Fruit Cake and Onion Jam

We ALL know the horrible dreaded fruitcake. I really hate it. Now if it was dipped in chocolate or not made of fruit that sticks to your teeth.. Maybe.

One of my first jobs was at The Cake Walk on 3rd street in Los Angeles. It truly was one of my favorite jobs. Biill and Bill owned it. Christmas time was a mad house we did crazy things for the industry (Media) since we were only block away from Paramount and so many other production places. One job I had (since I had the best writing) An industry person would give us their entire LA area holiday card list. We would take that and sign their names and deliver a cake (Mostly Lemon, Pistachio, Fruitcake or Chocolate Cherry) with the holiday card. Gladice and David Beagleman (former producer and agent) had the longest list, over 300. Funny I would sign the cards and David was arrested only a few years prior for embezzling.

Our fruit cake at the Cake Walk had the candied oranges and Grand Marnier (really cheep triple sec), And golden raisins. This recipe is from 1980 when I was in pastry school. I created it and I still use it today. Its great.. That is if you love Fruit Cake.. I have my fruits right now soaking and Sunday is when I am baking mine for my father. Its his favorite!

Fruit Cake

Onion Jam  This is a very useful Jam. Take a little and place it on a toast point, Add cheese on top and place under the boiler until bubbling. 

Sea Foam Candy.. Beware the Corn Syrup!

Sea Form, Angel or what ever you call it Candy....

I just finished making the recipe for tonight to ship out to all of you on my blog and newsletter. 

Lets talk corn syrup.. There is a new bad lighter version in the house.. DO NOT.. I say and the label says also.. DO NOT USE FOR CANDY MAKING.. Oh what does one do with corn syrup? brush on toast? 

Here is the recipe. Do not double and make sure you have a digital thermometer. (The one with the probe into your roast works well).

Angel Candy

My Time in Morning TV

Since my first food segment in 1993, (the week after Disney closed the bakery)... I grin from ear to ear when I get on the set. It was all a lie in 1993. One of my last days off at Disney I was watching a morning show on KCAL9 in Los Angeles, Live in LA with Cyndy Garvey and Steve Edwards. Mr. Pie was on. I thought he may have the best way to roll out a crust and I wanted to see this guy do it. I was in shock.. He took a frozen crust and pressed it into the shell. Did he not have a message... Did he not teach anything? I called a colleague Nancy McDermott, told her I wanted to do the food segment for the show. Without any training or being in front of the camera I knew I could do it.. One thing Disney did teach me is that "No" is not a word. Nancy told me to look for the name of the segment producer at the end of the broadcast, get the number and then call. (This was before the internet). The next day I phoned Mimi Prizza, Segment Producer. She met with me and told me to bring a few ideas for segments and my "reel" of shows I have done. Not letting her know I had never been in front of the camera except a failure at a Game Show.. I created 12 shows, brought so much food that I knew her mouth would be full and she could not ask for the reel and would "Love" me and my ideas! The next few days I studied the show, the food segments and how the food was handled and presented. 

Start first with a finished product for a "tease". (All the way to the left of the table), then all of the ingredients in the order of the recipe. Explain each ingredient and the amounts SLOOOOOOWWWWW  so people can write it down. (remember no website for them to get it.. Oh they can write in with a SASE!), then have whom ever helps you make your food.. "Work', such as mixing or stirring.. Have a partially pre made item at a point that you need it.. I saw that each guest got about 3-4 minutes.

I showed up at Mimi's office across the street from the studio on Melrose. Nervous that I would be found out..  I took Muffins, Cookies, a Cake, a pie.. so much.. Mimi was in heaven.. She phoned another producer they loved my ideas and I was on the next Thursday. Blueberry Muffins! Mimi never asked for my Reel. I was a regular on the show. I created a wedding cake for the wedding show, I created chocolates, candies and more.. Then I was asked to try out for a new show that was national. Mike and Maty. on the ABC Network (this was before Disney owned it). The pilot and my segment was Cinnamon Rolls. I made them for the entire 230 in the live audience. Again, I moved into the resident food segment person on the show. 

