Culinary education

"Are you ready to start cooking?" asked culinary specialist Dana Elliott.

"Yes!" shouted the more than 1,000 people from Jackson and surrounding counties who attended Tuesday night's Taste of Home Cooking School, held for the first time in the Seymour High School auditorium.

For two hours, Elliott demonstrated step-by-step how to make a variety of recipes from the Taste of Home kitchens in Greendale, Wis., including breakfast and brunch recipes for Italian herb frittata and avocado eggs benedict, a bread recipe for lemon nut-twists and an appetizer recipe for taco meatball ring.

In all, Elliott shared nine recipes from the "Spring Taste of Home Brand Name Cookbook," which was distributed to all those who attended the show. She also shared cooking tips and advice on culinary utensils and products to try, including Gallo Family Vineyards wine, McCormick spices, Viva paper towels and Taste of Home Entertaining products.

Other recipes demonstrated Tuesday were herb-stuffed roasted Cornish hens, buffalo chicken wraps, flower power cupcakes, strawberries al moscato with vanilla cream and chocolate-almond dessert crepes.

As one of 12 culinary specialists with Taste of Home Cooking School, Elliott performs shows across the country, but spends much of her time in Michigan, Indiana and Kentucky.

"This is my last stop for this show," Elliott said of the Swing into Spring show Tuesday.

"Now I'll go back and learn a whole new set of recipes for the summer."

In all, she learns about 40 new recipes each year for the shows, she said.

Seymour resident Patty Brown said she was glad she was able to attend.

‘I thought it was excellent," she said. "I get the "Taste of Home" magazine at home, but I had never been to a show."

Brown said she was most interested in the Cornish hens recipe.

"It looked and smelled delicious," she said.

Elliott said the herb-stuffed roasted Cornish hens "add a touch of elegance to your dinner table," especially when served with red potatoes and green onions.

For those who aren't familiar with Cornish hens, she explained that they are just "petite chickens."

And to get the flavor just right?

"A blend of sage, lemon, onion and garlic give this entrée outstanding flavor," she said.

Besides the Cornish hens, Brown said she was also interested in the desserts.

"I'm pretty partial to anything sweet, so I'll probably try all the dessert recipes," she said.

Both the cupcake and strawberries with cream recipes as well as the chocolate-almond dessert crepes got lots of attention from the audience.

Elliott said the lemon-flavored cupcakes are a fun, spring creation that kids and adults love to make and eat.

"They look like they take a lot of effort" to make, she said. "But with flower-shaped cookie cutters and rolled fondant, they are simple to decorate."

Fondant, she explained, is an edible product made of sugar that is often used to decorate elaborate cakes.
It can be cut and molded into any shape, she added, in this case, flowers.

She also recommends making butter cream frosting from scratch to ice the cupcakes, instead of using store-bought vanilla icing in a can.

Nannie Howard of Reddington was another happy Taste of Home Cooking School attendee.

"It was just great," she said of the show. "I really like all the recipes and will probably make some for my family to try out."

Howard was a lucky prize winner and got to take an already prepared taco meatball ring home with her.

Although technically an appetizer, Elliott said, the recipe puts a new twist on Mexican night at home by replacing tortilla shells or chips with meatball-stuffed crescent rolls and could be served as a main dish. It's also much easier to prepare than it looks, she added.

To purchase a "Your Neighbor's Recipe" cookbook from The Tribune, featuring more than 500 recipes submitted from local residents, contact The Tribune at 522-4871.

For more information on the Taste of Home Cooking School, visit www.tasteofhomeschools.com, or for more recipes, visit www.TasteofHome.com.

The Seymour Taste of Home Cooking School was sponsored by The Tribune and the following local businesses: Covered Bridge Health Campus, A Hearing Service Inc., Global Travel Planners, Hand & Co. Picture Framing, Bryan Bowman Jeep Chrysler Dodge, The Fitted Foot and Comprehensive Foot and Ankle Center, The Gathering Place and Heartbeat Café, Hackman DJ & Karaoke Service, Audiology Hearing & Balance, Luecke Audio Video Appliances, Bevers Home Health Boutique, Indiana Bank & Trust Co., Heaven's Best Carpet Cleaning, Longaberger, Xocai, Renaissance Medical Spa, The Pines, Schroer Drapery, Lemley's Catering, Norwex Enviro Products, Furniture Liquidators Home Center, lia sophia, The Pampered Chef, Seymour Recycling Center, Rose Acre Farms, Scrap-A-Holic, Brownstown Hardware and Goecker Building Supplies.

