Syracuse-area native cooks breakfast for 'Grill It! with Bobby Flay
Syracuse-area native cooks breakfast for 'Grill It! with Bobby Flay;' episode airs Sunday
Published: Tuesday, August 18, 2009, 4:01 PM Updated: Tuesday, August 18, 2009, 4:50 PM
Courtesy of Andrea ScalaAndrea Scala and Bobby Flay on the set of an upcoming episode of "Grill It! With Bobby Flay."
On the Food Network
Watch Central New York native Andrea Scala cook on a "Grill It! with Bobby Flay" episode that airs twice on the Food Network during the next week, at 10:30 a.m. Sunday and 2:30 p.m. Monday.Bobby Flay at the Fair
What: Cooking demonstration with Bobby Flay
When: 1 p.m. Sept. 2.
Where: Chevrolet Court.
Cost: Free with fair admission.
Also: Flay will sign copies of his cookbooks after the demonstration.When budding chef Andrea Scala returns from California to visit her relatives in the Baldwinsville area, she's most likely to cook up a pasta dish making use of "whatever I can find in the fridge."
When she had the opportunity to show off her culinary skills for celebrity chef Bobby Flay, she had to be even more creative. So she cooked up an idea to make breakfast on the grill.
"I live in San Diego now, so we can use the grill all the time," said Scala, a 1991 graduate of Baker High School in Baldwinsville. "You just want to be outside in all seasons, at all times."
That idea, andhttp://adsremote.scrippsnetworks.com/html.ng/site=FOOD&adtype=BIGBOX&Pagepos=5&category=SYNC-PREROLL" target="_new"> her bubbly audition video, landed her a spot on the Food Network show "Grill It! with Bobby Flay." Her episode, called "Eggstravaganza," airs at 10:30 a.m. Sunday and 2:30 p.m. Monday on the Food Channel.
"Basically, you can cook anything outside that you cook inside," she said. "I like putting things on the grill, like egg dishes, that nobody thinks of."
So this Central New York native got the chance to watch Flay cook up close - something other Central New Yorkers will be able to do, only not quite as close, when he visits the New York State Fair on Sept. 2. Flay will give a free cooking demonstration and sign cookbooks at the Fair's Chevy Court.
For Scala, cooking with Flay capped a period of multiple career-path changes: She's been a physician's assistant in cardiology and a clinical researcher, but opted to go to cooking school in California late last year. That's when she submitted an audition video to the Food Network.
"I've always enjoyed food and cooking," she said, although her only professional experience came when she returned to Baldwinsville for a short time a few years back and worked at an Olive Garden. She spent 10 years working at Wegmans stores when she was younger, so that put her around food.
Her spot on "Grill It! with Bobby Flay" shows her whipping up a Mexican-themed grilled breakfast on a gas grill, while a few feet away, Flay fires up his charcoal grill and puts his own spin on breakfast, barbecue-style.
This show is not a competition, unlike some of Flay's other shows. But that didn't ease Scala's jitters.
"I'm new to this cooking world, compared to Bobby Flay," Scala said. "At first, I was nervous, just knowing that the camera is in your face. Then it got better.
"I only wish I could do it again because I know I could do it better."
She got to taste Flay's cooking, and he tasted hers.
"He was a pleasure to work with," she said, "pleasant and fun."
Scala graduates from the San Diego Culinary Institute this week. She's still looking for a cooking-related job, but unfortunately, Flay made no offers.
"I was hoping," she said, "but no. So I'll keep my day job while I keep looking."
Cocktail Recipes for a Happy New Year
 | Cocktail Recipes.doc |
Cocktail Party Makeover
by Andrea Scala
Sangria-Yields 4 servings (1 ½ cups)
1 (750-ml) bottle red wine
1/4 cup orange liqueur, such as Triple Sec or Grand Marnier
1 orange (unpeeled), thinly sliced
1 lime (unpeeled), thinly sliced
1 (8 ounce) can pineapple chunks packed in 100% juice, with juice
2 cups naturally flavored lime or lemon-lime seltzer or club soda
Sliced citrus fruit, for garnish
Combine the wine, orange liqueur, orange and lime slices, and the entire can of pineapple, including the juice, in a large pitcher. Stir, and store in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours (or overnight).
To serve, strain out the soaked fruit if desired. Pour the chilled seltzer into the pitcher, and stir to combine with the wine.
