Coastal Cooking with Chef Michael Hutchings: January 2016

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January 2016

January 23, 2016

The Inn Crowd with Chef Michael Hutchings on HMS Queen Mary

Craig Case, host of The Inn Crowd, and Chef Michael Hutchings welcomes Commodore Everette Hoard to The Inn Crowd show. We were treated to a private tour and taped the show in the Queen's Salon aboard the HMS Queen Mary. Commodore Hoard conducted a private tour of the ship and related details of the glory days of transatlantic travel, the ships construction and fabulous collection of art Deco.

This is a two part show. The first episode's menu features a composite menu from the old cruise menus. The starter is an appetizer of cold poached eggs set on a salad of smoked salmon on an artichoke bottom plus a truffle-salmon garnish. The entree is a sort of fisherman's stew called "Soup of the Seven Seas." Shellfish and fin fish are poached in a savory broth with white wine. Dessert is a passion fruit mousse set in an almond-caramel basket.

Episode two's menu is first cabin all the way. Trout with cucumbers and saffron rice start this dinner. The entree is a grand old recipe, Pheasant under glass. And to finish, a martini glass with berries and sable cookies.

Join is on The Inn Crowd Saturdays at 8:30 on ABC affiliate KEY channel 3. View the show on-line at the Santa Barbara News Press. Look to the right side of the web page for a link to the show. YTS Digital Films filmed and directed this show. Please note, air time is occasionally changed do to programing decisions at the station.

Put on your apron, grab your whisk and fire up the oven and don't forget your passport. I'll provide the recipes and the rest is up to you. See you on board in the kitchen.

Tastefully,

Chef Michael Hutchings

The Berry Man Produce

A special thanks to The Berry Man Produce for providing the great produce for our show!

Photo Credits William Conlin YTS Video Productions, unless otherwise noted.

Posted by Michael Hutchings at 04:32 PM in Art, Food, Drink, Recipes, The Inn Crowd Cooking Show | Permalink | Comments (0)

January 17, 2016

The Inn Crowd broadcast Error

Due to a broadcast technical issue some viewers may have experienced issues with last night's episode. This episode will be rerun on KEYT Channel 3 on February 6, 2016 so that our viewers may enjoy it again without issue. In the meantime, please enjoy all previous episodes from this season streaming on newspress.tv in the food section and stay tuned next week for another exciting new episode of The Inn Crowd.

Chef Michael Hutchings

Posted by Michael Hutchings at 04:08 PM in The Inn Crowd Cooking Show | Permalink | Comments (0)

January 15, 2016

The Inn Crowd Cooking Show with Chef Michael Hutchings and Guest Earl Armstrong

Earl Armstrong, Chef Michael Hutchings, Host Craig Case

Craig Case, host of The Inn Crowd, and Chef Michael Hutchings welcomes Earl Armstrong. Earl is the principle of the contracting firm Armstrong Associates.

Armstrong Associates provides a broad range of building, consulting, and construction services offering simple to elaborate commercial and residential construction. We excel at assisting architectural firms with timely, cost-effective design and budget criteria, while working closely with clients, government agencies, and the general public to ensure that the project requirements are met.

For the menu, I went to Italy. Actually I went to my vast culinary library of some 2,000 books and referenced a classic called Great Italian Cooking by Luigi Carnacina. For this episode we made a Tuscan Kale soup reminiscent of a minestrone. The main dish features braised pork shanks with porcini, polenta and broccolini. Dessert was slightly non traditional. We made sweet crepes (crespelle) with caramelized apples and a caramel sauce. THhe wine are supplied by the Foley Family vineyards.

Join is on The Inn Crowd Saturdays at 6:30 on ABC affiliate KEY channel 3. View the show on-line at the Santa Barbara News Press. Look to the right side of the web page for a link to the show. YTS Digital Films filmed and directed this show.

Put on your apron, grab your whisk and fire up the oven. I'll provide the recipes, the rest is up to you. See you on the kitchen.

Tastefully,

Chef Michael Hutchings

Soup copy

The Berry Man Produce

A special thanks to The Berry Man Produce for providing the great produce for our show!

Photo Credits William Conlin YTS Video Productions, unless otherwise noted.

