Winter Squash

When it comes to ingredients, winter squash are some of the most underutilized
of all vegetables. That is, besides pumpkin and butternut. We are all familiar with them. But what about the acorn, hubbard, spaghetti and kabocha. They are all out there ready for you to create and experiment with. The subtleties of flavor and texture are a cook's delight. The possibilities are endless. Roasted acorn squash on a salad with pumpkin seeds and cider vinaigrette, kabocha squash bisque with a nutmeg creme fraiche, spaghetti squash with a sage brown butter and toasted hazelnuts. They do not have to be complicated; however, they will be delicious. Just for that reason we have teamed up with Willow Creek Orchards and will be presenting an instructional cooking class on Saturday, November 15th. The class will focus on the preparations and applications of winter squash. The class is limited in size, so contact Willow Creek if you are interested. Look for more classes in the future.

Live and Eat Well
Chef Anthony Boccella

C is for Cookie.........

There was once a day when I wasn't really fond of sweets. An occasional chocolate chip or ice cream. Then we opened Zacharias in 2007. I was quickly introduced to some of the most addicting treats that I have come across in my travels. Marianne & James (Zacharias' Pastry Chefs) have continuously produced some of the most delectable desserts and this holiday season is no different. While I am writing this, I can smell the next batch coming out of the oven. And as a chef, it is my duty to taste everything produced in our kitchen. For quality control purposes, of course. O.K. FOCUS..................I am writing today to share this information with everyone else. Cookies and petit fours are available daily. Special orders are welcomed. There aren't too many things that can provoke that certain reaction than placing a box of cookies in front of someone and telling them to dig in. Especially when they taste like this. The cookies are $11.99 a pound and can be packaged to specifications. Give us a call to pre-order or try a petit four plate after your meal. You will see what I am talking about.

Eat and Live Well.............Have A Cookie
Chef Anthony Boccella

Thoughts of Thanksgiving

The holidays are fast approaching and our pastry department is very excited to present their creations for Thanksgiving. We are starting to take orders for our specialty dessert items which have been designed to feature all of your favorite autumn flavors. My personal favorite is the above pictured Apple Streusal Cheesecake. This is a rich and creamy cheesecake with a graham cracker crust. If that was not enough, it is topped with caramelized apples. I was lucky enough to try this exquisite creation. It is a masterpiece of carefully matched flavors and textures. But I will let you be the judge of that. Come and check out the entire Thanksgiving dessert menu and be sure to get your orders in early. Hope to hear from you all soon.

Live and Eat Well!

Chef Anthony Boccella

Thanksgiving Dessert Menu

Pumpkin Roulade
whipped crème fraîche
caramelized walnuts

16

Apple Streusel Cheesecake
caramel apples
graham cracker crust

23

Chocolate Hazelnut Torte
layers of chocolate ganache
praline butter-cream
hazelnut meringue cake

19

Spiced Cake
Caramel mousseline
candied cranberry compote

18

Seasonal Cookie Trays
2lb. 3lb. 4lb.
Also available

Autumns Bounty- Apples & Cranberries

Nothing epitomizes autumn like the produce in October. This week at the restaurant we've brought in some really nice apples and cranberries. I tend to prefer the white cranberries(pictured above) because they a bit less tart than their red counterparts. These two ingredients, I believe, really compliment eachother and we made a sauce for our flan appetizer from them. The sweet and tart combination works very well with many other ingredients. We use it in this dish in particular as a means to cut the very creamy texture in our pumpkin-sage flan.

As many know they can always be used in sweet applications, be we decided to experiment and use them in a savory dish with many flavors and textures.

Our recipe is for a Cranberry-Apple gastrique. By definition, a gastrique is a syrupy reduction of caramelized sugar and vinegar. With this sauce as a base, we add the fruit and fruit juices and create our own signature sauce. Please feel free to experiment with this recipe at home and try it out on some of your own dishes. Happy Cooking.

Eat and Live Well

Chef Anthony Boccella

1c. Sugar
2/3 c. Apple Cider Vinegar
1 c. Apple Juice
4 each Thyme
2 c. Vegetable Stock
2 c. Cranberry Juice
2 tbsp. Butter
1 lb. Sweet Cooking Apples( local if possible)
1 pt. Fresh Cranberries

1. Add the sugar to a saucepan over med-high heat until it begins to brown, stirring constantly.
2. Next, carefully add the vinegar off the heat. Reduce for 5 min.
3. Add the fruit juices, thyme, stock, cranberries and apples. Bring to a boil
4. Let simmer until it reduces to about 2 cups.
6. Skim off any foam.
6. Add the butter off the heat and swirl through.
7. Remove the thyme and allow to cool

Autumn's Bounty-Celery Root

Autumn is my favorite time of year. The food, the weather and the upcoming holiday season. I've decided to start a weekly journal of my visits to Willow Creek Orchards and showcase the ingredients that we will be using in the restaurant. This week I picked up a few goodies, but I am very excited about the celery root. I love to use celery root in many different dishes. I tend to treat it like I would a potato. That is roasted, mashed, in soups or a combination with other root vegetables. You will find it tastes like a cross between conventional celery and parsley. The celery root can also be eaten raw, once peeled, and shaved over salads. This adds a great crunchy fresh flavor. Try it out. It is a great addition to one's culinary repertoire.

Chef's Notes: A vegetable peeler may not do with this tricky vegetable. The root has a thin, rough skin so use a knife until you come to the crisp white vegetable.

Stay tuned for recipes and new ingredients

Eat and live well!

Chef Anthony Boccella

A Sampling of our Autumn Menu

Flavors of Autumn

Autumn is upon us, and there are many changes happening at Zacharias. Our Autumn menus are in full swing and they are getting rave reviews from our guests. We in the kitchen have focused on using more and more organic and all natural products in our menu, along with our continuing relationship with Willow Creek Orchards produce and Hendrick's Farm's cheeses.

We have made a concerted effort to prepare our dishes simply and full of flavor to highlight these outstanding ingredients. We hope that you enjoy your next visit to Zacharias.
Eat and live well!

Sincerely,
Chef Anthony Boccella