Foodie & Fête Your Open Invitation To The Celebration™ Magazine

April/May 2015

www.foodieandfete.com

Comfort Food Recipes With A Twist!

Travel Luxe: Dubai To Thailand

Meet Chef Sean André The Business Savvy Chef

Foodie Reviews: Paris In Chicago

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Is it Spring yet? Is the east coast done

with all that snow yet? LOL! It seems like

ever since that plump little

Punxsutawney Phil gave us his old man

winter predictions, we have been

dipping in and out of the freezing

temperatures even more than in years

past.

Never-the-less, with the winter holiday season behind us, it is time to

celebrate family and friends through the Easter, Mother’s Day and

Memorial holidays. It’s time to start spring cleaning out the old and

ushering in the new! I am ready, are you? This is our Spring edition of the

magazine featuring Chef Sean André, owner of Cuisine 1017. You need to

follow this guy on Instagram! His food pictures are mouthwatering and

you can almost taste every dish he posts.

My Creative Director, Rhonda is loving the windy city, although the harsh

winter took a bit getting used to…she has emerged from her down

blanket and wool socks to share with us the French influence in Chicago.

You will LOVE this food truck that she found, complete with Can Can Girl

legs…HA! She also zipped into a local Chi-Town bakery for some French

pastries and even snapped a picture of an ATM…that renders cupcakes!

Yes, CUPCAKES! We also visit Dubai and Thailand via our friends, Melissa

and her husband Carrku. Their luxe vacation pictures will blow you away!

As always, please also volunteer your time this Spring season. Here are

some causes and holidays to remember through the months of April and

May.

April:

Easter Autism Awareness Month Uterine Fibroid Awareness Week May: Mother’s Day Memorial Day

Enjoy, Reneé Lowe - Founder and Publisher

Foodie & Fête www.foodieandfete.com

FOUNDER AND PUBLISHER Reneé Lowe CREATIVE DIRECTOR Rhonda Murray DIGITAL LAYOUT, DESIGNER AND COPY EDITOR OnyQueen Media (Graphics Division) CONTENT CONTRIBUTORS Reneé Lowe and Rhonda Murray PUBLIC RELATIONS OnyxQueen Media (Communications) FIND US ON THE WEB!

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Food & Fête Magazine© is published by OnyxQueen Media, LLC. Views expressed in articles, photographs or advertisments are strictly those of the author and do not reflect any position of Food & Fête Magazine or OnyxQueen Media, LLC. Some links are affiliate advertising. No part of this publication shall be reproduced without written permission from OnyxQueen Media, LLC.

Publisher’s Note

©

6-8 Cover Feature Story: The Business Savvy Chef!

Chef Sean André

10 & 11 Foodie Corner: Comfort Food Recipes, Perfect For Easter

13 & 14 Foodie Review: Paris In Chicago

16-19 Travel Luxe: From Dubai To Thailand

TABLE OF CONTENTS

The Business Savvy Chef

Chef Sean André

The inspirational success story of Executive Chef Sean André tells

of bold flavors, vibrant color and dynamic food. He is known in

the culinary world by his big beard and thick black-rimmed glass-

es but mostly for his insatiable love of BACON. His signature dish

of Shrimp Bacon Gouda Mac ‘n’ Cheese is a client favorite at every

event.

Chef Sean owns and operates Cuisine 1017, an innovative mobile personal chef company that specializes in private

parties, intimate catering and bridal showers. Cuisine 1017 was created as a celebration of his birthday, October

17. With his unique blend of bold flavors and farm-to-fork cuisine, Chef Sean believes every day is a client’s birth-

day, so we should celebrate!

Chef Sean began his professional culinary career over 15 years ago as Executive Chef of Darryl’s Wood-Fired Grill

in Norfolk, Virginia where he studied under the Director of Culinary. Chef Sean was quickly promoted to become

Executive Chef of J. Gilbert's Wood-Fired Steaks in Washington, D.C. He successfully exceeded all expectations in

the nation’s capital with the development of

succulent dishes such as Pecan Crusted Lobster

served with Sweet Potato Bacon Corn Hash, ac-

cented with Chipotle Corn Puree. Chef Sean’s

passion for high-end seafood and steaks were on

center stage when he worked as Executive Chef

of Devon Seafood on the Magnificent Mile in Chi-

cago, IL. At Devon Seafood Chicago, he cooked

for many high profile celebrities such as pro

football players, Marcus Allen, Richard Dent and Mean Joe Green. However, Chef Sean had his eyes on a larger

target --the Big Apple. Chef Sean went on to become Regional Chef with Houlihan’s Restaurant Group in New

York City where he developed and implemented new menu items for distribution to the culinary teams in over 31

corporate and franchise restaurants around the United States. Chef Sean later moved back to Washington, DC as

Chef and Beverage Director with IHG hotels before venturing out on his own to launch Cuisine 1017.

