Show Me Some Love!

February 14, 2017

Rose 4Happy Valentine's Day everyone! Since many started celebrating earlier this weekend, seems like we've been awash in hearts and chocolate just a little bit longer than usual this year. But that's ok, everyone could use a little more love in their life, right? Right! (Although, I think no one needs the inflated prices for flowers and dinner, the rush so many restaurants give you so they can flip their tables quickly, on top of the pressure to buy stuff that will probably just end up in a landfill. Can you tell I have a cynical side?) But seriously, a happy VD is something we should all have (and that's my 6th grade humor side!). OK, seriously. I just feel so lucky that we get to be a part of a "holiday" that is, in my opinion, so frivolous but also so cute and sweet. What a great life we get to lead! 

Of course, I think there is no better way to show your love than to cook for those you care about most.  Today, I've got two recipes featured on our current that will make your loved ones hearts and mouths happy, happy, happy!  There's also a fun way to prepare bacon for your sweetie(s).  Scroll down and have a look.  Don't forget to keep in touch with all the goings-on in the LAFW kitchen by clicking onto our page and becoming a fan.

Happy Valentines Everyone! Looking forward to cooking with you all soon.

xoxo 

Rose


Flourless Nutella Chocolate Cake
with a Mixed Berry Coulis  

Flourless chocolate cake may seem passé but this a fun twist on the rich chocolaty standard that never bores me! Featured on our  , it's been a favorite at many of our events. The berry coulis is a great sauce to add to your baking repertoire as it can be used for anything from topping off a scoop of ice cream to spilling into a freshly baked soufflé. When buying Nutella, be careful not to buy too much or you may be inclined to let it creep into many more dishes than just this dessert. I often hear my extra Nutella calling me in the middle of the night to be eaten off a simple spoon :). You have been warned!

 
For the Cake
1/2 pound of butter
1/4 pound dark chocolate
1/2
cup Nutella
1
teaspoon espresso powder
7
eggs, separated
2/3
cup sugar
1
For the Coulis
10
ounces frozen mixed berries
1/4 cup of sugar
1/4
water
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 1/2 tablespoons water, for dissolving cornstarch
1/2
cup whipping cream 
1 tablespoon Frangelico liqueur, optional
 

flourless chocolate nutella cake

Preheat the oven to 350F, and place baking rack on the lowest rung. Butter a 9 inch springform pan.

Cut the butter and the dark chocolate into chunks (or use high quality dark chocolate chips) and melt in a double boiler or in the microwave (on very low power) until smooth.

Remove butter/chocolate mixture from heat source and add the Nutella and mix well with a small whisk or fork. Add the espresso powder and mix thoroughly.

Beat the egg whites in mixer bowl until peaks start to form to moderately stiff peaks.

In an other mixing bowl, add the sugar to the egg yolks and beat with a whisk until thoroughly incorporated and mixture turns pale yellow, about 3 minutes. Add the chocolate mixture and mix well.

Carefully add in the egg whites into the chocolate of the mixture and stir until well-blended (try not to deflate the egg whites completely but make sure they’re completely mixed in).

Pour into the prepared springform pan and place into the oven. Bake for 45-50 minutes. The cake should still seem a little "jiggly" in the center but a toothpick should come out clean. Let the cake cool completely, at least 30 minutes before serving. It'll likely deflate quite a bit.

Meanwhile, make coulis: In a large saucepan, combine the fruit, the sugar and water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, crushing the berries until they are completely broken down, about 15 minutes.

Strain the berries through a fine-mesh sieve and set over a bowl, scraping and pressing hard on the solids to remove the seeds.

Wipe out the saucepan and return the strained berry juice to it. Add the cornstarch dissolved in water and simmer over medium-low heat until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Let cool. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

For the whipped cream: Whisk cream with an electric mixer until it form soft peaks. Add Frangelico and whip to incorporate.

When ready to serve, slice cake into 8 pieces. To the bottom of each dessert plate, add a puddle of coulis and place a slice of cake on each plate. Top cake with generous dollop of whipped cream and serve.

Source: www.msadventuresinitaly.com

Makes 8 Servings.  Per Serving: 563 Calories; 41g Fat (63.7% calories from fat); 7g Protein; 46g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 246mg Cholesterol; 306mg Sodium.