Summer Truffles

The Inn Crowd - Firing Up The Stove

Posted by Michael Hutchings at 04:47 PM in Food, Drink, Recipes, The Inn Crowd Cooking Show | Permalink | Comments (0)

January 13, 2016

The Inn Crowd Visits Santa Barbara City College with Chef Michael Hutchings

Craig Case, host of The Inn Crowd, and Chef Michael Hutchings welcomes culinary director Chef Randy Bublitz and student chef John Stabin to The Inn Crowd show. John is given a one on one lesson after a trip the The Berry Man Produce to select a basket of fresh vegetables. Chef Randy is the head of the culinary department at the Santa Barbara City College and graciously hosted the episode in the teaching kitchen at the college.

About the City College Culinary Arts Program: "The School of Culinary Arts and Hotel Management Program develops skills and competencies for positions in the hospitality industry. This unique program mirrors industry standards by providing training in a realistic work environment. Students have the option of selecting either hotel or restaurant/culinary program tracks.

The School of Culinary Arts and Hotel Management Program provides students with measurable outcomes through training in the Cafeteria, Gourmet Dining Room and Coffee Shop, and through Catering, Purchasing and Receiving services, utilizing state-of-the-art equipment.

Instructors possessing industry-recognized credentials and having years of experience, direct each operation. The program is recognized nationally as a leading center for hospitality training."

After selecting our vegetable garnishes at The Berry Man Produce, we returned to the city college to prepare two courses. I picked up three fresh halibut (actually a member of the fluke family) from my fish supplier and brought three Long Island ducks. John gets a lesson on filleting fish, boning duck and preparing the sauces and garnishes. We paired the entrees with wines from The Folwy Family Vineyards.

About the fish from Wikipedia: "The California halibut or California flounder, Paralichthys californicus, is a large-tooth flounder native to the waters of the Pacific Coast of North America from the Quillayute River in Washington toMagdalena Bay in Baja California. It feeds near shore and is free swimming. It typically weighs 6 to 50 pounds (3 to 23 kg). It is much smaller than the larger and more northern-ranging Pacific halibut that can reach 300 pounds (140 kg).

A top level predator that hunts by stealth, it is prized by fishermen as great table fare.

Sport fishers typically use light fishing gear and live baits for this halibut. Baits include anchovies, sardine, squid, mackerel, and queenfish (brownbait). Some anglers use plastic lures and scampitype "lead heads" to fool a halibut into striking.

Mostly fishing from boats in the coastal regions, anglers catch good quantities of halibut in 10 to 80 feet of water. Sometimes the fish are caught from shore or by kayak fishermen in very shallow water. Slow trolling and drift fishing is the preferred method of bait presentation.

This is an unusual fish in that one eye has to migrate around from one side to the other as it grows from an upright fry or baby fish into an adult fish that lies on its side. The adult has two eyes on the up-side as it lies on the bottom. Most flatfish are generally either right-eyed or left-eyed, but the California halibut is unusual in having a roughly even number of each type. Like other flatfish, the halibut hides under sand or loose gravel and blends into the bottom."

Join is on The Inn Crowd Saturdays at 9:30 on ABC affiliate KEY channel 3. View the show on-line at the Santa Barbara News Press. Look to the right side of the web page for a link to the show. YTS Digital Films filmed and directed this show. Beginning on December 19, 2015, the show will air at 6:30 and this seasons shows will rerun starting in January in case you missed an episode.

Put on your apron, grab your whisk and fire up the oven. I'll provide the recipes, the rest is up to you. See you on the kitchen.

Tastefully,

Chef Michael Hutchings

The Berry Man Produce

A special thanks to The Berry Man Produce for providing the great produce for our show!

Photo Credits William Conlin YTS Video Productions, unless otherwise noted.

Summer Truffles

The Inn Crowd - Firing Up The Stove

Posted by Michael Hutchings at 08:33 AM in Food, Drink, Recipes, The Inn Crowd Cooking Show | Permalink | Comments (0)

January 10, 2016

The Inn Crowd Cooking Show Welcomes Milt Larsen of The Magic Castle

Milt and Arlene Larsen, Host Craig Case

CHef Michael, Arlene and Milt Larsen, Host Craig Case

Craig Case, host of The Inn Crowd, and Chef Michael Hutchings welcomes Milt Larsen to The Inn Crowd show. Milt is the proprietor of the Magic Castle in Hollywood. THE MAGIC CASTLE, the clubhouse of the Academy of Magical Arts, is private, allowing entrance only to members and their guests, or through courtesy invitations which are available to magicians visiting from out of the United States.

