Quarterly Membership Meetings Thursday, April 7th, 2011 Thursday, June 2nd, 2011 Please attend when you can. Your voice makes a difference. Calendar Officers Meeting Thursday, May 5th, 2011 All are welcome, please contact the office to confirm dates and times. Members are invited to attend as observers. Volume 1, Spring 2011 Page 4 Société Culinaire Philanthropique 305 East 47th Street, Suite 11B New York, NY 10017 Phone: (212) 308-0628 Fax: (212) 308-0588 Email: [email protected] www.societeculinaire.com Newsletter Committee Bernard Launay, Chairman Jean-Claude Blazy Pascal Guillotin Louise Hoffman Susan Lifrieri-Lowry Robert Walljasper Editors Elisabeth Kalajian Monique James Asparagus by Pascal Guillotin Annual Dinner Dance Sunday, April 10th, 2011 at the Yale Club New York Asparagus 101 It’s usually green; sometimes white or purple, but bottom-line asparagus is a delicious vegetable and a perfect way to get lots of great nutrients into your body. Spears range in size from pencil-thin to thick jumbo stalks. Asparagus is low in calories and so- dium. It is a good source of vitamin B6, calcium, magnesium and zinc, as well as dietary fiber, pro- tein, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, thia- min, riboflavin, rutin, niacin, folic acid, iron, phosphorus, potassium, copper, manganese and selenium. It even has chromium, a trace mineral that enhances the ability of insulin to transport glucose from the bloodstream into cells. Asparagus dates back to the ancients Egyptians and Greeks who used them not only as vegetable but for medicinal use owing to its delicate flavor and diuretic properties. Many Northern Europeans prefer white asparagus, known as spargel, because of its delicate flavor and fibreless texture. To grow white asparagus, farmers cover the ground with a mound of loose earth to prevent exposure to sunlight, which would turn the stalks green. Purple asparagus differs from its green and white counter- parts, having high sugar and low fiber levels. Purple asparagus was originally developed in Italy and commercialized under the variety Violetto d’Albenga. Since then, breeding work has continued in coun- tries such as the United States and New Zealand. Asparagus officinalis is a spring vegetable, a flowering per- ennial plant species in the genus Asparagus. It was once classified in the lily family, like its allium cousins, onions and garlic, but the Lili- aceous have been split and the onion-like plants are now in family Alliaceous and asparagus in the Asparagaceae. Asparagus officinalis is native to Europe, Northern Africa and Western Asia, and is widely cultivated as a vegetable crop. An underground stem (or crown) pro- duces edible shoots for about 6 weeks each spring. In northwest Europe, the season for asparagus production is short, traditionally beginning on April 23 and ending in Midsummer’s Day. As of 2007, Peru is the world’s leading asparagus exporter, fol- lowed by China and Mexico. Asparagus is available year-round in American supermarkets, but for best flavor and price, buy asparagus at the end of November until early July, with peak season from March through June. So, with spring upon us, make sure you take advan- tage of this delicious and nutritious vegetable. LA RECETTE by Bernard Launay Directions Preheat oven to 450°F Combine miso, brown sugar and sake in a small bowl and whisk to incorporate. Place tofu in a shallow glass dish and pour marinade over the top. Marinate at least one hour, or overnight. Place tofu on a foil-lined baking sheet, then pour about 1 tablespoon of remaining marinade on tofu to coat. Place remaining marinade in a small saucepan and keep warm over a very low flame. Bake for 20 minutes, until coating has browned lightly. Remove from oven and preheat broiler. While broiler is preheating, heat oil in a large sauté pan until hot. Add asparagus and sake and cook 2 minutes. Add mushrooms, salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until asparagus is tender-crisp, an ad- ditional 2 minutes. Remove from heat and reserve. Place baked tofu under broiler until more deeply browned, about 1-2 minutes. Place about 1 cup shiitake/mushroom sauté on a plate and top with 1 piece glazed tofu. Drizzle each plate with remaining reserved glaze. Miso-Glazed Tofu with Pan-Seared Shiitakes