Serve over ice, and garnish with fresh sliced fruit.
Pear & Pancetta Crisps-Yields 6 servings
12 thin slices pancetta (about 1/3 lb.)
1 Bartlett pear
1/2 (4-oz.) package goat cheese, crumbled
Freshly cracked pepper
Honey
Garnish: fresh thyme sprigsArrange pancetta slices in a single layer on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet.Bake at 450° for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden. Transfer to a paper towel-lined wire rack using a spatula. Let stand 10 minutes or until crisp.
Core pear with an apple corer. Cut pear crosswise into 12 thin rings. Arrange on a serving platter.
Top evenly with pancetta and goat cheese; sprinkle with pepper.
Drizzle with honey just before serving. Garnish, if desired.
Polenta Wedges with Sun-Dried Tomato Tapenade-Yields 48 pieces
1 16- to 18-ounce tube prepared polenta, ends trimmed and cut into 12 slices
Canola or olive oil cooking spray
2/3 cup soft sun-dried tomatoes (see Tip)
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon lightly packed flat leaf parsley leaves
2 teaspoons rinsed capers
1 small clove garlic, chopped
Pinch of freshly ground pepper
Preheat broiler. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
Place polenta slices on the prepared baking sheet and coat with cooking spray. Broil in upper third of oven until starting to brown, 8 to 12 minutes. Turn and broil until lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes more.
Meanwhile, pulse sun-dried tomatoes, oil, parsley, capers, garlic and pepper in a food processor (a mini food processor works well), scraping down the sides as needed, until coarsely chopped.
Transfer the polenta slices to a clean cutting board and cut each into quarters. Top each wedge of polenta with about 1/4 teaspoon of the tapenade.
Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate the tapenade for up to 3 days.
Tip: For this recipe, look for soft sun-dried tomatoes (not packed in oil). If you can only find tomatoes that are very dry (and hard), soak in boiling water for about 20 minutes, then drain and chop them before using.
Five-Spice Turkey & Lettuce Wraps-Yields 4 Servings, 1 ¼ cups filling each
½ cup water
½ cup instant brown rice
2 tsp sesame oil
1 pound ground turkey
1 T minced fresh ginger
1 8-ounce can water chestnuts, rinsed and chopped
½ cup reduced sodium chicken broth
2 T Hoisin sauce
1 tsp five spice powder
½ tsp salt
2 heads boston lettuce
½ cup chopped fresh herbs
1 large carrot shredded
Ingredients
Bring water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add rice; reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Add turkey and ginger; cook, crumbling with a wooden spoon, until the turkey is cooked through, about 6 minutes.
Stir in the cooked rice, bell pepper, water chestnuts, broth, hoisin sauce, five-spice powder and salt; cook until heated through, about 1 minute.
To serve, spoon portions of the turkey mixture into lettuce leaves, top with herbs and carrot and roll into wraps.
Google Docs makes it easy to create, store and share online documents, spreadsheets and presentations.
Balboa Park Food & Wine School - Chef Biography
Andrea at Your Table Personal Chef
Born and raised in Syracuse, NY, I began cooking in my grandmother’s kitchen. Since I was 7 years old, I would stay over at her house and assist her with cooking in any way I could. She is Italian, and although she did not speak it, she sure could cook. Ranging from huge pillow-like raviolis to steaks on the grill, any meal was a success! It was from then on I knew that I was destined to cook! Growing up, I worked part-time in local restaurants and at Wegmans Food and Pharmacy for 10 years in their various food departments. I attended college to be a Physician Assistant, but it took me awhile to figure out that I needed to pursue my “passions” in life. After earning my degree, I finally decided to move away from snow country to sunny San Diego and have worked the last 10 years in a Cardiology office treating patients, some of whose diseases have been exacerbated by poor dietary habits. Although a rewarding career, it has not been my true love. I decided to attend culinary school at San Diego Culinary Institute. It was the best decision I ever made. It was there that I received the best culinary education from leading Chefs from around the world. While at school, I attended culinary competitions in Las Vegas and San Francisco learning from various chefs from around the country. After graduation, I completed my externship at Savory in Encinitas under Chef Pascal Vignau. Upon completion of the program, I was awarded the prestigious Harold Meyberg award for culinary excellence. I have volunteered at several cooking schools in San Diego including Barbeques Galore, Macys, and Great News and also assist local chefs with private functions and events in the area. I currently teach private and group cooking lessons and cater small venues. I recently won a competition on The Food Network resulting in filming an episode of “Grill It with Bobby Flay”, Season 2 which aired August 2009. I was also recently chosen to compete on the SDCI culinary team in 2009-2010 around the country at various savory competitions. In addition to cooking, I love to read, try new restaurants, salsa dance, and travel.
