Lunch at Winthrop Rockefeller Institute

Wow!  I have been blogging since March, and it's been so much fun meeting other bloggers in Arkansas!  Recently, I was invited by Arkansas Women Bloggers to join their group, THEN I was invited by them to meet at the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute for a complimentary 5 - course lunch wih culinary demonstration.  How tickled was I?!  Beth Stephens of Little Magpie, The Food Adventuress, and Ozark Natural Science Center was one of the hostesses of the now 400 - member group of Arkansas Women Bloggers.  The space did not allow everyone in the group to attend, so I was really flattered to be chosen to attend with 9 others!

The Winthrop Rockefeller Institute is located at the top of Petit Jean Mountain in Morrilton, Arkansas.  It took me about an hour and ten minutes to get there from Little Rock.

The lodging available ranges from houses to apartments to deluxe rooms or suites.  The rates are quite reasonable with amenities such as flat panel TV's, wireless internet, and mini - fridge.  All the things I require in an overnight or weekend stay.  How very Rockefeller.  Yes, those Rockefellers.

This is the dining that's available for conferences.  I've stayed at the Hilton at Rockefeller Center in New York City, and also attended a conference at the Times Square Hilton.  And in comparison, I find that this place is just as nice!  (Right here in little old Arkansas.)  The institute also offers team building, a Saturday Chef Series open to the public, and many other things to do. 

When I arrived, I met with the other bloggers, and then we went into what I'll call their "kitchen stadium" where the seats are tiered with a curved countertop that gave us room for sampling, taking notes, and taking pictures.  Robert Hall was our chef and culinary education coordinator.  Here he is below with Kat Robinson of Eat Arkansas and http://www.tiedyetravels.com/.

 Our seating arrangements:

The first course of our meal was Polenta Fried Green Tomatoes - from the farm down the hill.  The entire meal was gluten free, which made me happy because my bariatric dietitian friend Courtney says that gluten causes many GI problems.  Check out her site at http://www.bariatricbites.net/.  The polenta formed a crispy crust around the firm green tomato.  The remoulade and sweet red pepper topping completed it deliciously.  Are fried green tomatoes just an Arkansas, or southern thing?  Hmm.

For the second course, we had a mixed green salad with raspberry champagne vinaigarette, freshly picked blueberries, and black walnuts that were "almost" caramelized.  So good, I forgot to get a good picture for you.  Sorry.

Next, we were served a room temperature Peach Chardonnay Soup.  I ate every bite of this refreshing soup!  It was really, really good.

Next, Robert prepared us a Rainbow Wild Rice Succotash with purple hull peas and corn from the cob.

The rice was then topped with Steak Au Poivre (with pepper).  The filet mignon had a cognac beef stock reduction sauce that was so rich...so flavorful...so yummy.

Then, for dessert, we had a flourless chocolate cake with homemade whipped cream and raspberry coulis.

I love wonderful Southern hospitality!  Thank you, Winthrop Rockefeller Institute! 

Win $150 Credit to spend on Le Creuset!

My favorite culinary store Kitchenco. is giving you a chance to win my favorite cookware!  There are 3 ways to win, and you have up to 3 entries possible.  (Don't good things happen in 3's?)  Here's how you can win some fabulous French top - of - the - line cookware!

1.  Become a follower of this blog.  (Choose public.)

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All US residents are welcome.  Contest runs Monday, July 25th through Monday, August 8th.  Winner will be notified here in a post on Tuesday, August 9th. 

Beef Lo Mein

Usually on Fridays, I check out Terry's Finer Foods to see what fish they've had flown in fresh, or what specialty meat they've got in the case.  Last weekend I found Wagyu Flank.  Considering that flank is already one of the most tender cuts of beef, make it Wagyu, and this specialty cut is savor - every - bite perfection!  Or as our beloved Barney would say, "Le - Gen - Dary!

Fom my trip to Saigon Market, I still had some won ton egg noodles in the fridge, so I decided to do a beef lo mein.  You can also find the fresh egg noodles in the freezer at K Oriental in the Rock Creek Shopping Center in West Little Rock.  They are so flavorful in stir fries and soups!  Believe me, I mean they are exceptionally delicious and superior over all other noodles (that I've had).

