Dinner with The Chef: The Exotic Asian Flavors fo Chef Corinne Trang

Last week, I attended an Evening with The Chef dinner event at the State Room Restaurant with my dear friends. Each of these ladies have a special place in my heart. We got together to catch up, enjoy each others company, and early-celebrate my birthday. The evening was part of Spring 2013 Visiting Chef Series - hosted by The Kellogg Hotel & Conference Center.

This 2-evening event is an absolute must for lovers of good food and wine. The first evening of Cooking Demonstration includes a lecture and demo of a 4-course meal. Samples of each course are served to attendees along with two wine selections. The following evening, guests enjoy "Dinner with the Chef" featuring a different 4 course meal prepare by the chef and served with wine pairings.

Chef Corinne Trang was our featured chef for the evening, and we absolutely fell in love with her. She is not only a chef but also award-winning cookbook author, spokesperson, wellness coach, TV personality, and more. She is also the founder of a hybrid wellness program called The Yoga of Food, combining mindful eating, yoga, and meditation. Here's what we had:

 Vietnamese Fresh Tofu Summer Rolls with Peanut Sauce
2010 Dr. Thanisch Bernkasteler Lay Riesling Kabinett, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer 

 Sweet and Sour Shrimp Soup
2011 Jolete' Pinot Noir Rose', Willamette Valley 

 Five Spice Duck with Sticky Rice in Bamboo Leaves and Curried Pineapple
2008 Four Vines Martinelli Vineyard Zinfandel, Paso Robles 

 Hot Coconut Tapioca with Banana
NV 2 Lads Sparkling Pinot Grigio, Old Mission Peninsula

We had such wonderful time! We enjoyed Chef Corinne's exotic Asian flavors, and her presence. She made sure to visit and say Hello to all the attendees - she is sweet and a lot of fun :)

The evening was very special for me, I am so thankful for having great friends who are always there for me - to support, and to celebrate with me. 

Thank you, ladies! 

With Chef Corinne Trang,
and Chef Rajeev (from Kellogg Hotel & Conference Center)



First Visit to Red Haven

What a great weekend! We had a fun and exciting soccer game, which followed by a big celebration. Then, Lynne, Gary, and I had a fantastic evening dining at Red Haven restaurant and going to Jackson Browne concert!

Let me tell you about the newly opened Red Haven! This 2,284 square foot restaurant, located near the corner of Hagadorn and Mt. Hope in Okemos, MI, serves tapas-style menu, and Michigan-made alcoholic beverages. Everything we ordered to share was fabulous - well-thought, creative, and delicious!

 [POACH]
egg, chinook salmon, arugula, caper, lemon 

Red Haven is owned by Nina Santucci and Anthony Maiale. Yes, Nina and Tony, owners of the Purple Carrot food truck! They will still serve food made from seasonal, local ingredients, while presenting farm-to-table concept - at their new beautifully-decorated, non-mobile restaurant.

 Featuring Michigan beer, wine, and spirits

We had a great first visit, and cannot wait to go back to try more items on the menu!

[Then, we were off to the Mortor City
for a wonderful performance by Jackson Browne, at the Music Hall Center.]

 

A Mother's Day Brunch

My son and I celebrated a Mother's Day with a lovely brunch at The State Room, together with my very good friend and her family. The restaurant is located inside the Kellogg Hotel & Conference Center, on the campus of Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan. The offered entrees were in a nice variety, and complimented with buffet lines of appetizers, salad, and beautiful desserts. Food and services were great. We had a very nice time!

The State Room was remodeled last Fall -- adding a stylish bar, and transforming into an upscale casual atmosphere. I love the new decors and ambiance, and think this would be a great place to grab drinks with friends. After all, they have one of the best wine lists in town if you haven't heard.

Set up for brunch is very lovely and inviting. 

 What's a brunch without a mimosa?

 All of our entrees include appetizer and salad buffet to start off.

