Home For The Holidays

Hey folks!

Welcome back to the Chef's Corner!

I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving, filled with lots of delicious food, football and a good nap! It's hard to believe Christmas is right around the corner. I am thrilled to be spending my first Christmas here in the Triangle. Being a native Northern New Yorker, spending the holidays away from home can be tough. But I am very fortunate to have met some pretty amazing people here in Raleigh, so I am looking forward to spending time with new (and old) friends this holiday season.

I thought I would share my favorite holiday dessert that reminds me of back home. It's my Mother's recipe, and she always makes extra for me every year because she knows it's my favorite dish!

I hope you enjoy Jackie's Holiday Pumpkin Roll!

• Grease a 10 x 15 cookie sheet and line with parchment paper then Pam spray the parchment.
• Combine 3 eggs, 1 cup of sugar, 2/3 cup of solid pumpkin, ¾ cup flour, 1 tsp. baking soda, and ½ tsp of cinnamon.
• Pour batter onto to cookie sheet, spread to make even and sprinkle with chopped nuts.
• Bake @ 350’ about 12 mins.
• Have a cotton cloth (not terry cloth, a cloth table napkin works good) ready with confectioner sugar sprinkle on it.
• Flip cake on towel and remove parchment , roll up in towel to cool.
• When cake is cool unroll and spread the filling; 2  Tablespoon of soft margarine or butter, ¾ tsp vanilla, one 8 oz softened cream cheese. 1 cup confectioners sugar. Beat all with a mixer.
• Spread the filling on the unrolled cake then re-roll and wrap in plastic wrap , refrigerate or freeze

Enjoy!! 

Lobster Pumpkin Bisque

Hello again friends! Thanks for stopping by the Chef's Corner! 

We are gearing up for the fall season here at Jimmy V's Osteria + Bar! Fall is definitely my favorite time of year. The changing of the seasons means a transition to use new ingredients in my dishes! I love going to the local farmers markets here in Raleigh to see what new seasonal ingredients I can incorporate into my menu. It's the best part about being a Chef, there is always something new to try to really get my creative juices flowing.  And what ingredient does everyone think of when autumn rolls around? Pumpkins! I've been exploring several pumpkin recipes at home, and my latest creation is my Pumpkin Lobster Bisque! I've made several variations of this dish, using squash and crab meat as substitutes, but I've found that pumpkin and lobster are a really great compliment to one another. It's a great dish to warm up to as we slowly make our way into colder weather!

Lobster Pumpkin Bisque

• 4 Cups heavy cream
• 1 Large white onion (chopped)
• 2 Large carrots (chopped) 
• 2 lb. peeled pumpkin (chopped)
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 cup dry sherry
• 2 Whole Live Lobsters
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Cook the lobsters in boiling water for 8-10 minutes (8 minutes per pound). Pull lobsters out and chill, reserving the liquid (you will be using this later).  Once the lobsters are cool, crack the claws and tail, remove the meat and set aside (keep claw meat whole for garnish).  In another pot, sauté onion and carrots until soft then pour in sherry to deglaze the pan.  Add half the lobster cooking liquid, reserved from before to the pot along with the pumpkin and bring to a simmer for 20 minutes or until pumpkin is tender.  Add cream and return to a simmer for an additional 10 minutes.  Pour soup into a blender, blend until you have a smooth consistency.  Return to the pot and add tomato paste, one tablespoon at a time until you've reach your desired thickness, season with salt and pepper.  Put the cut lobster meat in the bottom of a bowl, ladle soup over and float 1 claw on top as garnish.

Enjoy!!