Bacon Hearts  

Bacon Hearts

How cute are these?!?!? And you don't have to save them for Valentine's Day either! They’re perfect for the ones you love any time! They are also super easy to make, although practice does make these little lovelies really perfect. I made a whole bunch for Alexandria House a couple of weeks back. At first they were just ok. However, by the end of that 3 pound slab of bacon, they were so cute! So make lots! Don't use thick cut, heavy bacon as it will be too stiff to shape. Old school, Classic Cut Farmer John is what I used and it worked perfectly. I also love this little recipe because you cook the bacon in the oven, which is a great way to make up a whole bunch at one time with minimal clean up. What's not to love about that!?!

Here's what you do: Preheat oven to 400 degrees.


Cut your bacon slices in half. Using two pieces of the cut in half bacon… shape them into a heart on a sheet pan (make sure this pan has sides so the grease doesn’t get all over your oven!). Bake for 18 – 25 minutes (or until done). Drain on some paper towels and serve to the ones you love. Or let them cool completely and then dip in some melted chocolate. Let the chocolate cool and harden on some wax or parchment paper for a sweet-savory dessert! Yum!


 Beet, Pickled Cherry

and Crispy Shallot Salad

And finally, a little something healthy for your heart! This has been my absolute favorite salad on our menu this past  . Not only do I love the beets, but I love the way the beets are cooked in vinegar and oil to make the base for the dressing that goes on the salad greens. The beets, with their juices, impart a lovely sweetness to the cooking liquid. Because of this, the dressing requires less olive oil compared to most vinaigrettes. You will find this salad on our current featured with Moroccan inspired dishes, but it would be just as lovely at an upcoming Spring brunch or eaten with some heart-healthy wild caught salmon for a lunch or light dinner this summer!

2
large beets, quartered
1/4
cup olive oil
4 sprigs of thyme
3
cloves of garlic, smashed
6
tablespoon red wine vinegar, divided
  
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup dried sour cherries, about 3 oz
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
2
tablespoons sugar
1/3 cup water
  canola oil for frying shallots
4 large shallots, very thinly sliced
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
3 ounces mesclun salad mix
 

beet and pickled cherries

Preheat the oven to 350°. In a small baking dish, toss the beets with the olive oil, thyme, garlic and 1/4 cup of the vinegar and season with salt and black pepper. Cover tightly with foil and roast for about 1 1/2 hours, until fork-tender. Let cool slightly.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine the cherries with the fennel seeds, sugar, water and the remaining 2 tbs of vinegar and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat and let stand for 30 minutes.

In a large saucepan, heat 2 inches of canola oil over moderately high heat until shimmering. Add the sliced shallots and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until they are golden brown, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fried shallots to paper towels to drain.

When beets are cool enough to handle, peel the outside skin with paper towels. Slice them 1/4 inch thick slices and arrange them on the outside of the serving dish. Save all the leftover cooking liquid from the beets.

To the dish used to bake the beets that still contains its cooking liquid, add 3 tablespoons of the cherry pickling liquid and the lemon juice, whisking to combine. Season the dressing with salt and black pepper.

Strain the cherries and reserve the remaining pickling liquid for another use (homemade vinaigrette is a good thing to do with this).

Toss the mesclun greens and cherries in the bowl with the dressing.

To serve, mound the mesclun greens and cherries over the beets and garnish with the fried shallots. Season again with salt and pepper, if desired.

Source: foodandwine.com

Makes 4 servings.  Per Serving: 249 Calories; 14g Fat (47.4% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 33g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 56mg Sodium.


WANT TO USE THESE TIPS AND RECIPES IN YOUR E-ZINE, BLOG OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you do not alter the information in any way and include a credit that reads "by Rose LeBoeuf, www.lafoodworks.com, Interactive Cooking Classes, Parties, and Corporate Team Building Events for Groups Looking for a Fun and Unique Dinning Experience."


LA Food Works Events
Ideal for Team Building, Holiday Parties, Client Entertaining, Birthday Parties, Showers and Private Gatherings.
Let LA Food Works make your party one which your guests will not soon forget!

No previous cooking experience required!
Just willingness to put on an apron,
get your hands a little messy,
indulge in some great food
and have lots of fun playing in the kitchen!

We also happily design Custom Cooking Parties. If you have a group of 10 or more foodies who love great food and playing together in the kitchen, contact us and we will design a custom menu or theme class for you and your group.

Our interactive cooking parties both unify and entertain...perfect for any occasion that requires great food, interesting activities and lots of fun!

310-288-0100

For information or to book your event, contact  at 310-288-0100 for an event planning kit, pricing and availability.