By Kalea Dunkleman

I’m going to the Oscars.  You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting to say that.  As a native Angelino, I was brought up watching every minute of pre and post show coverage.  Pre- Tivo during the Billy Crystal years, I used to tape the awards and watch them over and over, memorizing opening numbers, hair styles and fashion faux pas.  I loved Joan Rivers.  I’d break out my finery and wear it, nestled on the comfort of my couch. My high school senior page included a picture of me next to Jack Nicholson’s mailbox.  You get the idea.

Though not attending as a nominee, which decidedly was how I thought I would be attending in my teenage years, I will still get to walk the red carpet.   Wolfgang Puck will be catering his 16^th consecutive Governor’s Ball  (for the uninitiated it’s the “official Oscar after party”) and we will, amazingly, be there with him.  While this year’s menu features an array of luxurious ingredients, like the signature 24 Carat Chocolate Oscar, the main course at this year’s fete will be a bit more homespun- it is a chicken pot pie.  Granted, it includes organic chicken, glazed root vegetables and shaved black truffles, but a pot pie all the same.  A pot pie that will no doubt be devoured by the throngs of celebrities who have spent the last few weeks avoiding anything that didn’t end with the word “broth”. 

Not only can you make the pot pie at home but Wolfgang has also parted with some of his signature recipes that have been perennial favorites at Governor’s Balls of the past, like his Smoked Salmon Pizza with Caviar, Mini Burgers with Remoulade and  Sesame Ahi Tuna Cones for your viewing party.  To complete the gilded experience, whip up a batch of Golden Boy cocktails courtesy of Beverage Director Lucas Paya from The Bazaar by José Andrés.  A blend of sherry, cava, lemon and gold dust, you can carry the libation around all night as if it was your own golden statue.  The doyenne of Oscar Pastry, Sherry Yard, offered tips on how to make store bought ingredients stand out:  melt chocolate in a double boiler to make fondue for dipping pretzel rods and berries or use a melon baller to carve out small orbs from a cheesecake before rolling in your favorite crushed cookie and freezing them into lollipops (they look especially fetching when arranged in colored sugar in a vase).  Add these all together and you have your own personal Governor’s Ball.  Black tie optional. 

Watching the Oscars is an escape, for sure, but for one gleaming, glittering night, it’s nice to indulge the fantasy.  In past years I’ve considered rolling out a mini red carpet and stacking on costume jewelry, but the idea has been met with some push back, mainly from my husband. 

I doubt we’ll make it onto any pre-shows, but if you happen to see a short girl with dark hair glancing over shoulders and angling for a prime spot next to Meryl Streep, avert your eyes.  There’s no telling what could happen next.

 What I’m:

Reading:                 The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon

Watching:               Modern Family and Academy screeners

Eating:                   Um… not much.  I’m trying to fit into my dress!

Listening To:           Nina Simone and “Mike & Mike in the Morning” on ESPN Radio

By Jacque Burke

For being such a short month, February manages to bring us a lot: Valentine’s Day, a day off for President’s Day (so what if it stinks a little of Mao Zedong? I’ll take it!), and if your profession falls under the umbrella of hospitality, February also brings the Food Network’s South Beach Wine & Food Festival in sunny Miami. This weekend, our great industry will descend upon SoBe wielding their festival passes, luggage full of their most glamorous summer clothes, a huge appetite and a desperate need for a tan.

I, however, will be staying here in New York having my own weekend of fork-slinging fun that I am affectionately referring to as NoBe from here on out.

While Allen Brothers brings fresh-from-the-plane SoBe partyers the Burger Bash on Thursday, I’ll be taking myself to DuMont Burger in Williamsburg for a DuMont Mini Burger with caramelized onions and gruyere cheese.

As Laurent Tourondel raises a glass to Cocktails and Claws at his happy hour on the roof of Miami’s Betsy Hotel on Friday, I will be sidling up to the bar at Hotel Delmano in Williamsburg for Jeff Hanson’s Elderflower Tequila Gimlet.

