Gazpacho:

• 2 large ripe mangoes, peeled, pitted
• 1 small green apple, peeled, chopped
• 1 small celery stalk, chopped
• 3/4 cup fresh orange juice
• 1/2 cup chopped seeded peeled cucumber
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 2 teaspoons chopped peeled fresh ginger
• 1 large jalapeño chile, seeded, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 4 fresh cilantro sprigs

For gazpacho:
Purée first 10 ingredients in blender. Chill 2 hours. do ahead Can be made 8 hours ahead. Keep refrigerated.

For basil puree: In a blender, puree 2 bunches of picked fresh basil leaves with 4oz of canola oil and a pinch of salt. add 1TBS of rice wine and a teaspoon of sugar. Reserve half of basil puree for garnish.

For lobster: Place 4oz. Maine lobster tails in simmering water for 6-8 mins, remove from pot and shock in ice water. Shell, devein and split lobster tails in half lengthwise. Toss lobster tails in basil puree and chill for at least 1 hour.

Ladle soup into 4 bowls; top each with 1 half lobster tail. Garnish with  basil and cilantro.

mango gazpacho with basil infused lobster tail

See, here’s the thing- I absolutely love  Foie Gras, Beluga Caviar, Kobe beef, Truffles, first-growth Bordeaux and San Pellegrino. But I also love (and I can admit this because most of you have never actually met me) white castle burgers, E-Z cheeze, Beefaroni, frozen pizza, Mac & Cheese with cut up hot dogs, Ketchup on eggs, fried Snickers, Slurpees, Cajun boiled peanuts and those little wax bottles with the liquid candy inside.

I’ve been fortunate to have dined at some of the finest restaurants in the world and have had meals that are indelibly etched in my memory, but it doesn’t change the fact that every once in a while (when no one is around except me and the dog) I will sit down to a peanut butter & fluff (yep, a fluffernutter)sandwich on WHITE bread, not the healthy stuff. The dog gets a little peanut butter too just in case she’s thinking of ratting me out. And if you’ve never had the pleasure of treating yourself to a Drake’s Yodel or Ring Ding, do me a favor- put down the Riedel stemware and the truffle butter, step away slowly, get in the car and drive to the market as fast as you can, without stopping for pedestrians.

So I asked around, and when promised anonymity, several friends, family and co-workers have admitted to the following gastronomical guilty pleasures:

• Uncooked Ramen Noodles, right out of the container, crunch and all
• McDonald’s Chicken Nuggets…what, that’s not bad enough for you? Did I mention she dunks them in her chocolate milk shake?!?
• Spaghetti with ketchup (a distant cousin of my beloved Beefaroni)
• Skillet-fried Spam with pineapple
• Frozen Pop-Tarts
• Fried bologna sandwiches on wonder bread, sans crust
• Pork cracklins’

So my question is, what’s YOUR guilty pleasure? Don’t sit there with your nose up in the air and tell me you live on haute cuisine, because I know somewhere deep down, in places you don’t talk about at cocktail parties, you WANT that New York City ‘dirty-water’ hot dog, you NEED that cold left-over pizza. It’s okay, the first step is admitting it, so share your guiltiest pleasure I won’t tell a soul…

http://justin-thyme.com/

If you were to compare a personal chef service to restaurant, you could think of it this way: For a restaurant, you must drive to get there, possibly wait for a table, take a chance that your server is having a good day, and if you have allergies or special requests you don’t always have the guarantee that they will be honored, since most entrees are “assembly line” ready in the kitchen.

After eating your meal you must pay for it, tip the server, and get back in your vehicle to drive home. If you have a Personal Chef Service, you can eat a wonderful entrée that has been prepared specifically for you palate and requirements, and eat it in the comfort of your own home.

