Christmas Cookies
Chef Garbo’s Christmas Cookies
As a Personal Chef in San Francisco I can’t believe it’s the Holidays and Christmas cookies rule! This year I’m excited to share some of the best Christmas cookies ever and have stood the test of time!
The United States Personal Chef Association (USPCA) has attracted members from all walks of life and from many distant places. This article is about our fellow USPCA member Chef Polina Antonova, of Caliblini Personal Chef Service, who comes from Russia and resides in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Personal Chef Polina Antanova
Recently, Polina hosted the Local Bay Area Chapter meeting and we had the distinct pleasure of enjoying her fine cuisine which included quail leg confit, pickled quail eggs from her domesticated quails, infused vodkas, handmade cheeses, home made pastas and fresh grilled rabbit that we picked up at the local Marin Farmer’s Market. Let’s discover how Polina’s Russian upbringing has influenced her work as a Personal Chef and what makes her tick cooking wise.
USPCA National Conference – July 2015
Woo-Hoo… l was an award recipient at the USPCA National Conference for Personal Chefs in San Antonio, TX
The Award was presented by Larry Lynch, President of the United States Personal Chef Association (USPCA). My newly re-designed site was among many submitted with judging based on creativity, clarity and mobile friendliness.
Read the full Press Release here.
Personal Chef SF – Chef Garbo & Larry Lynch, President of the USPCA
Contact Chef Garbo Now
KGO News Radio, a local San Francisco News talk radio station, recently interviewed me to learn more about a Personal Chef Service and how it works. Frequently the terms Personal and Private Chef are used interchangeably and KGO Radio wanted to know the difference.According to the United States Personal Chef Association (USPCA) there is a distinction. In fact, the USPCA invented the Personal Chef Industry way back in the early 1990’s. Back then, the term Personal Chef was not a part of our vernacular, but today, with our busy lifestyles, hiring a Personal Chef makes life easier and healthier.
Shaved Butternut Squash Salad – Gluten Free
With Thanksgiving approaching I thought it fitting to present two simple yet elegant recipes in keeping with the spirit of the Holidays. I always love a fun cocktail to accompany my meals so I crafted a Fall inspired sipper combining apple cider and sparkling mead by Heidrun Meadery that’s paired with an autumn colored tossed green salad made from shaved butternut squash, peppery arugula & a grainy mustard vinaigrette. The light and refreshing bubbles of the sparkling mead cocktail is perfect with the salad. Enjoy!
Baby Back Pork Ribs with Bone Suck’n Sauce – Gluten Free
Years ago I seduced my beau over a rack of ribs. Yup, I wore my food and it was love at first bite for him, regarding me. You can’t be too polite when it comes to eating bone suck’n ribs. You have to dive right in with gusto, and if it means getting the sauce on your face and in your hair, then so be it. I love ribs and I don’t mind wearing them either!
Chef Garbo Wins Photo of the Year Award 2014
Claude “Chef Garbo” Garbarino, owner and operator of Healthy Meals for Busy People, has taken top honors for Food Photo of the Year during the 2014 United States Personal Chef Association National Conference in Long Beach, California.
Lime Serrano Shrub
We’re talking shrubs, preserved syrups made with fruits and vinegars, not the kind you find in your garden. Imbibing vinegars may not sound appealing when you desire a summer afternoon refresher but they are making a come back. A shrub is an-old fashioned syrup made by macerating fresh fruit in sugar and vinegar. It’s an extraordinarily fruity, tart and sweet mixture that dates back to Colonial times. Like salting and smoking meat in the pre-refrigeration days, preserving fruit in sugar and vinegar was a problem solving necessity. Put shrubs on your radar as you will likely find an inventive Mixologist at your local tavern offering creative concoctions using these syrups as an alternative to conventional lemons and limes.
Easter Egg Decorations
The incredible edible egg has been the symbol of fertility and rebirth for centuries. In fact, the art of Easter Egg decorations goes back to the ancient Greeks, Egyptians, Romans, and Persians as they enthusiastically celebrated the coming of Spring. Today, the skill of Easter Egg decorations comes in many different art forms, the most famous being the expensive Faberge eggs and the techniques used by the early American Pennsylvania Dutch settlers, who are credited with bringing the craft of dying Easter eggs to America.
And techniques I give you… For some really fun Easter egg decorating ideas click here.
Deviled Easter Egg Recipe
So what do you do with all those beautiful decorated Easter eggs? You make Deviled Eggs of
course! Check out the below recipe which features wild Ramps from my garden!
I’m Irish. Black Irish with some Italian too… Probably have more Irish blood in me though. My mother’s folks were Irish as was my Dad’s mother. The signature trait that runs in my family is the infamous Irish temper. Thank goodness my mother’s temper was short-lived. Like a flame, she would have a spectacular outburst of anger, and then it would burn out quickly as if nothing had ever happened. Most of the time she was a hoot and I miss her.