New Cooking Class Venue

Cooking at Fullerton Arboretum

New Events!

Celebrating the seasons around the table with demonstration style cooking class and a specialty food tasting each month.

Join my friend Chef Louise Mellor and I in the beautiful gardens at Cal State Fullerton’s Arboretum for a meal as we celebrate the seasons. Learn how to stock your pantry and together we’ll use garden fresh, seasonal ingredients with classic French techniques to create simple, exciting dishes for special occasions and everyday meals.

We will also be sharing how to entertain with simplicity and style. Most importantly, we hope you will be inspired to get into the kitchen at home and share life around the table.

Full lunch servings will be offered and wine will be available if desired. Here are upcoming classes for Jan, Feb and March, take a look here for class registration and the schedule through summer! Hope to see you there~

Saturday, Jan. 21, 11 – 2
Book Signing and Demo

Soup from the pantry

Join us for a demonstration on soup basics and enjoy a hearty bowl of minestrone soup with puff pastry ‘rolls’.

February 11th, Saturday, 11 – 2
Cupid in the kitchen…
Chocolate Tasting

Roasted Spring Asparagus salad with Meyer Lemon vinaigrette

Elegant Beef Wellington Puff Pastry Tarts with Caramelized Onions, Maytag Blue Cheese, Sautéed Mushrooms

Dark chocolate hazelnut flourless cake with vanilla bean ice cream and fresh berries

March 25th Saturday, 11 – 2
I left my heart in San Francisco…
Olive oil tasting

Homemade herbed ricotta with lemon, Parmesan & blistered tomatoes served on sourdough crostini

San Franciscan style Cioppino with fresh seafood in a rich tomato white wine broth.

Blood orange olive oil cake with whipped Grand Manier marscapone

Chicken Marsala for a Quick, Easy Weeknight Dinner

1 / 10 / 171 / 11 / 17

Chicken Marsala

There is a simple trick that you can do ahead of time to make life a little easier cooking during the week. Buy chicken cutlets*, place them between 2 sheets of plastic or parchment paper and pound to ¼” thickness. Stack them with parchment paper between each breast, freeze on a sheet pan separately then wrap in plastic and place the entire stack into a freezer bag. Now you can remove 1 or 2 or 4 when you get home from work and proceed with any recipe. The chicken breast (you can do this with pork tenderloin as well), will defrost almost immediately and you’ll have dinner on the table in ½ hour.

1/3 cup flour plus more for mushrooms
Sea salt and pepper, to taste
Olive oil
4 Chicken cutlets, pounded ¼” thick
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
6 ounces brown crimini mushrooms, sliced or quartered
1 ½ tablespoon minced shallot
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1⁄2 cup chicken stock
1⁄3 cup dry Marsala wine
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon Italian flat leafed parsley, minced

Season the flour with sea salt and pepper and dredge the chicken in the flour shaking off the excess.

Heat the slow cooker to sauté if you can or use a skillet, add enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan and lightly brown the chicken on both sides. Set aside.

If needed add a little more oil to the pan, just enough to coat the bottom and add the butter, when melted sauté the mushrooms until browned. Add the shallots and cook until translucent, add the garlic and stir briefly until it’s aromatic.

To finish on stove top:

Sprinkle the mushroom mixture with a little flour and cook, stirring until flour is incorporated and browned. Whisk in the chicken stock, Marsala wine and lemon juice, reduce until slightly thickened. Add the chicken back to the mixture and cook for about 2 minutes. Serve with chopped parsley and lemon zest over the chicken breasts.

*If you want to buy chicken breasts or cut from a whole chicken just butterfly them before pounding.

Duck Breast with Grand Marnier Sauce

12 / 22 / 16

Duck Breast with Grand Marnier Sauce

Serves 4 - 6
4 duck breast fillets
3 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice, strained
1 tablespoon orange zest
1/3 cup Grand Marnier liqueur
3/4 cup chilled butter, cut into 6-7 pieces

Preheat oven to 350°.

Score the duck breast skin without cutting into the breast, cut in a criss cross pattern.

Season the duck breast on both sides with sea salt and pepper. Heat a sauté pan over medium high heat until hot and sear the breast skin side down, do not put oil or butter into the pan, you’ll have plenty of rendered duck fat shortly. When the breast is nicely browned turn and cook the other side, turn the heat down on the pan if needed.

