Chef Natalia Penchaszadeh did a chef demostration at Soulard Market in St Louis, representing the Lucas school house
Here are the recipes!
Citrus Spinach Salad ( 2 servings )
2 lb spinach
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 tablespoon sour cream
1 tablespoon orange marmalade
¼ cup goat cheese
1 Garlic clove
Salt and pepper
¼ cup chopped Nuts
1 tangerine
1 orange
In a bowl place the mayonnaise, sour cream, orange marmalade, salt and pepper
Peel the orange and tangerine and separate into slices.
Add half of the citrus dressing and mix.
To enhance the flavor of the goat cheese peel and chop a garlic clove, add the garlic to the goat cheese. Add salt (goat cheese often come with salt) and pepper. Mix by hand until the consistency is smooth and frothy
Add the spinach, half of the goat cheese and walnuts. Toss, put the salad into the dishes and decorate with the rest of citrus and goat cheese.
Beef Tenderloin and Chimichurri (6 servings )
2 lb tenderloin
1 red onion
2 table spoon of olive oil.
Remove the fat of the tenderloin (using a knife with flexible tip), separate the fillet Mignon and cut into medallions. In a flat surface sprinkle black pepper and roll the medallions, the pepper will stick to the sides; this will help to enhance the flavor without burning the pepper.
In a hot skillet, add oil, cook the medallions on both sides until golden brown. In the same skillet add the onions. Once cooked add salt and top with the onions and the chimichurri
Chimichurri
1 cup of Olive oil
½ cup of Oregano
2 tablespoons of chopped Garlic
2 Tablespoons of chopped Onions
¼ Cup of Vinegar (very important)
¼ white wine
Combine all ingredients in a jar ( glass one is better)
Set for a week in the refrigerator, and it will be ready.
Creamy Polenta
2 cups Polenta
1 ½ cups milk
½ cup extra milk
1 stick Butter
2 cubes bouillon
2 otz. Fresh arugula
In a saucepan add milk, bullion cubes and half butter stick. Boil.
Sprinkle the polenta and mix until the first bubble appears. Turn off the heat and add extra milk and butter. Stir, add the arugula and serve.
Note: The polenta; (instant polenta) cooks in 2 -3 minutes
(traditional) cooks in 20-25 minutes
Salmon and fresh vegetables. ( 4 servings )
1salmon
2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup flour
1/2 olive oil
1 zucchinis
1 eggplant
1 portobello mushroom
1 red pepper
1 green pepper
1 Red onions
Salt pepper
With a knife with flexible edge, remove the salmon skin. Remember to press the skin rather than meat. Cut into portions. Add salt and pepper.
In a flat surface add flour for breading the fish on both sides; this prevents the fish sticking to the skillet, and help to golden brown faster, remember that fish cook quickly.
In a hot skillet add oil and golden brown fish on both sides.
Cut all vegetables. Put them in a bowl, add salt, pepper and 1 / 4 rate oil. In a hot skillet add the vegetables and brown, keep in mind that eggplants will absorb the oil, so we should cook them separately. The veggies go so well in the grill.
Idea for portobellos: In a bowl add soy sauce and chopped garlic, cover and let rest for one hour, then cook them in the grill for about 4 minutes.
Gourmet Bellies
Kids and food tips by Natalia Penchaszadeh for parisconchicos
Translation from Spanish: Automn Romer
As a chef, I was always concerned with cooking for adults, knowing their tastes, and perfecting my presentations down to the smallest detail.
With the birth of my daughters I found through moments without words…sometimes after hours of preparation it became food for thought in five seconds.
Oh fine, we substituted my rosemary-stuffed meat with peach sauce for a plate of plain pasta. Little by little I had to adapt to the likes of these little gourmet bellies and even more to their dislikes. Later the experience showed me that, with a little astuteness, we can improve and enrich the meals our children eat.
Here are some of the ideas that resulted from my experiences
~Serve small portions. This will make sure children are not overwhelmed by a mountain of food on their plate and instead fill them with enthusiasm at the idea of finishing their plate and getting to ask for more. If, on the contrary, the child is one who eats too much, the small portion will serve as a means of instilling limits.
~Drink water with meals. If we avoid juice and milk during meals our children will likely eat more.
~Play with your food. As Paul Auster said “If a child isn’t permitted to enter the world of imagination they will never go so far as to assume the world of reality”
~Use the moment. Children return home from school or daycare very hungry. Use this situation and give them something different. Kids don’t wait when they are hungry.
