Introducing #FoodFictionFriday

Do you want to write more in 2019? Are you also food-obsessed?

Then join me for #FoodFictionFriday, a fun, social-media-based way to kickstart your writing and practice techniques that use food as a lens into our world.

This program is loosely based on a famous class I took at Yale called Daily Themes. Every week, we explored a different writing tool including perspective, dialogue, lists, and endings. Whatever the assignment, the main goals were always the same:

1. Show, don’t tell

2. Activate your full arsenal beyond plot and straightforward description

3. Consider the negative space -- everything you don’t mention  

We’ll focus on food as both a topic and literary device. We know that food is more than just ingredients. Food writing isn’t just about the juiciness of the steak, or the swiftness of a whisk. Food can also be about power. Lust. Love. Food is memory, war, a conversation, fantasy … you get the point.

Every Monday, I’ll post that week’s prompt. On Friday, post your work with #FoodFictionFriday and tag me at @jessica_tom on Instagram or Twitter. The first assignment will be posted on January 1st to get the year started off right!

You’re also welcome to keep your writing private, but I encourage you to share when you’re ready. You’ll get feedback from me and perhaps others participating in #FoodFictionFriday, and you’ll also get in the habit of releasing your writing into the world -- a must if you want to grow as an artist.

Give it a try even if you don’t consider yourself a writer. This is for anyone who is interested in the many facets of food -- not just how to cook, eat, and ‘gram it… but how to harness everything food means to us.  

I’ll post the prompts and tips on Instagram, but check here for more inspiration and pointers. Can’t wait to read your work!

#FoodNetworkStar Finale -- Co-Winners!

So, for the first time in history... there were TWO winners. Me and Christian Petroni. 

I'm still catching my breath from the whole experience and haven't totally processed it enough to write a blog post. Manny and Christian are two of the kindest, most hard-working, most lovable people I've ever met, and it was an honor to stand next to them on the finale stage.

For now, thank you for being a supporter and following me on this oh-so-crazy journey. I'll be sure to keep you up-to-date on what's to come. This Sunday started a new chapter, and I'm so excited to have you along for the ride.

xo Jess  

P.S. For those who are curious -- my dress is Alice + Olivia, the harness is Zana Bayne (similar), the shoes are Miu Miu, and the earrings and bracelet are Alexis Bittar. 

#FoodNetworkStar Episode 8 Recap: Who Gets a Pilot?

If you’re here, I’ll assume you already know what happens and I can’t spoil it for you. 

Final three. What? What??? 

Something happened when I was eliminated on Episode 5. I realized how much I really wanted this and that I was holding back. Why? Well, it’s scary to put your whole self on the line. The higher I reached, the farther I could fall. 

But after I was eliminated, a switch went off. This was the opportunity of a lifetime, and if I didn’t leave it all on the plate and in front of the camera, then I’d regret it forever. 

In the beginning of the season, I tried to strategize and plan. That was ultimately my downfall on the show -- too much head and not enough heart. So I promised myself during Star Salvation that I wouldn’t think -- I’d just do.

At some point, I’ll write a post about the mind jujitsu I had to do to before competing on Star Salvation (it involved lots of journaling, visualizing, BREATHING) -- but in the meantime, I’ll recap. We have a lot to cover, so I’ll try to keep it short and sweet. 

First, Star Salvation. 

I love, love, love Alex Guarnaschelli and felt an instant connection with her. Maybe because she’s from NYC, or because her mom is a cookbook editor, or because her Dad is a Chinese cooking enthusiast. Don't be fooled -- under that Iron Chef exterior is an exceedingly kind and caring person.

For the last challenge, Classic On-the-Go, I made a cheeseburger samosa, a version of an iconic family recipe. I was competing against Palak, Harrison, and Chris. They are all incredible chefs with interesting, distinct culinary POVs. The camera loves all of them and whenever they appear on screen, they always bring a smile to my face. When we faced Alex, waiting to hear who the winner would be, I knew it could have been any of us. 

But it was me. I was absolutely floored. Of course, that was my goal in competing on Star Salvation, but it also seemed so far-fetched. Normally you just have to not be on the bottom in order to advance. In this case, you had to be on the top. 

And...I was. That felt great and gave me a massive boost of confidence. But I wasn’t finished yet… 

Once I returned to competition, I was raring to go. If I stopped to think about it, I probably would have psyched myself out about competing against Christian, Manny and Amy -- the three strongest competitors all season. But I was riding high off Star Salvation and just focused on keeping that momentum going. 

Bobby and Giada presented us with our final cooking challenge: make a dish that’s “the ultimate expression of your unique culinary style”. I made braised gojuchang chicken and miso eggplant terrine. Not only do I use these flavors all the time, but I also thought it was a good representation of how Asian cuisine doesn’t have to be what you normally see on a menu. You can serve a dish with Japanese miso, Korean gochujang, French technique -- and make it all your own. 

I was so happy I picked Rebekah's name. We cooked alongside one another in Orlando and on the same Pasta Fest team. Even though we have very different cooking styles, she knows flavor and we communicate well together. She’s also a joy to be around -- a major plus during the cook of my life. I couldn’t have asked for a better partner. 

By the time eliminations came around, I thought what I always think: you can feel proud of your cooking and presentation, but you never know what the judges want. While you’re competing, you lose all perspective so it’s impossible to assess the situation with any objectivity. All I could do was hope for the best. 

And… Bobby and Giada said they wanted to see a pilot from me. 

Um... WOW. Getting a pilot is a clear sign from the network that they see you as a potential star -- so much so, they want to give you a test run. 

But it’s not enough to just have the opportunity. You must seize it. 

I’ll write more about shooting the pilot next week, after you can see the whole thing in its entirety. For now I’ll leave it at this: 

I’ll admit, I was very intimidated of Robert Irvine. Wouldn’t you be too? But over time, something happened. Robert got me to let. It. Go. 

The perfectionism, the control, the self-consciousness. What a gift he gave me, and not a moment too soon. 

Can’t believe we’re almost there. I’ll see you next Sunday for the FINALE!! If the meantime, you can catch up on all my Food Network Star recaps here. 
 

All My Outfits on Food Network Star

You asked for it... Here are all the outfit details on everything I wore on Food Network Star. 

A couple preliminary notes: 

• When possible, I linked directly to the item. However, some of these items were purchased years ago and are no longer available. In those cases, I link to similar pieces. 

• For safety reasons, I always changed into closed-toe flats for cooking. I suppose you could cook in closed-toe heels, but I never did. 

• Everything listed and linked is part of my personal wardrobe.

EPISODE 1 - Are You A Main Attraction? 

Jumpsuit: Mara Hoffman (similar as a mini dress, maxi dress, or jumpsuit)

I had no idea we would be cooking on the beach, but this jumpsuit worked out perfectly for the setting.  

Dress: Karen Millen (For UK readers, get it here. For US: similar); Earrings: Baublebar (similar); Shoes: Fendi

This isn't the first dress I'd reach for, but it just screamed "TELEVISION DRESS" to me. The simple face-framing lines, the rich colors... this was a clear pick for the first elimination ceremony dress.

I wore those Fendi cage sandals a lot during the season because I didn't bring that many shoes. Shoes take up a lot of luggage space... space I thought would be better served holding clothes.  

EPISODE 2: Destination Videos 

Jumpsuit: Lou & Grey (similar here and here); Sash: Suno (similar here and here); Shoes: Marni 

This jumpsuit is made of super-soft T-shirt material and perfectly encapsulates my off-camera style: comfortable with a little quirk. 

I originally got those sequined Marni sandals for my bachelorette party. You've heard of jolie laide, ugly yet pretty? These are glam laide, which is just the way I like it. 

Dress: Halston Heritage; Shoes: Fendi; Earrings: Elizabeth Cole 

This was also what I wore for the commercial. I like this bronze color because it gives you an instant tan. 

The earrings are fish skeletons and are part of my very tightly edited fish skeleton earring collection. 

EPISODE 3: Summer Bite Bash

Shirt: Alice & Olivia; Jeans: AYR; Shoes: Allbirds

I have short legs and a long torso, so you'll often find me in high-waisted pants/skirts and cropped/tucked-in tops, just so my proportions look more even. 

