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Hi everyone! I’m back in New York this week for the launch of my new show, “Disney’s What’s Cooking with Cat Cora”,- which debuts on the Disney Travel on Demand Channel the week of March 9th. Viewers with Cablevision and Time Warner Cable can check out the show as soon as it launches! I’e always been a huge fan of Disney, so exploring the Parks and informing families about the culinary gems that exist, in addition to sharing ideas for spicing up routine family dinners with some healthy new recipes is a dream come true for me.
You can find a preview of the show on Disney’s website:

Hey everyone!
Please check your local listings to be sure to tune in for the Insider/ET segment airing this Saturday night, January 26th at 6:30 pm PST on KCBS/TV! You can see the highlights of the fantastic dinner I prepared as the Executive Chef of the Bon Appetit Supper Club honoring Paris Hilton’s “Hottie and the Nottie” Film Premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, 2008!

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces
4 large egg yolks
3 tablespoons water
1 cup whole milk
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2/3 cup apricot jelly or jam
3 kiwis, peeled, thinly sliced
1 ripe mango, pitted, peeled, thinly sliced
1/4 fresh pineapple, peeled, cored thinly sliced
10 each blackberries
10 each raspberries
10 each strawberries. thinly sliced

Mix flour, sugar, and salt in processor. Add butter and cut in using on/off turns until mixture resembles coarse meal. Whisk 1 yolk and water in small bowl to blend. Add to processor by tablespoonful and process until moist clumps form. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate 1 hour.

Pour milk into heavy medium saucepan. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Bring to simmer. Remove from heat. Bring to simmer. Whisk 3 yolks, sugar and cornstarch in medium bowl until well blended. Gradually whisk in hot milk. Return mixture to same saucepan. Whisk over medium heat until mixture thickens and comes to boil. Boil 1 minute. Pour pastry cream into clean bowl. Press plastic onto surface and refrigerate until well chilled, about 4 hours.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to 14 inch round. Transfer to 11inch round tart pan with removable bottom. Line crust with foil, parchment or coffee filters; fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake until sides of crust are set, about 15 minutes. Remove foil and beans. Bake until crust is golden, piercing with fork if bubbles form. Transfer pan to rack and cool completely.
Add preserves to heavy small saucepan. Stir over low heat until preserves melt. Transfer to processor; puree until smooth. Brush half of syrup over bottom of crust. Spread pastry cream evenly over. Arrange fruit over pastry cream. Rewarm preserve mixture. Brush over fruit.

2 cups, salt roasted-beets, about 2 beets (can substitute golden or chioga), see below

½ cup roughly chopped pistachios (can substitute almonds or hazelnuts)

2 yellow endive

4 cups arugala

½ cup shaved parmesan

Vinaigrette

½ cup white wine vinegar (can substitute white balsamic or champagne)

1 ¼ cups light pure olive oil

1 minced, medium shallot

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme

1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus additional 1/2 teaspoon in toss

¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper, plus additional 1/2 teaspoon in toss

Pinch of sugar

Place washed, but not trimmed or peeled beets on top of 1 cup salt on a baking sheet, and roast in a 350°F oven for 1 ½ hours, or until fork-tender.  Let cool.  Wearing gloves or holding with a piece of plastic wrap, cut off stems, and peel.  Cut each beet in half, cut in ½ inch slices, then medium dice by cutting in the opposite direction.

Toast nuts in a 400°F oven for 15 minutes, tossing once.

Combine all of the vinaigrette ingredients, mixing well, adding nuts when cool.

Trim the end of the endive, cut in half, separating the leaves for each half, but reforming each as ½ a head of endive.  For each salad, place ½ cup beets, 1 cup arugala, an ½ endive on a plate.  For each salad begin with 1/3 cup vinaigrette, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl.  Toss each of the three components, separately in the vinaigrette, making sure to toss the beets last.

Top with 1/8 cup of shaved parmesan.

Repeat for remaining three salads.  Serve immediately.

Reserve left-over dressing.

Serves 4