Courtesy Wolfgang Puck

Celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck shares his Spicy Tomato and Basil Bruschette recipe.  You can never go wrong using fresh ingredients like tomatoes and basil.

Wolfgang Puck recipes are always crowd pleasers. Whether you go to one of Wolfgang Puck’s restaurants like Spago’s, or just try an easy Puck recipe at home, you’ll never be disappointed.

SERVES 6

INGREDIENTS

Base

 12 x 1-inch thick slices, country-style Italian bread

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon roasted garlic (see separate recipe)

Toppings

3 tablespoons julienned basil, for garnish

4 ripe tomatoes, cored and cut into 1/2-inch dice

¹/₂ cup oven-dried tomatoes, coarsely chopped (see separate recipe)

¹/₂ cup julienned basil leaves

¹/₂ teaspoon salt

¹/₄ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¹/₄ teaspoon crushed dried red pepper flakes

DIRECTIONS

Pre-heat broiler or grill.

In medium bowl combine fresh and oven-dried tomatoes, basil, salt and black and red peppers. Set aside.

Broil or grill bread until golden brown on both sides. In small bowl combine extra-virgin olive oil and roasted garlic. Brush over toasted bread slices.

Using a slotted spoon to drain off excess liquid, divide tomato mixture among bread slices. Serve immediately.

Garnish with extra julienned basil leaves, if desired, and serve immediately.

NOTE

“In Tuscany, when the first olives are picked to make oil, they take a slice of fresh toast, rub it with garlic and splash on the brand new, pungent, peppery oil. I add tomato and basil, as they do in Rome, but make it sweeter by using oven-dried tomatoes and roasted garlic.

I like to start a dinner, especially in the summer, with a chilled red wine, cooled just enough to take the edge off it. Lighter-bodied wines like a good Cotes du Rhone from Guigal or Chapoutier’s Belleruche, or perhaps a young Valpolicella, respond to a cooler temperature. Or you might want to try cooling a Californian Gamay or Beaujolais style wine too. They’re the perfect match for fresh, fragrant Bruschetta made with fresh, ripe tomatoes.”

 –  Wolfgang Puck

on The Gourmet Review

Are you ready for some adventure? Look no further than Singita’s mobile tented camp on the Serengeti in Tanzania. Be at one with nature, as you wake up to elephants, giraffes and all of Africa’s Big Five at this luxury dream destination.

Every detail, from the tents to the exquisite food, compliments the extraordinary experience of being one with nature. Nothing compares to the animals themselves, but Singita does an extraordinary job creating the most pampered experience possible.

It’s the perfect time of year to think about planning a safari. You have to experience the sunsets when the day begins and the magnificent animals throughout the day before the day ends. It is impossible to describe Africa. It is life changing.

– The Gourmet Review

The Gourmet Review

This Zucchini Carpaccio with Avocado, Lemon Thyme and Pistachio Oil is a healthy, easy to make end of summer salad, especially if you have extra  zucchini from the garden or your local market. My friend, Helen, brought this salad to the opening of our crab season dinner this summer.

SERVES  3

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/4 best quality pistachio oil (or almond or extra virgin olive oil)

4 small fresh zucchini (each about 4 ounces) rinsed, dried and trimmed

l ripe avocado, peeled and very thinly sliced

1/4 cup salted pistachio nuts

4 sprigs fresh lemon thyme, with flowers if possible

Fleur de sel to taste (optional)

DIRECTIONS

With a mandoline or a very sharp knife, slice the zucchini lengthwise as thinly as possible.

Place the slices on a platter and pour the lemon mixture over the zucchini.

Tilt the platter back and forth to evenly coat the slices.

Cover with plastic wrap and let marinate for at least 30 minutes or up to l hour, so the zucchini absorbs the sauce and does not dry out.

PRESENTATION

Carefully arrange the slices of marinated zucchini on individual salad plates or serving platter, alternating with the avocado slices, slightly overlapping each slice.

Sprinkle with the pistachio nuts.

Seasons with thyme and fleur de sel, if using, and serve.

NOTE

Helen’s recipe came  from “Vegetable Harvest” and appeared in The Vancouver newspaper. Like so many of us, Helen cut the recipe out thinking it sounded good, put it in her recipe box and didn’t put  a date on it, so the date of publication is unknown!

