For more, head here.

David Miller, Savant Fine Dining:
Sweet Potato Soup: Big Fire 2006 Pinot Gris, $15
Heirloom Tomato Salad: Columbia Crest 2007 Two Vines Rose, $10
Braised Lamb in Peach Gastrique with Sweet Potato Scallops and Baby Eggplant: Jaboulet 2005 “Parallele 45” Cotes du Rhone, $15

Fabrizio Schenardi, Pelagia Trattoria:
Polenta with Sauteed Mushrooms: St. Francis 2004 Red, $12
Open-Faced Ravioli: Masi 2006 Masianco Venezie, $15
Seared Salmon with Green Beans: Beringer 2006 Pinot Noir, $20
Fruit Crepes: Banfi 2007 Rosa Regale, $18

Seble Gizaw, Queen of Sheba:
Mashed Potato Salad: Bonny Doon 2005 Le Cigare Blanc California, $20
Lentil Soup: 7 Deadly Zins 2004 Zinfandel, $13
Lamb Tibs: Onix 2006 Priorat, $12

Grass Root Tofu Scramble: Sokol Blosser Evolution #9 11^th Edition

Elements, vegetarian menu:
Mushroom Medley: whatever red wine you use in the recipe OR Campo Viejo 2004 Rioja Crianza, $12
Ravioli: S.A. Prum 2006 Riesling, $12

ELEMENTS GLOBAL CUISINE 3 COURSE
MEAT DINNER FOR 2 -$18.77

APPETIZER: BEEF TIPS
MAIN COURSE: FLANK STEAK BOCA
DESSERT: BROWNIES

APPETIZER Ingredients

8 Oz. Beef Tips
1/8 Cup (1/4 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 Cup strong brewed Coffee
1 Cube Beef Bouillon (diluted in 1/4 Cup Water)
1/2 mini bottle Coffee liqueur e.g. Kahlua
1/4 tsp dried Sage
Salt and Pepper to Taste
5 Oz. Mixed Greens

In a large pan melt the butter over medium heat, add the beef tips, saute until nicely browned, add the coffee, bouillon, coffee liqueur, sage and salt and pepper to taste. stir until slightly thickened, about 3-4 minutes. Divide the mixed greens between 2 plates, top with the beef tips and coffee glaze.

MAIN COURSE Ingredients

1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil
12 Oz. Flank Steak
4 Oz. Chimichurri Sauce (Badia)
1/4 tsp Red Pepper flakes
1 Lemon, juiced
1/2 tsp Dried parsley
1 large Sweet Potato, (1 inch cubes)
2 Cups Green beans
1 tsp Marjoram
Salt and Pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Bring water in pot to boil, add pinch of salt and add green beans, cook till tender, drain and add the marjoram. Salt and Pepper the Flank steak. In large oven proof saute pan heat 1/4 Cup vegetable oil, add the Flank, brown on both sides, then place in oven for 3-4 minutes for rare (2 more minutes for Medium).
In another pan heat the remaining vegetable oil and place the diced sweet potato, add some salt and pepper and parsley, saute till cooked through (4-5 minutes), stirring occasionally. Remove the flank from the oven and let rest.
Pour the chimichurri in a small pan and add the red pepper flakes, lemon juice and parsley, heat over medium heat. Slice the Flank against the grain and divide amongst the 2 plates, fanning out the slices, top with the chimichurri, serve with the sweet home fried potatoes & green beans.

DESSERT Ingredients

Nonstick vegetable oil spray
3 Oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped finely
3 Oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped finely
1/2 stick unsalted butter
1/4 Cup Sugar
1/2 mini bottle Coffee liqueur e.g. Kahlua
2 Large eggs
1/8 Oz. Vanilla Extract
1/4 cup All purpose flour
1/8 tsp Salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, spray a 5″ x 7″ loaf pan with non stick spray. Combine the chocolate and butter in a heavy saucepan, stirring over low heat till melted. Cool 2-3 minutes. In an electric mixer beat sugar,coffee liqueur, eggs, vanilla till thickened and fully incorporated (about 3 minutes), then add the flour and salt, finally the melted chocolate. Transfer the mixture to loaf pan. Bake brownies for 15 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out semi dry. Let cool for 15 minutes, invert unto a plate and slice into 4 squares. 2 for dinner and 2 for breakfast.

Check the recipes — and the Sterlings’ comments about the healthful nature of the dishes — after the break.
Grass Root Organic Restaurant

A Simple Banana Smoothie

• 1 cup of Living Harvest hemp milk
• 1 organic banana and ½ cup of organic strawberries
• Raw agave nectar or honey to taste, 1 tablespoon is a good start.
• ½ cup of ice

Blend all of the ingredients together until smooth and all fruit and ice have been blended well. Serve and enjoy immediately. Delicious and nutritious hemp milk and fresh organic fruits will make this the easiest breakfast smoothie ever. Children will love this smoothie. Agave nectar is a raw natural sweetener this is low glycemic and suitable for diabetics. Some vegans do not agree with the use of honey.

