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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8 oz Bucatini pasta
3 cloves garlic 1 bunch asparagus 1 lemon 1 oz watercress 1 bunch mint 2 tbsps butter 1/4 cup breadcrumbs (optional) 1/4 cup grated Pecorino cheese 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes |
  1 - Prepare vegetables: Snap off and discard the woody ends of the asparagus and then thinly slice the asparagus on an angle. Peel and thinly slice the garlic. Using a peeler, remove the yellow rind of the lemon, avoiding the white pith; mince the rind to get 2 teaspoons of zest (or use a zester). Quarter and deseed the lemon. Pick the mint leaves off the stems; discard the stems.
2 - Cook Bucatini: Heat a large pot of salted water to boiling on high. Add the pasta to the pot of boiling water. Cook 10 to 12 minutes, or until just shy of al dente. Reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water, thoroughly drain the pasta. Set aside.
3 - Toast breadcrumbs: In a large pan, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the breadcrumbs. Cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden brown; season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Wipe out the pan.
4 - Cook Asparagus: In the same pan used to toast the breadcrumbs, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the asparagus and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes, or until softened and fragrant.
5 - To the pan of asparagus, add the butter, lemon zest, watercress, cooked pasta, half the Pecorino cheese, half the reserved pasta cooking water, the juice of all 4 lemon wedges and as much of the red pepper flakes as you’d like. Cook, stirring frequently, 2 to 3 minutes, or until thoroughly combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and serve warm.
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ARCHIVES
                                            MAR 2019
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