The Farms' Chef Jackie says hello
with heat-beating watermelon gazpacho

Editor's note: GrossePointeToday.com is happy to introduce Jackie Anderer's new column on cooking and food.

Hello. My employers call me Chef Jackie, and I have some ideas about healthy eating I look forward to sharing. I live in the Farms and have been a professional, personal chef for more than seven years. I cooked for my family and friends for a lot longer.

I trained as a professional personal chef at the Culinary Business Academy of Atlanta and am active in the United States Personal Chef Association. I cook for a host of clients in the metro area. My specialty is entertainment cooking, which involves a variety of dinner parties, cooking classes and dinners for two, although my experience as a personal chef allows me to prepare everyday meals for your family.

I believe good cooking has to have three main ingredients – fresh food, a simple twist on preparation and whole lot of love. Combined, these ideas will create a wonderful meal every time.

We live in tumultuous times. I am an advocate of the technological advancements in computers and the Internet or I wouldn’t be able to write this column. However, I am perplexed at what all of this has done to our dinner tables.

What happened? How many American families sit around the dinner table anymore? We’ve lost such a wonderful tradition. Take a look at yourself and your family: How often do you sit around the dinner table enjoying healthily prepared fresh and delicious food, discussing the day’s events and sharing conversation, attention and love? Probably not as often as you may want.

I have nothing against Costco or buying in bulk, but I think the best stuff is found at your local grocery store and not in the aisles, but mostly on the perimeter. That’s where all good recipes should have most of their ingredients – fruit, vegetables, lean meats, dairy.

Think about that five or 10 or even 20 pounds you need to lose. Eating good food and nourishing our bodies is what will make and keep you healthy and thin. Of course exercise is important and we need both to stay healthy. We also need emotional and spiritual health, and that’s where dinner conversation is so important. How we eat our food is just as important as how we prepare it.

This column is designed to help you remember those days and maybe bring them back to your household, even if it’s just once a week. I am a Food Network-aholic. I love to watch new ideas and love to share new recipes, but more important, I love to share old recipes that have been handed down through generations. I love good old-fashioned food using simple, fresh ingredients purchased right here in Grosse Pointe at the local market, the West Park Market or at the Eastern Market so close to us. These recipes are designed to stimulate conversation and appetites. It will nourish your body and soul.

On these hot summer days, try this recipe instead of using tomatoes, they really are not in season yet anyway but watermelon abounds. This is really tasty.

Watermelon Gazpacho

One whole small watermelon, diced small
¼ cup coarse kosher salt
¼ cup red wine vinegar
¼ cup white vinegar
1 medium sweet onion, finely chopped
3 sprigs celery, finely diced
1 large cucumber, finely diced
1 large green pepper, finely diced
2 Tbsp white sugar
1 tsp white pepper
Red pepper flakes to taste
About a cup of water
Crumbled feta cheese

Chop the watermelon into small dice, place in a large bowl or soup pot, add salt and allow to soak at least two hours in the fridge to blend the flavors. Add the vinegars and sugar. Dice all other ingredients and add to watermelon mixture. The salt will bring out the water of the melon but you can add more water at the end if needed. Add the spices, being careful with the red pepper, I would add some and allow to sit overnight before adding more, based on how spicy you like it. When serving sprinkle a little feta cheese on top. If you don’t like feta, you can use sour cream. This dish is best when made the night before serving.

Jackie welcomes comments or questions. You may reach her via email.

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