Personal Chef Ronald Hillger

Earthquake Cookies Chocolate Crinkle Cookies) Total time: 1 hour, plus at least 8 hours chilling time Hands-on time: 40 minutes... These chocolate earthquake cookies, a chocolate dough is rolled into balls, then into powdered sugar before baking. The cracks form naturally as the leaveners expand the dough when exposed to heat in the oven. Ingredients 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon fleur de sel or kosher salt 1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 1/4-inch cubes 1 1/2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar 2 large eggs 8 ounces extra-bittersweet chocolate (70% cacao), melted and cooled 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/3 cup whole milk 1-1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar 1-1/2 cups granulated sugar Method Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt; set aside. Combine the butter and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until light and very fluffy, about 5 minutes. Scrape the bowl. Lower the speed and add the eggs one at a time, scraping between additions. Still on low speed, add the chocolate. Mix until well combined, about 1 minute. Add the vanilla to the mix. Staying on low speed, alternate adding the flour mixture and the milk. Begin and end with the flour mixture in three additions, scraping the bowl between additions. Transfer the dough, which will resemble very wet batter, to a bowl; cover and refrigerate at least overnight, and up to 1 week. Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Put the confectioners’ sugar and the granulated sugar in separate bowls. Use a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop or portion scoop and shape the cookies into a ball. Roll each ball into the granulated sugar first and then into the confectioners’ sugar, coating completely. Place the cookies onto the prepared baking sheet 1/2-inch apart. Bake until puffed and cracked and just set around the edges, 14 to 16 minutes. The centers will still be soft and appear under-baked. Cool completely on the baking sheet. Serve right away or store in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Yield: 2 dozen cookies

Do you know what a food stylist is ? A food stylist is someone who showcases food for photography, video, or film.A food stylist's job is to arrange food so that it looks appealing, tasty, and fresh.Professional food stylists have several tricks to make food appear as delicious as possible: Meat will often look much smaller or even shrivelled when it is cooked completely due to loss of moisture. To avoid this, meat will only be cooked until it 'looks' done. Many food stylists... will use paint brushes to apply edible glazes to foods like cake to give them some sheen. To keep food upright (for eg., a stack of pancakes, or a hamburger), wooden skewers or toothpicks can be inserted in order to stabilize the food. Putty or wax can be placed between the food and a hard surface to keep it from rolling away or tipping. To make certain drinks look bubbly or to make whipped eggs look frothy, bubbles are often used. Faux ice cubes don’t melt in warm environments, and are often used instead of regular ice cubes in drinks or for dishes like shrimp cocktail. Dye and paint is often brushed on after the food has been prepared to give it better colour. For example, chickens and turkeys sometimes get that golden brown fresh from the oven look from wood stain or shoe polish. Real pancake syrup can be difficult to photograph, so motor oil is sometimes used in its place. Fast drying glue can be used to reassemble crumbled food, and ordinary white glue can be used as a replacement for milk in a bowl of cereal. So, next time you order that great looking burger and it don't look like the picture................................... See more

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The French Fry it is not clear where or when the now familiar deep-fried batons or fingers of potato were first prepared. In the early 20th century, the term "french fried" was being used in the sense of "deep-fried" In my experience the "double fry" method is best, my time at Musso and Frank was the best way - In the morning a prep cook would do the first part- when all three types were prepped for dinner service were panned up and awaited an order tho drop into the fryer. ...there three were shoestring, 3/8 cut, steak fries. Best French Fry Recipe Ingredients 4 (4 to 5-inches long) russet potatoes (about 2 pounds) 2 quarts canola oil or peanot oil 1 tablespoons fine sea salt Directions Peel potatoes on the sides, leaving the ends with the skin on. Cut the potatoes into 1/3-inch slices and then slice into 1/3-inch sticks. (in the industry we call this "natural cut") Fill a large bowl with water and soak potatoes, submerged, for at least 30 minutes. This will help remove the excess starch from the potatoes and keep them from oxidizing. Heat a heavy deep pan with oil to 325 degrees F. Remove potatoes from the water, and pat dry to remove excess water. Add 2 handfuls of potatoes to hot oil. There should be at least 1-inch of oil above the potatoes. Par cook until potatoes are light brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove potatoes, gently shaking off excess oil and let drain on rack. Repeat until all of the potatoes are par cooked. Raise heat of oil to 350 degrees F. Cook potatoes again, 2 handfuls at a time, until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Remove from oil, shake off excess oil, and season lightly in a bowl with salt.. Repeat until all potatoes are cooked.