~Don’t buy food you don’t want your child to eat. It seems obvious but it isn’t. Go in your kitchen and see what you find. Surprising isn’t it?
~Invite friends over for meals. It’s magic, your child’s friends have different preferences, use this to motive your child to try something new.
~Eat Out! Yes the child has the chance to choose and see different options.
~ Less sugar. If we are always giving our kids sugar if becomes difficult to appreciate the natural sweetness of fruit. Instead of sugar filled snacks, try keeping fruit slices in your bag.
~ Eat seated at the table. Creating routines helps children and gives them security. Also enjoy the moment, it is a social one. Try to avoid answering phone calls, watching television or reading the newspaper during meals.
~Nursing your child is the best start. Often our culture, our fear, and our insecurity stop us from giving the best gift we can give our children.
~Offer your child fresh food, made in your home. Meals for young children shouldn’t be processes foods. It is very difficult to stop eating these foods once you have started your doctor can help you with the change!
And you…. What you eat?
St. Louis Eats and Drinks With Joe and Ann Pollack
Joe and Ann Pollack, St. Louis’ most experienced food writers, lead a tour of restaurants, wines, shops and other interesting places. Copyright 2008 Joe Pollack and Ann Lemons Pollack
The Fountain On Locust
Attention nostalgic ice cream lovers: We’ve found the best chocolate ice cream to hit St. Louis since the much-mourned Gold Coast Chocolate. At The Fountain on Locust, they bring their ice cream from Wisconsin, and while there are other flavors that are extremely enjoyable, the Zanzibar Chocolate is absolutely killer.
The Fountain on Locust is only a few months old. It’s two blocks east of Compton, in an old Stutz automobile showroom that’s been turned into an Art Deco festival, complete with murals and, naturally, fountain fixtures. It’s the creation of Joy Grdnic Christensen and Argentina-born Natalia Penchaszadeh. Besides the malts, shakes, ice cream sodas, sundaes and cones, there are sandwiches, salads and soups, if your conscience insists on something to prepare your stomach for dessert.The effect is of a sweet shop for adults, with wildly imaginative ice-cream dishes and cocktails existing side-by-side with items as old-fashioned as phosphates, so that grandparents can show the children what we drank when we were young. Ice cream sodas are delicious, too, and are an area to let an imagination run from plain vanilla to the wildest of flavor combinations.
Penchaszadeh’s kitchen shows the same breezy attitude and wide-ranging imagination. A fountain salad is strips of grilled, herbed chicken breast on lettuce, with apples, dried cherries, a little parmesan and a lemon dressing. The mixed salad sandwich brings out a baguette of garlic bread topped with melting mozzarella and a salad over that, more of a knife-and-fork dish than a pick-up-and-eat sandwich, with pieces of lettuce, tomato, green pepper and artichoke hearts in a basil-laced vinaigrette. And a prosperity panino layered hummus (thick enough that it didn’t ooze out in an unseemly manner) with tomato, onion confit, eggplant and zucchini on a crisply grilled bread. Off a menu of evening specials, a mushroom crostini (shown below) took a generous slice of crusty bread that had been grilled and topped it with lots of sauteed mushrooms, a few strips of roasted red pepper and a nice hit of very mild goat cheese.On the soup front, an old favorite from the days when Jimmy Carter was president, peanut soup, is a regular on the menu. The kitchen sprinkles a little pepper on top, to cut the richness, a good idea; without it, the soup is almost sweet. The other soup is totally new to town, we think. Polish dill pickle soup turns out to be a potato soup laced with shreds of the pickle, its tartness a surprise and a pleasure. Both soups are vegetarian, as are three sandwiches, three salads and both hot focaccias.
We’re deeply amused by the World’s Smallest Hot Fudge Sundae, a wee scoop of vanilla (or any flavor you’d like) topped with the house-made hot fudge and served in what can double as a shot glass. It’s a great idea, and darn tasty, too, perfect for one trying to keep sweets under control.Another dessert is a Pineapple Inside-Out Cake. The cake is baked in a large coffee mug, and the dish arrives towering with whipped cream. Then comes ice cream, usually vanilla, but once we wanted chocolate, and that’s how we found the Zanzibar, and another time, the coconut almond joy, which was wonderful. Yes, the ice cream melts to form a sauce for the sponge cake, which includes a pineapple ring as well as a brown sugar-rum sauce on the bottom. Talk about a treasure hunt, going through the layers of that.
