I took this at Back to the Boardwalk. It's the reason I love street fairs so much.
Thursday
Wednesday
Metropolitan Montessori School
This week I was able to work a catering job for the Metropolitan Montessori School
The majority of my prep work responsibilities consisted of glazing and decorating the Mexican chocolate cake; made with cocoa, cinnamon and cayenne pepper. It was also completely vegan. There were seven of them, all different sizes, but all lovely and delicious.
I spent the rest of the evening setting up, working, and breaking down the event. It was a lovely group of people to work with and for and I actually enjoyed myself.
this is really old
This is from my first back-of-the-house job. I was an intern at The Manor House and it was wicked slow one night, so the chef working the line let me cook. I made shrimp scampi and chicken franchise. and nothing got sent back.
*high fives self behind back*
Catering by Lisette
If you’re looking for the portrait of a tragic corporate American casualty, then Michelle Belasco is sure to disappoint.
However, if you’re looking for a fried collared green dumpling that will make you smack your mama, she’s your new best friend in the kitchen.
Michelle (along with her sassy kitchen alter ego Lisette), runs Catering by Lisette out of her home, and out of necessity. After being laid off from her lofty, yet suddenly unnecessary job, she set to work making her passion her income.
Her signature service is a series of miniaturized entrées, served within a bite or two. Now, miniaturizing things might sound old, but she’s resourceful about it. Her dishes make sense because they aren’t just shrunken, they are adapted for size. Her pulled beef short ribs with roasted baby potatoes and caramelized brussle sprouts impressed me. She didn’t cut up large potatoes and roast them, or turn a large cabbage into a savory slaw. She thought about it for a minute, and made something beautiful.
Although she admits to never being classically trained, she claims to have cooking, ‘in her soul’, which frankly puts her miles ahead of many ‘trained’ chefs. Also, she exhibits an unapologetic sense of restraint, both in her dishes and in her decision making. (Restraint is, in my opinion, the unsung knife skill; they should list it just below julienne, but way before tourne.) She has admitted to turning down work, not because she was too busy, but because she wasn’t feeling it.
At first, I thought she might have been crazy, turning down work, but when I thought about it again, and good for her. She has a vision, and she’s really building something for herself. Most entrepreneurs run in to trouble when they take on every opportunity they can get their hands on. But her restraint automatically gives her a reputation of being a little hard to get, and maybe too good to conform to exactly what you want. If you’re gonna hire her, it’s not because you need a service, it’ll be because you want exactly what she’s selling.
We could all learn a lot from that.
fudge bottoms
These are the closest I have so far to an original recipe; I reworked it from one of Martha's. She had them as sandwich cookies with a butter cream, I changed the recipe a little and made them a spritz cookie with fudge painted on the bottoms.
I'm reworking them again to make them gluten free.
Brooklyn bridge cake
This was one of my first cakes. It convinced me that I did not in fact need fondant.
Happy Birthday Caitlin
Chocolate cake with pink butter cream and white flowers. I think it came pretty cute.
I'm pissy
…because volunteering at the James Beard house is only available to current culinary students. What the french, toast?
Not to sound ridiculous, but the James Beard house was out of my league during school. I was seventeen. But now I’ve got my shit together and I’m actually starting to cook in a professional setting, and frick, i missed my chance.
If you work there for a certain amount of hours you get a free dinner for two. I wanted to take boyfriend for his birthday.
Friday
fins and all
Something very primal came over me...
and i went to town on this little guy.
✌
 |
| Banchan at BCD Tofu House |
✌
Put the Menu Down
Growing up in a mostly Italian household in a suburban neighborhood, regretful as it is, I had a pretty sheltered diet. The Mediterranean menu is expansive, but I didn't start eating outside of my comfort zone until I was an adult.
As a child I loved eating and I was never picky. I ate octopus, and olives, and different kinds of cheeses; all things that the other children in my family would shy away from, in favor of mashed potatoes. I also tended to fall in love with foods, an addictive personality plus my first taste of eggplant parmigiana led to me waking my mother up at three am to heat me up the left overs, (I was five and she still tells that story like it was cute, and not at all annoying as hell).
