Gift Rouxbe for Christmas!

If you have already experienced Rouxbe, you'll know a few things: 1) your cooking skills have improved; 2) it's the only online source that clearly shows you "how" and "why" things work; and 3) people think you're a rock star and keep inviting themselves over for dinner!

So, if you're wondering what to get that "person who has everything" or that friend or relative who doesn't have the first a clue about what to do in the kitchen, give them a Rouxbe membership this Christmas. Not only will they have access to full, step-by-step video recipes, they'll be able to enroll in the World's first-ever, at-home professional cooking school. See the following post taken from Rouxbe's blog for instructions.

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The gift of cooking this holiday season.

Buying a kitchen tool for a holiday gift is one thing...buying a friend or loved-one the learning tools for cooking success is a complete other story. What we're talking about here of course, is 'gifting' a premium online instructional cooking membership to Rouxbe.

The Rouxbe Cooking School delivers the World's first-ever, at-home professional cooking school curriculum in high quality, close-up video to home cooks around the world. The School features a graduated video series, complete with progress reporting, evaluation quizzes, chef and community support. Click to view a sample of the lesson format here. It's like having your own personal cooking school and professional chef in the comfort of your own home.

Since the School's official launch this past July (2008), aspiring home cooks from over 140 countries have enrolled and completed over 4,000 lessons and evaluation quizzes. The site also features an instructional video recipe section featuring recipes that have been driving over 95% success rates since the site launched in late 2006.

Two Membership options are available: Annual Premium Membership ($99) or a Lifetime Membership ($199). 15% of all membership fees go to Rouxbe for Life - the Company's social program to feed hungry children in developing countries. To date, the company has fed almost 60,000 kids.

To find out more, please click on the button below and send us a quick note. We'll have someone here at Rouxbe send you further instructions on how to make it happen. 

Happy Cooking from Rouxbe!

Tagged as: [ culinary rouxbe school skills techniques ]

Terranova Holistic Food and Health Classes

For those interested in a healthy activity with a nutritional twist, join Chef Ian Lai at the Terranova Rural Park in Richmond. Start your day with an invigorating yoga or tai chi class, followed by a healthy breakfast or brunch. Or simply enjoy an evening learning some culinary essentials and wine appreciation. Call the Thompson Community Center at 604-718-8422 to register.

Beginners Tai Chi and Breakfast (Classes start September 27)
Join Tai Chi instructor Anthony Lee-Hem and Chef Ian Lai for a great start to your morning.
Sun style Tai Chi from 7:00 - 8:00AM followed by a healthy breakfast.
10 sessions for $200

Beginners Hatha Yoga and Power Breakfast (Classes start October 29)
Yoga Instructor Jodi Stokes and Chef Ian Lai will rev up your day.
7:00 - 8:00AM with breakfast to follow.
(Wed Thurs or Fri)
8 sessions for $160

Culinary Essentials (Thursday nights) 
Chef Ian Lai hosts an evening of culinary education.
Thursday nights 7:00 - 8:30PM. 
October 2 - Turkey
October 23 - Salmon
October 30 - Japanese
November 6 - Soups
November 20 - Crab (Additional $10)
November 27 - Chicken
December 11 - Stews
December 18 - Lobster (Additional $10)
$30 per session

Family Hatha Yoga and Brunch (Classes start October 1)
Start your weekend off right with Yoga instructor Jodi Stokes and Chef Ian Lai.
This is a half hour parent and child yoga class.
9:00 - 9:30AM or 9:30 - 10:00AM.
Brunch served at 10:15 AM for both sessions.
8 sessions for $160

Wine and Food Appreciation (October 17, November 21 and December 12)
Join Sommelier DJ Kearney and Chef Ian Lai for an evening of wine and food appreciation. 
7:00 - 8:30PM
$55 per session

Tagged as: [ culinary organic yoga ]

The Flavor Bible

Well, they've done it again! Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg have released The Flavor Bible, an inspiring guide to help cooks better understand how to pair and balance flavors from around the world. I have turned to their book, Culinary Artistry, for ideas and "flavor pals" for years. With input from many well-respected chefs, The Flavor Bible takes heightening the flavor experience to a whole new level.

