10 minute read
Brandie’s Georgia Roots
Executive Chef Brandie Lamb enjoys creating intriguing seasonal menus, with everything from cocktails to desserts.
Inspired by her Southern upbringing, Executive Chef Brandie Lamb tends to her lovable animals and freshly grown vegetables from her own slice of heaven in central Tennessee.
Georgia native Brandie Lamb,
an executive chef with Tisdel Distributing, the exclusive distributor of Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Cove in the Midwest and Mid-South, has been as busy this year on her Tennessee farm as she has been in the kitchen. “I was living on a property closer to Nashville when I ended up purchasing an old log cabin on 22 acres in Columbia,” says Lamb. “And it has been an exciting process so far getting it up and running.” An avowed animal lover, Lamb, has a veritable menagerie of goats and sheep ready to move onto her property once she finishes her renovations. “Right now, I just have some chickens, a couple of roosters, and my dogs and cat here, but soon I will have a full-fledged hobby farm.” Lamb found what she considers “the prettiest place of all” by way of Florida and Missouri. “I just love Middle Tennessee,” she says. “I’ve been here for going on three years now, and before that, I was in St. Louis for nine years.” There, she worked both as the owner of Nosh Catering and then as executive chef at another Sub-Zero, Wolf, Cove showroom before transitioning to Tisdel, which is based in Cincinnati.
Chef Brandie cuddles one of her chickens on her farm in Central Tennessee. Despite having a few different states on her resume, her Georgia roots shine through in her cooking. “Georgia is known for its pecan trees, so my mom and grandmother and I would make these delicious little mini tarts for the holidays,” says Lamb.” My family calls them pecan tassies, and we’d have them every year." Lamb says she was able to re-create them perfectly using the Wolf Convection Steam Oven. “These ovens have so many different capabilities,” she says, detailing how she provides customer use and care instructions. “I help make sure they know all the ways owners can use their new appliances,” she says. “I always love to see the light bulb going off during my demonstrations! It gives them a better result when they understand these great functions.” While she may not grow her own pecans on her Tennessee farm, Lamb is looking forward to planting other trees. “I grew up with fruit trees, but I've never had them personally, so I'm going to try to do that.” She has already plotted out where her new garden is going. “I’ve always had a garden,” says Lamb. “I grow all kinds of lettuces, specific tomato varieties, and lots of herbs. I’m really big on using herbs in all of my recipes.” She describes with delight being able to pluck fresh herbs right from her front porch. “ I have a lot of turkey and deer in my yard, so I'll sit out there and watch them in the morning with my breakfast. I can lean over, get mint from my mint bush, and put it right in my yogurt and fruit.”
A key part of her culinary style is the ability to incorporate her homegrown produce. “I think it's really important to be able to pull vegetables, fruits, and herbs from your yard and add them directly into your cooking,” says Lamb. “Being able to grow things that don't have chemicals on them, store them in Sub-Zero refrigerators, and know that they will stay fresh is amazing.”
Every Sub-Zero has a digitally precise microprocessor that keeps temperatures consistent and an air purifier that cleans the interior air and extends the life of refrigerated foods.
That Sub-Zero assurance of freshness comes in handy for Lamb’s famous unconventional salads. ”I get very bored with just a bowl of greens and tomatoes,” she says, “so I have created a huge collection of ‘not-salads’ that have a ton of different, interesting components, like toasted hazelnuts, crispy shallots, and roasted butternut squash.” She finds it easy to incorporate seasonal ingredients and loves using blackberries and toasted cornbread croutons in the fall and sweet grilled corn and juicy peaches with a basil dressing for a bright summer dish. “It makes it lots of fun to eat healthfully!”
Pecan Tassies
Georgia native Brandie Lamb, an executive chef with Tisdel Distributing, the exclusive distributor of Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Cove in the Midwest and Mid-South, has been as busy this year on her Tennessee farm as she has been in the kitchen. “I was living on a property closer to Nashville when I ended up purchasing an old log cabin on 22 acres in Columbia,” says Lamb. “And it has been an exciting process so far getting it up and running.” An avowed animal lover, Lamb, has a veritable menagerie of goats and sheep ready to move onto her property once she finishes her renovations. “Right now, I just have some chickens, a couple of roosters, and my dogs and cat here, but soon I will have a full-fledged hobby farm.” Lamb found what she considers “the prettiest place of all” by way of Florida and Missouri. “I just love Middle Tennessee,” she says. “I’ve been here for going on three years now, and before that, I was in St. Louis for nine years.” There, she worked both as the owner of Nosh Catering and then as executive chef at another Sub-Zero, Wolf, Cove showroom before transitioning to Tisdel, which is based in Cincinnati.
