JEREMIAH TOWER: THE LAST MAGNIFICENT, a fascinating documentary executive produced by Anthony Bourdain, is a character exploration of the legendary chef – and the enigmatic mystery of his genius. The documentary opens May 19 and June 2 in South Florida at select movie theaters. Attention all chefs, wannabe chefs, foodies and anyone who likes to eat, this is not to be missed. Watch the trailer below and you’ll be hooked.
To celebrate, I’m giving away 5 pairs of tickets to the screening May 16 at O Cinema, Wynwood. Each e-ticket is good for 2 guests. Here’s what you need to do to up your chances of winning the tickets…
1) Like and share to as many social media as you can above this article
2) Head over to my Facebook page here and LIKE it
3) Use @LastMagnificent #TheLastMagnificent on twitter and instagram
4) Leave comment below why you should win
5) email me eh at eleanorhoh dot com so I can send you e-ticket.
That’s it, good luck. Hope to see you at the screening.
What does Chef Jeremiah Tower and I have in common? We went to boarding school in England and hated school food! That was what motivated me to learn to cook from my mom. Neither of us went to culinary school and that’s where our similarity ends and his meteoric rise started…
Brief synopsis…see trailer below
JEREMIAH TOWER: THE LAST MAGNIFICENT explores the remarkable life of Jeremiah Tower, one of the most controversial and influential figures in the history of American gastronomy. Tower began his career at the renowned Chez Panisse in Berkeley in 1972, becoming a pioneering figure in the emerging California cuisine movement. After leaving Chez Panisse, due in part to a famously contentious relationship with founder Alice Waters, Tower went on to launch his own legendary Stars Restaurant in San Francisco. Stars was an overnight sensation and soon became one of America’s top-grossing U.S. restaurants.
After several years, Tower mysteriously walked away from Stars and then disappeared from the scene for nearly two decades, only to resurface in the most unlikely of places: New York City’s fabled but troubled Tavern on the Green. There, he launched a journey of self-discovery familiar to anyone who has ever imagined themselves to be an artist.
Featuring interviews by Mario Batali, Anthony Bourdain, Ruth Reichl and Martha Stewart, this delicious documentary tells the story of the rise and fall of America’s first celebrity chef, whose brash personality and culinary genius has made him a living legend.
Director: Lydia Tenaglia
Stars: Mario Batali, Anthony Bourdain, Francesca De Luca
Running Time: 102 minutes
Rating: R
JEREMIAH TOWER: The Last Magnificent
Distributed by The Orchard
Opens May 19
Theaters:
Miami: AMC Aventura 24
Fort Lauderdale: TBD
Palm Beach County: Living Room Theaters (Boca Raton), AMC Indian River 24
Additional Theaters TBD
Opens June 2
Jacksonville: AMC Regency 24 (Adding June 9: Orange Park 24)
Tampa/St. Petersburg: Carmike Sundial 20/St. Petersburg (Adding June 16 AMC Woodlands Square)
Ft. Myers/Naples: AMC Merchants Crossing (N. Ft. Myers)
Additional Theaters TBD
Finka Table and Tap, best Cuban, Korean, Peruvian Fusion
Expect the unexpected when you visit Finka Table and Tap, a Cuban, Korean, Peruvian Fusion gastropub, inside a brick building that previously housed KFC. A 260 seater that would make any chef/owner run a mile but not pint sized Chef Eileen Andrade. She’s a little firecracker with enough energy to shoot off a rocket!
I love the many ways the restaurant is divided into areas. It’s not just one vast space, so it gives a cozy ambience. The vintage, rustic, shabby chic decor make you feel as if you’re in a dining room of a house and not a restaurant. Something for everyone and that goes for the menu.
However, Eileen’s personal decor style is just the opposite. Very zen, industrial and modern at her home and you’ll never guess, it’s an igloo, how cute is that. She was featured in a ‘behind the scenes’ article by The Kitchn, my go to site for cooking. Eileen’s background was in fashion, often, you’ll see her wearing spiffy black outfits with stylish hairdos and makeup. And she’s tiny like me, I didn’t realize how tiny till we took a photo together. I’m so glad Eileen has found her own niche. It all started when she fell in love with Korean food after traveling to Korea and learned to cook from an old Korean lady. Her mentor was a Peruvian chef and when she put all three flavors together, she knew it would work. Of course, only after having her friends be guinea pigs. She started Finka after a stint opening CubanCube, a food truck with her brother, Jon. This beautiful video by Travelspective showcases her philosophy and how Finka came about.
