Our Family Cooking Class at Sur La Table

Purchasing a gift for a loved one can sometimes be a bit of a challenge, especially when you are also responsible for purchasing a gift for Mom or Dad from the kids. This year, all of the above was taken care of in one easy step as my kids and I treated my wife for her birthday to a family cooking class at Sur La Table.

Located in the Court at the King of Prussia Mall (as well as many other locations across the country), Sur La Table is a kitchenware retail company that specializes in cookware, cutlery and cook’s tools, bakeware and glassware, along with many other food and kitchen related items. Many of their stores also offer on-site cooking classes that cover various topics, such as pizza night, knife skills, seasonal favorites, grill mastering and pasta workshops. Classes may also be built into special themed nights, such as date night, seasonal specialties and family dinners. These special cooking events have always been on my radar, so celebrating my wife’s birthday with a family cooking class would no doubt make for a fun and memorable evening for us all.

The evening started with a warm and friendly greeting from Chef Michael, who is the resident chef and instructor at the King of Prussia location. The classroom generally accommodates up to 16 people, and we were at full capacity. There were families of four (including ours), along with a few groups of two. The class is set up with two prep stations that fit up to eight people at each station. We were paired up with another group of four, and would spend the evening helping each other through the steps and procedures that Chef Michael would demonstrate. The front of the classroom was equipped with a fully functional gas range and oven, with both a reflective mirror above and a tv camera off to the side to help us view the lesson from different angles. And of course there were a number of hand washing stations in various corners of the room. One of Chef Michael’s rules was to always wash our hands after handling food, along with any contact that our hands made with our faces, our hair or our phones. Yes, our phones can be pretty gnarly!

The prep area.

The theme for the evening was Italian Favorites, and our menu consisted of Fettuccine Alfredo, Chicken Parm and Chocolate Mint Gelato. Now, I’ve made each of these dishes a number of times, and I’m sure that many of you have as well. While we each may have our own methods and tricks while making these dishes, I do find it very inspiring and helpful to step back and learn the most basic yet perfected methods to a classic recipe. Chef Michael did an exceptional job of not only explaining each of the recipe steps to us on a level that both the parents and kids could understand, he also explained why the steps were being taken and how the recipe would be altered if the steps weren’t followed properly. Chef Michael also took the time to demonstrate and explain the techniques involved with preparing the dishes. Again, while many of the techniques were basic and familiar to all, there were still more than a few tips and tricks that I found to be helpful and will be sure to put them to practice in my own kitchen. Let’s take cracking an egg, for example. I’ve probably cracked a million eggs in my lifetime, and I’ve worked long and hard to perfect the skill of the single-hand crack. What I wasn’t aware of was the damage that I was potentially causing to the yolk by cracking the eggs on the lip of a bowl. That’s right, cracking an egg on the lip of a bowl can penetrate the yolk and cause it to break. It is much safer to crack one egg on a counter top or table top, dropping the egg about the distance of a closed fist. If you are using two or more eggs, simply crack the eggs by tapping them together. The shells will break, but the yolk will not. Quite a few other fun and informative tips and techniques were shared throughout the evening, but I won’t spoil the fun of you finding them out for yourself.

Ava gets crackin’!

Chef Michael demonstrating how to properly knead dough.

Rolling out the dough.

Fettuccine noodles, ready to be boiled.

Because this was a family class, there was a nice balance of kids both young and old. Chef Michael did a phenomenal job of keeping everyone involved, knowing when to ask the help of the younger students (folding the pasta dough, for example), and when to instruct the parents to take the reigns (frying up the chicken cutlets and operating the pasta machine). There was plenty of mixing, folding, flipping and stirring for everyone to enjoy, and the chicken cutlet breading assembly line made sure to keep us all involved. There was also the dessert, which was actually the first recipe that we started with (the gelato mixture needed to chill, which takes a bit of time). Making ice cream or gelato may sound intimidating to some. But with just a few simple ingredients (whole milk, heavy cream, sugar, egg yolks), plus the additional ingredients for the custom flavor that you choose (vanilla bean, mint, melted chocolate, strawberry), and a fairly inexpensive counter top ice cream maker to churn your mixture, you would be surprised on the decadent creations that you could create. Chef Michael gave us some very tasty and informative tips and tricks to make home made ice cream and gelato, but again I must leave it up to you to discover these tips for yourself.

