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We sampled chef Yamamoto's extraordinary talents in May 2006 in a Barcelona suburb at a new Japanese restaurant, Matsui.The talent of this chef was and is extraordinary. Chef Yamamoto presented an exceptionlal contemporary menu; it was, seemingly, a thank you to Ferran and Andoni who had visited his Tokyo restaurant in 2005. This remarkable Tokyo chef delivered a sensational updated, contemporary Japanese menu. It was for us a most memorable culinary experience. Yamamoto was a reluctant chef, in embracing his most enthusiastic supporters. At the end of this extraordinary dining event, we had the opportunity to personally engage with the chef and his staff. What a miraculous shift occurred; the chef and staff became recipients of the overwhelming affection and approval that every diner experienced. It was then and remains an exceptional dining experience. it was also an emotionally satisfying moment in time. We are forever indebted to Chef Aduriz's invitation. What a gift to us. The current references to this chefs abilities are justly warranted. He represents a new Japanese culinary viewpoint. We will never forget his dining experience. Judith Gebhart ← Judith, that sounds like it must have been an absolutely marvelous experience on so many levels. Thanks for sharing! I will have much more on Chef Yamamoto and Chef Aduriz soon. As for Andoni Luis Aduriz, I have yet to have the pleasure of dining at Mugaritz, but I have come to be a great fan of Chef Aduriz as a person.

Thanks, Judith. I appreciate you and anyone else taking the time to read them. At last year's Chefs Congress Albert Adria used elderflower in a dessert that he demonstrated called "Colibri" or hummingbird. I agree that it is an underused flavor though I would hate to see it become ubiquitous. The first day of the Congress was a complete whirlwind. As might be expected with all the activity in a new place, the timing ran late and cut into a cocktail reception for presenters, hosts and guests at Country followed by a dinner for the presenters, staff, honorees and guests at The Morgan Library. I was fortunate enough to be invited as a guest, but forewent the cocktail party in order to change my clothes for the dinner, which was held in the main atrium of the Library. The dinner itself was chefs cooking for chefs with the cooking done by chefs from around the country including Michael Cimarusti of Providence in L.A., Anthony Bombaci of Nana in Dallas, David Burke of David Burke and Donatella in NYC, Elizabeth Falkner of Citizen Cake in San Francisco and Alex Stupak of WD-50 in NYC. Seating was assigned. I ended up at a marvelous table sitting between John Scharffenberger and a lovely representative from Foods from Spain whose nameunfortunately escapes me. Also at the table were Oriol Balaguer, Carmen Titita Ramirez Degollado along with her daughter, Mari Carmen and a Catalan chef from her Mexico City restaurant whose name, unfortunately also escapes me, Edgar Leal of Cacao Restaurant in Coral Gables, Fl and Jordan Kahn. The multilingual conversation helped make this already special dinner that much more special. Chef Michael Cimarusti | Providence - Los Angeles Kelp-marinated Australian Southern Rock Lobster, Burdock Root, Shiso Vouvray Sec, Bourillon-dorleans, Coulée d’Argent, VieilleS Vignes 2006 Chef Tony Bombaci | Nana - Dallas Slow-Cooked Cervena Venison Loin, Thai Peanut Sauce, Caramelized Bananas, Salsify, Cilantro Cordon Heras Reserva doc Rioja 2001 Chef David Burke | davidburke & donatella - New York City Japanese Wagyu MasterTM, Grains of Paradise, Sweet Pea-Langoustine Cannelloni Cordon Heras Reserva doc Rioja 2001 Unfortunately, I failed to get a photo of Elizabeth Falkner's offering Elizabeth Falkner | Citizen Cake - San Francisco Wisconsin Stravecchio, Piquillo Peppers, Cocoa Nib-Rice Explosion, Fennel Drops Alex Stupak | wd~50 - New York City Yuzu Curd, Shortbread, Pistachio, Spruce Yogurt Some photos of the crowd enjoying the evening: Jordan Kahn and Oriol Balaguer Johnny Iuzzini puts a headlock on Katsuya Fukushima while Will Goldfarb referees. Carmen Titita Ramirez Degollado and Jose Andres exchange a warm greeting Starchefs' Managing Editor, Will Blunt and Michael Cimarusti Johnny Iuzzini and Josh DeChellis Starchefs' Editor-in-Chief, Antoinette Bruno welcoming everyone and introducing the Starchefs Rising Star Chefs. Yosuke Suga of L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon and Michael Anthony of Gramercy Tavern standing as they were announced amongst others as 2007 New York City Rising Star Chefs. Wylie Dufresne, Graham Elliot Bowles and others standing for acknowledgment as Rising Star Chef alumni Grant Achatz, Asbel Reyes, Takashi Yagihashi and Graham Elliot Bowles share a conversation as the dinner comes to an end. This was a spectacular way to end a busy, fun and fruitful first day of this stellar Congress! The