We also couldn’t resist what the menu calls a standing banana split. In a tall glass, almost ice cream soda-size, are chocolate and red raspberry ice creams, topped with raspberry sauce and the house hot fudge, plus, of course, banana spears. While the raspberry is nice, it’s the combo of the chocolate and banana that blows us away, especially, the gooey hot fudge.
www.fountainonlocust.com We look forward to trying egg creams, phosphates, and some of the alcoholic ice cream drinks, like a brandy Alexander, which is one of their more traditional offerings. Some non-ice cream cocktails also are available.
We’ve seen all kinds of folks visiting here, from business types having lunch-the finally-burgeoning Grand Center area is enjoying the Fountain-to post-dinner couples to cops and blue-collar types. (We continue to believe that St. Louis policemen, trained at the Crown Candy Kitchen, don’t do doughnuts, they do ice cream.) The younger ones can even be seen tapping their toes to the music, also decidedly retro. Late in the week, it’s open until midnight, a nice idea after the Fox or Powell Hall, and of course, the soon-to-open Kranzberg Arts Center. Be sure and check out the ladies room, which looks to have been lifted bodily from a small-town movie theater, circa 1940. Service can be spotty sometimes, but it’s improving.
How much fun is an Art Deco ice cream parlor? Plenty, especially if you’re old enough to appreciate the decor and the fact that it also has a liquor license.
The Fountain On Locust
3037 Locust St.
314-535-7800
www.fountainonlocust.com
Lunch until 5 p.m Tues.-Wed., Lunch & Dinner until midnight Thurs.-Sat.
Credit cards: All major
Thank you !!! Joe and Ann Pollack for the review!
Ice cream Martini
First Look - The Fountain on Locust
Could it be this generation’s Crown Candy Kitchen?
By George Mahe
A lot of us have fantasized about opening a restaurant that served only our favorite dishes - a random assortment of foods not bound by any trend, theme or cuisine - but we never had the guts to test such a wacky idea. Joy Grdnic had the same fantasy … and a lot more guts. In a vertiginous frenzy, she transformed the former Stutz auto dealership downtown (remember the Bearcat?) into a caboodle of visual, aural and culinary firsts. How about a “birdseed” salad or one topped with brûléed apple slices? Dill pickle soup? Why not? And then there’s an ice cream soda fountain where you can get “the world’s smallest hot fudge sundae.” And homemade chocolates. And a special tea service and retro alcohol cocktails. Perhaps she assembled this panoply during the months she was perched on a ladder detailing the impressive 360-degree Art Deco “fountain” mural. Another throwback touch: continuous two-minute audio episodes - 400 of them - of “Soap Hospital,” a spillover from Grdnic’s ongoing stint as a radio comedienne. Will all this whimsy be embraced by others? Could it be this generation’s Crown Candy Kitchen? Stay tuned.
3037 Locust, 314-535-7800, fountainonlocust.com. Hours: Tue-Wed 11 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Thu-Sat 11 a.m.-midnight.
In the city’s Midtown area on Locust Street, a new sign hangs on the old Stutz building. What was a place to buy a car in 1916, is now a place to eat, called “The Fountain On Locust”.
It took Joy Grdnic two years to create the old-fashioned soda fountain she envisioned. She did most of the work with her own hands, including painting the art deco-inspired murals. Chef Natalia Penchaszadeh is in charge of everything edible.
The menu includes wonderful ice cream creations and food. So you can indulge in sweets, the menu includes plenty of light and healthy food choices. You’ll also find some unusual options like peanut soup and pickle soup. Also a hit, as strange as it looks, the flower tea. The flower is immersed in hot water that comes out of a Chinese teapot with an extra long spout.
Joy’s other passion, radio comedy commentary, inspired speakers in a few booths, so customers can listen to “Soap Hospital”. Even the restrooms are something to see! Fortunately for those of us watching our waistline, they serve the world’s smallest hot fudge sundae.
No longer automobile row, this new business owner is hoping Locust in Midtown is now a destination for people in search of good food and ice cream. You’ll find “The Fountain On Locust at 3037 Locust Street. It’s open Tuesday through Saturday. The phone number is 314-535-7800. You can also check out the website, www.fountainonlocust.com.
6 lb (3 Kg) Oranges
1 Gallon(3.8 Lt) Water
8 lb ( 4 Kg) White Sugar
If you like sweet, you will love this Orangettes recipe! Mostly since you can make them with the orange peels that you would otherwise trash. They are so delicate and delicious that you will soon be eating oranges just as an excuse to get enough orange zest to fulfill your Orangettes needs.
