Ms. Jones and Lucy watch the chef prepare ratatouille. (Craig Ruttle photos) | ZOOM |

        At home, it takes a lot more to be a good chef than acrobatic knife strokes and pretty plate presentation.

        Often, the home cook is juggling several chores — answering the phone, refereeing kid fights and sometimes scraping something off the kitchen floor — while boiling, baking and frying. And the “customers” at home can be very demanding.

        This is why Mary Swortwood was the perfect guest chef, as part of our Chef's Dinner Club series, to prepare a meal for Susan Jones and her three young children.

        Not only is Ms. Swortwood a trained chef who owns Brown Dog Cafe in Blue Ash and Tink's Cafe in Clifton, she is the mother of three children (ages 9, 12 and 14). She knows what it takes to feed — and please — kids.

        Ms. Jones was one of the first to join our Chef's Dinner Club in March, and she didn't hesitate when we cold-called her at 4 p.m. to ask if we could come over to fix dinner. But there was a catch.

Ms. Swortwood grills chicken while Ryan and Maggie Jones play at a toy kitchen. | ZOOM |

        “We have to eat by 6,” Ms. Jones warned. “I have to take my son to soccer practice.”

        When we put Ms. Swortwood on the line, she was less concerned about the 6 p.m. deadline than what Ms. Jones had in her fridge and pantry. According to Dinner Club rules, the chef must prepare the meal using only ingredients in the member's home. (This time, though, we did allow the chef to bring one custom ingredient. Ms. Swortwood chose fresh mangoes.)

Getting started


        Ms. Swortwood looks relieved as she puts down the phone. Ms. Jones has frozen chicken breasts, fresh vegetables, pasta and — can you believe it ? — an herb garden. Sounds like the makings of a meal.

        The drive from Ms. Swortwood's Blue Ash restaurant to the Jones' home in Union Township in Butler County takes only 15 minutes — we arrive by 4:30 p.m. When we peck on the side screen door, though, 4-year-old Maggie will only stare deeply from the couch in the den. She's not talking to strangers.

        Her mother meets us at the front door with 5-month-old Lucy on her hip. Her son, 6-year-old Ryan, is putting his soccer uniform on upstairs.

HOW THE CLUB WORKS

Here's how the Chef's Dinner Club works: We choose a member from our roster and call them late on an afternoon to invite the chef over. If they say yes, we bring the chef to fix dinner that night. The chef can use only the ingredients in the house.     Although we can't guarantee every member will be chosen, you still can apply for the club by sending us a letter with your name, neighborhood and phone number. Tell us why you'd like to have a chef over for dinner and send the letter to: Chef's Dinner Club, Cincinnati Enquirer, 312 Elm St., Cincinnati 45202.

        Her psychiatrist husband, Logan, is working late and won't come home in time for dinner. (She promises to save leftovers.) So Ms. Jones has invited her sister, Elaine McCormick, who lives in Lebanon, to come over for dinner. The sisters work together at a nearby software design company.

        The chef and Ms. Jones go out to the garage freezer to find the chicken breast, then to the backyard garden to clip thyme and chives. When she returns to the kitchen, Ms. Swortwood makes the inevitable search for pans and dishes in the unfamiliar cabinets.

        Once she's settled, the chef starts by tossing cut tomatoes with olive oil, minced garlic and thyme for the ratatouille-style casserole she plans to serve over pasta.

        “How do you do that?” Ms. Jones asks as the chef picks tiny leaves from the thyme sprigs.

        Ms. Swortwood explains she prefers to remove the leaves from the tough stems before chopping.

        While she's prepping, Ms. Swortwood quizzes Ms. Jones on which vegetables her children will eat. They like most, she says — especially broccoli.

        “How about zucchini?” Ms. Swortwood asks, holding up a slender squash.

        Their mother isn't sure.

        The chef's plan is to grill the zucchini and finish the ratatouille, but to serve the vegetables on the side of the pasta for the kids. That way, they can pick and choose. And just in case, she will also microwave a little broccoli.

Ms. Swortwood holds baby Lucy while Ryan, his aunt and mother start eating dinner. | ZOOM |

        “We only ask they take at least one bite of everything to try it,” Ms. Jones says.
       

Thawing the chicken

        By now, red-headed Ryan has come downstairs in his blue soccer uniform to watch the chef work. His shy sister, Maggie, is in her room trying to put Barbie on a pony, he says.

        To thaw the boneless chicken breasts, Ms. Swortwood has microwaved the poultry for several minutes in a bowl of water. Her theory is this method will help prevent the chicken from “cooking” around the edges while it thaws. The trick appears to have worked.

        The chef whips up a quick marinade for the bird using balsamic vinegar, honey, olive oil, garlic, chopped herbs and mustard. The mustard helps the marinade adhere to the chicken during grilling, Ms. Swortwood says, and provides extra flavor.

