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June 17, 2011
Hope you all have a wonderful June and a great beginning of summer! Rose LA Food Works Want to have a bunch of friends over to your house for a beautiful dinner party? Want to get everyone involved in the process in a unique way by hosting a fun cooking class? Does the thought of organizing it all make you want to toss the whole idea out the kitchen window? Well don't! Let LA Food Works work our magic in your kitchen! * Shop for and supply all the ingredients in your menu. Angel Hair Pasta with Fresh Broccoli Sauce
For about nine years straight, my son Zach ate pasta every night for dinner. Nothing fancy either! His favorite was plain pasta with butter or olive oil and a sprinkle of parmesan on top. He also liked eating broccoli. As a toddler, he called them baby trees :) To add some variety to our menu, and to placate my creative instincts, I married these two loves and came up with this dish. Currently a side on our Spring-Summer Menu, it's also wonderful as a meal with some grilled chicken tossed in the mix. The broccoli is fabulous on it's own too! Just go light on the olive oil at the end and drizzle with some fresh squeezed lemon juice. You'll be amazed at how good brocolli can taste!
Bring a large stock pot with 4 quarts of water and 4 tablespoons of salt to a boil.
Meanwhile, cut broccoli heads into small florets and peel the stems then slice thinly. In a large sauce pan fitted with a vegetable steamer, bring about two cups of water to a boil. Add the broccoli and steam just until tender, about 3-5 minutes. Remove broccoli and transfer to a colander and rinse in very cold water to stop the cooking. Shake off as much water as possible. Salt to taste and reserve. In a large frying pan, over medium heat, heat the olive oil until it shimmers. Add garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Do not let the garlic brown. Add the broccoli florets along with the salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Saute for about 5 minutes until flavors blend. Remove from heat and reserve. When water in stock pot comes to a full, rolling boil, add pasta and cook until aldente, about 3-5 minutes. Before draining the pasta, reserve about 1 cup of water and add it to the broccoli sauce. Drain pasta in a colander, do not rinse! Place drained pasta in a large heated metal bowl and add the broccoli and grated cheese. Toss everything together and turn the pasta onto a heated platter. Serve immediately. Serves 8 as a side dish and 4 as a main course. Per side dish serving: 353 Calories; 16g Fat (40.7% calories from fat); 9g Protein; 43g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 4mg Cholesterol; 97mg Sodium. Slow Roasted Tomatoes
Preheat your oven to 350F. Cut your tomatoes in half and place them cut side up on foil lined baking sheets coated with a little olive oil to keep the tomatoes from sticking. Sprinkle them each with a little salt, granulated sugar and drizzle with a tiny bit of balsamic vinegar. Then top them with some thinly sliced garlic cloves and a generous helping of fresh thyme. Now pour some more olive oil (about 1 cup for 4 pounds of tomatoes) over and around the halves. Pop them in the oven and let them roast for about 3-4 hours, until they are dark red and collapsed to about half their original size. Let cool and reserved the oil for a wonderful vinaigrette. To store, refrigerate for up to one week or freeze for a couple of months and enjoy this summer goodness right into fall! 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, Summer Associate Events, 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
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This June is a very exciting time at my house because my oldest son, Zachary, is graduating from high school! I'm so happy for him and just can't believe it's happening. When he was a baby, I remember so clearly holding and rocking him to sleep thinking, "I have 18 years with him till he's all grown up and on to college." In what seems like a flash, the time is here. I'm in awe of the whole process! We've also got Father's Day coming up. I am very lucky that my father is still with us. He is 82 and still knocking around, although not as quickly as he use to. You can see a sweet little picture of my dad and Zach taken back in 2001...my how time flies! Next weekend I am taking a break from events and hosting a Graduation and Father's Day party for them. Both my dad and my son love spicy food, so on the menu will be Arroz con Pollo, Beef Tenderloin Fajitas, lots of Guacamole, Salsa and Chips, and a Dulce de Leche Cheese Cake. I'm looking forward to toasting them both. Check in on my 
In this month's newletter, I have a great alternative for the next dinner party you throw in your home. I also have a recipe from our latest 
