Curry Beef Sambos -- aka what I made at NYCWFF

I can’t believe I haven’t posted this recipe before.

Sambos is an iconic Tom family dish, and the dish that inspired the cheeseburger samosas I made to win Star Salvation.

I talked about this during my NYCWFF demo, but in brief: this is the most requested, most beloved food item in my family. We usually make it for Thanksgiving and Christmas, or a special occasion like a baby’s birth or my book launch.

It’s a family affair, with my brother peeling the spring roll skins, my mom and I folding and stuffing them, and my dad deep-frying them.

Sambos are a street food from Madagascar (where my mom is from) and are influenced by the country’s Chinese and Indian influences. Because they’re so tasty, people assume they must be hard to make. They’re actually quite simple.

WARNING: These are meant to be apps, but people will still eat too many and spoil their appetites for the rest of the meal. It happens all the time — to sambos newbies and veterans alike.

Curried Beef Sambos (pronounced “shambosh”)

Makes 13-15 sambos

1 package 8”x8” spring roll wrappers (I prefer Spring Home brand)
1 lb ground beef, 85% lean  
1 tsp + 6 cups vegetable oil for frying
2 tsps kosher salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
3 tbsps Madras curry
10 scallions, diced  

2 tbsps flour
2 ½ tbsps warm water

2 lemons, cut into wedges

Heat 1 tsp canola oil in large frying pan. Add beef and sprinkle evenly with salt and pepper. Cook on medium-high until almost all browned, 5-8 minutes. Break up any large pieces. The beef should be broken up as much as possible so it can be easily spooned inside the sambos.

Drain any excess water/fat and return to heat. Add curry and continue to cook, allowing curry to warm and bloom, 1-2 minutes. Turn off heat and add diced scallions. Allow to cool and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes. The mixture will be very heavily spiced and seasoned -- this is what you want because the deep-frying will temper the flavors.

When ready to assemble and deep-fry, cut spring roll wrappers in half, so the sheets are long rectangles (not squares). Separate 20 or so sheets and lay them under a damp paper towel. (You will make 13-15 sambos, but you may need extra in case you mess up).  

Make the flour paste by mixing the flour and water. If the paste stiffens, just add more water. It should be the thickness of craft glue.

Remove the beef from the refrigerator and start assembling the sambos.

Here’s how you fold them:

Bring remaining vegetable oil to 375°F. Deep fry until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes. Place on paper towels with the pointed end (ie: the tip of the arrowhead) pointed downwards to help drain excess oil.

Serve hot with lemon wedges.

Feel free to swap out the meat and seasoning. I once even made a raspberry-Nutella sambos, though I encourage you to start with the original.

Everything else at NYCWFF

Have you been to NYCWFF? It’s remarkable. The event sprawls over the entire city -- from intimate dinners, to kid-friendly workshops, to events on massive piers designed for cruise ships. All net proceeds go to benefit No Kid Hungry and Food Bank For New York City.

Because I was “festival talent”, I got access to all the tentpole events on Piers 92 and 94. I wanted to go to everything, but as you’ll soon learn … I was not successful.

The first night was Burger Bash hosted by Rachael Ray. It was a meat-lover’s dream, with 30 burgers + requisite sides (usually in the potato family).

Because it was the first event and I was too excited, I didn’t pace myself correctly and only tried twelve of the thirty burgers. Shame on me. Here are some of my favs.

Obviously the BEST burger was from Alex Guarnaschelli and her team at Butter. They also had the best reaction when you voted. They’d bang on the grill, jump up and down, and give you high fives.

I said hi to Alex of course. We haven’t seen each other since Star Salvation! I owe a lot to this woman and her warm but firm manner. We clicked during Star Salvation, and that comfort translated into my performances and ultimately helped me win SS and then the whole shebang.

The next day was my Grand Tasting cooking demo which I wrote about here.

Later that night, I attended Food Network’s 25th Birthday Party, hosted by Bobby Flay, Giada De Laurentiis, Alton Brown, and Ina Garten. This was an awesome event, with a wide variety of food, great music, and lots of Food Network stars mingling about.

