Easter Egg Decorations – by Personal Chef San Francisco – Chef Garbo

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!

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St. Paddy’s Day and My Irish Temper

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.

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Holiday Desserts That Warm Our Hearts

San Francisco Personal Chef Garbo – Published Article in Personal Chef Magazine – Fall Issue 2013

Garbo’s Featured Article in Personal Chef Magazine – Fall Issue 2013- Chocolate Bundt Cake – Gluten Free

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Pickled Holiday Gifts

San Francisco Personal Chef Garbo – Published Article in Personal Chef Magazine – Fall Issue 2013

Pickled Green Beans - Organic - Gluten Free

Garbo’s Featured Article in Personal Chef Magazine – Fall Issue 2013

Pickled Holiday Gifts

Now that the Fall Season is waning and vegetable gardens have been harvested, folks are challenged with how they can consume their bounty. Perhaps you’ve experienced that friendly neighbor knocking at your door with a huge basket full of home grown vegetables hoping you can use them in your next meal. The solution is to pickle the fruits of their labor and enjoy them all winter long! Even if you didn’t plant a vegetable garden or receive veggie gifts from your friends, you can always visit your local Farmer’s Market and preserve the produce from there.

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High Tea for Mother’s Day

San Francisco Personal Chef Garbo – Published Article in Personal Chef Magazine – Spring Issue 2013

Personal Chef Magazine Article - High Tea for Mothers Day

Garbo’s Featured Article in Personal Chef Magazine – Spring Issue 2013

High Tea for Mother’s Day

For a memorable Mother’s Day celebration why not create a High Tea delight with fresh spring flowers and all the fixings. Your mother will really appreciate the lovely spread which she didn’t have to prepare. Plus, it’s the perfect occasion to indulge in sweet and savory bite size treats.

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Origins of the Christmas Cookie

Christmas Cookies today have historical roots based on biscuit recipes from Medieval Europe which contained ingredients such as ginger, black pepper, almonds, cinnamon and dried fruit. During the 16th century, Christmas biscuits grew in popularity across Europe which included lebkuchen (a traditional German baked Christmas treat that resembled gingerbread), the papparkakor (a ginger snap) which was popular in Sweden and in Norway it was the krumkake (thin cylindrical lemon and cardamom scented waffle cookies) that were all made at Christmas time.

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Garbo’s Thanksgiving Feast with a Renaissance Flair – November 2011

History of Thanksgiving Foods and its Influence on Renaissance Europe

Much of the food from the early Renaissance period was left over from the Middle Ages until Christopher Columbus discovered the Americas in 1492. Soon, trade brought in new and rare delectables into the Renaissance kitchens like oranges, corn, sugar and chocolate that started with the nobility and trickled down to the farmers and peasants. It took considerable time for these victuals to catch on in Europe, but one exception was the Turkey. About 30 years after Columbus, Cortez discovered the American turkey in Mexico around the 1520s. At that time, Turkey was known as “Indian Chicken” and this bird gained popularity very quickly. In addition to being delicious, turkey made a flamboyant centerpiece for banquets when dressed in all its feathers and plumes.

Fruit and Pastries

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Orange & Rosemary Scented Butternut Squash Soup

Personal Chef Magazine October – December 2010 Issue

Butternut Squash Soup with Seared Scallops
Personal Chef Magazine Article

Garbo’s Orange & Rosemary Scented Butternut Squash Soup with Seared Scallops

With the Holiday Season upon us one traditional dish that comes to mind is butternut squash soup. Every year I change up the recipe with creative twists on a traditional theme.

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SF Personal Chef Garbo & Cindy Pawlcyn’s Cookbook Signing

Demos, Wolf Ranges and Chefs…Oh My!

Feature Story in Personal Chef Magazine

Celebrity Chef Cindy Pawlcyn & Personal Chef Garbo

Celebrity Chef Cindy Pawlcyn & Personal Chef Garbo

Celebrity Chef Cindy Pawlcyn & Personal Chef Garbo

Celebrity Chef CindyPawlcyn & Personal Chef Garbo

When my friend and fellow USPCA member Chef Elizabeth Bourget of “Gourmet to Go” asked me to do a Wolf demo I jumped at the opportunity. Elizabeth has been Wolf’s go-to person for 4 years now so I was grateful when she considered me for the job.  I’ve never done a cooking demo in my life!  But I said, “Yes… I can do that!”  Then she said “Oh, by the way, Celebrity Chef Cindy Pawlcyn will be there signing her new appetizer cookbook”.  GULP!  What have I agreed to? Then I thought, well, many of my clients have Wolf Ranges and I’m a huge fan of Cindy Pawlcyn.  To quote Pawlcyn’s Bio on Bravo TV “She is widely recognized as a pioneer of wine country cooking and one of the first proponents of the farm to table philosophy.  She has worked alongside the likes of James Beard and Julia Child and is the author of four widely acclaimed cookbooks – The Fog City Diner Cookbook, Mustards Grill Napa Valley Cookbook, Big Small Plates, and her newest, Cindy Pawlcyn’s Appetizers. Cindy is considered as one of the most influential and accomplished women chefs in America and she’s an inductee of the Who’s Who of American Cooking”.

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