An Evening with Anthony Bourdain and Eric Ripert in Washington, D.C.

How often can you have the chance of getting up close and personal with celebrity chefs?  Well, international food celebs Anthony Bourdain & Eric Ripert hit the Warner Theatre stage—for one night only—on Friday, 21 May . . . and my friend Sandi and I had tickets!!!  It was 90 minutes of unscripted fun while both chefs were dishing behind-the-scenes stories, giving away kitchen tips, and talking about their travels and families . . . all with a fair amount of "smart-ass-ery". DC radio personality, MIX 107.3’s Tommy McFly, was the host in this "no-topic-off-limits show", which also included Q&A from the audience, and an exclusive "meet-and-greet" and book signing!

Sandi called me last weekend to ask me if I would be interested in buying tickets for this show at the Warner Theatre to see Anthony Bourdain (at the time we didn't know Eric Ripert came in the package, as well!).  So, I said "yes, of course!" and she got in charge of getting the tickets, which ended up being $84 a piece. Later on during the week I got on the Warner Theatre website and found a note that stated: "$89.00 ticket allows access to the post show meet and greet book signing".  I never got to comment this with Sandi and figured out that she had gotten discounted tickets! :)

Friday came around and I was very exhausted, since the night before we had to work on this important document, and ended up staying at the office until 4 a.m.!  However, I was more excited than tired!

Sandi had made reservations for "pre-teather" dinner at Ceiba restaurant—which we both love—and it's barely two blocks away from the office!  Got there at 5:30 p.m. and started out with Mojitos, followed by the waitress' appetizer recommendation, "Mexican Sushi", which we shared (photos courtesy of Sandi).

Our entrees were Sandi's "Pan Seared Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes" (served with Sweet Potato Hash, Yucca Crisp, and Jalapeño Aioli) and my "Grilled Free Range Chicken Breast" (served with Peruvian Fried Rice, Fried Quail Egg, Green Beans, and Huancaina and Aji Amarillo Sauces).  The food was simply delicious!

  

 

 

Earlier that afternoon I called the box office at the theater to find out if they were going to sell books—since they were having a book signing—but they wouldn't give me much information.  So Sandi and I decided to go accross the street from the restaurant (after dinner) to Borders to get our books.  My "wish list" already included "Anthony Bourdain's Les Halles Cookbook", so—needless to say—this was the perfect excuse to get it and cross it out from the list!  I was lucky enough to get the last copy available on the shelf . . . and I wasn't particularly interested in getting Bourdain's other books.  Also, I hadn't planned—because of budgetary reasons—on getting any of Eric Ripert's books but, funny enough, when I read the reviews for Bourdain's Les Halles on the back cover, I found out that Eric Ripert had given him one!

OK . . . walked to the theater (two blocks away from Borders) and got there around 7:30 p.m.  Sandi was taking photos of the theater while we were waiting for the show to start at 8:00 p.m.

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you want to read about the theater's history, check this link http://www.warnertheatre.com/history.htm.

Even though there were moments when the sound system wasn't all that good, it was a very interesting show.  While most of the conversation was light, there were some serious and even poignant moments. Both chefs offered opinions on the foie gras controversy, pointing out that there is misinformation being circulated about the treatment of ducks/geese as they are sourced in the Hudson Valley, noting that “an unhappy animal yields bad food” and that they are advocates of humane treatment. Bourdain—who was caught in Beirut during unrest while filming one of his "No Reservations" episodes—was greeted by one of the US Marines that evacuated him, who presented a token from those troops.  Both men also shared their devotion to their families, although Anthony Bourdain joked about his temperamental Italian wife and how sometimes she wasn't very supportive of his cooking.  Talking of fast food, Eric Ripert admitted he had never actually eaten it. Bourdain and Ripert mentioned they both love The Rolling Stones.  Bourdain gave his opinion about the Arizona Law (against it).  Ripert mentioned he preferred to work for Public Television rather than the Food Network, and how he didn't have an opinion about Paula Deen (yikes!).  Bourdain offered this advice to an audience member about to embark on the opening of his first restaurant: “Figure out who you are, what you do best, and do it relentlessly.”  And Eric Ripert added that using good quality ingredients was also important.  He also mentioned he was returning to New York the next morning to cook for the Dalai Lama at his restaurant, Le Bernardin!  Here are more photos and the article that appeared the next day on The Washington Post.

