November 7, 2009

Italian Lentil Soup

Posted by Chef Victoria under Catering by Victoria, Chef Notes, Recipes | Tags: , , , , , , , |
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lentils

On New Year’s Eve, or Day, Italians eat some traditional foods.  An ingredient that is served in a variety of ways with a variety of different ingredients is lentils. Like little coins, they are a promise of prosperity in the coming year.  Lentil dishes will vary by regions, from polenta and lentils, pork sausages slow roasted with lentils, and  risotto with  lentils.   Here is a delicious, heart-warming soup that will comfort and sustain you on a mid-winter day.  Try this soup with a hot loaf of crusty bread, such as Pane Pugliese, or an herbed ciabatta, and don’t forget a great football game.  (Some traditions are meant to be expanded.)

HEARTY ITALIAN LENTIL SOUP

Layer, after layer of flavor, creates a satisfying soup.

In a stockpot, heat 1 tablespoon each of olive oil and butter.  Add a ½ cup finely chopped onion, 3 medium carrots and and 2 ribs of celery, diced.  Stir continually, until onion pick up a little color, about 5 minutes.    To this sauté, add 2 tablespoons finely chopped pancetta, or bacon and continue to stir over medium heat for about 2 minutes.   Add 1 minced clove of garlic, and 1 twelve ounce can of good quality chopped plum tomatoes, with juice.  Cook this combination of ingredients for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add 1 cup of lentils, rinsed and picked over.  Pour 4 cups of chicken or beef stock and bring the pot to a simmer.  Cover and allow the soup to cook until lentils become tender, about 40-45 minutes.  Season with sea salt & fresh cracked black pepper, and 2 tablespoons minced parsley.  Serve to bowls.  Pass grated Pecorino Romano cheese on the side.  italian bread

CHEF NOTE:  Since this is your soup. you can add ingredients that you like.  You may want to include some Italian sausage, or spinach, roasted red bell peppers or even a chifinod of basil, in place of the parsley.
 

November 5, 2009

Twenty-one Pies

Posted by Chef Victoria under Caffè Victoria, Catering by Victoria, restaurant | Tags: , , , , , , , |
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Caffe Victoria is baking up 21 different fruit and custard pies for the holidays.

Our Praline~Pumpkin pie has been taken all the way to Japan.  Last year we had pies go to Chicago and New York.  This Thanksgiving Frankfurt, Germany will find out what a buttery and flaky crust from Colorado tastes like.  Our pies travel!  A local flight attendant insists on taking our pies with her when she travels over the holidays.  We, at Caffè Victoria, are quite flattered by this.  We love the fact that she considers our pies some of the best in the world, and that she seeks to share them abroad.

pie

Lattice top Blackberry Pie

If you will be home for the holidays, or traveling to family or friends, either way we have you covered.  Order some wonderfully delicious pies from Caffe Victoria.  Pie orders are needed or or before Sunday, November 22nd, and will be available for pick-up on Wednesday, November 25th, or by appointment.  (970)686-5005.  Payment is needed with your order.  All boxed pies are $21.


Fruit Pies

♥ All~American Double Crust Apple ♥ Dutch Apple

♥ Apple~Raspberry ♥ Blackberry ♥ Blueberry ♥ Tart Cherry

♥ Double Crust Fresh Peach (July-August only)

♥ Cinnamon-Pear with Walnut Streusel ♥

Custard Pies

♥ Coconut Cream ♥ Banana Cream

♥ Black-bottom Banana Cream

♥ Brown “Sugah” ♥ Candy

♥ Chocolate Cream ♥ Chocolate Silk

♥Lemon Meringue ♥ Pure Pumpkin

♥ Golden Praline Pecan ♥ Praline Pumpkin

♥ Spiced Sweet Potato ♥ Vanilla Bean Cream ♥

 

November 2, 2009

CUT-OUT COOKIES!!!!

Posted by Chef Victoria under Caffè Victoria, Catering by Victoria, Chef Notes, Recipes, breakfast | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |
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Valentine Sugar Cookies

Soft, slightly sweet and super cute.

You can personalize your cookies with your own unique style and flare.  Create your own shapes, with a template and a sharp knife, or purchase them from the ever growing inventory of metal and plastic cutters.   This holiday season, cut-out some precious time with your favorite children.  If might be the most special memory you make.Halloween 09 016

Creating sugar cookie cut-outs with children is a wonderful time for them to find their creative side.  Depending on the age of the children you are working with, you may want to have them help with cutting out and baking the cookies, or perhaps just the decorating portion of the process.  You can assist them by icing the cookies, and allowing them to finish them with sprinkles, nuts or sugar crystals.  For older kids, help them learn a new technique with piping bags.  co's bmw susan g komen 2008 001

We have used sugar cookies to personalize catered events and tie them to a clients theme.  They make great favors and table decorations for weddings, client appreciations and special life milestone events.  We have created cookies with company logos, color schemes and special “cause” emblems to commemorate certain events.