Instead of taking a seat at Eos’ Haute Holistic Dinner on Saturday hosted by Chef Michael Psilakis, Dr. Etti Ben-Zion and Terry Zarikian I’ll be tucking into a plate of Green Spelt with Swiss Chard and Red Beans at Eat, the Greenpoint enclave that was reviewed recently by The Underground Gourmet.

And on Sunday when everyone is boarding that plane bound for New York, I’ll be sleeping late.

What I’m:

Reading:                The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

Watching:              Munchies episodes on VBS.tv

Eating:                  Will Prunty’s Olive Oil Bundt Cake with my own special twist, 3 tsp. of cardamom.

Listening To:          My Brightest Diamond, Bring Me The Workhorse

By Katherine Bryant Flaherty

The whole world has been watching as the best athletes in the world compete for medals and glory at the 2010 Winter Olympics. And last week, the whole beer world watched as another global competition was held. On February 14^th, Beer Advocate, the popular internet magazine dedicated to the culture of craft beer, announced their list of “The Top 100 Beers on the Planet.”

Yes, there is much less spandex involved in brewing than there is in winter sports. And a wrong move in beer-making only results in off-flavors, not a broken leg or a skate wound. But to be sure, the thrill of victory and the spirit of competition is huge in both contests.

The delicious, intoxicating rankings can be found here.

There were some surprises on the list, the biggest of which is Santa Rosa, California’s Russian River Brewing Company sneaking in on the reigning Belgian sweetheart, Westvleteren 12 for the first place spot.  Russian River’s Pliny the Younger, a seasonal triple IPA [and the sibling to one of my favorite beers of all time, Pliny the Elder] tied the Trappist Quad for top honors with an A+ / 4.62 rating. My Pliny the Elder took 5^th place.

And congrats to our client, Chicago-based Goose Island who earned the 37^th and 38^th spots with their powerhouse imperials, Bourbon County Stout and Night Stalker respectively.

Overall the American breweries dominated, holding four of the top five places. Surprising for a Boston-based publication where awards are based on reader reviews? No. Clearly this ranking system is biased. U.S. beers are more accessible to readers than the more obscure foreign brews so obviously the American beers receive more reviews and are better represented in the rankings.

But, unlike the Olympics, this contest is all about alcohol, so you can’t take it too seriously.

Now, please excuse me, the Men’s Snowboarding Cross finals are on and I have a lot of craft beers to taste.

What I’m:

Reading: Edible Manhattan

Eating: Quality Street Chocolate from the UK

Drinking: The Top 100 Beers on the Planet

Watching: The Olympics

Listening to: Modest Mouse, Float On

by Randee Braham

Every since I was a child I had a fondness for cereal.  I can vividly remember sitting on a stool in my grandmother’s kitchen as she spooned teaspoons of sugar over a freshly poured bowl of Rice Krispies.  I sat there listening to that Snap, Crackle, and Pop and I believe that is where my affinity cereal began. 

As I grew older my cereal choices changed, first to Corn Flakes, then Honey Nut Cheerios, Cocoa Krispies (loved how the milk would then become chocolate milk),  and Cinnamon Toast Crunch (never with milk, always just straight out of the box).  Cereal was my go-to meal, whether after coming home from grade school or as I got older coming home from a late night out.  It is one of those meals that is always satisfying and when pouring too much milk at first, you have an excuse to go back once the bowl is almost finished and add some more. 

New brands of cereal are constantly introduced to the market place where more sugar and brighter colors are used to attract those first-time cereal buyers, but for me I still continue to stick with the basics.  However, I must admit when Honey Bunches of Oats hit the grocery store aisle I found heaven — the corn flakes that I had grown to love mixed with sweet oat clusters, just thinking about it while writing this has me excited to go home and pour myself a  bowl. 

Cereal is the one pantry staple at my house that is always overstocked.  At this time I tend to mix and match with Shredded Wheat squares as the base, Honey Nut Cheerios as the second layer and a sprinkling of Honey Bunches of Oats on top. 

