Billy Farrell Agency.

After the sushi and Sauvignon Blanc lunch we caught the tail end of the Wine Spectator Trade Tasting at the Whole Foods Market Grand Tasting Village.

This invitation-only event offers insiders the opportunity to learn about new trends and products in the beverage industry and provides a sneak peek of the Grand Tasting experience (the Festival’s signature event). Invited guests sample rare vintages, unique spirits and select tastings while networking.

Billy Farrell Agency.

Stepping into this world under the big tents at 13^th and Ocean can (quite literally) make your head spin, with about 100 wine & spirits suppliers and 40 restaurants sampling their products. Though we were full and happy from our special lunch, we still managed to find a lot to taste and, of course, made our way straight to the bubbles we love so much.

Billy Farrell Agency.

Incredibly, this year marked the 11^th annual Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival presented by FOOD & WINE. With more than 58,000 guests and more than $2 million raised for the Florida International University (FIU) Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management and the Southern Wine & Spirits Beverage Management Center, the event has come a VERY long way from its humble beginnings.

Billy Farrell Agency.

A quick history on the Fest over the past decade illustrates its dramatic evolution: Today’s juggernaut of 50 separate events over 4 days and a multitude of venues began humbly in 1997, when it was a one-day fundraiser for the FIU hospitality school called the “Florida Extravaganza.” It drew a mere 450 people! In those days, the party took place at the Kovens Conference Center on FIU‘s North Miami Campus, and (as is still true) was cosponsored by Southern Wine & Spirits.

The event would eventually expand to three days and attract a few thousand attendees, but 2002 marked a turning point. Lee Brian Schrager, Festival Founder and Director relocated the fest to South Beach, and renamed and rebranded it to its current fabulous self. Numbers increased to around 7,000 for the first official SBWFF, which featured seminars, dinners and a Dom Perignon-sponsored Grand Tasting Tent.

Billy Farrell Agency.

“[2012] was certainly one of the best years yet,” said Schrager, who also serves as Vice President of Corporate Communications & National Events at Southern Wine & Spirits of America.  “The unwavering commitment of so many chefs, winemakers, sponsors, staff, and students each year proves that we can really make a difference for the next generation of leaders in the hospitality industry.”

Billy Farrell Agency.

We took our time at the Trade Tasting, as we had the Grand Tasting ticket for both Saturday and Sunday. After 5 years of attending, we have learned to savor the Grand Tasting experience rather than trying to pack it all into one mad rush. You could easily end up so drunk and full that you could ruin the rest of your plans for the day and evening—and did we ever have plans!

I especially had to pace myself as I had two big interviews scheduled for the next day: Rachael Ray and Chef Robert Irvine! I wanted to interview these two because they are tremendous advocates for kids’ food education.

Billy Farrell Agency.

Ray launched her non-profit Yum-o!® foundation in 2006. Yum-o (www.yum-o.org.) empowers kids and their families to develop healthy relationships with food and cooking by teaching them to cook, by feeding hungry kids and by funding cooking education and scholarships. Through their three core work areas of Cook, Feed and Fund, Yum-o! offers an interactive website that enables young cooks to get started in the kitchen and try out family-friendly recipes. It also teams up with partner organizations to feed hungry children. And it funds innovative cooking programs in schools and educational opportunities for kids who are interested in pursuing careers in the restaurant and food service industry.

Although my interview with Ray did not materialize, I still admire and applaud her dedication to helping kids and families get on the right track with food and cooking. It can only make the world a better place.

Related Posts

• Cheers to all 2012 SOBEWFF Chefs and Volunteers
• Closing Party: Trucks on the Beach
• Party in a Parking Lot? Very Possible!

Tuesday, February 14
This year, Miss USA, Alyssa Campanella, hosted a special Valentine’s Day cookie baking class benefiting Cookies for Kids’ Cancer.

Chef Instructor Melanie Underwood and Miss USA led this feel-good baking class with a demonstration on how to make Lemon Bars. After the demonstration, the class was divided into teams of three to try any of the eight cookie recipes from scratch (nothing was premade!).

• Lemon Bars
• Oatmeal Cookies
• Toasted Coconut Shortbread
• Cream Cheese Cookies
• Tried & True Sparkly Ginger Snaps
• Cinnamon-Sugared Snicker Doodles
• Dark Rich Mocha-Glazed Brownies
• Classic Sugar Cookies

Alyssa’s mother, Anne-Marie, was also present in the class entertaining and assisting the teams in making cookies to be donated to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.

While the class was busy whipping up their Lemon Bar or Brownie cookie batters, I had the pleasure of chatting with the beautiful and charming Miss USA. Alyssa is a passionate and enthusiastic young woman with a huge love for kids and food. Earlier this January, Alyssa starred as one of the contestants on Rachael vs. Guy Celebrity Cook-Off and had even taken classes at the ICE to prepare for her cook-off contest.

