“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!

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

Preview recipe featured in Nesting Newbies Magazine, Winter ’10

“My favorite indulgence is creamy gorgonzola cheese with quince paste on crackers. I set out to create a crockpot jam that would rival this combination. I considered spiced cranberry chutney and apple butter, but nothing clicked until I thought to turn pears and muscat grapes into marmalade. Success! Now I keep this and the delicious Raincoast Crisps on hand for my gorgonzola fix.”

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- to 7- quart slow cooker insert; cover and place insert in slow cooker heating base. Cook on high for 9 to 10 hours. When it is ready, the mixture should be dark amber-brown with a sweet caramelized flavor.
(2) Using a whisk or masher, break up softened fruit pieces. Cool to room temperature. Store in air tight containers in the refrigerator up to two weeks.

STOVETOP ALTERNATIVE:
(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.

Photography By: Michael Soo

“One day I sat down and looked at recipe after recipe for baked brie for the holidays. I saw the same standard theme over-and-over using brown sugar, cranberries, walnuts, and butter. I was determined to make something different. I used all of my favorite flavors—honey, pecans, and especially white truffle oil.”

Hors d’oeuvre Selection:
Truffle Honey Holiday Baked Brie
Serves 8

1 sheet puff pastry
1 tablespoon salted butter, melted
2 tablespoons pecan pieces
1 tablespoon white truffle oil
2 tablespoons honey
1 8-ounce wheel Brie
1 whole egg, beaten
1 piece kitchen twine

(1) Defrost puff pastry for approximately 15 minutes and unfold onto a baking sheet covered with parchment.
(2) In a small bowl, combine butter, pecan pieces, white truffle oil, and honey; set aside.
(3) Place brie in middle of pastry; pull flaps of dough up around edges to top of cheese, pressing dough against side of brie and gathering together at the top.
(4) Before sealing dough flaps, pour honey mixture over brie right before squeezing together excess dough and tie together with a piece of kitchen twine.
(5) Brush beaten egg over top and side of pastry.
(6) Bake in 375° oven about 20 minutes until pastry is golden. Serve warm with French baguette slices.

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Read Full Feature, Download or Print Recipes from Nesting Newbies Magazine, Fall ’09 >>

Photography By: Natalie Wi