My Family's Version of CHOPPED

I am a BIG fan of the FoodNetwork program, CHOPPED. On this program, four chefs compete for a $10,000 prize by creating a three course meal consisting of appetizer, entree and dessert from a basket of unknown ingredients that they get to open at the beginning of each round. They must use and transform each ingredient in the basket in their presentation.

On the program, one chef is eliminated each round, until there is just one chef left standing. The rounds on TV are appetizer = 20 minutes and entree and dessert, each 30 minutes.

Our family's version took place during a regular "family style" Sunday dinner. Just like on TV, there were four chefs. Our "take" was to do the appetizer and dessert rounds as a competition. The regular, family style Sunday dinner was prepared in advance by the host family (and without any competition) That would be the middle course, the entree.

Our prep times were strictly controlled by the "judges" and, to tell the truth, because I was one of the contestants, I didn't pay any attention to time. I think the prep time was between 20-30 minutes. As a contestant, I didn't pay attention to anything except getting my offering prepared and plated and presented to the judges. I didn't even look to the right or the left to see what the other contestants were doing.

One thing I do know is that we made the most colossal mess ever. There were spills and crumbs wall to wall. The labradoodles were in "heaven"  trying to keep it clean. If you never got to meet these puppies, I had the pleasure of spending a week with them one time. Check it out here: My Week Went To The Dogs

The basket ingredients were chosen by an impartial individual. For the appetizer round the basket ingredients were: Canned Vienna chicken sausage, pickled jalapino peppers, dill pickle chips, and stove top stuffing.

Each contestant had a cutting board at their very tight station (remember-this is a family kitchen not a commercial one-we are stuffed at the counter like sardines), plus knives, aprons, etc. and liberal use of pantry and fridge.

As soon as the clock started on the appetizer round, I dove into my basket ingredients, chopping up those strange looking sausages, adding about a tablespoon of drained jalapinos to get chopped up too. Into a bowl that went along with some stove top stuffing. I added a beaten egg to that and formed it into a "slider". Crushed some of the dill pickle chips onto my cutting board and pressed the crushed chips onto both sides of the sliders. Then browned them in oil in the grill pan. All my secret ingredients were transformed and in use. All I had to think about now was attractive presentation. I sliced up a tomato and layed the crispy slider on top of it. The dish looked unfinished. I took a green bell pepper from the pantry, sliced it into circles, put them into the grill pan and browned the edges. Set those askew onto the sliders, put a spoonful of ricotta cheese into the middle of the pepper circle, salt and peppered it and dolled it up with a sprig of parsley. Done!

These are the appetizers made by the other contestants. All using the exact same ingredients but each dish totally different from the other three.

Laney's dish - sausage~stuffing~chips~pepper hash on bed of arugula topped with fried egg

Michael's: Hushpuppy with same ingredients (pulverized)~Handmade Jalapino catsup~pickle from pantry

Sorry, I did not get a picture of the forth dish. It was an empanada made with hand made dough which the contestant made using the potato chip and stuffing basket ingredients plus pantry ingredients. The deep fryer was in use for the hush puppies so she had to pan fry her empanadas. Unfortunately this happens on the TV show as well and the contestants have to think on their feet. This entire contest was conducted in the most military, rushed atmosphere that there was little time to snap pix as well as cook. The main reason for rush - 3 babies, ages 3,1 and 3months who had one parent in the contest, and the other was a judge plus the babies all had to be in bed by 7PM or the parents turn into pumpkins.

Unlike the TV version, two contestants were eliminated in round one. Between round one and dessert, we had the already prepared grilled dinner which everyone (14 people) ate together.

In the final round of our family CHOPPED competition, there were two contestants. Myself and the nephew. The ingredients we discovered in our baskets were: a golden yellow honeydew melon, Neopolitan Soy Ice Cream, French fried potato chips, and crescent rolls.

Again, not paying any attention to the other contestant, I peeled and chopped up melon, added sugar, flour and cinnamon to it then opened the crescent roll tube, floured my board and rolled out the dough triangles and put a tablespoon or so of the melon mixture into the center of each. Folded them up so no filling would escape, sugared the tops and put them into the oven. Next I made a chopped French fried potato and chopped nut brittle. I melted some of the ice cream in a separate pan, to use for a sauce, adding a bit of ricotta to it to make it less sweet. When I had two minutes left on the clock, I removed the tarts from the oven onto a plate (by this time we were using plastic plates), Put down some of the sauce on the side of each tart and garnished with the brittle. Here it is. The winning dessert !!

This is the nephews dessert. Because I was so crazy busy, I had to make some phone calls to find out about it. He flambed then pureed the melon adding a bit of the ice cream to it to make a sauce to pour over the  rolled and deep fried dough. He crumbled the French fried stix to use as a topping.

The unwinning dessert

According to one participant: "we have to do this again, this was the most fun we ever had at a Sunday dinner".

