The JBF Blog

On the Menu: January 28 through February 4

by JBF Editors on January 27, 2012 in On the Menu

Monday, January 30, 7:00 P.M.
Chinese New Year Celebration
For years in-the-know food lovers (Calvin Trillin among them) have been in hot pursuit of Peter Chang, the exceptionally talented chef who famously flits among restaurants. Now we’re in luck, for Chang will cook his renowned Sichuan cuisine at this special celebration of the Chinese New Year, which will also feature wines from Jefferson Vineyards.

Tuesday, January 31, 7:00 P.M.
A Celebration of Southern Cuisine
Join us as four-time JBF Award nominee Linton Hopkins returns to the Beard House with a third helping of his contemporary Southern fare. The chef’s ingredient-based approach celebrates the rich bounty of Georgia by featuring local meats and produce and in-house preparations of everything from the pain au levain to the preserved chiles.

Wednesday, February 1, 7:00 P.M.
Gluten-Free Italian Indulgence
Fortunato Nicotra worked in Michelin-starred restaurants throughout Italy before arriving in NYC to be the executive chef at Felidia, JBF Award winner Lidia Bastianich’s temple of fine Italian cuisine. Join this forward-thinking chef for a luxurious menu of gluten-free Italian specialties.

Thursday, February 2, 7:00 P.M.
Carnivore’s Delight
Carnivores on the hunt for the best steak in town need look no further: we’ve recruited the country’s foremost masters of meat for this Certified Angus Beef® event. Armed with the brand’s top-quality beef—and their own excellent culinary chops—the chefs will prepare a meat lovers’ feast paired with wines selected by Manny Nieves.

Saturday, February 4, 12:00 P.M.
Beard on Books: Stephanie Izard
In her book, Girl in the Kitchen: How a Top Chef Cooks, Thinks, Shops, Eats, and Drinks, celebrated chef and Top Chef winner Stephanie Izard shares more than 100 of her innovative recipes, as well as insider tips and where she finds her culinary inspiration.

For details and reservations, visit jamesbeard.org/events or call 212.627.2308.

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News Feed: January 26, 2012

by JBF Editors on January 26, 2012 in News Feed

12 19 11 eggs Zaki resized News Feed: January 26, 2012

Where to find high-end menus that cost less. (Hint: the Beard House.) [VIV Mag]

Dashi: the foundation of Japanese cuisine. [LAT]

Give your food some eye-popping color with edible flowers. [LAT]

The light-beer business is booming. [Atlantic]

Save herb stems for sauces, garnishes, and more. [GT]

Organic spices are responsible for the latest salmonella scare. [NPR]

How to make vegetarian kimchi. [SE]

Is granola just a cookie masquerading as health food? [Slate]

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News Feed: January 25, 2012

by JBF Editors on January 25, 2012 in News Feed

McDonald’s Twitter backlash. [Chow]

Medicinal bacon: study shows cured meat can help nosebleeds. [Atlantic]

Spreading the word about sorghum syrup. [BA]

A gluten-free guide to the Windy City. [SE]

A surprising new study on school vending machines and obesity. [Slate]

Meat substitutes get meatier. [WSJ]

Meanwhile, haggis goes vegetarian. [Guardian]

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Recipes from The Best of the Best: Rick Bayless’s Tortilla Soup

by JBF Editors on January 25, 2012 in Recipes

Bayless tortilla soup blog Recipes from <i>The Best of the Best</i>: Rick Baylesss Tortilla Soup

Rick Bayless, who won our Outstanding Chef Award in 1995, uses the earthy, smoldering heat of the pasilla chile to build the foundation of flavor in his take on the popular, Mexican tortilla soup. First the dried pepper is blended with tomatoes and sautéed onions and garlic; the resulting purée goes in a hot pan, where it cooks down to a concentrated, sweet paste. After the addition of two quarts of chicken broth and a quick simmer, the soup is done, ready to be piled high with shredded cheese, chunky avocado, and tortilla shards for a filling meal. Get the recipe here.

