StarryEyed Foodi[e]'s TastyTwosomes!

Chef Interviews, Degustations, TastyVentures and more.

StarryEyed Foodi[e]'s TastyTwosomes!

Tasty Chefs- Christian of Bijou Restaurant

March 1st, 2010 · San Francisco, TastyChefs

Why hello and howdy do, all! 

Before I tell you all about Christian of Bijou, just FYI I’ve been spending a lot of time on the Battledish Blog lately as well as spinning the hamster wheel over at Battledish!  Sign up for our alpha here and come on tasty adventures with me. :)

I had the wonderful pleasure of interviewing Chef Christian of Bijou Restaurant in Hayward the other day!

Chef Christian was trained in France, comes from a Chinese background, and truly understands the delicate intricacies of French and Chinese food, allowing him to bring your tastebuds to a new level of awesomeness. 

Here is the delicious video- come have some fun with me exploring the excitement of being in an amazing chef’s kitchen.


Still hungry for more?  Here’s the step-by-step on how to make the delicious pecan prawns Christian made for us!  And some additional pictures of my experience with Christian.  

Make sure to go visit him next time you’re in Hayward and say hello for me. :)

How to make Pecan Prawns 

First, get all your ingredients together- Tapioca starch, aioli, honey, scallions, crushed pecans, and fresh jumbo prawns
Coat the prawns lightly in tapioca starch and deep fry to a golden crisp.
Heat some honey in a pan.
Add aioli to the honey, mix, then toss the delish prawns in and coat quickly.
Coat the prawns in crushed pecans (using parchment paper and rolling around works!)
Plate and voila! You’ve got Christian’s Pecan Prawns. Delish.

Next time you visit Bijou, make sure to ask for two of my fave dishes… a peek at yumminess below. :)  

Pan seared foie gras, seared scallops, and grilled brioche!
Croissant pudding

Stay tuned for more Chefs in the Spotlight… :)

Love,

Tracy @ladyleet 

CommentsTags:·······················

Hosting the Gov2.0 LA Lunch with Battledish and Border Grill!

February 14th, 2010 · Battledish Adventures, Los Angeles

Hey everyone! 

I’ve been SOOO busy with the Battledish alpha launching and all the other fun stuff we are about to launch that I’ve been lagging on blogging. :(  

But I was SO happy to have Battledish able to host the #gov20LA lunch with Border Grill truck!  My dearest Chrystal (@theduodishes) came up to see me during my trip!  Have to thank Ms. Luna (@lunaraven13) for making the intro. :)

 Here’s some of the awesomeness that happened.

Chrystal from @theduodishes came down to join me for lunch!

Chrystal from @theduodishes came down to join me for lunch!

Border Grill serving Gov2.0LA up!

 

Border Grill (BeeGee) battles the nefarious mobs of hungry Angelenos who’ve had one too many dirty martinis, soothing their savage inner foodies with gourmet tacos, quesadillas, ceviches and more.  One might think the solitary life of a supertruck tucked away in its secret lair would be a bit lonely, but it’s really just one big party!

Check us out as we dive into tacos, ceviche, churro bites, and delicious lemonade at the #gov20la conference with cameo appearances by Chris Heuer (@chrisheuer), Christina (@hotpinkmanolos), Border Grill (@bordergrill), Chrystal (@theduodishes), Amanda (@amandare), Robin (@militarytweets).

Oh, and some delicious pictures to entice your tastebuds further (below). :)


 

Amazing Ceviche from Border Grill

 

 

Fish and Pork Gourmet Tacos from Border Grill Truck

 

 

Churros from Border Grill Truck!

 Oh and psst… don’t forget to tip. :)

gov20latips

Make sure to keep a tabs on @battledish- will we be in your area next? And psst, if you want us there, let us know hi@battledish.com :)

Spreading happiness,

Love, LadyLeet, A StarryEyedFoodie.

CommentsTags:··························

Meatcamp with Carrie Oliver- Oliver Ranch (Bay Area Food Bloggers- Episode 2)

January 24th, 2010 · Bay Area Food Bloggers, San Francisco


Have you ever eaten steak the way you drink wine? 

