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From the above article: Who knew?

The problem with bland, mediocre chains like PF Changs, Olive garden or any other one care's to mention is that they tend to celebrate their very mediocrity. People, especially visitors, tend to choose the known mediocrity over the unknown, thereby eventually putting the unknown (good, bad or indifferent) out of business. Chains like this tend to perpetuate soul-less homogeneity and reduce the chances of finding a meal with character and substance from coast to coast, so even though locals may benefit economically just as much as with a non-chain restaurant, they lose so much more in terms of local character.

Chris, having seen and listened to it once while taking photos, I'm not sure I can recount the technique exactly , but I'll try my best. In a nutshell, they used a CT scan to locate in detail the anatomical location of all the bones. They then used a special knife to make many small incisions in the flesh through which they extracted all the bones. He used an edited video to illustrate the process, though it wasn't in excruciating detail. My strong suspicion is that there is a pretty steep learning curve to this technique. Perhaps someone else who was there and in the audience can give a better explanation of the process. ← Hamo has thousands of small bones running through the flesh that can't be removed (he probably took the CT scan to show this). After you remove the filets, you need to make many incisions through the filet to cut up the bones (technique is called 'bonecutting'), otherwise it's inedible. Pretty standard Japanese technique. ← Thanks!

Chris, having seen and listened to it once while taking photos, I'm not sure I can recount the technique exactly , but I'll try my best. In a nutshell, they used a CT scan to locate in detail the anatomical location of all the bones. They then used a special knife to make many small incisions in the flesh through which they extracted all the bones. He used an edited video to illustrate the process, though it wasn't in excruciating detail. My strong suspicion is that there is a pretty steep learning curve to this technique. Perhaps someone else who was there and in the audience can give a better explanation of the process.

AS Wylie Dufresne was setting up for his demonstration onstage, backstage there was an interesting confluence of legendary culinary talent. Joel Robuchon and Daniel Boulud share thoughts while Bruno Bertin looks on. With Robuchon and Boulud in the background, David Bouley and Bruno Goussault converse David Bouley, Bruno Bertin, Joel Robuchon, Daniel Bouley, Bruno Goussault and Yosuke Suga

Boulud and Bouley backstage with George Mendes and Ken Oringer

After Chef Bouley's demonstration, Antoinette bruno and Will Blunt came out to present a surprise special award,, the 2007 New York Rising Stars Mentor Award. This award, voted on by the 2007 Rising Star Chefs, is to "honor the mentor chef who does the most to support young chefs in his local industry, and help them succeed." The recipient for this year's award was Daniel Boulud. Chef Boulud, gracious as always talked about the amazing growth of culinary skill and knowledge in the United States over the past twenty years, putting the United States at least on a par with Europe in terms of culinary talent, skill and output. Daniel Boulud was congratulated by another great NYC Chef mentor with the initials "DB", David Bouley

Here's to hoping for a quick and satisfactory resolution of whatever personal issues are being dealt with and a return to even bigger and better things. There can be no doubting Chef Carlson's abilities.

David Bouley greeted by Jose Andres on stage and back after Bouley's presentation.

Unchanged from last year. ← yeah...but last year Jewel Bako was a year less into its decline. ← Michelin must have sat at the tables and not at Yasuda's bar!

American Ingredients, Japanese Technique was the focus of David Bouley's demonstration. He announced an upcoming restaurant project with Yushiki Tsuji, the head of the prestigious Tsuji Culinary Institute in Osaka Japan and someone Bouley has collaborated with for many years. Bouley talked about his relationship with Tsuji and their mutual influence on each other and especially Tsuji's influence on him as Bouley became more and more attuned to Japanese technique and ingredients over the twenty odd years of their association so far. For his demonstration, Chef Bouley made fresh tofu garnished with dashi broth, mushrooms and greens. To make the Tofu, Bouley mixed soy milk and egg white before straining through a chinois. After adding a couple of drops of white soy sauce, he steamed the mixture at 90ºC for 14 minutes.

Though I never traveled in Umbria this brings back plenty of great memories from Tuscany. I love pici! Your photos are excellent and evocative, Klary. One of the things I really loved traveling there was the ease of the markets and cooking great ingredients. Each day we ate in one meal and out the other. Which one we ate where depended on what we were doing and where we were going. I am looking forward to the rest.

Getting miked David Bouley, Jonathon McDonald and George Mendes go over pre-demonstration details.

I believe you are correct. Interesting, though he is probably at least acquainted with most of the chefs in the competition.

