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In the Kitchen:
Jack Witherspoon
summer
2012
maskmatters.org
85
To have your favorite recipes considered for MASK’s “Meals
That Matter” cookbook, e-mail info@maskmatters.org for information.
F
or many young people, discovering what you
want to be when “you grow up” comes much
later in life. But for Jack Witherspoon, he’s
already found his calling.
At 11 years old, Jack is a “seasoned” chef. Five
years ago, at the age of 6, he taught himself to cook
while undergoing treatment for leukemia. Bored
with cartoons, he started watching cooking shows
and soon began developing his own recipes.
It didn’t take long for Jack to realize this is what
he wanted to do for the rest of his life. So, with the
support of his parents, he helped develop a cooking
demonstration called “Cooking Up Dreams,” which
benefitted pediatric leukemia research at Miller
Children’s Hospital in Long Beach, Calif.
Since then, Jack has appeared on a number of
TV shows, including “The Tonight Show with Jay
Leno,” and has caught the attention of celebrity chefs Bobby Flay and
Paula Deen. Most recently, he released his first cookbook, “Twist it Up.”
With cooking playing such an important role in Jack’s recovery from
leukemia, he understands the importance of eating together as a family.
“Sharing a good meal together with family is a great comfort to me
and it makes me feel loved,” he says.
Old-FashiOned apple pie
serves 8
3-1/2 lbs. (about 8 cups) Gravenstein, Pippin, or Granny
Smith apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1-1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1 package (two 9-inch rounds) store-bought piecrust at
room temperature
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 tsp. water
1 tbsp. granulated sugar
u
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and position a rack on the
middle shelf of the oven. In a large bowl, combine the apples,
lemon juice, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and ginger. stir to
blend well, then set aside. unroll the piecrusts and place one in
a 9-inch glass pie plate. Press the crust firmly against the sides
and bottom, then trim the bottom crust even with the edge of
the pie plate. Pour in the apple filling and dot the top with the
butter. Lay the second crust on top of the mixture. Trim the top
crust to a 1-inch overhang and fold the edges under the edges
of the bottom crust. using your forefingers and thumbs, crimp
the crust to make a scalloped edge. Brush the top lightly with the
water and sprinkle with the granulated sugar. With a small knife,
cut 4 slits in the center of the top crust in a circular pattern. To
prevent the rim from browning, wrap it with a 2- to 3-inch-wide
strip of aluminum foil. Place the pie on a rimmed baking sheet on
the middle rack of the oven. Bake for 30 minutes. remove the foil
and bake for 20 to 30 minutes longer, or until the apples are fork-
tender. Let cool on a rack.
TwisT iT Up:
For a
treat that’s hard to
beat, top off this warm
pie with some vanilla
ice cream. The only
thing that makes it
taste better is having
friends and family to
share it with.
At his home in Redondo Beach, Calif.,
where he lives with his parents and brother, Jack
says dinnertime is the event of the day. And
when it comes to preparing meals together, the
Witherspoons make it a family affair.
“During the week, I try to help out in the
kitchen as much as I can, but it kind of depends
on how much homework I have,” says Jack.
“The weekends are more relaxing, though, and
everyone gets involved. When the weather is nice,
my dad barbecues and he is awesome at it! I like
to help with seasoning and flipping the meat,
especially ribs, which are my favorite.”
Looking back at special memories of meals
shared with his family, Jack remembers last
Thanksgiving, after he had been in the hospital for
most of the summer.
“When I got home at the end of September, I was still feeling pretty
tired. By November, I was getting my energy back and by Thanksgiving,
I had gotten my appetite back enough to really enjoy the meal,” he recalls.
“I appreciated being able to be with my family again. I never
knew how much the normal, everyday things in life are what
really make you happy.”
84
maskmatters.org
sUMMER
2012
meals that
matter
empower
PhotogRaPhy & RECIPEs
© Jack Witherspoon from the book “Twist it Up”, reprinted by permission from Chronicle Books
Jack’s stuffed MushrooMs
serves 10
1 lb. cremini mushrooms
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
7 cloves garlic, minced
1 large shallot, minced
3/4 cup shredded
3/4 cup freshly grated
mozzarella cheese
Parmesan cheese, plus
1/4 cup minced fresh flat-leaf
1 tbsp. for garnish
parsley, plus 1 tbsp. for garnish
1/4 cup dried breadcrumbs
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
u
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Remove the stems from
the mushrooms, set the caps aside, and finely chop the stems. In
a large skillet, melt the butter with the olive oil over medium heat.
add the shallot, chopped mushroom stems, and garlic and sauté
until tender, about 5 minutes. In a large bowl, combine the 3/4
cup Parmesan, mozzarella, breadcrumbs, 1/4 cup parsley, salt and
cooked mushroom mixture. stir well with a fork. Using your hands
or a small spoon, put about 1 tablespoon of the mixture into each
mushroom cap. Place the stuffed mushroom caps on an
ungreased baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes, or until
the cheese has melted and the filling is lightly browned. sprinkle on
the remaining Parmesan cheese and parsley. serve warm.
Makes about 35 stuffed mushrooms.
The
Delicious
Dish
easy chicken
& Pesto Pizza
serves 4
1 12-inch pizza crust,
such as Boboli
1 cup pesto sauce, store-
bought or homemade
1 cup shredded
cooked chicken
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 Roma tomato, seeded
and chopped
2-1/2 cups shredded
mozzarella cheese
2 tbsp. chopped fresh
flat-leaf parsley
u
Preheat the oven to 375
degrees. Place the pizza crust
on a large baking sheet. With
a spatula, spread the pesto
sauce evenly on the crust,
then top with the chicken,
onion, tomato, and cheese.
sprinkle with the parsley.
Bake until golden and bubbly
on top, 15 to 18 minutes. Cut
into 8 wedges and serve hot.
TwisT iT Up:
the best thing about making stuffed
mushrooms is that you can add your favorite flavors
to the mix. try using 1/3 cup minced fresh spinach
instead of the parsley and subbing feta for the
Parmesan cheese.