OK, you’re going out for the evening.  You ask your host “Can I bring anything”  They say, sure,

how about an hors d’oeuvre or some munchies?  You think…WHAT CAN I BRING that’s not “chips n’ dip”

So here’s the solution….create a beautiful antipasti platter.  You won’t need that much and it won’t break

the bank. You’ll need a good sized platter….oval are great. OK now, go to your local deli or Italian specialty

shop. I use the following…..a little less than 1/4 lb of each of these salumi (all prepared meats are called salumi in Italy)

1. Capicollo (sweet), 2. finnochiona or spressatta, 3. regular Genova salami, 4. Mortadella…..all sliced very thin. Next you’ll need some olives. Try about ten of each, calamata (pitted), regular domestic black pitted olives, maybe a couple alphonsos, greek (pitted). Next a small punch of grapes, some nice broad green leaf lettuce and some mint or chives for garnish. OK….ready to create.

Cut all the salumi in half. Start with the finnochiona and place each half along the rim of the platter, next do the same with the coppicollo halves. Now break off about four or five big lettuce leaves and put them in the middle of the platter. Add the grapes to the middle. Now, take each half of the Genova salami and make little cones out of them. (The fat from the salami will stick them together)  Place these (5-6) at both ends of the platter, then arrange various olives in the spaces remaining. Finish with the mortadella halves that you can just bunch up and stick them in the remaining spaces. Now to finish , stick a bunch of the mint sprigs into the space in the bunch of grapes and sprinkle the chopped chives all over the whole thing. Just look what you have created….look at the colors and textures!  People with think you are a culinary genious…and now you are!

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12 – DEMO PAVILION
Shore of Erie Food and Wine Festival – Amherstburg Ontario

4:00 pm
Speaker: Doug Cordier
Topic:Tomatoes! Tomatoes! Tomatoes!
Just in time for our September tomato harvest, one of Doug’s dishes will be Riccolla Gnocchi with a tomato basil sauce.

Back for his fourth year at the SOE Festival, Chef Doug Cordier’s cooking is always a unique combination of zesty flavors and simple techniques.

Doug  has been cooking professionally for over 20 years.  Most recently, he appears regularly on Chef Chuck Kaess’s “Who’s In The Kitchen” on Channel 5, as well as instructor of Italian cooking at The Pointe Pedlar, and the Grosse Pointe War Memorial.

Aside from catering, TV and classes, Doug also offers Lobster Parties with partner  Dave Hohlfeldt in “The Lobster Boys” , corporate classes with UBS & Payne Webber , and leads annual trips to a beautiful Tuscan Villa in the middle of the Chianti region of Italy.

Grosse Pointe War Memorial Association
32 Lakeshore Drive
Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan
313-881-7511

Wednesday, Sept. 23 – 6:30 – 8:30 p. m.

Cooking with Cordier
Doug offers new dishes from the Veneto & Tuscany regions. Menus complimented with assorted antipasti platter with Italian meats and olives and rustic Italian bread with verde dipping sauce. Regional Italian wine will be
served; you must be 21 years old to attend.

Menu:

• Stromboli
• Venetian antipasti
• Tagliatelli with Lamb and Mushrooms
• 2000 year old Tuscan pears

$48 per person

Wednesday, Oct. 21 – 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.

Menu:

• Antipasti: artichoke, garbanzo and tuna insalada
• Red pepper boats stuffed with prosciutto and olive
• Pan fried polenta gnocchi with tomato basil sauce

$48 per person

Grilled Pineapple with Mascarpone and Brandy Glaze

1/2 pineapple (trimmed)
1/4 cup brandy
6- 8 TBS butter
4 TBS brown sugar
½ tsp vanilla
½ – ¾ cup mascarpone cheese

1. Combine brandy, butter, sugar, vanilla in small pan
2. CAREFULLY heat mixture
3.  Cook until mixture thickens
4. Baste pineapple slices with syrup and grill until browned
5. Transfer slices to plates
6. Place dollup of mascarpone in center, anoint with remaining syrup
7. Garnish with mint leaves

