agir aujourd’hui

Good morning, sunshine.

That’s what I thought when it was so bright outside before 7 am that I was dragged out of bed well before my alarm went off. And, my bedroom window faces north, so there are no direct morning rays to heat my covers and tickle me awake as when I lived in a converted warehouse with 20-foot ceilings, windows as high, and an unencumbered Eastward view of the Schuylkill River and Center City from my perch in West Philadelphia. And I never closed my shades (then or now) to encourage as much natural light to hit my skin and improve my mood.

Needless to say, today has been a much better day on all fronts than the past two dreary, grey, rainy ones. So, while a few weeks ago, I took the time to praise G-d for nature, today’s welcome sunshine is a great reminder to thank and take care of our planet. It doesn’t hurt that it’s Earth Day.

Living here in Cantabrigia, I’ve grown accustomed to the evil looks received when I arrive at a check-out counter without a cloth or recycled bag to in which to pack my own groceries. I now have a sizable collection that grows every few months when I decide on a spontaneous grocery trip and can’t fit everything into my purse and feel guilty when asked, “paper or plastic.” And at least around here, you get a small Woolworth-sized rebate when you supply your own.

Of course, other parts of the world lead with a stick, and I have heard that cities in the US have threatened to do the same (Bloomberg threatened  a $0.06 tax on plastic bags last year). 2 years ago when I spent the summer in Paris and Nice, I found that many grocery stores did not even offer bags (nor did they have baggers to help you out). Of course, the French have a long history of carrying their own groceries away from their daily markets in a filet, a cotton mesh bag, or pannier, a basket (a classic French image being a little boy riding home from the bakery with a fresh baguette or two in the basket of his bicycle).

So, eventually I bought one of those re-usable bags, and it has turned out to be one of my favorite purchases in Nice. (Aside from the clothing and my provençal tablecloth, of course). It has stood by me for 2 solid years. It carried overflow stuff when my suitcase exploded and accompanied me on the airplane. I shop with it all the time here in the US and feel uber-chic because, of course, it’s French. And I think I’m French. And it prompts people to speak to me in French. And I love that. And, I fit in with my hippy dippy neighborhood because it’s quite beat-up and worn with use.

Importantly, its message is as green as its color. Agir aujourd’hui pour mieux vivre demain – Act today to live better tomorrow.

sac de Carrefour - Agir aujourd'hui pour mieux vivre demain.

As opposed to most of the bags that I’ve seen in the US, not only is the bag re-usable, but I believe you can return it to the store and exchange it for a new one (“Sac réutililisable, échangable à vie” – Recyclable bag, exchangable for life).

"Sac réutililisable, échangable à vie" - Recyclable bag, exchangable for life

Clearly I need to return to France to check on this policy. I will make any excuse to travel!

Happy Earth Day! Bon Jour de la Terre!

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springtime in manhattan

I was back in New York for less than 24 hours this week.

I was there for the annual reception that the non-profit on whose advisory board I sit has been holding for the past two years to honor community leaders’ work in ending family violence. Before heading home the next day, I wandered around my old haunts and in addition to the weather, about 20° F warmer than in Boston, there were some of the familiar tell-tale signs that Spring is hitting Manhattan.

First, the construction. I’m not talking about the UES falling cranes-type of construction to erect yet another east-of Lex monolith cookie-cutter apartment building that had the Times proclaiming the Fifth Mad Park once tony neighborhood one of the cheapest places to live (ahem…Yorkville anyone?). That, I’ve never had the patience for.  But, there is something strangely soothing about the life that “MEN AT WORK” orange signs, on-the-ground, public works construction lends to a city. The idea of renewal. Spring cleaning all around. Paving the roads after a long winter that someone had decided is over.Fixing the potholes.  Do you hear that, Boston? I repeat, Manhattan is fixing its potholes!

Then there are the flowers, struggling in their little urban gardens. Granted, I didn’t make it to Central Park where the trees blossom around the reservoir just a few weeks after cherry blossoms grace Washington, DC. But I did spy a few little blooms peeking out from their 2X3-foot cell on the sidewalk near the parked cars.

