Artist. Chef. writer. Traveler

Artist. Chef. writer. Traveler
WELCOME! ¡BIENVENIDOS!
An artist, chef, writer & traveler with a colorful of personality, passion
for all things art and quenched eagerness to flavor your palate with a
bit of spice in her Cuban & Latin fusion cuisine with global influence!
B
ren is a self-taught chef that, simply put,
loves to entertain! Her beginnings with food are
very traditional, having watched everything her
mother and grandmother prepared. “Dinner was
the most important activity of the day. My
grandmother took it so seriously she started
cooking as early as noon!”
“I must say this was a wonderfully cooked meal. Not only was
there a beautiful display of artistry in preparation but a
wonderful presentation as well”-- Jacquelyn Roberts, single
mother of two, Atlanta, Ga
B
orn in Havana, Cuba and raised in the
suburbs of DC, Bren, whose friends call “B”,
grew up in a very Latin home. Spanish was
spoken before English; the kitchen was the
center of all entertainment and daily chitchat; stories of Cuba were shared over dinner.
B
Potaje de Garbanzos
brenherrera.com
ren’s late grandmother introduced her to 3
generations of Cuban, Afro-Caribbean and
European inspired dishes she used to prepare in
Havana. Bren was also intrigued by the
reactions family members and guests have to
her mother’s food. she wanted to accomplish the
same. She shadowed and offered to help her
mother every chance possible. And so, she fell
in love with cooking!
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“Cooking makes me feel powerful! I love entertaining in the kitchen!”
As a single woman living in Atlanta,
Bren wanted to maintain the tradition of cooking delicious food every
day. Before moving to the South seven years ago, Bren entertained
friends at least twice a month, always offering something new &
creatively fresh. Her Pollo en Fricassé (Cuban style chicken in tomato
and red wine sauce) and black beans became a staple in her kitchen and
one of the most requested recipes by friends and cooking students.
Bren’s love of food inspired her to launch a private chef business
called Flanboyant Eats, named after her signature flan dessert, of
which she has 50 flavors! Bren cooks and introduces Cuban and
Latin cuisine to her friends and clients looking for a different
experience.
Teaching a class how to use pressure cookers at Serenbe, GA.
She combines Cuba’s vibrant
palate, which, includes African,
European and Spanish, with
modern flavors and textures, to
create memorable dishes. Her
approach and philosophy are
unique: using fresh ingredients
and lots of spices, while
maximizing time in one of her
vintage pressure cooker. She also
infuses international flavors and
cooking techniques she has
lear ned while traveling
throughout the world. Her goal is
to transport her diner to a special
place through lovely and delicious
food!
Guava & mint stuffed Cuban meatballs
Incorporating her chic sense of fashion, you will see her stylishly
cook in killer pumps, while remaining comfortable and efficient.
She will come prepared to give you a brief lesson on the menu’s
history. She believes it is important to connect the food she
prepares to its roots. “If you understand where the dish
comes from, you will be able to appreciate it much
more!”
“Your dishes are phenomenal! I have tasted a bunch of
dishes throughout Atlanta, but your dishes are right up
there with the finest restaurants in the city!”--Reggie
Carson, Atlanta
brenherrera.com
B
ren’s passion for food and entertainment is natural if you consider her other endeavors. A true artist at heart, Bren is recording a Latin fusion album, incorporating her classical training on the cello with her sultry vocals. Her presence in the music industry has landed her gigs in Miami, DC, Atlanta and Europe. Her connection to record labels led her to start freelance writing, covering music trends and interviewing celebrities and Grammy Award winning artists such as Ceelo Green (The Voice), Chrisette Michelle, Anthony Hamilton and 10 time Grammy winner jazz virtuoso, Paquito D’Rivera. Her equal talent for creative writing positioned her for a steady spot as a contributing writer for Odyssey Couleur Magazine, Atlanta’s Finest Dining, Discovery’s “How Stuff Works,” and The Washington Post, among others, where she covers travel, lifestyle, and culinary trends & festivals. Her assignments have taken her to Europe, the Caribbean, and Latin America.
Bren currently writes a weekly food column for Mamiverse and is also a regular contributor for NBCLatino Food.
“You make us want to eat, live, and love Latin style! Keep up the
Al fresco
lunch for
Paquito
D’Rivera
great work! ”-- Private clients, Los Angeles
Her journalistic projects finally led to the creation of her
internationally buzzing Blog, “Flanboyant Eats.” There, you will find
recipes of Cuban, Latin fusion and some French foods she prepares
with luscious pictures; restaurant reviews from all over the world,
celebrity chef interviews, cooking video demos, style tips and even a
Spanish “word of the day” for those wanting to learn a bit of Español!
Bren & Paquito Discuss her book over vino
“Great podcast, Bren! You have a gift for conducting
interviews!” -- Dean & DeLuca, Manhattan HQ’s
brenherrera.com
Work & awards
O
N July 14, 2008, Bren was a featured guest on celebrity
chef Emeril Lagasse’s
show “Emeril Green” on discovery
network’s eco-lifestyle channel, Planet Green. In Keeping with
healthy eating, bren and chef
emeril cooked a traditional
cuban dinner for her parents at
Whole Foods Market in
Bren
serving Chef
Joël Rubuchon
her flan
Washington, DC. Visit Flanboyanteats.com to see the full
episode!
