Shot of Chocolate Fundraiser at Caputo's Nov. 2

Chocolate fans can enjoy their favorite treat Friday night while raising money to help the world's children. A Shot of Chocolate party will take place at Caputo’s Deli, 314 W. 300 South in Salt Lake City on November 2 at 7:30 p.m.

The proceeds from the event will benefit Shot@ Life, a campaign of the United Nations Foundation that champions vaccines as the most cost-effective way to prevent childhood deaths in developing countries.

“Organizing and planning this fundraiser makes chocolate seem a little sweeter,” said Gina Baker, the Shot of Chocolate party’s organizer. “Through the appeal of chocolate, we can help spread the word about the power of vaccines to save lives.”

For a suggested donation of $20, guests will receive a custom shot glass and sample products from local chocolatiers, such as Amano Chocolate, Chocolot, Dessert Bites, Food of the Gods, Hatch Family Chocolates Millcreek Cacao, Butcher's Bunches and the Chocolate Conspiracy. There will also be a prize drawing for numerous giveaways.

Organizer Gina Baker, who is both a nurse and chocolate lover, said that 1.5 million children in developing countries die from vaccine preventable diseases each year. Interestingly, some of those countries, such as Ghana and the Ivory Coast, are in the world's chocolate-growing belt, which extends between 20 degrees north and 20 degrees south of the equator.

"I've been to Ghana, and kids definitely can use vaccinations there," she said.  

Baker writes about chocolate on her blog, My Chocolate Peaces, at http://www.mychocolatepeaces.com.  As she researched more about how fine chocolate is made, she became aware of social and ethical issues surrounding chocolate production. Cocoa farmers labor in deplorable conditions and are paid very little. Children are often forced into labor.

"A lot of people want to do good, but some organizations can really do something definitive to help save lives," she said. "When I asked some of the chocolate makers here about being involved, they were amazing, they all said yes, no questions asked.  They totally want to give back to those countries."

 Local businesses donated the venue, products, and prizes for the party so that 100 percent of the ticket fees can be donated to Shot@ Life.

She said the suggested donation is $20, because that would provide a vaccinations for a single child in need.

To purchase tickets, visit shotofchocolate.com.  

To learn more about the Shot@Life Campaign, visit  ShotAtLife.org.

Recipes From Utah Power & Light Home Economists Are Back!

Clara Christensen of UP & L gives a cooking demo in Richfield.

Back when it was known as Utah Power & Light, Rocky Mountain Power had a group of home economists who taught cooking classes in the community. Along with the chopping and stirring, they mixed a generous pinch of advice on how to conserve energy, what to do in a power outage, or how to use electrical appliances such as the food processor or microwave oven.

Home cooks eagerly awaited the latest booklet or calendar filled with new recipes. Being able to sample them was the icing on the cake.

Although the home economist program was discontinued about 20 years ago, the recipes live on in a new "Centennial Cookbook" published by Rocky Mountain Power. Over 600 of the recipes developed and cooked by those home economists are contained in the book, as well as small historical vignettes.

About five years ago, I did a "reunion" story for the Deseret News about  the home economist programs with both UP & L and what was then Mountain Fuel Supply. I ran a few of the recipes from that era, and I heard from several readers who wanted to get their hands on more of those recipes. So, I'm glad to hear that some of the UP & L recipes can be found in this new book.The book is being sold for $15 each at the Utah Power Credit Union offices, with the proceeds toward a foundation for college scholarships. (Utah Power Credit Union locations can be found here: http://www.utahpowercu.org/contact.html)

Two former UP & L home economists, Margaret Oler and Kathy Hoffman, compiled the recipes from the company's historic booklets and brochures. Both are still work for Rocky Mountain Power employees, although no longer as home economists. 

  "It was an absolute delight to take a look over the decades and put this book together," said Oler. "I started out as a home economist, and I loved it."

  In putting together the collection, "We discovered that the recipes really reflected the era that they came from," said Oler. "For instance, Sacky's Olympus Salad came from the early 1980s, at a time when people were shifting from a lot of canned foods to fresh ingredients such as fresh broccoli, and tastes from other parts of the world."

