Knives and Needles

Where Chefs can talk tattoos and Tattooers can talk food

Archive for the tag “tattoos”

03 Mar 2014

Jairo Acevedo

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We are back!! After a couple months break, Knives and Needles Blog is back! Sometimes even bloggers need a break to recharge with new material!! And what better way to get back into things than with Jairo Acevedo!!!! He is one talented and tattooed chef, so read on and check out his food and tattoos….. You will not regret it!

Molly:  Tell us a bit about yourself, please include what you are doing now
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Jairo:  I’m a 27 yr old chef from Boston Mass. I’ve been here in Los Angeles for about 6 months now and I am currently the Personal Chef for Athletic Gaines, a professional athlete training group. The Head Trainer, Travelle Gaines, trains the athletes and I make their meals certain nights a week if not every night. Right now we are in the middle of a 8 week training camp for The NFL Scouting Combine. It’s been an absolute blessing to be able to move out here to California on a limb and be where I am.

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M:  What got you into cooking?

J:  I have a friend who is no longer in the industry and he would tell  these great stories about work and a few horror stories, “And this happened and that and then we sat this many people…” etc. I was getting into trouble and I asked him to help me with a job and he got me hip to this cool ass chef named Cliff. He taught me so much and threw me under his wing, he let me crash and burn and never gave up on me. I was still fucking around, 20 yr old tatted working the grind of the kitchen. I fell in love with the grind and the partying. Mostly the partying but the grind drove me.

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M:  What is your specialty?

J:  I like to mess around with odds and ends and whole animal eating (nose to tail), I don’t go to far off the map people are sometimes turned off when you start talking sweet breads and calfs brain or pigs tails. So I try to do simple things like veal breast with a parsnip puree and a raspberry jam. Which I’ll show you how to make later on. I like to eat Italian so I like to cook italian inspired dishes.

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M:  When did you get your first tattoo and what was it?

J:  I was 14 when I got my first tattoo. I got my mothers name. She beat my ass. So I got more tattoos. To this day she still beats my ass. Love you ma.

M:  What made you decide to get tattooed?

J:  I wanted to be cool. I saw a whole bunch of older kids with them so I’m like “I’m cool get me inked up.” So we got some ghetto ass jail bird to tatt me up with a guitar string I bought at guitar center.

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M:  What do you love about getting new ink?

J:  When its over.

M:  What do you not like about getting new ink?

J:  Getting it done.

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M:  Do you ever go to any tattoo conventions? If so, which ones? Did you have fun?

J:  I’ve been to 1 in Boston, I brought my daughter and we did a little photo shoot. I had barley any ink and she got her first sticky tattoo. It was a cool experience to be there with my kid. My boy Keith miller ( Gippa Mills on Facebook) was at one of the booths. I didn’t get tattoos that day but my kid did, it was fun.

M:  Do you read any tattoo magazines? If so, which ones?
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J:  I wouldn’t say I read tattoo magazines, I’d say I browse thru them. I’m a visual person I don’t really read because my A.D.D  sky rockets when I try to focus on reading. but I like tattoo society and skin art and inked. I like coloring books like dora the explorer those are a huge hit in my house.

M:  Why do you think so many chefs are heavily tattooed?

J:  You know I think it has something to do with the fact you rarely interact with guests. it also add personality and toughness. to be in the kitchen you have to be a “Hard Body” know how to take care of business. I think you wouldn’t want to fuck with the chef who’s tatted to the gils. I do it because i love tattoos I love art and fashion and I’m just super artistic, it goes hand in hand.

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M:  Any cooking advice for a novice?

J:  This is not a paycheck job your in my kitchen be here to work and hustle. #HARDBODIES only. Master your craft, and listen watch and do. Your title is ” I do whatever the fuck chef asks me to do” sometimes you’ll be looking for dingle berries in dry storage and other you’ll be breaking down a whole pig and learning charcuterie. I beat you because I love you.

Jairo was amazing enough to share a specialty of his, check it out and try it yourself!!

This sounds incredible…..

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Oven roasted veal breast  with parsnip puree and pistachio raspberry jam  

For veal breast

5lbs cleaned veal breast

Pancetta curing recipe

follow these to a T do not skip a step

2.4 oz kosher salt

1.5 TBLS crushed black pepper

4 garlic cloves

4 bay leaves crumbled

4 rosemary sprigs rough chopped

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in a PLASTIC container mix all together and then rub thoroughly all over the veal breast

place curing veal on a PLASTIC cutting board and place in the friedge for 24 hours and then rinse off with water or white wine.

Roast veal in oven at 375′ for 30-35 min or in till firm to the touch

For parsnip purée

3.5lbs  parsnip cleaned and rough chopped

1qt heavy dream

.5tsp nut meg

Salt

while your veal roast

In a sauce pan add chopped parsnip and cover with heavy cream

And cook on low till tender

When ready add to a blender, first the pa

rsnip the the cream till smooth

Set a side

For raspberry jam

1.5lbs fresh raspberries

1/2 cup light brown sugar

Toasted and salted pistachios

And 1/2 cup of veal stock of beef stock if available if not no liquid is fine

Add all ingredients to a sauce pan and cook down for 5-7 min stirring constantly then turn heat down and let it slow cook until a loose but together jam forms.

Remove from heat and add pistachios taste, add water if to thick.

