A Jeanne in the Kitchen

Well, once again, I am trying to whittle away some of our leftovers. We are also going out of town for a few days, so I want to clean out the fridge as much as possible before we go, which means I haven’t been cooking as much again lately. So I thought I would leave you with some thoughts of what we “really” say say in the kitchen, behind closed doors and away from the public’s ear. Back when I was running professional kitchens, I used to tell my staff they could come into my office and yell, kick, scream, and do whatever they needed to do to vent. But as soon as they walked out those doors and were back with the public, they needed to be calm, cool and collected once again, and that smile needed to be ever present to the public, regardless of what was going on either privately or publicly. The public can never see us sweat. That smile to the public is part of your uniform and it needs to be worn daily, at all times and it needs to be worn with pride.

Today so many people think the Chef’s life is the glamorous life. Oh NO, NO , NO !!!!!!!! When working in a commercial kitchen, be prepared for LONG hours, and working NIGHTS, WEEKENDS, and HOLIDAYS. When your friends and families are out partying and enjoying themselves, you are behind a hot stove working your butt off. Colorful curse words and expletives are loud and abundant. The “F” word is one of our favorite words in the professional kitchen. Believe me, it is said A LOT!!!!! All of that, and more so than not, you are usually vastly underpaid too. You have to do it because you LOVE IT! Working in a kitchen and being a chef is either in your blood or it’s not. It is most definitely NOT for the faint of heart or the weak.

Sadly, I have worked with many people who fit this category.

Fortunately, I have worked with many people who fall into this category as well.

And believe me, I have made more than my share of mistakes.

So if you have any dreams of making it as a Professional Chef, you’ve got to work hard and surround yourself with great talent. You’ve got to pay your dues and make a lot of sacrifices. Be creative and dare to dream. And just maybe, if you are one of the lucky ones, you will make it to the top too. But you won’t get there if you don’t put in lots and of blood, sweat and tears. In order to make it, you’ve got to WANT it and you’ve got to EARN it, and even then, there is no guarantee.

Stay safe and stay well Everyone. ‘Til next time.

It is a gorgeous fall day. The colors are vibrant and bright. The sun is shining brightly, and their were lots of animals out enjoying their day. We took Vinnie on a nice long walk through our open space and this is what we saw.

This is our tree in our front yard. It’s about time to get out the rake.

We actually saw a couple of turtles today, even though it is kind of late in the season for them. But there was one big snapping turtle that lifted his head to say hi.

We saw a lot of prairie dogs out and about today too.

While we we walking, I told Larry I wanted to see a coyote or two, since it’s been awhile. We did not see any on our walk, but we did see one from our deck while we were having lunch.

I wanted to see coyotes today, and that we did, and right from our very own deck too.

Nature’s beauty. Mother Nature always does her best. It just doesn’t get any better.

No matter how much you think you know about something, there is always more to learn. Thanks to our very own AMERICA ON COFFEE, I learned some new things about the hats or toques worn by chefs. I never knew that the number of pleats in a toque represented how much a chef new about different ways of cooking. Here are some more fun food facts I bet most people didn’t know.

1. The best way to sweeten white onions is by caramelizing them.

2. Freezing a cake before spreading the frosting on it will make it easier and less crumbly.

3. If you place a wooden spoon on the top of a boiling pot it stops the liquid from boiling over because it relieves the pressure and pops the bubbles.

4. 3 tsp = 1 TBSP

5. Throwing spaghetti against a wall is a good, throw dramatic, way of determining if it is cooked enough. If it sticks, it’s done.

I just thought these were things we all needed to know. Have fun, play with your food and learn something new.

Stay safe and stay well Everyone. ‘Til next time.

Today, while out on my walk, I thought I wasn’t going to see anything. The lakes were beautiful, but they were very quiet and still. At first, I thought all I was going to see were rocks.

I would have enjoyed my walk either way, but seeing my “friends” come out certainly made my day. When I least expected it, a blue heron flew right beside me. I almost didn’t get this shot. I was more than a little surprised to see him fly by and didn’t have my camera ready. You don’t realize how big they are until you see their wingspan.

This is how I see the herons most of the time, although this guy looks a bit angry. Maybe he was just as surprised to see me too. I guess I invaded his space.

Maybe if I just close my eyes, she will go away.

Here, he seems to be smiling again.

The tall wild grasses always looks so pretty as they dance in the breeze.

There were even a few friendly squirrels who came out to play today too.

