Rae’s Personal Touch Gourmet offers people the chance to learn how to make countless recipes in the privacy of their own home through one-on-one teaching.

She started Personal Touch Gourmet in 2002, but was then asked to become the recipe tester for the Los Angeles Times. She did that for four years, but started to miss teaching people how to cook. So, she started her business back up in 2007 and has since been boosting people’s culinary skills and their confidence in the kitchen.

What makes Rae’s business unique is that she comes to people’s homes and teaches them how to make meals that they want, not meals she wants. She said most available cooking classes that are done in a studio or school require the students to make what the teacher chooses. But with Personal Touch Gourmet, the clients choose what kind of meals they want and Rae teaches them how from start to finish beginning with the grocery list and ending with the presentation.

Mary Ellen Rae of Personal Touch Gourmet.

She said it’s very important for people to learn how to cook in their own kitchen because they’re more comfortable and are more likely to re-create the meal without complications.

“After I leave they’re able to replicate what I did,” Rae said. “That’s the benefit.”

Rae, who graduated with honors from the California School of Culinary Arts in Pasadena, said she starts each class by discussing with her client what they’re wanting to learn, what kind of food they like and then arrives at their home with all the ingredients. The client’s utensils and appliances are used, but Rae will provide anything the person does not have.

She starts sessions by talking about food safety, teaches some knife skills, discusses where to find ingredients, provides a demonstration, and then has the client start helping with the preparation and cooking of the chosen meal.

Candace Poindexter recently hired Rae to teach her how to cook and she learned many skills that now make cooking enjoyable instead of it feeling like a chore.

“I wanted to learn some techniques and recipes I could use,” Poindexter said. “It was fantastic. She comes with the food and we made seafood, chicken, chocolate strawberries and I got to do it so I could do it by myself.”

Arugula, the peppery green leaf that adds a mustardy bite to a mixed green salad, is a delicious substitute for basil in the classic pesto recipe. Leave the oven off for this dinner, the arugula pesto is an uncooked sauce, simply stirred into the hot pasta. Add cooked shrimp or chicken for a protein boost. Tastes great at room temperature, bring plenty to share at the next concert on the beach. When purchasing arugula, look for dark green crisp leaves, free of brown spots and use within in a few days.

• 1 pound imported Italian pasta

• 3 cups packed arugula leaves, washed and stems removed

• 1 teaspoon finely chopped lemon peel

• 2 garlic cloves

• ¼ cup Kalamata olives, pitted

• ½ cup chopped blanched toasted almonds, divided

• ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided

• ½ teaspoon salt

• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

• 2 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt, stir in pasta. Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve ½ cup cooking liquid. Drain pasta, do not rinse and keep warm.

Place arugula, lemon peel, garlic, olives, ¼ cup almonds, ¼ cup Parmesan cheese and the salt in a food processor. Pulse until it forms a thick paste. Add the olive oil and process until smooth.

Place the pasta in a large heated bowl and stir in the pesto. Drizzle with the reserved cooking liquid until the sauce is the desired thickness. Toss with remaining almonds, Parmesan cheese and diced tomatoes.

Chef Mary Ellen Rae is the owner of Personal Touch Gourmet and the former Recipe Tester and Food Writer for the Los Angeles Times Food Section. Chef Mary Ellen is available for private or group in-home cooking classes, private chef services and catering. Contact Personal Touch Gourmet at 310-403-5682 or MaryEllen@PersonalTouchGourmet.net

The writers and editors who sampled the devilled eggs that week must have filed that recipe away.  Because at the end of December the Food Section staff reviews  their favorite recipes and compiles a list of the Top Ten Recipes of the Year. I was surprised to learn it wasn’t one of my pastries that they had chosen, but the simple devilled egg.

Hard cooking eggs can be a little tricky.  Here are a few tips that I have found to work well.  First, use older eggs.  The fresher the egg the harder they are to peel.  Buy the eggs, keep for a week in your refrigerator before cooking, just be sure to use before the expiration date.  Then place the eggs in a saucepan filled with cold water.  Bring water to a gentle simmer, boiling the eggs can toughen the whites and cause a greenish-blue film to form on the outside of the yolk.  Remove eggs with a slotted spoon and plunge into a bowl of ice water.  After a few minutes, gently crack eggs on the counter and remove the shell.  The devilled eggs can be made a day ahead, just store the filling and egg whites separately in a covered container in the refrigerator.  Pipe the filling into eggs up to a few hours before serving.

