Fantasy Top Chef & Vegetarian Cuisine

Fantasy Top Chef
Fantasy Top Chef

Yes, I’m a day late.  But last night I was assisting in the teaching of a class with Jasper Mirabile at the Kansas City Culinary Institute.  We made a ton of ziti.  It was great for dinner after class.  And lunch today.

But without furhter ado, we have some business to take care of:

The fantasy Top Chef standings:

Me: 22
Michele: 19
Josh: 14
Debbie: 13
Karen: 13
Colleen: 11
Elise: 8

Elise doesn’t talk to me anymore.  *Sigh* 

Oh, and word to the wise…if you ever get into a league with Michele, don’t talk trash with her.  She’s a pro.  I was duly impressed.

Also, for my fantasy top chef knockout pool I had Robin.  Yay me!  Still it in.

——–

Here is the part of the post where I talk about food lessons from the show.  What did I take from last night’s episode?  Vegetarian food rocks! 

Well that, and apparently for all the time I was vegetarian I was subhuman.  Thanks Eli!  At least I know you’re going home to parent’s house soon.  (Kidding…)

Anyway, like Robin, I was made a little giddy by the prospect of all that awesome veggie produce in the walk-in.  Especially all the mushrooms.  I love mushrooms.  And eggplant.  I feel I could have created a dish with all that that might have made Natalie Portman smile.  But, there was something that caught me.  There was no tofu in that walk in.  No seitan and probably no vital wheat gluten.  No tempeh.  No Match Meat.  WTF???

I actually sat there for a minute, thinking about what I would make and I panicked.  I had no idea what to do with out my meat replacers.  How could I possible make vegetarian cuisine without my meat replacers???

Then I calmed down and started thinking like a Voltaggio (kidding.  Technically I should say I was thinking like Kevin during lent)…and some ideas started flowing.  Had I been standing in CraftSteak, I’m pretty sure my menu would have looked like this: a trio of ravioli, one mushroom, one pea, and one eggplant out of homemade pasta and serve them on a bed of alfredo and red pepper marinara.  Maybe a side of balsamic roasted carrots.  I think I could have made a happy vegetarian or two with that menu.

Recipe for Homemade Pasta
Mushroom andEggplant Filling
Pea Filling
Alreado Sauce
Homemade Pasta Sauce

Maybe I’ll make it one day.  Natalie, call me?

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