Another recipe, Cashew Pea Pods, in the late 1980s, reflects how palates were moving from standard meat-and-potatoes to more exotic flavors. Chicken Wellington took advantage of a new convenience product, frozen puff pastry.

Another recipe from the 1940s was a from-scratch cake that used canned sweet cherries.

These recipes came from a long tradition. In the 1920s, utility companies began hiring home economists to encourage people to replace their wood-burning stoves with new gas or electric ranges and the old icebox with refrigerators. 

This  1920 photo in the cookbook shows Lulu Bates demonstrating electric ranges, refrigerators and washing machines.
   Later, in the '70s and '80s, the UP&L specialists introduced consumers to the microwave, showing how it could be used for tasks such as roasting potatoes and baking cakes.
   As public concern grew for the environment and utility costs, the company put more emphasis on emphasis on energy conservation, Oler said. Today, instead of cooking shows, the company offers incentives to update old energy-demanding appliances with high-efficiency models.

  Here are a couple of recipes from the cookbook:

SACKY'S OLYMPUS SALAD

   2 cups rotini pasta
   2 bunches broccoli
   1/2 cup bottled Italian salad dressing
   2 cloves garlic, minced
   1/4 teaspoon pepper
   1/2 teaspoon salt
   1/2 teaspoon basil leaves
   1 4-ounce can sliced olives
   1 4-ounce jar diced pimiento
   1/2 cup chopped green pepper
   1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

   Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, rinse with cold water and drain well. Separate broccoli flowerets and chop stalks. Steam broccoli 5-7 minutes until tender-crisp. Drain, plunge into cold water and drain well.
   In a small bowl combine dressing with garlic, pepper, salt and basil. In a salad bowl combine pasta, broccoli, olives, pimiento, green pepper. Toss with salad dressing mixture and cheese. Serve cold.

— "Centennial Cookbook" by Rocky Mountain Power

CASHEW PEA PODS

1 6-ounce package frozen pea pods, defrosted and drained

1 8-ounce can sliced water chestnuts, drained

2 cups fresh mushrooms, sliced

1/2 cup green onion, chopped

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon sugar

Dash of garlic powder

Dash of ginger

1 tablespoon butter or margarine

1/2 cup cashews

In fry pan or wok, combine butter, mushrooms and onions. Saute until tender. Stir in pea pods and water chestnuts. Combine soy sauce, cornstarch, sugar and seasoning and add to vegetables. Cook until tender-crisp, stirring often. Mix in cashews and serve. Makes 4 servings.

— "Centennial Cookbook" by Rocky Mountain Power

BBQ Benefit For Wounded Warrior Project

The Intermountain Barbecue Association (IMBBQA) is hosting the First Annual Wounded Warrior Project BBQ Benefit on Nov. 17, at Snider's Brothers Meats, 6245 Highland Drive, Salt Lake City. It runs from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m., or until all the barbecue its gone.

Pulled pork sandwich plate lunches will be sold for $7 on a walk-up basis. 

As part of this benefit, the organizers are  pre-selling a limited number of championship smoked whole pork butts (averaging 8-9 pounds) plus a pint of homemade sauce, for $50. You're likely to get at least 18-20 pulled pork sandwiches from that amount. 

Orders for these butts must be received and paid for online no later than midnight, November 11.  (No, if, ands or butts about it.)

For ordering information, click here: http://imbbqa.com/content.php?325-Wounded-Warrior-Project-BBQ-Benefit-Pre-Order-Sales-Now-Open&s=e74ce706c3cc167144375403506a838d.

Winners of Really Big Cooking Show Tix

OK - the winners of pairs of tickets to the The Really Big Cooking Show are Cindy and Amanda!  

You have each won two tickets. Email me at valeriephillips55@hotmail.com so I can put them in the mail to you as soon as possible.  

Cyndi and Tara, it happens that I have  two more free tickets, so I am giving you each a ticket as well.  Please email me so I can put the tickets in the mail to you soon. 

The show takes place  Saturday, Nov. 3 at the Thanksgiving Point Barn, from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. Doors open at 9 a.m., and the vendors will be there until 3 p.m., so you can see and sample to your  heart's content.

Tix are $16 in advance, available at Seagull Bookstores. 

But, readers who posted a comment on my blog about the show had their names put into a soup bowl, and I drew out two winners.  Since there were only four different posters, I thought I'd like to give everyone at least one ticket for your trouble.

