Zoe Cuisine

Tremont 647 Benefit Dinner

If you can't attend Taste of the Nation, here is another equally delicious way to support Operation Frontline in the month of April. Call to reserve your spot soon as space is limited!

 

 

Taste of the Nation 2010

I have mentioned a few times on the blog about my involvement with the non-profit Operation Frontline of Massachusetts. OFL (as we call it for short) is part of a larger national organization called Share Our Strength that you may have heard of. Share Our Strength is committed to ending childhood hunger in the US by raising funds and distributing them to community groups, activists and food programs that will make a direct difference in this massive battle to make sure that no child is hungry. OFL is one of the programs that benefits from Share Our Strength's fundraising efforts. The premise of OFL is that chefs and nutrition professionals go out into the community and teach hands on cooking and nutrition classes to low income families so that they will be better able to feed themselves healthy food on a budget. I just finished teaching the cooking portion of my fourth class in the past year, and I can honestly say that this is an amazing organization that is truly making a difference in these families' lives. Not only do we teach them how to better feed themselves and make their limited budget stretch as far as possible, but we then give them a bag of groceries at the end of each class to take home and prepare the recipes they learned for their family. I recently joined the advisory board of OFL so that I can lend a hand outside the classroom by helping with volunteer recruitment, training and appreciation efforts. Our classes would not be possible without the volunteers that give about 3 hours of their time every week for a 6 week class session. All that being said, the biggest fundraising event of the year for Share Our Strength and OFL is upon us! Taste of the Nation 2010 will be held on Thursday April 8th at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston. Taste of the Nation is one of the premier culinary events in the country (it travels to multiple major cities) as it draws many notable restaurants, chefs and wineries who offer tastings to all those that attend. In addition to the amazing food and drinks that will be offered, there is also dancing and an auction. If you love food and want to help a great cause, please consider buying a ticket to this event and tell all your friends!

You can find out more information about this event and buy tickets online if you click here.

Seared Scallops with Golden Shallot & Grapefruit Sauce

 

I am always looking for easy ways to prepare seafood during the week and this recipe is a great example. I love the use of fresh grapefruit juice instead of lemon which is what you typically see paired with fish and shellfish. Although this recipe is meant for scallops, you could easily substitute shrimp or a flaky white fish instead. I like using scallops because they cook in about 5-8 minutes tops. One thing I did not realize about buying scallops until a year ago is that most are chemically treated to preserve freshness with a solution that makes them retain water. If you have ever tried searing scallops at home in an attempt to get that nice golden crust that you find in restaurants and have instead found them to be oozing liquid, this is the reason. So next time you are at the grocery store or fish market, ask the salesperson if the scallops are "dry" which means untreated. Only dry scallops will get a nice seared exterior which is what you want for this type of recipe. Another tip is to make sure that you thoroughly dry them off with paper towels before putting them in the hot pan as any extra moisture on the scallop will also detract from the searing process. This dinner is excellent served with rice pilaf or orzo that can soak up the tangy sauce.

Seared Scallops with Golden Shallot & Grapefruit Sauce Ingredients: 1/2 cup finely diced shallots (about 2-3 large) 8 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1/2 cup fresh ruby red or pink grapefruit juice 1/4 cup white wine vinegar 1 3/4 lb medium all-natural "dry" sea scallops salt and freshly ground pepper chopped fresh chives (optional garnish) Instructions: In a medium skillet cook the shallots in 6 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly until the shallots are golden, about 4-5 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the grapefruit juice and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Pull off and discard any muscle tabs still attached to the sides of the scallops. Pat the scallops dry with paper towels and season them lightly with salt and pepper. In a large heavy-duty nonstick skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat. Add the scallops (in batches if necessary to keep from crowding), cover with a splatter screen if you have one, and cook until they are golden brown on both sides and almost firm to the touch, 2-4 minutes per side. Add the shallot sauce to the scallops and cook briefly, shaking the pan, until the sauce is just heated through. Serve immediately, sprinkled with the chives if using. Serves 4. Recipe courtesy of Fine Cooking Magazine, January 2008.

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Rice Pudding

 

If you are looking for an easy, delicious, and comforting dessert inspiration then look no further than this rice pudding. I am a fan of all puddings, but had never tried to make rice pudding until this weekend. I kept seeing recipes for different versions on blogs and in magazines, and all looked amazing and simple. I decided to merge two recipes for my first foray into rice pudding, one from Gourmet and the other from Food and Wine magazine. I liked that one used arborio rice (which I happened to have a box of already on hand) while the other used an interesting combo of lemon, vanilla and cinnamon as flavoring. You can really let your imagination run wild with rice pudding by adding everything from raisins to rum. It is a very basic dessert classic that is as satisfying plain as it is dressed up. Another selling point is that it is very inexpensive to make for a crowd. You can serve this family style out of a big ceramic dish or spoon into delicate glasses or ramekins for a more elegant presentation. 

Rice Pudding Ingredients: 1 cup arborio (risotto) rice 2 1/2 cups whole milk 1 cup heavy cream 1 cinnamon stick 3 strips of lemon zest (approx 3-4" in length each) 3/4 cup sugar 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract Instructions: Fill a medium saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Add the rice and cook for 3 minutes. Drain the rice and return it to the saucepan. Add the milk, cream, cinnamon stick and zest. Bring to a simmer and then reduce heat to low and cook for about 25 minutes, until the rice is very tender (it will still look a little soupy, that's ok as the rice will absorb more liquid as it sits). Stir in the sugar and vanilla and remove the pan from heat. Discard the cinnamon stick and zest. Pour the pudding into a 9x13 inch baking dish (or any large dish that will allow the pudding to be spread out to cool). Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the pudding to prevent a skin from forming and refrigerate until chilled, preferably 2-3 hours.  When ready to serve, distribute the pudding evenly between 6 ramekins or small glasses. Garnish with a sprinkle of cinnamon and/or fresh fruit of your choice.  Serves 6.

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