Celebrity Chefs In Your Own Kitchen...Or Theirs

You had better believe celebrity chefs continue to enjoy rockstar status.  They are: Television (Food TV, Cooking Channel, etc.) and social media stars; on food and wine tours (e.g. James Beard Foundation Celebrity Chef Tour); bestselling authors (Alice Waters, Coming to My Senses - The Making of a Counterculture Cook, etc.), in magazines; and, of course, in their own restaurant kitchens.  It is a phenomenon.

My own eight-year old granddaughter invited me to play "Food TV" with her.  "You be Ina," she said,  "and I'll be Giada (Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa, and Giada DeLaurentis, Everyday Italian & Lifestyle Guru).  Never mind that I wanted to be Giada!  Oh, well, I'm a grown-up.  Right?  I said "Let's pretend we're making Jeffrey's favorite Friday night dinner" (Jeffrey is Ina's husband, who makes frequent appearances on her cooking show).  "What would that be," I asked, already knowing the answer.  "Roast chicken," she said emphatically. Okay, even kids are now up to speed with the popularity of the TV chef celebrities.

What makes you a "celebrity" chef?  A professional chef may start as a line cook and move up through the ranks as a chef de cuisine, and on to the position of executive chef.  Many top notch chefs go to culinary school for their training.  Home chefs can snag celebrity status too.  Rachel Ray of Food TV Network is a prime example.  Without any formal training, she has TV shows and a ton of cookbooks.

The Corporate Chef loves to honor our home cooks too and use them to build community. Back in August at CCAH we featured Chief Administrative Officer Scott Fortner's enchilada recipe.  Our corporate chef, Jason, prepped and cooked it to savory, cheesy, saucy, and bubbling perfection.  Then Scott proudly dished it up.  What a smash hit it was.  Homey and comforting, he quickly sold out of the 53 entrees that were prepared.  And by popular demand it was brought back two weeks later.  This time 93 orders were made...and they sold out again!

Who's the celebrity chef in your kitchen kingdom?

Scott's Enchiladas:
Ingredients - 
Rosa Rita Enchilada Sauce
Cream of Mushroom Soup (okay to use low sodium)
Diced Green Chilies
Chicken or Ground Beef
Black Olives (diced or sliced)
Cheese - Mexican blend
Corn Tortillas
(can add taco or Mexican seasoning for an additional flavor punch)

Prepare Meat as Normal:
Chicken baked in oven and then diced into small cubes
Ground beef browned in skillet and then drained

Combine equal parts of Rosa Rita enchilada sauce and cream of mushroom soup in a large stove-top skillet.  I usually use two cans of soup and two cans of sauce.  Add one can of diced green chilies, drained.  Use mild, medium or hot chilies based on your preference. Heat on medium until the sauce is hot.

Take corn tortillas, and prepare for making enchiladas:  Heat vegetable oil in a skillet and dip tortillas until soft and pliable.  Or wrap tortillas in cloth or paper towels and heat in microwave until soft and pliable.

Place beef or chicken, cheese and olives inside of the tortilla, wrap and place in sauce in the skillet on the stove.  Heat on low until hot, and serve.  Add a dollop of sour cream and guacamole and serve with shredded lettuce.  

Who's the celebrity chef in your kitchen kingdom?