Outside of her Miss USA responsibilities, Alyssa is an active volunteer at food shelters, making weekly visits to cook at the Bowery Mission. On her own free time, Alyssa also enjoys baking and making sweets, including one of her favorite signature recipes: Banana Bread French Toast with a Lime-infused Berry and Apple Salad side.

In between supervising the class, Chef Melanie spoke about the mission behind this class. Chef Melanie has been teaching at the ICE for over 16 years and is also a close friend of Cookies for Kids’ Cancer’s founder, Gretchen Holt-Witt. Together, they realized that they could help fight pediatric cancer by raising money through cookie baking classes. This is the second year that the ICE has hosted this class to benefit Cookies for Kids’ Cancer and 100% of the proceeds will be donated to supporting pediatric cancer research.

Cookies for Kid’s Cancer is a grass roots national non-profit organization founded in 2008 by Gretchen Holt-Witt. Through her son’s battle with cancer, a shocking discovery was made that the main reason over 25% of kids diagnosed with cancer do not survive is because of a lack of effective therapies. And the reason for the lack of therapies was very simple: lack of funding.
As a result, Cookies for Kids’ Cancer was formed and is committed to raising funds to support research for new and improved therapies for pediatric cancer, the leading cause of death by disease for children under the age of 18. Through the concept of local bake sales, Cookies for Kids’ Cancer provides the inspiration and support for individuals, communities, and businesses to help fight pediatric cancer.

Since its first cookie bake sale in 2008, Cookies for Kid’s Cancer has raised over $4 million to date and continues to actively raised money through online cookie sales and bake sales across the nation.

Cookies for Kids’ Cancer hopes to one day rally restaurants across America to fight pediatric cancer by dedicating a dessert on their menu and donating the proceeds to the organization during the month of September (which also happens to be National Childhood Cancer Awareness month).

To make a donation, host a bake sale or to simply learn more about how to get involved with Cookies for Kids’ Cancer, visit: www.cookiesforkidscancer.org

Photos by Karen Ko for Appetite for Good.

Related Posts

No related posts.

If you have passed by the corner of 39th Street and Lexington, you probably may have noticed a new casual restaurant in the neighborhood called Desi Shack.

Desi Shack is the newest quick service restaurant that specializes in serving skewered grilled Indian and Pakistani food in a simple customizable format: you choose your meal, your filling, your vegetables and your chutney. Everything is made fresh on site, including the chutneys and drinks.

I had the opportunity to sit and chat with amazing and lovely co-founder, Yasmin Ibrahim.

Q: What inspired you and your husband to open Desi Shack?

Yasmin: We had this idea a few years back and thought to ourselves wouldn’t it be cool to have a desi quick service restaurant serving grilled food and vegetables all rolled up into one.

This past November we thought about this idea seriously and I decided to quit my consulting job to pursue this idea full time.

We focused on the skewered-grill style desi food with a simple menu which our customers can customize the way they want and take back to their office without making a mess!

Most importantly, everything is made fresh on site at Desi Shack, including our drinks and chutneys.

Q: How has business been going since you’ve opened?

Yasmin: We have only been open for a few weeks and had we decided to go for a soft opening, letting customers discover us and allowing us to collect our customers’ feedback.

Business has been going very well since we have opened. We have a loyalty program started where if you get 10 stamps you get your next meal free and we’ve already have had customers come back and redeem their cards!

We have developed a following which is very encouraging and we love getting our customer’s feedback on our public discussion board called “I Always Get.” This board allows our customers to share their favorite dish and make recommendations to future customers, creating a sense of community.

Q. What is your favorite combination from the menu?

Yasmin: My personal favorite is the paratha roll with the grilled lamb kebab, mixed salad and sliced onions, and a mix of the mild and medium spice chutney, which pairs very well with the grilled lamb.

My personal favorite chutney for an all purpose dip is the green chili coconut chutney, which is a special recipe that we developed in-house.

As for my personal favorite drink, it would have to be the mint limeade – a light and refreshing drink with a touch of sweetness.

Q: I noticed on Desi Shack’s website that you strongly believe in giving back. Tell us more about your philanthropic plans.

Yasmin: We’ve been very lucky in life to have received an education, to be able to live here and to be able to pursue our dream and start Desi Shack. As a result, we want to take this opportunity to give back and make giving back a core part of our business.

We take 5 cents from every meal sold, whether it is a bowl, a roll, or salad, and we put it straight into a charity fund. The 5 cents we put into the charity fund comes straight from our revenue line. So even if Desi Shack does not have a profitable year, the charity fund will still be funded. At then at the end of the year, we will donate all the proceeds to a charity of our customer’s choice.

This year we want to donate to an education charity since it is a cause we strongly support. We will select three charities with a focus on education and then let our customers vote to decide which of the three charities will receive the donation.

If you haven’t already, check out Desi Shack at 39th street and Lexington and follow them on facebook & twitter to vote for a charity at the end of the year!

Related Posts

No related posts.

