What My Love Cooks: Mushroom Stuffed Pork Chops w. Bacon Brussels & Redwine Ginger-Peach Gastrique

georgia peaches, ginger, brussel sprouts, garlic, onion

Serves 4
1 lb. assorted mushrooms, chopped fine
½ onion; julienned
4 strips smoked bacon, chopped
2 lb. brussel sprouts; quartered and blanched
4 fresh GEORGIA peaches; 2 cut in half for grilling, 2 diced for sauce
small piece of ginger; minced fine
kosher salt
ground pepper
dried garlic
dried oregano
cinnamon
sugar
sherry vinegar
olive oil

sauteed baby bello mushrooms chopped

Start by sauteing mushrooms in a little bit of olive oil on medium high heat.  Season them with pepper, garlic, oregano, and a very small pinch of cinnamon.  You want to cook the mushrooms just until they get some color.  Finish the mushrooms by seasoning with salt to taste.  Let them cool for a minute, and chop them very fine, use a food processor if you have one.

Once this is done you can stuff your pork chops and prepare them for grilling.

Season your peaches before you grill them with a little salt and pepper. Prepare your grill. While your grill heats knock out the brussel sprouts and sauce.

georgia peaches

Blanche the brussels (quickly cook it in boiling salted water; then shock it in ice water to stop it from cooking further.

blanched and cooled

Start your bacon in a hot pan over medium-high heat. Stir the bacon while it cooks so it does not burn.  Once it has browned, you can add your onions.  Let them cook until they become translucent, stirring all along.  Season with salt, pepper, garlic, oregano, and a pinch of sugar. Deglaze with a splash of sherry vinegar, and add your blanched brussel sprouts.  Season again to taste with salt and pepper, hold warm.

chop and cook bacon

add the blanched brussels

add caramelized onions

For the sauce, start by sauteing your diced peaches in a little olive oil, on medium high heat.  Cook for 2-3 minutes and add the fresh garlic.  Cook for another 2-3 minutes, sprinkle with a touch of sugar, and deglaze with enough red wine to consume all of the peaches.  Reduce until almost dry, and remove from heat.

georgia peaches, garlic, ginger and olive oil

red wine

cook down wine

TIME TO GRILL!

Grill your peach halves and beautiful stuffed chops.  Be careful not to overcook or burn the peaches as they contain a lot of natural sugars. Non-stick spray works great! Also, you can use the grill to get marks on your food and then finish it in a hot oven, whatever you’re more comfortable with.

grilled peaches

grilled peaches

Once your pork chops and peaches are done, you’re ready to eat!  This is a wonderful, gluten-free summer dish that will surely impress your cookout guests, AND all of the hard work can be done ahead of time!

full plate

Bon appetite!
-Chef Aaron, Louis Kingsley Catering and Personal Chef

We provide catering and other private chef services in Atlanta, GA and beyond! Contact us with your comments, questions, or inquiries!

NY or BUST | Day 5: We found our favorite spot of all!

Hello, friends.

This is the food account of the final full day on the road. It’s crazy to think only a week ago we were in Philly preparing for the journey home to Atlanta. Thanks to the new followers and likers who came on board during these road trip posts. Welcome to our food obsession. We hope to post more of Aaron’s recipes in the coming weeks and look forward to many more trips to share in the future!

On Day 5 we left Philly and made our way south. Our first food stop for lunch was in Wilmington, DE. It was my first time there. I searched my maps and found a little family-owned Peruvian restaurant called The Chicken House. The reviews seemed legit and exactly up our alley. I’m always on the hunt for down-to-earth delicious food that isn’t commercialized or over processed but this can sometimes go horribly wrong. When we arrived at The Chicken House, I was still slightly skeptical. The building isn’t special perhaps an old Wendy’s but we walked in and were immediately greeted with smiles. When I sat down I noticed the tables were clean and in good shape. The condiment holders were practically brand new and if you have worked in restaurants or just an OCD freak you know how important that is. When I opened up the menu, I was immediately drawn to a bright picture of salsa de jalea on top of mussels. I knew I had to try it right away. And they were absolutely perfect. The salsa (onions, corn, red pepper, cilantro) was heavily limed and crisp. The mussels were HUGE and perfectly cooked. Together it was a cold fresh citrusy delight. We had to keep some of the excess salsa for our main dishes. The freshness was addictive.

