Chef's Handyman, Food Blog

Happy Easter!

Posted on March 28, 2013 by Charlotte

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Dear Food Blog Reader,

The Chef’s Handyman kitchen will be closed over Easter. Good
luck in egg hunting. Have a great time.

We will be back at the 6th of April, with lots of new cooking recipes.

Happy Easter, yours Chef’s Handyman team!

Posted in Wine, News, Trends | Comments Off

Light green and white, Chef’s Handyman’s special for this week

Posted on March 23, 2013 by Charlotte

Green and white, welcome spring! Spring salad the weekly special published in the Chef’s Handyman food blog!

From time to time a soft breeze of spring will pop in during the day. Like a little flashlight. In the teeth of cold weather this spring Easter salad will be a very good option looking forward to the future garden parties. The light green colors do welcome the spring season.

Chef’s Handyman’s weekly special: Spring salad

To make dressing, combine 6 tbsp. of olive oil, 2 tbsp. of herbs, 4 tbsp. vinegar, salt and black pepper. Add green salad leaves and toss well. Place salad in salad bowls.

Chop walnuts and caramelizes them. Place goat’s cheese on green salad. Cover the cheese with the nuts. Apply truffle honey on top.

Cut asparagus in thin slices. Blanch the pieces in the pan until soft. Peel the peas and cook in sugar water for 5 minutes or cooked through. Drain water. Garnish salad with asparagus, grapes and peas. Season the salad with fennel seed powder.

Peel cooked eggs. Cut in half. Take out yolk and place in a bowl. Add 1 tbsp. of mayonnaise and 1 tsp. of chopped chives. Combine all ingredients. Fill yolk cream back into the egg white. Garnish salad with the eggs.

Shopping list for 4 serves:
Vegetables: 500 g or 16 oz. peas (weight with shells) 150 g or 5 oz. asparagus
Salad: 600 g or 18 oz. mixed green salad
Nuts: 50 g or 2 oz. walnuts
Baking Ingredients: 3 tbsp. powdered sugar
Honey: Truffle honey (or without truffles)
Herbs: 1 bunch chives, 1 bunch thyme, 1 bunch parsley
Vinegar, Oil: 6 tbsp. olive oil, 3 tbsp. vinegar
Spices: Salt, black pepper, 1 hint fennel seed powder, 1 tbsp. mayonnaise
Cheese: 4 small goat’s cheese
Eggs: 4
Fruits: 100 g or 4 oz. grapes

Have a great weekend, yours Chef’s Handyman team.

The cooking recipe will be published in the Chef’s Handyman app for iPhone/iPad. The recipe can be downloaded in the e-cookbook ‘Free Trial Recipes’. Click on the button on top right in the category screen than push the update button within the mentioned e-cookbook. When the app will be downloaded the first time, the cooking recipe will be already included. The Chef’s Handyman app can be found in the iTunes Store.

Posted in Salads | Comments Off

Chef’s Handyman’s special of the day: Easter buns with caramel

Posted on March 17, 2013 by Charlotte

Sweet dreams, Easter buns a great baking recipe published in the Chef’s Handyman food blog

The caramel scent tickled my nose, when my mum baked these delicious buns for us children. It was hard to wait until the freshly baked buns had been cooled and were ready to be eaten. I love this kind of tradition very much.

One of Chef’s Handyman’s favorites: Easter buns with caramel

To make dough, dissolve yeast with 100 g or 3.5 oz. of sugar in 5 fl. oz. lukewarm milk. Then combine yeast milk mixture with 700 g or 22 oz. flour, one hint of salt and two eggs. Add 150 g or 5 oz. of melted butter. Knead well. Chop caramel pieces and fold them in the dough. Cover bowl and allow the dough double in size for one hour.

Prepare baking sheet with parchment paper. Preheat oven at 220°C or 425°F.

Take dough out and form one roll. Cut into 10-14 pieces. Roll again and form rings. Place rings on baking sheet. Mix egg yolk with 1 tsp. of milk. Apply egg yolk and sprinkle with decorating sugar.