Cuisine 1017’s client lists includes: The Delta Sigma Theta Sorority of Howard University, Churches, Doctors, Law-

yers, Hip Hop Superstars B.O.B., Kevin Gates and Comedian George Wilborne. Chef Sean also recently served as

the No Kid Go Hungry Ambassador for Share Our Strength at the White House. He worked with First Lady

Michelle Obama and White House Chef Sam Kass on her “Chefs Move to School Program" which works to elimi-

Cover Feature Story

nate childhood obesity. At the White House, he

collaborated with many great chefs including

Food Network’s Chef Cat Cora, Chef Anne Bur-

rell and . on the benefits of healthy eating

amongst children and adults. Chef Sean contin-

ues his community support by volunteering as

a Chef Instructor with The Capital Area Food

Bank in Washington, DC.

FF: When did you discover your love for cook-ing? CHEFSEAN: In the earlier years of the restaurant business, people often viewed being a chef as a remedial or meaningless job. So, I think a lot of African American men got out of the business. With the boom of food on TV, it is now cool to be a chef. However, as a deeply rooted foodie, I’ve always loved to eat, it’s simply magic that I became a chef! FF: What is your favorite dish? CHEFSEAN: Grilled Lobster tail served with lobster gnocchi, fresh fennel, spinach and diced tomatoes FF: What is your favorite dessert? CHEFSEAN: I was driving from a client’s house trying to think about what to do with the leftover Danish I used to make her French Toast. I thought to myself that it would be awesome if I could make these into some sort of bread pudding. Then I started thinking about making crème brûlée for some random reason. By the end of the day and after a few trial runs, Pink Chocolate Bread Pudding was born! It is by far my favorite dessert! FF: What is your favorite drink? CHEFSEAN: The Sazerac Classic Cocktail is one of my favorite spring drinks that I enjoy with my friends. This drink was developed in the food mecca, New Orleans. Just a word of advice, sip it slow because it’s really delicious yet just as strong!

FF: What was the first meal you remem-

ber cooking well?

CHEFSEAN: I loved to eat my Mom’s mac

and cheese as a kid and I’ve often tried to

duplicate it as an adult. My recipe is real-

ly creamy and hearty with just enough

cheese to get you ready for a good nap.

Sometimes I like to add in grilled chicken

pieces or even top this dish with sautéed

shrimp, depending on my mood.

FF: Who is a positive and inspiring influ-

ence in your life as related to cooking?

Chef Sean and Chef Aaron McCargo, Jr

CHEFSEAN: My grandmother. She

used to cook these amazing biscuits for

me from scratch when I was a young

kid, no matter the time of day or night.

I would eat them by the dozen. They

were my favorite thing to eat in life and

she knew it. Whenever I stayed with

her in the summer, she would get up at

like 2 am to make these fried fish

sandwiches, fried bologna or this

scrumptious water cornbread right in

front of me, pretty much without even

thinking about it. I thought she was

amazing. She taught me how to make

pan gravy with flour and butter, which

I later figured out was roux. Grandma would make me work in the garden with her, picking tomatoes and squash

and all types of things. Afterwards she would cook collard greens, fat back meat and cornbread. It would just

magically appear. She was the greatest cook that I knew. I had no idea at age 8 or 9 that she was actually training

me to be a chef. I just knew that she could cook and that I loved to eat. I think of her sometimes, like today, and I

just want to say Thank You Grandma! Look at me now, I’m still the kid in the kitchen eating biscuits and trying to

teach others how to do what you taught me. I hope that you are proud of me! Love you!

FF: Are there any other chefs that you follow?

CHEFSEAN: I enjoy the creativity of Chef Santosh Tiptur, who serves

as the Executive Chef and Pastry Chef at Coco Sala in DC. His Mary-

land Crab Cakes are accented with a nice avocado emulsion that is to

die for! I order this dish every time that I visit the restaurant.

FF: What advice do you have for budding chefs just starting out?

CHEFSEAN: The biggest thing is to remain humble and learn some-

thing from somebody every day. If you believe that you know every-

thing, then how will you learn new things? Keep your mind open to

new ideas. There's more to being a chef than creating recipes. It’s

about growth and a sincere passion for food and people.

FF: Any upcoming events or appearances?

