Tanya's Food and Wine

Feeding My Dream

noreply@blogger.com (Tanya) — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 22:20:00 +0000

I'm happy to report that I filmed a little cooking segment today (hoorah!) after having taken some time off to focus on culinary school and working at the restaurant La Ciccia. I am also happy to report that I recently graduated from culinary school and filmed a cooking show pilot, two lifelong dreams of mine. Looking back on the last year, I feel really darn proud that I took the leap.

And so, as I get back into the groove of doing regular videos for you, I'm calling this next chapter, Feeding My Dream. It's all about my leaving corporate America to do what I love - cook, eat and be happy. So far so good, but there's lots more for me to learn and do. In culinary school I learned lots about cooking, but even more about myself. And I found out that I'd much rather live my life on my terms, even if it's on uncertain ground, than go to a job I'm not totally psyched about.

Feeding My Dream is about my learning to cook, learning to be happy and figuring out how to build my life around these things. As you'll see from my new videos (starting next week!), I've learned a bunch, but I'm not nearly anywhere close to being done. So I hope you'll follow me on this great ride, learn with me, cook and eat some really tasty food, and maybe even figure out your dream along the way.

My Inspiration

noreply@blogger.com (Tanya) — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 23:54:00 +0000

I had to write this for school and it ended up meaning a lot to me, so I wanted to share it.

I read Julia Child’s, My Life in France, at the same time that I was embarking on an incredible journey to change my life. Reading Julia’s accounts of the things she had “loved most in life; [her] husband, Paul Child, la belle France, and the many pleasures of cooking and eating,” was one of the most inspiring experiences of my life.

It’s hard for me to remember when and how food came to mean so much to me, I guess because I can’t recall a time in my life when it wasn’t important. For me, food has marked my world in meaningful ways since my first memories of spending time in my abuelito’s restaurant kitchen. When I think about that time in the restaurant I remember a lot of hot and cold and wet. The air that hit me when I swung open the kitchen door, hot. My aubelitos’ chest when I hugged him, hot and wet. All of the different tastes - the soups, baked clams, NY cheesecake, gravies - hot and cold and wet…and wonderful. Since then, I have always loved – with glee and passion – to eat. I found that eating was an incredible way to give myself joy and to also learn about and connect with other people. Through this love of eating, I came to experiment with and to grow to love cooking and feeding people.

I’ve always been directed and ambitious and those things, along with a lot of love and luck, helped me to be one of the first people in my family to go to college, getting degrees from Harvard and Stanford. Going to places like that – places where success felt like an obligation - led me to follow a rigorous, though safe, path in business. I disliked my job for years, always wondering what it would be like to do something I really loved. What if I were to align my passion for food with my ambition? Actually, what if it had nothing to do with ambition, what if I just followed my passion for food?

When I read My Life in France I felt overcome with relief and gratefulness that Julia Child finally found, followed and submerged herself in her passion for food. Imagine had she not followed her heart? Food, food culture and food media in the United States would look remarkably different. Julia’s journey showed me that there’s just no other way. To not follow one’s heart, to not follow my heart, would be a life of regret and one I don’t want to live.

And so for the last eleven months I have been pursuing my passion – to learn as much as I can about food and eating and to find ways to communicate to people about all of it. It feels thrilling, unbelievably scary and absolutely amazing. After spending a decade researching and writing what would eventually become Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Julia learned that her book would not be published. Her reaction was incredible: “I wasn’t feeling sorry for myself….I was proud of it…I had found myself through the arduous writing process. Even if we were never able to publish our book, I had discovered my raison d’etre in life…” I can’t think of anything more inspiring than that. In finding and following my passion, I am finding myself too, and it’s the best feeling of all.

Raspberry Clafoutis

noreply@blogger.com (Tanya) — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 23:03:00 +0000

My camera skills were horrendous, but this dessert is worth trying. It's sophisticated, yet could not be easier. Really, it couldn't be easier! You basically just mix a bunch of things together and bake it. And then voila!

Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution

noreply@blogger.com (Tanya) — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 19:18:00 +0000

This video from this year's Ted conference - of Jamie Oliver's wish for kids learning how to eat, families cooking and home, and the US fighting obesity - is so darn important that I cried while watching it.

Nothing Like a Hunky Chef Cooking

noreply@blogger.com (Tanya) — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 22:06:00 +0000

In preparation for Valentine's Day, I thought I'd reminisce about the romantic meal I once cooked with hunky chef Rocco DiSpirito. OK...I'm half kidding...I promise that I'm really thinking about the lovely Valentine's meal I'm going to have with Mike, my hunky boyfriend. We're going to Napa on Sunday to try Bottega, Michael Chiarello's latest restaurant that everyone's raving about. But I mean, Rocco's pretty cute too - see for yourself! :)

Chatting Food and Wine with The Mayor!

noreply@blogger.com (Tanya) — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 22:24:00 +0000

Check me out chatting with SF Mayor Gavin Newsom at SF Chefs Food Wine. Gavin's got lots to say on food, wine and SF. This interview almost got away, but I cajoled him into doing it!

SF's Mayor Gavin Newsom Talks to Tanya Melillo - watch more recipes and videos

My Chocolate Chip Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Tanya) — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 21:39:00 +0000

I really do enjoy chocolate chip cookies. I like to make a big batch of homemade dough and keep it handy in the freezer to bake up nice and hot on an as needed basis. And truthfully, I don't understand why everyone doesn't do this. I mean, I'd love to say making these is a process and long labor of love, but they're just not. Simple, straightforward and lovely, these cookies are bound to make people feel homey, comfy and loved.

Check out this video where I show Hardy Wallace how to make them and we pair them with Pax Syrah - a big, bold red - because, well, why not?!

Stinky Cheese and Aromatic Whites with Hardy Wallace

noreply@blogger.com (Tanya) — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 17:29:00 +0000

There's not much I love more than wine and cheese. And laughing. Wine, cheese and laughing. Hardy Wallace and I have all three in this fun video.

Best Darn Pork Sandwich Hardy Wallave and I Ever Had

noreply@blogger.com (Tanya) — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 22:39:00 +0000

RoliRoti's pork sandwich is special. Not only does it taste really really great, it's also unique. The juicy rotisserie pork with the crispy chopped pork skin, the perfect roll - crunchy, soft and fresh all at the same time, the bite of the arugula, and last but really not least, the coarse rosemary gray salt. I mean, you'd think the salt choice would be no big deal, but it's not. It's a very big deal, adding another layer of lovely crunch, complexity and taste to this incredible indulgence. Hardy Wallace and I were in for such a treat...

Cheese and Wine Pairing with Murphy Goode!

noreply@blogger.com (Tanya) — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 22:50:00 +0000

Even though I didn't get the the Murphy Goode lifestyle correspondent job, I've got no hard feelings. First off, it changed my life, making me realize that pursuing my dream of combining food, wine and media wasn't just a choice - it's my path and it's making me happier than I've ever been. Second off, the right person got the job. You couldn't ask for a better guy than Hardy Wallace and he's doing a kick butt job. Third, Hardy is now a buddy of mine, and getting to know and learn from him has been really wonderful.

Check out this Murphy Goode wine and cheese pairing Hardy and I did recently. How great is life?! So good!

OXO Spokesperson!

noreply@blogger.com (Tanya) — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 03:12:00 +0000

Check out my video to become the spokesperson for OXO - how cool would that be?!

More of Rowdy Food's videos with Eli and Kevin from Top Chef

noreply@blogger.com (Tanya) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:29:00 +0000

The SF day of eating with Eli and Kevin will go down as one of my favorites! Check out one more video from Rowdy Food of all the food we ate!

