apple Waldorf salad Chef Francis Brennan The decision to do the Waldorf was a no brainer for a couple of reasons,

says Bren nan. We are well known for doing a several things; American classics and salads a re two of them, Brennan says. Peter Klein (who owns and operates Seedlings Farm in Michigan) is currently selling seven different varieties of heirloom apples. Wh en staring at this bounty of product it was clear that I was going to make a lig hter version of the classic Waldorf salad, using the many different apples. A mandolin or the slicing blade of a food processor helps in cutting the fine sl ices of apple. Candied walnuts: 1/4 cup sugar 1/4 cup water Salt and ground red pepper to taste 2 ounces walnuts Yogurt dressing: 1 egg yolk, beaten 1/4 cup plain yogurt 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar 1/4 cup grapeseed oil Salt and pepper to taste Salad: 1 celery root 4 apples in different varieties, preferably heirloom 1 celery heart Bibb lettuce leaves Small bunch of seedless red grapes, cut in half Watercress for garnish Candy the walnuts: Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan and boil till the s ugar has dissolved. Season with salt and red pepper. Steep the walnuts in the sy rup for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Drain the nuts and place on a baking sheet and bake 35 minutes. Let cool and store airtight. Make the dressing: Whisk together the egg yolk, yogurt, mustard, lemon juice and vinegar in a medium bowl. Slowly add the oil, whisking constantly, till emulsif ied. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate. Prepare the salad: Peel the celery root and cut into 3-inch fine matchsticks. Cu t the apple sides off the core. Cut the apple sides into 1/4-inch lengthwise sli ces. Slice the celery heart as thin as possible. Keep in ice water until ready t o use, then drain and pat dry. Arrange the lettuce leaves in a bowl or plate. Combine the celery root, apples a nd celery heart in a bowl and toss with the dressing; place into the center of t he lettuce leaves. Garnish with the candied walnuts, halved grapes, and watercre ss. 4 to 6 servings. Recipe: The Chicago Hot Dog Yield. I serving

Preparation time. 10 minutes Cooking time. 10 minutes Assembly time. 2 minutes Ingredients 1 bun length jumbo all beef frankfurter with a natural casing 1 poppy seed bun 1 long squirt of yellow mustard 2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish 2 tablespoons onion, coarsely chopped fine 1/4 medium Roma tomatoes 2 pickled sport peppers 1 kosher pickle spear or fresh cucumber spear, about 5" long 1/4 teaspoon celery salt The frank. In Chicago, all beef hot dogs with natural beef casings are compulsor y. No pork, no turkey, no chicken. No crap. Snap and squirt are the hallmarks of a good Chicago Hot Dog, and the snap comes from the casings and the toppings. S kinless hot dogs are best saved for infants and the toothless. Vienna Beef is th e preferred brand. The bun. Rosen's is the preferrred brand. Poppy seeds contribute a slightly nutt y taste to the bun. These tiny blue-gray seeds come from an opium plant and they contain miniscule amounts of morphine and codeine. Not to fear, you would proba bly have to eat more than a dozen buns to lose your job. The mustard. There are many different types of mustard, but the classic Chicago Hot Dog is made with yellow "ballpark" mustard. Most of them are made by grindin g the seeds from white mustard plants and mixing the powder with vinegar, water, and spices. The relish. In Chicago the pickle relish is brilliant kryptonite green. Sweet an d tart, pickle relishes are typically made from chopped cucumbers, bell peppers, green tomatoes, onions, distilled vinegar, and sugar. For the kryptonite green stuff, Blue No. 1 food coloring is added. If you can't find it, and outside of C hicago it is pretty scarce, regular old olive drab pickle relish will do just fi ne. The peppers. Skinny and about 1-2" long, pickled sport peppers are made by pickl ing fresh green Capsicum annuum, a cultivar of the Tabasco pepper. They are cure d in vinegar and a spiced brine. They are moderately hot but not too hot for wus ses like me, and they allow Chicago Hot Dogs to bite you back. Yes, even if you are a feeb, you must have sports for it to be an authentic Chicago Hot Dog. But don't use too hot a pepper. Remember, the Chicago Hot Dog is all about balancing flavors. The pickle. A kosher pickle spear is common, but the best Chicago Hot Dogs, IMHO , use crunchier new pickles. Try Chipco brand from The Chicago Pickle Company. K osher pickles are made from a special breed of cucumber fermented in a brine, a bath of salt, garlic, black pepper, dill, and vinegar. They are Kosher when they are made in adherence with Jewish dietary law under the supervision of a rabbi. Kosher pickles are never sweet. If you can get fresh whole pickles from a barre l, spears are about 1/8 of a pickle. One of my favorite hot dog carts, Mary Ann' s, uses fresh cucumber spears, skin removed, instead of pickles. It may border o n heresy, but I love it. The onions. White Spanish onions are typically used because they are both sweet and pungent. They must be chopped fresh or else they get acidic, stinky, and los e their sweetness.