 

Predictably Snarky but Likeable

Posted by livesaymt
May 22, 2010

Set on dark wicker patio furniture and white cushions with orange and fuschia accents, was much like a late-night talk show, with a likeable host keeping the momentum going with rapidfire questions. Bourdain, predictably, spoke quite a bit more than the heavily French-accented Ripert, and was trying a bit too hard to make things edgy. Topics included kitchen comparisons, chef ratings (Gordon Ramsey got harsh reviews from both), travel, and Tony's sensitivity (particularly with his daughter). Unfortunately, the microphones didn't capture the conversation clearly and the ushers loudly yelled "no cameras!" at the audience right over the interview questions(!). Overall, seemed a bit thrown together but a good night for true Bourdain fans.

When the show was over, we were expecting someone from the theater to say something about the "meet-and-greet", but we didn't hear a thing and started following people as they were leaving.  And then, all of a sudden, we noticed that there was a group of people going into the opposite direction within the theater and we started to follow them.  There was just one little detail that was worrying us:  all those people had a white wristband . . . and we didn't!  We talked to one of the security ladies and she told us that with our $89 ticket we should have gotten the wristband.  We told her that we had actually paid $84 for our tickets and hadn't gotten any wristband.  She asked us to wait and talked to another lady.  She then came back and told us to follow this other lady (from security, as well) and that we would have to talk to the person in charge once we got where the "meet-and-greet" was taking place.  So, after going up and down several flares of stairs, we got to this elegant and modern atrium, in a building adjacent to the theater.

And then we talked to the security lady in charge, who requested to see our tickets.  Sandi had only handed me my ticket as we were entering the theater that night, so I really never saw it before.  Besides, the print was really small and I didn't have my glasses on.  Well . . . to my dismay—and as the lady pointed out—the tickets were clearly priced $69!!!  At that moment Sandi and I realized that Ticketmaster had charged her an extra $15 for each ticket!  Of course, the security lady then said that we couldn't stay for the "meet-and-greet"!  I was feeling soooo disappointed!!!  Sandi started to walk away, and—on a whim—I  turned to the security lady once again and—in a very nice tone—asked her if there was any possibility for us to stay.  At first she hesitantly said no, but then she seemed to have second thoughts and finally told us "OK, you can stay".  My soul—literally—returned to my body!!!  We couldn't believe our luck, so we thanked this lady for her kindness!

We waited in line for approximately 45 minutes, but it was totally worth it!  We finally got to meet both Anthony Bourdain and Eric Ripert, shaked hands with them, had our books authographed and our photos taken with them.  Sandi was a little bit mad though . . . "I knew I shouldn't have given my camera to that security person", she said.  She was right.  Take a look at our photos! lol

  

  

  

  

  

When I got to Eric Ripert I told him that I hadn't been able to get one of his books, but that I had noticed that his review was on the back cover of Anthony Bourdain's book, and asked him if he wouldn't mind signing it, which he did!  He then turned to Anthony Bourdain and jokingly told him he didn't remember making that review for him! lol

And Anthony Bourdain asked me kind of surprised as he was getting ready to autograph my book:  "Susy with a Y?"  I just said "Yes" . . . :)

An Evening with Anthony Bourdain and Eric Ripert in Washington, D.C.