Did you bring back any food items? If these reports aren't enticing for a food trip to Tokyo or Hong Kong, I don't know what would be. Outstanding photos! Thanks for sharing.

Jordan Kahn, Grant Achatz, Wylie Dufresne and Alex Stupak during the first day of the 2nd Annual Starchefs International Chefs Congress

Manipulation: Creativity Through New Technique was the focus for Alex Stupak in his demonstration. Currently at WD-50, but with a pedigree that includes Alinea, Clio, The Federalist and Tru, this brilliant 26 year old pastry chef prepared several dishes and explained how he arrived at them using scientific method. Chef Stupak described a technique involving an enzymatically altered egg yolk used in the preparation of a grapefruit mousse. When asked about the availability of this product, Chef Stupak passed the baton to Wylie Dufresne who happened to be in the audience. Unfortunately, at the present time due to an association with an outside company who prepares the product and a non-disclosure agreement, Chef Dufresne was unable to discuss anything more specific about the product and its qualities. Nevertheless, i am sure that we will be hearing much more about it in the future. I had the opportunity to taste several of these dishes the following night during dinner at WD-50 the following night including "Grapefruit Custard, Elderflower, Blueberry, Basil" that were non-intuitive, but sensational. "Coconut Mousse, Cashew, Cucumber, Coriander," not demonstrated though the recipe is in the Starchefs ICC Program, is a dessert that outside of the alliterative "C" in the various elements does not appear on the surface to be a cohesive whole. The marvel is that it is indeed not only cohesive, but the combination synergistic. The same holds true for "Cherry Covered Chocolate, Molasses, Lime" only with less alliteration. Cherry Covered Chocolate, Molasses, Lime as prepared during Chef Stupak's Demo Justin Hilbert assisting Chef Stupak with the demonstration Chef Stupak in addition to his demo, gave a heartfelt talk about his dreams and aspirations. It may surprise some that Chef Stupak's ultimate dream is to open a Mexican restaurant along with his wife, who is currently the pastry Chef at Babbo in NYC. I have no doubt that this too, when it happens, will be nothing short of incredible.

Alex Stupak beginning to get ready for his demo

My understanding is that this was a very, very good summer for NYC restaurants due to a major influx of European tourists secondary to the weakness of the dollar compared to the Euro and the pound. It stands to reason that GR at the London would have benefited greatly from this.

Mark, this was the same response the established art world had for the French Impressionists when they held their first ground-breaking shows. Now they are the epitome of artistic conservatism. As for what are considered classics today in art, music and food, they were not created in a vacuum. There were plenty of other works in each of these fields that were created and did not stand the test of time or that only became accepted and appreciated later on. How many music composers or artists are appreciated more today than they were when they were alive? I am not arguing against the classics. On the same token modern approaches cannot all be lumped together and dismissed out of hand.

