The Chef Next Door

4-Month Vacation

2011-09-10T19:45:00.001-05:00

Yeaaaaaa right!! There's a few good reasons why I haven't been able to update this blog since May.....

1. Weddings
2. Parties
3. Cooking Classes
4. more Weddings
5. more Parties
6. Luncheons
7. Bruncheons
8. more Cooking Classes
9. more Weddings
10. ....and..............oh, I know I'm forgetting something here..............give me a second, it will come to me..............................................shoot, what is it??

Oh, I remember!

WE OPENED A RESTAURANT!!

Yep, as if I wasn't busy enough already, I'm also a crazy lady who decided to open a cafe. Okay, that's kind of a stretch...I didn't exactly "decide" to. Sometimes life throws something in your path or forces you in a direction you didn't expect to go in. And you can either fight it, try to change it, or roll with it and make the best of it.

Way back in January when we began talk of moving in to the Interior Marketplace to set up shop for our catering and cooking classes, we had talk after talk with the landlord, Tom, about what he expected of us and what the terms of our lease would be. You see, the space that we were interested in occupying is made up of three main parts: A beautiful demonstration kitchen (perfect for my cooking classes), a massive commercial catering kitchen (self-explanatory).....and one additional room that separates the demo kitchen from the catering kitchen that is clearly designed to be a restaurant. Plain as day: He wanted us to open the restaurant for some type of daily meal service because he wanted to increase the foot traffic to the Marketplace.

Well back then, 8 months ago, the words "open a restaurant" made me shudder. I could take the world by storm with my catering and cooking classes, but a restaurant? 6 days a week? Ay yi yi! I have worked in restaurants since I was 17, so I know what an enormous, monumental undertaking it is and I never once envied the owner whom I worked for. Tom didn't make any specifications about what kind of restaurant he expected to see, he just basically said "Serve chicken salad out of a bucket, for all I care!" If you've ever met Tom, you can probably hear him saying this, and a huge smile has likely spread across your face. (He is hilarious!)

So as we dug our feet in, cleaned/painted/decorated/put our mark on the demonstration kitchen and catering kitchen over the next month or so, the poor lonely cafe sat in the middle, totally neglected. We walked through it every day, putting it off, putting it off, putting it off. We catered many a wedding, hosted many a cooking class and luncheon at the Marketplace, and found ourselves constantly replying "Soon enough!" when asked when we would get the restaurant open. It just seemed a million miles away.

We began talking of menus and employees and names for the restaurant. We pondered the decor and atmosphere. We pondered how in the world a catering business (The Chef Next Door), a cake business (Slice at a Time), and a restaurant could all operate out of the same kitchen. But it was all just talk, and it still didn't seem like it would ever become reality. Until it did.

Taylor and I, along with my family, traveled to Pawley's Island, South Carolina for our annual family beach trip at the beginning of June. It was an amazing two-week vacation as it always is, but the whole time we were there, we knew life was going to be different when we returned home. We didn't have a firm deadline to open the restaurant, but we just knew it was something we were going to have to do to make good on our end of the deal. It was time to hold hands and walk down the path that we never planned for ourselves.

We returned to Huntsville refreshed, relaxed, ridiculously tan...and ready. We knew we were going to need help, so we turned to a lifelong friend from Birmingham, Matt, to come up and help us run the restaurant. Without any hesitation, he agreed, left his job, moved up to Huntsville, and bought in to our restaurant. We knew we were going to need more money, so we turned to yet another lifelong friend, Joseph, to help with our start-up costs. Without any hesitation, he agreed, wrote a check, and bought in to our restaurant. We knew we were going to need help with the day-to-day operation of the restaurant, specifically the kitchen, so we turned to my dear friend, Heather, owner of Slice at a Time. Her younger brother, Matthew, who has extensive food-service experience and a hunger to own his own establishment someday, jumped at the opportunity, left his job, and moved down to Huntsville from Tennessee. We had our team, we just had to create the restaurant.

I won't bore you too much more with the details, but it took from June 15th to August 20th to get it done. And I'm not talking 5, 6, 7 hours of work a day, taking Saturdays and Sundays off. I'm talking 13-14 hour days, 7 days a week, for over two months. And when we weren't at the restaurant physically working, we were at home pecking away on our computers or at dinner discussing logistics. There was demolition to be done. There was painting to be done. There was designing to be done. Logos to be created. Websites to be created. Cups to be ordered. T-shirts to be designed. Menus to be made. Ingredient lists and vendors to be lined up. Kitchen processes to be established. Marketing to be done. Licenses to be purchased. Paperwork to be filed.

With an onslaught of help from our closest friends and families, (honorable mentions here!), we brought this thing to life. And with every passing day of working on the restaurant and getting closer to being able to open our doors, we fell more and more in love with it. We fell more in love with the idea of our lives being completely different from here on out. We fell in love with being able to offer something incredible and new to the people of Huntsville. Something that scared the Hell out of us at first was something we became absolutely passionate about and obsessed with. (Probably how new parents feel, huh??) Finally, the day came. We all looked at each other and said, "Are we ready?" We were.

We opened our doors to the public on August 20th, 2011. We met our customer goal on Day 2. We blew our customer goal out of the water on Day 3. As of today, Saturday the 10th of September, we have been open three weeks, and WE. ARE. ROCKING. IT. The customers are coming over and over and over and over and over again. Word is getting out and we are ecstatic.

It's funny how life pushes... no, SHOVES you down the road, sometimes. It makes me wonder what's around the next corner. If you asked me a year ago if I would be where I am right now, I would have thought you lost your mind. Wow, ain't life something. :)

Please enjoy our "baby", The Marketplace Cafe.

Cheers,

The Chef Next Door

Better Late than Never

2011-05-17T10:28:00.001-05:00

WAY back in March, the 31st to be exact,
The Chef Next Door had the

ENORMOUS, HUGE, MASSIVE

honor of catering the "Flowers After Hours" Cocktail Party as a part of the three-day long fundraiser for the Huntsville Museum of Art called "Art in Bloom." Three days of lectures, teas, luncheons, presentations by celebrities in the floral world, topped off with a beautiful cocktail party for 300 guests and an "Iron Florist" competition! Up until that point, our largest catered function was for 150 people and was just a simple wedding...so we have never worked so hard in our lives but it turned out gorgeous and if our business wasn't booming before, this event really put us on the map!

Thank you to my love Taylor, my awesome Mom, my friend and business partner Heather, Taylor's sister Allison, and my oldest and dearest friend, Gracie, for all of your fantastic help!!

For the full photo album complete with descriptions, click here. Until next time!

Cheers,

The Chef Next Door

This Bread is BANANAS! B.A.N.A.N.A.S.!

2011-04-20T15:45:00.002-05:00

Gosh, I really don't like that song. But it IS funny, right? Anyways..... Here at The Chef Next Door, we just got to updating our 4-month Calendar and stood back to realize that every single dad-gum weekend between now and the middle of JULY is spoken for. Kindof jarring to see each weekend with some writing in it, most of which are catering events! Phew, we are blessed! So we have decided to take full advantage of a not-so-packed April and hit the lake as much as possible. No catering event on the weekend? You can bet we will be at the lake from Thursday morning through Sunday night or Monday morning. Ah, the joys of being self-employed. So last weekend, the weather was wretched. Completely wretched. Thought we were going to blow away and possibly lose power on Friday, it was frigidly cold all day Saturday..... And when the sky gets even the tiniest bit cloudy, good ole DirecTV stops working. Cable, Internet, the whole nine. SO- with no TV, no Internet, and no lake fun, Chef Margaret got pretty bored. And when Chef Margaret gets bored, she gets to cooking.

We normally like to just grab our stuff and head to the lake, without a lot of thought put into taking food for meals and what not. We grab what's in our produce bowl, maybe whatever protein is in the fridge at the moment, and hit the road. This time, we had way-too-ripe bananas. So as the storm is rumbling outside, as is my tummy inside, I stared at the totally brown bananas and thought to myself: "Am I REALLY bored enough to BAKE???" (If you know me, I'm not a huge fan of baking. I don't like to measure, and I hate the floury mess!)

Turns out, I was indeed THAT bored. I did a quick google-search of "Banana Bread" (Thank you, AT&T 3G Service!) to make sure I had all the ingredients. Check! Grabbed my camera and so it went......

You will need:

1 stick of SALTED Butter, melted and cooled at room temperature while you gather the rest of your ingredients
1 and 1/4 cups of Flour
3/4 cup of Sugar
1 teaspoon of Baking Powder
1 teaspoon of Baking Soda
1 teaspoon of Ground Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of Nutmeg
1 cup of Milk Chocolate Chips
2 large eggs
1/2 cup of light Sour Cream
1 teaspoon of Vanilla Extract
1 teaspoon of Lemon Extract
1 Tablespoon of Grand Marnier or other Orange Liqueur (yum!)
1 cup of mashed, ripe Banana (about 3 large bananas)

Here they are. Not so scary, huh?

Start by combining all of your "dry" ingredients in a mixing bowl. First goes the Flour...

...then the sugar.....

....Baking Powder and Baking Soda.....

...then the Cinnamon and Nutmeg....

....then Chocolate Chips!

Stir them all together. It looks like this.

Riveting stuff, eh?

Now start mixing the "wet" ingredients together in a separate bowl. This would be the Eggs, Sour Cream, Melted Butter, Vanilla Extract, Lemon Extract, and Grand Marnier. Tee hee....

Look how cute. The "dry" and the "wet" are waiting to get married, but the "wet" ingredients aren't quite ready for the big day. They need some Banana.

Peel three SUPER RIPE Bananas (meaning: so mushy, you wouldn't want to eat them as they are) and mash them in a third bowl. Hey, nobody said baking isn't messy!

I started with a fork, and ended up doing it with a whisk! Was much easier.

It ends up looking like Baby Food.

Now whip that mashed Banana into your "wet" ingredients. They will be so happy to meet eachother!

Finally, the wedding day is here! Time to bring the "wet" and "dry" ingredients together. Pour the "wet" into the "dry", and fold them together. Don't stir them too hard or their marriage will be hard as a rock.

Just mix them until they are evenly incorporated.

Perfect. :)

Try not to eat whole spoonfuls of this beautiful batter, so as quickly as you can, pour it into a 9x5" loaf pan. Make sure to grease it up real nice, so your bread comes out easily! Don't trust a "non-stick loaf pan" like I did.......

Put him in a 350 degree oven, and set your timer for a long, miserable, torturous 55 minutes.

To distract yourself from the heavenly aroma coming from your oven, make a glaze. And you spent a bunch of dough on that Grand Marnier, so you may as well use it again!

Pour the remaining Chocolate Chips in a glass or metal bowl, add half a can of Sweetened Condensed Milk, a teaspoon of Vanilla Extract, and a good healthy splash of Grand Marnier. Maybe 1/4 cup, give or take. Glazes aren't finicky like the baked goods they cover, so don't fuss with the measurements too much. Set this bowl over a saucepot that has just enough water to cover the bottom of the pot. Bring this to a boil so it makes steam! The steam will gently melt the chocolate, instead of scorching it= nasty!

It will look really scary and funky for a bit.....

...until it looks smooth and beautiful like THIS!

Now, the glaze-making process won't take you anywhere near 55 minutes to make, so you'll just have to suffer through the remaining time on your own.

...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

DING! It will be the happiest sound you've ever heard. You must do the "toothpick" test to make certain your bread is cooked through, but it should be. If your toothpick has some batter on it, put your bread back in the oven for another miserable 10 minutes. Don't hate me!

Finally, it will look like this. Practically bursting out of its pan, begging you to eat it.

Now YOU will have used an awesome non-stick spray to grease your pan. But I didn't listen to my inner voice, and I put way too much faith in our ancient "non-stick loaf pan." My bread broke a little when coming out, but yours wont.

Nothing a little Chocolate Grand Marnier Glaze can't fix!!

I dare you not to eat the whole thing in one sitting. Seriously. I dare you.

Cut yo'self a slice, sit in yo' comfy chair,

and go to town on this thang!

Going........

.....going.......

.....gone!

This Banana Bread is just about as good as it gets. Moist, tender, sweet but not too sweet, Chocolatey but not too Chocolatey, rich but not too rich....it is just perfection. You could wrap the bread in Saran Wrap, tie it up with a bow, put the Glaze in a glass jar, and give it as the perfect Easter/Mother's Day Gift. Or just destroy the whole thing for Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner/Dessert on your own. :) Either way, it is a DYNAMITE treat, and definitely brightened a very gloomy day at the lake. Maybe baking isn't so bad after all.......

Cheers,

The Chef Next Door

FIESTA!

2011-04-14T13:30:00.000-05:00

You know, I took four years of Spanish back in the day. Two years in High School, two years in College. At one point in my life, I was actually able to hold my own and basically have real conversations with Evelyn, the housekeeper at a vacation rental in Costa Rica. She told me about her family and taught me how to make some authentic Costa Rican dishes, while I explained that I wanted to be a Chef and start my own catering business one day. I wished I didn't understand so much Spanish as my family and I were on a bus going in to the Super Market...being called hateful, ugly things simply for being from a different country and not being quite as tan as they. But I loved being able to able to ask the store manager to point me in the direction of the Avocados, or ask the night guard at the house if he would wake us up if the sea turtles came up to lay their eggs on the beach. Alas, Spanish is one of those "if you don't use it, you lose it" type of things...and I've reverted back to being able to say "Gracias" or "De nada" or "Por Favor", and not much else. I couldn't even come up with a fun title for this blog and felt too ashamed to google a Spanish phrase to use. Pathetico!!

Anyways, a few weeks ago, I was asked to cater a Supper Club monthly gathering for Stephanie Depriest Robbins and 11 other couples in the Supper Club. There are 12 couples total, and each couple hosts the monthly gathering at their house once a year. Pretty cool idea! They have been going strong for over 20 years, and I was so thrilled that Stephanie decided to let me take the load off her hands and get in on the fun! We decided to REALLY have some fun, and do a Mexican Buffet. As I pulled the Sofrito out of my freezer, stirred together the Guacamole, and pulsed the Salsa in the food processor- I found myself longing for the days in Costa Rica, where the Spanish poured out of me like I had been speaking it my whole life, and Evelyn showed me the beauty of cooking real Hispanic food with a pinch of spice, a spoon of Sazon, and a whole lotta love.

Enjoy the photos from the FIESTA buffet, and if you are craving a little homemade Mexican food sans the Ol Del Paso seasoning packets, give me a call and I'll show you how it's done. (I promise to speak English.)

Stephanie's nifty tablescape!

Her killer Margarita Punch....at the end of the night!

Buffet table in her gorgeous kitchen

All the fixin's!

The spread. Taco Salad, Chicken Fajitas, Saffron Rice, Black Beans, Queso, Chips, Salsa, Guacomole, and on and on and on.

It was so much fun! Thanks for having me, Stephanie. Cinco de Mayo is right around the corner.....do YOU need a Fiesta in YOUR house?? Call me.

Cheers,

The Chef Next Door

Dreams Really Can Come True!

2011-02-26T13:51:00.001-06:00

This is the story of a girl. A girl who grew up sitting on counters watching in awe, then stirring together Egg Salad, then grating Cheese for Chili and dropping live Lobsters into large pots of boiling water. To her, the first sound of Christmas music on the radio meant only one thing: helping Mom cook Christmas dinner and making "Jesus' Birthday Cake"! Easy Bake Ovens and Playschool Kitchens were her toys of choice, and she preferred Emeril Live over Saved by the Bell any day of the week.

The girl grew up with parents encouraging her every dream. "Paint like Picasso, Sing like Celine Dion, Write Novels like Mark Twain!" they told her. She thought she wanted to be a Veterinarian. Then a Musician. Then a Teacher. Then a stay-at-home mom. Then an Interior Designer. Then a Psychologist. Like most young people, she really didn't know what exactly she wanted to do, she just knew what she liked to do and didn't like to do. She liked to sing, she liked to dance, she liked to paint, she liked animals, and she LOVED to cook.

In high school, the girl met a boy. And they fell in love. She started digging through Mom's well-loved cookbooks and recipe card holders, and began to realize that cooking is more than just something you do for holidays and special occasions. For him, she made Chicken Parmesan, Shrimp and Grits, Sherried Artichoke Chicken, Taco Rings.

The girl and the boy went to college. While she nearly fails out of Interior Design because she doesn't love it, she makes beautiful dishes for them like Chicken Florentine, Filet Mignon with butter-poached Lobster Tail, and Pan-Seared Scallops with Bacon and Leek Grits. The boy dreams of Law School, Financial Analyst and Loan Officer positions, while the girl questions what she wants to do in life. She sees an ad for Culinary School, and all her dreams are realized. She rapidly changes her major to align with her new-found dream of being a Restaurateur/Caterer/Chef- Restaurant and Hospitality Management. She spends her Christmas and summer vacations training at a James Beard Award-nominated Cafe in bustling downtown Birmingham, where she falls head over heels in love with cooking. She graduates and wastes no time diving right into Culinary School. She soars through with flying colors, achiving "President's List" status every quarter and finishing at the top of her class with the highest score on the "Mystery Basket" final exam.

