Producer - Author - Editor - Food Stylist 

Bio courtesy of Virginia Willis' website: www.virginiawillis.com

Virginia Willis is the author of the acclaimed cookbook, Bon Appétit, Y’all! Three Generations of Southern Cooking (Ten Speed Press, 2008).

A graduate of L'Academie de Cuisine and Ecole de Cuisine LaVarenne, Virginia produced Turner South’s Home Plate and the DVD Shirley Corriher’s Kitchen Secrets Revealed! Previously she honed her attention to detail as the Kitchen Director for Martha Stewart Living Television where she supervised the food segments for the Emmy-award winning television show. With MSLTV, Virginia was also responsible for preparing private meals and events for Martha and her guests -- including among others, President Clinton, Aretha Franklin, and Julia Child. As Executive Producer for Epicurious on The Discovery Channel, she traveled the world taping fantastic stories about food - from harvesting capers in the shadow of a smoldering volcano to making authentic mustard in Dijon.

Virginia's wide and varied food career started in Atlanta as an apprentice to Nathalie Dupree. She worked with Dupree on four PBS series and cookbooks, including the James Beard award-winning Comfortable Entertaining. She also spent several years as an editorial assistant with culinary authority Anne Willan on various projects including Cook It Right, an exhaustive tome that documents the various states of "doneness" (and over- and under-"doneness") of everything from whipped cream to braised pheasant.

She is a featured chef in Atlanta Cooks at Home, tester and editor for The All-New Joy of Cooking, author of Pasta Dinners 1,2,3, co-author of Home Plate Cooking, and weekly writer for The Atlanta Journal Constitution. Her work has also appeared in Country Living, Family Fun, and Edible Atlanta.

She has appeared on Real Simple Television, Martha Stewart Living Television, Home Plate, and in TV commercials for Duke’s Mayonnaise and Springer Mountain Farms All-Natural Chicken. As a nationally recognized culinary professional her client list includes The Atlanta Bread Company, Char-Broil, The Coca Cola Company, Denny’s, Disney World, Fresh Express, Logan’s Roadhouse, LongHorn Steakhouse, TGI Friday’s, Olive Garden, Ruby Tuesday, Texas Dairy Queen, Texas Roadhouse, Waffle House, Whole Foods Market, and WingZone.

Virginia is a president of the Atlanta chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier, a member of The Atlanta Community Food Bank Advisory Board, Georgia Organics, the International Association of Culinary Professionals, Southern Foodways Alliance, and Women Chefs and Restaurateurs.

Discussed in the podcast:  Vidalia Onion Confit, Vidalia Onion Quiche, Meme's Fried Chicken and Gravy and Tarragon Chicken Salad.  Recipes coming soon!

Chef Divya is changing the way foodies experience tips, tricks and then best ways to stay fit, trim and fabulous while enjoying the experience of food!  This is a podcast you definitely DON'T want to miss!

From Behind The Burner:

Chef Divya Gugnani, as beautiful as she is business savvy and as passionate about food as she is about bringing all things culinary to you!

Site: behindtheburner.com

What Behind the Burner does: Behind the Burner is a culinary media brand focused on food, wine, mixology, and nutrition. The brand works with more than 425 culinary experts to create content in a variety of media—videos, articles, blogs, photos, restaurant commentary, and television show segments. The content delivers tips, tricks, and techniques to sophisticated, hip, and hungry food and drink enthusiasts. Gugnani’s content provides tips and sound bites geared toward the under-40 target market in 3 to 5 minute clips, then distributed to more than 50 media outlets, including NBC New York Nonstop, MySpace, BravoTV.com, and Howcast. Behind the Burner also does frequent segments on television and Gugnani is a regular guest on MSNBC Your Business and NBC Weekend Today as well as a contributor to The Huffington Post and The Daily Beast.