Sun-Dried Tomato and Basil Devilled Eggs (Makes 24 filled eggs)

12 large eggs 8 sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, rinse and pat dry 2 tablespoons capers, drained and pat dry 1 medium shallot 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard ½ cup mayonnaise 4 tablespoons finely chopped basil, divided

Place the 12 eggs in a large saucepan filled with cold water.  Bring to a gentle simmer and set the timer for 12 minutes.   Fill a bowl with ice cubes and cold water and set aside.  Finely chop the sun-dried tomatoes, capers and shallot in a mini-food processor or by hand.

When the eggs are done, remove with slotted spoon and place in ice water. Chill for a few minutes and peel.  Slice in half lengthwise.  Remove the yolks and use a spatula to smash the yolks through a fine-meshed strainer.  Stir together the yolks, tomatoes, capers, shallot, mustard, mayonnaise and 2 tablespoons basil in a small bowl.  Fill a pastry bag fitted with a star tip with the filling and pipe into the egg whites.  Sprinkle with remaining basil and refrigerate until ready to serve.  Alternately, spoon filling into a resealable plastic bag, snip off one corner and squeeze into egg whites.  

Chef Mary Ellen Rae is the owner of Personal Touch Gourmet; specializing in private and group in-home cooking classes and catering.  Contact Personal Touch Gourmet at 310-403-5682 or MaryEllen@PersonalTouchGourmet.net

Looking for a culinary inspiration? Spring time is my favorite season at the farmer’s market. Create a simple salad with a mélange of flavors and textures using red grapefruit, jicama and pea sprouts. Red grapefruits are high in vitamin A, C and potassium adding a sweet-tart component to the traditional green salad. Using some of the vinaigrette as a marinade for grilled shrimp, turns this salad into a main dish.

Note: This recipe developed by Hermosa Beach Resident Mary Ellen Rae was part of an article written by Donna Deane and published in the Los Angeles Times Food Section.

Salad:

• 1 large red grapefruit

• ½ pound Jicama

• 1 cup pea sprouts

• 2 cups snow peas, ends trimmed and thinly sliced on the diagonal

• ¼ cup thinly sliced green onions, green part only

Cut off both ends of the grapefruit. Cut away the peel and white pith, holding the grapefruit over a bowl to collect the juice, (save the juice for the vinaigrette). Using a knife, slice between the membranes to release the segments. Cut each segment into 3 pieces. The collected juice should measure around ¼ cup, set aside. Peel the jicama, cut in half and slice into julienne strips. Add jicama to the bowl with the grapefruit along with the pea sprouts, sliced snow peas and green onions. Gently toss to combine.

Vinaigrette:

Whisk the grapefruit, honey, tarragon, mint, mustard, shallot, salt and pepper in a bowl. Slowly add the oil and whisk until the mixture emulsifies. Drizzle several tablespoons of vinaigrette over the salad and toss to coat. Add additional vinaigrette as desired, reserve the rest for another use.

Chef Mary Ellen Rae is the owner of Personal Touch Gourmet; specializing in private and group in-home cooking classes and catering. Contact Personal Touch Gourmet at 310-403-5682 or MaryEllen@PersonalTouchGourmet.net

We asked Chef Mary Ellen Rae to suggest a special home-cooked meal. Chef Mary Ellen toiled for years as a chef in the Los Angeles Times test kitchen and now owns Personal Touch Gourmet, a full-service foodie operation for catering, cooking classes, freelance recipe testing and more.

Here’s her recipe for Poulet aux Fines Herbes, a richly flavorful main course that she suggests pairing with roasted asparagus and buttered egg noodles sprinkled with fresh minced chives. A version of this recipe previously appeared in the Times.

As a variation to these sides, I used corn-quinoa pasta as shown in the picture above. On a related note, Fissler USA is about to debut a new line that makes pasta preparation a breeze. When introduced in March, the Solea line promises to dazzle and inspire with its sophisticated, visionary and individual approach to fine cookware. Solea lids are engineered for straining, so there’s no need for a colander when cooking pasta or vegetables. Combined with the renowned CookStar base and other high-tech features, Solea can help you cook pasta Fissler-style — i.e., “perfect every time.” Your pasta — and your Valentine — will love you for your discriminating taste in cookware.