Since that December in 1993 I have been hundreds of shows coast to coast. I love teaching and showing how easy something is to make.. 

I had lunch with Mimi when she was working on the old Rosie Show in NYC.. She said.. "You know I have been wanting to ask you something.... Did you ever have a reel?" Nope. Blueberry Muffins were my first and not my last! 

I love to show "behind the scenes" Here is the set from behind the camera. You can see the fake fronts, the weights holding my table set.. Nothing in the kitchen works. To the right is the green screen for outdoor shots.. The left is another sit down interview set.. I still set up my segment like I did 19 years ago.. But now I understand the lingo... Blocking, Tease, Bumper Shots, swap out, beauty.. and the actions. In Five...Four.. Three.....

Christmas Cookie Segment

December 12th, 2012.. 12-12-12

This morning I am on the SD Living Show doing my segment. Christmas Cookies! Here are the recipes. Also, I will be sending out daily recipes for a few weeks. Make sure you are on my mailing list. Submit your email information on the Home page of my site.

Cookie Baking Hints       Quadruple Chocolate Cookies

Sprinkle Sugar Cookies   Cherry Almond Spritz Cookies

Now get ready to Bake! George

Another Show... More Tips

I think I have been judging people longer then anyone! Really let me explain. 30 years ago I was asked to judge food contest at the largest county fair in the nation. Los Angeles.  After a number of years I became the culinary coordinator and had a team of judges with many contests daily. This went on for 28 years. The longest of any of my "Jobs". Today I judge contests for large food companies and the like. Over the summer I was a Judge Critic for ABC's new upcoming show The Taste with Anthony Bordian. After spending days criss-crossing the country seeing thousands of hopefuls wanting to win the limelight, here are my top ten tips for entering a contest. Also here is a new baking show casting this next week. www.cbsbakingshow.com 

Here are my top 10 tips for the process. 

As a judge of many contests over the years here are my top 10 things to look out for in these open calls:

1. Read all of the information and do what it says. Put together your application etc.
2. Show up about 2 hours after the start of the open call. The first few hours are people that camp overnight. They are not fresh, their food is not fresh and you want to be fresh! 3. Pick a dish that will hold well for a few hours (no refrigerated things).
4. Don't go crazy... Make something that you do well and is simple. A great butter cookie will win over a complicated pastry that is just so so.
5. Don't go for any of the new flavor combinations such as Salted Caramel, Chocolate and Chilies.. These will be flavors that many people will use. Set yourself out of the normal.
6. Be very very excited, right with you get out of your car, don't loose the smile. People are watching you and you don't even know it.  
7. Wear age and size appropriate clothing.
8. You get only a small area to show off your creation and a little bit (normally 3 minutes) to plate and present your dessert.. Be ready. If lets say you are doing a chocolate cake with fudge frosting. Have a pedestal cake plate with the chocolate cake and a slice out, with and a small dessert plate with the slice and a fork on it.
9. You can "theme" yourself and your dessert. Make lemon bars and have an apron on with lemons.
10. Be natural! most of the time your score is 50% of the food and 50% of your personality and story. Have something exciting to say that is as exciting as your dessert.   

Good Luck!

Pecan Cake with Pecan Praline Glaze

Its Monday. Thursday is "Feast" day! The last few weeks I was teaching in the Midwest (Ohio, IL and IN) fall pastry classes and a few donut classes too. Today I made 3 pumpkin pecan cheesecakes for the Thursday feast. I am going to drive to Napa area to have dinner with some friends and their family. Fall in Napa is a crisp time of year... Maybe I will bring some apples home!

Here is a Pecan Cake with the richest glaze. Next week be looking for my huge newsletter packed with holiday goodness!

Have a great Thanksgiving! 

Pecan Cake 

The South

Food wise I think of pecans, peaches and peanuts. The three “P’s”.  This past week while teaching in Birmingham Alabama I came across a historic peanut roasting plant. I enjoy history, food history and plant tours! (I also snuck in a tour of The Golden Flake snack factory before my flight home).