Dress: Reiss (similar here and here); Earrings: Charming Charlie (similar here and here)

This is a true day-to-night dress. The sheath cut means you can wear it to work with a blazer. The shine and elegant draping of the neckline easily transition it to evening.

EPISODE 4: Panic on the Panel

Jumpsuit: Nooworks; Shoes: Crocs

I'll always have a soft spot for overalls. I was one of those middle school girls who had GAP overalls in every color and pattern. This cheetah jumpsuit is just plain fun. 

Shirt: LOFT (similar here and here); Pants: Lou & Grey (similar); Shoes: Marni

Again with the criss-cross halter neckline! I'm just drawn to them. And after days of skinny jeans and leggings, it feels nice to wear some roomy billowy pants. 

EPISODE 5: Take This Title & Run With It

Shirt: Lou & Grey (similar); Skirt: GAP (similar here and here); Shoes: Seavees (similar); Necklace: The Knot House

This outfit isn't the showiest, but it's most similar to what I wear off-camera. Comfy, a little clingy, and most of all -- machine washable! 

Shirt: Thakoon (I got this at a sample sale and as far as I can tell, it's one-of-a-kind and was never mass-produced and sold in stores. I can't find anything quite like it -- sorry!); Brooch: Vintage (similar)

When packing clothes for filming, I knew I didn't want to bring anything too conceptual -- clothes that look fashion-y but cold. I think this origami Thakoon shirt makes the cut though. It's fun and simple in its own unique way. 

Dress: Self-Portrait; Earrings: don't remember (similar here and here); Bracelet: Valentino (similar)

I actually loved this dress coming in, but now I don't really care for it anymore. Maybe because it carries bad memories of being eliminated :P. 

I think the big story here is my hair, which originally was swept vertically into a pompadour, but quickly fell to the side. Oh well, all the better to show my earrings (and tears)!

Any my interview look... 

Shirt: Zara; Earrings: don't remember (similar)

I knew I wanted a solid color with clean, but interesting, lines. Bonus points for mustard, a great color and condiment. 

So... as you can tell it's not easy for me to answer the question, "Where do you shop?". I dress like I eat and cook -- eclectically, experimentally, joyfully. 

---

And just because I'm writing a retrospective of my outfits doesn't mean I'm outta the game. 

I'm still in the running on Star Salvation. There's just ONE MORE COOK until the winner re-joins the finalists on the quest to become the next Food Network Star. Catch episodes online here and watch all four Star Salvation challenges on July 29th at 8pm EST on Food Network, right before the winner re-joins Food Network Star at 9pm. 

#FoodNetworkStar Episode 5 Recap: Take This Title And Run With It

Well, my time on Food Network Star has come to an end.

Before I get into a breakdown of the show, I’ll start by giving you a pulse check. I’m okay! No need to be sad on my behalf. I checked off a major item on my bucket list. I cooked food that was applauded by some of the most accomplished chefs in the country. I pushed myself so beyond my comfort zone that I can confidently look fear in the eye and say, “ok, what’s my time limit?”.

I cooked alongside inspiring go-getters who are making big moves in food and entertainment. I proved to myself that I can perform on the biggest stage of my life in front of millions of people. I have a lot to be happy about.

But let’s get into the show!

The Mentor Challenge was to create a dish based on a character from Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation. I had a plan for Drac and Mavis (Drac’s daughter), but most of all -- I wanted Blobby.

As I mentioned in my How I Prepared for Food Network Star post, I spent the weeks leading up to filming studying up on my go-to dishes and interesting techniques. I’ve experimented with a technique called gellification in which you drop liquid + dissolved agar-agar into cold oil. This creates little gel droplets. Here are little “caviar eggs” I made with olive brine and balsamic vinegar. If I got Drac or Mavis, I was going to create little “blood” droplets in a fruit soup, but if I got Blobby… well, he’s just one giant gel droplet and I thought I could really have fun with that.

But, alas. I was too late in picking my character and Drac, Mavis, and -- yes -- Blobby were gone before I got to the table. So… Murray the Mummy it was.

At this point, the clock was ticking and every moment in thought was time taken away from cooking. So I just started picking up ingredients and lo and behold, my body was still thinking about a fruit soup while my mind was still thinking: uh, what now??

So, a fruit soup it was. I decided to make the base of the soup red with blood orange, watermelon, and raspberry, in a nod to the main character, Drac. And then I added my mummy components: a frozen mango-wrapped, lime-laced pineapple and a candied ginger condensed milk “mummy drizzle”. Bobby and Giada introed the challenge by saying movies are a favorite summer pastime, and I wanted to keep the light and summery vibe.

I also considered wrapping something in bacon or prosciutto, but I couldn’t think of any personal connection to anything like that. Remember -- this isn’t the Cook Whatever You Want Show. It’s your show, where all your stories and dishes need to tie to YOU.

Fruit soup is a dish I often have in Hong Kong, where the summers are unbearably hot and humid. The typical order is mango soup with pomelo pulp and a puff of whipped cream wrapped in durian skin. With some modifications, I could make it work with what was available in the kitchen (swap mango and pineapple for durian), the challenge (add complexity), and my character (add the mummy drizzle and mango “bandages”).

In my presentation, my plan was to tie Murray = old and wise = Grandma who lives in Hong Kong. Was it a stretch? Yes! Of course! But I was willing to pursue a stretch of a story if that meant I could also make a dish that nodded to Murray the Mummy and was also delicious. I didn’t have any better ideas, and with only 30 minutes on the clock, I figured I'd have to act now, figure out later.

At the judging table, we were joined by none other than Fran Drescher, who voices Eunice, Frankenstein’s wife.

I LOVED The Nanny growing up, so this was a huge thrill. Fran is just as sweet and funny as you’d imagine, and the first time she burst into her distinctive laugh, we all lost it.

Judging goes… ok. Bobby, Giada, and Fran were confused by my choice to make a fruit soup, and didn’t pick up on the mango-wrapped pineapple and condensed milk drizzle as my mummy components. But once the dish came out, Bobby said the dish was “very refreshing” and Giada said it was “wonderfully balanced”.

So now I felt like I was on a total roller coaster. Last week, I had won the Mentor Challenge and was in the winning half of the Star Challenge. Now I felt like I had lost all momentum (and judges’ goodwill).

I’d have to do better next challenge.

Star Challenge time! Since Amy won the Mentor Challenge, she was able to choose which finalist got which show title. The choices were: Ooey Gooey, Stacked Snacks, and Cheat Day Eats. We had to cook a dish that fit our show title, then do a 3-minute proof of concept video, demoing a cooking tip.

Of the three, I wanted Stacked Snacks. I was picturing a tower of dumplings, with the skins folded so they perfectly stacked on one another. I love a good cheat day or ooey gooey dish, but they aren’t part of my regular repertoire, and I thought I’d have a hard time relating those dishes to my life.

But you can't always get what you want... and I was assigned Ooey Gooey. 

About ten years ago, I actually wrote a cooking show treatment with a producer, so I was already familiar with how to pitch a cooking show.

This was my downfall.

A show treatment is about market research, structuring the show, audience size and upside. You need to show your concept can have legs for multiple seasons.

A proof of concept video is all about personality. Does this person win me over with their energy? 

I didn’t realize this until it was too late.

When I hear Ooey Gooey, I think, can you really do a whole show about cheesy, fudgy, caramel-ly? Maybe, but that didn’t really seem very me, so I had to think of an angle that could work for my culinary POV, international twists you can easily add to your cooking. My solution: international sauces. One part would be ooey -- emulsions, gravies, and vinaigrettes -- and one part would be gooey -- sticky and sweet.

I made ooey coconut rice with gooey char siu pork. The starchy arborio rice would create an ooey “sauce” with the coconut milk, and the honey + hoisin + soy sauce + clove/cinnamon/star anise char siu sauce would be my gooey. Every episode would be Ooey *and* Gooey, and would come together to create a complete dish that showed you new ingredients and techniques.

Did I just bore you?

Well, turns out the judges weren’t all that impressed with my program development efforts, and were looking for something more dynamic. Less business proposal, more bubbly personality.

As soon as I saw everyone else’s presentation, I knew I was in trouble.

Oooooooooh. That’s what a proof of concept video should be. Smiling? Personal stories?? And no bullet points of every segment??? Bleh.

