I swear I didnt forget about you!!

So.... my life has been so hectic and so busy, running around seeing friends trying to conquer the kitchen, working on new projects that are very interesting to me; I will be the first to tell you I get distracted very easily (Squirrel) but the blog has stayed with me in the back of my mind. Ive been wanting to come back with a smashing review, a post on the last cobaya or some fascinating story that will captivate audience members into giving me some prestigious award for my writing abilities (yeah right). But after every event and every place I eat I turn up exhausted with a writers block and after time wanes I feel like everything that I would talk about would be old news. So, I'm starting small, writing an apology letter almost to myself because lets face it I've got great friends and supporters who I care for dearly and all they wanted was for me to get back in there; and this little hiatus was a breath of fresh air. so sorry I'm not sorry but I'm back! I have worked for some great people out there Geoffrey Zakarian, Jamie DeRosa, Micah Edelstein, Aniece Meinhold, Caesar Zapata-Diaz, and Daniel Treiman in the past couple months. These people are extraordinary in each their own rights.

Geoffrey.. well do I even need to go there? I feel like I'm seeing someone like Tim Tebow (yes i used him get over it) right before he got that spotlight role of 1st string quarterback. Geoffrey has been so well respected for his food, but now that he has won next iron chef and is a staple in the food network line up he made that touchdown and is now in the big leagues being whisked off to all these fancy events and loved by thousands, its cool to think this guy is gonna be really famous.

Jamie... Jamie... Jamie, he has a special place in my heart, he beat me down in the kitchen, absolutely the way a young chef should be treated in order to make them realize what it takes to have perfection. He does not accept anything less in his kitchen and I respect him so much for that. I can say he has been a true mentor to me and from the looks of it the entire kitchen. His hipster like attitude and style makes him fun to be around yet when he gets in the kitchen he means business. I see him getting James Beard Awards and the spotlight that a great chef should receive. He comes up with so many ideas for new dishes that my head spins thinking about it. If only I could be so creative.

Now when creativity is needed Chef Micah is the person to go to. When you walk into her restaurant you just know you are in for a completely different dining experience. She has traveled all over the world and seen so many things that it would be a waste if she made food any other way. Her unique style has caught wind in Miami and by the looks of last night they are on their way. Helping her in her kitchen gives another complete experience to what food can be, quality over quantity, extreme detail and a light hearted whimsical feeling that I haven't seen in Miami.

The Phuc Yea team of Ani, Caesar and Daniel have become good friends of mine and after seeing their comradery and customer appeal no wonder these guys are respected in their own right. I love Ani and I's talks after service and the pep talk she always gives me. That is one strong woman right there! Caesar's unwavering loyalty to the kitchen and his food is brilliant to watch and Daniel is my partner in crime for wacky adventures and food related activities (random trips to homestead for tacos and such) All of these people have a cool little special place in my heart and my life has been changed working with them. So now that you have been caught up I can tell you I've got some cool ideas for blogs coming up.. Enjoy!

To Great Food and Great Friends,
~Lady of the Knife~

Executive Chef leaves Market 17

Through a friend of a friend, I found out that over the weekend, Chef Ramos has left Market 17 in Ft. Lauderdale due to a family emergency. He has stepped down to care for his family member and from what I saw tonight they may need to get someone in there pronto. They are currently looking for a new Executive Chef.

Lady of the Knife

5 Things I learned from working at Phuc Yea

After helping out in the Phuc Yea kitchen for a night I decided to make a list of things one would learn while helping out in a dank Vietnamese Pop Up Restaurant.

Jellyfish

1. Sharpie bleeds through Parchment Paper. We learned this after Melissa (our awesome waitress) drew Phuc Yea on Parchment Paper to make a sign for the front door and accidentally left a carbon copy on some pretty obscure places. Lets just say she learned a lesson and Phuc Yea officially has left a mark in downtown Miami.

2. Daniel is a silly goose & a really cool guy. Dan, one of the partners was teaching me how to cook some of the items but all awhile he was making jokes and telling me all about his stint at Momofuku and all the other cool places in New York. He also tried to leave me in a haunted stairwell. Ill forgive him this time. Also his street name comes from the popular dish Veal Bobotie from Nemesis Urban Bistro (my other spot)  from his love of the name and the dish.