Tyler Florence at SF Chefs Food Wine

noreply@blogger.com (Tanya) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 21:21:00 +0000

I chatted with Tyler Florence at SF Chefs Food Wine about everything from the projects he's working on in the Bay Area, to Twitter to his son's cooking. Months later, I was so psyched when I walked onto The Food Network's set of Tyler's Ultimate and he remembered me! It was really inspiring to watch him work - he is so good at what he does - and I had a ball at lunch with him afterwards at Barbuto. I never could have imagined four months ago that today I'd be getting career advice from one of the best people in the business!

Tyler Florence Talks with Tanya Melillo - watch more recipes and videos

Incanto with Top Chefs!

noreply@blogger.com (Tanya) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:57:00 +0000

What a day I had this week...14 stops on a massive food blitz with Murphy Goode's Hardy Wallace, Matt Richardson, and Top Chef's Eli Kirshtein and Kevin Gillespie. Check out the first of many videos to come that Matt did - this one from an EPIC dinner at Chris Cosentino's Incanto!

Sunday Supper

noreply@blogger.com (Tanya) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 20:43:00 +0000

Mike made an amazing pasta dinner last night. I'm from Long Island so I grew up eating like this on Sunday, but this was really impressive! Check out the Cooks Illustrated approach that he used.

Wine and Food Pairing at La Ciccia with Nirvino

noreply@blogger.com (Tanya) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 04:30:00 +0000

Thanks to Nirvino - a site for all your wine and cocktail needs! - for having me in one of their wine and food pairing videos, I got to know and love La Ciccia and its lovely owners, Massimiliano and Lorella. La Ciccia is a truly special Sardinian restaurant in outer Noe Valley and if you haven't been you are really missing out.

A Cozy Fall Side Dish - Brussels Sprouts, with Gnocchi, Pine Nuts and a Brown Butter Sage Sauce

noreply@blogger.com (Tanya) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 18:55:00 +0000

I’ll tell you what - the memories I have of Brussels sprouts from growing up are so awful that I’m surprised I ever ventured to try them again. My mom is a wonderful cook, so why she would have made me eat those hard, bland, bitter things is beyond me. When cooked properly, these mini cabbages are crisp, interestingly textured and begging to be paired with cozy fall accompaniments, which is just what I did recently when I was inspired to create this rustic dish. I cut the Brussels sprouts in half, boiled them for just 6 minutes then finished them in a warm brown butter and sage sauce, with gnocchi and pine nuts. The end result had me tooting my own horn and wishing I had made more so I could enjoy the leftovers today. Trust me, this is ridiculously easy to make and sure to gets lots of oohs and ahs, though you might love it so much that you end up keeping the dish all to yourself!

Active time – so short it doesn’t bear mentioning!
Feeds: 3 people when served as a side, though I easily could have gobbled this all up myself or eaten it as an entrée if I were feeling a little bit vegetal
Note: Feel free to double or triple the recipe depending on how many mouths you are feeding and how ravenous you are

Ingredients:
1 lb of Brussels sprouts
2 tablespoons of salted butter
A hearty handful of fresh sage, about ¼ cup, roughly chopped
1 cup potato gnocchi (though butter nut squash gnocchi would also be lovely) – feel free to use a bit more if the fall air has got you craving a heavier dish
¼ cup of pine nuts (toasted)
Salt and pepper to taste

Simple Steps:
Wash, cut off the stems of the Brussels sprouts, then cut in half. Bring salted water to a boil and place sprouts in boiling water for 6 minutes. Sprouts should be bright green when done. Remove pot from water and drain sprouts. Set them aside.

Boil gnocchi per the instructions on the package, though shave off a minute as they will continue cooking in the sauce afterward. Drain and set aside.

In a separate saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat (be careful not to burn the butter). Once the butter is melted and just begins to brown, add the chopped sage to the saucepan letting it get a bit crispy. Add the Brussels sprouts to the pan, and stir until well coated with the brown butter and sage, then add the cooked gnocchi. Gently mix everything together, adding a generous amount of salt and freshly ground pepper. Take the saucepan off the heat and serve hot.

