For those who missed the cooking class

When renown cookbook authors Scarbrough and Weintstein were here at Sotto Sopra for a cooking demonstration, we were sold out. So I just got a note about their demo on air in San Francisco. There is a very funny line...listen for it.

Bruce Weinstein & Mark Scarbrough - On Air

Many of you missed out on the cooking class at Sotto Sopra with the Ultimate Cookbook boys, promoting their new cookbook - Cooking Know-How. They were on air on WBAL Radio last Friday. Here is a video

Vending machine that makes pizza

Breaking News - in the next couple weeks a vending machine that will make and bake a pizza for you will be hitting the streets of Italy.

4 minutes - really?

How to Cook Branzino

This is an excellent video that shows you how to cook branzino in parchment. Enjoy.

How To Break Down A Chicken

Sotto Sopra's Executive Chef, Bill Crouse teaches high school culinary students how to break down a chicken in record time. Time is always of the essence in any restaurant kitchen.

Chef Crouse is working with the Carver Center for Arts and Technology culinary students developing recipes they will prepare for their Spring Fair Culinary Walk About. More to come in a future post. We hope you enjoy the video...it goes quickly.

Artichoke Pie Recipe

Chef Crouse's Lentil & Sausage Soup

I created this recipe for our January 08 Opera Night Dinner and also demonstrated in on Channel 45. I've put up the video that we took, as in all things related to batteries, they went dead before we finished...we still thought you might enjoy this. It was my first time on television - let me know what you think......Chef Bill Crouse

Sotto Sopra's Sausage and Lentil Soup

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion -- chopped
2 cloves garlic -- chopped
1 large or two small carrots -- chopped
2 links Sweet Italian Sausage (meat or turkey) -removed from casings
1 quart chicken stock (homemade or canned low sodium)
fresh thyme
1 cup brown lentils -- rinsed
1 cup Swiss chard -- coarsely chopped
chopped tomato

Heat a large pot with the oil. Add the onion garlic and carrots and sweat them until the natural sugars come out.

Add the sausage and brown with the vegetables.

Add the chicken stock and fresh thyme and bring to a boil.

Add the lentils and reduce the soup to a simmer, covered and cook for 40 minutes.

Add the Swiss Chard or Spinach

Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper

Plate the soup and top with chopped tomato

Notes: Depending how thick or thin you want the soup to be you can add another pint of chicken stock. Never cook lentils with tomatoes, the acid will make the lentils tough.

Venetian Cicchetteria

Find more videos like this on www.truveo.com.

Grilled Peaches with Arugula, Prosciutto and Parmigiano Reggiano

Okay, so I'm not cut out to be an Iron Chef but I thought you would like this cooking video-the recipe is simple and perfect for summer. If you can get white peaches they are sweeter than the yellow and a bit larger. You can do this outdoors or on a stove top grill. Just section the peach, sear it and the put it on a plate with Prosciutto di Parma, shaved Parmigiano Reggiano cheese topped with baby arugula or roll up the arugula in the prosciutto, top with the cheese surrounded by peaches. Make a quick dressing with some quality extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper.

My public relations lady was playing with her little Kodak digital and was able to do this video, she needs practice. The photograph is her version of the salad.