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Our Valley Cooks food expo Food Network chef will stir it up
Our Valley Cooks
Food Network chef will stir it up at expo
BOARDMAN
Aarti Sequeira, winner of the 2010 “The Next Food Network Star” competition, will serve as celebrity chef at the third annual Our Valley Cooks food expo on Saturday at Mr. Anthony’s Banquet Center.
Proceeds from the event will benefit Meridian Community Care of Youngstown’s prevention programs for students, many of whom suffer from addictions, bullying, depression and low self-esteem.
This will be Sequeira’s first visit to the Valley, and she said she’s excited about being involved in an event that supports a good cause while celebrating food.
“When I read about the sort of work Meridian does, I knew I wanted to be a part of this event,” Sequeira said during a recent phone interview. “I want to meet the kids and get a sense of how they are doing, and I am also excited to come and see what people are making. I love the idea of a chef competition.”
Sequeira said she expects to see a unique variety of dishes because Ohio is a melting pot for so many cultures.
Sequeira’s own show, titled “Aarti Party,” treats viewers to unexpected flavors and cooking techniques rooted in Sequeira’s knowledge of Indian and American cuisine.
“My cooking is dressed like an American but has the heart and soul of an Indian,” she explained.
Sequeira’s top three favorite recipes include her Bombay Sloppy Joes, which feature turkey in a creamy tomato sauce; her Huggy Buggy Bread Pudding, which boasts coconut milk and dried figs; and her Massaged Kale Salad, which consists of thinly sliced, “massaged” kale, mango, pumpkin and pomegranate seeds.
“I love an element of surprise in my dishes,” she said.
Sequeira recommends five spices for people who want to add Indian flare to their recipes: cumin, coriander, paprika, turmeric and garam masala, which she defined as a “spicy blend of cinnamon, cloves and other warm spices.”
Sequeira was born in Bombay, India, and raised in Dubai, UAE, and said her lifelong appreciation for food began at an early age.
“My mother cooked traditional Indian food. She did all the cooking, and I did the baking. We would have tea and cakes every day at 4 p.m.,” Sequeira said. “When I came to America, I tried to cook Indian food but because I didn’t have enough practice at it, I failed. So I learned to cook American food, and after I understood the basics of cooking, I eventually started adding Indian touches to my dishes.”
Sequeira did not always aspire to be a chef. She has a degree in journalism from Chicago’s Northwestern University and worked as a production assistant at CNN for about a year after graduating. She also spent a short time in Washington, D.C., and covered Capitol Hill for a Fargo, N.D., television station.
In 2003 she married her college sweetheart, Brendan, and moved from New York to Los Angeles, where she enrolled in The New School of Cooking in Culver City, Calif., and earned a professional cooking certificate in 2007.
“Cooking had been just a hobby, but I began to realize it gave me a sense of purpose,” she said.
Sequeira is still in awe over winning “The Next Food Network Star” competition. “No one is more surprised than me,” she said. “The coolest thing is meeting people on the street and having them mention my dishes. It is a source of such joy. I am unbelievably grateful.”
What: Our Valley Cooks food expo, an event that features more than 50 local food- and cooking-related exhibitors providing samples and selling their unique products.
IF YOU GO
When: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday
Where: Mr. Anthony’s Banquet Center, 7440 South Ave., Boardman
Cost: Tickets are $15 for admission to the food expo and to see Aarti Sequeira’s food demonstration from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tickets are available at the door and at www.ourvalleycooks.org.
Misc.: Aarti will be available for autographs throughout the day (no charge).
Purpose: Proceeds from the event will benefit Meridian Community Care’s prevention programs for kids. Meridian is a nonprofit agency that provides addiction and mental-health treatment, prevention education, work-force wellness and testing, and supportive housing. Meridian’s children’s program, Panda Leaders Club, empowers kids in the community to make positive life choices by educating them on the issues such as drugs, alcohol, bullying, depression, self-esteem and more. Panda Leaders Club takes place in Mahoning Valley middle and high schools.