Do you watch Top Chef or Next Food Network Star? If you do, I bet you remember Arnold Myint. He has a fun, energetic, and infectious personality and even has an alter ego: drag queen Suzy Wong.
I had the opportunity to chat with Arnold about his career in food last week. He’s a super nice guy. I want to be friends with him and go out to dinner with him and cook with him. Arnold, if you’re ever in the Detroit area, I can show you around the culinary scene here 🙂
Of course we talked a lot about Top Chef and Next Food Network Star. Since I have never missed an episode of either show, it’s nice to hear about them, including some behind the scenes information that’s perfect for super fans like me.
He said the days of filming can be very long, but he loved his time on the competition circuit. He has a competitive nature from his days of ice skating, so these reality shows were a natural fit. He noted that while he didn’t win Next Food Network Star, he feels like a winner … kind of like the Jennifer Hudson of the show … because now “people get who I am,” he said.
Being cast in the shows was one of the most difficult parts of the process according to Arnold. And though he loved being on the shows, he thinks his reality show days are over.
We also talked about Suzy Wong who came about from his summers in Thailand as a kid as well as all the glitz and glamour of ice skating costumes. Now Suzy is part of his brand, and people love her because of the way Arnold presents her. Suzy does a lot of charity work, hosting dinners and is a “good ambassador to merging gay and straight worlds.”
Now Arnold has several restaurants, but he’s focusing more on learning to cook in smaller quantities instead of on a restaurant scale. He tries to cook 4 recipes a day when he’s not in a restaurant and is also working on the Downtown LA Dinner Club.
I also have no doubt we will see more of Arnold on TV soon too. We can all keep our eyes peeled!
Arnold also provided me with an awesome pot de crème recipe that was super easy to make; it doesn’t even require baking! I changed the recipe a little, swapping the cream for almond milk and the whole milk for a lesser amount of coffee. It turned out perfectly and is an awesome dessert that is sure to impress anyone without a ton of calories.
Thanks for your time and the recipe, Arnold. Good luck in the future!
No Bake Pot de Creme
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 8-10 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 9 ounces carob or dark chocolate chips
- 1 ½ cups almond milk
- ½ cup iced coffee beverage (in the refrigerator section at the store)
- 6 large egg yolks
- 5 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan bring the almond milk, coffee, sugar, and salt to a simmer.
- Add the carob or chocolate in three installments, whisking each in fully before adding more.
- Remove the pot from the heat. In a medium bowl, place the egg yolks. Slowly whisk in about ½ cup of the hot chocolate mixture.
- Return the pot to low heat and add the egg mixture to the pot. Whisk until the mixture thickens, about 5 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and pour into serving vessels. Chill until thickened and set, about 2 hours. Pot de crème may be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Arnold Myint
Additional chilling time is necessary
Wow, you constantly amaze me! You are at the forefront of all that is going on…. This sounds great but will have to wait for three months but then, it just might be a great go to for my treat!
Oh, my, what a nice comment. Thank you so much, Debbie!!! xo
What a fun profile of Arnold! Really informative. Great recipe, too. No bake? Yes! Good stuff — thanks.
What a wonderful dessert! My family would love these—-and I love that no baking is involved!
This is wonderful “no bake” dessert recipe 🙂 My son will love this. Thanks for sharing it!
aw what a cool opportunity!
and what deliiiiciously simple and luscious looking pots de creme! I love that you subbed in almond milk!