For my entree I chose the Lomo Saltado, what they call “Our Beloved Dish.” The description taken straight from the menu: “Tenders of prime beef and French Fries, sautéed with onions and tomatoes in a splash of soy sauce. Served with rice.” And two wonderfully simple Peruvian aji sauces. It was comfort goodness in my mouth, guys: tasty, savory, flavorful, spicy, and hot. What else can a person ask for in a meal? Aaron got half of a beautifully seasoned and roasted chicken with yellow rice. The tender chicken fell right off the bone. And both dishes under $10 dollars!

We left Wilmington and continued South. We had a glorious ride through Monticello area and Charlottesville during the golden hour. I have to say that was my favorite place to ride through. The farms are breathtaking. We finally stopped for dinner in middle-of-nowhere Virginia outside of Lovingston at a locally owned pizzeria called Vito’s. Again I was skeptical when we first pulled up but when we got inside I was pleasantly surprised. It’s a cute little space, clean and efficient. The service was great. It was close to closing time but they welcomed us warmly. Our nice server recommended the pizza so we ordered one to take with us on the road for our last push home the next day. We also ordered off the menu. The menu items weren’t bad but not as good as I hoped. The pizza was great though. The dough was fresh and the pizza thin; ingredients nice and generous. The owner, Sal, is a nice Italian-American man who spoke with us for a few minutes before we left. We found out he’s been in the industry for years and loves going clubbing! 🙂 We would recommend pizza here to anyone driving through the beautiful Virginia mountains.

The foodie goal of the road trip was to get a feel for small locally owned restaurants. We have plenty of beautifully constructed restaurants with new age (over-priced) menus here in Atlanta. We know the big cities have these in abundance. We wanted local food and good service; not acrylic chairs and crispy pig ear drunken goat cheese salads (even though those can be pretty good, too). This trip reaffirmed for us as small business owners that fancy is cool and all but you can’t beat simply good food and service. That’s how you keep them coming back for more. We look forward to our next hole in the wall surprise to share with you guys. Thanks for reading. Cheers!

– Jin

NY or BUST | Days 3 & 4: We made it, y’all!

Day 3 & 4 – We made it, y’all!

Chef and I kept our food choices pretty low-key on the road. As much as we enjoy presenting fine dining to our clients, we really don’t need as much to satisfy our food cravings. Almost all of our food stops on the road were local hometown favorites that have nothing to do with stars but maybe a few great reviews from real locals. We don’t need fancy. Just real food cooked well and presented in a clean environment. Hell, sometimes it doesn’t even have to be that clean. 🙂 Our time in the New York countryside as well as the city went the same.

We left for NYC on Wednesday July 1, 2014 (day 3) but not before we stopped at Gio’s Gelato in Port Jervis, NY owned by Annmarie and Rocky Giovinello. Annmarie is a Masanotti like Aaron; his father’s first cousin. She hasn’t seen Aaron since he was a young boy and it was a wonderful little reunion. Aaron’s grandmother was a well-loved midwife in the area and helped bring all of Annmarie’s children into the world like many other residents. This is what small towns are all about. Gio’s is a cute cozy shop right over a short old bridge from Matamoras, PA across the street from the Delaware River. It has wonderful fresh homemade sandwiches, pastas, paninis, and gelato. True small-town New York, Italian, and family-owned! I had a half meatball parm, cup of tomato basil soup, and a small side of classic italian style pasta salad. It was simple delicious Italian comfort for 7 bucks!

Half Meatball Parm Panini from Gio’s Gelato. It was preceded by the generous cup of homemade tomato basil below.

When we arrived in NYC, we checked into The Pod 51 hotel located in Midtown East. It has a rooftop you can hang out on and a great location close to many attractions, restaurants, and shopping. The room was small but it was clean and had what we needed. There was a flash flood warning for our area so we decided to stay close for a late lunch. We traveled just a block over from our hotel for some raw fish at Tanaka Sushi. The waitress was very nice and inquisitive (“I’ve never seen you two here before.”). The food was decently fresh, rice nicely seasoned, and drinks cold. That’s all it really takes to impress us. So, we approved.

View from the roof at The Pod 51.

Later, we had overpriced drinks and tiny mussels at the hotel’s restaurant (Pod @ Pod) because of the flash flood weather but they tasted alright and the service was good. We enjoyed the music there as well but the crowd (local single white collar mostly male) was unreasonably obnoxious for the atmosphere of the restaurant. But, we stayed and enjoyed ourselves anyway. We walked around the city afterwards with bright eyes and open hearts. It was a great night.

