• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Living The Gourmet
  • Subscribe
menu icon
go to homepage
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Wines
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • About
    • Recipes
    • Wines
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    An Evening with Chef Michael Symon & BlueStar at ICE

    Apr 8, 2015 · 23 Comments

    Jump to Recipe

    On March 19th, Living the Gourmet had the distinct pleasure of being invited to the unveiling of Chef Michael Symon’s spring menu, hosted at the Institute of Culinary Education, and sponsored by BlueStar cooking products.

    Living the Gourmet: Chef Michael Symon & BlueStar at ICE

    With a setting vaguely reminiscent of a posh modern restaurant, the night was set against an alternating backdrop of upbeat pop and reggae tunes. Photographers roamed the room, while a pair of waiters, dressed in crisp white attire, served drinks from an exquisitely set marble bar. Lines of quick chatter and reserved laughter drifted like a cloud back and forth through the room as the media in attendance mingled across overworked smartphones.

    Dominating gold tones, punctuated by displays of modern art, set the visual tone for the evening. If presentation is everything, the night was already a success.

    The night’s star, being a television personality, owner of eighteen restaurants, and a multiple bestselling author, it would be no surprise if Chef Symon were to present himself with an air of hard earned authority. However, from the moment I clumsily extended my hand to introduce myself across his lit stove, it was like encountering an old friend. He instantly left his set, shook my hand a second time, and offered to take pictures with the three of us from Living the Gourmet.

    Not only was I was impressed and put at ease, but I was now even more eager to see what the Chef had to offer.

    Living the Gourmet: Chef Michael Symon & BlueStar at ICE

    As if on cue, just as we finished taking selfies with the chef, waiters with trays hors d'oeuvres began making their rounds through the assembled media. It was Chef Symon’s first offering – Lamb Keftedes.

    A traditional Greek item, Chef Symon’s Lamb Keftedes greet the palette with familiar Mediterranean flavors, chiefly oil roasted garlic and onion carried on well-seasoned, perfectly cooked lamb alongside faint hints of cinnamon and cumin.

    The second appetizer was a zucchini fritter with feta and dill, served with a dollop of Greek yogurt. Fresh and light, the dish struck a perfect balance between the warm rustic textures of the fritter and the cool, smooth qualities of the accompanying yogurt. While never stated, I felt that this dish was meant primarily to cleanse the palette in anticipation of the main courses.

    After the appetizers, Chef Symon took to his set, and began the cooking demonstration. With the night sponsored by BlueStar, Chef Symon made a number of well-placed, seamlessly integrated references to the appliances on which he was cooking throughout the demonstration, and relayed how he uses a BlueStar oven in his own home.

    Living the Gourmet: Chef Michael Symon & BlueStar at ICE

    The first item served was a spring pea crostini, which I felt played into the fresh cooking theme of the Chef’s new book, 5-In-5, while also making for a simple yet satisfying beginning to the meal, as well as setting the tone for what was to come. This was followed by a cavatelli prepared with lemon, butter and sage, expertly demonstrating the Chef’s current ‘less is more’ philosophy.

    Living the Gourmet: Chef Michael Symon & BlueStar at ICE

    During the preparation of the cavatelli, the Chef gave a few pointers on preparing pasta. For example, he explained that one ought to liberally salt the pasta water prior to cooking, until it’s almost ‘sea water,’ as he put it.

    The finished cavatalli was a deceivingly simple dish of ground pepper, fresh sage, butter and lemon, making for an exceptionally smooth and well balanced pasta. Served family style, it wasn’t difficult to imagine the dish serving equally well in a less formal venue, or even at home.

    Living the Gourmet: Chef Michael Symon & BlueStar at ICE

    The next dish, and main plate, was a half-roasted chicken served over a shaved asparagus salad. Again, measured simplicity was key to the Chef’s theme, with the chicken sautéed in oil, kosher salt and fresh pepper. The dish’s true elegance, however, rested in its bed of asparagus prepared with pecorino Romano cheese, wine vinegar, and orange zest, making for a harmonious and rustic Mediterranean blend of flavors.

    Berry_Crisp_1

    The meal concluded with a blackberry, blueberry, and strawberry crisp dessert, served with fresh whipped cream. Lemon zest and balsamic vinegar lent the crisp a savory flavor, while a brown sugar and cinnamon topping provided a hint of sweet contrast.

