Blackened Catfish anyone?
I'm working on perfecting my blends, I practiced with this Blackening Seasoning last night
It's the perfect balance of subtle heat and flavor but its missing a name
Drop your suggestions below
Oh don't forget to save and share this post for inspo
If you're in the mood for a light, colorful salad to complement your pasta, try this out
For the salad, I used
1 container of baby spring mix
1 container of Sprinkles teeny tiny tomatoes
1/4 of a red onion, sliced thin
1/2 c Mozzarella pearls
1 roma tomato sliced
1/2 cucumbers sliced
1 jar sliced black Olives
1/4 c Pepperoncins (or, in this case, banana peppers because my Pepperoncini jar broke and didn't make it to the kitchen)
Vinaigrette
1/2 c extra virgin olive oil
3 Tablespoons of the liquid from the pepper jar
1 Tablespoon Dijon
1 Tablespoon raw honey
2 cloves of pressed garlic (fresh, not the jar or tube stuff)
1/2 Tablespoon of fresh lemon juice
Salt & pepper to taste
Place veggies in salad bowl
For the vinaigrette: place all ingredients in the chopper attachment for a hand blender or
If you don't have a chopper, use a container and mix by hand, or the ingredients can also be shaken in a jar with a sealed lid
Taste after mixing and adjust the seasoning to your liking
I sprinkled Alglio Olio seasoning on top of the salad before serving
Behind the scenes: Setting up for a Spice Blending Workshop at Shop Made in VA
I absolutely love doing these workshops
Being in the classroom at a school is cool, but there's nothing like doing what you love without being micromanaged, without the random classroom visits, and having ALL of the materials necessary to facilitate instruction. I'm sure other educators can relate 🙃
These workshops allow my creativity to flow
We discussed uses for various spices and herbs, we learned a bit from each other, and there were plenty of laughs
If you'd like to join one of my upcoming workshops, click the in my bio to register
Mimosa Bar for The Coordinated Collective's orientation
We got food at the house! This is some of what I cooked at home this week
Sometimes, the long days wear me out, so I will often buy takeout. I did good this week, and I'm so proud of myself
I got up earlier and made breakfast most days 😋
I didn't buy any takeout
I remixed leftovers, so I didn't get the ick that comes from eating the same thing more than once
I got the kids to try something new (they claim that they never had Quinoa before, but I'm pretty sure they did)
I even cooked before going to do a gig, so I had a hot meal waiting for me when I got home, and that never happens because so many of us chefs eat like crap after work
I saved both money and time
I hope that this upcoming week goes just as good
Angel Biscuit recipe testing
I think these were the biscuits that Martin was talking about back in the day, lol
These are made with yeast, resulting in biscuits that are super fluffy and buttery, with a hint of sweetness
I added Raspberry jam from Maine to mine
Have you ever tried angel biscuits?
Drop a comment below
It's the most wonderful time of the year and I'm not talking about a holiday 🙃
I get requests for this special drink this time every year
Comment 'sip' below if you'd like details about how to order a bottle or two this season
Do you drink Coquito? How do you enjoy yours?
When it comes to making Thanksgiving Mac & Cheese:
🧀 don't butter your macaroni elbows, butter causes the cheese to slide off
🧀 don't experiment on Thanksgiving
🧀 leave the raisins out
🧀 just because Grandma did it doesn't mean you have to
🧀 most importantly, do what works for you
What other tips would you add? Drop a comment below
Chef's for Equality 2023 at the National Building Museum
Plate of Emergency Recap
Like and follow for more food content!
DC Central Kitchen 19th Annual Capital Food Fight at The Anthem
We had friends visiting yesterday, and we thought about carving some pumpkins 🎃 but decided to do a different activity instead
These brownies weren't quite as messy as pumpkins and much safer,
The kids could do most of this independently, and they can eat their creations
We made a batch of brownies let the kids mix up some black frosting and make cobwebs out of marshmallows
It was messy fun for the kids and us moms, too!
From what I saw online, I thought it would be easy to make the cobwebs, but mine ended up looking like a mummy brownie instead 🤦🏽♀️🤣
I would like to try this again
What tips do you have for making Marshmallow cobwebs?
My sweetheart surprised me with these beautiful Kama Asa knives from Japan, and I can't stop staring at them 😍
The engraving says Chef Shanel
If you know me, you know I love a great knife
I'd been putting off buying one for some time now until I found the perfect one
He picked out these amazing pieces from the store during his trip, and I'm excited to add them to my toolkit 🥰
What is your favorite kitchen tool?
