 |
| Chanie with Meredith Vieira of The Meredith Vieira Show on NBC |
Working simultaneously as a food
blogger, recipe developer and brand ambassador, Chanie Apfelbaum truly embodies
the Busy in
Brooklyn spirit for which her popular blog is
named. We managed to grab a few minutes out of her busy day to chat about her
past, present and future in the world of kosher food.
Number of years working in the (kosher)
food business.
4
What was your first job in the food
business?
After starting my blog, my first paid gig was a
cooking demonstration.
In one sentence, describe what you do
in your current position.
I write about food on my blog and for publications.
I give cooking demonstrations and work as a brand ambassador, developing
recipes for companies.
Best way to describe how your CKCA training
in culinary has helped to get you to where you are now.
Learning proper techniques and opening my palate to
new foods that helped me to expand my culinary horizons.
Describe the biggest mistake you ever made on the job.
That
would have to be when I mispronounced "ghee" on a radio show.
Describe the greatest accomplishment of your career so far.
Being
on the cover of The Wall Street Journal was it for me. I never imagined I would
make it that far.
What do you find most rewarding about
the work you do?
When people make my recipes at home and enjoy
them.
What do you find most challenging?
When my recipes/ideas are copied without credit.
It's a challenge a lot of bloggers have to face because you can't really
copyright a recipe.
 |
| Chanie at The Center for Kosher Culinary Arts |
What is the most important lesson you
ever learned on the job?
Go with the flow. I recently did a cooking demonstration
where the electricity kept shorting so my food wasn't cooking. Instead of
getting nervous, I took the time to engage with the audience. It was one of the
most successful events I've ever done.
What is the most bizarre thing that
ever happened to you on the job?
I was on vacation in Miami and I posted a photo of
something I was eating at a restaurant. Someone commented, "I'm sitting
right next to you!"
What are you passions outside of
cooking / baking?
I enjoy crafting, crocheting, scrapbooking and photography.
What do you want to be known for in the
culinary world?
Modernizing traditional Jewish foods in a fun and
healthy way.
 |
| Chanie is part of an ad campaign for Snapple. |
Describe the best meal you ever had.
One of the best restaurant meals I've ever had was
at Tierra Sur at the Herzog Winery in Oxnard, California. It's a good thing I
use Instagram so I can actually tell you what I ate! Organic chicken with
English peas and herbed carrot butter risotto, rib eye with sautéed kale and
béarnaise sauce, Maltagliata pasta with roasted cherry tomatoes, summer truffle
and veal sausage, and a medley of chanterelle, shiitake and oyster mushrooms on
Challah bread with sous vide eggs and truffle-chive vinaigrette. The Mexican
chocolate cake with frozen caramel custard was insane.
What advice do you have for someone who
is interested in becoming a chef?
Don't allow yourself
to get burnt out. The secret ingredient is love. If you're not feeling it, your
food will suffer.
How do you think kosher food will
change over the next 5 years? 10 years? Due to modern cooking
techniques and molecular gastronomy, I think mixing milk and meat will become
less of a challenge. I'm looking forward to some good quality non-dairy cheese products
as well as soy-based meat alternatives that will taste like the real
thing.
Complete the following sentences,
“the best product to ever go kosher was: “bacon (beef/lamb obviously)”
“I wish _____ was kosher: “Fish sauce. It adds
depth to lots of Asian dishes”
FLASH QUESTIONS
Favorite food to eat? Sriracha
Favorite food to cook? Anything
Middle Eastern
Favorite Cooking Show / Celeb Chef? Chopped
Favorite kitchen tool? My Julienne peeler
Favorite kitchen tool? My Julienne peeler
No comments:
Post a Comment