Artichoke, Ham and Goat Cheese Strata

The word "strata" is derived from the word "stratum" which means a series of layers. A strata is a great way to use day old bread and works well for any meal. This recipe of the week is a good foundation - you can substitute different meats and cheeses with tasty results.

Artichoke, Ham and Goat Cheese Strata

8 cups 1-inch cubes sourdough bread
2 cups milk
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
1 teaspoon herbes de Provence
1 1/2 cups ham, small dice
12 ounces marinated artichoke hearts, drained, quartered
4-5 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded fontina cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan
8 large eggs
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Grease a 9x13-inch glass baking dish.

Place bread cubes evenly in prepared dish and pour milk over the top. Let stand until milk is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle evenly with the herbs, ham, artichokes, goat cheese, fontina and Parmesan.

Whisk eggs in a large bowl until blended; add cream, garlic, salt and pepper and whisk until well mixed. Pour egg mixture evenly over ingredients in baking dish. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake, uncovered, for 1 ¼ hours, until browned and firm in the center. Allow strata to rest at least 10 minutes before serving. Serves 8.

 

 

French Food and Wine with Chef Randall Price

Randall Price, Chef, Ecole de Cuisine du Prince Jardinier, Chateau de la Bourdaisiere, joined us Saturday for a fabulous Food and Wine class. An old friend of The Cooking School, Randall delighted students and staff with his delicious French dishes - accompanied with wines selected by Dave Schmerr, Jungle Jim's wine expert. Randall, considered a master of French pastry, returned Monday for a hand's-on Pâte à Choux class, where students learned to make three different French pastries.

Randall with Jungle Jim's sous chefs Ellen and Janet


We talked in class about Randall sharing another recipe with us for the blog - we ended up trading Ellen's slider recipe for the soup recipe below! He was intrigued when he tried a slider from the Game Grub Class, and plans to make them in France for the grandchildren of the Countess de Rohan-Chabot. Randall is currently completing work on his first book Cooking for Joy that will be published in French this fall and in English at a later date. The Cooking School is working with Randall to plan a special At The Chef's Table dinner and wine tasting evening for our next brochure. Visit Randall's website at: Randall Price




Soupe au Potiron au Curry

(Pumpkin Soup with Curry and Coconut Milk)

from Chef Randall Price, Ecole de Cuisine du Prince Jardinier, Chateau de la Bourdaisiere, France

Pumpkin soup is a cold-weather favorite throughout France. My additions of curry and coconut milk give it a contemporary, exotic twist. It makes a great as a do-ahead first course for a dinner party, because it tastes even better the day after it is made. At the Chateau de la Bourdaisiere I make this with Italian ‘zucca’ squash, which has very thick, firm flesh. Regular pumpkin works well, and this soup is also delicious if you replace the pumpkin with butternut squash or sweet potatoes.


2 medium leeks, white and light green parts, thinly sliced and washed
2 tablespoons butter
1 inch fresh ginger, grated
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
2 pounds of pumpkin, butternut squash or sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks
1 pound baking potatoes (about 3 medium), peeled and sliced
1 can (13.5 ounce) unsweetened coconut milk
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
Small toasted croutons



In a large pot, place the leeks and the butter with a couple tablespoons of water. Cover and sweat over low heat until the leeks have softened, 3-5 minutes. Mix together the ginger, curry powder, cumin and paprika. Uncover the pot and stir in the spice mix. Cook, stirring, until the spices are fragrant. Add the pumpkin (or squash or sweet potatoes) and the sliced potatoes and pour in enough water to cover them by about an inch. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until the squash and potatoes are so tender they fall apart easily, 30 - 40 minutes.

Puree the soup. Mix in the coconut milk. If necessary, thin the soup with a little water. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
Serve hot, with the cilantro stirred in just at the time you serve. Pass croutons separately, if desired.

This soup is even better when made up to three days in advance. Cool it completely before covering, then store it in the refrigerator.

Makes about 8 servings

Steak and Red Wine Soup

This is the recipe featured in the Cooking School's January - April 2010 brochure. Perfect for a cold day, this batch of soup was made with bottom round steak and Yukon gold potatoes substituted for the red potatoes. It paired well with focaccia from the Jungle Jim's bakery.

Steak and Red Wine Soup

Warm and satisfying, this hearty soup is a meal in a bowl. Add a chunk of crusty bread for a quick and delicious dinner.

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds top sirloin (or bottom round steak), ½ inch dice
1 large onion, diced
4-5 large carrots, peeled and diced
2 medium red potatoes, unpeeled, small dice
2 stalks celery, diced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups beef broth
1 cup dry red wine
28 ounces canned crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons steak sauce
1 teaspoon red pepper sauce
½ teaspoon black pepper
salt, to taste

Heat the olive oil in a 5-7 quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat and brown the sirloin. Add onions, carrots, red potato, celery and garlic; cook until vegetables are beginning to soften, about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover the pan and simmer 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serves 6-8.

Leigh’s tips: Like most soups, this can be served immediately – but will taste even better if refrigerated overnight. Steak and Red Wine Soup freezes well for 2-3 months.

 

 

 

Honey Barbeque Shredded Pork

The Cooking School is now featuring a recipe in the Jungle Jim's weekly advertisement, available online, at the market, and delivered to homes by DoorStore. The "Recipe of the Week" highlights an ingredient that is on sale that week. All recipes are archived on the Cooking School page of the Jungle Jim's website under the Jungle Recipes tab.

