We’ve been feeding America’s workforce for 25 years. As we’ve been celebrating our 25th Anniversary, we want to pay homage to our culinarians, who have always driven our mission forward with their passion and excellence. Please enjoy the below recipes; may they infuse a little bit of Eurest magic into your kitchens at home.
Irish Bundt Cake
Recipe by Mary Beth Toewe, People & Communication Manager
“During my days at Newport Food Service, every St. Patrick’s Day my team and I would prepare dozens of these cakes and ship them to the surrounding accounts. This recipe was adopted when Newport was acquired by Eurest and is still enjoyed in many marketplaces today.”
Yield: 16 portions
Ingredients:
For the cake:
- 1 (15.25 oz.) yellow cake mix
- 1 (3.4 oz.) box instant vanilla pudding
- 4 large eggs
- 4 oz. vegetable oil
- 4 oz. milk (2% or better)
- 8 oz. Jameson Irish whiskey
- 8 oz. chopped walnuts
For the drizzle:
- 1/4 lb. butter
- 4 oz. Jameson Irish whiskey
- 8 oz. sugar
Instructions
- Prepare a full-size bundt pan with butter and flour or baking spray. Pre-heat oven to 350 F.
- Combine all of the ingredients for the cake. Mix well in stand mixer.
- Pour into prepared bundt pan.
- Bake at 350 F for up to one hour. Test at 45 minutes. Cake should be puling away from the side of the pan.
- While the cake is baking, make the drizzle.
- Combine butter, whiskey, and sugar in a saucepan. Heat on medium heat until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved.
- Bring to a slow boil then reduce heat and simmer on low for 15 minutes. Take care that liquid does not boil over.
- When cake is done, let sit in pan for 10 minutes, then slowly pour drizzle onto the top of the cake while it is in the pan until soaked in. Let sit for 15 minutes to absorb the drizzle.
- Invert cake onto a plate and let cool thoroughly. These cakes freeze well if wrapped tightly in saran wrap.
- Cut into 12 – 16 slices and serve.
Greatest Challah Ever
Recipe by Eric Berger, Chef Manager
“I express myself through food. I put my heart into everything I make, bringing creativity, passion and fun to the kitchen.”
Yield: 2 loaves
Ingredients:
For dough:
- 1 packet or 2 1/2 tsp yeast
- 1 cup very warm water
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup sugar (a little less than)
- 1/4 cup oil
- 1/2 Tbsp salt
- 2-3 cups bread flour
For brushing:
- 1 egg
- 1 Tbsp sugar
Optional:
- 2 Tbsp honey
Instructions:
- In a large bowl, mix the yeast, warm water, and sugar. Let sit 10 minutes as the yeast bubbles.
- After the 10 minutes is up, add the egg, oil, and salt and mix. Slowly add flour to the mixture and continue to mix.
- Slowly add two cups of flour to the mixture and continue to mix. Add the additional flour until it becomes smooth and pliable and not too sticky. If it feels sticky, add more flour.
- Once the desired consistency is reached, cover the dough with a cloth and let rise for two hours until the dough is twice its original size.
- After the dough has risen, preheat oven to 350 F. Punch dough down, place on floured counter top, and divide into two pieces.
- Roll into a long tube and cut into three pieces for braiding or use the single long coil for round challah.
- After braiding or coiling, let the loaves rise for an additional 30 minutes. Brush challah with a mixture of beaten egg and sugar and bake in pre-heated 350 F oven for around 30 minutes.
Chef’s note: For sweet challah, drizzle honey on it 15 minutes into baking.
Cherry Almond Biscotti
Recipe by John Grubb, Catering Director
“Food inspires my creativity. I think it is my responsibility as a chef to elevate the flavors of the ingredients I am using and to show respect to those ingredients. To me, a successful dish should always be more than the sum of its parts.”
Yield: 12 each, serving size 2
Ingredients:
- 4 oz. unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 3/4 dried cherries
- 3 Tbsp demerara sugar
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 325 F.
Cut butter into small pieces and place in the mixer with the paddle attachment.
