Little Chef Little Kitchen

Hey friends!
Just a reminder - WE ARE RENOVATING!!!
That means we will be halting service starting Monday, April 22 until the project is completed in May.
👉🏽 To Prepare, we will be closing at 1pm on Sunday, April 21. We have also answered some FAQs received below. Be sure to follow for updates!
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1. WE ARE NOT MOVING.
- we are doing a little nip and tuck to refresh our space
2. We will be closed until the renovation is completed in May. Check out our stories and follow for updates.
3. Yes, people will be able to enter to order - seating is TBD
4. No, there will not be public bathroom access since access is through the kitchen.
5. Yes, we will keep the window for our four legged customers 🐶 and strollers that may not fit in the space comfortably 💕
6. Most importantly - KNICKS IN 5 💙🧡✌🏽

✨See you in a few weeks ✨

The sweetest and shortest month was 29 days this year.

January 2024 in 10 squares

Hear ye, Hear ye
Our newsletter is live not only highlights our upcoming meals for next week but also features our superbowl and Valentine’s Day specials. Check it out. Order. Share. Thank you!

Super Bowl Sunday is almost here! If you’re like us and love great food & football - we have a something super special in store for you! Regardless of who you’re rooting for, you can't lose if you're eating the yummy snacks we're providing.  

Welcome to 2024. Excited to share it with you. 🥂

Humbled.
Grateful.
Empowered.
Proud.
Understood.
Respected.
Supported.
Seen.
Challenged.
Connected.
Inspired.
Confident.
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These are the exact words I used to start the speech I was honored to give yesterday at our ceremony because these are just a few of the emotions I felt walking out of that classroom after these last 14 weeks.
That first day, I walked in with the worst possible case of imposter syndrome and the weight of a bad business deal looming overhead. I absolutely did not feel like I belonged there, sitting amongst successful entrepreneurs with them not knowing I was far from having it all together. Little did I know how many people felt the way I felt and how we would transform together over the life of this course.
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This program challenged me and showed me I was capable for more than I ever gave myself credit for - being chosen by our moderators to present a financial growth plan for the next five years and to pitch to investors (real live ones!) to being chosen by my esteemed peers to deliver meaningful words (NOT of wisdom) at our final ceremony as scholars. All of this experience has shown me that the woman who makes coffee and muffins is also a powerful and intelligent woman who should realize and celebrate her success. And she doesn’t have to do it alone - she has an entire room full of people who are cheering her on and that she can turn to for guidance and reassurance.
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I cannot thank the team at 10ksb for believing in me enough to allow me to have this experience - even after deferring and debating attending. From day one, you have pushed me to excel and I am forever changed. I also owe this opportunity to my husband for giving me the room to grow and understanding that life with an entrepreneur isn’t always easy. And to my team for holding it down so I could take the time needed to do this. This honor is yours just as much as it is mine.
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And yes I am still crying.

🎾2023🎾

My baby son.👶🏾 The golden nugget.🍗 Sous chef 👨🏾‍🍳. Meal prep king 🥗🥘. Herder of all the children 🐑 Marlee’s Dad 👨‍👧
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Wishing you the happiest of birthdays as you embark on your 27th year of life. There are not enough words in all of the languages combined to express how much I love you and what an honor it is to be able to watch you become the incredible man you are and continue to grow into before my eyes.
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You are a talented, genuine, intelligent, loving, beautiful, thoughtful, and creative individual - to say the least.
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You are a gift to all those who know you but especially to me. I cherish you and the joy and inspiration you bring me and have brought me over the last seven (7!) years of working together side by side. I could not do this life without you. I am so grateful you were born and somehow found your way to me. There is no one else I enjoy working and cooking with more (except maybe 🤣 - who also loves you very much).
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Happy Born Day. 🎈🎂
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I love you so much I’ll even make you a cake and not complain about it. Promise.

It’s this babe’s 82nd birthday today. Happiest of birthdays to the wonder that is Leah. May you shop til you drop for the most random items, eat all the cakes and sweets, tend to your beautiful plants, continue to tell me how much you hate my nose even though we have the same nose and it’s your fault I have it, and watch telenovelas with the sound so loud that your neighbors down the street can hear it. It’s your day and you do and say whatever you want because you are the birthday queen. Cheers 🥂 to you.

