The Foodies on the Fly team wants to thank you for stopping by our blog. We are currently taking a break from the blogosphere.

To check out our some of our favorite places go to: You’ve Been Visited

To check out some of the blogs we follow, click on the links under Blogroll at the sidebar.

For recipes and videos of our guest Chef Rachelle please visit: Chef Rachelle Boucher’s website

<3 FOTF

Orange Marshmallows and Ghosts Meringues 

Now that, my Swedish friend, is an accomplishment for any chef, but for someone raised on pickled herring, dill potatoes and limpa, all I can say is “Skål”! (Cheers!) Mind you, I adore Swedish food, except for saltlakrits (a wildly salty, black licorice) and lutefisk (a lye-treated gelatinous, odiferous codfish) that is, as my mother-in-law would say, “Oh, never mind!” My year in Stockholm as an exchange student was a culinary and cultural awakening. Ok, not really for the local pop music scene (Golden Shoes, anyone? Really , you must see this.) and the TV watching was pretty drab, but who needs TV when you are young, free and living in STOCKHOLM?! Have you seen what they look like, the Swedes? It is true, they are simply gorgeous.

Swedish Meatballs by Chef Rachelle

But I digress; it is the meatballs I am really talking about here. Yes, each time I go to IKEA, I hit the café, sure. But being that this is “N for Nutmeg” week, why not make this simple, succulent celebrated dish? Here is the recipe post and also a downloadable Swedish Meatballs pdf recipe.

The ingredients are simple: ground pork and beef, white bread slices, milk, eggs, butter, oil, onion, salt, pepper, allspice, nutmeg, flour, broth and cream. Easy, right?

Here are a few tips:

1. Measure out all of your ingredients first; this is key for all cooking. It is called “mis en place” or “mis” in kitchen code talk.

2. The ultimate Swedish meatball is a fine-textured thing of beauty. Mince the onion really finely, see this “Cutting an Onion” video  for a quick refresher.
3. I always dust meatballs with Wondra flour, an old-school granulated flour that is brilliant for browning and thickening. I use a tray for easy clean up and I only flour enough for one batch at a time.
4. Brown well, do not move meatballs in the pan until they brown on the bottom to prevent breaking. Do not over crowd the pan or they will not brown.
5. In between batches, deglaze the pan by pouring stock into it and scraping up all the brown bits, save for the sauce!
6. Thicken the sauce by sprinkling Wondra into the hot sauce, it dissipates instantly.
7. Serve with steamed or boiled potatoes with dill and a side of Lingonberry sauce! Try it, you’ll like it! (I cooked the potatoes in the Miele Steam oven, it is a remarkable tool, fast, healthy, full flavor cooking!)

So, the music of the Herrey brothers with their signature song about the joy of walking around in “Golden Shoes” was not exactly Sweden’s cultural high point in 1984, but just one bite of these Swedish meatballs brings me back to the scintillating town of Stockholm, with its luminous people, museums, grand cafes, and magnificent food and brings tears of joy and longing for a city and a culture that I deeply love.

Via: Chef Rachelle Boucher
www.chefrachelleboucher.com
www.facebook.com/chefrachelleboucher

Since our place is fairly small and we don’t want to leave anyone out, we’re going digital.

To join in the fun: Just carve your pumpkin, upload the photo to facebook and tag your friends (and us in it) or upload to our wall. If you’re on Twitter we’ll be using the hashtag #FOTFBYOP

Can’t wait to see all your creative pumpkins We’ll be uploading ours soon.

Burger Bash Bite

Tickets for the foodie event(s) of the year South Beach Wine & Food Festival are available for pre-sale today for American Express cardholders at www.sobefest.com. If you are like us, AMEX-less, tickets go on sale to the general public on October 24th. We’re already eyeing up the events, and have our Visa ready to hit purchase!

Here are some FOTF event highlights from the 2011 Festival:

Burger Bash

Let Them Eat Cake

If you could go to any event, which would you choose?

Easy Peach Cobbler Recipe
For this version, I start with a 10 inch oval baking dish or any clay dish will work. You can use metal or glass but clay heats so well, so evenly and does not burn, plus it is easy to clean. Borrowing an idea from making a traditional clafouti, I melted the butter right in the clay dish during the pre-heat. This saves me from washing another pan as well. I even lightly brown the butter for a more nutty, rich flavor.

