Chef Spotlight Dinner: Bobby Flay

For this month's Chef Spotlight dinner, we highlighted Chef Bobby Flay. He's a well known chef, restaurateur and television personality who has come a long way. Bobby currently owns several restaurants including Mesa Grill in various parts of the country and in the Bahamas, Bobbly Flay Steak and Bobby's Burger Palace. When it comes to television presence, he's has his share of shows on the Food Network channel including Grillin''n Chillin, Hot off the Grill, Food Nation, Throwdown with Bobby Flay and several others.


I chose to highlight Bobby Flay this month because he does a fair bit of grilling and barbecueing all year round. His recipes would be a great way to celebrate summer and a good reason to break out the grill for a dinner event! A special guest of our dinner event was Colleen Rush, who recently co-authored the book, Low & Slow. She gave us some great information on barbecue and tips on using both a gas and charcoal cooker. I certainly have a bit more confidence with working on my grill as a result! For more information, see lowslowbbq.com and check out the book which is on sale at most bookstores, including Barnes & Noble and Borders, and on Amazon.com.



Friends and I came together for our monthly potluck with Bobby Flay dishes prepared to share. Who needs to go to Bobby's restaurants when we can get a taste of his creations at home among friends (and at a fraction of the price)?! Here was our Bobby Flay dinner menu, with links to the recipes... (along with Bobby Flay recipe submissions from fellow bloggers!)

Buffalo Style Grilled Chicken Breasts

Beet & Mandarin Orange Salad

Rosemary Bricked Grilled Chicken

Greek Burgers

Roasted Herb Chicken over Celery Root Mashed Potatoes

Fresh Watermelon Slices, Grilled Pineapple & Grilled Peaches

Sitting down to a Bobby Flay Feast!

Red Wine-Rosemary Grilled Flank Steak
shared by Lisa of Lime in the Coconut




Cilantro Oil & Smoked Red Pepper Sauce
shared by Krystal of Mrs. Reguiero's Plate

Mint Green Iced Tea
shared by Dara of Cookin' Canuck

Grilled Chicken Breasts with Fontina & Proscuitto, Sage Orange Vinaigrette
shared by Dara of Cookin' Canuck

Charcoaled Vegetables & Couscous
shared by Rush of Memoirs of Everyday Life

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Chef Spotlight: Rick Bayless

This month's Chef Spotlight we highlighted Chef Rick Bayless. He's a local favorite in Chicago since his restaurants, Frontera Grill and Topolobampo are established here.

Award-winning chef-restaurateur, cookbook author, and television personality Rick Bayless has done more than any other culinary star to introduce Americans to authentic Mexican cuisine and to change the image of Mexican food in America.

Rick is fourth generation in an Oklahoma family of restaurateurs and grocers. From 1980 to 1986, after studying Spanish and Latin American Studies as an undergraduate, and doing doctoral work in Anthropological Linguistics at the University of Michigan, Rick lived in Mexico with his wife, Deann, writing his now-classic Authentic Mexican: Regional Cooking From The Heart of Mexico (William Morrow, 1987). The New York Times’s legendary Craig Claiborne hailed this work as the "greatest contribution to the Mexican table imaginable." -- Rick Bayless site

Friends and I came together with dishes prepared from his recipes and it was a wonderful dinner event. Who needs to go to Rick's restaurants when we can get a taste of his creations at home among friends (and at a fraction of the price)?! Here was our Rick Bayless dinner menu, with links to the recipes... (along with a submission from fellow bloggers, JS & TS of [eatingclub] Vancouver.)

Tangy Green Guacamole
Classic Ceviche
Acapulco-Style Shrimp Cocktail
Mixed Vegetable Salad with Lime Dressing
Mexican Tomato Rice with Roasted Chicken
Camarones a la Diabla "Devilish Shrimp"
Today's Mac & Cheese
Chicken Enchiladas Verde
Panque de Maiz (Cornmeal Poundcake)

Camarones a la Plancha (Shrimp a la Mexicana)
from JS & TS of [eatingclub] Vancouver

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Chef Spotlight: Vegetarian/Vegan Chefs

Tonight was a special dinner as it was our first What's Cookin Chicago dinner event in our new home. This month for our Chef Spotlight Dinner, we highlighted vegetarian and/or vegan chefs and their recipes.

Now with a smaller place, we had to make some room for our guests by transforming our place into a grand dining room. We managed to fit everyone comfortably and it was a wonderful meal of vegetarian eats.

Here's what came to the table... and feel free to click on the links for the recipes!

Hummus with Baby Carrots & Broccoli

Cornbread Muffins

Pineapple-Cucumber Gazpacho

Edamame Salad with Baby Beets and Greens

Onion Gratin

5-Minute Bell Pepper Pesto and Pasta

Herbed Tofu Cutlets

Dark Chocolate Truffles

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Sarah Kramer's 5-Minute Roasted Pepper Pesto & Pasta

For April's Chef Spotlight dinner event, we're highlighting vegetarian and vegan chefs. I prepared this dish for the dinner and the recipe comes from Chef Sarah Kramer. I especially loved this pesto and think adding grilled chicken would be great if you wanted a non-vegetarian dish.

