GEORGE'S RECIPE of THE MONTH.
 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 2/3 cups heavy cream
10 1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped 3 1/2 ounces milk chocolate, chopped 4 large eggs 1 1/2 cups sugar 4 2/3 cup dried unsweetened finely grated coconut Shredded chocolate (for garnish) |
  1 - Preheat the oven to 350°. Spray an 11-by-17-inch pan with vegetable oil spray and line the bottom with parchment paper; spray the paper.
2 - In a small saucepan, bring the cream to a boil. Remove from the heat, add the chocolates and let stand for 5 minutes. Then whisk until smooth. Pour 1 cup of the chocolate ganache into a measuring cup and set aside at room temperature; scrape the rest into a bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the ganache until firm, at least 3 hours.
3 - In a medium saucepan, bring 1-inch of water to a bare simmer. Using an electric mixer, beat the eggs and sugar in a large bowl at medium speed until blended. Set the bowl over the simmering water and whisk until the eggs are warm to the touch. Remove from the heat and beat at high speed until tripled in volume, about 5 minutes. Fold in 3 2/3 cups of the coconut. Spread the batter in the prepared pan in an even layer. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until golden and firm. Let the cake cool for 15 minutes.
4 - Run a knife around the edge of the cake; invert it onto a baking sheet and peel off the parchment. Slide the cake onto a work surface. Using a serrated knife, trim the edges and cut the cake into 3 rectangles of equal size. Stack the layers and trim off any uneven sides with the knife.
5 - Set 1 cake layer right side up on a wire rack and spread with half of the chilled ganache. Cover with a second layer and the remaining chilled ganache. Top with the third cake layer, smooth side up; press down gently. Pour half of the reserved ganache on top and spread it evenly, letting it drip slightly down the sides. Pour on the remaining ganache and smooth the top and sides. Transfer the cake to a cake plate. Refrigerate for 15 minutes, then press the remaining coconut onto the sides of the cake. Garnish with chocolate curls and serve. Or for best results,
refrigerate the cake overnight. |
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                   APR 2021
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