The girl and the boy need a change of scenery, and move to the up-and-coming city of Huntsville. The boy gets a dose of reality in the terrible economy and begins to question his career path. The girl takes the first job offer she gets at a local cafe and catering business. It's her first real experience with the title of "Chef", and it makes her hungry for more. (No pun intended!) After a long summer of 16 hour days and just when she is really feeling the itch for a change, Huntsville Hospital comes-a-calling, recruiting the girl to be the Catering Director in their Food and Nutrition Department. She leaps on the opportunity, the "big girl job", and believes that everything she's done has led to this moment. She has an office, a title, employees working underneath her. The salary, the benefits, the satisfaction of carrying the Catering Department which handles all of the Board Meetings, Breakfast Meetings, Lunch 'n Learns, Doctors' Lounges, and so on. But she's not happy. Because she's not cooking. She carries a clipboard and crunches numbers in a computer instead of dicing tomatoes and trimming tenderloin. In the darkest hour of our country's latest depression, she takes a leap of faith and walks away from her cushy corporate job without a backup plan.

Not a moment too soon, the boy lands a position with a Real Estate Investment company where he is able to work from home. The boy and girl spend some time soul-searching and try to find something that matches the girl's education, skills, personality, and passion for success. Alas, there is no job out there for a girl with a Management degree, a Culinary degree, a desirable personality, a killer set of cooking and entertaining skills, and the unchangeable need for a "normal" work schedule and the flexibility to work when you want. So: they made one.

The boy and girl spent months planning, talking, organizing, brain-storming, researching, and reading. Self-taught entrepreneurs they became, literally building a business from scratch. Names were discussed, Business Plans were written, LLP's were formed, Logos and Websites were conceptualized, Bank Accounts were created, Business Licenses were ordered, Inventory was purchased, and Chef Jackets were monogrammed. The girl hit the streets, proudly wearing the logo on her chest. She shook hands, she passed out cards, she got to know her city and introduced her business to it. They took to her like white on rice.

Within 6 months of starting the business, the boy and the girl were busier beyond their wildest expectations. Cooking classes several nights a week, various catering gigs on the weekends, delivering dinner to busy families, performing Cooking Demonstrations at local venues and corporations. The girl acted as the "face" of the company- talking with the clients, planning the menus, executing the food, and teaching the classes. In his spare time, the boy managed all the "behind the scenes" work: keeping the books, paying taxes, managing the finances, quality and spending control, marketing ideas. They settled into a routine, like a well-oiled machine, running the business like true professionals. And they were happy. Incredibly, super-duper, unbelievably happy.

The girl attended the Junior League Spring Market to hopefully meet some people and snag some nifty catering pieces. There, she met another girl. A girl who happens to be amazingly skilled in areas that the first girl is not so skilled. This girl was a Baker and Cake Artist. Having like-minds, similar interests, and complimenting personalities, the girls became instant friends. They lunched, got to know each other, and began day-dreaming about one day joining forces to become Huntsville's "go-to" Culinary team. They stayed in almost constant contact, bouncing ideas off one another about cake designs and catering menus. They shared links to available bakery/restaurant spaces with each other, always sighing and replying "My, that would be nice!"

After an insanely busy Holiday Season, one cold winter day, the girls were out to lunch and decided to go do some Christmas shopping at the Interior Marketplace. They walk in to find a vacant cafe, a vacant commercial kitchen, and a vacant demonstration kitchen in a large gourmet food retail room. "It has to be too good to be true." they think. The location is too good. The people are too nice. The space is too perfect. The timing is too "just right". The whole scenario is just too wonderful to actually be real.

This time, they don't have to think too long. The first girl and her boy decide to, again, take a leap of faith- bringing the second girl along with them. With the help and support of their families, they shake hands with the landlord, negotiate with the previous owner of the equipment, and get to work cleaning and making the place their own. After weeks of cleaning, painting, customizing, organizing, meeting with various vendors and service providers, the dream has come to life.

Without further adue, The Chef Next Door is officially located within the beautiful Interior Marketplace in Hampton Cove. We will be doing all of our catering out of the health-inspected and regulated Catering Kitchen, we will be offering all of our various cooking classes in the gorgeous "demonstration-kitchen", we will host scheduled BYOB Cooking Classes (check our calendar!), and we are thrilled to be able to offer you the use of the beautiful cafe room and storefront room as a venue for any of your catering functions. We have a brand new website which reflects all these wonderful changes and additions. Click here! (Was that enough links for one paragraph??)

We bring with us Heather Petersen of Slice at a Time Cakes. Not only does she do some of the most breathtaking and delicious Wedding/Special Occasion Cakes I've ever seen, she makes everything else from Gourmet Cakes, Cake "Pops", Cupcakes, Cakelings (mini 2-4 serving cakes), Cookies, Baked goods, and more. She will be teaching "Cake Decorating" classes as well! We are taking this new venture one step at a time, but we plan to have more exciting things to come within the next few months. We are blessed beyond relief and are so excited to be able to reach out more to the amazing community of Huntsville. To our families, our friends, and our clients: Thank you. YOU have made this possible, and have made this girl's dreams come true.

Cheers,

The Chef Next Door

Valentine's Dinner-for-Two Kits

2011-02-06T13:43:00.000-06:00

I can't believe it's been a year since I entered the world of blogging! Crazy how fast the time flies when you're having fun. :) Well, Valentine's Day is 7 days away. It seems as our options are reduced to A) Ignore it completely, B) Buy a box of Candy Hearts, C) Make reservations and brave the crazy restaurant scene, or D) Cook something fantastic yourself and spend the evening cleaning up after your mess. Ok, I'm being facetious, of course, because I am a HUGE proponent of staying in and preparing a beautiful meal for your loved one on this special day. But many people just don't really enjoy the chopping and the sauteeing and cleaning dishes. So, I have something for you.

When I go to cater a dinner party, I do a good bit of the prep-work at my kitchen before I go to the client's house, and then finish the meal when it's time for dinner. I pre-sear the steaks on the grill, I prepare the mashed potatoes, I flash-grill the asparagus just to get the grill char marks, I prep the sauces and vinaigrettes and have them in squirt bottles with appropriate labels, I have Ziploc bags of freshly chopped herbs....you get the point. I package everything in disposable aluminum containers, so I can just pop the steaks/asparagus/potatoes in the oven to finish cooking, then throw the containers away- saving a lot of clean-up time. I arrived at a client's house back in December, and as she is watching me unpack, she goes "My goodness, it's like a little catering 'kit'!" And thus the idea for my Valentine's Dinner-for-Two Catering Kits was born.

I am offering a 90% completed meal for those of you who don't want to sit in a crowded restaurant with hundreds of people, and also for those of you who want an elegant and delicious meal in your home without all the fuss. Your meal will be prepped to the point where it just needs a little reheating and plating. Your vinaigrette will be in a squirt bottle ready to douse your salad, which will be ready for transfer to your beautiful china salad plate. Your Filet Mignon will arrive seared from the grill and ready for you to finish cooking it in the oven to your desired doneness. Your soup just needs a quick trip in a saucepot or the microwave, and its garnish will be in a tiny Ziploc container ready to excite your taste buds. Everything has detailed instructions so you can finish the meal and arrange your beautiful masterpiece on your dishes and then simply throw all the packaging away at the end. Easy as pie.

The menu only contains my SUPERSTAR menu items, including the most popular Salad (the Berries and Blue), the most popular Soup (Tomato Basil with Basil Aioli), and the most popular Entree (Filet Mignon with Blue Cheese Butter and Balsamic Demi Glace). There is a nice mix of items for just about anyone- so the hardest part of your Valentine's Dinner will be deciding what to order!

You can order one course, or all Four Courses and receive 10% off your total order. (Click on the photos to enlarge them, and if they're still to hard to see, just shoot me an email and I'll send you the PDF version.) Below is the Order Form, which you can email back to me, or bring it by! Or just pick up the phone and give me a shout with your order- I'm pretty easy to get in touch with. (256)-683-8315. Whatever you choose and however you choose to place your order, I GUARANTEE you will have a wonderful, romantic, care-free meal with the one you love most. Hope to hear from you soon!

Click here to browse through our Facebook album with pictures of the menu items in the Valentine's Dinner-for-Two Kits!

Cheers,

The Chef Next Door

Kathryn and Steve Powers Birthday Dinner Party

2011-01-18T21:15:00.000-06:00

Well, the minute I go belly-aching that I don't get to do as many dinner parties as I'd like, I get THREE in a month! So here is the third one.....

Kathryn Powers and her husband Steve normally do all their own cooking for their dinner parties (they even specially ordered Foie Gras for a dinner one time!), but this time, for Steve's birthday, they both just wanted to chill and enjoy the dinner without bustling around in the kitchen the whole time. So, you guessed it...they called ME! We decided on a menu, they set the table, ordered some beautiful flower arrangements, chilled several bottles of champagne, and there you have it. A beautiful evening was born.

Now I pride myself on being able to do fabulous events without much help. Taylor definitely chips in on the planning and prep work and makes sure I cover all my bases, but unless I absolutely cannot MANAGE without him, I go to my catering events alone. (Makes me look like a total rockstar!! haha) But for dinner parties, unless they are for two or four people, I really need an extra set of hands. There's just no way around it. It doesn't look good to be trotting back and forth carrying plates to and from the table, while trying to cook the food, plate the food, take photos of the food, refill their drinks, yadda yadda yadda. So, this time, I asked my dear, dear friend, Heather Peterson (Owner and Cake Artist of Slice at a Time Cakes) to come with me and act as my server! She is a natural, and helped me with everything from plating to cleaning dishes to taking beautiful photographs with her PROFESSIONAL camera! So without further adue, here are the beautiful photographs of the dinner party.

The gorgeous table

Beautiful flower arrangements

First Course:

Berries and Blue Salad with Strawberries,

dried Cranberries, crumbled Blue Cheese,

Sweet 'n Spicy Pecans,

and Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette

(everyone chooses this salad!)

Second Course:

Southern Shrimp and Cheddar Cheese Grits

with sauteed Mushrooms, slivered Scallions,

diced Tomato, crumbled Bacon,

and a creamy Lemon pan sauce

Main Course:

Grilled Filet Mignon and Butter-poached Lobster Tail

with Garlic whipped Potatoes,

flame-grilled Asparagus,

Balsamic Demi Glace and classic Bernaise Sauce

Fourth Course:

Vanilla Almond Panna Cotta with marinated Berries,

Blackberry and Raspberry Couli, Chocolate Ganache,

and Vanilla Tuiles

Every plate was licked clean, every bottle was drained, and every guest was happy and satisfied. Thanks to Heather for coming along to help, and thank you, Kathryn and Steve, for allowing me to cater this spectacular event!

Cheers,

The Chef Next Door

Intimate (SURPRISE!) Birthday Dinner for Two

2011-01-09T18:13:00.000-06:00

As a Chef/Caterer/Teacher, just about everything I do is rewarding. Whether I'm making a pre-made dinner for a busy lady to feed her family, teaching a young husband how to grill vegetables for his new wife, showing a child how to make Tacos, setting up in a corporate conference room to show employees that healthy cooking doesn't have to be bland, or being a part of the most important day in many people's life (their wedding day), I am never running low on satisfaction in my job. But every once in a while, I have the incredible honor of being a part of something extra-special. Something that stands out from the crowd, and really makes my heart sing. On Wednesday, January 5th, I had one of those events.

Way back in the fall, I got a cold call from Markeisha Lauderdale inquiring about my catering services. She explained that January 5th is her long-time boyfriend, Jeff's, 26th birthday, and she wanted to go all out to make his birthday one for the history books. She had an entire day planned to pamper him, and then top it off with a surprise dinner in her apartment catered by The Chef Next Door. The day would go like this: First, she would convert her living room into a barber shop, and have a barber come fix him up and have him looking his best. Next, she would spin her living room into a spa, and have a professional come give him a facial, a massage, and a pedicure. Wow, talk about being "King" for a day! She would make it seem as the surprises were over, and they would finish off the day by going out for a nice dinner in Huntsville. But for the grand finale, she would have Jeff come pick her up and be totally shocked when he found out that the "restaurant" was in fact her apartment, and she had a private chef making a beautiful 4-course dinner just for them. She named the restaurant "Lanyé's"- a creative twist on Jeff's last name, Layne. And that is precisely how it went.

Markeisha and I strung twinkle lights around her living and dining room, set the table, lit many a candle, and even placed a fire pot on a side table for extra romance. She special ordered his favorite, hard-to-find Tequila (forgive me, I don't remember the name), printed and laminated a menu for Lanyé's, chilled a bottle of Moscato, put on some Kenny G, and turned the lights down low while Chef Margaret created a dinner fit for "King Jeffrey". They wined, they dined, and I think Markeisha has gone down as the Queen of Romance among her friends and family. It was truly a beautiful evening- one that I am proud to have been a part of. I think we should all take some inspiration from Markeisha and take a moment to appreciate the ones we love and do something special for them today. A hand-written note, a sweet text message, an unexpected hug, or.....a Dinner for Two by The Chef Next Door! What???? This is MY blog after all; I'm allowed to do a bit of shameless advertising once in a while. ;)

Enjoy these photos from Jeff's 4-Course Birthday Dinner at "Lanyé's"!

Bringin' the romance...

Isn't she so crafty??? She even made menus!

Ms. Markeisha, ready for the birthday boy to arrive!

First Course: Berries and Blue Salad
with Strawberries, crumbled Blue Cheese,
dried Cranberries, Sweet 'n Spicy Pecans,
and Honey Dijon Balsamic Vinaigrette

Second Course: Ahi Tuna and Sockeye Salmon Tartare with Avocado Relish, Mango Salsa, Chili Oil,
Soy Reduction, and Red Hawaiian Sea Salt

Main Course: Buttermilk Fried Chicken Breast
with creamed Potatoes, flame-grilled Asparagus,
and a Spicy Honey Drizzle

Fourth Course: Chocolate Cake Napoleon
with Chantilly Cream, macerated Strawberries,
Chocolate Ganache and Strawberry Couli

The happy couple :)

Boy, do I love my job. Thanks so much for allowing me the opportunity to be a part of such a special night, Markeisha. If any of you need to show your sweetie some extra attention, you know who to call.

Cheers,

The Chef Next Door

A Quick Christmas Catch-Up

2010-12-24T10:08:00.000-06:00

Soooooo as you could probably guess, December has kept us over here at The Chef Next Door INSANELY busy!! I haven't had a day off in almost a month, but I am so very thankful. It's been incredible, and December has become the Cherry on top of the most decadent Ice Cream Sundae anybody could ever imagine. I spent a few hours yesterday updating my client folders, and I believe I'm almost to 100......wow. Huntsville has been so good to us, and I love each and every one of my clients dearly! There are some fun things on the horizon for 2011, so stay tuned!

Going back to December 11th, I had the opportunity to cater an incredible 4-course dinner party for Elizabeth Cooper-Golden and the agents of her realty group, @ Homes Realty. You know, sometimes you just sort of vibe with someone naturally and get along with them instantly, and Elizabeth is that way. From the very first phone call, I just adored her right away and couldn't wait to cater her party. She is such a giver at heart, and had all of her agents "adopt" a family for Christmas and shower them with gifts and pizza and show these less-fortunate children a great Christmas. THEN, she brought the agents to her home and showered THEM with gifts, in the form of a gourmet dinner with lots and lots of wine. :) What a fantastic woman- one who I am proud to have as a client and friend. Anyway....here are some shots of the dinner party!

The table is set, and waiting for guests. Elizabeth's daughter, Miranda, was my server for the evening!

Plated Salads

Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with torn Prosciutto, crumbled Goat Cheese, and Champagne Vinaigrette

Berries and Blue Salad with dried Cranberries,

sweet 'n spicy Pecans, crumbled Blue Cheese,

and Honey Dijon Balsamic Vinaigrette

I plated the salads with the vinaigrettes in shot glasses.

The salads are set, the candles are lit,

all we need now is the guests!

Second course: Shrimp and Cheesy Grits Tapas with crumbled Bacon, diced Tomato, slivered Scallions, sauteed Mushrooms, and a creamy Lemon Pan Sauce

Main Course: Pan-fried Chicken Breast with Sun-dried Tomato and Basil Orzo Pasta,

butter-braised Artichoke hearts, shaved Parmesan,

and a Sherry Cream Sauce

Main Course: Grilled Filet Mignon with Blue Cheese Butter, Balsamic Demi Glaze, flame-grilled Asparagus, and Garlic whipped Potatoes

Dessert Course: Cinnamon Roll Bread Pudding with White Chocolate Glaze and Strawberries

Dessert Course: Pumpkin Cheesecake Trifle with Chantilly Cream, Toffee Crunch, and Caramel Tuiles

Me and the happy hostess, Elizabeth Cooper-Golden!!

