This cooking class demo is being held at a private home, everyone’s invited! Address will be given upon paid reservation. North Long Beach area
Saturday, June 22
4:00 – 7:00
$60.00
BYOB
Menu
Chef Debbi’s Pickled Vegetables
Grilled Artichokes with Walt’s Wharf Dip
Sweet ‘n Sour Surf and Turf Kabobs
Cold Green Bean, Tomato and Watermelon Radish Salad
Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Register here for Credit Card
If you prefer to pay by check,
Contact Debbi @ 562-243-3926 or info@debskitchen.com
Spring is nearly here and with it comes lovely artichokes. Artichokes are perennial plants in the same family as dandelions and sunflowers, they are a thistle plant and, in most artichokes, there is a center that’s inedible, the ‘choke’. In cooler climates, such as California’s northern coast they can be grown as annual’s. Spring and fall are times when you can find fresh artichokes in the markets. An easy plant to grow, they do require full sun and will take up a large space, 3 feet or more. Be sure to cut the artichoke before the leaves begin to open and it blossoms into a flower.
When you choose your artichoke, you want to make sure that it’s firm when you press the sides and you’ll often hear a squeaky noise, that’s good. The leaves should be tight and closed. If there is a little bit of brown on the leaves that’s ok, it just means there was a little frost during its growing season but that’s not a bad thing. The inside will be perfectly delightful. You also might want to consider only organic artichokes since you’ll be eating parts of the plant that may have been sprayed with pesticides during its growing season. Pesticides cannot be washed off with water or vegetables soaps, they are oil based and you know what happens when oil and water mix! If you can’t find beautiful California Artichokes in the market, here is a great local source where you can order them, Melissa’s Produce, http://www.melissas.com/Organic-Artichokes-p/1375.htm
To store your artichokes, you could place in a plastic bag and store in the produce drawer of your refrigerator or just pop it into the drawer itself. They will last up to 7 days but best eaten within a few.
Rinse the artichoke under cool water; pull off the lower, smaller leaves and cut the stem at the base of the choke. If you have a nice long stem, you can cook this separately and eat it like you would the heart, it tastes the same. If desired, with a sharp chef’s knife cut across the top third of the artichoke and snip the sticker off the remaining leaves. Even though there are many ways to prepare a fresh artichoke, most people fall back to either boiling/steaming them, although it takes quite a while, up to half an hour or more. You could put them in a microwave bowl or in an Instant Pot adding a cup of water and cook for 10 minutes, cover the microwave ones, or grill them over hard wood. Anyway is fine with me.
Here’s the traditional method:
Put them into a large pot and cover with cool water, squeeze two lemons into the water and a little sea salt, bring to a boil and simmer until you can run a small knife through the bottom part of the artichoke, 30-45 minutes or longer depending on the size of the vegetable. Remove from the water using tongs and picking up the artichoke with the top facing down so not to spill hot water all over yourself, drain and serve with my favorite sauce from Walt’s Wharf in Seal Beach.
Get the recipe here,
Chef Debbi returns to the Rancho! We’ve been waiting a long time to bring our classes back to Rancho los Alamitos. We’ve schedule our first class for Sat. June 8th, we’re going to pickle!
Saturday, June 8, 2019
9:30 am – 12:30 pm
$75 Future member/ $65 per RLA member
Advance Reservations Required, Reservations close 5/27/19
Join us at Rancho Los Alamitos for a hands-on class on the basics of pickling and fermenting vegetables from your garden or the farmers’ market. In this class, you will make two kinds of pickled vegetables and a jar of sauerkraut. (If you think that you don’t like sauerkraut, wait until you try your own!) This is a refrigerator-style pickling where no water bath canning is necessary. Chef Debbi will demonstrate techniques, discuss food safety and the basics of canning pickles in brine. Each participant will prepare and take home three jars of their very own preserved produce.
The class is suitable for adults and interested teens. Reservations are required. Parking is limited at Rancho Los Alamitos, so car-pooling is encouraged and appreciated.
Sponsored by
The first book in my ‘little’ series is available for pre-sale. Books will be shipped out March 11th! Please use the pre-sale link below to reserve your copy!
Get a preview of Chef Debbi’s upcoming NEW book!
Cooking Demo at Temecula Olive Oil Co. Seal Beach
Thur. Jan 31, 6:30 – 8:30, approximately
Small Cheese Tasting
Smoked Gouda and Red Pepper Grilled Cheese Sandwich Bites
Fried Blue Cheese Stuffed Olives
Italian Stuffed Shells with Broccoli and Pine Nuts
Brie Puff Pastry Pockets
$45.00
By Reservation Only
(562) 296-5421
Temecula Olive Oil Co.
148 Main Street
Seal Beach, CA 90740
Sponsored by
Thurs. Feb 7th
Tues. Feb 19th
6:30 – 8:30, approximately
Menu
Caesar Dip with Crudités
Shrimp Lettuce Wraps
Glazed Steak Tips with Mushrooms & Blue Cheese
Dijon Roasted Potatoes with Parmesan & Chives
Red Velvet Cheesecake Cupcakes
By Reservation Only
(562) 296-5421
Temecula Olive Oil Co.
