Signature Chefs Auction Quad Cities 2012

It's time again for the Signature Chefs Auction Quad Cities 2012

Team Happy Joe's will defend our culinary skill's against the best chef's on the planet!  

It's all about the kids!  Here are some pics from last year.

Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Time: 5:30 PM
The River Center 
136 East 3rd Street
Davenport, IA 52801

Join Quad Cities' finest chefs as they prepare exquisite cuisine during our annual Signature Chefs Auction fundraiser. Enjoy live entertainment bid on exciting live auction packages featuring one-of-a-kind entertainment and chef-inspired culinary packages. Guests are also invited to Fund the March of Dimes Mission by making a 100% tax-deductible gift in honor of the many families in the community who have been touched by premature birth or birth defects.

2012 participating chefs and restaurants:

Bass Street Chop House-Chef Douglas Lear
Biaggi's-Chef Patrick Trainor
Blackwatch Room-Chef Beau Eastin
Cafe Fresh-Chef Juan Hernandez
Faithful Pilot-Chef Robert Cook
Front Street Brewery-Chef Jon Fredenburg
Happy Joe's-Chef Robert Lewis
Hotel Blackhawk-Chef Kevin Nape
Jumer's Casino & Hotel-Chef J.R. Greenwood
Red Crow Grille-Chef Aman Razdan
Rhythm City Casino-Chef Tony Garcia
River Center-Chef Chris Carton
Scott Community College-Chef Brad Scott
Thunder Bay Grille-Chef Andy Wildermuth

Schedule of Events:

5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m.- Cash Bar, Gourmet Sampling, Silent Auction, Peoples Choice Judging at Chef’s Stations, Edgar Crockett Quartet

7:40 p.m. - Welcome from Emcee, Steve Ketelaar, KUUL 101.3, Program & Chef’s Awards Presented

8 p.m.: Live Auction begins: Jana Stenzel, Auctioneer, 2012 Ambassador Family video, featuring The Wilson Family

This Season's Trip to Brockway Farms

When I got the call from Mark letting me know the harvest was coming in, I wasted no time getting to the Brockway Sweetcorn Farms. Located on highway 67, about 1/2 mile past Alcoa, (look for the Brockway Sweetcorn sign, a classic red tractor and an American flag), the farm's offerings include more than the name implies-- Swiss chard, peppers, herbs, tomatoes, fresh garlic, flowers, hot peppers, pumpkins and a lot more!

You'll be interested to know that all the crops there are organic, grown with stream feed irrigation and fish based fertilizer. A visitor will immediately notice the presence butterflies, frogs, and bumble bees-- telltale signs of a healthy organic farm, unlike “traditional” fields where few living things survive the pesticides.

This years recipe is our take on the popular health drink "green drink", or as we call it, Super Drink of Love!

Super Drink of Love, The Brockway/Happy Diabetic Recipe-

2 cups fresh Swiss chard

1 bunch of kale

1/2 to 1 cup water diced

2 cups diced cucumber

3 stacks diced celery

2 diced apples

Juice of 1 lime

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

2 diced bananas

Agave nectar (also called agave syrup) or 2 T Splenda or Stevia

Directions

Cut all the veggies and fruit into small pieces. Combine all ingredients into a blender. Unless you have a large capacity blender, I recommend mixing the kale, Swiss chard and water in a food processor first. Puree on high speed until liquid.

This makes approximately 28-30 ounces, or 3-4 servings.

Lifestyle Chefs, Food So Tasty, You'll Forget it's Healthy! Good for everyone, Great for Diabetics!

Lifestyle Chefs specializes in products that are Vegetarian and Diabetic-Friendly. 

Learn more, check out http://www.lifestylechefs.net/

Hello everyone! Check out the this great site about staying happy and Healthy.

The Happy Diabetic is even happier these days! Click on this Liberty Medical link to view Six Steps to Diabetes Success

Passover 2012 Can you feel the Love!!!

