December is one of the happiest months of the year: Christmas, bubbly, parties, family time, gifts, joy and deliciousness at my favorite restaurant Pat’e Palo. They’ve been doing the GastroTour festival for a few years now. This festival consists in a prix fixemenu that changes every week 10 days during the month of December. Each year they pick a theme, this year’s festival is inspired by all the french brasseries chef Stassi visited during his last trip to Europe: Brasseries du Mond.

What’s new this year? Besides the 6 course menu and the optional *but necessary* wine pairing by their sommelier Simone Pinto, you will find these gorgeous bread and cheese tables:

I tried the Fol Epi which is produced in the Loire Valley of France. Loved the nutty and delicate flavor. I also had some blue cheese recommended by Saverio [he said it was his favorite so I had to try it!]. I’m not a big cheese fan but I know this will make a lot of people happy. Cheese and bread tasting is included in the prix fixe menu.

Let’s get to the good stuff GastroTour’s first course - warm lentil shot with balsamic vinegar, smoked bacon and foie gras ice cream:

Let the foie gras ice cream melt over the lentils, take a spoonful, close your eyes and enjoy. I feel kinda guilty whenever I eat foie gras but my relationship with food can be defined with one word: moderation. I eat vegan most of the time to the point that people reply shocked whenever I tweet or instagram dishes that contain meat. I tried to be 100% vegan but it was really hard because what I love most in the world is FOOD. So instead of torturing myself over my food choices I’ve gotten to this happy place where I eat very healthy most of the time and don’t feel bad whenever I indulge. Food is beautiful and it’s meant to be enjoyed and shared

Second course - gravlax drizzled with espelette pepper infused olive oil, avocado chantilly and corn bread:

Gravlax was delicious with the capers and the infused olive oil. I was expecting a more rustic cornbread, this one was fluffy almost like cake. Tasted better with the gravlax and avocado chantilly than on its own.

First two courses were paired with a glass of Gloria Ferrer blanc de noir [yay for bubbles!]

Third course - escargot vol-au-vent with roquefort butter and pecans:

Even though I am very adventurous with food I must confess I had never had escargots before. Somehow I’ve managed to avoid them… till today. I have these childhood memories wired in my system of me looking for snails at my grandparents’ house as a kid and thinking they were disgusting with all that slime and those retractable antlers… weird creatures indeed. I feel the same about eating conch which my parents love.

I just couldn’t say no to a dish prepared by Saverio so I closed my eyes and took a bite. The puff pastry and roquefort butter helped a lot but I don’t see myself ordering escargots any time soon. Crossing this from my list of strange food bucket list.

Fourth course – marseille bouillabaisse with prawns and aïoli provençal:

The bouillabaisse was absolutely great. This was my favorite dish

Third and fourth dish were paired with a glass of Chablis Louis Latour.

Fifth course - short rib boeuf bourguignon with pea and pistachio cous cous:

Boeuf bourguignon makes me think of Julia Child. Chef Stassi‘s version with short ribs was delicious, I didn’t finish my plate because I wanted to save room for dessert. I’m also not crazy about red meat [I would trade this for gravlax any time] but I’m sure this fall-of-the-bone meat dish will be a favorite in this week’s GastroTour. The cous cous was very good too, I love me some pistachios :)

This dish was paired with Beringer cabernet sauvignon Napa Valley.

Finally time for dessert: white chocolate dôme glacé with hazelnut brittle, mixed berry and grand marnier coulis.

Dôme glacé is french for ice dome. I crumbled the pretty hazelnut brittle on the plate while letting the ice dome thaw for a minute. The ice cream alone was ok but with the sauce and crunchy bits of the brittle was a whole different thing. Loved the sauce with berries and Grand Marnier ❤

This menu will be available all week until Saturday Sunday. Can’t wait to see what chef Saverio will have for us next Sunday Monday!

It’s no secret that Pat’e Palo is my favorite restaurant, and chef Saverio Stassi my favorite chef. Way before being on the TV show with him I used to visit the restaurant a lot. It was such an honor to work with him and can’t wait to start shooting season 2 [we are both judges on Mazola Academy] here’s a pic of us:

Thanks to Anabel for taking this pic! Turns out Anabel [who was a contestant on the show] is doing her second internship at Pat’e Palo. Pablo Rodríguez, runner-up and owner of the sweetest smile was also there. He started an internship a few days ago, so happy for him I know he will learn a lot at Pat’e Palo’s kitchen. Here I am with Anabel and Pablo:

Time to say goodbye, thanks so much for visiting my blog and if you’re in Santo Domingo don’t miss Pat’e Palo’s GastroTour. Best food in town

Friendly reminder: tomorrow is Meatless Monday. Do you celebrate meatless days?