Innovations with Spanish Olive Oil was the title of the workshop led by Katsuya Fukushima, Ruben Garcia and Michael Tucker from Cafe Atlantico/minibar in Washington D.C. Michael Tucker prepping for the workshop while waiting for the preceding one to finish While the emphasis of this workshop would be on using Spanish olive oil, the trio started out demonstrating the technique of spherification using Campbell's tomato juice, which Fukushima said they found to be the best for that purpose. Since this tomato juice already has calcium in it, drops only need be added to a sodium alginate bath and rinsed in a water bath. Other products without calcium need to have calcium chloride added before dropping into the alginate bath. They discussed some of the details such as the precision necessary when weighing out quantities of the powders as well as the importance of timing in developing the proper consistency and thickness of the spheres. The tomato spheres can be further modified by putting them into dehydrators to result in the modern version of "sun-dried tomatoes." Ruben Garcia talked about how in Spain today, people are starting to treat olive oils like wine based on varietal and treatment differences. They used arbequina for their demo , making pendants of olive oil by caramelizing the liquid. By using hot melted isomalt, a sugar that doesn't absorb humidity, they were able to encase a drop of cold olive oil within a thin film and created a pendant by blowing a small bubble of air into it like a glass blower would. This technique works well with infused oils, though not with liquids as they tend to dissolve the sugar. They then used liquid nitrogen to turn olive oil into a powder. Garcia explained that while dangerous to work with, it is not as dangerous as it initially appears. One can touch the liquid nitrogen without harm, though any prolonged exposure can result in a burn. The liquid has a tendency to roll off skin that is exposed to it. The real danger occurs when the liquid gets caught up in clothes creating a well for prolonged exposure and burns. For the powder, olive oil is misted into a bucket of liquid nitrogen and strained out. Sine this olive oil powder would otherwise melt quickly, it is important to make sure that the serving piece has been made cold to hold the temperature for service. Another technique with olive oil and liquid nitrogen is to make olive oil "butter" by whipping the olive oil as liquid nitrogen is poured over it.

I'll add yet another performing artist simile to the mix. The modern chef who uses new technique and presentation to alter and rework a traditional dish or create a new one that has the appeal of astonishment secondary to either its presentation, style, contents or whatever, is like a magician who also wows us with mastery of idea , style and technique. Thus the effect on me when I first experienced spherical "olives" at elBulli was much like watching David Copperfield disappear and instantly reappear elsewhere in the theater. The "olive" was wonderful in its own right, but its effect on me was magical and fun! It did not necessarily taste "better" than a superb conventional olive, but I enjoyed it more for what it was and what it represented. I know that Copperfield has a "trick," but the effect is still marvelous in he same way that Adria's "olive" was. Both elements required much thought and execution to perfect. One difference is that Adria unlike Copperfield, has shared his technique, so some of the underlying wonder and "magic" is gone, though its significance and my esteem is only greater for it.

Jordan Kahn in Los Angeles, ehh?? I wouldn't mind that. I did hear a while back that Michael Mina was looking around LA for a place. He does have Stonehill Tavern over in nearby Orange County CA. I haven't heard anything recently though ... John, how did Grant Achatz seem to you when you saw him at the "From Kitchen to Cookbook" panel?? BTW, what hathor said. Take your time. Is that nasty bug gone yet? Uhh, have you gone and seen ... a doctor ... ?? ← LA is certainly in Mina's sights as well as Kahn's. I think the combination should be very exciting. I think Mina if he is going to do L.A., wants to make sure that he does it right so I don't think that you will likely be hearing much more unless and until it comes closer to fruition. It was difficult to miss Chef Achatz at the Congress as he was all over the place. His energy and focus are truly inspirational. While the chemo and radiation have added some wear and tear to his visage, seeing him in action and speaking with him provides a sense that if anyone can get through his ordeal and be the stronger for it, it is he. He mentioned to me that he regretted canceling his demo this year, but looks forward to doing it next year. I have no doubt that he will be there. As for my bug... funny thing is I got back to work and half the OR had the same thing. I think I am well enough now to get back on track!

