Korean man CAN cook

Dave Park makes the Frittata...If Dave can do it, You can too!

It's such a lovely thing to watch a man cook ... But when a Korean man cooks, stop everything and take a picture! it's truly a treat for the soul.

I mean, how often DO you see a Korean man cook? It defies tradition and disrupts the image of the conventional Asian man.

Still, Dave insisted on making us the Frittata for lunch and so we have to celebrate his bold, "break-out-of-the-mold" actions on this holiday break. Thank you Dave!

Giada's Frittata

Prep Time: 15 min

Inactive Prep

Time:

2 min

Cook Time: 10 min

Level:

Easy

Serves:

6 servings

Frittata with Asparagus, Tomato, and Fontina

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients

6 large eggs

2 tablespoons whipping cream

1/2 teaspoon salt, plus a pinch

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

12 ounces asparagus, trimmed, cut into 1/4 to 1/2-inch pieces

1 tomato, seeded, diced

Salt

3 ounces Fontina, diced

Directions

Preheat the broiler. Whisk the eggs, cream, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper in a medium bowl to blend. Set aside.

Heat the oil and butter in a 9 1/2-inch-diameter nonstick ovenproof skillet over medium heat.

Add the asparagus and saute until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Raise the heat to medium-high.

Add the tomato and a pinch of salt and saute 2 minutes longer.

Pour the egg mixture over the asparagus mixture and cook for a few minutes until the eggs start to set.

Sprinkle with cheese. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until the frittata is almost set but the top is still runny, about 2 minutes.

Place the skillet under the broiler. Broil until the top is set and golden brown on top, about 5 minutes. Let the frittata stand 2 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, loosen the frittata from skillet and slide the frittata onto a plate.

Sold Out at St. James' Bazaar!!!

Who would have thought we'd completely sell out!?!?!?

What a fun time at the St. James' Bazaar in Richmond!

Doing the show with friends made it so much fun... and because there were such great sales people, we completely sold out. Fran fussed about the wrappings and at the fact that I wasn't pushing the e-commerce on the web. Elizabeth told stories about how she begged and begged me for more Soychas. Carterbay, she knew everyone and their in-laws and had them trying all the samples and talked up the teacher's & hostess gifts.

People were buying the gift boxes in bulks and gobbled up all our samples. In the end, they grabbed for the last few bags and we left Richmond feeling so good about our Soycha and Chilicha.

In the evening, we solved all the different cultural issues and applauded the United Nations, created the Piedmont VA flower club over champagne & crackers.

Thank you Elizabeth, Fran and Carterbay!!

Palcha shines at the Metropolitan Cooking Show!

Success at The Metropolitan Cooking Show in DC for our little company!

The show had all kinds of foods from chocolate to breads, dips to cakes and Paula Dean, Giada and Tyler were busy doing live shows. In between their shows, we fed 1000+ people healthy salads in our Palcha dressings at a frantic pace and came back knowing we made more Palcha Fans in DC. Then, the unspeakable happened. We ran out of lettus and portion cups and forks! Cousin Kay to the rescue! Even with babes waiting at home, she made a mad rush Sam's run for us and saved the day! Hurrah for Kay and million Thanks!

Thank you to all who bought our products for themselves and for gifts. PLUS a special 'Thank you' to those of you who dragged your friends back to our booth to have them taste it.

Thank you to all my sisters: Helen, Grace & Joyce!!! Could not have survived without you!

...and my deepest apology to my Dad for dropping you off at the metro station : (

I'm off to Richmond with my friends, Elizabeth, Fran and Carter to do another show so wish us luck!!

Eileen-PalchaPal

Salmon Recipe for Halloween

Salmon is orange and perfect for Halloween dinners

At the 'Bone Chillin' " Halloween Party, herb crusted salmon was served on top of basmati rice with currants, and cinnamon baked acorn squash with peas and pine nuts on the side. To see how the cutest EVER 'Bone Chillin' invitations were made or to peek at the Elizabethan style decorations, click on the link:

http://palchaparty.blogspot.com/

Salmon facts (according to AOL)

Salmon (especially the wild kind) is one of the healthiest foods you can eat. What's even more exciting is that consuming the pink fish can enhance your beauty. It is one of the best food sources of omega-3 fatty acids, those beneficial fats that enhance our health and appearance by fighting inflammation, keeping our cells supple, improving circulation, and helping our brains function optimally. Salmon is a beauty food because its nutrients play a key role in keeping the skin's outer layer soft and smooth. The omega-3s in salmon reduce inflammation on the cellular level that can cause redness, wrinkles, and loss of firmness.

