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International Day of Italian Cuisine

January 17, 2012 in Events, The School | No comments

On January 17th, all the Italian chefs who belong to the Gruppo Virtuale Cuochi Italiani (itChefsGVCI) will be celebrating Ossobuco in Gremolata in their restaurants.

From Hong Kong to New York, thousands of pork shanks will be simmered in solidarity to honor an iconic Italian recipe. To find out more information about the GVCI and the IDIC please go to itchefsGVCI and click on the IDIC.

As a warm up to the great day, the Italian Studies program at the International Culinary Center hosted five Michelin- starred chefs from the motherland. That evening, the gala dinner was attended by New York Italian superstar chefs.

Below is a glimpse of some of the demonstrations that wowed us during the day, and of course the most delicious part of all- the gala dinner!

Pizza Master Domenico Crolla, Pizza with Mushrooms

Chef Jessica Botta, Master chef Pietro Zito, The Magic of Making Fresh Pasta

Master Butcher Simone Fracassi

Final plates risotto competition

Gala dinner, Kevin Garcia-'Cesca, Mark Ladner-Del Posto

Fortunato Nicotra-Felidia

Pino Luongo-Centolire

Fabio Trabocchi-Fiola, Washington, DC

Rosario Scarpato, Master Chef Gennaro Esposito, Dorothy Hamilton, Cesare Casella

Scallops in a citrus broth, black olive pesto, cherry tomatoes from Vesuvius and puntarelle with Cetara anchovies

Acquerello Carnaroli with Montoro onion cream, Smoked swordfish fillets, lemon & chili scented crispy seaweed, mantecato with Grana Padano

Mixed pasta minestra with reef fish and crustaceans

Cod, whipped potatoes & ginger, dried fruit, anchovies colatura

Neapolitan rum soaked yeast cake

Tags: IDIC, itChefsGVCI, Ossobuco in Gremolata

I Put My Hand in Liquid Nitrogen!

December 5, 2011 in Events, Food Technology, The School | 1 comment

And lived to type about it! Nathan Myhrvold was visiting The International Culinary Center and celebrating his masterpiece, Modernist Cuisine. He was playing around with a Vitamix, aerating wine (it works). He also gave real insights on common household products like Saran Wrap, which does no harm even when microwaved, however cheap PVC wraps do.

Of course the playdough of culinary technologists is liquid nitrogen. There was plenty of the stuff on the stage, set to freeze all manner of things. I made a comment that I was very wary about possible harmful effects if the liquid nitrogen fell on anyone. Nathan assured me that hot cooking oil was worse. Well, I wouldn’t want to experience that either! He then challenged me to put my hand in a tub of liquid nitrogen.

He and Dave Arnold were dipping their hands in and laughing. They finally coaxed me up there, Nathan took my hand, plunged it in and out faster than I could think…and I lived! My hand didn’t even feel cold. It did feel smoother. All in all though, I wouldn’t suggest you try it at home.

Tags: David Arnold, Modernist Cuisine, Nathan Myhrvold

Bogota Foodies Meet

October 31, 2011 in Events, The School, Travel | No comments

We were invited by LaSalle College to participate in a gastronomic fair in Bogota. We were so lucky. Tens of thousands of locals and many cooking school students attended. We spoke together the language of food. Words such as sustainable, technology and delicious were the worldwide ubiquitous catch phrases.

Academics and practicioners from all over South America attended. It was a wonderful chance to learn and explore what is happening in the food scenes in the Latin countries. Univerisities from Brazil to Columbia have added gastronomy programs. School food is an important topic. Native fruits, vegetables and historical cooking are passionately defended.

It was great to walk around the food halls and bump into famous Mexican chefs. We got to drink coca tea and find out that the acai berry from Columbia has more anti oxidants than any other. Once again the array of fruits boggled the mind. Stay tuned, you are going to hear about Columbia as one of the next big food countries.

Tags: Coca tea, Gastronomia 2011

SF Chefs…So Fantastic!

September 6, 2011 in Events, Restaurants, The School | No comments

Cesare, Emily, Dorothy and other luminaries at Opening Ceremony

SF Chefs was an event held the first weekend of August in San Francisco, celebrating the finest restaurants in the city. As the International Culinary Center of California we joined in the fun and had a table at the Union Square tent. We were thrilled to be side by side with such dynamic restaurants as Boulevard, Waterbar and Frances!

Melissa Perello of Frances

Nancy Oakes (Boulevard) and Joyce Goldstein

Cesare Casella, our Dean of Italian Studies happened to be out at our school that week, and became The International Culinary Center of California’s main attraction at the event. We served his scrumptious food to alert all that our west coast campus will be adding Italian classes to its roster. We were honored to be asked to give a demo to the crowd. Cesare kept it simple making Pasta al Pomodoro but even with something so simple, I learned a new technique. Cesare always uses canned whole Marzano tomatoes (they are sweeter) and crushes them with his hands. He adds them to sweating white onions and lets it cook a while. Then he throws the spaghetti directly into the tomatoes and lets it cook that way. One pot cooking. Tons of basil are added just before coming off the fire. Sharp Pecorino cheese finished off the dish. Delicious! Cesare as usual charmed everyone.