When I first really started cooking and learning proper techniques, I was very focused on recipes and had a hard time letting them go. Although I honed my skills and understood cooking processes, I would get tripped up from time to time on how to combine flavors. Culinary Artistry provided a lot of guidance. The book freed me to experiment and understand my own flavor combinations...without having to rely on a recipe.

Today, The Flavor Bible was delivered to my door. I can hardly wait to dive into it and learn more about the flavor possibilities. This is one bible that I'll definitely be reading before bed.  

Tagged as: [ basics books culinary dornenburg flavors page pairing ]

The Second Annual Chef's to the Field

A little overdue, but the Second Annual Chef's to the Field event held in Richmond was another huge success! This year, I was able to take quite a few photos and sample a lot of wonderful food. One of the prettiest food samples, I thought, were these edible flowers designed by one of the competitors, Pan-o-Pan.

Soon after the chef's had their harvest orientation, they were racing through the fields gathering all the needed produce. They had only 90 minutes to create 4 dishes.

The mystery ingredient this year: fresh B.C. sardines!

The first-place winner of the coveted "Green Cuisine Award" was Raincity Grill. Using local produce and ingredients is certainly not foreign to them. Just visit their restaurant to sample some delicious Pacific Northwest cuisine. Congratulations also go to Aurora Bistro for their 2nd place finish and Tapenade Bistro with 3rd placement. You can visit Terranova's website for more detailed information about the event.

It was great to see so many people come out and support Ian Lai's vision and the Terranova Schoolyard Project. Click here for more pictures from the day and see you next year!

Tagged as: [ competition culinary organic richmond terranova ]

Dove Chocolate

Recently, I was approached by Matchstick, a word-of-mouth marketing agency who is working on behalf of Dove chocolate to launch their all-new line of chocolate. I was sent a package of 4 varieties: 71% cocoa, Dark, Dusk and Milk and was encouraged to share the sample packs with my chocoholic family and friends. Not so hard to give out free chocolate.

When asked to participate, I wasn't sure what kind of package to expect. I had asked what percentage of cocoa was in the new line of chocolate and the person on the phone didn't seem to know. No problem, but when I received the package, I was a bit disappointed that out of all the samples, there was only one bar of 71%. It was hardly enough to conduct a proper survey with such a small sample. However, I had people sample them from the lightest to the darkest: milk, dusk, dark, and a tiny nibble of the 71%. I also did not tell them what it was for. Just that I wanted their honest feedback on the chocolate they were about to eat. 

I recorded people's comments as they sampled each one. Here is a compiled list of results:

Milk Chocolate (first in line to taste)
- didn't taste it until finished eating, then it had a bite in the back of the throat
- cheap milk chocolate bar, unnatural, trying to be fancy, thick
- too sweet, sugary
- isn't Dove a brand of soap? don't usually buy milk chocolate, it tastes like it's for kids
- tiring in back of throat
- smooth texture, I like milk/white chocolate though, wouldn't buy but would eat if given
- weird, doesn't melt, pasty and chewy, not natural, has a caramel flavor
- can taste chocolate, not very strong, tastes like caramel, soft, smooth, creamy
- ok texture, dry flavor, lower quality than used to
- ok flavor, good for smores

Dusk (second in line to taste)
- more flavor, chewier, creamier, very sweet on after taste - really sweet actually
- too sweet, too thick, liked this one better though
- better but still too sweet
- too sweet still, couldn't eat a whole chocolate bar of this
- less creamy, don't like the flavor
- just average
- liked it better than milk, layers of flavor, heavier texture, couldn't eat a whole lot
- pasty, same texture, seemed saltier, better flavor
- better than the milk chocolate
- stronger flavor, chewy
- ok flavor, good for a treat on its own
- sticks to my teeth

Dark (third in line to taste)
- less bitter, smoother, less after taste
- trying to be high end but not
- like this one better than dusk at first, but weird aftertaste, less waxy
- like better but weird aftertaste, less sweet up front, not as creamy, waxy coating in mouth
- liked the aftertaste, little bit bitter, better texture, not as thick aftertaste, bittersweet
- not as bitter
- bitter, not as much flavor as other dark chocolates
- let down, yucky aftertaste, makes me like dusk better
- sweeter caramel flavor, moister, would buy
- too strong, hits back of throat instead of taste buds, bitter
- had a squishy, oily texture that didn't do it for me
- this one is the most disturbing

