Tokyo Taste - The World Summit of Gastronomy

Feb. 9-11, 2009

Top Chef's Tom Colicchio Saves fellow IACP member's life

Top Chef's Tom Colicchio Saves Life
By Gina DiNunno

Tue Jan 20, 8:44 AM PST
Top Chef head honcho Tom Colicchio may be considered the "bad guy" when it comes time to axe one of the cheftestants during judge's table, but for now this restaurateur could be called a hero.
The reality-show judge saved fellow foodie Joan Nathan from choking to death during the "Art. Food. Hope." benefit in Washington, D.C. on Monday, according to the Internet Food Association. While being cornered by some bitter Top Chef fans who where less than thrilled about last week's elimination of Ariane, Colicchio heard a cry for help from another famed chef, Alice Waters, and immediately ran over to perform the Heimlich maneuver saving Nathan who had a chunk of chicken lodged in her wind pipe.
"I did what anyone else would have done and was just happy to be there," Colicchio told TVGuide.com. "I'm thrilled Joan's well."

Mexico is guest country at Madrid Fusion 2009

Notimex Photos/Juan Carlos Rojas

Mexico is the country of honor in the seventh edition of Madrid Fusión, a top culinary event that will run through Thursday in Spain.

Patricia Quintana, Mónica Patiño, Ricardo Muñoz, Enrique Olvera and Bricio Domínguez will have the task of representing the nation's cuisine - old and new - with 70 other top chefs from around the world who are doing the same for their countries.

"More than being at the vanguard, I'd like to say that we'll give a personal interpretation of Mexican food," Olvera told state-owned news agency Notimex.

Mexican Ambassador to Spain Jorge Zermeño said the chefs "would promote Mexican products, our gastronomy, our dishes - we know it's going to be a success."

What all five seem to share is an almost religious reverence for traditional Mexican food, but a willingness to incorporate new methods into its preparation to foster a sort of natural evolution.

Click here to read the complete article.

Mexico City contends as top food city

Stan Sesser from the Wall Street Journal writes up a fantastic story about Mexico's city food scene.

Design by Joe LeMonnier

"It was my first bite of food in Mexico City, a snack called esquites, consisting of kernels of corn boiled in water with strips of jalapeno peppers and an herb called epazote, then garnished with lime juice, chili salt, mayonnaise and grated cheese. "One of the best things I've ever eaten," I wrote in my notebook. The cost: 70 cents at a street market.

A couple days later, at the restaurant Pujol, I was dining on a soup of squash blossoms topped with coconut foam, and venison coated with a pungent seasoning of Yucatán oregano and dried burnt chilies and served on a purple-banana purée. Washed down with high-quality wines from, of all places, Mexico's Baja Peninsula, the meal was $50 for the fixed-price dinner plus wine, and worth every penny."

Click here for the complete article.

Lenôtre passes away

Gaston Lenôtre, Who Built a Culinary Brand, Is Dead at 88
By BASIL KATZ
Published: January 9, 2009
Mr. Lenôtre was the founder of the restaurant, catering, retail and cooking school empire of the same name, and rejuvenated pastry making in the early 1960s.

To read the complete story click here.

Xochimilco Market, Mexico City

Ruth Alegria and David Aman of DocNo Productions paired up to make this fantastic video featuring Mexico City's colorful Xochimilco Market.  Join IACP Mexico´s country coordinator Ruth Alegria as she guides you through the different food stalls and points to dozens of indigenous ingredients available in the "mercado".  

Xochimilco Market, Mexico City from DocNO Productions on Vimeo.

Remembering IACP member Maria Teresa Berdondini

Maria Teresa Berdondini

IACP friends Maria, Lisa, Ruth, and Maria Teresa Berdondini (far right)