The omniscient Wikipedia tells me that the harvest marks both the end of the growing cycle when crops are gathered and the beginning of the food-making and distribution process. That’s kind of like what City Harvest does year round – except that they gather food from sources that would otherwise waste it and distribute it to individuals in need, instead of feeding themselves… OK, so even if historical parallels are less obvious, what is very clear is that the food gods are siding with this inspiring organization: for they gave unto City Harvest the support of New York City’s most renown chefs to partake in this awesome annual charity event.

In reality, City Harvest is the product of common sense, not the supernatural. In the early 1980s, a group of ordinary citizens noticed that local restaurants were discarding perfectly good food while more and more New Yorkers were hungry. So they started gathering and transporting the leftover food to where it was needed most – a City Harvest. Since then, City Harvest has cost-effectively distributed more than 300 million pounds of food to a network of nearly 600 community food programs throughout the City. The organization now delivers an average of over 83,000 pounds of food daily and more than 30 million pounds this year.

The Bid Against Hunger is an annual event aimed at raising money for this cause. And with more than 60 of New York’s best chefs serving delightful seasonal dishes (and many more chefs supporting the cause) and some incredible auction items, the event raised more than $1 million. Since the cost to deliver a pound of food is just 27 cents, the money goes a long way. In fact, this is enough to provide food for more than 4 million meals for hungry New Yorkers!
And I digress… On to the food:

Enter Caviarteria . I loved the salty and sweet combination of caviar with watermelon or fig and the unusual mix of textures. And does anyone think this may have been Georgia O’Keefe-inspired? This was really one of the more elegant samples of the night, especially with the fig/caviar combo.

On to heavier seasonal specialties, I was delighted to try Ariane Daguin’s duck filet mignon with foie gras mousse, black truffle, and balsamic reduction. You might be thinking: I don’t know… that sounds like a little much. But no, Daguin’s dish maintained the integrity of each of these rich proteins without being overwhelming.

Julian Medina’s Toro Taquitos, Toloache 82. Who doesn’t love Toro + crunch? But there was definitely more to this equation. A little bit of TLC, some citrus, and some heat made these adorable snacks more than just good ingredients.

Chris Santos of Beauty and Essex whipped up some awesome sheep’s milk ricotta and truffle to go with his oven braised chicken meatballs. The fresh and creamy ricotta and pecorino sprinkled on top were a great complement to the juicy meatballs and gave this classic a modern spin.

Le Bernardin’s warm crab “cake” with tequila guacamole, potato crisps and aji pepper lime emulsion was a complicated and delicious seasonal marvel. In other breaking news, the sky is blue and pigs can’t fly.

Seriously though, Ripert’s dedication to City Harvest almost distracted me from all the beautiful colors and textures in the dish he prepared (stress: almost, I can multi-task). Currently chair of the organization’s Food Council, he’s been active in City Harvest for 15 years. He told me that a major reason he is so dedicated to this organization is that it gets things done. Coming from a no-nonsense guy like Eric Ripert, that means a lot.

Another long-time City Harvest supporter and Food Council member, Gramercy Tavern’s Michael Anthony wins my prize for preparing the dish most in tune with City Harvest’s Bid Against Hunger . The pickled peppers with aji dulce and smoked paprika were like a seasonal firework of flavor, with sparks that fell safely and quickly to the ground with the help of the house-made chorizo paté. The thyme cracker brought it all home. The dish was seasonal, healthy, and everything was utensil and waste free. For me, this was totally City Harvest and so true to Gramercy Tavern’s approach too.

I see I’m getting a little wordy on the most obvious contenders, so I will try to be more concise – sorry Dan Barber (as if you need my lowly songs of praise). Ditto all of the above re: involvement with City Harvest, Food Council Membership, staying true to the seasonal theme and the locavore motto. Tone down the simplicity, though.

As you can see, there was a little more décor in Blue Hill’s forono beets with yogurt , but everything was tasteful and freakin’ bio degradable! The sweet, deep magenta beets coupled with the rich and slightly savory yogurt, topped off with a faro cracker and pine nut butter, left me salivating for more (seriously).

Two colorful panna cottas that I loved : Picholine’s pumpkin-crepe panna cotta with Brussels sprout kimchi (Terrance Brennan) and Kerry Haffernan’s piquillo pepper panna cotta with Maine crab and lovage coulis . Both of these were great to look at and had really interesting flavors! And if you’re wondering, lovage is a celery-like plant.

Maybe my favorite savory dish all night was the excitingly complex and somehow familiar acciughe al verde – ligurian anchovies, lemon butter, salsa verde and hazelnuts on house made flat bread by Sorella’s Emma Hearst. It was like having my favorite Italian dish broken down and reconstructed by a cubist painter. I loved the salty anchovies with the crunch of the hazelnuts and the simple but delicious cracker – balanced in texture and flavor by the lemon butter and salsa verde. Bravo.

