Assignments

I drew names out of a hat, as with the last challenge, but I didn't have time to make a video.

Anyway, here are the results. Use your mouse to highlight the text above each market to find out whose it is!

[Radio Edit: I converted the silly mouse over to something you could read without wanting to flog the poster --r ]

Scott:
La Teresita Grocery (Cuban)
3302 W Columbus Dr
Tampa, FL 33607
(813) 877-4393
http://www.tampapix.com/teresita.htm

Kelly:
India Bazaar (Indian)
4023 W Waters Ave
Tampa, FL 33614
(813) 885-9551
http://www.insiderpages.com/b/3712853750

Robert:
Kim Bros. (Korean)
4021 W Hillsborough Ave
Tampa, FL 33614
(813) 886-8989

Krystal:
Oceanic Oriental (Chinese, some pan-Asian)
1609 N Tampa St
Tampa, FL 33602
(813) 254-2041
http://www.oceanicmarket.com

Andy:
African Paradise (African)
1511 E Fowler Ave
Tampa, FL 33612
(813) 975-0309
http://africanparadisemarket.com

Jessica:
Apna Bazaar (mostly Paki/middle east with some Indian)
2361 E Fowler Ave, Tampa, FL 33612
(813) 903-1774

Glen:
Carribean One-Stop Grocery (Caribbean)
5010 N 15th St
Tampa, FL 33610
(813) 238-1458
http://caribbeanonestopgrocery.com/

Since Roates is in Sarasota, I drew from three choices for him down there. So his assignment is:
Brasil 500 (Brazillian)
2744 Stickney Point Rd
Sarasota, FL 34231
(941) 921-4916

Enjoy!!!

Master Chef III: Market Mayhem

One of the greatest things about being an epicurean in Tampa is the ethnic diversity here. Thus, there is enough of a demand to open specialized grocers. There are Korean, Chinese, Carribean, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Mexican, Japanese, Paki, Indian, et al markets here. In my experience, they all tend to be reasonably priced with a few generic staples, a modest produce section, and a lot of "niche" ingredients.

The Third Challenge

Keeping that in mind, here is your challenge. Each participant will be randomly assigned a specific ethnic/specialty market here in Tampa. You will have to construct a dish made ONLY from ingredients obtained at that market. You may choose whether or not your dish is influenced by the ethnicity that your market targets; for example, if you get a Korean grocer, it is up to you as to whether or not you make a Korean dish. That being said, use of interesting ingredients is encouraged! Salt, pepper, and vegetable oil are freebies, and I will provide those.

Fire Roasted Salsa

by Jessica McGuire

3 medium tomatoes, quartered

1 green tomato, quartered

1 poblano chili, halved

5 springs fresh cilantro

1 can chipotles in adobo sauce

1/2 sweet yellow onion, diced

3 cloves garlic

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt

Pepper

In a dry cast iron skilled, sear poblano and tomatoes until the skin is blistered.  This can also be done on a grill.

In a food processor, add tomatoes, chili, cilantro, garlic and onions.  Drizzle in just the sauce from the can of chipotles.  For a spicier salsa, add a chili from the can too.  Drizzle in about three turns of olive oil.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Blend until uniform but still a little chunky.  Serve with your choice of chips.

Croissant Confusion

By Kelly Campana

1 tube Pillsbury croissant dough

1 tub Moove over Butter

1/2 box brown sugar

cinnamon

4-5 banana's sliced

1/2 mango chopped

sangria (the pre-bottled kind)

4 Chicken thighs cut into strips

5 drops green food dye mixed with 1/4 cup water

1 large and one small/medium pan

Hardware:

mixing bowl and spoon

cutting board

spatula

    

Fruit Filling

1. in bowl mix sangria, banana and mango, sprinkle with cinnamon and let stand about 5 minutes

2. in large pan over low/med hear (try not to break the butter) melt about 4 heaping table spoons of butter

3. slowly mix in about 1/3 box of brown sugar

4. add fruit mix (sauce and all) to pan, spreading fruit out so that it can compote evenly (about 10-15 minutes), stir occasionally to prevent sticking.  (Consistency should be thickened with fruit being anywhere from soft to lightly crispy.)

5. place compote back into original mixing bowl and put to side 

Filled Croissant

1. heat oven to 350°

2. take 2 croissant triangles and merge them along the center line to form a rectangle then place the rectangle into the cup of the muffin pan (it mill hang over the sides (repeat for all dough)

3. OPTIONAL: brush dough with food coloring to give seaweed effect

4. spoon fruit mix into dough filling each about 3/4 of the way

5. fold overlap to cover top and pinch closed

6. cook for about 20-25 minutes or until dough is golden

7. allow to coll 2-5 mins before serving

Chicken

1. once filled dough is cooking place the pan that you cooked the fruit in back on the stove un-rinsed put temp to med high

2. place chicken, about 1/2 of compote, and 2 tablespoons of butter into pan. 