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Thank you, Jairo for taking the time with us and submitting this mouth-watering recipe for everyone to try!!

Also, thank you to all our readers for sticking with us for almost a year now!  We are back in action for our weekly blogs on food and tattoos….  : )

You can catch more of Jairo Acevedo on his instagram, @easties_veryown_chef, he is definitely worth following!

If you are a tattooed chef or a foodie tattooer and you have something you would like to submit, email us at knivesandneedles@gmail.com – we would love to feature you!!

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13 Jan 2014
1 Comment

Ryan Zale

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Ryan Zale is a very talented chef. He also loves tattoos! I got Ryan to write some stuff about himself the other day. Continue reading and see what makes this amazing chef tick! Plus he has a terrific recipe at the end…. A serious must try!

I am the Executive Chef at the Local Chop and Grill House in Harrisonburg VA. I work hard and play hard, haha. I love disc golf, gardening, home brewing, eating weird stuff and the Pittsburgh steelers. I grew up on a dairy farm in Ohio so fell in love with farm concept early on. My grandmother and mom were good cooks, so I learned a lot from them, but there always something about food that gave my pleasure in life, so I cooked a lot on my own.

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Experimenting, trying different flavor profiles, cooking for friends late-night wasted, that kinda of stuff. I went on to culinary school right out of high school knowing I wanted explore this crazy lifestyle. I really enjoy the snout to tail concept, utilizing the entire animal. Butchering is great, and the farm to table concept is what I’m really into. My first tattoo is terrible, I was 15 and it’s a stupid tribal piece with an eye ball in the middle of it. I love the creative side of artists, the passion they have. I think it makes are industry very similar, they get a human I get an animal and we transform it into something beautiful. As for tattoo artists, Andrew Connor is my favorite artist. He’s local and he’s vegan so its fun when he comes in to dine with us.

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I get to run around and make him vegan coursed meals on the fly. I don’t really read any tattoo magazines usually just cook books and food related magazines. The next tattoo I’m getting will be a Tablespoon Teaspoon measuring on the palm of my hand, I thought it makes sense! Because this a crazy industry, and you have be little nuts to do what we do for years, and inking yourself up kinda all goes as one. But tattooing and cooking are both forms of art so theirs that tie together as well.

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What Chef doesn’t want a pig tattoo on them, haha. And I have never lost a job because of having them. As for future tattoos, I’d stick with Andrew Connor. He’s a friend we have a lot in common and I feel confident with his ability’s, he’s amazing!! A dream afternoon would be me, a BBQ suckling pig, glass of whiskey and watching the Rolling Stones play in my back yard.

Any advise for novice chefs?

Yeah don’t cut yourself, hahaha.

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Peppered fried Local chicken livers with truffled ale mustard, fennel celery seed slaw with cayenne, cilantro puree and fennel fronds

Fennel slaw

3 each bulbs fennel, reserve the tops for garnish

2 each red pepper

1 each English cucumber

1/2 head green cabbage all julienne

1 bunch cilantro, rough chop

2 each lemon, juiced and zest

2 T celery seed

1 cup mayo

1T cayenne pepper

Salt and pepper to taste

Truffle mustard

1 cup whole grain mustard

1 cup Dijon mustard

2 T truffle oil

1 cup sour cream

Salt and pepper to taste

Chicken liver dredge

Bread flour and lots of cracked black pepper

Soak the livers in buttermilk, heat fryer oil to 350 degrees, fry for 3 minutes and until golden brown.

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Thank you Ryan!

You can catch more of Ryan on his IG, @ryanzale

If you are a tattooed chef or foodie tattooer and want to show off your skills, contact us- we would love to feature you!

knivesandneedles@gmail.com or @knivesandneedles

Cheers!

@

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25 Nov 2013

Mary of Nom Yourself

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Its rare to find a vegan chef, let alone a really good one! This is Knives and Needles first vegan chef feature, Mary of Nom Yourself! Her food looks amazing and she loves tattoos; so please read, enjoy and be inspired to step out of your animal-product box!

Molly: Tell me about yourself, please include what you are doing now

Mary: I am a 27 year old vegan cook living in NYC. I am currently developing recipes for my second cookbook that is currently untitled, and promote my first cookbook Nom Yourself – The Cookbook. I run nomyourself.com and advocate home cooking.

Molly: I always want to advocate to cook at home as well, especially these days. Have you always been vegan?

Mary: I haven’t. I actually became vegan 14 months ago while living in Baltimore, Maryland. I started teaching myself how to cook and found that adding meat and dairy to my dishes was actually taking away from the flavor of all these amazing fruits and vegetables I was buying from the farmers market. Most people find veganism through animal rights or health reasons. I found it through cooking.

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Molly: Very cool! How did you get into developing Nom Yourself?

Mary: I started posting pictures of the food I was making on my personal Instagram account. Then a friend suggested I start a website. Within a week I had a thousand followers and a new love for the internet.

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Molly: What a great idea! So on to tattoos. What was your first tattoo and what inspired you to get tattooed?

Mary: My first tattoo was a star I got when I was 16. Reading Andrew Parsons interview on Knives & Needles is making me think this is what a lot of people in our generation would answer. I wanted to get tattooed because my family did and still does mean the world to me. I wanted to make it permanent and have something that would remind me of that. So, I got the star to represent the 5 people in my family. I went to some seedy place in downtown NYC and probably used a fake ID. It was less about art and more about being a rebel child than the tattoos that came after.

