Friday Cooking Demo - Ice Cream

Mint Chocolate Chip

Ingredients

• 1 Cup Milk
• 1 Cup Heavy Cream
• or 2 Cups Half and Half (instead of milk and cream)
• 3oz Sugar
• 5oz Plain Chocolate Grated
• 1 tsp. Peppermint Essence or 2 TBSP Fresh Mint
• Optional: Two or three drops of green food coloring

Directions

1. Place the milk* and sugar (or 1/2 of the half & half) into a saucepan with sugar & mint. Heat gently to dissolve sugar. 
2. Strain through mesh strainer & cool. 
3. When cold stir in the heavy cream* (or rest of half & half) & food coloring. 
4. Transfer the complete mixture to ice cream maker & once the mixture begins to thicken add the chocolate.

Banna Churro

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 Cups Heavy Cream
• 3oz Sugar
• 1 tsp. Cinnamon
• 3 Bananas Frozen and defrosted

Directions

1. Peel & puree the banana into a smooth puree. 
2. Stir in cream & sugar into banana mixture. 
3. Mix well & strain through a mesh strainer. 
4. Chill in fridge for 2-3 hours. 
5. Add cinnamon & transfer mixture into ice cream maker.

Friday Cooking Demo - Labna Cheese

Ingredients

• 3 Coffee Filters
• Perforated Pan
• 1 Container Greek Yogurt (4 cups approximately)
• 2 TBSP. High Quality Olive Oil
• 1 tsp. Salt
• Juice and grated zest of lemon
• 1 TBSP. Chopped Thyme
• 2 TBSP. Chopped Mint

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients together well in a bowl.
2. Using coffee filters distribute the mixture evenly between three filters and twist the filter to form a "coin purse" shape. Tie off the coin purse at the top & place in a perforated pan.
3. Place another pan on top of the "coin purse" & place both containers in another to catch the liquid as it drips. Let the mixture set for 24-48 hours. During this process the liquid in the yogurt will slowly drip out & start to clump together forming a delicious cheese.

Yields 3.5 cups Labna Cheese

The Secret Garden

Finding extra space for growth and new structural additions can be a challenge at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. Sometimes that darn mountain gets in the way! The CMZoo’s culinary team took this particular challenge on and designed a unique enhancement to their cooking operation. Without leaving the foot print of the Grizzly Grill, a rooftop garden was created. Through partnerships with Pikes Peak Urban Garden, Ace Hardware, Soil Menders, and Smart Pot Tree Bags, the garden has really made a big impact. Items growing in the garden range from beans, to squash, to lettuce, to fresh herbs, and edible flowers. The staff will be using as much of this produce as possible in the zoo’s restaurants. Garden salads, garden pizzas, and various specials that incorporate the sustainable produce will be featured at the Grill.

Much of this produce can be grown at home and the chefs are happy to answer any questions you may have. Expect the produce to start showing up around the zoo in the middle of June.

Look for recipes from the Chefs coming soon.

How to make Fresh Mozzarella

Each Friday at 3:00pm Executive Chef Nathan Dirnberger hosts a cooking demonstration in the Grizzly Grill. This past Friday he and his cooking team demonstrated how to make mozzarella cheese, below is the recipe he demonstrated. 

Ingredients

•  2 gallons water, divided
• 3 pounds whole milk mozzarella curd (available at specialty Italian markets)
• 4 tablespoons salt, divided, plus more for serving
• Tomatoes-sliced, Basil and Extra Virgin Olive Oil for serving
• Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. In a large pot, bring a gallon of water to a boil.
2. In a large bowl, break up the mozzarella curd into small pieces. Coat the curd with 2 tablespoons of salt, & set aside.
3. In another large bowl, salt the second gallon of water with the remaining salt & add as much ice as it can hold.
4. This is where it gets a little tricky. Carefully pour the boiling water over the salted curd. As the curds begin to melt, carefully stir with a wooden spoon for 1 minute. Submerge both of your hands in the ice water for as long as you can stand it, because you're about to stretch the mozzarella in boiling hot water. The curd will have settled into the bottom of the bowl, & at this point you have to work quickly or risk over-cooking the curd.
5. Dip your hands into the hot water & begin stretching the mozzarella. By stretching the cheese you insure that all the curds have completely melted. The curds will become incredibly soft & have buttery shine, & also, it smells wonderful. Form the mozzarella into tomato size balls, & then drop the mozzarella into the ice water to stop the cooking process. Work quickly, as the mozzarella will start to become rubbery the longer it sits in the hot water.
6. Wrap each mozzarella ball tightly in plastic wrap & store in the refrigerator for up to a week.
7. Serve the cheese with the best tomatoes & fresh basil you can find, extra virgin olive oil, salt & fresh cracked pepper.

Check back each week for a new recipe straight from the Taste of the Wild Catering team here at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. 

Your Culinary Questions Answered!

Something’s Cookin’ at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

Perhaps you didn’t know an independent company, System Services Association (SSA), is behind all of Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s on-site food venues, catering services, and gift shops. We are pleased to introduce Nathan Dirnberger as Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s new Executive Chef. He will manage all aspects of Grizzly Grill, Safari Café, as well as a Taste of the Wild catering, the zoo’s on-site event catering company.

