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A couple weeks ago I talked with Executive Chef Matt Barnes at Pierpont’s.   You can read that interview here , should you so wish. Chef Barnes said he cooks simply at home due to time constraints and “selective” diners. This man is busy!   So when I asked him for a recipe, he said the squash gratin below is pretty simple, always good, and can make anyone look like a great cook.   What’s a gratin you ask?  A gratin is a great example of something that sounds better when you call it that. It basically means a browned crust, usually with some kind of cheese.   But what I immediately noticed about this recipe that about two pounds of squash, not that much, requires one quart of heavy (whipping in my mind) cream!   And garlic.   So eating your veggie becomes a very happy occasion.   Try this, take a pic, and send to me!   Better yet, invite me to share it. INGREDIENT PREPARATION 2oz Butter ...

Chipped beef on toast A few weeks ago for this space , I talked with Colby Garrelts, famed chef of Bluestem and Rye restaurants. I really appreciate someone who is equally at home fixing the most elegant and sophisticated of dishes AND who loves, and prepares, much more “down home” food, but usually with a twist.  A great example of that is the meal my mom used to fix us, often when she and dad were going out, chipped beef on toast.  It was that pretty basic version I mentioned in that blog, but now I’ve gotten Chef Colby’s permission to give you the recipe of his far tastier version which I found in his and wife Megan’s newest cookbook, Made in America. It is, proclaims its cover, “A Modern Collection of Classic Recipes” and that’s just what it is – food that is familiar, but they’ve made it MUCH better. It is organized cleverly – Daybreak, From the Cupboard and Garden, Cast Iron, From the Fryer, From the Grill and so on. Desserts of course, too. It’s as much fun...

Peppercorn Filet ~ Piropos, a taste of Argentina Argentine food is an amalgam of Spanish, Italian and French cuisine, neither spicy or bland. The pride of Argentina is its fabulous steaks and Piropos follows the tradition. 8 oz. Filet 1 oz. Cracked peppercorns 2 oz. Brandy 2 oz. Heavy cream  Olive oil, salt to taste 2 Portobella mushrooms 6 white mushrooms 1 tsp. Rosemary 1. Coat one side of the filet with peppercorns and season with salt. Heat olive oil in a skillet on medium-high heat. Sear filet on both sides to desire temperature. If cooking medium to well done, place in oven to bring temperature up. 2. After removing filet from skillet, de-glaze the pan with brandy, stir in cream and reduce to desired consistency. Add salt to taste. 3. Sauteed mushrooms in olive oil on medium heat until al dente. Add rosemary, salt and pepper.  Piropos Restaurant 4141 N. Mulberry Drive  Kansas City, MO 64116  Ph. 816-741-3600

Braised Red Cabbage One Great Dish A while back, as I’m sure you’ll recall, I spoke with Chef Jeff Dietzler at Jax Fish House and Oyster Bar and wrote in that blog that he does even cook at home when he has time.  One thing that creative chefs do is reach into their memory banks and recreate.  This recipe is an example of that and a perfect wintry pick-me-up as well. Braised Red Cabbage Ingredients: 1 head red cabbage, finely sliced                              2 carrots, medium grate on box grater   2 apples, granny smith, medium grate    1 red onion, small dice                   ½ t. nutmeg                ...

One Great Dish -- It’s Kimchi for Me!  Back in May, I talked with Executive Chef Brandon Winn of Webster House . He’s so personable it made my blog easy to write. I asked him to give us a favorite dish that even I could make, and he suggested kimchi. I must admit I’ve only ever had kimchi in Korean restaurants, where the often spicy, pickled or fermented cabbage, onions, and assorted veggies mixture is a staple. I’ve never thought of making it myself. Chef Winn says it’s easy.   He said, “Kimchi is something that I have been playing around with for the last year for a myriad of reasons. First and foremost, it is delicious, ever evolving and complex. Secondly, there are a large handful of health benefits to fermented foods (i.e., yogurt) that have extreme impacts on the body, how it processes food, breaks down nutrients and maintains a healthy homeostasis. It provides a high level of cruciferous vegetables which aid in keeping the body’s PH levels intact.”...

You would  sure would appreciate this sweet and delicious adult slushy Ingredients 1 cup  St. James Winery Concord wine 1 cup frozen blueberries or blackberries 1/2 cup vanilla ice cream 8-10 ice cubes Instructions In a blender, combine wine, frozen fruit, ice cream, and ice cubes until smooth. Serve in a chilled wine glass. (For a thicker slushy, freeze for 30 minutes to one hour, then serve.)

