La Papillote 11-10-11

THE NEWSPAPER OF THE CULINARY INSTITUTE OF AMERICA SINCE 1979

LA PAPILLOTECENTER SPREAD6

BY: GIULIANNA GALIANO, bpS CULINARY, eDITOR IN CHIeF

BY: JEANNE CASAGRANDE, AOS CULINARYServing is a demanding profession. To do it well, one needs a genuine personality, extensive knowledge of what is

being served and respect for the profession. It is also necessary to be physically fit and properly groomed. When it comes to tableside service, though, so much more is needed, both from the server and the restaurant.

The skills needed to prepare food and serve wine tableside are much more advanced than that needed for ordinary waiting. First of all, the number of people increases; approximately three employees are needed to present food to just one table. The commis de rang brings the food to the table, the chef de rang prepares the food and the commis debrasseur clears used items—not really an efficient system. Keeping a sommelier on staff or training servers for wine service can be pricey. Second of all, we cannot forget that all these people need to be relatable, unintimidating and overall pleasant. They also need to be talented enough to prepare a dish with such finesse and delicacy so as to not turn the dining room into a kitchen (loud, messy, generally chaotic, etc). Along with more people, more space is needed and a dining room may be cramped as it is without a bunch of fancy equipment. Even more room is needed for a geuridon, a cart used for nearly all tableside preparations. They are neither

small, nor particularly easy to maneuver. Finally, it may seem like a small detail, but more linens and cooking equipment are demanded, which can add up quickly. Even if a restaurant has all the proper resources, there is no source of success if customers aren’t willing to pay a superior price.

If tableside preparations are so risky and expensive, why do they still exist? Quite frankly, people like the show. As Professor Lauria says, “The number one reason for decanting a bottle of wine is the show” (hence why a gentleman made the foolish move of asking Professor L to decant a bottle of Chardonnay). Aerating the wine, removing sediment and bringing the wine to the appropriate temperature are all secondary. In the showiest of all tableside preparations, alcohol is lit on fire before the guests’ eyes. This adds virtually nothing to the taste but everything to the presentation. Flambéing, carving and a la minute cooking provide the guest with the greatest possible personal attention. The guest experiences the royal treatment.

What if the guest does not find “the show” a worthwhile way to spend money? What if the guest wants to eat in peace, with minimal attention from the waiter? Tableside preparations would be a waste and maybe even a turnoff to a customer with such preferences. Even though tableside preparations are extremely formal, there is a level of intimacy created between server and guest. But this intimacy may not be welcome and even make some uncomfortable.

There are a number of other disadvantages, too. Preparing meals tableside takes time, and let’s be honest: it is not conducive to turning tables. And while we’re being honest, preparing food right in front of the guest presents so many opportunities for disaster I can’t even count.

Tableside food is already a thing of the past, but will they eventually die out completely? I doubt it. They still have their place, but it is a generational thing—eating at a fancy restaurant used to mean eating at a French restaurant. Now, eating at a fancy restaurant can mean anything from Ethiopian to Thai to Mexican. Guests have so many more choices now, and going to a restaurant just to have lamb chops carved in front of me is not my number one desire. Wine service, on the other hand, is not going anywhere. Customers are learning about wine and food pairing at place like Red Lobster and Applebee’s. Once again, the customer is becoming more educated (albeit through questionable sources).

In conclusion, to make tableside service a worthwhile venture, a restaurant needs a bottomless pit of resources. There needs to be a definite and permanent market for it, and customers need to come to the restaurant to enjoy the tableside service, not just sit through it. To those who pull it off: more power to you!

Usually, Oktoberfest is associated with beer, comfort food and vibrant music to celebrate fall. Well, I’d like to think that my experience living in the Hudson Valley was a bit unusual and overwhelming. I mean, it took me a month to just gather all of my notes and write this article!

To kick off the beginning of autumn, The Food Network Food and Wine Festival hosted a series of culinary demonstrations and TV personalities throughout the first weekend of October. The purpose of this event was to raise money for The NYC Food Bank and the Share Our Strength, No Kid Hungry Campaign. I was lucky enough to attend five culinary showings, besides Shoprite’s Grand Tasting (which was a foodie phenomenon in itself).

