Coconut Bites

@nmalgieri

Nick Malgieri, former Executive Pastry Chef at Windows on the World, is a 1996 inductee into Who’s Who of Food and Beverage in America. His latest book is BAKE! Essential Techniques for Perfect Baking.This morning he shared his tasty recipe for Coconut Bites with Tonia! Hear more by clicking on the link below...

Coconut Bites

Recipe from Bake!

Special equipment: Two 12-cavity mini muffin pans, buttered and floured.

Ingredients

Yield: Makes 24 individual cakes or one 8-inch round cake, active time about 20 minutes, total time 35 minutes.

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup (2.25 ounces) all-purpose flour (spoon flour into dry-measure cup and level off)
• 1 1/2 cups (about 4 ounces) unsweetened dried coconut
• 4 large egg whites
• Pinch of salt
• 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
• 2 tablespoons sweetened shredded coconut or unsweetened ground or shredded coconut for topping the cakes before baking

Procedures

1. Set a rack in the middle level of the oven and preheat to 375 F.
   
2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the sugar, flour and coconut; set aside.
3. In another bowl, whisk the egg whites with the salt until smooth, then whisk in the lemon zest and butter. Whisk in about half the dry ingredients, then use a rubber spatula to fold in the remainder.
4. Spoon the batter into the prepared pans, filling them about two thirds full. Sprinkle the top of each cake with a pinch of shredded coconut.
5. Bake the cakes until they are well risen and deep golden and they are firm when pressed with a fingertip, about 15 minutes. Invert them to a rack, then immediately turn them right side up and let them cool completely.
6. Serving: Serve these after dessert with coffee, or as part of an assortment of desserts.
   Storage: Keep the cakes loosely covered with plastic wrap on the day they are made. Arrange them in a tin or plastic container with a tight-fitting cover in one layer and refrigerate them for longer storage. Bring to room temperature before serving.
   
   
7. Variations: Substitute ground blanched almonds or a combination of ground hazelnuts and ground almonds for the coconut.
   Before baking, sprinkle the top of each little cake with a pinch of shredded sweetened coconut (substitute chopped almonds or hazelnuts for the variation above).

Serving Salmon

Farallon Restaurant

Opened in 1997, Farallon is an acclaimed restaurant located in San Francisco's popular Union Square area. What makes this hot spot stick out is the beautiful underwater fantasy decor that takes you "under the sea" along with the coastal cuisine menu created by Chef Mark Franz. Mark told Tonia about a great way to serve Salmon. Here is idea by clicking below...

Salmon

Chipotle Penne Pasta

@GuyFieri

In 2006, Guy Fieri premiered his first show, Guy's Big Bite on Food Network. Today, this "Culinary Rock Star” also hosts top-rated show, Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, as well as the special series Tailgate Warriors and guest judges on Next Food Network Star. Today he serves up a wonderful Penne pasta dish on Tonia's Kitchen!  Click below to hear the dish!

Penne with Cajun Hot Links and Chipotle Shrimp

 

Ingredients

• 1-ounce olive oil
• 4 hot links, all beef, cut in 6 bias slices
• 20 (21/25 shrimp), deveined, shelled and butterflied
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup Chipotle Sauce, recipe follows
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 pound cooked penne pasta
• 1/2 cup Parmesan, grated plus more for serving
• 1 tablespoon diced Roma tomato
• 1 tablespoon diced scallion

Directions

In saute pan over high heat, add olive oil and hot links. Sear links until browned. Add the shrimp and cook until pink. Lower heat to medium. Then add cream, 3/4 of the Chipotle Sauce, salt and pepper. Add cooked pasta and the cheese. Toss to combine.

Serve in pasta bowl and garnish with diced tomato, scallions, more sauce, if desired, and grated Parmesan.

Chipotle Sauce:

1 1/2 cups BBQ sauce

3/4 cup canola oil

1/3 cup lemon juice

3/4-ounce Dijon mustard

1 to 2 chipotle peppers in adobo

3/4-ounce red chili flakes

1/3 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/3 teaspoon ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients in blender, puree, cover and refrigerate.