How she’s changing the game: Behind the Burner integrates culinary brands into the content for a flat fee. In most online advertising, clients pay a price per guaranteed impressions or per unique viewers. By getting paid directly from the product, instead of basing her revenue model on charging for content distribution, she flips conventional video and television models upside down. In addition to creating an innovative business model, Gugnani’s content targets a previously untapped—and affluent—market. While the vast majority of food media caters to a specific audience—women in their mid-40s trying to get dinner on the table—Behind the Burner is a departure from anything the Food Network, Martha Stewart, or Rachael Ray does. This content targets foodies that are young, hip, and love to eat, but also care about nutrition and wine. Recent highlights: Gugnani is on a brand-building mission. This year, she scored a book deal for, Food Slut: My Little Black Book of Tips from Behind the Burner, a “guide to staying slim, fit and fabulous for women who live to eat,” and it will be available in July 2010 on Amazon and in stores by January 2011. Always a business woman, in addition to an advance, Gugnani secured a 50 percent profit share with HarperCollins—an uncommon arrangement for a first-time author.

The recipe we'll be discussing:

Gnocchi with Tiger Shrimp and Walnut Butter by Divya Gugnani

Makes 4 servings

INGREDIENTS:

Gnocchi:

2 russet potatoes
3 yolks of eggs
1/2 cup water
salt to taste
ground white pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups flour
12 tiger shrimp steamed for 4 minutes
1 teaspoon olive oil

Walnut butter:
1/3 cup butter
1 cup walnuts, toasted and finely chopped
zest of lemon, sliced
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup grated Peccorino cheese
2 teaspoons fresh Italian parsley, chopped

PREPARATION:

For the gnocchi:

1. Peel, cut (3/4-inch chunks ) and boil potatoes till tender. Drain and and rice.

2. Mix potatoes on a wood block dusted with a little flour. Add the egg yolks, water and salt and pepper to taste and knead lightly by hand. Add all but 3 tablespoons of the flour a little at a time, kneading gently just until incorporated. The dough should be soft.
On a work surfa

3. Form into a long log. Cut into smaller portions and using a rig cutter. Roll out into 1/2-inch-long pieces. Dust them well with flour. Pinch closed into little boat shaped pieces.

4. Repeat until dough is exhausted.

5. Peel and devien tiger shrimp. Rub with oil and grill on a hot grill for 4 minutes. Pull the meat from the shells and set aside.


6. Cook gnocchi in boiling water for 4 to 5 minutes. Drain.

For the sauce:

Soften butter in a large hot skillet. Add in walnuts and lemon strips and cook 5 minutes. Stir in the tiger shrimp and gnocchi and cook 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add lemon juice. Remove from heat and stir the peccorino.

Divide among 4 plates. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve.

FAB Recipe that our recipe tester, TC, is going to tell us all about.  Please comment what you thought if you try it!

Keesha O'Galdez affectionately is dubbed the Gourmet Diva. Learning to cook at the age of 8 with the simple dish of rice (which she may be one of the few that considers rice a simple dish to make!) she has since then expanded her culinary repertoire. She creates dishes that aims to please both the novice and experienced taste buds. She also loves to share her passion for great food and entertaining. Her friends and family joke about her eclectic cooking style how she never makes the same dish twice. She reponds "I think I make normal food..there is too much food to taste and I want to make it all!"

So what does Keesh O'Galdez define as normal food?  Listen and find out!

http://www.thegourmetdiva.com

The business world finally came up with a diagnoses for Keesha, its called a Protean career. The term protean is taken from the Greek sea god Proteus who could change shape at will. Driven by her personal needs and not the needs of an organization, the protean career is characterized by change, adaptation, and self – direction.

Keesha received a BS in Information Systems Engineering at SUNY Buffalo and a MBA from Simmons College. She has worked in the non profit, academic, public and financial sectors in many different capacities.

With her latest venture, Gourmet Diva, Keesha plans to exhibit and share her passion for food and entertaining with a modern twist.

The Gourmet Diva credits her inspiration to Chef G.Garvin, B. Smith, Martha Stewart and many others.

Follow everything "Diva Delicious"!

twitter: www.twitter.com/thegourmetdiva
facebook www.facebook.com/thegourmetdiva

Today's Recipe:

Roast Salmon with Mustard Crust or Aka Recession Date Meal

Serves 6

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 6 pieces thick skinless, boneless salmon (each 6 ounces)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/3 cup whole grain Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1 cup panko bread crumbs
• 3 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
• ¾ teaspoon paprika
  
  Instructions
  
     1.      Set the oven at 450 degrees. Use 1 tablespoon of the oil to oil a rimmed baking sheet. Set the salmon on the sheet skin side down.Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
     2.     In a small bowl, combine the mustard, honey, and ½ tablespoon of the thyme. In another bowl, mix the panko with the remaining ½ tablespoon thyme, 2tablespoons oil, parsley, and paprika. Add salt and pepper.
     3.      Using a small spoon, spread the mustard mixture on the salmon; top with the bread crumb mixture.
     4.      Roast the salmon for 12 minutes or until it is almost completely firm to the touch and flakes when poked with a fork. Serve at once.

