Two people, Two Causes, One Meaning

As a child I recall my father saying “What the left hand does the right hand knows nothing about.” And while a young mind may not quite understand sooner or later it all makes sense. The same holds true with giving, volunteering and donating. It's something we do not for recognition, but because it simply is the right thing to do. For me volunteering always makes me feel complete and wholesome. However, what made last Friday so special was that it was the first time that Alex and I were both volunteering on the same day, at the same exact time but separately from one another. While we were at two different locations, working for two different causes, they were equally successful and meaningful.

Alex as part of Goldman Sachs Community Teamworks was volunteering at VNS Choice Adult Day Center in Queens where they were hosting a "carnival" for participants. I on the other hand, was in the Bronx for my first City Harvest Bodega Initiative. Alex helped make lunch for the ladies and gents, then filled the hours playing games, chatting, and even confessed to dancing with several women. Alex (and the other teammembers) helped bring smiles to their faces and made them feel youthful again. I assisted a friend and fellow chef in preparing fresh, mayo-free tuna sandwiches on wheat bread and prepared a "healthy soda" of seltzer water and 100% fruit juice garnished with limes and apples. Residents of the Bronx were encouraged to stop by our booth located in front of La Familia bodega in Tremont and help themselves to a sample of food and recipes. The hope being that they would see how simple, tasty, affordable, and accessible eating well can be. It turned out this healthy initiative was broadcasted on Channel 12 in the Bronx and on a Channel 4 6 o’clock news segment entitled Be Active Be Healthy. Regardless to it being filmed it proved to be a successful event: it got people eating healthier options and provided them with a meal that they could easily recreate. Alex's experience was not recorded on film, but they are several photos. In them you can see that Alex (and the others) help make it a special day for and hopefully provided all participants with a long-lasting memory.

We all feel that we hardly have time in our days, heck we are trained to be at a constant race against the clock, but there is always time to do a small act of good for someone, whether it's a day of giving back, an hour well spent, or a smile, it all goes a long way.

In a blink it's over...Validus 5x2

Today is Wednesday. Two weeks ago this time I was prepping my girls at Validus High School for their yearend 5x2 celebration. This week I'm already missing them and thinking how quickly our weeks of cooking classes went by. On Friday, June 11th my girls worked hard on decorating, and prepping ingredients for their big event! The goal of the 5x2 Celebration is to have students show other students the things they learned in class. Classes at Validus vary from art, dance, music, theatre and in Dr. Shango's and my case, cooking and they are all hands-on! On this night a large percentage of the school comes to view, taste and enjoy some of the samples offered by fellow students. My class provided samples of yogurt parfait (strawberries, blueberries, homemade granola and yogurt) and a salad with mixed greens, cherry tomatoes and other fixings, dressed with a pineapple vinaigrette. Dr. Shango's class prepared smoothies, homemade fruit drinks and ambrosia (delicious!) Clearly the students of the school enjoyed themselves and so did we. I watched students dance, play instruments, tell stories, eat and more importantly take pride in what they were presenting. I also couldn’t help but remember my high school years, the good, the bad and the ugly! Fortunately the students here have the ability to express themselves with little restriction and an abundance of guidance. Together they made this event a success. To me they wouldn't have it any other way.

At the end of the program Jamie-who btw did an AWESOME job making this event possible-rewarded us teachers with a t-shirt that in so little words said a mouthful about the dedication we offered.

Thank you everyone at Validus for inviting me into your school and allowing me to share my love of cooking and teaching with your students. Look forward to next semester! And girls please do keep in contact!

An Invite to the White House Grounds

                                                         

I am psyched to announce that because of my works as an OFL Chef at City Harvest, I was asked to be a part of the launch of Chefs Move to Schools—a part Mrs. Obama's Let's Move campaign. The campaign's

mission is to stop childhood obesity by 2015. In this case chefs like myself will be placed in a school and work closely with parents, teachers, school nutrition professionals and others, to help educate children about food and nutrition. It is true this mission will be difficult—think Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution—but, the cause extremely powerful and necessary.

