Posts

Chonky Boys: The Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches that Scream Summer!

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Featuring my thick and nuggy Chonky Boy Chocolate Chip Cookies, these ice cream sandwiches are the stuff that summer dreams are made of.  If you've ever had the Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich at Disneyland , you are going to LOVE these!  These big and bold chocolate chip cookies are based on a recipe from my culinary school studies at Auguste Escoffier, but with a few modifications to give them that Jennuine touch.  They make the perfectas book for a fat slice of real vanilla bean ice cream.  And those mini chips?  You just gotta have that extra cronch! Thank goodness this recipe only makes 8 sandwiches, otherwise I would be eating them for breakfast lunch and dinner.  This way, my big family can help save me from my inner child diet-saboteur.   Print With Image Without Image Chonky Boy Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches Yield: 8 Author: Jenn Erickson Loaded with chocolate chips and buttery, brown-sugary vanilla flavor, these mall-sized cookie...

Recipe: Amazing Restaurant Style Fried Calamari

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I miss being here.  I really do.  It's been an exciting and wonderful year teaching High School Culinary Arts, and even though I'll miss my students and my classroom, it will be nice to get back to some regular posting and sharing here over the summer.  Thank you for sticking around during my hiatus! We still have one week of school before summer officially begins, and to give the students some extra credit to bring up their semester grades, my friend Amanda, a Marine Science teacher, and I collaborated on a lunchtime lesson.  Using squid pulled out of our bay by a local family, she led a dissection lab.  After, I led a lesson in how to make the perfect deep fried calamari -- the kind with the golden brown, crispy crunchy coating you get in good restaurants. If you have access to fresh or frozen calamari (squid) in your area, give this recipe a try.  It's so easy and is so delicious that you don't even need a dipping sauce -- just a squeeze of...

Recipe: Linguini with Calamari & Clams {and how to make squid ink pasta}

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Last week, I taught my advanced culinary students to clean fresh Monterey Bay squid and how to cook clams.  At the same time, we made homemade linguini.  We tinted one of the batches with squid ink, which made it turn a lovely black color.  To bring all the ingredients together, we created a black and white pasta dish with fresh garlic, white wine, calamari, clams, fresh Roma tomatoes and kalamata olives.   We all agreed that if we'd ordered this in a restaurant, we'd be back again the next night.  Here's our recipe: Black & White Linguine with Fresh Clams & Calamari Prep: 20 mins Total Time: 35 mins Servings: 4-6 8 ounces fresh linguine* 8 ounces squid ink linguine (recipe below) 3 tablespoons olive oil 2 small Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced small 4 garlic cloves, minced 1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes 3/4 cup dry white wine 1 pound small clams (approximately 20-22), such as Manila, rinsed and scrubbed  1/2 pound fr...

Recipe: Risotto with Zucchini and Sundried Tomatoes

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  Risotto is a wonderful and versatile rice dish that hails from Northern Italy and showcases the best attributes of the short-grain Arborio rice.  Sadly, over the years, it's earned a reputation for being difficult to make at home.  With the wrong recipe, this is true, but I'm pleased to tell you that there are risotto recipes out there that are authentic, restaurant quality, and downright easy.  Last week in my culinary arts class, I led twelve teams of high school students in making risotto.  All twelve teams turned out their risottos to perfection.  I'm happy to be sharing our recipe with you today.  I adapted our recipe from the Cook’s Illustrated recipe for Risotto with Asparagus and Wild Mushrooms (March 1994).   Capitalizing on spring colors and flavors, we substituted zucchini and sundried tomatoes for the asparagus and wild mushrooms.  We garnished our risotto with toasted pine nuts (for crunch, color and toasti...

Freebies: Kitchy, Cute and Beautiful Vintage Valentines

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I recently hand-picked some fun vintage valentines at a local tag sale.  I've scanned them in, restored some of the color and am sharing them here with you today.  Happy Valentines Day!  

Chinese New Year Red Evelopes for Kids -- Free Printable -- Year of the Ram

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Hello friends! January has come and is almost gone. The Asian New Year is almost here! By request from a reader, I've updated my free Asian New Year Red Envelope Template to reflect The Year of the Ram.  Isn't he the cutest? Clicke HERE for the template.   Please feel to print, assemble and share good fortune with those you love. ------------------------------------ I've been busy teaching culinary classes, but hope to get back to blogging regularly soon.  In the meantime, please check out our class blog -- www.pghsculinaryarts.com , where you'll find all of the delicious recipes I use with my students. 

Easy Holiday Appetizer: Salmon Cucumber Canapés

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  If you can slice a cucumber, you can make this delicious twist on the classic party appetizer.  With the help of a zesting tool and a pastry bag, you can take the presentation to the next level.  To really wow your guests, you can even cure your own salmon.  It's easier than you probably think.   My Culinary Arts students made these for a school board meeting a few weeks ago.  Add them to your sophisticated entertaining repertoire...   Salmon Cucumber Canapes Makes approx. 48  2 Slicing Cucumbers (not English) these are the ones most commonly found in grocery stores with the dark green skin. 1 8oz. package cream cheese 1/4 cup sour cream  8 oz. smoked salmon (lox) or citrus cured salmon (see below)* Fresh chives for garnish Optional Tools A pastry bag fitted with a star tip   A citrus zester ( THIS is the one we use) Step 1:  Cut the ends off of the cucumbers.  Use the single blade side of y...

A New Holiday Recipe Favorite: Cranberry Apple Slab Pie

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I am so excited to share this recipe! It's Visions of Sugarplums, Mom's Apple Pie and a Norman Rockwell holiday all rolled into one perfect pastry. I developed this recipe for Cranberry Apple Slab Pie for my advanced culinary arts class because, well, we had some leftover fresh cranberries in the fridge and the students were craving something sweet. Although I love baking, I'm not really a "sweets person" ( not to be confused with "sweet person".  I hope those that know me find me sufficiently sweet ).  What I mean is that I can pass right on by most pies, ice creams and pastries.  This little beauty, however, stopped me dead in my tracks.  The buttery puff pastry and cream cheese filling balance out the sweetness of fruit filling.  With every bite, you experience sweet, tart, creamy, buttery, and flaky.  Serve with vanilla bean ice cream for ultimate bliss. Cranberry Apple Slab Pie (Makes 2 pies, 6-8 servings per pie) ...