Holiday Liquor

It is not too late to whip up a batch of limoncello for the holidays. This popular Italian lemon liqueur mainly  produced in southern Italy has become a family favorite for us and the perfect way to end any special meal.

This recipe came from Italy but after many years of playing with different American liquors and not ever getting it quite right my Polish boyfriend turned me on to Spirytus. Spirytus is a liquor that no one should ever drink right out of the bottle and for that reason it is perfect for mixing with lemons. I have tried several different liquors vodka, Ever Clear and have even experimented with different flavors like orange, lime and cranberry. The lemon is still the favorite of many and so I will share my process with you.

Happy Holidays!

This was our largest batch ever using 70 large lemons. I will give you the measurements for a smaller starter batch.

You will need:
1.75 liters of Alcohol, pure distilled
3 liters of water
2 pounds sugar
about 30 lemons

 First peal the lemons in to a large glass container. For this recipe to be a success we want the lemon skins because they hold most of the flavor. I used to peal everything the a knife but I have found as our batches grew in size the a sharp vegetable peeler works just as well. The key here is to get the peal with out getting a lot of the white pith of the lemon because the pitch makes it bitter.

This is the Polish liquor I use sadly I have only found it in Illinois.

 Next pour your liquor of choice over the lemon peals. The liquor should come just about 1 inch over the top of the lemon peals. Cover and tightly seal your container. Allow the mixture to sit for at least 48 hours, for larger batches I prefer 72 hours.

This is what happens when you only use the peals of 70 lemons. You are left with a lot of extra juice. It dose freeze well in ice cube trays for later use but I suggest you make friends who like lemon bars and lemon curd if you are going to make this a hobby.

OK, you let the peals and liquor sit for 2-3 days. Now remove the lemon peals form the alcohol and place in a large pot with the water and sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil for 5 min. Turn off the heat and allow the mixture to cool completely.

The water mixture is in the glass container the alcohol is in the bowl.

When cooled remove the lemon peals from the water mixture and discard. Combine the water mixture with the alcohol by pouring through a filter to remove any impurities.

This last batch made 8, 1-1.5 liter bottles

As you combine the water with the alcohol it will turn a bight cloudy yellow. Carefully bottle the mixture and store in the freezer.

Traditionally Limoncello is served chilled as an after-dinner digestive.

I was at Penzey's spices the other day. I have always loved their store with unique treasures of spices from all over the world. This time I fell in love with the simple bumper stickers they were handing out. If you could put my essence into a sticker this would be it, yellow sunshine heart and all.

Salad on a Stick?!

Yes, you heard me correctly. It is time for the State Fair! The Minnesota State Fair has a place for everything and almost every food you could imagine on a stick, from alligator, bacon, cheese curds to key lime pie, this is where you can find it all ready to eat on a stick.

I was thrilled to work with Giggles Campfire Grill to style photographs of their newest addition to the 2011 Fair food line up, The Northwoods Salad on-a-stick. The salad includes skewers of fresh mozzarella cheese balls, grape tomatoes and basil on top of a chilled wild rice salad drizzled with a balsamic dressing.


The resturant specializes in "made from scratch" fish and game menu items, so be sure to save room for their other tasty treats like elk burgers and walleye cakes. They have plenty of picnic tables and cold beer, so head over to the authentic log cabin in the "North Woods" area, on the corners of Cooper and Lee near the water tower. 


Can you say you had a salad on a stick?

Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year 2012

Here is a new opportunity for phorographers I did not want you to miss.

This is this first year this contest will be held. It is open to professionals and amateurs an any part of the world.  The awards cover nine categories, ranging from Food in the Street, Food in the Field, Food for Sale, and Food Portraiture. 

The entries will be judged in March 2012 by a highly distinguished panel of experts, ranging from picture editors to publishers, retail directors, chefs and photographers. The winning images will be displayed at the world-renowned Mall Galleries, London SW1 in April 2012.

