Ritz Carlton South Beach, meeting with Chef Connell

Some might think that spending 7 nights at a luxury hotel would be really great.  Those people would also be spending time outside of my windowless office at the said hotel. I didn't think it was possible but I may have actually been paler when I got home than when I left for Miami.

The one outdoor event that I allowed myself was the opportunity to take a cooking class with Chef Thomas Connell. I hate to say it but most hotel chefs that I've worked with are extremely arrogant.  Chef Thomas Connell was the antithesis of that kind of chef - he was an inspirational and charismatic instructor [and patiently answered all of my dumb irrelevant questions, of which there are many]. Even better, I found out that he was from Los Angeles - East Los Angeles to be exact.  He grew up always knowing that he was going to be a chef. [I couldn't relate. I grew up thinking I was going to be an accountant. I hated numbers, sucked at numbers so why I imagined that I'd be an accountant is still a mystery to me.]

Chef Connell spent several years in Spain opening the Hotel Arts in Barcelona. He said that he loved the lifestyle, the people, and of course, the food of Spain.  So it was only natural that the menu for the class was Tapas - Garlic Shrimp, Tortilla de Patatas, Paella, and Crema Catalana.

Due to hotel liability issues I was told that the class would be a demo with a small amount of interaction.  Little did I know that it was more than just a little interaction.  Chef pulled people from the audience to help out, especially children when they were around - it was a true passion for him to instill the love of cooking in the youths.

He patiently showed each person how to hold a knife [he suggested holding a raw egg in the hand opposite of the knife hand to force your hand to curl] and the proper cutting techniques.

I know most chefs can flip things, but this tortilla de patatas was huge.  Plus I've never got any other chef flipping stuff on camera.  So here it is.

Seriously. I don't know WHERE you get one of these AWESOME burnishers but i want me one.  NOW. This thing was SIZZLING hot [he threw sugar on the surface and it FLAMED]. I can only imagine the things I could make with it. "Imagine" because I tend to set things on fire and it'd be really dangerous for me to own it.

I almost took that whole plate back to my room with me.  The host of people standing around who would've stabbed me with their forks if I tried to run off with it pretty much prevented me from following through. 

The best dish of the day was the garlic shrimp.  My colleague and I repeatedly went back for some more of this shrimp.  It was so simple to make [literally, toast garlic in olive oil,  throw in the shrimp, top with chili flakes and parsley after shrimp has cooked, careful not to overcook the shrimp] and yet so flavorful! My colleague warned me that he WOULD stab me with his fork if I ran off with the bowl so I decided to stay put. He was my on staff EMT, so I quickly realized that he wouldn't do anything to stop me from bleeding to death.

After one of the classes had ended, I had the chance to speak to some of the participants.  I honestly can't remember a time when they were so inspired after an activity. One person shared with me that Chef's enthusiasm for cooking reminded them of why they were in their chosen profession - the love and passion of their job.  It reminded me how fortunate that I have that passion for my job.  Love what you do, if you don't have it, find it. 

Cooking Paella in Barcelona, Spain

One thing I like to try to do on my travels is to take a cooking class. For me, there's nothing that's a better outlet for my creativity or easier to "pack and take home" than learning how to make something regional from the place that you visit.

I found Cook and Taste while doing a quick search on Chowhound for my trip last December. The price for the class [and visit to the boqueria] was fairly reasonable, considering that we got to eat and drink, too! Our teacher was wonderful, kind, friendly, and very informative.  She gave me tips on where to buy all kinds of food gifts! [you know...food gifts for ME!!!]

I don't like to feel useless, especially when someone else is bustling around in a busy fashion around the kitchen. So, I volunteered to help out by unpacking our goods from the boqueria. Luckily, that earned me the right to make the fish stock! I quietly diced my veggies and the monkfish [ugh...most disgusting fish EVER...and I don't care that it's "good eats"] off to the side while she started on the Crema Catalan [very much like a creme brulee].

I enjoyed the leisurely pace of the class. We took as long as we needed, no short cuts. There was no set end time. Sure, we all had other ideas of things we wanted to do that day but when mixed with the food, wine and company, we were quite happy to hang out and learn - not only about the food but about the culture, city and its people.  We also got to meet some classmates who were from Holland and Great Britain, as well.  It was interesting to learn about other country's healthcare, food philosophy, cost of living, and gas prices!

We had a fabulous time making gazpacho, tortilla de patatas, crema catalan, and paella.  I especially enjoyed working for my lunch.  I think you will too!


