“I cook 3-4 times a week and pay great attention to detail.  I like making something out of nothing."

Chicken w/Mushroom Shallots and Balsamic Vinegar

This was delicious. I invited some family to dinner the night Ben made his3 course meal for week #4. I should not have done that. It created a lot of work for him to prepare dinner for 10. The popular vote was the chicken was very good but we all agreed that it was better without the balsamic vinegar. The shallots and garlic were enough flavor and the vinegar added too much of a tang , we thought.

Braised Shrimp w/Creamy Endive

The braised shrimp with creamy endive recipe was a success. It was very fun to make. I accidentally misread the recipe and ended up having to shell all the shrimp. Instead of buying already peeled shrimp, I bought shrimp in the shell and had to peel them. My family thought this dish was excellent and gave it rave reviews. It is one we will keep in my recipe box for further usage.

January'08 Technique: Braising

Mashed Potatoes with Parsnips and Carrots

The vegetables in this dish added a different flavor than one is accustomed to when you hear "mashed potatoes". I do not think any of us really realized the flavor of a parsnip, but mixed with the rest of the dish was tasty. I think the only down side to this dish is the amount of peeling that was done to make this for 10 people.

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Winter Salad

The winter salad with mustard walnut dressing came out a little bit bitter.  I think maybe I used too much mustard. I also used fresh lemon juice from a lemon off a tree in our yard and I am wondering if maybe the lemon was bitter.  I do think the salad presented well even if it tasted a little bitter.

Sweet Lemon Brown-Buttered Apples

This dish satisfied any sweet tooth with something different and out of the ordinary. If the sugar was replaced with cinnamon and one just relied onthe sweetness of the apples then this would not only be sweet and tasty but low calorie as well.....just a thought

Jr. Chef Central © 2008 Ksoto Inc.  All rights reserved.

Teaching kids to make healthier lifestyle choices for themselves and, by extension, their families; while focusing on the common denominator of food to bridge cultural, social and economic divides among young people.

Master Jr. Chef Ben G.

  Age 11

Jr. Chef since ‘07