Pure Romance, an Inspired Class and a Love Note

Red Velvet Cup Cake with Pure Dark Merlot Sea Salt Round

Simply put, amidst all of the hype and boxes of chocolate, I still have to love a day dedicated to love. I find that if you forgo the hype and just agree to have fun with it, many good things can happen on and around Valentine’s Day. A case in point is our wildly fun class at Macy’s Cellar, San Francisco’s Union Square this past Saturday. My heart is still full from the cooking, sharing and community building we experienced. With 35 guests, a guest stint and chocolate tasting by new friends Jason Caslow and team from “pop up store” Pure Dark and a great menu of Sesame & Cocoa Crusted Tuna with Blood Orange Lemongrass Vinaigrette and Red Velvet Cupcakes with Pure Dark Merlot Sea Salt Rounds, we were in business.

a chocolate display by Pure Dark

We pre-baked a batch of our Red Velvet Cupcakes, and made more in class. This is a southern specialty, a deep red cake accented with cocoa finished with cream cheese frosting. You do need red food coloring, something I use but twice a year, but it really is a simple and stunning dessert to make. Note that the recipe uses liquid food coloring, if you use the much more concentrated gel colors, you need much less. Just add color until you reach the hue you desire. See the unfrosted cupcake in the following picture.

my new buddies Nathan and Gina,
who won my heart over and over…

We shared stories of romance and handed out prizes of chocolate and cooking utensils. Nathan won first prize for his story about Gina surprising him with a fresh cooked lobster dinner made from scratch in Golden Gate Park! He mentioned something about live lobsters and a blow torch, oh, I can see it now. The things we do for love! Furthermore, in 8th grade he told her he would marry her which he did, and now here he is, surprising her with date day and a class at Macy’s. Love is a wonderful thing.

(L)Nathan finishes the salad.(R)Our Buffet!

We developed an original version of a sesame crusted tuna salad by adding ground cocoa nibs by Pure Dark to the sesame crust. The toasty, earthy ground nibs were a prefect accent to the tuna. Our sweet and savory buffet looked sensational. 

Mentee Henri Lite
helps me pack out after class.
Thanks, Henri!

What a memory, and now the love note:

To my entire culinary community: From the world famous stars to my youngest mentee, from my beloved colleagues at Standards of Excellence to my newest chef friends and artisans, from everyone at Macy’s to Sears to Homeward Bound of Marin and back, to my magnificent husband and family: You all enrich my life, fill my soul and motivate me to keep on cooking and sharing my dual passion for people and food with every move I make. 

My love to you, happiest Valentine’s Day. 

~Chef Rachelle

Our Favorite Red Velvet Cupcake

Ingredients:

Cupcakes:

3 ⅓ cups cake flour (not self-rising)

¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened

2¼ cups sugar

3 large eggs, at room temperature

6 tablespoons of liquid red food coloring or less of a more concentrated gel color

4 tablespoons good quality unsweetened cocoa

2 teaspoons vanilla extract, vanilla powder or vanilla paste

1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt

1½ cups buttermilk

1 ½ teaspoons cider vinegar

1 ½ teaspoons baking soda                            

Yield: 36 cupcakes

Frosting:

1 pound (two 8-ounce packages) cream cheese, softened and cut into small pieces

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened and cut into small pieces

2 teaspoons vanilla extract, powder or vanilla paste

5 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar                                  

Garnishes can include: a sliced strawberry “heart”, a chocolate disk or sprinkles.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 °F or 325 °F convection. Line 3 muffin tins with cupcake papers.
2. To make the cake: In a small bowl, sift the cake flour and set aside. In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the red food coloring, cocoa, and vanilla. Add to the batter, beat well.
4. In a measuring cup, stir the salt into the buttermilk. Add to the batter in three parts, alternating with the flour. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated, but do not overbeat. Over mixing will make the cupcakes tougher.
5. In another small bowl, stir together the cider vinegar and baking soda. Add to the batter and mix well. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl, making sure the ingredients are well blended and the batter is smooth.
6. Fill the cupcake liners about ¾ full. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool slightly and remove from pans to cool completely.
7. To make the frosting: In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add the vanilla and beat well. Gradually add the sugar, 1 cup at a time, scraping the bowl as you go, beating continuously until smooth and creamy. Cover and refrigerate icing for 2 to 3 hours, to thicken before using. When the cake has cooled, spread or pipe the frosting liberally on the cupcakes.

Seared Sesame Cocoa Crusted Tuna with
Blood Orange-Lemongrass Vinaigrette

This is a new and improved version of this recipe developed by our cooking class at Macy’s Cellar in our Valentine’s Day Class. We combined sesame seeds with cocoa nibs from guest chocolatiers “Pure Dark” to create a savory, toasty crust that everyone swooned over. What a ball!

Ingredients:

For the fish:
1 pound fresh Ahi Tuna steaks, about 1” thick, rinsed and dried with clean paper towels
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons vegetable oil for searing fish
¼ cup sesame seeds
¼ cup Pure Dark brand cocoa nibs, ground to approximately the size of the sesame seeds
For the salad:
5 oranges or blood oranges (4 segmented plus 1 orange for vinaigrette)
1 large or two small heads of butter or bib lettuce, washed and dried
3 tablespoons chopped chives or thinly sliced green onion
For the vinaigrette:
¼ cup fresh orange or blood orange juice
1½ inch piece of ginger, peeled and cut into chunks
1 stalk lemon grass, peeled cut into 1” pieces
1 clove garlic
1 shallot, peeled
¼ cup sherry vinegar
1 cup grape seed oil or other neutral flavored oil
1½ teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon hot Chinese mustard or Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons honey
Salt and pepper to taste

Serves 4 as a first course or 2 as an entreé

Directions:

For the tuna: 

Blend the Dijon mustard and the sesame oil in a small bow

Season tuna with salt and pepper and brush with mixture. Set aside. Chill large plates or platter for serving.

Make the vinaigrette: Place all ingredients except for salt and pepper into a blender or food processor and blend for at least 2 minutes or until mixture becomes pureed. Pass through cheese cloth or a fine strainer, pressing out all liquid from remaining solids. Season to taste with salt and pepper and refrigerate until needed.

Place the sesame seeds and ground cocoa nibs onto a large dinner plate, add ½ teaspoon of salt and 5 grinds of fresh pepper. Blend well and press the tuna into the seeds with your hands, coating thoroughly.

Heat a large non-stick frying pan or griddle on medium-high and add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil to the pan. Reduce heat and place the steaks into pan making sure not to crowd the pan. Being careful not to burn the seeds, sear the fish for about 2-3 minutes per side or until desired doneness. To test, cut into a piece and look. Remove fish to plate and allow it to cool (remember that fish continues to cook for several minutes after it is removed from the pan).

Arrange the lettuce leaves on large chilled plates or platter. Drizzle lightly with vinaigrette, season with salt and pepper. 6. Carefully slice the cooked tuna across the grain into ¼” slices with a sharp knife. Fan the sliced tuna atop or alongside of the lettuce. Surround lettuce with orange segments and garnish with chives or green onions and drizzle with a bit more vinaigrette. What a dish!