At work, I have the pleasure of going to lunch in Metro Birmingham. In general, we try to go to various restaurants in an effort to find unique and tasty meals. There are good meals, bad meals, and extremely memorable meals. Today brought a very memorable meal, but not for the reason I expected.

We ventured to Jinsei Sushi (http://www.jinseisushi.com/) this afternoon. Located in SoHo in downtown Homewood, Jensei is a quaint little Sushi restaurant with an excellent decor. Today’s selection: The Jinsei Special roll, the Alabama roll, and the Wagyu Baby Burgers. Being the semi-Foodie that I am, I was extremely excited, if a bit skeptical, about the Wagyu Burgers. How could I pass that up?

Let’s talk about the rolls first.

The Alabama roll is described on the lunch menu as having: “tempura shrimp. avocado. tuna tataki. spicy dressing.” This was a rather enjoyable roll with just the right amount of spice. Add some wasabi, top it with a sliver of ginger, and dip it in soy sauce… this is a tasty bite. I would definitely order it again. This was the highlight of my meal.

The Jinsei Special roll is described as having: “tuna. yellowtail. jalapeño. cilantro.” This roll was good enough, but wholly forgetable. Though the menu specificaly calls out the jalapeño, we struggled to get any hint of heat from the pepper, even when eating a piece unadulterated.

That said, the sushi was decent and worth a repeat visit.

This brings us to the Wagyu Baby Burgers; an exciting premise that just left me angry. When these slider style burgers hit the table, I could tell something was just off. I am all for simple presentations and this fit the bill: a crusty roll, the burger patty, and a simple sauce (in this case: horseradish).  There was a side of tempura vegetables served with Ponzu sauce as well, which was a bowl of tangy goodness.The vegetables were cooked perfectly and had a great crunch.

I look at the patty, a dark, dry, tough hunk of meat. If this was truly a Wagyu burger, then what I was served was criminally overcooked. My excitement turned to annoyance with the first bite. With each bite, irritation. After I finished these burgers, I just got angry. Even slathering the burger with the ponzu sauce couldn’t save this catastrophy of a dish. With a little education on Wagyu Beef, you’ll discover why my expectations were more than a little dashed. Needless to say, I will not order this entree again. One might argue that I shouldn’t have ordered a burger at a sushi restaurant. Consider this a lesson learned.

So our quest concluded with a bitter disappointment. Will we return to Jinsei? More than likely, as the sushi was quite good. Next time, we’ll take on a wider variety of rolls and sashimi.

 May 22nd was a beautifully sunny Saturday day and so we rose early and headed out to hit the local farmer’s markets. Though the Mt. Laurel Farmer’s Market doesn’t officially begin until June 4th, there were a few vendors out this weekend selling garden fresh vegetables, knit & crocheted items and one of my favorites, cheeses and jellies. As a matter of fact, while I was working at the CMMS event I met Dr. Robert from Southern Pines Chiropractic Center at Mt. Laurel. He mentioned his wife Sasha loved all things foodie or crafty. I found Sasha’s Simply Cheese on facebook and immediately fell in love with the business. Not only does she sell products from www.simplycheese.net but she also makes her own fruit and wine jellies. I was so happy to meet Sasha at the Mt. Laurel Farmer’s Market Saturday and try her delicious cheeses and jellies first hand. The Lavender Zinfandel jelly was sweet yet floral and would be delicious on chicken or poured over some brie, wrapped in filo pastry and baked. Yum. We also tried her cabernet sauvignon jelly paired with the pepper jack cheese and immediately picked up a jar. I intend to pour it over pork tenderloin as a marinade before grilling. I think I will also make a sauce for the pork with the jelly. It was just so good. 

After visiting with the MLFM vendors we stopped off for a quick and inexpensive bite at Jimbo’s and then headed to Pepper Place in downtown Birmingham. I love going to Pepper Place every year because there are so many local farmers, artists, crafters, musicians and all around awesome people there. We first went through the fresh produce area and let me tell you I really regret that I did my grocery shopping the day before because I wanted one of everything. I picked up some kale from Pond Creek Farm (Cullman, AL) and then a half dozen Chilton County Peaches from Burnette Farms. I want to make Spanish bean soup this week and I am going to try my hand at a peach cobbler. 

