A Letter From Chef Dave

This just in from Chef Dave via Facebook:

I’m with a friend on Wednesday, and he introduces me to Quinoa. I come to find out it’s the Incan “Mother Grain”. Phil teaches me how to cook it, and now I’m a big fan. Thursday I audition to cater a wedding for labor for 70 people in Brooklyn, and I had given my client a list of ingredients I needed in which to prepare a chickpea salad. I get there, and she had forgotten the chickpeas. I open her cabinets and find a collections of unmarked grain in jars, the client hands me a jar and asks, “Is this Quinoa?” I pop open the jar, put my nose in it, and say, “This is Quinoa”. Not a commercial Quinoa product, yet I prepare it the way Phil had taught me the day before…and I take a scoop of this diced cucumber and tomato salad I had prepared earlier, dump some in the perfectly cooked Quinoa I had cooled down and made a Quinoa salad with cucumber and tomato . The client loves it, she wants it for the wedding and hires me on the spot. Friday I share the story with these affluent members in the upper east side, and they absolutely flipped over the recipe. 5 days later, the New York Times publishes a recipe for a Quinoa Salad with cucumber and tomato. “My” salad. Thank you, Phil.

Way to go, Chef Dave! Glad to be service! :)

Chef Dave is in the House

Painter and Martial Artist, Chef Dave wanted to come over and show me Master Tony Jaa's Ong Bak 2. We even cooked lunch I made Quinoa and black beans with kumato. i also made the salad but Chef Dave busted out these Wustof knives that defied reality. his ability to cut vegetables and put together entrees was mind boggling. "Sometimes people refer to me as the human Cuisinart" here's what we had:

salad with with quad color julienne peppers, radishes, capers and cucumber in a balsamic vinaigrette

1 baked yam


wilted spinach salad with sauteed yellow squash, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, red onions, sliced granny smith apples, raisins and a touch of honey, lemon juice, olive oil, apple cider vinegar and dill.

Quinoa and black beans with aromatic vegetables (garlic, red onions and peppers) a little sea salt and adobo seasoning

2 slices of wheat bread and a tall glass of water chef Dave then prepared himself a tall espresso in my Montezuma cup. He seemed quite pleased. "Next time let's invite some girls over." I hope they dig martial arts flicks!



Dave pouring his espresso from his beat up espresso pot. "nectar of the Gods" he calls it. Coffee makes me a mite nervous! (I only drink water.)