Mark Bego here! Or is it Chef “Boy R” Bego? When I dressed up for Halloween 2014 as famed Chef Boyardee, of canned ravioli fame, I think I unleashed my new kitchen persona. Imagine the stunned reaction when I walked into famed Broadway eatery Joe Allen’s in Manhattan at Happy Hour, wearing this outfit! (Photo: Simone Lazer)
A Year of Rockin’ Recipes!
Wow, it is amazing to think that it was one year ago that I started this food blog. Since that time I have made and shared 30 recipes of my own, and 16 Rock Star recipes as well. And, there are many more to come!
I have had some amazing responses to my requests for celebrity recipes. While some of the recipes I have gathered took a couple of back and forth dialogues to obtain, several of them came instantly, and were actually dictated to me right on the spot. After his show at Club Congress in Tucson, Sean Lennon shared with me his secret for great Ginger Scallion Salmon. Peter Filleul of The Climax Blues Band told me in detail how to make a proper English Roast Lamb Shoulder while we were at an audio convention in Los Angeles. Betty Kelly of Martha Reeves & The Vandellas described how to make her Crock Pot Chili at the cocktail party for the Motown HAL Awards in Hollywood. I ran into Michael McDonald of The Doobie Brothers in Nashville at the airport, and when we landed and were at baggage claim, he told me how to make his favorite Ham and Parmesan Pasta.
If you haven’t already done so, please check out the Rock Stars Cook section of this blog. You will find great recipes from Boz Scaggs, Tiffany, Mary Wilson of The Supremes, Jimmy Greenspoon of Three Dog Night, Michelle Phillips of The Mamas & The Papas, Lou Christie, Melanie, Paul Antonelli of Animotion, Ray Parker Jr., Jade Starling of Pretty Poison, Randy Jones the original cowboy in The Village People, Angela Bowie, Cherry Vanilla, and Glen Campbell’s daughter Debby Campbell. It’s like having The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in your kitchen!
The other amazing thing is that in the past year I have made, photographed and (naturally) eaten every one of these dishes. If I made the recipes and they didn’t come out correctly, I went back to the drawing board, and perfected them.
There have been a couple of delicious recipes I have made which are not yet on the blog. One notable dish that needed retooling was my from-scratch Chicken Mole Enchiladas. They were delicious, but they were so oozing with brown Mole Sauce that they photographed like a “hot mess” on a plate. I have to go back to the drawing board with that recipe, mainly for a photo retake. I wasn’t happy with my first try at Korean Kimchi. It wasn’t bad, but I didn’t have the right chili peppers, so I have to revisit this before I unveil it.
I have hit on some really notable successes however. Ever since making my first batch of Cherry, Pineapple, Almond Scones in my Tucson kitchen in January of 2014, I have made them over a dozen times. People have been freaking out over them. I have even had to airmail them to several people. I find myself making them again and again, by popular demand. Another trio of recipes that have been real crowd pleasers have been my pasta Puttanesca, my Rigatoni Bolognese, and my Green Tea Cake.
By far the most exciting thing that has transpired, is that The Food Network has checked out this site, and I have taped a couple of auditions for their television shows, most notably for their program “Chopped.” I am hoping that this is where I end up. In the meantime, in July of 2014 I did my first television food segment, presenting my Green Tea Cake. Here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSXTVm6SSsQ
That’s all for now. I have a batch of Cherry, Pineapple, Almond Scones out of the oven and about to be glazed and decorated. Keep cooking, and keep checking into my blog for an ongoing cavalcade of great recipes from me, and from several of your favorite Rock Stars too. You never know who is going to show up to cook with me!
Cheers,
Chef Bego
P.S. Every great chef has his helpers. Special thanks to the following people for helping me gather several of the Rock Star recipes: Beth Wernick, Melissa Porter, Barbara Shelley, Jesse Daly, and David Salidor. Derek Storm, thanks for letting me use several of your celebrity photos. Sindi Markoff: thank you for introducing me to the concept of Green Tea Cake, and for getting me addicted to Dan Dan Noodles. “Merci” to Pamela Branch for blog technical support. And, thanks to my managers Dave Marken and Dan DeFilippo at Pipeline Talent, for helping put this blog together.
