Our next and last pop-up of 2016 will celebrate all things holiday! The music and champagne will flow freely and we will close with dancing, musical performances and more! More details to come. Grab your early bird tickets now!
The Pop-Up Holiday Bash
Chef Julius Russell returns to Ampersand with his quarterly pop-up restaurant experience. This installment features a theme of Nu-American meets Summertime in France.
With each pop-up restaurant event, I try to bring you something unique in taste, atmosphere and experience. And this summer is no exception. Dining out in the summertime gives you a chance to visit other countries and explore food with no boundaries. Through food, you can travel the world. I invite you to stamp your culinary passport and experience how great life can taste!
Don’t miss this curated multi-course meal that includes wine and dessert.
Chef Julius Summer Pop-Up
We are returning to the Lifeway Foods Cooking Corner at the Taste of Chicago?! Chef Julius will take the stage on Thursday, July 7th at 4:30pm. This is our 5th Year at the Cooking Corner. We are going to do something extra special. Let the recipe planning begin! #SummertimeChi #TheFoodYouWant
Looking for “Quick, Easy & Delicious Food to Cook During the Summer”? We’ve got you covered! Check out this recipe we featured on FOX Chicago.
Seared Beef Tenderloin with Charred Corn & Asparagus Sauté topped with Smoked Peach & Tomato Salsa
1 (6oz) filet of beef – sliced in half
¼ cup garlic olive oil
2 ears of sweet corn on the cob
2 small shallots (diced)
2Tb roasted garlic (smashed)
4 stalks of asparagus (sliced on the bias)
3 mini sweet peppers (diced)
2 peaches
6 -8 Sungold tomatoes
1 banana pepper (diced)
1 lime (juiced & zested)
Chef Julius’ Salt Blend
Chef Julius’ Pepper Blend
Espresso ground coffee from South Africa
Directions:
Filet of Beef
Place a cast iron or non-stick pan on high heat for 3-5 minutes;
Season the beef with salt, pepper & a pinch of South African coffee
Add 1Tb of olive oil to the hot pan. After 1 min add the beef
Do not move it for AT LEAST 2 minutes
After 2 minutes, use tongs to turn over, cook for one minute more and turn off the heat
Let rest 3 minutes before you slice
Corn & Asparagus Sauté
Remove corn from the husk and place it directly onto a heat source (stove or grill)
As you see it start to char, turn it to another side. Once charred, remove from the cob & set aside
In the pan that had the steak, place on medium heat and add the shallots, sweet peppers, garlic and asparagus
Season with salt & pepper and sauté for 5-7 minutes
You can add a bit more olive oil if needed
Add the charred corn, sauté for 2 minutes more. Taste and adjust the seasoning
Smoked Peach & Tomato Salsa (make this the day before)
Make 5-6 slits into each peach and place into a nonstick pan
Take the tomatoes and sprinkle with a smoked salt and place into the same pan
Place the pan on a hot smoker for 30 min – 1hr
Take of the smoker, remove the pits from the peaches and cut into quarters
Add peaches, tomatoes, shallots and remaining olive oil to a blender
Pulse until you reach your desired consistency and then add the peppers!!!! (SPICY)
Season with salt & pepper and assemble the dish
So when you come off the type of weekend that I have had, it’s hard to slow down and adjust to real life. And then there is a little voice in your head that says, “This is YOUR real life!” Sometimes it takes a minute to take it all in because after a BIG event is done, you get a chance to take a deep breath, get 3-4 hours of sleep…and then you are back at it for your clients. I haven’t had time to do a recap with the team, so that we can make the next one better. I really need to clarify what I am referring. This is my recap and #thankyou post for the #BahamasMeetsNOLA popup restaurant experience.
When we started working on this event, I had about 120 dishes ready to go. Since I knew that was not an option, I had to get it down to 10-12 courses. Btw, that IS NOT an easy task. You need REAL support. You need a main crew that can give insight on what works with the theme and what doesn’t work. That idea may sound like a #nobrainer, but it’s hard to say no to a dish that tastes really good. The next thing you need is a support crew that shows up on time to execute the vision with NO QUESTIONS asked. That’s even harder because EVERY cook has questions.
I appreciate the number of people that give me help in trying to stay on point. For those that don’t what I mean, let me explain.
I CONSTANTLY CHANGE WHAT I FEEL LIKE COOKING!!! There were 6 different versions of the menu before we LOCKED it. After that, I still changed 2 courses. This is why I love my ENTIRE staff. If you need further clarity…here it is.
Once I have the theme, it is Jada’s responsibility to work on the design of the space. Btw, she doesn’t even have confirmation of the location at this point. Each of my #core chefs will have at least 2 dishes approved for the menu and they are happy. Within days most of their dishes will disappear. They adjust and focus. That’s why my team is the best. We worked through this menu with SO many changes and it wasn’t easy. I still listen to fans of the #popup and I want to make them happy. It’s A LOT to manage and streamline. We get a core menu and you start getting a preview. We give the links to purchase tickets and “away we go!”
We are very excited to announce our Fall Culinary Tours to Cuba in partnership with Just 90 Miles. We have such an appreciation for the beauty and culture of Cuba and it is a great honor to be able to guide a group of food aficionados through a grand culinary experience!
We know the recently changes in US/Cuban relations has sparked much interest in Americans traveling to Cuba, and this is your opportunity to experience it’s wonder. Just 90 Miles covers all of the legal documentation and on the ground arrangement, making this an easy, stress free experience.
We will visit organic farms, produce markets, local supermarkets, private restaurants. Included are cooking, mixology classes and salsa dancing classes. And of course we will see Cuba’s iconic sights, visit art studios, cigar and rum factories and experience classic American cars.
The dates are as follows:
Tour #1: Thursday, October 13th – Wednesday, October 19th
Tour #2: Thursday, November 17th – Wednesday, November 23rd
The cost for the tour is $4,295 per person. Rates are per person based on double occupancy. Singles accommodations available.
To review the full itinerary and registration details visit http://www.just90miles.com/
JOIN US!
We are heading back to FOX Chicago to showcase fun ways to cook with ingredients from local farmers markets and items hitting the supermarket produce section for spring. Here’s the recipe we will demo live in the Noon hour. Enjoy!
Chef Julius’ Tiny Pasta with Spring vegetables
8oz dried pasta (fideo)
1 oz baby fennel
1 shallot (diced)
2 ramps (pureed or chopped) more…
The Pop-Up is Back! And we are ready (and excited) to present an Island food experience that has beauty of New American cuisine blended with the fun of New Orleans… We will roll out location and menu details over the next couple weeks, just know that the VIP experience is going to been NEXT-LEVEL!!!
New Date: Saturday, April 30, 2016 (See details above)
Location: Downtown Chicago
[Purchase tickets in the "Caribbean Meets The French Quarter" post above]
