Chef Ivo is a
blast and so are his
award-winning sauces and foods
by Daniel Hines
Publisher
America's Seniors/
TodaysSeniorsNetwork.com
I have had the pleasure of meeting and
working with several Chefs over the years...real Chefs, not just good cooks.
My son-in-law is an executive Chef in
Phoenix. One of my good friends during my tenure at Banquet Foods was
George Dyhouse, the Chef of the Year in St. Louis.
And, after four decades of planning
events, writing stories and traveling, I have met and worked with dozens of
other Chefs. While each had particular personality traits, one thing
was common to all of them--they had strong personalities based in their
confidence in their artistry with food.
Chef Ivo Puidak may take the prize,
however, for being the strongest personality.
He's a towering hulk of a man. He was a former bodyguard for Carol
Burnett and worked for Walter Mattau. It's easy to see that he is a
man who knows what he is doing in whatever he does.
Th at's
especially true with his recipes and his outstanding line of truly tasty
food that he markets under the Galena Canning label. Click here to go to his
web site to find out more about his products and how to order on-line.
We met the Chef at the Galena River Wine and Cheese shop
(click here to read our story). He has become a regular at the store, conducting cooking
demonstrations and offering samples of different products he has
prepared. He is also entertaining, and his quick wit and snappy
repertoire brings smiles to the store's customers.
We had the opportunity to sample several
of his products during our visit. Let us assure you that all are
extremely tasty and, surprisingly healthy because he uses only fresh
ingredients. Also, although the name of the company refers to
'canning', the food is packaged in glass jars in quantities that ensure
their consistent quality and freshness.
The products are especially useful as
'starter' ingredients for diners desiring to enjoy a gourmet meal with a
minimal effort.
We first sampled his award-winning
Blasting Sauce. We had been told that this was 'hot', but quite
frankly ignored the warning, choosing to take a large amount on our
chip. The result--an introduction to what has to have been the hottest
sauce we have ever tasted. Our eyes watered. Steam must have
been coming out of our ears, and we could rest assured that the falling snow
outside would melt when it fell on us.
But why shouldn't it be hot? Imagine
20 hot peppers and a host of related products in a secret recipe. It's
easy to see why Blasting Sauce has gained national recognition that has
landed Chef Ivo spots on The Food Network and mention in publications across
the nation.
We also sampled his award-winning New
Orleans Etouffee, which was featured on The Food Network. This is a
perfect example of using the Chef's products to help make a gourmet
meal.
He recommends taking an ingredient such as your favorite chicken, shrimp,
sausage, beef, pork or crab, sautéed until 3/4 cooked. Then top it
with his New Orleans Etouffee sauce, reducing the heat to a slow
simmer. When fully heated, serve over fluffy rice or fresh
pasta. Or warm the sauce by itself to ladle over freshly grilled
chicken, sea food or pork. Another option: just pour the
Etouffee over freshly cooked pasta.
Irrespective of your choice, you will have
a meal of the highest gourmet quality, ready in only 15 minutes.
The big winner though for my wife, Brooks,
was the vegetarian chili. It proved to be a tasty, yet extremely
healthy, alternative to traditional chili.
We also enjoyed his pickled garlic
cloves. They were almost sweet, complete with the garlic taste that we
love, but free of the lingering breath problems associated with
garlic.
He also featured a number of salsas, and
we found his Black Bean with corn salsa to be among the best we have ever
tasted. The same was true of rich, full-flavored marinara sauce.
Undoubtedly much of the success of Chef Ivo's products is in the fact that
he insists upon only natural products. This, added to his only
creative cooking skills, and his insistence upon quality, has enabled him to
offer a complete line of health, conscious foods (he uses no salt, but his
combination of spices makes salt unnecessary for flavor).
Chef Ivo--he's a big man with big-tasting
products. And, he's highly recommended by America's
Seniors/TodaysSeniorsNetwork.com for those seniors seeking top-notch,
good-tasting foods.
Chef Ivo may be seen on weekends at the
Galena River Wine and Cheese Shop.
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