Food & Wine
Naked Chocolate Cafe in Philadelphia: Irresistible By Andrea K. Hammer For the Bulletin Why naked? Sara Block, co-owner with father Tom Block, of the European-style dessert café Naked Chocolate in Center City Philadelphia says, "Because of its purity." Photo by R. Kennedy for GPTMC Father and daughter team Thomas and Sarah are the forces behind Walnut Street’s Naked Chocolate Café, where all of the tempting confections are made daily in the open kitchen and chocolate factory area. Chocolate lovers can take their treats to go, or they can indulge right in the boutique’s inviting... Greeting visitors with a wide smile as they gape in astonishment at oversized chocolate-shaped Eiffel towers, carriages, and pianos, Sara patiently asks if she can answer any questions....READ MORE Artisan Chocolates Through Community Activism By Andrea K. Hammer For the Philadelphia Bulletin During the “Art of Chocolate Making” demonstration at the Philadelphia Craft Show, an intoxicating aroma wafted from a back corner of the Pennsylvania Convention Center. Children and adults — eagerly anticipating a sample of John & Kira’s chocolate figs — sat in the aisles and stood behind the completely filled seats facing a cooking station. John Doyle of John & Kira's filled chocolate-covered figs with ganache during a demonstration titled "The Art of Chocolate Making" in Philadelphia. John Doyle, who runs the confectionery with his wife, Kira Baker-Doyle, stirred cream, natural flavors and chocolate in a pan over a flame. He waited about 30 seconds for the mixture to melt but stressed that the chocolate can seize at the wrong temperature. Relying on his experienced eye, Mr. Doyle emphasized the need to work fast. “The chocolate forms a nice, smooth center with a gloss,” he said, walking out into the audience with the pan so those craning their necks could inhale a direct whiff. “I wish everyone could smell this because it’s really good.” ... READ MORE Copyright 2004-2010 Artsphoria |
LONDON RESTAURANT FESTIVAL Charity auction opens for the Gordon Ramsay pop-up night at The Merlin Entertainments London Eye The main focus for the 2010 Festival - Oct. 4 - 18, 2010 - will be the Festival Menus, intended to run at more than 800 different restaurants across the capital. Double the number that took part last year, they will enable Londoners to dine out for as little as £10. Besides the affordable Festival Menus, a range of one-off landmark events will be featured: London Restaurant Festival 10.10.10 will take place on Oct. 10 and will see high-profile chefs from outside of London joining forces with their peers in London restaurants to offer a collaborative menu for Sunday lunch. Ten different chefs will be paired with a London counterpart. Covent Garden’s Piazza will be the iconic backdrop for another new event celebrating London’s outstanding diversity of food and culture. The London Restaurant Festival Supplier’s Market will see a range of famous London restaurants showcase their country’s produce, cooking techniques, flavours and individual flair through live demonstrations as well as selling delicious produce to take home and cooked wares to sample. Back by popular demand, and extended into Shoreditch and Soho: The London Restaurant Festival Gourmet Odyssey will see diners travel across the city to three different top London Restaurants to sample a different course at each. London Restaurant Festival on the London Eye: Every night after closing, The Merlin Entertainments London Eye is turned into a 10-seat pop-up restaurant hosted each night by one of London’s most celebrated chefs. For the second year, Gordon Ramsay will be cooking in London’s most sought-after pop-up restaurant. Ten guests will have the London Eye to themselves to enjoy dinner 135m above the River Thames with what’s been described as the UK’s most exclusive chef’s table. Last year, the Gordon Ramsay night was auctioned off at a charity event where a mystery bidder paid an impressive £23,000. The three-Michelin starred chef has once again agreed to auction off his 2010 Festival night to raise money for the charity StreetSmart, which is the official charity for the 2010 London Restaurant Festival. Gordon Ramsay commented: “I’m delighted to be taking part in the London Restaurant Festival 2010, not only is the pop-up restaurant fantastic but it’s for a really good cause, StreetSmart, who do incredible work and I hope they raise a huge amount of money this year. London is one of the finest culinary centres in the world, and the Festival is a great way of celebrating London’s food offering. I'm really looking forward to cooking an amazing dinner for ten guests on The London Eye where I'll be serving up a festival menu with a difference!” The London Restaurant Festival Big Food Quiz will offer foodie-fanatics a chance to test their knowledge and enjoy a delicious three-course meal at a top London restaurant. Teams of six will test their knowledge on all things food and drink in an evening of food- related fun. The London Restaurant Festival Awards 2010 – a grand finale for the 2010 Festival, the London Restaurant Festival Awards will take place on Oct. 18 and will be a true celebration of the city’s restaurants. The awards are exclusively open to participating restaurants and will be largely focused towards highlighting the best Festival Menus of 2010. |
