September 28, 2007

David Chang, co-owner and head chef of the Momofuku restaurants in New York City, has a passion for cooking, for pork, and for firmly believing that a great meal doesn't have to come with a hefty price tag.

For his TODAY debut on Secret Sauce, Dave has gifted us with not one, but two fun and easy recipes. His dishes create wonderful flavor and texture combinations that you wouldn't find in your everyday meal. Sometimes these things are the byproduct of combining two favorites together, as the story for the inspiration behind his Apple and Smoked Bacon Salad goes.

Says Chef Chang, "It's a combination of two apple salads, and this is the one that we liked the best. I include local ingredients from New York. ...Apples are in season right now for the fall. We also wanted a savory dish built around apples that wasn't, you know, apple pie."

His secret tip for pulling this dish off? "You can substitute with cashews. And use the good bacon! Splurge!" (We weren't lying when we said he liked pork.)

Momofuku means "Lucky peach."

Procedure: Chili Nuts

• Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.
Stir together all chili nut ingredients in a metal pie plate.
• Bake, stirring occasionally, until liquid is absorbed and nuts are coated with spice mixture and dry, about 20 minutes. Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.

While the Chili Nuts Bake...

• Warm apples in a large bowl of warm water, turning occasionally, about 15 minutes, then drain and pat dry.
• Meanwhile, cook bacon in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until browned and crisp, about 12 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain and reserve 6 tablespoons fat in skillet.
• Using slicer, cut apples into 1/8-inch-thick slices into a large bowl, rotating apple a quarter turn each time you reach core, then continuing to slice until left with nothing but core. Gently toss with lime juice.
• Heat fat in skillet over medium heat until hot, then pour over apples and gently toss with bacon and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Divide among 8 shallow bowls and sprinkle with lychees, scallions, and chili nuts.

* Chili nuts can be made 1 week ahead and cooled completely, then kept in an airtight container at room temperature.

* Bacon can be cooked 3 hours ahead and chilled in fat, uncovered, until cool, then covered. Reheat over medium heat.

Serves 4.

David Chang was born and raised in Arlington, VA. Dave attended Trinity College in Hartford, CT, where he earned a degree in religion. Dave graduated from the French Culinary Institute in New York City, while in school he began his career at Jean-George Vongerichten's Mercer Kitchen (NYC). Eventually, Dave landed a spot as part of Chef Tom Colicchio's (of Top Chef fame) opening staff at Craft (NYC), which received 3-stars from the New York Times.

In 2003, Dave moved to Japan, studying at various kaseki, izakaya and ramen restaurants, most notably working with renowned soba master, Akio Hosoda, at Fuyu-Rin, and at the Park Hyatt Hotel in Tokyo. After returning to New York, Dave and his business partner, Joaquin Baca, opened their first restaurant, Momofuku Noodle Bar in the East Village (August, 2004). They followed with the Momofuku Ssäm Bar in 2006, with a counter-service Asian burrito station for lunch, and traditional table service dinner. Dave is currently working on the opening of Momofuku Ko, a 12-15 seat space with a collaborative kitchen of the Momofuku team chefs.

Visit Chef David Chang on the web @ Momofuku.com.

• Get the recipe for Dave's Roasted Brussels Sprouts

September 28, 2007

A Bonus Recipe from Momofuku's David Chang:

Procedure: Roast Brussels Sprouts

• Preheat oven to 450°F with rack in upper third.
Toss Brussels sprouts with oil, then arrange, cut sides down, in a 17- by 12-inch shallow baking pan.
• Roast, without turning, until outer leaves are tender and very dark brown, 40 to 45 minutes.
• Add butter and toss to coat.

Procedure: Make Dressing

• Stir together all dressing ingredients until sugar has dissolved.

Procedure: Make Puffed Rice while Sprouts Roast

• Cook cereal, oil, and shichimi togarashi in a small skillet over medium heat, shaking skillet and stirring, until rice is coated and begins to turn golden, about 3 minutes.
• Transfer to a bowl and cool, stirring occasionally.

