Tag Archives: buffet

Cheese Education & Demo Class

New Cheese Education & Demo Class with lunch

Take home a free copy of my book, A Little Book of Cheese

and a cool Chefs gift bag

Sat. March 25th 12-3
$125.00, BYOB

Menu:

Charcuterie Board

Spring Salad

Cheese Stuffed Shells

Ojai Pixie Tangerine Cheesecake

We’ll be serving one glass of wine with lunch as well but you’re welcome to bring your own!

Cheese and Charcuterie

Individually they are fantastic, but together they are even better! This exciting and informative class will teach you the principles of pairing the finest cured specialties with an incredible array of artisan cheeses to create a perfect match that’s all your own. There’s a delicious and tasty education coming your way

Class will be presented in a beautiful professional kitchen
Ethos Culinary
Carlsbad, Ca.

Address given with payment

Sponsored by Melissa’s Produce




Superbowl Sunday Party

Here are some recipes to help you through the day!

Pigs in a Blanket with Everything Bagel Topping

Print
  • 1 package puff pastry
  • 1 package of little smokies or cocktail sausages
  • 1 large egg, beaten with a little water
  • 2 tablespoons everything bagel seasoning

Preheat oven to 400°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, or a silpat.

Defrost puff pastry as directed on box. Sprinkle a cutting board with a dusting of flour, place one puff pastry sheet at a time on the cutting board and lightly roll out.

Cut puff pastry into equally sized rectangles for the number of sausages you have. Cut the pastry as wide as you like, leave a little bit of the sausage uncovered or cover the entire sausage.

Roll the sausage in the puff pastry. Place seam side down onto the baking sheet at least once inch apart.

Brush beaten egg/water mixture over the top of each pig in the blanket. Then sprinkle each pig in a blanket with a bit of the everything bagel seasoning blend.

Bake the pigs in a blanket in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes, or until pastry is puffed and golden brown.

 

Boursin Cheese Dip with Roasted Grapes Crostini

Print
  • 1 ½ cups grapes, approximately (cut in ½)
  • Olive oil
  • Sea salt
  • 2 fresh thyme sprigs
  • Boursin cheese dip
  • 6 oz. Boursin cheese
  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream or milk
  • Good rustic bread, sliced into 1/2-inch thick pieces
  • Olive oil

Preheat oven to 450ºF. Spread grapes onto a sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt. Lay thyme leaves over top. Toss all together gently with your hands. Place pan in the oven for 7 to 9 minutes or until grapes just begin to burst.

Mix the Boursin cheese with enough cream to make it slightly soft and runny, set aside.

Meanwhile, heat a grill or grill pan to medium-high. Brush the bread with olive oil. Grill until nice and toasty.

Assemble the open-faced sandwiches: Spread Boursin mix over bread. Top with roasted grapes. Discard thyme sprigs.

Artichoke Bruschetta

Print
  • ½ large jar marinated artichoke hearts -- drained, patted dry, chopped
  • ¼ cup Romano cheese grated
  • ½ shallot -- minced
  • 2 ½ tablespoons mayonnaise
  • ½ clove garlic
  • ½ loaf ciabatta

Place first 3 ingredients in bowl. Mix in enough mayonnaise to form thick

spread.

Preheat broiler. Slice bread in half lengthwise and rub garlic onto bread,

cut into slices. Toast lightly, spread artichoke mixture on bread and

broil until mixture is heated through and begins to brown, about 2

minutes.

Instant Pot Baby Back Ribs

Print
  • 1 rack baby back ribs*
  • 1 onion, rough chopped
  • 1 carrot, rough chopped
  • 1 celery, rough chopped
  • 1 cup broth or water
  • barbecue sauce

Dry the ribs with a paper towel, then remove the thin membrane from the back of the ribs.

Cut ribs cut into 3 bone pieces. Add rough chopped vegetables to the pot and place rack in the bottom of the Instant Pot. Add broth or water and set ribs upright on the rack.

