Cooking with Malissa

If it seems like we've been a little quiet lately, it's because we're going on an adventure! For the next month, we'll be travelling to Boston, San Francisco, and wherever else we'd like to visit! That means fewer posts, but we'll be sure to chronicle our adventures in food along the way.

To be honest, I'm most looking forward to an In-n-Out burger with some animal style fries. Can't blame me for having my priorities straight.

Anyway, I thought I'd take time to tell you about a really great day we spent cooking with a talented aspiring chef and her amazing family.

You might remember Malissa was the winner of our 100 Fan Cookbook Giveaway a while back. We were so excited to hear that Malissa is hoping to become a chef herself, and we figured it would be fun to spend some time cooking together. We had a hungry crowd too! Malissa's whole family have been friends of ours for a long time, and it was our pleasure to feed them all. We let Malissa choose one of her favorite recipes, and Kevin showed her how to spice it up and cook for a crowd.

Let's begin! Kevin and Malissa are ready for action!

Malissa manages the mise en place and shows off some fennel fronds.

The Menu

• Fresh-baked crusty bread

• Roasted eggplant caprese salad with olive oil and balsamic vinegar

• Chicken cacciatore (original recipe by Giada de Laurentiis, modifications by us!)

I'm not ashamed to say I ate SO MUCH OF THIS.

First, some home-made bread! This recipe from the Bread in 5 is a game-changer. We've made it so many times, and every time it comes out with perfect fluffy bread inside an incredible thick crust. No cup of water in the oven, no nothin'. Awwyeaaaah!

Do you prefer sliced or chunky?

I took a break from taking crazy amounts of photos to put together a roasted eggplant caprese salad. This is a great appetizer, and a tribute to my own evolving passion for food. Roasting vegetables was one of the first things I learned to do, and I was proud to see myself able to create something delicious and visually appealing. See Kevin, I'm learning too!

You can find my recipe for roasted vegetables here (and a lemony version here), and all you need to do to make this salad is combine the roasted eggplant slices with tomato and creamy mozzarella, all cut to the same thickness. Don't forget fresh basil leaves, and don't skimp out by cutting these into super thin slices. I love getting a nice full basil leaf when I put the mozzarella and tomato on my plate. It's all about the ratios, you know. 

Sear those suckers!

Now for the main course! Kevin and Malissa changed up the recipe a bit. While the original version had nothing but chicken and sauce, they added egg noodles to hold on to some of the sauce and make a heartier dish. Also, no capers. (If you do want to add some like the recipe calls for, try deep frying them first! Way better!)

If you ask Kevin's opinion, he'll tell you that a light sear is a half-assed sear. Instead of sautéing the chicken until brown, Kevin showed Malissa that a nice hard sear will bring out the most texture and flavor. In a saucy dish, hard sears will soften just enough, and you won't get stuck with rubbery chicken skin. Everyone wins.

There was no cheese in the original recipe, and that's just unacceptable as far as we're concerned. Seriously, how does any self-respecting Italian forget the pasta and cheese? We used shaved Romano and topped the whole dish with fennel fronds for garnish. Perfetto!

Chicken Cacciatore ala Malissa!

Needless to say Malissa and Kevin did a tremendous job, and all of us had a blast. It's such a great feeling to watch food bring people together in so many ways, whether it's a learning experience or an experience for your tastebuds. We wish Malissa tremendous luck in her future career - we can't wait to cook with her again!

Compliments to the chefs!

A job well done!

Ricotta Gnocchi with Roasted Tomato and Tarragon

I really have to remember to post that bread recipe. Life changing, I promise.

Ask and ye shall receive. Our Facebook friends requested more vegetarian recipes, and we have delivered! This two-part recipe takes inspiration from Caseus Fromagerie and Bistro, a great restaurant in New Haven and Kevin's current place of employment. We used their ricotta gnocchi recipe and dressed it up Angry Chef style to create a hearty bowl of comforting cheesy goodness.

Ricotta Gnocchi with Roasted Tomato and Tarragon

Step 1. Make the Gnocchi
We made our gnocchi using this recipe from the Caseus Cookbook
(Feeds 6-8)

• 4 whole eggs
• 3 egg yolks
• 1.5 lbs fresh ricotta cheese
• 2.5 cups sifted flour
• 2 cups flour to roll out pasta

In a bowl, mix the eggs and egg yolks. Once combined, add ricotta and mix.

Add sifted flour, using a wooden spoon, and combine - you want the dough to be a gooey consistency and not overworked.

Gather up the dough into a ball with floured hands and roll out into a rope or snake shape about the diameter of a quarter. The dough should be sticky, do not overuse the bench flour or overwork this dough. Using a small knife, cut the rope into 1 inch "pillows"

Drop the "pillows" into a pot of boiling salted water. Remove the gnocchi 10 seconds after they begin to float to the top of the pot. Drain them, toss them with a little olive oil, and reserve in a bowl or on a sheet pan.


Step 2. Make the Gnocchi Into Something Else

• 8 Tomatoes, quartered
• 4 tbsp oil
• 8 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 batch cooked ricotta gnocchi
• 2 tbsp tarragon
• 4 tsp sweet smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp pepper
• 1 cup water or favorite stock
• 2 cup heavy cream
• 2 small handful fresh kale

Roast tomatoes at 500 degrees for 30 minutes or until soft.  Set aside.

In a large saute pan, heat 4 tbsp oil on medium high heat until smoking. Add garlic and wait a few seconds before adding tomatoes. Sear tomatoes, then stir. 

Add gnocchi, tarragon, nutmeg, paprika, salt, and pepper. Stir, then cook for 1 minute. Add parmesan cheese and water or stock. Bring to a simmer and add cream and kale. Stir.


Do you have any other ideas for dishes we should feature on The Angry Chef Blog? Contact us here and tell us all about it.

OH $%#$@# DID YOU FORGET MOTHER'S DAY?

We got you covered. This is what you need for a last minute brunch:

• Bagels
• Smoked salmon
• Avocado
• Whipped cream cheese
• Capers (Deep fry them. Seriously you'll thank me later)
• Red onions
• Tomatoes
• Fresh blueberries would be nice
• Orange juice - don't forget that champagne!

P.S. Hi to all our new readers from Reddit! We're glad you're here.

Don't forget to like us on facebook and visit again soon!

Light Lunch: Bacon vinaigrette on fig and goat cheese salad

First, some news! Big changes are coming our way. We'll be moving later this month, so things might get a bit hectic. We'll do our best to keep the posts coming during the next couple weeks, and we're really looking forward to a fresh start in the Boston area! Don't worry, we'll make it up to you.

Also, we recently spent an evening cooking with the winner of our first cookbook giveaway. What a great day, and what a great meal! Malissa's chicken cacciatore was delicious, and I admit I went crazy with the pictures. Post coming soon!

Get to the food already: Okay, okay. Next time you're cooking up some bacon, save the fat! There are lots of ways you can use your leftover grease. One of our favorites is this killer bacon vinaigrette, lightened with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. We had it with a fig and goat cheese salad for a quick lunch on a spring day.

Bacon Vinaigrette
(makes 1/2 cup)

• 2.5 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 2.5 tbsp bacon fat
• 1 tsp garlic and shallot mix (minced)
• salt and pepper to taste
• mix
• add 1/2 tsp lemon

Combine all ingredients and mix! Our salad was mixed artisan greens, roasted almonds, fresh figs, Cypress Grove Herbs de Humboldt goat cheese, and more BACON!

 Toss dressing with salad to coat evenly, if you're serving family style. Bask in bacon-y satisfaction.