Real Baking with Rose Levy Beranbaum

when i was growing up, and discovered the joys of fried rice at the local chinese restaurant, i wanted to be able to make it at home. to my disappointment the rice turned to mushy clumps when i tried frying it. i thought the chinese had some special secret to having each grain whole and separate. it wasn’t until many years later that i learned that rice for frying needs to be made ahead and allowed to dry overnight in the frig.

when i started living on my own, i learned something else about cooking rice. the instructions on the box were wildly inaccurate, calling for enough water to turn the rice mushy and splayed at the ends. i also failed to understand why wild rice that takes about an hour to cook would be packaged together with white rice that only requires maximum 20 minutes, thereby resulting either in overcooking the white rice or undercooking the wild. after many years, i finally perfected rice from uncle ben’s to basmati, from brown to wild, from sushi to butanese red. but my number one favorite way to make rice is what i call dirty rice.

someone once posed a question to food scientist and cookbook author (and—what is the term for someone born on the same day—well there should be one—birthday mate?) bob wolke who has a most delightful column in the washington post. the question was: “what do you do with the brown stuck on bits on the bottom of the pan that result from roasting a chicken.” it was bob’s answer that endeared him to me for life: “if you don’t know what to do with them, you don’t deserve to have them—so send them to me!” of course he went on graciously to explain their virtues—an explanation i did not require since as a food lover of intense concentrated flavors, i’ve always known what to do with them. if i can resist picking them off with my fingers and eating them on the spot, i accumulate them, using a little boiling water to dissolve any remnants, and refrigerate them or freeze them. when firm, i scrape off most of the fat from the surface and add them to the water when cooking rice. The browned bits from one chicken are perfect for four servings of rice. since these drippings are salted, i use a touch less salt in the rice and adjust after cooking if necessary.

having thus perfected my rice cookery, i was somewhat shocked to discover many years ago, that my then new sister-in-law mia hayashi, fourth generation japanese american, used an electric rice cooker. she explained to me that her mother had given one to her and all her siblings because rice is a staple in the japanese diet and the rice cooker makes such perfect rice with little effort, what’s more, it can be programmed to start cooking hours ahead and keeps the rice at perfect serving temperature as well. of course i had to have one.

my first rice cooker made enough rice for about 12 servings and took up lots of counter top real estate. at first i thought the cooker was defective because a fine brown crust formed in spots at the bottom of the rice but on complaining to my knowledgeable friend david shamah, learned that this is the most prized part of the rice (see note below on reheating rice). i probably would have kept this rice cooker forever but last year, at the las vegas housewares show, a petit, beautifully shaped zojirushi rice cooker (it’s the 3 cup micom rice cooker and warmer, stainless steel #NS-LACU5XA) caught my attention in a “just have to have it” kind of way. my justification was that i could retire the big one to the country where there’s more room and have the new little one in the city. it is perfect for rice for 2 but can also make enough for 6.

i’m so glad i succumbed to temptation. unlike my old rice cooker, the stay warm function holds even after opening it more than once. the markings on the inside of the sturdy, nicely weighted non-stick container are easy to read and indicate ideal water level for different types of rice including sushi, white rice and brown rice. the instruction book wisely suggests altering the water quantity slightly depending on the age of the rice being cooked. surely this is for the american audience as when i asked my friend hiroko how long sushi rice keeps her reply was that she had no idea because in japan one only uses rice from the current harvest. interestingly this is the opposite of basmati rice—the only rice in the world that on cooking grows lengthwise rather than widthwise. in india it is customary to buy enough basmati at the birth of a child to be able to serve it at his or her wedding!

to add to the little Zo’s charm, it plays a sweet reprogrammable little tune when it starts cooking and another when it stops. i feel like i have a new playmate in the kitchen—well actually dining room—it’s too pretty to hide.
Brown Basmati Rice in a Rice Cooker
Serves: 2
brown basmati rice: 1/2 cup/3.2 ounces/90 grams
water: 1 cup/8 fluid ounce
salt: scant 1/2 teaspoon

Place the rice in a strainer and rinse it with cold water until the water runs clear.
In the rice cooker, stir together the rice, water, and salt. Cover and allow it to soak for at least 1/2 hour.
Cook until done--about 1 hour 20 minutes. Fluff and cover with a paper towel (i do this only for brown rice which tends to be a little moist immediately after cooking even when cooked to perfection in the middle). Close the lid cover and let it sit on keep warm for a minimum of 5 minutes.

Optional additions added before cooking: 1 teaspoon butter and 1 to 2 tablespoons of browned bits from a roast
Note: For white basmati rice use only 3/4 cup/6 fluid ounce water. Also allow it to soak at least 1/2 hour but it’s fine to use the quick cook setting which will take well under an hour.

Special Tip for Reheating Rice
i adore leftover rice as it gives me the opportunity to reheat it and get more crunchy crusty grains. depending on the amount of leftover you have, heat a little butter, preferably clarified, in a sauté pan or heavy saucepan. add the rice and cover tightly. turn the heat to low and cook for about 10 minutes or until the bottom of the rice is lightly browned and all the rice is heated through.

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after several years of thinking about little more than the book and the blog, what a departure it was to take off to france with no computer or manuscript! and after months of little sleep, to meet the deadline of book submission, i felt as if i were sleep walking until i arrived chez my friends the chouards in a little village of st. méard de gurçon. actually i fell asleep in the tgv to libourne until i heard an enchanting little voice calling to me: “cou cou madame!” i opened my eyes to a 4 year old little girl with blond curls and blue eyes wide with daring at speaking to a stranger—a sleeping stranger at that. (i had noticed early that her father was working on a computer and answered her in polite don’t bother me monosyllables when she cried out “regard papa, le chateau!”—which was probably responsible for her daring approach.) i asked her if she lived in the town where the train was approaching and since no answer seemed forthcoming i fell back to sleep. moments later came the response: “oui”! i fell back to sleep secure in the knowledge that i was home at last to one of my favorite places on earth where children are more often than not especially charming.

my entire stay in france was like a perfect dream—not a cloud in the sky—warm almost summer weather—lawns covered with miniature daisies--grape vines sprouting new leaves-- night skies bright with stars, dear friends, delicious home-cooked meals with wonderful wines, delicious conversations, long walks in the country-side, and lots of deep and deeply needed sleep. my visit happened to coincide with the national elections and though i never listen to the candidates on tv in my own country i was spell-bound by the french candidates. i was also astonished that i understood every word of their speeches until i realized that they had to speak at a level that even the most uneducated citizen would understand. the word that kept coming up the most often was protégé (as in “i will protect you….).

there is nothing more delicious or relaxing than spending time catching up with good old friends. the chouards are the parents of my friend pierrick who has the chocolate company “vintage chocolate” in n.y. his mother josette is a fantastic cook and in three visits i have never had the same meal twice. as she grew up in algeria, i guess it was not surprising that she made the best couscous i’ve ever tasted. it was accompanied by their neighbor’s wine: 2001 chateau de la ruz. if only i hadn’t slept til a jet-lagged noon so many days i could have enjoyed josette’s fantastic apple and ginger jelly more times.
when pierrick described his parents’ home,called Le Pommeau, with half mile long drive way, enormously tall trees, bordering a vineyard of bordeaux vines, i thought he was exaggerating but every word was true. family and friends are always coming and going and i arrived to a full house so this time i stayed in the guest house just across the way. it has its own kitchen, living room with fireplace and dining area (not that i ever got to or wanted to cook one thing) and private garden. recently the chouards decided to make the two restored guest houses available for rent. if your idea of a dream vacation is in the heart of the dordogne this is a true treasure. and the chouards will welcome you in their beautiful country kitchen with coffee and cake and perfect english should you so desire. they may even share some of their adventures around the world when pierre served as ambassador. check out www.franceonecall.com/holiday-accommodation-france ref. 24659 & 24660 here’s a brief description from the site: In the middle of the Bergerac wine area, the “Perigord pourpre”, Le Poumeau is very convenient for visiting this beautiful region where old castles, churches, old houses and prehistoric sites abound. Bordeaux is one hour drive away, St Emilion 30mn, Perigueux one hour, and Les Eyzies, the heart of prehistoric sites, one and half hour. Playing golf, tennis, swimming, riding, canoeing are available in the vicinity. People wishing just to relax can use the swimming pool (12m x 6m, depth 1.40m, not fenced) or sunbathe around, quietly walk the woods and meadows of the property where deer, squirrels and birds can be seen.

before reboarding the tgv to paris and on to normandy, we took a short tour on the twisting back roads and hilly unspoiled countryside to a nearby bastide—a medieval town.

then on to reveillon normandy to visit my friends the brossollets whom i hadn’t seen in seven long years. more to come.

