Ok, when I read this next bit of news, I couldn't help but laugh a little. Not because it's a ridiculous idea (in fact, it might be a really, really smart one), but because it seems as though chefs are entering every kind of business now! There's Rachael Ray and Mario Batali and tons of others who each have their own line of cookware and bakeware. Obviously chefs have restaurants, often times cookbooks, and sometimes teach classes or host speaking engagements. They have cooking shows and compete on reality shows. There's Guy Fieri who is even going on tour for a rock and roll cooking show/concert, which you can read all about in the Wall Street Journal. Yes, chef-turned-rockstar.
And now, celebrity chef Jamie Oliver, the Naked Chef, is launching a dating site. The tag line for the site is "Where food lovers meet." I guess if you want to be able to share your love of food with your partner, this could be a great place to find that special someone. In fact, Serious Eatscoincidentally posted a really funny forum question a few days ago: "Is dating a picky eater a dealbreaker for anyone?" For a lot of people, it is a dealbreaker. So maybe Jamie Oliver's got something here! He's partnered with Match.com for a 2 year deal of food-love matchmaking. According to Marketing Magazine, new members to the site will even have a chance to win a meal for two at Jamie's Italian. The site has sections such as Dinner Date Tips, Food to Make You Fall in Love, and Making the First Meal for your Partner. The URL of the site is pretty easy to remember, too. http://www.JamieOliver.com/dating.
Now I've seen it all! No, I guess when a chef starts selling lawn mowers I'll have seen it all.
A few nights ago I attended a Coca-Cola blogger tasting event at a bar called High on the rooftop of Hotel Erwin in Venice, CA. There were amazing views of the city from up there, and fortunately also heat lamps! I brought along two of my closest friends David and Tzviah and we met up with friend/blogger AJ of Confessions of a Fat Girl and friend Jess. In the elevator on our way up to the roof, I ran into Christina of Hot Pink Manolos and what's funny about that is, we were already friends on Twitter, but I had never met Christina in person until that elevator ride. Ah, the virtual-come-real world! It was also neat to see David and Tzviah wearing name tags with HappyGoMarni.com written beneath their names. As if they were working for me or representing me. Well I suppose that's possible...they are lawyer-folk, after all.
The entrance to the bar when you step off the elevator onto the rooftop
Tzviah and David. Notice their nametags! They must work for me. :-)
But besides hanging out with friends at a cool venue in Venice, the primary reason I was there was to check out the new limited availability 8.5-ounce Coca-Cola Aluminum Contour Bottles. They are really neat! They keep the drink cold much longer than the normal cans, and they are sleek and classic like the old glass bottles of decades ago. Plus, unlike glass, they don't break if you drop them. Of course that doesn't make them spill-proof so don't drop them on your white carpet. I should really heed my own advice on that. They're also much heavier containers than the thin aluminum cans we are currently so used to and they're resealable.
At this event, the bartender was mixing cocktails that featured Coke, Diet Coke, and Coke Zero, and then funneling them into the new bottles to serve. I ordered the Coca-Libre, a drink that combined Coke, rum, grenadine, and red sugar. Another drink option was the Lemon Chilled made from Diet Coke, vodka, and lemonade. And a third drink option was the Zero Gravity with Coke Zero, Tequila Herradura, and fresh lime juice. Even some of the passed hors d'oeuvres contained Coke in the recipe. For sure the meatballs with their spicy, tangy Coke sauce. Yum!
Beef meatballs with a sauce made from Coke
At least for now, the new bottles are hard to find. Not sold in supermarkets and only in a few bars. I happen to live not-so-far from one of those bars: the SLS Hotel bar in Beverly Hills. Hopefully you'll have a chance to try a bottle soon. You could toss it in the recycle bin when you're done, or it makes a great bud vase!
The much anticipated KCRW Good Food Pie Contest happened yesterday and I can't believe I'm saying this - in fact, it's still shocking to say out loud, but typing is a little easier: My mom and I won 1st place in the Cream/Custard/Chiffon/Mousse category! Ahhhhhhhh! Ok, had to get that scream out of my system. Ahhhhh! Nope, it's not all out.
The lovely cross-section
Our winning pie was a Chocolate Caramelized Bananas and Peanut Butter Mousse Pie with a garnish of Caramelized Peanuts. We are suckers for chocolate, peanut butter, and bananas. Both my mom and I tested the pie recipe separately, varying it slightly to see what worked best. Friday night when we made the official pie we'd be entering into the contest (together under one roof because my mom flew down from the Bay Area!!!), we changed the chocolate cookie crust one more time. Third time's the charm! And practice makes perfect!
