Thai Chicken Pasta Salad with Spicy Peanut Sauce
Yields: 4 servings

Spicy Peanut Sauce:

1 bunch of fresh cilantro leaves
1 cup smooth peanut butter
1 TBS sesame oil
1/2 cup Kikkoman soy sauce + 1 TBS
2 1/2 TBS sugar
6 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 TBS hot chili sauce (ie: Siracha sauce - available in the ethnic foods section)
1 TBS rice vinegar

Procedure:
First place the cilantro leaves in the bowl of a food processor and then add all the other ingredients on top of the cilantro in the order listed above. Process until smooth.
Serve with a platter of any raw or partially cooked vegetables of your choice (carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, cherry tomatoes, green onions, etc.)

The sauce can be made several hours in advance.

Left over sauce can be diluted with hot water and served over hot or cold Chinese noodles.

For the Salad:

½ pound spaghetti noodles-thick noodles like fettuccine works well
2 green onions- thinly sliced
1 red pepper-thinly sliced
½ cup cilantro-chopped
¼ cup fresh basil-chopped
1 cup roasted salted peanuts-coarsely chopped
1 cup bean sprouts
1 English cucumber halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
1 1/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and thinly sliced crosswise (you can also use rotisserie chicken
Lime wedges for garnish

Procedure:
Cook noodles in boiling water for 3 minutes. Drain; rinse under cold water, and set aside.

In a large bowl toss the cooked noodles with half of the peanut sauce. Add the vegetables, peanuts and cooked chicken. Toss with remaining peanut sauce and serve with fresh lime wedges.

Pasta Dough:

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs, plus 1 for egg wash
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Cornmeal, for dusting

Procedure:
To make the pasta dough: In an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook*, combine the flour and salt. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and continue to mix. Drizzle in 1 tablespoons of the olive oil and continue to incorporate all the flour until it forms a ball. Sprinkle some flour on work surface, knead and fold the dough until elastic and smooth, this should take about 10 minutes. Brush the surface with the remaining olive oil and wrap the dough in plastic wrap; let rest for about 30 minutes to allow the gluten to relax.

*Alternatively if you don’t have an electric mixer: Combine the flour and salt on a flat work surface; shape into a mound and make a well in the center. Add the eggs and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to the well and lightly beat with a fork. Gradually draw in the flour from the inside wall of the well in a circular motion. Use 1 hand for mixing and the other to protect the outer wall. Continue to incorporate all the flour until it forms a ball. Continue as directed above.

Cut the ball of dough in 1/2, cover and reserve the piece you are not immediately using to prevent it from drying out. Dust the counter and dough with a little flour. Press the dough into a rectangle and roll it through a pasta machine, 2 or 3 times, at widest setting. Pull and stretch the sheet of dough with the palm of your hand as it emerges from the rollers. Reduce the setting and crank the dough through again, 2 or 3 times. Continue tightening until the machine is at the narrowest setting; the dough should be paper-thin, about 1/8-inch thick (you should be able to see your hand through it.). Dust the sheets of dough with flour as needed.

Beat 1 egg with 1 tablespoon of water to make an egg wash. Dust the counter and sheet of dough with flour, lay out the long sheet of pasta, and brush the top surface with the egg wash, which acts as a glue. Drop tablespoons of your favorite filling on 1/2 of the pasta sheet, about 2-inches apart. Fold the other 1/2 over the filling like a blanket. With an espresso cup or fingers, gently press out air pockets around each mound of filling. Use a sharp knife to cut each pillow into squares and crimp the 4 edges with the tins of a fork to make a tight seal. Dust the ravioli and a sheet pan with cornmeal to prevent the pasta from sticking and lay them out to dry slightly while assembling the rest.

Cook the ravioli in plenty of boiling salted water for 4 minutes; they’ll float to the top when ready, so be careful not to overcrowd the pot. Lift the ravioli from water with a large strainer or slotted spoon. Bath the ravioli in your favorite sauce to lightly coat and serve.

There are many things I always took for granted as a kid: that the sun would rise in the east, that the oceans would be salty, that sledding down the hill on the local golf course was the high point of winter (after Christmas of course), and that supper would involve the entire family.   I cannot remember a time when the family did not eat dinner together. 

 

Since my brother, sister, and I went to the same school, we always had breakfast at the same time.  While this was at an era before there were packaged fast-serve cereals I think joint breakfasts were a convenience for my Mom who was not a morning person.  She felt that her children must have a complete meal at the beginning of the day.  She would dutifully prepare us eggs, bacon or scrapple, toast, and juice.  Since she was usually only partially awake these items frequently were not Good Housekeeping photo ops.  It was not until I went off to school that I found out that bacon was not a black three-inch strip.