DAY 4 – Goodbye, New York

On our last day in New York, we managed a tasty Central Park lunch at The Loeb Boathouse. The food is simple but they use above-average ingredients. I had a classic tuna on toasted rye and the Chef had an Italian on ciabatta that he liked. Both sandwiches were hearty and reasonably priced. The restaurant has outdoor seating with some shade. It was lovely to just relax for a minute and fuel up on some good food for a trip to the Metropolitan Museum which was not far.

Aaron and de Kooning

After the Met, we had the pleasure of meeting up with one of Aaron’s friends on Instagram Jose de Jesus (@therealchef_hozay). A native New Yorker with a passion and honesty we relate, too. What a talented and kind dude he is! He is the owner-operator of Chef’s T.A.P.E. catering services in NYC. We met at Dallas BBQ which was on a whim because our two other choices were already packed out. We only had a few drinks but the service and company was great!

We hope to see this great chef again someday soon!

After we left NYC, we headed straight for Philly for a late dinner with our former client Ashley and David Lu. They recently celebrated their first anniversary. Our first choice was also packed out so we opted for the Shake Shack. It’s a hipsterized burger joint with pretty good food. Unfortunately, I was not feeling well during our dinner because of car sickness so I didn’t get any pictures. However, I was able to take a few bites of the Shroom burger and it was delicious! Great place to get a delicious burger and a thick-ass tasty shake. We ended the day at the Hyatt at Penn’s Landing. What a great place on the water, right next to Christopher Columbus Park, with a great view of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge. We got the room for a great price but parking is a bitch ($40.00/overnight, not much better than NYC) but it’s the price you pay if you want to drive your own way around.

Race St Pier just a few blocks from the Hyatt at Penn’s Landing

Day 5 our final full day on the road, is coming up. You can find more pictures on our Instagram accounts (@louiskingsley, @chefmasanotti, @jin_loves). We found our favorite restaurant out of the whole trip on Day 5 so stay tuned for that. Happy Monday, friends.

NY or Bust | Day 2

Hi, guys. Chef and I are back on the road after a 1.5 day stop in he Matamoras, PA/Port Jervis, NY area.

Day 2 was nostalgic for Chef. We stayed with his wonderful uncle who not only fed and sheltered us but fixed a rattle underneath our car and discovered a broken sway bar! Luckily we found a good local mechanic and got it fixed in a few hours. We were even luckier Chef’s mom was also in town. She is one of the best moms ever and drove us around to keep the good times rolling. We went to beautiful Bushkill Falls. There is a fee to go through the trails around the falls but it is worth it. The bridges and walkways are well-kept and the falls are just beautiful.

After we got our car back, we found ourselves making our way to the Polar Bear ice cream shop in Matamoras, PA. Aaron got the hand-dipped come (his favorite of all-time from there).

Then for dinner, we met with some more extended family at a small pizza place in Port Jervis, NY called Len and Jo’s. When Aaron was little he loved going there after little league games with his team. Len and Jo’s isn’t a fancy establishment but the beer is cold and the pan pizza is made with fresh dough. If you like not too thick not too thin pizza with the crispy almost-burned-sauce-and-cheese edges–then this is the place for a yummy small-town fix.

We are currently on our way to NYC and plan to check in at The Pod 51 hotel on the southeast side of Central Park. More food and good times to come!

– Jin

NY or Bust | Day 1.5

Hello, friends.

Chef Aaron and I are on the road this week up the Eastern Coast. I drove for over 9 hours yesterday but we finally made it last night to camp at the Kiptopeke State Park in Virginia. We cooked garlic herb chicken skewers over an open camp fire for dinner. We had some juicy fire roasted mushrooms and a lovely mixed green, blueberry, alfalfa sprouts, green apple, and walnut salad to go along. Unfortunately, it was really dark and we didn’t get any pictures. Oops! However, we managed a few pictures before dinner. And the weather was perfect.

We explored the Kiptopeke’s beach and caught the sunset. The water was icy orange pink and blue and the sky rich shades of orange, purple, magenta. The park is on the western side of the coastal peninsula which is mostly made up of breathtaking farmland and the Eastern Shore National Wildlife Refuge. The entire region connects to one another in cute little green and tan boxes from the google maps Earth view between the Atlantic and the Chesapeake Bay.

Inside the wildlife refuge we saw deer frolicking about and little bunnies hopping all over the place. I fell in love like I always do with Nature. Over and over again.