 Taste of Home Cooking School recipes:

Taco Meatball Ring

2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese, divided

2 tablespoons water

2 to 4 tablespoons taco seasoning

½ pound ground beef

2 tubes (8 ounces each) refrigerated crescent rolls

½ medium head iceberg lettuce, shredded

1 medium tomato, chopped

4 green onions, sliced

½ cup sliced ripe olives

Sour cream

2 small jalapeno peppers, seeded and sliced

Salsa, optional

In a large bowl, combine 1 cup cheese, water and taco seasoning. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into 16 balls.

Place meatballs on a greased rack in a shallow baking pan. Bake meatballs, uncovered, at 400° for 12 minutes or until the meat is no longer pink. Drain meatballs on paper towels. Reduce heat to 375°.

Arrange crescent rolls on a greased 15-in. pizza pan, forming a ring with pointed ends facing the outer edge of the pan and wide ends overlapping.

Place a meatball on each roll; fold point over meatball and tuck under wide end of roll (meatball will be visible). Repeat. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until rolls are golden brown.

Fill the center of ring with lettuce, tomato, onions, olives, remaining cheese, sour cream, jalapenos and salsa if desired. Yield 8 servings

 Strawberries al Moscato With Vanilla Cream

1 quart fresh strawberries, quartered

¼ cup Gallo Family Vineyards Moscato

4 teaspoons honey

2 teaspoons lemon juice

2 cups heavy whipping cream

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

¼ cup sugar

Fresh mint leaves, optional

In a bowl, toss strawberries with the Moscato, honey and lemon juice. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. In a separate mixing bowl, combine the cream, vanilla and sugar until soft peaks form. Spoon berry mixture into chilled serving dishes. Garnish with vanilla cream and mint leaves. Yield: 8 servings.

 Flower Power Cupcakes

2/3 cup shortening

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

1-2/3 cups all-purpose flour

2½ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

2/3 cup milk

1 tablespoon grated lemon peel

Topping:

1 can (16 ounces) ready-to-spread classic white frosting

1 cup confectioners' sugar

½ teaspoon lemon extract

Food coloring, optional

1 package (1.1 pounds) rolled fondant pastel colors multi-pack

In a mixing bowl, cream shortening and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; add to the creamed mixture alternately with milk. Stir in lemon peel.

Fill paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 350° for 20-24 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool cupcakes for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

In a small mixing bowl, combine frosting, sugar, lemon extract and 2-3 drops food coloring if desired. Beat until smooth, scraping bowl frequently. Frost cooled cupcakes; reserve extra frosting.

Unroll fondant according to package directions. Cut with flower shaped fondant cut-outs or cookie cutters. Stack fondant cutouts as desired; use remaining frosting to attach fondant pieces together. Decorate cupcakes as desired. Yield: about 1-1/4 dozen.

Editor's Note: Rolled fondant and fondant cut-outs are available in craft stores near the cake decorating supplies.

Herb-Stuffed Roasted Cornish Hens

2 Cornish game hens (22 ounces each)

12 fresh sage leaves

4 lemon wedges

6 whole green onions, trimmed, divided

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon kosher salt or sea salt

¼ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

6 small red potatoes, halved

Placed hens in a greased roasting pan, breast side up. Gently lift skin from breasts and arrange sage leaves underneath the skin in a single layer. Place two lemon wedges and one green onion, cut up, into the center of cavity of each hen. Tie legs of each hen together; turn wings under backs.

In a small bowl, stir together oil, butter, lemon juice and garlic. Brush half of mixture over hens. Sprinkle hens with salt and pepper.
Bake at 375° for 30 minutes. Add potatoes and remaining whole green onions to roasting pan. Brush hens with remaining butter mixture. Bake 40-50 minutes longer or until meat juices run clear and potatoes are fork tender.

Remove hens to serving platter. Stir red potatoes and green onions to coat with pan drippings. Serve potatoes and onions with hens.

 Yield: 2-4 servings.

 Italian Herb Frittata

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut into ¼-inch thick slices

1 cup fully cooked diced ham

6 eggs

¼ cup milk

1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon Ground Black Pepper

2 medium plum tomatoes, sliced

1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

In a large ovenproof nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and zucchini; cook and stir 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add ham; cook 2 minutes.

Beat eggs, milk, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Pour into skillet. Cook, without stirring, for 5 minutes or until eggs are almost set. Arrange sliced tomatoes on top of egg mixture. Sprinkle with cheese.

Bake at 400° for 5-10 minutes or until eggs are set and cheese is lightly browned. Sprinkle with additional Italian seasoning if desired. Yield: 6 servings.

