We talk to Chef Jesse Perez who tells us how he first discovered his passion for the kitchen, and how he learned that staying true to his authentic Mexican roots was the surprising secret to creating a successful menu.
Calle Dao is owned by Marco Britti an Italian-born musician who developed a passion for Latin food while traveling the world with acts like Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony (YES!). While living in Havana for a year, he grew fascinated with the significant Chinese population in that city, and started researching the birth of Chino-Cubana cuisine, which for a time was popular in cities like New York and Miami.
At Calle Dao, he and Chef Humberto Guallpa, have created a menu that brings together some mainstays and flavors from both cultures, along with influences from other Latin and Asian countries. The result is a truly unique and inspiring menu that celebrates the fusion of global cultures in America.
Watch the video below (and don't forget to subscribe, comment, and hit the thumbs up if you like it!)
Earlier this summer, I teamed up with brand new website Vivala.com to produce and film a project that I am incredibly excited to finally share with you!
It's a brand new 12-episode food webseries called Feed Your Passion with Alejandra Ramos, where I'll take you along on a journey meeting inspiring men and women who have taken their love for food and turned it into an amazing passion-filled career.
I'll take you to some some cool bakeries, coffee shops, restaurants, markets, and more.
There will be lots of delicious things to eat and drink, cool tips and inspiration, but most importantly, I'm excited to share these unique stories that I hope will inspire you to make your own dreams (whatever they may be!) a reality.
We'll be releasing one episode every week, and I'd love to hear what you think of the show!
Check out the short trailer below to learn more about the show, subscribe on YouTube (and comment and like it if you love it!), and if you have any suggestions for future places I should visit or people I should interview in future episodes, definitely let me know!
Thank you so much for your support. I hope you love the show!
It's a cool new technique that I'd never tried before, and which was much less messy than my usual ganache method.
Also...it uses almost an entire jar of peanut butter, so--you know it's good.
Behind the scenes secrets:
1. That "biting into the truffle" scene required a few takes because it is NOT easy to bite into a sticky truffle, smile, and immediately deliver a line. My face clearly gives it away...
2. I loved that sweater so much (picked out for me by the wardrobe stylist) that I went to H&M and got it in every color. At 15 bucks a pop it was a steal!
3. I also fell so in love with the lipstick they put on me (Dragon Girl by Nars) that I went out the day after filming and bought that, too.
Watch the video & get the recipe below:
(Don't forget to Like + Subscribe so you don't miss a single one!)
The show is called Taste Amazing, and on it, my lovely co-host, Caroline Wright, and I take turns every week teaching each other clever peanut butter recipes that we develop using one of the 10 amazing Peanut Butter & Co. flavors.
Caroline and I create all the recipes ourselves, and then (along with the amazing crew) shoot the videos in batches every few months.
And don't forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel! A new video is released every week (usually on Tuesdays), so be sure to catch them all.
You can also follow us along on Twitter and Instagram with the hashtag #TasteAmazing--I always share behind-the-scenes pictures of our video shoots and recipe testing, plus we announce chances to win free jars of peanut butter and other fun swag! 1. Peanut Butter Martini
Start off by learning how to make an easy Peanut Butter Simple Syrup, then learn how to shake it up into a sweet and decadent Peanut Butter Martini.
This boozy hot chocolate is made in a pot with fresh whole milk, dark chocolate chips, Dark Chocolate Dreams peanut butter, and a generous slosh of boubon.
I started off my 30s with a bang with an appearance on the nationally syndicated morning program The Better Show. On the show, I showed the amazing hosts Audra Lowe and JD Roberto how to prepare two healthy recipes with a touch of sweetness to help you stay in line when you're trying to eat better. I first made a Roasted Root Vegetable Quinoa Salad with Dried Fruit & Nuts (which JD was a big fan of) and then followed it up with one of my favorite healthy dessert recipes: Baked Honey Spice Pears with Fresh Ricotta (which, again, JD ate completely during the break!).
I had a great time on the show as the hosts and everyone from the production team were super fun to work with. I'm looking forward to more appearances on the show in the future! Though the show taped last week, it aired today, which was perfect because it is my birthday and I felt like it was a fitting way to start this new decade of my life. Particularly since TV work is something I definitely want to focus on more in the coming year!
If you weren't able to catch the segments when they aired, you can watch them online in the clips below (after the jump)
I'll also be posting both recipes tomorrow (just want to get some photos first). These are a couple of Eugene's favorite dishes that I make and he's been super happy to have the fridge stocked with them. For the show I made one version on air, but had to have another batch ready in advance, hence...double batches of everything!
I love to gather a bunch of my friends together over wine and lots of small plates filled with delicious tapas. It's a perfect way to entertain, because everyone gets the choice to taste a little bit of everything or pick and choose what they'd like.