Close lid and select manual pressure and set the timer for 23 minutes. Let the Instant Pot vent for 5 minutes and release the rest of the pressure. Take care of the steam, don’t burn yourself.

Brush with barbecue sauce and broil or grill until slightly charred.

I like to have the butcher cut the ribs down the center to create ‘riblets’.

Crab Stuffed Mushrooms

Print
  • 16 large white mushrooms, brushed with stems and gills removed*
  • Olive oil
  • 8 oz. cooked crab or lobster meat
  • 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs, divided
  • 1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
  • 1/3 cup mayonnaise
  • 4 oz. whipped cream cheese, softened
  • 2 green onions, chopped
  • ¼ cup minced celery
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped Italian parsley
  • ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
  • Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ tablespoon lemon olive oil

Preheat the oven to 400°. Place a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet and set aside.

Brush the outside of the mushrooms with a little olive oil and arrange on baking sheet.

In a large bowl combine crab meat, 1/3 cup Panko crumbs, parmesan, mayonnaise, cream cheese, green onions, celery, herbs, salt and pepper.

Stuff each mushroom cap generously with the crab mixture.

Combine oil and remaining Panko crumbs until evenly coated. Sprinkle the panko mixture over the tops of the mushrooms.

Bake until the mushrooms begin to brown, approximately 15 minutes then broil for 2 minutes until golden all over with crispy tops.

Serve immediately.

Choose mushrooms about the size of a half dollar.

Crispy Chicken Wings

Print
  • 4 pounds free-range chicken wings cut into pieces
  • 2-4 Tablespoon sunflower or other oil*
  • Blue Cheese Dip
  • 1 cup crumbled blue cheese softened
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 1/3 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
  • Sea salt and ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 450°.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or tin foil and set a heat-proof wire rack on top.

Dry the chicken wings well and transfer them to a large bowl. Toss with a little oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on rack and bake for 30 minutes, turn the wings over and bake until crisp, 20 -30 minutes.

Bake for 30 minutes; flip and continue to cook until crisp and golden brown, (about 20-30 minutes longer), until golden browned and crispy.

Serve wings immediately.

*Note:

You could toss the wings with a little BBQ sauce instead of the oil if you want them with more flavor or spiciness.

Marinated Cucumber and Tomato Salad

 

Marinated Cucumber and Tomato Salad

Print
  • 3 medium cucumbers, peeled and sliced ¼ inch thick
  • 1-2 large tomatoes, cut into wedges
  • 1 medium red onion, sliced and separated into rings, optional
  • ½ cup red wine or pomegranate vinegar
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 1 cup water
  • ¼ cup oil
  • Sea salt and fresh ground pepper

Combine ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving so the flavors have a chance to blend.

Too Hot to Cook

I’m guessing you all noticed that summer finally arrived and so did the desire NOT to cook anything. Here are a few recipes to help you navigate through this heat wave, some recipes are no cooking at all but there are a couple using an Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker and a Slow Cooker. So, break out those appliances that are probably stashed away somewhere.

Antipasto Salad

Print
  • For vinaigrette
  • 1/4 cup red-wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon dry mustard
  • 1 tablespoon basil, chopped
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1/2 cup olive oil, approximately
  • For salad
  • 1 medium red onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
  • 2 hearts romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
  • 1 jar roasted red peppers, drained and sliced
  • 1 jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
  • 1 cup assorted brine-cured olives
  • 1 cup pepperoncini pepper
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1/2 pound assorted Italian cold cuts, sliced or cubed

Make vinaigrette:

In a small bowl whisk together vinegar, mustard, basil, salt and pepper. Slowly add oil while whisking constantly to emulsify. If using right away, let sit at room temperature. Refrigerate after using but let come to room temperature before using.

Spoon dressed romaine onto a large plate and arrange with peppers, artichokes, olives, pepperoncini, tomatoes, onion and cold cuts.

Whisk vinaigrette again and drizzle over salad. Serve with some crusty bread and butter.

