JBF Taste America PHX

     Before reading this post you must know who James Beard is. If you don't, educate yourself here. If you are one of the educated, you are well aware of what a complete bad ass James Beard was. He was so iconic that there is now a foundation and an award in his name that just so happens to be the food equivalent of an Oscar. I have been to the James Beard Awards in the past and it is definitely a spectacle. If you're curious about it, feel free to read my account of last years experience. The awards are put on by the James Beard Foundation, which also puts on other smaller events throughout the year. One of those events is called Taste America. For the past three years, my mom has been hired to put together the events for Taste America Phoenix (there are 9 other cities), and since I work for my mom, I've had the pleasure of helping her with this event.

      

      If you love food and want to have an amazing time, you need to find a way to make it to one of the events going on. The big dinner (as I like to call it) is a multiple course meal with dishes from local chefs and a star chef that change each year, making each year completely unique. Silent and live auctions, tons of wine and drinks, and fabulously good food are guaranteed. The morning after, Sur La Table hosts cooking demonstrations by some of the chefs who were cooking at the dinner. There are also local vendors that showcase samples of their products in the store. This year there will be a new event prior to the big dinner that will be hosted by Fox Restaurants Concepts and I couldn't be more stoked. I will be at each one of these events working, and eating as much as I can. Check out the info below if you're interested in attending! Don't forget to follow The James Beard Foundation on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook to keep up with all things James Beard and JBF Taste America Phoenix on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook to keep up with everything happening regarding the event!

      The James Beard Foundation (JBF) is pleased to announce the third consecutive year of the Taste America®: “Local Flavor from Coast To Coast” national epicurean tour, which will visit ten American cities this fall. Spanning six weekends between September 18 and November 7, 2015, the program will stop in Boston, Charleston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, New Orleans, Phoenix, San Francisco, and Seattle. Each city will enjoy a special evening that starts off with a walk-around tasting reception from a lineup of celebrated local chefs, followed by a one-of-a-kind, four-course dinner crafted in collaboration with a Taste America All-Star and a Local Star chef.

      Sam Fox, founder of Fox Restaurant Concepts and semifinalist in the James Beard awards Outstanding Restaurateur category for the past two years, will kick off the weekend with a festive and flavorful Taste of Fox Restaurant Concepts Reception, showcasing The Henry, Flower Child, Culinary Dropout, North Italia and Little Cleo's Seafood Legend; a bevy of his best mixologists and a selection of small bites, signature cocktails, wine and beer at the Tempe Culinary Dropout on Thursday, September 24, from 7:00-9:00 p.m.  

Cost is $100 per person.

      On Friday, September 25, the exclusive dining event benefiting the James Beard Foundation, A Night of Culinary Stars, will be held at Royal Palms Resort and Spa. The evening will begin with a reception filled with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres from local chefs and restaurateurs, including Kevin Binkley (Binkley’s Restaurant Group; Cave Creek, AZ), Matt Carter (Zinc Bistro; Scottsdale, AZ), Rochelle Daniel (The Restaurant at L’Auberge de Sedona), Mel Mecinas (Talavera at Four Seasons Resort; Scottsdale, AZ) and Mark Tarbell (Tarbell’s Restaurant Group; Phoenix). Afterwards, guests will savor an extraordinary four-course dinner prepared by three James Beard Award winners, Taste America All-Star Michel Nischan, Local Star Chris Bianco (Pizzeria Bianco; Phoenix), Local Star RoxSand Scocos McCreary and Host Chef Todd Allison (T. Cooks at Royal Palms Resort and Spa; Phoenix), who will come together to create a unique and unforgettable one-night-only menu. 

Cost: $275 per person. Time: 7:00 Cocktail and Tasting Reception followed by 8:00 Dinner.

      For an exceptionally up-close-and-personal experience, there are five slots available to be an amateur sous chef and to work side-by-side with one of the chefs during the reception, with options ranging from $1,500 to $5,000. The participants will be seated afterwards to enjoy the dinner, plus after some light-hearted judging, are eligible to win a dinner for two at the Beard House and a two night hotel stay in New York City. For more information regarding this opportunity, please contact local organizer Robyn Lee at robyn@robynlee.com.