Remove breast to a small baking sheet lined with parchment, a baking pan will do as well. Do not use a pan that’s too big or the fat will burn as it’s rendered, place a probe thermometer into the center of the breast and cook until temperature reaches 135°. Remove from oven and let rest while you finish the sauce.

Combine orange juice, sugar, orange zest, and half of the Grand Marnier in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, uncovered, over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until the liquid is reduced to 2–3 tablespoons. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in butter, a few pieces at a time, until thoroughly blended, and then whisk in the remaining Grand Marnier.

Slice the duck breasts on an angle and serve with the Grand Marnier Sauce, top with some orange peel or zest.

Photo: Chef Jon

Christmas Roast

12 / 6 / 16

A Christmas Roast, Dec. 2016

After the huge cooking spree for Thanksgiving I’m happy to create a simple elegant meal for Christmas and I always turn to a rib roast. Most people refer to them as a ‘prime rib’ yet that really refers to the grade of meat. While USDA Prime Grade is the best, it can also be on the expensive side, while a good ‘Choice’ grade is nearly as good as the prime, it can be purchased for much less. Both roasts are considered ‘standing rib roast’ and you treat them equally in cooking.

Costco has the absolute best deal on both Choice and Prime Grade roasts, choose bone in for the best flavor and juiciness. Either roast will need to cook a little longer with the bone in but the flavor is superior. A trick you can do is cut the bones off the roast and tie them back onto the roast, you’ll still get juicy flavor but won’t need to roast quite as long.

The roast will take some time to come to room temperature so remove from the refrigerator 3 house before roasting. Pre heat your oven for 30 minutes and roast for approximately 15 – 20 minutes per pound, start with a high heat, 450°, for 15 minutes, then turn the oven down to 325° and continue cooking. Use a digital probe thermometer for best results, it’s worth spending $15 or $20 on a digital thermometer for a $75.00 roast.

For rare roast remove from the oven when the thermometer reaches 120°, for medium rare, 125° or 130° for medium, the meat will continue to cook (called carry over cooking time) while it rests. I like to serve the roast with a Red Wine Sauce or Bordelaise Sauce but remember that your sauce will only be as good as the beef stock you use so use the best. Homemade is tops but if you must purchase a stock try More Than Gourmet Glace de Veau (veal stock). Standing rib roasts are great on the grill also but that’s another story.

Photo: Josh, The Meatwave

Prime Rib or Standing Rib Roast

Serves 8
Total preparation time: 1 hr. 30 min. – 2 hr.

1 (7 lb.) Rib Roast, Bone-In or Boned & Tied
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 clove garlic, minced – optional use 1 teaspoon ground garlic (NOT garlic salt)
Sea Salt and ground pepper

Place roast in a shallow baking pan bone down, melt butter in small saucepan and add garlic and salt and pepper. Mix well, brush over roast, and let stand at room temperature for 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 450°F. Use a probe meat thermometer*, placed into the center of the roast but not touching bone. Roast for 10 minutes in uncovered pan, then reduce heat to 350°F and continue for 1 hour and 20 minutes for rare. Baste with pan drippings from time to time. Thermometer should read 120° - 125° for rare, 130° - 135° for medium rare. Do not cook beyond 140°, medium. Let the roast stand for 15 minutes, with the probe in the meat, before slicing. Slice either between the bones or cut off all the bones at once and the slice the meat into serving pieces.

Roast 15 minutes more if you want a medium roast, another 15 minutes for well done.

Remove from oven when done, and allow the meat to rest for a few minutes before carving. Transfer to a warmed serving platter.

• A digital probe meat thermometer – the probe remains in the meat while in the oven and the control sits outside on the stove or counter. See link below

Bordelaise Sauce

3 tablespoons butter
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, sliced in rounds
2 cloves garlic, cut in half
4 peppercorns
1 bay leaf
11/4 cups beef broth*
1 sprig thyme
Sea Salt
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 tablespoon Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped

Melt the butter in a heavy skillet and sauté the onion until transparent. Add the carrots and cook until soft.

Place garlic, peppercorns, and bay leaf in cheesecloth bag. Add to pan along with 1 cup of beef broth. Boil until broth has been slightly reduced, about 10 minutes, then season with thyme and salt.

