3/28/15 Pop-Up Dinner Party at The Hood Kitchen in Costa Mesa, CA
We were honored to set our communal table at this amazing haven for Culinary Professionals, Food Artisans & Entrepreneurs. Our early inspiration was to reflect the fun and coolness of this amazing space that houses commercial kitchens and an extraordinary amount of support to the culinary community at large. We brought in some colorful paintings by artist Catherine Rex, along with some sharp looking cactus (pun intended). We grounded the vibe with tribal painted rocks and synced all of it up with a groovy soundtrack. Then, as always, Chef Kyle worked his magic and actually plated Hip & Edge – we enjoyed:
STARTERS
RHUBARB MARGARITA served on the rocks w/a sweet and salty rim,
garnished with kumquats & limes!
CURED SEAFOOD PLATTER beet cured salmon + citrus cured shrimp
served on a platter w/multi colored vegetable chips,
spiced fried hominy, roasted shisito peppers & cucumber salsa!
ON THE TABLE
& paired w/South American & Spanish wines:
BOWLS OF LOTUS CHIPS served w/a dried chile tapenade
COURSE ONE
CHARRED GREENS SALAD charred romaine and crispy kale tossed in a burnt tortilla vinaigrette w/pepitas, roasted red peppers & cotija cheese
COURSE TWO
BRAISED BEEF SHORT RIB TAMALES served w/a spicy lobster sauce, topped with fried black-eyed peas, roasted vegetables & chunks of lobster meat
****Vegetarian Alternative****
BRAISED JACKFRUIT TAMALES served with a spicy hatch chile sauce, topped w/fried black eyed peas, roasted vegetables & frisee lettuce
COURSE THREE
CHURROS TWO WAYS homemade churros, served w/a spicy chocolate ganache & deep fried churro ice cream
Many thanks to all the beautiful people who came on a lark with us! They brought their gorgeous smiles and good vibes! Special thanks to Shelby Coffman, LetterSparrow, Catherine Rex Art, Medium Raw Arts, Monique Schulfer, Seaworth Coffee Co., Jeri Vann Creations, Jaxsea Swimwear, Tom Goad, Marisa Powers, Jane Vo, and Dawn Martinez.
Charred romaine and crispy kale tossed in a burnt tortilla vinaigrette w/pepitas, roasted red peppers & cotija cheese. On a lark @TheHoodKitchen 3-28-15.Catherine, Monique, Shelby, Kyle, Marisa & Lisa. On a lark Lark @TheHoodKitchen 3-28-15.beet cured salmon + citrus cured shrimp served on a platter w/multi colored vegetable chips, spiced fried hominy, roasted shisito peppers & cucumber salsa! On a lark @TheHoodKitchen 3-28-15.Hip & Edge! On a lark @TheHoodKitchen 3-28-15.BRAISED BEEF SHORT RIB TAMALES served w/a spicy lobster sauce, topped with fried black-eyed peas, roasted vegetables & chunks of lobster meat. On a lark @TheHoodKitchen 3-28-15.On a lark @TheHoodKitchen 3-28-15.On a lark @TheHoodKitchen 3-28-15.Beautiful work by @LetterSparrow. On a lark @TheHoodKitchen 3-28-15.
In 145 characters or less, tell us how this grant will help you achieve your business goals.*
It will provide the resources to establish our own location and grow our offerings to include Design Consultation and eCommerce.
Tell us why and how you started your business.*
To nurture and inspire individuals, making this a better world, even for a moment. We began our business by “popping” up in various locations, including parks, boutiques and private residences. Popping us allows us to keep our overhead costs low while we learn what works best for everyone. Our motto is to “do, reflect, refine, & do again”.
What do you love most about what you do?*
We love making ideas happen, with the perfect combination wit & whimsy, just to see where it goes and how it inspires others. We get to style locations, enjoy food + wine, and have great conversations.
Tell us about your current work. What do you make? What’s special about the construction or materials used?*
We style our underground dinner party and marketplace locations. We scout, acquire materials, and talent. We use West Elm products as well as local designers to make our space beautiful and inspirational.
What 3 words would you use to describe your work and why?*
First would be “lark” because it is a true adventure! Second would be “Inspired” because this is our goal. Third would be “Refreshing” because it’s always fresh.
What are your goals for your business and your vision for growth?*
To open a quaint Brick & Mortar that offers Curated Goods, Event Space and Design Consultation. Because it’s so much fun, we will continue producing underground dining and marketplace events, expanding to cities around the world, to facilitate the positive impact of design and community.