The recipe this week is quick to prepare and can be made in advance. Family friendly and easy on the budget - what more could you want?

Honey Barbeque Shredded Pork

1-1/4 cups ketchup
1/2 cup apple juice
1/2 cup honey
1 cup finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 pork shoulder (Boston Butt Roast) 3-4 pounds, excess fat trimmed

Preheat oven to 300°. Lightly grease a Dutch oven with tight fitting lid.

Combine sauce ingredients (ketchup-pepper) in a medium bowl. Place pork in prepared pan and pour sauce over the top. Cover pan tightly with lid or foil and roast for 3 ½ - 4 hours, until fork tender. Shred meat with two forks, discarding bones and fat. Stir shredded meat into sauce in pan. Serve on rolls or in warm tortillas.

Serves 6-8

Leigh’s Tip: Prepare 1-2 days in advance and refrigerate. Warm gently before serving.


Prepared and ready for the oven

 

Time to eat!

 

At The Chef's Table with Domenico Germano

Domenico Germano from Germano's Ristorante Italiano in Montgomery joined us Monday evening for a great evening of Italian food and wine. The class enjoyed a Fennel Salad, Spaghettini Carbonara con Pancetta, Sautéed Sea Bass with Lump Blue Crab, Capers and Artichokes, Sautéed Spinach and Biscotti with Marsala and Cream.

 

Domenico shared two additional recipes that are equally delicious.

Gamberi al Burro Piccante

4 ounces linguine
3 tablespoons butter, divided
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 pound raw shrimp (16-20 count), peeled and deveined
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/8 crushed red pepper - or more to taste

Cook linguine according to package directions until al dente.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a medium skillet. Add garlic and sauté for 15 seconds. Add shrimp and sauté 3-4 minutes, until almost cooked through. Add lemon juice, wine and crushed red pepper and stir to combine. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter and stir to combine; simmer and stir sauce until it is creamy and has reduced slightly. Add cooked pasta and toss to combine with shrimp and sauce. Serves 2.

 

Linguine Amatriciana

4 ounces linguine
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 ripe Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
4 slices prosciutto, cut into thin strips
1/8-1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup crushed red tomatoes
salt and pepper, to taste

Cook linguine according to package directions until al dente.

Heat olive oil in a medium skillet and sauté onion until soft, about 3-4 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for a few minutes to reduce slightly. Toss cooked pasta with sauce and serve. Serves 2.

 

Domenico said "the main ingredient in this dish is tomato, the rest of the ingredients are music in the background".

Buon Appetito!

Tapas Class Cancelled Tonight

The weather forecast was right today! It's been snowing since early this morning and the roads are a mess. We decided to cancel class tonight and reschedule for next Thursday, January 14, at 6:00 pm. I hope everyone who was registered will be able to make it next week. We have a few openings in the class, and can take additional students as well. By the way, the classroom was ready on Tuesday for our class. It looks great - we're just waiting on new pictures for the walls.

Jungle (Jim) stopped by the cooking school while we were testing Shrimp and Chorizo with Sherry and Paprika from the tapas class menu. He was happy to serve as an official taste tester and gave us his 'thumbs up' approval.



A cold and snowy day like today just begs for something warm and comforting for lunch or dinner. This recipe is quick, cooks in one pan and I usually have everything in the pantry and freezer to make it. A big plus when the roads are bad and you don't want to venture out.

Stovetop Pasta

2 ounces dry penne pasta (2/3 cup)
1/2 cup marinara sauce
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano or Italian seasoning
salt and pepper, to taste
3 frozen party size meatballs
Parmesan cheese for garnish (optional)

Combine ingredients (dry pasta - frozen meatballs) in a small (1 quart) saucepan and stir well. Bring to a boil over medium heat, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 15-18 minutes, stirring once or twice, until pasta is tender. Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve. Serves 1.

To make 2 servings: double all ingredients and prepare in a 1.5 – 2 quart saucepan.

 

New Year, New Job, New Blog

Happy New Year!

Welcome to the blog for The Cooking School at Jungle Jim's International Market. Today is my first official day as the new director of the school. When we took a break from classes over the holidays, Jungle (Jim) decided to paint the cooking school. The paint job took on a life of it's own and quickly became somewhat of a remodeling effort. We have a busy week planned - I have hands-on classes Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. I am starting to be a bit concerned about how things will look 24 hours from now for class!



It's cold, windy and snowing a bit today...a perfect night to roast a chicken for dinner. I like this recipe because it's quick enough to make after work and everything cooks in one skillet for easier clean up.

Cast Iron Skillet Roast Chicken

4-5 medium Yukon gold or red potatoes, sliced 1/2-inch thick
4-5 large carrots, peeled, sliced 1/2-inch thick
One 2 to 4-pound chicken
salt and pepper



Preheat the oven to 450°. Place potatoes and carrots in a single layer in a well seasoned 12-inch cast iron skillet.

Remove giblets from the chicken, rinse and dry it very well with paper towels, inside and out. Salt and pepper the cavity, then tie the legs. Sprinkle the chicken generously with salt and pepper. Place the chicken on top of the potatoes and carrots in the cast iron skillet.



Place the skillet in the oven and roast 50-65 minutes, without basting, until the temperature of the breast reaches 165°. Remove from oven, baste the chicken with the pan juices and let it rest for 15 minutes. Cut into pieces and serve with potatoes and carrots. Serves 2-4.



Follow us or stop by often for new recipes, class information and other tidbits that we hope will interest you. 2010 promises to be a good year!

Bon Appétit!