By late that Sunday afternoon there was so much going on concurrently that things got pretty crazy for me. Unfortunately I missed a few workshops that I wish I could have been at even briefly. Donald Link of Herbsaint in New Orleans led Small Plates Southern Style. Link likes the fact that small plates allow a diner to experience a wider variety of a chef's work. One caution he noted was the tendency of check averages to slip with small-plate only restaurants. As such he recommends encouraging dines to share a variety of small plates in addition to a main course. Junior Merino, mixologist currently working as a writer and consultant through The Liquid Chef, Inc. paired food and cocktails that focused on using Amarula Cream liquer from South Africa and Appleton Estate Jamaican Rum. Like a well-prepared plate of food, a good cocktail also needs to be well balanced with five components essential for it s success. A cocktail must be visually appealing, have an attractive scent, great taste or flavor, of course, balance of its constituent components and a bit of soul provided by the mixologist. The food for this session was created and prepared by Máximo Tejada of Rayuela in new York City. John Scharffenberger and Elizabeth Falkner led a workshop entitled, High Content Chocolate Desserts. Scharffenberger, a true Renaissance man of the culinary world , started and sold Scharffenberger Cellars then did the same with Scharffen Berger Chocolates, a company with which he is still affiliated though not as owner. Currently he is working on sustainable cacao farming in Central America and raising free-range, acorn-fed pigs and making artisanal hams in northern California. He is co-author of a book, Essence of Chocolate. Falkner, chef owner of Citizen Cake, Citizen Cupcake and the upcoming Orson in San Francisco, is also an author of the newly released Demolition Desserts. Scharffenberger discussed various properties of chocolate. For example, out of approximately 6000 identified flavors, 1200 or so can be found in chocolate as compared to 900 or so in wine. He also discussed potential health benefits of chocolate such as the high content of anti-oxidant polyphenols. Not only should we not feel guilty eating dark chocolate, it should be embraced as a pro-health food. Tasting chocolate should be done by analyzing the flavors sequentially as they break down inside the mouth. Falkner used sous vide technique to make a chocolate cake. Melted chocolate, eggs, butter and sugar are combined and cooked in the 71C water bath to an internal temperature of 65C, then microwaved to order for 35-45 seconds, assembled and served. Takashi Yagihashi currently of Noodles in Chicago and formerly of Okada at the Wynn in Las Vegas, Tribute in suburban Detroit and Ambria in Chicago led a workshop entitled Sashimi Skills: Featuring Henckel' Miyabi Knives. He focused on brushing up basic skills traditional sashimi and vegetables as well as contemporary sushi. In addition Takashi offered tips for plating, presentation and knife care.

This is an interesting subset of the topic as it represents trying interpretations of one's own food culture in other countries. I have to admit though, that aspiring to any degree of cultural literacy regarding McDonald's has never been important to me.

Actually, (this is directed toward others more than you Judith) traditional food is every bit as creative (if not more) as modern food. The big difference is that traditional food is not new. If Pizza had never existed and was suddenly created tomorrow, it would still sweep the world in no time, because it is a brilliant idea. The approach I (and many others) take is that many of the old preparations are actually based on very innovative thinking and are no less refreshing (particularly if they have been lost and rediscovered) than their modern counterparts. I don't covet food because it is new, I covet it because it is remarkable. ← You are quite right. I fully agree with this post. New for new's sake is of limited utility. It needs to have substance behind the style, for sure. However, there are plenty of folks who immediately tune out something simply because it is new and don't give it a chance regardless of the potential of the idea.

From Kitchen to cookbook was a panel that featured Chef Grant Achatz of Alinea in Chicago, food writer Jeffrey Steingarten, literary agent Lisa Queen and publishers Ann Bramson of Artisan and Will Schwalbe of Hyperion were brought together to discuss the pitfalls, perils and bounties of publishing a cookbook. Chef Achatz discussed the tribulations of he and his team as they considered their options for their upcoming Alinea book, ultimately deciding to self publish the book with distribution by Ten Speed Press. Like the way they proceeded with the groundbreaking Alinea Project here on the eGullet Society Forums, Achatz and his team will use the internet in a novel way as an adjunct to the book. Wylie Dufresne and Jeffrey Steingarten after the panel.

Ah, well that makes a difference, then. If you're travelling to a country specifically for the food, then it makes sense to only eat that type of food. But people travel for different reasons, and I prefer to have a wider-range of experiences in a country, and sample everything it has to offer, since there's a good chance I won't visit it again (much as I might love to). ← And as a rule, how's the food? I mean, are there countries in which only the native cuisine is any good, or are there countries where all the foods offered are just as good? ← Food is an extremely important element and often the most important element for me when I choose a place to travel to. Some places are notable for their indigenous traditions and the quality of the food sprung forth from them. Other places like NYC and London are notable for the overall quality of the food regardless of the originating tradition. Those cities are legitimate foodie destinations, but I wouldn't consider limiting my experiences to the "native traditions" though they would certainly be part of any trip to those cities.

