Heidi's Cooking Warm and Comforting Winter Soups

Quick and Easy Winter Soups
Recipes from Charlotte Culinary Expert Heidi Billotto
As seen as WCNC's Charlotte Today - Jan 6, 2011
hlnc@carolina.rr.com

LEEK AND POTATO SOUP
BY HEIDI BILLOTTO
1 ½ lbs. potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes or slices
4 medium leeks, chopped
4 cups water
1 cup heavy cream or fat free half and half
sea salt and pepper to taste
minced chives to serve on top

Bring the potatoes, leeks and water to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 20 minutes,
Puree the soup in a blender of food processor
Return to the pot and stir in the heavy cream or fat free half and half. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot or cold




Butternut Squash and Carrot Soup
By Heidi Billotto
3-4 whole organic carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
2 shallots, minced
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2-3 small butternut or acorn squash, peeled and cut into chunks
Water or broth to cover
1 cup heavy cream or fat free half and half, more if needed
Sea salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil for a minute or so till it becomes aromatic. Add carrots and shallots and saute until they start to brown. Add butternut squash, cover with water or broth; bring to a boil and allow to boil until squash is tender. Use an immersion blender or a food processor to puree the squash and carrots and stir into broth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the heavy cream or half and half for a creamier soup. Adjust seasonings.
Serve hot, freezes well. Thin with additional broth or water if desired.

A New Year Of Cooking Classes with Heidi Billotto

January and February
At Home with Heidi
Schedule of Cooking Classes

With the holidays behind us now and the kids back in school, its time to start our Winter session of cooking classes.

All of the classes are held in the intimate setting of my south Charlotte home.
Email or call to reserve your spot and then your reservation is confirmed by your cash or check payment. Once your reservation is confirmed I'll send you detailed directions to my home.

Class size is limited. You and your fellow classmates can watch or lend a hand if you'd like and together will learn to chop, slice, simmer and saute along the way.

It's always a blast! Wine parings with every dish, recipes packets and wine notes for each class participant. Cost is $55 - $75 per person depending on the class.

For reservations for any of the classes listed below, simply email Heidi at hlnc@carolina.rr.com.

Here's the January - February Class Line up...

Sat. Jan 8 11 am - 2:30 pm Cost $65 - THIS CLASS IS FULL, BUT WE'VE PLANNED A REPEAT ON SUNDAY JAN 9, 1-4 pm - so you won't have to miss out!
Heidi Billotto and the entertaining Nada Vergili of Nada's Italy join forces in the kitchen for and afternoon of fun and flavor!

As class participants watch and work with Heidi to prepare an entire authentic Italian meal perfect for wintertime entertaining, special cooking class guest Nada Vergili will be teaching us all about this beautiful regions of Italy as well as fun little Italian expressions, sayings and phrases - plus how to talk with our hands! All as we eat and drink our way through the afternoon.

To make your reservations FOR THE JAN 9 class , email Heidi at hlnc@carolina.rr.com

Tues. Jan 11 6-9 pm Cost $55
Winter Soups and Breads
Are you in some need of cold weather comfort food? Then, tonight's line of up of potage will surely fill the bill. The menu includes recipes for white chicken chili with easy creamy cornbread, winter vegetable soup in an edible baked bowl, saffron-lace bouillibasse with goat cheese crostini and Mom's hearty sweet and sour cabbage beef borchst with fresh baked pumpernickle - talk about comfort...aaahhh!

To make your reservations for this class , email Heidi at hlnc@carolina.rr.com

Sat. Jan 22 11 am - 2:30 pm Cost $55
Eating Well, Living Well

A Fun and Fabulous Winter Dinner for Four. All NEW recipes for an entire dinner based on the tenants of the Mediterranean - American Diet. Nutrition facts provided by the team of nutritionists at Presbyterian's Heart and Wellness Center.

