Wok Star Eleanor Hoh

Be a Wok Star!

Eleanor Hoh

March Events (Updated)

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Wok Star interview on ChatChow.tv

Jumping for joy, my interview on Chat Chow TV is UP! Chat Chow TV already garnered 5 awards since they launched April 2011. So excited because I absolutely adore what they are doing. As they say, “a mouth-watering video podcast where we go behind the scenes with the chefs, owners and mixologists of the celebrated food industry.
Wait, PLUS you get a chance to win two (2) FREE tickets valued at $130 to this coming Tuesday, March 20 Wok Star cooking class! This class is already SOLD OUT.
Visit their site, watch my interview and say “Why YOU want to master the wok!” We pick the winner tomorrow, Sunday evening, so don’t delay.

Common Threads and Legal Art Fundraiser
Thursday, March 29
Hot off the presses – Common Threads and LegalArt are teaming up for a first of its kind pairing event on Thursday, March 29. There will be delicious food, amazing art, great cocktails, and lots of music. Is there anything else one could ask for? Didn’t think so. (right out of the mouth of Olee Fowler, a Common Threads board member).
I love this organization and what they do, find out more details here and to get your advanced tix $25, at door $40.
Visit Common Threads if you’re interested to get involved, to donate or to buy your ticket.
Or visit Legal Art to find out what they’re about!
I was very honored to be invited to teach a class at a participating Common Threads school, so enjoyed it and think the kids did too!
Some chefs and I also gave cooking demos at a Kids Eat Miami fundraiser on Jungle Island.

The Grind, Miami Burger Battle
Saturday, March 31
$10 discount with code, check out Digest Miami site. Digest Miami will also be filming this battle.
A 30 burger showdown from 954 and 305 restaurants will battle for the coveted Golden Grinder award and title!
With live music, artists painting live, and YOU and judges get to vote for the best burger. All washed down with free drinks from sponsors.
Also, 2 ‘Best Backyard Burger” winners from an online home grillers competition will battle LIVE that evening.
Local celebrity judges include of course, Burger Beast, the king of all burgers, Ch.7 news anchor, Belkys Nerey and Chef Norman Van Aiken of Tuyo located at Miami Culinary Institute.
Here’s a great video which tells you EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW! See you there.

Chow Down Surfside closing and pop up restaurant by Gastropod, Chef Jeremiah opening!
Read all about it here. I do think turning Chow Down Grill into Josh’s Deli is a perfect fit for Surfside. I know the demographic and I think it will be a HUGE success. It’s funny how we take things for granted. When we know we can’t have something, we want it and want it NOW! I always say, when one door closes, another opens.

I look forward to Chef Jeremiah of Gastropod doing a pop restaurant for a couple of weeks before they turn into a Deli. I first met him at a Cobaya (an underground supper club).
From the mouth of Chef Jason, residing chef at Chow Down Grill Surfside, the last day will be March 28, so run and get your last fix of some of my many favs there: housemade creamy tofu, smoked duck, chopped salad, chicken dumplings, Coca Cola Pork Ribs, oh, Angus Beef. Any bread pudding is yummy. I think I’ve tried everything on their menu from the look of this!
Just remember, you can still get same menu at their South Beach location.

Asian Festival

March 3 & 4, 2012 from 10am to 6pm
Location: Fruit & Spice Park
Admission: $10
For more details, visit WAT or Asian Culture Festival
Extract from their site.
Celebrating its 22nd exotic year, South Florida’s Annual Asian Culture Festival will feature a tantalizing selection of foods from many Asian countries including Thailand, China, Japan, the Philippines, Laos, Bangladesh, Korea, Iran and Vietnam. A variety of handicrafts, exotic plants and Asian produce will also be offered to the public, as well as educational displays featuring the countries, people and cultures of Asia.
At 12:00 pm each day, a reenactment of a Traditional Thai Wedding will take place – with a colorful wedding parade, dowry counting ceremony, engagement ceremony, paying respect ceremony and water pouring ceremony.
On the performing stage, a variety of ethnic Asian shows will be featured, from dances to the exciting Taiko drums, and martial arts…..

Bayfront Popup Park

Feb. 28 – March 4
10am-6:30pm
FREE
Schedule here
Across from Bayfront Park in downtown Miami
Parking lot between Flagler and NE 1st street converted to grass covered park with moveable seating, music, art, comedy & activities.
Food trucks throughout entire event

Taste of Pinecrest

Sat. March 3 – 10-5pm
FREE admission
Pinecrest Gardens
11000 SW 57th Ave
Details here
Featuring food from local restaurants, entertainment, kids activities, healthy cooking demonstrations, juried art show, free bicycle parking.

Farmer’s Markets all over!

Visit my Resource page for list of Farmer’s Markets, tips.
There’s nothing more exciting than seeing, smelling fresh produce!
Don’t forget to check in at Freakin’ Flamingo for Renee’s homecrafted jams in South Miami Market! I love them.

Here are some yummy produce TeenasPrideCSA gave me when I was giving a cooking presentation at the Coconut Grove Art Festival recently. I made some delicious dishes which I’ll post up soon, so check back. You can go on a farm tour, I’ve yet to do it.