But, the true sign of Spring for me in Manhattan is when the fruit (and vegetable) guys return.

Adorning (or shall I say staking their claim on) nearly every corner in my neighborhood and across much of Manhattan are fruit vendors. Some sell vegetables, like this guy above, but it’s the fruit that I’m after. Nothing fancy. Not much organic. No farmers’ market here. This is just how I would pick up some fresh fuit almost every day on my way home from work. Everything in the City is about convenience, so sometimes I would take a different train so that I would make sure to pass Rana, my fruit guy on my corner, because once I passed my apartment, I wouldn’t go back out to just grab some fruit. Rana knew I was loyal — I only went to the guy across the street when he was out of something I needed — so, sometimes he’d spot me an avocado or two on Saturdays on my way back from synagogue because he knew I didn’t carry money on the sabbath. I was always sad when Rana and the other fruit guys packed up when the temperature dropped, but like clockwork, they always returned with the sunshine.

extra inventory in the car

One more image that I can’t resist sharing. Two gentlemen in Highland dress (not quite complete or formal, but a version of Highland dress nonetheless) also enjoying the Spring weather.

On the T back in Boston, I saw a man dressed like a yellow cow, or a “cowpie” to be exact, on his way to attend a Bruins (hockey?) game. He wouldn’t let me take his picture. But he wasn’t showing any leg.

Manhattan 1. Boston 0.

But who’s keeping score?

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cocktails anyone?

Last night I meet a new friend, Katie, for drinks at Garden at the Cellar on Mass Ave between Central and Harvard Squares. We were given a wine menu, but I immediately flipped the menu over to search for cocktails. Two immediately caught my eye, and with my penchant for fresh herbs, I’m sure you can guess which I ordered.

The bartender, Heather, was nice and friendly, without being overbearing. You could tell that she really enjoyed her work and created the unique concoctions that I was so excited to imbibe. 

Heather, ready with smile and drink

Heather explained that the Lavender Cosmo is a simple syrup *infused with lavender* (sound familiar?), vodka, in this case, Svedka, a dash of cranberry juice, and a sprinkling of dried lavender. Shake, drain, and pour into a chilled glass. She was kind enough to make a little extra for Katie to try.

Unlike most cosmos, this one is not too sweet. It’s like the “Sex and the City” ladies all grown up, maybe moved to Cantabrigia. A little more sophistocated, a little more intellectual. No more Peter Pan syndrome. We’re ready for real life here, but with a hint of Paris …well, maybe Provence. One can only take a SATC analogy so far.

My one critique of the Lavender Cosmo is that while absolutely beautiful, the lavender buds are difficult to drink around and I did find myself having to … how can I say this delicately?… dispose of them in my napkin. I guess, like high heels, sometime aesthetics win over practicality. Even in Boston and Cambridge with all those cobblestones, I usually just walk on the paved streets (no Manolos, but some pretty rocking heels nonetheless) and avoid the cars driving by…

Katie soon enough ordered the Basil Lemon Drop. Fresh basil leaves (when available, which they were in this  gastropub adorned by an edible potted garden) were muddled before us into a simple syrup (or otherwise would have been infused into simple syrup, as with the lavender), shaken with Stoli and lemon juice, and then poured into a glass whose rim was dipped in a mix of sugar and minced basil. The drink was then further garnished with a slice of lemon and a sprig of basil flower. And not the flower of just any basil plant. The flower of a Thai basil plant. Thai basil is purple. And so are its flowers. (By comparison, my own large leaf Italian basil plant has white flowers.)

Stunning as my (Philadelphia) Bubbie would say.

Again, Heather poured a little extra into a small glass for me to try (probably since I was snapping so many pictures!). This green and purple beauty was a little sweeter than the Lavender Cosmo, given its sugared rim, but still not overwhelmingly sweet like you might expect from the lemon drop shot that its name suggests. I’d call this drink the ultimate in sophistication … this one is Paris, sitting outside a bistro at 10 pm in November under the heating lamps and canopy as it gently rains outside and friends, new and old, keep dropping by to say hello.