The tomatoes. Most hot dog stands use regular round slicing tomatoes cut into tw o wedge shapes or slices, but I think fresh pear-shaped Roma tomatoes are best b ecause they are meatier and not as runny. I like to dice the tomatoes into 1/4" chunks so each mouthful has tomato in it. Restaurants can't do this because dice d tomatoes lose their juice when sitting around. And for goodness sake, when you make hot dogs at home, use ripe tomatoes. Alas, while researching this story, e ven in August, most hot dog stands used pink rocks rather than real tomatoes. Do this 1) For the Classic Dirty Water Dog: Bring enough water to cover the dog to a boi l, then cut back to a simmer. Simmer, never boil, the dog for 10 minutes. For a Char Dog: This is a technique I learned from Gold Coast Dogs. Cut an X sha pe in the ends of the dog. When they cook they will curl up and get extra crispy (see photo at right). Cook the dogs over a medium high grill until the skin dar kens and there are nice grill marks all around. 2) Traditional Chicago Hot Dog buns are steamed. Click here for tips on how to p repare your buns. 3) Cut the stem off the end of the tomato and squeeze it over the trash can ejec ting the seeds. Chop the tomato into 1/4" chunks. 4) Place the frankfurter on the bun. Squirt the mustard on the dog on one side b etween the meat and the bun. Spread the relish between the meat and the bun on t he opposite side of the mustard. Sprinkle the chopped onions on top of the musta rd. Distribute the tomato chunks all around. Place the peppers on top of the tom atoes. Place the spear on top of the onions and mustard. Sprinkle the celery sal t on top of the vegetation. 5) Absolutely, positively, no ketchup. Fohgeddaboudit. HOT DOG PEPPER RELISH 1 1/2 cups seeded and coarsely chopped bell peppers (use a mixture of yellow, gr een, and red) 2 cups coarsely chopped white onions (about 2 medium onions) 1/2 cup finely chopped green cabbage boiling water to cover 1/4 cup white vinegar 1/4 cup water 3/4 cup cider vinegar 1/2 teaspoon peeled, minced fresh ginger 2 cloves minced fresh garlic 2 seeded jalape?o peppers, minced (the hottest you can find) 3/4 cup sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt 1 tablespoon mustard seeds 1 tablespoon celery seeds 1/2 teaspoon whole allspice 1/2 teaspoon dried red chile pepper flakes Place chopped bell peppers, onions, and cabbage in large stainless steel or heat -resistant glass bowl and add enough hot water to cover. Let mixture stand for 1 5 minutes then drain and return to bowl. Combine 1/2 cup white vinegar with 1/2 cup water. Heat mixture to boiling and po ur over drained vegetables. Let mixture stand for 15 minutes and drain again. Place drained vegetables in stainless steel pot, large enough to hold all of the ingredients, then add remaining ingredients and bring mixture to boil over medi um-high heat. Cook for 30 seconds, then remove mixture from heat.

Pour mixture into clean, hot, 1-pint canning jars and process in a boiling water bath for 5 minutes to seal the jars. Once opened, store tightly closed jar in r efrigerator. HOT DOG RELISH 1 cup sweet Spanish onion, diced 1 celery stalk, diced 1 red bell pepper, diced 3 tablespoons sweet gherkins, minced 3 cloves garlic, finely minced 3 tablespoons tomato paste 1/3 cup cider vinegar 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 1 tablespoon brown sugar 1 tablespoon chili powder 1 teaspoon prepared mustard pinch cayenne pepper Wash and core peppers, peel onions. Remove strings from celery. Using a food pro cessor, coarsely chop peppers, onions and celery. Drain any excess juice and tra nsfer the chopped mixture to a separate (microwavable) bowl. Next, process briefly to finely mince the sweet gherkins (food processor doesn't need to be rinsed between ingredients). Transfer chopped garlic and gherkins (s weet cucumber pickles) to same bowl as the chopped pepper mixture. In food processor, combine peeled garlic cloves, paste, vinegar, Worcestershire, brown sugar, chili powder, mustard and pepper; process until smooth. Stir mixtu re into chopped ingredients and combine well. Microwave on high for 1 minute; stir well from the center to the outside. Microw ave again for 1 minute. Cool and store in a glass jar at least overnight before use. Use as a condiment when serving hot dogs or kielbasa. CINNAMON BUN INGREDIENTS * 3/4 teaspoon active dry yeast * 1 tablespoon warm water (110 degrees F to 115 degrees F) * 1 1/8 cups all-purpose flour * 2 tablespoons sugar, divided * 1/4 teaspoon salt * 3 tablespoons cold butter or margarine, divided * 1/4 cup warm milk (110 to 115 degrees F) * 1 egg yolk * 2 tablespoons brown sugar * 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon * 1/3 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips * GLAZE: * 1/3 cup confectioners' sugar * 1 1/2 teaspoons butter or margarine, softened * 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract * 1 1/2 teaspoons hot water METHOD 1.In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. In a bowl, combine the flour, 1 tablespoon sugar and salt. Cut in 2 tablespoons of the