In today's video, I teach you how to make Mushrooms in Garlic Olive Oil--one of my absolute FAVORITE Spanish tapas dishes. Also known as "champiñones al ajillo," it's a super quick recipe with just a few ingredients, but a LOT of flavor. Serve them with lots of crusty bread for dipping, or even use it as a side with steak or chicken. (These mushrooms also make a great burger topping!)
Enjoyed this video? Be sure to click "LIKE" and share it with a friend on Facebook or Twitter!
Want to throw a whole tapas party? Try some of my other favorite tapas recipes below:
**** Like this post?Share it with a friend on Facebook or Pinterest so that more folks can see it. I'd also love if you'd consider subscribing to my newsletter, follow me on Twitter, become a fan on Facebook, or sign up to receive my once-a-week e-mail updates by filling in your address in the box on the right. If you're in the NYC area, be sure to check out my NYC dinner party style cooking classes. Thanks for reading & sharing!
These ridiculously easy little creamy chocolate desserts have become my new favorite thing. I've made them about six times over the past couple months, most recently at the Mother's Day lunch I made for our mothers last week. Just a few ingredients blitzed together in the blender and you end up with something absolutely incredible (and never-fail impressive).
I filmed a quick 5-minute video demonstrating the recipe so you can see just how easy it really is. Take a look and give it a try! You can easily customize the recipe to your tastes, using liqueur in place of the espresso, milk or semi-sweet chocolate instead of the dark, and different types of extract (orange or peppermint, for example) to alter the flavor. Tomorrow I'm going to show you a fun variation for this recipe made with coconut and white chocolate.
I've been wanting to add more video content to the blog, but it's been tricky as I work solo (or sola, rather) 98% of the time so there hasn't really been anyone who can handle the camera work for me.
This weekend I decided to just go for it, with Eugene handling the camera, which I rented from Adorama here in the city. We basically just figured it out as we went along with fairly decent results and filmed footage for 5 different videos that I will edit and post over the coming weeks. I'm still getting the hang of the editing (I'm using iMovie), but it's always fun learning a new skill! I look back at the first photos I posted on this blog and see how far I've come so I know first-hand the value of just diving right in. I hope you enjoy!
As I mentioned last week, I recently taped a few holiday dessert segments for Fox News iMag showing some fun and easy ways to personalized store-bought treats (the segments were done in conjunction with Sara Lee Desserts). The second of these segments has just been posted so I'm sharing it with you today!
Of the three recipes I did that day, this one is my favorite. I took a plain cheesecake and created a delicious chocolate ganache and homemade butterscotch topping--basically a twist on the classic "turtle" dessert. When I initially got the details for this shoot, the recipe idea Sara Lee sent over called for jarred chocolate and caramel sauces, but I was like "Oh no, that's not my thing" and asked if it would be OK to just make the sauces from scratch since they only take a few minutes each to make and taste SO much better than anything you can find at the grocery store. Thankfully, they agreed!
These sauces make a fabulous topping for any type of cake, but can also be used to top ice cream or yogurt, as a dip for fruit, and to fill cookies. Both keep really well in the fridge for a couple weeks (if you can keep your spoon away from the jar long enough!).
Last month, I was asked by Fox News iMag (Fox News Channel's online lifestyle magazine) to host three holiday dessert segments. The segments were done in conjunction with Sara Lee, who provided some of their most popular products and recipe ideas that I made on camera. The idea was essentially adding homemade twists to store-bought favorites in order to create personalized desserts that can be prepared with little fuss.
Taping these segments was SUCH a blast. My day started at the Fox building in midtown where I went for hair and make-up (Shepard Smith and Rick Folbaum were getting their own hair and make-up done at the same time next to me), and then we hopped in a cab to the gorgeous showroom kitchen.
The first of these videos, for an apple pie with a homemade pecan, raisin, and brown sugar streusel topping, just went live. Click below to watch it!
I came across is fun how-to video from the 1940s on how to set up a buffet table and just had to share it. Even better? The tips stand the test of time!
Did you have a lovely weekend? It was a bit chillier than I would have liked, but we still made the best of it. On Saturday, Eugene, my dad, and I went to check out my first choice wedding venue, 632 on Hudson, an incredible three-story townhouse downtown near the meatpacking district.
It used to be a sausage factory back in the 1800s, but was converted into this absolutely gorgeous home decorated with eclectic antiques and details. It's like each room has it's own theme--from art deco to Asian to Tuscan farmhouse--and yet it all melds together beautifully.
I'd been kind of obsessing with this place since I saw a story in the NY Times about a wedding that took place there. I was really happy when we finally saw it because it was just as gorgeous (perhaps even more so!) as I'd imagined.