Cook and Taste
CARRER DEL PARADÍS, 3
08003 BARCELONA
t. (+34) 93 302 13 20
info@cookandtaste.net

Food Blog Forum Los Angeles

Hi, my name is Jenny and I'm not a food blogger. Sometimes I am a food blogger stalker or an event planner or a traveler. To say that I am a food blogger is a gross exaggeration of reality [on account of the fact that I can't really cook].  But I desperately want to be one. 

Here is my shortlist reasons why I want to be a food blogger:

1.) The People:  First and foremost, these people are just so awesome and amazing.  I have met so many wonderful people. There is no online community who is more supportive than this one.

2.) Good Food: I don't exaggerate when I say that any time you go to a food blogger event, the food is going to be awesome.  

3.) Learning: My goal is to learn new things constantly.  I've learned so much from others as well as on my own through this blog. 

4.) Opportunity: Not to get into detail, but I've never had so many various opportunities as when first I started this blog.  New challenges, new possibilities. 

5.) Community: I know this points back to the People section but really, this needs to be addressed again. People like Jaden & Scott and Diane & Todd who are some of the busiest people I know, develop the Food Blog Forum to help share, GIVE AWAY FOR FREE, their knowledge and insight in developing a successful blog. I spoke with Diane just before this seminar and her words really stuck with me, "We just want to give back and help those who are just starting out." WHO DOES THAT??  These guys do.  

Food Blog Forum, Los Angeles

I almost started to cry when I first found out the date. I had 2 other commitments for that day but attending this was very important to me. 

There were so many favorite topics but to highlight just a few key points [because there are far more eloquent writers out there than I]:

"Find your passion...what is it that you want??" - Scott Hair, former Tony Robbins trainer,  paraphrased. He gave step by step instructions on finding your passion and how to achieve them.  What a dynamic speaker and with a gift to motivate. Jaden doesn't realize this but I plan to be camp out at her home some day.  Poor lady.

"Light, freshness of food, visual delectability, and sense of place are all components of what makes a successful food photo." Matt A & Adam P, totally paraphrased.  They spoke about building your plate for the camera, not necessarily to eat - use foods that are undercooked or overcooked depending on what the item is.  Build and layer to give your food depth.

"Assess your environment; decide the mood, feel, story of your photos; choose your gear, equipment and props." Diane C & Todd P, copied off their slide.  They gave the ever important tips on equipment, scouting out the best lighting for your shot, directional lighting, and the composition of light.  Todd even sat down in a squat to show us how to be a human tripod! 

Todd, Human Tripod

"Write for humans. Pick 2 - 5 keywords before you start to write. Don't use keywords more than twice." Gary N, almost verbatim because I didn't understand a word he was saying.  Ok, that's not totally true but I don't know much about SEO beyond what I read on wikipedia.  I learned things that I had no idea about - permalinks, Social Media Connect, Meta descriptions.

"Content + Authenticity + Passion + Diversity = Magic Formula" Jaden H, i think i wrote this right.  One thing I know about Jaden is she's an ideas person.  She can pop off more ideas in a 30 second period than anyone I know.  I dare you to go head to head with her.  You'll lose.  She gave us insight on what a "Platform" was [how many touch points to end customers]; how to have achieve income diversity [recipe development, photography, cooking classes, ghost writing]; monetize your website [giving tips on ad income]; and how to participate in community [Foodblogforum, twitter, Foodbuzz, blogHer, etc]. Just a few other gems from Jaden:

• "Nothing exists without community."
• "Find a rockstar in an unrelated industry and apply it to food."
• "Give your knowledge away - that's how people will remember you."
• "I'm a little strange and I like it." 

I was supposed to leave early but once I arrived, I was so transfixed that I just couldn't. Thanks to all the people I had the blessings to meet and see again:

@lafujimama - Rachael

@whatsgabycookin - Gaby

@ihcuppycakes - Clara

@foodwoolf - Brooke

@delorganic - Carrie

@dishingdelights - Esi

@privatekitchen - Sara

@whiteonrice - Diane

@riceonwhite - Todd

@steamykitchen - Jaden

@mattbites - Matt

@adampearson - Adam

Thanks for not running away when I threw my arms around you in my bear hug. You'll just have to be quicker next time.

Mac Attack in Los Angeles : Sweet Tartelette's Southern Invasion...

Macarons, the most amazing delicate cookie I've ever had the pleasure of tasting. It's been a source of great joy...and the greatest frustration.  I even took a group class, thinking, "ok, i got this..."  I got home and thought, "oh fuuuuuudge...i don't got this..."

What did I do wrong?? Over and over and over and over and over again [that WAS 5 times, right??], I tried my hand at the macaron.  Surely it couldn't be THAT difficult right? Who's ever been totally beaten by a baked good? Well, it turns out that *I* have been beaten by a baked good. Darn it! I refused to be beaten by a baked good.