Molly: Haha! Who would you want a tattoo from if you could get tattooed by anyone right now? And what would you get?

Mary: Dave Wah at Stay Humble Tattoo Company, from Baltimore. The work he does is just fascinating. I would have him do my whole fruits & vegetables sleeve. Bright, vibrant veggies. Arugala, Rainbow Swiss Chard, Tomatoes, Avocados, Kale, Onions, all of it!

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Molly: Food tattoos!! Do you ever go to any tattoo conventions? If so, which ones and did you have fun?

Mary: I went to the Baltimore Tattoo Convention last year. It was a blast, but short lived. I was only there for about an hour. I’m hoping to go to the NYC Tattoo Convention in March.

Molly: Who else do you admire in the tattoo industry?

Mary: Trevor Friedrich, who did my side. A truly multi-talented human being. Ashley Thomas, from Atomic Tattoo in Austin, TX. She’s vega and rad. I’d love to sit in her chair and just shoot the shit and talk life.

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Molly: Do you own any tattoo magazines?

Mary: I don’t. Mainly because I have the worst Wanderlust. My address is ever changing. I’ll pick up Inked every once in a while.

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Molly: A girl after my own heart!  What style of tattooing do you love the most?

Mary: I love black and grey portraits. With the exception of the vibrant vegetable sleeve, I would cover my whole body with black and grey tattoos.

Molly: Any vegan tips for beginners?

Mary: Teach yourself how to cook. A lot of vegans get frustrated because its inconvenient to eat out. Teaching yourself how to cook will not only make it easier for you to transition into a vegan lifestyle, but you’ll also find yourself getting creative and you feel a sense of pride with every meal. Your kitchen becomes your art studio.

Great advice, Mary, thank you!!

Mary wanted to share a recipe with all of us today, Salted Caramel Apple Pumpkin Pie! Here is the link to the recipe on her website as well: http://www.nomyourself.com/#!salted-caramel-apple-pumpkin-pie-recipe/c1m7o

Enjoy and try it out, you just might be pleasantly surprised at how “unvegan” it tastes!

Salted Caramel Apple Pumpkin Pie

Salted Caramel Apple Pumpkin Pie

 

Pie Crust

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 Tbs. organic granulated sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup vegan margarine

2 Tbs. vegetable shortening

3 Tbs. cold water

 

Pumpkin Pie Filling

1 cup organic pumpkin pie puree

3 Tbs. all purpose flour

2 Tbs. organic light brown sugar

1 Tbs. organic granulated sugar

1/4 cup canned coconut milk

1 Tbs. vanilla extract

1 tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

Apple Pie Filling

2 medium granny smith apples

2 medium pink lady apples

1/2 Tbs. lemon juice

1/3 cup organic brown sugar

1 1/2 Tbs. all purpose flour

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

pinch of salt

 

Salted Caramel Sauce

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

3/4 cup canned coconut milk

3 Tbs. vegan margarine

1 tsp. sea salt, coarse

Pie Crust

1) Mix flour, sugar and salt in a small bowl until well combined.

2) Add in margarine and shortening while you mix it all together with your hands. Keep kneeding until all ingredients are crumbled.

3) Slowly add cold water 1 Tbs. at a time and mix with your hands until dough is a ball.

4) Wrap the ball in saran wrap and put it in the refridgerator while you work on the pie fillings.

 Method

Pumpkin Pie Filling

1) Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl until combined.

2) Set bowl aside.

Apple Pie Filling

1) Peel, core and thinly slice apples. If you have a mandoline, use it! Thin apples make the perfect filling. Place the apples in a large bowl with the lemon juice.

2) Add brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg & salt.

3) Gently toss until apples are coated.

4) Set bowl aside.

Bring it all together

1) Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2) Take pie crust out of the refrigerator and roll out onto a floured countertop with a rolling pin.

3) Once the size of the outer rim of your pie dish, place the dough in the pan. When you get the edges, make sure there is no dough hanging over, or on the sides. Keeping your crust on the inside of the pan and off the rim, keeps the crust from burning.

4) Pour pumpkin pie filling into crust and smooth out until even.

5) Neatly place apples on top of pumpkin filling.

6) Place in oven and bake for 40 minutes. (Some of you may be confused here because on my instagram video, I poured the caramel sauce in right before this step. After making it a second time, I feel the best outcome is making the sauce right before serving.)

7) Let cool overnight, or at least 5 hours.

8) Once chilled, proceed to Salted Caramel sauce directions.

Salted Caramel Sauce

1) In a non-stick skillet, combine sugar and water over medium-low heat and mix until the sugar is dissolved.

2) Increse heat and bring to a boil, without stirring.

3) Boil until the liquid is a deep amber color, 5-7 minutes.

4) Remove the sugar from the heat and carefully whisk in coconut milk, vegan margaine and salt.

5) Pour in a heat safe dish and let cool for 5-10 minutes.

6) Once cooled, top pie with your favorite ice cream (mines Vanilla!) and pour caramel sauce over it, and ENJOY!

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Thank you Mary, this looks amazing!

