Show 47, November 9, 2013: Chef Instructor Elizabeth Whitt

Elizabeth WhittChef Instructor Elizabeth Whitt is, fortunately, no stranger to the show. When Chef Jet has a culinary quandary he goes right to Chef Elizabeth. She is a Le Cordon Bleu, Paris trained chef with expertise in both hot foods and pastry. She lived in Paris for 12 years and is fluent in the language.

In this segment Elizabeth talked about pumpkin. Should it be fresh or can it be canned? Also, the step-by-step instructions for preparing and baking the perfect, classic pumpkin pie.

Chef Elizabeth has a great tip about when to use fresh pumpkin. If the recipe is half-pumpkin (as an ingredient total) then by all means use fresh.

Elizabeth has an “Appetizers and Hors D’oeuvres” class coming up on December 5th from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m.

Show 47, November 9, 2013: Chef Instructor Elizabeth Whitt & Chef Jet Tila

Elizabeth WhittAnd then it was the listeners’ turn.

Jet and Chef Elizabeth Whitt offered their Thanksgiving advice in responding to listeners’ questions. It’s everything from how do you know when a persimmon is ripe to what are the most creative ideas for using the abundant leftovers.

Also everything you want to know about cooking deep-fried turkey and the path to preparing the perfect stuffing.

November 9: Thanksgiving Holiday Special

Podcasts

Segment One: Host Jet Tila and Producer Andy Harris
Segment Two: Sam Sifton, National Editor of The New York Times Part One
Segment Three: Sam Sifton, National Editor of The New York Times Part Two
Segment Four: Chef Instructor Elizabeth Whitt Part One
Segment Five: Chef Instructor Elizabeth Whitt Part Two
Segment Six: Chef Instructor Elizabeth Whitt & Chef Jet Tila
Segment Seven: William Lewis, Sommelier and Partner, The Winery Restaurant and Wine Bar Part One
Segment Eight: William Lewis, Sommelier and Partner, The Winery Restaurant and Wine Bar Part Two

Dreading the thought of the big, high-anxiety Thanksgiving holiday meal preparation? Don’t despair…It’s our calming Thanksgiving special and we’ll put you at ease with practical advice from the cooking pros. We have you covered.

Chef Jet and Producer Andy preview the Thanksgiving special.

Sam SiftonJournalist Sam Sifton is the former restaurant critic for The New York Times and currently serves as their National Editor. He actually wrote the book on Thanksgiving last year. It’s entitled Thanksgiving – How To Cook It Well and it’s an excellent resource that any home cook would want to have.

Sam shares highlights from Chapter 2 of the book which is defining the perfect bird and explaining how to best cook it.

Sam Sifton is back with us providing more helpful Thanksgiving education. He offers his two favorite side dish recipes. Those are Three-Pepper Sausage Cornbread Dressing, and Roasted Cauliflower with Anchovy Bread Crumbs.

Elizabeth WhittChef Instructor Elizabeth Whitt is no stranger to the show. When Chef Jet has a culinary quandary he goes right to Chef Elizabeth. She is a Le Cordon Bleu, Paris trained chef with expertise in both hot foods and pastry.

In this segment Elizabeth talks about pumpkin. Should it be fresh or can it be canned? Also, the step-by-step instructions for preparing and baking the perfect, classic pumpkin pie.

Elizabeth has an “Appetizers and Hors D’oeuvres” class coming up on December 5th from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m.

Chef Instructor Elizabeth Whitt continues with genuinely useful Thanksgiving cooking help.

She explains what dishes can be successfully prepared ahead to save time (and limited oven & burner space) on the big day.

Chef Elizabeth also shares her easy recipe for her favorite Thanksgiving side dish for her own Thanksgiving table.

It’s your turn…

Jet and Chef Elizabeth Whitt offer their Thanksgiving advice in responding to listeners’ questions. It’s everything from how do you know when a persimmon is ripe to what are the most creative ideas for using the abundant leftovers.

Also everything you want to know about cooking deep-fried turkey and the path to preparing the perfect stuffing.