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we're in hope already and it feels like summer at over 85 degrees.
bought the herbs and impatience and am now too lazy to plant them.
saw a black bear which crossed the road right in front of our car. wonder if i'll have the courage to go for my usual back road walks....
menu for the weekend: roast duck (defatted and hanging in the basement) with cherry madeira sauce (i promised to post as soon as perfected), last week's rhubarb--so good with duck and with cherries and sat. night baby back ribs.
the only problem with sweet/sour sauces and duck is that they turn burgundy to a nasty flavor so i'm always torn between the sauce and the wine.
by the way, i'm strongly considering if my next book should be savory recipes instead of another baking book (of course a few breads and cakes will creep in). i'm taking a vote so do let me know your preference!(of course rose's heavenly cakes will be the next book but i'm already cooking up the one after!)
and have a great and delicious holiday weekend.

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if you go on line www.washingtonpost.com you will find a great article on hamburgers with my recipe for the buns.

most of you know this, but i just want to emphasize the importance of using unbleached flour when making bread. bleaching destroys protein which means less gluten development. the bread made with bleached flour will spread sideways and have less height and inferior crumb structure. this info is in the link called "tips to bake like an expert."

also be sure to click on the link "best buns aren't in a bag"

hope you all try these for your memorial day barbecue!

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my recipe for pizza in the bread bible is, in fact, a no knead bread. i'm simply stir it just until the flour is moistened and let it sit at room temperature for 1 hour before shaping OR let it sit for 30 minutes and refrigerate it for up to 24 hours. it has always been the lightest, most crispy and tender crust i've ever experienced. that is until i decided to try the slow 18 hour room temperature rise with just 1/16 teaspoon of yeast. cardboard crust.
i tried it twice and each time noticed that on shaping it had more elasticity.then i tried it with the usual quicker rise and it was exquisitely back to normal.
i'm reporting this to you bread bakers out there because it is something that is surprising and interesting--that a long room temperature rise develops more gluten. (no wonder no knead!) useful info!

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last weekend the urge to bake a little no knead bread seized me although i didn’t have any flour on hand suitable for bread baking . as it takes far less time to produce this bread than a trip to the local supermarket, i decided to experiment by using FOUR YEAR OLD unbleached all-purpose. interestingly and predictably, the flavor was good and the texture much less lacy than usual. no complaints from my husband who can be quoted as saying: “maybe the holes are important to you but they aren’t to me—in fact i find them undesirable”!

this weekend we had to do our bi-monthly shopping so i picked up a bag of harvest king—turned it around to check that my recipe was still on the back—and as usual had to fight the impulse to hug it. whipped up the bread in under 5 minutes (added a few droplets of water to the moisten the flour at the bottom that hadn't gotten incorporated) and left it to sit undisturbed for 18 hours. then scraped it onto a floured counter and with lightly floured hands gave it the 2 business letter folds, set it on a small silpat sheet and covered it with a big glass bowl. after 1 hour preheated the oven to 450F/230C along with the baking stone and baby cast iron lodge pot and lid.

2 1/2 hours later, when pressing it gently with a wet finger tip and it kept the impression for a brief moment i decided to test something else: without flouring the top i lifted the bread still on the silpat, held it close to the pot, and then inverted it. gradually it detached itself from the silpat and slipped right into the pot—slightly unevenly. i jiggled it a little which didn’t help much, covered it and set it on the baking stone. after 20 minutes i removed the lid and saw that the bread had risen beautifully and had some huge bubbles on the top. i lowered the heat to 400F/200C., turned the oven to convection to vent out any moisture, and baked for another 10 minutes.

the bread unmolded easily. it tested 207F/97C. and the bottom was a tiny bit too brown to my taste—next time i’ll try 425F/218C for the first 20 min. or maybe just bake 7 minutes with the lid off at the end.

the bread resembled an etruscan drinking utensil. it had its usual lacey open texture and extra vibrant flavor due to the fresh flour.

incidentally, people have complained that this technique renders the crumb too moist. i don’t mind this and in fact the next day, i toast it lightly and it’s still moist but much less so. if you prefer it drier the same day you have only to return it to the oven with the door open for another 10 minutes and it will help to vent internal moisture.

IDEA: as summer approaches and the heat rises, the thought of turning the oven to 450F/230C for 2 hours may justifiably leave you cold. if you have a gas grill, simply use that to preheat the pot and bake the bread. it should work perfectly. i intend to try it when my 93 year old father comes to visit. he’ll just love seeing me drop the dough into the burning hot cast iron pot not to mention the simplicity of preparing the dough.

by the way, a charcoal grill would work too if you use enough charcoal to get hot enough but it’s more of a nuisance because more briquettes would need to be added to maintain the heat for so long a period of time.

NOTE: the recipe has already been posted in the larger size and baby size on this blog.

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just yesterday, before i heard the sad news, i was thinking i must visit vinnie scotto at his west village restaurant gonzo. the only reason i haven’t been for a while is because it is so hopping and popular the noise level is a bit much if i’m trying to have a conversation. but the food is terrific and so is vinnie and family. this is a family affair with lovely sister donna as maitre d’/manager and dad as accountant.

i first met vinnie when he was chef at scotto’s (no family relationship). i begged him for his ginger cookie recipe he used for a his fabulous ice cream sandwich—a recipe that reappeared when he chefed at scopa and of course at gonzo. he sent the recipe within weeks.

faith willinger, a great american food writer living in florence, suggested that i get the latini pasta she introduced me to from vinnie because i used so much of it. for several years he charged me wholesale and then refused to charge me at all. that was just the way vinnie was—loving, generous to a fault, and a brilliantly innovative and capable cook. it was he who developed the recipe for thin crust pizza when he worked at al forno in providence, r.i. and when i was working on the bread bible he invited me into his kitchen to teach me. i never ate dinner at any of his restaurants without a pizza appearing within minutes of arrival. and one new year’s eve, shortly after he opened gonzo, he showed me a white truffle the size of a tennis ball saying that would be his new year’s dinner. (not all of it, however, so we ordered pasta with truffle. he virtually showered it with the truffle.)

my very best memory of vinnie will always be the night he preopened scopa. there were only about 4 tables filled and as we sat eating his glorious food i said to elliott: “the wonderful thing about vinnie is that not only is he a great cook, he’s a beautiful person.” i have the sort of voice that one has to be very close to hear well. but apparently one of the two women sitting at the next table heard as when she got up to leave she came over and kissed me saying: “ i’m vinnie’s mother.” (i was glad that this hadn’t been one of the times elliott had chosen to contradict me—he often likes to play devil’s advocate!) my heart goes out to her and to the rest of vinnie’s family. he was a giant of a man, handsome and kind, and only 40 years old. i will always remember him and i’m sure i’m not alone.

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Deer Valley

I’m two vacation reports behind! so before launching into last month’s trip spent with friends in the Dordogne and Normandy and then my nephew and family in Germany I must first post some great photos and a sensational hamburger recipe from our annual March ski trip to our beloved Deer Valley Resort in Utah.

Julie Wilson, directory of food and beverage at the Deer Valley Resorts, told me they were the best burgers she had ever tasted. This was so true I had a second order the lunch before our return flight to NY. along with an equally exemplary “Blue Mojito” containing lime, rum, and blueberries. Recipe for the burgers appears below.

Elliott and I ate lunch and dinner exclusively at the resort restaraunts as there were so many choices and all wonderful: The Royal Street Café right across the street from our hotel, where we ate the most frequently, the romantic haute cuisine Mariposa also in the same location, and the seafood buffet at the Silver Lake Lodge. The one time we went to the nearby town of Park City we revisited Bill White’s Asian fusion restaurant Wahso. The extraordinarily artistic and beautiful décor and exquisitely original food is highly recommended.

Highlights at Deer Valley:
We always love the seafood buffet. It’s all you can eat and the offerings are staggeringly extensive and delicious—from cold seafood of all varieties to the hot station which serves meat and fish. We adored the seaweed salad served at the sushi station and went back for three helpings.