    When the meal and cooking demonstration had ended, I found myself thinking that with this unveiling being a sign of things to come, that we can all look forward to continued excellence from Chef Symon. With an emphasis on fresh ingredients and elegant simplicity, combined with the Chef’s infectious charisma, it was a wonderfully pleasant evening.

    With that said, I can wholeheartedly recommend not only Chef Symon’s new book Michael Symon's 5 in 5: 5 Fresh Ingredients + 5 Minutes = 120 Fantastic Dinners to my readers, but also any of BlueStar’s variety of top-quality cooking products.

    Living the Gourmet: Pork Saltimbocca

    Print

    Pork Saltimbocca

    Print Recipe
    Pin Recipe

    ★★★★★

    5 from 6 reviews

    • Prep Time: 10 minutes
    • Cook Time: 15 minutes
    • Total Time: 25 minutes
    • Yield: 6 1x

    Ingredients

    Units Scale
    • 6 (4-ounce) pieces pork tenderloin
    • 6 or more fresh basil leaves
    • 6 thin slices Prosciutto
    • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
    • 1/4 cup olive oil

    For the Salad:

    • 4 cups loosely packed arugula
    • Grape tomatoes for garnish
    • Freshly grated Romano or Parmesan cheese
    • Juice of 1/2 lemon
    • 1/4 cup of olive oil
    • 1/2 tsp. salt
    • 1/4 tsp. black pepper

    Instructions

    1. Place a piece of plastic wrap over each piece of pork and gently pound with a hammer to flatten.
    2. Place the flour in a shallow bowl and season with salt and pepper.
    3. Dredge the each piece of pork in the flour and shake off the excess.
    4. Wrap each piece of pork with a slice of prosciutto.
    5. Put a large skillet over medium-high heat.
    6. Add the olive oil to the preheated pan.
    7. Add the wrapped pork and cook until light golden; about 2 minutes per side.
    8. Add the basil leaved to gently crisp; remove and to serve over the pork and arugula.
    9. Plate the arugula.
    10. Combine the ingredients for the salad dressing and drizzle a little over the salad.
    11. Place the warm pork over the salad, followed by the crisped basil leaves and grated Parmesan or Romano cheese.
    12. Garnish with the tomatoes and serve.

    Notes

    Adapted from: Michael Symon’s 5-in-5

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @LTGfood on Instagram and hashtag it #LTGfood

    Recipe Card powered byTasty Recipes

    Living the Gourmet: Pork Saltimbocca

    Written by Michael Pappas | Catherine Pappas

    0

    Pork

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Comedy Plus says

      April 08, 2015 at 10:29 pm

      Wow, you're really rubbing elbows with great chefs. Awesome. I'm so proud of you.

      Have a fabulous day. Big hugs. ♥♥♥

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    2. Jerry E. Beuterbaugh says

      April 09, 2015 at 7:12 am

      Wow, what a wonderful evening, and what a wonderful account of it! You are a great writer.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    3. Michelle says

      April 09, 2015 at 7:55 am

      I am so envious, beyond envious. Chef Michael Symon is fantastic. This dish looks incredible. What a great time you had.

      Reply
    4. Dannii @ Hungry Healthy Happy says

      April 09, 2015 at 10:43 am

      It sounds like a great even, and everything looks so delicious.

      Reply
    5. [email protected] Her Looking Glass says

      April 09, 2015 at 10:45 am

      I am so glad you had this awesome opportunity Catherine. What a beautiful evening you all had!!!! Thank you for sharing this great recipe for Pork Saltimbocca. Gorgeous dish, loved all the great pictures.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    6. tanna says

      April 09, 2015 at 11:42 am

      I LOVE Michael Symon! He is an amazing chef. I'm so glad you enjoyed such a wonderful evening... now, that's "work" that is pure joy. 😉 The pork saltimbocca looks so good! Thank you.

      I'm so sorry to hear about your brother. Hope he continues to improve daily!! I've been MIA, too... doing taxes. Yuk! Hope you have a wonderful week, dear Catherine! blessings ~ tanna
      ps LOVED the photos of you, Michael and Tammy with Michael Symon. You have a beautiful family.

      Reply
    7. Anne-Marie @ This Mama Cooks! On a Diet says

      April 09, 2015 at 1:01 pm

      I love Michael Symon, too. What a wonderful evening you had!! I'm going to put his cookbook on my wish list right now!