By the time we got to judging, I wasn’t surprised to be on the bottom. But you never know what the judges’ main elimination criteria will be. Maybe it’s missing the mark on the challenge, or botching your dish, or not showing growth… or something else you haven’t even thought of…

In the end… it was me.

I’ve posted my thoughts about elimination in my previous Episode 5 post and don’t really have anything to say beyond that. I fell, but I will pick myself back up again. I don’t have time to mope!

Grilled steamy rockfish with Chinese vegetables and ginger scallion sauce -- my dish for Episode 2 of Star Salvation 

And with that, don’t forget there’s still Star Salvation, a contest in which eliminated contestants compete to re-enter the competition. So there’s still hope! Each episode is posted right after the East Coast airing of Food Network Star and can be viewed online here.

Plus, all four episodes of Star Salvation will air on July 29 at 8pm, ahead of the Food Network Star episode when the Star Salvation winner will rejoin the finalists.

I’m down, but not out. Star Salvation, I’m coming for you.    

Short post about Food Network Star - Episode 5 - Take This Title & Run With It

Well, folks, that was the end of the road for me. I'm going to take some time to reflect before I post my thoughts here. But here's a short statement I posted on my Instagram: 

Am I sad? Yes, I’m sad. But more than that, I’m filled with gratitude. #FoodNetworkStar was one of the toughest things I’ve ever done, and I learned a lot. . I’ve competed alongside fellow dreamers, people who know their childhood dreams aren’t silly fantasies, but are their truest guiding lights. I’ve gotten better at pushing through doubt and leaning into the unknown. I’ve learned that when you don’t see enough people who look like you on TV, that you can (and should!) step up yourself, and that will inspire others to do the same. I was scared to open myself to judgement and snark, but I’ve found that the vast majority of people are kind, and a few have made my heart swell with their love and support, even if I’ve never met them in person. I’ve learned how to quiet my mind when a TV crew is swirling around me, and when I’m alone in a hotel room away from my family. I’ve learned that failure can either weaken you or strengthen you for the next fight 💪. I’m down, but not out. It’s not over until @guarnaschelli and Star Salvation say it’s over. For one of us, re-entering the competition is just a couple cooks away… Check out the latest episode on foodnetwork.com/star and keep the dream alive!

A post shared by Jessica Tom (@jessica_tom) on Jul 9, 2018 at 5:56am PDT

In case you're unfamiliar, Star Salvation is a competition in which eliminated contestants compete to re-enter the show. Star Salvation can be viewed online here. New episodes are posted immediately after the East Coast airing of Food Network Star. All Star Salvation challenges will also be shown at 8pm on July 29th, leading up to Food Network Star (and the winner's re-entry to the competition) at 9pm. 

Stay tuned for more thoughts! Going to take some time off for a bit :). I so appreciate all your words of encouragement and support. My heart is full. 

Recap of #FoodNetworkStar Episode 4: Panic on the Panel

Wow… wow! I just watched the episode and I’m actually still shaking -- even though I knew what happened.

What. A. Nail-Biter. 

Okay, but before we get to The Craziest Challenge ever, let’s start at the beginning. The Mentor Challenge! A straightforward cook. No teammates. No theme. Just make your go-to weeknight dinner in 30 minutes, then present.

After episode 3’s somewhat over-intellectualized tofu ratatouille lasagna (I’m Chinese… and French… get it????), I decided to do something that spoke for itself. 

My dad is famous for his ketchup shrimp, a sweet and savory dish that he makes for special occasions or just because. Don’t worry, it’s not just ketchup. It also features Worcestershire sauce, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, and loads of garlic and ginger. Ketchup shrimp ✅. (Stay tuned for this recipe.) 

My husband is obsessed with mushrooms and I usually have some sort of mushroom in the fridge at all times. Roasted mushrooms ✅✅. 

If I ever make rice or beans, I’ll usually make a big batch on Sunday and then make variations throughout the week. Brown rice with a sweet lap cheong sausage ✅✅✅. 

pssst.... the lap cheong sausage isn't burnt ... those are pieces of seaweed :) 

Once I got to judging, I saw one empty seat. The guest judge was someone I knew very well… me. 

Honestly, I didn’t really see this as part of the challenge. Maybe it was a survival tactic, maybe I was just being dense. I just started critiquing my presentation and food as if I were talking to a friend. I wasn’t thinking about PRESENTING, or a ticking timer, or the fact that I was sitting next to Bobby Flay and Giada de Laurentiis. 

In the end, that helped me. I was able to be myself and show my food knowledge without getting too self-conscious. 

And… I won the challenge! Giada said my presentation was “organic and real” and Bobby said the dish was “homespun, but at the same time there’s a really great elegance and finesse to it”. 

That was a huge deal to me because I had been in the bottom three the week before, and I felt like I had a lot to prove -- not just to Bobby, Giada, and the other finalists, but also to MYSELF. I needed to prove to myself that in this field of accomplished chefs and TV food personalities, I could also hold my own. 

And then here’s where things get crazy. My Star Challenge advantage allowed me to pick who would sit alongside me on a judging panel. But… this wasn’t a team challenge, and we would all be judged individually. 

What would your strategy be? 

I did the first thing that came to mind: pick a team of strong players who would all elevate the conversation and each other. Judging on a panel requires a certain rhythm and chemistry and the best panels have an easy rapport. So I picked people I had worked with before and knew could deliver a dynamic, high-level conversation: Adam, Christian, and Palak. 

Was it a risk to bring such strong competitors on my panel? Maybe! But remember at that point I didn’t know that I’d be pitted against any of them. I just knew that I wanted to be surrounded by people who jived with me and would push me to perform at my highest possible level. 

In this challenge, we had to provide commentary while Bobby and Giada cooked, and then judge their dishes. Judging the judges is quite the awkward situation. You have to be critical, but at the same time, they’re the mentors. By definition, they know better than we do. 

You start to second-guess yourself. Was the bread burnt? Yes... but if Giada did it, maybe it’s supposed to be that way?

Little did we know, but Bobby and Giada purposely made mistakes in their cooking, baiting us to say something. As Bobby said, “Whether you guys picked out those flaws -- and were willing to say it out loud -- will definitely play into our decision.” 

Lucky for me, I was able to summon all my food description skills, and I was safe. Whew!

Then came the craziest thing that has happened this season: the bottom four had to cook their versions of Bobby and Giada’s dishes. If there are four words you don’t want to hear about your cooking challenge, they are: Sudden. Death. Thunderdome style. 

I can only imagine what Adam, Palak, Harrison, and Amy were thinking as they were cooking. I just knew that I had seriously dodged a bullet. Challenges are hard enough, but add the stress of finding out you were in the bottom, having to reconceive your mentor’s dish, cooking like your life depends on it, and knowing that you have a 50% chance of being kicked off -- that’s enough to really mess with your head and throw you off your game. 

Sadly, Adam and Harrison were eliminated. They were both super strong contenders, and it was at this moment that it clicked: at this stage, one small misstep could send you home. 

 Halfway through the season. No room for mistakes. Things are getting real. See you next week!  

If you want to catch up on all my Food Network Star posts, click here. 
 

Recap of #FoodNetworkStar Episode 3: Summer Bites Bash

The task: host a summer party for a group of young tastemakers. You have six minutes to shop in the Food Network Star kitchen and then you’ll drive to the venue with all your ingredients. 

I knew everyone would rush to the protein fridge, so I chose to go vegetarian with a tofu ratatouille terrine. I wanted to make something that not only said “summer” but also fit in with my personal story. My mom’s side of the family lives in Quebec and France, and my dad’s side of the family is from China. So… tofu ratatouille was born.

I had a plan, I had the ingredients. I just needed to get to the venue. Oh those crates in the car trunk? Don’t worry about them… 

Of course, that would be too easy, and Giada and Bobby called us to throw in a twist: this was a team challenge -- with the people in our car -- and we had to follow the theme in our crate. 

Ours was… Pasta Fest! Our crate had a bunch of Italian ingredients, as well as ingredients to make pasta: 00 flour, eggs (chicken and duck), semolina... Once we got to the on-site kitchen, we also had pasta rollers and shaper boards.

I was already going to make a layered terrine, so it was easy enough for me to add lasagna sheets and --- yes -- ricotta, to make a pasta dish. 