Procedure: Finish the Dish

• Put Brussels sprouts in a serving bowl, then toss with just enough dressing to coat.
• prinkle with puffed rice and serve remaining dressing on the side.

* Garnish: Cilantro sprigs; torn mint leaves; chopped scallions

* Puffed Rice can be made 3 days ahead and kept in an airtight container at room temperature.

*Dressing, without mint and cilantro, can be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring to room temperature and add herbs before using.

* Brussels sprouts can be roasted 4 hours ahead. Chill, uncovered, until cool, then cover. Reheat, uncovered, in a 350°F oven until hot, 10 to 15 minutes.

Serves 8.

David Chang is a profiled chef in October's issue of Gourmet magazine.

Read more about David, his recipes, and his restaurant Momofuku at Gourmet.com.

Visit Chef David Chang on the web @ Momofuku.com.

• Get the recipe for Dave's Apple & Smoked-Bacon Salad

September 27, 2007

Secret Sauce veteran Eric Ripert, Executive Chef & Co-Owner of Manhattan's famed Le Bernardin, has firmly established himself as one of the nation’s top chefs—so much so, he was a featured guest judge on this week's penultimate episode of the hit Bravo TV series Top Chef.

Inspired by his appearance, Chef Ripert has given us another delicious recipe we don't need to be on a cooking show to create and enjoy, Grilled Trout with Sauce Vierge and Potato and Leek.

As for who gets the boot at judges' table next week? Mum's the word, cause he's not telling! (And, believe me, we tried!)

Procedure:

• Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
Season both sides of the trout with salt, pepper and herbes de Provençe. Generously brush each trout with extra virgin olive oil and marinate for a few minutes.

• For the potatoes and leeks, heat a sauté pan on medium heat and add olive oil and butter. Add the sliced potatoes and leeks and season with salt and pepper. Cook the potatoes and leeks, stirring often, until golden brown; finish with whole grain mustard and toss to coat evenly.
• While the potatoes and leeks are cooking, make the sauce vierge by combining ½ cup extra virgin olive oil with the capers, shallot, garlic, chives, basil and lemon juice. Season to with salt and pepper.
• Grill the trout, skin side down, for 3 minutes. Turn the trout and grill on the other side for 3 minutes, until the fish is just cooked through and opaque.
• To serve, spoon the potato and leek mixture onto the center of the plate. Place the trout on top and spoon the sauce vierge over each trout.

Serves 4.

Eric Ripert is grateful for his early exposure to two cuisines—he was born in Antibes, France, then moved as a young child to Andorra, just over the Spanish border.

In 1995, at just 29-years old, Ripert earned his first four-star rating from The New York Times. Two years later, GQ named Le Bernardin the best restaurant in America.

In 1998, the James Beard Foundation named Le Bernardin “Outstanding Restaurant of the Year” and Eric Ripert “Top Chef in New York City,” and in 1999 they received the “Outstanding Service Award.”

In 2003, the Beard Foundation named Ripert “Outstanding Chef in the United States” and in January 2005, Bon Appetit declared Ripert’s Butter-Poached Lobster with Tarragon and Champagne its “Dish of the Year.” Later that year, for the fourth-consecutive time, Le Bernardin earned The New York Times’ highest rating of four stars, becoming the only venue to maintain this superior status for this length of time, without ever dropping a star.

Le Bernardin earned the top, three-star honor in the Michelin Guide’s 2005 New York debut and has been praised by Zagat reviewers as serving the “Best Food” in New York City for the past six consecutive years.

In mid-October, Chef Ripert's new Washington, D.C. bistro, "West End," will have it's debut in the Ritz-Carlton (at 22nd & M Streets). Another Ritz restaurant is in the works in Philadelphia.

He has published two cookbooks, including A Return to Cooking (2002), selected by Newsweek as one of their best gift books of the season.

Visit Chef Eric Ripert on the web @ le-bernardin.com.

