Watermelon and heirloom Tomato Gazpacho

This was presented at the  chef series at the Chicago Botanic Garden, and it was one that I was NOT going to miss. I love watermelon, but watermelon in anything else is just too sweet for me. I was curious how the chef was going to make this taste. The only reason I'm posting is because it was delicious.

 It was a hot, steamy, humid Sunday as many of us gathered under the canopy in the chef area at the garden. This was made by Chef Fernando Angelina from Guildhall in Glencoe, Illinois. An individual who started as a dishwasher and worked his way up to being a Chef! Nice job!!

Every item is written in grams. I will include them along with what I visually saw.

Heirloom Tomato 450 g ( 2 medium tomatoes)

Strawberries  200 g  (I counted 10 medium strawberries)

Watermelon 700 g ( about 24 oz)

Cucumber 300 g ( 1 large, seeds removed)

Red onion, sliced  50 g ( 1/2 of medium > small)

Ginger , sliced 20 g ( small knob)

Fresno or Mild Red Finger Chili, chopped

White Balsamic Vinegar 60 g ( 1 1/2 Tablespoons)

Lime Juice 40 g ( 2 limes)

Honey 25 g ( 1 Tablespoon)

1 red bell pepper, chopped

Olive Oil 20 g ( 1 T)

Dry Bread 75 g- you can dry bread out by baking at 250. Gluten free bread will also work. ( 1-1/2 C)

Fresh Mint sprig

Salt and Pepper to taste

In two batches, put all ingredients in blender and puree. Use remaining pieces for garnish. Top with lemon oil.

Bacon, Linguine and Tomato Pasta with Blue Cheese

1 T butter
2 T chopped shallots
1 1/2 tsp chopped garlic
1 1/4 c whipping cream
2 T chopped fresh parsley
3/4 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried basil

12 ounces linguine

4 slice bacon chopped
4 medium tomatoes peeled, seeded and copped
1/4 c chopped fresh cilantro
1 c freshly grated parmesan
1/3 c crumbled blue cheese

Melt 1 T butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic; sauce until translucent, about 2 minutes. Stir in cream, parsley, oregano and basil. Simmer until sauce is reduced to 1 cup, about 3 minutes. ( can be prepared a day ahead). Cook linguine in pot of boiling salted water. Boil until tender and drain.
In a skillet, cook chopped bacon till browned and add chopped tomatoes. Next, add the bacon and tomatoes to the drained linguine. Add sauce to the linguine and place on a platter/bowl. Stir in cilantro and top with cheeses.

Halloween Time!

Let's have cake! Dark, chocolate cake! Frosting: Pumpkin Spice Hersey kisses.
I found a similar recipe online. Eww, the cake was too dry. So I bought a Devil Food's package and made cake from the box.
The frosting is simple: Melt a bag of the kisses in microwave. After cake has cooled, drizzle some of the melted Kisses over the top!

Salmon Pate

 

1 1/2 lb Boned and skinned salmon

1 ts Salt

1 ts Ground white pepper

1/2 ts Ground cloves

1/2 ts Ground mace or nutmeg

1/2 ts Ground bay leaves

1/2 lb Butter

Fresh lemon juice

Chopped parsley or chives

-for decoration

Check that as many bones as possible really have been removed, then put the salmon into a large saucepan of cold water with a pinch of salt and a squeeze of lemon juice. Bring it to the boil, then turn the heat down and poach gently for 10 to 15 minutes - one large piece of salmon will take longer than a couple of smaller pieces. Turn off the heat and allow to cool in the water for another 10 minutes. If the skin is still on, you will find it lifts away effortlessly at this point. Put the salmon into a big bowl and mash it with a fork, or use a food processor. gently melt the butter in a saucepan and add to it all the other seasonings - the ground bayleaves, white pepper, cloves, mace or nutmeg and the salt. Stir thoroughly and pour it into the salmon. If you are using a food processor, give it another quick whizz, otherwise stir with a fork until it is thoroughly amalgamated. If you want to serve the salmon pate in slices, spoon the mixture into a loaf shaped container lined with cling film, otherwise put it into a round bowl of souffle dish. Smooth the top and sprinkle with a little parsley or chives for a lovely contrasting colour, and chill in the fridge for at least four hours. Serve with lots of crusty french bread. Source: Michael Barry, Yes! Magazine 

Christmas Themed Dinners

My husband and I have been hosting a very large family Christmas party for several decades. Not every year due to house changes but for many years we have hosted.
Some of our themes were: A Cowboy Christmas; a Candlelight Christmas;  A White Christmas; memorable Christmas Quotes; A Toyland Christmas; A Musical Christmas ( we hired a singing group); Retro Dickens Christmas; Taste of Chicago ( we had different food stations, native to Chicago neighborhoods).
Below is a picture from the Cowboy Christmas Party- not everyone read the invite! Natch.