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| Chef Jose Garces, Master of Latin Cuisine Interview by Andrea K. Hammer Director of Artsphoria Can you describe your individual artistry as a chef, and why this element is important in the presentation of food? It's tricky to use words like "artistry" about the work that I do in my kitchens, because first and foremost, the food must taste good. If I've managed to cook something delicious, the way that it looks is really secondary. That being said, a lot of the ingredients and flavor combinations that I serve are somewhat off the beaten path - Latin-Asian food at Chifa, for example, or fried baby anchovies, one of our signature offerings at Amada - so even though they taste great, if they don't look great, no one is going to try them! Presentation is the invitation to a great meal; it's the way that I make a dish say, "Come on, give me a try." Describe the challenges and rewards of writing your cookbook along with the central points you hoped to communicate: My cookbook was an extremely personal venture; the recipes that appear in Latin Evolution are a diary of my development as a chef and often grew from family recipes that I learned to prepare with my grandmother, Mamita Amada, when I was young. They also reflect my interest in new preparations and in changing textures and shapes to make a dish really sing. Developing, testing, and recording the recipes was a challenge, but it was incredibly rewarding to see all of that hard work come together in such a beautifully packaged, concrete way. In what specific ways do you apply creativity and innovative thinking to your business? The restaurant business can be tricky. People are very passionate about dining out, and in the age of the Food Network and Travel Channel, more than ever, guests who have never worked in a restaurant feel they know a great deal about how the business works. For me, being creative is not a right; it's something you earn through hard work. No one just starts out running the show; you have to learn from the best people in order to gain the skills needed to be on top. Now, I apply creativity to my businesses from my experiences and from my own ideas that I don't see out there. I also encourage members of my team to take responsibility and apply their own creativity to what we do. That way, the innovation comes from all sides, and you're always growing. Considering all of your projects, what is the most artistically satisfying for you and why? How could I ever pick just one? I will always have a soft spot in my heart for Amada, because it was my first restaurant and a concept that I carried with me in my head from the time I graduated college until I finally opened it. But each new restaurant brings new challenges, and each new milestone, such as a cookbook or a TV show, forces me to grow in a new way. Perhaps it's safest to say that the most satisfying project for me is my growth overall, and continuing to learn and try new things, while remaining dedicated to what I've already begun. How has receiving the James Beard Award impacted your work and facilitated the development of other creative projects? You know, awards and reviews and "Top Ten" lists are special because it always feels good to be recognized for the things you do. But for me, it can be just as rewarding to hear from one of my guests how much they enjoyed their meal. The James Beard Award is a tremendous honor, and I couldn't be more grateful, but it isn't the reason that I do what I do. I do it because I love it, and I'm very lucky to have been successful at something that I love. |
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| Giada De Laurentiis, granddaughter of film producer Dino De Laurentiis, visited her grandfather’s restaurant DDL Foodshow regularly. Here and in her family's kitchen, she began to draw inspiration for her own work, mixing a deep love of family and food. Now a celebrity chef on the Food Network with a recurring role on the “Today Show, ” Giada has also written bestselling cookbooks including Giada at Home, which includes lush photographs and personal family portraits. Giada began her professional training at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, specializing in both cuisine and pastry. She later returned to Los Angeles, where her training included positions at the prestigious Ritz Carlton Fine Dining Room and Wolfgang Puck’s Spago in Beverly Hills. Giada also founded GDL Foods, a catering company in Los Angeles. |
| You can now bid on dinner for yourself and nine friends, exclusively cooked for you by Gordon Ramsay on the London Eye on Oct. 8. Proceeds from the Gordon Ramsay London Eye Dinner go to the Festival's official charity, StreetSmart. To place your bid, email katie.mann@londonrestaurantfestival. com. |