My night with Alain Ducasse, Didier Rachou, Guy Savoy, Ludo and Krissy Lefebvre, Nancy Silverton, Matt Molina, Daniel Boulud and Joe Bastianich:

Ever played the game Alive or Dead? I like to play this game for dinner parties – alive or dead who would I love to have dinner with? Top of my list would be great chefs I admire – they are a generous bunch and know how to give a girl a good time – food, wine, conversation – this is my fantasy dinner party. We used to play  Alive or Dead for casting movies – alive or dead who would be the best cast for this movie? If the actor was dead we’d say there were ‘unavailable.’ I think I may well have dined at the ultimate dinner last month at Mozza when fantasy became a reality. It was most definitely dinner with some of the most talented chefs and the most Michelin stars sitting around one table I will probably ever be privileged enough to sit and enjoy pizza with.

My friend Joe sure knows how to throw a great dinner party – small and intimate, old friends and new, great food and exceptional wine all equates to fun times and loads of laughter. This was the guest list:

Joe Bastianich
Daniel Boulud
Alain Ducasse
Lucy Lean
Krissy Lefebvre
Ludo Lefebvre
Matt Molina
Didier Rachou
Guy Savoy
Nancy Silverton

Other fantasy guests who were ‘unavailable’ but would have enjoyed the revelry and laughed along with us – Charlemagne, Marie-Antoinette, Marie-Antoine Careme, Julia Child, Pierre Franey and Auguste Escoffier perhaps?

We began our evening in the Osteria with a glass of wine and a selection of appetizers. Daniel instantly starts feeding me something that has artichoke in it that he’s loving and in that typical chef way has to share. We then went on a brief tour of the kitchens on our way over to the Pizzeria. Chefs love kitchens – no really – they love going into other chefs’ kitchens. They start to geek out like you have never seen – any shyness disappears and they relax 100%. This was the perfect way to get the party off to a flying start. It was a hard task getting them to move on – wrangling cats springs to mind – as they eagerly toured the steaming pots of boiling water at the pasta station. After brief introductions to the always smiling pastry chef Dahlia Narvaez and her cool pastry kitchen all the French chefs descended on Matt Molina in the Pizzeria next to the oven:

It would have been a very lucky night to be dining at the bar that over looks the pizza oven. You would have had a front row seat to see Ducasse and Boulud brandishing pizza peels like schoolboys learning cricket.

Pizza lesson and photo op over we moved in to the Jack Warner room. The walls of this private dining room are lined with wine bottles in wooden cases and flickering votives. In the center the rustic dark wooden table was surrounded by just twelve newly upholstered bright red leather thrones placed four and four, with two at the heads of the table.  The diminutive impression of this one table in the seemingly larger than normal Jack Warner room was an indication of the intimacy of the dinner.

Joe started the evening by sitting all the French speakers together at the end of the table – above you have Didier Rachou (hubby), Alain Ducasse, Guy Savoy, Ludo Lefebvre and Daniel Boulud. Ducasse purchased La Cote Basque in New York from Hubs’ father (Jean-Jacques Rachou) and so he and Didier had a little reminiscing to do over a crisp glass of Bastianich Vespa. On the 3rd May Ducasse was celebrating 100 years of Benoit in Paris at Benoit in NY, the restaurant that replaced La Cote Basque – coincidentally it was 14 years since Didier and I were married at La Cote Basque on May 3rd.

“J’adore le bébé pizza,” said Boulud as he tucked into pizzette (baby pizzas) topped with ramps, pancetta, English peas and panna and then classic margherita. Next a selection of pasta from the Osteria – I think the last person to break the golden rule and eat these Osteria pasta dishes in the Pizzeria was Obama. Matt showed off our next course – giant steaks that had been expertly butchered by Dario Cecchini during his visit the previous week.

Nancy arrived and sat between Ludo and Daniel. “I only came to see Nancy,” joked Ludo. “I only came to see Krissy,” countered Daniel. At a dinner like this it seemed all the chefs wanted to sit next to Krissy, she had her pick of the French chefs, although we all know she’s only wife to one French chef. Let’s just say there was a lot of flirting as only the French can do as the evening progressed – and looking through the photos a lot of kissing.

Guy plants a kiss on Nancy’s cheek. [In this photo from left to right: Alain Ducasse, Daniel Boulud, Guy Savoy, Nancy Silverton, Joe Bastianich, Ludo Lefebvre and Matt Molina]

Could Daniel look any happier?

Rather than kissing cousins we have kissing chefs.

Alain quizzes Krissy and Ludo about the Ludo truck. He, Guy and Daniel are really keen to eat Ludo’s fried chicken.

As Krissy talks to Guy, Didier talks to Alain, Joe, Ludo Nancy and Matt share a joke… @DanielBoulud tweets.

…and tweets some more.

“Nancy, I love your muffins,” Daniel writes all over the English muffin page in Made in America. “I like the bubble in your muffin, Daniel xxx.” Nancy get’s the Sharpie and writes “Where’s the jam?” Then Ludo gets the Sharpie and writes over the photo of Nancy in the book, “I love you!! Ludo PS too bad I’m marry with my beautiful wife !” Daniel gets the Sharpie back and adds, “I want Nancy to teach me everything about bread! I love her touch, Daniel.”

Note to self: Always bring a Sharpie and a copy of Made in America to dinner with ANY chef of the 100 in the book – after a few glasses of wine the notes are hilarious.