As always, I’m rambling and there’s no way I can fit everything in. So just a couple of sweet-tooth shout- outs. First to Jon Snyder of Il Laboratorio Del Gelato for his delectable concord grape and peanut butter gelatos – a play on peanut butter and jelly. What’s so amazing about Jon Snyder’s gelatos is that their flavors are always so true to their stated source – but it can’t be that simple! I’m willing to try any flavor he offers (p.s. try olive oil and basil, they’re amazing together).

Last, but most certainly far from least, Ron Ben Israel’s delightful apple bourbon cake with vanilla bean and pecan buttercreams and cranberry almond cake with coffee and crema di caramel buttercreams. They were both moist and heavenly, like autumn in a cake with the right amount of everything.

And I can’t help noting that Mr. Ben Israel is another of the many fabulous chefs dedicated to City Harvest. He was also lovely to talk to and told me how he sometimes makes extra large cakes just so he can donate the extras to City Harvest (actually, quite a few chefs mentioned similar charitable tactics). Can you believe that?! So awesome.

On a personal note, I think this organization is amazing and encourage all of us to take some time out of our “busy” schedules and donate it to City Harvest. I’m sure financial donations are also welcome (sorry if I sound like an advertisement). Finally – the end, with love.

Photos by Karen Ko for Appetite for Good.

Related Posts

• 21 Club Donates 1,000 Pounds of Food to City Harvest
• UPCOMING: City Harvest Hosts 9th Annual Summer in the City
• EVENT PREVIEW: City Harvest’s Summer in the City

“If I’m going to come out with a food product, it’s got to do more than just taste good,” says Robert Flam, C.E.O. and founder of Samba99. An ideology centered around the idea of “functional foods” is what makes Samba99 stand apart from other exotic food producers. The star of the Samba99 fruit bar is the açai fruit. This little fruit from the Amazon has exploded in popularity as of late, appearing in beverage form with its many purported benefits being touted by celebrities. But while to most of us açai seems like a fad, the latest food trend destined to go the way of cassette tapes and slap bracelets, to the people of the Amazon, the açai fruit is a way of life.

I recently sampled some of these fruit bars and although initially put off by their unconventional appearance (whereas most fruit bars seem to be comprised mostly of granola or nuts, Samba99 bars are mostly fruit pulp), I was pleasantly surprised. The açai berry bar is made from organic açai pulp, organic Brazil nuts, organic cane sugar, pectin, citric acid, and organic guarana (a natural caffeine). The cupuaçu bar (my favorite) is made of organic cupuaçu pulp, organic Brazil nuts, organic cane sugar, pectin, and citric acid. The bars are naturally sweet and tangy and are great for breakfast on-the-go.

Robert Flam, a self-made Brazilophile, is a born-and-raised New Yorker who started the first commercial art gallery in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. His love affair with Brazilian culture began when he decided to showcase Brazilian artists in his gallery. He got the attention of the Brazilian cultural attaché and soon the Brazilian embassy was flying him down to Brazil for a whirlwind cultural junket. Enamored with the people and the culture, Flam decided to bring a little bit of Brazil to New York City and he organized an exhibition called Art from Brazil in New York – it was a resounding success.

After organizing a Brazilian food festival in the city, Flam decided to combine his love of entrepreneurship with his love of Brazil and so Samba99 was born. He loved the açai fruit, and so did America, it seemed. Only one thing was missing from the marketplace—açai in edible, as opposed to drinkable, form.

Crucial to understanding his product is understanding where it comes from and how it gets from there to here. “There” happens to be the floor of the Amazon rainforest where the açai fruit is literally sourced, not farmed—it’s picked up off the floor and sold to cooperatives who, in turn, sell it to Samba99. Getting all his raw materials from ethically-sourced ingredients is very important to Flam, who considers Brazil his second home. “The more profit that can be kept with the gatherers, the better,” says Flam.

What does the future hold for Flam and Samba99?

“Once I’m up and running, I’m interested in going back to Brazil,” says Flam. “I have a lot of interest in the Amazon, and I’m interested in funding some of these cooperatives. There are all these people with entrepreneurial spirit but they have no real experience in making something happen…I don’t work and live for money, it would be so cool to see these resources develop for these people. It’s a pretty tough existence, but I think it would be great to be involved in funding that in microloans, and not just with money but expertise, putting into place the pipeline, more power into the hands of the people who are responsible for collecting the fruits, who are responsible for bringing new flavors and tastes to the market. It’s about collaboration…I love giving back. I don’t need much more in life. I got just about everything I need. I just like helping people. I like seeing the benefit of my effort helping more than just me. And I want more of it.”

Amen!

Photos by Samba99 for Appetite for Good.

Related Posts

No related posts.

Maybe it was the “home-cooking” theme that made the 26th annual Chef’s Tribute to Citymeals-on-Wheels so fabulous and unpretentious. Even with the abundance of celebrity chefs, wine families, restaurateurs, and foodies in attendance, “A Taste of Home: Star Chefs and Wineries Celebrate Family Feasts” felt like a food-driven family reunion. The lovely weather and the airy Rockefeller Center Plaza certainly added to the ambiance – not to mention the delicious food! Whatever it was, the event had a great vibe and every contributor and guest seemed to recognize and appreciate the importance of Citymeals-on-Wheels’ mission.

