France Highlights from May 2014 /  by George Geary

France Highlights from 2014

Tuesday: (Candy Day) Prior to our breakfast many of the students went walking around the village of Seillans to the sounds of the church bells and the many trickling water fountains. Our second cooking class focused on a full menu of:

Mushroom Toasts ~Bouchees aux Champignons 

Minted Pastis Melon with Prosciutto ~Melon a la Menthe et Pastis avec Prosciutto

Rack of Lamb with Lavender Honey Crust ~ Carre d’agneau avec miel de lavandre

New Potato Gratin with Cream ~ Gratin de Pommes de Terre

Flourless Chocolate Cake ~ Gateau au Chocolat

After class we loaded into the cars to a trip to Bar su Loup. A private tour of the Confiserie Florian factory. They were making rose petal jam, glazed citrus, candies (sweets) and dipping chocolates. Above are the celmentines that get soaked for 3 weeks in a syrup, roses getting ready for sugaring, the workers are making the rose petal jam and teh pears are ready for canning also.

If you would like to have more information regarding next years tour.. Email me at ggeary@aol.com 


 

SDLiving...Apples for Fall? /  by George Geary

Today in San Diego it was going to be close to 100F. I returned from Norway and The Netherlands on Monday and jumped back to my food segments in San Diego...

Here are the recipes from this mornings segments. It was National Chocolate Shake Day to I made the same shake as last year packed for Mark the news anchor. He loves the octane!  

Also, make fresh applesauce! It your slow cooker! and these applesauce cupcakes with icing! 

Recipes

 

Also, I have a few spots for France 2015! email me at ggeary@aol.com for information! 

 

 

France 2015! 20th Anniversary May 10th! /  by George Geary

George Geary Culinary Tours:

Here is the last picture of all of us from France last May.. Happy yet sad as we had the cars packed and heading to the airport to head home, on longer vacations and a few on the train to Paris. After we returned to the office I had 2015 book solid! I have added a second week for May 10-16th. We are adding a Photographer to help us all learn how to take better pictures. Landscapes to food to people! The prices are still the same as 2009.. And you get so much more. I pick you up at the airport!

Here is the Brochure. Act now! 

 

 

Newsletter and Recipes! /  by George Geary

Deviled! Eggs.. 

Oh the taste of a good deviled egg. A month back I was at La Grande Cafe in Pasadena that claims they have the best-deviled eggs. They are great! But sometimes you want to make your own. While trying to create a chunky texture for the filling I decided to jump on the Sriracha sauce bandwagon while I was at it.. Last week while I was in Chicago at Spritzburger (Gale Gand and the Hearty Boys place). Gale and I were talking about deviled eggs. She said.. You have to try mine. She said.. I put Sriracha in them! Funny I just created a recipe too using that thick red sauce! Hers’ are creamy and piped out of a pastry bag while mine is chunky and needed to be spooned into the cavities. Both were great.. 

Here is my Recipe: Chunky Deviled Eggs

 

Do you get my newsletter: if not sign up at www.georgegeary.com 

Also, France 2015 and New Orleans 2015! Two great tours! Here is the information. 

France                       New Orleans

SD Living: WTF: Cheesecake Day /  by George Geary

WTF: "What The Food Day!"

Today on San Diego Living We celebrated National Cheesecake Day.. And who else besides me.. The author of two cheesecake books and former cheesecake maker for The Golden Girls. In past Blogs I have talked and told stories of the days making pastry and foods for many Paramount Shows and also over at Ren-Mar Stages a few blocks away.

Here are the Recipes from Today's Show:

Watermelon Rum Coolers

The Golden Girls Cheesecake (Season 3)

Mini Cheesecakes

 

Link to Classes and Tours in San Diego: Great News

 

The first week sold out so we added another week of Food in France! Here is the information! 

 

Link to my France 2015 Food, Art and Photography Tour  

Watermelon... Is it a Fruit or a Vegetable? /  by George Geary

Watermelon.. Is it a Fruit or a Vegetable? 
Watermelon is a Fruit.
 It depends on where you get your information and which you believe. Watermelon is the fruit of a plant originally from a vine of southern Africa. The watermelon fruit, loosely considered a type of melon, has a smooth exterior rind and a juicy, sweet, usually red interior flesh. 

Like the pepper, tomato, and pumpkin, watermelon is botanically a fruit. According to Webster’s dictionary and Wikipedia, a fruit is the ripened ovary of a seed plant and its contents, and a watermelon is a large oblong roundish fruit.

Consumers use watermelon primarily as a fruit because of its sweet flavor and refreshing qualities.

 

Watermelon is Also a Vegetable

According to Webster’s dictionary a vegetable is anything made or obtained from plants. Watermelon is a member of the cucurbitaceae plant family of gourds, related to the cucumber, squash, and pumpkin. It is planted from seeds or seedlings, harvested, and then cleared from the field like other vegetables. Since watermelon is grown as a vegetable crop using vegetable production systems, watermelon is considered a vegetable.

Watermelon is used as a Fruit or a Vegetable

Watermelon is popularly used as a fruit, to be a sweet enhancer or fun accompaniment to our everyday meals.  The watermelon is often cut into bite-sized squares or balled, or very often simply sliced and enjoyed.  It’s also used in the types of recipes that are created using fruit.