Tofu Scramble

• 1 pack of non-GMO organic firm tofu in water
• 2-3 tablespoons of cold pressed extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder
• ¼ teaspoon of curry powder
• 4 cloves of garlic
• ½ medium size onion (red is my favorite)
• ¼ teaspoon thyme
• Sea salt to taste
• Black pepper to taste
• Organic garlic powder and onion powder may also be used in this recipe
• Cayenne pepper is also a wonderful addition to this recipe. Although cayenne is good for circulation, it is very spicy. It should be introduced to the palate gradually and will add a little kick to this vegan favorite.

Purchase firm tofu in the pack with water. It must be non-GMO tofu. Remove the tofu from the pack and discard the water. Place tofu on a paper towel. Grab a small handful and squeeze it until what ever water you can squeeze out is gone. Place the tofu in a bowl and repeat the last step until all of the tofu is in the bowl. Do not leave big chunks of tofu. Crumble with your hand until there are no big chunks.

Lightly cover the bottom of a frying pan with the oil and sauté the onions and garlic very lightly, stop when garlic begins to brown. Add the tofu to the pan and stir lightly. Add tofu scramble pack and stir well. Add black pepper, salt, and cayenne pepper. Add turmeric, curry and stir until mixed well. If the tofu begins to stick, add two tablespoons of water. The color should be even. Tofu scramble may be enjoyed for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Ezekiel Toast with Fruit Spread or Apple Butter

Ezekiel bread starts off with the advantage over other bread, because it is made with sprouted grains. off with all sprout grains. For you this means better nutrition and rich taste. Lightly toast a few slices of Ezekiel Cinnamon Raisin Bread which can be found in the freezer section of any health food store. Dress this with vegan butter or 100% fruit spread. Apple Butter is also a great spread. All can be found at your local health food store.

• Living Harvest hemp milk $3.50
• Firm organic tofu $1.50
• Tofu scramble $2.50
• Ezekiel Bread Cinnamon Raisin $4.50
• Fruit Spread (ingredients should read: fruit) $3.00
• Ripe organic banana $.50
• Fresh ripe organic strawberries $4.50

This price list is pretty accurate. You pay either way. You can pay now and get prganic healthy foods or you can pay later in the nursing home or hospital. We choose the power of now!

With energy,

Spencer and Sabrina

Our challenge to local chefs: Create at least three courses of wonderful food for two and keep the ingredients to under $20. Not too difficult for a home cook, maybe, but we wanted more. We wanted meals that are restaurant quality for all those being pinched by the economy who can’t afford as many nights out at the bistro as they could a few years ago. Exquisite food, light on the wallet. Turns out, that wasn’t too hard for most of the accomplished chefs who participated, either.

Today’s offering is from Elements Global Cuisine in Gulfport. Chef/owners Catherine and Jose Luis Pawelek went the extra mile by creating four menus, one for vegetarians, and three for meat and seafood eaters. Most of the dishes are not only easy for the home cook, they’re quick, with a lot of prepared ingredients bought from the supermarket. After the break is the first menu from Elements, an entirely vegetarian feast.

ELEMENTS GLOBAL CUISINE’S 3 COURSE VEGETARIAN DINNER FOR 2

APPETIZER: MUSHROOM MEDLEY
MAIN COURSE: CHEESE RAVIOLI
DESSERT: APPLE TARTLET

Mushroom Medley

4 oz sliced exotic mushrooms (porcini, portobello, button)
2 tbs unsalted butter
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/2 cup red wine
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
1/2 tsp dried parsley
Salt and pepper

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Take one sheet of thawed puff pastry (you can save the second piece in the freezer) and cut into 6 rectangular pieces. Place 4 pieces of puff pastry on a cookie sheet and bake.
15 minutes untill browned (you will use the remaining 2 pieces for dessert). Remove from oven and let cool.
Meanwhile over medium heat, in sauté pan, melt butter, add mushroom slices, salt, pepper, thyme and 3/4 of the dried parsley. Add wine, stir and let the liquid reduce by half (about 5 minutes).
Place a cooked puff pastry rectangle on each plate, top with the mushrooms and place a second puff pastry at an angle over the mushroom, use the rest of the chopped parsley to decorate the plate.