With the Christmas holiday rapidly approaching, schedule a time to create some fun memories in your kitchen.  Below you’ll find some easy, delicious recipes to make everything at home.  For tinting your icing, we suggest color gel, but Lawry’s food dye works also.  Additional confectioner’s sugar will need to be added  when using a water-based dye.Wilton Food Color Gel

ROYAL ICING

6 oz. egg whites

2 tsp. vanilla

8 cups powdered sugar

Beat with an electric mixer until smooth, adding  powdered sugar until desired consistency is reached.  For “RUN-OUT” technique, you will need a slightly viscous consistency.  Piping requires a stiffer consistency. Piping a “dam” around the edge of the cookie first will help keep the run-out icing contained.  Allow your run-out to dry completely before piping additional icing over it.

Chef Note:  Royal Icing takes flavoring well.  Add 1/4 tsp. of peppermint, cinnamon, coconut or almond extract if you desire a flavored icing.

GINGERBREAD CUT OUTS

Classic Gingerbread Cutouts

2 stick butter, soft

½ cup brown sugar

2/3 cup molasses

2 eggs

½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. ground allspice

½ tsp. ground cloves

¾ tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. ginger

1 tsp. vanilla

4 cups flourHalloween 09 004

Combine all ingredients.  Tightly wrap dough and chill  for 1 hour before rolling out.  Chill cookies (freezer) 10 minutes on cookie sheet before baking.  This will help them to keep their cut-out shapes more precisely.  Bake 8-10 minutes 350º.  Avoid over baking if you like to enjoy soft finished cookies.  Once cooled,  wrap cookies in stacks of 5 with plastic wrap, until ready to ice.  Finished cookies should be stored in an air-tight container.

Chef Note:  These cookies on their own have very little sugar in them.  Icing them with Royal Icing, or even a Vanilla Buttercream lends a sweetness that is just delightful, and a great accompaniment to a hot cup of coffee or even tea.

ROYAL ICING

6 oz. egg whites

2 tsp. vanilla

8 cups powdered sugar

 

October 9, 2009

Smokey Pumpkin Soup

Posted by Chef Victoria under Chef Notes, Recipes | Tags: , , , |
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Here’s the recipe for the Pumpkin Soup I made last night.  The recipe below is adapted from Good Times Silver Palate Cookbook

Chef’s Note: After cleaning out the inside of the pumpkin (reserving the seeds of course) and washing the outside, I cut into large chunks.  Drizzled them with olive oil and a sprinkle of salt, and roasted them in an over (350 °) for about 30-45 minutes.  Remove from oven, and when cool enough to handle, carefully scrap pumpkin meat from outer shell.  Roasting your pumpkin enhances the flavor, adding some sweetness to your soup. silver palate cover

Smokey Pumpkin Soup

Makes 6 portions

6 slices bacon, diced, cooked crisp, fat  reserved

4 Tbsp. butter

6 cups peeled, cut pumpkin (1” cubes)

6 cups beef stock

½ cup Marsala wine

1 tsp. dried thyme

Heat bacon fat and butter in a stock pot over medium-high heat.  Add the pumpkin and sauté for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Pour in stock and simmer covered until the pumpkin is tender, about 30 minutes.  Remove from heat.

Add Marsala, thyme, salt & pepper to taste.  Process the soup, in batches in a blender until smooth.  Return to stock pot.  Add bacon bits and simmer 10 minutes.  Serve immediately, garnish with pumpkin seeds.

 

October 9, 2009

Chicken Soup

Posted by Chef Victoria under Caffè Victoria, Chef Notes, Recipes | Tags: , , , , , |
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Some call it “Jewish Penicillin” because of it is medicinal qualities, but this medicine isn’t hard to swallow.  This recipe was originally contributed to the Windsor Beacon, in October 2007.  Classic as it is, and perfect for this year’s flu season, it seems apt to post an edited version of it here again.

When I was growing up, my father taught me to make soup.  I remember him telling me that I could make a whole pot of soup for what I spent on one can of soup.   This premise holds true today and the pot of soup we can make today is far more superior in nutrition and flavor than a can of soup we can purchase.   Think about the control you have in making your own soups!   Need a low-sodium variety?  You add as much or as little salt as you prefer.  Do you have a gluten-free diet?  Skip the noodles, add the potatoes.  Are preservatives undesirable?   They aren’t in my soup because I didn’t put them in there!  Like extra chicken?  You’re the boss!

Chicken  Soup

  • 1 whole chicken
  • carrots
  • celery
  • white or yellow onion
  • water
  • fresh parsley
  • salt & pepper

I use a whole chicken.  In a stockpot, cover a whole, rinsed chicken with water, toss in two teaspoons of salt, cover the pot with a lid and bring to a simmer (not boil) for about two hours, or until meat is cooked through and begins to pull away from the bones.  Using long tongs, remove the whole chicken from the broth and place in a pan to cool enough to handle.  In the meantime, strain the broth and return to the stock pot.  Add about one cup of chopped onion, two chopped celery stocks and about a cup of chopped carrots.  Bring these ingredients to a boil and simmer until carrots are tender.  At this point you can add egg noodles, dumplings or your favorite short pasta cooking until al dente.  As the noodles cook, you can separate the chicken from the bones and chop large pieces into bite sized portions.  When pasta is finished cooking, add chicken and minced fresh parsley to stock pot.  Finally, season your finished soup with salt and fresh pepper to taste and enjoy!