FESTIVAL OF FREEDOM

Pesach, or Passover in English, is one of the best known and my favorite Jewish holidays, as much for its connection to Jewish redemption and the figure of Moses as for its ties with Christian history (the Last Supper was a Passover seder)

Family, friends and food make this evening a wonderful time to spend together

But lets' focus on the food-

1st stop...

http://whatjewwannaeat.com/ is a great blog by Amy. It is a wonderful one stop to find awesome and tested recipes.

I used Amy's Charoset- It was wonderful.

Charoset

Print

Recipe type: Holidays, Side Dish

Author: Amy

Prep time: 30 mins

Total time: 30 mins

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 6 apples (I used Gala)
• 1 cup finely chopped walnuts
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1/3 cup Manischewitz wine

Instructions

1. Peel, core and chop apples.
2. Add walnuts and mix.
3. Add cinnamon and sugar and mix again.
4. Add honey and wine and mix
5. up one last time.

NEXT... The Family and Friends...

Taste for Life:

Recipes for eating and living better from “The Happy Diabetic”

We’re changing the way you eat one recipe at a time.

www.happydiabetic.com

Great Spring Eats

Shrimp Scampi of Love!

What’s in it?
4-5 slices of fresh tomatoes;
2 oz low fat feta cheese
2 sprigs of basil; fresh or 1 t dried
1 t. virgin olive oil
Dash cracked pepper Lime wedge
4 large fresh shrimp, cooked or raw
1 tsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced

Let’s put it together:

1. Wash and slice tomatoes crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices, 4 slices per tomato. Arrange the slices on the plate.

2. Cut fresh basil leaves into strips and top each tomato with basil. Drizzle 1 t olive oil over the tops and add cracked pepper

Shrimp preparation:

1. Heat the 1 t olive oil until hot, add the shrimp cook for approximately 3-4 minutes. Turn the shrimp. Place the shrimp on top of the tomato, basil,

2. Top with the low fat Feta Cheese and a squish of lime.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGxT2fwxSyE

Taste for Life:

Recipes for eating and living better from “The Happy Diabetic”

We’re changing the way you eat one recipe at a time.

www.happydiabetic.com

The Wine Spectator at Greystone Restaurant- A visit to my Alma mater West Coast

OK...Keep in mind you visiting a working kitchen staffed by students. Highly trained professionals to mentor and teach the students also supervise the Restaurant. Now if this was a medical school I'm not sure how it would work, I would not recommend Harvard Medical use this model.

With that said... my experience was unbelievable!!!

Napa Valley has more than its fair share of great culinary destinations but if you're looking for something different from your typical 4 star restaurant, I'd recommend checking out Greystone, which is located on the campus of the Culinary Institute of America and as such, the restaurant features student chefs in an open kitchen honing up on their technique and presentation of their impressive dishes.


We landed in SFO late. We had hoped to hit a couple of wineries Gary Vanerchuck recommended. But as it turned out we arrived in Napa around 3:00 instead of 11:am. We were beat. So we headed to the hotel. We stayed at the Fairfield Inn at American Canyon. PERFECT. It was reasonable and just down the road from Napa. So.. we took a nap and headed to Gravestone @ the CIA.

First of all, it's a beautiful location with stone walls and high ceilings. The food itself is very well prepared. The dishes we had were incredible and cooked to perfection!!!

I give this 5 stars although since I'm an alum I’m slightly bias.

We made reservations for 6:30. When we arrive we were greeted by a student chef who seated us in a nice location

We were served by 2 students and there mentor.

Here what we had; We split the entree and they were happy to do it!

BEEF & PEAR CARPACCIO arugula, shaved pecorino, super premium olive oil

BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP pomegranate seeds, pomegranate‐balsamic molasses

TODAY’S TEMPTATIONS A variety of small bites prepared by our chef to be shared by all at the table

GARDEN VEGETABLE RISOTTO

peas, mushrooms, squash, green beans, house‐made ricotta cheese

.

The Wine Spectator at Greystone

2555 Main Street

St. Helena, CA 94525

Phone: 707-967-1010

St. Helena, CA

wsgr@culinary.edu