Cut the orange in four pieces and with your hands peel it taking the peel from one of the points making sure to take it together with the white part.
Soak the peels in water at room temperature for at least 3 days (in a big container) exchanging the water daily. Cut the orange peel pieces lengthwise, of about a quarter of an inch wide.
Dip the peels in boiling water for 2 minutes (use a drainer or similar tool) and move into cold water. Repeat this process three times.
Make a syrup using 1 Gallon water and 4 lb of sugar
Place in a thick simmering syrup for 4 hours, let them cool down and place in a cardboard box alternating layers of sugar with layers of peels. Keep them in the box for a week (if you can refrain the temptation of eating them earlier), remove the sugar and they are ready to go!
Natalia’s Way cuisine is now at The Fountain On Locust joining Joy Grdnic St Louis restaurant project.Try our healthy and tasty meals, Wisconsin ice cream, desserts and more.
Walk in to a Woman’s work of art.
We are pleased to open a place offering home-made products with the balance you need, flavorful and tasty.
www.fountainonlocust.com
Sauce Magazine February 2008….
Brandy Alexander, anyone?
With the art deco murals complete and chef Natalia Penchaszadeh in place, Joy Grdnic Christensen is set to make a splash on the local restaurant scene by opening The Fountain on Locust on Feb. 19. Penchaszadeh will oversee a light menu of “simple, healthy, made-from-scratch food,” Christensen said - think soups, salads and sandwiches, though premium ice cream will also star in desserts and retro cocktails.
Ladue news
Spicy Bits: February 22, 2008
Team a radio comedienne with an Argentinian chef and you get the unique business duo that recently opened The Fountain on Locust, an art deco soda fountain located at 3037 Locust St. Joy Grdnic is heard daily on more than 100 stations, but only in her ice cream shop can you tune into Soap Hospital, a booth broadcast serial about Dr. John and Nurse Jennifer. In the kitchen, Natalia Penchaszadeh makes Polish pickle soup, prosperity paninis and profiteroles. They serve Cedar Crest ice cream shipped in from Manitowoc, Wisc. , and special chocolate and ice cream martinis.
STL Free For All - Blog- February 2008
…And while you’re in that part of town, check out the new ice cream shop, The Fountain on Locust. It’s a ways east of Grand in a beautiful rehab of an auto showroom, complete with huge art-deco wall murals that the owner, Joy Grdnic Christensen, painted herself. Lots for kids to look at while they chow down on the many flavors of Wisconsin ice cream - including M.’s new favorite, orange sherbet, as well as zanzibar chocolate, black cherry, coconut almond joy, Irish coffee and others. But the best menu item, as far as I’m concerned, is the Maxwell: hot raspberries over champagne sorbet with a whipped cream garnish. During the six years my husband and I lived in Germany, hot raspberries over vanilla ice cream became one of our all-time favorite treats, and I have to say this version, with the delicately pink sorbet, was excellent. There’s a decided European twist to the food menu, too, like the signature Polish dill pickle soup.
Because this is an ice cream shop, after all, it’d be easy to write off the menu’s claim of offering healthy food as insincere - but the soups, salads and sandwiches really do seem well thought out, especially the vegetarian offerings. One more note on the food: The chocolates that fill a small display case in the lovely wood counter are made in-house. However, because my sundae was huge, I can’t vouch for the kitchen’s execution of anything but the ice cream treats.
Intro About the Fountain
The Fountain on Locust is located at 3037 Locust Street’s Historic AUTOMOTIVE ROW! Way back when
America’s fascination with cars began, the top car manufacturers of
the day brought their shiny new inventions here, to Automotive Row, to
show off and sell. In fact, when St. Louis families first began
buying cars, they had to come here, to Automotive Row, to browse and
buy. This very building was the sales and showroom for St. Louis
buyers who sought status, comfort and luxury in a car. Where you’re
sitting right now was once the showroom for the STUTZ BLACKHAWK and
the SUTZ BEARCAT, both considered top of the line, high performance
sports sedans of the time. You would be able to see and admire these
cars proudly on display, and if you wanted to buy, one was made for
you to order - each one, custom built. Across the street you could
buy a Nash, a Franklin, a Cord, or a Maxwell. Down the street you
could find a Stearns-Knight, a Cadillac, a Ford, an Auburn, a
Locomobile or a Velie.