Cooking class headliner is Liz Edmunds, star of KBYU's "The Food Nanny."

Other presenters are:

Karen Petersen, blogger  and author of the cookbook, "365 Days of Slow Cooking" will teach "Slow-Cooking Meals Made Easy."

Some may remember that a few years back, Karen cooked meals in her slow-cooker for a whole year.

Echo Blickenstaff & Emily Walker will teach "Make Your Favorite Restaurant Recipes at Home." They are the authors of the cookbook, "Favorite Family Recipes," also published by Covenant.

Turkey Pot Pie Soup

Loaded Potato Soup

And I will be teaching two "Delicious & Simple Soups,"  in my 30-minute class.  The Turkey Pot Pie Soup is a great way to use Thanksgiving leftovers, with a streamlined, no-fuss crust. The Loaded Potato Soup is a comfort food favorite that comes together really quick. 

Chipotle White Chicken Chili Recipe

The autumn chill seems to be saying "chili." Here's a recipe from my cookbook, "Soup's On!" that uses canned chipotle chiles, chicken and white beans. And yes, it comes together in just 30 minutes!  You can use rotisserie chicken to make it even quicker.

CHIPOTLE WHITE CHICKEN CHILI

         Prep time:  30 minutes.

         Makes about 6 1-1/2 C. servings.

         Chopotle chiles —smoked jalapeno peppers — are found in the Mexican food aisle, in 7-oz. cans with adobo sauce. You only need one or two chiles for this dish, but don't let the rest of the can go to waste; freeze it and then shave off a bit every time you need to add a little smoky kick to a dish.

If you prefer, you can make this chili with rotisserie chicken or frozen cooked and diced chicken pieces. Pull the meat off of a rotisserie chicken and dice it into 1-inch pieces or shred it apart with your fingers. Either way, you should have 2-1/2 to 3 C. of chicken meat.

         1 Tbsp. canola oil

         2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts

         3 14-oz. cans chicken broth

         2 Tbsp. dried chopped onions

         1 tsp. garlic powder

         2 tsp. ground cumin

         1 tsp. oregano

         1/2 tsp. ground cayenne pepper or chile powder (more if desired)

         2 7-oz. cans diced green chiles

         1or 2 chipotle chiles, canned in adobo sauce, and 1 Tbsp. of the adobo sauce

         2 15-oz. cans Great Northern beans or other white beans, drained and well-rinsed

         1/2 C. chopped cilantro

         Salt and pepper to taste

                   1. Heat oil in a 4-quart stockpot on high heat.

                   2. Add the chicken breasts and saute until golden brown on both sides, about 5-8 minutes.                                          3. Remove the chicken to a cutting board to cool.

                   4. Add the chicken broth, onion, garlic powder, cumin, oregano, chiles, and beans to the pot. With a potato masher, mash some of the beans to create a thicker soup.  Allow the soup to simmer 10 minutes.

                   5. While soup is simmering, dice the cooked chicken breasts into 1-inch cubes.

                   6. Add the chicken to the pot, and cook an additional 5 minutes while you chop the cilantro.

                   7. Add the cilantro, just before serving. Taste and add more salt, pepper, or chile powder if desired.  Serve topped with shredded cheese or tortilla chips.

                   Options: If you have more time, roast and dice fresh chiles instead of using canned.

Cooking Show Ticket Giveaway

Tomorrow morning I'm giving away two sets of tickets each to the The Really Big Cooking Show, which will take place on Saturday, Nov. 3 at the Thanksgiving Point Barn, from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Cooking class headliner is Liz Edmunds, star of KBYU's "The Food Nanny."

Other presenters are:

Karen Petersen, blogger  and author of the cookbook, "365 Days of Slow Cooking" will teach "Slow-Cooking Meals Made Easy."

Some may remember that a few years back, Karen cooked meals in her slow-cooker for a whole year.

Echo Blickenstaff & Emily Walker will teach "Make Your Favorite Restaurant Recipes at Home." They are the authors of the cookbook, "Favorite Family Recipes," also published by Covenant.