 

For convenience we had lunches together on the weekends and during the summer.  Occasionally my parents would relent since they preferred for us kids to be outside playing than sitting inside, so summer and weekend lunches were more of a free range affair but still supervised by my mom.

 

Suppers were always the main family event of the day.  Unless one of us was eating at a friend’s house we always ate together.  When my father was away on his sales trips these were relatively informal gatherings around the kitchen table.  When he was home dinner was a more formal affair in the dining room.  We kids set the table, and had to set it properly.  My father sat at one end and my mother at the kitchen end.  Dad served all of the plates while Mom did all of the cooking. My mom was a traditional homemaker while my dad worked.  She was an adventurous cook who explored recipes from around the world.

 

We even had lit candles at the table.  The ritual marking the end of each meal was to blow them out.  We kids took turns doing this.  It was a constant source of argument as to whose turn it was to extinguish the flames.  Looking back, supper was an Ozzie and Harriet setting before television and, later, Martha Stewart and the Food Network, made such dinners popular. 

 

I believe that this gathering was an important part of my life.  It was a time for conversation, talking with grownups, learning manners, and exploring new foods. It provided an intense bonding that went beyond the birthday and holiday family meals.  Even as a monosyllabic teenager I recall that this was a comfortable time with comfort food.

The culinary world provides many outlets for creativity. If you find your path, you will more than likely not burn out from the lifestyle of long hours and erratic schedules. I found my path in teaching people how to cook. I have already done the catering, corporate job, line-cooking, pastry chef and personal chef.
I do not make desserts on a regular basis for a living because I am following my dream. I will make the occasional birthday cake or dessert for close friends or a dinner party.
I like to support my friends who have small businesses because it can be very competitive  here in Chicago and there are bakeries everywhere.
I have a friend named Jane who has started her own business making custom pies and cakes. It’s called Sugarkist and your can find her creations here: www.sugarkist.com.
Her website has seasonal pies like the traditional Apple, Pecan and Pumpkin. But she also offers more decadent choices like Chocolate Brownie and Pear Hazelnut Crumble.
 As a former pastry chef herself, her custom cakes offer a wide variety of fillings and flavors. And she has specialty cakes like Lemon Layer Ginger or Brandied Cherry Cassata.
She also does amazing wedding cakes, something I admire her for because dealing with picky brides could send you to an early grave.
I have tried several of her pies and sampled some of her cakes and I will let you know personally that this chick really knows her stuff.
You can also buy a  pie from her directly (if she doesn’t sell out, which happens on a regular basis) at the Logan Square Farmers Market until it closes at the end of this month.

Happy Cooking!
Chef Alekka

I remember the day we first met. I was 22 years old and you never revealed your true age. At first I had no idea how this relationship would work out. You with your sharp edges and sturdy handle and me a young pastry student with a bright future ahead of her.
I started slow, only using you to clean up my messes after chopping nuts, or to cut the extra dough from the edge of a pie.
After I felt more comfortable with you and realized that you were indestructible, I relaxed. I started seeing you almost daily. If I needed to slice frozen cookie dough, you were there. When I made dinner rolls you helped me portion them out in no time. If I lost my pizza cutter, you were there to help, no questions asked. You were also there in the hard times when I was decorating wedding cakes and I needed smooth sides when working with buttercream.
As I got older, our relationship changed. I moved on to teaching classes for adult and kids and you were left at the bottom of my tool kit. I forgot about you and our time together, until, one day a six year old child I was teaching needed to cut some carrots. A twelve inch knife did not seem to be the right choice for this young budding chef. Then, it came to me….the perfect tool for young chefs, my trusty, sturdy always-been there for me…..the bench scraper.
In closing, I recommend that everyone invite a bench scraper into their lives. They are inexpensive, sturdy and they also come made of plastic for scraping cookie doughs out of a mixing bowl.

Happy Cooking!
Chef Alekka

I have been teaching cooking classes for over five years and I thought I would share some friendly advice for those who are new at attending classes:
1) Your cell phones/ blackberries are great but they tend to distract other students, and they might fall in the soup we are making! Turn then off, put them away and enjoy the class!

2) I am not nor do I know Rachel Ray, so we will not be using the terms “EVOO” or other catch phrases she uses in her show.