Gazpacho

Print

Serves 2-4

  • 1 small red onion
  • 2 small cucumbers
  • 2 ribs celery
  • 1 small jalapeno, optional
  • 1 roasted red bell pepper
  • 6 medium tomatoes
  • 1 cup French bread, cut into cubes and soaked in a little water
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1 lemon, zested
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon juice, to taste
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • ½ Hass avocado, chopped
  • ½ pound cooked, cold shrimp, optional

Rough chop the vegetables and add to a blender, for a chunkier texture process in a food processor instead of a blender.

Squeeze the water from the French bread cubes and add to a blender along with the vegetables. Add olive oil and vinegar and blend to a puree. Season with salt, pepper (if needed), lemon juice, zest and Worcestershire sauce. Refrigerate over night for best flavor.

To serve, check for seasoning again before pouring into a bowl. Garnish the top of the soup with the chopped avocado and shrimp if using.

Goes very well with a nicely toasted slice of cheesy garlic bread.

Italian Chicken Wrap

Print
  • 1 extra-large tortilla flatbread or lavash bread
  • 2 tablespoons roasted red peppers, sliced
  • 5-6 slices cooked chicken breast about 3 ounces
  • Handful of arugula or spinach
  • 2 slices provolone cheese
  • 3-4 thin slices of tomato
  • 2 tablespoons artichoke bruschetta or marinated artichoke hearts
  • 10 sliced kalamata or black olives
  • Sliced red onion
  • Balsamic glaze

Lay the tortilla or flatbread on a flat surface. Starting on the edge closest to you, layer a stripe of red pepper about 1/2 inch inside the outer edge. Place the chicken slightly overlapping the peppers, add a strip of arugula, provolone cheese and tomato. Top with the artichoke bruschetta then olives, sliced red onion and drizzle lightly with the balsamic glaze.

Starting from the edge closest to you, fold the portion of the tortilla with the red pepper and chicken into itself, and fold the outer edges of the sides inward, then continue to tightly roll and wrap the sandwich. Slice the wrap in half and serve or cut the halves into even portions to serve as pinwheels. Make the day before or refrigerate for 2-3 days.

Cuban Sandwich

Print

Makes 4 Cuban sandwiches

  • 1 loaf Cuban bread
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • yellow mustard
  • 1 pound ham
  • 1 pound roasted pork
  • 1/2 pound Swiss cheese
  • dill pickles

Preheat a pancake griddle or large fry pan to medium hot.

Cut the bread into sections about 8 inches long. Cut these in half and generously spread butter & mustard on both halves (inside.)

Make each Cuban sandwich (Cubano) with the ingredients in this order: pickles, roasted pork, ham, and cheese. Be generous!

Spread a little butter on the hot griddle or fry pan and place the Cubano sandwich on the pan. Use a heavy skillet, bacon press, or foil-wrapped brick to flatten the sandwich. (You really want to smash the Cubano sandwich, compressing the bread to about 1/3 its original size!)

Grill the sandwiches for two to three minutes then flip them over to toast the other side. Once the cheese is melted and the bread is golden brown on both sides, the Cubano sandwiches are done.

Make sure your griddle or fry pan is not TOO HOT! Otherwise, the crust will burn before the cheese melts.

Slice the sandwich in half diagonally and serve.

Tip: Let your meats and cheese come to room temperature. This way you avoid over toasting the bread and the cheese melts perfectly! This is especially helpful when you have a lot of meat in your Cubano sandwich.

You may substitute French bread if you must, but NOT a baguette! Additional bread options: hoagie roll, Mexican bolillo, or ciabatta bread rolls.

