In the Kitchen Archives - Page 3 of 5

Only the Finest Belgium Chocolates

By Christina Lee| July 1st, 2017|In the Kitchen, Learning from the best|

In the bustling city center of Bruges where every other store is of chocolate, tapestry or beer, it’s only fitting that Rick Steve’s Heart of Belgium Tour includes a chocolate demonstration on the agenda. We ended visiting the kitchen of Chef Kevin at L’Atelier Du Chocolat, a family-owned business operating for over three generations. Both Chef Kevin and his brother fully staff, operate and run this artisan chocolatier. They’re constantly on their toes: manning the kitchen, creating new truffle recipes, developing an online presence, and perfecting the taste and texture — all while keep up with an ear full of orders and replenishing the shelves.

The root of developing fine Belgium chocolate comes from the quality of the cocoa bean. Chef Kevin buys them from Vietnam and Guatemala, and will oftentimes make the trip to these countries to ensure the quality of the raw beans. Harvesting the cocoa pods are a very lengthy and labor-intensive process, and usually gathered every few weeks during peak harvest season. Processing the cocoa beans involves six main steps: fermentation, drying and bagging, winnowing, roasting, grinding and processing before you can set your taste buds on the rich buttery flavor.

The chocolate itself is packaged into ten pound blocks and stored in the kitchen until the chocolatier determines its fate. In the above, Chef Kevin melted the block of chocolate and poured it into his truffle mold. After removing the excess chocolate, he sets it aside until it hardens and then is able to fill it with a creamy granache or fruity centre. Topping it off with another layer of chocolate coats the dessert centre before it is ready for packaging.

Because truffles have a very short shelf life, they must be consumed within a few days of making, which is no problem for a group such as ours. In no time, Chef Kevin provided us a tray full of an assortment of beautifully crafted, authentic Belgium truffles. The decision was tough. Each bite-sized, petit truffle was handcrafted with careful attention to detail and unlike any of the truffles I’ve seen in the states. I ended up selecting one that resembled an emerald gem and to my surprise, the creamy, luxurious center that melted in my mouth was smooth blend of match green tea perfection. I don’t think taste buds will ever forget that rich, decadent flavor.

Rainbow Rose Vegetable Tart for Mom

By Christina Lee| May 14th, 2017|Handmade, Holiday Fun, Humbling Hobbies and Habits, In the Kitchen|

Happy Mother’s Day to my beautiful Mom and all the loving moms out there!! On this special day, we’re celebrating in style with my Mom’s favorite meal, brunch. Aside from the classic omelette, turkey sausage and peanut butter toast, I wanted to come up with something unique, something special. Lucky for me, my mornings spent watching and bookmarking videos from Facebook finally came in handy as I was scouring the Internet for ideas on how to make brunch a little warmer and more spring-like. Thanks Food Network for the creative inspiration behind this Rainbow Rose Veggie Tart. It took me exactly one minute (maybe two!) and a trip to the grocery store to create this masterpiece.

The recipe calls for two eggs; Ricotta, Parmesan and Mozzarella cheese, nutmeg, salt and pepper for the creamy filling. Then for the rose buds, you can choose from an assortment of spring vegetables from the grocery store. I went ahead with yellow squash, zucchini, rainbow carrots and a tomato for the centerpiece. And last but not least, a pie crust in the frozen aisle, unless you want to make it yourself. I’m a fan of Sara Lee’s ‘semi-homemade,’ so I was completely fine with the frozen pie crust. You’ll need a sharp peeler to remove the outer skin and peel through the layers of vegetables, and then you’re set for the fun part of rolling this thinly sliced vegetables into rose buds.

Before you pop this tart into the oven, you’ll want to sweep olive oil along the edges of each rose bud, so it will turn crispy brown. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and bake it for 50 minutes and then you’ve got yourself this lovely Rainbow Rose Veggie Tart. It’s beautiful, isn’t it? I can’t wait to try this with eggplant the next time around.

Spicing Things Up

By Christina Lee| July 18th, 2014|DIY Home, In the Kitchen|

Inspired by Sandra Lee’s Semi-Homemade television show, I decided to apply her concept to some DIY handmade projects to spice up the kitchen. When contemplating ways to tidy up the kitchen and give it a bit more pizzazz, I decided I couldn’t just let bags of spices overtake the cabinet and counter space. It just left too much of a mess. Oftentimes, I’d leave these spice packets lying out as I cooked or cleaned the dishes only to find them pour over between the crevices of the sink and stove, and other times, they’d just fall to the ground and become one with the dust particles. Enough is enough. A much needed trip to The Container Store seemed to be the solution to end this ‘cry over spilled spices.’

