Category Archives: Hot on the Blog

September 26, 2011 · 4:46 pm

Meatless Monday: Slow Food $5 Challenge, Autumn Succotash

I love challenges and paying bargain prices for nice looking veggies. If you’re not that familiar with seasonal produce shopping, then friends let me introduce you to my little friend: the fine art of buying the freshest, nicest looking and great tasting vegetables (and cheaply) from your local farm supply.
Steps to figuring out what’s cheap or what’s on sale: 

1. What’s on sale at the big commercial supermarket (though they most likely do carry seasonal items) is not always what’s in season. Just because something’s on sale doesn’t mean it’s in season. The key word you’re looking for is local. Look around you. Don’t be shy if you don’t know. Ask a few older folks — they’ve likely been around the block longer than you and might just know a thing or two about the region.

2. Looking on the web doesn’t hurt. Search the key words: “Farm”, “farmer’s market”, plus (+) your zip code and see what pops up.

3. Last but not least, visit websites like this one (Food2.com, meatlessmondays.com, slowfoodusa.com) where we list what’s local and in season right now, and tell you how to cook up the recipes!

I am very lucky to live nearby a little forest of local Farms (not literal, just describing here folks). At De Piero’s farm in Montvale New Jersey, they grow their own varieties of heirloom tomatoes that just left us recently. If you haven’t been following my farmer posts and where to buy what, check out my heirloom tomato article here.

Right now is the beginning of the Fall Harvest Season. The last “pick your own” farm I visited had ripened pumpkins ready to be ransacked by herds of mommies and their kids. I was very much tempted at grabbing them right then and there, but thought to leave room for the upcoming weeks of cooking, so I left the pumpkins alone. I went there to nab some of the local apples (which are also very much in season right now). I picked my golden, delicious gala apples two weeks ago and managed to cook off a beautifully fragrant apple butter.

This week I’m writing about my $5 Slow Food Challenge. At De Piero’s, I found one of my favorite fall/winter vegetables: Butternut Squash, boys and girls, and for only $.79/pound! I was ecstatic. The sight of the sale-sign (much like the time I found zucchini flowers) and fact that they were local and ripe for the cooking had me planning my meal before I had even picked out the produce. I also managed to pick me up a cute little orange tagine clay pot-cooker-serving piece. Clearly the meal was shapping up.

I found zucchini and squash, too (fortunately, since supplies are limited at this time of year), a beefsteak tomato and fresh cranberry beans. I looked at my little shopper’s basket and visualized a fragrant succotash in my orange tagine, brewing up in my kitchen, its sweet aromas filling up the air, luring little children from the backyard to come back into the house and eat their vegetables. Ok, so maybe there weren’t any children involved, but you get the point — I couldn’t wait to get cooking. So I rushed home that afternoon and made my stirred up  Autumn Succotash.

It’s seasonal, it’s sustainable, and the best part of it is that it cost me just about $5.00 to create a beautiful, bountiful fall harvest dish (that DEFINITELY serves more than one person). I’d eat this any day of the week, whether in September, October, November or December, and certainly before any fast food value meal that would cost me more money and health.

So go on, taste the season, and for 5 bucks only.

Succulent Autumn Succotash Recipe:
Yields 2 servings

 

Ingredients
1 butternut squash, diced
1 zucchini, sliced with mandolin
2 yellow squash, sliced with mandolin
1 eggplant
2 cloves garlic
1 beefsteak tomato, sliced
1/2 cup fresh cranberry beans
1/2 cup water
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
In a tagine, place slices of tomato on the bottom. Add diced butternut squash with cranberry beans. Place sliced zucchini and squash on top. Drizzle olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Simmer on the stove top for about an hour stirring occasionally.

Uncover and enjoy!

Here’s the break down of the food cost for this recipe:
Butternut Squash (in season right now in the NE Coast $1.71 @ .79/pound)
1 Zucchini and 1 Yellow Squash ($1.74 @ 2.99/pound)
2 Garlic Cloves (pennies)
4 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (pennies)
1 Beefsteak Tomato ($.98 @ $2.49/pound)
½ cup fresh cranberry beans ($1.15/3.99/pound)
Grand total: $5.58/ dinner for 2=$2.79/person!