Life is short. Enjoy it while you can.

I just love pumpkin season. There are so many wonderful dishes to make, ranging from soups to savory to sweets and so much more. I also love empanadas. I combined the pumpkin and the empanadas to make a fun new fall dessert. It might just be a new fall favorite. And just the way I like I too. This delicious recipe only requires a few simple ingredients that we all have in out pantries at all times.

Roasted Pumpkin and Chocolate Empanadas

1 15 oz can of pumpkin puree

2 2/3 cups flour

2 TBSP sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup or 2 sticks cold butter, cubed

1/2 cup milk

1 egg

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 cup chocolate chips or semi-sweet chocolate cut into small pieces, divided

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 425* F or about 200 * C.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the pumpkin puree on the parchment paper. Roast for 15 minutes.

While the pumpkin is roasting, prepare your dough by mixing the flour, 2 TBSP sugar, salt and butter together in a food processor. Mix until it resembles crumbled sand.

Whisk the egg and milk together then add to the flour mixture and combine just until everything is moistened.

Once the pumpkin has been removed from the oven, reduce the heat to 375* F.

Once the dough is prepared, form it into a ball and roll it out on a lightly floured surface to about 1/2 thickness. Then cut into either circles or rectangles. You can make them any size you like. I cut mine into circles that were about 4 inches in diameter.

Combine the roasted pumpkin, cinnamon, the remainder of the sugar and about 2/3 of the chocolate. The pumpkin will be hot and will melt the chocolate.

Add about 1-2 TBSP of the pumpkin mixture (or as much as the dough will hold) to each piece and fold over. Pinch the edges tightly, then crimp with a fork on the edges, so the filling does not ooze out.

Once all the empanadas are made, poke them with a fork to make some air holes, then brush them with milk and place them in the oven at the reduced temperature. Bake for about 20 minutes or until they are golden brown and flaky.

Melt the remaining chocolate (add a dash of milk if you need to) and drizzle the melted chocolate over the empanadas. These are best served hot with a dab of ice cream on the side. My friend Suzanne also brought over some Aussie bites that we served on the side as well. Chipotle Lime Chicken These could have very easily been a meal by themselves.

These were something new and and fun, and definitely DELICIOUS!!!!!!! These are definitely a do-over.

Stay safe and stay well Everyone. ‘Til next time.

The lakes are quiet now, compared to their busy flourishing life in the spring and early summer. But there is still beauty to be found. The birds are still singing in the trees and playful rabbits are hopping all around. I just have to look a little more closely now than I did before, but there is still so much to see.

The colors are vibrantly amazing.

There are still a few ducks left, either out for a leisurely swim, or just lounging about.

And they sing from way up high.

A little fun game of hide and seek, bunny style.

Enjoy the beauty of nature. It’s all around. All you have to do is open your eyes to look and see.

Art is many things and it is something different for everyone. Everyone has their own interpretation of it. It comes in many forms. It is fluid. It is ever changing. Art, in its broadest sense, is a form of communication. It means whatever the artist intends it to mean, and this meaning is shaped by the materials, techniques, and forms it makes use of, as well as the ideas and feelings it creates in its viewers.  Art is an act of expressing feelings, thoughts, and observations. More often than we realize, art can be found in places all around us; a song, a dance, a beautiful dish of food, in nature and even in people. It is a tricky concept to define because everyone’s entitled to their own preferences and feelings when it comes to art. As we all know, art and beauty are in the eyes of the beholder. Being a chef myself, I believe that cooking is one of the most versatile art forms there is. It engages all the senses at once. Food is definitely an art form, and chocolate is the ultimate art form when it comes to food as the medium.

Chocolate is hard to work with because it is so temperature sensitive. If it is too cold, the chocolate won’t melt properly which means it will be very difficult to work with. But if it is too hot, the chocolate will melt and all you will have will be a liquid mess. It takes someone very skilled to be a successful chocolatier. I am NOT that person, but fortunately we do have a masterful chocolatier right here in the North Denver Metro area. Her name is Robin Autorino, and she is an award winning chocolatier who has been named by Dessert Professional as one of the Top Ten Chocolatiers in North America in 2013. Robin is the owner and master chocolatier at Robin Chocolates, located in Longmont, Colorado.

