Pop-Up Social Dining + Marketplace
Interior at Viridian
Thank you Whole Foods for offering up this beautiful organic Broccolini for tomorrow’s underground dinner party in Costa Mesa, CA. Chef Kristen Trinh knows how to shop! This bounty will be enjoyed thoroughly!
We decided to host a communal pop-up diner party, yay! But where can we get a table for 12? Hmm, those beautiful farm tables are a bit pricey. Fortunately, my talented husband and youngest son took it upon themselves built our table from raw Pinewood from Home Depot. They turned out solid and functional, but they needed a little character.
A little research on Pinterest resulted in a simple DIY recipe for staining wood – one that would dry in just a few hours. So on the very morning of our very first pop-up we stained the raw Pinewood with a concoction of steel wool, vinegar and coffee grounds (which we soaked together in even proportions for about 17 hours). Once we applied the stain, we felt it needed a bit “more” so we grabbed that morning’s coffee grounds and rubbed them into the table, perfect! While the table was drying a small rain shower made a brief visit leaving it’s own marks. Results? Absolutely beautiful!
Enjoy this Q & A with Kristen Trinh of The Mad Platter Kitchen.
Q. When did you realize you wanted to become a chef?
A. What inspired me to become a chef was my husband and I had a conversation one day about how much he appreciates my cooking and noticed how happy I am when I am cooking for him and our friends. He lightly mentioned that I should try out culinary school. I honestly never thought about it before, but it made perfect sense to me and so I did.
Q. What is your earliest memory of cooking?
A. I would say earliest memory of cooking was with my grandmother during holidays. We had family gatherings all the time and I would always help my grandmother in the kitchen. That’s what sparked my interest and passion for cooking.
Q. What is your favorite cuisine to cook?
A. My passion for cooking has led me to create delicious dishes from all regions all around the world, but my favorite food to cook is Southern Italian.
Q.You went to the Art Institute right? Would you say that is where you obtained most of your skills?
A. In 2007 I went to Art Institute of Orange County where I studied the ‘Art of Cooking’ and graduated a year later.
Q. What roles did you play at Laguna Culinary Arts Cafe & School?
A. I started work at Laguna Culinary Arts in 2008 where I became a Fromage and worked in the kitchen for basic food prep. I slowly worked my way up to not only cooking in the kitchen but menu planning, food cost. managing the cafe, and instructing classes. From there I grew a strong interest to become a private chef and branch off to do catering and meal planning on my own which is where I am at today.
# # #