We stopped by the Pepper Place garden and then headed to the back area which I don’t remember there being vendors back there last year. I purchased some green tomatoes from A & P Farms (Gallant, AL) and the lovely woman working in the booth gave me two recipe cards with alternate recipes from fried green tomatoes. One is for grilled tomatoes with Cajun dressing and the other for un-fried tomatoes.  Zoey and I stopped to share a cup of Strawberry Italian Ice while Adam taste-tested some wines from the Winery at Pepper Place. He picked out his two favorites; the Jacquelyn which is an apple Riesling and Triptych which is a blended red wine.

We ventured to the far side of Pepper Place to walk through the artist/crafting vendors and I grabbed a loaf of French bread from the Culinard Cafe. We looked at handmade crocheted items, beautiful cutting boards and carved wood, fun kitchen wind chimes, handmade jewelry and much, much more. All-in-all the day was relaxing but adventurous.  Zoey enjoyed the music and seeing all the dogs walking with their owners. Adam loved the taste testing and the ambience and I loved spending the day in the sun with my family and some interesting and creative small town vendors. To by fresh, to buy organic and to support local small business owners makes me extremely happy.

Tonight I pulled some Italian sausage out to defrost without really knowing what I planned to make. I just started cooking the first few steps below and then decided to go with the soup dish. My mom had actually just mentioned the Italian Wedding Soup from Olive Garden early today so I suppose that is kind of where the idea originated.

I first browned some diced bacon while I boiled some diced new potatoes. I then removed the bacon from the pan and added a little olive oil to the pan. I dropped in 1/3 of the boiled new potatoes and cooked them flipping occassionally until they were nice and crispy. I removed them from the pan to drain on paper towels and added the Italian sausage to the same pan to brown. In the meantime, I cooked some thinly sliced onions in a stock pot with some diced celery. I added some salt and pepper and cooked until the onions were nice and soft. I then added 3 cups of milk and two bay leaves to the onions and celery and brought it to a soft boil. I added the boiled new potatoes that were not fried to the soup and heated through. I then put two tablespoons of flour into a little bowl and added some of the hot milk from my pot to create a little slurry. I added the slurry to the soup pot and stirred to thicken. Once the liquid had thickened slighty, I added in the Italian sausage and bacon. I added some chopped fresh baby spinach. I also added some fresh thyme and parsley. When the spinach wilted a little, I tasted and seasoned the soup with a little more with salt and pepper. I had also chopped up some chicago style bread, tossed the diced pieces in some olive oil and added Italian seasoning. I threw them in a 350 degree oven for a few minutes to toast up while the soup was finishing. I served the soup in shallow bowls garnishing with the fried potatoes,toasted croutons, and a sprig of parsley.

This past weekend, I spent the day at Oak Mountain Middle School’s Expo and Fair in my wonderful Pampered Chef booth cooking for guest and making new friends. The hit recipe was the Mango Confetti Salsa from page 5 in our new 2011 spring catalogs. Tonight, I needed to make something fast for dinner and since I had some leftover ingredients I thought it would be great to try the salsa on some fresh tilapia filets. I knew the recipe was a fast fix and Zoey loves fresh mango and any kind of fish.

I simply heated my Executive Cookware grill pan on medium high with the grill press in it so they would heat together. I sprinkled the three tilapia filets with the Crushed Peppercorn & Garlic Rub and set them aside to become room temperature.

To make the Mango Confetti Salsa I altered the recipe slightly. Instead of using bell peppers, I bought a big bag of smaller, sweet peppers from the grocer. I deseeded one each of the red, orange, and yellow sweet peppers, chop them in large chunks and throw them in the Manual Food Processor. I then used the Veggie Wedger to cut the red onion in 6 sections and added two of the wedges to the food processor.  I used the Citrus Press to juice one small lime, adding it to the food processor with a pinch of salt and 1/2 a teaspoon of the Chili Lime Rub. I then deseeded one jalapeño and diced it fine adding it to the food processor. I do this to ensure there are no big chunks of jalapeño in my salsa. I then manually process the ingredients to make sure everything is diced finely. Lastly, I use my Mango Wedger to remove the seed from my mango and the Avocado Peeler to remove the skin. I set a few pieces aside for Zoey and then added the rest to the food processor and pulsed to incorporate the mango into the pepper mixture. Within 5-7 minutes I have made a delicious salsa.

I sprayed my grill pan and grill press with a little Garlic-Infused Canola Oil that I had in my Kitchen Spritzer and added the fish, placing the press on top. I cooked the fish 1-2 minutes per side.  I served the fish watch a few tablespoons of the mango salsa on top.  My sides were stuffed tomatoes and Curry Couscous.  This dish is so light, flavorful and fast that I hope you try it at home!