And we tasted and photographed each and every one of pastry chef Debbie Swenerton’s fabulous desserts! My top favorite was the Chocolate Bomb.

At Royal Street Café, don’t miss the award winning crawfish bisque, the Caesar salad with parmesan fricos and Spanish white anchovies, of course the burger which comes with fantastically crisp and delicious garlic-herb-Parmesan Shoestring Fries, the Pulled Pork Sandwich, the Tuna Tartar, the Shrimp and Lobster Margarita with Guacamole.

Save room to try every one of head baker Letty Flatt’s desserts. Her ice cream sandwiches made with homemade chocolate chip cookies, or sometimes mini version variations such as with gingersnaps and lemon sorbet and caramel dippings sauce are soul satisfying. Her recipe for the perfect hot fudge dipping sauce is in her delightful book “Chocolate Snowball: and other Fabulous Pastries” and will be appearing in my upcoming book as well.

Letty also created a sour cherry sauce with Madeira and a touch of balsamic vinegar that had me cleaning the plate with my finger—even though we were dining at the more formal Mariposa. It was the best cherry sauce ever and though she created it for a dessert, I plan to serve it this summer with roast duck. When I work out the proportions for a smaller amount I will be sure to post the recipe. Also offered at the Mariposa is Letty’s signature dessert—the chocolate snowball. Don’t you love the new addition: The chocolate snowflake adorning the top?!

Most delicious of all was the chance to catch up with my treasured friends Julie and Letty. We usually only get to do this once a year so, of course, there are so many discoveries to share and so very much to say. And skiing with Letty and another pastry chef friend who came in from Salt Lake City for the day was the best skiing of the trip. She knows every trail on the mountain(s). And of course we talked baking on the lift—mostly about the different characteristics of flour!

Aside from my one morning with Letty, skiing was a bit iffy this year—with exceptionally warm weather—in the 70’s during the day, and then dropping just enough at night to render the slopes somewhat icy and “corduroy” granular —but I was overjoyed just to be in the beautiful mountain air and to be able to ski so well despite conditions including my back injury in the Fall. Someday we must go in Summer when the mountain flowers are in bloom. But we are always loathe to leave Hope, NJ. between May and October I know that may sound odd but parts of NJ are unexpectedly rural and beautiful and home is home! We live in what is called “black N.J.” which means there are no roads or towns with street lights so the sky is so clear you can see the milky way. Meantime, we’re scheduled for our next Deer Valley ski trip March 2008, St. Patty’s Day week. Frequent blogger and esteemed recipe tester Zach Townsend recently reported that his brother and sister-in-law, who are landscape architects, have been awarded the contract for the new development of the Silver Lake Lodge area. We’ve exchanged 100s of e-mails but have never met and I’m trying to persuade him to come skiing that week. Hope to see you ALL on the slopes. Wait—over a million bloggers might be a little overwhelming all at once!!!

DEER VALLEY'S CHIPOTLE BURGERS*

Yield: 12 Burgers

INGREDIENTS:
12 each 1/2 lb. certified Angus burger patties
1 dozen burger buns, larger buns to accommodate a big burger
Sea salt and ¼ cup freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup maple sugar
24 strips bacon
12 slices pepper Jack cheese
2 large red onions, peeled and thinly sliced
4 each medium to large avocados
1 6 oz. can chipotle chilies in adobo sauce
1 bunch green onions
1 bunch fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh chopped garlic
3/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon whole butter
2 cups mayonnaise
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 bottle (10 oz.-12 oz.), smoky BBQ sauce

RECIPES TO FOLLOW FOR THE FOLLOWING CONDIMENTS;
Chipotle Aioli
Chipotle BBQ Sauce
Guacamole
Maple Peppered Bacon
Sautéed Red Onions

CHIPOTLE AIOLI
2 tablespoons chipotle chilies
1 bunch cilantro, washed, stemmed, chopped
1 bunch green onions, washed, roots trimmed, chopped
2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
½ cup fresh lime juice
--Puree all together in food processor until smooth then add:
2 cups mayonnaise
--Continue processing until well blended. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

CHIPOTLE BBQ SAUCE:
1 bottle smoky BBQ sauce
1 tablespoon chipotle chilies
--Process together in food processor into a smooth puree. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

MAPLE PEPPER:
1/2 cup granulated maple sugar
1 tablespoon fresh ground pepper
--Mix in bowl with a spoon until well blended. Reserve at room temperature.

GUACAMOLE:
-Cut avocados in half, remove pit and scoop flesh out of skin into a mixing bowl.
Mash with a whisk and add:
1 teaspoon pureed garlic
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
--Continue mashing with whisk until smooth with small coarse chunks of avocado. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

PREPARATION AND SERVING:
--Place bacon on sheet pan and sprinkle each slice with maple pepper mixture.
--Bake at 375°until crispy. Keep warm in low oven, uncovered, until ready to serve.

--Sauté sliced red onions in one tablespoon butter until well browned. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Keep warm until ready to serve.

--Grill ½ lb. burger patties, seasoned with a little salt and pepper, to desired doneness. Melt a slice of pepper Jack cheese on each burger and keep warm while you toast the burger buns

--Spread chipotle aioli on the bottom of each toasted bun followed by:
Sautéed onions, two strips of maple peppered bacon, burger patty with melted pepper Jack cheese, liberal dose of chipotle BBQ sauce, generous dollop of guacamole, cilantro sprig garnish, optional, top bun spread with chipotle aioli

Note: My recipe for my best burger buns will be appearing in the Wed. Washington Post on May 23. If you want to make these large burgers (which I find feed two!) you’ll want to make the buns about 1 1/2 times larger.

*Deer Valley's name and marks are protected by Federal law. If this recipe is to be used for retail sales, the above title must be used. Please call Julie Wilson at 435/645-6665 for written approval.

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For those of you who have these spoons and have found that the ink has washed off, the producer reports that this problem has been solved. He has found a new manufacturer. He writes the following:

Please let your readers know that as soon as the new spoons are available I will automatically send out a set to each person that has purchased a 14 pc set or individual spoon sets.

I have all of the names and address that I have shipped to so your readers will not have to contact me to get their replacement spoons.

Unfotunatly it will be about another 8 weeks before I have the tooling in Denver and ready to produce the spoons. The tooling is being manufactured in China right now and should be ready to ship in 3 to 4 weeks. Then it takes about 4 weeks on a ship to reach Denver.

Be patient as there spoons have no equal for accuracy!

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My friend Elisenda in Barcelona just sent me this photo of Chef Ismael Prados saying that he was a great favorite of hers. He has a t.v. show that her young son Oriole watches every night if he's finished his home work. I'm thrilled to report that it is his wife who is publisher of RBA the company that is producing the Spanish edition of The Cake Bible and no doubt he will be involved in the revision.

I do hope they invite me to help promote the book in Spain when it is published. It would be fun to be on his show--he looks like a great personality!

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This cake which Lisa Shepley calls "My Tribute to Rose Cake"(and I am honored) is so stunning I had the impression, for a fleeting instant, that I could smell the rose (not to mention that my head cold is still preventing me from smelling anything!) In Lisa's words, here is how she accomplished this breath-taking work of art. I sure would love to see it cut into!

The layers are 10"x3", 8"x3", 6"x3" butter cakes, torted and filled w/buttercream. All covered in white fondant, doweled as usual and stacked. For the "rose layers", I roll out fondant aprox 1/4" thick. First cut a piece about 2" x 4", straight on one side and wavy on the other side with a pizza cutter. Roll up to resemble a rose center. Press the bottom to make a "base". Glue in center of 6" cake by brushing the base with a little corn syrup. Cut another strip a little longer and form the next layer of petals around the center piece and continue until the top of cake is filled. (using corn syrup as your glue) Next, cut a little wider strips in same fashion and start on the sides of the 6" cake, overlapping and turning out a little at the tops to form a natural rose look. Continue to bottom of cake, making the layers a little wider so it looks natural. To color the tips, drop a bit of food coloring on a small plate, dip an artist type paint brush in a little vodka and make a diluted puddle on the plate. Wipe almost completely dry on a paper towel. Brush on tips making a little darker at the top of rose. After completely dry, go back with a dry brush and dust with a little pearl luster dust. (hope this was condensed enough!) Thanks again, you're the best! Lisa Shepley

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Two weeks from today--Wednesday May 23--My story, including great recipe for Burger Buns will appear in the Washington Post. It will also be available on line should you not have access to the paper.

