chefs congress
2009 Wrap-Up Day 1
2009 Wrap-Up Day 2
2009 Wrap-Up Day 3
ICC 2009
EVENT INFO
PRESENTERS
SCHEDULE
SPONSORS
4th Annual StarChefs.com International Chefs Congress
A Kitchen Without Boundaries
September 20-22, 2009
New York City
StarChefs.com announces that the 2009 International Chefs Congress (ICC) will take place between September 20th - 22nd at the Park Avenue Armory in New York City! Don't miss the most exciting professional culinary event in the US. ICC is a three-day culinary symposium where more than 60 of the world's most influential and innovative chefs, pastry chefs, mixologists, and sommeliers present the latest techniques and culinary concepts to their peers.
Attend chef demonstrations, hands-on savory, pastry and mixology workshops, wine and business seminars, career counseling sessions, and expert panels on current industry topics. Source cutting-edge culinary products and equipment from around the world at the Chef Products Fair.
The overarching theme of this year's Congress is What is American Cuisine? Our purpose is to explore how chefs and industry-leaders from around the country—and across the globe—define American cuisine. The regional nuances of well-defined and established cuisines, such as Italian, French, Spanish, or Chinese, are recognized by chefs, and subjects of study and exploration. But the definition of American cuisine—outside of hotdogs and hamburgers—and the regional differences within the United States is not commonly understood, inside nor outside of the US. The subject seems more prescient than ever given the increasing presence of a growing number of American chefs who are keyed into the international culinary circuit and actively participating in the international culinary dialogue.
This year's programming at ICC will be as diverse and multi-national as ever, but the American presenters will share a common goal: to present their particular version of American cuisine. In doing so, our hope is to move closer to a common understanding of our country's dynamic culinary character.
Admission to 2009 ICC is limited to chefs, pastry chefs, mixologists, sommeliers, food & beverage managers, and restaurant owners, and other foodservice professionals, including food and equipment manufacturers, consultants, purveyors, publicists, architects, manufacturer representatives, and dealers.
A portion of the proceeds from the 2009 International Chefs Congress will benefit the Steven Scher Memorial Scholarship for Aspiring Restaurateurs established in conjunction with the James Beard Foundation. For more information, go to www.chefsforscher.com.
September 20-22, 2009 (Sunday-Tuesday)
New York City
INDUSTRY-ONLY SYMPOSIUM at the Park Avenue Armory (click here for directions)
Purchase ICC Passes Here or call 212-966-7575
You must be a foodservice industry professional.
All ticket purchases subject to final StarChefs.com approval.
3-Day Working Restaurant Pass: $275
3-Day Industry Pass: $495
Hotel Offer for ICC
StarChefs has partnered with the following New York hotel. When contacting the hotel, please mention "StarChefs International Chefs Congress" when booking.
Marriott New York Downtown
85 West St. (cross street: Albany Street)
New York, NY 10006
Rate: $219 per night plus tax
1-800-228-9290
This special offer ends September 4th. All rooms must be guaranteed with a major credit card.
Attend chef demonstrations, hands-on savory, pastry and mixology workshops, wine and business seminars, career counseling sessions, and expert panels on current industry topics. Source cutting-edge culinary products and equipment from around the world at the Chef Products Fair.
The overarching theme of this year's Congress is What is American Cuisine? Our purpose is to explore how chefs and industry-leaders from around the country—and across the globe—define American cuisine. The regional nuances of well-defined and established cuisines, such as Italian, French, Spanish, or Chinese, are recognized by chefs, and subjects of study and exploration. But the definition of American cuisine—outside of hotdogs and hamburgers—and the regional differences within the United States is not commonly understood, inside nor outside of the US. The subject seems more prescient than ever given the increasing presence of a growing number of American chefs who are keyed into the international culinary circuit and actively participating in the international culinary dialogue.
This year's programming at ICC will be as diverse and multi-national as ever, but the American presenters will share a common goal: to present their particular version of American cuisine. In doing so, our hope is to move closer to a common understanding of our country's dynamic culinary character.
Admission to 2009 ICC is limited to chefs, pastry chefs, mixologists, sommeliers, food & beverage managers, and restaurant owners, and other foodservice professionals, including food and equipment manufacturers, consultants, purveyors, publicists, architects, manufacturer representatives, and dealers.
A portion of the proceeds from the 2009 International Chefs Congress will benefit the Steven Scher Memorial Scholarship for Aspiring Restaurateurs established in conjunction with the James Beard Foundation. For more information, go to www.chefsforscher.com.
September 20-22, 2009 (Sunday-Tuesday)
New York City
INDUSTRY-ONLY SYMPOSIUM at the Park Avenue Armory (click here for directions)
Purchase ICC Passes Here or call 212-966-7575
You must be a foodservice industry professional.
All ticket purchases subject to final StarChefs.com approval.
3-Day Working Restaurant Pass: $275
3-Day Industry Pass: $495
Hotel Offer for ICC
StarChefs has partnered with the following New York hotel. When contacting the hotel, please mention "StarChefs International Chefs Congress" when booking.
Marriott New York Downtown
85 West St. (cross street: Albany Street)
New York, NY 10006
Rate: $219 per night plus tax
1-800-228-9290
This special offer ends September 4th. All rooms must be guaranteed with a major credit card.
View All
Tony Abou-Ganim
Grant Achatz
Norman Van Aken
Zach Allen
José Andrés
Juan Mari Arzak
Stephen Asprinio
Tim Atkin MW
Mollie Battenhouse
Scott Beattie
Richard Blais
April Bloomfield
Will Blunt
David Bouley
Daniel Boulud
Gabriel Bremer
Sean Brock
Eric & Bruce Bromberg
Antoinette Bruno
Simon Buck
Jerome Chang
Ratha Chau
Rohini Dey and Maneet Chauhan
Roy Choi
Kelly Choi
Jim Clarke
Tony Conigliaro
Dana Cree
Charles Curtis MW
Josh DeChellis
John Deragon
Lev Ekster
Josh Emett
Pierre Gagnaire
Ruben Garcia
George Geris
Bruno Goussault
Lisa Granik MW
Daniel Humm
Michael “Bao” Huynh
Joe Isidori
Johnny Iuzzini
Maura Kilpatrick
Emeril Lagasse
Francis Lam
Matt & Ted Lee
Paul Liebrandt
Fraser Mackenzie
Sam Mason
Junior Merino
Masaharu Morimoto
Yoshihiro Murata
Nathan Myhrvold
Josh Ozersky
Claire Paparazzo
Charles Phan
Christy Pope
Boris Portnoy
Julie Reiner
Marcus Samuelsson
Audrey Saunders
Chad Solomon
Angelo Sosa
Alex Stupak
Paco Torreblanca
Rick Tramonto
Charlie Trotter
Albert Trummer
Bart Vandaele
Dr. Cesar Vega
David Waltuck
Clark Wolf
Chris Young
Kate Zuckerman
The 2009 New York Rising Stars
Sunday, September 20 10:10AM
How to Make It: The 2009 StarChefs.com New York: Rising Stars
Tuesday, September 22 8:00PM2009 New York Rising Stars
Biography
Coming Soon!Tony Abou-Ganim
The Modern Mixologist – Las Vegas, NV Tuesday, September 22 11:30AM
Tiki, or Not Tiki
Biography
Tony Abou-Ganim's first experience in cocktails was steeped in the tradition of classic cocktails and professional barmanship—not a bad place to start. His cousin, Helen David at the Brass Rail Bar in Port Huron, Michigan, was his first teacher; she started grooming the young lad to become a leader in the beverage industry early-on.
After graduating college, Abou-Ganim learned an appreciation for a well-made cocktail using the freshest ingredients while working at Jack Slick's Balboa Café in San Francisco. In 1990, Tony assisted with the opening of Harry Denton's, and then in 1993 moved to New York City. Two years later, Abou-Ganim returned to San Francisco and re-joined Harry Denton to open Harry Denton's Starlight Room. It was here that Tony created his first specialty drink menu featuring several of his original cocktail recipes, including the Cable Car, Sunsplash, and Starlight.
In 1998, Abou-Ganim was picked by Steve Wynn to create the cocktail program at his Las Vegas resort/casino, Bellagio. Abou-Ganim implemented his bartending and drink preparation philosophy, captured in his motto: "quality ingredients and proper technique create great drinks." He developed hundreds of original cocktails for the resort's 22 bars.
Now regarded as a founding father of modern mixology, Abou-Ganim operates his own beverage consulting firm specializing in bar staff training, product education, and cocktail development. He hosts the Fine Living Network show “Raising the Bar: America’s Best Bar Chefs,” and in 2007, released a DVD "Modern Mixology: Making Great Cocktails at Home.” As the National Ambassador of the US Bartenders Guild, and Associate Member of the Museum of the American Cocktail, Abou-Ganim continues to educate about the history and lore of cocktails, as well as lead the bar industry into continually improving the art of the cocktail. Abou-Ganim lives in Las Vegas where he hones his craft daily by creating, sharing, and enjoying the very best cocktails.
Grant Achatz
Alinea - Chicago, ILMonday, September 21 10:10AM
The Power of Twitter
Monday, September 21 5:30PMModern Cuisine: A Generational Discussion
Biography
“Constant creativity and continuous evolution.” Grant Achatz’s own words and his raison d’être. Born in Michigan, Achatz grew up in a family of restaurateurs. As a child he spent most of his free time in the kitchen, where he learned the basics and developed the skills that would allow him to become one of the foremost innovators in the culinary world. Achatz enrolled at The Culinary Institute of America immediately after graduating high school.
He ascended the culinary ladder at several prestigious restaurants, including the acclaimed French Laundry in Napa Valley. After four years there, Achatz chose to broaden his knowledge and worked as an assistant winemaker at La Jota Vineyards. In 2001, he accepted the executive chef position at the four-star restaurant Trio in Evanston, IL.
Achatz was named one of ten “Best New Chefs in America” by Food & Wine magazine in 2002 and a “Rising Star Chef” by the James Beard Foundation in 2003. Under Achatz’s lead, Trio received four stars from the Chicago Tribune and Chicago magazine and garnered five stars from the Mobil Travel Guide in 2004. Achatz realized a lifelong dream by opening Alinea in Chicago in May 2005.
Under Chef Achatz’ leadership, Alinea has received worldwide attention for its hypermodern, emotional approach to dining. Alinea has received four stars from both the Chicago Tribune and Chicago magazine. Achatz was named the “next great American chef” by The New York Times in September 2005 and in October 2006 Alinea received Five Diamonds from AAA. Ruth Reichl of Gourmet magazine declared Alinea the “Best Restaurant in America” in its twice-per-decade list of America’s Top 50 Restaurants. And between 2008 and 2009, Achatz picked up two James Beard Awards, the first for “Outstanding Chef” and the second (in 2009) for “Cookbook of the Year” for his first cookbook Alinea. Alinea is also ranked tenth in the 2009 San Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants.
Norman Van Aken
Norman's – Miami, FLSunday, September 20 12:00PM
Keynote Panel: What is American Cuisine?
Tuesday, September 22 10:10AMWhen to Walk Away From a Deal
Biography
Becoming a celebrated chef is one thing; being known as the “Father of New World Cuisine” is quite another. Norman Van Aken’s paternal moniker refers, of course, to his personal interpretation of the many culinary influences that converge in the Southern Florida region. But his early years as a cook were humble, belying the success he was destined for.
Van Aken began cooking in Key West in the early 70s, and for the next decade worked his way up through a number of local kitchens. He teamed up with restaurateur Gordon Sinclair back in his home state of Illinois in the early 80s, and soon returned to Florida to open Sinclair’s American Grill in the southern part of the state. In 1985, he returned to Key West and the kitchen of Louie’s Backyard. At Louie’s his style began to take shape and gain recognition, enough to attract the young Charlie Trotter to his kitchen. In 1989, he opened Mano in South Beach, penned his first book, and brought the term “fusion cuisine” into the modern culinary lexicon with a historic address at that year’s food symposium in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Van Aken left Mano and in 1995 opened the doors to NORMAN’S in Coral Gables, Florida. The restaurant was nominated by the James Beard Foundation as “The Best Restaurant in America” in its first year of eligibility; in addition, it was deemed “Best Restaurant in Florida” by The New York Times and one of “America’s Top Tables” by Gourmet magazine for four consecutive years. Van Aken has opened a second outpost in The Ritz-Carlton Orlando. His newest project is Norman’s 180 slated to open this fall in The Colonnade Hotel, Coral Gables. He will be joined by his son, Justin, also a chef and an instrumental part of the future of the Norman Van Aken Companies.
Over his career, Van Aken has received many awards: The James Beard Award for Best Chef Southeast; he has been inducted into the James Beard Foundation’s “Who’s Who” list; he was the first chef to become a member of the James Beard Foundation’s Board of Trustees; he was also named to their National Advisory Board. He has received an honorary doctorate from Johnson and Wales University, and in 2006 he was honored as one of the “Founders of the New American Cuisine,” alongside Alice Waters, Paul Prudhomme, and Mark Miller, at Madrid Fusion. Chef Van Aken is a member of the StarChefs.com Advisory Board and recipient of the StarChefs.com 2008 South Florida Rising Stars Mentor Award. Additionally, he has published another three cookbooks, two on New World Cuisine and one on exotic fruit.
Of his style of cuisine, Van Aken says he creates interplay of his classic culinary know-how and regionalism. His larder, in the most tropical area of the US, includes conch, black beans, plantains, mangoes, coconuts, grouper, key limes, and more. He approaches this bounty with a blend of folk cooking methods and modern techniques.
Zach Allen
B&B Ristorante, Carnevino, and Enoteca San Marco – Las Vegas, NVSunday, September 20 9:00AM
The Charcuterie Equation
Tuesday, September 22 10:10AMThe Charcuterie Equation: A Hands-On Workshop
Biography
The path to opening and running all three of the Batali and Bastianich restaurants in Vegas for Zach Allen sounds simple enough: start washing dishes in a kitchen as a teenager; go to culinary school (Johnson and Wales in Rhode Island, specifically); stage in several Paris and New York City kitchens; then get a gig in one of Batali’s restaurants and work your way up.
In 1999, Allen started working for the Batali group at New York City's Lupa under the watchful eyes of Mark Ladner. Four years—and a lot of pasta and pancetta—later, he was promoted to executive chef on the opening team of Batali's Otto Enoteca Pizzeria. An unmistakable Batali protégé—orange clogs and all—Allen also became a student of the art of salumi. He has spent the last several years in Italy studying the craft, as well as learning from both Mario and his father, Armandino of Salumi Artisan Cured Meats (Seattle, WA).
While at Otto, Allen launched the restaurant’s artisanal salumi program featuring over a dozen cured and aged meats, transforming the eatery into one of downtown Manhattan's top restaurant attractions. These days, Allen is the consulting salumist for all of the group’s Vegas, New York, and Los Angeles restaurants, in addition to leading the kitchens of all three Batali/Bastianich Las Vegas operations B&B Ristorante, Enoteca San Marco, and Carnevino. In 2008, he was awarded a StarChefs.com Las Vegas Rising Star Chef Award.
José Andrés
ThinkFoodGroup – Washington, DCMonday, September 21 12:30PM
American Cuisine Through a Spanish Lens
Biography
Hailed as the “boy wonder of culinary Washington” by The New York Times and considered Spain’s unofficial culinary ambassador, José Andrés is known for bringing both traditional and avant garde Spanish cuisine to America. Born in Mieres, Spain, in 1969, Andrés began cooking at an early age helping his mother bake by the time he was eight; creating complex dishes like paella by the age of 12, and by 16 excelling at the renowned culinary academy, La Escola de Restauració i Hostalatge de Barcelona. While attending culinary school, Andrés acquired practical experience by apprenticing at restaurant el Bulli under chef and mentor Ferran Adrià.
Andrés left his native land for New York City to prove his mettle in 1990. A few years later, he moved to Washington, DC to become chef and partner at Jaleo, a job that would turn into a career partnership and bring many more restaurants under the umbrella of ThinkFoodGroup. Café Atlantico and a second Jaleo soon followed; Zaytinya, a Mediterranean restaurant featuring mezzes, and the six-seat minibar (located in Café Atlantico), featuring an ever-changing menu of 33 high-concept alta cocina dishes, opened in the early 00s. A Mexican small-dish restaurant, called Oyamel, was next.
In 2008, Andrés and TFG along with partners at SBE Hotel Group and designer Philippe Starck opened the first SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills, launching a new luxury hotel brand. The signature restaurant, The Bazaar by José Andrés, received LA’s only four-star review from the Los Angeles Times.
Since moving to Washington, DC a decade ago, Andrés has earned numerous honors. Andrés was nominated in both 2008 and 2009 for The James Beard Outstanding Chef Award, and in 2003, he was named The James Beard “Best Chef of the Mid-Atlantic Region.” Additionally, he serves as contributing editor of Food Arts magazine, a member of the StarChefs.com Advisory Board, and is the chairman of the board of DC Central Kitchen, a non-profit organization that feeds the homeless and trains people for careers in the food service. In 2001, the organization recognized Andrés as the “Chef/ Partner of Distinction,” as part of a program that honors outstanding “Partnership in Job Training.”
Every summer Andrés travels to Spain to visit family and to work in his mentor’s restaurant, el Bulli, for several weeks. When not in a kitchen or hosting his PBS series “Made in Spain,” the chef is making appearances or traveling.
Juan Mari Arzak
Arzak – San Sebastian, SpainTuesday, September 22 11:30AM
Techniques from the Arzak Laboratory
Biography
Juan Mari Arzak has a flavor lab above his restaurant with a library of over 1,000 ingredients. There’s a reason why this chef is called “the father of modern Spanish cuisine.” He has been at the very cutting edge of Spanish cuisine for over three decades; some even credit him for being one of the catalysts of the Spanish culinary revolution—no small task.
Born in San Sebastian, Spain, Arzak completed his studies at La Escuala de Hosteleria. After compulsory military service and traveling and working abroad, Arzak returned home to work at the family restaurant Arzak,which has been in his family since 1897. Arzak slowly transformed the restaurant’s style and cuisine, and by the mid-70s he began to receive awards and distinction for his innovation and ultramodern cuisine—the beginning of the New Basque Kitchen movement and what would grow into a worldwide culinary revolution.
Arzak combines staples of the Basque culinary legacy with many new creations of his own. While his cuisine is rooted in tradition and local ingredients, Arzak plays with his food, incorporating surprising elements like white clay into dishes.
In 1989, Arzak became a member of Traditions et Qualité and received its third Michelin Star, which it has maintained since. More recently, Chef Arzak was awarded the Grand Prize of the Art of the Kitchen by the European Academy of Gastronomy in 1999, the International “Trophée Gourmet” in 2008, and has received A La Carte Magazine’s “Special Prize in Gastronomy” also in 2008. Arzak was the recipient of the 2008 “Universal Basque Award” from the Basque independent Government and received a “Top Chef” award at the 2009 Madrid Fusion.
Stephen Asprinio
Los Angeles, CATuesday, September 22 3:00PM
Breaking the Boundaries of Food and Wine Pairing
Biography
A chef, a sommelier, a restaurateur—each of these titles applies to Florida-native Stephen Asprinio. He rose to national fame and near celebrity status as a sassy chef-competitor on the debut series of Bravo! Network's competitive reality show Top Chef. But it's his accomplishments prior to his spot on the hit show that are what's most impressive.
Asprinio ran his first kitchen, Cucina Nostalgia in Boca Raton, at just 17 years of age and helped earn the restaurant a three star review in its first year. He attended The Culinary Institute of America where he earned a culinary degree and then went to Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration to fine tune his culinary and management skills; then trained at the winery Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyards in New York to hone his wine palate and knowledge.
Asprinio pursued wine with his usual fervor and still holds the title of youngest person to pass the US Sommelier Association's Certificate Examination, and was one of the youngest to pass the Court of Master Sommelier's Certificate Course. At 22, Asprinio took over two wine programs at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas, and was the wine director at Michael Mina's NobHill in the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino.
Since his appearance on Top Chef, Asprinio has made multiple television guest appearances and opened his first restaurant, Forte di Asprinio in Palm Beach County, in 2008. Only nine months after its inception, amongst many other awards, the restaurant was named one of the “Top 10 Best New Restaurants in the United States of 2008” by Gayot. Asprinio has since sold the restaurant space to his partner and is going to open a second Forte di Asprinio in Dubai.
Tim Atkin MW
Writer – London, EnglandMonday, September 21 1:00PM
Grand Masters Slam
Monday, September 21 3:00PMUnderstanding Spanish Terroir
Biography
Tim Atkin is one of Britain’s leading wine writers and an internationally recognized expert on the subject of wine. The man is prolific; his list of publications is long and impressive, as are his numerous awards. He is the wine correspondent for The Observer and Wine Editor-at-Large of Off License News. He also writes for Decanter, Woman and Home, The World of Fine Wine, The Economist’s Intelligent Life, and Observer Food Monthly. Atkin has contributed to a number of books on wine, including the New World of Wine and Grapevine, as well as writing two of his own, Chardonnay and Vins de Pays d'Oc. Additionally, he appears regularly as a presenter on BBC One’s “Saturday Kitchen,” and also lectures and conducts wine courses.
Atkin's list of awards includes the Glenfiddich “Wine Writer Award,” and the Wine Guild of the United Kingdom's “Wine Columnist of the Year,” winning each in multiple years. In 2007, he was named “Communicator of the Year” by the International Wine & Spirit Competition and “Best Drink Journalist” in the World Food Media Awards. To top it off, in 2001, Atkin passed the Master of Wine (MW) examination at the first attempt, winning the Robert Mondavi Award for the best set of theory papers.
He has judged wines in the UK, France, the United States, Argentina, Spain, South Africa, Chile, and Australia and is co-chairman of the London-based International Wine Challenge, the world’s largest blind tasting competition. Atkin is also a founding member of The Wine Gang, the UK’s leading consumer wine recommendation site.
When it comes to his philosophy on wine, Atkins keeps it simple with two caveats: Drink the best wines you can afford, and drink them with your head and heart, not just your palate.
Mollie Battenhouse
Maslow 6 – New York, NYTuesday, September 22 10:00AM
Beer Meets Food: Belgian Beer’s Love Affair with Fine Dining Food
Biography
It’s not a widely known fact that a Bachelor of Fine Arts can make for a fine entry into the food and beverage industry, but that’s how Mollie Battenhouse found her way. A student of painting and sculpture, Battenhouse supported herself throughout her schooling by working in restaurants.
She graduated from Wesleyan College in Connecticut, but the pace and energy of restaurants beckoned, and Battenhouse made it her mission to assemble a stellar resume. She enrolled in The Culinary Institute of America and graduated at the top of her class, and worked at acclaimed establishments like Payard Patisserie and Bistro and Pondicherryin New York City.
Battenhouse’s move into wine began with a part-time job at Joshua Wesson’s Best Cellars shop in Manhattan. Battenhouse found her home in wine at the store; what started as a part-time gig turned into an eight-year tenure. She returned to the restaurant world to work as head sommelier at Tribeca Grill, where she was responsible for maintaining a Wine Spectator Grand Award-winning wine list.
These days, Battenhouse is the wine director at Maslow 6, a wine shop in Manhattan. She continues her own education (she currently holds a Diploma of Wine and Spirits and is working towards her Master Sommelier certification), and also teaches classes and seminars at Maslow 6 and The International Wine Center.
Scott Beattie
Artisanal Cocktails – Healdsburg, CAMonday, September 21 1:15PM
The Making of Artisanal Cocktails
Biography
A third generation San Franciscan, Scott Beattie started tinkering with spirits and cocktails while in college at The University of California at Berkeley, where he worked at several Bay Area establishments including Perry's, The Blue Light, Postrio, and Azie. Beattie earned a degree in English, but his true calling was behind the bar.
He moved to Napa Valley in 2001 to help open Pat Kuleto's Martini House, paving his road to becoming a professional mixologist. Beattie began experimenting with ingredients that he either grew himself or got from the gardens of family and friends. At the same time, he developed relationships with local distilleries, Domaine Charbay and St. George in particular, and married the seasonal ingredients with local spirits.
In 2005, Beattie joined the team at Cyrus in Healdsburg, where he developed a bar program that was focused on hyper-seasonal produce collected from dozens of local Healdsburg-area farms and liquor from the San Francisco Bay Area. Adoring of his ingredient-driven cocktails, Beattie ended up with a 45-page menu that included his specialty drinks, classics, and descriptions for every spirit group and bottle behind his bar.
Beattie's next project was capturing his seasonal mixology philosophy in a book, Artisanal Cocktails: Drinks Inspired by the Seasons from the Bar at Cyrus (2007, Ten Speed Press). The book features many of the culinary techniques Beattie has developed over the years and showcases 50 of his original cocktails. It has received accolades from multiple publications, including the San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco Magazine, and Gourmet magazine. Beattie was named the 2009 Rising Star Mixologist for StarChefs.com's first Napa Sonoma Rising Stars Awards. Today, Beattie runs consulting and beverage catering businesses, shaking and stirring up his drinks for events, parties, and bars in the Bay Area.
Richard Blais
Trail Blais – Atlanta, GASunday, September 20 10:10AM
Breakfast in B Minor: Progressive Techniques in Breakfast Cookery
Biography
Richard Blais began his culinary career the way a lot of teenagers do, as the “poissonier” at McDonald's. It was at the fast food joint where he first toyed with the idea of deconstruction in cuisine: serving the Filet-O-Fish sandwiches with no top bun.
Blais attended The Culinary Institute of America, where he nurtured a growing passion for French technique. He interned at The French Laundry in Yountville, California, and honed his skills working under the leadership of Chef Thomas Keller and side-by-side with budding culinary stars, like Grant Achatz.
Blais finished his CIA education and then stayed on for a fellowship in the fish kitchen, where he learned to master fish fabrication and cookery. He went on to cook in the kitchens of several great chefs at exemplary restaurants, including Daniel Boulud at Restaurant Daniel. But he found his own professional compass after a brief stint at Adriàs’ el Bulli.
In 2000, Blais was lured to Atlanta by a group of restaurateurs to run a small seafood kitchen before opening his own place, the eponymous BLAIS, in the winter of 2004. Despite opening BLAIS to critical acclaim, it only remained open for a short time. Since then, Blais has helped develop products and recipes for major corporations, such as Diageo, iSi, McCormick, and Quaker.
Trail Blais is Blais’ creative culinary company that has consulted on, designed, or operated three- and four-star restaurants in Atlanta. Currently, Trail Blais is working on a conceptual breakfast foods project called (for the time being) "A. M." and operating Flip Burger Boutique in midtown Atlanta, a high-end eatery serving modern American burgers—a far cry from his deconstructed Filet-O-Fish days.
April Bloomfield
The Spotted Pig – New York, NYSunday, September 20 4:45PM
Pig, Pig, Pig
Biography
A native of Birmingham, England, April Bloomfield wanted to be a cop. But when she missed the application deadline, she opted for cooking instead. After learning the culinary basics in her hometown, Bloomfield made the move to London and worked at Kensington Place, Bibendum, Brackenbury, and the prestigious River Café. Bloomfield’s first foray into the American culinary scene was in Berkeley, California where she spent a summer at the Chez Panisse.
But Bloomfield didn’t permanently settle stateside until she got an offer she couldn't refuse. Restaurateur Ken Friedman pursued Bloomfield (after a tip from Brit celeb chef Jamie Oliver) to head up the kitchen of his first restaurant The Spotted Pig, a casual gastropub concept to be set in the West Village in New York City. Friedman flew Bloomfield in to check out the scene and to meet partner Mario Batali. Bloomfield won over Batali and a deal was struck; the gastropub opened with great success a short time later.
At The Spotted Pig, Bloomfield presents an unlikely pairing, fusing British and Italian cuisines using local, seasonal ingredients. She's made a name for herself by serving straight-forward dishes with a touch of creativity that often incorporate off-cuts and organs, like pig ear and liver. The restaurant has received one star from the Michelin Guide for four consecutive years. In 2007, Bloomfield was named a Food and Wine Magazine “Best New Chef.” This past November, April and Friedman opened a new fish-focused restaurant, The John Dory, which was recently awarded two stars by The New York Times.
Will Blunt
starchefs.com - New York, NYSunday, September 20 11:30AM
Welcome / Welcome Address: 2009 Culinary Trends Report: A Look Forward and Back
Monday, September 21 9:00AMRebirth: How to Re-Energize a 10+-Year-Old Restaurant
Biography
Growing up in a political family in Washington, DC, Will Blunt graduated from Georgetown University and spent time working for a Congressman on Capitol Hill before moving to New York City. He joined StarChefs.com when the company was in its infancy, and has been instrumental in making it the leading media company for culinary professionals. He now serves on the StarChefs.com Board of Directors and has built ownership in the company. Blunt’s background in politics has not gone to waste: He applies his diplomacy daily to forging relationships with chefs and advertisers alike.
As managing editor, Blunt wears many hats. He has been integral to the vision and development of the International Chefs Congress and has been a key player in ensuring its growth and success. Blunt has built the StarChefs.com advertising client base from virtually nothing and has worked to maintain the integrity and authenticity of the products the company promotes to its audience. He has negotiated the company’s legal and business contracts, and has bridged countless partnerships with media, organizations, and venues.
Blunt’s role goes far beyond the business side of things: He works on the ground to contribute to tasting and interviewing many of the chefs, pastry chefs, sommeliers, mixologists, and restaurateurs that StarChefs features. Particularly involved in the growth of mixology content on the site, Blunt has been a visionary in seeing the importance and influence of mixology in the restaurant industry.
