Autumn Mushroom and Wine Festival

[DCMark]

This looks like fun. I just booked two tickets. Anyone want to join us?

The Alliance Francaise de Washington, DC and the French Culinary Society Present

THE AUTUMN MUSHROOM AND WINE FESTIVAL

Thursday, October 21st, 2004

6:00 PM to 9:30 PM

at La Maison Francaise

4101 Reservoir Road NW

Washington, DC

~

Come and enjoy this wonderful French tradition. Celebrate in style the wild mushroom and wine harvesting season! Wonderful food prepared by six of Washington's top French Chefs and a selection of fine American and French wines. Fun, excitement and flavor!

Also in the program: music, raffle

and a silent auction to benefit the culinary scholarship fund of the FICS.

General Admission: $55, FICS & AF Members $45 (ALL INCLUSIVE)

Mushroom and Wine Festival

[DCMark]

Anyone?

[DCMark]

I know many of your are heading to Corduroy next week but this does look like fun.

[JennyUptown]

You really want company, huh?

[DCMark]

Is it that obvious?? (-:

[rosebud]

I'll bite. The problem, you get me and DH. Are you looking for just ONE more person?

[DCMark]

Oh anyone would be welcome! I only have two tickets for my wife and I but was hoping for other Egullet folks. Let me know if you plan to come.

PS: What is a DH?

Edited October 18, 2004 by DCMark (log)

[DCMark]

I know I am talking to myself but they just added the chef from Restaurant Eve (and he is serving wild game Mark!). The menu looks delicious. Full report Friday:

PARTICIPATING CHEFS AND MENU

The following Chefs have confirmed their participation:

Philippe Piel

Executive Chef

Cafe 15

Chef Piel will serve:

Porcini Duxelle in Puff Pastry

and

Jambonette of Wild Mushrooms & Foie Gras

Brennan Hurley

Chef

Arts Club of Washington

Washington, DC

Chef Hurley will serve:

Seared Alaskan Salmon Simmered in Crimini & Shiitake Sauce

Michel Laudier

Executive Chef

Tragara Ristorante

Bethesda, MD

Chef Laudier will serve:

Porcini & Portabella Agnolotti in Parmesan Chanterelle Sauce

Raymond Campet

Chef Owner

La Cote D'Or Cafe

Chef Campet will serve:

Wild Mushroom & Shallot Feuillette

John Richardson

Chef Owner

Click here to go to: southbeachrestaurant.com >>

Chef Richardson will serve:

Yuca Croquette with Portabella & Black Bean Compote

Cathal Armstrong

Chef Owner

Restaurant Eve

Alexandria, VA

Game Bird Terrine on Wild Mushroom Salad

Also, assorted Natural Patés and Mousses

from Fabrique Délices

"Artisan Charcutier"

Assortment of Imported and Domestic Cheeses

Desserts by Joseph Poupon

Chef Owner

Patisserie Poupon

Georgetown, Washington DC

[Steve Klc]

I attended one of these French embassy dinners back when I was writing for Food Arts. It's really a beautiful space, all the chefs huddled behind and off to the side with their trams plating on card tables, great French champagne flowed freely that night (very free in my case because my seat there was comped as media) I remember liking Michel Richard's dish and David Guas's dessert a whole lot and being very impressed overall. All the chefs worked really, really hard. The crowd was older, very well-dressed, very haute to match the cuisine, except for the other chefs and writers I bumped into. I recall sitting next to Xavier Deshayes, who I hadn't yet met and really enjoyed talking to him. (He was cooking up some great work in that crappy small kitchen of Senses at this time. Would that he do that kind of cooking somewhere around town again. He was also very well-dressed.)

However, thanks to the link above, I now realize this dinner was put on by a non-profit organization, one working "to defend and preserve certain traditions of quality inherent to the French Culinary Art" and that "in order to protect these fundamentals the use and learning of specific techniques must be encouraged through the promotion and teaching of their values." Not that there is anything inherently wrong with that, but I feel a little clueless not knowing that at the time. And with all the James Beard House business being discussed on eGullet and elsewhere, I'm now piqued, in retrospect, if you will.