Fast-forward a few days later to December 16th, and another one of my most favoritest clients, Shotsie Platt, has hired me to cater the Christmas Cocktail Party for the Community Free Clinic, at which she is the hard-working director! If you've never had the pleasure of meeting Shotsie, she is a DOLL!! She is a very hardcore runner (she was jogging on her lunch break in 28 degree weather when I came to meet with her!!) and does a lot of great things for the community. Besides that, she is one of the most pleasant and kind people I've ever had the pleasure of working with. I did a smaller cocktail party for Shotsie back in October, so I was so happy when she called and wanted me to do this large one for her employees. She picked a great menu and everybody was really happy with the food!

We set up the food in her conference room so everybody could gather around and chow down! The pictures might look kind of....cheesy...with the lights on the table and what not, but the lighting in the room (minus the camera flash!) was very charming and really looked nice.

My Mom's Cheesy Artichoke and Black Eyed Pea Dip....this stuff is ridiculous. I've already had a few phone calls from ladies either A) wanting to order this for Christmas, or B) wanting the recipe!!

Chicken and Mushroom Quesadillas with Spinach, Gruyere Cheese, and Honey Mustard

Sweet 'n Sour Meatballs!

Asiago-stuffed New Potatoes.

Everybody loves these tasty little devils.

Chicken-Bacon-Ranch Pinwheels

with Cheddar and diced Tomato

Last but not least, another one of my Mom's famous recipes- Tangy Two-Week Shrimp Cocktail! It literally marinates for two weeks. Also had someone call and order this for their family. :) Thanks, Mom!

Skip ahead two more days, to December 18th, and we're at Debbie and Kendall Black's beautiful home catering their annual Christmas Cocktail Party! I met these two treasures while I was doing the first cooking class at The Wine Cellar back in October, and they instantly came up to me and told me they wanted me to cater their annual party in December. They were regulars at the next class, invited me over for a glass of wine and to plan the menu, and voila! As simple as that. Their home is GORGEOUS, and since Dr. Black is a Chef himself, the kitchen is a dream. Counter-space galore, prep sinks built in the island, double ovens that sing to you when you press any buttons...I was in heaven. They had 70 to 80 guests and let me tell you, it was a BLAST. The party started at 6:30pm on the dot, and the last guests headed out the door around midnight. That's the sign of a great party! We even designed a special "Santa Claus Shot" for the last 15 people there, which was a huge hit. Chef Margaret even took one......but that's beside the point. Debbie and Kendall are so much fun and I am already looking forward to doing their "Summer Party"!

The beautiful table. If you'll notice a huge plate of meat in the middle, those are Dr. Black's famous smoked Lamb Lollipops! Apparently he marinates them for 5+ days, then smokes them for 3 hours until they are perfectly pink inside....goodness me I've never had something so delicious.

Smart people that they are, they chose Mom's Cheesy Artichoke and Black Eyed Pea Dip!

They couldn't pass up the Bloody Mary Tomatoes floating in Peppar Vodka and Zing Zang with Celery Lime Sea Salt for dipping.

Kendall has a soft spot for Smoked Salmon Canapes with Cucumber and Dilled Cream Cheese....at one point I caught him hovering over them with a toothpick just stabbing and popping them in his mouth over and over and over.

Probably the biggest hit of the party, aside from Kendall's Lamb Lollipops: Asparagus Spirals with Cheesy Puff Pastry and homemade Blue Cheese Dipping Sauce

They made another wise choice in selecting the

Tangy Two-Week Shrimp Cocktail

Likely the second most popular item-

the Asiago-stuffed New Potatoes!

In case there wasn't enough food already, they selected our delicious Pork Tenderloin Sliders with Rosemary and Maple Dijon Mustard Sauce. Yum!!

Here come the "Santa Claus Shots"....Orange and Cinnamon Tequila Shots. Forget Lime and Salt forever!! Orange and Cinnamon is the way to go.

Well, they felt that I had earned myself a shot, so it would be rude of me to decline it, right??? ;)

When all is said and done, I am completely exhausted, and just now about to head back to Birmingham to be with my family for Christmas....but it has been the greatest month of my life, and I feel so incredibly blessed to get to do what I do and meet so many fantastic people. Some days I still can't believe I get paid to do what I love, and I wish everybody on Earth could have the satisfaction of waking up every day and being excited to do your job. It is truly a blessing and an honor to get to serve these wonderful people of Huntsville. I am SO SO SO excited for 2011- meeting all of my Groupon recipients, some dinner parties already on the books for January, two weddings in the works for the summer, and possibly a Cooking Demo space of my own????? We'll see. But until then, I hope all my readers have a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Cheers,

The Chef Next Door

"Healthy Holiday Party" Cooking Demo at WestWind

2010-12-13T10:31:00.002-06:00

If you're anything like me, you're probably STILL a little mad at yourself for overdoing it during Thanksgiving. And without skipping a beat, right around the corner come all the Holiday Parties at work, Cocktail Parties with friends, meal upon meal with family....it's inevitable. BUT, there is hope for your waistline! Just because you have to go to or host a Cocktail Party doesn't mean you are doomed to drawstring or elastic pants come January. You CAN battle the Calories, and still indulge in some delicious finger foods. For instance:

Smoked Salmon Canapes with Cucumber and Dilled Cream Cheese

Beautiful. Delicious. Figure-friendly.

Made with a tiny sliver of Smoked Salmon, a slice of English Cucumber, reduced fat Cream Cheese (about a teaspoon), and a handful of fresh Dill.

Caprese Salad Skewers

They even look like Christmas, don't they??

Made with halved Cherry/Grape Tomatoes, slivered fresh Basil, halved Ciligene (olive-sized Mozzarella Balls), and a drizzle of Balsamic Vinegar. Yummy!!

Assorted Crostini

Ultra-thin slices of Baguette, topped with any variety of ingredients, such as Tomato-Mozzarella-Basil, Caramelized Onion-Prosciutto, Olive Tapenade, Gorgonzola-Honey, Pesto-Sundried Tomato....the possibilities are endless. And you can be sure that 2 or 3 of these are much better for you than hovering around the Spinach and Artichoke Dip all night.

Melon and Prosciutto Skewers

Jazz up some fresh fruit with a sliver of Prosciutto, a tiny sprinkling of shredded Parmesan, and a drizzle of Balsamic vinegar. These will be the hit of the party, and nobody will even realize they are packing their bellies with Cantaloupe and Honeydew!

I demonstrated all these Healthy-ish Finger Foods for last week's "Healthy Cooking Demonstration" at WestWind, and was overwhelmed with responses like,

"I am SOOO going to be making all these for my party this year!"

and

"Oh my gosh, I can't believe how delicious these are!!"

So, all in all, don't give up hope on looking svelt in 2011, but also don't punish yourself and nibble on toothpicks at all the holiday parties. Bring 1 or all of these delicious, heart-healthy treats and enjoy yourself! For more in-depth recipes, leave a comment with your email address and which recipe(s) you are requesting. Happy Holidays, everyone!!

Cheers,

The Chef Next Door

Open House at Southerland Station

2010-12-05T18:58:00.001-06:00

Yesterday, I had the pleasure and honor of catering a lunch for the volunteers helping with the Open House at Southerland Station! What's the connection there, you ask? My across-the-street neighbor, Nikki Skidmore,'s family owns the gigantic toy store here in Huntsville, and she wanted to do something nice for all the volunteers who helped make the Open House a huge success. (The line was out the door!!) It's a good thing I am always early to catering events because, my goodness, I had to drive around for 30 minutes trying to find a parking spot! The store is adorable and of course, Nikki and her family are some of the nicest people you'll ever come to know. Thanks, Nikki, and I hope to be doing more "business" with you in the future! :)

The spread.

Another angle of the lunch spread.

Fresh Fruit and Cheese Tray,
Fresh Veggie Tray with Buttermilk Ranch,
and an Assorted Sandwich and Roll Up Tray
(Tuscan Turkey Roll Ups, Caprese Salad Subs, Chicken-Bacon-Ranch Roll Ups, Italian Hoagie Subs)

Trio of Cheeseballs and Crackers (Cajun-Ranch with Seasoned Pepper, Bacon and Swiss with Scallions, and Pesto and Sun-dried Tomato with Pine Nuts) Yum!!

Brownie Bites with Whipped Cream and Rainbow Sprinkles (Kindof pitiful looking at this point, the whipped cream was a little saggy! But you can be sure that they were deeeeelishus.)

My neighbor, Nikki, with the food table. She is great!!

If you ever need some yummy Sandwich/Roll Up Trays, Fruit/Cheese/Veggie Trays, Cheeseballs or Brownie Bites, you know who to call!

Cheers,

The Chef Next Door

Pot Luck Thanksgiving Luncheon at WestWind Technologies, Inc.

2010-11-20T17:31:00.003-06:00

As you may or may not know, I have the pleasure of performing Healthy Cooking Demonstrations at WestWind Technologies, Inc. (WTI) every other Thursday. I have a regular class following of 10-15 people who I absolutely adore and look forward to seeing every other week. They are all so enthusiastic, so friendly, so laid-back, and always come in telling me how they prepared the recipes I taught them in the previous class for their families. I LOVE IT!

As if WestWind wasn't cool enough already by hiring a Chef to perform bi-weekly Cooking Demonstrations (with food samples, of course) for its employees, they also put on a massive Pot Luck Thanksgiving Luncheon for them....and hired ME to bring the Turkey, Dressing, Gravy, and Ham! Each employee's price of admission to the luncheon was to bring either a side dish, a bread item, a cold salad, or a dessert......all 115 of them. So needless to say, there were hundreds of dishes and lots of happy employees. I was honored to start the line with a few of the classic Thanksgiving Dishes. I expect to see quite a few more faces in our next Healthy Cooking Demo!

The beginning of the line...

My contribution to the feast...

Cornbread Dressing

with sweet Cornbread, Parkerhouse Roll Crumbs, sauteed Celery and Onions, Sweet Cream, and spices

Traditional Thanksgiving Turkey

(White and Dark Meat)

Classic Pan Gravy

made with Turkey-fat Roux, Turkey Jus, Sweet Cream, and fresh Herbs

Honey & Brown Sugar-Glazed Smoked Ham

Going on down the line....

Do you think this is enough desserts???

It was a really great time and with much insistence from some of my friends at WestWind, I even chowed down on a massive plate of Thanksgiving fare. Thanks for having me!!

Cheers,

The Chef Next Door

A Recipe-less Life

2010-11-19T11:52:00.000-06:00

This sort of goes hand-in-hand with my previous blog posting about Chefs versus Bakers. The main point being: We Chefs aren't much for following recipes. While I FULLY intend on writing and publishing many many cookbooks at some point in the future, I guess you could call me a hypocrite in the fact that I probably crack open a cookbook only a handful of times a year. I believe in teaching people to be creative, don't be intimidated by food, experiment and play until you get the results you like. Everybody's tastebuds are different. A teaspoon of salt might not be enough for one, where it is enough to choke another. So many "students" of mine are so tense while cooking. They let the food boss them around, instead of telling the food what you want it to do. I say it all the time, as a student is scraping an omelet off the bottom of a pan or is about to give up as the pizza dough just won't stretch to all the corners of a pan..."YOU are the boss. YOU are cooking this food, not vise versa. YOU tell that [dough, omelet, pasta, etc.] what it is going to do for you." People get so hung up on teaspoons and tablespoons and temperatures and time tables and forget to just relax and enjoy the process and look forward to the result. Cooking isn't meant to be tiring or stressful, so I try to teach people to live a "Recipe-less" life....even though I come bearing recipes for them. :)

Some of my very best creations have spawned from just looking in my refrigerator, surveying what all is in there, and putting something together. You know what you like and what you don't like. You know mushrooms and onions are dynamite together, but mushrooms and apples probably are not. Rosemary and Thyme in a Meatball? Absolutely! Allspice and Nutmeg in a Meatball? I'd rather eat a McRib. It's all about knowing what you like, knowing what it tastes good with, and doing something to bring them together for a delicious dish. Forget measuring the salt- just taste it! If it needs more salt, add some. If not, don't. Throw out your recipes and embrace the fact that cooking is a PERSONAL experience. You cook for yourself and the people you love. Now when you start cooking for the President, that's another story!

A prime example: Yesterday, I made the delicious Chicken and Chorizo Pizza for one of my pre-made meal clients. (Click for the recipe......contradiction, much?) Yesterday was also Game Day (ROLL TIDE!) which means SNACKS. :) I look around my kitchen- I see new potatoes. In my fridge, I see shredded Mexican Cheese, Sour Cream, Butter, Milk, some sliced Chorizo and a head of Cilantro leftover from the Pizza. In my spice cabinet- Garlic Salt, Cayenne Pepper, Chili Powder, Adobo. Hmm. I normally make Asiago-stuffed New Potatoes for catering functions which taste like mini twice-baked Potatoes. So I decide to mix them up a bit by making Spicy Cheddar and Chorizo-stuffed New Potatoes! Cheese + Chorizo + Cilantro + Potatoes = a stellar combination. See? It really is that easy. Par-boil the New Potatoes until they are tender enough to slice in half and hollow out the middles with a melon baller. Mix the warm middles with some Butter, Sour Cream, a splash of Milk, a handful of shredded Cheese, and a sprinkling of Garlic Salt, Adobo, Cayenne Pepper, and Chili Powder. The mixture is a beautiful reddish orange from the red spices and the orange cheese. Crisp up the Chorizo in a skillet or a microwave (just like you would cook Bacon) and crumble it into the potato mixture like Bacon Bits. Place the mixture in a Ziploc Bag, snip off a corner, and squeeze about a Tablespoon back into the hollowed out Potatoes. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes, until golden brown and melty. Top each potato with a Cilantro leaf, and devour. I dare you to eat just one.

Give it a try. Not just this "recipe" in particular, but the entire concept. Have some fresh spinach, leftover roasted potatoes, diced onion, shredded Cheese? Sounds like an Omelet to me. Last night's grilled chicken, a jar of Alfredo sauce, some cooked mushrooms....I see a Pizza. Leftover Bacon from breakfast, ground beef, tortillas...sounds like someone's having Cheeseburger Quesadillas! Have some fun in your kitchen today. You just might surprise yourself with what you can come up with. :) Until next time....

Cheers,

The Chef Next Door

Chef vs. Baker

2010-11-15T11:29:00.002-06:00

In the culinary world, there are really two main hats that one could wear (figuratively speaking, of course): That of a CHEF, or that of a BAKER. This goes without saying that obviously, there are those out there who would consider themselves to be both a Chef and a Baker. But for the majority of the time- you are either one....or the other. Why? It's not because one is more fun than the other or one is more difficult than the other. It's because while they both involve working with edible ingredients, it takes two totally different kinds of brains to play these roles. A Chef's brain is creative- adding a pinch of this, a splash of that. A Chef enjoys looking in a refrigerator, seeing leftover chicken, an onion, a bag of spinach, and whipping up a Pizza or a Risotto or a Fritatta. A Chef enjoys thinking on his toes, coming up with a new ingenious spin on a traditional recipe, and transforming a raw ingredient into something magical and beautiful. A Chef may look at a recipe from time to time, but most of the time is spent creating and imagining and experimenting. A recipe, to us, is burdensome and just gets in the way of all the ideas floating around our heads and kitchens.

To a Baker, recipes are King. Their minds are hard wired to read and follow and memorize exact numbers and weights and ratios. Baking is an EXACT SCIENCE, and there is very little room for creativity and change. They instinctively know what makes a biscuit crumbly or a doughnut dense or a loaf of Challah smooth and buttery. They know that if you add cold butter to flour with a pastry cutter verses melting the butter and stirring it in, that you will get a flaky dough verses a smooth dough. They take meticulous care to level off the flour in a measuring cup or weigh the sugar exactly to the gram. They know the effect of different temperatures on Yeast, and why room temperature eggs blend better than cold ones. Bakers are like Doctors- with hundreds of different tools, diagrams, and charts to achieve the correct results.

While we both work with food and both end up with delicious creations to be enjoyed, we are two very different creatures. Now please don't misunderstand me- Chefs can be good at baking and Bakers can be good at cooking.....great, actually. But we most likely classify ourselves as one or the other, because one comes more naturally to us. Me? I am a Chef. No doubt about it. I sometimes enjoy baking (and when I do, you can find me sitting Indian-style in front of the oven window staring while my product rises and cooks) and when I attempt it, I am fairly good at it. But it's just the process of staring at the recipe, weighing and measuring everything, being so careful to add everything at the right time and have it all at the right temperature that I am not terribly crazy about. I love to make ice cream, Chocolate Chip Cookies, Eclairs and Pastry Cream.......that's about the extent of it. But a few weeks ago, the Thanksgiving Issue of Food Network Magazine arrived and I found myself in awe of Alex Guarnaschelli's Parkerhouse Roll Recipe. Granted, the recipe- with pictures- was three pages long, but I just sat there thinking, "Heck, I can do that!" She made it look so idiot-proof that I just couldn't resist giving it a try. And the golden brown rolls that were bursting at the seams and glistening with butter in the photo certainly got my mouth watering....

