I Don't Blog Here Anymore

Dear Loyal Readers (that means you mom),
I'll be blogging at my new site from now on! www.chefkristine.com/blog.html I have finally launched the new Web site, so please feel free to check out the new digs. It shows my list of services and sample menus.

And if you're not my mom, (that means you Molly) thank you for reading my posts on this blog. It has been a really fun way to blather on about a topic that I am so passionate about.

See you at the new place!

Kristine

Update on the Obama Garden

I just love how this whole thing is shaping out! The last time I updated about the garden, and let's remember, it's just a lil' ol' garden, it was about the big agro's getting mad about Michelle bringing the idea of local, seasonal, organic and sustainable into mainstream consciousness. They hate the idea of not getting their grapes in December.

The latest installment on garden-gate is that our wonderful young president is talking with his wife about starting a farmer's market in front of the White House. My goodness. Who's ever heard of such a thing? It's a simple idea with a gigantic statement. Man I love this family. Check out the full article from Grist here.

Every end is a new beginnning...or something like that

It seems like only yesterday that I woke up 3 hours before class to shower, iron my uniform and compulsively check to see if I had all my supplies for the first day of class. Of course, it didn’t take very long for it to become a half hour before class, staggering into the classroom still buttoning my chef’s coat.

The last few weeks of school are now a blur. It seemed to be an endless series of tests – from written final, to cooking final, to improv final, to group project final. While in the thick of things, I felt like it was never going to end and sometimes like I hadn’t learned a single thing. In retrospect, nerves and a little dash of over-confidence can do that. Let’s just say that I dubbed my practical (or cooking) final as “hot garbage on a plate.” But all in all, I don’t regret anything that happened in those few weeks. I’ll be including a separate entry about our group project.

What can I say about ten months of learning about something I love, making new friends, and discovering a brand new path for my life? This period was an awakening and exorcising of a passion that had been building since I was child. It was truly a completion of a dream. Now I have even more dreams to accomplish. When someone asks me exactly what it is that I want to do with my culinary education, I’m a little stumped because, truly, the real answer is everything. I want to cook, write, travel, teach, become an entrepreneur, and follow whatever opportunity happens to come my way.

But what about the recent future? I certainly have a lot more to say…I like to talk. After finishing my internships, I will work on building my personal chef business, while searching for a part time restaurant job. I’m currently working on my Web site, chefkristine.com, and hope to launch it sometime next month (September 2009).

Epilogue

In the last year, I’ve had so many people divulge to me their secret dreams of happiness. More often than not, I always felt like these dreams were in the realm of possibility and would ask why they wouldn’t go for it. I realize that I am incredibly lucky to have a supportive partner, family and friends to help me through this journey, but I believe when there’s a will there is a way. When I decided to quit my job and follow my dream I was never one hundred percent certain that I would succeed. Um, I’m still not. What I am certain about is that my entire quality of life has changed, sometimes not the way I had hoped, but mostly it’s been pure joy.

As a child I loved the Happiness Is series by Charles M. Schultz. Each Peanuts character had their own version of happiness from French fries to a warm puppy. So complete this sentence: Happiness is …

Sigh for Ming Tsai

Who knew that one of America's most famous mainstream chefs was so sensitive and in-the-know about food allergies? I love this guy! He just wrote a great article for The Atlantic about how his son's allergies towards the eight deadly sins (peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, soy, dairy, egg, and shellfish) forced him to be more stringent about sanitation at his restaurant, Blue Ginger, and how it eventually led him to capitol hill.

Find the article here.

Making Greek Yogurt

Don’t you just love Greek yogurt? It’s thick, creamy, and so satisfying. Similar to sour cream, it rivals in versatility. It’s also chock full of probiotics which aids digestion and boosting immunity. So why not keep a stock handy all the time? For one thing, it can be harder to find than it’s sugary and faux fruity counterparts; not to mention that it costs about twice as much.

But no more. You can make this delicious yogurt with the same stuff you find in your regular old grocery store, or the farmer’s market. All you need is plain yogurt, a kitchen towel (or paper towels), a small to medium strainer that can sit above a bowl, and of course a bowl.

Sit the strainer over the bowl and line the strainer with the kitchen towel. If you are using paper towels, be generous and lay paper towels over each other, leaving enough to drape on top of the yogurt. Pour as much of the plain yogurt that will fit into the strainer and let sit overnight in the refrigerator. You’ll be surprised to see how much liquid will escape. You can certainly do this with flavored yogurt such as vanilla, but I prefer to naturally flavor the yogurt myself.

Vanilla Yogurt

Add ½ teaspoon vanilla extract per cup

Orange Yogurt

Add 1 teaspoon all natural, unsweetened orange juice concentrate and ¼ teaspoon fresh orange zest per cup

Tsatziki (Greek Cucumber Dip)

1 cup strained yogurt

¼ cup diced and seeded cucumber

1 small clove garlic, grated

2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped

½ teaspoon dill, chopped

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients except the oil and let sit for at least 1 hour. When ready to serve, drizzle olive oil over the top. Serve with vegetables or grilled pita wedges.

Summer in the City

I took a stroll through the Union Square Greenmarket yesterday before the crowds began to swarm. It was really incredible to see how much the market has come alive this early in the summer. And it's only going to get better!

Gorgeous gladiolas, sunflowers, snapdragons and fresh herbs.

A rainbow of beets and carrots.

I don't eat bacon, but I do love the enthusiasm.

Zucchini and yellow summer squash come in a variety of shapes in colors.

These are biggest pattipans I've ever seen. Great for stuffing!

The squash blossoms were 4 for a dollar! So delicious stuffed with something savory (or even sweet), dipped into a tempurah batter and fried to a golden delicousness....

One of the best bread stands in the whole market. Breads are always delicious and the cookies and scones are the size of your head.

More beautiful flowers...yarrow, lavender, hydrangea...

It's the time to have berries and cherries.

Sour cherries are all over the market right now. They are a great foil for savory dishes, or even in a pie.

Fresh garlic with the stalks. I just had a really tasty dish at a Sechuan restaurant with dried smoked tofu and chopped garlic stalks. Really yummy and has a lighter garlic flavor. Lots of great fiber!

Mamasay Mamasa Mamapusa!

Regardless of how you felt about MJ you can’t deny his musical genius and indelible impact on music. To me, his music was the soundtrack of my childhood, and continues to be. I remember my older brother begging for (and getting) the MJ jacket and glittery glove to match. (I’m sure he’ll be pleased that I've shared this.) I also remember stealing his MJ cassettes so I could listen to Thriller, and at the moment of Vincent Price’s monologue I would throw my earphones across the room, because it was much too scary to hear his final eerie laughter. As an adult, I listen to Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough every year on my birthday. Rock with You even helped me cross the finish line at my first marathon.

I know MJ was a complicated man, but for today I celebrate, and remain grateful, for all the memories and happiness he gave me and countless other fans.