Try these recipes from Bravo’s Top Chefs

By Janene Roberts

I’ve enjoyed going to chef cooking demonstrations since picking up a cooking hobby back when I worked at my first ad agencies at the start of my career. Then, I’d try out Bon Appetit recipes from back issues I found in the library files at the agencies. The magazines would keep me occupied on nights after working late as I dreamed about an alternate life of being a hostess like the magazines so flawlessly demonstrated. I’d imagine presenting dinner parties to cool friends that I’d meet at poetry readings and art galleries if only I’d have time to get out to those events. I’d present magazine worthy dishes on Martha Stewart designed dining tables while still managing to look picture perfect after cooking all day.

In reality, what often happened was that when I finally did get around to having that dinner party, I’d still be in the process of the preparations when the guests arrived–hair in a ponytail and makeup haphazardly applied while the makeshift dining table I had put together was dressed with an off white table cloth I had purchased at Pick ‘n Save while still in college.

Although I often didn’t learn much at the demonstrations, being around like-minded people always felt good and the samples of the dishes they were preparing made me believe that in some way I was participating in the process.

The Savor The Flavor with Reality Chef Super Stars Brian Malarkey, Andrea Curto-Randazzo and Eli Kirshtein cooking demonstration put on by the San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival at Macy’s School of Cooking was similar to previous presentations I’ve been to. Recipes were placed in front of us, butter was sizzling in the pans and the chefs were cutting and sautéing as we looked on–mostly seeing the work projected through TVs. The hosts, all chef super stars from the reality show Top Chef, each prepared a recipe. Their presentation was part comedy show, part celebrating food preparation and part celebrity as the guests asked questions about their experience on Top Chef. Did I learn how to prepare the dishes as they were making them? No, but the learning basically is in the doing.

As one of the guests asked Brian Malarkey,

“What’s the number one thing as home chefs we can take away?”

He answered,

“Nothing, just don’t be scared to try stuff.”

So, I’ll take time to prepare my favorite dishes that they sampled and you can too because their agents approved my release of their recipes. So, here they are for you to make. Enjoy and don't be afraid to try!

BRIAN MALARKEY’S
SCREAMING SHRIMP N DIRTY GRITS
4/4 FRIENDS

Dirty Grits: (Brian explained that grits are basically hominy corn, the center of the kernel)

1 cup Grits-instant (5 minutes) follow the instructions on the box, 3 to 1, I thinks and then we get dirty
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 stick butter
1/2 cup cheddar cheese
1/4 cup bacon-diced and cooked
Salt and pepper

Keep stirring/whisking until the “grits” are glorious and DIRTY GOOD!

Screaming Shrimp:

1 pound shrimp (16/20) counts peeled, cleaned and butterflied
1/2 stick butter
2 Tbsp canola oil
4 each tomatoes roma-cubed
1/4 cup basil-sliced
1/4 cup garlic-chopped
1/4 cup lemon juice
2/3 Tbsp Cajun seasoning
Salt and pepper

In a large sauté pan over “high” heat add the oil and butter, add the shrimp and cook until about half way done, add the garlic and continue cooking until golden brown, adds the other ingredients and serve over the top of the “dirty good” grits, sit back and watch your friends lick their chops…

ANDREA CURTO-RANDAZZO
CHOCOLATE STOUT BRAISED BEEF SHORT RIBS
(10-12 tasting portions)

2 Lb piece trimmed & cut in half boneless beef short rib
1 roughly chopped large yellow onion
2 roughly chopped large carrots
2 roughly chopped celery
3 sliced shallots
10 garlic cloves
8 sprigs fresh thyme
2 (seeds removed) New Mexican dried chiles
1 cut in half orange
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 22 oz bottle of rouge chocolate stout
1 Quart veal stock
Salt and pepper, AP Flour and Blended Oil

Procedure:
Season short rib with salt and black pepper-dredge in flour. In a shallow sauce pan/rondeau with a little blended oil-med high heat-sear rib on all sides until dark golden color. Remove rib and set aside. Add onion, carrots, celery, shallots, garlic and chiles to rondeau, season with salt and pepper and reduce heat to med-low. Sweat vegetables until tender. Turn heat back to med-high, add tomato paste and cook while stirring for about a minute. Deglaze with stout. Add remaining ingredients and just enough veal stock to almost cover short ribs. Cover rondeau with lid or foil and place in 275 degree oven. Braise for 2-2 1/2 hours-or until ribs are fork tender. Remove ribs from rondeau and skim the fat off of the liquid. Strain through a chinoise and reserve braising liquid.

Note: I looked up the definition of a rondeau since I don’t have that appliance. It’s a wide, round shallow pot that lets steam disband quickly. It is usually stainless steel with two hoop handles. Also, my kitchen does not have a chinoise so I found out it’s a cone-shaped sieve with really fine mesh that is used to create a smooth texture.
Also, Andrea’s Beef Ribs were featured in her Roasted Shallot Gringa Tamale with Blackberry-Preserved Orange Gremolalta. Since preparing all three of those items seemed daunting to me while reading them–it’s Christmas season and I don’t have all day to make one dish–I’m suggesting we just try the Ribs and then I can share the other recipes next Christmas when we’ve all perfected the Rib recipe, no?

Recipes were sampled with Anglim Winery’s Grenache (Paso Robles 2006, a blend of 79% Grenache, 14% Syrah and 7% Counoise) and Best Barrel Blend (Paso Robles 2005, 45% Mourvedre, 45% Syrah, 10% Grenache).