Dinner Menu Choices-

SOUPS:

-Tortilla soup Tomato broth with smoked chicken, fresh roast corn, grated Spanish manchego cheese, crispy corn tortillas and poblano crema

-Wild Mushroom Bisque “Cappuccino style”- served in a demitasse cup with fresh morels, crispy bacon and porcini foam

-Saffron infused Velvet Corn and Crab Chowder – jumbo lump crabmeat in a golden cream base with brandy, fresh corn, potatoes, celery and crispy basil “cracklins’

-Chilled Yellow Tomato-Mangospacho- Fresh Mango and Yellow Tomato- gazpacho finished with a basil infused half Maine lobster tail

Wild Mushroom Bisque “cappuccino style” with fresh morels, crispy bacon and porcini foam

SALADS:

-Macadamia crusted goat cheese with fresh baby spring greens, citrus segments, a tropical bruschetta and coriander lemon vinaigrette

-Crispy Duck Salad- duck confit with apple wood smoked bacon, sliced pear, organic romaine, sundried cherries and citrus vinaigrette

-Stone Crab, Melon and Cucumber Salad (seasonal) Fresh Florida Stone crab claws with ginger dressed melon and cucumber salsa and “Joe’s” famous mustard sauce

-“Millionaire” Salad- Salad of baby lettuces with foie gras pate, sliced white truffle(seasonal), sevruga caviar, golden tomatoes and brie en croute with Jerez sherry vinaigrette

-Chopped Romaine Salad- sundried cherries, fresh corn, bacon lardons crumbled chevre, teardrop tomato cajun spiced pecans and a creamy lemon vinaigrette

-Maine Lobster Salad- 1/2 chilled Maine lobster tail over spring greens with coriander/oesetra caviar drizzle, Florida orange segments and heirloom teardrop tomatoes

-Baby Bibb Salad- Hydroponic Bibb lettuce with candied pecans, crispy Asian pear, crumbled Maytag farms bleu cheese and champagne vinaigrette

-Japanese grilled Eggplant salad- with napa cabbage, bok choy, sweet peppers, picked cilantro and miso vinaigrette

-Salad Caprese- sliced jumbo vine ripe red and yellow tomatoes layered with fresh basil leaves and sliced fresh mozzarella, drizzled with an aged balsamic reduction and basil puree

-Southwestern Salad- with assorted spring greens, arugula, sliced tomato, avocado, black bean-corn relish and orange-chipolte vinaigrette

-Cedar Key Hearts of Palm salad- Citrus marinated hearts of palm, sweet bell peppers, cilantro, basil, and ceviche style shrimp

-Tuna Nicoise Salad- Sliced basil grilled tuna, toasted Israeli cous-cous, oven dried heirloom tomato, French green beans, diced potato, olive tapenade and lemon vinaigrette

-Bangkok street salad- with pink shrimp, green papaya, kefir lime, cilantro, Thai basil and crispy salmon “crickets”

APPETIZERS:

-Tuscan Style Zucchini Tartlette- Buffalo mozzarella, sun dried tomato, purple basil, parmesan-reggiano baked similarly to a quiche and finished with 30 year old Balsamic reduction and sun dried tomato oil

-Duo of California Style Temaki Sushi rolls- one inside out salmon, avocado, tobikko- cucumber roll and one Boston tempura shrimp roll drizzled with sweet soy and served with ponzu dipping sauce

-Tuna Tartar- Sushi grade big-eye tuna with fresh ginger, California avocado “AJI”, chile-lime crackers, a sweet soy drizzle and “damn hot” chili oil

-Prosciutto- Parma prosciutto with Black Mission fig marmalade, peppered melon, shaved manchego, basil infused baguette crostini and baby arugula

-Herb Grilled “Giant” Portabella Mushroom with sweet corn polenta and a “really rich” burgundy demiglace reduction

-Bruschetta- grilled ciabatta bread, roma tomato jam, tetilla cheese, fine herbs, crispy pancetta vinaigrette

-Tuna Tataki- seared sushi grade tuna with fresh ginger, mache, shaved fennel, blood orange, harissa infused chili sauce