On June 4th fellow chefs and friends, Leslie, Melissa, Michelle and I were off to Washington, DC! First for a breakfast forum presented by Share Our Strength and then to the actual launch at the White House grounds! Hundreds of other chefs nationwide (all dressed in our whites!) had the honor of going to the White House lawn, touring the actual White House garden and being among fellow chefs and celebrity chefs alike all in hopes of making a difference in how our children are feed. Among those attending this "historic day of food", as described by White House Chef Sam Kass, were Anne Burrell, Marcus Samuelsson, Aaron McCargo, Daniel Boulud, Carla Hall, Tom Colicchio, Michael Laiskonis, Cat Cora, Lydia Bastianich, Art Smith and of course first lady Mrs. Michelle Obama. Overall the event was extremely inspirational and definitely served as a historic moment!

I look forward to seeing the next step in this project, as well as the successes and hardships that we will face in making this goal a reality. I will continue to keep track of my journey of Chef's Move to Schools as things progress! So stay posted. Even as I write this I have to pinch myself to see if this experience was all a dream…it was just that incredible! Btw, more pics available on Facebook!

An Unforgettable Facebook Message

I have always stood away from using Facebook, but after continuous teasing from friends and colleagues I decided to be the last person on Earth to join the mix. Like a lot of us, I don’t have the time to be on all the time, but I try to post pictures of what I am doing, places I have visited and just things that I am a part of....all things culinary naturally!

Today I opened my page and realized I had a message from a former (child) student and it completely warmed my heart:

Julietta V.
Hey best teacher in the world I miss u so much and I hope that one day I get to c u again I have been cooking a lot like that I made banana bread yesterday and that I am making a birthday cake for my cousin Jolie for her birthday I will post pics of the cake on FB l8tr. MISSS YOU CAN'T WAIT TO C U AGAIN!!!!!!!

I couldn't help but be touched by the lovely note. Not to mention feeling grateful that I actually enrolled in FB as it truly does allow me to keep in contact with the many people I have been fortunate enough to have taught and met in the culinary field.

Julietta, was an AMAZING student, even now that I am not her cooking teacher it feels great knowing that she is still cooking and moreover, that I had a impact on her life. For all the Julietta's out there I am privileged to have taught you and you will forever be remembered in my heart as well.  I love you guys! And please continue to update me and Happy Cooking!

Love Chef Raquel

Our Inner Brenda Awaits us at Benihana's

A few weeks ago I finished reading Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Reichl. It's an extremely fun read where Ruth—reputable food critic for the NY Times--decides to visit restaurants in disguise in order to provide an unbiased report on NYC restaurants to her readers. One of the characters Ruth transforms to is Brenda, a happy-go-lucky individual who takes enjoyment in life's simple pleasures. Ruth's son Nicky also seems to adore her new down-to-Earth character. By the end of the chapter he asks if they as a family could go to "chop-chop" aka Benihana—a place where any respectable restaurant critique wouldn't step foot in, but a place where Brenda would surely be happy to go. (Garlic and Sapphires p. 165) Brenda is greeted with smiles from fellow patrons as she easily takes enjoyment in the moment.

Similarly to Brenda, we recently had dinner plans at Benihana's in celebration of a friend's birthday party. When I told my friends (fellow chefs) about this dinner plan they giggled.  They pretty much see it as a tourist attraction where it’s only cool to drop in for drinks or little nibbles. While it's totally true that you don’t go to Benihana for the food,  it’s definitely worth a visit. From the 45 minute wait (if you neglected to make reservations), to the sharing of tables with other guests, to being rushed to place your drink orders even though you were given your menu minutes before makes this place unique….all this before your chef actually arrives. When he does the chef begins doing tricks that are cheesy, but still captures you. The onion "volcano" and the flicking of shrimp in his pocket are among the few. The fact that other tables are simultaneously experiencing similar tricks at their tables is unreal. I guess what I take from both the book and my experience at Benihana, is that you have to just live in the moment. Okay, there are hundreds of better restaurants out there, but the environment is such that you can't help but be entertained. Rather than sit there thinking “Why am I here?” just soak up the moment, clap, eat, giggle and embrace your inner Brenda.

Recovering Cupcakeholic!