A typical evening—if there even is such a thing here—features magic shows that range from miracles right under your nose to full stage illusions that stun an entire room. The Castle is full of rare memorabilia and magnificent posters, so there’s a lot to see. There’s also a critically acclaimed, full-service dining room featuring a truly magical view of Hollywood and a number of unique bars, each with its own personality, making it easy to find just the perfect spot for whatever mood you’re in.

Don’t be surprised to look over your shoulder and find somebody performing a minor miracle. You’ll soon understand why your visit will be one of the most amazing evenings you’ve ever experienced.

Originally, Milt was going to pull a rabbit out of a hat for dinner but my wife nixed that. I opted for a holiday centric theme starting with pumpkin soup baked in a mini pumpkin shell. The entree is a riff on turkey, poached instead of roasted, with winter garnishes. Dessert is a twist on pecan pie that my pastry chef wife Christine Dahl makes. The magic is an addition of chocolate. We feature some terrific wines from the Foley Family Wines to compliment the dinner.

Put on your apron, grab your whisk and fire up the oven and don't forget your top hat and cape. I'll provide the recipes and a little magic, the rest is up to you. See you on the kitchen.

Tastefully,

Chef Michael Hutchings

The Berry Man Produce

A special thanks to The Berry Man Produce for providing the great produce for our show!

Photo Credits William Conlin YTS Video Productions, unless otherwise noted.

Summer Truffles

The Inn Crowd - Firing Up The Stove

Posted by Michael Hutchings at 11:00 AM in Food, Drink, Recipes, The Inn Crowd Cooking Show | Permalink | Comments (0)

January 09, 2016

The Inn Crowd Cooks at the Hitching Post Restaurant

Craig Case, host of The Inn Crowd, and Chef Michael Hutchings welcomes chef Frank Ostini and a panel of esteemed winemakers to The Inn Crowd show. Filmed on location at Hitching Post II Restaurant & Winery in Buellton, owner Frank Ostini will be cooking with Chef Michael Hutchings in the kitchen while Inn Crowd friend Archie McLaren hosts a panel discussion about the 2015 Wine Harvest featuring the top vintners in Santa Barbara County: Jim Adelman of Au Bon Climat Winery, Dick Dore of Foxen Winery, Fred Brander of Brander Vineyard and Richard Sanford of Alma Rosa Winery and Vineyards!

For the menu, Frank and I selected wine compatible recipes that highlight the style of the Hitching Post. Starters include steamed New Zealand mussels and my duck sausage on braised red cabbage. Grilled glove boned quail on bourbon spiked sweet potatoes and a hefty grilled prime rib steak were the main dishes. I made sides of thin French beans, dauphine potatoes and a pinot noir spiked veal demi glace to compliment the rib steak. Desert was a rustic berry tart topped with homemade lavender ice cream.

Join is on The Inn Crowd Saturdays at 9:30 on ABC affiliate KEY channel 3. View the show on-line at the Santa Barbara News Press. Look to the right side of the web page for a link to the show. YTS Digital Films filmed and directed this show. The show will air at 6:30 and this seasons shows will rerun starting in late January in case you missed an episode.

Put on your apron, grab your whisk and fire up the grill. I'll provide the recipes, the rest is up to you. See you on the kitchen.

Tastefully,

Chef Michael Hutchings

The meat Chef frank features is certified Black Angus rib steak, aged 4-5 weeks. Chef Frank uses his own blend of seasonings to enhance the natural flavors of the beef. Grilling over local red oak gives the meat a distinctive flavor only oak can provide. This large cut requires 30 or more minutes to cook and must be allowed to relax after cooking on the grill. As with all cuts of meat, they continue to cook after removed from the heat so allow for this when cooking this cut. Chef Franks "plays' the grill like a fine violin knowing the temperature variation over the glowing coals and using that to control the cooking process.

The French beans are a simple preparation. Trim the beans then cook then in well salted water until tender. time will vary with the size and age of the beans (haricot vert). When tender, plunge them into ice water to chill. When you are ready to serve them, reheat in boiling, salted water, drain, toss is butter and season with salt and pepper. If French green beans are not available, use broccolini, asparagus or other seasonal vegetables.