 Mix up flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and freshly grated nutmeg (more on nutmeg next week in my “Flavor Agent N for Nutmeg” post!) and added milk, stirring until just blended.

Pour this quick batter into the heated dish with the melted butter and, like a clafouti, it begin to cook and sizzle. Add in frozen, peeled and sliced peaches and strawberries as well if you like.

Place into a 350 °F oven on CONVECTION for best browning and even cooking, or 375 °F non-convection oven.  Without the convection setting you will probably have to turn the dish throughout the cooking time  to insure even cooking. (I made this same recipe recently at a Standards of Excellence-NARI event in Sacramento using the Dacor Convection Oven to rave reviews!)

In 45 minutes, Rob was lined up at the oven door, fork in hand. I served him the cobbler with a dollop of ice cream and a sprig of chocolate mint (see this week’s “Flavor agent M for Mint” post).

Here is the recipe link and a downloadable version of my Easy Peach Cobbler recipe.  

With the rain coming down and the cats curled up in their little cat beds, we relished the succulent cobbler and savored every warm, delicious bite. Sleep tight, kittens.

Via: Chef Rachelle Boucher
www.chefrachelleboucher.com
www.facebook.com/chefrachelleboucher

Here are a few ways you can get involved in South Florida:

1. Attend a Glam-A-Thon event. Sip cocktails, get pampered, and strut downtown Ft. Lauderdale.

2. Eat a taco or toss back some tequila with Rocco’s Tacos “Taco, Tequila, & Tatas Tuesdays”

3. Golf for the Cure Pick up your clubs and head to the Par 3 at Kings Point, Delray Beach.

4. Run a 5K at Bayfront Park, Miami and Race for the Cure 

For other events in your area, check out: Susan G. Komen for the Cure®

Nationally, KitchenAid is celebrating their 10th year of Cook for the Cure®.

Cook for the Cure® is a program that gives people with the passion for cooking a way to support the fight against breast cancer. Through culinary-based fundraising, events, auctions, and the sale of pink products, the partnership between Susan G. Komen for the Cure® and KitchenAid has raised $8 million in the past decade. Foodies on the Fly have hosted and attended several Cook for the Cure events in the past years and were graciously given a KitchenAid Artisan Blender by our Appliance Sponsors to give away.

Win me!

WIN THIS: KitchenAid 5-Speed Artisan Series Blender with 56-Oz. Blend & Serve Pitcher in PINK, retail value $129.00 (with a portion of that going directly to Susan G. Komen for the Cure®)

Here’s how to enter:
(one entry for each method entered, please leave separate comment)

1. Comment on this post
2. Follow FOTF on twitter
3. Like FOTF on facebook
4. Follow  Standards of Excellence on twitter
5. Like  Standards of Excellence on facebook
6. Like  Florida Builder Appliances on facebook
7. Like Westar Kitchen & Bath on facebook

Winner announced via random drawing on October 21st. Due to shipping restrictions winner must reside in US. 

CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED: Congratulations Amy @dropastitch!

How will you “go pink” this month? 

Link to: Pizza with Minted Fava Beans, English Peas & Pecorino Recipe.

Link to: Thai Soup with Pumpkin, Shrimp and Coconut Milk Recipe.

Link to: Butterfly Roasted Chicken with Rosemary and Lemon Gremolata Recipe.

Via: Chef Rachelle Boucher
www.chefrachelleboucher.com
www.facebook.com/chefrachelleboucher

World of Whirlpool

Earlier this month FOTF visited the chic new eco-friendly Whirlpool showroom built on the (newly created and invisible from ground level) 8th floor atop  Chicago’s historic Reid-Murdoch Building, in celebration of their upcoming 100th birthday (11/11/11).

The 30,000 sq. ft. “World of Whirlpool” Design Center houses 12 vignettes from kitchen to laundry, to garage, and finally two amazing outdoor entertaining areas on the rooftop overlooking the Chicago river to showcase their multiple brands including Jenn-Air, KitchenAid, Whirlpool, Maytag and Gladiator. There are also several meeting areas for training and social purposes and a hidden commercial kitchen.

After touring the stylish facility, we dined on the rooftop with our hosts from Jenn-Air. (You knew we couldn’t write without a food mention! Included are our favorites from the trip.)