So alongside Rachael [La Fuji Mama] and Gaby [What's Gaby Cooking] we hatched the scheme to bring the Tartelette out to Los Angeles to learn us some Macaron making.  The first few days of Helen's stay was marred with her having a totally insane hostess [I think she may have crapped her pants a few times while I was driving. What? I couldn't pile my poor driving skills on to my poor hostessing skills - I've got some very, very small amount of pride, you know]. 

Something akin to a bag of moths fluttered around in my stomach [or too much alcohol if I'd been drinking] as we prepped for class - a combination of excitement and absolute dread.  I mentally slapped myself, told myself to suck it up and pull myself together.  I was ready to face the world...well, at least these stupid hellish macarons.

Each step of the way, I looked to Helen like I was a first grader, looking for approval at every dotted "i" and crossed "t".  She eyeballs my batter and instructs with absolute confidence, "Five more turns".  I do what I think is 5 turns but could've been 15 since I couldn't remember where the starting point was.  By this point, the voices in my head starts singing, "yeah...uh huh...I'm bad. I know it..." all accompanied with a little head bobbing.

After piping out something that I hoped would suddenly round out from its oblong shape, I let my macs rest.  After 30 minutes rest time, during which Helene instructed us on various methods, ganaches, etc, she asked for some "test" trays to put into the oven.  II nonchalantly handed her mine.  It didn't dawn on me that anything could possibly go wrong until she looked over at me and said, "Brave."

That's when the pants crapping started.  Rachael and I were the "test" Macs.  I looked at her and she said, "One of ours is not going to come out, you do realize that, don't you?" I looked at her without batting an eye said, "Don't worry. It's going to be mine."

Rachael's photo from "A Weekend with Tartelette"

You know by now that my Macs were the ONLY one in the WHOLE class that didn't come out.  [See the photo above? The pretty ones were Rachael's...you can see mine in the background.] I would've cried but for the fact that I don't believe in crying in the kitchen and  quite frankly, I wasn't really surprised. Karma seems to be torturing me in the form of the MACARON.  

So I determined that I would practice, practice, practice everything that I learned in Helen's class [over 2 day period]. I used it as my mantra.  My big test came in the form of my high school get together on Saturday.  They insisted that I bring the Macarons.

So with sweaty hands, pounding heart I began the process.  Encouragement from my twitterfriends came and gave me confidence.  And you know what??? I succeeded. YES!!!

A little skirting but this is such progress that I'm excited to try it again soon! Thanks, Helene!

Mac Attack, Southern Invasion aka "How Not to Host the Tartelette"

Boy and Girls, Ladies and Gentlemen: Let this be a step by step tutorial for you on how NOT to host the Tartelette.

It all started when I went to pick her up from the airport - clutching my camera in one hand and my [work] crackberry in the other.  As I waited for Helen to arrive into the baggage claim area, I was neurotically checking my crackberry.  Somehow, that wiley cat managed to slip right by me.  Funny how that happens when one isn't paying attention.  After playing phone tag for a few minutes I finally found her and my opportunity to take a photo of her as she walked in tanked.

Sierra, world's cutest puppy

We were blessed to be invited to Todd and Diane's from White on Rice Couple's home for dinner but it was still 1:00pm and we were starving. So we get into the car and head down to Hermosa Beach to check out the beautiful Pacific Ocean.  I hoped to find some great, clever dining option but the first place I found was Hennessey's.  If you know ANYTHING about Hennessey's you'll know it's an Irish Pub...you know...the kind where they serve really greasy Quesadillas?  That's where I took the Tartelette.  I mean...the Macaron Celeb. One of FORBE'S magazine's Eight of the Very Best Food Bloggers.  Uh huh.  I took THE Tartelette there.

Oh but WAIT.  My First Class treatment doesn't end there!!  The next day we headed off to Matt and Adam's studio.  Did I stop for coffee or breakfast? No, of course not.  Why ruin the beginning of a really bad track record with some hospitality?  After we were wowed by Matt and Adam's awesome prop room [Geez, I'm still hoping that nothing accidentally fell into my very large purse] we decided to check out Hollywood.

I had been promising Helen some Korean Hot Pot and all kinds of ethnic foods for weeks.  So naturally, that really had to take precedence into our meal plans.  So on our way to Hollywood, I took her to Umami Burger.  You know...the place where they serve BURGERS??  I find out that Helen hadn't had a burger in 15 years [probably with GOOD reason] but she's so freaking gracious that she said that she really enjoyed it. I would've smacked me into next week, if I were her.

