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Tag: food

  • The Celeb Chef | An Interview with Pace Webb, Chef & Founder of Taste of Pace

    The Celeb Chef | An Interview with Pace Webb, Chef & Founder of Taste of Pace


    I was first introduced to Pace Webb just over one year ago. Since that time, I’ve known that she would make a rockstar interview guest. Lucky for me, when I tossed the idea her way, she was more than on board.

    Pace is the chef and founder of Taste of Pace, a Los Angeles based catering company that focuses its menus around fresh, seasonal ingredients. When she’s not in the kitchen, this natural entertainer finds her self in front of the camera and behind the mic. She shares her passion for food as a lifestyle expert for many well known brands and media outlets like Yahoo Shine and on her radio show TOP Talk.

    For our interview, I wanted to introduce Pace to my favorite spot on the block Gjusta. If you’re an Angeleno then chances are you’ve at least heard of, if not yet dined at, the acclaimed Gjelina restaurant located on Abbot Kinney in Venice. Gusta comes from the same owners and serves similar style fair in a more casual bakery/cafe environment. You can find everything your stomach desires here from fresh baked breads to house-made sauces to gourmet sandwiches and salads. Oh yeah, there’s a fancy barista bar inside too. Seating is limited to benches and overturned milk cartons in the rear of the building so we opted to take our food to go. Whether you dine in or take out you must find a reason to come try their baklava croissants – you won’t be disappointed!

    While we indulged our sugar cravings, Pace filled me in on the founding of her company, how she grew her career both inside and outside of the kitchen, and her advice for other aspiring chef-preneurs. Definitely an interview not to be missed!

    More About Pace

    taste-of-pacePace’s journey to start her own lifestyle food brand and catering company started at the age of 17 when she was diagnosed with colon cancer. She took this experience as an indication that she needed to reevaluate what she put in her body. Studying alternative nutrition gave her the foundation and love for the impact clean food has on the body. After studying abroad in Rome, she became classically trained in Western European cuisine. Now, cancer-free with a fresh lease on life and a passion for traveling, living in over seven cities around the globe, Pace created her company to focus on wellness, new creative food combinations and most importantly, rich joie de vivre!

    Pace’s sparkle, and performance-like art for feeding people comes naturally as a fourth-generation entertainer. Her unique view on food and general panache for incredible flavor pairings has caught the eye of major brands such as Yahoo, Jell-O and Acura, hiring her to create recipes and host web series. She pens her own blog, and contributes to various food and lifestyle magazines, including C Magazine, Angeleno, Utterly Engaged and Chalkboard Magazine. Hosting weekly cooking classes in her downtown loft/kitchen allows Pace to give back to her community and inspire a new generation with healthy, simple and fresh local ingredients. Pace currently lives the fabulous life in the downtown Los Angeles Arts District with her dog, Willie Nelson.  www.Pacewebb.com {Source Taste of Pace}

    What is Taste of Pace?

    Taste of Pace Catering is a full service catering company based in Los Angeles specializing in Western European Cuisine with international elements utilizing seasonal and local ingredients. The Taste of Pace team is suitable for private parties, corporate events and weddings. You can get a Taste of Pace by attending a Monthly Supper Club hosted in secret locations boasting courses of fresh seasonal food off the cuff. {Source Taste of Pace}

    Check out Taste of Pace at:

    Web: www.tasteofpace.com

    Instagram: @tasteofpace

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Taste.of.Pace

    A Toast to you and Pace too,

    Jen

  • Up Next on Toast Meets Jam – Pace Webb!

    Up Next on Toast Meets Jam – Pace Webb!

    An Interview with Pace Webb, chef & lifestyle expert behind Taste of Pace

    Coming up next on Toast Meets Jam… Pace Webb,  the chef and lifestyle expert behind Taste of Pace.

    I remember as clear as day the first time I met Pace. She was decked out in a fantastic yellow print dress and wearing the most “catch-me-if-you-can” color of pink lipstick. I knew I liked her before even getting introduced.

    If you’ve ever encountered Pace you know just how irresistible she can be. Her kick-ass outfit drew me in but as soon as we got to talking I could see that her personality was just as colorful. You can’t help but want to hang with this vivacious lady.

    Though she earns high marks for her sense of fashion, Pace’s real talents come to life in the kitchen. She is the founder of the catering company Taste of Pace, the host of an invite-only supper club, and a regular TV personality for various food and lifestyle media including Oprah’s OWN Network.

    This time around we mixed things up a bit and held our interview at my house in Venice. I wanted to introduce Pace to one of my favorite new brunch spots, Gjusta, but their set-up was less than ideal for filming. Instead, we grabbed a box of pastries to go and brunched take-away style.

    Over our baklava croissoints Pace and I talk about the founding of her company, her evolution from chef to TV personality, and why dessert just doesn’t get any better than chocolate cake. Make sure to check back next week to catch the full interview!

    Cheers!

    Jen

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  • The Culinarian | An Interview with Marleen Bernstein, Chef & Owner of Savour This Kitchen

    The Culinarian | An Interview with Marleen Bernstein, Chef & Owner of Savour This Kitchen

    A few weeks ago I was introduced to the marvelous Marlene Bernstein. She is the chef and owner behind Savour this Kitchen, an umbrella brand for the catering company / line of original sauces and spice blends she runs with her brother Michael. As someone who keeps her fridge fully stocked with sauces, spices, and condiments of all varieties at all times, I was immediately all over Ms. Bernstein’s blends. Needless to say, I was stoked when she agreed to sit down for an interview with Toast Meets Jam.