Didier comments on our drive home that he’s never realized how fun Daniel is – Krissy and I had got a taste of it up at Pebble Beach at the Final Final. He really is a true bon vivant, a lover of life. I ask him if he chooses to be happy – our little catch phrase – without missing a beat he says, “I am happy.” I am as happy as Daniel, it’s infectious and you can see it in every photo from this magical night.
Perhaps the ghost of Jack Warner visited our table and felt the happiness? [Rumor has it the private dining room in Mozza Pizzeria is haunted]. Daniel joked with Joe that he could see similarities between Joe and Jack Warner (his photo hangs on the wall), if Joe would only grow similar facial hair, “I’ll work on it for next time,” promises Joe. My heart skips a beat dreaming of a next time and I go to bed really happy thinking nothing will ever top it. The next morning I get a text from Joe “Thanx for making last nite grt!!!… Claim it as your own. It was very special.” I reply, “V special and all thanks to u – credit where credit’s due.”

A couple of weeks ago we entertained Ethan Bastianich (youngest son of Joe Bastianich) – or rather this ten year old not only entertained us but fed us as, very well. Whilst Joe was on set with Gordon Ramsay and Graham Elliot shooting season 3 of Masterchef we rescued Ethan from the boredom of sitting in his father’s dressing room watching endless cartoons.

Joe Bastianich’s new book Restaurant Man was released yesterday. This fascinating, funny and fast paced read is a must for anyone interested in restaurants – if you’ve ever dreamed of opening your own place one day this may make you think again – it will definitely give you lots of valuable advice and the all important Restaurant Math. I loved reading about Joe’s life growing up in Queens with immigrant parents – there are so many similarities with my own husband’s childhood, who almost ended up at Fordham Prep, although my Frenchman would never have worn white Capezio dance shooes – REALLY? And then I loved the behind the scenes look at what it’s really like running a restaurant – his book takes you in the back door with deliveries, into the walk-in, down to the cellar, on to the line and then through the swing doors and out into the dining room. This brought back so many memories of what I experienced behind the scenes at La Cote Basque when I first moved to America. You will look at any restaurant dining experience with new eyes.

Towards the end of this coming of age story Joe wonders what his kids will do and if, because they’ve had such a privileged upbringing, he has spoilt them. Having spent time with all his kids I’d say the apple doesn’t fall very far from the tree. The first time I met Ethan and Miles, a couple of years ago, they set up a camp in our backyard with Minty and Rémy – but it wasn’t any old camp – it was a restaurant and they served and dined on pasta! Obviously! I’ll never forget Miles balancing two dishes on each arm and somehow managing to climb the steep hill up to the table and chairs.

Given their culinary genes – Joe is Ethan’s father, however let’s not forget his grandmother is chef/restaurateur Lidia Bastianich of many great Italian restaurants including Felidia, Becco, Esca, Del Posto and Eataly and Minty’s grandfather is chef/restaurateur Jean-Jacques Rachou of the late grande dame La Cote Basque in New York - I was intrigued to see what these grand kids would come up with. This meeting of France and Italy, of two young cooks born less than a year apart, produced much laughter, friendship, goofiness and from genuine culinary skills a delicious, easy family meal. Nonna Bastianich and Papounet Rachou would have been really proud.

Here is a series of photos from their evening cooking supper – just the two of them, together in the kitchen having fun and putting together a full menu: salad, pasta with buffala mozzarella and tomatoes and a strawberry smoothie:

Minty took charge of making a green salad with baby arugula, baby kale, diced cucumber, diced green apple and yellow pepper. Ethan focused on making a tomato sauce, first he chopped an onion, cooked it in a generous amount of olive oil over a medium to high heat until it was translucent and then added the chopped tomatoes (Pomi). This was seasoned and left to reduce down into a rich flavorful tomato sauce.

The giant pasta shells were cooked in salty water – Minty had picked them out at the supermarket with plans of stuffing them with shrimp, but we never got round to this and so Ethan and Minty eagerly chose to cook them up.

Whilst the tomato sauce was simmering away and the pasta shells were cooking they made a vinaigrette with olive oil from Provence, clover honey, tarragon Dijon mustard and Champagne vinegar.

Teamwork to get the cork stopper out of the olive oil bottle.

Teamwork to pour just enough and not too much olive oil into the bowl.

A lot of mixing and seasoning with fleur de sel and freshly ground black pepper.

And lots of tasting and intense discussions to get the balance of acid, sweetness, salt and pepper just right. This was a great vinaigrette.

Team work to pour the dressing over the salad.

Teamwork to toss the salad.

Bon appetit or buon appetito!

I love this little video in which some of the great chefs cooking in Britain today describe what great British food means to them. The rest of the world, including the Americans and especially the French,  often make fun of British food – many think of it as overcooked meat and two veg or a soggy piece of fried fish with large flabby chips wrapped in newspaper. They couldn’t be more wrong. London is an important culinary city and Great Britain has never been stronger in terms of food and the appreciation of it.  With influences from far and wide, partly as a result Britain’s colonial history – think thick spicy Brick Lane curries or soft bagels fresh from the oven at any time of the night or day, but also super local indigenous food particular to this island. You have the great French chef Raymond Blanc who has chosen to make England his home with Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons and it’s fabulous kitchen garden responsible for the fresh full flavor vegetables and herbs in the dishes raving about “crumble.” Jamie Oliver, Yotam Ottolenghi, Ruth Rogers, Gordon Ramsay, Marcus Waring, Wolfgang Puck, Daniel Boulud, Alain Ducasse – they all have fabulous restaurants in London that I dream of dining at again and again. Chefs are embracing the rich cultural food heritage and sourcing amazing products that are locally produced on a very small scale. There’s nothing simple about an English Cox’s Orange Pippin eaten straight up with a piece of aged Keen’s cheddar from a family dairy in Wincanton Somerset. Or how about Le Roast Beef? My father rears White Park cattle in Devon – the meat is so good the King of England allegedly called for his sword and knighted his steak – Sir Loin. Chef Oliver Peyton cooks this very special White Park beef in his London restaurants.

