Midday asks, what ya got cookin?

What do you look forward to cooking and baking at this time of year?

Chef John Shields is the author of several cookbooks, the latest of which is The New Chesapeake Kitchen. He’s a chef and the proprietor of Gertrude's Chesapeake Kitchen at the Baltimore Museum of Art, and the host of two highly acclaimed PBS cooking shows: Chesapeake Bay Cooking and Coastal Cooking. John joins us in Studio A…

We also welcome Chef Melanie, the creator of Chauncey’s, which does catering and offers culinary classes in Baltimore and throughout the DMV area.

Chef Melanie studied at Le Cordon Bleu College in Los Angeles. She’s worked with some of the best known chefs in the country, she appeared on Chopped on the Food Network, and 10 years ago she even served as the event chef at Cochella, where she fed more than 90,000 music lovers.

Plus, Debonette Wyatt joins Tom. Wyatt is the owner of My Mama’s Vegan. You can find it at the Urban Reads Bookstore in the 3000 block of Greenmount Avenue.

Recipes

Aunt Betty’s Crustless Quiche (Aunt Betty is Tom’s Godmother)

Melt some butter (2 tbs?) and smear over the bottom and sides of a casserole baking dish.

Combine in a bowl:
3 eggs
1 cup milk
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 medium onion, chopped
Grape tomatoes, sliced in half (however many you want)
Mushrooms, chopped (however many you want)
4 cups baby spinach, chopped

Mix all the ingredients together, and place in the casserole baking dish.
Bake at 350 for about an hour.
Serves 4. This freezes well, and it lasts in the refrigerator for several days.

Chef Melanie's Curried Mussel Salad
YELLOW CURRY SAUCE
2 Tbsp Oil (EVOO or Coconut)
½ medium Vidalia onion, peeled, rough chop
2 ea Carrots, peeled, rough chop
1 whole Birds Eye Chili -optional
3 cloves Garlic, smashed
2-3 tsp Turmeric
1 Tbsp Ginger, fresh, peeled, rough chop
1 tsp Coriander
3 large Thai Basil leaves-torn
3 Tbsp Yellow Curry Paste
10 oz Coconut Milk-full fat
2 Tbsp cashew butter
To taste, kosher
To taste, White Pepper
Lime juice to finish
Preparation

1. Heat oil in a large pan over medium-high heat.
2. Add onion and carrots and saute ~5 mins stirring occasionally.
3. Add garlic, ginger, turmeric, and coriander. Cook 1-3 minutes until fragrant. Stirring occasionally.
4. Reduce heat and add Thai basil & Chilies. Simmer, stirring constantly, about 3 minutes.
5. Stir in coconut milk and simmer for ~10 minutes until sauce reduces by ¼.
6. Remove Chili & transfer curry to blender/food processor. 
7. Add cashew butter & puree until smooth.
8. Taste curry sauce and season TT with salt & white pepper.
9. Finish with lime juice.
10. Cool completely.

MUSSELS
1 lbs mussels, fresh
1 Tbsp butter, unsalted
3 clove garlic, smashed
½ shallot, peeled and diced
2 rib celery, diced
¼” lemongrass stalk
3 ea cloves
¼ c Riesling, room temp

Preparation

1. Wash debeard mussels. Remove and discard any dead mussels.
2. Prepare garlic, shallot, & celery.
3. Melt butter in a medium stock pot.
4. Add garlic, shallot, celery, and lemongrass. Saute ~3-5 min until fragrant & softened.
5. Add cloves & mussels to the pot. Stir. Cook ~ 2 min. Add Riesling, reduce heat & cover. 
6. Cook ~5-7 minutes stirring occasionally until all mussels have opened.
7. Remove mussels from the pot and place onto a sheet pan. Cool completely.
8. Once cooled, remove mussels from shells and store under refrigeration.
9. Mix mussels with enough Yellow Curry Sauce to coat and allow to marinate at least 2 hours prior to service. 

SALAD
1 ea red, yellow, orange bell pepper
1 ea carrot, julienned [2 or 3 oz]
½ shallots, sliced ⅛” thick- garnish
kale, shredded (for salad)