To make your reservations for this class , email Heidi at hlnc@carolina.rr.com

Sat. Jan 29 11 am - 2:30 pm Cost $55
Great Balls of Fire, it's Hot off the Winter Grill

Beat the winter blues by cooking up a storm this season outside on the grill or indoors in your favorite grill pan ... recipes include Heidi's most popular mushroom stuffed flank steak, the ultimate grilled hot dog with homemade slaw and chili, grilled ( then braised) Coq au Vin and grilled whole stuffed NC trout for all to share. We'll finish up with Heidi's infamous grilled Krispy Kreme doughnuts, as we do at every grilling class.

To make your reservations for this class , email Heidi at hlnc@carolina.rr.com

Sun. Jan 30 1-4 pm Cost $65
Cooking On The Farm at Proffitt Family Farms

After all the fun and success of our summer On the Farm Classes at New town Farms in Waxhaw with my good friends Sammy and Melinda Koenigsberg, we've decided to take the concept slightly north this month and head to cook at a fabulous local ranch - Proffitt Family Farms in Kings Mountain.

Home to Shelley and Brian Eagan and their family, Proffitt Family Farm is the only cattle ranch in NC to raise beef on certified organic pastures.
This beef is pasture finished, dry aged, 100% grass fed, USDA procesed with no hormones and no antibiotics.

Hopefully the weather will cooperate with us so that class will begin with a farm tour where we will visit with the chickens, the horses and of course, the cows and then we'll all settle into the Eagan's beautiful home kitchen to cook with some of the best beef around.

Afterwards, class participants are invited to stock their freezers with a shopping spree at the farm store.

To make your reservations for this class , email Heidi at hlnc@carolina.rr.com


Tues. Jan 25 6-9 pm Cost $55
Cajun and Creole Cooking

A fun flavor-filled class featuring these classic recipes from the kitchens of the Crescent City: jambalaya, seafood crepes with a creole sauce, a thick and hearty gumbo and a rich, ooey-gooey bread pudding with a knock-your-socks-off Whiskey sauce - Laissez les bons temps rouler!

To make your reservations for this class , email Heidi at hlnc@carolina.rr.com

Sat. Feb 5 11 am - 2:30 pm Cost $75
Cake College with special guests Tiz Benson and Anita Stack from Tizzert's

Tiz Benson and Anita Stack from Tizzerts will be holding one of their wonderful cake decorating classes as a part of my winter class series and guaranteed, this one will fill up fast!

The class begins with a champagne toast to all that is sweet in life and continues with a facinating and informative demonstration on assembling, frosting and decorating a cake. Class winds up with some hands-on instruction on decorating cupcakes, making icing roses and more!

To make your reservations for this class , email Heidi at hlnc@carolina.rr.com


Sat. Feb 12 11 am - 2:30 pm Cost $65
That's Amore! Food, Wine and Converstaion of Italy

Once again Heidi and Nada team up to bring you a special Valentine's edition of their very popular Food, Wine and Conversaion of Italy series of classes. This one will have your sweetie eating out of your hands - plus while Heidi cooks, Nada will fill us in on all the romantic Italian pillow talk we need to include before, during and after the meal -Oh, My!

Recipes will all be written for two servings, but can easily be doubled for four or more.

To make your reservations for this class , email Heidi at hlnc@carolina.rr.com

All NEW SCHEDULE FOR NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER COOKING CLASSES

It's shaping up to be an exciting month, so go over the scheduled classes below, double check your calendars and then shoot me an email to make your reservations.

It's easy to make your reservation for any of the upcoming cooking classes listed below...


Simply email me at hlnc@carolina.rr.com to make your advance reservation.
MOST OF THESE CLASSES ARE HELD IN MY SOUTH CHARLOTTE HOME
Your payment by cash or check will confirm your space in class. When you email to sign up, I will send you directions to the class location and a mailing address for the check, plus any other details you'll need to know

Sat. Nov 13 11 am - 2:30 pm

Food, Wine and Conversation of Tuscany with special guest Nada Vergili of Nada's Italy THIS CLASS IS FULL BUT WE'VE PLANNED ANOTHER FOR JAN 8!


Heidi Billotto and the entertaining Nada Vergili of Nada's Italy join forces in the kitchen for and afternoon of fun and flavor!


