Print and web. (WHERE WOMEN COOK)

On March 1st, issue #2 of the quarterly Where Women Cook was released into the wild. I was featured in it along with a gang of  talented ladies and their stories/recipes. It was an interesting experience to share what I do for a living and reflect on it a little. The camera even followed me to a few of my favorite gigs.

As if that wasn’t enough press, the WWC website is in the middle of posting a four-day blog blitz including my bio (April 4), favorite kitchen tips (April 5), some Mexican recipes I adapted from my 2008 trip (April 6) and a bit food porn (April 7). Check it out: wherewomencook.com

Breakfast love. (DAMASCUS BAKERY)

I am tempted to post this photo with no words at all. But that would be depriving the reader of some really great info. First of all, this is a breakfast spread put together by my sweetheart with some stuff he whipped up and some other items from Brooklyn’s incredible Damascus Bakery. The bakery is well known for fresh pitas, lavash and a selection of breads, which are also available in other locations. Onsite they turn out an enormous variety of pastries and sweets as well as some mind-blowing prepared dips and salads. Pictured above are tabouleh, muhammara and olive tapenade with a spice crusted flatbread (zataar bread, far left). There are also MG’s flourishes of perfectly cooked eggs, dried fruit, grapes, buttered toast and some homemade ricotta with honey and pine nuts. I feel royal.

It is a little sad because Damascus Bakery is located on Atlantic Avenue right next to the extremely well known Sahadi’s and might therefore live in its shadow. And while Sahadi’s is a great spot, full of bustle and bulk, Damascus has a more homey style with hand-made goods, a friendly feeling and quite possibly the world’s best halva. Both are worthy of a Cobble Hill field trip.

Teaching and learning. (A NEW DIRECTION)

Recently the nature of my work in the field of all things culinary has changed. After a usual busy holiday season of cooking for the masses, I am now focused on teaching cooking classes. This has been going really well since my extreme enthusiasm for cooking delicious things seems to be particularly contagious.

Specifically, I am developing classes in different venues around Manhattan and Brooklyn including the gleaming Astor Center, Ger-Nis Culinary and Herb Center and an excellent art-focused mission called 3rd Ward. Each has its own style of education to offer at different levels of intensity but my mission, no matter which kitchen I am teaching in, is to get home cooks excited and empowered.

By demystifying ingredients and techniques, answering (any and all) questions applying the goods I have acquired cooking all over the world, I aim to help students make a little more sense of the fundamentals of cooking. When one becomes confident in the kitchen and armed with a sharp knife and a little understanding, the whole cooking process is streamlined. Then, the tasks at hand don’t seem quite as daunting and folks will (ideally) cook even more than they already do. I work the recipes to be accessible to the average cook, something they will prepare on their own without hesitation. Menus are created to consist of dishes that use a variety of cooking styles and a wide range of ingredients so that everyone gets as much out of a session as possible, no matter what their level of skill.

As for Up Chef Creek, I see potential for a new direction starting here too. My idea is to communicate a tiny part of a class in each post. A interesting tip or technique, a great recipe or an excerpt of a discussion that came up. In other words, things divulged from a classroom setting, turned into a blog post and, well, we can see what happens from there. Oh yes! And video… on the instructional level as well. Another new improvement that I would like to make at Up Chef Creek with the conceptualization of this new direction.

Please. Enjoy. Stay tuned.

THX!

Photo: K. Slingluff

Drawings at the Chelsea Market.

Until December 1st view ‘Leftovers’ at the Chelsea Market. Or make a pumpkin-themed recipe.

Keeper. (BON APPETIT MARCH 2005)

Sometimes I find myself, like most people, overwhelmed by owning a lot of stuff. To keep that cluttered feeling at bay, a couple of times a year I do a little purging or, more likely, some creative reorganization. Books I’ve read are given away, clothes that are not appreciated get donated and the ever-growing collection of kitchen gadgets gets reduced. Among the pile that makes the cut year after year is a copy of Bon Appetit from way back March 2005. It’s funny because magazines are particularly vulnerable when it comes to filling the bin and most of the recipes are readily available online anyhow.

Yet, for five years, this issue has remained a part of  the shelf. I realize this is for several reasons, some practical and others sentimental. Back in 2005, my culinary experience was limited and I relied on recipes to tell me what was what. I purchased the magazine on the recommendation of a wonderful lady, Mrs. H, who had confidence enough to hire me to assist with her dinner parties. She did the majority of the planning and I would come in and finish things she had started or whip up dishes of her choice. She had asked me to make the paella and an ice cream cake from this mag and the mixture of success and failure I had with the recipes are lessons that stay with me to this day. Little things like; cut the ice cream cake, refreeze the slices, then serve it. Otherwise, it may taste great but it is probably melting all over the plate. Also; follow intuition more than you follow the recipe. So many factors go into cooking times and a food’s doneness that a recipe is just a guideline. Always leave plenty of extra time for prepping and finishing and make extra stock! I also remember learning, right then and there, the power of  lemon and the layer of brightness lemon juice adds to a finished dish. It’s not just garnish (as the recipe suggests) but a secret weapon.

Mrs. H was an incredibly supportive friend and client. After working with her for several months I made the decision to commit to culinary school. More than happily she wrote me a letter of recommendation which helped to seal the deal. In hindsight, attending the Natural Gourmet Institute for Food and Health was one of the best decisions I have made to date. It paved one of my major paths and working in this field has allowed me to have a viable career while pursuing all of the things I love in life. This was something I wasn’t too sure would or could happen to me.

And I feel grateful, over five years later, as I sit flipping the pages of this same magazine, seeing my old notes in the margins and wondering when I’ll have a chance to make that coconut cream pie.