Q&A: Chef Teri from Chef Tech Cooking School
Chef Teri Appleton Villanueva is the owner and chef of Chef Tech Cooking School in Long Beach. She is an award-winning pastry chef, head chef, and recipe formulator. Chef Teri has been working in professional kitchens and hosting cooking classes for over 25 years.
Kidsguide: How old were you when you decided to become a chef?
Chef Teri: I was cooking since I was a little thing, maybe 5 years old. My first job was at a restaurant and after I saw the chaos on a Friday night, while everybody’s screaming and running around, I was like, “Oh I love that. That’s me.”
Q: Who was your inspiration?
A: I had an Italian grandmother right off the boat from Sicily. She was the most marvelous cook ever and as a kid, she showed me how to handle pasta and make gnocchi.
Q: We know you teach so many classes for kids. What’s the most popular dish?
A: It’s got to be pizza and cookies.
Q: What’s your advice to parents with picky eaters?
A: Cooking classes really, really help. The minute your kid has some control over what they’re making and what they’re putting in their mouth, they’re way more likely to eat it.
Q: What are your best tips for having kids help in the kitchen?
A: Get them a stool , put a spoon in their hand, let them stir stuff, explain what things are, and take it from there. They’ll ask thousands of questions.
Q: What’s your favorite kitchen gadget?
A: I walk around with a heat-proof, one piece silicon spatula. I stir with it, cook with it, flip with it, mix and fold with it. I cannot be in the kitchen without one of those.
Q: What’s the most fun thing about being a chef?
A: I love to test new ingredients and new recipes.
Q: Do you have a favorite, easy recipe to share?
A: Buckeyes!
Buckeyes
Buckeyes are a regional treat from Ohio. A peanut butter truffle dipped in chocolate.
STEP 1: MELT & FORM
- 1 1/2 ounces white chocolate, chopped, 1/4 cup
- 2 ounces unsalted butter, softened, 4 Tablespoons
- 2 3/4 cups creamy peanut butter
- 12 ounces confectioners’ sugar, 3 cups
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Microwave white chocolate chips in bowl at 50% power, stirring occasionally, until melted, about 1 minute. Let cool for 5 minutes. Using stand mixer fitted with paddle, beat butter, peanut butter, melted white chocolate, sugar, vanilla, and salt on medium-high speed until just combined, about 1 minute. Roll peanut butter mixture into 1 1/4-inch balls and space them evenly on prepared sheet. Freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.
STEP 2: DIP & CHILL
- 12 ounces 60% chocolate chips, 2 cups
Microwave chocolate chips in bowl at 50 percent power, stirring occasionally, until melted and smooth, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Using toothpick, dip chilled peanut butter balls one at a time into melted chocolate, leaving top quarter uncovered. Return peanut butter balls to sheet and refrigerate until chocolate is set, about 1 hour. Serve. (Buckeyes can be refrigerated for up to 1 week or frozen for up to 1 month.)
Categories: Blog
This post was written by Kidsguide