Bake in oven for 10-12 minutes or until golden. Take them out and cool on wire rack.

Shopping list for 10-14 Easter buns:
Flour: 700-800 g or 24-25 oz. flour
Eggs: 2 eggs for the dough, 1 egg to apply on top
Baking Ingredients: 100 g or 4 oz. caramel pieces, 1 fresh yeast 42 g or 1.5 oz. or 15 g or 0.5 oz. dried yeast, 2 tbsp. decorating sugar, 100 g or 4 oz. sugar
Dairy Products: 150 g or 5 oz. butter or 1.5 dl or 5 fl. oz. milk
Spices: Salt

Bon appetite, yours Chef’s Handyman Team!

Posted in Breads, Pastries | Comments Off

Chef’s Handyman’s Easter tip: Egg Bread Salad

Posted on March 9, 2013 by Charlotte

Egg bread salad, the Easter tip in the Chef’s Handyman food blog!

What to do with all the colored Easter eggs? Not only children like to color eggs. Many of the painters are real artists and the outcome is just a masterpiece. I’m sure after Easter each family does have a large selection of colored eggs to be eaten.

Also our team was keen on doing so. Last two weeks we colored so many eggs. What now? We decided to create this tasty egg bread salad for the Chef’s Handyman food blog. May this cooking recipe give you an idea what to do with all the Easter eggs.

Chef’s Handyman tip: Egg bread salad

Cut eggs and bread in pieces. Heat olive oil in non-sticking frying pan. Add bread and roast until golden. Season the bread with salt and black pepper. Chop spring onions. Mix all ingredients.

To make dressing: Combine 5 tbsp. of olive oil, 3 tbsp. of white balsamic vinegar, salt, black pepper, chopped chives and 1 tsp. of mustard.

Serve salad in plates and sprinkle with dressing.

Shopping list for 4 serves:

Eggs: 8 eggs, cooked
Vegetables: 2 spring onions
Bread: 400 g or 13 oz.
Vinegar, Oil: 8 tbsp. of olive oil, 3 tbsp. of white balsamic vinegar
Spices, Mustard: Salt, black pepper, 1 tsp. mustard
Herbs: 1 bunch chives

Have a great time, your Chef’s Handyman Team!

Posted in Salads | Comments Off

Sweet Easter eggs, Chef’s Handyman’s weekly special

Posted on March 2, 2013 by Charlotte

Chef’s Handyman’s special of the week, sweet Easter eggs

Egg hunting, the children’s favorite activity during Easter season! Eggs will play the main part in the next posts published in the Chef’s Handyman food blog. Sweet Easter eggs are my favorite ones. They go perfect with coffee or tea. A good advice, double the portion to be on the safer side! Not only children will love the colored sweet eggs!

Chef’s Handyman tip: Sweet Easter eggs

To make dough, combine 400 g or 13 oz. of flour, 120 g or 4 oz. sugar, 1 hint of cinnamon, 1 tbsp. of vanilla sugar, 1 hint of Jamaica pepper, 1 hint of cardamom powder, 1 tbsp. of grated lemon and orange rind, 220 g or 7 oz. of butter (room temperature) and 1 egg. Knead well. Wrap dough and cool in fridge for 1 hour.

Sprinkle surface with flour. Roll dough out (1 cm or 0.4 inches). Cut into design use cookie cutters. Bake in oven at 200°C or 400°F for 8-10 minutes or until golden. Cool on wire rack.

To make frosting, place 6 tbsp. of powdered sugar in a cup. Add 1-2 tsp. of elder syrup. Mix all ingredients. If the mixture is to liquid add more powdered sugar. Do the same with the carrot juice and the beetroot juice. Brush colored frosting on each cookie. Decorate with white sugar paste and sugar pearls. Allow the decoration to dry for 15-20 minutes.

Chef’s Handyman tip: Food coloring can be used as well. I prefer natural coloring.