My sister, Danielle made this up the other night and she said it was AWESOME! The idea is to use up any and all of the veggies in your fridge. Fresh, frozen, canned or even leftovers will work. There is no wrong way to make this! Just remember to add frozen veggies first and canned veggies last.

Serves 12-16

• 2 12-oz pkgs any flavor chicken sausage without casing or casings removed
• 1 cup any kind of onions chopped or 2 leeks cut lengthwise and then sliced on bias
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3-4 cups of any root or squash-like vegetables on hand: celery, carrots, potatoes, yams, green beans, squash, zucchini; slice or cube into small, equal sizes so that they cook in about the the same amount of time
• 2 cups leafy vegetable like kale, cabbage or spinach, chopped
• 1 can beans like red kidney, garbanzo, cannellini or northern beans
• 10 cups vegetable or chicken stock
• 2-4 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs of your choice such as rosemary, sage, thyme, parsley (If you have very flavorful sausage, you could even skip this ingredient)
• Salt and pepper

Break up chicken sausage with hands or back of spoon and add to large stock pot over medium heat. Cook for 2-3 minutes and then add garlic, onion and celery. Cook until vegetables are slightly tender. Add stock, root/squash vegetables and herbs to pot. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 15-20 minutes until potatoes and squash are almost done (should be able to easily pierce with a fork or knife). Then add leafy vegetables and canned beans. Simmer for an additional 10 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Ok, made up my own recipe last night and it was FANTASTIC if I do say so myself.

INGREDIENTS

• 4 boneless chicken breasts
• Leftover spiral ham (sliced thinner) or 8 slices thin-sliced deli ham
• 4 slices of Provolone or Swiss (I used provolone b/c I didn’t have swiss)
• 1 cup flavored salad croutons (I used garlic flavored)
• Handful of almonds
• 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 beaten egg

Cheesy Marsala Mushroom Sauce:

• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 shallot finely chopped
• 8 oz. fresh sliced button mushrooms
• 1-2 tablespoons flour or corn starch
• 1/4 cup marsala wine
• 1 cup milk or half and half
• 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

Pound the chicken flat with a mallet between two sheets of cellophane. Put croutons, almonds and parmesan cheese in a food processor and pulse into fine crumbs. Lay ham slices on top of each flattened chicken. Add a slice of cheese and roll up. Secure with toothpicks. Dredge in egg and roll in crumbs. Place all four chicken breasts on baking sheet coated with cooking spray seam side down. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until no longer pink.

With 10 minutes left on the chicken, heat the oil in a pan on medium high heat. Add shallots and mushrooms and saute until shallots soften (about 2 minutes). Add marsala wine and continue cooking until mushrooms begin to sweat. Add flour or corn starch and stir. Cook for one minute more then add milk a little at time stirring constantly. When combined, stir in  parmesan cheese. Lower heat to medium and cook until thick and bubbly. Remove chicken from oven, plate and pour mushroom sauce over chicken.

This was so good my kids liked it even without the mushroom sauce. You can also make it without the mushrooms, by just using the marsala and cheese. Joe said I could definitely make that again. Great way to use up the leftover Christmas ham! I also made a ham and cheese quiche and ham sandwiches. I still have half a bag of ham left and another whole bag in the freezer! I have ham coming out my ears! LOL

Love you,
Danielle Fenning
Cooking with Brandy’s Sweet Sister!

My new venture is well under way and I have been a busy bee preparing for my upcoming Pampered Chef Cooking Shows.  I think I have most of my paperwork, cooking supplies, and other materials ready for this coming Wednesday. That’s right, my first actual Cooking Show is November 3rd for my dear friend Courtney.  I am excited, nervous, and anxious but all in a good way.

I will be making the Antipasti Pull-Apart Pizza from The Pampered Chef® Season’s Best™ Recipe Collection (Fall/Winter 2010).  The cookbook describes the recipe as “A fun twist on pizza, this appetizer features all the flavors of an antipasti platter over a crust of bite-size pieces of French bread.” I made it a few weeks ago for a baby shower at the office. I am sure it will be better this time because I’ll actually have an oven instead of the office toaster oven. If you would like to see the recipe made, you can watch the video here or better yet, see it LIVE! In Courtney’s Living Room.

For those of you who will be attending Courtney’s Cooking Show, you can visit my personalized Pampered Chef Web site now and take a look around at the products you will see displayed at the party.  Simply CLICK HERE and you can begin shopping the catalog.  Remember if you spend $60 or more at the show or online you get the Adjustable Measuring Spoons for FREE!  Also in November, our cooking show guests can SAVE 20% on our Cookie Press. See product information below.

