|
Menu at Famed James Beard House in New York |
Childhood Influences as Chefs Create Four-Course Taste Sensation WASHINGTON, D.C., February 22, 2006 � Four chefs from National Trust Historic Hotels of America will collaborate on a dinner at New York�s prestigious James Beard House on March 2, 2006. With the theme of �History is Hot,� each chef will contribute a course to the gourmet meal. Wines will be provided by Mark Snyder of Angels� Share Wines. The dinner will be presented in the Greenwich Village townhouse where James Beard, a champion of American cuisine, once lived. �Culinary experiences are another distinguishing facet of a stay with Historic Hotels of America, said Thierry Roch, executive director of Historic Hotels of America, a program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. �These talented chefs have assembled an exciting menu showcasing traditional and unique ingredients prepared to tantalize the guests at the James Beard House.� In creating the menu, influences range from family vacations and formal
training to selecting seasonal products and ingredients bursting with flavor.
Executive Chef Abigail Hutchinson from Jekyll Island Club Hotel in Jekyll Island, Ga., wanted to create a first course using local flavors. She recalled an old lobster cake recipe from her early days as a chef. Since fresh crab is readily available on Jekyll Island, Hutchinson tried the recipe with blue crab. She also has fond childhood memories of blue crab. �My parents are from Maryland and Washington, D.C., so fresh blue crab was a treat on our summer beach vacation,� says Hutchinson. �We looked forward to getting a bushel of crabs to crack open, which was the highlight of the week!� Her blue crab and lobster cakes over Vidalia Dijon pepper relish with sweet Marsala beurre blanc will be featured in a recreation of the Historic Hotels of America dinner from the James Beard House at the Jekyll Island Club Hotel on Tuesday, April 11, 2006, 7:00 p.m. cocktail and dinner at 8:00 p.m. For reservations, call 800-535-9547 x1000. Executive Chef Ulrich Koberstein from the American Club Resort Hotel in Kohler, Wis., says, �There is a skill involved in making terrines and unfortunately younger chefs are not being exposed to these techniques. In London, where I trained, and in Europe in general, terrines and pates are enjoyed far more frequently and there is a great appreciation for the craftsmanship involved. This terrine is made with duck, pheasant and quail, all of which inhabit the countryside around The American Club. I have paired this terrine with a chestnut soup. I particularly enjoy making rich velvety soups using few components but extracting as much flavor as possible. I think that the soup and terrine are a perfect combination to pair together�the earthiness of the truffles and game birds are a great foil for the rich chestnuts, cream and foie gras with just a little acidity from the vinaigrette to balance this dish.� Koberstein adds, �The simplicity of the soup and the complexity of the
terrine shows that good food can be both humble and grand.�
The citrus composition created by Executive Pastry Chef Jean-Claude Perennou from The Waldorf=Astoria in New York includes an unusual ingredient�Opal basil, bred at the University of Connecticut in the 1950s to have the darkest purple leaves of any cultivar. Perennou says, �It is loaded with volatile oils, responsible for its heady aroma and strong flavor so essential to cooking.� Opal basil is usually found in savory dishes but Perennou is using the herb in this dessert recipe as part of the basil gelée surrounding the cake and thus imparting an intensely different flavor. The March 2 event is the seventh in a series of Historic Hotels of America dinners at the James Beard House. The Historic Hotels of America �History is Hot� dinner at the James
Beard House is Thursday, March 2, 2006, at 7:00 pm. Reservations can be
made by calling 212-627-2308.
Contributing Chefs
Founded in 1986, the mission of the James Beard Foundation is to celebrate, preserve and nurture 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, who died in 1985, was a champion of American cuisine. He helped educate and mentor generations of professional chefs and food enthusiasts. Today, the Beard Foundation continues in the same spirit by administering a number of diverse programs that include educational initiatives, food industry awards, scholarships to culinary schools, publications, a culinary archive and library, and by maintaining the historic James Beard House in New York City�s Greenwich Village as a �performance space� for visiting chefs. Historic Hotels of America is a program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Historic Hotels has identified more than 200 hotels that have faithfully maintained their historic integrity, architecture and ambiance. To be selected for this prestigious program, a hotel must be at least 50 years old, listed in or eligible for the National Register of Historic Places or recognized as having historic significance. |
Contact:
Mary Billingsley
|