A Presidential Cooking Demonstration: Chef Paul Kahan teams up with 12-year-old chef Tess Boghossian for a Healthy Lunch Demonstration Nov. 15 at Green City Market

CHICAGO, Illinois (Nov 1, 2014) Chicago chef extraordinaire Paul Kahan (Blackbird, avec,The Publican Big Star, Nico Osteria and others) will be teaming up with rising culinary artist Tess Boghossian, a 12 year old from Palatine, to do a cooking demonstration at 10:30 a.m., Saturday, November 15 at the Green City Market’s indoor location, the Peggy Notebaert Museum (2430 N. Clark St.). The demonstration will feature Boghossian’s creation, Lincoln’s Inaugural Soup, a recipe that won the praise of First Lady Michelle Obama in her “Healthy Lunchtime Challenge.”

As a part of the Let’s Move! initiative to encourage healthy lifestyles, the demonstration also will include a simple, affordable, and healthy  recipe to make at home.

After being inspired by the duo’s healthy take on the soup President Lincoln was served after his inauguration, guests may shop Green City Market’s wide selection of fresh and local goods to spark their own creativity for healthy recipes. The market is open Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

About Paul Kahan

Executive Chef and Partner Paul Kahan has become the nationally recognizable face of Chicago chefs. Passionately seasonal, unconventionally creative and dedicated to the inspiration of classical cuisine, Kahan has received international acclaim for Blackbird, avec, The Publican, Big Star, Publican Quality Meats, Nico Osteria and most recently Dove’s Luncheonette. Awarded Outstanding Chef by the James Beard Foundation in 2013 and Best Chef of the Midwest in 2004, Kahan has earned the praise of many who claim him to be one of America’s most influential working chefs. For more information, visit http://www.oneoffhospitality.com

About Tess Boghossian
Tess is a 12-year old from Palatine, Illinois who swooned Michelle Obama with her “Lincoln’s Inaugural Soup Recipe” that she submitted to the First Lady’s Healthy Lunchtime Challenge. Her winning recipe earned her a trip to the White House and a seat at the presidential dinner table with President Barack Obama and the 53 other winners, one from each state. An avid reader and history enthusiast, Tess was inspired by the soup her favorite president, Abe Lincoln was served after his inauguration. She approached the old recipe with a mission of making it healthier while paying tribute to Lincoln. After laboring in the kitchen for a few days, Tess perfected Lincoln’s Inaugural Soup by adding whole grains, lean protein, and lots of vegetables. See recipe below.                                                                                                    

Lincoln’s Inaugural Soup Recipe:
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, peeled and diced
1 small parsnip, peeled and chopped
½ cup chopped green beans
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 quart low-sodium chicken broth
½ cup cooked quinoa
1 cup chopped asparagus (tough ends discarded)
8 ounces canned white beans, rinsed
½ cooked rotisserie chicken, skin removed, and chopped or 2 cups skinless boneless cooked chicken, chopped
1 quart low-sodium chicken broth
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper

Preparation
In a large pot, warm the olive oil over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion for 4 minutes or until soft. Add parsnips, green beans, and carrots, and continue to cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chicken broth, bring to a boil and then add quinoa. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add asparagus, white beans, and chicken, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 5 minutes more, or until the chicken is heated through.

About Green City Market
Green City Market is a 501 (c) (3) not for profit organization celebrating its 16th anniversary. The mission of Green City Market is to provide a marketplace for purchasing sustainably grown food and to educate, promote and connect farmers and local producers directly to chefs, restaurateurs and the greater Chicago community. Green City Market values education about quality food and its source. Green City Market is funded by individual donations, corporation sponsorships, grants and fund raising events. For more information visit http://www.greencitymarket.org/.