Sharing one of my all time favorite pics of me and my stew chef Steve. This pic is 8 years old and embodies what the last (almost) nine years of us have been like - silly and side by side. Couldn’t have asked for a better and order yin to my yang. ☯️

Super excited to support this year during the annual Taste of Tomorrow Career Fair! I’ll be leading a workshop on the art of baking scones alongside 75 other industry professionals. This in-person event will be open to all NYC public school students passionate about food and will introduce them to the variety of culinary and hospitality-related opportunities that will be available to students after graduation. Want to support? Head to the link in my bio to learn more about FEF and all the great things we do! 🔪🍽️🧁🥗🥙🥘🍲🍛🍝🍜😊❤️•
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Today I worked an almost 14 hour day after sleeping just 4.5 hours. The other days this week were quite similar - little sleep, lots of work. In just three days, I clocked in over 40 hours of work that included baking pastries, sending out over 200 lunches per day for students and clients, fulfilling catering orders, procuring everything needed each day since storage is limited - constantly playing fridge Tetris, answering emails, honoring whatever last minute requests possible, on top of meeting with my team, managing logistics for future events, planning for the next set of holidays before this one is even completed, and reviewing construction drawings. 😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫
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But you know what? I wouldn’t change a thing. I am SO THANKFUL that each day I am able to do what I love with the people I love for the people I love. I am so lucky to be surrounded by a supportive husband and business partner who believed I could take my solo business to the next level; a team that shows up day in and day out to make magic happen; friends and family who understand I can’t always be there to hang but will be there when it counts; and a community who continues to support me in ways I really never thought possible.
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Now as I sit here exhausted and ready to feast on this quesadilla - my first “real meal” all day - I can’t help but smile and hope that everyone who has or is going to enjoy something from our cafe knows how much work and love went (and goes) into that muffin / cookie / cupcake / snack / salad / Thanksgiving meal.
🥰🦃❤️
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HAPPY THANKSGIVING
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Ps - the cafe is closed tomorrow and Friday 😭😬

See these beauties? These are brookies. And over 100 of you have pledged to our campaign and are set to receive these gorgeous babies soon. 🍪🍫🍪
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You read that right - so many brookies are on schedule to be made, sent; dropped off, wrapped for pick up, and more.
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BUT. WE ARE NOT DONE YET!!! With just five more days left of our campaign, we are $3380 away from our total goal of $25k. So close but yet so far. With your help and your love of brookies, we can meet this goal by the 31st.!
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If you have already donated, thank you! If you have already shared, thank you! If you have scrolled, noticed, liked, and thought about our post, thank you! We appreciate all of the support and cannot thank you enough. But please please please - do what you can to help us reach this goal. Don’t jus tsp it for us, do it for your love of brookies. Share that love of brookies and tell your neighbors, friends, and family.
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Thank you thank you thank you!

Since I can’t find the words - I think the face in this picture - mine and .19 - describes how I’m feeling in the best way possible. 😬😄🤣🤪
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In just 3 days, we are almost at $20k (currently at $19,365). I am seriously in awe and amazement to the response and support. I really was not sure what to expect when my project was selected for this grant and fundraiser. After all of this time spent frosting cupcakes, packing meals, brewing coffee, and hosting events - I am starting to learn that maybe what I’ve created over the last few years is something truly special for everyone - it’s not just something I love to do but it’s something that everyone loves that I (with my team!) do. Or maybe you’re just sick of seeing my posts and hoping that if and when I reach my goal - I will leave all of you alone (for a little while).
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Whatever the reason, keep it coming! We have 7 whole days to get to that $25k. Keep sharing, posting, reposting, talking about it, dreaming about brookies, telling everyone about the magic of brookies - I appreciate it all.
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Thanks for the pic

Just three days in and we are at over $18k thanks to your support, generosity, and love of brookies. With nine days left, our goal of $25k is not only achievable but surpassable! 🤑🤑🤑
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Please keep on sharing and believing. And to answer the most asked questions - we are not moving - we are making the little cafe a big sister! That’s right - all of these funds are being put towards the next little big thing! So please please please help us pull through and keep clicking that link to donate, share, post, story, reel, tiktok, text, and whatever else it is that can be done to get the word out. 📣📣📢☎️📱📲📞🗣🎙😱🙀💻⌨️
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Thank you ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

I am completely grateful and humbled by the responses and support thus far. Just two days into officially kicking this off to the world and we are already over a third of the way to our goal. Thank you is not enough - which is why brookies had to be involved in this project. Brookies, to me, are life and love and my personal way of saying thank you and I love you. ❤️❤️
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At just over $9,000 - we still have $16,000 to raise by the 31st - that’s just 10 days away! Anything you can do to help us reach our goal would be greatly appreciated. And it doesn’t have to be monetary!!! Share our posts and story. The link is in our bio. Click it, donate, share, repeat! 🔁

Hey friends! Sharing this here in the hopes that you will be able to support us by donating, sharing, posting, and reposting. Thank you so much!
With love and delicious wishes,
Diana

A little chef with a little cafe doing big things! At Little Chef Little Cafe we do really big things! We have reached our capacity and need a larger space to provide for our community.