Cesare Casella

Interview with Liam Mayclem, "The Foodie Chap"

Cesare and I were thrilled to be at the opening ceremony and help cut the cake, which depicted the skyline of this marvelous food city. It was fun to stand next to Mourad Lahlou from Aziza and our Dean and Pastry doyenne of SF, Emily Luchetti. Thank you San Francisco for welcoming us with open arms!

If you plan on visiting San Francisco for a food experience, combine it with this event. You’ll taste a little bit of foggy heaven in a few hours. Just remember it is cold in San Francisco in August…great eating weather. Under the tent you’ll find an explosion of SF’s best restaurants and wines. You will bob from table to table in a sea of food and drink amidst an amazing and sophisticated crowd. It is an event not to be missed!

Gary Danko and Joanne Weir

Chantal Keller, Kevin Stuessi, Hubert Keller, Dorothy, Gary Danko, Cesare

Tags: Aziza, Boulevard, Frances Restaurant, Gary Danko, Joyce Goldstein, Melissa Perello, Nancy Oakes, SF Chefs

A Woman’s Lunch with Ariane, Gabrielle, Helene and Barbara

July 23, 2011 in Events | 5 comments

And what it a lunch it was! Among the eaters were Ruth (Reichl), April (Bloomfield), Katy (Sparks). The chefs who were cooking were Arianne Daguin (D’Artagnan),Gabrielle Hamilton (Prune), Barbara Lynch(Menton) and Helene Darroze, the famed two Michelin starred chef of Paris. Here it was sweltering July and we all turned out to eat foie gras, quail, roast pork and drink wines of the South of France and Armagnac. Only maddogs and foodies down that kind of lunch in the noon day sun.

We were celebrating the women chefs and the talk at our table turned to the question of the place of women today in the professional kitchen. Women have made immense inroads in the last 20 years, that’s for sure. Back in the eighties it was impossible for women to be hired in the top kitchens. Not because of any regulation but a prejudice that women weren’t up to the job. That attitude has changed in spades. Who is the most famous chef in America? Probably Alice Waters? One of the best known food producers? Ariane Daguin. And we were celebrating the Michelin two star doyenne from Paris, Helene Darroze. Twenty five years ago this would never be.

Arianne Daguin's foie gras, three ways

So are women now on equal footing with men in the kitchen? Not so fast. The barriers to entry are certainly trodden down but the sustaining factors to becoming a great chef are still a challenge for women. It is no secret that balancing a home life and the life of a chef, restaurateur, sommelier or anyone in the hospitality business is a challenge. This is the profession that works while others celebrate…New Year’s Eve, Christmas, Thanksgiving, Mother’s Day. The work day is actually better described as the work evening. There are positions that are day friendly but for the most part work is for the dinner shift and weekends. A woman with a biological clock does not have to drop out but needs to be crafty in fitting family and profession. Even male chefs have to juggle this one.

Another issue is financing a place of your own. Women entrepreneurs often are confronted with more skepticism. It is hard for any chef trying to find funders, but anecdotally I have heard more war stories from women than men.

All the more reason to celebrate Helene Darroze’s visit to New York, Gabrielle Hamilton winning the James Beard award for best New York Chef and Barabara Lynch for taking Boston by storm. Let’s hope all the women who have found success are as generous as these role models to mentor the next generation.

Joshua Skenes and Saison: Food & Wine Best Chef

July 10, 2011 in Events, Restaurants, Travel | No comments

Chef Joshua Skenes

We are so proud that our grad, Joshua Skenes was named one of Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs this year. FCI then had two things to celebrate on my visit to San Francisco last week. We took the opportunity to toast the birthing of The French Culinary Institute/ICC (at the International Culinary Center) of California and Joshua’s great achievement.

Jacques Pepin and I hosted a grand dinner for press and the San Fran chef community on June 20th, at Saison, Josh’s restaurant. The menu was as exciting as delicious. I love the simplicity of the restaurant and the fact that you not only peek into the kitchen but feel an extension of it. One lusts after the Molteni stove. In the entrance alleyway, there is an outdoor bar with a brick pizza oven-like fire raging. (In San Francisco that is welcomed year round.) Josh loves to control the fire and play with it. He started the menu with a slightly smoked California caviar. The bounty of the California farm basket was weaved in every dish. Just look at the presentation! And my favorite was the roasted popcorn ice cream. If you can get in, go there, it is fantastic. And tell Josh Dorothy sent you!

(photos Marc Fiorito, GammaNine.com)