Last summer I ate some amazing food in London – I dined on briny fresh oysters and sharp housemade pickles at Barbacoa, Jamie Oliver and Adam Perry Lang’s new place in the City:

Drank bubbles with Yotam Ottolenghi at his new restaurant NOPI in Soho, (which is worth a visit just to go to the loo – oh how I wish I had taken a photograph) and enjoyed sushi off the conveyor belt at Itsu and until it ran out at Pret a Manger.

For anyone who thinks British food is bad I say that they are extremely out of touch. In an interview I did with Wolfgang Puck he described his visit to England last year and the food he had eaten as being far more exciting than anything he had eaten in Paris – admittedly he had dined with Ducasse at the Dorchester, he’d had Indian food in Mayfair and then dined at Heston Blumenthal’s place The Fat Duck- or maybe it was Fergus Henderson’s restaurant St. John – my memory let’s me down… His opinion was the dining scene in London was more vibrant than Paris due to the diversity and as much as I love Paris, I think I would have to agree.

With the Summer Olympics just around the corner I’m feeling homesick and dreaming of another trip to London so I can explore what used to be my home city as a tourist once again. A packet of Maltesers helps but what I really need are Worcestershire Sauce crisps (chips).  Here’s a little trick for a great British snack – take a bowl of chips, sprinkle them generously with Worcestershire Sauce and microwave on high for 30 seconds – hot chip!

Tonight, we’ll have a very British dinner from one of my favorite cookbooks of recent weeks – Jamie’s Great Britain. I gave a copy to Nancy Silverton who was off to London on a girls trip with Ruth Reichl – can’t wait to hear all about it. I’m going to cook Jamie’s recipe for Empire Roast Chicken - As Jamie explains: “Ask any British person what their two favorite meals are and I reckon most people would say their mum’s roast chicken, and a curry. Well, welcome to Empire roast chicken, a combination of both of those things. Your friends and family are going to love it. I love it. You will love it.”

And then I’ll watch Downton Abbey for the 100th time!

Last night I was lucky enough to attend the kick off of the 5 x 5 Chefs’ Collaborative Dinner Series with a dinner at Mélisse with @FrenchChefWife and @ChefLudo’sMaman. The 5×5 collaborative is in it’s fifth year and this year the five chefs are Josiah Citrin (Mélisse), Michael Cimarusti (Providence), Michael Voltaggio (ink), Rory Herrmann (Bouchon) and Gino Angelini (Angelini Osteria). They each host a dinner at their respective restaurants and invite a guest chef to join the party – in the process they build community, respect, a forum to learn from each other and a chance to hang out together – being a chef can be pretty lonely with all those anti-social hours and late nights behind the stove. Last night’s guest chef was Ludo Lefebvre (LudoBites).  As well as giving the chefs the chance to have some fun in the kitchen together the dinners are for a good cause – raising money for the Special Olympics of Southern California.

The 5×5 chefs collaborative dinner series plans to bring in some additional firepower for 2012, in addition to the one-night-only appearance from Ludo Lefebvre at Melisse expect to see Jeremy Fox (at Providence on May 21), Michael Tusk (Angelini Osteria in July), Mystery Chef still to be announced (Bouchon (August 20th) and  Chris Cosentino (ink. on September 16th).

I want to get straight to the food. As you might expect at a dinner cooked by 6 men we began the night with balls – and not just any balls but foie gras and rhubarb with dehydrated whey and citrus crumbs on the plate. A mouthful of decadence to start us off on the right not, that sadly is not long for this town (the foie ban comes into effect July 1st). We chose to stick with Champagne – NV Cote Audoin de Dampierre – that’s just how these 3 ladies roll! Pink French bubbles all the way baby.

I was tempted to play a guessing game with you – pair the chef with the dish they had created – but then I realized this wouldn’t work – for a start I don’t have a picture of Josiah Citrin’s dish – the Amuse and secondly it was very obvious as to who made what. My father-in-law claims to be able to guess who made the dish of any chef that trained with him at La Cote Basque from the flavor profile and seasoning – I’d love to put this to the test one day. Last night looking at the dishes the chefs were definitely represented on the plate – from the very precise plating of Herrman or the pretty fish dish with just the right hint of the ocean in the glass bowl with his favorite crispy puffed rice from Michael Cimarusti or the contrast of the slightly more free spirit of the ink on the plate with the baby French leeks from Ludo Lefebvre or the vibrant yellow egg yolk dumplings of Voltaggio in a delicate broth or the robust Italian spaghetti with spring truffles from Gino Angelini to the delicate additions of layer upon layer in Josiah Citrin’s dish.

Josiah started off the dinner with the Amuse: A sliver of crisp chicken skin topped with raw milk curd, aged and fermented beets and shaved macadamia. Paired with a small glass of bright green chilled pea soup, a yogurt sphere and a delicate layer of meyer lemon air, that our waiter instructed us to eat in two shots. The pea juice was fresh and light, the yogurt added a note of richness and then the meyer lemon foam a hint of citrus.

Michael Cimarusti made fluke sashimi, fluke fin and Geoduck clam with creme fraiche, yuzu kosho and crispy puffed rice.  The dish was what I know and love of Michael’s cooking – clean flavors with the perfect balance of acid and salty ocean. This would have been the most obvious dish to guess who had made it for me.

Ludo Lefebvre made Eastern squid with ink, ash and baby french leeks. The white strips of squid were pale against the black ink and ash – and so beautifully tender. This dramatic plate would have thrown you a curve ball given that Voltaggio’s restaurant is ink and he’s all about those ink blots. However, the flavors and technique were very much Lefebvre – the playful contrast of the textures, the daring use of ash, the golden lusciousness of the miso cream and the playful ‘painting’ of the plate Basquiat style.

The finished plate of Maman de Ludo – who was a delight to dine with. Krissy Lefebvre and my linguistic skills were put to the test as we translated each dish – and conversed in French. Her highlight of  the night was being invited into the kitchen for a photo avec son fils.

