Featured: Around the World in 80 Plates Contestant & Chef Jenna Johansen

16 May

CHEF JENNA JOHANSEN (Forkly: @jennajohansen)

We’ve loved seeing Chef Jenna Johansen’s tastes on Forkly over the past few months. And with good reason! Her range of dishes offer a little something for everyone. Read on to learn more…

I use forkly to catch up on food porn, to see where and what I want to eat next, and to share some of the great dishes I’m eating with people who love delicious food as much as I do.

Chef Johansen’s love of travel has taken her all over the world, leading her to Italy and Spain and back to her homebase, Denver, Colorado. Her worldly dishes have garnered recent acclaim during the first season of Bravo’s Around the World in 80 Plates, which took the adventurous chef on a culinary tour of the world in which she competed against 12 other chefs for a $150,000 grand prize. Jenna is currently a member of the chef-driven culinary group FIVE™ and is working on her own brand of boutique food products.

Chef Johansen began her culinary career in a bakery at the age of 14. Since that first job, she has learned every element of a restaurant, from high volume corporate chef positions and waiting tables to becoming the executive chef of several independent restaurants. She has carefully planned her career around education rather than notable names, gravitating towards restaurants that gave her the opportunity to learn. Jenna’s cuisine is simple, seasonal, and surprising.

I return every day to the kitchen in the hopes that I’ll make people happy with my food. When a guest stops by to tell me they’ve just had an “a-ha” moment because of my brussels sprouts, that, to me, is an accomplishment.

Catch Chef Johansen on Bravo’s Around the World in 80 Plates on Wednesday nights from May through July. To get a taste of her cooking, meet her in person:

June 11: FIVE @ Five at the Village Cork
June 15: Aspen Food & Wine
July 16: FIVE @ Five at Two Bear Farms with Jenna Johansen

In the meantime, enjoy some of her Forkly tastes below. You can follow her on Forkly at @jennajohansen (and on Twitter with the same handle).

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App Tip: How to Manage your Forkly Notifications

15 May

We know that the large volume of email traffic can be a major headache these days. In particular, the slew of social media alerts, breaking news stories, and daily deals– and that’s in addition to your normal work and play emails! For this reason, you have the option to make your preferences clear in the Forkly settings–both within the app and on the web.

To Change your Preferences within the App

Go to your “Profile” page and tap “Settings” in the top left hand corner:

Tap on “Notifications,” the second tab down.

Various options will then appear, with push notification options on the left column and email notifications on the right column. Check off your preferences:

Tap “Save” and you’re all set!

To Change your Preferences on the Web

To get to your Forkly account on the web, enter forkly.com/USERNAME e.g. forkly.com/jswauer

Your tastes page will appear. Click on “Log in” in the upper right hand corner and sign in with your Forkly account information. Then, click on “Settings,” also in upper right hand corner of the webpage:

You’ll then land on your Account Settings page:

Scroll down to the bottom and check each box according to which email or push notifications you’d like to receive:

Et voila! Don’t forget to save any changes. You can change these settings at any time, both on the web and within the app. And as always, feel free let us know if you have questions in the comments section below or at team@forkly.com.

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Mother’s Day is this Weekend! How will you be spoiling mom?

11 May

For those of you still scratching your head on just how you want to “wow” mom this year, we’ve taken the time to round up some events going on around cities near you! Feel free to add other events in the comments section below –and as always, post those tastes on Forkly!

Friday, May 11th

THE MOTHER’S DAY SHOW Featuring R&B Sensation CASE – New London, CT

Colorado Chocolate Festival - Denver, CO

Sunday, May 13th

Dose: Mother’s Day Edition – Chicago, IL

Mother’s Day Brunch at Saratoga National - Saratoga Springs, NY

Chocolate Fest at First Congressional Church of Danbury  – Danbury, CT

Mother’s Day Brunch in Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, and Broward County AND in Palm Beach, Boca Raton, and West Palm Beach – Florida

Sexy Mamas Disco Brunch – Denver, CO

Mother’s Day Tea: Once in Barre (1890-1930) - Cambridge, MA

Planning on suprising mom with some of your culinary prowess instead? Here are some fun and sweet recipes that we know she’d love!