148 Main Street
Seal Beach, CA 90740
Events Sponsored by
1 cup mixed olives
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs, ground
1 wedge triple cream brie
1 small jar of fig jam or fruit spread
8 ounces aged Gouda
8 ounces aged sharp cheddar, thinly sliced
1 baguette, sliced 1-inch thick
1 round of boursin, any flavor
2 packages of interesting looking crackers
1 wedge blue cheese, partially crumbled
1 small jar of honey
1 package mixed Italian meats
1 small bunch red seedless grapes
4 ounces nuts, mixed or single
1 package, 4 oz. of dried apricots
2 apples, cored and sliced tossed with lemon juice to prevent browning
Mix together olives, olive oil and ground Italian herbs, let rest for at least an hour or longer.
Don’t crowd the cheese on the platter, make the board big enough to accommodate all ingredients.
Put the mixed olives in a small bowl and place on the platter.
Place the triple cream brie on the platter and arrange the fig or fruit spread next to the brie.
Place the sharp cheddar and gouda on the board next with the baguette slices nearby.
Then arrange the boursin near the baguette slices with the crackers next.
Add the blue cheese and honey on the board filling out the outer edges of the board. Tuck in the Italian meats all around the board, add the grapes in clumps and spread the nuts throughout the board with little pockets of dried fruit. Place the apples near the cheddar cheese.
Makes 24-30
Preheat oven to 450° and line 2 pans with parchment paper or baking sheet liners.
In a large sauce pan, combine the water, milk, butter and salt and bring the mixture to a full boil over medium-high heat. When the butter has melted add the flour, all at once, and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a ball that pulls away from the sides of the pan.
Turn the heat down to medium and cook the dough for another 3 or 4 minutes to dry out and cook the flour taste out of the dough. It will look a little shiny and there will some starch remaining on the bottom of the pan and the dough will be stiff.
Transfer the dough to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. (Alternatively, use an electric hand mixer or beat by hand with a stiff spatula.) Beat the dough on medium-low speed until it stops steaming and is just warm to the touch, about 1 minute.
Continue beating and add the eggs in one at a time. Wait for each egg to be absorbed completely before adding the next. Scrape down the sides of the bowl if needed. Once the dough comes together after the addition of all the eggs, add the cheese and mix until it’s well distributed.
Scoop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the baking sheets, spacing the about 1-inch apart. They can be piped on using a piping bag or a storage bag with the corner snipped off.
Press the top down with a fork or spoon dampened slightly with water, until the tops are smooth. Brush with the egg wash mix and bake for 5 minutes. Turn the heat down to 350° and bake for 20-25 minutes until they are golden brown. Rotate the sheets half way through the baking period. If the inside of the gougere isn’t done, turn off the oven and prop the door open with a wooden spoon for about ½ hour so they can dry out a little.
The gougere’s can be stored in the refrigerator up to a week or frozen for a month. You can fill these with any kind of cheese stuffing or serve them as a stand-alone bite.
Combine ground chicken, bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, parsley, egg and season with ground Italian spices and salt and pepper. Heat a large sauté pan, add enough oil to coast the bottom of the pan and brown meatballs on all sides. Remove meatballs and whip out the pan with a towel. Add the crushed tomatoes to the pan and bring to a simmer. Add the meatballs and mozzarella cheese and cook until the cheese is melted, about 10 minutes. Cover with a lid if you like to melt the cheese faster, the meatballs are already cooked.
Serve immediately over pasta.
Meatballs and sauce can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Adapted from Delish
Join us in Seal Beach
Thursday,
Dec. 6th Only!
6:30 – 8:30, approximately
Camembert & Cranberry Pastries
Mini Spanakopita
Cabernet Braised Short Rib Bites
Warm Potato Salad with Bacon
Chocolate Peppermint Cake
$45.00
For reservations call
Temecula Olive Oil, 148 Main St. Seal Beach
(562) 296-5421
Sponsored by
What’s coming up in 2019?
We will continue to host 2 cooking demo’s a month but we will host them on Thursdays and Tuesdays. Here are the dates for Jan – Mar. Menu’s tbd
Jan
Thur. 10th & Tues. 22nd
Feb.
Thur 7th & Tues 19th
Mar.
Thur 7th & Tues 19th
Happy Holidays!
Easy to make ahead of time and bake off at the last minute, make extra they go fast!
Preheat the oven to 350° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Mix the maple syrup and salt together, add the walnuts and stir until coated.
Spread the nuts on the baking sheet and bake for 12 - 15 minutes or until the glaze is bubbly and coats the walnuts well. Remove from oven and let cool.
Turn the oven up to 425° and line a baking sheet with a new piece of parchment paper.
Slice dates lengthwise and remove pits.
Scoop a small amount of Boursin cheese with a spoon and fill the date with the cheese, press a glazed nut into the cheese.
Wrap dates with a slice of bacon, and secure with a toothpick to hold bacon onto date. Place the dates on the parchment on their side and bake for about 7-8 minutes or until browned on the bottom and turn to the other side continue to cook for another 7-8 minutes or until the bacon is cooked and a little crispy, and the cheese is slightly melted.
Let cool and serve warm or at room temperature.
Photo: La Tienda
A perfect relish or conserve for fall and winter use. Serve it with chicken, beef, duck or other game meat; it also makes a great spread or dip mixed with cream cheese.
Makes 6 pints, approximately
In a large pot combine apples, pears, cranberries, sugar, water and orange juice.
Simmer, stirring frequently, for 15 minutes.
Stir in the nutmeg and walnuts, and then cook for 5 more minutes.
Use fresh or can for future use. To process follow these instructions.
Place a whole cinnamon stick in each sterilized jar, then ladle the hot relish into jars leaving 1/4″ headspace.
Process for 15 minutes in a boiling water canner.
Adapted from Farmers Daughter