#GV78 Adjustable Measuring Spoon - FREE Adjustable Measuring Spoons to November Guests with purchase of $60 or more! – $0.00
Their streamlined modern design is perfectly sized for spice containers. Adjustable sliders create a seal for dry and liquid ingredients, and are removable for easy cleaning. Grooved thumbprints help you move the sliders back and forth for accurate measuring. Set of two: 1/8 tsp.-1 tsp., 1 tsp.-1 tbsp.
Dishwasher-safe.

#GV79 Cookie Press – Save 20% on our Cookie Press – $23.60
Make cookies or rice potatoes with a simple twist! Our rotating press is easier to use than the typical ratchet style. The barrel lets you see exactly how much dough is left, and its generous size means less refills are needed. Includes 10 metal disks — nine for cookies and one for ricing. Dishwasher-safe.

For those of you invited to the event, I really hope you can make it and enjoy the evening with friends and loved one’s while tasting some delicious food.  I hope to make the event an enjoyable and educational experience for everyone. I truly appreciate everyone’s support and encouragement and I hope I can make all of you proud.

So I have decided to devote some time to my passion for cooking in a serious way.  I decided to become a Pampered Chef consultant.  I have been doing catering and writing on my blog, twitter, Facebook etc. but I have been missing out on cooking for people. And yes, I cook for my husband and baby every day but I mean for people that don’t live in my house  People that love food but don’t really think they can do it in their own homes. I want to have the opportunity to make people happy with a delicious plate of food while teaching them that it is simple to have these types of meals in their own home.  I have contemplated going to culinary school or running a full time catering business but I honesty don’t want to have a job/hobby that takes up so much of my time. Working 70 hours a week never really appealed to me. Especially, when I already have a full time job at a publishing company and a two year old baby girl at home.  I want to still LOVE cooking at the end of the day. That is why I chose Pampered Chef. 

I can have the hours I want, book as many shows as I feel I can handle and still have the benefits of sharing my passion for food with those I love.  I had my director, Brandi Osbourn at my house last Thursday for a cooking show along with a few close friends. She talked and cooked in the living room while we all devoured the appetizers I had laid out.  I sat there commenting, laughing, testing and tasting and I had the best time.  I had been thinking about becoming a consultant for a while but I hadn’t committed.  Then someone complained about chicken tenders and how they don’t like the tendon that runs down the middle.  Without missing a beat, I explained in 30 seconds how to get rid of that tough tendon and still have your chicken tender fully in tact. Let’s face it, I love to cook and I am full of weird cooking knowledge from extensive hours of Food Network TV watching.  My girlfriend pat me on the back and called me the “food guru”.  I thought, you know what, let’s give it a shot, I can do this.  I love food and I was a theater major – cooking in front of people should be a breeze.

That evening I told Brandi I wanted to join her team and I signed up for Pampered Chef. Then comes the hard part.  Now I have to book shows.  I am not a pushy salesman. I try to ask friends and family but I don’t want to guilt anyone into anything.  I want them to want to do a show and not feel obligated out of blood relation or friendship.  My tactic is to spoil people with food.  For those of you who know me, I can cook.  I am sure that I have fed you something in the past that you thought wasn’t that bad, right? So, here is my proposition, invite some friends over (remind them to bring their wallets please) and let me come cook for you.  No obligation to buy anything, but believe me, won’t be able to resist.  Remember, what your friends buy all goes to helping you get free stuff.  That’s a bonus, right?  Pampered Chef has a fantastic Host Reward Program set up to reward you for hosting a cooking party.  If you host a show in the month of October, you as the host save 60% on cookware.  That is a great deal for their cookware because it is a great quality product with a lifetime guarantee.  I have two pieces of Pampered Chef cookware, a sauté and a sauce pan that I bought in 2002 and they are still my “go to” pieces in the kitchen.

This is my first month so I need to be able to book at least four shows in the next few weeks. I am counting on each of you to help me get those shows completed as well as get some experience with cooking in front of people I know.  Brandi says she has done this for over five years and still gets nervous each time.  I am good with scripts but improv was never my forte. I am hoping that the spirit of Julia Childs or Jennifer Paterson fills my heart and I do a great job for you!  Please find some time in your busy schedule and book a show for me.  I would love to share some good times and delicious food with each of you.

To book a Pampered Chef cooking show or catalog show, please email at brandy@cookingwithbrandy.com or call me at the number below.