      On Saturday, September 26, free in-store consumer events will take place at Sur La Table® located at Kierland Commons; from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Activities of the day will include cooking demos by All-Star Michel Nischan at 10:00 a.m. and Chef Barb Fenzl at noon; book signings, tastings from local producers and artisans, as well as product demos and tastings from our national sponsors.  Reservations for the free cooking demos will begin two weeks prior to each event at jbftasteamerica.org. Visit Phoenix’s event page for the full schedule and more details. http://www.jbftasteamerica.org/event/phoenix

 

      The James Beard Foundation is proud to donate a portion of the evening’s proceeds to the Taste America Scholarship Fund. Local culinary students in Arizona are invited to apply for this culinary scholarship between April 1 and May 15, 2016 through jamesbeard.org. Candidates will be reviewed by the JBF Scholarship Selection Committee, chaired by Ungaro.

Coffee is Life

      I haven't had coffee for three days. The world is ending.  Like, I need to be a functioning adult but I'm also trying to be a fiscally responsible adult, and spending five dollars a day on coffee subtly makes a dent in my bank account. I suppose I could use my coffee maker that I have at home. But the fact that I wake up thirty minutes before work and am usually late doesn't give me much time to make a cup of coffee. I am trying to be healthier too, and I am pretty sure I drink more coffee than water. In a state where 1,000 degrees is normal during the summer, that's not a good thing. Also, there is the fact that I simply suck at making coffee. I suppose I could take the time to get better, but I just love coffee shops so much. I go to different coffee shops for different situations. Here are those coffee shops:

Starbucks - This is only on here because there is a drive through right by my house. And when you wake up thirty minutes before work, options are slim. They are my "I desperately need coffee ASAP" coffee shop. The trick is to mask their shitty coffee with as much sugar and artificial flavor as possible. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT, get their iced coffee. It's shit. And you will hate your tastebuds. But alas, they're everywhere, and sometimes you just need a cup of coffee and Starbucks will suffice. 

Cartel  - Cartel is great. There are a few locations around town which is perfect for accessibility. My job tends to take me around the city a lot, and chances are, I am close to one of their four Phoenix locations. On the rare chance I'm in Tucson, they have two shops there too. I like to have creative meetings here. The atmosphere is a great combination of calming and productive, plus there are tons of other creative people there too. The one unfortunate thing about Cartel (for me) is that it gives me stomach problems. I might just have a sensitive stomach, but this sucks, because I truly enjoy their coffee. I have to force myself to only buy their chai and one of their freshly baked pastries, which frankly isn't really a bad thing. Because it's delicious. 

Sip - Sip sells Cartel's coffee, so I am also limited to what I can order coffee wise, BUT they have alcohol. I love alcohol, so naturally I am drawn to this place. I mean, it has two of my favorite things. They have a really nice location and it is a very cozy place to hang out. They have musical performances certain nights, and yoga on certain Sundays. They have great food too!

Buzzberry - I have not been to Buzzberry as much as I would like but the times I have been I have enjoyed myself. They have a lot of food and yummy baked goods and their coffee is really great! But there is one thing that trumps all of these things. They are open 24 hours. Now, people who are in film school or the film industry or any profession that has odd hours, this is an incredibly amazing trait that a business can have. When I really get busy with projects, I hardly see daylight, and it's really easy to lose track of time when you're staring at a screen for hours and hours. There have been times when I have left school at 11pm and am going home to do more work and desperately need a cup of joe. Buzzberry provides this. I am eternally gratefull. 

