Ladies of Hadassah - Cooking Demo

Hey yall. I just want to start out by welcoming some new readers to my blog. Last night my company The Fooding Co. conducted our first large cooking party. The party was hosted at my friend Sari's house who along with her awesome sister Alana. They are the baking babes from Cupcake Culture. I promised the ladies who attended that I would dedicate today's blog post to go over a few things form our demo. As my faithful readers - you'll also get to hear about what we did last night. 

The topics were hot vs. cold olive oil infusions as well as amping up simple healthy snacks to make them appropriate for entertaining. On the menu was our signature herb popcorn an artsy goat cheese tray with roasted grapes and stunning edamame hummus all served with home made crostini and baked naan chips. 

PART 1: Oil infusions : Hot vs. Cold

• Popcorn - uses a hot oil infusion, which involves bringing olive oil to a boil (listen to the oil - it will speak to you by making snap and crackle noises) then turn the heat off and add dried herbs (Herb de Provence). By letting the herbs steep the oil becomes perfumed and more flavorful. 

• Crostini / Naan chips - uses cold olive oil infusion. This involves using dried or fresh herbs (bruise them by rubbing with your fingers) crushed garlic, lemon zest (peel w/ vegetable peel) etc. To crisp up bread toast at 350 degrees for about 5 mins per side (or until golden & crispy). * Last nights cold oil included 2 crushed garlic cloves, lemon zest, 2 juniper berries crushed, pinch of dried thyme, rosemary, oregano, red pepper flakes, pink peppercorn, & salt. 

PART 2: Cheese Tray 

• Goat Cheese Truffles - break up goat cheese into small chunks, then roll each chunk into little balls / or take the entire log of goat cheese & mould into flattened sphere. Then roll cheese in your herbs or lemon/ orange zest. *Last nights herbs included herb de Provence, Meyer lemon zest, tangerine zest, grapefruit zest, black & white sesame seeds, thyme, pink pepper corn, chives, and caraway seed. 

• Roasted grapes - drizzle w cold infused oil & pinch of salt & pepper. Roast at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes.  Red or purple grapes work best. 

PART 3:  Edamame hummus & crudite

• Roasted garlic - Cut top off head of garlic season with oil pinch salt & pepper and enclose in tin foil package. Roast at 350 for 35 mins to an hour (check after 30 mins). You are looking for a over all golden colour and soft buttery texture.

• Blanch & shock - Slightly salt water and bring to a boil. Cook 1/2 pack (about 1 1/2 - 2 cups edamame) for 2 minutes, then "shock" them in cold water (this halts the cooking process there for preserving nutrients and bright colour). This can be used with any vegetable!

• 1 can of chick peas - rinse (to remove excess starch & sodium).  In a large tall plastic Tupperware add chick peas, edamame, garlic, drizzle of cold infused oil, lemon juice (1 lemon), pinch or two of cumin, sumac, salt & pepper and blend with immersion blender (hand blender) until smooth (add some of the blanching liquid if the mixture is too thick). *Serve with cut up vegetables crostini or baked chips.  

Stay tuned for beet chips recipe next week on thefoodingco.com