Maria Teresa Berdondini, who served as IACP Italy Country Co-Coordinator with me for the past two years, died in August after a long illness. Though she was unable to come to recent international conferences, something she loved to do, she did attend our Italian Section luncheon in Rome last year and had every intention of participating fully in the future; however, at certain point she wrote that she felt she was “fighting against windmills”. The following is taken from notes that she wrote about herself last year. I will always treasure the memory of this accomplished, energetic and beautiful woman who enriched my life, and the lives of others, by her friendship. --Elizabeth Wholey, Italy
* * *
Maria Teresa Berdondini, originally from Emilia Romagna, spent 18 years as a manager of five-star hotels in Italy and Spain before settling in Montecatini Terme, Tuscany, with her husband, Giuseppe, who is also in the travel business. She served as IACP Italian section co-representative, was a licensed AIS Sommelier and culinary demonstrator, and a member of Slow Food. Her passion for research in the food and wine fields enabled her to lecture about the origin and evolution of Tuscan cuisine to many travelers, including groups from the Smithsonian. In 1997 she established Tuscany by Tuscans, an Italian travel consultancy, which coordinated programs for individual travellers as well as for food professionals. Tuscany by Tuscans was created with a desire for freedom in travel, and she designed personalized itineraries into undiscovered areas, visiting lesser known art treasures, artisans practicing traditional crafts, and small agricultural producers and wineries. Her company was recognized by Conde Nast Traveler Magazine as a Top Travel Specialist in 2005, 2006 and 2007.
* * *
I would like to share this memory of Maria Teresa with my fellow IACP members. I first met Maria Teresa at the Montreal conference in 2003 when we sat together at lunch. A warm and engaging personality, she made sure that I met other international members during subsequent days. We kept in touch after the conference and started making plans to meet again at the next conference. In 2005 we shared a room together at the Dallas and had an incredible time. In 2007 my husband died of cancer and Maria Teresa was diagnosed. I never deleted any of the messages that Maria Teresa sent me that year. Even as she battled cancer, undergoing operations and chemotherapy, she kept sending me messages of hope and expectations, that I finally would visit her in Italy and that she would be able to visit me in Mexico. The last message that I received was her 2008 New Years greeting. She never gave up hope for herself and for others. She will be missed.
--Ruth Alegria, Mexico

IACP Italian Section Third Annual Autumn Luncheon

Florence, Italy, November 2008

For IACP members scattered around Italy, our annual get-together is a happy reward at the end of the busy tourism season. This year, we met in Florence near the San Lorenzo market and the Medici Chapel, at the Osteria Cipolla Rossa, owned by a butcher from the central market and two talented chefs from respected Tuscan restaurants.

After a brief welcome statement, Elizabeth Wholey read members’ tributes to Maria Teresa Berdondini, Italy Country Co-Coordinator with Elizabeth for the past two years, who died in August after a long illness.

Following the announcement of Sonia Di Centa as the new Country Coordinator, which was met with enthusiasm, the seventeen guests introduced themselves and brought the rest of us up to date on their activities.

And then we proceeded to chiacchierare, to chat the afternoon away, while being served a series of delicious and creative small plates.

Over time, we have learned some rules for making a success of this event. (Note: It takes a few tries to build up the momentum and for people to learn that this is something not to be missed.)

Our Recipe for Success:

First and foremost, great food! Pick an interesting location, a popular city that is fun to visit, and a restaurant near the train station. Keep the price affordable. Have a member in that city choose a venue that will be appropriate for an afternoon gathering. (Judy Witts selected it this year.) Enlist that person to help get the group together, making contact with friends and inviting family members and interested non-IACP members, as well. We also put out the word to the IACP board and we welcome guests from outside of Italy. This year we were joined by Dede Wilson and her husband, Dave, from Amherst, Massachusetts, who happened to be in Tuscany at the time. If possible, we provide lodgings or arrange for a discount at a hotel. Lucy Luhan generously offered her Villa Lucia near Lucca for out-of-towners.

We always have our luncheon at the same time every year, in late November after the olive harvest, a date people can plan around, and we send out the invitations well in advance. In 2006 the location was a Tuscan villa, and in 2007 it was held in Rome at a beautiful rooftop garden restaurant, the Hotel Mediterraneo, owned by the family of IACP member, Jo Bettoja.

We emphasize that this is a relaxed, convivial get-together, not an IACP membership drive, though we do have applications available and some of our guests have signed up.

Over the years, new friendships as well as joint ventures have been formed, and we always come away full of good food, wine and inspiration.

If you are in Italy at the end of November, 2009, you are invited to join us.

Elizabeth Wholey

Chair, Culinary Tourism Committee

www.amoresapore.com

Umbertide, Umbria, Italy

Madrid Fusion 2009

Ferrán Adriá, Grant Achatz, Elena Arzak, Heston Blumenthal, Andoni Luis Aduriz, Pierre Gagnaire are just some of the great chefs that will meet in Madrid on January 19, 2009 for the 7th Madrid Fusion Summit where Science and Cuisine will be the topic to debate. Mexico will be one of the guest countries, chefs Enrique Olvera, Patricia Quintana, Ricardo Muñoz, and Monica Patiño will be present.  Registrations are limited to 600 participants and tickets sell out (fast) for 590 Euros.  Click here to view the full program. 

