RECIPES
A couple of recipes from young culinary pros:
Chandler Jackson’s Recipe for Cookies and Cream Fudge
Ingredients:
3 (6-ounce) packages of white chocolate baking squares
1 (14-ounce) can of sweetened condensed milk (preferably Eagle brand, but doesn’t matter)
1 package of Oreo cookies
8-inch square pan
Waxed paper
Instructions:
Line the 8-inch pan with waxed paper.
Break your white chocolate baking squares into smaller pieces and place into a large mixing bowl. Pour your sweetened condensed milk in with the squares and mix evenly.
In separate bowl, crush up Oreos into fine pieces.
Heat chocolate mixture on medium heat until melted. Mix Oreos in with the melted chocolate and then pour into the 8-inch pan. Top it off with extra Oreo pieces.
Place in fridge to chill. Once cooled, cut in square pieces and enjoy. Serves between 12 and 16.
……
Juliana Malfitano’s Basil Caesar Dressing
Ingredients:
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
Juice of 4 lemons
1/2 cup anchovy fillets
4 tablespoons Creole mustard
4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup olive oil
8 garlic cloves
4 cups of basil leaves packed
4 cups mayonnaise
Salt and pepper
Instructions:
Add all ingredients to the food processor except the mayonnaise and puree into a paste. Remove the paste and place into a large bowl. Whisk in mayonnaise and season with salt and pepper. Makes about 2 quarts.
TV PREVIEW
“Rachael Ray’s Kids Cook-off”
8 p.m. Monday, Food Network
Two young culinary whizzes from Georgia remain in a Food Network competition for kids, moving onto one of the last episodes. It airs Monday night.
Chandler Jackson, 12, of Carnesville and Juliana Malfitano, 11, of Marietta are two of the five remaining "kidtestants" on the Food Network show "Rachael Ray's Kids Cook-off," which premiered Aug. 24. The show started with eight talented junior chefs. After Monday's episode, three of the kid cooks will move onto the final episode on Sept. 28, and will have a shot at the grand prize — a $20,000 culinary scholarship and their very own web series on FoodNetwork.com.
During this six-episode series, Chandler and Juliana face big culinary challenges, from preparing the perfect well-balanced bite, to creating spooky foods in disguise inspired by the new movie “Hotel Transylvania 2.”
Each week, Ray and an all-star lineup of guest judges — including Sunny Anderson, a co-host on the Food Network show “The Kitchen,” Scott Conant, a judge on the Food Network show “Chopped,” and Amanda Freitag, a regular judge on “Chopped” who placed second in “The Next Iron Chef: Redemption” a few years ago — mentor these junior chefs as they are put through a series of tough cooking challenges and high-pressure obstacles. The kids do their best against the clock in as little as 20 minutes to complete dishes. The contestants are judged on their culinary skills as well as their presence on camera.
In the Sept. 14 round, the kid chefs presented a dish that changed their lives. Chandler made a rabbit stew with onions, carrots, corn, potatoes, garlic and dill. He said he ate wild game for the first time when he was about 3 years old, and it changed his perspective on food, and the ability to eat and survive off the land.
Chandler, who lives in rural Carnesville, calls himself a “survivalist,” and he prides himself with turning something that most people would never eat (such as squirrel) into a delicious stew. Chandler, who loves rustic Nordic food, started cooking at about age 2. His tips: always stay organized, and always taste your food as you are preparing it.
To those who are unsure in the kitchen, he says: “It is fun and it is worth it in the end if you like to eat. It also really lets you explore new cultures.”
Meanwhile, Juliana, daughter of two chefs, has an affinity for Italian cuisine and says she rolled her first meatball at about age 4. Her parents own the restaurant The Rotisserie Shop in Kennesaw, which is serving up "Juliana's Picks" featuring dishes Juliana has whipped up on the show.
Her favorite was one she prepared Sept. 14 in the fourth round — “Pan Seared Scallops and Pork Belly with Pomegranate Agro Dolce.”
Despite preparing a seemingly layered and sophisticated dish, she said her philosophy is keeping dishes simple.
"I like cooking food pure and simple like using fresh herbs and pasta with butter and not add unnecessary ingredients," she said.
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