Cooking an Asian Fusion Menu for a Birthday!

Although every. single. person has a birthday--
it is always fun to celebrate with friends and or family.

Many of our In-Home Cooking Classes are where
people spend time together with a hands-on activity
that they can relish forever.
We spend time cooking, cutting, sauteing, baking,
learning, challenging each other, eating and most importantly
having and spending quality time with loved ones.

 

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Celebrated another Birthday,  Let's Cultivate Food

Asian Fusion Noodles class in Philadelphia

Asian Fusion Noodles class through Cheltenham Adult School.
We had a great time  learning about 7 different types of noodles.
Cooking them and then eating them of course!
From soups to salads to appetizers to entrees.

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slurped some long noodles,  Let's Cultivate Food

Lemon rosemary chicken

I always enjoy the flavor and scent of this lemons  and rosemary .
You can use chicken wings, breast or if you're brave and have the time-
do the whole chicken.

Take some olive oil and put it all over the chicken.
Sprinkle coarse sea-salt, fresh OR dry rosemary and squeeze juice
from a lemon all over. Let it sit over night in the refrigerator
or at least 30 minutes to marinate.

Bake in the oven at about 350 degrees until it's tender.
Once it's tender I like to place the chicken right under
the heat on broil and let it get a little crispy.
(You will have to bake for about 30-40 minutes)

The scent will fill your kitchen with lemony goodness!

Bacon wrapped dduk

Dduk  is made from rice.
It comes in many different forms
sweet and plain. Dduk is a Korean word.
Sometimes you might hear it being called
Mochi which is simply Japanese.

The rolled out cylinder shapes are often
associated with a street food called Dduk-bok-gi.
Dduk / Rice cake is cooked rice that is rolled out and
then made into many different shapes.
They can be used as a protein because they are really
hearty.  You will have a hard time just eating one skewer.

Of course when you add bacon to it...
it makes it even better. Bacon. Enough said right?

These are SUPER easy to make.
Purchase some dduk (rice cake)
that is in the cylinder shape. (already cut that way)
Take the bacon strips that are not cooked and cut it into thirds.
Wrap the bacon around the rice cake and use a wooden skewer
or a toothpick and skewer 2  together.

Turn your frying pan on medium high and cook until
the bacon is crispy. (about 3-4 minutes on each side)
You don't have to add any oil because of the oils from the bacon
will be more than enough.

It's best when you drizzle a little sweetened soy sauce on top
right before eating!

Sweetened soy sauce is soy sauce with a drizzle of any sweetener.
You can also  garnish with some chopped scallions too.


Roll it,  Let's Cultivate Food

Apple Banana Fritters

I recently heard someone say that taking something that's already
good and then wrapping it up and then frying it makes it.....
EVEN BETTER!
So....  I thought why not take an apple and my-
starting to go brown banana and make a fritter-like egg roll.
The only ingredients needed is a banana, an apple egg roll wrappers
and a sprinkle of cinnamon (the cinnamon being optional)

I've found that it's a lot easier using a melon baller to take the
core out rather than using a paring knife.

You simply dice and then let the apple sweat in the pan with
a little butter and a sprinkle of cinnamon. I add the banana after the
apple has softened a little since the banana is already soft.

Spoon your filling on to an egg roll wrapper and then fry it in a 

deep fryer or in a pan with oil.

Once your fritter/egg roll is golden brown, take it out and lay it onto 

a paper towel to let some of the excess oil drain and then cut it in half 

on a diagonal to make it look a teeny weeny bit fancier.

An Apple Banana Fritter is a good easy dessert to make especially if
your bananas are starting to brown!


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Chop it like it's hot,  Let's Cultivate Food

Types of Tofu

I think  many people realize there is more than one
type of tofu especially as far as texture and soft or firmness.

Here is a picture of the different types.
The firmer they are it is easier to saute or fry
for they won't fall apart on you whereas the softer
or silken/silky they are- the better they are for soups.