Sarah Kramer’s professional cooking career vegan when she whipped up a “zine”—typically a small, self-published magazine—filled with recipes to give as a Christmas present to her family and friends one year. Her zine took off and evolved into How It All Vegan, the bestselling cookbook that won a VegNews award for best cookbook in both 2003 and 2004. Following the success of her first cookbook, which is often referred to as “the vegan bible,” the vegan goddess with a vintage style and relaxed approach to cooking created two more tantalizing tomes: The Garden of Vegan and La Dolce Vegan.

A self-taught chef who inherited her adventurous approach to cooking from her parents, Sarah said she believes that veganism is not just about food, but is a positive, compassionate lifestyle choice. Living by the philosophy that it only takes one tiny spark to start a fire, she boasts that she has a pack of matches and is ready to burn! When not testing new recipes—or running a tattoo shop with her husband, Gerry—Sarah conducts live cooking shows at events throughout North America, pens a regular column for Herbivore magazine, and runs GoVegan.net, a popular vegan Web site. She has been a guest on TV shows including Canada AM and W-5 as well as many radio shows on stations like National Public Radio and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

Priding herself on “making things simple,” Sarah has a knack for serving up simply spectacular dishes, like 5-Minute Roasted Red Pepper Pesto and Pasta, Chocolate Banana No-Bake Pie, Nori Sushi Rolls, Sweet Potato and Apple Kugel, and Voracious Vegan Pâté. -- VegCooking

5-Minute Roasted Red Pepper Pesto and Pasta
recipe adapted from Sarah Kramer

Dry pasta (enough for 2 people)
3/4 cup roasted red peppers, drained*
*(I used a combo of unroasted red, yellow & green peppers)
1/3 cup walnuts
1/2 cup fresh basil, tightly packed
1/4 cup fresh parsley, tightly packed
1 garlic clove
1/4 cup olive oil

In a large pot of salted water, boil the pasta.

Meanwhile, in a food processor or blender, blend together the peppers, walnuts, basil, parsley, and garlic.
Slowly add the olive oil, while processing, until well mixed. Set aside.Drain and return the noodles to the pot. Add the pesto and toss together well. Serve immediately.

Makes 2 large or 4 small servings

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Julie Hasson's Dark Chocolate Truffles

For April's Chef Spotlight dinner event, we're highlighting vegetarian and vegan chefs. My friend Ruby prepared this dish for the dinner and the recipe comes from Chef Julie Hasson.

From writing several dessert-driven cookbooks to owning her own bakery to catering for famous clients like Steven Spielberg and HBO, Chef Julie Hasson has had one “sweet” life. Thanks to a nurturing mom, a natural talent and passion for preparing food, and an Easy-Bake Oven, Chef Hasson has been honing her exceptional culinary skills since she was a small child. Many years and dozens of cookies later, she attended UCLA’s culinary arts/professional chef program and then went on to work at the famous Patina restaurant in Los Angeles.

In the years that followed, this diva of desserts owned and operated two California-based bakery and catering companies and worked as a private chef for a slew of celebrity clients. Also a writer and recipe developer, Chef Hasson has penned four cookbooks dedicated to confection perfection, including the award-winning 125 Best Chocolate Chip Recipes and the newly released 300 Best Chocolate Recipes, and has contributed her know-how to magazines like Bon Appétit, Cooking Light, and Vegetarian Times. Today, Chef Hasson is a food consultant and cooking instructor who can be found hosting Everyday Dish, a popular Internet cooking show.

With a signature style based on “minimum fuss with maximum results,” Chef Hasson is known for creating mouthwatering meatless masterpieces, like her Ginger-Peanut Tofu Salad, Tofu Scramble, and Triple Chocolate Pudding. -- VegCooking

Dark Chocolate Truffles
recipe from Julie Hasson

6 oz dark chocolate
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon soymilk (such as Silk Vanilla)
2 tablespoons dark rum, espresso or soymilk
6 tablespoons powdered sugar
Cocoa powder for rolling

In a medium sized stainless steel bowl, melt the chocolate over gently simmering water. The water should not touch the bottom of the bowl. Turn off the heat and let stand over warm water until ready to use.

Remove the bowl with chocolate from pot. Add the soymilk, rum and powdered sugar into the melted chocolate, whisking well. Whisk or stif until mixture is thickened. If mixture is still soft, chill briefly until thickened and set.

Using the small cookie scoop, scoop out the truffles, forming small balls. Place scooped truffles un a bowl with cocoa powder, making sure to cover truffles completely with cocoa. Place truffles in a shallow container or in small paper muffin cups.