This building was constructed in 1916 for the Supreme Car Company. By
1920, Locust Street and Washington Ave. and Olive Blvd. for several
blocks east and west, were lined with car dealers and other automotive
related businesses. But only here, on Locust, on Automotive Row, was
EVERY building devoted to the car industry, except one a block west,
that was a sole residence.
Joy Grdnic Christensen worked on the interior of The Fountain On
Locust for over two years, researching, designing, creating the
pendant lampshades and hand painting the wall murals to stay true to
the historic integrity of the building, the era and the feel of an art
deco ice cream soda fountain. We want every visit you make to be an
experience like no other, like The Fountain On Locust itself! Be sure
to sit in the west side booths on one of your visits to listen to the
only Restaurant Radio Comedy serial, “Soap Hospital” playing
continuously with a new episode every two minutes!
And just like the care that went into each custom built Stutz, we
create our own hand-crafted chocolates, ice cream sauces and delicious
made-from-scratch foods. Chef Natalia Penchaszadeh brings her special
touch to wholesome, healthy and unique recipes!
Our entire staff shares the desire to serve you the highest quality
food, drinks and dining experience. In fact, the greatest compliment
to us is when you return with a friend. Whether you’re here for lunch
or dinner, business or romance, be sure to try our retro cocktails;
and always leave room for a special “Fountain” ice cream.
This sauce is a very popular one for Beef although I also love it on grilled chicken. But probably the best combination is Patagonian Lamb with chimichurri. Whenever people get together to enjoy an “asado” (barbacue) having the chimichurri sauce is a must. The picture shows a “Corderito Patagonico” cooked for 3 hours by placing it at about 4 feet from a rather big bonfire. The lamb was brushed with chimichurri at least every 10 minutes. This one was made in San Carlos de Bariloche in the northwest of the Argentinean Patagonia. Although originally found only in the rural areas, now you can get Patagonian Lamb in many restaurants in Buenos Aires. Every household has it’s own chimichurri recipe but this is the best I ever had and probably one of the most simple ones.
1 Cup of Olive oil
½ Cup of Oregano
2 Tablespoons of chopped Garlic
2 Tablespoons of chopped Onions
¼ Cup of Vinegar (very important)
Combine all ingredients in a jar ( a glass one is better)
Set for a week in the refrigerator, and it will be ready.
This is a wonderful dish for winter time, it’s the Argentinian recipe for the Shepperds (or Shepherds) pie also called Poor Mans Pie. It is simply a beef and potato layered “cake”, it is easy to make and as good as simple.
Here are the meat layer ingredients
1 Chopped Yellow Onion
1 Chopped Red Pepper
1 lb Ground Beef
2 Tablespoons of Chopped Garlic
2 Tablespoon of Olive Oil
1/4 Tablespoon of Paprika
1/4 Cup of Red Wine
1 Teaspoon of Cumin
1 Tablespoon of Chopped Parsley
1/4 Cup of Raisins
2 Hard Boiled Eggs
Salt & Pepper
For the mashed potato layer
2 lb of Potatoes
1/4 Hot Milk or Cream
3 Tablespoons of Butter
Salt & Pepper
In a hot saucepan add the the oil, then the onions & red pepper, cook for 1 minute, and add the ground meat. Stir until the meat is cooked, add the wine, and wait until the alcohol evaporates. Add salt, black pepper, cumin, and paprika. Cover and let cook for 10 minutes. Add the parsley, the garlic and set aside until cold.
Add the raisins and the eggs (cut in little pieces). Set aside.
Bring water to a boiling point in a big casserole, peel the potatoes and put them in the boiling water. Let cook until soft (poke the potatoes with a fork, they have to be tender), do not overcook them because they absorb to much water and your mashed potatoes will be watery and tasteless.
Secret: if you add a tablespoon of vinegar the potatoes will not absorb so much water.
To prepare good mashed potatoes is relatively easy. Just remember; do not over cook the potatoes~ and use a good mashing potatoes tool.
Secret II: Never use a food processor for potatoes, if you do it ; the starch structure from the potatoes will brake and your mashed potatoes will become gummy and liquid and you do not want that.
secret III: Drain all the water
secret IV: The potatoes must be hot to be mashed and add 1/4 of hot milk or cream and 3 tablespoons of butter before mashing.
Turn the oven to 350F -180C
Place the cooked beef mix in an oven proof glass or ceramic wear (oil sprayed), add the mashed potatoes on top, prepare an egg wash (one egg yolk plus 1 tablespoon of water),
brush the mashed potatoes top, put in the oven for 30 minutes or until gold.
You can add chopped green olives to the beef mix, they match perfectly.