Crusted Salmon With Herbed Mayonnaise by Colorado Collage

Herbed Mayonnaise:

1/3 cup minced fresh Italian parsley

1/3 cup minced fresh cilantro

1/4 cup minced green onions

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1/2 teaspoons minced garlice

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

1 cup prepared mayonnaise

Fish:

1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme or 2 teaspoons dried thyme

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 small cloves garlic, peeled

1 1/4 cups fresh white bread crumbs

1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick), melted, divided

2 1/2 pounds salmon fillet, 1 piece if available

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine 1/3 cup parsley, cilantro, green onions, vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic, oregano, pepper, and cayenne. Stir until well blended and let stand, at room temprature, 30 minutes, or cover with plastic wrap and chill overnight.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Grease large, shallow baking pan. In food processor or blender, combine 1/4 cup parsley, Parmesan, thyme, lemon zest, and salt. With processor running, drop 2 cloves garlic through feed tube and process until finely chopped. Transfer to large bowl and add bread crumbs. Toss to blend. (May be prepared in advance. Cover and chill overnight. Bring to room temperature before proceeding.) Add 3 tablespoons of the melted butter and toss to combine.

Pat salmon dry and place, skin side down, in prepared pan. Brush with remaining 1 tablespoon melted butter. Pack crumb mixture on salmon. Bake 20-25 minutes or until center is opaque. If crumbs brown too quickly, cover loosely with foil. Transfer to serving platter. Stir mayonnaise into chilled herb mixture and serve on the side.

Soba Noodles & Greens

Soba Noodle Lover's Dream!!!

This one, I have to say is turning out to be my favorite! You do have to like the taste of wasabi & soy sauce but if you do, you've got to try this one out. Click on the link and check out the recipe:

http://palcharecipes.blogspot.com/

Food For Less - by Stacy Pae

How to feed 6 people with $10

In this economy we're all watching our budget. But that doesn't mean we can't have friends over and enjoy a meal together!!

This is my favorite pasta salad to feeds 6 people on a short notice, on a small budget:

1 Bag of Pasta Penne $0.99

1 Bag of TJ's Organic Spinach Salad $1.99

1 Jar of Sliced sun Dried Tomatoes $3.29

1 Can of Sliced Black Olive $1.19

Salt and Pepper to taste.

* Boil pasta according to directions.

Add entire jar of sliced sundried tomatoes

Strain juice from the olives and put in entire can.

Add 1/2 bag - 1 whole bag of spinach at the end.

Serve with Two Buck Chucks, also known as Charles Shaw Wine $1.99

Best Red Velvet Cake- Hands Down!

Laura's Red Velvet Cake to Die for-(Marie Antoinette did...)

Once I had a party and the theme was "Marie Antoinette" It was a girls night out party and the movie was just released at the theaters. I asked my friends to bring food and Laura brought the cake. She made the most dense & moist cake which was blood red inside and it said, "Let them eat cake" on the top. It was PERFECT!

I have to admit, the red was shocking but very appropriate to the theme as we all know that Marie Antoinette was beheaded. Everyone, including myself, raved and raved about the cake for years. This cake won't disappoint. To add to the theme, my friend Betsie brought me a Marie Antoinette doll that got beheaded when you push the button on the back! ...too funny.

(Click on the picture of Marie Antoinette on left and see Marie get beheaded)

Here is the recipe for the Red Velvet Cake from the Magnolia Bakery in NY:

Cake:

3 1/3 cup cake flour (not self-rising)

3/4 cup (1 2/3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

2 1/4 cups sugar

3 large eggs, at room temperature

6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

1 1/2 teaspoons cider vinegar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Grease and lightly flour 9 x 2 inch round cake pans, then line the bottoms with waxed paper.

To make the cake: In a small bowl, sift the cake flour and set aside. In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

In a small bowl, whisk toether the red food coloring, cocoa, and vailla. Add to the batter and beat well.

In a measuring cup, stir the salt into the buttermilk. Add to the batter in three parts, alternating with the flour. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated, but do not overbeat.

In a small bowl, stir together the cider vinegar and baking soda. Add to the batter and mix well. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bwol, making sure the ingredients are well blended and the batter is smooth.

Divide the batter among the prepared pans. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let the layers cool in the pans for 1 hour. Remove from the pans and cool completely on a wire rack.

When the cake has cooled, spread the frosting between the layers, then the ice top and sides of the cake with with creamy vanilla frosting.

Creamy Vanilla Frosting: (follow this directions exactly)

6 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups milk

2 cups (4 stickes) unsalted butter, softened

2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

In a medium-sized saucepan, whisk the flour into the milk until smooth. Place over medium heat and, stirring constantly, cook until the mixture becomes very thick and begins to bubble, 10-15 minutes. Cover with waxed paper placed directly on the surface and cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.

In a large bowl, on the medium high speed of an electric mixer, beat the butter for 3 minutes, until smooth ad creamy. Gradually add the sugar, beating coninuously for 3 minutes until fluffy. Add the vanilla and beat well.

Add the cooled milk mixture, and continue to beat on the medium high speed for 5 minutes, until very smooth and noticeably whiter in color. Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes (no less and no longer- est a timer!) Use immediately.