That’s right, my tofu ratatouille didn’t just have tofu as the binder. It also had 50% ricotta, plus some sour cream, miso, fermented tofu, and the three basils -- all contributed depth and richness. I’m not sure why I told Katie it didn’t have cheese. Call it competition amnesia? 

I know what you’re thinking when you hear “tofu”. You think bland, dietetic, “why????”. But it had a ton of flavor. What it did *not* have was binding stability, at least while all the other components were hot. 

I anticipated this and layered everything in a slotted hotel pan so all the juices could drain out and the lasagna could have a better chance of setting. I placed a weighted hotel pan on top of the slotted one, chilled it, and hoped for the best. 

I think the tofu ratatouille lasagna could have worked if … 

a) … I was able to execute my original ratatouille terrine idea. The veggies would smush with the tofu mixture, creating a solid, sliceable block. Lasagna sheets don’t smush. They’re a slippery, impermeable barrier and that’s what hurt me. And...

b) … it had chilled overnight. All my components were warm which loosened the tofu mixture. Not saying an overnight chill would have made this into the perfect lasagna, but it definitely would have helped. 
 

Presenting at the Bites Bash was a lot of fun, if a little crazy. Six minutes isn’t a lot of time to present our dishes, do a demo, and interact with the audience. But that’s the challenge and it must be met. 

I loved working with Rebekah and Katie. They are strong, driven women and I felt we really came together as a team. The best part of the Bites Bash was feeding and interacting with the guests one-on-one. We could just relax and do what we love best -- sharing food and food conversation.
 

By the time elimination came around, I knew my dish had some issues, but I didn’t know how it compared to everyone else’s. Everyone is doing their best -- but is your best enough? Are you learning fast enough? How much will that one miscalculation cost you? 

I was in the bottom three, but I was safe. This was my second time cooking alongside Rebekah -- first in Orlando and second at the Bites Bash. She has a pure, giving heart and has a contagious enthusiasm for food. 

Lessons learned for next round: 1) Don’t make anything that needs time to set, 2) Don’t say something is cheese-less when it actually does have cheese, 3) Roll with the punches. If the terrine works, but the lasagna won’t -- don’t do it!, 4) Stay true to your roots and culinary POV, but don’t go out of your way to make something “different”. 

As always, grateful for all your support! I’ll see you next week on Episode 4! 

Food Network Star Episode 2 Recap: Destination Videos

Ok… let’s talk about the elephant in the room. Or rather, the rats.

Some important reminders and clarifications:

• The rat line was only one take of many. Once I said it, I knew it was wrong. My teammates also steered me in a different direction. Think of it as a first draft -- a first draft that everyone sees. As you saw, the presentation Bobby and Giada saw had no mention of rats.

• Some people think I said my mom ate rats. Ew, no! I meant that she had pet cats to eat the rats. I realize that’s only slightly better and still an offbase story, but worth a clarification all the same. 

Ok, that being said, I totally own being off the mark in this presentation. I had a hard time wrapping my head around the challenge: pick a food outside your comfort zone, tell us why it’s outside your comfort zone, and then make a personal connection to it. ::head spins::

The fact that it was a burger was another challenge. I’m very familiar with burgers! I eat them, I make them, but I had to create some sort of distance so it was outside my comfort zone. Enter: a story about my mom not eating meat because resources were scarce. I wanted to talk about my mom’s humble childhood and how I grew up appreciating foods that celebrate abundance -- like a Hawaiian burger with two types of meat.

If you think that sounds like a lot to explain… yeah! And try doing it in one minute. I think I got too caught up in meeting the challenge requirements that I didn’t think about the most important thing -- describing the food in the most mouthwatering way.

Now that I’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s talk about the Mentor Challenge: create a dish in shades of yellow and then deliver a podcast describing that dish.

I was surprised to hear that our very first cook in the Food Network Star kitchen would be a team challenge. I really wanted to show my stuff. But I was really happy being paired with Adam. It can’t hurt to have a teammate who knows the ropes, plus has experience hosting TV shows and podcasts. It’s kind of the jackpot.

I think we worked together really well -- from dish conception to execution to podcasting. I’m glad we got yellow. I’m also glad we picked a curry -- even if it didn’t photograph that well. All in all, really happy with that challenge.

Now onto the Star Challenge... 

psssst.... can you see my tanline from my Episode 1 outfit? 

Even though I felt really confident about our Star Challenge presentation, I thought the other team -- Amy, Harrison, Manny, Rebekah, and Samone -- did really well, too. They also transitioned from presentation to presentation, something that didn’t even occur to us.

But we were safe. And that meant I was safe.

photos courtesy of Food Network

Whew! Another whirlwind week in Food Network Star-land. What did you think?

PS: Last thing about rats and then I hope to put this to bed forever. For better or for worse, I have an affection for rats. Here’s my dog posing next to his rodent collection. I probably have a higher tolerance for rat talk than most :P.  

Do you like my rodent collection?? They are my pride and joy 😊🐀 🐁 🐭.

A post shared by Wally the Welsh Terrier (@wallythewelsh) on Jun 13, 2018 at 9:21am PDT

Food Network Star Episode 1 Dish: Miso Skewer en Papillote (aka 2-in-1 Surprise Skewer)

Okay, so you’ve been dropped onto a fake beach in the middle of an amusement park. What now? You cook, of course! 

I've watched enough seasons of Food Network Star to know that the first challenge usually involves your signature dish. But here was this season's twist: it had to park-friendly. Explicitly, that meant no utensils, and it had to be plated on servingware normally found in an amusement park. Implicitly, that meant a world of intangible things that you might expect from park food. 

my signature dish in its normal form

What are those intangibles? Here were the musts I considered: 

• Fun -- think churros and Groot bread 

• Light -- this was a water park after all and I didn’t want to serve anything too heavy or hot 

• Easy and relatively unchallenging -- no one comes to an amusement park to take culinary risks 

When you're not good at hiding your discomfort ...

... and panic.

So I decided to convert my miso-glazed halibut with turmeric tiles into a skewer, cooked en papillote. The parchment papillote would keep the dish neat, ensure everything inside was warm and tender, and provide a little mystery. 

on the show

at home

In my presentation, I ended up calling this a “Two-in-One Surprise Skewer”. After our cook, I had looked around and seen people had beautiful dishes -- all visually exciting colors and textures. I had… a brown paper pouch and a piece of brown bread. Blech. 

"Everyone likes their own personal packet. And it tastes good." 

So I tried to spin the negative into a positive. Can’t see what you’re eating? It’s a surprise! Don’t know what’s inside? It’s actually two things, a skewer and brothy veggies to sop up with the bread. 

Sadly, neither the park guest, Giada, nor Bobby commented on my expert re-branding. But it didn’t hurt me either :P. 

RECIPE

2-in-1 Surprise Skewer (aka Miso-Glazed Turbot and Zucchini Skewers with Turmeric Veggies and Garlic Sesame Naan) 

I changed this recipe a bit from what I cooked on the show. My original signature dish used yellow squash, and that’s what I used here. On the show, I couldn’t find/they didn’t have any yellow squash, so I ended up using bell peppers. 

I also used turbot here because my local Whole Foods was out of halibut. Feel free to use any firm, thick white fish like halibut, turbot, or cod. 

Poached Vegetables
4 cups water
1-inch knob of ginger
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons turmeric
1 teaspoons whole black peppercorns
½ head Napa cabbage
3 yellow zucchini 

Skewers
2-inch knob of ginger
6 cloves of garlic
¼ cup white miso
2 ½ tablespoons mirin
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce
1 lb firm white fish like halibut, turbot, or cod 

Naan
1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic
Pinch of salt
Splash of sesame oil
Black sesame seeds
1 naan 

Preheat oven to 400°F. Peel and dice ginger. Slice Napa cabbage into ¼ inch strips. Slice zucchini into ¾” half moons. Add water, ginger, salt, turmeric and peppercorns to a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the Napa cabbage and zucchini and lower to a simmer for 3-5 minutes, until the cabbage has wilted and the zucchini is fork-tender, but still firm. 

Puree all the skewer ingredients (except for the fish :P)  in the blender. Cut fish into 1” cubes and mix with the miso marinade. 

Use pre-cut parchment paper squares, or cut them yourself. Lay out skewers diagonally on the paper. There should be at least one inch of room on each side of the skewer. If not, trim your skewer. 

