Sunday Dinners

Okay - so no sense in having a blog if I'm not going to make good use of it! Today, as with nearly every Sunday, I spent the morning a the Certified California Farmers Market under the freeway in downtown Sacramento. I believe it's the longest running market in the city, and is definitely the largest! Fresh seafood, meats, eggs and cheeses. All the seasonal produce your heart desires. Beautiful flowers. Great coffee! Whatever I find turns into our Sunday night meal. Tonight, we're having Bruschetta w/Cherry Tomatoes, Yellow Bell Peppers Stuffed w/Lemon Herb Rice and Feta Cheese; Veggie Meatballs w/Sauteed Mushrooms & Leeks, Olive Oil & Balsamic Vinegar; and a Green Salad (the latter is from a bag from Trader Joe's - Sandra Dee would be proud of me!).

Here are the pics from my morning and I've detailed the steps to prep dinner. Total time: 2 hours. YUM! Let me know if you'd like my scribbled recipes for any of this...
Cheers!
KLM

Kids Culinary Convention

Our 2nd Annual Kids Culinary Convention was a HUGE success yesterday! Since last blog, have been busy getting ready. Need a fulltime writer to keep up with what we're doing!

Fearless!

As many of you know, I believe children are only limited by our imagination. The children in our lives are more often than not the recipients of our fears as well as our dreams and expectations. When we expect more they tend to give more. Give them wings, show them how to use them, let them know the consequences of misuse and lovingly let them fly. That's the instructional philosophy behind Jr. Chef Central and the approach I take to teaching every child.
Here are more pictures (courtesy of Agriculture in the Classroom) of the event in Costa Mesa at the end of June where Master Jr. Chefs Allison, Alyssa, Ben & Kevin stretched their wings and took to flight. At ages 11, 12, 13 & 14. Thought these put the magnitude of what they did in focus.


"Karla,
Thank you so much for your participation with Jr. Chef Central at our 2008 National Ag in the Classroom Conference in Orange County. Our attendees absolutely loved the presentation and we hope that you all enjoyed yourselves too! We look forward to working with you much more in the future!
Sincerely, Kelly
(Kelly Cormier, Communications Coordinator, California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom)

Reality Check

When I created this blog I imagined myself writing witty daily essays on the role food plays in my life. It quickly became apparent that I could either live life or document it! So, instead of the wonderful insights I'd love to share reality dictates that I keep it short, to the point and let our pictures tell a thousand words. Oh - and words from others I'll be sure to share, like this from Chef Pannell, Culinary Arts Director for Sacramento Job Corp, and Publisher of Cusine Noir magazine (www.cuisinenoir.com):

Thank you and your Jr. Chefs soooo much for coming and entertaining the troops(job corp Culinary Art program students) today. The did so well and the class was very impressed and proud. The salads were very tasty and colorful and seasoned very well. The trainees went back for seconds.

Please let the Jr. Chefs know that they did a great job and l like the fact that they are still are kids at heart.

Once again, thank you very much for coming and sharing,

Chef Pannell

P.S. Some of the trainees were even intimidated by the skills and by the Jr. Chefs not needing a lot of attention from you during their demos.

Catching Up

Okay - so I haven't been so good about posting. Hopefully, with this latest post you'll understand why! In the month of June we ran 4 Jr. Chef sessions in 3 weeks, 2 of them running concurrently. Then, it was off to Costa Mesa to do a demonstration at the National Conference of Agriculture in the Classroom. The next day, I flew out to Bermuda to prepare for 2 Jr. Chef sessions here on the Island. (Yes, I'm posting from the middle of the Atlantic Ocean!) Still another week to go, then it's back to California (where sessions are ongoing with lead instructor Chef Brenda), and full steam ahead in preparation for the Kids Culinary Convention '08. Enjoy the pics!
KLM

Bermuda Jr. Chef Camp - July
First a week of getting prepared: acclimating myself to the extremely high humidity, shopping for ingredients, 'taste testing'; then the first 3 days of the first session with 12 Bermudian youngsters. We're at International Imports aka 'The Chefs Shop' in the city of Hamilton.

Costa Mesa Demo
Master Jr. Chefs Allison, Alyssa, Ben & Kevin rocked the house!

Jr. Chef California - June Sessions
These pics are from two sessions...