Sir William Lewis of the Winery Restaurant and Wine Bar in TustinWilliam Lewis is the award-winning sommelier and partner in The Winery Restaurant and Wine Bar located in The District in Tustin. For the second year in a row they were awarded The Golden Foodie for Best Wine List in Orange County in 2013. They were also just recognized with OpenTable’s 2013 Diner’s Choice Award for Notable Wine List.

Whether your preference for your Thanksgiving table is a pairing of a fine white, sparkling, or red wine William has the selection of the perfect match for each that will both impress and not break the bank.

William Lewis, the popular sommelier and partner of The Winery Restaurant and Wine Bar located in The District in Tustin returns to complete his inspired Thanksgiving wine pairings.

He also talks about digestives for the finale of your Thanksgiving meal. It might be brandy, cognac, Calvados or even the Italian Fernet-Branca.

Look for the debut of The Winery Restaurant’s elegant new eagerly anticipated location on Pacific Coast Highway in Newport Beach in February of 2014!

Podcasts

Segment One: Host Jet Tila and Producer Andy Harris
Segment Two: Sam Sifton, National Editor of The New York Times Part One
Segment Three: Sam Sifton, National Editor of The New York Times Part Two
Segment Four: Chef Instructor Elizabeth Whitt Part One
Segment Five: Chef Instructor Elizabeth Whitt Part Two
Segment Six: Chef Instructor Elizabeth Whitt & Chef Jet Tila
Segment Seven: William Lewis, Sommelier and Partner, The Winery Restaurant and Wine Bar Part One
Segment Eight: William Lewis, Sommelier and Partner, The Winery Restaurant and Wine Bar Part Two

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Pumpkin Cheesecake by Chef Elizabeth Whittby Chef Elizabeth Whitt

Makes one 9 or 10 inch cheesecake or 1  9×13 dish

For Filling:
3/4 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cups brown sugar
2 lbs cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/2 cups pureed pumpkin (canned or homemade see below)
1/4 sour cream
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp salt
5 eggs

For crust:
10 whole graham crackers, crumbled
1/4 cup pecans
2 tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp salt
6 tbsp. melted butter

For Topping:
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup candied or regular pecans, chopped

Crust: Preheat oven to 350 F. Prepare crust in a food processor. Pulse graham crackers until crumbled evenly, then add nuts, sugar and salt and pulse a few times. Pour in melted butter slowly while pulsing. Transfer to a 9-inch spring form pan and evenly smooth crumb mixture, leaving about a one-inch space between the crumb mixture and top of pan.  Bake for 10 minutes in center of oven on a rimmed baking tray. Remove from oven.

Filling: Cream the room temperature cream cheese together with the sugar in an electric mixer using the paddle attachment on high speed for about 1-3 minutes until smooth scraping down the sides frequently. Next add pumpkin and mix until combined. Add sour cream, spices and vanilla and mix until combined. Add in eggs one at a time and do not over mix, just until combined. Pour into crust.

Bake for 10 minutes on a rimmed baking tray at 350 and then reduce oven temperature to 325 F and bake for another 1 hour. Turn off the oven and open the oven door.  At this point the center should jiggle but not be soupy. Let the cheesecake sit in the oven with the door open or ajar for 15 minutes, remove and let cool at room temperature until cool.  Refrigerate 4 hours before serving. Pour sweetened sour cream and pecans over the top just before serving.

Homemade pumpkin puree: Use a 3-4 pound sugar pie or baking pumpkin. Cut off stem and cut in half carefully using a rocking motion. Remove seeds and keep to toast or discard.  Sprinkle with some salt and place cut side down on a parchment covered baking tray. Bake in oven at 350 F for 1 hour. Turn off oven and let sit for an hour or two.  When cool, scrape flesh from the skin and mash with a fork until smooth or place in a food processor.

