My week at Le Calabash Cooking School
This post has taken me a while to write because it is very hard for me to find the right words to express how unbelievable my week was at Le Calabash, it feels very bittersweet. To be able to go to France and spend an entire week at cooking school has been a dream of mine for a very long time and I could not have found a better school than this one. I was very nervous to go there alone, not knowing a single other person signed up for the week or what they would be like, but I made a promise to myself to stop passing up opportunities, because life is just too short… and I have never made a better decision! Alison and Sidney Bond, who run the school, are the kindest, most hospitable people I have ever met, and not to mention EXTREMELY talented. They are both award winning chefs who have cooked for some very big names including Queen Elizabeth II, Prince William, Mick Jager, Madonna, Cher, Sylvester Stallone, U2, Elizabeth Taylor, and many more.
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Cooking Live with Chef Ming Tsai, Matt Damon & Friends For a Good Cause
I don’t know if you are familiar with Family Reach Foundation, but they are an amazing charity created to provide financial relief and support to families fighting cancer. The majority of their funds go to help out families with children or young adults that are battling cancer. It is an amazing charity – unlike any other I have ever heard of.
I had the honor of attending this incredible fundraising event in NYC, Cooking live with Chef Ming Tsai and Friends, which went to raise over half a million dollars for this heart wrenching cause. In attendance were Chef Ming Tsai, Chef Mario Batali, Chef Floyd Cardoz, Chef James Dangler, Chef Marc Forgione, Chef Mashaharu Morimoto, Chef Laurent Richard, and “sous chef” Matt Damon.
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Houston Metro Cooking & Enertaining Show!
The Houston Metro Cooking & Entertaining Show was definitely NOT lacking in entertainment! With general admission tickets starting at $24.50 a piece, this affordable event is perfect for any food lover. It was jam packed with vendors (offering GREAT discounts), ranging from chocolates and pralines, to Cajun spices and BBQ rubs, to women’s handbags and home improvement. I personally enjoyed the cooking demonstrations, including Martie Duncan (finalist from Next Food Network Star – LOVE HER) and Jamie Zelco (from Zelco Bistro here in Houston) – they were fun and had great tips.
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Food Finds: Classe Ouvrière Honey and White Seashore Honey
Thanks to my friends over at Solex Fine Foods in New York, I was able to come across a few jars of each of these honeys. The moment I opened the first jar to try one, I knew I stumbled upon something really special. Trust me when I tell you, you will never taste honey like this, EVER.
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Best Cooking Classes in Houston *Foodie Find*
When I take cooking classes I want an experienced cook teaching me, not just a store clerk who googled recipes and then teaches me how to make them. I have found that at quite a few places I have gone this has been the case. I really love Central Market classes but I have to say that this place even beats them. Well Done Cooking School is the best I have found in Houston, and I have tried a number of places. The classes are taught by Celeste and Katherine… and these are chefs who actually have life experience in restaurants all over the world and really know what they are doing. I suggest, if you do not want to pay for a culinary school education, that you go here. They have so many helpful tips and knowledge they share…. and the classes are all completely hands on and very fun! Just try this place – you won’t regret it!
Here is their link: http://www.welldonecc.com/index.aspx
Enjoy!
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*Foodie Must Read*
For those of you who do not know the James Beard Award winning chef Marcus Samuelsson, he is an Ethiopian born, Swedish raised, extremely accomplished chef who has been featured on several food network shows such as Chopped and the Next Iron Chef. Last week, I was lucky enough to be able to attend his cooking class at central market where he was on a tour promoting his new book, “Yes Chef”.
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Trader Joe’s Must Have Item! *Foodie Find*
Okay, I cannot take credit for discovering this piece of heaven on earth… going to have to give that one to my office manager / fellow foodie with a serious love for all things uniquely amazing. Here it is – Trader Joe’s Speculoos Cookie butter! If you do not have a Trader Joe’s don’t worry, you can order it off Amazon (which is probably the way to go even if you have a Trader Joe’s store because its almost always sold out)!
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The Health Benefits of a Plant-based Protein Diet
I am NOT a full time vegetarian; however I do eat that way about 5x a week. I have to admit what got me started on all of this to begin with was a documentary called “Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead” by Joe Cross. He was 100 lb overweight, and suffering from autoimmune disease. With conventional medicines unable to help long-term, he traded in his fast food for a fruit and vegetable juicer. Now, I don’t solely juice, but it’s a GREAT option for a snack or meal replacement. He ends up basically curing himself, which is my whole point here – Vegetables people!
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About Me
I channel Julia Child above all else. “You'll never know everything about anything, especially something you love.” - SO TRUE Sites I Love