My sister, me, and my mom with our pie!
With close to 150 pies entered and all of them looking interesting or gorgeous, the competition was fierce! We were honored to be among such a talented mix of professionals and amateurs. It was fun to chat with the entrants while we waited for judging to begin. Plus being surrounded by such an esteemed judging panel, I was swooning and dying from celebrity chef and food figure sightings. It's one thing to be a fan of a famous chef or food writer, it's another to have them be a fan of your pie! The tables have turned, if just for one day, and I'm bursting on the inside!
The ribbons table
Watching chef Eric Greenspan of The Foundry on Melrose taste my pie and give the "oooooh-yummy-I-like-this" look of the century was incredibly exciting. Mark Peel, chef and founder of Campanile and La Brea Bakery, Stefan Richter, Top Chef Season 5 contestant and chef of Stefan's at LA Farm, and Russ Parsons, the LA Times food editor, offered me similar looks. I wish I could bottle up the thrill of seeing that. Greenspan and others even returned to my pie for additional tastes later in the judging process. So glad my sister got a short video of Greenspan mid-taste...
We are plating the pie for the judges
To go back a few steps and explain the day from the beginning, first I registered my pie entry when I arrived and was then taken to the tables where the pies would be displayed. This event took place in the giant Westfield shopping mall in Topanga, CA. The general public looked on from the other side of the ropes as I cut my pie into 8 pieces. 2 of those 8 would be plated for judges to sample. I took special care to make clean slices. I didn't know the judging rubric but I could have guessed presentation would be part of it. The slices came out great and showed off a fun multilayer cross-section. I was so relieved! Now, assuming the pie doesn't melt or deflate as it sits there unrefrigerated (cream pies aren't especially forgiving at room temperature for too long), my work is done and it's up to the Pie Gods to make miracles happen.
The Foundry chef-owner Eric Greenspan tastes our pie!
Russ Parsons, the LA Times food editor, tastes our pie!
Mark Peel, chef-owner of Campanile and La Brea Bakery founder, tastes our pie!
It took quite awhile for everyone who brought a pie to register and slice up their pie. Eventually, all the pies were out on display and the judges entered the area to perform their noble duty. I moved to the other side of the ropes blocking off the pie area, joining the general public, and watched judge after judge approach my pie to taste it. After a very long judging period and much deliberation and back-and-forth among the judges, the winners were determined.
Holding up my ribbon, biggest grin ever, and with event host/food genius Evan Kleiman
Evan Kleiman, the incredible chef-owner at Angeli Caffe, star of Good Food on KCRW, and host of this pie contest, took to the mic and announced 3rd, then 2nd, then 1st place in each of the four categories: Fruit and Nut; Cream, Custard, Chiffon, Mousse; Savory; Interpretive (Defies Categorization); and then Best in Show. When she called Pie #22, our pie, I just about died. I put my hands over my face, Home Alone style, then pulled my mom's arm behind me, and we rushed up to receive our award ribbon and prizes. The LA Daily News snapped a pretty awesome photo of us as we heard our pie announced. As for prizes, we got a tote bag of cookbooks, wine, and a gift certificate to Westfield mall. Plus bragging rights! When all winners had been announced, the public was invited to taste the remaining pie slices. It was a mad dash to the tables, and so much fun!
2nd place in Creams Dan Hong (for his delicious banana cream pie) stops for a photo with my mom and me
I can now check off Mother-Daughter Bake-off Experience from the list - though I wouldn't be opposed to more of those in the future. And how special to have my sister there cheering from the sidelines. We won an NPR bake-off? We love NPR!!!!! It was a really great day.
Oh, and at least for now, I'm keeping the winning recipe a secret. Sometimes I like a good mystery. :-)
Judge Eric Greenspan and me
Judge Mark Peel and me
With my friend Lindsay William-Ross, the editor of LAist
With Chrystal Baker, a fellow first place winner but for the Savory category, and fellow food blogger!
Today, for the first time ever, I am entering a pie in a bake-off. I've always wanted to enter food contests...baking ones, not eating ones (too many hot dogs or marshmallows stuffed in my mouth and I think I'd puke). But usually there is some lousy reason it doesn't work out - I find out too last minute or it's too expensive or it requires traveling or something. Actually, I did once try entering a recipe into the Pillsbury Bake-Off, but that didn't go very far, and there was no event where all applicants prepared their recipe and brought it to a judging panel to taste. That was only for the 100 finalists.