The morning began with a presentation led by Alton Brown demonstrating how to store and open a bottle of wine. He admitted to the audience that wine labels can not only be intimidating, but scary as well. Americans are always confused by the French terms on bottles, and usually just buy “Chardonnay” or “Pinot Noir” because they are more comfortable purchasing a product titled by the grape varietal. Brown pointed out that any wine with a picture of a house or castle resembles a “chateau,” and usually indicates that the wine is of good quality. Between using a power-tool to open up the wine and chilling his Rosé in salt and ice (to speed up the chill factor), the audience was very much entertained. To continue with his theme of wine, Alton Brown taught the public how to make a port wine sauce. Basically, the recipe called to add gelatin to port wine and bring it to a simmer. With two cups of canola oil (kept cold) secured in a bowl, wine droplets were poured into the oil creating “caviar”-like spheres of port wine sauce. When the oil was strained out, the spheres were rinsed under cold water. Mr. Brown poured these droplets of port wine sauce over a hot steak, which eventually melted and looked luscious to say the least. A creative, interesting way to re-invent steak sauce! He concluded his segment with a sabering of champagne, equipped with goggles and all.

I managed to find time for a relaxing break at Illy’s portable lounge outside in the square. There, Chef Ming Tsai stopped me to ask where I got my iced coffee (yes, I was a bit star stuck, not going to lie!). Heading back into the warehouse, Bobby Flay was showing the crowd how to make paella, one of his favorite dishes. With Jonathan Waxman noted as his mentor, Flay gave a few words of inspiration to the culinarians out there: “Don’t over think cooking. Learn five dishes, go back to them and you’ll get better and

better.” Indicating that cooking can essentially take a person anywhere, he said there’s no substitute when it comes to kitchen experience. He expressed his concern for the lack of funding in vocational schools and how they need to be more recognized in means of education. Bobby’s paella dish included onions, garlic, short grain rice, stock, saffron, mussels, clams, lobster and piquillo peppers. Paired with a ”fall sangria” consisting of apples, oranges and pomegranates, he proved how easy it was to make a simple, yet delicious meal.

Out of all of the TV personalities, I wrote over a page of notes for Michael Symon’s demo. Being raised by a Greek and Sicilian family, Michael always questioned his mother asking, “Why is she always

crying and yelling?” Well, the answer was simple: his mother was happy and that passionate about food! The whole purpose of Michael Symon’s demonstration was to exhibit a “learning technique rather than a recipe.” Chef Symon let everybody know that seasoning proteins the night before is a good way to make meat become more tender and flavorful. He kept highlighting that the most important ingredient by far, is SALT. When asked about using a garlic press, he simply stated, “Throw it out!” Symon deglazed his meat for a pot roast dish with “Jolly Pumpkin” beer from Michigan. He added bacon, mirepoix, thyme and cider to the pot. What I found interesting is that he pointed out that stock may not always be the best source to use in cooking: “Substitute with other liquids like cider for example, or water. Taste it and ask yourself, which one is better? The food will talk to you depending how much you drank the night before,” he joked. As far as a diet, Michael Symon admitted that he doesn’t eat boxed, bagged or canned items besides beans and tomatoes. In regards to how healthy he looked, he laughed, “It’s the shiny coat from the pork.” One culinary tip the crowd picked up on was his natural way to thicken a sauce by setting aside half of the braised vegetables and processing them in a food mill. To sum up the presentation, a woman in the audience claimed, “I don’t cook with pork fat” to which Chef Symon responded, “Are you angry? Fat is magical!”

Infamous Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto’s apperance was full of enterntainment. In order to prepare a soup and entree, he began cracking open crabs and crushed them in salt, water and kale. Morimoto made a miso-based consommé from

the soft shell crabs. In a cauldron-looking heating element, he placed the mussels and clams on hot rocks to steam. To this, he added seaweed and sake. Morimoto’s Black Pepper Crab dish was basted with large amounts of butter, which created a memorable aroma of rich seafood. He wrapped up his culinary demo by singing some Japanese karaoke and bidding farewell.