What is a Cobbler ? Cobbler is a dish consisting of a fruit or savory filling poured into a large baking dish and covered with a batter, biscuit, or dumpling (in the United Kingdom) before being baked. Some cobbler recipes, especially in the American South, resemble a thick-crusted, deep-dish pie with both a top and bottom crust. Cobbler is part of the cuisine of the United Kingdom and United States, and should not be confused with a crumble. Here is a great one : Fresh South...ern Peach Cobbler Ingredients 8 fresh peaches - peeled, pitted and sliced into thin wedges cup white sugar cup brown sugar teaspoon ground cinnamon teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice 2 teaspoons cornstarch 1 cup all-purpose flour cup white sugar cup brown sugar 1 teaspoon baking powder teaspoon salt 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces cup boiling water Directions Step 1 Preheat oven to 425 degrees F Step 2 In a large bowl, combine peaches, 1/4 cup white sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice, and cornstarch. Toss to coat evenly, and pour into a 2 quart baking dish. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes. Step 3 Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine flour, 1/4 cup white sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, baking powder, and salt. Blend in butter with your fingertips, or a pastry blender, until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in water until just combined. Step 4 Remove peaches from oven, and drop spoonfuls of topping over them. Sprinkle entire cobbler with the sugar and cinnamon mixture. Bake until topping is golden, about 30 minutes.

During my time at Santa Anita Race Track they hosted the annual Greek Festival. I was happy to oversee all the Greek volunteers that came in to cook all thier specialties. The Greeks were so much fun to work with and a great experience to see all the authentic dishes. One that stood out was the Spanakopita (spinach pie) Check the tasty recipe below :... Spanakopita (/spænkpt, -ko-/; Greek: , from spanáki 'spinach', and píta 'pie') is a Greek savory spinach pie, typically made with feta cheese.[1] It may be called spanakotiropita 'spinach-cheese-pie' to emphasize the presence of cheese. INGREDIENTS 1 package filo dough, thawed overnight in the refrigerator* 3 10-ounce packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed (or use 2 16-ounce packages) 1 bunch fresh scallions or 1 medium onion, chopped 1 bunch fresh dill, chopped 2 sticks unsalted butter 1 pound goat or sheep milk feta cheese, crumbled 2 cups cottage cheese Handful of grated parmesan cheese 3 large eggs + 1 extra yolk INSTRUCTIONS Melt 6 Tbs. butter in a sauté pan and add scallions and dill. Saute until transparent. Squeeze excess water from the spinach. You can use a dish towel to wring out the moisture. Beat the 3 whole eggs in a large mixing bowl and add the spinach, sautéed scallions and dill, feta, cottage cheese, and grated cheese. Mix well together. Melt remaining butter. Brush the bottom of a 13x9 baking dish with melted butter. Place 10 sheets of filo dough one sheet at a time into the baking dish, brushing each sheet with melted butter. Put filling into baking dish. Add 10 more sheets of filo dough, buttering each one. Beat the egg yolk and brush the top sheet of filo with the egg. Cut into squares before baking (12 or so). Bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour or until golden brown.

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Do you like Avocado Toast, so many variations Here's One : Bacon Avocado Toast... 4 slices crusty Italian bread, cut 1" thick 4 slices bacon 2 ripe avocado lime, juiced tsp fresh garlic, minced 4 cherry tomatoes, diced 1 tbsp freshly chopped cilantro kosher salt + black pepper Instructions Preheat oven to 400F. Place parchment paper on baking sheet and lay bacon on top. Bake for 20 minutes or until crispy. Remove and place bacon on paper-lined plate. Reserve bacon grease. Heat large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tbsp bacon grease. (If you don't have bacon grease, use butter). Toast the bread for about 2-3 minutes on one side or until golden brown. Add another tbsp bacon grease or butter and flip the bread to toast for another 2-3 minutes. Remove and set aside. In a medium bowl, mash the avocado with some salt and pepper. Add juice from lime. Taste if you need more salt. Spread each slice of toast with cup of mashed avocado. Sprinkle on some tomatoes and cilantro. Break one piece of bacon in half and place on top. Serve immediately.

This Halloween some of us are going to need a stiff drink, would a classic Bloody Mary do the trick ? Have you seen or had one with a bizarre garnish ?