From the website:

"Our association is a small but very unique professional association based in Washington, DC area. The membership is varied but has always regrouped individuals concerned about the evolution of the techniques use in the food service industry.  The members are working together to defend and preserve certain traditions of quality inherent to the French Culinary Art. We believe that in order to protect these fundamentals the use and learning of specific techniques must be encourage through the promotion and teaching of their values."

and

"The FICS is an exclusive membership association. The board of directors approves applications for new members. Their deliberations and votes are secret and strictly confidential."

Reading further on the website we learn it costs $50 annually to be a member of this small non-profit, unique, exclusive, at times secret but at-all-times-confidential association, should your application be "approved." Tickets to these events are sold to the general public, and there's also a membership fee which entitles you to a discount if you'd like to attend an event. At this point I'm imagining two fat guys and two terribly slim guys sitting smoking cigars and swirling Courvoisier in a back room somewhere, speaking French of course, reviewing my imaginary application saying "he went to L'Academie but heeez not French enough, his desserts have no soul, he deconstructs, he foams, application denied." Which actually would be all fine and good so far, I think groups, even non-profit ones, get to define their membership. But if you are the inquiring type, then it gets a little more murky.

There isn't much specific information on the site about how FICS defends and preserves and protects and promotes beyond these paid events. Scholarships are mentioned, but what portion of the proceeds or revenue of these events goes toward scholarships? Does only the silent auction portion benefit scholarships, rather than the full admission price as well? What parts of these are tax deductible? Are the chefs and sponsors donating their time and product or being reimbursed for their expenses--and how much of this goes toward scholarships and how much goes toward operating expenses, cigars and Courvoisier?

There's nothing specific on the website about the criteria for these scholarships, who determines the recipients, nor about how many have been distributed, who has received them, whether they've been based on financial need, talent, employment, etc. Based on the chefs and sponsors assembled and the ticket prices of these events, I imagine a lot of young, worthy and/or financially disadvantaged people, certainly a few women and minorities, have been going to French cooking schools on these scholarships, most likely locally here at L'Academie, but then I have an active imagination sometimes. I couldn't actually find anything specific on the site about what the "culinary scholarship fund of the FIC" has done. Anyone know? My sincere hope is I just didn't look hard enough, and that many young cooks around town have been able to go to school who wouldn't have been able to otherwise.

I did find this kicker, though: one of the benefits of this $50 membership is "the possibility to participate in the association scholarship program for education and professional development."

Hmm...

[DonRocks]

Reading further on the website we learn it costs $50 annually to be a member of this small non-profit, unique, exclusive, at times secret but at-all-times-confidential association, should your application be "approved."  ... 

At this point I'm imagining two fat guys and two terribly slim guys sitting smoking cigars and swirling Courvoisier in a back room somewhere, speaking French of course, reviewing my imaginary application ....

←

Sounds like eGullet.

[DCMark]

Steve:

Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar....

[DCMark]

Not to defend an organization I know nothing about but this gives a bit more insight:

ORGANIZATION

The fics is governed by a board of directors composed of seven directors selected among the members of the association. Directors are elected for a two years term through a secret ballot process. The result are tabulated and announced at a general assembly.

The board of directors appoints an executive committee composed of four officers to run the day-to-day operation of the association.

Major decisions are presented to the members at general assemblies for votes. The members are always welcome and encourage to express their opinion through the newsletter and at the general assemblies.

The fics is a non-profit organization with a social and educative purpose. The directors and officers receive no monetary compensation for their work. More help is always needed; do not hesitate to volunteer your time to help the association.

Edited October 21, 2004 by DCMark (log)

[DCMark]

Sorry for the long delay in reporting. A bit of a dissapointment. I expected a sit-down dinner but that was not to be. More of a marketing effort for each restaurant and the portions were incredibly small. The best stuff came from a tex-mex restaurant actually (yucca and mushrooms).

The highlight was a table from the local mushroom society. Here is me with a giant shroom.