Quick update with pictures to follow...
Just completed our 3rd week of Basic Jr. Chef Cooking Camps - just 6 more to go! Also held our Master's session last week which was an incredible experience for all involved. Led by our Lead Cooking Instructor Brenda Ruiz, 10 students from the Jr. Chef Elite program participated, kicking off the session on Sunday with a trip to the Library to discover the secrets to researching all things culinary. Their biggest surprise was microfiche - newspapers as sources of information are not the first place that come to the minds of young people these days!
During the week they spent time at a meat processing plant (it packages for Niman Ranch among others) and the Center for Land Based Learning in Davis; toured and tasted their way through a variety of ethnic markets; did morning apprenticeship stints at local restaurants including Esquire Grill and Ella's; heard from lobbyists on farm based issues at the State Capitol; and, on the last day, the team split for two very diverse but complimentary experiences. One group taught a cooking class for students in the summer program run by the Mustard Seed, an organization that ensure homeless students stay in school.
The other group traveled with me to Costa Mesa to do a demonstration at the National Conference for Agriculture in the Classroom.
By all accounts, everyone involved in both activities on Friday were blessed beyond measure. Again, pictures and (hopefully!) film to follow as soon as I can.
Am now in Bermuda preparing for 2 Basic Jr. Chef Camps which start next week, as well as putting things in place for rolling out a Jr. Chef Central After School program in the fall.
Cheers!

Summer Camp Starts!

Okay - now I hope to be providing pics and info on a more regular basis! Jr. Chef Camp has started and runs weekly until the end of August here in California. We're also running 2 camps in Bermuda in July. Yes, Bermuda. Here is a look at our first camp of the summer which just ended (hold your breath...) yesterday! So my posting is timely. These kids had a great week in the kitchen under the wonderful guidance of Lead Cooking Instructor Chef Brenda Ruiz, and the every capable Miss Leona. Elite Jr. Chef Ben was on hand to also lead by example. (He's taking the Master Jr. Chef program in 2 weeks.)

Shout Out!

Wow, sorry for the time it's taken to post again...so much to do and so little time! Over the next few days I'll catch everyone up on: Jr. Chef Elite for April (fish!) and May (sauces!); my interactive birthday dinner party (main course in the picture here); and some exciting news about our program...stay tuned and check back by the weekend.
Cheers!
KLM

Jr. Chef Culinary Skills Challenge!

Our Jr. Chef's took part in the Nutrition Fuels Fitness 5k/10k Fun Run yesterday morning at the Elk Grove Park. 8 members of the team manned an information booth, then they split into 2 teams of 4 and took to the stage to show off their knife skills! They had a total of 10 minutes to cut, slice, julienne, dice an assortment of fruits and vegetables and display them on a platter. Safety was first, technique and consistency of size and cut were the key.
Each group made their own banner 'table skirt', then team members choose their favorite Wusthoff knife and the produce they wanted to tackle. It was a fun time for all, with an appreciative audience and kids of all ages wanting to learn more.

Easter Dinner

My mom has hosted all major holiday's since, well, forever. Until last year when my sister had Thanksgiving at her house and yesterday, when I had the entire extended family here for Easter at mine. The menu was simple yet delicious, with everyone bringing something to the table. From Prime Rib (mom), to a Spring Salad made with ingredients picked up at the Farmer's Market that morning (my sister-in-law), to the Coconut Cake (sister) and Sweet Bunny Bread from Freeport Bakery (another sister in-law). My contributions included a fruit salad of Pineapple, Kiwi and Oranges in a Mint Syrup (all but the pineapple from the same market trip); Grilled Salmon with Meyer lemon oil, fresh thyme, sweet lemons and garlic; and Stuffed Baked Sweet Potatoes - a big hit! The potatoes were from Farmer Beatrice Jimenez, picked up at the Thursday market. They were a new twist on our family favorite of Baked Stuffed Potatoes, known also as twice-baked potatoes. Shoot me an e-mail if you'd like the recipe - it's a keeper!

Jr. Chef Elite, March

This session took place on March 1. The techniques for the month are simmering and sauteing, while the ingredient is grains. We were thrilled to have Eileen Murray, Microbiotic personal chef and cooking instructor teach this session. On the menu was brown rice pilaf, millet patties, quinoa tabbulah and couscous cake. I was anxious to see what our young chefs thought of the vegan preparation of each recipe but I needn't have worried. Leftovers were not an issue!
I'm in the process of creating individual web pages for each of our team members and will post those shortly. Meanwhile, here are pics from the session. If you'd like a copy of the recipes, send me an e-mail - info@karlaskitchentable.com
Cheers!