Don’t forget to post your finished product on instagram, facebook or twitter and tag me in it when you’re done! I’d love to see your creations and what you think. @nomyourself or @knivesandneedles !

Cheers!

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17 Oct 2013

Sean Yanagi

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Sean Yanagi is a talented chef who gets tattooed by my friend Jill Bonny aka Horiyuki of State of Grace Tattoo Studio. I met him the other day and we got talking about restaurants and cooking. So it was only natural to interview him for this blog!! Read on and find out Sean’s thoughts on food and tattoos! Cheers!

Molly: Tell me a bit about yourself, please include what you are doing now

Sean: My name is Sean Yanagi and currently a line cook. At an early age I’ve always been enriched in food and the culture through family and just a natural curiosity but never really started to cook myself besides a microwave and late night top ramen till my late 20’s. Unwittingly I found cooking as a new hobby, Since then I’ve been hooked. School was really never meant for me so I spent most my career in the bleak hole of retail. After a long and an impassionate day of work I’d come home to cook off works stress and found cooking calming and therapeutic. Cooking a satisfying meal would simmer away all the loathing I had in the day’s work of retail. I decided I wanted to cook as a profession and once I started I felt right at home, working with people that actually had passion for what they do and worked to at least their best abilities. These eccentric, oddball misfits was an environment of people I felt at ease with where I can speak my mind and keep it real no bullshit aside. “By the ticket, take the ride” so to speak

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M: I always loved that about cooking, every kitchen is a motley crew! What is your favorite thing to cook?

S: My favorite thing to cook is anything low and slow to some good music, like cooking up some Gumbo to the sounds of Sidney Bechet or a nice Bolognese relaxing to some Pavarotti.

M: Woah, cool!  When did you get your first tattoo?

S: i got my first tattoo when i was 21, i wanted something i would not regret so i got my last name

M: Nice! Who do you admire in the tattoo industry?

S: The work that really caught my eye was from Jill Horiyuki Bonny. When looking for Japanese style tattooing I really appreciated her attention to detail, her work with color and classic style in her art. I also admire Takahiro Horitaka Kitamura, Luke Stewart for Japanese art and Jun Cha for black and grey all artist I’d like to get work from done.

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M: Thos are all really great artists and people! Do you go to any convention, if so which ones?

S: None

M: Why do you think so many chefs are heavily tattooed?

S: I feel cooking and the art of tattooing come together well because each has its creativity, freedom, culture, history and boldness, all ingredients that on the  palate bind well together naturally.

M:  What is your next tattoo gona be?

S: I’m in the progress for getting a 3 quarter sleeve Japanese cherry Blossoms in the wind

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M: What cooking magazines do you read?

S: Bon Appetit and Food and Wine

M: Love those! Do you own any tattoo magazines?

S: None

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M: Any cooking advice for a novice?

S: Always prep ingredients ahead of time before you start cooking called “Mise en Place” you’ll find the cooking experience more enjoyable and learn more from it. Also use your instincts, if you feel something is not right change it remember its just cooking have some fun with it.

Sean gave us an amazing recipe for beef yakiniku! Yakiniku is grilled beef Korean style and its one of my personal favorites! Thank you Sean!!

*Sorry I measure my ingredients by eye  so if you don’t feel comfortable you can buy pre made Yakiniku sauce at the Japanese market

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Yanagi’s Beef Yakiniku With Shishito Peppers

  • Flank Steak (or sliced Flat meat specifically for Yakiniku at the Japanese market) Preferred

Yakiniku Glaze and marinade

  • Japanese Soy Sauce
  • Sesame Oil
  • Sake
  • Mirin
  • Rice Vinegar
  • Minced Ginger
  • Minced Garlic
  • Brown Sugar
  • Honey
  • Japanese Spices(Shichimi Togarashi)
  • Scallions
  • Hondashi
  • Black n White Sesame(for garnish)

1.               mix all ingredients and steak into zip locked bag and marinade for at least 4 hours

2.               mix another batch of Yakiniku sauce and cook to reduce in a sauce pot to make a nice glaze(add corn starch mixed with cold water if sauce hasn’t thicken enough)*make sure there are no m

lumps in corn starch mixture

3.               Grill beef to your liking.

4.               lay beef over a bed of Japanese rice and drizzle with Yakiniku Glaze then add a layer of sautéed Shishito Pepper and zest Yuzu on top

Sautéed Shishito Peppers

  • Shishito Peppers( Sliced)
  • Kumquat(Thinly sliced)
  • Oil
  • Yuzu zest
  • Ponzu sauce
  • Shichimi Togarashi
  • Scallions

1.     Heat oil in sauté pan on medium high heat, add peppers, scallions and Shichimi Togarashi spice when oil is hot.

2.     cook until peppers are slightly still crunchy to the bit

3.     add kumquat, yuzu and ponzu sauce to mix in and turn off heat and set aside

 

sean tokyo

Thank you Sean!!!!

Send us your tattoo photos or recipes, we want to feature you!

http://www.knivesandneedlesblog.com

@knivesandneedles

Cheers!!

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23 Sep 2013
5 Comments

Jeremy Smith

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I do not know Jeremy Smith very well personally, but I can tell just from speaking with him for this blog that he is one hard-working chef. You can see all his hard work paying off with his mouth-watering food photos. Read on and try out Jeremy’s recipes, you wont regret it! Let us know how it turns out!

