Quinoa Breakfast Cookies September 17, 2020 by Jenny Chang Leave a Comment Quinoa Breakfast Cookies 2020-09-17 13:39:56 Print Ingredients 1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature 1/4 cup sugar 1/4 cup (packed) light brown sugar 1/4 cup honey 2 large eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon almond extract 1 cup cooked quinoa, cooled 1 cup old-fashioned oats 1 cup dried cherries 1/2 cup slivered unsalted almonds Instructions Preheat oven to 375°. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a medium bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat butter, both sugars, and honey in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs and extracts; beat until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in flour mixture, 1/2 cup at a time. Stir in quinoa, oats, cherries, and almonds. Spoon dough in 2-tablespoon portions onto prepared sheets, spacing 1” apart. Bake cookies until golden, 12–15 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool. DO AHEAD: Store cooled cookies airtight at room temperature for 1 day, or freeze for up to 1 month. Notes Source: Bon Appetit Marcel's Culinary Experience https://www.marcelsculinaryexperience.com/
Birthday Cake? Nope, Birthday Pie Instead by Denise Stano September 17, 2020 by Jenny Chang Leave a Comment For most families, birthday celebrations typically involve presents and cake for the guest of honor. It is difficult to comprehend that prior to March 2020 and our COVID-19 quarantine, we actually encouraged the birthday person to BLOW directly onto the cake to make a wish. What were we thinking??? My family loves cake as much as the next, but when it comes to our private birthday celebrations, ours will most likely involve a birthday pie. We have tried them all…fruit, cream, frozen, graham cracker crust, cookie crust, etc., etc. A favorite at the moment is a Peach Blueberry that I recently made for my son’s 31st birthday. It was full of flavorful Michigan peaches and Michigan blueberries and a streusel topping of brown sugar, pecans and butter. How can you go wrong with that ingredient list? And because of all the yummy juices, it needs to be eaten quickly … so be sure to go back for seconds! Peach Blueberry Pie with Pecan Streusel Topping 2020-09-16 20:05:27 Print Ingredients 3 cups fresh peaches peeled, pitted, and sliced 2 cups fresh blueberries 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 3 tablespoons cornstarch 3/4 cup sugar 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 single pie crust 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1/4 cup sugar 1/4 cup brown sugar 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 4 tablespoons cold butter 1/2 cup chopped pecans Instructions Preheat oven to 375°F. Combine peaches and blueberries in a large bowl. Sprinkle with lemon juice and gently mix to combine. Combine cornstarch, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg in a small bowl. Sprinkle cornstarch mixture over fruit and gently toss to coat. Place crust in 9” pie pan. Crimp edges if desired. Pour fruit into pie crust - I use a slotted spoon to minimize juice Streusel Topping Combine flour, sugars, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Cut in butter. Stir in pecans. Sprinkle topping over fruit filling. Loosely cover pie edges with foil and place on a cookie sheet so you don't mess up your oven. Bake for 1 hour or until nice and bubbly. Remove the foil about 10-15 minutes before pie is finished baking. Let cool slightly before serving. Notes Recipe by Mom on Timeout Marcel's Culinary Experience https://www.marcelsculinaryexperience.com/
Eating and Drinking, The New Normal by Paul Lindemuth August 27, 2020 by Jenny Chang Leave a Comment It’s 6 months into the pandemic and we’re all Covid-weary. It’s been quite the summer, with waiting in line for drive-through food pick-ups, masked visits to the farmer’s market, and lots of cooking at home. We’re eager to gather again with friends to share food, drinks and conversation. One of the joys of being a Maison chef has been the ability to get back to work with clients to create events that have given family and friends the opportunity to comfortably gather together. The challenges of offering up food safely has inspired us to get creative. We’ve closed down the buffet tables that allow communal food contact. In its place we’ve done cocktail parties with small mason jars filled with vegetable crudites and a delicious dip, avocado salsa and chips or a demitasse cup filled with carrot velouté. We’ve prepared an elegant and intimate wedding with individual picnic baskets for each guest and small outdoor dinner parties to celebrate special moments (sometimes to take the place of long ago planned trips that had to be canceled). It’s a happy time to see entertaining slowly coming back to life! As we move forward through these challenging times, let’s continue to gather together (safely) and share the love with food and friendship. For more information about Maison, click here. Carrot Velouté 2020-08-27 14:17:46 Serves 6 Print Ingredients 2 pounds carrots, peeled, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces 4 cups chicken stock or low-salt chicken broth 2 teaspoons Asian sesame oil 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon sugar ½ cup heavy cream ½ cup whole milk ¼ teaspoon Tabasco hot sauce 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives Instructions In a large saucepan combine the carrots, stock or broth, sesame oil, salt and sugar. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the carrots are tender, about 45 minutes. Puree the soup in a blender until smooth. Return the soup to the pan. Add the cream, milk and Tabasco sauce to the soup. Taste and adjust seasonings. Ladle the velouté into bowls and garnish with the chopped chives. Marcel's Culinary Experience https://www.marcelsculinaryexperience.com/