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i had to share this delightful email from hector:

From: Hector Date: May 6, 2007 5:53 AM Subject: My niece this year To: Rose

Here is your favorite Hector's niece. Her name is Josephine. Today
she loved her cake.

Towering Biscuit de Savoie, moisted with plain canned peach syrup.
Filled and frosted with Stabilized Super Stabilized Whipped Cream.
Topped with Light Whipped Chocolate Ganache.

Josephine said "CHOCOLATE!!!!!!!!!"

This is the first time I make Biscuit de Savoie for my family's
traditional cakes. My sister loved the taste and texture of the
cake, and I DID TOO!!! It was very tasty, not overly sweet, light as
air, and it was aromatic all the way!!!

The 4 layers were baked on 9" pans, but the cake turned hexagon
because I sliced the sides to make Tiramisu!!!!!!!

From the kitchen of Rose on 05.09.07 at 1:11 PM

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Clotilde Dusoulier, delightful host of the delightful blog Chocolate & Zucchini, will be signing her new book based on recipes from the blog at Dean & DeLuca on 560 Broadway (& Prince Street) on Tuesday May15 at 12:30. I'll be there as well for a short time so do come and say hello if you have the time.

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I can't believe I omitted from the list my dear friends rick and deanne bayles of frontera in chicago--one of my favorite restaurants in the country. They won the Outstanding Restaurant Award and this was especially meaningful as this happens to be the restaruant's 20 anniversary!

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Never have I enjoyed a Beard Award Gala as much as the 20th anniversary celebration last night. From the moment I stepped onto the red carpet at 5:45 to the moment I went dashing out at 11:30 to beat the crowd pouring out of the Metropolitan Opera to grab a taxi and telephone a full report to my friend and colleague Lisa Yockelson in Washington, D.C. it was one happy moment after another.

I remembered back 19 years to the award ceremony in New York when I won book of the year for the Cake Bible. The awards were hosted by the Seagrams Co. and though certainly ranking as one of the happiest moments of my life, there was no where near the drama of last night’s black tie event held at the most appropriate of all possible venues: Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. It perfectly reflected the evolution of food in this country.

Chocolate Sculpture and Desserts Presented by Le Cordon Bleu International

I arrived early so as not to miss a moment of the “this is Our life” event. The first person I recognized in the huge crowd was one of my favorite colleagues Nancy Silverton, in town to promote her newest cookbook. Seconds later along came another brilliant baker—Emily Luchetti who was one of the award presenters. Then I got to greet Nach Wachman and his wife (of the renowned bookstore Kitchen Arts and Letters) and then it was impossible to keep track—Sheila Lukins and Julee Rosso of the Silver Palate, restaurateurs Drew Nierporent and Danny Meyers, Art Smith (who most deservedly won the Humanitarian of the Year), the incomparable Jacques Pépin, one of my favorite chefs, Thomas Keller of the French Laundry, who went on to win the Outstanding Restaurateur Award, Robert Steinberg of Scharffenberger chocolate…. It was a veritable smorgasbord of favorite people, colleagues, friends. I don’t know how the ushers managed to get us seated only 30 minutes late as no one wanted to leave the meet and greet area!

As press I got to sit in a box in the second tier and regretted not having brought binoculars or at least my little ocular to peer down into the audience. The only person I could recognize from way up there was Phyllis Richmond, the former restaurant reviewer of the Washington Post, with her shock of white hair. Then to my total delight my friend Jill Santopietro, who works with Amanda Hesser at the New York Times, found me so we got to enjoy the entire presentation together. It was hard to focus at first as she announced her engagement of two days to one of the most delightful young men I’ve ever met (no exaggeration). He’s not a food professional but knows more about baking than many and is going to make their wedding cake. Jill and I got to comment in full abandon because up in the rafters there was no possibility of disturbing the rest of the audience that for the most part sat in rapt attention.

The ceremony lasted three hours and although we were pretty hungry by 10:00 we never had to break into the little bag of peanuts experience has taught me to bring. Just knowing it was there kept me from desperation. Sometimes I think Mammy had the right idea telling Scarlet never to go to the barbecue hungry!

I was delighted that the editor of seven of my books Maria Guarnaschelli’s books: “Cradle of Flavor” and “The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook” both won—the later winning book of the year as well. And editor of my upcoming book Pam Chirls won for Marcus Samuelsson’s “Soul of a New Cuisine.” I was also delighted that my long time friend Lorna Sass won for “Whole Grains Every Day, Everyway.”

Years ago Jacque Pépin, at an event honoring him at the French Culinary Institute, said that when he started his apprenticeship and worked under Charles DeGaulle, no one expected a cook or chef to do anything more than stay in the kitchen and cook but that now one had to be a performer as well. How prophetic—every acceptance speech was beautifully presented and entertaining. But most moving and powerful was that of Marcus Samuelsson's, when he talked about going into a book store before writing “Soul of a New Cuisine” and discovering that there was not one book that represented the cuisine of a billion people—Africa.

I didn’t have a machine to register applause (and was so glad there was no hooting or whistling this year—must have been the distinguished venue—as I forgot to bring ear plugs) but there was no doubt that the loudest applause of the evening were for Michèl Richard of Citronelle in D.C. as Outstanding Chef. He and his cuisine are loved by all. When I complimented him on his stunning and original new book he whispered into my ear “It doesn’t compare with your books.” This will give you an idea of how humble he is. And two seconds after the medal was hung around his neck he pulled it off saying it was for his wife! On top of all his other talents he is father to five children!

The lifetime achievement was given to Barbara Kafka who started her acceptance speech by saying that the most important thing to her was her family—her husband of over 50 years, her daughter, son, and daughter-in-law. I don’t know if she realized, however, just how large her extended family is—she has been “mother” to many aspiring young chefs and cookbook authors including me when she introduced me to her editor many years ago. And I had the privilege of making Barbara’s mother’s 80th birthday cake many years ago. She let me choose and it was the Chocolate Oblivion with a half gallon of raspberry sauce. Later in the evening I met Drew Nierporent’s assistant who told me that she made her reputation on that very cake!

I promised a photo and managed in the crush of people to get three good ones including one of David Carmichael, pastry chef extraordinary of Gilt Restaurant. His little strudel cone filled with Marionberry and Muscovado Granité was perfectly exquisite. Also from Gilt, Chef Christopher Lee’s Smoked Wagyu Beef Tenderloin was meltingly tender and my favorite savory of the evening.

Gold Plated Almonds from Gilt

As a perfect finale I finally found my beloved Batterberrys of Food Arts Magazine and had a cappuccino at the Illy booth which kept me awake long enough to get home exactly at midnight.

Here's a full listing of the awards:
EMBARGO
FOR RELEASE: MAY 7, 2007 AFTER 10:30 PM EST.
Contacts: Bullfrog & Baum 212-255-6717
Kay Lindsay kay@bullfrogandbaum.com
Rachel Baumgartner rachel@bullfrogandbaum.com
Website (including digital photos from Awards events): www.jamesbeard.org.

WINNERS ANNOUNCED FOR 2007 JAMES BEARD FOUNDATION AWARDS
Michel Richard Named Outstanding Chef, Presented by All-Clad Metalcrafters
Frontera Grill Named Outstanding Restaurant, Presented by S.Pellegrino
The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook Named Cookbook of the Year

New York City (May 7, 2007) – Winners were announced for the 2007 James Beard Foundation Awards tonight at a ceremony held at Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall. The Awards, now in their 17th year, recognize excellence and achievement in the culinary profession. More than 60 awards were presented, and over 1,600 industry leaders attended the ceremony, which was followed by a reception dedicated to “Celebrating the Art of American Food,” featuring guest chefs from an esteemed group of Rising Star Chef award winners and nominees.

“Tonight’s winners represent the best and the brightest in the food world,” said Susan Ungaro, president of the Foundation. “Winning a James Beard Foundation award is like taking home an Olympic gold medal, a Pulitzer or a Grammy. For many, being selected by their peers is confirmation of achievement of excellence, marking the pinnacle of their careers.”