One Great Dish - Marinara Sauce So, which I’m sure you recall, a month or so ago I wrote about a very cool chef, Erik Camacho at Pinstripes . Erik has worked at several different places in his career and is a creative guy.   Of course, I asked him about the basics, sauces, which form the underlying taste profile of so many dishes. So what, you’re saying, is all that creative about marinara sauce? Ahh, my friends, so much. He does point out that it’s the right ingredients – and your taste buds – that matter. The basics make something great, so great you might not even recognize the value because it’s sorta at the bottom of the recipe’s elements. Anyway, I got him to share his marinara sauce, and frankly, it’s just delish. Granted, I ate his version, not mine – but I think I could make this. He did say, “Of course, like any recipe, you can make this your own. If you like more garlic, add another teaspoon. If you like it a little chunkier, don't blend the vegetable...

One Great Dish VII:  As told by Martin Heuser By Chris Becicka Chef Martin Heuser at Affäre is known for, among other dishes, his savory meats of all kinds, from sausages to bison, usually with a new German flair.  So when I received this recipe, there were two things I thought of immediately.  The hardest one is, not being a hunter like he is, where does one get venison? Turns out McGonigle’s often has it, or will order for you, as will several of the local butchers around town.  The second thing:  like all great chefs, he weighs rather than cups.  But I’ve put both in so you don’t have to translate. He tells me this is a simple recipe, one even I could probably do.  I think it’d be perfect this fall! Herb Crusted Venison Loin (printed version) Herb crust: 250 g butter (soft-room temperature) [1 c. butter] 1 egg 1 yolk 100 g mie de pain (bread crumbs from white bread without crust) [2 cups] 1 tablespoon each of...

Mussels Recipe by Tannin's Wine Bar Chef Brian Aaron at Tannin’sWine Bar and Kitchen makes the most delicious mussels and he swears they’re fast (once you’re past that debearding part) and easy.  No, they don’t really take much time at al.  Mussels are really just clams of a certain kind.  You can buy mussels at most grocery stores at the butcher/fish counter by the two pound bag.  Or they might be frozen.  What’s debearding you might ask?  When you wash each mussel, you’ll notice on many of them some threads, for lack of a better word.  That’s how they were attached to whatever they were attached to.  Pull that out and off and they’re ready to go. You can prepare this dish right before serving and they are definitely pleasers – serve with some crusty bread to soak up all that goodness in the bowl! Here are the ingredients: 2 pounds             Fresh Prince Edward Island Mussel...

One Great Dish:  As Told by Erik Hyre at Hereford House Corporate chef Erik Hyre of the Hereford House admitted to me recently that his go-to, standard favorite is a burger.  Yep, the lowly burger.  But not just any burger of course, it’s the Herf Burger which you can get for lunch or dinner at any of the four Hereford Houses.  He shared the recipe recently and the only thing I would add is if you want the true HH flavor, you’re going to have to grill this burger, expertly, over a hot charcoal fire.  So give it your best shot and see if yours looks as pretty (and tastes as good) as the picture. The Herf Burger Hereford House Restaurant Group Serves 4: 4-8oz. Ground Sirloin per burger 1 Tbls. Salt, Kosher ½ Tbls. Pepper, White 4 Slices Cheddar Cheese 4 Hamburger Buns 8 Slices Bacon, Cooked 4 Eggs, fried 4 Lettuce leaves, cleaned 4 Slices Tomato 4 Slices Red Onion 12 Pickle Slices Season the patties with the salt an...

A recent conversation with Chef Matt Arnold of WebsterHouse was just fun because I got him to talk about making something I’m pretty sure even I can do: skillet steak with sautéed garlic spinach.  I’m going to talk you through this, just about the way he told me. Get rib-eye, because the fat keeps it moist.  One to 1½ inches thick, at room temperature (say at least ½ hour out of the refrigerator).  Salt and pepper it – Chef Matt uses a rough grind on that pepper so it has lots of chunks.  Olive oil to coat the cast iron skillet, heated to just before smoking.  Sear the steak on one side, enough to create a crust, then flip it.  He takes it out at medium rare, about 3-4 minutes per side – high heat the whole time.  In a separate fry pan over medium heat, more olive oil into which, once heated, you dump 2 or 3 decent sized garlic gloves, sliced as thinly as you can. Don’t let the garlic burn; you’re looking for golden here; throw in a nice...