Playing Catch-up

Wow! Can't believe it's been weeks since our last post - sorry! Since then, our Jr. Chef Elite team members have been busy perfecting their pastry making skills; and today they had a lesson in sautéing and simmering grains from macrobiotic cooking instructor Eileen Murray. From quinoa to millet to a couscous cake, they rinsed, minced, shaped, zested and tossed. We're creating individual pages for each team member with their comments and pictures - look for those in about a week’s time.
I'm also happy to share our excitement about taking our Jr. Chef program into the Robla School District as part of an after school intervention program. For the next 12 weeks, we're working with 4-6th graders in the kitchen, cooking 3 course meals from scratch. It's one component of a program being run by a school in the district that's focusing on health, physical exercise and nutrition and its impact on learning skills.
On another note - I had the pleasure of taking my daughter and niece to Ginger Elizabeth's Chocolate shop last week - her chocolaterie. Located on 18th & L, it's a beautiful shop showcasing her awesome line of all things chocolate - tarts, cakes, candies, truffles, cookies, and even hot chocolate! (We've put in a request for chocolate milk...) The night we stopped in there were samples of her chocolate covered peanut butter featuring her own peanut butter of course. And for the record, her chocolate chip cookies are the best I've ever had anywhere. For directions, shop hours, etc. visit her website www.gingerelizabeth.com. Be sure and try her chocolate caramels with sea salt.

Jr. Chef Megan, Age 13

(The pastry for this Empanada was made from scratch. Do try this at home!)

For the Empanadas I served it with a salad and enjoyed it with my sister and my step-mom. I think that the smoked paprika gave the empanadas a nice flavor that regular paprika can do. I will most definitly make this recipe again.

Pastry Anyone?
This month, our group of Jr. Chef Elite members are concentrating on perfecting the art of making different types of crust and pastry...and cheese! This past Saturday they had a lesson with Pastry Chef Liliette Freeman from award winning Rick's Dessert Diner. While they've had pastry lessons before, this was time to focus on technique and to learn a few tricks from a pro. Their first menu to complete at home:
Smoked Chorizo & Cheese Empanadas
Black Eye Pea & Tomato Salsa
Mint & Apple Granita

If you'd like to prepare this meal, send us an e-mail and we'll forward the recipe: jrchef@karlaskitchentable.com. We'll post their pics and comments as they come in.
Feel free to leave your own comments. Would love to hear from you!

A Month of Braising

Wow, our Jr. Chef Elite Team has truly fed their families well this month! January was the perfect time to perfect their braising capabilities and feedback from all demonstrates they were up for the challenge. Here is what they had to say:


Jr. Chef Allison, Age 12
Spicy Oven Fried Chicken
My family and I loved this dish. Almost everyone had seconds and it was almost gone by the next day! The best part though was that it was super easy to make. Everything came out great and I had no complications while making it. The only thing I would recommend is to spray the racks with non-stick cooking spray before putting the chicken on it. When I took it out of the oven, some of the pieces stuck to the racks. This dish also served as tasty left-overs when I cut it into strips and combined it with some Top Ramen the next day for lunch. I'll definitely make this in the future again.

Sweet Potatoes, Apples & Braised Greens
This dish was pretty good, despite the one problem at the end of the cooking process. I cooked the apples, sweet potatoes, and collard greens with no problem at all. When the recipe said to combine then all together, was when it went wrong. Since this dish made 10 servings, I decided to cut it in half. But when I measured the salt to season it, I accidentally measured it for the whole recipe. When I served the dish, it was very salty. Next time I'll actually write on the recipe paper to make sure that I measure the right amount. I think that I'll also taste it, then add more salt and pepper as needed. My dad liked it, besides the salt situation, and said that " It had potential", and that I should try it again sometime.

Jr. Chef Dakota, Age 13
Lemon Sour Cream Pound Cake
With the lemon cake it said cook until toothpick comes out clean, but it was burning and the toothpick wasn’t clean so I pulled it out and must have set because it came out fine.

Jr. Chef Alex, age 14
Braised Chicken w/Peppers & Tomatoes
My family really enjoyed this dish and it was easy to make. I felt like I did this recipe very well, and I will definately do it again. I would probably try to add a little more of a consistency to the sauce, by thickening it. Over all it was an easy and a delicious meal.