and Asparagus Ingredients Serves: 4 • 1 pound firm, not extra-firm, tofu, sliced into 4 ounces blocks • 1/2 cup blond miso paste • 1/2 cup light brown sugar • 1/3 cup plus 1/4 cup sake • 2 tablespoons canola oil • 1 pound shiitake mushroom caps • 1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces • 1 teaspoon salt • 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper Volume 1, Issue 20 Spring 2011 The Newsletter of the SCP Ebow Dadzie Competes in the International Chocolate and Confectionery Competition in Lyon, France By: Louise Hoffman In the continued pursuit of excellence in the pastry field, and in honor of their founder Eugène Weiss' spirit of innovation, the Weiss Company launched the Eugène Weiss, Concours International de la Confiserie de Chocolat. This took place during the SIRHA conference in Lyon, France on January 25 th. 2011. Concours International de la Confiserie de Chocolat set out in search of professional mastery and expertise in taste, innovation and presentation. The First Place winner was awarded €3000 and the Trophée Eugène Weiss. This competition served to display mastery and advancement of chocolate and confectionery techniques to a wide audience and to encourage young chocolatiers and confectionery artists to create high- quality, natural and authentic chocolate work. The competition’s theme was: “Tomorrow’s Chocolate”. Six international contestants participated. France, Belgium, Sweden, and United States where represented. From the United States, Ebow Dadzie, Pastry Sous Chef of the NY Marriott Marquis, SCP member and City Tech Alumni was selected. Dadzie won the US Pastry Competition in 2007 and took the title of Pastry Chef of the Year. Each contestant had five hours to create a chocolate show piece that reflected the theme and two bonbons, one with hazelnut pra- line and the other was a free choice. The art work and technical skills as well as taste were evaluated. Christophe Marguin, Romaric Boilley, Jean Pierre Richard, Pascal Brunstein, and Emmanuel Edouard Hirsin- ger Monk were judges appointed by the President of the Compétition, Nasserdine Mendi, Meilleur Ouvrier de France and Master Chocolatier Weiss. Dadzie’s first bonbon was a salted caramel with raspberry jelly and his second was a hazelnut praline with Blue Mountain coffee. His show piece reflected vibrant tropical colors from the natural envi- ronment that cocoa beans grow in. Dadzie came in fourth place. Congratulation Ebow! First place went to Aurelien Ponsonnet, Pastry chef and Chocolatier of Privas in Ardeche. Second place went to Olivier Guil- lard , France (Morbihan), Instructor of Pastry and Chocolate, iForm CFA Coutances. Third place went to Sylvia Brown Head Pastry Chef and Chocolatier at Berzelii Choklad, Gothenburg Sweden. A message from the Chairman of the Dinner Dance Pascal Guillotin VISIT OF MICHAEL TY, NATIONAL PRESIDENT, ACF Mr. Michael Ty visited our offices, Friday, January 14th. From left to right : A. Schmidt, CEC, ICA-ACF Big Apple Chapter Chairman of the Board, JC Blazy, President Société Culinaire Philanthropique, M. Ty, CEC, AAC, JP Stoehr, Honorary President, Societe Culinaire Philanthropique and T. Smyth, Chairman of the Salon of Culinary Arts. I t’s now time to put away our shovels and snow boots and take out our dancing shoes for the SCP’s 145th Annual Dinner Dance on April 10, 2011. This year I’m excited to announce we are going back to the exclu- sive Yale Club on Vanderbilt Avenue in midtown Manhat- tan. The last time we held the Dinner Dance at the Yale Club was in April 2007, the day of a large nor’easter. Sadly many of our members were unable to attend, and they missed out on a beautiful evening orchestrated by Chef Charles Keerly and his talented staff. Sound on Sound will also be back to provide the entertainment. So this year we wanted to return to the grandeur of the Yale Club and hopefully the weather will be in our side. So mark your calendars for April 10th when I hope to see all of you at the Yale Club for a beautiful evening of camaraderie, fine dining and dancing. My special thanks goes to my superb committee. I am so grateful to Mr. Coustar, Mr. Dubarry and Mr. Le Rouzic, who I work with throughout the year to plan and produce a memorable evening worthy of the Société Culinaire Philanthropique.