I absolutely love cupcakes! I've tried Crumbs, Magnolia, Butter Lane, and my old time favorite Buttercup! Each cupcake offers a unique appearance and eating experience. Some are huge cake like sizes, others offer layers of cream, and some come in outrageous flavors and toppings. I prefer the classic cupcake. It’s simply dressed, perfectly coated with a delicious whipped cream that satisfies your sweet tooth and comes in flavors (and sizes) similar to those that Mom use to make. My favorite cupcake flavor is Red Velvet-I simply love the chocolately flavor and the deep red color, not to mention the cream cheese frosting!!! For those who have never seen them before they are usually taken by surprise since the taste does not reflect the color.

This weekend I prepared 200+ cupcakes for P.S. 203, an elementary school in Bayside, Queens. The event was Family Night Out where parents and their children took part in events like movie night, photography, nail painting for the girls and an art workshop. I offered a cupcake decorating station with the help of my assistant (and loving husband) Alex. The children purchased a blue ticket (which also served as my raffle ticket) and received a homemade cupcake (yes real butter, organic eggs, buttermilk, Philadelphia cream cheese and vanilla extract was used—couldn’t expect a tasty and moist cupcake otherwise). Each child had a choice of Lemon-Vanilla or Red Velvet (the obvious winner!) and then would smooth on some frosting and top with chocolate or colored sprinkles, some even made faces using Cheerios. The kids had a ball! Some took their masterpieces home; some couldn’t wait to dig in! But each child took pride in their work and enjoyed. The raffle prize? A cooking utensil and a personalized A Pinch of Salt apron given to Timothy Christopher from 1st grade. Congrats!

As for me, I think it will take some time before I indulge in a cupcake after making so many, but life is too short to not indulge in a delicious and compact childhood memory so a few days will suffice.

A Tree Grows In Brooklyn....And So Does Treats!

Rachel Ray (aka EVOO) suggest when traveling to "ask the locals." That's exactly what we did this weekend. Alex and I visited the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens after hearing rave reviews of the cherry blossoms. As a child my family and I would often frequent the gardens (and then head to Prospect Park!)  Saturday, being a great day to be outdoors, inhale the fresh air and take in the crisp, but rather warm weather seemed perfect! Falling in love with the plants, flowers and trees that shower the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens served as an added bonus. After two hours of trailing, Alex and I worked up a sweet tooth. Truth of the matter is that for us spring and ice cream are synonymous!

No longer familiar with Brooklyn, I Yelped dessert places nearby. Okay, perhaps not exactly "asking the locals", but in today's modern world it's sort of the same thing. Shortly after we were driving to 5th Avenue in Park Slope, to a dessert café called The Chocolate Room. The menu consists of a few categories: Desserts, Ice Cream and Shakes and highlights a few items that are truly classic: Sundaes, Chocolate Room Pudding, Brownie Sundae and Fondue! We sat there and contemplated the menu (unusual for us since we also know what we want to order). But being here in the presence of multiple chocolately—and seemingly endless—options, it was impossible to narrow it down! As soon as we did, and were seconds from ordering, the waitress brought out an order for the table beside us that looked truly amazing! So naturally that totally through us for a loop and we were back where we started! Finally, Alex made his final decision: Banana Split and I ordered the Chocolate Layer Cake (Suggested by Oprah Magazine) and a cup of Joe! My goodness, when then came out I thought I was in heaven! They looked picture perfect and tasted absolutely decadent! Alex and I behaved, and shared desserts. With each mouthful we took a minute to close our eyes—ignore each other for a sec—and take in the whole experience. And what an experience it was, sinfully delicious!

A few moments later we noticed a group nearby sharing our enthusiasm! We began chatting about how delicious this spot was. The man stated that he recently moved from Queens a year ago.  New to the neighborhood, he stumbled on this hot spot. After dining here a few times he knew it was the perfect place to take his two friends who currently joined him—both out of towners! It was true, by the look on his guest faces you could see how delighted they were! Not only was he right, but so were the hundreds of reviews written on yelp. So you see, we did ask the locals one way or another. Brooklyn proved again to be a great spot for embracing nature and all those deliciously naughty pleasures that comes with the arrival of spring and provided a memory reminiscent of my childhood—what a delicious way to spend a day!