NYC 2 BIG D: Easter Bites by Chef Lee White

A bit of traveling got in the way, so I apologize for the delay of this post. I wanted to get this out much earlier because this Chef deserves every bit of praise. His creations were incredible and I've heard quite a few people who attended the party still talking about what he produced for us!

First of all, we have been celebrating Easter on a Saturday for the past few years, so MT and I didn’t have to drive back to McKinney really late on Sunday because my Aunt, who usually hosts this holiday, lives in Houston. This year, we decided to add another celebration to the event and host a Slurp and Burp a.k.a Meet the Baby party for my good friends and their newborn baby boy. Also, normally my Aunt and I are stuck in the kitchen preparing food all day and not able to socialize with family and friends, so she decided to hire a chef to give us a break from the madness, and I’m so glad that she did!

Chef Lee White is his name, and his handiwork is insane! After knowing that we had a personal chef for the day, I headed into the kitchen to meet him immediately upon arrival. He was incredibly friendly and was very eager to show me all of his makings; answered all of my questions, and even threw in a few tips for me. He also brought his kind father along to show him a behind the scenes look into his job, and to have a little extra help.

He was in a relaxed frenzy preparing almost everything on the menu to be popped into the oven for baking or roasting. First, he started the feast off with two great appetizers. Brie topped with toasted walnuts and a homemade caramel sauce, yes it was homemade, all baked in puff pastry......sounds incredible right? Well it was! But then.....if you think you can't get any better than that....he made Prosciutto wrapped dates stuffed with Mascarpone cheese, baked crispy, and served with a side of maple syrup for dipping….. salty, sweet, creamy deliciousness….ummmm....yea! I will make them some day! They were more than amazing! After gorging my way through those, I made my way back into the kitchen to check out the mains, and he was nice enough to give me first dibs tasting them. Bacon Wrapped Cornish hens with an Apple and Golden Raisin cornbread stuffing, and a Roasted Leg of Lamb….oh my! Garlic and Rosemary Fingerling Potatoes, and Roasted Fresh Asparagus….oh yeah! I was able to take a peek at him splitting open the Cornish Hens when they were ready for carving. The meat was so juicy, tender and flavorful from the bacon and then the sweetness of the stuffing was a perfect compliment to its saltiness…..pretty much the best Cornish hen I have ever tried, which is also saying that it’s better than my own that I made for Christmas a few years ago. But wait....their is more.....he made a glaze to pair with the hens that was made of green apples, brown sugar, clove, vinegar, and cinnamon.. It added another layer of bold flavors and luscious sugariness that elevated the cornish hens to another realm beyond reach. Now, if you haven't had enough yet, let us move on to the lamb. After he sliced a few pieces for a tasting all I could think of was….Wow and Double Wow….I have never had a Leg of Lamb that was so beautifully cooked, making it incredibly moist and aromatic, which goes to say that I have no idea what he did to that leg, but I’m guessing it was nothing close to liposuction. That lamb was treated well in its former life and after!

On to the sides, beginning with the Roasted Fingerling Potatoes, which were lying on the counter after coming out of the oven, and the fragrance of rosemary and garlic just begged anyone close by for a try before dinner was served, so I did. How in the world can you get potatoes to become….I guess….al dente? Like a well cooked pasta? And then the added layer of pungency from the rosemary and garlic….Yum! Along with a salad big enough to feed 20 Easter Bunnies, the fresh asparagus decorated the serving table with a beautiful brightness of green, showing the guests that it was springtime. Also, if you needed a little bit of sweetness to balance your palate amongst all of the savory dishes, their was a gorgeous platter of fresh berries and pineapple on hand. I would say that no one at this party was going home hungry.

In the end, after everyone had gone back for seconds or thirds and were delightfully full, we gave away whole Cornish hens as party favors because we had so much food left over, which made the attendees very happy! I would say that Chef Lee gave us a meal that was presented without a glitch in sight! He was amazing, and I know that my Aunt will be using him again sometime soon. I see my sister’s engagement party in sight!!

If anyone in the Houston area would like to use Chef Lee for an upcoming event, and I recommend it, you can reach him on his cell 832-420-4765 or by email larryleewhite@yahoo.com