Along the brick lined Morris Street and red brick buildings that dated into the late 1880s and early 1900s I came across the Peanut Depot, which began, roasting these legumes in 1907. Prior to that the building was a printing facility. They have 3 large roasters that can hold 100 pounds each, and these are made of cast iron with a manufacturing date of 1900 made in Peoria, IL by the Bartholomew Company.  100 year old roastersThey also have a newer (75 year old) smaller roaster that looks more like something you would use for coffee beans for when they only need a small batch.

Peanuts come in Salted, Raw and Cajun styles. You can also enjoy a southern treat of boiled peanuts. Bags come in a variety of sizes and the burlap gift bags are the best! 

Peanut Depot

Since 1907

Lex Legate ~ Owner

2016 Morris Avenue

Birmingham, LA 35203

205-251-3314

www.peanutdepot.com

If you want to see the roasters in full force, I suggest that you arrive before 9am early in the week. 

Recipe: Here is my Old Fashion Peanut Brittle 

Hallmark's Home and Family Show Oct 23rd, 2012

Here is the recipe from the Hallmark Home and Famly Show from Tuesday October 23rd, 2012

Pumpkin Maple Cheesecake 

Savory Taco Cheesecake

Here is the link to purchase books and the featured Cheesecake Pans from the show.

Pans and Books. 

Here is the site if you missed the show: Hallmarks: Home and Family Show. 

Thank you so much!
George 

Cooks Warehouse Classes Oct 26-29th!

You can register for classes at www.cookswarehouse.com or phone 800-449-0996

Friday: October 26th: 6:30-9:30pm  Brookhaven Location

Friday Night Date Night Dinner Party                                         Hands On

 Learn together as a couple how to produce a dinner party for your friends. Lots of techniques, fun and great flavorful food. With this full menu you will learn who does what in your kitchen and how to time your prep time so you can enjoy the party too.

Menu: Fromage Fort with Crusty Garlic Brushed Baguette, Crispy Chicken Cakes with Dill Mayonnaise, Prawn Salad with Roasted Eggplant, BBQ French Herbed Salmon, Roasted Herb New Potatoes, Snap Beans with Beurre Noir and Moulton Chocolate Cakes with Chantilly Crème.

October 27^th, 2012               10:30am-1:30pm                            Midtown Location

Deep Rich Chocolate ~ Back to the Basics                             Hands On

Every baker should have each of these recipes in their repertory. George is the former pastry chef for the Walt Disney Co and would create many new desserts for the guests. Now you can too

Menu: Blackout Cake with Poured Chocolate Ganache, Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie in a Flakey Crust, Chocolate Mud Bars with Frosting, Italian Chocolate Biscotti and Mini Chocolate Baked Donuts with Raspberry Sauce.

October 28^th, 2012               1:00pm-4:00pm             Decatur Location

Cake Baking 101                                                      Hands On

No More Boxes! Cake mixes have so many preservatives. Make these fresh and simple cakes that will delight your family. You will learn the proper way to mix, bake and ice cakes like a professional.

Menu: Rich Devils Food with a Fudge Frosting, Hummingbird Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting, Banana Chip Bundt Cake with a poured Glaze, Red Velvet Cake with a 7 minute Frosting and Snow White Cake with a Toasted Coconut Frosting.

 October 29^th, 2012               7:00pm-9:00pm                               East Cobb Location

Say Cheesecake!                                                                           Demonstration

George is the author of two award winning cheesecake cookbooks. You have seen his cheesecakes in the 1980s from the Emmy winning Golden Girls Show. Learn how to make great prefect sweet and savory cheesecakes with ease.

Menu: Chipotle Chile Cheesecake, Taco Cheesecake, The Golden Girls Cheesecake, Peanut Butter and Chocolate Cheesecake Bars and Lemon Curd Cheese Pie. 

All Chocolate!

Texas.. & Chocolate !

