International Chef Spotlight Dinner & Round Up!

Every month I host a Chef Spotlight dinner with friends and is dedicated to the many chefs who have shaped our culture and our palates. In these "Chef Spotlight Dinners" a specific chef or group of chefs are highlighted where attendees prepare a recipe created by the chef(s) and bring it to share potluck style. During the event, we can discuss our thoughts on the chef, their cooking style/cuisine and the recipes prepared.

Everyone's view on food is different, based on one's exposure, cultural background, environment, etc. This month, we prepared dishes of non-US chefs who are known worldwide for their culinary creations. Below are the dishes that graced our table, along with recipes...

Cherry Tomatoes Stuffed w/Chicken Apple Salad
shared at the event by Ruby
recipe courtesy of Robert Irvine

Bridgadieros (Brazilian Candy)

shared at the event by Paulo

recipe courtesy of Paulo & Recipezaar

Palak Paneer

shared at the event by John

recipe courtesy of Tarla Dalal

Toasted Spaghetti with Clams

shared at the event by Robert

recipe courtesy of Ferran Adria

Coriander Lemon Chicken

shared at the event by Teresa

recipe courtesy of Madhur Jaffrey

Butternut Squash Gratin

shared at the event by Laura

recipe courtesy of Jacques Pepin

Penne w/Saffron, Tomatoes & Herbs

shared at the event by Shirley

recipe courtesy of Massimo Buttura

Cabbage Rolls
shared at the event by Kevin & Marla

recipe courtesy of Graham Kerr

Chickenpea Salad w/Cilantro Lime dressing

shared at the event by Yumi

recipe courtesy of Vikas Khanna

Roasted Pepper, Cucumber & Tomato Salad
shared at the event by Howard
recipe courtesy of Chef Bahija, Jnane Tamsna Cooking School

Chocolate Fudge Cake

shared at the event by Jen

recipe courtesy of Nigella Lawson

Apple Galette
shared at the event by Joelen
recipe courtesy of Jacques Pepin

Potato Galette

shared at the event by Joelen

recipe courtesy of Jacques Pepin

Crab & Mushroom Mac & Cheese
shared at the event by Michael
recipe courtesy of (?)
(awaiting recipe...)

Smoked Salmon Black Bean Tostaditos

shared at the event by Janet
recipe courtesy of Rick Bayless
(awaiting recipe...)

Nigeria Chicken Stew, Plantains & Rice
shared at the event by Tricia
recipe courtesy of her Mom
(awaiting recipe...)

Jess of Cooking Up Memories
from Wisconsin
Margarita Ice Cream
Too cold for ice cream? Never! Jess shares with us a great recipe for Margarita ice cream courtesy of Nigella Lawson. Check out Jess's blog for the recipe and try this for your next dinner party!

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Oktoberfest Adventure Round Up!

It's an Oktoberfest dinner this month with wine & beer! Friends came over tonight for a German inspired dinner in celebration of Oktoberfest. Here's what we enjoyed (my apologies for some of the bad photos):

Sweet Red German Wine by Carl Reh

German Rieslings

German style lagers

Art & Carol's Beer Bread

Joelen's Baked Chicken Ruben

Joelen's German BBQ Potato Salad

Megan & Matt's German Cheese Fondue

Fondue Fixins:
bread cubes, baby gherkins, picked onions, steamed cauliflower

Robert's Pork Schnitzel & Creamy Mushroom Topping

Unfortunately Not Pictured
...but definitely enjoyed!:
Shirley's Bean & Corn Salad
Tricia & Barney's German Stollen Bread
Yumi's apple harvest

To join in the fun, my fellow bloggers have submitted their favorite German inspired recipes! As I do with each blogging event I host, a lucky blogger receives a giveaway related to the food theme. This event's winner is Jen of Beantown Baker! Jen has won a some German inspired spices from The Spice House. Congratulations Jen and thanks to all that participated in the blogging event! Read on to check out the recipes submitted by my fellow bloggers...