Robin has led a very adventurous life, and has done many things before discovering her passion and talent for the fine art of chocolate. She has lived all over the world and mastered her skills with some of the best chocolatiers and chefs around. You should read her story. She is a pretty amazing lady. And you should definitely try her chocolates. Each one is a miniature masterpiece of perfection. “We often hear from our customers that our chocolates are too beautiful to eat. We couldn’t disagree more. While we do agree that they are beautiful, our goal is to make them taste at least as good as they look. Chocolatier and pastry chef Robin Autorino refers to them as edible art – art for your eyes and your mouth. While we would never recommend tasting a Monet, Picasso, or Rembrandt, we do highly recommend our artisan chocolates and confections.”

My chocolates look like this.

Robin’s chocolates, on the other hand, look like this. This one is a strawberry balsamic chocolate ganache. It literally just melted in my mouth.

You can mix and match and customize your own gift boxes however you like. For my own little gift box, I chose a hazelnut praline, very berry raspberry, blackberry sage and a mint chocolate chip.

In Robin’s chocolate shop, Robin Chocolates, she has cases filled with her beautiful edible art. She has so many varieties and flavors too. Each one is a delectable, beautiful creation, and though I have not tried them all, the ones I have tried are out of this world. I guess that means I need to do some more research, since I can’t choose a favorite if I have not yet tasted all the samples.

I discovered Robin and her chocolates a few years ago at a chocolate convention in Denver. As you can see, her chocolates are absolutely amazing. She is truly a master at her art.

You can go directly to Robin Chocolates, located at 600 Airport Road, in Longmont Colorado, where you can see the master at work. You can also call her at (720) 204-8003.

Or, you can order her edible art online at http://www.robinchocolates.com. However you decide to visit Robin, you will be very glad you did and you will definitely be back for more.

Robin and her Sous Chef.

When life gets you down, all you need to do is eat more chocolate, especially if it is chocolate by Robin and Robin Chocolates.

Stay safe and stay well Everyone. ‘Til next time.

Artichoke dip and its cousin, spinach and artichoke dip, get their roots from the ancient times of the Mediterranean, with some fairly modern German influences as well. The artichoke has been around since the days of the Ancient Romans, and it was the Roman naturalist Pliny, back in 77 A.D., who thought “the artichoke was one of earth’s monstrosities” yet he continued to eat them anyway. Spinach is also a Mediterranean delight that has been around for the millennia as well. The German influence comes Knorr, the popular spice and seasoning mixes you can find in every grocery store today that so many people have used as their seasonings for this dip as well as many other great dips for many years. But spinach and/or artichoke dips really became popular in America during the 1950’s and 1960’s, when TVs became a staple in every household. People started eating more foods in front of their TVs so they wouldn’t miss their favorite shows, and they wanted something that was easy to eat without using utensils. The dips were a huge success, and have been ever since.

I love a good artichoke and/or artichoke and spinach dip. They taste great and are always a hit, though I have to admit, they are NOT the healthiest of dishes. They are laden with fat and calories. We don’t eat them all that often, but every now and then it is OK to splurge. I usually do not add the sour ream to them, and usually only use the mayonnaise, but you can do it either way. We had our friends Suzanne and Bill over, so we were allowed to indulge a bit. This time, I made it a little different than I normally do. I spiced it up and gave it an Spanish update. I added some of my roasted hatch chilies A Bushel of Roasted Hatch Chilies and some ground pork sausage. In a word – Y.U.M.M.Y!!!!!!!! It was a big hit. I served it with tortilla chips on the side.

Spicy Artichoke and Sausage Dip with Roasted Peppers

2 cans artichoke hearts, drained and diced

4-5 roasted chilies, small dice

3/4 lb ground sausage, cooked completely

1 1/2 TBSP garlic

1 1/2 cups of mayonnaise or 1/2 cup mayonnaise and 1 cup sour cream

3/4 cup shredded Parmigiano cheese + more for topping

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, or a cheddar cheese blend + more for topping.

green onions, diced fine

cilantro, chopped fine-med

Cook the sausage until it is completely cooked and drain off the fat.

Preheat the oven to 375* F or about 190* C.

Spray a round casserole dish with cooking spray.

Mix all the ingredients together well.

Once everything is thoroughly combined, transfer it all into the casserole dish. Top with more of both the Cheddar cheese and the Parmigiano cheese and bake uncovered for about 40-45 minutes, or until the top is crusty.

Once the dip is done, add the chopped cilantro and green onions and serve it hot with either chips, crackers or bread. This is definitely a winner. Everyone will love this one.

Stay safe and stay well Everyone. ‘Til next time.