The awards are sponsored by Pink Lady® apples, the UK’s leading apple brand. Pink Lady® is uncompromising when it comes to quality and visual appearance. High quality photography is central to the brand’s image and the way it is perceived by the millions of consumers who enjoy Pink Lady®. Pink Lady® is also becoming established as ‘the culinary apple’ due to its fantastic cooking qualities and is delighted to support this landmark event for the food industry.

For more information on the contest and how to enter click here. Good Luck!

Food Labels

Confused about food labels in your grocery store?

With so many "buzz words" and food claims it can be a bit overwhelming to make sure what is in your cart is actually good for your family. The good news is UC Berkeley and Good magazine recently held the Rethink the Food Label competition. A competition looking to designers to make health info on packaged goods easier to understand. I believe we have a long road ahead to creating a system that truly represents the food quality well but I feel we are making strides in the right direction.

Here is what the U.S. Food and Drug administration have to say about how to read the current food labels.

Out Styling In The Field

What do you get when you put inspiration and skill together? Well, in this case a garden party for 16. While recently in Boston at the International Food Styling and Photography Conference, my wonderful assistant Anna and I were inspired by a group of farmers and chefs coming together to create a one of a kind outdoor eating experiences.

We decided to do something similar with a small group of mixed friends, an overgrown pasture and our culinary appetites; we had the most delightful 6 course dinner I have had in a long time.

You might say it was hotter then hell the night of the dinner, and we relished in it for in just a few short months snow will fall in Minnesota.  As we finally sat down to greet our guests with a chilled glass of white wine and peach infused rosewater tea, you would have never guessed that our table was set just a 15 min drive from a bustling city. The birds were chirping, a slight buzz in the air from near by insects the path down to the pasture passed by a green pond and an array of wild flowers. To say it was charming would be an understatement.

 

The menu was created by Anna and I, a wonderful colaboration allowing both our personal styles to shine. We started with a seared Parmesan polenta topped with a savory tomato relish, creamy goat cheese and crispy onion straw, followed by a chilled raw corn and cashew soup. Our salad was a delight to the eyes as well as the taste buds, the bright refreshing flavors of tomato and peach with a cilantro citrus dressing were remarkable.

For a palette cleanser we chose a basil lime sorbet. I must say this very simple course was my favorite. The entree was a roasted pork roulade with wild mushrooms, spinach, smoked ham and rosemary served with a stone ground mustard sauce and fresh arugula. Dessert was truly inspired by the chocolate loving Anna, she chose a dark chocolate and coffee essence "cake" with whipped cream and fennel salt. Just when you think it is all finished we had one last little treat, a home made limoncello, it is becoming a tradition with meals served at my house.

The food was amazing, the setting made by nature was perfect. I think of the highlight of the evening, it was sharing it with those I love and meeting new friends. Simply their smiles and appreciation of such a unique experience enjoying the world we have, and the people who make it so very special to us. After all, I continue to realize that it is the food that brings us together but the people around us that make it special. 

A special thank you to Chris Bohnhoff a dear friend and colleague for sharing his skills with us and so beautifully capturing the evening. To view more pictures from the evening click here.

An Elegant Dinner at Home

I was asked to do a cooking class with Chef Tim Pohland at the Saint Louis Park Byerly's this past Tuesday. A class on how to "style" at home. I was thrilled with this opportunity and I thought that centering the recipes around a simple elegant dinner would provide the most value for the participants. A dinner you can prepare with ease and grace that will have your guests thinking it was catered.

Here are the recipes for you to create at home too. Enjoy!

Our main plate the Herb crusted Chicken. You can make it too!

A chef’s job is to create dishes with incredible taste, aroma and visual appeal. A food stylist’s job is to translate the perception of these qualities for visual media. Chef Tim Pohland and Food Stylist Rachel Sherwood join forces to share their secrets for creating professional tasting and professional looking food at home. They prepare Walnut Crusted Canapé, Herbed Chicken Breast with Wild Mushroom Barley “Risotto” & Lemon Asparagus and Molten Chocolate Cakes with Raspberry Coulis.