The thoughtful editor/publisher of SeductionMeals.com has posted many more suggestions for enticing Valentine’s Day food, drink, music and other mood setters. Wishing you a lovely evening … ♥

Poulet aux Fines Herbes
Recipe by Chef Mary Ellen Rae of Personal Touch Gourmet

Serves 4

½ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup finely ground fresh breadcrumbs
¾ cup flour
¼ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground white pepper
1 egg, lightly beaten
6 tablespoons butter, softened
½ cup minced fines herbes (a combination of chives, tarragon, chervil and parsley)
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, fat trimmed
½ cup shredded Gruyère cheese

Heat oven to 375°. Line a small roasting pan with foil and set aside.

Stir the Parmesan cheese into the breadcrumbs and place on a shallow plate. Stir the flour and salt together on a second plate and pour the egg into a shallow bowl.

Combine the butter and fresh herbs in a food processor and process until smooth. Pound the chicken breasts to flatten to ¼ inch. Place one chicken breast on work surface and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Spoon 1 tablespoon of butter mixture in the center of the chicken. Put 2 tablespoons of Gruyère cheese on top of butter. Fold in the sides lengthwise and roll up jellyroll style so the mixture will form a bundle. Set aside and fill remaining chicken breasts.

Dip each chicken bundle into the flour, shaking off excess, then into the egg mixture and finally into the breadcrumbs. Place in the roasting pan or casserole. Press the sides of the chicken to form a round shape, ensuring the bottom sides are tucked under. This will help to keep the butter-cheese mixture inside the bundle. Finish with remaining chicken breasts.

(Chicken can be frozen at this point and placed in an airtight container. When cooking frozen chicken, add an additional 10 minutes to the cooking time).

Bake chicken for 25-30 minutes or until thermometer placed in the chicken (not butter center) reaches 165°.

The recipe is from my friend and former colleague in the food section of the Los Angeles Times, Mary Ellen Rae.

Mary Ellen is now giving cooking classes, catering parties and private cheffing through her company, Personal Touch Gourmet.

The shrimp are one of her most popular party appetizers. (I tasted them at a holiday party at her home and couldn’t get them out of my mind, they were so good.)

Infused with lemony flavors associated with Thai and Indonesian cooking, they also taste of fresh dill, a seasoning from another part of the globe.

The recipe is really convenient. Part of the marinade seasons the shrimp. The rest becomes a dipping sauce.

If you’re not an outdoor cook, you can grill the shrimp with equal success on a stovetop grill pan (that’s what I do). Skewer them on decorative bamboo picks for a party appetizer, or serve them over fragrant jasmine rice at a summer buffet.

For more information about Mary Ellen’s classes, go to http://www.personaltouchgourmet.net.

LEMONGRASS AND DILL GRILLED SHRIMP
(From Mary Ellen Rae of Personal Touch Gourmet)

1 pound shrimp (21 to 24 to a pound)
3 lemongrass stalks
1/3 cup chopped dill
2 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
1/2 cup canola oil

Preheat the barbecue grill.

Peel and devein the shrimp.

Remove the tough outer leaves of each lemongrass stalk and trim the stem end. Finely dice the bottom 4 inches of each stalk. Discard the leafy tops.

Place the lemongrass, dill, garlic, shallot, salt and rice vinegar in a blender or food processor.

While the machine is running, slowly drizzle in the oil. Blend until smooth. Add more salt if wanted.

Reserve half of the marinade to use as a dipping sauce. Coat the shrimp with the remaining marinade and set aside for 15 minutes.

The shrimp can also be prepared in advance and marinated in the refrigerator. In this case, remove them from the refrigerator and let them stand at room temperature 20 to 30 minutes before grilling.

Grill the shrimp 2 to 3 minutes on each side or just until no longer translucent in the center.

Serve on bamboo picks with the dipping sauce.

Makes 8 appetizer servings.