3) Most classes are BYOB, we will happily recommend a wine to compliment your meal, but remember we are using knives and are cooking over hot flames, so doing shots of Tequila is not really recommended.

4) This is a hard one for Mom’s : We are there as a service for you. We will serve YOU the food you make in class. Please do not cut the food in little pieces for other students! Also we will clean up your kitchen and leave it the same as we found it or better. Sit down, relax, enjoy!

5) I am always flattered when guests insist that I sit and enjoy the meal with them. But as a Chef we are used to serving everyone first and eating last, usually the leftovers after the kitchen is clean. Please do not be offended, I relish in watching people enjoy a really good meal.

6) Ask questions! I often get people coming up to me after class saying “This may be a stupid question but……” If you do not ask you will not learn. This is a learning experience for me as well, so if I do not know the answer I will find it and let you know.

7) And finally, these are “hands-on” classes, so get in there! Grate the cheese, chop the onion, saute the mushrooms. Don’t be afraid of trying, we can always order pizza if the meal does not turn out.

Happy Cooking!
Chef Alekka

In the restaurant business, I have spent my life hosting, attending and working my share of dinner and cocktail parties. Most, I’d call successful, pulled off without a hitch—while others needed a little help. The secret to a stress-free party where you’ll be serving food or appetizers, whether it’s for your boss and his wife, your girlfriend or your new neighbors— all lies in a little planning. Here are seven good rules to go by.

Tip 1. Have a menu and a budget BEFORE you go shopping:

Take the time to plan a menu that will not break your bank. If you like, decide on a theme—like tapas—and stick to it. Many websites, like epicurious.com, provide menus and recipes for almost any theme. Also, have a list of all your necessary ingredients, mixers, plates, cups, etc., when you go shopping, so you don’t end up running to the store at the last minute. Have a budget and stick to it. A party shouldn’t hurt!

Tip 2. Stick with what you know.

The mainstay of your party fare really should be dishes you’ve made before, and which you are confident in making. If Aunt Betty’s Savory Meatloaf has always been a hit with you and your family, then cook that for your dinner party, supplemented with a couple of new and adventurous side dishes. At the very least, try out your new recipes BEFORE you serve them to your guests. Then, you can make any necessary changes or additions in a relaxed atmosphere, not the day of the party.

Tip 3. Double the alcohol, cut the food in half:

This is a cardinal rule of many catering companies. So, you think you’ll make five pounds of chili and buy a case of beer for your party on Saturday? Consider cutting the cowboy beans down to about two and a half pounds, and buying more beer: a couple of cases. You don’t want to resort to serving your guests your Game Day beer, or worse, to run out, completely. Also, here’s a good rule of thumb when planning your munchies: Each guest will eat about three appetizers, each.

Tip 4. “Ice, Ice Baby”:

Here’s a small but essential detail that is commonly forgotten. Make ice the first item on your shopping list.

Tip 5. Make time for yourself:

Start your preparations early, to factor in some down time. Give yourself a chance to relax—at least thirty to forty minutes. Use that time to check for anything you might’ve missed (like those extra bags of ice!), and also to take a little break. That way, you can welcome your guests into a relaxed party atmosphere, rather than a kitchen knee-deep in prep.

Tip 6. Rent The Essentials:

Renting equipment may sound a little pricey, but having a party is all about fun, and if your budget allows for it, renting takes that much more responsibility off your shoulders. A number of companies, such as Tablescapes (tablescapes.com), rent out everything, from flatware to dance-floors, and many will even give you helpful tips, on things like tablecloth-sizes and the color of your dishes.

Pick up the party essentials or have them delivered. The best part is that there are no plates and forks to wash afterwards; the company will pick up the rentals when you’re through.

Tip 7. Expect the Unexpected:

From the guests who bring their two cousins to your dinners, the ones who, it turns out, both can’t eat dairy; to the fallen soufflé, most events we host are going to run a little less than 100 percent perfect. I consider the advice of one of my chief mentors, a successful head chef at one of Atlanta’s top restaurants. A former Marine, his motto—which he drilled into the heads of all of us who worked in his kitchen—was, “Improvise, adapt and overcome.” You can add some of your own ingredients to recipe that doesn’t taste as wonderful as the cookbook promised, or supplement a jar of grocery store salsa when the dip you made runs out. But for any gathering, from a wedding reception to a pizza party, rather than allowing setbacks to stress you out, in the end, the most important rule is to just roll with it. Remember to have fun. Besides, what’s a fallen soufflé, but an excuse to have another party next month, to try it out again? Enjoy yourself. And happy planning!

Chef Alekka