Walnut Crusted Cheese Canapé

2 Tablespoon minced onion

2 chicken bouillon cubes (1 Tablespoons)

1 Tablespoon very hot water

3 cups Cheddar Cheese

16 oz. cream cheese softened

½ teaspoons garlic powder

2 cups walnuts finely chopped

Crush bouillon cubes and dissolve in the hot water.

In a medium bowl mix the onion, bouillon, cheddar cheese, softened cream cheese and garlic powder together until thoroughly combined. On a long sheet of plastic wrap spoon half of the cheese mixture into the center using the length of the plastic wrap to form the cheese mixture into a tube. Spread the chopped walnuts onto another long piece of plastic wrap unwrap the formed cheese tube and place it on the walnuts using your hands and the edged of the plastic warm firmly press the walnuts into the cheese.

Remove the well-coated cheese and place on a clean piece of plastic wrap. Tightly wrap and chill at least 2 hours. Note this can be done a day ahead and make sure the walnuts are chopped fine or cutting it later will be difficult.

Remove the well-chilled walnut crusted cheese and place on a clean cutting board. Carefully slice into ¼ in round sliced and place on your desired gourmet crackers or crostini. Serve with garnish of fresh herbs or caviar, etc.…This will hold well in the freezer it is it wrapped well for up to 3 months

Wild mushrooms Barley “risotto”

Serves 4-6

1 tablespoon butter

Salt and pepper to taste

8 oz. assorted wild mushrooms, shiitake, morels, brown velvet etc.

2 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion small dice

1-2 garlic cloves finely chopped

½ cup white wine

¾ cup medium pearled barley

3 cups chicken or vegetable broth

¼ cup shredded Parmesan

2 Tablespoons heavy cream

Dice the mushrooms and heat the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms to the pan season with salt and pepper. Sauté mushrooms until the liquid is released about 5 min. remove from heat and reserve on the side. In a medium sauce pot over medium-high heat warm the olive oil. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until translucent about 4 min season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the white wine and cook until liquid is reduced by half. Add the barley and stir to coat. Allow barley to slightly toast with the onions for about 2-3 min stir often here to prevent burning. Next add broth and bring to a boil. When boil is reached reduce heat slightly while stirring occasionally allow to simmer until almost all the liquid is absorbed and barley is al dente about 30 minutes. Take the reserved mushrooms and add the barley, stir in Parmesan and mix to melt the cheese. Finish with the cream and serve. If this finishes slightly before you are ready to serve keep the cream out and add right before you are read to it creamy and fresh.

Chef Tim preparing the wild mushrooms for the risotto

Herbed Crusted Chicken Breasts

Serves 2 this is easily doubled to serve more guests.

For 2 small to medium sized chicken breasts

½ teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon Dried Thyme

1 Teaspoon Dried sage

½ teaspoon Dried Rosemary

½ cup panko breadcrumbs

Pinch of salt

Pinch of pepper

2 Tablespoons smooth Dijon Mustard

2 Tablespoons Butter melted

Combine the garlic powder, thyme, sage, rosemary, breadcrumbs and salt and pepper in a medium sized bowl. Take the chicken trim if needed, rinse in cold water and pat dry. Smooth the mustard evenly over the entire chicken breast then place chicken in the herbed breadcrumb mixture. Using a clean dry hand pat the mixture around the chicken until it is thoroughly covered. Place in an un greased baking dish. Repeat with remain chicken breast. Melt the butter and drizzle over coated chicken. Bake at 350 for 20-30 min until reached an internal temp or 165.  Remove from oven and allow to rest 3 min before slicing.

Note: These chickens can be coated and placed in the baking dish hours before the meal just cover and refrigerate. When read to serve remove from fried 30 min prior to turning on the oven to allow to come closer to room temperature for even baking. Drizzle with melted butter and bake as directed.