When I lived in Nevada I entered in a Chili Cook-off, The International Chili Society didn't like the large chunks of meat in mine, but the crowd loved it. I found these things are a littel rigged, a group of 10 or so travel to all these things and take turns winning. Regardless this was so much fun ! From my Cookbook "What's Cooking ? "... Chili Cook-off Chile Verde Ingredients 4 pounds pork butt, trimmed and cut into 2 inch cubes 1 tablespoon seasoned salt 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 3/4 cup canola oil 1 1/2 cup sweet onions, minced 1 cup green onions, minced 2 green bell peppers cut, into 1 inch cubes 2 polio Chile’s cut into 1 inch cubes 2 Anaheim Chile’s cut into 1 inch cubes 2 jalapeno’s seeded and finely chopped 4 garlic cloves, minced 1 1/2 pounds peeled tomatillos, cleaned roasted and chopped 1 tablespoon oregano 2 teaspoons ground cumin 2 teaspoons ground coriander 2 bay leaves 3 1/2 cups chicken stock 1 cup of cilantro, chopped 1 bottle Corona beer 1 tablespoon kosher salt 1 tablespoon ground black pepper Cornstarch slurry (1/2 cup cornstarch, stirred into 1/4 cup water) Directions in a large bowl add pork, sprinkle seasoned salt over pork and toss, add flour, toss to coat. In a large Dutch oven, add oil heat on high heat, add pork browning meat on all sides, add onions and peppers and sweat over medium heat. Add all Chile’s and garlic cook 3 minutes, stirring. Add tomatillos, herbs and cilantro, add chicken stock then beer. Bring to boil and reduce to simmer. Cook 1 1/2 hours or until meat is tender. Adjust seasoning. Add cornstarch slurry and stir to get sauce smooth and silky, Serves 12 This chili was entered into International Chili Cook-off

When I write a book, i need to be in my mojo with no distractions, clear mind, fresh imagination, so I hope that kids book gets done soon, on the other hand I finished my 5th book, this one dedicated to "The Crest Lounge" which is not 100% distributed and only at a soft sell, because of the current market were in right now. "The Crest Lounge" is an old landmark bar,... The Forewor The Crest is that perfect neighborhood spot where everyone comes together for conversation dr...inks, a steak or burger, or some snacks. This full service bar is also known for great drinks and best prices in town. From the early 1970s this Temple City icon has been known for their famous bargain top sirloin steak dinner with a baked potato and sour cream, butter and a side salad, and the quality has never changed after all these years. Along the way some snacks and appetizers have been added along with The Big D' Burger that owner Daryll Fish has added and it has become a big hit. There will be a special added here often, and always something for that special holiday or if owner Dayrll prepares some of his special smoked meats. With breakfast on the weekends or a special event you can always find that Crest fix your looking for. This cookbook will serve Justice to this so called "Dive Bar" that has the locals and customers from word of mouth coming from a near or far. See more

So I've always wanted to make a cookbook for kids, or the funny way kids eat foods, like taking toppons off of pizza, leaving crust on a sandwich, eating a hamburger from the top of the bun. So many inspirations from grandaughter Lucy

How Many Ways to Make a Burger What is Your Favorite ? https://www.tasteofhome.com/collection/burger-toppings/

Here is a great breakfast/brunch idea from my book What’s Cooking? Green Chile and Ham Frittata Full flavor and best for brunch ... Ingredients 1 cup cooked potato, diced small 2/3 cup ham, thin sliced, then cubed small 2 green onions, chopped 14 ounces can of diced green Chile's 1/4 cup vegetable oil 6 eggs, beaten 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 tablespoon ground black pepper 1/4 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 cup half & half 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded 1 ounce melted butter 6 cilantro sprigs Directions Preheat oven to 400 Degrees Using an iron skillet on medium high heat, add potatoes and cook until brown, add ham and cook another 2 minutes. Add green onions and Chile's, stir then turn off heat, place ingredients into bowl, set aside. Clean skillet. In a large bowl, mix the eggs with salt, pepper, baking powder and half and half, mix until well mixed. Take skillet and brush melted butter on bottom and sides, add egg mixture, then add potato, ham, Chile mixture. Stir gently to spread evenly, top with shredded cheese. Bake at 400 for 5 minutes, then turn down heat to 325 degrees and continue to bake for 35 minutes or until cheese just starts to bubble. Let sit for 5 minutes, cut into 6 pie square style pieces, Top with cilantro sprigs. Serve with your favorite salsa. Serves 6

Hello all: Here is a recipe from my cookbook "VIP Appetizers" Wine Country Cabernet Sliders ... The Ingredients 3 cups Cabernet Sauvignon 3 tablespoons shallots, shallots 2 tablespoons soft unsalted butter 1 tablespoon brown sugar 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped 1 1/2 pounds ground chuck 1/ 2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper 3 ounces olive oil 6 fresh rosemary rolls (dinner roll size) The Steps In a medium saucepan on medium-high heat, add the wine, shallots, butter, brown sugar and thyme. Keep warm. Bring to boil, then lower heat to a simmer and continue to simmer until sauce reduces by half, about 10 minutes, remove from heat, reserve. Form ground chuck into flat 4 ounce burgers, season with salt and pepper and brush with olive oil. In a medium size skillet on high heat add burgers and cook on both sides until medium well, about 2-3 minutes per side. Remove from heat, let rest 2 minutes. Cut rolls in half, plate bottom portion of roll, add burgers to each, top with cabernet sauce, then serve.

