Did you know that gourmet food and eating doesn’t necessarily have to be unhealthy? In fact, it can be great for your body and overall health as well as your taste buds.
Kristen Hess of The Artful Gourmet opened up to us about how she celebrates the art of food and cooking through colorful recipes, stories and photography at The Artful Gourmet. She also discussed what she wish more people knew about gourmet food, and shared with us her recipe for Chicken French and Lemon Broccolini.
What is your professional background? How has it served you in your position with The Artful Gourmet?
My professional background is actually in Graphic Design and Advertising, which I did for a long time in Atlanta; Melbourne, Australia; and New York City. I started cooking, food styling, photography and food writing training in NYC in 2007, then started my blog in 2010.
Being a professional food stylist/photographer and writer is the perfect blend of my love for food and my creative background as a Designer and Creative Producer in the agency world.
Please tell us more about The Artful Gourmet.
The Artful Gourmet is my own company. I am a NYC food stylist, photographer, food writer/blogger, and recipe developer for many food and beverage clients, PR and ad agencies, and restaurants including KitchenAid, NYS Restaurant Association, Downtown Magazine, Foodable.com, Kraft, Food.com, and the Food Network. I do food photo shoots for many commercial clients for cookbooks as well as editorial, web, and print work. I have an online portfolio of my food styling and photography commercial work.
I am also the Host and Co-Creator of a monthly TV show called Cooking with Color 4 Kids, which airs on cable television on Brooklyn Public Network throughout New York City. The goal of the show is to teach kids how to eat and create delicious, colorful food at home by using fresh, seasonal fruits and vegetables and incorporate them into their favorite family recipes at home. We also partner with Healthcorps (founded by Dr. Oz) to feature their after school cooking clubs around NYC by visiting different locations, interviewing the kids and teachers, and videotaping what they are making in class.
What do you wish more people knew about gourmet food and eating?
Gourmet food and eating doesn’t necessarily have to be unhealthy. I believe in everything in moderation. Eating colorful fruits and vegetables as a main part of one’s diet is important, as well as healthy grilled and baked protein dishes such as chicken, steak and fish that are delicious and satisfying. Don’t get me wrong; I’m a big fan of classic comfort food staples like I grew up eating such as Macaroni and Cheese, Beef Stroganoff, Spaghetti and Meatballs, etc. But I try to balance my splurge recipes with healthy ones. You can also create gourmet food at home that’s easy to make and inexpensive too, and you’ll end up eating healthier and save money in the long run rather than eating fast food all the time.
Please share with us anything that you think has contributed to the success of The Artful Gourmet.
I definitely believe that creating a unique and genuine brand has helped me with the success of The Artful Gourmet. Having a background in design and advertising definitely has contributed to my creative success in food styling and photography, but I also have invested a lot of time in cooking classes and techniques in order to create recipes for my followers that I love and that work. I also do a lot of online social media and collaboration with other bloggers and food brands, which has boosted my brand into a nice place in the food blogger community online.
I also communicate with my followers online daily and try to post fun and unique content regularly. Networking is also key. Attending events where other foodies are is a great place to make new connections and friends in the food world; it really is all who you know. And lastly, never giving up on your dream and working hard to make it a reality has definitely contributed to my success.
What are some of the things that you have learned along the way?
Create a strong brand and niche for yourself and company. Do something you believe in.
Have a unique perspective/proposition and deliver fresh, genuine high quality content/services regularly.
Understand your clients and audience, know what they want, and deliver on point.
Don’t compare yourself to others and your competition too often. Just do what you love, do it well, and do it often with all your heart – and success will come.
Just because you are in one place or position today doesn’t mean you can’t change that immediately to become something else or go somewhere else in the future.
Never give up! Believe in yourself and what you are doing wholeheartedly.
Do you have a favorite recipe that you’d like to share with our audience?
Yes, here is my recipe for Chicken French and Lemon Broccolini that can also be found on my website.
Chicken French and Lemon Broccolini
This is an amazing dish that is popular in my hometown in Upstate Rochester, NY. The Italian-American immigrants first introduced this dish in NYC and then it migrated upstate. The recipe stems from the French Veal Francaise and Chicken Francaise dish that uses lightly-floured thin veal or chicken cutlets, which are then coated with a parsley-parmesan cheese-egg mixture and sautéed until golden brown. The luscious sauce is made with garlic, butter, lemon, white wine or sherry, and parsley that is served over the top of the golden brown chicken. I decided to serve this with steamed broccolini, a Chinese broccoli that is similar to Broccoli Rabe, and topped it with the lemon butter sauce and an extra splash of fresh lemon juice for a light and healthy dinner.
Ingredients
CHICKEN FRENCH:
1/4 cup olive oil/canola oil blend for sauteing (I used Colavita Garlic Oil Blend)
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast cutlets
2-3 eggs
1/4 cup shredded Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
Dash of cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
1/2 cup of superfine flour (Pan Searing flour or Wondra)
LEMON BUTTER SAUCE:
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup white wine or sherry
1 cup chicken broth
Juice from 1 1/2 lemons (about 1/4 cup)
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
2 tablespoons cold butter, cut into pieces
Lemon wedges, for garnish
1-2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley, for garnish
BROCCOLINI:
1 bunch broccolini, trimmed
Preparation
CHICKEN FRENCH:
Heat oil in a large non-stick saute pan over medium heat.
Meanwhile, whisk together eggs, cheese, salt and pepper, cayenne and fresh parsley in a large mixing bowl.
Place flour in another flat bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Rinse and pat dry chicken breasts, then dredge each one in flour first (left hand), then egg mixture (right hand).
Place chicken into the heated saute pan and cook for 6 minutes on one side. Flip chicken over and saute for another 6 minutes until golden brown.
Remove from pan and set aside, covered with a foil tent.
In the same skillet, saute the minced garlic for 1-2 minutes, being careful not to burn.
Add the wine and bring liquid to a boil over high heat, scraping up the brown bits in the pan.
Pour in the chicken broth and lemon juice and red pepper flakes (if using) and let reduce by half, another 5-7 minutes.
Stir in the butter and whisk until it melts.
Add chicken back into the pan with the sauce and let simmer another 5-10 minutes.
Place chicken on serving plate with the steamed broccolini and spoon lemon butter sauce over the top of both.
Garnish with lemon wedges and additional chopped parsley if desired.
BROCCOLINI:
Steam broccolini for about 5 minutes, covered. Remove lid and steam for another 5 minutes until fork tender but still bright green.
Top broccolini with Lemon Butter sauce, additional squeeze of lemon, and salt and pepper to taste.
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The post Expert Interview with Kristen Hess How to Celebrate the Art of Food and Cooking appeared first on FoodyDirect Blog.