"Liquid Gold"

"Rick Bayless and his daughter, Lanie, check out a fabulous fish fillet at a neighborhood restaurant in Mexico City, and then, at a seafood street stall, they get rapturous over a plate of succulent garlicky prawns that rivals the best scampi in the world. The common denominator of these two dishes? It’s one of the cornerstones of Mexican cooking, Mojo de Ajo (literally, “bath of garlic”)—a sauce made by slowly simmering garlic in olive oil and seasoning it with lime and chiles. Back home in Chicago, Rick shows us how he plants, grows and cures this flavorful garlic variety, then uses some to make a big batch of Mojo de Ajo—a jar of “liquid gold” to keep on hand for enhancing just about anything. It all adds up to this: a splash of mojo de ajo can be the Midas touch that turns just about any ingredient into culinary gold."

Slow Roasted Garlic Mojo (Mojo de Ajo)
Recipe by Rick Bayless, from Season 7 of "Mexico - One Plate at a Time"
Makes about 3 cups mojo de ajo (made with 2 cups of oil)

Ingredients:
4 large heads garlic or 10 ounces (about 1 3/4 cups) peeled garlic cloves
2 or 3 cups fruity olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Directions:

Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Break the heads of garlic apart, then mash each clove (a fist against the side of a knife is what I do) to release the clove from its papery skin; if using already-peeled garlic, scoop the cloves into a heavy plastic bag and use a rolling pin to mash them slightly.

Stir together the garlic, oil and salt in an 8x8-inch baking pan (make sure all the garlic is submerged), slide it into the oven and bake until the garlic is soft and lightly brown, about 45 to 55 minutes.

Remove the dish from the oven, add the lime juice and the crushed red pepper flakes, and return to the oven for 20 minutes for the garlic to absorb the lime and turn golden brown. (If you’re using the larger quantity of oil, ladle off 1 cup—no garlic cloves—and store it in a cool dry place for use in salad dressing or sautéing.)

Using an old-fashioned potato masher or large fork, mash the garlic into a coarse puree. Pour the mixture into a wide-mouth storage container and refrigerate it until you’re ready to enjoy some deliciousness. The mojo will last for up to three months as long as the garlic stays submerged under the oil.

"Liquid Gold"

Shortcut Carrot Cake

Sometimes it's funny how you end up baking something you hadn't planned on baking! lol

I have been wanting to make this "Nut Cake" for a long time—which I used to bake a lot back in Lima—and, finally, had all the ingredients!  Gathered them, took a picture and, before actually starting to make the cake, decided to prepare the pans for baking.  You need two 9-inch round cake pans . . . to make a long story short, I went nuts—no pun intended—looking for the pans in my tiny kitchen!!!  They were nowhere to be found!  I actually have a theory of what could have happened to them but, I don't feel like talking about it! :(

Anyway . . . I still wanted to bake a cake . . . so, the next best thing was to try this new recipe for a "Shortcut Carrot Cake"—for which I also had all the ingredients.  I saw the recipe on the Kraft Foods website, although I had planned on baking this one later on during the week.

I started preparing the spice cake mix first (hence the name "Shortcut") and realized I couldn't bake the cake on my bundt cake pan . . . and then I remembered I had these two square glass baking pans that could fit the bill.  Problem solved! :)

Now . . . to be completely honest with you, I'm not really happy with how the cake turned out . . . to me, the texture was too moist—more like an overly moist cake—although everybody who tasted it thought it was perfect and they even told me they were amazed by how good it was!  When I got the pans out from the oven I let the cakes rest for a good 45 minutes, thinking that would be plenty of time for them to cool before frosting.  It was getting late and I wanted to take pictures before the sun went down.  Big mistake . . . when I started assembling the cakes, I noticed they were still a bit warm and the frosting started melting!!!  I immediately stopped working and put them in the fridge (as well as the frosting) . . . but, as far as I was concerned, the damage had already been done!  Even though I waited 30 minutes, I noticed the frosting had soaked into the cake.  I was so disappointed and annoyed, to say the least!!!  I tasted the cake and, although it didn't taste bad, I didn't think this was one of my best cakes! :(

