Le Creuset Sea Salt October 5, 2022 by Jill Foucre Leave a Comment A serenely beautiful tone, inspired by the sea’s most treasured mineral. Sea Salt’s balanced blend of green, grey, and blue reflects the changing colors of the ocean, while remaining versatile enough to season just about any color palette.
Happy Retirement to Chef Paul June 4, 2022 by Jill Foucre Leave a Comment I first met Paul Lindemuth in the summer of 2011 when Kelly Sears introduced him as a potential member of our chef team at the soon-to-open Marcel’s Culinary Experience. At the time Paul was teaching in Hinsdale and also running his own very successful in home event business but he graciously took the time to listen to my pitch about what a great little business I thought this would be. Fortunately for me (and all of our future customers and staff) Paul decided to join our team. On October 6, 2011 he taught the very first class held in our kitchen – Spirited Entertaining. Since that time Paul has taught 331 classes, led 115 private events, and hosted 96 Maison events, inspiring a legion of devoted followers. That works out to about once a week over the last 10 years that Paul has been delighting our customers with his sublime food, impeccable service and exquisite attention to detail. And that doesn’t even count the innumerable times Paul has been a part of a chef team throwing a party for customers (who can forget that 5th Anniversary dinner?) or staff. When I decided it was time to stop saying “no” to the inquiries about doing in home events, Paul was the one I turned to to help start Maison. His experience with his own business was invaluable and he generously shared his knowledge and his resources to get this business going and it is clicking along 5 years later. In short, Paul has been a part of our fabric from the get-go and there isn’t a person who isn’t going to miss him. Paul’s retirement is well-earned and I wish him and Michael the very best as they take time to travel, enjoy amazing food and drink, be in the best climate for the season, and enjoy the fruits of their labors. I hope those travels still bring them to downtown Glen Ellyn but wherever they go, Paul will be a part of Marcel’s. Farewell, Chef Paul – thank you for sharing your talents with us.
Maison – We Bring The Chef To You! July 23, 2020 by Jill Foucre Leave a Comment Whether you’re planning an intimate dinner party at home or casual backyard get together, Maison is here to make life easier and gatherings with loved ones more meaningful as you enjoy the company of those you cherish. To learn more or to inquire, click here!
BIG, Bold and Beautiful by Jenny Lorish April 10, 2019 by Jill Foucre Leave a Comment Springtime: a season to renew, refresh and hit the restart button. Nothing brings a smile to my face like a beautiful springtime day. The birds are chirping, plants are popping out of the ground, the smell of the air is crisp and clean, the sun feels warmer and everyone seems happy. After a long, cold winter, I’m always ready for a celebration. Getting together with friends and family for some of the seasons fresh fruits and vegetables, flowers, and libations is the best way I can think to do a toast and welcome all that is new. Recently, my family went to Newport Beach, CA for Spring Break. Everything was green and lush. The sun was shining everyday and it felt, as my son Thomas says, “like a blanket on my skin”. We had many adventures and saw some beautiful sights. We also ate most of our meals at restaurants. There are many wonderful places to eat in SoCal. Before we left for our trip, we planned out the places we really wanted to hit. Many were recommended by family who live there. What surprised me most was that every restaurant was super healthy and had many vegetarian and vegan choices. Being pescatarians, my husband and I had no problems at all. Fresh fish, fresh veggies, fresh everything. One of my favorite things to do when I return home, is to recreate some of the recipes of the food we ate. Ceviche, salads, grilled fish tacos, etc. At one restaurant we ordered the crudité bowl. When it came to the table I laughed out loud. It was a huge bowl stuffed full of beautiful vegetables with an olive tapenade sauce and a tzatziki sauce for dipping. We devoured it. It was so fresh and crunchy, and with the sauces it had the perfect umami. If you want to get your children to eat their vegetables, this presentation will do it! Now that we are back, I’m ready to start my re-creations and celebrate Spring with my friends and family. First on the menu is sure to be the crudité bowl. Next, will surely be many of the delicious and amazing food and drink we enjoyed. But I really want to share this, oh so easy, but oh so BIG Crudité Bowl recipe with you. It’s not really a recipe per se, as it is an arrangement, customized how you like. I will be sure to make this ahead of time in one of the biggest and prettiest bowls I own. My version will include long leafs of romaine lettuce stacked vertically in the bowl to start. Then, whole peeled smaller carrots, and radishes