I am a big fan of the original reality TV – cooking shows. You get solid entertainment in the raw without the manufactured drama like some shows (shows that sound like "shmeal mouselives" for example). So when I heard Chef Ming Tsai was doing a live cooking demo as part of Macy’s Great American Chefs Tour, I was there faster than a carload of hungry chefs racing to their next elimination challenge on Top Chef.
In partnership with KitchenAid, celebrity chefs from Macy’s Culinary Council (if there was a Cooking Hall of Fame, these chefs would all be in it) are touring the country, making stops in over 15 cities this summer. These chefs will visit Macy’s, culinary schools and other venues, doing live cooking demonstrations while dishing out cooking tips and samples at these events.
Cut to last week where Chef Ming Tsai (of Blue Ginger fame and a formidable media empire of his own) prepared Shrimp, Mango and Herb Summer Rolls and Wok-Stirred Veggies and Rice Noodle Salad. As he prepared these dishes on stage, he managed to get the audience laughing, asking questions, and drooling as he deftly maneuvered from ingredient to ingredient like the pro he is (he did defeat Bobby Flay in Iron Chef America after all).
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| Shrimp, Mango and Herb Summer Rolls w/Mango Puree |
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| Wok-Stirred Veggies with Rice Noodle Salad |
Here are some cooking tips I learned from this experience:
- Use fish sauce sparingly… the stuff is pungent. And you don’twant to know how fish sauce is made!
- To drain and stop pasta from cooking, drain in a salad spinner
- When cooking with green onions, use the white part for flavor and finish with the green part for garnish
- For fresh lime juice, roll limes with your hand before squeezing. Then slice in half and use tongs to squeeze.
- Champagne pairs well with just about everything. Or as Ming puts it “it goes with everything, including mornings.”
I’ve always been a big fan of Ming Tsai – love his cooking shows, cookbook, recipes (his Asian Chicken Noodle Salad is one of my summer favorites), and restaurant. And thrilled to see that he’s coming out with a new cookbook this fall – wahoo!
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| Meeting an Iron Chef with Viola Cay |
So if you get a chance, check out any of these other Macy’s Culinary Council events. And get cooking this summer. Can’t think of anything better than some fresh summer rolls while watching an episode of Top Chef Masters… or Storage Wars.