Chef Wayne Smith

 Began working in professional cooking at age 15

Has served as a chef at restaurants in California, Hawaii and Colorado

Philosophies: Life is too short to not experience new things - including

food - whenever you can; life is too long to eat the same thing day in and day out.

Has lived and worked in western Colorado (Grand Junction) for 14 years;

previously owed Grits Restaurant, which served only Colorado-grown wines and used

almost-exclusively local produce whenever possible.

Teaches culinary arts at Mesa State College.

Recipes
Chef Wayne is a true peach fan. Colorado is one of the nation's largest
peach-producing states, and all the peaches grown in Colorado are grown in and
around Grand Junction. As such, the recipes he'd like to suggest include the
following.

Today's Recipe - and it's FANTASTIC!!

 Peach Semifreddo Croissant Sandwiches

recipe courtesy of Chef Wayne Smith

1 cup + 4 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/3 cup water
4 egg whites
½ teaspoon cream of tartar
2 ripe Palisade peaches
2 tablespoons Jack and Jenny peach brandy
2 cups heavy cream
8 small croissants
white chocolate shavings
toasted pine nuts

1. In a small, heavy saucepan, stir together 1 cup of the sugar and the water. Heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar dissolves and the syrup is boiling. Turn the heat down to the lowest setting. Beat the egg whites until foamy, add the cream of tartar and beat to soft peaks. Gradually beat in 2 tablespoons of the sugar and beat to stiff peaks. Increase the heat and boil the syrup until a candy thermometer registers 248°F to 250°F. Immediately transfer the syrup to a heatproof glass measuring pitcher. Beat the syrup into the whites in a steady stream, avoiding the beaters. Beat at medium speed until cool.

2. Chop one of the peaches into medium-sized pieces and puree the other one with the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar and the peach brandy. Combine the peaches and set aside.

3. Whip the cream to soft peaks. Fold the meringue into the peach mixture, incorporating 1/3 of the meringue at a time. Fold the whipped cream into the mixture then place it in the freezer until it is partially set, but can still be spooned out, 2 to 3 hours. (If the semifreddo becomes too firm, leave it out for 10-15 minutes before serving.)

4. Slice the croissants in half crosswise and toast them lightly in a toaster or under a broiler. Layout the croissant bottoms on a platter and place a scoop of semifreddo on each. Sprinkle white chocolate shavings and pine nuts over the semifreddo and cover with the croissant tops. Serve immediately.

Makes 8 servings

I was the recipe tester and I can't wait to tell you all about it!!

Chef Gio is a fabulous woman, chef and passionate about integrating the most important aspects of life into the kitchen - sex/passion, food (of course!) and rock and roll!  Her philosophy is that people should create intimacy and bonding through cooking, create fun, delicious dishes and rock out while doing so!  Sounds like she's onto something!

Giovannina Jennifer Bellino has often been called a modern day Renaissance woman. Her talents range from the arts of dance and interior design to the traditional skills of vegetable gardening and cooking. Gio teaches her Goddess Dance classes in various locations in Long Island, N.Y. With 30 years of dance and exercise experience, she developed her signature class, conceived for the "Female Form." Goddess Gourmet, Gio's catering business  was started 15 years ago after years of managing and  cooking for Teacher's Luncheons in the Port Washington schools and for events at her local Parish. Her cooking style exemplifies the finest continental cuisine with a "home style" flair. As a result of her entrepreneurial spirit, Gio has launched Sex~Food~RockandRoll as the perfect culmination of her past endeavors. She’s a Baby Boomer with the heart of a hippie and the soul of a groupie who hopes to offer some "food for thought” to the masses.