Remove cheesecloth bag and put mixture through a coarse strainer. Return to pan.

Meanwhile, dissolve flour in the other 1/4 cup of broth and add gradually to sauce. Stir constantly until sauce thickens, then add the wine. Reduce heat and allow to simmer until ready to serve, and then sprinkle chopped parsley on top.

Use a quality beef broth if not making your own such as More Than Gourmet Glace de Veau (veal stock).

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Holiday Appeteaser Party

11 / 4 / 16

Last Cooking Demo of the Year! Come and enjoy some tasty holiday party treats with us and we’ll send you off with some delicious, easy recipes for the season.

Thurs, Dec 8th
6:30 – 8:30, approximately

The Holiday Appeteaser Party

Smoked Salmon Mousse Coins with Roasted Red PepperSauce
Shrimp Cocktail Butter Lettuce Cups
Smoked Trout Crostini
Tuscan Lemon Chicken Speidini
Mini Hasselback Potato Bites
Chocolate Peppermint Truffles

By Reservation Only
(562) 296-5421
148 Main Street
Seal Beach, CA 90740

10 must have pantry items for the holidays

11 / 4 / 1611 / 4 / 16

10 must have pantry items for the holidays

Basic Pantry

Organic Chicken Stock
Unsalted butter and a variety of oils (Olive Oil, Peanut, Vegetable & Grapeseed)
Organic Large Eggs
Organic Milk and Cream (for whipping and cooking)
Variety of cheeses, for cooking and serving as appetizers or dessert
Variety of potatoes, Russet for baked or mashed, Fingerlings or Yukon Gold for roasting
Day old breads for breadcrumbs and stuffing or dressing. Freeze for later use. Crackers
Celery, Carrots and Onions, Fresh Citrus
Fresh Sage, Italian Parsley and other herbs
Fresh and Dried Mushrooms

Buy my book ‘What’s In Your Pantry’ for more tips & tricks in the kitchen!

Baking

Beyond the basics, flour, white, brown and powdered sugars, baking soda, baking powder and vanilla.

Nuts
Chocolate
Cocoa Powder
Cinnamon or Baking Spice, Allspice, Nutmeg
Dried Fruits
Variety of jam for easy to make desserts
Peppermint and dried fruit candies
Cream of tartar
Parchment paper
Caramels and Toffee

Make Ahead for the Freezer

Pie Dough
Cookie Dough
Puff Pastry (buy an all butter pastry-read the label)
Gravy
Easy bake appetizers, Empanadas, Pot Stickers, Crab Cakes, Cheese Balls
Meatballs, basic recipe use different sauces for quick appetizers
Quickbreads
Casseroles
Breakfast Treats, Cinnamon Rolls, Scones,
Frozen Seafood, Shrimp, Scallops, Lobster

October Cooking Demo

10 / 26 / 1610 / 27 / 16

Join us in Seal Beach

Thursday October 13th 6:30 – 8:30, approximately

Repeat Class Thur, Oct 27th!

Boursin Cheese Dip with Roasted Grapes Crostini’s

Apple, Parmesan and Walnut Salad with White Balsamic Apple Vinaigrette

Fall is the time when I start thinking about casseroles and slow cookers, here’s the first casserole of the fall!

Balsamic Chicken & Pork Riblettes

served with Roasted Red Bell Peppers, Green Onions and Fresh Lemon Olive Rice Pilaf

Orange Olive Oil Chocolate Pumpkin Cupcakes

Temecula Olive Oil Tasting Room, Seal Beach

Call Now for reservations
562-296-5421

Cooking at The Flower Fields

9 / 22 / 16

Join us for a unique Culinary Event and Cookbook Signing on Wednesday, October 5th
Time: 11:00-1:00
Cost $45.00 per person

Chef Debbi Dubbs will be teaching this Fall inspired menu, with a cooking – technique you can all take home and try. Join us for lunch at the Flower Fields, and enjoy our highlighted local artisans.

Menu:
Pan-Roast Chicken with Porcini Bucatini

Classic Panzanella Salad

Homemade Chocolate Biscotti

Her cookbook, ‘What’s in Your Pantry”, will be available for signing.