Everybody is TOFU-fighting,  Let's Cultivate Food

How to hard boil eggs perfectly.

How to cook hard boiled eggs perfectly every time.

Start with filling your sauce pan with cold water... 
enough water that your eggs are completely covered in water.


Turn your stove top to medium high 
with no lid on your pot and when the water 
comes to a  rapid boil,  let the eggs sit in the hot water 
for at least 10 full minutes with the lid on.
After the 10 minutes are up, take the lid off, carefully pour 
the hot water out and  run cold water over all the eggs.
You can also place the eggs in a bowl of cold water and ice cubes. 
Ice water will literally shrink the eggs away from 
their shells, making it super easy to peel.

No more ring around the yolk, Let's Cultivate Food

SUPER HERO themed Catered Company Lunches

Our company catered lunches always have a fun theme.

This week's theme is  "Superhero Lunches"

Some of the food items that go into our personalized boxes this week are:

Super strength spinach and blue cheese burgers...

If you'd like it veggie friendly - we can make it with black beans, 

spinach and blue cheese as well! 

French onions and mushrooms sauteed for  Superman's French 

onion- shroom melt 

Wonder woman's Greek yogurt with fruit topping  

Here is a picture of  'Wonder dog's pepperoni pizza bites' 

our 'Kryptonite sweet potato fries

the 'Kryptonite sweet potato fries in the sauna...

Superman's French onion shroom melt.

KEEP CALM and be a SUPERHERO,  Let's Cultivate Food

Sugar can be sneaky!

Have you noticed as the time goes on-
our food becomes more and more unhealthy?

There are so many additives and sugars and preservatives
in food these days that it's really, really not healthy!

Today, I wanted to just talk about sugar.
You should ALWAYS read the labels.
If sugar isn't listed in the ingredients section
but listed in grams... often it can be natural sugar.

BUT! There are sneaky words for "added sugars"
BE on the look out for these words below.
These are ADDED sugars.

Agave
Barley malt
Beet sugar
Black strap molasses
Brown rice syrup
Brown sugar
Cane juice
Cane  sugar
Caramel
Carob sugar
Coconut sugar
Coconut palm
Confectioner's sugar
Corn sweetener
Corn syrup
Demerara sugar
Diatase
Date sugar
Dextrin
Dextrose
Diastatic malt
Evaporated cane juice
Fructose
Fruit sugar
Galactose
Glucomalt
Glucose
Grape juice concentrate
Grape juice
Honey
Invert sugar
Lactose
Maltodextrin
Maltose
Maple syrup
Palm sugar
Raw sugar
Rice syrup
Refiner's syrup
Saccharose
Sorghum syrup
HSucrose
Treacle
Turbinado sugar
Xylose



Stay naturally sweet,  Let's Cultivate Food

How to tell if your eggs are still good.

Do you know how to test the approximate age of an egg? 
When is it time to throw your eggs out?

All you need is a glass cup and cold water. 
Gently drop the egg into the water and if the egg:

~ sinks to the bottom and decides to stay there, 
    it is about 3-6 days old (good) 
~ if it sinks,  but floats at an angle, it's more than a week old  (ok)
~ your egg sinks, but then stands on end, it's about 2 weeks old (still ok)
~ if it floats, it's too old and should be discarded (not good)

 

Couples Cooking Classes in Philadelphia

Couples Cooking Classes are popular throughout
the Greater Philadelphia area.

We have couples cooking classes for birthdays, anniversaries,
Valentine's and any occasion for that matter.
Some couples just want to learn a few tips and tricks
on the weekend with no occasion except how
to learn how to cook the dishes they frequently
order from a restaurant.

  

Zestfully,  Let's Cultivate Food

Mini Cinnamon Rolls

Have you ever heard about----girl math?
When you go shopping and something is on sale or if you return
something-- that extra money you save or have received
from your return is free money?  In the same mentality-
if something is mini you can eat more of them and it's.... ok?

