The Fresh Cooking Patio at this year’s Realtors Home & Garden Show promises to enliven your taste buds with a packed selection of cooking demonstrations from area chefs and food experts.  Read more and get the full Cooking Patio schedule.

On Friday, March 27 at 2 p.m., Chef Andrew Ruiz will present a session entitled "Asparagus Risotto with Peas and Basil – A Taste of Spring!"

Andrew Ruiz is Executive Chef at Joey Gerard’s – A Bartolotta Supper Club, which opened its two locations in Greendale and in Mequon in the fall of 2012.

Creating thoughtful dishes was ingrained in Ruiz at an early age with nightly family meals and lively gatherings around fresh, well-prepared food. Having the opportunity to cook for his always-encouraging parents prepared him for restaurant work throughout high school, and it was when Ruiz moved to Minnesota that he started developing a true culinary passion.

After working in several high-profile Minnesota restaurants, Ruiz put his training first and became employed at a gourmet grocery store called Surdyk’s. It was there that he learned about and fell in love with cheese – a passion he carries with him to this day. In 2001, a move to Milwaukee led him to Ristorante Bartolotta where he was Sous Chef training under Chef Juan Urbieta. Ruiz then became Chef de Cuisine at Bacchus in 2004 and then Executive Chef of The Rumpus Room in 2011.

A California native, Ruiz credits his parents for instilling in him a passion for food with their constant encouragement and willingness to allow him to prepare meals at a young age. That passion stays with him to this day as he shares his perspective on cooking from the soul with every dish that comes out of his kitchen. Ruiz prefers a simplified approach to cooking, incorporating a few incredible ingredients that when innovatively combined, create a dish that will be loved.

As executive chef at Joey Gerard’s, Ruiz enjoys creating a value-oriented menu incorporating fine-dining execution with a spin on casual supper club favorites. 

This is a recipe for New York Strip steak salad, which Chef Ruiz demonstrated at the Home & Garden Show this past Friday.

Joey Gerard’s New York Strip Steak Salad
Serves 2

Lemon Vinaigrette
1/2 cup lemon juice
1.5 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 T honey
1 tsp Dijon
Zest of one lemon
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp minced shallot

Place all of the ingredients except the olive oil in a mixing bowl. Drizzle in the oil while whisking to create an emulsion.

Demi Sec Cherry Tomatoes
1 pint cherry tomatoes
6 garlic cloves, crushed
2 bay leaves, crushed
6 thyme sprigs
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix all of the ingredients together and lay out on a foil lined sheet tray. Place in a very low oven (200 degrees) for several hours, until the tomatoes are dried about half way.

Salad
1-12oz New York Strip Steak
1 large head Escarole, cut in quarters
1 head Radicchio, cut in quarters
1 cup radish, thinly sliced
1/2 cup shredded parmesan
1 cup Demi Sec Tomatoes
Lemon Vinaigrette
Salt and Pepper to taste

Prepare a grill so it is burning quite hot. Season the steak with salt and pepper and place on the grill. Cook until desired temperature, then take it off and let it rest.

Drizzle the Escarole and Radicchio with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the quarters on the grill and let them char. It will happen fairly quickly, turn them frequently. Place them on a cutting board and let them cool until you can handle them. Chop them up into larger pieces and place in a mixing bowl.

Add the radishes, Parmesan and Demi Sec Tomatoes. Dress with the lemon vinaigrette and toss. Slice the steak very thinly and serve with the salad.