In his role as editor, Blunt has read and revised tens of thousands of pages of editorial content, working day in and day out with the StarChefs editorial staff. He has been a big supporter of charities over the years, such as Share Our Strength, Partnership with Children, Chefs for Scher, and numerous other organizations.
David Bouley
Bouley - New York, NYSunday, September 20 12:45PM
Paris to Tokyo: French Cuisine, Japanese Techniques
Biography
The quintessential American chef with French style, David Bouley is a New York City icon. He was born and raised in Storrs, Connecticut, but his family roots are in France. From early on, he was strongly influenced by his French heritage and, in particular, his grandmother’s love of cooking. He took to the kitchen at a young age, and worked in several restaurants in the US and France.
After studying at the Sorbonne, the young chef worked for some of Europe’s most acclaimed chefs, including Roger Vergé, Paul Bocuse, Joël Robuchon, Gaston Lenôtre, and Frédy Girardet. Having earned his chops, he returned to New York and worked for leading restaurants such as Le Cirque, Le Périgord, and La Côte Basque. In 1985, David became the first executive chef of Montrachet in Tribeca; the restaurant earned three stars from the The New York Times.
But it was his eponymous flagship restaurant, opened in 1987, that really put Chef Bouley on the US culinary map: Bouley restaurant brought together fine French cuisine and an American chef in a way that was, and still is, modern and refined—and according to The New York Times worthy of a rare four stars. The chef and his restaurant also each won a James Beard Award for "Best Chef" and "Best Restaurant" respectively.
Since he opened Bouley, Chef Bouley has built a small empire of Tribeca eateries and is continually evolving and reinventing his businesses. In the last 20 years, the chef has launched a retail and wholesale bakery called Bouley Bakery, the Austro-Hungarian inspired Danube (which brought him another James Beard Award in 2000 as "Outstanding Chef of the Year"); Upstairs offering a collection of Japanese dishes and sushi in addition to seasonal dishes from guest chefs; the French/Italian focused Secession; and the Bouley Test Kitchen, where Bouley, his team, and visiting chefs experiment and conduct cooking classes for the public. Multiple projects are in the works, including a Japanese kaiseki-style restaurant, called Brushstroke, and a 10,000 square foot kitchen commissary with an attached restaurant and market.
Additionally, Bouley has published a cookbook, East of Paris, featuring Eastern European recipes. He has also travelled extensively in Japan and is a veritable master of Japanese cooking techniques. In more recent years, he has developed a reputation for effortlessly blending obscure Japanese ingredients with his particular brand of French cooking.
Daniel Boulud
Daniel – New York, NYMonday, September 21 5:30PM
Modern Cuisine: A Generational Discussion
Biography
Raised on his family’s farm near Lyon, France, Daniel Boulud grew up surrounded by the rhythms of the seasons, the wonders of produce fresh from the fields, and of course, his grandmother’s inspiring home cooking. Boulud spent his formative years training with several renowned chefs, including Roger Vergé, Georges Blanc, and Michel Guérard. Following two years in Copenhagen, where he worked as a chef in some of the city’s finest kitchens, Boulud took a position in the US as chef to The European Commission in Washington, DC. Boulud then opened the Polo Lounge at The Westbury Hotel and later Le Régence at the Hotel Plaza Athenée in New York City. From 1986 to 1992, Boulud served as executive chef at New York’s Le Cirque.Now, Boulud is chef-owner of ten award-winning restaurants and the Feast & Fêtes catering company. While he hails from Lyon, it is in New York where he has truly mastered the culinary scene, so much so that Boulud is today considered one of America’s leading culinary authorities.
Over the last two decades, Boulud has evolved from a chef to a chef-restaurateur, bringing his artistry to his New York City restaurants Daniel, Café Boulud, DB Bistro Moderne, ar Boulud and now, DBGB Kitchen and Bar. In addition, he has created Café Boulud in Palm Beach and Daniel Boulud Brasserie at the Wynn Las Vegas Resort. In May 2008, the chef extended his culinary reach internationally, opening Maison Boulud in the Legation Quarter in Beijing, China. Boulud and his restaurant management company, The Dinex Group, have also recently formed a partnership in Vancouver where they manage the renowned Relais & Châteaux restaurant, Lumière. Adjacent to Lumière they have created a new DB Bistro Moderne, a sister restaurant to the one in Manhattan’s Midtown. Two new Manhattan destinations, Boulud Sud and Épicerie Boulud are scheduled to open on the Upper West Side in May 2011.
Boulud’s culinary accolades include James Beard Foundation awards for “Outstanding Restaurant,” “Outstanding Restaurateur,” “Best Chef, New York City” and “Outstanding Chef of the Year.” In addition, he has been named a Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur by the French government. Daniel has been cited as “one of the ten best restaurants in the world” by the International Herald Tribune, has earned three Michelin stars, a coveted four star rating from The New York Times, Wine Spectator’s “Grand Award” and is ranked eighth among Restaurant Magazine’s “World’s 50 Best Restaurants.” The Chef’s culinary style is reflected in his six cookbooks and his “After Hours with Daniel” television series.
Boulud is one of the American culinary industry’s greatest mentors and in 2007 he was the recipient of the StarChefs.com New York Rising Stars Mentor Award as well as the 2008 StarChefs.com Mentor Innovator Award, honoring his profound effect on and dedication to New York City’s culinary community. He also serves on the StarChefs.com Advisory Board. Additionally, the Chef has authored six books and has created three seasons of his “After Hours with Daniel” television series.
Gabriel Bremer
Salts – Cambridge, MAMonday, September 21 9:00AM
The Art of Presentation: Making “Eatable Art”
Biography
Gabriel Bremer trained as a classical percussionist; as a young musician he worked in the restaurant industry to support his musical aspirations. At the age of eighteen, however, he put down his drumsticks (and turned down a full scholarship to the American Conservatory of Music) and began his cooking career in earnest. The budding chef started his career under James Beard Award-winning Chef Sam Hayward at Fore Street Restaurant in Portland, Maine.
Bremer went on to open his own short-lived restaurant, Gabriel’s, in Portland, Maine, and then moved to Boston in 2000 to become sous chef under another James Beard Award-winning chef, Jody Adams, at Rialto.
It didn’t take Bremer too long before he was ready to venture out on his own once again. He opened Salts in March 2004 with his life and business partner, Analia Verolo. Greatly influenced by international greats like Michel Bras and Ferrán Adrià, Gabriel’s cuisine at Salts pushes the boundaries of contemporary dining, but is always grounded in familiar and comforting flavors.
Bremer has also started a small farm outside of Concord, New Hampshire to supply his restaurant with seasonal and heirloom produce. With his father as the primary plant care-taker, they have expanded from a couple plots growing staples to nurturing over 40 different items, including 10 varieties of heirloom tomatoes, while partnering with local gardeners who enjoy growing for Bremer’s restaurant. The farm and the produce they receive from it has had a profound impact on Bremer’s cooking—something he calls “from earth to cutting board.”
Sean Brock
McCrady’s Restaurant – Charleston, SC Monday, September 21 10:10AM
Bringing Back American Heirloom Ingredients
Tuesday, September 22 4:00PMGetting Down with Lowcountry Cuisine
Biography
Sean Brock is an increasingly well known young master of Lowcountry regional cuisine. He practices his special southerly cookery at McCrady's Restaurant, a 1788 Georgian-style manse in Charleston, SC, fusing tradition with innovation—shrimp and grits never looked so 21st Century as it does in the hands of Brock. But the chef's respect for and dedication to this region goes deeper than simply concocting modern versions of classic Lowcountry dishes.
Brock gets his hands dirty on a 2 1/2 acre farm he started on Wadmalaw Island just south of Charleston. He wanted to create a true field-to-table experience—not just for his guests, but for his staff as well. The McCrady’s team works the farm together to produce most of the vegetables for the restaurant. Heirloom seeds from plants that are at risk of extinction are harvested from family, friends, and farmers throughout the Southeast and planted with care by the restaurant staff. Brock explains: “When you push a carrot seed into the ground and stare at it for sixty days waiting for it to grow, you look at that carrot differently when it finally makes its way into the kitchen and onto someone’s table.” Brock also raises heritage hogs on the farm for the restaurant's curing program—think miso-cured bacon.
Despite Brock's forward-thinking cooking techniques and ultra-contemporary flavor profiles, Chef Brock still finds most inspiration from the traditions of the past. His knowledge of curing meats comes courtesy of time spent with the likes of Allan Benton of Benton’s Smoky Mountain Country Hams. His affection for heirloom produce spawns from memories of his family table in Virginia. The chef has partnered with Glenn Roberts (of Colombia, South Carolina based Anson Mills) to save the James Island Red Corn strain (a.k.a. Jimmy Red).
Brock's distinctive brand of culinary artistry has earned him local and national recognition, including two consecutive nominations for the James Beard Rising Star Chef Award in 2008 and 2009 and Best Chef 2009 by The Charleston City Paper. Previous to McCrady's, Brock worked at several venerable southern restaurants, the likes of the Hermitage Hotel (Nashville, TN); Lemaire Restaurant in the Jefferson Hotel in Richmond, VA; and at Peninsula Grill in Charleston, SC. He is a graduate of Johnson & Wales University in Charleston.
Eric & Bruce Bromberg
Blue Ribbon Restaurants – New York and Brooklyn, NYSunday, September 20 10:10AM
What's the Buzz About Honey?
Biography
Eric and Bruce Bromberg were born in New Jersey, but strayed far from home as young adults for training at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. Eric graduated with the highest honors and held the distinction of being the only American to teach classes at the school. He went on to work at the highly regarded Le Recamier in Paris under the direction of Robert Chassat and Bruno Hess, Raoul’s in New York, Jams with Jonathan Waxman, and the American Hotel in Sag Harbor.
Bruce also worked at the American Hotel and at New Jersey’s Bernard’s Inn before attending Le Cordon Bleu. He too graduated with the highest honors and went on to apprentice at Le Recamier and at Chef Bruno Hess’s newly-opened restaurant Bistro Du Louver. Bruce then spent time at Michelin two-star Duquesnoy, Michelin three-star Pierre Gagnaire in Saint-Etienne, and Boulangerie Poilâne in Paris.
Bruce returned from France to join Eric, who was then chef and owner of one of New York’s most popular restaurants, Nick and Eddie. In 1992, the Bromberg brothers teamed up to create Blue Ribbon Brasserie, which was an immediate success. Since then, they have added seven businesses—all with the Blue Ribbon moniker: Blue Ribbon Sushi, Blue Ribbon Bakery, Blue Ribbon Brasserie Brooklyn, Blue Ribbon Sushi Brooklyn, Blue Ribbon Market, Blue Ribbon Downing Street Bar, and Blue Ribbon Sushi Bar and Grill in 6 Columbus Hotel.
Adding to the mini restaurant empire, the Brombergs have a line of all-natural, grilled frozen chicken nuggets called The Bromberg Brothers’ Blue Ribbon Naked Nuggets; a line of bread sold wholesale and retail; and five varieties of 100% raw Mexican honey from their honey farm in the village of Atlixco.
The restaurants, bakery, sushi bars, market, and products are all named Blue Ribbon, “the translation of Cordon Bleu, which represents first prize, top quality, and our experience of being Americans trained in France,” explains Bruce.
The latest Bromberg project is Brooklyn Bowl, which opened in July (2009) in Brooklyn’s hyper-hip Williamsburg. The Bowl is a 20,000 square foot bowling alley/performance venue/restaurant endeavor built for LEED certification; the brothers operate and manage the restaurant portion.
Antoinette Bruno
starchefs.com - New York, NYSunday, September 20 11:30AM
Welcome / Welcome Address: 2009 Culinary Trends Report: A Look Forward and Back
Monday, September 21 10:10AMThe Power of Twitter
Biography
Antoinette Bruno brings a decade of industry experience to StarChefs.com, the first online food magazine launched in 1995. Having worked her way through school at restaurants, Bruno earned a post-graduate degree from the London School of Economics and worked at Salomon Brothers. Bruno left Wall Street to return to her love of food to attend the Chefs' Program at the Ritz Escoffier in Paris, externed in the south of France, and earned her MBA from Harvard Business School.
Bruno fortuitously met the founders—Bob Giraldi, Phil Suarez, Patricia Greaney, and Fern Berman—and worked on the StarChefs business plan in its early days. The mission statement was to give chefs the tools they need to succeed to be the best they can be in this fractious and ever so competitive industry. In 1999 Bruno became CEO of StarChefs.com, where she combines her culinary training with her business know-how. In her tenure at StarChefs, Bruno has increased website traffic exponentially and has grown the content library from 4,000 to 29,000 pages.
In 2001 Bruno became Editor-in-Chief, leading StarChefs to become the industry authority on chefs, food trends, and the culinary world. The Rising Star awards were launched in 2003 by Bruno as a platform for young chefs—previously unsung in the culinary world—to be recognized broadly. Today, StarChefs has awarded 347 Rising Star Awards at 26 Rising Star Galas in 15 cities. Seeing a need for a collaborative forum for chefs to come together, Bruno and her partner, Managing Editor Will Blunt, launched the StarChefs.com International Chefs Congress in 2006. Today 1500 culinary professionals come together annually to discuss what is going on in the industry, their challenges, new ideas, trends, and to share techniques.
Traveling throughout the country and the world, Bruno and her editorial team are on the ground meeting and tasting the food of countless chefs and other industry players. This first-hand experience is the basis for the content on StarChefs.com. In 2005 Bruno developed a passion for photography and began to give the StarChefs audience a visual account of what she was experiencing; she continues to do all her own photography on the road. The culture of photography—and now video—has become part of the fabric of the StarChefs publishing philosophy. With the advent of social media, Bruno now tweets all of her tastings, often in the moment, to provide chefs inspiration as they create new dishes.
Simon Buck
RO Imports – New York, NYSunday, September 20 2:45PM
Pinot Passion, The Difference a Day Makes
Biography
Simon Buck is the general manager of New York-based RO Imports, a national purveyor of boutique wines from New Zealand. A New Zealander, Buck’s career in the US wine industry spans over 10 years and has included roles with American Estates Wines and Cliquot Inc. With the emergence of New Zealand as one of the great wine producing regions of the world, Simon aims to educate people on the country and expose them to the wide range and many facets of New Zealand wine. Jerome Chang
DessertTruck – New York, NYSunday, September 20 9:00AM
Take it to the Streets: Restaurant Food in Trucks and Carts
Biography
Jerome Chang is the pastry chef and owner of DessertTruck, which opened its awning in late October 2007. Since night one, DessertTruck has been recognized for both its pioneering spirit and its delicious desserts. A constant flow of critic and media praise has given the sweets-on-wheels business a devoted following, as well as several "best of" titles. His most notable awards include “Best Hot Chocolate,” (New York Magazine), one of the “100 Best Things Yelpers Ate in 2008,” and a Time Out New York 2008 “Eat Out Award.”
Prior to his DessertTruck days, Chang was pastry sous chef at Le Cirque in New York. He was mentored by Michael Zebrowski at the Westin Governor-Morris hotel in Morristown, NJ. He is a 2004 graduate of The French Culinary Institute's Classic Pastry Arts program.
Ratha Chau
Kampuchea, Num Pang – New York, NYTuesday, September 22 9:00AM
The Rise of Asian Concept Restaurant
Biography
Ratha Chau was born in Phnom Peng, Cambodia in 1971, during the rise of the Khmer Rouge regime. The Chau family fled the violence in their homeland in 1982 and settled in the United States. Chau attended Clark University in Massachusetts, and then worked in various front of the house positions in Boston before he moved to New York. He was a manager in a number of well-regarded restaurants including Blue Water Grill, Asia de Cuba, and Fleur de Sel, where he became a general manager and partner.
With years of restaurant experience under his belt, Chau decided to open his own restaurant, Kampuchea, in November 2006. But this time he wasn’t in his usual front-of-the-house spot, but behind the stoves. In all of his years of restaurant experience, Chau had never even boiled water on a commercial stove. But Kampuchea was his own. So he stepped forward into the chef’s role and designed and executed a modern Cambodian menu with great success.
Chau’s second project was inspired by the cult following that developed for Kampuchea’s num pang, the Cambodian term for “bread” or “sandwich.” In March 2009, Chau, Partner/Co-Executive Chef Scott Burnett and Co-Owner Ben Daitz, opened Num Pang Sandwich Shop near Union Square in Manhattan.
Rohini Dey and Maneet Chauhan
Vermilion – Chicago, IL and New York, NY Monday, September 21 3:15PM
Bastardizing Disparate Cuisines or Innovation? The Deal with Fusion
Biography
Rohini Dey didn’t follow the usual trajectory into the restaurant industry. Born and raised in India, Dey started out on an academic path, earning a Master’s degree in economics and a Doctorate in management science. She worked at the World Bank and McKinsey and Co. before deciding to break away from her successful management consulting career to pursue her dream of opening a restaurant.
Always an entrepreneur, Dey believed that Indian food—which she found to be poorly executed and confined to stereotypes in the US—would be welcome as an upscale concept. Combining her business savvy with her passion for food, Dey established Vermilion, an upscale Indian-Latin fusion restaurant, in Chicago and New York City. Dey continues to oversee all aspects of operations and stays deeply involved in the evolution of her two restaurants. She is also a staunch supporter of women in business, as evidenced by her female-led teams at both locations of Vermilion.
As executive chef of Vermilion NYC and Chicago, Maneet Chauhan is at the helm of the kitchen. She enjoys taking the best of both Indian and Latin cuisines and melding them with Dey’s vision, travels, and guidance. Chauhan’s culinary career began after she graduated from the top of her class at the WelcomGroup Graduate School of Hotel Administration, India’s top culinary and hotel management school. She then interned at India’s finest hotels and kitchens, including the Taj Group, Oberoi Hotels, and Le Meridian. Chauhan came to the US in 1998 to attend The Culinary Institute of America, where she graduated with high honors.
Roy Choi
Kogi - Los Angeles, CASunday, September 20 9:00AM
Take it to the Streets: Restaurant Food in Trucks and Carts
Monday, September 21 10:10AMThe Power of Twitter
Biography
Born from late-night hunger by founders Mark Manguera, Caroline Shin-Manguera, and Chef Roy Choi, the Kogi truck is a traveling Los Angeles landmark that serves Korean-Mexican tacos, day and night. Spicy Pork Tacos, Kimchi Quesadillas, and Short Rib Sliders make up the truck's menu. Their culinary philosophy is simple: Quality Korean barbecue meets traditional, homemade tortillas and fresh veggies.
Under the culinary direction of Choi, Kogi has developed a menu that delivers high-end food at street level prices. Twitter is used to communicate truck locations and Choi's daily specials to well over 39,000 loyal followers. Add some wheels to the mix and you've got yourself a restaurant that geographically responds to the flavor of the crowd, traveling from one LA neighborhood to the next. Currently Kogi operates three trucks in LA—Azul, Verde, and Roja—and fresh out of the kitchen at the Alibi Room in Culver City. A New York outpost is in the works.
Kelly Choi
Television Personality – New York, NYMonday, September 21 10:10AM
The Power of Twitter
Biography
Kelly Choi is a multiple Emmy Award nominated and winning New York City television personality. Choi is the host of the Bravo TV Series “Top Chef Masters”, has created and produces “Eat Out NY”, and was a VJ for MTV Korea. She has hosted the James Beard Awards Red Carpet event and has judged Iron Chef American as well as many food competitions in New York. In addition to her television appearances, Choi won the Elite Modeling Agency’s Look of the Year contest, spent time has a runway model, and has been featured in top fashion magazines. Choi received her Masters of Science in magazine writing from Columbia University. She supports Bill Clinton's Alliance for a Healthier Generation and is an active diabetes research proponent.Jim Clarke
Megu – New York, NYSunday, September 20 2:45PM
Pinot Passion, The Difference a Day Makes
Biography
Jim Clarke is a wine and beer writer and Wine Director at MEGU, a Japanese restaurant in lower Manhattan, which features an extensive, international wine list. After studying music composition, Clarke became involved in the restaurant industry through B.R. Guest, where he worked as a server and bartender and became responsible for the staff’s wine and spirit training.
Clarke’s writing career began when he won the American Sommelier Association/Wines From Spain's Rias Baixas Writing Contest in 2003; since then he has written on a freelance basis about wine, beer, and spirits for a number of publications, including the New York Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, Imbibe, and Foreign Policy. He contributes regularly to StarChefs.com and Forbes.com.
Tony Conigliaro
69 Colebrooke Row – London, EnglandMonday, September 21 4:00PM
Getting to Nose Your Cocktail
Tuesday, September 22 1:15PMModern Mixology, London Style
Biography
Conigliaro has worked for many of London's premier cocktail bars, including Isola and Shochu Lounge. Having studied art and art history and worked in a fashion house, prior to his involvement in mixology, Conigliaro cites a broad spectrum of influences in his work - from bartenders and chefs, to scientists, alchemists, designers, and most recently, perfumers.
“My influences don’t always come from people—sometimes a movement in cuisine or a book can affect me. Perfumers, for example, bring something very new to the equation,” he says. A more recent concoction combines a classic perfume and classic cocktail: Conigliaro created a food-grade essence from the perfume so that "as the drink gets to the table, you have a very faint smell of the perfume which evokes memory and emotion... It's not just all about flavor. It's about smell, sight."
Dana Cree
Poppy – Seattle, WATuesday, September 22 9:00AM
Dessert Haiku: Editing High Profile Desserts for High Volume
Biography
A Seattle native, Dana Cree began her culinary career in 2000 by studying in both the culinary and the baking and pastry programs at The Art Institute of Seattle. Cree worked in the savory side of the kitchen for three years as sous chef at Seattle's Lampreia before turning to pastry. After stages at both The Fat Duck in Bray, England (on the savory side) and wd~50 in New York City (in pastry), Cree returned to Seattle to hold pastry chef positions at Eva and Veil.
Cree’s desserts at Veil were intricate and complex—everything you’d expect from a forward-thinking, fine dining setting. Now at Poppy, the casual, seasonal, thali plate restaurant from renowned Seattle Chef Jerry Traunfield (formerly of The Herbfarm), she has re-worked her concepts, keeping them exciting and sophisticated, while making them more accessible to casual diners, and feasible for her high-volume kitchen. Cree runs the pastry kitchen, turning out up to three hundred desserts a night, with only one assistant. Her true love is fine dining, she says, but this is an invaluable experience in editing and execution.
Cree is a 2009 StarChefs.com Seattle Rising Star and was named “Best Pastry Chef On The Rise” in 2008 by Seattle Magazine, and has been featured on Anthony Bourdain's “No Reservations” and in Gourmet magazine. Her own writings on food can be found on her blog tastingmenu.com and have been published in The London Guardian.
Charles Curtis MW
Christies - New York, NYSunday, September 20 12:45PM
Buying and Selling Wine at Auction
Monday, September 21 1:00PMGrand Masters Slam
Biography
A trained chef, journalist, author, consultant, speaker, wine judge… there isn’t much Charles Curtis hasn’t done in the wine industry. But as Head of North American Wine Sales for Christie’s auction house, you wouldn’t expect much less. Curtis has been the Director of Wine and Spirit Education for Moët Hennessy USA, and has worked throughout the wholesale distribution chain. Additionally, he serves on the board of the Independent Champagne and Sparkling Wine Conference to be held in April of 2010.
Curtis earned his Diploma from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust, and in 2004 became the 22nd Master of Wine (MW) in the US. He continues his work with the Institute of Masters of Wine, serving on the board of the Institute in North America, speaking at their annual Education Seminar in Napa Valley, and organizing the Institute’s Annual Champagne Tasting, held in New York and in San Francisco.
He has garnered a number of honors, including the prestigious “Bourse André Crispin” in 2002, presented by the Commanderie de Bordeaux aux Etats-Unis, and has contributed to publications such as The Sommelier Journal, Harper’s (UK), the International Wine Review, Santé magazine, among others.
Josh DeChellis
La Fonda del Sol - New York, NYTuesday, September 22 9:00AM
Some Like it Hot: Cooking with the Plancha
Tuesday, September 22 10:10AMWhen to Walk Away From a Deal
Biography
Josh DeChellis found his way into a kitchen through snowboarding; as a 14-year-old he needed to earn money to buy a new snowboard. The raucous kitchen environment immediately appealed to DeChellis, as did the satisfaction of seeing his food delight guests. Cooking became his profession instead of just a job.
Unfortunately, DeChellis’ parents weren’t thrilled with that raucous chef life, but the determined, food-obsessed DeChellis pressed on. He enrolled at The Culinary Institute of America in 1992, and after graduation, began his professional career as a chef de partie working at the Frenchtown Inn in Frenchtown, New Jersey. DeChellis then landed a position in San Francisco as sous chef at Wolfgang Puck’s famous Postrio. After three years in San Francisco, Puck sent DeChellis to France to further educate him on traditional French technique, where he worked at two Michelin three-star restaurants: the famed L'Arpège and Lucas Carton.
Upon returning to the States, DeChellis’ career took a seminal turn when he began working with Rocco DiSpirito at the then New York Times three-star-rated Union Pacific. While working there, DeChellis also traveled around the world, going on eating trips through France, hunting for truffles and cooking in Singapore. To round out his epicurean experiences, he also worked with such renowned chefs as David Bouley, Charlie Trotter, and Jean-Georges Vongerichten. Notably, his extended stays in Spain included stages at Martín Berasategui in Lasarte, Adolfo in Toledo, and Arzak in San Sebastián.
In recent years, DeChellis has opened several of his own restaurants, including the Japanese Sumile (plus an outpost in Tokyo’s Shibuya district); Jovia, an Italian inspired restaurant in Manhattan’s Upper East Side; and followed up with a modern American tempura bar, BarFry, in 2007. He was a 2005 StarChefs.com New York Rising Star Chef, and currently serves on the StarChefs.com Advisory Board.
Now with La Fonda Del Sol, DeChellis fulfills a lifelong love of Spain with a menu that spans its rich and varied regions, and includes both casual tapas and upscale dishes. DeChellis’s cooking is, as always, authentic and clean; his devil-may-care approach to cooking has resulted in rave reviews from critics and a reputation as a force to be reckoned with in the culinary world.
John Deragon
PDT – New York, NYTuesday, September 22 4:45PM
The Bitters Revolution
Biography
John Deragon is a bitters maestro. In 2007 he spent months tinkering with a single bitters recipe in a quest to re-discover what makes Abbott's bitters (a product that hasn’t been made since the 50s) so special. Herbs, zests, spices, rye whisky barrels were purchased; concoctions were made and made again; and hours were spent searching for old recipes. There are arguably few people who know more about bitters than this mixologist.
When not diving headlong into recipe testing and historical cocktail research, Deragon is tending bar at one of Manhattan’s new-styled speakeasy bars, PDT (Please Don’t Tell). He is the resident curator of the house-made bar ingredients—bitters being, of course, his specialty. Deragon has been featured in The New York times and Departures Magazine for his work in recreating Abbott’s bitters. He is also the CTO for an entertainment company in New York City.
Lev Ekster
CupcakeStop – New York, NYSunday, September 20 9:00AM
Take it to the Streets: Restaurant Food in Trucks and Carts
Biography
Lev Ekster, a native of L’vov, Ukraine, is a born entrepreneur. Growing up, he lived in the Ukraine, Austria, Italy, and Brooklyn, NY before he attended college in Ithaca, NY. Ekster only recently graduated from New York Law School (in May) and—without skipping a beat or taking a vacation—launched New York City’s first high-end mobile gourmet cupcake truck less than a month later.
Ekster’s foray into the Manhattan cupcake “scene” was rather spontaneous. He was on his way to securing a position at a major international law firm, but the change in the economy took that off the table. Undeterred—and disappointed with New York’s cupcake selection—he spawned the idea for CupcakeStop, a truck that offers fresh-baked cupcakes of every variety.
He rapidly secured a seemingly non-existent vendor license and staffing permits, and jumped through New York City bureaucratic hoops. He designed the company logo, wrapped it around the enormous new truck, created and launched the company’s website, and then personally taste-tested nearly 1,000 cupcakes. Ekster found the perfect cupcake and fit for his new venture in Chef Manal Mady, formerly of the famed Bouley Bakery. A model of 21st century social media success, the CupcakeStop utilizes Facebook and Twitter to identify its upcoming stops, and has amassed a following of 6,300+ in just two short months.
Josh Emett
Gordon Ramsay at the London – New York, NYMonday, September 21 4:45PM
New Zealand Lamb, Head to Tail
Biography
Josh Emett started cooking as a young boy, partly out of how own inclination and partly out of necessity. He grew up on a farm in a remote region of New Zealand; while his family spent much of their time on the farm, Josh took it upon himself to spend his time in the kitchen.
Emett trained at Waikato Polytechnic in New Zealand and then worked at several restaurants including Waipa Delta, Cin Cin on Quay in Auckland, and Est Est Est in Melbourne, Australia. In 2000, Josh joined the Michelin three-starred Restaurant Gordon Ramsay in London as senior chef de partie. He then moved to the kitchen team at Gordon Ramsay at Claridge's under head chef Mark Sargeant.
Emett’s zeal for combining the best ingredients and accomplished technique led him to join chef patron Marcus Wareing as head chef at the reopened The Savoy Grill in 2003. In January 2004 their efforts were rewarded when The Savoy Grill was awarded a Michelin star, its first in more than 100 years of operation.