For our next course we moved from France to Italy with a rich homemade spaghetti chitarra alla norcina from Gino Angelini. Under all those spring truffles was a sauce of sausage and Parmigiano-Reggiano. As Donato Poto pointed out as he cleared the plates from our table “We certainly enjoyed the Italian dish.” I could have licked the bowl but I held back on the ciao, Vesper, belissima!

Michael Voltaggio made a wild black bass with egg yolk dumplings and a porcini dashi. The fish was the star of this dish. Light and flaky with just the right balance of flavor.

I was really sad I was so full when we were served Rory Herrmann’s dégustation de lapin. It was all I could do to nibble like a rabbit at the sweet carrots, fava beans and young onions. I wished hubby was there to share in this dish as he loves rabbit and I know would have helped me out. You know that the chefs were eagerly watching every plate that returned to the kitchen and would have been disappointed by the amount of meat left on my plate. Sorry Rory, I really was full to bursting by this point of the dinner.

For me to not be licking the dessert plate clean was another indication that I was just too full – I should have held back and not finished Gino’s pasta! Ken Takayama, who works at Mélisse for Josiah Citrin, made a deconstructed strawberry shortcake with caramel, wild fennel and a pretty chocolate cup. The waiters poured in a consomme and then added the smoking white pearls on top. I love the movement in the photo of this dish. And yes Krissy outed me on facebook – I did have to top my dessert with pop rocks – I don’t leave home now without a small packet. When I gave them to Alain Ducasse’s operations manager last week he said in a thick French accent “What is happening in my mouth?”

The menu was signed by all the chefs at their sit down pre-service and as you can see there were 7 chefs in the kitchen for this special night as well as the regular Mélisse kitchen crew:

So there you have it a tour de force of gastronomic cooking – Los Angeles’ creme de la creme of the kitchen – collaborating for a series of dinners and proving that fine dining is alive and well in this city. Next up Providence, May 21st- which I believe is sold out but worth adding your name to the waiting list if you can.

Happy cows come from California – or something like that – until a cow shows up with Mad Cow Disease and then everyone starts thinking twice about biting into that juicy burger or that all beef Dodger Dog. My first thought when I heard that a cow had tested positive this week was of Kat.

I grew up in England and lived through the fear of Mad Cow disease there. I also knew one of the 150 people who died from Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD). Kat wasn’t a close friend – but she was part of my circle of friends back in London, a friend of a friend sort of friend. Emma was her close friend. The two were on a girls’ trip around America and made it to New York the weekend of my wedding back in 1998. I remember sipping Champagne and eating tea sandwiches off Villeroy & Boch china at the Plaza for my bridal shower with her.

Here I am beyond embarrassed as the violinist came to my table to serenade me, I didn’t know where to look! - Kat happens to be sitting behind me and is caught in this moment in time. We are all smiles and laughter. And yes I was wearing a fabulous Chanel hat given to me for the occasion.

Here I’m sitting next to Kat as I open a gift from Emma. These were happy times – all my girlfriends and sisters in New York for my wedding. I made a huge dormitory for everyone to sleep in upstairs in my apartment. looking back I don’t remember much sleep but one long weekend of partying.  This was the last time I saw Kat. She died a long slow painful death from Mad Cow. They think she contracted the disease from meat in the school lunches she had eaten as a child.

So, this is why I don’t eat beef.

And further more I don’t let my kids eat beef either- especially the beef used in hamburgers and hot dogs. The spinal cord and brains is the danger zone – think pink slime is bad?! So I cook with buffalo/bison whenever I can – instead of beef and I try to grind my own meat – steak and cuts that you can see are much better than minced up meat that you can’t recognize.

At Pebble Beach I had the pleasure of meeting Bruce Aidells – you know the smiley Santa look alike on the gourmet sausages.  I have fed the kids the mini chicken apple sausages many times. Well Bruce, being a meat expert, and I had the usual “I don’t eat US beef conversation” and before Guy Fieri came over to talk pork chops Bruce promised to send me his recipe for Mexican Bison Stew/Chili. True to his word I received a “Good Chattin with You” email the very next day with the recipe attached. I was very excited to cook some up – particularly because it called for chayotes – a vegetable I have never cooked with before.

Chayotes are a little pear like but in the summer squash family – you can eat them raw as a coleslaw or chop them up and add them to a stew like in Bruce’s recipe. They are great because they retain a certain crunchiness and don’t go mushy. Rumor has it in Australia that a certain fast food company used these in their apple pies – because apples would turn to mush and not keep the uniform cubes.

When I chopped the chayotes (which I found at my local Gelsons) something rather strange happened – the juice that covered my fingers acted a little like super glue as it dried and pulled tight on the skin of my fingers. It wouldn’t wash off easily either although as soon as I ran my fingers under the tap the tightness went away, a few minutes later it slowly returned. Strange. The choyotes and also hominy adds substance to the stew and I served it without any additional starch. Everyone gobbled it up and asked for seconds.

Bruce Aidell’s has a book coming out –  The Great Meat Cookbook: Everything You Need to Know to Buy and Cook Today’s Meat which will be published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in Oct of this year. The recipe for the Bison stew is from this book – if this recipe is anything to go by this is going to be a book I look forward to exploring more.

Mexican Bison Stew with Hominy and Summer Squash
From Bruce Aidell’s book The Great Meat Cookbook to be published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Our Mexican neighbors are great at turning tough, gnarly chunks of meat into delicious and tender stews.  Some of the more famous are Chili Colorado, Chile Verde, various Moles and Pozole.  This stew recipe, which uses tougher bison cuts such as chuck or brisket is inspired by these stews.  In Mexico, chayote would be used but in the U.S. the more common patty pan works great. In Louisiana chayote is known as Mirliton squash. If you can find chayote, by all means use it instead of the patty pan. Serve this stew in warm bowls accompanied with warm tortillas and rice.