One trip to The Container Store was longer than expected. You would think it was the long lines, but no, it was actually the unforeseen zigzagging through the aisles that stole my attention away from the household aisle. After a few moments of aimlessly wandering through the store, I made my way to that aisle only to find these beautifully stacked, clear containers sitting on top of a revolving tray. This is going to be perfect!!

While I could have stayed a lot longer, I was more excited to head to the local grocery store and pick up a few of my favorite spices. Perusing the aisle for what seemed like over a hundred different types of spices was overwhelming at first, but then, I had a new appreciation for all the flavors and aromas. I picked up a generous handful of day-to-use and a few others, like bay leaves that I hardly ever use, but just appreciate for its smell and texture. I must say, they don’t come cheap.

Pouring them into their new containers was the best part and seeing the assortment of color, texture and fragrance come together lit up the small corner I had in my kitchen. Well, I am very pleased with my new spice rack and now, I just need to dig through those recipe cards so I can actually put them to use!

Merry Christmas!

By Christina Lee| December 25th, 2016|DIY Home, Holiday Fun, In the Kitchen|

This is our third Christmas celebration for the weekend and it just wouldn’t complete without having to play some silly game that my sister conjured up — and this is on top of singing two rounds of “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” My ear is still ringing from yesterday’s rendition. Of course, this was all caught on camera so we can use this as a baseline for next year’s singing. Don’t be surprised if this magically disappears from your phone, Susanna.

This year’s family game involves pantyhose and balloons. Oh goody. And the fact that this ‘reindeer game’ sits after a round of drinks and hors d’oeuvres, but just before dinner and presents is a skillful maneuver and the perfect way to get the family’s concentrated attention. Each of the ‘kids’ are asked to pair up with an ‘adult’, blow up as many balloons as you can and stuff them in your nylon pantyhose — all within a five minute time constraint. Who comes up with such games?!

My sister ended up being the cameraman and moderator, while each of us tried to be strategic with blowing up balloons, tying them together, replacing the popped balloons and balancing them on each side of the stocking. My Aunt Julie and I rocked this game and we were the first to finish and demo our ‘antlers.’ Demoing them was fine so long as you stayed as far as you could from the mirror. But I’d certainly say they were most fitting on my Dad.

Well, we made it through Game Night holding our ‘antlers’ up high. Now it’s time for some much deserved hot cocoa from our first ever Hot Chocolate Bar.

Here is one holiday where hot chocolate doesn’t fall too far off the menu. I mean, it’s Christmas. Anything goes, right? I’m a sucker when it comes to sweets. Walking up and down the aisles while picking up last minute gifts at Target didn’t exactly curb the craving, but it did inspire this idea of a hot chocolate bar. Peppermint candy canes, Christmas tree-shaped lollipops and chocolate peppermint sticks were plentiful and just calling my name. And red and green marshmallows sitting on top of plain old marshmallows almost made my knees buckle, so I might as well grab a bag of those. Finally, this year’s pick for hot chocolate goes to my friend at Starbucks.

While all those lollipops and marshmallows are pleasing to the eye, I must admit I like my hot chocolate dressed up with mini marshmallows, a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Merry Christmas to you all from the Lee Family!

Happy Thanksgiving!

By Christina Lee| November 25th, 2016|Holiday Fun, In the Kitchen|

This year, we started Thanksgiving off on the right foot, with dessert front and center. Well, not really. I was late to dinner, so I missed out on seeing the turkey intact, all 25lbs of it, along with the famous carving of the turkey and a picture with it. But I was tardied for a very good reason since I had to make sure my candied pecan yams and sauteed brussels sprouts with pancetta, caramelized onions, roasted garlic slivered almonds and white wine sauce came out piping hot from the oven — and they did! Trust me, it’s worth the wait.

Isn’t the color of the brussels sprouts fantastic? Every year, this becomes one of my favorite dishes to make, not only because it is healthy and fresh, but the aromas from the caramelized onions, roasted garlic, white wine and brussels sprouts really come together and it is a beautiful presentation.

Everyone made it to the dinner table with a healthy appetite and a reason to give thanks. A lot happened during this past year and I doubt that anyone was able to make it out completely unscathed. However I do have to admit, I am one of the luckier ones to have all my family members with me at the dinner table accompanied by a warm meal. Thank you, 2016, for helping me remember the things that really matter in life.

Home Cooking with Blue Apron: First Delivery!

