I spent last weekend in Napa cooking in the beautiful kitchen of The Culinary Institute of America (CIA). A conference was being held by a subgroup of the American Dietetic Association so the group was mainly comprised of culinary dietitians. The theme was “Passport to Flavor: A World Cuisines Culinary Workshop.”
I am happy to be sharing with you some photos and my favorite dishes and recipes of the weekend. Although we covered a variety of different cuisines, I’m including Brazilian, Italian, and Vietnamese. Hope you like the recipe!
Heart of Palm Puree
Adapted from The Culinary Institute of America
1 pound fresh heart of palm
1 1/2 cup cream
1/2 pound butter
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 teaspoon cumin
Sea salt to taste
White pepper to taste
Cut heart of palm into 1/2-inch rounds. Heat a saute pan and add the butter and olive oil. Once butter is bubbling, add heart of palm. Saute for 1 to 2 minutes. Add cream, garlic, and cumin. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and white pepper. If it needs to be moistened, add milk or water until fully cooked. Once the heart of palm is fork tender remove and add to blender. Blend the mixture until creamy and smooth. Makes 4 servings.
Homemade Fresh Pasta
Adapted from My Calabria: Rustic Family Cooking from Italy’s Undiscovered South
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup, plus 1 tablespoon water
Place flour in a bowl, make a well in the center, and put the water in the well. Mix until you have a shaggy dough. Scrape the dough off your fingers and back in the bowl. Continue mixing and kneading with one hand until the dough cleans the sides of the bowl. Turn the dough out onto a work surface and knead with both hands until dough is firm, smooth, and not sticky, about 10 minutes. The dough will be stiff and difficult to work with at first, but resist the urge to add more water. If it fails to come together into a smooth dough after a few minutes of kneading, sprinkle with a few drops of water. Shape the dough into a ball, cover the surface closely with plastic wrap, and let rest for 30 minutes.
Note: You need a slightly moister dough for pasta shapes that require rolling the dough into a sheet. For lagani, sagne chine, maccheroni larghi, and ravioloni, you will probably need an additional tablespoon of water.
This next recipe was my favorite of the weekend. It may have an endless list of ingredients but it’s sooo worth it. Its’s screaming with flavor.
Vietnamese Vegetable Curry, Ca Ri Chay
Adapted from Pleasures of the Vietnamese Table: Recipes and Reminiscences from Vietnam’s Best Market Kitchens, Street Cafes, and Home Cooks
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 shallots, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons Vietnamese curry powder
2 teaspoons chili paste
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons sugar
2 cups light coconut milk, unsweetened
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 cup water
2 dried bean curd skin pieces, soaked in cold water for 30 minutes, drained, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 1 cup)
1 lemongrass stalk, cut into 3-inch pieces and lightly bruised with flat side of knife
1 1-inch ginger piece, peeled and cut into 3 slices
1 carrot, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch rounds
1/2 yellow onion, cut into wedges
1 medium sweet potato, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 cauliflower hear, cut into bite-sized florets
1 tomato, cut into thick wedges
5 cilantro sprigs, cut into 2-inch pieces
Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add shallots, garlic, curry powder and stir until fragrant, about 20 seconds. Add chili paste, soy sauce, salt, sugar, coconut milk, turmeric, water, bean curd skins, lemongrass, and ginger. Let mixture come to a boil, and then reduce heat to low. Add carrot and onion, then cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Add sweet potato, cauliflower, and tomato and cook until vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with cilantro. Makes 4-6 servings.
I spent last weekend in Napa cooking in the beautiful kitchen of The Culinary Institute of America (CIA). A conference was being held by a subgroup of the American Dietetic Association so the group was mainly comprised of culinary dietitians. The theme was “Passport to Flavor: A World Cuisines Culinary Workshop.”
I am happy to be sharing with you some photos and my favorite dishes and recipes of the weekend. Although we covered a variety of different cuisines, I’m including Brazilian, Italian, and Vietnamese. Hope you like the recipe!
Heart of Palm Puree
Adapted from The Culinary Institute of America
1 pound fresh heart of palm
1 1/2 cup cream
1/2 pound butter
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 teaspoon cumin
Sea salt to taste
White pepper to taste
Cut heart of palm into 1/2-inch rounds. Heat a saute pan and add the butter and olive oil. Once butter is bubbling, add heart of palm. Saute for 1 to 2 minutes. Add cream, garlic, and cumin. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and white pepper. If it needs to be moistened, add milk or water until fully cooked. Once the heart of palm is fork tender remove and add to blender. Blend the mixture until creamy and smooth. Makes 4 servings.
Homemade Fresh Pasta
Adapted from My Calabria: Rustic Family Cooking from Italy’s Undiscovered South
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup, plus 1 tablespoon water
Place flour in a bowl, make a well in the center, and put the water in the well. Mix until you have a shaggy dough. Scrape the dough off your fingers and back in the bowl. Continue mixing and kneading with one hand until the dough cleans the sides of the bowl. Turn the dough out onto a work surface and knead with both hands until dough is firm, smooth, and not sticky, about 10 minutes. The dough will be stiff and difficult to work with at first, but resist the urge to add more water. If it fails to come together into a smooth dough after a few minutes of kneading, sprinkle with a few drops of water. Shape the dough into a ball, cover the surface closely with plastic wrap, and let rest for 30 minutes.
Note: You need a slightly moister dough for pasta shapes that require rolling the dough into a sheet. For lagani, sagne chine, maccheroni larghi, and ravioloni, you will probably need an additional tablespoon of water.
This next recipe was my favorite of the weekend. It may have an endless list of ingredients but it’s sooo worth it. Its’s screaming with flavor.
Vietnamese Vegetable Curry, Ca Ri Chay
Adapted from Pleasures of the Vietnamese Table: Recipes and Reminiscences from Vietnam’s Best Market Kitchens, Street Cafes, and Home Cooks
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 shallots, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons Vietnamese curry powder
2 teaspoons chili paste
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons sugar
2 cups light coconut milk, unsweetened
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 cup water
2 dried bean curd skin pieces, soaked in cold water for 30 minutes, drained, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 1 cup)
1 lemongrass stalk, cut into 3-inch pieces and lightly bruised with flat side of knife
1 1-inch ginger piece, peeled and cut into 3 slices
1 carrot, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch rounds
1/2 yellow onion, cut into wedges
1 medium sweet potato, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 cauliflower hear, cut into bite-sized florets
1 tomato, cut into thick wedges
5 cilantro sprigs, cut into 2-inch pieces
Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add shallots, garlic, curry powder and stir until fragrant, about 20 seconds. Add chili paste, soy sauce, salt, sugar, coconut milk, turmeric, water, bean curd skins, lemongrass, and ginger. Let mixture come to a boil, and then reduce heat to low. Add carrot and onion, then cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Add sweet potato, cauliflower, and tomato and cook until vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with cilantro. Makes 4-6 servings.