Molly:  Tell me about yourself, background and what you are doing now

Jeremy:  My is Chef Jeremy Ryan Smith, I am currently a Sous chef at Harrahs Cherokee Casino and Resort in Cherokee, NC. Previous to this I was a sous chef for Norwegian Cruise Line on the MS pride of America based in Honolulu, HI. I just finished a 20 month contract. I’m 25 years old and I have been in the Industry since I was 14. My culinary background includes high end to greasy spoons but I specialize in new American to classic French typical gastro pub style.  I strive to do good wholesome food. Fresh ingredients and nothing too confusing… Just far enough outside the box to push the envelope of new cuisine.  I graduated from the Columbus Culinary Institute in Columbus, OH in 2009.

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M:  Gotta love cooking the classics! How did you get into tattoos?

J:  I have always been interested in tattoos from a very young age. My parents were the “partying” type and I was exposed to all walks of life growing up… Majority of them having tattoos. I always knew I would get a tattoo and I didn’t get my first one until I was 22. I was picky and wanted to make sure that I got something that told a story about my life and was able to express myself in the awesome art form of tattoos.

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M:  Cool, what was your first tattoo?

J:  My first tattoo was my B&G Chef skull with a Damascus steel chefs knife and cleaver crossing under the skull. The skull is wearing a chefs hat and is says Mise En Place under the knives.

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M:  Ah mis en place! So who do you admire in the tattoo industry?

J:  I admire every professional tattoo artist that works in a legal clean shop trying to earn an honest living making there clients lives that much more enjoyable by giving them a life changing tattoo. It takes a lot of courage to do what they do!

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M:  What will your next tattoo be?

J:  My next planned tattoo is a full chest Piece of an Anatomically correct heart “claddagh. ” crown on top of the heart with hands wrapping around the heart and the arms will be Celtic knot work going out towards my shoulders to show my Irish pride.

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M:  Cool. Do you read any tattoo magazines?  If so, which ones?

J:  Yes I do. I read Inked Magazine, Tattoo, Tattoo Culture Magazine,

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M:  You are the first chef to tell me he reads tattoo magazines! Has being tattooed ever been an issue in getting a cooking job?

J:  Tattoos have never been an issue with my career as a chef. They have always been welcomed and shown off with pride. It kind of comes with the territory I guess. Especially since most of tattoos relate to cooking.

Thank you Jeremy! Check out a couple dishes Jeremy wanted to share with all of us today. They look delicious!

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Raspberry coullis filled mellon ball our of Asian pear, thinly sliced green apple, yellow bananas sliced on a hard bias, crowned strawberries with blueberries in the center, crowned cantaloupe with sliced strawberries, pineapple leaves for garnish

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Fillet of beef stuffed with Gruyere cheese wrapped in apple wood smoked bacon

The steak is seasoned with Sea salt, corse ground black pepper, and garlic powder, the steak is basted in a rosemary beurre noisette ( place 4 T of salted butter in sauté pan with 1 sprig of rosemary and place on medium high heat until butter browns a little) place raw steak in pan and baste with a spoon until desired temperature. Mine is a nice medium rare. Under the steak is a potato gillet ( thinly sliced red bliss potatoes, shaved Gruyere, minced shallots) small cast iron skillet coated in butter, shingle one layer of potatoes in bottom of pan then add cheese, shallots S&p, another layer of potato until desired thickness. Place skillet on stove top on high heat for about 8 min… Long enough to brown potatoes. Place In an oven at 350 degrees F for 12 min. Turn gillet out onto a cutting board and cut into triangles. Fan triangles out on plate and place steak on edge of fanned potatoes. Blanch 1/4 C trimmed Brussels then sauté 1 T of Jillian onions and raw diced bacon in 2 T of butter. Add Brussels and sauté for 5 min. S&P to taste. Place Brussels on the end of plate and drizzle with rosemary infused balsamic glaze (2 C balsamic vinegar 1/2 C brown sugar)(  Mix balsamic vinegar fresh sprig of rosemary  with brown sugar in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly until sugar has dissolved. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer until glaze is reduced by half, about 20 minutes. Glaze should coat the back of a spoon. Bon appetite

…  Ughh I’m so hungry now, thank you Jeremy!

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You can catch more of Jeremy on IG at @jeremiah76 or on FB  at Jeremy.smith.3304@facebook.com

Also Jeremy’s work was done by Forbidden Color Tattoos in Waynesville, NC.  You can heck them out at:

http://www.forbiddencolortattoos.com

https://www.facebook.com/ForbiddenColorTattoos

Thanks for tuning in today, I hope you enjoyed this post! If you are a tattooed chef or foodie tattooer who has recipes or food tattoos they would like to share, give us a shout! We would love to feature you!

Cheers!

knivesandneedles@gmail.com

@knivesandneedles

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16 Sep 2013
1 Comment

Tatau Bistro

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I have never interviewed a restaurant owner but I could not resist with a restaurant named Tatau Bistro and their chef/owner, Tonino Valiente just seems so cool. Tatau Bistro is located in Huesca, Spain. They serve mainly Tapas and have just changed their menu. From the photos and reviews I’ve read, it looks and sounds like a refreshing stop with delicious food and a cool atmosphere. Tonino and I managed to do an interview via email, check it out and definitely check out Tatau Bistro the next time you are in Spain, I do not think you will regret it!!