Ginger Mousse

A former pastry chef, Lauren Chattman is the author of nine cookbooks and co-author of numerous other books, including Dessert University with former White House pastry chef Roland Mesnier. Her recipes have appeared in Food & Wine, Bon Appetit, Cook's Illustrated, The New York Times, and Redbook, among others. Tonia caught up with this sweet cook to learn about what's in her new book and her recipe for Ginger Mousse. To hear more, click on the link below!

Ginger Mousse

Hazelnut Salad

Curtis Stone

Born in Melbourne, Australia, Curtis Stone’s passion for food was inspired as a boy by his mother’s baking and his grandmother’s famous fudge. Tonia caught up with this very busy chef and businessman to talk about one of his favorite topics: food! As he loves to point out: "when you walk down the street and someone comes up and says, ‘You know what? We never used to cook fish in our house. Since we’ve tried that salmon recipe we have it once a week.’ The feeling that gives you is worth a million other things."

Arugula Salad with Balsamic and Toasted Hazelnuts

Ingredients

1/4 cup hazelnuts
1 shallot, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, coarsely chopped
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup grapeseed oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 cups baby arugula

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Toast the hazelnuts on a baking sheet until lightly golden brown, shaking the pan occasionally to jostle the nuts and ensure they cook evenly, about 10 minutes.
3. Cool completely.
4. Rub the hazelnuts between your palms to remove the dark skins from the nuts.
5. Very coarsely chop the hazelnuts.
6. Blend the shallot, mustard, garlic, and 2 tablespoons of the vinegar in a blender until very finely chopped.
7. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of vinegar and blend until smooth.
8. With the blender on low, slowly drizzle in the oil until emulsified.
9. Season the vinaigrette to taste with salt and pepper.
10. Toss the arugula in a large bowl with enough vinaigrette to coat.
11. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
12. Mound the salad on 4 plates, dividing equally.
13. Sprinkle with the hazelnuts and serve.

What Should I Eat?

Robyn Flipse

Today, you hear on the news that your favorite food or beverage causes cancer and heart problems. Two weeks later, you hear that's not the case and that it's really safe. Who and what do you believe? As you try to eat sensibly, how can you tell real health advice from this week's hysteria? That's where registered dietitian and author Robyn Flipse comes to the rescue to debunk some of the latest misconceptions about popular food items. She recently joined Tonia to help answer the question, "What Should I Eat?" Listen to their conversation by clicking on the link below...

Robyn Flipse Interview

Swiss Chard

Looking for a hearty dish for dinner? Chef Jamie Shinshier suggests this dish for Swiss Chard. Hear her recipe by clicking below...

Swiss Chard

Quechee Pork

Tonia recently traveled to the Quechee Inn at Marshland Farm in Vermont. After sampling the cuisine of Chef Ed Kroes, Tonia got him to share his secret on one of her favorite dishes: the Quechee Pork! Click on the link below to listen...

Quechee Pork

Chef Ed Kroes – Cider Spiced Pork Tenderloin Recipe

Step One

Ingredients:

Pork Tenderloin

Guldens Spicy Brown Mustard

Ground Sage

Salt and White Pepper

Flour

Procedure:  Dust pork with sage, salt and pepper.  Rub with mustard and then dust with flour.  Sear both sides in a hot pan and then finish in the oven.

Step Two

Ingredients:

Thick cut bacon

Green Apple

Yellow Onion

Brown Sugar / Ground Black Pepper and Nutmeg

Spicy Brown Mustard

Apple Cider

Lairds Apple Jack

Veal Demi Glas

Procedure:  Brown bacon – remove from pan and reserve.  To hot bacon grease add julienned onions, sliced apples, black pepper, nutmeg, brown sugar and sauté until soft.  Deglaze the pan with apple cider and Lairds Apple Jack.  Finish with veal demi glas and add reserved crispy bacon. 