In the autumn of 2006 Emett decided to make the move across the Atlantic to New York, where he is now chef de cuisine of Gordon Ramsay at the London, The London Bar, and the casual-fare restaurant, MAZE. He was chosen as a StarChefs.com Rising Star Hotel Chef for New York in 2008.
Pierre Gagnaire
Pierre Gagnaire – Paris, FranceSunday, September 20 5:30PM
Creativity à la Minute
Monday, September 21 5:30PMModern Cuisine: A Generational Discussion
Biography
Pierre Gagnaire was born in Apinac, France in 1950. The son of restaurant owners, he began his career as an apprentice learning the fundamentals of traditional cuisine in Lyon. In 1974, the young chef discovered the world of creative cuisine when working with Chef Alain Sendernes at Lucas Carton in Paris. It was the beginning of a new era—a new way of looking at food—for Gagnaire.
After two years roving the world, particularly the New World, Gagnaire returned to his family restaurant, Le Clos Fleury, near Saint Etienne and took over the kitchen. It was 1976 and Gagnaire earned his first Michelin star. He decided to go solo in 1981 and opened his first restaurant in Saint Etienne; he received two Michelin stars. Gagnaire opened his second restaurant in 1992 and soon earned three Michelin stars for his signature cuisine. But the St. Etienne restaurants weren’t mean to be; in 1996, Gagnaire went bankrupt and left St. Etienne for Paris.
With the support of friends, Gagnaire opened a new restaurant in late 1996 in Paris; within two years he regained his three-star status. Gagnaire has since opened multiple restaurants worldwide, including London, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Seoul, Dubai, and soon in Las Vegas, and is revered for his ability to maintain impeccable standards at so many restaurants scattered across the globe.
But Gagnaire’s godlike status in the culinary world isn’t just because he’s a brilliant restaurateur. Gagnaire was one of the first chefs to embrace the idea of food as art—like a painter, he marks his culinary “eras” by dish and year. Constant evolution and change have allowed Gagnaire to stay at the forefront of the international culinary scene and stay relevant when so many other chefs of his generation have remained devoted to a specific time and place in their cuisine.
Gagnaire’s collaboration with French chemist and professor Hervé This (who is considered by many to be a founding father of molecular gastronomy) has pushed the chef to greater heights and spawned two cookbooks, including La Cuisine c'est de l'amour, de l'art, de la technique published in 2006 and Alchimistes au Fourneaux in 2007. Gagnaire’s other books include Sucre-Sale (2002) and Lucide & Ludique (2007).
Ruben Garcia
ThinkFoodGroup - Washington, D.C.Monday, September 21 9:00AM
Liquid Nitrogen 201
Biography
A native of Terrassa, Spain, Rubén García is the culinary director of ThinkFoodGroup, Chef José Andrés’ restaurant group. García works on menu development, quality control, special events and promotions, and provides leadership to the kitchens.
García has appeared at world-class culinary events like the Lo Mejor de la Gastronomia, Madrid Fusion, CIA Worlds of Flavor in California, and ICC in New York. García has also appeared on “The TODAY Show,” “Fretz Kitchen,” “Gambero Rosso,” and “Iron Chef America” assisting Chef Andrés.
Dr. Cesar Vega is a passionate cook, food scientist, and author. He earned his food engineering degree in Mexico, Masters in food science from the University of Guelph in Canada, Doctorate in food science from the University College Cork in Ireland, and culinary arts degree from Le Cordon Bleu.
Dr. Vega’s professional experience includes work at such companies as Procter & Gamble, Unilever, Dippin' Dots and Mars, Inc. As an accomplished author, Vega has co-authored the manuscript “Molecular Gastronomy: A Food Fad or Science Supporting Innovative Cuisine?” and is the editor-in-chief of the book The Kitchen as a Laboratory: Science Reflections Inspired by the Kitchen. Most recently, Vega joined the editorial board of the soon-to-be published International Journal of Gastronomy and Food Science.
George Geris
Marlborough Winery – Marlborough, New ZealandSunday, September 20 2:45PM
Pinot Passion, The Difference a Day Makes
Monday, September 21 10:00AMNew Zealand and the Art of Sustainable Wines
Biography
A native of New Zealand, George Geris studied Viticulture and Oenology at Lincoln University. He graduated with a Post Graduate Diploma and gained hands-on experience working at vineyards across the globe. Geris was the assistant winemaker at Villa Maria for four years and then moved south to manage the new Marlborough winery, where he is now chief Marlborough winemaker. Geris was awarded "New Zealand Winemaker of the Year" at the Winestate Awards in 2007; he was nominated for the same award in 2005 and 2008.Bruno Goussault
Cuisine Solutions, Inc. – Alexandria, VASunday, September 20 10:10AM
So You Think You're Sous Vide Savvy
Biography
The “father of sous vide.” There aren't many people who can claim that they've changed the face of modern cooking, much less someone with a PhD in Economics from the Universtiy of Paris Pantheon and a post graduate degree from the d'Etudes et du Developpement Economique et Social. Of course, Dr. Goussault also has a MS degree in food technology from the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Industries Agricoles et Alimentaires—and clearly he's put his food tech know-how to good use.
By and large, Dr. Goussault is credited with developing sous vide cooking in 1974; there's no question the large impact this low-temp cooking technique has had in thousands of kitchens across the globe. He founded Centre de Recherche et d'Etudes pour l'Alimentation in Paris in 1991 to train chefs around the world in precise temperature cooking and he has trained many of the top chefs in Europe and the US on the application of sous vide cooking.
As the chief scientist for Cuisine Solutions, Inc., where he has worked for over 16 years, Goussault has helped design and build five sous vide cooking manufacturing facilities in the US, France, Chile, Brazil, and Norway. He also oversees all of the scientific aspects of the company’s sous vide cooking processes, methods, and parameters, and is responsible for the company’s quality assurance programs.
Dr. Goussault has published scientific articles, appeared on television, and presented at forums around the world. He received the "Ordre National du Mérite" from the President of France in 1995.
Lisa Granik MW
Empire Merchants – New York, NYMonday, September 21 1:00PM
Grand Masters Slam
Tuesday, September 22 1:00PMBuilding a Balanced Wine List
Biography
Lisa Granik was a practicing lawyer and law professor until she realized that she was more an advocate for wine than anything else. Since leaving the courtroom and entering the wine trade, she has worked as a consultant for wineries, importers, wine shops, and restaurants. And in 2006 she became one of only 275 Masters of Wine (MW) worldwide.
Granik currently works in New York as Director of Fine Wine Initiatives for Empire Merchants of the Charmer-Sunbelt Group. A dynamic teacher, she is known in New York City for her advanced tasting classes, as well as for her work as instructor for the Wine and Spirit Education Trust at the International Wine Center. She frequently judges in international wine competitions, and writes about wine for publications such as the New York Times, World of Fine Wine, and the Haute Life Press. Other written work includes serving as the technical editor of the Professional Wine Reference (2006), and as contributor to 1001 Wines You Must Try before You Die (2008).
Granik is a recipient of numerous fellowships and awards, the most recent being the 2008 Thomas Jefferson Award, conferred by the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, honoring remarkable women in the wine industry.
Daniel Humm
Eleven Madison Park – New York, NYTuesday, September 22 9:00AM
Sous Vide: The Pursuit of Excellence
Biography
Modern, sophisticated, and pure. Just a few words to capture the immense talent of Daniel Humm, Executive Chef of Danny Meyer's Eleven Madison Park in New York City. Born in Switzerland, Humm knew from an early age that his true passion was cooking. The son of an architect, Humm took his inherited sense of structure and design and applied it to the kitchen—something evidenced in his presentation aesthetic to this day.
By 14, Daniel had started his formal training with his first culinary apprenticeship. From there he went on to work at many of Switzerland’s finest hotels and restaurants, including the Michelin three-star restaurant le Pont de Brent, where he met his mentor, Chef Gérard Rabaey. It wasn’t too long before Humm accepted his first executive chef position, at Gasthaus zum Gupf in the Swiss Alps, and earned his first Michelin star. To top it off, he was also named “Culinary Discovery in Switzerland 2002” by Gault Millau.
Humm crossed the pond to the US in 2003 to take the helm at Campton Place in San Francisco. He immediately garnered attention for his innovative interpretation of contemporary French cuisine, including four stars from the San Francisco Chronicle. From that point on, Humm's US career has been filled with accolades: The San Francisco Chronicle named him a 2004 Rising Star Chef; the James Beard Foundation nominated him for their Rising Star Chef Award in both 2004 and 2005; he was one of Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs 2005; and a StarChefs.com 2005 Rising Star Chef.
In 2006, Humm joined Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group to lead the Eleven Madison Park kitchen. Humm quickly transformed the restaurant into one of the city’s top dining destinations. Under Humm’s leadership, Eleven Madison Park received its first three star review from The New York Times in January 2007 and was just upgraded to a rare four stars in August. In 2008, the restaurant won a James Beard Award for “Outstanding Wine Service.”
Michael “Bao” Huynh
Baoguette, Baoguette Café – New York, NYTuesday, September 22 9:00AM
The Rise of Asian Concept Restaurant
Biography
Michael Huynh’s nickname as a child was “Bao,” which means special or precious in his native Vietnamese. The moniker stuck and has become a part of his restaurant empire including Baoguette and Baoguette Café. Born in Saigon, Huynh's love of culinary pursuits was fostered by his mother, a cookbook author of traditional Vietnamese cuisine and the owner of Thuy, a successful restaurant in Vietnam.
In 1982, Huynh left Ho Chi Minh City (f.k.a. Saigon) for America. He settled in upstate New York with his adopted family, who owned an Italian restaurant. After a short period of training and working as a sous chef, he climbed the ranks to executive chef. Despite his success in the kitchen, Huynh decided to follow in his father's footsteps and enrolled at the NY Institute of Technology to study architecture in 1987; but he kept one foot in the kitchen throughout his studies.
After working at several restaurants, including Saigon Bistro, Huynh's two disciplines of architecture and culinary arts began to merge into a distinct culinary style. Moving on to open his own restaurant, Bao 111 in 2002, and then Bao Noodles the following year, he quickly gained the reputation as a chef to watch. The James Beard Foundation singled him out a "tastemaker" and New York Magazine recognized Huynh as one of the “Best Chefs” of 2003.
Huynh teamed up with restaurateur Drew Nieporent for Tribeca’s trendy Mai House and collaborated with his life and kitchen partner, Thao Ngyuen, on B’un in SoHo. The chef then traveled uptown to work with Main Street Restaurant Partners in opening BarBao. Huynh also owns noodle restaurant Pho Sure and Vietnamese beer garden Bia Garden.
Joe Isidori
Consulting Chef – New York, NYTuesday, September 22 10:10AM
When to Walk Away From a Deal
Biography
You could say that cooking is built into Joe Isidori’s DNA. He comes from a long line of talented chefs; a young Isidori honed his skills at his father’s restaurants before he even went to culinary school—on a scholarship to The Culinary Institute of America, no less. The training with his father and at school did him well; upon graduation he was appointed chef de cuisine at Nemo Restaurant in Miami Beach. Isidori spent four formative years with his mentors, Michael Schwartz and master sushi chef Shingo Inoue.
Isidori's culinary acumen caught the attention of Donald Trump and, at age 25, Isidori became Trump’s executive chef. For six years Isidori created and launched dining concepts for the Trump Organization, including The Trump National Golf Clubs in Bedminster, NJ and Westchester, NY, and the Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, FL. He soon became the corporate executive chef for Trump Golf Management. During this time Isidori developed his passion for locally-sourced ingredients and regional farming.
Isidori was appointed vice president of food and beverage for the Trump Hotel Collection in 2007. He oversaw the creation and implementation of all dining concepts within the resorts, and served as executive chef for DJT, Trump’s signature restaurant in The Trump International Hotel & Tower in Las Vegas. At DJT Isidori was named a StarChefs.com 2008 Las Vegas Rising Star and was awarded a Michelin star in 2009.
Isidori moved back east in 2009 to bring his market-inspired seafood to Harbour in New York City, where he married sustainability and high-level composition with approachability. He is an active member of the Blue Ocean Institute, Chefs Collaborative, and Monterey Bay Aquarium. Currently, he is pursuing projects in the New York area and working as a consulting chef.
Johnny Iuzzini
Jean Georges – New York, NYMonday, September 21 11:30AM
Three Men and a Dessert
Biography
Johnny Iuzzini is the executive pastry chef at four-star Jean Georges in Manhattan. He is known for his four-part pastry and "studies" of ingredients—not to mention his tattooed arms, pompidou hair style, and appearing in a New York Magazine portrait covered in Marshmallow Fluff.
Iuzzini developed an interest in pastry arts as a teenager when he worked at The River Café in Brooklyn, New York. Although his station was garde-manger, Iuzzini often visited the pastry kitchen. His visits turned into assistance and eventually into a full-time pastry job under Pastry Chef Eric Gouteyron.
After graduating The Culinary Institute of America, Iuzzini worked at Daniel under Francoise Payard and was on the opening staff of Payard Patisserie. Following a year in France, where he held apprenticeships with some of the country’s finest patisseries, Iuzzini returned to New Yorkto Daniel. He worked his way up the ranks and eventually became the executive pastry chef.
In May 2002, Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten offered Iuzzini the position of executive pastry chef at his flagship restaurant Jean Georges. At Jean Georges Iuzzini takes an inventive four-in-one approach to his plating: each dessert is a tasting of four dishes that are each a different play on one ingredient.
Iuzzini was awarded “Outstanding Pastry Chef of the Year” by the James Beard Foundation in 2006 and was named one of the “10 Most Influential Pastry Chefs in America” by Forbes Magazine. During the seven years that Iuzzini has been at Jean Georges, the restaurant has received four stars from the New York Times as well as three Michelin stars. Iuzzini recently published his first cookbook, Dessert Fourplay: Sweet Quartets From a Four-Star Pastry Chef (Clarkson Potter, 2008).
Maura Kilpatrick
Oleana, Sofra – Cambridge, MAMonday, September 21 10:10AM
Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice: Middle Eastern-Inspired Pastry
Biography
Working as a travel agent just wasn’t cutting it for Maura Kilpatrick. But baking and pastry was a passion, so she booked herself a flight to San Francisco and enrolled at the California Culinary Academy. Kilpatrick received a graduate certificate in baking and moved back to her home town of Boston. She worked in the kitchens of the city’s top chefs, including Lydia Shire, Moncef Medeb, Rene Michelena, and Ana Sortun.
Kilpatrick opened two bakeries in 1999, High-Rise Bread Company and High-Rise Pie Company, where some of her recipes are still featured today. In 2001, she and James-Beard-Award-winning Ana Sortun reunited to develop the concept for Oleana restaurant. While working with Sortun, a nimble spice user, Kilpatrick fell in love with the exotic flavors and spices of the Mediterranean and Middle East.
At Oleana, Kilpatrick’s contemporary interpretations of traditional eastern Mediterranean desserts and pastries compliment the Middle Eastern inflected cuisine of Sortun. Kilpatrick brilliantly incorporates Middle Eastern spices and ingredients like orange blossoms, rose petals, kaymek, and kadayifi. In August of 2008, Kilpatrick and Sortun collaborated once again to open Sofra, a bakery and café inspired by the cuisine of Turkey, Lebanon, and Greece. Kilpatrick has been named Boston’s Best Pastry Chef by Boston Magazine in 2002, 2007 and 2008.
Emeril Lagasse
Emeril's - New Orleans, LASunday, September 20 12:00PM
Keynote Panel: What is American Cuisine?
Biography
To say that Emeril Lagasse is a famous US chef is, well, a bit of an understatement. His renown is not just amongst the folks in the food industry, but with the American mainstream as well. After all, he is one of the first modern day celebrity chefs.
A native of Massachusetts, Lagasse was on the track to become a musician with a full scholarship to the New England Conservatory of Music. Instead, he enrolled in the culinary program at Johnson & Wales University. Following graduation, Lagasse traveled to Paris and Lyon where he polished his skills and learned the art of classic French cuisine. Returning to the US, the young Lagasse worked in fine restaurants in New York, Boston, and Philadelphia before heading south to the Big Easy. Lured to New Orleans by Dick and Ella Brennan, Lagasse was the executive chef at their legendary restaurant, Commander's Palace, for over seven years.
Lagasse opened his first restaurant, Emeril’s Restaurant in 1990 in downtown New Orleans; two years later he opened NOLA Restaurant in the French Quarter. Lagasse is now the chef-proprietor of 11 restaurants in New Orleans, Las Vegas, Orlando, Miami, Gulfport, and Bethlehem. Outside of his TV cooking, he is best known for his approachable take on modern Creole cuisine.
Throughout his extensive career, Lagasse has received countless accolades. He was named "Best Southeast Regional Chef" by the James Beard Foundation in 1991. More recently, Lagasse was chosen as “Executive of the Year” by Restaurants and Institutions magazine in 2004, and he was named “Restaurateur of the Year” by New Orleans CityBusiness in 2007. In 2009, he received the “Lifetime Achievement Award” from Food Network’s South Beach Wine & Food Festival.
As a national TV personality, Lagasse has hosted over 1,500 shows on the Food Network, and is the food correspondent for ABC’s "Good Morning America.” He is the host of “Emeril Green,” “Essence of Emeril,” and “Emeril Live.”
Lagasse is the author of 13 cookbooks including Emeril’s New New Orleans Cooking, which introduced his creative take on Creole cuisine, and Emeril’s There’s a Chef in My World, a children’s cookbook. Lagasse established the Emeril Lagasse Foundation in 2002 to support and encourage culinary arts and education programs for children. As of May 2009, the foundation has contributed $3 million to organizations in New Orleans and on the Gulf Coast.
Francis Lam
Gourmet.com – New York, NYMonday, September 21 10:10AM
The Power of Twitter
Biography
When he finally decided to do it, Francis Lam decided he would get three tattoos, one for each of the things most important in the world: food, art, and love.
"But what about politics? What about justice?" he later fretted.
His friend said, "My politics all come out of love."
And so he stuck to the three tattoo plan.
Before he was telling you about his tattoos, Francis worked with nonprofit organizations and taught writing and literature to students in the woods. He is a Contributing Editor at Gourmet magazine, a regular contributor to the Financial Times, and writes a weekly column at gourmet.com. His work has also appeared in Wine and Spirits, New York Newsday, and in the 2006, 2007, and 2008 editions of Best Food Writing.
He is a graduate of the University of Michigan and The Culinary Institute of America, and makes the meanest ratatouille.
Matt & Ted Lee
Authors – New York, NYSunday, September 20 11:45AM
Keynote Address
Biography
Matt and Ted Lee are natives of Charleston, South Carolina. They left their hometown to attend colleges in the Northeast and then settled in New York City, working humdrum jobs. They so missed the foods of their hometown that, in 1994, they founded The Lee Bros. Boiled Peanuts Catalogue, a mail-order catalogue for southern pantry staples like stone-ground grits, fig preserves, and, of course, boiled peanuts.
When an editor of a travel magazine asked them to write a story about road-tripping their home state in search of great food, they embarked on a second career as food and travel journalists. They currently write food stories for Travel + Leisure, Food & Wine, GQ, The New York Times Dining Section, Sunday Magazine, and Book Review sections, and are the wine columnists for Martha Stewart Living.
The brothers were the first young food writers to bring a refreshingly real-life, ravenous voice to the rarefied food coverage in the New York Times. Their first story for the Grey Lady, about being homesick southerners stranded in New York City and trying to find raw peanuts at the Hunts Point Market in the Bronx, brought to life a corner of New York that even most New Yorkers had never heard of. And their lighthearted yet erudite voice touched a nerve in typically tucked-in and straight-laced magazines,. They wrote about a Tennessee corn-cob winemaker for Gourmet, for example, and for Food & Wine, a road-trip to hardscrabble Appalachian Kentucky. But it was their first cookbook that put them on the map as writers to be reckoned with: The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook swept the 2007 awards season, winning two IACP awards and two James Beard Awards, including "Cookbook of the Year." They are the youngest authors ever to take that award.
In the decade since they began writing, the entire world has changed for southern food. Matt and Ted can speak to the state of southern food today with the perspective of knowing where it's been, as well as where it's going. With their new book, The Lee Bros. Simple Fresh Southern (2009, Clarkson Potter), they're moving a deeper discussion of southern food into the mainstream.
Paul Liebrandt
Corton - New York, NYTuesday, September 22 10:10AM
When to Walk Away From a Deal
Biography
Paul Liebrandt was born in Zimbabwe to a British Army officer, but his sights were set on the top kitchens of London. Liebrandt began his career working under some of the top chefs in England, including Marco Pierre White at his three-star Michelin restaurant The Restaurant in London, and Raymond Blanc at his two-star Michelin restaurant in Oxford, Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons.
But French cuisine was his curiosity, so Liebrandt landed a job at Pierre Gagnaire’s eponymous three-star Michelin restaurant in Paris for a year. But his need to further expand his culinary repertoire remained, and Liebrandt moved to New York to work with David Bouley as chef de cuisine at Bouley Bakery. His next job was as the executive chef at Atlas. While there, Liebrandt became the youngest chef ever awarded three stars from The New York Times; he was 23 years old.
Liebrandt left Atlas in 2001 and became the director of the restaurant Papillon, which earned two stars from The New York Times. He took a hiatus from the New York restaurant scene in 2002 to cook for numerous high-profile clients abroad. In 2003, he founded the Veda Group, a restaurant consulting firm. He then served as executive chef at Gilt, where he was named a StarChefs.com 2006 New York Rising Star Chef.
Liebrandt, with restaurateur Drew Nieporent, opened Corton in 2008. The chef’s modern French menu melds the tradition of classical cuisine with a contemporary approach to ingredients and technique. The flavors are clean, precise, and intense. Corton received three stars and was named one of “The 10 Best New Restaurants of 2008” by The New York Times. Liebrandt has been profiled in Vogue, W Magazine, The UK Sunday Telegraph and, most recently, was named a 2009 Food + Wine “Best New Chef.” And he serves on the StarChefs.com Advisory Board.
Fraser Mackenzie
Pernod Ricard – New York, NYSunday, September 20 2:45PM
Pinot Passion, The Difference a Day Makes
Biography
Fraser Mackenzie is part of a team of international market managers from Down Under in the United States helping people to discover some of the greatest wines of New Zealand and Australia. With 10 years of restaurant industry experience and seven years in the wine industry, Fraser likes nothing more than being center stage at wine dinners, eating great food, presenting wine, and meeting people who are interested in wine and food.Sam Mason
Tailor - New York, NYMonday, September 21 11:30AM
Three Men and a Dessert
Biography
Sam Mason, chef and owner of Tailor in New York City, is one of the most progressive chefs working in America today. A native of Jacksonville, Florida, Mason was educated at Johnson & Wales University. After graduation, Sam completed a stage with Pierre Hermé at Ladurée in Paris before moving to New York to make his mark.
He honed his craft at some of the most prestigious kitchens in the country including Palladin, Union Pacific, Atlas, and Park Avenue Café. During his tenure at wd~50 Mason earned a 2005 StarChefs.com New York Rising Star Pastry Chef Award and won national recognition for his hypermodern pastry. Mason is known for his amazing culinary vision and gift in combining unusual and innovative ingredients that surprise, delight, and challenge the palate.
At Tailor, a contemporary dining and cocktail parlor, his goal is to blur the line between dinner and dessert—testing the palates and the imagination of his diners. His menu is divided into “salty” and “sweet” categories and features unconventional takes on classic cocktails. Since its opening, Tailor has been a destination for culinary exploration.
Junior Merino
The Liquid Chef - New York, NYSunday, September 20 3:30PM
Sabor Latino in Cocktails
Biography
It’s no surprise that mixologist Junior Merino has built his career on fusing exotic, unexpected flavors. Growing up in Central Mexico, Merino began cooking when he was just 10. His experiences instilled in him an early love for culinary “mestizaje,” or blending diverse flavors. This technique—along with an intense work ethic—has resulted in Merino’s meteoric rise in the mixology field.
Following his move to New York at age 16, Merino quickly went from busboy to bartender and soon became beverage manager at Roth’s Westside Steakhouse—all while attending high school and studying English and graphic design. It was at Roth’s that Merino had the opportunity to put together his first wine and cocktail list, which won an award of excellence from Wine Spectator magazine.
Since then, Merino has created signature cocktails for dozens of restaurants and bars around the world, including New York’s Rayuela, Cafe Frida, 42 (The Ritz-Carlton, White Plains, NY), Rix (Coronado Springs Resort, Walt Disney World, FL), The Modern, Tokyo’s ANA Hotel, and Mexico City’s famed Izote restaurant, among others.
In 2006 Merino created The Liquid Chef, Inc. to educate and showcase the artistry of ingredients and liquors from all over the world. He added The Liquid Team, a team of mixologists trained by Merino, in 2008.
Merino received the 2006 StarChefs.com New York Rising Star Mixologist award, and has received special recognition from Mexico’s government for his knowledge of Mexican ingredients. Merino recently launched a cocktail program on board Mexicana Airlines as well as Celebrity Cruises Equinox. He also started his own line of products, which include foams, syrups, mixers, and salts.
Masaharu Morimoto
Morimoto - New York, NYMonday, September 21 2:30PM
Hook, Line, and Sinker
Biography
Chef Masaharu Morimoto—known to millions of television viewers as a star of Iron Chef and Iron Chef America—is as comfortable cooking against the clock for a live audience as he is preparing his signature omakase menu at his namesake restaurants. Whatever the context, Morimoto’s inspired and innovative dishes garner critical and popular acclaim. Through the seamless integration of Western and Japanese ingredients, Morimoto has effectively created his own, distinctive fusion cuisine.
In 2001, he opened Morimoto in Philadelphia. In 2004, Wasabi by Morimoto opened to great acclaim at the Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai, India, followed in 2005 by Morimoto-XEX in Tokyo. In January 2006, Morimoto brought his eponymous restaurant to New York City. The stunning space, designed by Tadao Ando and located in the city’s west-side warehouse district, was nominated by the James Beard Foundation for “Outstanding Restaurant Design” in 2007 and 2008. Morimoto New York has garnered numerous awards, including being named by Condé Nast Traveler as a 2006 “Hot List Restaurant,” one of New York’s “Top 50 restaurants” by Travel + Leisure, “Top Newcomer” by Zagats, and one of New York Magazine’s “Best New Restaurants.”
His first cookbook, Morimoto: The New Art of Japanese Cooking, published by DK in 2007, won two awards from the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP). Morimoto’s impact on the culinary community is not limited to his culinary innovations and cookbooks. He is an exceptional teacher and serves as a mentor to dozens of chefs—four of his protégés won StarChefs.com Rising Stars Awards.
Yoshihiro Murata
Kikunoi - Kyoto, JapanSunday, September 20 2:15PM
The Quest for Umami
Tuesday, September 22 10:10AMLessons from a Kaiseki King
Biography
There are few chefs in the world who manage to successfully balance deep tradition, genuine innovation, and exquisite presentation. Yoshihiro Murata is one of them.
Murata is the third generation in his family to cook at Kikunoi, a century-old ryotei, or restaurant, in Kyoto. After traveling through France and then working at Kamome, he returned to his family and worked along side his father at Kikunoi. In 1989, Murata opened Kikunoi Kiyamachi and won critical acclaim for his new style of kaiseki cuisine.
His modern approach to his forefather’s classic cooking—steeped in ceremony and meaning—has redefined how many chefs regard this high-level Japanese cuisine inside and outside of Japan, influencing the likes of Nobu Matsuhisa and Ferran Adrià. In traditional kaiseki style, Murata’s dishes are intensely seasonal. Each dish is a study in nature: for example spring’s first buds poking through snow are interpreted by Murata in the form of grated daikon, chrysanthemum leaves, and coltsfoot buds with tilefish and tofu. The aesthetic of his dish is just as important as the inspiration and philosophy behind it. Murata’s creations are precise, delicate, and masterfully balanced in all aspects.
Today, Murata travels all over the world to showcase his specialized cooking. His first book, Kaiseki (Kodansha International, Inc.) was published in 2006 and won “Best Chef Book” at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards. He serves as the chairman for The Japanese Culinary Academy and plays an integral role in the Japanese culinary industry.
Besides overseeing Kikunoi in Kyoto and Tokyo and Kikunoi Kiyamachi in Kyoto, Murata also manages a high-end line of food products that is available at luxury department stores throughout Japan.
Nathan Myhrvold
Intellectual Ventures - Bellevue, WASunday, September 20 3:15PM
Patent Pending: Secrets from Food Scientists
Biography
Dr. Nathan Myhrvold and Chris Young bring real meaning to terms like mad kitchen science and whiz-chef. They both have backgrounds in science, mathematics, economics, physics—their credentials alone will make your head spin. But it’s their enthusiasm for innovation in culinary arts and food technology that sets them apart from your average scientists.
Young, who has degrees in mathematics and biochemistry from the University of Washington, was hired by Heston Blumenthal in 2003 to build and lead the research team at The Fat Duck. Over nearly five years, Young expanded the experimental kitchen to eight chefs and scientists, who together developed dozens of innovative techniques and recipes that helped The Fat Duck rise to become a top-rated restaurant in the world.
In late 2007, Young returned to Seattle to work with Dr. Nathan Myhrvold, a scientist and entrepreneur with degrees in mathematics, geophysics, and space science from UCLA and in mathematical economics and theoretical physics from Princeton. Dr. Myhrvold founded Microsoft Research in 1991 and served as the company’s first chief technology officer until 1999. He then co-founded Intellectual Ventures, a firm dedicated to creating and investing in inventions. Currently CEO of I.V., as well as one of its many inventors, Myhrvold has more than 100 patents to his credit, including several related to food technology.
