"Recipes from the Chef's Kitchen, show 473"

"Recipes from the Chef's Kitchen"
Show 943

This Chef teaches cooking classes via
Fairfax County Adult Education
The Adult Enrichment Program (ACE)
ChefCal007@yahoo.com

Chef Cal Kraft - Culinary Instructor & Cookbook Author
For thirty years, Cal worked in the corporate world of the travel and hospitality industry, from flying the friendly skies, to Director of Customer
Relations at Amtrak, to Regional Vice President for the Council of Better Business Bureaus. He retired in 1995 to pursue his interest in both
cooking and running a country inn. For several years Cal was an Innkeeper at the Bailiwick Inn, a historic 14 - room inn in the heart of
Fairfax, Virginia. It was here that he developed his true love of cooking and fine dining. Whenever he was not attending to his inn
keeping duties, he was in the kitchen watching as Executive Chef Jeff Prather created his culinary magic night after night.
The Inn was sold in late 1999, and in 2000, Cal started “Dinner Is Served” LLC, a personal chef/catering business.

While being a chef was certainly a career change, it was one Cal had been long preparing for. He studied Northern Italian Cuisine under Chef
Instructor Jane Woods as well has having taken culinary studies at both L’ Academe de Cuisine and the Culinary Institute of America. For
over 10 years he was a member of the United States Personal Chef Association; served on the USPCA National Advisory Council; is a
Certified Personal Chef, and Past President of the Capital Chefs of the USPCA Capital Region. He was Chef Instructor at Kitchen
University, a division of Kitchen Etc., teaching all culinary classes from 2001 – 2004. He is currently a Chef Instructor for the
Fairfax Country Adult Education Programs in Culinary Arts as well as a Senior Instructor for the Culinary Business
Academy. He was a part-time consultant to Don Tango Foods, Inc. and has cooked for A Taste of DC and on
several occasions been a guest chef at the Home and Garden Expo of Northern Virginia. On several
occasions he has been the Guest Chef Instructor at the Briar Patch Inn in Middleburg,
Virginia. Cal was a presenter at past USPCA National Conferences
in Atlanta, St. Louis, Philadelphia and Denver.

Chunky Vegetable Stew

Ingredients:
1)   3 tbs. Olive Oil
2)   2 Large Onions - sliced thin
3)   4 cloves of Garlic - crushed
4)   2 fourteen ounce cans diced Tomatoes - undrained
5)   10 oz. (about 2 large potatoes) Sweet Potatoes - peelde and diced
6)   2 fourteen oz. cans Chick Peas - drained
7)   1 tsp. dried Rosemary - crushed
8)   2 small Zucchini - diced
9)   Salt and pepper to taste
10) ½ CUP Parmesan Cheese - grated as garnish

Preparation:
1)   Heat olive oil in heavy large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat.
2)   Add onions and cook for 10 minutes, then add garlic and cook 1 minute longer.
3)   Add tomatoes, chickpeas, diced sweet potatoes and rosemary and simmer for 10 to 14
       minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked.
4)   Cut zucchini in half lengthwise, then into quarters, then dice into ¼ inch slices; add to
       cooking vegetables.
5)   Continue cooking, uncovered, stirring occasionally until the zucchini is tender about
       6 to 8 minutes. Serve in large bowls and garnish with fresh grated Parmesan cheese.

Note:
You can cool the stew down and freeze. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator and reheat in a
saucepan over medium heat to a low simmer, about 10 minutes. Serve and garnish with fresh
cheese. This is a great dish for leftover turkey, especially the dark meat. Just add the meat
when you add the zucchini.

Spinach and Strawberry Salad
with Pepper Vinaigrette

Ingredients:
1)   6 oz. Fresh Baby Spinach – stems removed, if needed, washed & dried, leaves torn if large.
       Approximately three cups of Spinach is what you will have and need.
2)   12 fresh Strawberries washed and diced into large pieces.
3)   2 tbs. light Olive Oil
4)   1 tbs. Vinegar (can used flavored, I use Tarragon Vinegar or Rice Wine Vinegar)
5)   2 tsp. Honey
6)   ¼ tsp. freshly ground Black Pepper
7)   Dash Hot Pepper sauce, to taste
8)   Dash Cayenne Pepper, to taste
9)   Dash of Sugar - optional
10) Toasted Sesame Seeds for garnish – either white or black or both

Preparation:
1)   Stem, wash and dry spinach. Tear into bite size pieces.
2)   Wash and hull the strawberries. Dice them into large chunks. Place in bowl and lightly
   sprinkle with sugar, toss and allow them to macerate for 10 to 15 minutes.
3)   Mix pepper vinaigrette ingredients and whisk.
4)   Toss the spinach with the dressing. Remember, just enough to coat the leaves, a light
       touch!
5)   Gently mix in strawberries and plate salad, preferably on chilled plates.
6)   Sprinkle freshly toasted sesame seeds on top for garnish.

Note:
I make the dressing ahead of time and place it in a small mason jar so that I only need to
shake it just prior to serving.

Country Apple Cranberry Pear Tart

The Crust
Ingredients:
1)   1 refrigerated Pie Crust (from 15 oz. box) softened as directed on box.
        I prefer to use the Pillsbury Pie Crust, it seems to work best.

Preparation:
1)   Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2)   Line cookie sheet with parchment paper; remove one pie crust from pouch and place
       it on the lined cookie sheet, in the center of the pan.

The Filling
Ingredients:
1)   2 cups thinly sliced peeled Apples - your choice
2)   2 cups thinly sliced peeled Pears - your choice
3)   ¾ cup fresh cranberries - washed and dried
4)   1/3 cup granulated Sugar
5)   2 tbs. All-purpose Flour
6)   ¼ tsp. grated Nutmeg

Preparation:
1)   In large bowl, mix all filling ingredients until fruit is coated.
2) Spoon filling evenly onto crust, spreading to within 2 inches of the pie edges.

The Topping
Ingredients:
1)   ¼ cup All-Purpose Flour
2)   ¼ cup packed brown Sugar - light or dark, your choice
3)   2 tbs. Butter
4)   1 tsp. Milk
5)   1 tbs. granulated Sugar
6)   2 tbs. sliced Almonds

Preparation:
1)   In small bowl, mix ¼ cup flour, the brown sugar and butter until crumbly.
2)   Sprinkle mixture over filling.
3)   Fold pie crust edges over filling, pleating crust to fit and leaving about 5 to 6 inches
       in center uncovered.
4)   Brush crust with milk; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon granulated sugar.

The Final Preparation
1)   Bake 10 minutes.
2)   Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees; sprinkle almonds over exposed filling.
3) Now bake 20 to 30 minutes longer or until edges of pie are deep golden brown and fruit
       is tender.
4)   Remove from oven and immediately loosen tart by running pancake turner under crust;
       carefully remove from baking sheet and place tart on cooling rack.
5)   Cool 30 minutes.
6)   Make a truly great cup of coffee and serve a slice of tart with a scoop of your favorite
       ice cream and enjoy!

Good Eating!!!