• Warm Peekytoe-Maryland Lump "Crab Cake"
• Salmon with Warm Lentil Salad

Pastry Chef David Guas answers your questions about his recipe for Mini Chocolate Espresso Cakes, as featured on TODAY:

Q: Where do I find espresso powder? I would love to make this and tiramisu.

Posted by Peggy Tant on September 21 at 12:53pm

DG: You can find espresso powder at any and all cooking stores (Sur La Table, Williams-Sonoma, etc.) and most grocery stores carry it now also. It will be in either the coffee section and/or the baking supply section.

Q: What to do if you don't want to make individual cakes? What size pan - how long to bake????

Posted by arleen on September 21 at 02:20pm

DG: Yes, you can bake this espresso cake in a nine or ten inch round cake pan, an inch and half deep to two inches deep. The baking time will be approximately 25 minutes in a 350° oven. Just remember to insert a tooth pick in the center to check for doneness. Also, the center should be puffy.

• Dulce de Leche Cheesecake
• Mini Chocolate Espresso Cakes with Orange Macerated Raspberries and Chantilly Cream

September 21, 2007

Executive Pastry Chef David Guas makes his second appearance on Secret Sauce to share another easy, delicious dessert for you to enjoy! Mini Chocolate Espresso Cakes is special to Chef Guas for one simple reason: Who doesn't love these two flavors?

Catch his TODAY show appearance to see David create this dish live, and get the recipe here - with a special Orange Macerated Raspberries and Chantilly Cream topping you'll only find on Secret Sauce.

Says Chef Guas, "Who does not like to have two of the most popular flavors consumed in my household - Chocolate and Coffee. They are truly my favorite ingredients separately, and so I decided to put them together to make a "blow out" of a dessert. It is a decadent treat to give yourself every once and awhile...at least I do!"

Procedure: Espresso Cakes

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Butter and flour 6 to 8 four ounce soufflé ramekins*.
• In a small bowl, sift together flour, sugar, salt, and espresso powder. Reserve.

• Combine butter and chocolate over a double boiler and melt. Remove from heat.
• Allow to cool slightly, approximately 8-10 minutes.
• Whisk in eggs, vanilla extract, and sifted dry ingredients.
• Using a rubber spatula, fold in chocolate chips. Portion mixture into ramekins, filling each one about two thirds full.
• Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes or until the centers are set. When done, remove from oven and allow to cool slightly in ramekin.
• To serve, invert directly onto a plate and dust with powdered sugar or cocoa powder. (See below for plating instructions.)
  
  If you have baked cakes ahead of time, you may reheat the cakes in the microwave for 30 seconds before serving.

Procedure: Orange Macerated Raspberries

• Combine sugar in saucepot with enough water to resemble wet sand, approximately ¼ cup water.
• Cover and cook on high heat until caramel begins to form medium to dark color.
• Remove from heat and slowly add orange juice.
• Once it stops bubbling, whisk smooth and add Grand Marnier (or Cointreau) and strain through a fine mesh strainer.

• Allow caramel to cool.
• In a mixing bowl, gently toss raspberries with ¼ cup of cooled orange caramel.
• Let sit at room temperature for 15-30 minutes.

Procedure: Chantilly Cream

• Combine 1 pint heavy whipping cream, 3 tablespoons powdered sugar, and 1 vanilla bean (which has been split with a paring knife and, using the back of the blade, had the inside of the bean scraped) in an large shallow stainless steel mixing bowl.
• Whip with a whisk until medium peaks form.
• Store in refrigerator until ready to serve.
• Note that the whipped cream might need to be re-whipped just before plating the dessert.

A ramekin is a small glazed ceramic serving bowl.

David Guas, the original creative force behind the sweets at Washington’s Passion Food Hospitality restaurants (Acadiana, Ceiba, DC Coast, and TenPenh), has launched his own entrepreneurial career as a private consultant, boutique pastry caterer, dessert cookbook author, and, by the end of 2008, bakery owner.