      Reply
    8. Beauty Follower says

      April 09, 2015 at 1:50 pm

      I would log ego try the crostini!!!

      http://beautyfollower.blogspot.gr

      Reply
    9. Big Daddy Dave says

      April 09, 2015 at 2:24 pm

      Catherine, It looks like you and the family had a great time at Chef Symon's cooking demonstration. You look very happy in that photo with the chef! Love the spring pea crostini, the beautiful cavatalli and that roasted chicken served over a shaved asparagus salad! What a meal that would be! Thanks for the recipe re: the pork saltimbocca...it's my kind of food with my favorite kind of meat! Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

      Reply
    10. Ginny Hartzler says

      April 09, 2015 at 3:42 pm

      WOW! You really got my heart pumping, I am so excited!!! I really like Symon and have this book, 5in5. Do you watch the cooking competitions on Food Network? We are watching him now, competing with Flay, Guarnicelli, and a couple others. I also watch him on The Chew. What an awesome day, I would have LOVED to be there. And you got such a good picture with him!

      Reply
    11. Ordinary J says

      April 09, 2015 at 4:11 pm

      I recognize that he is one of the Iron Chefs even though I haven't had a TV since 2003.....

      Reply
    12. Nee says

      April 09, 2015 at 7:12 pm

      Hi Catherine ,
      What a wonderful experience you had and the smile on your face said it all , the food looks delicious I love Chef Symon , he makes everything seem so easy .
      Catherine , you have a gorgeous family , Michael looks like I expected him to from listening at his voice .
      I do so hope your brother is improving and continue to get well . Catherine with God's grace everything is possible just believe my dear .
      I will pray for your dear brother , I also put you and all your family on my group's prayer list . I understand what you are going through , same here ... but remember dear , there's a silver lining behind every dark cloud .
      Blessing to you and your family Nee 🙂

      Reply
    13. Nee says

      April 09, 2015 at 7:22 pm

      Dear Catherine , I know you had a great time by the smile on your face , I am so proud of you , we have a celeb in our midst.
      I love Chef Symon he makes everything seem so easy . Catherine , your kids are gorgeous and you look so proud , you go girl . Michael looks like I expected him to by his voice .
      Hope your brother is improving and my family is praying for him and I put him on my group pray list . Didn't know his name know his name , so we are praying for Catherine Pappas brother in NY , no problem God know who he is . Take care and remember there's a silver ling behind every dark cloud .... Nee 🙂

      Reply
    14. christine says

      April 09, 2015 at 8:32 pm

      Oh.My! I am so jealous. What a night and experience! Oh yeah and the food looks great, too, lol.

      Reply
    15. Liz says

      April 10, 2015 at 12:13 am

      Oh, man does this pork look amazing!!! And what a fun event!!! I've been thinking of you both over the past few days. xo

      Reply
    16. [email protected] says

      April 10, 2015 at 4:32 am

      How exciting Catherine. Looks like you had an amazing evening!

      Reply
    17. Libby with Lemony Thyme says

      April 10, 2015 at 1:47 pm

      What a wonderful evening you had and your descriptions of each course was mouthwatering. I think I'm really going to enjoy Michael's new book, especially heading into summer. Your pork saltimbocca looks divine.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    18. peter @feedyoursoultoo says

      April 10, 2015 at 3:26 pm

      What a great evening and a great recipe.

      Reply
    19. Elena says

      April 10, 2015 at 6:34 pm

      It looks like you had a beautiful evening! Your pork saltimbocca looks delicious!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    20. Kathy says

      April 10, 2015 at 8:24 pm

      Wow…looks as if you had a marvelous time! I love Michael Simon…he is so real and down to earth! Love him on the Chew!
      The Saltimbocca looks great…a must try! Nice post, Catherine!

      Reply
    21. Chiara says

      April 10, 2015 at 8:48 pm

      saltimbocca looks delicious Catherine,wonderful evening for you and your family, a hug !

      Reply
    22. Joanne T Ferguson says

      April 11, 2015 at 4:50 am

      What a fun evening this would have been and awesome recipe! Pinned and shared!

      Reply
    23. Susan | LunaCafe says

      April 11, 2015 at 2:30 pm

      Wow, what an adventure. And every dish looks fantastic. Michael Symon is one of my favorite chefs.

      ★★★★★

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Welcome to Living the Gourmet! Our goal is to bring you recipes and inspirations for a gourmet life.

    Meet the family →

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Our Story
    • Privacy Policy & Disclaimer

    Contact

    • Media Kit

    Social

    • Pinterest
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    Living The Gourmet
    Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

    Strictly Necessary Cookies

    Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

    If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.