You might know chef Christine Cushing from her VIVA Network series Fearless in the Kitchen, where she helps hopeless cooks become confident in the kitchen. I recently had the opportunity to chat with Cushing about easy ways to entertain; must-have kitchen gadgets and how you can look like a pro, no matter what your skills are.
Weddingbells: Newlyweds typically do a lot of entertaining and it can be intimidating for a lot of people who haven’t done much before. What tips do you have when it comes to entertaining for your friends and family?
Christine Cushing: There are easy ways that you can explore new flavours and give people a more cosmopolitan cuisine—while keeping the technique simple. A technique I love to do is called En Papillote. It means wrapped in a little paper, in a little package, and you can fill those with anything. I do it with different kinds of fish, or shrimp, and you can do it with chicken, too. It’s an individualized package, and it also has a big wow factor. When you’re entertaining as a young couple, you want the wow factor but you don’t want the crazy, complex process.
Also, do all the shopping (except your last-minute things) a day before because you tend to be frantic on that day. The only things I suggest picking up the day of are items like bread and fish. When you shop the day before then you can just do your cooking and be more relaxed.
WB: What kitchen tool does every newlywed couple need?
CC: A meat thermometer. That will save you years of agony in the kitchen. Using one helps you avoid all that poking and cutting. It takes all the guesswork out.
WB: That’s maybe not the first thing you think of when you think kitchen essentials! You want to register for the fun stuff in the kitchen, too! What else is out there, besides a thermometer that will make cooking easier?
CC: People often ask me, should I get the stand mixer, which to me is like the ultimate toy in the kitchen, or should I get the food processor? I think the food processor is more practical. If someone has a tendency toward baking then, of course, get the stand mixer. But some people just get the stand mixer because they love how it looks.
WB: When it comes to entertaining are there things you should definitely not do?
CC: Definitely do not make a recipe for the first time when you’re entertaining!
Also, don’t make ridiculously difficult dishes when you’re entertaining because you’re just setting yourself up for disaster. To get the wow, use interesting ingredients and keep the technique simple. Also if you want to host a really fun party make it smaller and more intimate. You can do little cards with the menu, and in that menu you can impress people. Like if you’re saying, we’re making Thai red snapper En Papillote and that’s written out, people are going to be like, “What are you talking about? You’re kidding me!” But the process wasn’t that complicated so you can get that impact in other ways.
WB: When it comes to everyday cooking there’s a lot of, “I don’t have time,” or “I can’t cook.” What would you suggest as a solution?
CC: One solution for that is to pick a day on the weekend and do a little bit of cooking together. In the fall or wintertime you can make some stew or soup. Chop up some ingredients, put them in a pot, and let them simmer while you’re doing your stuff; reading the paper, doing laundry, whatever chores you’re doing—it’s passive cooking time.
Weekday cooking doesn’t have to be complicated. Make basmati rice, that’s 12 minutes. Then you add some kind of protein, whether it’s a piece of fish, a few shrimps or some chicken. Then you take your mixed salad greens, a little bit of olive oil and vinegar and that’s a half-hour dinner.
WB: For a couple that doesn’t really cook much and wants to learn, should they take a class, should they just start experimenting in the kitchen with cookbooks, what would you say?
CC: It depends on their level of interest. I certainly think that taking a class together is a fun thing to do, and it also sets that relationship’s foundation. You also need to determine your relationship in the kitchen. You do have to assign the tasks. If you’re of similar aptitude [you and your mister], I always say never have two chefs in the kitchen, because that is a recipe for disaster. Say today we’re going to entertain and I’m the chef, and you’re the sous-chef. That means my word goes, you are the prep person and you can have a say, but you need somebody running the show.
Fearless in the Kitchen airs on VIVA Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
THAI RED SNAPPER EN PAPILLOTE
4 red snapper fillets (each about 5-ounces), skin on, pin bones removed
Fresh chopped lemon grass and/or kaffir lime leaves
Fresh chopped ginger, to taste
Fresh chopped Thai chilli, to taste
Fresh chopped coriander and/or Thai basil, to taste
Fresh chopped shallot and/or garlic, to taste
2 tbsp. lemon or lime juice
Sea salt or kosher salt, to taste
2 tbsp. grape seed oil
Jasmine rice, for serving
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Cut four 11-inch squares of parchment paper. Fold each sheet of parchment diagonally in half. Open and drizzle each with a little of the oil. Place a fish fillet on each sheet of parchment, next to the fold. Season with salt. Top each fillet evenly with flavouring agents, as desired. Drizzle with a little more oil and a squeeze of citrus juice.
Seal the parcels by folding over the empty half of parchment paper. Starting at one end, twist the edges of the paper to form a tight seal, working along the edge until you have a half-moon shape. Lay the parcels on a baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until parcels puff.
Transfer the parcels to a platter. Cut each package open using scissors and carefully pour the contents onto serving plates. Or, to really wow your guests, serve this the traditional way by cutting open the packages on individual plates at the table. Serve with jasmine rice.
Yield: 4 servings.
JASMINE RICE
1 cup jasmine rice, rinsed
1 ¾ cups water
Add rice and water to pot. Bring to a boil. Cover and let cook over low heat for 15 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes before uncovering. Fluff with fork. Serve.
Yield: 4 servings.
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