Prime Rib  Traditional Yorkshire pudding, roasted mushroom whipped potatoes, asparagus, rosemary demi-glace

Lobster Supreme Casserole  Maine lobster, cheddar cheese, fresh garlic, macaroni, herb-crusted bruschetta

Grilled Shrimp & White Cheddar Omelet  Thick smokehouse bacon, roasted redskin potatoes, asparagus tips

Bananas Pistachio French Toast  House-made caramel sauce, herbed chicken sausage, fresh fruits of the season

 

Roasted Vegetarian Strudel  Eggplant, zucchini, wild mushroom, summer squash, red & yellow peppers, with walnut citrus rice pilaf, red pepper coulis sauce

 

Dessert time 

I hope you had a nice Mother's Day as well!

xoxo

Terzo Piano at The Art Institute of Chicago



Another great restaurant I visited with Lynne while staying in Chicago was this gorgeous Terzo Piano. It is located on the 3rd floor of the Modern Wing of the Art Institute of Chicago. Just walk up the bridge from Millennium Park, you will find one of the beautiful looking restaurants. Terzo Piano is proud to support the local farms and purveyors. They are committed to serving only farm-raised meat and poultry, local and organically grown produce whenever possible. Everything produced in their kitchen is done from scratch. Our lunch was very delicious and beautiful. We both went with Restaurant Week menu, and did enjoy everything.
 

A drink to start the meal 

Chickpea and vegetable soup with tahini, cumin, fried chickpeas, cilantro salad

Crispy perch with red beet puree, marinated beets, frisee, dill vinaigrette

 Chilled shrimp salad with mixed greens, capers, marinated peppers, red onion, lemon

 Hand crafted tagliatelle 'alla Puttanesca' with olive, capers, tomato, goat's milk cheese 

Our meal was eneded with a very lovely banana tiramisu with brown butter gastrique. Happy ending!

Tavernita

Sunday night arrival in Chicago, and late dinner in need, our concierge at the Radisson Blu Aqua recommended this restaurant. "Tavernita, a sexy, spirited, modern restaurant that offers a diverse mix of dishes inspired in Spain and Latin American flavors. Designed to encourage sampling and sharing, the small-plate menu will offer something for every taste." It was a nice surprise to find out it's Chicago Restaurant Week. The decor and the ambiance is very chic. Music was a little loud, but we could still have a conversation and enjoy it.

We went with Restaurant Week Menu, of course. Great options, even for my vegetarian friend. Our meal started with tasting of kegged cocktails, and two starters.

the turista - hornitos tequila blanco, preserved cherries, grapefruit, black pepper syrup, lime, bbq bitter
booty collins - green tea-infused absolut vodka, passion fruit, lemon, cayenne, yohimbe
pork belly bocadillos - apple jam, pickled red onions, brioche
escalivada - eggplant, red peppers, hazelnut romesco, goat cheese

Small Plates
artichoke salad - roasted beets, arugula, valdeon blue cheese, artichoke chips
brussels sprouts - chestnuts, val d'aosta fontina cheese

Our large plate was house-made pappardelle, with mushroom ragout and manchego cheese, it was so good!

Sushi Love at Maru

An evening at one of the best sushi in town I hadn't visited for a big while. Maru still serves up great food with the freshest ingredients, and terrific creativity.

Shrimp and vegetable tempura

Soy Joy Spicy tuna, albacore, cucumber with tempura crunch and soy paper topped with eel sauce, spicy mayo and fantacy sauce

Ocean's Eleven Salmon, cucumber, sprouts, kampyo topped with albacore and avocado, with spicy oyster glazed salad (organic greens, carrots, cucumber, asparagus)

And a good green tea ice cream completed a great dinner.

xoxo

More Good Eats at Fork In The Road

Another visit to Fork In The Road...
Sunday brunch with great company is the best!

Weekday Lunch at Fleetwood Diner

Greek Salad with Grilled Strip Steak

Chili Cheese Fries

Stuffed French Toast

**********

Fleetwood Diner
2211 S Cedar St.
Lanisng, MI 48910
(517) 882-1777