#newknife #chefshanel #chefnel #kamaasa #surprise #santoku #utilityknife
Neither of my kids enjoy tomato sauce
Boogie likes ketchup and tomatoes, but when it comes to things like Marinara and Tomato soup, neither kid is a fan
When he mentioned this recipe from one of his cookbooks, I reminded him that he doesn't like Tomato Soup
As a matter of fact, no one in our household enjoys tomato soup, the recipe doesn't matter
Now, the grilled cheese on the other hand that got smashed. I used Gouda & Havarti on Sourdough
I use butter, not Mayo when I make grill cheese because when I tried Mayo I wanted to earl, real bad
I love that Boogie is building confidence in the kitchen and working safely with knives, but he should have listened to me
Gotta love the kids 🤣
What is your favorite Fall weather soup?
Brunch today.......Baked Bourbon Brioche French Toast BUT with Cookie Butter
So sinful and satisfying
Recipe:
1 of Brioche bread, cut into cubes or torn into pieces
Custard
6 eggs
2 cups milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 Tablespoons Bourbon (I used Jim Beam)
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
Topping
4 Tablespoons butter, melted
¼ cup brown sugar, packed
Mix together, set aside
Cream cheese drizzle
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 Tablespoon Butter
½ cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 Tablespoons heavy cream
¼ cup Cookie Butter (Biscoff, NOT the knockoff one y'all get from Traderius house), melted
1. Preheat oven to 375⁰ F
2. Butter the bottom and sides of a 13x9 baking dish, place bread pieces inside of dish
3. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, mix custard, then pour over bread
4. Drizzle with brown sugar & butter topping over French Toast
5. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the French toast is set
6. After removing from oven, drizzle French Toast with cream cheese mixture and melted cookie butter
I love referrals!!! This class with the Mendez family was so much fun!
They welcomed me into their home, and together they cooked Sriracha Wings, Glazed Donuts, Ginger Donuts
We covered everything from food safety and sanitation to how to fabricate a rack of Lamb
The laughter and jokes were endless 🤣
Quick Cooking Class FAQ:
🔥 I can come to you or connect virtually
🔥 Classes are perfect for couples, groups, and corporate team building
🔥 Classes are usually 1 hour and 30 minutes
🔥 Now booking for March and beyond
🔥 Use the message button on my profile to submit an inquiry
Tag someone who would love to learn how to cook something new
Happy Monday
I'm going to be offering virtual classes again soon
What are some things you'd like to see on the menu?
The first video clip is from my YouTube Channel that I never published over 10 years ago. My neighbor @elevatedebony filmed me making one of my "famous" pound cakes in my apartment in Atlanta. I was broke broke broke but still made a way out of no way
The second clip is from when I finally got my @Kitchenaid mixer while living in Michigan. Me and my son's used to do cooking videos together, it really helped me survive while living in that small town
The last pic is of me on TV making one of my pound cakes for Chef Ludo. Talk about growth!
Since moving back to the DMV I've grown significantly in my craft. I'm one of the few High School Culinary Arts Teachers in DC, the only Black Woman Chef Instructor btw 👩🏾🍳 My name is being mentioned in spaces I haven't even set foot in. I've connected with a network of equally talented and driven Chefs (you know who you are)
I can't wait to see what's next on my journey #iykyk
Did you catch my live last night?
Here's a quick recap: Don't blink you might miss something lol
🔪I made myself est stay in and cook dinner because gas and groceries are up 🥴
🔪I wanted to make something different and one of my Chef friends told me about this seasoning I never used before so I gave it a try
🔪I made Braised Chicken Thighs seasoned with Ras El Hanout and some other spices and elements to build flavor
🔪I tossed in some Apricots, Red Onions, Garlic, Cilantro and Stock with Tomato paste for a little razzle dazzle
🔪Next I made Couscous (this is a super easy side if you're not great at making rice try to make Couscous instead)
🔪I also made some veggies using the remaining fond in the skillet with some other seasonings
🔪This was so flavorful, inexpensive (under $30 for 6 servings), and very satisfying 🤤
🔪Have you worked with Ras El Hanout before? What did you make?
Salmon with y'all little cousin Boogie who sometimes asks me to call him Dwight instead 🥲
He did this voiceover btw
Not to mention the Salmon was 🔥
What should we make next?
Ooompalattas aka Pastelillos with a voiceover by my 6 year old Cannon ❤️
These give me Niagara Cafe vibes and remind me of home
I added some different seasonings, sofrito, peppers and onions to ground beef before filling the shells and frying them til crisp
Needless to say Cannon loved them lol
What should we make next?
Drop a comment below