Stirring the Alfredo sauce.

Folding in the fettuccine.

I have to give huge credit and props to Chef Michael’s kitchen assistants. Not only were they available for questions or assistance throughout the evening, they also made sure to stay on top of our mess during clean-up. If we were called up front to watch Chef Michael give a demonstration, you could be sure that we were walking back to a perfectly cleaned working station. The staff was also responsible for following through with finishing touches on our dishes while we moved on to the next recipe.

Dinner is served!

Plated and ready to eat!

If you have ever considered looking into a cooking class – whether it be as a couple, a family or even on your own – I would highly suggest looking into one of the many wonderful in-store classes held at Sur La Table.

For more information, please visit the Sur La Table website.

Cookin’ with the Gluten-Free Paisan: Ratatouille Pizza

I’m very happy to share with you my first collaborative recipe with my good friend, Mike DeStefano (aka The Gluten-Free Paisan). This is one of Mike’s favorite recipes that he and his wife often make….and with a combination of simmered fresh seasonal vegetables, tasty chicken breast and a mouth watering pizza crust, how could you go wrong?

Now, if you are at all familiar with the gluten-free diet, you may be wondering just how in the world could a pizza recipe that sounds so satisfying and flavorful as this be gluten-free? [The original recipe, which wasn’t gluten-free, was first published in Cooking Light]. The first, and most obvious substitute to make this recipe gluten-free would be the crust. Of course, you can use a traditional pizza crust (as I did) for this recipe. But if you are following a gluten-free diet, there are alternative pizza crust options available. You can find a number of gluten-free pizza crusts in the health food section of your grocery store. Common brands that you may find are Mama Mary’s, Smart Flour Foods, and Udi’s. Another popular pizza crust alternative is a cauliflower crust. These may also be available in the frozen food area of your grocery store’s health section. Of course, you can also find a number of recipes online for gluten-free pizza dough or cauliflower crusts, but it may take a little time to find a recipe that is easy to work with or has the taste and texture that you are hoping to achieve. So, if you are just starting to experiment with home made gluten-free doughs, the store bought version may be your best bet for now. But again, if you are not on a gluten-free diet or are not interested in a cauliflower pizza crust, then a traditional crust will do just fine.

Because Mike now follows both a gluten-free and Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) diet, he also made some necessary and tasty adjustments to the toppings so that both he and his wife could enjoy this delicious recipe without any concerns of dietary reaction or inflammation. Early on in his experimenting, Mike decided to leave off the tomatoes and eggplant (to avoid inflammation) and cheese (to cut back on dairy). There were plenty of other delicious flavors happening on this pizza, so the missing ingredients didn’t make the pizza any less enjoyable. Today, he has reintroduced tomatoes and eggplant back into his diet, which shows how patience and determination play into the AIP diet. Go Mike!

I had continued to make some further updates to the recipe, substituting certain toppings that may not be my personal favorite. We both thought it would be fun to not only compare notes both before and after, but to also share the results with the Cucina Domenico readers. Below you will find the original recipe, with ingredients marked with an asterisk (*) to indicate the adjustments that both Mike and I have made to suit our individual tastes.  Like all other recipes that have been shared on my food blog, we both encourage you to take this recipe and feel free to adjust it to your own liking.

(Although we didn’t get to actually work together in the same kitchen this time around, we did go back and forth sharing thoughts and ideas both before and after making this dish. I can only imagine the culinary magic that both Mike and I will make and share with you when we both get together in the kitchen, hopefully soon.)

RATATOUILLE PIZZA
Originally published in Cooking Light

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch strips
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Cooking spray

*1 Japanese eggplant, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat pizza blend cheese
3 plum tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices

**1 cup sliced mushrooms

***4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup chopped skinless, boneless rotisserie cooked chicken breast (about 6 ounces)

****1 (10-ounce) Italian thin crispy pizza (such as Boboli)

Preheat oven to 375˚.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan. Add eggplant, bell pepper and onion; sauté 3 minutes or until eggplant begins to soften. Reduce heat to medium. Add mushrooms; cook 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add Italian seasoning, salt and garlic; cook 1 minute, stirring mixture constantly. Remove from heat.