Chef Gio says, "We’ve perfected the art of having fun. We didn’t care what people thought “then” and we don’t always care “now.” We still tune in. We still turn on. We still rebel. “We” are “me”. The Me Generation is still in your face. We are beats, we are folks, we are greasers, we are hippies, we are bikers. We didn’t die before we got old."  She has her own line of tanks and t-shirts, videos to show you how to do what she does - check it out at www.sexfoodrockandroll.com!

Oh, and did I mention that she served meals to cast members of "The Godfather" and one of her family members taught Al Pacino Italian for his role in the film?  She is just a doll, full of great stories AND cooking advice!  Check out the podcast on my podcast page!

Here are some of her great products you'll find on her website:

The recipe we discussed was her recipe for SEXY Shrimp Appetizers and yes, they absolutely can be sexy!  Here is the recipe:

  SEXY SHRIMP APPETIZERS
 

• 1 lb. shrimp peeled & deveined (medium or large are fine)

• 1 shallot minced

• 5 tbsp. butter

• 1 tbsp. x/v olive oil

• 2 tbsp. sherry (if you don't have sherry, substitute 1 tsp vanilla and 1 tsp lemon or lime juice)

• 2 tbsp. seasoned flour (salt,pepper,garlic powder,Spike seasoning - If you can't find Spike Seasoning, use Old Bay)

• 1 cup light cream

• 2 tbsp. grated Romano or Parmesan cheese

• 1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese

• 2 packages Mini Phyllo shells (in grocers freezer)

1. Coarsely hand chop half the shrimp and pulse half in food processor.

2. Saute the shallot in 3 tbsp. butter and oil for 2-3 minutes over low heat.

3. Add shrimp, raise heat to medium and saute a min., add sherry and simmer 2 minutes.

4. Remove shrimp and liquid and reserve.

5. Add remaining butter to pan, melt and add flour, whisking to make a roux. Cook 2 minutes

6. Add light cream, whisking and simmer to make a Mornay sauce. If too thick add a little more cream.

7. Add grated cheese, whisking.

8. Add shrimp and liquid, stirring to combine.

9. Let Cool Completely.

10. When cool, add shredded Gruyere cheese and stir to combine.

11. Fill Phyllo shells with a teaspoon. Don't overfill so they won't bubble over when baked.

12. Freeze appetizers.

13. Bake at 375 degrees for 5-8 minutes.

I was fortunate enough to be the recipe tester for this appetizer and was it ever fantastic!  It took me less than 20 minutes to make, was super easy and delivered a 10+ on taste!  They crumble in your mouth, the cheese oozes and makes a wonderful, gooey mess and the taste is just to die for!  Feed these appetizers to your significant other and yes, you have a SEXY shrimp appetizer!!

Remember, we love bringing this show to you every week, so please donate to the podcast to keep us going!  And remember, every donation, no matter how big or small, brings us closer to a cure for Spinal Muscular Atrophy as 10% of all podcast donations benefit The Hope and Light Foundation (www.hopeandlight.org).  Please visit the homepage to make a donation in the bottom right hand corner. 

Thank you!!

And don't forget - subscribe  on iTunes - it's FREE!!!

We were fortunate enough to talk with Liz Edmunds, The Food Nanny, on Kick Back and Kook!

www.thefoodnanny.com

Red and White Mostaccioli
 
1 pound uncooked mostaccioli or other tubular pasta
one recipe Alfredo sauce...recipe below
1 (26oz.) jar meatless spaghetti sauce...I use Barilla or Prego
             or 3 cups homemade sauce
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
 
1.  Preheat the oven to 350
 
2.  cook the pasta according to package directions, drain.
 
3.  Meanwhile, prepare sauce of Fettuccine Alfredo
 
4.  Spread a thin layer of spaghetti sauce in a 9x13 in. baking dish.  Layer half
the pasta, half the Alfredo sauce, half the spaghetti sauce, and 1 1/2 cups of the
cheese.  repeat the layering with the remaining pasta, Alfredo sauce, spaghetti
sauce and cheese...
 
5.  Cover with Aluminum foil and bake about 30 minutes or until it is hot and bubbly...
 
serve with a tossed green salad and Italian or French Bread...or a green veggie..
 