Established in 1990, the James Beard Foundation Awards recognize outstanding achievement within the fine food and beverage industry. The Awards honor professionals including book authors, chefs, restaurateurs, winemakers, journalists, broadcasters, and restaurant and graphic designers in North America. To select the nominees and winners, independent volunteer panels of more than 600 food and beverage professionals from around the country vote on specific Award categories. The trustees and staff of the James Beard Foundation do not vote. The independent accounting firm Lutz & Carr tabulates ballots. Winners’ identities remain confidential until the Awards ceremonies. Award winners receive a bronze medallion engraved with the image of James Beard, the late journalist, cookbook author, chef, and cooking teacher.

A full listing of awards nominees and results can be found at www.jamesbeard.org. Event photos will be available for press purposes at www.jamesbeard.org/awards/2007/awardphotos/ on Tuesday, May 8, 2007, after 10:30 A.M.

Summary of Awards highlights:

Media Awards
On Sunday, May 6th, 21 awards were presented for articles published in 2006, and for television, webcast, and radio programs that aired in 2006. The San Francisco Chronicle was named best newspaper food section; Jesse Katz received the M.F.K. Fisher Distinguished Writing Award for his article in Los Angeles entitled “Wheels of Fortune;” and Leite’s Culinaria received the award for Website Focusing on Food, Beverage, Restaurant, or Nutrition.

Broadcast Media Award winners, presented by Viking Range, for television included: Gourmet’s Diary of a Foodie, hosted by Ruth Reichl for Food Show, National; Food Trip with Todd English, hosted by Todd English, for Food Special; CBS News “Sunday Morning,” hosted by Charles Osgood, for Food Segment, National or Local; and Check, Please! Bay Area, hosted by Leslie Sbrocco for Food Show, Local. The Radio Food Show winner was The Leonard Lopate Show’s Holiday Recipe Swap, hosted by Leonard Lopate, and the Webcast award went to Savoring the Best of World Flavors, Volume One: India, Spain, Mexico, and Thailand, hosted by Bill Briwa.

Book Awards
The Foundation presented awards in 14 categories for food and beverage books published in 2006. Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen (Ten Speed Press, 1977) was inducted into the Cookbook Hall of Fame and The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook (W. W. Norton, 2006) was named Cookbook of the Year.

Chef/Restaurant Awards
Chicago’s Frontera Grill was named Outstanding Restaurant of the Year, presented by S.Pellegrino; Michel Richard (Michel Richard Citronelle, Washington D.C.) received the Outstanding Chef Award, presented by All-Clad Metalcrafters; New York’s L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon was named Best New Restaurant; and Thomas Keller (The French Laundry, Yountville, CA) received the award for Outstanding Restaurateur, presented by Waterford Wedgwood.

David Chang (Momofuku Noodle Bar, New York) was named Rising Star Chef of the Year, presented by Contessa Premium Foods. Michael Laskonis (Le Bernardin, New York) received the Outstanding Pastry Chef Award, presented by All-Clad Metalcrafters. Chicago’s Tru was presented with the Outstanding Service Award, and Michel Richard Citronelle presented with Outstanding Wine Service. Paul Draper (Ridge Vineyards, Cupertino, CA) was named Outstanding Wine & Spirits Professional, presented by Southern Wine & Spirits.

Best Chefs in America, presented by American Express Company, awarded recipients in 10 regions: Great Lakes, Grant Achatz (Alinea, Chicago, IL); Mid-Atlantic, TIE R.J. Cooper (Vidalia, Washington D.C.) and Frank Ruta (Palena, Washington D.C.); Pacific, Traci Des Jardins (Jardinière, San Francisco, CA); Southwest, Nobuo Fukuda (Sea Saw, Scottsdale, AZ); South, Donald Link (Herbsaint, New Orleans, LA); Southeast, Scott Peacock (Watershed, Decatur, GA); Northeast, Frank McClelland (L’Espalier, Boston, MA); Northwest, John Sundstrom (Lark, Seattle, WA); Midwest, Celina Tio (The American Restaurant, Kansas City, MO); and New York City, David Waltuck (Chanterelle).

Special Honorees
Art Smith was named Humanitarian of the Year, and Barbara Kafka received the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Five new inductees were added to the Who’s Who of Food & Beverage in America, presented by Contessa Premium Foods, including: José Andrés, Jim Clendenen, Bobby Flay, Dorie Greenspan and Michael Pollan.

Six small regional restaurants received America’s Classics Awards: Aunt Carrie's (Narragansett, RI); Brookville Hotel (Abilene, KS); Doe's Eat Place (Greenville, MS); The Pickwick (Duluth, MN); Primanti Brothers (Pittsburgh, PA); and Weaver D's (Athens, GA).

Restaurant Design and Graphic Awards
For the best restaurant design or renovation and graphics executed in North America since January 1, 2004: New York design firms Lewis.Tsurumaki.Lewis LTL Architects received the Outstanding Restaurant Design award for Xing Restaurant (New York), and Baron and Baron received Outstanding Restaurant Graphics award for Buddakan (New York).
The James Beard Foundation presents its 2007 Awards with generous support from the following sponsors:
In Association Sponsors: All-Clad Metalcrafters and American Express®; Supporting Sponsors: Contessa Premium Foods, illy caffé North America, Inc., Southern Wine & Spirits of New York, S.Pellegrino® Sparkling Natural Mineral Water, Viking Range Corporation, and Waterford Wedgwood; Gala Reception Sponsors: Chefwear, Ecolab, Hellenic Fine Oils, Le Cordon Bleu International, and Rums of Puerto Rico. Additional support is provided by Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, National Cattlemen’s Beef on behalf of The Beef Checkoff, and The Chefs’ Warehouse. The Millennium Broadway Hotel is the official hotel and Restaurant Associates is the host caterer of the 2007 James Beard Foundation Awards.

How to Enter for 2008
Entry forms for the 2008 awards will be available in mid-October on www.jamesbeard.org, or by faxing requests to: 212-627-1064. Membership in, service to, and fundraising for the James Beard Foundation are neither requirements for, nor in any way relevant to consideration for an Award. For information on membership, call 1-800-36-BEARD (800-362-3273).

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ABOUT THE JAMES BEARD FOUNDATION
Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, the James Beard Foundation is dedicated to celebrating, preserving, and nurturing America’s culinary heritage and diversity in order to elevate the appreciation of our culinary excellence. A cookbook author and teacher with an encyclopedic knowledge about food, James Beard was a champion of American cuisine, helping to educate and mentor generations of professional chefs and food enthusiasts before his death in 1985. Today, the James Beard Foundation continues in the same spirit by administering a number of diverse programs that include educational initiatives, food industry awards, culinary scholarships, publications, and maintaining the historic James Beard House in New York City’s Greenwich Village as a performance space for visiting chefs. For more information, please visit www.jamesbeard.org or call 212-675-4984.


WINNERS
2007James Beard Foundation Book Awards
For cookbooks published in 2006
Cookbook of the Year
The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook
Authors: Matt Lee and Ted Lee
Publisher: W. W. Norton
Editor: Maria Guarnaschelli
Price: $ 35.00
Cookbook Hall of Fame
Moosewood Cookbook
Author: Mollie Katzen
Publisher: Ten Speed Press
Editor: Mollie Katzen
Price: $4.00

Asian Cooking
Cradle of Flavor
Author: James Oseland
Publisher: W. W. Norton
Editor: Maria Guarnaschelli
Price $35.00
Category: Baking and Desserts
Baking: From My Home to Yours
Author: Dorie Greenspan
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Company
Editor: Rux Martin
Price: $40.00