Andrea Scala's recipe for a 'San Diego-style' breakfast
Andrea Scala's recipe for a 'San Diego-style' breakfast
Published: Wednesday, August 19, 2009, 9:20 AM Updated: Wednesday, August 19, 2009, 9:39 AM
The Mexican-themed, "San Diego-style" breakfast that Andrea Scala cooked for an upcoming episode of "Grill It! With Bobby Flay" starts with sopes.
Sopes are cousins of tortillas, made from the same ingredients, only smaller in diameter and thicker. (They can be made at home or bought in stores that sell specialty Latin foods). Scala fries these in oil in a saucepan on the grill for 2 to 3 minutes, or until crispy.
Here's the rest of the menu:
• Pork Adobada in a red chili sauce. Scala marinates a thick pork steak in a homemade red chili sauce for a few hours, then grills to medium rare. The chili sauce includes ancho and guajillo chiles, plus adobo (a piquant, ground chile-herb mixture used as a base for sauces) and other spices.
• Eggs made three ways: Scrambled with adobo spice and cheese; scrambled with cheese, adobo spice and chorizo sausage; and sunny-side up.
• Grilled chorizo and longanisa sausage, for the side. Longanisa is a Filipino breakfast sausage.
• Grilled vegetables, including onions, mushrooms, tomatoes and Mexican scallions, all brushed with olive oil and cut large enough so they don't fall into the grill.
• A Mexican "crema" sauce, made with chipotle peppers in adobo sauce.
To serve, she places the different egg dishes on the sopes, with the meat, sausages and vegetables on the side. She tops each plate with the crema sauce, plus fresh cilantro and avocado and tomato slices.
She also serves a "San Diego Sunrise" cocktail (for 2):
2 ounces tequila
7 to 8 ounces orange juice
Splash of pineapple juice
1/2 ounce grenadine
Orange slices, for garnishPlace ice cubes in martini shaker. Pour in tequila, orange juice and a splash of pineapple juice. Shake and pour into a martini glass. Pour small amount of grenadine down the side of the glass, so it settles to the bottom. Garnish with an orange slice.
Healthy Makeover Eggnog
Healthy Makeover Eggnog
From Good Housekeeping
triple-tested at the Good Housekeeping Research Institute
When it comes to holiday-time calories, nothing adds to your bottom line as much as this rich punch. But only a scrooge would give up eggnog altogether, so check out our slimmed-down nog at one-fourth the saturated fat and half the cholesterol. We replaced whole milk with low-fat (and skipped the heavy cream), but kept the silky texture and decadent flavor by simmering the milk and sugar with cornstarch and by using more egg whites and fewer yolks.
- User Rating:
Nutritional Information
(per serving)
Calories 105 Total Fat 2g Saturated Fat 1g Cholesterol 53mg Sodium 125mg Total Carbohydrate 14g Dietary Fiber 0 Sugars -- Protein 6g Calcium --
James Baigrie
Ingredients
U.S. Metric Conversion chart
- 3 large eggs
- 3 large egg whites
- 5 1/2 cup(s) low-fat milk
- 1/2 cup(s) sugar
- 2 tablespoon(s) cornstarch
- Salt
- 2 tablespoon(s) vanilla
- 1/2 teaspoon(s) (plus additional for sprinkling) ground nutmeg
- 1/3 cup(s) dark Jamaican rum (optional)
Directions
- In bowl, with whisk, beat eggs and egg whites until blended; set aside. In heavy 4-quart saucepan, with heat-safe spatula, mix 4 cups milk with sugar, cornstarch, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook on medium-high until mixture boils and thickens slightly, stirring constantly. Boil 1 minute. Remove saucepan from heat.
- Gradually whisk 1/2 cup simmering milk mixture into eggs; pour egg mixture back into milk in saucepan, whisking constantly, to make custard.