That evening was our tweet up at The Yard.  Chef CJ [the tallest man in the world] came by with a delicious bite of burrata cheese, snap peas, and puree.  Great happy hour and great happy hour nibblies!  Thanks to Erika, Kate, Giselle, Patti, Sonja, Kathy, and Remil for attending!

We were so busy chit chatting with everyone that we realized that we hadn't really eaten dinner.  Inspiration struck - I decided that Helen, Gaby, Sonja, Remil, and I were heading to the taco truck, El Paladar Oaxaqueño, our first ethnic meal of the trip.  Lengua [tongue], Cabeza [head/cheek meet] were our choice for tacos.

Classes went well the following day [with the exception of MY macs but that's a whole other story] but after class, we were starving.  Unfortunately, it was 11:30pm and nothing  in the area was open.  NOTHING except for The Kettle, a 24 hour join in Manhattan Beach...the place where I spent many college late night meals.  I hated it when I was in college and I re-discovered that I still hated it. 

So, in case you missed it, let's have a replay:

1. Helen had to run around the airport looking for me.

2. I promised ethnic foods.  I take her to greasy bar food, a burger joint, or just plain nothing at all.
3. I took her to a taco truck for ethnic food.
4. I didn't give Helen a chance to eat any breakfast on any day.
5. I took her to a dive - a place that i didn't care for, even back in college, for a late night dinner.

But wait, it doesn't end there...to top off the entire week, I dropped her off at the wrong terminal [it was a code share flight] causing her to MISS HER FLIGHT.

Please take a look at the above steps and understand what you should never do when inviting Helen to your city.  Did I mention how gracious Helen was throughout the entire week?  Her schedule is booking up quickly so I suggest you get her in to your city as quickly as possible. But please...don't be a boneheaded hostess like I was. Oh...and if I invite YOU to Los Angeles, you may want to think twice about it.

Stay tuned for Part II of the Tartelette's Class...

POSTCARD: Oklahoma City [Edmond, OK] - Steak & Catfish Barn

Dear Friends:

I'm excited to be writing to you from Oklahoma City [ok, not really...it is work and all].   There are so many dining options and opportunities out here [if you like a lot of fried fattening foods, otherwise you're S.O.L. for the purposes of this particular postcard.].  Take for instance, the Steak and Catfish Barn.  

When I was here last October, I made a trip up to Edmond to visit my friend, Carrie.  As I was driving around Edmond, lo and behold what do I see but this sign for a Steak and Catfish Barn.  BARN.  Where they serve both STEAKS and CATFISH.  I've been wanting to visit this place ever since [no, really.  It's all I've talked about].

My first glance into the restaurant lived up to my expectations, a little dark with linoleum floors.  I was so thrilled by this sight that I nearly bounced to my table, which was in the next room - brighter and better lit...They had all these really funny plaques around the place but I'll save that for another post.

Our server was wonderful and friendly and even helped me with my selections [even if she didn't actually bring me those selections, but she corrected right away]. I have to say, they had the best french fries I've ever eaten.  I ate half of Carrie's.  It was awesome.  

It was definitely a lot more fried food than I've ever had in one sitting.  My stomach was in turmoil after but the fried catfish was so moist, tender and perfectly fried that I'd go back and eat it again!

As a matter of fact, I even bought a t-shirt because it's just so awesome...[a catfish riding a bull...].  I've been wearing that shirt with pride.  I can't wait to go back again!!

Steak and Catfish Barn

5175 E Waterloo Rd
Edmond, OK 73034

405.341.7300

Wine Tasting...

This was vastly different from my other trips up to Napa/Sonoma Wine Country in that it wasn't a back to back race from winery to winery. Instead, E and I visited only 3 wineries: Peju, Frogs Leap, and Ravenswood.

I wanted to restock some wines from Peju so we headed down there and were lucky enough to see Alan, the rapping, yodeling, representative of Peju. Luckily, I had called them ahead to let them know I'd be showing up so they were expecting me. I don't know how we did it but we walked out of there with a CASE of various wines. Personally, I think it was the rapping that sold me.

E brought up Frogs Leap so I called to see if we could come in for a tasting. $15 got us a flight of 5 wines and a cheese plate. Frogs Leap is one of the original pioneers of organically grown grapes and ecologically sustainable farming techniques in Napa. Please note that there is a difference between organic wines (which do not have a long shelf life) and organically grown products used in wines - the wines can't call themselves "organic" probably have sulfites that have been added. The staff there were extremely friendly, knowledge and helpful - we had a great time learning about the valley, relaxing on the wrap around porch and enjoying the tasty nibbles!

