Iron Chef contestant, Chef Dena Marino, MC Hospitality Group was our headliner and closing act for Kids Eat Miami's inaugural fundraiser event for Common Threads! I'll be posting the chef's individual posts soon. Also, all the recipes will be posted on Kids Eat Miami site soon.

I can't wait to hear the tally on how much this event raised. For a first, I think everyone did a FANTASTIC job of pulling together for a great cause! 

Thanks to Jungle Island for hosting this event and to all the participating sponsors, auction donors, organizers and especially to the volunteers. The kids love ya! Please visit Common Threads to see how you can get involved in this community project. And let's not forget Chef Michelle Bernstein who started the Miami chapter.

Common Threads Chef instructor and Nutrolution, Rachael Richardson, RD, LN/D made a delicious, very fluffy Tabbouleh using quinoa instead of bulgar wheat.

Kelly Saks, Miss Earth Florida teaches adolescents success through ecology (T.A.S.T.E.). A vegetarian herself, she does a great job promoting healthy eating and the kids related to her.

Wok Star Eleanor Hoh gives monthly cooking classes in Miami. I made a sizzling beef with baby bok choy and bell pepper. I wanted to show a tasty, one-dish dinner for busy weeknights can be simple and easy.

Chef Shawn Fralin, Rakkasan Chef and his teenage kids made Conch Soup from the Overtown CookBook. As he says, can be served hot and sassy or chilled and spicy, umm.

Great turnout for the chef demos even though the other activities were way out in Jungle Island. What I noticed was the minute people smelled food, they were THERE!

I couldn't resist doing the celebrity chef photo op.

Eat at Gastropod, sit at one of my favorite restos, Chow Down Grill in Surfside AND raise funds for Common Threads! Run, they're still there. This was a cute idea.

We were even roping folks for Saturday's KidsEatMiami.com on Jungle Island, you must buy tickets ahead. See schedule and lineup of chef demos here, myself included.  Looking forward to wokking with the kiddies! We also snagged an Iron Chef contestant, Chef Dena Marino who'll be headlining and closing the event.

Here's the post of my recent cooking class with them, so enjoyed it. Love cooking with kids more than adults! They're more attentive and enthusiastic, truly.

Bahn mi - stuffed full of pulled pork & pickles, ummm.

Short ribs slider with pickled red cabbage, yum.

Gastropod & Chow Down Grill gang, sorry with flashy eyes!

Chow Down Grill let us eat at their tables, it was a lovely evening.

The Brana Group was cooking a sit down dinner at Chow Down Grill, part of a series of furndraising for Common Threads. 

 

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Excited to announce chef lineup for Common Threads healthy eating demos at Jungle Island! Iron Chef contestant, Chef Dena Marino will be headlining this Saturday at 2pm. Posting schedule soon.

The Common Threads kids and I will be wokking up a healthy, easy, sizzling one dish dinner for busy weeknights: beef with baby bok choy. And if they can do it, so can you!

Bring the kids, head out to Jungle Island, there'll be lots to see and do. $10 off usual entrance of $35 for a good cause plus you can visit Jungle Island!

Kudos to all the organizations for joining up to help on this important issue to fight childhood obesity and nutrition.

You must buy your tickets AHEAD, click to KidsEatMiami for details and find out more about Common Threads and why you should get involved!

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Gorgeous day in Miami Beach! So, a must having lunch on the balcony. You can always come up with something to eat! My fridge for a change is totally empty, not even any fresh veggies. Grilled last batch of chicken sausage & squeezed some Yuzupao(yuzu citrus hot red chile sauce.) I just got a nice surprise parcel from Earthy Delights with all sorts of goodies, yay, can't wait to try them!!! I love the name Yuzupao, sounds like an explosion. When I took the sealer off, chile sauce squirted the wall, pao, pao! I like its light, citrusy flavor & that it comes in a squeeze bottle, makes it easier to dispense. It's how I Squirt, Squeeze, Shake my Asian seasonings for stir frys! So much FUN rather than having to measure.

Turns out a delish lunch with radish, carrot pickle and pineapple chunks and a slice of toast slathered with Cabot butter, so creamy. I saw their booth at Fun & Fit, Jungle Island, a part of the South Beach Wine and Food Festival. I also love their Greek Style yoghurt which we have nearly twice a day with fruit or steel cut oats. Oh, drinking my daily dose of apple cider vinegar with just water. More about this later.

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I congratulated Jamie Oliver using a wok in his first series of Food Revolution! We caught him before all the kids & parents entered, he was making pasta.

Love him teaching kids & parents healthier eating, it's what I want to focus on this year, more about this event soon! Thanks to Paula @mango_lime for tix to Jungle Island. Enjoyed hanging behind the scenes while she worked.

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