Meet Girls Inc. Staff

Tricia - Our Resident Chef!  

I believe my culinary passion began as a young child on my Italian grandparents' farm in upstate New York. The family "meeting" place was in the kitchen where everyone played a part in preparing meals. I learned at an early age how to shuck corn, shell peas, prepare green beans, make strawberry shortcake, make pumpkin pie, and how to make preserves and can vegetables. My Uncle Frank said that I was the best strawberry picker he ever knew.

I think back to my childhood and remember giving neighborhood parties with a bottle of coke and a Drakes cake. I would have "tea" parties for four in my basement dividing the coke and cake among us. As a high school student I taught children cooking classes at the YWCA. I taught children cooking lessons on an army base in Germany. I catered my own high school graduation party, and I was always the one in the neighborhood to have regular themed parties.  So after almost twenty-five years with IBM, I started my new career as a personal chef, caterer, cooking school consultant, and culinary instructor. My formal culinary training started at the Culinary Institute of American in Hyde Park, New York in a pastry boot camp, and a pastry and baking course at the Art Institute of Atlanta. I received my certificate from the Culinary Business Academy. I am continuing my culinary education by attending ProChef I classes at the CIA, and one day hope to get my ProChef Certification. I might be eighty when I get my certification, but I will get it! I have won several culinary scholarships from Women Chefs & Restaurateurs. As you can see, I am always eager to enhance my culinary skills. It is very important to me to learn whatever I can in the culinary field and whenever I can to bring that education to my girls at Girls Inc. and to other children. And now I've been with Girls Inc. for five years as their resident chef and instructor teaching cooking and gardening. When a five year old asks if we can make that "pesto stuff" again, it just warms my heart. One of my teens wants to become a chef because of my influence, mentoring, and teaching her culinary skills.

In this fast and impatient society that our children live in today, and the stress of the economic situation with families, I want to give back to them some rewarding culinary experiences. Using my passion for the culinary industry, along with my years of business experiences, culinary training, and family farm experiences, I have a lot to offer these young ladies, and other children - our future business leaders, or maybe even chefs. I like to "pay it forward" to our children, so we can eat what we sow.

(At the end of the newsletter find some delicious recipes from Ms. Tricia!) 

Ms. Tricia's Basil Recipe     Tasty, and Healthy!

BASIL - Did you know... 

1. Basil is an annual herb belonging to the mint family.
2. There are over 40 known varieties of basil.
3. Sweet Basil (Ocimum basilicum) is the most commonly known and  grown.
4. Ocimum is from a Greek verb that means "to be fragrant."
5. Basil is recommended for digestive complaints, headaches, and anxiety.
6. It is one of my favorites herbs.  I could put it in any dish, and love making pesto with basil.

Italian Herb Butter Recipe

Yield: 1 cup

Ingredients:

2 sticks butter (1 cup) room temperature

½ cup fresh basil, flat leaf parsley, & oregano leaves, finely chopped

Course salt

White pepper

Preparation:

In a small bowl, smash butter with a fork until smooth.

Add herbs, a couple of dashes of salt, one dash of freshly ground pepper (or to taste) and mix until well combined.

Transfer to a piece of plastic wrap (11 X 10-inch).

Roll into a cylinder about 6 inches long and 2 inches in diameter.

Twist the ends to seal.

Refrigerate until firm, about two hours.

You can refrigerate up to one week, or place in a freezer bag and freeze up to three months.

Notes:

-Rather than chop the herbs, I have my girls break up the leaves with their fingers. They love helping out.

-Great on crackers. Slice and place on steak or pork chops. Add to hot pasta.

Source: http://precociouspatti.blogspot.com/

Basil Pesto

Yield: 1 cup

Ingredients:

½ cup pine nuts or chopped walnuts

4 cups lightly packed fresh basil leaves

1 garlic glove

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Course salt and freshly ground pepper

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350˚.

Spread nuts on a baking sheet; bake until golden, tossing once, 8 to 10 minutes.

Remove nuts from baking sheet and cool completely.

In a food processor, combine nuts, basil, and garlic. Process until finely chopped.

Add cheese and mix until completely combined.

With the machine running, pour oil in a steady stream through the feed tube; process until smooth.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Store in refrigerator in an air-tight container up to 5 days.

Freeze in an air-tight container up to 3 months.

Notes:

-This basil pesto recipe is very easy where kids can help make it. I use only one garlic clove so it's not too strong for my little girls. You can use two to three cloves depending upon your taste.

-You can use the pesto as a spread on crostinis, crackers, or bread.

-If using pesto with pasta, add about ¼ cup of the pasta water, stir, then add pasta.

-Many recipes say to stir in cheese after you add the oil, but I have never had problems with this recipe adding the cheese before the oil.

-Many recipes also say if freezing add some olive oil on top of the pesto to keep it from getting dark. I have not done so and my pesto comes out fine.

-Many recipes say that if you are going to freeze the pesto, do not put the cheese in because the cheese does not freeze well; however, I freeze my pesto with the cheese mixed in and it is great!

Source: http://precociouspatti.blogspot.com/