A Note From My Experience at the Women In Hospitality United Movement

On September 24, 2018 I was invited to New York to be a part of a think tank. Our mission was to come up with resolutions for issues women face in the hospitality industry. Attendees was broken into groups to focus on the following issues; Working Parents, Mental Health, Mentorship, Financial Literacy, Wage Gap and Poster Group. In attendance were 75 women from every spectrum of culture, career and location along with a hand full of male supporters of the cause. The vast variance of women was extremely useful because it brought many different experiences, options and agendas to the discussion. Our meeting started at 9 am and could have gone on until the next day, but we adjourned around 4:30 to share with each other our ideas of resolution.

 I was part of the mentorship group. In my group were 12 highly inspiring women, Chef Nisse Lovendahl and I (Chef Meika Johnson of DFW Cooking Parties)was tasked with leading the group of industry leaders. In addition we had Chef Vertima Dumas(personal Chef), Chef Elle Scott (founder of SheChef.org and American Test Kitchen Personality), our moderator Caroline Fidanza (culinary director), Alison Price Becker (founder of Alison Group Strategy & Management) , Chef Anakaren Ibarra (Happy Gillis Café), Haley Baron (Director at Pineapple Collab), Chelsea Bailey(Ohio Restaurant Association), Brie Garner, Chef Christina (Wythe Hotel), Delores Tronco (Owner The Banty Rooster). Let me tell you these are some amazing women who have worked hard to establish themselves. I am still in awe of the brilliance I was surrounded by.

If I had to pick on topic that resonated with me was wage transparency, this came from the Wage Gap group. It’s a fact that men get paid more than women across the career board.  The resolution to this problem is to get everyone openly talking about what they are being paid.

Please follow @womeninhospitalityunited and the women associated with this movement. Let work together to level the field.

·  Mental Health, submitted by Sarah Jane Curran

·  Financial Literacy/Education, submitted by Andrea J Carbine

·  Mentorship & Negotiation, submitted by Meika Johnson and Nisse Lovendahl

·  Wage Gap, submitted by Naz Riahi

·  Working Parents, submitted by Suzanne Barr

·  Harassment/Gender Discrimination Graphic, submitted by Sophia Brittan

These #drunkennoodles are not only #delicious , but also #lowcarb - #zuchinninoodles make an excellent substitute. Leave them uncooked for an extra crisp.                  INGREDIENTS:

2 medium zucchinis, spiralized

2 tbsp olive oil

1 lb mushrooms, quartered 

6 oz broccolini

1/2 red and green bell pepper, thinly sliced                                                    

1/2 red onion thinly sliced

1 carrot, thinly sliced                          

    1 can each cut baby corn and water chestnuts 

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tsp brown sugar

1/4 tbsp oyster sauce

2 tbsp Braggs Amino

1 tsp rice vinegar

2 tsp red chili paste                           

     2 stems lemongrass

Thai basil leaves garnish                     

Mix garlic, brown sugar, oyster sauce, braggs, rice vinegar, and chili paste. 

from zucchini. 

In a large #wok or skillet, add 1 tbsp olive oil and bring to medium high heat. Add in red onion, bell pepper, carrot, #broccolini and sauté for 4 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients and sauce. Cook until sauce thicken ( about 5 to 7 mins) After everything comes together remove the wok from the heat and toss I. Your zucchini noodles.

Vegan Shrimp & Grits

 Chef MiMi J’s Vegan “Shrimp” & Grit
What we don’t realize is that a lot of time the flavor of our favorite protein comes from the seasoning. For example the distinctive sausage flavor comes from spices such as sage, fennel seed and marjoram. You can impart those flavors into mushrooms, tofu or any veggies. In this recipe I manipulated the flavor of the heart of palms by soaking them in a mixture of seaweed, kelp, and vegetable broth. The flavor of the seaweed really imparted itself into the heart of palm making it tastes similar to seafood.
SERVES 2 TO 4 total time: 35 MINUTES