Spice Rub

2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3 tablespoons chili powder, divided

Stew
2 pounds bison chuck or brisket cut into 2-inch chunks
1 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups chopped onion
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
3 mild green chiles (Anaheim or Poblano) seeded and cut into ½-inch pieces
½ cup tequila
1 cup low sodium chicken broth
2 cups diced tomatoes
1 cup orange juice
¼ cup fresh lime juice
1  16-ounce can whole white or yellow hominy, drained
3 cups green and/or yellow patty pan squash (or chayote squash), cut into 1-inch pieces
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Garnish
12 Lime wedges
½ cup Cilantro leaves
2 cups finely shredded cabbage
1 cup finely chopped red onion

1. Combine salt, cumin, and 1½ tablespoon chili powder and sprinkle generously over the meat.
2. Heat oil in a heavy Dutch oven over medium high heat and brown the meat on all sides, about 7-10 minutes.  Set meat aside.
3. Add onions to pan and reduce heat to medium.  Fry and stir until onions are soft, about 5-7 minutes.  Add garlic and chilies, and fry 3 minutes more.  Sprinkle remaining chili powder over the vegetables and stir until well coated.  Add tequila and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.  Reduce until most of the tequila has evaporated.  Add broth, tomatoes, orange juice, lime juice, hominy, and add back the bison.  Bring to a simmer, cover and cook for 1½ hours.  Begin checking the meat, which is done when easily pierced with a fork.  At this point, you can refrigerate the stew overnight, remove the fat, rewarm and finish it the next day.
4. To proceed with the recipe, add squash or chiote and cook until just tender, about 5-10 minutes.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. To serve, ladle into bowls and serve garnishes on the side for diners to add as it pleases them.

Makes 4-6 servings with leftovers.

Today is Shakespeare’s Birthday – as well as the day he died – April 23rd. So in honor of the Bard I’m including a few of his food and wine quotations at the end of this piece.

But first, let’s celebrate a couple of birthdays of the next generation – the Little Lefebvres with cake and fried chicken. I can’t believe they are already one – but they are. Yesterday was their first birthday party and I had the honor of making the cake. Let’s just say there’s always a lot of pressure cooking for any chef – but how about cooking le gateau for a French chef’s twins first birthday when you know he can cook anything 100 times better than you! Krissy Lefebvre chose a theme – with a little help from Minty telling her the need for such a thing and then she sent over two cute monkey pics for me to copy for the cake…

For the actual cake I went to my tried and trusted favorite flourless chocolate cake recipe and made up two large slabs. These were sandwiched together with whipped cream scattered with strawberries and raspberries. For the frosting on top – much needed because the top cake cracked as I was placing it – shhh my little secret! – I used a basic buttercream recipe with lots of vanilla. Personally this was way too sweet for me and if I were to do it again I would probably have added orange zest and flavor – but I was nervous this would make the frosting break and this was no time to start experimenting and making mistakes. We were already running late for the party and I was hungry for some fried chicken!

The party was a huge success – with the food provided by the Ludotruck – oh yes we all got to eat some of that wonderful Ludo fried chicken. On the drive to the party Rémy wasn’t sure he wanted fried chicken – “But Ludo is famous for his fried chicken!” explained Minty.

We sat on Ludo’s lawn and enjoyed buttermilk fried chicken. Minty asked Ludo what was his secret – he replied “Brine the chicken.” So there you have it folks – salty water! Another excellent Ludo recipe happens to be the duck fat fried chicken that graces the cover of Made in America. Rémy whispered to me “I want what your friend in the black dress is eating.” I looked over to see MyLastBite Jo enjoying popcorn chicken. And then there are those lavender biscuits…. [insert singing angels here!] Drizzled with honey…

For my birthday I want lavender biscuits for my cake – seriously.

Monkey Cake for the Little Lefebvres

8 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate melted and then cooled to room temperature.
8 eggs, separated, at room temperature
1 cup baker’s sugar, divided

Makes one slab cake – you need two – I made up two cakes, one after the other – I find this is always much easier for the homecook than doubling the recipe up and getting into trouble with overfilled bowls and worse still an overflowing electric stand mixer!

1. Preheat the over to 350 F. Line a large shallow baking pan with parchment paper, let paper hang over the ends and sides.
2. Whisk the egg whites until you get soft peaks. Add half the sugar (1/2 cup) and beat until you get stiff silky peaks – take care not to over beat. Set aside.
3. Beat the egg yolks with remaining half of the sugar until thick and pale yellow, about 5 minutes.
4.  Add the melted chocolate and stir until incorporated.
5. Fold in one third of the beaten egg whites to lighten mixture then fold in the remaining two thirds being extremely gentle.
6. Spread cake batter into the baking pan and bake in the middle of the oven for 15 – 20 minutes, until the cake has puffed up and the top is dry.
7. Transfer to a rack and cool completely. [I keep the paper on to help move cake later]

For the filling

3 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup confectioners sugar, sifted
3 teaspoons vanilla
Fresh strawberries and raspberries

1. Whisk cream with confectioners sugar and vanilla until it holds stiff peaks. Spread half of the whipped cream over the first cake.
2. Spread the berries out over the cream and then carefully place the second cake on top of the first – I found using a wooden board helped and then I slid the cake off it.

For the frosting and decorations

1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar
4 tablespoons heavy cream
3 teaspoons vanilla

1 pack black ready made fondant
1 pack dark brown ready made fondant
1 pack natural pink ready made fondant
1 pack neon orange ready made fondant

1. Cream the butter until white and fluffy in the electric mixer.
2. Sift the powdered sugar and slowly add to the butter.
3. Add the cream and the vanilla and beat until light and fluffy.
4. Spread across the top of the cake in a thin layer.
5. Mix some of the black fondant with the dark brown fondant to get a rich dark brown color and roll out to a thickness of about 1/8th of an inch.
6. Print out the monkeys and cut each one out to use as templates. Place the monkey template on top of the rolled out fondant and with a sharp pointed knife cut out.  Do the same for the face and belly with the natural pink fondant. Gentle remove the paper template and place the face and belly in place. Add eyes, nose and ears and the arm across the top of the pink tummy.
7. Roll out the orange fondant and cut out the HAPPY BIRTHDAY and the names. Using the small sharp knife cut out two bows – one for the hair and one as a bow tie and place on the monkeys. Finally cut out a branch from the dark brown fondant and then two orange leaves.
8. Carefully place the monkeys and letters on the cake.