Taking note of the nose, swirling the meat around in your mouth, waiting for the complexity of the finish? 

2bafoodblograwmeat

I had the privilege of being invited to a Canvas Underground event starring:

 Carrie Oliver of Oliver Ranch.

2bafoodblogmenu

I was amongst friends at the steak tasting!  Heather, Luna, Stephanie, Arnold, Jennifer, and many others from the Bay Area Food Bloggers group.

@heatherhal and i at #meatcamp

@heatherhal and i at #meatcamp

We did a tasting of 6 steaks, all artisan and all with its unique flavour.  The most memorable was a steak with a popcorn finish.

2bafoodblogsteakyellow

Doesn’t that look amazing?  Here, we can gawk some more…

2bafoodblogsteaktrio

In the video above, you will see Carrie explaining the art of tasting beef and the story behind Oliver Ranch.

Psst, want to do this at home?  You can order a home beef tasting kit here.  Yummers, eh? *wink.

2bafoodblogsteakpkg

Keep an eye out for Carrie coming by your city… want to host a supper party? :)

-Love, LadyLeet, a StarryEyedFoodie

CommentsTags:······························

My Caramel Love Affair

January 18th, 2010 · TastyVentures

My fingers tingled in anticipation as I unscrewed the simple jar Michael Winnike of Happy Goat Caramel gifted me at the Fancy Food show.

caramelloveaffair2

I squeeled as the thick, gooey caramel formed a sweet peak on the lid upon separation.  It was waiting to be sensuously licked off by an adoring fan.  Who was I to say no?

Rich, succulent caramel perfectly crafted to be eaten so many ways.  My love affair has only begun with this sweet caramel. 

At first, my fingers would only share with my tongue.  Slow indulgence was a task I needed to master, for quick was I to lick it all in one swipe.

The lavender rosemary Secret Stash Salt decided to join us for the caramel lovemaking.  A gorgeous swipe of caramel with my finger, then a sprinkle of lavender rosemary before both delicacies met my tongue. 

 caramelloveaffair1

In unison we danced.

In unison we fell in love.

People who want to repeat this experience, visit Happy Goat Caramel and Secret Stash Salt.  Then let your fingers do the lovemaking.

CommentsTags:········

Horizon’s Exec Chef Christopher Lee hosts the Bay Area Food Bloggers!

January 9th, 2010 · Bay Area Food Bloggers, San Francisco, TastyVentures

First off, I am so thankful to have wonderful foodies surrounding me at all times, especially with the use of social media.  In this episode of StarryEyedFoodi[e]’s TastyTwosome adventures, we visit Executive Chef Christopher Lee at Horizon Ultra Lounge. 


The night starts off with happy hour goodies!  I tried the mac ‘n cheese (steaming hot, baked, and damn comforting)

1horizonmac

The mini burgers were splendid as well.  Meaty and juicy and but of course, the familiarity of fried potatoes has to make your mouth smile. :)

1horizonburger

Mmm… then Christopher brought out this amazing sampler platter of desserts for us!  From cream puffs to sugar cookies, there was something on there for everyone!

1horizonpastries

Even though I got a nibble at most of the cookies and pastries, the most beautiful pastry of them all was this raspberry cake.  Just look at the color on that cake!  It screams velvet.

1horizonupclosegoodie

And to end the delightfully foodie filled night, Christopher brought out handmade ice cream!  There was blue bottle espresso, carrot, pineapple thyme, and salty dulce de leche!

1horizonicecream

Thank you, foodie family of the #bafoodblog crew for being awesome!  Check out all the awesomeness below!  Thank you, Christopher, for intriguing our palates- you know we’ll be back for more. :)

1horizongroup

@cookingwithamy @lettuceeatkale @biggie @jeters @starryeyedfoodi @iplaywithfood @heatherhal @lunaraven13 @sstiavetti @inuyaki

Oh, and a big thank you for Talkplate coming to visit us! 

