An Iron Chef's Macaroni and Cheese

Oh Michael Symon, how you have captured the hearts of Clevelanders and now the world (or at least the entire Food Network viewership). On a recent trip to Lolita in Tremont, Chase and I had once again a great experience at a @chefsymon restaurant. Lolita is welcoming, with warm colors, natural textures and a comfortable atmosphere, which we fully enjoyed. With an open bar/kitchen where you can watch some of your food being made, Lolita is a great place to meet friends for happy hour or take your one and only for a much needed date night. From delicious small plates, such as crispy chicken livers (don't be afraid, the best appetizer I've had in a long time, I promise!) to cured meats, Lolita has many options for all different tastes.

The Cleveland Iron Chef's Macaroni and Cheese

In my life I would have to say that no matter the person I've come across, everyone has loved macaroni and cheese. I'll have to admit that I have never been a fan of the typical boxed mac n'cheese. I've often found myself adding a can of stewed tomatoes and chopped up bacon (my mom's secret recipe), anything to hide that powdered cheddar cheese...iiccckk! So if you haven't already tried to make your own macaroni and cheese, here is my endorsement. You can do it! Make it rich, creamy and worth every penny!

At many Michael Symon restaurants you can indulge in the creamiest of mac n'cheeses. Made with local goat cheese and savory chicken, this is not your typical macaroni and cheese (thank god!).  This is a published recipe so I'll have to admit it was easier for me to recreate this meal. Here is the recipe:

6 (6-ounce) boneless skinless chicken breasts

2 tablespoons Hungarian paprika

1 tablespoon kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 quart heavy cream

2 tablespoons of fresh rosemary

2 pounds of cooked rigatoni or other favorite pasta

6 ounces Lake Erie Creamery goat cheese (or your local favorite)

1. Season chicken breasts with paprika salt and pepper and set aside
2. Heat olive oil in large saute pan and place chicken in it browning on both sides
3. Place in 400-degree oven for 8 to10 minutes
4. Remove from oven and let cool then dice into large pieces
5. Heat cream in large saucepan, add herbs, salt, and pepper and reduce by half
6. Add the cooked pasta, cheese and cooked chicken and simmer for 2 minutes
7. Remove from heat and serve.

The Macaroni and Cheese I made from the above recipe

So step out of the traditional mac n'cheese box and try this exceptional recipe. I promise you will enjoy (even my mother who doesn't like goat cheese did).

Garden Gazpacho

G A Z P A C H O... the word sounds so foreign and unknown to many of us. A usually tomato-based, cold vegetable soup, gazpacho is a great escape from your every day meal. Recently, I had the pleasure of taking a personal trip to AMP 150 Bar and Restaurant, searching for blog inspiration. The entire meal was a taste bud fiesta, filled with amazing dishes that truly entertained AMP 150's "farm to table" promise. A true experience, I honestly enjoyed all three of my courses, taking two and a half hours of time to myself, indulging and savoring every bite.

Garden Gazpacho at AMP 150

For my first course I chose the garden gazpacho. It came highly recommended by my very kind and helpful waitress and I really hadn't had gazpacho in years. I was in love with the presentation, a great start to any meal. Opening the jar filled with luscious golden gazpacho, adding as much olive oil breadcrumbs and shrimp escabeche as I wanted, was a fun and entertaining experience.

Then came the first bite...wow! What complex flavors! The fresh veggies, the acidic vinegar, I loved discovering this gazpacho, unfolding it layer by layer.

At that moment I knew I had to try to recreate this delicious soup.

After doing some research into the different kinds of gazpacho, and pondering on the tasty flavors of the garden gazpacho at AMP 150, I've created a garden gazpacho recipe that I am proud of. To make this gazpacho I wanted to use fresh veggies from Pickering Hill Farms Market in Avon, these would be the base of my soup. Such beautiful, ripe colors, and fresh basil. Instead of just using plum tomatoes, I decided to use some heirloom tomatoes as well.

The fresh veggies and basil for the garden gazpacho

Here is what you will need to recreate AMP 150's amazing garden gazpacho at home:

• 2 sprigs of fresh basil leaves, or 1 1/2 tablespoon of dried basil
• 1 tsp parsley
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 green pepper
• 1 large cucumber
• 3 plum tomatoes
• 3 heirloom tomatoes
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 4 slices plain white bread, take off the crust, soak in water and then squeeze out the water

Cut the veggies into large pieces and put everything above into a food processor and turn it on until all of the ingredients get thoroughly chopped and blended together. If you have a smaller food processor you may have to split the recipe in two or four to blend together, but not a problem, work with what you have. You can also use a blender, but chop up the veggies smaller before you blend them. Put all of the blended gazpacho into a container and put in the fridge for at least an hour or overnight if you can.

While your gazpacho is cooling you can make breadcrumbs, which add a great pop and crunch to the soup.  Either cut up crusty italian/stale white bread into cubes, place on a baking pan and cover in olive oil, baking on low broil until golden brown on all sides, then place in food processor and grind up. Or you can get classic croutons and put them into the food processor and grind up as well. If you are a fan of shrimp like I am, just get a bag of frozen tiny shrimp, de-thaw, pat dry with a paper towel and add to your gazpacho. Serve cold from the fridge, and add the breadcrumbs and shrimp to your taste. Enjoy!

My Garden Gazpacho presentation!