71% (fourth in line to taste)
- bitter, chalky, longer after taste
- I'm used to flavor left behind from chocolate, this one was bitter and lingered, more cocoa taste but crumbly
- horrible, not much taste
- much waxier, bitter, not much flavor
- very different, bitter aftertaste, creamy but no flavor
- same flavor, slightly different consistency, doesn't feel as mushy, same bitterness, not very chocolaty
- seems synthetic
- tastes like lard (not like chocolate)
- is this the same one as before? bitter, not as sweet
- I prefer the texture of dark but found the flavor elusive, not as robust, I had to move it around and think about it to find the flavor

Overall Comments:
- wouldn't buy; usually buys Lindt, Denman Island Dark Chocolate, quality chocolate from Spain
- wouldn't buy, seems cheap/fake
- educated about cocoa content, so I wouldn't buy
- wouldn't buy as a gift and won't take extra samples to eat
- wouldn't buy based on no cocoa content - it's the first thing I look at on the list of ingredients
- why do I only get one small piece of 71%? (because there was only 1 bar in the whole lot)
- none of them melt in your mouth - wouldn't buy
- none really seem like the kind of thing we'd normally have in the house

What I found interesting, is that most people, even if they aren't foodies or pastry connoisseurs, know about cocoa content. The general public is more aware of what quality chocolate consists of and I think, unfortunately, Dove fell short on this one. Overall, people seemed to like Dusk the best, but weren't racing out to buy it.

Personally, I'm a huge fan of quality, dark chocolate, so I wouldn't purchase the milk, dusk or dark (especially because no cocoa content is listed). For me, there are many superior chocolates out there which contain 71% cocoa mass. I feel bad that the reviews aren't the greatest, but I was asked to provide honest feedback. Not-so-great chocolate makes me sad.

Tagged as: [ chocolate ]

School is In!!! - Rouxbe's Online Cooking School Launches

We did it! Today Rouxbe launched the world's first online Cooking School! Now, you can learn all of the skills and techniques that I learned in culinary school - close up, in the comfort of your own home. Twenty lessons have been released (15% of the school so far) and will continue to be released now every couple of weeks.

Having gone through the full-time culinary and pastry program at NWCAV, I can honestly say that the information packed into these quality videos is unlike any learning experience. I am certain that the Rouxbe Cooking School will boost the confidence of any cook, whether they are an at-home cook or a newbie in the industry who might not have been able to afford the tuition of a full-time program.

With every Premium Membership ($99 per year or $199 for a lifetime membership), you can have access to all of the up-close and detailed courses (try a free sample). We are trying our best at Rouxbe to break the thought pattern that good cooking must be complex. Learn the foundations of cooking, and you'll be well on your way to having more fun and success in the kitchen.

Tagged as: [ culinary online rouxbe school ]

Chef's to the Field | Sunday, August 10 (11am to 4pm)

It is incredible that almost a year has gone by! It's time to join Chef Ian Lai for the 2nd Annual Chef's to the Field event on Sunday, August 10. Come out and support the Terranova Schoolyard Project and sample some of the best gourmet food in town. Twelve teams are going head to head this year to win the 'coveted' green cuisine award.

Location: Terra Nova Rural Park (2631 Westminster Highway, Richmond, BC)
Date: Sunday, August 10, 2007
Time: 11am - 4pm
Parking: Limited. Please try to bike or walk. A shuttle bus is being provided from the City Works Yard (5599 Lynas Lane, Richmond, BC) to the event every 15 minutes.

Tagged as: [ blackbox competition culinary nwcav organic ]

Rouxbe Cooking School is Coming SOON!

It's so close, you can smell it! We have been working around the clock to release the first few lessons of the world's first-ever online Cooking School. As it nears, everyone at Rouxbe is becoming more and more excited.

The Rouxbe Cooking School will launch the first part of its content at the end of June / first week of July. Additional courses will be released regularly over the next several months.

