Eric LeVine

In Stick It, Spoon It, Put It in a Glass, Chef Eric LeVine has put together a collection of hors d’oeuvre recipes (including desserts) to serve as inspiration for anyone who enjoys creating in the kitchen.

The concept is unique: Chef Eric takes three key ingredients, then shows you three different ways to combine them in hors d’oeuvre that delight every palate. So, veal, cremini mushrooms and onions may turn into Veal Sweetbreads with Cremini Mushroom Custard and Roasted Pearl Onions on a skewer, Pan Roasted Veal Loin with Grilled Cremini Mushrooms and Crispy Shallots in a spoon, or Veal Shepherd’s Pie with Cremini Mushroom Mashed Potatoes and Carmelized Onion Sauce in a glass.

The book has recipes for Poultry, Meat, Seafood, Vegetables, Cheese and Dessert hors d’oeuvre, with four sets of three ingredients in each chapter, for a total of 12 recipes per chapter. But the possibilities don’t stop there; Chef Eric offers variations and ideas that allow chefs to create almost endless variations.

With culinary influences ranging from French to Italian to Japanese—and a touch of molecular gastronomy, Chef Eric’s recipes will delight both your palate and your eyes. His passion for international flavors and his imaginative approach to all kinds of cuisine have given him the perfect background for this kind of cookbook.

Stick It, Spoon It, Put It in a Glass will be released during the Catersource Conference & Tradeshow in Las Vegas, February 27–March 2, 2011. After the Conference, it will be available in the Catersource Store online or by calling 612.870.7727.

Writing the Cookbook

"I wanted to create a cookbook that hadn't been done before, a book that never ends in variation and ideas. It wasn't just about a specific item or recipe or picture, but about a concept in developing menus. I wanted readers to use the book not only for the specific ideas but as a motivational book to create new ideas using the same concepts.

When creating the cookbook Stick It, Spoon It, Put It in a Glass, this was a major focus for me. It was also a major challenge.

Sometimes as chefs we tell our staff to add a little bit of this and a little bit of that to a dish, but ultimately the recipe needs to be written down so it can be replicated consistently. The same rule applied for writing this cookbook. Every recipe in this book was written and revised until I felt it was perfect. Then four different people tested it - I needed to know what worked and what didn’t work from the reader’s perspective. Then I revised the recipe again!

It took many revisions of these recipes, thousands of photographs, and months of layout design and grammar edits, but in the end it was all worth it. I am pleased to present to you Stick It, Spoon It, Put It in a Glass and I hope you enjoy learning from it as much as I enjoyed creating it."

Fire it up!
Eric LeVine

Chef Eric has trained in multiple styles of cuisine, with some of the greatest classic chefs, from Jean-Louis Maisson of Le Petit Café in Lyon, France, to Chef Giovanni Brunell at Il Tratattoire de Familia in Florence to Master Chef Ho of Otani Restaurant in Tokyo. He graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park. He has been an executive catering chef at a number of places, including Chef Eric Catering and Events in Atlanta. Today, Chef Eric is head of EXQ Consulting, through which he helps other caterers improve their menus.

Since he started his professional career, Chef Eric has been recognized for his artistry with food, including the International Catering Association’s Chef of the Year Award in 2008. He is a member of the James Beard Foundation and was honored by the Foundation in 2009.