And back to that other birthday being celebrated today – Shakespeare – I hope these quotations inspire you – to chop onions, eat pastries with dates and quinces, eat less beef (bad for the wit), refrain from garlic breath, eat wild roasted boar for breakfast, lick your fingers or use wine well… cheers!

They call for dates and quinces in the pastry.
Romeo and Juliet Act 4, Scene 4

Mine eyes smell onions; I shall weep anon.
All’s Well That Ends Well Act 5, Scene 3

I am a great eater of beef and I believe that does harm to my wit.
Twelfth Night Act 1, Scene 3

Do you think because you are virtuous, that there shall be no more cakes and ale?
Twelfth Night: Act 2, Scene 3

My lord of Ely, when I was last in Holborn I saw good strawberries in your garden there; I do beseech you send for some of them.
Richard III Act 3, Scene 4

Good wine is a good familiar creature, if it be well used
Othello Act 2, Scene 3

I pray you, do not fall in love with me,
For I am falser than vows made in wine.
As You Like It Act 3, Scene 5

A man cannot make him laugh – but that’s no marvel; he drinks no wine.
Henry IV Part II Act 2, Scene 4

And, most dear actors, eat no onions or garlic,
for we are to utter sweet breath; and I do not doubt but to hear them say,
it is a sweet comedy.
No more words: Away! Go, away!
A Midsummer Night’s Dream: Act 4, Scene 2

Eight wild boars roasted whole at breakfast, but twelve persons there
Antony and Cleopatra Act 2, scene 1

Tis an ill cook that cannot lick his own fingers.
Romeo and Juliet Act 4, scene 2

He hath eaten me out of house and home; he hath put all my substance into that fat belly of his.
King Henry IV part 1 Act 2, scene 1

Duke Orsino’s words that open Twelfth Night:
If music be the food of love, play on,
Give me excess of it; that surfeiting,
The appetite may sicken, and so die.
Twelfth Night Act 1, scene 1

This short film is a must watch for all chefs, aspiring chefs and all those, like me, who so admire what chefs do. Being a chef is not an easy career path – as documented here in the brief biography of Thomas Keller – or TK as he’s referred to by his friends. The video was shown at Pebble Beach Food and Wine last weekend as part of the dinner honoring Keller. He has had highs and lows along the road to greatness and bi-coastal 3 Michelin stars with The French Laundry and Per Se. It makes me want to jump in the car and head north to Napa.

In our house Rémy likes to make TK Brownies – I think Keller’s recipe from Ad Hoc was the first time I let Rémy loose in the kitchen and realized he has French chef genes coming through.  Jean-Jacques Rachou’s grandson making TK brownies with lots of butter – who knows in a few years time he may head up to Napa to stage for Chef Keller at The French Laundry? Although since Chef Keller dreamed of becoming a marine biologist, which is what Minty talks about doing when she grows up, perhaps she’s the one who will choose the kitchen as a career and earn a blue apron one day? I somehow don’t see that happening right now. I can but dream!

My favorite bit is when Daniel Boulud goes off on a rant about how TK is the most French chef in America (apart from Boulud) and how TK has stolen the name Bouchon from Lyon and how it’s rightfully his. I think he’ll be forgiven if an American chef ever wins the Bocuse D’Or.

[On a side note, not sure why they had to flip the video of Eric Ripert horizontally - he looks odd!]

Enjoy!

We came, we ate, we drank – or something like that. Krissy Lefebvre and myself were already cooking up our next trip – to Pebble Beach Food & Wine – back in March during Made in America 2 at the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai, Hawaii. Why not leave the hubbies with the babies for the weekend? Ludo Lefebvre had just returned from two very enjoyable weeks touring all his old haunts in Burgundy with none other than Anthony Bourdain, filming No Reservations and so it was @FrenchChefWife ‘s turn to party – avec moi. The timing could not have been better. Road trip – Thelma and Louise would hit the road north for Pebble Beach.

We left in the morning in Krissy’s Prius – now I was a tad skeptical about driving 320 miles there and back in nothing more than a glorified go-kart. [Before every green person in America comes down hard on me I'm referring to the fact that you press a button to start it - have no clue if the engine is running and then press one of two pedals - go and stop - there you have it, a glorified go-kart.] Now that I’ve traveled 650+ miles in one I’m actually considering buying one for myself – yes I really did like driving it that much. I’m not just won over by the $20 at the gas station – my car is $70 to fill and wouldn’t get us to Oxnard! – but by the ride itself – this is a fun little car to drive and perfect for the school run, me thinks.

One of my goals for the trip was to drink only the good stuff: Champagne. My mission to find bubbles at Pebble Beach was hit and miss. The Lexus Opening Night Reception did have a bubbles room – Trapps – but by the time Krissy and I got there the Krug and Don Perignon were no where to be found. With a little help from our friends Josiah Citrin and Raphael Lunetta French bubbles were scored – that is until we descended down to the After Party where all that was on offer was Stella Artois and Belvedere vodka – seemed a tad strange at an event that has wine in the title but I guess you have to respect the sponsors. All was not lost – there was a Som room where only sommeliers could gather, away from the beer and spirits rabble, to taste vino of every variety – including Champagne. Fabio Viviani took me firmly by the hand and got me in. The next positive thing to happen after dancing with David Lefevre was we got the invitation to the Final Final party. If you’ve never been to one of these events it’s all about credentials – Access All Areas, admittance to the best after parties, being seated at the chef’s table at the most fabulous dinner… The Final Final was a short Lexus ride away at a private residence – where we were promised magnums of Champagne, perfectly seared steaks and pounds of caviar. David, Josiah, Raphael, Krissy and myself decided to go for the food more than anything else. We were unable to persuade Michael Cimarusti – he’d been prepping in the root cellar and needed his beauty sleep. Matt Molina was no where to be found. We were all starving – so hungry in fact we ate some grapes in the lobby display and got reprimanded by the hotel staff.