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Molly: What is your concept and how long have you been in business?

Tonino: We are a high quality tapas bar and restaurant located in Huesca (Spain) . Our name is Tatau Bistro due to our two passions: Tattoos (Tatau) and Cooking (Bistro)! Everything in our restaurant has something to do with tattoo culture; starting with us, the owners: Tonino is the cooker and he has plenty of tattoos. In fact , one of his arms is completely covered with tattoos dedicated to food and cooking culture 🙂

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We opened Tatau Bistro on 2nd August 2012 so the restaurant is only one years old! Anyway , Tonino Valiente, the cook and owner of Tatau Bistro, has been cooking since he were 16. He learned in Barcelona, at Hoffman School (http://www.hofmann-bcn.com/) and has been working on some of the most relevant spanish restaurants since then. After so many years of experience, it was time to start working by himself so with lots of effort he opened Tatau Bistro, a small restaurant that joined his two passions: Tattoos and Food. 🙂

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M: What was your first tattoo?

T: It is hard to remember as I have so many tattoos. But I think it was a tribal on my ankle. It was the kind of tattoo that you get done when you are a teenager and that you kind of regret later, so I decided to cover it with another one… that’s why I cant show you a pic of that tattoo ^^

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M: When did you get them and who did them?

T: I have been getting tattoos since I was about 16 and I am 33 now so you can imagine! I have been tattooed by many different artists.

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M: Do you have any memorable or funny stories about getting tattooed?

T: Well every tattoo has a story somehow… Now I remember an evening, when I was a teen, walking around the streets in Barcelona with my bro Ray. We just came by a Tattoo Shop and without any special reason we suddenly decided to get a “brotherhood” tattoo, so we entered that Shop and we got that tattoo… it says, “Bloodbrothers”, we both got tattooed the same lettering and on the same wrist, so it is a really special one for me.

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M: Do you have a favorite tattoo?

T: I like most of them a lot, but there is one that has a lot of meaning for me. I am left-handed so my left arm is all covered with food and cooking related tattoos. On the top of this arm I have tattooed a tribute to Auguste Escoffier (http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auguste_Escoffier) the master of modern cooking. This really means a lot to me, it is inspirational.

M: Who are some artists you’ve been tattooed by?

T: All my tattoos have been done in Barcelona. My favorite tattooers and in fact the ones that have tattooed most of my body are Dani Soriano and Toni Delgado. You can see their work here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/My-Way-Tattoo/111699335617388?fref=ts

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M: Why do you think the tattoo and culinary industries are so similar?

T: Somehow we both, cookers and tattooers, are artisans; we both put our heart and soul and knowledge on what we tattoo or cook for the clients, and they are the ones that enjoy the final result of our work.

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Tonino, muchas gracias!! Que muy interesante!!

Here is a recipe that Tonino wants to share with all of us, read on and try it!!

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Jaegermeister oxtail with pumpkin and goat cheese

Reduce the Jaegermeister liqueur and caramelize the pre-cut tail.

Cover with white bouillon (chicken stock), flavor, and simmer.

Decant the tail and bone it.

Correct the seasoning and add goat cheese brunoise, put into a mold and cool.

Strain the cooking liquid, degrease with red wine and make a demi glace then reduce and stir in butter.

Add salt and set aside.

Crush the Pumpkin , mix it with butter and flavor.

Caramelize the pumpkin seeds.

Ratione the already cold tail, and then heat it to 150 ° C.

Prepare for the mice en place the sauce, the puree, the caramelized pipes and the cheese brunoise.

You got it!

Thank you again, Tonino!! If you have any questions about this recipe or have anything you would like to share, tag us on IG or send us an email!!

@knivesandneedles

knivesandneedles@gmail.com

Check out more on Tatau Bistro at

http://bit.ly/17JSsCs

and

https://www.facebook.com/TatauBistro

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Have a great day!!

Cheers!

Posted by cookwithmolly in Uncategorized and tagged , , , , , , , , ,
26 Aug 2013

Rob Struven

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Rob Struven is definitely one great guy and definitely one talented tattooer. He also happens to have his shop, Garage Ink, in the heart of Napa Valley, California. Napa Valley is a destination spot for foodies and wine connoisseurs as the area is known for wine making and California cuisine, notably the world-famous French Laundry and Morimotos. And Garage Ink is a tattoo oasis within this food and wine mecca. So it was only natural that I would want to write about Rob and his love for food!

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Rob has a gluten allergy, so his diet can be pretty specific. It is interesting to cook for special diets or turning classic dishes into suitable dishes for specific diets. Rob is an inspiration to anyone who has to make the best out of eating a restricted diet. I always see him getting creative and it never looks as if what he is eating is boring or flavorless. What a fun and rewarding challenge!

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Rob’s wife, Ginger (who is of Italian decent), was kind enough to give me an old family recipe to share with your guys today. She has done an amazing job transforming this family heirloom recipe into something gluten free and organic. Go Ginger! Please read on and check out this delicious recipe for gluten free and organic spaghetti with meat sauce, you wont regret it!