Once at a restaurant I tried to order the tuna steak because I had seen it on television and decided I wanted it. But I was a child and I wasn't expected to like it, so someone ordered me the shrimp instead. I was very pissy about that.
I think that's the reason I wound up going to school for pastry and not culinary; pastries are so much more available, especially to children. No one is afraid you won't like it, because its assumed that anything sweet will appeal to a child.
Food actually became my very tame way of rebelling. Eating foods outside of my maturity range gained me an odd sort of attention. (So did skipping college and heading to culinary school.) The first 'rebellious" food I had was actually Capn'Crunch. My mom wouldn't buy it because we were a healthy cereal family, but it haunted my dreams, so I tried it at a friends house one day. The second was rabbit. Then there was the time I went to a wedding and ordered duck. That duck was the best thing I've ever eaten. I don't know if it was so good because it was actually good, or because it just wasn't chicken.
Now I have found myself working at two jobs that epitomize the attitude of my childhood, my flavor greedy, Christopher Columbus, giddy as a school girl at the dinner table attitude. At Hot Pot Culinary Events, we do flavor mash-ups. I can tell my boss was the kid who would spend lunch time constructing an edible disaster out of bits and pieces of traded snacks. It's a good fit because I was that kid too. It's still hard for me to watch other people partake in the events, because while I'm setting up all the ingredients, my mind is racing with ideas.
While I'm working the Korean Food Festival, I'm less frustrated, only because I know there's a staff meal waiting at the end of my shift, full of things that I've never tried before. Also, I tend to see myself in some of the people who hop on my line. We're creating an amazing opportunity. Any time a small child is waiting on the line with their parent, I always offer them some Bibimbop or Bulgogi or whatever the sample dish is that day. If they don't take it, I understand, but if they do, it makes me happy, and I congratulate them on being my littlest foodie. They're doing the right thing by being adventurous, and they deserve that positive feed back.
My favorite experience this week has been our trip to Kunjip. It's basically a 24 hour traditional Greek diner, only instead of Greeks, it's Koreans. Kunjip is the busiest place on Korea Way and for good reason. The atmosphere is warm and wonderful, and the food is unbeatable. I was comfortable here, and I had already made friends with our host, so when the menu was placed in front of me, I studied it for a while, but then I passed it off, and told my new found tour guide that I didn't know what I was doing and that he should order for me.
He ordered in Korean so I was left in the dark until the steaming, sizzling hot bowl of Hamool Bibimbop was placed in front of me. Bibimbop is a beginners dish, but Hamool Bibimbop is full of seafood like mussels and scallops and little itty bitty tentacles, which makes it a little more adventurous. It was the most amazing thing I've ever eaten. I also had some spicy octopus and udon noodles off a friend's plate. That's what I'll be ordering next time I go back.
As much as I'm looking forward to returning to Kunjip, I'm anticipating something else even more. The next time I find myself in a cultural restaurant, I shan't be getting something safe for fear of wasting my money on a bad pick, instead I'll be handing my menu back to the waiter at the Ethiopian cafe and letting him bring me his favorite thing. Try it sometime, if you think you can learn a lot from wearing some one else's shoes, you'd be amazed what becomes clear when you're eating at their dinner table.
As a child I loved eating and I was never picky. I ate octopus, and olives, and different kinds of cheeses; all things that the other children in my family would shy away from, in favor of mashed potatoes. I also tended to fall in love with foods, an addictive personality plus my first taste of eggplant parmigiana led to me waking my mother up at three am to heat me up the left overs, (I was five and she still tells that story like it was cute, and not at all annoying as hell).
Once at a restaurant I tried to order the tuna steak because I had seen it on television and decided I wanted it. But I was a child and I wasn't expected to like it, so someone ordered me the shrimp instead. I was very pissy about that.
I think that's the reason I wound up going to school for pastry and not culinary; pastries are so much more available, especially to children. No one is afraid you won't like it, because its assumed that anything sweet will appeal to a child.