The ingredient list is short, and includes mostly things that you already have on your counter or in your fridge. Milk, Eggs, Butter, Flour, Salt, and Sugar. The only thing I had to buy was a packet of Active Dry Yeast...something I've never messed with before. I weighed, I measured, I read and re-read the recipe a hundred times before, during, and after baking. And 3.5 hours later, my family and I were chowing down on warm, buttery, golden brown Parkerhouse Rolls. They tasted fantastic but were a bit dense, which I thought was due to my lack of experience, but after checking out the recipe on FoodNetwork.com, I see that everyone else had the same problem. Anyone out there want to enlighten the Chef what makes these rolls dense?? My family would appreciate it. :)

Here are my unprofessional photos of the process of making the yummy Parkerhouse Rolls:

The dough....

Doubled in volume after proofing for 2.5 hours on top of the hot dryer in the laundry room...

Tip the dough out onto a floured work surface and pat it out into a large rectangle, about 1/2" thick...

(It is warm and soft like a baby's bottom! Do NOT use a Rolling Pin or you will flatten it too much)

Shape the rolls by cutting the dough into 24 strips and folding them up...

Bake the rolls at 375 degrees for about 18 minutes, until they look like this!...

Slather them up with some Butter and a light sprinkling of Salt, then DEVOUR!

If you're a rookie at baking, give this simple recipe a try. I found the rolls to be a little too big, (my brothers said they look like mini- Hot Dog Buns!) so for my next batch, I will cut the dough into 48 little rolls, instead of 24 large ones, and decrease the baking time by a few minutes. But what do I know....I'm just a Chef. ;)

Cheers,

The Chef Next Door

Celebratory Dinner at Brix Wine and Tapas

2010-11-08T16:25:00.002-06:00

I've said it before and dangit, I'm saying it again. Is there ANY job in the world that is cooler than being a Food Critic? Well, probably yes- like being a Professional Napper or Tropical Resort Reviewer. But that's beside the point. 8 months ago, I "hired" myself as The Chef Next Door's official Food Critic and Restaurant Reviewer. I gave myself the coolest job on the planet, in my opinion...and I've been doing a terrible job. I've reviewed a grand total of TWO restaurants in the last 8 months. Two. Dos. Deuce. Taylor and I go out to eat about once a week, and in the last 8 months, I've only mustered the strength to review Luciano and Cotton Row. If I were my boss, I'd fire me. ;) Oh well, the only thing to do is move forward....and I'm starting right now with a review of Huntsville's newest gem:

Brix Wine and Tapas.

After wrapping up a super-busy and successful week last week, we here at The Chef Next Door decided it was time to celebrate. We wanted to hit the town, have some great food, share some good wine, and overall just kick back and reward ourselves for a job well done. Right down the road from us is what used to be Luciano, which we adored and visited for special occasions. Now, it's been re-named and re-opened with new owners and a new attitude!
Brix Wine and Tapas. You had me at "Wine".

The ambiance is not terribly different from what it used to be when it was Luciano's- hope that doesn't offend the new owners! I mean it in a good way. It is romantic and upscale yet still comfortable. Beautiful finishes and colors surround you everywhere you look. The tabletops are a crisp White as opposed to Luciano's Burgundy. The dinnerware and stemware is ultra-modern and sophisticated. We were whisked down to the "Garden Room" which seems to have received a toned-down face-lift from when it was Luciano's...although I never actually dined in the room before so I can't be exactly sure how it used to be. I found myself longing for twinkle lights strung across the ceiling, a la the Braverman family dinner on "Parenthood", but the beautiful "brick" and faux "balcony" really get the job done of making you feel like you are in a swanky Spanish bistro.

We were pleased to see a familiar face and one of the many bright features of the former Luciano still around- our server, Jay. As always, Jay is a super-star server and is friendly but not overbearing, professional but not stuffy, relaxed but not aloof. She had the unfortunate position of notifying us of several items that were unavailable that evening: a Meritage wine, the Ahi Tuna appetizer, the Scallop entree, and the Salmon entree. Three of the four "86"s were bad news to us, as our friend, Joseph, was looking forward to the Meritage, and I definitely had my eye on both the Tuna app and the Scallop entree. Oh well, it forced us to dig deeper into the fantastic menu and find other items to suit our senses.

The three of us decided to each order two Tapas and pass them around the table for each other to sample. I chose an '09 Dacu “Ribera Del Guadiana” Tempranillo from Spain to accompany my meal which was smooth and delicious, especially at a reasonable $7/glass. We ordered the Spicy Chipotle Hummus for the three of us to share while we waited on our Tapas. (Please excuse the terrible iPhone photos due to the low pixels and low lighting)

The hummus was a brilliant orange color and we immediately detected Curry. It was not at all spicy like we were prepared for, since it was advertised as being Spicy Chipotle Hummus, but the pita bread was phenomenal- soft on one side, delightfully crispy on the other. Thick enough to handle a large scoop of the hummus, but not so thick as to fill you up before the main event arrives. In place of the usual bread basket with butter, the hummus was a delightful change.

For my first course, I chose the Shrimp and Grits Tapas. The perfectly-cooked tail-on Shrimp were perched on a scoop of Polenta and sprinkled with diced tomatoes, crumbled bacon, and capers. A drizzle of a cream sauce pulled the dish together, and except for adding a dash of salt and perhaps a squeeze from a Lemon wedge, I wouldn't change a thing. The capers were an unexpected addition to this classic Southern dish which added that little bit of something extra in their salty tartness.

Our friend, Joseph, ordered the Pan-Seared Salmon Cakes with a Beurre Blanc Sauce and Mixed Greens. I'm not one for Salmon Cakes, so I'm probably not the best judge on this one. They were a tiny bit dry, but I've never had Salmon Cakes that AREN'T dry...so maybe that's just how they are! The Beurre Blanc was delicious, and you can't go wrong with a pile of fresh Mixed Greens. It was a beautiful, dainty little dish and if you like Salmon Cakes, this one is for you!

Taylor ordered the Shrimp and Andouille Sausage Ravioli with a Spicy Mushroom Cream Sauce. Three plump ravioli sat in the bottom of a beautiful rimmed bowl calling out to us to eat them. They were stuffed with a tasty mixture of Shrimp and Andouiille and were coated in a delicate cream sauce- just enough to tantalize the taste buds but not drown the palate. A few Mushrooms were scattered around the bowl, but I think they all got eaten up before the dish found its place in front of me. The pasta was thick but not gummy, and it was clear that they make the pasta in-house (in a good way). Being the "chili-heads" that we are, we were still craving a little more heat, but overall, this dish is one that we would order again.

To lead us into our "main courses", I ordered the Peppercorn Roasted Pork Tenderloin with a Sweet Potato Hash and Apricot Chutney. Let me start by saying I don't think I've ever had Pork that was cooked so perfectly....even from my own kitchen. In the dim lighting of the room, I could still tell that the Pork had a perfectly pink doneness and I began to regret our decision to share all the items we ordered. Two medallions rested atop a mound of heavenly Sweet Potato hash with a pool of sweet sauce surrounding it and perfectly grilled Asparagus laying gently on top. This one is a winner in all corners, and I will most likely order the full entree portion next time we visit Brix!

Joseph ordered the Tenderloin Skewers served over Mashed Potatoes with an Orange Teriyaki Glaze as his "main" Tapas. I will not disgrace Brix by posting my pitiful photo of this dish, so instead, I've attached THEIR photo. Just a wee bit better. :) Anyways, the medallions of tenderloin were threaded onto a Bamboo skewer amongst Bell Peppers and grilled to absolute perfection. The peppers were long gone by the time this one made it to me, but the meat was beautifully tender, the potatoes underneath were flavorful and satisfying, and the Orange Teriyaki Glaze was brilliantly sweet and acidic and hearty at the same time. I give this one a "Yum!"

Last but not least, for our main course, Taylor had the Filet Mignon Tapas with a Wild Mushroom Demi-Glace, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, and Collard Greens. I advised him not to order this one and get something else instead, since it's hard to be terribly innovative with Filet Mignon and Mashed Potatoes, but he won the argument by pointing out the surprising addition of Collard Greens, so I relented. However, when his dish arrived, there was a bed of grilled Asparagus where the Collard Greens should have been. We decided against questioning the absence of Collard Greens and instead, marveled at the BRILLIANTLY cooked Filet on his plate. Whichever Chef in the back is responsible for cooking the proteins really knows his stuff. Major Kudos!!! He said he would probably order this one as a full-sized entree next time.....unless they have the Scallops, which we are all dying to try!

Jay said the magic words when she recited the dessert menu: "Pumpkin Cheesecake with White Chocolate Creme Fraiche." Enough said. And boy, did the real thing stand up to its delicious description! It was rich and creamy, perfectly spiced and not overly-sweet, and drizzled with a sweet and tangy White Chocolate sauce. I believe it had a homemade Graham Cracker crust with crushed Pecans or some other kind of nut. It was amazing, to say the least. We might have to hurry back in while Pumpkins are still in season for another plate of this incredible cheesecake. My sincerest compliments to the Pastry Chef!! You have to try this one.

To sum up, Brix Wine and Tapas is a must-try. Between the delicious food, the beautiful wine selection, the friendly service, and the warm ambiance, I sure am glad it's only a hop, skip, and a jump down the street from us! I plan on being a frequent patron. Hope to see you there some day!

Cheers,

The Chef Next Door

NEW! "Re-Purposing Thanksgiving" Cooking Class at The Wine Cellar

2010-11-03T10:29:00.001-06:00

Well, the first class was a TOTAL success! We completely sold out and had a blast! Our next class will take place on Monday, November 22nd from 7:00-8:00pm at The Wine Cellar. We figured that since the class takes place a handful of days before Thanksgiving, and absolutely nobody needs any more suggestions on what to make for Thanksgiving Dinner, why not show you what to do with all the yummy left-overs that you will inevitably have? We will be making Turkey Sandwiches with Dressing and Cranberry Sauce!

JUST KIDDING.

Try this on for size....there will be a surprise "Welcome Treat" utilizing left-over Sweet Potato Casserole and left-over Bread.....but I'm not telling what it is....you have to come see for yourself!

Then we'll make a yummy Berries and Blue Salad with Spring Mix, dried Cranberries, crumbled Blue Cheese, candied Pecans, and a Cranberry Balsamic Vinaigrette using any left-over Cranberry Sauce you will have.

For the main course, we'll use up that left-over Turkey and Dressing by rolling it up in delicate Crepes and baking them with Gruyere Cheese and Cognac Gravy! Is your mouth watering yet?

And to use up any of that pesky Canned Pumpkin you have lurking in your cabinet or fridge, we'll make Personal No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecakes with a Toffee Crunch.

If you are through with Turkey Sandwiches or Turkey Casseroles, and you want to impress your in-laws YET AGAIN with your awesome cooking/entertaining skills, this class if for YOU. Or, if you just enjoy sitting back with some good wine and great food, come on down. Call The Wine Cellar TODAY to hold your spot.....seats are very limited- we only allow 16 people to ensure a very comfortable and intimate atmosphere. Hope to see you there!!

(256)-489-9463

Cheers,

The Chef Next Door

Busy with a Capital "B"!

2010-10-30T14:02:00.000-05:00

Just realized it's been over two weeks since my last blog posting. Pitiful! I guess I have a good enough excuse, though.....I have been super insanely BUSY! Hmm, let's see. Going back to the last blog posting would be the Easy Fall Entertaining Cooking Class at The Wine Cellar on Monday, October 18th. We completely sold out, with a crowd of 20 people. There was some great food, great wine, lots of laughs, and an overall REALLY good time. Once the Holidays settle down, we aim to be doing a Cooking Class once a week. Stay tuned!

My view of them...

Their view of me...

A couple of the ladies wanted a photo with the Chef!

Next came the Cindy Hand/David Moon Wedding Reception on Saturday, October 23rd. Yes, this was my FIRST Wedding Reception on my own! I was blessed with a fantastic catering kitchen to work out of and everything was super organized and made my job even easier. They had a fun, afternoon reception for about 150 people. We served Assorted Pinwheels and Finger Sandwiches, Fresh Fruit Kabobs, a Cheese and Gourmet Cracker Display, Chicken Tenders with Honey Mustard- Sweet n Sour- and Buttermilk Ranch Dressing, a bountiful Vegetable Display with Buttermilk Ranch Dressing, and the Groom's favorite Cheddar Sausage Balls! They had a gorgeous 4-tiered Cake and served some yummy Lime Slushy Punch. It was beautiful and a very sweet reception. I couldn't have hand-picked a better reception to get my feet wet with!

The lighting in the fellowship hall was very low, so all of my photos look terrible with the flash.

Hopefully the photographer will send me some of her professional shots! Here are a few cruddy pictures of the food tables.

Moving on....I was honored to be the featured caterer for Jacobs Technology, Inc. 's week-long Leadership Development Conference at their Conference Center here in Huntsville. On Tuesday, the 26th, I served 45 Gourmet Executive Boxed Lunches complete with Grilled Chicken, Bacon, and Ranch Wraps with Provolone- Lettuce- and Tomato, Roasted Vegetable Wraps with Goat Cheese- Pesto- and Balsamic, Sunchips, Granola Bars, fresh Fruit cups, condiments, Bottled Waters and Tea.

After that, we came back a few hours later to set up for the Cocktail Social for 70 attendees. We served Tuscan Pinwheels (Rotisserie Chicken, Italian Herbs, Sun dried Tomatoes, Parmesan Cheese, and a Pesto Cream Cheese rolled in a Tomato Basil Wrap and sliced into bite-size pinwheels), Asiago-stuffed Twice-Baked New Potatoes (stuffed with Sour Cream, Chives, and Asiago Cheese), Pork Tenderloin Sliders served with a Rosemary-Maple-Dijon Mustard Sauce, Caprese Salad Skewers (fresh Mozzarella balls, Cherry Tomatoes, slivered Basil, and Balsamic Reduction), a fresh Vegetable Tray with Buttermilk Ranch Dressing, Fresh Fruit Kabobs, and Strawberry Brownie Bites with Chantilly Cream. The employees were thrilled to have some goodies and cold beverages after a hellish day being shoved in and out of the basement due to the several tornado warnings. It was a lot of fun and everyone enjoyed the food!

We were back the next morning, Wednesday October 27th, to serve a Taco Salad Bar for 50 of the participants. Phew, lots of cooking! I had my sweet Mommy come up and stay with us to help with all the grocery shopping, prep work, cooking, cleaning, and setting up the different functions. She is a Catering Assistant EXTRAORDINAIRE! We made Authentic Taco Meat with homemade Sofrito, Adobo, and Sazon Seasoning served with Tortilla Chips, Flour Tortillas, Black Beans, Olives, Jalapenos, Salsa, diced Tomatoes, shredded Lettuce, Sour Cream, and Mexican Cheese.

Bringing up the rear, we served the final lunch for 50 people on Thursday, October 28th. I served a new creation- Caprese Orzo Pasta Salad with Mozzarella Pearls, halved Cherry Tomatoes, chopped Basil, and sprinkled with Balsamic Vinegar. Yum! I also served Grilled Pesto Chicken Breasts with a Sweet Tomato Relish, my SUPERSTAR Lemony Shrimp Scampi with Butter- Garlic- White Wine- Lemon Juice- and fresh Parsley and Cilantro, and of course, the delicious Garlic Butter Toast Points. By the end of the lunch, people were hovered around the Garlic Bread dunking it in the leftover Scampi Butter. It was hilarious and really makes a caterer's heart sing! :) I loved my time at Jacobs this week and hope to do many more functions for them in the future.

And I almost forgot, last night, Friday the 29th, I did an "Express" Catering Drop-Off for Shotsie Platt's Cocktail Party for 20 people. She ordered my *award winning* Southwestern Pinwheels with Rotisserie Chicken- Mexican Cheese- Spices- Cilantro- and Salsa Cream Cheese, the Asiago-stuffed Twice-Baked New Potatoes, Warm Bacon Swiss Dip in Phyllo Cups, Caprese Salad Skewers, and Strawberry Brownie Bites. She is an absolute DELIGHT and I am looking forward to the dinner party I'll be doing for her some time in November! All in all, I think we all earned our keep at The Chef Next Door this week, and I am sitting back enjoying this gorgeous Halloween weekend around the house. You all need to keep me in check next time I try to take a 2+ week break from blogging!! Until next time......

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

Cheers,

The Chef Next Door

NEW! Cooking Classes at The Wine Cellar

2010-10-13T17:36:00.000-05:00

For those sporadic callers who inquire about my cooking classes, only to be disappointed when I say that they take place IN YOUR HOME, I am now doing weekly cooking classes at local venue, The Wine Cellar on Whitesburg Drive! I have enough people who call me saying they just want something fun to do to get out of the house or get away from the kids that I figured I need to find a way to host some cooking classes somewhere around town. Well lucky me, Will and Rhonda of The Wine Cellar actually asked ME if I would be interested in hosting cooking classes at their shop. ARE YOU KIDDING??? I don't think I've ever said a more enthusiastic, "Yes!" So, after a few weeks of planning and discussing, the first official The Chef Next Door- The Wine Cellar Cooking Class is this coming Monday night, October 18th, from 7:00-8:00pm.