 
Alfredo Sauce:
1 stick butter
1 3oz. package cream cheese
1 pint cream (2 cups)
1 teasppoon garlic powder
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and ground black pepper
 
 
1.  Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat.  Mix in the crem cheese. 
Stir in the cream and garlic powder.  Use a whisk it is easier....Increase the heat
and bring to a boil. Decrease the heat and simmer, stirring often.   Stir the
parmesan cheese into the sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste.... 

I was the recipe tester!  I have to say that this recipe is super easy, even if you make your own tomato sauce rather than using spaghetti sauce.  It was easy, rich and delicious!  Certainly you would want to eat this in moderation, but for a super easy that delivers a 9 or 10 on taste - you can't beat it.  And children can help make this, too!!

Chef Kevin Gillespie - Co-Owner/Executive Chef of Woodfire Grill in Atlanta, Georgia

(from http://www.woodfiregrill.com)

Chef Kevin Gillespie’s true passion lies in serving his customers quality food every day. This enthusiasm means incorporating the use of fresh, organic and sustainable ingredients in all of his dishes. His goals as executive chef and partner of Woodfire Grill are to increase the usage of local products, make seasonal dishes more exciting, and create a youthful atmosphere at the restaurant.

Gillespie, an Atlanta native, began his culinary education at the Art Institute of Atlanta where he was able to apply several scholarships he had previously earned from cooking competitions and other academic success. During school, Gillespie was determined to gain the experience he needed to become a successful chef. While carrying a full course load at the Art Institute, he worked part time at various restaurants perfecting his craft. After graduating with honors, Gillespie went on to hold different positions at several well-known Atlanta restaurants including chef de partie at Atlanta Grill at The Ritz-Carlton, sous chef at TWO Urban Licks and chef de cuisine at Woodfire Grill. He enjoyed his time at each of these places but found a true connection at Woodfire, where he originally stayed for two years. In August of 2006, Gillespie headed to the West Coast where he went to work as executive sous chef at Fife Restaurant in Portland, Oregon. After a year and a half there, he missed his family and friends in the South and returned to Atlanta. Gillespie came back to Woodfire Grill to continue to work for his friend and teacher Michael Tuohy.

In the summer of 2008, Nicolas Quiñones and Bernard Moussa of Five Senses Restaurants, LLC purchased Woodfire Grill and made Gillespie the new executive chef. They felt that in order to carry on Woodfire Grill’s reputation and mission, he was the most qualified for the position. In early 2009, Gillespie joined Quiñones and Moussa as a partner in the restaurant. Through his training, skill and passion, Gillespie maintains the values and ideas on which the restaurant is based. In addition to achieving this partnership at the restaurant, Gillespie also earned a spot on Bravo’s Emmy and James Beard Award-winning series “Top Chef” for the show’s sixth season in Las Vegas in 2009. Proving to be a top contender by winning several “Quickfire Challenges” and “Elimination Challenges,” he stood out as one of this season’s final three chef-testants who competed for the “Top Chef” title in Napa Valley. Gillespie was also voted “fan favorite” by the viewers of “Top Chef.”

As a rising young culinary star that brings more than just good food to the table, Gillespie was named one of Mother Nature Network’s top “40 Chefs Under 40” in November 2009 for linking farms to forks and promoting better health for people and the planet.

Hello and welcome to KickBack and Kook ! Here we are fortunate enough to talk with some of the best chefs and cookbook authors from around the world and discuss therecipes they've so generously shared with us.  So, if your looking to transform your “cooking” experience into a “kooking” experience, you've come to the right place!

Subscribe to the podcast by clicking below so you never miss a thing!

 <~~~~ Susbcribe now!

 January 21, 2010 Podcast, Welcome Chef Bill Park!