Weekday Lunch Tips

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If you have a small selection of salad fixings, it’s so EASY to pull lunch together!

Start with field greens, I always buy box ones instead of in a bag, they ‘last’ longer. Then toppings like mini sweet peppers, sugar snap, cucumber, radish for color & crunch. Tomatoes, carrots, cut them in different shapes for variety.
Key is to have some protein to give you energy. I often have leftovers but also roast chicken, salmon or chicken sausage are typical.

Buy a few different salad dressings to keep your palate revved! I like making my own vinaigrette, so easy, I’ll post separately.
Last, add some nuts like walnuts, toasted pumpkin seeds, black or white sesame seeds.
If you need a little carb, go for baked sweet potato, quinoa, couscous or leftover brown or red rice. Just add to salad. You’ll find all these will bulk up your salad bowl and fills you up!
If I feel like spicy, I’ll add Lingham’s chili sauce or Yuzupao, wakes up your taste buds and oh so yummy, enjoy!
Here are more ideas for your lunch:
5 Lunch Tips
Lunch Ideas
Yin Yang Lunch
Love to hear what you have for lunch?
 

Ginger Honey Wok Brussel Sprouts

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This Honey Ginger Wok Brussel Sprouts was inspired by twitter foodies who rave about Sakaya Kitchen’s dish and because my husband loves Brussel Sprouts in any shape or form.  They cause such a stir when you mention them, you either hate or love them, which camp are you?

The HUGE bag I bought gave me a bit of problem with figuring  how to eat them all before they spoiled.  So, I decided to apply my latest fad: By using a few different ways to prepare the same ingredient gives your palate a little variety and you won’t get bored eating the same dish for days. I’ve used this method with grilling meats and works wonderfully. Lesson learned here is not to buy a lot of produce in one go because they overwhelm you and fresh produce is best when eaten at its peak not kept for days even if they’re refrigerated!

When my #LetsLunch twitter friends came up with the March theme for Green Foods, I knew immediately this was the dish I wanted to post. I hope I’m not taking this too literally. #LetsLunch is a virtual lunch where food bloggers come up with a theme.  Cheryl Tan spearheads #LetsLunch and organizes us all with our posts. I’m not sure how she does this as well as her book tour! Visit her wonderful blog, also named A Tiger in the Kitchen, I’ve met the neatest food bloggers, if you want to join, post a comment below or on Twitter using #LetsLunch.  Do visit other #LetsLunch posts below for their Green idea!

Just a reminder if you’ve not visited my blog before, I don’t use measurements or recipes when I cook, just a pinch of this and that and viola.  So here’s my easy way of making Honey Ginger Wok Brussel Sprouts, enjoy.


Ingredients:
Brussel sprouts, rinse and cut off bottoms with small sharp knife
1/2 lime
water
3 cloves of garlic, diced
1 thumb size ginger, diced
San-J tamari
medium drinking sherry
Honey (mine came in a convenient squeeze bottle, Whole Foods organic)
Tea Seed oil or grape seed, canola, safflower oil for high heat frying
Directions:
1.  I used my cast iron wok to first par boil the brussel sprouts then stir fry them.  It was the perfect vessel cause it gave them room to cook and is the best material if you want crunchy vegetables. By adding a drop of oil in the water, it keeps sprouts looking bright colored instead of ‘grey’. Don’t be afraid to use your cast iron wok with liquid, it won’t hurt it as long as you always dry it thoroughly. Once you start cooking in it, the patina will build back up immediately.
2.  When you can stick a fork into a sprout, they’re ready.  Drain and set aside. Par boiling doesn’t take long so don’t overcook them.
3.  Wipe out the wok, I didn’t even need to wash as nothing stuck. Set on high heat, squeeze oil round wok 3 times, add garlic and ginger and immediately add in brussel sprouts, give them a swish around.  Sprinkle tamari & sherry all over the sprouts, squeeze in 2 good dollops of honey and fry to spread tamari and honey all over sprouts. Adjust the taste to your liking.  Lastly, squeeze some lime juice in to ‘wake’ them up and they’re READY!
Here are some ways I served the Honey Ginger Wok Brussel Sprouts:

left: Tuscan spice rub grilled pork, grilled peppers and corn, stir fried mushrooms & sprouts.
right: pineapple, cucumber, tomato salsa, grilled pork, curried grilled tofu & sprouts.

left: pineapple, cucumber, tomato salsa, roast chicken, Sakaya Kitchen’s ginger honey eggplant & sprouts.
right: roast lamb, sprouts and radish soup.
Hope you’ll share some unusual ways you’ve prepared your Brussel Sprouts!
Here are my fellow foodies’ take on Green foods and please check back for more updates from around the world! I can’t wait to read their posts…
How to Brew a Better Pot of Tea from Grace at HapaMama
Green Chorizo from Felicia at Burnt-Out Baker
Pandan Tapioca from Charissa at Zest Bakery
Natanya’s Guacamole from Lisa at Monday Morning Cooking Club
Notos Pesto from Ellise at Cowgirl Chef
Matcha Green Tea Cupcakes from Cathy at ShowFood Chef
Green Bean and Vidalia Spring Onion Soup from Lucy at A Cook and Her Books
Asparagus with Poached Egg from Karen at Geofooding