Lay out one square. Spread a bed of cabbage along the diagonal of the square, where the skewer will be. Build the skewer, alternating zucchini and fish. When done, place the skewer on the parchment paper. Trim the corners of the parchment paper “wings”. This will reduce excess paper. Crimp the edges of the parchment paper by rolling and pinching, sealing the skewer.

Place on a sheet tray and bake/steam in the oven for 13 minutes. 

As the fish cooks, make the garlic sesame naan. Add olive oil and garlic to a small frying pan. Slowly bring to a simmer, until garlic is lightly golden. Add sesame oil. Brush oil on naan with a pastry brush. Toast in the oven or on a grill. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. 

Serve hot so your guests can open the pockets and enjoy the aromatic steam. 
 

How I prepared for Food Network Star

I found out I was going to be on Food Network Star about three weeks before I left for shooting. This ended up being the perfect amount of time… long enough that I could get some stuff done, short enough I didn’t drive myself crazy with anticipation.

Since we’re about one week before the June 10 premiere, I thought I'd share what I was doing one week before filming...

What I did:

Sambos: the most iconic recipe in the Tom family and what I was talking about in the commercial (though you can't hear it)

Crystallize my own cooking -- Now was not the time to reinvent myself as a pizzaiolo or learn how to use liquid nitrogen. I could try on different identities another day -- now I had to double down on my own. Anyone who has seen Food Network Star knows what the best dishes are the most meaningful ones: the dish your grandma taught you rather than the crazy one you learned from a YouTube video. So before leaving, I wrote down all the dishes that have personal meaning to me. I thought having a go-to repertoire would help me stay focused *and* save me valuable time during those super-fast challenges.

Get the facts down -- That being said, I did brush up on some things. Remember, I’m a home cook. Never been to culinary school. Have never sold my food (save a bake sale here and there). And while I’d like to think of myself as very knowledgeable about food, I’ve never had a structure to learn (school) or people to hold me accountable (restaurant staff, paying customers). I also cook with a computer on-hand, so I can look anything up, anytime. Not so on set. So I studied things like: what’s the difference between a salsa verde and a chimichurri? What’s the correct cook temp for chicken? Pork? Lamb? What are the correct ratios for pasta dough? Things like that.

Outfits I sent for approval and were later rejected: too revealing, loud (like, they made noise), busy, white, etc

A shopping spree -- Before we left, the Costume Director reached out to us and told us what we needed to bring. Summery clothes, no white, no logos, limited black, no tight patterns, bright, solid colors are best. We needed 17-20 casual cook outfits and 7-8 elimination outfits. Twenty-eight looks! OKAY. So, I have a lot of clothes, but that is a lot. Remember, too, that there are some clothes that you just can’t cook in, like those with bell sleeves or delicate fabrics. And there are some clothes that are totally fine IRL, but don’t work on TV (too sheer, boring, kinda old, etc).

Crash beautification course -- Haircut. Eyebrow wax. Gel mani and pedi. Nightly facials. Daily exfoliation. Teeth whitening. Stop scratching elbows. I did more for this competition than I did for my wedding.

Get my head on right -- As far as I could tell, Food Network Star would be a mental challenge as much as a cooking/on-camera one. So I made sure to boost myself with tools that could relax, center, and empower me. This included packing a yoga mat, stretching strap, and massage balls. I also packed a veritable library of self-improvement books. There’d be no time for cramping or self-doubt. Go go go.

What I did not do:

Change my knife skills -- I don’t hold my knife the correct way, choking up on the handle and pinching the blade. I hold my knife like a home cook, with my pointer finger across the spine of the knife. In a perfect world, I’d have better form, but with just three weeks to get ready, I didn’t bother to change my grip. As long as I cook good food and present it well, that’s all that matters.

Practice timed presentations on camera -- Well, how hard could it be? Turns out pretty hard… I'll let you decide how I fared on this one. 

The premiere airs June 10 9|8c on Food Network and then runs for 9 weeks. Can't wait to watch with you! 

Watch People Magazine's Food Network Star Sneak Peek Trailer

People Magazine has a first look trailer of the next season of Food Network Star and man oh man, it's stuffed with so much goodness. I can't really give you any behind-the-scenes intel, but rest assured I'll spill when the time is right! 

Here's the full write-up. June 10! 9|8c! Watch Westworld later and watch live along with me. 

See the Food Network Star commercial

Well folks, it's almost time!! The Food Network Star premiere is 3 weeks away and Food Network has started airing promos. There are a bunch of variations, but the edit above is the one that features your truly :) . 

A couple behind-the-scenes tidbits: 

• That moment when I'm biting my lip? That's not acting. I didn't realize the cameras were rolling and that was actually me, anxious before I *thought* the cameras were going to roll. Reality TV, reality commercial... 

• This day was super fun because it's just a different vibe -- no competition, no elimination, just playing in the kitchen and on-camera. 

• If you can't tell, I'm wearing fish skeleton earrings. 

This is getting really real, really fast. And if you haven't already, mark your calendars/ set your DVRs... the premiere is June 10 9|8c. 

Why did you want to be on a food TV show?

Family foraging in Pont Levoy, France

Okay, let’s back it up. Why did I want to be on Food Network Star in the first place? Growing up I always assumed everyone wanted to be on TV -- it seemed like a standard life goal, like owning a house. 

But then I realized that not everyone wants to be on TV, and most people have never even considered it. So why did I want it? Let’s see… 

Food runs in my blood. I grew up in a food-obsessed family. My grandpa was a chef for the U.S. Army, my uncle is a chocolatier, my other uncle is an executive chef at a Chinese restaurant, my cousin invests in restaurants... My aunts are cooking busy-bodies, whether they're foraging for berries, dehydrating raw flax seed crackers, or wrapping enough summer rolls to feed a 50-person family reunion... My dad is kitchen polymath, experimenting with everything from smoked meats to candied chestnuts. So I grew up knowing that food was an exciting, endlessly fascinating world that could be enjoyed on different planes -- cooking, eating, foraging, selling. Once I got older, I figured out how *I* wanted to relate to food: writing, teaching, and entertaining. 

Cooking for friends in college

A love affair with food television. Cooking shows are my type of entertainment. As a kid, I’d watch PBS icons: Julia Child, Jacques Pépin, Rick Bayless, Martin Yan, and of course the queen herself, Martha Stewart. Since my family didn’t have cable, I’d take on babysitting jobs so I could watch Food Network once the kids went to sleep. In college, my dad burned stacks of cooking show DVDs so I could watch them in my downtime. You know how kids react once they go to Disney World, after years of memorizing every Disney movie? That was me once I got on the Food Network Star set.

Signing books at the Food Whore launch party

Next chapter of my food career. Food Whore came out two and a half years ago and now I’m searching for the next phase. I’ve never been married to food fiction. I’m mostly interested in exploring food storytelling. Maybe that’s on the page… or maybe it’s on the screen. 

I saw a gap. I doubt Ghandi was thinking about competitive cooking shows, but I think his famous quote still applies. Be the change you want to see in the world. I’ve loved cooking shows forever, but I rarely see people who look like me, approach food like me, or have similar backgrounds as me. Instead of waiting for that person to come along -- why not be that person? 

Multi-hyphenate idols. When you’re looking for direction, it helps to consider who you admire. For me, it’s women like Amanda Hesser (startup co-founder, cookbook and memoir author, food critic, editor), Ree Drummond (blogger, TV personality, store/cafe/hotel owner), and Martha Stewart (needs no further explanation). What do these women have in common? They could have “stayed in their lane”, but instead they chose to break free and become powerhouses on their own terms. 

A secret dream. This is one of my favorite quotes ever: 

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure .... We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be? …. Your playing small does not serve the world." - Marianne Williamson 

When the casting agents called me, I thought about retreating. Oh I’d never make it past the first episode, I thought. Who will take care of the house and the puppy? Only this type of person would do that, and I’m not that. 

But I realized that was my fear talking. I was making excuses for myself so I could avoid playing big and potentially falling… or potentially soaring. Once I identified this self-sabotage, I decided right then and there I’d go on the show and summon everything in my power to get as a far as possible. You only have one life, so you’ve gotta make it count! 

Double-fisting milk. A dairy-themed version of seize the day! 