Shopping list for approx. 40 cookies:
Flour: 400 g or 13 oz. white flour
Baking Ingredients: 200 g powdered sugar, 1 white sugar paste, 1 tbsp. vanilla sugar, 120 g or 4 oz. sugar, sugar pearls and or chocolate sprinkles
Fruits: 1 lemon, 1 orange (both organic)
Dairy Products: 220 g or 7 oz. butter
Fruit or Vegetable Juices: 1-2 tsp. elder juice, 1-2 tsp. carrot juice, 1-2 tsp. beetroot juice
Spices: Jamaica pepper, cardamom powder, cinnamon
Egg: 1

Have a great time, yours Chef’s Handyman team!

Outlook of the next Posts published in the Chef’s Handyman food blog: Cooking with eggs.

Posted in Pastries | Comments Off

Crunchy, sweet and delicious, prussiens, Chef’s Handyman’s favorite

Posted on February 24, 2013 by Charlotte

Chef’s Handyman’s favorite, crunchy, sweet and delicious: Prussiens

Tea time without sweets is a no go. I love sweets served with tea. Prussiens are easy to prepare and they are delicious in taste. Spiced sugar in combination with orange peel will perfect the taste.

Chef’s Handyman’s favorite: Prussiens

To make cookies, prepare baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine 10 tbsp. of sugar, 1 tbsp. vanilla sugar, 1 pinch of tonka beans, 1 tsp. of cardamom powder and 1 tsp. of Jamaica pepper.

Roll dough out (square shape). Sprinkle the dough with 6 tbsp. of sugar mixture. Add grated orange rind. Starting from one length, roll up to form spiral. Stop when reached the middle of rectangle. Do the same with the lengths opposite until the ends do converge. Cut rolled dough into slices of 1 cm or into 0.4 inches. Place them on baking sheet. Sprinkle each side with the remaining sugar mixture.

Bake in oven at 220°C or 425°F for 20-22 minutes or until golden.

Shopping list for approx. 30 prussiens:
Dough: 1 puff pastry dough, square shaped
Baking Ingredients: 10 tbsp. sugar, 1 tbsp. vanilla sugar
Fruits: 1 orange, organic
Spices: 1 tsp. cardamom powder, 1 tsp. Jamaica pepper powder, 1 pinch tonka beans

The cooking recipe will be published in the Chef’s Handyman app for iPhone/iPad. The recipe can be downloaded in the e-cookbook ‘Free Trial Recipes’. Click on the button on top right in the category screen than push the update button within the mentioned e-cookbook. When the app will be downloaded the first time, the cooking recipe will be already included. The Chef’s Handyman app can be found in the iTunes Store.

Posted in Pastries | Comments Off

Hearty peperoni apple onion salad, the daily special in the Chef’s Handyman food blog!

Posted on February 17, 2013 by Charlotte

Peperoni apple onion salad, hearty and delicious, a great home style cooking recipe, the daily special in the Chef’s Handyman food blog

This home style salad is great for aperitif as well. The caramelized onions and the apples will give a special twist. Within no time this dish will be prepared and served.

The daily special in the Chef’s Handyman food blog: Peperoni apple onion salad

Cut 4 apples in slices. Remove core. Cut red onions in thin slices. Melt 4 tbsp. of powdered sugar in non-sticking frying pan. Add apple and onions pieces. Simmer until caramelized.

Chop parsley. Cut peperoni in thin slices.

To make dressing, combine 5 tbsp. olive oil, 4 tbsp. apple vinegar, 1 tsp. honey. Pour over salad. Add peperoni and parsley. Season the salad with salt and black pepper.

Shopping list for 4 serves:
Meat: 2-3 peperoni (600 g or 18 oz.) or chorizo
Fruits, Vegetables: 3 apples, 4-6 red onions
Herbs: 1 bunch parsley
Baking ingredients: 4 tbsp. powdered sugar, 1 tsp. honey
Oil, vinegar: 5 tbsp. olive oil, 4 tbsp. apple vinegar
Spices: Salt, black pepper

Bon appetite, yours Chef’s Handyman team!

Posted in Salads | Comments Off

A breeze of luxury in the Chef’s Handyman food blog! Potato soup with périgord truffles, just delicious!