This class promises to be one you will not soon forget! As class participants watch and work with Heidi to prepare an entire Italian meal perfect for holiday entertaining, special cooking class guest Nada Vergili will be teaching us all fun little Italian expressions, sayings and phrases - plus how to talk with our hands - as we eat and drink our way through the afternoon.

The menu includes a grilled antipasto with house-marinated olives, rolled pasta with Italian sausage, mushrooms and local greens, bistecca and salmon Florentine with braised tomatoes and white beans, and Heidi's own holiday twist on a old classic - chocolate tiramisu. Wine pairings are included with each course
Class will be held in Heidi's south Charlotte kitchen. Cost is $65 per person.
Email Heidi at hlnc@carolina.rr.com to make your advance reservation.


Thursday, Nov. 18 6-9 pm

Cooking At Home With Heidi Do-Ahead Holiday Hors D'oeuvres



This class on Thursday Nov 18 will feature a menu you can do-ahead and includes: homemade chicken sausage and potato puffs, my favorite spanekopeta, pork and mushroom steamed dumplings with a from scratch hoisin sauce, bite-sized crab cakes and chocolate and peppermint creme brulee shooters to cap it all off.
Class will be held in Heidi's south Charlotte kitchen. Cost is $55
Email Heidi at hlnc@carolina.rr.com to make your advance reservation.



Tuesday,Nov 30 6-9:30 pm

Heidi's Hands-on Holiday Gifts From the Kitchen

This fun, hands-on holiday class will take place at a new location for us - the beautiful Mint Hill Arts Gallery.
Located at 7714 Matthews-Mint Hill Rd, Mint Hill, NC 28227,The Gallery will be feauturing a Holiday exhibit called "Small Treasures" made by some of the area's most talented craftsmen.


The work at the gallery will be available for sale and will inspire us as we make our own edible gifts from the kitchen including: homemade vanilla, homemade coffee liqueur, limoncello, Christmas morning chocolate cinnamon buns, Moravian sugar cake and personalized gingerbread people plus more great little gifts to give with love made right in your own kitchen.

And as a gift to you, you'll be able to take home some of the "spoils" from class to enjoy yourself!

Class wine pairings include tasting pours of a red, a white and a sparkling wine perfect to serve at your upcoming holiday fete!

Cost is $55 per person.
Email Heidi at hlnc@carolina.rr.com to make your advance reservation.




Saturday, Dec 4 11 am-2:30 pm

Cooking At Home with Heidi More Holiday Hors D'oeuvres


On Saturday Dec 4, the hors d'oeuvres continue with more holiday favorites. This class menu will include a trio of stuffed mushrooms, savory Mexican cheesecakes, beef
filled profiteroles, shrimp and grits shooters and mini chocolate pecan tarts.

At both classes,wine pairings will be served with each dish.
Classes are held in Heidi's south Charlotte home.
Cost is $55 per person.
Email Heidi at hlnc@carolina.rr.com to make your advance reservation.

Heidi Makes a Guest Appearance on PBS' For Your Home

That's right, I'm going to be a guest on a National television series!

Several months ago I was asked to film a farmers' market-themed For Your Home show with show creator and host, Vicki Payne.

You can imagine how honored I was when Vicki called to invite me to be a guest on her show and, of course, I said yes!
For Your Home is PBS's premier home and garden television show, filmed in Charlotte, and aired nationally on over 702 PBS stations across the country and now in syndication as well!

The premise for this episode is a trip to the farmers' market to learn about shopping, cooking and eating local - a topic right up my alley!

We had great fun filming, chatting with and buying from numerous farmers, growers and vendors at Charlotte's Atherton Mills (all local) market and then going home with our goodies to Cook Up A Storm.

"Our" episode will air locally in Charlotte on October 28 at 6:30 pm; so mark your calendars and set your DVRs now!
The show will air nationally on PBS stations across the country January 22, 2011. The show was also aired in syndication outside of the Charlotte viewing area September 27, 2010 and will repeat March 28, 2011.