An avid practitioner of modernist cuisine, Myhrvold worked for two years as a stagier at Rover’s in Seattle and trained at the Ecole de la Varenne in Burgundy. His original research on sous vide cooking has been published in numerous reports to eGullet and covered by the New York Times Magazine, Wired, and the Wall Street Journal.
Myhrvold and Young are currently writing a comprehensive book covering the techniques of traditional and modern cuisine and the science behind it.
Josh Ozersky
Journalist - New York, NYSunday, September 20 9:00AM
Take it to the Streets: Restaurant Food in Trucks and Carts
Biography
Josh Ozersky is the national restaurant editor for Citysearch, and writes frequently about American vernacular cookery. His book, The Hamburger: A History, recently came out in paperback and he will be discussing about the rise of the vending truck on the NBC Nightly News later this month.
Claire Paparazzo
Blue Hill – New York, NYMonday, September 21 5:00PM
Sauvignon Blanc: This Ain't No Ordinary Grape
Biography
A childhood obsession with a friend’s perfume blending kit was the first indication that Claire Paparazzo had a future in wine. But Sauvignon Blanc wasn’t part of her daily vocabulary just yet. As a young adult, Paparazzo pursued acting initially and worked in the restaurant business as struggling actor waiting tables.
She discovered her aptitude for picking up on subtle flavor nuances in wine during weekly staff wine tastings when she worked at Larry Forgione’s An American Place. Her manager took her aside and encouraged her to further develop her palate. It wasn’t until she began working at Vong and then under Susan LaRossa and Annie Turso that Paparazzo’s wine career really took off.
LaRossa arranged for Paparazzo to visit some wineries in Sonoma, and Turso then turned her on to studying with the American Sommelier Association. During the 20-week course she moved on to help open Tom Valenti’s ‘Cesca as Assistant Sommelier to Patrick Bickford, which gave her the chance to explore Italian wine intensively.
Paparazzo stepped back from the wine side to work in events for Dan Barber and Philip Gouze while they opened Blue Hill at Stone Barns. While not directly involved, she kept her eye on the wine program, and when the wine director position opened at the original Blue Hill location in Greenwich Village, she jumped at it. Four years later, Paparazzo has made herself at home. When not searching for a new wine to round out her wine list, she finds time to be an active member of the Vino Vixens, a weekly tasting group dedicated to fostering the careers of female wine professionals. Paparazzo was just named the StarChefs.com 2009 New York Rising Star Sommelier.
Charles Phan
The Slanted Door - San Francisco, CAMonday, September 21 10:10AM
Vietnam in America: Adapting Vietnamese Street Food
Tuesday, September 22 12:30PMPutting Vietnamese Street Food on the American Map
Biography
Born in Da Lat, Vietnam, Charles Phan found his way to the culinary world in a roundabout way. His family fled from war-torn Vietnam in the 70s and made their way to San Francisco. As his parents supported the large family by each working two jobs, it was Charles' job to cook for them. Adopting his mother's culinary acumen, the budding chef made elaborate meals, borrowing from Vietnamese, French, and American traditions and ingredients.
Phan bussed tables throughout high school and kept track of the Bay Area's more avant garde restaurants, and to this day he credits Chez Panisse and Zuni Café for heavily influencing his food philosophy. Despite his love for food, his parents prodded him to study architecture at The University of California at Berkeley. After college, he took over the family garment business and then worked in the Silicon Valley during its heyday in the early 90s.
But thoughts of food and cooking continued to tug at Phan, so he ventured to open a small creperie in a San Francisco hotel. His plans were thwarted when the hotel owner discovered that the crepes were to be Vietnamese in character (not French) and nixed the deal. Undaunted, Phan, with the support of his family, began to conceptualize The Slanted Door and pursue his dream of opening his own restaurant.
Phan's vision for the restaurant was to create an ingredient-driven menu of traditional Vietnamese cooking in a stylish setting. He knew that there was nothing else like it in the Bay Area and was confident that savvy San Francisco diners would support it. Phan is a pioneer in the modern Asian restaurant concept movement—a trend that is still at the forefront of the restaurant industry.
Fourteen years on, and now a 175-seat restaurant in the Ferry Building, The Slanted Door still cooks from scratch, showcases local, farm-fresh products, and serves as a model for modern Vietnamese cuisine.
Fourteen years on, and now a 175-seat restaurant in the Ferry Building, The Slanted Door still cooks from scratch, showcases local, farm-fresh products, and serves as a model for modern Vietnamese cuisine.
Christy Pope
Cuff & Buttons and Liquid Relations – New York, NYMonday, September 21 3:00PM
Getting Schooled in Cool: Practical Ice Applications Behind the Bar
Biography
For Christy Pope and Chad Solomon mixology is a way of life; not just a vocation. The couples’ road to mix mastery began with a combined decade of experience behind the bars of four of the world’s leading cocktail sanctuaries: Milk & Honey, Pegu Club, Little Branch, and the Flatiron Lounge, where they honed their skills amongst undisputed masters of the craft, Dale DeGroff and Audrey Saunders. Together they have developed a distinctively precise mixing technique, a magical understanding of balance, and an undeniable passion for the rich history of the American cocktail.
The dynamic duo run the New York City-based cocktail catering company, with Sasha Petraske, bringing high-end—what they call “luxury”—drinks and service to events and private parties, and also consult under the guise of Liquid Relations with Ryan Magarian. Pope and Solomon implemented signature beverage programs for Fairmont Hotels throughout North America, and designed numerous cutting edge cocktails for notable brands, like Ketel One, Brown Forman Spirits, and Moet Hennessy.
In addition to their work behind bars, Pope and Solomon have teamed up with award-winning filmmaker Steve Rivo to co-produce “In the Spirit—The Tale of the Cocktail”, a feature length documentary, that explores the role of the cocktail throughout American history.
Pope and Solomon have been featured in or contributed to The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, Food & Wine, Imbibe, The Robb Report, Lucky Magazine, and Modern Bride.
Boris Portnoy
SucrePunch – San Francisco, CASunday, September 20 10:10AM
TechniqColor: Color Transfer Inspired by Modern Art
Biography
Boris Portnoy is passionate about three things: food, cocktails, and mopeds. A brilliant pastry chef and innovative culinary mind, Portnoy is always pushing the boundaries of pastry with his inventive creations and modern techniques. He always knew he wanted to work with food, and began his professional training in the kitchen at Deux Cheminees in Philadelphia with Chef Fritz Blanc, where he learned to cook traditional French cuisine. After two and a half years, he ventured off to open Restaurant Salt with 2004 StarChefs.com Rising Star Vernon Morales, who introduced him to hyper-modern cooking techniques.
After working together for a year, Morales encouraged Portnoy to spend time in Spain to further his understanding of the avant garde techniques and philosophies behind the country’s “alta cocina.” Portnoy worked at Restaurant Mugaritz with renowned chef Andoni Aduriz outside of San Sebastian, Spain, where he learned more about the application of modern technique and, more importantly, the range of taste.
Upon his return to the States, Portnoy moved to New York to be the opening pastry chef at Cru, the critically acclaimed modern European restaurant led by Chef Shea Gallante. But when the wanderlust struck, Portnoy moved to San Francisco, where he worked at Winterland (where he was named a 2005 StarChefs.com Rising Star Pastry Chef) and Campton Place.
In 2008, Portnoy collaborated with mixologist Daniel Hyatt to establish SucrePunch, a collaborative project to investigate and contribute to the dessert and cocktail culture. Currently Portnoy works as a consultant, helping to develop savory, pastry, and cocktail menus for eateries in San Francisco. When not in the kitchen, Portnoy enjoys working on his mopeds (of which he has a respectable collection) and zipping around San Francisco and Marin County.
Julie Reiner
Flatiron Lounge, Clover Club – New York, NYTuesday, September 22 11:30AM
Tiki, or Not Tiki
Biography
The New York cocktail scene wouldn’t be the same without Julie Reiner. She has been elevating the state of mixology in Manhattan for the last decade, most notably with the opening of the Flatiron Lounge in 2003, followed by Pegu Club in 2005, and her latest venture, Brooklyn’s Clover Club, in 2008.
As co-owner and beverage director of the Flatiron Lounge, Reiner draws much of her inspiration from her native Hawaii, utilizing the freshest fruits and top quality spices and spirits available in her cocktails—to present what she calls “new age tropical.” Reiner’s beverage program at the Clover Club is focused on classics, but as always with her signature style of ultimate quality and fresh farmers market ingredients.
Reiner began her career in the cocktail lounges of San Francisco and made her way to New York City in 1997. She caught the interest of the King of Cocktails himself, Dale DeGroff, who has been a mentor to her since. Reiner began installing beverage programs in some hot spots around Manhattan and by May of 2003, with the opening of Flatiron Lounge, she had fulfilled her dream of opening her own gourmet cocktail lounge.
Marcus Samuelsson
Aquavit - New York, NYTuesday, September 22 10:10AM
The Anatomy of a Fish
Biography
Born in Ethiopia, Marcus Samuelsson grew up in the care of adoptive parents in Sweden. He began cooking at a young age under the watchful care of his grandmother who was a professional chef. A graduate of the Culinary Institute in Gothenburg, Sweden, Samuelsson apprenticed in Switzerland, Austria, and France before coming to the US.
In 1995, he was hired as the executive chef at New York’s Aquavit; just three months later, Aquavit received a three-star review from The New York Times. Samuelsson received the James Beard “Rising Star Chef” award in 1999, and “Best Chef, New York” in 2003. He was recognized in Crain’s New York Business’ annual “40 under 40,” and was celebrated as one of “The Great Chefs of America” by The Culinary Institute of America.
Known for many years as a wunderkind of Scandinavian cuisine, Samuelsson returned to the cuisine of his birth, publishing The Soul of a New Cuisine: A Discovery of the Foods and Flavors of Africa in 2006, which received a James Beard Award for “Best International Cookbook” in 2007.
Samuelsson is the co-founder and chief creative director of Townhouse Restaurant Group, a restaurant management and consulting company with projects in the US and Europe, including New York City’s Aquavit, Riingo, AQ Kafé, and August, C-House (in Chicago), and formerly Merkato 55, an Ethiopian-focused restaurant in New York City’s Meatpacking district. He is the author of Aquavit and the New Scandinavian Cuisine, Aquavit c/o New York, En Smakresa med Marcus Samuelsson, and Street Food. His upcoming book, New American Table, is due out in October.
Samuelsson is the host of “The Inner Chef with Marcus Samuelsson”, a cooking series on the Discovery Home Channel that premiered in the fall of 2005. Samuelsson serves on the StarChefs.com Advisory Board and the board of directors of Careers through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP), and is an ambassador for the US Fund for UNICEF. In 2005, Samuelsson was appointed visiting professor of International Culinary Science at the Umeå University School of Restaurant and Culinary Arts, and received an honorary doctorate of culinary arts from Johnson & Wales University in 2006.
Audrey Saunders
The Pegu Club – New York, NYMonday, September 21 4:00PM
Getting to Nose Your Cocktail
Biography
In late August of 2005, Audrey Saunders opened the Pegu Club in New York City’s SoHo neighborhood. Her intention was to resurrect the Old World cocktail culture of the original Pegu Club, a British officers’ club in Rangoon, Burma, through thoughtful preparation and respectful methodology. Today Saunders’ reverence for classic mixology, her perfectionism (re-mixing new recipes 50 to 60 times during the creation process), and her chic home of cocktail culturehas made her a hero to bartenders everywhere, and one of the leaders in modern mixology.
Saunders began her bartending career at the Brooklyn Heights Waterfront Ale House in 1996. While there, she took a one-night seminar with the legendary Dale DeGroff at New York University; Saunders was so enthralled by his presentation that she approached DeGroff, offering to work for free in exchange for further training.
By 1997, she was partnering with DeGroff for special events for The Rainbow Room, and in 1999 was working with him at Blackbird. Following the closing of Blackbird, she became bar manager at Chef Waldy Malouf’s Beacon Restaurant, later serving as beverage director of The Tonic with Chef Joe Fortunato. In December 2001, Audrey joined The Carlyle as beverage director for the reopening of the hotel’s legendary Bemelmans Bar; she reinvented the beverage program, which Forbes magazine has since voted one of the top 20 bars in the world.
Saunders has appeared on American and British television and radio and has been written about internationally in myriad major publications, including The New York Times, The Times (London), New York Magazine, Wine & Spirits, Food Arts, Food & Wine, and Saveur. Recent awards and recognitions include “Best Bar 2008” from Cheers Benchmark Awards, and “Best American Cocktail Bar” from Tales of the Cocktail in 2009. Saunders is on the StarChefs.com Advisory Board, a member of the advisory panel of The Museum of the American Cocktail, and the beverage chair for NYC chapter of City-Meals-On-Wheels, as well as Share Our Strength/Taste of the Nation charities.
Chad Solomon
Cuff & Buttons and Liquid Relations – New York, NYMonday, September 21 3:00PM
Getting Schooled in Cool: Practical Ice Applications Behind the Bar
Biography
For Christy Pope and Chad Solomon mixology is a way of life; not just a vocation. The couples’ road to mix mastery began with a combined decade of experience behind the bars of four of the world’s leading cocktail sanctuaries: Milk & Honey, Pegu Club, Little Branch, and the Flatiron Lounge, where they honed their skills amongst undisputed masters of the craft, Dale DeGroff and Audrey Saunders. Together they have developed a distinctively precise mixing technique, a magical understanding of balance, and an undeniable passion for the rich history of the American cocktail.
The dynamic duo run the New York City-based cocktail catering company, with Sasha Petraske, bringing high-end—what they call “luxury”—drinks and service to events and private parties, and also consult under the guise of Liquid Relations with Ryan Magarian. Pope and Solomon implemented signature beverage programs for Fairmont Hotels throughout North America, and designed numerous cutting edge cocktails for notable brands, like Ketel One, Brown Forman Spirits, and Moet Hennessy.
In addition to their work behind bars, Pope and Solomon have teamed up with award-winning filmmaker Steve Rivo to co-produce “In the Spirit—The Tale of the Cocktail”, a feature length documentary, that explores the role of the cocktail throughout American history.
Pope and Solomon have been featured in or contributed to The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, Food & Wine, Imbibe, The Robb Report, Lucky Magazine, and Modern Bride.
Angelo Sosa
Xie Xie - New York, NYTuesday, September 22 9:00AM
The Rise of Asian Concept Restaurant
Biography
Angelo Sosa’s story is that of the quintessential contemporary American chef—ethnically diverse, creative, and un-tethered by culinary definitions. He’s Dominican and Italian by heritage, grew up in Connecticut, and has adopted Asian cuisine as his own. His latest project, a fast-casual Asian sandwich shop called Xie Xie, only recently debuted in New York and is already gaining acclaim.
Growing up, Sosa’s family took their meals seriously, and it was the perfect breeding ground for Sosa’s budding culinary curiosity. He graduated The Culinary Institute of America with honors and jumped headlong into two of Connecticut’s top-rated kitchens, including the four-diamond Stonehenge Inn and Restaurant and Acqua. In 1999, Sosa moved to New York to work at Jean Georges—the starting point of his obsession with Asian ingredients and techniques.
In the following years Sosa worked at TanDa, Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s Dune in the Bahamas, Spice Market, and Yumcha; and consulted at Buddakan and Morimoto. He was also invited by Alain Ducasse to create a special seasonal menu at his Paris restaurant Spoon Food & Wine.
Sosa’s broad-ranging restaurant experiences cemented his devotion to Asian flavors, which he expanded with trips to Thailand, Hong Kong, and Vietnam. He has big plans for his high-concept Asian sandwich shop, including opening another 11 locations across the US in the next two years. He was just awarded the StarChefs.com 2009 New York Rising Star Restaurant Concept Award.
Alex Stupak
wd~50 – New York, NYMonday, September 21 11:30AM
Three Men and a Dessert
Biography
“A visionary.” (Food & Wine Magazine) “An unstoppable font of new ideas.” (Jeffrey Steingarten in Vogue). These are just a couple ways people have described Pastry Chef Alex Stupak. And his hyper modern pastry and pioneering sense of presentation leave no questions as to why he’s considered one of the country’s most cutting edge pastry chefs.
Stupak’s culinary career began early and humbly as a 12-year-old prep cook (he convinced the restaurant’s owner he was of legal working age) and continued into high school where he took advantage of the school’s culinary arts program. Stupak started participating in culinary competitions and soon found himself competing at a national level. The competitions paid off when he won a full scholarship to attend The Culinary Institute of America.
An externship at Boston’s prestigious Clio Restaurant gave Stupak his first opportunity to work the pastry station, part of a mandatory rotation for all cooks. Although he enjoyed the station he hadn't quite found his sweet genius and pursued work in the savory kitchen.
The young cook's entry into pastry wasn't exactly intentional. After a stint as tournant at Tru (Chicago), Stupak was offered the sous chef position at The Federalist (Boston). However, a twist of fate landed him in the position of pastry chef. Fascinated by innovation and technique, and seeking an environment that supported his vision, the now pastry chef returned to Clio to become the restaurant’s first pastry chef. Soon the accolades began to pour in: Boston Magazine awarded him the title of “Best Pastry Chef” in 2003; the following year Food & Wine Magazine hailed him as “a visionary.”
It wasn't too long before Chef Grant Achatz asked Stupak to head his pastry team for the opening of the now landmark restaurant Alinea. After two years with Achatz, Stupak was offered the pastry chef position at Wylie Dufresne's wd~50, fulfilling Stupak's ambition to work in New York City and continue his pursuit of innovation.
Stupak was the StarChefs.com 2005 Chicago Rising Star Pastry Chef and was named one of the top ten pastry chefs in America in 2008 by Pastry Art & Design magazine. Additionally, he has made several television appearances, including The Today Show, Colameco's Food Show on PBS, The Discovery Channel, and won an Iron Chef America competition in 2008.
Paco Torreblanca
Pasteleria Totel - Alicante, SpainMonday, September 21 9:00AM
Mano a Mano with a Pastry Master
Tuesday, September 22 2:15PMA Peek into Pastelería Totel
Biography
Paco Torreblanca is widely regarded as one of the most innovative pastry chefs in the world. As a young chef Torreblanca, a native of Spain, headed to France to work in a Parisian patisserie. He remained in France for nine years. The experience taught him the value of precise and detailed execution in the pastry kitchen. This foundation, along with a strong work ethic, fueled his hunger to learn and experiment.
In 1978, Torreblanca returned home to open his own pasteleria in Elda, Alicante. Using his imagination and focusing on the purity of flavors, Torreblanca has revolutionized pastry. Outside of his home base at Pasteleria Totel, Torreblanca offers his expertise as a consultant, giving classes, workshops, and presentations throughout the world. He is the author of six books, two of which, Paco Torreblanca and Paco Torreblanca 2, were awarded “Best Pastry Book of the World” by the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards in 2003 and 2006.
Torreblanca is a member of the international association Relais Dessert, and has received numerous accolades during his career of over 30 years. Most recently, he was named “The Best Pastry Chef for Restaurant Desserts in Spain” in 2004 and was awarded a special award from the Academy of Gastronomy in 2006.
Rick Tramonto
Tru - Chicago, ILMonday, September 21 9:00AM
Rebirth: How to Re-Energize a 10+-Year-Old Restaurant
Tuesday, September 22 4:45PMThe Birth of Modern American Cuisine
Biography
Not one for traditional academics, Rick Tramonto knew from an early age that the kitchen was his playground. He first learned to cook in a vocational tech program, but quickly moved on to top restaurants.
Tramonto grew up in Rochester, New York, and was exposed to what he calls classic “melting pot” all-American diversity. His Italian-American heritage influenced his cooking and food education early on, but he was always curious about other cuisines.
Young and ambitious, Tramonto moved to New York in 1984 where he worked at legendary restaurants Tavern on the Green, Gotham Bar & Grill, and Aurora. Tramonto was lured to Chicago by Richard Melman in 1987 to work at his popular Lettuce Entertain You restaurants Avanzare and Scoozi!. He then went on to open and work at several other Lettuce Entertain You restaurants.
The chef worked at Charlie Trotter's for a year and then was asked by Bob Payton (of My Kinda Town, Ltd.) to transform the kitchen and cuisine at his award-winning country house hotel, Stapleford Park, in Leicestershire, England. Tramonto’s proudest moment was when he received the coveted Michelin Guide's Red "M" after only a year at Stapleford, a feat seldom accomplished by an American chef. During his time abroad, Tramonto worked and staged with some of the great Michelin-starred chefs of Europe including Michel Guérard, Pierre Gagnaire, Alain Chapel, Raymond Blanc, and Anton Mosimann.
Tramonto’s passion for food, distinctive culinary style, and his proven track record at home and abroad primed him for running his own restaurant. When he and his culinary partner, Gale Gand, opened Trio in 1993, the restaurant was an immediate success and earned the Chicago Tribune’s first four-star rating in six years. The two went on to open Brasserie T and eventually their flagship restaurant, Tru, in 1999. In 2005, Tramonto opened Osteria di Tramonto, Tramonto’s Steak & Seafood and RT Sushi Bar & Lounge in Wheeling, IL in the Westin Hotel.
Charlie Trotter
Charlie Trotter’s – Chicago, ILSunday, September 20 12:00PM
Keynote Panel: What is American Cuisine?
Biography
Charlie Trotter didn’t come from a food-focused family, attend culinary school, or start working in kitchens when he was 14. In fact, it wasn’t until college that Trotter discovered his passion for fine cuisine with the help of a roommate who loved to cook. Trotter—now an internationally renowned chef—taught himself the craft of cooking through practice, reading cookbooks, eating in the best restaurants, working under great chefs, and traveling.
At just 28 years old Trotter opened his eponymous Chicago restaurant in 1987, which for over two decades has been considered one of the finest dining establishments in not only the country, but also the world. His personal, modern interpretation of cuisine—one that increasingly blends Asian elements—set the bar for creative fine dining in America, paving the way for many of today’s best restaurants and chefs. The restaurant has received countless accolades, including eight James Beard Awards, induction into the Relais & Châteaux, membership in Traditions & Qualite, and five stars from the Mobil Travel Guide.
In 2000, Trotter opened Trotter's To Go, a take-out gourmet retail shop in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood. Trotter has also expanded his culinary empire to Las Vegas, where he has Restaurant Charlie and Bar Charlie. Trotter is the author of 14 cookbooks, the subject of two management books and the host of a nationally aired cooking show, “The Kitchen Sessions with Charlie Trotter”, on PBS. Future plans include opening a new restaurant in the Flatiron district of New York City, as well as a retrospective cookbook reflecting the evolution of his culinary style over the past 15 years.
Beyond his culinary endeavors, Trotter has embarked on a number of philanthropic activities, including supporting national and international charities. Closest to his heart is the Charlie Trotter Culinary Education Foundation. Since its inception in 1999, Trotter has hosted weekly dinners for high-school students and underwritten annual fund raising dinners for the foundation.
Chef Trotter received an award at the White House from President Bush and Colin Powell for his work with the foundation and was named one of only five “heroes” to be honored by Colin Powell's charity, America's Promise. In 2004, Chef Trotter was awarded the “Humanitarian of the Year” award by the International Association of Culinary Professionals for his overall service to the community. And in 2008 he won both the StarChefs.com Chicago Rising Stars Mentor Award and StarChefs.com Community Innovator Award.
Albert Trummer
Apotheke - New York, NYMonday, September 21 11:30AM
Advanced Infusions and the Bar Apothecary
Biography
Some drink-makers call themselves bar chefs; some call themselves mixologists; Albert Trummer calls himself an apothéker. He crafts his cocktails with herbs and botanicals to create not just your average beverage, but an elixir. Trummer borrows techniques from the kitchen and apothecary to stir up masterpieces that blur the line between chemistry and art.
The Austrian-born apothéker makes a mission of importing obscure herbs and ingredients from Europe, and collecting recipes from monks and monasteries to make his herbal remedies and infusions. He is known in the industry as a cocktail artist; one who meticulously blends fresh fruits, botanicals, and secret elixirs to create his signature beverages.
Trummer now calls his Chinatown lounge (a former opium den) Apothéke home, which he opened in 2008 with partner (and food writer) Heather Tierney. Before that, Trummer worked for David Bouley, the Chambers Hotel, Home Bar on Shelter Island, and 60 Thompson.
Bart Vandaele
Belga Café – Washington, DCTuesday, September 22 10:00AM
Beer Meets Food: Belgian Beer’s Love Affair with Fine Dining Food
Biography
Surrounded by family members active in the food industry, including café managers, butchers, chefs, and restaurant owners, Bart Vandaele was practically destined to become a chef. He was raised in North Belgium and began his training early in life, claiming that even as a toddler his favorite playground was the kitchen.
The young Vandaele’s initial training came from his chef-father, who created traditional, regional Belgian cuisine in his own innovative style at the family’s restaurant. But Vandaele had his sights set on bigger kitchens outside of his hometown. He received culinary training at the Culinary Institute for Restaurant and Hotel Management in Brugge. And he gained much of his knowledge, drive, and creativity through his experiences at some of Europe’s top fine dining restaurants, such as Piet Huysentruyt and Restaurant Scholteshof, which received two Michelin stars while Vandaele served as sous chef under respected Chef Roger Souvereyns.
Vandaele’s next career move brought him to America’s capital, where he served as executive chef for the European Union’s head diplomat to the US, followed by the position of executive chef at the Dutch Embassy. But like many chefs, Vandaele's goal was to open his own restaurant. Still inspired by his native cuisine, the chef wanted to bring to DC a bit of his homeland; Belga Café was opened in 2004. In 2006, he was named a StarChefs.com DC Rising Star chef.
Over the last five years, the restaurant has elevated the common conception of Belgian cuisine for its diners, introducing many to the idiosyncrasies of Belgian cuisine. Not surprisingly, the Belgian chef has a deep love for beer, particularly those from his native land. Vandaele offers a vast menu of over 100 different beers at his restaurant, and uses beer in many of his dishes, including a dessert featuring Hoegaarden ice cream in Hoegaarden.
Dr. Cesar Vega
Washington DCMonday, September 21 9:00AM
Liquid Nitrogen 201
Biography
A native of Terrassa, Spain, Rubén García is the culinary director of ThinkFoodGroup, Chef José Andrés’ restaurant group. García works on menu development, quality control, special events and promotions, and provides leadership to the kitchens.
García has appeared at world-class culinary events like the Lo Mejor de la Gastronomia, Madrid Fusion, CIA Worlds of Flavor in California, and ICC in New York. García has also appeared on “The TODAY Show,” “Fretz Kitchen,” “Gambero Rosso,” and “Iron Chef America” assisting Chef Andrés.
Dr. Cesar Vega is a passionate cook, food scientist, and author. He earned his food engineering degree in Mexico, Masters in food science from the University of Guelph in Canada, Doctorate in food science from the University College Cork in Ireland, and culinary arts degree from Le Cordon Bleu.
Dr. Vega’s professional experience includes work at such companies as Procter & Gamble, Unilever, Dippin' Dots and Mars, Inc. As an accomplished author, Vega has co-authored the manuscript “Molecular Gastronomy: A Food Fad or Science Supporting Innovative Cuisine?” and is the editor-in-chief of the book The Kitchen as a Laboratory: Science Reflections Inspired by the Kitchen. Most recently, Vega joined the editorial board of the soon-to-be published International Journal of Gastronomy and Food Science.
David Waltuck
Chanterelle – New York, NYMonday, September 21 9:00AM
Rebirth: How to Re-Energize a 10+-Year-Old Restaurant
Biography
David Waltuck is a bit of a Manhattan chef legend—and for two very good reasons: He opened Chanterelle in 1979 when he was just 24 years old, and, after nearly 20 years in business, it’s still one of the top fine dining destinations in New York City.
Waltuck’s enduring skill and originality have earned him international renown and numerous awards. He first began cooking while studying biological oceanography in Manhattan in the early 70s. After a brief stint at The Culinary Institute of America, Waltuck spent two years as lunch chef at La Petite Ferme in New York City, and then set out to open Chanterelle with his wife Karen in a then-remote section of SoHo.
The chef’s French-inspired menu changes monthly and features seasonal ingredients from local farmers (some of whom he’s known since the early days of Chanterelle), as well as the finest seafood, game, and, of course, wild mushrooms. His extensive travels over the years have influenced his cooking style; although he remains firmly based in the French classical technique, he incorporates diverse flavors from Europe, the Far East, and other parts of the world.
Waltuck’s first book, Staff Meals from Chanterelle, debuted in July 2000. A second book, Chanterelle: The Story and Recipes of a Restaurant Classic, was published in October 2008. Among its many accolades, Chanterelle is proud to be the recipient of two James Beard Awards, for “Outstanding Restaurant” in 2004 and “Best Chef New York City” in 2007.
Always striving to keep Chantrelle fresh, Waltuck recently closed his landmark restaurant for renovation and will be reopening for its 30th anniversary this autumn.
Clark Wolf
Clark Wolf Company – New York, NYSunday, September 20 12:00PM
Keynote Panel: What is American Cuisine?
Biography
After thirty years of experience in the food industry, Clark Wolf has made a name for himself. Some call him a “merchandising maestro;” others refer to him as the “slam dunk, hit city food consultant;” and after the release of his book American Cheeses (Simon & Schuster, 2008), it wouldn’t be inappropriate to dub him a cheese guru.