Peru Mucho Gusto 2008

For more information contact Alfredo Sumar in Lima, Perú.  (telf.: 99 790 1551 / 99 404*4316)

Star Chefs Congress 2008 - A Kitchen Without Boundaries

Star Chefs International Congress- A Kitchen Without Boundaries

Sept 14-16 

New York City

For more information click here.

Dashi

by Yukari Pratt
yukari.pratt@gmail.com

Even the longest journey begins with one step. And your journey in the Japanese kitchen begins with dashi. Dashi is the basic building block without which Japanese cuisine as we know it would not exist. If you want to become proficient in the Japanese kitchen, you must master this one recipe.

I went to one of the best culinary sources I know, chef Kimio Nonaga, the 2002 Iron Chef champion and third-generation chef of Nihonbashi Yukari, a kappo ryori restaurant near Tokyo station (http://nihonbashi-yukari.com). Nonaga says he has recently changed the way he makes dashi based on scientific studies on how best to extract the flavor from kombu. Here is his method of making the basic kihon dashi jiru:

• 1.8 liters water

• 25 grams of kombu (Note: there are several types of kombu, but Nonaga-san prefers a variety known as rishiri)

• 20 grams of katsuobushi

Gently rinse the kombu in water and place in a medium saucepan with the cold water. Turn on heat to medium. Starting at 65ºC, the kombu will release its flavor to the water, so it’s best if the temperature remains between 65ºC and 85ºC. Within that range, there will be a slow stream of bubbles coming from the bottom of the pan. Do not go up to 95 degrees or closer to the boiling point, as this will cause bitterness.

Simmer at this temperature slowly for 25-30 minutes. Your kitchen will start to smell like you are at the beach, and the dashi, when sampled, will taste like the ocean. These are both good things. Continue reading here.

Mexico Guide Wins in London! The Best in the World, 2007

Add Mexico City to the list of great culinary capitals! Good Food in Mexico City: A Guide to Food Stalls, Fondas and Fine Dining, by IACP member Nicholas Gilman won in the guide category on April 13 in London at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards. It took third place, competing with finalists from 10 other countries. 107 countries entered books in this awards contest. The guide is also available in French as La Bonne Bouffe â Mexico.

Gumbo Giveback

Grab a bowl and gather 'round the gumbo pot! It's time for Gumbo Giveback, this year's fundraiser to benefit the Crescent City Farmers Market. The event, which is sponsored by the International Association of CulinaryProfessionals, kicks off Saturday, April 19 at 6:00 p.m. at the corner of Girod Street and Magazine, with live music and some of the city's best chefs stirring up big pots of the signature Louisiana dish.






Join us for this rare opportunity to sample Seafood Gumbo, Duck Gumbo and traditional Chicken and Smoked Sausage Gumbo prepared by a stellar trio of guest chefs: Chef Paul Prudhomme, of K-Paul's Louisiana Kitchen; Darin Nesbit, executive chef at Bourbon House and Palace Café; and Chef Donald Link of Herbsaint and Cochon. We will have a traditional Louisiana crawfish boil, Cafe Brulot courtesy of CDM Coffee distributor Reily Co., and Mojo Catering will be preparing Gumbo Z'Herbes, shrimp and grits and more. It's also a chance to celebrate New Orleans' culinary history and mingle with food lovers from all over the world while supporting marketumbrella.org's efforts to grow the region's food community and create vibrant public spaces centered around our shared love of fresh, local food.



The International Association of Culinary Professionals, which is holding its annual conference in New Orleans April 15-19, is a non-profit professional association made up of some 4,000 chefs, restaurateurs, food writers, cookbook authors and cooking instructors from more than 35 countries. We are proud that the IACP has recognized our role in the rebuilding of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, and that the group has chosen to close out its meeting with a "give back" bash to benefit the Crescent City Farmers Market.

Tickets for the event are $95 per person, and can be purchased online at the International Association of Culinary Professionals Web site, www.iacp.com. Please join us for great food, live music and a night of celebrating the best in New Orleans cooking. The Crescent City Farmers Market has helped local farmers, fishers and food producers rebound since the devastating 2005 hurricane season and helped establish and encourage other regional markets. Get your tickets for the Gumbo Giveback and help us keep the momentum going!

Chef Jam!: Emeril Lagasse at 2008 IACP Annual Conference

Come join us at this year's Culinary Trust Fundraising Event featuring chef Emeril Lagasse in what promises to be an unforgettable evening of "Rhythm on the Plate". Tickets are available for $150. The event kicks off at 6:30pm. If you happen to be in town, that is, New Orleans, you do not want to miss this special event!