After the 28th, you can watch the show as often as you would like on ForYourHome.com.
But in case you'd like a little preview...Here's a copy of the recipe I cooked on the show




WHOLE GRILLED SNAPPER WITH CAPERS AND CHARRED TOMATOES

As seen on For Your home with Vicki Payne
Recipe from Heidi Billotto, food writer, cooking instructor and culinary expert in Charlotte North Carolina
Heidi@charlotteliving.com
www.charlotteliving.com

1-2 whole pink snapper, cleaned head and tail still on
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 cartons of grape tomatoes
4-5 Tbsp. drained capers
1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
Optional: 1/2 cup chopped pitted Kalamata olives
2 large shallots, chopped



Rinse fish and pat dry well. Sprinkle fish inside and out with salt and pepper. Stuff the cavity of fish with sprigs of fresh rosemary and thyme and a slice or two of fresh lemon or orange. Drizzle fish with a bit of extra virgin olive oil.
Place whole fish on a hot grill. Cook for a total of 10 minutes per inch of thickness (measuring the fish at its thickest part), turning once during the cooking time.

While fish is cooking, grill the grape tomatoes on a grill grid until blistered. Toss hot tomatoes with capers, crushed red pepper and if you would like, some minced shallots and chopped pitted Kalamata olives.
Once fish is charred and firm on both sides to the touch, remove from grill and place on a serving plate to fillet and serve.

September and October Cooking Class Update

The September On the Farm Cooking Class was great fun last Saturday. Like all of my On the Farm cooking classes, this one took place in the kitchen at The Inn at New Town Farms. The morning started with a farm tour hosted by Sammy and Melinda Koenigsberg, owners of New Town Farms. In the picture to the right, you can see we gathered at the Inns outdoor courtyard to start Even though the weather was hot, the farm tour was fun and informative. We visited with the Heritage breed pigs, the French breed chickens and the turkeys; collected just laid eggs and perused the new and old growth in the fields as the crops rotate from one season to the other - so important to know where our food comes from and how it is raised. Class participants were also able to purchase product and produce from Sammy and Melinda at the end of class. But class is not the only place to buy from New Town Farms - Sammy and his fmaily are always at the Matthews Community Farmers' Market on Saturday mornings starting at 7:30 am!

After the tour, back in the kitchen, we cooked up fresh from-the-farm chicken and okra into a rich and delicious Chicken Gumbo; prepared a fillet of fresh local NC Cobia from SeafoodS.com at the Atherton Mills Farmers' Market with a cacciatore sauce (cobia is a thick dense fish with a texture that would keep you in mind of a swordfish steak); a smoked Greek eggplant dip with Sammy's special Italian varietal eggplant; and finished everything off with individual chocolate souffles served with locally grown figs and muscadines - delish!

More On the Farm classes to come - one every month! Classes for October and November are scheduled for Oct. 23 - For all of you grilling gurus, this On the Farm class takes on an outdoor twist with - weather permitting - a menu of recipes designed to hone your outdoor grilling skills.

Then our November On the Farm class will be on Nov 13 and will feature farm fresh holiday hors d’oeuvres -

Complete menus for both of these classes will be out soon, but you can sign up for either or both classes now if you'd like by emailing me at hlnc@carolina.rr.com. Cost for the On the Farm cooking classes is $55 per person. Classes begin at 11 am with the 1- 1 1/2 hour farm tour and generally run till 4 pm.

In the meantime, here's what's coming up in the next several weeks - each At Home with Heidi class is $55 per person and again reservations may be made by emailing me at hlnc@carolina.rr.com.

Cooking with Seasonal Seafood - At Home with Heidi
Tues. Sept. 28 at 6 pm
4-5 fabulous recipes, each featuring locally available sustainable seafood for four entrees and one appetizer: pan-seared trout with crispy kale, shrimp and scallops diable, baked salmon with a coriander crust, seviche cocktail, and a tasty prosciutto wrapped spicy shrimp. We'll work with fin fish and shell fish and talk about the cooking and handling of both!