Aaron is currently driving as I type away on my phone. We are back on the road heading for our next resting place–Aaron’s childhood neighborhood of Matamoras, PA/Port Jervis, NY (tri-state NY/PA/NJ area). This is my first time visiting his extended family and look forward to rafting down the Delaware River with them tomorrow!

Food stops and pics are coming soon, too. Don’t you worry one bit, reader. Stay with us.

Here’s to summer road trips!

– Jin

What My Love Cooks: Crispy-Skinned Arctic Char

Hello, Friends! It’s been a while but Chef and I are back with a new summer dish. School’s out for summer and it’s already muggy in Hotlanta. So, we’re trying to keep it light for dinner with a low-carb gluten free recipe. There isn’t anything particularly special about arctic char fish. It is a fairly affordable and common redfish that has the same coloring as salmon. We love it because, like salmon or trout, it has a great skin you can get nice and crispy. We recommend roasting the sweet potatoes as directed but you can shorten cook time by cooking the sweet potatoes differently. Some sweet potatoes come in microwave bags and if you’re in hurry, not a bad option–it’s just tastier roasted. We hope everyone stays cool. Until next time this is what my Love cooks…

-Jin

---

Crispy-Skinned Arctic Char w. Sauteed Yellow Beans & Criminis, Coriander & Anise Scented Sweet Potato, Dark Berry-Red Wine Caramelized Onion Chutney

SERVES: 4

2 large Arctic Char fillets
3 sweet potatoes
2 lb. yellow beans
1 lb. crimini mushrooms
1 sm. white onion
1 sm. red onion

Blueberry or Blackberry Vinegar
Cabernet or Red Wine
Unsalted Butter
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Coarse Sea Salt
Fresh Black Pepper
Red Pepper Flake
Star Anise Ground
Coriander
Dried Diced Garlic
Dried Honey Powder Ground
Cinnamon
Italian Seasoning
Fig Balsamic Reduction (Garnish)
Baby Kale or any baby green (Garnish)

---

Start by trimming and portioning your fish filets.  Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flake.  Cover with wrap and hold in fridge.

Preheat oven to 450F. In an ovenproof pan, place washed sweet potatoes. Season with salt, pepper, star anise, coriander, garlic, and honey powder.  Add a little water to the pan, just enough to cover the bottom. Cover with aluminum and bake in oven for roughly 1 hr. or until a knife slides through easily.  Hold after cooked, warm on the stove top. To serve them, slice or leave whole. You can save time and cook the sweet potatoes another way but roasted them this way will make sure they cook through nicely.

Next you will need to saute your mushrooms. Heat a large saute pan on medium high heat and add 2 tablespoons olive oil.  Once the oil is hot add the mushrooms and season with pepper, garlic, and italian seasoning.  When mushrooms begin to brown add salt to taste and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Hold warm for your cooked beans.

*Salting mushrooms too early results in boiled mushrooms which are no good. Waiting to salt your mushrooms will help them retain some body and texture!

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for your beans.  Make sure there is enough water for your beans to swim freely.  Once boiling,  toss the beans in.  After the water has returned to a boil, let them go for 2-3 minutes.  Remove from water and place beans in an ice bath to stop the cooking.  Drain and add to the mushrooms.  Hold warm for plating. *Check seasoning and possibly add some vinegar of your choosing.  A teaspoon of Sherry Vinegar will really set these beans off! Next you can sear the fish.  Using a hot saute pan add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and slowly place the seasoned fish filets SKIN SIDE DOWN!  This is vital for the crispy skin.  Cook on skin side for 4-5 minutes, or until crispy.  Reduce heat to medium and carefully flip the fish.  Cook for another 4-5 minutes and hold hot for plating. Drain some of the oil from the fish pan, and add a tablespoon of fresh oil. Once hot add your diced white and red onion.  Saute for 5-6 minutes on medium high heat. Season with salt, pepper, red pepper, garlic, star anise, and dried honey powder. Deglaze with dark berry vinegar, then with red wine. Reduce until almost dry, remove from heat, and immediately whisk in 2-3 tablespoons of nice unsalted butter. TIME TO PLATE!!! *Using some nice reduced balsamic and some peppery baby kale, I laid down an outline for the dish. Add some sliced sweet potato, a spoon of mushroom-bean ragout, and top with your beautiful Arctic Char! Garnish with the amazing chutney and enjoy! Bon appetit!

-Chef Aaron

---

 

Contact us with any questions or business inquiries! louiskingsley.com/contact

What My Love Cooks: Smoked Pork Gyozas w. Sweet Thai Chili Sauce

Hello Friends & Followers!