The house was gorgeous. However upon arrival all that greeted us was a large bowl of chips and some salsa. Two things changed the course of the night – the first was a very large can of caviar that was placed in front of us (how thrilled does Krissy look?)

And the second? When a French chef jumped up on the bench I was sitting on to announce that he’d arrived. It was Daniel Boulud. Bubbles, caviar and chips were the order of the night – until after 3am. Really? Reminded me of the good old days at the Cannes Film Festival – when the time and sleep don’t count for much and it’s all about having a fun time with friends, new and old. Daniel told us stories about his time working at La Cote Basque for my father-in-law, Jean-Jacques Rachou, and said that this is why he stayed on in New York to make it big. Johnny Iuzzini interupted the conversation to help himself to our vat of caviar. I questioned that there were no toast points, Krissy bemoaned the fact that the steak she had been promised never came and Daniel complained about the quality of the caviar.

We were to see Daniel the next day at his Chef’s Table 3 star Michelin lunch with Christopher Kostow and bubbles galore – all courses were paired with Veuve Cliquot.

As the heaven’s opened at the Equestrian Center we stayed dry inside the large white marquee sipping on Veuve Cliquot Yellow Lable and nibbling on frogs legs and smoked eel. The only bad bite of the day were the Brown Butter Rocks – not enough flavor and too much of a greasy mouth feel. Krissy was organizing the LudoBites Best of Foie with UrbanSpoon and so was curious to taste the hibiscus cured foie gras from Kostow.

Inside the Chef’s Table for 150 guests looked magnificent. Seven long wooden tables adorned with dark purple anemones, sweet peas and hydrangeas were set up in the middle of the tent with the kitchen, ovens and all, wrapped around the edges. Someone had clearly thought about how dramatic the dark yellow/orange of the Veuve Cliquot would look against the purple.

We were treated to the theatre of the kitchen as a long line of servers lined up to bring the first course from Boulud – Shigoku Oysters in a Sea Water Gelée with Lemon Custard, Ossetra Caviar and Sea Urchin. This was a seriously good dish and one I will remember for years to come. Like memorable dishes I have eaten in France that stay with you forever, this is one of them. All the flavors of the ocean carefully and subtly working with each other to create a chef’s masterpiece. The smooth custard with the slippery oysters and then the tiny beads of caviar that were dotted with finger lime so that you got a burst of citrus with the fat little briny black eggs, all topped off with the delicate crunch of the little rice cracker. I could have just eaten this dish with the Veuve Cliquot Brut Rosé and my trip to Pebble Beach would have made my palate very, very happy.

But there was more – a smoked cod with smashed tubers and creamed borage from Kostow, paired with Vintage Veuve Cliquot from 2002.

Boulud’s Four-Story Hill Farm squab with vodouvan spiced breast, leg pastilla, avocado chutney (Boulud’s nod to California) and spring radishes – paired with Champagne Veuve Cliquot Brut Rosé 2004.

Krissy and I had discussed the importance of dessert during one of our many chats on the drive up – it should finish the meal on a sweet high note. Sadly, the white chocolate and fresh pea salad from Kostow just didn’t work for me. Perhaps the peas weren’t sweet enough or the lemon custard – that had worked so beautifully in Boulud’s sea fantasy dish – wasn’t able to bring the peas and cake together into a well executed dish. Something was lacking and not even the Veuve Cliquot “Grande Dame” could convince me this dessert could rise above the odd factor of eating peas for dessert.

Rather than ending like this let’s take a moment to go back to that dish of dishes – Boulud’s oysters in a sea water gelée:

The best parts of Pebble Beach for me – apart from Daniel’s food was the fun times we spent with all the chefs. Eating stolen grapes with Josiah Citrin and Rapheal Lunetta, disco dancing with David Lefevre in the early hours at the after party; chips, caviar and Champagne with Daniel Boulud until 3am; and lattes with Nancy Silverton, Cindy Pawlcyn and Bruce Aidells on the patio of the hotel looking out to the Pacific Ocean. Food Network stars huddled around a fire pit, the sky was blue - for the most part – and so were the blankets a kind woman from the hotel brought for us to snuggle in before we said our goodbyes and headed home via giant rainbows in Paso Robles.

Last night was the premiere of Deadliest Catch season 8, which happened to be the 100th episode and the first show with my hubby’s music – woo hoo!!!  We had a lot to celebrate as you can imagine. I mean getting to compose the music for your favorite show is one thing, but then getting to meet all the people on the show and behind the scenes. Don’t forget when he’s not making music he’s fishing hard. Let’s just say it was one of the only times I’ve seen this angler totally geek out and ask to have his picture taken with Captain Junior. Has there ever been a happier composer?

So what did we eat at the premiere party? Crab of course! Long orange legs of Alaskan crab served with clarified butter, fresh lemon juice and a spicy cocktail sauce. A simple and satisfying tribute to the show we were all there to celebrate.