Pastry Chef Jordan Kahn formerly of Varietal, Alinea, Per Se and The French laundry led a workshop using a tool that has become synonymous with creative restaurant ice cream - the Pacojet. His presentation, Demystifying the Pacojet was meant to illustrate savory and sweet application potentials for this machine. To this end, He asked questions about the interchangeability of recipes for batch freezers and Pacojets, the affect of the process on the constitution of a recipe and how various ingredients and percentages determine the character of a product. Beyond ice cream, the role of the Pacojet as a "high speed blender" amongst other possibilities were also explored that could make this machine beloved of pastry chefs to also be of particular use to a savory chef. Kahn worked with a recipe for "Lime Flower Sabayon, Wolfberry, Broken Macaroons, Ketjap Manis." His use of tonka beans and ketjap manis were two of the elemens he used in desserts that he became most well known for while at Varietal. I got a chance to chat with Chef Kahn about a few things. He is currently working for Michael Mina helping set up pastry departments at various Michael Mina restaurants that will be opening around the country. While currently based in San Francisco, his ultimate objective at this point is Los Angeles where Mina will be opening what appears to be a major restaurant. I asked him about his experience at Varietal and whether he had any regrets for this relatively short-lived restaurant. He was happy for the opportunity given to him, but realized before opening that there was a major disconnect between sweet and savory. This was apparently the intention of the owners of the restaurant who gave him carte blanche to do as he wished. Ultimately the styles were too disparate to be comfortable on the same table at least for a significant number of diners and especially critics. For my money, Jordan Kahn is one of the outstanding young pastry chefs of any ilk with his creative potential second to none. I look forward to many good things to come. At the end of the workshop, I was able to return and snap a photo of Chef Kahn with another outstanding, creative young pastry chef - Patrice Demers of Montreal. Chef Demers, formerly of Les Chevres in Montreal is currently creative director of Laloux in Montreal. demers talented former chef partner at les Chevres, Stelio Perambelon also attended the Congress. Jordan Kahn and Patrice Demers

A lot depends on the country I'm visiting and why I m visiting it. If I am going to Spain, I will not be likely to eat anything other than Spanish food, unless there is a particularly great reason to do so. I have eaten Vietnamese in Paris, Japanese and Indian in London and Chinese in Peru. The latter is special, because Chinese-Peruvian cuisine is an accepted variant of Peruvian cooking called "chifa." Indian in London or Vietnamese in Paris are examples of former colonies that have develop clear associations with the former colonists - at least culinarily. Japanese has become almost synonymous with a global cuisine as its influence has been far reaching in the latter part of the 20th century as well as currently. Traveling within the US, highly regarded ethnic restaurants are always a consideration.

Yeah, it's been confusing me too. That's why I posted the question earlier of whether people are considering Jean-Georges a "French" restaurant. I think we're into a lot of apples vs. oranges in this thread, not the least dimension is whether we're talking about people who live in Italy, or people visiting Italy as tourists. So I'll throw in my two cents as a tourist in Italy, not a native... The photos you posted look fine to me. I would be able to deal with a delicious meal like that, probably, and all the more so if it were truly delicious. I was not able to deal with the meal that I got many years ago at "San Domenico" in Imola, next door to Modena, however. Whatever the hell it was (ego?), it wasn't Emilian, nor was it even vaguely "Italian". If I can make the veer, I would say that I don't really consider Jean-Georges to be "French" restaurant. But I like it. That may be because it's in New York, and I associate that with "melting pot" cuisine, which to me means that, since I'm twelve minutes away, I'm not necessarily giving up a meal to go there, and besides, it's not the case that I feel that I want to eat "American" cuisine, whether or not there is such a thing (don't mean to open that can of worms) - I'm just saying that if I'm in Italy or France, it's to eat as much of the traditional cuisine as I can. If chefs want to stretch it to the extent that Jean-Georges stretches "French" cuisine, I can usually deal with it, though if they go too far, I'm gonna be hateful that I could've been having cassoulet, or tortellini bolognese, because those are things I can't really get in New York as good as I can in their country of origin ("normalmente"). Personally, I don't want to eat anyone's 'deconstructed' or 'molecular' food when I go to Italy or France. On the other hand, I've spent a lot of time in Germany and if somebody were to offer me really good molecular Italian or French food there, I'd jump at the opportunity! ← mark, you are clearly in the majority. Fortunately, for those of us who also like innovative cooking, there are enough of us to be able to support worthwhile innovators. When I travel I certainly love to eat the cuisine that has withstood the tests of time, but I also seek out and enjoy quality innovation, because I enjoy and respect it wherever I might find it. Even in Spain, while I may travel to visit specific restaurants, I always mix in a good amount of traditional cooking. I don't think the innovative can be fully appreciated without understanding the roots of where the cooking is coming from whether they be a specific culinary tradition or heritage or something completely different. The original premise of the topic is whether traditional and creative Italian cooking can live on the same menu. I think clearly they can, however, it might be confusing and discomforting to some people who prefer clear definitions of what and where they are eating. Also one must beware of what happened at varietal in NYC where there was a clear disconnect in approach between the savory and sweet sides of the meal. The savory side though not exactly classic, took a market based approach that was relatively conservative, but quite good. The desserts under Jordan Kahn were as creative (and good) as are out there. Unfortunately, the combination did not mesh well for most diners and the restaurant suffered. The disconnect there was between two halves of each meal. I think if there is traditional and modern throughout the menu and clear choice such as Trabocchi does, it should not be a problem so long as both are done well. If so, the restaurant should be able to attract and satisfy traditionalists such as Mark and culinary explorers such as myself. Mind you, I would not order exclusively from either portion of the menu.

