Just got back from doing a job Indonesia. It was a long 16 hour flight–huge thanks to my wonderful clients who flew me back first class on Cathay air (it was fantastic).

While there, I had to deviate from my raw food diet for 10 days…and I’m glad I did because I loved their food. A huge bonus about doing work all over the world is that I get to try the most amazing cuisine from different regions.

In this week’s Your Turn please share your favorite kind of foreign food.

I know I was just talking about my raw food diet the other week, but have you ever found that when you can’t have something you only want it more? That’s how I’m feeling this week about junk food.

In general, I try to avoid sweets and eat very healthfully, but then some days you just want something junky and satisfying.

Some of my favorite junk foods are: ice cream, hot dogs from NYC street vendors, popcorn with extra butter and the ulitmate comfort–chocolate.

Now, please tell me…what is your favorite junk food?






(Photo via)

I had the pleasure of spending time with my new partners from the Wedding Planning Institute the gorgeous Cho Phillips and her wonderful brother Jerry Madson for two weeks, and I was fascinated by how good and healthy they both looked.

I asked Cho what her secret was and she said that she has been on a raw food diet and described how much she enjoyed it. While working with the amazing Donna Karan, I was also blown away by her energy and looks, to find out that she was on the same raw food diet.

One of my survivals skills is always trying to adapt the good habits of my friends and colleagues, so I have decided to give it a try. You must understand, however, that my usual lunch consists of ox tail stew (yum!) with rice, beans and fried bananas…

I was never into fad diets, so before starting I did a lot of research. I found out that this a potentially life changing diet, if done properly. Today I am on my fifth day of eating only raw food. It’s basically a diet of eating fresh fruits and vegetables, which has always been a huge challenge for me.

I feel lighter, though I do need to be careful with all those unwanted gasses (I noticed that no one wanted to workout around me at my gym). I’ll continue, just as you do with any new thing, by taking it one carrot at a time. And, to all my dear friends and family coming over to my apartment for dinner–be ready for some raw food entertaining.

What is your number one favorite dish to cook or serve? And please share any tips you have on maintaining healthy eating habits…Plus, I would love to know what restaurant you’ve been to that served the best meal of your life.

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I am thrilled to be able to work in many countries around the world (not to mention earning those frequent flyer points!).  It never ceases to amaze me how different customs can be among different cultures. For instance, the choice of serving a sit down dinner or buffet style dinner.

I know it seems like a small thing, but this choice can make a big difference to your budget as well as to the mood of your entire event--not to mention making sure your event is culturally appropriate for the country (mostly if you’re planning a destination wedding).

Here’s what’ I’ve discovered:

• Indonesian events: mostly buffet
• South of France: mostly sit down dinners
• Hong Kong: mostly buffets
• Panama, (my country of birth): mostly buffets
• Middle East: mostly buffets
• Italy: sit down dinners

In America it could go either way. I noticed there was a trend in the desire to keep an event more informal and economical (especially last year with our economical drop), so most events were served buffet style. I do, however,  think this is slowly changing back to the formality of a sit down dinner.

When serving sit down dinners, I have tried many ways to keep this part of the night interesting. For example:

• Leave a chair open at each table for the host (and/or hostess) to visit with their guests (This works best for smaller events. If the event involves over 200 guests, 20 tables is a lot to visit.)
• Try having guests move to different tables for dessert and coffee to encourage mixing groups.
• I also prefer to assign tables not seats. I find this to be more organic (and less controlling).

What’s you preference? Sit down or buffet? And if sit down, what do you think works best to keep it interesting (especially when some guests are having a hard time connecting with other folks at their table)?

I grilled Olivier Cheng, founder of Olivier Cheng Catering and Events, to get some insight on the catering business, discuss what food trends are in and out, and try to find out what special food he has on the menu for the Celebrations launch party.

But before you read the interview, here is Olivier’s tip on how to help your caterer help you find your food vision. Press play to watch.

PB: Tell us about how you got started in the catering business.

Olivier: My background is in business and architecture and I got started in the catering business because I worked for a friend of mine who was an architect and ran a little luxury resort in Colorado. He really loved what he did and I helped him on the business and design side to help run and manage it.

I came back here trying to figure out what I’d like to do and I liked the idea of working on food, catering and design so I worked for somebody I knew here in New York, and then I worked for a celebrity chef to help him start a business, and from there I started my own business.

I just really wanted to make something that was not your typical catering business. For me, it was more about doing beautiful food, about the way things looked in the whole story–from how the staff looked, etc…Obviously you have to complement everything all the way around. [I wanted] to really treat it like a fine restaurant but in a catering experience.

PB: Now let’s jump to what’s really important. What’s your favorite food?

Olivier (smiling): Well, I have to say that one of my favorite foods is one of your favorite foods…and that would have to be short ribs. I think you’d agree with me that short ribs with a little celery root is the way to go.

PB: What food trend do you think has been overdone in the past year?

Olivier: That’s a good question. Since New York is so eclectic, it’s hard for me to say what…

You know, I’m wondering if this sort of American comfort food thing is–with the cupcakes and everything–I feel like that’s really getting saturated and I think that’s something that has sort of seen its day.

PB: What’s the strangest food request you’ve ever had from a client?

Olivier: It would have to be for this wedding we did where it was just a two person wedding and the bride really didn’t eat anything. I think she was lactose intolerant or vegetarian and the groom was a complete carnivore. Since we were only feeding two people, I think for their hors d’oeuvre for their wedding we served her one type because that was all she could eat and we served him like 10.

It had to be one of the most unique parties I’ve done food-wise since their tastes were so different yet there was only two of them. When you’re doing that for 100 people, it’s a little different, but for just two, I think the clash stood out to me the most.

PB: How do you plan your menus? What’s your process?

Olivier: We’re very client-oriented. One of the very first things I always do is talk to the client and figure out what they love and what they envision for food. To me, it’s really about the client and to direct the client to help them find their vision.

PB: Here’s the final question we’ve been waiting for. What are you planning on serving at my Celebrations launch party?

Olivier: Well, a lot of it is a surprise so I shouldn’t really be revealing to you what we have planned…BUT one of the things we’re doing is that I want to serve some of your favorite things.

At the parties we do together, I see that your eyes light up when you’re around the food table so one of the things I’m doing for you is that we’re going to serve what I was talking about earlier which is one of my favorite things as well… braised short ribs with celery root puree. So I hope you will love that.

Now tell me dear readers, what is one amazing dish you recently had and where did you eat it?


Photos by: Olivier Cheng Catering and Events or Jason Wyche