A surefire strategy to smuggle the green stuff into your kid’s diet, from Chef Hailee Moore, one of Kitchensurfing’s family-friendly chefs.

Holy Broccomole

1 medium head fresh broccoli, blanched (or 1 10oz box frozen broccoli)
2 whole avocado, pitted and scooped, divided
Juice of 1 lime
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon coriander
½ cup cilantro leaves, chopped
1-bunch scallions, chopped
Salt to taste

1. Divide avocado meat in half.  Place ½ in food processor with cooked broccoli and other ½ in large mixing bowl and set aside.  Puree ½ avocado and broccoli until smooth, set aside.

2. With “potato masher” or back of fork, mash ½ avocado in mixing bowl (perfect job for the kids!) until broken down but still a bit chunky.  Combine pureed mix with the chunky.

3. Stir in lime juice, cumin, coriander, cilantro, and scallion until combined.  Add salt to taste.

Serve as you would guacamole, and watch the kids gobble it up.

If you’re looking for more kid-friendly chefs like Hailee, email us, and Kitchensurfing will set you up with a chef of your own.

Or, “How to Make Current Food Trends Work for You.”

Chef Mirijana Ujkic’s food is based on all things local. Aggressively local. And that has helped her and partner Keith Knott become the most frequently booked chefs on Kitchensurfing.

From their own, house-cured and smoked charcuterie to the freshest local exotic seafood, produce and protein, they deliver something we hereby name “Aggro-Local.”

Here’s a quick look at some of the ways Mirijana and Keith have separated from the pack:

1. Be Interesting
If you have a show-stopping dish that fits the client, make sure it’s on the menu. It’s a lot easier to say no to “pan-seared tilapia” than “miso-glazed blowfish tails.”

There are a lot of chefs in the sea, but you’re the only one who is an expert on your food. A few lines about the type of food you make, why you make it, and why it’s the best there is will go a long way.

2. Know All Your Farmers’ Names
If you serve rustic, farm-to-table food, make sure you know the farm. If you can describe exactly where the meal came from, and why it’s the best there is, your clients will taste the difference.

3. Have a Voice
This applies as much to technical skills as to the story behind your dish and your knowledge ingredients. Your ingredients make it local, your story makes it personal, and your skills make it great. Taken altogether, this is your culinary voice. It’s your job to make sure that voice shows in your profile, your menus, and your service.

4. Send Great Menus, Not the Kitchen Sink
If you can make every dish under the sun, that’s great — but your client is only interested in their meal. Take the time to edit, and send over a menu proposal customized to them. It’s hard to say no to a menu that’s truly one of a kind.

When you think aggressively about what you do best, you’re the expert. So, when you recommend a dish, it means more.

5. Make it Yourself
If you make your own charcuterie, mozzarella, chili oil, herbal salt — anything, talk about it and explain your process. This is what makes your dishes one of a kind, and this is why you’re the only one who can make them.

ALERT: Until the end of June, @Kitchensurfing is running a food quote contest. The most likes, loves, favorites, reteweets gets a Kitchensurfing chef of your choice gratis (max 4 people). Rules: 1) Quote must be real and with attribution. 2) @ us in your entry. 3) Use hashtag #ksquotegame. Post something good, pick a chef, enjoy.

Note:  we’re just looking for the best quotes out there. Though, if you want to add yours to an image, by all means, go right ahead.

5. The Classic American Picnic - Chef Jaz Charles

Goat’s milk fried chicken. Fresh corn biscuits. Rhubarb-berry cobbler. This meal checked every box for “classic American summer” and then some. Bonus points for fresh ice cream-custard hybrid to go with dessert, and the cheesiest, crouton-iest mac and cheese ever seen at Kitchensurfing HQ.

See the full menu Here.

4. Scotch Tasting In Boston - Chef Nathan Moore

Our Boston Lobster Roller Champion took on quite the challenge. Bold flavors, subtle flavors, earthy flavors, boozy flavors. A meal paired with Scotch needs some fortitude. You know what has fortitude? Smoked prawns and hanger steak are what.

But those are just two of the courses. Chef Nathan crafted a five course tasting menu and a dessert to match five scotches, from peppery to sherry-like, smokey to peaty. Not one to shy away from wordplay, he even managed to work in a butterscotch custard with salted chocolate for dessert. Clever.

See the full menu.

3. Most Popular Menu - Chef Elyse Bekins

Chef Elyse Bekins’ Tapas Party menu is proving to be a summer hit among Kitchensurfing users in NYC, and it’s easy to see why.

The menu includes several popular summer items, including lamb meatballs with romesco, fresh scallops, and small bites of fresh summer ingredients like crostini with fava beans and local microgreens. Just add a bottle of cava and you have the perfect summer meal.

2. Backyard Luau for an 80th Birthday - Chef Chris Hallahan

As a chef in Boston, you don’t get to take on a luau very often. In fact, the closest you can come is probably a “Hawaiian slice,” from the local pizza joint. Which is to say, not close at all.

Not to be deterred, Chris Hallahan signed up for an 80th birthday party for a crowd of 70, Hawaiian style. Kalua pig traditionally means a whole pig, slow-roasted in an underground fire pit (more info here). After roasting for 6-7 hours, the pork is shredded, giving it an appearance not unlike Mexican carnitas.

Chris’ take on traditional Kalua comes without the fire pit, but with all the flavor intact. The final dish is closer in flavor to a shredded char siu, and is served with a jicama slaw. Sounds perfect for a luau.

See the full menu here.

1. Arrested Development Brunch - Chef Mirijana Ujkic

Memorial Day Weekend saw the much-anticipated return of Arrested Development to much fanfare and many creative celebrations.

In Brooklyn, chefs Mirijana Ujkic and Keith Knott, themselves big fans of the show, had the opportunity to prepare a themed brunch in advance of a binge watch of the new season. The menu featured culinary favorites from the show, leading up to (of course) the frozen banana, Bluth-style.

Here’s the full menu:

Dead Dove and Eggs – Fresh Doves from a free range farm on Long Island, broiled and served with fresh free range eggs.

Magician Alliance Rabbit and Sausage – Fresh Hudson Valley Boneless rabbit served with housemade lamb sausage

George Michael’s Mayo Egg on Brioche – Farm fresh egg salad with organic mayo on fresh brioche

Copper River Salmon Rolls – The very best Salmon served wrapped around fresh farmers cheese and herbs

Cornballs – with house cured pancetta and fresh corn, rolled and air fried.

Chocolate Covered Bananas – with fine Belgian Chocolate. Served Bluth style, frozen on a stick.