Here is the informational flyer for the first class:

(click to enlarge for the fine print)

I hope some of you can come out and enjoy the fun!! Seats are very limited- we are only allowing 15 people- so we can maintain a very intimate and comfortable atmosphere. Look for more classes to come from The Chef Next Door!

Cheers,

The Chef Next Door

"No Pain, No Gain"

2010-10-08T20:19:00.000-05:00

became the motto of last night's "Knife Skills" Cooking Class with Trent Clinton. Not 5 minutes had gone by into fabricating the carrots before we were rushing for the BandAids, quickly wrapping his thumb, and shoving his left hand into a latex glove. Like a true champion, Trent went right back to the chopping while Chef Margaret had to step away and take a few deep breaths to keep the unconsciousness from taking over. You see, although I have chosen a profession where 3rd-degree burns, raised scars, and a plethora of BandAids on arms and hands are the norm, I get absolutely squeamish at the mere sight of blood. Ok, "squeamish" was a stretch........try this.........if I cut myself to the point where the blood doesn't stop with a dab from a paper towel.....I will most likely *FAINT* to the floor. It's been done more than a few times, and at the very least, my ears will start to ring- my eyes will get blurry- and I will need to sit down with my head between my knees and have a swig of cold water. I know, I know....it's like a pilot being afraid of heights or a cowboy being afraid of horses. It just doesn't make sense. But it is what it is- and it forces me to be extra, super-duper careful when I'm doing some intense knife-work. I'm lucky that I no longer have to work in a fast-paced restaurant kitchen where quick chopping is a necessity- because I tend to stick to the "slow and steady wins the race" slogan nowadays. I blame my bum wrist or claim that precision is more important than speed........but the truth is, I'm just scared to death to cut myself.

Once we mopped up the puddle of blood and re-attached the tip of Trent's thumb (exaggerating, of course), we managed to have a very fun and successful evening. It is amazing to watch somebody improve right before your eyes. We started at 6:00pm and by 8:00pm, Trent was Fine Brunoise-ing like it was a walk in the park. We went through all the basic cuts (Large Dice, Medium Dice, Small Dice, Brunoise, Fine Brunoise, Paysanne, Battonet, Julienne, and Fine Julienne) and even had time leftover to make a delicious Mango Salsa (featured in previous posting titled: Copycat!) and a Sweet Tomato Bruschetta topping for Crostini, Fish, or Chicken. Trent raised his eyebrow over the addition of Splenda to the Tomato Bruschetta, but was quickly made a believer by the utter simplicity and deliciousness. All in all, it was a great class and Trent seemed to get a lot out of it- which is the most important part, naturally! I only wish he didn't have to lose any blood in the process, but as he said, "No Pain, No Gain!" right?

Here are some photos from our class:

Working on the *hardest cut (the Fine Brunoise)

on the *hardest vegetable (the carrot)

The perfect Fine Brunoise.

(Yellow is the model, Orange is the carrot)

The perfect Brunoise.

The perfect Small Dice.

All the completed cuts. Nice job, Trent!!

Near-perfect Knife Cuts.

Doing a quick review with a much easier veggie- the Zucchini!

Chef Margaret's demo cuts.

The uber-delicious Sweet Tomato Bruschetta.

Be on the look out for upcoming The Chef Next Door Cooking Classes at The Wine Cellar on Whitesburg!! Rolling out the first class on Monday, October 18th @ 7:00pm. More on that later. TFIG!

Cheers,

The Chef Next door

Sorry to depress everybody...

2010-10-03T14:44:00.001-05:00

....but it really is getting to be about the time to start thinking about CHRISTMAS!! Where did this year go?!?

For my viewers in and around Huntsville: Have you thought about what you might want to get your neice who is getting married next year? Your son who foams at the mouth while watching Top Chef? Your mother who has loved to cook and entertain her entire life? Your husband who tends to overcook his steaks? Your wife whose recipe repertoire consists of nothing but casseroles? Your best friend who loves to bake? Your daughter who you can't tear away from her Playschool Kitchen? Your friend and coworker who lives off Lean Cuisine? Your dedicated employees who walk around like zombies with their brown-bag lunches? Your sister who always spear-heads the Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners?

Here's an idea, in case you are clueless as to what to give those special individuals in your life:

The Chef Next Door

Gift Certificates!!!

You can purchase a gift certificate for just about anything you want: Cooking Classes, Kid's Cooking Classes, Boxed Lunches, Pre-Made Meals, a 50-person Cocktail Party, you name it- we can do it. And the best part is? You can pick a price, send away the gift certificate, and let the recipient pick out what they want! You could purchase a 6-week Series of Cooking Classes for your wife and let her custom-design her classes one-on-one with me. You could purchase 10 Pre-Made Meals as a gift for your super-busy Sister-in-Law, and let her design the meals specifically for her family. You can purchase a gift certificate for a Bridal Shower that your neighbor is hosting in the Spring, and let her pick the menu. Seriously, the sky is the limit, and you won't find this kind of flexibility ANYWHERE else.

Check out my website at here (NOT www.thechefnextdoor.com- somebody beat me to it. ) to view the various services that I offer and see if any of them strike your fancy! If there's something that you're interested in and you don't see it listed- just ask me about it. :) If it's food-related, I'll probably be able to do it! Have a great week, everybody. Hope I didn't get you down too badly with the newsflash that Christmas is right around the corner.

Cheers,

The Chef Next Door

Where's the Beef?

2010-09-30T18:39:00.000-05:00

In The Chef Next Door's refrigerator, that's where! If you could have seen the bottom rack of the fridge yesterday, you might have thought I have been on a "no beef" diet for the past 24 years of my life and yesterday was my first day OFF that diet. Here's what all I was hoarding in there:

4 pounds of 90/10 Ground Sirloin
1 pound of Tri-Tip Beef Tips
2 pounds of Chuck Beef Cubes
2 Top Sirloin Fillets

Might not seem like THAT much, but to go from hardly any beef at all ever to all of that...it was quite a sight.

We had a really great week over here at TCND, and had the chance to make some deeelish pre-made dinners for my clients- most of which included Beef, hence the over abundance of Bovine in the refrigerator. Taylor giggled like a school girl when I announced it was officially fall, and had the first order of "Hearty Tri-Tip Chili" come in. He spent the autumn months last year honing and perfecting his recipe, and man oh man, he's got it down! I served his beautiful Chili with Sour Cream, Corn Chips, and Cilantro on the side (the daughter is not partial to cheese- lucky girl!!) and sent it on its merry way with a pan of Mexican Cornbread.

Here is a bit of commentary from the recipient and her 12-year-old daughter:

"BTW, Anna and I LOVED the Chili and Cornbread! Anna has never eaten two bowls of chili at one time in her life, but before I could finish, she was asking if we had more! We'll definitely be ordering that again!"
- Dawn Mercer

Way to go, T. :)

Another client ordered Authentic Ground Beef Tacos (I can call it "Authentic" because I was taught by a real live Latina and use real live Mexican ingredients- NOT taco seasoning packets- tee hee) as well as...........*sighs happily*..........Beef Bourguignon. Don't you hate it when there's just enough left-over to serve two hungry people?? Taylor and I were eating good last night.

And last but not least, I performed a Healthy Cooking Demonstration for WestWind Technologies this morning, and had the participants assemble their own mini-Sirloin Kabobs with an assortment of vegetables. Thanks to my lovely Sanyo Smoke-Free Indoor Grill, we grilled them up right there in the conference room....directly underneath the smoke detector. The grill does what it says it will- or I guess I should say, it DOESN'T do what it says it WON'T do- smoke! Most other Healthy Cooking Demos involve the participants sitting in their chairs, anxiously awaiting me to serve them their samples while dishing out some cooking tips. But today, I gave out some food-safe Latex gloves, put them to work, let them skewer their own Kabobs however they liked, then grilled them up and gave them back out.

Here's the "Mini-Kabob Assembly Line" complete with marinated Top-Sirloin cubes, Vidalia Onions,

Bell Peppers, Zucchini, Mushrooms, Squash, and Cherry Tomatoes.

It was a boat load of fun, and the employees really enjoyed themselves- they even stayed 30 minutes late to have round 2 of Kabobs.

Now that the week is coming to a close and the refrigerator is back to Beef-less....I guess we're having chicken for dinner. Until next time!

Cheers,

The Chef Next Door

Healthy Cooking Demonstration at GE's Annual Health Fair

2010-09-23T08:34:00.000-05:00

Today, I have the pleasure of participating in General Electric's Annual Health Fair by setting up a Healthy Cooking Demonstration booth for some of their 1,200 employees. Here are the recipes for the dishes I will be preparing at the 2:00, 3:00, and 4:00 demos. Enjoy!

(Click to enlarge and print the recipe!)

These are three of my healthiest, most popular, and most delicious recipes that I share as often as I can with anybody who will listen. I hope some of you will give these a try and share these recipes with your friends and family!

Cheers,

The Chef Next Door

Itza Pizza Party

2010-09-22T17:57:00.001-05:00

Sorry to all my previous adult cooking class students...but cooking with kids is SO MUCH MORE FUN! Ha ha, totally kidding. It's like trying to compare Coke and Sprite- two totally different things. But in all seriousness, last Monday, I did a "Kid's Cooking Class" with Foster and Kaitlyn Clark, and had some of the most fun I've ever had in a Chef jacket! Kaitlyn is 6 and Foster is 11 and they are both too cute for their own good. :) I taught their mommy, Traci, a "Southern Cookin'" class the week before (we made classic Chicken Pot Pie, Cheesy Corn Bread, and Mixed Berry Angel Food Trifle) and she decided she really wanted to let her kids in on the action.

Together, the 3 of us made Stromboli Pinwheels as appetizers, two big "Family Pizzas", and of course, a Sugar Cookie Dessert Pizza with Chocolate Ganache "pizza sauce", White Chocolate "shredded cheese", and Strawberries as "pepperoni". They were such great little chefs and such a joy to play with in the kitchen. Kaitlyn even got to christen my new pink apron that my sweet cousin, Alee, gave to me as a gift.

Here are some photos from our "Pizza Party" class!

Thanks for the pictures, Traci! If there are some special little ones in your life who might enjoy cooking dinner for the family, give me a call and we'll get cooking!

Cheers,

The Chef Next Door

Keeping up with the OTHER latest trend: SOCIAL NETWORKING!

2010-09-22T14:36:00.000-05:00

Ok, so it only took me 6 months to get on board.....but The Chef Next Door is officially on Facebook and Twitter. Click the links on the sidebar to become a Fan on Facebook or Follow me on Twitter! (Is that what you're supposed to say????) Hope to see you there soon!

Cheers,

The Chef Next Door

Keeping up with the latest trend: HEALTHY EATING!

2010-09-21T16:29:00.000-05:00

Ok, let's be honest here....is there really anybody out there who is NOT currently either A) Trying to lose weight, B) Trying to get back in shape, C) Trying to maintain a healthy weight, or D) All of the above? I promise you, out of every cooking class I've taught or every pre-made meal I've prepared, about 85% of them have been geared towards "Healthy Eating." I teach Healthy Cooking Demonstrations at WestWind Technologies every other Thursday. I am doing a 5-hour Healthy Cooking Demo for General Electrics in Decatur this week. Most of my pre-made meal clients demand healthy, low-cal meals. People nowadays are really opening their eyes to eating better in general, and as a food-service provider, I have to keep up.

Here are a few painless ways to EAT BETTER:

1- Switch up your "fats".

Ditch the butter and reach for the Olive Oil. In lots of cases, melted butter is just a means to cook a dish and prevent it from sticking to the pan and drying out. An easy fix is to substitute some form of Olive Oil in its place and save yourself a boat load of calories, while gaining tons of Vitamins and micronutrients. If you really want the flavor of butter in your dish, use only 1 Tablespoon and supplement the rest with Olive Oil. Here is a great article about all the many benefits of using Olive Oil.

2- Befriend your spice cabinet.

You heard me. Spices are an IDIOT-PROOF way to add exponential amounts of flavor without adding fat or calories. Rotisserie Chicken Seasoning, Cajun Seasoning, Italian Seasoning, Garlic Salt, Onion Powder, Curry Powder, Nutmeg, Allspice, Cayenne Pepper, Seasoned Pepper, Lemon Pepper, OH MY GOODNESS there are so many delicious ways to flavor a dish without using sour cream or cheese. Sure, sodium is something to be conscious of that is often hitching a ride along in the spice jars, so try to pick spice mixes which do not have Salt listed in the first 5 ingredients.

3- Use Acid.

No pun intended. :) Lemon Juice, Lime Juice, and Orange Juice add tons of flavor to chicken, seafood, lamb, salads, salsas, and so forth without adding a lot of fat or calories. Marinate your next chicken breast in Rotisserie Chicken Seasoning, fresh Garlic, chopped Rosemary, and the juice of a Lemon (for no longer than 30 minutes) then throw it on the grill. Your taste buds will jump for joy, and so will your waistline. Squeeze a lime over a piece of grilled or baked fish, or marinate a steak in Orange Juice and Steak Seasoning for a bright new flavor. Eating healthy doesn't mean eating BLAND!

4- Keep the Vampires Away.

USE FRESH GARLIC. I've said it before, and I'm saying it again. Stop using the jarred stuff from the grocery store and grab a fresh bulb. 10 seconds more of work to peel the skin and mince or press the garlic is well worth the incredible aromatic flavor that fresh garlic infuses into any dish. Saute diced onion and garlic in Olive Oil, toss in a handful of fresh Spinach, season with Salt, Pepper, and a pinch of crushed Red Pepper flakes, and Voila! Yummy, super healthy side dish.

5- Buy or grow your own Herbs.

There is absolutely nothing in the world like fresh Herbs. I'm talking about Cilantro, Parsley, Basil, Rosemary, Dill, Tarragon, Mint, Chives, Thyme, Sage, etc. They are dirt cheap at the grocery store and add oh-so-much freshness and flavor to just about anything. Saute one Shallot and 4 cloves of fresh garlic in Olive Oil until it begins to smell very aromatic. Toss in 1 pound of peeled and deveined shrimp. Once the shrimp begin to turn pink, add in the juice of a lemon and about 1/4 cup of White Wine. Saute until the shrimp are completely pink, then sprinkle in a handful of chopped Parsley and chopped Cilantro. Toss with cooked Whole Wheat Pasta and serve. Life-changing.

6- Use your grill once in a while.

I know "grilled chicken" is the cliche for cardboard, tasteless, diet-food...but have you really tried it? Marinate any piece of chicken, fish, steak, or pork and throw it on a screaming hot grill. Once it is cooked through, remove it to a plate and cover tightly with aluminum foil and let it REST to retain its juices. Once you and your grill get to know each other better, your "diet-food" will start to taste like Heaven. Whether it's a charcoal grill, propane grill, infrared grill, or just a plug-in countertop grill....the black char that you get from throwing your food on a red-hot grill adds tons of flavor and produces foods with an incredible juicy texture. Instead of boiling your asparagus to death, marinate it in Olive Oil, Salt, and Pepper and grill it until tender. The same works for Zucchini, Squash, Peppers, Tomatoes, Eggplant, and on and on and on.

7- Go Whole Wheat!

It's kind of like Diet Soda...once you get used to it, you'll never go back. Switch to Whole Wheat or Whole Grain whenever possible......sandwich bread, pasta, rice, crackers, bagels, etc. Not only are Whole Grains a healthier alternative to White Grains, they are even known to prevent certain kinds of cancers. Here is a great article about all the amazing health benefits of Whole Grains.

8- Slow it down a bit.

Want to know why people overseas are so much thinner than us? Because they eat SLOWLY. What am I talking about? What does eating slow have to do with anything? It takes roughly 20 minutes for our stomach to signal our brain that it is full. This is why often times you end up feeling so incredibly full that you could burst after a meal, and you aren't even really sure how it got to that point. Try this: After every bite of food, put your fork/knife/spoon down. Take a long, slow swig of water/wine/tea/whatever you are drinking with your meal. Start a conversation with whomever you are dining with (or just talk to yourself or your pet if you are dining alone) and then resume eating. If you take this brief pause between every bite you put in your mouth, it is a proven fact that you will eat less, because eating slower gives your stomach time to get the "I'M FULL!" message to your brain.

9- Discover other ways to eat your fruit.

It's a sad fact that most of us don't get anywhere near the daily recommended serving of fruit that we should. I'm guilty as charged, because quite frankly, I think fruit is kind of boring. But there are other ways to eat fruit besides just in a lonely little bowl. Cut up fresh Watermelon, toss it together with Spring Mix, Red Onions, and a sprinkle of crumbled Goat Cheese. Drizzle with Balsamic Reduction or your favorite fruity Balsamic Vinaigrette. Yum! Or mix a Tablespoon of Caesar Dressing with 1/4 cup of Orange Juice, drizzle over a salad of chopped Romaine lettuce, mandarin orange wedges, cherry tomatoes, and shredded Parmesan cheese. Dice 2 ripe mangos and mix with chopped Cilantro, a sprinkle of Cumin, diced Red Onion and Red Bell Pepper, and the juice of a Lime- serve over any grilled protein. Do I really need to get into all the health benefits of eating fresh fruit?