3. Cesar knows his SHIT! I'm sure I annoyed the crap out of him because I asked so many questions... whats this? whats that? how do you do that? How do you cook Jellyfish? but he was kind enough to tell me exactly how everything was made and even let me help him with the more intricate dishes.

4. Aniece is Bad Ass! If you've met her... you know and if you haven't you should. This woman is known throughout the foodie world as a FOH extraordinaire, She is calm and cool under pressure and can handle pretty much anything. Our after hours talk was real and was almost like talking with an old friend about the biz. That's my kinda peoples right there.

5. Phuc Yea is blowing up! While there I had a camera right on my mandoline and knife techniques and all around the kitchen... because of all nights... when I was there, Deco Drive came in with Belkys Nerey to do a shoot on the newest restaurant in town. Watch out for it going on da tube soon.

Thank you again to Lulu, Ceeroks and Bo-Bo T for having me in your home and thanks for everyone who came out to say hi to me. Go check out the place if you haven't!

Miami Chef Series: Juliana Gonzales- Barceloneta



Chef Juliana



 Young, Beautiful, Talented, Successful are some of the adjectives that describe what Miami puts on a pedestal. For my very first Chef Interview Series I chose someone who personifies all of these qualities. Meet Juliana, some might have seen her around the hugely popular Pubbelly on South Beach, her husband Sergio is one of the partners of the restaurant. With all of the success of Pubbelly, the group of friends have decided to expand with two new restaurants. A Sushi joint that is set to open in October and Chef Juliana's baby, Barceloneta a Spanish inspired restaurant catered to Catalonyan fare with a tapas twist. The Puerto Rican native sat down with me in her beautiful new restaurant to tell me all about her new restaurant and her impressive resume.

When I first walked in to Pubbelly to meet Juliana she immediatly radiated a beautiful pearly white smile, welcomed me with open arms and dragged me over to Barceloneta. As we walked in I felt as if I had won the culinary jackpot. How many times do you get to see a restaurant and the chef before it opens? I felt so lucky as she was showing me the cute little pots and pans they will be using for service and all of the behind the scenes looks that not too many people get to see. We then sit down to discuss what is really going on in her hectic life.



Entrance right around the corner from Pubbelly

May I just say as we sit down to talk it is almost as if we have known each other for years. These interviews take no more than 15 minutes but we spent about an hour just going back and forth about Spain, Spanish lifestyle and culture and just all the fun things in life. My first question is what brought her to Pubbelly, she told me that she had done her Johnson and Wales internship overseas in Spain working for a Michelin Star Restaurant La Broche, when they brought the restaurant to Miami they wanted to take her with them, which she did. There she met her friend Jose who would come in to eat, the friendship eventuallybrought him in to become the head chef of Pubbelly. The strong ties to Hispanic upbringing and Spanish training bonded them which was never forgotten. When asked what her favorite stlye of cooking for her it should have been to obvious, she responded with Spanish. She then explained that one of her mentors Chef Jordi formerly of Mosaico played a crucial part for her love of Catalonian cuisine. The Barcelonian native gave her the tools she needed to explore her love of this amazing culture whom she credits to this day for her success. When I came in to eat at Pubbelly a couple days ago, Chef Jordi was there and you could tell that he was very important to her, something I understand very much, my mentor means the world to me and there isnt a time that I dont want to appreciate and show gratitude for all that he has taught me. When I asked what the menu was going to look like she gave it to me short and simple. Fresh, clean flavors; nothing over complicated, food the way its supposed to be. Of course you wouldnt think the Pubbelly crew would ever make it that simple, Juliana will bring in a French flair to the dishes. There will be terrines, pates and influences of French all througout her menu, fitting due to France being so close to Spain to begin with. The blackboard will feature the "Mercat" menu with a daily selection of raw bar ingredients as well as beautiful seafood and meats cooked a la plancha. There will also be a bistro style menu of some of the more steadfast menu items that will sure to please all with a full bar boasting Spanish infuences. When asked her experience about being a girl in the industry she smiled and laughed. She loves being a girl in the kitchen, just like myself she enjoys being on the line with all guys and having a good time with them. "Most people never thought I was a Chef, they immediatly dismissed me as a FOH manager or something else but I am a Chef! I can cook and I can hang with the boys" She told me she never had a problem with the boys teasing her or anything if you can just stick it out and show them that you can hang and be tough then they respect you and that is what she got. When asked her favorite food memory she told me that walking into the kitchen in Spain for the first time she knew it was going to be something special. The dedication and talent in that kitchen left her wanting more. The passion of the cooks and all of the products gave her the drive and motivation to be in that world and to make it the best experience possible. Chef Juliana then went on to tell me Barceloneta will be opening as soon as the permits come in, from what she thinks its looking like mid to late September 2011 for Dinner and will eventually offer Brunch. After talking to this woman I know she has what it takes to make this restaurant amazing. I dont get to meet too many people who have as much drive, determination and passion as she does and if that is any indication of this restaurants success than it will prove to be a powerhouse in Miami for years to come.