Beat the butter until smooth and creamy. Add the sugar and cream for a few minutes. Add cinnamon, baking powder, salt, and eggs and beat until combined.
Add the flour, almonds, and cherries, and mix on low speed until combined. Wet hands and transfer the dough to a parchment lined baking sheet.
Form the dough into a log shape and sprinkle demerara sugar on top. Place in the middle rack of the preheated oven.
Bake for 25 minutes, and remove from the oven. Gently transfer the log to a cutting board and cut to the desired
thickness. Place the cookies back on the tray and return to the oven for 10 minutes. Cool completely before placing in an airtight container.
White Chocolate Peppermint Martini
Recipe by James Gushue, Director of Dining Services
“I enjoy the creativity in gathering ingredients and putting them all together to create something delicious. By choosing great ingredients and timing my meal preparation well, I can deliver a spectacular experience.
Yield: 1
Ingredients:
- 4 peppermind candy canes
- 3 Tbsp simple syrup
- 4 oz. chocolate liquor
- 3 oz. vanilla vodka
- 2 oz. half and half
- 1/4 tsp peppermint extract
To serve: 10 oz. martini glass
Instructions:
- Place candy canes or peppermint candies in a Ziploc bag and crush with a rolling pin or heavy skillet.
- Dip chilled rim of martini glass in simple syrup and coat with crushed candy canes.
- Fill cocktail shaker two thirds full with ice.
- Add chocolate liquor, vanilla vodka, half and half, and peppermint extract. Shake until well mixed and chilled.
- Strain into martini glass. Garnish with a candy cane and serve immediately.
Bubble Tea
Recipe by Marcia Bass, General Manager
“To me, food is love and cooking is an exercise in joy. I was raised to share love by gathering around the table with family and friends to enjoy a meal or spending time in the kitchen preparing one together.”
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients:
- 8 each jasmine green tea bags (or black tea)
- 32 oz. hot water
- ¾ cup cooked boba (black tapioca pearls)
- 3 Tbsp lemon juice or 3 Tbsp your favorite fruit puree
- 4 Tbsp honey or agave
Instructions:
- Steep tea bags with four cups of boiled water. After five minutes, remove tea bags and allow to cool. Add agave or honey to taste. Add the juice of one whole lemon (or a few tablespoons of your favorite fruit puree).
- Bring four cups of water to boil and add the boba (tapioca pearls), stir well, and wait for them to float to the top. Cook for five minutes more. Test a pearl to see if they they have reached the desired level of chewy softness. Cook for a few minutes more if they are still tough.
- Use a slotted spoon to remove the pearls from the hot water and quickly rinse with cold water. Transfer the pearls to a small bowl and toss with a few more tablespoons of honey or agave.
- Divide the pearls into four tall glasses. Add ice to the top and pour the cooled tea over the ice.
- Serve with a wide straw so you can get those chewy pearls with each sip!
Maryland Crab Cakes
Recipe by Chris Ivens-Brown, Eurest Chief Culinary Officer
“Eurest Food Philosophy: Food First, Keep it Fresh, Keep it Simple, Less is Better.”
Yield: 10, 4 oz. crab cakes
Ingredients:
- 2.5 pounds picked jumbo lump crab
- 2.5 eggs
- 6 slices white bread
- 2.5 tsp Coleman’s dry mustard
- 1 tsp whole grain mustard
- 1/2 cup Hellman’s mayonnaise
- 1/8 cup chopped parsley
- 1/2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp Tobasco sauce
- 1 3/4 cups breadcrumbs
- 1/2 pinch cinnamon
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Lemon oil to saute
- Olive oil to saute
- Unsalted butter to saute
Instructions:
- Trim crust from bread and cube into 1/2 inch cubes.
- Flake the crab meat, checking for bones. Combine mustards, mayonnaise, Worcestershire, Tobasco, eggs and parsley.
- Add crab, bread, and mayonnaise mix and check the seasoning.
- Mold into patties 1″ thick and 4 oz. in weight. Do not over press, leave as loose as possible.
- Pan fry in oil and butter until golden brown.
Chef’s notes: Use Dungeness, Jumbo lump king crab or snow crab from hte US. Avoid any imported crab.