        Because of the approaching dinner deadline, the chicken gets only a quick dip in the marinade. Ms. Swortwood carries it and thinly sliced zucchini to the gas grill on the back patio. While she grills, Ryan and Maggie play at a nearby pretend kitchen, complete with fake French fries and plastic salt and pepper shakers. (Maggie likes plenty of salt on her fries.)

        When the zucchini has turned golden and the chicken is brown and crispy, Ms. Swortwood brings everything into the kitchen. To help prevent it from drying out, the chef will finish the grilled chicken in the oven a few minutes.

Now for the pasta

        She pours a box of long fusille (spiral-shaped) pasta into a pot of boiling water and starts dicing deep-orange mango for dessert. The chef's creative juices are flowing now. She's seen bananas on the counter — will she make a cold fruit salad or some kind of quick warm dessert?

        Her children tried mango last year and liked it, Ms. Jones remembers. So Ms. Swortwood decides to bake the fruit medley of diced mango, sliced bananas and canned pineapple (in the kids' favorite star shapes) with melted butter, brown sugar and powdered ginger.

        The fruit slides into the oven and the chicken comes out. While Ms. Jones feeds Lucy green oatmeal (“That's the way they make it, ” Ms. Jones says), the chef starts plating her entree. This is where the fancy chef skills come in handy. First, Ms. Swortwood fans several slices of grilled zucchini on a plate. She tops it with drained, hot pasta and a spoonful of ratatouille.

        Then she reaches into the fridge for a green can of grated Parmesan, but Ms. Jones stops her.

        “Wait. I have fresh Parmesan,” Ms. Jones says.

        Ms. Swortwood's eyes grow wide as Ms. Jones pulls out a hunk of cheese. She really does stock good ingredients.

        After sprinkling grated Parmesan on the ratatouille, the chef finishes the dish with sliced chicken breast, which looks moist and tender. Then she turns to young Ryan, who's watching nearby.

She wants "straight' noodles

        “Ryan, do you want your plate to look like this, or do you want me to make a different plate for you?,” Ms. Swortwood asks.

        “I want mine to look like that,” he says.

        She plates a smaller portion for brave Ryan — with a little nuked broccoli on the side — and he starts eating before his mother and aunt sit. It's a few minutes before six, which means the family has ample time to finish dinner before soccer practice.

        The only one not eating at this point is Maggie, who is demanding straight noodles — not those funny-looking curly noodles. (Actually, her aunt believes Maggie wants the mac & cheese from the blue box on the counter.) The little girl throws one of those minor fits 4-year-olds are famous for, and we ease out the door with waves.

        A few blocks away, we phone Ms. Jones to remind her we left dessert bubbling in the oven.

        “Maggie is at the table now,” she says. “And she's chowing down on the pasta.”

Recipes

        • Quick tip: If you know you're going to have pasta for dinner, chef Mary Swortwood recommends putting the water on to boil first to save time.

        Ms. Swortwood suggests roasting tomatoes for this simple ratatouille to boost the flavor and make the texture more “saucy.”

Roasted Tomato Ratatouille

        4 large beefsteak tomatoes or 6 to 8 roma tomatoes, cored and cut into chunks
        1 teaspoon salt
        1/2 teaspoon black pepper
        2 teaspoons fresh chopped garlic
        5 tablespoons olive oil
        1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
        1 large onion chopped
        1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded and roughly chopped
        Salt and pepper, to taste

        Heat oven to 400 degrees. Toss cut tomatoes with salt, black pepper, garlic, 4 tablespoons olive oil and thyme. Place in oven-proof dish and roast 15 to 20 minutes.

        After tomatoes have roasted, place in large skillet with remaining tablespoon oil, chopped onion, bell pepper, salt and pepper to taste. Saute over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until onions and peppers are soft, about 20 to 30 minutes. Serve alone as side dish or over pasta. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

        • Zucchini grilling tip: To make your grilled zucchini look and taste perfect, Ms. Swortwood suggests trimming both ends of the squash and slicing it thinly, about 1/4-inch thick. Place in dish, add salt, pepper and olive oil to cover. Grill over medium-heat, until golden brown on both sides. This method also works for eggplant.

Balsamic-Honey-Mustard Marinade

        1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
        1 cup olive oil
        1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
        1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
        1/2 teaspoon black pepper
        1 teaspoon salt
        2 tablespoons honey
        2 teaspoons prepared mustard, such as Dijon
        2 teaspoons chopped garlic

        Whisk all ingredients together in large bowl. Marinate chicken in refrigerator 6 to 12 hours or overnight. Makes enough marinade for 4 to 6 chicken breasts.

        • Chicken grilling tip: Chef Swortwood suggests browning chicken on outdoor grill for about 10 minutes. Then, finish roasting in 425-degree oven until done, about another 20 minutes.

Tropical Fruit Compote

        2 ripe mangoes, peeled and diced
        1 can pineapple chunks, drained
        1 banana, sliced
        1/2 cup brown sugar
        1 teaspoon ground ginger
        2 tablespoons butter, melted

        Combine all ingredients and bake in oven-proof casserole at 350 degrees about 10 minutes. Stir and serve as dessert or as warm topping for ice cream.

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