Chicago Farmer’s Market Tour: Part 2, Cook With A Pro

So where did we leave off when I left you all drooling at my photos from the market yesterday? Didn’t catch yesterday’s post? I’ll give you a minute to go read it…or rather, look at the photos.

I left you with these teasers:

ICBINB Blog Event  

ICBINB Blog Event

Thanks to the sponsorship of I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter (ICBINB), we purchased a bounty of fresh and local produce, including:

  • corn
  • French breakfast radishes
  • tomatoes
  • red onion
  • eggplant
  • mint
  • basil
  • blackberries
  • peaches
  • goat cheese
  • brioche
  • arugula

When we arrived at Splice Kitchen, we were filled in on the concept of it. Splice is a commercial kitchen that, with a sanitation license, can be rented out to everyday people to cook larger quantities than a typical home kitchen can handle. There are restaurant-grade appliances, tons of counter space, and a quaint little cafe area up front.

We immediately got to work washing the produce, and Chef Rhonda got to slicing, chopping, chiffonade-ing, and grilling.

ICBINB Blog Event

ICBINB Blog Event

ICBINB Blog Event

She worked to prepare all the aspects of the meal at once so, once finished, we could sit down and enjoy the meal without having to do more prep work. We started with the corn.

It went on the grill, husk and all, and cooked until it was nearly black:

ICBINB Blog Event

ICBINB Blog Event

Then, the ears of corn were broken in half, and added to a hot pan with ICBINB. We learned that ICBINB actually has a higher smoke point than butter, which was great to know! Chef Rhonda added some chili powder and cayenne to the hot pan, but not directly to the corn. She wanted the spices to roast a bit before she shook the pan to coat the corn with the roasted spices.

ICBINB Blog Event

To finish it off, a squirt of fresh lime juice caused a bit of a flambé-type explosion, also causing the corn to develop a delicious caramelization.

ICBINB Blog Event

ICBINB Blog Event

Chef Rhonda also made a remarkable salad which included sauteed peaches in ICBINB seasoned with curry, white pepper, salt, and a touch of cinnamon.

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She then added these peaches to the fresh arugula, and topped the whole thing with goat cheese we purchased that was coated in herbes de Provence.

ICBINB Blog Event

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Our main course was a simple open-faced sandwich featuring grilled eggplant, tomato, onion, and goat cheese atop fresh ciabatta bread. It never ceases to amaze me how simple things, when grilled or roasted, can taste so complex! The bread was sprayed with ICBINB spray and then lightly grilled, then rubbed with fresh garlic. I highly, HIGHLY recommend this technique. It really made the sandwich something fabulous!

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In addition to the corn, salad, and sandwich, Chef Rhonda made a simple dessert featuring grilled mini brioche, topped with fresh blackberries, raw organic orange blossom honey, and mint.

ICBINB Blog Event

ICBINB Blog Event

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Once all the dishes were complete, we carried them into the cafe area to enjoy our completely fresh, local, organic, and homemade meal together. Tracey carried the main course in… how cute is she??

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Our sandwiches and corn were truly a sight to behold:

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After we were stuffed to the gills, and exhausted from a hot day at the market, in the kitchen, and the never-ending foodie conversation, we pulled it together to take a group picture (Thanks to Tracey for sending this my way!) And cue the cheesy post with the ICBINB spray….NOW

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L-R: Chef Rhonda, Me, Tracey, Jaclyn

Thank you to ICBINB for sponsoring such a fantastic event! I loved having the experience of both shopping and cooking such fresh and delicious food. I’m still enjoying the peaches and blackberries I picked up for myself and Adam, and am looking forward to going back to the market again soon…it was quite an experience!

Make sure you come back tomorrow for a special back-to-school fundraiser/giveaway that’s been a long time in the making!

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Duckie Bites

Every summer, my campers are nicknamed the “duckies” because they follow me around like a mama duck. At any given time, my girls can be found walking behind me in a line. If I turn, they turn. Sometimes, they take their nickname seriously and quack while walking to the bus!

When I found these mini cupcake liners at the Wilton tent sale back in May, I knew they had to be mine, especially for a treat for my campers on my birthday.

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My original plan for these was a white cake, blue frosting, and a small duckie decoration, but duckie decorations for mini cupcakes are hard to come by. When my friend Kristin came over, she suggested what ultimately became my birthday cupcake theme: blue cupcakes with yellow frosting and white sprinkles.

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These delicious two-bite cupcakes were tinted with gel food coloring, and had a great sweet vanilla flavor. They’re adopted from this TLC recipe.

Sweet White Cupcakes

Ingredients

* 2-1/4 cups cake flour


* 1 tablespoon baking powder


* 1/2 teaspoon salt


* 1/2 cup butter, softened


* 1-1/2 cups sugar


* 4 egg whites


* 2 teaspoons vanilla


* 1 cup milk
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two mini cupcake tins with papers; lightly grease paper. Combine flour, baking powder and salt in medium bowl; set aside.
Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add egg whites, two at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla; beat until blended. With electric mixer at low speed, add flour mixture alternately with milk, beating well after each addition. Pour batter evenly into prepared pans.

Bake 25 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean. Cool layers in pans on wire rack 10 minutes. Loosen edges and invert layers onto rack to cool completely.


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The icing was a masterpiece, if I say so myself. I’m very proud of how it came out, and everyone who tried it absolutely loved it!
Mara’s Marshmallow Icing

Ingredients

* 1 c. white sugar
* 2 Tbsp. corn syrup
* 1/4 c. water
* 1 tsp. vanilla extract
* 3 egg whites, room temperature
* 1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
* food coloring, if desired
special equipment
* candy thermometer
* electric mixer
Directions
Mix together the white sugar, corn syrup, and water in a saucepan. Attach the candy thermometer to the side of the pan, and heat the sugar mixture to a boil, and then boil rapidly until the thermometer reads 246* Fahrenheit. Meanwhile, whip the egg whites and cream of tartar to stiff peaks and set aside. When the sugar has reached the appropriate temperature, slowly pour the sugar into the egg whites while whipping them at a high speed. Add the vanilla, and coloring if you’re using it. Continue whipping the egg white mixture until it is completely cooled. Pipe onto cupcakes, or eat with a spoon.


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In addition to making 24 duckie cupcakes, I also made about 40 cupcakes in what are called “nut and party cups”, but I just call them “ketchup cups”. I may or may not have gotten these from a fast food restaurant…
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Granted, these are a bit harder to open and eat than standard cupcakes, but since they stand up on their own and don’t require a muffin tin for baking, I’ll be making them again and soon! I loved the look of them. These cupcakes got rave reviews from everyone who tried them, and I’m looking forward to experimenting more with the marshmallow frosting… possible whoopie pies methinks?
Seriously… I made a lot of cupcakes, and still liked the icing after licking the bowl clean. That bodes well for another project!
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Now that I’ve made it through my actual birthday day, you’ll have to come back tomorrow for the photos of my incredible birthday celebration!
A couple of reminders:
  • Have you entered to win the incredibly cool Chavrie Prize Pack? Just tell me about your favorite birthday!
  • Start collecting your cute food photos! I’ll be hosting a Cute Food Saturday contest over Labor Day weekend!

Have a great evening and a fabulous Tuesday!

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