Three desserts are sitting on a table with a measuring cup in the background.
I think my favorite  cobbler was a recipe I developed with Chef Joshua Mackintosh for an ACF student chef  competition. We used raspberries, blueberries, strawberries & dark chocolate chips for the filling. It was delicious. Josh came in second place...  hmmm  \I'm not sure I agreed with that evaluation!    hahaha
A group of chefs are posing for a picture with a man in a suit

Cobblers & Crisps

I'm a fan of warm fruit cobbler with vanilla ice cream on top! It's a perfect, dessert!


St Andrew's Cafe at the CIA, often served  a seasonal, fruit crisp on the menu with low fat ice cream or yogurt on top. The crisp generally had less butter and additional, toasted walnuts and seeds in the topping. We served a smaller size portion to reduce calories.  The guests loved the crisps!

I think apple crisp was the most popular; the apples were sautéed in a very small amount of butter and sugar, then flavored with cinnamon and vanilla.


I grow blueberries, strawberries, gooseberries, currants, rhubarb etc.. in my yard. I use the fruit wood for smoking in my Big Green Egg.

I enjoy baking crips, cobblers, etc..  with the ripe fruit.


When I cook with rhubarb, I try to pick younger, thinner stalks so I don't need to peel them. If I wait and pick the fat, juicy stalks, I carefully peel the outer layer, slice the stalks thinly and always add something sweet-rhubarb is quite sour.

Apparantly the leaves are poisonous so I simply let them compost into the soil.

Prep Time: 30 min

Cooking Time: 25 min

Yield: 4 portions


Ingredients

Topping

4 Tbsp.    Butter

2 Tbsp ​    Sugar

4 Tbsp ​    AP Flour, sifted

1/2 tsp     Cinnamon

1 Cup        Granola

3 Tbsp.    Almonds, sliced

 

Filling

1 Cup       Rhubarb, rinsed, sliced thin

1 Cup       Blueberries, rinsed & no stems

4 Tbsp ​   Sugar

1 Tbsp.    AP Flour

1/2 tsp.    Orange zest

1 tsp​​        Vanilla​



How to Prepare the Crisp

Step 1

Rinse and then slice the rhubarb thinly.






Place the rhubarb, blueberries, sugar, flour, orange zest and vanilla into a bowl, whisk together.




You can also add a tsp of Grande Marnier if you like as well.

Step 2

Grate the cold butter into a mixing bowl, add the sugar, flour and cinnamon and blend together with a fork.









Add the granola and toasted almonds, blend evenly.



Step 3

Place the fruit filling into a ceramic dish, you can butter the dish but I don't find that it's necessary.








Top with the granola crips and place into a 350°F oven.

Bake for 20 minutes until nicely browned on top.




You can enjoy warm with ice cream, yogurt, whipped cream-but I love having this crisp for breakfast.

Beginners recipe: Vegetable Stock

By Tom Griffiths • January 16, 2026
I recently volunteered to prepare vegetable paella for a church Bible group potluck. I was very excited to develop a delicious, new paella recipe and spent time preparing fresh vegetable stock with flavors of the Mediterranean. I always prepare vegetable and fish stocks fresh, as I intend to use them. I’m not a fan of bases or frozen stocks but I sometimes add a small amount of quality base to my stocks.  A vegetable stock with mirepoix, cabbage, mushrooms makes sense in certain applications, for certain recipes—but why would we use a mushroom or cabbage-forward stock in a paella? It doesn’t make culinary sense. Paella is a Mediterranean dish originating in the Valencia region of Spain as a humble meal cooked on an open fire. I’ve enjoyed wonderful paella meals in Valencia prepared with water-not stock, prepared with rabbit, snails and local beans. While traveling through Spain this spring I researched and sampled many styles of paella… no mushrooms, no carrots, no celery and no cabbage.

Beginners recipe: Breakfast Burritos

By Tom Griffiths • January 16, 2026
I still remember cooking breakfast burritos with my son Daniel, for volunteer workers at church events—simple, hearty, and made to fuel a long day of service. The workers were always so appreciative. Years later, I served a crowd favorite, nicknamed “The Bacon-ator,” a breakfast superstar inspired by the over-the-top spirit of fast-food indulgence. We had a popular food booth at the local country fair, where we cooked hundreds of breakfast burritos each day-stuffed with Mexican cheeses, extra bacon, fluffy scrambled eggs, and fresh salsa—nothing pre-made, nothing rushed. Every burrito was warm, fresh, and full of flavor. When food is made with love, even the most straightforward breakfast is memorable.