I am here in Texas for a whirlwind tour.. 5 classes, 5 cities, 4 car rentals, over 200 students, 4 hotels and 6 air flights, 2 different airlines flying thousands of miles.. in 5 days! Yes.. 5 Days! It has been a few years since I have been here teaching in Texas and it was great last night seeing so many past students. 

Here is a great fast easy recipe we made last night. 

Chocolate Pots de Creme 

Enjoy!

George

Cinnamon Rolls.. Yea!

Cinnamon Rolls. 

Hot and fresh.. when you hear those two words you think of cinnamon and warmth from a kitchen. Years ago I created a Cinnamon Roll that I taught on the pilot of The Mike and Maty Show.. feeding the entire 250 people in the audience hot cinnamon roll lead to being on the show as a regular. 

This week LA Weekly had an article on the top 10 cinnamon rolls of Los Angeles. I have eaten in a few and really.. Nothing special. Here is the link:

LA Weekly

Now I am a little biased.. YOu choose for yourself.. Here is alink to mine.. And look at the picture.. You get plenty of icing! Lots of it! Plus in 1995 I won the Best Cinnamon Roll Recipe from OC Register.. I think I woudl win today too. 

George's Cinnamon Rolls

Smiles Service Samples… The Three “S’s”

See’s Candy makes it the fourth!

The three S’s has been a motto for years. If you have ever walked into the See’s candy stores around the west you will always see a older lady in a black and white picture on the wall. That’s Mary, mother of the founder Charles. After his father had passed in 1919 in Canada, his mother Mary came out Pasadena to live with he and his wife Florence.  462 South Marengo Avenue, Pasadena, CA.

 

Charles started experimenting with his mothers candy recipes. Some of the original candies are still sold today. Chocolate Walnut Fudge, Victoria Toffee, Hand Dipped Bon Bons and Maple Walnut Creams.

 

Researching where the first candy factory/store was I found the address. 135 North Western, Los Angeles, CA. Close to the old Bullocks Wilshire. They first had Indian then Harley's outfitted special for delivery of the boxed chocolates. The driver looked a little bit like a off-duty LAPD officer.

Checking on google.maps I found it was still there and the conservancy was trying to have the city grant it historical status. Looking at the building I was saddened. I thought that if it was still standing I could maybe take pictures and send them to the CEOs office to get them to save it from the wrecking ball. (The owners wanted to put a strip mall in).

Here is the dilapidated building from google.maps. May 2011. You can see the decorative "tooth" work above the windows and those 4 windows how they curve in at the top.  

The other day I drove past the address to find what I was expecting to be a torn down building as nothing in the news stated that the city had grated historical status. I found to my surprise a Tom N Tom Coffee. It’s one of the largest coffee houses in Korea. They had taken the entire two-floor building and converted it about 3 months ago. I still would love to see a plaque outside of it. One of my favorite things of Europe is that where ever you walk they have plaques saying what happen at that site or who lived at the location etc…

2009: LA Times Article to designate the building a landmark

http://articles.latimes.com/2009/feb/06/local/me-sees-candy6

2012: Fortune Article on Warren Buffett and See's

http://management.fortune.cnn.com/2012/08/22/sees-candies-buffett-berkshire

A Lady Born In Pasadena

Many times I need to pinch myself. Am I really here? What is going on? Don’t wake me up as I don’t want it to be over…

Last Saturday I was grateful to be asked by Pasadena Heritage to honor Julia Child. This would have been her 100^th Birthday. It was a garden party set in her former childhood home on Magnolia. Perfectly named street in fact.. It is lined with century old magnolia trees with blossoming flowers the size of dinner plates! 

A few years ago I was in New Zealand on a stop in Christchurch (a few days prior to their horrible earthquake). I met up with Stephanie Hersh (Julia’s long time personal assistant). We talked hours on end. I asked her if she knew if Julia’s childhood home was still standing. Stephanie mentioned that she and Julia drove around one afternoon and could not locate it. Thinking it had become a gas station.

