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ICA: Garces vs. Weitzman

garces banner ICA: Garces vs Becker

Iron Chef Jose Garces faces off against challenger Rebecca Weitzman. Chef Weitzman is the executive chef at Redwood Kitchenette in New York’s Chelsea neighborhood. The judges for Battle: Silkie Chicken are Karine Bakhoum, Art Smith, and Julie White.

Chef Rebecca WeitzmanChef Weitzman grew up just outside of Boston but has made her bones working in some of the most well respected kitchens in the Big Apple.  That includes time spent working for chef Bobby Flay at Mesa Grill, Bolo and Bar Americain as well as ‘inoteca Restaurant.  Pedigreed toque Rebecca Weitzman made her name thrilling Park Slopers with locavore plates at Thistle Hill Tavern (where she is still partner, though no longer head chef). After a brief stint at gourmand movie-theater café Indie Food and Wine, the CIA grad has turned up at the cheery Chelsea diner, sporting redwood paneling, U-shaped teal banquettes and a blown-up vintage photo of a trailer amid crisp fall foliage, plus an actual shiny Airstream trailer retrofitted to serve as a bar.

If Chef Rebecca looks familiar to Food Network viewers it’s because she competed on Chopped back in 2010 on an episode called “First Things Worst.”  There she took home the win making a dessert that included baby bananas, coconut flakes, pumpernickel rye and soy sauce.  Hopefully that experience will translate into a solid performance in Kitchen Stadium but it won’t be easy as Iron Chef Jose Garces will be waiting.

Check below for the outcome.

9999 ICA: Garces vs Becker

Garces Weitzman
Taste 27 22
Plating 15 12
Originality 15 11
Total 57 45

Recipe: Making Foods on a Stick

I dropped by Studio 10 to offer some fun and easy summer entertaining tips by making four different foods on a stick.  They are colorful, great conversation pieces and best of all no plates and silverware to wash.

Foods on a Stick
Recipe Type: Appetiser
Author: Stuart Reb Donald
Prep time: 5 mins
Cook time: 5 mins
Total time: 10 mins
Serves: 12
The classic ensalada caprese salad is turned into single bit hors d’oeuvres and chicken on a stick – three flavors: Harlem, Thai and Buffalo.
Ingredients
  • 1 pack of bamboo skewers
  • 12 cherry tomatoes
  • 12 bite-sized pieces of mozzarella
  • 12 basil leaves
  • 1 bottle spray dressing like Balsamic Vinaigrette
  • 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into bit-sized pieces
  • cup Buffalo wing sauce
  • cup Buffalo wing flavored corn or potato chips, crushed
  • cup honey
  • 1 tsp chili flakes
  • cup peanut butter
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • Chinese five spice to taste
  • 1 tbsp sesame seeds
Instructions
  1. Salad on a Stick
  2. Impale a cherry tomato with a skewer.
  3. Fold a basil leaf in half and add to the stick.
  4. Then add a bite of mozzarella.
  5. Spritz with dressing.
  6. Harlem Sauce
  7. Combine honey and chili flakes.
  8. Heat in a microwave for no more than 10 seconds.
  9. Thai Peanut Sauce
  10. Combine peanut butter, soy sauce, sesame oil and Five Spice and set aside.
  11. Chicken on a Stick
  12. In a pan over medium-high heat cook the chicken bites until done.
  13. Impale each bite on a skewer.
  14. Dunk each bit in one of three sauces.
  15. For Buffalo bites sprinkle crushed chips on top.
  16. For Thai chicken bites sprinkle sesame seeds on top.
Notes

Instead of spritzing with vinaigrette you could drizzle extra virgin olive oil.

Cinco de Mayo Recipes: Salsas & Guacamole

My latest appearance on Studio 10 on WALA. Three dishes – one recipe, no cooking and the gorgeous Cherish Lombard. Does it get any better than that?

Check out these Cinco de Mayo recipes: red salsa, pineapple salsa and guacamole.

Cinco de Mayo Recipe: Easiest Ever Chicken Mole Enchiladas

Marcela ValladolidMexican Made Easy host Marcela Valladolid is throwing a Cinco de Mayo party all week long at the Food Network and you’re invited! Marcela was nice enough to send me a few of her recipes to share with the Wannabe TV Chef readers.

Be sure to trip over to the Food Network’s Cinco de Mayo HQ for more recipes and tips from the whole FN gang. I’ll be posting a more of Marcela’s recipes throughout the week so be sure to check back daily right HERE.

Marcela is also the author of Fresh Mexico (available at amazon).

Enjoy!!!

