Montreal

(my guy with his guys)

I'’ve been wondering if Montreal has a monkier; Like NYC is known as the big apple, Charlotte as Queen City and NOLA as The Big Easy. Correct me if I’m wrong, but apparently Sin City takes shape for this not- so scandalous city. It’s old and new; food-filled, coffee soaked, and classic. A European home away from home. Any weekend well spent in Montreal should include a few gems like these.

HERE ARE SOME SPOTS TO HIT

for a more graphic experience hit the gram guide here.

Crew Collective Cafe: Vintage- bank turned cafe, lined with teller stations studded with holiday decor. The space reminicent of grand central station with less room to roam. The apple (apple butter?) filled croissant was INTENSE. heavy and decadent. The the scone sucree laced with chocolate felt so along with a bitter cappuccino.

Schwartz Deli: Said to be the oldest deli in Canada?!— pastrami on fluffy rye, sweet pickled bell peppers, and greasy crispy fries. No need to explain further, just go. Fairly affordable but don’t expect spicy mustard here :)

Juliet & Chocolate: If you really wanna heat the crepe, fondu, hot cocoa mark this is a good mid-day snack spot.

49 Parallel: Stop for a decadent Venezuelan coffee and chai latte alongside some extra large donuts. Chocolate frosted or bust!

Kinton Ramen: Pleasantly surprised by texture, flavors— mmmm so good! The Japanese fried chicken was juicy perfection especially with that creamy sauce to dip. I had the brisket ramen with thick noodles, seasoned eggs, and garlic oil; barley made it up for air until bowl was cleaned out (of noodles at least).

Place Carmin: The loveliest dinner spot to dine on New Years eve with a few things like:

drinks: Slovak Orange Grüner Veltliner + Amaretto Sour + Mezcal Negroni + All my own stunts (their bourbon, root beer, lime) cocktail

first course: octopus salad (my favorite), beets with blue and candied nuts, beef tartar with crouton and baby romaine, and scallop ceviche that tasted like key lime pie—freaking yumminess I tell you!

entree: sea bass, tiny flank with chimichuri and a mountain of fries, pork fillet with rosti and cabbage, fried brussels with bacon and labneh (I would have been content with only this).

dessert: lemon curd + chocolate tart with coffee whip + maple creme brulee + americano

Beijing Restaurant: We shared 1/2 order roasted duck which I had never before experienced. Highly recommend! The egg rolls were flatter than the spherical ones I’m used, but taste was everything! And the honey BBQ pork, chicken fried rice, beef ho fun noodles, and eggplant, pork, & tofu—ALL WINNERS. Such a good lunch outing!

Caffettiera Cafe Bar: I love me a cute little retro Italin cafe. I tried my first Negroni Sabliato with some bar snacks and will be back!

Afternoon Tea

One of my favorite places in the HV is Hudson NY. I love the architecture, the dining scene, and The Maker Hotel. The boutique vintage space is so cozy and eclectic with its infamous book collection and fire place, bakery lined with tainted mirrors, and gorgeous sunroom.

Ma and I are always looking for afternoon tea experiences this time of year outside of NYC. This tops it so far. This holiday afternoon tea was so beautifully curated that I feel like I have to use big fancy words to describe the experience— it deserves it. It should be on your list of to do next season round!

2022 Holiday Gift Guide

I know you aren’t still figuring out what to get your moms cat or best friends husband. But, maybe you are… I certainly am. If you need some ideas I’ve got you. Last minute gifting doesn’t mean you’re thoughtless it just means you needed some time to think. I love getting creative with my gift ideas and it makes me so happy to share some fun ways to make gifting memorable. If you’re not excited about it then they wont be either!

I’ve selected some of my favorite brands and items including aprons, cookbooks, pasta kits, and THEN curated gift ideas— if you wanna go the extra step. It’s fun and fabulous so dig in!

Rugelach Season

It’s rugelach season for us over here- well it’s Dillon’s thing but I get to share in the joy of it all too! He’s the prince of rugelach, so we had to start making them ASAP. Of course, his mother makes the best— who else would?! That first year after eating a Hannakuah dinner of braised brisket and potato latkes with sour cream, I went right for the pile of rugelach. I’m pretty sure there was a raspberry and an apricot type, both of which were wonderful. The important part is that we didn’t grow up celebrating or eating all of the same things. I love that we can share our differences through food.

This weekend we used a recipe from Delish and added a little of our flair to it: raspberry, walnut, and chocolate. Get that raspberry jam with the seeds; the texture is more pleasurable, in my opinion. It also reminds you that the jam came from a real fruit instead of being wiped out of its contents! The chocolate was chopped from a bar of bittersweet Ghiradelli which makes it all the better.

Things are looking Delish!