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In spring of 2012, JBF will publish The James Beard Foundation’s Best of the Best: A 25th Anniversary Celebration of America’s Outstanding Chefs. This must-have cookbook will feature a delicious, signature recipe from every winner of the Foundation’s Outstanding Chef Award. When we went to press, space required that we omit some surplus essays and recipes. During the weeks leading up to the book’s release, we’ll be sharing this bonus content with our readers. Think of it as an appetizer.

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News Feed: January 24, 2012

by JBF Editors on January 24, 2012 in News Feed

salad with eggs News Feed: January 24, 2012

From gourmet to fast-food chains: the transformation of hospital food. [NPR]

Tips for picking and storing citrus. [LAT]

Twenty years of meticulous testing: Cook’s Illustrated unleashes its best recipes. [Dallas Morning News]

Brooklyn chefs create tropical oasis on Mexico’s coast. [Chow]

Truffles aren’t chocolates, they’re mushrooms (and other fun truffle facts.) [HuffPo]

Recreate a tapas bar in your own kitchen with these recipes. [Saveur]

The “hipification” of butchery in America. [NPR]

Once you’ve made miso soup, what should you do with all that leftover miso paste? [Oregonian]

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Recipe Roundup: Recipes for a Celebration

by Phoebe Connell on January 23, 2012 in Recipes

champagne Recipe Roundup: Recipes for a Celebration

You may have kicked your Christmas tree to the curb and sworn off cookies for the foreseeable future, but here at the James Beard Foundation we are keeping the jovial atmosphere alive as we gear up for a year of festivities in honor of our 25^th anniversary. Here are some of our favorite recipes for a celebration.

Oysters with Crisp Shiitakes, Scallions, and Roasted Shiitake Mignonette
A duo of fried and roasted shiitakes offers a rich, earthy contrast against sweet and briny oysters.

Blini with Caviar
Use a domestic caviar like American sturgeon, paddlefish, or salmon to top these dainty Russian pancakes.

Oysters with Pink Grapefruit Granita and Marinated Cucumbers
Fresh, citrus-laced oysters get a jolt of heat from spicy marinated cucumbers.

Sinatra Smash Cocktail
Black currant liqueur and whiskey make for a distinctively sweet and satisfying potion that’s fitting for any festivity.

French Seventy-Fives
Like an upgraded Tom Collins, this refreshing cocktail is made with Champagne instead of soda water.

Champagne Jelly with Golden Raspberries and Mint
Use in-season citrus instead of raspberries for a take on this elegant dessert.

Orange Blossom Beignets
A splash of fragrant orange blossom water invigorates these classic New Orleans fritters.

Champagne Sorbet
This Champagne-based frozen treat comes from James Beard’s iconic Beard on Food. Subtly sweet with a hint of citrus, this sorbet is an ideal finale for any feast.

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News Feed: January 23, 2012

by JBF Editors on January 23, 2012 in News Feed

Fish fillets too dry? Try roasting and eating a whole fish. [NYT]

Two Los Angeles chefs don the farmer’s uniform for a year. [LAT]

A vegetarian struggles with her family’s love of carnivorous meals. [Gilt Taste]

Stout: winter’s favorite beer. [WSJ]

A more sustainable beef and broccoli: New York takeout joints start sourcing local ingredients. [WSJ]

From baked Alaska to Brooklyn Blackout: a timeline of American cakes. [ATK]

A new cookbook focuses on the food eaten during China’s cultural revolution. [NPR]

As gourmet dessert mixes hit supermarkets, critics are skeptical. [Chow]

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JBF Through the Years

by JBF Editors on January 23, 2012 in News Feed

JBF LOGO GRAYSCALE HIRES BLOG JBF Through the Years It certainly has been an eventful 25 years! Since JBF’s inception in 1986, we’ve seen plenty of ups and a few downs, but the Foundation has never been in a better place. Our first original cookbook comes out in March, we’re planning a special series of dinners featuring the country’s best chefs, and our second Leadership Awards ceremony is slated for October. We have a lot to look forward to as we celebrate our silver anniversary, but we’re also doing a bit of reminiscing. Check out this timeline of our first 25 years.