Tuscan Summer Salad

Print
  • Dressing
  • ¼ sherry vinegar (can substitute any vinegar that you like)
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped shallots
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon Italian herbs, crushed
  • ½ cup oil, approximately use olive
  • Sea salt and pepper, to taste
  • Salad
  • 1 head romaine lettuce
  • 1 head radicchio lettuce
  • 4 ounces green beans, cut into 1 to 2-inch pieces, blanched and cooled*
  • 1 basket cherry tomatoes, cut in half
  • 1 can gigante white beans, drained and rinsed
  • ½ small red onion, cut into slivers
  • ½ cup chopped roasted red peppers
  • 2 small Persian cucumbers, cut in half then into half moons
  • 2 cups chopped cooked chicken, optional

Put vinegar, garlic powder, shallots, mustard and herbs together in a bottle or medium bowl, whisk in enough oil to emulsify dressing. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Toss all salad ingredients together in a large bowl. Add a little dressing and toss again, taste and add more dressing as necessary.

*Blanch and cool green beans: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile prepare an ice water bath, a large bowl filled with ice and water.

When the water boils add the green beans and a good amount of salt, boil for 3 minutes then plunge them into the ice water bath.

Steak Fajitas Crockpot Style

Print
  • 1-2 pounds beef flank steak*
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 1 large onion quartered and sliced into thin pieces
  • 1 red pepper, sliced into strips
  • 1 tablespoon or more, seeded and chopped jalapeno pepper
  • 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
  • 1 clove minced garlic
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup diced tomatoes
  • 1 dozen flour tortillas

Serve with optional ingredients sour cream, guacamole, shredded Mexican blend cheese, chopped tomatoes, shredded lettuce, salsa

Cut flank steak into 6 or 8 pieces and marinate in lime juice and oil for about 30 minutes.

Add all the ingredients except tortillas into the crockpot and mix well.

Cook on low for 8 or 9 hours, until the beef is tender and can be shredded easily.

Remove from slow cooker and shred the meat. Return meat to slow cooker and stir.

For the fajitas, spread meat mixture onto warm flour tortillas and add your favorite toppings.

If you can’t find flank steak, you can substitute skirt steak, london broil or flat iron steak

Pulled Pork I Instant Pot

Print
  • 1 boneless pork shoulder, about 4 or 5 pounds
  • Sea salt and ground pepper
  • 1 onion, cut into large pieces
  • 1 rib celery, roughly chopped
  • 1 carrot, roughly chopped
  • 1-2 cups chicken stock

Cut the pork into several pieces so that it fits into the Instant Pot below the fill line. Season the pork with salt and pepper, then brown it on all sides on the searing or frying setting.

Add the onion, celery and carrot around the pork and cover with chicken stock keeping below the fill line. Add the lid to the pot and make sure to turn the steam release vent to the sealing position. Cook on manual for 1 hour. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 to 20 minutes

Remove the pork and slice or shred, add any sauce you like. I use plain shredded or sliced pork for my Cuban Sandwiches.

The meat freezes well for up to 6 months.

Black Forest Mousse Parfait

Print

Serves 4

  • 1 package chocolate instant pudding and pie filling, 4 serving size
  • 2 cups cold milk
  • 1 can cherry pie filling
  • 1 cup whipped cream

Mix together pudding mix and milk according to package directions. Let

thicken slightly and spoon into parfait glasses leaving 2" at the top.

Before serving, whip cream and add a little powdered sugar to your liking. Top

pudding with a layer of pie filling and finish with a spoonful of whipped

cream.

Order your produce today from ….

 

San Diego County Farm Tour

San Diego County Farm Tour
Sat, April 18th
10:30-4
$125.00
Hosted by Chefs Secrets which is a new collaboration between
Debs Kitchen
&
California Greek Girl
Meet up at
Mountain Meadow Mushroom Farm, Escondido

 

Farm Tour!
Do you know how mushrooms grow? You’ll learn everything about mushrooms that you need to know! Did you know that mushrooms are a nutrient dense food? Good for you!

Here’s a link to their website for more info
Mountain Meadow Mushroom Farm
Here’s a blog post about the farm & yummy Mushroom Risotto recipe from Mary at California Greek Girl
Mushroom Risotto

 

Next we’ll head over to
North County Olive Oil Co. and meet Sue Rober at her Sunshine Gardens location where we will taste and experience their True California Olive Oils with style.