Chef and I know it’s been a while since you’ve heard from us. April is always a very busy month filled with catering birthdays and weddings as well as personal birthday celebrations and holidays. Since the end of March we’ve had at least one event every weekend and this will go on until the end of May. Also, did I mentioned we remodeled our dining room into an office/studio? So, we took a little break from the recipes but in the meantime we got to spend some quality time with our families as well as each other. We got to visit with our closest friends and family members here in Atlanta as well as Charlotte, NC

Because of our travels to North Carolina Aaron and I took a few days for ourselves to chase waterfalls all over the Blue Ridge Parkway. We explored the Pisgah National Forest as well as the Dupont State Forest where, we learned, some of the Hunger Games: Catching Fire film was filmed.  If you’ve never been to the Asheville-Biltmore Estate area of North Carolina, we highly recommend it. We also had the most fabulous service and food while we were in the area. This is very rare and special for us as it seems when we go on holiday we always have at least one or two mediocre or flat out horrible dining experiences. We went to Fig Bistro, Corner Kitchen, and Moe’s Original BBQ (we also have one in ATL) in the Biltmore Estate area. All three establishments had fantastic food and service. Just fantastic and, of course, it is absolutely beautiful out there in the mountains! Pictures of our travels and events are below.

Our girls (Jin’s sister and best friend) having fun working the bar at one of our events in April. We are a true family business! 4/5/14

 

They sort of love the new floors. 🙂

Some moments from one of our events and Jin’s birthday weekend.

 

Charlotte, NC – A silhouette portrait of our brother and sister-in-law.

A few moments from our exploration of the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Now we’re back with some great and easy recipes for the backyard BBQ/graduation season that is upon us. The smoked pork gyoza is one of our catering company’s (www.louiskingsley.com) most popular appetizer selections. We haven’t met anyone who doesn’t like smoked pork who didn’t like it. It takes a little time smoking the meat and assembling the gyozas but not too bad; trust us–it’s worth it. Assembling dumplings is like a Korean-side tradition in my family so we enjoy the time we get to spend together when we make these gyozas. A great aspect of the recipe is these guys are baked off instead of fried. They still come out nice and crispy from the oven. Drizzle some of the sweet chili sauce and fresh herbs on top or serve the sauce in a dipping dish and you have a tasty savory sweet treat for all your guests. We hope you guys will try this one out and enjoy making them! This is what my Love cooks…

-Jin

---

Smoked Pork Gyozas w. Sweet Thai Chili Sauce

Ingredients:

1 small bone-in pork butt
2 cups Old Bay seasoning
Sherry Vinegar
S+P
Hickory Wood and Applewood

1 pack of gyoza wrappers (usually 50 in one pack)
2-3 large eggs
1/4 cup of flour

1 bottle of Sweet Thai Chili Sauce

PORK BUTT

Rub the entire butt with Old Bay seasoning.

Smoke the butt w. Hickory and Applewood.Take your time and make sure that you are able to smoke the meat at a low temp (under 200 degrees) for about 2 hours.

Transfer the pork to a large pan and add 2 cups of water. Cover the pan tight with aluminum foil and cook in the oven at 425 degrees for 2.5-3 hours. Basically until the bone just falls out of it.

Let the meat cool so you can prepare to assemble the gyozas.

Carefully remove most of the liquid in the pan and begin to “pull” the meat by hand (gloves are good). Once it has been pulled and shredded to your approval, add a little sherry vinegar, salt and fresh pepper. Don’t be shy with the vinegar.

Fall off the bone smoked and roasted pork butt!

GYOZAS

Ready your work space. Aaron and I like to wrap the island counter with plastic wrap or the kitchen table. This will keep your table and ensure your workspace is clean before you start.

Break the eggs and scramble. Do not add milk.

Lightly sprinkle some flour of the work surface and place out 15-25 wrappers at a time. Take a small brush or your fingertip and place the egg mix along two joining ends of the gyoza wrapper. Place a small teaspoon of pork in the middle of the wrapper; then fold and seal the ends of the wrapper to the egg mix edge to the plain edge.

Place the gyozas on a oiled flat pan or a pan with cookie sheets and bake them at 385 degrees for 13-15 minutes. You will need to flip the gyoza half way through to get them crispy on both sides.

When they’re nice and browned, pull them from the oven and serve with a traditional Thai sweet chili sauce. Very tasty. Enjoy!

