Flourless & Frozen

You know you’ve had a tough day when you’re forced to eat desserts all day.

 puddings- rice, tapioca, fruit, chocolate 

We had the “Flourless and Frozen” class today- never has a title been simultaneously nondescript yet appropriately named. We spent the entire day making flourless and frozen desserts. Yes, life has been harder.

 vegan sorbets & ice creams

 fruit compotes to top our “frozens”

We had an extremely busy month, which is why I’ve been quiet. School has been flying by and I can’t believe I’m already past the midpoint. Look out for more pictures and recipes!

National Food Day

 CSPI (Center for Science in the Public Interest) created Food Day, which is a day to celebrate and educate others about eating healthy, wholesome foods. As a subscriber to Nutrition Action, CSPI’s newsletter, I learned about food day at the beginning of the year. I have been looking forward to this day, anticipating the public’s reaction and the festivities people have planned.

Being in New York City, I was able to participate in two food day events- one at Times Square and one through school.

Event 1- Food Day at Times Square

 approaching Times Square Food Day tents

 was handed an apple and a variety guide

All the who’s who of the Food Day event were seated at this long table

What was cool: I saw Dr. Marion Nestle, whose blog I follow religiously, Dr. Michael Jacobson, whose the co-founder of CSPI, Mario Batali, who I grew up watching on the food network and Morgan Spurlock, who created Supersize Me.

What was weird: People like me were just watching them eat. Well, I did it for 5-10 minutes and then I snapped out of it. I mean, they were just eating. Not sure what I expected them to do. Perhaps talk to the public? Maybe they did earlier and I was just a little too late.

 i’m sure they’re famous. unfortunately i have no clue who they are.

 Morgan Spurlock

 Dr. Michael Jacobson

Event 2: Veggiecation & EatNYC’s Food Day Event

 i’ve highlighted some of the vendors i really liked

 40+ vendors/educators 

 my classmates & i with the one of our awesome instructors- Chef Barb!

 mini vegan tempeh reubens (rye cracker/bread, dijon mustard, tempeh, 1000 island & pickled cabbage)

one of my favorite vendors-  Regal Vegan with faux gras! funny, but delicious

Another delicious item from Northern Rye- a Finnish savory rice pie aka Karelian pasties

 Sun in Bloom

If you know me, I generally don’t like cupcakes and never buy them. I loved these cupcakes! and added bonus/surprise they’re vegan & gluten-free! what?! Delicious.

 

 Loved Jennifer Abadi’s food too! She had a delicious date, walnut & pecan cookie.

   

 

 This is pretty much icy fruit. If you don’t expect it to be more than that, than it’s delicious for what it is. 

 yes, I went a little cinnamon crazy on my apple icy

 this was my first time having raw ice cream and it was surprisingly good! mint chip was extra yum

 last but not least, a delicious quinoa falafel with a tasty tomato apply chutney from Saucy by Nature 

I had a great Food Day! It was great to be around so many people who care about making delicious tasty food with good quality ingredients. Though, that’s kind of the norm for me since I’m in school. I’m definitely looking forward to next year’s festivities. Maybe I’ll even start my own!

North Fork Trip

Where is the North Fork?

 map from nyt

Chef Rich (an instructor at school) announced that he would be hosting a field trip to the North Fork. I had no clue where the North Fork was, but I signed up for the opportunity to milk a goat.

My classmates and I went on a two-hour bus ride and arrived at our first stop- Garden of Eve.

  Before we started our tour, Chef Rich brought us some breakfast. We had some mini cupcakes, cookies and cider. Yum yum yum!

1st : Garden of Eve – Organic Farm & Market

 sunchoke, fennel, beets, broccoli and more!

 fresh picked (pulled?) carrots

2nd : Macari Vineyards

 we tasted 4 wines

3rd : Catapano Goat Farm

 This is the reason why I signed up for the trip- very anti-climatic. I guess I thought I would be getting my hands and knees dirty filling buckets and buckets with milk. That was not advertised, only in my head.

We had one quick squeeze disposed to the ground…no buckets. The milking was not what I expected, but their gift shop left me completely satisfied. They sold an array of lotions and surprised me with a deliciously flavored honey lavender chevre.

4th : Greenport Harbor Brewing Company

We tried 3 or 4 different brews and got this awesome glass. I love their logo! It’s the North Fork/a whale.

5th : Pipes Cove Oysters 

This was my favorite stop. Even though I didn’t have any oysters, meeting the wonderful owners and this view was worth it.

I’ve never seen such beautiful pebbles and stones on any shore. I’m definitely not in Los Angeles anymore.

Our field trip was from 8am to 8pm. It was the longest and most fulfilling field trip I’ve ever been on. I was surrounded by wonderful people and amazing food. I can’t think of a better way to spend my Saturdays.

Wish you were here!

