"I got 99 problems but a meal ain't 1"
Self-Taught Vegan Chef :: Food Network Champion :: TV Host
Do you ever open your fridge and realize you have nothing to eat or cook? Like, zero leftovers, zero produce – nada. That was me this past week. I have been so busy and haven’t had the time to do any proper grocery shopping! So where does one look when their fridge is empty – …
Tamarillo – have you heard of these before? No, not tomatillos, tamarillos! They are also referred to as ‘tree tomatoes’ in English. This is the first time I’m working with them and even eating them! They are originally from South America – Ecuador being a big consumer of tamarillos. I was fortunate to receive some …
I have to admit – I’ve never actually eaten ceviche before. BUT, I’ve been to enough Latin American restaurants and seen my middle sister eat it enough (she lives in Miami) to have a sense of what it might taste like. It always looked like a cross between an Indian koshumbri (Kannada for cold side …
Everything has changed for us this year – some for the better, some for the worse. The one thing that has been a challenge for many, including myself, is the lack of travel. If you have the opportunity and are privileged enough to live a life where you can freely travel, then you likely understand …
I am definitely not an expert in making jams, and in fact, I know a few Jam queens out there who make delicious, vegan, locally produced jams – ehem – Tradestreet Jam Co. But I do not how to make things taste good in a minimal amount of time, tehehe. If you live in Manhattan …
As a chef, it is important for me to work with ingredients that are versatile, fresh, and flexible. Especially during the summer months when fresh ingredients are plentiful, having a craft spirit to mix seasonal ingredients with is key! That is why I love working with The Botanist Gin – its versatility allows me to …
As the summer comes to a close (and it really feels like a sudden close cause its 60 degrees in NYC right now!), I like to take full advantage of summer fruits and vegetables. I generally like eating fruits as is – natural and untouched. But sometimes, it’s fun to dress them up a bit! …
I went to Italy last month – hold up – you didn’t know?! You haven’t seen my 89485948 pics?! Haha!
I visited Italy with my family when I was 6 years old, and although it was a beautiful country then as it is now, we didn’t exactly have a ‘beautiful’ experience. We experienced quite a bit of discrimination because of the color of our skin – weird, eh? So I was left with a very bad taste in my mouth at a very young age. That being said, I was hesitant to travel to Italy this time, but figured I’d give it a shot. One of my good friends had been living in Bologna, and obviously my foodie 6th senses perked up.
Bologna is among some of the foodiest cities in Italy, next to Modena and Parma. I ate my way through Bologna and made my way down to the Amalfi Coast cities. Let me mention at this point – I did not face any discrimination. Italian thought I was either Spanish (Espanola) or Sicilian or just didn’t know, haha!
In Sorrento, we discovered a delicious store that specialized in products of Umbria. Some of Umbria’s specialties include truffles, and black truffles were in season for the summer. So obviously I had to buy some! What I really wanted to do was shave them in my mouth, but I decided to act like a civilized human being, buy a jar and leave.
Truffles are generally very strong, but these fresh truffles are very fragrant – have a subtle truffle flavor, softer texture, and are just all around delicious. I decided to make a simple orzo with these.
Lemon-Garlic Orzo with Black Truffle
1. Place water in a medium pot, spray with a bit of PAM and set over high heat to bring to a boil. Pour in orzo and allow to cook.
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, add in all of the ingredients except for the olive oil. Whisk together. While slowly whisking, pour in the olive oil until dressing is emulsified and combined.
3. Once the orzo is al dente, strain out the water (but save it!) and place the cooked orzo directly in the bowl of dressing, add in a couple of slices of truffle, and lemon zest and toss to coat. Taste for salt.
4. Serve on its own, with toasted ciabatta, or over arugula!
I have a certain appreciation and love for finger foods – or rather, normally large-sized foods that have been turned into mini versions. Why? They’re easier to eat and can appreciate the flavors more. Also they’re super cute. Here is a simple recipe for a super satisfying hors d’oeuvre that can be served at a …
Pumpkin Linguine: 1 1/2 cups cubed fresh pumpkin – peel taken off, cubes should be 1/2 inch big 2 cloves garlic – minced 1 medium white onion – diced red crushed pepper – to taste salt black pepper handful fresh mint – roughly chopped 1/4 cup natural, unsalted almonds – processed until the consistency of …