Leave it to the Pasadena Heritage to have documentation that the house the McWilliams family owned is standing and information on two other homes that have influence on Julia growing up.

It was a very hot day over 100F. The lawn in front of the 1912 Colonial Revival home was outfitted with yellow draped tables and fresh summer flowers. I created the menu of Aperitifs. Simple Hors D’oeuvres and a bubbly drink.  Tory Topjian and his team of students from his bistro class prepped and waited tables.

I told about my first meeting with Julia in 1989 at a food conference and the many times we worked on projects together from ribbon cutting a new cooking school to teaching youth in the tenderloin district of San Francisco how to make pies. Besides the talk I put together a table of my 9 cookbooks that Julia had personalized over the years and two of the magazine covers she had adorned. Plus my prize possessions.. A copper pot, a blending fork and my 1993 “prom” picture of Julia and I together. 

Many times over the years I have felt Julia’s presents. Saturday was again one of them.

Julias HomeStudents making the food

Outside Porch with Flag    

An Honor for Julia.

This past September what would have been Julia Child's Birthday. So many have written, talked and blogged about her. They even made a movie about one blogger.

I was so lucky to have worked a number of times with her at events from Teaching underprevliged kids how to make pies to opening new cooking schools as the ribbon cutters. We traveled from Texas to San Francisco together..

Many of you know I conduct Culinary tours of her former home in the South of France. Well this picture is her childhood home in the Suburb of Los Angeles in Pasadena.

I will be the guest speaker this upcoming Saturday for the Pasadena Hertitage Group. I will be talking about the many times Julia and I worked together (funny never in the kitchen). Also a display of some of the tools I was given and my collection of autogaphed cookbooks and covers of magazines. We will also be serving appitzers fitting as to what Julai would have served. Simple yet elegant. This is a closed event for the Hertitage Associates. But if you would like to join them the website is: www.pasadenaheritage.org .

If you cant join us, here are a few recipes for Saturday:

Les Canapes du Beurre du Salmon 

Pissaladiere de Nice 

Tapenade 

Central Market and Texas Students

I'm Back!!!!!

In a few weeks I will be back to Central Market throughout the state of Texas. Next week any former students that I have US Postal addresses for will be receiving information about the classes and all of my books including my new book coming out this week. This will be my last US Mail to all of you. I will be corresponding though here and my newsletter. Please make sure you are in my email data base.

All classes are from 6:30pm to 9:00pm                                                           Monday Oct.1^st:     Dallas Location                                                                 Tuesday Oct. 2^nd:   Southlake Location                                                               Wed. Oct 3^rd:       San Antonio Location                                                           Thurs. Oct 4^th:     Houston Location                                                                 Friday Oct 5^th:      Austin Location

I will be teaching a class, all on chocolate desserts. With a recipe from my newest cookbook all on donuts!  150 Best Donut Recipes!

Extraordinary Fall & Holiday Chocolate Pastry Party

The fall and holiday season is upon us and time to create showstopper deserts with ease. Learn from George how to make perfect pastry. Author of 9 award-winning cookbooks, George will create desserts that will have all of your guests in Awe. 

Menu: Semi-Sweet Mocha Flour-less French Torte, 5 Chocolate Brownies Drenched with Bittersweet Glaze, Pots de Crème, Milk Chocolate Mini-Cakes with Truffle Filling and Baked Chocolate Donuts with Vanilla Macadamia Sauce.

www.centralmarket.com to register

Norway.... Waffles

The Waffles of Norway

I recently returned from a 7 day cruise of The Netherlands and Norway. We started in Rotterdam the home port of Holland America Lines and also the ms. Rotterdam. We sailed to Oslo, the Fjords, Flam and a few places in-between.

Many places served waffles. cold waffles. I am used to a nice crispy hot butter melting waffles. Not the Dutch or Norwegians. They make waffles and stack them up with just a towel on top to keep warm. Served with a nice raspberry compote and thickened cream or sour cream. Here are the waffles I had above Flam, Norway

Norway Waffles

Moist Southern Hummingbird Cake

Here is a moist cake that is all "Southern" With using Canola Oil is will stay much moister longer.