NYC Catering Events

view from Brooklyn Heights

Private Party (Oct. 7)

A few weeks ago I assisted Personal Chef Minna Suh cater a small party for 30-40 people. It was my first official paid job in my new career. It was amazing! She was extremely knowledgeable and boosted my confidence in being able to be successful in this field. Helping her helped prepare me for last week’s Self Magazine/Pretty City’s event for 175-200 people.

Menu for Minna Suh

Duck Spring Rolls (non-veg)

Sweet Corn Mini Madelines

Mushroom Parsnip Tarts

Lemon Curd Crepe Rolls with Candied Lemon Zest

Chocolate Cherry Truffles

Self Magazine/Pretty City Event (Oct. 12)

The night before the event several CTP (Chef’s Training Program) students assisted the chefs on all the prep work. I along with my fellow CTP schoolmate poured our hearts and souls into supremeing oranges and slicing + toasting whole wheat baguettes.

How To: Supreme an Orange

Some stats: ~18 oranges=~250 half slices & sliced and toasted 415 slices of bread

Menu for Self’s event

Cilantro-Lime Chicken Salad on Mini Papadum (non-veg)

Tempeh Meat Balls with Sweet and Spicy Tomato Chutney

Goat Cheese and Beet Crostini topped with Orange and Dill

The event was hosted at Marquee night club, which was a weird venue, but what made it weirder was where our booth was located. We were a bit hidden in the back of the club across from a nail polish stand. If it makes you feel any better it was “healthy” nail polish.

It was an extremely mixed crowd and we spent most of the night explaining what tempeh was and handing bite sized treats to girls trying to balance their half bitten cupcake without ruining their freshly polished nails. I’ll have to admit that I enjoyed prepping more than the event, but I’m glad I went.

I left with a swag bag and a bag full of crostinis. It was a good day.

 all the swag

American Cheese Month!

I saw this on the kitchn and had to repost. It’s American cheese month!

Why should you care?

If you live in the New York or Seattle, you have very good reason to. With a $10 donation for a cheese passport, you get 40% off your purchase of American cheeses every day this month. YUM!

List of Participating Retailers 

So what if you’re lactose intolerant?

According to the NIH (National Institutes of Health), it seems that most ethnicities may be affected.

Lactose intolerance is a common condition that is more likely to occur in adulthood, with a higher incidence in older adults. Some ethnic and racial populations are more affected than others, including African Americans, Hispanic Americans, American Indians, and Asian Americans. The condition is least common among Americans of northern European descent.

However, in my experience, your body may be able to tolerate milks from different animals (goat, sheep, buffalo) and/or raw milk cheeses.

There is a surprisingly wide range to choose from. “At the 2011 Annual American Cheese Society Competition, over 1,600 American artisan cheeses were entered!” -American Cheese Education Foundation

If you love cheese or just curious, this is definitely the month to give it a try!

Friday Night Dinner

Every Friday night my school is transformed into a restaurant that serves a 3-course vegetarian meal at $40 per person and you’re allowed to B-as much of-YOB without a fee. As part of the final project, each person who enters the Chef’s Training Program (CTP) works with an instructor and fellow group members to develop a menu, prep and cook the food. The main group is assisted by students from other CTP classes.

This past Friday, I was among several other students who helped CTP 201 prep their meal.

Not only did they develop a beautiful menu, they transformed the classrooms with fresh flowers, candlelight and string lights, which gave guests a relaxed backyard feel indoors.

We started prepping Thursday night and finished on Friday. Even though I knew what we were serving, to be honest, I didn’t know what it would look like or how the flavors would come together. Would they even come together? I was nervous.

Later that night, I finally saw how they were plated and had my ah-ha moment when I tasted everything. It was delicious. Why did I even question it? Afterall, this was their final project. They definitely knew what they were doing.

 latkes with picked vegetables, homemade applesauce and almond cream

 brussels sprouts & arugula salad with a lemon vinaigrette

 tempeh collard rolls, cauliflower puree, tomato sauce & some $$$ mushrooms

I regret two things from that night: (1) not taking more leftovers and (2) not taking a picture of the dessert.

If you’re ever in New York City, make sure you come to a Friday Night Dinner. You won’t regret it!

FYI: Mine will be on January 13, 2012. Hope to see you then!

Finally in Culinary School

Goodbye Los Angeles

Last week I moved to New York City to begin culinary school at The Natural Gourmet Institute. I chose this culinary school over many others because it focuses on combining culinary arts and health. It is also the training grounds for some of the most well-known vegan and vegetarian chefs in the country. The school provides us with the best ingredients and cookware. All the food we use for classes is organic unless it is a rare fruit or vegetable that is out of season and/or native to another country which may be difficult to source organically.

organic veggies

I wanted to enroll in culinary school since high school, but never listened to that part of me. Since school began, my daily happiness and satisfaction levels reassure me that I am finally in the right place. I wouldn’t want to be doing anything else. It’s unreal knowing that I spend on a minimum 7-8 hours focused purely on learning, cooking and eating delicious foods. It’s amazing!

my new home for the next few months

I concluded my first week with knife skills and I have learned that the French are very particular about their cuts. A little too particular. 