Bar area at Barceloneta



Phuc Yea! ....More than just an awesome name

 First DB Moderne Bistro, then Geoffrey Zakarian comes back to open Tudor House,and Jose Andres is bringing his big guns with the Bazaar. Miami is really getting its footing in the culinary scene. You have heard of Chef Ludo taking an already established restaurant space and turning into a one-night, one week or 3 month stint doing whatever food is at his whim. this concept is called a "pop-up" restaurant. So popular in Europe and on the West Coast and New York of the US Miami is lucky enough to get the taste of the good stuff. Aniece Meinhold and Cesar Zapata formerly of the Blue Piano in the Design District were considered the power team behind the locally accepted hangout. Now they have moved on to their new concept with Daniel Treiman, here is some more information about the already buzzing Phuc Yea!

What: Phuc Yea! pronounced [fook-yey']
Miami's First Vietnamese "Pop-Up" Restaurant

Where: 19 SE 2nd Avenue housed in the current Crown Bistro

Operation Hours:

Opening Sept. 8th 2011 til November 2011

5:30-10:30pm
Tuesday-Saturday

Price Range: $5-$28

Influences: Aniece Meinhold (Partner) is of Vietnamese decent, with her mothers original recipes from which the menu flourishes and the trios globetrotting backgrounds gives the style of which the concept derives. Menu will contain influences from Vietnamese cuisine as well as modern techniques

Menu: Menu will work as followed: a weekly changing menu consisting of 3 parts. “1 – một,” “2 – hai” and “3 – ba”, representing the size of the plates in that section.

The “1 – một” section includes a selection of fresh and fried “rolls” wrapped in moistened rice paper with various fillings, such as “Cha Gio” (imperial rolls, pork, crab, shrimp, glass noodles, $6) and “Bo Bia” (pork sausage, dried shrimp, jicama, herbs, $6) as well as other street food inspirations and various versions of the ubiquitous “Banh Mi” sandwich.
“2 – hai” will focus on appetizers meant for sharing such as “Ca Com Chien Don” (“fish ‘n chips,” crispy smelts, jalapenos, lemon aioli, $12), “Heo Xao Chua Ngot” (sweet ‘n sour chicharrones, crispy pork belly, pineapples, pickled onions, red bell peppers, $9), “Suon Heo Rim” (Vietnamese caramelized riblets, $8.5), “Goi Du Du” (green papaya salad, roasted pork, cherry tomatoes, roasted peanuts, shrimp chips, $10) and “So Hap Xa” (spicy steamed mussels, lemon grass, beer, herb butter, chiles, crusty bread, $10.5) Daily specials will also make their rounds including items such as “Indochine Pork Rillettes,” “Salt ‘n Pepper Squid,” and “Crispy Fish Salad.”
“3 – ba” section offers larger dishes inspired by the lettuce wrap. Expertly roasted proteins like “5 Spice Pork Belly,” “Crispy Duck Confit,” and “BBQ Brisket” star all wrapped up in vibrantly fresh herbs, homemade pickles and crisp greens.