Place crust on a baking sheet or a pizza stone (pizza stone is recommended). Spread vegetable mixture evenly over crust, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Arrange chicken over vegetable mixture; sprinkle evenly with cheese. Arrange tomato slices over cheese, and lightly coat with cooking spray. Bake at 375˚ for 25 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and tomatoes are softened.

Slice, serve and enjoy!

Mike and Dom’s Adjustments

*  Because Mike is following both the gluten-free and AIP diet, he has slowly had to work on reintroducing eggplant and tomatoes – which are two key food sources that can cause inflammation – back into his diet. He is also watching his dairy intake. If you are currently adjusting to an AIP diet, the eggplant and tomatoes can be left out without making this pizza taste any less flavorful or satisfying. There are still plenty of tasty ingredients, so the absence of the eggplant, tomatoes and cheese make for a minimal change.

** Dom is not a fan of mushrooms, so he replaced the mushrooms with diced yellow squash. This made for a great substitute, and could be added along with the mushrooms if you prefer both.

*** Dom really likes garlic. Mike LOVES garlic. While Dom went with four healthy size garlic cloves, Mike went all in and kicked it up to five cloves. Adjust the garlic to your taste and preference.

For the chicken, Dom went with cubed and Mike went with shredded. Apparently both were off the hook!

**** The pizza crust is open to your taste and preference. While a store bought shell will do the trick, feel free to use your own home made crust recipe. However, be sure not to go too thin while rolling out the crust, as the toppings are a bit heavy. If you are looking for a gluten-free option, you can find fresh or frozen gluten-free crusts from Smart Flour Foods, Udi’s or Mama Mary’s. Frozen cauliflower crusts are also available, or you can even experiment with making your own cauliflower crust or home made gluten-free pizza dough using  cassava flour (various recipes are available online).

Savory (and Healthy) Dark Chocolate Mousse

For this blog post, we will be putting away the garlic press and olive oil, and instead will be focusing on a savory dessert recipe that recently caught my attention for two reasons – the health facor and the unique ingredients.

Lately, I’ve been having some interesting dietary conversations with both my pal Mike (aka The Gluten-Free Paisan), with whom I’ll be collaborating on a delicious recipe very soon, and my good friend Jessica, who has had inspiring and successful results as of late with the Keto diet. While I am fortunate to not personally be dealing with any dietary restrictions, I still find it both fascinating and intriguing to speak with those who have made necessary and successful adjustments to their diets and lifestyle. When I came across the recipe that I am sharing with you today, I knew that it would be a fun opportunity to experiment with a healthy alternative for a dessert that is normally both sweet and rich. I also happened to have some ripe avocados on hand – which happens to be a key ingredient – so here we go! But before I get into the actual recipe, there are a few things that I feel should be explained about the initial ingredients and the substitutes that I have made.

Regardless of what dietary path a person follows – whether it be gluten-free, Keto, the Mediterranean Diet, or even Weight Watchers – one of the key ingredients that you are encouraged to kick to the curb is sugar. I am not going to reinvent the wheel by preaching to you about the negative impacts of sugar. There is already a ton of research available online. If you are interested in reading up a bit on sugar, I do suggest checking out the following healthline.com article by Jillian Kuala, MS, RD: 11 Reasons Why Too Much Sugar Is Bad for You.

As I mentioned earlier, what really turned me on to this recipe was the unique combinations of ingredients. I would never have imagined chocolate and avocado working together as a pair. When I saw that these were the two key ingredients in this recipe, I knew that I had to give it a try. While doing my research, I came across a few variations of this recipe, which all used 100% natural cocoa powder mixed with puréed avocado, vanilla extract, coconut or almond milk and a natural sweetener (like stevia) to help cut the bitterness of the cocoa. This version is actually vegan-friendly.