Working in an industry where I have been blessed to try the world’s most decadent foods, I am just as happy sitting next to my boyfriend on the couch at home, watching some variation of CSI on TV, with a bowl of cereal in my lap.

What I’m:

Reading: Cleaving by Julie Powell

Eating: Cereal

Drinking: Water, lots and lots of water

Watching: Damages

Listening to: Rihanna, Rated R

By Katie Blocher

Growing up, meals at my house were, well, meals.  There was always food on the table, and I am consciously thankful to my parents for that.  They provided my sister, brother and I more than a lot of families have, but when comparing family meals to the food I work with and eat today, the dishes served at home often seem downright funny.  Please enjoy.

My family was a big advocate of the boxed meal: Kraft Macaroni and Cheese and all its powdered glory (often accompanied by sliced hot dogs), Hamburger Helper—just add meat—and the ever-popular Rice-A-Roni, “The San Francisco Treat.”  To be honest, these were some of my favorites. 

On a good week there was a casserole to be enjoyed over and over again as ever so healthy microwavable leftovers.  Chicken and broccoli—a gelatinous combination of cream of Campbell’s mushroom soup, overcooked chicken breast and under seasoned broccoli florets; Turkey Tetrazzini—dark meat picked from the bone, a jar of Cheese Whiz (yikes!) and leftover spaghetti noodles; and of course, in true budget-friendly fashion, Tuna Surprise—canned tuna, something creamy, a mystery vegetable and noodles (bow tie if we were lucky). 

One of my parents’ favorites was stuffed peppers—whole green peppers packed with shredded ham and white rice.  In Southern culture this is a common dish, usually served with cheese and tomato sauce, but I’m from Maryland, which is not quite the South, so this version was not quite right.  The mealy filling was dry and salty and reeked of the overcooked green pepper that surrounded it.  The pepper itself was blistered and artificial tasting from an over-generous dousing of PAM.  Luckily, I was never sure quite how to tackle the beast (spoon out the filling? cut the whole thing fork-and-knife style?), therefore I consumed very little of the “Southern favorite.”  To this day cooked peppers are one of my least favorite vegetables and I rarely order anything stuffed.

And then there’s the meatloaf, oh, the meatloaf—a grey combination of ground beef, egg and breadcrumbs.   The creation was presented to the family like an offering to a royal court—my mother’s most proud creation.  Petrified in appearance, the beef was laced with chunks of still crunchy onion, slices of celery and near-raw red peppers.  The only solution to stomaching this meat formation was ketchup, and lots of it!

In my last blog, I wrote about recently moving into a new apartment with a kitchen comfortable for cooking.  It’s been my goal to cook dinner for myself at least three times a week, and of course I’m working to improve some of my childhood meals.  Last night was meatloaf.

Meatloaf

Yields 6-8 servings

Ingredients

½ lb. ground beef

½ lb. ground veal

½ lb. ground pork

2 medium onions, diced

2 stalks of celery, diced

1 Tbsp. dried thyme

1 Tbsp. fresh basil

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbsp. olive oil

2 eggs

1/3 c. ketchup

2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

¼ c. milk

1 c. Panko bread crumbs

Salt

Black Pepper

Method

Position rack in center of oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, garlic, salt, basil, thyme, and black pepper. Cook, stirring, until the onions are soft and lightly golden, about 6 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

In a large mixing bowl, use your hands to combine the ground beef, pork and veal.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the eggs, milk, ketchup, and Worcestershire sauce, and whisk to combine. Add the egg mixture to the meat mixture along with the cooled vegetables and bread crumbs and mix.

Transfer the mixture to a sheet pan covered with parchment paper. Using your hands, form the mixture into a rounded loaf shape.

Bake the meatloaf for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until hot in the center.

Slice to serve and enjoy a delicious meatloaf while making fun of the one that your mom used to make.