We recently met up with local Huntington Beach blogger Lauren of “Main & PCH”, who lives and loves all things local, to share a bit of our story! Read about it here: Let’s go on a lark
Constantly looking for collaboration and inspiration, on a lark, I met Chef Kyle Powers and was immediately drawn to his kind and calm demeanor. He is one of those people that you just feel good standing next to. He developed his culinary skills in the kitchens of restaurants as opposed to the traditional cooking schools (the sign of a true rebel!). After seeing him in action and tasting several of his creations, I realized the culinary world chose him and we all are better for it. We are thrilled to have Kyle create our menu, select the wine, and mingle with guests at our next lark on 9.19.14 in Sunset Beach. So you can get to know him better, below is a short Q&A to get the conversation started!:
What is your earliest culinary memory?
My earliest culinary memory is waking up on Saturday mornings at 5 years old, turning on cartoons, and then deciding to make breakfast for my parents. I would always get in trouble because I wasn’t allowed to touch the stove.
What is your view on the (slow) food movement?
I feel like the world of food has changed a lot but mainly for those interested in that change. We need this change to happen with more people and communities, especially for our health.
Which cooking words or phrases do you most overuse?
I use them without thinking! Then, when I feel like I’m overusing, I stop and figure another way to get my point across—which leads me back and then to over usage! Lol. But a popular word/term I can’t really stand is “foodie”.
What is your most treasured culinary possession?
Right now I love using my pressure cooker.
What is your motto?
My motto for when I cook is to “Be Different”. My motto for others is “Anyone Can Cook”. When I do my Cooking Demos I try and teach confidence in the kitchen versus just recipes.
What is your greatest culinary extravagance?
It is probably almost making it on Food Network Star a few years back. But currently it’s watching our business grow. See
What is your is your idea of the perfect meal?
My idea of a perfect meal is when I taste something that I’ve had before, but it makes me think I haven’t had it before. Add wine to that and I’m happy.
What do you most value in your friends?
I value my friends immensely. My favorite thing is that we can go days or even weeks without having seen each other and maybe have only chatted a couple times, but the effort we all make to stay connected is absolutely amazing. They support me more than I can ever ask or imagine.
Which living person do you most admire?
The living person I most admire is my wife Marisa. She is the biggest reason we have a successful business and she has endured a lot this past year. With our first pregnancy and first born I learned how to never give up and get through some really tough situations. I relate that to working in the kitchen everyday. She deserves multiple medals for being an amazing wife, a great businesswoman, a supportive sibling, caring daughter, and most of all a mother. She can do all of those things and still find time to make our own sunscreen, baby food and detergents for our home. She just recently made deodorant. What can I say? How can I not admire her?! I’m simply blessed beyond belief! And she makes my mom proud!
What is your favorite spice?
My favorite spice always changes. Other than salt I really like Juniper and Cumin too. But whatever spice I use I want to use it in the most unique way possible.
What simple advice do you give others regarding food?
Take time to cook! #bebravecreate
What is your most marked characteristic?
I am calm in the kitchen – and in general. The calmness brings out creativity for me.
Where would you most like to travel?
Our next big trip will be to Italy!!! But best food trips were to New York and Portland!
Who do you follow / admire in the food world?
My favorite chefs are Jamie Oliver and Rick Bayless. I feel Jamie Oliver is really trying to change the world with food and how kids are seeing food. I also really admire my friend at Red O in Los Angeles Chef Justin Haefler. His story is unbelievable and I think he is going to do huge things in the food world. His focus is on healthy eating without being a specific type, vegan, vegetarian, etc. FYI – Red O is a Rick Bayless restaurant out of Chicago that is now in L.A. and Newport Beach.
What made you realize that you were a good cook?
When my wife said, “let’s start a catering business”, I thought maybe I CAN cook! [editor note: Fork In The Road Catering ]
What is your favorite wine / food combo?
There are way too many great ones to choose from!
What arbitrary kitchen rule would you like to break or establish?
Being that I didn’t go to culinary school I think I break a lot of rules without even knowing it, but it works 95 percent of the time so I don’t really pay attention to the “rules”. If something doesn’t work I figure out how to make it work.
Chef Kyle Powers w/wife & business partner Marisa
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See Chef Kyle’s mouth watering menu and learn more about our upcoming lark here:
When I was about 10 years old, I was invited to visit my friend Lou-Lou’s house in Bel Marin Keys. My schoolmate had never mentioned anything about home and I had no expectations other than to play games, eat candy and watch movies. As it often happens when visiting someone’s home, her life unfolded as I walked through the doors. I encountered calm and serene house, nothing standing out with the exception of several older sisters coming and going. To my surprise her mom gave me direct attention and was obviously delighted by our child-adult conversation. When the opportunity arose, we ventured outside and suddenly all my senses came to life. Her mom had the most beautiful garden sanctuary I had ever seen. It was child friendly and we able to tromp wherever we wanted without fear of reprimand. The wild flowers and plants were intentionally unkempt; it was perfect and welcoming. Their colors made the most delightful bouquets and changed throughout the day. The wrought iron garden furniture with stripped patterned pillows fit in as if they grew there themselves. The feeling this Mediterranean garden evoked was so strong, I wanted to root myself to the ground and never leave – and in a way, I never did. xo~L