One of the top producers on the show let slip that he has a freezer full of crab – now that would be a perk. Oh the dishes I would cook up. First off, Curtis Duffy’s Alaskan Crab salad recipe that he gave me for Made in America with the beautiful sugar tuile balancing on top of the glass. Duffy calls his ability to imagine ingredients coming together and knowing what they will taste like a chef’s “mind’s palate.” Nowhere is this gift showcased better than in Duffy’s dish of poached Alaskan King crab. This is the dish that had everyone talking weeks after the James Beard Awards Gala in 2010, when he served a paired down version to 1,200 hungry guests post-awards. It’s a modern interpretation of a classic seafood salad. After shrimp, crab is the most common crustacean on America’s plates; blue or soft-shell crabs, Dungeness crab, and Alaskan king crab are just three of the 4,400 edible species found in America, all cooked up in the many regionally specific dishes. Duffy doesn’t use mayonnaise, called for in the recipes for crab salad of the late 1800s, but instead gets the richness from the flavors and textures of the floral cream, cucumber consommé, and a citrus puree with the crabmeat and crunchy cucumber.

This time last year I was in the thick of it putting the recipes together for Made in America. Every day I would return from dropping the children at school with bags and bags of ingredients ready for more recipe testing and photography. I would then tackle recipe upon recipe – slowly getting each one into a format that any home cook could make up successfully, before getting the dish ready for its close up. The insane schedule meant that there was very little time for anything else – even entertaining my sister when she came to stay for a week. However, there was time for eating all the many new dishes I was learning to prepare and one of  the most successful were the Rock Star Sandwiches from Marc Vetri. I baked up a batch of bialys and all the various fillings and let everyone mix and match so they got exactly the sandwich they wanted.

I am not an experienced baker – I have made the odd Victoria sandwich or a batch of scones – but breads and doughs are something I am new to. Cooking for Made in America changed all that and I am now confident baking up breads, bialys and even Nancy Silverton English muffins – nooks and crannies and all – thanks to chefs like Vetri and Silverton for opening my eyes to the ease and pleasure of baking. One of my favorite books of last yeat to bake (and cook) from was Rustic Italian Food by Marc Vetri and David Joachim. [And yes Mario Batali did the foreword - boy was he busy writing forewords in 2011 - there can barely have been time for anything else!]

Vetri wanted to make an old school Reuben sandwich with a distinctly Italian twist – using mortadella instead of the traditional pastrami – and on a homemade bialy – a Yiddish roll a bit like a bagel (baked rather than boiled).

Vetri didn’t want to be a chef, “I wanted to be a rock star, so I studied music in Los Angeles and paid my way by cooking.” Realizing that the guitar wasn’t going to be his ticket to fame and fortune, he bought a one-way ticket to Lombardy, Italy, to apprentice in a Bergamo restaurant. From Philadelphia to Los Angeles to Lombardy to New York and finally back home to Philadelphia, Vetri gathered knowledge and skills along the way that he now brings to his cooking and all his restaurants. His flavors are simple, yet pronounced. “Cooking is about finding high-quality, regional ingredients,” he says, “then using the simplest techniques to convey their purity.” Think Italian food with whimsy. As for gaining rock star status, Ferran Adria recently pronounced chefs to be the new rock stars of the world and when Vetri needs his guitar fix he gets together to jam with friends. Rather than a Reuben sandwich let’s rename it:

Vetri’s Rock Star Sandwich

Bialy dough
4 ¾ cups bread flour
1 ½ teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons dried active yeast or 1/3 ounce fresh yeast
1 3/4 cups water, warmed to 130 degrees F
1/2 onion minced
1 tablespoon of olive oil
poppy seeds to sprinkle by eye
sea salt

Salsa rossa
2 red bell peppers, roasted, skins removed
3 tablespoons breadcrumbs
¼ cup olive oil
sherry vinegar to taste
salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup mayonnaise, more to taste

Spicy pickles
3/4 cups water
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
2 whole jalapenos
1 tablespoon Kosher salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon whole pepper
1 teaspoon whole coriander
1 cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced

Slaw
1/2 head savoy cabbage, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Assembly
For each bialy:
1 tablespoon salsa rossa
1 ounce slaw
1 ounce young soft pecorino cheese, sliced thin
3 ounces mortadella (preferably Italian), sliced very thin, almost shaved
1 tablespoon butter
spicy pickles on the side

For the bialy dough
1. In an electric stand mixer with hook attachment mix flour, salt, yeast and warm water. Knead for ten minutes on low speed, adding additional water/flour if needed to form a soft smooth dough.
2. Cover and proof for 1 hour in a warm place.
3. Cook onion for 30 minutes, over low heat, in 1 tablespoon of olive oil and set aside.
4. Weigh out 3 ounce balls (13 total) and let rest for 30 minutes.
5. Heat oven to 450 degrees F.
6. Shape bialy into rounds with an indention. Fill with onion and then sprinkle with poppy seeds and sea salt. Place on oiled sheet pan top and bake for 12 minutes until golden brown.

Makes a baker’s dozen,13 rolls

For the salsa rossa
1. Place roasted peppers and bread crumbs in blender and blend until smooth. Slowly drizzle olive oil in to emulsify.
2. Mix salsa rossa with mayonnaise, add more mayonnaise to taste.
3. Season with sherry vinegar, salt and pepper.

Makes about 1 1/3 cups

For the pickles
1. Bring everything up to a boil except the cucumbers.
2. Pour boiling liquid over cucumbers and let sit for 1 hour. Set aside in the refrigerator.

Makes about 1 ½ cups

For the slaw
1. Marinate all ingredients for an hour.
Makes about 2 cups

To assemble
1. Slice the bialy in half and inside place the salsa rossa, slaw, pecorino cheese and mortadella.
2. In an iron skillet on medium heat melt butter, place the bialy in the pan and press with another pan or a brick. Flip after about 3 minutes and cook another 5 minutes until the cheese is melted and the crust is golden brown.
3. Slice and serve with the spicy pickles on the side.

Chef Vetri’s tip:
“I leave the jalapenos whole and serve them with the sandwich but not everyone will eat them.”

“If you don’t use all the bialy rolls you can use them for other sandwiches.”