Alright,  come to think of it... the "because it's mini- you can eat more"
is probably not just a girl thing.  It's a people who love food thing!

Whichever type of math it is or isn't...
it's super easy to create mini cinnamon rolls.

Take some dough (store bought Pillsbury works well)
especially to save time.
Roll it out into a rectangle as best you can.
Sprinkle some brown sugar and cinnamon and then roll again.
Cut them into 1/2 inch pieces almost as if you are cutting sushi rolls.
Lay them into your mini muffin/cupcake tins that you have
sprayed or paper toweled oil into to prevent from sticking
and making it easier to pop them out when done.

You will bake them on 350 degrees for about 10-12 minutes.
(just until they are golden brown) and that is all!

Zestfully,  Let's Cultivate Food

Game Night!

Who doesn't love game night!?!

Ok, some people may not like playing games but part of me
also thinks that they just haven't had games introduced
to them in a fun way. I know this sounds kind of funny
but I've encountered many people who say they don't like
playing games but after playing them  for someone's
birthday or during camping or any ole occasion...
they just can't get enough!

I enjoy doing many things in themes.
Creating and following themes for me  keeps things
organized and definitely more fun!  It keeps it fun
for the guests/participants but it also keeps things
organized when shopping for the items as well!

The catered lunches I create are all in themes along with
the classroom class menus are always in theme
more often than not of an ethnic place.

When you're having game night...  there should always
be food involved.  Yes, I said  "should always have food involved"  :)

You can take it a step further and create your snack foods into
the games you might be playing.

Below are just a few examples.

Settlers of Catan... notice the the shape of the little food trays but also

the food itself represents the boards of the game... 

red salami for the brick board, the  pretzels and broccoli for the forest, 

the crackers for wheat etc...

You can also bake sugar cookies in the shape of dominoes...

Ever play checkers or chess with cheese balls and crackers?

Or... if you just don't have the time or energy to fully go all out-

you can simply lay some cheese and crackers out.

But, maybe lay your cheese out like the game Jenga.

Whatever you do... have fun with it!  Sometimes creating fun snacks

can be just as fun or even more than the game itself. Sometimes.

Zestfully,  Let's Cultivate Food

A Special Offer

RECEIVE $10.00 off
when you provide me  
your email address...






You will receive $10.00 off your
In-Home Cooking Class
along with a fun, informative
monthly newsletter with updates
you can savor & infuse!


email me with the subject line as:   $10 off

email:  letscultivate@gmail.com

Kale pesto pasta

Pesto is super easy to make AND is super delicious!

I was asked to cater a company function a few days ago and
decided to have one of the trays of food to be a pasta salad.

Pasta salad sometimes can be boring or the same old thing.
A very easy way to change it up a little bit is to make the
sauce  a pesto sauce.   It's not only is is visually pretty
but it's also healthy and yummy!

I took a small pot and filled half of the pot with water and while 

the water was heating up- I took the Kale- rinsed it and gave a 

rough chop so that the pieces of Kale were not so massive.  

Kale is really hearty and tough so I recommend taking 

the stems out.  Once the water comes to a boil- turn the stove off 

and add your Kale.  Place a lid on the pot so that all the heat 

stays in and it allows the Kale stay in the hot water.  

In the meantime you also want to boil the noodles or pasta of 

your choice (I used campanelle)  and saute the veggies of 

your choice in a little bit of olive oil, garlic 

(freshly minced or garlic powder is good) 

Add a sprinkle of salt and pepper to your liking.  

To make the Kale pesto- strain the water and add your Kale 

to a food processor or  blender if you don't have a food processor.  

Add 2 TBSP of olive oil, 1 teaspoon of garlic and or 

any other herb/seasonings.

Add the pesto to the hot, already cooked pasta and stir in together.

Once the pesto is mixed well to the pasta- you can add your 

sauteed veggies and stir those all together as well.

This can be served as a hot pasta or a chilled pasta salad.

Zestfully,  Let's Cultivate Food

Happy 2015!