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On the Menu: January 21 through January 28

by JBF Editors on January 20, 2012 in On the Menu

Saturday, January 21, 7:00 P.M.
Elegant Austin Steak
When a steakhouse has to satisfy the appetite of an owner who is also a Pro Bowl football player, you know it has the chops to rise above the rest of the herd. Join us for a taste of modern steakhouse cuisine at this meat lovers’ Beard House dinner.

Monday, January 23, 6:30 P.M.
Oyster Tasting at Wild Edibles
Join the JBF Greens as we kick off 2012 with an oyster tasting at Wild Edibles Oyster Bar and Restaurant. Since it first set up shop in a tiny Soho space nearly 20 years ago, Wild Edibles has been a leading wholesale supplier of handpicked ocean specialties to New York’s finest restaurants. Today the company operates retail locations in Murray Hill and in Grand Central Market; its Murray Hill space doubles as a cozy seafood restaurant.

At this walk-around cocktail party, the Greens will taste an array of hand-shucked oysters, including the Black Crescent, a new oyster exclusive to Wild Edibles that will be served for the first time at this event. Chef Gavin Citron will also prepare a few delicious seafood hors d’oeuvre, which will pair perfectly with a selection of fine wines from Palm Bay Imports and Stella Artois beers.

Tuesday, January 24, 7:00 P.M.
Taste of the California Coast
Enjoy a lavish, ingredient-driven meal befitting the Studio at the Montage Laguna Beach, a luxurious dining destination strikingly perched on a seaside bluff. For this Beard House dinner, executive chef and 2009 JBF semifinalist Craig Strong has crafted a French-inflected menu that’s firmly rooted in coastal California terroir.

Wednesday, January 25, 12:00 P.M.
Enlightened Eaters
Michael Finkelstein, M.D., is a board-certified internist and certified holistic physician whose Skillful Living concept advises individuals to approach health and wellness as a singular unit, from the food we eat to the relationships and careers we choose. He also founded and presides over the SunRaven medical facility in Bedford, New York, where gardening is featured in several projects as a powerful metaphor for how we can achieve optimal wellness in our lives.

Wednesday, January 25, 7:00 P.M.
East End Country Getaway
Forget about braving traffic on the LIE—head to the Beard House instead for a taste of JBF Award winner Keith Luce’s finessed, forward-thinking cuisine. The chef and owner of Luce + Hawkins at the idyllic Jedediah Hawkins Inn on Long Island’s North Fork, Luce crafts elegant tasting menus inspired by ingredients from neighboring farms and vineyards.

Thursday, January 26, 7:00 P.M.
The Art of Indian Cuisine
Celebrate India’s day of independence with this refined menu from the team at Mehndi. The elegant meal will begin with hors d’oeuvre from India’s four main geographic areas, followed by sophisticated iterations of classic dishes from the Punjabi and Mughlai regions. Plus, for those who are feeling adventurous, a henna station will be available after dessert.

Friday, January 27, 7:00 P.M.
From Argentina to Maine
The menu at Sea Glass at the Inn by the Sea—one of greater Portland, Maine’s most coveted tables—has a surprising source of inspiration: Argentina, where chef Mitchell Kaldrovich was raised. His seasonal cuisine is an artful blend of traditional New England dishes, local Maine ingredients, and Argentine flavors.

Saturday, January 28, 7:00 P.M.
The Joule of Dallas
When JBF Award winner Charlie Palmer decided to open his first restaurant in Texas, he handpicked longtime protégé Scott Romano to head up the kitchen. An alum of Palmer’s Aureole who most recently worked under Wolfgang Puck at Spago and Cut, Romano oversees an elegant menu of steakhouse classics inspired by the Lone Star State’s bounty.

For details and reservation, visit jamesbeard.org/events or call 212.627.2308.

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