Each year, “Chef’s Tribute to Citymeals-on-Wheels” brings together world-renowned chefs and wineries at Rockefeller Center to raise funds for New York City’s vulnerable, homebound elderly. Citymeals-on-Wheels is one of the largest meals on wheels programs in the U.S., delivering 2 million nutritionally balanced meals to over 16,000 seniors each year. The organization also coordinates thousands of devoted volunteers to provide companionship to homebound individuals, most of whom live all alone and have survived the loss of spouses, friends, and even their own children.

This year’s theme of family and home highlighted the reality that many elderly individuals no longer enjoy the support of family or the joy of a home cooked meal. Appreciating their own fortune, contributors and attendees were able to fill the role of family members long gone, by making sure these individuals have nutritious meals available to them, and the support of caring members of the Citymeals-on-Wheels team. A Taste of Home raised more than $750,000 – enough to fund more than 125,000 nutritious meals, hand-delivered to frail, homebound elderly New Yorkers.

Everyone was really friendly and everything was delicious, but here are some of our favorite dishes and family anecdotes. While I can’t include everything we learned throughout the night, I anticipate this article will be a little longer than usual. Enjoy!

Buffalo tartare with hottish vinaigrette and red veined sorrel, The Forgione Family – When we first walked in, we were greeted by renowned chef Marc Forgione and his equally renowned chef father, Larry Forgione, who helped found the Chef’s Tribute to Citymeals-on-Wheels when his son was only 6 years old. The rest of the Forgione clan, including Bryan Forgione, another celebrity chef, were just a few feet away, helping prepare and serve their delicious buffalo tartare.

The Forgione dish was a take on something their father served years ago that reminded them of family. Larry Forgione was among the first chefs in 50 years to serve buffalo, after the ban protecting the mammal from extinction was lifted. But before the ban, Larry Forgione told me, buffalo was a normal part of American historical cuisine. Because the buffalo is so rich in protein it held together amazingly well, unlike other tartares that often come apart. The fresh and meaty delight was accompanied by a slightly smoky vinaigrette, which Larry Forgione developed 30 years ago with roots in a Texas pumping sauce. The flavor and texture together were delightful and unlike anything I’ve ever had before.

Wild boar ragout with creamy parmesan polenta, Tocqueville & 15 East – This comfort food favorite also came with a good story. The creamy texture and pungent flavor of Marco Moreira and Jo-Ann Makovitzky’s parmesan polenta, paired with the gamey wild boar made me feel like I should be sitting in front of a fire in a cabin somewhere remote. It was so satisfying! Jo-Ann Makovitzky’s lovely mother told me that the recipe came from her grandmother, who used to serve a similar dish with rabbit on cold nights when the family was gathered together. This was later modified with wild boar to avoid serving “bunny.”

She also explained the family’s connection to Citymeals-on-Wheels. The family had long been involved with a food and hunger hotline, and after Citymeals-on-Wheels was the only one of 16 programs that agreed to help an unfortunate elderly hospital-bound individual that called for help, they became avid supporters and volunteers.

Potato and farmer’s cheese peirogi, scallions, brown butter, Telepan –If you’ve ever heard about Bill Telepan’s peirogies – it’s not myth, they are fantastic!! The Telepan team used farmer’s cheese on the inside of the peirogi and shredded pecorino on the outside, to produce layers of cheesy delight separated by layers of potato dumpling. And the brown butter was like icing on the cake, adding just the right amount of sweet to the savory dish. I didn’t get the chance to really chat with Bill Telepan, but from the brief interaction it seemed like each guest was his old friend and his team of chefs were his family.

Ruoto di pesce spada (wheel of swordfish), Fulton – When I first saw this, I thought it was a wheel of some kind of cheese. Aside from being totally wrong, I was pleasantly surprised by what Jeremy Culver and the Gurrera Family had going on. They served the swordfish at room temperature, straight from the wheel, with warm fennel, fava beans, artichokes, and chermoula sauce. The Mediterranean flavors worked so well together and the cool white fish with the warm greens was unique and very visually appealing!

Rhubarb and strawberry almond crumble with ice cream, Patina Restaurant – I’m a huge rhubarb fan because I love the intense tartness. The strawberry in this dish tempered the intensity of the tart, while the almond crumble added texture and balanced the sweetness. The ice cream added another texture and temperature to the whole composition. It was awesome!

Bara Zushi (seasoned sushi rice with vegetable or fish garnish); miso soup, Nobu – This was another really simple dish, that was so satisfying and screamed “home.” In Japan, the Nobu team explained, these dishes are the equivalent of chicken soup. The rice was topped with a “kitchen sink” of ingredients including lotus, ginger, shrimp, eel, egg, and sweet cambio (pickled gourd). It was so colorful with so many flavors and textures. I was not expecting to enjoy this so much since I’m not much of a rice eater, but it was so comforting that I think maybe I should start eating this when I feel sick. Does Nobu deliver?