What to Bring For Dessert Tutorial

I am invited to have dinner at one of my niece's homes tonight. I asked if I could bring something. She said "bring dessert".

Since it's Summer and all these fruits are succulently in season, I planned to make a fruit tart.

              

                   THIS IS IT - THE SUMMER FRUIT TART - IN ALL IT'S GLORY

I made it in a 9" spring form pan. I will remove the sides of the pan at service time. So, this is what you need:

1- get some mouth watering looking fruits (any kind) at the market of farm stand
2- one small package of vanilla instant pudding
3- 1/2 cup of Nutella
4- 1/2 cup of clear jelly, not jam (I used plum)
5- 1 package of refrigerated, ready to bake, 24 cookie, sugar cookies

Directions:
1- Put the fruits, one type at a time, into a collander and spray with water. Lay fruit out on tea towels to dry. They must be totally dry before arranging them on the tart.

2- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

 3- Smoosh, with your floured fingers, the sugar cookies around and a bit up the sides of the spring form pan. Smoosh remaining cookies over the pan bottom.

4- Put the cookie crust in the oven. It does take longer to turn golden than the manufacturers directions for baking individual cookies. Keep your eye on it. Remove when golden. Cool on rack.

5- Spread the Nutella over the cooled cookie crust.

6- Prepare the instant pudding using 1.5 cups of milk, not the 2 cups the manufacturer suggests.
Spread the thickened pudding over the Nutella.

7-  I hulled and cut the strawberries in half. I also cut the grapes in half. Arrange the fruits you have chosen in an artistic design over the layer of pudding.

8- The final step that makes this all look gorgeous is: melt that 1/2 cup of jelly in the microwave about 1 minute. With a pastry brush, paint all the fruit, covering each piece completely with the melted jelly.

That's the secret of making it look divine, all shiny and bright and irresistible.

Bon Appetit

Pizzelles

Pizzelles is an old Italian family recipe. We make these sweets for celebrations like graduation parties, Christmas parties, even weddings. The recipe I'm going to share with you came to me from my Aunt - my father's sister - I always called her Mimi because I couldn't pronounce her name when I was little. The name stuck. Everyone called her Mimi. This is her recipe but there are probably as many pizzelle recipes as there are Italian families.

First thing you need is a pizzelle iron



I rub the paper that wrapped the margarine over the grill so my pizzelles won't stick. They never do. The new pizzelle irons today have non-stick surfaces. I heat mine up before adding a tsp. of batter to each side of the press. Close the press and bake for about 30 seconds then remove them to the parchment or wax papered table surface to cool completely. 

Mimi's recipe written in her own had - no directions - she expected me to know that

If you don't know that already: you beat the softened margerine (I use margarine instead of butter) and sugar together with an electric mixer. Add the eggs then orange juice or other flavoring of your choice. Mix dry ingredients in a separate bowl then add them to the wet ingredients about a third at a time. You may have to apply elbow grease to the final mixing because batter may be too dense for your beater.

I cool mine completely before stacking - this makes them stay crisp

 

when cooled they can be stacked for storage

sugared and ready to party

This recipe yields approximately 100 pizzelles.

The orange juice flavors the pizzelles very subtly. You can use vanilla, orange or lemon extracts if you prefer.



A Visit To South Carolina

I traveled to South Carolina for Easter this Spring. One of my sons, his wife and two children live there and this trip was mainly an opportunity to spend "Mom time" with them. At this time of year, South Carolina is bursting with Spring greenery. Springtime arrives in S.C. about a month before it does where I live (on the southwest shore of Lake Ontario). Therefore, the trip was a taste of Springtime while it was still winter in the northeast.

I had a lovely visit with my children, got to make dinner for them one night. Made chicken French (a Rochester specialty) with asparagus risotto and a green salad. Had daughter-in-law's delightful Angel Lush with Pineapple for dessert. This cake is so refreshing and charmingly beautiful. She actually made it for Easter dinner and this was "leftovers" for our Monday night supper dessert. If you'd like to make this for your next event, it is super simple (no cooking or baking - just opening up containers and slicing store bought angel-food cake) and makes you look like "the hostess with the most-est". Here's the link for the directions.
http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/angel-lush-pineapple-74114.aspx


I also served it for dessert on Monday afternoon when I had the pleasure of having lunch with my South Carolina etsy friends, Teresa of:  https://www.etsy.com/shop/creationsbyjessi?ref=teams_post and Jessi of : https://www.etsy.com/shop/KraftieKidz?ref=search_shop_redirect      plus little sister, Heidi.

We packed lots of activities into that Easter weekend and one of the most delightful was a visit to the South Carolina Botanical Gardens at Clemson University. Because our planting zones are so different, I saw plants in bloom that are not winter hardy enough to survive our harsh winters here in the northeast. My favorite of these are the camellias. How I dearly wish I could have these in my northern garden. Enjoy the awesome colors..........