TOP CHEF TOUR

Even if you're a big fan of the show you might have not heard about this awesome Tour they are doing, there's not a lot of press for it. I found out about it on bravotv.com and read about it on how2heroes blog - it sounded super fun and a great way to learn more about my fave show so I had to go.

This is how it works: Two chefs from past seasons show up, demo a dish and then let you ask them ANY questions you want. The set up is small (no more than 60 people) and everyone gets to try the food. I grabbed a front row seat and really enjoyed watching them cook and talking about the show. They also sell tons of merchandise, have some games, and silly cut ups of Padma & Colicchio you can take pictures with.

The two chefs that came to PDX where from season 3: Brian Malarkey and Chris "CJ" Jacobsen. They where super nice and laid back. CJ was the one that cooked, his dish had a LOT of components but it was all really good:

_Slow cooked Lamb

_Apricots with a bacon, sugar and sheri marinade

_Salad of radishes, parsley, lemon and olive oil

_Sauteed garlic spears

_Wilted lettuce

Want to know some of the show inside scoop?

_They are totally sequestered throughout the show, no TV, no music, no books, no magazines... NO phone calls home! After they get kicked off they move to another house and its pretty much the same until they're done filming.

_The challenges are pretty much back to back, they don't get ANY days off (my question).

_The's a lot of "hurry up and wait". After they're given a challenge, they might wait up to 2 hrs in the van while the camera crew sets up at the Whole Foods before they can go in and buy t. They said it messes up with them because they have way too much time to over think their dishes.

_Food gets cold by the time whey present to the judges and they just have to deal with it.

_The judges deliberate for hours... at least 4-5. They are stuck in that room with tons of alcohol and nothing to do... how boring is that?

_They said they where going to try and check out Pok Pok and Le Pigeon while they where in town.

That's pretty much it! It was super fun and I can't wait for next season... starts next week!

Thanks to my girl Amanda from meals apart for getting us tickets :)

how2heroes Anniversary Party!

Last week I went to Boston to celebrate the 1 year anniversary of how2heroes.com. As you've noticed in previous postings I LOVE this website, not only have I contributed to a few videos myself but I also work for them so I had to be there and celebrate this amazing achievement with the crew.

The cooking began the day before when Lynne and I —after carefully strategizing— decided what to cook: beef empanaditas (latin style filling), mini arepitas (filled with beans and cheese), Quinoa salad (with beets, asparagus & shrimp), whole wheat Brownies, mini potatoes with avocado mousseline, sprinkled with bacon and beef sliders (with spicy ketchup). We literally cooked and cooked non-stop until 3pm when it was time to shower and get ready for the party. 

We arrived at the Bulthaup Kitchen Showroom with only 1 hour to prep, but the whole h2h crew was there with crazy amounts of food in hand so it went smoothly. The party started at 6pm and everybody was hungry! the food table was constantly surrounded by people and the choices where endless. 

Now lets talk about the drinks! We where lucky to have 2 amazing guys bartend the party: Augusto Lino (from Upstairs on the Square, who has done more than 10 videos for the site) and AJ Rathbun (cocktail author & enthusiast). AJ created a drink just for the party, the "how2heroes sparker" with St. Germain and kiwi. Lino was shaking a Jean-Cauving Highball that had gingerbeer and whiskey. Both where amazing.

But there is more. The party also had "heroes" demos throughout the evening. It started with Bea & Anne (Lynnes mom & auntie) and continued with some of the best chefs in Boston. It was wonderful to see these great chefs share their recipes, tricks, techniques and most importantly, their passion for food. Here's the rundown:

__Jose Duarte (Taranta) made a Peruvian Crab Meat Causa with some great latin flavors

__Marjorie Druker (New England Soup Factory) made the most creative, refreshing and unique Gazpacho I've ever had. She is SO wonderful and has so much charisma. Loved her!

__Jason Bond (Beacon Hill Bistro) made Cavatelli Pasta that totally made me want to make it at home

__Eunice Feller (Bread & Chocolate) made mini whoppie pies and brought about 200 to share with everyone!

__William Kovel & Joshua Smith (Aujourd'hui) made a Garden Herb Marinated Chicken with Corn Ragu. This one made my mouth water, it just looked so delicious and easy to make, I promise to make it soon and post pics.

__Peter Ungár (the Dining Alternative) made White Miso Cured Cod. You HAVE to watch all his videos on the site, not only do they look delicious but they are absolutely beautiful!

The party was a big success and we all had a great time. It was exhausting but absolutely wonderful! 

I want congratulate my friend, boss and favorite foodie, Lynne Viera, for this amazing accomplishment. Thanks to you we all feel like heroes every time we cook! 

Carrot Cupcakes

There's no secret that I like sweets. So when picking what to bring to a Easter Brunch the decision was easy: Cupcakes! 

I wanted to try something new but I wasn't sure what. So i went to how2heroes to get inspired and there it was. This Carrot Cake looked SO amazing i just had to try it myself. I followed this recipe pretty closely, just mixed my flours (half whole wheat, half white) and replaced raisins for walnuts. I loved the extra crunch in there. These came out super moist and delicious, not super sweet and of course the frosting was the perfect compliment!