Bacon-wrapped shrimp with cherry mustard; rice cracker crusted tuna with sriracha-citrus emulsion, Jean Georges/Perry Street – I think I was most star-struck when I met Jean-George Vongerichten. But he was so friendly and told me all about the cherries he ate with bacon when he was growing up, which was his inspiration for the bacon wrapped shrimp with cherry mustard. He also explained that he chose the rice cracker crusted tuna with sriracha-citrus emulsion because Cedric, his son who was working alongside his father, was born in Thailand. The tuna was a masterpiece, it reminded me of a cross between a fried fish and a seared tuna. The tuna was incredibly soft and smooth while the outer crispy rice gave it a crunch. Now just how did they fry the outside without cooking the inside!?

Some other dishes we loved:

Assorted Crudo, Scarpetta – Fred Hopson and the Maccione family’s yellowtail crudo with large flakes of sea salt and ginger oil. This was simple, but fresh and flavorful, and the salty crunch was a great complement to the delicate fish, which melted in your mouth.

Flatiron steak with blackberries, Quality Meats – Craig Koketsu and Michael Stillman’s meat was so tender and juicy and the blackberries added an awesome tart kick and a different texture to go with the meat.

Shrimp filled zucchini blossom, Le Cirque – This was such a beautiful dish! The colors of the shrimp and zucchini came through the light crispy batter that surrounded both. It also tasted as good as it looked!

Skewered lamb meatballs wrapped in lardo, Ford’s Filing Station – This was my first time having lardo (pig fat) and it was so good! It had kind of a cheesy texture, which went so well with the more brittle lamb meatballs. The meatballs also had strong hints of rosemary, which lightened the otherwise heavy combination of flavors and textures.

Seeing the families and clans of chefs working together, frequently with a family portrait nearby, I was constantly reminded of how lucky I am to have family and close friends around with whom to share my meals. Not everyone is so fortunate, though, and The Chef’s Tribute to Citymeals-on-Wheels, so appropriately titled “A Taste of Home,” did an exceptional job of celebrating family feasts, while also stressing the importance of sharing them with elderly individuals who no longer have the luxury of sharing meals with loved ones.

Photos by Patrick Chang for Appetite for Good.

Related Posts

• EVENT PREVIEW: Silver Spoons 25 Years of Chefs and Celebrations
• Silver Spoons: 25 Years of Chefs and Celebrations
• Fun in the Sun at Taste of Tribeca

I had the great honor of attending a special intimate panel discussion with the Chef of the Century, Paul Bocuse, along with Chefs Thomas Keller, Daniel Boulud, and Paul’s son, Jerome Bocuse.

The president of the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), Dr. Tim Ryan, introduced Chef Paul Bocuse, highlighting his achievements from receiving and maintaining a three Michelin star for his restaurant to being the first celebrity chef to land on the cover of Newsweek in 1975. However, Chef Paul Bocuse is best known as the father of Nouvelle cuisine and has inspired many chefs in his lifetime, especially those who were on the panel that day. As a result, this year, Chef Bocuse is honored with the greatest lifetime achievement award, Chef of the Century.

Each panelist was invited to reflect on how Chef Paul Bocuse inspired and impacted their careers.

Chef Thomas Keller commented that Bocuse was a leader in setting an example for all chefs to step out of their kitchens and into spotlight. Chef Bocuse defined the lifestyle that we know today as the modern “celebrity chef.”

Chef Daniel Boulud regards Bocuse as his friend and mentor. Boulud had met Bocuse at a farmer’s market in his formative years and shortly after became an apprentice to Bocuse. Chef Boulud described Bocuse as an innovator and a motivator, a chef who encouraged collaboration and believed in teaching. Boulud even shared a random fact about Chef Bocuse: that Bocuse is perhaps the only chef who has ever been on the centerfold of the French equivalent of Playboy magazine!

Chef Jerome Bocuse, spoke of Bocuse senior as being a great father, always picking him up from school and making time for him in his schedule. It was at the encouragement of his father that Jerome Bocuse attended the CIA and despite his legacy of being Paul Bocuse’s son, James worked hard to earn his accolades and hence is honored with the CIA’s Alumnus of the Year Award.

With his son Jerome as his translator, Chef Paul Bocuse also shared his witty insight and perspective about his career and how the culinary world has changed in his lifetime. Bocuse firmly believes that cooking is not simply about what is on the plate, but it is also about what goes on behind the scene in the kitchen, the team and the equipment that are used. Chef Bocuse shared a wonderful insight into the past about how back in his days, there were no gadgets that aided a chef in his cooking, only his fingers to judge the food.
Despite all the technological advances and founding nouvelle cuisine, Chef Paul Bocuse still holds tradition and fundamentals in high regards. In his own words “You can never forget about the product. If you don’t start with the right ingredients, the dish will never come out right.”