Bill Park started cooking as a child with his Polish grandparents, baking and making traditional Polish foods. And his
grandfather was a spectacular baker who encouraged Bill. He started working in restaurants at the age of 15, bussing
tables and prepping food, but his real love of cooking developed with the Boy Scouts! Cooking in the outdoors and
experiencing teh group effort to pull together and create dishes drew him in. Bill studied culinary arts in Boston at
Newbury College and the moved to Florida for a year to do catering.  Back in Boston, he started working at the
acclaimed Top of the Hub restaurant, honing his skills. Bill did an "externship"" while at Top of the Hub in a "sister"
restaurant in hawaii, The Lodge at Koelle (voted the #1 tropical resort at the time), in Lanai. He then returned to Top
of the Hub, worked with Chef Tony Ambrose at his restaurants, and hopped around a number of top restaurants in the
area before settling down at Legal Seafoods where he is now the well-respected sous chef at LTK (Legal Test Kitchen)
Bar and Grill (http://www.ltkbarandkitchen.com/site/)

Bill is passionate about all things culinary and loves working with and learning from others! 
Oh, and did I mentio that he wrote most of the recipes for The Gourmet Girl Mysteries Series? "Steamed", "Simmer Down",   "Fed Up"  (which I also contributed to!) and many more!

  Check out those novels on amazon here!

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=jessica+conant+park&x=0&y=0

Today's Recipe:  Shrimp and Scallop Sausage with Roasted Tomato Aioli   

Shrimp & Scallop Sausage

1 1/4 lbs Scallops

1 1/4 lbs. Shrimp (peeled deveined and tail off)

3/4 lb smoked bacon

½ lg Spanish onion, diced

1 cup fresh parsley (curly)

2 Tbsp Old Bay Seasoning

1 Tbsp ground coriander

2 Tbsp ground fennel seed

2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp cayenne

Salt

Pepper

Using either a grinder attachment for a kitchen aid mixer or food processor, or finely “grind” the shrimp, scallops, bacon, onion, and parsley.

Fold in spices and let rest for approx. ½ hour.

Make a test patty: Form one very small patty and sauté in olive oil over medium low heat.

When fully cooked, taste to check for seasoning adjustments. (When making this keep in mind that no 2 batches will have the same flavor, so it’s important to adjust to your preference. i.e. salt, pepper, and cayenne.)

When you have corrected your seasoning, form the rest of the mixture into patties, and either grille or sauté in a pan with small amount of oil. (You should be able to get approximately 8 7--oz patties).

Roasted Tomato- Soy Aioli

6 plum tomatoes

2 Tbsp Soy sauce

2 cup Mayo

Split and toss tomatoes in olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Place them in a 425 degree oven and cook until they are charred, approx. 20 min. Remove from oven and let cool.

Puree the tomatoes.

Mix together tomatoes, soy, and mayonnaise.

Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper

To serve:

Lettuce, tomato, Rstd. Tomato-soy aioli, and patty on a bulky roll, like Kaiser Rolls.

Welcome our recipe tester and apron designer extraordinaire, Peg Mischler!  

This Ain't Your Grandma's Apron!  Peg talks about the importance of feeling good while cooking and how great this recipe is - check out her aprons at the site below:

Welcome to the Kick Back and Kook Podcast!

I am fortunate enough to chat with some of the world's greatest chefs on this show, share their expertise with you, how to simply integrate their philosophies into your "kooking" experience AND share some of their BEST recipes with you.  Thank you for listening and subscribe so you never miss a thing!

    <~~~Click to subscribe now!

Keep in mind that 10% of Podcast donations go to The Hope and Light Foundation to eliminate Spinal Muscular Atrophy.  So make a donation feeling good that it's allowing me to bring this show to you (which I LOVE to do) and you're helping eliminate the number one cause of death in children under the age of two.

So, moving on!

This episode - Chef Hopeton Hibbert - The HIP HOP Chef!

Chef Hopeton is a jack of all trades and they all involve art.  He makes delicious, artful food and creates music that you'll get to hear a sample of on this show!  His culinary talent?  Wow, are we ever fortunate to have him here.  I went to Atmosphere (www.atmospherebistro.com) for dinner this evening and it is now my new favorite restaurant in Atlanta.  And let me tell you, I am PICKY!  And Chef Hopeton - let's talk him into private lessons - he knows how to prepare bass like I've never had it.  Perfectly done, melts in your mouth.  I got a tour of the kitchen! A BIG thank you to the COOLEST Hip Hop Chef in Hotlanta!!  Blog about my Atmosphere experience coming soon...

But more about Chef Hopeton!  Look at his resume!

Chef Hopeton is well traveled with a lifetime of experience (or maybe two!).  From Australia to Belize, cultural delicacies have been his passion.  Most of his culinary training has been in Hotlanta, starting his career at Project Open Hand followed by two ear in Charleston, SC.  It was there he earned an Associates Degree in Culinary Arts from Johnson and Whales while mastering the kitchen of Penninsula Grill.  What a ride, huh?