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Gluten Free, organic spaghetti and meat sauce

1 pound ground beef

1 medium yellow onion

1 large bell pepper or 2 smaller ones

2 14oz jars diced tomatoes or fresh tomatoes if available

8 oz crimini mushrooms

7 oz jar tomato paste

4-6 large garlic cloves

4 tps worcestershire sauce

2 tsp sugar

2 tsp chili powder or more if you like heat

1 tsp salt or to taste

2 tsp pepper or to taste

2 bay leaf

Fresh shaved or grated parmesan cheese

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Brown ground beef with minced garlic, drain.

Sauté bell peppers and onion in olive oil.

Combine meat, bell peppers and onion in large pot.  Add tomatoes, tomato paste, worcestershire, all spices and mushrooms.

Simmer on very low heat for approx. 3 hours, stirring frequently.  Tastes even better the next day!

Serve with any gluten free pasta, spaghetti squash or zucchini “noodles”.

Top with parmesan. enjoy!

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Thank you so much Rob and Ginger! For more of Rob and Garage Ink, catch them at:

http://www.garageinktattoo.com

@garageinktattoostudios_napa

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Garage-ink-studios/142539032452465

If you have a food tattoo or recipe you would like to share, IG us or email us at:

@knivesandneedles

knivesandneedles@gmail.com

Cheers and enjoy!

Posted by cookwithmolly in Uncategorized and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment
12 Aug 2013

LIzette Gonzalez

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I am super stoked to introduce Lizette Gonzalez today! She is an incredible talent, a beautiful girl and a woman who knows whats she wants! Check out her interview and get inspired to bake your ass of!

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Molly: Tell us about yourself, background and what you are doing now.

Lizette: My name is Lizette Gonzalez.  I am a Chef de Partie (Pastry), residing in Las Vegas but originally from Rosemead, California.  I’ve been baking since the age of 6.  I grew up baking and making cakes galore with my mom in our kitchen at home.  She has taught me so much.  It’s because of her, I am the gal I am today.  I am a proud member of Cutthroat Culinary.  The ideas, convictions, and passion this group has towards the art of what we do amaze and inspire me every day.  I’m currently in the process of starting my own cake business, and possibly a catering business on the side.  I am not your average person, I am different.  I know who I am and what I want.  Every day I am challenged, I learn, and I continue to grow.  Every day I am that much closer to achieving my dream.

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M: Wow! Strong-minded person, very cool! When did you start getting tattooed?

L: It was the summer of 2004, I was 19

 

M: So what was your first tattoo?

L: It was 3 little music notes, the size of a quarter.  Later on it became part of a musical piece.

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M: What inspired you to get it and to get more?

L: I was anxious and nervous about my first tattoo, I did not just want anything, and it had to have a story… a meaning.  This may sound cliché, but it is very true.  Music has always been a part of my life since day 1.  In all that I do I’m always surrounded by music.  I listen to almost everything and anything.  From my rock ‘n roll and jazz, to hip hop and alternative.  And let’s not forget my Mexican music.  From this the ideas of self expression bloomed.

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“A picture is worth a thousand words”.  All I ever wanted to do was to tell my stories.  Show the world how and why I am the person I became to be.  So much thought has been put into each piece as well as the placement.  For example; My “smile” tattoo created by my beautiful niece, Gina, was originally drawn by her.  Gina has a form of Down Syndrome.  Each day that she is with us is a blessing, as she wasn’t suppose to see past 2 and now she is going strong at 25.  She is my heart and she inspires me.  This tattoo is very visible and those who have noticed it, smile.  Not only has Gina impacted me, but those around me as well, with just a simple smile J.  That joy and happiness people get from seeing this tattoo has the power to change a bad day into something wonderful.  That’s more than I could ever ask for.

There is so much more to share, I’m far from being done with telling my story.

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M: Very touching and interesting! Why do you think so many chefs are heavily tattooed?

L: We express our minds, our feelings, and convictions through our food.  It’s our art, our passion, our story.  Tattoos are another way to show our freedom to express our ideas and emotions through another form of art.  It’s a beautiful thing.

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M: Do you own any tattoo magazines, if so which ones?

L: Inked and Tattoo.  On Facebook I’m following Addicted to Ink, and Inked and Sexy, and Women with Ink.

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M: Nice! Who do you admire in the tattoo industry? Do you have a tattoo done by him/her?

L: Tim Mueller of Tim Mueller’s Secret Tattoo and Charly Reynoso of Black Diamond Tattoo.  These two artists have a gift in what they do.  I’ve been blessed to have crossed paths with these guys and be able to call them friends.  I have gotten work done by Charly, and I’m currently getting work done by Tim.  It’s amazing to see them work.  Without having to say much they know the ideas and concepts of what I want, and with that I allow them to have the freedom to add their artistic twist to the piece.

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Thank you Lizette!! Its always nice to interview talented people who have something to say and thank you all for taking the time to read our little blog : ) !!

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Lizette shared an amazing recipe; check it out, try it out, tell us about how it went!

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Baguettes with a Twist

Poolish Prefrement

Bread Flour       5.5 oz

Hi-Gluten Flour   5.5 oz

Water                11 oz

Fresh Yeast      5 grams

Combine bread flour, hi-gluten flour, water and yeast. Mix until water is incorporated and the consistency is smooth.

Cover product so that it does not form a skin.

