BFF with the Chef

Aloha friends and foodies, and welcome back. Today I'm interviewing Nguyen Tran, one half of the duo behind Starry Kitchen, a restaurant and brand that was started in Nguyen's small North Hollywood apartment. Originally, it was a way to earn some money after Thi, Nguyen's wife, lost her job in the big economic crash of 2008. After realizing they had an underground hit on their hands, the two operated from their apartment for eight months before finally moving to a legit restaurant site. Since starting the restaurant, Nguyen and Thi have become part of L.A.'s food culture scene and Los Angeles Food Galore. Just a few years ago, they started Button Mash, the next iteration of Starry Kitchen, and Nguyen has also been a frequent guest to shows on the Cooking Channel.

In this episode, we talk about Nguyen's fascinating journey from underground restauranteur to a key member of the LA food culture, delicious Vietnamese cuisine that you can make at home, and the tip to giving amazing parties.

Find Nguyen:

Starry Kitchen

Blog

Instagram

Facebook

Twitter

Button Mash

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

Recipes Mentioned in this Episode:

• Thit Ko (Braised Coconut Pork)

Nguyen's Cookbook

Adventures in Starry Kitchen: 88 Asian-Inspired Recipes from America's Most Famous Underground Restaurant

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Aloha friends and foodies, and welcome back. Today I'm interviewing Lesli Schwartz, the creator of Asian Caucasian, a food blog dedicated to helping the average cook create Asian inspired cuisine in their home kitchens. Lesli began her interest in Asian food in Sweden where she met a fellow expat named Damien, a native of Singapore and a talented gourmet Asian cook. After discovering their shared joy of preparing Asian cuisine, they began to work as a team hosting dinner parties and catering for clients. After a few years, Lesli returned home to Atlanta with her husband, where she started her blog. The blog has been up and running now for at least three and a half years, and within two years Lesli has managed to grow her Instagram to over 6,000 followers.

In this episode, we talk about Lesli's favorite spicy sauce, versatile & delicious recipes you can start cooking tonight, and the simple steps you can take to begin your Asian inspired cooking journey.

You can find Lesli on her blog, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Pinterest

Recipes Mentioned in this Episode:

• Asian Inspired Matzo Ball Soup
• Asian Rubbed Salmon
• Miso Glazed Salmon
• Wasabi Crusted Tuna
• 10 Essentials for Asian Cooking

Cookbook Mentioned by Nicole (Pad Thai recipe)

• Night + Market: Delicious Thai Food to Facilitate Drinking and Fun-Having Amongst Friends by Kris Yenbamroong

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• The BFF with the Chef Website
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Aloha friends and foodies, and welcome back. Today I'm interviewing Nick Anderson, the food photographer behind the immensely popular Instagram account forkinpancakes. Nick started his Instagram account in summer of 2016 as a way to grow his portfolio, share food photography tips, and also share his love of all things breakfast. Since then, his account has grown to more than 33,000 followers. Nick also has a YouTube channel where he shows you how he creates the incredible images on his accounts. He also shares some of his life with videos about his travels and his family. He's a native of Illinois, and currently resides in Chicago.

In this episode, we talk about how Nick got into food photography, the merits of a great breakfast, how to make amazing cinnamon rolls, and the easy way to make your food photographs stand out.

You can find Nick on his blog, Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest

Recipes Mentioned in this Episode:

• The Fluffiest Pancakes Ever

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• The BFF with the Chef Website
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Today, I'm interviewing Elaine Benoit, the blogger and podcaster behind Dishing with Delishes, a podcast where she dishes with other successful food bloggers to find out their tips and tricks to help others in the space reach the next level in their businesses. Dishes Delish is Elaine's second successful podcast, as she previously sold her first.

Elaine originally started by blogging at her site, Dishes Delish, in August of 2015, not only because she wanted to start a business, but because she wanted to share her food and cocktail recipes with the world. To Elaine's surprise, it was her cocktail recipes that became so popular that she tripled her traffic in less than four months, and since then, it's her cocktails that have become the most popular posts on her blog.

In this episode, we talk about a great tip for cooking with the Instant Pot, delicious layered shots, and the secret to a core ingredient of many cocktails.

You can find Elaine on her blog, podcast, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter

Recipes Mentioned in this Episode:

• Bacon Tomato and Cheese Pasta Casserole
• Snickers Shot
• Ultimate Cadillac Margarita
• Pistachio Cream Cheese Cookies
• Chocolate Covered Cherry Shot

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• The BFF with the Chef Website
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Today I'm interviewing Julia, the blogger and photographer behind Julia's Recipes, a blog that's dedicated to sharing her passion for food and her deep love of baking. Julia got started in the Summer of 2016, and she's amassed more than 10,000 followers on Instagram alone. A self-taught baker, Julia seeks to share her vision of love in every bite by showcasing the homemade meals she's prepared with fresh and local ingredients. She hopes that her recipes and her imagery will encourage other home cooks to do the same.

In this episode, we talk about Czech cuisine and the two unexpected core spices that make it delectable, delicious, easy comfort food that you can make tonight, and two tips that make every home cook's meals better.