The House of Tsang wok oil gives the dish the smoky bite that you get in lo mein dishes in restaurants.  It's a tantalizing blend of garlic, ginger, cilantro, and onion.  I also marinated the flank steak overnight in about a teaspoon of the oil - a little goes a long way - and some of the oyster sauce. 

Ingredients:

• 1 Package Asian egg noodles
• 10 oz. Wagyu Flank steak
• 1 Onion, thinly slivered
• 1 Can straw mushrooms
• House of Tsang wok oil
• Oyster sauce
• 2 Garlic cloves, chopped

Method:

1. Cook the noodles per package directions - just a few minutes in boiling water until the bundles separate.  Pour the noodles into a strainer, then rinse with water and let drain.
2. Broil the steak on a pan covered in parchment paper with a rack on top, in the oven in the highest position possible.  4 minutes per side is a great medium rare.  Remove and let rest.
3. Heat a pan over medium high heat on the stove.  When almost smoking, remove from heat and add enough oil to very lightly coat the bottom. 
4. Add onions and cook until soft.  Next, add the garlic.  You can saute about 3 minutes, then add the noodles, mushrooms, and oyster sauce. 

5. Mix everything together with just enough oyster sauce to lightly coat.  Slice the steak against the grain and add to the pan.

Coq au Vin Blanc

My brother Tien snapped a nice shot of our dinner here with his nice camera!  He and his wife Laura came to visit last week with their kids Grace and Noah, so I decided to make a nice hearty meal for them.  At lunch time, I ran home on my lunch break, then prepped this ahead of time so that I could just throw it into the slow cooker.  When they arrived, the cooking was done, and I could sit back with a glass of wine and just visit with them.  And lucky me, my brother knows me well.  He brought 2 bottles of fume blanc:  one from Dry Creek and another from the Sonoma region which is my favorite.  I envy them that they've been to Sonoma!  But he said he didn't see Ferrari Carano (my favorite) at the store.  Next time big brother, go to O'Looney's.  It's right around the corner from my house, and they do carry FC.  The wines you brought were also good, though.

Ingredients:

• 8 Chicken thighs or drumsticks 
• 3 Tablespoons flour
• Kosher or sea salt & pepper
• 4 Slices bacon
• 3 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 Small package button mushrooms (or straw mushrooms, my personal favorite)
• 1 Bag petite carrots
• 1 Medium onion, diced or sliced
• 2 Cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 Cup low-sodium chicken stock
• 1 1/2 Cup Dry White Wine

Preparation:

1. Season the chicken with kosher or sea salt and black pepper.  Put the flour into a bag or bowl, and coat the chicken. 
2. Heat the oil over medium high heat.
3. When hot, (4 - 5 minutes) add chicken and brown all sides in batches.  Remove chicken to a plate.
4. Cook the bacon, drain, then chop into small pieces.
5. Add a little more oil to the pan, and cook the onions and carrots until soft.  Add the garlic and mushrooms for a couple more minutes, then transfer to the slow cooker.
6. Top vegetables with chicken.  Pour in wine and stock.  Sprinkle bacon on top.
7. Cover and cook on low 6 - 7 hours.

   

Shrimp & Avocado Boat

Today I made it a point to feed the girls some veggies, since we totally "junked out" (as my husband likes to say) twice last week!  Once, we ate at Popeyes when we were on a tight schedule, and needed fast food.  The whole time I wondered how much oil the food had absorbed in the deep fryer.  Then the other time we ate at Red Lobster, when Gianna was enticed by the 3 for $15 special.  It was entirely too much food, and I can only imagine the fat content of their cream sauce! 

So today Sasha happily accepted some edimame, and Gianna loved the idea that I had for shrimp and avocado!