Dell of Cooking & the City
from Australia
German Apple Cake
German cuisine is a great one to enjoy during the fall, especially because apples are widely used in German desserts. Dell joins us to share a wonderful German Apple Cake which highlight cinnamon and apples. Check out Dell's blog for the recipe!
Becke of Columbus Foodie
from Ohio
Sauerbraten & Spaetzle
What German feast would be complete without Sauerbraten? Becke shares this dish and it looks absolutely fabulous. It's such a comforting dish, perfect with spaetzle and a cold frothy lager. Check out Becke's blog for the recipe!
Jen of Beantown Baker
from Massachusetts
Crockpot Kielbasa and Kraut
Jen saves time but doesn't skimp in flavor with her Crockpot Kielbasa & Kraut. Especially with the fall temps, the crockpot comes in handy and with little effort, you could have a wonderful meal like this! Check out Jen's blog for the recipe!
Carly of Live. Laugh. Grow.
from West Virginia
Pork with Sauerkraut, Apples & Potatoes
Sauerkraut is definitely a must in German cuisine and I'm glad that Carly incorporates it in her recipe of Pork with Sauerkraut, Apples & Potatoes. It's an amazing combination of sweet and sour which is common in German eats. Check out Carly's blog for the recipe!
Kelly of Kelly Cooks... and Other Amazing Feats
from Pennsylvania
Laugen Brotchen (Bretzel Rolls)
In an attempt to make a German bread that her husband liked, Kelly found the recipe for Laugen Brotchen, also known as Bretzel Rolls. These look absolutely wonderful and remind me of the rolls served at a great lunch place downtown (Hannah's Bretzel.) Trader Joes grocery store also have similar rolls, but I'm thankful to have a recipe that I can try at home. For the recipe, check out Kelly's blog!

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Tamale Time!

Today, friends and I got together to make tamales! It was a great day and a lot of fun to sit and talk, while making tamales. Making tamales is usually a very lengthy and time consuming process. Each component of making tamales can be done in advance, which makes it easy when you have friends over to make/assemble them. Prior to everyone coming over, I made the fillings, masa and soaked the corn husks so all that we needed to do was assemble them.

For fillings, I offered several kinds including:
salsa verde, citrus & lime chicken
beef & chorizo
southwestern pork carnitas
carmelized onions & peppers
corn & black bean
authentic & vegetarian refried beans

Some additional ingredients I provided for filling our tamales:
cilantro
green onions
salsa verde
roasted tomato salsa
mexican blend cheese

To go with our tamale lunch, I also made:
Mexican Rice

Tres Leches Flan Cake

Here are some pics of the event and the recipes to follow:

Masa Recipe

1lb lard or 2 sticks butter + 2 sticks margarine
5 cups chicken broth or water
2 lbs corn masa flour
1-2 tablespoons salt

In a stand mixer with your paddle attachment, mix the lard or butter/margarine until fluffy.
Alternate adding the masa flour and chicken broth/water in the stand mixer with the salt.
Continue mixing the mixture until your dough comes together.
To check whether your dough is ready, take about 1/2 a teaspoon of the dough and place it in a cup of cold water. If the dough floats, the dough its ready.

Preparing the Corn Husks

You can find dried corn husks at various stores including some supermarkets or ethnic markets. I picked mine up from an ethnic market and asked the staff for them since its something they don't always put out. (It helps to know your neighborhood grocery staff too!)

To prepare the corn husks for tamales, you will need to soak them for 30-45 minutes in hot water. I filled up my large 20 qt stock pot with water and heated it up to a boil. I then turned off the heat, placed the husks in the pot until they were fully submerged, topped the husks with a heavy plate (to keep them submerged) and covered the pot. After 30-45 minutes, I pulled the husks out with tongs and placed them in my large roasting pan. This made it easy to bring to the table for folks to use the husks.

Assembling the Tamales

There are so many ways to assemble tamales, but for my event, we kept it simple. To assemble, spread a heaping tablespoon across the widest part of the corn husk. Spread it to a nice thin layer. Down the middle of the masa, place your filling in a line, being careful not to overfill! Take the sides of the tamale and fold it over towards the middle. Fold up the narrow bottom and tie it with a sliver of corn husk. I'm sure if you did a search online, you'll find so many fun and different ways to package these tasty tamales.

Cooking the Tamales

Now that you have your tamales made, you'll want to steam them in a large pot with a steamer basket. If you don't have a large pot with a steamer basket, crumple a large piece of foil into a ball and place in a wok, dutch oven or the largest/deepest pot you have. Place your tamales inside the pot and have it lean against the foil ball, all the way around. Carefully fill the pot with water until you have an inch of water. Cook over high heat for 45 minutes to 1 hour, covered. Check the level of the water every so often to make sure it hasn't completely evaporated. The tamales are done when it peels away from the corn husk easily and the masa turns a slight shade of yellow.

If you need some visuals, here is a link with some step by step pictures and thorough explanations on how to make tamales.

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