You can find Julia on her blog, Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest

Recipes Mentioned in this Episode:

• Roasted Beef with Cream Vegetable Sauce & Dumplings (traditional Czech Republic meal)
• Chia Pudding
• Plum Galette with Almond Filling
• Goulash

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This week's guest is Chef Ryan Peters. A former restaurant owner and now the current sous chef at Fish nor Fowl located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Born and raised in Reading, Pennsylvania Ryan has always had a passion for the culinary arts. After graduating from culinary school he moved to Florida to begin his career. After short stints in both Florida and Pittsburgh working under chefs such as Chef Kevin Sousa at the Former Salt of the Earth in Pittsburgh. Ryan opened his own restaurant inside of a Pittsburgh food hall. Ryan has also stodged at some of the best restaurants around the country to include one month at the famed French Laundry in Yountville, California. Despite all of those amazing learning experiences, Ryan believes that opening a restaurant was one of the best he had because it taught him how to run a business and see the big picture.

In this episode, we talk about Ryan's journey to culinary school and his experience working in some of the world's finest kitchens to restaurant owner, an inexpensive and accessible way to elevate your dishes, and how a home cook can approach the cooking process to make their meals as great as those of a professional chef.

You can find Chef Ryan on Instagram. He is currently the sous chef at the restaurant, Fish nor Fowl, which can be found via their website or on Instagram. Ryan's culinary journey has led him through The James Beard Society, The French Laundry. He also competed to represent Team USA for the Bocuse d'Or.

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On this week's mini episode, Nicole shares five cooking tips that she has learned from her podcast guests. The show is on hiatus this week, but will be back March 6th with a new episode. Nicole has been using these tips since she has been interviewing guests here on the show. They've really changed the way she cooks. Nicole has learned so much from these people. They're so amazing. We really highly recommend if you want to improve your cooking, go back, listen to season 1. Start listening to season 2. You will learn a lot.

In this episode, Nicole talks about seasoning your dishes, what to do with ingredients before you bake, how to make delightfully delicious fried foods, and the top tip for what to do for your food while you're cooking it as well as heat control.

Come Visit BFF with the Chef:

• The BFF with the Chef Website
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Today, I'm chatting with Jo Thrasher from Jo Eats, a blog that chronicles her recipes and musings on daily life. Jo is a self-taught home cook who pretty much loves all things food. She's obsessed with creating, photographing and sharing beautiful and accessible recipes with her readers. And, in just 12 months, she's managed to grow her Instagram account to more than 1,800 followers despite working a full time job.

In this episode, we talk about the merits of American cheese, how to elevate any cuisine with a simple ingredient, the trick to making perfect roasted vegetables, and why you should cook with medium high heat.

You can find Jo on her website, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter

Recipes Mentioned in this Episode

• Sweet Potato Gnocchi
• 15 Minute Avocado Pasta
• Gochujang Roasted Carrots

Come Visit BFF with the Chef:

• The BFF with the Chef Website
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This week's guest is Meeta Arora, the blogger behind Piping Pot Curry; a blog that is dedicated to showing you how to make simple and easy recipes. A former computer engineer, Meeta is now a full time blogger. Her blog primarily focuses on Indian food, but her love of global cuisine such as Italian, Thai, and Mexican, amongst others, also occasionally shows up in her repertoire. Meeta strongly believes that everyone has an inner chef and that we just need some inspiration to explore ingredients and create great food. Each week she shares step by step recipes that use her Instant Pot and other gadgets, like her air fryer.

In this episode, we talk about delicious, easy to prepare authentic Indian meals, the five easy to obtain spices that you always need to make Indian food, how to lock flavor into your ingredients, and why the Instant Pot is a game changer for Indian cuisine.

You can find Meeta on her website, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, and YouTube

Recipes Mentioned in this Episode

• Mom's Chicken Curry
• Instant Pot Aloo Gobi
• Instant Pot Chana Masala
• Roti
• Paratha
• Pav Bhaji

Come Visit BFF with the Chef:

• The BFF with the Chef Website
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This week's guest is Amy Lauren Pottinger, the self-taught chef, food blogger, and caterer behind Caviar and Crayons, a food blog and catering service that focuses on elevated comfort food. Amy gained national attention when she auditioned and landed a spot on season 13 of Food Network Star. Since the show Amy has continued to grow her business and brand, while remaining rooted in her love of food. Amy is the proud military spouse of an Air Force fighter pilot, and she is also the proud mommy of two utterly adorable kiddos.

In this episode, we talk about Amy's journey to becoming a chef, her journey from blogger to becoming a Food Network Star contestant, how to incorporate new ingredients in your kids' diet, how to repurpose one central dish for an entire week's worth of unique meals, and how you can make your meals better starting tonight.

You can find Amy on her website, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter

Recipes Mentioned in this Episode

• Bruschetta Chicken
• Ancho Chile Brown Sugar Dry Rub (for chicken and other tasty treats)

Come Visit BFF with the Chef:

• The BFF with the Chef Website
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