Category: Cooking from a Professional Point of View
Grand Livre de Cuisine: Alain Ducasse’s Desserts and Pastries
Authors: Alain Ducasse and Frédéric Robert
Publisher: Les Éditions d’Alain Ducasse
Editor: Stephanie Ruyer
Price: $195.00
Category: Entertaining and Special Occasions
The Big Book of Outdoor Cooking
and Entertaining
Authors: Cheryl Alters Jamison and Bill Jamison
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Editor: Harriet Bell
Price: $24.95
Category: Food of the Americas
The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook
Authors: Matt Lee and Ted Lee
Publisher: W. W. Norton
Editor: Maria Guarnaschelli
Price: $35.00
Category: General
Tasty: Get Great Food on the Table Every Day
Author: Roy Finamore
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Company
Editor: Rux Martin
Price: $30.00
Category: Healthy Focus
Whole Grains Every Day, Every Way
Author: Lorna Sass
Publisher: Clarkson Potter
Editor: Rica Allannic
Price: $44.00
Category: International
The Soul of a New Cuisine
Author: Marcus Samuelsson
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Editor: Pam Chirls
Price: $40.00
Category: Reference
What to Eat
Author: Marion Nestle
Publisher: North Point/Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Editor: Paul Elie
Price: $30.00
Category: Single Subject
The Essence of Chocolate
Authors: John Scharffenberger and
Robert Steinberg
Publisher: Hyperion Books
Editor: Leslie Wells
Price: 35.00
Category: Wine and Spirits
Romancing the Vine
Author: Alan Tardi
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Editor: Elizabeth Beier
Price: $25.95
Category: Writing on Food
The Omnivore’s Dilemma
Author: Michael Pollan
Publisher: The Penguin Press
Editor: Ann Godoff
Price: $26.95
Category: Photography
Michael Mina
Photographer: Karl Petzke
Publisher: Bulfinch Press/
Little, Brown and Company
Editor: Michael Sand
Price: $50.00
WINNERS
2007 James Beard Foundation Journalism Awards
For articles published in 2006
Category: MFK Fisher Distinguished Writing Award
Jesse Katz
Los Angeles
“Wheels of Fortune”
10/06 Category: Newspaper Section
San Francisco Chronicle
Miriam Morgan and Jon Bonne
Category: Multimedia Writing on Food, Restaurants, Beverage, or Nutrition
Edward Deitch
MSNBC.com/NBC Mobile
“On the Trail of Great California Syrah”
12/6/06
Category: Newspaper, Newsletter or Magazine Reporting on Nutrition or Food-Related Consumer Issues
Colleen Pierce, R.D.
Child
“Solving the Sugar Crisis”
6-7/06
Category: Newspaper Feature Writing About Restaurants and/or Chefs With or Without Recipes
Barbara Yost
The Arizona Republic
“Bringing a Restaurant to Life”
10/29/06
Category: Newspaper or Magazine Restaurant Review or Critique
Rebekah Denn
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
“Heads Up on Lovely Veil: Not One of the Best Yet”, ”We Went Trolling for the City’s Best Crab Cakes”, “Tiny Sitka and Spruce Makes a Big Splash”
2/10/06, 5/12/06, 5/26/06
Category: Newspaper Feature Writing With Recipes
Janet Fletcher
San Francisco Chronicle
“Bringing Duck Home”
10/25/06
Category: Newspaper Feature Writing Without Recipes
Elaine Cicora
Cleveland Scene
“Soul Kitchen”
2/1/06
Category: Newspaper, Newsletter or Magazine Columns
Dara Moskowitz
City Pages (Minneapolis)
“Take the Cannoli”, “The Importance of Burgers”, “Weirded Out by Wine”
4/12/06, 5/17/06, 10/18/06
Category: Newspaper Writing on Spirits, Wine, or Beer
Eric Felten
The Wall Street Journal
“He Drinks, She Drinks”
10/21/06
AND
Dara Moskowitz
City Pages (Minneapolis)
“Asked and Answered”
11/08/06
Category: Magazine Feature Writing With Recipes
Colman Andrews
Saveur
“Ireland—From Farm to Fork”
3/06
Category: Magazine Feature Writing Without Recipes
Scott Simon
Gourmet
“Conflict Cuisine”
4/06
Category: Magazine Writing on Spirits, Wine, or Beer
Fiona Morrison, MW
Wine & Spirits Magazine
“Chambolle-Musigny”
10/06
Category: Magazine Feature Writing About Restaurants and/or Chefs With or Without Recipes
James Villas
Saveur
“Vive le Restaurant”
4/06
Category: Website Focusing on Food, Beverage, Restaurant, or Nutrition
Leite’s Culinaria
David Leite and Linda Avery
WINNERS
2007 James Beard Foundation Broadcast Media Awards presented by Viking Range
For television, webcasts, and radio programs aired in 2006
Category: Television Food Show, National
Gourmet’s Diary of a Foodie
Host: Ruth Reichl
Network: Public television stations
Air date: 10/06
Producers: Ruth Reichl, Laurie Donnelly, Lydia Tenaglia, Chris Collins, Giulio Capua, Robert Curran
Category: Television Food Special
Food Trip with Todd English
Host: Todd English
Network: Public television stations
Air date: 10/06
Producers: Laurie Donnelly, Deborah Hurley, Jord Poster, Matt Cohen, Renard Cohen, Hilary Finkel Buxton, Moses Shumow, Cristina Courey

Category: Television Food Show, Local
Check, Please! Bay Area
Host: Leslie Sbrocco
Network: KQED Public Television
Air date: 3/23/06
Producer: Tina Salter
Category: Television Food Segment, National or Local
CBS News “Sunday Morning”
Host: Charles Osgood
Correspondent: Martha A. Teichner
Network: CBS
Producers: Judith Hole, Catherine Kim, Remington Korper, Robin Skeete, Jason Schmidt
Category: Radio Food Show
The Leonard Lopate Show’s Holiday Recipe Swap
Host: Leonard Lopate
Area: WNYC, Podcast, XM Satellite
Producer: Melissa Eagan

Category: Webcast
Savoring the Best of World Flavors, Volume One: India, Spain, Mexico and Thailand
Host: Bill Briwa
Website: www.ciaprochef.com
Producers: John Barkley, Greg Drescher
WINNERS
2007 James Beard Foundation Design and Graphics Awards
Category: Outstanding Restaurant Design
For the best restaurant design or renovation in North America since January 1, 2004
Design Firm:
Lewis.Tsurumaki.Lewis
LTL Architects
Designers:
Paul Lewis, Marc Tsurumaki, David J. Lewis
147 Essex Street
New York, NY 10002
212-505-5955
For Project:
Xing Restaurant
785 Ninth Avenue
New York, NY 10019
646-289-3010
Category: Outstanding Restaurant Graphics
For the best restaurant graphics executed in North America since January 1, 2004
Design Firm:
Baron and Baron
Designers:
Fabien Baron, Takashi Hiratsuka
250 West 57th Street
New York, NY 10107
212-397-8000
For Project:
Buddakan
75 Tenth Avenue
New York, NY 10011
212-989-2245
WINNERS
2007 James Beard Foundation Restaurant and Chef Awards
CATEGORY: OUTSTANDING RESTAURATEUR AWARD PRESENTED BY WATERFORD WEDGWOOD
A WORKING RESTAURATEUR, ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN MULTIPLE RESTAURANTS IN THE UNITED STATES, WHO HAS SET UNIFORMLY HIGH NATIONAL STANDARDS AS A CREATIVE FORCE IN THE KITCHEN AND/OR IN RESTAURANT OPERATIONS. MUST HAVE BEEN IN THE RESTAURANT BUSINESS FOR AT LEAST TEN YEARS.
Thomas Keller
The French Laundry
6640 Washington Street
Yountville, CA 94599
707-944-2380
CATEGORY: OUTSTANDING CHEF AWARD PRESENTED BY ALL-CLAD METALCRAFTERS
THE WORKING CHEF IN AMERICA WHOSE CAREER HAS SET NATIONAL INDUSTRY STANDARDS AND WHO HAS SERVED AS AN INSPIRATION TO OTHER FOOD PROFESSIONALS. MUST HAVE BEEN A WORKING CHEF FOR THE PAST FIVE YEARS.
Michel Richard
Michel Richard Citronelle
The Latham Hotel
3000 M. Street NW
Washington, DC 20007
202-625-2150