It is a cross between a banana cake with pineapple and pecans. 

Enjoy! 

Hummingbird Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

This and many more cakes you can find in my books. 

America in Summer

Last week I was in Chicago judging contestants (James Beard winning chefs to home chefs) for a new show called The Taste with Anthony Bourdain and Nigella Lawson it will be on ABC in the fall. It was exciting to see the process for the first 20 contestants. Then… I was tired of the same “point of view” everyone had. Nobody was original. Everyone used the words.. Fresh, localized, close to home, organic, farm to table etc. It was like everyone heard it and penned it! I questioned most of them on the view they had. Fail!

Now I ask restaurateurs if you are into farm to table and nothing being grown/raised further then a 50 (or what ever you have chosen) mile radius, what about your supplies such as dishes, pottery, tables, linens, glassware etc.

After the Los Angeles Open Cast Call I drove to Abbot Kinney Blvd in Venice, CA to a wonderful place that carries pedestal cake plates and domes. Speaking with Sue the owner of Bountiful, she told me that the cake plates come from one of only two American glass manufactures left in business. She carry’s about 40 different colors, shapes and sizes. All in all the shop had hundreds stacked all over the place! It’s a site to see. I picked up a Buttercream colored plate.

I love road trips! This past July 4^th weekend I set out to show the Midwest to Neil and Jonathan. Neither had been to the areas we setout for. We started at Cedar Point on the 4^th. What says America then a rollercoaster ride off of Lake Erie? Small towns of Ohio to the big cities, we covered hundreds of miles in 6 days. A goal was American Products and small towns.

Last June I was impressed with the new “Made in America” campaign from Starbucks. Many products are coming to market and a great heavy mug that I gave to my father for Fathers day. It was made at the American Stein and Mug Company in East Liverpool. This area that overlooks the Ohio Rver and borders West Virginia is in dire need of production factories to return. Only a few pottery makers were still in operation.

Homer and Hall had tours and a warehouse with seconds, remainders and first run pottery. I bought too much to where we had to ship boxes home. The Homer Pottery was packed with hundreds of shoppers looking to get the great deals.

Put your food on US Made pottery! It will taste so much better…

Homer Laughlin Co. “Fiesta” Pottery  

http://www.hlchina.com/

Hall China Company

www.hallchina.com

Bountiful

1335 Abbot Kinney Blvd

Venice, CA 90291

310-450-3620

www.bountifulhome.com

Italian Limonchello

Here in Southern California it seems most homeowners have a citrus tree of sorts. I have 5! When my lemon tree is packed with fresh lemons I love to zest, juice and save the bounty. This year I decided to make a recipe that I got from my former tour guide that used to work with me in Italy. Maria Teresa... She was a very special lady!

One warm night in Rome a group of us sat at a family owned trattoria.. After the feast of roasted vegetables, pastas and the like the son brought a bottle that had been in a block of ice to the table with little glasses for each of us. Limonchello. I was hooked. You can only take a small bit, but refreshing it is! I created a lemon cake that we soak in the lemonchello and serve with fresh berries.

The Recipe: Italian Limonchello

It's All Green... Pistachio Cake with a Sherry Glaze

I first made this cake in the early 1980s in a small Hollywood cake bakery called The Cake Walk it was on 3^rd street and La Brea in the middle of all of the studios and the action.  Daily we would get filming crews, stars and the like. For weddings the groom would always pick this cake as the base. Funny how you can make a cake and the flavors and aroma of the kitchen take you back to days gone bye.

Here is the glazing of the cake.... We used to boast.. "Glazed with Harvey's Bristol Creme Sherry".. The only bottle of Harvey's was in the display case next to the cake. We used jug sherry at a tenth of the cost. Today I use Galleano Winery Sherry Crema Cask Three.. (Below is the link to order and more information).

Recipe for Pistachio Cake

Galleano Winery Sherry and Website