I cant wait to try out this new concept, the mix of quality ingredients & high end technique should spark a lot of interest in the area. See you Sept. 8th!
tạm biệt
~Lady of the Knife~

15 Minutes of Fame

I recently had a small dinner party to...just have fun really. I invited some of my industry friends & also a twitter friend.. Her name is Susie Wong, who invited her friend Journalist and Fromage expert Mandy Baca. As we had our amazing meal we talked about everything that has to do with food and the industry. After, Mandy asked if she could interview me for Short Order. I was flattered,honored and slightly confused... I'm just a line cook who works hard and tries to learn everything that I can, but she saw something special... Please Enjoy!

http://blogs.miaminewtimes.com/shortorder/2011/08/christine_guzman_a_rising_youn.php

Makoto-Bal Harbour



Hiramasa with Yuzu and Serrano



I will start off this blog attesting to my undying love for all things Asian culture... more specific Japanese culture and food. Ive been to all of the top Japanese restaurants in Miami and yet it took me forever to get up to Bal Harbour to try the well received restaurant headed by the powerhouse Starr Restaurant Group and Chef Makoto.



Kobe Beef with Hot Stone





I finally made my way all the way up to Bal Harbour and drove into the beautiful Bal Harbour Shops which conveniently dropped me off right in front of this beautiful space that Makoto occupies. As I walk in tables are full and bustling with beautiful people chatting about their gossip and news to tell their friends in the outdoor patio area. It is quite a rush to walk in looking good friend in tow and hungry for some amazing Japanese. We walk in and patiently wait...(cricket chirps)...wait... look at all what looks like 8 hostesses and managers talking amongst themselves backs to us... c'mon guys... really don't ruin it for me now... we finally got their attention and we were sat at the sushi bar per my request.



Shrimp Tempura Roll with Curry Aioli

As we sat down our lovely sushi chefs welcomed us to Makoto. These guys were great!!! if I only had to deal with them I would be so happy. They were welcoming and enjoyable to speak with... can I say these guys were geisha's for women. intellectual, quick witted, funny poised and good with their hands.. SUSHI MAKING... PEOPLE!!!  we ordered a myriad of different plates and all were enjoyable. We started with a special of Hiramasa crudo with yuzu and micro cilantro, fresh, inviting and wonderful on the palate. Next we had what I got to sample at Taste of the Nation which was the crispy rice and spicy tuna... OMG this needs to be one of their signature dishes because it has all the flavors and textural differences you need to enjoy spicy tuna, I think this dish is one step up from spicy tuna with tempura flakes. Can we say spicy tuna 2.0?? Next dish that was brought out was a Kobe beef dish that was a cook it yourself with a hot stone and some dipping sauce, not revolutionary but it was fun to play with your food before you eat it. Next we had the robata short rib... yum yum yum!!! Flavors were on point... sometimes i wish short rib could be hotter temperature wise... I know its hard to make hot just because it will fall apart but it was a 9.8 and 10 would have been if it was hotter, it has not deterred me from eating it again; I had it this week and I still loved it. After the amazing short rib I sampled some of my friends shrimp tempura roll with a curry aioli. wow! What a new way to serve this dish, curry gave it a new flavor profile I had not tried before in a sushi roll and it excited my palate.

Otoro

On to my main attraction which was my Otoro sashimi (if you are not familiar it is basically the belly of the tuna, the most prized piece of the tuna in Japanese culture, Chutoro is another good piece but your comparing Filet Mignon to Flank steak). Its like m&ms melts in your mouth not in your hands. Amazing cuts from our sushi man and beautiful texture. We rounded out our evening with a wahoo crudo which was lovely with shallot and radish as well as a sweet robata lobster and an amazing dessert of cooked apples and other fruits in a passion fruit sauce with a mango sorbet. All of the plating and execution of all of our food was outstanding and lives up to all of its hype. Our experience was an incredible journey into Chef Makoto's Culinary Masterpieces and I would be thrilled to come again any time.



~Lady of the Knife~