Contact: Mark Bego at [email protected]
For management: Dave Marken at [email protected]
For press information: David Salidor at [email protected]
A Year of Rockin’ Recipes!
Wow, it is amazing to think that it was one year ago that I started this food blog. Since that time I have made and shared 30 recipes of my own, and 16 Rock Star recipes as well. And, there are many more to come!
I have had some amazing responses to my requests for celebrity recipes. While some of the recipes I have gathered took a couple of back and forth dialogues to obtain, several of them came instantly, and were actually dictated to me right on the spot. After his show at Club Congress in Tucson, Sean Lennon shared with me his secret for great Ginger Scallion Salmon. Peter Filleul of The Climax Blues Band told me in detail how to make a proper English Roast Lamb Shoulder while we were at an audio convention in Los Angeles. Betty Kelly of Martha Reeves & The Vandellas described how to make her Crock Pot Chili at the cocktail party for the Motown HAL Awards in Hollywood. I ran into Michael McDonald of The Doobie Brothers in Nashville at the airport, and when we landed and were at baggage claim, he told me how to make his favorite Ham and Parmesan Pasta.
If you haven’t already done so, please check out the Rock Stars Cook section of this blog. You will find great recipes from Boz Scaggs, Tiffany, Mary Wilson of The Supremes, Jimmy Greenspoon of Three Dog Night, Michelle Phillips of The Mamas & The Papas, Lou Christie, Melanie, Paul Antonelli of Animotion, Ray Parker Jr., Jade Starling of Pretty Poison, Randy Jones the original cowboy in The Village People, Angela Bowie, Cherry Vanilla, and Glen Campbell’s daughter Debby Campbell. It’s like having The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in your kitchen!
The other amazing thing is that in the past year I have made, photographed and (naturally) eaten every one of these dishes. If I made the recipes and they didn’t come out correctly, I went back to the drawing board, and perfected them.
There have been a couple of delicious recipes I have made which are not yet on the blog. One notable dish that needed retooling was my from-scratch Chicken Mole Enchiladas. They were delicious, but they were so oozing with brown Mole Sauce that they photographed like a “hot mess” on a plate. I have to go back to the drawing board with that recipe, mainly for a photo retake. I wasn’t happy with my first try at Korean Kimchi. It wasn’t bad, but I didn’t have the right chili peppers, so I have to revisit this before I unveil it.
I have hit on some really notable successes however. Ever since making my first batch of Cherry, Pineapple, Almond Scones in my Tucson kitchen in January of 2014, I have made them over a dozen times. People have been freaking out over them. I have even had to airmail them to several people. I find myself making them again and again, by popular demand. Another trio of recipes that have been real crowd pleasers have been my pasta Puttanesca, my Rigatoni Bolognese, and my Green Tea Cake.
By far the most exciting thing that has transpired, is that The Food Network has checked out this site, and I have taped a couple of auditions for their television shows, most notably for their program “Chopped.” I am hoping that this is where I end up. In the meantime, in July of 2014 I did my first television food segment, presenting my Green Tea Cake. Here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSXTVm6SSsQ
That’s all for now. I have a batch of Cherry, Pineapple, Almond Scones out of the oven and about to be glazed and decorated. Keep cooking, and keep checking into my blog for an ongoing cavalcade of great recipes from me, and from several of your favorite Rock Stars too. You never know who is going to show up to cook with me!
Cheers,
Chef Bego
P.S. Every great chef has his helpers. Special thanks to the following people for helping me gather several of the Rock Star recipes: Beth Wernick, Melissa Porter, Barbara Shelley, Jesse Daly, and David Salidor. Derek Storm, thanks for letting me use several of your celebrity photos. Sindi Markoff: thank you for introducing me to the concept of Green Tea Cake, and for getting me addicted to Dan Dan Noodles. “Merci” to Pamela Branch for blog technical support. And, thanks to my managers Dave Marken and Dan DeFilippo at Pipeline Talent, for helping put this blog together.
Contact: Mark Bego at [email protected]
For management: Dave Marken at [email protected]
For press information: David Salidor at [email protected]