When I read that chef Evan Kleiman of Good Food on KCRW (Los Angeles's NPR radio station) was hosting a pie contest, I got really excited. I'm not even a regular pie baker, though I'm also not new to pies. The contest rules said I could enter up to 4 pies, one for each of the 4 categories: fruit and nut; cream, custard, chiffon and mousse; savory; and interpretive pie, one that "defies categorization." I didn't want to overdo my first ever bake-off experience; one pie was plenty. I called up my mom, told her about this contest that was happening on a weekend when she happened to be visiting my sister and me in LA, and we spent a couple nights devising a delicious pie recipe to co-enter! We chose the mousse category.
I won't divulge the recipe until after the contest is over (and only if the pie is not a complete failure or embarrassment to the pie-eating world), but I will say three ingredients that are featured in our pie: Chocolate, Peanut Butter, and Bananas. My mom and I each made the pie in our respective kitchens and then reconvened by phone to discuss any modifications we felt were necessary. Last night, with my mom in town, together under one roof, in my Los Angeles kitchen, we prepared the official pie entry. Mother-daughter activities are the best!
A berry pie I made a few years ago. Not the recipe I'm entering in this contest!
I hear there are 150 pies entered. Holy moly that is a lot of pie for the judging panel to taste! I just hope all 150 pies aren't variations on the one my mom and I submitted, you know, with the same three featured flavors. That would be a big bummer. I'm going to think positively and remain calm!
Speaking of judges, take a look at this incredible list of judges!
Mark Peel - Executive Chef & Owner, Campanile
Russ Parsons - Food Editor for the LA Times
Stefan Richter - Chef & Owner, Stefan's at LA Farm; Former Contestant on Bravo's Top Chef (Season 5)
Eric Greenspan - Chef & Owner of The Foundry on Melrose
Elizabeth Belkind - Executive Pastry Chef/Owner of Cake Monkey
Amy Scattergood - Food writer, LA Weekly
Eddie Lin - of the blog DeepEndDining.com and the book Extreme Cuisine
Amelia Saltsman - author of The Santa Monica Farmers Market Cookbook
Pim Techamuanvivit - Food Blogger and author of The Foodie Handbook
Clifford Wright - Noted Chef and Cookbook Author, Co-Founder of the Venice Cooking School
And there you have it! I will keep you posted on my experience. I'm so excited just to take part in it! With my mom by my side co-entering, and my sister there for moral support (and to taste people's yummy pies), it's a Happy Go Marni family affair.
Last night, for the first time ever, I baked a cake in a silicone bundt pan. GASP! Yup, I faced one of my biggest baking fears, bit the bullet, and used a flimsy, flexible, hard-to-keep-lint-out-because-it-sticks-to-the-pan red Wilton silicone pan.
Here's how it started. I went to a friend's to bake a cake and even brought my conventional metal, fail-proof pan with me. It's heavy-duty, and I've used it enough times to know it does my cakes justice.
But when my friend presented me with her silicone alternative, all feelings of safeness and ease were chucked out the window and a sinking feeling overwhelmed me. Should I use the pan I brought that I know works? Or should I try this wobbly thingamabobber some people swear by but I have yet to trust?
While never having tried it myself, I'm not unfamiliar with silicone bakeware. Between testimonials from friends and plenty of reading on the Internet and in cookbooks, I have valid concerns about the adequacy of said bakeware and what it does to the integrity of my cakes.
Here are just a few things I've heard about silicone bakeware that have freaked me out (NOTE: These are rumors and should not be taken as fact):
It's actually more difficult to remove the cake from the pan and you can't use a knife to cut the cake away because you'll tear the material
Since it's a thinner material than metal, it burns the cake and you have to watch the cooking time carefully
It doesn't produce crusts or edges on your baked goods
It's difficult to wash and dry
Lint sticks to it
It's a challenge to take the cake out of the oven because it's not sturdy. As you're lifting the pan out, you might tear the cake as it wobbles around because it hasn't cooled and set yet.
So now that you see what's been going through my mind, you can appreciate my queasiness when my friend presented me with her silicone bundt pan. At the same time, I was extremely curious to try it and break the ice already. What if it turned out to be earth-shattering, life-changing, and produced amazing cakes? I decided it was worth the risk.
I do have one confession to make. As with plenty of scary things in life, baby steps are useful and make it easier to handle the challenge you're facing. So instead of diving right in and embracing the silicone pan for all its alleged goodness, I took the supposedly unnecessary measure of greasing and flouring the pan. Please don't mock me!