In late June I started a new chapter as Assistant Food Editor for Delish. A digital food media brand with a quarterly magazine, YouTube channel, and vibrant food team that keeps the flow on it's toes! Moving from television production- in food and lifestyle tv- to Assistant Food Editor in the editorial space felt like the right thing to do this year, at 25. I was feeling a shift in my career and so ready to embrace this challenge and space.

“The chips will fall where they may” my mother always says to us. I graciously left behind some truly wonderful people; a team that I will continue to call family, friends, and mentors. I truly believe I would not be where I am if it weren't for my PowerHouse foundation. Four years packed of exploration, culture, and lot’s of tv to watch.

Here’s to all the new and cool things I’ll be doing over there. I hope you keep up with me as I try to finesse some pretty cool recipes and more vivacious video content.

Colorado Livin'

I got Colorado out of my system. I’ve always wanted to find myself there for leisure or even work and this summer Dillon and I took ourselves to it. I guess you could call it a vacation. But, after all said and done it was work! We saw, we did, we conquered. And then I felt like we needed a vacation from the vacation. But, since we did lots of things I am able to share with you places to go and food to eat.

HERE ARE SOME SPOTS TO HIT

(see instagram guide here)

Rocky Mountain White Water Rafting: not only did we meet a lovely couple that we got to hang out with but we learned to raft. Beginner level was good enough for me. We didn’t flip and we didn’t get hurt. Clear Creek was beautiful and the guides were very informative. Shout out to this company!

Little Man Ice Cream: although he doesn’t admit it, Dillon will ask for ice cream. We found ourselves here twice over five days and waiting in line upwards 1 hour. We like the mint chip and salted oreo ice cream. Cup, cone, or shake it’s allll good stuff.

El Taco de Mexico: a total hole in the wall with diner vibes. The pork burrito with green Chile sauce is a chefs kiss. The beef, crunchy pork, and cheek tacos are delicious. And, the tostadas are fresh and crispy too.

Black Box Bakery: order online or head to their pop-ups in Edgewater Public Market (their soon to be home). CIA friend is doing the damn thing with her epic pastries. A MUST try.

Portager: farm to table style fare in Denver. The open kitchen concept takes you into the space a little more. And, another CIA friend who’s being the creative genius of the place. We had fresh pasta with a corn cream, tomatoes, and lots of dessert. All seasonal but sooo good.

Zoe Ma Ma: if you want noodles, dumplings, and bao buns all at once then it’s this spot. A hot spot that has been reviewed by television personalities.

Pasta Demo at the old stomping grounds

AM pasta demos should get anyone out of bed. Right?! A few weeks ago I visited my old stomping grounds where instead of Chef calling out “demo!” I guess it was me?! My culinary education began at BOCES / career technical institute when I was a junior in Highschool. I left my friends each day to explore my culinary endeavors with an instructor that prepared me for the CIA. Years later I’m still thinking about where my knife stills came from, how I learned to properly salt water, make carbonara, and work the German festival at Germania hall each October.

I met people from different places with various aspirations. A place I knew I would always be able to stay connected to for the people that pushed me to be the best I could. Being able to visit and demo for students years later was kinda of magical. I’m always grateful for these creative moments.

Fennel Fronds for your SALAD

I love picking from my parents garden. Maybe I should learn to grow my own things. Also, overgrown fennel fronds will always make it into my salads. Salad for lunch? Get me a sandwich please! Anything but salad. So because I dislike them it takes a good one to get me excited.

Creamy dressed salads with crunchy lettuce or peppery greens with oil and citrus juice. Whatever it is you gotta make it good. So, here are some of my personal salad thoughts:

• fresh herbs like Thai basil or parsley torn or chopped into salad elevates the often basic watered flavor of salad greens.

• Fresh croutons or pieces of torn crusty bread . Bakery boules, artistsn bread, even baguette will do.

• Thin slices of cured meat such as prosciutto , salami, capicola.

• Keep the dressing simple: olive oil, lemon juice, salt and cracked pepper.

Tomato Love Salad

The unofficial official start to summer! And to me that means peak tomato season is approaching but not fast enough. Tomatoes in their prime are like sweet berries that burst in your mouth with juice running down your chin. Pile them in your shirt-basket and try to get inside before eating them all. A little dirt doesn’t bother me!

My preferred tomato salad formula:
- Heirloom tomato, yellow & red grapes, cherry tomatoes, and cocktail tomatoes.
- white balsamic vinegar
- a nice quality extra Virgin olive oil
- cracked black pepper & kosher salt or Himalayan salt
- honey / optional

Stovetop mac and cheese with stovetop breadcrumb--yum!