By Sarah Bender

Recently, when cleaning out some drawers in my room at my parents’ house, I came across a page torn out of an old magazine – and on it was the first recipe I ever made when I was 12 years old: Cheesy Pizza Soup. The recipe came from an issue of American Girl magazine (I was an avid American Girl reader back in the day) and as I reviewed the recipe I remembered so clearly, just how excited I was to make the meal. 

It was on a Saturday evening during the winter – the kind of day that’s perfect for eating a hot and hearty meal.  My mother helped me lay out all of the necessary ingredients and equipment required to make the Cheesy Pizza Soup – and then I got to work, with my father by my side as my sous chef.   I remember the pride I felt as I worked with my dad to prepare the meal – and then, even more, how good it felt to share it with my family.  It was the first time that I had not only picked what I wanted for dinner – but I had supplied the recipe and then made it from start to end.  It was a great feeling.

Throughout the years since then, I’ve developed a real love of cooking, and have become a fan of collecting recipes and adding them to my recipe book. Whether it’s clipping them from magazines such as Fine Cooking and Cooking Light, downloading them from MyRecipes.com or dog-earring the pages of my Joy of Cooking cookbook, I am always on the hunt for a new challenge or even a new take on an old favorite. 

Regardless of where the recipe comes from or what it is, I revel in the feeling of excitement I get prior to each round of cooking.  There’s nothing I love more then preparing a meal for my friends and loved ones – or cooking something fabulously complicated for myself, just to say I did it.

This past November, I took my first culinary class at the Institute of Culinary Education here in New York City – and I loved every moment of it.  It was as if I had found my niche.  I was surrounded by other individuals who seemed to feel the same as I do – enough so to devote their entire Saturday (or at least five hours of it) to study the proper techniques for fine cooking and learn how to make new meals for our friends and loved ones.  We prepared a range of recipes – sautéed lamb chops, braised leeks, grilled London broil, roast chicken, beet salad, seared tuna steaks…the list goes on and on.  With each lesson that passed, I added these new meals to my personal recipe book – growing the collection that began long ago with my Cheesy Pizza Soup recipe. 

My culinary skills have come a long way over the years, or so I like to think, but I still feel the same excitement every time I cook as I did on the chilly Saturday evening when I first made my Cheesy Pizza Soup for my family.  It’s a very simple recipe – but regardless, it is one that will always have a place in my recipe book.

Cheesy Pizza Soup from American Girl magazine

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• Butter or margarine
• 1 10oz. tube refrigerated pizza dough
• 1 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
• ¼ Tsp Italian seasoning
• 2 slices Mozzarella cheese
• 1 10¾ oz. can condensed tomato soup
• 2 Tbsp grated Mozzarella and Cheddar cheese mix
• Green salad

Equipment:

• Baking sheet
• 2 10 oz. Pyrex bowls
• Cutting board
• Ruler
• 7-inch saucepan lid
• Knife
• Pot holder
• Spatula

1)     Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease baking sheet with butter or margarine.  Grease the outsides of 2 Pyrex bowls.  Place bowls upside down on baking sheet.

2)     Unroll pizza dough on cutting board. Gently stretch until its 14 inches long.  Use the saucepan lid as a guide to cut 2 7-inch circles in the dough.  Lift each circle and lay it over a bowl.  Press the dough down to make it even.

3)     Sprinkle leftover dough with Parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning.  Cut dough into small pizza-shaped wedges for croutons and strips for breadsticks.  Place down pieces on baking sheet next to bowls.

4)     Bake 10 to 12 minutes until dough is firm and brown.  Remove baking sheet from oven. Use the pot holder and spatula to gently remove bread bowls from Pyrex bowls.

5)     Remove croutons and breadsticks from baking sheet and let cool.  Place 1 slice Mozzarella cheese inside each bread bowl.  Bake for 5 minutes.

6)     Prepare soup by following directions on the label.  Pour the hot soup into bread bowls. Sprinkle with grated cheese. Serve with breadsticks and green salad topped with pizza dough croutons.