Posted on February 10, 2013 by Charlotte

A breeze of luxury! Potato soup with périgord truffles, a weekly special in the Chef’s Handyman food blog!

This tiny black tuber let my heart beat faster. I won’t be able to resist. I’m very glad to have a deli shop nearby, so that I will be able to order some truffles during season. In Donat Gut’s deli www.donatgut.ch many different delicious goods can be found. It’s always a pleasure to visit him and to check out what’s new. So I have ordered périgord truffles. He recommended me potatoes from Liguria, a special organic production. The potatoes were cultivated in Italy since 1880.

The truffles have such a fantastic and special aroma, so that a creamy potato soup will be the right choice to combine with. The truffles will play the main part in this menu.

The weekly tip in the Chef’s Handyman food blog: Potato soup with périgord truffles

Steam potatoes or cook in pan until soft. Peel potatoes and cut them in pieces. Place the pieces in a large pan and add vegetable stock. Cook on medium heat for 10-15 minutes. Mix the potatoes with a food processor. Season the soup to taste with salt and black pepper. Add cream and cook on low heat. If the soup is too thick add more hot vegetable stock.

Chef’s Handyman tip: To reach the right texture, add the vegetable stock and the cream step by step.

Serve the soup in plates or cups. Add cream. Sprinkle with truffle oil and garnish with périgord truffles.

Shopping list for 4 serves:
Vegetables: 600 g or 18 oz. potatoes
Stock: 6-8 dl or 2-3 cups vegetable stock
Spices: Salt, black pepper
Dairy Products: 3 dl or 1-1.2 cups cream
Oil: 4 tbsp. truffle oil
Truffles: 40 g or 1.5 oz. périgord truffles

Chef’s Handyman tip: If no truffles are available, truffle oil will be fine as well.

Have a great weekend, yours Chef’s Handyman team!

Posted in Aperitif, Soups | Comments Off

Citrus fruit salad with blue cheese, refreshing and spicy, the weekly special in the Chef’s Handyman food blog

Posted on February 3, 2013 by Charlotte

Weekly special published in the Chef’s Handyman food blog, citrus fruit salad with blue cheese

Red, orange and yellow a wide selection of colors does underline this awesome refreshing and spicy salad. Chicory and blue cheese in combination with herbs, onions and chili do expand the range of flavors. Once tried and this delicious salad still keeps in mind.

The weekly special in the Chef’s Handyman food blog: Citrus fruit salad with blue cheese

To make salad, place orange rind in a bowl. Filet oranges and grapefruits. Wash the chicory and place the leaves on a plate. Add grapefruit and orange pieces. Place cottage cheese and sprouts in the middle. Break blue cheese in pieces and sprinkle over the salad. Add thyme and peppermint leaves. Chop and add onions.

To make dressing combine vinegar, oil, orange rind, grated ginger, chili, mustard and yoghurt. Season the salad with black pepper.

Serve salad with dressing.

Shopping list for 4 serves:
Salad: 600 g or 18 oz. chicory, 40 g or 1.5 oz. sprouts
Fruits, Vegetables: 4 grapefruits, 4 oranges (organic), 2 onions
Dairy Products: 400 g or 13 oz. blue cheese, 150 g or 5 oz. cottage cheese, 1-2 tbsp. yoghurt (plain)
Herbs, Spices: 1 bunch peppermint, 1 bunch thyme, 1 chili, black pepper, 15 g or 0.5 oz. fresh ginger
Vinegar, Oil: 8 tbsp. olive oil, 3 tbsp. white balsamic vinegar, 1 tbsp. mustard

Have a great weekend, yours Chef’s Handyman team!

Posted in Salads | Comments Off

Orange mousse served in a plant pot! Chef’s favorite published in the Chef’s Handyman food blog!

Posted on January 26, 2013 by Charlotte

Welcome spring! Orange mousse served in the plant pot! How great and delicious! The Chef’s favorite published in the Chef’s Handyman food blog!