When pork is cooked to 140 degrees add the apple compote to pan and add a bit more apple jack cider and demi. Serve over pork.

Quechee Shrimp

While at the picturesque Quechee Inn at Marshland Farm in Quechee, Vermont, Tonia had the chance to sample the Quechee Roasted Garlic Shrimp. Hear Chef Ed Kroes explain how he prepares this dish by clicking below...

Quechee Shrimp

Chef Ed Kroes Recipe for Garlic Shrimp

Ingredients:

Flour

8 Jumbo Shrimp

Chef Paul’s Cajun spice mix (or similar)

Chopped green onion

2 Lemon wedges

2 Oz olive oil

Parsley for garnish

2 oz White Wine

Pat of butter

Roasted Chopped Garlic

Directions

Mix flour, salt & pepper and Cajun spices together.Lightly dust shrimp in the mixture.

Heat olive oil in non-stick sauté pan over medium high heat;add shrimp, sauté until they have a hard sear on one side, then turn shrimpover. Add roasted garlic, a splash white wine and sauté, squeeze lemon overshrimp, sprinkle with parsley, let cook down a bit, add pat of butter tofinish, serve over toasted baguette slices.

Quechee Duck

For a few days this week, we're taking you to the kitchen of The Quechee Inn at Marshland Farm, in Vermont. This historic inn has been popular getaway destination in the Green Mountain State since 1793. Chef Ed Kroes tantalized Tonia with one of the Inn's specialty dishes: Quechee Duck! Listen to the recipe by clicking on the link below...

Quechee Duck

Quechee Inn Interview 

Olive Tapenade

Lactose intolerance is extremely common and affects 1 in 4 Americans or some 80 Million Americans. This means you or someone you know is likely to be adversely affected by eating dairy.  Patricia Fine, author of "Elegant Dairy-Free Entertaining," served up her great recipe for an Olive Tapenade. Click to listen below...

Olive Tapenade

Irish Boxty

You don't have to travel to Ireland to enjoy some of it's delicious food this St. Patrick's Day. Chef Brian Houlihan stopped by Tonia's Kitchen to share this treat: Irish Boxty, a traditional Irish Potato pancake that can be cooked in done in thirty minutes! As the old saying goes, "boxty on the griddle, boxty on the pan; if you can't make boxty, you'll never get a man." You can hear more by clicking below!

Irish Boxty

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups grated raw potatoes
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup leftover mashed potatoes
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon skim milk
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup olive oil

Directions

1. Toss the grated potatoes with flour in a large bowl. Stir in mashed potatoes until combined. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg and skim milk; mix into the potatoes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Drop in the potato mixture, forming patties about 2 inches in diameter. Fry on both sides until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate.  Serve warm.

Irish Cream Pie

Andi Bidwell

Chef Andi Bidwell prepped Tonia's Kitchen for St. Patrick's Day with this delicious recipe for Irish Cream Pie.

Irish Cream Pie

Sap Dogs

Fresh maple syrup doesn't just go great on pancakes for breakfast, have you ever tried syrup on your hotdog? Richard Wolniewicz from the Ipswitch River Wildlife Sanctuary has more on this unique twist on an American ballpark favorite. Click below to hear his recipe with Tonia!

Sap Dogs

Maple Sugar

Spring celebrations begin early at the sanctuary with the age-old tradition of maple sugaring. Richard Wolniewicz from the Ipswitch River Wildlife Sanctuary in Topsfield, MA was Tonia's guest and shared his knowledge on New England's sugaring season. You can hear more by clicking below.

Maple Sugar

Sky High Layered Ice Cream Cake

Lori Longbotham

Dessert specialist, Lori Longbotham checked in with Tonia to offer her recipe for a dessert that "towers" over your plate! Click on the book cover below to get "the scoop"...