Hava Java - There are so many things to say about Hava Java. It was the first local coffee shop I ever walked into. That was my freshman year of high school and I have gone into their shop at least once a week (if not every day) until this moment. I adore their coffee. If I have been out of town for a bit, that is the first place I go once I get home. I have made countless memories there. From running into friends when they're home for the summer to writing scripts for hours at a time in the far back of the shop. I know everyone who works there and they know me, and they KNOW my order. There have been days where I have stayed all day and I feel like I am where I'm supposed to be. I remember coming in, feeling a bit under the weather, and the barista made me a hot cup of peppermint tea with some honey. She said it would make me feel better and it did. That's the thing about Hava. They make your coffee, but they make you feel better too.

      There are obviously tons of other coffee houses out there that are not listed, so please comment your favorite place to grab coffee in the comments! I'll go check it out. As for my homemade coffee, I am getting better, but I'm pretty sure it's because I put alcohol in it. Frankly, I think that's a pretty good strategy to make coffee taste good. 

Pesto Pasta

      I like good food. That's obvious. But sometimes good food can be expensive or complicated to make. The trick is finding something that is reasonably priced, easy to make, and absolutely delicious. There is a pasta dish I started making a few months ago that meets this criteria. The original recipe I found here on Damn Delicious. Here is how I make it.

Ingredients

1 box of your favorite pasta

Pesto (homemade or store bought. I recommend Fresh & Easy Pesto)

Asparagus

1 Avocado

Chicken (I use Fresh & Easy pre cooked chicken)

1 Egg

Salt

Pepper

Olive Oil

Balsamic Vinegar

Garlic Salt

Parmesan Cheese

Instructions

1. Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees. Wait until pre-heated to continue.

2. Once the oven is pre-heated, start preparing the asparagus. Lay wax paper over a shallow baking pan. Place the desired amount of asparagus in the pan and pour olive oil and balsamic vinegar onto the asparagus. Generously sprinkle salt and pepper over the asparagus. Set aside.

3. Fill a pot up with water and bring to a boil. Place pasta into the water and cook for the amount of time stated on the box. 

4. Place the asparagus into the oven and cook for 15 minutes.

5. Once the pasta is done add the pesto.

6. Cut an avocado and add it to the pasta.

7. Once the asparagus is done, take out and let cool. Slice into pieces and add it to the pasta.

8. Heat up the chicken and add it to the pasta.

9. Stir all of these ingredients together in the pot. Add garlic salt to taste. 

10. Fry an egg to your preference and place it on top of the pasta before serving. (I prefer my egg yolk a bit runny and I use garlic salt and pepper to season it while it's cooking)

11. Go crazy with the parmesan!

      It is super filling and incredibly delicious. It also keeps really well! I hope you enjoy. :)

Donuts Are the New Beauty Standard

      Just like with clothes, there are trends for food. First it was cupcakes. Sprinkles started it all and then more and more cupcake shops started popping up. Then restaurants added cupcakes to dessert menus. Then The Food Network got on board and now we have shows that are literally all about cupcakes. But again, just like with clothes, trends go out of style. The new fad became bacon. Bacon EVERYTHING. Now we had bacon cupcakes. What a concept. Then bacon started being put into cocktails, and muffins, and pancakes...and again, people got tired. 

Mini cupcakes from a previous JBF Taste America event.

      The new trend is something that I hope sticks around for a while given that our love for them has been a constant aspect of American culture. They have always been there. If you're from the East Coast, they are on every street corner. I'm talking about donuts. There is a donut for everyone and I'm just referring to the classics! You're lying to yourself if the thought of a freshly baked Krispy Kreme donut doesn't make your mouth water. I will always be game for a 2am trip to Bosa to get my fix. And believe me, there is a reason "America runs on Dunkin'" and its because America freaking loves donuts. My personal love for donuts started because of a little shop at Pier 39 in San Francisco called Trish's Mini Donuts. Matt's love for donuts grew immensely after eating a donut with a unique twist on a classic. 

Whenever I end up in San Francisco I make it a mission to come here. 

Matt enjoying "The Grillswith- A grilled, cinnamon dusted Krispy Kreme donut with Double Rye! whiskey laced ice cream," from High West Distillery in Park City, UT.