Pumpkin Risotto

by Chef Elizabeth Whitt

Serves 8

1 onion, sliced thinly
2 tablespoons butter or olive oil, divided
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
2 cups Arborio rice
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup white wine
5-6 cups chicken broth
1 small baking pumpkin or butternut squash, peeled and diced into 1-2 inch pieces
1/2 cup grated parmesan or pecorino
1/4 cup cream (optional)

Heat broth in a sauce pan.  Bring to a boil, add pumpkin or butternut squash and a few pinches of salt, turn off heat and let sit until tender, about 5-7 minutes. Remove squash with a slotted spoon and set aside until rice is done. Heat a 4-to-5-quart saucepan over medium heat and add onion and 1 tbsp. butter and 1 tbsp. vegetable oil, salt and pepper. Cook until onion is tender, about 5 minutes.  When onion is tender, add the rice and cook stirring frequently for about 1 minute, to coat the grains of rice. Add the wine and begin adding broth 1-2 cups at a time and continue to stir often. Your liquid should be at a constant simmer so adjust your stirring or your heat to achieve tiny bubbles. Once the rice has absorbed most of the liquid add more.  Begin tasting the risotto after you have added half of the broth. When it is cooked it should be tender but not mushy. Continue adding broth until it has reached correct consistency, about 20 minutes.  Add cheese, cream and 1 tbsp. butter and stir until combined.  Fold in squash, check for seasoning and serve.

Oven Baked Method: Heat a large oven safe skillet or Dutch oven over high heat. Add oil, onion, salt and pepper and sauté until just tender, about 5 minutes. Add rice, more salt, white wine, cubed but uncooked butternut squash and 4 cups chicken broth and stir until combined. Bring broth to a boil, cover and bake in oven at 400 until rice is done, about 15-25 minutes. Check cooking after 15 minutes and add more broth if needed. When rice is just or almost done, add in cheese, butter and cream if desired and let rest 10 minutes and serve.

Show 46, November 2, 2013: Chef Instructor Elizabeth Whitt

Elizabeth WhittFeeling ambitious in the kitchen…? Time to get a running start on holiday cooking and entertaining. Our superstar chef instructor, Elizabeth Whitt, of www.ChefElizabeth.com is with us again to get those holiday preparations pointed in the right direction with relative ease.

Pumpkin is in this year. Chef Elizabeth has both a savory and sweet recipe to add to your holiday collection. First up is an incredible Pumpkin Risotto with a fresh baking pumpkin or butternut squash. For dessert there is a not too sweet Pumpkin Cheesecake. Yum….!

When Chef Jet has his own culinary questions he turns Le Cordon Bleu, Paris-trained to Chef Elizabeth. She has a series of popular holiday classes coming up that always sell out early. On November 7th she has “Make-Ahead Holiday Side Dishes” from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and “Holiday Pies and Desserts” the same day from 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Then on December 5th its her most popular class, “Appetizers and Hors D’oeuvres,” from 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

All classes are at the Cypress Community Center in Cypress.

November 3: Barbara Fairchild, Merrin-Mae Fuentebella, Jason Kessler, Anita Lau, Elizabeth Whitt, Josiah Citrin, Matt Bencivenga

Podcasts

Segment One: Host Jet Tila and Producer Andy Harris
Segment Two: Barbara Fairchild, food journalist, cookbook author, educator, and consultant
Segment Three: Chef Merrin-Mae, winning cheftestant, Food Network’s “Cutthroat Kitchen”
Segment Four: Jason Kessler, food journalist
Segment Five: Anita Lau of the Mad Hungry Woman blog”
Segment Six: Chef Instructor Elizabeth Whitt
Segment Seven: Josiah Citrin, Chef/Proprietor of Melisse
Segment Eight: Matt Bencivenga, executive chef and partner of the Wolfgang Puck Catering Company

Jet Tila with Ben McKee of Imagine Dragons at Life is Beautiful Festival in Las VegasThanks to all of our loyal & enthusiastic listeners who were part of the audience for Jet’s Saturday afternoon cooking demo with Ben McKee of The Imagine Dragons at the Life Is Beautiful food and music festival in Downtown Las Vegas. It was standing room only for the demo in the Chefs On Stage East tent.