 Lemon-Nut Twists

2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons sugar

1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast

½ teaspoon salt

1/3 cup milk

¼ cup water

3 tablespoons butter

1 egg

½ cup sliced almonds, toasted

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon grated lemon peel

2 tablespoons butter, melted, divided

1 cup confectioners' sugar

4 to 5 teaspoons lemon juice

In a bowl, combine ¾ cup flour, sugar, yeast and salt. Heat milk, water and 3 tablespoons butter until warm (120°-130°). (Butter does not need to melt). Gradually add milk mixture to dry ingredients; beat 2 minutes at medium speed, scraping bowl occasionally. Add egg and ¼ cup flour; beat 2 minutes at high speed. With spoon, stir in enough of the remaining flour to form a stiff batter. Place batter in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover tightly with plastic wrap; refrigerate overnight.

Combine almonds, brown sugar and lemon peel. Remove dough from refrigerator and punch down. Roll dough to a 21-in. x 8 in. rectangle. Brush middle third of dough with 1 tablespoon melted butter. Sprinkle buttered area with half of almond-brown sugar mixture. Fold one of the remaining dough thirds over filling. Brush folded dough with remaining melted butter. Sprinkle with remaining filling. Fold remaining dough third over filling; pinch edges to seal. Cut into eight (1-in.-wide) strips. Holding each strip at both ends, twist in opposite directions three times.

Place on a greased baking sheet. Cover; let rise in a warm place until double in size, about 30-40 minutes. Bake at 375° for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from baking sheet to wire rack to cool. Combine confectioners' sugar and lemon juice. Beat until smooth. Drizzle over twists. Yield: 8 servings.

Avocado Eggs Benedict

½ cup butter

¼ cup all-purpose flour

2 cups milk

2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

1 tablespoon grated Romano cheese

½ teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon dried thyme

1/8 teaspoon each ground mustard, coriander and pepper

1 tablespoon white vinegar

6 eggs

6 slices Canadian bacon, warmed

1 large ripe avocado, peeled and sliced

3 English muffins, split and toasted

In a large saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour until smooth; gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Reduce heat; stir in the cheeses and seasonings. Cook and stir until cheese is melted; keep warm.

Place 2-3 in. of water in a large skillet with high sides; add vinegar. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer gently. Break cold eggs, one at a time, into a custard cup or saucer; holding the cup close to the surface of the water, slip each egg into water. Cook, uncovered, until egg whites are completely set and the yolks begin to thicken (but are not hard), about 3-4 minutes.

Place Canadian bacon and avocado on each muffin half. With a slotted spoon, lift each egg out of the water and place over avocado. Top with cheese sauce. Yield: 6 servings.

Buffalo Chicken Wraps

1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese

¼ cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons milk

4½ teaspoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

¼ cup lime juice

¼ cup Louisiana-style hot sauce

¼ cup honey

1 small cucumber, halved lengthwise, seeded and thinly sliced

1 celery rib, thinly sliced

¾ cup julienned carrots

8 Bibb or Boston lettuce leaves

For dressing, in a small bowl, combine the first six ingredients. Cover and refrigerate until serving.

Sprinkle chicken with salt. In a large skillet, cook chicken in oil until no longer pink. Combine the lime juice, hot sauce and honey; pour over chicken. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 2-3 minutes or until heated through. Remove chicken from the heat; stir in the sliced cucumber, celery and carrots.

Spoon ½ cup chicken mixture onto each lettuce leaf; fold sides over filling and secure with a toothpick. Serve with blue cheese dressing. Yield: 8 servings.

Chocolate-Almond Dessert Crepes

1-1/4 cups milk

3 eggs

2 tablespoons butter, melted

¾ cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

1 envelope unflavored gelatin

2 tablespoons cold water

¼ cup boiling water

1 cup sugar

½ cup baking cocoa

2 cups cold heavy whipping cream

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Chocolate fudge ice cream topping and whipped topping

½ cup sliced almonds, toasted

In a large mixing bowl, combine the milk, eggs and butter. Combine the flour, sugar and salt; add to milk mixture and beat until smooth. Cover and refrigerate for one hour.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over cold water; let stand two minutes to soften. Add boiling water; stir until gelatin is completely dissolved and mixture is clear. Cool slightly. In a large mixing bowl, mix sugar and cocoa; add cream and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until stiff peaks form. Pour in gelatin mixture; beat until well blended. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

Heat a lightly greased 8-in. nonstick skillet. Stir batter; pour ¼ cup batter into the center of skillet. Lift and tilt pan to evenly coat bottom. Cook until top appears dry; turn and cook 15-20 seconds longer. Remove to a wire rack. Repeat with remaining batter, greasing skillet as needed. Stack crepes with waxed paper or paper towels in between. Spoon or pipe chocolate filling down the center of each crepe; roll up. Drizzle with fudge topping and garnish with whipped topping. Sprinkle with almonds. Serve crepes immediately. Yield: 12 servings.