Ferment over night in walk-in

Baguettes

Poolish

Star Anise      ¼ tsp

Honey             1 oz

Vanilla Extract  1 ½ tsps

Salt                 1 TBS

Cranberries   5 oz

Cinnamon      3 tsp

Poppy Seeds 3.5 oz

Infuse ¼ tsp star anise in half of the water.

Combine poolish, water, water infused with star anise, yeast, bread flour, honey, vanilla extract and salt. Mix at a low speed for 3 minutes (scrape bowl after 2 minutes)

Continue to mix dough at a medium for 2-3 minutes.

Divide the dough into three equal parts. Add ingredients as follo

Dough 1: Add 2.5 oz cranberries

Dough 2: Add 2.5 oz cranberries and 1 ½ tsp cinnamon

Dough 3: Add 1 ½ tsp cinnamon

In a well-oiled container, cover each of the three doughs, with plastic wrap, and ferment in a warm environment until the internal temperature reaches 75ºF. Stretch and fold after 45 minutes. Total fermentation will be 1.5 hours.

Once fermentation is complete, scale 4 equal strands from each of the 3 doughs (making 12 strands all together). Spray strands from doughs 1 and 3 with water and cover with poppy seeds. Pre-shape into mini baguetttes and let sit for 20-30 minutes, covered in plastic wrap.

Braid 3 strands (one from each different dough mixture) forming 4 different loaves.

Optional  Once braided, shape the braided dough into the form of a wreath. (Do this to all 4 loaves).

Proof for about 40 minutes

Bake at 400ºF (with steam). Bake for 20-25 minutes

Cool down and enjoy!!

Cream Cheese Topping

Cream Cheese, softened    16 oz

Powdered Sugar             1 ½ cups

Vanilla Extract                1 TBS

Combine all ingredients and mix until well blended

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Thank you Lizette again! You can check out more of Lizette and her creations at:

IG: @l1zzyg03

FB: http://www.facebook.com/lizette.gonzales.311

If you have a food tattoo or recipe you would like to share, please contact us at either

knivesandneedles@gmail.com or @knivesandneedles on IG.

Cheers!!

Posted by cookwithmolly in cooking, Dessert, food, Food Tattoos, Foodie, Recipes, Uncategorized and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment
05 Aug 2013

Chuey Quintanar

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The last time we were in LA, Taki and I went to Sunday brunch at Chuey Quintanar’s house. Chuey’s wife, Violet is known for her breakfasts, and I knew we were in for a true treat! Violet made us her homemade Mexican quesadillas. I have never had quesadillas like these before (And haven’t since either now that I think about it!). The tick, round, hand-made quesadilla was stuffed with cheese and potato then folded in half and pan-fried to a delicious crispiness. We topped them with more cheese, guacamole, sour cream, sliced radishes, lettuce and salsa. Unbelievable. Violet sent me the recipe the other day so I can share it with you guys. Try it and let us know how it went! Send us a photo!

I have included some other photos of Chuey’s so enjoy!

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Brunch Quintanar style!

Quesadillas

For the filling

Boil potatoes (rustic are best)

When done, mash with butter and use salt and pepper to season

You can make cheese quesadillas and cheese and potatoes quesadillas

For the cheese use the Oaxaca style cheese, shredded.

For the quesadilla you can use corn flour the Maseca brand and follow directions based on how many you want to make, directions are on the back of the package.

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 You will need a traditional tortilla maker for this recipe (you can find it at a local Mexican grocery store).

Once you make the dough, you roll it into a small ball (about the size of your palm) and place it in the tortilla maker (make sure to line the tortilla maker with plastic so that the dough won’t stick), press the dough and once it looks like a thick tortilla, you can place ingredients inside, such as cheese and epasote (a Mexican fresh herb) or cheese and potato. Once the ingredients are placed you can close the tortilla like you would a taco making sure that the sides are sealed.

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 Once you have the quesadillas, you will fry them in medium heat until golden brown using vegetable oil. When done take them out of the pan and place them in a paper towel to help drain the extra oil.

Top the quesadillas with guacamole, salsa, shredded lettuce and fresh Mexican cheese (quoi fresco); you can also use sour cream

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Violet and yours truly in Hawaii

For the guacamole

2 avocados

½ a lime

Diced up tomatoes

Diced up onions

Garlic clove smashed

Cilantro-diced

Salt and pepper to taste

 To make: smash the avocado with a fork until creamy; add limejuice salt and pepper and mix. Then add the tomatoes, onions, garlic and cilantro and gently mix.

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Chuey and his daughter

Salsa

In a pan with a bit of oil place roma tomatoes (about 3-4) cut in half and grill. Once they are done, add to a blender and puree with cilantro (about ½ a cup) 1-3 Serrano peppers depending on how spicy you want, onion (about 1/3rd of an onion and one garlic clove add salt and pepper and place in a bowl.

Thank you Chuey and Violet!!

Thank you for tuning in today. If you have a food tattoo, recipe or just anything related send us an email, we would love to feature you! knivesandneedles@gmail.com

Cheers!

Posted by cookwithmolly in Uncategorized and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment
15 Jul 2013

Horitaka’s Food photos

Horitaka loves taking photos of food he and his friends eat!

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Have a great day

Cheers!!

Send us your food tattoos, recipes or food photos, we would love to publish them!

knivesandneedles@gmail.com

Posted by cookwithmolly in Uncategorized and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

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