Once back in Atlanta, he began his tour through the Buckhead Life Group of restaurants.  Believe me, these restaurants are among the best in our area.  Chef Hopeton put in two years at Pano's n Paul's, learned the kitchen of 103 West (wow!!), Bluepointe (another wow!  A favorite haunt of Elton John) and Buckhead Diner.  I just dined at Bluepointe a few weeks back and let me tell you...these chefs know food.

Finally finding a home at Eclipse Di Luna (another of my favs here in Atlanta!), Chef Hopeton evolved into the chef he is today. In the interim, he started a small business “Chef Hopetons: The personal chef experience services” and is currently working on his own cooking show, “The Flavor Show”.

Chef Hopeton is a man who loves to taste, cook and experience food from around the world because the world is his pallet.  I love his philosophy!  Currently he works at Atmosphere Bistro and I am SUPER excited about checking it out this weekend!

The recipe that Chef Hopeton provided is a FULL meal for TWO!  Valentine's Day is coming...hint hint...

(if anyone wants to prepare this for me...ha!!)

And our recipe testers are already emailing me, RAVING about it!

Pan roasted Rainbow Trout over Fingerling Potatoes, French Green Beans,

Caramelized Onion and Arugula Sauté

 with a Dijon Cream Sauce

• 4 - 3oz trout filets
• 6 fingerling potatoes (cooked whole, chilled and cut into 1/4 in slices)
• 1 yellow onion, sliced thin
• 10 french green beans (blanched,cooled and cut in half)
• 1 1/2 c baby arugula
• 1 shallot, diced
• 1/3 c dry white wine
• 1 1/2 c heavy cream
• 2 T whole grain dijon mustard
• 1T chopped parsley
• 3 1/2 T olive oil
• Kosher salt and white pepper
• 1 small sauce pot
• 1 lg saute pan
• 1 med saute pan

1. Heat a medium sized saute pan w/ 1 T olive oil and add onions.
2. Cook till onions turn golden brown and begin to caramelize.
3. Add sliced fingerling potatoes season w salt and pepper and continue to cook on low heat.
4. Season trout filets w salt and pepper. Heat large saute pan w 2 T olive oil till pan is hot. Add filets to the pan skin side down (be careful not to splash oil)
5. While trout cooks heat up the sauce pan , add 1/2 T olive oil to pan along with the diced shallots.
6. Cook shallots till soft, deglaze with white wine and reduce till almost dry.
7. Add heavy cream and dijon mustard. Turn down the heat and reduce to sauce consistency, season with salt and pepper and hold till trout is cooked.
8. By this time, the trout and potatoes should be almost done.
9. Add the green beans to the potatoes, raise the heat toss and plate the veggies.
10. Flip the trout to finalize the cooking .
11. Place trout filets atop the veggies.
12. Pour the cream sauce over the dish, garnish with chopped parsley and serve.

Recipe tester bios coming soon!

Jerry Solomon, author of "A Man's Guide to Food As Foreplay", has a fun cookbook for couples - yes, not just men!  Women, if you're looking to spice up your relationships, get your boyfriends and husbands this cookbook!  Loaded with simple yet delicious recipes, Chef Jerry tells fun stories of how food played a role in romance for him (and no, this isn't a romance novel - you fill in the blanks!  It's clean, folks!).  He has pictures of everything you'll need in your kitchen to take the guesswork out of cooking with your partner!

Jerry was particular about who he dated (the women had to have beautiful, unique names, for example!), but he still has plenty of experience that he'll tell us all about.  After all, he did marry the lovely Veda and has been married for three and a half decades.  He's definitely doing something right! 