Jet and Andy preview the show. We have everything from a snapshot on where to dine now in New York to what it takes to prepare and serve gourmet food to the demanding VIPs at the Breeder’s Cup at Santa Anita. Also we’ll get the behind-the-scenes with a winning chef from Food Network’s new hit series “Cutthroat Kitchen” hosted by Alton Brown. Jet is one of the regular judges for the first season.

Barbara FairchildBarbara Fairchild is a respected food journalist, cookbook author, consultant, and educator. She is best known to us as the long-time former editor of Bon Appetit Magazine when they were based in Los Angeles.

This summer she taught a course in the Arthur L. Canter Journalism Institute at the prestigious New York University. Barbara tells us all about that as well as provides us with some great Manhattan dining suggestions ranging from a deli find to fine dining Italian and a comfortable celebrity chef restaurant that’s really worth going to.

Merrin Mae FuentebellaChef Merrin-Mae is a cheftestant on the first season of Food Network’s high pressure “Cutthroat Kitchen” hosted by Alton Brown. Her episode is entitled “Kiss My Grits” and was first aired on October 6th.

The level of competition was particularly intense and the sabotages were devilish. Chef Merrin-Mae made us proud in SoCal (she is a local) and she won the episode. One of the other cheftestants was a “Chopped” winner and was eliminated after the first round!

She currently works at Alma with executive chef Ari Taymor. When she did the show she was part of the culinary team at Sotto.

The latest fad diet that is getting a lot of attention is the Paleo Diet (also known as the caveman diet.)

Jason Kessler of Food RepublicFood journalist Jason Kessler of Food Republic and Bon Appetit was actually on the diet for 40 days and shares his experience with us. Jason’s observation is that because the diet is so restrictive you can drop some weight rather quickly. The severely limiting factor is that it gets monotonous rather fast.

San Diego, we haven’t forgotten you.

anita-lauAnita Lau of the Mad Hungry Woman blog is with us with a San Diego dining discovery. Anita was a nominee for a Golden Foodie award in Journalism this year.

Anita’s find is Ristorante Kaz. This is an intriguing Japanese Italian fusion cuisine spot. Anita’s favorite bite was an angel hair pasta dish with creamy sea urchin with spinach and salmon roe.

Elizabeth WhittFeeling ambitious in the kitchen…? Time to get a running start on holiday cooking and entertaining. Our superstar chef instructor, Elizabeth Whitt, of www.ChefElizabeth.com is with us again to get those holiday preparations pointed in the right direction with relative ease.

Pumpkin is in this year. Chef Elizabeth has both a savory and sweet recipe to add to your holiday collection. First up is an incredible Pumpkin Risotto with a fresh baking pumpkin or butternut squash. For dessert there is a not too sweet Pumpkin Cheesecake. Yum….!

When Chef Jet has his own culinary questions he turns Le Cordon Bleu, Paris-trained to Chef Elizabeth. She has a series of popular holiday classes coming up that always sell out early. On November 7th she has “Make-Ahead Holiday Side Dishes” from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and “Holiday Pies and Desserts” the same day from 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Then on December 5th its her most popular class, “Appetizers and Hors D’oeuvres,” from 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

All classes are at the Cypress Community Center in Cypress.

Josiah CitrinFifteen years ago when fine-dining restaurants located outside of the protective umbrella of luxury hotels were at a low ebb in Los Angeles Chef Josiah Citrin sold his stake in a very popular Santa Monica dinner house and went out on his own to open a ultra-luxe, destination, freestanding, fine-dining, contemporary French restaurant with California accents. That was the start of Melisse. All these years later it still impresses.

Josiah is a new member of the Bocuse d’Or USA Foundation’s prestigious Culinary Council. On November 10th Josiah and five other culinary superstars will join forces to cook an extraordinary six course repast at Melisse in Santa Monica to raise funds for The Foundation. Two different levels of wine-pairings are available for a supplement.