You can include bread in your shopping trip if you’re dining as a pair and that would bring the grand total to less than $5.00/person for the $5 Slow Food Challenge!

 

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Filed under Hot on the Blog, Meatless Mondays, Rina's Food2 recipes, September 2011, Slow Food Challenge, Uncategorized

September 7, 2011 · 2:28 pm

Tequila Tasting: Two Tequila Cocktails, with Class

Last Thursday night I went to Irving Plaza for a 901 sponsored FreeSol concert. I got a glimpse of Justin Timberlake and watched the band rock out Irving Plaza. I sampled a few tequila drinks before and during the show. And after tasting the natural sweetness blue weber agave affords a margarita at the Sidebar, I sat down with 901 Tequila president Kevin Ruder to pick his brain about this new silver spirit.

I asked Kevin if he’s visited Mexico with Justin Timberlake and if they’ve had a chance to meet the agave growers. Surprisingly they’ve visited Mexico several times, tasting various versions of the distilled agave before developing a unique flavor for 901. Check out JT’s trip here. Tequila has always been JT’s favorite drink so naturally he opted to create his own when he couldn’t find a favorite after trying at least 300 varieties.

901 is a triple distilled spirit that deserved a little extraordinary attention. I first tried this tequila in a classic margarita. Then I tried it straight up in a shooter glass. My first pour was smooth and clear. It left lovely fruit notes lingering on my taste buds.

I took the muddled strawberry concept to the next level thinking about how much I dislike a watered-down version of the original cocktail (halfway through, when the ice starts to melt). So I opted to blend my fruit, and then turned it all into strawberry ice cubes. Next, I mixed the rest of the ingredients, which include home made sparkling lemonade (thanks to my new SodaStream machine), 901 tequilla. And then finally, I garnished the finished product with fresh basil and voila! a drink that only gets better the longer it sits.

Strawberry Rock recipe:

Ingredients 
1 pound of strawberries
½ cup water
1 liter of home made sparkling lemonade
6 ounces of tequila
basil as garnish

Directions
In a blender, pulse strawberries with a few tablespoons of water at a time until mixture is smooth and creamy. Strain. Transfer mixture into ice cube trays and allow to freeze overnight.

Pour tequila and sparkling lemonade into a rocks glass. Stir. Add strawberry ice cube and garnish with basil. Allow cocktail to sit for a few minutes until ice starts to melt to fully enjoy the flavors of this drink. An occasional stir will enhance the flavor.

Next, I took the strawberry cocktail to the next level. This version I devoted to all you gastronomic geeks out there (I’m one of them!). I used lime instead of lemons, clarified it with some agar to make it crystal clear without losing any flavor.

A straight up version of strawberry purée didn’t work the first time around. It was too acidic and too thick, so I watered it down using a ratio of 1/3 water to strawberries, and then added balsamic vinegar and honey to sweeten it up. You can also use simple syrup, or even better, just more tequila.

To that mix I added xanthan gum and calcium gluconate. I waited a day, and then dropped the happy mixture into a sodium alginate bath, rinsed the pebbles in a water bath and finally they were immersed into the cocktail!

My mission was to create a unique and subtle cocktail that looks nice and is fun and exciting to drink. So there you have it: my Strawberry Bomb cocktail made with tequila, clarified lime juice, home made carbonated water, simple syrup, and faux caviar strawberries with balsamic vinegar. Next time you’re entertaining at home, whip this out and you’ll be sure to get some brownie points from your buddies. Enjoy!

Strawberry Bomb recipe:

For the reverse spherification, I went online and used Bob Stanton’s recipe.

For the lime clarification, I used Dave Arnold’s Agar Clarification Made Stupid-Simple technique found here.

Ingredients
1 pound fresh strawberries, blended, strained
½ cup water
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
4 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon calcium gluconate
2 teaspoons sodium alginate and 500ml water (about two cups)
500ml water for water bath
12 limes, juiced and clarified with 1 teaspoon of agar (about 1.5 cups of clarified lime juice)
½ cup simple syrup
1 liter carbonated water
6 ounces of tequila
2 bunches of basil

Other tools and gadgets recommended
Blender
Cheesecloth
Strainer
Plastic tube bottle or syringe
Mixing bowls
Ice
Small saucepan to boil agar solution

Directions
In a blender, pulse strawberries with water, balsamic vinegar, honey, xanthan gum and calcium gluconate for about a minute. Strain and pour into a squeeze tube bottle and refrigerate overnight.