I had to run off to a fundraiser, but Katie promised to let me know what  food she ordered and whether it lived up to the high expectations set by our drinks.

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i ate the whole bag

I try to listen to my body. So when I wasn’t feeling well and craving meat, knowing that I’m often anemic, I didn’t waste much time. Because when I’m hungry, I need to eat!

Without easy access to a (kosher) butcher or deli here in Cambridge, I don’t have many options. Granted, my options were probably a bit wider than most given the, er, interesting way I shop for food. In my fridge is meat that I have from France – some saucisson sec and beef chorizo - and a bag of beef jerky that I found in the Kosher Marketplace on my most recent trip to NY. The beef jerky won because … well … I felt the French meat deserved to be shared.

I ripped the bag open and took a tentative first bite. See, I’m not typically a jerky kind of gal. I have been known every once in a while to make mac and cheese from a box (much to Ellie/the Baking Architect’s shock and chagrin), but for the most part, I’m a fancy little lady.

The jerky was chewy and tough – just like a cowboy would want to snack on during the day. Not too salty, not spicy, not overpowering. Just dried meat. I reached my hand back into the bag.  Maybe I would save some  jerky to throw on top of a salad. A couple bites. Spinach with tomato and avocado. The picture would be nice – the thin brown pieces atop the green leaves. A few more pieces.  Maybe a lemon vinaigrette. Keep chewing.

Before I knew it (and you saw this coming), the bag was empty. I’ll have to buy some more — luckily the company offers free shipping in the continental US!

The jerky is made by RJs and supervised by the RCC (Rabbinical Council of California). Ingredients are pretty simple which is probably what makes it good quality — beef, low sodium soy sauce, brown sugar, liquid smoke. Each bag is 3 ounces (3 servings) and pretty low in fat, high in protein, and high in sodium. Nutritional information is available on the website.

If only they made South African biltong or boerewors … because Kosher Heaven is no longer anywhere to be found on the web!

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Passover-friendly recipes

Passover is in about 2 weeks 1 week 2 days tomorrow tonight, and for many people this is a time of  year that they dread. I try to think of it as a fun challenge. I mean, look, I’m not that pollyanna, but it’s only 8 days, so why not embrace it?  Use this opportunity to get back to basics, cook simply, and use fresh ingredients whenever possible.

I hosted the seders for my family for 3 (or maybe it was only 2?) years in a row and developed a few guiding principles to get me through the ordeal family gathering. We had a lot of the food catered, but I made many salads, soups, and desserts. And I vowed to never buy a boxed pesadik cake mix again!

My Passover philosophy is pretty simple:

- fresh fruits

- roasted veggies

- interesting salads

- recipes that are normally made flour-free

- forget the matzah once the seders are over

Over the next 2 weeks, I will introduce you to my favorite Passover recipes but I wanted to compile the recipes already on my site that you can use as you plan your not-so-traditional seders.

I am Ashkenazi, therefore, I have not included any recipes that include kitniot (translated as legumes and includes beans, peas, peanuts, corn, rice). As the old joke goes, if anyone knows a Sephardic Dutch man (eats kitniot + only waits 1 hour between meat and milk…) who is tall, brilliant, sensitive …you know what to do.

I have color coded the recipes the traditional colors for dairy, meat, or parve. And pink for fancy cocktails (who gets to make cocktails over Passover unless you’re in South Beach?)

Main Courses:

- Meatballs with Saffron Sunset Sauce/Chems al Aachi/Boulettes de Viande et Sauce Crépuscule – a Moroccan dish with a saffron-infusion that is in the meatballs and in the sauce; make with matzah meal instead of bread crumbs for Passover. NOTE – I have seen on one website that saffron is listed as kitniot under the category of seeds, but this does not make sense, since saffron is the dried stigma of a crocus flower. Check with your rabbi if you are unsure.