CATEGORY: OUTSTANDING RESTAURANT AWARD PRESENTED BY S.PELLEGRINO
THE RESTAURANT IN THE U.S. THAT SERVES AS A NATIONAL STANDARD BEARER OF CONSISTENCY OF QUALITY AND EXCELLENCE IN FOOD, ATMOSPHERE AND SERVICE. RESTAURANT MUST HAVE BEEN IN OPERATION FOR AT LEAST TEN YEARS.
Frontera Grill
Chef/Owners: Rick and Deann Bayless
449 N Clark Street
Chicago, IL 60610
312- 661-0381
CATEGORY: BEST NEW RESTAURANT
A RESTAURANT OPENED IN 2006 THAT ALREADY DISPLAYS EXCELLENCE IN FOOD, BEVERAGE AND SERVICE, AND IS LIKELY TO MAKE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT IN YEARS TO COME.
L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon
Chef/Owner:
Joël Robuchon
57 E. 57th Street
New York, NY 10022
212-350-6658
CATEGORY: RISING STAR CHEF OF THE YEAR PRESENTED BY CONTESSA PREMIUM FOODS
A CHEF, AGE 30 OR YOUNGER, WHO DISPLAYS AN IMPRESSIVE TALENT, AND WHO IS LIKELY TO MAKE A SIGNIFICANT INDUSTRY IMPACT IN YEARS TO COME.
David Chang
Momofuku Noodle Bar
163 First Avenue
New York, NY 10003
212-475-7899
CATEGORY: OUTSTANDING PASTRY CHEF AWARD PRESENTED BY ALL-CLAD METALCRAFTERS
A CHEF OR BAKER WHO PREPARES DESSERTS, PASTRIES OR BREADS, WHO SERVES AS A NATIONAL STANDARD BEARER OF EXCELLENCE. MUST HAVE BEEN A PASTRY CHEF OR BAKER FOR THE PAST FIVE YEARS.
Michael Laskonis
Le Bernardin
155 West 51st Street
New York, NY 10019
212- 554-1515
CATEGORY: OUTSTANDING WINE SERVICE AWARD PRESENTED BY WATERFORD CRYSTAL
A RESTAURANT THAT DISPLAYS AND ENCOURAGES EXCELLENCE IN WINE SERVICE THROUGH A WELL-PRESENTED WINE LIST, KNOWLEDGEABLE STAFF AND EFFORTS TO EDUCATE CUSTOMERS ABOUT WINE. RESTAURANT MUST HAVE BEEN IN OPERATION AT LEAST FIVE YEARS.
Michel Richard Citronelle
Wine Director: Mark Slater
3000 M. Street NW
Washington, DC 20007
202-625-2150
CATEGORY: OUTSTANDING WINE AND SPIRITS PROFESSIONAL AWARD PRESENTED SOUTHERN WINE & SPIRITS
A WINEMAKER, BREWER OR SPIRITS PROFESSIONAL WHO HAS MADE A SIGNIFICANT NATIONAL IMPACT IN THE WINE AND SPIRITS INDUSTRY. MUST HAVE BEEN IN PROFESSION AT LEAST FIVE YEARS.
Paul Draper
Ridge Vineyards
17100 Monte Bello Road
Cupertino, CA 95014
408-867-3233
CATEGORY: OUTSTANDING SERVICE AWARD
A RESTAURANT THAT DEMONSTRATES HIGH STANDARDS OF HOSPITALITY AND SERVICE. MUST HAVE BEEN IN OPERATION FOR THE PAST FIVE YEARS.
Tru
Owners: Rick Tramonto, Gale Gand, and Richard Melman
676 N. St. Clair Street
Chicago, IL 60611
312-202-0001

BEST CHEFS IN AMERICA PRESENTED BY AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY
CHEFS WHO HAVE SET NEW OR CONSISTENT STANDARDS OF EXCELLENCE IN THEIR RESPECTIVE REGIONS. CHEFS MAY BE FROM ANY KIND OF DINING ESTABLISHMENT AND MUST HAVE BEEN A WORKING CHEF FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS. THE THREE MOST RECENT YEARS MUST HAVE BEEN SPENT IN THE REGION WHERE CHEF IS PRESENTLY WORKING.
CATEGORY: BEST CHEF: GREAT LAKES
(IL, IN, MI, OH)
Grant Achatz
Alinea
1723 N Halsted Street
Chicago, IL 60614
312- 867-0110
CATEGORY: BEST CHEF: MID-ATLANTIC
(DC, DE, MD, NJ, PA, VA)
TIE
R. J. Cooper III Frank Ruta
Vidalia Palena
1990 M Street, NW 3529 Connecticut Ave NW
Washington, DC 20036 Washington, D.C. 20008
202-659-1990 202 -537-9250
CATEGORY: BEST CHEF: MIDWEST
(IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD, WI)
Celina Tio
The American Restaurant
200 E 25th St
Kansas City, MO 64108
816-545-8000
CATEGORY: BEST CHEF: NEW YORK CITY
(FIVE BOROUGHS)
David Waltuck
Chanterelle
2 Harrison Street
New York, NY 10013
212-966-6960
CATEGORY: BEST CHEF: NORTHEAST
(CT, MA, ME, NH, NY STATE, RI, VT)
Frank McClelland
L’Espalier
30 Glouchester Street
Boston, MA 02115
617-262-3023
CATEGORY: BEST CHEF: NORTHWEST
(AK, ID, MT, OR, WA, WY)
John Sundstrom
Lark
926 12th Avenue
Seattle, WA 98122
206-323-5275
CATEGORY: BEST CHEF: PACIFIC (CA, HI)
Traci Des Jardins
Jardinière
300 Grove Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
415-861-5555
CATEGORY: BEST CHEF: SOUTHEAST
(GA, KY, NC, SC, TN, WV)
Scott Peacock
Watershed
406 Ponce De Leon Avenue
Decatur, GA 30030
404-378-4900
CATEGORY: BEST CHEF: SOUTHWEST
(AZ, CO, NM, NV, OK, TX, UT)
Nobuo Fukuda
Sea Saw
7133 East Stetson Drive
Scottsdale, AZ 85251
480-481-9463
CATEGORY: BEST CHEF: SOUTH
(AL. AR, FL, LA, MS)
Donald Link
Herbsaint
701 St. Charles Avenue
New Orleans, LA 70130
504- 524-4114
CATEGORY: AMERICA’S CLASSICS PRESENTED BY CONTESSA PREMIUM FOODS
Aunt Carrie’s
Owner: Elsie Foy
1240 Ocean Road
Narragansett, RI 02882
401-783-7930
Brookville Hotel
Owners: Mark and Connie Martin
105 E. Lafayette
Abilene, KS 67410
785-263-2244
Doe’s Eat Place
Owners: The Signa Family
502 Nelson
Greenville, MS 38701
662-334-3315
The Pickwick
Owner: Christopher Wisocki
508 East Superior Street
Duluth, MN 55802
218-727-8901
Primanti Brothers
President: Demetrios Patrinos
46 18th Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
412-263-2142
Weaver D’s
Owner: Dexter Weaver
1016 East Broad Street
Athens, GA 30601
706-353-7797
CATEGORY: HUMANITARIAN OF THE YEAR
Art Smith
CATEGORY: LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Barbara Kafka
CATEGORY: WHO’S WHO OF FOOD & BEVERAGE IN AMERICA
José Andrés
Chef/Owner: Jaleo (Washington, DC, Arlington, VA and Bethesda, MD); Café Atlántico, Zaytinya, minibar by josé andrés at Café Atlantico, Oyamel (Washington, DC)
Jim Clendenen
Owner /Winemaker: Au Bon Climat (Santa Maria, CA)
Bobby Flay
Chef/Owner: Mesa Grill, Bolo, Bar Americain (New York City); Mesa Grill (Las Vegas); Bobby Flay Steak (Atlantic City, NJ)
Dorie Greenspan
Cookbook Author and Journalist (New York City)
Michael Pollan
Author/Journalist (Bay Area, CA)

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tomorrow tonight is the 20th anniversary of the beard awards and it will be held at avery fisher hall at lincoln center for the arts.

i've been to many beard award nights, some thankfully to receive and others to rejoice when favorite colleagues do.

at one award night, when my nominated book did not win, my friend arthur schwartz, whose book also didn't win that time approached me to be on his radio show the following day called "losers"! another dear friend and colleague, rosanne gold, told arthur he was crazy but i jumped at the chance to air a long held opinion which was: "i don't believe in awards for artists. it's like comparing matisse to picasso. but i have to admit i sure am happy when i win!"

i now feel somewhat differently about the awards. for one thing, it brings together the entire food community in a most dramatic way. winning is not the main issue--it's the participation that is thrilling. you'll be able to see the results on the beard website sooner than i'd be able to post them on the blog but i will post my personal impressions possibly along with photos.

if you are interested, here's the press release from the event publicists of bullfrog and baum.