The key ingredients: dark chocolate and avocado.

Cacao 101: What Do the Numbers Actually Mean?

Before we move any further, let’s do a a quick review of cacao percenatges and what the numbers actually mean. The following information was gathered from a greatist.com article by Anisha Jhaveri: Does the Percent on Your Chocolate Bar Really Mean It’s Healthier?

Simply put, the percentage of cacao listed on a chocolate bar tells you how much of that bar consists of actual cacao bean product. That cacao bean product is made up primarily of chocolate liquor, which refers to a combination of cocoa solids (ground cocoa powder) and cocoa butter (the naturally occurring fat in the cacao bean). Extra cocoa butter (and sometimes, extra cocoa solids) is often added to make the chocolate creamier or more intense in flavor.

If you’ve got an 80% cacao bar, 80% of that bar will be made up of that chocolate liquor + added cocoa butter and/or solids combination, with the remaining 20% made up of fillers—mostly added sugar.

Bars with 50% cacao: 50% chocolate solids + cocoa butter, 50% filler ingredients (sugar, lecithin, vanilla, etc).

Bars with 85% cacao: 85% chocolate solids + cocoa butter, 15% filler ingredients (sugar, lecithin, vanilla, etc).

Bars with 100% cacao: 100% chocolate solids + cocoa butter, 0% added sugars or flavorings (this probably wouldn’t taste very good, which is why you don’t see them often, but you can add 100% cacao to smoothies and desserts)

Still not sure which bar you should be reaching for? Strip it down to one basic rule: If you’re looking to get the cardiovascular and anti-inflammatory benefits of cacao’s flavanols and polyphenols, look for chocolate with at least 70% cacao content.

Now that we have all of the formalities out of the way, let’s get back to the recipe. As I mentioned earlier, the original source recipe used 100% cocoa powder and natural sweeteners to boost the flavor. While I did have 100% cocoa powder on hand, I also had a 3.5 oz bar of organic 73% dark chocolate that I decided to use in place of the cocoa powder. Because the bar was already made up of 27% filler that contained sweeteners, I would cut back on the additional sweetener that would be added for taste. The actual amount of sugar coming from the bar would be less than 27%, because I was only using 2/3 of the bar in the recipe. [Note: the math is getting pretty deep here, so let’s just say that we are compensating wherever possible to keep the sugar to a minimum.]

Melting the chocolate in a bowl sitting over a pot of simmering water…known as a bain-marie.

Another adjustment that I would have to make would be to cut back on the almond milk. The original recipe called for 1/4 cup of milk, but that was to originally be mixed with the cocoa powder. Because I was using a solid bar, I would have to melt in down instead of grinding it to a powder, which would turn it into a liquid form on its own. Adding too much milk would make the recipe too thin and liquidy, so I adjusted the milk measurement to 1/8 cup.  I kept the same measurement for the vanilla extract for flavor, and I added a dash of cinnamon to the mix to give it a bit of a savory taste. 

All of my ingredients were now in place and it was time to mix up some mousse. The real secret to this recipe is to make sure that your avocado is puréed completely to a smooth consistency. If any chunks of avocado are detected in the recipe, the mystique of the dish will be gone. So, I make sure to purée the avocado, then I added the melted dark chocolate, vanilla extract and cinnamon. I then added the milk a little a a time to make sure that the consistency wasn’t too thin, and then added a bit of sugar to taste. I did end up using sugar as my sweetener because I did not have any sweetener substitutes in the house. But I’m sure that sweetener substitutes would have worked just as well with my version. Just be sure to add slowly and adjust accordingly to your taste. 

When I first came across this recipe, I was intrigued and curious…mainly curious on how chocolate and avocado would work together. I will now tell you straight up that this dessert is REALLY GOOD. Looking at the ingredients individually, it is a bit baffling. But once they come together, they make a very creamy, rich and satisfying chocolate dessert. And it is not so bad for you, either! If you keep the ingredients a secret, I guarantee you that those who try it would never, ever guess that the base to this dessert is puréed avocado. Both of my daughters tried it and gave an honest thumbs up…and this is coming from two people who know their sweets!