When the truffles are all done, refrigerate until ready to serve. Give them a few minutes out of the refrigerator before serving to bring out the flavor.

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Sarma Melngailis's Pinnapple-cucumber gazpacho

For April's Chef Spotlight dinner event, we're highlighting vegetarian and vegan chefs. My friend Kurt prepared this dish for the dinner and the recipe comes from Chef Sarma Melngailis.

Want "a clean body, clear skin, and an open mind, along with increases in energy so dramatic as to occasionally make others suspicious (i.e., 'What are you on??')"? It's easy: Just stop cooking! According to Chef Sarma Melngailis, proprietor of Pure Food and Wine restaurant in New York City and coauthor of Raw Food Real World, these are just some of the benefits of an all-raw, vegan diet.

Chef Melngailis' mission is to "take 'raw food' out of the underground to take away some of the mystery, confusion, [and] exclusivity in order to make it fun, appealing, and accessible by more than just devoted, hard-core raw foodists." With dishes like Creamy Cauliflower Samosas with Tamarind Sauce, Chili Lime Tortilla Wraps, and Chocolate Molten Lava Cake, she succeeds deliciously. -- VegCooking

Pineapple-Cucumber Gazpacho
recipe from Sarma Melngailis

4 cups chopped peeled cucumber (from about 1 large English cucumber or a few Kirbys)
4 cups chopped pineapple (from 1 large or 2 small pineapples)
1 cup fresh pineapple juice
1 small jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced
1 green onion, white and 1 inch of green, chopped
1 Tbsp. lime juice
2 tsp. sea salt
1 handful cilantro leaves, plus a few extra for garnish
3 Tbsp. avocado oil, macadamia oil, or cold pressed extra-virgin olive oil
1 handful finely chopped raw macadamia nuts

In a blender, add 3 cups each of the cucumber and pineapple, the pineapple juice, jalapeño, green onion, lime juice, and salt. Blend until smooth.
Add the remaining 1 cup pineapple and 1 cup cucumber, the handful of cilantro, and 1 1/2 tablespoons of the oil. Pulse the blender quickly a few times—the gazpacho should remain chunky.
Before serving, add the macadamia nuts to the gazpacho and stir to distribute evenly. Divide among serving bowls and drizzle with the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons oil. Garnish with cilantro.

Makes 4 to 6 servings

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Edamame Salad with Baby Beets and Greens

For April's Chef Spotlight dinner event, we're highlighting vegetarian and vegan chefs. My friend Robert prepared this dish for the dinner and the recipe comes from Melissa Clark. Melissa isn't quite a vegetarian chef but definitely knows how to write some wonderful recipes, including this vegetarian friendly one!

Melissa Clark writes about cuisine and other products of appetite. After brief forays working as a cook in a restaurant kitchen, and as a professional caterer out of her fifth floor walk-up, Clark decided upon a more sedentary path. She earned an M.F.A. in writing from Columbia University and began a freelance food writing career in 1993. Currently, she writes for such publications as the The New York Times, Food & Wine, Bon Appetit, Travel & Leisure, Wine & Spirits, Forbes.com, Town & Country, and Real Simple. In addition, Clark has written eighteen cookbooks including Chef Interrupted: Delicious Chefs Recipes You can Actually Make at Home (Clarkson Potter). She also collaborates on chefs' cookbooks, such as Braise, a collection of recipes with Chef Daniel Boulud, The Last Course, a collaboration with former Gramercy Tavern pastry chef Claudia Fleming, and East of Paris, with Chef David Bouley of Bouley and Danube restaurants in New York City. Her collaboration with chef Peter Berley, The Modern Vegetarian Kitchen, received both a James Beard award and Julia Child Cookbook award in 2000. Recently, she completed her first diet and lifestyle book to answer the oft-asked question "how can you be a food writer and a size 2?" The Skinny: How to Fit into Your Little Black Dress Forever (Meredith Books), which she wrote with health writer and longtime friend Robin Aronson, came out in December, 2006.-- MelissaClark.net

Edamame Salad with Baby Beets and Greens
recipe from Melissa Clark

4 small beets (1 ounce each), trimmed, 1/2 cup greens reserved
2 cups shelled edamame (1/2 pound)
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons Asian sesame oil
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
2 scallions, finely chopped
1 tablespoon julienned basil


In a large saucepan, set a steamer basket over 1/2 inch of water and bring to a boil. Add the beets, cover and cook over moderate heat until tender, about 20 minutes. Check the water level in the pan halfway through steaming and add more as needed. Transfer the beets to a plate.

Steam the edamame in the same steamer basket until tender, about 5 minutes. Rinse the edamame in cold water to cool, then pat dry with paper towels. Peel and cut the beets into wedges.

In a medium bowl, stir the rice vinegar with the soy sauce, sesame oil and grated ginger. Add the edamame, beets, scallions and beet greens and toss to coat. Sprinkle the basil on top before serving.

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