 |
January 18th, 2012 by admin
Hot music. Piccante salumi. A bust of berries. And Ruth Reichl. This is an IACP event? Wow. Bring it on! The Association sent a clear message at the launch party for its 34th Annual Conference to be held in New York City: this year’s events will be hipper, sexier, and more star-studded than ever.
The once-a-year gathering doesn’t happen until late March, but to kick things off early, conference speakers, staffers, and organizers were invited to meet, eat and drink at Santos Party House in downtown Manhattan last Monday. Partygoers knew this was the place to be when Ruth Reichl sashayed through the crowd sprinkling her magic pixie dust over everyone’s heads. PBS chef Sara Moulton hugged old friends. Baking genius Rose Levy Berenbaum and Gastronomica editor Darra Goldstein nibbled on al dente sopressata and meltingly tender porchetta from Salumeria Rosi. Meanwhile, Garrett Oliver, guru of gastronomy at Brooklyn Brewery, discussed roasted garlic duckfat ciabatta and cave-ripened cheddar with Jonathan White from Bobolink Farm.
The Party House was a like a boxing ring with culinary heavyweight champions in every corner. At the center of it stood Doug Duda, incoming IACP President, holding the microphone:
“Ladies and Gentleman,” he announced, introducing the speakers and events for this year’s conference, “IACP is proud to present an all-new conference like you’ve never seen it before.” He exuberantly told us how things will be different at the New York gathering. For one, the conference runs Thursday to Monday this year with an extra full day. The awards will take place at the very end, on Monday night, after a weekend packed with engaging sessions and optional tours. “You can eat at Katz’s Deli with Ruth Reichl on a Jewish Heritage tour,” Duda beamed. “You can join Madhur Jaffrey on a food adventure through Jackson Heights and Floral Park. Or you can enjoy a bagel and a schmear at Arthur Schwartz’s apartment before exploring one of Brooklyn’s great ethnic neighborhoods.” Another unique experience this year: all day Sunday will be spent in SoHo with hands-on classes at the French Culinary Institute just before an afternoon of schmoozing, tasting, and author signings at the Culinary Expo and Book Festival. The Awards will be held on the beautiful Times Square stage of the New York Times Center; and instead of wondering what to do afterwards, there will be an Awards After-Party for all attendees in the same location. Brilliant! The theme this year is “The Fashion of Food,” so bring your uptown look.
At the kickoff, plenty of A-list conference speakers were happily snacking and chatting with guests: Hiroko Shimbo will be teaching a hands-on class on Real Ramen; Leticia Moreinos Schwartz will share her irresistible brigadeiros in a class on Brazilian cuisine, and Pam Anderson leads an interactive 3-day session on blogging the conference itself.
Photographer Penny De Los Santos turned her infectious smile 360º around the Santos Party House and Dan Kohler paraded his camera through the crowd like Freddie Mercury chanting “We Will Rock You” at a Queen concert. It was refreshingly surreal to see such a mix of talents and personalities at the launch. Brooklyn Brewery beers, pulled pork and apple crostini, and seasonal cocktails were all free and flowing for two high-spirited hours.
If this kickoff party was any indication of what the New York conference will be like, I am registering early so I don’t get waitlisted out of my top sessions and events.
IACP thanks Food Karma for producing the event, Santos Party House for donating the space and staff as well the following sponsors: Bobolink Dairy & Bakehouse, Brooklyn Brewery, Brooklyn Oenology, Bull Dog Gin, Driscoll’s Berries, Jarlsberg Cheese, Jimmy’s No. 43, Salumeria Rosi, and Voss Water.
*Sorry about the lack of photos here – I was too busy stuffing my face! (and only had a phone camera)
Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments »
March 19th, 2011 by admin
For some reason, I’ve been frying lately. French fries. Battered fish. (It was just St. Patrick’s Day. Fish and chips seemed right.) But I also fried halved Brussels sprouts and tossed them in a sherry-balsamic reduction sauce flavored with sliced garlic and enriched with coconut butter. Yes, coconut butter. It was completely delicious. Last week, Fat Tuesday was also a great excuse to eat donuts. What’s with all the fat? It’s like March is National Fat Month. I’m not complaining. I fried again this morning. For breakfast, I made Zeppole di San Giuseppe, traditional Italian, crisp-on-the-outside, tender-on-the-inside fritters. The recipe is from my friend Nick Malgieri, a pastry guru who included these fritters in a story he wrote for Saveur’s March issue. Pick up an issue and try them. I’m not Catholic, but if the food is this good in heaven, I might convert.
 The zeppole dough is piped onto parchment  You flip the dough and parchment into hot oil then peel off the paper and fry until golden brown  Dust them in cinnamon sugar and they're irresistible. Even moreso with a sweetened ricotta filling.