Juice limes, strain. Boil 1/3 of liquid about 250ml (1 cup) with agar on the stovetop.

Mix with refrigerated agar to bring to room temp. Place over an ice bath and allow agar to jelly up. Break agar curds with a spatula. Place over strainer with cheesecloth beneath and gently massage mixture. Your resulting liquid should be crystal clear. Add simple syrup to the clarified lime juice. Carbonate water, add lime syrup.

Whisk in sodium alginate with water, strain and allow to sit for about 30 minutes. Drop strawberry liquid into sodium alginate bath. Allow to sit for about 2 minutes, transfer to water bath using a slotted spoon. In a martini shaker, pour 1 ½ ounces tequila, 2 tablespoons of lime juice, 1 1/2 ounces carbonated water and 1 ounce of simple syrup. Shake in martini shaker with ice. Using a slotted spoon, scoop out strawberry caviar and place into drink.

Pour into martini glass. Add strawberry balsamic caviar. Garnish with basil, and enjoy!.

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Filed under Food2, Hot on the Blog, Molecular Gastronomy, September 2011, Special Events, Uncategorized

September 1, 2011 · 6:19 pm

National 901 Day: Get Your Tequila On!


Tequila cocktail recipe coming right up - above: the ingredients.

Today is National 901 Day (That’s 901 tequila day!) And in celebration of 901, there will be a free concert at Irving Plaza performed by the band FreeSol co-hosted by 901 President Kevin Ruderand CEO and founder Justin Timberlake. We’re celebrating the arrival of the premium tequila made with 100% blue weber agave, water and yeast. Over 500 accounts across the US are offering drink specials all night. I’ll be personally attending the FreeSol concert tonight which starts at 9:01pm. That’s right, 9. 0. 1. pm. I also managed to get my hands on a bottle of the silver tequila in the meantime to conjure up my own version of the premium blue weber.
If you’re out and about in NYC today, stop by for a free concert at Irving Plaza, 17 Irving Place and East 15th Street in Union Square, New York, NY. I suggest getting there a bit early as this is a free concert and it’s first come first serve type of deal.

And if you’re out and about anywhere else in the US, drink specials featuring 901 Tequila will be available at the following venues (just to name a few!):

Tico – Boston
Cutting Room – LA
Spanish Kitchen – LA
Pink Taco – LA
Ed’s Lobster Bar – NY
SideBAR – NY
Southern Hospitality – NY
Masa Azul – Chicago
Depot Nuevo – Chicago
Justine’s – Austin
All House of Blues nationwide

In the meantime here is my buffet of ingredients. Tequila, strawberries, lemons, limes, ginger, basil, simple syrup, and a few magic potions to make an interesting & adventurous cocktail recipe… Stay tuned for some high tech home made cocktails coming your way!

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Filed under Food2, Hot on the Blog, Molecular Gastronomy, September 2011, Special Events

August 21, 2011 · 4:08 pm

Heirloom Tomato Hunt in Montvale

At $2.49/pound at De Piero's Country Farm

I went on a little hunt for heirloom tomatoes this afternoon. Given the green light to shop to my heart’s content for the best heirloom tomato varieties, I felt like someone handed over a black Amex card. But I don’t own one and do I wish I did! I ventured out to De Piero’s farm, a local family owned business and got a chance to meet the old man himself.

And I thought I had enough fun with the heirloom tomato hunt...

I found some gems and at a bargain price for $2.49/pound for some of the rare purple-green varieties and small bushels of red ones for $3.99/2 quarts. I was in foodie heaven for a few moments. Even swiping my credit card at the end of my tomato hunt didn’t bother me. I had a new sense of feeling high- like a food clepto being fed my daily drug. Alas! I found a local farmer’s market that’s only five minutes away where they carry everything from zucchini flowers to heirloom tomatoes. The purple potatoes looked fascinating too. I thought I should leave some of the shopping for future visits here, hopefully when someone else is paying for me to shop and cook up a storm! I just want to lay next to all the heirloom tomatoes and inhale their succulent summer aroma before giving them away.

