Ginger's roots date back to ancient times, over 3,000 years ago. Related to tumeric and cardamom, ginger is native to Southern Asia, which is why it is considered a staple in Asian cuisine.

It isn't just the Asian culture who embrace the subtle spice of this knobby root, many Indian dishes are predicated on the use of ginger as well, such as Tikka Masala, Vindaloo, and hundreds more.

In addition to being a delicious flavoring agent in both sweet and savory recipes, ginger also has healing properties and nutritional value as well. Ginger is excellent for digestion, which is why, many times, people drink ginger ale or ginger beer to calm an upset stomach.

On a chilly and damp day like today, I like to prepare warm, simple to prepare dishes that have complex flavors. Tonight, I'm making all natural chicken, poached in coconut milk, studded with carrots and snap peas. With a side of basmati rice, it's the perfect meal for rainy Sunday afternoons.

Economical and nearly effortless,I hope you'll enjoy this dish as much as I do.

Chicken Poached in Coconut Milk with Fresh Vegetables
1 medium onion, chopped
1 - 2 jalepeno or serrano peppers, diced fine
3 Tb. ginger, peeled and grated
2 Tb. curry powder
2 c. carrots, "roll cut" (or medium dice)
2 c. snap peas, trimmed
2 (15 oz.) cans light coconut milk (*I use light, but you can use regular)
2 c. chicken or vegetable stock
1 3/4 lbs. chicken breasts, boneless skinless
1/4 c. cilantro, chopped
1 bunch scallions, cut on the bias

Method:
Heat a dutch oven over high heat. When the pot is hot, use some canola oil (enough to coat the bottom of a dutch oven) to saute the onions when the oil is hot, also.
Saute the onions until slightly caramelized. Add the chilies and ginger. Add the spices. Stir occasionally to keep the spices from burning.

Deglaze the pan with chicken broth and then add the coconut milk. Heat the liquid to 180 degrees, and add the carrots. In that same Dutch oven, poach the chicken breasts at 170 degrees and cook them until they reach an internal temperature of 155 degrees. Add the snow peas and continue to cook. When the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees, remove the chicken from the cooking liquid and rest on a cutting board.

Season the poaching liquid to add more spice if you'd like a heavier curry flavor and reduce, allowing the peas to finish cooking through.

Slice the chicken on the bias, against the grain, and serve over a bed of basmati rice and thickened coconut milk broth. Garnish with Scallions and Cilantro.

When I graduated from college, and made my departure from the Golden Mushroom, I took a pastry chef position near my home - so close, I could run there. In many ways, this was a perfect place for me to work - and at that time, the best job I had ever gotten for several reasons: I was compensated nicely, my commute had been reduced from a 45 minute hellish treck via 696 east to The Mushroom, I had my own pastry shop, complete with operational equipment,all in the basement of a beautiful old building in downtown Milford. I enjoyed complete autonomy, and, as I said, I could run there when weather permitted.

I was hired by a gentleman who had gone to the CIA in New York, and had become a pretty successful restauranteur. He owned several restaurants, as well as a catering company. He was full of life and had lots of personality. What I liked about him was that he was straightforward and pretty hands-off. He treated me well, always with respect, and made a sincere effort to make me feel a part of the family. Not just the family of restaurant employees, but his family as well.

Around the holidays, he stopped by my bakeshop and talked to me while I made scones and creme brulee, and listened to Spartan basketball. He was really excited about the holidays and he wanted us to build a gingerbread house and make a Yule Log for his annual holiday party. We drew up the templates and he enthusiastically showed me the best way to get everything "just right" so that my gingerbread house would be sturdy enough to withstand the jostling of 100 people crammed in his house, laughing, drinking and reminicing about the highlights of the year gone by.

He also invited me over so that we could decorate additional gingerbread houses with his wife (who was a tremendously classy and kind woman; I admired her greatly), and kids. Though I was a culinary school graduate, I had never learned to make a gingerbread house, and I was grateful for the lesson, and more grateful to be treated so nicely.

To this day, Yule Logs & Gingerbread Houses are a part of the holiday season that I enjoy, and actually believe are worth the effort, and sometimes, aggrivation. For that reason, I offered a class at Mirepoix called, "Show Stopping Holiday Desserts". To my absolute delight, two of my students had traveled all the way from Bay City to take our class! Talk about effort! We had a wonderful time and their Yule Logs were beautiful.

Making a Yule Log is not difficult, however, it is time-consuming. Today, we made our sponge cake, then our chocolate & praline buttercream. No Yule Log would be complete without the whimsical meringue mushrooms, dusted lightly with cocoa powder! Our students did a fabulous job, using a pastry bag to make the mushroom caps and stems. To really add definition, texture and interest to our logs, we rolled out chocolate fondant, cut it into circles, and used tempered chocolate to make rings for the "exposed" trunk and branches.

If you would like to make your own Yule Log for this holiday season, take advantage of our Make & Take Yule Log class on December 22 from 11 am - 3:30 pm. You'll receive instruction from our chefs, all of the recipes, and, your own Yule Log to take home to share with your family and friends.

To view photos of the Yule Logs prepared in today's class, "Like" us on Facebook.