My Dinner with Chef George

Apple-Strawberry Sangria

Regular readers to this blog will remember that yours truly was the Grand Prize winner of the FoodBuzz/ConAgra Super Bowl promotion last January. After creating an appetizer that we called Southwest Super Bowl Baskets, our entry was chosen as the winner! The prize was a dinner cooked for us and 10 friends by Chef George Duran (Hunt's Tomato Sauce spokesperson and host of TLC's Ultimate Cake Off). And what a feast it was!

"Volunteer" Prep Chefs

After months of planning and countless e-mails, Chef George delivered the menu and shopping list. Since it was summer, we wanted an outdoor, grill-centric party. 


Chef George arrived promptly at noon, and soon after, our "volunteer" prep chefs joined us.  He immediately put everybody to work - chopping, peeling, mixing, eating, drinking, and laughing. 

Tomato Basil Bruschetta

Ready to go when the guests arrived were platters of Tomato Basil Bruschetta, Mushroom Goat Cheese Bruschetta, and Apple Strawberry Sangria.

Mushroom Goat Cheese Bruschetta

For dinner, we enjoyed Short Rib Kebabs, Grilled Jumbo Shrimp with Pineapple, Spicy Grilled Broccolini, Guasacaca Sauce (a Venezuelan specialty), and for dessert, Grilled Peaches with Honey-Mascarpone Sauce.  Is your mouth watering yet?! Most of these fabulous recipes are in George's cookbook, "Taste this Dish and Twist It."

Shrimp on the Grill

Short Rib Kebabs Ready for the Grill

What a treat it was to have a professional chef in our kitchen! Chef George was an absolute pleasure. Not at all stuffy or uptight, as you might imagine a pro chef being when confronted with a team of "civilian" chefs. Besides being a fun day, we learned alot from him. It was a terrific day - delicious food and fabulous friends, what more could one ask for?!

Chef George 

Grilled Peaches with Honey-Mascarpone Sauce

I can't thank Chef George, the people at FoodBuzz and ConAgra enough for this special day!  But most of all, thank you to our friends for sharing this culinary feast with us!