When I met her parents, we immediately struck up a friendship. We come from the same background, they’re from Cuba and I’m from China, no need to say more. Her mom, Nancy told us how her parents came to America and opened a very successful restaurant 30 years ago, Isla Canarias. There are currently two Isla Canarias which are still going strong, located near Finka. Wow, that was some genius marketing to capture the demographic of people who enjoy Isla. I know foodies who travel 2 hours to get their fill of her Cuban, Korean, Peruvian Fusion dishes. You just have to see the stack of meal tickets on Instagram every night to understand Finka’s popularity. Her menu is clever, she covers a wide spectrum of dishes from flatbreads, wok dishes to lighter fare and lots of vegetarian options as well as the more unusual Ostrich or Bison and what about a Cuban Bibimbap!
I love Eileen’s concept, I enjoy a good mashup and it’s how I cook and encourage Wok Stars to do same. I would rather have people cook good food with a mix of ethnic flavors than mediocre traditional dishes. I discovered how much Latinos and Hispanics love Asian flavors when I started giving cooking classes in Miami, they even know how to say “si yow,” Chinese for soy sauce.
Rock on Eileen!
Shanti Christensen's Book Giveaway and Umami Kale (updated)
Book Giveaway details below, ends tonight Sunday, April 16: 12am ET, good luck!
If you crave real home cooked Chinese food, you can win Shanti Christensen’s book, “Family Style Chinese Cookbook: Authentic Recipes from My Culinary Journey Through China!” (see details below!) It’s a MUST. Shanti’s quest to learn authentic Chinese cooking led her into 40 families’ homes over a 3 year period and culminated in this treasure trove of family recipes. Her superb story telling makes us feel like an extended family, privy to secrets that have been passed down for generations.
You’ll learn about Chinese traditions, the importance of family and with meager ingredients, you can cook up feasts. Lamb Fried Rice Xinjiang Style (p.161) and Braised Pork Ribs in Aromatic Sauce (p.111), umm, not bad bedtime reading or to dream about.
Simple, no frills recipes. They won’t intimidate you or make you keel over with impossible-to-find ingredients like many Chinese cookbooks. My favorite part of the book? Reading Shanti’s endearing stories about the families gave me a sense of what life was like in China. I was born in China and left when only 9 months old.
You can experience more of Shanti’s China trip here.
And if you’re lucky enough to live in San Francisco,
she produces outrageous popup dinners serving dishes from all over Asia.
To celebrate this book giveaway, I chose Shanti’s Stewed Kale (p.156) because the day I wanted to experiment from her book, that’s all I had in the fridge. And I loved that because it reflects my whole philosophy of using what you have and make the best and tastiest dish you can!
Creating a sauce to put over veggies is a very efficient way of adding flavor
to a big batch of veggies and gives them a different texture and flavor.
As always, I couldn’t help being a Wok Star and put my personal spin on it…
INGREDIENTS:
1 lb. kale (ready washed and torn into pieces)
Grape seed oil
Sesame oil
Sauce:
1 tsp Koon Chun brown bean sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp i.e. few dashes of sherry
1 tbsp i.e. few dashes of tamari
1/4 cup chicken broth
METHOD…
- Combine all sauce ingredients in bowl
- Heat cast iron wok till hot, add sauce and fry till fragrant
- Immediately add kale and cover with sauce. Add broth, tamari and sherry.
- Cook till kale is wilted, taste for doneness, if not enough sauce, add a little more broth and cook till tender.
This kale goes well with ANYTHING.
I’d love to hear about some of your favorite ways for preparing kale in the comments.
Ready for Book Giveaway? Keeping it simple, here you go:
1. Subscribe to my free newsletter in right sidebar —->
2. Follow Shanti Christensen on Instagram @showshanti
3. Follow Eleanor Hoh on Instagram @wokstar and leave comment on Book Giveaway post
4. Leave a comment below why you deserve to win Shanti’s cookbooks? Then email me eh at eleanorhoh dot com so I have your email if you win.
5. Eligibility: Only for United States residents. Closing date: Sunday, April 16 , 12 am ET. Check back here for winner announcements Monday, April 17.
6. A random winner will be picked and contacted via email. Respond ASAP, otherwise I will pick the next winner.
7. Your book will be sent directly to you, good luck everyone!
If you didn’t win, you can still buy Shanti’s cookbook here.
Want more ideas for vegetable dishes?…
How about more Kale recipes?
All the Kale Recipes You’ll Ever Need