One Great Dish #1:  When Easy Just Happens to Be Delicious This is one of Chef Robert Stearns’ recipes from Ophelia’s Restaurant and Inn.  If you’re slightly addicted to chocolate (and if you’re not, I am so sorry for you!), here is something slightly (?) decadent to end a dinner with a flourish.  Or begin one. Flourless Chocolate Cake Ingredients: 4 oz. fine quality bittersweet chocolate 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter 3/4 cup sugar 3 large eggs 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder Directions: Preheat oven to 375°, line baking pan and butter the paper.   Chop chocolate into small pieces. In a double boiler or metal bowl set over sauce pan of barely simmering water, melt chocolate with butter, stirring, until smooth. Remove from heat and whisk in sugar. Add eggs and whisk well. Sift 1/2 cup cocoa powder over chocolate mixture and whisk until well combined. Pour batter into pan and bake for 25 minutes or until top has formed a thin crust. Coo...

Ingredients 2 puff pastry rolls 1.5 pd fresh salmon 4 slices of raw ham or prosciutto 2 fennel 1 shallot 1 lemon 15 cl of white wine 1 egg 100 g butter 10 cl cream 4 pinches of anise salt, pepper Melt the chopped fennel in a little butter with 2 pinches of anise and lemon juice. Salt and pepper, and cook 20 minutes. Add the cream and let reduce. Preheat the oven to 420. Fill the pan with puff pastry, place the slice ham in rosace, half of the salmon, the fennel and the left of the salmon. Cover another with the second puff pastry, cut to the size of the pie. Brush with beaten egg and bake for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 360 and cook for 35 more minutes. Reduce the white wine with chopped shallot. Filter and bring to boil. Remove from the heat and add the butter and pepper.  Enjoy!

My friend is calling me all the time, when he is in town, for this recipe. Now the French people changed the recipe. We started to add "lardon" (bacon) and cream. Sacrilege! But where in Italy did you eat it like that? Tell me that I complain and that is jail time guaranteed!  We insult generations of Roman mammas doing that . We have to stop immediately . And you're going to read what follows , because I 'll give you the one and only recipe for Pasta alla Carbonara . You love Carbonara ? Me too. Ingredients: 1) 1 egg per person - so 2 people = 2 eggs 2) You throw away the bacon and you take only the pancetta ( or Arrotolata affumicata ) 3) Parmigiano Reggiano , as much as it makes you happy 4) Salt, pepper and olive oil And be careful, listen - THAT IS ALL! You put the pasta in large volume of water because they need to swirl in the water, they want to dance.  You love to go on a packed dance floor where you can not even move? No ? Well, pasta are the ...

25 individuals macaron Preparation: 2h Cooking: from 12 to 15 min Finely chop the chocolate and place in a bowl. In a saucepan, bring the cream to the boil. Add the chocolate in three stages mixing in thoroughly between each. Cut the butter into small pieces and add to the ganache until it is smooth. Place in a roasting dish and lay plastic wrap on top so is it touching the mixture. Leave to cool at room temperature, and then place in the refrigerator for an hour until it has the consistency of soft margarine. In a food mixer, blend together the ground almonds, confectioner’s sugar and cocoa powder until you have an extremely fine powder. Sift. In a bowl placed in a bain-marie, melt the chocolate and heat to 35°C (95°F). Courtesy image: Do it in Paris facebook Whip the eggs. When the have a mousse-like consistency, add a third of the caster sugar and whip for another minute. Add the rest of the sugar and whip for another minute before adding the melted chocolate. Then use a ...

Ingredients / serving 4 3 peppers (red, green, yellow) I didn't have green 4 tomatoes 1 onion 1 garlic 1 can of coconut milk olive oil leaves of coriander (or Italian parsley) 2 teaspoons curry salt, pepper Directions Peel and chop the onion. Remove stem and seeds from peppers and cut into strips. Cut tomatoes. Heat oil in a pan or wok. Sauté the onion, then add the curry and stir for one minute. Add peppers and tomatoes, and pour the coconut milk. Simmer for 15-20 minutes. If you want, you can add some shrimp and cook it few more minutes... Bon Appétit! 

What can I do with these 2 beautiful eggplant from our garden? Ingredients: 2 eggs, beaten with  1 cup of water 1 1/2 cups seasoned dry bread crumbs 1/4 cup olive oil 3 cups spaghetti sauce 1/2 lb shredded mozzarella cheese ...