Brandy Pate

brandy@cookingwithbrandy.com

205-706-9175 (mobile)

Birmingham, Alabama

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We visited Disney this summer and during our trip we were able to enjoy a meal at the Crystal Palace. Adam and I worked our way through the beautiful buffet enjoying items such as Moroccan couscous salad, black bean & mango salad, Roasted garlic mashed potatoes, BBQ Pork Tenderloin, Curry Stir Fry Noodles, Citrus Marinated Flank Steak, Wild mushroom & chicken pasta, Cinnamon & lemon basmati rice, Thai curry mussels, Fruit & vegetable tofu curry, Atlantic salmon, Rotisserie chicken, and New England clam chowder. Some of our favorites were the Atlantic Salmon with Cinnamon & Lemon Basmati Rice. While we ate, Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Piglet and Eeyore came around to visit the little ones.

When we returned home, I wanted to commemorate a wonderful vacation by recreating the dish. I made the side dish by rinsing one cup of basmati rice a few times until the water was no longer merky. Add the rice to a steel-bottomed pot with two cups of water with a tablespoon of margarine and a pinch of salt, cover and cook over medium-high heat. When the water comes to a boil, reduce the water to low and add 1 teaspoon of lemon zest and a stick of cinnamon and cover again. Cook the rice for approximately 18 minutes.

Meanwhile, to prepare the salmon, preheat your oven to 325 degrees and lay out two pieces of parchment paper or aluminum foil crisscrossed on your work station. Lay one salmon steak inside with skin side down. Season with salt, fresh ground pepper, a tablespoon of butter and a squeeze of lemon juice. Pulling up corner to corner, match up the corners and wrap up the aluminum foil making a pouch. Continue this until all the salmon steaks are seasoned and wrapped up in their little purses. Place the little handbags on a baking sheet and cook in the oven for 25 minutes.

While the salmon and rice are cooking, you can make the pesto. Combine 2/3 cup firmly packed basil leaves, a pinch of salt, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, 2 garlic cloves, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest.

Layer the cooked rice on the bottom and add the salmon once it is firm to the touch. I removed the skin from mine before I served it. Top the salmon with pesto and add a sprinkle of parmesan cheese and a little lemon zest for garnish.

My dish may not have been Disney specific but I am sure that Mickey and Minnie wouldn’t mind nibbling off my plate.

I am perched atop a high-top at the obviously popular Feast Restaurant & Bar in downtown Chicago. Though headed to an Italian restaurant recommended by the concierge, the outdoor seating and clientele caught my eye. Besides I am having pizza tonight.

They have a breakfast lunch and dinner menu. It is 1:30 and they are still serving breakfast — yeah! Full wine menu and a 22 seat bar with two small flat screen TVs for your sport watching enjoyment. The decor is modern in design with warm apricot walls and toasted wood finish. Out my window I see at least a dozen tables with comfortable-looking faux wicker chairs. One of the enticing features is the neighboring deli called The Goddess and Grocer.

I chose the Eggs Portobello but they were sold out. I switched to the Crab Benedict described as “two poached eggs and crab cakes over jalapeño-cheddar corn bread with chipotle hollandaise + feast potatoes $13.50.” My food arrives and it’s a good looking plate of food. The potatoes are crunchy but needed to be warmer. The crab cakes are delicate and flavorful. The cornbread underneath is moist and has a little bite with the jalapeño. I would preferthe egg be cooked a little more but it is white and fluffy I just don’t care for eggs where the whites run clear. They were close but they needed a few more seconds. Texturally I would have liked the crab cake to have a more crisp exterior to provide a textural contrast in the bite. It wasn’t till my second crab cake that I even noticed their were capers. The second cake was more enjoyable and I could feel more of the jalepeno heat on my lips. Proportionally I didn’t need this many potatoes but I suppose I would prefer more than not enough.

The dish was good not great. Let’s put it this way, I haven’t eaten anything all day and I didn’t finish my plate. So it didn’t blow me out of the water. I am sure it would be better in the am when everything is fresh. I did like my waiter though. He was quiet and friendly. He kept my coffee full and even made me one to go. Thanks Boomer. I also like that there are grown up smoothies on their menu with different types of vodka. It seems interesting. All-in-All I give it a 3 out of 5. It was definitely worth the price and and easy to get in and out of. I can see why the locals like to pop in here to eat.

feast restaurant & bar
25 E. Delaware Place
Chicago. IL 60611
Ph: 312.337.4001
Fx: 312.896.2590