3. Sprinkle with cinnamon lightly and fry till cooked through

4. place on plate when finished

Sauce

1. in second smaller saucepan put 2 tablespoons butter over low heat slowly mix about 1/2 a box of brown sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon

2. mix regularly so that it doesn't burn, it should become a think medium/dark brown caramel-ish sauce

TO PLATE

1. Take fruit croissant out of pan and lay center plate

2. place 2-3 chicken slices over croissant

3. drizzle sauce over entire thing

Blueberry Corncakes

by Krystal Wolfe

(adapted from  Alton Brown's "Instant" pancake mix)

Dry ingredients:

3 cups of cornneal

3 cups of all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda (check expiration date first)

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 tablespoon kosher salt

2 tablespoons sugar

Wet ingredients:

2 eggs, separated

2 cups buttermilk

4 tablespoons melted butter

2 cups "Instant" Pancake Mix

Extras:

1-2 pints of blueberries

Honey and/or maple syrup

Preheat griddle/frying pan to 350 F

1) Combine dry ingredients into a bag or container

2) Mix throughly

3) Scoop the dry mix into a sepearate bowl

4) Whisk together egg whites and buttermilk in a seperate bowl

5) Whisk together egg yolks and butter in a seperate bowl

6) Combine the buttermilk mixture with the butter mixture

7) After the buttermilk and butter mixture is combined pour onto the dry ingredients

8) Combine mixture untill there is a consitant texture

9) Using a 1/3 mueasure cup scoop pancake mix onto the griddle/frying pan

10) Place fresh blueberries on non cooking surface

11) Flip pancake when cooking side is brown

12) Remove when each side is brown

13) Add maple syrup or honey

14) Serve.

June 2008 Video Recap

Download:

Full Version

Cell Phone

Best Tomato Bisque

by Scott Wurzel

Reflecting on the element of water and the region of Western Europe immediately evokes the mighty Rhein.  The Rein gives birth to Germany's wine region and its most famous offering, the sweet Riesling.  Savoring the smooth elixir, my palate and mind naturally meander west into France, the Empire who forever changed the cuisine of every land her soldiers set foot.  From there I drift south to the source of the region's civilization, Northern Italy and her fierce devotion to the tomato.

7 Large Roma tomatoes, halved

1 Large sweet onion, diced

2 celery stalks, halved and diced

1 cup matchstick carrots, chopped a bit

4 cloves garlic

4 slices thick bacon

3 tbl tomato paste

1 c Riesling

3 c chicken stock

1 1/2 c heavy cream

2 sprigs fresh thyme

2 bay leaves

3 tbl arrowroot powder

Extras:

Kosher Salt

Pepper

Olive Oil

Hot Sauce (Liquid Summer if you can get it)

Pecorino Romano for garnish

In a casserole dish place tomatoes skin side up.  Drizzle olive oil over the top and some salt. Fire up your broiler and place the dish in the oven.  Broil until the skins begin to blister. Remove the dish and with tongs or chopsticks, remove the skin from the tomatoes.  Set aside tomatoes, but do not drain liquid in the bottom of the dish.  Place into the dish and juice celery, onions, and carrots.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.  Mix well to combine.  Place tomatoes and garlic on top of mirepoix.  Return to oven and broil until the tomatoes and garlic brown.

While the vegetables are browning, place bacon into a sauce pot and render the fat until the bacon begins to crisp.  Remove the bacon and turn heat to lowest setting to keep fat warm until the vegetables are done.  

Add vegetables and juices produced by the vegetables to the pot and mash everything until the tomatoes are pulverized.

Add wine and raise heat to medium low.  Bring to a simmer and then add stock.  While again bringing to a simmer, add herbs whole and salt, pepper, and hot sauce to taste.  Simmer for 30 minutes.

Remove the herbs and, using a stick blender, blend mixture until smooth.  Slowly stir in cream and allow soup to come to temperature for a few minutes.

While running the stick blender, slowly add arrowroot to thicken.  Serve in a bowl topped with Pecorino Romano.

Comfort Food Alert: this soup is excellent with crusty bread or a grilled cheese sandwich.

Cream and Mint Baklava

by Andy Spetz

So this is my take on Baklava.  I had the unique challenge pairing the element of air with eastern European cuisine. I used lots of mint in order to get a sense of the cold winter air of eastern Europe after every bite. This one of my first forays into baking so it was quite a challenge. Some of the measurements might be off, because I am a cook at heart, and we all know how line cooks usually feel about measurements.

The Baklava

1 package of mint leaves

1 package of premade phyllo dough.

2 cups of mascarpone cheese

3 teaspoons of  peppermint extract

1/2 cup of sugar

1 table spoon of whole dried cloves, chopped (stems included)

1/2 cup of coconut shredded

1 cup of mini semi sweet chocolate chips

1/3 cup of dried cherries sliced

Fresh cherries

Sliced almonds.

