IN THE KITCHEN WITH: Cheryl Gaddie

Cheryl Gaddie, owner of Cheryl Gaddie Designs and board chair for the Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce, is a self-proclaimed minimalist when it comes to her designs and to her cooking. She believes it all begins with the basics.

“I like to cook a lot of the same foods, but I like to cook a lot of the same foods different,” said Gaddie. 

Gaddie said she enjoys starting with basic recipes and then adding her own flair to them. She never tries the same recipe twice.

Gaddie has been an interior designer for 25 years. A few years ago she started focusing more on designing kitchens and it soon became her specialty. In 2010 she won a Southwest regional Sub-Zero and Wolf Kitchen and Design contest for her personal home kitchen on Siesta Key.

“It’s where I go and where I think other women go to be creative after a long day at work or if they just need or just need to do something and have a glass of wine with a friend. A kitchen just feels really good. There is no reason not to have this special place in your home and I think the kitchen is one of the most special places for me.”

Escargot a la Bourguignonne - Courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2001
Ingredients:
1 shallot, finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped parsley
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup red wine
1 1/2 cups softened butter
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
48 cleaned snail shells
1 (28-ounce) can escargots, drained, rinsed, and patted dry

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

In a bowl combine shallot, parsley, garlic, red wine, butter, salt, and pepper and mix well to thoroughly combine. Place a small amount of the butter inside each prepared snail shell. Add one snail to each shell, then, fill each shell with more of the garlic-butter mixture. Place each prepared shell in the well of a snail dish and bake until butter is melted.

Crusty French Bread
Ingredients:
2 cups (500ml) warm water (110F/43C)
1 tsp. sugar
3 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast
5 to 5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
2 1/2 tsp. salt
1 egg white, lightly beaten with a pinch of salt.

Directions:
In a small bowl, combine the warm water and sugar and stir until the sugar dissolves. Add the yeast and stir gently to mix. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with dough hook, combine 4 cups of the flour with the salt and beat on low speed just until combined. Slowly add the yeast mixture and beat just until incorporated, about 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium-low and beat for about 10 minutes, adding more flour 1/4 cup at a time, until the dough is elastic and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 1 minute. Form into a ball and dust lightly with flour. Sprinkle a little flour into a bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 45-60 minutes.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Punch down the dough and knead for a few seconds. Form the dough into a ball and return it to the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in bulk, 20-30 minutes.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and punch down the dough. Cut into 2 equal pieces and shape each into a ball. Let rest 5 minutes. Line the French bread pan with a clean towel and sprinkle with flour. Roll each ball into a log with tapered ends about the length of the pan, and place on the towel in the pan. Cover with the overhanging edges of the towel and let rise in a warm place for 20 minutes.

Position a rack in the lower third of an oven. Place a shallow baking dish filled with boiling water on the oven floor. Preheat the over to 425 degrees F.

Gently lift the towel holding the loaves off the pan and set on work surface. Spray the pan with nonstick cooking spray. Carefully flip each loaf into a well of the pan and brush off excess flour. Using a sharp knife, make 3-5 diagonal slices about 1/4" deep across the top of each loaf. Brush with egg white mixture. Bake until the break sounds hollow when tapped, 30-35 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the bread cool in the pan to room temperature. Makes 2 loaves.