Rocky Road Truffles
Recipe Courtesy of Pastry Chef Emily Luchetti for the California Walnut Board
Makes 30 1-inch truffles6 tablespoons heavy cream
5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
2/3 cup mini marshmallows cut in half (use scissors it’s much easier)
1/2 cup walnuts cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1/2 cup milk chocolate chip or 1/4 inch pieces
1/3 cup cocoa powder
Warm the cream in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until hot and bubbling around the edges, about 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and add the chocolate. Swirl the pan lightly so the chocolate is covered by the cream. Cover and let sit 5 minutes. Whisk until smooth. Whisk occasionally until room temperature. Stir in the marshmallows, walnuts and milk chocolate chips. Spread the chocolate cream in a 9-inch pan or pie plate. Refrigerate until hard, at least 1 hour.
Form chocolate into balls using a heaping teaspoon for each placing them in a single layer on a pan. Refrigerate until hard. Place the cocoa powder on a plate or in a small bowl. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
One at a time, place the chocolate balls in the cocoa powder. Dust your palms with cocoa powder and lightly roll the truffles between your palms until round. (The cocoa powder keeps them from sticking to your hands.) Roll in the cocoa powder. (If at any point the chocolate gets too warm and the truffles become difficult to roll, refrigerate the chocolate for 30 minutes until it firms up.)
The truffles can be made a week in advance. Refrigerate them until ready to serve. When gifting, wrap these truffles up in pink and red tissue paper, tied with white ribbon and a heartfelt message.
Winning recipe from Mezzetta's Make That Sandwich Contest; authored by New York chef Michael Ferraro
Note that this is a multi-step recipe that requires LOTS of advance prep-work.
Makes 4 Sandwiches 
Prep Your Chicken Thighs
2 boneless chicken thighs, skin on
2 cups water
2 tablespoons salt
1 teaspoon brown sugar
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 smashed garlic cloves1 teaspoon butter
Kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper
Combine water, salt, sugar, 1 garlic clove and 1 thyme sprig in a small pot and bring to a simmer. Once salt and sugar are dissolved, cool liquid, then place chicken thighs in the liquid. Marinate for 15 minutes.
Remove chicken, pat dry and season both sides with Kosher salt and black pepper. In a medium size sauté pan with a little olive oil, heat to medium-hot and place thighs in skin side down. Sear on both sides, then place pan in a 400 degree oven for 8 minutes.
Remove pan from oven and add butter, 1 spring thyme and one smashed garlic clove. Once butter is lightly browned, flip thighs over and baste for one minute. Remove from pan and reserve. When cool, cut into thin slices.
Make Castelvetrano Olive Pesto
1 jar Napa Valley Bistro Homemade Style Basil Pesto
1 jar Mezzetta Castelvetrano Whole Green Olives, pitted
Parmigiano Reggiano
Combine 2 tablespoons pesto, 1 tablespoon Castelvetrano olives, pitted and minced, 1 teaspoon grated Parmigiano Reggiano and reserve. (Note: a food processor would work well, but pulse it so you retain texture of the olives.)
Tri-Color Roasted Pepper Aioli
1 jar Mezzetta Gourmet Deli Tri-Color Roasted Bell Pepper Strips
1 garlic clove
1 egg yolk
1 lemon
4 ounces Mezzetta Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Kosher salt
In a food processor, add a smashed garlic clove and egg yolk and purèe for 30 seconds. Slowly drizzle in olive oil to emulsify. Once oil is emulsified, add juice of half a lemon. Drain peppers and add 3 ounces of roasted peppers. Season with kosher salt.
Sandwich Assembly
4 ciabatta rollsCut ciabatta bread in half and lightly oil each side and grill to toast. Spread 1-1/2 teaspoons of the aioli on the top half of the bread. Spread 1-1/2 teaspoons of the pesto on the bottom half of the bread.
Stacking from the bottom with the chicken thighs thinly sliced, follow with 3 slices of burrata cheese and place under the broiler until cheese is melted. Toss a handful of baby arugula with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, juice of a quarter lemon, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Place arugula on top of cheese and top with charred tomatoes. Close sandwich with top piece of bread.
Chunky Sweet Potato Stew
Mezzetta Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 ounces burrata cheese
Baby arugula
2 slices ripe tomato, sliced ½ inch thick, drizzled with olive oil, salt and pepper and charred on a hot grill
1 lemon
Serves 3
1 onion, thickly sliced
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 14-ounce can stewed tomatoes with juice (low or no salt)
1 large sweet potato, peeled, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 cup canned garbanzo beans (chick peas) or white kidney beans (low or no salt), drained
3/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch thick rounds, or cut into bite-sized pieces (I used kale instead)
Black pepper, to taste
Salt to taste
Place onion and garlic in a kettle. Add 1/4 cup water and bring to a simmer. Cover the pot and cook for about 10 minutes, or until onions are soft and fragrant.
Add sweet potato, tomatoes and one cup water. Cook, covered, until potatoes are tender.
Stir in the garbanzos and green vegetable. Cook until heated through and serve with brown rice or whole grain bread.
