Interview with Salmon Croquettes, Food Media & Catering!

Welcome to appetizers 101. Thanks to The French Culinary Institute (FCI), you can watch how to make a killer brunch appetizer, salmon croquettes with quail eggs, and get a few chef techniques along the way. Enjoy the brunch, the french techniques and take a sneak peek at my interview about catering, food media and art on The French Culinary Institute’s blog, The Hot Plate (FCI interview sneak peek, below). Enjoy!

Recipe: Salmon Croquette with Quail Egg Appetizer

Interview: A Spoon in Many Pots with Brandon Maya Johnson

Interview Sneak Peek: Taste a few snippets from my interview, A Spoon in Many Pots, with The French Culinary Institute…

Brandon Maya Johnson
Program: Classic Culinary Program, Evenings, March ’09
Age: You don’t get this without a martini.
Hometown: Washington, D.C.
Current City: Brooklyn, New York

The French Culinary Institute: What have you been doing since you graduated?
Brandon: “Food media and catering is my life and love. Since graduating, I’ve catered for Danny Meyer’s Union Square Events, I’ve tested recipes for Saveur magazine, and I’ve consulted and written for the Cooking Channel’s, Food Network’s and Saveur Magazine’s websites. I also do chef instructing for Share Our Strength. If you’d ask which is better, I’d say, “Thank goodness I don’t have to choose.” I am wild about food media and cooking. Although, I must admit, there is nothing more enjoyable than slicing, plating, and flavoring food.”

The French Culinary Institute: You have a spoon in many pots right now. How do you see these various aspects of your career coming together or meeting your ultimate goal…which is?
Brandon: “My goal is to use food to fuel various creative avenues. The cooking and media experience blend beautifully. I can cook, then share the technique and recipe on the web, just like in the video we did. I have an ultimate goal, but I’m taking it one step at a time. Stay tuned.”

The French Culinary Institute: What are three ingredients you can’t live without?
Brandon: “Bone-in rib-eye, tomatoes, and garlic (and seafood!). What can I say? I’m a savory girl!”

The French Culinary Institute: You are going to make a salmon croquette for us today. Why did you choose this particular recipe to share?
Brandon: “Thank, Mr. Johnson (my dad) for the salmon croquette recipe. He used to make salmon croquettes for Sunday brunch, and I wanted to make this recipe personal—something that represented my family and my love of creative appetizers. You don’t see brunch appetizers every day, and this is a unique and easy appetizer recipe with good techniques. I hope you enjoy eating it as much as I enjoy cooking it!”

Enjoy the entire interview, A Spoon in Many Pots, here.

Feel free to ask questions and make comments, below. Happy Cooking!.

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Indoor Picnic: Shrimp & Potato Pancake

For the Indoor Picnic

Lay out your picnic blanket on an open space in your home, set seat cushions or pillows on top. Place the food on trays and dig in! You may also want a bed tray to place drinks on. 

My Kitchen Decor Favorites: Anthropologie Home Section

Select "Read More" for the recipes.

Recipe: Shrimp and Potato Pancake
Shrimp in white wine
1lb of large shrimp
½ cup of Dry white wine
1 Orange pepper
1 red onion
1 tsp Salt
½ tsp Pepper
1 tbsp of Olive oil

Dice the shallots. Clean and Quarter the shrimp.

Heat a large sauce pan coated with olive oil to medium high heat. Add the shallots to the pan, season with salt and pepper, and sauté for 5 minutes. Salt and pepper the shrimp and add it to the hot pan. Sear the shrimp for 1 minute per side. Add the white wine and let the shrimp and shallots simmer for 5 minutes. Remove the ingredients from the pan and plate.

Potato pancake
1 tsp Salt
½ tsp Pepper
2 tbsp Canola oil
4 russet Potatoes
¼ cups of chopped chives

Quarter the potatoes.

Boil 2 quarts of water in a larger pot. Add the potatoes and cook until tender. Drain the water and let potatoes stay in pot and add salt, pepper and butter. Mash the potatoes until smooth. Place the mashed potatoes into a bowl and mix in the chives. Mold the mashed potatoes into mini, ¼ inch thick pancakes. Place in a pan coated with hot oil at high heat. Cook each side for 3 minutes, until golden brown.

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Little Italy starring Andrea Scalici

Fresh Linguini

Welcome to Food Films, a web series to show simple ways to make delicious meals. We take our experience at the French Culinary Institute to create dishes that can be made at home. With menus for every budget, skill level, and schedule, you’re bound to find something you enjoy! To watch this video in High Quality, play the video then click the upward arrow located at the bottom right hand corner of the video screen (under the YouTube logo), and Select "HQ" for High Quality.

Recipe

1 c flour

1 egg + 1 egg yolk

Pinch salt

Drizzle of oil or water if needed 

Pour flour with salt onto work surface, make well in the middle.  Add mixed egg + yolk into middle of well and work together.  Add moisture of oil or water if too dry.  Work with hands, kneading into ball for 10 minutes.

Let rest in fridge 10 minutes and roll out with pasta maker into desired shape.  

See Sage and Sausage Butter Sauce to Accompany Pasta

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Food Art starring Brandon Johnson

Proscuitto Wrapped Pears

Welcome to Food Films, a web series to show simple ways to make delicious meals. We take our experience at the French Culinary Institute to create dishes that can be made at home. With menus for every budget, skill level, and schedule, you’re bound to find something you enjoy! To watch this video in High Quality, play the video then click the upward arrow located at the bottom right hand corner of the video screen (under the YouTube logo), and Select "HQ" for High Quality.

Recipes

2 Bosc Pears -  quartered, cored, and thinly sliced (1/8" slices)

15 Prosciutto slices - cut lengthwise into 1/2" strips

Take the prosciutto strip and diagonally wrap it around the pear. This hors d’oeuvre is great with crumbled blue cheese sprinkled on top. 

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Little Italy starring Andrea Scalici

Sausage and Sage Butter Sauce

Welcome to Food Films, a web series to show simple ways to make delicious meals. We take our experience at the French Culinary Institute to create dishes that can be made at home. With menus for every budget, skill level, and schedule, you’re bound to find something you enjoy! To watch this video in High Quality, play the video then click the upward arrow located at the bottom right hand corner of the video screen (under the YouTube logo), and Select "HQ" for High Quality.

Recipe:

Serves 6

2 cups of spicy sausage, sliced on bias

8-10 tbsp butter

12 sage leaves

Salt and pepper to taste

Microwave sausage for 3-5 minutes until par cooked and easy to slice on bias. Meanwhile, on medium-high heat, melt butter in a large pan until foam subsides and the butter starts to brown. Add in the whole sage leaves and sausage and continue to heat together to incorporate flavors. Add pasta into pan to coat or pour over hot pasta in dish. Use about ½ of a small box of your favorite pasta or make fresh pasta.

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