      But lately, things have been different. Not in a bad way. In an amazing way. People began making donuts better. I'm a big fan of the saying "if it ain't broke don't fix it" but in this case I'm fine with bending the rules. Have you ever heard of a cronut? If not, educate yourself here. After this happened, people began wondering what else could be done with donuts. To me, the best representation of this experimentation is Fractured Prune Donuts. I came across a photo of their donuts on Instagram and told myself that the next time I was by their shop, I would go in and try the donuts. I was not disappointed. You order your donuts by filling out a check list. They have pre-determined combinations that you can choose from or you can make your own by choosing a glaze and up to two toppings for each donut. The combinations are endless. They place your order and then begin making your donuts right before your eyes. Like, you actually watch your donuts go through the fryer and be dipped in glory, and they come out warm and delicious like all baked goods should.

 From left to right: Black Forest, Banana with Vanilla Wafers, Orange Dream, Maple Bacon (remnants of the bacon trend), Lemonade, and Strawberry Shortcake donuts.

      Fractured Prune is not the only one who has thought up interesting donut flavors. A bakery out of New Orleans called District Donuts has also perfected this experimentation. Unfortunately I was not able to make it to District the last time I was in New Orleans but all that means is I have more of a reason to go back. In conclusion, I hope this trend of making donuts better continues because the standard has clearly been set.

      

Let Me Feed You

      I have this thing where, if friends are coming over, I get embarrassed if I don't have food in my house to feed them when they're hungry. Yes, I suppose there is always take out or delivery, but sometimes that isn't practical. Maybe I get embarrassed because I grew up around my family entertaining so much, and I just want to make my friends feel welcome. It's probably something I overthink, given that my friends are typically content with a drink and some cuddles from my cats, but on the off chance that one of them is hungry, I want to make damn sure I can feed them. So that's what started to happen, and now they just come over hungry. I'm pretty certain that's why they refer to me, ever so fondly, as "mom."

      It started off in high school when I would occasionally bring a Rainbow Cake to school. I would let anyone who asked try it (as long as they got their own fork) and soon enough people would ask me if I could make it for their birthdays or even just random days. When I brought this cake to school people would literally follow me around to get a bite. Years later I got my own apartment and threw a party. I decided to make Salmon Quesadillas at this party and this is the moment I realized that I only like making food for people I can actually tolerate. The ones I tolerate know who they are. They are the ones I will do anything for. They are the ones that are like my family.

      There have been many dishes eaten and created at my place. Different kinds of pastas, egg dishes, sushi, sweets, veggies...I could go on and on. I remember a night where drinks had been consumed and I decided to make brownies. The Ghirardelli Triple Fudge kind. Before I knew what was going on, my friends were in my kitchen looking for other things we could put in the mix. Usually I'm fairly protective of my kitchen but this night I didn't mind because, well...you know, alcohol. What they decided upon was Kona Coffee grounds and Kahlua. *Heavy Breathing* They turned out amazing and I will never look back!

      Before writing this post, I reached out to a few friends and asked what some of their memories were in regard to the food at my house. Maya, my Jewish little sister, loves baking Chocolate Chip Cookies with me. Isabella, my creative muse, loves a pasta dish I made for us one night that involves pesto, asparagus, avocado, and a fried egg. My spirit animal Trystan, thought my One Eyed Sailors were revolutionary and "the best hangover food ever." My guy friends are exuberant with the overall concept of food so thats pretty easy. A concept that Matt, my boyfriend, is loving. He and I are trying to make a habit of cooking dinner at least twice a week. Our newest thing is Stir Fry. Matt loves to Stir Fry. Besides making me swell up with pride and love, the overall message I got from them is that they were excited. That is and will forever be my goal. I want people to be excited about making and eating food.

(Corrine and me making sushi for the first time)

       Honestly, I quite enjoy having my house be the place where people convene and eat. I genuinely want to say thank you to every single person that has ever come over to my place and cooked or eaten a meal with me. The creativity and inspiration that you all provide is something that is incomparable to anything else I've experienced. I feel so lucky to call each and every one of you a part of my family and the friendships are priceless. You are always welcome under my roof and I truly hope it feels like home.