Makes about four servings

Buon Appetito
Cooking with Cordier

Braised pork cutlets with porcini
Slow cooked pork cutlets  with porcini mushrooms

3- 4 pork cutlets
½ cup  red onions (chopped)
2 toes garlic (minced)
2 TBS tomato paste
2 portabella mushrooms (large slice))
½ cup  porcini mushrooms (reconstituted) save liquid
3/4 cup red wine
3/4 cup brodo (stock)
2 TBS flour for sprinkling
2 TBS oyster sauce
½ cup chopped parsley
3 TBS olive oil

1. In heavy skillet heat olive oil, brown cutlets, remove & set aside
2. Add onions , garlic, tom paste & oyster sauce,  sprinkle with flour
3. Cook mixture for 3-5 minutes until thick
4. deglaze pan with wine, deduce to half, add mushrooms, then brodo
5. Place pork back in pan  (stock should be half up sides of cutlets)
6. Put top on and bake in 275- oven for one or two hours until tender
7.  Check to see that sauce has not become too thick, the sauce should be
very dark and rich, thin with water if needed
8.  Add chopped parsley to sauce, transfer to plates, garnish with more parsley

Cooking with Cordier

The first course of every Italian dinner is the antipasto.  No, this doesn’t mean you are against pasta. These mushrooms can be served hot with an assortment of cold antipasti for a special occasion, or as a side dish (contorno) with a salad (insalatta)

6-8 large mushrooms or 3 portabellos
1 Italian sausage (crumbled)
½ cup roughly grated asiago cheese
¼ cup roughly grated asiago cheese (for garnish)
½ cup PANKO breadcrumbs
1 egg (beaten)
1/3 cup finely chopped red onion
1 toe garlic finely chopped
2-3 Tbs mixture of chopped fresh herbs
(basil, parsley, oregano, tarragon, thyme etc)
2 cups fresh mixed greens
1 Tbs olive oil & natural bristle paintbrush
1 Tbs light Italian salad dressing (for greens)
Salt (1/2 tsp) & pepper
Chopped chives for garnish

Instructions
1.  Carefully remove stems, spoon out insides, & chop stems
2. Sauté sausage until crumbled, add chopped stems, S&P, onion, garlic (cook 4 mins)
3. Transfer to bowl & add herbs, cheese, egg & breadcrumbs (mix very lightly)
4. Loosely stuff mushrooms, mound up stuffing
5. Place stuffed mushrooms in greased baking dish
6. Paint tops of mushrooms with olive oil
7. Bake in 375 oven for about 15-20 minutes until browned
8. Lightly dress greens, place cooked mushrooms on bed of greens
9. Garnish with asiago cheese & chives

Cooking with Cordier

Recipes for Ribollita (means “re-boiled”) are infinitely variable…..this “soup” could be termed minestroni on steroids. The dish was served in three stages. First was the actual soup served directly after preparation.  The second phase was the next day when the soup was “re-boiled”.  The third phase (if it ever made it this far) which was very thick by now was placed in a baking dish, adorned with grated parmesan cheese and baked like a fritatta. In Italy, cavolo nero is an important ingredient in this recipe.  Swiss chard, and beet greens can be substuted.

RibollitaClassic Tuscan Bread Soup

1 ½ cups red onions (1/4” chop )

3 toes garlic (minced)

3 carrots or 15 mini carrots ( ½ “chop )

3 TBS pancetta (chopped) & 4 TBS olive oil

2 zucchini (1/2 “ chop)

1 large russet potato (1/2 “ chop)

2 stalks celery (1/2 “ chop)

3 plum tomatoes (1/2 “ chop”

3 cups brood (stock) & 4 cups water

3 cups kale (1 “ chop)

3 cups Swiss chard (1 “ chop) or cavolo nero

1 leek ( ½ ‘”chop)

