MY CLIENT, CHEF PETE, IN THE DAILY NEWS (YES, VEGAN DESSERTS CAN BE YUMMY!)

My client and Chef-In-Chief at Little Buddy Biscuit Company, was featured in the daily news.

He generously shared a recipe and tips for making yummy vegan desserts.

Way to go, Pete!

Click HERE to read the article.

Click HERE to read Groovalicious in Brooklyn, Pete's ultra-cool blog about cooking, music, and enlightened entrepreneurship.

SUCCESS STORY OF AN (INITIALLY) RELUCTANT BLOGGER

Pete Solomita, Baker-in-Chief and Founder of Little Buddy Biscuit Company, and a client of mine, is truly an inspiration to me.

Since we started working together, he has taken the leap into the world of blogging (and has quickly attracted a following of readers and fans); set up a LinkedIn account, written a great business plan, and signed a lease to open up his very own bakery!

Here's his latest blog entry about the big news:

Really Big Little Buddy Biscuit Company News!

After a 15 month search, Little Buddy Biscuit Company has finally signed a lease for a commercial space that was formerly Regina Bakery on 635 5th Avenue at 18th Street in Brooklyn. We will be opening a retail bakery in a few months (stay tuned for more details on the opening date). We will continue to make our popular cookies, brownies and cupcakes and will also bake muffins, scones, various coffee and layer cakes and other desserts. In addition we will offer coffee and tea drinks, other beverages and premium ice cream. We will post our menu on the Little Buddy Biscuit Company website before the grand opening.

I have so many people to thank for helping us get to this point and hopefully will be able to do so in the coming months. I would like to give a few shout outs in this blog. First and foremost of course is my wife Jill who has done so much to help me get through the ups and downs of finding a space. Despite having her own stressful career and being the excellent mother of our son, she somehow found time to do a myriad of important things to help the expansion of our business.

Ulas Neftci from the Lawrence N. Field Center for Entrepreneurship at Baruch College helped me throughout the process of setting up a budget, marketing ideas, advice regarding looking for a commercial space and more. Anyone looking to start a small business should take advantage of the expert help available at Baruch.

Murat Uyaroglu and Ori Zigindere owners of Prospect Perk on Sterling and Flatbush in Brooklyn and wholesale customers of LBBC have been really supportive and full of good advice. Hearing their words of encouragement on my twice weekly deliveries to their establishment kept me going.

I also appreciate the advice that Emily Isaacs of Trois Pommes gave me in regards to setting up my bakery. When I first approached Emily she didn't know me and yet was free with advice, which not everyone in business would be so generous with.

And final shout outs to my web designer and all around adviser Tony Limuaco and to my social networking consultant Eleanor Traubman and finally to Rocco Rella for his contracting expertise. As I continue to prepare for the opening of the store you will hear more details about the process and the people that help me. Stay tuned!!!

MY BUDDY PETE LAUNCHES GROOVALICIOUS IN BROOKLYN

My client and friend Pete Solomita just launched his blog. It's called Groovalicious in Brooklyn: Chef Pete on food, music, and being an entrepreneur. Pete is awesome: he's a baker, a dad, and a dj with a big heart and and a big picture of the world. Here's his first blog entry:

Kale Tastes Better Than You Think

Yeah! Thanks to my friend Eleanor Traubman (photo taken right at the computer using photo booth on our new Mac, what fun) from Creative Times I am up and running with my blog! Eleanor was a great help, I suggest her services if you are reading this and wish you could take the plunge as well.

My webmaster Tony Limuaco from The Yarn Monkey ,will be happy to hear it since he's been bugging me for about a year to do this. The timing is good since my website littlebuddybiscuitcompany.com is almost ready for a more expanded launch.

Here are some topics you will find at Groovalicious in Brooklyn on a regular basis:

• Culinary articles, tips and recipes with a focus on food that's both tasty and healthy
  
• My path as entrepreneur and interviews with other entrepreneurs and people who made career changes
  
• "On the Turntable", quick forays into my vinyl collection with short reviews about some hard to find faves and other music topics
  
• Fatherhood in South Brooklyn
  

Let's start with a recipe for kale, a vegetable many find challenging to cook and eat. I was listening to a talk show recently and one of the hosts mentioned he had gas from eating kale. The other hosts on the show couldn’t believe he had eaten kale to begin with. I suppose many people don’t know what to do with it and don’t know how to make it taste good. Too bad because it’s one of the most healthful vegetables. The greener the food the better, being chock full of A and C, calcium, iron and potassium.

Kale with Caramelized Onions
serves 4

Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 red onion
salt to taste
1 teaspoon fennel seed
1 tablespoon tomato paste
¼ cup dry red wine
1 bunch Lacinato kale, washed well and coarsely chopped

Procedure

1. Heat oil in a saute pan on medium until it shimmeys (before it smokes). Add onions and a pinch of salt, stir onions and put on lid on the pan. After a few minutes when the onions start to sweat, take off the lid and lower the heat a bit. Cook for about 10 minutes or more, continuing to stir, until the onions get a nice shade of amber.
2. Add the fennel seed and the tomato paste and stir well. Add the red wine and simmer for a few minutes to reduce the liquid a bit.
3. Add the kale, stir well, put the lid back on and cook for about 10 minutes more. If the pan is drying out you can add a bit of water. Cook until the kale is the texture you prefer (longer cooking for softer greens).