- Pour custard into large bowl; stir in vanilla, nutmeg, rum, if using, and remaining 1 1/2 cups milk. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 6 hours or up to 2 days. Sprinkle eggnog with nutmeg to serve. Makes about 6 1/2 cups.
Loading photos...
Here are some alternate versions of this recipe created by our wonderful community of chefs!
-->More from Good Housekeeping
Videos
Why Cook at Home? Four Reasons You Should Consider
Why Cook at Home? Four Reasons You Should Consider
Article Word Count: 576 [View Summary] Comments (1)
Seriously. With the abundance of fast food, deli food, frozen packaged food, and restaurants all around, why go to the trouble of learning to cook at home?
The answer for most people is that they don't know how. They don't know what ingredients to buy or what pans to use. They've watched other people struggle to put a simple meal on the table that ended up being inedible. The lessons learned in "home living" or "home economics" classes have long been forgotten. They don't have a clue where to begin.
Take heart, and come on in to the kitchen. It's really not a scary place at all.
Even if you haven't set foot in a kitchen for years - to cook, that is - don't worry. Even if you can't remember the last time you read through and finished a recipe, that's all right. Even if you have no time, no fancy pots and pans, no patience, and no experience, I promise you can do this. Yes, you.
But why bother? There are as many reasons to learn to cook as there are fast food franchises at your local mall. For starters, it's far cheaper to cook at home than it is to buy take-out or eat at restaurants night after night, especially once you've gathered some basic ingredients. If you find a few recipes that appeal to you, make a list, and buy only what you need, you can make a week's worth of dinners for about the same amount of money you'd spend in a mid-range restaurant for two or three meals. Check out a restaurant menu online and add up the costs: entree, drink, tip. Times two. See?
Another reason: cooking for yourself, generally, is healthier. You control the amounts of fat, sodium, carbs, or any other substance. You can buy fruits and vegetables in season and at their peak of flavor and nutritional value rather than settling for browned lettuce or fruit that tastes like cardboard. Portion control is as easy as deciding how much food to put on your plate, eliminating the temptation to eat all those fries that came with your restaurant burger.
Cooking for yourself allows you more flexibility than using prepared foods or ordering at a restaurant. We all know at least one picky eater who drives us nuts whenever she orders at a restaurant: hold the mayo, no onion, extra cheese, medium rare but not too pink...you know the type. At home, if you don't like black olives in your pasta, don't use them. If you like extra basil, add it. You can use olive oil instead of butter, or soy milk instead of dairy. The choices are limitless, and your meals are suited to your tastes, every time. What restaurant can do that for you?
Finally, cooking at home can be faster than going out. Add up the time spent driving to a restaurant, waiting to be seated, waiting to be served, eating, paying, then driving home again. You could have fixed something simple and tasty much faster and been more comfortable in the process - shoes off, favorite music on the stereo, relaxing in your own home.
Learning to cook doesn't mean you will never eat out again. Of course you will, and you should! But when you decide to go out, it will be on your terms: when you can afford it, when you have the energy, and when you have the time.
For recipes and kitchen tips for the beginning home cook, visit Food for Beginners (http://www.foodforbeginners.wordpress.com). Mary Thompson provides tips on setting up your kitchen, items to have on hand to make meal prep easy, and ideas for quick recipes you can make with a minimum of time and fuss.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mary_M._Thompson
This article has been viewed 838 time(s).
Article Submitted On: July 15, 2008
Classes in Healthy Cooking
| Article 1 - Classes in Healthy Cooking.doc |
Classes in Healthy Cooking
With the growth in TV shows about kitchens and cooking, it's no wonder that more people are considering cooking, whether from the home or for a living. You can usually sign up at local culinary schools or college extension offices for classes in cooking, where you can learn to make healthy and nutritious dishes.
Becoming a chef is beyond many people, but that doesn't mean you can't learn to cook. If you do want to pursue a career as a chef, prepare yourself for years of hard work and training. If you're happy just to learn to cook for yourself or your family, sign up for a local college course and prepare yourself for a food preparation adventure.
If you have been making efforts to eat more healthy foods, you may want to learn a few extra skills to use in your kitchen. Most foods that you eat out aren't very healthy, and even if they are, they're probably very expensive.
You may already possess a moderate level of cooking skills, but making real meals takes a bit more knowledge, and a bit more work. Cooking at home doesn't seem to be done as much as it was in the past, but group or private cooking classes will spark your interest.