None of the guests would expect the dessert served in a plant pot! What a surprise! Your guests will be amused and delighted.

In the middle of the pot, an orange mousse can be explored. Marzipan flowers are great for decoration. During summer season, marzipan flowers can be substituted by eatable flowers.

Chef’s Handyman’s dessert of the week: Orange mousse served in a plant pot

Beat the cream. Add vanilla sugar, grated orange rind and mascarpone. Peel and fillet the oranges. Cut them in pieces. Combine 2 tbsp. of the pieces with the mascarpone mixture. Place the remaining oranges in a bowl. Sprinkle them with orange blossom water.

Break lady finger cookies in pieces. Place them on the bottom of the plant pots. Sprinkle with caramel syrup. Add orange pieces on top. Finish with the orange mousse. Cool the mousse for 1-2 hours in the fridge.

Before serving, cover mousse with chocolate sprinkles. Form flowers with marzipan. Garnish dessert with salad leaves and marzipan flower.

Chef’s Handyman tip: New flower pots can be bought in flower shops. Wash and dry them before using the first time.

Shopping list for 4 serves:
Dairy Products: 250 g or 8 oz. mascarpone, 180 ml or 6 fl. oz. whipped cream
Baking Ingredients: 1 tbsp. orange blossom water, marzipan flowers, marzipan, chocolate sprinkles, 2 tbsp. vanilla sugar, 2-3 tbsp. caramel syrup, 50 g or 2 oz. lady finger cookies
Salad: 50 g or 2 oz. salad
Fruits: 2 oranges, organic
Other Products: toothpicks

Have a great weekend, yours Chef’s Handyman team!

This cooking recipe will be published in the Chef’s Handyman app for iPhone/iPad. The recipe can be downloaded in the e-cookbook ‘Free Trial Recipes’. Click on the button on top right in the category screen than push the update button within the mentioned e-cookbook. When the app will be downloaded the first time, the cooking recipe will be already included. The Chef’s Handyman app can be found in the iTunes Store.

Posted in Desserts | Comments Off

Happy Easter!

Light green and white, Chef’s Handyman’s special for this week

Green and white, welcome spring! Spring salad the weekly special published in the Chef’s Handyman food blog!

Chef’s Handyman’s weekly special: Spring salad

Chef’s Handyman’s special of the day: Easter buns with caramel

Sweet dreams, Easter buns a great baking recipe published in the Chef’s Handyman food blog

One of Chef’s Handyman’s favorites: Easter buns with caramel

Chef’s Handyman’s Easter tip: Egg Bread Salad

Egg bread salad, the Easter tip in the Chef’s Handyman food blog!

Chef’s Handyman tip: Egg bread salad

Sweet Easter eggs, Chef’s Handyman’s weekly special

Chef’s Handyman’s special of the week, sweet Easter eggs

Chef’s Handyman tip: Sweet Easter eggs

Crunchy, sweet and delicious, prussiens, Chef’s Handyman’s favorite

Chef’s Handyman’s favorite, crunchy, sweet and delicious: Prussiens

Hearty peperoni apple onion salad, the daily special in the Chef’s Handyman food blog!

Peperoni apple onion salad, hearty and delicious, a great home style cooking recipe, the daily special in the Chef’s Handyman food blog

A breeze of luxury in the Chef’s Handyman food blog! Potato soup with périgord truffles, just delicious!

A breeze of luxury! Potato soup with périgord truffles, a weekly special in the Chef’s Handyman food blog!

The weekly tip in the Chef’s Handyman food blog: Potato soup with périgord truffles

Citrus fruit salad with blue cheese, refreshing and spicy, the weekly special in the Chef’s Handyman food blog

Weekly special published in the Chef’s Handyman food blog, citrus fruit salad with blue cheese

Orange mousse served in a plant pot! Chef’s favorite published in the Chef’s Handyman food blog!

Welcome spring! Orange mousse served in the plant pot! How great and delicious! The Chef’s favorite published in the Chef’s Handyman food blog!

Chef’s Handyman’s dessert of the week: Orange mousse served in a plant pot

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