Many Food Network stars were congregating in a VIP pen (for lack of a better word), where the public could wait at the periphery and take pictures. I was unsure if I could go in, until I ran into Palak (from Season 14!) and she said, without wavering: We’re going in. (Palak: Please be my life coach.)

We needn’t have worried, because we were welcomed inside. And it. Was. Wild. Seeing all the excited fans clamoring for Alex, Bobby, Marcus, Katie Lee, Scott, Anne, Valerie and so many others hit home: Food Network stars touch so many lives. I talked to many Food Network hosts and chefs and they were all so nice and supportive. I really felt part of the family.

One thing that cracked me up me is that I caught a peek of the cheat sheet that vendors get to ID VIPs. And there I was, next to Martha Stewart, Rev Run, and Christina Tosi.

I even basked in some of my own fan attention, working my way through the crowd. I talked to people visiting from different countries, celebrating anniversaries, longtime NYCWFF ticketholders, and those who rooted for me on Food Network Star from the very beginning.

I was chatting with fans for so long, I was literally the last one in the VIP pen! I didn’t even notice because I wanted to talk to and thank each and every person who approached me.

The next day, I was still buzzing from all the love (and champagne). I had my fill and was ready to go home. I called my Dad and said he could have my ticket. He and my mom spent the day at the Grand Tasting and Backyard BBQ and had a great time.

Name on the NYCWFF marquee ✔️
Fun demo filled with family stories and cooking tips ✔️
Met (or reunited with) idols and welcomed into the Food Network family ✔️
Connected with hundreds of fans in person! ✔️
Treated my parents to a VIP foodie experience ✔️

All in all, it was an unforgettable weekend. People … IT’S HAPPENING.

All About My (First!) Cooking Demo at NYCWFF

This weekend, I really felt like a Food Network Star.

First, the obvious reason. This Saturday I had a cooking demo at Food Network and Cooking Channel’s New York City Wine and Food Festival. I demo-ed before Morimoto, and at the same time as Giada. I had a mainstage with my own signature recipe, a culinary team to assist with prep and navigating the kitchen set … even my very own pump-up entrance music.

But the second reason was more subtle. I get recognized every now and again, but this was a whole other level. The NYCWFF is a necessary pilgrimage for anyone who loves food TV. I was among my people -- not only people who watched Food Network Star and followed my journey, but also people who are simply obsessed with food. As a newbie Food Network Star, people came to me with their stories, recipes, ideas, and dreams. I feel weird calling them fans … they’re more like new friends.

Here are more details from the day.

The day started at my hotel room, where I got my hair and makeup done.

Then we drove a couple blocks to Pier 94. I had some time to review my mise en place and make sure everything was where I wanted. I made curry beef sambos, the recipe that inspired the last dish I made for Star Salvation. I ran through my recipe and make sure I knew my choreography -- here’s where I make the beef, fold the the sambos, where I fry them...  

Then came my demo! Here it is in full. Thank you to Jason (also from Season 14 of Food Network Star!) and his husband Tom for capturing this video.

Before I went on stage, Giada asked me if I was nervous. I said, not really. Food Network Star presentations are set up as challenges, filled with pitfalls and surprise twists to test your skills.

No one was testing me here. I wasn’t competing against anyone else. There was a culinary team who could help with any mishaps or confusion. I just got up and had fun.

I had my phone in my pocket, but I totally forgot to take a picture of the crowd. When you see me beaming onstage, it’s because I’m looking at all the faces in the audience. I was afraid no one would attend my demo because Giada was presenting at the same time … but the room was full with happy, excited faces. Faces that knew me and my journey and wanted to be a part of it.

What a special thing.

Afterwards I stuck around the stage and took pictures, signed aprons, and gave hugs. Christian’s demo was a couple hours after mine. He killed it, of course.

I attended other NYCWFF events, which I’ll blog about later. I’ll also post the recipe for my curry beef sambos! But right now I need to wind down with a hot tea and a good book. I’m exhausted, happy, and very very full. :)