-Tamales- stuffed with ‘al pastor’ roast pork or beef accompanied with queso blanco, salsa verde and pickled cabbage

-Mediterranean Flatbread- grilled chicken, toasted pine nuts, sun-dried tomato, artichoke and aged reggiano

-Kona Kampachi®  Ceviche- watermelon, pea shoots, asparagus, radishes, yuzu-preserved lemon vinaigrette

-Ceviche of thinly sliced Florida Snapper Ceviche- with avocado, sauce flambeau and organic blue corn tortillas

-Laura Chenel Goat Cheese Tart- stacked with diced tomato, spinach, potatoes and caramelized sweet onion in a puff pastry tart shell

-Giant Jumbo Lump Maryland Blue Crab wonton- Jumbo Lump Crab meat, ginger, shallots and fine herbs stuffed into an extra large wonton skin with a sweet soy-ginger and lemongrass reduction

-Twin Seared Diver Scallops- flash seared and topped with shaved reggiano, served over truffled cannelini beans, finished with a drizzle of apple wood smoked bacon vinaigrette

-Mango Tarte Tatin with seared Sonoma Foie Gras- A crisp, savory upside down mango tarte with seared grade “A” foie gras, a touch of homemade crème fraiche and candied macadamias

Sushi grade big-eye tuna tar-tar with fresh ginger, haas avocado “AJI”, wakame seaweed salad, chile-lime crackers & sweet soy drizzle

ENTREES:

-Miso/Ginger Steamed Alaskan Halibut- served over seasoned sushi rice with baby spinach and flash steamed edamame, fresh ginger, scallion and cilantro “seared” with scalding peanut oil “NOBU style”

-Chili/Sesame Spiked Ahi Tuna “Mignon”- Sushi grade Tuna seared rare and served with forbidden black rice, ginger steamed asparagus, a mini crab wonton and coconut wasabi sauce

-Ginger & Almond crusted fresh Florida Red Snapper- with horseradish mashed potatoes, flash steamed sugar snap beans and a cabernet butter sauce

-Fire Roasted Dry aged Sirloin of Beef (NY Strip) with a bundle of tiny green beans, smoked onion mashed yukon gold potatoes, a “haystack” of crispy potatoes and shallot butter

-Hereford Ranch Prime Fillet Mignon- Seared and deglazed with morning coffee served with buttermilk mashed potatoes, beefsteak tomato salad, crispy shallots and Cuban coffee glaze

-Hereford Ranch Prime Fillet Mignon- with crispy parmesan, truffle- rosemary spiked potatoes, a bundle of tiny green beans and your choice of our rich Courvoisier peppercorn au poive sauce, demi-glace, sauce béarnaise, “bovine”cabernet reduction

-Lavender Rubbed Rack of Colorado Lamb- with grilled giant Peruvian asparagus, whipped purple potatoes, oven dried tomato, crispy sweet potato and a sundried cherry port sauce

-Crispy-Skin Chilean Seabass- with saffron-chorizo basmati rice, sugar snap beans, and char-grilled tomato/lemon essence with a touch of chardonnay butter

-Cuban Style Pork Wellington- Pork tenderloin with black bean pate wrapped and baked in a puff pastry crust with and served with mojo, sweet maduro plantains and sofrito glaze

-Seared Citrus Glazed Salmon- A fillet of fresh salmon brushed with citrus glaze and served over toasted almond basmati rice with haricots verts, roasted cherry tomatoes and shiitake mushrooms.

