Posted by The Sun News, SC on September 29, 2009 at 13:22:29:
News - Socastee woman wins New York City cooking competition
Johanna D. Wilson - jwilson@thesunnews.com
The Socastee woman won the Santa Margherita Great Taste Challenge and earned cooking lessons with Fabio Viviani. He is the owner of Café Firenze, Italian Restaurant and Martini Lounge in Moorpark, Calif. Viviani appeared in Season 5 of ``Top Chef’’ and was voted fan favorite.
Geise, a 40-year-old personal trainer and adjunct professor, competed in the contest last week at the Bon Appetit Supper Club and Café in New York City. Her winning dish was Mint, Fig and Chianti Glazed Lamb with Spaghetti in a Lemon Chianti Cream Sauce.
Voted most popular shellfish from coast to coast, shrimp have survived 300 years of harvesting in the United States. And that’s no small matter: that translates into more than 650 million pounds a year along our coastal waters, plus 200 million pounds of imported shrimp, caught for our dining pleasure.
Barbara Fairchild, editor-in-chief of Bon Appetit, was one of four judges that deemed Geise’s dish the best.
Her win earned her several prizes with the primary one being cooking lessons next year with Viviani for three days and two nights in Los Angeles.
This win, however, is not the first for Geise.
In Sept. 2008, she won $25,000 in the Hometown Favorites division of the Food Network’s ``Ultimate Recipe Showdown 2’’ in New York City.
She used some of the money to pay off student loans.
Her winning recipe from Thursday’s competition is below.
Mint, Fig and Chianti Glazed Lamb with Spaghetti in a Lemon Chianti Cream Sauce
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves of garlic (minced)
10 mint leaves chopped fine (minced)
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3 cups Santa Margherita Chianti Classico
2 lemons (1/2cup lemon juice and zest of one lemon)
3/8 cup of fig preserves
1/2 tablespoon granulated garlic
1/2 tablespoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons salt
1/2 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon crushed rosemary
2 pounds of bone in lamb chop (4 chops)
4 figs
1/2 pound of spaghetti
1 cup heavy whipping cream
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
Place one tablespoon of oil into a sauté pan; add minced garlic, mint leaves and 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper. Sauté over medium heat for a minute. Add one cup wine, 1/4 cup lemon juice and fig preserves. Simmer 3 minutes. Thicken with rue if needed.
Combine granulated garlic, black pepper, 1/2 tablespoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper, brown sugar and crushed rosemary. Coat lamb chops in spice mix and grill two minutes then flip. Coat with fig glaze and cook till desired doneness. Just before chops are done, place figs on grill.
In large pot place 2 cups wine, water, 1 1/2 tablespoons salt and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Bring to boil and drop pasta into pot. Cook al dente.
Take 1/2 cup of glaze and place in sauté pan. Add heavy cream and zest of lemon. Simmer for a minute. Take off heat and whisk in 1/4cup lemon juice and 1/2 cup cheese. Place drained pasta in sauce and toss.
To serve place a lamb chop on plate along side pasta. Sprinkle 2 teaspoons cheese onto pasta. Garnish with lemon slice, mint leaf and fig.
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