Mini Chocolate-Strawberry Heart Pancakes -  Yesica of Digital Vegan

Delicious & Guiltless French Toast – by Domenica Catelli

Slow-Roasted Salmon with Spring Herb Sauce - by Jerry Traunfeld

Vegetable & Goat Cheese “Lasagna” – by Penelope Casas

My Mother’s Cheesecake – by Ricki Heller

And more from Cookstr!

Don’t forget to snap some Forkly tastes of all the decadent food you’ll be showering mom with this weekend!

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App Tip: How To Add a Taste Later and How to Post Without a Location

9 May

We’re aware of the increasing number of food fans getting poked and prodded by their dining companions to quit Fork’n around at the table. So, in the name of world peace–or really, dining out peace–we wanted to let you know about Forkly’s clever design: you can always post later.

How to Add a Taste Later

If you want to take a photograph of a dish or drink, do so quickly and then put the phone away. When you get home or have a moment later on, go to Forkly’s “Add Taste” and you’ll come to the “Where are you?” page with a list of nearby places.

In the blank box at the top, you can type the name of the establishment you dined at, e.g. ChoLon Bistro IN Denver, CO. The “IN” is very important for the search engine, so be sure to include it.

At this point, the restaurant will appear and you can continue posting as usual (and any glares from non-Forkly dining companions have been successfully averted…though you may want to suggest, as many of our users have, that they join in on the Forkly fun!).

You also don’t have to be at a restaurant or bar to post a dish…

How to Post Without a Location

On this same “Where are you?” page, there’s the option to post your homemade meals, picnics in the park, office lunches, etc. Just scroll down to the bottom of the page to “Elsewhere.” Tap on “Elsewhere” and you’re good to go– and if needed, you can put more details of your whereabouts in the “Taste Notes” section on the rating page.

 

There you have it, two quick and easy options to be able to use Forkly at your convenience. Happy tasting!

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Languedoc Day 2012 Recap: Tastings & Forkly Posts Galore!

7 May

Oh boy, we got Languedoc-ed alright! We loved being part of this year’s #LanguedocDay celebrations — what a huge success! And the tweets and posts are still coming in, fantastic. We’re running the Whole Foods contest until Chardonnay Day, or #ChardDay, on May 24, so read up on how to enter here (Follow @WholeFoodsMarket Forkly account here), stock up on Chardonnay, and keep those posts coming!

In case you missed the explanation about the Languedoc region and Languedoc wines, take a look at sommelier Rick Bakas’ website for some background info. Celebrations occurred across US time zones: Rick and the folks at 1313 Main Street in Napa; The Noble Rot and sommeliers in NYC; Forkly crew and sommeliers in Denver; and the Whole Foods HQ in Austin. All in all, twitter lit up with the trending topic of #LanguedocDay and we had some great Forkly posts of Languedoc Wines, below.

Thanks for participating– and we’re looking forward to #ChardDay on May 24!

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Tacos, Tequila, and More: Your Guide to Cinco de Mayo Weekend

4 May

Cinco de Mayo, or “The Fifth of May,” marks the Mexican Army’s 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla. Though it’s not as big of a deal in Mexico as their Independence Day (which it’s commonly confused as), it’s still celebrated with family get-togethers, dancing, fireworks, and lots of tasty food and drinks. Even if you’re not in Mexico for this celebration, you can still break out your oversized sombrero (we know you have one) and find a city around the U.S. showing their love for this Mexican holiday (and cuisine)!

Festivals around the US this Cinco de Mayo weekend & beyond:

Some great establishments to visit this weekend in New York & Austin: 

Austin, Texas:

Hungry for more? Here are some delicious recipes to try out if you’re celebrating at home!