-Cedar Planked Wild King Salmon- with a crispy wild rice cake, roasted seasonal mushrooms, steamed asparagus and Dijon butter sauce

-Slow roasted 1/2 Muscovy Duckling- with apple wood smoked bacon mashed potatoes, flash steamed snow peas, sanguinello blood orange and pear puree

Prime Filet Mignon with porcini mushrooms, spring vegetables & port wine demiglace reduction

DESSERTS:

-Individual Ghirardelli Chocolate lava cake- with a “molten” peanut butter core, in a pool of chilled anglaise sauce

-Individual Peanut Butter-Banana ice cream sundae- served in a tiny waffle cup with bruleed bananas, caramel sauce, bourbon vanilla whipped cream and warm chocolate fudge drizzle -Warm Baked Fuji Apple Strudel dusted with cinnamon sugar and served with dulce de Leche (caramel) Ice Cream

-Coconut Zabaglione- served over lady fingers with bruleed red bananas, vanilla bean ice cream, golden pineapple salsa and “Meyers Dark” bananas foster sauce

-Traditional Vanilla Bean Crème Brulee- seasonal berries, fresh peppermint -Key Lime Mousse- served with a graham crust, cinnamon tuille, a sun-dried cranberry “consommé” and fresh peppermint -Seasonal fresh fruit Tart- served with choice of vanilla scented whipped cream or vanilla bean ice cream and fresh mint

-Bananas Foster- Our remake of a classic with sautéed banana and Meyers dark rum caramel sauce served over vanilla bean ice cream -Fresh Berries in a Vanilla Cream- Ripe strawberries, blackberries, raspberries and blueberries shine in a velvety smooth super chilled creme anglaise sauce.

-Toasted Angel Food Pineapple upside-down Cake- our lighter version with caramelized golden pineapple salsa and your choice of coconut or vanilla bean ice cream

Roast summer peach brulee with bourbon vanilla crema

Additional Personal Chef Services Available to the Tampa area:
Fresh Packaged Meal Service
Interactive Dinner Parties
“Secret Chef” Dinner Parties
Holiday Meal Support
In-Home Cooking Lessons
Dinner Parties For 2-20
Wedding Caterer
Special Occasions
Corporate Team Building Events
Small Event Catering
Vacation Rental Chef Service

Justin-Thyme Personal Chef Service Tampa

Chef Justin Murphy of Justin-Thyme Personal Chef Service is excited to announce their newest service for all the sushi lovers in the Tampa Bay area! We are now offering sushi cooking classes in the comfort of  your own kitchen! The announcement came after Justin noticed a growing interest in Sushi f … Read More

via Justin-Thyme

Justin-Thyme Personal Chef Service provides elegant full-service event catering to the to the Tampa Bay area!

We offer a complete selection of catering services intended to make your party stress-free! Whether it’s a wedding, an intimate dinner for two, Sunday brunch, a cocktail party, a bridal shower, a casual backyard party, a holiday celebration or a charitable fundraiser…Justin-Thyme Personal Chef Service can provide you with an occasion to remember! We can also help you with service referrals including: servers, bartending personnel, equipment rental, party decoration, entertainment and floral arrangement. We’ll help take the stress out of planning you event. And, unlike traditional caterers whose line cooks may prepare your food in an off-site kitchen hours before the event and transport it to your location, chef Justin prepares the majority of your foods hot and fresh right on premises.

Please e-mail us at chefjustinthyme@gmail.com and we can discuss your specific catering needs.

Additional Personal Chef Services Available to the Tampa area:
Personal Grocery Shopper-
While we are out shopping for your menu or picking up supplies for your cooking class, we can pick up some of the extra household items you may need for a additional charge. (pet food, cleaning/laundry supplies, etc.)

Hors d’oeuvres Soiree-
These exciting cocktail party events are a great way to get together with your friends or host an ofiice party. The food preparation is all done in the client’s home the day of the event. Please allow your personal chef to arrive 3 hours prior to the arrival of your guests to prepare and warm your hors d’ oeuvres.

Holiday Prep-
If the hassle of preparing for the holidays is wearing you down, let Justin-Thyme Personal Chef Service come and prepare all your culinary delights for you. Then all you have to do is heat and eat!