with some of the tops left on. I will also add spears of cucumber, vertically sliced red and yellow peppers, and one minute blanched green beans. (Recipes for the dips, below) So, I’m going to go ahead, invite my favorite friends and family, set glorious table and go BIG! At Marcel’s, we celebrate Spring with fresh new merchandise for decorating and outfitting your kitchen with style. We have all the kitchen tools and gadgets to help get you started, BIG beautiful bowls included. We also host many cooking classes to help you be the best cook and entertainer amongst your family and friends. Stop in and let us help you with your Springtime entertaining! Tapenade & Tzatziki Dip 2019-04-11 00:27:09 Print Ingredients Tapenade Dip 1/2 cup black olive, puréed 3 big bunch basil, puréed Juice of 1 lemon 1/2 cup avocado oil or extra virgin olive oil Tzatziki Dip Two 7-ounce containers Greek yogurt (like Fage Total) 1/2 English cucumber, diced Juice of 1 lemon 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar 1 tablespoon minced fresh dill 1 clove minced garlic Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste Tapenade Dip Mix all ingredients well. Can be made up to a week ahead of time. Tzatziki Dip Mix all ingredients well. Can be made 1 or 2 days ahead of time. Marcel's Culinary Experience https://www.marcelsculinaryexperience.com/
An Ode to Onions by Brandy Fernow August 22, 2018 by Jill Foucre Leave a Comment Sometimes when I’m teaching a class, I hear someone say “I don’t like onions.” My ears perk up and I can’t wait to change their mind! Generally the dislike is because of the texture or flavor of raw onion. Onions are certainly aggressive in flavor when raw, but cooking them creates a sweetness and tender texture that will only embellish a dish! I love working with onions – the most common aromatic and essential ingredient that adds depth and flavor to so many dishes. The onion family includes bulb or globe onions, pearl onions, cipollini, shallots, leeks, scallions, chives and their cousin – garlic. Collectively they belong to a plant species called alliums. In my classes, one of the most common “Ah-hah” moments is learning how to correctly dice an onion. I will break it down below. 1. Cut the STEM end off and leave the ROOT end on. The root end is your friend! 2. Place the onion cut-side down on the cutting board and slice it in half lengthwise through the root. You should have two halves and the root should still be on. You wouldn’t cut off your friend, would you? 3. Peel the onion halves – you have two edges to work with, so it’s easy-peasy. 4. With the root end toward the back of the cutting board, slice lengthwise at even intervals, stopping just short of the root end. 5. Turn the onion and holding the root end, slice horizontally toward the root, again at even intervals. The pieces will fall away as you slice, leaving only the root end, your friend that held the onion together while dicing. I can guarantee this will yield uniform shaped pieces for even cooking, but I can’t guarantee you won’t be crying at the end. Cutting onions can cause watery eyes or even crocodile tears so guests also love this tip: Freeze the onion for 20 minutes before chopping – it helps contain the sulfuric compounds that make our eyes water. I always have a variety of onions on hand, as well as bread, cheese and cream – the makings of a classic bread pudding. So I’m sharing a favorite savory bread pudding recipe. I guarantee even those who “don’t like onions” will enjoy the delicious aromas and flavors created from some of the best alliums – leek, shallot, chives and garlic. Savory Leek and Fontina Bread Pudding 2018-08-22 22:58:05 Serves 4 Print Ingredients 1 1/2 cups cubed baguette, sourdough or ciabatta bread 1 tablespoon butter 1 small leek, white and light green parts only, sliced thin 1 small shallot, minced 1 garlic clove, minced 1 teaspoon fresh thyme 2 tablespoons chopped chives 3/4 cup grated Fontina 1/4 cup grated Parmesan 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream 2 eggs 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper Instructions Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place bread cubes in an even layer on a parchment lined sheet tray and toast for 6-8 minutes until dry and just lightly browned. Remove and let cool. Melt the butter in a medium sauté pan. Add the leek and shallot; cook over medium-high heat until softened, about 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic and thyme and cook for 1 minute. Transfer leek mixture to a large bowl and add the chives, Fontina and Parmesan. Fold in the toasted bread. Whisk cream, eggs, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Pour custard mix into bread/leek mixture and stir to combine. Scoop bread pudding mixture into a casserole dish and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes. The custard should be set and the top lightly browned. Garnish with additional chives. Notes You can add wild mushroom or asparagus to this as well. Marcel's Culinary Experience https://www.marcelsculinaryexperience.com/