I have no problem with coexistence. I don't think that the two extremes of traditional or contemporary have to be mutually exclusive, but there is no reason why a modern "creative restaurant" has to have any basis in traditional cooking. If this is the case then I think that you can run into the issue where "Italian food purists" don't consider this type of food "Italian" (what ever that means). The flip side of this is where high end diners are dismissive of tradional food. ← I agree that a modern "creative restaurant" need not have a basis in traditional cooking, however, the best ones, in my experience such as elBulli or Can Roca, provide a context for their creativity that is often if not usually based on tradition, local or exotic. Even a dish as apparently outlandish as Joan Roca's oyster with Earth, has a context taken from tradition. That dish, which pairs a raw oyster with a distillate of contents taken from a local forest floor, has a basis in a classic pairing of oysters with the mineral rich wines of Chablis. It is that very minerality that in combination with the brininess of the oyster that allows that dish to work. Is it "better" than having an oyster with a sip of good chablis? It is simply different...and fun because it is unique, clever and because it does really work despite one's initial thought of its impossibility. Now I am not about to go out and make a habit of that dish, but I would certainly have it again and am sure glad that I experienced it and admire Joan Roca for the creativity that went into it. It was a memorable and positive experience. A similarly memorable dish was a simple, house-made fresh fusilli with pomodorini del Vesuvio at Agriturismo Seliano in Paestum south of Naples.

Does it really not have it or is it just that some people don't consider it "Italian" and tend to rail against it. Italy certainly does have some very highly regarded modern restaurants. What I am seeing here is a tendency to dismiss them out of hand by Italian food "purists." For my purpose, I would hate to have to give up either approach. I love traditional regional Italian foods, but I am also smitten by effective creativity. Why do they have to be mutually exclusive within a culinary tradition? Why can't a "traditional" trattoria co-exist alongside a modern temple of gastronomy and both be wonderful and successful? It is not even as if everyone must love or appreciate both. There is plenty of room for those like Mark to enjoy traditional, regional cuisines and never have to set foot in a creative restaurant. For those who only enjoy the highest aspirations of creativity, they need never set foot in a traditional setting. I'll take both so long as each is done well.

I haven't forgotten about this topic! Unfortunately between recovering from a nasty bug and being flat out busy, I haven't had the time to put together what I need to, but I will What look wouldn't look cool on Johnny? The main element, Ted, in Johnny's presentation was a Chololate Panino with Wisconsin Fontina, Gianduja and Black Olive. He made a chocolate briochethat he froze and sliced thinly with an electric slicer; candied dehydrated black olives which he folded into a gianduja along with a feuillatine. the gianduja was spread on parchment, chilled and cut. Assembly consisted of spreading the gianduja on two slices of the brioche, layering some cheddar in the center, combining them into a sandwich and putting it into a panini press until the cheese is somewhat, but not completely melted. The panino is finished with a balsamic vinaigrette drizzled around it and garnished with micro arugula. The 4 play was finished with chocolate donuts with donut crumbs and a couple of other elements that I didn't note. I hope to have more substantial posts sometime this weekend, though I will be unable to do anything with photos tomorrow Thanks for your patience.