Photo Dump Recap of 5️⃣ days as a chef in the Hamptons:
East Hampton➡️Sag Harbor➡️East Hampton➡️Wainscott➡️East Hampton➡️LIC

One of my favorite salad meals. I make a version of this bowl at least twice per week. 🥗🥗🥗
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It starts with a bed chopped lettuce / greens / cabbage / kale. Then I add whatever we have to provide a crunchy texture: jicama, carrots, bell pepper, pear, apple, celery, cucumbers, daikon, kohlrabi.
🥬🥒🫑🍐🍈
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Then I add other crunchy elements like seeds and nuts - sunflower, pumpkin, crushed almonds, toasted pecans, walnuts - sometimes wonton strips, pretzel bits, rice cake pieces, crushed up crackers, toasted breadcrumbs. 🥨🌮🥟
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For dressings, I also do a mix. Usually one vinaigrette based and another creamy or cheesy like blue cheese or a yogurt herb dressing.
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For protein - I’ll use whatever we have. This week - it’s an abundance of chicken nuggets - which I’m definitely not complaining about! Other times, it’s balsamic chicken, my favorite Costco rotisserie chicken, shrimp, sliced steak, deli Turkey, leftover miso salmon - again, whatever we have in the fridge. 🍖🍗🍤🐟🐠🍣🍥
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The last thing I add in are pickle or briny elements like olives, giardiniera, banana peppers, or pepperoncini. 🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶
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What’s your go to salad?

As the child of immigrants, I grew up eating whatever my mother cooked. And she cooked great meals every single day that were delicious and whole - from chicken adobo (which I now feature my version of at the cafe) to fried bangus to ginataan (vegetables stewed in coconut milk - which I also feature at the cafe) and so much more (Kaldareta, mechado, Kare kare, palabok - just to name a few). We would make huge pots of rice, fry up leftover rice with garlic and salt, and eat cucumber and tomato salads in spicy vinegar that would accompany our ulam. I still eat like this when I visit her whether in LA or the Philippines. It’s a blessing and it’s one of my favorite reasons to visit home.
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I only started cooking for myself when I moved out for college. And that’s when I discovered gems like macaroni and cheese, rice a roni, knorr noodle and sauce packets, and the ever beloved shake and bake. These are the foods that kept me alive through long days of class followed by shifts at the restaurant and many hours of studying (and partying). Maybe it’s not gourmet or considered the healthiest option, but for me, this meal represents both comfort and freedom - both of which I really need right now.
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Going to college at 17 was the first time I felt free and autonomous over my decisions. And now at 41, I am feeling less free because people in power are taking away rights that generations before us so bravely fought for- and it is frustrating and heartbreaking. Just three days ago - all women had the right to choose what to do with their bodies and decide what was best for them. Today, that is not the case. So tonight I’m eating something that comforts me and reminds me that feeling free to choose should be a right for everyone - free to choose what to eat, free to choose where to go, and free to choose what to do with our bodies.

On May 12, 2014 - I went to watch the Clippers lose to OKC in Game 5 and in between met up with this guy at Shake Shack. This was just three days after he told me in our initial meeting that I was wasting his precious time.
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Fast forward eight years later to include 4 moves, an apartment purchase and renovation, 4 jeeps, 5 countries, 2 businesses, a global pandemic and so much in between - yet we’re still having fun and wasting time together. Thanks for being my life partner in every way. I always forget the day we were actually married at the courthouse but I’ll always remember that blue suit, the two hours I made you wait, and the burger that changed my life for the better. 💕💕💕

Happy Birthday to you my love. Thank you for choosing me to celebrate all the things with you. Cheers to many more adventures, pizzas, and crazy ideas you encourage me to bring to life. You are my love, my life, and everything in between. 😘😘😘

9pm is the new 2am. Welcome to 41.
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Haven’t had a chance to respond to everyone’s messages, comments, texts, and calls but want to say thank you to everyone that reached out. Y’all know how to make a very ordinary girl feel extraordinary. 😉🥂😘🎉🥳🎁💐🍰🧁🎂🍪💖

Today was a fun day with
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I ran around with little humans and taught them how to make cookie dough by weighing ingredients. 🧈🍫🥣⚖️
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We counted, taste tested chocolate chips, scraped down the bowl several times, swung from ropes, raced scooters, built a fort, and ate cookies. 🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪
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I came home and realized that I’d have to make dinner for one since Steve is away. Inspired by today’s events, I found the cookie dough in my fridge and made this beauty. What better dinner is there than a giant cookie bar? And yes, I baked it in my toaster oven - and yes, there is always always always cookie dough stashed in the fridge or freezer in my home and in the cafe. 🥰🍪😄