Jr. Chef Ben, age 11
Braised Shrimp & Endive
The braised shrimp with creamy endive recipe was a success. It was very fun to make. I accidentally misread the recipe and ended up having to shell all the shrimp. Instead of buying already peeled shrimp, I bought shrimp in the shell and had to peel them.My family thought this dish was excellent and gave it rave reviews.It is one we will keep in my recipe box for further usage.

The winter salad with mustard walnut dressing came out a little bit bitter. I think maybe I used too much mustard.I also used fresh lemon juice from a lemon off a tree in our yard and I am wondering if maybe the lemon was a little bit bitter.I do think the salad presented well even if it tasted a little bitter.

Jr. Chef Julia, age 11
Sour cream lemon pound cake
This was a fun, messy, and delicious dish. There was a ton of clean up to do. I love to make desserts and see the expression on my family’s faces as they eat it. I also love to stir things, so this was the perfect recipe for me! I would certainly make this again!

Spicy oven fried chicken
My parents said it was the best chicken they ever had. I don't like to handle raw meats. It's just so disgusting, yet I liked to coat them with the bread crumbs. It was a very fun recipe and very good. I will be making this again when guests come to visit.

Fruit syrup for Fruit Salad
I hated cutting up 3 beautiful oranges and putting them in the syrup. I would have rather eaten them on the spot. It was painful because I love oranges. This was the first time I had made syrup. It was another good recipe, but not as much fun because of those beautiful oranges. It was good though. I figured out that I liked pineapple, which is nice. It was extremely easy and good.

Creamy endive shrimp with salad
It was easy, fun, and very good. The dressing was so tart, but oh I don't know, GOOD. I don't know why but the shrimp’s legs were so interesting. I always like creamy stuff, so yet again it was a perfect recipe. I learned how to peel the shrimp’s legs off.

Braised Sweet potatoes/apple/collards
Not my favorite. It took along time to make and wasn't the best dish I have had. I accidentally put more butter in than I was supposed to. I cut the recipe in half (well tried) and that is probably why I didn't like it as much. Cutting a recipe in half is harder than it sounds. I liked the sweet potatoes more than anything else because the tasted and were basically fries.

Braising w/Jr Chef Elite

Our Jr. Chef Elite team members are busy working to perfect Braising. So far this month, their menus have included Braised Chicken w/Green Peppers & Tomatoes; Braised Sweet Potatoes w/Apples and Greens, and Oven Baked Spicy Chicken; and this week they'll be making Braised Shrimp w/Endive. Here is what Jr. Chef's Allison and Megan have to say about their experiences with these recipes:

Braised Chicken w/Green Peppers & Tomatoes
This dish didn't exactly come out the way I planned it would. The finished product was watery, so when I served it, I had to drain some of the liquid. I think maybe I should have reduced it a bit longer, but I feared that I would over cook the chicken. Instead of using green peppers in this dish, I used yellow ones. Despite the watery factor, the flavors were really good and the chicken was very moist. Next time, I'll have to reduce it longer at the end.

Braised Greens Apples & Sweet Potatoes w/Spicy Chicken
Spicy Oven Fried Chicken:
My family and I loved this dish. Almost everyone had seconds and it was almost gone by the next day! The best part though was that it was super easy to make. Everything came out great and I had no complications while making it. The only thing I would recommend is to spray the racks with non-stick cooking spray before putting the chicken on it. When I took it out of the oven, some of the pieces stuck to the racks. This dish also served as tasty left-overs when I cut it into strips and combined it with some Top Ramen the next day for lunch. I'll definitely make this in the future again.

Sweet Potatoes, Apples & Braised Greens:
This dish was pretty good, despite the one problem at the end of the cooking process. I cooked the apples, sweet potatoes, and collard greens with no problem at all. When the recipe said to combine then all together, was when it went wrong. Since this dish made 10 servings, I decided to cut it in half. But when I measured the salt to season it, I accidentally measured it for the whole recipe. When I served the dish, it was very salty. Next time I'll actually write on the recipe paper to make sure that I measure the right amount. I think that I'll also taste it, then add more salt and pepper as needed. My dad liked it, besides the salt situation,and said that " It had potential", and that I should try it again sometime.
Jr. Chef Allison, Age 12