De Piero’s Country Farm   300 West Grand Avenue, Montvale, NJ 07645   Tel: (201) 391-4576

***

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Filed under August 2011, Hot on the Blog, Where I shop for food

June 4, 2011 · 8:25 pm

A few days before the James Beard Awards 2011

Alan Richman, dean of Food Journalism at FCI

I’ve just finished a six week course earning a specialized training certificate in the Craft of Food Writing at the French Culinary Institute taught by famed food writer Alan Richman– who possesses 14 unprecedented James Beard Awards in food journalism.

the aspiring food writers taking notes in class

In the class we learned how to properly format editorial pitches, write featured articles, service pieces and write restaurant reviews concluding the lessons with critiquing each other’s work. Some notable guest speakers included Gabriella Gershenson, Andy Kramer, and Steven Shaw.

Ching Huang, Susur Lee, Rina Oh, and Ming Tsai at the Lucky Rice Talk + Taste Event on May 8th

A few weeks later I got a chance to meet some serious star chefs, Ming Tsai, Susur Lee, and Ching Huang from the Cooking Channel at the Lucky Rice Festival Talk + Taste event on May 8th at Astor Center. I helped prep Ching’s steamed chicken with Chinese mushrooms, gogi berries with dried lily bulbs and vegetarian crispy beancurd rolls. The day concluded with Ming Tsai’s black bean Orecchiette made with spicy pork and broccoli. The demo room was filled with 150 guests as we ended the hard day’s work sharing a six pack of Singha beer with Ming Tsai. He charmed the cooks with his locker room stories after strolling in about an hour before the demo began.

Rina Oh and Ming Tsai

Ming Tsai is an Emmy award nominated television host of Simply Ming and co-hosted the James Beard Awards the day after the Talk and Taste event. Preceding the events that day, Chef Ming sent out about 400 covers at his famed restaurant Blue Ginger in Massachusetts, then hopped on the next flight to NYC to attend the demo and host the JBA the following day. Not too shabby for a busy celebrity chef who still manages to cook the line. I’m taking a rain check to venture out with Ming Tsai when he returns to New York and promise you my dear readers that I’ll have an exclusive interview with him very soon.

 ***

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Filed under Hot on the Blog, June 2011

May 16, 2011 · 6:53 pm

Meatless Monday: French Onion Soup

Think you need beef broth to get a tasty French onion soup? Think again! This vegetarian version packs the same flavor punch with none of the meat. As an added bonus, it’s super easy to make.

French Onion Soup with Gruyere and Sourdough Croutons

Ingredients:

Soup:
10 large white or yellow onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 sprigs thyme
1 bay leaf
4 garlic cloves, crushed
4 cups low-sodium vegetable stock (homemade or store-bought)
Salt, to taste
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup freshly grated gruyere cheese

Croutons:
1 loaf sourdough bread cut into 1” cubes
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Pinch salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large saucepan, heat oil on a medium-low flame. Add garlic, onions and a pinch of salt, and cook, stirring frequently, until browned and caramelized, about 30-40 minutes. Add vegetable stock and herbs, scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan with the liquid. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for an additional 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

3. Coat croutons with olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Spread out on a sheet pan and bake in oven for about 7 minutes.

4. In serving bowls, add soup, and then cover with croutons and gruyere cheese. Bake for 3-4 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Rina Oh is an artist, writer and chef and a Meatless Monday advocate. For the last year these Meatless Mondays recipes have appeared on Food2.com, a website that is owned and operated by Scripps Networks. These posts are copyrighted material and any photographs, illustrations or written material are forbidden to be used or reposted anywhere without permission. For more information on Meatless Monday, please visit meatlessmonday.com

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Filed under Food2, May 2011, Meatless Mondays, Rina's Food2 recipes

May 9, 2011 · 6:57 pm

Meatless Monday: Herbed Couscous Stuffed Peppers and Yellow Squash

Having a spring dinner party? Serve up these stuffed vegetables to your guests. This easy dish takes about 40 minutes to cook, and it’s a great addition to any potluck menu!

