This week got off to the perfect start by watching last week's episode of Next Food Network Star, only to be followed by this week's (gotta love TiVo)! However this time, the experience was a tad bit different--unlike my night on the town at the NFNS Los Angeles Viewing Party with the actual contestants at South in Santa Monica, I was at The Bates watching "Sweet to Savory Carnival" with my girlfriend and her kids. They were an easy sell--all it took was the first few minutes of the second episode and they were hooked. So off we were to a great beginning...kids-n-all! Giada had already proven herself kid-worthy to watch with Gracie, who is not-yet six years old. With Joshua, 10, jumping in feet first into our food network telie feast, he decided that not only does he love to eat food, but that it looked easy enough to make, asking us if we could make crepes the next day. "Can we make crepes tomorrow?" is the question that continued on and on for the next few hours.
Although Aunt Cyndi was left to watch all four + one family friend the following morning, Missy gave Josh "thumbs up" if I felt okay with it. That being said...Joshua braved his first cooking attempt in the kitchen making crepes a la Giada (minus the raspberry-filling), leaving us all a little sweeter in the mouth! With his fave chefs being Flay, Giada and Guy, we're pretty much on the same page when it comes to sharing the tube...not too shabby for summer-fun-n-food...I have a feeling we're gonna be doing a lot of clean-ups in the kitchen!
Josh in Action:
Josh's tasting the goods:
Raspberry Filled Crepes (Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis)
Prep Time:10 min
Cook Time:20 min
Level: Easy
Serves: 12 crepes
Ingredients: Crepes: •4 eggs •1 cup whole milk •1/2 cup all-purpose flour •1 tablespoon sugar •1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt •3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 12 cubes •1 cup raspberry jam •1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract Whipped cream: •1/2 cup heavy whipping cream •1 1/2 teaspoons powdered sugar •1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions:
For the crepes: Preheat the oven to 150 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a blender, add the eggs, milk, flour, sugar, and salt. Blend until the mixture forms a smooth batter. Preheat a 10-inch nonstick crepe pan or skillet over medium-low heat. Add 1 cube of butter to the pan. When the butter has melted, add 1/4 cup of batter and quickly tilt the pan to form an even coating of batter on the bottom of the pan. Cook for 1 minute until set and slightly browned. Using a heat-resistant spatula, carefully loosen the sides and gently flip the crepe over. Cook for 1 minute. Repeat with the remaining butter and batter. In a small bowl, mix together the jam and vanilla extract. Using a 1-teaspoon measuring spoon, spoon 2 teaspoons of the jam mixture into the center of each crepe. Using the back of the spoon, spread the jam evenly over the crepes leaving a 1/2-inch border. Starting at the nearest edge, roll the crepes into tube shapes. Arrange the crepes on the prepared baking sheet and place in a warm oven, for up to 20 minutes, until ready to serve.
For the whipped cream: In a large mixing bowl, beat the heavy cream until it forms soft peaks. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla. Continue to beat until the cream holds stiff peaks. Transfer the crepes to a serving platter and sprinkle with vanilla sugar. Serve with whipped cream and fresh raspberries. Vanilla Sugar: •2 cups sugar •1 vanilla bean Add the sugar to the bowl of a food processor. Using a paring knife, slice the vanilla bean in half, lengthwise, and scrape out the seeds. Add the vanilla seeds to the sugar. Pulse 10 to 15 times until the vanilla and sugar are combined. Cut the empty vanilla pod into 1-inch pieces and add to a glass mason jar. Add the vanilla sugar to the jar and seal. Shake the jar before using. Yield: 2 cups
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/raspberry-filled-crepes-recipe/index.html
Until next time,
Bon Appetit!
Cyndi, 41
Anaheim Hills, CA
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