Shopping Online can still be Local! by Jennifer Dorn August 20, 2020 by Jenny Chang Leave a Comment I have to confess that I am NOT an online shopper. I love to shop in person – see the merchandise displays, touch the fabrics, and talk with knowledgeable salespeople. But times have changed and COVID restrictions have changed shopping in person for many people. My family has now been shopping online for things we never thought we would – from basic groceries to even a new car! Believe me, that never would have happened before 2020. Did you know that Marcels’ has a new online shopping experience? We have always sold cooking classes on our website but now we have added some of our wonderful products (cookware, electrics, tableware, glassware, home decor, gift boxes) for you to shop online too. You’ll find hundreds of items from the brands you love – Le Creuset, Swiss Diamond, Vitamix, Juliska, Simon Pearce and so many more! In addition to gift boxes for the holiday season, we are now offering excellent gift packages year round. Delight your friend or hostess with this “Girlfriend” Margarita gift set. Or treat someone with a gift set celebrating all things local with zip code stemless wine glasses and a Railroad Spike Bottle Opener from one of our favorite Glen Ellyn vendors, Muirwood Reclamations. We can ship anywhere in the continental US and we also have many customers who like to shop online and then pick up curbside – we will help you shop in whatever way you feel most comfortable. For your first ONLINE purchase, we’re offering a 10% discount coupon code (online10)* to be used on any one item or gift package. So sit back, relax, and shop any time of the day (no masks needed)! *valid on one regularly priced item
Secret Garden Grilling by Robin Nathan July 29, 2020 by Jenny Chang Leave a Comment Don’t tell anyone, but I live on the greatest block in the greatest neighborhood in the city. Several years ago, we cut a gate between our backyard and that of our next-door neighbor. The neighbor next to them have done the same, creating 3 continuous backyards. During the waning (and warming!) days of Phase 2 quarantine, we began grilling and socializing together – keeping our 6’ of distance, of course! We’d put 3 tables in the middle yard – one for each family. The boys would shoot hoops in our yard, or play with the dogs in the far yard, while we adults sat at our socially distant tables, drinking cocktails and enjoying separate bowls of guacamole & chips. The Zoom classes I taught during quarantine were a special boon to us all – lots of beautiful food created during the class resulted in the perfect opportunity to gather and share. This pork dish I created for my last Zoom Class, themed “Driveway Dinner” was a particular hit. And the Beer Shandies with fresh lemonade we made were so good, I’m sharing that recipe with you, too! Now is the perfect time to try this out with some friends and family soon! Grill Kissed Pork Tenderloin with Scallion Salsa Verde over Warm Potato “Salad” and Beer Shandies 2020-07-30 00:36:56 Serves 4 Print Pork Tenderloin Two 12 – 16 ounce pork tenderloins (do not used pre-seasoned or liquid injected pork) Olive oil Salt and pepper to taste 1 tablespoon granulated garlic (garlic powder) 1 tablespoon granulated onion 1 tablespoon ground coriander Scallion Salsa Verde 6 scallions, thinly sliced (use white and green parts) Handful of fresh cilantro, chopped 4 mint leaves, minced 1 large clove garlic, minced Juice of ½ large lemon 2 tablespoon Olive oil Salt to taste Potato Salad 4 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature Large handful flat leaf parsley Salt to taste 1 ½ Pounds red bliss potatoes, skin on, cut into ¾” – ½” pieces Beer Shandies 1 cup granulated sugar 1 cup water Zest of one large lemon 1 ½ cup fresh lemon juice (about 5-6 large lemons) 3 cup cold water 6 ounces of IPA or good lager per person Tall Glasses Pork Tenderloin Trim the pork of silverskin and remove the very thin end (reserve for another use, if desired). Drizzle generously with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Combine the remaining spices in a small bowl and sprinkle generously on all sides of the pork. Set aside at room temperature for up to 1 hour. To start on grill and end in oven: Preheat a grill or grillpan over medium-high heat. Preheat your oven to 400 (preheat to 425 if cooking more than one tenderloin.) Place the pork on the grill grates and grill 2 minutes on one side; turn and grill 2 minutes on the other side. Flip to an edge and cook 30 seconds, flip to the last edge and cook 30 seconds longer. Remove and place on a sheet pan. Place the pork directly into the preheated oven and roast to an internal temperature of 130. Remove to a cutting board, tent with foil and rest 10 minutes. Slice. To cook completely on the grill: Build a 2 stage fire in your grill with one part at 500 and another part about 350. Follow the above directions and sear the pork on the hot portion of the grill. Remove the pork to the cooler portion and cook, turning every 6 minutes, until the internal temperature of 130 is reached. Remove, tent with foil and follow the above directions. To serve, arrange the warm potato salad on a serving platter. Shingle the pork slices on top and dollop the salsa verde over the entire platter. Scallion Salsa Verde Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and toss together. Store at room temperature for up to 2 hours, or refrigerate until service. Serve at room temperature. Warm Potato Salad with Herb Butter Combine the soft butter, parsley and salt together in a small bowl until fully combined. Set aside at room temperature. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Carefully add the potatoes to the boiling water and cook until fork tender, about 12 - 15 minutes. Drain the potatoes and place them on a sheet pan, spread into a single layer. Dollop the prepared herb butter over the potatoes, allowing it to melt onto the potatoes. Scrape the potatoes onto a serving platter or bowl. Beer Shandies with Fresh Lemonade Heat the sugar, water and lemon zest in a saucepan over medium-low heat until the sugar dissolves. Let stand 10 minutes, then strain out the zest. Pour the fresh lemon juice and 1 ½ cups of the syrup into a large pitcher. Fill with the cold water. Taste and add more syrup if needed – keep it on the tart side. For the shandy, fill tall glasses halfway with the lemonade and top with the beer. Marcel's Culinary Experience https://www.marcelsculinaryexperience.com/