 

Herbed Couscous Stuffed Peppers and Yellow Squash

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked couscous
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil and extra for greasing pan
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
3 celery stalks, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound yellow squash, seeded and cut into 2” pieces
3 red peppers, halved and seeded, stem still attached
3 green peppers, halved and seeded, stem still attached
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tomato, chopped
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Grease baking sheets with extra virgin olive oil. Place peppers hollow-side down and bake for about 15 minutes.

3. In a medium saucepan, heat the two tablespoons of olive oil over medium-low heat and cook onions until translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Add garlic, celery and herbs, and cook until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Add tomato and butter. When butter is melted, stir in the couscous and add salt and pepper.

4. Remove peppers from oven, let cool for a few minutes.

5. Stuff peppers and squash with couscous and vegetable mixture. Top with mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese.

6. Bake for about 15-20 minutes until peppers and squash are tender.

 

 

 

 

 

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Filed under Food2, May 2011, Meatless Mondays, Rina's Food2 recipes

May 4, 2011 · 8:16 am

Food2 and beyond…

This week for Meatless Monday I made an eggplant parmesan, a classic dish presented in a contemporary fashion. Kumato tomatoes are the hottest tomato in the restaurant market right now. It is considered to be of the club variety and you won’t be growing these babies in your backyard anytime soon. The seeds are virtually unavailable for individual sale and only special licensed tomato farmers may acquire Kumato seeds after passing several rigorous tests. They are commonly found throughout Europea in Spain, France, Holland, Switzerland, and in Canada and Mexico in the Americas.

They are indeed the perfect club sandwich tomato, versatile, sweet and savory. I’ve been buying them weekly replacing roma and cherry tomatoes in my salads. Don’t get fooled by their greenish brown color either, it’s part of their nature and in fact they hold their shelf life much longer than conventional tomatoes.

Meatless Mondays and the Food Network have recently started tweeting my recipes to a nationwide audience ranging in the 400,000+ number of followers. This is great news! Stay tuned for upcoming Spring and Summer recipes. Barbeque season is back and I’m ready to hit the grill with my secret sauces. I just received notice from Granny Choe’s Kimchi company who’s sending samples of their bottled kimchi from California and I can’t wait to try it. A few months ago I interviewed a kimchi blogger for Lovethatkimchi.com and went on a mission looking for Granny Choe’s Kimchi at Whole Foods stores in the Northeast. Unfortunately theirs have not yet hit our shelves and I didn’t get a chance to try it. Long and behold, they contacted me several days ago and the kimchi is on its way!

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Filed under Hot on the Blog

May 2, 2011 · 1:54 am

Eggplant Parmesan with Kumato-Cucumber Salad

Eggplant parmesan is a hearty, satisfying vegetarian dish. This version is prepared in elegant stacks, rather than the traditional casserole method, making it equally appropriate for a weeknight meal or entertaining. It’s served with a salad made with kumato tomatoes, which are darker and sweeter than the traditional types. If you can’t find them, Roma or cherry tomatoes (or even a mix of the two) are great stand-ins.

Recipe: Rina Oh

Eggplant Parmesan with Kumato-Cucumber Salad
Yields 4 servings

Ingredients:

Eggplant:
1 large eggplant, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
1 egg, beaten
Frying oil
2 cups homemade or store-bought marinara sauce
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Salad:
1 plum tomato, chopped
4 kumato tomatoes, quartered
1 seedless cucumber, thinly sliced
1/4 cup lemon segments, sliced in half

Vinaigrette:
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Zest of 1 lemon
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a large straight-sided skillet, pour oil to a 1/2 inch depth. Heat over medium heat until temperature reaches 350 degrees.

2. Dredge eggplant in four, dip in egg, and then dredge in breadcrumbs.

3. Working in small batches, fry breaded eggplant until golden, and set on paper towels to drain. In a saucepan, heat marinara sauce.

4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cover the bottom of a small baking dish with marinara sauce. Place four slices of eggplant on the bottom, and top each with marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese. Repeat with remaining eggplant, sauce and mozzarella, making four stacks. Top the final piece with sauce, mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Cook until warmed through and cheese is melted, about 10 minutes.