Your adventures in healthy cooking will start with an instructor who can teach you the proper skills. He or she will teach you to use healthy ingredients to make real meals that will replace fast food as part of your diet.
Your instructor will teach you that cooking healthy foods doesn't take any more work than cooking fattening foods. If you have a creative streak, you can cut down on your prep time without losing any healthy nutrients. Learn to use a rice cooker, and then you can have quinoa or brown rice ready after just a few prep time minutes. Best of all, the cooker turns itself off when it's finished.
Even if you don't cook so called “health foods”, your instructor will teach you that cooking real foods at home will be a lot healthier for you than eating out, or eating frozen foods. Find several meals that are easily cooked, and that have good taste, and start with them. Ask your instructor to recommend some of these types of meals. Pasta is a good example. Just boil some pasta and make a quick and healthy tomato sauce, and this is an easy way to eat well when you don't feel like cooking.
Google Docs makes it easy to create, store and share online documents, spreadsheets and presentations.
Cooking Healthy
| Article 4 - Cooking Healthy.doc |
Cooking Healthy
If you want to eat healthy for better health or to lose weight, cooking healthy is a great way to start. There aren't many restaurant options that are as healthy as the foods you can prepare yourself. You have probably tried to eat healthy before, but you need to change your lifestyle, and perhaps learn to cook at home, so that you can prepare healthy meals for you and your family.
You don't have to dive into cooking head-first. You can take small steps and work your way up to making healthy meals. This is a better idea than trying to radically change your diet all at once, since this will often result in failure. There are tips for cooking healthy and for eating healthy.
If you prepare and cook less red meat, that is a good step toward a healthier diet. If you need some type of meat, eat lean meats like pork. But chicken and fish are healthier, and good sources of protein, as well.
If you want to cook and eat more healthy at home, cooking lessons in your home are a good way to start. Including vegetables in your meals will make them more healthy, and your private teacher can show you delicious ways to prepare them, so that they're not a boring option. For example, you can saute vegetables in a bit of chicken broth, or cook them with herbs.
If you want to make the change to healthy eating, it doesn't need to happen overnight. Don't try to overhaul everything, all at once. Rather, have your cooking mentor teach you about smaller changes first, and you can expand on them as you learn more about healthy cooking. In this way, you will likely see changes in the way you feel and the way you look, and these are good rewards to strive for.
Andrea Scala is a San Diego culinary professional teaching at home helathy cooking. Visit her at www.andreaatyourtable.com
Google Docs makes it easy to create, store and share online documents, spreadsheets and presentations.
Cooking Class Dates
| Article 6 - Cooking Class Dates.doc |
Cooking Class Dates
Are you and that special someone looking for something different to do together? How about a date night cooking class? You can either attend a class together at a local college or culinary academy, or have a chef or cooking instructor give you private cooking classes at home. It will be especially interesting if you take a gourmet class or something that is a little more intensive than the regular classes in cooking that you find at local colleges.
Cooking healthy doesn't need to be a secret – you can learn new and healthier ways to cook in a class, and learn recipes that are new and interesting. There are truly a variety of types of cooking you can learn more about. The classes available in your area will depend on how large your town is. If you want larger cooking classes, San Diego and other metropolitan areas will be sure to have something that strikes your fancy.
If you go for a cooking class with a date, find one that is free or low in cost, unless you actually want to go further in the culinary arts. Some beginner classes give you the basic groundwork, and will still allow you to be unique in your creations, and you'll want a relaxing atmosphere for you and your date.
Be sure that you ask up-front if you and your date will actually be able to cook at the class you plan to attend. You don't want to sit in a classroom for hours when you could be experimenting with new recipes and ingredients that you're unaccustomed to using.
Your date cooking class may be a one-time affair, or you can take a short series of classes together, if you are both interested enough in cooking. One of you may develop a previously unknown knack for creating special dishes, and if that's the case, either or both of you can move into more formal cooking classes. Mainly, though, for a date night, it's about fun.
Andrea Scala is a San Diego Culinary Professional, teaching private, group, and at home cooking lessons.
Google Docs makes it easy to create, store and share online documents, spreadsheets and presentations.
What's Cooking with Andrea at Your Table- Thanksgiving Edition
| Having trouble viewing this email? Click here |
 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Contact Info
Andrea at Your Table | www.andreaatyourtable.com | San Diego | CA | 92064 |
