Cochon 555 and East West Eats 2009

Yes. that is not a typo. This is a post regarding events from 2009, not 2011! But better late than never, right? Err... Okay, maybe not.

I never intended to take such an extended hiatus from blogging. Unfortunately, the "hiatus" happened "organically," after I started a new job, purchased a new house, and had beautiful baby boy. (Life comes at us quickly, I must admit!) Before I knew it, a one week hiatus morphed into an ugly and unbearably long two year hiatus, and it was easier for me to treat the blog as an "out of sight, out of mind"-type thing. Also, I was further dissuaded from blogging because I was trying to hide from the embarrassment of failing to regularly update my blog and from losing the rights to the passionateeater.com domain name. Yes, it is now a spammy Viagra site. *Sad face.*

When I recently came across food pictures I had taken at two events in 2009, I suddenly thought about all of the wonderful friends I made through blogging and the fantastic opportunities that I had because of my blog. Although it felt liberating not to blog during my lengthy hiatus, I realized I missed the camaraderie and the inspiration that came along with being a food blogger. And I thought, "I might as well start blogging again!" My unrealistic spontaneity is back... Hopefully, in a good way.


Just like I tried to surreptitiously return an entire set of overdue library books when I was high school (thinking I would not get caught and fined), here are many-many pictures of two food-heavy events that I attended on the same day, Cochon 555 (an event courtesy of Foodbuzz where big name chefs gather and compete to see who can most creatively and deliciously prepare a pig) and East West Eats (a fundraising dinner for Asian-American journalists). And I just so happened to meet two of my idols at East West Eats: Martin Yan and Ben from Cooking with the Single Guy!

Although I was able to meet huge culinary superstars at Cochon 555, including Nate Appleman (while he was still in SF), and dined on fantastical food items such as pork sushi rolls, nests of hand spun sugar, fragrant pork blood and chocolate sausage (Italian cotechino) topped with a warm apricot on a bed of braised lentils, and crisp and airy chicharrónes, I think I liked East West Eats a little better. There, Martin Yan did two enthusiastic and informative cooking presentations and we dined on mouthwatering Asian and Asian-fusion classics, such as Korean tacos with nori and marinated bulgogi, dense crab cakes with a sweet tamarind dressing, fresh Vietnamese spring rolls, and ahi tuna tartare.


Unfortunately, since it has been almost two years since I took these pictures, so I might not able to describe these events (or the food) very well. Okay, I am not even gonna try! But please check out these links for delicious descriptions of that grand evening of June 14, 2009.


- Official Cochon 555 Site
- The Bunrabs' Scrumptious Take on Cochon 555
- SF Eater's Experience at Cochon 555
- AAJA's Official Blog Post on East West Eats
- Single Guy Chef's Amazing Account of Our Evening at East West Eats

Photos from Cochon 555

















Photos of East West Eats













Whew, a lotta pictures, not a lotta words! But, lots of love! Hope to be posting again soon.