexy shape!). What a beautiful summer start...sun's out....keep smilin' yo!
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