The Result My cake baked evenly in the pan, so that's relief #1. It also didn't stick to the pan one bit: relief #2 (though if you recall my confession, I may have tampered with the test a little). But on the downside, when I inserted a toothpick in the center and it needed about 10 more minutes to bake, it already looked done on the outside. I think it ended up overcooking the outside a little, just as I feared. The solution to that is to cover the cake with foil partway through baking so the outside doesn't burn while you give the inside a chance to finish baking. So while that downside is annoying, it's not a deal-breaker.
I think the biggest problem I have with the pan is its flimsiness. As suspected, it wobbled when I took it out of the oven, even as I took extreme care to keep it still. The super hot cake is in a very fragile state immediately out of the oven, and its structure continues to set during the cooling. I almost broke the cake in half as I lifted it out of the oven because the silicone pan it was in was not supporting its still-setting delicate state.
If I use this pan again, I will absolutely place the pan on a cookie sheet and bake it like that. Not only does using a cookie sheet make it easy to lift the cake out of the oven, but the double thickness of having two pans will help prevent burning on the bottom of the cake. But the key here is if. If I will use this pan again. The fact that every time I use it it's going to give me butterflies is not good! But then again, last night's cake worked out, so maybe I'm panicking over nothing? At least now I can cross "using silicone bakeware" off the list of things to do before I die. Phew!
Have you ever used silicone bakeware? Are you a fan of it? Any disaster stories? Do tell!
Baked in early September by Tony Sapia at Gemelli's Bakery near Penn State Source: Collive.com
Run for your lives!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Most of the time when I want an expensive kitchen item, I either save up money over time (ex. KitchenAid standmixer), or I come to grips with the fact that it's just not practical enough and I'll never own it (ex. juicer). In the case of the 10-foot oven, I haven't come to grips with anything and I still really want it.
Because how else do you expect me to reproduce this 9-foot challah at home?
A band called One Ring Zero has begun a foodie project where they ask chefs for recipes and then they set the recipes to music and perform them word-for-word. Yeah, that's right: verbatim! There's no rhyme. But is there reason? Recipes as lyrics? Sounds strange. But you've got to listen to a couple of these!
Chef Michael Symon of restaurant Lola in Cleveland, who I just watched compete against three culinary students on Iron Chef America, submitted Octopus Salad with Black-Eyed Peas. The band sang the ingredients and instructions to the salad and it came off as a rock song! And no, in case you're wondering, that song title/recipe is not referring to a collaboration with will.i.am.
You can also listen to the polka-inspired "Spaghetti with Sweet 100 Tomatoes," a recipe submitted by Chef Mario Batali. Very clever.
I think my personal favorite is the creepy sounding "Lamb Shanks Roasted in Paper," recipe by Chef Jenny Morris. I can't decide if it sounds more like it belongs at a funeral or at a Jewish wedding. Kind of Klezmer-ish, but haunted, too. Have a listen and let me know how you'd describe this craziness!
Maybe the dish they're eating is going to be in a song?
I couldn't find a video of the guys singing any recipes (maybe that's a work in progress...), but here's a great clip of them in Aviles, Spain, performing "The Natty Blues," complete with accordion, guitar, and really, really neat trumpet. Am I being converted to so-called "ethno-pop"?
Maybe one day I'll be driving to work, listening to the radio, business as usual, and suddenly I'll hear the lyric: "Bring the water to a boil and then turn it down to a simmer, so the water is lightly bubbling." That's when you know the food revolution has taken over the world. :-)
I’ve always loved baking. I come from a family of amazing bakers going back many generations. And I have two large bookcases in my living room, both of them filled only with my 1000 cookbooks. I even considered it as a career and almost attended pastry school in San Francisco after college. But I went the route of digital marketing and got a Masters in Communication Management from the Annenberg School for Communication at USC. So baking is just a hobby. But I take hobbies seriously! And getting to moonlight as a baker is a great thing. I’m very happy.
And now, celebrity chef Jamie Oliver, the Naked Chef, is launching a dating site. The tag line for the site is "Where food lovers meet." I guess if you want to be able to share your love of food with your partner, this could be a great place to find that special someone. In fact, Serious Eats coincidentally posted a really funny forum question a few days ago: "Is dating a picky eater a dealbreaker for anyone?" For a lot of people, it is a dealbreaker. So maybe Jamie Oliver's got something here! He's partnered with Match.com for a 2 year deal of food-love matchmaking. According to Marketing Magazine, new members to the site will even have a chance to win a meal for two at Jamie's Italian. The site has sections such as Dinner Date Tips, Food to Make You Fall in Love, and Making the First Meal for your Partner. The URL of the site is pretty easy to remember, too. http://www.JamieOliver.com/dating.