1 cup green beans (bite size)

1 large can cannellini beans ( ½ of can mashed)

3 TBS tomato paste

3 – 4 slices thick Italian bread (1 “ chop)

Instructions

1. Saute pancetta & olive oil , add onions garlic & carrots

2. Add tom paste and sauté 3-5 minutes.

3. Deglaze with 2 cups brodo…then add zuc, pots, toms, celery, & beans

4. Continue to cook, add rest of brodo & some water, add chard & kale & \

5. Add bread and cook for another hour…..you may have to add more water.

6. Add salt & pepper to taste

7. Anoint with parmesan cheese & olive oil before serving. Serves about 6

Buon Appetitto

Cooking with Cordier

This recipe was inspired by a trip to Siena, Italy…and a salute to the Pucini opera by the same name…

Shrimp Tosca

Batter sauted shrimp with caper lemon sauce

10-12 large butterflied shrimp (16 – 20s)

2 eggs beaten

1/3 cup parmesan cheese (grated)

3 Tbs olive oil

2-3 TBS capers (washed)

Juice of one lemon

¾ cup flour

¼ cup white wine

¼ cup chicken broth

½ cup heavy cream

Chopped chives for garnish

Salt & pepper

Shrimp instructions

1. Peel, de-vein and butterfly shrimp

2. Beat eggs and add cheese to shallow bowl to maker slurry

3. Dredge shrimp in flour

4. Lightly coat shrimp with slurry

5. Sauté in hot oil, don’t move shrimp until browned on bottom

6. Cook shrimp on other side

7. Add wine, capers & lemon and reduce

8. Add cream and reduce to proper consistency

9. Serve immediately with chopped chive garnish.

Buon Appetitto

Chocolate: The Perfect Gift
by Nathalie Fiset M.D.

Are you a chocolate lover yourself? Do you often flip through the pages of magazines or recipe books to spot some wonderful variants of chocolate recipes? If you do, then most probably other people also crave for chocolates as much as you do. There are various chocolate recipes that you have surely fallen in love with that you are driven to give it to others as some kind of special gift. These chocolate treats are definitely unique. Try to give it to someone on a special occasion and you’ll certainly receive a warm delightful response from the recipient. What is behind this so called perfect gift for all occasions?

A Brief Looking Back

Chocolate, or that which is otherwise known as “kah kow” had been discovered around 2000 years ago within the tropical rainforests of the Americas. Through time, several cultures adopted the “kah kow” into their religious rituals until such time that we come to know it by the name chocolate. Spain had its first glance at chocolate as soon as Columbus got back from America. He had with him some cocoa beans which were dark brown in color. The Aztec Indians termed it as “food of the Gods”. Then, Emperor Montezuma served all the Spaniards with such hot liquid placed in the golden goblets. They thought it as bitter so they put on some cane sugar. Up to now, even that several centuries had passed, chocolate remains as the food to be basically indulged at. There are wonderful products and recipes that are good to give to others as a perfect gift.

Chocolate Trend

Okay, so a special occasion is coming up and you are in deep thought about what kind of gift would be best to some special someone of yours. The event could either be an anniversary, a birthday, a graduation, and the likes. The basic question that you need to ask yourself is, what kind of person is the recipient? Think of the stand out qualities of the recipient. In most cases, the chocolate is always one of the safest and delicious gifts to hand in to the recipient. To date, the chocolate gift baskets are becoming so popular that many people have craved ordering these things as gifts to friends, family, relatives, and most especially, to their romantic partners. The hype about shopping for chocolates severely increases during Mother’s Day, Easter, Valentine’s Day, and Birthdays. More so, with the onset of the online business, getting your hands on the chocolate collection is too easy and safe, so to speak. There are specialty shops which sell special variants of chocolates. Indeed, chocolate is a food of love that many people would love to taste over and over again.