*pandahugs*

]]> http://www.chefpandita.com/gastrotour-week1/feed/ 7 http://www.chefpandita.com/vegan-pumpkin-coconut-bread/ http://www.chefpandita.com/vegan-pumpkin-coconut-bread/#comments Sun, 25 Nov 2012 03:45:47 +0000 Chef Pandita http://www.chefpandita.com/?p=2340

Hi there.

Remember me?

Is anybody reading this?

My last post was exactly 4 months ago. So much has happened I don’t know where to start…

I really wasn’t planning to blog today but this vegan pumpkin coconut bread was SO good I had to share the recipe. Even though Thanksgiving is not celebrated in the Dominican Republic, I’ve been celebrating it for the past 3-4 years with my bff Annush who comes visit her family every year. I couldn’t join them this time because I had to babysit my cousins; we decided to have a sushi party and since it was Thanksgiving day I wanted to make a pumpkin dessert. Found a wonderful recipe by Isa Chandra Moskowitz which caugh my eye because it calls for coconut milk and flaked coconut. The recipe name was pretty irresistible too: Super Moist Pumpkin Bread. Sold.

The original recipe called for vegetable oil which I substituted with coconut oil. I’ve been using this miracle oil for a while and I can’t get enough! I drizzle it on fruit salads, blend it in my smoothies, love it on my skin… I even tried the ancient ayurvedic thechnicque called ‘oil pulling‘ but that didn’t last more than a few days. If you are familiar with oil pulling I would love to hear about your experience with it!

Before leaving you with this wonderful recipe, let me fill you in with what has happened during these 4 months I’ve been MIA from this blog [if you follow me on IG/Twitter/FB just jump to the recipe ]:

• As I mentioned on my last post, I got a proposal to be part of the judge panel on a cooking reality show and it was such a hit season 2 has been already confirmed. You can watch all 10 episodes HERE [sorry, spanish only. I am going to suggest they add subtitles so my readers and friends abroad can enjoy it too!]. I will write a post about this project but I must say I am proud to be part of this. My face was [still is] everywhere, got to meet a lot of talented kids and thanks to MercaSID a sudent/cook/aspiring chef won an all expense paid scholarship to study at at Le Cordon Bleu Peru. Congrats, Raymond
• I won a trip to Napa with @Beringer_RD and it was so much fun. First time in SF/Napa, my friends at El Catador extended our stay and sent us to all the wineries they represent here in DR: Hess Collection, Mondavi, Far Niente, Duckhorn, Joseph Phelps, Darioush, Opus One… All I can say is that it was an AMAZING experience and I have over 2k photos I need to organize and share with you in upcoming posts Special shoutout to Roger who made our dining experience at Michael Mina even more special than we imagined it would be.
• Got my ServSafe certificate. Go me!
• Marutaro told me he loves me ❤_❤  [I also met his cousin outside Bouchon Bakery in Yountville.]
• My bff got engaged to a really cool guy who loves her like crazy and I’m gonna be a bridesmaid for the first time in my life [so happy for both of them!]
• I’ve grown up. This year has been quite unexpected with a lot of ups and downs. Still deciding if I like this or not…

I hope to blog more often as I used to. Meanwhile please go get the ingredients and bake this super moist pumpkin coconut bread. You’re welcome.

 Thank you for reading!

*pandahugs*

Hi there! This is my first post after Barb from Creative Culinary worked her magic on my little blog. I am now self-hosted and looove the way my blog looks now what do you think?

I’ve been busy these past months with work, work, gym, life, work. Been wanting to get familiar with my new dashboard and fix some things here… slowly getting there. Blog is kinda sad and lonely but I am always sharing stuff on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter [btw look to the right and tell me, are those social media icons adorable or what?]. Blogging requires for me to sit in front of the computer, edit photos, while those other social media platforms allow me to post on the go. Thank God for iPhones!

Quick update of what’s happened in Pandaland in the past few months:

• I cut my hair and went from Pocahontas to Motoko Kusanagi.
• Went on a 15-day raw detox program with #musicman and we both loved it!
• Discovered Rawtella on Opensky and now can’t live without guilt-free treats like this and this.
• Celebrated one more year of life. It was a great birthday month
• Passed the ServSafe test with 91% and now I am #ServSafePanda.
• Got involved in an awesome project which I can’t talk about now… hint: soon I’ll be on national TV. This panda is happy and terrified!