Sponsored by Melissa’s Produce and ScanPan

Santa Maria Style BBQ

9 / 2 / 16

Santa Maria style bbq tri tip is traditionally made with a simple rub and grilled over hard wood, sliced thin and served with salsa, pinquinto beans and tortillas. You can find bbq’s on most street corners in Santa Maria but if you can’t get there, grill up your own. I prefer a wet marinade for a little extra flavor and sometimes I’d rather cook it in the oven so I’ve offered a recipe for both. Be sure to let it rest after grilling and slice it thin against the grain. Make extra for sandwiches or tacos or heating leftovers up to serve with some nice fried eggs. You’ll want to make sure you have enough so plan on 1/2 # per person.

Santa Maria Style Tri Tip

1/2 cup red wine
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons Worcestershire
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 lemon, juiced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1 tri tip, about 2 1/2 – 3 pounds

Combine red wine, oil, Worcestershire, soy, lemon juice, garlic and mustard.

Marinate meat in sauce in refrigerator for up to 2 hours, turning several times.

Grilling Method

Remove from refrigerator 2 hours before grilling. Grill over medium heat about 15 to 20 minutes on each side, brushing frequently with marinade. For a more accurate temperature use a probe style thermometer that has been designed to be used with a grill. Use the temperature guides below for cooking.

Oven Method

Preheat the oven to 450°. Remove the meat from the marinade and pat it dry. Discard the marinade.

Place the tri-tip, fat side up, on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Use a probe style thermometer inserted into the center of the meat. Set temperature for 115° - 120° for rare, 120° - 125° for medium-rare or 130° for medium, it is not recommended to cook tri tip higher than 130°, the meat will be tough and dry.

Transfer the meat to a carving board or platter, cover loosely with foil, and let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes before carving to allow the residual heat to complete the cooking and the juices to stabilize.

Slice the meat into thin slices across the grain.

Santa Maria Pinquinto Beans

1 pound Rancho Gordo dried heirloom Santa Maria pinquito beans
10 cups water, divided
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 carrot, peeled
½ onion, chopped
1 celery stalk
3 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
2 slices bacon, diced
1 large red onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
6 ounces tomato purée
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground dry mustard
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce, optional

Pick through the beans and remove any foreign matter. Rinse with cold water. Place the beans in a large bowl, cover with 6 cups of water and refrigerate overnight.

Drain the beans and rinse. Place the beans in a pot with 4 cups of water, 1 tablespoon olive oil, carrot, onion and celery. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook for 1 hour or until the beans are tender.

Season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt, then allow the beans to cool in the liquid. Once cool, remove and discard the carrot, onion and celery.

In a large pot set over medium heat, add bacon and remaining olive oil. Cook until bacon is golden brown. Add the red onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes more. Add the tomato purée, brown sugar, dry mustard and Tabasco sauce. Next, add the reserved beans, 2 cups of the bean-cooking liquid, 2 teaspoons kosher salt and cook for 30 minutes at a low simmer. The beans can be refrigerated for up to one week, or freeze for up to 3 months.

Courtesy of Cambria Winery

Rancho Gordo Beans can be purchased from www.ranchogordo.com

Santa Maria Style Salsa

3 medium fresh tomatoes, chopped
½ cup finely chopped celery
½ cup chopped green onions
½ cup finely chopped California green chiles
2 tablespoons snipped cilantro
1 teaspoon vinegar
Dash of Worcestershire sauce
Pinch of garlic salt
Pinch of dried oregano, crushed
Few drops of hot pepper sauce

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, cover and let stand for one hour to blend flavors.

Fall Vegetable Gardens

8 / 16 / 16

Fall Vegetable Gardens

Although here in Southern California there aren’t many place where we get frost, some places away from the beach will get a light frost and towards the mountains an early frost and snow. But our last frost date near the coastline is anywhere from early Nov to early Dec. and our first frost date is somewhere around Feb. It’s good to know this information so you can plan on what and when to plant.

As the ground gets cold seeds will have a hard time sprouting or will not sprout at all. Planting a fall garden with vegetables that can ‘over-winter’ will see you through the cool, rainy (hoping) months. Heartier vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts actually get a little sweeter with a touch of frost.