Lemon Asparagus

Serves 4

1 bunch of fresh asparagus with the “woody” ends snapped off

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

1 Tablespoon Butter

1 small shallot, finely diced about 1 tablespoon

Zest of one small lemon about a ½ teaspoon

2 teaspoons fresh squeezed lemon juice

1 teaspoon smooth Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon maple syrup

1 teaspoon water

Salt and Pepper to taste

In a medium skillet with medium heat warm olive oil and butter. When melted add the shallot and sauté until translucent. Add zest, lemon juice, mustard, syrup and water to pan stir to create sauce. Add asparagus and season with salt and pepper. Toss asparagus in pan to coat well the sauce. Cover and allow to steam for 1 min. Toss again, cover and allow to steam 1 more min serve when they turn bright green and tender.

Rachel dishing up the batter for Molten Lava Cakes

  

Molten Chocolate Cakes

6 ounces Semi sweet baking chocolate

10 tablespoons Butter

½ cup powdered sugar

½ cup flour

3 whole eggs

3 egg yolks

Grease 6 6oz custard cups and place on a baking sheet.

Melt the chocolate and butter still to make a smooth consistency with no chocolate lumps. Add powdered sugar and flour and mix well. Add whole eggs and yolks and stir with a whisk until well blended. Divide the batter evenly among the cups. Bake at 425 for 14-15 min or until cakes are firm around the edges but soft in the center. Remove from oven and let stand for min. to remove from the cups run a small knife around the edges of the cakes to loosen. Carefully invert cakes onto plates and garnish as desired. Serve immediately.

Note: this batter can be made the day ahead. Pour into prepared custard cups and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerated overnight. When read to serve remove, uncover and bake as directed.

Raspberry Coulis:

1 12 oz. bag frozen raspberries

½ sugar

½ cup water

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

In a medium saucepan combine all ingredients. Bring to a boil and stir until sugar is completely dissolved. Using an immersion blender puree mixture until smooth. Or in a regular blender puree until smooth in batches. Run the mixture through a fine strainer to remove the seeds and allow to cool. Store in a plastic squeeze bottle for easy applications when plating.

Note: Can be made 3 days in advance just keep in the refrigerator.

Cooking Class at Lund's and Byerly's

Interested in how to prepare an elegant dinner at home with ease, grace and style? Come check out my up coming cooking class with Chef Tim Pohland. We will be preparing some great dishes that will make your guests think you spent hours in the kitchen. With my simple tips your eyes will feast as well as your taste buds on the restaurant quality meal you created at home.

Click here for registration information

A chef’s job is to create dishes with incredible taste, aroma and visual appeal. A food stylist’s job is to translate the perception of these qualities for visual media. Chef Tim Pohland and Food Stylist Rachel Sherwood join forces to share their secrets for creating professional tasting and professional looking food at home. They prepare Walnut Crusted Canapé, Herbed Chicken Breast with Wild Mushroom Barley “Risotto” & Lemon Asparagus and Molten Chocolate Cakes with Raspberry Coulis.

• Date:  3/15/2011
• Time:  6-7 p.m.
• Location:  Byerly's St. Louis Park

The Chef's Table on Water

10 Course dinner with wine on the water? Yes, that is correct on Carnival Cruise lines they offer a special Chef's dinner to a very limited number of guests. On our recent vacation to the Caribbean Joey and I decided to join 10 other guests in this unique experience. I was very curious how they managed to feed gourmet food to over 3,000 guests and 1,000 crew while sailing around for 7 days.
We were greeted promptly at 6pm by Executive Chef Ajit Kumar from India. He led us into the very efficient kitchen where we had a chance to look around and have a taste of Champagne and a few appetizers.  As Afit introduced his staff he served an Ahi Tuna Tartar on a Wasabi Crisp, A Duck Confit Pot Sticker, Steak Taco and a buttery Avocado Cheesecake

All of the offerings were delicious but I must say the Duck Pot Sticker was my favorite. The Duck filling was tender and savory wrapped in a delicate yet mildly crispy dumpling wrapper. Here we learned about how this kitchen was run. The kitchen was broken into 3 sections cold, hot and desserts. For all hot foods they had stations that were designated to a particular dish. Each station had two cooks working to create just that item. They would cover and stack them out on the line when complete for the servers to walk by and pick up just like an assembly line filling their tables orders.

