This Evening’s Guest

This evening, on our internet radio show we will be talking with Jeffrey Elliot and Salvatore Rizzo, at 8:00pm (Eastern Time). Jeff will be teaching the essential techniques of knife skills necessary for the home cook at De Gustibus this coming Tuesday from 1:00pm to 4:00pm. To sign up for the class, please go to the De Gustibus‘ website. A light Kosher meal will be served.

Jeffrey Elliot has a degree from the Culinary Institute of America and has cooked at prestigious restaurants such as Le Cirque, and Le Bernardin in New York. Since leaving the kitchen, he’s owned an antiquarian bookstore, received an MBA and worked as a stockbroker. He has also worked for Share Our Strength, a non-for-profit dedicated to eradicating childhood hunger in America, organizing Taste of the Nation events in 15 cities across the US and Canada. Currently, Jeffrey is the National Manager of Culinary Relations for Zwilling JA Henckels. He is a co-author of The Zwilling J.A. Henckels Complete Book of Knife Skills.

Salvatore Rizzo (“Sal”), is the Director/Owner of De Gustibus School of Cooking at Macy’s. The school’s mission is “To continue the tradition of serving the culinary community by showcasing the talents of established chefs, rising stars, and sommeliers to food and wine lovers, with the utmost in hospitality.”

Salvatore Rizzo acquired De Gustibus Cooking School in April 2008. He has been active in the culinary world for over 25 years, honing his skills as the consummate host and interlocutor of chefs. Sal was the Director of the Italian Culinary Institute where he managed chef events for several years, after which he became Director of House Operations and Events at the prestigious James Beard Foundation until 2007. A true master of hospitality and friend to many a chef, Sal’s passion involves promoting the culinary arts and creating an environment where people can come together and share incredible experiences centered around food and wine, something he was exposed to daily, growing up in a Sicilian household.

Meanwhile, in case you missed it, why not listen to our last last broadcast? Our guest was Dietitian and Nutritionist Bonnie R, Giller. It was a fun an informative show.

Please, listen to our show this evening at 8:00pm (Eastern Time) on BlogTalkRadio.com.

CS

The Zen of Kitchen Mastery – Lévana Kirschenbaum at De Gustibus

As Sal Rizzo (Owner/Director of De Gustibus) so succinctly stated, “Levana, you’re very Zen in the kitchen.” He totally ‘got it’! What makes Lévana’s recipes so magnificent is their utter simplicity; like her un-garnished use of wholesome fresh healthy ingredients – roots and all – or opting for basic easy tools like food processors and shallow pots and bowls – that facilitate expedience and functionality in prep, or not overwhelming a dish with too many ingredients, thus silhouetting the key flavors, allowing their fine characteristics to fully emerge. It’s a style of cooking where less really is more.

“The sign of a good cook is a good plan”, said the very ‘present,’ in control, Lévana, as she demonstrably zipped through five delicious dishes in well under two hours, all the while providing a virtual wellspring of food tips. (“Peel the back of the celery stalks – then they won’t be stringy and you’ll lose the bitterness.” “Add pepper to your recipe at the very end of the cooking process, – pepper that’s cooked gives off an acrid flavor” ) Lévana‘s immeasurable kitchen wisdom is rooted in 35 years of passion for excellence, unstinting experience and relentless experimenting until utter perfection was achieved; available now in her magnum opus, her new cookbook The Whole Foods Kosher Kitchen. “The Whole Foods Kosher Kitchen is the culmination of a whole life’s work!”.  “It’s about cutting corners on steps, not ingredients… Everything about cooking is about the mindset.”  How Zen is that!?!

Lévana demonstrated six dishes, contemporary versions of traditional Morrocan cuisine: Chickpea Soup, Fishballs in Lemon Mustard Sauce, Spicy Lettuce Salad with Chick Peas and Preserved Lemon, Hot and Sweet Parsnips, Lamb Stew with Artichokes and Mushrooms, Almond Shortbread Cescents. Each was perfectly balanced, a virtuoso performance of a symphony of flavors. As you can see, the lamb shank recipe below uses onlythree main ingredients and two spices to achieve it’s desired simply delicious outcome.

Lamb Shanks with Artichokes and Mushrooms

All participant got to eat every recipe demonstrated

Ingredients

• 8 lamb shanks, or 3 1/2 pounds cubed lean lamb stew
• 2 good pinches saffron
• 2 teaspoons turmeric
• 2 pounds button mushrooms
• 2 10 ounce boxes frozen artichoke hearts, thawed

Instructions

Put the lamb shanks or cubes in a heavy pot with water to cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce to medium, cover and cook 2 hours. Add safron, turmeric and mushrooms and cook for another 15 minutes. Make sure you don’t bruise the artichokes. The liquid in the pot should look thick and creamy. If it is too thin, transfer the meal and vegetables to a serving platter with a slotted spoon, and reduce the sauce on a big flame until it reaches the consistency of maple syrup. Pour the sauce over all. Serve hot alone or with roasted potatoes.