Spicy Oven Fried Chicken
For this dish I served it with a side of gnocchi. I had fun making it because I didn’t know how it would turn out if it would be too spicy but it turned out perfect. This meal reminded me of my Dad’s breaded chicken but more spice. My favorite part of the making the chicken was seeing the final product because you never know what it will look like or how it will taste till it is done. If I could do something different with this recipe I would have a little less spicy because I am not a fan of spicy food.
Jr. Chef Megan, Age 12

Jr. Chef Elite Posting

This week our Elite Jr. Chef group is making Sweet Potatoes, Apples & Braised Greens, Oven Fried Chicken & Sour Cream Lemon Pound Cake. Here's what Jr. chef Matthew, age 12, has to say about this week's assignment:

I had fun making this dish for two reasons my Mom had never had sweet potatoes and it was easy to make. Once we found the Swiss Chard at the store (thank you produce man) we went home and I made this as a side dish to the pork chops my Mom made. My Mom and Dad will of course try everything I make but I was looking to my 2 year old brother to be the real judge, and he loved it..all except the chard. There was not much seasoning in this dish and it was interesting how the chard really picked up the flavors of the sweet potatoes. I will definately make this dish again.

Matthew, age 12

If you want the recipe, send us an e-mail at www.karlaskitchentable.com!

Eating More Vegetables!

My kids are 13 & 16. The elder one will eat fish, no other meat. The younger one eats no meat except for the occasional sweet & sour fish. They were raised without meat in their diet (except seafood), their father having followed this diet for more than 25 years.
Trying to ensure everyone has a balanced plate, without repeating the same dishes over and over, is often a frustrating exercise.
This year my goal is to expand our palate and boost our nutritional intake at every meal at least 5 days a week. If you know the fickle eating patterns of teenagers, you can appreciate what an undertaking this is, even for someone who is a professional cooking instructor! So I asked both kids to come-up with 2 meals each that incorporated proteins and vegetables (always the hardest part!).
Last night’s meal consisted of stir-fry veggies with spinach, onions and red peppers with a splash of Trader Joe's Oriental marinade (spicy kick); yams which I first micro’d for 10 minutes, than cut in half, added s&p and a drizzle of maple syrup and finished off for 20 minutes in the oven; and brown coconut sticky rice with toasted coconut. They ate everything, and lots of it. They also went back for a snack about 2 hours later!
Daughter asked for Mexican flavors tonight (yes, she suggested beans – it’s a start!). I did black beans (secret to great tasting beans - rinse well, add enough water to cover and stick in a large chunk of onion!) served over spaghetti squash instead of repeating a rice dish. Salad with red onions and avocado; quesadillas; salsa verde. Again, wiped their plates clean. This time, there was not snacking afterwards as the beans were filling.
Tomorrow I plan to stuff and roast portabella mushrooms with vegetables and goat cheese. Always a salad on the plate. Will cook my famous banana & blueberry pancakes Saturday morning (after that they’re on their own for the day) and if I make it to the Farmer's Market under the freeway on Sunday we'll have fresh soup for a couple of days!

Jr. Chef Elite, Braising Session

This past Saturday our Jr. Chef Elite team learned how to Braise, under the expect guidance of Executive Chef Stu Edgcombe of the Esquire Grill. For 3.5 hours, these 10 young people chopped, diced, sliced, sautéed, stewed, stirred and seasoned, then ate like it was their first and last meal!

Their lesson started with an overview on the history of braising and the typical meats used for this method of cooking. From there, they worked on prepping the root vegetables.

The food they created was delicious. Braised Carrots w/Orange Juice & Ginger; Braised Turnips with Fresh Parsley; Braised Beets w/Apples; Braised Sweet Potatoes - all vegetables were from Thursday's Certified California Farmer's Market on Florin Road (in the Sears Parking lot). The menu also included Braised Chicken Thighs w/Tomatoes & Peppers, and Polenta w/Parmesan.

Once the veggies were in the oven, it was time to move to the stove and sear their chicken. These young people demonstrated why they were picked for the Jr. Chef Elite team by keeping their cool through two small fires while at the stove - a dish towel came too close to the flame, followed by the hot oil in one pan igniting. All part of a day in the kitchen for these kids! The entire meal was put together without a recipe, and now they have the month of January to perfect this technique at home.

Their menu to be completed at home the week of January 6-12: Braised Chicken w/Tomatoes & Green Peppers over Egg Noodles; Pineapple, Kiwi & Oranges in Mint Syrup. Check back regularly for their pictures and comments.
Ready to put your skills to the test? Contact jrchef@karlaskitchentable.com for a copy of the recipes.