My Favorite Things by Jennifer Dorn November 3, 2017 by Jill Foucre Leave a Comment Remember the song “ My Favorite Things” from the Sound of Music or Oprah’s Favorite Things List? This song and theme have been going through my mind since joining Marcel’s team in May. I had shopped at Marcel’s for over 5 years and I did have a “MY favorite things list” – that go to hostess gift and favorite pantry items. My recipes were never without a little help from the S.A.L.T. Sisters (Mojo Seasoning Blend) or a Garnier-Thiebaut French dish towel ready for a house warming gift. Since I joined the team here, I have been asking the staff about their favorite products and have added many more to my list! I must admit it has been a bit overwhelming learning about all of the 100’s of products here at Marcel’s. So I started by asking each staff member to tell me about their favorite things. I could not wait to try Teri’s Hot Pepper Bacon Jam, Kathy’s Filotea linguine pasta or Dana’s Beef Goulash soup mix… so many favorites you get the idea – and so much fun for me to learn about these new things! I recently added the linguine pasta to our family’s favorite Shrimp Scampi – ahh YES, a success! Come taste this in my demo on November 28th. So stop by the store and I may sing you a song and show you a few of my favorite things – and I hope to learn about some of yours. I still have my list and it’s growing!
Pesto Pronto by Brandy Fernow October 5, 2017 by Jill Foucre Leave a Comment As a chef instructor, people always ask me “do you cook like this at home every night?” And my answer is a swift “nope!” Yes, I am a chef, but I am also a busy mom of two active 1st and 2nd grade boys. That means I’m running all week from school, to sports, to cub scouts, volunteering, doing homework, playdates, cleaning, cooking, and of course teaching classes at Marcels! So no, I don’t cook every night and it’s certainly not a gourmet meal every night either. We do eat at home every night and I have learned to cook smart. Cook one night, then turn that into 2 more meals that I can make in 15 minutes or less. One of my favorite go-to’s for this technique is a simple pesto sauce. What probably comes to mind is the traditional basil, parmesan, pine nuts and olive oil. I certainly make this version to toss over pasta or accompany chicken, but I also use the same fundamentals to make a dozen other “pestos” which to me is generally an herb, nut, cheese and oil – whipped together in seconds with the help of my food processor. Now – to make this a million other ways, you just swap the herb, nut and cheese combos. For example, Mexican night – use cilantro, pepitas, queso or cotija cheese, and a dash of red pepper flake. Or sweeten it up a bit by swapping arugula for basil, pecans for pine nuts, adding 2 tablespoons of honey and ½ cup ricotta. Or try parsley, almonds, and asiago. This way you can pour over ANYTHING! Pesto variations are great poured over steak pork, chicken or fish, tossed with pasta, quinoa or favorite grain, drizzled over roasted veggies, you name it. Bonus – you can freeze in portions and re-use. Why haul out that food processor more than once? Make big batches of a few kinds and freeze in portions. Pull out and enjoy on that frenzied night you’re trying to get something fresh, but fast on the table. I’m featuring this favorite pesto technique in a private event this month at Marcels for a group of moms looking to cook once, eat twice. We are serving the pesto over flank steak, then recycling it to a pasta for the next meal. If you have a group that is looking to learn something specific or want to have a good time with your friends, let Marcels know and they can customize your own private event! Fresh Basil Pesto 2017-10-05 13:08:50 Print Ingredients 2 cups fresh basil leaves ¼ cup toasted pine nuts Zest and juice of a lemon Handful of fresh parmesan Instructions Add all to a food processor and add olive oil until you have you preferred consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste By Brandy Fernow Marcel's Culinary Experience https://www.marcelsculinaryexperience.com/
Salt & Pepper by Jamie Bordoshuk September 7, 2017 by Jill Foucre Leave a Comment I’ve been teaching kids how to cook for the past 15 years and I feel like I have the best job in the world. My students range from 6 year olds who can barely see over the counter to teens whose favorite foods include sushi, crispy seared duck breast and roasted bone marrow. While my Mother was not a gourmet cook, she was a master in the kitchen. Cooking for her was more than a necessity, it was a true labor of love. For her, measuring was an option and not a rule. Her ‘go-to’ spices were salt and pepper. And she was one of those people who could turn three ingredients into family dinner in under 30 minutes. I’m thankful that she passed that skill down to me, and find myself sharing her wisdom and tips with my students every time I teach a class. There’s nothing better to me than having one of my students come back to see me at Marcel’s or sign-up for another class or kid’s camp. They tell me stories of how they made dinner for their family from the recipes that we learned in class. To hear how excited they were to show off their talents, explore different foods and cultures and how much their families enjoyed their meal is wonderful. That to me makes teaching our next generation a real treasure. At the end of each class, I always ask my students the same question, “What makes almost every dish taste better?”