Beginners recipe: Stuffed Peppers

By Tom Griffiths • January 15, 2026
Chefs often share a bond that transcends politics, religion, and borders. While working in Saudi Arabia with a diverse group of chefs, I experienced this firsthand on my final day. To mark the occasion, they prepared special dishes representing their home countries—a generous feast rooted in tradition and pride. At the center of the table was a beautiful tray of stuffed peppers, zucchini, cabbages, squash, and other vegetables, each prepared with care and respect. As we shared the meal, the chefs beamed with pride, and the room filled with a sense of genuine camaraderie. It was a powerful reminder that food remains one of the most universal languages we have.

Beginners recipe: Cutting Zuchini

By Tom Griffiths • January 15, 2026
I remember a chef teaching me to carefully slice the center seeds from a zucchini and then prepare beautiful dices for a ratatouilli. The seeds and center area get soft and mushy before the outer 'meaty' section of the squash cooks.

Macaroni and Cheese

By Tom Griffiths • January 15, 2026
Lobster macaroni and cheese is my all time favorite version of Mac and Cheese... I make it by preparing a classic lobster sauce, (flambé and all) and blending it with Béchamel sauce, macaroni and sweet, tender chunks of freshly poached lobster. Macaroni and cheese with pancetta

Culinary Basics; The Art of Stocks-Vegetable Stock

By Tom Griffiths • January 13, 2026
Culinary Basics: The Art of preparing Stocks

Paella

By Tom Griffiths • January 13, 2026
Paella is a Mediterranean dish originating in the Valencia region of Spain. It is a humble meal, originally cooked on an open fire. I’ve enjoyed many wonderful paella meals in Spain. In Valencia I had a local paella with rabbit, snails and local beans. Short-grained rice is always used to prepare Paella, there are several great Spanish varieties like Bomba and Calasparra , prized for absorbing the delicious, flavorful stock and flavors of the ingredients without getting mushy. This is important for creating the dish's signature, crusty bottom layer called the socarrat. Paella is all about the rice!

Copy of Beginners Recipe: Breakfast Burrito

By Tom Griffiths • January 7, 2026
I still remember cooking breakfast burritos with my son Daniel, for volunteer workers at church events—simple, hearty, and made to fuel a long day of service. The workers were always so appreciative. Years later, I served a crowd favorite, nicknamed “The Bacon-ator,” a breakfast superstar inspired by the over-the-top spirit of fast-food indulgence. We had a popular food booth at the local country fair, where we cooked hundreds of breakfast burritos each day-stuffed with Mexican cheeses, extra bacon, fluffy scrambled eggs, and fresh salsa—nothing pre-made, nothing rushed. Every burrito was warm, fresh, and full of flavor. When food is made with love, even the most straightforward breakfast is memorable. 

Tenderloin Steak

By Tom Griffiths • January 6, 2026
Beef Wellington is a restaurant classic! Chefs prepare whole tenderloins, wrapped in pastry as well as individually portioned Wellingtons. Culinary historians widely agree that Beef Wellington evolved from French preparations such as filet de bœuf en croûte, which paired beef tenderloin with mushrooms and pastry—techniques well established in French haute cuisine.

Zesting and cutting Orange Supremes

By Tom Griffiths • January 4, 2026
Oranges are fantastic in Baking & Pastry. I developed a delicious dessert for the CMC exam (Healthy Cooking) challenge featuring Orange Creamsicle Sorbet with Roasted, Candied Pineapple and Fruit Strudel... with plenty of guidance from the amazing CIA Pastry Instructors! Types of Oranges: There are several distinct varieties of oranges, each with unique characteristics and flavors. The most common type is the Navel orange , recognized for its seedless, sweet flesh and thick, easy-to-peel skin. Valencia oranges are another popular variety, primarily known for their juiciness and are often used for making orange juice. Other notable types include Blood oranges , which have a deep red interior and a distinct berry-like flavor, and Cara Cara oranges , characterized by their pinkish-red flesh and sweet taste. Additionally, Seville oranges , known for their bitterness, are mainly used in making marmalade and flavoring liqueurs.