Word on the street is that stovetop mac and cheese is where it’s at. Baked mac and cheese is great, don’t get me wrong, but why all the fuss? I created a version at the PowerHouse test kitchen from a roundup of ingredients. Consider these little vesuvio pasta shapes perfect for mac and cheese. They spiral in a way that captures all the cheese just so well.

PowerHouse Productions Nominated for a James Beard Award!

Grateful and honored is an understatement!

REPOST FROM @powerhouseproductionstv
This week Powerhouse Productions made history! We were nominated for a James Beard Award! (That’s a really big deal!). Along with our partners the Marcus Samulesson Group and @karlitz_cowe made history and produced a show for ABC 7 NY called “EatUp New York” hosted by @marcuscooks and @bevysmith .

The show features Black and Brown businesses that we all need to support in Harlem, Brooklyn, and Newark, NJ! We want to thank everyone who trusted us to tell their stories, show off their food, and celebrate their contributions to the culinary landscape! @makemycakenyc @67orange@lolosseafoodshack @iammusajackson@melbasharlem @harlemhops @chefjj@raymonds_reign @thecrabbyshack@marcusbpnewark @theyardnewark@blueberryvegancafe @thezucchinibar@newarkworkingkitchens @roosterharlem@harlemgrown @settepaninyc@sugarhillicecreamery

A super special shout out to all the Producers, our writer, our Culinary Producer, the amazing DP’s, Cameramen, Audio Engineers, the Lighting team, and every single person who helped make this project jump off the screen! Our dynamic hosts showed up and showed out! They trusted our vision, we all collaborated, and our editors really gave us the most authentic piece of excellence!

Thanks to the dynamic team and fearless Executive Producers! Marcus Samuelsson, Rochelle Brown, Sonia Armstead, Herb Karlitz, & Derek Evans.

Big Hugs and Big Thank You to: @abankhead and @jane.ec we really appreciate your hard work and dedication!

Super duper big shout out to the best production team in the Biz:

Supervising Producer: Kenneth Colbert
Producers: Angela Bankhead, Jovanca Maitland, Dominick Ciardiello, Jensen Taylor
Culinary Producer: Francesca Zani
Coordinating Producer: Sheila Wilson
Associate Producers: Carole Coleman & Corey Chaney
Writer: Dana Slusarenko
Directors of Photography: Matt Knapp, Jason Mason, Robert O'Reilly
Camera Operator: Matt Brown
Post Supervison: Jack
Editor: Kwadwo Opoku
Audio Engineers: Eric Diebner and Jermaine Herbert
Motion Graphics: Rich Zimmer, Kevin Bulger,
Production Assistant: Jaylah Holmes and Schubert Charleston

Is it summer Yet?

Is it summer yet?! Let’s think about all of the things that make summer just FAB. Nostalgic summery things that make me say… yep here’s that summer feeling.

-yellow pear tomatoes right from the vine. there is nothing like it, I swear! I pop tomatoes like candy during the summer. If you have an overhaul of tomatoes in your garden, SEND THEM MY WAY :)

-farfalle (bow-tie) pasta salad with pesto, Ricotta Salata, and fresh corn off the cob. I actually can’t remember the last time I had this but it was too many summers ago??

-ice cream just about every other day maybe? It’s usually soft serve vanilla, extra fudge, and sprinkles. Why not! Just balance the rest of the day out…

-my mother's potato salad. It’s the only potato salad I will ever eat (maybe) because the russet potato: mayo: boiled egg: s&p ratio rocks. And, it’s eaten when the potatoes are lukewarm. That’s key! Sometimes I dip the potatoes in sambal too.

-to me, eating corn on the cob is like eating an ice pop. It just has to be from the right source, and perfection takes place!

what about you? what’s your summer nostalgia???

we love hamantaschen cookies!

Hamantashen are roaring these days. The dense hat shaped cookie filled with jam has become one of my favorite ways to cookie. Should I hate to say it… but Oreos are number one and I eat plenty of them. PLENTY. So today I want to recognize this special cookie for the upcoming Jewish holiday called Purim. These triangles came a long way with the original filling of poppy seed tucked away in the cookie center. Mohn= poppy seeds and tashen= pockets.

La Deliziosa pastry shop began making their version recently and I was quite excited to see. They are smaller than the usual, buttery, and mmm. Typically I’d get my hamantaschen from the grocery store which meant they were a little more dry and just not true to the integrity of the cookie!

So... a new pasta shape huh?

I am here for all of it! The new cascatelli pasta is just what it seems; toothsome (if cooked well, of course), beautiful, sturdy, and a delicious slope for sauces. It’s a wonderful thing! I wanted to create a dynamic recipe featuring this new baby and it took me a couple tries. Over the summer I made it with a yellow tomato sauce which did not win me over. Maybe I tried too hard thinking it would be different than the usual red tomato sauce, but it was just ok. Months later I had the urge to develop something creamy with tarragon, shiitakes, and butternut squash. I adore butternut squash in pasta dishes because it has so much character without being too obtrusive.

