Hey Young Chefs!
Today, I interviewed Celebrity Chef Andrew Zimmern. Chef Andrew is a James Beard Award-winning TV personality, chef, food writer, teacher, and is widely regarded as one of the most versatile and knowledgeable personalities in the food world. As the creator, host and co-executive producer of Travel Channel’s hit series, Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern, Andrew Zimmern’s Bizarre World, and his new series, Bizarre Foods America, he travels the globe, exploring food in its own terroir. From world-class restaurants to street carts and jungle markets, it’s all about discovering and sharing the authentic experience as a way to interpret the way we live our lives so we can make better choices for our future. For more information about Chef Andrew, visit his website, AndrewZimmern.com. Follow him on Twitter: @AndrewZimmern
“A Tisket A Tasket What’s Inside My Basket?”
Today’s secret ingredients are… Onions and Cherimoya. First, let’s talk about Onions. Here is my recipe for “French Onion Soup.”
Ingredients:
3 tbsp. butter
1-medium onion, sliced
1 tsp. sugar
6 c. beef stock
Salt and pepper to taste
1-2 sheets puff pastry
4 tbsp. Gruyere cheese, shredded
2 tbsp. Parmesan cheese, grated
Directions:
In a large pot over medium heat, melt butter and saute’ onions with sugar until golden brown. Add stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. Taste the soup and add salt and pepper, if needed. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Pour soup into 4-individual, oven-safe soup bowls. Cut puff pastry into circles large enough to overlap the edge of the bowl. Cover each bowl with puff pastry. Top with cheese. Bake for 20 minutes or until puff pastry is golden brown.
Now, let’s explore Cherimoya. Here is a recipe for “Cherimoya Coconut Dream.”
Ingredients:
1 c. coconut milk
1/2 c. heavy cream
2 tbsp. sugar
1 c. ice cubes
1 cherimoya cut into small chunks
1 c. fresh jackfruit, cut into strips
1 c. sugar palm dates
2-bananas
Directions:
In a blender, combine coconut milk, heavy cream, sugar, and ice cubes. Blend until smooth. Pour coconut mixture into four glasses. Divide fruit evenly and place on top of coconut cream in each glass. Serve immediately with a spoon and a straw. Serves: 4.
“Kitchen Tips N Tools!”
Here is a recipe for my “Lime Cilantro Roasted Potatoes.”
Ingredients:
10-small-medium red potatoes
1/2 c. diced onions
2 tbsp. chopped cilantro
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. minced garlic
2 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. pepper
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut potatoes into quarters. Put them in a 9×9 roasting pan. First, add extra virgin olive oil so that the spices stick to the potatoes. Now all of the other ingredients. Mix together. Put potatoes into the oven uncovered for 30 minutes.
“Spice Detective”
Today we’re investigating… “Fish Sauce!” Here is a recipe for “Nuoc Mam” or Vietnamese Fish Sauce.
Ingredients:
1/4 c. fish sauce
1/4 c. water
1 tbsp. rice vinegar
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
sriracha to taste (optional)
Directions:
Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and serve with egg rolls or spring rolls.
“Snacktivity Time”
Here, I give you fun easy breezy snack ideas. Today’s Snacktivity is… “Fruit Rocket Ship!”
Ingredients:
1 pineapple slice cut into “triangles”
1 banana, cut into two-inch chunks
3 strawberries
3 long skewers
Directions:
Thread fruit on the skewer in this order: pineapple, banana, strawberry. This will make three skewers of fruit rocket ships. The pineapple should look like a flame shooting out of the end of the rocket ship while the strawberry looks like the triangular top of the rocket.
“Creative Cuisine”
This is my recipe for “Braised Pork Tenderloin.”
Ingredients:
3 tbsp. olive oil
1/4 c. red spring onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch radishes, stems and bottoms removed and sliced
1 lb. pork tenderloin, thinly sliced
1 c. chicken stock
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. white pepper
Directions:
In a large pan, sauté onion, garlic, and radishes in olive oil for about 5 minutes. Sear the pork until lightly golden brown. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add salt and pepper. Remove from heat. Serve with sea salt and vinegar kale chips.
Here’s another “Creative Cuisine” idea. Here’s my mom’s recipe for “Sea Salt and Vinegar Kale Chips.”
Ingredients:
1 bunch kale
1 c. olive oil
1/2 c. distilled white vinegar
1 tsp. fine sea salt
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, mix olive oil, vinegar, and sea salt. Add kale and massage oil into the kale. Place on a lined baking sheet, making sure that the kale leaves do not touch each other. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes. Check the kale at 7 minutes. Do not allow the kale leaves to get brown or they will be bitter. Kale should be crunchy. Serves 4.
“Cookin’ Crafts”
Here is a fun kitchen-related craft. Today’s cookin’ craft is how to make “Papier Mache’ Pinata.”
Supplies:
Flour
Water
Newspaper
1 balloon
Poster paints
Step 1: Place flour in a bowl and add water to create a paste that resembles a thick pancake batter. If the paste is too thick add more water. If the paste is too thin, add more flour. Mix with a mixer to remove all lumps.
Step 2: Blow up an oval-shaped balloon.
Step 3: Tear newspaper into strips and run strips through the paste.
Step 4: Adhere the strips to the balloon, covering the entire surface of the balloon.
Step 5: Allow to dry for 24 hours then cut a door into the “egg” with an Exacto knife (have a grown-up help with this step).
Step 6: Paint the papier mache’ egg and allow to dry.
Step 7: Poke a hole in the top of the egg and insert a piece of knotted twine from the inside out. so that you can hang the pinata.
Step 8: Fill with goodies and hang. Now get that bat!
That’s all for this week!
Bon Appetit, Kid Chef Eliana
