George has had a love of all things culinary from a very young age, and throughout his career, has worked with renowned chefs and food technologists. He discovered his passion for cooking at the age of five after spending time in his grandmother's restaurant. From then on, under his mother's guidance (who is a talented cook of her own accord) George recalls cooking anything his mother would let him, starting out with scrambled eggs and hamburgers and quickly moving on to fine Italian and French dishes.
After many years of honing and perfecting his culinary craft, George still enjoys what he humbly considers: "complimenting my family culinary experience," by taking courses in regional cuisines pertaining to the vegetable ingredient products his family specializes in, namely: Asian, French, Mediterranean, Mexican and Tex Mex.
Because of George's extensive knowledge and passion for food, he is a great resource to customers in helping them find the right ingredients for their recipe needs. "I need to understand what's happening in the kitchen," he explained. "If my client has an unfavorable flavor note, I need to be able to assess the situation to understand why." That extra level of service and care undoubtedly stems from his love of food and his work alike, which fortunately for George, go hand and hand.
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1 pound jumbo shell pasta (40 shells)
1 (12-ounce) carton low-fat cottage cheese 1 (15-ounce) carton ricotta cheese 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Asiago cheese 3/4 cup (3 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1/4 teaspoon salt 10 ounces fresh chopped spinach 6 cups Smoky Marinara 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese, divided |
1 - Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain and set aside.
2 - Preheat oven to 375°.
3 - Coat 2 (13 x 9-inch) baking dishes with cooking spray; set aside.
4 - Place cottage cheese and ricotta cheese in a food processor; process until smooth. Combine cottage cheese mixture, Asiago, and next 6 ingredients (Asiago through spinach).
5 - Spoon or pipe 1 tablespoon cheese mixture into each shell. Arrange half of stuffed shells, seam sides up, in one prepared dish. Pour 3 cups Smoky Marinara over stuffed shells. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup mozzarella. Repeat procedure with remaining stuffed shells, Smoky Marinara, and mozzarella in remaining prepared dish.
6 - Cover with foil. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated.
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ARCHIVES
MAR 2017
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