However, the whole watermelon is edible, even the rind.  In places like China, the watermelon is stir-fried, stewed and often pickled.  In this case, the watermelon is being used as a vegetable.  Pickled watermelon rind is also widespread in Russia.

I personally like to use seeded melon as I feel that it much more flavorful. 

Here is a great drink recipe: Watermelon Rum Punch. Try it on one of these hot summer days! 

 

France 2015! 

3 spots left on Food, Photography and France Tour! Here is the brochure! 

 

SD Living: Nat'l Chocolate Pudding Day! /  by George Geary

Who knew such a day? Nat'l Chocolate Pudding Day??

Well we will be making

Chocolate Pudding Martinis

Rich Chocolate Pudding Cake

All Live tomorrow on SD Living WB6! June 26th, 9am! I will have the show on this blog tomorrow night after the broadcast for those who do not live in San Diego! Remember.. we are LIVE and anything can happen! (Now I wonder if I have a 5 second delay??) 

Next week a newsletter going out with info on a new tour.. New Orleans and France 15B

SD Living... April 23rd, 2014.. /  by George Geary

I just returned from Africa and Europe... Today's show will focus on sweets to make ahead for a "Girl's Night Out/In". 

Here are the recipes and I will post the complete show when it is aired. 

Blood Orange Sangria

Sinful Kahlua Brownies

Banana Creme Cupcakes 

Next week I am heading to the South of France for my 19th season of tours! Ihave already started the prebooking for 2015. It will be a week in May.. If interested email me here: ggeary@aol.com. I am already 1/3 sold out! 

SD Living National Fondue Day and Selfies! /  by George Geary

Here is today's crazy show from SD Living.. Marc learned how to do “selfies” on the news for his new Facebook Page.. SO I then had to get into the action and get one of Heather, he and I as we wrapped up Valentines Day with George.

I started out with making a Chocolate Strawberry Martini, Then Raspberry Semi-Sweet Fondue and last but not least White Chocolate Macadamia Fondue.. Here also is a recipe for my Peppermint Marshmallows.

 

SD Living is on the CW Monday-Friday in San Diego California.

Here is the link to my segment.  (The picture is not of me strangling Marc.. we are doing the selfie)

Cream Chicken Soup... /  by George Geary

I am off to South America to join the World Cruise! I thought for most of the counrty taht is in a deep freeze you would need a hearty and flavorful soup to warm those bones!

See you upon return! We have France spots left And I will let you know about my upcoming TV Shows on the CW in San Diego.. 

Recipe

 

On the set last week.. 

 

Happy New Year! Jarlsberg Cheese on SD Living! /  by George Geary

Happy New Year! In a few days we will ring in a new year. Tomorrow I will be doing my New Years Eve Segment on Jarlsberg Cheese and also Hibiscus Flowers. Here are the links to the recipes. Pictures will follow after the show.

If you are in the San Diego area. The show is on the CW6 SD Living at 9am.

White Chocolate Hibiscus Mist Drink 

Roasted Garlic and Onion Jarlsberg Cheese Dip

Caramelized Onion Jarlberg Bruschetta

Jarlsberg Cheese Red Pepper Salsa

 

 

Day 9: The Flavors of Christmas.. Eggnog /  by George Geary

Eggnog! I purchase the liquid gold from the only dairy left in Los Angeles. At one point LA has 22 dairies with cows.. Now only one is left with the cows outside of the city limits. Today I conducted my Holiday Flower Market Tour from San Diego.. One of our stops we savored the eggnog! Its a difficult product to get outside of the LA area.. But here is the information.. Broguiere Dairy in Montebello. 323-726-0524. Its teh fourth generation French family that produces many milk products.

 

Todays recipes are eggnog cookies and eggnog cheesecake.  Enjoy!

EggNog Cookies 

EggNog Cheesecake

Day 7: The Flavors of Christmas... Butter /  by George Geary

Butter.

Yes... a flavor! I have created a Hot Butter Rum Drink and also a French Butter Cookie that is so light! Enjoy! I think you will love these recipes. 

Salt vs Unsalted butter. First I kid and say I used unsalted because I am worried about your health. Really do you know how much salt is in butter? I don't either.. So I use unsalted so I can use the amount of salt I feel is best. Also, salted butter last longer so grocery stores can keep it on the shelve longer. 

Hot Buttered Rum

French Butter Cookies. 

Day 6: The Flavors of Christmas…. Vanilla! /  by George Geary

Vanilla...

Only second in line to Chocolate.. (Notice how this entire 12 days started with Chocolate?). I have enclosed a simple custard recipe. Also, I want everyone to make their own vanilla extract. I have attached a few pages on facts of this only edible orchid plant and some stories of the vanilla regions I have been fortunate to tour and visit.

Also, if you make your own vanilla, you need the perfect bottles! I have found them and below is the link for those. And a great price! 

Tomorrows flavor is...Butter! And I just purchased 5 pounds of european butter today! 

Here is the link to the Hibiscus Holiday Show I did for SD Living: LINK

Vanilla Facts Vanilla Extract Vanilla Custards

6 beautiful bottles! You will want to start making my Limonchello (recipe on this blog).