Food actually became my very tame way of rebelling. Eating foods outside of my maturity range gained me an odd sort of attention. (So did skipping college and heading to culinary school.) The first 'rebellious" food I had was actually Capn'Crunch. My mom wouldn't buy it because we were a healthy cereal family, but it haunted my dreams, so I tried it at a friends house one day. The second was rabbit. Then there was the time I went to a wedding and ordered duck. That duck was the best thing I've ever eaten. I don't know if it was so good because it was actually good, or because it just wasn't chicken.
Now I have found myself working at two jobs that epitomize the attitude of my childhood, my flavor greedy, Christopher Columbus, giddy as a school girl at the dinner table attitude. At Hot Pot Culinary Events, we do flavor mash-ups. I can tell my boss was the kid who would spend lunch time constructing an edible disaster out of bits and pieces of traded snacks. It's a good fit because I was that kid too. It's still hard for me to watch other people partake in the events, because while I'm setting up all the ingredients, my mind is racing with ideas.
While I'm working the Korean Food Festival, I'm less frustrated, only because I know there's a staff meal waiting at the end of my shift, full of things that I've never tried before. Also, I tend to see myself in some of the people who hop on my line. We're creating an amazing opportunity. Any time a small child is waiting on the line with their parent, I always offer them some Bibimbop or Bulgogi or whatever the sample dish is that day. If they don't take it, I understand, but if they do, it makes me happy, and I congratulate them on being my littlest foodie. They're doing the right thing by being adventurous, and they deserve that positive feed back.
My favorite experience this week has been our trip to Kunjip. It's basically a 24 hour traditional Greek diner, only instead of Greeks, it's Koreans. Kunjip is the busiest place on Korea Way and for good reason. The atmosphere is warm and wonderful, and the food is unbeatable. I was comfortable here, and I had already made friends with our host, so when the menu was placed in front of me, I studied it for a while, but then I passed it off, and told my new found tour guide that I didn't know what I was doing and that he should order for me.
He ordered in Korean so I was left in the dark until the steaming, sizzling hot bowl of Hamool Bibimbop was placed in front of me. Bibimbop is a beginners dish, but Hamool Bibimbop is full of seafood like mussels and scallops and little itty bitty tentacles, which makes it a little more adventurous. It was the most amazing thing I've ever eaten. I also had some spicy octopus and udon noodles off a friend's plate. That's what I'll be ordering next time I go back.
As much as I'm looking forward to returning to Kunjip, I'm anticipating something else even more. The next time I find myself in a cultural restaurant, I shan't be getting something safe for fear of wasting my money on a bad pick, instead I'll be handing my menu back to the waiter at the Ethiopian cafe and letting him bring me his favorite thing. Try it sometime, if you think you can learn a lot from wearing some one else's shoes, you'd be amazed what becomes clear when you're eating at their dinner table.
 |
| It felt like home. |
✌
Tuesday
oh!
And i'm going to start an Etsy account soon because i like to knit things while i commute to work.
And i don't need forty wool hats.
And i don't need forty wool hats.
Last Day at Lucky Rice
Our little truck parked outside the Astor Center for the final event of LuckyRice 2011.
We were promoting Jennifer Maeng of Temple Catering in Brooklyn Heights. She made a bulgogi bibimbop for us to give away, and then gave a demo of her recipe inside the festival.
oh hey, maybe this would be useful if you're not korean.
Bulgogi: thinly sliced cuts of prime meat, marinated for up to several days and grilled with some mixed vegetables and served with rice.
Bibimbop: a mixture of rice, julienned vegetables, a protein, (bulgogi, chicken, fish, or tofu), and a possible garnish, including but not limited to, egg, seaweed or sesame seeds. Usually eaten with Gochujang sauce. It can be served cold, which is wonderful, or hot, in a sizzling hot ceramic bowl that cooks an amazing raw egg garnish when you stir it.
Gosari: it's like a fern. it's good. =]
Gochujang: a traditional Korean sauce made from red chili powder, glutinous rice powder, powdered fermented soybeans and salt . (i pronounce it 'go to john' sauce because of my thick white girl accent)
Now you're all ready for K-town.
✌
 |
| She's hella intense and i may love her. |
oh hey, maybe this would be useful if you're not korean.
Bulgogi: thinly sliced cuts of prime meat, marinated for up to several days and grilled with some mixed vegetables and served with rice.