– Chef Aaron

Our gyozas and thai chili sauce along with goat cheese and sundried tomato grit cakes and fresh bruschetta w. aged balsamic drizzle. Contact Louis Kingsley Catering today for your next event, Atlanta!

---

Now you try it and let us know how it goes! Contact us with any questions or suggestions! Your feedback is appreciated greatly!

Louis Kingsley Catering

What My Love Cooks: Lightly Smoked Beef Flap Steak

Hello, Friends.

The last two weeks have been busy for Chef and I. We are preparing for our Spring weddings and also working on small private dinners. As I’ve mentioned before, our catering company is looking to more intimate private dining events (see our last post here). This has been taking away from our chances to post recipes but I’m sure you guys can forgive us if we skip a week here and there. 😉 It’s just Aaron and I making all of this food and glory happen and even though we enjoy it, it takes up a lot of our time and energy. Thanks for your support!

NOT a restaurant bar. This is the Clarino/Cirone family basement bar. Fully stocked and loaded. 😉 It’s always a great time when you have gracious hosts like this fam!

Last week we were fortunate enough to spend another evening with one of our favorite Italian families around these here parts. Our patrons wanted our services to help celebrate their parents’ 50th Anniversary. 50 YEARS! Such a beautiful and wonderful occasion. Dinner was for 8 guests only–the parents and their children. No grandkids, no friends. Just the original five family members and the children’s respective partners. It was an incredibly intimate, hilarious (they’re a rowdy fun-loving bunch), and delicious dinner service.
Afterwards, more guests arrived and we all partied all night in their gorgeous lake home. The five-course Italian fare was nothing short of perfection. Aaron got to prepare and cook wonderful prime filet mignon for them and incredible sous vide Osso Bucco dish (maybe next week’s recipe…?). And while Chef loves these delicious and rich cuts of protein, he also likes bringing out the best in the most affordable cuts of beef you can buy at the grocery store.

Chef Aaron plating made-from-scratch Osso Bucco lakeside.

Beautiful lakeside home with a view like this from the pool.

Chef wanted to play around with some inexpensive cuts of beef to see what he could do with it. And as you can see by the featured image, he manages well. He asked the manager of the meat department (very friendly fellow) for a few suggestions and they came up with the flap steak. I know the name isn’t sexy but as you can see, you can make this protein as sexy as you want it to. The key is seasoning and cooking the beef with love and care. Aaron and I both believe you don’t have to buy a $15/lb cut of beef to enjoy it. Instead spend a quarter of that and have enough beef to feed the family and left overs to throw on a salad the next day. It’s what I did and this is what my Love cooks…

Lightly Smoked Beef Flap Steak | Glazed Veggies w. Watercress, Handmade Pasta Sheets, Chives, & Balsamic

Serves: 4

1 (2-3 lb.) beef flap steak
2 bunches baby carrots
1 lb. haricot vert
1 pk. cherry tomatoes
1 bundle organic watercress
5 cloves minced garlic
2 shallots diced
2 1/2 cups flour (AP)
3 eggs
1 pk fresh chives
Balsamic Reduction
Applewood for smoking
Extra virgin olive oil [EVOO]
Unsalted Butter
Salt and Pepper

PASTA
On a clean dry surface make a mound with the flour.  Make a small well in the middle.  Lightly whip the eggs and pour into the well.  In a circular motion using your fingers, slowly incorporate the flour into the pool of egg.  Once the dough begins to form you will need to wrap the dough and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before before rolling it out.  Use a pasta machine and start with the largest roll number. Decrease the number each time until the pasta as thin as you want it. Don’t go too thin too fast or the pasta will rip.  Keep it dry by dusting it with flour as you roll it through the machine.  Cut the sheets into small sections and cook 10 minutes before plating.

VEGGIES
While smoking the meat, blanch the veggies in salted boiling water and shock in ice water.  Finish the veggies by sautéing shallots and garlic in EVOO.  Add the veggies to the pan and sauté for a minute to warm them through. Glaze the veggies by adding a little butter, salt and pepper.

STEAK
Season the steak with salt, pepper, and garlic.  We recommend A LOT of garlic. Get creative here and use some fresh herbs or herb butter. Italian seasoning is a great blend. Lightly smoke the meat for 45-60 minutes.  Don’t let the heat in the smoker get higher than 150-200F.  Remove the meat from the smoker and sear in a pan to finish. Don’t use high heat and try to keep it at a medium well or the meat will become tough. Be patient and cook the meat slowly to make sure it is not overdone. You can also tenderize the meat by hand (literally with your hand/fist or with a tenderizing tool).