Whatever, whenever, and wherever you decide to fiesta this weekend, share your Mexican fair with us on Forkly!

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In Honor of Languedoc Wine: Whole Foods Market Gift Certificates & more!

30 Apr

Here’s the deal*: Follow Whole Foods Market on Forkly and you will be in the running for 1 of 15 $50 Whole Foods Gift Certificates, courtesy of Whole Foods Market & Forkly.

But wait, there’s more (for 21+ users only)! Once you’re following Whole Foods on Forkly:

  • Post a Languedoc wine taste on #LanguedocDay (May 3) – The Forkly user with the most wants for this taste will win a $100 Whole Foods gift certificate.
  • Post a Chardonnay wine taste on #ChardDay (May 24) – Again, the Forkly user with the most wants for this taste will win a $100 Whole Foods gift certificate.

 

It’s that simple! But why all the Languedoc & Whole Foods love?

Well apart from the obvious reason that we love our Forkly users, May 3rd is Languedoc Day: an American celebration of Languedoc wines from the South of France. Wine lovers across the US are encouraged to try a new wine from the Languedoc region, to spread the word, and to celebrate the incredible range of wines from this region. Details from the Languedoc Day event page:

Wine Lovers across the U.S. will want to tune in online May 3rd, 2012 as we introduce (or re-introduce) AOC wines from the Langeudoc region in the south of France.  The Languedoc (pronounced “long-dock”) produces many of the grape varieties you already know, including Syrah, Grenache, Viognier and Mourvedre to name a few, as well as some you may not know like Piquepoul, Carignan and Mauzac.

The appellations we’ll be tasting blend these grapes into some of the most exciting wines coming out of France today.  And many of the wines are very affordable with an average retail price of about $15.

Here’s 3 things you can do to be part of #LanguedocDay:

1. Drink some wine!  (Many of you already have this down. We’re asking for you to “discover” a Languedoc wine that day.)

2. Share your label photos, tastes, likes, food pairings or any other experiences on Forkly, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, etc. making sure to include #LanguedocDay in your post.

3. See what your fellow wine lovers are saying by tracking the #LanguedocDay hash tag

To give everyone a fair chance to start following Whole Foods Market on Forkly, all follows up until midnight (P.S.T) on Chardonnay Day, May 24, will be in the running for a gift certificate. Plus, show your love of wine with the #LanguedocDay and #ChardDay hash tags in your Forkly notes and tweets and we will be sure to feature you. You have a whole month and a whole lotta great reasons to participate, so get to it!

Good luck & á votre santé!

Click here to find Languedoc wines near you.

Campaign support by the European Union

L’Aventure Languedoc — Join the Adventure

*No purchase necessary. Must live within US. April 30-May 24, 2012. Forkly App is free to download from the App Store.

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Featured: Spanish Chef & Restauranteur, Rodrigo De La Calle

27 Apr

CHEF RODRIGO DE LA CALLE (Forkly: @rdelacalle)

If you’re not already following Chef Rodrigo De La Calle on Forkly, start as soon as you can! Owner of the one-Michelin-starred restaurant Rodrigo de la Street in Aranjuez (near Madrid, Spain), he carries perfectionism to the extreme. He’s know for dishes that are perfectly balanced, “Each a little concerto of flavors in which every element retains its own identity, while playing its part in the overall harmony.”

Chef De La Calle emerged in the culinary scene only three years ago, but has already created an entirely new wave of cooking – Gastrobotánica. Specializing in natural food based on the use of uncommon plant species, Chef De La Calle uses them as ingredients in his cooking to create dishes that are both healthy and delicious. Chef De La Calle claims owns the one-Michelin-starred restaurant Rodrigo de la Street in Aranjuez.

For those in or visiting Spain in the month ahead, join Chef De La Calle at any of these culinary events (and post those Forkly tastes too!):

MAY 3-MAY 6: GastroCanarias 2012: May 3-6 in Puerto de la Cruz (Tenerife, Spain) where Chef De La Calle will be presenting ”Gastrobotanica en Primavera.”