What I’m:

Reading: The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs

Eating: A slice of fluffy light butter cake with orange butter cream frosting (recipe from Baking by James Peterson)

Drinking: A tall glass of milk (to go with my cake)

Watching: Giuliana & Bill, season 2

Listening to: ‘Today was a Fairy Tale’ by Taylor Swift…on repeat

MEDIA CONTACT:

Bullfrog & Baum, 212-255-6717

Amanda Hathaway, amanda@bullfrogandbaum.com

Alison Kessler, alison@bullfrogandbaum.com

NEW YORK - Bullfrog & Baum, the nationally recognized full-service public relations, marketing and consulting firm, today announces its newest client in the Consumer Division: Goose Island Beer Company.  The campaign is to introduce Goose Island’s Reserve Beers, a collection of Belgian-style ales, to the national media as well as New York’s beer and culinary enthusiasts. 

 “Goose Island’s Reserve Beers are poised to create a new benchmark in the beer world and change the way people think about pairing beer with food,” says Jennifer Baum, president of Bullfrog & Baum. “We’re thrilled to be a part of their team and share the passion of this beer company with others.”

Goose Island’s Belgian-style ales – Matilda, Sofie, Pere Jacques and Juliet– directly correlate to some the most food-friendly wine varieties. Each beer offers a distinctive style and flavor profile that makes them unique in the beer world.

Goose Island Beer Company, which opened its doors in 1988, was a pioneer in the domestic craft brewery industry.  Brewmaster Greg Hall, son of President John Hall, carries on the company tradition of brewing beer that not only caters to his customers’ tastes, but challenges them as well.  Now available in 15 states, Goose Island continues to brew its distinctive selection of over 50 craft beers and a selection of craft sodas from its Fulton Street brewery, an offshoot of the original Goose Island Brewpub in downtown Chicago, Illinois.  For more information, visit www.gooseisland.com

###

About Bullfrog & Baum

Bullfrog & Baum is a nationally recognized agency specializing in hospitality, lifestyle and consumer public relations and marketing.  With offices in New York and Los Angeles, Bullfrog & Baum was founded in 2000 by Jennifer Baum and today the firm’s international clientele includes top chefs, lifestyle personalities, iconic product lines, wine & spirits, cookbooks, specialty stores, and tomorrow’s next big thing.  For more information, visit www.bullfrogandbaum.com. 

by Jennifer Baum

I am a self-proclaimed awards season junkie. My family knows that as soon as the celebrities step foot on the red carpet, the big television is mine. All mine. I’ve been known to lock the door, eat dinner on the couch and not take calls until the very last award has been read. Years ago when we spent a lot of time in LA I used to hole myself up in a hotel room with my stepdaughter, curtains drawn, and all eyes on the television.  Mind you, given the time difference this was occurring at about 2PM, just as the sun was shining and the air was warm and inviting. Not for me. No way. I even watched the ill-fated Golden Globes in 2007 when all they did was stand in front of a microphone and read the winners. I was there, mid-apartment construction, on a folding chair, obsessed.

As I’ve gotten older and much busier, my obsession still exists but my priorities have shifted a bit. Now I know that I can get a great look at all the dresses the next day (or even later the same night) in newspapers, online and on TV recaps.  I know I’ll read the list of winners in the Times the next morning.  So if I have an event or a family obligation, I’m not nearly as anxiety-ridden as in previous years.

This year, the Golden Globes, the unofficial start to the official awards season, was on Sunday, January 17, a particularly difficult evening to schedule television time. There were several football games, the premiere of 24 in NYC, Iron Chef America where yours truly was one of the three featured judges, and a Wii-obsessed 9-year old – all competing with my beloved Globes.  Guess who won?

I settled in, dinner plate on my lap, laptop open should the mood strike me, a Diet Coke on hand and the clicker safely buried where no other family member could find it.  But as I watched, and yes, admired the dresses and the (somewhat frizzy) hair and the jewels and the flubs (Julia Roberts) and the excitement (cast of Glee), I couldn’t focus in the same way. Sure, it was fun, but every time a celebrity stood up to accept their award, their mention of the tragedies in Haiti seemed to rise above the din of the laughter, drunken stumbles and acceptance speeches.