Ingredients:

• 2 Avocados
• 12 Medium Frozen Shrimp
• Tony Chachere's Lite Creole Seasoning
• 2 Tablespoons Ranch
• 1 Lime
• Garlic Powder
• Salt & Pepper

Preparation:

1. Place the frozen shrimp into a medium sauce pan.  Add just enough water to cover the shrimp.  Season with the Tony Chachere's seasoning.  Place pan onto the stove over high heat.
2. After about 4 - 5 minutes, when the water is up to a rolling boil, turn off the heat and check to see if the shrimp is orange.  If so, pour into a strainer to cool - do not rinse or add ice.
3. Split the avocado, remove the pit, make cuts into it, and use a large spoon to empty into a bowl.
4. Squeeze half of a lime over the avocado.  Season with garlic powder, salt, and pepper.  Add the ranch dressing.
5. Peel and devein the shrimp, then chop into small pieces. 
6. Add shrimp to the avocado and gently mix.

Banh Mi

Last year, on The Food Network's The Great Food Truck Race, the cute little Nom Nom Girls were sooo victorious throughout that show with their truck serving Banh Mi, or Vietnamese sandwich.  I really enjoyed watching them on that show, till the Metallica guys won in the end!  What a surprise!

This morning I knew that I wanted one of these Vietnamese sandwiches for lunch, so I headed down to South University to Sam's Oriental.  Sam receives weekly shipments of fresh things like these sandwiches, noodles, herbs, and crab.  When I moved to Little Rock in 1992, I learned about this place, and Saturday has always been the best day to go down and get the fresh stuff!

I became familiar witth these traditional Vietnamese sandwiches when my parents' friends would return with them from their trips to Dallas.  I guess in the small town of Nashville, AR with its population of 5,000, a baguette wasn't exactly easy to come by at the Piggly Wiggly or the Charlie's Thriftway back in the 80's to make this.  Not to mention the pate...

The flavor of the sandwich is so rich with the various layered meats, and so fresh tasting with the crunchy pickled carrots and daikon.  The french bread has a delicate aroma with a slightly crisp outer crust, yet soft inside.

They're wrapped up like this.

I always remove the jalapeno before I bite into it.  I usually cut it in half so that I can get to the goodies in the center right away.  The Great Food Truck Race is on again soon, and I will be watching!  Maybe I should start my own banh mi and springroll truck huh!

You can also get these sandwiches at Vietnam Market at Geyer Springs on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

Prosciutto Wrapped Mozzarella

It gets so hot and humid in Arkansas in the summer time, so a nice cold snack is a great thing to have in the afternoon!  I've used mozzarella fresca, or fresh mozzarella before in mozzarella alla caprese.  This is simply another way that we love to enjoy it!  Just wrap some ribbons of Prosciutto de Parma around medallions of fresh mozzarella, tuck a fresh basil leaf in between, and take a bite.

I read in a cookbook that the Parma pigs in Italy - where Prosciutto de Parma comes from - eat the same whey that is used in making Parmigiano-Reggiano.  I don't know who decided this, but one day Gianna was looking at something online, and she said, "Hey Mom.  Do you know what the number one cheese in the world is?"  My answer:  Parmigiano-Reggiano.  She was like, "HOW did you KNOW!"  Well, I do spend all my spare time cooking, reading about food, and watching shows on TV about food.  But anyway, no wonder that Prosciutto de Parma is SO GOOD!

This is one of our favorite family snacks.  I'm glad I get to chronicle it here for the girls.  Maybe one day they'll look back here and reminisce about the times we shared in our red kitchen.

Steak Springrolls

Every time I ask Gianna what she wants to eat, she either says, "Steak," or "Springrolls."  Literally.  She says that she doesn't like Robert Irvine of Dinner: Impossible, but really I think that in a way, she is just as demanding as he is.  I can't turn out the same, common steak or springroll each time she requests them.  Of course I need to outdo myself and create something pretty and tasty for the blog that she made me create! 

So I created a little fusion cuisine in the Red Kitchen, combining American and Vietnamese flavors for my little Vietnamese American daughter.  If you have kept up with this blog much, you know that I love flat iron steak.

So follow the recipe to make it by clicking on the link above.  The rest of the ingredients I will picture here.  The thing about a springroll is that traditionally, it is made with thinly sliced pork, shrimp, rice vermicelli noodles and herbs.  Sort of like a traditional hamburger is a ground beef patty between buns.  But Rachael Ray has what, hundreds of burger recipes?  So to me, the possible ingredients of a springroll are endless...

