Globe and Mail
September 5, 2007
Haute cuisine? It's in the bag
Four of Globe Life's chefs share recipes for some of their kids' favourite school lunches - and throw in a pinch of philosophy, too
MASSIMO CAPRA, ROB FEENIE, DAVID LEE and MICHAEL SMITH
CHEF DAVID LEE
Chef David Lee is co-owner and executive chef at Toronto's Splendido. He has a daughter, Devon, 14.
ROAST BEEF BAGUETTE
What you need
Baguette
2 ounces sliced roast beef, cooked medium-rare
½ ounce mayonnaise
Pinch sel de Guérande
Black peppercorns
Dijon mustard
What you do
Cut baguette in half lengthwise. Top with mayonnaise and roast beef. Season with the sel de Guérande and a touch of black pepper. Spread the Dijon mustard on the other half of the baguette. Top the sandwich and slice in two.
***
"You know, everyone always assumes that I have these amazing gourmet lunches, but I really do not." David Lee's daughter, Devon, 14
"[Kids] need carbs, a little bit of protein, but they'll burn off a lot of energy." "I try to educate my daughter as much as I can. I grow herbs in the garden and [by] telling her to grab me some basil or coriander, she'll learn what it is."
CHEF MASSIMO CAPRA
Massimo Capra is chef and co-owner of Mistura Restaurant and Sopra Upper Lounge in Toronto, and guest chef on the show Restaurant Makeover. He has two sons, Andrew, 19, and Daniel, 17.
Prosciutto wrap
WHAT YOU NEED
2 ounces red pepper, julienned
2 ounces celery, julienned
2 ounces rice wine vinegar
1 10-inch wrap
2 ounces softened goat cheese, whipped
3 ounces Italian prosciutto, thinly sliced
2 leaves romaine lettuce
WHAT YOU DO
The night before, place the peppers and celery in a bowl and sprinkle with the vinegar; cover and refrigerate until needed.
In the morning, lightly toast the wrap; be careful not to dry it out. Spread the goat cheese on the wrap and place the prosciutto and lettuce on top. Drain the peppers and celery; dry them as much as you can and place them in the middle of the wrap. Fold the sides of the wrap and then roll it as tightly as possible without breaking it. Wrap in plastic film and cut in half. Place in a lunch bag with a chocolate chip cookie, fresh fruit, a bottle of water and paper napkins.
***
"Keep the ratio of fruits and vegetables high, and a little bit of pasta never hurt anybody, especially youngsters."
"There's never a food we said they shouldn't eat, because most of the time it's the parents who create phobias for their kids.
If you feed them, they'll eat it."
"We've always had a philosophy of giving them the best food possible.
So, my wife actually sent them to school with soups, veal sandwiches, stews, anything ... only to find out that they would give the sandwich up for dry Chinese noodles or a bag of popcorn."
"Kids are kids. They see something and it becomes popular and no matter what you do, they're going to try to get that."
***
Web exclusive recipe Chickpea salad with roasted breast of chicken
As an alternative to a carb-rich sandwich, sometimes my kids have bean or chickpea salads. Make sure you pack a fork and some napkins.
WHAT YOU NEED
1 boneless skin-on chicken breast
Salt and pepper to taste
1 can of chickpeas
1/4 English cucumber, sliced
1/2 cup chopped sun dried tomatoes
1/2 cup of crumbled feta cheese
1 oz extra virgin olive oil
1 oz lemon juice
WHAT YOU DO
Season the chicken with salt and pepper, Preheat a skillet and sear the skin until golden crisp, turn over and cook at low heat for about 5 minutes or until completely cooked. Remove from heat and cover until cooled completely.
Place the chickpeas, cucumber, tomatoes and feta in a bowl. Mix well and dress with salt and pepper.
Place a portion of the salad in a plastic container and cover with sliced chicken.
CHEF ROB FEENIE
Rob Feenie is co-owner and chef at Vancouver's Lumière and Feenie's, a cookbook author and Iron Chef America champion. He has a son, Devon, 3, and a daughter, Jordan, 2.
Sticky toffee pudding
TOFFEE SAUCE
What you need
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup unsalted butter
½cup whipping cream
What you do
Fill a bowl with ice water and place a smaller bowl inside. Combine brown sugar, butter and cream in a saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally. When the sauce reaches a boil, remove from the stove. Pour the toffee into the bowl on top of the ice water and allow to cool.
PUDDING
What you need
¾ cup dried figs
1¾ cups boiling water
1¾ cups all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
½ cup brown sugar
1 vanilla bean, split and pulp removed
1 egg
WHAT YOU DO
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Butter five to six ramekins, three inches in diameter, and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Place the figs and boiling water in a bowl and soak 10 minutes. Take the figs out and save the soaking liquid. Chop figs into ½-inch dice.
Sift together flour, baking powder and baking soda into a bowl. Cream together butter, brown sugar and vanilla pulp in a mixer with the paddle attachment. Add the egg and mix well. Slowly add one-third of the flour mixture and mix well. Add one-third of the reserved soaking liquid and mix well. Alternate adding and mixing in the rest of the flour mixture and soaking liquid. Add figs and mix.
Spoon two tablespoons of the toffee sauce into the bottom of each ramekin, then add the fig mixture until three-quarters full. Place the ramekins on a baking sheet and bake 30 to 40 minutes, or until puffed and dark golden brown. Remove from the oven, cool and refrigerate until needed.
To serve, reheat the toffee sauce in a microwave for 20 seconds. Invert and unmould the toffee puddings onto a plate and reheat in the microwave for 30 to 40 seconds on high. Spoon a generous amount of warmed toffee sauce over them.
***
"I make really simple things for them, but everything from scratch. Nothing from a can. It takes the same time to prepare something from a can than to boil pasta and chop some tomatoes for the sauce."
"I prefer not to give my kids candy for lunch. Now and then, maybe, but I'd rather they have a hearty lunch with fruits than eat something sweet."
"It's important for my kids to learn how to cook, especially at an early age. We have a really interesting nook in the kitchen, so there's an area they can gather their chairs around and watch me prepare lunches."
CHEF MICHAEL SMITH
Michael Smith is the award-winning host of the Food Network's Chef at Home, Chef at Large and The Inn Chef. His son, Gabriel, is 5.
CHUNKY MONKEY
What you need
1 ripe banana, peeled
2 tablespoons chunky peanut butter
2 tablespoons of your favourite jam, jelly or marmalade
1 large whole-wheat tortilla
WHAT YOU DO
Spread peanut butter over entire surface of tortilla. Add a layer of jam. Lay the whole banana across one side of the tortilla and flatten slightly. Roll tightly. Slice into one-inch discs.
***
"Getting kids to eat healthy food is certainly the toughest challenge I've ever faced as a chef."
"There's this constant ongoing tug of war with the nutritional junk that every kid is attracted to and the stuff that we know is good for him."
"It seems to come down to great ingredients, prepared simply, with lots of patience mixed in. And a little creativity never hurts either."