butter until crumbly. Add the milk, egg yolk and yeast mixture; stir well. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. 2.Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Roll out into a 10-in. x 6-in. rectangle. Melt remaining butter; brush butter to within 1/2 in. of edges. Combine the brown sugar, cinnamon and remaining sugar. Sprinkle over dough, then sprinkle with chocolate chips. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a short side; pinch seam to seal. Cut into 1-in. slices; place cut side down in a greased 8-in. square baking dish. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1-1/2 hours. 1.Bake at 375 degrees F for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown. In a bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, butter, vanilla and enough milk to achieve drizzling consistency; drizzle over warm rolls. Serve warm. TIPS Proof the yeast. . Dont add cold ingredients to the mix. Let your dough rise in a CLEAN, oiled bowl.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE Ingredients Fresh cream 1 cup Chocolate 1 cup * Bring the cream to a boil, then remove from the heat at once and pour over a bowl of chopped chocolate. * Let it stand, covered, for a moment to soften the chocolate, then whisk until smooth. For best results, let it cool overnight at room temperature. Chocolate ganache can be poured as a coating, chilled and made into truffles, whipped into a delightfully light frosting or filling or just mixed into white frosting or whipped cream for instant chocolate flavor. TIPS Proper consistency, do not add too much cream .Dont add the cream before the chocolate boils , it should be steamy but not boiling .After adding the chocolate keep stearing until smooth. If ganache is too warm let it cool slightly before pouring it onto a cake Almond Cookies Ingredients Butter (softened) 150gm Castor sugar 115gm Egg yolk 1number Almond essence 2.5ml Ground almonds 115gm Plain flour 175gm Method Cream butter and sugar Mix egg then mix flour and almond powder Roll it in forms of smooth dough Roll into a sausage shape about 30cm/12inches long Rest in the chiller for 1?2 an hour. Make balls. Bake @ 160C for 20 minutes

TIPS Use only the freshest ingredients. Large eggs are the standard eggs used. Try not to use substitute fats. If the recipe calls for butter, use butter. Make sure you measure your ingredients properly. Keep the dough chilled in between baking batches of cookies. Cool your cookie sheets by running tepid water over the back of them. Chocolate Cup Cake Ingredients Flour 85gm Cocoa powder 25gm Boiling water 1/2cup Egg 1 Baking powder 1 1/2 tsp Sugar 100gm Salt 1/4tsp Butter 55gm Vanilla 1tsp Chocolate chip 30gm Method In a small bowl stir cocoa powder and coiling hot water until smooth and let it cool at room temperature. In another bowl sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and mix. Add flour mixture and mix nicely. Then add the cooled cocoa mixture and stir until smooth. Fold chocolate chips. Bake @ 160 C for 15-20 minutes. TIPS Place the pan in the centre for proper and even heating. 21 April Episode 1 By All About Chocolate 8 of 39 ShareDownloadReport this Photo HOT CHOCOLATE Ingredients chocolate 4oz low fat milk 2 cups cocoa 2tbsp superfine sugar 4tbsp heavy cream well chilled 2/3 cup Method Grate the chocolate. Heat the milk, cocoa and sugar in a pan. Remove from heat add the grated chocolate and whisk the mixture at high speed for at least 2 minutes. Beat the cream to firm peaks. When the hot chocolate is very foamy serve it immediately in large mugs topped with 2 tablespoons of the whipped cream. Sprinkle a little bit of cocoa over it. TIPS Always use the best quality chocolate that you can afford. Stay away from powder and

syrup. Although these can be used if you are desperate, you will definitely get better results if you use the 'real stuff'. Milk, dark or white chocolate. 2.Use approximately 30g of chocolate per person, with an equal amount of cream 3.Be patient when melting your chocolate. Do this slowly over low-medium heat using a double boiler. Make sure you don't burn the chocolate. Avoid using microwave to melt your chocolate, this causes the chocolate to melt at different rates and you are more likely to burn your chocolate using this method. Add the cream once the chocolate is completely melted. 4.Add equal quantities of milk and water to the chocolate-cream mix and warm to a suitable temperature without boiling. 21 AprilCHOUX PASTERY Ingredients Butter 50 gm Flour 60 gm Water 125 ml Salt a pinch Sugar a pinch Eggs 2 Fresh cream 500 gm Temper chocolate 500 gm

Method Boil butter, water salt and sugar. Add flour & mix it nicely (there should not be any lump) Let it cool down then add egg one by one. Bake @ 200C for 5 for minute then reduce the temperature to 160 C &dry 10 to 12 minute. When they r cool fill it with wiped cream decorate it with temper chocolate. TIPS All the flour must be added at once so it cooks evenly. Beat vigorously until them mixture is smooth and comes away from the side of the pan. Do not over-beat. The amount of egg required varies with each batch. It depends how big the eggs are and how much egg the flour absorbs. Too much egg will make the choux rise unevenly and spread. Not enough egg and the choux will be stodgy. Set the mixture aside to cool slightly so the eggs don't cook when they are beaten in. 21 April