10- Have some soup.

No matter what kind it is, soup is very filling. You can make a delicious soup with just about any vegetable, a bit of olive oil, chicken or vegetable broth, and a little bit of seasoning. Tomato Basil, roasted Butternut Squash, Wild Mushroom, Asparagus, Spinach, roasted Leeks, etc. If you see some vegetables at the store that are just crying out to you, go home and "google" __fill-in-the-blank__ Soup and I'm positive there is a delicious recipe out there that is easy and healthy. Or....just ask The Chef Next Door!

Give any or all of these tips a try, and hopefully you will notice a significant change in the way you look and feel! Happy cooking/eating.

Cheers,

The Chef Next Door

Trent Clinton's "Skill Test" for The Chef Next Door Academy

2010-09-13T19:06:00.002-05:00

Thank you to my LOVELY across-the-street-neighbors, Nikki and Lowell Skidmore, for posting a link to my website on their facebook....because not an hour later, an enthusiastic young man named Trent Clinton shot me an email wondering how soon we could start some cooking classes! I have met a lot of chefs in my day, and met a lot of people who are passionate about food and cooking....but I tell you what.....Trent puts us ALL to shame. I thought I was bad- I cook in my dreams almost every night- but Trent already has his Christmas Dinner for his family planned down to a "T", and even has a sketch of how he wants his dish to be plated drawn on his magnetic dry erase board on his fridge. WOW, how refreshing to meet someone who is so excited to even talk about cooking! After emailing back and forth talking about our plans for his first class, I gave him a call to finalize the details......and we ended up talking for an hour about nothing but food. You will all see Trent Clinton on Top Chef someday, I guarantee it. We should all be so passionate about SOMETHING- not necessarily food, of course.

So to put Trent through The Academy, I first had to really feel out where he is, skill-wise. I gave him a written exam consisting of 25 fairly difficult culinary questions, followed by a practical exam consisting of 5 culinary skill tests (I won't disclose what the 5 skill tests were for any of my future CND Academy participants!) Needless to say, Trent did fantastically well and I even learned a few things from him. Below are some pictures from our "Skill Test" cooking session. Trent- WELL DONE!

"The Pantry"

"The Tools"

"The Eggs"

"The Plating Test"

"The Knife Skills"

"The Secret Ingredient"

Look fun?!?

IT IS. Call me.

Cheers,

The Chef Next Door

The launch of "The Chef Next Door Academy"!

2010-09-12T11:23:00.000-05:00

For those of you who don't already know, I was fortunate enough to be able to attend The University of Alabama and graduate with a Bachelor's Degree in Restaurant and Hospitality Management. I graduated in May of 2008 and jumped right in to Culinary School at Virginia College in Birmingham at the end of June. I participated in the "Fast Track" 9-month program and graduated with honors in March of 2009. Now don't get me wrong......I loved almost every minute of culinary school, and like I've said before, if there was such a thing as being a "professional student" and if I could make a living by attending culinary school for the rest of eternity, I would be all over it. I love love love school and learning and being tested and challenged on a daily basis.

BUT.....the way culinary school is structured does not allow every student to get the full scope of knowledge they offer. Did that make any sense? Here it is in plain English: Each school day has a title ("Cajun Day" or "Beef Tenderloin Day" or "Ice Carving Day"), and each day has a handful of recipes that go along with it. The students in the class are broken down into groups of two or four. The recipes for any particular day are split up among the groups. Therefore, on "Cajun Day" when the recipes are Rabbit Jambalaya, Crawfish Etouffee, Chicken and Andouille Gumbo, and Red Beans and Rice and our class is split up into groups of four- one person prepares the Jambalaya, one person prepares the Etouffee, one person prepares the Gumbo, and the fourth person prepares the Red Beans and Rice. SO, each person really only gets 1/4th of the information from any particular class (unless you are skilled at watching 3 other people meticulously prepare their dishes while preparing your own!) I thumb through my Culinard recipes from time to time, and think to myself "Ugh! I never made that recipe! Where did this come from?" and then I realize that my partner or group-mate must have prepared it, while I prepared another recipe.

For those people who attend culinary school simply to get the diploma so they can be more competitive in the hospitality industry, this probably didn't bother them. But for those people like ME, who wanted to learn and soak up as much knowledge as possible so that I could be the best chef I can be.....I was a bit disappointed. Yes, I have the diploma. Yes, I graduated at the top of my class. Yes, I am a classically trained chef.   That's all well and good....but did I get everything out of it that I hoped to?? Nope. So that is why I have decided to start my own mini-culinary school called "The Chef Next Door Academy."

My goal is to reach out to those who don't have the time, the energy, or the money for such a HUGE commitment as culinary school. The perfect example of someone like this is my mom. While I was gearing up to start culinary school, she thought "Hmm, I might like to go, too. But I only want to go on certain days. And I don't want to have to go when it's something that I'm not interested in learning. And I don't want to do homework and take tests. So basically, I'd like to look at your curriculum and pick the days I want to go. Oh well."

Well THIS is exactly what I offer. Build-your-own Culinary School, basically. I will assess your skill level, then we will build a curriculum just for you....based on YOUR skill level, based on YOUR preferences, located in YOUR home kitchen, and based around YOUR schedule.   Don't eat seafood? We'll skip it. Already a whiz with a knife? We'll blow on past Knife Skills. Have no interest in baking or already a pro at it? No problem, we'll focus on other things.

As of Friday, September 10th, The Chef Next Door Academy is open for business.   (Blog posting about Trent Clinton's "Skill Test" session to follow.) Thanks to my incredible family for nurturing my dreams, my amazing soulmate-Taylor- for pushing me to follow them, and my wonderful clients for making them come true.

Cheers,

The Chef Next Door

Lobster Killer

2010-09-11T15:36:00.001-05:00

I'm sure most, if not all, of you have seen "Julie and Julia" right?? Well, do you remember the scene where Julie frets and frets over having to MURDER a live Lobster? It is hysterical. The Talking Heads song "Psycho Killer" plays in the background, as her adorable husband, Eric, mocks her by singing "Lobster Killer....Lobster Killer...." She ends up taking the easy way out, and drops the unsuspecting crustacean into a pot of boiling water, killing him instantly. Shortly thereafter, we watch as "Julia Child" played by Meryl Streep plunges her chef's knife into the skull of her Lobster, also killing him instantly, but in a more gruesome, obvious sort of way. What a great movie.

Anyways....I've murdered many a lobster in my day- the "easy" way, by dropping them in the boiling water and closing the lid- so I haven't had to actually watch/hear them die. But last week, our dear friend, Joseph, came in to town on his 'R & R' from a defense project in Alaska. He offered to buy a live Lobster if I would take on the laborious task of making homemade Lobster Bisque.....um, DEAL! After scouring through all of Huntsville looking for a live Lobster tank (thank you, Hampton Cove Publix and Jessica Erwin for steering me there!) we finally returned home with our 2-pound guy, ready to make the most delicious Lobster Bisque out of him. Although I was still dressed in my Chef Jacket from working earlier that day, I felt like a terrified little girl when I came face-to-face with the task of actually killing the poor thing (we had to dismember him while he was completely RAW, no boiling allowed.) Luckily, I had two men around the house who were more-than-willing to wield the knife and do the deed. I turned my back while Taylor and Joseph stabbed the Lobster through the skull, and when I turned around to make sure they did a good enough job, they looked like two little boys holding a magnifying glass over an ant on a sunny day. Evil! Ha ha.

Fast forward 4 hours later, and we were scarfing down some of the most delicious bisque I've ever put in my mouth. It was so good, I just couldn't help myself and I literally seared the entire roof of my mouth while it was still boiling hot. Without further adue, here is the recipe for the WORLD'S BEST LOBSTER BISQUE! (Used a recipe from E.R. Bradley's Saloon in West Palm, Florida for inspiration) It is surprisingly simple, but oh-so-time consuming. Well worth the trouble, though. TRUST ME!

The Greatest Lobster Bisque in the World

Ingredients for the Lobster Stock:

1 whole live Lobster

1/2 stick of Butter

1/2 a cup of diced Carrots

1/2 a cup of diced Celery

1 cup of diced Onion

1/2 cup of Sherry

1/4 cup of Tomato Paste

2 bay leaves

5 sprigs of fresh Thyme

4 cups of water

Ingredients for the Lobster Bisque:

2 cups of Lobster Stock

3 cups of Heavy Cream

2 cups of Half and Half

1/4 cup of Sherry (to taste)

Salt (to taste)

3 Tablespoons of Butter

Directions:

Using a chef's knife, stab the live lobster through its head very quickly to humanely and instantly kill it. Remove its tail and claws, split the abdomen in half.

Remove the tail and claw meat from their shells, chop the raw meat, and set aside.

Boil the remaining body and shells of the lobster until bright red.

Crush the boiled shells with your knife.

In a large saucepot, combine the butter, onions, carrots, and celery over medium-high heat until the vegetables turn translucent and barely golden on the edges.

Deglaze the pot with sherry, then add the tomato paste, bay leaf, thyme, water and crushed lobster shells.

Bring to a boil and then simmer for 1.5-2 hours. Strain the broth, discard the vegetables and shells, and return the strained broth to the heat.

Bring to a boil and reduce the liquid for 30 minutes, until only 2 cups of liquid remain.

Combine the reduced lobster stock with the heavy cream and half and half. Add sherry to taste.

Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and reduce by half- about 1 hour.

In a separate pan, melt a few tablespoons of butter, and sauté the chopped tail and claw meat until white. Divide the meat amongst the soup bowls, then pour the soup on top and serve.

Somebody please give this a whirl and let me know how it turns out for you! A whole lobster will run you about $20.00, but the rest of the ingredients are dirt cheap. It is well worth the time and effort for a special occasion or if you really want to impress somebody. :) Enjoy! ROLL TIDE ROLL!

Cheers,

The Chef Next Door

Healthy Cooking Demonstration at WestWind Technologies

2010-09-02T15:43:00.000-05:00

Another fun day here at The Chef Next Door! I had the pleasure of putting on a Healthy Cooking Demonstration for the fine employees of WestWind Technologies- one of CSC Wellness' corporate clients. I prepared:

The ever-popular Lemon and Herb Rotisserie Grilled Chicken

Spiced roasted New Potatoes

Green Apple Salad

All in a blinding fast 30 minutes!

I will be featured at these Healthy Cooking Demonstrations every other Thursday at WestWind Technologies, on behalf of CSC Wellness. Check it out! (Look closely...click on the photo...)

Have a WONDERFUL Labor Day weekend, everybody!

ROLL TIDE ROLL!

Cheers,

The Chef Next Door

The "Crostini" Lady

2010-08-27T22:52:00.000-05:00

The Chef Next Door should be re-named to "The Chef Around Town" because I tell you what...I have been everywhere and back these past few weeks! Cooking classes in Toney, cooking classes in Athens, boxed lunches in Research Park, cooking classes out in Madison, cooking classes in Meridianville, catering and pre-made meal drop-offs anywhere and everywhere around Huntsville, just to name a few. Phew! Definitely been putting some miles on the vehicle. But luckily, two spots that I've been featured at recently are within less than a mile of our home: The Wine Cellar and My Spirited Art. These are two venues that I hope to be doing a lot of work with in the future, and it sure is nice to be able to hop in the car and be there quicker than I can buckle my seat belt!

I happened to stroll through The Wine Cellar one day a few weeks ago in search of an inexpensive Red to get hooked on. Right away, Will and Rhonda (the owners) befriended me and scooped me up into their weekly wine tastings. They let me provide three flavors of my crostini which they paired some wines with accordingly for one of their Wednesday night tastings. (And let me give out a lot of business cards and shake a ton of hands, too!) Their store is so fun and welcoming, and I can't wait to be doing wine tastings, cooking classes, and more with them in the future.

The Chef Next Door and Glinda Clardy of

The Wine Source pairings- featured at

The Wine Cellar's Wednesday night tasting

Praxis Viognier paired with

Gorgonzola and Honey Crostini

Sables d'Azur Rose paired with

Mozzarella, Cherry Tomato, Fresh Basil and Balsamic Crostini

Gode II Rosso di Toscana paired with

Caramelized Onion, Goat Cheese, and torn Prosciutto Crostini

Glinda did a WONDERFUL job pairing the wines to the flavors of crostini....and it was very cool to taste my own food on a whole different level. Wine really does change things! Thanks, Will and Rhonda!

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I have also been an enormous fan of Rebekah Bynum's My Spirited Art for over a year now (See previous blog posting titled: "Don't Drink the Paint Water!") Her store is filled to the brim with 40-50 ladies (and gentlemen, on occasion) every single night, so I thought I'd take a shot in the dark and see if she'd actually allow me to come set up a "free food" table for the guests on any particular night, to get my name out there in the public even more. Well, sure enough, she is fantastically generous and basically said, "Sure! I'd love to have you do that!" Fast forward a week or two and there I am, in front of a giant crowd of women, displaying the ever-popular crostini, among other things. My poor "Sous Chef", Taylor, has helped me make more dainty little crostini in the past few weeks than I think he would care to admit. But boy, oh boy, are they yummy! I got to meet a lot of great ladies and even had a catering request email waiting for me by about 7:30 this morning from a lady who was at the art class last night. Gotta spend money to make money, right??? :) Here are some shots of the yum-yums I gave out last night.

The "free food" table at My Spirited Art

Warm Bacon Swiss Dip in crispy Phyllo Cups

Gorgonzola and Honey Crostini

Caprese Salad Skewers with Balsamic

Caramelized Onion, Goat Cheese, and torn Prosciutto Crostini (top)

Olive Tapenade, Cream Cheese, and Parmesan Crostini (bottom)

It was a lot of fun, and if I'm lucky enough, I'll get to be the "go-to caterer" for some of My Spirited Art's many private functions that go on several times a week. Thanks, Bekah!!

Stay tuned: There will be much more to come-

my calendar is slowly but surely filling up!

Cheers,

The Chef Next Door

Best of the Best BIRTHDAY Cooking Class

2010-08-20T10:26:00.000-05:00

As if my cooking classes weren't fun enough already, how about the fact that I had the pleasure of cooking with Brian Whitten on his BIRTHDAY.....and he had absolutely no clue I was coming. His adorable wife, Leigh Ann, called me the week before and asked if she could book me for his Birthday dinner. She purchased a gift certificate, we planned a menu for him, and she was going to surprise him with a cooking session for his own birthday dinner. I love and can't wait for all my cooking classes, but I was particularly looking forward to this one! So I show up, ring the doorbell, and there is the Birthday Boy- with a totally blank look on his face, like he was expecting me to just hand him a birthday cake or something. He had no idea what he was in for!

SURPRISE!

So while most Birthday Boys or Girls get to kick back and put their feet up while their friends and family shower them with gifts and whisk them out to a nice dinner.....this particular Birthday Boy was thrilled to get to do all the cooking himself! And when I say "all the cooking himself", I mean it. I hardly lifted a finger. HE made:

GREEN APPLE SALAD WITH HOMEMADE GARLIC BUTTER CROUTONS,

WHITE CHEDDAR WHIPPED POTATOES,

ROOT BEER BRAISED SHORT RIBS

Here are some shots from our session.

Thanks for having me, Brian and Leigh Ann!

Cheers,

The Chef Next Door

Working late?

2010-08-17T15:42:00.002-05:00

...and don't have time to cook dinner? No worries. Check this out!

Citrus Roasted Grouper with Garlic spiced New Potatoes

Lemon and Herb Rotisserie Grilled Chicken with Curried Baby Carrots

Watermelon Spring Mix Salad
with Balsamic Onions, crumbled Goat Cheese, and Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette

Yep, you can have restaurant quality, healthy, gourmet meals delivered right to your door!

Click HERE.

Cheers,

The Chef Next Door

An 80th Birthday Cocktail Party

2010-08-15T11:55:00.000-05:00

Well well well....just when I was really getting the itch to make some dainty finger foods- Howard and Emily Rogers come through wanting some h'or douerves for a cocktail party for Emily's mother's 80th birthday party! What a treat. :) She browsed my website and picked out 5 of my most favorite finger foods to add to the event:

*Assorted Crostini Bar*

A variety to please any palate- all resting on crunchy but chewy Garlic Toast Points

Caramelized Onion, Goat Cheese, and torn Prosciutto

Olive Tapenade, Cream Cheese, and shredded Parmesan

Mozzarella, Tomato, Basil, and Balsamic Reduction

Gorgonzola and Honey

*Tuscan Pinwheels*

Made with Rotisserie Chicken, Sun-dried Tomato, Parmesan and Italian herbs slathered in a Pesto Cream Cheese and rolled in a Sun-dried Tomato Herbed Wrap

*Asiago Stuffed New Potatoes*
Petite Red Potatoes are baked once, have their middles scooped out and mixed with all things yummy such as butter, sour cream, and Asiago cheese, then restuffed and baked again

*Asparagus Spirals*
Fresh Asparagus is wrapped in tiny strips of Cheesy Puff Pastry and baked to golden puffed perfection. Served with a Blue Cheese Dipping Sauce

*Warm Bacon Swiss Dip in Phyllo Cups*
A smooth and creamy mixture of Swiss Cheese, Green Onions, and crumbled Bacon is piped into tiny crispy Phyllo cups and topped with...even more bacon!

