Chef Art Smith reflects on 'Windy City LIVE's 1st episode, shares recipes

Windy City LIVE
Friday, May 21, 2021
'Windy City LIVE' celebrates 10 years: Chef Art Smith reflects on 1st episode
We caught up with Chef Art Smith, who was a guest on our very first show. He reflected on our first episode and told us about his new restaurant.

We're taking a look back and visiting with the guests from the first show. In the kitchen was Celebrity Chef to the Stars Art Smith! He made his famous fried chicken and waffles plus mac and cheese! We catch up with Art to see what he has been up to these past 10 years - and there's another Art Smith restaurant in the works for Chicago!

See what he's doing in Florida at his restaurant Homecomin'.

Here are Chef Art's recipes:

REUNION SUCCOTASH RISOTTO

2 tablespoons Olive oil

1 1/2 cup Short grain rice or steel cut oatmeal or tiny pasta orzo

1/2 cup Onion, minced

2 cloves Garlic, minced

3 cups of water or chicken broth

Can tomatoes, crushed with your hands

1 cup of mixed beans, butter beans, black eye peas

1 cup of fresh sweet corn kernels, or frozen

2 tsp Dried basil

1 small bunch of chopped fresh thyme

1/2 cup grated parmesan

In a heavy pot heat till medium add olive oil. Add rice and cook 2-3 minutes

Add onion and garlic

Heat water-stock on stove to boil add juice of tomatoes to water. Add 1/4 cup of water-stock at a time and make sure it's dry before adding the next one. Continue till your risotto is creamy add tomato,beans,corn and basil salt and pepper. Garnish with Parmesan cheese and chopped thyme

HEMP SEED LEMON CAKE

Ingredients

Cake

2 cups (241g) self-rising Flour

1 cup of Hemp Hearts

1 1/2 cups (298g) sugar

3.4-ounce box instant vanilla pudding mix (not sugar-free)*

8 tablespoons (113g) unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup (99g) vegetable oil

1/2 cup (113g) milk, at room temperature

4 large eggs, at room temperature

1/2 cup (113g) fresh lemon juice

Zest of 4 lemons

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/4 cup (24g) hemp seeds for dusting baking pan, available at health food stores

Syrup

8 tablespoons (113g) unsalted butter

1/4 cup (57g) water

1 cup (198g) sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (113g) fresh squeezed lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 325F.

2. To make the cake: Weigh your flour; or measure it by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess.

3. Place the flour, sugar, pudding mix, baking powder, salt, butter, and vegetable oil in a mixing bowl, and mix at medium speed until everything is thoroughly combined and the mixture is sandy looking.

4. Beat in the milk, then beat in the eggs one at a time. Scrape the bowl thoroughly, and beat briefly to recombine any sticky residue.

5. Stir in the lemon juice and vanilla.

6. Spritz a 10- to 12-cup Bundt pan with cooking spray. For an extra layer of nutty flavor, sprinkle the inside of the pan with hemp seeds and turn the pan to coat evenly; shake out any excess. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread level with a spatula.

7. Bake the cake for 50 to 60 minutes. When done, a cake tester, long toothpick, or strand of uncooked spaghetti will come out clean when inserted into the center. Remove the cake from the oven.

8. Leave the cake in the pan to cool slightly while you make the syrup.

9. To make the syrup: In a medium-sized saucepan combine the syrup ingredients, except vanilla. Bring to a rapid boil then reduce to a simmer and cook (without stirring) for about 5 to 8 minutes, until the syrup thickens slightly. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.

10. Use a long skewer to poke holes all over the cake. Pour about 1/4 cup of the syrup over the cake (still in the pan). Allow the syrup to soak in, then repeat again and again until all the syrup is used.

11. Cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap and allow the cake to sit overnight at room temperature to cool completely and soak in the syrup. When ready to serve, loosen the edges of the cake and invert onto your serving plate. If the cake won't release, don't force it. Place it in the oven, turn the oven to 350F, and warm for about 10 minutes, to soften the sticky syrup. (If your oven is one that preheats by making its upper element red-hot, place the cake on a lower rack and tent it with aluminum foil to protect it.) Remove the cake from the oven, and tip it onto the serving plate.

12. Serve with hot coffee or tea. The cake is very moist, fragrant and potent.

13. Wrap securely (or place under a cake cover) and store at room temperature for several days. Freeze for longer storage, up to 1 month.