Cheeses:

- Baked Brie sans Croûte with Caramelized Onions — great for a lunch with friends (just make with a smaller brie — Les Petites Fermieres - ”the little farmgirls” makes an O-K hechshered brie that is specifically kosher for Pesach) — thank you to Caroline in Atlanta for pointing out that this would make a great Passover dish

- Parmesan Crisps - these crisps are great to add to a soup to make it seem fancier than it is; NOTE, the Kale and White Bean Soup that I made these to accompany is NOT kosher for Passover for Askenazim and others who do not eat kitniot

Salad:

- Grapefruit Avocado Salad

- Spinach Salad with Slow-Roasted Tomatoes and Mushrooms

- Salade Mira-Noa - the only adaptation required to make this pesadik is to leave out the za’atar since it contains hyssop and sesame (seeds) and therefore kitniot; a reader, Ariela, shared her preference for cilantro in this type of salad and I think it sounds perfect!

- Monochromatic Fennel and Pistachio Salad - This is the salad that opened me up to anise flavors. From a Passover standpoint, I believe it’s OK, but there’s one little glitch that I believe is just a little nomenclature mix-up. “Fennel” is listed as kitniot, but this must be referring to fennel seeds, NOT fennel bulbs, fronds, etc. So, I’m fairly comfortable putting this salad up here. After all, the whole seeds as kitniot is largely a ma’arat eyin (inspiring a false visual impression – since seeds can look like grains; eyin means eye) issue, not “ma’arat oznayim” (my made-up terminology… inspiring a false auditory impression; oznayim means ears). But, double check with your rabbi.

Soup:

- Carrot-Coriander-Cilantro Soup - Just leave out the coriander (a seed and therefore kitniot). Note, does require an immersion blender, but you can buy an inexpensive one for Passover only (I keep mine parve) and this will really transform your culinary experience for the whole week

- Chocolate & Zucchini’s Cauliflower Soup with Turmeric and Hazelnuts/Soupe de Chou-Fleur, Curcuma, et Noisette - I made this for my “noodles and nuggets” meal and it was a big hit with some of the kids; again, requires an immersion blender

Cocktails: we might have 4 cups of wine at the seder, but who doesn’t need a good cocktail later in the week?

- Lavender Cosmopolitan – try it with a splash of some fresh juice (cranberry juice is usually not K for P becuase it contains corn syrup)

- Basil Lemon Drop – all fresh fruits, herbs – perfect for Passover!

Here’s the deal – both of these drinks use vodka which can be found for Passover (made from potatoes). The following brands can be found with an OU-P for passover: Binyamina, Carmel, Yikvei Zion, and Kedem. Make a simple syrup (bring to boil water and sugar in 2:1 ratio until dissolves) and infuse with whatever herbs you desire.

Miscellaneous:

- Roasted Squash Seeds - if you make something with squash, don’t throw out the seeds, but clean and roast them

- Sugared and Spiced Nuts – make these with sugar and cinnamon which is easy to find in Passover and thrown on salad, or just keep in a bowl on the table and serve with dessert

Also, I have found that Passover is a great time to stock up on some pantry basics because many grocery stores carry more than their usual supply of kosher ingredients. For example, Passover 2008 was the first year that I ever saw Traverso white balsamic vinegar from Chile (see Resources). And many olive oils and balsamics emerge from the woodwork as well. Think of this as a time to explore (while you’re bemoaning everything else…)

Here is a picture of the K for P spices I saw on a recent trip to Kosher Marketplace in NYC:

The spices on display here are made by Pereg and are, in alphabetical order:

(ground) allspice

basil leaves

bay leaves

(whole) chile peppers

(Mexican) chili powder

cinnamon sticks and ground cinnamon

coriander leaves

(ground) cumin – ONLY FOR THOSE WHO EAT KITNIOT

(green) dill

garlic powder

(granulated) garlic

(ground) ginger

mint leaves

(ground) nutmeg

oregano

(hot red) paprika

(sweet red) paprika

parsley

(ground black) pepper

(whole black) pepper

(ground white) pepper

rosemary

thyme

(ground) turmeric

various spice mixes

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of mice and men

Today is Purim, and I had elaborate plans to fulfill the mishloach manot mitzvah by baking Ashkenazi and Sephardi hamantashen, oznei haman, and fazuelos from around the globe to share with my friends and with you my new friends.