-Love, a StarryEyedFoodi[e]

CommentsTags:····················

Mochi, a Japanese Delicacy! TastyVentures, Episode 6

January 5th, 2010 · South Bay, TastyVentures, Uncategorized


Mm Mm Mm!  This is a quick foodie adventure anyone needs to go on!  Awesome mochi handmade in our very own Japantown, San Jose.

The shop is tiny, run by Japanese grandmas and cash only. 

The mochi is made fresh every day, and it disappears quickly, so the earlier the better!

mochiincase

Here’s a picture of the four delicious mochi I picked out for this adventure!

mochipic1

Mmm enjoy the video, and enjoy the soft, ooey gooey deliciousness of this Japanese delicacy.

-Love, LadyLeet (a Starry Eyed Foodi[e])

CommentsTags:······················

More Deliciousness from Christian @SplitPeaSF- TastyChefs, Episode 13

December 16th, 2009 · TastyChefs


My oh my… another video from my adventure with Christian from Split Pea Seduction (couldn’t fit all the awesomeness into one)!

In this episode, Christian makes us a delicious Thanksgiving sandwich and delightful mini pizzas!  (You can try these mini pizzas for yourself at the Stonestown Farmer’s Market every Sunday!  Grilled pizzas!

For the Thanksgiving sandwich, we started off with a beautiful fresh baked loaf of Sicilian Semolina.

13splitbreads

Doesn’t that bread look gorgeous?

Then, the layers of duck fat turkey, ham stuffing, frisee, aioli, and gravy!

13splitsammichfrisee

Scrumptious as all ever, we devoured the wonderful mini creations… Christian sure knows how to make a woman happy!

13splitsammich

Need I not remind you of the delicious mini pizzas Christian made for us… oh my oh my oh my. 

The procession of these fantastic little creations tickled my pickle… or it would, if I had one (rubber pickle as a Christmas gift?)

First, Christian showed of his ubercool skills of tossing the pizza dough (kinda hard when the dough is so small, but still pulled it offf)!

13splitpizzadough

Then, to add mozzarella, roasted cauliflower and bacon to the mix…

13splitpizzaunbaked

Bake in the oven till a golden brown…

13splitpizzabake

Cut up some soft eggs to lay on top,

13splitpizzanegg

Let’s get a close-up of that soft egg- it was my FAVE!  Ooey gooey!  (The secret: 6.5 minute boil)!

13splitegg

Delicious… look how beautiful these pizzas look!

13splitpizza4

Om nom nom I’m still drooling over these pictures of Christian fantastic feast!  He is truly an artist of simplicity.  Just downright good comfort food.  Downright damn right done well comfort!

Come by and visit Split Pea!  Christian’s usually up front; tell him we say hello!

Until then, here’s Christian and Mia saying ta-ta-for-now!

13splitchristianmia

You can also follow us or Christian on Twitter- see ya around… and thanks for watching. :)

CommentsTags:·······················

Saturday with Christian from Split Pea Seduction- TastyChefs, Episode 12

December 6th, 2009 · San Francisco, TastyChefs


It was a beautiful early Saturday morn when I met Christian outside the Ferry Building in San Francisco for our little tastytwosome adventure! 

Christian led me around to all the delicious goods, from olives,

12splitpeaolives

to gourmet olive oil,

12splitpeaoliveoil

to buddha’s hand (strange, I had never seen buddha’s hand fresh till now!)

12splitpeabuddha

The gorgeous infused syrups like this meyer lemon and mint one were so tempting!

12splitpeasyrups

Our last stop was for some fresh bread, and some delicious macaroons to end our Ferry Building farmer’s market experience!

12splitpeamacaroon

Then, back to Split Pea Seduction we went for the true tastytwosome fun!  Christian decided to make this awesome pancake “thing”.  Mia decided to stop by and help Christian with the cooking a bit!

12splitpeamiamixin

The pancake “thing” was to be garnished with slices of pommelo, honey, and a dollop of freshly whipped cream.

12splitpeacake

Visiting Christian was a delightfully delicious experience!  But even more fun, the Thanksgiving turkey sandwich and the *amazing* mini pizzas he makes for us in the next episode of TastyTwosome’s TastyChefs!

