Behind the Scenes at The Food Network Shoot

I was invited to a Supper Club in Brooklyn recently that also happened to be shooting the meal for a web show that The Food Network will launch sometime soon. I ended up helping out in the kitchen making a quick tahini sauce for their really inspired mini falafel appetizer. This is a quick glimpse behind the scenes. I also talked with one of the housemates who lives in this Brooklyn loft, but isn't one of the cooks.

Nokia Picked Me! They Like Me, They Really, Really Like Me.

Nokia will be loaning me their new N96 phone to take on a test drive. One of 20 video/new media types for this project chosen from around the world, I'll be documenting a day in my life and letting you know my thoughts on this device(If warrented, I'll be harsh). My question for you is what should I shoot? I produce shows that revolve around food, but I'm also in the tech industry and working on a startup of my own.

I spend time in Brooklyn and also Manhattan.
There should be some classic NY moments, some food, maybe a geek out technology moment, certainly some social media, but I really want to know is what you'd like to see me do. I think it should culminate in a big party that night so I can get all of you on this documentary too. Stay tuned for details about that.

Here is some of Nokia's request that I participate:
"We’re offering trial N96s to 20 social media and video enthusiasts to film mobi-documentaries of ‘a day in their life’.

Basically, we’d like you to create a mobi-documentary using the video functionality of the N96, capturing the passions and activities that make up your day. This will be uploaded onto Nokia viNe, their new site currently in beta (you can check it out here: www.nseries.com/nseries/nokiavine/ and geo-located with GPS, so we have a nationwide video collage of what our very individual trialists do with their day. "

At the link above you can see the map of the world with dots pointing out our locations. I'm very much looking forward to getting in touch with the other participants.

Quick Broccoli Soup
This is a tasty warm recipe for the cool weather we’ve been having in New York. You can replace the broccoli with one bag of frozen peas, or if you’re Andre Sala and have celeriac on hand, and you’ve got a different but equally delicious soup.

Ingredients:
1 bunch broccoli, about 1 1/4 pounds, washed and trimmed
5 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
7 cups of broth, I am a huge fan of the brand Better Than Bouillon
1 stalk celery, thinly sliced
1 onion or 1 leek, minced

Directions:

1. Divide broccoli into florets and chopped stems.
2. In a stock pot simmer florets in 7 cups of broth until tender. Remove and set aside.
3. In a seperate deep pan melt butter and sauté onion and celery over medium high heat until softened.
4. Stir in the flour and continue to sauté until the flour turns a light shade of brown. The color change lets you know that you’ve cooked the raw flavor out of the flour.
5. Ladle a cup or two of hot stock into the flour pan and stir until well combined, then pour this back into your stockpot. Simmer until all the vegetables are tender.
6. Puree broccoli stalks, onion, celery mixture. I’m lucky enough to have received a stick blender last Christmas thanks to my older brother (thanks Steven!), but you could also use a traditional blender.
7. Once pureed, add the florets back in and simmer until heated through.
8. Season to taste with salt and pepper
9. Sometimes, as in the photo above, I add in a little cream to the top of the soup.

Molecular Gastronomy and Me
This field of cooking is something that has appealed to me since I first read about it. In addition to being a cook, I'm also a science geek with a degree in Biotechnology. The idea of chefs and chemists working together is so exciting. When the opportunity to eat at WD~50 in the Lower East Side with my pal Steven Cobb I jumped.

It was the most unique meals of my life and I was lucky enough to go into the kitchen and thank Chef Wylie Dufresne. I'm sure it's annoying to have people come into your kitchen, but he was a good sport about it. I did have to put him in a headlock to get this photo, but it had to be done. :)

Here is the 12 course tasting menu we had:

1. Chicken terrine, tikka consomme, cranberry, watercaress
2. Grilled corn pebbles, lime mayo, scallion
3. Knot foie
4. Horseradish chestnut soup, smoked mackerel, verjus
5. Eggs Benedict
   
6. Crab tail, soy bean noodles, cinnamon dashi
7. Chicken liver spaetzle, pine needle, radish, cocoa nib
8. Beef tongue, cherry-miso, fried quinoa, palm seeds
9. Ricotta, capers, frozen honey
10. Jasmine custard, black tea, banana
11. Toasted coconut cake, carob, smoked cahew, brown butter sorbet
12. Concord grape sorbet-black sesame

Here is a shot of the most delicious morsel I've ever put in my mouth. It was only 5 small kernels of the Grilled corn pebbles, but each one was a revelation. Smoky and sweet with a shocking dry texture. The odd thing is that after I ate all 5 I was satisfied. The flavor was so profound I couldn't have eaten any more that night, though I'd love some right now.

Can we have better food through science? Maybe, but I think what I appreciated most about this dinner was the playfulness of the menu. Turning conventional food on its head.

Pickle Sorter in Pittsburgh
Thanks to the nice folks at VisitPittsburgh I've been running around the city taking photos, shooting videos and having a great time. Big thanks to Kristin Mitchell for organizing a few great days in her city. Here is one of the videos I thought was fun. I was hanging out at the Heinz History Center and came across a display that made me giggle.

My Interview with Chef Tyler Florence.
Recently Ashley Cheng, who works with Ocean Spray, invited me to see the cranberry bog they had built at Rockefeller Center. Later on I hit the after party, which as you'll see, was on a spectacular rooftop garden. I had an amazing time and snagged this interview with Tyler.

The Food Network Supper Club Shoot
Last night I was lucky enough to enjoy a truly memorable evening with author Lyn Stallworth of The Brooklyn Cookbook at Mark Low's Supper Club. What made it even more exciting was the presence of The Food Network's crew. This video will give you a glimpse of how they have decided to shoot online shows. I'm curious what they'll do in the editing room.



They were shooting the dinner for an episode of an online show called Kitchen Conspirators. The food was lovely and I really enjoyed meeting Mark's 3 roommates. And, no I didn't shoot that poor Food Network staffer with his pants falling down on purpose. :)

Autumn is Beautiful
My local green market is at Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn, and today I stopped in to say hello to Cathy of NotEatingOutInNewYork who was teaching folks walking by how to make a simple risotto. It smelled wonderful. Maybe she'll share the recipe with us.
While I was there I was overwhelmed by the variety of pumpkins, squash and gourds that our local farmers are growing this year. Here is one of my favorite displays.



Here are a few of my recent Recipe Tweets. A tasty recipe in 140 characters or less.


I wanted to focus more on the Vice Presidential Debate than dinner so whipped this up.
LazyDebateDinner MarinateChickParts in ItalianDressing dipin BeatenEgg dredgein 1/2PankoCrumbs 1/2ParmCheese ButterPan Bake400 ~45min 01:14 PM October 02, 2008

The following is a quick marinade recipe you could use on chicken or beef.
@girlgamy Marinate at least two hours or more in 1TbspOf: oil, lime juice, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, pepperBroil rare about 4 min each side 08:26 PM September 30, 2008

Brussel sprouts: Simmered til tender, dry and roast in plenty of olive oil, salt, pepper. 400 degrees 09:22 PM September 25, 2008 (This is just so yummy and crispy as long as you dry it well enough. You will convert self professed sprout haters. It took about 30-50 min. to roast)

Here's some food news that disturbed me.
Cadbury recalls Chinese-made chocolates. What is up with China? When is poisoning folks a great business model?

Please let me know if you try any of these recipes. Thanks guys. Love the comments. Follow me on Twitter if you like to eat as much as I do.