Holiday Gift Guides are a mood

that belongs in your kitchen

Patti LaBelle Holiday Party

Patti LaBelle makes everyone feel holiday love. What a special time spent shooting “Patti LaBelle’s Holiday Party” this year. I hope you get to watch her made some of her favorite holiday meal pieces this week on TV One.

A few burnt cookies, balancing liquid filled carafes on loaded sheet trays, and frizzy hair later everything came together wonderfully. Seeing her sing in person with her musical director and Tamar Braxton was basically a live concert.

Mommy's Chicken Soup is Everything I Need During Winter

For years I’ve heard people talk about “my mother, my grandmother, my aunt, my father, my grandfather, ect. makes the best this, that, and the other thing.” There is always a favorite meal or food memory from everyone. Even those who grow up eating tv dinners and take out have their favorite stories to share. My mama makes many delicious meals, but I especially love her chicken soup with potatoes, baby shells, and chicken meatballs. I will offer up my version of the recipe, but I’m honest... I don’t even know how she makes the meatballs! It’s her secret power and I’ve already convinced myself that I won’t be able to make it any better. They are parmesan cheesy, soft, and just the right amount of breadcrumb to egg to chicken ratio. She also loves her parsley! I’ve already given away too much.

Just a few desserts that Bring some Love

Over Thanksgiving I poured myself into developing some new recipes for the blog. This can be quite frustrating when your vision doesn’t exactly come to life and you have to re-do or scratch it. I was pretty thrilled with the way these babies turned out. I hope these inspire you to bake yourself a weeknight treat or bring your gal or guy friends a holiday sweet.

Apples are hands down my favorite way to dessert. Apple crisp, pie, cake, tart, sauce EVERYTHING. It’s warm, its comfort (think apple crisp a la mode with ice cream… oh goodness! here she goes), it’s holidayesc. I don’t know I just love them. SO! I had to make apple tart tatin, but my way. Fresh cranberries were the next best decision to a double puff pastry crust. Yes, double! And, I highly recommend eating this once it’s cooled down but still warm.

On the contrary I could give or take a banana in anything. My banana standards couldn’t compete with my apples. However, covered in dense chocolate ganache- like pudding, whipped cream, and wisps of toffee I suppose we can rethink the banana. Try this girl and you might just fall off the couch (because I expect you to be curled up under a blanket while eating this).

Sweet Home Alabama meets Georgia on my Mind

I spent the weekend in Birmingham, Alabama with my boss Rochelle Brown and what a great time we had! I could not have been more excited to accompany her at the International Association of Culinary Professionals. And, more so because she was leading a panel! A discussion about staring your own cooking content platform with Zoë François- incredible pastry chef, Carrie Morey- biscuit guru- and Kelsey Clark-cookbook author and season 16 top chef winner! They dropped so many gems about the televisions asks and the many no’s that it took to land the right opportunity for their brand. The main takeaway from the panel was about being authentic. Thats it! You are the only one that can tell your story in the truest way, and that’s what I admire most about each of them.

And of course from Rodney Scott BBQ-my first white bbq sauce experience- to How She Rolls biscuit samples and meeting a few new friends I think we had the best darn time. But wait… we left the Magic City and headed to dinner with a special fella and made by him too. Also, not to mention, I had my first experience at a Cracker Barrel. It seriously took me to take a plane ride down south to try it. There’s one down the highway from home!

Food Made Connections

My goodness! It took a couple years for this piece to make its debut in Verge Magazine. I began pitching within the year I returned from my trip abroad and of course covid slowed the process even further. This article stands to be a timeless piece anyways for anyone looking to venture on their own extraordinary journey to find themselves to study culture, to live a different life.

I slept amongst baaing sheep in a quiet town in the heel, I biked to markets, blogged often, and interned at an Italian pastry shop on the opposite end of the boot where I would become friends with the loveliest owners, Dario and Roberto. I miss them and will return to visit! I walked under the Brescian train station threshold every morning and every afternoon listening to Justin Timberlake excited for the day ahead. The morning making brioche or decorating pastry, the afternoon eating a piadina with prosciutto and mozzarella, and then dining out with Dario and Roberto in the evening where we ate and laughed and ate so much more.

I felt nestled at home in my galley way shaped hotel room 15 minutes away from the bakery. The place where Katie stayed for a night on a deflated air mattress after sneaking in. We ventured to Trentino Alto Adige to eat german style dumplings, a staple of Italian cuisine in that region. I love the diverse food culture of Italy, it’s just amazing to me. A blip in time gave me so much perspective and love and friendship.