But in addition to being a writer, editor, lecturer, and serving on several boards, Clark is first and foremost founder and president of Clark Wolf Company, a New York-based food and restaurant consulting firm. His most recent and current clients include the town of Seaside, Florida; Tabcorp, Australia; restaurant Florent in New York City; National Arts Club; Chefs Hubert Keller (Fleur de Lys at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas); Bradley Ogden (Bradley Ogden at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas); Rick Moonen (rm Las Vegas at Mandalay Bay); and Richard Sandoval (Zengo in Denver).
Wolf also hosts the NYU Critical Topics Series in New York, and is the Founding Chair of the Advisory Committee to New York University’s Department of Nutrition, Food Studies and Public Health, and now Special Advisor to NYU Fales Library’s Food Studies Collection.
Wolf made his entry into the world of food by way of cheese: he opened and managed a cheese and wine shop at the base of Nob Hill in San Francisco, where a chance meeting led to a lasting friendship with James Beard. Wolf next opened the San Francisco branch of the Oakville Grocery and retooled the original Napa Valley store. He was the first to retail Laura Chenel’s California Chevre and made it a mission to source similarly undiscovered products. Barbara Kafka lured Wolf to Manhattan in 1982 with an offer to open and run Star Spangled Foods; a year later he began traveling, lecturing, and consulting for specialty food retail stores. In 1986 Wolf formed Clark Wolf Company.
In 2008, Wolf was awarded the Silver Spoon from Food Arts, and in 2009 was inducted into the James Beard Foundation Who's Who, which he helped found in 1984 with Cook's Magazine.
Chris Young
Intellectual Ventures - Bellevue, WASunday, September 20 3:15PM
Patent Pending: Secrets from Food Scientists
Biography
Dr. Nathan Myhrvold and Chris Young bring real meaning to terms like mad kitchen science and whiz-chef. They both have backgrounds in science, mathematics, economics, physics—their credentials alone will make your head spin. But it’s their enthusiasm for innovation in culinary arts and food technology that sets them apart from your average scientists.
Young, who has degrees in mathematics and biochemistry from the University of Washington, was hired by Heston Blumenthal in 2003 to build and lead the research team at The Fat Duck. Over nearly five years, Young expanded the experimental kitchen to eight chefs and scientists, who together developed dozens of innovative techniques and recipes that helped The Fat Duck rise to become a top-rated restaurant in the world.
In late 2007, Young returned to Seattle to work with Dr. Nathan Myhrvold, a scientist and entrepreneur with degrees in mathematics, geophysics, and space science from UCLA and in mathematical economics and theoretical physics from Princeton. Dr. Myhrvold founded Microsoft Research in 1991 and served as the company’s first chief technology officer until 1999. He then co-founded Intellectual Ventures, a firm dedicated to creating and investing in inventions. Currently CEO of I.V., as well as one of its many inventors, Myhrvold has more than 100 patents to his credit, including several related to food technology.
An avid practitioner of modernist cuisine, Myhrvold worked for two years as a stagier at Rover’s in Seattle and trained at the Ecole de la Varenne in Burgundy. His original research on sous vide cooking has been published in numerous reports to eGullet and covered by the New York Times Magazine, Wired, and the Wall Street Journal.
Myhrvold and Young are currently writing a comprehensive book covering the techniques of traditional and modern cuisine and the science behind it.
Kate Zuckerman
Chanterelle – New York, NYSunday, September 20 9:00AM
Precision Pastry: Execution, Technique and Flavor
Biography
Kate Zuckerman got her culinary start as a line cook, but that was after she earned a degree in cultural anthropology from Princeton. A library wasn’t her scene, but a restaurant kitchen was. She started out doing apprenticeships in Boston under Lydia Shire at Biba and Rick Katz at The Bentonwood Bakery. She then worked as a savory cook, pastry cook, pastry stagier, and pastry chef at restaurants in San Francisco, Paris, and New York.
With practice and practical experience, Zuckerman mastered classic techniques and execution. She has been the pastry chef at Chanterelle since 1999; her desserts feature fresh, seasonal ingredients, cleanly executed design, and textural contrasts. Her overriding belief is in the centrality of simple, pure, complimentary flavor; her favorite combinations are coconut and cardamom and star anise and maple. Zuckerman’s menus, which change monthly, reflect a growing and evolving sensitivity towards sourcing and sustainability.
Zuckerman’s desserts have earned praise and been featured in Food + Wine, Art Culinaire, Food Arts, New York Observer, and Time Out New York. The New York Times described a tasting of her caramel desserts as a “life-changing experience.” Her first cookbook, The Sweet Life: Desserts from Chanterelle, was published in the fall of 2006.
VIEW BY DAY
Sun, September 20
Mon, September 21
Tue, September 22
VIEW BY SECTION
Main Stage
Pastry Hands-On Workshop
Business
Savory Demo
Wine
Savory Hands-On Workshop
Products Fair
Mixology
Pastry Demo
Sun, September 20
Kate Zuckerman
Chanterelle – New York, NY
Pastry Hands-On Workshop
9:00AM-10:00AM
Precision Pastry: Execution, Technique and Flavor
This workshop will explore maple syrup (the concentrated sap of the American Sugar Maple; a tree indigenous to North America) as a thematic flavor in desserts. Maple syrup is a distinctively North American product with a centuries-long tradition in regional use where the sugar maple grows. Along with an overview of maple syrup production, grading and terroir—the subtle flavor nuances that are dependant on climate, geologic conditions and soil—Zuckerman will present a set of recipes that highlight the various ways that the inimitable flavor of maple syrup can be used.
Zuckerman's presentation will focus primarily on techniques to reduce and concentrate the syrup, so that the maple flavor shines through in dessert preparations of varying temperatures and textures. She will also explore the palette of complementary flavors that magnify the characteristics of maple syrup in an effort to give chefs and pastry chefs more confidence in experimenting with the product.
With a deeper understanding of the production and culinary subtleties of maple syrup, as well as a hands-on experience, participants will emerge with a richer, more nuanced perspective on the use of this wonderful product—truly a staple ingredient of American cuisine.
Roy Choi
Kogi - Los Angeles, CA
Lev Ekster
CupcakeStop – New York, NY
Jerome Chang
DessertTruck – New York, NY
Josh Ozersky
Journalist - New York, NY
Business
9:00AM-10:00AM
Take it to the Streets: Restaurant Food in Trucks and Carts
The fragile state of the country’s economy is encouraging a recent and much-welcomed revival in street food. We’re not just talking hot dogs and kebabs—instead think high end desserts and innovative fusion cuisine worthy of any restaurant. Chefs and entrepreneurs of all backgrounds and motivations have taken to the streets to pawn their (baked) goods, and their entrepreneurial efforts are being met with wild success.
In this seminar, three food truck owners—Jerome Chang (DessertTruck, NY), Roy Choi (Kogi BBQ, LA) and Lev Ekster (Cupcake Stop, NY)—will discuss the pros, cons, and practicalities of starting a mobile eatery and how they’ve made it work. They will go through the steps including how to obtain a permit, how to pick a location, start-up and operation costs, profit margins, and how to keep customers informed of the menu and where the truck is parked. So why not take a cue and branch out from the traditional brick and mortar kitchen to bring your gourmet eats to the streets?
Zach Allen
B&B Ristorante, Carnevino, and Enoteca San Marco – Las Vegas, NV
Savory Demo
9:00AM-10:00AM
The Charcuterie Equation
As overseer of the charcuterie programs across the Mario Batali restaurant empire, Las Vegas-based Zach Allen is one of the most highly regarded chef-charcutiers in the country. In this demonstration, Allen will cover the basics for executing quality charcuterie and focus on areas that require special attention: pH, temperature and humidity control, HACCP standards, the fermentation process, and the importance of a meticulous documentation method. Naturally, the quality of the raw product—in this case mainly pork—is a huge concern. Allen will offer his take on how the genetics, rearing and slaughtering can make or break your curing program.
In his hands-on workshop, Allen will go more in depth into the topic with the audience participating in making two different types of charcuterie. Allen will discuss the many different ways that items may be cured. Other topics will include smoking, brining, dry and “quick curing”, sausage-making, and will share a clever way to utilize the “waste” from salumi-making.
Richard Blais
Trail Blais – Atlanta, GA
Savory Demo
10:10AM-11:10AM
Breakfast in B Minor: Progressive Techniques in Breakfast Cookery
In a prelude to his new conceptual project tentatively titled, “A.M.”, Richard Blais will exhibit progressive techniques in breakfast cookery. From the traditional to the extraordinary, Blais will demonstrate the wide variety of applications for the iSi product line. Using the iSi Gourmet Whip, Blais will demonstrate its versatility by preparing simple buckwheat pancakes with extraordinary results. In another preparation, Blais will give attendees a fresh take on corned beef hash in which sous vide corned beef terrine is cold smoked, again using a food whipper. Blais will also exhibit innovative methods for poached whipped eggs (using the iSi Gourmet Whip), dry iced coffee (using the iSi Thermo Whip), whipped maple foam, and a brown butter that is pulverized with liquid nitrogen.
Eric & Bruce Bromberg
Blue Ribbon Restaurants – New York and Brooklyn, NY
Wine
10:10AM-11:10AM
What's the Buzz About Honey?
In this interactive tasting seminar Bruce and Eric Bromberg, owners of New York City’s Blue Ribbon restaurants and Blue Ribbon Bakery, will present single and multi-varietal honeys from their honey farm in Atlixco, Mexico. In order to make single varietal honey, the bees are kept to a certain part of the valley during spring when only the mesquite tree is in bloom. This results in straightforward sugar taste, much like sugar cane. In multi-varietal honey, the bees are pollinating more than one type of flower, which lends to the honey a more complex taste.
The brothers will discuss each honey’s attributes, flavors and qualities and how they pair them with various foods and flavors. The Bromberg brothers will also explain how they, as chefs and restaurateurs, came to import the honey and their relationship with the owner, Felix Vacuero. Participants will learn about the processes, vegetation, and flora and fauna that make up this distinctive honey. Participants will have the opportunity to taste honey and food pairings selected by Bruce and Eric Bromberg.
Bruno Goussault
Cuisine Solutions, Inc. – Alexandria, VA
Savory Hands-On Workshop
10:10AM-11:10AM
So You Think You're Sous Vide Savvy
In this workshop, sous vide pioneer and expert Bruno Goussault will introduce his latest innovations in techniques for cooking under vacuum. Sous vide might be a very technical method of cooking, using exact temperatures and cooking times, but there's a huge potential for creativity in terms of what products you sous vide and how you prepare them prior to cooking.
Using a whole John Dory as the subject of demonstration, Goussault will explain in depth what goes on inside the bag while demonstrating how sous vide techniques can help enhance the taste of a lean fish.
Boris Portnoy
SucrePunch – San Francisco, CA
Pastry Hands-On Workshop
10:10AM-11:10AM
TechniqColor: Color Transfer Inspired by Modern Art
In this hands-on workshop, Pastry Chef Boris Portnoy will explore the merits of using art as inspiration in the pastry arts. Working with cocoa-based color, chocolate, and sugars, participants will create colorful pastry pieces that enrich the visual presentation of a dish. Portnoy will teach color transfer technique inspired by modern printmaker Robert Rauschenberg. He will also demonstrate a chocolate showpiece inspired by sculptor Richard Serra and a sugar sculpture based on artist Mario Metz’s “Triplo Igloo”.
The 2009 New York Rising Stars
Business
10:10AM-11:10AM
How to Make It: The 2009 StarChefs.com New York: Rising Stars
This year’s New York Rising Stars award winners will come together to share their version of what works and what doesn’t—what they regret and what they’d do all over again—in a candid, informative, and often entertaining “How to Make It” chefs panel.
The path of each chef is different and so are their destinations; however, they all share ambition, an uncompromising palate, a sense of culinary identity, pride in their work, and a timely concept. In lieu of a clear roadmap to success, they’ll instead offer their humorous industry anecdotes, trying times, and passionate perspectives, leaving their audience inspired to get back to their kitchens and do what they do best: make it.
Antoinette Bruno
starchefs.com - New York, NY
Will Blunt
starchefs.com - New York, NY
Main Stage
11:30AM-11:45AM
Welcome / Welcome Address: 2009 Culinary Trends Report: A Look Forward and Back
Matt & Ted Lee
Authors – New York, NY
Main Stage
11:45AM-12:00PM
Keynote Address
Emeril Lagasse
Emeril's - New Orleans, LA
Charlie Trotter
Charlie Trotter’s – Chicago, IL
Norman Van Aken
Norman's – Miami, FL
Clark Wolf
Clark Wolf Company – New York, NY
Main Stage
12:00PM-12:45PM
Keynote Panel: What is American Cuisine?
The keynote panel for this year’s International Chefs Congress will feature three chefs who have helped shape modern American cuisine: Emeril Lagasse, Charlie Trotter, and Norman Van Aken. The trio, who have been friends since the 1980’s, are self-described as “The Triangle”. Throughout their careers—and long before the media was involved in all things culinary—each of the chefs have always tried to dynamically represent their corner of the country (New Orleans, Chicago, and Florida) through their respective cooking styles.
Author Clark Wolf will moderate a discussion about the role each chef has played in the recent evolution of American cuisine and how they came to be leaders in the industry. Lagasse, Trotter, and Van Aken will provide their insight into the roots of modern American cooking as it was igniting. They will also help provide a perspective for the audience to realize how culinary artists—much like musicians or painters—continue to evolve and seek excellence.
The “triangle” will explore the meaning of American cuisine and what it has become today. In a question and answer session with the audience, the panel will conclude with a discussion about the future of American cuisine.
David Bouley
Bouley - New York, NY
Main Stage
12:45PM-1:30PM
Paris to Tokyo: French Cuisine, Japanese Techniques
Over a long, illustrious career learning from some of the greatest of culinary luminaries, New York chef David Bouley has combined his American upbringing with French culinary training and Japanese influences. He returns to the main stage of the International Chefs Congress this year to share the latest findings from his test kitchen. Bouley will demonstrate techniques and discuss his culinary philosophy. His featured recipe—Malibu Sea Urchin Terrine with Creme Fraiche, Caviar, and Fresh Kinome—exemplifies his culinary style and panache for elegant fusion of cultures and flavors.
Charles Curtis MW
Christies - New York, NY
Wine
12:45PM-2:00PM
Buying and Selling Wine at Auction
The country’s top sommeliers often source old, rare, and hard-to-find wines at auction—and for good reason. Charles Curtis, MW, head of Christie's North American Wine Sales, will walk the audience through the process from beginning to end, explaining how to use this channel to access old and rare wines at prices well below wholesale. Curtis will cover the mechanics of a wine auction in full. Some of the topics of discussion include: how to navigate a wine catalogue, how to set up an account with the auction house, how to successfully bid on a wine, and how to arrange delivery. For restaurants with an excess inventory, the details of consigning wine and negotiating a contract will also be discussed.
In the second part of the presentation, Curtis will provide an overview of the latest trends in wine auctions for various varietals and regions. The presentation will conclude with a tasting of the diverse types of wine that one might find at auction.
Lunch
Products Fair
1:30PM-2:30PM
Sun, September 20 Lunch
Yoshihiro Murata
Kikunoi - Kyoto, Japan
Main Stage
2:15PM-3:00PM
The Quest for Umami
Kaiseki is a style of Japanese cooking that expresses the kisetsu, or season. Chef Yoshihiro Murata, one of the most respected kaiseki chefs in the world, will explore the meaning and application of kaiseki. Murata will address his view that kaiseki must express umami, nigami, or bitterness (which is identified by tannins), and kaori, or aromas. Although there is not a specific technique, ingredient, or seasoning that defines or characterizes kaiseki, the season must be expressed on the plate in order for it to be considered kaiseki. One way to express the season in a dish is by naturally extracting umami flavors that are focused and harmonious, as well as by utilizing nigami and kaori, which Murata will demonstrate.
He will go into further detail in his interactive workshop, where participants will engage, with Murata's lead, in creating kaiseki dishes.
Jim Clarke
Megu – New York, NY
George Geris
Marlborough Winery – Marlborough, New Zealand
Simon Buck
RO Imports – New York, NY
Fraser Mackenzie
Pernod Ricard – New York, NY
Wine
2:45PM-4:00PM
Pinot Passion, The Difference a Day Makes
Chris Young
Intellectual Ventures - Bellevue, WA
Nathan Myhrvold
Intellectual Ventures - Bellevue, WA
Main Stage
3:15PM-4:00PM
Patent Pending: Secrets from Food Scientists
As much scientists as they are cooks, Nathan Myhrvold and Chris Young of Intellectual Ventures have been heavily involved with chefs and restaurants at the forefront of modernist cuisine. Myhrvold and Young will preview their forthcoming book and demonstrate some of the innovative techniques made possible with freeze dryers, centrifuges, homogenizers, and other equipment more commonly found in research laboratories. Additionally, they will demonstrate the benefits of combining modernist approaches, such as freeze drying and cryo-searing as an alternative to the time-tested traditional approaches of deep-frying and roasting.
Junior Merino
The Liquid Chef - New York, NY
Mixology
3:30PM-4:30PM
Sabor Latino in Cocktails
Latin cocktails in the US are too often associated with margaritas and mojitos. The cocktail heritage in Latin America goes well beyond those two usual suspects and in this hands-on mixology session, seasoned mixologist Junior Merino will take the audience on an exotic trip through his Latin heritage and Latin-influenced style of mixology.
Merino will prepare batidas (Brazilian-style cocktails made using fresh fruit juices and purees, condensed milk and cachaça) and demonstrate proper "machecar" (or muddling) techniques. Merino will lead participants in a hands-on cocktail “lab” with experiments using Latin spirits (such as tequila, mezcal, and cachaça) and unorthodox ingredients like chiles, hibiscus, peanuts, and rice-based horchata.
Network
Products Fair
4:00PM-4:45PM
Network
April Bloomfield
The Spotted Pig – New York, NY
Main Stage
4:45PM-5:30PM
Pig, Pig, Pig
With head-to-tail cooking and artisanal charcuterie programs popping up across the country, chefs are increasingly looking to local and small-scale farms to supply whole animals.
In this main stage presentation, acclaimed British chef April Bloomfield of the highly successful New York restaurant The Spotted Pig and the soon to open Breslin will be demonstrating the breakdown of a whole suckling pig into the primal cuts. The pig in question is one of the prized St. Canut piglets, raised on warm milk in Quebec’s Laurentian mountains. They are known for their delicate taste and incomparable tenderness.
The featured dish will focus on the belly of the pig. After butterflying the belly and rolling it pancetta-style, Bloomfield will slow-poach the belly and fry the ears, pairing the two with an onion puree and confit garlic.
Pierre Gagnaire
Pierre Gagnaire – Paris, France
Main Stage
5:30PM-6:15PM
Creativity à la Minute
It’s easy to plan a meal when you know the ingredients ahead of time. But it takes a special breed of chef to concoct a memorable dish on the spot—and in front of a chef audience—with a basket of ingredients of which the contents are unknown.
Who better to challenge in this manner than one of the masters of creativity in ingredient preparation and combination? In this main stage presentation, world-renowned chef and restaurateur Pierre Gagnaire will demonstrate the art of spontaneously cooking with a mystery basket of American ingredients. Once on stage, Gagnaire will be presented with a basket of surprise ingredients (sneak peek: it will feature three artisanal Wisconsin cheeses) and create six dishes in his inimitable style, á la minute.
Sun, September 20
Kate Zuckerman
Chanterelle – New York, NY
Pastry Hands-On Workshop
9:00AM-10:00AM
Precision Pastry: Execution, Technique and Flavor
This workshop will explore maple syrup (the concentrated sap of the American Sugar Maple; a tree indigenous to North America) as a thematic flavor in desserts. Maple syrup is a distinctively North American product with a centuries-long tradition in regional use where the sugar maple grows. Along with an overview of maple syrup production, grading and terroir—the subtle flavor nuances that are dependant on climate, geologic conditions and soil—Zuckerman will present a set of recipes that highlight the various ways that the inimitable flavor of maple syrup can be used.
Zuckerman's presentation will focus primarily on techniques to reduce and concentrate the syrup, so that the maple flavor shines through in dessert preparations of varying temperatures and textures. She will also explore the palette of complementary flavors that magnify the characteristics of maple syrup in an effort to give chefs and pastry chefs more confidence in experimenting with the product.
With a deeper understanding of the production and culinary subtleties of maple syrup, as well as a hands-on experience, participants will emerge with a richer, more nuanced perspective on the use of this wonderful product—truly a staple ingredient of American cuisine.
Roy Choi
Kogi - Los Angeles, CA
Lev Ekster
CupcakeStop – New York, NY
Jerome Chang
DessertTruck – New York, NY
Josh Ozersky
Journalist - New York, NY
Business
9:00AM-10:00AM
Take it to the Streets: Restaurant Food in Trucks and Carts
The fragile state of the country’s economy is encouraging a recent and much-welcomed revival in street food. We’re not just talking hot dogs and kebabs—instead think high end desserts and innovative fusion cuisine worthy of any restaurant. Chefs and entrepreneurs of all backgrounds and motivations have taken to the streets to pawn their (baked) goods, and their entrepreneurial efforts are being met with wild success.
In this seminar, three food truck owners—Jerome Chang (DessertTruck, NY), Roy Choi (Kogi BBQ, LA) and Lev Ekster (Cupcake Stop, NY)—will discuss the pros, cons, and practicalities of starting a mobile eatery and how they’ve made it work. They will go through the steps including how to obtain a permit, how to pick a location, start-up and operation costs, profit margins, and how to keep customers informed of the menu and where the truck is parked. So why not take a cue and branch out from the traditional brick and mortar kitchen to bring your gourmet eats to the streets?
Zach Allen
B&B Ristorante, Carnevino, and Enoteca San Marco – Las Vegas, NV
Savory Demo
9:00AM-10:00AM
The Charcuterie Equation
As overseer of the charcuterie programs across the Mario Batali restaurant empire, Las Vegas-based Zach Allen is one of the most highly regarded chef-charcutiers in the country. In this demonstration, Allen will cover the basics for executing quality charcuterie and focus on areas that require special attention: pH, temperature and humidity control, HACCP standards, the fermentation process, and the importance of a meticulous documentation method. Naturally, the quality of the raw product—in this case mainly pork—is a huge concern. Allen will offer his take on how the genetics, rearing and slaughtering can make or break your curing program.
In his hands-on workshop, Allen will go more in depth into the topic with the audience participating in making two different types of charcuterie. Allen will discuss the many different ways that items may be cured. Other topics will include smoking, brining, dry and “quick curing”, sausage-making, and will share a clever way to utilize the “waste” from salumi-making.
Richard Blais
Trail Blais – Atlanta, GA
Savory Demo
10:10AM-11:10AM
Breakfast in B Minor: Progressive Techniques in Breakfast Cookery
In a prelude to his new conceptual project tentatively titled, “A.M.”, Richard Blais will exhibit progressive techniques in breakfast cookery. From the traditional to the extraordinary, Blais will demonstrate the wide variety of applications for the iSi product line. Using the iSi Gourmet Whip, Blais will demonstrate its versatility by preparing simple buckwheat pancakes with extraordinary results. In another preparation, Blais will give attendees a fresh take on corned beef hash in which sous vide corned beef terrine is cold smoked, again using a food whipper. Blais will also exhibit innovative methods for poached whipped eggs (using the iSi Gourmet Whip), dry iced coffee (using the iSi Thermo Whip), whipped maple foam, and a brown butter that is pulverized with liquid nitrogen.
Eric & Bruce Bromberg
Blue Ribbon Restaurants – New York and Brooklyn, NY
Wine
10:10AM-11:10AM
What's the Buzz About Honey?
In this interactive tasting seminar Bruce and Eric Bromberg, owners of New York City’s Blue Ribbon restaurants and Blue Ribbon Bakery, will present single and multi-varietal honeys from their honey farm in Atlixco, Mexico. In order to make single varietal honey, the bees are kept to a certain part of the valley during spring when only the mesquite tree is in bloom. This results in straightforward sugar taste, much like sugar cane. In multi-varietal honey, the bees are pollinating more than one type of flower, which lends to the honey a more complex taste.
The brothers will discuss each honey’s attributes, flavors and qualities and how they pair them with various foods and flavors. The Bromberg brothers will also explain how they, as chefs and restaurateurs, came to import the honey and their relationship with the owner, Felix Vacuero. Participants will learn about the processes, vegetation, and flora and fauna that make up this distinctive honey. Participants will have the opportunity to taste honey and food pairings selected by Bruce and Eric Bromberg.
Bruno Goussault
Cuisine Solutions, Inc. – Alexandria, VA
Savory Hands-On Workshop
10:10AM-11:10AM
So You Think You're Sous Vide Savvy
In this workshop, sous vide pioneer and expert Bruno Goussault will introduce his latest innovations in techniques for cooking under vacuum. Sous vide might be a very technical method of cooking, using exact temperatures and cooking times, but there's a huge potential for creativity in terms of what products you sous vide and how you prepare them prior to cooking.
Using a whole John Dory as the subject of demonstration, Goussault will explain in depth what goes on inside the bag while demonstrating how sous vide techniques can help enhance the taste of a lean fish.
Boris Portnoy
SucrePunch – San Francisco, CA
Pastry Hands-On Workshop
10:10AM-11:10AM
TechniqColor: Color Transfer Inspired by Modern Art
In this hands-on workshop, Pastry Chef Boris Portnoy will explore the merits of using art as inspiration in the pastry arts. Working with cocoa-based color, chocolate, and sugars, participants will create colorful pastry pieces that enrich the visual presentation of a dish. Portnoy will teach color transfer technique inspired by modern printmaker Robert Rauschenberg. He will also demonstrate a chocolate showpiece inspired by sculptor Richard Serra and a sugar sculpture based on artist Mario Metz’s “Triplo Igloo”.
The 2009 New York Rising Stars
Business
10:10AM-11:10AM
How to Make It: The 2009 StarChefs.com New York: Rising Stars
This year’s New York Rising Stars award winners will come together to share their version of what works and what doesn’t—what they regret and what they’d do all over again—in a candid, informative, and often entertaining “How to Make It” chefs panel.
The path of each chef is different and so are their destinations; however, they all share ambition, an uncompromising palate, a sense of culinary identity, pride in their work, and a timely concept. In lieu of a clear roadmap to success, they’ll instead offer their humorous industry anecdotes, trying times, and passionate perspectives, leaving their audience inspired to get back to their kitchens and do what they do best: make it.
Antoinette Bruno
starchefs.com - New York, NY
Will Blunt
starchefs.com - New York, NY
Main Stage
11:30AM-11:45AM
Welcome / Welcome Address: 2009 Culinary Trends Report: A Look Forward and Back
Matt & Ted Lee
Authors – New York, NY
Main Stage
11:45AM-12:00PM
Keynote Address
Emeril Lagasse
Emeril's - New Orleans, LA
Charlie Trotter
Charlie Trotter’s – Chicago, IL
Norman Van Aken
Norman's – Miami, FL
Clark Wolf
Clark Wolf Company – New York, NY
Main Stage
12:00PM-12:45PM
Keynote Panel: What is American Cuisine?
The keynote panel for this year’s International Chefs Congress will feature three chefs who have helped shape modern American cuisine: Emeril Lagasse, Charlie Trotter, and Norman Van Aken. The trio, who have been friends since the 1980’s, are self-described as “The Triangle”. Throughout their careers—and long before the media was involved in all things culinary—each of the chefs have always tried to dynamically represent their corner of the country (New Orleans, Chicago, and Florida) through their respective cooking styles.
Author Clark Wolf will moderate a discussion about the role each chef has played in the recent evolution of American cuisine and how they came to be leaders in the industry. Lagasse, Trotter, and Van Aken will provide their insight into the roots of modern American cooking as it was igniting. They will also help provide a perspective for the audience to realize how culinary artists—much like musicians or painters—continue to evolve and seek excellence.
The “triangle” will explore the meaning of American cuisine and what it has become today. In a question and answer session with the audience, the panel will conclude with a discussion about the future of American cuisine.
David Bouley
Bouley - New York, NY
Main Stage
12:45PM-1:30PM
Paris to Tokyo: French Cuisine, Japanese Techniques
Over a long, illustrious career learning from some of the greatest of culinary luminaries, New York chef David Bouley has combined his American upbringing with French culinary training and Japanese influences. He returns to the main stage of the International Chefs Congress this year to share the latest findings from his test kitchen. Bouley will demonstrate techniques and discuss his culinary philosophy. His featured recipe—Malibu Sea Urchin Terrine with Creme Fraiche, Caviar, and Fresh Kinome—exemplifies his culinary style and panache for elegant fusion of cultures and flavors.
Charles Curtis MW
Christies - New York, NY
Wine
12:45PM-2:00PM
Buying and Selling Wine at Auction
The country’s top sommeliers often source old, rare, and hard-to-find wines at auction—and for good reason. Charles Curtis, MW, head of Christie's North American Wine Sales, will walk the audience through the process from beginning to end, explaining how to use this channel to access old and rare wines at prices well below wholesale. Curtis will cover the mechanics of a wine auction in full. Some of the topics of discussion include: how to navigate a wine catalogue, how to set up an account with the auction house, how to successfully bid on a wine, and how to arrange delivery. For restaurants with an excess inventory, the details of consigning wine and negotiating a contract will also be discussed.
In the second part of the presentation, Curtis will provide an overview of the latest trends in wine auctions for various varietals and regions. The presentation will conclude with a tasting of the diverse types of wine that one might find at auction.