I did my background research. I looked into the history and my culinary options.

Ashkenazis make hamantashen, Haman’s pocket (since he accepted bribes) or Haman’s hat – a tri-corn like our Colonial “fathers” wore – filled with prune or poppy seed. The German word for poppy seeds is mohn, and Gil Marks in Olive Trees and Honey reports that the word’s similarity to Haman’s name is the genesis for this fillings. Prune — I have no idea where that comes from. Call them dried plums, but they’re still prunes  in my book. The few times I have actually made hamantashen, I used a cookie-like dough and filled them with chocolate and chopped hazelnuts.

Askenizim from different origins not surprisingly make different types of dough. There’s soft yeasty dough and more crispy cookie-type dough.  The former lets the filling shine. Apparently Poles and Hungarians tend to make the latter. And the French, bless them, sometimes make a brioche style dough (Faye Levy’s 1,000 Jewish Recipes).

To me, Sephardim are a bit more exotic – probably because I’m not Sephardic. Many Sephardim make oznei haman, Haman’s ears, as thin sheets of dough shaped in half circles and pinched in the middle, fried and covered with confectioners’ sugar, called  fazuelos (Claudia Roden’s The Book of Jewish Food),or, in Italian, orcchie di Amman (Joyce Goldstein’s Cucina Ebraica) — the name reminds me of orchiette, the ear shaped pasta. I had a really hard time picturing these until I came across step-by-step illustrations online.

And then come the nuts. Moroccans make Gorayebah – almond topped butter cookies (Joyce Goldstein’s Saffron Shores). Greeks make a lot of interesting food for Purim depending on which area of Greece  you are from – marzipan (called novies) in the shape of the Purim characters,  buns (called folares) in the shape of Haman’s foot, sesame bars (multiple names) seen to represent Haman’s fleas (hmmm…), walnut squares to represent Haman’s teeth, and almond pastries. I bought  Nicholas Stavroulakis’ Cookbook of the Jews of Greece in the Jewish Museum in Athens a few years ago.

I looked to my friend Ellie Levi, aka The Baking Architect, for inspiration and motivation. Like KH Krena’s valentines (exhibit I mentioned in” sticky fingers“) Ellie’s mishloach manot deserve their own art exhibit. Somewhat more perishable and difficult to store over the years, I dare you to resist their call for more than an afternoon.

One year, Ellie and her sister Yali cooked and baked according to a Persian theme, in accordance with the site of the Purim story.

Persia-themed mishloach manot: Images from a hand painted 13th century megillah from Persia (The Baking Architect)

... filled with lots of (Sephardic) Persian goodies...

... described in detail

I had the best of intentions. Really I did.

Eventually, I decided to throw all of my research to the wayside and make Ashkenazi-style hamantashen my way. Different from every past year — no chocolate — but with a flair that I could only call á la francais. I was going to make mini apple triangle galettes — little hand-shaped freeform pies filled with freshly sliced apples (no prunes here!), perhaps atop a slather of dolce de leche or luscious caramel, sprinked with some turbinado sugar. Voilà! The perfect new Zahavah tradition.

And then I ended up fulfilling one of the other Purim traditions — ad d’lo yada — a few days early. Nothing crazy, just enough that I didn’t feel like spending my day baking.

NOTE: In case someone was concerned, I did make sure to fulfill my mishloach manot obligation – thank you, Monica Hirsh, for delivering with care such a classy, beautiful gift of flowers and food  to my sister’s office and really making her day a special one. What is great about Monica, beyond her amazing aesthetic and what I found out later is our shared time in Cantabrigia, is her personalized service. I requested delivery confirmation, having never sent anything to my sister’s office, and received an email note later in the day that detailed the delivery (time, signed by) and felt like a communication from a friend or colleague. Such small details make such a big difference in the whole experience.