If you were wondering, the highlighted portion displays an 1/8 inch and 1/4 inch dices which form perfect cubes for the perfect French dish, which I have yet to learn.

I’m excited to be here and hope to share some new and innovative recipes as I continue to learn.

Thanks for following me!

Yes, it’s official!

Apple Cake

My sister left me with a big bag of organic almond flour, a popular replacement for gluten-free recipes, so I decided to make a cake. This was my first time using almond flour so I didn’t know what to expect. I rarely bake sweets and I’ve never made anything gluten-free, so I was excited!

I loosely followed this recipe from comfy belly and made it my own with several substitutions.

The cake turned out really well! I was surprised how moist it was and how easy it was to make. I would definitely make it again.

About the Cake

This recipe is extremely low in carbs, which is one of the benefits of using almond flour. However, the fat content is high because of the ground almonds as a base. Naturally, almonds are high in fat, but contain good fats which may help lower cholesterol.

As far as diets are concerned, I have never tried a gluten-free diet so I don’t know what the long-term effects are.

Recommended blogs below to learn more about gluten-free diets and what to cook.

• Elana’s Pantry
• Comfy Belly   

Let’s Bake!

Ingredients

• 4 Fiji Apples (use what you have)
• 1 tbsp of butter
• 1/4 tsp of cinnamon
• 1/4 cup of maple syrup
• 1/2 cup of pear sauce
• 1 tsp of vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp of baking soda
• tiny pinch of salt
• 2 cups of almond flour

To Make

Step 1: Peel, slice and remove core for all 4 apples

Step 2: slice apples evenly about the same width

Step 3: pre-heat oven to 300°F

Step 4: toss all slices, cinnamon and butter in a pan and allow it to soften on medium heat

Step 5: in a bowl, mix all wet ingredients together

eggs, maple syrup, vanilla & pear sauce

Step 6: in the same bowl, mix in all the dry ingredients

Step 7: in a 9″ cake pan layer the sliced apples to cover the bottom

Step 8: evenly spread the cake batter over the apples

Step 9: bake on the center rack for 40-50 mins till goldenbrown- insert toothpick in the center to check if it comes out clean (if clean, you’re done.)

Step 10: Let the cake cool completely, then flip over on a plate and serve

 

Enjoy!

Fig & Banana Smoothie

 

I’m finally back in the States after spending most of my Summer in Taiwan. What I miss the most is having fresh tropical fruits on a daily basis. So now that I am back, I have been trying to incorporate more fruits in my diet. I bought two pounds of fresh brown turkey figs because they’re delicious, in season and I got them for $5!

California’s Fresh Figs Seasonal Chart

Chart and descriptions below from California Fresh Figs

• Fresh Brown Turkey Figs 

They are a light purple to black skinned fig with pink flesh and a robust flavor.

• Fresh Black Mission Figs

They are a purple to black skinned fig with pink flesh and an intense earthy flavor.

• Fresh Kadota Figs 

They have a creamy amber color when ripe with a light delicate flavor.

• Fresh Calimyrna Figs 

They are large pale yellow skinned figs with a nutty, sweet flavor.

I enjoy figs in all recipes, but what I love the most is eating them fresh. I’ve been making this smoothie for a couple of days now and still have not gotten tired of it. I love figs!

Fig & Banana Smoothie Recipe

Serves: 1

Cook Time: 5-10 min

• 3 Fresh Figs
• ½ Banana*
• ½ tbp Shredded Coconut
• 1 cup of Soymilk or Coconut milk
• ½ cup of Ice
• ½ cup of Water
• Agave or Honey to taste**

*I used frozen banana chunks. My bananas were softening so I cut them up and put them in the freezer.

**It was sweet enough for me without adding anything extra.

To Make: Add all ingredients in blender and blend

Enjoy!

Citrus Caviar

Gilt Taste

fingerlime from Mikuni Wild Harvest

I saw these finger limes on Gilt Taste today. It’s something I’ve never seen before and until recently, these limes were only available in Australia and New Zealand. These were grown in Southern California by Mikuni Wild Harvest, a company trusted by some of the nation’s top chefs.

You can buy 40-60 finger-sized limes for roughly $33+$10 for shipping.

They keep for 10-14 days.

According to the website you can “split one open lengthwise and spoon out a few pearls. As with caviar, the tiny beads inside pop in your mouth, releasing a splash of bright, tart juice.”

I would love to try these, so hopefully it will still be available when I get back to the States. I would sprinkle them over a fruity sorbet or top off a taco. They’re fun and colorful to serve. If you’re having guests, they will definitely be impressed no matter how they’re served.

Wiki page to learn more!

Pulp taken from multiple limes at Wild Fingerlime

          

Photos from Gilt Taste and Wild Fingerlime