CHEFSEAN: As a volunteer chef instructor for the Share Our

Strength's No Kid Go Hungry campaign, it warms my heart to share

my God-given talent with others. I will be featured this summer at

the Capital Area Food Bank's first-ever Volunteer Appreciation

event, which will give the group the opportunity to celebrate and recognize their volunteers. This is an exciting

event with over 100 people in attendance, activities and guest speakers.

Connect with Chef Sean André:

Website: www.cuisine1017.com | Twitter: @chefsean1017 | IG: @chefsean1017

Living Success From The Root

www.blackberrynaturals.com

Bacon Gouda Mac-n-Cheese

Ingredients: 8 oz. Fresh Pasta 1 oz. Gouda cheese 1 oz. Cheddar cheese 1 oz. Parmesan 1/4 cup crisp bacon, cooked, rough chopped Salt and pepper to taste 6 oz. Heavy whipping cream 2 tsp. Japanese bread crumbs Directions: Cook fresh bacon pieces in a large sauté pan until the bacon is fully cooked and crisp. Drain the

excess grease then return the bacon to the pan. In the same pan add in the heavy cream until the

mixture starts to foam slightly, stirring constantly. Add the Gouda, cheddar and parmesan

cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add warm pasta to the cream mixture. Reduce

heavy cream mixture by half. Add more parmesan cheese as necessary. Continue to reduce the

mixture until it is slightly thickened. Remove pasta from the pan. Add pasta to a smal l oven-safe

pasta bowl. Top mixture with Japanese breadcrumbs. Bake in the oven until the breadcrumbs are

lightly toasted. Garnish with chopped parsley and crumbled bacon. Serve hot.

Pink Chocolate Bread Pudding Ingredients: 4 cups half-and-half 4 cups heavy whipping cream 16 ounces pink chocolate 16 large egg yolks Danish, chopped 1/2 “ dice. (Use ½ cup diced Danish for each dish) Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Bring cream and half-and-half to a boil in a large saucepan. Reduce

heat to low. Add chocolate and whisk until melted and very

smooth. Remove from heat. In a large bowl, whisk yolks until they

are uniform in color. Gradually whisk in half of hot chocolate mixture. Whisk until smooth. Once the eggs are

slightly warmed in this way, gradually add the rest of the hot mixture, whisking all the while. Divide custard

among candy dishes. Fill each dish, ¾ from the top with custard mixture. Place ½ cup of chopped Danish into

each dish. Place cups in large baking pan. Add enough hot water to pan to come halfway up sides of cups. Cover

the pan with foil. Bake until custards are set, about 30 minutes. Use a toothpick to check for proper cooking tem-

perature. When the Bread pudding has cooked to desired temp, remove the dishes from the water. Chill 3 hours.

Foodie Corner: Comfort Food Chef Sean André Shares A Few Recipes, Perfect For Easter

The Sazerac Classic Cocktail Ingredients: 2 TBL Pernod Ice 2 ounces rye whiskey 4 to 5 dashes Peychaud's bitters 2 dashes Angostura bitters 1 lemon twist, white pith removed, for garnish Directions: Pour Pernod into a rocks glass; swirl to coat. Pour out any

excess. Fill glass with ice to chill.

Place rye whiskey and bitters in a cocktail shaker; fill with

ice. Cover and shake vigorously.

Discard ice from rocks glass and strain rye mixture into glass.

Rub rim of glass with lemon twist and add to cocktail; serve

immediately.

Once you have spent any amount of time in Paris, you'll al-

ways be yearning for that je ne sais quoi in your everyday life.

You won't be able to forget the feeling of France. The influ-

ence of Parisian culture permeates your entire life - at least

for me.

To my delight, I've recently moved to a city that has historical-

ly modeled their streets after the streets of Paris. In the 1909

Plan of Chicago designed by Architect Daniel Burnham,

France was on his mind. Thus, Chicago's "Magnificent Mile "

is directly inspired by the walk to the Arc de Triomphe called

Champs-Élysées.

True to Parisian faire, the nos-

talgia continues off the beaten

path with downtown

Chicago's thriving pastry

scene. You can even try out

the Sprinkles cupcake ATM!

There is a traditional European

bakery with the best fresh-

baked croissants and French

macarons. I also found a pop-

up crepe truck dazzled with

Moulin Rouge frill and flare!

Meet Jonathan Mamou, smiling, strapping French expat who is bringing Paris to Chicago, one crepe at a time.

I stumbled upon this four

wheeled can-can gem on

the way to lunch one day

on the corner of East

Jackson & S. Wabash near

Millennium Park.