Sky High Layered Ice Cream Cake

 

This is a tremendously versatile recipe. You might use sorbet, other flavors of ice cream, or gelato. Try any thick sauce, such as chocolate, caramel, marshmallow, fruit or berry, and garnish with crushed candies, cookies, or other nuts.

Serves 12

• 3 pints chocolate gelato or ice cream, slightly softened
• One 13-ounce jar Nutella or other chocolate hazelnut spread
• 2 pints hazelnut gelato or ice cream, slightly softened
• 1 cup coarsely chopped toasted hazelnuts

1. Spoon the chocolate gelato in small pieces into a 9-inch springform pan, filling in any large holes, then spread it evenly with a warm rubber spatula. Pour half of the Nutella over the gelato and spread it evenly with a small offset spatula. Freeze for at least 1 hour, or until firm.

2. Spoon the hazelnut gelato over the Nutella in small pieces, filling in any large holes, then spread it evenly with a warm rubber spatula. Pour the remaining Nutella over the gelato and spread it evenly with the offset spatula. Scatter the hazelnuts over the top of the cake, then press in. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and freeze for at least 6 hours, or up to 2 weeks.

3. To serve, let the cake stand at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes or in the refrigerator for 15 to 20 minutes. Run a knife around the inside of the pan, release the side of the pan, and remove it. Cut the cake into wedges.

A New Way To Serve Orzo

@Chef_Billy

Cooking Light Executive Chef Billy Strynkowski suggests that you "toast your Orzo pasta" before you serve it. Sound like something you'd never try? You'll be surprised how delicious the results are! Hear his advice by clicking the photo below...

Orzo Pasta Tip

Banana Bread Pudding

@chefbrianlandry

After two days of main dishes, Chef Landry gave us the most delicious final course: dessert! Hear his tantalizing revelation with Tonia by clicking on the photo below.

Banana Bread Pudding

Ingredients

• 11 eggs
• 1 1/3 cups sugar
• 1 quart whole milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 inch slices of French bread (baguettes)
• 1 pound salted butter
• 1 pound light brown sugar
• 4 bananas
• 1/2 cup Praline Liqueur

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350° F. 
In a large mixing bowl, combine eggs, sugar, milk, vanilla, and cinnamon and whisk until well blended. 
In a nonstick oversized muffin pan (for 12) place two slices of the bread into each muffin cup.  Pour the egg and milk mixture into each muffin hole. Allow the bread to absorb the mixture and repeat the process until the bread is saturated and the muffin cup is full (it may take 3 or 4 fillings to totally saturate the bread and fill the hole). 
Bake the pudding mixture for 35 minutes or until the pudding has turned golden and set in the pan.
While the pudding is in the oven, melt the butter in a 2-qt saucepot over medium heat. Add the light brown sugar and whisk over the heat until smooth. Slice the bananas, stir them into the sauce and add the Praline liqueur. Keep the sauce warm.
When the pudding is baked, remove from the oven and allow it to sit for fifteen minutes to cool. Invert the muffin pan to remove the puddings. Place each on the center of a plate and ladle the sauce onto the pudding.
Serve immediately.

Serving Size

Serves 12

Duck Poppers

@chefbrianlandry

Chef Brian Landry grew up fishing on Lake Borgne, the epicenter of coastal cuisine in Louisiana. Listen to Chef Landry's recipe for Duck Poppers by clicking the picture below.

Duck Poppers

Shrimp Remoulade

@chefbrianlandry

Chef Brian Landry grew up fishing on Lake Borgne, the epicenter of coastal cuisine in Louisiana. Chef Landry shared passion for Louisiana seafood with Tonia along with his recipe for Shrimp Remoulade. Hear his dish secrets by clicking on the link below...

