In 2010 Taylor joined in whole-heartedly with our Carolina on My Pate program. Among the itinerary events was shrimp and grit-ing, pizza-making, portrait painting, and Anathoth garden cooking. Even then Taylor had a certain style. I would recognize her sweet smile anywhere!!!

Here's where she is now! 

"Since C’est si Bon, I have graduated from Wake Forest in 2016 with a degree in Art History. I currently work at an auction house in Hillsborough. In September, I am moving to London to attend graduate school and get my masters in Art History. After school, I am hoping to be a museum curator specializing in Renaissance and Baroque art. Cooking and baking in particular, are still a huge part of my life. Although not part of my current career aspirations, I love coming home and being able to cook something delicious." 

Taylor, today, on Lefty Living Life

Taylor, broaches the topic of pink!

Keep up with Taylor's scene by following her blog posts on Lefty Living Life, including a recent and very special trip to Rome to visit an art exhibition featuring an artist who greatly influenced her thesis!  

"I love hot tea, good books, puppies and kittens, chocolate- who am I kidding...sweets in general, and Netflix. I also have an obsession with pink, high heels, and hats."

Lefty started as a creative outlet for me. It has continued to be that, but has also grown to be much more. I think that style and fashion are a reflection of your personality. I have always been interested in fashion, but that doesn't mean it's always easy for me to find something to wear that shows who I am. 

The name comes from the fact that I am left-handed. Most people don't think about being right-handed or left-handed, but I have always identified very strongly as left-handed. It has become an important part of who I am and now it is an important part of this blog. 

I hope you enjoy my adventures as much as I do. XO"

We do Taylor! And looking back at your entry essay, so many ingredients are already in place. Italy, culture, and cheese for one, or er, three! 

Taylor's essay from 2010

The main benefit of cooking in another culture is learning about the culture that you are cooking in. Cooking is a big part of the culture of an area so when you cook in another culture, you are immersing yourself in the culture and learning about that culture. The cooking of a culture reflects that culture and the people who are a part of that culture and by cooking in it; you become a part of that culture. For example, the people in Italy eat lots of pasta and cheese. 

 

Taylor and Grace, 2010

 

If you look at these foods as reflecting the culture, then you could say that the pasta represents the warm weather and the warm natures of the people because pasta is warm. You can say that the cheese shows the diversity because there are lots of different people just like there are lots of different cheeses.

 

Carolina on My Plate Crew 2010 back row, left to right, Jeremy, Noah, Chloe, Ben, Grace, Taylor, Naomi, Jack, Maxwell, and Megan front row, left to right, Dorette, Aileen, Emily foreground: Shadow Snover

 

Another main benefit of cooking in another culture is that not only do you immerse yourself in a different culture; you are also learning how to cook in a different way. Every culture is different which means that every culture has a different way of cooking. When you cook in another culture, you learn how the people of that culture cook. This helps the chef to learn more about a culture and also learn more about cooking in general.

 

 

With Grace and Emily at Anathoth Community Garden

The benefits of cooking in another culture are similar to the benefits of going to another country; you learn about how different people live and in this case cook. Through this experience, you also learn more about yourself because you learn about other people and possibly look inside and see something that you wouldn’t have seen before. 

Taylor shows off her work of art at Miel Bon-Bon in Durham!

We can't wait to see where your art journey takes you next....

"I've included this chocolate cupcake recipe which is one of my favorite desserts and has been something I have loved since I was a kid. My mom got the recipe from her college roommate’s mom who would send these to them in college. They are simple and delicious. My favorite part is the chocolate chips inside. They are an unexpected crunch and add the perfect texture to the inside of the cupcakes." 

 

 

 

 

 

You can follow him on Instagram @jeremycooks of @agiscafe

 

Jeremy in 2008

 

Between 2007 and 2012 in June and July, Jeremy Salamon would fly up from Boca Raton to the cool climate of North Carolina to assist with kid-chef classes. Jeremy was fond of contemplating the day with a cup of coffee sitting at the cherry wood kitchen table in the house at C’est si Bon! He loved watching the birds fly to and from the feeder and likened them to the kid-chefs who would be arriving in less than an hour. And as I write this post on this morning in April, there’s a tweeting and fluttering at the front door. A bright red male and dusty brown female cardinal perch on the straw wreath building a nest. They fly back to the bird feeder at the white oak tree. And just like the parents driving to Brace Lane to drop off their of kids for feeding at the summer classes, so I feel a pang of gratitude not only for the generations of yellow finches, woodpeckers, bluebirds, and simple wrens who have raised their babies around the cooking school in the last 20 years, but for Jeremy, who returned and returned and who I felt honored that C'est si Bon! and this kitchen and garden could nourish him a little, and in the same way as my own two sons, Erick and Jaryd. But like in the best of all life, the tables turn, and so it is that he nourishes me and the continuing work at C'est si Bon! 