Lunch
Products Fair
1:30PM-2:30PM
Sun, September 20 Lunch
Yoshihiro Murata
Kikunoi - Kyoto, Japan
Main Stage
2:15PM-3:00PM
The Quest for Umami
Kaiseki is a style of Japanese cooking that expresses the kisetsu, or season. Chef Yoshihiro Murata, one of the most respected kaiseki chefs in the world, will explore the meaning and application of kaiseki. Murata will address his view that kaiseki must express umami, nigami, or bitterness (which is identified by tannins), and kaori, or aromas. Although there is not a specific technique, ingredient, or seasoning that defines or characterizes kaiseki, the season must be expressed on the plate in order for it to be considered kaiseki. One way to express the season in a dish is by naturally extracting umami flavors that are focused and harmonious, as well as by utilizing nigami and kaori, which Murata will demonstrate.
He will go into further detail in his interactive workshop, where participants will engage, with Murata's lead, in creating kaiseki dishes.
Jim Clarke
Megu – New York, NY
George Geris
Marlborough Winery – Marlborough, New Zealand
Simon Buck
RO Imports – New York, NY
Fraser Mackenzie
Pernod Ricard – New York, NY
Wine
2:45PM-4:00PM
Pinot Passion, The Difference a Day Makes
Chris Young
Intellectual Ventures - Bellevue, WA
Nathan Myhrvold
Intellectual Ventures - Bellevue, WA
Main Stage
3:15PM-4:00PM
Patent Pending: Secrets from Food Scientists
As much scientists as they are cooks, Nathan Myhrvold and Chris Young of Intellectual Ventures have been heavily involved with chefs and restaurants at the forefront of modernist cuisine. Myhrvold and Young will preview their forthcoming book and demonstrate some of the innovative techniques made possible with freeze dryers, centrifuges, homogenizers, and other equipment more commonly found in research laboratories. Additionally, they will demonstrate the benefits of combining modernist approaches, such as freeze drying and cryo-searing as an alternative to the time-tested traditional approaches of deep-frying and roasting.
Junior Merino
The Liquid Chef - New York, NY
Mixology
3:30PM-4:30PM
Sabor Latino in Cocktails
Latin cocktails in the US are too often associated with margaritas and mojitos. The cocktail heritage in Latin America goes well beyond those two usual suspects and in this hands-on mixology session, seasoned mixologist Junior Merino will take the audience on an exotic trip through his Latin heritage and Latin-influenced style of mixology.
Merino will prepare batidas (Brazilian-style cocktails made using fresh fruit juices and purees, condensed milk and cachaça) and demonstrate proper "machecar" (or muddling) techniques. Merino will lead participants in a hands-on cocktail “lab” with experiments using Latin spirits (such as tequila, mezcal, and cachaça) and unorthodox ingredients like chiles, hibiscus, peanuts, and rice-based horchata.
Network
Products Fair
4:00PM-4:45PM
Network
April Bloomfield
The Spotted Pig – New York, NY
Main Stage
4:45PM-5:30PM
Pig, Pig, Pig
With head-to-tail cooking and artisanal charcuterie programs popping up across the country, chefs are increasingly looking to local and small-scale farms to supply whole animals.
In this main stage presentation, acclaimed British chef April Bloomfield of the highly successful New York restaurant The Spotted Pig and the soon to open Breslin will be demonstrating the breakdown of a whole suckling pig into the primal cuts. The pig in question is one of the prized St. Canut piglets, raised on warm milk in Quebec’s Laurentian mountains. They are known for their delicate taste and incomparable tenderness.
The featured dish will focus on the belly of the pig. After butterflying the belly and rolling it pancetta-style, Bloomfield will slow-poach the belly and fry the ears, pairing the two with an onion puree and confit garlic.
Pierre Gagnaire
Pierre Gagnaire – Paris, France
Main Stage
5:30PM-6:15PM
Creativity à la Minute
It’s easy to plan a meal when you know the ingredients ahead of time. But it takes a special breed of chef to concoct a memorable dish on the spot—and in front of a chef audience—with a basket of ingredients of which the contents are unknown.
Who better to challenge in this manner than one of the masters of creativity in ingredient preparation and combination? In this main stage presentation, world-renowned chef and restaurateur Pierre Gagnaire will demonstrate the art of spontaneously cooking with a mystery basket of American ingredients. Once on stage, Gagnaire will be presented with a basket of surprise ingredients (sneak peek: it will feature three artisanal Wisconsin cheeses) and create six dishes in his inimitable style, á la minute.
Mon, September 21
Will Blunt
starchefs.com - New York, NY
David Waltuck
Chanterelle – New York, NY
Rick Tramonto
Tru - Chicago, IL
Business
9:00AM-10:00AM
Rebirth: How to Re-Energize a 10+-Year-Old Restaurant
Opening a restaurant is a complicated enough enterprise, but what about keeping an established restaurant from becoming economically and culinarily stagnant? Chefs and restaurateurs behind businesses that have passed the test of time have clearly gotten a few things right, but even they know they can’t just rest on their laurels. In this panel moderated by StarChefs.com Managing Editor, Will Blunt, industry veterans Rick Tramonto and David Waltuck will share how they’ve managed to keep their senior restaurants fresh.
Whether you have to revamp, revitalize or rebrand, the chefs will discuss the challenges they have faced and how they have managed not only to stay in business, but to keep packing in the customers. And in light of the current economy, everyone needs to continue to make sure they put their best foot forward.
Gabriel Bremer
Salts – Cambridge, MA
Savory Demo
9:00AM-10:00AM
The Art of Presentation: Making “Eatable Art”
For Chef Gabriel Bremer of Boston’s Salts, plating presentation starts with an inspired idea: a change in season, a new ingredient, a walk through the woods, a trip to the farmer’s market, or an interesting piece of architecture. As Bremer says, presentation is the chef’s personal expression of his craft and one of his gifts to the diner. Its purpose is to excite the human senses.
In his savory workshop, Bremer will display his plating style and explain his views on the role of the chef as an artist. With a combination of French and modern Spanish techniques supplemented by the elegance and simplicity of Japanese design, he will share several cooking methods to create what he calls “eatable art.” Bremer will discuss his thought process for composing a dish, the importance of choosing the right size and shape of a plate, how choosing the right garnish can complete a final dish, and how the dining experience can be a form of entertainment to guests.
Ruben Garcia
ThinkFoodGroup - Washington, D.C.
Dr. Cesar Vega
Washington DC
Savory Hands-On Workshop
9:00AM-10:00AM
Liquid Nitrogen 201
It’s clear, odorless, tasteless, and it freezes foods at lightning speed. Chances are you’ve seen ice cream, sorbets, or even frozen cocktails emerge from its swirling mists. Liquid nitrogen is an undeniably fun kitchen toy—but more than that, it’s a useful tool for creating unusual textures.
Even for chefs who are fairly experienced liquid nitrogen users, there're always a couple more things to learn. The chef-scientists behind Jose Andres’ ThinkFood Group will get into the cold truth on the hows and whys of handling liquid nitrogen, including how to store it if you plan on making heavy use if it.
Paco Torreblanca
Pasteleria Totel - Alicante, Spain
Pastry Hands-On Workshop
9:00AM-10:00AM
Mano a Mano with a Pastry Master
George Geris
Marlborough Winery – Marlborough, New Zealand
Wine
10:00AM-11:15AM
New Zealand and the Art of Sustainable Wines
By the year 2010, New Zealand plans to have an entirely sustainable wine industry. Join a tasting and in-depth conversation with New Zealand star vintner George Geris of Villa Maria Estates, one of the biggest vineyards in New Zealand. He will share his insight into sustainable wines and will shed light on the debate over the differences between sustainable, biodynamic, and organic wine production. The workshop will feature a selection of sustainable red and white wines from New Zealand and will culminate in a tasting.
Grant Achatz
Alinea - Chicago, IL
Antoinette Bruno
starchefs.com - New York, NY
Roy Choi
Kogi - Los Angeles, CA
Kelly Choi
Television Personality – New York, NY
Francis Lam
Gourmet.com – New York, NY
Business
10:10AM-11:10AM
The Power of Twitter
Whether you’re just starting out or have an established restaurant, drumming up business is no easy feat. And with countless new forms of social media, it can certainly seem challenging to navigate the world wide web and all its resources. Businesses and individuals alike are using these new outlets to promote themselves and their services. This presentation will focus on the power of the Twitter networking site, and how you can get the most out of your 140-character "tweets" to create buzz about you and your restaurant. Your answer to the question "What are you doing right now?" can indeed contribute to a healthier bottom line.
Antoinette Bruno, Editor-in-Chief of StarChefs.com, will discuss how she has seen chefs successfully using twitter in her editorial travels. She will be joined by Grant Achatz of Alinea, Kelly Choi, host of Top Chef Masters, and Roy Choi of Kogi BBQ in LA. Although it can seem limiting to keep entries so short, Bruno and Choi will offer advice on how to pack the most in, and discuss the value in self-editing.
Sean Brock
McCrady’s Restaurant – Charleston, SC
Savory Hands-On Workshop
10:10AM-11:10AM
Bringing Back American Heirloom Ingredients
Lowcountry cuisine—the style of cooking associated with the South Carolina’s coastal counties and part of the Georgia coast, is arguably one of the original forms of American cuisine.
As executive chef at McCrady’s in Charleston, SC, Sean Brock knows a thing or two about Lowcountry cuisine and the importance of preserving its heritage. In this presentation, Brock will engage in a discussion of the past, present and future of the Lowcountry region. A self-described farmer, pig wrangler, horticulturalist and scientist, Chef Sean Brock of McCrady's developed a 2.5 acre farm on Wadmalaw Island, SC, creating a true field-to-table experience for his diners. McCrady's front and back-of-the-house staff work the farm together to produce 90% of the vegetables for the restaurant. Brock will be presenting pre-Civil War organic ingredients, such as heirloom varieties of corn, rice, peas, hominy, and farro—all which have been preserved from extinction by the island's farmers.
Brock will present varieties of heritage foods, including Jimmy Red heirloom corn, Carolina Gold rice, Sea Island Red Peas, Henry Moore Yellow Hominy Corn, Farro Piccolo, and more—and the arduous process by which these pre-Civil War organic ingredients have been brought back by the Lowcountry farmers, chefs and historians. Brock will go into greater detail as well as lead a hands-on workshop using these heirloom ingredients in modern applications.
Charles Phan
The Slanted Door - San Francisco, CA
Savory Hands-On Workshop
10:10AM-11:10AM
Vietnam in America: Adapting Vietnamese Street Food
Maura Kilpatrick
Oleana, Sofra – Cambridge, MA
Pastry Demo
10:10AM-11:10AM
Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice: Middle Eastern-Inspired Pastry
Sofra is a Turkish/Arabic word that means a picnic on a rug; a special table preparation of food; or a small square killim rug. It is also synonymous with generosity and hospitality. Pastry Chef Maura Kilpatrick named her Middle Eastern bakery after this word in hopes of capturing its essence. Kilpatrick and chef-partner Ana Sortun (of Boston's Oleana) wanted to create a place that would make diners feel welcoming and familiar yet transport them to another place with the flavors. Sofra’s specialty is taking Middle Eastern classics and creating their own version.
In this demonstration, Kilpatrick will showcase some of Sofra’s specialty items such as their distinctive spice blends. She will prepare Chocolate Hazelnut Baklava with a Cocoa Honey Syrup, Palace Bread (a honey and rose caramelized bread from an ancient recipe) and two types of milk puddings. One pudding will be used as filling for Kunefe (a Turkish dessert made with syrup soaked shredded phyllo) and the other will be cold made with yogurt and candy floss. Under Kilpatrick's direction, workshop participants will come away inspired and confident about using these select Middle Eastern spices in pastry applications.
Albert Trummer
Apotheke - New York, NY
Mixology
11:30AM-12:30PM
Advanced Infusions and the Bar Apothecary
Infusing liquor with fruits and vegetables is one of the foremost trends in the current American mixology scene, but what happens when the technique is taken beyond the basics? In this interactive workshop, Mixologist/Apothéker Albert Trummer of New York’s Apothéke will share his techniques for infusing liquors with exotic herbs, spices, and rare liqueurs to create complex, exciting new flavors for cocktails. Bridging bar and apothecary, Trummer will focus on infusions and additives that can affect moods and that have curative powers. He will demonstrate how to use special herbs and botanicals to infuse, reduce and create some of his signature essences. Trummer will then explain the process of determining their medicinal effects and how mixologists can use this knowledge to design and implement these ideas and techniques on their bar menus.
Johnny Iuzzini
Jean Georges – New York, NY
Sam Mason
Tailor - New York, NY
Alex Stupak
wd~50 – New York, NY
Main Stage
11:30AM-12:30PM
Three Men and a Dessert
What happens when you put three of New York City's leading pastry chefs on the main stage and give them the mic? Find out when Johnny Iuzzini (of Jean Georges), Sam Mason (of Tailor), and Alex Stupak (of wd~50) converge on stage to demonstrate their newest ideas, thrash out the ins and outs of various hyper-modern techniques, and ultimately collaborate to create an über-modern take on an American dessert.
This meeting of the minds will showcase their individual takes on pastry and involve an in-depth discussion about the state of modern dessert methodology. (Warning: copious amounts of meringue and hair gel may be used—but not necessarily in the dessert.)
José Andrés
ThinkFoodGroup – Washington, DC
Main Stage
12:30PM-1:30PM
American Cuisine Through a Spanish Lens
How does frying pancakes in olive oil change their whole character? Where does the change in process fall in the evolution of the pancake? In this main stage presentation, Washington, DC-based Spanish chef José Andres will offer his interpretation of traditional American cuisine, examining how American dishes become richer as other cultures contribute new layers. Using classic American recipes like New England Clam Chowder as a starting point, Andres will demonstrate cultural interpretations of these dishes, using avant garde—yet often simple—techniques.
Tim Atkin MW
Writer – London, England
Charles Curtis MW
Christies - New York, NY
Lisa Granik MW
Empire Merchants – New York, NY
Wine
1:00PM-2:15PM
Grand Masters Slam
So you think you can stump a Master of Wine? The Congress Grand Masters Slam will provide the opportunity to challenge a trio of three seasoned and well-traveled wine experts with any burning questions or long standing wine debates that need settlement. This fun, interactive wine Q&A session will be held in game show fashion. Be sure to prepare your questions in advance!
Scott Beattie
Artisanal Cocktails – Healdsburg, CA
Mixology
1:15PM-2:15PM
The Making of Artisanal Cocktails
Using farm fresh ingredients in the kitchen has become commonplace—but why not incorporate those same products at the bar? Mixologist Scott Beattie, one of the leaders in the “farm-to-bar” movement, will lead a workshop dedicated to the craft of seasonally-inspired artisanal cocktails. Beattie will share his inspiration for drinks, explore varied transformational applications of farm fresh, local ingredients, and describe how he has developed relationships with local farmers. Beattie will also discuss the process of creating his seminal book, Artisanal Cocktails, including insights into recipe development. Participants will prepare fall-inspired cocktails from Beattie’s book that bring out the best in seasonal produce while learning practical tips and methods for developing advanced seasonal cocktails.
Lunch
Products Fair
1:30PM-3:15PM
Mon, September 21 Lunch
Masaharu Morimoto
Morimoto - New York, NY
Main Stage
2:30PM-3:15PM
Hook, Line, and Sinker
After last year’s spectacular treatment of a whole monkfish, Chef Masaharu Morimoto returns to the Main Stage once again to demonstrate his skill in using an entire fish from the head to the tail. This time, the Iron Chef will fillet five whole fish from small to large: aji, eel, hamo, fluke, and yellowtail. He will then prepare a number of dishes on stage using each filleted fish, including usuzukuri (paper thin sashimi), fish cooked in sweet soy sauce, tartare, and soup.
Tim Atkin MW
Writer – London, England
Wine
3:00PM-4:15PM
Understanding Spanish Terroir
The rise of Spanish-themed restaurants and tapas bars around the country during the last several years has generated a strong interest in Spanish wines among sommeliers and chefs alike. And given that Spain has more land dedicated to viticulture than either France or Italy, the variety of different wines found there are more than enough to keep sommeliers and foodservice professionals interested for a long time to come.
Master of Wine Tim Atkin, one of Britain’s leading wine writers (authoring a regular column for The Observer), will share his extensive oenological experience, accumulated over bi-annual trips to Spain over the past two decades where he has tasted his way from Rias Baixias to Jumilla.
In his workshop, Atkins will lead a tasting focused on the grape varietals and cultivars found across Spain; New World versus Old World cultivating styles; and the various effects of the local terroir conditions on the wines. He will also discuss and explain the current topics of the moment concerning viticulture in Spain, such as the newly instituted cultivating laws.
Chad Solomon
Cuff & Buttons and Liquid Relations – New York, NY
Christy Pope
Cuff & Buttons and Liquid Relations – New York, NY
Mixology
3:00PM-4:00PM
Getting Schooled in Cool: Practical Ice Applications Behind the Bar
Ice is a hot topic behind the bar these days, and consultant-mixologists Chad Solomon and Christy Pope of Cuff and Buttons will present a comprehensive seminar dedicated to the history of the ice trade in America and the important role ice has played in the evolution of the American cocktail. The science of ice itself will be explored by understanding the differences between natural ice and man-made ice, good ice verses bad ice, and the effects of different refrigeration on molecule formation. Solomon and Pope will showcase their own tested techniques for making and working with ice, the styles of ice in relation to different styles of cocktails, and how to create a solid ice program for your bar.
Rohini Dey and Maneet Chauhan
Vermilion – Chicago, IL and New York, NY
Main Stage
3:15PM-4:00PM
Bastardizing Disparate Cuisines or Innovation? The Deal with Fusion
Purists often shudder at the notion of “fusion cuisine”—and even the most adventurous of diners frequently regard fusion restaurants with a critical eye. So why do it in the first place? How does the chef or restaurateur make it work? And how does the concept of American cuisine tie in with fusion?
In this mainstage presentation, restaurateur Rohini Dey and Chef Maneet Chauhan of Chicago and New York’s Indian-Latin fusion restaurant Vermilion will address the controversy behind fusion cuisine. They will discuss the meaning of authenticity, the role of cultural influences in cooking, and where regional cuisine comes into play. Dey and Chauhan will explore the current trends in fusion cooking, and what their personal and cultural heritages bring to the table.
Latin and Indian cuisine are all about bold flavors, and Dey and Chauhan will share how they fuse those tastes as they explore whether increased openness to spice is the next ‘hot’ trend. The presentation will culminate in a demonstration of a contemporary Indian-Latin Tandoori Skirt Steak, plus their signature “herb and spice” cocktails.
Tony Conigliaro
69 Colebrooke Row – London, England
Audrey Saunders
The Pegu Club – New York, NY
Main Stage
4:00PM-4:45PM
Getting to Nose Your Cocktail
In a cocktail, one of the first elements to hit the senses is the aroma of the drink. And while most people perceive "taste" as a response from the tongue's taste buds, it actually results from the olfactory sense, where far more receptors are doing the detective work. With this in mind, a mixologist who understands aroma can greatly enhance the flavor experience in a cocktail.
In this seminar, acclaimed mixologists Audrey Saunders and Tony Conigliaro will explore the science of aroma. They will discuss how to use different ingredients to provide scent, how volatiles in beverages release at various temperatures, and how to apply techniques and use mediums that deliver aroma.
Conigliaro will also lead an interactive workshop where he will demonstrate his influential, modern-style mixology and share the latest cocktail trends from London.
Josh Emett
Gordon Ramsay at the London – New York, NY
Main Stage
4:45PM-5:30PM
New Zealand Lamb, Head to Tail
As the issues of sustainability and economy have become especially relevant to the foodservice industry, head-to-tail cooking has seen increased popularity as it presents a solution to minimize waste and maximize cost effectiveness.
In this mainstage presentation, Josh Emett will explore the long history of New Zealanders’ love affair with lamb and discuss uses for every part of the animal with a focus on the off-cuts. Emett will butcher an entire New Zealand lamb (which is particularly known for its tenderness and bold, flavorful taste) and demonstrate how to use the proper techniques to get the most out of the animal. Once butchered, Emett will use the off-cuts in a series of dishes.
Claire Paparazzo
Blue Hill – New York, NY
Wine
5:00PM-6:15PM
Sauvignon Blanc: This Ain't No Ordinary Grape
Sauvignon Blanc is a wildly popular grape—known for being “crisp and clean”—but most consumers and many sommeliers fail to realize how diverse it really is. Blue Hill sommelier Claire Paparazzo’s workshop will offer an in-depth exploration of various Sauvignon Blancs from around the world, compare the different fruit expressions emerge from a range of terroirs and climates, and how diverse, layered, and complex the grape can be. The workshop will also explore sustainable practices and their effect on the grape, as well as the ways in which aging vessels (stainless steel, oak, and neutral oak) contribute to the overall product. Paparazzo will bring the workshop full circle with a Sauvignon Blanc tasting in which participants can experience the different incarnations of the varietal on their own.
Grant Achatz
Alinea - Chicago, IL
Daniel Boulud
Daniel – New York, NY
Pierre Gagnaire
Pierre Gagnaire – Paris, France
Main Stage
5:30PM-6:15PM
Modern Cuisine: A Generational Discussion
A potentially once-in-a-lifetime occurance: Pierre Gagnaire, Grant Achatz, and Daniel Boulud will be on the main stage for an interview and discussion that reaches across generations, genres, and the globe.
Flanked by Daniel Boulud, Alinea's Grant Achatz will take the lead in interviewing French luminary Chef Pierre Gagnaire. Achatz, one of the foremost progressive American chefs, has a close connection with Gagnaire—Achatz describes his cuisine as an extension of Gagnaire’s, and believes strongly in the French chef’s food-as-art philosophy.
Gagnaire will share his outsider perspective on American Cuisine, particularly in light of his upcoming Las Vegas restaurant opening. Boulud will provide his perspective on the matter from the viewpoint of a French chef who has made his mark on the American dining scene over the last several decades. The panel will provide an opportunity for the audience to learn more about how Gagnaire manages his global restaurant empire and maintain his high standards while retaining Michelin stars in so many locations across the world.
Achatz and Boulud will also discuss with Gagnaire why he chose to embrace technology in the kitchen, leaving the French traditionalists in classical and nouvelle cuisine in the dust. The discussion will steer towards the international culinary landscape, from the reign of French and Spanish cuisines in the late 20th century and beginning of the 21st, and what the future holds.
Tue, September 22
Josh DeChellis
La Fonda del Sol - New York, NY
Savory Hands-On Workshop
9:00AM-10:00AM
Some Like it Hot: Cooking with the Plancha
The plancha: a giant griddle, capable of reaching extremely high temperatures. For the chef, it’s an incredibly useful tool, able to give foods a different set of textures than with usual pan cooking or grilling.
In this interactive workshop, Chef Josh DeChellis of New York’s highest rated Spanish restaurant, La Fonda del Sol, will demonstrate the versatility of cooking “á la plancha” from classic Spanish-style applications to unconventional techniques. DeChellis will also address its effectiveness in terms of cost control and efficiency.
With hands-on audience participation, De Chellis will be using the plancha to cook Giant Shrimp á la Plancha, Crispy Pig Tail and Jamón Serrano with Steamed Egg and Pardina Lentils, Cedar Smoked Strip Steak, and Scallops Cooked in a Cawloon Cloud.
Daniel Humm
Eleven Madison Park – New York, NY
Savory Demo
9:00AM-10:00AM
Sous Vide: The Pursuit of Excellence
Sous vide cooking has become a cornerstone of Daniel Humm’s approach to cooking. In some cases Humm uses sous vide for the sake of consistency, in others it's to create specific textures, and sometimes it's simply for the benefit of presentation. By guiding you through the preparation of some of his favorite dishes, Humm will show the versatility of sous-vide cooking: the results it can achieve; the effect it has on different ingredients; and the different reasons to use it.
Dana Cree
Poppy – Seattle, WA
Pastry Hands-On Workshop
9:00AM-10:00AM
Dessert Haiku: Editing High Profile Desserts for High Volume
When Dana Cree stepped into the pastry chef position at Poppy in Seattle, she left behind a career of fine dining and entered the world of casual, high volume cooking. Cree began a rigorous process of editing the high end plated desserts she had been creating to fit the limitations of the casual setting while holding true to her fine dining standards. Cree toned down and reconstructed her desserts, but packaged them in more familiar forms, in which they still pack a serious punch.
This 2009 Seattle Rising Star will discuss the creative process she uses to create desserts, and demonstrate exactly how she reduces a high end composition into a short, staccato haiku of itself. Cree will compare and contrast key desserts that held a place on her menu at the modern fine dining restaurant Veil, and their minimized reincarnations on the menu at the high volume restaurant Poppy.
Angelo Sosa
Xie Xie - New York, NY
Ratha Chau
Kampuchea, Num Pang – New York, NY
Michael “Bao” Huynh
Baoguette, Baoguette Café – New York, NY
Business
9:00AM-10:00AM
The Rise of Asian Concept Restaurant
With the rise in popularity of comfort-casual cusine, we’ve noticed a series of runaway successes in major cities across the country. The Asian restaurant concept has been taken in creative directions—certainly a long way from the neighborhood Chinese restaurant—by accomplished restaurant chefs looking to expand their business. One direction is the of Asian sandwich shop—an unassuming but wildly popular concept, and a financially viable venture.
The Asian sandwich menu provides a blank canvas for the chef to explore combinations of bold, interesting flavor profiles, but the sandwiches themselves can become high profit margin items. Ingredients like pork belly, short ribs, kimchee, and pickled vegetables offer a high amount of perceived added value with low food cost.
In this panel discussion, Chefs Ratha Chau of Num Pang, Michael “Bao” Huynh of Baoguette, and Angelo Sosa of Xie Xie (three chefs with very different backgrounds) will share the conceptual development of their enterprises and discuss how they have managed to brand their products and thrive in a heavily competitive environment. Chau, Hunyh, and Sosa will provide insight and business advice.
Mollie Battenhouse
Maslow 6 – New York, NY
Bart Vandaele
Belga Café – Washington, DC
Wine
10:00AM-11:15AM
Beer Meets Food: Belgian Beer’s Love Affair with Fine Dining Food
“Beer and fine dining do not go hand-in-hand.”
The previous statement is a misconception. Sommelier Mollie Battenhouse and Belgian chef Bart Vandaele will demonstrate through this interactive tasting workshop that pairing beer with haute cuisine is a highly fertile ground for culinary exploration, and one that is a burgeoning trend.
The wide spectrum of flavors, intensity, and carbonation content in beer can complement foods that can be a challenge to pair wines with. Think about the spice and fire of Indian and East Asian cuisines, or the subtle flavors of ingredients like seafood or offal. Battenhouse and Vandaele will address these challenges and discussing the benefits of pairing beer with dishes that are traditionally difficult to pair with wine. They will guide participants through how to match the right brew to the food—even desserts.
Chef Vandaele will showcase Belgian beer culture (including the history, provincial differences, and flavor profiles of the wide variety of Belgian beers) and prepare a selection of his signature beer-based Belgian dishes. Battenhouse will discuss and select the appropriate beer to accompany Vandaeles creations. Participants will be invited to sample and discuss each of the pairings.
Josh DeChellis
La Fonda del Sol - New York, NY
Paul Liebrandt
Corton - New York, NY
Norman Van Aken
Norman's – Miami, FL
Joe Isidori
Consulting Chef – New York, NY
Business
10:10AM-11:10AM
When to Walk Away From a Deal
Getting a deal to open a restaurant is fantastic, but how do you know if you're getting a good deal? Everyone knows the restaurant industry is tough, and opening your own place can be one of the biggest trials in a chef’s career. This panel features top chefs from around the country—Josh DeChellis, Joe Isidori, Paul Liebrandt, Akhtar Nawab, and Norman Van Aken—who have all had considerable experience with the art of the restaurant deal.
Some of them knew they were getting into rough waters and got out in time, and others learned the hard way. The panelists will share stories of when they walked away from a deal or when they wish they had, and offer advice to chefs looking to open a restaurant. They will discuss the practicalities involved, including business partners, leases, rents, neighborhoods, annuities, and contracts.
Marcus Samuelsson
Aquavit - New York, NY
Savory Demo
10:10AM-11:10AM
The Anatomy of a Fish
Chef Marcus Samuelsson of New York’s Aquavit has a diverse culinary heritage, combining Scandinavian, Ethiopian, and American influences. In this demonstration Samuelsson will bring together two of his passions—American cuisine and seafood—and explore some of his signature applications developed over the years. He will showcase different techniques (inspired from his worldly travels) and how to incorporate them with ‘American’ flavors using ingredients—including New Zealand seafood—from around the world. Samuelsson will do what he does best: Provide a deeper appreciation and understanding of the versatility of seafood and how it truly is an integral element of American cuisine.
Yoshihiro Murata
Kikunoi - Kyoto, Japan
Savory Hands-On Workshop
10:10AM-11:10AM
Lessons from a Kaiseki King
Zach Allen
B&B Ristorante, Carnevino, and Enoteca San Marco – Las Vegas, NV
Savory Hands-On Workshop
10:10AM-11:10AM
The Charcuterie Equation: A Hands-On Workshop
Juan Mari Arzak
Arzak – San Sebastian, Spain
Main Stage
11:30AM-12:30PM
Techniques from the Arzak Laboratory
In this main stage presentation from the father of modern Spanish cuisine, Juan Mari Arzak will discuss cutting edge culinary techniques he has been developing in his Flavor Laboratory this year. Housed in Arzak's 110-year old former tavern in San Sebastian, the laboratory includes a "flavor bank" containing thousands of meticulously organized ingredients used for Arzak and his daughter Elena's avant garde, experiential approach to European cuisine.