This year, the CIA gave an “auggie” award to Chef Jerome Bocuse for Alumni of the Year, Chef Daniel Boulud for Alumnus of the Century and Chef Paul Bocuse for Chef of the Century.

Photos by Karen Ko for Appetite for Good.

Related Posts

• Tadashi Ono – Master Chef with a Big Heart
• Michael Anthony: Chef, Father, Philanthropist, Educator

Erin Barnes, ioby’s Executive Director and founder, modeled the site after Do Something and wanted to “find a way to get passionate and environmentally conscious people involved in tangible actions.” Actions that are taken at the local level. Since its beta launch in 2009, ioby’s bulletin of projects has attracted over 3,000 supporters and $45,000 in funds for local environmental projects like the P.S. 107 Sunshine Garden. These funds are much needed, as one-third of projects run on a budget of less than $1,000 a year. Although projects are small in scope and limited to a neighborhood, the impact is immediate. ioby’s partner projects are all about getting people involved quickly and directly.

Tomorrow, on November 11, ioby will host its first annual gala, A Benefit in Our Backyards, to honor “heroes” who have been stewards of change in New York City. In addition to “honoring people who’ve helped [ioby] out,” Barnes also hopes to “bring in new supporters so that people can learn about projects and different kinds of innovation and community building.” For its first fundraising event, ioby has set a target of 300 participants and a total of $15,000 raised through the event.

While guests learn about how they can get involved in an environmental project in their neighborhood, they will also enjoy delicious hors d’oeuvres provided by Dirt Candy, whose chef owner Amanda Cohen recently challenged Iron Chef Masaaharu Morimoto in a vegetarian battle on Iron Chef America. The event also features its own featured cocktail, “Backyard Blazer”, for you to sip on. Feast, drink, learn, and support at A Benefit in Our Backyards at Brooklyn Brewery in Williamsburg, Brooklyn all for $65. Get your tickets today!

Photos courtesy of ioby.

Related Posts

No related posts.

Bid Against Hunger

Metropolitan Pavilion
123 W 18th St
7:30-10:00 pm (VIP from 6-7:30)
Event Website

For renowned wedding cake designer Ron Ben-Israel, luxury isn’t only for those who can afford it. As one of the industry’s most creative and skilled cake makers, Ben-Israel’s life-like floral cakes are “designed for elaborate, once-in-a-lifetime events”. Now, hungry New Yorkers can enjoy these sophisticated and lavish confection towers as well.

Ben-Israel partners with City Harvest, a New York City-based organization leading the fight against hunger. City Harvest is unique in its food rescue initiatives – its rescue trucks speed through the city recovering excess fresh food from restaurants and after events. In a dedicated effort to feed the hungry adults and children of New York, City Harvest will collect 28 million pounds of food this year and deliver the food to 600 community food programs in the city. This week, City Harvest’s noble efforts will feed 300,000 hungry New Yorkers. And Ben-Israel is contributing his part in the fight against hunger.

In a special interview for City Harvest’s Bid Against Hunger event tonight, I talked to Ben-Israel about sharing joy with the less fortunate.

Following the Luminaries

Inspired by the “luminaries” of City Harvest’s Food Council, headed by Chef Eric Ripert, Ben-Israel approached his clients with a unique idea of “shar[ing] the wealth”. Often when making a cake for a grand occasion, such as a wedding or birthday, there is more cake than guests can consume. He explains, “The reality is that they will have way more servings than necessary. Let’s say you have 200 people at the event. In order to achieve a towering cake, I have to make one that’s big enough for 300 people. I thought, why don’t we dedicate the rest of the cake to City Harvest that’s from me and the celebrants? This way, everybody can enjoy the cake. That’s a wonderful way of sharing the joy.”

Ben-Israel also believes that philanthropy is a two-way street. Through his involvement with City Harvest, he gained inspiration and new direction. City Harvest is more than feeding the hungry, it’s also about “improving our health and looking forward.” As a result, he changed to a healthier diet and now wants to “get more involved and contribute more to those initiatives.” To be more conscious of those with allergies, he now makes cakes that are gluten-free. “Also, we no longer use egg yolks. Our cakes are moist and light. I’m trying to incorporate principles of healthy cooking that I gained from City Harvest.”

Seasonal Flavors at Bid Against Hunger

Tonight, Ben-Israel will be showcasing 2 wedding cakes at the sold-out Bid Against Hunger event with “surprising seasonal flavors”. When he first participated in Bid, his company was the only one serving cakes. He is excited to see more desserts and cakes at the Bid event, as well as fans and former clients who come to Bid because of his delicious creations. What’s even more satisfying for Ben-Israel is that his clients have become supporters of City Harvest through his efforts.

As part of the Bid event, City Harvest will be auctioning Ben-Israel’s and good friend and pastry chef Zac Young’s cake-making services for a party. As humorously put by Ben-Israel, “whoever buys us will have delicious cakes and also entertainment!”