    When asked where she’d like us to do the interview, she easily came up with The Springs LA, a newish downtown hotspot that boasts itself as an “urban oasis of wellness”. To put it simply this place is absolute amaze-balls. Part organic juice bar, part yoga center, part local for morning rave parties, The Springs has everything this girl could possibly want in life all rolled into one.

    Over our interview, Marlene guided me through the journey that brought about Savour this Kitchen and it’s evolution over the past few years. She also shed light on the highs and lows of entrepreneurship, her advice for aspiring foodies, and what she does to keep the STK train driving forward. Of course, it wouldn’t be a Toast Meets Jam interview if we didn’t have some fun along the way so you’ll also get to find out what makes Marlene, Marlene, from her favorite Halloween costume to her hidden talent.

    More About Marlene

    savour-this-kitchenMarlene is the chef behind Savour this Kithcen. She is trained in classical French cuisine but her cooking is inspired greatly by er Mediterranean roots. When she’s not making her rounds at the LA farmers’ markets or hosting a fantastic fete, you can find her catching a dance class, exploring downtown, or writing recipes for popular blogs like LaurenConrad.com.

    What is Savour this Kitchen?

    Launched in the summer of 2011, Savour This Kitchen began as Savour This Moment, a California fresh catering company dedicated to using wholesome flavors and natural ingredients. After receiving rave reviews for the unique sauces in their dishes, brother and sister entrepreneurial super team, Michael + Marlene, decided to sell these sauces as stand alone products.

    Savour This Sauce came to fruition at the beginning of 2013 and featured their three signature sauces: Red Pepper Romesco, Thai Chile Cilantro, and Pistachio Mint Pesto. With humble beginnings at the La Canada Farmer’s Market in Los Angeles, people flocked to the new vegan, gluten free brand.

    Thanks to love and support from the community, coupled with early success at the Farmer’s Market, Savour This Sauce found a smooth transition into retail outlets. Nearly a year and a half into the sauce line, the budding company decided to expand beyond sauces and develop a line of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern inspired spice blends: Gypsy, Merchant, Nomad and Seafarer. In order to establish a marketplace for these unique seasonings (and more that are being developed) that make cooking more approachable, fun and delicious, Michael & Marlene created the umbrella brand Savour This Kitchen for their various product lines. (cite: Savour this Kitchen)

    Check out Savour this Kitchen at:

    Web: www.savourthiskitchen.com

    Instagram: @savourthiskitchen

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/savourthiskitchen

    A Toast to you and Marlene too,

    Jen

     

     

  • Secrets of a Sommelier| Wine Pairing Tips from Napa

    Pick the perfect wines for your Thanksgiving with these 5 tips from a Napa Valley Master Sommelier

    napa
    This past weekend my boyfriend I had the pleasure of attending Flavor! Napa Valley  an event which celebrates two of my favorite things in life, top notch wines and amazing food. We were accompanied by a few great friends and some amazing hosts, one of whom was master sommelier Andrea Robinson. As one of only 18 female master sommeliers in the world, Andrea is among the most knowledgable people when it comes to wine. Needless to say, we were thrilled to have the chance to share the weekend with her.

    While we dined our way through some amazing meals we had the pleasure of picking Andrea’s brain about the wines which were chosen to go with each dish. With her signature down-to-earth nature, she brought her expertise to us in a way which we could actually understand.

    With Thanksgiving just a few days away,  our time with Andrea couldn’t have been more perfectly timed. This year we’ve decided to open the doors to our new house and host a big Friendsgiving feast. We’ll be prepping the turkey and have asked each of our guest to bring along their favorite sides dishes. With an invite list of nearly 50, our meal is certain to have a lot of variety.

    If you’ve ever been in a similar situation, you know that figuring out what drinks to serve to match your exhaustive menu can be quite the challenge. Luckily, Andrea’s expertise has prepped me with some easy to follow tips for pulling together the perfect wine pairings. If you’re looking for a simple guide to get your wine right, these points should suit you perfectly.

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  • Celebrate Thanksgiving like a Chef: Tips from The Hungry Traveler

    The Hungry Traveler shares her fave tips & recipes for a Thanksgiving feast

    thanksgiving
    By: Jordan Hamons, The Hungry Traveler

    I get overwhelmed around Thanksgiving. Between the magazines, blogs, and cooking websites it’s hard to navigate through all of the recipes, advice, and ideas. While I get excited to try new recipes and make a huge meal, I try to restrain myself and stick to the basics. As much as I love cooking, relaxing and spending time with friends and family is way more fun. After a few years of stressing myself out, I’ve developed a list of traditional, foolproof recipes that I go back to every year.

    I spend Thanksgiving with my mom and we go to dinner at my neighbor Chris’s house. We start the meal by scratching off lottery tickets and then dig into Thanksgiving staples, complemented with kielbasa and sauerkraut as a nod to my neighbor’s Polish heritage. We usually add a few new dishes that may or may not make the cut and reappear the next year. Here’s what’s going to be on my Thanksgiving table this year:

    It’s only natural that we start by talking about turkey.

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