 

February 16, 2009

Valentine’s After-Wedding Party

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On Valentine’s Day, we catered a special event for a couple hoping to honor and celebrate the marriage of one of their three sons.  There were about 75 guests in attendance.  It was a very loving gesture.

For the menu we chose crowd pleasing, hearty appetizers, such as scalloped artichoke hearts, tender meatballs in marinara, beautiful fresh fruit, varietal cheese tray, and crispy potato cakes with crème fraîche and smoked salmon.  The dessert buffet was stunning.  Mini mousse, in four luscious flavors, mini cheesecakes with raspberry coulis, dark, rich chocolate torte with soft whipped cream, dark and white chocolate~dipped strawberries, and heart~shaped pink sugar cookies.

Both the appetizer buffet and the dessert buffet were decorated in red satin,  pink sequinzed hearts and red votives. Beautiful clusters of red rose bouquets were placed around the kitchen, dining and living areas of the home.  Guests really seemed to have a wonderful time, enjoy the food, dessert and beverages.  Love was definitely in-the-air!

 

January 25, 2009

Wild Salmon, Risotto, Manchego Salad with White Burgundy

Posted by scooter4j under Chef Notes, Food + Wine = Art | Tags: , , , |
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Last week we had a most excellent dinner featuring a food-and-wine pairing worth noting….

On the menu was wonderful salad including strawberries, toasted pecans, and manchego cheese shavings dressed with a very light balsamic-vinegar dressing.  Additionally, there was creamy risotto and grilled wild Pacific salmon.  With that I paired a 2004 Domaine Paquet Macon Fuissé white burgundy.

The wine was quite good (I need to add tasting notes to the blog don’t I?!! —-) – medium+ acidity coupled with robust apple/pear fruit and just a touch of oak (I far prefer the french approach to oaking chardonnays over the new world approach), medium+ body.

The acidity in the wine was very complementary to the balsamic dressing and the fruitiness of the wine loved the relative sweetness of the dressing.  The touch of oak coupled with the acidity did amazing things with the manchego cheese.  The most amazing thing though, was the interaction of the wine and the strawberry: a sip of wine followed by a bit of strawberry produced the most perfect, clean strawberry taste.  It was wonderful.

The body of the wine and its hint of oak was perfect for the risotto (which has a bit of nuttiness in the flavor).  Lastly, the wine and salmon had the perfect body for each other.

We’re likely to feature this pairing at one of our upcoming Food + Wine = Art events.

 

January 12, 2009

Polenta with Italian Sausage and Rapini

Posted by Chef Victoria under Chef Notes, Food + Wine = Art, Recipes, Wine Pairing | Tags: , , , , |
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Creamy and Satisfying, Spicy and Hearty

Wine Suggestion:  Barbera d’Alba

A favorite taste at the latest Food + Wine = Art Event was an Old World inspired Polenta.  Polenta is creamy, slow cooked corn meal porridge.  This basic dish is common to most European countries.  It’s also been called mush, gruel and considered “peasant food” until the latter part of the last century.  But these alias don’t exactly inspire gourmet flambe.  And I feel a bit funny admitting this, but I had never tasted it prior to preparing for this F+W=A event.  Growing up Italian in my family’s home, it was all about pasta.  Until now, I didn’t know what I was missing!  Here is the recipe, if you care to make it.

Polenta

  • 6 cups hot water
  • 1.5 tsp. sea salt
  • 1.5 cups corn meal (not instant)
  • 1/4 cup butter, or half a stick
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup grated Pecorrino Romano Cheese, or Parmesan + extra for garnishing  at the end

Sausage & Rapini

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 lb. hot Italian sausage, bulk or cut up links
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 lbs rapini (can substitute broccoi rabe, or broccolini)

Cook rapini:
Discarding the “woody” parts, cut rapini stems diagonally into 1-inch pieces and coarsely chop leaves. Cook stems in a large pot of  boiling salted water about 4 minutes, or until just tender. Add leaves and cook one additional minute. Drain in a colander, then rinse under cold water to stop cooking. (see Blanching) Do not squeeze out excess water, but allow to drain completely.

Cook polenta:
In a 3-quart heavy saucepan, bring water to a boil and add polenta in a thin stream, whisking constantly, to prevent lumps. Cook over moderate heat, whisking, 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low and simmer polenta, covered, stirring for 1 minute after every 10 minutes of cooking, 45 minutes total. Stir in butter, cream, and cheese and remove from heat.

Sauté sausage:

In between stirring sessions with the polenta, heat oil in a large inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté sausage, stirring and breaking up meat into large pieces with a spoon, until browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a plate. Reduce heat to moderate, then cook garlic in skillet, stirring, until golden, about 2 minutes.

Add rapini and cook, stirring and scraping up brown bits from bottom of skillet, 2 minutes. Return sausage to skillet and toss with greens, salt, and pepper. Serve over hot polenta.

To serve, spoon sausage and rapini mixture over finished polenta.  Drizzle with good quality extra-virgin olive oil.  Garnish with grated Romano cheese.