Now that I’m *almost* back to blogging, I want you to please head over to Rika’s blog Vegan Miam where I am sharing one of my favorite breakfast items: chia pudding with berries and hemp seeds. I want to thank Rika for having me in her blog. She is a gorgeous Taiwanese girl who I met on Twitter, check out her site for all things vegan [reviews and recipes].

Hope everyone reading this is doing great <3

Thank you for visiting, pandahugs!

Yazmin Yeara is passionate about fashion. This young and talented girl left the Dominican Republic to go chase her dreams in Milan where she finished school recently; now she’s back in our sunny half island shaking up the dominican fashion scene. She shares cool finds on her Facebook page and on Twitter every day, so if you’re into fashion and like pretty things I recommend you follow her!

She asked me to guest post for her blog The Hippie Nerd with healthy recipes for her readers. This is the first of many to come, head over to her site to check out this delicious quinoa carrot cilantro salad.

Happy Friday!

*panda hugs*

Hello friends! I am back with my first post as a Tuesdays with Dorie member. This group will be baking from the cookbook Baking with Julia by Dorie Greenspan and this week’s recipe is rugelach. The dough is made with cream cheese and its filled with an apricot lekvar, chopped dried fruit, nuts and chocolate chips.

I didn’t have enough apricots to make the lekvar so I used apricot preserves, then I sprinkled cinnamon sugar on top. Filled them with chopped apricots, pecans and mini chocolate chips. The little pastries are brushed with eggwash and sprinkled with sugar, I used demerara which has larger crystals and adds extra crunch. The recipe calls for rolling and slicing the dough but I’ve made rugelach before and the shape was like crescent rolls so I rolled them that way. They look prettier and more fun, don’t they?

Come with me to the TWD – Baking with Julia page to see how everyone else’s rugelach turned out. Margaret at The Urban Hiker and Jessica at My Baking Heart are this week’s hosts, you will find the recipe at their blogs.

This little place I call my blog is getting a makeover things will be prettier and more organized around here. I was going to take a vacation from blogging until the new site is up but it’s gonna take more than I expected and I really missed posting. I do post food pics and links daily on Twitter and Facebook so be social, let’s connect and say HI! [pandas don't bite. Unless they're REALLY mad ].

Happy Tuesday and thanks for reading!

*pandahugs*

]]> http://www.chefpandita.com/rugelach/feed/ 21 http://www.chefpandita.com/panda-love/ http://www.chefpandita.com/panda-love/#comments Tue, 14 Feb 2012 23:03:18 +0000 Chef Pandita http://chefpandita.com/?p=1955

Quick post to thank YOU for visiting, reading, making my recipes and commenting on my blog. Major changes coming soon, so excited and can’t wait to share them with you. If there’s anything you would like to see here on chefpandita.com let me know in the comments or via email. All ideas are welcome

Don’t forget to connect with me on Facebook and Twitter!

*PANDA HUGS*

I tried to get in the Valentine’s mood with this post. I haven’t made any cute heart shaped food this year [maybe I'll plan for next year's V's day] so this is all you will get from me *update: my friend Micaela just pointed out the heart shaped baked donuts I made yesterday. OOPS.* I think V’s is a fun holiday but I don’t really celebrate it. Going out on the 14th is completely overrated and chaotic, don’t you agree? I think romance and friendship should be cultivated day after day, and nothing like giving or getting gifts out of the blue any day of the year or going out with friends to catch up over some drinks. I love it!

This week’s recipe comes from the blog Bake at 350. I want to thank Anuradha for finding great recipes every week, I know she moved a few weeks ago and still found time to keep #MuffinMonday alive and organized

I followed the recipe to the T and my sister declared them the best muffins she’s tried from #MuffinMonday so far. Music man loved them as well, I gave him a box of 3 and he confessed he ate two in a row. Sista told me they were more like a cupcake: soft, moist, airy and VERY chocolate-y. You can get the recipe at Bridget’s blog here.

Muffin Monday is an initiative by Baker Street. A culinary journey of sharing a wickedly delicious muffin recipe every week. Drop in a quick line to join her on her journey to make the world smile and beat glum Monday mornings week after week.

Thanks for reading!

Happy Monday

*panda hugs*

My cousin Sakura is famous for this salad.  The other day my mom and sister called her almost at the same time to ask for this recipe, and when she served at her house last Saturday I knew I had to share it here on my blog. I started writing this post on Saturday night but then decided to leave it for #MeatlessMonday.

