Read Full Feature in Nesting Newbies Magazine, 2011 Issue No.5

Chef Lea McIntosh discovers that her grandmother’s family-famous cheesecake traces back to an historic New Hampshire Inn and revives the recipe using modern cooking techniques and “pick your crust” options.

Images by Rio Costantini

“My mother had a sweet tooth and there are a few of those sweets I remember seeing her eat time and time again,” Chef Lea McIntosh reminisces. “One of those was a Whatchamacallit® candy bar by Hershey’s. I am not sure which she liked more, the candy or the name, but she is the inspiration for this fondue. Love you mom!”

WhatChaMaCallIt…
Chocolate Fondue
Serves 8 to 10

2 cups milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/3 cup caramel sundae topping, prefer Mrs. Richardson’s Butterscotch Caramel Topping
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 Recipe Original Rice Krispie Treats

1. Combine milk chocolate chips, peanut butter, caramel, butter, vanilla extract in mixing bowl; set aside.
2. In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring heavy cream to a simmer and remove from heat. Immediately pour cream into the chocolate bowl and begin whisking ingredients until fully combined and smooth.
3. Transfer melted chocolate mixture into a fondue bowl insert and serve over low heat. During service, occasionally stir fondue to keep from burning or separating. Serve with mini homemade Rice Krispie Treats cut into squares or use a heart-shaped cookie cutter to make mini hearts.

Have a Fondue Party for 50! Chef Lea shares how…

No one loves a creamy cup of cocoa more than Chef Lea McIntosh! But you know her…she’s always whipping up ways to break from traditional recipes. Here are two of her latest hot chocolate blends. Bon Appetweet!

Cocoa De Leche
Serves One

Ingredients:
1 cup milk
1 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
5 tablespoons dulce de leche caramel
pinch of salt to taste

Combine milk, cocoa powder, ducle de leche, and pinch of salt in a small saucepan; while continuously whisking bring to a simmer. Serve hot.

Note: La Lechera Brand Dulce De Leche can be found at most Mexican grocery stores and is an affordable alternative to the gourmet Dulce De Leche products.
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Nutty Cocoa
Serves One

Ingredients:
1 cup milk
1 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter

Combine milk, cocoa powder, sugar, and peanut butter in a small saucepan; while continuously whisking bring to a simmer. Serve hot.

Note: Ghiradelli Unsweetened Cocoa is available at most markets.

Check out our recommendation for a gift with a twist for hot cocoa crazy fans!

“Triple Cream Stuffed Medjool Dates were a ALWAYS popular with my catering clients. Often, I would serve them as an accompaniment to the buffet salad. In keeping with this tradition, I created a goat cheese version to accompany my Creamy Lemon Champagne Vinaigrette featured in the Midsummer Mediterranean Grill in Issue No. 4. The creamy, tangy, zesty, lemony, sweet combination…is heavenly. Bon Appetweet!”

Honey Goat Cheese-Stuffed Medjool Dates
Yields: Approximately 10 pieces

Ingredients:
4 ounces fresh goat cheese (chèvre)
1 tablespoon honey
10 Medjool dates, pitted and sliced halfway through lengthwise
¼ cups walnuts, finely chopped

(1) Make a lengthwise cut in each date, remove pit, and gently pinch open to form a pocket.

(2) In a medium-size bowl, blend together goat cheese and honey. Using approximately a teaspoon of honey goat cheese at a time, shape into 10 balls.

(3) Fill each date with a honey goat cheese ball and with index finger, lightly press the ball into each date and smooth the top.

(4) Press the cheese side of each stuffed date into the chopped walnuts. Lightly tap to remove excess nuts, arrange on a platter and serve. Can be made a day ahead and refrigerated.

Note: Experiment with other soft cheeses and toppings. Chef Lea often makes stuffed Medjool dates with Brie cheese and freshly chopped chives.

Creamy Lemon Champagne Vinaigrette Recipe

Photography by Lea McIntosh

Like the Pied Piper, Chef Lea McIntosh led the audience (right after her live cooking demonstration for the SFDC Culinarium) over to the Duralee Showroom for Chic Bites tasting! We simply followed the aroma-trail of her Truffle Honey Holiday Baked Brie (fresh from the Miele ovens in the Christopher Peacock demo kitchen). The reception was a celebration of SFDC’s Culinarium, Duralee Fabrics, Nesting Newbies, and AphroChic! Everyone was greeted with a beautiful vignette of Duralee’s tufted Riverside wingback chair and an AphroChic black and white Reflection pillow.