I plan on writing more Food Network Star-related posts as we get closer to the June 10 premiere. Is there a topic you’re interested in? Let me know and I’ll do my best to make it happen! 

So You Want to Be Cast on a Cooking Show?

Fifteen years ago, a food career might have meant being a cook, writer, photographer, or distributor. Now the food media landscape is larger than ever, with novels, podcasts, webisodes, and of course -- TV.

But how do you enter food television? I’ve been cast on two different cooking shows (Cooks Vs Cons and Food Network Star), and while I wouldn’t call myself an expert by any means, I do have some tips on how to get noticed. Here are 10 pointers, based on my own experience and what I’ve learned from others who have made their mark on food TV.   

Is this for me?

1) Ask yourself -- do I really want this? For some people, cooking competition shows are exhilarating and business-boosting. For others, they might be painful and regrettable. When you shoot a cooking show, you’re looking at a 14-hour day, with cameras in your face, watching your every move and misstep. And then compound that day after day if you’re doing a show that follows contestants over multiple episodes. If that sounds exciting -- carry on! If it sounds frightening, maybe food TV isn’t for you.

2) When the kitchen is a stage. All competition shows have two casting criteria. 1) Do you have the skills? 2) Do you have the camera presence? This goes for any show, whether it’s Food Network Star or Jeopardy (I know, because both me and my husband got to the screen test portion of Jeopardy casting and didn't make it). Being smart or a great cook isn't enough. Camera presence doesn’t mean that you’re gorgeous. It just means that you pop on screen somehow. Is this you? And if not, can you make it you?

Finding Opportunities

3) Get looped into casting. Okay, now for the fun stuff. You’ve decided you want to take the plunge. Now you have to find the opportunities. JS Casting casts for Food Network Star, Cooks Vs Cons, Beat Bobby Flay, and Chopped. I was on their mailing list for TEN YEARS before I was cast on Food Network Star.

4) Look for smaller, newer shows. This is a game of odds. It’s much easier to be cast from a field of hundreds than it is from a field of thousands. Plus, once you’re cast on one show, you can use that as a launching pad for other shows. I applied to Cooks Vs Cons before the first season even aired. Because it was a total unknown, my application didn’t have to fight for attention as much. And because JS Casting already knew me from Cooks Vs Cons, they eventually cast me for Food Network Star.

5) Find a friend who was on a show. Referrals matter. Whether it’s a job, or a potential date, or a publishing deal -- getting the right intro can make all the difference.

Positioning Yourself

6) Build a platform. Confession. I tried out for Food Network Star ten years ago. I was 23 years old and fresh out of college. I met with Jennifer Sullivan (the JS of JS Casting) and she said, “I like you, but I can’t do anything with you. You don’t have a platform”. Brutal, but honest! I was just a person who liked food. So what? But over the years, I built a platform and a body of expertise. I became a food novelist. An F&B marketer. A food blogger. Put in the work and set yourself apart, and you’ll make casting agents take notice.

7) Tap into “what’s at stake”. A very common question on casting applications is, “Why is winning XYZ so important to you?”. Or they might ask you point blank, “What’s at stake?”. Remember food TV is just like any other show -- it must have stories, characters, conflict, drama. Consider two contestants. Arnold wants to be cast because it’s a fun bucket list thing and he asked, why not? Betty wants to be cast because she lost her bakery to a freak flood that deprived a community of a beloved institution. Who would you root for? I’m not saying you have to lie here, but you have to consider why viewers should care about you. Like writing a novel, a storyline works best if there’s something important, even life-and-death, about the outcome.

The Audition

8) Act comfortable and confident. If you’re nervous in your initial casting, then they’ll probably write you off then and there. Being on set is way more nerve-wracking, and if you can’t handle a couple people judging you, then you won’t be able to handle actual filming, when you’ll be watched by dozens of people on set and millions of people on TV.

9) Be yourself, but more. My totally unscientific measurement is that the camera saps away 25% of our energy. So that means you have to give 25% more. Think of TV makeup. If you saw a person with TV makeup IRL, you’d be like wow you have a lot of makeup on. But on TV, they look totally natural! So, bump it up.  

10) Don’t be discouraged if you’re not cast. Seriously, don’t take it personally. Remember my #2 above where I said you’re cast based on skill and camera presence? Well, there’s something else: cast curation. And you have no control over that. Maybe they’re looking for a specific personality or a person from a specific place. Casting isn’t about winning a race, it’s about fitting a niche. Maybe that niche is you… and maybe it’s not. The best thing you can do is be yourself and wait for the right time.

I'm curious... would you compete on a TV cooking show? 

Catch me on the next season of Food Network Star!

Well, the cat's out of the bag (the caramel's out of the bonbon??)... I'm on the next season of Food Network Star! Read more about the show and the other finalists here. 

Competing on this show was definitely one of the hardest things I've ever done. You can't study for it. You can't think your way out of it. You can't plan for it. Besides the cooking part (which is very important), it's the ultimate test of self-knowledge. Who are you? What makes you unique? Are you comfortable enough with yourself to show the judges...the camera... the world???  

And for those reasons, it was was one of the best, most transformative, live-changing experiences. I met some amazing people -- including the people standing next to me above -- and am so grateful for every crazy moment. I can't wait for you to watch. 

I'll be posting more ahead of the launch and as it airs. But here's the important info. 

FOOD NETWORK STAR
Premieres June 10, 9pm ET/PT on Food Network

Plus, follow me on Twitter as I live-tweet during every episode. And feel free to ask me questions here or on social media. As of now, I'm no longer hermetic novelist, I'm a public Food Network Star finalist :D.  

Food Highlights from our New Zealand & Australia Honeymoon

Wow, it's been almost five months since my last post. Eesh. I had some projects going on, but now I'm back. Hopefully. If only to tell you about our amazing 3-week honeymoon in New Zealand and Australia. 

Why those destinations? Well, we wanted to go somewhere once-in-a-lifetime. A place that could sustain a lengthy trip. A place that mixed nature, food, relaxation and adventuring. So it was down under for us. 

I'll share some of our excursions, but for now, I'll get into what you're probably interested in most: the food! 

New Zealand and Australia might not come to mind as top food destinations. You'd sooner think of other popular honeymoon spots like Tuscany or Southeast Asia. 

But what Aussie/Kiwi food lacks in rhapsodic buzz it makes up in quality, diversity, and creativity. Plus, some interesting takes on iconic dishes. Here are some of our fav bites: 

PAVLOVA

Pavlova is my type of dessert. Named after the Russian ballerina, Anna Pavlova, the dessert is typically a ring of meringue filled with cream and fruit.

This one at The Landing Bar in Franz Josef opted for a softer, more marshmallow-like meringue, and a hokey pokey ice cream. Hokey pokey is also known as honeycomb candy, an excellent way to make use of New Zealand's prized Manuka honey. 

EXOTIC MEATS

Weird how we *saw* all these animals at the Wildlife Habitat in Port Douglas...and then the next day we sought to eat them. I'll deal with carnivorous guilt another time...

I've had all these meats before, but with the exception of croc in the Florida Everglades (revolting, cartilaginous and slimy, with red veins coursing through), all those meats must've been shipped from far away. The patties at Mason's Cafe in Cape Tribulation were hand-formed, lightly packed, and fresh. Of the three burgers, the croc tasted the best!

This dish was from our favorite meal of the trip, at Salsa Bar & Grill in Port Douglas. Paperbark-smoked kangaroo loin with goat cheese marshmallow and guava pulp. The meat was tender and silky -- like filet mignon but with more flavor. (Random trivia: This is where Hillary and Bill Clinton were when they found out about 9/11. I think the staff tells every American that.) 

Side note: if you're in New Zealand you also *must* have lamb. We had shanks, a burger, and a lamb salad before we officially ODed.

PINOT NOIR

I drink wine and have basic knowledge, but I'm not really a wine person. I regard wine like I regard eyebrow threading and expensive artwork...someday, but not when I have other things on my plate.

But! My go-to wine is always always Pinot Noir and New Zealand's Otago region is the place for that. We enjoyed a Pinot tasting at No 5 Church Lane in Queenstown and this Pinot and Otago cherry bon-bon at Patagonia in Arrowtown. 