Dinner with a view, we were seated underneath the umbrellas

Mosaic Roasted Beets

Pan Seared Scallop

Peppercorn crusted hanger steak

The next day we awoke refilled and refreshed and were ready for the designer training with Ellen Cheever, CMKBD, ASID, CAPS to begin. Here are some of the highlights from Kitchen Designer’s Forum: What’s New, What’s Next

TRENDS:

• Kitchens are evolving towards complex simplicity, aka wabi-sabi.
• Kitchens will shift towards focused multi-use spaces with ample storage.
• Consumers are looking for accessible green design at all price points.
• Consumers also want multi-tasking products and design, comfort with flexibility, and less walls.
• Kitchens are trending to be the center of the home, literally, in wall-less spaces.
• Man-made materials will start to replace natural products as the desired, not fall back solution.
• Technology will dominate appliance innovation.

After our session with the knowledgeable Ellen Cheever ended we went into one of the live kitchen demonstration areas and took Jenn-Air’s newest line-up for a test drive, illustrating the newest appliance trend: technology.

Jenn-Air wall oven, feat. Culinary Center

Smart Wall Ovens for tentative cooks
Introducing the Jenn-Air Culinary Center, a 7″ touch screen, image driven guide to help home cooks select the right time and temperature with more than 50 different options. Choose your doneness level, insert the attached probe and let the oven handle it for you. Created the perfect cookies, turkey, or lamb chops and need to remember what your settings were? Just save them in the system. If you forget, the monitor will prompt you the next time you cook.

Jenn-Air induction cooktop

Induction Cooktops heat quickly and evenly, and are safe & energy efficient
Many consumers are starting to choose induction over gas cooktops. Induction cooking works by the electronics in the cooktop powering a coil that produces a high-frequency electromagnetic field. This field penetrates the cooking vessel, which needs to consist of a ferrous metal (magnetic), and starts a circulation of electric current generating heat inside the vessel, heating it’s contents and nothing else. This method allows for quick controllable heating. Once your vessel is removed from the burner it will cool to the touch almost instantly.

Jenn-Air gas downdraft cooktop

The downdraft is back, new & improved
The original inventor of the downdraft, Jenn-Air has reintroduced their 1960′s addition, now offering it exclusively duct-free and with the industry’s best and quietest ventilation. This system can be installed in almost any home, including high-rise condos and apartments. The powerful filter sucks smoke down into cooktop and out of the kitchen.

For Jenn-Air‘s complete line-up visit: www.JennAir.com

World of Whirlpool
325 North LaSalle Street Suite 725.
Chicago, IL 60610

Check out Chef Rachelle’s blog for her thoughts on the trip too!

Chef Subin’s unique culinary creations are a natural result of his exposure to Thai street market food in his earlier years and his travels throughout Southeast Asia and the Caribbean. Prior to SAIA, Chef Subin served as Assistant Sushi Chef at Delano on South Beach, Lead Sushi Chef at the Lowes Hotel South Beach, Chef aboard Royal Caribbean International’s fleet and Market Cook in Thailand. Chef Subin strives to achieve balance between authenticity and heritage in his dishes and the modern (American) conception of what Asian dining.

“When developing this concept I was committed to creating a unique dining experience, with fresh interpretations and crafting flavors that would redefine South Florida’s Asian dining scene. We’ve succeeded!” – Chef Subin

Upon meeting the magnetic Chef Subin, FOTF left the menu selection in his more than capable hands. Thus begins our journey…

Green Bean Salad

The Green Bean Salad arrived first, served chilled with a black soy vinaigrette, sesame seeds, and dried garlic on top. The crisp, fresh green beans are a new addition, and we would gladly order them again as an alternative to our typical starter of edamame, which is also available.

Tamari Scallop

The Tamari Scallop was beautifully plated; one large scallop wrapped in paper thin bigeye tuna, topped with minced crabmeat, and masago atop a pool of wasabi spiked aioli. The thin, silky smooth tuna barely encased the meaty scallop and crabmeat, and presented me with a small challenge: How to most delicately devour this large bite? Chopsticks gripped, I chose to bite and conquer (and hope that the whole masterpiece would not end up on my plate, or worse…). My strategy worked, somewhat, only a few bits of green tobiko caviar and crabmeat were sacrificed. I can see why the waitstaff heavily recommends this dish. We do as well.

Hamachi Jalapeno

The thinly sliced Hamachi Jalapeno arrived next, spiced with Thai chili, ponzu uzu, shredded daikon and cilantro arrived next. This light fish was full of flavor from the citrus-y marinade to the kick of the Thai Jalapeno chilies. The Hamachi was one of my favorite dishes of the evening.