Jeremy is still Hungary. Hungary for change.

If you are in NY you do not want to miss this!! Visit fond soon for the menus! You can follow him on Instagram @jeremycooks of @fondnyc

 

"At its root, cooking is a joyous act of love and service that is incredibly rewarding--especially when shared with others. It is also a bit of everything: a way to commemorate past traditions and a way to explore the world, a science and an art, ancient and modern, and commonplace yet extraordinary."

I am excited to share Grace's story with you!

Grace Lutfy was the first teen to arrive at RDU airport for Carolina on My Plate that summer. Her curiosity led her from Michigan to search out this experience, and as she went through the week, she gained comfort in a new kitchen, and all the kitchens we worked in. Whether at Fickle Creek Farm, Anathoth Community Gardens, the Carrboro Farmer's Market, Sunshine Lavender Farms or at C'est si Bon! 

But the kitchen was a place that Grace already loved, and where she had a strong family food and cooking connection that stretches over the Mediterranean.  And still does. 

This was her essay:

"I think the life benefits of knowing how to cook are… numerous. Knowing how to cook is a valuable skill that many people are taking for granted lately. It is a rarity now, with all of the new fast food chains springing up along with the overextension of people trying to do too many things at once. Food and the meal have lost their importance in modern-day society, so learning how to be a good cook would empower me and strengthen me because I could be set apart from the rest of society and be able to raise myself on my own, without depending on restaurants and other people to feed me.

Another benefit that learning how to cook has to offer is that if I was to learn how to cook well, I could teach others and those others could teach more people, and so on. It is a tool that allows people to be creative, have fun, enjoy themselves, and learn new things about the world around them. It can familiarize people with different cultures around the world and bring people together. It can change people’s lifestyles and encourage others to try new things and go outside of their comfort zone.

I love food and all of the variety it has to offer. Once these benefits are put to use, I’ll feel stronger and more independent. The life benefits of learning how to cook are too numerous to count, and I would love to learn how to cook to better the lives of myself and others around me."

And so where is Grace today? Here's where!

I graduated from the University of Michigan last year and received a BA in Public Policy with a focus in international security—or international relations and national security issues. Through my program, I was able to study multiple languages, various regions around the world, the challenges we face, and ways to solve them. I was even able to travel to Greece and take a course about the Anthropology of Food and the Mediterranean Diet. Now, I am in Washington, DC, looking for work in my field and keeping my passions for cooking and food alive. Luckily, it isn’t hard when there is so much to learn, new recipes and techniques to try, and amazing restaurants in the area for exploring new flavors!

I aspire to better understand the world’s history, people, cultures, and movements. My experiences and studies have allowed me to learn so much about these things and more easily connect with any person I meet. Aside from all of this, they have also led me to learn more about myself, my family, my culture, and my history as a Chaldean, Lebanese, and Syrian Detroiter. On an everyday basis, I would say meaningful interactions give me a sense of satisfaction—whether it is helping someone, meeting someone new, talking to an old friend, keeping up with family, cooking for and with others, or sharing a meal. No matter where the future takes me, I know I will have my love for cooking and food. I always have, and I always will.

Grace was recently in Sicily with her mom and sister, who lives there, and they took a pasta-making class at a local pasta shop.

Grace says, "Class was very tasty and very fun!" 
Merci, Grace for spending time with us again. We can't wait to see where you are headed, but where you are is a delicious place. 
Who will be next? Join us for the next post on our Teen-Chef Alumni. 