Cheese Ravioli

12 cheese ravioli
7 oz coconut milk
1/4 granny smith apple, diced
1 tbs curry powder (yellow)
3 oz raisins
3 oz heavy whipping cream
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 oz dried parsley

Bring a pot of water to a boil, add a pinch of salt and ravioli. Cook until al dente, don’t overcook.
Meanwhile, in a large sauté pan, combine 1/2 of the coconut milk, curry powder, diced apple, raisins, cream, salt and pepper. Heat the ingredients over medium heat, stirring frequently until liquid has reduced by half.
Drain the ravioli and add to the liquid.
Divide the ravioli among 2 plates and decorate with the parsley.
(For an extra $2 you can buy vegetable ravioli instead of cheese.)

Apple Tartlet

8 oz puff pastry
1 3/4 granny smith apple, sliced thin
2 oz raisins
2 tbs sugar
1/8 oz vanilla
3 oz heavy whipping cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out the 2 puff pastry rectangles till each one measures 9×6 inches, then crimp the edges inward to form a border. Each rectangle of puff pastry should now measure 6×3 inches. Place 8 slices of apple on each rectangle of puff pastry, overlapping slightly; sprinkle with the sugar and raisins. Place in oven for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile whip the cream with vanilla. Remove tartlets and serve with the whipped vanilla cream.

Serious Eats cuts right to the chase –Would you eat…People?

James Beard said (according to rumor) – “I believe that if ever I had to practice cannibalism, I might manage if there were enough tarragon around.”

If you do decide to partake in the new meat sensation that’s sweeping the nation, here’s a handy guide to butchering a human carcass, with a tasty barbecue sauce recipe. Yum-o!

Would you, could you, on a train? Would you, could you, eat some brains? And what would you make?

3 tips for smore preparation and construction after the break.

Smore Tip #1 -Plain heat will soften a marshmallow a bit, but you can’t achieve that prized toasty, blistered crust and custardy interior without fire. We added some new charcoal to the ashen coals and piled on a bunch of small kindling we picked up off the ground until a nice blaze sprang up, then waited just a few seconds for the impregnated lighter fluid to burn off. Hold the skewered marshmallow just above the flames for a bit, spin it slowly, then dip it into the flames until it catches and pull back. Let the little nugget burn to your desired shade of brown, or black, then blow the flames out and prepare for glory.

Smore Tip #2 – Leave the chocolate out before you make the smores. Chocolate bars are too damn thick to melt properly, even when sandwiched with a molten marshmallow, so it’s important to give Hershey’s finest a head start by letting them sit outside for an hour or two, in the sun if the day isn’t too blistering. Of course, that’s not a problem if you’re really camping.

Smore Tip #3 – Make them bite-sized. Or maybe two-bite sized. Those big graham crackers need to be broken down to small rectangles in order to maximize marshmallow coverage and minimize oozing outflow during the first bite.

Truthfully, though, I don’t need any of these rules. My marshmallows rarely make it more than a couple of feet before the gooey treats are in my mouth and I’m reaching for the bag to reload my stick. And all the kids scrambling about in the dirt preferred their marshmallows and chocolate straight from the bags. Maybe a real campfire would have lent the treats a bit more oomph.

I’m currently lining up chefs to participate in our Tampa Food Issue for June — the $20 Menu Challenge. All they have to do is create a meal for two with at least three courses and keep the ingredient list to under $20. (We did this last year in Sarasota, without the course requirements. Jose Martinez’ contribution was amazing.)

Not too difficult, in my opinion, but I had a chef yesterday who was shocked. “That’s impossible,” she explained, trying to wrap her head around the concept. “Maybe these people don’t want to eat very much?”

I suspect that she’ll come up with something after she thinks about it, but later that day I was telling China Yuan owner Peter Chan what she’d said. Maybe it’s just a stylistic difference, but he had different take on the matter. “If a chef told me that, I would tell them to go to hell!” he said. “You want dinner for four I can do that. You want dinner for eight, I can do that for less than $20.” Chan explained that he’s had to feed his family for a lot less than that in the past and he knows how to stretch a dining budget.

He’ll be providing us with some recipes for the issue, so if there’s anything special on his menu you want the details on, just drop me a line. And, if you know a chef who could turn a $20 bill into haute cuisine, let us know. We’ll add them to the list if they’re willing.

What can you do with $20?

I’m not sure how much longer I’ll maintain this weekly re-cap of Cooking with Coolio (check out Week 1), but with lines like this, how can I resist?

• Coolio -”I’m gonna take a dime bag of seasoning salt…” College kid – “Can I get that on any street corner?”
• Coolio – “While D-Rez cuts up them bell peppers, I’m gonna hit you with this garlic bread.”
• Coolio – “Of course, we ghetto so we don’t have a top to our Pyrex dish, so we gonna use some aluminum foil … and a lot of people do that.”

It’s also hard to argue with a man who puts a jar of mayonnaise in his garlic bread spread. Sure looks tasty, though.