Plate the veggies and pasta on the dish first. Plate the steak as soon as you take it off the stove and slice it. Garnish with a drizzle of aged Balsamic Vinegar and serve immediately.  Bon appetite!

What My Love Cooks: Scallops w. Sweet Corn Succotash & Bourbon Cream

The last two beautiful weeks were filled with birthdays (Chef Aaron’s and one of my best friend’s–Aquarius in the building!), incredible food, and (mostly) lovely weather. It is chilly again today but we had spring-like temps in Atlanta for over a week and we really got to enjoy it. With the lovely weather came another inquiry for a private dinner party. We are fortunate we closed the deal last week and we’re very excited to offer our new clients the very best food and service there is in April for a wonderful 50th birthday celebration. On this note, Chef Aaron and I want 2014 to be a year of continued growth. While we enjoy the weddings we cater, one of our 2014 resolutions is to explore and go deeper into the world of small party events (10-50 guests). Our transition into smaller dining events is taking fruit as we are seeing more and more inquiries for them. This has much to do with the promotion of the real food and real pictures we post on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and a handful of others. We receive business inquiries and great feedback through these forums. This week’s recipe came from a request from a food lover who saw the picture of the Scallops and Succotash dish on one of our social media avenues.

The succulent scallops and succotash dish makes a wonderful small plate or an entrée (just add a few more juicy golden brown scallops). We prepared this dish for a private party a few weeks ago. No one left a bite. The creamy sweetness of the succotash compliments not only scallops but most seafood very well. Shrimp, lobster, crab are all winners here. We didn’t add bacon to this particular recipe but we certainly do not disapprove of its use. In fact, Chef encourages you to use it in the succotash or to wrap the scallops with.  Scallops and bacon, as many of you know, is a perfect combination (almost anything with bacon for that matter). Experiment and have fun.

The photo below is a re-use photo of cooking scallops but was taken by me and food, of course, cooked by Aaron. I’ll admit I used it solely for looks. The featured photo is one of the recipe; I took it at the private dinner service we provided few weeks ago. I took both pictures with my iPhone 5. I used VSCOcam app and Afterlight app on both photos to brighten. Remember, the key to this dish is simple: properly cook the scallops and season the succotash well simply by tasting it as you go along. You know what tastes good. Trust yourself/your tongue. This is what my Love cooks…

– Jin

Pan Seared Scallops w. Sweet Corn Succotash & Bourbon Cream

Scallops and Succotash by Chef Aaron. Photo by Jin Lee.

Serves 4

12-16 large scallops (U10-U20 are available at Sams Club Frozen!)
2 lb. organic frozen white corn
1 lb. organic frozen baby lima beans
20-30 white pearl onions, peeled
Dried Diced Garlic
Italian Seasoning
Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper
1 bunch fresh thyme
1 Lemon; for zest
1 qt. Heavy Whipping Cream
1 bottle Bourbon
Unsalted Butter
Olive Oil
Balsamic Reduction

Bourbon Cream:
Start by heating a small 2 qt. sauce pot.  When the pan is hot, remove from heat and add a small pour of bourbon. While still off the heat, ignite warm alcohol with with lighter.  BE CAREFUL!  It will flame up. Return to heat and cook alcohol on a medium heat until the flame goes away.  Watch carefully, it happens quickly.  Once the alcohol is almost completely evaporated add the cream.  Add the bundle of thyme; to keep it all together use a sturdy rubber band.

Reduce the heat mixture by ½, or until it is thick enough to coat a spoon.  Check for seasoning with salt and pepper.  Hold warm for plating.

Sweet Corn Succotash:
In a large sauté pan melt 2 tablespoons butter on medium high heat. When butter stops bubbling up, add a small pour of olive oil followed by the pearl onions.  Season with dried garlic, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Sauté for 3-4 minutes until slightly tender.  Next add the lima beans and cook for 3-4 minutes while stirring. Finally add the corn and sauté another 3-4 minutes.  Add some of the bourbon cream, enough to coat the succotash mix.  Reduce heat to low and check for seasoning with salt and fresh black pepper.

Hold warm for plating.

Pan Seared Scallops:
Start by seasoning your scallops on both sides lightly with salt and pepper.  On medium high, heat a large saute pan with 3-4 tablespoons olive oil.  When the oil is hot add the scallops and don’t move them around!  Keep them still and they will have a nice crust.  Once the bottom begins to brown, add 2 tablespoons of butter to the pan. Reduce heat to medium low and carefully flip the scallops.  Slowly spoon some of the butter in the pan on top of the scallops and allow to cook for another 3-4 minutes.