Arzak's demonstration will include a study of oil textures, as well as techniques for freeze drying ingredients, applying liquid nitrogen, enhancing flavors, dehydrating ingredients, using essential oils, and color fixation. As an ambassador for Spain, Arzak will also create an impromptu dish based on the essentials of the Spanish pantry, from olive oil and Marcona almonds to sherry vinegar and white anchovies.
Featured ingredients: Olive Oil from Spain, Marcona Almonds, Cheese from Spain, Sherry Vinegar, Spanish Honey, and White Anchovies.
Julie Reiner
Flatiron Lounge, Clover Club – New York, NY
Tony Abou-Ganim
The Modern Mixologist – Las Vegas, NV
Mixology
11:30AM-12:30PM
Tiki, or Not Tiki
In the 1950’s and 1960’s, the United States was swept by tiki: the Polynesian-style pop culture movement pioneered by Trader Vic’s and Don the Beachcomber. These days, with the return of the cult of the classic cocktail, tiki culture is naturally coming back into the spotlight.
Join mixologists Tony Abou-Ganim and Julie Reiner as they take you on a rum-soaked journey through the colorful and festive world of tiki cocktails and bar culture. As rum is the basis for all tiki drinks, they will host a compare-and-contrast rum tasting, guiding participants through the many styles of rum, whether light-bodied, complex, full-bodied, rhum agricole, spiced, or flavored.
Abou-Ganim and Reiner will lead workshop participants through basic and advanced tiki recipes, and provide tips and advice to incorporate this style of cocktail into bar programs.
Charles Phan
The Slanted Door - San Francisco, CA
Main Stage
12:30PM-1:15PM
Putting Vietnamese Street Food on the American Map
Charles Phan opened The Slanted Door in San Francisco’s Mission District in 1995 with the mission to introduce Vietnamese cuisine in a way he had never seen it done outside of Vietnam. In this presentation, Phan will share his Vietnamese cooking techniques and ingredients and explore how to incorporate Vietnamese cuisine into catering and restaurant menus. He will discuss Vietnamese food, culture and today’s growing trends; the challenges and benefits of being “green”; working with local farmers; using sustainable ingredients; and humane animal treatment. He will prepare spring rolls and banh cuon, a Vietnamese street food dumpling made from a delicately steamed wrap of rice flour and filled with ground pork, onion and mushrooms. In his workshop, Phan will go into greater detail about how to adapt Vietnamese street food, and participants will work with Phan to prepare one of his authentic recipes.
Lisa Granik MW
Empire Merchants – New York, NY
Wine
1:00PM-2:15PM
Building a Balanced Wine List
It's one of the harsher realities of the wine business: After putting together a stellar wine list, many sommeliers and wine buyers suddenly lose their jobs. Why? Because the list is not financially feasible for the restaurant. In this seminar, Lisa Granik, Director of Fine Wine Initiatives for Empire Merchants, will explore ways to craft a wine list that works for the sommelier, the chef, the restaurant, and—most importantly—for the diner. Granik will discuss how to create a list with character that remains profitable for the business and is easy to navigate. Lastly, Granik will share valuable tips on how to handle wine distributors and importers to your advantage.
Tony Conigliaro
69 Colebrooke Row – London, England
Mixology
1:15PM-2:15PM
Modern Mixology, London Style
Get up close and personal with top London mixologist Tony Conigliaro in this intimate workshop. Conigliaro will elaborate on his mainstage presentation, delving into the nitty gritty of aromatic release in cocktails, and how it affects the senses of the imbiber. The recently named "Mixologist of the Year" will share his in-depth knowledge of cocktail science and demonstrate his re-invention of classic cocktails using innovative methods and ingredients. Conigliaro will welcome audience interaction, inviting participants to “pick his brain” to answer any burning questions.
Lunch
Products Fair
1:15PM-2:15PM
Tue, September 22 Lunch
Paco Torreblanca
Pasteleria Totel - Alicante, Spain
Main Stage
2:15PM-3:15PM
A Peek into Pastelería Totel
Butter is one of the traditional building blocks of pastry, but what happens when an innovative Spanish pastry chef replaces it entirely with olive oil? In this presentation world famous pastry chef Paco Torreblanca will explore the applications of olive oil in the realm of desserts, including its uses and how it affects taste and texture. Whereas butter hardens with the cold, olive oil crystallizes in a different way and takes longer to oxidize, rendering the texture is creamier and more elastic. Torreblanca will share how he uses his beloved Spanish olive oil at Pastelería Totel and will present various preparations that use olive oil instead of butter. He will go into further detail in his hands-on workshop, where participants will be able to experiment in real time with Torreblanca's guidance.
Stephen Asprinio
Los Angeles, CA
Wine
3:00PM-4:15PM
Breaking the Boundaries of Food and Wine Pairing
The modern restaurant patron is no longer seeking a mere meal, but an experience. In a fine dining or upscale casual setting, part of this very experience is often defined by the harmony between the chef’s cuisine and the sommelier’s wine selections. And just as some of the most inventive chefs in the world are pushing the boundaries of conventional cuisine, the wine pairings are similarly expected to follow suit.
Red wine with meat? White wine with fish? Boring. How about Sake with charcuterie? Sherry with steak? Or Madeira with foie gras?
Wine is a chef’s secret weapon, as is food the sommelier’s. While there is something to be said about traditional pairings, in order to achieve a competitive advantage in the marketplace, playing pairings outside-the-box is the name of the game. In this seminar, industry prodigy Stephen Asprinio will present his take on how food and wine pairing should be conducted.
Innovator Awards
Main Stage
3:15PM-4:00PM
Innovator Awards
Hobart
Main Stage
3:50PM-4:00PM
Win a Custom Hobart Mixer!
This customized, one-of-a-kind Hobart HL200 mixer will be given away to one lucky attendee of the International Chefs Congress! This mixer combines Hobart’s legendary durability and ease-of-use with a look that will get attention on any kitchen countertop. Click here for a close up
Sean Brock
McCrady’s Restaurant – Charleston, SC
Main Stage
4:00PM-4:45PM
Getting Down with Lowcountry Cuisine
Lowcountry cuisine—the style of cooking associated with the South Carolina’s coastal counties and part of the Georgia coast, is arguably one of the original forms of American cuisine.
As executive chef at McCrady’s in Charleston, SC, Sean Brock knows a thing or two about Lowcountry cuisine and the importance of preserving its heritage. In this presentation, Brock will engage in a discussion of the past, present and future of the Lowcountry region. A self-described farmer, pig wrangler, horticulturalist and scientist, Chef Sean Brock of McCrady's developed a 2.5 acre farm on Wadmalaw Island, SC, creating a true field-to-table experience for his diners. McCrady's front and back-of-the-house staff work the farm together to produce 90% of the vegetables for the restaurant. Brock will be presenting pre-Civil War organic ingredients, such as heirloom varieties of corn, rice, peas, hominy, and farro—all which have been preserved from extinction by the island's farmers.
Brock will present varieties of heritage foods, including Jimmy Red heirloom corn, Carolina Gold rice, Sea Island Red Peas, Henry Moore Yellow Hominy Corn, Farro Piccolo, and more—and the arduous process by which these pre-Civil War organic ingredients have been brought back by the Lowcountry farmers, chefs and historians. Brock will go into greater detail as well as lead a hands-on workshop using these heirloom ingredients in modern applications.
Rick Tramonto
Tru - Chicago, IL
Main Stage
4:45PM-5:30PM
The Birth of Modern American Cuisine
In this mainstage presentation, acclaimed chef Rick Tramonto shares his personal path to discovering what he considers American cuisine. Growing up in an Italian American family without a formal education, Tramonto will discuss his culinary steps and missteps—from his first job at Wendy’s Old Fashioned Hamburgers in 1978 through his time at Tru (all-told, 31 years of on-the-job training).
Tramonto will trace his various culinary influences, which range from his Italian-American heritage to his exposure to ethnic neighborhoods, and from his European culinary training to his time as a top chef in Chicago. He will expand on his own understanding of the American melting pot of cultures and how he makes sense of those flavors. Chef Tramonto will culminate with a demonstration of Lavender Lamb Loin with Toasted Almond Espuma and Chocolate-Red Wine Sauce, incorporating some of Tramonto’s signature flavor combinations.
Tramonto will also join David Waltuck of Chanterelle and Waldy Malouf of Beacon in a business seminar, Rebirth: How to Re-Energize a 10+-Year-Old Restaurant.
John Deragon
PDT – New York, NY
Mixology
4:45PM-5:45PM
The Bitters Revolution
With the revival of old-school mixology, many bartenders are returning to the roots of the craft—manufacturing bitters, infusing fruits, herbs, and vegetables into spirits and syrups. For the well-rounded mixologist who isn’t afraid to dabble in house-made concoctions, making one’s own bitters brings the artisanal aspect of the bar full circle. A dash of bitters binds a cocktail, and the complex interplay of wood and spice give it another dimension that makes it that much more than a chilled mixture of alcohols.
In this interactive tasting workshop, Mixologist John Deragon will discuss the history of bitters, the different types available, and how house-made bitters can elevate your bar program. He will cover the basics of creating your own bitters and techniques for using them in cocktails. Deragon will demonstrate the process for making bitters and how to fully incorporate them into a classic Manhattan. Participants will have the opportunity to craft their own individual flavor of bitters using a “quick” version of the recipe.
The 2009 New York Rising Stars
Main Stage
8:00PM-10:30PM
2009 New York Rising Stars
Glimpse the future of New York dining at our tasting gala and awards ceremony. Enjoy high-concept food from up-and-coming culinary stars from the top restaurants in town. All dishes are paired with ultra-premium wines selected by the Rising Star Sommelier.The event will take place at Mandarin Oriental (80 Columbus Circle at 60th street)
Click here for registration and info
Pastry Hands-On Workshop
Sun, September 20
Kate Zuckerman
Chanterelle – New York, NY
9:00AM-10:00AM
Precision Pastry: Execution, Technique and Flavor
This workshop will explore maple syrup (the concentrated sap of the American Sugar Maple; a tree indigenous to North America) as a thematic flavor in desserts. Maple syrup is a distinctively North American product with a centuries-long tradition in regional use where the sugar maple grows. Along with an overview of maple syrup production, grading and terroir—the subtle flavor nuances that are dependant on climate, geologic conditions and soil—Zuckerman will present a set of recipes that highlight the various ways that the inimitable flavor of maple syrup can be used.
Zuckerman's presentation will focus primarily on techniques to reduce and concentrate the syrup, so that the maple flavor shines through in dessert preparations of varying temperatures and textures. She will also explore the palette of complementary flavors that magnify the characteristics of maple syrup in an effort to give chefs and pastry chefs more confidence in experimenting with the product.
With a deeper understanding of the production and culinary subtleties of maple syrup, as well as a hands-on experience, participants will emerge with a richer, more nuanced perspective on the use of this wonderful product—truly a staple ingredient of American cuisine.
Boris Portnoy
SucrePunch – San Francisco, CA
10:10AM-11:10AM
TechniqColor: Color Transfer Inspired by Modern Art
In this hands-on workshop, Pastry Chef Boris Portnoy will explore the merits of using art as inspiration in the pastry arts. Working with cocoa-based color, chocolate, and sugars, participants will create colorful pastry pieces that enrich the visual presentation of a dish. Portnoy will teach color transfer technique inspired by modern printmaker Robert Rauschenberg. He will also demonstrate a chocolate showpiece inspired by sculptor Richard Serra and a sugar sculpture based on artist Mario Metz’s “Triplo Igloo”.
Mon, September 21
Paco Torreblanca
Pasteleria Totel - Alicante, Spain
9:00AM-10:00AM
Mano a Mano with a Pastry Master
Tue, September 22
Dana Cree
Poppy – Seattle, WA
9:00AM-10:00AM
Dessert Haiku: Editing High Profile Desserts for High Volume
When Dana Cree stepped into the pastry chef position at Poppy in Seattle, she left behind a career of fine dining and entered the world of casual, high volume cooking. Cree began a rigorous process of editing the high end plated desserts she had been creating to fit the limitations of the casual setting while holding true to her fine dining standards. Cree toned down and reconstructed her desserts, but packaged them in more familiar forms, in which they still pack a serious punch.
This 2009 Seattle Rising Star will discuss the creative process she uses to create desserts, and demonstrate exactly how she reduces a high end composition into a short, staccato haiku of itself. Cree will compare and contrast key desserts that held a place on her menu at the modern fine dining restaurant Veil, and their minimized reincarnations on the menu at the high volume restaurant Poppy.
Business
Sun, September 20
Roy Choi
Kogi - Los Angeles, CA
Lev Ekster
CupcakeStop – New York, NY
Jerome Chang
DessertTruck – New York, NY
Josh Ozersky
Journalist - New York, NY
9:00AM-10:00AM
Take it to the Streets: Restaurant Food in Trucks and Carts
The fragile state of the country’s economy is encouraging a recent and much-welcomed revival in street food. We’re not just talking hot dogs and kebabs—instead think high end desserts and innovative fusion cuisine worthy of any restaurant. Chefs and entrepreneurs of all backgrounds and motivations have taken to the streets to pawn their (baked) goods, and their entrepreneurial efforts are being met with wild success.
In this seminar, three food truck owners—Jerome Chang (DessertTruck, NY), Roy Choi (Kogi BBQ, LA) and Lev Ekster (Cupcake Stop, NY)—will discuss the pros, cons, and practicalities of starting a mobile eatery and how they’ve made it work. They will go through the steps including how to obtain a permit, how to pick a location, start-up and operation costs, profit margins, and how to keep customers informed of the menu and where the truck is parked. So why not take a cue and branch out from the traditional brick and mortar kitchen to bring your gourmet eats to the streets?
The 2009 New York Rising Stars
10:10AM-11:10AM
How to Make It: The 2009 StarChefs.com New York: Rising Stars
This year’s New York Rising Stars award winners will come together to share their version of what works and what doesn’t—what they regret and what they’d do all over again—in a candid, informative, and often entertaining “How to Make It” chefs panel.
The path of each chef is different and so are their destinations; however, they all share ambition, an uncompromising palate, a sense of culinary identity, pride in their work, and a timely concept. In lieu of a clear roadmap to success, they’ll instead offer their humorous industry anecdotes, trying times, and passionate perspectives, leaving their audience inspired to get back to their kitchens and do what they do best: make it.
Mon, September 21
Will Blunt
starchefs.com - New York, NY
David Waltuck
Chanterelle – New York, NY
Rick Tramonto
Tru - Chicago, IL
9:00AM-10:00AM
Rebirth: How to Re-Energize a 10+-Year-Old Restaurant
Opening a restaurant is a complicated enough enterprise, but what about keeping an established restaurant from becoming economically and culinarily stagnant? Chefs and restaurateurs behind businesses that have passed the test of time have clearly gotten a few things right, but even they know they can’t just rest on their laurels. In this panel moderated by StarChefs.com Managing Editor, Will Blunt, industry veterans Rick Tramonto and David Waltuck will share how they’ve managed to keep their senior restaurants fresh.
Whether you have to revamp, revitalize or rebrand, the chefs will discuss the challenges they have faced and how they have managed not only to stay in business, but to keep packing in the customers. And in light of the current economy, everyone needs to continue to make sure they put their best foot forward.
Grant Achatz
Alinea - Chicago, IL
Antoinette Bruno
starchefs.com - New York, NY
Roy Choi
Kogi - Los Angeles, CA
Kelly Choi
Television Personality – New York, NY
Francis Lam
Gourmet.com – New York, NY
10:10AM-11:10AM
The Power of Twitter
Whether you’re just starting out or have an established restaurant, drumming up business is no easy feat. And with countless new forms of social media, it can certainly seem challenging to navigate the world wide web and all its resources. Businesses and individuals alike are using these new outlets to promote themselves and their services. This presentation will focus on the power of the Twitter networking site, and how you can get the most out of your 140-character "tweets" to create buzz about you and your restaurant. Your answer to the question "What are you doing right now?" can indeed contribute to a healthier bottom line.
Antoinette Bruno, Editor-in-Chief of StarChefs.com, will discuss how she has seen chefs successfully using twitter in her editorial travels. She will be joined by Grant Achatz of Alinea, Kelly Choi, host of Top Chef Masters, and Roy Choi of Kogi BBQ in LA. Although it can seem limiting to keep entries so short, Bruno and Choi will offer advice on how to pack the most in, and discuss the value in self-editing.
Tue, September 22
Angelo Sosa
Xie Xie - New York, NY
Ratha Chau
Kampuchea, Num Pang – New York, NY
Michael “Bao” Huynh
Baoguette, Baoguette Café – New York, NY
9:00AM-10:00AM
The Rise of Asian Concept Restaurant
With the rise in popularity of comfort-casual cusine, we’ve noticed a series of runaway successes in major cities across the country. The Asian restaurant concept has been taken in creative directions—certainly a long way from the neighborhood Chinese restaurant—by accomplished restaurant chefs looking to expand their business. One direction is the of Asian sandwich shop—an unassuming but wildly popular concept, and a financially viable venture.
The Asian sandwich menu provides a blank canvas for the chef to explore combinations of bold, interesting flavor profiles, but the sandwiches themselves can become high profit margin items. Ingredients like pork belly, short ribs, kimchee, and pickled vegetables offer a high amount of perceived added value with low food cost.
In this panel discussion, Chefs Ratha Chau of Num Pang, Michael “Bao” Huynh of Baoguette, and Angelo Sosa of Xie Xie (three chefs with very different backgrounds) will share the conceptual development of their enterprises and discuss how they have managed to brand their products and thrive in a heavily competitive environment. Chau, Hunyh, and Sosa will provide insight and business advice.
Josh DeChellis
La Fonda del Sol - New York, NY
Paul Liebrandt
Corton - New York, NY
Norman Van Aken
Norman's – Miami, FL
Joe Isidori
Consulting Chef – New York, NY
10:10AM-11:10AM
When to Walk Away From a Deal
Getting a deal to open a restaurant is fantastic, but how do you know if you're getting a good deal? Everyone knows the restaurant industry is tough, and opening your own place can be one of the biggest trials in a chef’s career. This panel features top chefs from around the country—Josh DeChellis, Joe Isidori, Paul Liebrandt, Akhtar Nawab, and Norman Van Aken—who have all had considerable experience with the art of the restaurant deal.
Some of them knew they were getting into rough waters and got out in time, and others learned the hard way. The panelists will share stories of when they walked away from a deal or when they wish they had, and offer advice to chefs looking to open a restaurant. They will discuss the practicalities involved, including business partners, leases, rents, neighborhoods, annuities, and contracts.
Savory Demo
Sun, September 20
Zach Allen
B&B Ristorante, Carnevino, and Enoteca San Marco – Las Vegas, NV
9:00AM-10:00AM
The Charcuterie Equation
As overseer of the charcuterie programs across the Mario Batali restaurant empire, Las Vegas-based Zach Allen is one of the most highly regarded chef-charcutiers in the country. In this demonstration, Allen will cover the basics for executing quality charcuterie and focus on areas that require special attention: pH, temperature and humidity control, HACCP standards, the fermentation process, and the importance of a meticulous documentation method. Naturally, the quality of the raw product—in this case mainly pork—is a huge concern. Allen will offer his take on how the genetics, rearing and slaughtering can make or break your curing program.
In his hands-on workshop, Allen will go more in depth into the topic with the audience participating in making two different types of charcuterie. Allen will discuss the many different ways that items may be cured. Other topics will include smoking, brining, dry and “quick curing”, sausage-making, and will share a clever way to utilize the “waste” from salumi-making.
Richard Blais
Trail Blais – Atlanta, GA
10:10AM-11:10AM
Breakfast in B Minor: Progressive Techniques in Breakfast Cookery
In a prelude to his new conceptual project tentatively titled, “A.M.”, Richard Blais will exhibit progressive techniques in breakfast cookery. From the traditional to the extraordinary, Blais will demonstrate the wide variety of applications for the iSi product line. Using the iSi Gourmet Whip, Blais will demonstrate its versatility by preparing simple buckwheat pancakes with extraordinary results. In another preparation, Blais will give attendees a fresh take on corned beef hash in which sous vide corned beef terrine is cold smoked, again using a food whipper. Blais will also exhibit innovative methods for poached whipped eggs (using the iSi Gourmet Whip), dry iced coffee (using the iSi Thermo Whip), whipped maple foam, and a brown butter that is pulverized with liquid nitrogen.
Mon, September 21
Gabriel Bremer
Salts – Cambridge, MA
9:00AM-10:00AM
The Art of Presentation: Making “Eatable Art”
For Chef Gabriel Bremer of Boston’s Salts, plating presentation starts with an inspired idea: a change in season, a new ingredient, a walk through the woods, a trip to the farmer’s market, or an interesting piece of architecture. As Bremer says, presentation is the chef’s personal expression of his craft and one of his gifts to the diner. Its purpose is to excite the human senses.
In his savory workshop, Bremer will display his plating style and explain his views on the role of the chef as an artist. With a combination of French and modern Spanish techniques supplemented by the elegance and simplicity of Japanese design, he will share several cooking methods to create what he calls “eatable art.” Bremer will discuss his thought process for composing a dish, the importance of choosing the right size and shape of a plate, how choosing the right garnish can complete a final dish, and how the dining experience can be a form of entertainment to guests.
Tue, September 22
Daniel Humm
Eleven Madison Park – New York, NY
9:00AM-10:00AM
Sous Vide: The Pursuit of Excellence
Sous vide cooking has become a cornerstone of Daniel Humm’s approach to cooking. In some cases Humm uses sous vide for the sake of consistency, in others it's to create specific textures, and sometimes it's simply for the benefit of presentation. By guiding you through the preparation of some of his favorite dishes, Humm will show the versatility of sous-vide cooking: the results it can achieve; the effect it has on different ingredients; and the different reasons to use it.
Marcus Samuelsson
Aquavit - New York, NY
10:10AM-11:10AM
The Anatomy of a Fish
Chef Marcus Samuelsson of New York’s Aquavit has a diverse culinary heritage, combining Scandinavian, Ethiopian, and American influences. In this demonstration Samuelsson will bring together two of his passions—American cuisine and seafood—and explore some of his signature applications developed over the years. He will showcase different techniques (inspired from his worldly travels) and how to incorporate them with ‘American’ flavors using ingredients—including New Zealand seafood—from around the world. Samuelsson will do what he does best: Provide a deeper appreciation and understanding of the versatility of seafood and how it truly is an integral element of American cuisine.
Wine
Sun, September 20
Eric & Bruce Bromberg
Blue Ribbon Restaurants – New York and Brooklyn, NY
10:10AM-11:10AM
What's the Buzz About Honey?
In this interactive tasting seminar Bruce and Eric Bromberg, owners of New York City’s Blue Ribbon restaurants and Blue Ribbon Bakery, will present single and multi-varietal honeys from their honey farm in Atlixco, Mexico. In order to make single varietal honey, the bees are kept to a certain part of the valley during spring when only the mesquite tree is in bloom. This results in straightforward sugar taste, much like sugar cane. In multi-varietal honey, the bees are pollinating more than one type of flower, which lends to the honey a more complex taste.
The brothers will discuss each honey’s attributes, flavors and qualities and how they pair them with various foods and flavors. The Bromberg brothers will also explain how they, as chefs and restaurateurs, came to import the honey and their relationship with the owner, Felix Vacuero. Participants will learn about the processes, vegetation, and flora and fauna that make up this distinctive honey. Participants will have the opportunity to taste honey and food pairings selected by Bruce and Eric Bromberg.
Charles Curtis MW
Christies - New York, NY
12:45PM-2:00PM
Buying and Selling Wine at Auction
The country’s top sommeliers often source old, rare, and hard-to-find wines at auction—and for good reason. Charles Curtis, MW, head of Christie's North American Wine Sales, will walk the audience through the process from beginning to end, explaining how to use this channel to access old and rare wines at prices well below wholesale. Curtis will cover the mechanics of a wine auction in full. Some of the topics of discussion include: how to navigate a wine catalogue, how to set up an account with the auction house, how to successfully bid on a wine, and how to arrange delivery. For restaurants with an excess inventory, the details of consigning wine and negotiating a contract will also be discussed.
In the second part of the presentation, Curtis will provide an overview of the latest trends in wine auctions for various varietals and regions. The presentation will conclude with a tasting of the diverse types of wine that one might find at auction.
Jim Clarke
Megu – New York, NY
George Geris
Marlborough Winery – Marlborough, New Zealand
Simon Buck
RO Imports – New York, NY
Fraser Mackenzie
Pernod Ricard – New York, NY
2:45PM-4:00PM
Pinot Passion, The Difference a Day Makes
Mon, September 21
George Geris
Marlborough Winery – Marlborough, New Zealand
10:00AM-11:15AM
New Zealand and the Art of Sustainable Wines
By the year 2010, New Zealand plans to have an entirely sustainable wine industry. Join a tasting and in-depth conversation with New Zealand star vintner George Geris of Villa Maria Estates, one of the biggest vineyards in New Zealand. He will share his insight into sustainable wines and will shed light on the debate over the differences between sustainable, biodynamic, and organic wine production. The workshop will feature a selection of sustainable red and white wines from New Zealand and will culminate in a tasting.
Tim Atkin MW
Writer – London, England
Charles Curtis MW
Christies - New York, NY
Lisa Granik MW
Empire Merchants – New York, NY
1:00PM-2:15PM
Grand Masters Slam
So you think you can stump a Master of Wine? The Congress Grand Masters Slam will provide the opportunity to challenge a trio of three seasoned and well-traveled wine experts with any burning questions or long standing wine debates that need settlement. This fun, interactive wine Q&A session will be held in game show fashion. Be sure to prepare your questions in advance!
Tim Atkin MW
Writer – London, England
3:00PM-4:15PM
Understanding Spanish Terroir
The rise of Spanish-themed restaurants and tapas bars around the country during the last several years has generated a strong interest in Spanish wines among sommeliers and chefs alike. And given that Spain has more land dedicated to viticulture than either France or Italy, the variety of different wines found there are more than enough to keep sommeliers and foodservice professionals interested for a long time to come.
Master of Wine Tim Atkin, one of Britain’s leading wine writers (authoring a regular column for The Observer), will share his extensive oenological experience, accumulated over bi-annual trips to Spain over the past two decades where he has tasted his way from Rias Baixias to Jumilla.
In his workshop, Atkins will lead a tasting focused on the grape varietals and cultivars found across Spain; New World versus Old World cultivating styles; and the various effects of the local terroir conditions on the wines. He will also discuss and explain the current topics of the moment concerning viticulture in Spain, such as the newly instituted cultivating laws.
Claire Paparazzo
Blue Hill – New York, NY
5:00PM-6:15PM
Sauvignon Blanc: This Ain't No Ordinary Grape
Sauvignon Blanc is a wildly popular grape—known for being “crisp and clean”—but most consumers and many sommeliers fail to realize how diverse it really is. Blue Hill sommelier Claire Paparazzo’s workshop will offer an in-depth exploration of various Sauvignon Blancs from around the world, compare the different fruit expressions emerge from a range of terroirs and climates, and how diverse, layered, and complex the grape can be. The workshop will also explore sustainable practices and their effect on the grape, as well as the ways in which aging vessels (stainless steel, oak, and neutral oak) contribute to the overall product. Paparazzo will bring the workshop full circle with a Sauvignon Blanc tasting in which participants can experience the different incarnations of the varietal on their own.
Tue, September 22
Mollie Battenhouse
Maslow 6 – New York, NY
Bart Vandaele
Belga Café – Washington, DC
10:00AM-11:15AM
Beer Meets Food: Belgian Beer’s Love Affair with Fine Dining Food
“Beer and fine dining do not go hand-in-hand.”
The previous statement is a misconception. Sommelier Mollie Battenhouse and Belgian chef Bart Vandaele will demonstrate through this interactive tasting workshop that pairing beer with haute cuisine is a highly fertile ground for culinary exploration, and one that is a burgeoning trend.
The wide spectrum of flavors, intensity, and carbonation content in beer can complement foods that can be a challenge to pair wines with. Think about the spice and fire of Indian and East Asian cuisines, or the subtle flavors of ingredients like seafood or offal. Battenhouse and Vandaele will address these challenges and discussing the benefits of pairing beer with dishes that are traditionally difficult to pair with wine. They will guide participants through how to match the right brew to the food—even desserts.
Chef Vandaele will showcase Belgian beer culture (including the history, provincial differences, and flavor profiles of the wide variety of Belgian beers) and prepare a selection of his signature beer-based Belgian dishes. Battenhouse will discuss and select the appropriate beer to accompany Vandaeles creations. Participants will be invited to sample and discuss each of the pairings.
Lisa Granik MW
Empire Merchants – New York, NY
1:00PM-2:15PM
Building a Balanced Wine List
It's one of the harsher realities of the wine business: After putting together a stellar wine list, many sommeliers and wine buyers suddenly lose their jobs. Why? Because the list is not financially feasible for the restaurant. In this seminar, Lisa Granik, Director of Fine Wine Initiatives for Empire Merchants, will explore ways to craft a wine list that works for the sommelier, the chef, the restaurant, and—most importantly—for the diner. Granik will discuss how to create a list with character that remains profitable for the business and is easy to navigate. Lastly, Granik will share valuable tips on how to handle wine distributors and importers to your advantage.