Posted in Food | 6 Comments »
September 8th, 2010 by admin
Notice the appalling lack of posts here? Well, my home office was robbed, and I lost EVERYTHING–all computers, pictures of my kids, jewelry, website access info, you name it. Stolen. I’m still not fully back on my feet. I have much better security now, but please bear with me as I re-establish my online self! More to come soon! -Dave
Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
August 25th, 2009 by admin
 Dandelion Greens with Ginger, Soy, and Sesame Last week, my mom watched our kids while Christine and I rode our bikes 540 miles from Burlington, VT to Palmerton, PA. On the ride, we ate voluminous quantities of French toast, pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, BBQ brisket, pork, turkey, and chicken, and we drank gallons of water, orange juice, Gatorade, coffee, pilsner, lager, IPA, and porter. All the food (and some of the drink) was donated by VFWs, Elks, American Legions, Ommegang Brewery and other community service organizations. It was amazing to feel the love and support of so many people in small towns down the East Coast, encouraging us to pedal on in our quest to raise money for cancer research and treatment. The Pennsylvania Perimeter Ride raised about $150,000 on this ride, bringing the total funds raised for the history of the ride to more than $1 million.
We settled into being home last Sunday, tired, sore, and delirious. As we rifled through the fridge to wrassle up some lunch, a few new vegetables appeared in the produce bins. “Hmm…I didn’t buy dandelion greens and turnips before we left,” I thought to myself. But there they were—all plump and beckoning. It seems my mom’s cruise last spring has had a lasting effect on her. In March, she went on a “wellness” cruise, and heard all about the benefits of a macrobiotic diet from health professionals like Dr. Neal Barnard. She’s eating waaaay more vegetables than she did before the cruise. And that’s a good thing.
Long after my mom drove home, I was staring at her leftover veggies in our fridge. Christine said, “What are these?” ogling what looked like peeled hardboiled eggs in a ziplock bag. “They’re turnips,” I said. She gave me a quizzical look and moved on to the pantry.
The turnips will last a few days, but the dandelion greens were starting to look sad today, so I made them into a side dish for lunch. Sure, it’s 87ºF outside and our house is made of brick (brick oven pizza anyone?), but this dish is so quick and easy, it won’t heat up the kitchen too much. It’s one of my favorite ways to prepare cooking greens—whether beet greens, chard, spinach, or dandelion greens. Saute some garlic and ginger in sesame oil, add the greens and a little soy sauce, then cook the greens until they just start to wilt. Scatter on sesame seeds and enjoy. For the dandelions, I added some honey to balance their bitterness. If you want it spicy, you can toss in some crushed red pepper, too.
Simple recipe, right? It takes less than five minutes and sure beats letting all those good greens go to waste.
Posted in Food | 14 Comments »
July 30th, 2009 by admin
 The raw materials I’m riding my bike in the Pennsylvania Perimeter Ride Against Cancer next week. 550 miles of hilly, gorgeous, pummeling terrain from Burlington, Vermont to Palmerton, Pennsylvania. I need carbs in my body now. Carbs that last. Oatmeal. Pasta. Whole grains. Mornings this week have been full of stick-to-your-gut cereals. Dinners have been all about height-of-summer vegetables like fresh corn, zucchini, tomatoes, and peppers. Lunches have been pasta. Elbow macaroni with tuna and pesto yesterday. Spaghetti and meatballs the day before…whatever I can scrounge up in the kitchen. I usually only have about 20 minutes for lunch, so I pull together something quick from fridge leftovers, fresh vegetables, and pantry staples. Today, we had some leftover spaghetti, the last of the smoke-roasted peppers from a recent smoking session, and some grilled corn taken off the cob from last night’s dinner. Looks like lunch to me. I brown a little sausage in olive oil, add some garlic, the roasted peppers and corn, then toss in the spaghetti. Some fresh basil from the garden, a few fresh gratings of Pecorino Romano, and lunch is ready.
 Spaghetti with Sausage, Smoke-Roasted Peppers, and Grilled Corn Some of the most satisfying meals are made this way. You look in your fridge. You look in your pantry. You check the freezer. You start tasting one ingredient along with another in your mind. The roasted peppers and grilled corn share a smoky sweetness — they’ll be perfect together. Over pasta? Sure, why not! Add some fennel-scented Italian sausage and the meal takes on depth. Basil and cheese round out the flavors and olive oil will add just a suggestion of sauce.
Satisfaction often comes by answering the question: what do I want to eat? Not just “what do I want to taste?” but “what does my body need?” Today, I needed carbs. I wanted a meal that didn’t take more than 15 minutes to make. I wanted to taste the bright flavors of summer, and I had a handful of leftovers. Spaghetti with Sausage, Roasted Peppers and Grilled Corn was the answer. I’m not going to write down the recipe because it’s just too simple.
 Red peppers smoke-roasted in my Texas smoker - I love the oil they exude when roasted
Tags: basil, carbohydrates, Food, garlic, grilled corn, lunch, olive oil, pecorino romano, recipes, roasted peppers, sausage, smoke-roasted peppers, spaghetti
Posted in Food | 6 Comments »
SEO Powered by Platinum SEO from Techblissonline
|
 |