Sal Rizzo is an extraordinary moderator and host. He asks good questions that bring out the best in the great chefs appearing at the various De Gustibus‘ series. It is no small feat to figure out the logistics of featuring kosher chefs and providing kosher food to attendees under strict kashrut standards. Yet Sal and his terrific staff make it look easy, as they provide a stage that features kosher cuisine as an integral component of the best of the international gourmet scene.

Kosher Cooking Demos at De Gustibus

L’CHAIM SERIES

Event title: DAVID KOLOTKIN – The Prime Restaurant Group

Tuesday, October 12, 2010 | 1 – 3:30 PM $95 per class

All food will be strictly kosher

DAVID KOLOTKIN, executive chef of The Prime Grill, imparts his cooking ideas to present a vibrant and informative take on tantalizing New American cuisine for the kosher home chef.

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Event title: JOAN NATHAN – Cookbook Author

Thursday, November 11, 2010 | 1 – 3:30 PM $95 per class

All food will be strictly kosher

JOAN NATHAN, doyenne of Jewish American cooking, is the recipient of multiple James Beard Awards, a TV personality, and the author of 10 cookbooks, including Quiches, Kugels and Couscous: My Search for Jewish Cooking in France. Joan brings simple yet refined European flavors to the table, seasoned with a hint of the Mediterranean that is always in sync with the needs of the kosher gourmande.

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Event title: SETH WARSHAW & SHLOMO BLASHKA – etc steakhouse

Monday, November 29, 2010 | 5:30 – 8:00 PM $95 per class

All food will be strictly kosher

SETH WARSHAW, executive chef of etc steakhouse in Teaneck, New Jersey, demonstrates an elegant kosher menu focused on the highest quality meats and satisfying seasonal ingredients.  SHLOMO BLASHKA, of Royal Wine Corporation, will pair the delectable dishes with an array of world-class kosher wines that are sure to please the most discerning palate.

–)oOo(–

Location

Venue : De Gustibus Cooking School
Homepage: http://www.degustibusnyc.com
Street: 151 West 34th Street, 8th Floor
ZIP: 10001
City: New York

Location description:

The cooking school is located on the 8th floor of Macy’s Herald Square on the 7th Avenue side of the building. You can enter the store at 151 West 34th Street and take the passenger elevators to the 8th floor and we are located between the coat / bathing suit department and human resources in the employee section of the store.

Please Click below to Register for this event:
REGISTER HERE

Kosher Cooking Demos

De Gustibus is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year and the Spring 2010 season has some stellar Kosher classes to offer. Chef Laura Frankel will delight us with her healthy and delicious Kosher cooking & Chef Jeff Nathan is back to share his contemporary, and always yummy Kosher fare. Having attended a class there myself, recently, I can attest to the high quality of teaching and the delectable food. And back by popular demand- we are also offering a Knife Skills class with Jeffrey Elliot, where only Kosher food will be served. Whether you are new to cooking, or if you are an experienced cook looking to hone your knife skills or learn some new tricks, we highly recommend your taking this class! As usual, these classes are filling up quickly, so please call or visit the De Gustibus website to make your reservations soon (De Gustibus Cooking School; 151 West 34th Street, 8th Floor; NY NY 10001; Telephone: 212.239.1652; Fax: 212.494.4741)

INSPIRED KOSHER COOKING

Chef Demonstration Classes
Series of 2 $180 or $95 per class if available

Tuesday, March 16, 2010 | 1 – 3:30 PM
LAURA FRANKEL, executive chef for Wolfgang Puck Kosher Catering in Chicago, formerly of Shallots, and author of two cookbooks, most recently Jewish Cooking for All Seasons, returns to demonstrate healthy and delicious kosher fare inspired by greenmarkets.

Tuesday, June 1, 2010 | 1 – 3:30 PM
JEFF NATHAN, executive chef of Abigael’s on Broadway, author of Jeff Nathan’s Family Suppers, and chef-host of public television’s New Jewish Cuisine, brings globally influenced, contemporary kosher fare that is always sophisticated and beautifully presented.

Hands-On Knife Skills
Single class $140, limited enrollment

Tuesday, April 27, 2010 | 1 – 4 PM
JEFFREY ELLIOT is the National Manager of Culinary Relations for Zwilling J.A. Henckels.Jeffrey returns to teach the essential techniques of knife skills necessary for the home cook. Kosher food will be served and knives will be provided by Zwilling J.A. Henckels.

We’d be grateful if you mentioned where you saw it!

CS