The whole warehouse filled up when Anthony Bourdain took the stage for his interview, the last performance of the day. With his show “No Reservations” having a parental advisory, it was destined that this talk would be rather, well, scandalous. He claimed that human behavior is a mystery and he is still trying to figure it all out. Admitting “I’m a whore,” Bourdain advises to make a living, be creative and “sell your ass a bit.” In simple terms, this “vain guy” (as he states), loves classic dishes like Macaroni and Cheese. He clearly stated that he is not an advocate for organic foods and healthy items, but he is aware that there is an obesity problem, there’s no way to deny it. Bourdain’s respect for Julia Child shined and he talked about how “Molto Mario” was his hero. Spending 28 years in the restaurant business, he let the public know that, “No, it is not okay to buy pre-chopped garlic!” He now finds himself “sitting next to my {his} daughter in jammies watching TV at night.” For his career, Anthony Bourdain needs to have fun and stay interested in order to appreciate life. He addressed the issue of third world countries and how they eat in means of survival. Yet, if they cook beans, they are damn good beans, making each ingredient delicious and plentiful. Bourdain’s proudest show is his Rome episode, which he described as “an hour of food porn in black and white, no commercials.” As far as his worst show, it was Romania where everything that could go wrong, did, but the funny aspects made it worthwhile. Anthony’s goal is to “keep doing what I’m doing, at least until when I can’t get away with it. I don’t know any other way.” Here’s another Bourdain quote to sleep on: “There’s people who cook, people who eat and everyone else.”

As for Shoprite’s Grand Tasting, the production was a food-lovers paradise, in simple terms. There were numerous wine vendors, restaurant tastings and home-products such as Tropicana and Kikkoman (which offered samples of their new seasoning: “Kara-Age” which is a coating mix that makes moist, crispy chicken!). There were also opportunities to enter contests to vacation through vendors like Celebrity Cruises. Leaving with a goodie-bag of spices, kitchen tools and various magazines, The Food Network Food and Wine Festival was an incredible culinary experience.

Photo By: flickr.comPhoto By: facebook.com

7November 10, 2011

On October 15tth, Millbrook Winery hosted their 21st annual Harvest Party. The kitchen was led by Culinary Institute graduate and Top Chef Season 7 star, Angelo Sosa. Bull and Buddha restaurant also helped out with food. With the weather on their side, there were 250 guests attending to enjoy the fabulous food and wonderful wines. The Harvest Festival is a tradition that is long running at Millbrook. Millbrook’s festival was

originally just a small get together where friends and family would come to help pick the grapes. Over the years, it has since grown into a celebration of the season and vintage. In France, this celebration is known as vendange, or grape harvest. The fall is a time to celebrate the farmers’ hard work from the summer and take time to be thankful for all the land

has yielded. Millbrook has a close relationship with The

Culinary Institute. General Manager and vice president, David Bova is a good friend of President Tim Ryan and stated that CIA grads make up a large portion of the staff. At this event, students from the CIA assisted both the front of the house and the kitchen. The 15-20 students who assisted were very much appreciated for their hard work.

The menu for the luncheon consisted of Warm Fall Spiced Pumpkin Soup with Butterscotch, Slow Roasted Salmon wth Charred Eggplant and Sweet & Sour Cherry, Pork Belly with Cortland Apples and Ginger Chutney and Goat Cheesecake with Pretzel Crust. The menu was developed by Chef Sosa himself. He graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in 1997 and has worked with chefs such as Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Alain Ducasse, Christian Bertrand, and Steven Starr. Angelo won the 2009 Star Chef’s New York Rising Star award for “Best New Restaurant Concept” for his first restaurant, Xie Xie.

David Bova feels that there is a lack of local competition. He strives to compete because it would bring more tourists to the area looking to visit multiple wineries. Bova believes more wineries will appear in the future. There are people in the area who are

just starting out, growing grapes and learning how to refine their craft. The Hudson Valley offers a variety of products and natural beauty, he hopes that the area will become a hot spot for people looking to experience what New York wines have to offer.

Millbrook Vineyards and Winery is located in the beautiful Hudson River Valley just 1.5 hours from both New York City and Albany. They are open year round for tours and tastings. Their wines have gained local and national attention and are one of the best wineries in the Hudson Valley as well as the State of New York. The wine is grown on 30 acres and their varietals include Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc and Tocai Friulano.

Millbrook has another event coming up on November 19th, a portfolio tasting. They are going to be sampling every style of the wines they produce, which is over 25 different wines. They will also be featuring two other wineries and will be offering cheese tasting from a local purveyor. This year, Millbrook is celebrating their 26th vintage. Millbrook started producing wines in the early 80s and have since then become nationally known. If you are interested in tasting their wines on campus, they are available in American Bounty Restaurant and St. Andrew’s Café.

The following is a list of the activities CIA students participated in during the SGA Olympics:

-Dodge ball-Kickball-Jeopardy

-Strength Challenge-Chess

-Charades-Simon Says

-Red Light, Green Light-Sauté Pan Throw

-Relay Race: 3-Leg Race, Double Dutch Jump Rope, Sheet Tray Scrub, Dizzy Bat, Spoon Race, Riddle, Sprint to finish line.