One experience that I had planned in advance was a wine blending class at Ravenswood with Peter Griffith. Peter got back to my email right away and noted that I was a dying breed (an employed CMP). He normally only did the class for groups with a minimum of 6 but he kindly offered it out to me - I only hope that I can get a group back out there soon!! It was a fantastic experience!

Peter managed to dumb this down enough so that even I could understand it. The Zin provided the fruits, the Carignan provided the acid, and the Petite Syrah the body. Not so surprisingly, I really liked it heavy on the Petite Syrah. We started out to with the knowledge that whatever we "mixed" together, it needed to add up to 20ml. Problem number 1: i can't add. It took me a few tries but with the help of my fingers and toes, I somehow managed to get it done!

We used the pipettes to measure out each of the 3 types of wines to blend the perfect wine for each of our palates. It was a lot like perfume making in that the sense of taste (like the sense of smell) got tired after 3 - 4 tastings. Problem 2: After a while, I just got tired of trying to figure out which i liked so I went with my best last tasting.


One thing I was excited about was doing a barrel tasting - never got to do that until that day. We sampled a barrancia 2008 (YUM!). Problem 3: We were strongly encouraged to spit. I never spit because I just find it a waste of good wine. We did enough tasting where this was actually a good (and valid suggestions, after I was informed that if I were intoxicated while riding a bike, I would still get a DUI. *SIGH*) We also had the opportunity to taste other wines, including some of the wines from the library collection. It was a great experience, one I highly recommend to give you a broader understanding of wine structure!

Peju Province Winery
8466 St Helena Hwy
Rutherford, CA 94573
707-963-3600

Frog's Leap
8815 Conn Creek Road
Rutherford, CA 4573
707.963.4704

Ravenswood Wine
18701 Gehricke Road
Sonoma, California 95476
707-933-2332
peter.griffith@ravenswood-wine.com (to sign up for the blending class!)

Dear Morizuya...

Dear Morizuya Ryokan (www.morizuya.com):

First of all, I’d like to thank you for taking such good care of me and my friends. Your hospitality and helpfulness provided us with such a positive experience that we can’t wait to come back!

Upon our arrival into the town, the lady from the Kinosaki tourist board greeted us and took our bags which they delivered to the hotel right at 3:05pm - only 5 minutes after our official check in!! Since we arrived at about 1:00pm it gave us about 2 hours to walk around the quaint village to do some scouting for our shopping trip the next day.

We enjoyed the opportunity to wear the yukata and the accoutrement which you so graciously provided for our stay. It was a bit of a challenge for a couple of us but I think we got the hang of it right away! We looked awfully sharp in our yukatas, don’t you think?

Thanks for the tip and for the passes to the different onsens. Experiencing more than one onsen helped us get just a taste of something new and different. Oh, and the outdoor hotspring was definitely something not to be missed. The crisp cool mountain air combined with the hot steamy onsen really helped to relax the muscles!

The meals that you provided for us was absolutely amazing!! I don’t know how I finished it. It was a never ending meal for us. As you can see from Christy’s photos, she was very enthusiastic at first…barely crossing over the finish line. Breakfast was just as delicious as dinner and plentiful as well. I don’t think I’ve ever had dessert for breakfast!!

Thank you again for your hospitality. I can’t wait to come back!

Sincerely,

Jenny

Flowers in Provence!!!

Lavande photos (not to be confused with Lavandine that is grown everywhere else but the mountains of Provence). The bees buzzing freaked me out a bit but I regretted not purchasing some of the honey from these Lavender bees.

These photos just don't do the colors justice...but carrie was right, we were both lucky that we didn't have any objects that could be used as tools of death. Although I was driving...and complaining about the twisty narrow roads. Sadly, I was starting to get car sick...and i was driving. This was their idea of a two lane highway...

We pulled off on the side of a road to take some photos of sunflower fields (sorry, erin...we found the fields in provence, not italy!). We would've crossed the road to get to the other side to take some close up photos but we feared that we'd become road kill from oncoming traffic. I could see the headlines "two dumb tourists flattened down by cross traffic in an effort to photograph some dumb flowers"

carrie at Grasse

The mad scientist at work...please note that I am not the cause of all the bruising that you see...

all ready for her session as "Ms Floral/Fruity"

Adding additional scents to the mixture

I have to admit that I've never been good at chemistry but this was really easy! If only high school Chem was this much fun!! I would've actually paid attention.

One side note to the photo below in Carrie's blog about Grasse...I nearly attacked the puppy because he was so darn cute. The father of the guy who was holding his leash told him to just let me pet the puppy so they can get on with their shopping...