Of course, this being New York City, it's a little bit on the pricey side of the spectrum for the space alone (not even including things like catering, rentals, etc.) so it's definitely something we'll have to think about. It's kind of amazing though because it really fits the vision that I have in my head quite perfectly; that being something a little less traditional and much more like a relaxed and flowing old-fashioned house party than the usual seated "check one for chicken or fish" type of event.
Fortunately (for the budget), there are already a lot of typically expensive things that I know are not that important to me in terms of the party. I'm not, for example, really all that interested in flowers; I may even skip them altogether and stick with lots of candles and some kind of fun alternative like those big oversized paper flowers I was raving about last week; mostly because I love the kind of Mad Hatter's tea party feel of them. Or I may go with something edible like bouquets of giant lollipops. I'm planning on making my own sparkly heirloom bouquet out of bits and pieces of flea market costume jewelry and brooches from family members.
I'm going to design the invites and other stationary myself. I have no need for calligraphy or expensive letterpress. I really don't want a video (I think they're annoying; I'd rather my friends just bring their Flips and record stuff they think is fun so we can upload to YouTube later) and I don't really want any limos or cars; the ceremony and reception will be in the same place so there is no need for that since I can get ready there. (I also kind of just love the idea of being whisked away, with Eugene in his tux and me in my wedding dress, in a classic NY yellow cab at the end of the night.)
One of the things I was talking about with my dad (on saturday as we considered the option of a destination wedding) was that I really do want to do as much as I possibly can myself; not to save money (although there is definitely that) but rather because this is what I love to do. I love to throw and organize and plan parties, and that includes being a part of every little detail, from designing my own invitations and doing my own make-up to making the cake, decor, and favors. I so wish that I could cater it myself, but even I can admit that's totally ridiculous.
But for the most part, I don't want to hire other people to do what I know I can do well myself; what makes it special for me is to be able to say, at the end of the night, I did this. (And fortunately I'm blessed with a fiance who is OK with this; "hey, it's less work for me!" he happily says).
Besides the above wedding planning, I did a little bit of housekeeping here this weekend. Most notably, I changed the commenting system over to Disqus. I'm really excited about this latter change because it's going to allow me to reply directly via email to any questions that you may have. So be sure to ask away! :)
I also had a bit of fun playing around with Google Search Stories. Have you tried it? If you remember that wonderful Google commercial about the Parisian love story that was on during the Super Bowl (not that I was watching) you might know what I mean. The application lets you enter search terms to create your own little story and then turns it all into a little movie via YouTube. I created the one below.
I hope you enjoy!
*******
Photo Credits: 632 on Hudson photos by Toni Meneguzzo; brooch bouquet photo from weddingnouveau.com; cake tiers by Alejandra Ramos (me!)
In this second installment of AlwaysOrderDessert How To,* I show you my favorite technique for braiding a six-strand loaf of challah bread using a batch of my new favorite Chipotle Challah dough (see recipes details below).
The braiding technique might seem a bit daunting at first, but it really is pretty straightforward. It should only take you once or twice to get the hang of it, and pretty soon I promise you'll be whipping up gorgeous challah braids that will rival those in even the best bakeries!
[Just a warning that I was in a bit of a silly mood when I made this video and kept bursting out into laughter during a few key moments (you'll see which ones!). I was going to edit them out, but then I changed my mind. After all, those of you who know me in real life, know that I really do tend to burst out laughing at the drop of a dime. This way you get to know the real me! ;) Plus editing it would have just been a pain... lol!]
I hope you guys enjoy the video! I posted a couple of my challah recipes below, which you can use to experiment. And if you have any questions, leave them in the comments and I'll get back to you right away!
xoxo
Alejandra
Practice your challah braiding technique with one of these great challah recipes:
Chipotle Challah - A spicy challah with chipotle puree baked right into the dough Vanilla Bean Challah - A more traditional challah recipe, with just a touch of fragrant vanilla bean flecks
Pumpkin Spice Challah - Pull out that can of pumpkin puree from the pantry and use it to make this sweet and spicy pumpkin bread.
* I have got to come up with a more clever name for these video tutorials. Any ideas?
**** New to Always Order Dessert?Consider subscribing to my RSS feed, follow me on Twitter, become a fan on Facebook, or sign up to receive my once-a-week e-mail updates by filling in your address in the box on the right. And if you ever need any entertaining or cooking advice, please don't hesitate to e-mail me. Thanks for reading!
One of my many plans for the upcoming year, is to incorporate video tutorials and podcasts here on the blog. I'm starting this today with my very first video tutorial.
It's a quick, two-minute video where I show you my favorite technique for peeling a kiwi fruit. You don't need any special equipment and it's a great way to perfectly peel a whole bowl of kiwis for use in a salad, a fruit plate, or in a recipe like my Kiwi Sorbet.
I hope you enjoy my first video, and please let me know what you think! Also, if you have any special requests for similar tutorials, please let me know in the comments.