-The Gourmet Review

The Gourmet Review

The Four Seasons always has exceptional chefs and cuisine. The Four Seasons Resort Hualalai in Hawaii is no exception. Chef Angela Kenyon at the Beach Tree Restaurant created this Lilikoi Lobster Salad.  It’s one of the most popular items on the menu, according to Executive Chef Nick Mastrasusa.

Since the Lilikoi fruit can only be found on the Hawaiian Islands, Chef Angela suggests substituting any tart fruit, such as lemon, if you can’t find the Lilikoi fruit. For example, use lemon as a substitute in the vinaigrette and call it Lemon Lobster salad! It’s a favorite poolside as well and it’s delicious.

INGREDIENTS

6 ounces grilled lobster tail

2 ounces Lilikoi Vinaigrette

5 each cucumber ribbons

1 head frisee

4 each orange segments

7 each watermelon

Pinch black lava salt

Pinch black pepper

4 each pea tendrils

5 each flowers petals (optional)

Lilikoi Vinaigrette

1 cup Lilikoi pulp

½ cup lemon juice

1 cup orange juice

2 each Shallots Minced

Pinch salt

Pinch pepper

2.5 cups olive oil

DIRECTIONS

Brine the lobster tail (optional) Cut in half. Season and grill. Cool down. Remove from the shell and cut. Using a peeler, cut the cucumber into segments. Segment the oranges and cut the watermelon into cubes. Toss lobster, cucumber, frisee, orange segments with lilikoi fruit. Garnish with edible flowers, black lava salt and pea tendrils.

LILIKOI VINAIGRETTE (Or substitute lemon for lilikoi for Lemon Vinaigrette)

Scoop out the seeds of the lilikoi. Combine with minced shallots and  citrus juice. Season with salt and pepper

-The Gourmet Review

The Gourmet Review

Fresh lemon balm and lime juice  combine to make an unusual Ali’i Julip Cocktail, created by Bartender, Doug Schulman, at the Four Season’s Resort Hualalai‘s  Lava Lounge. Doug is a talented master of mixed drinks. Anything you want, he will either mix or create for you.

The setting is spectacular. Background noise is the surf crashing on the beach below. The lounge opens to a breathtaking view of the Pacific Ocean. Doug shares his recipe for the Ali’i Julip Cocktail.

INGREDIENTS

DIRECTIONS

NOTE

This is a Julip style of drink (crushed ice, bourbon, lemon balm subbing for mint). Doug shared that Ali’i means royalty in Hawaiian!

Wolfgang Puck can make the simplest of fresh ingredients come together for a fabulous meal. His recipe for Pappardelle With Garlic And Oven Dried Tomatoes is a perfect example of a great pasta that is beautiful, easy to prepare and healthy.

SERVES 4

INGREDIENTS

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

3  Tablespoons sliced double-blanced garlic

1/3 cup Oven-Dried Tomatoes, cut into large pieces (see separate recipe)

3 medium tomatoes peeled, seeded and chopped

Kosher salt and freshly ground white pepper

12 ounces fresh regular or spinach pappardelle

4 ounces Herbed Goat Cheese cut into small pieces

6 fresh basil leaves, cut into chiffonade

DIRECTIONS

In a 12-inch sauté pan or skillet, heat the olive oil. Lightly brown the garlic. Add the Oven-Dried Tomatoes and the chopped fresh tomatoes and season lightly with salt and pepper. Cook until the sauce has thickened slightly. Adjust the seasoning to taste.

Meanwhile, bring a large stockpot of water to a boil. Add a large pinch of salt to the water and cook the pasta until it is al dente, about 1 minute for fresh pasta. (Cook packaged pasta according to package directions.) Drain the pasta and combine with the sauce.

PRESENTATION

After the pasta has been tossed with the sauce take a pair of tongs or a roasting fork and twirl the pasta in a mound on the plate. Pour the sauce over the mound and garnish with the goat cheese and basil chiffonade.

WOLFGANG’S WINE RECOMMENDATION

Talenti Rosso di Montalcino 2004 (Tuscany, Italy)

NOTE

Pappardelle pasta is an Italian flat pasta cut into a broad ribbon shape.  The width is between tagliatelle and lasagna.  The name pappardelle  comes from the Italian pappare, a verb which means “to gobble up.” This pasta can be found in Italian specialty shops or may grocery stores. It can also be made at home on a pasta machine.

– The Gourmet Review