Walnuts (chopped).

 

Egg Wash

2 eggs, whites only

2 tables spoons of butter

Whipped topping

1 quart of heavy whipping cream

6 mint leaves  Chiffonade style

1 teaspoon of peppermint extract

1/3 cup of sugar

1) Preheat oven to 350

2) While your oven is preheating you will need to prepare  your spread. Start with 2 cups of mascaprone cheese. Take 6 or so mint leaves and mince them. Add the sugar, peppermint extract, mint, the chopped  cloves, cherries and coconut. Stir vigorouly until all ingredients and mixed throughly.

3) Cut the phyllo dough to fit the pan.

 

4) Grease the pan, lay down 10 sheets of phyllo. Spray the top layer with olive oil spray and then spread a thin layer of the mascaprone mixture. Lay down 5 more sheets and spray the olive oil spray across the top layer again. This layer you will put  sliced almonds and walnuts (chopped) across this layer and a thin layer of coconut. Continue this pattern of 5 sheets of phyllo dough , then  mascoprone, then 5 more sheets with the nuts and coconut, until you are out of mascarpone mixture.

5) After you have run out of the mascarpone mixture, you will be adding the final layer, which again will be separated by 5 layers phillo dough. The top layer will have the coconut and walnuts sprinkled across the top. Place sliced fresh cherries on top of this layer.

6)  Take the egg wash and  brush it across the top layer. This will produce a nice browning effect on the top.

7) Let cook for 45 minutes

8) Now to make the whip cream topping. In a large mixing bowl add 1 quart of heavy whipping cream, 1/3 cup of sugar and

the mint leaves together. Mix until you the consistency of whipped cream. After it has whipped, slowly fold in the extract.

9) After the baklava is done pull and let it rest for 5 minutes.  Cut and serve, with one dollop of whipped topping on top, and  garnish with 1 large mint leaf and a fresh cherry.

Lamb and Shrimp with Lentils Du Puy

by Erica Cooksey

Obtaining "Mediterranean" with "earth" gave me the idea to do a surf and turf. I tend not to like duo-type entrees with very disparate

pieces, so I wanted to combine the two into one solid dish. Pretty much the only livestock that thrives around the Mediterranean are goats and lambs, so I stuffed a butterflied leg of lamb with a mixture of goat's milk feta, shrimp, and other Mediterranean flavors. I wanted it to be evocative of earthy flavors while still maintaining current seasonality. So I combined lentils du puy (which grow very well in that region) with white asparagus (made white by covering them with mulch), fresh morels, and bulbs such as leeks, fennel, and garlic.

Half of a boned, butterflied leg of lamb, trimmed of all surface fat and pounded to even thickness

About 2 ounces goat's milk feta, crumbled

Zest of one lemon, finely chopped

4 mint leaves, cut into chiffonade

A few Greek olives, pitted and chopped

About 1/4 cup artichoke hearts, chopped roughly (I used quartered

canned ones that I rinsed and dried thoroughly)

2 ounces medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

Herbes de Provence

1 cup lentils du puy (French green lentils), rinsed

1/2 cup vermouth

2 tbs balsamic vinegar

2 large fresh morels, diced

1 small bulb fennel (organic fennel is usually the right size), diced

Enough white asparagus to equal the fennel, woody ends snapped, cut into chunks

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium leek, white and light green part only, chopped

2 bay leaves

Salt and pepper, to taste

1) Salt the raw shrimp to taste. Place in a heatproof bowl, cover with boiling water, then immediately drain and refresh in ice water. Chop roughly and combine with feta, artichokes, lemon zest, mint, olives, and pepper. Stuff the lamb with this mixture and tie with butcher's twine. Coat the lamb in herbes de Provence and sear over high heat until a crust forms. Bake at 350 degrees until it reaches an internal temperature of 140 degrees.

2) Meanwhile, saute the leeks in a bit of butter or oil until softened. Stir in the lentils, then add 1/4 cup vermouth, 2 cups water, the bay leaves, and salt to taste. Bring to a boil, then simmer, covered, until cooked, about 30-35 minutes.

3) In a separate pan, saute the garlic, asparagus, morels, and fennel on medium high heat. Add the remaining 1/4 cup vermouth and boil until all the liquid has evaporated. Pour the balsamic vinegar over the vegetables and cook until it reduces to a syrup. Add salt and pepper to taste. Drain the lentils when they are done, remove the bay leaves, and combine them with the vegetables

4) Serve slices of the lamb over a bed of the lentils and vegetables.

Master Chef Summer 2008 Concludes

Erica takes the whisk establishing the Master Chef Cooksey Dynasty.  The wait begins for the third challenge.

Recipes will be posted as soon as I get them.