Cantaloupe Puree with Prosciutto-Wrapped Bread Sticks

June 25, 2010 by 28 Comments

This is the perfect starter for a summer dinner party, it’s sort of a modern twist on the very classic proscuitto-wrapped melon, you’re still going to get that sweet and salty flavour experience that we all love, but with two different textures going on.

I’m almost embarrassed to tell you how simple this is to make, just cut your cantaloupe in chunks and place in a food processor/blender and process until smooth! How simple is that!

Then to make things even more simpler, I used store bought bread sticks, but you can make your own if you’re adventurous. Wrap one slice of prosciutto on the end of each bread stick and place on the rim of a glass. Serve immediately.

Would you like to wow your guests at your next party? You can make a whole tray of these by using those cute little shooter glasses that you can get at any party store. Just cut your bread sticks in half, wrap them with 1/2 slice of proscuitto and place on the rim of your shooter glasses.
So quick and very inexpensive! You might even want to spike it with some tequila, prosecco or vodka, now doesn’t that sound good?
Enjoy your weekend, and Buon Appetito!
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28 Comments Filed Under: Appetizers, Fruit Tagged: , ,

Almond Crepes, Pan Roasted Strawberries and Amaretto Sabayon

June 21, 2010 by 22 Comments
First of all before I go on, I must disclose that I didn’t make the fabulous dish featured above, but I can assure you that I soon will! This dish was created by a local here, Chef Paul Virant of Vie. Chef Paul took part in the Chicago Cadillac Culinary Challenge last week along with,

Chef Martial Noguier of Cafe des Architectes.

Two local Chefs in a friendly competition using strawberries as the key ingredient in their recipe creations.

The event was sponsored both by Bon Appetit magazine and Cadillac and I was fortunate enough to be invited and to be one of the judges of the challenge, thanks to my friend Courtney of Coco Cooks.
To kick off our day we were treated to a wonderful lunch at Braxton Seafood Grill along with other media, the Chefs, representatives of Cadillac and our hostess Mary Nolan of Food Networks Chic and Easy. It was fun and informative to be able to visit and speak with them on a casual basis.
Courtney and I both chose the grilled seafood platter for lunch consisting of shrimp, scallops, salmon and a crab cake. A decadent chocolate truffle cake was our dessert.Judging the challenge was difficult because each Chef went a different direction, one decided to do a dessert and the other a savoury dish. Above is Chef Noguier’s, Peekytoe Crab Salad with Strawberry, Rhubarb, Pickled Turnip and Radish. What I loved about his dish was his use of lemon confit, it really made all the flavors pop!


But in the end it was Chef Virant’s dish that blew everyone away! For me it was the amaretto that he put in the sabayon, also known as zabaione in Italian, which is a very smooth and light whipped custard that usually is made with Marsala wine. The strawberries and all the almond flavors were a match made in heaven!
We ended our day by getting to test drive Cadillac’s 2010 SRX.
Here’s the fabulous winning recipe!

Almond Crepes, Pan Roasted Strawberries, Amaretto Sabayon
4 Servings

Sweet Almond Crepe

9 ounces milk
1 ounce sugar
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 ounces butter
1 ounce almond flour
1 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
2 ounces all purpose flour
Combine milk, sugar, extract, butter, almond flour and salt in a saucepan. Heat until the butter melts.
In a mixing bowl combine eggs, all purpose flour and mix well. Carefully pour the hot milk mixture
into the egg mixture, mix well. Allow batter to rest for an hour. Cook 2 ounces of crepe batter at a
time in a 10 inch skillet. Set aside.

Amaretto Sabayon

4 egg yolks
1⁄4 cup sugar
1⁄4 cup amaretto
1⁄4 cup + 2 tablespoon heavy cream
Combine yolks, sugar and amaretto in a mixing bowl. Cook over a simmering water bath, whisking
constantly, until the mixture is thick. Set aside to cool. While the base cools, whip the heavy cream to
soft peaks. Fold into chilled base and set aside.

Pan Roasted Strawberries

1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon sugar
1⁄2 pound strawberries, washed, hulled
and quartered
1 tablespoon amaretto
Salt to taste
Heat a large saute pan and add butter. When the butter melts, add the sugar and strawberries. Cook for
1 minute on high heat, deglaze with amaretto, season with salt and set aside.
To Finish
Preheat an oven to 350F. Divide the strawberries onto 8 crepes, fold them in half and heat in the oven
until warm. Place two crepes on each plate, dust with powdered sugar, spoon sabayon over and serve.

The garnish was sugared marcona almonds.

I hope you give this a try, I’m still dreaming about how good it was!

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22 Comments Filed Under: Chicago Tagged: , , ,

Mario’s Linguine with Clams

June 16, 2010 by 26 Comments
If you’re a fan of pasta with shellfish then you can’t go wrong with Mario Batali’s Linguine with Clams.
Speaking of Mario, I’ve been enjoying the old reruns of Molto Mario on the the new
Cooking Channel on cable, have you seen it yet? Although it’s owned by the Food Network it’s a refreshing change from all the competitions and the other over done shows that go on there.
What you’ll love about this recipe is the light garlicky tomato and wine sauce that the clams and pasta bathe in, the flavors are amazing together!
Here’s the recipe which I slightly adapted. You might even want to consider this for Fathers Day, it’s that good!
Linguine with Clams
3 tablespoons kosher salt
1 pound linguine
12 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced, I used 10
1 pound littleneck clams, scrubbed, I used 4 1/2 pounds, this was a main dish
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, I used a little less but added more on my plate
1 cup dry white wine
1 (14-ounce) can whole San Marzano tomatoes in juice, juice reserved and tomatoes coarsely chopped
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped I added some basil too.

Here’s what you do:

In large pot over moderately high heat, combine 8 quarts of water to boil and salt. Bring to boil, then add linguine and cook to 1 minute short of al dente according to package directions (pasta should still be quite firm).
Meanwhile, in large sauté pan over moderately high heat, heat 6 tablespoons extra- olive oil until hot but not smoking. Add garlic and sauté until just golden, about 30 seconds. Add clams and 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes and sauté 1 minute. Add wine, tomatoes and juice, and 1/2 cup parsley and simmer, uncovered, just until clams open, 7 to 8 minutes.
Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water, then drain linguine and add to pan. Simmer, tossing occasionally, until linguine is just tender, about 1 minute. If necessary, add some of reserved cooking water to keep moist. Remove from heat. Add remaining 2 tablespoons parsley, 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, and extra-virgin olive oil, tossing to coat. Transfer to serving dish and serve immediately.
Of course you’ll need some crusty garlic bread to sop up all that yummy sauce, so here’s the recipe!
Garlic Bread with Herbs
1 stick butter (1/2 cup), at room temperature
2 garlic cloves, mashed into a paste with a pinch of salt and olive oil
2 tablespoons each of chopped fresh parsley and basil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 loaf crusty baguette
Extra-virgin olive oil
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

For the bread, stir together the butter, mashed garlic, and herbs in a small
bowl and season with salt and pepper. Cut open the bread lengthwise and spread the garlic mixture over the halves. I cut mine in quarters so it was easier to fit on the baking sheet.
drizzle with a little olive oil. Bake for 15 minutes or until nicely golden.
Happy Fathers Day to all the Dads out there!
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26 Comments Filed Under: Seafood Tagged: , ,