TROPICAL FRUITS

You can tell a lot about a person from their AIM screenname. Mine? Mauibamba. I take to the tropics...even if my hair doesn't. 

I loved the musky sweet taste of pressed sugarcane with ginger and lime. Post-hike, we drank from a fresh coconut, then returned to the stand so it could be split with a machete and shredded with a table-mounted reamer.

Another fav: a selection of ice creams from Daintree Ice Cream Company, a farm shack that rotates flavors from their orchard. We had jackfruit, soursop, passionfruit and wattleseed (a flavor that D astutely described as chocolate root beer). 

Side note: the apples are also really good in New Zealand. Galas, of course, but the best was a new variety started in NZ called the Smitten, a cross between Gala, Braeburn, Falstaff and Fiesta apples. So crispppy.

LAMINGTONS

A lamington is a spongecake, coated in chocolate and pressed in shredded coconut. Sometimes they sandwich jam or cream. How delightful is that? 

I loved how pillowy light they are -- less sinful than a cupcake, more substantial than a macaron. I'd have a lamington over either of those any day. 

SEAFOOD

Barely needs mentioning, but I will just to round out this list. Common fish we ate/saw on menus: mackerel, barramundi, grouper (which they spell groper), and some new-to-me fishes like gurnard and gem fish. 

If you're in Sydney, check out the Sydney Fish Market, the most diverse fish market outside of Japan and eye-popping good fun and better eats. 

CAFE CULTURE

You may have heard that Australia is "taking over the NYC restaurant scene". Even if you don't know the origins, you know the vibe. Airy interiors. Flat whites. Acai bowls. Muesli. And of course, AVOCADO TOAST. These are Australian imports (as far as you can track these things). 

Breakfast dishes usually bore me. Eggs get old and I've never been a pancake or waffle girl. I prefer bacon as an accent, not as the main attraction. 

But on our honeymoon, breakfast was my favorite meal. A few of my favorite breakfast dishes: cauliflower hash with agria, spinach aioli, mango chili chutney; coconut chia pudding with rambutan and passionfruit; probiotic salads with poached egg. And a flat white always.

GENERAL CARE & CONSIDERATION 

Ok, so this is just a basic picnic lunch. But it was prepared and assembled on-the-spot during our Dart River Funyaking expedition. Our river guides brought fresh vegetables and bread on their kayaks and then sliced them on-site. This really shocked me. We also had coffee, tea, cakes and fresh fruit -- all built up and broken down in the middle of nowhere. It was so... civilized. 

Now, you may argue that perhaps this was a "luxury" experience and we paid for such care. Maybe. That doesn't totally explain why they didn't just bring sliced bread. To me, this felt like a real respect for food and the eating experience.

I felt this all over New Zealand and Australia. From the lack of to-go cups, to natural nourishing ingredients rather than gut-bombing cheap shots, to plates that spoke to all the senses. We ate every well. 

Dessert at Salsa Bar & Grill 

THE RECS - PLACES WE WENT TO & LIKED
 

NEW ZEALAND

Christchurch
Black Betty
Roots -- we didn't go here because we didn't know any better at the time 

Queenstown
Bespoke Kitchen
Public Kitchen & Bar
No 5 Church Lane 
Madam Woo
Mrs Ferg Gelataria and Fergbaker (we never made it to Fergburger -- line was too long!) 

Arrowtown
Chop Shop Food Merchants
Patagonia (also in Wanaka and Queenstown)

AUSTRALIA

Port Douglas
Cafe FresQ
Salsa Bar & Grill
Lanternfish
Daintree Ice Cream Company

Sydney
Cross Eatery
Sydney Fish Market

Have you been to New Zealand or Australia? What were your favorite bites? 
 

We're Married!

After four years together, one year of planning, and 100 dresses tried on and rejected... we're married! It was a smallish 100-person wedding in a quirky garden in New Hope, Pennsylvania. The day was personal and fun, and created so many memories for me, D, and all our guests. Seeing everyone together and saying our vows on a perfect autumn day made all the work and craziness worth it. 

I'll finish what I started and write more about the dress, shoes, food, and general decor. I also have thoughts on crafting your own short but meaningful ceremony, exercise and skincare regimens, and establishing a state of Zen for the final two weeks. But for now, I'll answer the top 4 questions people have.

Do you feel different? 

Since D and I live together, in some ways not much has changed. Now that wedding stuff has died down, we're back to our regularly scheduled program. But there are some differences... 

Sooner than you'd think, you'll have to use the word wife or husband. The Monday after our wedding, D had a doctor's appointment. I'm his emergency contact, but this time, under relationship, he put WIFE. Weird! 

Also, before the wedding, D was basically a stranger that I found in the universe. We were not connected by blood, upbringing, schooling. But a marriage makes an instant, unassailable connection. Maybe that's the difference between fostering a dog and adopting it. In both situations, you're eating, sleeping, and living together. The difference is once you're adopted or married, you're family. 

Are you changing your name? 

Legally, yes. Professionally, no. Some pretty cool and accomplished women already have my married name. 

Where are you going for your honeymoon? 

Australia and New Zealand in Spring 2017. We wanted to wait until our winter/their summer was over. And -- truth -- planning a wedding and an Australian honeymoon was too overwhelming, so we decided to space them out a bit. 

Who were your vendors? 

It might take me awhile to write full posts that unpack all of these roles, so here's the list upfront: 

Venue: Paxson Hill Farm
Planner: Two Little Birds
Caterer: Birchtree Catering
Cake & Desserts: Sweet T's Bakeshop 
Photographer: Weddings by Two
Videographer: Love Note Weddings
Ceremony Musicians: Rittenhouse Music
DJ: Philly Custom DJ
Dress: Truvelle purchased at Schone Bride
Shoes: Paul Andrew purchased on Moda Operandi
Reception Dress: Alice + Olivia
Reception Shoes: Fendi 
Reception Crown: China Cart
Hair & Makeup: Daneene Jensen Hair and Makeup
Floral - Personal Flowers: Pod Shop Flowers
Floral - Decor: Darlene at Paxson Hill Farm
Officiant: Our friend Claire, who has ordained for the occasion by the American Marriage Ministries

... plus a whole lotta DIY by me.

I know it's the "cool girl" thing to pretend like you don't care much about your wedding. But you know what, I care about it, and we worked hard to make it special. Getting married wasn't the pinnacle of my life's accomplishments -- far from it. But it was still an amazing, unforgettable day -- maybe the happiest day of my life. I have so much more to share. More soon! 

Our Final Wedding Tasting

People: do not sleep on the vegetarian option. 

The invites are out and reply cards are coming in. Chicken, beef. Beef, Chicken. I get it. I don't think I've ever requested the vegetarian option at any wedding, and I'm semi-vegetarian. 

I love all our entrees, but I'm most excited about the vegetarian option. At least consider it?? 

OKAY. Now that that's out of the way, onto our tasting with Birchtree Catering! We chose Birchtree because this is the type of food we love to eat: seasonal and local, expertly prepared, with clever flavors and textures.

A couple days ago, we went to their awesome kitchen in Philly for our second and final tasting. Here's what we had... 

Pumpkin agnolotti with nutmeg chili cream, frizzled sage, and toasted hazelnuts

This isn't really a summer bite. But in autumn, oh in autumn it's gonna kill. The house-made pasta is rolled to a millimeter's thickness and barely registers on the tongue. Sage, pumpkin, and toasted nuts are a nod to the season, while the chili's bite and the sage's fry steer it away from cliche. 

Mini crab cakes served with guests' choice of house tartar, cocktail, and malt vinegar aioli sauces

Crab cakes were a must for us. We always order them and have strong opinions on what makes a perfect specimen. We loved this version: low filler, high crab meat, and because it's pan- and not deep-fried, the interior herbs and veggies retain their freshness. 

Prosciutto rolls stuffed with arugula, pecorino, drizzled with olive oil

This bite reminds me of a perfect picnic. Elemental, unadorned, and very good. 

Tomato bisque with mini grilled cheese bites (above) -- I mean, come on. Every element here is a star -- the aromatic bisque, the heady blend of cheeses, and the house-made enriched sandwich bread, soft on the inside and skillet-seared on the outside. 