BEHIND THE BEARD AWARDS:
Celebrating Two Decades of Outstanding Culinary
Stars at New York’s Legendary Lincoln Center

Red carpet. Black tie. Bright lights. Big Stars. What glamorous gala is happening on Monday, May 7 at Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall? It isn’t the Grammys. The Oscars are in L.A. No, it’s the 2007 James Beard Foundation Awards Ceremony and Gala Reception. Hosted by CBS Early Show anchor Hannah Storm, the Beard Awards will glitter with television celebrities and stars of the food world. And because this year is also the 20th anniversary of the venerable James Beard Foundation, the country’s preeminent nonprofit culinary organization, the food will be dressed to the nines.

DRESS: BLACK TIE FOR THE RED CARPET
This year’s Awards evening kicks off with a 25-foot-long red carpet along which the country’s top culinarians will prove they look as good in black tie as they do in chefs’ whites. Joining NYC TV’s EMMY-nominated host of Eat Out New York Kelly Choi on the red carpet will be such celebrity and culinary superstars as Stephanie March, Ted Allen, Katie Lee Joel, Martha Stewart, Wolfgang Puck, Bobby Flay, Thomas Keller, José Andrés, Tom Colicchio, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Padma Lakshmi, and Marcus Samuelsson. As the Awards’ official red carpet host, Choi will uncover such juicy behind-the-scenes morsels as where nominees and attendees are dining before the event, where the after-parties are being held, and who are this year’s favorites to win.

DRINKS: COCKTAILS ON THE TERRACE
New to the event this year is a special cocktail component during the Gala Reception: Cocktails on the Terrace, overlooking Lincoln Center plaza. While enjoying the spring night, guests will sip an array of sophisticated spirits. To celebrate the exciting resurgence of classic cocktails, Original Dry Martinis, (gin and dry white vermouth) and French 75s (Champagne, gin, and lemon juice) made with elegantly balanced Plymouth Gin, will be among the cocktails mixed on the Terrace.

DINING: RISING STAR CHEF MENU
As is to be expected from the renowned James Beard Foundation, the Gala Reception will feature an array of sumptuous culinary offerings. Reception Executive Chef Todd English, who was the Beard Foundation’s first Rising Star Chef award winner back in 1991 for his cooking at Olives in Charlestown, Massachusetts, leads a stellar team of Rising Star Chef winners and nominees in preparing the food at this year’s gala. Guests can sample a menu of seasonal creations and decadent indulgences in Avery Fisher Hall’s spacious foyer, including:

Grant Achatz, Alinea: Puffed Morels with Ramps and Black Pepper; Morel Financiers with Smoked Paprika and Jamón Ibérico
Jean-François Bruel, Daniel: Four-Terrine Tasting of Duck à la Orange; Guinea Hen with Jack Daniels;Rabbit Porchetta; and Pressed Foie Gras with Four-Spice Turnips
Andrew Carmellini, A Voce: Duck Meatballs
David Chang, Momofuku Noodle Bar and Momofuku Ssäm Bar: Poached Green Asparagus with Miso Butter and Rice Crackers
Traci Des Jardins, Jardinière, Acme Chophouse, Mijita Cocina Mexicana: Sonoma Rabbit Escabèche with Fava Bean Crostini
Daniel Humm, Eleven Madison Park: Peekytoe Crab Cappuccino with Lemon Verbena
Christopher Lee, Gilt: Smoked Japanese Wagyu Beef Tenderloin with Pickled White Asparagus and Spring Garlic Vinaigrette
Douglas Rodriguez, Alma de Cuba, De La Costa, Ola Miami: Duck Breast Salad with Hearts of Palm and Coconut
Marcus Samuelsson, Aquavit, Riingo: Herring Potato Salad; Cured Salmon with Burnt Leek Nougatine

DESSERT: A SWEET FINALE
Acclaimed pastry chefs will create sugar-infused concoctions that set a new standard for sweet treats:

Carina Ahlin, Aquavit: White Chocolate Cheesecake with Rhubarb and Almond Crumb
Dominique Ansel, Daniel: Tahitian Vanilla Bavarois with Mango–Cilantro Gelée, Passion Fruit, and Banana Sorbet
David Carmichael, Gilt: Marionberry Brûlée Strudel with Muscovado Granité
April Robinson, A Voce: Chocolate Diablo Panna Cotta with Amarena Cherries and Cocoa Nibs
Allison Vines-Rushing, Jack’s Luxury Oyster Bar: Banana Pudding Brûlée with Cat’s Tongue Cookies

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It worked out perfectly to escape from April showers into May flowers two weeks early. When I arrived in the Dordogne the day after the huge storm in the Northeast, everything was in flower. The ground was covered with these tiny daisies and the fields with golden culvas from which the ubiquitous cooking oil arrachide is made. They seemed to capture the sunlight. May in France and Germany began two weeks earlier than in New York.

I'm eager to catch up on postings as there have been many highlights this past month, the trip to France where I had the great pleasure of meeting Clotilde Dusoulier whose terrific blog, Chocolate & Zucchini, is linked to mine, meeting my nephew's new family in Germany, and this coming Monday the Oscar's of the food world—the 20th anniversary of the James Beard Awards which will be held at Lincoln Center. Stay tuned!

P.S. Three days before leaving for France I turned in the manuscript for the new book—815 pages weighing in at under 1 ounce on a CD. (My editor at Food Arts, Jim Poris, tells people I weigh everything—even air! Actually the weight of air is known as altitude.). Here's the presentation:

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i'm thrilled to announce that the contract has been signed for a revision/translation of the cake bible with rights for all spanish speaking countries of the world.

RBA Libros publishers plans to do a complete overhaul including new photos. i tried the cake flour from spain and thankfully it works perfectly. i'm especially pleased that the publisher's husband is one of the foremost pastry chefs in spain and will be involved in the project. i trust they will do a wonderful production and i'm deeply happy that my work will reach so many people in their own language and hopefully give them great pleasure.

the book is due to published some time between october 2007 and february of 2008 which will be close to october 2008, the 20th anniversary of the original cake bible.

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a quick note before I jump back into the blog... I saw this recently and thought some of you would be interested in submitting. if you win, let me know! (here's the submitting link, by the way)

FOOD NETWORK WANTS YOUR "ULTIMATE RECIPE"

New Food Network Series "Ultimate Recipe Showdown" Looking for Entries

NEW YORK, APRIL 24, 2007 - Calling all cooks! If you have a recipe that always gets requested for every family party, consistently wins the neighborhood competitions or was passed down from grandma, then Food Network wants to put them on TV for all of America to see. Food Network is looking for America's best recipes to be showcased on the new series Ultimate Recipe Showdown, it was announced today by Bob Tuschman, Senior Vice President, Programming and Production. Starting April 25th, Food Network will begin accepting entries for the ultimate recipe contest that culminates in a showdown of epic proportions in Los Angeles. Whether a recipe is a new creation or has been in the family for generations, Food Network wants to know what America is cooking and the stories behind the delicious dishes.

"We often hear from our viewers that they have the best recipe for a number of dishes," said Tuschman. "We're challenging America to send us their best recipes and we'll put the cream of the crop on-air to duke it out for the title of 'Ultimate Recipe.'"

All submitted recipes must be original creations and will be narrowed down by an internal Food Network panel. The recipes will be judged on originality, presentation and above all, taste. The six recipe categories include:

CHICKEN - Whole, Fried and Soups & Stews
CAKES - Chocolate, Birthday and Cupcakes
COOKIES - Chocolate Chip, Spice and Bar
PASTA - Spaghetti & Meatballs, Lasagna and Stuffed
COMFORT FOOD - Sandwiches, Mac & Cheese and Chili
BURGERS - Beef, Poultry and Seafood/Veggie

[WHAT, NO BREAD CATEGORY?]

The top nine entries in each category will travel to Los Angeles in August 2007 and show-off their skills on-air in the ultimate competition. The contestants will compete for $10,000 and the title of "Ultimate Recipe." Entrants should go to www.foodnetwork.com/ultimaterecipe to submit their recipe(s) to the show. The website will also give helpful hints on how to write up the recipe and suggestions for which category is appropriate. Applications will be accepted from April 25 - May 25, 2007.

Ultimate Recipe Showdown will premiere in early 2008 on Food Network.

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