Purim Celebration shaloch manot by Monica Hirsh

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stinky cheese

As usual a little bit behind in my magazine reading, I didn’t see this cartoon from this week’s New Yorker, but my friend from college and fellow francophile Josh forwarded it to me.  Here’s a shot of it from my own copy:

New Yorker cartoon: Matthew Diffee, "It's not the noise, Sir. It's the Camembert." (NOTE: this image is a photograph taken from my own magazine and the cartoon itself is copyrighted; please use official link if you want to distribute)

Now, I honestly don’t think of Camembert as being so particularly stinky. But, my guess is that I’m eating it incorrectly.

See, when I was an exchange student living with a family in the Loire Valley (in a little town called Mont près Chambord…the mountain near the Chambord château) and then vacationing with them in the Vendée, I recall that we didn’t refrigerate our cheese. The famille preferred most cheese soft and runny, almost of the consistency that it might get when I make a baked brie now. So, 1 to 2 to 3 weeks in that special cheese cupboard they had, with that nice moldy rind…mmm…quite a stink, but it probably tastes pretty good.

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a taste of my NY

I was in NY this past weekend and my time can be summarized in a few words – family/friends, food, and art. Not surprisingly, much of the latter two were shared with the former. It was such a NY weekend. And for the first time in a long time, the only thing I bought were things to fill my pantry and fridge.

my NY goodie bag

I got everything on my list and then some. In addition to good balsamic, parmesan, and fun demura (and white) sugar cubes, I found kosher beef jerky, gnocci from italy, ras al hanout spice mixture (which honestly I could have found up here, but I saw it in Fairway so I just bought it), and the pièce de résistance…Hazelnut oil. I found the hazelnut oil in Zabar’s (specific info on the oil on my resources page) and had bought the same one a few years ago but let it go rancid because I didn’t realize it needed to be refrigerated. I was SO happy to find this oil again!

Besides visiting the old classics foodie haunts on the UWS (Zabar’s, Fairway, Gourmet Garage), I stopped in to the newly renovated Kosher Marketplace — one of the higher end all kosher grocery stores in my old “chood” to see what it looked like. No longer a cramped tiny store, and still carrying some very high end products and interesting products, but check out the pictures below, and giggle along with me about some of the product placement issues they’re still working on (Meira — these are for you) …

yum...Payard's kosher collection...

Delis compote aux pommes: authentic fancy French apple sauce - French Lau, living in London, used to order these to remind her of home

I didn’t just shop for food … I took advantage of NY’s culinary and cultural variety.

I got into the city only 3 hours before sundown, wanted to catch a small photography exhibit at a Chelsea gallery, and needed to find food for shabbat for my sister and my friend. This is probably only possible in NY and a handful of cities. We went to the exhibit — photography of female Israeli soldiers and dancers in Russia (captured poignantly not in performance, but behind the scenes which is where, as Elvera, who I met when we were in a dance company together, and I know only too well, the real emotion is), met the artist (!), and managed to pick up Indian food just cross town in “Curry Hill” and get back to my friend’s apartment more or less in time for shabbat to begin. Only in NY!

Saturday afternoon, we ate Indian leftovers and then walked to The Jewish Museum to see their exhibit on Chagall and the Russian Theater which is only around for 2 more weeks. What made the exhibit really interesting was that Elvera is originally from the Ukraine and could give her own commentary about life and the theater (having trained in dance there) in the more modern Soviet Union, when it was still united.

And then in the evening, I went to a CityStep benefit held at the Alvin Ailey building. Right outside the room where our benefit was being held, there is a stunning mosaic of Judith Jamison (who, I might add, received an honorary Doctorate of Arts the same year I walked…) that I just can’t resist sharing with you.

mosaic of Judith Jamison at Ailey

I had Sunday brunch at Pain Quotidien with some of my international friends that I so sorely miss. And interestingly enough, a guy wearing a yarmulke was eating in there too…Romy and Thierry wouldn’t let me take a picture of him eating his baguette and butter. And I wasn’t in the mood to approach him to start a discussion. Clearly we both subscribe to the “traditional French (and Belgian) baguettes are kosher; check that they are made on a floured (not greased) baking sheet/stone” rule and believe that this rule does not only apply to France (Belgium) … <ignoring the fact that I have become a bit more lax about eating out>.