Their vision is to share with you their experience in the California olive oil industry. They have selected a portfolio of top producers who make both extra virgin olive oils and vinegars from California olives and grapes. They represent a variety of regions which offer unique styles from many varietals and cultivars of local California olives. We look for producers that promote sustainable practices in the grove and throughout their day to day practices.

Our Olive Oil Tastings offer a unique experience created around a variety of artisan producers of California extra virgin oil, wine and specialty artisan products.

A cooking demo & lunch will be served by
Chef Debbi & Chef Mary

Menu*

Cheese Platter with Seasonal Vegetables & Fruit
Winter Salad with Pixie Tangerines
Mushroom Risotto
Road Home Brownies

*Menu subject to availability
One glass of wine will be served with lunch.
Lemonade & Spring Water will be available.

Don’t miss the great swag bags that you’ll get to take home!

We encourage car pooling, need a ride or want to provide a ride?
Get in touch with Chef Debbi here
debbi@debskitchen.com

Now taking reservations

# in Party




Sponsored by Melissa’s Produce

How to Build a Cheeseboard

How to Build a Cheese or Charcuterie Board

 

  • Start by choosing ingredients
  • Choose cheese first – Use a mixture of cow, goat, sheep milk. Choose a hard cheese (Cave Aged Gruyere, Aged Gouda), a soft cheese (chèvre, brie, burrata) and maybe a crumbly cheese (blue, Parmigiana Reggiano). You want a variety of flavors and choose an odd number of cheese as it is more pleasing to the eye.
  • Serve approximately 2 – 4 oz. of cheese per person. If it needs to be sliced, do so while it’s cold. Let all cheese come to room temperature before serving.
  • Some of my favorite cheese mixes are:
  • Havarti, Aged Gouda, Aged Blue Cheese
  • Sharp Cheddar, Creamy Chèvre, Parmigiana Reggiano
  • Feta, Burrata, Gorgonzola or Fresh Blue Cheese (Pt. Reyes Blue)
  • Camembert or Brie, Drunken Goat (or Wine Infused hard cheese)
  • Bocconcini with herbed olive oil drizzle, Boursin, Manchego
  • Cave Aged Gruyere, Fontina, San Andreas
  • Next choose some charcuterie and pâtés, if serving.
  • Again serve 2-4 oz. per person and slice the meat/sausage while cold and allow to come to room temperature before serving.
  • Some selections might be:
  • Choose a variety of hard salami, soft meat such as prosciutto or Jambon Iberico, some smoked sausage, kielbasa, soppresseta, Serrano ham and a selection of pate and/or rillettes. Pair the flavor of the meat (soft to intensive) to the flavor of the cheese (soft to intensive).
  • Next choose a serving board, plate or platter that will accommodate your above choices. Remember you’re going to be adding more ingredients. You could choose a rectangular serving platter, cutting board, slate tile, pizza wheel or the like.
  • Additions to the meat and cheese might be:
  • A selection of jams or preserves such as fig, peach or other fruit jam, or chutneys and honey.
  • Grainy or stoned mustard, olive spread, bean dips and antipasto spreads such as muffuletta.
  • Next something briny, caper berries, cornichon pickles, pickled vegetables such as a mixed Giardiniera or caponata.
  • Add some salty components, roasted nuts, Marcona almonds or toasted pumpkin seeds.
  • Crackers, bread sticks, toasted baguette slices, pita bread or pretzels.
  • Dried Fruit are great especially for a winter board, apricots, figs, cranberries or raisins.
  • Seasonal fruits and vegetables pair well with most meat and cheese, grapes, fresh apricots, apples, pears, cucumbers, carrots, pea pods any kind of berry, artichoke hearts, marinated mushrooms and roasted red peppers.
  • Herbs and Edible flowers are a nice addition and brighten up the board as well. Make sure that none have been sprayed with pesticides. Use a variety in season, pansies, chive, sage or nasturtium blossoms. Lavender, borage blossoms (taste faintly of cucumber), dill, cornflowers, Johnny jump ups, bee balm and zucchini blossoms.

