Chef Bev Shaffer

Bev Shaffer is a chef, cooking school instructor and author specializing in recipe development and recipe testing. Some accomplishments ~ she has developed more than 10,000 recipes on a wide variety of subjects, and was invited to present a Winter Comfort Food Workshop (with Brownies, oh my!) at The James Beard House in New York City . 

She is the co-author of the cookbook No Reservations Required, and the author of BROWNIES To Die For!,  The Mustard Seed Market & Café Natural Foods Cookbook, and COOKIES To Die For! [released in a French language version as well as English] .  Her latest book is CAKES To Die For!

She is the Recipe Development and Nutrition Coordinator and Chef in the Test Kitchen at Vitamix World HQ.

Bev was also culinary (cookbook) editor for the books Healing Gourmet: Eat to Lower Cholesterol and Healing Gourmet: Eat to Boost Fertility, and was featured in Cooking with Les Dames D’Escoffier.

Bev is a freelance food writer; she continues to have great fun with her column (“Gadget Freak”), that appeared for over four years in Northern Ohio Live Magazine and her popular weekly column (“ Ask Bev”) that appeared for over eight years in the Cleveland Plain Dealer  is now available as part of her enewsletter, BITE THIS!  She has also crafted seasonal recipes with food tips for the Mountain Valley Spring Water website. She contributes to Uncle John’s Plant Farm blog, EAT PLANTS. Her latest blog, featuring kitchen gadgets and culinary necessities, is aptly named GADGET FREAK.

Formerly the Director of Mustard Seed Market’s Cooking Schools, Bev has also been a featured guest speaker on The History of Chocolate [and was invited back to present The History of Sugar] at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, she has also taught classes in collaboration with the Cleveland Clinic, the Cleveland Botanical Garden, Akron General Wellness Center and Summa Health Systems. 

Bev has made over 100 appearances on the four major Cleveland networks, on public television, and has been a producer and host of an award winning cooking show.  A virtual chef for an instructional/educational web site for public television, Bev created  a “cooking on camera” instructional class for Cuyahoga Community College.

She’s presented radio “cooking” segments on WAKR’s AM Morning Drive Time and

the popular “Bev’s Kitchen”, aired throughout the day on WCLV FM.  

Her Double Chocolate Raspberry Tart was featured in Chocolatier magazin e; BROWNIES To Die For! [now in its second printing] was featured in People Magazine ’s “Mother&rs quo;s Day Gift Guide”; and she was selected as one of the top 60 chefs by the National Turkey Federation for their 60th Anniversary Celebration.  She has been a Chef in Residence on www.vanilla.com.

Bev was chosen as recipient of the following international culinary writing fellowships at the Writers Colony at Dairy Hollow, Eureka Springs, Arkansas:

• Culinary Writing Fellowship sponsored by Weber Stephens (Weber grills)
• Culinary Writing Fellowship sponsored by the National Egg Board

She is involved in the community ~ and has presented healthy cooking classes for two cancer recovery centers ~ The Gathering Place and Ireland Cancer Center, and has taught cooking with a French and Spanish accent to high school language classes. 

Bev’s low fat recipes were filmed for Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine.  The American Culinary Federation has requested her presentations, and her edible Christmas tree ornaments were hung on four “culinary” trees in the Grand Foyer at the White House.

A member of:  International Association of Culinary Professionals; Chefs Collaborative; Women Chefs and Restaurateurs, and a founding member of Les Dames d’Escoffier – Cleveland-Northeastern Ohio Chapter.

Recipes by Chef Bev Shaffer

A little nice, a little naughty…recipes by Chef Bev Shaffer

Tastes Like Summer Green Smoothie

preparation : 10 minutes                     processing: 30 seconds            yield: 2 3/4 cups (660 ml)

1/2 cup (120 ml) water

1 1/2 cups to 2 cups green grapes

2 1/2 cups (75 g) fresh spinach leaves

1/2 cup (12 g) fresh basil leaves

1 Tablespoon fresh parsley leaves, optional

1/2 orange, peeled, seeded

1 cup (165 g) fresh or frozen, thawed mango chunks

½ to 1 cup (120-240 ml) ice cubes

1. Place all ingredients into the Vitamix container in the order listed and secure lid.
2. Select Variable 1.
3. Turn machine on and slowly increase speed to Variable 10, then to High.
4. Blend for 30 seconds or until desired consistency is reached.

Chocolate Orange Fondue

preparation : 15 minutes • processing: 4-5 minutes • yield: 2 cups (480 ml)

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup (240 ml) heavy whipping cream

2 teaspoons grated orange peel

8 ounces (277 g) semi- sweet baking chocolate, rough chopped

3 Tablespoons (45 ml) Grand Marnier

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Place cream, orange peel and chocolate into the Vitamix container in the order listed and secure lid.

2. Select Variable 1.

3. Turn machine on and slowly increase speed to Variable 10, then to High, using the tamper as needed to keep mixture flowing.

4. Blend for 4 to 5 minutes or until mixture is smooth and warm.

5. Pour mixture into fondue pot.

6. Stir in Grand Marnier.

NOTE(S):  Dippers may include sponge cake, pound cake, sliced apples, sliced pears, marshmallows, pretzel sticks, strawberries, bananas, and fresh pineapple chunks.

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