I found myself hoping that the 72-hour rule for survival was just a myth; that doctors would be able to get enough supplies to treat the wounded; that babies waiting for adoption would make it to their new homes and those now orphaned children would quickly find new loving families.  I hoped and prayed (and I don’t pray often) that there would be enough organization on the ground so that food and water and help would reach the needy. I recounted all the old clothing and toys and books that we would be dropping off at the amazing car service dispatch center around the corner whose sidewalk was piled high with donations from others wanting to help.

And while I did watch the Golden Globes until the bitter end, and wondered aloud if Sandra Bullock’s dress was made from cellophane, my mind was focused more on those wounded, in constant danger and in need of our help and support. Please give in anyway that you can. One easy way is to patronize the restaurants below who have generously jumped in to give where receiving is much needed.

“Dine Out For Haiti” (www.dineout4haiti.org; www.dineoutforhaiti.org). The following restaurants will be participating in this project and will be donating 10 percent of their sales on Sunday, January 24, to aid organizations:

• Anella (222 Franklin St., Greenpoint, Brooklyn 11222; 718-389-8100)
• Cookshop (156 10th Ave., New York, NY 10011; 212-924-4440)
• Delicatessen (54 Prince St., New York, NY 10012; 212-226-0211)
• Five Points (31 Great Jones St., New York, NY 10012; 212-253-5700)
• Hundred Acres (38 MacDougal St., New York, NY 10012; 212-475-7500)Kefi (505 Columbus Ave., New York, NY 10024; 212-873-0200)
• The Mermaid Inn (96 2nd Ave., New York, NY 10003; 212-674-5870; 568 Amsterdam Ave., New York, NY 10024; 212-799-7400)
• The Mermaid Oyster Bar (79 MacDougal St., New York, NY 10012; 212-260-0100)
• Motorino (349 East 12th Street, New York, NY 10003; 319 Graham Ave, Williamsburg, Brooklyn 11211)

United Nations World Food Program. The following restaurants

will be donating 10 percent of their sales on Monday, January 25, to this aid organization:

• Alto (520 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10022; 212-308-1099)
• Convivio (45 Tudor City Place, New York, NY 10017; 212-599-5045)
• Marea (240 Central Park South, New York, NY 10019; 212-582-5100) http://www.marea-nyc.com/

one sixtyblue (1400 W. Randolph Street, Chicago, IL 60607; 312-850-0303). Starting Monday, January 18, and running through Sunday, January 24, the restaurant is offering diners the option to add $1 to their checks to benefit Heartland Alliance’s Haitian relief efforts.

STARR Restaurants (http://www.starr-restaurant.com/). Ten percent of gross sales from all meals purchased on Monday, January 25, at the company’s restaurants in Atlantic City, New York City and Philadelphia will be donated to the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund.

BLT Steak LA (8720 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90069; 310 360-1950): $10 from every bottle of wine purchased at the restaurant from now until the end of January will be donated to Haiti relief funds.

What I’m:

Reading:           The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, David Wroblewski

Watching:         My debut as judge on Iron Chef America (http://www.foodnetwork.com/iron-chef-america/nic-vs-yang/index.html)

Eating:              No carbs, smaller portions (It’s a new year, after all)

Listening to:      The Beatles remastered Anthology, one disc at a time.

Contact: Philippe Massoud
Email Philippe@ililinyc.com
Tel: 212 481-1214

Haiti Dine Out: 40 restaurants across America to donate up to 10% of sales towards earthquake relief efforts

New York, NY, Jan 18^th 2010 — A network of over 40 restaurants across New York City and America announced the Dine Out for Haiti call to action whereby they will donate up to 10% of all sales and are encouraging their staff to donate as well,  to Haitian relief efforts.  Restaurants closed Sunday are participating on Monday January 25^th.   Additionally W Hotels of  New York will be referring all their guests to the participating restaurants on the 24^th and 25^th.

