I attended my second Chef demo at Macy's over the weekend and it is easily one of my favorite things to do. You learn excellent cooking tips from great chefs and you get to sample the recipes! It's all for a great cause too - Macy's asks for a $5 donation that benefits Second Harvest Food Bank Orange County!
Chef Jonna Talbott was the guest chef for March and is from the Macy's School of Cooking - she gave us tips on how to hold a knife, I learned that there is a tomato knife (serrated edge) and her favorite knife is a Santouku knife. I have actually been looking into buying new knives so this information was valuable! She showed us how to chop an onion, encouraged us to buy a chunk of Parmesan cheese instead of bottled cheese (it will last longer, save you money and it tastes much better!) and the difference between English cucumbers and regular cucumbers.
On the demonstration menu: Shrimp & Asparagus Risotto and Quinoa Tabbouleh!
My first time trying risotto!
You can buy quinoa pre-rinsed, it should say it right on the package!
Strainers and colanders don't work well since quinoa is teeny tiny - you can use a container with a lid to rinse and strain!
I thought finding an English Cucumber would be hard but they were at my local Fresh & Easy! English Cucumbers are thinner and longer. Has less seeds.
I love tabbouleh! My coworker used to bring it to potlucks at work and I soon found myself looking for it everywhere. No one made it like his mom and I never attempted to make it but with this modern, easy recipe - I'm going to try it out! (I already bought all the ingredients!)
Quinoa Tabbouleh Ingredients - Courtesy of Chef Jonna Talbott
1 cup rinsed Quinoa
1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
3-4 tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice
2 Garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Freshly ground Black Pepper
1 large English Hothouse Cucumber, cut into 1/4" pieces
1 pint Cherry Tomatoes, quartered
2/3 cup Flat Leaf Parsley, chopped
1/2 cup Fresh Mint, chopped
2 Scallions, thinly sliced
3/4 cup Feta cheese, crumbled
Directions
Bring quinoa, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 1/4 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until quinoa is tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
Whisk lemon juice and garlic in a small bowl. Gradually whisk in olive oil. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper.
Spread out quinoa on a large rimmed baking sheet; let cool. Transfer to a large bowl; mix in 1/4 cup dressing.
Add cucumber, tomatoes, herbs, scallions and feta to bowl with quinoa; toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Drizzle remaining dressing over.
Chef Jonna Talbott notes: You can make quinoa and dressing a day ahead and store separately. Add grilled chicken or shrimp to make a main dish salad.
The next chef demo is Saturday, April 27th - 2pm with Executive Chef Francisco Diaz from Signature Kitchen and Wolfgang Puck Bistro at Macy’s South Coast Plaza Home Store, Demonstration Kitchen Level One, 3333 Bear Street, Costa Mesa, CA 92646
Disclosure: I am a member of the Everywhere Society and Everywhere provided me with compensation for this post. However, all thoughts and opinions expressed herein are my own.
Labels: Chef Jonna Talbott, Costa Mesa, Food, Macy's, Orange County, Quinoa Tabbouleh, Recipes, Second Harvest Food Bank, Shrimp Asparagus Risotto, South Coast Plaza