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!

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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!