As some of you may remember, last month I participated in a GREAT cooking class in Manhattan Beach – taught by Chef Mary Ellen Rae from Hermosa Beach. In anticipation of the big feast ahead, she has provided tips and her favorite Thanksgiving recipe for “nearly-wed” chefs … and the rest of us, too!

Here’s what Chef Mary Ellen says:

Thanksgiving dinners are filled with sacred family favorites, and unfortunately some family members are not willing to stray from the expected. I found that out one year when my editor at the L. A. Times asked me to develop a fresh cranberry relish for the Thanksgiving edition. I love the idea of a fresh (uncooked) relish instead of the usual stove top version. The texture is crisp and zingy and it only takes minutes to make. The tangerines and sugar soften the pucker of the berries and the blend of star anise, cloves, cinnamon, fennel and pepper in Chinese five spice powder add a beguiling new spice note. I serve this every year now, but I still hear from time to time, “Where’s the canned cranberries?”

Purchase spices in small quantities and store tightly sealed in a cool dark place. Experiment with small amounts of Chinese five spice powder mixed into spice rubs and marinades for poultry, pork and beef. Add to salt and brown sugar when roasting nuts or add a pinch to apple pie fillings.

Fresh Cranberry and Tangerine Relish (Serves 12)
Note: This recipe developed by Hermosa resident Mary Ellen Rae was adapted from article previously published in the Los Angeles Times Food Section.

1 (12-ounce) bag fresh cranberries
1 seedless tangerine
½ cup sugar or more to taste
½ teaspoon Chinese five spice powder

Rinse and drain the cranberries, discarding bruised ones. Peel the tangerine, scraping off excess strings from segments. Use a sharp paring knife to scrape the pith from the inside of half the peel and finely chop. Measure out 1 tablespoon, discard the rest.

Place the cranberries, tangerine segments, 1 tablespoon chopped peel, sugar and Chinese five spice powder in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse 8 to 10 times to reach the desired coarse consistency, adding more sugar to taste. Spoon into a glass serving bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour or overnight. Stir before serving.

Chef Mary Ellen Rae is the owner of Personal Touch Gourmet; specializing in private and group in-home cooking classes and small event catering. Contact Personal Touch Gourmet at 310-403-5682 or MaryEllen@PersonalTouchGourmet.net

Supplies to keep in your pantry:
Chicken Broth
Kosher Salt
Olive Oil
Vinegars
Canola Oil
Pasta
Black Pepper
Rice
Sugar
Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

Dry Goods to keep on hand:
Garlic
Onions
Potatoes

Things in the Fridge:
Butter
Mustard & Mayo
Parmesan Cheese

With these items available, all you need is a quick trip to the store for fresh items, and creating a meal (should be) easy.

Here are some interesting tips we learned:

SALT: The standard salt that most of us have in our cabinet can taste metallic and should be replaced with Kosher Salt for everyday cooking (Smart & Final), Fine Sea Salt for baking (Trader Joes), and Maldon Salt as a finishing touch. This salt has a very heavy grain and you just need a pinch.

SPICES: Usually need to be replaced after they have been opened for 6 months to a year. To test, rub the spice in your fingers. If the color is off and/or you can’t really smell it — toss it! (Seems obvious, but if you’re like me, you probably have a cabinet filled with spices – that are “scary” old!)

KNIVES: You only really need a couple in the kitchen. It’s better to invest in just the few you need rather than the whole blocked set … something to keep in mind when you are registering for your wedding gifts! She suggested a large chef knife, a santoku knife (serrated), a large bread knife and a paring knife. Depending on how often you use them, you should get them sharpened professionally every 6 months to a year. Local readers might want to visit a vendor in the Manhattan Village Mall who sharpens knives and charges by the inch.

Now for a recipe….My cooking partner and I made the soup, and it was absolutely delicious. If I can do it —- anyone can do it. Of course, Mary Ellen was on-hand to answer questions, but it was actually pretty easy and is a great item to make in bulk and freeze…

We paired this with my WineShop at Home Fleur Bleu Zinfandel – which was a delicious combo. Of course, I had to mention the wine…

I hope you enjoyed a glimpse of my experience. Mary Ellen is talking about having a couples class in February — so be sure to visit her site if you are interested in contacting her!

Bon Appetit!

Download PDF file here!