Bob Rowe is a wonderful chef and caterer in the Champaign-Urbana area. (Check out his website: http://www.classiceventscatering.com/) He has also been teaching cooking classes for many years through the adult education department of Urbana High School and I have been taking his classes since I moved here. People come to his classes with a bottle of wine and hearty appetites. Bob cooks, we take notes and ask questions, and then we eat his delicious dishes. Always a fun evening!
Here are a couple of recipes from some recent classes….
Cheddar Walnut Crisps
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
½ cup walnuts
1 t. cayenne (or less)
2 T. fresh thyme, finely chopped
Place the cheeses, walnuts, and cayenne in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Roll into a log and slice into small disk shaped rounds and place on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Don’t place them too closely together because they melt as they cook. (Note: it slices better if you refrigerate the log for a while before cutting.) Sprinkle with a small amount of fresh chopped thyme. Bake for about 10 minutes at 350°. Store in an air-tight container if you have any left over!
Goat Cheese Pudding
If you like Panna Cotta, you will LOVE this dish!! As a matter of fact, you will probably like this better!
2 cups milk
¾ cup cream
1 vanilla bean, split in half and the seeds scrapped out (use the seeds!)
¼ cup honey
Zest of 1 lemon
Wisk all this together and simmer. Slowing incorporate the following into the mixture above:
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
2 T. corn starch
In a blender, add:
10.5 oz. log of goat cheese
2 T. softened butter
4 t. lemon juice
Add the liquid ingredients and blend well. (Remove the vanilla bean pod before blending.) Pour into small ramekins or wine or champagne glasses. Refrigerate until set. Serve with fresh berries on top. Elegant and delicious!
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April 17, 2011
Here's a yummy and easy salad that makes a nice addition to any meal...
Asparagus Salad
Use as much asparagus as you need, depending on the number of people you are serving. Clean and trim. Spread the asparagus out in a large pan and pour boiling water over them. Let sit for about 4 minutes. Drain and put ice cubes on top of the asparagus while you prepare the other ingredients.
Spread some cherry tomatoes on a baking sheet and drizzle with oil oil. Warm in a 400° oven for only 4-5 minutes. Don't let the tomatoes burst.
Drain the asparagus of the ice cubes and arrange them on a large platter. Top with toasted pistachios and the warm cherry tomatoes. Sprinkle with shredded asiago cheese, lemon zest, and chopped scallions. Serve.