A culinary hero of mine from the time I first tasted his magical and unforgettable chocolate/hazelnut bon-bons with pop rocks a few years ago in Barcelona, Oriol Balaguer was next on-stage to present his Concept Cake, a dessert blend of sweet and savory. Within his Barcelona production facility, Balaguer and his team explore a different dessert concept each month. That concept then occupies a focused platform display in his Japan and Barcelona boutiques. The particular concept cake demonstrated at the ICC was an Apple Tart. Though simple and familiar sounding, Balaguer's tart is a unique blend of ingredients and technique unmistakably his. Balaguer made streusel dough with equal parts cake flour and almond flour, refrigerated then grated it. He formed it as a base in a square mold and baked it at 160C until colored (about 20 minutes). Balaguer made an apple puree with gelatin and pectin dissolved in it. He poured the strained mixture on top of the streusel base and gave it a brief freeze in a blast chiller. The sides of the mold were heated briefly with a blow torch to ease removal of the mold from the cake. Sugar was sprinkled on top and caramelized with a torch. Dried fava beans were ground up and sprinkled on top of the cake. He used Philadelphia cream cheese that was soft frozen and shaped into quenelles. The cake was topped with gelatin coated arugula leaves and salt and pepper. Voila - Tarta de Manzana! I got to taste some afterwards - delicious and complex.

David Bouley prepping for his upcoming presentation

Sorry Dana if you got that impression from my post. I edited "represented" to "represents" given that she is still very much alive though her influence may not be what it once was.

Great article! Thanks Brooks for posting the link. My one experience at Commander's Palace back in the early 1990's was slightly disappointing given the reputation and my expectations, but there can be no question of Ella Brennan's place in the firmament of the American restaurant world. The only person I can think of as influential in the American Restaurant Revolution as she would be Alice Waters. This quote from the article epitomizes the transition from Continental to American dining that Brennan represents:

I can say the same for Chris Cosentino and Aaron Sanchez. I suspect that they are all pretty talented. It should be an interesting competition.

Thanks for reporting, Della. I have not yet been to Greece though I would very much love to go. Were the meatballs lamb?

ICC Culinary Director George Mendes and his mentor, David Bouley as Chef Bouley arrives backstage to prepare for his Demonstration

Concurrent with the Monday lunch break was a hands-on workshop with Mixologist Jason Kosmas of Employees Only in NYC entitled Culinary Approaches to Classic Mixology Featuring Chambord and Woodford Reserve. Jason Kosmas is in the white jacket. I did not catch his assistant's name Kosmas recounted a bit of the history of "the Golden Age" of the American cocktail. One of the most important elements of that age was the necessity of bartenders producing many of their own ingredients such as bitters, tonics, juices, vermouths and even aging their own whiskey. In the modern age, those techniques and special qualities fell by the wayside with America's penchant for mass-production and convenience. As a result we saw the proliferation of industrial cocktail mixes and canned juices. With the modern renaissance of the American cocktail many of the old techniques are being rediscovered thanks to the excellent documentation and foundation put down by the original American mixology masters. Kosmas' approach to mixology is much the same as a kitchen chef's through preparation of ingredients, layering flavors and textures and building a visually stimulating, balanced and complex beverage.

A few images from the Sponsor Exhibits: Washington County's Farm to Chef Express selling artisanal produce directly from farms to restaurants Japanese Wagyu Master beef provided plenty of tasty samples. Vito oil filtration system to be put directly in the deep fryer to filter and clean oil. The idea is a very interesting one from this German company, but I cannot personally attest to its value or effectiveness. I did like the photo though Unfortunately, I did not take many photos of the exhibits though I may have a few more later on. The exhibits were more numerous than last year's Congress while continuing the high level of quality present then. In addition to food samples such as those at the Wagyu Master, Farm to Chef Express, Wisconsin Cheese, Foods from Spain, Brooklyn Brewery and other exhibitors, the Congress provided lunch "tapas" on each day with one day foods from southern US chefs and another Spanish plates.

Pacojet Competition Continued... Boris Portnoy of Campton Place in San Francisco starting to plate his dish Seth Siegel-Gardner of Gordon Ramsey in NYC plating his Michael Zebrowski of Morris Hotel in N.J. with his sweet corn ice cream. Alex Talbot of Ideas in Food starting his plating. The plating and sampling of Talbot's dish. Grilled Potato Ice Cream by Alex Talbot The full dish consisted of grilled potato ice cream, on a relish of cucumber and hot dog braised potatoes, Asian pear apple and grilled potato crisps along with Steve Bliss' smoked Steelhead trout roe. This was the only dish that I got to taste and since I am friends with Alex, the one I focused on. It was delicious with the sum of the parts better than each individually. The ice cream was relatively dense, but flavorful and true to its main ingredient. For this to not have won, the winners must have been truly exceptional. This was the first taste of the cooking of Alex and Aki that I have had, but I certainly hope it won't be the last. The winners of the event and proud owners of new Pacojets were Michael Zebrowski in the Sweet category for his Sweet Corn Ice Cream and Seth Siegel-Gardner in the Savory category for his Pickled Beet Sorbet - Nasturtium Seed Yogurt - Pine Needle Smoked Salmon. In actuality, all six of the contestants were winners for just getting there. By looks alone, the competition appeared to be pretty fierce with each dish just as spectacular as the next.

Chez Sophie has moved. It is now in the Saratoga Hotel which is on your left as you enter Broadway coming from exit 15 of the Northway. It is a bit more sophisticated and perhaps slightly less charming than the old location. It is north of Max's on the same side of Broadway.