G. Garvin turns up heat at health expo
Celeb chef at America’s Center this weekend
African-American celebrity chef G. Garvin, host of TV One’s original series Turn Up the Heat with G. Garvin, will be in St. Louis this weekend as part of the third annual Get Hooked on Health Expo, held at America’s Center. The hours of the expo are Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
In addition to his television show, Gerry Garvin is the executive chef and co-owner of a self-named Los Angeles restaurant. The Atlanta native grew up in a single-parent family with four sisters and each child had regular chores, including kitchen duty. By age 13 he found work in Vining’s Inn, a posh restaurant nestled in a trendy north Atlanta district. He started washing dishes but soon moved into the kitchen. At 15 he went to work for the Ritz-Carlton as the youngest cook in the downtown Atlanta hotel. He went on to become executive chef at Morton’s, a famous West Hollywood eatery, and at just 23-years-old was sous chef at the Ritz-Carlton Palm Springs.
Garvin is the author of a cookbook named after his show. (He prides himself for being the chef “who keeps it super simple”; since his restaurant is named after himself and his book is named after his show, it’s hard to argue with this description.) These recipes are lifted from his book, which was published in 2006 by Meredith Books.
ROASTED SHORT RIBS
2 lbs Boneless beef short ribs
1 Tablespoon kosher salt
1 Tablespoon garlic salt
1 Tablespoon onion powder
1 Tablespoon seasoned salt
1 Tablespoon finely ground black pepper
1 Cup all -purpose flour
¼ Cup + dash olive oil
2 Large Onion
¼ Cup chopped garlic
¼ Cup chopped shallot
3 Spring rosemary
2 Cups white wine
2 Cups chicken stock
1 Cup water
Goat cheese potatoes
String Beans
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Trim fat from short ribs and rinse ribs with cool water. Season ribs with kosher salt, garlic salt, onion powder, seasoned salt, and pepper. Pat the seasonings in so they stick to the ribs. Set aside. Place flour on a large plate; set aside
2. In a large roasting pan heat ¼ cup of the olive oil over medium heat. Dip both sides of a short rib into the flour. Place rib in hot pan. Repeat until all ribs are floured and are in pan. Cook until ribs are golden and turn ribs over.
3. Add the onion, garlic, and shallot to the pan and mix well. Add the rosemary and a dash of olive oil: mix well again. Add white wine, chicken stock, and water. Bring to a simmer.
4. Place a piece of foil over the roasting pan. Place pan in the oven and roast for 1 ½ to 2 hours until ribs are tender, adding more liquid as needed.
5. To serve, place goat cheese potatoes on a serving plate. Top with ribs. Arrange string beans around side of the plate. Spoon pan gravy over ribs and potatoes.
MASHED SWEET POTATO
3 Medium sweet potato
¼ Cup of milk
¼ Cup of heavy cream
2 Tablespoons unsalted brown sugar
1 Tablespoon packed brown sugar
Pinch ground cinnamon
Pinch ground nutmeg
Pinch salt
In a pot of boiling water cook sweet potatoes with their skins on until tender. Cook and peel. Dice sweet potatoes and place in a saucepan. Add milk, cream, butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Heat through, stirring frequently. Mash to desired consistency.
7 UP CAKE
3 Cups sugar
1 ½ Cups (3sticks butter), softened
5 Eggs
3 ¼ Cups all-purpose flour
¾ 7-UP
1 Tablespoon lemon extract
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
½ Cup plain yogurt
1. Make sure all ingredients are at the room temperature. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. In a large mixing bowl cream together sugar and butter. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Mix in flour and 7-UP, ¼ cup at a time, until well blended. Stir in lemon extract and vanilla. Fold in yogurt. Turn batter into a greased and floured 10-inch fluted tube pan or a 9×5-inch loaf pan.
3. Bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean
The health expo will offer information on diet and fitness, with an emphasis on the fun and enjoyment of staying fit and eating right. Activities will include rock climbing, a walk-through model of the human body, cooking demonstrations, health screenings and a NASCAR simulator.
The Get Hooked on Health Expo is free to the public. Visit www.gethookedonhealth.com.