How it started ➡️ How it ended. And all made in the toaster oven 😂.
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I should explain that the strawberries were my cooking snack and did not make their way into the final baked salmon dish. 🍓🍓🍓
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Salmon in an herbed Panko crust with sesame noodles and broccolini - so easy, quick, and delicious. It all came together in less than 30 minutes.
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The broccolini was in the toaster oven, seasoned with oil, salt, and pepper. While it cooking, the salmon was prepped and placed into the toaster oven once the broccolini had it’s time. The noodles were tossed in a light sesame dressing and put on a sizzle plate and placed on top of the toaster oven to take the chill off. The salmon stayed in the toaster oven for about 15 minutes until the crust was a perfect toasty crispy golden brown. From there, dinner was served! 👩🏽‍🍳😘

Baked for almost an entire week straight, ran around to confirm every Valentine in LIC received their goodies, then made sure to come home and make a delicious dinner to enjoy with my very own everyday Valentine. 💝🥰🍝
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We are both pasta (really all carbs!) lovers so it’s only fitting to make one of our favorite dishes: Lemon Anchovy Spaghetti. 🍋🐠🍝
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This one features garlic confit, broccoli rabe, and butter poached shrimp. The bitterness of the rabe, the acidity of the citrus, the briny umami saltiness of the anchovy along with the sweetness of the shrimp and the savoriness of the slow cooked garlic - it’s *almost* a shrimp scampi but in a more complex way. Top it off with crushed red pepper and freshly grated parmigiano reggiano (ALWAYS use the good stuff - so worth it) - this dish deserves it’s own post, reel, chapter, and holiday.
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This dish is so delicious and comes together so quickly - I may have to declare Monday nights Lemon Anchovy night. Who’s joining me next Monday? 🙋🏽‍♀️🙋🏽‍♀️🙋🏽‍♀️

Happy Lunar New Year family and Friends. 🎊🧧🎍🍊🐯🐅
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This is a giant bowl of noodles in hopes that this year brings luck, prosperity, and lots of delicious food. 😋🍜
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Do you know your zodiac sign and what it is predicted for this year?
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It is said that the ox 🐂 and goat 🐐 are the luckiest zodiac signs for the year 2022.
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For those born in the year of the rat 🐀, snake 🐍, monkey 🐒, pig 🐷, and dog 🐶 - more effort and grit will be needed to achieve goals.
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Rabbit 🐇, dragon 🐉, horse 🐴, and rooster 🐓 (like me!) are destined to enjoy a smooth life and good luck in making money this year 🙏🏽 (this chef and restaurant owner really hopes this zodiac telling is true!!).
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Whatever zodiac sign belongs to you, my wish for you is not just luck and prosperity - but happy days, good health, warm hugs, and nothing but tasty meals and treats (and I can make this one come true daily - no doubt).
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🧧🎊🐯Gong Hei Fat Choy 🧧🎊🐯

My snow day dinner - one of the first dishes I fell in love with at many dishes of pasta ago. It’s where I spent the best years of my 20s with some of the best people I know. (Ugh, I’ll never get that body back - damn pasta!)
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It’s also what ignited that fire to cook - and this is the first dish I learned to make on the line.
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Shrimp and Sausage Fra Diavolo. It’s topped with ricotta, hot honey, and olive oil (I would’ve whipped it in but my home processor just broke). This spicy and savory sauce almost made me forget the fact that I was freezing since Steve hates putting the heat on. And with that touch of cream and sweet - the balance was nothing short of perfect, even if I do say so myself. Swipe to see the cleaned plate!
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Tell me what you made/ate during the storm.

Reposting from . •
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🚨SUPER IMPORTANT PSA 🚨
As a small business owner - I know that we are not always perfect - even during the best of times. Now here we are - in the very worst of times for two years and counting. While we appreciate everyone’s support, we understand there are times that we may not meet expectations and that taste is subjective and what we offer may not be everyone’s ideal muffin, coffee, rice bowl, etc. •
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The thing is - if brought to our attention, we can try to remedy. We can accept that you may not enjoy what we offer. That is fine. That is your right. •
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But what is not fine is to blast an already struggling small business on a public forum with the intention to take down that business simply because you didn’t enjoy what you received. You’re not happy? Give us a chance to make it up to you. Don’t want that chance? Fine. Ask for a refund. Neither of those work for you? Then just don’t frequent that establishment again. Simple as that. •
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But if you feel the need to be a dick and type up a negative review before attempting to contact the business - then just do every small business a favor and don’t visit and don’t order because none of us deserve that treatment - especially during this hellish two years of the worst climate to be a small business.