Solstice salad -- hearty local greens with frizzled shiitakes and shallots, asian pears, black sesame seeds and apple cider vinaigrette

This is going to be a super local salad -- everything down to the apples in the apple cider vinaigrette. I loved how this salad has depth from the mushrooms, sesame seeds, and dressing while also being quite light (which is a good thing, because there's a lot more food coming...). 

Seared skirt steak served at a perfect medium with chimichurri over confit potatoes, slow roasted local tomatoes

At our last tasting, we had the more traditional version of this with demi-glace. It was the type of dish you'd have at a Parisian bistro -- homey but elevated. This time around, we wanted to sample a dish with more pow. This is a meat-and-potatoes dish, yes, but the vibrant chimichurri also has kale and the roasted local tomatoes are bursting with sweet and savory juices. This is like the jock who you later learn plays the oboe and volunteers at a community garden. 

Short rib bricks braised and roasted in bourbon, spice, herbs, with herbed shaved tuscan kale and delicate squash planks, house steak frites

Surprising, right? You expect the short-rib-and-fries dish to be served with a rustic plopping. But I love the how this is so tidy, a present that you just want to rip open. The short rib was super tender and, because it wasn't on the bone, you could simply knife your way down to the plate and get a perfect bite. 

Wild mushroom manicotti with leeks, house ricotta, three basil béchamel with rainbow chard and hickory nuts 

This. This was so good. Like so good I was way stuffed by this point, but I still ate all of this. This might be my favorite pasta dish of all time. It's earthy, rich, creamy, bright, crunchy (those chard stems still had some bite to them), and nutty. It was like a dish engineered to make people swoon. 

To guests: get what you want. But consider the vegetarian dish, too! I wouldn't give you a perfunctory meh vegetarian dish. You know that, right? 

Anyway, this is NOT the final menu, just a peek at what we had the final tasting. I'll leave the actual menu a surprise. 

I will say that I think we built a menu of delicious crowd-pleasers. It's like a playlist. This is not the time to show off your esoteric musical taste. Give the people Livin' On a Prayer.

The Birchtree kitchen is in an awesome building filled with other artists and makers called Global Dye Works. The space used to be a yarn-dying factory and still retains much of its equipment. 

The area on the way to the kitchen and tasting room has a sort of cartoony industrial quality. Think: the factory in Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, but less frightening. Birchtree is transforming the space into an official event venue and we're going to try to go to a supper club there once things calm down. 

Menu selection is definitely the best part of wedding planning. I'll take this over dress shopping any day. 

Wedding Odds & Ends: Hairpieces, Clutches & Lingerie

Okay, TWO MONTHS to go until the wedding! 

What’s done: all the major fun vendors. Venue, caterer, cake baker, DJ, ceremony musicians, florist, rehearsal dinner location and caterer, videographer, photographer, hair/makeup artist, invites, planner. And of course the dress and shoes. 

Plus all the nuts-and-bolts vendors: tent, transportation, and restroom trailer. 

Now all that’s left are making decisions with said vendors: finalizing menus, playlist, placement. And a whole host of small details, little things that no vendor totally owns unless you get a full-blown event designer (which we did not get). 

If you look at wedding checklists, you’ll see a ridiculous amount of to-dos. We’ve been working off this checklist from The Knot, but first eliminated anything that seemed like padding. 

Wedding planning is overwhelming already, and I couldn’t deal with “select a caterer” being the same prioritization level as “select your perfume”. (do you feel me #PlannerPorn peeps?) 

But we’re in the home stretch and here’s where the small things become important. But small and miscellaneous can be fun. Here are some things on my mind…

(I’ve checked some of these off my list, but won’t show the things I got here.) 

HAIR ORNAMENTS

I got mine at Bridal Garden, which is a non-profit bridal boutique in NYC that accepts donated gowns and accessories from designers, showrooms, and brides. All proceeds benefit Brooklyn Charter Schools.

I was all for buying a sample or “once-loved” wedding gown, but the competition is pretty stiff and inventory is limited (or brown, or missing a lot of beadwork). You have to be very, very open-minded and patient. Apparently I am not that.

But accessories are another story. There’s no deadline (a custom dress must be purchased 6-12 months in advance) and at least for me there was no pressure to get a DREAM hairpiece...whatever that means. Vintage was an easy decision, and it’s a huge bonus that I also got to help BK kids as well.

But if you’re looking for more ideas beyond your local vintage bridal store, BHLDN has choice selections, including the pearly baby’s-breath-like halo above. Over on Etsy, Erica Elizabeth Designs makes delicate wisps with metal and stone. I like this one that also includes enamel. Jennifer Behr designs, like this crystal headwrap, are very regal.

And if you’re feeling spendy and loopy in equal measure, there’s always this Dolce & Gabbana lemon tiara (and you can wear it to a Beyonce concert, too!).

GARTER

No. This was one tradition I easily crossed off my list.

WEDDING JEWELRY

Without giving too much away...dangly earrings and a necklace would be overkill with my dress. But I still need some flair. My jewelry taste tends more towards the art-and-craftsy… Marni over Cartier. But my shoes are already what you might call “eclectic”, so I’ll do low-key jewels for this one day.

I’m searching for diamond studs with a jacket. The jackets will add pizzazz on the wedding, and I can just wear the studs for everyday. I'll likely stick with costume jewelry for a bracelet though. Even for special occasions, I'd opt for some twine/clay/wood concoction. I'm pretty sure I'd never wear a jeweled bracelet beyond that one day. 

WEDDING CLUTCH

Will I even use a purse? Carrying a purse on your wedding seems so...prosaic. Is it cruel to ask your bridesmaid to hold your lipstick, a compact and maybe your phone and breathmints? And be at your beck-and-call? Perhaps.

So a clutch. It should be nice and should match, but if you’re like me, it will just get thrown with all your other random bags and won’t be a Treasured Item.

In college, I took a class on Buddhism and though I don’t remember most of it, I remember the idea of non-attachment. Things weigh us down (says the girl with multiple shopping posts). You will drive yourself crazy getting sentimental over every single thing.

I love the look of the Rafe faceted shell clutch above, and bonus points because it can be your “something blue”. More reasonably, these tassel and rhinestone netting clutches from Charming Charlie are sparkly and will get the job done with style--and cash to spare.

WEDDING COVER-UP

The wedding is in mid-October, so it will likely get chilly at the end of the night. Let’s just say that my dress has proportions and detailing that require a certain kind of cover-up.

I have reservations about buying fur new, but a vintage fur bolero or stole is always chic. Check out TheRealReal for great deals that won’t make you ethically uneasy, like this winter white fox fur stole.

If my gown were simpler, I’d go with a beaded cover-up. Your Dream Dress carries discounted designer dresses that are new, overbuys, or samples (ie: never worn by a bride at a wedding). And the designers are top-notch. I love this blousy Amsale bolero and this intricately beaded and embroidered Monique Lhuillier.

(side note: when buying “once-loved” items, you may want to work with a store/site that can vouch for every single item. As in, there’s a 3rd party that has confirmed quality and can protect you if the item is not as pristine as you’d like. That’s the case with all the vintage/consignment shops I’ve listed in this post.)    

There’s fur...there’s beading/embroidery...and then there are FEATHERS, like this puffball with wayward wisps.  

Guess which direction I’m going??

WEDDING NIGHT

I’m not great at buying sexy lingerie. On a recent trip to La Perla, I went straight to the caftan section like the old woman I am.

So I was excited when the minxes at Unbound sent me their Bride to Be Box, which includes the musts: a peek-a-boo bra (top photo) and side-tie bottoms. They’re by Hanky Panky, so I know they’re comfortable (see: old woman reference above).

And then there are next level things that I would never think to buy but are amazing to receive: gold mesh bracelets/handcuffs (!), a feather tickler (!!), and a diamond vibrator with 21 settings (!!!).

This would be a great gift for friends to give to a bride for a bridal shower or bachelorette. I really love the idea of Unbound. The items are all sexy, classy, and the right blend of edgy/editorial/romantic… Dita Von Teese meets Dover Street Market meets Anthropology. How cool is this stick-on mask?

At some point I’ll write about the rest: miscellaneous logistics stuff like welcome signs, telling people where they can sit (this seems minor, but people want to be directed), and you know… VOWS.

But, yeah, we’re excited and keeping relatively sane. I often come back to another Buddhist-like mantra: mind like water. React appropriately to the force and mass of the input. Then return to calm. Namaste.