Thai Cabbage Salad
Serves 4
8 ounces red cabbage, thinly sliced (2 cups)
2 medium carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup grated or chopped cucumber
3 tablespoons finely diced jalapeno pepper (with seeds if you like it hot)
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons oil, any kind
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons fish sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
1 cup salted, dry roasted peanuts (optional)
Editor's Note: 2 cups cooked pasta turns this into a main dish
Place the cabbage, carrots, cucumber, jalapeno, cilantro and basil in a bowl and toss to combine.
Combine the lime juice, oil, garlic, fish sauce, sugar and pepper flakes in a jar. Seal and shake well. Taste and adjust for taste.
Add 3/4 of the dressing to the salad mixture, toss. Taste and add more dressing if desired. Sprinkle nuts on top just before serving.
Chorizo and Garlic Mushrooms
Note that this mixture can be made a day ahead and served warm or at room temperature on top of toasted slices of baguette. The recipe pairs with Campo Viejo 2006 Crianza.
Serves 8
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
8 ounces Spanish (not Mexican) chorizo sausage, removed from casing and diced
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
3 tablespoons dry sherry
1/4 teaspoon hot chili flakes
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Salt and pepper
In medium skillet, heat oil on medium-high heat and stir in onions and garlic for 2 minutes.
Add chorizo and cook for about 3 minutes, or until it’s cooked through.
Add mushrooms, sherry, chili flakes, and salt and pepper.
Cover and simmer over medium heat for about 7 minutes or until most of the liquid is evaporated and the mushrooms are browned. Stir occasionally. Stir in parsley and add salt and pepper to taste.
NOTE: If you cannot find Spanish chorizo, substitute a fully cooked, spicy, smoked sausage such as andouille.
Fiona's Almond and Olive Sandwich
Recipe from "Nuts In The Kitchen" by Susan Herrmann Loomis
Serves 4
9 ounces soft goat cheese
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon herbes de Provence
One baguette, sliced in half, lengthwise
4 ounces green olives, cut in half and pitted
1/4 cup raw almonds, coarsely chopped
Place the cheese, olive oil and herbs in a medium bowl and mix. Taste to be sure you've added enough herbs for your taste.
Spread each side of the baguette with cheese mixture, using all of it. Arrange the olives on one side of the bread, the almonds on the other. Press them firmly into the cheese. Firmly press the bread together. Slice into four sandwiches and serve with a big green salad on the side. http://www.onruetatin.com/
Portuguese Chicken and Rice
Serves 8
8 chicken thighs, skinned and fat removed
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 bay leaves (or 4 if you like them as much as I do)
1 tablespoon crushed dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder or chipotle powder (more if you like it spicy)
1 tablespoon crushed dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder or chipotle powder (more if you like it spicy)
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1 pound Spanish style chorizo (not Mexican. That's what I used and it was sub-standard)
1/2 cup red wine
2 cups canned tomatoes
3 cups chicken broth
2 cups brown rice
Salt to taste
Cilantro for garnish
Salt to taste
Cilantro for garnish
Salt both sides of chicken thighs. Pour oil into a pan and heat to near smoke-point. Carefully add chicken thighs, making sure not to crowd the pan. Cook on medium-high heat until both sides of the chicken are nicely browned. Remove to a dish and cover.
Drain any excess fat from the pan and add onion and chorizo. Cook on medium heat until onion is translucent and tender and chorizo has rendered its fat. Drain fat and add garlic. Continue to cook until the skillet and onion are nicely browned. Dump in tomatoes and wine and stir. Add bay leaves and other herbs. Simmer about 10 minutes.
Add broth and brown rice to the pot. Stir and cover. Cook for about 10 minutes over medium-low heat. Add chicken thighs to the pot, nestling them down into the rice and recover. Cook over medium-low heat until rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Serve with red table wine.
Manresa's Mushroom-Truffle Soup
Serves 8 Manresa's Mushroom-Truffle Soup
6 ounces clarified butter
6 ounces shallots, sliced very thin
4 medium garlic cloves, chopped fine
12 ounces enoki mushrooms, roots removed
10 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced thin
10 ounces crimini mushrooms, sliced thin
3 cups milk
6 ounces cream
2 ounces mushroom water
1 cup chicke stock (or more mushroom water)
2 ounces creme fraiche Sherry vinegar to taste Black truffles (optional)
Use a large enough pot to hold all of the mushrooms. Heat the butter over high heat until the surface starts to shimmer. Add the mushrooms and saute, keeping the mushrooms moving. After the mushrooms have wilted, add the garlic and shallots.Saute for another minute or more, then add the chicken stock. Bring to a simmer, then remove from the heat.
While the mix is still very hot, add the mushrooms and liquid to a food processor. Add enough cream to make a thick paste. Process until the paste is homogenous, but not totally smooth. Allow the paste to cool. Once cool, thin the puree to the desired consistency with milk and the mushroom juice You want it slightly thick.
The last step is to season the soup with salt, pepper and sherry vinegar. Heat soup until just hot. Serve with shaved truffles on top if desired.
*Note: Mushroom juice is made by putting extra stems and such into a pan and boiling them for about 20 minutes.
This recipe was one of two that Chef David Kinch of Manresa in Los Gatos prepared during the first session of Chef's Holidays at the Ahwahnee in Yosemite. For details on Chef's Holidays, go to http://www.yosemitepark.com/
