"HOH WOK CLUB"

HOH WOK CLUB: Year of Monkey at BAZI

March 5, 2016 By Eleanor Hoh Leave a Comment

This year’s HOH WOK CLUB’s annual gathering to celebrate Chinese New Year was a huge success with food and cocktails overflowing. Thanks to BAZI and all who came, it was like a big private party except Chef Mike Pirolo and his team did all the work, so I could hang and enjoy! So happy my sister, Valerie and her husband, Dennis were able to join us, at least I had one family member with me.
Feast your eyes on this food gallery, I already posted everything you need to know about BAZI in a post here. Don’t miss Chef Mike Pirolo’s video below describing his BAZI concept! Also go check one of my fav Wok Stars, blogger and super photographer, Brenda Benoit’s post here.
If you missed this outstanding fun celebration, stay tuned for upcoming HOH WOK CLUB gatherings! Numerous Asian inspired restaurants have popped up in Miami and I’d like to introduce you to them. Sign up for my free newsletter in right sidebar so you’ll get first dibs into these events.

HohWokClub-Bazi-2016-guests — Full house at my HOH WOK CLUB’s Chinese New Year celebration at BAZI!

HohWokClub-Bazi-ChefMikePirolo-EleanorHoh — Chef Mike Pirolo and yours truly!

HohWokClub-Bazi-braised-mustard-greens-duck — Appetizer: Braised mustard green salad with creamy ginger dressing and crispy shallots topped with duck and cranberries.

HohWokClub-Bazi-wine-menu — HOH WOK CLUB: special 3 course menu created by Chef Mike Pirolo.

HohWokClub-Bazi-chicken-sweetpotato-dumplings — 2nd course: Chicken with fermented black beans and chives with sweet potato filled dumpling, everyone’s fav!

SzeLiu-EleanorHoh-YumiMiyanishi — My Asian chick buddies, Sze Liu (my online marketing/web goddess) and yoga wear Space Cat founder, Yumi Miyanishi.

HohWokClub-Bazi-ChineseNewYear-cocktail — Special Chinese New Year cocktail created for our event!

Main course: Communal sharing was quite a challenge with the longevity noodles, snow peas, chicken and red peppers and snapper with braised cabbage! Great way to get folks interacting, ha, ha!

HohWokClub-Bazi-ChineseNewYear-dessert — Dessert: top is chocolate bowl with passion fruit and Thai basil anglaise and pan dan rice pudding with fried banana, candied cashew and lemon grass caramel, ooh la, la!

HohWokClub-Bazi-Jocelyn-birthday-cake — Happy to share Wok Star Jocelyn’s birthday!

HohWokClub-Bazi-EleanorHoh-JacquelinePirolo — Thanks to Jacqueline Pirolo (Mike’s sister) for her tireless patience and making this event go smoothly! Ask for her if you want to put on an event at BAZI, she’s the deal!

Bazi Restaurant at the Marlin Hotel
1200 Collins Avenue
Miami Beach, Fl 33139
(305) 695-0101

Hours

Sunday – Thursday 6pm – 11pm
Friday & Saturday 6pm – 12am
Bar opens daily at 5pm

February Calendar of Events

February 11, 2016 By Eleanor Hoh Leave a Comment

Wynwood Art Walk & Food Trucks
Saturday, Feb. 13, around 6pm onwards
2nd Saturdays of the month
Food trucks located NW 2nd Ave/NW 23rd st.
For more details.

Culinary Pavilion at Coconut Grove Art Festival
Friday, Feb.13-15
Don’t be fooled by shot of me on their site, I used to present there but no longer, boo. Photographer is my buddy, ha, ha!
Details here.

Valentine’s Day
Sunday, Feb.14
How about cooking at home together?
We all know dessert is what makes Valentine’s Night special, so try my mom’s tastiest banana fritters!
Remember, the setting is EVERYTHING!

Counter Culture Nights: Chinese New Year
Tuesday, Feb.16, 6pm *****
RSVP mandatory for Salon Talk, email: tina@okkio.us
Miami Ironside Main Event Hall
7610 NE 4th court, Upper Eastside, FL 33138
Details here.
Salon Talk curated by OKKIO will showcase 3 speakers including yours truly. There’ll be festive food, music, art /design and a pop-up store to buy OKKIO’s unique objects from talented Taiwanese designers.
Speakers from Miami’s Chinese community…
Eleanor Hoh – Wok Star blogger, and cooking teacher
Elliot Lee – Liaison Director for American Da Tang Group
Sylvia Lu – Expert and founder of Feng Shui Institute
Dim Sum Bar by Chef Richard Hales (so thrilled Richard will be part of this, thank you!)
Black Brick Restaurant and Sakaya Kitchen
Miami Ironside is an amazing 10 block community full of creatives and designers. There’ll be music, food and many activities throughout from 6-9pm.
HOH WOK CLUB: Chinese New Year at BAZI
Sunday, Feb. 21, 4-6pm *****

Details, menu, reservations here.
I’m bringing my HOH WOK CLUB to celebrate Year of the Monkey with family and friends and enjoy some Asian Italian fusion cuisine at BAZI. Get the details and make your reservation ASAP…I just attended their own NY dinner last night with lion dance and boy it was a lot of fun.
Ayurvedic Cooking Class at ALNO
Sunday, Feb.28, 12-4pm
Sign up here.
Cook for your personal dosha and create a sacred kitchen. I attended this class a few weeks’ ago and was a lot of fun. I learned to make ghee, paneer and other yummy dishes using spices in Ayurvedic cooking. Both Ann Harrison and Chef Sabrina Dora Lopez were a delight.

Chinese New Year of the Monkey and its significance

February 9, 2016 By Eleanor Hoh Leave a Comment

Kung Hei Fat Choy, the Year of the Fire Monkey started TODAY, February 8 and festivities continue till February 22. So what’s the significance of Chinese New Year?
Chinese New Year gives you another chance to wipe the slate clean and start over if you’ve fallen off the wagon with your New Year resolution. It’s an opportunity to start new ways of doing things and kick old habits.
Traditionally, Chinese New Year is a time to spend with family and friends and celebrate LIFE! Eat foods that bring you luck, good health and prosperity (see list below.) Do new things that bring you happiness. Most importantly, cook at home more often and invite friends over. This is something I plan on doing more myself.
If you’re a Monkey, don’t listen to the superstitions surrounding your future and wealth, otherwise it’ll affect your behavior! For a roundup of Year of the Monkey, it’s traits, compatibility, predictions of fame and fortune, celebrities who are Monkeys.
These dishes symbolize luck, good health and prosperity, let us know if they worked!
Pineapple Fried Rice, an all time favorite and most commonly requested dish
Crispy Dumplings
Buddha’s Delight, a vegetable side dish that goes well with anything
Don’t want to cook? Come join my HOH WOK CLUB for a Chinese New Year feast at BAZI, Sun. Feb.16 at 4pm for a delightful 3 course dinner at $50 incl. tips and tax!

Want to experience a Chinese New Year Festival?
Here are some Miami restaurants celebrating Chinese New Year, contact them to find out about menus etc. and order some of those good luck foods…
Hakkasan (my HOH WOK CLUB celebrated there last year for a superb yum cha!)
Mandarin Oriental
Bazi – their own event, Wed. Feb. 10, $75 incl. lion dance
Kon Chau
Tropical Chinese
Golden Marquess

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