To carry on the French theme, I stumbled upon a cool blog by Shona a Le Cordon Bleu Trained chef, in fact she is doing a French cooking series on her blog right now! The Chef's Cookbook
I asked for for a guest post. Well you know me I couldn't resist!
I have always had a love for cooking and food. At first it became a hobby and then the culinary industry changed my life. I began to cook as a professional and less like a home cook. I gained much knowledge at the Le Cordon Bleu school which gave me the right tools to pursue my passion.
After working for hotels and restaurant I quit to have children, but during that time I wrote a cookbook called Wild Edibles. That’s were this blog came from. A lot of what I publish on this site is also whats in my book or from things I learned by attending culinary school or on the job. This blog allows me to have a creative outlet.
I have certifications through local and national health department agencies and The national Restaurant Association. Some many people ask me if I am going to start a restaurant. I always say no because I don’t think people know just what it takes to do that and how many hurdles you have to jump to open a place. Only 1 in 10 new restaurants will survive in the first year. Those are very scary statistics!
For now The Chefs Cookbook site will serve as a way to get my book out into the world and to share info with my readers!
Ratatouille
This is a traditional dish that originates from French Provencal. Ratatouille is usually served as a side dish, but also may be served as a meal on its own (accompanied by rice or bread). Tomatoes are a key ingredient, with garlic, onions, courgettes (zucchini), aubergine (eggplant), bell peppers (poivron), carrot, marjoram and basil, or bay leaf and thyme, or a mix of green herbs like herbes de Provence. This is one of my most favorite dishes I have created. It's healthy and very yummy. Enjoy this and more recipes, cooking lessons, and useful info onhttp://www.thechefscookbook.com
Ratatouille with a Twist
By: The Salty Chef
Ingredients:
- 1 zucchini
- 1 yellow squash
- 2 large Roma tomatoes
- 1 small eggplant
- ¼ cup sweet corn
- ¼ cup red onion
- ¼ cup green beans
- ¼ cup fennel
- ¼ cup sliced asparagus
- ½ lemon
- ½ orange
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup white wine
- ¼ cup parsley
- Salt and pepper
- ½ cup yellow bell pepper
- ½ cup red bell pepper
- ½ cup cauliflower florets
- 1 TBSP butter
- ¼ cup chicken broth
Directions:
- In a large sauté pan, melt butter, garlic, ginger, and onion. Then add green beans and squash, and eggplant, asparagus, bell peppers, cauliflower.
- Cook until almost tender. Add wine, chicken stock and olive oil.
- Then add corn and fennel and tomatoes. Add remaining ingredients.
- Cook until tender. Serve over rice.
-The Salty Chef, http://www.thechefscookbook.com