If you’re feeling rather decadent go ahead and add crispy bacon or pancetta and a bit of shaved parmesan on top then send me the pictures so I can swoon over your perfect fall side. You may want to pair it with a vegetable friendly wine like the Austrian Grüner Veltliner, but you’ll find that Brussels sprouts are robust enough to handle a rustic red like Syrah, which is a perfect companion for a chilly fall night.

At Home Gourmet - Ricotta Meatballs

noreply@blogger.com (Tanya) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 23:31:00 +0000

Check out these ricotta filled meatballs for a dish that will impress your friends, make great leftovers (trust me and my meatball hero filled self!) and is super easy. With the help of the right ingredients, some savvy tricks and your local specialty food shops, making meals with a gourmet twist at home isn't hard to do.

Wine Time TV Interview

noreply@blogger.com (Tanya) — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 15:50:00 +0000

Despite the fact that I look like crap in the videocam, check out this fun interview Wine Time TV did with me. Jamie Lauren, Thomas Keller, Gary Danko, Gavin Newsom and others who I have filmed with are featured.

Wine Time TV Webisode 6 feat. Tanya Melillo from Wine Time TV on Vimeo.

Hot Soup, Chilly Night

noreply@blogger.com (Tanya) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 18:26:00 +0000

I just love white bean soup. One of my favorites is served at 'Ino in NYC's the West Village. Since I can't go there whenever I feel like it, I made my own version, adding sausages to make it a bit heartier. Check it out!

Finishing the Fig Tart

noreply@blogger.com (Tanya) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 19:33:00 +0000

I've been working on my pastry dough skills and savoring all that is fall, so it was the perfect time to make a fig tart. Check out this video of a lovely one I made. I actually made it again this weekend and decided to mix the figs with the honey, lemon and thyme before filling the pastry. It makes for a sweeter, slightly gooier filling, which some people prefer, though I think I preferred it straight up as I did it here.

Fig Tart Crust!

noreply@blogger.com (Tanya) — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 00:51:00 +0000

I think I was suffering from delusions caused by lack of carbs when I was making this fig tart yesterday. They caused me to make and film it with a post-shower towel on my head. The crust came out awesome though. Very proud of it. More of the tart to come!

My First Interview

noreply@blogger.com (Tanya) — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 17:16:00 +0000

I'll admit that when this whole "business on my own thing" gets a little hairy, I day dream about the day when I'll be past the ups and downs of getting a business off the ground and instead cooking on Oprah. This wasn't that, but I did feel a little bit special to do an interview for Wine Time TV. The whole thing cracked me up and I hope it makes you chuckle also...here's part 1, with shout outs to Wente Vineyards, Rocco DiSpirito, Tom Colicchio, eatdrinkordie.com and Murphy Goode's Hardy Wallace!

Wine Time TV Webisode 5 feat. Tanya Melillo from Wine Time TV on Vimeo.

The Goodness and Lessons of French Quiche

noreply@blogger.com (Tanya) — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 20:34:00 +0000

So that quiche I made on Monday? Man was it good. I may never eat an American quiche again. That hard egg-ness to them is such a waste of calories when instead I could be eating the silky, custardy goodness of a French quiche. I'll admit mine wasn't quite Thomas Keller quality (but really, how many things in this life are?), but for a home cook it was darn tasty. Even better, in the process of wrestling with it (yes, I prodded it gently sometimes, but there were other times when it needed to be wrestled into submission) I learned a few things about how I like to cook. I rarely follow recipes to a tee because I think real life sometimes needs adjustments and I like to be a bit instinctual and experimental when I cook because I have more fun that way. And at the end of a meal, what I care about is that I've felt good making and eating it and that my guests feel great too!

More From Quiche Land

noreply@blogger.com (Tanya) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 16:40:00 +0000

To my amusement, the quiche saga continued yesterday well into the evening. That Thomas Keller is a stickler for the rules, but I found our yesterday that I am not. Check out this video of my preparing an adapted version of TK's quiche.