The esteemed group of chefs includes Gavin Kaysen, the Executive Chef and Director of Culinary Operations for Daniel Boulud’s Café Boulud in New York, Palm Beach, and Toronto. He has previously represented the USA in the Bocuse d’Or culinary competition. For reservations please call 310.395.0881.

The Bocuse d’Or USA Foundation, established in 2008, is a non-profit organization led by a Board of Directors of renowned chefs Daniel Boulud, Thomas Keller and Jerome Bocuse (Paul’s son.) The Foundation is devoted to recruiting, training, and financially supporting the promising young American chefs who compete on behalf of the United States in the prestigious Bocuse d’Or competition, held in Lyon, France every two years. Think of it as the Olympics of the culinary world…

The 2013 Breeder’s Cup, horse racing’s premier international event, returns to storied Santa Anita Park on November 1st and 2nd.

Matt BencivengaWolfgang Puck Catering (they cater the annual Governors Ball for The Oscars) has been selected to serve it’s fine-dining, seasonal cuisine to some 5,000 demanding VIP attendees. Wolfgang Puck Catering’s cuisine will be served in the Trackside Marquee, Frontrunner, Sierra Vista, Trophy Lounge and the Chandelier Room.

Founding Executive Chef and Partner (of Wolfgang Puck Catering) Matt Bencivenga joins us to talk about the challenges of maintaining Spago quality at large events. It takes a lot of skill, planning, and an army of chefs.

Podcasts

Segment One: Host Jet Tila and Producer Andy Harris
Segment Two: Barbara Fairchild, food journalist, cookbook author, educator, and consultant
Segment Three: Chef Merrin-Mae, winning cheftestant, Food Network’s “Cutthroat Kitchen”
Segment Four: Jason Kessler, food journalist
Segment Five: Anita Lau of the Mad Hungry Woman blog”
Segment Six: Chef Instructor Elizabeth Whitt
Segment Seven: Josiah Citrin, Chef/Proprietor of Melisse
Segment Eight: Matt Bencivenga, executive chef and partner of the Wolfgang Puck Catering Company

Show 22, March 23, 2013: Food GPS’ Joshua Lurie

Before Josh was on Chef Jet gave some inspired Houston dining tips from his recent trip. Also he reminded the audience that Chef Elizabeth Whitt’s Easter in Provence menu is available on her website.

Paiche Restaurant in Marina del ReyJosh is co-presenting (with Food & Wine Magazine) a special Food & Wine “Best New Chef” dinner series at Chef Ricardo Zarate’s about-to-open Paiche (a Peruvian izakaya) in Marina del Rey on March 26th & 27th. Co-creating the menu with Chef Ricardo on Tuesday night is Naomi Pomeroy of Beast in Portland. Wednesday night the guest chefs are Jamie Bissonnette (Coppa and Toro) from Boston and Viet Pham (Forage) from Salt Lake City. All are Food & Wine “Best New Chef” awardees.

Info & reservations @ 310.893-6100.

Show 21, March 16, 2013: Chef Elizabeth Whitt, Culinary Instructor

Our resident Le Cordon Bleu (Paris) trained chef instructor was back with us to present her tempting Easter in Provence menu. The beauty of her menu is that all of the recipes can be prepared ahead of time (with the exception of the roasting of the lamb) so you can enjoy your family, friends, and food. That’s certainly good thinking !

Chef Elizabeth went over her recipes, including chef’s tips, for Smoked Paprika and Nicoise Olive Deviled Eggs, Spring Herb Salad with Fennel and Chevre and Herb Roasted Leg of Lamb.

All of the recipes are posted on her site.

Show 21, March 16, 2013: Chef Elizabeth Whitt, Culinary Instructor (Continued…)

Chef Elizabeth continued with her “Easter in Provence” menu.

More tips were shared for preparing the Herb Roasted Leg of Lamb.

From there the feast continued with Provencal Asparagus and Potatoes. Dessert is Strawberry Clafoutis with Lavendar Crème Fraiche Ice Cream.

Elizabeth has a regular series of classes for cooks at all levels. Check her website for details.