Friday, July 16, 2010

I'm in Pittsburgh with Giant Eagle, but first ...

Hey there! I'm still here in Pittsburgh and the big day is tomorrow with Giant Eagle's Robinson Market District. Seated tickets are sold out, but other FREE tickets are available! Come on out and join the fun. I have an easy summer menu planned and I plan to dish and dish while I'm Cooking for Real :-). Can't wait to meet ya!

But first ...
I visited with Brenda and the crew at KDKA- Pittsburgh Today Live this morning and served up my Summer Corn Salad. It is truly my new fave for summer. Here's Karla, a chef at Giant Eagle and I after my segment...
She helped me prep the recipe and made the set look pretty with cookies from the Giant Eagle Bakery. You can check the video of the interview at KDKA's Video Page.

Then, I had lunch courtesy of the Le Cordon Bleu in Pittsburgh and some of the students. In my normal foodie fashion, I was walking the streets of downtown Pittsburgh yesterday looking for a bite and ran into a group of culinary students taking a break outside a building. I asked, where's the diner, because the guys at the hotel said there was one close by, but I hadn't run into it yet. Anyway, they said it was on the 18th floor. I thought to myself this isn't the diner the hotel mentioned for sure, but people in chef coats can't steer ya wrong ... and I was right! I headed in, dined at the cafeteria portion of a large room and then a chef approached me and began talking to me like he knew me. But ... he didn't lol ... He actually thought I was someone that came to the cafeteria often and even asked me how the wedding was. All in the first sentence or so. So, I admitted I wasn't her, but said that maybe I look familiar? And he agreed. I fessed up and told him I worked for Food Network and was happy to eat food prepped by his students. The chef invited me back today for lunch in the separate restaurant area and I never say no to food so ...
Classy, eh? The restaurant is fully staffed by students, so even the students attending for hospitality work the check-in desk and wait tables. Here's the menu ...
At first I was going to get the risotto, but the candied pecans in the salad got me! I also decided the seafood trilogy wouldn't hurt. Then I moved on to the mains and ordered the wild mushroom tortellini to make up for missing the mushrooms in the risotto that I didn't order. I also ordered a drink and forgot the name, but it was GOOOOOOOOOD!!! It had grenadine and sierra mist and oranges ... I think something else, but can't remember. For dessert I ordered a really pretty panna cotta, berries and cake combo topped with mint foam. Take a look ...
That's a cute little stress-squeeze toy in the shape of a chef hat there. I pocketed it, not that I'm stressed though. Just a cute way to remember the trip. I must say, that drink was tasty and refreshing. Then the salad ..
Dressing was great and I'm a sucker for candied pecans. I forgot to tell you about the bread ...
That's a pretzel knot, wheat bread with sunflower seeds and focaccia bread. They were served with a roasted pepper hummus, herbed olive oil and honey butter. I really was trying to take a bite of everything.
That's my seafood trio. The oyster in the center was my fave, I could've downed about 20 of them!
My mushroom and tofu tortellini and roasted veggies were yummy. I love when people roast veggies and they still have crunch, perfect! And then dessert ...
A special thank you to all the students and the head chef as well as the dean and corporate chef I met. Everyone was so nice and it was great to chat with the chefs of tomorrow. Much success guys n gals! I don't say break a leg for good luck, I say ... "Break a cream sauce!" :-)

Ok, see you in Pittsburgh tomorrow!

6 comments:

J. Ronelle said...

Very nice. Hey Sunny any new episode coming soon for Cooking for Real?

Lindsey Christensen said...

What a delectable sampling of yummi-ness you got from the culinary students! Funny how that worked out w/the chef mistaking you for someone else...good thing, too! That dessert looks insane, real feast for the eyes as I'm sure it was for the taste buds.

Mary | Deep South Dish said...

That sounds like it was fun! You're such a hoot too - just a regular gal, even though you're a celebrity. I like that!

Monica Muszalski said...

Hi Sunny!


It was great meeting you out last night with you famous friend in Pittsburgh...I really hope that you enjoyed the food there! Sorry I missed you at the Giant Eagle Market District @ Settler's Ridge!


Hope to know when you back in town soon!

Stay in touch...I'll have to introduce you to my Sicillian/Scandnavian friend Pam orginally from Wechester, NY!

Have a great summer!

Monica

Sunny Anderson said...

juan, thanks! i sure do have new episodes on the way! thanks so much for watching. I tape new ones in august and there are more new ones already done and ready to roll out in the next few weeks!

lindsey, yeah, those students really did a great job. so neat to know what you want in life at a very early age.

mary, girrrrrl, they were mad i ate on the cafeteria side at first and I was like really? because this is right up my alley! i did love the fancy plating though ... helps with portion control, too lol teeny lil servings!

monica, nice meeting you too! i had fun at the bar. didn't get out of there until late ... or is that early? :-P teeheehee ahh good times! glad you found the blog! keep in touch and look around a bit! i'm working on a new website and it'll debut in a couple ... i'll keep ya posted!

Anonymous said...

Hi Sunny,

I am very sorry I missed your surprise visit at LCB Pittsburgh. As the librarian, I would have loved to add an autographed copy of your cookbook to our special collections and would have also hit you up for one for circulation. If you are still willing and able to ship these items to the address below.

Also, thank you for the awesome review of Techniques at Azure 18--I plan to repost this on our student council face book page and blog AND I will send it to our corporate HQ and they will probably repost on the LCB face book page and corporate website. I know some of the students got pictures of you in front of the restaurant. I can email you some if you are interested.

Thanks again,
Casey
-------------------
Casey Sirochman, M.L.I.S., M.A.
Dean of Library Services
Le Cordon Bleu Institute of Culinary Arts
717 Liberty Ave. (15th floor)
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
1.800.432.2433 ext. 4585
412.325.3585 (office)
412.325.3513 (library)
412.201.1654 (fax)
csirochman@pittsburgh.chefs.edu
http://www.chefs.edu/pittsburgh