Serve them Truffle Honey Holiday Baked Brie…and they will come! Chef Lea is wearing one of her custom chef coats with interchangeable cuffs. These cuffs are ultra-glam and made with “Aquamarine” from the Marakesh Collection from Highland Court Fabrics by Duralee. As you scroll through the photos notice the “blooming branches” centerpiece and glass vases filled with handcrafted flowers…no need for fresh flowers when you can use Duralee fabric flowers instead! (We’ll show you how to make them in a future DIY post!)

Get the recipe!

The tables are set using linens from La Tavola Fine Linen Rental…They are one of the best sources when you are longing for linens that are really special. We were thrilled to discover several tablecloths available in Thomas Paul fabrics. A perfect fit for Duralee because they represent Thomas Paul fabrics! We selected Twitter in Maize.

Meanwhile…there’s lots of Muscat Pear Marmalade tasting going on : ).

(They don’t know it yet, but everyone gets to take some home!)

Rick Guerra was on hand to pour a selection of fine wines from Napa Valley’s Verismo Wines.

Laura Logan, the SFDC Duralee Showroom Manager, is AWESOME! We thank her for being her cool self and everyone at Duralee for hosting this fabulous reception.

Check out scenes from Lea’s live Culinarium event.

Chef Lea McIntosh presented “Chic Bites” at the San Francisco Design Center’s first Culinarium event! The audience reacted with oohs, aahs, laughter and clapping throughout her 60 minute demonstration. She talked Jeanine Hays of AphroChic through the steps of making three easy, cheesey, hors d’oeuvres: Stuffed Medjool Dates, Muscat Pear Marmalade over creamy gorgonzola cheese, and Truffle Honey Holiday Baked Brie.

Here are a few scenes from the live event…

Lea organizes and sets everything in place prior to the live demonstration.

SFDC’s Rhonda Hirata gives Chef Lea a warm and welcoming introduction.

Lea brings in her “newbie” cook…Jeanine Hays from AphroChic.

Jeanine’s soulful, chic pillows from her Dreamland Collection are eye candy for the audience (oh, and one lucky guest got to take one home!).

Newbie cooking moment…

More cooking action…

Jeanine and Lea pose with fan, Emily Mai Enriquez.

A few questions afterward and then Lea invites the audience over to the Duralee showroom for some serious “Chic Bites” tasting!

Pear Muscat Marmalade
Yields: 1 quart

Ingredients:
2 ½ pounds Bartlett or d’Anjou pears, peeled, cored, and chopped
½ pound Granny Smith tart apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
2 cups sweet Muscat dessert wine
3 cups granulated sugar
¼ cup fresh tangerine juice
2 teaspoons tangerine zest

(1) Add pear, apple, muscat dessert wine, sugar, tangerine juice, and tangerine zest to a 5-quart shallow sauce pan. Cook on medium heat for approximately 2 1/2 hours, stirring about every 20 minutes for first 2 hours of cooking. During last half hour, stir every 5 to 10 minutes to prevent sticking or burning. Timing may vary slightly depending on pan or temperature used. When ready, marmalade mixture should be a dark amber-brown color with a sweet caramelized flavor.
(2) Using a whisk or masher, slightly break up softened fruit pieces. Cool to room temperature. Store in air tight containers in the refrigerator up to two weeks.

Note: Lea’s favorite way to present and serve this marmalade is alongside a creamy blue cheese such as Gorgonzola Dolce and Raincoast Crisps or baguette slices.

Click here for the crockpot version of Muscat Pear Marmalade.

Recipes for the Stuffed Medjool Dates and Truffle Honey Holiday Baked Brie coming soon!

Jarfaits: Portable Parfaits featured in Issue No. 3

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Perfect. That’s the English translation for the French word “parfait,” and the term used in the late 1800s to describe a frozen, layered dessert. Perfection. It’s the word that describes Chef Lea’s new play on parfaits: the Jarfait—combinations of flavors layered in a mason jar for a portable, make-ahead-of-time treat! “I have been daydreaming about fun combinations,” says Lea. “Really, the possibilities are endless.”

