• Tomato Cactus Salad with Pickled Red Onions
• Onion Straws with Chipotle Ketchup
• Jack Daniel’s BBQ Skirt Steak
• Grilled Cheddar Chive Grit Cakes

I’ve never eaten cactus. Never picked onions. Never put BBQ sauce on a steak. Never cooked grits.

Onions Straws and Chipotle Ketchup are from my book, Party For Two but apart from that everything is new.

Check back tomorrow for the after report and some pics!

Party For Two Book Signing

I took twenty four copies of my cookbook, Party For Two last week to my Date Night Cooking Class in Tampa. I was thrilled that I sold every copy! I know some people are skeptical about buying books online without seeing them or knowing the author.

I’m sure that after the class attendees got to hear my passion for teaching people how to have a weekly Date Night, and got to eat a four course dinner Valerie and I fixed for them, they knew they wanted more recipes and Date Night tips!

It tickled me that people apologized for having me sign so many books (one person bought six copies for gifts).

I recently heard Melissa D’Arabian, star of The Food Network’s Ten Dollar Dinners describe attending a book signing by Bobby Flay prior to her becoming a contestant and eventual winner of The Next Food Network Star. She said Bobby was so kind and gracious even though there were hundreds of people, and he’d been signing books all day.

If you have a copy of my book, Party For Two then please know I will always be thrilled to meet you, speak with you, sign my book, cook you a four course dinner (OK maybe not).

As an author I am honored that people buy my book and want to meet me. I am especially honored that Party For Two made Amazon’s best selling cookbook list, hot new release list and most gifted list.

My goal is to help EVERY couple strengthen their marriage by enjoying a weekly Date Night like Valerie and I have enjoyed throughout our 35 year marriage!

As I write when I autograph Party for Two, “I hope your Date Night is a Great Night!”

Date Night Cooking Class

We just received the following reviews from last week’s Date Night Cooking Class at the Rolling Pin Kitchen Emporium in Brandon:

• The Chef was Very Informative & Entertaining
• The Chef had great stories and was so much fun to listen to. 
• The chef was very easy to talk to, took many questions and made us laugh often.
• The recipes were easy but elegant and delicious. we can’t wait to try them out at home. 
• The Food was Excellent!  Simple but delicious!  We have already signed up for his August class and will recommend it to others. 
• Chef Cadle and his wife are a loving couple who are passionate about teaching the joys of a “date night”. We had a great date night while learning simple and delicious recipes that we can enjoy again at home. Thank you for a terrific evening! 
• The class was very enjoyable! Great food and ideas for future meals we will be at Chef Bruce’s 8/25/11 class.
• New guest instructor, Bruce Cadle, taught to a sold out crowd on Thursday.  What a fabulous night.  His food was delicious and his stories were fantastic. 
• The Date Night Chef class offered wonderful tips on how couples can share a weekly date night and provided easy recipes that will make the evening very special. It’s all about sharing the love for each other and food one evening a week. Chef Bruce and his lovely wife Valerie have been married for 35 years and say date night has played a very important role in their successful marriage.
• Chef Bruce was entertaining and did a great job engaging those that attended this wonderful event.

Date Night Chef

I had a GREAT time last week teaching my Date Night Cooking Class!

The class sold out in advance even though it was Memorial Day weekend!

I loved the interactive class format. The crowd was super friendly and asked great questions about having a weekly Date Night in addition to lots of cooking questions.

Chef Dave West and his wife Karen should be proud of their gourmet cooking store and cooking school, Rolling Pin Kitchen Emporium, in Brandon, Florida. They also have a great staff and kitchen assistants who helped make the night a success.

Valerie Cadle - Date Night Cooking Class

Valerie and I arrived at Rolling Pin around 3pm for the 6:15 class and prepped all afternoon. I had 24 bunches of cilantro and parsley for the chimichurri sauce, six loaves of baguette for bruschetta, seven flank steaks, 15 pounds of potatoes and much more.

I couldn’t have done it without my favorite Sous chef, the love of my life, my wife Valerie (She’s the one in pink)

Over the next few days I’ll share all the recipes from the class:

• Gorgonzola Bruschetta
• Arugula Feta Salad with Sundried Tomato Vinaigrette
• Chimichurri Flank Steak
• Salt Roasted Red Potato Salad with Key Lime Aioli
• Grilled Pina Colada

Franklin DeGroodt Library – Palm Bay

2 tablespoons sundried tomatoes, sliced thin crosswise
¼ cup fresh basil, chopped
¼ cup chardonnay
juice of one lemon
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon red onion, chopped

Melt butter then add onion and sauté for one minute. Add all the remaining ingredients and cook for three minutes. Immediately pour over chicken breasts.

The combination of fresh basil, lemon, goat cheese, sundried tomatoes and prosciutto makes this pan-fried chicken unforgettable.

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 ounces goat cheese
4 slices prosciutto
kosher salt
fresh cracked pepper
olive oil
1 recipe Chardonnay Sauce

Using a paring knife, cut a horizontal slit in the chicken breasts. Spread half the goat cheese and two slices of prosciutto inside each breast. Salt and pepper both sides of the chicken breast.

In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, sauté the chicken breasts in olive oil for five minutes. Flip the breasts and cook for an additional five minutes or until done. Plate the chicken breasts and then in the same pan make the Chardonnay Sauce.

1 Florida mango, diced
¼ cup diced red onion
1 diced jalapeno (remove seeds and veins if you don’t enjoy heat)
¼ cup green bell pepper, diced
¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lime juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
kosher salt
cracked pepper

Gently mix all the ingredients and refrigerate for a minimum of thirty minutes or overnight.

This delicious Salmon recipe takes only minutes yet offer a wonderful depth of flavors. The spicy, smoky heat from the grilled salmon is balanced beautifully with the cool, sweet Mango Salsa.

2 six-ounce salmon filets
1 recipe Mango Salsa
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon chipotle powder
½ teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder

Pat the salmon dry with paper towels. In a small mixing bowl blend the spices and coat both sides of the salmon filets. Grill the salmon for two minutes per side on high heat on a grill or grill pan.

Spoon Mango Salsa over the filets and serve.

1 cup cilantro leaves
1 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 tablespoon minced garlic
3/8 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
½ tablespoon kosher salt
½ tablespoon black pepper

Finely chop the cilantro and parsley. Put all the ingredients in a blender and purée. I fix this a day ahead and refrigerate it until Date Night!