Fooditka In the Kitchen at Bear

I'm excited to bring you a very special treat today, as I go behind the scenes at Bear Restaurant.  For those of you who've been keeping up with my blog know how much I love their local, seasonally-driven menu, and its brother/sister team Alex and Natasha who run the restaurant, are totally awesome.

I had the opportunity to spend some time with Chef Natasha last weekend, as we went into the kitchen and she told me about the ingredients that inspire her, as well as leading me through each step of signature dish, Seared Divers Scallops with Sweet Corn Risotto.  In addition to being in the kitchen, Chef Natasha and I also got to sit down and conduct a more thorough interview about her culinary inspirations, Bear's interesting beginnings and other fun tid-bits.  You can see the interview currently on We Heart Astoria.

Hope you enjoy the video, and do leave me a comment and chime in with your thoughts about this awesome local eatery.

Bear - 12-14 31st Avenue, Long Island City NY 11106
917.396.4939
N/Q Train to Broadway
www.bearnyc.com

Calling All Talented Female Chefs

Image by nymag.com

Here's something fun and totally different from my friends at Ovelia.  I don't have to even tell you how much I love this place, and the friendly folks that run it are the main reason.  Loving how entrepreneurial and innovative they are, I'm always finding out about the cool, new things they're constantly doing to spruce up Ovelia but also how they're evolving professionally.  This new idea comes from their chef and co-owner, Pete who some of you may know has previously been featured on Food Network's Chopped.

Calling all talented female chefs!  
Pete is working on a cool performance piece at Lincoln Center and is on the hunt for a talented female chef who's also artistically inclined, and certainly not camera shy.  The gig involves for this individual to cook in front of a camera but to also use her performance skills, whether through singing or acting.  It sounds like a fabulous opportunity to get noticed and what better stage to take than at Lincoln Center!  Here are the vitals:

- The performance will take place in May

- Candidate must be willing to put in about 4 hours of practice time per week

- Would prefer to get someone from the boroughs

If this sounds interesting to you, please feel free to contact Pete directly, and tell 'em who sent ya.  Good luck and I hope to see you on the big stage!