Here are some notable ways on how chocolates could be shared to the other fanatics of this food:

Romantic Interludes. Romantic dates, Valentine’s Day celebration, and anniversaries could never be complete without chocolates. Chocolate prompts romance to be high up in the air.

Holiday Seasons. Chocolates could either be the main gift or simply an addition to the principal gift. The holidays would be all the more hyped up with chocolates on the list. As it goes, the chocolates are of course said to be the most traditional gift that stands perfect on almost all occasions. Business presents. Chocolates are also given off as gifts by the employers to show how thankful they are by the faithfulness and loyalty of their staff.

Chocolate gift baskets. Most often than not, several companies provide their regular clients with these presents as a simple way of saying “thank you” for their patronage.

Among the chocolate variants which could serve as a perfect gift are chocolate vanilla ice cream filled with strawberry dips, chocolate mousses, truffles black, chip zucchini, bread chocolate, chocolate cheesecake, toffee fluffy, torte rich chocolate cake, and several other chocolate recipes.

Check out some online stores for specialty chocolates that you could order. Remember that it is the thought that counts as you give gifts to other people. Hence, chocolates serve their purpose of being a perfect gift for all. Try it out and you could never fail in your expectations. Put a smile on the face of the recipient now.

About the Author

For more information on chocolate, please visit: http://www.chocolatedotcom.com/ http://www.chocolatedotcom.com/Order_Chocolates_Online.html http://www.drnathaliefiset.com

The first time I ever encountered mascarpone cheese was in Italy. I remember being totally enchanted with the experience. I use the word experience because that’s what mascarpone is for your taste buds. Perhaps it’s the creaminess or the slightly sweet aura that envelopes your senses…..what ever it is, the experience is sublime and totally different from any food I had ever eaten in the US. For those who have never sampled this very simple food, mascarpone is one of the main ingredients in Tiramisu and Zabaglione both legendary Italian desserts. It’s actually a triple cream soft cheese that is made from cows that have a diet of special grasses, herbs , and flowers. The origin dates back to the area above Tuscany called Lombardy in the late 16th century.

Mascarpone is made by allowing cows milk to set until the cream floats to the top. This is poured off and heated to 185 degrees. Tartaric acid is added, and the mixtures is allowed to thicken, and rest,. When the whey is separated, the remaining mass is pored into special cloth bags, and refrigerated so the rest of the whey is shed after 24 hours….. then presto….mascarpone.

Real mascarpone cheese comes from Italy and is available at Italian markets such as Giglio’s in St.Clair Shores, MI (586-774-3767) You can also find domestically produced mascarpone from Bel Gioioso in Denmark, WI, (www.belgioioso.com) and Castelli USA, Little Falls, NJ.

One of my favorite ways to enjoy mascarpone is spread it on just baked foccacia bread or in risotto dishes. Here is a simple recipe for Shrimp & asparagus risotto with mascarpone.

Shrimp & asparagus risotto with mascarpone Creamy Arborio rice with shrimp, asparagus & mascarpone cheese

• ¾- 1 cup raw roughly chopped shrimp (or tiny salad shrimp)
• ¾ cup minced white onion
• 3 Tbs olive oil
• 1 cup Italian Arborio rice
• ½ cup mascarpone cheese
• ½ cup white wine
• ½ tsp salt/pepper
• 2-3 cups brodo (broth)

1. Sauté rice in olive oil (rosolare), until white dots appear (do not brown)
2. Add onions and cook until translucent, add wine, reduce slightly, add stock slowly
3. Continue to simmer slowly while adding a little stock at a time. (20 minutes)
4. Continue to add stock
5. After about 18 minutes and the rice is creamy, add mascarpone , shrimp & asparagusWhen all ingredients are in add salt/pepper to taste
6. Risotto should be slightly adente, but still creamy and slightly loose in pan “on the wave” or “al onda” Risotto will “tighten up” when plated.
7. Serve immediately

Makes about 4- 6 servings

Buon Appetito,

Chef Doug Cordier “Cooking With Cordier”
www.ufoodi.com