SPECIAL OFFER: Sign up for an Annual Membership ($99 USD) and you will automatically be upgraded to Lifetime Membership ($199 USD) status on June 28th. This includes access to our new Cooking School. Offer is only good until this Friday, June 27th at Midnight PST.

Check out Rouxbe's Blog for a sneak peak at what's cooking.
 

 

Tagged as: [ culinary nwcav online recipes rouxbe school techniques ]

Embed Rouxbe's HD Videos Into Your Site

At Rouxbe, we're all about helping you become a better cook, and we want you to spread the word. For all of you bloggers out there, we know you aim to do the same by sharing your recipes. You can now embed our invaluable drill-downs right into your blog post. Want to show someone the proper way to émincé? Now you can easily add these videos which highlight skills, techniques, ingredients and product information. Just click on the embed code button on the top right of the video.

You can also share your favorite Rouxbe recipe previews. Simply copy and paste the embed code. Here's a peek at one of my mine:

Tagged as: [ cooking drill-downs rouxbe skills techniques ]

A Mysterious Egg

I have cracked quite a few eggs to date, but have never come across anything like this. My little science project has stayed this way for days in the refrigerator. The sac was not just an air bubble. When I poked it open, it looked like it was filled with egg white. Has anyone ever seen such a bizarre thing?

Tagged as: [ egg ]

The 7th Annual Volunteers Are Stars Gala Dinner & Awards

Tonight I attended the 7th Annual Volunteers Are Stars Gala Dinner & Awards in Richmond. A big congratulations to Ian Lai who was awarded with the 2007 Star of Richmond, which honors the "individual in the community who has demonstrated exceptional leadership in the non-profit sector". Yayyyyyy!!! We were all happy to see the community at large recognize Ian's effort, time, and dedication to his amazing project, the terranova schoolyard society. Ian serves as an inspiration to all of us.

If you are interested in helping Ian give back to the community, please contact him by clicking here.

Tagged as: [ volunteer ]

Celebrate Thanksgiving with Rouxbe

Since living in the U.S., I have become very fond of their Thanksgiving holiday. I like the timing of it, as it really gears you up for Christmas and the New Year. You are able to indulge in over a month of parties and superb, comforting dinners - the ones where calorie-counting is forbidden. And who doesn't like a four-day weekend, which includes parades and a shopping extravaganza? I loved it.

Being that I, once again, live north of the border, I really missed the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday last year. This year is different though - I feel especially connected this time around, and have already eaten more turkey in the past six weeks, than I have in the last 8 years! Why? Well, over at Rouxbe, we have been extremely busy testing 8 traditional Thanksgiving recipes. So busy, that I can't believe a month has passed since my last blog entry. But we've been working hard to perfect each one, so we can help you create an entire Thanksgiving meal with ease. Cooking for 12 this holiday season? No problem.

Aside from learning 8 new recipes, and the skills and techniques behind them, we have created the world's first-ever multi-task recipe player, showing you how to manage 8 dishes from start to finish. Cooking like a pro is all about being organized, so over the course of 3 days, these players walk you through the recipes, step-by-step. We have done the organizing for you - from printable shopping lists all the way to checking the turkey and how to carve it. Rouxbe's multi-task player is free until the end of the year, but make sure to check out Rouxbe's membership options and get sponsored!

What can be better than having a multi-task player, showing you how to cook multiple dishes at the same time? Hmmmmm...let me think. How about an online cooking school? At Rouxbe, we're already filming the first series of the Rouxbe Cooking School. Here, you'll learn all the skills and techniques that you would learn if you enrolled in culinary school...but all at your pace, in the comfort of your own home. How cool is that? Two of my most favorite chefs in the whole world, Tony and Christophe, are working alongside us to bring you the best-of-the-best instruction. Soon, you'll be able to understand recipes and not be a slave to them. 

You'd think I'd be sick of turkey by now...but I'm not. I've already planned to brine a turkey and cook Rouxbe's entire delicious dinner for my family this holiday season. Stay tuned for more exciting news through Rouxbe's blog.