The next morning I cut a big piece of cake (almost half of it) and brought it to the office.  After all, I had already promised my friend Rosi that I would bring her cake!  Since I still had a feeling of unease about it, I called Rosi, told her what had happened and, jokingly, asked her if she wanted to be my guinea pig.  Not only did she try it, but told me she liked it a lot!  She said the only problem was that the cake had way too many nuts for her taste! lol

Here is the recipe:

Shortcut Carrot Cake (recipe by Kraft Foods)

What You Need!
1 pkg. (2-layer size) spice cake mix 2 cups shredded carrots (about 3 large) 1 can (8 oz.) crushed pineapple, drained 1 cup chopped PLANTERS Pecans, divided 2 pkg. (8 oz. each) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened 2 cups powdered sugar 1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed Make It! HEAT oven to 350°F.

PREPARE cake batter as directed on package; stir in carrots, pineapple and 3/4 cup nuts. Pour into 2 (9-inch) square pans sprayed with cooking spray. Bake 25 to 30 min. or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 min.; invert onto wire racks. Remove pans. Turn cakes over; cool completely.


MEANWHILE, beat cream cheese and sugar until well blended. Whisk in COOL WHIP.


STACK cake layers on plate, spreading frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake. Top with remaining nuts. Keep refrigerated.


Kraft Kitchens TipsSize-WiseLooking for a simple dessert to serve at a party? This quick version of a classic serves 18 people. For a Decorative DesignUse a toothpick to draw 4 diagonal lines across top of cake; sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup nuts over lines.SubstituteSubstitute a yellow cake mix plus 2 tsp. ground cinnamon for the spice cake mix.

Shortcut Carrot Cake

Anniversary and a flea market surprise . . .

I came back from MI last Sunday night and was actually planning on writing during the week but, for one reason or another, kept postponing it.  Bobby and I celebrated our first year Anniversary on 26 April and, lovely as he always is, he brought me beautiful roses and a yummy chocolate cake that we shared after dinner the following night.

Then, on Friday, Bobby and I drove up north to spend the weekend with his dad.  On Saturday, after having lunch, we decided to scour some antique shops, a gift shop and a flea market in a nearby community, some 20 minutes away from his dad's house.  Before meeting Bobby I was already collecting cat figurines, salt and pepper shakers, and small collectible boxes . . . however, some months ago—when Bobby and I started "raiding" Salvation Army thrift stores—we decided to start our own collection together:  green bottles, old clocks and fish motif items (for the bathroom).  Little by little, we have been adding things to our respective collections, to the point that I've started leaving my new pieces at his house because I ran out of space at my apartment! lol

That Saturday we found lovely things—like antique German clocks (in perfect working order!) and one cloisonné box (circa late 1700)—that were a steal!  But little did we know about the surprise awaiting us at the flea market!  We got there almost an hour before closing time, around 5 p.m., so we decided to make the most of our time there and check out things rather fast.  Got some good bargains and, while walking around the place, we stumbled upon a shelf full of old books.  I didn't have my glasses with me—had left them in the car—so Bobby was the one checking them out and, all of a sudden, he grabbed two books and showed them to me:  The Art of Mastering French Cooking and From Julia Child's Kitchen!  I was ecstatic, to say the least!  Like I said, I didn't have my glasses with me, so wasn't really able to take a close look at them, but decided to buy them.  So we approched the lady that owned the stand, showed her the books and asked about the price.  She asked $2 for the books (one dollar for each one)!  We silently paid, asked for a plastic bag to put the books in, and started walking away!  As we walked away, we were giggling and looking at each other with complicity.  OMG!—I said to Bobby—This woman doesn't have a clue of what she just sold us!  We managed to walk around the whole flea market, bought a couple more things and then left.  Once in the car, though, I noticed that we had Volume 2 of The Art of Mastering French Cooking and were a little bit disappointed that we hadn't seen whether Volume 1 was also for sale.  Since the market was already closing, we decided we would go back another time.