Stephen Asprinio
Los Angeles, CA
3:00PM-4:15PM
Breaking the Boundaries of Food and Wine Pairing
The modern restaurant patron is no longer seeking a mere meal, but an experience. In a fine dining or upscale casual setting, part of this very experience is often defined by the harmony between the chef’s cuisine and the sommelier’s wine selections. And just as some of the most inventive chefs in the world are pushing the boundaries of conventional cuisine, the wine pairings are similarly expected to follow suit.
Red wine with meat? White wine with fish? Boring. How about Sake with charcuterie? Sherry with steak? Or Madeira with foie gras?
Wine is a chef’s secret weapon, as is food the sommelier’s. While there is something to be said about traditional pairings, in order to achieve a competitive advantage in the marketplace, playing pairings outside-the-box is the name of the game. In this seminar, industry prodigy Stephen Asprinio will present his take on how food and wine pairing should be conducted.
Savory Hands-On Workshop
Sun, September 20
Bruno Goussault
Cuisine Solutions, Inc. – Alexandria, VA
10:10AM-11:10AM
So You Think You're Sous Vide Savvy
In this workshop, sous vide pioneer and expert Bruno Goussault will introduce his latest innovations in techniques for cooking under vacuum. Sous vide might be a very technical method of cooking, using exact temperatures and cooking times, but there's a huge potential for creativity in terms of what products you sous vide and how you prepare them prior to cooking.
Using a whole John Dory as the subject of demonstration, Goussault will explain in depth what goes on inside the bag while demonstrating how sous vide techniques can help enhance the taste of a lean fish.
Mon, September 21
Ruben Garcia
ThinkFoodGroup - Washington, D.C.
Dr. Cesar Vega
Washington DC
9:00AM-10:00AM
Liquid Nitrogen 201
It’s clear, odorless, tasteless, and it freezes foods at lightning speed. Chances are you’ve seen ice cream, sorbets, or even frozen cocktails emerge from its swirling mists. Liquid nitrogen is an undeniably fun kitchen toy—but more than that, it’s a useful tool for creating unusual textures.
Even for chefs who are fairly experienced liquid nitrogen users, there're always a couple more things to learn. The chef-scientists behind Jose Andres’ ThinkFood Group will get into the cold truth on the hows and whys of handling liquid nitrogen, including how to store it if you plan on making heavy use if it.
Sean Brock
McCrady’s Restaurant – Charleston, SC
10:10AM-11:10AM
Bringing Back American Heirloom Ingredients
Lowcountry cuisine—the style of cooking associated with the South Carolina’s coastal counties and part of the Georgia coast, is arguably one of the original forms of American cuisine.
As executive chef at McCrady’s in Charleston, SC, Sean Brock knows a thing or two about Lowcountry cuisine and the importance of preserving its heritage. In this presentation, Brock will engage in a discussion of the past, present and future of the Lowcountry region. A self-described farmer, pig wrangler, horticulturalist and scientist, Chef Sean Brock of McCrady's developed a 2.5 acre farm on Wadmalaw Island, SC, creating a true field-to-table experience for his diners. McCrady's front and back-of-the-house staff work the farm together to produce 90% of the vegetables for the restaurant. Brock will be presenting pre-Civil War organic ingredients, such as heirloom varieties of corn, rice, peas, hominy, and farro—all which have been preserved from extinction by the island's farmers.
Brock will present varieties of heritage foods, including Jimmy Red heirloom corn, Carolina Gold rice, Sea Island Red Peas, Henry Moore Yellow Hominy Corn, Farro Piccolo, and more—and the arduous process by which these pre-Civil War organic ingredients have been brought back by the Lowcountry farmers, chefs and historians. Brock will go into greater detail as well as lead a hands-on workshop using these heirloom ingredients in modern applications.
Charles Phan
The Slanted Door - San Francisco, CA
10:10AM-11:10AM
Vietnam in America: Adapting Vietnamese Street Food
Tue, September 22
Josh DeChellis
La Fonda del Sol - New York, NY
9:00AM-10:00AM
Some Like it Hot: Cooking with the Plancha
The plancha: a giant griddle, capable of reaching extremely high temperatures. For the chef, it’s an incredibly useful tool, able to give foods a different set of textures than with usual pan cooking or grilling.
In this interactive workshop, Chef Josh DeChellis of New York’s highest rated Spanish restaurant, La Fonda del Sol, will demonstrate the versatility of cooking “á la plancha” from classic Spanish-style applications to unconventional techniques. DeChellis will also address its effectiveness in terms of cost control and efficiency.
With hands-on audience participation, De Chellis will be using the plancha to cook Giant Shrimp á la Plancha, Crispy Pig Tail and Jamón Serrano with Steamed Egg and Pardina Lentils, Cedar Smoked Strip Steak, and Scallops Cooked in a Cawloon Cloud.
Yoshihiro Murata
Kikunoi - Kyoto, Japan
10:10AM-11:10AM
Lessons from a Kaiseki King
Zach Allen
B&B Ristorante, Carnevino, and Enoteca San Marco – Las Vegas, NV
10:10AM-11:10AM
The Charcuterie Equation: A Hands-On Workshop
Main Stage
Sun, September 20
Antoinette Bruno
starchefs.com - New York, NY
Will Blunt
starchefs.com - New York, NY
11:30AM-11:45AM
Welcome / Welcome Address: 2009 Culinary Trends Report: A Look Forward and Back
Matt & Ted Lee
Authors – New York, NY
11:45AM-12:00PM
Keynote Address
Emeril Lagasse
Emeril's - New Orleans, LA
Charlie Trotter
Charlie Trotter’s – Chicago, IL
Norman Van Aken
Norman's – Miami, FL
Clark Wolf
Clark Wolf Company – New York, NY
12:00PM-12:45PM
Keynote Panel: What is American Cuisine?
The keynote panel for this year’s International Chefs Congress will feature three chefs who have helped shape modern American cuisine: Emeril Lagasse, Charlie Trotter, and Norman Van Aken. The trio, who have been friends since the 1980’s, are self-described as “The Triangle”. Throughout their careers—and long before the media was involved in all things culinary—each of the chefs have always tried to dynamically represent their corner of the country (New Orleans, Chicago, and Florida) through their respective cooking styles.
Author Clark Wolf will moderate a discussion about the role each chef has played in the recent evolution of American cuisine and how they came to be leaders in the industry. Lagasse, Trotter, and Van Aken will provide their insight into the roots of modern American cooking as it was igniting. They will also help provide a perspective for the audience to realize how culinary artists—much like musicians or painters—continue to evolve and seek excellence.
The “triangle” will explore the meaning of American cuisine and what it has become today. In a question and answer session with the audience, the panel will conclude with a discussion about the future of American cuisine.
David Bouley
Bouley - New York, NY
12:45PM-1:30PM
Paris to Tokyo: French Cuisine, Japanese Techniques
Over a long, illustrious career learning from some of the greatest of culinary luminaries, New York chef David Bouley has combined his American upbringing with French culinary training and Japanese influences. He returns to the main stage of the International Chefs Congress this year to share the latest findings from his test kitchen. Bouley will demonstrate techniques and discuss his culinary philosophy. His featured recipe—Malibu Sea Urchin Terrine with Creme Fraiche, Caviar, and Fresh Kinome—exemplifies his culinary style and panache for elegant fusion of cultures and flavors.
Yoshihiro Murata
Kikunoi - Kyoto, Japan
2:15PM-3:00PM
The Quest for Umami
Kaiseki is a style of Japanese cooking that expresses the kisetsu, or season. Chef Yoshihiro Murata, one of the most respected kaiseki chefs in the world, will explore the meaning and application of kaiseki. Murata will address his view that kaiseki must express umami, nigami, or bitterness (which is identified by tannins), and kaori, or aromas. Although there is not a specific technique, ingredient, or seasoning that defines or characterizes kaiseki, the season must be expressed on the plate in order for it to be considered kaiseki. One way to express the season in a dish is by naturally extracting umami flavors that are focused and harmonious, as well as by utilizing nigami and kaori, which Murata will demonstrate.
He will go into further detail in his interactive workshop, where participants will engage, with Murata's lead, in creating kaiseki dishes.
Chris Young
Intellectual Ventures - Bellevue, WA
Nathan Myhrvold
Intellectual Ventures - Bellevue, WA
3:15PM-4:00PM
Patent Pending: Secrets from Food Scientists
As much scientists as they are cooks, Nathan Myhrvold and Chris Young of Intellectual Ventures have been heavily involved with chefs and restaurants at the forefront of modernist cuisine. Myhrvold and Young will preview their forthcoming book and demonstrate some of the innovative techniques made possible with freeze dryers, centrifuges, homogenizers, and other equipment more commonly found in research laboratories. Additionally, they will demonstrate the benefits of combining modernist approaches, such as freeze drying and cryo-searing as an alternative to the time-tested traditional approaches of deep-frying and roasting.
April Bloomfield
The Spotted Pig – New York, NY
4:45PM-5:30PM
Pig, Pig, Pig
With head-to-tail cooking and artisanal charcuterie programs popping up across the country, chefs are increasingly looking to local and small-scale farms to supply whole animals.
In this main stage presentation, acclaimed British chef April Bloomfield of the highly successful New York restaurant The Spotted Pig and the soon to open Breslin will be demonstrating the breakdown of a whole suckling pig into the primal cuts. The pig in question is one of the prized St. Canut piglets, raised on warm milk in Quebec’s Laurentian mountains. They are known for their delicate taste and incomparable tenderness.
The featured dish will focus on the belly of the pig. After butterflying the belly and rolling it pancetta-style, Bloomfield will slow-poach the belly and fry the ears, pairing the two with an onion puree and confit garlic.
Pierre Gagnaire
Pierre Gagnaire – Paris, France
5:30PM-6:15PM
Creativity à la Minute
It’s easy to plan a meal when you know the ingredients ahead of time. But it takes a special breed of chef to concoct a memorable dish on the spot—and in front of a chef audience—with a basket of ingredients of which the contents are unknown.
Who better to challenge in this manner than one of the masters of creativity in ingredient preparation and combination? In this main stage presentation, world-renowned chef and restaurateur Pierre Gagnaire will demonstrate the art of spontaneously cooking with a mystery basket of American ingredients. Once on stage, Gagnaire will be presented with a basket of surprise ingredients (sneak peek: it will feature three artisanal Wisconsin cheeses) and create six dishes in his inimitable style, á la minute.
Mon, September 21
Johnny Iuzzini
Jean Georges – New York, NY
Sam Mason
Tailor - New York, NY
Alex Stupak
wd~50 – New York, NY
11:30AM-12:30PM
Three Men and a Dessert
What happens when you put three of New York City's leading pastry chefs on the main stage and give them the mic? Find out when Johnny Iuzzini (of Jean Georges), Sam Mason (of Tailor), and Alex Stupak (of wd~50) converge on stage to demonstrate their newest ideas, thrash out the ins and outs of various hyper-modern techniques, and ultimately collaborate to create an über-modern take on an American dessert.
This meeting of the minds will showcase their individual takes on pastry and involve an in-depth discussion about the state of modern dessert methodology. (Warning: copious amounts of meringue and hair gel may be used—but not necessarily in the dessert.)
José Andrés
ThinkFoodGroup – Washington, DC
12:30PM-1:30PM
American Cuisine Through a Spanish Lens
How does frying pancakes in olive oil change their whole character? Where does the change in process fall in the evolution of the pancake? In this main stage presentation, Washington, DC-based Spanish chef José Andres will offer his interpretation of traditional American cuisine, examining how American dishes become richer as other cultures contribute new layers. Using classic American recipes like New England Clam Chowder as a starting point, Andres will demonstrate cultural interpretations of these dishes, using avant garde—yet often simple—techniques.
Masaharu Morimoto
Morimoto - New York, NY
2:30PM-3:15PM
Hook, Line, and Sinker
After last year’s spectacular treatment of a whole monkfish, Chef Masaharu Morimoto returns to the Main Stage once again to demonstrate his skill in using an entire fish from the head to the tail. This time, the Iron Chef will fillet five whole fish from small to large: aji, eel, hamo, fluke, and yellowtail. He will then prepare a number of dishes on stage using each filleted fish, including usuzukuri (paper thin sashimi), fish cooked in sweet soy sauce, tartare, and soup.
Rohini Dey and Maneet Chauhan
Vermilion – Chicago, IL and New York, NY
3:15PM-4:00PM
Bastardizing Disparate Cuisines or Innovation? The Deal with Fusion
Purists often shudder at the notion of “fusion cuisine”—and even the most adventurous of diners frequently regard fusion restaurants with a critical eye. So why do it in the first place? How does the chef or restaurateur make it work? And how does the concept of American cuisine tie in with fusion?
In this mainstage presentation, restaurateur Rohini Dey and Chef Maneet Chauhan of Chicago and New York’s Indian-Latin fusion restaurant Vermilion will address the controversy behind fusion cuisine. They will discuss the meaning of authenticity, the role of cultural influences in cooking, and where regional cuisine comes into play. Dey and Chauhan will explore the current trends in fusion cooking, and what their personal and cultural heritages bring to the table.
Latin and Indian cuisine are all about bold flavors, and Dey and Chauhan will share how they fuse those tastes as they explore whether increased openness to spice is the next ‘hot’ trend. The presentation will culminate in a demonstration of a contemporary Indian-Latin Tandoori Skirt Steak, plus their signature “herb and spice” cocktails.
Tony Conigliaro
69 Colebrooke Row – London, England
Audrey Saunders
The Pegu Club – New York, NY
4:00PM-4:45PM
Getting to Nose Your Cocktail
In a cocktail, one of the first elements to hit the senses is the aroma of the drink. And while most people perceive "taste" as a response from the tongue's taste buds, it actually results from the olfactory sense, where far more receptors are doing the detective work. With this in mind, a mixologist who understands aroma can greatly enhance the flavor experience in a cocktail.
In this seminar, acclaimed mixologists Audrey Saunders and Tony Conigliaro will explore the science of aroma. They will discuss how to use different ingredients to provide scent, how volatiles in beverages release at various temperatures, and how to apply techniques and use mediums that deliver aroma.
Conigliaro will also lead an interactive workshop where he will demonstrate his influential, modern-style mixology and share the latest cocktail trends from London.
Josh Emett
Gordon Ramsay at the London – New York, NY
4:45PM-5:30PM
New Zealand Lamb, Head to Tail
As the issues of sustainability and economy have become especially relevant to the foodservice industry, head-to-tail cooking has seen increased popularity as it presents a solution to minimize waste and maximize cost effectiveness.
In this mainstage presentation, Josh Emett will explore the long history of New Zealanders’ love affair with lamb and discuss uses for every part of the animal with a focus on the off-cuts. Emett will butcher an entire New Zealand lamb (which is particularly known for its tenderness and bold, flavorful taste) and demonstrate how to use the proper techniques to get the most out of the animal. Once butchered, Emett will use the off-cuts in a series of dishes.
Grant Achatz
Alinea - Chicago, IL
Daniel Boulud
Daniel – New York, NY
Pierre Gagnaire
Pierre Gagnaire – Paris, France
5:30PM-6:15PM
Modern Cuisine: A Generational Discussion
A potentially once-in-a-lifetime occurance: Pierre Gagnaire, Grant Achatz, and Daniel Boulud will be on the main stage for an interview and discussion that reaches across generations, genres, and the globe.
Flanked by Daniel Boulud, Alinea's Grant Achatz will take the lead in interviewing French luminary Chef Pierre Gagnaire. Achatz, one of the foremost progressive American chefs, has a close connection with Gagnaire—Achatz describes his cuisine as an extension of Gagnaire’s, and believes strongly in the French chef’s food-as-art philosophy.
Gagnaire will share his outsider perspective on American Cuisine, particularly in light of his upcoming Las Vegas restaurant opening. Boulud will provide his perspective on the matter from the viewpoint of a French chef who has made his mark on the American dining scene over the last several decades. The panel will provide an opportunity for the audience to learn more about how Gagnaire manages his global restaurant empire and maintain his high standards while retaining Michelin stars in so many locations across the world.
Achatz and Boulud will also discuss with Gagnaire why he chose to embrace technology in the kitchen, leaving the French traditionalists in classical and nouvelle cuisine in the dust. The discussion will steer towards the international culinary landscape, from the reign of French and Spanish cuisines in the late 20th century and beginning of the 21st, and what the future holds.
Tue, September 22
Juan Mari Arzak
Arzak – San Sebastian, Spain
11:30AM-12:30PM
Techniques from the Arzak Laboratory
In this main stage presentation from the father of modern Spanish cuisine, Juan Mari Arzak will discuss cutting edge culinary techniques he has been developing in his Flavor Laboratory this year. Housed in Arzak's 110-year old former tavern in San Sebastian, the laboratory includes a "flavor bank" containing thousands of meticulously organized ingredients used for Arzak and his daughter Elena's avant garde, experiential approach to European cuisine.
Arzak's demonstration will include a study of oil textures, as well as techniques for freeze drying ingredients, applying liquid nitrogen, enhancing flavors, dehydrating ingredients, using essential oils, and color fixation. As an ambassador for Spain, Arzak will also create an impromptu dish based on the essentials of the Spanish pantry, from olive oil and Marcona almonds to sherry vinegar and white anchovies.
Featured ingredients: Olive Oil from Spain, Marcona Almonds, Cheese from Spain, Sherry Vinegar, Spanish Honey, and White Anchovies.
Charles Phan
The Slanted Door - San Francisco, CA
12:30PM-1:15PM
Putting Vietnamese Street Food on the American Map
Charles Phan opened The Slanted Door in San Francisco’s Mission District in 1995 with the mission to introduce Vietnamese cuisine in a way he had never seen it done outside of Vietnam. In this presentation, Phan will share his Vietnamese cooking techniques and ingredients and explore how to incorporate Vietnamese cuisine into catering and restaurant menus. He will discuss Vietnamese food, culture and today’s growing trends; the challenges and benefits of being “green”; working with local farmers; using sustainable ingredients; and humane animal treatment. He will prepare spring rolls and banh cuon, a Vietnamese street food dumpling made from a delicately steamed wrap of rice flour and filled with ground pork, onion and mushrooms. In his workshop, Phan will go into greater detail about how to adapt Vietnamese street food, and participants will work with Phan to prepare one of his authentic recipes.
Paco Torreblanca
Pasteleria Totel - Alicante, Spain
2:15PM-3:15PM
A Peek into Pastelería Totel
Butter is one of the traditional building blocks of pastry, but what happens when an innovative Spanish pastry chef replaces it entirely with olive oil? In this presentation world famous pastry chef Paco Torreblanca will explore the applications of olive oil in the realm of desserts, including its uses and how it affects taste and texture. Whereas butter hardens with the cold, olive oil crystallizes in a different way and takes longer to oxidize, rendering the texture is creamier and more elastic. Torreblanca will share how he uses his beloved Spanish olive oil at Pastelería Totel and will present various preparations that use olive oil instead of butter. He will go into further detail in his hands-on workshop, where participants will be able to experiment in real time with Torreblanca's guidance.
Innovator Awards
3:15PM-4:00PM
Innovator Awards
Hobart
3:50PM-4:00PM
Win a Custom Hobart Mixer!
This customized, one-of-a-kind Hobart HL200 mixer will be given away to one lucky attendee of the International Chefs Congress! This mixer combines Hobart’s legendary durability and ease-of-use with a look that will get attention on any kitchen countertop. Click here for a close up
Sean Brock
McCrady’s Restaurant – Charleston, SC
4:00PM-4:45PM
Getting Down with Lowcountry Cuisine
Lowcountry cuisine—the style of cooking associated with the South Carolina’s coastal counties and part of the Georgia coast, is arguably one of the original forms of American cuisine.
As executive chef at McCrady’s in Charleston, SC, Sean Brock knows a thing or two about Lowcountry cuisine and the importance of preserving its heritage. In this presentation, Brock will engage in a discussion of the past, present and future of the Lowcountry region. A self-described farmer, pig wrangler, horticulturalist and scientist, Chef Sean Brock of McCrady's developed a 2.5 acre farm on Wadmalaw Island, SC, creating a true field-to-table experience for his diners. McCrady's front and back-of-the-house staff work the farm together to produce 90% of the vegetables for the restaurant. Brock will be presenting pre-Civil War organic ingredients, such as heirloom varieties of corn, rice, peas, hominy, and farro—all which have been preserved from extinction by the island's farmers.
Brock will present varieties of heritage foods, including Jimmy Red heirloom corn, Carolina Gold rice, Sea Island Red Peas, Henry Moore Yellow Hominy Corn, Farro Piccolo, and more—and the arduous process by which these pre-Civil War organic ingredients have been brought back by the Lowcountry farmers, chefs and historians. Brock will go into greater detail as well as lead a hands-on workshop using these heirloom ingredients in modern applications.
Rick Tramonto
Tru - Chicago, IL
4:45PM-5:30PM
The Birth of Modern American Cuisine
In this mainstage presentation, acclaimed chef Rick Tramonto shares his personal path to discovering what he considers American cuisine. Growing up in an Italian American family without a formal education, Tramonto will discuss his culinary steps and missteps—from his first job at Wendy’s Old Fashioned Hamburgers in 1978 through his time at Tru (all-told, 31 years of on-the-job training).
Tramonto will trace his various culinary influences, which range from his Italian-American heritage to his exposure to ethnic neighborhoods, and from his European culinary training to his time as a top chef in Chicago. He will expand on his own understanding of the American melting pot of cultures and how he makes sense of those flavors. Chef Tramonto will culminate with a demonstration of Lavender Lamb Loin with Toasted Almond Espuma and Chocolate-Red Wine Sauce, incorporating some of Tramonto’s signature flavor combinations.
Tramonto will also join David Waltuck of Chanterelle and Waldy Malouf of Beacon in a business seminar, Rebirth: How to Re-Energize a 10+-Year-Old Restaurant.
The 2009 New York Rising Stars
8:00PM-10:30PM
2009 New York Rising Stars
Glimpse the future of New York dining at our tasting gala and awards ceremony. Enjoy high-concept food from up-and-coming culinary stars from the top restaurants in town. All dishes are paired with ultra-premium wines selected by the Rising Star Sommelier.The event will take place at Mandarin Oriental (80 Columbus Circle at 60th street)
Click here for registration and info
Products Fair
Sun, September 20
Lunch
1:30PM-2:30PM
Sun, September 20 Lunch
Network
4:00PM-4:45PM
Network
Mon, September 21
Lunch
1:30PM-3:15PM
Mon, September 21 Lunch
Tue, September 22
Lunch
1:15PM-2:15PM
Tue, September 22 Lunch
Mixology
Sun, September 20
Junior Merino
The Liquid Chef - New York, NY
3:30PM-4:30PM
Sabor Latino in Cocktails
Latin cocktails in the US are too often associated with margaritas and mojitos. The cocktail heritage in Latin America goes well beyond those two usual suspects and in this hands-on mixology session, seasoned mixologist Junior Merino will take the audience on an exotic trip through his Latin heritage and Latin-influenced style of mixology.
Merino will prepare batidas (Brazilian-style cocktails made using fresh fruit juices and purees, condensed milk and cachaça) and demonstrate proper "machecar" (or muddling) techniques. Merino will lead participants in a hands-on cocktail “lab” with experiments using Latin spirits (such as tequila, mezcal, and cachaça) and unorthodox ingredients like chiles, hibiscus, peanuts, and rice-based horchata.
Mon, September 21
Albert Trummer
Apotheke - New York, NY
11:30AM-12:30PM
Advanced Infusions and the Bar Apothecary
Infusing liquor with fruits and vegetables is one of the foremost trends in the current American mixology scene, but what happens when the technique is taken beyond the basics? In this interactive workshop, Mixologist/Apothéker Albert Trummer of New York’s Apothéke will share his techniques for infusing liquors with exotic herbs, spices, and rare liqueurs to create complex, exciting new flavors for cocktails. Bridging bar and apothecary, Trummer will focus on infusions and additives that can affect moods and that have curative powers. He will demonstrate how to use special herbs and botanicals to infuse, reduce and create some of his signature essences. Trummer will then explain the process of determining their medicinal effects and how mixologists can use this knowledge to design and implement these ideas and techniques on their bar menus.
Scott Beattie
Artisanal Cocktails – Healdsburg, CA
1:15PM-2:15PM
The Making of Artisanal Cocktails
Using farm fresh ingredients in the kitchen has become commonplace—but why not incorporate those same products at the bar? Mixologist Scott Beattie, one of the leaders in the “farm-to-bar” movement, will lead a workshop dedicated to the craft of seasonally-inspired artisanal cocktails. Beattie will share his inspiration for drinks, explore varied transformational applications of farm fresh, local ingredients, and describe how he has developed relationships with local farmers. Beattie will also discuss the process of creating his seminal book, Artisanal Cocktails, including insights into recipe development. Participants will prepare fall-inspired cocktails from Beattie’s book that bring out the best in seasonal produce while learning practical tips and methods for developing advanced seasonal cocktails.
Chad Solomon
Cuff & Buttons and Liquid Relations – New York, NY
Christy Pope
Cuff & Buttons and Liquid Relations – New York, NY
3:00PM-4:00PM
Getting Schooled in Cool: Practical Ice Applications Behind the Bar
Ice is a hot topic behind the bar these days, and consultant-mixologists Chad Solomon and Christy Pope of Cuff and Buttons will present a comprehensive seminar dedicated to the history of the ice trade in America and the important role ice has played in the evolution of the American cocktail. The science of ice itself will be explored by understanding the differences between natural ice and man-made ice, good ice verses bad ice, and the effects of different refrigeration on molecule formation. Solomon and Pope will showcase their own tested techniques for making and working with ice, the styles of ice in relation to different styles of cocktails, and how to create a solid ice program for your bar.
Tue, September 22
Julie Reiner
Flatiron Lounge, Clover Club – New York, NY
Tony Abou-Ganim
The Modern Mixologist – Las Vegas, NV
11:30AM-12:30PM
Tiki, or Not Tiki
In the 1950’s and 1960’s, the United States was swept by tiki: the Polynesian-style pop culture movement pioneered by Trader Vic’s and Don the Beachcomber. These days, with the return of the cult of the classic cocktail, tiki culture is naturally coming back into the spotlight.
Join mixologists Tony Abou-Ganim and Julie Reiner as they take you on a rum-soaked journey through the colorful and festive world of tiki cocktails and bar culture. As rum is the basis for all tiki drinks, they will host a compare-and-contrast rum tasting, guiding participants through the many styles of rum, whether light-bodied, complex, full-bodied, rhum agricole, spiced, or flavored.
Abou-Ganim and Reiner will lead workshop participants through basic and advanced tiki recipes, and provide tips and advice to incorporate this style of cocktail into bar programs.
Tony Conigliaro
69 Colebrooke Row – London, England
1:15PM-2:15PM
Modern Mixology, London Style
Get up close and personal with top London mixologist Tony Conigliaro in this intimate workshop. Conigliaro will elaborate on his mainstage presentation, delving into the nitty gritty of aromatic release in cocktails, and how it affects the senses of the imbiber. The recently named "Mixologist of the Year" will share his in-depth knowledge of cocktail science and demonstrate his re-invention of classic cocktails using innovative methods and ingredients. Conigliaro will welcome audience interaction, inviting participants to “pick his brain” to answer any burning questions.
John Deragon
PDT – New York, NY
4:45PM-5:45PM
The Bitters Revolution
With the revival of old-school mixology, many bartenders are returning to the roots of the craft—manufacturing bitters, infusing fruits, herbs, and vegetables into spirits and syrups. For the well-rounded mixologist who isn’t afraid to dabble in house-made concoctions, making one’s own bitters brings the artisanal aspect of the bar full circle. A dash of bitters binds a cocktail, and the complex interplay of wood and spice give it another dimension that makes it that much more than a chilled mixture of alcohols.
In this interactive tasting workshop, Mixologist John Deragon will discuss the history of bitters, the different types available, and how house-made bitters can elevate your bar program. He will cover the basics of creating your own bitters and techniques for using them in cocktails. Deragon will demonstrate the process for making bitters and how to fully incorporate them into a classic Manhattan. Participants will have the opportunity to craft their own individual flavor of bitters using a “quick” version of the recipe.
Pastry Demo
Mon, September 21
Maura Kilpatrick
Oleana, Sofra – Cambridge, MA
10:10AM-11:10AM
Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice: Middle Eastern-Inspired Pastry
Sofra is a Turkish/Arabic word that means a picnic on a rug; a special table preparation of food; or a small square killim rug. It is also synonymous with generosity and hospitality. Pastry Chef Maura Kilpatrick named her Middle Eastern bakery after this word in hopes of capturing its essence. Kilpatrick and chef-partner Ana Sortun (of Boston's Oleana) wanted to create a place that would make diners feel welcoming and familiar yet transport them to another place with the flavors. Sofra’s specialty is taking Middle Eastern classics and creating their own version.
In this demonstration, Kilpatrick will showcase some of Sofra’s specialty items such as their distinctive spice blends. She will prepare Chocolate Hazelnut Baklava with a Cocoa Honey Syrup, Palace Bread (a honey and rose caramelized bread from an ancient recipe) and two types of milk puddings. One pudding will be used as filling for Kunefe (a Turkish dessert made with syrup soaked shredded phyllo) and the other will be cold made with yogurt and candy floss. Under Kilpatrick's direction, workshop participants will come away inspired and confident about using these select Middle Eastern spices in pastry applications.