After strolling through the MoMA and seeing some classics that I’m embarrassed to say I had never seen before in person, I was treated (and I mean treated!) to one of my favorite meat places for an early dinner. It has been so long since I’ve eaten meat out in a restaurant — and especially red meat — that I truly savored each bite of my Wolf&Lamb ribeye  burger with grilled onions. This was no meagre hamburger. This was the kind of burger that melts into the bun. No ketchup required. I couldn’t decide whether to eat it with my hands or a knife and fork. So, I alternated between hands and cutlery. It may not have been pretty, but it tasted pretty great. And the company, my dear friend MD, made it all the better. And thanks for the help with the picture — otherwise it would have been all bun!

And then it started to snow.

And snow.

And snow.

And eventually I got home.

But, wow…I did a lot in just a few days. You always hear about a NY minute. I think it took me six months away to realize and appreciate the vivaciousness of this city. And these were just a few tastes of my NY. I can’t wait to return for more. Imagine what I can do if I actually plan…

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food innovation: Ferran Adrià, PhD?

I’m sure you’ve heard about molecular gastronomy. You’ve probably even seen some of it in practice on Top Chef – remember Marcel from season 2? Marcel might not be the expert, but he definitely brought MG into many a living room.

The expert, many would say is Ferran Adrià of elBulli restaurant outside Barcelona. And since I’m living here in Cambridge, how could I resist mentioning Adrià’s recent visit to that small liberal arts college down the road (and my alma mater) to explore the connections between science and food and to participate in an interchange of ideas, some academic but largely applied. He had lessons for Haaaahvaaaahd professors and students, sitting in on classes across various science and engineering disciplines and even marketing and innovation classes in the B-school (there was even an HBS case written about his restaurant). And apparently he came across the Atlantic with the intention of bringing some lessons back home as well as to sign an agreement for an ongoing collaboration with Harvard scientists.

Here is an interesting clip of a lecture where he demonstrated some of his techniques, speaking in his native Catalan. It’s just beautiful to watch! Not just the food preparation (melon caviar) and results, but a comment that Adrià makes before the first demonstration, translated by Professor Roberto Kolter — “‘The whole world gives him adjectives, but he wants to be a cook. He wants to be happy with what he does, and he wants to make people happy.”

I predict that Adrià will receive an honorary PhD from Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences this year, or better yet,  from HBS (take that Clayton Christensen… the Innovator’s Recipe?).

Now, if you’re thinking, “I keep kosher. I won’t be able to partake in all of these foams and caviars that seem to personify today’s molecular gastronomy” — fear not. Even though many of the experimental techniques use less traditional and some non-kosher ingredients, MG is largely about scientific process, experimentation, and understanding food. And a week and a half ago ago, Canela in Jerusalem held a special Sunday evening feast featuring many of these avant-garde techniques, as reported in the Jerusalem Post, apparently the second such meal in Israel. Of course, let’s see when it comes to NY…

Additional (selected) press coverage on Adrià’s visit to Cambridge:

- Time Magazine

- Harvard Magazine – December 19, 2008; February 18, 2009; March – April, 2009

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on the radio

… public radio that is

But, I love that Donna Summer song even though it’s an oldie.  And how true it is, well sort of, today.

My recent post, sticky fingers, was featured today on Public Radio Kitchen – a collaboration between Boston’s NPR station (WBUR 99.9) and its listeners. OK, so I actually submitted the post, but don’t let that take away from my glory! Check out their site and some other local food-related bloggers.

And, if you have an old Donna Summer CD (tape? record?) play it or just go watch it on YouTube because I can’t figure out how to add music to my site.  Actually I can’t seem to add anything but pictures and PDFs. Tech support anyone?

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