Secret Table May 12, 2012

On May 12, 2012 we held a "Chef's Night In" Secret Table at a loft-like home in Brentwood.   The menu was a simple South of France style dinner with a colorful table set in Mediterranean colors.

I was meant to join my guests for the duration of the evening but spent too much time in the kitchen orchestrating the dinner.   Sorry for that but still happy for the time I was able to spend one-on-one with my guests. 

We started with bubbles and a raspberry coulis that made a beatiful pink confection...

together with my new favorite cocktail cookies this time around Apricot/Tarragon and Chocolate/Cayenne... they are the perfect combination of sweet and savory with a delicate shortbread base.

We also served a whipped Feta spread that was combination of Feta/Cream Cheese/Cream, half a shallot and a clove of garlic.  The cuisinart did the rest!  I love Middle Eastern flatbreads toasted and cut into triangles for dipping.

Cesar Salads followed with Crispy Thyme Croutons and then we served my favorite pizza inspired by La Pizza in the Old Port in Cannes:  Caramelized onions, Nicoise olives and Gruyere cheese.  I waited years for that reveal and thanks to an article in The NY Times learned that it's all Gruyere baby and no Mozzarealla in the mix...

We next served our new favorite Merguez Sausage Couscous for the main course studded with dried cranberries and fennel.  Dessert was a slice of Lemon Ricotta Poundcake with more raspberries and whipped cream.  Our lovely host made espressons for our guests and my partner, Shannon and her divinely gorgeous husband, Jason, helped me out enormously with KP -- I promise to never do that to them again.  

Egads where was scullery for the night?   All in all it was such a swell night and I thank my guests enormously for their support of The Secret Table!   For a quick look at the night, follow this link:

http://youtu.be/gYBfIAun2m0.

Cheers!

Lisa & Company



Client Appreciation

Suffice it to say that my food business has exploded.   We have been busier than one-armed paper hangers (one of my dad's favorite and I'm sure politically incorrect analogies) so this blog is really dedicated to all my clients who make my life a revolving door of new faces and places (some of which are mind blowingly fabulous like this particular home in Newport). 

Work aside -- because we all know it's great to do what you love and make a living at the same time -- however, the real reward for a private chef/caterer is how sincerely happy people are with the food we serve, our professionalism and our presentation.  In other words, I feel loved.  And I believe my clients feel loved at the time they partake in eating what I have labored over for days -- investing time, creativity and care to make sure everything is as perfect as it can be.  Even when it's for a two-year old's special birthday party!

As a result of this huge upsurge in business our menus have been expanding as well:  New dishes we're extremely proud of are Chili Prawns -- a combination of jalapenos, lemons, prawns, plum sauce, sesame oil, and garlic chili sauce; Dorie Greenspan's psychotically divine cocktail cookies: Parmesan, almond and rosemary, tarragon and apricot and chocolate cayenne.   Melt in your mouth delicious. 

Empanadillas stuffed with spinach, roasted pine nuts and currants.  Wrapped in puff pastry they are a lunette of rich buttery flavors. 

Strawberry meringue pie and of course, my summery triple berry crisp. 

And due to a lack of fresh figs at the market, I stuffed beautiful plump apricots with honeyed goat cheese, wrapped them in prosciutto and roasted them at 400 degrees until they were the perfect sweet and savory kiss.

And last but not least what has become a new favorite dish on the menu adapted from a Padma Lakshmi recipe is my Merquez couscous studded with the eponymous spicy lamb sausage, fennel and dried cranberries.   A perfect one-dish meal that's been showing up on menu after menu.  Thank you Padma!



So we thank you, all our Secret Ingredient clients, for making our business such a huge success and such a massive pleasure serving you.  For recipes, please email me directly at events@secretingredients.us.  Otherwise this blog would have been a novella!

Bon Appetit,

Lisa and company







April 21st Secret Table

A Spring Communal Table

Dear Friends,

We want to hear from you!  In order to bring you the best communal dining experience possible we want to know what tickles your fancy, stimulates your palate, and piques your interest.  Our goal is to grow the table so many intrepid foodies can gather and meet one another over great meals and good times.   

A Spring Communal Table

If you would, email us at secrettable@secretingredients.us and let us know if you'd be interested in attending a dinner on the 21st or the 28th of April. If a ticket price over $100.00 is a deal breaker?  And should we offer a complete vegetarian menu in addition to our regular menu?  Does providing an open bar make the table that much more lively?  And since we asked, please feel free to email us any other suggestions you might have that would make your communal dining experience the be all, end all. 

Once we've collected your feedback, the next Secret Table will be underway and the invitation will follow shortly.  

A million thanks!

The Secret Table Team

 

  

 

Cate's First Cheesecake

One of my supreme joys is teaching kids how to cook especially when they show an interest at an early age.  One of my very best friends has two darling daughters: Cate and Paige.  Cate is 9 and Paige just turned 6.   When I arrived in NYC I received a special request from Cate to teach her how to make a cheesecake with double the crust and no blueberries.  I had on a few other occasions made cheesecake with fresh summer blueberries.  Her suggestion was a good one for this time of year.  And this is no ordinary kid. She has a sophisticated palate that rivals my own at her age.  She loves tuna tartare and when I was 9, I loved frogs' legs.  I introduced her to Humboldt Fog -- the ash rich, textured and creamy goat cheese from Cowgirl Creamery and it's now her favorite cheese.  Suffice it to say, after food camp this summer she might be showing me a thing or two in the kitchen. 

So I easily agreed to her request and we set out to make a cheesecake -- that together with a few happy accidents came up with what now believe is the best cheesecake I've ever made.   Thanks Cate!

You'll need:

9" springform pan

For the crust:

2 pkgs. graham crackers

1/2 C. butter melted

For the filling:

2 lbs. cream cheese

1 C. sugar

4 eggs

4 tsp. vanilla

1/2 C. sour cream

1/4 C. heavy cream

zest of 1 lemon

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. 

While still in their package, hit graham crackers against the counter a few times to break up.  Place broken bits in the food processor.  Pulse until finely ground.  Melt butter and place in a bowl.  Add crumbs and turn until even mixed.  Pat gently and evenly in the bottom of the springform pan.  Place in the oven and let bake for ten minutes.

In the bowl of a Kitchen Aid Mixmaster (regular mixing bowl and hand mixer will work, too) add all the cream cheese.   Mix on low just to break it up.  Add sugar and blend on medium until mixture is smooth.  Add eggs one at a time beating well after each addition.  Once the eggs are fully incorporated add the vanilla -- this was Cate's addition since no recipe ever calls for this much vanilla and it's genius!  Then add the sour cream and heavy cream.  Mix well.   Now turn in the lemon zest and mix with a wooden spoon or spatula.  

Pour the mixture into the springform pan and bake for 1 hour.  Turn the oven off and leave the cheesecake in the warm oven for another two hours.  Cake will cook perfectly in this manner.  Refrigerate immediately.  Should be ready to serve 2 hours later. 

This is a dense but creamy cheesecake -- a little bit New York but softer and more far more flavorful.  Enjoy!



Cooking Is The Gift That Keeps On Giving.

I arrived in New York the other night and per usual, I am ensconced in the home of one of my oldest (that always sounds wrong), closest, most wonderful and funniest friends... Being here is my home away from home and I'm always grateful that I have such a special place to reside in my most favorite city on earth.  And also because it allows me to cook for my lovely host and her family which is not only my sincere pleasure but they seem to sincerely enjoy the dishes I coax from the kitchen and place on the dining room table.

This trip occurred just days after the 10th anniversary of my friend's 40th birthday.  She had spent a week celebrating and dining in the best restaurants the city has to offer.   The night I arrived she returned from a $1,000.00 multi-course dinner at Colicchio.  I was very glad for her because I then informed her that our celebration dinner would nowhere near this indulgence and I hoped she was presently sated.  She said that  she was not only sated but nearly sick of all the fine dining and worried mostly if her pricey wardrobe was going still going to fit.  She then added, "all I want from you is that lentil beet salad thing you make and a quiet evening at home."  I promised to deliver the salad at home but quiet was out of the question: we are two of the loudest women I know and her children can attest to the fact that once we've had a few glasses of wine and start sharing our stories, ears have been covered.  Thank God it's New York City. 

So the salad... this was inspired by a meal  I had at my favorite Cafe Med in the Sunset Plaza area of Los Angeles.  I never got the recipe but I believe my version pays homage to this super healthy and hearty dish.

You'll need:

3 large beets roasted and cubed
6 oz. lentils cooked and rinsed
1/2 large onion diced
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
4 carrots chopped
4 stalks of celery chopped
3 tbl. olive oil for sauteeing
4 tbl. olive oil for dressing
2 tb. balsamic vinegar
4 oz. goat cheese
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. fresh ground pepper

Makes six appetizer servings or 3 large salad servings. 

Preheat oven to 375degrees.  Cut tops and ends from beets.   Rinse under cold water and clean thoroughly.  Place in thick foil, sprinkle with olive oil, salt generously and seal foil tight around beets.  Roast for ninety minutes or until a knife pierces them easily.   Remove from the oven.  Allow to cool and then under running water remove the peels with your hands. They will slip away easily when fully cooked.  I love the vibrant pink color of the water swirling down the drain.   Nature's theater. 

In the meantime, add olive to a saute pan, turn heat on medium and toss in onions.  Season with salt and worcestershire.   Allow to barely caramelize.  Toss in celery and carrots. 

