Kitchen 12000 :: Recipe of the Week

01-26-10
Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus

Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus

Alright, so these guys are a hit at any catered cocktail party. And if you go to a local Middle Eastern style deli, you could get some decent quality prosciutto for just around $10/lb. Believe it or not. So I’ll keep it short and sweet.

First, blanch the asparagus by doing the basics (from boiling water straight into ice water). Line the prosciutto with lebne or kefir cheese (available at any middle eastern market). Season with cracked pepper and wrap around the asparagus - if the asparagus are thin, go ahead and use two pieces per wrap. Garnish that with anything pretty, here in this photo we used edible orchids and some other flowers. Garnish with a maple vinergrette - made by combining maple syrub, rice vinegar and orange juice.

Find the prettiest ladies on the block, and ask them to pass these around on treys to all of your guests. Hey, it always works for us.

Photo and recipe provided by Michael Kay of Kitchen12000.

01-21-10
Green Bean Tomato Salad

Kitchen12000 Tomato & Green Bean Salad

Alright so this balancing act was something we pulled off when conducting our tasting interview for an upcoming events center in the Paseo Pasadena. They asked us to make a Mediterranean/French fusion menu, so for our salad course we decided to combine two very classic Mediterranean ingredients (tomatoes and green beans) with a refined French technique. The dish is quite simple actually, as it should be.

First, we roasted the tomatoes (deseeded of course) with a simple salt & pepper seasoning. Once (barely) cooked, we set aside to cool, and then cut into cubes (skin off). That got tossed with some olive oil and was chilled for plating. The green beans were cut & blanched, by going straight from boiling water into ice water. They were tossed with a very simple cream+sherry vinegar dressing. You could always use sour cream or yogurt too if you’re down with the whole cream deal.

Using a ring mold, we layered the ingredients, garnished with a micro-mix (that was tossed in walnut oil, salt, pepper) and topped with more of that walnut oil. Now whether or not the critics thought it was good? We really didn’t pay attention - it looked sexy and had the texture of a tuna tar tar. Check please.

Recipe and photo graciously provided by Eric B. of Kitchen12000.

01-13-10
NY Steak & Eggplant Fries

Kitchen12000 Recipe: New York Steak with Eggplant Fries

Simplicity is king. Especially when you’re really stoned and want to make something yummy, sexy & impressive all at the same time. In this plate, you’ll see what we call the “Ode to America: While in Italy.”

The New York was seasoned with salt & pepper, pan seared and served medium rare - only fitting right? The sauce was a BBQ sauce we picked up from Whole Foods that was stupid expensive. It needed some doctoring, so we added a whole tomato, glass of white wine, some toasted fennel, a few garlic cloves and a spoonful of agave nectar. That all got blended and strained through a fine mesh.

Now on the south-east side of this 4 sided ceramic podium you’ll find our favorite “pretend to be healthy” food - eggplant fries. To make these, find the biggest eggplants at the market, peel them, and cut 1″ by 4″ wedges from the middle cross sections. Batter those with a classic flour, egg & panko triple threat - then deep fry. We like to throw some herbs to provence into that panko to give it a little bit of that “bitch get off me” flavor. If you’d rather avoid such mouth water bravado, just keep it simple - salt + pepper.

The plating is up to you, so have fun. You’ll notice that we we like to get all Frank Lloyd Wright about it when we can - not saying we did so here, but you get the picture.

Recipe and photo provided by Steve Scherer of Kitchen12000.

12-21-09
Open Faced Pulled Piggy

Kitchen12000 Recipe: Open Faced Pulled Piggy

We love pulled pork, so we tend to incorporate it (somehow) into every event we cater. And while we’re on the topic of confessions, let’s just be open about it and lay it all out? Pork is cheap, which means we could buy the organic grain fed product without “cry me a rivering.” That’s one. Secondly, pulled pork really doesn’t require much skill to pull off (pun intended) - all you need to do is season it with your favorite dry rub, give it a quick sear & then blast in the oven covered with aluminum (and braising liquid) until it turns into shreddable goodness. Forgive me father, for I have sinned. I took the easy way out, once again. Sorry.

After handling the pork, we move onto choosing a base. I like to use ciabatta because it’s light, neutral and provides a good chew - necessary when serving pulled pork sandwiches. Toast the bread, then cut it, and lightly brush with garlic/lemon butter. The slaw consists of napa cabbage, purple cabbage, cilantro and a mayo-less Red-White-Blue style vinaigrette. For this one, we kept it simple - olive oil, sherry vinegar, salt, pepper, paprika.

Put that all together, and serve with a cocktail napkin so they can stay classy while munching on some good old pulled piggy.

Recipe and photo provided by Ovel Mouradian of Kitchen12000.