Check out the original Vietnamese Springroll recipe.  Or the video of my daughters making them. 

You need cooked rice vermicelli.

Matchstick cucumbers add a nice crunch.

My favorite herbs are cilantro and mint.

After the rice paper is moistened, add ingredients.

Fold in the right and left sides, then roll tightly.

Gianna dips hers in soy sauce, but there are so many dipping sauces available, including ponzu, garlic lime fish sauce, hoisin peanut sauce, and sweet chili sauce.  If you don't feel like making your own springrolls, and they look good to you, try Pho Thanh My on Shackelford in Little Rock. 

Cioppino

As I prepared this classic seafood stew, I remembered the first time that I ever had it.  It was at one of my favorite restaurants in Northwest Arkansas:  Theo's in Fayetteville's popular and entertaining Dickson Street.  Fayetteville is a town where I have a lot of memories.  As I look back at the six years that I spent in pharmaceutical sales, travelling the state of Arkansas to see Cardiologists and Endocrinologists, I feel fortunate to have had the chance to eat some really good food across the state on those expense accounts!

Ever since I had that dish back in 2008, I have been reading recipes online and in cookbooks to see how it's done.  At one point, I wasn't sure what separated a bouillabaisse from a cioppino.  Sort of like what separates a gumbo from an etouffee.  But I picked everything that I liked from some of the recipes that I found, and this is how I did it...

Ingredients:

• Olive oil
• 4 Shallots, thinly sliced
• 3 Cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 White onion, diced or sliced
• 1 Red bell pepper diced or sliced
• 2/3 cup of celery stalks, thinly sliced
• 1 Tomato, chopped
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 8 oz. bottle of clam juice
• 1 cup of white wine
• Kosher or coarse sea salt
• 1 Pound of shrimp, thawed, peeled, & deveined
• 1 Pound of mussels
• 1 Package of Private Selection Organic Calamari (already cleaned)
• 1 Pound of cod (halibut would be great too) cut into small portions
• 1 crusty demi baguette

Method:

1. Heat a large dutch oven over medium high heat, and add just enough olive oil to lightly cover the bottom.  Once the oil is hot (about 5 minutes on my stove) add shallots, onion, bell pepper, and celery.  Season lightly with salt.
2. After about 10 minutes, when the vegetables have cooked down, add the mussels with the white wine and cover with a heavy lid for about 8 minutes.  Remove the lid, and remove the mussels, discarding any broken or unopened pieces.
3. Next, add 2 cups of water, clam juice, lemon juice, and bring up to a boil.  Add the fish and let it gently simmer for about 5 minutes. 
4. Then add the shrimp and calamari.  As soon as the shrimp turns orange, turn off the heat.

5. Heat the baguette in the oven for about 10 minutes at 400 degrees.

Don't forget to add the mussels back in at the end!

Top with lemon zest and parsley.

(I like my onions and bells thinly sliced.)  My husband prefers them finely diced.

With all the prep work involved, I actually started a day ahead by chopping, slicing, and mincing the vegetables.  I also peeled the shrimp, cut up the fish, and cut the calamari tubes in half.

If this cioppino could speak, it would ask for Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc.  Or Ferrari Carano Fume Blanc. 

In this dish, I used these yummy tomatoes which I grew on my back deck garden.

                    I took a picture of my basil and bell pepper while I was out there.

Dinner and a movie idea:  Love and Other Drugs was suuuuuch a good movie....a GREAT portrayal of the pharmaceutical industry!

Broiled Chicken Skewers

Sasha is not an adventurous eater, so she doesn't request much of me other than making her food look cute.  Usually if I put it on a stick, it's fun to eat.  So I had some boneless, skinless chicken thighs that I cut into strips.  I marinated them for a couple of hours with some garlic, ginger, sesame oil, and oyster sauce.

I turned on the broiler, and I prepared a pan with foil on the bottom and a rack on top.  Then I set my pan on the highest rack.  It took about 5 minutes per side, then they were ready.  Simple, huh....I'm trying to teach her that she can't just live on dino nuggets!