One can always count on Johnlu Koa to provide useful tips and information during his cooking demonstrations.
At a recent event in SM Megamall, the founder and CEO of The French Baker was at it again—showing how to prepare several recipes with considerable skill and knowledge. After all, he has studied everything about baking in some of the best schools in France, and he has the success of The French Baker to show for it.
This time, Koa wanted to show some delicious ways of preparing The French Baker’s new products using the latest kitchen equipment of Moulinex and Krupps. Among the recipes: chicken liver paté on French Baker baguette, cheese quesadilla using French Baker’s tortilla wraps, chorizo pizza, fresh mushroom cream pasta, grilled panini with Spanish sardines and a vegetarian sandwich using French Baker’s steak roll.
The soft tortilla made by The French Baker will not break upon handling, he assured the audience, because of the technology involved in its making. Similarly, its pizza crust has been parbaked—that is, it has been baked 90 percent. This seals in the moisture, said Koa.
The remaining 10 percent of the baking will be done in the customer’s own oven. This second baking releases the moisture, thus resulting in a pizza crust that’s moist and crisp.
Here’s Koa’s recipe for cheese quesadilla, along with useful tips for making this Mexican dish at home.
(The French Baker makes three variants of tortilla wraps: tomato basil, whole wheat and spinach. For this recipe, you can use any of the variants.)
3-Cheese Quesadilla
Makes 1-2 servings
2 pc French Baker Tortilla Wraps
1-2 tbsp pesto sauce
¼ c grated Mozzarella cheese (See tips.)
¼ c grated quick-melt cheese
¼ c grated cheddar cheese
1 tbsp chopped green or red pepper
Olive oil, for brushing
Spread pesto sauce on one side of one tortilla wrapper. In a bowl, mix together Mozzarella cheese, quick-melt cheese and cheddar cheese. Spread the cheeses over the pesto sauce, starting from the middle of the tortilla until about one inch from the edge (do not spread the cheese till the edge).
Sprinkle top with the green or red pepper. Press the other tortilla wrapper on top. Brush both sides of the tortilla lightly with olive oil so grill marks will appear.
Set the Krupps Panini Griddle to No. 7. Arrange the tortilla in the grill then close the grill. Let cook for about two to three minutes or until the cheese melts.
Transfer the quesadilla to a clean plate and let cool slightly, then cut into serving pieces and serve.
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Cook’s tips
You can grate the cheeses by hand. Johnlu Koa recommends using Moulinex Shredder for faster grating.
Right after the tortilla is cooked, the cheese will be very hot. Koa suggests letting the cheese cool slightly before cutting the tortilla into serving pieces so it doesn’t burn the tongue.
Always cool and unplug the Krupps Griddle before cleaning. Follow manufacturer’s directions for cleaning the griddle.
When the cheese mixture starts to melt, it will spread on the tortilla. Hence, Koa says do not spread the cheese mixture until the tortilla’s edges to prevent the cheese from spilling.
For the pesto sauce, you can use bottled pesto sauce.
Krupps Panini Griddle is available in SM. If you do not have a Krupps Panini Griddle, you can use a nonstick pan. Brush the nonstick pan with cooking oil before putting in the tortilla. Then put a heavy pan on top of the tortilla to press it. Cook on medium heat until cheese melts.
