Coastal Cooking with Chef Michael Hutchings

Macaroons de Paris - Success!

Raspberry Macaroons and Coconut Macaroons

The most allusive of the petit fours to make are the classic Parisian macaroons. What could be simpelier than a meringue that has almond flour and sugar folded into it with some sort of flavoring and maybe coloring? Well, the devil is in the details. I have had more failures over a couple of decades than I care to mention. They have been: too flat, grainy, too soft, dull, overcooked, with dimples, without the "foot," too soft and cracked. I have blamed the ingredients, the weather, overmixing, undermixing, overcooking, bad oven and humidity.

I recently bought every book out there on the now very fashionable Parisian macaroons as well as watching numerous videos on You Tube. One book touts the final step of "macaronnage" whereby the final mix is pressed into the side of the bowl some 15 times. Mind you, do not do it 20 times or you risk failure.

Finally, I have found one method that produces consistently good results. THe distinction is that the recipe calls for Swiss style meringue. This is a meringue made by cooking sugar to soft ball stage, 240 degrees F., the pouring it onto whipped egg whites. The other distinction is that powdered egg whites are added to the almond-powdered sugar mixture and a little water is added at the last minute to form a sort of paste. THe recipe follows. Try it, if you dare.

 

Chef Michael Hutchings

Michael's Catering

Santa Barbara, CA

 

 

Dinner for Spring

It's spring and a man's fancy turns to...

 

In this case it turns to fresh, local foods that reflect the season. At a recent dinner party we prepared this light, fresh and simple menu for 20-some guests at a newly finished estate. We served vine ripe tomatoes with fresh basil, basil oil and reduced balsamic vinegar and bocconccini (baby mozzarella).

Main course was a local halibut fillet with lemon-herb butter emulsion, baby squashes and carrots all set on a saffron rice pasta with peas. The halibut came off a day boat and was simply sauteed in butter with a dusting of flour.

Dessert capped the dinner off with Christine's Warm Chocolate Velvet Cake with raspberries. My pastry-chef wife gave me the recipe for this cake and it is a delicious dessert.

Tastefully,

 

CHef Michael

Michael's Catering

Santa Barbara

 

 Caprese Salad with Basil Oil and Reduced Balsamic Vinegar

Local Line-Caught Halibut with Simple Garnishes

Christine's Warm Chocolate Velvet Cake

Transition House Benefit - Mad Hatter Luncheon

Ladies in Hats - Christine Dahl and Patricia 

I was happy to be on the receiving end of a catered luncheon today. The Transition House held its annual Mad Hatter Luncheon today at the Santa Barbara Four Seasons Biltmore. I donated a dinner for 10 in keeping with the Provençale theme as well as a luncheon at The Hangar and one of my sculpted trees. I am happy to report that the dinner brought in over $1500 and the other items another $1600!

Transition House assists families in need. The Mission: "Transition House is dedicated to the solution of family homelessness in the Santa Barbara community. Capable and motivated families with children are offered respectful, non-sectarian residential services and the life skills needed to alleviate their poverty, and to restore self-sufficiency and dignity."

Missy Sheldon and her crew did a great job organizing the event. There was musical entertainment, a magician and artist doing fun portraits. For more information on Transition House or to make a donation, click on the link above.

Tastefully

 

Chef Michael

Michael's Catering

Caricature of Chef Michael Hutchings by Entera the Artist

 Caricature of Christine Dahl - Christine Dahl Pastries

Harbor Lights and tasting by the Sea

Chef Michael Hutchings and Iron Chef Cat Cora

I was recently a judge at a food event with Iron Chef Cat Cora. The event was a benefit for the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum. Cindy Makela of the Santa Barbara Olive fame chaired the event. The evening was a sort of grand cocktail party with restaurants, caterers, pastry chefs, wineries and spirit distillers.

Cat Cora and I had the "tough" task of tasting all the offerings and coming up with best in categories of savory, sweet, wine and cocktail. Wisely, we chose to judge the cocktails last! Top awards went to Rincon Catering for their Hamburger Shooters, Spoon for their delicious ice creams, Alma Rosa for their biodymics local wines and Double Cross for their vodka martini with a truffle-cheese olive from Santa Barbara Olive company.

Auction items included a party for 140 aboard the Condor Express donated by Fred and Hiroko Benk; two-hour sunset cruise on the Martime Museum's Ranger; and a cruise for 12 aboard the Casa Blanca, courtsey of Ken Clements and Elisabeth Kleen.

Both Cat Cora and myself scored big on silent auction items. I won a deluxe classic fishing pole that Hemingway would have envied and Cat Cora won a decorative surf board.

Ahoi Matey

 

Chef Michael Hutchings

 

Big Kahuna Iron Chef Cat Cora

Old Man and the Sea Chef Michael Hutchings

 

 

 

Great Easter Cake

Easter Cake

My very talented wife, pastry chef Christine Dahl, make an amazing Easter cake. It is like a Wilton cake on steroids. The cake base and filling varies with client request but I think the chiffon cake with a lemon curd filling befits the theme. The decoration is a series of butter cream swirls that surround the cake.

Best wishes to all.

 

Chef Michael