Bibimbop: a mixture of rice, julienned vegetables, a protein, (bulgogi, chicken, fish, or tofu), and a possible garnish, including but not limited to, egg, seaweed or sesame seeds. Usually eaten with Gochujang sauce. It can be served cold, which is wonderful, or hot, in a sizzling hot ceramic bowl that cooks an amazing raw egg garnish when you stir it.
 |
| egg, lettuce, bean sprouts, carrots, greens, onions, and gosari. |
Gochujang: a traditional Korean sauce made from red chili powder, glutinous rice powder, powdered fermented soybeans and salt . (i pronounce it 'go to john' sauce because of my thick white girl accent)
Now you're all ready for K-town.
✌
Sunday
sweet gig
I got to work the Lucky Rice festival this year!
The Night Market and the Talk and Taste events.
The Night Market, held under the Dumbo Arch in Brooklyn, has been getting bad press, which i dislike 'cause I had a wonderful time. Although that could have had something to do with my positioning. I was working as hostess for the Taste of Korea NYC truck which was prepared to give away 2,000 spicy Korean pork belly sliders from Danji restaurant on 52nd street.
Word around the arch was, our truck was the place to be.
Plus the rain cleared out just in time for the festival to start, and the cold was barely noticeable with a few heating pads strapped to my body, so like I was saying, perfect weather for a festival.
The Talk and Taste on Sunday was a lot of fun too. We worked as sort of a prefix to the event, showcasing Jennifer Maeng's bibimbop... bibimbop... *whispers*... bibimbop.
Any who, later, inside the event, she gave a wonderful demo of the recipe.
The Korean Food Festival will be carrying on without Lucky Rice and with me (happy) for another two weeks. Driving around the city and giving away free Korean Lunch at a different spot every weekday. We give away between 350 and 500 free samples from a different restaurant every day. So come find us, and get some... bibimbop.
http://www.facebook.com/TasteofKoreaNYC
✌
The Night Market and the Talk and Taste events.
The Night Market, held under the Dumbo Arch in Brooklyn, has been getting bad press, which i dislike 'cause I had a wonderful time. Although that could have had something to do with my positioning. I was working as hostess for the Taste of Korea NYC truck which was prepared to give away 2,000 spicy Korean pork belly sliders from Danji restaurant on 52nd street.
Word around the arch was, our truck was the place to be.
 |
| The Night Market is meant to mimic the night markets of Thailand. |
 |
| That's me, in the hat! Am i taller then you expected? Okay no seriously, I'm the twelve year old in the chef coat. |
Plus the rain cleared out just in time for the festival to start, and the cold was barely noticeable with a few heating pads strapped to my body, so like I was saying, perfect weather for a festival.
The Talk and Taste on Sunday was a lot of fun too. We worked as sort of a prefix to the event, showcasing Jennifer Maeng's bibimbop... bibimbop... *whispers*... bibimbop.
Any who, later, inside the event, she gave a wonderful demo of the recipe.
The Korean Food Festival will be carrying on without Lucky Rice and with me (happy) for another two weeks. Driving around the city and giving away free Korean Lunch at a different spot every weekday. We give away between 350 and 500 free samples from a different restaurant every day. So come find us, and get some... bibimbop.
http://www.facebook.com/TasteofKoreaNYC
✌
Spring Fever
The boyfriend and I went to the zoo today and found that even on the inside, Friday night is still date night.
 |
Dinner, |
 |
and a movie. |
✌
Francine Segan
She's my new favorite person. Food historian, cook book author, culinary arts teacher and wonderful hostess. I wish there were more people like her in the world.
Read her books.
✌
Happy Earth Day
I planted a garden.
 |
Sage, watering bottle, lavender, black basil, more sage. |
And it's kind of lovely.
✌
salad with fried goat cheese medallions
Sooooo, it's been stalking me. For serious, and I needed to make it myself.
 |
I ordered this at Panini Grill last week. Uncomfortably delicious. |
 |
Saw this on Barefoot Contessa about a month ago. I haven't been able to stop thinking about it. |
omnomnomnomnom
 |
Spinach, sugared walnuts, halved cherry tomatoes, julienned red onions, and breaded and fried medallions of goat cheese.