This combination is referred to as a mire poix although I like my carrots a little larger and more rustic for this dish than is considered traditional.  Cook until the vegetables are tender around 15 minutes and then turn the heat up so the carrots actually start to caramelize. Releases a deep rich flavor.    While you're sauteeing you can also cook the lentils.  Rinse them thoroughly.  Place in a saucepan and cover with cold water (an extra 3 inches over the lentils as they will absorb all the water when cooked).   Place a lid on the pot but don't seal it.  Cook for twenty minutes and drain in a colander when done.  Lentils should be al dente.  If you overcook they turn to mush and will ruin your salad. 

Now you're ready to assemble... cube the beats and turn all ingredients into a large salad bowl.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  No need to emulsify prior.   Toss gently until flavored just as you like it.  Now crumble the goat cheese into the salad and give it a few additional gentle turns so as not to mash the cheese into the lovely salad.  You're ready to serve.

I added a plate of my ubiquitous crostini (toasted bread with olive oil and salt), a gorgeous round of St. Andre that was soooo perfectly ready to eat the interior was a buttery yellow  reminding us and often that we were eating PURE CREAM.  So much for the diet concerns.  A dish of freshly made fig compote (this was heaven) and we sat down to dinner with a bottle of Cupcake Chardonnay that I quite like. 

In keeping with my "open door policy" of cooking which underscores simplify and also because my schedule in the city isn't just about making delicious meals I bought dessert at a gourmet market that had me turning in circles ogling all the delicasies and sundries.  I chose bread pudding and double fudge brownies.  Poor friend.  The meal may not have cost $1,000 dollars but I guess the caloric intake was equally devastating.  

Happy Birthday darling friend... the meal was only topped by your storytelling which I'm still giggling about today. 



Thursday Night Tacos

Everyone loves tacos; right?  So how about a healthy take on tacos that is so much more delicious than the typical ground beef and packaged seasoning mixture we've all made in a pinch.  My tacos are packed with spice, heat and loads of kale for texture and flavor that's extraordinary.

For my tacos you'll need:

1 lb. Ground Turkey
3 Tbl. Olive Oil
2 Onions Diced
3 Cloves Garlic Minced
15 oz. Tomato Puree
3 Tsp. Worcestershire
2 Tsp. Ground Cumin
2 Tsp. Ground Coriander
2 Tbl.  Garlic Chili Sauce
1 Tsp. Cayenne
1 Tbl.  Salt
4 C. Cut and Cleaned Kale

Saute onions in olive oil, salt and worcestershire sauce until almost caramelized.  Add garlic and saute for 3 minutes.  Turn in turkey and cook thoroughly.  Add spices and chili sauce.  Cook for a few minutes for spices to release their flavor.   Add tomatoes and stir to combine.  Kale is added last and continue to turn gently until fully incorporated.  Kale will need about five minutes to soften.    Now you're ready to assemble. 

But first a little appetizer... one of the easiest treats that makes people go ga ga and I mean lip smacking oh my god these are so good are crispy tortilla chips.   Buy white corn tortillas and quarter.  Fill a saucepan with a quarter inch of vegetable oil.   Heat until a drop of water sizzles in the pan.  Add a single layer of the tortilla chips.  They will take about 30 seconds to crisp on one side.  Flip.  When they are golden remove from the pan and let rest on a paper towel covered plate.  Sprinkle generously with salt immediately.  This is key!   Serve with some easy fresh guacamole that I prepare by first cutting the avocadoes into large chunks and toss into a bowl.  Add salt and a minced garlic clove for a single avocado.  Mash with the back of a fork.  Squeeze in fresh lemon juice to taste.   And that's it.  Many variations depending on how you like your guacamole but I prefer to keep it simple and all about the avocadoes.  

While you and your guests are munching on chips and dip heat the corn tortillas over an open flame on both sides until browned.   Sprinkle with a generous amount of grated cheddar cheese.  Place under a broiler until melted.   Spoon turkey mixture over.   I cut up fresh tomatoes and tossed with lettuce, lemon juice and salt.  I added this last and presented my tacos open faced with a side of black beans.   And yes, I use canned black beans because they are easy and even easier to doctor up:  I add a whole chipotle pepper (mashed) to the beans, some salt and cheddar cheese.  Heat and they are smokin' good. 

Apologies for the extra bits on the plate but we weren't dining formally last night and I wasn't even sure I was going to blog about this new recipe until we all took our first bite and said, "wow, these are divine."  And they were.  So with a little preparation in the pantry (spices on hand) and a few key ingredients you wouldn't normally think of with tacos (kale and ground turkey) you'll have a new spin on an old favorite. My Mexican Granny would be proud. 

Adios amigos!

Lisa