Of exciting & laudable note, bren had the
Bren &
Emeril Lagasse
shopping while
taping “Emeril
Green”
distinct and unique opportunity to interview,
privately cook and eat with Joël Robuchon,
“chef of the century,” in his manhattan
l’atelier in september 2009. Bren made mr.
robuchon her famous flan to which he says: “A
perfect dessert is one both young and old
people can enjoy--this is it!” Mr. Robuchon
boasts 26 michelin stars, the most of any chef
in the world. she’s also done interviews and
demos in his monte-carlo, monaco restaurants
and has been invited for another visit with the
chef in june 2013.
“Bren's a regular dynamo in the kitchen” --Emeril Lagasse
brenherrera.com
Bren was a winning finalist in I Can’t
Believe It’s Not butter’s “Turn the Tub
Around” commercial contest, where her
self-produced video aired on american
idol’s premiere night january 12, 2010!
Work & awards(2012-2013)
Meredith Publishing hired Bren to develop 6 Latin recipes based
on Southern cuisine. Her story and recipes were the “face” of the
Christmas print issue (Dec/Jan. 2013) of ‘FamilyStyle’, a Publix
magazine. A sweet potato & candied pecan flan graced the cover.
Circulation: 1million homes and 1,200 stores in GA, NC, SC, FL, & TN
Brand Ambassador
* Nutrilite: Create blog posts and recipes based on their Pack
More Health campaign. 2013
* Sargento Cheese TasteMaker & Spokesperson: Develop
recipes using Sargento cheeses & highlight culinary trends in 2013.
March 2013-March 2014
* Calphalon: Developed recipes using their new cookware.
*Tabasco: Develop recipes using hot sauce. March - Sept. 2013
Chef Guy spoonfeeds Bren her
winning flan!
“Your truffle flan is delicious. It shows refinement, sophistication, and great technique. It was
well-composed and beautifully executed” - Chef Guy Grossi, Australian celebrity chef and
restaurateur
Publix ‘FamilyStyle’
centerfold
In Jan. 2012, Bren’s black perigord trufXle Xlan won a recipe competition sponsored by the Australian Tourism OfEice. Her prize: a trip for two to the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival, March 2013.
*Double-click
each video to
begin playback.
on TV!
In 2012, Bren was offered her own show on the Xirst ever on-­‐demand network for brown women on the Internet. Bren hosts a lively dining and travel show called ‘Dine Out’ on Chic Rebellion TV, which explores the food & dining scenes throughout the U.S. Bren’s love & knowledge of food allows her to easily navigate the kitchens of 5 star restaurants, food trucks, dives and more! See her in action on Chic Rebellion. Bren is currently Xilming her 2nd season.
ChicRebellion.TV
Bren appears
live on FOX
“Good Day
Atlanta” to
promote
healthy eating.
brenherrera.com
Bren appears speaking Spanish on CNN Español which airs in all 21 Latin countries & the U.S. In The Know!
PRESS (culinary)
* Live on FOX 5’s Good Day Atlanta, Jan. 1, 2008 and Jan. 26, 2010
* Live on CBS Better Mornings: “Go Latin for Labor Day”, August 29, 2008
* Washington Post , July 11, 2008
* Daily Candy, August 2008
GETAWAY
* The Examiner, Washington-DC, Dec. 2008; March 2009
* The Atlanta Journal Constitution, Feb. & Oct. 2009
* Featured on-air piece on Verizon Fios TV, March 2009
* Cooking segments on “Daytime” TV talk show, May 2009-current
* The Examiner, Atlanta, Ga, July, 2009 & July 2011
* Mundo Hispanico Paper, Dec. 2009
* J’Adore Magazine, March 2010
Queen
*SAVEUR, “Best of the Web” Feature, Summer 2010
of
theNight
*Black Enterprise, May 2011, Oct. 2012
*AdAge Hispanic, May 2011
I
*Food Network, July 2011
Yahoo! News, July 2011
*Jezebel Magazine, August 2011
iVillage, Sept. 2011
GILT City, Sept, 2011
Sample of
*Live on CNN Español, October 2011
Bren’s
*NBC Latino, June 2012
published
*The Huffington Post, July 2012
stories on
*Live cooking demo ABC Action News, Spring and Fall, 2013 (Dates TBD)
travel & food
whe r e to go
BISTROS AND BRASSERIES: RECIPES AND
REFLECTIONS ON CLASSIC CAFÉ COOKING
by Bren Herrera
M
ost creatures of habit exist for a few reasons.
We are complacent and comfortable, we are
lazy or we are simply intimidated by the alternative of doing something different.
Cookbook lovers come to mind. There are the ones
who quietly obsess over owning every new book published.
It can be a book on how to
work with eggs or 365 chocolate recipes for the aficionado.