Turkey Pot Pie Soup

Loaded Potato Soup

And I will be teaching two "Delicious & Simple Soups,"  in my 30-minute class.  The Turkey Pot Pie Soup is a great way to use Thanksgiving leftovers, with a streamlined, no-fuss crust. The Loaded Potato Soup is a comfort food favorite that comes together really quick.  I mean, where's the "comfort" in spending a couple of hours making the so-called "comfort food?"

There will be booths of vendors giving out samples, and the event should be a lot of fun. I expect it will be something like the Taste of Home Cooking School events.

Tix are $16 in advance, available at Seagull Bookstores. But I'm giving away 2 sets of tickets (2 tix per set)  this week! Just leave me a comment below this blog post, with a first name so I can identify you.  You have until TONIGHT (Tueday, Oct. 23) to leave me a comment. Then I'll put the names of all the commenters into a hat and draw out a winner, to be posted Wednesday. You can then email your snail mail address and I'll send you the tix.

Please leave a comment ONLY if you would actually be able to attend the show. I don't want to give away tix to someone who's not planning on attending, leaving a lot of empty seats at the show.

Grandpa Jay's Funeral

Grandkids and great-grandkids of Jay Milton Sagers. 

Preparing for military rites.

Preparing for military rites.

My siblings - Nate, Hallie, Christi, Matt (me) and Travis.

My dad's funeral was today.  I'm going to write more about this, but it was quite a day, with a roller coaster of emotions, seeing friends and family. We shared many memories, tears and even some laughs.  For now I just want to post some photos.

My family- Kim, me, Jess, Jayden, Stephanie, Amy, Anthony, Jacklyn, Eric, Lonn and Chelsea.

My niece and nephew, Brittany and Austin Keller.

Taking a moment by Grandpa's casket.

The flowers from grandkids and great-grandkids with Dad's boots and rope entwined.

Kim and I bid farewell to Dad at the cemetery.

Dad's many shooting honors, including a letter from Charlton Heston.

Nate and Truth Ann's family.

More of Dad's photos and honors.

Matt and Janice's family.

Christi and Jerry's family.

Hallie's family - Austin and Brittany.

Matt, Christi and me with Dad in 2011.  We
already miss you!

Salt Lake Community College's Cooking Competition

Cameron Whitlock had only taken three courses in the Salt Lake Community College culinary arts program when he volunteered to take part in a public cooking competition. The competition was part of an event at the College’s main campus announcing a $30,000 grant from the Dannon Company. Three students from the program were paired with local celebrity chefs to see who could prepare and present the best dish for a college audience.

Of course, the chefs had to use yogurt in each of their dishes.

Sarah Lowe had no experience in cooking competitions of any kind prior to the Dannon event. “I have never competed before, it sounded fun,” she said. “This event was a great way to get some experience competing.”
 

A SLCC press release offered the following details from the contest:

“Honestly, I was really nervous,” Cameron said. “I didn’t have any idea what I’d do. But then, that’s how I learned to cook—throwing random ingredients that I happened to have in my house together and trying to make something out of it. I had a lot of fun with it.”

Lowe characterized the days leading up to the competition as exciting. While she didn’t know what to expect, Lowe found her advisors at the College capable of providing invaluable help. “Stephanie Tanner, the President of the Culinary Club at SLCC, was very helpful at answering all my questions,” she said.

Whitlock’s experience with on-the-fly improvisation and use of seemingly arbitrary ingredients gave Whitlock tailor-made the nature of the competition to his skill set. The competitors held a draft, in which each team selected one ingredient until they each had what they needed to make their dishes.

Educators in elementary schools, middle schools, high schools and universities are finding that the single-most important trait a student can possess that portends future success is grit. And Whitlock came to the College with his share.

Whitlock had a construction career working as a framer. Cooking for himself and his friends after work was something that he enjoyed. “My friends all told me that I needed to find a job where I could cook because it always made me so happy,” he said.

When he lost his construction job, he had some money saved and decided to pursue a new career in cooking. He found work at a local senior center. “At first it was hell. I had no idea what I was doing,” he said. “But I stayed with it. I really wanted to figure out what I didn’t know how to cook. I learned a lot, got better, and decided to go to school to study culinary arts.”

