Give Your Cooking Latin Flair With Chef Michelle Bernstein
Miami is known for its world-class beaches and pastel Art Deco hotels but food lovers flock there like "snow birds" for the extraordinary Latin food scene. Whether its authentic Cuban sandwiches or ceviche from Colombia and Peru, good cooks know the quality cookware at Macy's offers the best gadgets and prices.
March is the time to start getting into a tropical, Miami kind of vibe, and for that you have to serve the right food and drink. If you could learn how to make a few easy, breezy, Latin-inspired dishes from a James Beard award-winning chef who specializes in food with a Latin flair, would you do it?
You can if you live in the Chicago area or will be in the city on March 31, thanks to Macy's and the Macy's Culinary Council. That's when renowned chef Michelle Bernstein will be in town presenting a cooking demonstration and sharing her take on the sunny Latin food she's helped make famous in Miami. It's part of a series of live cooking demonstrations the Macy's Culinary Council is presenting across the country in the upcoming months. Each event is headlined by a celebrity chef that specializes in a different type of cuisine and we know you will enjoy them all.
The Macy's Culinary Council: An organization that supports American cooks
Over the years, these chefs have shared their considerable expertise, time, and recipes in exciting cooking demonstrations designed to inspire Americans "to eat, cook and enjoy food at home — just like a chef." Helpful tips, advice, and recipes provided by each chef show home cooks how to add a bit of pizzazz to their menu and learn how to make gourmet meals a success.
Spring 2016 Macy's Culinary Council Cooking Demonstration in Chicago on March 31
On March 31, people in Chicagoland will be able to see a Flower Show inspired demonstration that is just as exciting as dining in one of Michelle Bernstein's restaurants. A native of Miami, Michelle Bernstein knows a thing or two about Latin food (her mother is from Argentina) and the Miami food scene, not just as a chef but as a consumer too. She keeps things real and stays current with trends in Latin American cuisine, and restaurants throughout Miami with her hit local TV show, Check, Please! South Florida, which gives foodie viewers the chance to review, rate and celebrate their favorite local restaurants.
What's on the Menu
Chef Michelle Bernstein's visit to Macy's in Chicago coincides with the stunning Macy's Flower Show, which showcases our country's beautiful landscapes and flowers. To celebrate the flower show and the arrival of spring, Michelle will be demonstrating three brightly colored, aromatic courses including
Stracciatella-filled squash blossoms with spicy kale pesto; orange blossom kissed chicken salad on toast with fresh oranges and orange blossom honey; and rose petal pot de crème.
Cook like a Chef with Easy Recipes
Michelle chose these dishes because they are easy for home cooks to prepare and tell a story about her as a chef and as a person. And she wants consumers to know, "That my cooking is seasonal, fun, flavorful, refreshing, and hopefully offers new flavors and ideas for the consumers."
A Distinct Culinary Point of View
Michelle Bernstein has made a name for herself as a doyenne of Latin American cooking and she loves the cuisine of Miami because "It's powerful, full of flavor, eclectic...no rules kind of cuisine." Her culinary roots are diverse, just like the people of Miami, and she wants Americans to know that her culinary point of view is influenced by the seasons and what's around her. As she says, I try to use what is locally grown or what is grown as close to locally as possible; I also love for the guests to either find surprises in flavors or textures or both; I'm Latin and Jewish and I love to add a little of my heritage in my cooking."
All of the dishes Michelle cooks for Macy's demonstrations reflect her style, the brightness of her city, and the ease of her recipes. She encourages home cooks to incorporate Latin or Miami-inspired food into their regular menus because it's easy to do by "adding a little squeeze of lime to simple chicken noodle soup or an avocado and pickled carrots and queso fresco to a simple turkey sandwich."
She wants to inspire people to cook more at home and simple, fresh Latin dishes can make it easy to do, along with the right equipment. Michelle recommends every home cook should "always have one great knife, about 8-9 inches, good and sharp; one great spoon, as that is pretty much all I use, almost as a second hand, one great small nonstick pan, one larger regular stainless steel pan, and a fish spatula."
If you are lucky enough to be in Chicago and want to catch Michelle's demonstration, it will not only be fun and instructional but tasty too, since attendees get to sample the dishes being demonstrated. But sign up now because her demonstrations are always hugely popular. Be sure to RSVP immediately since seating for the Macy's cooking demonstrations is limited and on a first come first served basis.
Event Details and Special Offers
Date: March 31, 2016
Time: 12:00PM CST
Venue: Macy's on State Street
Location: 7th Floor, Culinary Studio
Price per person: Free
Seating: First come first served basis
RSVP: Required
To make reservations call: 1-877-556-2297 from 10am-4pm Monday through Saturday, and Sunday 12:00-4:00pm.
Special Promotion for Attendees Only
While at the store, feel free to explore the latest in cookware and gadgets for your kitchen. Plus with any purchase of $35* or more in the Home department, receive a $10 Macy's gift card and a copy of chef Michelle Bernstein's cookbook, Cuisine A Latina, which she will sign directly after the event**
To learn more about the Macy's Culinary Council and upcoming events, visit macys.com/culinarycouncil and follow them on Twitter & Periscope.