With a balsamic and walnut oil vinaigrette.
 |
wonderful |
I'm munching on the last bit of fried goat cheese as i type. I never want it to end.
✌
Hot Pot Culinary Events; Fresh Pasta!! 4/26/11
The event this week was a lovely 16 hour day, but I can assure you it was worth every minute. Grocery shopping, packing, a small flood, prep work, dicing dicing dicing, packing, driving, unpacking, some minor construction, setting up, and then the actual event itself could start.
*sigh*
Everyone met up at Traffic Bar and Resturant on what was, so far, the loveliest night of the spring.
This event was another flavor mash-up so the ingredients provided were preposterously delicious. There were two components the manufacturing of the dish, you could prepare your own ravioli stuffing and also your own sauce.
The pasta dough was pre-made but the guests rolled them out their selves.
Options for stuffings included soy beans, raisins, pumpkin pie filling, fresh fruit, minced veggies, herbs, peanut butter, and six or seven kinds of cheeses.
As for the sauces, there were five bases; hot cream, melted butter, tomato paste, olive oil and pesto sauce.
The possible combinations were truly endless.
 |
That's me in the chef coat, looking socially awkward, but very knowledgeable. |
It was a great night, and we had an interesting group of people who were all super easy going and very social. That always makes things better.
Everyone had fun, and made lots of pasta and a mess.
 |
Looks like a fun little mess |
✌
Hot Pot Culinary Events; Think outside the Guacs 4/20/11
My second event with Hot Pot was an awesome time. It was held at SideBar on 15th and Irving. Hot Pot supplied everyone with guacamole equipment and the restaurant provided a tasting menu of margaritas and home made tricolor nacho chips.
(I have a serious weakness for tricolor anything edible)
It was a Flavor Mash Up event, meaning the guests were taught how to make traditional guacamole, but then given ingredients like Nutella and cranberries to incorporate into their master pieces.
(Nutella is good in/on everything)
This is just a shot of the room before the event started. I thought it looked lovely. The room was empty when we got there and I love being partly responsible for turning an empty space into something beautiful.
The event as a whole was an absolute hit. Lots of cool people came and made lots of cool guacamole.
Just a side note, I'm still in disbelief that I spent 4/20 surrounded by peanut butter guacamole, yet there was not a joint in sight.
Just a little strange.
✌
Hot Pot culinary Events; Asian Dumplings 3/28/11
My first event was for a company that I'm interning with called Hot Pot Culinary Events. They organize social, interactive cooking classes for all occasions.
The name Hot Pot refers to the Asian cooking vessel. It's a large metal pot that's filled with stock and kept simmering over the fire. Ingredients like thinly sliced meats and veggies are dropped in, cooked, and eaten from communally, as a family or neighborhood.
The event went smoothly, everyone was able to design their own flavor combinations of Asian dumplings.
Somehow, I became in charge of steaming all of these little dumplings and keeping all the batches straight; a task I know do on the regular and refer to lovingly as 'steam jockey'.
 |
I'm aaaaaall the way at the end of the bar in my chef's coat, looking super tiny. |
It was right about the time this picture was taken that I decided I could get used to this.
✌
You're gonna do what? In this economy?
What is there to do with a looming sense of constant boredom, a degree in pastry arts, and a bottle of caffeine pills? Oh you'd be surprised my friend/complete stranger reading my blog.
In my quest to answer that very question, I've quit my harmonious, pleasant, mind numbingly boring job in an upscale Franco Italian bakery, in favor of the New York City events scene.
You might ask why I would do such a silly thing; for all the great health insurance? nope.
It's for the thrill. That's pretty much it. I make less money than I did, I work harder than I did, and my life has become completely unpredictable.
I'm having a blast though.
✌
In my quest to answer that very question, I've quit my harmonious, pleasant, mind numbingly boring job in an upscale Franco Italian bakery, in favor of the New York City events scene.
You might ask why I would do such a silly thing; for all the great health insurance? nope.
It's for the thrill. That's pretty much it. I make less money than I did, I work harder than I did, and my life has become completely unpredictable.
I'm having a blast though.
✌
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