Shrimp Remoulade

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup chopped celery
• 3/4 cup chopped scallions (white and green parts)
• 1/2 cup chopped curly parsley
• 1 cup chopped yellow onion
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup tomato puree
• 1/2 cup Creole mustard or any coarse, grainy brown mustard
• 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish, or to taste
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons Spanish hot paprika
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup salad oil
• 4 dozen jumbo (15 count) shrimp, peeled, boiled, and chilled
• 1 small head of iceberg lettuce, washed, dried, and cut into thin ribbons

Preparation

Mince the celery, scallions, parsley, and onions in a food processor. Add the ketchup, tomato puree, Creole mustard, horseradish, red wine vinegar, paprika, and Worcestershire. Begin processing again and add the oil in a slow drizzle to emulsify. Stop when the dressing is smooth.
Chill for 6 to 8 hours or overnight. Correct the seasoning with additional horseradish, if desired, after the ingredients have had the opportunity to marry.
In a large mixing bowl, add the sauce to the shrimp and toss gently to coat. Divide the lettuce among 6 chilled salad plates. Divide the shrimp evenly atop the lettuce and serve.

Serving Size

Serves 6

New Orleans Oysters

Tom Fitzmorris

Tom Fitzmorris is the publisher of The New Orleans Menu. He began his food-writing career with a weekly restaurant review column in 1972, while still in college. That column has continued without a break to the present day, making it the longest-running weekly restaurant review column by a single author in America. Tom talked oysters with Tonia.

New Orleans Oysters

In 1997, my wife ordered me to enter the National Oyster Cooking Competition with this dish. The event takes place in St. Mary's County, Maryland, where the Chesapeake Bay oysters are almost identical to the ones we have in Louisiana. I came in second. But I think you'll enjoy this, one of my favorite fancy ways to eat oysters. Make sure you provide lots of fresh hot French bread with this--the sauce is the best part!

• 1 pint whipping cream
• 2 tsp. mixed dried peppercorns (black, white, green, pink)
• 8 sprigs fresh thyme
• Pinch saffron threads
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• All the reserved oyster water available, up to 1 cup
• Two dozen fresh oysters, the larger the better, preferably freshly shucked

1. In a stainless steel or porcelain two-quart saucepan, combine the cream, peppercorns, two sprigs of thyme, and saffron. Bring to a very light boil. (Watch to make sure the pan doesn't boil over, which cream likes to do.) Add the oyster water. Reduce about 30 minutes, to about one cup of liquid.

2. Add six oysters. Let them cook in the sauce until it resumes bubbling--about two or three minutes. Using a slotted spoon or a skimmer, remove the oysters from the pan and keep warm while you cook the remaining oysters in batches of six. Allow the herbs, peppercorns, and sauce that coat the oysters to remain.

3. When all the oysters are cooked, plunge them all back into the sauce for a few seconds to warm them back up. Arrange three to six (depending on size) on plates. Nap with a little extra sauce, stirring the pan to distribute the peppercorns and herbs. Garnish with fresh thyme sprigs.

Serves four to eight.

A recipe from Tom Fitzmorris

Peanut Sauce

@spicesoflife

Nina Simonds is one of the country’s leading authorities on Asian cooking. She is the author of ten books on Chinese cuisine and culture, including the best-selling Asian Noodles and A Spoonful of Ginger. Want a fresh approach to making "chicken for dinner?" Nina shared her secret sauce with Tonia!

Peanut Sauce

Ingredients

1-inch thick slice fresh ginger, peeled and cut in half
10 large cloves garlic, peeled
2 tsp chili paste with garlic, or more or less to taste
1 cup smooth peanut butter
1/2 cup soy sauce
7 Tbsp sugar (or equivalent sugar substitute)
7 Tbsp Chinese black vinegar (or Worcestershire sauce)
6 Tbsp toasted sesame oil (the kind you get in Asian groceries)
10 Tbsp water

Directions

In a food processor with a metal blade (or in a blender), finely chop ginger and garlic. Add remaining ingredients in the order listed and process until smooth. It should be the consistency of heavy cream. If too thick, add more water. If too thin, add more peanut butter. Keep in the fridge in a covered container.