I was inspired to post this after seeing Greg and Katherine’s Roasted Lima Beans with Red Pepper, go check it out. It’s on my to-cook list!

The recipe calls for canned beans which need to be rinsed [place beans in a big colander and rinse under running water] and drained before using. You could also use fresh cooked beans, but having the option to use canned is great for a last minute salad. This bean dish is a great main dish by itself since beans are rich in protein. Just eat this with a side of veggies and you’re all set!

Sakura’s Bean and Corn Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 can black beans
• 1 can navy beans
• 1 can kidney beans
• 1 can pinto beans
• 1/2 can sweet corn kernels [optional]
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• Chopped parsley
• Olive oil
• Balsamic vinegar + 1 tbsp sugar [or 1/2 tbsp agave syrup]
• Salt

Preparation:

1. Heat olive oil, add onion and garlic and cook until fragrant.
2. Add chopped parsley, beans and corn.
3. Season with balsamic vinegar, sugar/agave, olive oil and salt.
4. Chill in the refrigerator before serving.

Enjoy!

Do you celebrate #MeatlessMonday?

Thanks for reading!

*panda hugs*

This idea for #baketogether hit me yesterday afternoon. With less than 48 hours to bake and post I thought I was going to miss it but as I told Abby a week ago, I wanted to join her in the first #baketogether challenge of the year. So glad I did. It was perfect since my parents had dinner at my house last night and mamapanda LOVES bread. She really liked the texture and asked me to wrap the leftover bread for her to take home  

bread dough

I don’t make bread that often, so this was a fun challenge for me. In culinary school I always liked the breads with fillings and toppings and that’s how I ended up with this variation to Abby’s recipe. I used 3 medium onions, cooked in 3 tablespoons of olive oil and salt at low temperature until caramelized.

onion jam! onion butter! onion heaven

After the first rise I punched down the dough and formed a rectangle, spread the onion jam and rolled it. Then I transferred it to a loaf pan previously greased with olive oil and let it rise, covered, for 30 minutes.

ready to go in the oven!

To make the hearts on top I cut them on white paper, put them on top of the loaf and sprinkled flour on top using a fine mesh strainer.

cooling down

Then I removed the paper hearts and baked my bread until it was golden

#pandabakery

I used Abby’s recipe using olive oil instead of butter, also added 1 tbsp olive oil to the dough. You can print her recipe directly from here.

Check out this POST where you can browse the gallery of all the variations to this month’s #baketogether challenge. Can’t wait for February’s theme, definitely won’t wait till the last day to bake mine!

Thank you Abby for all the #baketogether fun <3

Happy last day of January!

thanks for reading

*panda hugs*

I wanted to healthify and veganize this week’s #MuffinMonday recipe. I really did. Until this soy yogurt ruined my life:

I mean, if I wanted to consume milk products I would buy straight up cow’s milk yogurt, right? This product just doesn’t make sense to me. That’s why it’s so important to read labels and ingredient lists. I wonder how many vegans or people who want to avoid dairy have bought this. #FAIL

So, besides this soy yogurt incident I had fun using these ingredients:

Bob’s Red Mill gf flour mix, chia seeds as egg substitute and stevia for baking. I also used olive oil instead of butter.

Here’s the recipe provided by Anuradha, my substitutions are in italics.

Berry Lime Pound Cake Muffins

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter, softened [6 tbsp olive oil]
• 1 cup sugar [3/4 cups stevia for baking. It's supposed to be measured cup by cup as sugar but I wanted to reduce sweetness]
• 2 eggs [2 tbsp chia + 1/2 cup water]
• 1/2 cup sour cream [1/2 cup raspberry soy yogurt]
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract [used lime zest instead]
• 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour [used gf flour mix]
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

GLAZE: [I omitted this part]

• 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the sour cream and extracts. Combine the flour, salt and baking soda; add to creamed mixture just until moistened.
3. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full. Bake at 400° for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack.
4. Combine the glaze ingredients; drizzle over muffins. Serve warm.
5. Yield: 1 dozen.

I used the muffin method: whisked dry and wet ingredients separately, then poured the liquid into the flour until well incorporated. Baked at 350F, always use the toothpick test.

Sista, mom and I really liked these:

Music man did not approve. Oh well. It’s OK since he declared this cake his favorite cake ever. Will bake it again this week

Muffin Monday is an initiative by Baker Street. A culinary journey of sharing a wickedly delicious muffin recipe every week. Drop in a quick line to join her on her journey to make the world smile and beat glum Monday mornings week after week.

Happy Monday!

Thanks for reading <3

*panda hugs*