By Christina Lee| September 23rd, 2016|Creative Inspiration, In the Kitchen|

It looks like the photo, right? This is my first attempt at ordering Blue Apron and the box of ingredients arrived on Friday just like the service said it would. The ice was still intact and the ingredients were fresh and plenty. I made my way through all three recipe cards and I swear my arms got a workout taking everything out of the box and transporting it to the refrigerator.

First up on the menu was Blackened Chicken with Cucumber Rice and Tomato and Corn Salad. The recipe card had just enough information to make it easy to follow. The photo of the finished product was a big help to make sure I was tracking. Most of the instructions include 10-15 minutes of prep time folded into a 45 minute overall cooking session. There was lots of slicing and dicing going on with the cucumber, corn and tomatoes – some of which went flying off the counter.

I found it hard to stick within the 45 minute time frame and did quite a bit of multi-tasking, moving between the chopping, the frying and the simmering. I think I worked up quite a sweat and nothing in the kitchen burned down. Whew, I made it through and the best part was plating it just like the photo. Okay, actually the best part is tasting it!! I do deserve to pat myself on the back.

Well, I feel accomplished. Now, who’s getting dessert?

What’s Book Club Without Food?!

By Christina Lee| July 17th, 2016|In the Kitchen|

After a year and a half, I’m proud to say that our lady’s book club has finally come full circle and I’m thrilled to be hosting at my place for the second time. This month’s pick is “The Five People You Meet in Heaven” by Mitch Albom. This short story was a quick read and packed a lot of punch about life’s unanswered questions. Albom presents an interesting take on the after world and the connectivity between one life lesson to another. While I found Eddie’s character mildly entertaining, the overall message was powerful, inspiring and fulfilling. I hope somewhere in the distant future the after world is purposeful and deserving.

If you’re considering it, I found this book to be an easy weekend read. In fact, I think I spent more time coming up with an idea, shopping and preparing this meal than I did reading this book. On today’s menu is Cornish Game Hen stuffed with carrots, onions and thyme; oven-roasted potatoes and tri-colored carrots; and sauteed vegetables with a side of chicken and Trofe Colore macaroni. Of course, a bottle of red is only complementary. I’d like to think this meal was easy on the eyes and lite on the stomach.

Bon appetit!!

Classic Hungarian Cooking in Budapest

By Christina Lee| July 1st, 2016|In the Kitchen, Learning from the best|

As I say goodbye to Prague, I am more than ready to say hello to Budapest, pronounced ‘boo-da-pesht’ as my tour guide, Peter would say, “We are not pests.”

With an eight hour bus ride under our belt, we are ready to stretch our legs and take a tour around Peter’s hometown. The castle, Hero’s square, the thermal baths, the opera house and an evening cruise around the Danube are just some of the fun activities we got to venture out to see and do. Budapest is a bit more spread out than Prague, so I was glad to have on my walking shoes especially as we made our way up the hills and to the top of the breathtaking views of the castle. Along the way we saw several statues, perhaps one on every block. I even got to take a photo with Ronald Reagan as we made our way through the park. According to Peter, the government makes an effort to fill this historic town with statues, erecting new and old ones as they see fit, so the tourists and locals always have something to eye.

With all that walking, we definitely worked up an appetite. But Peter wasn’t going to let us satiate our appetites that easily by simply going to a restaurant. Instead, we got to partake in an authentic Hungarian Cooking Class led by Chef Parade.

For many, this cooking class was one of the highlights of the trip. In fact, one of the best ways to explore a new city is through the stomach.

On the menu was a three-course Hungarian menu:

Soup: Sour cherry soup
Appetizer: Summer beets and dumplings with a cottage cheese, hummus dip
Main: Chicken paprikash and Mushroom paprikash with ‘nokedli’
Dessert: Sweet cottage cheese dumplings

We broke into groups and each of us, in our group of three or four, manned our stations. I took part on creating the mushroom parprikash sauce. Slicing and dicing tomatoes, mushrooms, onions and peppers was right up my alley. But once we combined all the ingredients into the big melting pot, I had to hand over the big wooden spoons to the gentlemen. Simmering the vegetables took quite a bit of time and stirring together the wet and dry ingredients took muscle power. The main ingredient in all Hungarian dishes was sweet and savory paprika. I can’t say that I enjoyed a bite of Hungarian food without the paprika. Hungarians love their paprika and now I can see why!

Following our cooking workshop, we finally got to sit down, raise our glass and enjoy a paprika-infused feast together.

Wow, just wow (!)

Previous 1 2 3 4 5 Next

Follow Me

Categories

Recent Posts