Issue No. 3 highlights all kinds of cool combos. Here is the recipe for one of Lea’s favorites!

S’more Peanut Butter Please! Jarfait
Serves: 6

Ingredients:
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 (5.9 oz) package chocolate fudge instant pudding
3 cups milk, 2% or whole
2 cups mini marshmallows
1 cup honey graham crackers, coarsely crumbled
6 half pint (8 oz) glass jars with lids

Directions:
(1) In a large bowl, using a standing or handheld electric mixer, beat the cream cheese,
peanut butter, and powdered sugar until smooth. Add whipping cream; continue to
beat mixture until whipped, smooth, and creamy. Set peanut butter cream aside for
assembly.
(2) In a medium bowl, whisk chocolate pudding mix and milk together for two minutes.
Set pudding aside for assembly.
(3) Layer each glass jar with ¼ cup chocolate pudding, 2 tablespoons peanut butter
cream, 1 tablespoon marshmallows, 1 tablespoon graham cracker crumbles, ¼ cup
chocolate pudding, and 2 tablespoons peanut butter cream. Serve immediately or
cover with lid and refrigerate up to 2 days.
*Optional: Before serving, cover top with additional mini marshmallows; use a
kitchen blowtorch to lightly toast marshmallows.

Photography By Natalie Wi

Healthy Greek Yogurt Dips featured in Gone Greek in Issue No. 3

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Move over sour cream…the Greeks are here and they’re healthy and delicious! “These days, I am consciously eating a higher protein diet and one of my go-to foods is nonfat, plain Greek yogurt,” says Chef Lea. “It has a thick, smooth texture like sour cream but it is high in protein, low in carbohydrates and zero fat!” Chef Lea’s new party dips using nonfat Greek yogurt are the alpha and the omega…give them a try and say bye, bye to unwanted calories without sacrificing any of the yum.

Smoky Chipotle Greek Yogurt Dip
Yield: 1 pint

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon chipotle powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoon dried cilantro leaves
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
16 ounces Greek yogurt (2% or 0% milk)

Directions:
In a medium bowl, whisk together tomato paste, honey, chipotle powder, garlic powder, dried cilantro leaves, salt, pepper and yogurt. Use immediately or store covered, in the refrigerator, for up to 5 days. Serve with pita chips or fresh cut vegetables.

Photography by Dean Birinyi

Creamy Lemon Champagne Vinaigrette featured in Issue No. 4

“I was inspired by fond memories of a salad I ate on a first ‘fancy seafood restaurant’ date with my boyfriend…now husband…Bill when I was just 18. From the very first taste, I was in heaven,” says Lea. “Little did I know then that it had a lot to do with the cream and how it perfectly coated the lettuce leaves. I added a twist to it by including a zesty lemon flavor.”

Creamy Lemon Champagne Vinaigrette
Yield: 1 1/2 cups

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons shallot, minced
¼ cup champagne vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice, fresh-squeezed
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon salt
Fresh ground pepper to taste

Directions:
(1) In a small bowl, whisk together shallot, champagne vinegar, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a bowl.
(2) Immediately before serving, add the heavy whipping cream and lightly whisk, avoid over frothing the mixture.
Note: This dressing is particularly delicious served over butter lettuce.

Photography by Rio Costantini

Read Full Feature in Nesting Newbies Magazine, 2010 Issue No.4

BaklaPops: A new spin on a favorite phyllo pastry.

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It’s unanimous…we have dubbed Chef Lea McIntosh with the title “Sultana of Sweets” for her clever invention of BaklaPops—crunchy, nutty, cinnamony, sugary bites of heaven. Pure culinary treasure!

Traditional baklava is a Middle Eastern nut-filled phyllo-dough pastry, made in sheets that are cut and served brownie-style. “I think that people want to enjoy pastries and desserts without over doing it,” says Lea. “BaklaPops are perfect, one-bite indulgences! And what doesn’t look cute on a stick?”

Find out how to make these sweet treats in Issue No. 4. Chef Lea’s step-by-step video instruction will guide you through the process.

Rio Costantini Photography