5. Mix all vinaigrette ingredients together in a small mixing bowl. Dress cucumbers, tomatoes and lemon segments. Finish salad with a sprinkling of lemon zest.

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Filed under Food2, May 2011, May 2011, Meatless Mondays, Rina's Food2 recipes

May 1, 2011 · 7:50 pm

The Food Chain Goes Beyond Professional Kitchens

Food styling work is similar to working in a professional kitchen. If you’re an aspiring stylist you better be prepared to deal with the same process of ordering, cleaning, organizing the refrigerator, mise en place, working quickly and efficiently. If you can’t do this or think it may be too much to work 10-12 hour days, than this is not for you. Turn away now and find something else to do.

Food Network Stars Aarti and Sunny with visiting fans

On the set, you’ll be expected to do all this and wash the dishes at the same time. There’s no such thing as a dishwasher budget. Loading and unloading equipment on and off site is part of the job description. And when you’re starting out, you are not going to be the chef. You will most likely trail the first assistant stylist, or as restaurants may refer as sous chefs.

Behind the scenes for a Kitchendaily production

My first styling gig was working on Kitchendaily’s Pantry Project starring Gail Simmons. The crew ranged from culinary, to lighting, cameras, producers, makeup artists, wardrobe, PA’s. I worked as the second assistant stylist and my tasks included picking herbs, organizing the fridge, washing dishes, until I proved my competence in the kitchen and the stylist allowed me to cook off a few recipes for the stills while prepping out a duplicate copy of the mise en place for the on camera demo. From there I worked on a Smuckers advertisement where the food we made was product driven showcasing less of the culinary expertise but rather set styling with props and products. I left that set with cases of penut butter that should suffice a year’s supply of P&J sandwiches.

Chris Bradley on the set of Tasting Table Sous Chef Series

A few other styling jobs welcomed me as the assistant stylist for the Tasting Table sous chef series. I got a chance to work with James Tracey, the chef de cuisine at Craft as we taped one recipe for an entire day. Not that much work in the back end but swapping out five versions of roasted chicken in various stages including every ingredient was a juggling act since none of the cooking steps you see in a television or video production is filmed in order. A few weeks later I got called back for another Sous Chef video featuring Chris Bradley.

The magic of food styling made for television

I recently worked on two jobs back to back, one for a product driven website featuring store brands and the second for an educational series featuring Jamika Pessoa who appeared in Season 5 of the Next Food Network Star.

We had to recreate this shot 2 days later, thank goodness for the iphone camera!

It was on the first job that I truly proved myself and went from being one of four assistants to the first assistant stylist by the end of our three-day production. The natural progression of a food stylist starts off at the bottom, you will be the first, second, third, etc stylist depending on the size of your team. After becoming a first assistant stylist for a while, the next step will be to work as the lead stylist and then culinary producer.

Michelle Bernstein for the Macys Red Campaign. The call time was 5:30am

I woke up at 5:00am every day we were in production and arrived on the set at 8:00am. A very good call time as other jobs required arriving on the set at 3:30am. I didn’t sleep the night before the Smuckers production as the evening courses at FCI had me leaving the campus past 11:00pm. Considering I live about an hour away- that left no time to sleep, not even for a minute. I contemplated sleeping in the car and going to work four hours later. It’s not as glamorous as many believe it to be. When you’re working behind the scenes for any television or print media production it requires diligence, organization, and fast execution skills. You’re not just answering to the lead stylist but rather an entire team of producers, directors, clients.

Inside the production kitchen @ Food Network studios with Miriam Garron

A few months ago I got a chance to visit the Food Network production studios inside the Chelsea Market. I have to admit that it was their channel that drew me into enrolling at FCI. I watched food shows for the past five years and never missed a season of Iron Chef. I wanted to learn how to sous vide and play with liquid nitrogen too. And then I saw the advertisement featuring Mario Batali who graduated from the French Culinary Institute. I called the 800 number the next day to go on a tour and at first sight of the FCI kitchens, I was hooked. I knew that’s what I wanted to do.

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Filed under Hot on the Blog, May 2011