Date Nights-
One of the key elements to keeping a relationship interesting and exciting is the unexpected! Incorporating a “Date Night” with unique and special activities does wonders! Call us today for more details!

‘Secret’ Chef Service
If you want your friends to think you’ve been cooking over a hot stove all day in preparation for your party, let Justin-Thyme Personal Chefs take care of all the details! We will prepare your menu from soup to nuts then sneak out the back door prior to your guests’ arrival so you can take all the credit. No one will be the wiser! We also provide you with all of the recipes of the day to share with your guests!

In-Home Dinner Parties/ Corporate Luncheons
Want to create a memorable event that your guests will be talking about for a long time to come? Whether it’s a holiday party, wedding, family BBQ, a sit-down multi-course meal or a corporate event, Justin-Thyme Personal Chef Service can accommodate your catering needs, providing that WOW factor you seek.

Interactive Dinner Parties
Love to host parties but dread the thought of shopping, prepping, cooking and cleaning? How about having an interactive dinner party where Chef Justin provides a hands-on cooking demonstration with you and your guests. Chef Justin will help you plan a dinner menu and will bring all the ingredients to your home for the party. Once the cooking is done, you enjoy your meal with your guests while we clean up the mess in the kitchen!

Kids/Teen Cooking Classes
Kids/Teens are taught healthy/delicious cooking techniques, sustainable cooking/shopping and basic recipes with every class! Cooking classes can consist of learning how to make healthy after school snacks to an entire dinner! ‘Kids in the kitchen’ is a 2 hour cooking class for ages 5-12. ‘Teens in the Kitchen’ is a 3 hour cookingclass for ages 13 and up!

Fresh Packaged Meal Service
Interactive Dinner Parties
“Secret Chef ” Dinner Parties
Holiday Meal Support
In-Home Cooking Lessons
Dinner Parties For 2-20
Wedding Caterer
Special Occasions
Corporate Team Building Events
Small Event Catering
Vacation Rental Chef Service

Our professional chefs are experts at decorative tabletop arrangement,  food and wine pairings, and contemporary culinary design, ensuring that you and your guests have a world class dining experience.

Visit us on the web at: http://www.justin-thyme.com

Learn secret techniques used by professional chefs! Chef Justin will guide you through the principles of fundamental cooking methods that you can depend on for a lifetime! We came up with our interactive cooking classes to teach a wide range of cooking styles, techniques and ingredients to individuals or better yet, groups of friends!

Our cooking classes have since evolved from a hands on instructional session to a new type of dinner party focusing on restaurant style plate presentation along with useful tips and behind the scenes tricks used by professional chefs. The concepts and professional techniques learned will not only improve cooking skills, but also strengthen confidence, creativity and imagination.

The cooking class begins with a discussion of the days’ menu along with a run down of the “prep list.” Students then learn to chop, dice, whisk and cook their way through the recipes of the day, with the chef providing experienced hands and guidance. The work for the individuals is simple and exciting. After the food preparation is complete, students get to enjoy the fruits of their labor. The class is wrapped up with a brief open discussion where students have a chance to ask any questions about the day. Clear and easy tips on shopping and handling for new and exotic foods and flavors are provided, as well as entertaining and wine pairing ideas. Each cooking class is about 3 hours. All requests are considered.

a recent group cooking class in Tampa

Visit us on the web for more info: http://www.justin-thyme.com

Ingredients:

• Cooking spray
• 25 gingersnap cookies
• 1-3/4 cups sugar
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• Three 8-ounce packages cream cheese, cut into chunks and softened
• 5 large eggs, at room temperature
• One 15-ounce can pure pumpkin puree
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Boiling water

Directions:

1.Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 325°. Lightly coat a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray. Using a food processor, grind the cookies with 1/4 cup sugar. Add the butter and pulse to combine. Press the mixture into the bottom and halfway up the sides of the prepared pan. Bake until firm, 3 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool.

