To most, Valentines Day is a day to celebrate (or maybe not) your loved ones, showering them with an array of novelties.  Being a chef, I am not the type for such trivial trinkets but more inclined to create a treat that combines a harmonious blend of complex favors resulting in something quite more sophisticated, Salted caramel, where sweet meets savory.

A quick thought about the ingredients.  Sea Salt awakens the taste buds accentuating all of the even more subtle caramel flavors.  The sea salt doesn’t melt into the caramel so there are fine grains of salt that add texture and crunch.

Salted Caramel Sauce
Makes approximately 2 Cups

• 2 Cups sugar
• 1 ½ Cups heavy whipping cream
• 2 TBSP. salted butter
• ½ tsp. sea salt

Spread sugar evenly in a large heavy metal pot.  Place on medium heat and cook without stirring until the sugar around the edges start to liquefy.  Next, using a wooden spoon gently stir the sugar.  As it begins to look like little pebbles keep stirring until the amber color turns a deep brown. Remember to stir constantly!  Now, remove the pot from the heat and carefully add in ½ of the cream.  Use caution as the sauce will bubble up dramatically.  Add the remainder of the cream until the sauce is smooth.  Finally, stir in the butter and salt.

Serve immediately warm over apple fritters, bread pudding, your favorite ice cream, a warm chocolate brownie or a combination of the above.

So,  go ahead and cancel that order of fine chocolates for your Valentine and spend some quality time in your kitchen this 14^th of February creating something lovely for your loved one.

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Instead, Chef Jamie McFadden is joining 1,600 chefs across the nation in Michelle Obama’s “Chefs Move to School” program.  The program calls for each of the chefs to adopt a school in their community and volunteer their time to help generate excitement about nutritious foods through school gardens, cooking demonstrations, taste tests, and more.  Jamie has selected to adopt Morning Star Catholic School in College Park, a school that caters specifically to students with special needs.

Chefs Move to School provides resources to help the chefs get started, but encourages all the chefs to find new opportunities and possibilities to engage students, teachers, food service staff, and parents as they support their adopted school.  The program has also set up a website (LetsMove.gov) and a Facebook fanpage to follow the progress of each chef on their own unique profile!

For more information on the program, visit LetsMove.gov.

The Harvest Festival is a full day celebration of farmers, gardeners, and the local food-shed of Winter Park.  Along with a market, seminars, and workshops, the Festival is promoting a “mobile community garden” in which guests can contribute to a community garden.  Participants grow a garden ahead of time in a portable pot and bring it to the Festival to donate.  All the “Grow Boxes” from area schools, churches, and families are then collected and put together to form one large community garden.

Chef Jamie McFadden of Cuisiniers is on the planning committee for the Harvest Dinner and will be volunteering his time to ensure that the event runs smoothly.

For more information about the Festival, visit winterparkharvestfestival.com.

Cuisiniers’ own Jamie McFadden, along with Kevin Fonzo of K Restaurant, Scott Copeland of Antonio’s LaFiamma, and James & Julie Petrakis of the Ravenous Pig entertained, delighted, and may have slightly surprised guests at The Beard House with their Central Florida Inspired Dinner. The chefs chose dishes that were not only representative of Central Florida, but were created using ingredients that were brought with them from the region, including rabbit, Florida octopus, and fresh cobia.

Although the evening was pulled off without a hitch, the chefs did encounter a bit of a challenge, working in a kitchen that’s a fraction of the size they are accustomed to. Fortunately, the group had experience cooking with one another despite conditions, and it showed – the guests were “wowed” and the food was the topic of the evening!

Cuisiniers’ would like to recognize all the chefs who were a part of this event for their dedication to the evening and for bringing well-deserved recognition to Central Florida cuisine!

Below was the menu for the evening:

The James Beard House

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

A Central Florida
Inspired Dinner

~

Hors d’Oeuvres

Miniature Biscuit B.L.T.s

Rabbit Terrine, Pickled Carrots

Winter Park Dairy Bleu Cheese Tart, Waterkist Tomatoes, Balsamic Caramel

Deviled Quail Egg, House-made Duck Ham, Rye Crostini

Grilled Florida Octopus, Romesco

Rotari Rose NV

~

Dinner

Citrus & Coriander Cured Florida Cobia,
Orange Smoked Habanero Sorbet, Pickled Watermelon Relish
Rotari Spumante Metodo Classico

Zellwood Sweet Corn Veloute,
Florida Frog Leg & Oyster Hushpuppy
2008 Tolloy Sauvignon Blanc

St. Augustine Flounder, Hammock Hollow Gazpacho,
Fried Waterkist Farms Green Tomatoes, Canaveral Blue Crab
Tablas Creek 2008 Esprit de Beaucastel Blanc

Palmetto Creek Farms Smoked Pork “Napoleon”,
Deep Creek Ranch Chicken Fried Beef Tongue,
Local Duck Ballotine with Pickled Cherry Preserves
2008 Axis Zinfandel, Napa

Zellwood Corn Crepes, Florida Blueberry Compote, Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
2010 Cigar City American IPA brewed with Florida Honey

For the 4th year straight, Jamie McFadden and Cuisiniers’ will be catering the Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation’s “Wine & Dine in Paradise” event on April 23rd, 2010.

The Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation’s purpose is to raise money for children in need through wine events.  In its four years, the Foundation has raised nearly $3,000,000 and impacted the lives of countless needy children along the Emerald Coast (The Panhandle of Northwest Florida) through dozens of world-class wine and culinary celebrations.

Below is the menu that will be served on Friday evening, April 23rd.  For tickets and information, visit http://www.dcwaf.org/.

Destin Charity Wine Dinner

Friday, April 23 2010
Wendell Laidley, Proprietor
Realm Cellars, Napa California
& Chef Jamie McFadden of
Cuisiniers Catered Cuisine & Events, Winter Park, Florida
◆◆◆

Hors d’ oeuvres

Wine TBD
Crab & Huntsman Breadpudding “Popovers”
With Fig Syrup
❧
Sweet Corn Veloute, Smoked Clams
Cilantro Lime Butter
❧
Gorgonzola Bon Bons, Mint, Spicy Pecans
and Vanilla Rum Cherries

Seated Dinner

1st Course
Wine TBD
Pomegranate Beet Puree, Marcona Almond Oil

2nd Course
Wine TBD
Smoked Egg, Onion Soubise, Caviar
& English Muffin Crouton

3rd Course
Wine TBD
Open Face Tuna”Salad” Croissant
Yellow Fin Carpaccio, Seared Fois Gras,
Micro Greens, Blood Orange Syrup

4th Course
Wine TBD
Duck Confit, Romesco, Parsely Dumplings, Kombu Broth

5th Course
Wine TBD
Sweet Corn Crème Brulee, Smoked Bacon
Caramel Corn & Butterscotch Corn Bouchons
◆◆◆

Jamie, Pamela and Cuisiniers would like to extend a special thank you to all that attended our Meet, Greet, and Cook last Saturday, March 13th – an amazing evening with fabulous friends and food!

Jamie and Cuisiniers would also like to especially thank Pamela Sheldon-Johns for joining us!

Tuesday June 22, 2010
Reception
Assorted Hors d’oeuvres

Winter Park Dairy Bleu Cheese Tart
Heirloom Tomatoes, Balsamic Caramel
❧
Deviled Quail Eggs, House Made
Prosciutto, Rye Crostini
❧
Grilled Florida Octopus, Sauce Romesco
❧
Rabbit Terrine with Pickled Ramps
❧
Mini Biscuit BLT’s
Rotari Spumante Rose

Dinner
Citrus & Coriander Cured Florida Cobia
Orange Smoked Habanero Sorbet, Micro Green Salad
Rotari Spumante Metodo Classico

Zellwood Sweetcorn Veloute, Florida Frog Legs, Cracklins’
2008 Tolloy Sauvigon Blanc

Farm Raised Local Baramundi, Hammock Hollow Gazpacho
Fried Waterkist Farms Green Tomatotes, Canaveral Blue Crab
Tablas Creek 2008 Esprit de Beaucastel Blanc

Duck Ballotine, Hammock Hollow Potato & Palmetto Creek Smoked Pork
Hash, Deep Creek Ranch Lamb Sweetbreads
2008 Axis Zinfandel, Napa

Crème Caramel with Florida Blueberry Compote
Winter Park Honey Tuile & Charentais
2010 Cigar City American IPA

For more information on the event click here!

A few of Central Florida’s finest and best-known culinarians will be preparing dinner at The Beard House in New York City on Tuesday, June 22, 2010.  The chef’s participating are Scott Copeland, Executive Chef at Antonio’s La Fiamma in Winter Park, Kevin Fonzo, Chef/Owner of K Restaurant in College Park, Jamie McFadden, Chef/Owner of Cuisiniers’ Catered Cuisine and Events in Winter Park, and Julie & James Petrakis, Chef/Owners of The Ravenous Pig in Winter Park.  The group will be preparing a “Central Florida Inspired” dinner, with a menu theme indicative of the region.

The Beard House benefits the James Beard Foundation, known for its exceptional workshops, classes, conferences, readings, and other experiences that educate students in the culinary field.  Scholarships are awarded to culinary students in financial need providing them the opportunity to pursue a career in the food and beverage industry.  The James Beard Foundation Awards, which takes place annually in New York City, has been referred to as “the Oscars of the food world, ” by Time magazine.  It’s a world renowned event that invites and celebrates the nation’s most prestigious culinary professionals -  chefs, food and beverage professionals, broadcast media, journalists, authors, restaurant architects and designers are all invited and honored.

For more information, visit JamesBeard.org.

Check out the menu!