Cajun and Creole Cuisine
Chef Choice Cooking Classes at Johnson and Wales
Sat. Oct 2 at 9 am
A fun flavor-filled class featuring these classic recipes from the kitchens of the Crescent City: jambalaya, seafood crepes with a creole sauce, a thick and hearty gumbo and a rich, ooey-gooey bread pudding with a knock-your-socks-off Whiskey sauce - Laissez les bons temps rouler! This is one you won't want to miss. Go to http://apps.jwu.edu/chefschoice/clt/searchsections.aspx on the Web and click – the “find classes” button - cost $140 per person


Try A Little Thai - At Home with Heidi
Tues. Oct 5 at 6 pm
An entire meal with all the intricate flavors of Thailand. Recipes include my twist on a Thai chicken and coconut soup, local grilled pork with green Curry sauce, classic Pad Thai and fishcakes with spicy cucumber sauce - the perfect comfort food for fall!

Food and Wine of Spain - At Home with Heidi
Sat. Oct 9 at 11 am
One of my most popular classes - a complete Spanish meal perfect for friends and family alike. Menu includes spicy saffron-seasoned empanadas, a seafood and sausage paella, roasted smoked paprika potatoes, homemade sangria and a cabrales souffle with oven roasted pears and caramel sauce.

FREE Cooking Demo at the Atherton Mills Farmers' Market
Tues Oct 12, 5:30-7 pm
FREE ongoing Cooking Demo at the Atherton Mills Farmers’ Market using the very best of locally home grown farm fresh produce and product. Recipes and samples for all!


Wine Country Cuisine-At Home with Heidi - PLEASE NOTE THE NEW DATE and location FOR THIS CLASS -
Tues Oct 19 at 6 pm.
Menu will include great dishes inspired by chefs and restaurants in
some of the most noted wine tasting and making regions in the world. Complete menu out Oct 1.

For more information about these classes sign up for my email newsletter by emailing me at hlnc@carolina.rr.com. Hope to see you Cooking Up A Storm real soon,
Cheers!
Heidi

Charlotte Talks Dining Divas Show

Tom and I had a fabulous time on Charlotte Talks with Mike Collins yesterday. It was the semi annual Dining Divas show. I was invited to be on to talk food and restaurants with Mike and other local critics Helen Schwab from the Observer and Tricia Childress from Creative Loafing and Tom provided the musical accompaniment!
You can click on this link - charlotte talks - and listen to the show yourself. The show is great fun but time flies by fast - come back here in a day or two and I'll have a list of all the great places I didn't have time to mention.

For Your Labor Day Cookout

EASY GRILLED BBQ CHICKEN

Recipe from Charlotte Culinary Expert Heidi Billotto

As seen on WBTV, Saturday September 4, 2010

WBTV News Saturday Morning
Click here for video

6-8 chicken thighs or breasts, skin removed if you like

Sea salt and pepper

Your favorite barbecue sauce

Wash chicken and pat dry. Season well with salt and pepper. Grill over medium to medium high heat, skin side up for 8-10 minutes, turn, grill 8-10 minutes more. Note that white meat will cook slightly faster than dark meat will; bone-in chicken ( white and dark) will take longer to cook than boneless chicken. Test for doneness by pricking the chicken and seeing if juices run clear or by inserting an instant read thermometer. When chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees - it's done!

During the last minute or two of grilling time brush the chicken liberally with the sauce; cover and cook for a minute or two. Turn the chicken over and sauce again. Cooking for a minute or two more. Serve with extra sauce at the table.

Serve your chicken with a deconstructed potato salad of oven roasted local fingerling potatoes tossed in fresh shredded basil, pine nuts, goat cheese and extra virgin olive oil.

For dessert - Turn the heat on your grill down to very low. Place several day old glazed Krispy Kreme doughnuts on the grill and grill for just a minute, if that, on each side. The sugar on each doughnut will caramelize and your grill will smell like cotton candy - careful, the sugar on the doughnuts is very hot - but this is the best sweet treat ever! Enjoy and have a Happy Holiday Weekend!