Scallops cooking in butter.

Plate with the succotash as your bed for the scallops, or however your heart desires.  Top the scallops with a final spoon of bourbon cream. Garnish with fresh lemon zest and a drizzle of Balsamic Reduction. Bon appetite!

– Chef Aaron

Contact us with any questions or business inquiries. louiskingsley.com

What My Love Cooks: Applewood Smoked Veal Breast, Braised Bacon & Brussels, Yorkshire Pudding w. Peppered Apple Gravy

We had Snowpocalypse 2 in Atlanta this week. The words critical, serious, dangerous, and icy were used without end. And believe it or not–people listened and stayed off the roads! However, there were many pictures taken at the grocery store of empty bread aisles and people waiting in very long lines for carts and baskets. This is how we prepare for winter weather in Georgia: buy as much bread as possible! It’s hard not to rant here. Damn, Atlanta. None of y’all had anything to eat in the house for two days? TWO DAYS?! Really? Luckily, Aaron and I went shopping a few days before the winter storm Pax (what an awful name).

We always want to try something different and veal is a protein we never cook for ourselves. Aaron found a great slab of it in the meat department. He also found a small box of Yorkshire pudding mix. I never had the little biscuits before and, with the help of Aaron’s incredible gravy, I fell in love with them pretty hard. I told him earlier in the day I was feeling brussels sprouts (he makes the best) and voilà! You have this wonderful smoky, sweet, savory dish with great texture from the braised bacon and sliced brussels. I’m not big on veal but the flavor of the applewood smoke on it was perfect.

We hope everyone has a safe warm weekend. Happy Valentine’s Day! This is what my Love cooks…

– Jin

Smoked Veal and Yorkshire Pudding
Food by Chef Aaron Masanotti. Photo © Jin Lee

Serves 3-4

5 lb slab Veal Breast
Charcoal and Chips for smoking
2 tbsp Organic Beef Base
2 tbsp Apple Chutney
4 slices thick cut bacon
2 lb brussels sprouts
15 oz box Yorkshire Pudding Mix
1 egg
3/4 cup stock
1/2 cup Marsala wine
1 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 cup whole milk
Sherry Vinegar
Salt
Fresh Ground Pepper
Dried Diced Garlic
Italian Seasoning
Vegetable Oil
EVOO
Unsalted Butter

Season Veal Breast well with salt, pepper, garlic, and Italian seasoning.
Prepare your smoker and at a low heat smoke the veal breast on a pan for 30 minutes. You do not want the temperature to get high as it will dry out your veal.

After smoking the veal, sear the breast in a ovenproof pan. When the skin begins to brown, flip over and deglaze pan with Marsala wine. Add apple chutney, beef base, and stock of your choice. (Chicken or Beef will do.) Apple chutney consists of fresh diced apple sautéed in olive oil until tender. They are seasoned with honey and cider vinegar. Braise the breast in the oven for 1-1.5 hours at 350*F. Hold warm and reserve jus for gravy.

Next you will make the gravy. Transfer the jus to a small pot. Create a slurry with the corn starch and milk. Bring the jus to a boil and whisk in the slurry. Reduce the heat to a simmer and season gravy to taste; don’t be shy with the fresh black pepper!

For the Yorkshire Puddings, preheat oven to 425*F. Make pudding mix according to instructions. This one was simple, stir in an egg and some water. Then, grease a 12 count muffin pan with vegetable oil and put on the top rack of your oven until the oil begins to sizzle. Remove from oven and spoon evenly the mix into the pan. Carefully return pan to oven and cook until golden brown and fluffy!

To make the brussels sprouts start by slicing your bacon and brussels. Slice your brussels thin and they will not need a lot of time to cook. Start by sautéing the bacon in a little EVOO. Once the bacon begins to brown add your sliced brussels. Season lightly with salt and pepper, and deglaze with Sherry vinegar. Cover and cook on low for 5 minutes; hold warm for service.

Plate and enjoy! Pairs well with crisp white wine or a well-aged Scotch. 😉

– Chef Aaron

Tips:

The Yorkshire pudding makes for great tasting crepes!

Substitute veal for chicken or steak.

Smoked Veal and Yorkshire Pudding
Food by Chef Aaron Masanotti. Photo © Jin Lee