Tortellini di Ricotta e Spinachi ~ Tortellini with Ricotta and Spinach Served with a Cremini Mushroom Sauce

this tortellini is from the C’est si Bon! recipe vaults of 2003, when we made a lot of pasta dishes in the school. Long before the whole no carb low carb no gluten craze.

pasta is still very satisfying. but if you are on a no gluten diet, you might try making little bundles with collards or swiss chard. 

filling:

4 shallots, finely chopped

1 large handful fresh spinach, shredded

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons olive oil

½ tsp. dried or 1 tsp. fresh oregano and thyme, chopped fine

1/2 pound whole or part-skim ricotta

1 t. pine nuts, chopped

3 tablespoon fresh grated parmesan cheese

sauté the shallots, garlic and spinach in the olive oil, add in the ricotta, the chopped pine nuts, and the parmesan.

store in the refrigerator until ready to roll. 

pasta: 

3-4 cups unbleached all purpose flour

4 eggs

1 tablespoon olive oil

sauce:

2 tablespoon each olive oil and butter

1 medium yellow onion, coarsely chopped

1 tablespoon fresh garlic, minced

½ bulb of fennel, coarsely chopped

3 cups fresh mushrooms, your choice, coarsely chopped

1-2 tablespoons flour

1/4 cup each fresh parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme, chopped

½ cup red wine or ¼ cup red wine or balsamic vinegar

1 –2 cups chicken or veg stock

in a heavy pot heat the oil over medium heat. add the onions, then the garlic, the fennel, and the herbs. sauté these, stirring and tossing, for 7-8 minutes, or until softened. remove to a bowl and reserve. add the butter to the pan, and saute the mushrooms. add the flour and stir till incorporated, then deglaze with the wine or vinegar, scaring up any browned bits of vegetables. add the reserved garlic mixture and the stock and bring to a boil. taste ad season with salt and pepper. simmer for 30 minutes. 

making pasta:

to make the pasta without the aid of a food processor, mound the flour on a smooth work surface.  make a well in the center of the flour and break the eggs into it.  (remove the shells, please!)  add a generous pinch of the salt and the olive oil.  with one hand gradually incorporate the flour from around the edge of the well into the eggs, stirring with your fingers to form a doughy batter.  use the other hand to support the edge of the flour well and prevent the eggs from flowing out.  continue incorporating the flour until the batter feels fairly stiff but still pliable.  if it still feels too soft, work in a bit more flour, until the needed consistency is reached. i truly believe its easier to make pasta this way because you can control the amount of flour and get a better consistency.

rolling pasta:

divide the dough into fist-size portions.  when you're ready to roll, flatten this portion slightly, and fully open the rollers.  flour the flattened dough and pass it between the rollers.  fold the rolled sheet into thirds and turn it 90 degrees before passing it through again.  repeat the folding, flouring, and rolling process four or five times, until the dough is smooth.  reduce the setting by one notch and pass the dough through again. continue taking the machine down a notch until the pasta sheet is thin enough to see your hand through when held up to the light.  now you're ready to get the tortellini in shape.

shaping tortellini:

use a 3" inch biscuit cutter or a well-floured rim of an upside down glass to stamp out circles from the sheet of dough.  in the center of the circles, place a teaspoon of the filling. using a small pastry brush or your fingers, moisten the edge with water. fold the circle of dough in half and press the edges to seal them and form a half moon shape.  you can stop here, or go on to make tortellini.  grasp each half moon, fold up the lower sealed edge to form a cuff, and pinch these curled ends together at the same time to make the familiar tortellini shape. set these aside on a lightly floured surface or sheet pan to dry a little before cooking, maybe half an hour.  usually this is no problem, as you roll more, the first ones dry as you become knee deep in tortellini, then as you begin to cook them, the last ones have a chance to dry.

cooking tortellini:

bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the stuffed pasta, and cook al dente, about five minutes.  drain and serve with your chosen sauce.  

Grinding Mediterranean Pepper in Provence!

Cary, Now, Living the NYC Dream!

In 2005, We're Excited for Provence!

Cary says, "The tenor of my days vary wildly from Monday to Tuesday, but on this particular Tuesday, I had a meeting off Times Square to pitch and discuss a revival production of a 1967 dramedy, followed by a salad on the go from Westside Market and office work at Columbia University. At 9:00 pm I’ll clock out and head home to work on a budget for one of my classes and another budget for a showcase I’m producing in March, and if I have time I’ll start packing for my trip to Puerto Rico next week! 

I don’t have much time to cook these days between grad school, work, and attending upwards of three performances a week, but I love spending a Sunday evening at home with my fiancée and our cat rolling out a batch of fresh raspberry scones for the week ahead. Cooking gives me a quiet way to focus the frenetic energy from the city, school, and work into something delicious!"

1. Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface and sprinkle raspberries on top. Knead enough times to get the raspberries into the mixture. Gather dough and pull apart into 2-inch pieces. Place pieces on 2 parchment-lined rimmed baking sheets and sprinkle tops with sugar.
2. Bake until golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Serve warm with clotted cream or take on the go!