Chef Appearance: Gazpacho with Summer Salad, Grilled Chicken in Tomato & Olive Sauce, Stone Fruit Galette

This past weekend my parents and our family friends were in town visiting San Francisco. Sunday night Marty, the chef of the group, and I cooked dinner for everyone. This was an all day affair involving a delicious trip to the farmer’s market and Whole Foods. The menu was extensive:

Blue Cheese, Fig & Salami Crostini

Gazpacho with Summer Salad

Grilled Chicken in Tomato & Olive Sauce over Creamed Corn and Sautéed Kale

Stone Fruit Galette

He worked as a chef works – from memory and taste – so unfortunately, I do not have recipes for these. However, similar versions can be found via Google. Let these be inspiration to try something you’ve never tried. They were a lot easier than you might think!

Chocolate Chip Cookies topped with Warm Banana

My mom always said “you should always have the ingredients on hand to make chocolate chip cookies.” She actually does say that. And to my credit, I consistently keep the ingredients stocked. You can never predict when the chocolate chip cookie craving will strike, but when it does, you’ll be glad you were prepared. Just this morning when I was reading the news (and when I say the news, I mean HuffPost Taste) and LA’s M Street Kitchen was being recognized for their “Chocolate Banana Cookie” which was essentially a large chocolate chip cookie topped with sliced banana – simple but freaking genius. So yeah, that had to happen today.

Don’t feel like trying to find 20 mouths to finish off 50 chocolate chip cookies that typically come out of one batch? Here’s the halved recipe below. Also, I wrapped the second half of the dough in tin foil and threw it in the freezer to make freshly baked chocolate chip cookies off the cuff at a later date.

Banana atop Chocolate Chip Cookie

1 stick butter, room temperature
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup bakers sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 ounces (1 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons flour)
~shallow 1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

1 banana, thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 360. Cream butter and sugars until combined and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and beat until smooth. In a separate bowl, whisk flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda together. Slowly beat in flour mixture until the entire batch is incorporated into sugar mixture. Stir in chocolate chips.

Drop 2 tablespoons worth of batter balls onto greased baking sheet. Bake for 9-10 minutes, or until edges are lightly brown but center is doughy. Remove and top cookies with banana slices. Bake for remaining 2-3 minutes, until cookies are desired level of doneness. Eat and smile, you’re in chocolate banana heaven.

Up Your Salad Game: Homemade Croutons

There’s bread, and then there’s good bread. A piece of sandwich bread from the grocery store is night and day from a fresh rustic loaf from a legitimate bakery. This is the bread I’m talking about. In order to make awesome homemade croutons, you need awesome bread. I’m not a big bread consumer in general. But like The Most Interesting Man says: I do not always eat bread, but when I do, it’s good bread. So go out there and get your self a loaf of damn good bread, and let’s make some salad magic.

Homemade Croutons

1/2 loaf amazing bread (rustic sourdough, French, brown country loaf, etc), cubed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic (optional)

Put cubed bread you’re not eating into plastic bag and freeze for future use. In a skillet heat olive oil until rippling. Add garlic if using, and stir briefly before adding in cubed bread. Let bread brown on all sides, 2-3 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool briefly on paper towels. Top pre-dressed salad with handful of croutons.