Photos Provided By: Shawn Dickensheets.

The First Place Team: “The E-Lemonaters.”

The Second Place Team: “The Hooligans.”

The Third Place Team: “The Rapscallions.”

BY: CASEY JANKOSKI, bpS CULINARY

Chef Sosa Cooked for Millbrook’s Harvest Party. Recipes Can Be

Found on Page 8, “Food.” Photo Provided By: Stacey Held

CIA students display their chef pumpkin carving inside the tent.Students dance outside the tent to festive music to celebrate Halloween.

CIA student, Blayre Mille, face painting during the carnival.

CIA students (left to right, top to bottom) Elsie Pagan, Daniel Cohen,Gina Velocci and Giulianna Galiano compete in Pumpkin Pie Eating Contest.

CIA student shows off his decorated cookie and Wicked Weekend T-Shirt. CIA student and SRA, Eric Jeffay, spins cotton candy for the crowd.

Warm Fall Spiced Pumpkin Soup With ButterscotchBY: Angelo SoSA

Ingredients:Soup:5 pc. Cloves5 pc. Allspice1 1/2 pc. Cinnamon1/4 lb, Butter2.5 lb. Pumpkins, peeled & quartered1/2 lb. McIntosh Apple, peeled & quartered1/4 c. Sugar1 tbs. Salt

1/2 gallon Water1 cup Heavy Cream

Butterscotch:1 c. Brown Sugar4 oz. Butter3 oz. Heavy Cream1/2 tsp. Sale1/2 pc. Vanilla Bean

Methods

Lightly toast the first 3 ingredients starting with the large spices first, cool spices and grind fine in a food processor.Add butter and spices to a rondeau or stock pot , cook until aromatic. Add pumpkin and apples and cook for 5 minutes, add sugar and salt and cover with water. Cook until pumpkin is soft, add cream and blend smooth with a hand held immersion blender or transfer to food processor and blend until smooth.

Damien “Juice” Williams was born on January 25, 1990 in Brooklyn, New York. Damien was a quiet, friendly, giving person who always had a smile on his face when you saw him. Damien started writing poetry at age eleven in the 5th grade. He once said, “I had to deal with a lot of problems when I was growing up, at times feeling

like I wanted to commit suicide, but instead I picked up a pencil and paper and it just felt good to let it out on paper... letting all the emotion cry out.” “Juice” attended Boys and Girls High School where he graduated in 2009. While there, he played on the varsity football team. Damien loved reading, writing and performing poetry, cooking, football, basketball and working out. His dream was to be a chef and he was working hard at achieving that goal, by first working at Tasty Delicious West Indian Bakery and then applying to The Culinary Institute of America His love of cooking helped him get accepted to The Culinary, which was one of the happiest moments of his life.

While at the CIA, Damien worked in dining services and participated in several clubs including The Word, a poetry club that he started on campus. Damien had a clear purpose for the club: “to express your feeling through spoken word. Letting

your words tear up the concrete, smothering the stars and moons with creative lines that don’t have to rhyme. Letting the pen march on every line, saluting the heart and fighting for the soul and to let you know that you are not alone.” The club will continue to carry on Damien’s legacy.

Damien was just two months away from graduation when on Sunday October 16, 2011, his life on earth ended unexpectedly. Damien leaves behind his mother Ms. Cheryl Williams, Grandmother, three sisters, a host of other family members, friends, teachers and classmates. A Memorial Service for Damien “Juice” Williams was held on Thursday, October 20, 2011 at 9pm in Danny Kaye Theatre. Many who were touched by Damien’s kindness or warm smile came out to say farewell to a very talented and driven young man, poet, chef and friend. We take this time to honor his life, remember how he has truly touched each of our lives and

the impact he left in this world. Rest in Peace Damien “Juice” Williams, my friend and brother.

BY: ERIC JENKINS, bpS CULINARY

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La Papillote would like to recognize Noelle Gogg and

Heather Roebbeke from Team Cupcake’s Anonymous.

Their Salted Caramel Popcorn and Cherry Coke Cupcakes were featured in the

last issue of La Papillote as the winning recipe!

Damien reciting his poetry reading at The Sustainability Conference.

Photo Provided By: Eric Jenkins

DAMIEN “JUICE” WILLIAMS WORD SEARCH