The Canary Islands food festival: Aims to establish itself as a meeting place for professionals and amateurs to the culinary world in all its facets, as well as a forum for exchange of all types of experiences and projects. 

The event was recently featured in New York Magazine, just to tempt those in the US who might want to catch a flight…go for it! More info here.

MAY 9: “Gastronomía del siglo XXI: ¿Hay vida más allá del producto?”Translation: Food of the 21st Century, Is there Life beyond the Product?”A round table discussion with several Spanish top chefs hosted by food critic Andres Sanchez Magro, who proposes a return to the purity of raw materials in the kitchen.

MAY 16: Cocinando con Rodrigo de la CalleTranslation: Cooking with Rodrigo de la CalleA special 3 hour cooking class with the chef at Kitchen Club, Madrid.

Take a look at some of Chef De La Calle’s dishes & Forkly tastes:

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App Tip: Customize your Forkly Tweets & Facebook Posts

26 Apr

You can easily customize your Forkly tweets and Facebook posts. This is particularly helpful for users who want to tweet the post at a particular restaurant or chef, or to include a hashtag– like for gluten free folks (#gf) or for special events, like today’s national Dining Out for Life (#DOFL) fundraiser. Take a look…

When you add a new taste and get to the rating section, look for the “Customize” button next to the Twitter and Facebook icons. 

 Tap on “Customize” and your message will appear:

You can add any additional characters here, including taste notes, Twitter handles, and hashtags, keeping it within Twitter’s 140 character limit. Tap “Done” and then post your taste. Et voila! Your own customized Forkly tweet & Facebook post.

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Forkly for a Cause: Project Angel Heart hosts Dining Out for Life

24 Apr

This Thursday, April 26th, Project Angel Heart will make dining out more than just about enjoying good food–and as a Forkly user, you can help donate and raise awareness.
Project Angel Heart

Dining Out for Life® is an internationally licensed event hosted in 60 markets. Since 1990, the event has offered a meaningful way to support a worthy cause. On a single day, more than 250,000 people across North America are expected to help raise nearly $4 Million in the struggle against HIV/AIDS. This is Project Angel Heart’s 18th year hosting the event, the largest of its kind, with more participating restaurants and more funds raised than any other market.

Participating restaurants will donate 25% of their food sales to Project Angel Heart on Dining Out for Life® day. Diners will also have the option to make an additional donation and be entered into a drawing to win their choice of one of three fabulous prizes, each valued at $1,000.

Last year, the support from Denver-area diners alone helped Project Angel Heart raise $330,000 that went into preparing 427,675 nutritious meals for 1,863 people in the Metro area and Colorado Springs. For about 10+ years, more than 25 local restaurants (The Cherry Cricket, Café Berlin, JAX Fish House Denver, Potager, Racines, and Taste of Thailand, to name a few) have participated during Dining Out for Life, and now that number has increased to more than 300 — with 52 of them being added this year.

Now, how can sharing your locally crafted meals and drinks on Forkly help foster awareness? Easy!

  1. Go to one of the many participating restaurants near you (find your city here).
  2. Get those fingers flexing and reserve your table with OpenTable through our app (they’ll be flying like hotcakes).
  3. Post your Dining Out for Life dishes and drinks on Forkly!
  4. Include the hashtag #DOFLDEN (if you’re in Colorado) or just #DOFL (for international use) in your taste and post it to Twitter — you’ll be able to customize your tweet before it’s posted.

Don’t have a Twitter account? No worries, you can still help the cause by going to Project Angel Heart’s Facebook page and sharing it with your friends!

“Dining Out For Life is a win-win-win situation,” said spokesperson Ted Allen, host of the Food Network show Chopped. “For the price of a meal, you can help in the fight against AIDS by supporting a local HIV/AIDS organization, try a new local restaurant and feel great while enjoying a meal with friends!”

We couldn’t agree more — happy dining!

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