Despite having a few different states on her resume, her Georgia roots shine through in her cooking. “Georgia is known for its pecan trees, so my mom and grandmother and I would make these delicious little mini tarts for the holidays,” says Lamb.” My family calls them pecan tassies, and we’d have them every year." Lamb says she was able to re-create them perfectly using the Wolf Convection Steam Oven. “These ovens have so many different capabilities,” she says, detailing how she provides customer use and care instructions. “I help make sure they know all the ways owners can use their new appliances,” she says. “I always love to see the light bulb going off during my demonstrations! It gives them a better result when they understand these great functions.” While she may not grow her own pecans on her Tennessee farm, Lamb is looking forward to planting other trees. “I grew up with fruit trees, but I've never had them personally, so I'm going to try to do that.” She has already plotted out where her new garden is going. “I’ve always had a garden,” says Lamb. “I grow all kinds of lettuces,
MAKES: about 2 dozen specific tomato varieties, and lots of herbs. I’m really big on using herbs in all of my recipes.” She describes with delight being able to pluck fresh herbs right from her
INGREDIENTS front porch. “ I have a lot of turkey and deer in my yard, so Cream cheese pastry (recipe follows) I'll sit out there and watch them in the morning with my 2 eggs breakfast. I can lean over, get mint from my mint bush, and ½ cup granulated sugar put it right in my yogurt and fruit.” ½ cup karo light or dark corn syrup A key part of her culinary style is the ability to 2 tbsp bourbon incorporate her homegrown produce. “I think it's really 1 tbsp Mazola margarine, melted and room temp important to be able to pull vegetables, fruits, and herbs (or unsalted butter) from your yard and add them directly into your cooking,” ½ tsp vanilla says Lamb. “Being able to grow things that don't have 1 cup chopped pecans chemicals on them, store them in Sub-Zero refrigerators, Confectioners sugar (optional) and know that they will stay fresh is amazing.”
PREPARATION Every Sub-Zero has a digitally precise microprocessor that keeps temperatures consistent and an air purifier that
Preheat oven to 350° Bake mode if doing one pan cleans the interior air and extends the life of refrigerated of tassies or 325° Convection mode if doing more foods. than one pan. Spray 1 ¾” muffin pan with non- That Sub-Zero assurance of freshness comes in stick cooking spray. Prepare cream cheese pastry. handy for Lamb’s famous unconventional salads. ”I get
Divide dough in half. On a floured surface, roll out very bored with just a bowl of greens and tomatoes,” she one half to 1/8” thickness. Cut into 12 rounds, 2 ¼” says, “so I have created a huge collection of ‘not-salads’ each. Press into muffin cups making sure to come that have a ton of different, interesting components, like up the sides of each cup. Repeat with remaining toasted hazelnuts, crispy shallots, and roasted butternut pastry then refrigerate the pan. squash.” She finds it easy to incorporate seasonal ingredients and loves using blackberries and toasted
In a medium bowl beat eggs. Stir in granulated cornbread croutons in the fall and sweet grilled corn and sugar, corn syrup, bourbon, margarine or juicy peaches with a basil dressing for a bright summer butter and vanilla until well blended. Remove dish. “It makes it lots of fun to eat healthfully!” muffin tins from the fridge and spoon 1 heaping teaspoon of pecans into the bottom of each cup. Top with 1 tbsp corn syrup mixture. Bake for 20-25 minutes or Convection 18-20 minutes or until lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 5 minutes then remove and cool completely on a wire rack. If desired, sprinkle cooled tarts with confectioners sugar.
Can be made in Wolf Convection Steam Oven at 325° Convection Humid mode and bake for 1820 minutes or until golden brown. THE LIVING KITCHEN | ISSUE 2 Chef Brandie and her late grandmother having fun in the kitchen. "My mom and grandma and I would make these delicious little mini pecan tarts every year for the holidays."
CREAM CHEESE PASTRY DOUGH
INGREDIENTS 6 tbsp unsalted butter, cold, cut into cubes 1 cup + 1 tbsp all-purpose flour 1/8 tsp kosher salt 1/8 tsp baking powder 1/4 cup cream cheese, cold, cut into cubes 1 tbsp ice water 1 ½ tsp cider vinegar
PREPARATION
Add flour, salt, baking powder to a food processor and pulse to combine. Add in cold cream cheese cubes and pulse a few times. Do the same adding in butter. Add ice water and apple cider vinegar while pulsing the dough. Pulse just enough to combine them, remove and knead on a floured surface. Use the palm of your hand to push out and knead to create flaky layers. Form into disk, plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes while you make the filling.
Can double recipe and freeze for later use in pot pies or desserts
Q & A
with Chef Brandie: Wolf Gourmet Mode
Chef Brandie Lamb regularly provides use and care consultations and demonstrations for customers who buy Wolf ranges and ovens. One of the questions she is asked most often is what Wolf Gourmet Mode can offer a home chef.
Q: What is Wolf Gourmet Mode?
Chef Brandie: The Wolf Ovens offer Wolf Gourmet Modes. These modes are preset, chef-driven, stepby-step directions for the customer to use when preparing any dish.
Q: How does it work?
Chef Brandie: Sometimes, it can be tricky deciding whether to choose bake, roast, convection roast, convection, or choice of high, medium, or low broil, so the Wolf Gourmet Mode does this for you! You tell the oven what you are preparing by choosing from a list of preset options, and it guides you through the mode, temperature, and rack placement. Not only does this take the guesswork out of how to get the perfect result, but it also allows the consumer to become familiar with how the different modes or heat distribution work.
Q: Which is your favorite mode to use to prepare a popular dish?