They are more intrigued by
the books’ covers and expanding their library. Then there
are those who buy and collect
cookbooks because it’s much
easier for them to cook from a
recipe and be guided by voices
of authority and pretty pictures.
While those types are obsessing about what their collection looks like, I’m constantly
stepping outside my Latin box
of ingredients and method and
working on learning other cuisines. I never buy cookbooks. I
own just three: the Cuban bible
of food, “Cocina Criolla,” one
of Emeril’s that I recently acquired while working with him
and now, just gifted, “Bistros
and Brasseries: Recipes and Reflections on Classic Café Cooking” by the Culinary Institute
of America, a pretty cookbook
every home cook should have.
The cover bears an appetizing Confit Avec Pruneaux
et Pommes (duck confit with
prunes and apples), black-andwhite photos of the vintage
bourgeoisie and taste-bud-jerking recipes. I was happy to be
a new owner of the book and
was quickly interested in flipping through the pages of the
newest addition to my pathetically slim collection. So far, it
is the prettiest one I own. I was
eager to find something interesting to make for my closest
friends and clients. With the occasional request for a nonLatin dish, this book is a good starting resource point.
Though I’m not big on relying on precise instruction, I
didn’t mind taking a peek into something from which I
could learn a thing or two.
The Culinary Institute of America has enlisted the
expertise of John Fischer and Lou Jones, both acclaimed
chefs and faculty at the institute, to introduce the everyday cook to traditional French foods found in cafés
46
ATLANTA’S FINEST DINING
and bistros. Much to my enjoyment, I was temporarily
transported to my last visit to Paris. Some of the recipes
were familiar to me, either because I had eaten them or
prepared them at home, and others were concepts I have
heard of through foodie talk.
One dish I particularly remember having and thoroughly enjoying on a late summer night is rabbit cooked
in wine sauce. Tenderly textured and perfectly flavored, I
applauded the cook responsible for something so delectable. It was indeed something new to me, and having no
personal connection to it, a similar recipe in this cookbook caught my attention. Gibellote de Lapin, or rabbit
stew, is accompanied by a reduction sauce, much like the
one I tried. Seasoned with bay leaf, loads of garlic, juniper
berries, white wine and butter, this dish requires a red
wine pairing.
Wine pairing and historical context is offered for
every recipe included. One such as myself, not a spirits connoisseur on any notable level, can appreciate the
suggestions. Can you imagine
having a Pinot Blanc with Coq
au Vin, one of French cuisine’s
staples? It would almost be
considered sacrilege! The authoritative chefs duly note you
must consider a “more expensive version of that (red) wine.”
The popular dish is a challenge,
even in most French kitchens,
so cooking in your home may
require some patience and detail to attention. If you gracefully accomplish preparing this
dish, you should salute yourself
and invite accolades from your
hungry friends.
A thorough collection of
good food, I was happy to see
popular fast foods like crepes. Six
pages of enticing color pictures of
savory and sweet crepes will give
you a very clear understanding of
their genesis. One of my all-time
favorite crepe fillings is Nutella,
commonly sold anywhere from
chateaux entrances to the chic
Champs-Elysees.
On a not-so-tasty note, I
was not interested in seeing a
full-color page on steak tartare.
Though the introductory story
sounds warm and inviting, the
resulting dish is not appealing:
raw ground sirloin and raw egg
yolk. I think the authors would
have successfully made their culinary point had they omitted
this one. But it’s about respect
and homage to the tradition of
a cuisine that is internationally
sought and referred to in other
cuisines. And that’s what counts.
Overall, I am satisfied with the
montage of about 100 recipes,
all with casual stories that make
you feel creative. Don’t be intimated by the highly regarded
reputation French food deserves. Rather, stock up on butter and perch this pretty book on a small easel.
In Barbad os, a star gets her
close-u p | BY BRENDA HERRERA
wake up sometimes wondering if I’ll ever move out of the
United States. Leave my parents and siblings and begin a
new life, far away from our political and Tinseltown dramas—you know, all those artificial issues that get passed off
as news in our pop-culture-driven society.
If I ever did, it would be driven by my fanatical desire to be classified as an A-list celebrity, and to reap the benefits. Narrowing my
list down is no easy feat. I grew up in really cold weather, so sunnier destinations are automatically more appealing. My trip to
Barbados was the perfect opportunity to test my loyalty to the
States—and to my family.
18
FEBRUARY/ M AR C H
2 0 0 7
|
O D YSSEY
ALAI N JARA M ILL O
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
C O ULEUR
Bren Herrera is the owner of Flanboyant Eats, a Latin
fusion catering company, and a freelance writer. Visit
her at www.flanboyanteats.com. “Bistros and Brasseries: Recipes and Reflections on Classic Café Cooking”
is available at www.amazon.com.
Fall Issue
CONTACT
Drew Jackson, Esq.
809 Verner St.
Atlanta, GA 30318
404.808.5217
[email protected]
Live
Live cooking
cooking
demo
demo on
on CNN
CNN
Español
“Cafe”
Español “Cafe”
morning show
show
morning
For additional print, online
and TV appearances, visit
FlanboyantEats.com
brenherrera.com