Prior to joining the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo team, Chef Nathan was the Executive Chef at Nosh, an eclectic downtown restaurant. His passion for cooking began when he was just 13-years-old working as an associate at a gourmet food store. Chef Nathan is a Colorado native and has resided in Colorado Springs for the past 20 years. In his free time, he enjoys anything outdoors-camping, hiking, mountain biking, and he loves playing basketball.

We recently asked Chef Nathan a few questions to help you get to know him a little better.

CMZoo – Okay, What is your favorite zoo animal?

Chef Nathan – My favorite animal is a giraffe.

CMZoo - What is your favorite exhibit at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo?

Chef Nathan – Seeing all of the blueprints, I think Encounter Africa will be my new favorite exhibit. Plus, I’m a big fan of the rhinoceros and elephants that will be in this new exhibit.

CMZoo - What are you looking forward to most in your new position?

Chef Nathan – I’m looking forward to representing Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in the community and at upcoming cooking competitions. I’m also really excited about being a part of a great team and continuing a lot of very innovative projects started before my hire. For instance, I can’t wait to expand our current rooftop garden, which can be seen from the Mountaineer Sky Ride.

CMZoo – What new dishes do you plan to add to the menu?

Chef Nathan –I’m excited to introduce an authentic cuisine into each month’s menu. This month, on Saturdays and Sundays, we will be highlighting Mexican recipes. Next month Asian dishes will be on the menu.

CMZoo - What is your favorite food?

Chef Nathan – I don’t have one favorite - I love ALL food!

CMZoo - What is your favorite dessert?

Chef Nathan – I love anything with fruit.

Chef Nathan invites you to stop by the Grizzly Grill or Safari Café and say “hi” the next time you are exploring Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.   

No Bake Strawberry Cheesecake

Ingredients:

Filling:

·        1 ½ cup Fresh Strawberries

·        ¼ cup Sugar

·        Pinch of Salt

Cheesecake:

·        2 cups Softened Cream Cheese

·        1 tsp Vanilla Extract

·        1 tsp Almond Extract

·        Juice of ½ a Lemon

·        ¼ cup Powdered Sugar

Crust:

·        1 cup Graham crackers

·        1/8 cup sugar

Directions:

In a small sauce pan, combine strawberries, sugar, and salt over med-low heat.  

Cook strawberries down until all combined and very pliable, then place in the refrigerator. 

Meanwhile, in a mixer, mix cream cheese, vanilla, almond and lemon. 

Slowly add the powdered sugar to the cream cheese mixture until well combined, and refrigerate.

In a food processor, mix graham crackers and sugar, blitz until mixture is a fine powder. 

Once strawberry and cream cheese mixture is chilled, add a ½ inch of strawberries to the bottom of a small/medium ramekin.

Using a spoon, add cream cheese mixture to top of strawberries filling up to the top of the ramekin. 

Dust the top of mixture with graham cracker dust, slightly patting it down to form a crust. 

Garnish with a fresh mint leaf. 

Cheesecake and strawberry mixtures can both be made a day prior and then assembled at time of use.     

An Easy Holiday Treat

White Bean and Prosciutto Bruschetta

Taste of the Wild Catering, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

Bruschetta:

2/3 cup dry white or cannellini beans, cooked and cooled

1 small clove garlic, minced

 2 - 3 green onions, sliced

2 - 3 oz Prosciutto, sliced thin and pulled apart into smaller pieces

3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp lemon juice

Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Crostini:

 1 baguette, sliced thin, toasted and brushed lightly with extra virgin olive oil

Mix all of the Bruschetta ingredients in a bowl. Spoon those mixed ingredients on top of the Crostine and serve at your next Holiday party.

From BBQ to Black Tie...

Meet Kassy Boyd

Catering Manager, Taste of the Wild Catering
Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

Kassy joined the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo team in June 2011. After graduating from Colorado State University, she moved to Denver and worked at the Denver Zoo for the concessionaire, KM Concessions & Service Systems Associates. Her positive attitude, willingness to learn, and desire to excel quickly advanced her into upper-management as the Catering Operations Manager. When the Catering Sales & Ops Manager position opened at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, she eagerly accepted the promotion and relocated to Colorado Springs.

As the face of Taste of the Wild Catering, Kassy is committed to making your event at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo a success. She operates a full-service catering department and manages the entire process, from facility and catering sales to setup and tear down on event day.

Managed by Service Systems Associates, Taste of the Wild excels at any and every event style, from BBQ to black tie. The Lodge at Moose Lake is centrally located inside the zoo - a spaciously cozy event space with spectacular views of Colorado Springs and versatility beyond your wildest imagination.

The Lodge at Moose Lake is still available for rental during Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s 2011 Electric Safari. Your guests will enjoy warmth and refreshment while taking in the over 1 million lights throughout the zoo. Groups can also “stray from the pack” on select December dates and rent the whole zoo for a more personal touch. Don’t miss out on this affordable opportunity for your guests to check this holiday tradition off their lists!

To book your holiday party, company picnic, summer wedding, or for general inquiries about Taste of the Wild Catering at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, contact Kassy at 719.314.0970 or email catering@cmzoo.org.