Tagged as: [ culinary howto nwcav pastry rouxbe school videos ]

Food Porn at Rouxbe

I cringe when a bagger at the market places heavy items on top of fragile produce. I admit I'm totally anal when it comes to picking out unblemished fruits and vegetables, but after spending the time and money to find that perfectly ripe tomato or pound of strawberries, my heart stops when cans wind up weighing them down. It, unfortunately, happens more often than not. A cashier was once so brutal with a bag of apples; one fell out of the bag, bounced like a tennis ball, and rolled to another till. She nonchalantly picked it up, put it back in the bag, and continued. She seemed surprised when I told her I didn't want to take that one. She replied, saying it couldn't possibly be bruised.

My breathing temporarily stops when I see customers slam down and toss their own items onto a conveyor belt. I could be wrong, but these people can't possibly be foodies...boxes are squashing bread, which is squashing lettuce. No care is taken. For someone like me, I couldn't be happier to take my own reusable grocery bags to the market and bag my own.

I thought it may have been a tiny neurotic disorder, but I have discovered meaning to my madness. A few days into my job at Rouxbe, I found myself shopping for a video shoot. My mission: to find the sexiest and freshest onions, shallots, chilies, and red peppers. Since the food is THE STAR at Rouxbe, I was in my element. I had to decide who was going to make the cut, and so the auditions began. Was each item too fat? Too thin? Too old and wrinkly? Too genetically modified? A few vendors smirked when I told them I had to find the sexiest produce possible because it was going to be a supa-star.

So what's sexy at Rouxbe? Sexy is no food styling. The pictures you see are the end result of each dish. Sexy at Rouxbe is honest food and honest cooking. There is no hairspray on set...no glue, food coloring, shaving cream, or blowtorches. Pictures are taken immediately after cooking or baking, as the star of the show waits for nobody. Sure, the odd crumb may be brushed away or a splatter may be wiped up, but the food is never improvised. One of the best things at Rouxbe is we indulge in every dish that we test, pre-produce, and film. Thanks to Rouxbe, I breathe easy as I no longer feel like a psycho for searching out the best of the best.

Tagged as: [ cooking culinary gmo howto instructional pastry rouxbe school videos ]

My New Job at Rouxbe

During these past two months, my blogging has been light. With a hectic schedule and so much to say, it has been difficult to sit down and write.

Back in April, I wrote about a company called Rouxbe. Ecstatic to find out they were based in Vancouver, my first thought was to interview the co-founders Joe Girard and Dawn Thomas. I had started a blog series on Food Industry Jobs and was curious to find out about their journey in the industry. What prompts two Chefs to go from owning and operating a successful film catering company to teaching people how to become better cooks at home through online, step-by-step videos?

As I researched Rouxbe, their business model, vision, and goals intrigued me. This was a company I had to work with and so the stalking began I set up a meeting with them and things serendipitously fell into place. I began working at Rouxbe in July and every day since I have been overjoyed to wake up and go to work. Even though there is a lot to be done, I have a hard time calling it "work" in the traditional sense. For the first time in my life, I can truly say I love what I am doing. In an environment with such a positive and goal-driven team, it's hard not to.

There is so much exciting stuff coming up, I can hardly wait to share more news, along with my behind-the-scenes experiences. To take your cooking skills to the next level, go ahead and check out Rouxbe for yourself.

Tagged as: [ career cooking culinary howto instructional pastry rouxbe school videos ]

Do you know what this is and what to do with it?

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Update: The ingredient listed above is called a water caltrop, also known as a Chinese water chestnut. The outside is very hard and it resembles the head of a bull. Chef Ian left a comment, and I also received an email from a fellow student that knew the name for them in Chinese, but neither mentioned what to do with them.

We saw these water caltrops in Chinatown the other day, and it was difficult to find someone who could explain in English how to prepare them. I tried to ask the cutest old man beside me, and after quite a few motions with his hands, I understood you could break them open and eat them. However, it's unclear if you can eat them raw or not, as some sites say they must be boiled prior to consumption.

So, does anyone have a favorite water caltrop recipe? Chef Ian? Eddie? Send it in and I'd be willing to give it a shot and report back. How about a chocolate-covered caltrop recipe for the blogger, Foodette, who commented below? I'd definitely give that a try - anything covered in chocolate must be good!  

Tagged as: [ ingredient interesting ]