The mobile menu has a

balance of sweet and sa-

vory - ready to please any

palate.

Foodie Review – Chicago (Metro):

Paris: Anytime. Anywhere.

By Rhonda Murray

I ordered the simple Lemon Sugar Crepe, closed my eyes and boom! Paris came to visit my taste buds.

Wonderful food experiences will always be our passport to memories that last a lifetime.

You too can make unforgettable memories of your own - No plane ticket required!

Rhonda Murray is the CEO of Demure Delights, a Chicago based cuisine and lifestyle company. She is also a self-taught chef and has traveled to various coun-tries in Europe. She earned her degree in Multimedia Make-up Artistry for film, tel-evision, fashion and retail. She provides custom makeup instruction and advises on the latest fashion trends as well as fashion forecasting. Her work can be seen on the faces of countless brides, music video shoots and on

the runway for Mercedes Benz Fashion Week.

Connect with Rhonda: Web: www.demuredelights.tumblr.com | IG: @demure.delights | Email: damedemure@gmail.com

Sprinkles Cupcakes Chicago 50 E Walton St.

Chicago, IL 60611 www.sprinkles.com

Hendrickx Bakery 100 E Walton St. Chicago, IL 60611

www.hendrickxbakery.com

Paris Ouh la la! Twitter: @ParisOuhlala Facebook: ParisOuhlala

http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/index.html

Friends to Foodie & Fête Magazine, Carrku and Melissa Gbain,

recently made the ultimate excursion to a couple of the most

exotic countries in the world…Dubai and Thailand!

Melissa gave us the run-down of their recent trip. We are sure

these pictures won’t do it justice, but Melissa shared an amazing

inside look into their luxe escape!

FF: Why did you choose to travel to Dubai and Thailand?

MG: Traveling to Thailand has been a dream of mine since I was

a teenager. I always said that if I had a chance to go

anywhere in the world it would be there. I didn't know

when and I didn't know how but I knew that I had to

make it there one day.

Thailand introduced itself to me through its food and

what a great first impression! It immediately drew me

in with the exotic spices and vibrant flavors, which I

soon learned was a reflection of the rich culture.

Pair a bowl of Pad Thai with golden temples, floating

markets, lush orchids, warm smiles and you have your-

self a dream destination!

Our first attempt to go to Thailand was for our honeymoon back in 2008, but it seemed a bit daunting at the time,

so we opted for the Caribbean.

Travel Luxe: From Dubai To Thailand With The Gbains

FF: Can you tell us any misconceptions you both may have had when traveling to these countries? Myths that

were debunked?

MG: Now that we have been to Thailand, we realized

that it was not nearly as intimidating as it seemed. I

always assumed the trip was going to be so expen-

sive, which is probably why it was a dream for so long

before it became a reality. It was surprisingly afford-

able and yes, the commute is long, but that's where

Dubai came in.

One of the most valuable travel tips we learned from

this trip is to make the most of a long flight by explor-

ing along the way with a layover.

We purposely chose a flight with a 14-hour layover in

Dubai. We then booked a tour guide who picked us

up from the airport and took us around the city to all

of the main attractions. Our tour guide dropped us back off to the airport to catch our flight to Bangkok. Now,

that's how you get two trips for the price of one!

FF: Please tell us what new things you learned on your excursion to these

countries?

MG: We learned during our excursions that the best way to enjoy travel is to

have an open mind. Be willing to receive all that the experience has to offer

and you will leave a better person than when you arrived. Learning about how

others live, what they find important, and how they perceive beauty expands

one's capacity to connect with others and develops a greater appreciation for

life.

FF: What did you learn about each other on the trip? Did you conquer any fears as a couple?

MG: The decision to take this trip was made two months prior to our departure. Could we have come up with

reasons why we couldn't have gone and talked ourselves out of it? Sure, but sometimes, you just have to ignore

your fears and step out to where your heart is leading you. Chances are it will all work out and this trip did more

than work out. It was a dream come true! It enriched our lives so much that traveling is now a personal goal for

us and we look forward to visiting more amazing destinations.

FF: Where do you think you will travel to next?

MG: Perhaps Paris will be next and of course, we'll be looking to squeeze in that second city as well, to get two

for the price of one!

Helpful Links

Dubai Information: www.dubai.ae | www.visitdubai.com

Thailand Information: www.thaigov.go.th | www.tourismthailand.org

http://www.history.com/topics/holidays/mothers-day

http://www.history.com/topics/holidays/memorial-day-history

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Director’s Cut:

Meet Dee Dee M. Scott