Miso Scallops

The Miso Scallops, a customer favorite, are lime and salt encrusted, covered in a sweet honey miso sauce, and presented atop a Japanese yam. Topped with a dash of sesame seeds, and curl of scallion.

This dish also had me fumbling with my chopsticks (Disclaimer: I am no expert, as you may have deduced) as the slick glaze had them slipping through my grasp. Laughing as yet again the scallop eluded me, I admitted defeat and requested silverware. Quartered by my newly acquired knife and securely speared by fork, the perfect bite of sweet, sticky miso scallop made it into my mouth. The lime and salt perfectly balance out the sweetness of the miso glaze, which is so delicious, I could cover everything in it. As I was savoring my first bites of scallop #1, scallops #2 and #3 have disappereaed. Definitely a favorite of my dining companion of the evening, and newest addition to the FOTF team, my BF “M”.

Shirome Spice

I did not have long to lament the loss of a possible shared scallop, as we were quickly presented with my favorite plate of the evening. The Shirome Spice, a crispy, lightly battered whitefish with a sweet and spicy garlic glaze and stir-fried mixture of onions, red, yellow and green bell peppers, and shitake mushrooms. The stir-fried vegetables were slightly al dente and added texture to the flaky fish and meaty shitakes.

Tropical Roll & Fire Dragon Roll

Next we were presented with not one, but two massive sushi rolls, the Tropical Roll and the Fire Dragon Roll. These two inside out creations push sushi lovers to the edge and have gained quite a following due to their unique flavor pairings. The Tropical Roll includes seared scallop, mushroom, shiso, cucumber, and spicy miso topped with salmon and mango. Our favorite, the Fire Dragon Roll starts with lightly fried shrimp tempura, wrapped in avocado, snow crab, and topped with spicy tuna and masago.

Mongolian Barbeque Lamb Lollipops

Another new addition to the SAIA menu are the Mongolian Barbeque Lamb Lollipops. M wanted to test out his review skills and adds: An unusual presence in an Asian restaurant’s menu, this item has been added in response to customers request to increase meat dish variety. But don’t let the oriental atmosphere fool you; this dish’s level of taste, tenderness and presentation is at least similar to what you would expect from any fancy steakhouse. With another signature twist from the Chef, the sweet and tangy sauce on the side is a surprisingly delicious variation over the traditional red wine, rosemary or mint.

Note: These lollipops were sourced from farm raised lamb in New Zealand.

Thai Curry Lobster

On a roll, M reviews the Thai Curry Lobster as well: I’ve been eating Thai red curries for years from many places of the world and thought I had tried it all. Yet Subin Chankesorn managed to create a masterpiece lobster red curry with a garlic rich mixture of pineapple, hearts of palm, green peppers, baby tomatoes and a delicious white sauce. Definitely a must try for curry lovers.

Here I will add that Chef Chankeson joined us for the last of our courses. We spoke about his childhood growing up in the Thailand, the different dialects and how one word could mean something very different in varying regions (floor mat -vs- tiger!) and finally we spoke about curry. Chef explained to us how he starting making curries under the guidance of his mother. He doesn’t follow a set recipe, yet adds and detracts based on taste of his ingredients of the day, striving to incorporate authentic Thai ingredients and spices. He adds, If you use a recipe it will be different every time based on the sweetness or tartness of the ingredients, so follow your sense of taste not direction.

Chef Subin's Dessert Plate

Our final plate was a taste of Chef Subin’s home, literally. He picked the starfruit from his backyard that morning and now it adorns our plate alongside a chocolate mini macaroon, strawberry, and mochi ice cream in a fruity yogurt sauce. Chef explained to us that he is not a fan of overly sweet desserts and this plate demonstrated a light hand as well. A perfectly sweet ending to a remarkable meal.

Foodies on the Fly highly recommends stopping by and, if you’re feeling adventurous, allowing Chef Subin to order for you as well. The staff is very accomodating and will take note of any allergies or preferences as well.

We thank-you for your time if you’ve completed reading to this point. It was an extensive meal (over 3hrs!) and review as well.

B Ocean Ft. Lauderdale- SAIA
999 Fort Lauderdale Boulevard
Fort Lauderdale, FL
954-302-5252