The potatoes got cooking, the chicken was butterflied, seasoned and seared. While everything was simmering away, the veggies were trimmed, peeled, sliced and chopped. The bread got toasty in the oven, almost ready for the final assembly. Spreading condiments is the start to the perfect giant chicken sandwich. All the veggies were layered on along with chopped up chicken. A slice of sandwich and scoop of potatoes for the perfect meal.
Today’s BBQ was all about cheese stuffed burgers and scratch made cauliflower tater tots. Chef Jenn had the boys start off making a batter for the tots, mixing in all the seasonings and binding ingredients, and lastly shaping them into tot shapes. While the tots were firming up in the fridge, the boys stuffed the ground beef with cheese and shaped them into patties. Next the burgers and onion slices went on the BBQ for some grilling, while the tots went into the air fryer and the oven to cook. Jenn explained to the boys different techniques for cooking the tots. Lastly, all the garnishes were prepared for the burgers and dinner was served!
Tommy The Fishmonger returned to the kitchen bearing many gifts from the sea. He started off with a platter of prepared smoked fish to get the appetite going. Next he showed the boys how to look for quality in filleted seafood, and had one of the boys pan fry some freshly caught bank perch. Crabcakes were next up in the pan. Shrimp and fish chorizo followed in a garlic teriyaki sauce with vegetables. Last up, came a whole lot of worldly wisdom, which the boys soaked up.
Chef Christina brought all kinds of fun ingredients to make scones today. The class just happened to fall on the UK Coronation bank holiday, so it was an informal nod to King Charles. We made some sweet scones, and then made some savory scones by adding jalapeños and cheese. The boys learned how to mix the dry ingredients, add the wet ingredients gently, then laminate the dough for a nice texture. The scones went into a hot oven, and boom, deliciousness came out shortly thereafter.
Today’s class was Asian inspired stir fried noodles and stir fried rice. Chef Scott showed how you can use leftover ingredients, along with whatever vegetables you have on hand, adding in an assortment of Asian condiments, a bit of beaten eggs and a delicious, balanced meal is ready!
A good teriyaki chicken starts with a home-made teriyaki sauce. First up Chef Lena had the boys make her special gingered teriyaki sauce. It was used to marinate the chicken breasts, the remainder was set aside to finish off the dish. White rice was rinsed of its starches then steamed on the stove top. Then the boys got busy trimming and chopping a variety of vegetables to be used for a stir-fried side. The chicken breasts were quickly seared then poached in a teriyaki broth. Final step was to stir fry the veggies to perfection. Lastly, we worked on our plating skills, as presentation is as important as taste.
Spring is in the air, but winter storms are still hitting us in San Diego. With that in mind, Chef K’s menu included bacon wrapped meatloaf, red-skinned mashed potato, a rich brown gravy, and a healthy side of green beans.
It didn’t take long for the house to smell amazing with the meatloaf in the oven. The boys got busy prepping the potatoes to be cooked, making the gravy and finishing up with the green beans.
We are now officially into our second trimester of the pilot Chef Angels Culinary Program. This means all 8 chefs have had a go and they get to teach another class. Chef Jenn leads the curriculum in today’s class. She brought her Chinese cooking skills to the kitchen, teaching the boys how to make egg drop soup, chicken stir fry, veggies and steamed rice.
The boys were treated by a celebrity appearance today. Tommy the Fishmonger known for his namesake TV show The Fishmonger brought the boys a plethora of fresh seafood straight from his market Tunaville, located at Driscoll’s Wharf. The boys learned how to break down a whole local rock fish into fillets that were cut into fish taco sized pieces. Tommy went over fish sustainability and utilizing of the whole fish by introducing them to fish collars, otherwise known as chicken wings of the sea. A live spiny lobster made an appearance, and again Tommy showed them how to make use of the whole lobster.
Fish tacos were on the menu! Yum!
The boys were astounded to learn they could make delicious pizzas from scratch, from the homemade dough all the way to the toppings. Chef Christina brought her A-game today, she even brought a mini pizza oven so the boys could experience a true pizza parlor event. No more Dominos in this household!