Like Whitlock, Lowe has long had a love for cooking. Her decision to enroll in the College Culinary Arts program was based on it being the only school in Utah currently certified with the ACF—the organization that operates the most comprehensive certification program for chefs in the United States.

Lowe called the competition a great learning experience. “It was fun to answer people's questions about what we were doing and show off our dishes,” she said. The time limitations weren't too short, we had 45 minutes to get our dishes out, so we had just enough time to get everything cooked and plated nicely.”

All three competitors put together dishes they were comfortable with and that were big hits with the audience that had gathered for the event. Once the dishes were finished and plated, all the students could do was wait for the panel of judges to offer a ruling.

“I think waiting for the judges was the worst part,” Lowe said. “Because once you put your dish out, there is no turning back or making changes, so you hope it is perfect.”

Judging the competition wasn’t easy. Competition judge Amber Billingsly—Vinto’s pastry chef, named Utah's best for 2012 by Salt Lake Magazine—was overheard describing one entry as particularly appetizing, but perhaps ill suited to a competition that aimed at finding a dish that college students could make using the ingredients found in their refrigerators.

Though they admitted to being nervous, all three of the competing students masked their nerves well—Lowe behind a fashion-forward pair of mirrored aviator sunglasses.

“Even though I was still a little nervous waiting to hear the judges announce the winner, I had such a good time, and Joy [Tlou] was so good to work with that I wasn’t too worried about the outcome,” Whitlock said of working with the College’s public relations director and culinary enthusiast, Joy Tlou. “I’d already had such a good experience just being in the competition. Joy was so on-the-ball, he knows a lot and really communicated well. I knew we’d done a good job.”

The Whitlock-Tlou team’s salmon salad sandwich was announced the winner. All three dishes were very well received by audience members, who lined up to get a taste after the results were announced. Lowe’s yogurt chicken kabobs, like Whitlock’s salmon sandwiches, were all consumed by passersby, many of whom regarded the 45-minute preparation time as an almost unbearable, possibly deranged Pavlovian experiment.

All three students said the experience was hugely positive for their education in the culinary arts program. “After I complete the culinary program here at the College, I am planning on finding a job in the Salt Lake or Park City area as a chef,” Lowe said. “And later in life, I hope to own a restaurant with my husband.”

Whitlock, too, is eager to make a cooking career his life’s work. “Right now I work at the Cheesecake factory. When I got hired, I told the other chefs, ‘This is what I’m going to do for the rest of my life—cooking food for people,” he said.

Salmon Salad Sandwich with Bacon, Greek Yogurt and Cilantro Dressing and Marinated Cherry Tomato Salad.

8 slices of french bread
1 lb. salmon
1/4 lb. bacon, diced, sauteed to preference
1 small green pepper, diced
1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
1/2 jalapeno, minced
2 hard boiled eggs, chopped
1 small container Dannon Aikos Greek yogurt
1 bunch cilantro, minced
dill weed
Kosher salt
coarse grind pepper
1.5 limes
zest of 1/4 lime
olive oil

Salmon salad-

Season salmon to taste with dill, salt and pepper on both sides and then cook in a pan with hot oil flipping only 1 time, when the sides of the salmon are completely cooked. When salmon is cooked place into the refrigerator and allow to cool. When salmon is cooled roughly chop leaving some larger pieces.

Dressing-
Juice the limes and add to a bowl. Dice the cilantro and lime zest and add to the bowl. Mix well with the container of yogurt and then toss all of the salad ingredients in the dressing

Tomato Salad-

15 cherry tomatoes
1 T. honey
1 t. red wine vinegar
1 T. olive oil
pinch of salt
pinch of pepper
pinch of cayenne

Slice tomatoes 1/8 inch thick and remove seeds and juice. Mix everything else together and then toss tomatoes in dressing. Let sit for 30 minutes and serve.

About the College: Salt Lake Community College is an accredited, student-focused, urban college meeting the diverse needs of the Salt Lake community. Home to more than 62,000 students each year, the College is the largest supplier of workforce development programs in the State of Utah. The College is the sole provider of applied technology courses in the Salt Lake area, with 13 sites, an eCampus, and nearly 1,000 continuing education sites located throughout the Salt Lake valley. Personal attention from an excellent faculty is paramount at the College, which maintains a student-to-teacher ratio of less than 20 to 1.