2.Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and remaining 1-1/2 cups sugar until smooth, about 1 minute. Beat in 2 eggs until blended. Transfer 1/4 cup of the cream cheese mixture to a small bowl and set aside. Add the remaining 3 eggs, the pumpkin, vanilla, pumpkin-pie spice and salt and beat until combined, 2 minutes.

3.Set the springform pan with the cooled crust on a double layer of heavy-duty foil and wrap the foil tightly around the bottom and sides; set in a roasting pan. Pour the cheesecake filling into the crust. Dollop the reserved cream cheese mixture onto the filling and, using the tip of a knife, swirl together. Transfer the roasting pan to the oven and fill with enough boiling water to reach about halfway up the sides of the springform pan. Bake the cheesecake until the center is slightly wobbly but the edges are firm to the touch, about 1-1/4 hours.

4.Transfer the roasting pan with the cheesecake to a rack and let cool for 45 minutes. Remove the springform pan, discard the foil and let the cheesecake cool on the rack for 3 hours. Run a knife around the edges to loosen the cake. Wrap the pan in plastic wrap; refrigerate overnight. 5. Remove the springform pan sides. Run a knife under the bottom of the cake to release it, then slide onto a serving platter.

pumpkin swirl cheesecake

pumpkin swirl cheesecake

Helpful Links: http://www.justin-thyme.com

Miso with Steamed Clams, Kalua Pig and Spinach

Miso Broth:
3 cups dashi soup stock
3-4 tbsps miso paste
1/4 cup chopped green onion

Put dashi soup stock in a pan and bring to a boil.  Scoop out some soup stock from the pan and dissolve miso in it. Gradually return the miso mixture in the soup. Stir the soup gently. Remove from heat and add chopped green onion. Remember not to boil the soup after you put miso in.

Soup Ingredients:
2 tsp minced fresh ginger
1/2 cup quartered shiitake mushrooms
2 cups firmly packed baby spinach leaves
20 Manila Clams, washed
2 cups Kalua Pig- recipe here
4 oz cooked Portuguese sausage sliced thin- purchase online here
1/4 cup finely diced tomatoes
1 bunch thinly sliced green onion

Place clams in a large, smoking hot pot. Add 2 cups hot water. Cover pot tightly with lid. Steam until clams open 3-4 mins. Remove from heat, drain water and cover to keep the clams warm.

To assemble soup:

Place the following ingredients in large soup bowls in this order:

pinch of spinach leaves
3-4 oz. warmed kalua pig
4-5 slices cooked Portuguese sausage
1/4 tsp fresh minced ginger
4-6 steamed clams around the inside rim of your soup bowl
1 tbsp shiitake mushroom
6-8 oz HOT miso broth

Garnish soup with chopped tomato a pinch of green onion. Serve immediately.

Justin-Thyme Personal Chef Service

cuban pork wellington

guinness braised short rib

guinness braised short rib

snapper ceviche w fresh radish, jalapeno & lime

snapper ceviche w fresh radish, jalapeno & lime

Baby heirloom tomatoes

Quinoa Taboulleh

more california rolls

pate a choux

pate a choux

Low country shrimp boil

shrimp boil

atlantic salmon

Giant crab won ton with black tea glaze

mediterranean zucchini tart

fine wines

foie gras w sweet potato pancakes, sundried cherries and walnut honey

Useful Links:
justin-thyme.com

Ingredients:

• Shells:
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour Filling:
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 5 egg yolks
• 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
• Pinch of ground coriander 1/2 cup bottled Key lime juice
• 2/3 cup sugar
• Grated zest of 1 lime
• 2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• Garnish:2/3 cup sweetened shredded coconut & Sweetened whipped cream -recipe follows
• 1/2 cup finely chopped macadamia nuts Zest from 1 lime
• Mini Muffin Tins
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• Beat cream and sugar together on high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer until stiff peaks form.
  

  Regular limes may be substituted in an emergency

  

  Egg yolks

Directions