Food isn't just about putting a meal on the table, it's a way to inspire passion - so just in time for Valentine's Day, ladies; consider getting this cookbook for your men so they'll think about cooking you a fancy Valentine's Day dinner instead of vice-versa!  Please check out his website:

www.amansguidetofoodasforeplay.com

www.strategicpublishinggroup.com/title/amansguidetofoodasforeplay

http://www.amazon.com/Mans-Guide-Foreplay-Invite-Romance/dp/1608601803/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262916713&sr=8-1

and also available here:

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/A-Mans-Guide-To-Food-As-Foreplay-How-To-Invite-Romance-Into-Your-Life/Jerry-Solomon/e/9781608601806/?itm=1&usri=a+man+s+guide+to+food+as+foreplay

and he is also a jack of all "arts", check this out, too!  www.thefluidarts.com

Today we are discussing his recipe for Zabayon - a delicious custard that is so simple, but so delicious, no one would know that!

Zabayon and Fresh Berries

• 4 egg yolks
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup Marsala sweet wine
• 1/2 cup of sliced strawberries
• 1/2 cup of whole blueberries

1. Combine (and divide between two wine glasses) the strawberries and blueberries.

2. Here’s the easiest way to separate the yolk from the white! Crack the egg, drop into your palm with your fingers together, and carefully let the

white slip away through your fingers, OR use the shell to shell method.

3. Crack the egg and separate the shell halves, pass the yoke back and forth between the halves, letting the white slip out and the yolk remain.

4. Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in the top of a double boiler or in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water.

5. Continue beating until it starts to thicken.

6. Add one-quarter of a cup marsala. Beat constantly until the mixture doubles in volume, about four to five minutes.

7. Spoon the warm Zabayon over the berries and serve.

Karin Rindal’s, one of our recipe testsers,  interest in exploring new and different foods was inspired by her father who always sought out the unusual and her fraternal grandmother who let her help in her kitchen. Her solo culinary efforts began early when at 14 she become responsible for cooking all meals for 6 months while her mother cared for her ailing mother in Germany. Her sister was her first taste taster and reminds her of the experience to this day. Undaunted she threw herself into cooking and reading on the subject. 

During college Karin worked as the live-in cook for a family of eight and compiled her first recipe collection. Over the years since then she has taken countless classes in all kinds of culinary subjects ranging from cake decorating to Asian cuisine. She has travelled extensively overseas and lived in Italy for a year, where her landlady would teach her cooking when it was her turn to deliver the rent.

She has a Baking Certificate from King’s Cooking School in Short Hills, NJ where she has also taught classes. She has tested recipes for cookbooks including “Dining Al Fresco:  the Wolf Trap Picnic Cookbook” and continues to be a voracious cookbook and recipe collector.

Karin currently contributes a weekly gardening column to the Millburn/Short Hills Patch online community website which includes her recipes when the article subject warrants. www.millburnpatch.com She just won the award for "most delicious lefse" at the first annual St. Olaf College Alumni Lefse Making event in New York City.

She teaches cooking classes to adults and children, as well as contributes her creations to several volunteer programs including those at the Frelinghuysen Arboretum, Greenwood Gardens and the Short Hills Home Garden Club.  She aspires to publish her own cookbook one day.

www.krplantinfo.com

Nancy Beeken has over twenty years progressively responsible marketing, communications and event management experience. She has held executive management marketing positions for high-tech corporations and has worked as a consultant helping start up companies determine their positioning, marketing strategies and company launch plans. Her scope of experience includes planning, development and execution of advertising, direct mail, sales promotion programs, public and analyst relations, collateral development, seminars, trade shows, video production, company launches, conferences and major event production, logo & graphic design, and executive speech and presentation writing.

During the past 7 years, she has worked with wineries in Sonoma County providing services including marketing, tasting room management and wine tastings.

 In 2008 she launched SonomaLivingGreen.com, an online boutique offering a wide variety of eco-friendly products. She is passionate about doing her part to ‘create smaller footprints, one step at a time.’

She is on the Board of Directors of the Healdsburg Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau and the past president of the Wine Country Chapter of the American Business Women’s Association.

She lives in Healdsburg, California with her husband and is a self described foodie and enjoys being in the kitchen cooking and drinking wine!

Thank you for listening to the show!  Subscribe now so you don't miss any coming up!

  http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=276246648

  Welcome to "Kick Back and Kook!".  Thank you so much for joining me as I have the privilege of interviewing some of the best chefs and cookbook authors from around the world!  We talk about some of their signature recipes, how culinary arts became a passion and then later a career and they share with us their favorite kitchen gadgets and advice for how to eliminate fear of getting in the kitchen and putting passion on a plate!