See y’all soon, and make sure to stop by 6th and Minna to visit Christian soon.  Tell him we say hi!

xxooxx,

Tracy @tastytwosome

CommentsTags:·······················

graffEats- an Underground Supper Club Experience- TastyChefs, Episode 11

November 18th, 2009 · San Francisco, TastyChefs

Voila!  The all encompassing greatness of Chef Blair Warsham of graffEats revealed in this TastyTwosome episode.

As the night warms up and the guests begin to arrive, special pomegranate cocktails are poured, music begins, and the venue takes on a life of its own.

11graffeatsdrink400

Blair and his fabulous kitchen crew prep our first course as the beer from Mayfield Brewing is poured for the first tasting. 

The first course is a laughing bird shrimp & bosc pear brochette with arugula, vanilla, and fennel.

11graffeatsshrimp400

The second course is served.  Memphis style berbere rubbed lamb ribs with green papaya, mind, and compressed cucumber slaw.  The tender meat slides off the bone as the paint on Eliza’s brush drips down the naked brown pole.

11graffeatsribs200  11graffeatsart200

Next comes the cipollini onion soup gratine, with gruyere, chinese celery, and sourdough.  With a generous heap of caramelized onions, a sourdough gruyere crouton, and a cipollini onion delicately placed on top of the pile, we were served while the soup was poured tableside by Blair himself!

11graffeatsonion400

 As we nommed away on the delicious soup and awaited our next course, the blues guitar kept us giddy and dancing in our seats.

11graffeatsguitar400

And behold, our second to last course, the “Pupusa” stuffed with mole braised strawberry mountain beef short ribs with a pumpkin romesco.  Eek!  Oh my… I just giggled thinking about how awesome it was. :)

11graffeatspupusa200  11graffeatspupusaopen200

I anxiously watched as the finale of the night was being prepared.  A rich chocolate ganache bar dripping with pure temptation was garnished with a housemade croquant and topped with an imperial stout ice cream.

11graffeatsdessert200  11graffeatsdessertone200

Oh, what a wonderful night, what a wonderful adventure, and what a happy stomache to end this beautiful journey with. :)

Here’s a full video of my journey into the soul of the night here:  Checkout the awesome coordination of the kitchen, the live painting, and the great music!  It’s truly alive. :)


Sign up for the mailing list here, and I’ll see you at the next event. :)

CommentsTags:··················

graffEats: Underground Supper Club prep, TastyChefs, Episode 10

November 12th, 2009 · San Francisco, TastyChefs

My heart seeks temptation, my soul restless for a new adventure filled with memoirs of a chef’s flavors.  You see, all chefs are unique- the way they’ve been trained, their palates, their hearts… that is where the true beauty of food originates.

It’s been a long summer and I’m ready to warm up and cuddle beneath the chilly sky, nudge my cold nose against a mug filled with steamy hot cocoa and have someone kiss the whipped cream off my lips after my first sip.  You know that feeling?  I had a notion that Blair’s cooking would be somewhat similar to that feeling.  That being said, I was deeply looking forward to the moments awaiting us.  It was only the prep, but the crescendo into the night was magickal.

Eliza Frye was busily setting up her art in the little nooks and crannies of the open pantry that surrounded her.  Between the spices, the cookware, and the commotion beheld gorgeous work from an imaginative soul.

10graffeatseliza

Her work is sexy, ain’t it? :)

Chef Blair Warsham was calmly (he seemed it anyways) preparing the night’s festivities with his awesome crew. 

From prepping dessert,

10graffeatsalmond 10graffeatsblair

 to skewering shrimp and pear brochettes,

10graffeatsbrochette

making pupusas and tossing greens,

10graffeatspupusa 10graffeatsslaw

to seasoning the lamb ribs (YUM),

10graffeatsribs

there was truly never a dull moment in the moments before the night begun.

Come take a look around with me and enjoy this episode of the TastyTwosome. :) (be on the lookout for the next episode featuring our graffEats dinner!!)


CommentsTags:·····················