Bayou Bakery in McLean, Virginia [exact location to be determined] will feature a number of his signature desserts (many of them based on his Louisiana and Cuban heritage) that gained him such a following at Washington’s Passion Food Hospitality.

In 2004, Guas was named Pastry Chef of the Year by the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington, and Bon Appétit called him one of the country’s eight “Dessert Stars.”

Guas makes regular appearances on NBC’s Today Show, de-mystifying everything from pastry dough to Mardi Gras king cakes for the nationwide viewing audience.

• Get the recipe for David's Dulce de Leche Cheesecake

September 14, 2007

Secret Sauce kicks off its premiere TODAY show appearance with famed chef Rocco DiSpirito of NBC's hit show, The Restaurant.

In his forthcoming book, Real Life Recipes, Rocco takes favorite foods he grew up eating and shares them as revamped, quick and easy dishes for our own homes.

Uncle Joe's Sausage & Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe, Rocco's most favorite recipe, is inspired by his late uncle.

Rocco tells us a little about why good food and family are two of life’s best ingredients:

My uncle Joe has worn many hats in his life. First and foremost, he was a butcher. He died unexpectedly last November, but left us many great memories. Because of his spirit and who he was, they are all attached to food of some kind. This is one of my favorite recipes from one of my favorite people.

—Rocco

Procedure

• Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil in a stock pot. Season the water with salt until the water tastes like the ocean. Pour the orecchiette into boiling water and stir. Cook for 8-10 minutes for dried and about 4 minutes for fresh.

• Heat a large sauté pan over high heat. Add the olive oil and, when hot, add the smashed garlic cloves to the pan and brown them. With a fork or the edge of a spoon, smash the garlic cloves and move them around to brown all sides.

• Add the sausage and broccoli rabe to the boiling water with the pasta 3 minutes before the pasta is cooked. Let it all cook, uncovered, until the sausage is cooked and the broccoli is bright green and tender, but not mushy.

• Drain the pasta, the sausage and the broccoli rabe all together and add to the pan with the olive oil and garlic and toss.

• Add the chicken stock and toss.

• Add the red pepper flakes and season with salt and fresh pepper.

• Sprinkle parmigiano reggiano on top and serve.

Yields 4 servings.

Watch Rocco cook up this dish on TODAY:

Rocco DiSpirito was born and raised in Jamaica, Queens. His culinary experience began at age eleven in his mother Nicolina's kitchen.

Rocco entered the Culinary Institute of America at age 16, and at 18 began working for legendary chefs all over the globe. After graduating cum laude in business from Boston University, he jumped into the New York restaurant scene.

In 1995 Rocco opened Dava, earning two stars from Ruth Reichl at The New York Times, calling his cooking “carefully considered exotica.” At 31, Rocco opened Union Pacific, which received 3 stars from The New York Times. In 1999 Rocco was named one of Food and Wine magazine’s “Best New Chefs,” and in 2000 was the first chef to become Gourmet magazine’s “America’s Most Exciting Young Chef.”

DiSpirito opened Rocco's 22nd Street in the summer of 2003 while cameras for NBC's The Restaurant watched and took notes. That summer, more than nine million viewers tuned in weekly to see the ups and downs of DiSpirito's family-inspired eatery. The second series aired in the spring of 2004. He has appeared on numerous television shows including, David Letterman, Jay Leno, The Today Show, Oprah and Top Chef.

Rocco won the James Beard award for his cookbook Flavor and has since authored Rocco's Five Minute Flavor and Rocco’s Italian American with his mother, Nicolina.

His latest cookbook venture, Real Life Recipes, is available online and in stores on November 6th.

Rocco is an avid cyclist, recently completing several triathlons and a Half Ironman competition in St.Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands.

Rocco lives in New York City with his dog Teesha and his cat Pumpkin.

Visit Rocco on the web and learn some tasty shortcuts in kitchen with Bertolli @ whatsyourmedstyle.com