Graham Elliot Bowles of Avenues Restaurant in Chicago held a workshop on The Art of Presentation in which he and his staff presented four dishes, each inspired by a different art movement and each to be constructed by the participants. To represent contemporary art, Bowles offered a deconstructed clam chowder to be fashioned in a somewhat haphazard manner. The ingredients were presented dry and spread on a plate. For pop art, he supplied braised pork belly on a bed of grits and collard greens. The participants were instructed to smear the sauce across the plate. A cranberry bisque with mint-whipped cream atop it represented a minimalist approach with a simple layer and contrast of colors. To simulate the art of impressionism, seared scallops with pumpkin puree and eggnog foam were placed on the plate to represent the blurred image of a Toulouse-Lautrec can-can dancer. Towards the end of the workshop, an additional buzz arose as the Italian master, Gualtiero Marchesi came in with a small entourage to partake of the festivities. Marchesi even tried his hand with the Follies Bergere scallops though I'm not quite sure that he fully understood what he was supposed to do!

After the school lunch program, the rest of the afternoon was a whirlwind. Scott Mayger, the general manager of Telepan Restaurant in NYC led a wine tasting seminar, Pairing with Difficult or Unusual Ingredients Featuring Loire Valley Wines. Scott brought out food elements that are notoriously difficult to pair with wine such as a raw tomato, aged goat cheese, asparagus, artichoke heart and roasted pepper. He explained that the art of pairing does not necessarily mean finding something "that goes so well", but instead having a pairing that complements or contrasts with the food, but in such a way that the result is synergistic - both taste better than either alone. Scott Mayger's Loire Valley Wine Tasting Seminar Mayger featured wines from the various appellations of the Loire and paired them each with a difficult to pair food item that he brought out. He paired the tomato with a muscadet from the western most part of the Loire. While this inexpensive wine is particularly renowned as a pairing for Breton oysters, he also found that its acidity complemented that of the tomato. In addition, the wine is well balanced and round but not overly aggressive, a trait that would fight against the tomato. For the aged goat cheese incorporated in a dish (much more difficult to pair than chunks of plain cheese) Mayger chose a Sancerre. Again, the acidity in the wine provided a key component for the pairing. The high acidity and powerful pungency of the wines from Menetou, SW of Sancerre, masks the green vegetal qualities of asparagus derived from sulfide mercaptans in the vegetable. Another vegetable, the artichoke, contains cynarin, that interfere's with one's ability to taste. This makes a wine taste sweeter. Mayger paired this with a chenin blanc from Montlouis sur Loire. For the red pepper, Mayger paired a cabernet franc from the Loire, a grape notable for it s barnyardy nose. he concluded that Loire wines can pair well with a variety of difficult to pair foods, but because of the inherent subtlety of most of the wines of the Loire, they tend not to sell well in the boldly flavored American food market. They do, however, tend to go very well wherever their inherent delicacy and acidity are allowed to shine as with simply prepared foods.

Thanks, Ted. I have plenty more to come if I can shake this nasty head cold/cough! In the meantime, here are some faces in the crowd: Aki Kamozawa, Sean Brock and Patrick Sheerin Aki Kamozawa and her husband Alex Talbot of Ideas in Food fame recently returned to NYC from a summer in Montana. They are still looking for the right location to open a restaurant. In the meantime they continue to chronicle their inspirations and creativity, are cooking privately and offering cooking classes, the schedule of which can be found on their blog. Sean Brock, the chef at McCrady's Restaurant in Charleston, S.C. is passionate about his ingredients, so much so that they recently bought an actual plantation to raise much of their own produce and livestock including descendants of the original Spanish pigs brought to these shores centuries ago. The pigs will feed on acorns much as the prized pata negra pigs in Spain that are used to make bellota pork products. Patrick Sheerin, an alumnus of The French Culinary Institute in New York is the Executive Chef of Chicago's well known Signature Room at the 95th..