Florida Agenda

AVENTURA, FL – In celebration with Gay Pride Month, Bloomingdale’s in the Aventura Mall will present Cooking with Pride, a culinary demonstration, on Saturday, June 11, at 1 pm.

Victor Cardenas Pasos of the Palace, Ocean Drive’s first and only gay restaurant/ bar, will utilize Bloomingdale’s state-of-the-art cookware and equipment as he demonstrates preparation of two of the Palace’s favorite dishes. One of the Palace’s legendary drag divas will assist Victor, making for a unique and entertaining presentation. The event is free and open to the public, and all who attend will be able to sample the fare and receive a copy of the recipes.

As chef of the Palace on South Beach for more than two years, Victor prepares or oversees preparation of approximately 700 meals per week. A native of Mexico, he studied culinary arts with a specialty in Italian fare and seafood. Prior to joining the Palace, Victor had worked at the Hyatt Resort in Cancun and Quattro on Miami Beach.

Cooking with Pride takes place in the house wares department on the third floor of Bloomingdale’s, 19555 Biscayne Boulevard in Aventura. For further information, please call (305) 792-1288.

jean’s kitchen

There are three widely known types  of paella:

Valencian paella, seafood paella and mixed paella.

Valencian paella  consists of white rice, green vegetables, meat (rabbit, chicken, and duck), land snails, beans and seasoning. Seafood paella replaces meat and snails with seafood and omits beans and green vegetables.Mixed paella is a free-style combination of meat, seafood, and vegetables.

Other key ingredients include saffron and olive oil. You can use a big frying pan for this dish.  I have one I put directly on the BBQ so I can be with my guests and have a drink with them while preparing dinner.

• 10 pieces Split Chicken Wings
•?½ Lb Shrimp
•?1 Lb Assorted Mussels and Clams
•?1 Can of Peeled Tomatoes
•?4 Cloves Garlic chopped
•?3-6 Red Bell Peppers (diced) plus a handful of strips reserved to use as garnish
•?½ Cup Frozen Peas
•?1 tsp. Saffron Threads
•?Extra Virgin Olive Oil
•?2 cups Paella Rice
•?4-6 cups Fish Bouillon.
•?Salt to taste

Heat extra virgin olive oil in a paellera. Sear the red bell pepper strips for the garnish and set aside. Sear the shrimp and set aside. Season the wings lightly with salt and sauté until golden brown. Add onions, garlic and the diced bell peppers. Sauté until vegetables are tender. Add the canned tomatoes, smash ‘em and sauté. This mixture is called the sofrito. Add rice. Braise rice until covered with sofrito. Add broth. Taste and add salt if necessary. Add saffron and mix well. Simmer until rice is almost cooked. Top with the shellfish and the peas. Continue simmering until rice and crustaceans are finished cooking. Garnish with the seared red bell pepper strips.

You are the chef.

Jean Doherty is the Chef and Owner of Le Patio Restaurant in Wilton Manors (954) 530-4641.

jean’s kitchen

by Jean Doherty

Daube is a classic French stew made with cubed beef braised in wine, vegetables, garlic and herbes de Provence. Although most modern recipes call for red wine, a minority call for white, as do the earliest recorded daube recipes, like “Grannies Pork” the one you love that I serve at Le Patio which calls for olives, and others that have prunes or flavoring with duck fat, brandy, nutmeg, cloves, juniper berries or orange zest (the list is long). For best flavor, it is cooked in several stages, and cooled for a day to allow the flavors to meld together. In the Camargue area of France (my favorite place in the world), bulls killed in bullfighting festivals are often used for daube. All stews are wonderfully warm and comforting, but this recipe stands out for its simplicity and versatility.

Traditionally, it should be prepared the day before it is served. It is generally served with rice, noodles or mashed potatoes, and accompanied by red wine.
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon of flour
• 1/2 lb smokey bacon chopped
• 12 garlic cloves, crushed
• 3lbs boneless chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 2-inch cubes
• ½ bottle red wine
• 2lbs chopped carrots
• 2 big onions chopped
• 1/2 cup beef broth
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 bouquet garni
• Salt & pepper

Heat olive oil in a thick-assed saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic, bacon and onion to pan; cook for 5 to 10 minutes or until all is fragrant, stirring occasionally. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Increase heat to medium-high. Add beef to pan.

Sprinkle beef with salt and black pepper. Cook 5 minutes, browning on all sides. Sprinkle with a good tablespoon of flour. Add wine and stock to pan, and and stir well. Bring to a boil, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen the browned bits. Add onions, bacon and garlic and all the remaining ingredients.

Simmer for 2 to 3 hours, or until the beef is tender. Discard bouquet garni. Serve with noodles, rice or mashed potatoes. Garnish with chopped fresh thyme or rosemary. You are the chef!

Jean Doherty is the Chef and Owner of Le Patio Restaurant in Wilton Manors (954) 530-4641