So, if you are looking for a healthier alternative to a rich and decadent dessert, give this one a try. And again, you can make this as healthy as you wish by using a higher percentage dark chocolate or pure cocoa powder, and balancing the taste with a tiny bit of sugar or sugar substitute of your choice. I have included both my version, which uses a 73% dark chocolate bar, and the original version, which uses 100% raw cocoa powder and a natural sweetener (which is also a vegan option). You can even kick it up a notch by topping it with crushed almonds, fresh berries, granola or shredded coconut.

Special thanks to Jessica Brasch for the inspiration and guidance!

Dom’s Savory Dark Chocolate Mousse
(Serves 2)

Original Recipe (courtesy of Nicola Jane Hobbs)
www.mindbodygreen.com

Grilled Zucchini Caprese Bites

There is nothing quite as satisfying as a simple recipe that uses basic and fresh ingredients, which then produces an amazingly enjoyable dish. The recipe that I’m sharing with you today fits perfectly into this category. Because it can easily be prepared on the grill, it also qualifies as a summer must-have!

One of my all time favorite dishes is the classic Caprese Salad. How the fresh basil, slices of tomato and fresh mozzarella complement each other is pure mouth-watering bliss. One of my favorite vegetables, especially during the summer grilling season, is the zucchini. With just a splash of olive oil, salt and pepper, and maybe a dash of garlic powder, you have a tasty and healthy vegetable dish that works well with just about any meal served up on the grill. By combining the ingredients of a Caprese Salad with sliced zucchini, you end up with a four-star appetizer that just about anyone will enjoy. You could almost pass it off as a healthier version of a mini bagel bite…now who in their right mind would turn THAT down?!?

Now, before we go any further, I do highly suggest that you use either a grill mat or a grill tray for this recipe. Flipping zucchini slices on a traditional grill grate is always a bit of a gamble, and I would hate to have you drop a few slices between the grate openings into the fiery pit below…and yes, it will happen.

The ingredients are very simple, and can easily be adjusted to accommodate additional servings.
We are going to start with the following:

• 1 large zucchini, cut into 1/2″ slices (you should get about 15 or so slices)
• 12-15 cherry tomatoes, sliced (you may need to use more than one slice of tomato per zucchini slice, depending on the size of the zucchini slices)
• fresh mozzarella, cut into small pieces that will fit on top of the zucchini slice (a container of mini mozzarella pearls found in the gourmet cheese section of your grocery store work well)
• 15-20 fresh basil leaves (depending on how many zucchini slices you have)
• olive oil
• salt and pepper
• garlic powder

Warm your grill to medium-high, and prepare to cook over direct heat. Again, although it is not mandatory, I highly suggest that you use a grill tray or a grill mat instead of cooking the zucchini slices directly on the grill grates. You could also use a sheet of aluminum foil. Whatever surface you are using, be sure that the surface is lightly sprayed or oiled to avoid the zucchini from sticking.

Lightly brush each of the zucchini slices with olive oil, then season each slice with a bit of salt, pepper and garlic powder. Place the zucchini slices, seasoned side up, on the prepared grill area. Let the zucchini cook for about 5-7 minutes, or until the bottom of the slices start to brown, adjusting the flame as needed.

Carefully flip the zucchini slices, making sure that none drop through the grill grates. Top the zucchini slices with a piece of basil, a slice or two of tomato, and a piece of fresh mozzarella.

Let the zucchini cook for another 5-7 minutes, or until the cheese starts to melt.

Carefully remove the zucchini slices. Season with additional salt if necessary. Serve and enjoy!

Oven-baked Version

You can easily prepare this dish in the oven as well. Pre-heat your oven to 400˚. Place the zucchini slices on a lightly sprayed or parchment lines cookie sheet. Bake for 5-7 minutes (no need to flip the zucchini when baking in the oven). Top with the basil, sliced tomato and fresh mozzarella. Bake for another 7-10 minutes, or until the mozzarella starts to melt. You can also go with a more traditional pizza-inspired taste by using sauce, shredded mozzarella, oregano and sliced pepperoni as your topping.