• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

By Root 372 0

comforting yet challenging and new. He realized his culinary calling at the age of sixteen when he was an apprentice at the 5-Star, 5-Diamond Elisabeth Park in his homeland of Salzburg, Austria. The experience led to an international tour of luxury properties that shaped his culinary identity and destiny. He worked with world-renowned chefs Paul Bocuse, Roger Verge, Charlie Palmer, and Gaston Lenotre, and at The Imperial and Bristol Hotel in Vienna, Wild Coast Sun Hotel and Casino in South Africa, Regency in Bangkok, French Bistro in Orlando at the Epcot Center, The Breakers Hotel in Palm Beach, and The Mandarin Oriental in Hawaii and San Francisco.

In 1997, Huber was named executive chef at the historic Amway Grand Plaza Hotel in Grand Rapids, Michigan. His culinary responsibilities include ten restaurants and lounges, four ballrooms, forty function spaces, and all culinary spectacles at the DeVos Place Convention Center that connects to the Amway Grand Plaza. Under his leadership, the hotel has achieved the only AAA 5-Diamond restaurant designation in Michigan for The 1913 Room. Huber’s recipes have been featured in Gourmet, Palm Beach Post, Food Arts, San Francisco Chronicle and Examiner, and Business Journal. He has also appeared on cooking shows, developed a 2004 cooking video series titled Culinary Extraordinaire, and actively supports the March of Dimes and the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Chocolate-Stuffed Michigan Cherry French Toast with Rice Krispies served with Peach-Strawberry Compote and Maple Syrup

Serves 4

Michigan Cherry French Bread (makes 4 loaves)

10 cups bread flour (do not use self-rising)

4 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon dry instant yeast

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup powdered egg replacer (chef’s preference is Red Mill or Ener-G)

2-1/2 cups lukewarm water

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 cup chopped dried cherries

To make the Michigan Cherry French Bread: In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt, yeast, cinnamon, and egg replacer. Add lukewarm water and oil, and combine. Knead thoroughly for about 10 minutes to form a smooth, silky-looking dough. Add cherries and knead for another minute, or until incorporated. Form the dough into a large ball. Cover with a damp cloth and let the dough rest for 15 minutes at room temperature. Divide the dough into 4 smaller balls. Cover with a damp towel and let them rest for 5 minutes.

Sprinkle some flour on a work surface to prevent the dough from sticking. Roll the dough into loaves that are about 12 to 14 inches long. Place loaves on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Let the loaves rise again for 45 minutes, or until the desired height has been reached. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown, yielding a hollow sound when tapped. Cool for 2 hours before slicing. The leftover bread will keep in your bread box for several days, or wrap with plastic wrap and freeze for later.

NOTE: This is a popular bread in the Michigan area, celebrating their high production of cherries. If you don’t have time to make the bread, other store-bought bread can be substituted.

Strawberry-Peach Compote

1 cup fresh peaches, cut into wedges

1 cup quartered fresh strawberries

2 tablespoons brown sugar

To make the Strawberry-Peach Compote: Place all compote ingredients into a small saucepan over low heat and bring to a simmer for about 10 minutes. Check to make sure peaches are soft and not crunchy. Remove from heat and cool in refrigerator.

Dipping Batter

2 cups vanilla soy milk

1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

6 tablespoons Grand Marnier liqueur

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons egg replacer (Red Mill or Ener-G)

4 tablespoons maple syrup

To make the Dipping Batter: Prepare the batter by whisking together the soy milk, orange juice, Grand Marnier, cinnamon, egg replacer, and maple syrup. Pour the batter into a pan large enough to accommodate the bread slices.

Chocolate-Stuffed French Toast

12 squares organic bittersweet chocolate

24 (1/2-inch) slices Michigan Cherry