Ahi Tuna Tartar

One of the many plates stacked in huge racks ready to be served

Dinners for the Evening

3 hot food stations

Servers picking up dessert

Chef said there are just 110 people who work in 3 different shifts to keep food flowing throughout the boat for 24 hours 7 days week. He spends about 3 Hundred Thousand Dollars for a seven day trip on food. Now that is a lot of food and as my mind keeps thinking I move to food waste. He said any whole leftover meals went to crew but food scraps all went to the on board incinerator where they were turned to ash and then dumped into the ocean. They dump about 30 miles off shore but still adding approximately 100 lbs of waste to the ocean each day. I was not so thrilled with this news but that is a whole other topic of environmental safely and responsibility.



On a lighter note, even I got to get in on a little of the action. Here I am assisting Chef whip up one of their classic desserts. The Chocolate Melting Cake is a favorite of most guests because of it's rich center.
 Back at the dining room a show to tantalize the eyes and the taste buds was just getting started. We sat down to our first course of Beef Carpaccio with  shaved Parmesan and a Balsamic Gelee.

 Next was a fried Brie and Calamari served with charred lime and preserved lemons. This dish was heavy but the citrus was bright and refreshing. 

The base of the Roasted Tomato Soup

I loved the soup as well. The bowl was so beautifully presented like a painters pallet ready for the canvas but here they poured a Fire Roasted Tomato and Poblano Chili Bisque over it and finished with a grilled corn relish and cilantro oil.

 

I enjoyed watching them prepare all the foods. The chopped Mediterranean Salad with shaved pumpkin and Feta Cheese was a delight to the eyes.

 The entrees were on the way first a fillet of Chilean Sea Bass with wine stewed shallots, leek emulsion and sweet pea risotto. The beef was an aged Filet Mignon topped with an onion streusel and three pepper mustard.

 

Finally we come to dessert, a home made chocolate gelato with a coconut gelee served with a sweet raspberry sugar tea cake. On the side a taste of the chocolate melting cakes I helped prepare earlier in the evening.

Overall the meal was amazing and such a great experience to see what can be created on a boat miles from shore.

New Year, New Foods, New Clients, New Adventures!

I love the New Year! I always feel it is my fresh start to begin a new plan and take on the world.

I am amazed at how fast the year goes by and all the things we pack into it.  It seems it was just yesterday when I was writing my very first blog entry. Much has taken place over that time. I have been blessed to work with several wonderful clients assisting them in taking their product image to the next level. I created a new logo and fresh image for my business Impressions. Sadly, I lost one of my best mentor and friend to ALS this past August. I know she is smiling down on me. I believe with each ending there are new beginnings. With her passing it was as if a welcome sign was hung on my door. I have had several opportunities to mentor others the way she did with me. I am excited to see what other gifts I will find.

I went to Italy to watch my best friend get married, I fell in love with a Polish boy and learned how to make Perogi as well as other interesting treats. I watched the movie Food Inc. and have been learning even more about how our food system really works. So far it has been fun seeking out resources from local farms. I have ate at several amazing restaurants and a few not so grand. My dear friend says I "need" to try this deep fried Twinkie that I currently avoid on a lunch date. Oh, and I must say that watching my 1 year old nephew Evan dance after he had a bite of my apple pie was one of the funniest things I have ever seen and the best complement I have ever received.

I have a feeling that 2011 will be full of similar festivities and great new learnings. Currently I am getting ready for a trip to the Caribbean. It is time to leave the bitter cold of Minneapolis for some sunshine, fresh fruit and relaxation. I am thrilled to meet new people and experience new foods. When I get back I jump right back into business with another set at Shop NBC, new recipe development projects and plenty of new restaurants to explore. It will be a good year! I can't wait to share it with you.