Tired of sitting at home passively watching the horrific images coming from Haiti, this group of restaurateurs decided to step up to the plate and do their part for Haiti. They encourage others to follow suit and join the effort.

To see a list of participating restaurants to date, please go to the following websites which will be live at 4pm EST today:

www.dineout4haiti.org

www.dineoutforhaiti.org

All monies will be donated to the following three charities.  Restaurants can choose to donate equally among them all or to any combination of the three.

• Action Against Hunger has had a team in Haiti since 1985, and is ready to fly planeloads of emergency supplies from Paris to Port-au-Prince. Food is one necessity, but so is sanitation; in some Haitian towns, 70 percent of homes do not have plumbing. Donate here.

• Doctors Without Borders is also present in-country. One senior staff member reports, “The situation is chaotic. I visited five medical centers, including a major hospital, and most of them were not functioning.” Donate to support public health efforts here.

• Partners in Health is the NGO founded in Haiti in 1987 by Dr. Paul Farmer, the celebrated physician and anthropologist who focuses on international social justice. The group’s emergency response focuses on delivering medical supplies and staff. Louise Ivers, PIH’s clinical director in the country, sent the message, “Port-au-Prince is devastated, lot of deaths. SOS. ” Donate here.

For comments and quotes, please reach out to the restaurants directly as no individual, wished to be singled out for what is really a united effort.

Special Thanks To:

MEDIA: The New York Times, Time Out, Andrea Strong and Eater.  

Hospitality Groups: Mario Batali Group, Danny Meyer and Union Square Hospitality

 Group, Marc Glosserman, Hill Country and W HOTELS of New York.

Public Relations Companies: Becca PR, Bullfrog & Baum, The Hall Company and Delicious Life PR

Legal:  Carolyn Richmond, Fox Rothschild LLP.

Editors Notes

•  40 restaurants are on board so far. 
• Philippe Massoud of ilili called on restaurateurs and diners  to support the initiative on Jan 15^th

By Helen Baldus

There are certain activities that most New Yorkers simply do not engage in, even though there is nothing particularly odd about the behaviors; in fact they are a daily occurrence for most Americans: driving (who can afford parking and tickets?) and cooking (who has the time or the counterspace?). Which leads me to the prospect of hosting a dinner party. Are you nuts? What would anyone sit on?

Well, for two New Yorkers, Zora O’Neil and Tamara Reynolds, who host “The Sunday Night Dinner in Astoria,” the act of hosting a dinner party for 20 people in a tiny NYC kitchen and a relatively small apartment has become de rigueur.

What started out as a way to share yummy food and quality Sunday night television programming (i.e. The Sopranos) among friends has morphed over the past six years into an underground bi-weekly Supper Club where they send out an email to over 400 people inviting them to share a dinner in one of their homes. The first 20 people to RSVP get in, plus $30 (which covers the costs) and a bottle of wine (or as much as you plan to drink). Nuts indeed.

Let me preface all this by saying that I am not one of the typical New Yorkers I mention above. I actually like to cook. And do. Almost every day. But just thinking about hosting a dinner party makes my head spin. There’s the shopping, the cleaning of the apartment (only to have to clean again the next day), and the DISHES. Need I say more?

But maybe it’s not so nuts after all. Upon attending The Sunday Night Dinner in Astoria (on Saturday night) this past weekend, I think that Tamara and Zora are truly on to something (as their recently published cookbook, Forking Fantastic: Putting the Party back in Dinner Party reveals). Hosting a group in NYC does not need to be such a big deal. Their motto? Keep it fun, keep it simple (who cares if none of the chairs or plates or cutlery match – in fact if need be, ask your guest to come with a chair), but most importantly, make it delicious (and ask for a small donation so you are not breaking the bank).