If you get tomatoes, beans and cucumbers in the ground now (Aug-Sept) make sure you plant early varieties that have time to fruit before the ground begins to cool. Most nurseries will still be carrying good supplies of summer vegetables for the next month.

These are some fruit and vegetables that will grow for you now.

Broccoli, Cabbage, Kale & Brussels Sprouts
Parsley & Cilantro (but if we get a hot spell between Sept & Oct they may bolt)
Beets, Carrots, Turnips (try the little white turnip, sweet tasting even raw)
Leeks, Scallions, Onions, Shallots
Peas & Potatoes
Lettuce (provide a little shade until Nov), Spinach & Mustard

Here are two nurseries in our area that I love for great vegetable plants.

H & H, Lakewood Blvd, Lakewood

http://hhnursery.com/

Rogers Gardens, Newport Beach

http://rogersgardens.com/

Almost all the seed catalogs have great sale prices too, a good time to pick up some fall and spring seeds.

Grow Organic/Peaceful Valley Farms

http://www.groworganic.com/

Baker Creek Seeds

http://www.rareseeds.com/

High Mowing Seeds

http://www.highmowingseeds.com/

Renee’s Garden

http://www.reneesgarden.com/

Seeds From Italy

http://www.growitalian.com/

It’s Hatch Chile Time!

8 / 15 / 16

Get out your BBQ’s or roasters, it’s time for Hatch Chile’s! You’ll want to stock up on these fabulous, versatile chiles while they are in season. Melissa’s Produce brings these chiles from Hatch, New Mexico to Southern California and hosts roastings all over the southland (actually all over the US). You could order raw ones from Melissa’s website, melissas.com , or you could pop into a roasting (check out roasting dates, times & stores here) and they will roast them up for you on-site. Inside the store you’ll find all kinds of Hatch chile treats as well as things to cook up like Hatch Salmon Burgers or Hatch Chile Crab Cakes and Hatch chile sausage. Baked goods, cheese with Hatch chile’s, salsa and sauces. The list is endless!

Here is a perfect chicken wing recipe for football season, we grilled it up for the LA Rams first pre-season football game last weekend.

Tangerine Hatch Chile Chicken Wings and Cucumber-Yogurt Sauce

Serve the wings with the Cucumber-Yogurt Sauce and sliced veggies and LOTS of napkins.

3 small Persian cucumbers or large English cucumber, diced
1 tablespoon salt
2 cups Greek yogurt*
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon fresh dill
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 package chicken wings
1 bottle of Not Ketchup Sugar Free Tangerine Hatch Chile Sauce*

Toss a bunch of chicken wings with Tangerine Hatch Chile Sauce and grill over hot coals until the chicken wings are blackened and tender.

Cucumber Yogurt Sauce

Peel cucumbers and dice, if using English cucumber you can remove the seeds. Put them in a colander and sprinkle with the tablespoon of salt to draw out some of the water, let drain for about 30 min. Place the cucumbers into a piece of cheesecloth or kitchen towel and twist the towel to get out any remaining liquid.

Add everything to the food processor and blend until you get the consistency you want (chunky or creamy). Season with salt and pepper and refrigerate before serving, best if made a few hours before you’re going to serve it.

*If the yogurt is a little runny you can drain it through cheesecloth for several hours or overnight.

*You can find the Sugar-Free Tangerine Hatch Chile ‘Not Ketchup’ here

Refrigerator Pickled Veggies

8 / 4 / 16

Pickled Veggies

1 bunch of radish
3 carrots
4 mini white turnips
¼ # thin green beans
4 small watermelon radish
1 lg. clove garlic, crushed but whole
2 shallots, sliced thin
2 ½ cups pomegranate or red wine vinegar
1 cup apple cider vinegar
½ cup white vinegar
2 cup water
2 tablespoons sugar
4 strips of lemon peel
2 tablespoons pickling or canning salt (do not use any other salt)

Cut up all your veggies into what ever shape you like, making sure they fit into the jar that you will pickle them in.

In a medium sized saucepan add vinegar, sugar, lemon peel and salt; bring to a slow boil, whisk until all the sugar is dissolved,

Wash a quart canning jar and fill with hot water. Let stand while you are bringing the brine to a boil.

Once the sugar has dissolved in the brine, pour the water out of the jar and fill with veggies. Pour the brine over them, let cool, then cap and refrigerate.