We left up north the next day around 11 a.m.—with the car packed to the rim with all our stuff—and got home before 3 p.m.  After eating a light lunch, we eagerly started unpacking and rejoicing our eyes with all our collectibles!  At some point, Bobby got to the books and started leafing through them . . . all of a sudden he started yelling at me, showed me the books, and we looked at each other speechless . . . they were both signed by Julia Child and her husband, Paul Child!!!

Both books were dedicated to the same person, Joann, and date back to 1981.  Like I mentioned before, the only thing that was a little bit disappointing, was not having been able to get Volume 1 of The Art of Mastering French Cooking.  But, since I'm coming back to MI in two more weeks, Bobby and I can't wait to go back to that flea market and see if we get lucky enough and find the missing volume . . . or some other surprises! :)

And . . . oh yes . . . Happy Mother's Day to all my mom friends and family!!! :)

Anniversary and a flea market surprise . . .

I might have just changed my mind . . .

. . . about Marinara sauce! lol

I'm serious!  I never tasted a Marinara sauce that I actually liked!  They were either too watery, or too acidic, or too tomatoey . . . or had no flavor at all!

Last night I was watching "Cook's Country" on CreateTV.  This show features the cast and crew of America's Test Kitchen, the top-rated cooking show on public television—now in its tenth season. Cook's Country is now in its second season, and is filmed in a renovated 1806 farmhouse in a western Vermont village.

I think I've mentioned before that I'm not really too keen on pasta either . . . but I still decided to watch the show . . . just because . . .

The first of the two featured recipes was "Meatballs and Marinara".  I have to admit that the ingredients and technique caught my attention.  Since I had 99% of the ingredients, I decided to give it a try today.  Of course, I had to modify the recipe a little bit to adjust to my own ingredients and quantities.  And now, I'm happy to say that I'm a convert to Marinara sauce . . . well, to my own version, that is! :)

Meatballs and Marinara
(Recipe adapted from Cook’s Country - From the episode: Feeding a Crowd, Italian-Style)
Serves 6

Ingredients:

Onion Mixture:
1/4 cup olive oil
2 big red onions, finely chopped
6 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 tablespoon dried oregano
3/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Easy Marinara:
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
1 cup Burgundy wine
1 cup water
1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup fresh basil leaf
1 (4-ounce) whole sliced mushrooms
Salt and pepper, to taste
1-2 teaspoons sugar, as needed

Meatballs:
4 slices hearty white sandwich bread
3/4 cup evaporated milk
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup dry parsley leaves
2 large eggs
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 pounds ground bison

Instructions:

1. For the onion mixture: Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Cook onions until golden, 10 to 15 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Transfer half of onion mixture to large bowl and set aside.

Is there anything better than the smell of onions and garlic cooking in olive oil? :)

2. For the marinara: Add tomato paste to remaining onion mixture in pot and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add wine and cook until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Stir in water and tomatoes (my own preference is to puree the tomatoes in the blender) and simmer over low heat until sauce is no longer watery, 45 to 60 minutes. Add the mushrooms (which have been previously sautéed in butter and olive oil). Stir in cheese and basil and adjust seasonings with salt and sugar.

3. For the meatballs: Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 475 degrees. Mash bread and milk in bowl with reserved onion mixture until smooth. Add remaining ingredients, except ground meat, to bowl and mash to combine. Add ground meat and knead with hands until well combined. Form mixture into 2 1/2-inch meatballs (you should have about 12 meatballs), place on rimmed baking sheet, and bake until well browned, about 20 minutes.

4. Transfer meatballs to pot with sauce. Simmer for 15 minutes. Serve over pasta. (Meatballs and Marinara can be frozen for up to 1 month.)

I must perhaps add that the original recipe is made with ground beef chuck (80 percent lean), sweet Italian sausage (casings removed), and no mushrooms.  I guess the Italian sausage would have been a great addition but, unfortunately, didn't have any!  Maybe next time . . . and, yes, the recipe was amazingly yummy! :)

I might have just changed my mind . . .