MORE TASTINGS ~ OUT & ABOUT ~ PART TWO

Here are a few recent experiences to keep in mind the next time you’re thinking about expanding your culinary horizons…..

French Pastry School and Pastry Chicago’s Fourth Annual Brownie Competition ~ The 4th Annual Pastry Chicago Brownie Competition was recently held at Alliance Paper & Food Service.  The winner of this year’s competition was Anabella Sosa Diaz; her decadent entry, Cashew Caramel Chocolate Brownies, beat out twenty other brownie recipes for First Place.  Winners went home with prizes from competition sponsors that included Plugra Butter, King Arthur Flour, KitchenAid, and Nielsen-Massey Vanillas.  While judging took place, World Pastry Champion and Chef Instructor Patrice Caillot demonstrated his indulgent crispy brownie recipe that was topped off with decadent ganache.  Attendees got a chance to indulge in these extraordinary sweets; the crispy portion of the light and delicate brownie had just the right amount of sweetness, but the ganache topping was incredibly sweet, even for my taste; that being said, these brownies were fabulous.  Overall, this was an interesting event and the first of its kind I attended.  I was amazed at the talent, beauty and creativity of each brownie entry.  I’m lucky if a boxed cake mix comes out tasting good when I make one!  http://www.frenchpastryschool.com  http://www.pastrychicago.org

Maggiano’s Oak Brook ~ I was curious about the latest menu offering from this franchise restaurant.  The “Lighter Takes” menu are chef adaptations of their most popular dishes, but made healthier with reduced fat, sodium, and carbs, and a caloric cut by at least fifty-percent.  I tasted their Hand-Cut Fettuccine Alfredo with Grilled Chicken, Asparagus, and Light Asiago Cream Sauce; the reduced calories for the new menu feature was 850 versus 1,570 calories for the original recipe; the newer recipe uses a lighter sauce, versus the creamier, fattier version in the original recipe; I especially enjoyed the grilled chicken and asparagus, but did find the sauce too watery and bland; perhaps some grated Parmesan would’ve oomphed the flavor quotient.  I also tasted the Taylor Street Baked Ziti with Chicken Sausage, Herbed Ricotta, Mozzarella, and Pomodoro Sauce; the reduced calories for the new menu feature was 950 versus 1,410 for the original recipe; the reduced calorie version swaps out the traditional Italian sausage with chicken sausage, which dramatically reduces calories; the herbed ricotta added a nice touch that made the overall flavor delicious; the tomato sauce was a bit watery and needed more tomato added to it.  All portion sizes are very generous to begin with, and can easily be shared, or half of the portion can be taken home. If you’re looking to pare down calories, the new “Lighter Takes” menu options are a good bet based on what I tasted; overall, the flavors didn’t suffer from the calorie makeovers.  Maggiano’s continues to offer its buy one, get one pasta deal.  http://www.maggianos.com

(Photo by Julie Hendricksen)

Pirch Chicago ~ I’ve had the pleasure of participating in two weekly hands-on cooking demonstrations in the popular “Sourcing Saturday” events at this upscale kitchen-bath-laundry store; these hands-on cooking demonstrations celebrate fresh and local foods, while participants are guided by the expert culinary staff on prepping and cooking featured menu items prepared on top of the line ranges and ovens; once the items are cooked, participants savor their culinary labors.  Once a month, another popular venue is the “Cinema Sunday”.  A family-themed feature film is shown, while the culinary staff prepares a special menu; after the movie, everyone enjoys the delicious culinary creations.  The day I went, we watched the movie “Matilda”, which I had never seen before and found it to be entertaining with a twist of dark kiddie humor.  The culinary staff prepared a menu consisting of Matilda Pancakes with Apples, Cinnamon and Whipped Cream; Salad of Mixed Greens, Cucumbers, Grape Tomatoes, and Purple Carrots, dressed with a light Vinaigrette; Bacon-Wrapped Meatloaf stuffed with veggies, Mashed Yellow Lentils, and Green Peas; and, Chocolate Fudge Cake with Strawberry Whipped Cream.  This was a delicious and entertaining way to spend a Sunday afternoon.  http://www.pirch.com/location/chicago/

~ In Closing ~

Be sure to check each website or social media listing for additional information; don’t overlook signing up to receive regular email updates as well. 

That’s it for this edition.  Until the next one, remember to always celebrate yourself and your culinary curiosity.  Happy cooking…happy eating!

By Terry Herman

TERRY HERMAN continues perfecting her passion for food and wine.  She has been covering culinary related for many years as it relates to wellness and a healthy lifestyle.  Her popular blog, Terry's Spa, Beauty and Wellness Go-To has featured formidable reviews of cookbooks, restaurants, wine and food, food prep and tools, chef interviews, and coverage of prestigious events such as the International Home+Housewares Show, the National Restaurant Show and the Sweets and Snacks Expo.  She has been published since the mid-1990s in both consumer and trade publications, and is regarded as an expert in spa, beauty, wellness, travel and lifestyle, and is frequently interviewed by publications for her expert content.  She has also presented at major industry conferences, and has served with distinction on numerous governing and advisory boards.  She has a background in strategic and qualitative management, consulting, and motivational speaking.  Her social media outreach includes Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Cision Seek or Shout, Plaxo, Red Room, Pinterest, and Tripatini.  For additional information, email her at terry.herman@gmail.com.

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(Introductory photo credit from dreamatico.com; all other photo credits as represented by the specific brand.)