I try not to play favorites, but these intricate yummy bite-size treats are some of the most fun to make...and eat. Although the Rogers opted for the "Express" option (which is why most things are pictured in their disposable travel containers), it is still fun to hand over my hand-crafted h'or douerves and wish them well on their journey.

Thanks, Howard and Emily, for the opportunity to serve you!

Cheers,

The Chef Next Door

New Additions

2010-08-05T18:56:00.002-05:00

The Chef Next Door has added a few new items to the repertoire. I tend to steer clear of baby animals (namely Veal) for really no better reason than it makes me sad to cook and/or eat them....but my eyes have been opened to the wonderful world of LAMB as of late. A lovely cooking class student requested to learn how to prepare lamb, so I had no choice but to really teach myself so that I could teach someone else. Thanks to Sam's Club, which offers a pre-frenched Rack of Lamb in a vacuum-sealed package for roughly $12-$14, this was an easy task. So I'm now all aboard the Lamb Train and loving it. What a tasty little creature! :)

Grilled Rack of Lamb Lollipops with White Cheddar Smashed New Potatoes, Steamed Broccoli, and Spicy Orange Reduction

(Nom nom nom......)

Another menu item was born out of pure frugal-ness and creativity. Also a great find at Sam's Club is Stacy's Simply Naked Sea Salt Pita Chips. Love 'em. However, a certain somebody.........hmmm.......MIGHT have dropped the bag of chips on the floor before even being opened..........and they MIGHT have all broken into a million pieces. I honestly don't know who could have done such a thing. What a bummer. I refused to throw away the entire bag of tiny fragments of the delicious pita chips and instead, turned them into "breadcrumbs" in my food processor. Mixed them with a handful of Parmesan Cheese, a heavy dose of seasonings such as Garlic Salt and Rotisserie Chicken Seasoning, and the vibrant zest of a lemon- and voila! I was left with an incredibly flavorful and incredibly crunchy breading for Chicken or Fish.

Pita Chip, Parmesan, and Lemon Encrusted Tilapia with Smashed New Potatoes and Steamed Broccoli (Yep, those are the two "quick and easy" go-to side dishes)

I've also been exploring the world of Brownie Bites. I know I'm a little late on this trend, but what I lack in modern-ality, I make up for with creativity. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. And last but not least, I've decided that Mini Homemade Chocolate Eclairs aren't as big of a pain in the you-know-what as I thought they were, so now they are available for catering functions; NOT just special family occasions. Tee hee.

Mini Homemade Chocolate Eclairs alongside Strawberry Heart Brownie Bites

Peanut Butter Fudge-Walnut Brownie Bites alongside White Chocolate-Mint Brownie Bites

For recipes and/or to request any of these items for your own catering function, you know what to do.

Cheers,

The Chef Next Door

Boxed Lunches for Intuitive Research and CSC Wellness

2010-08-04T17:25:00.000-05:00

So between the cooking classes, numerous catering proposals, private chef inquiries, and cramming in some favors for loved ones, I've stretched it even further and am now the Contracted Caterer for a new Huntsville-based Wellness company called CSC Wellness. They provide all sorts of "employee wellness" programs for large companies around Huntsville- such as personal training, fitness classes, healthy cooking classes, and so forth. And when one of their clients needs catering services, they bring me in.

Today, we provided 23 Executive Boxed Lunches for the participants of the "Sizzle" Healthy Cooking Class, lead by Dr. James Reed. Each box came complete with: half of a Grilled Chicken Wrap with Provolone, half of a Roasted Veggie Wrap with Feta and Balsamic, Mayo and Mustard packets, a Fresh Fruit Cup, a bag of Sunchips, a pack of Trail Mix, Bottled Water and Milo's Tea.

Boxed lunches are an easy, healthy, and still delicious way to feed a crowd during a corporate meeting, seminar, orientation, and so forth. Give me a call today to place your order!

Cheers,

The Chef Next Door

What Culinary School DIDN'T Teach Me

2010-07-24T18:59:00.003-05:00

I've been out of school for a year and a half now, and still come across something every once in a while that I really can't believe I don't know how to make or do. The really surprising part: They are COMMON things. Don't get me wrong...Culinary school was amazing. I'd love to be a "professional student" and go to Culinary school for the rest of my life. BUT- I participated in the "Fast Track Program" which condensed the traditional two years of schooling into an action-packed, intense, 5-hours-a-day-of-nothing-but-cooking program that only lasted 9 months. Therefore, they had to choose the best of the best, the most useful, most well-known recipes to teach us and had to weed out the "fluff." For all of my readers who haven't gone to Culinary school, you should enjoy this.

1. I know how to make homemade Chocolate Eclairs from scratch.......but I have no clue how to make Sugar Cookies.

2. I could make homemade Ice Creams and Sorbets all day with my hands tied behind my back.....but I would have to scour the internet for a Chocolate Cake recipe.

3. I can make a loaf of Brioche or a Challah Braid with my eyes closed........but I have never made Cinnamon Rolls.

4. I can make Duck Confit or Stuffed Quail for a crowd...........but this past Thanksgiving was my first real experience cooking a Turkey.

5. I have no problem putting together Beef Wellingtons or Braised Short Ribs......but I'd scratch my head if you asked me to locate the Sirloin or Flank Steak on a cow.

6. I know how to make just about every sauce under the sun.......but I had to figure out for myself how to make Pesto.

7. I was taught how to make Vichyssoise (a cold Potato Leek soup) and Borscht (a cold, Ukranian Beet soup)...............but I had to turn to FoodNetwork.com to learn how to make a Tomato Basil Soup.

8. In school, I made tiny delicate Blinis topped with Smoked Salmon and Dill......but I've never made or even eaten a Crepe.

9. I know how to MAKE Mozzarella cheese..........but until I messed up a batch of White Queso Dip on Cinco de Mayo, I had no idea that some cheeses simply don't melt. At all.

10. I could carve a Swan out of ice, butcher a whole Pig, fillet a 40 pound Salmon, or make an Ice Cream bowl out of egg whites..........but I still manage to mess up White Rice every time I try to cook it.

So there. Do you feel better about yourself???? :)

Cheers,

The Chef Next Door

Cutie-pa-tooties!

2010-07-20T17:43:00.000-05:00

Did I spell that right? Anyway, you know what I mean. I just can't stand it anymore, and I HAVE to post these pictures of three of the most adorable kids ever. I am in the middle of a 6-week series of cooking classes with their adorable Mommy, and I just get so excited to see these little darlings every week. They even drew pictures for me one week which are now posted on my "Chef Next Door" business bulletin board. :)

These photos are from our "Pizza Night" cooking class. Their Mommy and I prepared the infamous Chicken and Chorizo Pizza, Pesto Pinwheels with homemade Pesto, AND........drumroll please........a Dessert Pizza just for the kiddos. We made a Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough "crust", a Chocolate Ganache "pizza sauce", shredded White Chocolate "cheese", and let the kids add their own toppings to their personal corners of the pizza. Too fun and too cute. I think they were pretty happy with their masterpieces. Wish I could have stuck around to see them covered in chocolate and sprinkles later...but that's not part of the deal. I scoot out just in time for them to sit down to dinner as a family. If this looks like something you'd like to do for your kids or yourself, you know who to call!

(Do you see how bored the other two are while waiting on their sister to decorate her corner?? Hilarious.)

(The youngest took his sweet time making sure his corner was PERFECT. The other two snuck a few M&M's while Mom wasn't looking....)

(Aren't they the cutest children ever??)

Cheers,

The Chef Next Door

Oh, the Pressure!

2010-07-20T11:54:00.000-05:00

Have you ever been struggling with something, trying to find the answer, wracking your brain, trying to work it out, on the verge of giving up...only to find the answer is SO simple and basically been right in front of your face the whole time? You have to give yourself a wack in the forehead and go, "DUH! Why didn't I think of that??" Take a seat at my counter for a minute.

The Subject: Braised Short Ribs- one of my favorite things to cook and eat, a delicious family favorite, surprisingly easy to prepare, easily taught to cooking class participants.

The Problem: A 2-hour time constraint. Short Ribs take several hours to braise and get "fall-off-the-bone" tender, and my cooking classes are usually 2 hours long.

Brainstorm Solutions: Find the smallest possible Ribs that would cook a little faster...prepare a "swap out" like they do on cooking shows to bring to the class....meet for class and prepare the short ribs then meet back up several hours later for the finished results....all of these are ridiculous.

The Obvious Solution: Make the Short Ribs cook FASTER!!

But how? A pressure cooker. Duh.

I receive daily promotional emails from Williams Sonoma advertising some of their new products or sales, and on one particular day, I got an email advertising the Cuisinart Electric Pressure Cooker.

WHY DIDN'T I THINK OF THAT???????

45 minutes in the Pressure Cooker is all it takes to have Braised Short Ribs that melt in your mouth like butter. Case closed. I found this little beauty for half-price on Ebay, and just a few short days later, I was in Braised Short Rib Heaven....in just a fraction of the time. Now, I can share this delectable recipe with my students and we even have time leftover for other recipes. I simply instruct my students to pretend that the pressure cooker is a regular pot, and pretend that the 45 short minutes in the Pressure Cooker are really 4 hours in the oven. Everything else is exactly the same. Ah, technology.

Click here for the recipe for my Root Beer Braised Short Ribs.

Cheers,

The Chef Next Door

Sadness and Triumph

2010-07-06T12:42:00.000-05:00

Well, the 4th of July ended up being a very, very sad day in my neck of the woods. Last week, Taylor and I adopted a 9-week-old Border Collie/Springer Spaniel mix from a shelter. We named him Sawyer. He was the happiest, cutest, friendliest, most rambunctious little puppy ever. He and our 3-year-old Siberian Husky, Layla, took to each other like Peanut Butter and Jelly- she even let him lay across her back like she was his Mommy. We got him neutered and treated him for all the fleas and worms his poor little body was infested with, and he was well on his way to a perfect bill of health and a long happy life as a member of our family. But then the Parvo hit him like a freight train, and our little boy who was once bouncing off the walls couldn't even muster the strength to lift his head or eat. After a couple days in the Animal ER being pumped with fluids and antibiotics, little Sawyer just couldn't take it anymore, and he passed away Sunday afternoon, on the 4th of July. He was a great dog, and was the perfect addition to our family. I'll never forget him and will love him always. RIP sweet buddy. Our little Tom Sawyer.

Among happier news- The Chef Next Door has won not one, but TWO contests on MixingBowl.com! My "Enchilada Pinwheels" won the Cinco de Mayo Recipe Contest, and my "Sweet Potato-Apple-Butternut Squash Puree" won the Best Baby Food Contest. I'm not even really sure how it happened, but I guess the people really liked my entries and so did the judges. I was beginning to think I was wasting my time entering the recipe contests, but you can count on it that I'll keep at it until I win even more! Thanks to anyone who voted, and please check out my profile on Mixing Bowl and vote for the contests I'm entered in now: Spectacular Strawberry Desserts and Lean Beef Challenge. Hope everyone has a great week.

*Enchilada Pinwheels*

*Sweet Potato, Apple, and Butternut Squash Puree*

Cheers,

The Chef Next Door

Independence Day

2010-07-04T12:20:00.000-05:00

Happy 4th of July, everyone! We are busy smoking some Pork Butts and Spare Ribs out in the yard, but I thought I'd take a minute to wish you all a very happy Independence Day. I hope you enjoy some great food, fabulous drinks, and lots and lots of fireworks. :)

Cheers,

The Chef Next Door

Mom's Birthday Beef Wellingtons and Father's Day Chocolate Eclairs

2010-06-27T12:06:00.000-05:00

Every Mom has two days that are especially HERS. These two days are reserved for honoring her, showering her with love and gifts and attention, and trying somehow to repay her for the countless hours, days, and lifetimes which she has spent making sure that YOUR life is as wonderful as possible. Her Birthday and Mother's Day. Oh, my poor mom. Get this: My birthday is May 10th. Yep, it usually falls on or right around Mother's Day, therefore her special day is somewhat overshadowed by her daughter's birthday. And to make matters worse, HER birthday is June 18th....usually on or right around Father's day. Therefore, her birthday is usually in conjunction with my dad's special day. Well, we can't change peoples' birthdays or move the Holidays, so we just have to do the best we can to make their special days super special.

This year, to celebrate Mom's birthday AND Father's day (which fell on the same weekend), I decided that the best I could do was break out the big guns and prepare a meal and dessert that are only reserved for VERY special occasions: Individual Beef Wellingtons and Homemade Chocolate Eclairs. Both of these items are truly labors-of-love. Somewhere between dicing dozens of mushrooms for the Duxelle and vigorously whisking the pastry cream, I felt one of the most rewarding feelings ever. While I was struggling to perfectly enclose the beef in the puff pastry and clutching my cramped wrist after piping dozens of Pate Choux eclairs, I realized this. My love of cooking developed because of my Mom. I was blessed to be able to attend Culinary school because of my Dad. And now, I was using my special talent, that they both nurtured and encouraged, to honor THEM. What a treat for me as a Chef. There is no event more satisfying.

The Wellingtons were delicious. Mom was thrilled and ate every bite. The Eclairs...well I don't know if I've ever seen my Dad grinning from ear-to-ear like a little boy, and shoving 4 of them in his mouth as fast as possible. I don't think any award or accolade could make me as happy as seeing my wonderful parents truly loving something that I made especially for them. Love you guys!

Before baking:

After baking:

Served with Root Beer Gravy! Yummy....

Homemade Chocolate Eclairs:

Happy Daddy!

Comment if you'd like recipes for Individual Beef Wellingtons or Homemade Chocolate Eclairs. They really aren't that difficult on their own. :) Maybe just don't prepare them together on the same day.....

Cheers,

The Chef Next Door

Copy Cat AGAIN!

2010-06-22T14:21:00.008-05:00

Oh dear...I've done it again. Completely neglected the blog. Between the exciting new business ventures and the brilliant Summer in Alabama weather, I have been beyond distracted! My apologies, followers. But make no mistake about it, I am never distracted from my first love-----cooking. :) If you'll refer back to one of my very first posts- a restaurant review of Luciano here in Huntsville- I describe a particularly spectacular dish that Taylor ordered for our Valentine's dinner:

Grilled Red Grouper with a Cabbage, Pancetta, Corn, and Potato Hash topped with Eggplant Tapenade $30

It was incredible. It was delicious. It was beautiful. It was expensive. And seeing as it was the "special" of the evening, there's little to no chance we would ever be able to order it again. Well, here is The Chef Next Door rendition- with a few changes here and there. Guess I'll have to toot my horn for a second because I think my version was even better. Or maybe it was just the Pawley's Island breeze filling our nostrils and the luminous sunset flooding the plates as we devoured our dinner.....who knows? Either way, here is a delicious and for-the-most-part healthy seafood dish for you to please your friends and family with this summer.

The Chef Next Door's Lemon Roasted Grouper with a Cabbage, Prosciutto, Corn, Potato, and Asparagus Hash

Ingredients:

1 beautiful Grouper Fillet per person

Several slices of lemon

Generous sprinkle of salt and pepper

Drizzle of Olive Oil

1 package of shredded Cabbage

1 ear of White or Yellow sweet Corn

1 bag of multi-colored petite Potatoes

1 bundle of Asparagus

1 package (or 5-6 pieces of Prosciutto)

3 Tablespoons of butter

Pinch of Nutmeg

Salt and Pepper

Garlic Salt

Balsamic Reduction for garnish

Directions:

1. Prep all the vegetables- strip the corn from the cob, remove the woody ends off the asparagus and cut the stalks into 1" pieces, cut the petite potatoes into bite-size pieces.

2. Place the Prosciutto in a 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes to crisp up.

3. Rub the grouper with Olive Oil, then sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Arrange the lemon slices on a baking sheet and top with the Grouper. Arrange more slices on top of the grouper, then place it in the 350 degree oven to roast, about 20-25 minutes, depending on the size of the fillets.

(Note: this is a picture from a different recipe, but I used it just for you to see how to arrange the fish on top of the lemon slices.)

4. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Separately blanch the corn, then the potatoes, then the asparagus until each item is perfectly tender. (Corn- about 4 minutes, Potatoes- about 6 minutes, Asparagus- about 2 minutes. Make SURE to do the Asparagus last because it will turn the water green.)

5. Melt the butter in a skillet, add the cabbage, corn, potatoes, and asparagus and begin to briefly saute the vegetables together. Season with salt, pepper, a pinch of nutmeg, and a bit of Garlic Salt. When the vegetables are hot, add in the crumbled crispy Prosciutto and toss everything to combine.

(Sorry for the blurry photo....was in a rush!)

6. To serve, decoratively drizzle some Balsamic reduction in the bottom of a flat bowl or plate. Place a generous mound of the Hash in the center, then perch the roasted Grouper on top, and place a slice of the roasted lemon on top of the fish.