In addition to sampling luxurious cakes by Ron Ben-Israel Cakes, Bid Against Hunger guests will feast on dishes from New York’s most delicious and charitable restaurants, including Gramercy Tavern, Matsuri, Le Bernardin, Telepan, Blue Hill, and Landmarc. Don’t forget about the special auctions where you can win beach getaways and dinner parties hosted by chefs like Marc Murphy. And when you’re sipping bubbly cocktails and savoring moist cake, be pleased that you’re also helping the less fortunate by supporting a great cause! Feel good about food.

Photos courtesy of Ron Ben-Israel Cakes and City Harvest.

Related Posts

• Skip Lunch and Feed Thousands of Kids
• 100 Tons of Gourmet Food Goes a Long Way
• 21 Club Donates 1,000 Pounds of Food to City Harvest

With a name like Amber Rose, it isn’t surprising that she’s made a career for herself utilizing the fruits of nature. I discovered Orgo Cosmetics when I was at a wedding earlier this summer. I was sharing a hotel room with a bunch of girlfriends from college and I always pack pretty light when I know I can rely on compulsive over-packers (that’s you, Lisa) to supply anything I might possibly need. So I went rooting around in a friend’s bag looking for a moisturizer and came across a tub of all-natural blueberry-scented skin cream. And then I was hooked.

Having recently boarded the natural beauty products bandwagon (see my prior piece on Heaven & Earth), I was excited to learn that Orgo Cosmetics are handmade and use less than 1% chemicals (some chemicals, I learned, act as necessary preservatives to keep the fruit-based products from going bad too soon). I hunted down Orgo Cosmetics owner Amber Rose, who operates from her home in Portland, Maine, for an interview with Appetite for Good.

What is your story?

“I think I can generally categorize myself as a small town girl with big dreams. I come from a family of artists and entrepreneurs, so my many talents were always encouraged and exercised from a young age. As a child I would always make things and sell them with my sister on the sidewalks in town, or in front of our local co-op. We would make magnets, Christmas ornaments, bracelets, and do hair wraps for people. Sometimes we would pick flowers and sell them door-to-door!”

How did you get into the cosmetics business?

“I got my first job when I was 14 busing tables at my grandmother’s restaurant. It was then that I realized I wanted to work for myself because the idea of working for someone else was just NOT for me. When I was 18 I made a series of edible sugar scrubs for my friends for the holidays and they all loved them and asked me to make more. That’s when I got really into it. At 19, I started what was called The Royal Coquette, a small line of lotions. I then expanded, changing the name to Sweet Body which was a line of soaps. It has thus evolved into Orgo Cosmetics, since January. I was working a small part-time job that I, of course, hated when I launched Orgo. I quit in April, partly because I was 7 months pregnant, but also partly to pursue Orgo full time. Now I am a stay at home mom and I run Orgo full time.”

How did you come up with the idea for an all-natural health and beauty company?

“I am very (probably overly) health conscious, not just in cosmetics but everything—it’s just how I was raised. Honestly, chemicals freak me out; I may even go as far as being phobic. When I started researching ingredients and recipes I learned a lot about what certain ingredients do and I remember being somewhat appalled and thinking, ‘Ugh! I’d never put that in my product!’ When I first started, I wasn’t trying to send a message or take a stand, I was just being me. As a personal and business preference, my choice is organic. If I wouldn’t put it on my own body, I’m certainly not going to sell it.”

What is the philosophy behind Orgo Cosmetics?

“Orgo is actually a really unique brand. Orgo really has great products and they are all made with quality ingredients. I do a lot of research about everything before I even consider making something new. Orgo uses organic ingredients. No animal testing. Almost all of our products are vegan (the only ones that aren’t are the lip balms, which contain beeswax). There have never, nor will there ever be any parabens used in the products. And our products are fun! They look good, they smell great, and using them just makes you feel good overall because they are healthy. Orgo is giving people fun, effective, scrumptious products and still maintaining the healthy aspect of being a cosmetic brand.”

What is on the horizon for Orgo Cosmetics?

“My line of bath bombs is going to get much bigger in the next couple months. I’m also going to be adding bubble bars (solid bubble bath). In the next year I’d like to get back into cold process soap, as well as adding deodorant and solid shampoo/conditioners. My 7-year goal is to open my own store, but hopefully it’ll be sooner. Also, when Anita Roddick started The Body Shop in the early 70’s she got to travel around the world for ingredients, establishing fair trade arrangements. That’s what I want to do.”

With products like pumpkin cream soap, oatmeal cookie shower cream, polenta sugar bomb scrub, pineapple bath bomb, strawberry milk shower cream, and raspberry lip butter, it’s a wonder I haven’t ingested any of these products – but it sure is tempting!

Follow Orgo Cosmetics on their blog, Facebook, and Twitter.

Disclaimer: Appetite for Good does not endorse eating non-food products.

Related Posts

• Chocolate-Making with Natural Ingredients