From the Food Editor: Palatine teen teams up with celebrity chef for soup cooking demo
Palatine tween Tess Boghossian will join forces with Paul Kahan, one of Chicago's top chefs, on Saturday and show people how to make Lincoln's Inaugural Soup, the recipe that won her a spot at first lady Michelle Obama's table earlier this year.
Boghossian, a seventh grader at Winston Campus Junior High, and Kahan, the award-winning chef behind Blackbird, avec, The Publican, Nico Osteria and other Chicago hot spots, will do a cooking demonstration at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 15, at the Green City Market's indoor location at the Peggy Notebaert Museum, 2430 N. Clark St.
Boghossian created the soup and entered it in Michelle Obama's Healthy Lunchtime Challenge. Tess was inspired by the soup her favorite president, Abe Lincoln, was served after his inauguration. She approached the old recipe with a mission of making it healthier while paying tribute to Lincoln. She was selected to represent Illinois at a White House luncheon over the summer. The kids cooking contest was part of the first lady's Let's Move! initiative to encourage healthy lifestyles.
The market is open Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Time is on your side: Or it can be if you have Taylor's Plan & Prep Four Event Timer with Whiteboard in your kitchen. I can't tell you how many times I've severely browned (some might say burned) the dinner rolls because I'm out of timers. This handy device keeps track of four timed items at once with four unique alarm tones. The whiteboard and dry erase pen help you track what's due to be checked when. It can stand on the counter or stick to your magnetic fridge or oven. At $14.99 (amazon.com), it's a busy cook's best friend.
Construction project: The All Chocolate Kitchen, 33 S. Third St., Geneva, in partnership with the Geneva Chamber of Commerce, will host a Gingerbread House Competition Dec. 6.
The competition has a youth category (ages 8-17) and an adult division (18 and older).
Participants are challenged to create gingerbread houses constructed and composed entirely of edible materials and showcased on a base measuring no more than 12 inches by 8 inches with a maximum height of 20 inches. Entries can be dropped off at the All Chocolate Kitchen between 6 p.m. Dec. 2 and 6 p.m. Dec. 3. The entry fee is $15 and all proceeds benefit the Saving tiny Hearts Society.
Alain Roby, along with Daily Herald Baking Secrets columnist Annie Overboe, will be on hand at 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6, to judge the creations. Winners will be announced around 6:30 p.m.
The winner in the adult division will receive a package from Chicago's ABC 7, including two tickets to a taping of “Windy City Live” and a gift certificate to Hubbard Inn in Chicago. The second-place winner will receive a private party for 10 at The All Chocolate Kitchen, featuring specialized desserts prepared by chef Roby.
In the youth category, the first place-winner will receive a private party for 10; second place gets fondue for 12 and 12 pieces from Roby's Exclusive Aroma Line. The top three houses in each division will be on display at the All Chocolate Kitchen through Dec. 14.
Between Dec. 4 and 6, the community can vote for their favorite house in each category.
Dec. 6 will also mark the two-year anniversary of the World's Longest Candy Cane, made by chef Roby at 52 feet long! Roby will create a 10-foot candy cane to commemorate the anniversary and then break the candy cane into tiny pieces with a “magical” golden hammer for guests to enjoy.
To register for the competition, call the Geneva Chamber at (630) 232-6060 or download an entry form at www.genevachamber.com. Entry deadline is Dec. 1.
• Contact Food Editor Deborah Pankey at dpankey@dailyherald.com or (847) 427-4524. Be her friend at Facebook.com/DebPankey.DailyHerald or follow her on Pinterest, Instagram or Twitter @PankeysPlate.