   INGREDIENTS:
 grits
 4 cups low-sodium vegetable stock
 1/2 cup of plain almond milk
 1 cup quick-cooking grits
 8 ounces daiya chives and onions cream cheese
 2 tablespoons unsalted vegan butter
 1/4 teaspoon salt
 1/4 teaspoon pepper
 2 ears grilled sweet corn, cut from the cob
 2 tablespoons freshly snipped chives
 “Shrimp”
 1 pound marinated heart of palm (seaweed or kelp will give it a seafood flavor)
 1/2 teaspoon salt
 1/2 teaspoon pepper
 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
 1/4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
 1 cup baby heirloom tomatoes sliced in half
 1/2 sweet onion diced
 2 garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed
 DIRECTIONS:
 grits
 Bring the stock to a boil in a medium saucepan. Once boiling, add the grits and whisk
 constantly until they are fully mixed into the stock, about a minute or two. Reduce the
 heat to low and cover, stirring once or twice more, until the grits are thicker and creamy,
 about 5 minutes. Stir in the vegan cheese, almond milk, salt and pepper. Taste and
 season more if desired – this will depend on the salt in your stock.
 “Shrimp”
 Pat the heart of palm dry with paper towels once you removed the from the marinaded.
 Once it’s dry, season it with the salt, pepper, paprika, chili powder and cumin. Heat a
 large skillet over medium-high heat and add the vegan butter. Once it’s melted and
 begins to sizzle, add the heart of palm in batches and cook on both sides until seared
 brown. The butter will start to brown as you cook. You can whisk it occasionally and add

  olive oil to prevent it from burning. After you’ve cook all your heart of palm, remove them
 from the pan and stir in the onion, tomatoes, herbs and then garlic. Sauté until onions
 are translucent and the tomatoes have released some of their juices.
 To serve the grits, spoon them into a bowl and add the tomatoes mixture and then top
 with the seared heat of palms. I like to drizzle any of the pan sauce in the pan on top
 too. Cover with spoonfuls of grilled corn and a sprinkling of chives. Eat immediately.

The Journey From Corporate to Culinary by Meika Johnson

Heart Healthy Chili

Ingredients

Meat

·         1 lb Ground turkey

·         ½ lb Ground chicken chorizo from Sprouts

Produce

·         3 cloves Garlic

·         1 Jalapeno pepper

·         1 14 oz. can Kidney beans, red

·         1 Red bell pepper

·         1 Green bell pepper

·         2 Roma or plum tomatoes

·         1 Yellow onion

Canned Goods

·         1 1/2 cups Chicken stock

Condiments

·         1 14 oz. can Tomato sauce

Baking & Spices

·         1/2 tsp Cayenne pepper

·         1 1/2 tbsp Chili powder

·         1 tbsp Paprika

·         1 Salt and pepper

Oils & Vinegars

·         2 tbsp Apple cider vinegar

·         1/2 tbsp Olive oil

Directions

1.    Dice onion, bell peppers, jalapeno and mince garlic. Set aside.

2.    In a large pot, add oil and heat to medium low, add onions and sauté around 5 minutes or so, stirring often.

3.    Add minced garlic and cook, stirring often for 2 minutes.

4.    Increase heat to medium or medium high and add ground turkey and chorizo, cook until browned, crumbling into small pieces (use a potato masher if desired).

5.    Add diced jalapenos, bell peppers, tomatoes and sauté for 1 minute.

6.    Add chicken stock, tomato sauce, and apple cider vinegar and stir.

7.    Add in remaining ingredients and stir.

8.    Simmer over medium-low heat for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Chili will thicken. If you notice it getting too thick for your tastes, add a splash of chicken stock as needed.

9.    Turn heat off after the 40 minutes has passed and let rest on the stove for another 5 minutes before serving.

10. Optional: top with green onion, minced cilantro, diced avocado, red onion and diced tomatoes. (or whatever toppings you prefer)

Quick & Easy Sauteed Crab Fingers

Throw back Thursday Video (Pot Roast)