When Old City Hall co-owner Daniel Barduzzi introduced me to
Executive Chef Lionel Haeberle in the restaurant’s kitchen, I felt
a bit overwhelmed by the idea I’d be getting a cooking lesson from
a professional French chef. But they promised that any beginner
could easily prepare the recipes they had in store. Even a
peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich kind of guy like me.
When Old City Hall co-owner Daniel Barduzzi introduced me to Executive Chef Lionel Haeberle in the restaurant’s kitchen, I felt a bit overwhelmed by the idea I’d be getting a cooking lesson from a professional French chef. But they promised that any beginner could easily prepare the recipes they had in store. Even a peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich kind of guy like me.
We’d be preparing a “simple menu for friends”: Tomato Napoleon for an appetizer, Toast of Ciabatta for the main course, and an exquisite chocolate mousse for dessert. Despite my initial doubts, by the end of the lesson, I felt fully confident that I (or anyone else) could easily and quickly prepare these delicious recipes at home.
It’s amazing how easy it is to make fresh pesto. Haeberle recommends that for a twist on his simple pesto recipe, you substitute other fresh vegetables for basil, such as green peppers, mushrooms, or whatever might be in season. When preparing your pesto, note that Haeberle increases the thickness of his pesto by adding more pistachio nuts and blending it again. He recommends using extra virgin olive oil because it gives the best flavor. And when your Napolean is ready to be cut, he advises moreadventurous cooks to insert a long toothpick through it and grill the appetizer on a barbeque. This melts the cheese and brings out more of the tomato flavor.
“Ciabatta” is a type of bread found in most stores that Haeberle uses to make a savory gourmet sandwich. The following recipe serves two.
For dessert, Haeberle taught me how to make the creamiest, richest chocolate mousse I’ve ever tasted. And it’s also the easiest dessert recipe I’ve ever encountered.