Tamara and her husband Karl converted their living room into a café environment with two large, candlelit tables (and mismatched chairs). Some of the guests were regulars, some were newbies like me and some were even tourists (a couple on vacation from England who had heard about the dinner series). What on the surface might have seemed stressful – inviting 20 people into your home for dinner – was in fact, incredibly easy going and fun. Everything was served family-style, which encouraged conversation, the wine flowing freely. The menu was fantastic – Pan con Tomate, Hoppin’ John, Grilled Oysters, Karl’s Killer Slaw, Butter Braised Green Onions, and more. But most importantly: They hired a dishwasher for the night (a friend). It was DIY at its finest.

Thanks to Tamara and Zora, I think I have officially gotten over my aversion to hosting a dinner party. I’ve already finalized the guest list…Assuming that nobody minds bringing their own chair.

What I’m:

Reading         Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human, Richard Wrangham

Watching       In Treatment (Season 2)

Eating           Tacos at Carmelita Deli & Grocery in Sunset Park, Brooklyn

Listening to    Best of The Black President, Fela Kuti  

By Khuong Phan

When my mom and stepdad moved in together things really began to change. For starters, Mom was alight in a way I hadn’t seen in several years. She smiled more and moved rather easily and weightlessly around the house.

Besides the obvious altering of moods, differences began sprouting elsewhere — most notably during dinner.

Black beans began appearing in my bowls of white rice. The sizzle and spatter of hot oil on the stove delivered not only egg rolls and crab rangoons, but also sweet plantains and crisped yucca. Goi Xoai (green mango salad) commingled on the plate with Bistec de Palomilla (pan-fried steak).

I was really happy when Mom met Jose, but the true winner in the holy union of Vietnamese lady meets Cuban fellow — let’s be honest — has been my stomach.

In addition to sharing the commonalities of being people who fled a Communist country via boat, and having national cuisines that feature the flavors of lime, peppers and cilantro, both Mom and Jose just so happen to celebrate Christmas on December 24th, and not 25th. Growing up, my family’s aversion to early rising mandated that presents be opened at the stroke of midnight on December 25, and it turns out Cubans traditionally begin their celebration at midnight also. Who knew these kids were so made for each other, huh?

The Christmas Eve party in my house is a huge deal, and is, in its own small way, a great annual culinary summit of East meets West. Joining Mom and Aunt Cuc in the kitchen as they wrap Goi Cuon (spring rolls) and stir Ca Ri Ga (chicken curry) are Aunts Vivian and Nenita who help press the tostones (fried green plantains). Swirling in the air is a cacophony of Viet-Spanglish as they talk to one another.

The real highlight of the evening is when our neighbor, Manuelo, brings over a great, big piece of Lechon (slow-roasted pork) for us to devour. (The most prized part of pork is by far the crispy skin, or Chicharron.)

With dinner over and my belly full, I usually head outside to enjoy the South Florida air and split a fat cigar with Uncle Carlos. It’s the perfect way to end a perfect meal.

I won’t be heading home for this Christmas, and will instead share it with my fiancée in Brooklyn. Though I won’t be migrating South, I’ll try my best to bring a little taste of home to roost in my kitchen in Greenpoint.

Below is a recipe for one of my favorite holiday dishes courtesy of Chef Douglas Rodriguez of Philadelphia’s Alma de Cuba, one of the jewels in the STARR Restaurants portfolio. Give it a shot; I think you’ll love it, too.

For those who celebrate, Merry Christmas and see you in the New Year!

LECHON (ROASTED PORK)

MARINADE

1/2 cup chopped white onion

1/4 cup distilled vinegar

1/4 cup freshly chopped cilantro leaves

2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves

2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano leaves

8 cloves garlic

3 bay leaves

1 tablespoon cumin seeds

2 tablespoons salt

Pepper to taste

4 cups water

5 pounds boneless pork butt, trimmed of excess fat

Place all the marinade ingredients except the water in a food processor or blender. With the motor running, add the water gradually to form a puree.

Place the pork in a large oven proof dish or nonreactive pan and pour the marinade over the pork. Cover, and marinade in the refrigerator for 12 hours, or overnight. Turn the pork occasionally.

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees