Hey Young Chefs:
Today I interviewed Antoinette de Alteriis, Promotions Director for Pelican Publishing Company, which publishes amazing cookbooks. Ms. Antoinette has many varied interests in the food world. She sews beautiful, reversible aprons, makes other handcrafted items, and has an Etsy Shop. In addition, she hosts a fun, monthly Supper Club.
Antoinette de Alteriis, Promotions Director for Pelican Publishing Company and Food Enthusiast
Antoinette de Alteriis was born in Texas and grew up in Mathews, Virginia. Her Dad was first generation Italian from Naples and my Mom is Scotts – Irish and German. Both of her grandmothers were wonderful cooks and her first memories are of kitchens. There are pictures her with her mom and grandmothers in each of their kitchens, all wearing aprons and smiling. As Antoinette grew up, she loved making food and playing in the kitchen – sometimes with success and sometimes some really dramatic failures!
Antoinette headed off to Scotland after graduating from high school to work on a construction project with a mission group at an estate in Daldorch. That’s where she learned that jello can be made without refrigeration! As a Hopwood Scholar, she studied Art Education and English at Lynchburg College. She worked in kitchens under several CIA chefs and as a caterer. While teaching school in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, she indulged her love of books by working with Waldenbooks as a children’s specialist, eventually focusing on promotional events during thirteen years with the company. Antoinette ended up in New Orleans as the General Manager of Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museum just before Katrina. When it closed in 2007, she started her own business then found her place at Pelican working with books again.
In addition to cooking, her grandmother and mother taught her how to sew, encouraging creativity. Antoinette indulges her creative side by serving as costume historian and consultant for the Krewe de Jeanne d’Arc and creating art-to-wear clothing and aprons that she sell in her Etsy shop and at festivals around the area.
Antoinette’s Honey Milk Balls
When I was a kid my Mom got this recipe from the 4H agent. My little brother made them all the time for afterschool snacks. Yum! Now I know they are really a wonderful snack and very nutritios. My son and I made them when he was little with soymilk powder since he couldn’t have milk. If you have peanut allergies, they work just as well with other nuts; just grind the nuts in your home food processor until it makes a paste.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup peanut butter (we like crunchy!)
1/2 cup honey (we like clover honey but try local honey from your nearby farmer’s market)
1 cup powdered milk
1 1/2 cups crushed cornflakes
A flat pan with an edge or large plate that will fit in your refrigerator
A piece of wax paper as big as the pan or plate
Directions:
Use your hands and mix up the peanut butter, honey, and powdered milk. Roll the mixture into 1 inch balls – the size of a large marble. Roll the ball in the crushed cornflakes and place on cookie sheet lined with wax paper. Place in the refrigerator to chill for at least an hour. (they are pretty good warm too!)
Once they are chilled, put them in a plastic carton and store in the refrigerator. They will keep indefinitely.
Eat and enjoy! These make great gifts for teachers and friends, just put them in fancy mini muffin cups and wrap them with plastic wrap and ribbon. You can get really creative and use a lake cereal that is chocolate or multicolored too!
“A Tisket A Tasket What’s Inside My Basket?”
Today’s secret ingredients are… Eggplant and Plantains!
Here is my recipe for Eggplant Steak Roll-Ups
Ingredients:
2 large eggplants, sliced into 1/4 inch steaks
1 1/2 lbs. boneless ribeye
1/2 fresh spinach
1/4 c. fresh basil
1 small vine-ripened tomato, diced
olive oil
grilling seasoning
salt and pepper
grated cheese (optional)
Directions:
Season both sides of ribeye steaks with grilling seasoning. Set aside. Brush both sides of eggplant steaks with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Grill eggplant until soft. Grill ribeye steak to desired temperature. Let the steak rest and then cut into thin strips. Layer spinach, basil, steak, and tomato on top of eggplant. Roll up and fasten with a toothpick. Top with grated cheese. Serves 4.
Here is a recipe for Tostones. My Abuela, my grandmother, taught me how to make them. Tostones are fried plantains.
Ingredients:
2 plantains
2 c. cooking oil
1 c. water
1 tsp. salt
Directions:
Use adult supervision when frying. First, peel plantains. Cut them in half inch pieces. Heat oil in frying pan or deep fryer. Fry plantain for 1 minute. Remove from oil. Put each piece of fried plantain in between 2 pieces of aluminum foil. Use a small plate and press them flat. Mix salt and water in a bowl. Quickly dip each plantain in the salt water and then pat it dry. Refry it for 2 minutes or until golden brown.
“Kitchen Tips N Tool Time!”
Here is a super simple recipe for Sliced Strawberry Sauce
Ingredients:
1 c. sliced strawberries
1/4 c. sugar
Directions:
In a large bowl, combine ingredients thoroughly. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for a couple of hours. The sugar helps the strawberries to release their juices, creating a sauce. Pour the strawberries and sauce over yogurt, angel food cake, pound cake, or even over a banana. Add whipped cream and you have a heavenly dessert or snack.
“Spice Detective”
Here is a recipe for Rosemary-Lemon Roasted Chicken
Ingredients:
1 whole chicken
3 tbsp. olive oil
Large bunch fresh rosemary
2 lemons, sliced into circles
1/2 c. fresh lemon juice
3 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stuff chicken cavity with rosemary and lemon slices. In a roasting plan, arrange remaining rosemary and lemon at the bottom. Cover chicken with olive oil. Rub chicken with salt and pepper. Mix garlic and lemon juice and pour into pan. Bake for 1 1/2 hours. Serves 4-6.
“Snacktivity Time”
Today’s Snacktivity is… Fruitylicious Yogurt Parfait!
Ingredients:
1/2 c. vanilla yogurt for each serving
1/4 c. strawberry halves
1/4 c. raspberries
1 banana, sliced
Dollop whipped cream
Directions:
Spoon a thin layer of yogurt in the bottom of a tall, clear glass. Place several strawberry slices on top of the yogurt. Spoon another layer of yogurt on top of the strawberries. Continue layering by placing several raspberries on top of the yogurt. Finally, place several banana slices on top of the last layer of yogurt. Top with several slices of banana. Top with a dollop of whipped cream and garnish with a raspberry. Now THAT’s a cool treat!
“Disaster-Ready Recipes”
2X2 Chicken Fajita Soup
2X2 Chicken Fajita Soup
Ingredients:
2 qts. water
2 pkts. taco seasoning
2 cans corn, drained
2 cans sliced new potatoes, drained
2 c. fajita chicken slices
2 tbsp. cumin
2 tbsp. garlic salt
2 c. salsa
Directions:
Combine all the ingredients in a large sauce pot over medium heat. Cool for 20 minutes. Serves 8-12.
Homemade Flour Tortillas
Ingredients:
2 c. flour mix (Quaker Harina Preparada)
1/2 warm water
Directions:
Preheat skillet on medium high heat. Combine flour mix with warm water, mixing until the dough forms into a ball. If the dough seems a little dry, add water, a few drops at a time. Knead the dough for about five minutes. Let stand for five minutes. Shape the dough into slightly larger than golf-ball size balls, about 1 to 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Place the dough ball into the tortilla press or roll out a flat circle with the rolling pin. Place the tortilla on the hot skillet for 20-30 seconds on each side with a third flip for 10-20 seconds. The tortillas should be soft and pliable. Stack them on top of each other, covering them with a towel to keep them warm. Makes about 12 tortillas.
“Cookin’ Crafts!” Today’s cookin’ craft is how to make Coffee Filter Butterflies. This will make 2 butterflies.
Supplies:
1 paper plate
2 coffee filters
2 clothes pins or doll pins
water-based markers
spray bottle of water
adhesive magnets (optional)
googly eyes (optional)
Step 1: Flatten a coffee filter on top of a paper plate and create a design using water-based colored markers.
Step 2: Using a spray bottle, spray the entire coffee filter with water, being sure to spray evenly and thoroughly. It will allow the ink to spread, creating a “tie-dye” effect.
Step 3: Flatten another coffee filter. Using the second coffee filter as a blotter, press it firmly on top of the colored coffee filter. The excess moisture and color will be absorbed into the second coffee filter.
Step 4: Gather the coffee filters in the middle creating accordion pleats to make “wings.” Pinching the pleats tightly, open a clothes pin and wedge the wings as far back as possible. If you are working with small children, you may want to help with this step. The clothes pin can unexpectedly snap shut if not held firmly. Feel free to color the “body” of the butterfly and glue on googly eyes. You can also add an adhesive magnet to the bottom to make a “butterfly fridge magnet.”
That’s it for this week’s radio show!
Cool Kids Cook and Get Creative in the Kitchen!
Bon Appetit, Kid Chef Eliana
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