. And they all shout in unison, “Salt and pepper!” Thanks, Mom. Salisbury Steak with Mushroom Gravy 2017-09-07 13:50:11 Serves 4 Print Ingredients 1 lb ground beef 1/4 cup onion diced 1 egg beaten 2 tablespoons of ketchup 2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard, divided 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce, divided 1/3 cup Panko bread crumbs 1 teaspoon of kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon of ground black pepper 2 tablespoons of bacon fat or olive oil, divided 1 medium onion, finely sliced 8 oz. cremini mushrooms, quartered 2 tablespoons of flour 2 cups beef broth or consommé Parsley to garnish Instructions In a bowl combine the ground beef, diced onion, egg, ketchup, one tablespoon of mustard, one tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce, Panko breadcrumbs and salt and pepper. Knead by hand until combined. Form into 4 oval patties to give them a "steak" appearance. Heat a large non-stick skillet until very hot. Add 1 tablespoon of bacon fat or oil and then patties. Sear patties to a crispy brown on each side for several minutes until no longer pink inside. Remove from pan and set aside on a paper towel lined plate and cover to keep warm. Add the other tablespoon of bacon fat or oil to the pan and sauté the sliced onion until golden brown over medium heat. Add the mushrooms, remaining tablespoon of mustard and Worcestershire sauce and cook for several minutes. Mushrooms will release water so cook mixture down for several minutes. Sprinkle flour over mixture and stir, cooking for another minute. Slowly add the beef stock and stir to mix and lower heat to low. Simmer for several minutes, sauce will thicken. Season to taste. Add the “steaks” back to the pan and nestle in the sauce. Cover and cook for 2-3 minutes to heat through. Serve over mashed potatoes and pour mushroom onion gravy over each Salisbury steak. Sprinkle with parsley to garnish. By Jamie Bordoshuk Marcel's Culinary Experience https://www.marcelsculinaryexperience.com/
A Taste From Our Kitchens by Teri Hiben August 27, 2017 by Jill Foucre Leave a Comment There are so many things I have enjoyed about working at Marcel’s for the past 6 years – yes, it’s been 6 years! I learn so much interacting with our talented and generous chefs who share their tips and recipes. It’s been a joy to work alongside so many great people here on staff who have become dear friends. And I am thankful to continue to get to know so many of you as you come through the store, talking food and entertaining, sharing recipes. One of my favorite roles has been sharing one of my recipes during our weekly Tuesday demos. Did you know we have free demos every Tuesday? One of us, on staff, at Marcel’s prepares a favorite dish each Tuesday between 11am and 2pm. Everyone is welcome to stop in for a quick taste, grab the recipe, or to sit and enjoy a bite while watching the entire process as we make the entrée, side dish, appetizer or dessert. And, for those who are working or otherwise unable to come to our demos, each demonstrated recipe is available on our website. Over the years we have compiled quite a nice collection of recipes from these demos. Also on the site are chef recipes for you to enjoy making and serving at home. Some of these dishes have become favorites in my home. Have you tried Janie’s Penne with Beef and Arugula? Jill’s Mussels with White Wine? Or Rita’s Mardi Gras Jambalaya? I highly recommend them – and so many others! With the start of the fall schedule, our Tuesday demos are again in full swing. Here’s what’s ahead in the next weeks: Aug. 29 Julie’s Easy Lemon Sole Meunier Sept. 5 Sharon’s Chicken with Spicy Thai Peanut Sauce Sept. 12 Deb’s Quick and Simple Asian Tilapia Sept. 19 Julie’s Wheatberry Waffles And on Sept. 26, our 6th birthday, I’ll be dishing up a special Anniversary treat! Please join us in the kitchen on Tuesdays.
Garden Bounty by Julie Szimon August 10, 2017 by Jill Foucre Leave a Comment I love vegetable gardening! Well, let me rephrase that. I love to get organic plants or seeds and plant them in my garden with organic soil, water them, weed them and see what happens. I don’t know what the PH level of my soil is. I don’t use any chemicals to make things grow bigger. I just plant. Growing up in the city, we never had a garden. We lived in a two-flat on the north side of Chicago. We did have an apple tree in the back yard that took up most of the space. Each year I was allowed to climb up the tree and pick the apples on top that no one could reach. Those apples were then cooked down by my grandmother and made into applesauce. She would can the applesauce in mason jars so we could enjoy it all winter long. When we moved to the suburbs I started a small 4’x8’ vegetable garden. As time went on, my vegetable garden grew to a 25’x35’ enclosed area with 8 raised beds and an open space for berry bushes. Each Spring I plan out what worked well last year and I try to add something new. I love to see how the new plants grow and what culinary creations I can come up with when they are ready for harvest. I like to plant peppers and the garden always produces an abundance of them. Some sweet ones and some hot ones. I have used them in salsas and salads and I have even pickled them. Last year I decided to make hot pepper jelly with them. It was so good! I made several batches and canned it for myself and gave some as gifts. My favorite way to enjoy the jelly is on toasted bread or crackers along with some goat cheese. It’s sweet and hot and delicious! It also came in handy over the winter months when friends dropped in for a glass of holiday cheer. This year the peppers are looking good, so another batch of hot pepper jelly will be coming. The recipe I use is great just the way it is but don’t be afraid to be creative with the pepper mixture. I added some red peppers for color, cracked black pepper, fresh thyme and some dried lemon peel. Hot Pepper Jelly 2017-08-09 20:47:03 Print Ingredients 12 oz. of jalapeno (or variety of) peppers 2 cups cider vinegar, divided 6 cups of sugar 2 - 3 oz. pouches of liquid pectin 5 - 8 oz. half pint glass-preserving jars with lids and bands Instructions Prepare/sanitize glass jars, lids and bands per manufacturers directions. Puree peppers in a food processor with 1 cup of cider vinegar until smooth. Do not strain puree. Combine puree with remaining 1 cup of cider vinegar and sugar. Bring to a boil over high heat. Boil 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add liquid pectin and continue to boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Ladle hot pepper jelly into hot jars leaving ¼ inch headspace. Wipe rim. Secure lid and band. Process in boiling water for 10 minutes. Remove jars and cool. Check lids for seal after 24 hours. Lid should not flex up and down when pressed in the center. By Julie Szimon Marcel's Culinary Experience https://www.marcelsculinaryexperience.com/