Tips:

Try serving some of the jams, preserves, mustard, spreads or chutneys in small bowls. Anything that has a brine or is juicy should also go into a bowl such as olives and pickled vegetables. This will also give some height to the board, serve breadsticks in a jar or glass as well.

Serve each cheese and meat with its own cheese fork or utensil and picks for the olives or vegetables, spoons, cheese knives and mini tongs for the meat.

Try arranging the board where it will be served so as not to knock anything off while you are moving it. Make ahead and cover with a tea towel to keep out any pests.

Hands On Fun at Rancho los Alamitos

Food Crafting with Chef Debbi

& Debs Kitchen

 

Saturday, Oct 12th

10:00 am– 12:30

Adults $75.00

Children* ages 10-14 $35.00

*Children must be accompanied by an adult.

 

By reservation only

Click below for reservations or call or email

Reserve my spot

562-431-3541 or info@rancholosalamitos.org

Reservations close Mon. Oct 7th

 

Enjoy a fun-filled autumn morning with family at the beautiful

Rancho Los Alamitos Historic Ranch & Gardens.

Learn together to make (& take)

Gifts from the Garden.

For the adults to make and take:

Herbal Salt Tin

Cranberry Vinegar

Meyer Lemon Infused Olive Oil

Peppermint-Lavender Room Spray

Holiday Stovetop Potpourri

For the Kids to make and take:

Peppermint Biscotti in a Jar

Strawberry Mint Mojito Mocktail

A seasonal salad will be served with a

Cranberry-Lemon Vinaigrette prepared by Chef Debbi.

Special thanks to Melissa’s Produce for donating event supplies.

Rancho Los Alamitos

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

 

Click here to sign up


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

Strawberry Season

 

There’s almost nothing better in spring than fresh strawberries (except for maybe asparagus, artichokes and morel mushrooms!

Look for strawberries that are red all the way to the top, those will be tasty, ripe strawberries. Pick organic if possible as strawberries are the number one fruit on the ‘Dirty Dozen’ list to retain pesticides. Pesticides do not wash off, ever. Besides the pesticide residue left on the fruit, the ground is prepared by pumping fumigants into it to sterilize the soil, killing every living creature that lives in the soil. You can read more on EWG’s website.

To prepare your strawberries, do not wash until you are ready to use or eat them. Water is their enemy. I like to slice them up and add a little sugar, macerate or squash them down a little and let them sit for awhile while the flavor develops. I sometimes will add a little Grand Marnier to the mix for an added dose of flavor. Spread them on a biscuit, slice of angel food cake, over ice cream or just eat them out of a bowl. Enjoy your strawberries while the sun is shining. Here’s a little individual cheesecake recipe for you to enjoy.

Mini Strawberry Cheesecake

Print
  • Crust:
  • 1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
  • 3 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup sour cream, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners or oil the inside of small jam jars.

Make the graham cracker crust:

Stir together graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. Press about 2-2 1/2 tablespoons of the mixture into the bottom of each muffin liner and press to compact.

Beat room temperature cream cheese with a hand mixer until fluffy. Beat in room temperature sour cream. Beat in egg, sugar, and vanilla extract. (Room temperature ingredients are a must to avoid lumps!)

Evenly divide (about 2-2 1/2 tablespoons each) cheesecake among crusts. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until they just begin to brown. Cool completely and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.

Serve plain or topped with whipped cream and berries.

Special Event

Get a preview of Chef Debbi’s upcoming NEW book!

A Little Book of Cheese

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

Taking reservations for all classes & Events

$45.00


By Reservation Only
(562) 296-5421
Temecula Olive Oil Co.
148 Main Street
Seal Beach, CA 90740

Sponsored by

Quick and Easy Charcuterie Board

 

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.

Fontina & Gruyere Gougére’s

 

Print

Makes 24-30

  • ½ cup water
  • ½ cup whole milk
  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup plus 1 Tb. all-purpose flour
  • 4 whole eggs
  • ½ cup grated gruyere cheese
  • ½ cup grated fontina cheese

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.

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