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Hello All : Here's one from my cookbook #4 "Epicurious & Healthy" Western Cajun Barbecue Shrimp... Ingredients 2 pounds jumbo shrimp (peeled and deveined) cup extra virgin olive oi l2 tablespoons minced onion 2 cloves minced garlic 2 teaspoon cajun seasoning 1 teaspoon ground black pepper 2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce 2 tablespoons hot pepper sauce 1 teaspoon ketchup2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice cup chicken broth Directions using a large skillet on medium heat, add olive oil, onion and garlic, cookuntil translucent, add cajun seasoning and black pepper, cook 1 minuteadd worcestershire, hot pepper sauce, ketchup and lemon juice, stir andcook a few seconds, add shrimp, cook a minute, or until shrimp starts to turn pink, add chicken stock, serveserve with whole grain rice and fresh vegetable Serves 6 Footnote : eating hot and spicy foods help metabolism and can help as an antioxidant

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For years I have done food with wine pairings, sometime it's very intimidating it's always best to keep it simple, see the chart I have attached

Here is a favorite recipe from my 2nd cookbook "What's Cooking' i got alot of great feedback from this one from readers. Butter Seared Scallops over Broccoli Tenders... Buttery rich scallops pick up the flavor of the fresh thyme Ingredients 1 pound fresh sea scallops, rinsed 3 tablespoons unsalted butter 4 sprigs fresh thyme 1/4 teaspoon each kosher salt and ground black pepper 1/4 cup dry vermouth 1 teaspoon lemon juice 6 ounce fresh broccoli tenders (slightly blanched) Directions In a large nonstick pan on low heat add 2 tablespoons of the butter, melt then add thyme leaves to coat with butter. Season scallops with salt and pepper, change heat to medium- high, remove thyme, reserve, add scallops and sear on both sides 3-4 minutes, remove from pan, reserve, add broccoli and sauté for 1 minute. Remove from heat, reserve, pour vermouth to pan and deglaze, add scallops back to pan, add 1 tablespoon butter, on high heat finish scallops off in pan basting for 2 minutes. Plate: Set broccoli onto 4 plates, divide scallops onto the plates, add thyme and sprinkle with lemon juice, serve. Serves 4 as an appetizer

How to cook the best steak Great cuts for grilling are Rib Eye, Top Sirloin or New York Strip Season steak with kosher salt and pepper on both sides ... Using a gas grill on high heat Use a good pair of tongs, quickly lay the steak on the grill, in order to get a good sear, you won’t want to move the steak for a few minutes, Cooking times vary based on temperature preference, but for medium rare: a 1-inch steak takes about 4-5 minutes a side, and a 2-inch steak about 9 minutes a side. When flipping the steak always use that handy pair of tongs and not a fork. A fork would pierce the steak and let the juices escape We went through so much trouble to seal in the juices with a great sear, so we don’t Want to lose them, now turn the steak at a 45-degree angle a quarter of the way through cooking. Then flip at the halfway mark, and repeat the process Follow this estimated grilling temperature guide Extra-rare or Bleu 80-100F Rare 120-125F Medium Rare 130-135F Medium 140-145 Medium Well 150-155F Well Done 160-175F Now, this is REALLY important: let that steak rest about 5 minutes Se

Here is a healthy salad from my cookbook "Epicurious & Healthy" Balsamico Kale Salad Ingredients... cup slivered almonds 1 bunch of kale cup plus 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons honey 1 tablespoon ground walnuts 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice 1 teaspoon sea salt teaspoon fresh ground pepper cup dried cranberries (slightly chop) cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese Directions using a small saucepan on medium heat, toast slivered almonds until slightly toasted remove from heat, set asidewash kale and pat dry trim kale of all inside stalk of mid rb and only use the leaves stacking bunches leaves on top of each other, slice in rows, similar to a thick julienne shape, place in large bowl, set aside using a small bowl, add balsamic vinegar, slowly add olive oil, whisking then add honey, ground walnuts, lemon juice, salt and pepper whisk well until incorporated, chill for 1 hour to serve : whisk dressing 1 more time, then add to kale and toss until coated add dried almonds and cranberries and toss again to coat all together sprinkle parmesan on top, serve. kale being one of the world's healthiest foods loaded with dietary fiber and vitamins a, b, c and k