Just about anything would taste good with a view like that, right? Hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we did. Happy summer, everyone!

Cheers,

The Chef Next Door

Embarassingly Easy Caprese Salad

2010-06-15T11:56:00.000-05:00

GORGEOUS, right?? This yummy delicious Caprese Salad never fails to impress in both flavor and presentation. It is light but also filling, it has incredible flavor but goes well with just about anything, it is a great side dish but also could act as a main, it pleases meat-lovers and Vegetarians alike, and....it only requires 3 ingredients and if you can hold a knife, you could make this delish dish.

You need:

Several gorgeous ripe red tomatoes
Fresh mozzarella cheese (ball or pre-sliced)
Fresh basil leaves

Pay attention now....this is super difficult:

Slice the tomatoes in 1/4-1/2 inch slices.

Slice the mozzarella in equally thick slices as the tomatoes.

Pick the basil leaves from the stem.

Arrange them as such: Tomato, then basil leaf, then mozzarella. Repeat until ingredients are used up.

A healthy pinch of salt and pepper is all that is required for finishing this beautiful salad, but a drizzle of Balsamic Vinegar would elevate it to another level of deliciousness.

Whip up this incredible salad for a crowd or just as a simple lunch for yourself. Either way, it is uber-satisfying and total eye candy.

Cheers,

The Chef Next Door

Answers to "GUESS!"

2010-06-08T10:31:00.002-05:00

Well, nobody seemed to like playing "GUESS!" as much as I thought....but if ANYBODY is interested, the answers are listed on the post called "GUESS!" below. :)

Cheers,

The Chef Next Door

The Chef Next Door: EXPRESS!

2010-05-28T19:29:00.000-05:00

So unbeknownst to me, when you start a business, lots of people are out to get you. More specifically, they are out to get your MONEY. After almost being suckered into 2 different "support your local fire department/baseball team and get tons of advertising in return" scams, I am VERY skeptical to answer my phone anymore. If a number comes across that does not have a (205) or (256) area code, it is automatically rejected. (I may answer a Tennessee area code once in a while.) Well, last week, I received a call from Canada. Yep, you guessed it: IGNORED. No way was I going to listen to some clown from Canada try to sell me some advertising space on a Baseball poster. Not interested. Surprise surprise, they left a voicemail. It started off like all the rest.

"Hi, Margaret. My name is ____ _____ and I'm with the company ________."

I started to pull the phone away from my ear to delete the message before having to hear any more nonsense, but then I heard one tiny bit.....

"I'm calling about your pre-made meals for a friend of mine..."

Wow, could it be? A real person with a real interest in my services? Yes it was! A man from Canada had googled "pre-made dinners in Huntsville" and came across my website. Turns out, a friend of his who lives down here in Alabama just had a baby, and as good friends often do, he wanted to send a bunch of meals to his friend and his new family. So, The Chef Next Door's EXPRESS catering is officially off the ground. I created an email gift certificate which he sent to his friend, his friend called me to redeem the gift certificate and custom-create his meals...and the rest is history. If you or anyone you know in the Tennessee Valley is in need of some gourmet pre-made meals, give me a shout! If you've got a weird area code........well, just be sure to leave a message. :) Here are the meals I made for the friend and his new lovely family.

Chilled Sesame Shrimp and Noodle Salad

with Green Onions, Cherry Tomatoes, and Salted Cashews

Cornmeal Crusted Fried Shrimp and Spicy Andouille Jambalaya

served with Creole Remoulade and Green Onions on the side

Classic Homemade Lasagna

served with Parmesan Garlic Bread

Deep Dish Mexican Pizza with a Cheesy Cornbread "Crust"

served with Cilantro Sour Cream, Salsa, and Black Olives on the side

Grilled NY Strip Steak with Crumbled Blue Cheese on the side

served with Whipped Sweet Potatoes and Steamed Broccoli

Mom's Creamy Chicken Pasta Salad

with slivered Almonds and Purple Grapes

Artichoke and Grilled Chicken Casserole

with a Sherry cream sauce over Mushroom Consumme Rice

Barbecue Grilled Chicken Breasts with Honey BBQ and BBQ Ranch Sauce on the side

served with Ranch Mashed Potatoes and Roasted Asparagus

Cheers,

The Chef Next Door

The End of the Beginning

2010-05-27T22:20:00.006-05:00

Oh boy oh boy oh boy....the YOUNGER brothers have graduated high school!! If you are on a personal level with any members of my immediate family, you are well aware at what an incredible accomplishment this is...and what an enormous relief it is! To my mother, especially. :) Well, younger brothers graduating high school requires a better-than-average gift from big sister, so I decided to create little booklets with advice and tips that I learned from my collegiate career. I called them "The Ten Commandments", and split the booklet up into different categories- each with 10 "rules" or guidelines to follow. The book ended with space for hand-written notes from their family members and several pages of family photos.

While I spent a lot of time (and money!) writing them, formatting them, printing them out, laminating them, cutting them, and binding them...I regrettably decided that my brothers probably wouldn't appreciate them very much. Maybe later on in life, but not now, as they are being showered with hundreds of "cool" gifts! So....the universe smiled on me and sent my long-lost friend (who moved to Florida for her job) back to Huntsville for the week. This particular friend happens to make spectacular sculpted cakes. Voila! I knew for a fact they would appreciate an "Ace of Cakes" style cake that they could devour. So, we rolled up our sleeves, channeled our inner "Duff"s, and cranked out this Graduation Cake masterpiece! It took a lot of time and even more patience...but it turned out pretty magnificent and the family absolutely loved it. Maybe I'll be a pro by the time they graduate college. Ha.

A very special thanks to Stacey Munoz, for all the time and patience you put into helping make this cake and another special thanks to Heather Petersen, owner of Slice at a Time, for lending me some of your cake-making equipment!!

Cheers,

The Chef Next Door

Guess!

2010-05-24T11:17:00.002-05:00

Hi, everyone! Sorry for the lag in blogging....I've been pretty busy lately and also wanted to give Liz and Nicole Jackson a long run at the top spot. :) To make up for my absence, I decided to come up with a fun "game" for my readers to play. People often want to see pictures of my food, and I'm always surprised at how often they ask "What is that???" in regards to a picture that, to me, looks very obvious what it is. So, I decided to post a handful of some of my wackiest food photos and see how clever my readers are! Post your answers in the "share your thoughts" section, and the person who gets the most right will get a special shout out! Include your name, email address, and your list of answers, 1-10. Ready......set........guess!

1. Sea Urchins?? Nope, try again....

ANSWER: Oriental Pork and Rice Balls

2. What is in the spoons??

ANSWER: Petite Crabcakes with Remoulade and Chives

3. Name 2 of the 4 items on this tray.

ANSWER: Pancetta and Beef Skewers, Cucumber Cups with Ceviche, Blinis with Smoked Salmon and Creme Fraiche, and Toast Rounds topped with Deviled Quail Eggs

4. Pretty, huh? "Soup" is not a good enough answer....

ANSWER: Chilled Saffron Soup with Melons and Sliced Scallops

5. What is this Penguin made of? (4 part answer- Body, nose, eyes and "buttons, and feet)

ANSWER: Body- Eggplant; Nose- Carrot; Eyes and Buttons- Peppercorns; Feet- Parsnips

6. What is this?

ANSWER: Beef Carpaccio with Mixed Greens, Croutons, and Lemon Aioli

7. Give it a go....

ANSWER: Mango Sorbet in Tuile Spoons resting on Chocolate Mousse and Raspberry Puree

8. When this is sliced up, what will it be??

ANSWER: Biscotti! (Orange/Almond Flavor)

9. What is this lovely pinkish orange stuff?

ANSWER: Sushi-grade Salmon

10. Last one....what is it? It's delicious, I'll tell you that!

ANSWER: Roasted Eggplant with Panko Breadcrumbs and Mint

Ok, foodies...give it your best shot! Be as descriptive as you can. Happy guessing!!

Cheers,

The Chef Next Door

Liz and Nicole Jackson's Mother/Daughter Dinner

2010-05-14T19:59:00.006-05:00

About a week ago, a sweet girl named Nicole Jackson contacted me and was interested in my personal chef services. She informed me that her mother, Liz, hasn't been feeling well lately, so Nicole and her out-of-state sister wanted to give her an extra-special Mother's Day gift by hiring me to cater a private 4-course dinner, just for the two of them! What nice daughters. :) Nicole wanted to incorporate some of her mother's most favorite foods, some of which included fried shrimp, romaine lettuce, green apples, ranch, barbecue chicken, and cinnamon rolls. What a fun task I had at hand!! Together, Nicole and I created a menu based on her mom's favorite foods with a "fine-dining" spin on them. The ladies treated themselves to a morning at the Spa, got their hair and nails done, and arrived back at Liz's house for a gourmet meal dedicated solely to her from her daughter. All mothers should be so blessed to have such thoughtful children. I had a blast cooking for them in their beautiful home and had just as good a time getting to know Nicole and Liz. Here is the menu and pictures from the charming event. Enjoy!

Two beautiful ladies and very happy (and full!) customers! I truly enjoyed working with you. :)

Cheers,

The Chef Next Door

Treasure in my Dresser

2010-05-11T18:05:00.002-05:00

AMEN!

(This is the back of a T-shirt, in case that wasn't obvious.)

Cheers,

The Chef Next Door

Chicken and Chorizo Pizza 2.0

2010-05-10T11:48:00.001-05:00

Hello, all! Hope all the mommy's out there had a fabulous Mother's Day. Especially mine! Love you, Mom. :)

SO, if you enjoyed the Chicken and Chorizo Pizza, this blog is for you. A lack of certain ingredients and an abundance of others forced me to create a variation of the delicious pizza one night.....and the variation happened to somehow be doubly-delicious than the original. Here are the changes:

1- Use CLASSIC/THICK CRUST pizza dough (Pillsbury) instead of Thin Crust. (I don't think I specified in the original post, but I had been using the thin crust stuff.)

2- Sprinkle the unbaked dough with Cajun Seasoning in addition to the other herbs and parmesan cheese before par-baking it.

3- Mix the Sun-dried Tomato Alfredo sauce with a can of MEDIUM ROTEL instead of the salsa.

4- Instead of sauteeing the chicken with onion and chorizo, marinate the chicken breast in cumin, chili powder, lime juice, and olive oil. Throw it on the grill until it is barely cooked through. Cut it up into bite size cubes.

5- Spread the grilled chicken cubes, the uncooked diced chorizo, and raw fresh spinach over the Alfredo sauce mixture.

6- Continue as originally described with the mozzarella and cheddar cheese, but forget the goat cheese! Never though I'd ever say those words. Hopefully will never say it again. I love you, goat cheese. It's not you, it's me....

7- Bake as usual and cover with chopped fresh cilantro.

As if the original Chicken and Chorizo pizza wasn't delicious enough, these little tweaks took it over the top for some reason. It was cheesy and spicy and packed to the brim with flavor. Positively sinful! Writing the last Chicken and Chorizo blog got my tastebuds so worked up that the Chicken and Chorizo Pizza 2.0 was born that very night. I'm so serious, somebody make this pizza and let me know how much you love it!!

Have a good week. Until next time....

Cheers,

The Chef Next Door

Homemade Cinco de Mayo Fiesta

2010-05-06T18:05:00.001-05:00

As some of you may or may not know, I've recently been hired as the Huntsville Gourmet Food Examiner! Pretty exciting. I am responsible for keeping readers up to date on the latest gourmet gadgets, the best local restaurants, delicious gourmet recipes, gourmet cookbooks, and so on. Rough life, huh?? :) While I do have a good bit of freedom in what I write about, we are nudged to write about upcoming holidays/local events/specials/etc., so I felt it was my duty to inform Huntsville readers of several different spots to go out and celebrate Cinco de Mayo. And like a bad article-writer, I did the exact opposite of what I encouraged my readers to do: I created my own fiesta instead of going out to support our favorite Mexican restaurant. (We go there enough times during the week, I doubt they missed us on this one night!) So, I felt like an utter hypocrite as I gathered my Mexican ingredients from Publix, but let me tell you, our "homemade fiesta" was awesome! I do not regret it a bit. Tee hee!

We made:

-Guacomole
-Pico de Gallo
-Chipotle and Tomato Salsa
-Roasted Jalapeno Queso Dip (AMAZING!!!)

-Mexican Saffron Rice
-Spicy Black Beans
-Chipotle marinated Skirt Steak Fajitas
-Mexican marinated Chicken Fajitas
-MARGARITAS, OF COURSE!

If you have the time and the energy, I highly suggest spending an evening throwing together your own homemade Mexican fiesta. Your family will love you! If you want any recipes for any of the above listed items, just comment and I'll post them! Hope everyone had a very happy 5th of May. Mother's Day is right around the corner.....are you ready???

Cheers,

The Chef Next Door

Getting to know you....

2010-05-02T11:10:00.005-05:00

Who all is out there reading this blog? I feel like Julie in the movie Julie and Julia...dedicated to blogging as often as possible, committed to sharing with my readers, and constantly wondering, "Who's actually reading this?" Come now, don't be shy! I see lots of profile views, but only a small handful of followers and even smaller handful of comments. Show yourself! Haha, totally kidding. Ok- here is an "assignment" for my readers...whoever and wherever you are. Reply to this post with 10-15 interesting facts about yourself- food or cooking related preferably. Here is my gift to you- a little insight into my life and my kitchen.

15 Things You May Not Know About The Chef Next Door:

1- The first thing I ever learned to cook was Egg Salad.

2- I truly think Milo's Splenda Sweet Tea tastes better out of the jug. (As opposed to out of a cup)

3- I would eat Goat Cheese or Pesto on ANYTHING. Literally, anything.

4- I don't really like chocolate.

5- I used to hate red wine/mushrooms/onions/tomatoes/peppers/spinach/etc....but then one day decided that there's no way I can be a chef and hate all those foods....so I changed my mind and now those are some of my favorites.

6-People who "don't like fish" or seafood make me mad. So many beautiful and delicious things come from the sea.

7-Eggs make me nauseous for a few minutes after eating them, but I do anyways. Almost every day.

8- My favorite kitchen utensil, even though I barely ever use it, is my super sharp awesome Mandolin. I'd cry if something happened to it.

9- I DO NOT cook, eat, or have anything to do with Veal.

10- I have an obsession with serving platters.

11- I eat Ketchup on my eggs. And sometimes on soft tacos.

12- A year or so ago, I would have sold my kidney on the Black Market to work in the Test Kitchens of Southern Living or Cooking Light Magazine.

13- I wish I could be a professional culinary student...I would love to go to Culinary school for the rest of my life.

14- Ina Garten (The Barefoot Contessa) is my favorite Food Network personality. Sandra Lee, on the other hand..........................................................................is very color-coordinated.

15- Even though I'm a chef and I know it's a huge "no-no", I still sometimes salt my food before even tasting it.

Happy Sunday! Now it's your turn.....
Cheers,

The Chef Next Door

*The Chef Next Door*

4-Month Vacation

Better Late than Never

This Bread is BANANAS! B.A.N.A.N.A.S.!

FIESTA!

Dreams Really Can Come True!

Valentine's Dinner-for-Two Kits

Kathryn and Steve Powers Birthday Dinner Party

Intimate (SURPRISE!) Birthday Dinner for Two

A Quick Christmas Catch-Up

"Healthy Holiday Party" Cooking Demo at WestWind

Open House at Southerland Station

Pot Luck Thanksgiving Luncheon at WestWind Technologies, Inc.

A Recipe-less Life

Chef vs. Baker

Celebratory Dinner at Brix Wine and Tapas

NEW! "Re-Purposing Thanksgiving" Cooking Class at The Wine Cellar

Busy with a Capital "B"!

NEW! Cooking Classes at The Wine Cellar

"No Pain, No Gain"

Sorry to depress everybody...

Where's the Beef?

Healthy Cooking Demonstration at GE's Annual Health Fair

Itza Pizza Party

Keeping up with the OTHER latest trend: SOCIAL NETWORKING!

Keeping up with the latest trend: HEALTHY EATING!

Trent Clinton's "Skill Test" for The Chef Next Door Academy

The launch of "The Chef Next Door Academy"!

Lobster Killer

Healthy Cooking Demonstration at WestWind Technologies

The "Crostini" Lady

Best of the Best BIRTHDAY Cooking Class

Working late?

An 80th Birthday Cocktail Party

New Additions

Boxed Lunches for Intuitive Research and CSC Wellness

What Culinary School DIDN'T Teach Me

Cutie-pa-tooties!

Oh, the Pressure!

Sadness and Triumph

Independence Day

Mom's Birthday Beef Wellingtons and Father's Day Chocolate Eclairs

Copy Cat AGAIN!

Embarassingly Easy Caprese Salad

Answers to "GUESS!"

The Chef Next Door: EXPRESS!

The End of the Beginning

Guess!

Liz and Nicole Jackson's Mother/Daughter Dinner

*Treasure in my Dresser*

Chicken and Chorizo Pizza 2.0

Homemade Cinco de Mayo Fiesta

Getting to know you....

The Chef Next Door

Treasure in my Dresser