: Easiest Ever Chicken Mole Enchiladas

: Recipe courtesy of Marcela Valladolid

2 chicken breasts 

  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup olive oil

Mole:

  • 5 dried pasilla chiles or dried anocho chiles, stemmed and seeded
  • 1/2 cup hot water
  • 2 (6-inch) corn tortillas, or a handful regular tortilla chips
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 1/2 medium onions, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 3/4 cups chicken stock
  • 3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 5 1/2 ounces Mexican chocolate, chopped, (recommended: Ibarra)
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Enchiladas:

  • 12 corn tortillas, warmed
  • Olive oil, as needed
  • 1/4 cup creme fraiche or sour cream
  • 3/4 cup queso fresco or mild feta
For the chicken breasts:
  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
  2. Put the chicken breasts on a baking sheet, season with salt, pepper and olive oil, and bake until cooked through, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. When cool enough to handle, shred into small 1-inch pieces.

For the Mole:

  1. Reconstitute the dried chiles by soaking them in 1 1/2 cups hot water for 15 minutes, then drain and set aside. Grill the 2 corn tortillas in a grill pan until dry, crisp and golden. Tear into pieces and set aside.
  2. In a heavy large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions, season with a little salt and saute until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook 2 minutes more. Transfer the onion and garlic mixture, along with the chiles and torn tortillas, to a blender. Add all the remaining mole ingredients (except for the chocolate and chicken) and blend until very smooth. Transfer the sauce to a medium saute pan and bring to boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in the chocolate. Season the mole with salt and pepper, to taste. Reserve 1 cup of mole for garnishing the enchiladas, the rest will be used for dipping the tortillas.

To assemble the enchiladas:

  1. Reheat the shredded chicken, if necessary, and keep warm. In a medium saute pan, wide enough to fit the tortilla, over high heat add the oil to reach 1/2-inch up the sides. When the oil is hot, add 1 tortilla at a time, and fry for a few seconds just until soft and heated through. Lift out, let the excess oil drip off, then dip the fried tortilla directly into the warm mole (which should be right next to the pan for easy dipping) and put on a cutting board.
  2. Working quickly, put a little of the warm shredded chicken in the center, being careful not to overfill. Roll the tortilla like a cigar to enclose the filling and transfer to a serving dish, seam side down. (Individual gratin dishes work great to hold the extra mole sauce or if serving family style, a baking dish will work as well.) If necessary, use tongs or a spatula to transfer the filled tortillas. Continue to fill all of the tortillas and arranging them side by side. Pour the remaining, reserved mole sauce over the top, drizzle with a little creme fraiche, sprinkle with queso fresco, and serve.

Cook’s Notes: The pasilla is a Mexican dried chile, also known as “ancho” or “chile negro” in the U.S. It is often used in moles and other Mexican sauces. It also can be sold as a fresh chile in the U.S. – similar to the poblano. They can be found at most supermarkets, Latin specialty markets or online.

Ibarra chocolate is a brand of Mexican chocolate that can be purchased in most national supermarkets. If you cannot find Ibarra or any Mexican chocolate, you can substitute 1-ounce of Mexican chocolate for: 1 (1-ounce) of semisweet chocolate, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1 drop of almond extract.

Queso fresco is a white, mild, fresh Mexican cheese with the texture of fresh farmer’s cheese in the US. Queso fresco can be found in many supermarkets, or can also be substituted with a mild feta cheese.

Preparation time: 30 minute(s)

Cooking time: 1 hour(s)

Number of servings (yield): 4 – 6

Culinary tradition: Mexican

 

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Stuart in 80 Words or Less

Stuart is a celebrity chef, food activist and award-winning food writer. He penned the cookbooks Third Coast Cuisine: Recipes of the Gulf of Mexico, No Sides Needed: 34 Recipes To Simplify Life and Amigeauxs - Mexican/Creole Fusion Cuisine. He hosts two Internet cooking shows "Everyday Gourmet" and "Little Grill Big Flavor." His recipes have been featured in Current, Lagniappe, Southern Tailgater, The Kitchen Hotline and on the Cooking Channel.

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Stuart’s Honors & Awards

2015 1st Place Luck of the Irish Cook-off
2015 4th Place Downtown Cajun Cook-off
2015 2nd Place Fins' Wings & Chili Cook-off
2014 2015 4th Place LA Gumbo Cook-off
2012 Taste Award nominee for best chef (web)
2012 Finalist in the Safeway Next Chef Contest
2011 Taste Award Nominee for Little Grill Big Flavor
2011, 12 Member: Council of Media Tastemakers
2011 Judge: 29th Chef's of the Coast Cook-off
2011 Judge: Dauphin Island Wing Cook-off
2011 Cooking Channel Perfect 3 Recipe Finalist
2011 Judge: Dauphin Island Gumbo Cook-off
2011 Culinary Hall of Fame Member
2010 Tasty Awards Judge
2010 Judge: Bayou La Batre Gumbo Cook-off
2010 Gourmand World Cookbook Award Nominee
2010 Chef2Chef Top 10 Best Food Blogs
2010 Denay's Top 10 Best Food Blogs
2009 2nd Place Bay Area Food Bank Chef Challenge
2008 Tava: Discovery Contest Runner-up

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